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Catherine McCoy has been on the move for a year.
Hiding the secret and guilt in her heart, she expects her stay in small-town Texas to be brief. Her plan changes after she meets Sheriff Matt Ballard, who ignites a flame of passion she thought lost forever.
Matt has scars of his own. He left the big city after an undercover operation went bad. Now, he hunts for a serial killer who paints his victims like porcelain dolls. Catherine becomes a safe haven for him. Two tortured souls finding comfort in each other's arms—until he uncovers her secret, and their bond of trust is broken.
When Catherine disappears, Matt races to find her, fearing the murderer has found his next green-eyed doll. But the killer has a surprise coming. Catherine will fight to the death before she'll be a victim. Will her determination be enough?
About the Author
A student of creative writing in her youth, Jerrie set aside her passion when life presented her with a John Wayne husband, and two wonderful children. A career in logistics offered her the opportunity to travel to many beautiful locations in America, and she revisits them in her romantic suspense novels.
But the characters went with her, talked to her, and insisted she share their dark, sexy stories with others. She writes alpha males and kick-ass women who weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other. She likes to torture people, make them suffer, and if they’re strong enough, they live happily ever after.
The author of THE GREEN-EYED DOLL, THE LAST EXECUTION, SOMONE TO WATCH OVER ME, HELL OR HIGH WATER, and COLD DAY in HELL, books 1 and 2 in the Lost and Found, Inc. series. Book 3, NO CHANCE in HELL is scheduled for release in early April.
I'm pleased to welcome author HJ Lawson to Kimber Leigh Writes! Below she tells us a bit about The War Kids series, and her experience writing.
Describe
War Kids in a sentence or two.
War Kids is a post-apocalyptic current
day story about kids surviving in Syria for the purpose of escaping to Jordan.
The kids experience death, murder and violence and try to survive.
Tell
us about your main character. Who is Jada?
Jada is thirteen year
old girl, turning fourteen. She’s strong and powerful, but knows from a young
age she’s different but doesn’t know why.
This
novel is book one in the War Kids series. How many books do you have planned for
this series? When can we expect the next book?
There are four books in the series. Book two Survive
the Day and Book three Survive the 9nite are already out, the final book will
be out April / May.
Jada and some of her friend move over to New York,
unaware that they escaped one war and entry into another.
What
inspired this series?
On 21st August I watch the BBC news, and
it showed images of the chemical attack in Syria. I couldn’t get the images of
the children out of the head. I kept thinking, what happened next to the child.
I began researching what was happening in Syria, and to be honest it is awful
what I was finding. I decide to write a story about what happened next to them,
and give them the strength to fight back.
Where
there any scenes that were especially difficult to write?
A lot of the scenes were difficult to write, because
I spent a lot of time researching each event that was taking place in Syria.
When
did you begin writing?
August 21st 2013
If
you could travel anywhere in the world, cost being no object, where would you
go?
Good question I love to travel! I would like to visit
all the pyramids around the world.
What
is the best advice you’ve received about writing? The worst?
Just keep writing, just keep writing! Cannot stop
now.
Do
you have any advice for new writers just entering these shark infested waters?
No everyone will like your story, and that’s okay.
Is
there anything else you’d like your readers to know about you or your novel?
I hope you take a
chance on this book which is currently free, many readers have enjoyed it.
Review from a reader, ‘This
book pulled me in from word one. Jada and the other kid’s stories were so gut
wrenching that there were times I honestly had to put the book down and
walkaway. The
story was intense, I found myself frightened for them, worrying about them. I
wanted to cheer their victories and mourned their losses. I will definitely be reading the rest of these books.’
Thanks for stopping by! The War Kids series sounds quite emotionally intense!
When Jada wakes up in a hospital, the last thing she thinks is that her life has completely changed forever. But when the very real civil war forces her to flee from every open space, she must use the firearm skills her father taught her to reunite with him and protect herself.
Armed with a single gun and a key to an unknown locker, Jada crosses Syria on a journey with a group of children called the Fearless Freedom Fighters.
With the leader, Zak, they mount a plan to rescue their fathers while they try to cope with the merciless murders of their families. As Jada and Zak lead the group together, love blossoms, but with soldiers hot on their tail, they need to stay vigilant in the face of war.
‘My childhood was stolen, and they took it.’
‘Their Corridor of Death is my Corridor of Freedom.’
‘I am Alive. I am Alive. Protect Me.’
“No, let him find his chargrilled family. He can spread the word of what we great soldiers did today. Let him be our voice.”
‘Follow my Beating Heart Back Home.’
‘God, Lord, please stop them; stop them from killing the innocent… are you going to be a spectator to slaughter, Lord? Please help!’
Survive The Day - War Kids # 2
Jada and her friends have been living in America for over a year now. At school she blends in with the other children, but she knows that she is different. They didn’t have to kill for their freedom.
The memories of her past haunt her each time Gerard takes her to visit someone from her father’s list as they try to find out where he is being held. But what they don’t realize is they would have been safer in Syria… A hidden enemy is attacking America from the inside, and no one is safe…
Annabel dreams of a happier life. One with a normal family instead of one that chooses heroin and the Wild Boar Riders biker over her. The only person she can trust is Brandon, another person living on the streets. They bond over their hatred towards Troy, a pimp and drug dealer who takes great pleasure in ruining lives.
As the passion grows between Brandon and Annabel, so does the chaos in New York City as it is now under attack. They are forced to flee to an unknown hideout beneath the heart of the City.
Ethan is scarred by his father’s death. He has spent his entire life planning for revenge.
…And the day has finally come...
Jada and her friends are trying to escape the terrorist attack. Unfortunately their flight doesn’t get out of New York fast enough, and now all of their lives are in even more danger. And not just from the nuclear radiation, but from the even more frightening demons of Jada’s past.
Annabel wakes up to find herself underground – literally underneath the city in the sewers. But she has more to worry about than just sewer rats and filth… deranged escaped convicts are hunting her down, determined to make her pay for what she did. And if she tries to escape, it will mean her certain death for above…
Ethan’s greatest day takes an unlikely twist when he finds out his whole life is a lie. All these years he thought he was avenging his father. But now he knows he was a merely a puppet… and he wants revenge…
Jada can sense a dark shadow standing at the foot of her bed; he is peering down on her like a piece of meat, but he selected the wrong girl to prey on. Kill or be killed!
The wander is die; Jada is riddled with guilt, praying to Lord to repent her sins, but she had no choice he was going to rape her.
Her Father was teaching her how to use a gun before he was kidnapped. Jada is ready and squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew out with lighting speed. She felt alive.
Zak wakes Jada up, to have firing range practice, and fun in the freedom in the field behind the church as everyone is sleeping. There young love beings to blossom.
I was born in Lancaster, England. Growing up in a single parent household with five other siblings was hard and also character building.
As a young child I found a passion for drawing and continued this into adulthood. I graduating from the University of Central Lancashire, England with a BA(Hons) in fashion design.
At aged twenty seven, my husband and I packed up our belongings for a lifelong dream to move to California. Our America dream was complete with the birth of my daughter.
A new job positioned opened up New York, we decide to relocate to Long Island, NY, which is where I currently resides.
New Adult Paranormal August 18, 2014 Amazon | B&N | Goodreads
Reveca Beauregard had long ago been dubbed the Queen of Darkness by the
dead. To the living she was known as the Pentacle Daughter, the only
acknowledged female member of the Pentacle Sons MC, the most lethal biker
correlation known to exist. She was rumored to be a witch. That rumor, of
course, was true.
New Orleans was her home, at the Beauregard Boneyard, the safe haven the
Club resided within. Only those in the inner circle were as Reveca
was—immortal. To be as such you had to choose the life, and the life had to
choose you. For either to occur, death came first.
Those deaths came from wars the Sons fought with both the mortal and
immortal worlds, as they bent the decrees of the modern lawmen and the
paranormal world at large who had no hope of opposing the dark splendor of
their vengeance.
Presently, the mysterious murder of a mortal coupled with the cold-blooded
slaying of Reveca’s close friend has led the lawmen to place their corrupt
accusations upon the Sons. A forced barter with a Lord of Death has landed the
Club with a soul that is set to rock the foundation the Sons as a whole stand
upon.
About the Author
Jamie
Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets
us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have
known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she
began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young
family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the
point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a
passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never
been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her
debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is
grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of
discovery that would always be a part of her.
"A
wickedly romantic story that will have you cheering for Lisa Gail Green’s
addictive storytelling. SOUL CROSSED is devilishly delicious!" — Martina
Boone, author of COMPULSION and the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy
"Soul Crossed blurs the lines between good and evil with addictive
characters and plot that will have you eagerly turning the pages." ~Kelly
Hashway, author of the Touch of Death series.
One Demon.
One Angel.
One Soul.
Josh lived a reckless, selfish life, so upon his death, escaping the eternal
torments of Hell by assuming the role of a powerful, soul-corrupting demon is
an easy choice. His first soul assignment doesn’t seem too hard: the mortal
Camden is already obsessed with weapons, pain, and torture. If only Josh wasn’t
distracted by Cam's beautiful friend, Grace.
Grace never expected to die violently at age sixteen, but now she’s an Angel,
responsible for saving a soul. She can already see past Camden’s earthly flaws,
so the job should be be easy. If only that handsome, playboy Josh would stop
getting in the way.
It’s forbidden for an Angel to be with a Demon, so if Josh and Grace stop
resisting each other, the results would be disastrous.
And only one can claim Cam’s soul.
My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Soul Crossed is a fast-paced, urban fantasy with fun characters and a sweet, if not impossible, romance. I'm beginning to doubt my overall worthiness, since I related much more to new demon Josh than to new angel Grace. I enjoyed the scenes from Josh's POV so much more than Grace's. Maybe Josh was just more interesting... at least that's my hope. I hate to think that my immortal soul could be in danger for siding with a demon.
Told from alternating POV between Josh and Grace, the story flowed quite well, and quickly (which I always appreciate). There were some head-scratching moments: like why new angel Grace would be assigned to someone so close to becoming the next Anti-Christ... and similarly why Lucifer would assign new demon Josh to push this potential Anti-Christ over the edge. Personally I'd send someone with more training.
Despite little issues, I found the story endearing, including the star-crossed romance. Now Cam, the potential Anti-Christ, was an intriguing character- I really enjoyed how his story unfolded. Of course, I didn't really see the potential for good in Cam as he was presented in a young pre-serial-killer light. Let's just say that Grace really had her work cut out for her. There were some intriguing plot twists which I found quite satisfying, and the romance between Josh and Grace was rather cute.
If you like angel/demon, good vs evit stories, then I think you'll enjoy Soul Crossed. One caveat- there are some violent and disturbing scenes (think young serial killer with small animals). If you can't bear to read about that, then skip this book.
About the Author
Lisa Gail Green lives with her husband the rocket
scientist and their three junior mad scientists in Southern California. She
writes books so she can have an excuse to live in the fantasy world in her
head. She likes to share these with readers so she's represented by the lovely
Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer Content. She has a parrot but would most
definitely get a werewolf for a pet if she weren't allergic.
Lisa loves YA. She believes with all her heart that
teen readers are ready and willing to experience things that some adults have
closed their minds to, that books are the safest way to explore, learn, and
escape, and that imagination is the key to just about everything.
What is it about the tiger that so captivates? Or about the jaguar that enchants? Why are we so drawn to the lethal grace of the large feline predators of the world?
Get ready to purr, growl and roar along with six paranormal romance authors in this anthology of love and shapeshifting kitties. After reading these six unique tales, from the sexy to the sweet, you'll be guaranteed to be saying... Here, Kitty Kitty...
* * *
In 'His Jaguar Princess' by A. Star, jaguar shifter Selene Peters can’t deny her feelings for the tycoon Lucas King. Somehow, he's penetrated her barriers and become more than just a client, but loving a human is dangerous and she fears her past repeating itself. Could he help her overcome the past or will she sacrifice her happiness and succumb to it? Not if he has anything to say about it...
In 'In Our Nature' by Jessica Nicholls, when Mira's privacy and independence are threatened, she can be very nasty. Daniel is an expert on American mountain lions. His assistance is requested after an 'incident' on Mira’s front lawn. When the two meet, they recognise each other in more than one way.
In 'Divine Passage' by Dariel Raye, Kimani, a breeder with the power to preserve the human race, must depend on her guardian, Ahkil, a black panther shifter with more than one reason to distrust humans, but his secrets could change the course of her life forever.
In 'The Distance Between' by Mia Darien, she's traveled thousands of miles, looking for a safe place. He's brought her thousands of miles, looking to not be lonely any more. But they both have secrets. Can they bridge the distance between, and find what they're looking for in each other?
In 'Hannah's Fate' by Abigail Owen, cougar shifters have allied into groups, together in a rocky alliance to protect themselves against other shifters. Hannah Keller becomes the targeted Mate for Kyle Carstairs, the treacherous soon-to-be Alpha of another group. Meanwhile, Nick Jensen, her childhood hero and longtime secret crush, has returned home with hopes of claiming Hannah for his own. But will he be in time to rescue her from the Carstairs's schemes?
In 'Full Moon' by B. R. Kingsolver, the full moon can get a girl stirred up, especially with a handsome cowboy paying her way too much attention. If it wasn't for those damned werewolves causing trouble and getting in the way...
Publication Date: May 10, 2014 Genre: Contemporary Romance Charity:American Red Cross
Romance can be found among the darkest of times. In this anthology, you'll find four tales of sweet romance about those who dedicate their time, and sometimes even their lives, to helping others. 100% of the proceeds go to the American Red Cross.
Publication Date: August 1, 2014 Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy Charity:Wounded Warrior Project
Science Fiction and Fantasy, two genres that are both unalike and inextricably entwined, stretching the imagination to the expansive boundaries of time, space, and magic. These boundaries are often filled with warriors and war, fights and causes worth fighting for, and that's what you'll find in this anthology.
From fighting aliens in space to demons in a world of magic, you'll find many stories to suit your starship's entertainment collection or your favorite bard at the local tavern...or just your imagination here and now. Sit back and enjoy twelve stories from authors both familiar and new!
100% of the proceeds to be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
"SARAH" by Lee Pletzers
"The Summoned Rise of the Phantom Knights" by Kenny Emmanuel
"Border Patrol" by BR Kingsolver
"The Twelve" by Mia Darien
"Ghosts" by Christi Rigby
"Outside the Walls" by A. L. Butcher & Diana L. Wicker
"My Brother's Keeper" by Raphyel M. Jordan
"With Our Own Blood" by Jessica Nicholls
"The Connection" by Crystal G. Smith
"A Fly on the Wall" by Chantal Boudreau
"Slacker" by Doug Dandridge
"The Light Bless Thee and Keep Thee" by Mason Darien
Welcome, everyone! Today I'm featuring four paranormal reads from Lyrical Press.
I really wish I had the time to read all four, but I only had the time to read and review one. Below you'll find my review of Love, Lattes and Mutants. It's a fun YA paranormal full of action and some sweet romance.
Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post.
Black Wolf’s Revenge
Silver Wolf Clan # 2
Tera Shanley
He’ll
risk it all to bring her home.
Morgan
Carter witnessed her sister’s murder, has been turned into a werewolf and is
now raising her young niece. Then her fiance, Greyson Crawford, proves he wants
to be with her for the wrong reasons, and she knows her life couldn’t be any
stranger. Devastated, she retreats to her cozy house in the city with her
sister’s little girl, Lana. There, they’ll have normalcy, and maybe eventually,
even happiness.
But
Morgan’s the only living silver wolf. Her uniqueness—the ability to produce werewolf
offspring—means, without Grey’s protection, she’s unknowingly put herself and
Lana in deadly danger. Other werewolves want to claim her for their pack, and
she’s the easiest, most tempting prey ever.
When
they strike, Grey has to find her and rescue her before it’s too late. Not so
simple a task; he has only the uncontrollable beast inside him, Wolf, and an
unlikely pack of allies he’s forced to rely on. Can he get to her in time? And
if he does, can he convince her he’s there for the right reasons, saving them
both?
Born and raised in small town Texas,
Tera Shanley grew up in books. Her cousin gifted her a signed copy of Beauty by
Bill Wallace when she was young and that was it for her. So smitten was she
with getting lost in a story, that while other eleven year olds her age were
groaning at the accelerated reader program in school, she was racking up the
points just for fun.
Balancing chronic book-wormyness is her devotion to the
outdoors. Hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, camping - her soul is
happiest out of doors. And lucky for Tera, her family feels the same. She grew
up a wild child helping her grandma ranch cattle, and has a hundred memories
out in the wilderness which tend to influence her books.
When she's not eating chocolate, slinging rifles, or soaking
up some sun, she's lost in a book, but these days it's more often one she's
writing. From historic western romance, to paranormal romance, to apocalyptic
(zombie) romance, the genre doesn't matter quite as much to her as the love
story.
She currently lives with her husband and two young children,
and is owned by two crazy mini-cujos.
In
the Gladium Province, the boundaries between humans and Morgons, the
dragon-hybrid race, continue to blur as a new generation surrenders to
long-forbidden temptation…
Sorcha Linden does whatever she wants
whenever she wants, and no one can stop her. Least of all a man. After all,
they’re good for only one thing—warming her bed. But then she meets Lorian,
brother of Lucius Nightwing. Seductive and iron-willed, Lorian is determined to
melt her emotional defenses—and warm her rebellious heart.
The beast within Lorian longs to cage
Sorcha and mark her as his own. Forever. Yet the man within also longs to
protect her. When a stalker starts leaving Sorcha suggestive gifts with cryptic
messages bearing an ancient blood cult symbol, Lorian’s dragon side takes over.
With her life at stake, Sorcha can no longer deny the love they share. But when
evil tracks her into the night, will she be too late to claim it?
Juliette Cross calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home, where
the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her
stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a
M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning
author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art
serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read Jane Eyre
as a teenager, she fell in love with Gothic romance—brooding characters,
mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then,
she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to
create her own. Visit her website at www.juliettecross.com.
Aurora
Firenze lives a quiet life hiding in a junkyard. Her repair shop is the last
hope for gadgets and gizmos before they get tossed onto the trash towers.
Fortunately, Aurora can fix almost anything, including mages, though repairing
people with metal enchantments is highly illegal.
Edmund
Rallis, heir to the Rallis senate seat, has spent months hunting down his errant
enchantress. He’ll play every game he knows to win her back and entice her to
share the secrets she hides. But he’s inadvertently put her on the frontlines
of a new game, one with an opponent who’s determined to destroy Rallis
Territory and drive the Republic toward war. If the new enemy isn’t stopped in
time, Edmund will lose his enchantress again—and this time there won’t be
another chance.
Anise Rae grew up among the cornfields
and soybeans of Ohio, dreaming of being a ballerina, an astronaut, and a
romance writer. With no turn-out and a soul deep love of chocolate, her
ballerina dreams floated away as high as the moon, equidistant with the
astronaut aspiration. She stuck with writing. After 22 years, she got the call.
Or rather, she got the email. Syphon’s Song, a 2012 Maggie Award of Excellence
finalist, will be released March 3, 2014 from Lyrical Press.
Now transplanted to the South, Anise lives in Georgia with
her family and a cast of characters that flit around in her head. A select few
of those imaginary people are ever so grateful for their chance to escape into
the real world of books. The remaining characters, enough to form an army,
still clamor for freedom.
Sandra Cox Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t
a mutant.
Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn
wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A
product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school
days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy
clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her,
ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper,
understands why...
Then Piper is captured on one of her secret
missions rescuing endangered sea creatures and ends up in the same test center
where her mother was engineered. There she discovers she isn’t the only one of
her kind. Joel is someone she doesn’t have to hide from, and she finds herself
drawn to the dolph-boy who shares her secrets. Talking to him is almost as easy
as escaping from the lab. Deciding which boy has captured her heart is another
story.
Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA fantasy,
historic and paranormal romance and metaphysical nonfiction. Sandra lives with
her husband, a menagerie of pets, and an occasional foster cat in sunny North
Carolina. To see the brood go to her website www.sandracox1.com and click on
the cat tab.
******* My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Love, Latte and Mutants was such a fun read! Perfect for a sunny afternoon on the deck. I'm not entirely sure how I'd classify it: maybe YA sci-fi meets paranormal meets romance. I loved the characters-- all of them, even the bully. The villain scientist made my skin crawl. I sure hope Ms. Cox is working on a sequel. It would be nice to know what happened to a couple of the characters. Sorry can't explain further-- spoilers.
I really liked main character Piper. Strong, loyal, sweet, she was an instant hit with me. Being born a mutant, she was forced to hide herself in glasses and baggy clothes in an attempt to remain unnoticed. I loved the scenes where she was in the ocean, and she can finally be herself. Romantic interest Tyler was really too good to be true. Perfect, well other than his insecure streak whenever Piper wanted to hide their relationship. Just a great book boyfriend.
The story was fast-paced, with a slight lull in the middle. But once I reached the 3/4 mark, I couldn't read fast enough to satisfy my curiosity. So much happened in that last 1/4 of the novel. Mainly I'm dying for more information. I felt like the entire section when she was a prisoner at the lab was a tad rushed. I found this part to be the most interesting part of the novel.On the plus side, it left me wanting more.
There's a bit of a love triangle once Joel is introduced. But since he was a resident at the secret lab, he wasn't in the story for very long. I could understand why Piper would be drawn to Joel, since he was like her and she didn't have to hide. But her instant attraction to him was somewhat annoying. Overall I really enjoyed Love, Latte and Mutants. The characters were well-written and fun to read about, and the story will leave the reader wanting more.