Great Reads Friday: Foxy's Tale by Karen Cantwell & L.B. Gschwandtner

Authors Karen Cantwell (Take the Monkeys and Run) and L.B. Gschwandtner (The Naked Gardener) decided they would like to collaborate on a project. They wanted it to be a book for and about women, but it had to be fun and they really wanted to throw a vampire into the mix. But their vampire would be . . . different. The result, now available for readers on Amazon’s Kindle, is Foxy’s Tale - this week's Great Read!

Foxy Anders has a list of problems as long as a shopping spree receipt from Neiman Marcus. She’s a retail spender with no money to spare and a former beauty queen with no man in her life. After a nightmare divorce she’s left with one asset, a building off Washington, D.C.’s classy DuPont Circle. By turning the ground floor into an antique shop, Foxy figures she has an excuse to spend money … that she doesn’t have.

Foxy also has a teenaged daughter, Amanda, who likes to blog secretly about her biggest problem – Foxy. At least, she thinks Foxy is her biggest problem. But that’s all about to change when she hooks up with Nick, a cute guy at school who evidently has a gift for attracting older women. Amanda just doesn’t know how much older they really are.

When Foxy rents the garden apartment to stylish, shoe-fettishista Knot, who turns out to have a knack for talking wealthy Washington A-listers into Foxy’s antiques, it looks as if Foxy will make it on her own after all. Except that Knot is also a genius at creating problems … in his love life.

They’re a quirky threesome to be sure, but when mysterious, bumbling, Myron Standlish arrives on the scene with a suitcase full of Yiddish-isms, he brings along his own set of problems, larger and stranger than all of theirs put together. Oy vey. How will Myron’s personal journey affect their lives? Well … that’s Foxy’s Tale.

A comic, chick lit, coming-of-age, vampire tale (sort of) where family triumphs over adversity and mother and daughter learn how to face the world as grownups – together.

What people are saying …

"Foxy’s Tale is irresistible fun – full of lively characters with a knack for trouble, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and story twists that will keep you reading deep into the night."– Kim Wright Wiley, Author of Love in Mid Air

From now until April 25th, Foxy’s Tale is available for just 99 cents, so if you’re looking for a light, fun read, give it a try today!

Great Reads Friday: After by Marita Golden

Growing up in Washington, D.C. Marita Golden's gifts as a writer were recognized when she was a child and encouraged by her parents. Her mother told her when she was twelve, that one day she was going to write a book. From poems and articles in the high school and college newspapers, Golden moved in her twenties to free-lance writing for publications as diverse as Essence and the New York Times. She is also the author of fourteen books of fiction and nonfiction.  The Black Caucus of the American Library Association awarded Marita Golden an Honor for GUMBO an anthology of fiction by African American writers which she edited with the late E. Lynn Harris, and the Literary Award for Fiction for her novel After. And it's this book that I'm so thrilled to share with you as this week's Great Read!

For twelve years Carson Blake inhabited a world of his own creation. Scorned by the father who was incapable of showing him affection and nearly consumed by the mean streets of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Carson did what no one else could: he saved himself.

After joining the police force and building a family with his wife, Bunny, Carson is finally in control of his life in the enclave where African American wealth and privilege shares the same zip code with black American crime and tragedy. Both Carson and his wife have great careers and three beautiful children: Roslyn, Roseanne, and Juwan. Carson is a devoted father, determined not to be the father that Jimmy Blake was to him. But while Juwan’s astounding artistic talent is his father’s pride, the boy’s close relationship with classmate Will conjures up emotions and questions in Carson that threaten to spill over and poison the entire Blake family.

And then, one night in March, nearing the end of a routine shift, Carson stops a young black man for speeding. He orders Paul Houston to exit the car and drop to his knees. But when Houston retrieves something from his waistband and turns to face Carson, three shots are fired, one man loses his life and two families are wrenched from everything that came before and hurled into the haunting future of everything that will come after. When it is revealed that Paul, a son of educators and a teacher in Southeast D.C., was only holding a cell phone, Carson’s carefully woven world begins to unravel.

After is a penetrating work of discovery for a man whose life careens more than once off the edge of disaster. Golden’s astounding prose will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
 
What do readers say?
 
"The plight of the black man has never been as magnified as it is in recent times. Albeit, and with much fanfare, there have been a plethora of books detailing the ills but rarely solutions. Now comes a brilliant story told from the imaginative mind of erudite scribe, Marita Golden with a book entitled, AFTER. This, her latest offering delves into the life of Carson Blake fighting demons that threaten to consume him lest a plan of salvation can be part of saving grace. Urban angst, coupled with dysfunctional familial life can wreck havoc and leave scars that are definitive of years of strife. Much should be said about the brilliance of illuminating light when a stand is made for challenge and change. Blake's stupendous effort to do just that makes this novel worth reading for redeeming value and for the mere triumphant nature of another black man pulled up from the depths of despair."   - A.C.R

Check out Marita's website to find out more!

Or buy AFTER today from Amazon.com!

Great Reads Friday: Seal Woman by Solveig Eggerz

Solveig Eggerz was born in Iceland.  "My ancestors wrote when they had time," she says. "The older they got, the more they wrote. My great-great grandfather, Friðrik Eggerz, a farmer and a protestant minister, wrote his autobiography when he was in his eighties, a book that documented 19th century Icelandic regional history; my grandfather, Sigurður Eggerz, twice prime minister of Iceland, wrote plays and essays. My father, Pétur Eggerz, a foreign service officer, wrote fiction and non-fiction until the day he died at age 80." Solveig has worked as a journalist and professor of writing and research. She has lived in Germany and now resides in Alexandria, Virginia.  As my Great Reads feature returns, I'm so happy to be able to share with you her book, Seal Woman - this week's Great Read!

In the rubble of post-World War II Berlin, artist Charlotte flees her past and everything she's lost by responding to an ad calling for strong women who can cook and do farm work in Iceland. But painful memories and ghosts follow Charlotte as she struggles to make a new life in a raw and rugged landscape. This debut novel celebrates the twin powers of storytelling and art as ways to reassemble the fragments of Charlotte's broken self and move her-and everyone she loves-toward peace. This novel won first prize for fiction from the Maryland Writers' Association.

What do readers say?

"Solveig Eggerz brings to life post-war rural Iceland and wartime Berlin in this character study that weaves the reality of Charlotte's difficult and tragic life with the Icelandic myths and magic of her adopted country. A book that recalls the genius of Isabel Allende, the author tells the story of a German woman fleeing her country and her past to build a new life in Iceland. With vivid descriptions of the beautiful yet bleak Icelandic environment, readers learn of Charlotte's strength even as she battles the memories of her past. This page-turner will appeal to anyone who enjoyed reading the Icelandic sagas, Isabel Allende, or about World War II and Iceland. " - P.B.

Visit Solveig Eggerz' website to find out more!

Or buy today from Amazon.com!

Great Reads Monday - I Know You By Heart by Linda Morrison Spear

Linda Spear is an author and a journalist with over 30 years of communications experience. She is a veteran journalist for The New York Times, where she reported primarily on evolving health and human interest issues that affect our culture.  I'm so pleased to be able to share with you her debut novel I Know You By Heart - this week's Great Read!

A mother's dying request rips her family apart in Linda Spear's debut novel. "Find David!" the mother of Sarah, narrator of I Know You by Heart. Naturally, Sarah, her dad, her husband, her sister Tessa, and her sister's husband are puzzled. In the time they have spent by Andrea's bedside, caring for her as she dies of cancer, the matriarch has never mentioned this person who is now seemingly so important. But Sarah takes the lead, and in investigating her mother's e-mail correspondence with David, she discovers his true meaning to her mother. For Sarah, the week following her mother's death is a tumultuous one. Everyone's personality has changed in theirgrief, and emotions are running high. While Sarah tries to deal with the death of a beloved parent, she also reels from the truth she discovers about David. At the same time, other family secrets bubble to the surface about her sister and her father that will change everyone's relationships forever.

What do readers say?

"A story for sharing. A family drama of immediacy and honest reporting. A book for all of us who have loved and lost and loved again. Linda Spear has that `kitchen table' touch --- we are having coffee with her and she makes us keep asking, "And then what happened?" Tissues are not optional...." - M.B.

Read more on Linda Morrison Spear's website!

Or buy I Know You by Heart today on Amazon.com!

Great Reads Monday: Once A Brat, Always a Brat by Marilyn Celeste Morris

Born a Military Brat, Marilyn Morris attended schools overseas, in Seoul Korea, Linz, Austria and various schools stateside. From this background, she has crafted her autobiographical Once a Brat, Always a Brat, relating her travels with her army officer father from her birth in 1938 to his retirement in 1958.  When not writing or editing emerging writers’ manuscripts, she enjoys her family and friends worldwide and near her home in Fort Worth TX. True to her Brat heritage, she has a suitcase packed under the bed, ready to travel at a moment’s notice.  I know you'll enjoy Once A Brat, Always a Brat - this week's Great Read!

As one of the first dependents to be sent overseas at the end of WWII, eight-year old Marilyn Celeste Morris received her very own orders from The War Department.

From Seoul, Korea to Linz, Austria, she traversed the globe from 1938 to 1958 with her Army Officer father, mother and younger brothers. Between assignments in the primitive world of the Far East, to the sublime luxury of exploring castles in Bavaria, the family shuttled between the various Stateside Forts: Bragg, Bliss, Hood and Sill.

Sometimes hilarious, sometimes gut-wrenchingly sad, her narrative is part travelogue, part therapy session. She still cries at Taps and stands tall when the colors pass; yet she realizes she carries an odd mixture of pride and resentment over her nomadic way of life.

Her conclusion, however, is that she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Once a Brat, Always a Brat.

________

Dennis Campbell of BratCon.com radio has called Once a Brat, Always a Brat, "a field manual for understanding Military Brats."

To read more, visit Marilyn's website and  her check out her blogs:
Once a Brat
Marilyn's Musings
The Lady with Lupus 
Editing Excellence

Buy Once a Brat, Always a Brat today on Amazon.com!

Great Reads Monday - Defending Glory by Anne K. Albert

Anne K. Albert writes romantic suspense stories that chill the spine, warm the heart and soothe the soul - all with a delightful touch of humor. She is the author of two series: The Piedmont Island Trilogy, and the Muriel Reeves Mysteries series. Frank, Incense and Muriel, the first book of the MRM series is available now in e-book format, and will be released in print mid-2011.  Today I'm pleased to share with you her book Defending Glory - this week's Great Read!

Suffering from survivor’s guilt and unable to resume his career with the FBI, Mac McKeown moves to northern Minnesota to start over as a general contractor and forget that fateful day that changed everything. When he discovers the body of his nemesis on Glory Palmer’s property, along with a warning for her to leave while she still can, Mac realizes his past has come back to haunt him and an innocent woman’s life is in grave danger. He vows to keep her safe... but how will he protect his heart?

Excerpt

“Glory?” Mrs. Cole, the B&B owner, exited the back door.

“I’m here. In the gazebo.”

The older woman sauntered across the lawn, juggling two ceramic mugs.

“Chamomile tea,” she said as she offered one to Glory. “Steeped for five minutes. I thought you could use a cup. Something to settle your nerves.”

“Thank you.” Glory inhaled the delicate aroma before taking a sip. “I take it you heard about the murder at Hanover Point?”

Mrs. Cole sat in the chair opposite the chaise. “I did. It’s shocking. I’m glad the pastor was with you. And that you’re safe and sound.”

“Me too.”

“I hope you were spared from seeing the body.”

“I wasn’t. It was awful.” She relayed a few details, sparing the older woman most of the gruesome facts. Still, Mrs. Cole’s eyes bugged out of her head.

“Please tell me this horrid event hasn’t changed your mind about moving here. Or building the retreat.”

The threatening words printed on the back of Manny Singh’s neck zipped across the front of Glory’s brain. Goosebumps formed on her arms and she had the strangest feeling she was being watched. Her fingers tightened around the mug. She concentrated on its warmth and willed away her fears.

“No,” she said at last. “I’m here to stay.”

A snapping sound, like someone stepping on a twig behind the cedar hedge, made her jump. She turned her head, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Another twig snapped just beyond the B&B’s backyard.

“Are you all right, dear?” Mrs. Cole asked.

Glory did her best to shake off the eerie feeling. Surely, if someone was spying on them, Mrs. Cole would sense it too. She smiled at her hostess, and stood up. “I’m fine. But it’s getting chilly. Do you mind if we go inside?”

Read more at Anne's website!

Or check out her blog!

Buy Defending Glory today in paperback and on Kindle!

Great Reads Monday: Not One of Us by D.A. Spruzen

D. A. Spruzen grew up near London, England, earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte, and teaches writing when she’s not seeking her own muse. In another life she was Manager of Publications for a defense contractor. Her short stories and poems have appeared in many publications, and she is currently hard at work on the next book in the series, Lily Takes the Field. She and her husband live in Northern Virginia with a Jack Russell terrier who doesn’t know he’s old and doesn’t know he’s small.  I just finished reading her first novel so I know you'll love Not One of Us - this week's Great Read!

Rose, a widow and mother of three adult children, is a founding member of the Salton Symphony and one of a group of seven volunteers who call themselves the “Symphony Slaves.” As the story opens, she is in the hospital recovering from a concussion after being found unconscious outside her friend Judy’s house. Rose cannot remember how she got there, although she remembers finding Judy bludgeoned to death. This is only the first of several murders that rock the normally dull Salton, a Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C.

Alternate chapters comprise segments of the killer’s journal in which she recalls her childhood and reveals the warped logic that enables her to eliminate those who threaten her hard-won lifestyle. She overcame her destitution with the single-minded ruthlessness that drives her to kill again and again when things go wrong. The journal converges with the narrative as the story progresses and shows the terrible fallout that can result from child abuse; but it also suggests that it is not inevitable—her sister is not a killer, after all. This woman’s intelligence and drive have worked for her and against her.

This psychological suspense, the first of a trilogy, focuses on the characters’ inner lives and the social constraints that bind them. Each Symphony Slave changes as her complacency is shaken by dark events she never imagined could touch a community like Salton. And the way it all ends . . . pleases no one.

What do readers say?

“Someone is killing the lady volunteers of the Salton Symphony and the reader wants to know who it is. This novel grabbed me from the very first chapter and just wouldn't let go. Author, DA Spruzen does a fantastic job of building mystery and suspense by letting us into the head of the killer as well as letting us into the lives of the Salton Symphony volunteers. Getting to know each of these characters, their personal problems/secrets/desires was my favorite part of Not One of Us. Spruzen knows how to develop a character and let the reader know her and feel her. In that way, it's very much a piece of women's fiction wrapped up in a mystery. I loved every minute of it. And now, having finished, I'm looking forward to reading the next in this trilogy. Recommended especially for readers of psychological mysteries.” - Karen Cantwell, author.

Check out DA Spruzen's website to read more!

Or buy it today on Kindle for $2.99!

Great Reads Monday - Garden of Heaven: An Odyssey by Malcolm R. Campbell

Malcolm R. Campbell worked many years as a college journalism instructor, corporate communications director, technical writer and grant writer for many years.  His articles have appeared in Nostalgia Magazine, Nonprofit World, The Rosicrucian Digest, Quill & Scroll, Training and Development Journal and the former Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sunday magazine.   I know you'll love his third novel, Garden of Heaven: An Odyssey - this week's Great Read!

When nineteen-year-old David Ward climbs the sacred mountain Nináistuko seeking a vision, the golden eagle of earth flings him back onto the prairie and the black horse of dreams shows him the future. Though his eyes are opened, fate hides exactly what he needs to know. The spiritual journey that follows leads him through the mountains of Pakistan, the swamps of North Florida, the beaches of Hawaii, the waters of the South China Sea and the ivy-covered halls of an Illinois college as he attempts to sort out the shattered puzzle of his life.

What do reviewers say?

"Garden of Heaven is a thought provoking novel, recommended, FIVE STARS." - Midwest Book Review

Check out Malcolm's website to read more!

Or visit Malcolm's blog!

Buy Garden of Heaven today on Omni-Lit!

Great Reads Monday: Now What? by Charmaine Gordon

Years of experience as an actor prepared Charmaine Gordon for the wonders of a writing career.  Although she didn't know it at the time, while she was immersed in the written words of others she was like a sponge, soaking up how to construct a scene, write dialogue and paint a setting.  The author of three novels, Charmaine writes about women who survive and thrive.  I know you'll find this week's Great Read both moving and inspiring - Now What? by Charmaine Gordon.

It was 2:30 a.m. when the phone rang. I fumbled for it, my heart starting a race toward bad news. Our doctor’s voice urged me to hurry. I crammed into clothes as if I expected this call.

It is only a fever that won’t go down, isn't it?

Our doctor shook his head. "...We did everything possible to save him. I held him in my arms when he took his last breath. Carly, I’m so sorry.”

Settling in beside my Bob, I held his cooling hand and asked the two words spoken many times during our years together. “Now what?” This time there was no response. I was on my own for the first time. When my fingers touched his wedding ring, I slipped it off and held it in my fist. The gold band was warm. I clung to him. “Come back to me, dearest.”

Sometimes what you wish for is more than you can live with.

What do readers say?

"Charmaine Gordon's books are a 'must read' for those who have experienced a loss in their lives, whether through death, abandonment or divorce. The reader will so identify with the women in her books, who struggle through their shock and trauma to find the courage and an inner strength they never knew they had, to face the future and to create a meaningful life, as the much stronger person they had never known they were. Her books are written with so much color, so much spiritual and emotional intensity, that you'll never look at life in the same way again. I am eagerly awaiting the publication of her next book." - Kate S.

Check out Charmaine's blog to read more!

Or buy today from Amazon.com (available in paperback and on Kindle)!

Exciting Announcement: My Third Novel is Coming on Kindle!

Tomorrow, December 18 - my third novel will be available on Kindle.  And here's the super-sweet part: it's only 99 cents!  But for now, I hope you'll enjoy this sneak peek - including the first chapter! 

When a Special Forces veteran is hired to protect a Malibu playgirl, sparks fly faster than bullets. But will they live long enough to realize they're falling in love?

In an exciting twist on her timeless tales of heart and home, author Misha Crews sets her latest story in Los Angeles, playground of former model Blake Sera. Although she's not yet thirty, jaded Blake is sure she's seen it all. Until she discovers that the man she's been been living with is up to his neck in the murky underworld of crime. When Special Forces veteran Caleb McKenna is secretly hired to protect the glamour gal, he's sure that Blake is just another pretty face whose only interests are sunning, funning and shopping til she drops. But soon he realizes that there's more to her than big blue eyes and a killer smile. Can they survive their passion? Can they survive at all?

Her Secret Bodyguard - Chapter One

Blake awoke to the sound of screaming.

She catapulted out of her sound sleep and sat straight up in bed. The cry seemed to be coming from all around her, splitting the air, rising to a breaking pitch before ending as abruptly as it had begun.

Outside the open door to the balcony, the ocean was beating relentlessly against the sand. Blake’s head felt thick and full of cobwebs. It had taken her a long time to get to sleep – it always did, these days – but eventually she had fallen into a deep, heavy slumber.

Now she struggled to push sleep aside. She held her breath and closed her eyes against the moonlight that fell across the wide expanse of her bedroom floor, straining to hear past the roar of the waves.

Nothing. Silence.

Blake pushed the blond hair out of her blue eyes and blew out her breath in a frustrated oath. This wasn't the first time she had heard strange yelling in this house. And she knew she wasn't imagining it, no matter what Rube tried to tell her.

Suddenly there was a thump that she felt more than heard, followed by a muffled cry. Both had come from downstairs. Heart pumping, Blake threw back the duvet and put her bare feet against the cool wood floor. Sinister visions of various kinds of criminal activity were dancing through her head like sugar plums, filling her with dread. Rube was a nice guy, but she couldn't say the same about all his friends. God only knew what was going on downstairs.

She stayed where she was, poised at the edge of the bed, as if trying to sense through the soles of her feet what was happening beneath her. But silence reigned again, and she knew that she had to get up to see what was going on. This might be Rube's house, but she lived here too, damn it. There was something strange going on, and she had a right to know what it was.

She took a deep breath and stood up resolutely. Her dressing gown was hanging silkily over the arm of a nearby chaise lounge. She slipped it on and belted it firmly. It provided more a sense of security than a feeling of warmth, but that was fine with her.

Part of Blake – the part where common sense lived – cautioned her to tiptoe to the door, so that whoever was downstairs wouldn't realize that she was awake. But a larger part shunned the idea of sneaking around her own bedroom in the middle of the night. She had a right to be here, so why should she be the one to creep around?

With her head held high and her shoulders back, she strode upright across the bedroom floor and put her hand boldly on the doorknob. But there her nerve failed, and she turned the knob slowly and quietly. Before pulling the door open, she put her ear to the crack to see if she could hear anything. Again, there was nothing.

There's a whole lot of nothing going on around here, she thought, with a bravado that she absolutely did not feel. She opened the door.

The hall stretched dimly in front of her, towards the second-floor sitting area which overlooked the living room below. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, moving silently down the short hallway, Adrenaline had made her feel almost supernaturally alert, but the fear that was streaming its way through her veins had the opposite effect, making her clumsy and shaky. Suddenly worried that she would trip over her own feet, she stopped, pressed herself against the wall and closed her eyes.

Fear was not a natural emotion for her. Her mother used to joke that, given the choice between fight or flight, Blake would pick fight every time. But this was different. She didn't know what she would find downstairs, but it couldn't be good. The temptation to run was seductively strong. At this moment she wanted nothing more than to turn herself right around, lock herself in the bedroom and pull the covers over her head until the bad men went away. Her legs trembled with the need to carry her away to safety.

But that was when she heard the voices.

They were coming from downstairs, and there were at least three of them. She opened her eyes and realized that she could see light flickering at the end of the hallway. She crept forward again until she reached the end of the corridor.

The beach house was built with typical Malibu-modern architecture. Downstairs was one big open space – living room, dining room, kitchen and a sort of game-room that housed the TV and Rube's beloved antique billiard table. Stairs led to the second floor where there was a lounge area filled with deep furniture and large potted plants. On each side of the lounge was a short hall which led to a bedroom suite. One suite was Blake's, the other was Rube's.

Blake hovered at the end of her hallway, not sure what to do next. Skylights in the lounge filled the upstairs with a cold, dim glow of cloud-covered moonlight, adding to the flickering light which must have been coming from the stone fireplace downstairs. There was practically zero chance that she could get across the lounge to the stairs without being seen, and a minus-zero chance that she could actually make it to the first floor. What was she going to do?

She crouched down and peered around the wall. Her eyes swept the lounge, Rube's hallway across from her, and the narrow slice of living room that she could see. When she was relatively certain that there were no eyes looking back at her, she moved forward, scooting ungracefully along the floor until she reached one of the large, square wooden planters that sat along the edge of the upstairs sitting room.

She raised up slightly, peering over the edge of the planter, through the banister and down to the living room below. She had to stifle a gasp at what she saw.

It could have been a scene straight out of a low-budget gangster movie. A man that she had never seen before was sitting in front of the fireplace in the far corner. He was tied to one of her imported cane-back chairs. Even in this low light Blake could see that his face was bruised and bleeding. In front of him, with their backs to her, stood Rube and his executive assistant, Greg Betch. She could recognize Greg by his hair and Rube by his lack of it.

Blake had known Rube for almost ten years, and until lately she had thought that there were very few secrets between them. Sure, she'd known that some of his business dealings were somewhat shady, but that had never bothered her. For Pete's sake, they lived in Hollywood. With all the backroom deals that went on in this town, you might as well name the place Shady Acres. But recently Blake come to realize that she'd been hopelessly naïve to trust him so completely.

This whole nauseating scenario – waking up in the middle of the night to cries of pain and fear – had played itself out before. Afterwards, Rube would disappear for a week or more. She wouldn't know if he were alive or dead. And when he finally did come back he'd refuse to tell her what had happened.

"Don't ask me about my business," he'd say, doing his best Pacino impression and giving her a weak smile. It was times like those that she was afraid she might be close to hating him.

What exactly was going on in this house? Did she even want to know?

Downstairs, Rube had leaned over and was talking to the man in the chair. Although Blake couldn't see him very well, she heard his words, recognized his posture and she easily guessed what he was doing. He was lecturing. His hands were undoubtedly templed in front of him, and he was waving them up and down in an almost beseeching gesture. She had been on the receiving end of his lectures too often not to recognize it.

"Jake, why are you lying to me?" Rube was asking. Blake shifted so she could hear a bit better. "Greg says he saw you with his own eyes."

The man in the chair – obviously Jake – shook his head wearily. "It wasn't me, Rube, I swear to you. On my mother's life I swear to you…."

"You were talking to the Feds," Greg shouted. He gave Jake a vicious backhand across the mouth to punctuate the last word. Jake's head flew to one side and stayed there as he wept quietly.

Blake flinched as if she had felt the slap stinging her own skin. She'd known Greg almost as long as she had known Rube, and she'd never even heard him raise his voice before tonight.

A chill of fear crept over her as she looked down at the men she thought she knew so well.

"Hey, Greg, keep it down, will you?" Rube said. "My lady's upstairs asleep."

"Sorry, Rube," Greg replied, straightening his coat. "I thought you said she never wakes up."

"Hardly ever." Rube was using his don't-challenge-me voice. "And I don't want her involved in this mess, so you do what I tell you and keep it down."

"Sorry," Greg said again. "This guy just ticks me off." He took a deep breath and ran his hands over his hair, as if to calm himself.

In an unconscious answering gesture, Rube touched the bald spot on the back of his head. "Yeah, well, me too, but let's keep it quiet, okay? Jakey here – " Rube kicked Jake's foot lightly. "Jakey here is going to tell us what he told the Feebs, and that's going to be the end of it."

"And it's going to be the end of him, too," Greg said hotly.

"Not necessarily." Rube's voice was almost soothing. "The important thing is to find out where we are. Then we can figure out where we're going. Jake is going to tell us everything. And you know why? Because he's a good boy." Rube turned to Jake and kicked his foot again. "Isn't that right, Jakey? You're a good boy, right? You're going to tell us everything."

Jake began nodding his head fiercely. "I'll tell you, Rube. I'll tell you everything you want to know."

And he started talking.

---------

Read the rest tomorrow!

Great Reads Monday: Appalachian Justice by Melinda Clayton

Melinda Clayton has published over twenty articles and short stories in various print and online magazines, and is currently in the dissertation phase of an Ed.D. in special education administration.  In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, reading, and being the loudest mom at the soccer field.  Melinda was thrilled to have her short story, Immortal Love, chosen for the Vanilla Heart Publishing's Passionate Hearts Anthology. I know you'll love her first novel, Appalachian Justice - this week's Great Read!

Billy May Platte is a half Irish, half Cherokee Appalachian woman who learned the hard way that 1940s West Virginia was no place to be different. As Billy May explains, "We was sheltered in them hills. We didn't know much of nothin' about life outside of them mountains. I did not know the word lesbian; to us, gay meant havin' fun and queer meant somethin' strange." In 1945, when Billy May was fourteen years old and orphaned, three local boys witnessed an incident in which Billy May's sexuality was called into question. Determined to teach her a lesson she would never forget, they orchestrated a brutal attack that changed the dynamics of the tiny coal mining village of Cedar Hollow, West Virginia forever. Everyone, from Gerald Smith, the elderly owner of Smith's General Store, to Sue Ann Leary, the spoiled daughter of the town's only doctor, to Corinne Pruitt, Billy May's childhood friend, was affected by the event in ways they could never have anticipated.

Thirty years after the brutal attack, living in solitude on top of Crutcher Mountain, Billy May discovers the hideout of a young girl - a girl who just happens to be the daughter of one of the boys who attacked Billy May so long ago. No one knows better than Billy May the telltale signs of abuse, and she must quickly make a decision. Will she withdraw into the solitude in which she has lived since the horrific attack, or will she risk everything to save the girl from a similar fate? Billy May's choices will once again change not only her own future, but the future of Cedar Hollow as well, and certainly the future of the young girl.

Billy May tells us her story in her own words, as she lays dying in a hospice in Huntington, West Virginia in the spring of 2010. "From the top of my mountain, I seen that girl runnin'," she remembers, "and I understood even then that my decisions might very well be the death of me."

What do readers have to say?

“A tale of the rural South, alternately horrifying and poignant, and ultimately redemptive. Dead on for the times, given recent events involving bullying of young gays and lesbians; the LGBT community should take notice, as should anyone struggling with child abuse, hate crimes, or sexual orientation issues.” - D.K.B.

“I just finished reading Appalachian Justice. What a powerful, well-written novel this is with characters, motivations and place settings that were absolutely perfect.” - M.C.

Check out Melinda's blog to read more!

Or buy today from Amazon.com (available in paperback and on Kindle)!

Great Reads Monday: Russian Roulette by Austin S. Camacho

Austin S. Camacho was born in New York City but grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York. He began writing while he was in the Army: stories of adventure and mystery, set in some of the exotic places he visited during his years of service.  Today Austin does public affairs work for the DoD agency charged with guarding the health of service members when they are deployed. He has settled in northern Virginia with his wife Denise.  When he's not writing Austin likes to run along the shores of the Potomac, watch action films, and shoot - at paper targets, not live ones. He is a voracious reader of just about any kind of nonfiction, plus mysteries, adventures and thrillers.  I know you'll love his novel Russian Roulette - this week's Great Read!

A Russian assassin forces Washington DC private detective Hannibal Jones to investigate Gana, the wealthy Algerian who has stolen Viktoriya, the woman his new client loves. Evidence connects Gana to Russian mob money and the apparent suicide of Viktoriya’s father. Then more deaths follow, closing in on Viktoriya. To save her, Hannibal must unravel a complex tangle of clues and survive a dramatic shootout side-by-side with his murderous client.

Early reviews say Russian Roulette hits the bull’s-eye!

"... Russian Roulette delivers a whipsaw of a plot with more layers than a Vidalia onion.... Solid storytelling and compelling characters Don't miss it!” - Libby Fischer Hellmann, Author of the Ellie Foreman mystery/suspense series

“Hannibal Jones is no John Shaft wannabe. He stands on his own as a welcome addition to the ranks of the fictional private eye.” - Robert J. Randisi, Founder, the Private Eye Writers of America

“Russian Roulette has everything: a terrific story with great characters in vivid settings. Clear time on your calendar for this one." - John Gilstrap, author of Hostage Zero and the Jonathan Grave series

“An atmospheric, entertaining read. Troubleshooter Hannibal Jones is the most engaging character to come upon the mystery scene since Patterson's Alex Cross.” - JoAnn Ross, NY Times Bestselling Author of the High Risk Series

“Russian Roulette starts with a revving engine and picks up speed till racing across the finish line. If I was in trouble I’d want Hannibal Jones on my speed dial.” - Jon Jordan, Editor, Crimespree Magazine

Visit Austin's website to read more!

Or buy Russian Roulette today on Amazon.com!

Great Reads Monday - Redeeming Grace by Smoky Trudeau

Smoky Trudeau is the author of two novels and two nonfiction books especially for writers.  Her stories and poetry have been published in literary journals and online e-zines.  She was a 2003 Pushcart Prize Nominee. Finally succumbing to her bohemian spirit and need to live near the mountains and the ocean, Smoky moved to Southern California in 2008, where she lives with her husband and daughter in a ramshackle cottage in the woods overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time hiking in the mountains, camping in the Sierras, splashing in tidepools, and fighting the urge to speak in haiku.  You're going to love her book, Reedeming Grace - this week's Great Read!

The tragic deaths of her mother and two younger siblings have left Grace Harmon responsible for raising her sister Miriam and protecting her from their abusive father, Luther, a zealot preacher with a penchant for speaking in Biblical verse who is on a downward spiral toward insanity. Otto Singer charms Grace with his gentle courtship and devotion to his brother, Henry. But after their marriage, Otto is unable to share with Grace the terrible secret he has kept more than twenty years. Otto believes he is responsible for a tragic accident that claimed the life of a young woman and left Henry severely brain damaged. Luther's insane ravings and increasingly violent behavior force Grace to question and reassess the patriarchal religious beliefs of her childhood. Then tragedy strikes just when Otto's secret is uncovered, unleashing demons that threaten to destroy the entire family. Can Grace find the strength to save them, and in the process find her own redemption? Redeeming Grace is set on Maryland's eastern shore in the late 1920's. The book will appeal to lovers of literary fiction who enjoy theological debate and who understand happy endings, in novels as in life, sometimes come at a heavy price.

One reader says:

"Love, pain, guilt and secrets, guilt are skillfully woven throughout this story which takes place in rural Maryland in the 1920's. Smoky Trudeau manages to walk a very fine line without ever crossing it. Her villains are quite mad but not unbelievable. Redeeming Grace is a story of marital love, understanding and forgiveness. Throughout the moments and days of contentment and joy are memories of tragedy and loss. Partially known secrets and a feeling of impending danger make this book an unforgettable page turner." - M.S.

Visit Smoky's website to read more!

Or buy Redeeming Grace today on Amazon.com!

Great Reads Monday: A Chaunce of Riches by Chelle Cordero

Chelle Cordero is a freelance journalist and author. Her articles have been published in various Gannett publications, regional and national trade magazines. She is also the author of many novels and short stories.  Chelle and her husband live in Rockland County, NY, where they raised their two children.  I'm happy to share her book, A Chaunce of Riches, with you - another great read!

The day that Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for some rich widow and her kid, he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most so many years before. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would see him again. She never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man over the man she had sworn she once loved. And she certainly never expected to find out that her rich husband had been murdered and fingers were pointing to her former lover.

One reader says:

"Personal conflict kicks off at the very start of Ms. Cordero's A Chaunce of Riches, as widower Samantha Chaunce comes face to face with a man from her past - Ben Johnson. She told him she loved him oh-so-long ago, and then she departed in the arms of another.

"Nothing is simple in the complex tale of love, danger, and this shared, almost-mourned, past....  However, the two main characters are both strong, edgy people, and their history together creates a rather unusual relationship between the two. There is anger, resentment, yet, somehow, there is an enduring trust that becomes more and more important in the face of danger.

"The very focused plot keeps us madly turning the pages, right to the very end. Yet, it's the romantic in us that is waiting, and so hoping, that they are both the people we think they are...that somehow, out of all this emotional clutter, disaster and more, they can find their way to true feeling. The story is simply super on all counts. Mark A Chaunce of Riches a Must-Read." - J. Thomas, The Long and Short of It Reviews

Read more on Chelle Cordero's website.

Or buy today on Amazon.com (available in paperback and on Kindle)!

Great Reads Monday - Forest Song: Letting Go by Vila SpiderHawk

Vila SpiderHawk is the author of three novels, a book of short stories and a cookbook.  She lives with her husband in the woods of Pennsylvania, in a log house of their design.  They share their home with five cats and enjoy frequent visits from their many woodland friends.  I'm thrilled to be able to share with you her latest work, Forest Song: Letting Go.

She left her birth home to learn the ways of the woods in Forest Song: Finding Home.  She grew into her powers as protector of the denizens of the forest in Forest Song: Little Mother.  And now, Judy Baumann faces the horrors of World War II: the concentration camps, Jewish ghettos, and the other persecution of the Jews.

Join Judy as she struggles to survive death-defying challenges, overcoming betrayal and loss with courage, cleverness and humor.

One reader says:

"Amazing but true.  SpiderHawk has again written an outstanding novel that touches the very core of loss, yearing, learning and beginnings.

"It has been my privilege to own all of Vila SpiderHawk's wonderful books and this one, as I myself am getting on in years, touched a deep vein of recognition in me.  It deals with loss, new beginnings and blossoming awareness of ability and truths.

"As with all her work, Vila SpiderHawk's ability to bring the reader deep within, with her color descriptions is an utter joy.  This is a truly inspiring novel and I highly recommned it to anyone.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Vila just gets better!  Of all her novels, this one touched me to my very soul.  There were times when I smiled, times I associated closely with the characters and times when I cried in sympathy, because always, there is somewhere a place that we too have visited.  In this, her most recent book, I was drawn into her web and held utterly spellbound from start to finish." - J.H.G.

Visit Vila Spiderhawks's website to read more!

Or buy today on Amazon.com (available in paperback and on Kindle)!

The Writing Road: How I Finished My First Novel

It's always been my true and fervent belief that we all have at least one novel inside of us, waiting to be written.  But a few short years ago, I wasn't sure that my own novel would ever get finished.  After all, the roadblocks seemed high and wide: I never had time to write, I wasn't sure if what I was writing was any good, I was constantly starting projects and not finishing them.  And overshadowing all of these was the nagging fact that if by some miracle I actually did get my first book completed, I had no idea if I could ever get published.  And if my work wasn't published, how was I going to live with that disappointment?

Ultimately I realized that my love of writing was larger and more powerful than all the things that were stopping me from writing, and that if I wanted to reach my destination, I had to first be willing to set out on the journey.  Although there were many little jaunts in between, and more than a few rest stops, here are the five major steps I took on the road to completing Homesong, my first novel!

1) Decided to just finish it, and worry about publishing later.

I remember the day I had this epiphany: "A book that hasn't been written can't be published!"  In retrospect it seems very elementary, but hey, sometimes I'm downright obtuse about stuff like that!  Write first, worry about publishing second - ahh, the light dawns!

Simplistic though it may be, getting these priorities straight was extremely liberating for me.  So I set my first goal, which was just to get the darn thing done.  I decided that I would write the book that I most wanted to write, finish it, and to heck with whether or not anyone wanted to publish it!

2) Joined a writing group and went to my first writing conference.

Having decided that I wanted to finish my first book, my very next thought was that I had no idea how to go about doing that!  That was when I realized I needed the support of my fellow writers.  Soon afterward I saw a flier in Starbucks for a the Washington Independent Writers convention.  I joined the group (which has since become American Independent Writers) and attended the conference a few months later.

That first writing conference was a real eye opener.  I attended an agent's breakfast and actually had a chance to talk to a literary agent (a nerve-wracking experience until I realized how nice she was!), who said she was interested in seeing my work when it was finished.  I went to several lectures about the publishing industry and got a glimpse of what a kooky, cloistered, exciting field it can be.  I also realized that there were thousands of other writers in the DC Area; and far from seeing these folks as competition, I immediately felt more secure, because for artists, there's always safety in numbers!  And most of all, that conference was my introduction to Marita Golden.  That in and of itself made the whole thing worthwhile!

3) Attended Marita Golden's "I Want to Write" workshop.

A lot of you have probably heard me talk about Marita Golden before.  She's the bestselling author of over a dozen books.  She's also an extraordinarily gifted teacher.  After hearing Marita speak at the AIW conference, I knew that here was a person who could help me get where I wanted to go with my writing.  I took her workshop, "I Want to Write," and, well, WOW!  It's difficult for me to describe exactly how she did it, but the one thing I can say for sure is that Marita's workshop gave me the tools and emotional fortitude to really BE who I already was: a writer!

4) Found a writing buddy.

One thing that Marita stressed was the importance of having a good support system, especially in the form of a writing buddy(ies) and critique partner(s).  I was lucky enough to meet Kathryn Harris, my first writing buddy, at the workshop itself.  At her suggestion, we began to meet once a week until our novels were finished.  Without that collaboration, and the "enforced accountability" of having to give Kathy new chapters of my work every week, I might never have finished my first book! 

5) Wrote, wrote, wrote.

As I said above, having a critique partner really forced me to write steadily.  Sometimes I would write over my lunch hour, knowing that I would be in big trouble if I didn't have any pages to show my friend that night!  Writing is hard work, and you have to be willing to start out writing garbage, knowing that you can go back and clean it up later.  Usually I have to write three drafts before I settle on what I tell people is my "first draft."  And then I'll go through three or four revisions before settling on my "final draft," and even that one usually gets picked over quite a bit!

On the subject of writing and re-writing, there are two quotes that have helped me tremendously.  One is from Ernest Hemingway (although I've also heard it attributed to Oscar Wilde ): "The first draft of anything is sh*t."  And the other is from Nora Roberts: "You can't fix a blank page."  What does that tell me?  That even the cleverest and most prolific of writers agree that in order to write well, you must first write, period.  (And you can quote me on that, LOL!)

People sometimes ask me, "How long did it take to finish your first novel?"  I worked on Homesong off and on for about five years, which is not an uncommon lenghth of time.  The majority of the writing was done during the last year, when I was really pouring the coals on.  My second novel, Still Waters, is slightly shorter and took about two years to write. 

*****

Looking back on my journey from "Will I ever be able to finish this?" to "I'm a writer!" the thing that seems so remarkable is how one thing led to another.  It started (as does every journey) with the decision to do it.  That led to the realization that I needed a dependable route, and hopefully some good traveling companions.  One writing conference, one writing workshop, one writing buddy and a lot of plain old writing later, I finally reached my destination. 

So what about you?  Whether you've completed that first novel or not, what have you found helpful (or not so helpful) on your writing journey?