IWSG & The Amazing Gracie Trilogy by Carol Kilgore

Hello and Happy July! Today is the day for the monthly meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by our Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh. To view list members and this month's co-hosts, visit the IWSG page here.

I don't really have much to say for this month's post, as I'm still working on the same things I wrote about last month. I'm continuing with my 5k training and I'm thrilled because I actually made it to the halfway point of the program! I'm starting Week 5 and I can't believe how much I am enjoying the running. I feel great about my progress and confident that I can make it through the whole 8 weeks now. The running has been just great for me in terms of better physical and mental health so I am excited about continuing with it. 

I'm also working on revisions for my new Alaska story. The revisions are slow going, but that's not surprising. I still feel good about the story and hope to have another draft completed by the end of the summer. 

All in all, I'm feeling good and not struggling with much insecurity this month. Yay! Since I don't really have anything to post about this month, I'm turning the blog over to my friend Carol Kilgore, who has an awesome new cover to reveal!

JALAPENO CUPCAKE WENCH

AMAZING GRACIE TRILOGY, BOOK 1

A hot and spicy taste of murder—and more.

Blurb

During the day, law enforcement consultant Gracie Hofner is on assignment at a small San Antonio bakery, waiting for a delivery. No one knows what it is or when it will arrive. The upside? Working next to Donovan Beck, a flirty hunk and a half—perfect fling material.

At night, Gracie resumes her search for a little girl and her mother who went missing following a double murder. Finding the pair is imperative or the girl will become a target.

At the girl’s aunt’s house, Gracie experiences a peculiar need to leave immediately. She tries to deny the urge to flee and pushes the pressure aside, but the compulsion intensifies. Gracie thinks she must have a brain tumor. Or is losing her mind. When similar events continue to occur, Gracie sees a pattern. Can she use this newfound ability to help her find the girl and her mother before it’s too late?

Bio

Carol Kilgore is the author of Jalapeno Cupcake Wench, the first book in The Amazing Gracie Trilogy, and three romantic suspense novels: In Name Only, Solomon’s Compass, and Secrets of Honor. She’s married, with dogs, and lives in San Antonio, the setting for the trilogy.

Where to connect with Carol:

Blog: https://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.kilgore1

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/carol_kilgore

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore

Congratulations and best of luck to Carol!! 

Secrets of Honor by Carol Kilgore

It's always a treat to welcome Carol Kilgore to my blog. Carol is one of the first bloggers I met out here in blogland and it's been a pleasure to be able to cheer her on as she puts out wonderful stories in her patented "crime fiction with a kiss" style. Carol is here today to talk about her latest, Secrets of Honor, as well as the contests she is running as part of its release.

Take it away, Carol! :)

Thanks so much, Julie, for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to be here to talk about my new novel, SECRETS OF HONOR.

My natural instinct is to see mystery and intrigue around every corner, under every shrub, in parking garages – and look at that strange man coming up the escalator!

See what I mean?

In SECRETS OF HONOR, I turned my imagination loose, watched it play, and wrote the story. It was such fun!

I started with the premise of a jewel thief, Kat Marengo, working for the U.S. Government. Far-fetched? Not so much in my world. See above J

For animal lovers like Julie, and I hope some of you, there’s even a brief appearance by a little poodle puppy named Dolly. Not much intrigue there, but a total dose of cute.

And then there’s Dave Krizak – he’s just plain intriguing without doing anything at all. But he does plenty.

Moving along, ahem. Husband says I can complicate the process of boiling water, so I got right to work complicating Kat’s life. Part of Kat’s job is stealing, but another part is looking for people trying to disguise themselves.

Kat doesn’t spot a spy at every gathering, but she’s always aware of anything out of the norm. My goal was to give her plenty of opportunities to notice things – even things I created. Like mic dots. And yes, you’ll need to read SECRETS OF HONOR to learn about these J

In addition to being able to spot attempts at disguise, Kat is adept at disguising herself. She uses this talent in a different part of her job, which is to assume the identities of others.

Is it any wonder that her title is Forward Solutions Specialist?

She gets the job done in any way she can.

CONTEST INFO

Monday through Friday this week, I’m visiting five different blogs to promote my just-released novel, SECRETS OF HONOR. You can visit my blog, http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com, to see where I am each day. On each blog, I’ll give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card.  Everyone who comments on my posts will be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon Gift Card for that blog. So there will be five separate contests, and it will be possible to win all five, for a total of $25. Although what are the odds of that? Don’t ask me – math isn’t my BFF!

Winners will be announced next Monday on my blog, and I’ll make an effort to contact the winners over the weekend prior to the announcement.

SECRETS OF HONOR

By the end of a long evening working as a special set of eyes for the presidential security detail, all Kat Marengo wants is to kick off her shoes and stash two not-really-stolen rings in a secure spot. Plus, maybe sleep with Dave Krizak. No, make that definitely sleep with Dave Krizak. The next morning, she wishes her new top priorities were so simple.

As an operative for a covert agency buried in the depths of the Department of Homeland Security, Kat is asked to participate in a matter of life or death—locate a kidnapped girl believed to be held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since the person doing the asking is the wife of the president and the girl is the daughter of her dearest friend, it’s hard to say no.

Kat and Dave quickly learn the real stakes are higher than they or the first lady believed and will require more than any of them bargained for.

The kicker? They have twenty-four hours to find the girl—or the matter of life or death will become more than a possibility.

AUTHOR BIO

Although Carol has deep Texas roots, she’s lived up and down the eastern seaboard and in other locations across the U.S. as a Coast Guard wife. She sees mystery and subterfuge everywhere. And she’s a sucker for a good love story—especially one with humor and mystery. Crime Fiction with a Kiss gives her the latitude to mix and match throughout the broad mystery and romance genres. Having flexibility makes her heart happy. 

You can connect with Carol here:

Under the Tiki Hut blog:  http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com

Website with Monthly Contest: http://www.carolkilgore.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carol.kilgore1

Twitter: http://twitter.com/carol_kilgore

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Kilgore/e/B008FRCXQY

Secrets of Honor and A Woman Lost

I'm excited to be helping spread the word about books by two wonderful writers and blogging friends, Carol Kilgore and T.B. Markinson. It dawned on me when I was putting this post together that Carol is one of the bloggers I've known the longest, while T.B. is the opposite. I can't remember how I met Carol, but I know she was one of the first writers I met after I started on this blogging journey. By contrast, I just met T.B. last fall. With both ladies, I knew I liked them immediately. They are both dog lovers, so how could I not? :D

It's kind of amazing to me that while I have some blogger friends I've known for three years or more now, I'm still meeting new friends as well. But enough of that and on to the books!

First up, I'm thrilled to share the cover for Carol's upcoming release Secrets of Honor. I'm a little late to the party here as I saw this cover all over the blogosphere last week, but I'm so happy for Carol. She always has fantastic covers for her "crime fiction with a kiss" stories and this one is no exception.

Blurb:

By the end of a long evening working as a special set of eyes for the presidential security detail, all Kat Marengo wants is to kick off her shoes and stash two not-really-stolen rings in a secure spot. Plus, maybe sleep with Dave Krizak. No, make that definitely sleep with Dave Krizak. The next morning, she wishes her new top priorities were so simple.

As an operative for a covert agency buried in the depths of the Department of Homeland Security, Kat is asked to participate in a matter of life or death—locate a kidnapped girl believed to be held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since the person doing the asking is the wife of the president and the girl is the daughter of the first lady’s dearest friend, it’s hard to say no.

Kat and Dave quickly learn the real stakes are higher than they or the first lady believed and will require more than any of them bargained for.

The kicker? They have twenty-four hours to find the girl—or the matter of life or death will become more than a possibility.

About Carol:

Carol writes grocery lists, texts to her family, new lyrics to old songs for her dogs, love notes to her husband, and novels for herself. And for you. In between, she blogs weekly at Under the Tiki Hut and is active on Facebook and Twitter.

She sees mystery and subterfuge everywhere. And she’s a sucker for a good love story—especially ones with humor and mystery. Crime Fiction with a Kiss gives her the latitude to mix and match throughout the broad mystery and romance genres. Having flexibility makes her heart happy.

You can connect with Carol and her books here:

blog . website . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon

A Woman Lost isn't a new release, but it is on sale so if you want a great read by a great writer you should take this opportunity to get it at a fantastic price. The book is on sale on both Amazon.com and Amazon UK until Wednesday, June 11.

Here are the details and purchase links for the book. In addition, T.B. provided an excerpt from A Woman Lost that I am sharing below. Best of luck to T.B. for a successful sale!

Amazon.com

Normal price: $2.99

Sale price $0.99 June 5^th to June 11^th 

Amazon.co.uk

Normal Price: £1.99

Sale price £0.99 June 5^th to June 11^th

Synopsis:

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Petrie has it all. She’s rich, beautiful, intelligent, and successful. None of this matters to her mom. Les-Bi-An. That’s all her mom sees.

Even though Lizzie insists her mom’s antagonism does not bother her, Lizzie distances herself from her entire family. When her brother, Peter, calls her out of the blue to announce he’s getting married, Lizzie’s entire life changes drastically. Peter’s fiancée wants to bring the lesbian outcast back into the family. Will this desire cause Lizzie to lose everything dear to her?

Sarah, Lizzie’s girlfriend, is ecstatic about this change in Lizzie’s personal life. Sarah, the hopeless romantic, wants it all, including settling down with the fiercely independent Lizzie.

Can Lizzie be tamed? And can she survive her family and all of their secrets?

About T.B.:

T. B. Markinson is a 40-year old American writer, living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order. A Woman Lost is her debut novel.

Links:

Goodreads

Blog

Twitter

Amazon

Mailing List

Excerpt:

The hostess watched me approach and asked in a snotty voice, “May I help you?”
“Yes I’m meeting the Petrie family for dinner?”
“Oh, are you a friend of the family?”
“I’m the daughter.” I smiled wearily and straightened my blazer to look more presentable. I had my hair down, instead of in my normal ponytail, and I had put on eye shadow and mascara. Usually, I only did that when I was out with Sarah, but even then, I preferred the au naturel look—or at least that was my excuse.
The hostess tried to soften her bitchy look. “I didn’t know they had a daughter.”
I’m sure she didn’t. My parents didn’t really spread the news about my existence.
“I think I am early, though.” I changed the subject.
“You aren’t early. Your party is already seated.” She tilted her head like a confused puppy.
I looked at my watch and noticed it was a quarter to seven. Nice, Peter— telling me the wrong time.
I followed the hostess through the maze of tables surrounded by overdressed, pompous asses. I recognized several of them—women who had been under the knife and hadn’t changed in the past ten years. Or maybe I didn’t recognize them. Rich women were a dime a dozen here. It was how they made it known they had money. How they made themselves feel superior whenever, in fact, they felt inferior.
“May I ask what time my party arrived?” I quickened my pace to keep up with the lanky hostess.
She turned to me, obviously puzzled. “I think they’ve been here thirty minutes.”
Bravo, Peter. Bravo. Tell me 7:30 p.m. and then show up a little after 6:00 p.m. I should have known. As the hostess led me to the table, she asked, “Do you live far away?”
“Not really. I live in Fort Collins.”
“Oh … you’re right. That’s not very far.” She looked disappointed in me.
“I’m working on my PhD. I don’t have a lot of free time to hang out.” Why was I justifying myself to this girl?
“That makes sense.”
Well, thank goodness the hostess accepted my excuse. As if I needed that haughty girl’s approval for my absences from family dinners at the club. We reached the table.
“Here’s the last member of your party.” The hostess plastered a huge fake smile on her face.
 “Right on time, Elizabeth.” My brother stood to shake my hand. I’d never understood why he always insisted on shaking my hand, or on using my full name. Everyone else called me Lizzie.

Congratulations and best wishes again to Carol and T.B.! And Happy Monday to all. I hope everyone had a great weekend. :)

March Mania at The Tiki Hut and The Boomtown Craze Launch Party

Source: www.publicdomainpictures.net

Carol Kilgore is running all over the blogosphere this month for her March Monday Mania event, and I am excited to be holding down the fort  Under the Tiki Hut today in her absence. As part of the mania, Carol is giving away a copy of her novel In Name Only and I am giving away an ebook copy of Polar Night, so visit Carol's site if you'd like to find out how to enter to win. Or just come to chat with me about Alaska and the Arctic while we hang out at the Tiki beach.

Today is also the day for M. Pax's Boomtown Craze launch party, and I'm thrilled to be taking part in the celebration. Congratulations, Mary!!

Here is all the info on the latest in the totally fantastic Backworlds series.

A Grand New Age of Boom or Dust?

Boomtown Craze, Book 3 in the Backworlds series is here!

In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendents to survive in a harsh universe.

To secure his future, Craze must propel his world into a more prosperous era. Only days away from the grand opening of his new and improved tavern, he is confronted by a loony Backworlder intent on mucking up his plans. Gaunt and trembling, she claims her spaceship is possessed. She also has a connection to the underworld that shakes loose the dark past of one of Craze’s closest friends. It all threatens to end Craze’s prosperity before it begins.

Meanwhile off world, Captain Talos works desperately to outwit the mercenary Jixes and lure them away from his and Craze’s budding prospects. The mind-control weapon Talos uses against them is wearing thin, and his next move may be his last.

Will Craze and Talos’s efforts bring about a grand new age of boom or damn them to forever struggle in the dust?

Available in ebook at:

AmazonUS / AmazonUK / B&N / Smashwords

Other Outlets can be found at http://mpaxauthor.com

It will also be available in paperback from Amazon shortly.

About the author:

M. Pax is a Browncoat and SG fan, she’s also slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. In the summers she docents as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory where the other astronomers now believe she has the most extensive collection of moon photos in existence. No fear, there will be more next summer. She lives in stunning Central Oregon with the Husband Unit and two lovely, spoiled cats.

Website/ Blog ~ Twitter ~ FB ~ Goodreads

You can also find M. Pax on LinkedIN, Pinterest, YouTube, and Wattpad

Mary is hosting a great giveaway of both paperbacks and ebooks at her site, so visit her here to find out how to enter. If you haven't already read The Backworlds, you're missing out! I've no doubt this third installment will be as fantastic as the first two.

Congratulations again to Mary and I'll see everyone over at The Tiki Hut! :)

Two Cover Reveals!

Today is a big day for Ellie Garratt and Carol Kilgore, as they are both revealing the covers for their upcoming books. I'm excited to be participating in the reveals.

Here is Ellie's awesome cover for Passing Time:

And here is Carol's amazing cover for Solomon's Compass:

I think both of these covers are fantastic! Congratulations, ladies!

Now on to the scoop on the books and their authors:

Passing Time by Ellie Garratt

Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre

Book Blurb

Nine dark fiction stories that may just give you nightmares.

A man lives to regret Passing Time. A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.

In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.

A serial killer wants to add another file to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land of the Free. And will truth finally be set free in The Letter?

Publication date: February 11th, 2013

About The Author

A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time is her first eBook collection and contains nine previously published stories. Her science fiction collection Taking Time will be published later in the year.

Author Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Please visit Ellie’s blog on Friday, January 11th, when she will be interviewing Passing Time’s cover designer, Ida Jansson.

Solomon's Compass by Carol Kilgore

Book Blurb

A missing belt—her uncle’s prized possession. The lure of buried treasure. And a sexy former SEAL who makes U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell crazy. What more could any woman want. Right?

Taylor is in Rock Harbor, Texas, on a quest to unearth her uncle’s treasure—a journey far outside the realm of her real life. There’s one glitch. Taylor's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead.

Former SEAL Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses to protect Taylor from the fate that befell her uncle and the other members of a tight circle of Coast Guardsmen called the Compass Points who served together on Point boats in Vietnam.

Jake is definitely not supposed to become involved with Taylor. That was his first mistake. Taylor is attracted to Jake as well, but she refuses to wait for him to locate the killer when she knows her plan will force her uncle’s murderer into action.

But the killer's actions are just what Jake is afraid of.

About the Author

Carol Kilgore is an award-winning author of several published short stories and many essays and articles. Solomon’s Compass is her second novel, a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss – always at least one crime; always a love story. Carol and her Coast Guard husband live in San Antonio, Texas, with two herding dogs that like nothing better than pack time on the patio.

Find Carol here:

website . blog . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon

Big congratulations again to Carol and Ellie! I know I am looking forward to reading both of these books. :)

A Writer's Kit and the Like Me Project

My totally awesome niece Melanie sent me such a fun "writer's kit" to celebrate my new contract that I had to share it. She managed to find an old ink well in a store near where she lives in Brooklyn and also found a totally fun "how to" book on short stories from the 1920s. In addition, she included two cute little pocket notebooks for whenever inspiration strikes. Finally, the Aquinnah coaster is to help inspire me with my WIP called the Ghosts of Aquinnah. Aquinnah is a town on Martha's Vineyard, where my WIP is set.

The ink well is the logo of my publisher, Ink Smith Publishing, so that makes it especially fun.

I was just so touched by this adorable gift I wanted to share it. It was such fun to open all the individual pieces and I know it will serve as great inspiration for both my current and future projects. :)

Also, Carol Kilgore of Under the Tiki Hut started a "Like Me" project before she went on her blog break, and decided to create a page on her blog for writers to leave the links to their various pages around the web. The goal is to give everyone a chance to "like" fellow writers' pages. 

I joined Carol's project, but I'm also jumping at the chance to piggyback onto her idea and do a little shameless begging here on my own blog. :D Now that I actually have a novel coming out next year (squee!) I want to focus on building my social media presence, even though I am the first to admit that I am horrible at keeping up with all the social media options!

I did start a writer's Facebook page and my goal at the moment is to get it to 100 "likes." If you're on Facebook and haven't already liked my page, I would be eternally grateful if you would like it now and help me get to 100! This is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/JulieAFlanders

Like I said, I will be forever grateful to anyone who likes me. :D And to those who already have, you have my eternal gratitude already. :)

Thanks to Carol for coming up with this great idea and providing a page on her blog for everyone to share their links.

And thanks again to my niece for being such a sweetheart! 

Welcome Carol Kilgore!

I'm excited to have Carol Kilgore as my guest today as part of her In Name Only blog tour. Carol is stopping by to talk about one of my favorite subjects - dogs!


Take it away, Carol.

Hi, Julie. Thanks for hosting me here on What Else Is Possible. I'm excited to be spending some time with you and your followers.

I know you are a big pet person, so I thought I would talk about a pet that appears in my debut novel, IN NAME ONLY. The pet is a little coppery-colored Chihuahua named Chica.

Just like her human, Maxie Lamar, Chica is full of pep, with a personality to match. She is definitely the hero of her own story. And you'll need to read IN NAME ONLY to see how it plays out.

As soon as I knew the role Maxie would play in the story, I knew she needed a companion. The first thing I thought of was a cat, but almost as soon as the word cat formed in my mind, I knew Maxie wouldn't be content with a cat. She needed a small dog—one that was her canine equivalent. Given the Padre Island setting for the story, a Chihuahua seemed appropriate.

What do I know about Chihuahuas? I grew up with one named Little Bit, but I know I'm not an expert. 

So I looked online before writing Chica's part to make sure my memories were correct. Most were. But I had an ace in the hole. My neighbor has a Chihuahua. Our backyards join, so I spent some time standing on a bench and peering over the fence to watch the Chihuahua and her sisters, two toy fox terriers.

I have two large male herding dogs, a rescue border collie and a blue heeler (Australian cattle dog). Both of our dogs have strong herding instincts, but each herds in a different way. Our heeler even tries to herd ducks. I love watching them try to herd each other.

But when our boys and our neighbor's girls are all together, there's not one bit of herding going on. The little Chihuahua rules. Just like Chica!

No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

 

Carol Kilgore is a Texas native who has lived in locations across the U.S. as the wife of a Coast Guard officer. Back under the hot Texas sun in San Antonio, Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. She and her husband share their home and patio with two active herding dogs, and every so often the dogs let them sit on the sofa.

Learn more about Carol and follow her here:

Blog: http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/carol_kilgore
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore

WWW Wednesday

I've been meaning to participate in this weekly meme for a while but kept forgetting each week until Wednesday had come and gone. So I'm glad I finally remembered and am able to join in this week.

The meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and I learned about it from my buddy Susan Oloier's site.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? 

Before I started watching Game of Thrones on HBO last year I'd never heard of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. I originally thought I didn't want to read the books because I love the show and didn't want it to be spoiled, but I got so addicted to the whole universe that I changed my mind and started reading the books. I'm glad I did, because I'm now on the third book and I love the books even more than I love the tv show. I am obsessed and a total Westeros fanatic now. :)

I was so happy to finally be able to order Carol's In Name Only yesterday, and it's a great read so far.

What did you recently finish reading?

Easily one of the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put it down.

What do you think you'll read next?

I did mention I'm obsessed, right? :D

I'm also looking forward to reading the latest from J.L. Campbell. I loved reading J.L.'s posts about her native Jamaica during the A-Z in April Challenge, and I know I will love her new book as well.

I've been doing a lot of reading this summer, which of course is never a bad thing, and I'm looking forward to participating in this meme and learning about more great books. Thanks to MizB for hosting!

In Name Only Release Party

Today is the big day and In Name Only is officially available! Congratulations to Carol Kilgore on the arrival of her new baby! :)

If you've not heard about "In Name Only," here are some enticing details from Carol's website:

No Home. No Family. No Place to Hide.

For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to him, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible. No matter how much she yearns for a real home, she relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. She's vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

 

 

To purchase "In Name Only" for your Kindle, click here. If you'd like a paperback version, you can purchase that here.

Carol will be my guest here on August 6 as part of her blog tour to promote "In Name Only." I know she will have a wonderful post to share, and I'm excited to have the chance to be part of the tour.

Congratulations again to Carol!!

New Books Column

Source: Wikimedia Commons

As some of you know, I have been writing a column on animals for the Examiner.com site for a few months now. It's been fun to do and of course I love writing about animals, but I was also anxious to expand and find an opportunity to write about more topics. I got my wish when I was given the chance to write a column about books for their national site.

I wrote my first column this week and I was thrilled to have my friend M. Pax and her Backworlds series as my first subject. It was a lot of fun to try something new and have the chance to help promote one of the great writers I have met through blogging. Click here if you'd like to read my interview with Mary.

I'm going to be publishing an interview with Carol Kilgore next to help promote her novel In Name Only, which will be released next Tuesday, July 10. I'm so grateful to Mary and Carol both for helping me kick off this new project!

I'd love to write about all of the great books and writers I have discovered thanks to the blogosphere and hope to be in touch with you all soon. It's a treat for me to be able to combine a new writing project with the opportunity to help spread the word about the wonderful writers I've been fortunate enough to meet.

Hope you all have a great weekend coming up and, for those like me who are in the middle of the heatwave covering so much of the US, I hope you stay cool!

Guest Post at Carol Kilgore's Under the Tiki Hut!

I'm hanging out Under the Tiki Hut with Carol Kilgore today for my first ever guest post. Carol is a fantastic hostess, and I'm so grateful to her for having me as her guest.

I signed up to do a guest post back in June, when August seemed very far away. I can't believe it's here already!

Carol asked all guest bloggers to use this Tiki theme for our posts:

"You brought your laptop to the Tiki Hut for some peace and quiet.
What drink do you order? Any snacks?
You're writing away when something catches your eye.
What is it? How do you stay focused on your writing."

To see my take on that theme, come visit me here, and join Carol and me for some Mojitos on the beach Under the Tiki Hut! :)