Author Archives:
Cover Reveal: Keeper of the Lost Souls by Kristy Centeno
Keeper of the Lost Souls
by Kristy Centeno
Release Date: June 2013
Summary from Goodreads:
Bryn McCaskey is young, naïve, and can talk to ghosts. Like her mother and grandmother, Bryn is part of a breed of witches called The Keepers of the Lost Souls, whose main purpose is to guard those spirits which are permanently or temporarily grounded in the world of the living.
Because Bryn is a witch, she’s fairly comfortable dealing with all sorts of threats, which she does with ease and confidence. Handling supernatural creatures is as easy to her as baking a pie. Dealing with people however, is something she is yet to learn how to handle.
Unfortunately, as her 18th birthday approaches, and the time for her to take on her first assignment finally arrives, Bryn is forced to confront her inability to communicate with others in an effort to save the one soul that can mean the difference between life and death for mankind.
Johnny Shaw is a lost soul with a personal vendetta against witches. A vendetta he has carried on even after death. However, as much as he might hate them, in order to stop a century old threat, he must join forces with one. When fate brings them together, not only will they be forced to learn how to work as a team, but they will have to depend on each other to stop an evil witch carrying a six hundred year grudge.
About the Author
I’ve always had a passion for writing but never had the opportunity do so until now. After trying out numerous options I realized that writing was what I loved the most so when I found myself with some free time on my hands, I decided to give it a shot. As it turned out, my very active imagination helped me achieve my goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that helped the stories move along in one way or another.
As I keep moving along in achieving my dreams of becoming a published author, I divide my time in between my four children and my very understanding husband.
Cover Reveal: Banishing From Grace by Aria Williams
Banished from Grace by Aria Williams
Coming June 2013…
Synopsis:
Nardia is a very special nurse, one with a unique gift. With the touch of her bare hands, she can heal any physical ailment. With the help of her angel guide, Benilde, Nardia has healed her way through countless centuries.
Life should be easy for this attractive (not to mention, immortal) woman, but throw in two handsome men, a coffee addiction and memory loss that dates back to the medieval ages, and you’ve got a life that’s more than complicated.
When she meets AJ at her favorite coffee shop, she can’t help but feel an immediate attraction to him. At the same time, she knows there’s more to his story than what he’s letting on. And then there’s the handsome Doctor Regan, who she feels a connection with, but is she trying to make it more than is really there in order to spare her the heartbreak of being with AJ?
Only adding to her problems is the new resident, Dr. Jeffries, who seems out to get her from day one, and a murder case she can’t help solve without revealing her own secrets.
Can Nardia uncover the secrets of her own past while still moving forward and saving those in need of her help in the present?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Aria was born in the large county town of Orange situated in NSW, Australia. In 2011 she moved to Forest Reefs NSW and settled on nine acres with her husband and young family.
Aria completed her Enrolled Endorsed Nursing studies over a year ago, while completing this course the idea for Fall From Grace came to her. This dream was put on hold till she finished her studies and settled into her new life in Forest Reefs.
Aria travels to a residential care facility and cares for the disabled during the day and at night enjoys her passion of writing YA and paranormal romances. In her spare time she loves to play with her five Siberian huskies who give her great joy.
Aria enjoys late night walks with her husband and family dinners involving her parents, four other siblings, their partners and her niece and nephews.
The inspiration for her writing comes from her four children, who never give her any quiet time but she would not change this for the world.
Willow’s Review of Bare It All by Lori Foster
Rating: 
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Date Published: April 30th 2013
Goodreads Description:
“A cop’s craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal in the steamy new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster”
As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it…until the sexy cop next door comes knocking.
Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice’s secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire-and into the line of fire….
| 
|
Review:
As the second book in Foster’s Love Undercover series, this novel picks up right after the events of Run the Risk (book #1) and from what I recently learned, this book crosses over into Foster’s Edge of Honor series as well. And you can bet that I’ll be reading this series at some point because I really do enjoy Foster’s books a great deal! =^.^=
With Bare it All the focus is entirely on Reese and Alice and their growing relationship. Logan, Pepper, and Rowdy, all of my favorite characters from the first book, make appearances in this novel, but their story arcs are now secondary and they are in the book primarily for support and humor. Though I should say that Rowdy does a lot to help Reese track down information on Alice’s past. But mostly, this is all about Reese and Alice. And their relationship is most definitely a hot one.
Reese is sarcastic and blunt, but also quick with the wit, loyal to his friends, and not afraid to do what is necessary to keep those he loves safe. He’s also really a push over when it comes to his dog, Cash. Alice is quite and cautious, and given what happened to her it’s not a surprise that she maintains a level of guardedness around people. It was fun to watch her come out of her shell and get swept away by everyone in Reese’s circle of friends. It was also great to finally learn her story, as I was extremely curious about what was up with her after the first book. Believe me when I say, Alice’s story was definitely surprising and my respect and admiration for her grew once I learned it. And on a side note, I absolutely loved the fact that Cash was the initial connection between Reese and Alice. If it hadn’t been for him, it unlikely that those two ever would have hooked up. That dog definitely knows how to play matchmaker. Heehee
Like with the first book of the series, this story is filled with action and suspense. As investigations into a drug lord and human trafficking heat up, Reese and Alice suddenly find themselves in the cross-hairs and they quickly come to realize that they will have to rely upon each other to make it out alive. As a result, I spent much of my time reading this book while on the edge of my seat and biting my claws in nervous anticipation of what was going to happen next. I really didn’t want to put the book down once the action started.
There was also quite a lot of humor in this book. Between Reese and Rowdy’s scenes, and the scenes involving Reese and Pepper/Logan, I found myself smirking a lot whenever they started baiting each other and joking around. Especially whenever Rowdy was involved. Ah Rowdy, I do so love that man. I can’t wait for his story to come out so that I can learn even more about him. I just know his book is going to be a fun one.
And let me just say a quick thing about the romance. It’s starts off a slow burn that eventually grows into a seriously hot blaze. I love that Reese didn’t rush Alice into anything and that he was willing to wait as long as necessary until she was ready. The slow development of their relationship made it all the more satisfying when they finally did act on their feelings.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read. The blending of everyone’s stories was well done, the pacing was excellent, and the entire book was wonderful. Fans who loved the first book of this series will definitely enjoy this one. And as much as they loved Logan and Pepper, they will love Reese and Alice even more. So if you are still debating on whether you should buy this book or not, listen to this feline and buy it now! I promise, you won’t regret it. =^.^=
***Be sure to check out Willow’s review of the first book in this series, RUN THE RISK, as well as our wonderful INTERVIEW with Lori Foster, as part of this day long tour stop celebration!***
Willow’s Review of Run the Risk By Lori Foster
Rating:
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Date Published: September 25th 2012
Series: Love Undercover #1
Goodreads Description:
When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her .Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?
| |
Review:
This was an amazing book and a wonderful start to what promises to be an incredible series. From page one I was hooked and couldn’t put it down until I got to the very end, when I actually got upset because I didn’t want it to be over. =^.^=
Foster’s characters are well-developed and will instantly find a place within your heart. I loved each one of them, though I’ll admit that I enjoyed Rowdy just a bit more than the rest. What can I say, I like the bad boys every now and again. Anyways, Logan is a very strong, loyal, determined character, who definitely has his hands full where Pepper is concerned. His desire to get answers in order to solve his best friend’s murder is greatly admirable, but the fact that he was willing to get them by lying to Pepper did rub my fur the wrong way. As a result, I really enjoyed watching Pepper keep him of balance throughout the novel, especially once she found out that he was lying to her. And speaking of Pepper, she’s feisty, no-nonsense, and isn’t afraid to fight when the need arises, but at the same time she’s so caught up in trying to protect her brother, Rowdy, she doesn’t allow herself to live life, at least not until Logan shows up. I actually felt sorry for her a lot of the time because while I understood why she was living the way she was, it still pained me to see her constantly doubt herself and worry over her brother’s safety. Still Logan and Pepper truly are perfect for each other, and when they aren’t driving each other up the walls, their relationship is seriously hot.
I also greatly enjoyed Reese and Alice’s side story. These two are another fun set of interesting characters. There’s definitely chemistry brewing between them and by the end of the book I wanted to know what Alice’s secret was! I’m so happy that these two get their own story. And Rowdy also was a ton of fun. At first I wasn’t sure I would really like him, but as the story progressed he quickly became a favorite of mine. Then there’s Lt. Peterson…I really want to know what her story is at some point, too. The scene involving her and Reese handcuffed to Reese’s bed had me in stitches even though they were in danger at the time. If you want to know what I’m talking about, I highly suggest that you pick up a copy of this book for yourself and give it a read. You won’t be disappointed, trust me.
Since this was my first time reading any of Foster’s novels, I must say that I liked her writing skills as well. She did a fantastic job not only keeping to the main plot point of the story, but allowed her secondary story arcs to develop at the same time. Whenever the focus shifted between the characters it was done smoothly and with enough acknowledgement to the main story arc that I didn’t mind that we were moving away from Logan and Pepper’s story for a bit in order to catch up on Reese and Alice or learn a bit more about Rowdy. The different perspectives and story arcs made for a richer story, and I’m glad that Foster chose to write the story this way and had the skills with which to pull it off.
Then there were the memorable scenes. Not just the bed scene which I mentioned earlier, but the bar scene where Rowdy meets a woman who intrigues him, the cabin scene involving Pepper, Logan, Logan’s brother, and Reese, the scene where the power goes out, and so many more. Honestly, I couldn’t figure out which one I liked more. These scenes made me laugh, sigh, scream in frustration, and shiver in delight.
So do I recommend this book? You bet I do. If you love Romance with a touch of Suspense, then you’ll definitely want to check out this book!
***Be sure to check out Willow’s review of the next book in this series, Bare It All, as well as our wonderful interview with Lori Foster, as part of this day long tour stop celebration!***
Guest Interview with Lori Foster, Author of Bare It All
Today we are excited to have the wonderful Lori Foster, author of Bare It All, the second book in her Love Undercover series, visiting with us during her Bare It All Blog Tour hosted by BookTrib. Welcome Lori and thank you for joining us, murr! =^.^=
Please tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
L.F. – I wasn’t much of a reader until after I’d had 3 kids and my sister introduced me to the joy of romance novels. Before that I read a lot of my grandma’s “True Romance” magazine stories. I do remember reading “The Contender” but I don’t remember liking it more than those magazine romance stories.
My favorite fairytale is Beauty and the Beast. Two strong characters, a wounded hero, an epic romance… Good stuff.
I LOVE horror movies and action movies. I go to the theater at least once a week, often twice if there are movies I want to see. A bad horror movie is more entertaining to me that a perfect drama. And there are very few chic flicks I enjoy. Popcorn, cola, violence and blood – right up my alley. And if they throw in a sexy Alpha guy, I’m there.
Could you tell us a couple of favorite books/authors that inspired you to write?
L.F. – Stella Cameron has been an angel on earth, giving me wonderful advice whenever I needed it. She will always be my hero.
At a local conference, before I’d ever sold, I met Stella. We hit it off and she was so kind that she offered to look at my work. I drove home (squealing all the way) and snatched up a manuscript, then drove back to the conference hotel. Stella sat on the bed in her room and read through several pages with me anxiously watching, my stomach in knots. And she said something life-altering. I don’t remember the exact words, but she told me I would definitely sell, that my voice was special, and that she was impressed.
That was really welcome praise, considering I’d been working on selling a book for 2 years. It had been revised, then revised again… and each time I sent it off I had to wait another 6 to 9 months.
Later that same day she sort of trapped a Harlequin editor in the elevator and asked if she was going to buy my book. (At that point the editor had had the revised manuscript for over 8 months.) When the editor waffled, unsure, Stella said she would just give my manuscript to her own editor with her recommendation – and the Harlequin editor said, “No, I’m buying her.”
I still smile when thinking of that. After waiting all that time, Stella got an editor to commit to me in an elevator at a conference hotel.
How could I not revere that woman?
Oh, and besides all that, Stella is an AMAZING author! I still love her work.
What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants, or a combination of both?
L.F. – It’s pretty weird how the process works for me. I almost always see a scene first, and in this case, the scene was a hunky male neighbor putting the moves on a female neighbor because she had a secret that he needed to know. When I started writing, I was unsure what the secret might be, why the heroine was keeping the secret, and why the hero needed it. See, very weird!
I’ve always been drawn to those stories where the male protagonist gets himself into deep trouble – under the best of intentions – and then has to find a way to regain the heroine’s trust. Good examples are “Loving Evangeline,” by Linda Howard, or “Scandal,” by Amanda Quick. Most of the wonderful books by Kresley Cole, too.
I love it when the characters are honorable, but are forced to do dishonorable deeds.
Can you please share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?
L.F. – I write well with chaos. If the house gets too quiet my mind wanders away from my book. I usually have the music playing pretty loud (and yeah, I sing along and bounce in my chair) with a few candles burning and my many pets bugging me every few minutes. My desk at home faces the pond so I can see the fish jump and the occasional hawk snag a meal.
My desk at the lakehouse faces the lake so I can see the fishermen go by, the skiers and boaters… I like water and find it very inspirational.
How did you come up with the title, Bare It All?
L.F. – The hero’s name is Reese Bareden, and back during his school days he got caught – without his towel – in the locker room by a bunch of cheer leaders. They dubbed him “Bare It All Bareden.” Now, the reason why the cheerleaders were sneaking in the locker room to get a peek… that’s something you’ll have to find out by reading the book!
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
L.F. – No idea. The ideas are just… there. I’m so amazed by authors who can teach this stuff, because it’s impossible for me. I’ll be minding my own business (often working on a different book) and bam! I get hid upside the head with characters who want on the page – or sometimes they just show up on the page without even introducing themselves first – and sometimes that’s not enough for them. They want their own books too!
It’s almost magical to me. I could never dissect the process or explain it.
It just is.
Once the characters are there, THEY tell me what the idea is. They lead me through the plot, sometimes page by page – although sometimes they tell me the whole story right up front.
Can you tell us about the journey that led you to write your book?
L.F. – For “Bare It All,” book #2 in the “Love Undercover” series, Reese is the hero. I was writing about Logan and Pepper from book #1 and then suddenly Logan called his buddy Reese, who I found out was also a detective. He said he had some secrets – and I had to keep writing to find out what they were.
Weird, right? I’m always as surprised as the reader! But that’s what keeps it fun, I guess.
Anyhoo… Reese was a secondary character and then, because of how big he was on the page, I knew he’d be book #2. Rowdy and Dash also showed up in book #1, and I knew right away they’d demand their own books as well.
Much of “Bare It All” was worked out in the first book. Reese met Alice, and we all knew right away they’d be perfect for each other. How that would happen, what would propel them into a romance, wasn’t crystal clear, so I had to wait for Alice to tell me some things, and for her to work out some stuff with Reese…
Yes, they talk to me a lot – often when I’m trying to sleep!
What was the most difficult scene for you to write in Bare it All?
L.F. – I don’t really write difficult scenes. If they’re hard for me to write, I assume they aren’t as exciting or fun or sexy and that readers will be disinterested. It’s every author’s nightmare to imagine readers skipping pages. If I’m going to write it, I want you to read it, so I try to only write the scenes that excite me in some way, either because of the action, the humor or the emotion.
That said, transition scenes can be tricky, so although I can’t say I struggle with them, they aren’t as much fun as say a love scene, or a big fight, or whatever.
Would you want to be any character from your book?
L.F. – I’ve been married to my own hero for 35 years. We’ve had a mostly uneventful life free of tragedy or heartbreak. We have 3 healthy, wonderful sons and 2 amazingly adorable grandsons. My point is that to be a character in a book I’d have to change everything I cherish. I’ve already lived – am still living – an incredible romance. No reason to turn to fiction. 
And honestly, I think it’s my own personal happiness that makes it so easy for me to create romantic stories. Reading what I just wrote here… of course we’ve had our ups and downs, our share of worries and disappointments. But together everything is easier, more bearable, until all you see are the many blessings. That’s real romance. That’s reality. I’ve been a very, very luck woman.
What upcoming projects are you working on and when can your fans expect to look for them?
L.F. – That depends on how long it takes me to finish my current manuscript – which will be book 4 in the “Love Undercover” series. If I finish it early enough, I’ll start a new L. L. book, meaning more urban fantasy and more graphic gore. If it takes longer to finish, then I’ll jump into the next romance single title.
Book Trailer for Bare It All
About Lori Foster
Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. She also received the Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy and Contemporary Romance.
Lori believes it is important to give back to the community as much as possible, so she routinely arranges events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
***Be sure to check back periodically throughout the day as Willow will be posting her reviews on RUN THE RISK and BARE IT All as part of this day long tour stop celebration!***
