Dinner for Two KDP Select Days Tour

NOTE: THIS BOOK BLAST IS TO PROMOTE THE BOOKS FREE KDP DAYS

Blurb:

Sean and Darby love food - but is their relationship a recipe for disaster - Or a chance to make kitchen magic?

Find out in Dinner for Two, Book 1 in The Queensbay contemporary romance series

Sean Callahan was a hot shot big city chef whose high handed ways got him into trouble one too many times. Now he's in a small town hoping for another shot at the big leagues.

Darby Reese is a big city lawyer who can bake like an angel. Unfortunately, a life lived according to the law has left her burned out. So when the chance comes to run her family's deli in the small town of Queensbay, Darby's happy to take it.

But when Sean, the former chef du jour walks into her kitchen, she's definitely not prepared for sparks to fly. Will the two of them be able to find the recipe for happily ever after?

Book one in the Queensbay Series, a contemporary romance series.

Excerpt:

“I’m Sean Callahan.” He stuck out his hand.

She looked at it, shrugged and said. “We met already, remember?”

He did his best to keep smiling, but her hostility was wearing him down. “Yeah, about that.”

“I assume your mushrooms worked out for you?” Her tone was frostily polite as she turned and began to walk.

Surprised, he had to move quickly to keep up with her. “You know, I have plenty more,” he said, “if you need some. I didn’t mean to send you back to the store.” Friendly. If you were friendly, then someone else was supposed to be friendly back, right? Apparently, this one wasn’t going to give him an inch.

She looked at him, and he noticed that she had a small smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. “I managed to improvise.” Her tone was clipped, and it didn’t take a genius to deduce that she was pissed at him.

He ran a hand through his hair. Usually he didn’t have to work this hard to get a girl to like him. Women seemed to find him charming, at least at first. Until they got pissed off when he decided it was time to move on. Unfortunately, Darby seemed to have moved straight on to the pissed stage, without even giving him a chance. Okay, so he’d not been on his best behavior that morning, at least until he’d gotten a good look at her.

He turned on his high-wattage smile, the one that always worked, and tried his best bad-boy-turned-sorry look. “Sorry, sugar, it was a bit of a crazy morning. I hadn’t had my coffee yet. You know how that goes, right?”

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September 29:
1: Bunny's Review
2: Room With Books
3: Cynthia Gail
4: Unabridged Andra's
5: Books N Pearls
6: Book 'Em North Carolina
7: Queen of All She Reads
8: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
9: The Certifiable Wenches
10: My Devotional Thoughts
11: Deal Sharing Aunt
12: Dena Garson - Real... Hot... Romance
13: Brooke Blogs
14: Tina Donahue Presents
15: Books to Light Your Fire
16: Books and Other Spells
17: Underneath the Covers
18: A Cup Of Tea and A Big Book
19: Welcome to My World of Dreams
20: It's Raining Books

September 30:
1: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
2: Nickie's Views and Interviews
3: Sharing Links and Wisdom
4: Undercover Book Reviews
5: Writer Wonderland
6: The Book Review
7: You Gotta Read Reviews
8: Full Moon Dreaming
9: Tamaria Soana
10: Reading, Writing and Roses
11: Straight from the Library
12: Long and Short Reviews
13: Beyond My Writing Space

 Author Bio and Links:

Drea Stein is the author of the Queensbay contemporary romance series. She lives in rural New Jersey – yup, there really is such a thing – with her family and writes in an old barn. Visit her at www.dreastein.com or on Facebook.

Buy Link

Molly Harper/Duets Super Book Blast

Emelle will award a signed paperback of MOLLY HARPER with bonus novella DUETS included (US ONLY) to THREE randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the tour banner at the top to see other stops on this tour.

Movie star Molly Harper has it all, beauty, success in her field, and a loving family and marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. Norma Wintz, Molly’s mother, has it all, a lovely life style and two children who adore her, and a respite from the battle against cancer she’s been fighting. Anne Sullivan, at age fifty, is optimistic that her move to sunny Santa Barbara, California, will allow her to be closer to her youngest son and his family, and help her start her life anew after the death of her beloved husband.

But all three of these women, despite their considerable blessings, are plunged into turmoil when the most intimate of secrets that ties their lives together is revealed. At this same time, Molly Harper is confronted with the news that her marriage to actor Ben Delmonico is over. As she navigates this heartbreak and tries to keep the personal details of the drama off the front pages of the newspapers, Molly must also find a way to once and forever negotiate a way forward with her ex- lover and best friend, the volatile and compelling Cruz Morales.

How each of these characters handles the resulting upheaval in their own life, and in their relationships with one another, forms the compelling story of family, secrets and trust in the romantic women’s fiction novel, Molly Harper.



DUETS offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper has it all…beauty, success in her profession, a loving family and an upcoming marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. But as Molly is on the verge of marrying the man who has swept her off her feet, she still wonders if he hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away, Cruz Morales.

A handsome and cerebral college professor, Molly and Cruz have an on-again, off-again history stretching back to Molly’s early teen years. He’s not a man who a girl can ever forget about, and his feelings for Molly are equally conflicted.

Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are. It involves the beautiful screen star and her mother, upper crust matron Norma Wintz, who Anne has traveled to California to meet under the most dramatic of circumstances.

Duets confronts the most intimate type of family secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down.

NOTE: Both books are FREE on Amazon September 27 - October 1, 2014. Links at end of post.

Enjoy an excerpt from DUETS:
Anne Sullivan looked down at her watch.

One twenty-one p.m. Norma Wintz was twenty minutes late.

Anne leaned back against the banquette and avoided making eye contact with the hovering waitress. She folded her hands together and wondered if her face looked tight as cellophane stretched over a bowl of tuna salad. That’s how it felt.

I shouldn’t have come. She glanced around the unfamiliar restaurant. It was all glass and mirrors; chock full of shockingly glamorous Californians surely leading shockingly exciting lives. People who wouldn’t understand why a widow from Potomac, Maryland was breaking into sobs and intruding on their lunch experience.

Which is probably what I’m going to do once Norma arrives, she thought. She had tried to prepare herself for meeting the woman, face-to-face, who had adopted her baby thirty-five years ago, but Anne wasn’t sure she was going to be able to handle it as she hoped.

Calmly. Dispassionately. In control.

Anne’s chest suddenly ached, as if all the emotion she’d suppressed for decades gathered into a knot under her ribs.

I should call the number for Norma Wintz and tell her not to come. Which was a great idea, except she’d left her cell phone in the car. And if she went to her car to get it, she might not have the emotional courage to come back.

To say nothing of the fact that if she walked the two long blocks to where she was parked, there was a good chance she would miss Norma Wintz altogether, and the woman would probably think she was a crack pot.

Anne took another peek at her watch.

One twenty-two.

That’s impossible. It felt as if an hour had passed since she’d last looked at the time.

“Excuse me, are you Mrs. Sullivan?” A waiter, his eyes jade green against his tan skin, smiled at Anne. His name tag read ‘Taj’.

“Yes, I’m Anne Sullivan."

“There’s a call for you.” Taj held out a phone.

Anne pressed it against her head. “This is Anne Sullivan.”

Taj clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at her as if she was a small child on the first day of school.

“Hello, this is Norma Wintz calling,” a voice said in Anne’s ear. “I’m on my way but there was an accident and traffic is wretched. I got no answer on the number you gave me, but I wanted to let you know I wasn’t standing you up.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Anne nodded at Taj and repositioned the phone an inch higher on her ear. “I don’t have other plans for this afternoon.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” The phone went dead.

“Okay. Thank you!” Anne met the waiter’s eyes and wondered how Taj had known to bring it to her.

Norma Wintz must have described me to him. But what could she have said, since we’ve never met? Look for a woman who seems the sort to give up her first-born child for adoption?


Author Bio:

Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed. As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, an April 2014 release.

Once and Forever, an anthology which includes the novella Duets, came out on November 1st. Molly Harper, a full length novel starring the characters from Duets 3 years later was released by Posh Publishing in January, 2014. Duets is now available as a standalone novella. Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband, ‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving.

Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.


Review Quotes:
Praise for SECRET SISTER…

“Along with being a very unique and captivating plot, SECRET SISTER offers a shocking turn of the paranormal kind… This is a story of friendship, family, and most of all, true love and what those things can mean. I cannot recommend SECRET SISTER strongly enough… “ Fresh Fiction, Fresh Reviews

DUETS…
"I'll admit I grabbed this book for review more because Emelle Gamble had a story in there - I've loved her significant touch brought to family relationships in a previous book of hers that I've read, and I wanted to confirm if this sort of embroiled-relationships type of tale is really her niche or not. Turns out, it is!" Zee Monodee's Author's Corner reviews 

MOLLY HARPER…
"MOLLY HARPER ...is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be my last! Ms. Gamble does a wonderful job of drawing these characters and making them just leap off the page." Long and Short Reviews

DATING CARY GRANT…
"Fantasy and reality blend together in this mesmerizing tale from Emelle Gamble…It's not your typical romance, making it a breath of fresh air in a market currently inundated with new adult contemporary romances (which I do love, but need a break once in a while!). I continue to be a fan of this author..." Andi's Book Reviews

Links:
Email: emellegamble@aol.com
Website     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Goodreads

Emelle Gamble BOOKS:
DATING CARY GRANT book of the month at Long & Short Reviews. eBook exclusively at Amazon.com

SECRET SISTER… RONE Award Honorable Mention for BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL of 2013 - available in audio, paperback and eBook at Amazon.

DUETS, a prequel novella to MOLLY HARPER.

MOLLY HARPER, available in paperback and eBook.

MOLLY HARPER and DUETS now available in one Paperback volume! 

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Dakota Skies Blog Tour

Synopsis:

Born in the wrong time…

In 1875 Dakota, Sheriff Jamie Carter has to hide his interest in men, even from his gutsy twin sister, Anna. On a good day, the truth can mean a bullet between the eyes, and on a bad, one in the back.

A man on a mission…

Jamie leaves Anna in charge of Blackrock and he hits the bounty hunting trail, along with his faithful equine companion, Houston. Five territories, scores of ‘Wanted’ posters, and many bullets later, his path unexpectedly converges with that of enigmatic loner, Kit Brooks.

Two men with one soul…

Will the smoldering fire between them rage into an inferno and break down protective barriers, allowing them to find love? Or will it separate and kill them?

Beneath Dakota skies…

Jamie and Kit’s story is a sweeping saga of cowboys, Indians, persistent broads, and vengeful villains, where the cowboys aren’t always the good guys, and love can’t be taken for granted.

Book trailer

Buy the book:

WIP     |     Amazon US     |     Amazon UK     |     B&N

Excerpt:

In a subdued tone, Jay related what a long, tough journey it had been from Texas to Dakota for a boy of nine. Many didn’t make it, dying from disease, bandit attack, or exhaustion. It was a far cry from the life they were used to. On the road, a man kept his money in his boots, and protected it with a gun. No, it sure as hell wasn’t a pleasant trip filled with singing and laughter. Though there was some.

Days would go by with no sunshine or bird song. At times, they got soaked to the skin. The schooner’s offered good cover but the rain sometimes made it under the canvas. It would take an age to dry out and get warm. At least, during those times, they didn’t get eaten by bugs. The wagons weren’t comfortable either. Every stone could be felt and sometimes it was easier to walk.

Jay recalled how, part way through Kansas, he’d gone down with a fever. He didn’t remember much about it. But he knew he scared the shit out of his family for a while, having them convinced they’d be burying him. Thankfully for all concerned, he battled through it.

He didn’t go into much detail, seeing how his aunt and uncle already wore expressions of sadness and concern. Instead, he scrunched his face in remembrance of the foul-smelling brew Ma Carter concocted. It frightened off any living thing that dared to venture in the direction of their wagon. Jay’s mama also became a stickler for cleanliness, even boiling all drinking water, insisting she wasn’t gonna feed her family anything that could have things still living in it. The habit stuck with them all.

Jay followed on with life at journey’s end, which wasn’t as dour as it probably seemed. It was just very different to what they’d been used to in Texas.

Once settled in Dakota, Ma Carter soon whipped family and housing into shape. She was a woman of action, and though some tasks weren’t exactly nice, she’d happily do anything in support of her husband and children. While her husband worked the claim, Ma Carter did everything else, including kicking her children’s asses when they got out of line.

Ma Carter didn’t let her children’s education slip, either. Having been pulled from school in Texas, she took care of lessons, both on the trail and when they reached Dakota. On top of that, her children had to do their chores.

A few claims, including the Carters’, were successful—good enough for the family to be comfortable. However, the words ‘gold’ and ‘trouble’ were like squabbling sisters sharing the same room. Spats between neighbors were commonplace. After a while, Pa Carter noticed regular, more organized violence, creeping in like an ugly, festering mold.

The town needed an effective sheriff, before crime got out of hand. After a meeting, John answered the call of the starred badge.

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About the Author:

Taylin Clavelli lives in the United Kingdom, about 15 miles south of Birmingham, and a short journey from the world famous Cadbury’s Chocolate factory. She’s married with children and loves her family with all her heart.

Her love of books has been a long standing affair, with Taylin liking nothing better than to lose herself in an imaginary world.

Until she met Lily Velden, she never considered trying her hand at writing. However, after talking ideas, Lily encouraged her to put pen to paper—or rather, fingers to keyboard. Since, with a few virtual kicks in the right place, she hasn’t stopped. Her confidence eventually led to her writing an original work for submission.

Her first published work was Boys, Toys, and Carpet Fitters, developed for the Dreamspinner Press Anthology – Don’t Try This At Home.

Now she absolutely adores immersing herself into the characters she creates, and transferring the pictures in her brain to paper, finding it liberating, therapeutic, and wonderful.

Outside of writing, her interests include; martial arts (she’s a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwon-do), horse-riding, all of which facilitates her love of a wide variety of movies. Her action heroes include Jet Li and Tony Jaa—finding the dedication these men have for their art combined with their skill both amazing and a privilege to watch. If pressed, she’ll admit to thinking that the screen entrance of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl, and Shadowfax in LOTR, to be the greatest screen entrances ever. Her all-time favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

The simple things in life that make her day, putting a smile on her face are:

Laughter – especially that of her children.

The smell of lasagna cooking – it makes her mouth salivate.

The dawn chorus – no symphony ever written can beat the waking greetings of the birds.

Website     |     Facebook     |     Twitter

Galactic Treasure Book Blast

Blurb:

Connor Masterson has finally managed to take some time off and go to Earth Con. For three days and nights, he’s going to get his geek on without worrying about work or the latest edition of his science fiction manga novel. He never expected to find two men who embody all his dreams and fantasies there and certainly not right after signing in.

Neither Valvik nor Zaraheed are looking forward to their current assignment: go to the Earth Con located in Austin, Texas and track down any and all rumors on the Ark scrolls, an ancient collection needed for the betterment of their dying people. Neither warrior expects to be drawn to a human, especially the same one.

The two men are determined to stay as low key as possible while searching for the scrolls, but that might be hard to do with an intergalactic killer wants the scrolls for himself.

Excerpt:

Personally, Valvik didn’t think there was a chance in all the known solar systems of the Ark scrolls being at the convention, but he went where his commanding officer sent him. Even if it was the stupidest mission ever. “If it is… I’m not entirely sure what I will do, but I know it will include lots and lots of blood,” he muttered. And intoxicants. He would need barrels and barrels of wine to drink away the insult.

Zaraheed stilled. Valvik turned to look at his compatriot in question. The brunet officer shook his head as though confused, then, eyes bright, Zaraheed laughed. The booming sound caught the attention of the people waiting around them and they watched the brunet mesmerized.

Valvik knew how they felt.

“Looking to break in your new blades?” Zaraheed asked, amusement lightening his words.

Valvik arched one eyebrow. “Of course. A day without bloodshed is a wasted opportunity.”

“Bloodthirsty bastard.” Zaraheed shook his head and chuckled. “We are coming up soon.” He jerked his head toward the check-in desk.

Valvik glanced forward and then swept his gaze back. One of the convention goers was bent over at the waist signing into the event. He couldn’t tell the sex or species of the individual from where he was standing but he had a clear picture of his or her backside.

And what a lovely bottom it was. It was high, round, and muscled. He wondered briefly what it would feel like to slide inside. He groaned. He already knew it would fit him like the tightest sheath.

The mission was certainly looking up.

“What are you…” Zaraheed trailed off and Valvik’s gaze landed on his face briefly. Golden eyes were wide with surprise. Zaraheed followed his eye line and smiled. Seemed Valvik wasn’t the only one who appreciated a beautiful ass. “Lovely isn’t it?”

Zaraheed’s gaze snapped to his. “We need to focus on the task at hand.”

Valvik smiled. “Does that mean we should have no fun? Are you clearing out of my path? Because I fully intend to meet both of my goals.”

“Both?” Zaraheed questioned with a frown.

“Yes, of course. I will do all that is possible to find our target.”

“And ?”

“And discover if that ass…” He jerked his chin toward the being -- male, human, his mind supplied as the young man straightened and accepted the packet the check-in team handed him, before returning his attention to his commander. “Is as tight as it appears,” he finished.

My Review:

Coming soon!

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1. Long and Short Reviews

2. Bunny's Review
3. A Book Addict's Delight
4. Unabridged Andra
5. Romance Novel Giveaways
6.Deal Sharing Aunt
7. Coffee Books & Art
8. Sharing Links and Wisdom
9. The Blog of C.R. Moss
10. Prism Book Alliance 
11. Owltasic Promotions
12. Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
13. Wicked Readings by Tawania
14. BookSkater
15. Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
16. The Reading Addict
17. Beyond Romance
18. Kay Berrisford m/m romance
19. Full Moon Dreaming
20. Wake Up Your Wild Side
21. The Buttontapper
22. undercover book reviews

Author Information:

Theodora is an avid traveler who discovered Japanese manga and anime in her youth, closely followed by yaoi. She’s been in love with pretty boys who love equally attractive men since then. Theodora can usually find her in a local coffee shop drinking black tea and typing furiously.

Website     |     Goodreads

Buy Link

Morningstar Excerpt Tour

Blurb:

Desire is an addiction that could destroy them all.

The second son.

Lieutenant Commander Jace Harrow is the second son of House Morningstar—the spare, not the heir. Armored with an arrogant mask, Jace keeps the world at arm’s length to protect those around him from becoming targets for his bloodthirsty brother.

The broken sword.

Lieutenant Bryn Viera was a shadow sword and a decorated officer, dedicated to protecting her people. But for the past five years she has lived as a slave and has the scars to prove it. Bryn vowed to escape or die trying—until she met Sabine.

The slave.

Born into slavery, Sabine never expected to fall in love. Her feelings for Bryn sparked her desire for a new life, but now Sabine is in phase, consumed by the need to mate with a male. Her dream of freedom with Bryn is on the brink of destruction, for to deny the phase means death.

Thrown together by the unforgiving demands of the phase, they must unite to save Cyprena’s people from a deadly new bioweapon—or be destroyed by the scars of their pasts.

Warning: Contains an arrogant officer with a weakness for having his hair pulled, an insatiable empath, and a badass warrior woman who form a male-female-female threesome sizzling enough to melt your shields.

Exclusive Excerpt:

Lieutenant Viera stood in the center of the armory, calmly checking the edge of her blade. A trickle of blood went ignored as it slid down the side of her neck from a scratch at her throat. The enticing scents of blood and phase pheromones mixed in the air and Jace growled low. How was he supposed to fight when he couldn’t think straight?

“Ready?” Bryn set her stance and raised her blade.

Jace drew his sword. “What are your victory conditions?”

“You yield or I knock you unconscious. Or I kill you, though I’d rather not. I don’t think Captain Hawke would appreciate that.”

“She might. She threatens it often enough.”

“So you have a problem with women in authority?”

“No.” Jace slowly circled right, and she moved left, matching him step for step. “I have a problem with authority.”

He lunged, and she parried and came at him. His eyes widened as she rained a flurry of blows that drove him back—she was strong and damn fast. That must have been where Soth went wrong. Soth probably assumed he could overpower her, and she struck at him with the speed of a viper. Thankfully Jace was also fast, and he defended himself before going on an offensive of his own. He had to be fast to compete among his brethren, as the other shadow swords tended to be broader and burlier, like Soth. Most of them were born to fight for their house, but Jace had been born to lead it.

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September 22: Carly's Book Reviews

September 23: Danita Minnis
September 23: Books to Light Your Fire
September 24: RhiReading
September 25: Musings of a Writer
September 26: Wickedly Wanton Tales
September 26: Sharing Links and Wisdom
September 29: Happily Ever After
September 30: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
September 30: Ye Olde Inkwell
October 1: Dena Garson - Real... Hot... Romance
October 2: A Book Addict's Delight
October 3: Mia Downing
October 6: Booklover Sue
October 7: SBM Book Obsession
October 8: Behind Closed Doors
October 9: Long and Short Reviews
October 10: My Odd Little World

Author Bio and Links:

Robyn Bachar enjoys writing stories with soul mates, swords, spaceships, vampires, and gratuitous violence against the kitchen sink. Her paranormal romance Bad Witch series, historical paranormal romance series Bad Witch: The Emily Chronicles, and spicy space opera romance trilogy Cy’ren Rising are available from Samhain Publishing. Her books have finaled in PRISM Contest for Published Authors, the Passionate Plume Contest, and twice in the EPIC eBook Awards.

As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs.

Twitter     |     Blog     |     Facebook     |     Google+

Goodreads     |     LibraryThing     |     Shelfari     |     Amazon

Morningstar is available at:

Amazon     |     Barnes and Noble     |     iTunes     |     Kobo

The Rifters Book Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift certificate to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour.

NOTE: The Rifters is FREE everywhere it's available. Buy links are below -- why not grab your copy today?


Blurb:
A junction between the worlds erupts.

The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves thirty years off his age, thirty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.

Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon.

Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. Worse than that, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.

Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.


Enjoy an excerpt:
A woman in a long flowered dress hurried forward carrying a paintbrush. “Hello, hello.” She waved. “Excuse the mess. I’m renovating… again.” She laughed with little snorts, stumbling in a little circle, defying her years. She couldn’t be younger than forty. “Inside joke, man, sorry. What groovieness can I help you find? I know where everything is.” She gestured at the piles of castoff merchandise strewn about.

If not for the goose bumps on her goose bumps, Daelin would have left. “A winter coat? Earl Blacke mentioned you might have some.”

“Oh man! What a tragedy about him, huh?” She wore her amber hair in two braids, tied with twine and decorated with plastic flowers.

Tragedy? What had happened to Earl? Daelin clutched at her knotting stomach. “What do you mean?”

“There was a murder last night. Umm, wow. Didn’t you hear?” She set the paintbrush down on a plate that had been used for the purpose before. Bracelets covered her arms, clinking with her simple movements.

“In Settler?” Violent crime wasn’t what Daelin expected to hear. She didn’t know what she had expected, but not murder.

The thrift store woman leaned in closer, whispering in a conspiratorial tone. “Yeah, they’re saying Earl Blacke killed Susan Leeds. Took her head plum off, man. Only thing is…,” she glanced at the shadows then wet her lips, “her head is missing.” The soft scent of melon accompanied her words.

Earl had murdered somebody? Daelin gulped, getting a lungful of paint fumes. Right, the paint. The fumes had to be messing with her mind. “Are you serious?”


Author Bio:

M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, plus other novels and short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and she blames Oregon for that, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers, has a cat who has a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed with Jane Austen.

Website     |     Twitter     |     Facebook 


Buy Links:
Smashwords     |     iTunes     |     Barnes and Noble
Amazon     |     Amazon UK     |     Googleplay     |     Other links

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The Face Transplant VBT

Blurb:

Dr. Matthew MacAulay is a Facial Transplant Surgeon at a prestigious New York hospital. His friend and mentor, Tom Grabowski, dies under mysterious circumstances. Matthew is forced to investigate. He uncovers his friend’s secret. A new technique that allows perfect facial transplants. No incisions, no scars. The surgeon is able to transplant one person’s face to another with the perfect result. Tom was able to accomplish this monumental feat with the help of Alice, a supercomputer robot with almost human abilities. While trying to find the people responsible for murdering his friend Tom, Matthew realizes he is the prime suspect. Matthew must flee for his life with the help of Dr. Sarah Larsson, a colleague and reluctant helper who has a secret of her own. Alice helps them make sense of a baffling series of seemingly unrelated events. Matthew is forced to undergo a facial transplant to hide his identity and help to uncover the truth. The clues carry Matthew and Sarah around the world. Matthew stumbles onto a sinister plot of monumental proportions, the real reason Tom was murdered. This discovery leads Matthew all the way to The White House with a dramatic conclusion. Matthew never wavers in his quest for the truth and perseveres against all the odds. He must race to stop a major catastrophe, ratcheting up the excitement until the thrilling conclusion. The Face Transplant is a powerful medical suspense thriller of the first order. The novel was written by a surgeon. The novel has a realism that only a surgeon can bring. The plot weaves politics, medicine and espionage into a tightly paced, intelligent thriller. The novel crescendos page by page to a totally unexpected conclusion.

Excerpt:

The poem The Beautiful Life

The Beautiful Life

Time and space are infinite. There is no beginning and no end.

Many have come before you and many will come after. You are lucky to be here.

Enjoy this moment; take pleasure.

Match your expectations to reality, if you don't, someone will be disappointed. Be willing to learn, it is the only thing that will keep you young. Take pleasure in life's endless beats, if you listen hard enough you will hear the beautiful rhythm.

Laugh always and laugh loud.

Life is full of irony, laugh when it occurs. Sometimes you will have to laugh at yourself to avoid crying. Laugh loud, laugh often.

Be satisfied with your accomplishments, your life, your career. They are yours and yours alone. No one could have done better given your circumstances, your challenges, your gifts. Be grateful. But remember, no one could have done worse given your circumstances, your challenges, your gifts. So do not become conceited. Be modest.

Understand and accept that not all people live congruently. Some are violent, treacherous, and deceitful. Pity them, they have not yet learned to live with grace. But be careful and avoid them if you can. You have every right to happiness, peace and love.

Take time to Love. Be ready for love anywhere, anytime. In the end only love endures. It cannot be diminished. Accept love wherever you find it.

Love endures.

Always be cautious of those who are too friendly or those who profess no vices. For those who seem the best friend may turn out the opposite.                                                                                Those who proclaim no vices may be the most vile.

Maintain and nurture a spiritual life.

It will sustain you when all else departs. Hold it gently, but firmly. Let each person come to their own place, in their own time, on their own terms.

Remember one day it will all come to an end. When it does, what really matters?

That you lived. That you loved. That you tried.

Above all else never forget, life is a gift.

When you receive a gift, especially an unexpected gift, you must take it gently, cherish it dearly, and use it fearlessly.

And never forget to say thanks.

R. Arundel

One of my own writing quirks

I use a yellow legal pad to jot down certain things or sketch out scenes even though I write on a laptop. I still like to use a yellow pad to jot down ideas even in the age of the computer. I do a fair amount of diagramming of story ideas and relationships of characters.  I also like to draw a physical space and arrange the characters in the space and draw some of the key pieces of furniture in the space.  For example, in a scene where a group of people is having a conversation at a dinner party, I will draw out the dinner table and the guests and any important items in the room.  I can then create the dialogue and the interactions more easily.

I use a software program specifically designed for writing. There are a few good ones available and the features I use most regularly are the storyboarding functions.  This allows you to create little cue cards of different pieces of action and then to re arrange them as you create the story. 

I can write any time during the day when my schedule permits, but generally I prefer to write very early in the morning.  I will usually re read some of what I've written; occasionally I will spend the entire writing time just reading some of the earlier copy. I don't try to set hard and fast rules for progress in my writing. If I'm in a writing groove with a thought that I feel is perfect for the story I will keep writing on the computer or the yellow note pad for as long as it takes to get the entire idea down.  I will not worry about punctuation or grammar, I will just write or type furiously until the thought is complete.  Then I will go back and transfer this to the laptop if it was done on the yellow pad.

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Author Bio and Links:

Robert was born in London, United Kingdom.  His early formative years were spent in Toronto Canada.  Robert attended the University of Toronto Medical School.  After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree he completed surgical training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto and obtained certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Robert Mounsey practices surgery in private practice in Toronto.

R. Arundel studied Film Studies at Ryerson University, after this he began writing screenplays and novels. The Face Transplant is his debut novel.

R. Arundel is married and lives in Toronto, Canada. When not writing or practicing surgery Robert can be found cycling.

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