Tag Archives: Fiction

One Sentence Review – The Last Dinner Party by Carly M Duncan @carlymduncan

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The Last Dinner Party by Carly M Duncan is one of those long lost review books that slipped through the cracks. I finished reading it 11.27.16.

The Last Dinner Party

Amazon / Goodreads

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Well, what can I say about these characters…that they leave a lot to be desired is putting it mildly, as they will throw each other under the bus as the mystery surrounding the murder brings forth some misdirection and plenty of suspects that may keep you guessing as the last drink is drunk and the party has ended.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Last Dinner Party by Carly M Duncan.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When Jeanie D’Alisa is found murdered in her bedroom after hosting a dinner party in her home, detectives Anna Cole and Kristy Hicks are called to investigate the crime. Known within her community for her generous, yet unpredictable nature, Jeanie’s secrets unfold as family, friends and neighbors become suspects. Anna and Kristy discover stamped passport pages revealing travels unknown and a curious relationship between Jeanie and the charming salesman who frequents the apartment building. Meryl, Jeanie’s devoted and needy friend, further complicates the investigation when she phones Jeanie’s sister who is studying abroad and lies to her about the cause of death. Through a muddied pool of misdirection and betrayal, will Anna and Kristy be able to assemble the clues in order to bring Jeanie’s killer to justice? The path to solving the mystery becomes tangled with faces of loved ones who are revealed to be foes in this story about the lengths people will go to in order to save themselves.

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Will She Ever Stop Running – Natalie’s Art by Susan Fleet #SusanFleet

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I have become one of Natalie’s biggest fans. She is a character I can dig my teeth into and she keeps on giving in Natalie’s Art by Susan Fleet.

This is one of those reviews long overdue. I finished reading it on December 20, 2016.

Natalie's Art (Frank Renzi, #5)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books that a romance between the two main characters cannot be, yet there is something there…something between them…and I am sticking with the Frank Renzi series until I find out how Susan Fleet is going to end it.

Susan Fleet supplies plenty of action. Natalie is a thief, but if she has to, she will kill to save herself. She finds herself in the UK, forced to be a call girl, a whore, a thief, stealing paintings for her lover to sell. How in the hell did she ever get herself into this situation? And how is she going to get out?

Frank Renzi has his own life, and it has made it a full one, but there is still Natalie.

Natalie’s rough life does not excuse what she does, but I do feel for her. i understand her motivation. Even making a bad choice can be better than letting someone make the choice for you.

Will she run forever? Will she ever be able to stop running?

The ending was a surprise and I loved it!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Natalie’s Art by Susan Fleet.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

ART HEISTS, MURDER and REVENGE!
In 1990 two robbers stole paintings worth $500 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Twenty years later, a ruthless man plans to steal several more. He forces Natalie to help him, but after the heist he intends to kill her.
Not only that, NOPD Detective Frank Renzi is hot on her trail. Will Natalie escape? Don’t miss the explosive showdown between Frank and Natalie. Feathered Quill Book Awards named Natalie’s Revenge Best Mystery of 2014. Natalie’s Art is the thrilling sequel

ABOUT SUSAN FLEET

Music & Mayhem is my game. Started my trumpet career in my teens, got into the mayhem later. My print journalist father taught me how to play pool in the police station. Maybe that’s how I discovered my dark side.

After gigging on trumpet in the Boston area for many years (while teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music), I moved to New Orleans, which became the setting for my crime thrillers. Scroll down and check the video trailers for DIVA and ABSOLUTION.

I survived Katrina, but moved back to Boston in 2010. On my website I post profiles of women musicians and just began a blog, DARK DEEDS, about serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. Please come visit!!

Website

MY REVIEWS FOR SUSAN FLEET

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Giveaway Fractured by Elle Charles @XpressoTours @ellecharles

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Fractured
Elle Charles
(Fractured, #1)
Publication date: May 7th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

How do you learn to remember when you have forced yourself to forget?

How do you learn to trust when those who were meant to protect you failed?

Catering assistant, Kara Petersen, leads a quiet, monotonous life until a simple twist of fate changes everything.

The sparks fly when Kara meets handsome, enigmatic, Sloan Foster. Dominant in the boardroom and successful in the bedroom, he always gets what he wants – and he wants her.

Captivated by his charm and aloof confidence, Kara is drawn to him in a way she has never been to anyone before. Aware something isn’t quite right, and against her better judgement, she concedes his intense allure is too strong to resist and their innocent fling swiftly develops into something she could never have imagined.

But in this outwardly perfect world of wealth and glamour, all that glitters isn’t gold. And as the mystery behind the man begins to slowly unravel, so does her life.

Now, with her heart and trust on the line, Kara is learning more about herself than she ever thought possible, from a man who seemingly knows more than he should. And the memories she forced herself to forget, are the ones she now desperately needs to remember…

Fractured is the first gripping instalment of Elle Charles’ dark, contemporary, romantic suspense series. Featuring unpredictable plot twists and endearing characters, this sensual, compelling saga of enduring love, ceaseless passion and sacrifice will keep you turning pages until the very end!

Perfect for fans of Sylvia Day, E L James, Aleatha Romig and Helen Hardt.

Download your copy now and become addicted to a new series!

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

Please be advised this book is not a standalone novel. It is the first in the Fractured series, and the story develops and unravels over the course of the first three books. Each book is full length (between 326 and 450 pages each) and must be read in order.

This is a dark contemporary romance novel. It contains sexual scenes and controversial subject matter (including triggers) that some may find upsetting. Intended for readers aged 18+

This novel is a new edition that has been re-edited and revised – 27 July 2018.

Goodreads / Amazon

Get Fractured FREE!

The complete series:

—

CHAPTER ONE:

I slowly take in the room; clean lines of glass and dark wood, expensive fabrics and leather. Opulence seems to be a running theme here from what I can see. Rich shades of cream and brown finish the room beautifully. The whole place screams money and success, and it’s absolutely stunning. Suddenly, I realise why the man downstairs eyed me like shit; I don’t belong here, and neither does Sam. I bite down on my lip to suppress the panic rising up from the confines of my stomach.

Then the door clicks shut behind me.

I spin around, and my mouth dries out almost instantly, as I prepare myself to come face to face with the sneering, dirty bastard again.

Oh. Holy. Fuck!

It’s not the sneering, dirty bastard.

I wilt where I stand. My lungs actually stop operating momentarily, and my heart shudders like it has been finally shocked from a long, deep slumber. My whole body currently feels on fire for some unknown, inexplicable reason.

“I have already had my doctor take a look at her. She seems to be fine, just, well…she’s high.”

He folds his impressive, muscular arms over his equally impressive, muscular chest, and he leans back against the closed door. My eyes drop to his feet, and ever so slowly, work their way up his body. Tanned bare feet, long muscular legs and thick thighs, wrapped up in worn, faded blue jeans. The fitted white t-shirt encasing his torso does nothing to hide the perfectly defined ridges of his stomach, chest and shoulders. The outlines are more than visible underneath the stretched fabric. I gulp excessively, open-mouthed and speechless, at the faultless specimen of male perfection towering over me.

I stare up at him, my lips part and my eyes widen. His face is heavenly; beautiful, naturally bronzed skin, a strong, chiselled jaw, set under perfect cheekbones. His nose is straight and flawlessly proportioned. He has the darkest, yet clearest midnight blue eyes I have ever seen. In fact, I’m positive I have never seen such a colour before. He seems piqued by my stare, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

My hands clench at my sides in desperation, and my tongue slides over my bottom lip. All I can think about is running my hands over his sexy, slightly too long dark locks, while his tongue….

Oh my God! What the hell?!

A nervous feeling wells up in my stomach, twisting into knots deep in my gut. I place a hand over my belly, but the feeling shifts south and suddenly can I feel heat pooling at my core profusely. His eyes remain locked on mine, and I’m dying to rub my thighs together to alleviate the tension that is building immensely.

I chew my lip timidly. Is he aware of what I am doing and that he’s instigating it? He smirks a little. Of course, he’s aware! Look at him! Any woman would be brain dead not to want him. Even my asexual self is not immune, judging by the way my body is reacting to him.

He arches up an eyebrow over his stunning dark blue, now virtually black eyes. He is fully aware that I am shamelessly checking him out, amongst other things, while my poor friend is lying in pain only a few feet away. I mentally scold myself for such uncharacteristic behaviour. Yet I can’t help it, this man has ignited something in me. I can’t even begin to fathom where it is coming from.

I need to get out of here.

I need to get away from him.

Feeling painfully aware, I wrap my arms around my middle and shift from one foot to the other, desperate to eradicate these alien sensations bubbling copiously inside my body. He remains motionless watching me, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable under his roving eye. The way he’s studying me makes me want to run for cover. I don’t know what it is, but there is a familiarity in his eyes that is unmistakable. I also don’t misinterpret the ghost of a smile forming on his lips.

Somewhere, I think I have seen him before.

“Thank you,” I whisper, averting my eyes, desperately trying to control the heat my body is emanating. I don’t know what else to say. All words have left me, and for the first time in my life, I actually feel something that I can definitely say I have not experienced previously.

Sexual attraction.

It is something that no man has ever elicited in me, not even come close to.

Well, maybe once, many years ago.

Author Bio:

Elle was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she still resides.

After many years of putting aside her creative ideas, in 2012, she was inspired to write again. The surprising result was her debut, contemporary romance novel, Fractured. The first of the series, books two and three, Tormented and Liberated, followed in close succession, along with the accompanying novella, Aftermath.

A self-confessed daydreamer, she loves to create strong, sexy and diverse characters, cocooned in opulent yet realistic settings that draw the reader in with every twist and turn until the very last page.

A voracious reader for as long as she can remember, she is never without her beloved Kindle. When she is not absorbed in the newest release or a trusted classic, she can often be found huddled over her laptop, tapping away new ideas and plots for forthcoming works.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway & Review – The Gift by Tegon Maus @TegonMaus @GoddessFish

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The Gift

Goodreads  /  Amazon

GENRE:  Fantasy, Action/Adventure

MY REVIEW

I have seen Tegon Maus’ books around and heard such good things that I had to find out for myself. I was not disappointed.

The story is about Enon, a Jonda and mind reader, and Elisabeth, kidnapped royalty.

Enon would either be a hero or a dead man. The fighting is fierce, but he makes a good showing, even managing to hook up with a woman who has his number. Their verbal banter is more often funny than hurtful.

Would betrayal take the king’s life? Isn’t there always someone hiding in the shadows wanting the kingdom?

The world created is fraught with danger and enemies at every turn. Will  the frightened little man become an unwilling hero? Well, all I can say is the journey is long and arduous, and not all will return.

Tegon Maus can sure spin a tale, drawing me in, making me crave more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Gift by Tegon Maus.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Tucker Littlefield is a liar, a thief, a con-man. In an attempt to take advantage of a party thrown by the King, he becomes involved in a kidnapping – the King’s niece, Elizabeth, to be exact. Because of his fear of the dark as well as heights, and a good many other things, he finds himself stabbed and bleeding to death. To save him, a Shaman for the Jonda – Daneba – turns him into a soul bearer for the Kindred. In an effort to find Lizie, Littlefield finds the Norha instead and their leader Tahki – a cannibalistic tribe the lives under a volcano that will leave no stone unturned to find Lizie. Littlefield is blackmailed into her recovery. Will the help of his companion, Enon, help them save Lizie…and themselves?

“Transformed by a primitive magic beyond a civilized man’s understanding, I was given a horrible gift that no man should possess… It held me, twisted me, turning me at its bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten stone to peer into the depth of a man’s soul. I watched as a promise made at birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again – all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is true-spoken.”

EXCERPT

She grabbed my right hand, holding it tightly. I was frozen with fear and could not escape. The dagger suddenly flashed in her hand and she drove it deep into my palm. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out of my mouth. If it did, it was drowned out by the wails of Enon’s dog. It howled, pained as deeply as I, as the flames of the fires became fingers, rippling out to tear open the dog’s chest. They responded to Daneba’s voice, doing her bidding, and peeled layers of flesh, laying open bone and hide alike, exposing the animal’s beating heart.

A second unholy scream filled the air, deeper, wilder than that of the creature laid open at my side. It was Enon, and all that had happened to the dog began to repeat itself with him.

He, still kneeling, screamed as his chest turned inside out, his beating heart exposed to my gaze.

I was next to be disemboweled by her spell. The tearing of cloth and the sizzle of the fire as it pulled open my skin was deafening. The snap of bone wrenched at my fear and as I looked down, there beat my own heart. Blood ran freely from the hole in Enon’s hand. Daneba’s chant gained volume as she collected it in a silver bowl and the wind blew harder. As she chanted and the fire licked out repeatedly toward me, she poured Enon’s blood into the fresh wound in my palm and between my fingers. She raised the bowl higher and the blood that streamed from it thinned to a single strand.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

I was raised pretty much the same as everyone else… devoted mother, strict father and all the imaginary friends I could conjure.

The first thing I can remember writing was for my wife. For the life of me I can’t remember what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after that. I spent a good number of years chasing other dreams before I got back to writing.

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Fllow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2019/05/review-tour-gift-by-tegon-maus.html

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Ken La Salle Writes Of #Zombies, #Romance, #Love, #Art, #Cookies, #Fantasy @KenLaSalle

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GUEST POST BY KEN LA SALLE

I am so excited to have you here today, Ken. I have read books from you that have dealt with cookies, zombies, personal success, magic, fantasy and love. I have enjoyed each and every one. You are here to share your thoughts about your Heaven series. So…let’s begin.

Grief is Funny

(Emotional Honesty in Heaven Denied)

So, I’m sitting in a radio-show studio, just before going on the air – this was a couple of years ago – and one of the hosts asks me a question I’d been hearing a lot that still took me by surprise. Were we going to see a sequel to Heaven Enough?

I say the question took me by surprise because, ever since the day I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to write my first novel, I always had sequels in mind. Most of my brainstorming for any novel includes some strategizing as to where I take that story next.

But Heaven Enough was a different kind of novel for me. The idea sprang forth fully self-contained. For a novel about a man who had lost his wife to later find love on the Pacific Crest Trail; what more was there? I had even taken my wife on a drive through Warner Springs, telling her about the characters and pointing out where they would go, finishing with a definite conclusion – Heaven Enough would be a stand-alone story.

As so often is the case, life had other plans. The story of Matt Murphy and Heather Brooker and this unlikely pairing of one broken man who insisted he wasn’t with one indominable woman who bore a tragic secret caught on rather unexpectedly. Here and there, readers would inquire after a sequel. Until the day came when I was sitting in that studio and I realized that my readers were right: Heaven Enough needed a sequel.

… As it turned out, my publisher wasn’t interested. Too much time had passed since the first book’s release, I was told. I’d be smart to move on.

But if I was smart, I wouldn’t be a novelist. I had spent too much time thinking about a sequel to let it go – not just one but two! My publisher, Limitless, while not interested in the sequels, released me from my contract so that I could self-publish all of the Heaven novels. All that was left was to write them.

The smart move would be to follow that sad tale of Heather and Matt with a more upbeat chapter. Everyone was asking about Neal and Babette, the flamboyant cross-dresser who appeared towards the end of the first novel. Perhaps, some suggested, I focus more on them.

While I knew that might make for a more marketable title, I also knew Matt wasn’t finished with Heather. Babette and Neal will have their moment, of this you can be sure, but I couldn’t move on until Matt could move on. Only… how could Matt move on? Heather’s story was wrapped in a tight bow. Where could Matt turn to share his awful grief?

In Heaven Enough, I made it clear that Heather was not only alone in the world, she’d also never married and was still a virgin. That is ironclad. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t have a life, that she didn’t love. And, if the Heaven novels are about anything, they are about love and opening ourselves up to love. And, so, I planted an imaginary photograph on an imaginary Internet for Babette to find, a photograph of a much younger Heather with a much younger man posing outside of a chapel in Las Vegas.

That was all Matt would need. I knew Babette wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut, especially with a little help from Neal and Babs, Matt’s mother. Once he knew some strand of Heather’s life remained out there, somewhere, Matt would step onto the pages of a new novel, a more complicated novel than Heaven Enough. Part Bromance, part romantic comedy, part road trip, the new novel would touch on missed opportunities and regrets, love in all of its forms and coming to terms with who you are after who you are is almost unrecognizable.

That novel, I titled Heaven Denied.

Heaven Denied is now available in ebook and paperback, with an audiobook on its way. You can also pick up Heaven Enough in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. Look for the third novel in this series, Heaven For Now, coming late this year.

Congratulations, Ken, for having written a love story that has stuck with me, making me look inside myself, not just along for the ride. I am happy we will have a third book, and I hope you will put me at the top of list when it becomes available for review.

See My Reviews:

I didn’t realize I had read so many, each unique in their own way. I have laughed and cried my way through them, and I eagerly wait for the next one…

Take a look at these fabulous covers:

Wormfood IslandCookies: Sluts of the Snack World Once RemovedFalse Starts: Mistakes & Missteps Growing Up In The 70s Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers Climbing Maya Max Dedge in The Time of The Uniborg Heaven Enough Heaven Denied

 

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EEK! It’s A Spider – What Hides Within by Jason Parent @AuthorJasParent

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Jason Parent writes some scary stuff, just look at the cover for What Hides Within and you will see what I mean. Does it make you want to know want to know more? It does me.

Cover by Q Design

Publisher: Bloodshot Books

What Hides Within

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Just looking at the creepy cover makes me cringe, yet I open it with sweet anticipation, looking forward to a great scare with same laughs, which I know Jason Parent is more than willing to provide.

With a name like Clive, I foresee some bad things coming his way. Will he be the victim or the perpetrator? We shall see.

The doctor cut open his head to remove…something…only to find everything is okay. He stitched him back up, offered an apology, and wanted him to go away. I’m sorry, but that wouldn’t work for me, and I don’t think it will work for Clive either. OMG! The nerve of the idiot moron doctor! If I was Clive, I probably would have killed him on the spot.

That is the present…NOW…let’s go to the past and find out how and why he got into this spot to begin with.

Detective Samantha Reilly was a hardened detective leading the investigation into a young girl’s death. She was inured to the brutality humans inflicted upon each other. Knowing Jason, I see more dead bodies on the horizon and a truly evil killer.

As soon as we went under the bridge, I knew where Jason was taking me. Now, I’m waiting for the twist.

Chester and Derek…OMG…I laughed so hard I cried. I love that Jason Parent packs so much action, along with the darkness and laughs, leaving me wanting more.

Chester, I wonder what’s going to happen to Chester. Every time I think about him, I try to imagine the details of his home, how and what he eats, and his dining accommodations. I wonder what Chester hopes to accomplish.

I shivered and freaked out a little. Spiders are one of my favorite critters to read about because they make me so uncomfortable. Talk about stepping outside my comfort zone.

Well, that didn’t go the way I thought and that is one of the reasons I love Jason Parent’s writing. He mixes genres seamlessly, dark horror and comedy with lots of action, and creates some amazing villains. Can’t hear so well? Have a stuffy nose? Well…

Jason, you did it again. Took me to a place filled with suspense and tension and a pace that kept me reading, wanting to know what was on the next page, and the next one…

I can hardly wait to get my hands on Victoria, Book II and the final book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of What Hides Within by Jason Parent.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos

  4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An award-winning horror/mystery with loads of dark comedy!

Inside all of us, there is darkness. Inside Clive, it’s tangible, and it’s aching to get out.

What Hides Within tells the story of a man held captive by an unknown evil. Clive Menard is a spineless slacker leading an ordinary existence. But when Chester enters his life, it becomes far from ordinary.

A disheveled Clive stands alone in a hospital waiting room. A series of incidences have led him to undergo unnecessary neurosurgery. A voice inside Clive’s head nags him to kill the doctor.

Weeks prior, a murder investigation and an unrelated kayaking excursion set the story’s interlocking events in motion. When a remorseful killer, a bomb-happy psychopath and a mysterious widow spider converge upon Clive, they bring with them destruction and death. Clive must discover who or what is steering his very existence before he, too, is consumed by the carnage around him.

With a driven detective following his every step and a vicious killer hiding within his circle of friends, Clive must walk a narrow and dangerous path, teetering between salvation and damnation. He must confront Chester and his own demons. But is he powerless to overcome them?

An EPIC Finalist, “Best Horror of 2013” read and eFestival eBook Award Runner-Up for Best Horror.

ABOUT JASON PARENT

Jason Parent

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it’s harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he’s back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that’s another story.

When he’s not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists into a knot or takes somebody’s head off – he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonP…, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.

MY JASON PARENT REVIEWS

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Friday 56 #151 – Heaven Denied by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

I read Heaven Enough, Book I (see my review HERE) some time ago and loved it, so I am very excited to share the cover for Ken La Salle’s new sequel, Heaven Denied.

 Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY 56 is the first paragraph, since I don’t have the book…yet.

In the remains of a bedroom down in the seaside town of Ocean Beach, California, a broken man bolted out of a nightmare and returned to his life.

(published in 2018)

GOODREADS BLURB

What would it be like to have heaven enough?

For just a few, brief days on the Pacific Crest Trail, Matt Murphy knew. He fell in love, faced his true self, and came to understand what was really important in life – until the woman he fell in love with died and his life was cast into the chaotic emptiness of grief. Within that emptiness, Matt lost his wealth, his job, and everything that helped his life make sense.

Matt believed he could accept that if it really was the price of true love… Until he learned that the woman he loved had already been married.

Where that left him and what it meant for the love he thought they shared, Matt couldn’t know. His only recourse would be to meet the man who had married his love and understand what that love had meant to him. How could he have lost her? How could he have pushed her aside? How could he have given her up when losing her broke so much of what was left of Matt’s heart?

Matt is going to have to find out. Even if it means blundering through another relationship, driving into a lake, just a bit of kidnapping, and possibly facing the kind of man he really is, was, and always will be.

The results of which could change Matt’s life forever…

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Giveaway – Library of Absolution by Jennifer Derrick @JDerrickAuthor @XpressoTours

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Library of Absolution
Jennifer Derrick
(Legacy of the Book Mesmer, #1)
Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing
Publication date: December 17th 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Alarick Brandon is the powerful wizard who operates The Keep, a refuge for magical people fleeing the persecution of the Ministry. A bitter realist, Alarick knows it’s only a matter of time until the Ministry succeeds in eradicating magic from the world—and exterminating all magical beings—so he has been careful to avoid any personal involvement with the people who pass through his sanctuary.

But when Elissa Stone arrives at The Keep, her village a smoldering ruin, and only her magical talent and a forbidden library left to her name, Alarick’s ordered world descends into chaos. Elissa is a Book Mesmer, a magical talent long believed extinct. She can enchant books, making them indestructible, unreadable…even deadly to unauthorized readers. But while her magic can secure a legacy for future magical generations, it’s not a skill that’s good in a fight, and certainly not one that Alarick sees any real use for. But there’s something compelling about a woman who defies the Ministry’s edicts against female literacy, and she seems determined to prove that knowledge is a weapon in its own right…

The first installment in an enticing new fantasy series by author Jennifer Derrick, The Library of Absolution is a compelling story of perseverance and determination in the face of persecution, in a Dark Age where hope is lost—and knowledge is the only thing left to fight for.

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EXCERPT:

“You told me you left to look for books,” Alarick said.

“I did, in part. That wasn’t a total fabrication. I figured if I was leaving I might as well make the effort. If I was going to get killed by the Ministry, it should be in the service of something larger than myself. Fool that I was,” she whispered.

Alarick ignored the last part. She was only stating a fact. There was no need for him to comment further on her foolishness.

“But you had no intention of returning?” he asked. “Because of something you found in my library?”

The thought of her leaving with no intention to return gutted him. It was bad enough she’d wanted to leave at all; to put her safety at risk for the sake of some books. It was bad enough that he had failed to keep her safe; to understand what she meant to do until it was too late.

But even at the worst of it, he’d believed she intended to return to him. To the Keep. That was why he’d gone after her, because he believed she still wanted to be here. That she’d intended to run away forever was unthinkable. That he’d risked his life for someone who had run from him, who wanted nothing to do with him, was galling.

He choked back his rage and sorrow, replacing them with cool disdain.

“Well, then, are you going to tell me just what was so terrible that it would make you flee and never come back? I’m aware that nothing in that library paints me in a flattering light, but you already knew of my unpleasantness. Surely the disjointed ramblings of a young man could not be quite so damning,” Alarick said.

Of course, he knew the truth. There were some secrets in there so damning he could imagine exactly why she wanted to run from him. It was why he kept that room protected. Damn her for finding it. Damn her for finding him.

She turned her head away from him. Not that it mattered. She couldn’t see him. But he wasn’t going to let her damn his soul and cast him out of her life without at least facing him while she did it. He reached over and with gentle pressure turned her chin toward him.

“If you expect me to forgive you for your trespass, you will at least face me while you tell me exactly what sort of monster you believe me to be,” he said.

“I’d rather you tell me the story as the man you are now, not the boy who did the things I read. Tell me there’s a better ending to your story. Tell me that you are not the monster.”

He laughed at that.

“Would that I could,” he said. “But since you read my books, I’m certain you know there is no redemption for me. That is why you left, isn’t it?”

“No. I didn’t leave because I feared you to be irredeemable. My time with you has taught me that there is more to you than the boy in those books. I left because I feared there was no place for me in your story. And that I could not bear.”

He was about to say something, but suddenly he couldn’t remember what it was. What had she said? She hadn’t left because of his past deeds, but because she was afraid he had no place for her? Was that possibly right? He struggled to make sense of it in his brain. He’d expected condemnation, not… Was it disappointment he heard in her voice?

Before he could sort out a proper response, she said, “I’ve read your grimoire. It’s terrifying. Start with why you took such an interest in dark magic and go from there.”

Alarick said nothing at first. Why had he taken an interest in dark magic? The question was better phrased as, “Why not?” He looked at Elissa. She might not be able to see him, but she had an uncanny ability to focus on his face as though she could. And something in her eyes compelled him to tell the story that he’d never told anyone in its entirety.


Author Bio:

Jennifer is a freelance writer and novelist. As a freelancer, she writes everything from technical manuals to articles on personal finance and European-style board games. Her interest in storytelling began when she was six and her parents gave her a typewriter for Christmas and agreed to pay her $.01 per page for any stories she churned out. Such a loose payment system naturally led to a lot of story padding. Broken Fate, her first novel, earned her $2.80 from her parents.

Jennifer lives in North Carolina and, when not writing, can often be found reading, trawling the shelves at the library, playing board games, watching sports, camping, running marathons, and playing with her dog. You can visit her at her official website: JenniferDerrick.com.

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