Debut Author spot - Please welcome Grace Elliot

Please give a warm welcome to  historical romance author Grace Elliot, whose debut  novel, ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’    .

Author Bio. 
Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace lives near London and is addicted to cats, acting as housekeeping staff to five mischievous moggies.

Grace believes intelligent people need romantic fiction in their lives as an antidote to the modern world and as an avid reader of historicals she turned to writing as a release from the emotionally draining side of veterinary work. Her debut novel ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ is now available from most eBook stores including Amazon price $2.99.

What created your interest in history? And why did you choose the period to write in that you have?
I discovered the wonders of history whilst pregnant with my second son. It was a difficult pregnancy and I spent a lot of time resting and reading. By chance I picked up an engrossing book by Margaret George called ‘The Autobiography of Henry VIII.’ That the novel was based on fact was a revelation…but how could this be so when the book was so interesting? I then read my first non-fiction history book outside of school, and fell in love with the past. History books became an addiction…they occupy all available wall space at home…and research is the best excuse yet to buy more!
‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ is set in the regency period. There’s just something about the late Georgian era that lends its self to romance: men’s fashions were so dashing, woman dressed in flimsy silk gowns with tiny bodices, it was a time of strict manners when reputation was everything…just ripe for the romantic novelist to take advantage of!

How much time do you spend on research before you start writing?
There are two types of research. Firstly, that general to the regency era and secondly, facts pertinent to the story I’m writing.
I constantly read non-fiction for pleasure and so the general research looks after itself. Each novel requires specific research, such as what plays were popular that year, or what style bonnets were in vogue. I keep a hardback spiral bound notebook for each WIP (Work in progress) and during the first draft note down what’s needed and research the details as I go.
I couldn’t bare not to write every day. I’ll never be a writer who researches everything first and then, with all the facts in place, starts to write.

How much plotting do you have to do before you start writing?
My writing method is that characters come first; I decide on the hero or heroine, what makes them tick and their back story. From there I decide what circumstances they fear most…and guess what….plunge them right into that situation.
My characters write themselves, my task is to get inside their heads and anticipate their feelings and reactions…getting to know them inside out is the key to letting their voices speak on the page. When I’m ‘in the zone’ to steal a sporting reference, the words flow straight from the characters mouths and my fingers are just the conduit that lets it happen.

Why did you choose historical romance?
It’s the escapism of romance, and especially historical romance, that does it for me. Real life is tough, and as a working wife and mother I’m constantly busy, with little time to myself. My work as a veterinarian is also very stressful; making life and death decisions several times a day and dealing with the emotional consequences for owners can be draining, to say the least. And that’s where both reading and writing romance comes in. It’s my escape from reality, a means of detaching myself from the cares of the present and unwinding. I’d go so far as to say that most intelligent people could do with reading romance, as an antidote to the modern world.

If you could make one life-impacting change to the historical period you write about, what would it have been?
I’d stop the practice of blood letting and make midwives wash their hands!
For so many centuries doctors were pretty useless, and for whatever misguided reasons, bled their patients (perhaps to make it look like they were doing something!). How totally crazy is the idea of draining blood out of a weak and seriously ill patient? Madness! Likewise, the importance of hygiene was appreciated and many women died needlessly after childbirth from fever, because midwives and doctor didn’t bother wash their hands before gynaecological examinations.

If you didn't write, what would you like to do?
Read!
Or, if I wasn’t allowed a book (or kindle!) I’d go for a jog. …then come back and read.

What are you working on now?
You can’t beat a good historical romance for page turning, escapism and I hope my next novel ‘Eulogy’s Secret’ lives up to this.
‘Eulogy’s Secret’ is a story about hidden identity, dangerous assumptions and prejudice. Our heroine, Eulogy Foster, has a secret that could destroy lives…but will she keep that secret if, in the telling, she could win the man she loves?
Once again set in the Regency, this book is the first in a series of three, about very different brothers, and will be available later this year.

Book Blurb: ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ by Grace Elliot.
Celeste Armitage has a plan…and that plan doesn’t include marriage.
After deliberately humiliating a suitor, Celeste’s despairing parents exile her to the country. But once there she discovers a sketch book of daring nude studies and is shaken to find the artist is her hostess’s eldest son, Lord Ranulf Charing. This darkly cynical lord is exactly the sort of dissipated rogue she despises most…if only her blood didn’t heat at the thought of him…
Nothing is as it seems. Lord Ranulf’s life is a façade. Only he can save the Charing’s from disgrace as a blackmailer seeks to ruin his late brother’s reputation. But just as Ranulf dares to open his heart to Celeste, the fury of his nemesis is unleashed… facing him with the stark choice between true love and family duty. However when Celeste guesses the truth behind his rejection, Ranulf underestimates her resolve to clear his name and in so doing places the woman he loves in mortal danger….

Excerpt:
So be it. Ranulf gritted his teeth as he grasped the leading leg and pushed. It was like fighting against a brick wall, the calf barely moving. A lamb was difficult enough, how much more so a calf? Just as he was wondering if one man was strong enough, a shower of pebbles rattled down the bank. Concentrating on the calf, he barked.

“Don’t just stand there. Get down here!”

“I beg your pardon!” A woman’s voice answered.

With a flash of annoyance Ranulf glanced upward.

A wide eyed young woman in a straw bonnet peered down. “I say, is everything all right?”

“Does it look all right?” Muttering under his breath, all he needed was some sensitive Miss fainting on him. “Go! Fetch help from the house.”

He saw her hesitate, biting her top lip. “But you need help now.”

A contraction clamped around his arm as the cow's tail switched across his face, stinging his eyes like a cat-o-nine-tails.

In a flurry of muslin and lace the Miss slid down the bank, landing with a thud in the ditch.

“Ouch.” She rubbed her ankle. Ranulf glared back, dark eyes flashing.

“You should have gone to the house.” Damn it all, she could make herself useful then. “Hold the tail aside.”

Pulling a face she limped over. Ranulf's eye lingered for she merited a second glance. Of middle height with a tidy waist and curves where God intended them, she appeared quick witted and bright eyed. Without further ado, she stripped off her gloves throwing them onto a bramble bush. Long, sensitive fingers grasped the muddy tail. Practical, Ranulf thought, silently impressed.

“Why didn't you go for help?”

“There wasn't time.” Her bonnet slipped backwards, revealing a quirky face with a pointed chin, her lips finely drawn with an arched cupid's bow. The sort of face an artist could lose himself in, all shades of the sea to be found in deep emerald eyes framed by a tangle of chestnut hair.

Ranulf tightened his grasp and pushed. Sweat beading his brow. The calf retreated an inch.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was gentle and calm, if somewhat deep for a woman. Ranulf guessed it would be husky in bed, whispering over a pillow after a night of passion. Her eyes were on him - deep green eyes, lively and entrancing. Suddenly he remembered that he was undressed to the waist, her curious gaze on his skin as he was gripped by the idea of those lily white hands gliding over his naked chest, her almond shaped nails digging into his skin. He shook away the thought, trying to remember her question.

All innocence and interest she watched, blushing faintly in a charming way and yet, he realized, no wilting flower. He shook his head. The woman had asked a question, damn it. He would answer.

“The calf is breech.” He grunted, “I need to push her back into the womb to turn her…” He wanted to shock this stranger, to test how bold she truly was. She stared back, biting her top lip, exaggerating her snub nose.

“Ah!” Her gaze met his.

“Think of the calf as a carriage in a narrow driveway. To turn it around you push it back into the stable yard…”

“What can I do to help?”

“Nothing.” He growled.

Throwing him an angry look, she anchored the tail with a log and scrambled round to the beast's head. After a moment‟s thought, she placed her pelisse under the cow's head stroking the broad nose and crooning words of comfort.

“She's relaxing.” Ranulf's arm was numb from the contractions. He fell forward, as the first leg finally slid back into the womb. "That helps." His hair had come free from the ribbon, falling thickly about his shoulders. He glanced at the Miss. She was leaning forward, her bosom straining against a tight bodice, a satisfying cleavage between her breasts. He swallowed hard. She was odd looking, he decided, not exactly beautiful but eye catching none the less. Her face showed character, determination…and her complexion too healthy to be fashionable, rosy cheeked and peppered with freckles which with a hint of sunlight burst into a profusion.

The Miss was glaring at him now, her skin glowing bright pink. Had he been staring? His heart raced as he returned to the calving.

To find out more visit http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com
or visit her web page http://www.graceelliot.webs.com/
You can buy A Dead Man's Debt HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE

:-) Grace, I love cats too. Thank you for joining us here and sharing information on your fascinating book.

Comma Chameleon

Today Kim rounds up her visit talking about  Comma Chameleon

The comma is, in my opinion, the chameleon of the punctuation family. And I don’t mean that in a good way, but rather that it reminds me of the chameleon Randall from the Disney movie Monster’s Inc. Why? Because despite the many grammatical rules about using the comma, they’re always changing or including exceptions that basically say, “This is the rule, but you can do it this way, or you can do it that way, or you can follow what this person does, or what that person does”. Sort of like a chameleon changes colors. It’s enough to drive you batty.

There’s no way in this blog post I can cover all the rules there are associated with the comma. But I’m going to do my best to cover two instances that create problems for authors.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSES: This is more commonly known as a sentence. So basically what this means is if you have two sentences that are joined by a conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet – just to name a few), you need a comma before the conjunction. You wouldn’t believe how many people omit a comma in this instance. I’m going to show you a couple examples to help illustrate how I remember this rule.

EXAMPLE 1
She abused this privilege by taking the information and using it to prevent her charge from dying.

EXAMPLE 2
Her feelings for Owen might have clouded her judgment but she would never stoop to sacrificing others for her own selfish desires.

Which one of the above examples needs a comma? If you guessed the second one, you’re right. In the first example, the first phrase can’t stand alone. It doesn’t make sense to say She abused this privilege by taking the information. The second clause is no better. Using it to prevent her charge from dying doesn’t make a sentence either. But in Example 2, Her feelings for Owen might have clouded her judgment is a complete sentence. As is She would never stoop to sacrificing others for her own selfish desires.

The way I remember when to insert a comma and when not to is: INDEPENDENT CLAUSES are IN NEED of a comma. DEPENDENT CLAUSES DEPEND on the contraction so NO COMMA!

INTRODUCTORY WORDS AND PHRASES: This is one of the toughest comma rules (and I use the word rules loosely when it comes to commas) because it doesn’t really give you a clear answer. The rule says that generally an introductory word or phrase is followed by a comma, but to use your best judgment. HELLOOOOO! If we didn’t want someone to come out and tell us what to do, we wouldn’t be reading the rules!

To be honest, this one stumps me the most. With this rule, there’s really no rhyme or reason that goes into an individual’s decision to use a comma or to omit it. I do have a little secret I’ll share that will make it easier. It’s a sure-fire formula you can use to determine if a comma is truly needed. It’s simple and it hasn’t failed me yet.

1. Ask yourself if the sentence can stand on its own without the phrase.
2. Is the phrase being used to insert a pause in the sentence?
3. Place the phrase at the end of the sentence to see if you would need to insert a comma for clarity.
4. Is the phrase essential to the sentence or is it added information?
5. Turn the sentence into a question and see if it makes sense with the phrase.

I know, I know. I hear you all groaning about having to do so much work. And YES you have to do it. If you’re serious about being an author, then you have to do everything possible to make your manuscript the best it can be. Now for a training exercise.

To be fair it hadn’t taken much convincing.

Step 1: take the introductory phrase away and see if the rest of the clause is a sentence. It hadn’t taken much convincing. Yes, it’s a sentence and it can stand on its own.

Step 2: Read the sentence aloud and see if you automatically insert a pause after the phrase. Yes, you should have inserted a pause.

Step 3: Place the phrase at the end of the sentence and see if a comma is needed for clarity. It hadn’t taken much convincing to be fair. Yes, in this instance a comma is definitely needed for understanding.

Step 4: Is the phrase essential to the sentence? This is a little trickier to answer, but we know it’s not essential to make the clause a sentence and we know it’s not needed to help clarify what’s being discussed, so it might make the sentence better but it’s not essential. So the answer is NO.

Step 5: Turn the sentence into a question and see if it’s awkward with the phrase. To be fair had it taken much convincing? Had it taken much convincing? It’s not hard to see that the sentence with the phrase is very awkward when turned into a question if you don’t have a comma.

In a nutshell, if you find that you answer yes to steps 1, 2, & 3 and that you answer no to step 4 and that when you complete step 5 it’s awkward, you need the comma. You might be thinking, “But I know that since steps 1 & 2 are yes that I need a comma so I don’t need to complete the other steps”. Wrong. Most people do steps 1 & 2 and still don’t get it right. Until you practice going through all these steps and truly have a grasp of using commas with introductory phrases and words, complete all five steps!

Now, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. You can start with the few examples I’ve provided. Which ones need a comma? Do you have a sentence you’d like to discuss?

PRACTICE SENTENCES:
With open arms she ran to him.
Before he could shoot the woman whipped the fire extinguisher around and sprayed the animal.
Slowly Kell stood.

Wayward Soul blurb:
When Zanna Seoul accidentally causes the death of a fellow spirit guide’s charge while trying to save the life of the man she loves, she is stripped of her position and banished to Earth to die. In the spirit world, one doesn’t mess with what’s written. With Zanna no longer guiding him and his memory of her erased, Owen Nash is left wide open as the target of the vengeful spirit guide who feels he’s been wronged. A guide who also happens to be a werewolf. Once on Earth, Zanna refuses to stand by and watch Owen die, so she intervenes again, setting off a chain of events that could mean death for all of them if she doesn’t go back and undo the mess she’s made. Can Zanna succeed before the werewolf does?


BIO:
Kim Bowman lives in Indiana, where she was born and raised. For the past eleven years, she has been married to her best friend, Tony. She has four wonderful, awesome children. Three she was lucky enough to inherit from her husband and one she was given by the grace of God. They live on a small farm with two of their four kids, five horses, and two dogs. Kim works as an editor for Evernight Publishing and indulges in her passion of writing when she can.

My Blog
My Facebook
My Twitter
To Buy Links HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE
 

Thank you Kim for joining us at The Heart of Romance and sharing your editorial experiences and advice with us.  

Today Kim -the editor- explains why 'Variety is the Spice of Writing'

Variety is the Spice of Writing

As an editor, I can tell you repetition is a HUGE pet peeve. H-U-G-E. It’s a HUGE mistake for a writer to make. It causes a HUGE distraction and takes away from the story when an author uses a word or a phrase repeatedly. HUGE no-no. HUGE. Don’t do it. Did I mention it’s a HUGE mistake? Do you get the point?

I thought I had, until I got the first round of edits back on my novella Wayward Soul. Here’s just one paragraph from my book (too embarrassed to post more than that). Notice all the green highlights?

The contemptuous voice raked across her tormented soul, turning her dazed anguish to blazing wrath. She came up swinging. The lycan didn’t move fast enough to avoid her. She raked her nails down both sides of his face drawing blood. She clawed and scratched digging her fingers so deep, she broke a nail. He stumbled back a few steps, screaming and cursing, and then he rammed his hands against her chest sending her sprawling on the floor.

In this one paragraph, I used the word HER seven times and the word SHE four times. WOW! I hadn’t even realized it. My mouth fell open when I saw all the green highlights. Are you sitting down? In a 17,000 word novella, I had used the word HER around 600 times and the word SHE about 400. One thousand words! I don’t even want to tell you how long those edits took me. But check out the end result.

The contemptuous voice raked across Zanna’s tormented soul, turning her dazed anguish to blazing wrath. She came up swinging. The lycan didn’t move fast enough to avoid the nails raking down both sides of his face drawing blood. Her fingers clawed and scratched, digging so deep a nail broke. He stumbled back a few steps, screaming and cursing, and then he rammed his hands against Zanna’s chest sending her sprawling on the floor.

Look how much stronger my voice is in the second paragraph. When you continually use the same word or phrase, it takes away from the story. People “tune you out”. They stop reading or paying attention.

If you take nothing else away with you from my visit on Sherry’s blog, take this: If you continually use the same word or phrase over and over, it will bore your reader. Learn to let the FIND function be your BEST FRIEND when it comes to editing and creating a strong manuscript. Pick some words from your first chapter, specifically ‘be’ verbs, pronouns, adverbs, and insert them in the FIND box and then Highlight them. Let’s just take the word SLOWLY for example. If in a novella you’ve used this word more than a handful of times, you’ve used it too much and you need to find some alternatives. Just this exercise of running a few words through FIND will improve your manuscript tenfold.

Now I’m not saying to avoid repetition. There are times when it adds to a story. The best example is the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities in which the word WAS appears eleven times. Powerful. I’m talking about when it’s unintentional (as with my novella) and, therefore, weakens your story. Search your manuscript with a fine tooth comb looking for any words, phrases, and/or punctuation marks that you overuse and find an alternative.

So what’s your “Achilles’ heel” of writing? What’s the one writing habit you can’t break?

Wayward Soul blurb:
When Zanna Seoul accidentally causes the death of a fellow spirit guide’s charge while trying to save the life of the man she loves, she is stripped of her position and banished to Earth to die. In the spirit world, one doesn’t mess with what’s written. With Zanna no longer guiding him and his memory of her erased, Owen Nash is left wide open as the target of the vengeful spirit guide who feels he’s been wronged. A guide who also happens to be a werewolf. Once on Earth, Zanna refuses to stand by and watch Owen die, so she intervenes again, setting off a chain of events that could mean death for all of them if she doesn’t go back and undo the mess she’s made. Can Zanna succeed before the werewolf does?

BIO:
Kim Bowman lives in Indiana, where she was born and raised. For the past eleven years, she has been married to her best friend, Tony. She has four wonderful, awesome children. Three she was lucky enough to inherit from her husband and one she was given by the grace of God. They live on a small farm with two of their four kids, five horses, and two dogs. Kim works as an editor for Evernight Publishing and indulges in her passion of writing when she can.

Kim's Blog
Kim's Facebook
Kim's Twitter
Buy Wayward Soul HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE

Please come back tomorrow when Kim Talks about Comma Chameleon

Kim Bowman and Contractions...

Please welcome Author and editor, Kim Bowman today as she talk's about contractions.
No! Not THOSE kind of contractions, ladies :-) 

I Feel a Contraction Coming On

If I had to pick the one mistake I see writers make over and over it would be that they don’t use contractions. I’m serious. This is by far the biggest correction I make when editing a manuscript. Was not to wasn’t, is not to isn’t, are not to aren’t…the list is endless.

This is jarring to read, it interrupts the flow of the story, and it makes the writing seem choppy. Fiction is supposed to sound natural, and when we speak, we use contractions. Here are some examples from my book Wayward Soul. Read them out loud and see which example sounds better:

A - Please do not go to work. Stay here. Stay safe.

B - Please don’t go to work. Stay here. Stay safe.

A - “Well, we cannot have that, Lieutenant Nash.”

B - “Well, we can’t have that, Lieutenant Nash.”

A - Zanna took his face in her hands. “No, you did not scare me at all.”

B - Zanna took his face in her hands. “No, you didn’t scare me at all.”

A - “Please do not cry. I hate it when you cry. I was a jerk.”

B - “Please don’t cry. I hate it when you cry. I was a jerk.”

Even if you read these examples to yourself, the sentences that don’t have contractions probably felt awkward. The others, more natural and easier to follow. I guarantee this small change will make a world of difference in your manuscript.

On the other side of the coin, sometimes it’s better not to use a contraction. For instance, if you want to add emphasis like in this example from my short story The Ballad of Brenda and Willard:

A - “I cannot believe that you care so little about me that you don’t even remember our anniversary. How dare you. Our anniversary is not March tenth.”

B - “I can’t believe that you care so little about me that you don’t even remember our anniversary. How dare you. Our anniversary isn’t March tenth.”

Either scenario above would work, however example A clearly helps show the character’s emotion and anger just a tad better. This is part of developing your voice as a writer. Just don’t overdo it.

No matter how many times you edit your manuscript, you’ll likely miss some of these. The best way to find them, and avoid spending hours reading and re-reading your story, is to use FIND and REPLACE feature in your word processing program like this:

Whala! Simple. Easy. You can repeat this process to fix any words that should be contracted.

Another alternative is to just use the Find function and search for the word NOT, for example, then click the Reading Highlight button and Highlight all.

 This is the quickest way to find words that should be turned into contractions, but it’s certainly not the easiest way to fix them because once you click in the document and make a change, the highlights disappear and you have to repeat the process. However, this will without a doubt ensure you haven’t missed anything. So my advice is to use the table below to help you figure out which words should be contracted, use the Find/Replace function to fix them, and then use the Find function with Highlight to double check yourself.

• Full form      Contracted
• Not               -n’t
• Let us            let’s
• Am                -’m
• Are                -’re
• Is                   -’s
• Does              -’s
• Has                -’s
• Have              -’ve
• Had                -’d
• Did                 -’d
• Would            -’d
• Will                -’ll

This list isn’t all inclusive and there may still be some contractions that you miss, but just this one change will make your manuscript much better and more appealing to those publishers when you send it out. :-)

Wayward Soul blurb:

When Zanna Seoul accidentally causes the death of a fellow spirit guide’s charge while trying to save the life of the man she loves, she is stripped of her position and banished to Earth to die. In the spirit world, one doesn’t mess with what’s written. With Zanna no longer guiding him and his memory of her erased, Owen Nash is left wide open as the target of the vengeful spirit guide who feels he’s been wronged. A guide who also happens to be a werewolf. Once on Earth, Zanna refuses to stand by and watch Owen die, so she intervenes again, setting off a chain of events that could mean death for all of them if she doesn’t go back and undo the mess she’s made. Can Zanna succeed before the werewolf does?


BIO:
Kim Bowman lives in Indiana, where she was born and raised. For the past eleven years, she has been married to her best friend, Tony. She has four wonderful, awesome children. Three she was lucky enough to inherit from her husband and one she was given by the grace of God. They live on a small farm with two of their four kids, five horses, and two dogs. Kim works as an editor for Evernight Publishing and indulges in her passion of writing when she can.

Kim's Blog
Kim's Facebook
Kim's Twitter
Buy Wayward Soul HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE

Please come back tomorrow when Kim talks about Variety is the Spice of Writing

Zee Recommends...

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

In just a few days, one of my all time favorite novels, Something Borrowed, will be coming out on the big screen. I strongly suggest that you read the book because Emily Giffin did such a fantastic job telling you about the complicated relationship between childhood best friends - Rachel White and Darcy Rhone - and the man in the middle, Dexter Thaler. But, if you don't have time to read the book, then you should definitely see the movie, as it comes out May 6th!

A little nostalgic I am to share my review of Something Borrowed with you because it was my first review on my blog, Fire Pages. Enjoy!

Review:
I call Something Borrowed my gateway drug because Emily Giffin's debut novel was my introduction into chick literature. I read this five summers ago, sitting in a leather chair in Border's bookstore, waiting for my boyfriend to get off of work. The first chapter was absolutely amazing!

This is the story about two best friends: Rachel White and Darcy Rhone. Rachel, the good girl, has been friends with Darcy since they were in elementary school. Darcy has always been the type of girl who gets exactly what she wants, while Rachel sits in the background letting Darcy get all of the attention. Everything gets turned upside down when Darcy throws Rachel her 30th birthday party and Rachel ends up sleeping with Darcy's fiancée, Dex. Rachel must decide if she will forget about her betrayal and remain the good friend she has always been or go after the one thing that is forbidden - pursuing a romantic relationship with Dex. As Darcy and Dex's September wedding quickly approaches, things begin to heat up during the summer!

Needless to say I purchased the book that same night, unable to leave it behind in the store unfinished. Want more? Read the first chapter to Something Borrowed here, and let me know if you are more like Rachel or Darcy!

Zee reviews ~ Double Bang by KyAnn Waters and Tarah Scott

Please welcome Zee back for her Reviews this month.  Today she gives us ~

Double Bang by KyAnn Waters and Tarah Scott

Blurb:
Sara Martin has a problem. And it's not the attraction she has for her co-worken Devon Curran... or the lust she feels for her sexy neighbor, Rigg. Yes, those are problems. But she has bigger issues. There's been a security breach in the impenetrable computer system at work. Suddenly, Devon doesn't look so happy. And that's a gun in his pocket!

Devon is working undercover... and Sara is about to blow his case. She's as smart as she is beautiful. But he's lied to protect her. What will she do when she discovers he works with a partner?

Review:

Double Bang is a hit! It is very well known that I am a sucker for a romantic suspense novel and about 42 pages, this short will definitely satisfy your bookworm needs. The pacing is excellent. I never felt bored, or wishing that a scene would finish. On the contrary, I was completely engrossed in the novel, eager to turn to the next page. I really enjoyed Sara's character. Unlike the usual occupations held my female protagonists - like fashion or public relations - Sara is a brainiac who works with computer security, already unique in her own right. Devon and Rigg are very strong alpha male characters. Devon is more wholesome than Rigg, but I felt that they are good opposites of each other, and complimented each other well.

I really loved how the authors dropped me right into the drama from page one. The first line of the story is "Oh, my God." You started your journey in the thick of the drama and then stood side by side with Sara as she tries to uncover the truth of the story. I found that Sara, Devon, and Rigg really surprised me with their dynamic relationship, nothing I could have ever predicted, but I'll let you read all about that twist.

Double Bang will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, completely caught up into Sara's world of mystery, intrigue, and romance. I would rate this short 5/5 stars!

You can learn more about Zee and read some of her other awesome reviews at Fire Pages

Join Zee again tomorrw when she talks about one of her all-time favourites - Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The final review of A Mystery/Suspense Collection:Sweet

Anne Patrick Is the final contributor in Victory Tales Press anthology A Mystery/Suspense Collection: Sweet
Anne's Bio:-
Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance, Mayhem & Faith, including the award-winning and best-selling Fire and Ash, Lethal Dreams and Sabotage. Her heroines are usually strong willed, witty, and often very opinionated…combinations that usually land them in situations where death seems imminent.

Anne has an alter ego by the name of Kinzie Monroe, who writes Inspirational Romance. Anne, you might say, is the dark side of Kinzie. Anne’s books may be darker in subject matter, but they all carry messages of hope and faith. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas. 

Blurb for Dangerous Deception:
Gwen Jacobs thrived on dangerous assignments, until the massacre of an African village. She is offered a chance at redemption by accompanying Jack Peterson and his small group of humanitarians to report on the atrocities taking place amidst a civil war. When her secrets are revealed, will she lose the only man she’s ever really loved?

Review: With this story, the publisher offers the reader yet another sharp contrast in story construction.
Ms. Patrick's no-nonsense,hard-hitting writing style presents flawed heroes and heroines, and it is no different in Dangerous deception.
Both Gwen Jacobs and Jack Peterson are 'in your face' from page one.
Into the mix she adds fully-formed secondary , plots, characters and conflicts that guarentee you will ignore all other committments until you finish reading the final page.
As ever, Ms. Patrick's  writing romps along at a pace that takes your breath away.  The fluency of her writing simply adds to the depths of her characters and their conflicts they encounter along the way.

The other contributing Authors:-
Miss Mae
Gerald Costlow
Cheryl Pierson
Buy Links:- HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE

Review Three of Four A Mystery/Suspense Collection

The third story I am reviewing today in Victory Tales Press A Mystery/Suspense Collection:Sweet  is
The Last of Her Kind   by 
Cheryl Pierson
Author bio:-
Cheryl was born in Duncan, Oklahoma, and lived there until the summer she turned six years old. That summer, she and her family moved to Seminole, OK.

Being the much-younger sibling of the family, her two older sisters were off to college by the time she was eight, and Cheryl was feeling very much like an only child. The upside was, that by third grade, she had discovered her talent for writing and storytelling, and that deep love of putting words together entertained her (and hopefully others) through the years to come.



An oilfield engineer for Baroid, Cheryl’s father was transferred to West Virginia her senior year in high school. With sorrowful goodbyes, Cheryl left all of her friends behind and moved to West Virginia, where she met and fell in love with her husband, Gary. Coincidentally, Gary went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration whose training academy is in Oklahoma City. Within a few years, Cheryl and Gary had relocated from Charleston, WV to Oklahoma City, OK, where he taught training classes at the FAA facility and Cheryl was back home again. Now, thirty years of marriage have passed and Cheryl’s children are grown. Her daughter, Jessica, lives nearby in Oklahoma City and works at an actors’ casting agency. Casey, Cheryl’s son, is preparing to join the Air Force ROTC in January and attend the University of Oklahoma.

During the past many years, Cheryl has worked on a variety of novels, short stories and screenplays, as well as being co-owner of her own editing/teaching company.

She has sold several newspaper articles to The Oklahoman, the premiere Oklahoma City metro area newspaper. She has sold six short stories to Adams Media (F&W Publications) for their Rocking Chair Reader series, as well as their Christmas anthologies, and she has also sold numerous short stores to Chicken Soup for their various collection of anthologies.

In May of 2008, Cheryl signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for her first full-length novel, Fire Eyes, which was released May 29, 2009 in both e-format and in print. She has another manuscript under consideration with TWRP, and also works with an agent for some of her other novel-length manuscripts.

She and her business partner, Al Serradell, are co-owners of FabKat Editing Services. FabKat offers a wide array of editing services locally and world wide, and Cheryl and Al teach writing workshops for both adults and teens. They have worked extensively in venues all around the Oklahoma City metro, including churches, libraries, schools and career centers, as well as with the Indian Education Department of one of the major school districts.

The Last of Her Kind
Blurb:
An old Victrola is the cherished possession of Cassie's grandmother. Her father also seems oddly attached to the antique phonograph, but her new stepmother detests it. Then Cassie discovers a secret, a wonderful, yet frightening, secret. Will it save her family or destroy it?

Review: This is the shortest of the four stories in the anthology.  Once more Victory Tales Press offers another completely different story.
Yes, there is charm and plenty of mystery with aflavour paranormal, too.  And yet, Ms. Pierson offers an individual voice with this story of family conflicts.
Told in the first person point of view, Ms Pierson, through her heroine, Anna, takes her readers from the present to the past and back again with both clarity and fluency.
Do not be fooled by the apparent lack of pace.  This story entices the reader to keep turning the pages until they can sit back with a secret smile and huge sigh of satisfaction.

Visit the other participating authors:-
Miss Mae
Gerald Costlow and
Anne Patrick

to buy links:- HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE

Please come back tomorrow for my review of the final story in this anthology:-

Dangerous Decption by Anne Patrick

Review two of four for A Mystery/Suspense Collection:Sweet

Today I am reviewing Gerald Costlow's A Distant Call,  the second of the four stories that make up the anthology A Mystery/Suspense Collection:Sweet published by Victory Tales Press

Author Bio:-
Gerald Costlow lives in Michigan, USA, surrounded by his wife and dogs and grandchildren. He has had numerous short stories published in magazines, anthologies, and webzines. This is his first published novel but definitely not the last.

Blurb:
The Appalachian Mountains hold mysteries galore for the unwary and the full moon increases the danger as Jessie Corman is bound to find out. Anna May Sherritt and her granny know all about the call and how folks often disappear. Can they save Jessie and solve the disappearances?







Review: Until I received this book of anthologies I'd not come across Gerald Costlow's writing before.  But make no mistake, this is an author to watch out for in the future.
His capacity for building suspense within the genteel family environment Anna May Sherritt and her granny live in.  And the final twist... well you'll just have to  buy the book to find out.
Costlow's characterisation will not disappoint, nor will the setting and emotions surrounding plot, pace and conflict.  I suspect many female writers would struggle to offer the levels of charm that laces through this beautifully written paranormal and suspenseful romance.
As with yesterday's story, this is another one you need to put aside when you come to the end of A Distant Call, simply to give you time to savour every aspect of the tale. 

Visit the other contributing authors: -
Miss Mae
Cheryl Pierson
Anne Patrick
Buy Links: HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE and other outlets.

Please come back tomorrow for my review of the third story in this anthology:- 

Cheryl Pierson's  The Last of Her Kind 

Four Stories in One

To those of you who are looking to read another awesome input from our monthly contributor Zee, I am delighted to let you know that she has two more reviews for you that are scheduled for the 5th - 7th of May.
In the meantime here are four reviews that cover the stories in one awesome anthology 


called A Mystery/Suspense Collection Anthology: Sweet published by Victory Tales Press

Featuring stories by:
Miss Mae,
Gerald Costlow,
Cheryl Pierson and
Anne Patrick.

 I will post a short review for each story daily,  starting today with:-






Award winning author Miss Mae

'Miss Penelope's Letters' 

Blurb:
The letters arrive unsigned. The writer demands Penelope meet him in London’s darkest streets. Yet he claims the reason is honorable. Can he be trusted?

Excerpt:
"All safe now, Miss Penelope."  His husky voice murmured the words almost like a caress.
"Who are you?" She grasped the edge of the cape that swung across his shoulder.  "Why did you send for me? What-?"
Before she could ask any more questions, he cut in with, "I must go.  Until next time my sweet."
"No!" A spurt of anger drowned her fear and confusion.  "There won't be a next time!"
His mouth covered hers in a hard, thorough kiss.  "You'll come."
Heels kicking the stallion, the man's broad shouldered form rode off into the night.
 
Review:
By the third line, award winning author, Miss Mae reveals the period setting in which her story takes place, with her reference to 'the corner gas lamp'.
The opening scene guarentees any reader, whether new to Miss Mae's writing or not will continue to turn the pages to the end of the tale.  She provides scintalating characters, a breath-taking plot and then adds in twist and surprises aplenty.
If I, as a Brit, have a small nit, it is her choice of naming one of her more significant characters, Lord Wellington, the namesake of one of Britain's biggest real-life historical heros.
The revelation of  Miss Penelope's 'position' in the novellette takes a little longer and simply adds to the masterful intrigue. 
It is not easy to review a short story without revealing too much of the plot, suffice to say, it takes courage for Miss Mae's heroine, Penelope, to trust the stranger who allows her to call him 'Soldier', but he's saved her life once so she agrees to help him with his dangerous mission.
In less than forty pages the author involves her readers in a thrilling, fast-paced and tightly written story that is a delight to read.
 
Buy Links: HERE ~ HERE ~ HERE and other outlets
 

Please come back tomorrow for my review of the second story in this anthology:-

Gerlad Costlow's A Distant Call