Asheville, North Carolina USA —Rave Reviews Book Club is pleased to introduce, Author, Kim Cox as their “SPOTLIGHT” Author for the week of May 22-28, 2016. Kim’s featured book, All This Time, is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Book Description
At thirty, Jenny Morgan’s biological clock is ticking. But as a fashion magazine CEO with a busy schedule and no significant other, her wish is unlikely to come true. When her father receives a terminal diagnosis, he wants a grandchild before he dies. With her religious beliefs, a sperm donor isn’t an alternative. Jenny’s only option is her single co-worker and best friend, Trevor Drake. Can she really trust him to be a good husband?
Trevor has loved Jenny since college, but she only sees him as a friend with no ambition. After he finds out her predicament, he proposes and sets out to prove he can provide everything she needs. Jenny is determined to have a prenuptial agreement with an “out” clause after one year. Can he convince Jenny of his love by then?
As if they don’t have enough on their plate, someone at the magazine is out to sabotage their marriage, their impending parenthood, and the magazine. Jenny is nearly killed in one such attempt. Can Jenny and Trevor work together to uncover their common enemy?
To learn more about Kim Cox, or to purchase All This Time, please visit:
Maurice has been involved in the creative arts since his teenage years. Having worked and played in rock/blues bands for most of his adult life, the artistic role models that he came to admire were those authors, musicians, and philosophers that wrote the books, poetry, lyrics, and music that touched and moved the souls of generations. Counted among his favorites authors are J.D. Salinger, Earnest Hemingway, Dante Alighieri, and Kahlil Gibran. Deciding to take a break from the music career, he has rededicated his creative energies toward writing.
Then there is the “business geek” side of him. With an MBA degree, and having started several ventures, he has an obsession for creating new business ideas, digging into data analytics, and dissecting statistics. This passion for entrepreneurship is reflected prominently in his writing style.
Maurice’s debut fictional novel, “The Budapest Experiment”, an international thriller, was released on May 25, 2015 and is available now on Amazon.
Lots more can be found, including book info, social media contacts, and blog posts, at: http://www.mauricegmiller.com.
About The Book
Blurb:
At what price would you sell your soul…?
This captivating thriller weaves business, politics, seduction, power, and religion all into a compelling tale of international intrigue.
Set in 1991, during the dawn of the Post-Communist era in Hungary, this novel chronicles the exploits of Michael, an adventurous but struggling American entrepreneur.
During this period of tumultuous political, economic, and social change, the Russian Mob is taking advantage of the ensuing turmoil to entrench itself deeper into the business landscape of the former Soviet Bloc countries.
Navigating through the streets of Budapest, Michael immediately senses an air of mysticism and lurking danger. Things begin to heat up, as a series of business dealings and events leads him to a consulting position with the ‘Organization’.
Seduced by their women, money, and power, Michael becomes entangled in the web of Mob culture. An examination of conscience reveals a spirit ravaged with feelings of guilt and betrayal, but a rapidly growing bank account serves as the means to justify his actions.
Pondering his future, he wonders if he can balance this extreme Budapest lifestyle with his ‘ordinary’ family life back home. After padding his wallet for the past several months, would the Organization let him just walk away, or would there be consequences?
This book is intended for mature audiences.
Warning: Ends on a cliffhanger – sequel coming out soon
Looking to dive into the International business scene of Hungary, Michael believes nothing can touch him and jumps head first into the deep end of business with the Russian Mafia. He has a guardian angel but can she even save him from himself and the disaster he’s heading into? He knows he shouldn’t do the things he does, but he seems almost helpless to stop himself as he is seduced by the excitement, money, and beautiful women to the point of naivety.
I loved the way this story began and ended (although, warning, it was a cliff hanger). It’s an intriguing and action-packed story with lots of description and Budapest flavor. It’s filled with lots of descriptive sex scenes and I’ll admit I moved over the last few as there were too many for my taste. It is well-written and moves at a pretty good pace. I do think it could be cut down to about 300 pages while still carrying the plot and characters.
I’m pulling for Michael because even though he’s done a few bad things, like cheating on his wife and working for the mob, he appears to be a decent man, filled with guilt as he’s caught up in the craziness of it all.
Please help me welcome A. M. Manay as a special guest in the #RRBC #PIF (“Pay It Forward”) Week.
About the Author
In addition to her work as an indie author of paranormal new adult fantasy, A.M. Manay is a former inner-city chemistry teacher, a singer, a yoga enthusiast, and a mother through domestic open adoption. She has a passion for increasing diversity in popular culture and for strong heroines who stand up for themselves, make their own decisions, and don’t depend on romance as their reason for being.
November Snow has seen her own burial a thousand times. It is the only thing she knows about her future.
In a war amongst vampires and fairies, a small advantage can mean the difference between victory and defeat. And a psychic who can peer across the globe, unspool the past, and probe the future is more than a small advantage. Everyone wants to use her for his own ends: the ancient king, the black sheep, the dutiful son, the lost boy.
But November Snow wants things, too, before death comes for her. She wants purpose. She wants friendship. She wants love. She wants happiness. She wants respect. And she will not settle for less.
Pulled into the midst of a royal family feud centuries in the making, she must forge her own path through violence, betrayal, first loves, and mortal peril as she struggles to come to terms with her gift and her destiny, even as she knows this for certain:
She dies at the end.
This book contains magic and supernatural creatures aplenty, a smattering of heretical Christianity, and a cast of characters that is diverse in both race and sexual orientation. It also contains scenes of violence and some sexual content and may be triggering to victims of child abuse, human trafficking, or sexual assault.
These three short stories are set in the universe of A.M. Manay’s paranormal novel, She Dies at the End (November Snow Book 1). These stories have been previously released either via the author’s website or through her mailing list. This is the first time they are available as a collection and in the Kindle format.
“She Forges a Peace” provides a glimpse into the formation of the alliance between fairies and vampires as well as insight into one of the primary characters in the series. “He Worships his Queen” delves into the painful childhood of vampire Luka, the primary villain in She Dies at the End. “She Fears the Dark” focuses on the popular fairy characters Pine and Zinnia as they take a trip to Disneyland that turns into an unexpectedly dangerous adventure.
A frightening vision stalks November, even in her grave . . . and things go severely sideways just as soon as she claws her way out of it.
Continuing the story begun in the well-received paranormal romp She Dies at the End, She Lights Up the Dark finds November Snow struggling to adjust to her new life as a vampire with none of the support she’d expected. Her nemesis Luka has plotted to isolate November and scatter her allies as he executes his plan to bring human society under his control. Her loneliness leads her to become emotionally entangled with a charming but likely untrustworthy fellow vampire.
When danger flares, November discovers that her psychic gift has expanded in a powerful and perilous fashion. Coerced into close company with her enemy, she fights to master her power and to uncover the secrets that may help her to save both her friends and the human world from being crushed under Luka’s boot. November is determined to stop Luka as his plan builds toward an unknown and deadly climax, but she may find that lighting up the dark comes with a high price to pay.
This books contains violence, some sexual content, and occasional profanity.
You can’t beat that? You can NOW get Haunted HeartsFREEthrough booksellers and have an option to get the second book, Get Out or Die, in the Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery Series FREE, also.
Tell all your friends to get their copy of Haunted Hearts while the sale lasts, and learn how to get Novella 2 in the series for FREE. To read a preview, click the links below.
In an old country village called Chaddleworth in Berkshire, J. M. (Jean) Shorney grew up listening to her father’s tales around the fireside on cold winter evenings. Her father was a born storyteller. Her mother recited poetry she’d learned, and would rattle off without a book. Jean has written many novels, poetry and some hymns set to traditional tunes.
Her favourite writers are Elliott O’Donnell, Dennis Wheatley and Jack Higgins, while her love affair with Ireland dominates most of my writing. Jean’s inspiration is listening to old country music, both American and Irish, as it has been since herwriting career began.
She currently reside in Thatcham, which is near Newbury in Berkshire.
Sometimes the past throws up more than you can handle… When Aidan McRaney is sent into infiltrate the lair of a man obsessed with seeking revenge on the British for the murder of his IRA father, he is forced to confront a past he never knew existed. A fast-paced, tense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
My Review
Excellent Thriller
Progeny of a Killer is an enjoyable, exciting thriller that will kept you on the edge of your seat throughout. The writer’s style makes for an easy to follow and fascinating read. The story is fast-paced and action-packed with multi-layered, well-constructed characters. The main character is flawed but also likable, and the villain is someone you will love to hate. The conclusion is satisfying.
Hi and “WELCOME” to Rave Reviews Book Club’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY at Kim’s Author Support Page!
Location: Asheville, North Carolina, USA.
Giveaways are available internationally in English language only!
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AND THE WINNDERS ARE
Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today:
*($25) Amazon Gift Card – MARGARET DALY
*One (1) e-book copy of ALL THIS TIME – TRACI SANDERS
*One (1) e-book copy of HAUNTED HEARTS – RICHIE GERBER
***
# of Winners for this stop: 3
To enter for prizes, please leave a comment at the end of this page. If you’re leaving a comment for the first time, your comment will need to be approved. But if you’re a returning visitor, your comment will go right through.
I’d like to introduce you to my books and to me as a person as well as an author.
First, I have a relaxing video; second, an interview between the characters from two different book series. Third, is the Story of Kim Cox, and fourth, I’ve included a short blurb on each of my books to help you make the perfect decision in your next book selection. You can also click on a link to read an excerpt of each book. If you like what you read here, please share with your friends, fans, etc. There’s also a surprise cover reveal. I hope you enjoy the (mostly) fall pictures in my header. They were all photographed near my home in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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This video isn’t a book trailer. It is the first and only video I’ve ever done. I hope to produce a few book trailers around the first of the year. This one was created for a class project in Web Technologies in 2012, and it portrays some of the gorgeous waterfalls of Dupont State Forest in Transylvania County, North Carolina–only about an hour from our home. Our final project consisted of many multi-media projects that ended with a full Web site about hiking trails. I chose Dupont for its beauty. The voice isn’t mine but that of a friend of my youngest son’s. I hope you enjoy the video and find it relaxing. It sounds better with earphones on my computer.
Dupont State Forest – Video
Unique Trails and Amazing Waterfalls
The below video is an introduction to the Dupont State Forest, which offers almost 100 miles of unique trails with amazing waterfalls, pristine lakes, and other attractions. Some trails pass over large expanses of solid rock on large granite domes.
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ABOUT THE INTERVIEW
Jenny Morgan Drake and her husband, Trevor Drake, from my book, “All This Time” of the Style & Profile series, visits Lana Malloy to interview Lana for Jenny’s family magazine, Morgan Fashions. This interview will take place between books 2 & 3, GET OUT OR DIE and THE WEDDING CRASHER, from the LANA MALLOY PARANORMAL MYSTERY series.
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A Little Backstory
Trevor reluctantly accompanies Jenny on the trip to James Island in South Carolina. He agrees to go only because Jenny refuses to wait, and he doesn’t want her to go alone in her much pregnant condition.
Trevor doesn’t believe in ghosts roaming the earth, much less someone who can see and talk to them. He expects to see a rundown witch/voodoo shack in the swamp. He’s done his research and knows Lana’s fiancé, Tony Calabria is a man of means, but he figures Tony probably hides his girlfriend out in the boonies as to not scare the town folk.
On the other hand, Jenny has read all about Lana’s experiences and believes she is exactly who she claims, a private investigator for the unusual.
Lana is in the process of moving stuff into their getaway home on James Island, near Charleston, South Carolina, where they will live part-time after they’re married. She loves the house and wants to show it off.
***
The Interview
Lana meets them at the front door. “Hello. Jenny, Trevor, welcome to my home. Please come in? And help yourselves to the tray of iced tea and cookies here in the den. Please forgive the mess. I’m in the process of moving a few things into this house.”
“Lana, how lovely you are.” Jenny touches her belly as she wobbles inside.
Trevor stands in the doorway listening and looking around the house as if something might jump out at him.
“Thank you.” Lana says, as she leads them to the den.
“You have a lovely home. It’s exquisite and huge, but also has a homey feel. I love all the porches.” Jenny elbows Trevor playfully in the ribs. “Doesn’t she, Trevor?”
Trevor clears his throat nervously. “Yes, it’s very nice. The Weeping Willow trees along the long drive are nice.” He straightens his tie.
“Tony bought the house as a wedding present to me. He’s a sweetheart. He knows how I hate living in the city.”
Jenny asks, “But didn’t I read somewhere that you did live near the beach front in Charleston?”
“Yes. I’m transforming it into a full-time office.” She glances at Jenny’s girth. “How far along are you?” Lana asks. “Have a seat, please.” She motions them toward a sofa near the picture window.
“Oh, I’m a little over six months.” Jenny sits on the couch as Lana sits in her favorite chair opposite them. Trevor slides in beside his wife.
“If you’d like, after we finish our snacks, we can go out on the back porch for the interview. It’s shaded from the hot sun this time of day.” Lana takes a bite of her chocolate chip cookie.
“That sounds nice.” Jenny sips on her tea, already having finished off three of her own cookies.
Lana ushers them to the back porch overlooking the pool in the back yard. She turns on the porch’s ceiling fans to stir the air and guides them toward the four rocking chairs lined up across the porch.
As they get settled, Lana feels a kindredship to Jenny. She senses the loss of Jenny’s mother and sister. And that her father, although still alive, had a health scare a couple of years ago.
Jenny positions her pen above her pad to take notes, but asks, “Do you mind if I record our interview?”
“Not at all.” Lana spreads her hands over her sundress to smooth out the wrinkles.
Trevor takes the small recorder from his pocket and presses the on button.
“Jenny, I hope I’m not overstepping, but I was told to tell you that your mother and sister are pleased and thrilled that you and Trevor chose to name your daughter after them. Caroline Beth Drake, isn’t it?”
Trevor almost chokes on the mouthful of tea he’d just sipped. “What!”
“Oh and Trevor, your father hopes you’ll name your son after him. It doesn’t have to be your son’s first name but a middle name would be nice.”
Jenny appears shocked. She believes that spirits are all around them, and she believes in Lana, but just to have her come out and say that was chilling. She never figured her mother and sister would contact her like this. Tears come to eyes and she pulls a tissue from her purse. “Thank you, Lana, and can you tell them I love and miss them. And tell Alfred, we’re not giving our son his first name but we may give him the name David which is Alfred’s middle name.”
Lana smiles. “You just told them.”
Both women look at Trevor who has turned three different shades of red and his eyes are watering. Lana isn’t sure if he’s crying or if it’s from where he’d choked. “How do you, or my father for that matter, know that we’re having a boy this time?”
“Trevor!” Jenny gives him her most furious expression. “Don’t start.”
“No. I’m not trying to . . . I just need to know.”
“That’s okay. Trevor, the spirits know many things that are unknown to us. They give me bits of what they know when they want me to know about it. In this case, you father wants you to know how he feels.”
“Okay. That sounds like my father. Tell him I love and miss him, please.” Trevor sniffs and wipes his nose with a handkerchief. He loosens his tie and opens the top button of his shirt.
“He can hear you, Trevor.” Lana looks at him with concern. She hopes she hasn’t said too much.
He runs both hands through his hair. “I’ve got to take a walk. Will you be okay?” he asks his wife.
Jenny touches his hand as he stands up. “Are you okay, Honey?” she asks him. Concern is evident in her voice.
“I will be, I just need to rethink everything I’ve ever believed.” He walks off the porch and around the corner of Lana’s house.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset him,” Lana says, regretting she’d let Alfred talk her into telling Trevor about his presence.
“It’s okay. His father has always been a sore subject for him. He and his mother lost him when Trevor was only ten.” Jenny searches the area to see if she can see Trevor but he’s out of sight. She picks up her pad and looks at Lana. “Shall we get on with the interview?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Lana, you have been one busy psychic.”
“I suppose so.” Lana smiles.
“How do you do it? Do the ghosts just appear to you and help you solve whatever problem there is at the time?”
“Not exactly. Sometimes it’s hard to get them to talk and other times you can’t shut them up. An example of the latter would be my Aunt Lucy.”
Both women laughed.
“I heard that,” Lucy chimes in.
“Lucy has shown up, by the way. Go away, Lucy. I’m a bit busy here.” Lucy for once does as Lana requests and leaves without another word. “Go ahead. She’s gone.”
“I would love to have your gift, Lana. To know the things you do. To be able to help people, both the dead and the living.”
Lana clears her throat. “You mean you would like to never be alone, hearing people telling or showing you information all the time. And this information may or may not be something you can do anything about. When you least expect it, you’ve got a crisis to take care of. It doesn’t matter that you’re having a romantic dinner with your fiancé, you’re out with friends, sound asleep, or in the middle of a shopping mall. It doesn’t matter. They are demanding your attention.”
“Oh wow! I didn’t realize you’d have no control over the when.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. Probably just wedding jitters. I’m very thankful for my gift, but it can be very disrupting to my life. I like being able to help people, and I love being able to talk to those I love after they’ve passed on, especially my Aunt Lucy. However, spirits can be very impatient. Their time isn’t like ours and it all seems urgent to them for some reason, particularly those who have recently passed. Those who have been gone for a while seem to be a little more tolerant.”
“I see.” Jenny wrote on her pad. “Did I hear you correctly? I think you mentioned twice about getting married.”
“Yes, Tony and I are getting married.”
“When?”
“In two short months, and I’m both excited and terrified about that.” Lana smiles and takes a sip of tea.
“I know the feeling. You met my husband, Trevor.” She laughs.
“Yes. He’s adorable. I could tell right off he’s a skeptic.”
“That’s stating it lightly. Trevor doesn’t believe in much of anything that he can’t see or touch unless he’s experienced it for himself.” She glances toward the edge of the yard but Trevor still hasn’t returned. “So, why are you so nervous? Don’t you know that your marriage is meant to be? If Tony is the one for you?”
“I do but not in the way you mean. I once caught a glimpse of our lives together.” She wrings her hands together. “But lately . . . I don’t know. I’ve not been sleeping well, and I have a strange feeling that something bad is about to happen.”
“Oh, and what’s that?”
“That’s the problem. I have no idea.” Lana stands and walks to the edge of the porch, placing one hand on the railing.
Jenny leans a little forward. “But you’re psychic. I don’t understand. Don’t you know everything?”
Lana turns to face Jenny and leans against the post. “Most people don’t understand. I only get pieces of things I need to know in order to help someone else. Sometimes those pieces are hard to interpret. Every once and a while, I’ll get a premonition or see someone’s past. Sometimes it may be for no other reason than it’s something I need to know myself. But most of the time it’s to help someone else. I rarely see anything beneficial to me personally. My one vision of my life with Tony was an exception.”
Jenny writes furiously. “Oh, and can you give me an instance of a premonition you’ve had.?”
“Yes. When I was about twelve, I saw my grandfather’s death before he died. He was old and I thought I was dreaming it because he’d been under the weather for the last few days, and I was scared for him. He died within the week.”
“That must’ve been terrifying for you as a child that young.”
“It was. At the time, I didn’t believe in my own gifts. And I thought perhaps God thought my dream meant I wished it. I blamed myself.” Her eyes moisten from the memory. “I see how silly that was now. At times, I feel blessed to have this gift, and yet, cursed at others.”
“Since you didn’t believe in yourself, how did you come to terms with knowing and seeing things that no one else could see or hear?”
“Aunt Lucy and my best friend, Demi, helped me.”
“Demi?”
“Yes. Demi Lancaster.” Jenny clears her throat. “Off the record, please?”
“Sure.” Jenny turns off the recorder.
“I don’t want to get her into trouble. Her boss knows I know things, but he doesn’t want to know about spirits.”
“I understand.”
“Demi’s a Charleston Police Detective and a godsend to me. She helps me figure things out sometimes and gets information for me when I need it if it is a life and death situation.”
“She sounds like a good friend.”
“She is.”
“Back on the record, now?”
Lana nods her head.
Jenny turns the recorder back on. “But how did Demi convince you to believe in your gift?”
“Well, it was after my great aunt Lucy came to see me one night right after she died. Aunt Lucy told me to embrace my gift and stop suppressing it. That suppressing it would only make things worse.”
“I see, but how did that help you?”
“It didn’t really. Aunt Lucy told me I didn’t want to know what would happen if I didn’t accept my gift. She pretty much scared me more than anything else. Not so much her words but the look on her face when she said it.”
“What did Demi do?”
Lana sat back on the edge of her chair, turning slightly to face Jenny. “After I told her about it, she held me while I cried. She patted my back and let me get it all out. Then she said, ‘Now Lana, you know what you have to do.’ And I asked, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘You know you have to do what your aunt said. I believe in you, and you have to believe in yourself.’ She said it just as plain as that.”
“I don’t understand how that helped you.”
“You have to know Demi. She doesn’t give herself freely. She’s a very guarded person. She’s also a straight shooter. She doesn’t say anything she doesn’t mean. So, if she says it, you know it to be true. Demi has always been there for me and she’s always believed in me. She believed I had the gift. Never once did she think I’d lost hold on reality.”
“That makes sense.” Jenny jotted more notes on her pad. “So, you seem a little more relaxed.”
“I am. Jenny, you’re a natural. And you’ve made me feel at ease.”
“Thank you. Now, I want to know about some of your cases. I’m impressed with everything you’ve done.” She flipped through the pad. “You helped your Aunt Lucy and her fiancé move on, after twenty years, by helping solve their murder. Can you tell me how that happened?”
“We had a little show and tell at Tony’s house. I also had plenty of help from Tony, Aunt Lucy and Tony’s grandfather, Davide. Of course, Demi helped with that also. She and a few of her friends waited while the ghosts mostly scared a confession from Anthony’s second wife, and the rest of the family for different crimes they’d committed.”
“You make it sound simple.”
“Not really. We had to do a lot of research to figure out who to invite on pretense of Davide’s new will. Getting the family in one place at the same time was a huge undertaking.”
“Tony’s family, your fiancé, correct?”
“Yes.” Lana smiles at the memory of him from that morning, not wanting to leave her here alone to face the mean reporters. He could be overprotective at times.
Jenny jotted in her notebook again. “So, and then there was the angry ghost at a home near here, and you’ve done a lot of pro bono work for those living in the Charleston area.”
“Yes. Adam turned out to be not so bad. He just had some issues he had to work through.”
“You’re being modest, Lana.”
“Not really. I always have plenty of help from the spirit guides and the ghosts themselves.” Lana stands and pours herself more tea. “Would you like more, Jenny?”
“Yes. Thank you. Okay, so how did you help Adam work out his issues?”
Lana fills Jenny’s glass and places the pitcher on the table between them. “I saw into the past lives of both Adam and Sean. Sean was the father of the occupants of the house and Adam’s business partner. Adam and Sean had fought throughout history for one reason or another. When I explained it to Adam, it helped him mellow some. When I mentioned his wife, Kara, and how she’d loved the Ramsey’s children, and the promise he’d given to her on her death bed, he finally saw himself for what he was doing to them.”
“Wow! That took a lot of seeing into his life. Way back to previous lives. You did see his life, right. He didn’t offer you the information.”
“Right. He didn’t know about his past lives. I had a dream about that, and I think Kara showed me herself on her death bed.”
Jenny taps her pencil on the pad. “That sounds like a tough case.”
Lana smiled. “At the time, it was. I was also dealing with the reality that I could be possessed by a spirit if I didn’t prepare myself.”
“What? Possessed? How do you prepare for something like that?”
“A lot of prayer and focus.” Lana replied. Lana stood, picked up the pitcher of tea and her glass and carried them into the kitchen, in hopes that Jenny would take the hint that the interview was over.
Jenny followed behind her into the kitchen. “What now?”
“What do you mean?’
“Are you working on anything else, or will you soon?”
“I don’t know. Not any ghosts right now. I guess if something comes up, I will help. I do have a couple of small jobs, mostly computer work for Tony. Background checks on new employees and things like that. But for now, I’m happy just planning our wedding.”
Trevor walks into the kitchen. “Is the interview over?”
“I think it is. Thank you, Lana. It was a pleasure meeting you finally.” Jenny smiles and holds out her arms to Lana.
The two women hug.
“Yes, thank you, Lana,” Trevor says, a little choked up still. “I appreciate everything.”
Lana nods her head knowingly and holds her arms out to Trevor. He hugs her neck.
Tony walks in and Lana introduces him to the two visitors. He shakes their hands and says, “How did it go?”
“Fine,” Lana says.
“More than fine. Is she always so modest? You have an amazing fiancée, Mr. Calabria.”
“I sure do,” he says, wraps an arm around her waist and hugs her to him. He kisses the top of her forehead.
Tony and Lana walk Trevor and Jenny to the door.
In the car, driving down the long winding road, Jenny turns to Trevor and asks, “So what do you think of Lana Malloy, now?”
“As much as I hate to admit I was wrong, she’s the real deal. What do you think?”
“You heard me back there. She’s an amazing woman.”
***
THE STORY OF KIM COX
Kim Cox lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her talented, chainsaw artist husband (http://leeschainsawart.com/) and their three dogs. She’s the mother to two sons and also has two grandsons (one starting kindergarten next year and the other a senior in high school this year). I know you’re wondering, so yes, you’re right, she married and started her family way too young. 😉 A recap of her life coming up.
In her younger years, she was one who never met a stranger which worried her parents to no end, because she smiled and talked to everyone she met. Yes, even strangers. Luckily, her parents rarely let her out of their sight. But they had to work and one time, before school age, the babysitter sort of kidnapped her. How can she sort of be kidnapped, you might ask. In truth, the babysitter took her to a friend’s workplace without permission and then she was afraid to take her back home. Kim cried her eyes out that night when they arrested the sitter. Kim loved her babysitter so much. The only way to get Kim to sleep that night, her father had to promise her he’d get the babysitter out of jail. And her father kept that promise. To her, her father could move mountains.
In her school years, Kim was a cheerleader from the 7th through 10th grades (head cheerleader in the 10th). Then letter girl in the eleventh grade. Luckily for her, back then, you didn’t need to have any of those special gymnastic abilities, only coordination and a big mouth which she had in spades. Kim loved cheering but sometimes, while focused on the football game, she had to be nudged to start a cheer. Her parents were very strict, so being a cheerleader provided her with the only opportunity to be out of the yard after dark.
Also in tenth grade, she was voted her grade’s Miss Torch Candidate (Torch was the name of the yearbook). She didn’t win, but it made her happy just to be nominated. Why? It meant she got to dress up in an evening gown and have her picture taken for the yearbook. She felt like a princess going to the ball.
Now, Kim is very much a grown up and each year brings her closer to retirement from the day job. At and after the age of fifty, she obtained two associate degrees, one in Office Systems Technology and the other in Web Technology. Kim also obtained a diploma in Medical Office Administration. While at work, she has many titles, including but not limited to, MIS (Management Information Systems) Specialist, Accountability, and Superuser.
On the writing front, she is a multi-published author of short stories, articles, novellas, and novels. Kim also creates and maintains Web sites, and designs and creates her own book covers. You can find her Web Design portfolio and services at Kim Cox Designs. See her published works below.
ALL THIS TIME is a romantic suspense novel. Book 1 in the Style & Profile Series.
“Obstacles occur every step of the way for it seems someone in the office is working to sabotage not only the business but Jenny and her father too. Filled with suspense, mystery as well as heart-filled emotion, All This Time offers a delightful read.” ~ Nancy Carty Lepri, Freelance Editor, Reviewer, and Author of Tommy’s Amigo and TinyAngel
At thirty, Jenny Morgan’s biological clock is ticking. But as a fashion magazine CEO with a busy schedule and no significant other, her wish is unlikely to come true. When her father receives a potentially terminal diagnosis, he longs for a grandchild before he dies. With her religious beliefs, a sperm donor isn’t an alternative. Jenny’s only immediate available option is her single co-worker and best friend, Trevor Drake. Can she really trust him to be a good husband?
Trevor has loved Jenny since college, but she only sees him as a friend with no ambition. After he learns of her predicament, he proposes and sets out to prove he can provide everything she needs. Jenny is determined to have a prenuptial agreement with an “out” clause after one year. Can Trevor convince Jenny of his love by then?
As if they don’t have enough on their plate, someone at the magazine is out to stop their wedding and their impending parenthood, and destroy the magazine’s reputation. Jenny is nearly killed in a sabotage attempt. Can Jenny and Trevor to make a life together while uncovering a common enemy?
In the city of Boston lies a story of revenge and hidden identity. Ryan Donatelli, posing as Thomas Randolph, sets out to avenge his sister’s death, even if it means using Sam Southard’s daughter to do it. After all, Ryan is sure Sam’s responsible.
Natalie Southard is determined to keep her family business out of the hands of known crime boss, Nick DeMarco. After her father is killed, Natalie and Ryan are forced to run for their lives. But, will they live long enough for their hearts to heal once everything is revealed?
Kim has pulled SUSPICIOUS MINDS from her publisher and plans to self-publish it in April, 2016 after she obtains her rights. Here’s the cover she created for this book about a year ago but has been unable to use it. However they may be a few updates to it before she decides this is the one.
“Twists and turns abound in this suspenseful novel having the reader on the edge of their seat until the climatic conclusion.” ~ Nancy Carty Lepri, Freelance Editor, Reviewer, and Author of Tommy’s Amigo and TinyAngel
“Haunted Hearts by Kim Cox is a charming . . . ghost story . . . The ghost characters and their living relatives were all delightful and fun. And of course . . . there is romance as well as the mystery.” ~ Fallen Angel Reviews
Will Lana Malloy solve the twenty-year-old double murder of her great aunt and her great aunt’s fiancé by Memorial Day? If she can, they’ll spend eternity together; if she can’t, they’ll be stuck as Haunted Hearts for another year.
“. . . In GET OUT OR DIE . . . Lana Malloy helps restless spirits, and the families they are haunting, find peace. The murder mystery aspect adds a nice touch of intrigue . . . a page turner . . .” Paranormal Romance Reviews
Since the news of her first case, Lana Malloy’s Private Investigating/Mediator business is booming. At one pro-bono job, Lana helps a widow communicate with her late husband and learns of a frightening new ability she wasn’t aware she possessed-an ability that could give the spirit the upper hand if she’s not careful.
Lana struggles for control when she encounters the angry ghost who doesn’t want to leave and who doesn’t want the occupants of the house to stay. Will Lana be able to control the situation or will the ghost sense he can overtake her? Does she have other abilities she can rely on to save her?
A Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery Series, #3 Lana Malloy is marrying the love of her life, Tony Calabria. The night before, she has a vision of a disturbing wedding and wonders if it’s a premonition of her own. Feeling silly for thinking that, she proceeds with her plans as scheduled.
During their honeymoon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Lana has visions of a young woman abducted by a madman. The man plans to force his abductee to marry him if he isn’t stopped. Lana feels marriage isn’t the worst thing that could happen as she senses the threads of death circling this victim.
Lana can’t ignore these visions. Will Tony understand this isn’t an obsession, but a calling, and that Lana has to do whatever it takes for this young woman? Will she find the victim in time? If she doesn’t, life will never be the same.
In the LANA MALLOY PARANORMAL MYSTERY SERIES, Lana Malloy is a psychic, private investigator who is on a mission to help the dearly departed even when they don’t realize they need help.
In the first novella, HAUNTED HEARTS, Lana sets out to solve her first case—the twenty-year old cold-case and double murder of her great aunt and her great aunt’s fiancé. If she succeeds, they’ll spend eternity together; if she can’t, they’ll be stuck as Haunted Hearts. With the help of the ghosts and a new love interest, she is able to find the murderer.
In the second novella, GET OUT OR DIE, the success of Lana’s first case has spread throughout the local Charleston area and her business is booming. At one pro-bono job, Lana helps a widow communicate with her late husband where she learns of a frightening new ability—an ability that could give the spirit the upper hand if she’s not careful.
Coming up in the LANA MALLOY PARANORMAL MYSTERY series:
Projected Scheduled Releases: Book 4: Christmas Cruise – November 2015 Book 5: Haunted by Her Past – 2016 Book 6: Demi’s Serial Case – 2016 Book 7: Untitled – 2017
To read short blurbs of books in process, go to my Coming Soon page.
SHORT STORIES
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A DREAM COME TRUE FREE Short Story Can Miriam Alexander give her heart to Rhett Yancey again after he stomped on it the first time?
IN HIS ARMS Can husband and wife rekindle their love, put their differences aside and salvage a marriage that was doomed two years ago?
ALL FOR LOVE FREE Short Story Will Carina and Tyler find their way back to each other, or will she turn to an old lover for support?
LOVE CONQUERS ALL Sequel to All For Love: Carina and Tyler are finally back on track when Javier is up to his old tricks
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This is my last but not least, seventh day for “PAY IT FORWARD” WEEK post. Well, I lived up to the seven posts, but I had to double-up after missing one day. I want to say there are so many supportive members at RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB that it has been extremely hard to choose who to recognize. I would say there are at least twenty others, but probably more, who could’ve made this last spot. But I asked myself who do I see tweeting other authors more than any other and Stephen Geez immediately popped into my head. So here’s my “PAY IT FORWARD” to you, Stephen. Thank you for all of your support.
About Author, Stephen Geez
Stephen Geez earned his undergrad and grad degrees at the University of Michigan. A composer, producer, publisher, and writer, he watches too much television but prefers diving tropical reefs. Watch for his essays, stories, and more books at http://www.StephenGeez.com.
Note that Stephen has for sale at least twice as many books as I’m including on this page. So make sure to visit his Amazon Author’s Page to check them out.
Papala Skies
Chicago native Rochelle DuFortier likes to imagine the future, her world a series of picture postcards so vivid they sometimes seem real. When a foolish mistake at thirteen causes her mother’s death, she’s sent to a secluded Hawaiian valley, an outsider “haole-girl” among pidgin-speaking boys who hurl flaming papala spears under the full moon to summon her mother’s spirit. After boarding school and a prestigious university back east, the ambitious young woman is torn between chasing new career opportunities, discovering her mother’s heritage in a remote French village, and meeting obligations pulling her back to Hawaii.
On this island steeped in ancient mythology and modern superstition, Rochelle tests the possibility of sharing pieces of her life with those whose beliefs she barely understands and never intends to embrace. She dives the depths of a pristine coral lagoon, conceals bodies in a subterranean lava tube, and challenges the eruptions of a living volcano, even as she deciphers the truth about her mother’s death and struggles to satisfy new debts born of old betrayals.
Papala Skies is the story of a young woman who makes all the right choices, only to find herself living an unexpected life. It is about the need to belong, and seeking one’s own version of truth amid such differing cultures’ responses to wrenching loss and abiding
grief. It is about yearning for a sense of place, yet having to confront new ways to honor the love of family and friends.
Will Rochelle lose what matters most, or might she learn what the smart octopus already knows?
Frank relishes fast success and early retirement, but struggling to preserve his life’s work thrusts him into a desperate battle to protect the people he cares about most.
Beverly seeks a new beginning in Tarpon Springs—until those she trusts steal control of her destiny, forcing a fight for her very survival.
All twelve-year-old Kevin wants is attention from the only man he respects, yet murder and the wrenching indifference of a callous legal system toward one vulnerable child proves even friendship might never be enough.
Riven by tragedy, consumed by grief, all three must confront the wondrous possibility that our indelible bonds may somehow transcend even death, that a cherished soul truly can find the way back.
Only together might this improbable family dare embrace their own brand of unexpected love, that infinite potential to achieve more than any one person can alone. Through it all, they are teased by the mystery of those dancing lights, a million pinpoints in every imaginable color swirling to form brilliant images of extraordinary lives.
Been There, Noted That: Essays In Tribute To Life: Observations, Inspiration, Remembrance, & Noteworthies To Share
Been There, Noted That: Essays In Tribute To Life
*Observations, Inspiration, Remembrance, & Noteworthies To Share
The simple lives of everyday people in a mundane world prove extraordinary in this collection of 54 personal-experience essays by novelist Stephen Geez. The eclectic mix of memoir, commentary, humor, and appreciation covers a wide range of topics, each
beautifully illustrated by artists and photographers from the Fresh Ink Group. Geez catches what many of us miss, then considers how we might all share the most
poignant of lessons. Been There, Noted That aims to reveal who we are, examine where we’ve been, and discover what we dare strive to become.
A Tennessee teen in the mid-1990s, Eugene Weisman enjoys pretending to defend a so-called “alien”—until the game turns deadly and his life depends on what others believe.
Hand-picked to helm Program Invigil, Colonel Chester McGovern takes responsibility for detection, isolation, and eradication—then unleashes enormous inter-military power cloaked in black-helicopter secrecy.
Tiring of the clandestine wet-work biz, soldier of fortune Flynn Durbett settles down to run a weapons-smuggling ring for governments and underground patriots—but then old obligations renew, and his own opinions matter less than standing up for others’.
As Eugene attracts followers who declare him the true savior, McGovern lays siege to American citizens while searching for the missing black box in his obsessive mission to preserve life as we know it.
Do we really need to be protected? And who will deliver us?—the military, or a loosely organized rag-tag militia? Is it all fantasy, or a threat greater than we ever imagined?
Everybody has the right to believe, but only one can be the Invigilator.
Robin Chambers is my Saturday pick for “PAY IT FORWARD” – Robin is another supporter for authors and readers of Rave Reviews book club. He was one of the first RRBC members who tweeted (not a retweet) a purchase link for one of my books, and he’s always going that extra mile for his fellow authors.
About Author, Robin Howell
Robin Chambers (1942 – ) first got the idea for his latest series of books while walking dogs through the grounds of The Orchid Garden Eco-Village Hotel in Belize, where he and his wife Amy lived from 2008-2011. Having narrowly survived a murder attempt by local thugs, he and Amy returned to the relative safety of the UK and he began writing full-time at the age of 69. “Myrddin’s Heir” is a long story: longer than “Lord of the Rings”, longer than “The Chronicles of Narnia”. longer even than “Harry Potter and…”
He spent the first 18 years of his life in Bootle on Merseyside. His teaching career was in Inner London schools from 1967-1993. In the 1970s – while Head of English at Hackney Downs School – he wrote stories that were published by Penguin and Granada. He became Head of Clissold Park School in 1979 and was the first head of Stoke Newington School in Hackney (1982-93).
He returned to teaching in 2001 and retired for the second and final time in 2007.
The books in his “Myrddin’s Heir” series are written “for bright children between the ages of 10 and 110”. They challenge as well as entertain – and he wishes they’d been available when he was teaching English.
A Wizard of Dreams (Myrddin’s Heir Book 1) FREE ON AMAZON
“Gordon Bennett was born on 7th August 1999 with extraordinary powers. Where have those powers come from? Who – or what – is “Zack”…? His mother begins to notice that Gordon is different when he speaks his first words at just 5 months old and that’s before the really strange things begin to happen!
Fun, refreshing and certainly different, A Wizard Of Dreams is Book 1 in The Myrddin’s Heir series by author Robin Chambers. Written at a quick, entertaining pace it’s a potent blend of magical intrigue and adventure and whilst the theme is familiar, Chambers has a unique style of writing that sets his work apart. Much more than a trite fantasy plotline his young protagonist is defined in a realistic and empathetic way that pulls the reader through the story with him, and when Gordon interacts with Zack there is always much to be taken from these well observed exchanges. With well-defined characters, Chambers demonstrates a meticulous eye for detail that makes them instantly identifiable and whilst some are more endearing than others they are all very memorable. Each captured with a distinctive tenor that adds greatly to the thematic undertones of his tale. A tale that not only entertains, but encourages thought and timely reflection.
Original and highly engrossing, A Wizard Of Dreams is a wonderful read throughout and sets the tone for a series that undoubtedly deserves your attention. It is highly recommended.” Book Viral Author Spotlight review
Key events in childhood indicate Gordon’s powers are getting stronger…
How does he deal with bullies? How about ghosts, fairies and wizards…?
How seriously weird do things get around his eleventh birthday? And what’s his sixteen greats grandmother got to do with it…?
Very few children get to go where he gets to go…
Book 1 ends on 6th September 2010 – Gordon’s first morning in secondary school: when he finds out for certain that he’s not the only one. There’s a girl in the frame…
This story will make you laugh quite a lot, but I warn you that in places it makes me cry…
The Myrddin’s Heir series will challenge you. One of my most important questions, therefore, is: “Are YOU up for the challenge?”
Amazing Grace (Myrddin’s Heir Book 2) – Only 99 cents
Book 2: “Amazing Grace” chronicles the way in which a girl born on 25th December 1998 plays an increasingly important part in Gordon’s life (and he in hers). Grace can read minds, and she has healing hands…
Could her father really have been a God? How can she have two mums? And what has the most powerful wizard our world has ever known to do with all this?
The answer lies in the Land of the Forever Young (and of the Dead); but they can only get there by leaving their bodies behind…
How will Gordon’s parents react when he tells them the whole truth? How important in the scheme of things are their best friends Nick and Miranda? And quite importantly: how can the four of them help YOU to write really good stories…?
Can the clock be turned both backwards and forwards? And can their guardian angels help Gordon’s dad catch a serial killer…?
Book 2 ends on 27th March 2011 (so they are still in year 7) in a “magical” dell in Wales: where Gordon and Grace aren’t – though their bodies are. And what has Nick just found at the end of a rainbow…?
I hope that this story will make you laugh quite a lot, but I must be honest and tell you that in places it makes me cry…
You will know from reading Book 1 that the Myrddin’s Heir series sets out to challenge you. One of my most important questions therefore remains: “Are YOU still up for the challenge?”
The Quality of Mercy (Myrddin’s Heir Book 3) – Only 99 cents
Book 3: “The Quality of Mercy” picks the story up precisely where Book 2 left off. Where were Gordon and Grace, while their bodies were in that dell in Wales…?
How do fairies cope with growing old…? And what has that to do with the wedding of William Wales and Catherine Myddleton…?
Can Gordon and Grace take on the combined might of wicked wizardry and witchcraft in Chester? And what very interesting discovery about Miranda and Nick does Gordon make along the way…?
Why is someone trying to kill them all? And what do Nick’s father and Miranda’s mother have in common…?
How do The Fantastic Four sidestep The Famous Five to become The Super Six? And who do Gordon and Grace find themselves rescuing…?
So much happens in Book 3 that it has taken 13,000 more words than Book 1 and 4,000 words more than Book 2 to tell you about.
This book will challenge you, perhaps even more than Books 1 & 2. It’s not an easy thing – to make the world a better place. With human rights go human responsibilities…
But if you’re anything like me, it will still make you smile a lot, laugh out loud here and there, and just once or twice feel the tug of tears.
Gifts from the Gods (Myrddin’s Heir Book 4) – Only 99 cents
Book 4: “Gifts from the Gods” will give you some idea of what can happen when “gods” decide to show themselves…
How on earth can Gordon help hominids on a planet many light years away…?
When is a pony not a pony? And what is Groc the Knocker up to now…?
They need to team up; but how can they when the girls are in the grounds of a haunted stately home in Scotland and the boys are in the dungeons of a mediaeval Castle in Ireland? The answer has a lot to do with Lucifer’s rod…
What has the evil Goddess Morrigan LaFaye kept screaming for centuries at the top of a tall tower, where the walls ooze oil and look eerily like skin? And why does the God of the Sea feel the need to get involved?
And if that wasn’t enough, this is the part of the story where The Super Six become The Eight Team. What are Gordon’s sixteen greats grandmother and a lost soul from the sixth century doing getting in on the act?
What “gifts” might the gods be disposed to give: to help in the fight to make the world a better place…?
The aliens are inching their way out of the closet…
There is an explosion of happenings in Book 4. Gordon, Grace, Nick and Miranda are only 41 days older by the end of it. Of course, I can’t be that sure about time, where Zack, Zoë, Kate and Sweeney are concerned…
Just HOW many more books is this story going to take to tell? I did ask Zoë, but she just smiled, and wasn’t telling.
Remember to keep an eye on http://www.myrddinsheir.com. Other clues can turn up there, and there are quite a few things you can do to help…
When the Cat’s Away… (Myrddin’s Heir Book 5) – Only 99 cents
Book 5 begins on the same evening that Book 3 ends. It tells you a lot more about the Council of Thirteen and how its members react to Octavius Mortlake’s death.
What plans does Adolfo Aragon have to inherit Mortlake’s crown? And how much help might he get from the Capo dei Capi in London – the infamous Enzo Potenza? Just how evil ARE some of the other members of the ruling clique?
Carmen, Goddess of The Damned, does not take the loss of her daughter lying down. How will she be revenged? And how next will she seek to destroy the children who were born to heal the world?
Gordon and Grace return from holiday and find out their houses have been bugged while they were away. Soon after that they find out what happens when you don’t fight back.
They are left with no choice. They have to go to war…
During RRBC “PAY IT FORWARD” WEEK, my plan was to recognize a special RRBC supporter each day for 7 days, but I’m behind. I’m just now posting my Friday supporter today. Sorry about this but it was due to a book publishing deadline and bad timing on my part. But without further excuses, please welcome the next author, John W. Howell.
John W. Howell is my Friday pick for “PAY IT FORWARD” – He’s an author, blogger, reader and an overall great guy. He’s very supportive of other authors and especially for the Rave Reviews Book Club members. He has a wonderful blog that I personally love. Make sure to check out his interesting posts. He is the radio host for RRBC’s “RAVE WAVES BLOGTALK RADIO program “SPOTLIGHT” HONORS and also helps host “AUTHORSCOOP”.
About Author, John W. Howell
John’s main interests are reading and writing. He turned to writing as a full time occupation after an extensive career in business. John writes thriller fiction novels and has a number of short stories published in various on-line magazines. One of his short stories has been recognized by Writers Digest in the Popular Fiction Writing contest. His novel, My GRL published by Martin Sisters Publishing and is the first of many exciting adventures of the book’s central character John J. Cannon.
John J. Cannon successful San Francisco lawyer takes a leave of absence from the firm and buys a boat he names My GRL. He is unaware that his newly-purchased boat had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John’s first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital where he learns he was found unconscious next to the dead body of the attractive young woman who sold him the boat in the first place. John now stands between the terrorists and the success of their mission.
Today I’m delighted to present an awesome author – Beth Hale. She is my third PIF assignment and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
On Feb 3rd 2015, I hosted one stop at her 4Wills Publishing Blog Tour when she promoted Magnolia Secrets. I decided to repeat her text from that day because it tackles an important albeit delicate issue – domestic violence – and I favor any and all attempts on raising people’s awareness about this topic.
An Ugly Truth
by Beth Hale
Did you know? One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. 85% of domestic violence victims are women. Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew. Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner…
At thirty, Jenny Morgan’s biological clock is ticking. But as a fashion magazine CEO with a busy schedule and no significant other, her wish is unlikely to come true. When her father receives a terminal diagnosis, he wants a grandchild before he dies. With her religious beliefs, a sperm donor isn’t an alternative. Jenny’s only option is her single co-worker and best friend, Trevor Drake. Can she really trust him to be a good husband?
Maurice has been involved in the creative arts since his teenage years. Having worked and played in rock/blues bands for most of his adult life, the artistic role models that he came to admire were those authors, musicians, and philosophers that wrote the books, poetry, lyrics, and music that touched and moved the souls of generations. Counted among his favorites authors are J.D. Salinger, Earnest Hemingway, Dante Alighieri, and Kahlil Gibran. Deciding to take a break from the music career, he has rededicated his creative energies toward writing.
This captivating thriller weaves business, politics, seduction, power, and religion all into a compelling tale of international intrigue.
In addition to her work as an indie author of paranormal new adult fantasy, A.M. Manay is a former inner-city chemistry teacher, a singer, a yoga enthusiast, and a mother through domestic open adoption. She has a passion for increasing diversity in popular culture and for strong heroines who stand up for themselves, make their own decisions, and don’t depend on romance as their reason for being.
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About the Book
Kim's Musings 