Category Archives: novels

authors, crime, Karen Long, novels

THE COLD ROOM ~ a DI Eleanor Raven novel by Karen Long #interview

May 15, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

The Cold Room

by

Karen Long

Publication Date: 8th May 2017

Series: Eleanor Raven – Book 3

Genre: Crime / Thriller

The brand new thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the author of The Safe Word and The Vault.

Winter is settling on Toronto and a series of seemingly unconnected murders are weighing heavily on DI Eleanor Raven. When an army veteran holds his family hostage, leaving chaos and an unidentifiable skeletal human hand in his wake, Raven is left tangled in a web of leads, lies, and secrets, with each thread leading her closer to the all too terrifying truth.

But with time running out, Raven needs to re-connect with her past life – the one she thought she’d finally escaped from – if she’s to find out who the killer is before they strike again . . .

Buy Links

AMAZON UK

AMAZON.COM

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I’m thrilled to have Karen Long here at Celtic Connexions to answer a few questions. Without any further ado…

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

I have always loved creative writing. Conversations are ethereal endeavours, which change with time and recollection. Putting words onto a page and making them available to people you have never met, is a deeply personal and thrilling concept. I’ve always wanted to write and ultimately to be read, probably since primary school.

Of all the cities in the world, what was it about Toronto that made you want to set your novels there?

Toronto is a fabulous city. It is exotic, exciting, a little dark and dangerous in places but has a recognisable British vibe to it. It felt very liberating to set the novel there and I have visited all of the places mentioned. One of the reasons to take a break from writing the series is that I’ve run out of geographical experience.

Where do the ideas for your books come from? Do you use actual events then massage them into your own fictional work?

I was staying in Toronto when I read an article in a local paper about a ‘Red Letter’ sexy kidnapping that went wrong when local residents, fearing a woman was being abducted, called the police. It was such a gem of an idea, I used it as the basis of the first book. Every experience you have, from a snatched conversation, a trip to a museum or listening to the radio, provides material. The fun is raking through the mundane and seemingly irrelevant, to find the idea that will launch your story.

Is your Eleanor Raven character based on anyone in particular or a mish-mash of a number of people?

Eleanor can only exist because I can share, or at least imagine her thoughts and reactions. Every character I write, even the psychopaths, are believable to my way of thinking. I don’t share their life experiences (that’s what the internet is for) but I absolutely understand how they reach their conclusions. Therefore, I suppose they are all manifestations of my personality. However, none look like me so I take physical attributes from people I meet, or actors I like.

Anything else you’d like to share?

It’s been an absolute pleasure answering these questions.

Thank you so much for taking time out during your busy blog tour to stop by and answer these questions.

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ABOUT KAREN LONG

Karen Long was born and raised in the English midlands, educated at Bangor University and taught English and Drama for fifteen years. During her teaching years she studied biology and neurology with the Open University and this interest in medicine, forensics and forensic psychology is reflected in her writing. She is an enthusiastic traveller and has spent time in Toronto, which became the backdrop and inspiration for The Safe Word.

She is a keen amateur naturalist with a deep and abiding love for the crow family. She has dedicated time, love and several fingers in an effort to rehabilitate crows, magpies, rooks and ravens.

Karen is happy to correspond with readers and can be contacted through her website KarenLongWriter.com, where she posts regular blogs.

The Safe Word is Karen’s first novel and was an Amazon bestseller, later joined by the second in the Eleanor Raven series, The Vault.

All author or review enquiries, please contact Karen Long’s Personal Assistant J.B. Johnston – brookbooks@hotmail.co.uk

Did you know that Eleanor Raven is also online?

http://twitter.com/RavenEleanor

https://www.facebook.com/TheEleanorRaven/

GIVEAWAY!

2 lucky readers have the chance of winning a signed paperback copy of the book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PLUS…………..

HEAD ON OVER TO GOODREADS FOR ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/236099-the-cold-room

authors, Kaylor Ward, novels, Parker Press Publishing, women's fiction

THE OTHER SIDE by Kaylor Ward

May 11, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

The Other Side

by

Kaylor Ward

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

(Jodi Picoult meets Clare Makintosh)

Release Date: 14^th May 2017

Publisher: Parker Press Publishing

Lauren is locked in a cell. She knows she shouldn’t be there.

When Lauren and Rick are left an allotment they embark on a lifestyle change that is supposed to bring their step-family closer together. They embrace the chance for a slice of the good life, fresh air and family times together. Lauren and Rick are in love and happy but sometimes their past issues surface. For Lauren it’s the affair that her first husband had before he left her. For Rick it’s the children he was alienated from and forced to leave behind seven years ago.

One day a new family move into a cottage behind the allotment. That day changes everything. That day they start falling apart.

Praise for The Other Side

‘A wonderful new voice in cross-genre women’s fiction that will keep you spellbound’ Best-selling author, Catrin Collier

‘A thoroughly enjoyable, bittersweet read’ Helen Carey

EXTRACT

Prologue

The door shut with a cold, hard slam sending harsh metallic echoes around her. Her eyes shot warily from left to right as she raked her fingers through her hair and tried to make sense of her situation. She was in a cell. She had asked them not to lock her in, but they hadn’t paid her any attention. Where there had been a face a few seconds ago, there was now a slammed metal door with peeling grey paint showing the cracking blue paint beneath. She hated confined spaces. They told her there was a buzzer if she needed anything. Needed anything?

Panic welled in her chest, her throat and her brain as the grey walls and the naked single white light closed around her. Breathe…breathe…slow…down… This was not the place for a panic attack. Not here, not today. She was alone. She had to get through this. Focus…focus… Think yourself somewhere else.

She thought of her daughters, their smiles and their joy. She lay on the hard thin plastic mattress on the concrete bed, and pulled a thin blue blanket over her head to block out the light, to block out the room, and to block out now.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT KAYLOR WARD

Kaylor Ward, originally from London, now lives in South Wales. She worked for many years as a management consultant and trainer, writing part-time until her first book was published under the name, Michaela Weaver (Manic Mondays). She has studied creative writing at Masters level, and in addition to her writing she is a qualified Writing Coach. Michaela is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme. Michaela writes cross genre contemporary fiction with psychological twists often about the darker side of family and domestic life.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylorward

Twitter: @kaylorward

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16812960.Kaylor_Ward?from_search=true

Website: www.kaylorward.com

GIVEAWAY

PRIZES

Kindle Fire!

Lolita Wine Glass from Jack’s wine bar

Bottle of vino from Jack’s

Scarf from Puffin Island

JUST FOLLOW THE LINK TO ENTER THE COMP!

http://kaylorward.com/index.php/kaylors-sign-up-contest/

AND, AS IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH………….There’s a free 6 week novel writing course for everyone run by Kaylor Ward herself! Here’s the link to access it!

http://kaylorward.com/index.php/free-course-lp/

authors, Cover Reveal, crime, Karen Long, novels

COVER REVEAL ~ THE COLD ROOM by Karen Long

May 9, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

The Cold Room

by

Karen Long

Publication Date: 8th May 2017

Series: Eleanor Raven – Book 3

Genre: Crime / Thriller

The brand new thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the author of The Safe Word and The Vault.

Buy Links

AMAZON UK

AMAZON.COM

ABOUT KAREN LONG

She is a keen amateur naturalist with a deep and abiding love for the crow family. She has dedicated time, love and several fingers in an effort to rehabilitate crows, magpies, rooks and ravens.

Karen is happy to correspond with readers and can be contacted through her website KarenLongWriter.com, where she posts regular blogs.

The Safe Word is Karen’s first novel and was an Amazon bestseller, later joined by the second in the Eleanor Raven series, The Vault.

All author or review enquiries, please contact Karen Long’s Personal Assistant J.B. Johnston – brookbooks@hotmail.co.uk

Did you know that Eleanor Raven is also online?

https://www.facebook.com/TheEleanorRaven/

Tweets by RavenEleanor

GIVEAWAY!

2 lucky readers have the chance of winning a signed paperback copy of the book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

authors, Kate Hewitt, novels, women's fiction

FIND ME AT WILLOUGHBY CLOSE by Kate Hewitt #women’sfiction #giveaway

May 8, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

Find Me at Willoughby Close

by

Kate Hewitt

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: 14/03/2017

Series – Willoughby Close #3 (can be read as a standalone)

Welcome to Willoughby Close… a charming cluster of cozy cottages, each with a story to tell and a happy ending to deliver…

Harriet Lang had the perfect life, so she’s left reeling when everything is taken from her in one fell swoop. Suddenly, Harriet learns her beautiful farmhouse in the Cotswolds is double-mortgaged, her husband Richard’s been unceremoniously fired—and he’s become a little too close to his young, sexy assistant.

Harriet moves into Willoughby Close with her three children, trying to hold her head up high. With the help of her neighbor and newfound friend Ellie Matthews, Harriet starts to rebuild her life–but dipping a toe in the dating pool feels strange and meanwhile, her children are struggling in different ways. She wonders if starting over is really possible…

Then Willoughby Close begins to weave its healing magic on both her and her children, and Harriet begins to see a way forward. She even starts to date sexy local vet Tom Roberts–but when Richard reappears in her life, wanting to make amends, Harriet must make the painful decision about how much of the past can be forgiven—and what kind of future she is fighting for.

EXTRACT

“Come on,” Harriet said now, as she climbed resolutely out of the car and gave them all as cheerful a smile as she could. “Let’s check it out.”

The movers had already come; Harriet had marked what furniture to take from their house to Willoughby Close, and it had been a depressingly small amount. The big, bespoke kitchen table wouldn’t fit, and the huge dresser with all the pottery she’d collected over the years wouldn’t either. In fact, at least two-thirds of their furniture was going into storage, which was expensive, but Harriet couldn’t bear to lose all of it along with the house. They’d need it when Richard got his job, and they bought something bigger.

She’d spent hours and hours, weeks and months, selecting all the furniture for the house, with the help of the expensive interior decorator who had more or less held her hand through the entire process. She’d bought tasteful antiques interspersed with fresh modern pieces, carpets, and kilims from various holidays, watercolors and oil paintings of places that were meaningful to them. Sophie had once said, with admiration that bordered on envy, that Harriet’s house could be featured in Country Life.

And so it would again. This was a blip, damn it. Things were going to get better. Richard was going to find a job, he’d said so, and they’d get back their house or buy an even better house, and she’d live there without him, happy and defiant. Or something like that. She couldn’t picture specifics yet, but she couldn’t stand the thought of the rest of her life looking like… this.

The children trooped silently behind her as she fumbled with the keys and then opened the door to number two. The smell of fresh paint and emptiness hit her like a smack in the face. It was the smell of fresh starts, and she didn’t want one.

She stepped inside, reaching for the lights. Although it was only four in the afternoon it was already getting dark, the skies heavy and low with gray clouds. Spring felt a long way off, despite the fact that it was mid-February, and the spattering of snowdrops interspersed with an early crocus or two that she’d seen on the drive in.

“This is it?” Mallory’s voice rang through the empty space, scornful and incredulous. William kicked at the skirting board, scuffing the pristine white paint. Chloe stuck her thumb in her mouth.

“Yes, this is it,” Harriet said, trying to pitch her tone somewhere between firm and bright. “It’s lovely, isn’t it?”

BUY LINKS

ABOUT KATE HEWITT

Kate Hewitt is the author of over 65 novels of women’s fiction and romance. Whichever the genre, she loves telling a compelling and emotional story. An American ex-pat and former New Yorker, she now lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five children. You can learn more about her books and life at http://www.kate-hewitt.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/katehewitt1

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1269244.Kate_Hewitt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katehewitt1/

Blog: http://www.acumbrianlife.blogspot.co.uk

Website: http://www.kate-hewitt.com

GIVEAWAY

1^st Prize – £10 Amazon Gift Card

2^nd Prize – a print copy of MEET ME AT WILLOUGHBY CLOSE (book 1)

GIVEAWAY OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

authors, crime, Dan Waddell, novels

THE BLOOD DETECTIVE by Dan Waddell #guestpost #crime #giveaway

May 5, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

The Blood Detective
by
Dan Waddell

Genre: Crime

Release Date: 28/02/2017

Nominated for the CWA New Blood Dagger in the UK and Macavity First Book award in the USA, and winner of the Prix Cezam Littéraire.

As dawn breaks over London, the body of a young man is discovered in a Notting Hill churchyard. The killer has left DCI Grant Foster and his team a grisly, cryptic clue. It’s not until the clue is handed to Nigel Barnes, a specialist in compiling family trees, that the full message becomes spine-chillingly clear. It leads Barnes back more than one hundred years – to the victim of a demented Victorian serial killer. When a second body is discovered Foster needs Barnes’s skills more than ever. The murderer’s clues appear to run along the tangled bloodlines that lie between 1879 and now. And if Barnes is right, the killing spree has only just begun . . .

The Blood Detective is a haunting crime novel of blood-stained family histories and gruesome secrets.

‘Expertly plotted and with great attention to detail, this is the start of a series that has already put down substantial roots of its own’ – Mark Billingham.

‘A fascinating and original investigation into the dark roots of our family trees’ – Val McDermid

‘There’s panache aplenty in this intriguing tale. Sharp plotting, elegant writing, engaging characters, a cracking climax. A series is promised. Bring it on!’ Reginald Hill

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

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The plot of The Blood Detective came to me quickly, once I had developed the premise. The main characters had also slotted neatly into place. Nigel, the eager genealogist who escapes into the past because he finds the present too jarring; Grant Foster, the detective who lives in the present because the past is too painful.

Yet I had nowhere to set it. Nearly all the crime novels I love have a sense of place; almost like another character. Think of Rebus’ Edinburgh, Marlowe’s Los Angeles, Philip Kerr’s Nazi Berlin. I knew I wanted London as a backdrop, but which part?

At the time I was living in North Kensington, on the outskirts of Notting Hill, then teeming with tourists expecting to see a floppy-haired Englishman like Hugh Grant around every corner. I knew and had witnessed a far seedier, edgier side to the area; its history was one of abject poverty, slum housing, and racial tension. The chocolate box image projected by the movie contrasted with the reality I knew, but still, I never thought of setting a book there.

That was until inspiration struck in the unlikeliest of places. A few things have happened to me in the back of black London cab, not all pleasant, but solving the final puzzle of a novel was a first.

I was riding back from Shepherd’s Bush through Notting Dale, the grubby, snot-nosed brother to the Hill’s sleek young man. As we approached the area where I lived, the driver pointed out a small street beside the railway arches, filled with a row of identikit 1970s houses.

‘You know what that used to be?’ the cabbie asked

Any Londoner knows that getting in a discussion with a black cab driver is unwise, unless you’re clinically insane or a purveyor of far right wing politics. So I feigned disinterest. But as any Londoner will tell you, disinterest does nothing to deter a chatty cabbie. Only outright disdain will do.

‘It was Rillington Place,’ he added.

Now I was interested. Rillington Place – the scene of the Christie murders, for which another man was originally wrongfully hanged. The case was turned into a film, with Richard Attenborough playing the murderer, the mild-mannered murderer next door and a recent TV recreation with Tim Roth as a far more sinister John Christie.

After he dropped me off, I went to back to Rillington Place and walked along it, counting the houses.

I stopped. There was no number ten.

The street name had been changed. It’s layout altered. The houses had been demolished and replaced. Yet they still couldn’t bring themselves to build a number ten. Instead, between numbers nine and 11, there was a narrow gap, filled only by a tree.

I had my setting. A theme, too. That no matter how hard we try, the past cannot be swept away. Places still bear the effect of what has gone on before, even if that imprint exists only in people’s minds.

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ABOUT DAN WADDELL

blood detective — in London, Britain March 21, 2016
This image is copyright Suzanne Plunkett 2016©.
For photographic enquiries please call Suzanne Plunkett or email suzanne@suzannelunkett.com
This image is copyright Suzanne Plunkett 2016©.
This image has been supplied by Suzanne Plunkett and must be credited Suzanne Plunkett. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. All rights reserved. Rights for onward transmission of any image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact Suzanne Plunkett on +44(0)7990562378 or email suzanne@suzanneplunkett.com

Dan Waddell is the award-winning author of more than 20 works of fiction and non-fiction, among them the bestselling book which accompanied the BBC TV series Who Do You Think You Are? His first crime novel, the critically-acclaimed The Blood Detective, won the prestigious Prix Cezam Littéraire in France and was nominated for debut awards in the UK and USA. He lives in London with his family.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dan-Waddell-26697085916/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danwaddell

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/646165.Dan_Waddell

Website: www.danwaddell.net

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GIVEAWAY

An ecopy of the book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

authors, novels, Psychological suspense

Behind the Lie by Amanda James #psychological #suspense

May 4, 2017 Melanie 2 Comments

A Sense of Place

Thanks for having me on your blog Melanie, to talk about my latest book, Behind the Lie. Here is a flavour of what the story is about…

Holly West has turned her life around. She’s found a successful and loving husband in Simon and is expecting twins. She is definitely a woman who has taken back control of her future.

Until she gives birth, only for one twin to survive. Holly can’t let it go.

Holly’s world is in a tailspin and suddenly she can’t trust herself or anyone else. No one believes her, not her husband or her best friend. Because she thinks she knows the truth…her son is still alive and she won’t stop until she finds him.

This story is within the psychological suspense genre, and as well raising lots of questions about what will happen next in the readers’ mind, I have tried to create a strong sense of place. For me as a reader, ‘stepping into’ a story and feeling part of the characters’ lives is essential. Therefore as a writer, I don’t feel that I can see where I am going without having a firm sense of place. I am a visual writer, and one of my ambitions is to see my work on the TV, or even the cinema screen. Think big I say! I have taken two extracts from Behind the Lie to illustrate.

I chose this extract to try and get across the feeling I have when I’m pottering about on the beach and sticking a toe in the surf! I want the reader to ‘see’ the scene in the story and the characters living inside it. See what they see, and empathise with their feelings. I think writing in the first person also helps to place the reader in the head of the characters. I hoped to get across the contrast between Cornwall and London too, within my main character Holly’s mind.

Paddling in the Atlantic in late March is not something I would go in for normally, but Demi’s enthusiasm wouldn’t let me sit on the dunes huddled in my duffle coat. A duffle coat and a blanket to be exact, because my coat will no longer fasten over my bump. So here I am, ankle deep in the surf and actually loving it, the biting cold has subsided and it feels almost warm.

‘So refreshing isn’t it?’ Demi asks rolling up the hem of her jeans which are already damp.

‘Actually yes it is. Makes you feel alive and connected to nature,’ I say looking at a fishing boat, a red splash on the horizon.

Talk of the city brings a disgruntled image of my husband’s face to mind, soft grey eyes steely with contempt. He wasn’t best pleased at all the other night when I told him I wanted to stay until tomorrow. I don’t normally go against his wishes, but I am just not ready to go back yet. I think it might be that I am at the nesting stage, and nests are built at home. I never think of London as my home, but I’d never tell Simon that of course. Also I wanted to spend another day with my bestie. It’s been far too long…and I am happier being here with her than I have been in a long time, if I’m honest with myself. I don’t usually allow that – honesty. It’s no good for me.

‘You okay?’ Demi asks and splashes a few droplets of sea water at me. I raise a quizzical eyebrow. ‘Well you look, kind of far away.’

‘I was back in London so yes, I was.’

I use a similar scene below to show how important Holly’s environment is to her healing. She has been told that her son died three weeks previously, and she’s struggling to come to terms with it.

At the water’s edge I roll up my crop trousers and splash through the waves. I slow my power walk down a few gears though; otherwise I’ll soon be drenched. The chill of the ocean climbs up my claves and cools my heated skin. I turn in a circle, tip my face to the sky and spread my arms. It’s a Tuesday out of season, so there’s not many here on the beach today to see me, and to be honest I couldn’t care less if they do. This place, the ocean makes me feel so free, so peaceful and calm. A deep breath fills my lungs with fresh ozone and seaweed and I close my eyes and let a little bit more pain slip away on the tide.

In my mind’s eye I place an image of a happy little boy playing on the dunes behind me with his sister. He’s wearing a white sunhat and dungarees, his sister is dressed the same, apart from a yellow, hat and they are laughing and digging in the sand. Of course I realise this can never happen, but it helps a little to picture it. Ruan was a part of me, albeit for such a brief time, and he always will be.

And here I use an idyllic scene in order to contrast with the turmoil in Holly’s mind. Hopefully the reader can also ‘look’ out at the landscape while empathising with Holly. They see what she sees, feel what she feels.

A recent summer shower has awakened the verdant green of the landscape – a patchwork of hills and valleys dotted with brown farms and white sheep. Crystal blue skies growing in confidence soon banish the remnants of rainclouds, and once again, beyond the car windscreen, the world looks idyllic. Inside my head things are very different. Inside my head are a tangle of thoughts and feelings, clashing, writhing and tying themselves in knots.

There are of course many other examples but I’m sure you don’t want the whole book, Melanie! I hope your readers will have enjoyed the little visit into my head … and to a speedy virtual look at Cornwall of course. 🙂

Amanda James has written since she was a child, but never imagined that her words would be published. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns, the dream of becoming a writer came true.

Amanda has written many short stories and has five novels currently published. Her time travelling debut – A Stitch in Time was published in April of 2013 and has met with great success.

Amanda lives in Cornwall and is inspired every day by the beautiful coastline near her home. Three of her novels are set there, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Summer in Tintagel and Behind the Lie – April 2017 pub – HQUK ( HarperCollins)

Amanda can usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.

Author links – Amanda’s blog – http://mandykjameswrites.blogspot.com/

Twitter – @akjames61

Facebook mandy.james.33

Buy Links – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behind-Lie-Amanda-James-ebook/dp/B06XKCP4L6/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Summer in Tintagel (Urbane Publications July 2016)

Cross Stitch (Choc Lit December 2014)

Somewhere Beyond the Sea ( Choc Lit April 2014)

Dancing in the Rain (Choc Lit March 2014)

A Stitch in Time (Choc Lit) – http://www.choc-lit.com/

Righteous Exposure (Crooked Cat) – http://www.crookedcatbooks.com/

Blog – http://mandykjameswrites.blogspot.co.uk/

action-adventure, authors, Book Launch, Book Promo, Emma Calin, novels

LOVE BLEEDS BLUE by Emma Calin #PassionPatrol

April 10, 2017 Melanie 2 Comments

Emma Calin announces today the release of the third novel in her ‘Passion Patrol’ series: ‘LOVE BLEEDS BLUE’.

Firmly in the ‘suspense romance’ genre, this story features another sassy female hero-cop who is as passionate about her job as she is about the love in her life. Each Passion Patrol novel can be read as a stand-alone story, characters from previous stories make cameo appearances across the series.

Book Title:

LOVE BLEEDS BLUE by Emma Calin. A stand-alone fast-moving action adventure with a love story at its core. The third novel in the Passion Patrol Series, featuring hot cops, hot crime and hot romance.

Blurb:

A London girl cop, a violent political crisis, an instant decision. One moment of courage to catch the destiny of history.

When single mother Sergeant Sophia Castellana stumbles into a terrorist shooting, things are not as they seem. Global forces beyond her grasp sweep her up into an audacious scheme to re-unite a world in chaos. The love of a far younger man, the infatuation of a charismatic woman leader seduce her into a blur of inappropriate love and infinite danger. Power and celebrity beckon, betrayal and violence threaten every move as events unfold in the city of Paris. Her brute courage and loving woman’s heart confront ruthless enemies who offer no second chances. She knows the streets, she knows her power as a lover. Can she, dare she seize the prizes before her? Will a world offer her the choice?

Love Bleeds Blue, another stand-alone novel in the #1 Kindle Bestseller, Passion Patrol suspense romance series . Steamy Emma Calin holds nothing back to bring you her juicy mix of cops crime and passion.

EARLY REVIEWS FOR LOVE BLEEDS BLUE:

“Politics – Philosophy – Terrorism – Romance – Coup D’ Etats – Assassinations – World Reordering – Steamy Hot Sex! An intriguing love story.” Charles Smith, USA.

“Between the criminal plots, assassination attempts, and cases of almost innocent subterfuge, Ms. Calin weaves in passionate sex scenes that threaten to set the pages on fire.” Anneli Purchase, Canada.

“Staggering!! Wonderfully descriptive coupled with an outstanding story line makes this book a must read! The underlying satire provides some essential humor through out the book.” Evonne Hutton, South Africa.

Launch Details:

LOVE BLEEDS BLUE is out, worldwide, on Amazon for Kindle and digital e-readers, on the 3rd April 2017. The print edition will be available by May 2017.

The launch price is 99c/99p and FREE on Amazon Kindle Unlimited but will go up to $2.99/£2.50 after the 17th April.

Universal Book Sales Link on Amazon: http://www.smarturl.it/AmazonLBB

COMPETITION:

For the two weeks following the launch there is a Rafflecopter sweepstake link in the back of the book, to win a brand-new Kindle Fire 7″ Tablet worth $50 (gift card equivalent alternative in countries where product not available).

FREE BOOK FROM THE PASSION PATROL SERIES: Try one of the Passion Patrol novels for free https://www.instafreebie.com/free/1LZ7p

authors, Book Promo, novels, Sheryl Browne, thriller

Edge of Sanity by Sheryl Browne ~ BOOK PROMO

January 27, 2016 Melanie Robertson-King Leave a comment

THE EDGE OF SANITY

BY SHERYL BROWNE

Title of Book: The Edge of Sanity

Genre: Thriller/Psychological thriller/Crime thriller

Release Date: 29^th April 2014

Publisher: Safkhet Publishing

The Edge of Sanity – How far would YOU go to protect your family?

A decent, ordinary man, a man who has already suffered the loss of one child, Daniel Conner is forced by extraordinary circumstances into being a hero. Tortured, forcibly drugged—heroin still pulsating nauseatingly through his veins—his wife and daughter degraded, Daniel knows their kidnapper is beyond reasoning with. But does being pushed one step beyond endurance justify doing the unthinkable?

High on drugs, indebted to his supplier, and desperate, Charlie Roberts takes Daniel’s wife and daughter hostage. Daniel does everything within his power to rescue the situation bloodlessly. Eventually though, Daniel realises that with or without violent mood swings induced by amphetamines and cocaine, Charlie Roberts is a psychopath. He wants more than Daniel’s money.

He wants him.

The Edge of Sanity: a harrowing story of hope amid loss and betrayal.

Shortlisted for the Crime, Thrillers & Mystery SpaSpa Book Award for books published in 2014.

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK

Amazon US

ABOUT SHERYL BROWNE

Heartache, humour, love, loss & betrayal, Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy, poignant fiction. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for the Best Romantic e-book Love Stories Award 2015, Sheryl has seven books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies

Sheryl’s new contemporary romance novel was recommended to the publisher by the WH Smith Travel fiction buyer. THE REST OF MY LIFE comes to you from award winning Choc Lit.

Author Links

Loveahappyending Lifestyle

Safkhet Publishing | Choc Lit | Romantic Novelists’ Association

VIDEO LINKS

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A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love by Linn B Halton ~ BOOK PROMO & EXCERPT

January 26, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

A LITTLE SUGAR, A LOT OF LOVE

BY LINN B. HALTON

Genre: Chick Lit

Release Date: 15 January 2016

Publisher: Choc Lit

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love

Life isn’t all love and cupcakes …

Katie has had her fair share of bad luck, but when she finally realises her dream of opening a bakery it seems things can only get better.

But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she begins to sense that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job?

Then, one winter’s day, a man walks into her shop – and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie’s life is changed.

But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there …

Previously released as Sweet Occasions by the author. Revised and edited by Choc Lit December 2015.

EXCERPT:

Grandma Grace peers at me with interest over the top of her glasses, taking the box from my hands and placing it on the side. She wraps her arms around as much of me as she can reach, being at least a foot shorter, and gives me a fierce hug.

‘Thank you, my dear, but the only present I wanted was to see you standing here in one piece. It’s such a long journey and the weather! That rain is relentless, so many places are flooded. To think of you at the side of the road worried me to death and I will admit to saying a few little prayers as one hour turned into two, then three …’

She raises her eyebrow sternly, but it’s a brief moment before those twinkly blue eyes are full of love and laughter again.

‘My boy is here and that’s all that counts.’

‘Grandma, I haven’t been a boy for many years,’ I retort, softly, as she releases me with a tender pat on my back. She might be in her twilight years but her spirit is strong and her mind as sharp as ever. We all thought she’d fade away when Pop died, but the truth is he’s the one who would have faded if she had gone first.

‘You will always be a boy to me. Now, tell me more about this guardian angel of yours.’

While the tea is brewing and the cake is sliced, I hang around the kitchen as I did when I was growing up. Grandma Grace was always easy to talk to; she seemed to understand even when the words wouldn’t come. Her instincts filled in the gaps at times when even I couldn’t make sense of what was going on inside my head. After this failed relationship I began to despair of ever finding someone special.

‘You can’t hurry love,’ she’d told me. ‘It takes time to find your soulmate and in the process you change and grow. That’s why young love often withers, as Pop would have said. Two people either change and grow together, or they grow apart. Love is about sustaining what comes after that first hormonal rush.’

‘But that wasn’t the case for the two of you,’ I remember pointing out.

‘There has to be an exception to every rule,’ she’d replied, with a wicked smile. ‘We were lucky. Fate was kind to us. But with hindsight, we were too young and naive to understand that until much later in life. Don’t fret, Adam, there’s a wonderful young woman out there for you when the time is right.’

Sadly, when I reached that point it too turned out to be yet another huge failure. This time the consequences had been more painful than I could ever have imagined. Kelly was everything I thought I wanted in a woman and, after adjusting to the shock of an unplanned pregnancy, she was a fantastic mother. With hindsight I can see now that parenthood came too early in our relationship, we hardly knew each other. Suddenly I was a family man and yet, surprisingly, the role seemed to come naturally to me. I loved Sunday mornings the best. When a little head would appear on the pillow next to me at some unearthly hour and a warm little hand would wind its way around my neck.

Lily Grace is my sanity, my raison d’être.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT LINN B. HALTON

“I’m a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, and writing. Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache…”

An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Linn’s novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award. Linn writes chick lit, women’s contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.

Website/blog: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/
Twitter: @LinnBHalton FB: Linn B Halton Author
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/LittleSugarLotOfLove

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Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall by Luccia Gray ~ BOOK PROMO & EXCERPT

January 22, 2016 Melanie Robertson-King Leave a comment

Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall

By LUCCIA GRAY

Following Edward Rochester’s death in All Hallows at Eyre Hall, Jane Eyre, who has been blackmailed into marrying a man she despises, will have to cope with the return of the man she loved and lost. The secrets she has tried so hard to conceal must be disclosed, giving rise to unexpected events and more shocking revelations.

Romance, mystery, and excitement will unfold exploring the evolution of the original characters, and bringing to life new and intriguing ones, spinning a unique and absorbing narrative, which will move the action from the Yorkshire countryside, to Victorian London, and across the Atlantic Ocean to Colonial Jamaica.

Buy Links

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

EXCERPT:

Michael had his back to the fireplace as we entered. He turned to look at Jane, and smiled, as he always did when he saw her, as if nothing had happened, as if he had just seen her yesterday. He moved towards us and she retreated, whispering his name once again.

“Diana, could we have some water. It’s been a terrible journey, and Jane is so very exhausted,” I said as I held her arm, sure she was about to collapse.

Michael rushed to the sideboard, poured some water from the decanter, and offered it to her. She stared at him, still motionless, so I took the glass and pressed the rim to her stunned lips.

Michael was standing too close to her. He was as handsome and striking as ever; more so in his navy uniform. He looked older and larger. His arms had grown sturdier; his face was tanned and rugged. He looked like a man who enjoyed giving orders instead of accepting them. He was as bolder and stronger as Jane was weaker and quieter. I never knew why he left, and now I had no idea why he had returned, although I supposed that his departure had been the cause of her melancholy mood.

My uncle had told me they were lovers. Unnatural, he called it, but I had seen love in the way their eyes chased each other’s movements at Eyre Hall. Did she tire of him and throw him out? Did he leave her? Why did she marry my uncle? I could understand my uncle’s reasons, but what did Jane gain from their union?

Jane was trembling, so I stood between them with my back to Michael, obstructing her vision, to give her some time to adjust to the surprise of seeing him.

“Drink some water, Jane, please,” I said as I pushed the glass to her lips.

“Are you well, Jane?” asked Diana.

“Yes, she’s all right,” I replied. “Just tired.”

“Well, you already know Michael, now Lieutenant Kirkpatrick. He has come with Captain Carrington and his wife. Captain Carrington is Michael’s sea captain. He was Charles’s last captain, too, on his final mission as Admiral of the Fleet. We are surrounded by valiant men today, are we not ladies?” Diana clapped her hands.

“They’re staying over Christmas. Would it not be wonderful if we could all spend Christmas together at Eyre Hall? I would love to have you come here, but of course, Thorpe House is not big enough. What with Adele, Mr. Greenwood and his son, as well as dear John, and naturally Mr. Mason, there is just no room here, dear sister. What do you say?”

I stepped forward and offered my hand to the captain who brushed his lips over my gloved knuckles as he gave me a lecherous smile, which instantly displeased me. His wife surprised me with a friendly hug. I finally offered Michael my hand. He bowed, but his lips did not touch my glove.

After greeting the captain and his wife, Jane turned to Michael. He held her hand longer than was necessary and pressed it against his lips with a smile. “I’m very pleased to see you again, Mrs. Mason.”

She stared back in silence, so I spoke. “Lieutenant, although we are pleased to see you, you must understand what a surprise it is. You left Eyre Hall suddenly, and we have had no information about your whereabouts in over a year. It was not a courteous way to leave your employer.”

“You are correct, Miss Mason. I do apologise to Mrs. Mason for not giving her enough notice of my leave, but my decision was sudden. My sister, Susan, was leaving Eyre Hall, and I too needed a change of employment. I came to see Admiral Fitzjames, because he had helped my father, too.” He turned to Jane. “I hope you can forgive me, Mrs. Mason.”

About Luccia Gray

Luccia Gray was born in London and now lives in the south of Spain with her husband. She has three children and three grandchildren. When she’s not reading or writing, she teaches English at an Adult Education Centre and at the Spanish National University.

Author links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucciaGray/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucciaGray

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8186541.Luccia_Gray

Google+ https://plus.google.com/+LucciaGrayAuthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LucciaGray/

Blog Rereading Jane Eyre https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8186541.Luccia_Gray

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The Cold Room

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Karen Long

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The Other Side

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A Sense of Place

THE EDGE OF SANITY

BY SHERYL BROWNE

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A LITTLE SUGAR, A LOT OF LOVE

BY LINN B. HALTON

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Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall

By LUCCIA GRAY

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