The Book Breeze February 2015 by The Book Breeze

For Reviews, Interviews, New Releases Turn the Page ...

IN THIS ISSUE

Vol 5 Issue 2

PAMELA S. THIBODEAUX “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™

author, Pamela S. Award-winning Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group (http://bayouwritersgroup.com) in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Your latest release is CIRCLES OF FATE. How is setting important to the story? Setting is always important because it adds flavor and texture to a character’s life and his or her story. Weather (heat, rain, cold) and terrain (rocks, hills, grass, etc.) can add layers of ambiance and rich detail to any story.

When I had the idea for Circles of Fate, I imagined a young couple thrown together and forced apart more than once, so military life would be one way for this to happen. My husband (now deceased) had been in the Army and stationed at Ft. Benning, GA when he was younger, so I decided to start the story there and drew on his memories as much as I could to provide adequate description. We’re always told to write what we know so the fact that I’m from SW Louisiana, just 40 miles from the Texas border, and am familiar with the other locations mentioned in the book made it easy to write those settings in.

All of my novels and stories to date are set in places I’ve been or fictional towns in states I’ve actually visited. The Visionary is set in my hometown area of Lake Charles, Louisiana on a piece of property that once belonged in my family. It is commercial property now, but memories of that old homestead and a little research made writing authentic setting incredibly easy. The Inheritance begins in the Seattle, WA area where my step-children reside and ends up in the Finger Lakes Region/Hammondsport, NY, both of which I’ve visited. My Tempered series is set in one of my most favorite places of all time—Bandera, TX.

February 2015

Reviews Barefoot Reviews - Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Jackie’s Jargon - Romance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Roberta’s Ramblings - Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Shannon’s Space - YA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Book Breeze - A Little Bit of Everything. . . . . . 9 The Play Room - Erotica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Interviews Pamela S. Thibodeaux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Michael Guillebeau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Tonya Kappes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Cait Jarrod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 New Releases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . everywhere

I visited Bandera as a child and the place had such an impact on me, I remembered a lot about it. What I couldn’t recall, I filled in by obtaining travel books and brochures from the Bandera visitors’ bureau.

What led you to write this book? I believe every person has a love they desired but never really experienced. Most of us have at least one special man or woman of whom we dreamed would have been the perfect mate. Someone we wished we’d had the opportunity to date, who moved away, whom we let go, gave up on, or let pass us by. The little tug of wistfulness I felt whenever I’d see the romance that I let slip away, led to this story of unfulfilled love. Many times our choices are what lead to missing out on God’s gifts to (and His plan for) us. We get impatient with His timing or don’t understand His ways and rush headlong into less than His best.

Sometimes it’s just plain old life, or fate, that gets in the way of our dreams and desires. But God has a way of bringing us full circle and back into His promised land. In the case of Shaunna and Todd, it took a lot of years and many heartwrenching moments for God to bring them together with a cast of other characters whose lives are destined to be forever entwined.

Growing up who were your heroes and do they “appear” in your stories? I grew up with three brothers, seven uncles and only a handful of female aunts and cousins so it’s hard to pinpoint a single hero. I’ve always loved horses and you’ll find those in most of my books. However, all of my heroes have many (if not all) of the qualities my husband had…a sensitive, sentimental streak along with a wicked sense of humor, Continued next page

Raphael Cavelli—archaeologist—wanderlust—heir to the Cavelli fortune--wonders why he isn’t in some watering hole in Peru drinking a lukewarm cerveza next to a bosomy blonde. Instead, he’s back in Chicago trying to stay one step ahead of the law for stealing the archaeological find of the century when he bumps, literally, into the reason he left seven years ago--the girl he traveled half way across the globe to forget.

Hope Macklin—quasi-mother—sob sister for The Spectator daily—is asked to cover the high society wedding of Tessia Cavelli. The job would mean a raise to seven dollars a week, but the heiress’s bothersome brother remembers her from St. Roses’ Home for the Friendless, a time she’d rather forget. But being on the lam, she can’t afford to draw attention to herself, even for a carelessly handsome man.

Does fate throw Rafe and Hope together again just to square off with the faceless opponent doggedly threatening their reunion? Or will they risk everything…for what matters most?

http://www.annalisarusso.com

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Pamela S. Thibodeaux Interview continued

tender feelings yet strong opinions, oodles and oodles of charm and charisma by the case.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work? It is first and foremost always my prayer that readers will seek a closer walk with God and second that they have a sense of satisfaction in the overall story. I hate to think of disappointing my readers in any way. That said, I know we can’t please everyone all the time. I also hope readers find encouragement to not only seek God and His purpose & will for their life, but to trust in Him and His word which promises us all things come together for the good of them who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Tell us about your blog. My blog, http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com has evolved over the years from a place I can showcase my work and connect with readers to one where I can share the things I treasure (Tuesday Treasure), thoughts and ideas I ponder (Thursday Thoughts) and books & authors I admire (Saturday Spotlight). Sometimes times you’ll see guest posts on these features. You are definitely multi-tasking with your website services and speaking engagements. What can you tell us about them? I’ve always felt my writing is a ministry but to be honest, at the heart of everything I do is ministering. I love sharing my faith with others through speaking engagements and I’ve done so in writer meetings and conferences, women’s conferences and workshops. I also love the creative process so website services is another way of being creative while helping others to showcase their arts and crafts, books, or services.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you? Q: To what or whom do you credit your success? Many people have a love/hate relationship with their muse. My muse is the Holy Spirit and I accredit every ounce of success to the grace of God because without HIM I seriously doubt I could write a single word, much less stories that bring hope and healing to so many.

Sp icy

FOREVER GREEN By Carolina Montague

Spicy Paranormal Released Jan 7 by The Wild Rose Press in print and ebook

Kim Parker will do anything to complete her environmental science degree, even collecting data in an off-limits area of Yosemite. Vampire Rakesh Alcourt’s job as night ranger serves as a cover for his own studies. When he catches a young woman in his section of Yosemite, his brutal Hunger stuns him.

New Releases

DRAGON KNIGHT’S MEDALLION By Mary Morgan

Spicy Paranormal Time Travel Romance Released Dec 4 by The Wild Rose Press in print and ebook

NOT A FAIRY TALE By Romy Sommer

But when a secret project to eliminate humanity throws Rakesh and Kim together, the attraction between them explodes.

Spicy Contemporary Romance Released Feb 19 by Harper Collins in ebook and print (UK only)

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Forced out of the DEA after twenty years, Hardin Steel, Stainless to his close friends, has managed to get himself elected Sheriff of Cameron County, Texas. Twice divorced, with a bit of a drinking problem, he’s now dating Rory Roughton, a fiery sixth-generation Texan who’s as rich as she is beautiful—and hell-bent on keeping Steel on the straight and narrow. But then ...

"An effervescent ride chock-full of memorable action and characters." - Kirkus Reviews

RANDALL RENEAU is the award-winning author of Deadly Lode, Diamond Fields, and Ruby Silver. A one-time international geologist and Vietnam veteran, he lives with his wife, Lynne, in Austin, Texas.

http://www.randall-reneau.com

MICHAEL GUILLEBEAU Mysteries for Life’s Beautiful Rowdy Prisoners

Michael Guillebeau’s first book, JOSH WHOEVER (Five Star Mysteries, 2013) was a finalist for the 2014 Silver Falchion Award for Best First Novel: Literary Suspense, and received a starred review in Library Journal, and was named a Debut Mystery of the Month by Library Journal. A second novel, A STUDY IN DETAIL, will be published by Five Star Mysteries in March 2015. SHARK’S TOOTH, a collection of detective stories set on Florida’s Emerald Coast, was published by Ardent Writers Press in 2014. Guillebeau has published over twenty short stories, including three in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. I loved your first book, JOSH WHOEVER. I’m a huge fan of oddball characters whose humanity leaves muddy footprints all over the page. Tell us about your characters in A STUDY IN DETAIL. I grew up in the sixties, and my main characters in Study are modern people embodying sixties virtues.

Most people forget that the early sixties were dominated by characters like Andy Griffith and Matt Dillon: simple, decent straight-shooters. Paul, the POV character is one of them. He’s a good-hearted outdoorsman who just wants to run his kayak business and maintain a difficult relationship with his complex artist wife Marta. Marta disappears and the police suspect Paul of murder. But Paul finds a note in Marta’s last painting telling him that she’s faked her death to make her paintings famous, and telling him to keep her secret.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

Fun, primarily. I enjoyed writing the book, and I enjoyed hanging around with Rue and Paul as these good-hearted people try to navigate a complex modern world.

If there’s a message, I guess it’s just the effect that goodhearted people can have if they stay good-hearted. And solve murders, of course. It is a mystery. Sort of. Are there authors who have inspired your work?

Really, every book in the library. John MacDonald’s Travis McGee (the physical description of Paul is lifted straight from McGee.) Donald Westlake. One of my reviewers compared Study to a modern Frank Capra movie, and I take that as high praise. Is there a book out there you wish you’d written and why?

I’m tempted to say ‘Every book in the library’ again. I’m really opinionated on books—I either love them or want to throw them against the wall. Dennis Lehane’s Gone, Baby, Gone. Anything by Hiaasen. Westlake’s Get Real. Elmore Leonard’s Maximum Bob. Anything by Robert Parker (the live one, not all the books he seems to write since he’s dead.) Oh, and one really off the wall book. Rhonda Nelson’s The Future Widow’s Club. If that title doesn’t hook you, you have no business reading.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you? Where do I send your Nobel prize?

Giving our troops the opportunity to escape into a good booki since 1999.

Enter the second, and strongest character: Rue. Rue is a young, open-hearted New Age girl who believes the universe wants her to give Paul six months of her life to help him get over his dead wife. Rue, to me, is the flowering of the goodness of the early sixties, which resulted in the flower children we usually associate with the decade.

An enforcer from a casino arrives demanding that Paul repay the $5M that he says Marta stole from the casino, a suspicious insurance investigator dogs Paul because Marta took out a $5M insurance policy shortly before the disappearance, and a new set of Marta paintings show up and Arizona. Paul goes to investigate, followed by Rue.

There are so many ways to help. To find out more visit: http://www.operationpaperback.org Page 3

Barefoot Book Reviews by Mahala Church DEATH TAKES A MISTRESS Rosemary & Larry Mild Magic Island Literary Works Dan & Rivka Sherman Mystery Series

This second book in the Milds’, successful Sherman Mystery Series again shows their ability to create a good cozy mystery. DEATH TAKES A MISTRESS does a good job of getting into and out of the backstory in an active scene set in 1982 London, England. By chapter two, the story shifts promptly to the meat of the story in 2005, introducing the murdered woman’s daughter, Ivy, who had the good fortune to be left with a kind and loving babysitter at the time of the murder. The babysitter and her husband raise Ivy. Now, twenty-threeyears old and graduating from college, Ivy is determined to reopen the case of her mother’s death, which, everyone but her seems to have forgotten.

Following the few clues—1982 police reports, a journal of her mother’s, and a box from the crime scene with an Annapolis, Maryland address, Ivy is off the United States tout de suite. The pacing is well done in this book, and as any lover of a good cozy knows, it delivers what Ivy needs in the way of a support system. She finds a job on her arrival in Maryland in The Olde Victorian Bookstore replete with the eccentric couple—pseudo sleuths—who own it, Dan and Rivka Sherman. The Milds, once again, treat us with their strong ability to create and make us believe in their fictional characters—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Solving this crime will not be easy, even with the help of the Shermans’ connections at Scotland Yard in England. Clues are found and stolen, four families filled with likely suspects present themselves, attempts are made on Ivy’s life, and the Sherman’s get a shock or two along the way. A good read.

DEEPER THAN THE GRAVE Tina Whittle Poisoned Pen Press A Tai Randolph Mystery (series)

Tina Whittle has a gift for writing tense scenes and troubled characters. Tai Randolph, the young protagonist, and her love interest, Trey Seaver, an ex-FBI agent, who suffers from PTSD after a critical head injury add an undercurrent to the story.

When a Civil War hero’s ancient grave is tossed by a tornado that sets down in North Georgia, more than skeletal remains

are sent flying. Plot twists reign in this mystery/thriller as Trey approaches the annual anniversary that usually sends him spiraling into chaos, the gun shop is almost destroyed, the rich, a prominent Southern family fights the investigation, a little grave complicates things, and a young, unexpected visitor keeps you on your toes. Whittle is a pro at revving up the tension and pacing it just right to keep the readers attention. It certainly kept mine engaged. DESERT RAGE Betty Webb Poisoned Pen Press Lena Jones Mystery Series

From page one of Betty Webb’s involving mystery, nothing is ever what it seems. The book pushed all my “I like to read” buttons with strong female characters, an injured Yorkie, and teens in trouble. How can you ignore the opening line of the Prologue: “The first thing Ali saw when she came through the door was the blood. The next things she saw were the? bodies. ‘Why’d you kill my dog?’ she asked Kyle.” Why indeed.

Webb’s desert series set in Arizona is ripe with delightful inconsistencies that knit and purl and weave a composite picture of people with more secrets than reliability, more lies than honesty, and more immorality than fidelity. All of these mores make for an absorbing story that surprised me with one of my favorite human assets—integrity, a much sought after commodity these days—making a valuable appearance. Webb spends pages explaining the bizarre and horrendous relationship of Ali and Kyle, but less would have been more. At times, it slowed the story perceptively. That said, this book reveals effectively many of today’s societal problems, including political graft, illegal drug use, alcoholism, children left to raise themselves, isolation, and love gone wrong, that need to be talked about and improved. This is a good introduction to that discussion. Mahala Church is a freelance editor and writer and teaches creative writing for teens and adults through her Barefoot Writing Academy. An accomplished workshop leader and award winning author, Pushcart Prize nominee, and published editor, she enjoys all aspects of writing. The first novel in her trilogy is in “final” revision, shortly to be sent to beta readers. An avid reader of both literary and commercial fiction as well as biographies and memoirs, she particularly likes books set in Britain, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Deep South of the United States. You can follow her at www.lyricalpens.com.

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The adventures of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) and Arthur Conan Doyle in late 19th-century. Victorian mysteries with nostalgic fun and spunky characters by speculative fiction author Roberta Rogow

Roberta’s Ramblings by Roberta Rogow

I'm rambling through one of my favorite periods: the Noneteenth Century, a time of great innovation and invention... and mystery.

In DEATH COMES TO LONDON, by Catherine Lloyd (Kensington, 2014, $24.99), it's 1817, the Corsican Monster is safely stowed away on is remote Atlantic Island, and Major Robert Kurland is looking forward to a quiet country life on his newly-acquired manor. His neighbor, Miss Lucy Harrington, is heading to London with her sister Anna, to enjoy the London Season and possibly snare a husband. The two of them collide at Almacks, the ultra-exclusive club where young ladies may be presented to possible mates, just as a vicious dowager collapses. Poison, not apoplexy, is the cause, and soon Major Kurland and Miss Harrington are engaged in a search for an elusive poisoner with a taste for medical research and a cabinet of curiosities. Miss Harrington and Major Kurland made a good team, as they uncover not only the present plot, but solve a twenty-year-old mystery as well.

A VIRTUOUS DEATH, by Christine Trent,(Kensington, 2014, $25.00) takes her heroine, undertaker Violet Harper, back to Buckingham Palace, at the bidding of Queen Victoria. Still mourning the death of her husband, Prince Albert, the queen is dependent on her chief servant, the Scotsman John Brown, whose talents apparently include contacting the dead. When one of the Dear Departed sends a warning message, the Queen insists that only Violet can find the answer to the mystery. Violet discovers more secrets in the royal family than she wishes to know: the youngest princesses are chafing at their mother's strictures, while her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, is being called as a witness in a messy divorce case. What has any of this to do with the deaths of young women associated with the struggles for Women's Rights? Is there a threat to the Queen herself? Violet's courage is matched by her discretion, and the Queen is pleased with the results. An Author's Note explains some of the details of the Royal Household, and adds information about some of the historical characters mentioned in this book. A real-life sleuth takes the stage in Raymond Buckland's second outing for theater manager Bram Stoker in DEAD FOR A SPELL (Berkley, 2014, $15). London's theatrical world is buzzing with the news that the American actor, Edwin Booth, is planning to join England's major star, Henry Irving, at the Lyceum Theater, sharing the stage and roles in a new production of Othello. As if that's not distraction enough, one of the young ladies of the company turns up dead, murdered

in an occult ritual. Has someone resurrected the old Hellfire Club? Or is this connected somehow to the visiting Americans? A pair of criminal brothers, a tarot reader, and a dealer in weird potions all play a part in a scheme whose motive is as twisted as its originator. As before, a look at an aspect of Victorian society rarely seen, through the eyes of one whose interest in the occult and the dramatic would soon produce one of the great works of fiction.

Alyssa Maxwell visits American royalty in MURDER AT MARBLE HOUSE (Kensington, 2014, $15.00), the second of her Gilded Newport mystery series. Emma Cross, a distant relation of the wealthy Vanderbilt clan, is called to the side of her cousin Consuelo, who is being pressured to marry the Duke of Marlborough by her formidable mother, Alva. Alva is behind this marriage, which will crown her place in New York Society, regardless of Consuelo's feeling for the duke. She's even called in a fortune-teller to convince her reluctant daughter that the marriage was Meant To Be! But the woman is found dead, strangled with her own scarf, and Consuelo has vanished! Has the heiress been kidnapped, or has she simply eloped with her true love, playboy Winthrop Rutherfurd? Emma searches Newport's high and low ends of Society, and discovers plenty of material for blackmail, including a family secret that leads to murder, An Afterword explains what happened to Consuelo and her mis-matched Duke. Roberta Rogow is a retired librarian who enjoys books with characters that grab you, often set in exotic places or in other times. She reads a lot of historical mysteries, but also enjoys Alternate History, and has been known to indulge in an orgy of“cozy crafty” mysteries, set in small-town America or villages in Great Britain. Her latest release, MAYHEM IN MANATAS is the follow-up to MURDERS IN MANATAS.

PROMISE THEM By Mitzi Pool Bridges

Spicy Romantic Suspense Released Feb 6 by The Wild Rose Press in print and ebook

PROMISE THEM is the final book in the Callahan Series. The children have their own family now (and their own book). Now it is Mom’s turn.

When handsome Beau Chandler buys the ranch next to the Callahan spread, sparks fly. But Nellie has issues and her grown children disapprove. Will Nellie and Beau settle their problems or will a bullet from a cattle rustler end it all?

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Dani Cabral, a rancher’s daughter, wants to marry anybody but a cowboy. Her dream wedding is on Valentine’s Day in the next few months. Every detail is planned, except for one thing--there's no groom in sight.

Jackie’s Jargon

ROMANCE REVIEWS BY JACKIE MCMURRAY

ADDING LIB (The McGinn Series, Book 1) Kathryn Elliott The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (December 19, 2014)

If you like the TV show, The Middle, you’ll love Kathryn Elliott’s debut novel, Adding Lib (Book 1 in The McGinn Series). Elliott’s book is nothing less than a tribute to finding humor in family life. The following excerpt illustrates the type of humor found throughout the book. “Bus!” he (the dad) yelled. “Move it, or miss it!” Storming the kitchen like a herd of sneaker-clad buffalo, Shannon and Charlie grabbed their respective toaster thingies and made a dash for the bus stop. “Bye, Mom!” They hollered in unison. Libby followed as far as the front porch. “Learn lots. Make our outrageous taxes worth it!”

Libby O’Rourke manages the normal ups-and-downs of middle-class life with the help of her husband, best friend, a few drinks and Cheese Bites. Her perception of a great morning is drinking her first cup of coffee without interruptions. If only the PTO didn’t frustrate her with their plans to spend thirty thousand dollars on a Kiddie Kardio Slide and the school counselor would get off her back about her first grader’s disturbing artwork. And then there’s her mom.

Libby’s mom, Mae, is a force to be reckoned with. Mae has no problem voicing her opinion on any number of topics and treats Libby as if she’s a child. When Mae shows the early signs of dementia and causes a fire that destroys her kitchen, her three grown children have some planning to do to ensure her safety. With the support of her good-natured husband, Libby faces the most frustrating situation of all with humor. Kathryn Elliott delivers a book that handles everyday frustrations with aplomb. Adding Lib was a pleasure to read and I look forward to the rest of The McGinn Series. DEAD RINGER V.B. Tenery Pelican Ventures Book Group - Harbourlight Books (May 8, 2014) Contemporary Suspense with Romantic Elements

V.B. Tenery manages several themes in Dead Ringer—family bonds, trust, and deception—and handles each theme with style.

Mercy Lawrence is a dead ringer for wife and mother, Traci Wallace, who walked out on her family. Mercy’s nightmare begins when Traci’s husband, Thomas Wallace, kidnaps Mercy and takes her to his private island. Mercy is thrown into the role of mother to Thomas’ six-year-old son who is recovering from heart surgery.

Joe Domingos, Dani’s best friend and pure cowboy, would give anything to have Dani as his own. He watches from the sidelines as Dani makes her move to Kona and muddles through two disastrous relationships.

When Joe hears rumors that Derek, the city slicker banker, is ready to propose to Dani he has to decide whether he'll fight for Dani’s love or keep his true feelings hidden.

and give the reader a satisfying ending with no loose ends.

A cast of well-developed characters populates Dead Ringer. From ultra-rich Thomas Wallace, right down to the household staff, Tenery’s characters evoke an emotional response. As much as I wanted to hate Thomas I understood his plight and his concern as a father. I recommend Dead Ringer to readers who enjoy fast-paced suspense with romantic overtones.

Jackie McMurray and her husband live on a macadamia nut farm on the island of Hawai'i where they feed a clowder of cats and a flock of hodgepodge chickens. In a past life, she was an elementary school teacher; currently, she writes contemporary romance from the Hawaiian Islands and beyond under her pen name, Jackie Marilla.

THE WIDOW’S GALLERY By Marilyn Baron

Spicy Women’s Fiction/Romance Childless heiress Abigail Adams Longley and three other widows bond over a Renaissance masterpiece in Florence, Italy, and find love, friendship and joy in their joint venture to open an art gallery at the Longley mansion in Lobster Cove, Maine. Since the death of her husband, Abigail has been lonely and drifting in a house that’s too big and a town that’s too small. When she literally runs into sexy widower and whale-watching excursion captain Tack Garrity on the dock, she’s entranced by his adorable five-year-old daughter. But will Tack, who has harbored a secret crush on Abigail for almost two decades, be able to capture her heart? A secret pact her husband made with Tack could either tear them apart or bring them closer together and change their lives forever.

Thomas Wallace would do anything to speed up his son’s recovery including dragging his estranged wife back to the island. When Thomas is called away to complete a CIA mission, Mercy is left on the island where she soon finds out Traci has dangerous enemies who want her dead.

V.B. Tenery captured my attention from the first chapter and held me spellbound throughout the book. Tenery shines in her ability to intertwine several sub-plots with the main plot

Released Feb 11 by The Wild Rose Press in print and ebook

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Tonya Kappes

Your new release is the first in the Ghostly Southern Mystery series. Have you had a paranormal experience? I have! I lived in a historic neighborhood in my area. My house was over one-hundred years old and I was the third owner! We had remodeled a screened in porch, making it my office. That was when the crazy started. All the water faucets would turn on at the same time (3 a.m.) and things would go missing, like clothes iron or hair dryer. Big things. I would go out and buy new ones, then the old ones would appear in my cabinet where we kept our dishes! My dogs would bark at the corners of rooms and chase after nothing. I had a priest come twice to bless the house and both times he got ill. We had a baby boy and he would laugh and giggle. His rocking chair never sat still. It was so weird.

After digging and doing some research, there was a disabled woman who lived in the home with her family. She loved sitting in her wheelchair on the screened in porch looking into the wooded area behind the house. She was so mad that we redid the room, but she loved our little baby boy. We ended up ignoring her, but when it came time to sell the house, she was not letting that happen. Houses in this area go within hours of being put on the market. After three months I decided it was time to take her back to her resting place (yes, I found out where she was buried). I know my neighbors thought I was crazy when I escorted her to my car (hoping she was following me) and taking her to her grave. I told her that we were moving and she needed to find peace. That night we sold the house! What were your favorite books growing up and how do they effect what you write today? Growing up I wasn’t a big reader! Later in life I loved reading all the Nancy Drew books. It definitely helped me escape into the book and get lost into another world. The feeling I got from reading was exactly what I wanted a reader to do when they opened one of my books. I believe my books do help readers escape from the everyday life.

What makes the book uniquely yours? I believe every book is unique to the author because of their voice. There are so many mystery plots and ways to kill a person, but my voice is my voice and no other author can duplicate that. My voice is filled with care for my story with sprinkle of humor. Death is such a morbid story to write about and I try to make my novels fun and enjoyable to read along with the who done it. Which fictional character, other than your own, would you like to be friends with? Bridget Jones! I love how quirky her character is and I think we’d have one heck of a day together!

CAIT JARROD Love Laced Whodunits

writing one.

From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong, down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever, unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she loves

Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best friend, hangs out with the WWC, a great group of women, and loves a good glass of wine.

ENTANGLED LOVE, released last May, has a retired professional skateboarder for the male lead. What inspired you to make that choice? I wanted the hero to have a different profession than the football, baseball, and ice hockey players that are so prevalent in romances. When I was working on Ryan Cross’ backstory, I remembered Shaun White’s outstanding performance in the Olympics. Ryan’s history took shape. What makes the book uniquely yours? The heroine, Emma James, lost her police officer husband prior to the story’s opening. Now, she has to build her life without the man she thought was her one true love.

Thankfully, I’ve never been in this situation, but I did live with the fear that something could possibly happen to my husband while he was a police officer. I believe many spouses of law enforcement and military live in this fear, not that they wear it like a piece of clothing, but it’s always there in the back of their minds. The fears of the ‘what ifs’ and ‘what would happen’ afterwards is scary, the worry of not being able to move on with life in their absence, the dread that penetrates bone-deep from the idea of being alone. Losing someone is horrible and devastating. I wrote this story as an inspiration to give people hope. Your other two books are a part of the Band of Friends series. Tell us why this is special to you? The Band of Friend series is special to me for a few reasons. • The first book, Kidnapped Hearts, was my first published novel. • The strong bond and loyalty the friends share and their commitment to meet each other once a week symbolizes the strong bond I have with a group of very special women. • The location, Fredericksburg is near where I grew up, and the house in Mystic Hearts is similar to the house where I grew up. Several people have seen the sightings that I write about in Mystic Hearts.

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S h a n n o n ’s S p a c e YA Reviews by Shannon Kennedy

DREAMER’S DAUGHTER Book 9 of the Nine Kingdoms by Lynn Kurland Berkley Trade ~ January 2015 ~ 5 Stars

The next book in the Nine Kingdom series, Dreamer’s Daughter concludes this particular trilogy and the story that began in Dreamspinner and River of Dreams. The heroine, Aisling continues to discover more about her magick while she and the hero, elven prince Runach seek to find the answer of what is happening in Bruadair. They need to restore the rightful rulers and deal with the king who usurped the throne of her country.

This adventure returns the reader to a fabulous world of elves, dwarves, swords, sorcery, mysterious kings and queens as well as witches and shape-shifting horses. Intelligent, resourceful, kind and determined, Aisling worries not just about herself – she never actually quite believes in her magick, although everyone around her does since she can spin everything, air, wind, light... She loves Runach and he adores her so the continued sweetness of their relationship will enthrall readers. These are very clean romances, suitable for the middle grade and high school audiences.

The cast of characters especially Iteach, the shapeshifting horse will also engage readers, especially since he loves sleeping on the heroine’s bed – not giving anything away, he changes to cat for that and a dragon when Aisling is in mortal peril. The humor-filled dialogue (at times) is also fun. Kurland has built a wonderful world in the Nine Kingdoms, welldescribed and always consistent. Journeying to Aisling’s homeland together means they will finally learn the truth of her past which will enable them to confront evil and hopefully build a future together. Still, there are threads of unanswered questions that can only be resolved by another trip to this magical realm, although this novel is supposed to be the culmination of the Nine Kingdoms’ series. While the series remains immensely readable, there were a few problems in the climax of the story. Granted, any violence toward the usurping king – the villain and his minions may be downplayed because it is a YA book – but the ending felt forced and far too fast-paced especially with Kurland’s undisputed talent showcased in the previous books.

Still this series along with Dreamer’s Daughter belongs on my “keeper” shelves and deserves a return visit very soon. One can only hope that Kurland decides to return to this kingdom and share more of its adventures.

THE MARKED SON - Keepers of Life by Shea Berkley Entangled Publishing ~ August 2012 ~ 5 Stars

The son of a teen mom, Dylan Kennedy seems like he’s 17 going on 40, especially when she takes him to “visit” his unknown grandparents, unknown to him, and then abandons him with these strangers. It isn’t the first time that his mother has disappointed him, but Dylan along with the reader hopes it will be the last. His grandmother always hopes for the best, even when the worst confronts her. His grandfather is much more realistic, although he’s brought the Vietnam War home with him and sees danger in the shadows. He’s ready to deal with any threat and now he has Dylan for back-up.

Meantime Dylan has his own shadows to face. He discovers that he’s developed a strange reaction to “iron” when his grandmother wants him to hang up a skillet for her and the pan burns his hand. Okay, it’s a bit tricky to show someone that he may have hidden depths and this was an intriguing start to what he will learn about himself. While he and his grandparents wonder about his father, Dylan has a new concern. What is wrong with him? Why can he see strange shapes in the forest that no one else does?

And then there’s this girl who appears, disappears and reappears. He’s seen her before in his dreams, but now she’s become real. When they finally meet, she shares that he’s in danger. He’s from her world, but somehow he’s trapped on this mortal plane. And he has more magical powers than most wizards. Yet if he returns with her, he’ll be killed. Of course, she’s also being forced to marry Navar, an evil sorcerer so what’s a guy to do? For Dylan, it’s not a contest. He’ll follow her home and save her from the proverbial fate worse than death. Of course, along the way he’ll also have to save the endangered kingdom.

Dylan and Kera are brave, intelligent and definitely heroic with the youthful certainty that nothing “bad” can truly happen to them although they have seen and survived death and destruction. Both are wounded characters with a great deal of baggage. Dylan’s mother didn’t do right by him and he raised himself. Meanwhile, Kera’s widowed father didn’t do much better – he is the typical “go along to get along” guy which is why he won’t refuse the sorcerer who wants her. This means that Dylan and Kera have learned to face evil and depend only on themselves. Can they bond together and overcome their adversaries? Or will they always be uncertain allies?

While there are two other books in the trilogy from Entangled, it’s best to start at the beginning or the rest of the stories simply won’t make sense. They pick up where The Marked Son ends and continue the saga. Dylan and Kera are immensely likeable for all their naiveté. They were consistent and determined to find justice for others as well as themselves. Navar seemed a bit one-dimensional and could have used more depth. Sometimes, it seemed as if he should twirl his mustache like the bad guy in an old-time melodrama – and he could have used a few more minions. Overall, this was an interesting, entertaining read, a worthy introduction to the rest of the trilogy and I can’t wait to see what happens next to Dylan and Kera.

Shannon lives on the family farm, a riding stable in the Cascade foothills, where she organizes most of the riding programs and teaches horsemanship around her day-job as a substitute teacher.

She writes books in her spare time, mainstream western romance as Josie Malone for SirenBookStrand and young adult novels for Black Opal Books and Fire & Ice YA. She’s a member of RWA, YARWA, the Greater Seattle RWA and Evergreen RWA chapters.

SLIGHTLY NOBLE By Lilly Gayle

Spicy Historical Romance

Released Feb 27 by The Wild Rose Press in print and ebook

American privateer, Captain Jack isn't really an American, but heir to a viscountcy. When his father dies, he leaves everything not entailed with the estate to his worthless cousin. Jack's only hope of inheriting his mother's ancestral home and honoring her dying wish is to marry and produce an heir before his thirty-fifth birthday—in five months. And he doesn't have a single prospect. Pregnant and unwed, Abigail Halsey is sent by her father to an Anglican convent until he can find a family to adopt his grandchild or a husband for his daughter. Abby has other plans, but they go awry when she goes into labor early and her rescuer, a pirate captain turned lord, insists on marrying her. Is Jack too much like his jealous, unforgiving father? Can Abby overcome her fear of men and have a real marriage? Or will she never be anything more than the unwanted wife of a Slightly Noble Viscount?

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books instead of the mindless chatter of television.

THE KILL LIST By Nichole Christoff Thriller / Random House Publishing Group – Alibi / Dec 2, 2014

In this taut debut thriller, Nichole Christoff introduces a savvy private investigator with nerves of steel—and a shattered heart.

As a top private eye turned security specialist, Jamie Sinclair has worked hard to put her broken marriage behind her. But when her lying, cheating ex-husband, army colonel Tim Thorp, calls with the news that his three-year-old daughter has been kidnapped, he begs Jamie to come find her. For the sake of the child, Jamie knows she can’t refuse. Now, despite the past, she’ll do everything in her power to bring little Brooke Thorp home alive. Soon Jamie is back at Fort Leeds—the army base in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens where she grew up, the only child of a two-star general—chasing down leads and forging an uneasy alliance with the stern military police commander and the exacting FBI agent working Brooke’s case. But because Jamie’s father is now a U.S. senator, her recent run-in with a disturbed stalker is all over the news, and when she starts receiving gruesome threats echoing the stalker’s last words, she can’t shake the feeling that her investigation may be about more than a missing girl—and that someone very powerful is hiding something very significant . . . and very sinister.

I found this to be an absolute page-turner from start to finish. Christoff’s characters were so well developed I could feel their breath on the page. While I could predict a little of what was coming there I was still surprised at every turn. Christoff’s writing is first rate. Fresh writing and detailed descriptions brought every scene alive. Her experience as a military wife shows in her respectful depiction of the military life and attitudes. Definitely a student of “show don’t tell” she reveals her characters through their action such as Adam Barrett’s treatment of a stray dog. While action took the front seat in this story, the romantic element was ever present and nicely done. I look forward to the development of Jaime’s relationship with Barrett. If you like a fast paced thriller buy this book!

FAHRENHEIT 451 By Ray Bradbury Simon & Schuster, Reissue edition (Jan 10, 2012)

Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of twentieth-century literature set in a bleak, dystopian future.

Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden.

Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in

When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.

Remember this one? Yeah, it’s an oldie, published in 1953 but this is a classic. It impacted my youth instilling in me a horror that no movie could come close to – the burning of books. I especially enjoyed the supplemental material at the end of the book where Bradbury talks about writing this novel in the public library paying .10 a half hour for the use of a typewriter. A book about burning books was very appropriately written in a library. Bradbury jokes about writing “a dime novel.” Another thing I learned was the publisher sent out 6,000 copies for reviews. Whew! For a worthy use of time, treat yourself to a classic and don’t skip the articles that follow. It gave me chills because of how much our society has veered in the direction of mindless gratification (OMG not one more reality show!) instead of intellectual stimulation. ONE SECOND AFTER By William R. Forstchen Forge Books, Reprint edition (April 26, 2011) Apocalyptic thriller

New York Times best selling author William R. Forstchen now brings us a story which can be all too terrifyingly real...a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages...A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.

Months before publication, One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, a book already being discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a truly realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journal warns could shatter America. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end.

Recommended to me by a friend I dived into a world that could happen any second now. This is not an easy book to read but once you start you can’t put it down.

Forstchen’s use of the overwhelming about of research he had to do for this novel is excellent. The story ebbs and flows into every area of life from what happens in a care facility when everything shuts down to the agony of a pharmacist when knows she only has enough meds for the town for a fews days. Who gets them…and who doesn’t. This book will keep you up at night. It will break your heart and it’s a book I firmly believe everyone should read because any second now it could happen.

Giving our troops the opportunity to escape into a good booki since 1999.

There are so many ways to help. To find out more visit: http://www.operationpaperback.org

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The Play Room Erotica Reviews by Susanna W olf

Er ot ic a U nbound

In 1959 I got my first Barbie doll and read my first naughty book. Well, not the whole book…I would sneak into my older brother’s nightstand and thumb through his hardcore detective novels for the “good parts.” I was still very naive about sex and all it took for me to be titillated was to read about the gorgeous “doll” who walked into his office wearing only a mink coat; “then there they were together inside that damned mink coat.”

We all did it as kids when we heard a particular book was “dirty” or “sexy”, and now there is an upsurge in women openly reading erotic books and literature. I became intrigued when 50 Shades of Grey became such a mainstream phenomena. Pre-sale tickets for the movie is breaking a record with Fandango It was dubbed “mommy porn,” but women of all ages were devouring the books as fast as they could read. Although the book has some very hot, explicit and provocative sex scenes, it is first and foremost a love story, soI took exception to it being labeled porn. I began to research a little about “pornography” v “erotica.” For the most part, the answers I got from friends and family centered around artistic expression v just sex for physical gratification. I think Mary Roach, author of Book: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex made a great distinction when she said in an interview, “I would say erotica is a mixture of romance and pornography, done by someone who’s a very skilled writer. Pornography has a very focused and directed goal…erotica has a bit of art mixed in.”

The definition of Erotica is: “Literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire; or literary or artistic works having an erotic theme or quality.” There is also a “legal definition” of pornography which changes the definition to “erotic and lewd” behavior. This is when the courts try to determine what is and what is not “obscene”. Of course this changes as cultural and societal mores change. Victoria Secret ads today are much more revealing and sensual than "dirty" magazines and postcards of the past. In the 50’s Lucy and Ricky did not sleep in the same bed, but now Olivia Pope is having hot sex with the leader of the free world on his desk in the Oval Office during prime time.

Pornography and erotica is ancient in origin, as evidenced by the artwork of many historic societies, including ancient India, Greece, and Rome. Erotic imagery was quite common and often appeared in religious contexts. The Art of Love, by Ovid, is a treatise on seduction and sensual arousal. The invention of printing led to the production of ambitious works of writing intended to entertain as well as to arouse. Now we have the internet, as well as e-readers, which allow us to privately read or watch what we want without embarrassment.

What I find is that many women still shy away from admitting they like erotica; it has a more forbidden connotation. They don’t read or write erotica, rather they read or write erotic romance or fiction. Romance author, Sorcha Grace, did a great comparison in an article for the Huffington Post in July 2013, in which she concluded there were basically no differences. If an erotic romance is a love story where the characters engage is graphically described sex, and erotica is a story centered on the characters sexual encounters, as Ms. Grace surmises, the lines have become blurred. Women want a good story to go along with the erotic nature of the book, and that is the challenge to the writer, just as it always has been.

needing to attach labels. There is a smorgasbord of erotic material on the market, and literally in the market, for every reader. Whether the scene is as innocent as a naked woman in a mink coat, or as provocative as sex with Christian Grey in his playroom, go ahead and satisfy that need to “look for the good parts.” BOOK REVIEW:

50 SHADES OF GREY by E.L. James Random House LLC (May 25, 2011)

“Keep still,” he murmurs, and then he leans down and kisses the inside of my thigh, trailing kisses up, over the thin lacy material of my panties, kissing me….He trails kisses up my bely and his tongue dips into my navel. Still he's heading north, kissing me across the torso. My skin is burning. I am flushed, too hot, too cold, and I’m clawing at the sheet beneath me.

And so begins the virginal Anastasia Steele’s first sexual encounter. Ana has fallen hard, literally and figuratively, for gorgeous, young billionaire Christian Grey. There is something in his past that has left him emotionally damaged. He requires the current woman in his life to not only sign a nondisclosure agreement, but a Contract that specifically outlines what their sexual life together will and will not be. His playroom is enough to make most women run to the exit, but not Ana.

I must preface my review by saying I read the original fan fiction e-book version, before editing and cleaning up by a major publishing house. I am also not going to address whether or not it is poorly written. As a former English major and teacher, there are cringe-worthy things about the writing. However, it doesn’t matter, because the reader still becomes invested in the characters and their story, which is told over three volumes. The tug of war between Christian and Ana changes both of them.

Mixed in are some great supporting characters, and a suspenseful story line that makes the books page turners, and not just for the sex. However, there is no doubt that these books were an erotica hit with women of all ages. The sex between Christian and Ana will leave you thinking very differently about elevators, pool tables and may have you considering sex play you would have never tried before. If you have a chance, pick up and read the Special Newsweek Edition, Fifty Shades - Exploring the Sexual Revolution. Interviews with fans of the books are fun to read. Apparently, I am not the only one to experience the mother/ daughter bonding over the books! Susana Wolf lives in West Linn, Oregon after relocating from her hometown of Long Beach, California in 2014. She is retired from a career in liability insurance claims, although her first career was as an English teacher. She and her whippet, Chaucer, are enjoying and exploring their new home state. Susana has enjoyed writing her whole life, with poetry being her first love. She is currently working on some romantic fiction projects, and finds joy in writing erotica.

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THE REAL DEAL By Jane Leopold Quinn Erotic Contemporary Romance Released Jan 7 by Ellora’s Cave

R E PRINCE OF SOLANA L (Book1 in the ROYALS OF SOLANA trilogy) E by Susan Sheehey A Sizzling Romantic Suspense S Released Feb 25 by The Wild Rose Press in E print and ebook S We all make choices of what we like or don’t like without © 2015 The Book Breeze Page 10