Cover Reveal! Coming Soon – Seeking Hope (The Emergence Saga) #postapocalyptic #thriller #survivalfiction

A near extinction-level event. A dead world with new rules where freedom comes with a price.


Five years after a bioweapon called the XBU Virus is accidentally released from a Canadian government laboratory and eradicates 99.5 percent of the global population, survivors Astra Fallon and her best friend Jude Waverly emerge from her family’s underground bunker in the rural municipality of Springfield, Manitoba, with nothing more than the will to survive.


With food dwindling, they set out to find Astra’s younger sister, Hope, who had been taken at the beginning of the outbreak to a government compound known as The Closure because of her possible rare immunity to the supervirus.


But Astra and Jude quickly discover the compound is no longer a government-secured scientific sanctuary when they come face to face with Ayden Webb’s end-of-the-world religious cult and Astra is forced to make a sacrifice she never imagined.

Coming Soon! Seeking Hope will be available in eBook, paperback and in audio!

Meet Vicki Batman ‘TEMPORARILY EMPLOYED’ New Job. New Romance. And Murder. #WROTM

The wonderful Vicki Batman is here today! She’s talking about writing and her novel – TEMPORARILY EMPLOYED!

LET’S CHAT: How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

So much so, my men are afraid anything they say or do will show up. My heroine loves handbags, chocolate, and Jeeps—just like me.

What kind of research do you do for a book?

It depends. So far, the funniest has been about plumbing and fruitcake. For Temporarily Employed, I researched stolen car parts, insurance, cops. It helps to be mostly right.

When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

I wished for a long time I could write mysteries like Dick Francis; yet, it took me twenty years to try. Wish I had begun sooner. Maybe my ideas needed to percolate.

Tell us about your romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed. What motivated the story? Where did the idea come from?

A friend challenged me to write the opening paragraph of a book using the word window. I used it and a lot more. My muse worked me for eight more chapters. I showed what I had to my friend and she said for me to continue.

Do you feel humor is important in fiction and why? I do. For me, writing humor in my stories comes naturally. And it is more real life. I’m not a doom and gloomy person. I select specific words for a funny result and write humorous dialogue.

Temporarily Employed: New Job. New Love. And Murder.

Hattie Cook’s dream job is down the toilet and her new SUV violated. Desperate for cash to cover the basic necessities of rent and food, she takes a temporary job where she uncovers an embezzling scam tied to the death of a former employee–the very one she replaced.

When the police determine there’s more to the death of a former Buy Rite employee, Detective Allan Charles Wellborn steps in to lead the investigation. Overly dedicated, always perfect, he puts his job first, even if doing so ultimately hurts the one he loves.

Can the killer be found before Hattie’s time is up?

Amazon (eBook)

Amazon (paperback)

The Wild Rose Press (eBook)

The Wild Rose Press (Paperback)

Meet the Author

Award-winning author, Vicki Batman, has sold many romantic comedy works to the True magazines, several publishers, and most recently, a romantic comedy mystery to The Wild Rose Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and several writing groups.
An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.
Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

Find Vicki at:
Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ipdLkv
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman
Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman
Plotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com
Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com

Test Your Crime Solving Skills with Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder #WROTM

A midnight food run nearly gets Katherine O’Brian killed. She’s the only person to see the man who brutally murdered a local woman and the killer is hell-bent on making sure she doesn’t talk.

When Katherine meets Scott Mitchell; literally, tall, dark, and handsome, sparks fly, but despite their chemistry, both have their own reasons for wanting to stay “just friends”. When it becomes clear that Katherine’s life is in danger, they’ll work together to try to figure out what the police haven’t been able to—the identity of the killer, before Katherine becomes his next victim.

Scott and Katherine will face jealousy, misunderstandings, lust, and rivals, not to
mention attempted murder—and all before their first real date.

About the Author

MaryAnn Kempher’s books will test your crime solving skills and tickle your funny bone; with quirky characters and witty dialogue, her books will keep you guessing, and smiling until the very end.
Her books can be read out of order, but she recommends you start with her first, Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder which is a romantic mystery set in Reno NV, then Forever Doomed, which is a murder mystery set on a cruise ship.
Sweet Mystery is her most recent release and another “I did not see that coming.” murder mystery.

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Facebook
Goodreads
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Author Website

Book Blast ~ Secret Love by Christine Warner #ReleaseDay #ChristineWarner #BuytheBook

Genre: Sweet Nostalgic Novella
Length: 69 Pages
The Sweet Fifties Series {Book 1}
Release Date: June 9, 2014
Buy links Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lizzie Tarleton has always done things her own way—including the time at the tender age of thirteen when she confessed to her brother’s best friend she loved him. But now she’s a new teacher at the local high school, and independent enough to know that you can’t force love. She’ll find love when the time is right—even though her parents are adamant the time is now. The only downfall to her idyllic life is the fact that her childhood crush—who broke her heart—is now her boss. If only she could stop daydreaming about him.

Wayne Whitmore grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and worked hard to get where he’s at in life. Even though he enjoys being principal at the small town high school, he dreams of coaching baseball. When his best friend asks him to watch over his little sister at her new job at Wayne’s school, he agrees. What he doesn’t count on is how she’s grown from the pig tailed kid who told him she loved him, to the woman who breaks his concentration with her beauty and smile. Unable to get over his fascination, and afraid he’ll ruin his friend’s trust, Wayne applies for his dream job—one that will take him far away.

One night while decorating the school gymnasium for an upcoming sock hop, Lizzie and Wayne find themselves alone. They share a kiss and Lizzie realizes her childhood crush for Wayne has never died. Wayne decides he doesn’t want to let Lizzie get away.

Can they come to terms with their secret love and then overcome the other secrets they are hiding in order to get what they each want? Or is their timing for love still off?

EXCERPT

She blinked away the heat of tears forming at the back of her eyes. Their conversation had grown too serious. She needed to lighten things up a bit. “Remember when we used to play ‘What if?’”

He laughed. “What if Lizzie wore a dress?”

“Either she was going to church, or her mom was having a ladies’ social.” Lizzie giggled. “Ricky hated that game.”

“He’d get so mad when you’d start it.” He made the final cut on a small snowflake and added it to the pile before him.

“What if Wayne couldn’t throw his famous curve ball?”

“The school trophy case would be one trophy short. What if Lizzie wasn’t teaching here?”

She pouted. “She’d be sad. I have no idea what I’d be doing if I hadn’t found a job here. What does Lizzie have to do to show Wayne she thanks him?” She winked, enjoying their fun.

He cleared his throat. “What if Wayne said Lizzie owed him a kiss?”

Her belly trembled. What if?

“What if he stole one?” His voice lowered and he leaned in.

“Why don’t you find out?” she whispered.

About Christine Warner

Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.

Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmitic.  A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities.  She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.

A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website at christine-warner.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Reflection (A Whitney Steel Novel) by Kim Cresswell is here!

It’s release day! I couldn’t be more excited to share the new cover for my debut romantic suspense
REFLECTION (A Whitney Steel Novel)!

“Reflection is a deeply emotional romantic suspense that starts bold and holds you captive to the very end.”
– New York Times Bestseller, Dianna Love

“Action packed from page one…an impressively laid out passionate thrill ride!” – InD’Tale Magazine (www.indtale.com)

“I anticipated a Booth and Bones relationship (from the Bones TV Series) and I wasn’t wrong…this book is definitely worth reading.” – Quality Reads UK Book Club

Back Cover
Florida investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, has lived in the shadow of her legendary father long enough. To prove herself she needs to find the “Big” story.
She found it. Now it may kill her.
After receiving a lead pointing to the world’s first cloned human, now a small child, Whitney vows to unravel the truth. However, sifting through the facts proves to have dangerous results, including death threats and murder.
When she’s nearly killed, but is saved by undercover FBI Special Agent, Blake Neely, he refuses to let her get in the way of his own objective—at least not right away.
Caught in a lethal game between a billionaire obsessed with genetic perfection, his hit man’s thirst for retribution, and a Colombian drug lord fresh out of prison determined to make Blake pay for his twin brother’s death over a decade ago…
Can they save an innocent child before it’s too late?
Faced with tough choices, with deadly consequences for many—Whitney soon realizes that sometimes a story becomes more than just a story.

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Chapters/Indigo | Kobo | iTunes |
And other fine retailers
Available in eBook and Paperback

About the Author

Kim Cresswell resides in Ontario, Canada. Trained as a legal assistant, Kim has been a story-teller all her life but took many detours including; working in legal and adult education before returning to her first love, writing.
Her debut romantic suspense REFLECTION (A Whitney Steel Novel) has won numerous awards: RomCon®’s 2014 Readers’ Crown Finalist (Romantic Suspense), InD’tale Magazine 2014 Rone Award Finalist (Suspense/Thriller), UP Authors Fiction Challenge Winner (2013), Silicon Valley’s Romance Writers of America (RWA) “Gotcha!” Romantic Suspense Winner (2004), Honourable Mention in Calgary’s Romance Writers of America (RWA) The Writer’s Voice Contest (2006).
LETHAL JOURNEY was a finalist in From the Heart Romance Writers (FTHRW) Golden Gate Contest (2003) and more recently a finalist in RomCon®’s 2014 Readers’ Crown (Thriller).
Her action-packed suspense thrillers have been highly praised by reviewers and readers. As one reviewer said, “Buckle up, Hang on tight!”
Kim recently entered the true crime writing arena. Real Life Evil – A True Crime Quickie (two short stories) was self-published in January 2014. She is also a regular contributor to “Serial Killer Quarterly”, a quarterly e-magazine published by Grinning Man Press.

The Killing Truth: Real Life Evil – True Crime Quickie Bundle coming June 6th!

The Killing Truth – Real Life Evil – True Crime Quickie Bundle is comprised of TWO true crime novellas and TWO short stories. The perfect collection for readers who are looking for a compelling and quick read!

Coming June 6th in eBook and paperback!

“A gripping trio of must-read tales for true crime enthusiasts.” – R. Barri Flowers, bestselling author of THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS

Convicted

DAMSEL FOR SALE is the story of Aileen Carol Wuornos, one of the most notorious women serial killers of our time. Much has been written about Aileen, some of what has been written is true, and some of it is wrong. Much has been written to sensationalize, and to monetize her story. She was described in the media as the first US female serial killer, yet nothing could be further from the truth. There had been decades of women serial killers long before Aileen was conceived.
What makes her stand out from most other women serial killers, if that’s what she was, is that Aileen killed with a gun, and her victims were strangers. Aileen, never denied shooting her victims, but claimed it was in self-defense.

REAL LIFE EVIL “Hiding in Plain Sight” is the chilling account of serial killer Jack Unterweger, one of the most clever, manipulative predators of the twentieth century…and the most dangerous.

Wrongfully Accused

JUSTICE DENIED strikes at the heart of the attorney-client privilege law and asks the simple question…what would you have done? What happens when a person is wrongfully convicted? What happens when it’s the law itself that keeps the wrong man behind bars? This is the story of a man who spent 26 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

Unsolved

REAL LIFE EVIL “A Message from the Grave” examines the events surrounding the Gilgo Beach murders, a case which would spawn the largest murder investigation in Long Island, New York’s history as an elusive serial killer continues to elude authorities.

Meet K.L. Docter #awardwinning #author of KILLING SECRETS #romanticsuspense

Hey everyone!  I’m thrilled to have K.L. Docter, award-winning romantic suspense author as my guest today! I’m presently reading her latest novel, Killing Secrets, and it’s fantastic! Wow! I hope you get the chance to grab a copy.

 5 Things About Author, K.L. Docter

1. I love getting dirty in the outdoors. Two of my favorite pastimes are camping and fishing. It’s so peaceful to sit around a campsite and write. I always take my laptop with me so the minute we get settled somewhere, I find a shady spot to set up my table. Depending on where we go, I enjoy listening to the babble of a brook or the water lapping at a lake shoreline or the breeze whispering through the pine trees. It’s inspiring.
When I’m not writing, I fish…at least, whenever possible. Colorado does have places for me to fish but it usually requires a 2-3 hour drive so I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like. I’m the fisherman in the family. It’s probably the only time I can actively wake myself up before dawn without an alarm. I’m that eager to hit the water.

2. I write to music. I don’t have playlists for particular stories, like some authors. My music sets or enhances my mood. I’m both right and left brained, so I use music to signal my left brain to take a back seat to my creative right side. Otherwise, I find it difficult to get fully into writing mode. My usual “go to” music is romantic flamenco. I intersperse piano, guitar, new age, celtic into the mix, too. My favorite music to write action or dramatic scenes is Apocalyptica, Techno, and Industrial.
There are seventeen radio stations on my Pandora playlist, and I bounce around it all day depending on what I’m working on. I avoid music with lyrics, except for foreign languages. For some reason, the English words draw me out of my writing zone. If it’s in Spanish or Italian or opera – even if in English – it doesn’t impinge on me the same way.

3. I write two different kinds of romance novels – contemporary romance as Karen Docter and romantic suspense as K.L. Docter. My contemporaries are cute and spicy romances about men and women with dreams and goals that don’t allow for a relationship just so I can throw them in each other’s path…with a tickle and a smile. They’re lighthearted and fun books around 50,000+ words in length. They’re my “beach reads.” My romantic suspense falls on the opposite end of the scale. They have strong romances, too. But the dangers I throw at the hero and heroine is usually intense because a serial killer is bent on ending one or both of their lives. These books are twice as long – around 100,000+ words.

4. My desire to be a police officer as a youngster led to the launch of my romantic suspense career. When I was nine or ten-years-old, an incident happened that shaped my strong sense of justice.
Our family was coming back from a late night at the drive-in theater – heavens, I miss those fun family outings! Anyway, we were stopped at the edge of our neighborhood for an hour or two by the police. There had been a shooting. Two policemen had responded to a domestic situation that went tragically wrong. They’d settled the dispute and were leaving the scene when a neighbor, who’d been drinking and took exception to their presence, shot and killed one of the officers. The standoff lasted over an hour.
I found myself deeply affected by the situation when, the next day, I learned the details of the incident and that the slain officer left behind a pregnant wife. It was all so senseless. There was no justice in what happened. Oh, they arrested the shooter but there would never be justice for the slain officer’s wife and child.
For the longest time, I considered becoming a police officer. It’s not the direction I eventually headed but, when I began to write romances, I found quite a few suspense elements creeping into the stories. It was a natural progression toward writing pure romantic suspense. Now, I dispense justice in my thriller novels.

5. I launched my first romantic suspense series with the release of Killing Secrets, a Thorne’s Thorns novel, on April 17th. Police officer Ross Thorne, and his wife, Evelyn, had only one biological son, Patrick. But they raised him with five foster brothers – Jack, Ben, Cole, Sam, and Joe. They were all in some kind of trouble at one point or another, which is where the name “Thorne’s thorns” was born. The six brothers have become strong, sexy men, and each book in the series is about one of them, the danger that enters his life, and the woman he falls in love with and must protect. Killing Secrets is Patrick’s book. The next book in the series is Killing Proof, Ben’s story – an October 2014 release. Follow the series: http://www.karendocter.com

Some secrets are better left dead.

Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her little girl — the child is his key to controlling the James fortune. Frightened, Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to prison.

Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his parents’ charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. After two years, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.

There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.

Buy at Amazon

 

Author Bio:
Karen Docter writes two different kinds of romance novels….
Contemporary Romantic Comedy w/a Karen Docter: Romance…With a Kick of Humor! http://www.karendocter.com
Romantic Suspense w/a K.L. Docter: Women hunted by killers…men who’d die to protect them. http://www.kldocter.com

Karen’s contemporaries are cute romantic comedies. She loves writing about real men and women with dreams and goals that don’t allow for a relationship just so she can throw them in each other’s path…with a tickle and a smile.
Her romantic suspense novels are also filled with romance, although the dangers the hero and heroine face are intense, usually because a serial killer is bent on ending one or both of their lives before they can fall in love. These are psychological, woman-in-jeopardy stories.

Karen’s an award winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.
When she’s not saving her characters from death and destruction or helping them fall in love, she loves camping and fishing with her family, reading, gardening & cooking. If she can do most of those things over a campfire, all the better!

Links:

Blog
http://www.karendocter.com/blog/
Catch That Santa
http://www.amazon.com/Catch-That-Santa-ebook/dp/B00ACDF0EG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353766171&sr=1-1&keywords=catch+that+santa
Satin Pleasures
http://www.amazon.com/Satin-Pleasures-ebook/dp/B0078VSY6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330384089&sr=8-1
Facebook (Karen Docter)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Docter-Author/112017712223396
Facebook (K.L. Docter)
https://www.facebook.com/kldocter
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754902.Karen_Docter

True Crime Tuesday – Real Life Evil + Serial Killer Quarterly eMagazine #truecrime #serialkillers

Many serial murders go unsolved, others take decades to unravel but one thing is certain…serial killers walk among us–hiding in plain sight.

A compelling bestselling collection of TWO true crime SHORT STORIES. Only $0.99US

“Hiding in Plain Sight” is the chilling account of serial killer Jack Unterweger, one of the most clever, manipulative predators of the twentieth century…and the most dangerous.

“A Message from the Grave” examines the events surrounding the unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, a case which would spawn the largest murder investigation in Long Island, New York’s history as an elusive serial killer continues to elude authorities.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords and Google Play!
Serial Killer Quarterly – the killer new e-magazine is here! 76 Pages of Murder and Mayhem!

The debut issue of Serial Killer Quarterly, “21st Century Psychos”, explores seven of the new millennium’s most notorious multiple murder cases. In her feature story “Building a Mystery”, Dr. Katherine Ramsland examines the life and crimes of Israel Keyes – arguably the most organized and mobile serial murderer in American history. In direct contrast to Keyes’s secretive slayings, the Beltway Snipers, John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, murdered random civilians in broad daylight and openly taunted the authorities. Michael Newton – author of 265 books including the groundbreaking Encyclopedia of Serial Killers – details their three week reign of terror in his feature “Islam Will Explode”. Lee Mellor‘s “Web of Spiders” discusses the milestone case of “Slavemaster” John Edward Robinson: the Internet’s first serial killer. Other articles in “21st Century Psychos” include:

“Love in the Ashes” – Arthur Ellis-award nominee Robert J. Hoshowsky takes on Sheila Labarre – an aging nymphomaniac who seduced, slaughtered, and incinerated three male victims on her New Hampshire farm, challenging our views on the nature of female serial killers forever.

“The Interview” – Curtis Yateman’s impressionistic look at the 2009-2010 murders committed by Canadian Airforce base commander Col. Russell Williams.

“Checkmate” – The story of post-Soviet Russia’s most prolific serial slaughterer, “Chessboard Killer” Alexander Pichushkin, as recounted by Grinning Man Press co-founder Aaron Elliott.

“Canada’s Killer Countryboy?” – Kim Cresswell sheds light on clean-cut “country boy” Cody Legebokoff, who at the age of 21 was charged with the murders of four women in western Canada. Is his guilt a certainty, or is there more to this story than meets the eye?

Order a copy or better yet subscribe to Serial Killer Quarterly for only $19.99/year (four issues), and save $12 annually!
__________________________________________

Upcoming Issues:

Spring 2014 – “Partners in Pain” – With feature stories by Cathy Scott, Carol Anne Davis and Dr. Katherine Ramsland .

Summer 2014 – “Unsolved in America” – With feature stories by Harold Schechter and Michael Newton.

Fall 2014 – “Cruel Britannia” – With feature stories by Burl Barer, Dr. Katherine Ramsland and Carol Anne Davis.

Real Life Evil – A True Crime Quickie (Book One) Now Available!

Many serial murders go unsolved, others take decades to unravel but one thing is certain…serial killers walk among us–hiding in plain sight.

A compelling collection of TWO true crime SHORT STORIES.

“Hiding in Plain Sight” is the chilling account of serial killer Jack Unterweger, one of the most clever, manipulative predators of the twentieth century…and the most dangerous.

“A Message from the Grave” examines the events surrounding the unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, a case which would spawn the largest murder investigation in Long Island, New York’s history as an elusive serial killer continues to elude authorities.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords and coming soon to other retailers!
Don’t forget to check out Kim Cresswell’s award-winning thrillers!

Available in eBook and Paperback at all major retailers!

Book Highlight ~ The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard + $10 GC Giveaway

Title: The Forgotten Ones

Author: Laura Howard

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Series: The Danaan Trilogy #1

Published: April 28, 2013

Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

Amazon | B&N

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

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