Dreaming in the Pages

Books ... where dreams are better than reality

Broken Pieces

Jack Canon's American Destiny

Saturday, February 1, 2014

The Soul of the World (Legends of Amun Ra #2) by Joshua Silverman @jg_silverman

*   *   *

Kem dives to the ground in desperation, covering his head and neck from the rocks raining down. I didn’t see that coming. I thought I was quiet, he thinks.

The announcement of Cadmus’ elimination booms over the intercom. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about a vengeful brother.

The dust and debris settle from the crumbled wall. Find Kesi. Kem trots towards the end of the path. Before he gets there, he sees a shadow along the wall.

Dio turns the corner and spots him. She’s already throwing blue spheres before he knows what happened.

Kem hits the floor hard, dodging the first two. Dio hurls more at him.

His heart beats like a jackhammer in his chest. He is covered in dirt and sand. Kem swerves left, then right, ducking from a shot aimed at his head. He looks back at Dio, who walks with determination, shooting at him. Will she not let up a little? Got to slow her down.

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Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy

Rating – PG-13+

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Connect with Joshua Silverman on Facebook & Twitter

Website www.legendsofamunra.com; www.joshuagsilverman.com

Friday, January 31, 2014

Author Interview – Sonja Hegman @ChiefWordsmith

*Do you have any tips on how writers can relax?

Yoga. It works wonders.

*How often do you write? And when do you write?

Every day. I usually write in the morning before anything has had a chance to effect me. I won’t check my email or go online until I’ve written for at least two hours.

*Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it – What keeps you going?

The fact that I’m entertaining and helping others.

*Have you met any people in the industry who have really helped you?

Oh yes. I have to give a shout to my editor/publisher Karen Hodges Miller and Sherrie Wilkolaski. Karen gave me shot at becoming an author. Sherrie has been a cheerleader for my brand and me since we met. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

*What’s your favorite meal?

Tortellini Alfredo or really any kind of Italian food. Since leaving the East Coast, it’s what I miss the most aside from my friends.

*What movie do you love to watch?

The Big Lebowski.

*How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

They’re awesome. They make it possible for indie authors to find their voice. I’ve had conversations with writers from all over the world. That wouldn’t be possible without social media.

*If you could do any job in the world what would you do?

Writer.

*What makes you angry?

Internet trolls. It would be so depressing if my mission in life were to ruin someone’s day.

*What’s your most embarrassing moment of your life?

When I was in college, I accidently flashed a bunch of people, including some of my male cousins, at an amusement park. A huge wave of water hit me, which forced my bikini top to betray me.

Trials

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Genre – Non-fiction

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Sonja Hegman on Facebook, Google+ & Twitter

Website http://www.writerschatstew.com/

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Jonas Trust Deception by A.F.N. Clarke @AFNClarke

The Jonas Trust Deception

by AFN Clarke

AFN CLARKE is the author of 8 books, including the best selling memoir CONTACT, that was serialized in a British newspaper and made into an award winning BBCTV film.  His latest novel, The Jonas Trust Deception, is a Thomas Gunn thriller and follows the success of The Orange Moon Affair.  Readers have called it “classy, complex and cunningly compelling” and a “powerful force in the thriller genre”.  In solving the mystery of an ongoing conspiracy involving his old friend Morgan, Thomas Gunn, ex-Special Forces, takes an action so shocking and bold, that even his team fear he’s lost his mind.  The question is, has he?  To get a taste of things to come, here’s an excerpt from the book.  And for more information visit www.afnclarke.com or the Amazon Kindle store.

There is something so totally desolate about sitting in a prison cell staring at the blank grey walls that, unless you’ve experienced it, you’ll never understand. There is a finality and hopelessness that is almost beyond comprehension. A despair that sucks at your soul. My salvation was that I knew that my stay here was going to be short-lived, but what the future held was one big question mark. I had the distinct feeling somebody had put a ring in my nose and was leading on a mystery tour with more questions than answers.

Left alone with just the usual sounds of dissatisfied inmates, clinking keys and slamming doors for company, I thought back to the frantic last few days.

Confusion would be an apt description of my state of mind.

What facts could I scramble together?

Several dead bodies at Morgan’s ranch.

A small but ruthless Mexican Mafia gangbanger, with the unlikely nickname of ‘El Cobra Poco’, who seemed as if he could be a strange ally.

And the mysterious Robert Sutherland.

What other questions remained?

There were many, starting with who would have wanted to kill Morgan? Everything went back to my request for her to investigate the financial dealings of the Griffin Trust and its Chairman Ted Lieberman.

How was the Mexican Mafia involved if what Sutherland said about Morgan working for him was true?

I could just lie here all night long and create imaginary scenarios, but that wouldn’t supply any answers, so I closed my eyes and concentrated on emptying my mind.

Sleep was what I needed.
It must have been two hours after the jail cell lights went out, that the goons came for me. Dragged me off the bed and frog marched me down the corridor to the back of the jail and down narrow stairs to a basement garage without saying a word. There was a nondescript cream coloured painter’s van waiting with the rear doors open, and I was unceremoniously bundled inside.

THE JONAS TRUST DECEPTION

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Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with A.F.N. Clarke on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.afnclarke.com/

Author Interview – Claire Charlins @ClaireCharlins

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?

I came from a small town and I love in one now! I love it. I love the small communities and how everyone knows each other and helps each other. It reflects in my writing too… the guys from Chasing Cross come from a small town in Virginia and everywhere they end up (and in love!) they’re in small towns!

How did you develop your writing?

I just kept writing. I wrote anything I could think of. There are thousands – yes, THOUSANDS – of printed pages that will never see light of day because the writing isn’t good. But it led me here.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From life! I like to look at life, read the paper, talk to people, watch people, and just imagine how romance can play into everything.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

Marketing. I’m not good at it. I hate talking about myself – lol. I don’t think I’m interesting… but my books are!

Do you plan to publish more books?

Of course! I have to finish the Chasing Cross books and then the Brothers of Rock series will continue into 2014 with another band! And I’m hard at work with more western romance books.

What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time…

I am so lucky to say that right now I write full time. It’s not easy! I put in about 12-15 hours per day. And I work 7 days a week. But it’s a dream come true right now.

West for Love

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Genre – Western / Christian Romance

Rating – PG

More details about the author and the book

Connect with  Claire Charlins on Twitter

Website http://clairecharlins.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

#AmReading #Free - Defying Age with Food by Freda Mooncotch @Kindleexpert


Reclaim Your Health, Energy & Vitality! 
It's What You Eat, Not How Much You Exercise 


In a society that spends billions of dollars annually in seeking better health and appearance through pills, powders, drinks, hormones, exercise obsession, gym memberships, and medical drugs, Freda Mooncotch is making a very bold proclamation with the title of her new book Defying Age With Food: Reclaim Your Health, Energy & Vitality. It’s What You Eat, Not How Much You Exercise! Can we really defy the aging process with what most of us take for granted each day — our food? Freda says we most certainly can in fact dramatically slow our inevitable passage of life while attaining superior health and vitality.

The pages of her new release are not filled with theories, conjecture or speculations; they tell the riveting tale of a woman’s plight to regain her health. In describing her story, Freda literally runs the gauntlet of healing protocols from both the orthodox medical and alternative health fields. What the author accomplished in her success not only gave back her health and beauty, but fired a few heavy artillery rounds across the bows of a good number of our “sacred cows” such as excessive exercise, fad dieting, mega-dosing on supplements, and a pharmaceutical drug reliance that has forged the industrialized world.

This is a must read for anyone wishing to seriously upgrade their nutritional knowledge.

Media celebrity, Kathy Hart said:
“What an eye-opener! I learned more about the effects of food on our body from Freda and her book, Defying Age, than I’ve learned in months of interviewing health experts! Her passion, knowledge and energy are a true inspiration … and those pictures of her in the book are absolute proof of how the right diet can give you a rockin’ body”.

Randy Roach of Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors wrote:
“This is a story of tenacity where a strong determination saw Freda through a fight to reclaim a healthy mind and body while ridding herself of a number of addictions plaguing so much of our society.”

Along with her amazing story and nutritional revelations and tastefully done photos of Freda, this resourceful book also contains recipes that she promises will nourish one back to health, strength, and vitality.

Defying Age with Food by Freda Mooncotch
Rating – PG
Genre – Non-Fiction
4.7 (25 reviews)
Free until 28 January 2014


Beyond Neanderthal by Brian Bloom @BrianB_Aust

From Chapter 12 – Visit to a Blue Amber Mine

As Tara alighted from the vehicle, she found herself facing a ghostly white haze of wispy, low-lying clouds that hung as if suspended in time above the undulating hilltops. The peaks rose from the variegated emerald and olive valley below and stretched into the distance amid a virginal mixture of lush equatorial undergrowth. She drew a deep, involuntary breath.

‘Wow!’ There were no other words to describe the feeling of awe-inspired privilege that washed over her. The vista was about as far removed from Central Park as a New York city skyscraper was from the little pastel coloured huts lining the Carretera Turística.

Aurelio smiled. Intuitively, he seemed to understand that the most appropriate response to this magnificent sight was silence. It was a full two minutes before Tara gathered her thoughts.

‘Let’s get going,’ she said.

They made their way carefully—gingerly climbing over dead logs, negotiating their way around rocky outcrops, and grabbing onto available plant life to steady themselves as they walked and stumbled their way towards the valley below. On either side of the track, a mixture of tall, fronded plants grew in an array of shapes and sizes beside stunted and gnarled old trees with deep green foliage. Tara thought of the trees like friendly bystanders, their leafy branches protectively shading Aurelio and her from much of the glaring sunshine above. They came across a trickling stream, which they followed for a while; Tara ever mindful and vigilant, watching for any sign of wildlife in the undergrowth. Except for the background humming of insects, the occasional noisy squawking of a flock of parrots flying past overhead and, once, the silent imprint of a shoe sole on the muddy banks of the stream, they seemed to be alone.

Then, in a clearing, they came across a group of young men standing seemingly relaxed and chatting. A few feet away, under a lean-to made of branches and palm fronds, one of them squatted while cooking something on a small paraffin or gas stove. Aurelio and Tara had arrived at the mine.

Again, there was a short conversation in Spanish. Again, there was a wrinkling of noses followed by broad smiles of understanding and agreement. There were also some side comments and laughter amongst the men. The word ‘gringa’—foreigner from America—came up a couple of times. Tara thought she also heard the words ‘bonita’, and ‘sexual’, but she couldn’t be sure. She decided to keep a slight distance for the time being. They were in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest civilization.

Aurelio walked back towards her. ‘They will be happy to show you around, but we should remember our time limitations. We cannot spend more that half an hour here if we are to return to Santo Domingo before dark.’

‘Are you trying to protect me from these guys?’ she asked with a smile. Aurelio looked embarrassed.

‘What’s he cooking?’ she asked to change the subject. ‘It smells great.’

‘That is called arroz con abichuelas, a mixture of rice and beans. He is probably cooking some small pieces of beef with it, but it could be any meat.’

‘Can one buy that in a restaurant in Santo Domingo?’

‘Of course, but not exactly the same. This is a local dish for locals. To sell food like this to tourists would be like offering leftovers to your guests. It would not be right. In the restaurants it is much more carefully presented and is usually served with salads.’

The word ‘dignity’ popped into Tara’s mind. Aurelio seemed to have it, and that was what she had seen on the faces of the fruit vendor and the amber polisher and, now, even the miners as she approached them. Other than their initial jocularity, they seemed to consider her as their guest and themselves as hosts who happily welcomed visitors into their world. The men were just being men.

As they approached the entrance to the mine, a happy looking miner wearing a backward facing baseball cap sat with a short-handled pick in one hand, a lump of soft rock in the other.

Hola, señorita,’ he said, grinning broadly.

She smiled back at him, lifted her hand in greeting, but continued to follow Aurelio to the mine entrance. It was like standing at the entrance to the burrow of a large animal.

Beyond Neanderthal

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Genre – Thriller

Rating – MA (15+)

More details about the author

Connect with Brian Bloom on Twitter

#MustRead #SciFi - Superhuman Nature by Brandon Overall

Comfortable in his flight skills, Neil looked upwards to the clouds.  He knew that somewhere up there was a glorious golden sun, just waiting for him to break through the layer of cloud coverage to see.  He thought of the similarities between himself and Icarus - the boy who flew too close to the sun with homemade wings that the wax melted and he plummeted to his death.  Neil had to laugh at the humor of the situation he found himself in.
He angled himself upwards, and shot straight towards the clouds.  He was now traveling well over two-hundred miles-per-hour.  He held his arm out in front of him and cemented it in place with his mind.  The force of the wind at this point was so strong that it could easily pull his arm back and dislocate his shoulder if he wasn’t careful.
Neil looked down and saw that he was gaining altitude at an astounding rate.  The ground shrank below him, just like it did when taking off in an airplane.  He saw the highway and the city below him, but knew that he was moving too fast and would look like a tiny speck to anybody on the ground.
The cloud layer above him was getting closer by the second.  The air started to feel like the biting cold of a winter storm, and he could see moisture forming on his visor.  Each deep breath was less fulfilling than the last, but the air was still thick enough to take in all the oxygen he needed.
Finally, he punctured the bottom of the cloud layer, and his mask was completely covered in water droplets.  Around him was a grey fog so thick that he couldn’t see his hand in front of him.  The thick condensation lasted only a few seconds, until finally he broke through the layer of water vapor into the sky beyond.
What he saw completely stunned him.  He slowed to a halt and focused his gaze on the incredible view.  The entire sky was a brilliant canvas of gold, orange, and red.  The top of the clouds were bathed in sunlight trying to shine through.  Shadows from the higher clouds were cast upon the layer beneath them.  The entire horizon above the clouds was covered in the glow from the warm sun.
Neil wished he could just point himself at the sun and fly straight into it.  He felt a strange attraction to it, like a moth drawn to a flame.  Looking out the window of an airplane was nothing compared to the unleashed feeling of being completely exposed and free like Neil was.  He took off his helmet to see the view with his own two eyes.  Nothing he had ever seen on Earth came close to what he felt at that moment.
The rays from the sun soaked through his skin and calmed his entire body.  Its radiance painted the rest of the sky with colors.  Words failed to capture the combined experience that all of his senses provided him.  Looking at a photograph of the same image would never be able to replicate what he felt, suspended above the clouds, staring at the sun.
He had never felt as small as he did then.  The irony was not lost on Neil.  Only after he had become the most powerful person imaginable was he able to truly feel insignificant.  It wasn’t a bad feeling, though.  It was calming – euphoric, even.  Exams, girls, bills, parties - it all seemed so petty when looking across the painted sky and embracing how vast it all was. Neil could make little impact on anything up there.
SuperhumanNature
Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.
Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.
In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.
What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.
They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.
Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.
Buy @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Science Fiction
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Brandon Overall on Facebook

Book Spotlight - The Three Sisters by Bryan Taylor

TheThreeSisters
Nuns just want to have fun! But when three former Catholic nuns have too much fun and get in trouble with the law, they become nuns on the run.
Driving back to Washington D.C. where they work at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Parts, the three sisters are arrested in Tennessee. After defeating the local deputy in strip poker, they escape from jail, and are pursued by the zealous Detective Schmuck Hole, who has personally offered a $10,000 reward for their capture on The 700 Club. Little do they know that when the three sisters visit the Washington Monument, their lives will change forever.
Set in 1979, The Three Sisters is a sacrilegious satire that skewers not only organized religion, but the government, the media, intellectuals, corporate greed and every other part of the establishment. Maybe not the greatest story ever told, but possibly the funniest.
Buy @ Amazon
Genre – Humor, Satire, Catholicism, Politics
Rating – R
More details about the author
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Author Interview – Ana Fawkes @AnaFawkes

Do you have any tips on how writers can relax?

Everything I said above.

How often do you write? And when do you write?

I have to write everyday. It’s just my style. If I don’t, I feel wrong. I feel… like I’m letting myself and everyone around me down. A writer writes, right?

Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule?

My process is to stay focused and organized. My schedule is write a set word count every single day. I set the word count based on the day, commitments, etc.

Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it – What keeps you going?

The readers do. I mean, I can say myself because I have stories to tell, but it’s always amazing hearing from readers when they get excited about a cover, a blurb, a snippet. And then of course when they buy the actually books.

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

They are good to interact with readers but can easily suck away time. You need to monitor and budget it. And that’s not just for writers… that’s for everyone in life.

One Night Stand

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Genre - New Adult Romance

Rating – PG13

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Connect with  Ana W. Fawkes on Facebook Twitter

Website http://anafawkes.com/

Monday, January 27, 2014

The Forgotten Child by Lorhainne Eckhart @LEckhart

“Please sit down, Emily.” He extended out the flat of his hand, very much in control.

“Ah, thank you.” She perched on the edge of the soft leather seat across from a man who was too damn good to look at—a man obviously comfortable in his own skin.

Hardness set his jaw as he studied her. The tick of the wall clock seemed to echo in the silence, and Emily squirmed in her seat. Why was he looking at her like that? Maybe it was her outrageous entrance and he was wondering what kind of kook she was, whether he could entrust her with his child. Yes, that had to be it.

She swallowed hard. “I’m Emily Nelson; I talked to you yesterday on the phone about the job.”

He blinked before closing those exquisite eyes, as if he’d forgotten the reason she was here. When he opened them again, his hard judgmental expression seemed to have softened a bit.

Again he extended his large hand, taking hers in a firm grip. Just the touch of his solid calloused hand and the secure squeeze was enough to teeter her nerves back to that awkward woman at the door. She wondered what it would be like to have a man like this run his hands over you. She snatched her hand back before her face burned any brighter. Finally, he introduced himself. “The name’s Brad Friessen.” Emily kept quiet. He didn’t run on with his words. He must be a deep thinker, a doer. She could relate to that… but not to him. Her sly eyes glanced down at his left hand: no gold band, no white line, no wife or significant other. Or maybe he was one of those arrogant guys who wouldn’t wear a ring, a lady’s man. He had the looks and the attitude. Now was the time to ask about the woman who answered the phone when she called. Who was she?

“This is a working ranch I run, and I need a woman to look after my son. I’m old fashioned in my values. Children should be at home, not stuck in daycare. I’m looking for someone who’s comfortable in a kitchen and looking after children: a role that should come natural to a woman. I don’t want someone who’s got the phone stuck to their ear half the day. It’s a decent job and good pay; $500 a week, room and board, and includes all your meals.”

Her heart sank about the same time the bottom dropped out of her stomach. It was too good to be true. She wanted to cry. “But I… I have a little girl, I didn’t realize–”

His face hardened and he looked away. For some reason he was angry with her… no, furious. Emily didn’t know what to say when he let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes, rubbing his hand over the light brown shadow that appeared over his jaw. Then he faced her again, with those deep brown eyes now turned to steel. Emily saw that he could be a hard man.

Lorhainne Eckhart

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Genre – Contemporary Western Romance

Rating – PG

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Author Interview – James Copeland @jamesmcopeland

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? Suppose you were and idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But then I repeat myself…Mark twain

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Accepting a contract from a traditional publisher.

What is your favorite color? REaD

What is your favorite food? Fried okra.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? Where I’m located at the moment the question is asked!

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? It taught me to be honest with myself and others.

Do you intend to make writing a career? Yes

Have you developed a specific writing style? Yes

What is your greatest strength as a writer? Continuity.

How did you come up with the title? The title to this book has been all over the board. I would say it has had at least ten titles…which never presented the book in the best light. ‘Frank Hawthorn is…Blindsided tells it all. Actually there is more than one person Blindsided in this novel. It speaks of love, betrayal, and simple information in each person who is Blindsided.

Can you tell us about your main character? Frank Hawthorn

Frank is in his late forties and has worked hard most of his life.

He was born in Memphis Tennessee to an older father and mother. His father was a policeman who met his maker early on in life, his mother a housewife who struggled to send him on to school. Frank loved them both, greatly admired his father and wanted to be a policeman from early on.

He finished high school and enlisted in the army. Just before he left he and his girl friend were considering marriage. They were in the bank setting up a fund they would both contribute too for the cost of the wedding and she was shot by bank robbers. He had always loved pretty girls, his mother was one. He went on to the army for a four year stint. He was regularly promoted until he was released a Staff SSgt, with three rockers up and three down. He was known as a fair man to work for and his MOS was M.P. Officer of the Day. With his history in the M.P.’s he was hired by the Memphis Police Force and sent to the Police Academy for his formal training. He graduated at the top of his class.

Frank was not really tall, only five feet ten in his stocking feet. He was tall inside however. He would stand up to anything that didn’t eat him first. Not a really pretty man, he had that rugged look, one that most women liked however. His weight was a lean one hundred eighty pounds, give or take a few Italian dinners. He kept a clean physic even though he didn’t work out as some officers of the court did. His hair was normal, sort of sandy, or brown, he never wore it long, unless he forgot to get a haircut. Bathing was a natural. He bathed when he naturally needed to. He could sleep standing up, but he liked lying in a good bed better. He hadn’t started wearing glasses yet; his arms were still long enough to get the work out in front of him enough to see it properly. He did take a multiple vitamin every day he could remember to. His eating habits were not frequent enough to satisfy his bodily needs yet.

He was loyal to a fault. If he liked a person he would help or follow them to the ends of the earth. If he had it, they needed it, it was theirs. If he was taking a trip with somebody else, he paid his share. If he could work it out, he would take a free lunch anytime. Likewise, he could be convinced to buy someone else’s in a pinch. It was all in the principle of the thing. He loved to win.

Frank never hired anyone to work with him at his first office. The reason, he wasn’t sure of enough work to keep a body employed. He didn’t want to hire someone and then three months later when they didn’t have a chance to be hired someplace else tell them there was no more work. After several years he had so much work as a detective, he had to have help, someone at the office all the time and others to do the leg work necessary to keep up with the clients who were pounding on his door. He particularly liked to hire retired police officers with the right back ground, and dedicated law students if they were available.

How did you develop your plot and characters? Pick a person, develop them to suit the character needed in the story and adapt every living thing as the way that character would handle the situation if it occurred.

Blindsided

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Genre - Crime Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the author and the book

Connect with  James M. Copeland on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://jamesmcopelandnoveli.wix.com/

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Sunspots by Karen S. Bell @KarenSueBell

* * *

As I lie in bed with these thoughts, I finally notice that Marina has quietly come back into my room and is sitting in the armchair watching me. She offers me some more medicine and I shake my head, “no.” I don’t want to sleep, and I don’t want to be awake. There is no comfort in anything. She says, “Come. We’ll have a nice cup of tea.” And I follow her downstairs and into the kitchen, zombie-like. I watch her with dull eyes that do not see her movements as she opens cupboards and finds a teapot, cups, and tea bags. I listen with deaf ears to her hum a Russian tune. I sit patiently with no patience sipping the tea I cannot taste. In silence, we sit. In silence, we speak without speaking. Marina’s life force wills me to feel her love.

And then she tells me her plan. “Maybe, I’ll stay with you awhile. Nothing back in Brooklyn right now.” I answer, mouthing words that I want to feel and yet cannot feel because I have closed myself off to the emotions of life, “Oh yes, please stay, Marina. I couldn’t bear all this alone.” I’m overwhelmed by her generosity, my loss, and the hidden truths lurking under the surface waiting to be revealed. Then the cordoned off person inside me breaks through all my controls again and unwonted tears erupt in a torrent of suppressed anguish. I am enveloped in her arms and her soothing voice whispers calming words as I try to regain the safety of stoicism.

Marina and I, sisters of a sort, sit together in my huge kitchen, in my huge house, sharing the huge hole in my heart as my tears pour down my face, flowing as if someone has turned on a spigot. Two small souls in a too-big kitchen of a too-big house silently wondering about the business problems of which his lawyer spoke using carefully chosen words somberly executed while his eyes burned with deep meaning. Problems that would have to be sorted out after I finished sitting “Shivah.” How can one cope with all of this? When will I wake up from this nightmare?

Eventually, it is dawn and I must sit on the wooden bench that signifies my mourning as memories cloud the present and I relive a life that is no more.

Sunspots

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Genre – Contemporary romance, Magical Realism

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

How the English Establishment Framed Stephen Ward by Caroline Kennedy @StephenWardBook

FBI director, J.Edgar Hoover, was convinced that British society was riddled with whores, pimps, sex maniacs and Soviet agents. His conviction was given a boost on Sunday, 16th June, when an article by British solicitor, Michael Eddowes, appeared in the Journal-American. In it Eddowes told of his meeting with Yevgeny Ivanov during the Cuban missile crisis. Eddowes described Ivanov as highly aggressive and full of blustering threats to wipe out England and to drop an atomic bomb in the sea 60 miles off New York. According to Eddowes, Hoover immediately ‘instructed’ him to make further enquiries into the security aspects and report back to him.
Washington was now buzzing with as many rumours as had swept London during the height of the scandal, so what happened next was not entirely a surprise. The White House became involved. The most likely explanation for President Kennedy’s sudden interest in the affair is that his brother, Attorney-General Robert Kennedy, told him of the long report from Hoover.
There were then both political and personal reasons for the President’s interest. One was that the scandal could provide Kennedy’s opponents in Congress with ammunition to attack his plans for a multi-nation NATO nuclear force. If Britain was so leaky, why should the US share it’s defence secrets? Another was a call in the Washington News for Kennedy to cancel his scheduled visit to London because it would provide moral support for the foundering Government of Harold Macmillan. ‘We can think of no better time for an American President to stay as far as possible away from England.’
And a third reason, a personal one, was that given Hoover’s animosity for the Kennedy family, the President became concerned that Hoover would somehow use the scandal against him….The only feasible reason for this widespread fascination is that all these people feared that the President of the United States was about to be dragged into the scandal, not on a political level, but on a sexual one…..The reason was that Robert Kennedy was worried that Christine or Mandy, or even both girls, might have slept with the President during their recent visit to the United States and he needed to know for certain so that he could protect the President from the scandal that would follow if the girls blabbed. It would have been simpler for Robert Kennedy to ask his brother if he had slept with either of the girls. But, as we now know, John F. Kennedy’s sexual appetite was so prodigious and so indiscriminate that he would not have been able to remember.
How The English Establishment Framed
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Genre – Politics, Espionage, Scandal
Rating – PG-16
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Absolution (The #Vampire Alliance) by Angela Louise McGurk @Angela_McGurk #AmReading #PNR

Absolution

Eve Blakethorn can barely remember what it was like to be unaware of the vampire world around her. Many years have passed since she met the stranger, the man who saved her life, gave her the world and promised her immortality. Unfortunately for Eve someone in power had not wanted her to have the world. Within days of her marriage her life is shattered. Everyone Eve cares for, vampire and human, is taken from her and she is left alone to fend for herself in a world she neither understands nor fits into.

How can she hope to survive her dark and lonely existence while still plagued by the horrors she witnessed when her husband died? How can she avoid becoming prey to the monster who stalks her footsteps, the devil she has long suspected to be the one who brought about her husband’s downfall?
Desperation drives her every move, leading her into the darkness where monsters wait. Can Eve discover the truth about how her world came to crumble and who was really responsible? Is there another stranger out there capable of bringing her some sense of peace? And just what is the vampire government, The Senate, hiding in the dark tunnels under the city?

Praise for Absolution*: 
“I enjoyed every chapter haven't stayed up so late for a book in so long I just couldn't put my phone down. Great book.”

“Wow! It's a nice change to read something in the vampire category with a more mature storyline. Your story was interesting and had me captivated from the beginning until the end. It was beautifully written, and falling in love with with the characters was easy. Great job absolutely loved it!”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think this has been one of the most original, mature vampire stories I have ever read... The lives of your vampires are fully realised, their abilities are believable, and the twists in your story are sublime.”

*All comments are from readers.

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Genre - Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Rating – R
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