Showing posts with label . #Iamreading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label . #Iamreading. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Conversation with Jayne Ann Krentz Handling a Book Launch in Quarantine

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with 1 comment
Jane Ann Krentz, of my favorite authors has a book authored in her Amanda Quick identity coming out on May 5th.  Close Up is set in Burning Cove. 
A few years ago Amanda Quick books left Victorian England and settled in Burning Cove, 1930's Hollywood's favorite Beach town getaway spot. I am an enthusisatic follower of the move. 
As a major fan I pre-order her books. When I realized the actual release was going to be during the quarantine I contacted Jayne for a brief Q&A and she graciously responded.

Q: Writers tend to spend a lot of time at home. But I imagine the quarantine makes that time at home feel different. What do you do to keep yourself relatively sane?

JAK:  Trying to take it one day at a time here in Seattle. I'm sticking with my routine as much as possible -- Pilates three times a week (on the floor of my living room), writing every day, staying in touch with readers on social media.  Luckily my husband and I have worked at home for years and spent a lot of time in each other's company.  We get along well.  That said, I will admit I have discovered the pleasures of Zoom Happy Hours with friends!  

Q: Close Up - the 4th Burning Cove book comes out May 5th. How are you and your publisher dealing with the book launch?

JAK:  We're running some experiments with Facebook Live signing events.  I'm fortunate to be working with two great Indie bookstores --https://poisonedpen.com/ in Scottsdale, AZ and https://page2books.indielite.org/ in Burien, WA.  I'll be signing books for readers who ordered CLOSE UP  through those bookstores on April 27 and April 28 here in my living room via Facebook Live.  Fingers crossed that readers will enjoy the experience.  
This will be live at 11:00AM today, Tuesday April 28 on Jayne's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/JayneAnnKrentz/

Q: What's next in the worlds of Jayne Ann Krentz, Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick?

JAK:  The second book in my Fogg Lake Trilogy, ALL THE COLORS OF NIGHT, will be out in January (under my JAK name).  I'm working on the next Burning Cove book now and I'm planning on working in another Jayne Castle Harmony novel after that.  It seems a lot of readers are missing the dust bunnies.  The little critters have really taken over my Jayne Castle world!

I couldn't be happier. The first thing I did during Quarantine was reread all of the St Helens books, followed by the Ghost Hunter Books and then on to Harmony.


I can't wait to read Close up. I manage to change the shipping address so I will get the book here in Michigan. Here's the blurb for Closeup.

Thank you for being here, Jayne.
Welcome to Burning Cove, California where 1930s Hollywood glamour conceals a ruthless killer…
 
Vivian Brazier never thought life as an art photographer would include nightly wake-up calls to snap photos of grisly crime scenes or headshots for aspiring male actors. Although she is set on a career of transforming photography into a new art form, she knows her current work is what’s paying the bills.
 
After shooting crime scene photos of a famous actress, the latest victim of the murderer the press has dubbed the “Dagger Killer,” Vivian notices eerie similarities to the crime scenes of previous victims—details that only another photographer would have noticed—details that put Vivian at the top of the killer’s target list.
 
Nick Sundridge has always been able to “see” things that others don’t, coping with disturbing dreams and visions. His talent, or as he puts it—his curse—along with his dark past makes him a recluse, but a brilliant investigator. As the only one with the ability to help, Nick is sent to protect Vivian. Together, they discover the Dagger Killer has ties to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood royalty and high society. It is a cutthroat world of allure and deception that Vivian and Nick must traverse—all in order to uncover the killer who will stop at nothing to add them to their gallery of murders.
Yes! I can't wait till May 5th. Dear ones, if you haven't tried the burning cove books, or any Jayne Ann Krentz check your library. I know you will find her there.And she has two 99 cent Kindle deals this month.

Kindle Monthly Deals - yep, two of them!

Amazon has selected both THE PIRATE and THE ADVENTURER as Kindle Monthly Deals for April. You can get them through the end of the month for only 99 cents each! Three classic heroes (a pirate, and adventurer, and a cowboy) make up my Ladies and Legends series and are the love interests for three very good friends.
The Pirate
After a day-long flight, Kate has lost her luggage and missed her only connection to an island resort. Faced with the unexpected, things only get worse when a local thief tries to relieve her of her money as well. Too tired to sit idly by and lose everything, Kate takes matters into her own hands and not only frightens away her attacker, but causes enough of a scene that she earns a ride to her hotel on a private boat with a very intriguing man.

Kindle Icon
The Adventurer
Map in hand, Sarah hires a treasure hunter to help her on her quest to discover a lost family heirloom buried on the grounds of the old family property. Too bad the guide she thinks she's hired really doesn't want the job. Sarah's relentless pursuit of her inheritance finally causes Gideon to give in and take Sarah on the adventure of a lifetime.
Happy reading

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Meet Alyssa Cole and The Reluctant Royals. # Giveaway.

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with 1 comment
 Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series begins with A Princess in Theory. I fell in instant love with the story. Her writing enchants me. 
I am giving away a Kindle copy of A Princess in Theory because I love introducing my readers to my favorite authors.
From acclaimed author Alyssa Cole comes the tale of a city Cinderella and her Prince Charming in disguise . . .
Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn’t have time for fairy tales…or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she’s betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she’s learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won’t convince her otherwise.
Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can’t resist the chance to experience life—and love—without the burden of his crown.
The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after?
Selected as one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2018!


Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award’s Best Book of 2017 and the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Bustle, Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.
When I finished The Reluctant Royals I went on to read An Extraordinary Union, Book one in her Loyal League series.

As the Civil War rages between the states, a courageous pair of spies plunge fearlessly into a maelstrom of ignorance, deceit, and danger, combining their unique skills to alter the course of history and break the chains of the past . . .
.
Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South—to spy for the Union Army.
Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton's Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he’s facing his deadliest mission yet—risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia.
Two undercover agents who share a common cause—and an undeniable attraction—Malcolm and Elle join forces when they discover a plot that could turn the tide of the war in the Confederacy's favor. Caught in a tightening web of wartime intrigue, and fighting a fiery and forbidden love, Malcolm and Elle must make their boldest move to preserve the Union at any cost—even if it means losing each other.
I finished An Extraordinary Union two days ago. And I plan to read the rest of the series. I like princess better than historical romance, but this woman's writing has me hooked.
and now . . .Alyssa just released an audiobook only and look who's narrating! 
I prefer words to audio, but I want this one
The A.I. Who Loved Me 

Monday, February 17, 2020

Beverly Jenkins writes independent women in African American Historical & Seasoned Romance. #Giveaway

Posted by Susan B James on 6:04:00 PM with 1 comment
"Love is love. We all love. And the industry should reflect everyone." 
Beverly Jenkins
The romance genre has come a long way since bestselling author Beverly Jenkins published her first novel, "Night Song," in 1994 — and it's fair to say that she is, at least in part, to thank for its advances

Beverly Jenkins is one of my seven favorite romance authors. If you haven't yet read her, you are missing so much great romance. Beverly's historicals always enlighten me about little known historical personages and events. The knowledge serves as a wonderful background for her strong feisty heroines. Independent women for whom romance is the icing on the cake. They are already complete.
And then there's her seasoned romance series, The Blessings.
It's listed on Amazon under Contemporary Women's Fiction, Women's Domestic Life Fiction and Women's Romance Fiction. They haven't caught up to the term Seasoned Romance. Which is a shame since both my time travel romances are seasoned.

The Blessings series is Pure wonderful wish fulfilment as far as I'm concerned. I just finished book ten  - On the Corner of Hope and Main. (No spoilers. It isn't out yet. I won a copy on Goodreads.)
Because I love this series so much I am giving away a Kindle copy of book one of the series, Bring on the Blessings.
If you don't know her work, you are missing so much good stuff. Right now I am reading Vivid - about the first female African American doctor in Michigan. I started it last night and I can't wait to get back to it.
Beverly Jenkins’ first romance, Night Song was published in 1994, Since then, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance. She was featured in the documentary about the romance industry, Love Between the Covers (My sister Kelly and I rewatched this Saturday on Amazon Prime. Wonderful.) 
Her forty-plus books have made her a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR. And now she has a romance movie, Deadly Sexy which you can rent on Amazon. 
From Wikipedia Jenkins calls herself a "kitchen table historian." She likens American history to a quilt with some pieces ripped out—the pieces belonging to minority history. Jenkins uses her books to weave the quilt back together by revealing patches of black history that are rarely taught in school.[6] Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement are important pieces of African American history, but they aren't the only pieces. For example, her first three novels, Night Song, Vivid and Indigo, feature characters such as a schoolteacher, a cavalry officer, a female doctor and Underground Railroad heroes. They were all inspired by true history.

I messaged Beverly to see if she would be willing to be on my blog. She replied that she was on deadline but would be happy to allow me to post. After she posted that she'd sent off her book, I asked her my favorite question. The other answer came from an interview I read online.
ME: I love firsts. Can you share what it felt like to get "the Call" from your agent? From what I have been able to find online you got an agent before you got your publisher. 
BJ: My first agent was Vivian Stephens founder of RWA. Having her call me at my job to say she wanted to rep my book was an incredible experience. I will always be grateful to her.
What do you hope readers take away from your work?
Romance is such a broad genre that you can do so much with it.


BJ: I call it “edutainment”: entertainment and education. Romance is such a broad genre that you can do so much with it. I mean, basically we’re writing about people and their feelings and people having second chances and people taking chances. I think it’s one of the best genres out there. So, if you can put that history along with these great women that we write about, and show that female empowerment, and show women making decisions that changed not only their lives, but maybe their families’ lives — the history becomes a lot more palatable. There’s no test on Friday, so [the readers just] drink up the history. They just inhale it.

When you educate a woman, you educate a race. So these African American women and white women and women of Chinese extraction and Asian extraction, who are reading these books, are able to share [these stories] with their children and with their grandchildren. And it changes their lives, because kids can’t be what they can’t see. To see that history, it gives them a pride that maybe they didn’t have before, because they were more than just the people that laid the railroads, or they were more than just slaves, or they were more than whatever back room that history has relegated people of color. I call it inclusion. Give me a seat at the table and let me show you what I can do.
One of my other seven favorite authors, Alyssa Cole says Beverly Jenkins was her inspiration. She's mine too. Thank you for your books and for answering my question.

So, my loves, about my giveaway, Bring on the Blessings:
On Bernadine Brown's fifty-second birthday she received an unexpected gift—she caught her husband, Leo, cheating with his secretary. She was hurt—angry, too—but she didn't cry woe is me. Nope, she hired herself a top-notch lawyer and ended up with a cool $275 million. Having been raised in the church, she knew that when much is given much is expected, so she asked God to send her a purpose.
The purpose turned out to be a town: Henry Adams, Kansas, one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. The failing town had put itself up for sale on the Internet, so Bernadine bought it.
Trent July is the mayor, and watching the town of his birth slide into debt and foreclosure is about the hardest thing he's ever done. When the buyer comes to town, he's impressed by her vision, strength, and the hope she wants to offer not only to the town and its few remaining residents, but to a handful of kids in desperate need of a second chance.
Not everyone in town wants to get on board though; they don't want change. But Bernadine and Trent, along with his first love, Lily Fontaine, are determined to preserve the town's legacy while ushering in a new era with ties to its unique past and its promising future.
Enter below to win a Kindle copy.
Beverly's books are available at your local library in eBook, Audiobook, and paperback on Amazon, B&N, and Indie bookstores everywhere. Happy Reading.
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Tuesday, December 17, 2019

3 Christmas Books I'm reading. #Giveaway

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with 3 comments
I have yet to write an adult Christmas Book. But during the Christmas season, they are my favorite kind of read.


Last year I bought It Must Be Christmas because it had a story by Jennifer Crusie in it. I adore Jennifer Crusie. And I loved Hot Toy. The other two stories are by Donna Alward and mandy Baxter.

This year I bought myself Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe by Jenny Hale. I read the preview on Amazon and it sounded fun.
Every year I read Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught's Simple Gifts 4 Short Stories. I cherish my copy.
I misspoke. I can't leave it at three.
For mystery lovers: Have you read Charlotte MacLeod's Rest You Merry? Click this link, move past the annoying ad and check the preview. If you don't like the first page, read no more. This is the first book in her Peter Shandy series. https://www.amazon.com/Rest-You-Merry-Professor-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B009S33M0A
Also probably available, but checked out at your local library.

Since I mentioned a mystery I felt it only fair to mention a Science Fiction. When I clicked on a B&N List

10 Holiday-Themed Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels

 The Sugar Queen came up.
That's wrong. The Sugar Queen is magic realism. But then I think my book, Irish Magic is Magic Realism and it comes up as a fantasy romance on Amazon. In any case, I adore The Sugar Queen and I highly recommend it. I'm not the only one. 47,771 ratings  ·  5,453 reviews

The Sugar Queen

by 
 3.98  ·   Rating details ·  47,771 ratings  ·  5,453 reviews
Twenty-seven-year-old Josey is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season; she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle; and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances  she escapes to each night ...Until she finds her closet harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tender-hearted woman who is one part nemesis - and two parts fairy godmother  . . .
I never thought of it as a Christmas Book. But I'm adding it to my Christmas re-reading list.
That's it. I want to give one of you a Christmas book. Enter and if you win, you can choose from any of the books above. Or a Kindle Christmas book of your choice.
Happy reading.

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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Saharra K. Sandhu Paranormal Romantic Adventure #giveaway x 2.

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with No comments
Meet Saharra K. Sandhu award-winning author of the Gaiian (sounds like Hawaiian) novels, a paranormal series she created using the African Pantheon of Gods. These novels throw in a dash of adventure with a sprinkle of scientific facts, mix in a lot of romance and you have a juicy paranormal novel. 
I read the first one, Daughter of the Missing, and loved it. The second novel in the series, Fire in Ice, is sitting on my bedside table calling out to me.
Saharra, please tell us a little about yourself.
I want to give a big thanks to Susan for inviting me. I love adventure and all things science fiction. I have traveled throughout South America and the Caribbean collecting folklore and Afro-Caribbean stories to fuel the imagination that generates my books. My debut novel Daughter Of The Missing won first place in the Beverly Hills Book Awards. The sequel Fire In Ice won the Emma award for science fiction at the 2018 Romance Slam Jam. My latest novella Spice Island won the 2019 Emma award for Contemporary fiction. 
When I’m not writing, I’m reading, attending soccer games or traveling with my family. I always warn people not to act up in front of me, as I like to borrow from real-life events when I write. (This is usually when they queue in the titillating backstories). Anyway, enjoy the blog, I have a fun game and two e-books to give away.
All the best!
SKS

First Giveaway!
Spice Island EXTREME Sport Give Away:
Spice Island is my first foray into writing a contemporary novella. There is action, adventure and of course romance. There is one scene in the book where the hero convinces the heroine to climb a tree and zipline to safety. In the spirit of research I just had to go find a rainforest (This one I found in Costa Rica), and a zipline to feel just what my characters in SPICE ISLAND experienced. This zipline came complete with a river to traverse…several times…just like the story line in my book. GOTTTA LUV IT! #livingmybestlife.
For a copy of Spice Island, post a gif of your dream extreme activity! Ack!! The most extreme activity I indulge in is riding Disney's Haunted Mansion. Although I did go river rafting in the 90's and loved it. I wonder if

I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you they wanted to publish your book.
This is a great question! I’m self-published so I don’t have a publisher story to tell but I can tell you about creating my own publishing company to sell my books. It had been a labor of love. There was so much to learn. Imagine the frustration of having a finished book but no way to publish. It took me five years to get my first book published and I cried when the email came through telling me it (Daughter of the Missing) was available on Amazon. I was so green and new to this thing called marketing that I actually thought I was done! It took me another year and multiple classes and seminars to learn the marketing side of publishing…but that’s a tale for another time!

If it isn’t too nosy. How about the first time you kissed your true love?
I kissed my true love, my hubby, when I visited him in London (he lived there at the time). It was 2000 and I came over for New Years. He took me to the Millennium Dome to see the circus. It was frightfully cold so I stayed snuggled up to him through the whole performance!

Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers) in your genre?
This is always a hard question for me because I read a LOT! My primary genre is paranormal romance even though I am branching out to contemporary romance. So my favorite heroes and heroines are found in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter Series and her Deadman’s Cross series (Yes I’m a Menyon). Her writing is so great I love both the villains and heroes. All her characters have a rich intense and riveting back story that leaves me wanting to read more!

What is the most exciting moment, so far, in your writing career?
My most exciting moment is meeting all of my readers. Their enthusiasm for my writing takes my breath away. Understand, I am an engineer by training and writing, especially novels, is as far away from engineering as you can possibly get. So to see the enthusiasm for my written artistic expression is beyond wonderful and humbling and I would like to thank all of my fans for their support. I also have to say I’m excited to meet my fellow authors at the RWA meetings and conventions. I found my tribe in their fellowship and mentorship and would not trade it for anything in the world. (This is how Saharra and I met and I am so grateful to have met her.) 

What is your favorite pastime, other than writing
I LOVE to read! It’s like breathing. I just gotta do it!

How do you motivate yourself when inspiration takes a vacation?
I read. Reading for me gets the juices flowing. I especially love when the writing is lyrical and flows off the page. These types of authors inspire me to write more. Then I take a long walk. The fresh air gets the oxygen flowing, my brain to working and jumpstarts my imagination. I often come back from my walks chuckling from a new scene I created and ready for the words to flow onto the page!

Any advice for new writers just starting out?
Write, write and write some more. Don’t be afraid to share your baby with the world. Get the words on the page and get her out to be read. Also, join a writing organization, especially one where you can physically go to the meetings and interact with other writers. This has made a BIG difference for me in understanding the craft of writing and all aspects of the trade. PLUS I get to meet really neat people like Susan!

Tell us about  Spice Island.
Spice Island is the first novel in my new contemporary Romcom novella series called Mama’s Travel Agency. I love adventures and wanted to create a series where a crazy lady named Mama J. sends unsuspecting people on great adventures. 
She doesn’t send them where they want to go. Instead, she sends them where the love will flow!
Check out the blurb below.
Blurb:
When Dr. Angela Jones agrees to take a vacation to Tanzania, she never expected to be kidnapped. Even more surprising, she’s ransomed by a handsome Sultan. When she tries to escape, she lands in the middle of an intrigued laden plot to destroy him. Before long, she is running for her life through a jungle, swinging through trees, and flying in a vintage aircraft. But the Sultan has a secret deep in the heart of Spice Island that she must unravel before its too late.

Amir Bin Abdul Bin Sultan is a spice merchant by day, smuggler and thief by night. Reluctantly, he agrees to an arranged marriage with the daughter of a powerful East African Chief. When his bride is kidnapped a few days before the wedding, he is honor-bound to pay the ransom. But, after ransoming the wrong woman, he ends up on the run through the jungles of his spice plantation. Most men’s secrets can destroy lives, but Amir’s can kill. Now he’s racing to get Angela off Spice Island, no easy task when he may be falling in love with her.

Excerpt:

His eyes scanned me from head to toe. These were eyes of a hungry man.
What the hell, now? 
I glanced down. Oh, gag me! The kaftan they’d put me in was clinging to every gracious curve God gave me. To make matters worse, the damn thing was transparent when wet and I had nothing on under it. Oh, horror! And, there I was standing in front of two men on display like Botticelli’s Venus stepping out of a clamshell. 
I quickly wrapped my arms around my chest, not believing for a second this simple move would help a thing. My God, his cousin was standing behind me. Lord above, the view he was getting must have sizzled his eyes.
Amir’s gaze met mine. He understood my embarrassment and pulled me into his arms. In a flash, he turned and shielded me from his cousin and the woman approaching from the far side of the garden. She must have been a servant because he said something to her and she returned to the house. 
He translated for me, his deep voice made something inside of me uncoil and sit up in complete attention. “I asked her to get a robe for you.” 
The minutes dragged, hard muscle and bone held me tight.  Heat from his body baked into me like an oven. All I needed to do was turn my buns around to finish the job. Done. Cooked to perfection. 
I couldn’t move though, didn’t want to move, our lips were mere inches apart. He smelled like the island, cinnamon and spice with a touch of musk added on for extra measure. My head swam. The urge to close the gap and taste those full lips was strong. I hung there suspended in time. 
I used to fight with myself in these situations. I have a rational side I call, ‘Rational Angela,’ then I have the naughty street side of me, I call, ‘DC Angela.’ 
Standing there hugged up against this man released DC Angela from the jail cell Rational Angela stowed her in. The cell door clanked open and DC Angela came out roaring, Go on, kiss him

Fun excerpt. I'm intrigued.

What’s your current WIP?
My current Work In Progress???
I’m working on book three in the Gaiian Series called Servant of the Stone. The first two books in the series were about the Sandweaver (Daughter of the Missingand the Dragon Rider (Fire in Ice). The next book will be about the Stone weaver who is the chief medical officer for the Gaiians, the tribe of people who are children of the African Goddess of the sea Yemalla. This tribe is a matriarchal society and the book delves into the history of how their doctor, the designated Stone Weaver, is a man…a very fine and SEXY man who meets the woman of his destiny only to find out she is dying of an incurable disease!
I just finished writing the book and it is off to the editor. Servant of the Stone will be available early 2020!
  
And finally, where can we find you?
 First, I would like to say that, Susan, this has been a great opportunity to visit your blog. You can find me at my website and my author pages on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub of follow me on FB, Instagram and Twitter. I’m placing the links for all of the sites below.


For my last giveaway, anyone who signs up for my newsletter will be placed in a raffle for a free e-copy of my first book Daughter of the Missing. 
SKS newsletter signup can be found at the following link:www.saharraksandu.com/contact
Again, thanks for having me, Susan, see you in our meetings!
Hugs from me SKS!
Thank you, Saharra. I signed up for your newsletter. But I already have the book. Dear ones, if you don't want to wait for the giveaway, click over to Amazon and read the first couple of chapters. 
You can get the eBook for 2.99 
Happy reading.