Wednesday, November 30, 2016

SUSPENSE THRILLER WITH DARK HUMOR!


Ten Percent: Hollywood Can Be Murder 
By DL Bruin 
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Dark Humor

What Price Dreams?
After decades of toiling in the “C” Leagues, talent agent Shelly Monroe has finally hit the big time when she discovers and signs actor Cody Clifton, who is on the fast track to be TV’s newest superstar. It’s a Hollywood truth that getting to the top is one thing, but staying there is something else. Shelly Monroe is finally living her dreams and she’s not about to let it slip through her fingers.
Veteran LAPD detective Maxine Calderas finds herself in hot pursuit of a serial killer with a taste for prostitutes. The trail puts her on a collision course with Shelly’s world when Max Calderas becomes convinced that Shelly knows a secret that may help Max crack her case.

Cody Clifton, America’s newest Golden Boy is haunted by the ghosts of a troubled childhood. Will he succeed in conquering his demons or will they derail his rising star? Jimmy Bodine is Cody’s best friend and fierce competitor for the Hollywood brass ring. Will their friendship withstand Jimmy’s ambitions and Cody’s sudden white hot success? 

The stakes are high and the winner takes all as the player’s paths cross each other amidst the hot house jungle that is Hollywood. DL Bruin gives readers an insider’s look at the Hollywood dream factory in this darkly humorous thriller.








D. L. Bruin, Author
DL Bruin was born in Los Angeles, CA. At the ripe old age of five he began his career as an actor, and spent his childhood working on numerous TV shows and feature films, under the name Lindy Davis. After high school, DL joined the US Air Force and served as an air traffic controller, specializing in RADAR approach control. Upon completion of service, he returned to Hollywood and a career behind the camera as a photographer and writer.

Preferring to just visit Hollywood these days, DL currently resides with his family in beautiful, rural northern California.












Monday, November 28, 2016

LINDA RAE SANDE'S NEW RELEASE!











The Gossip of an Earl 
(The Widows of the Aristocracy Book 1)
by Linda Rae Sande 

Genre: Historical Romance






Extra! Extra! Read all about it ...


The Earl of Fennington has a secret identity—that of Mr. Pepperidge, editor of London's premiere gossip rag, The Tattler. While attending a garden party as Fennington, he meets and falls in love with an earl's daughter. The attraction is mutual, for despite knowing better, Lady Emelia allows him to kiss her behind a hedgerow. Who will know but them?


When the earl asks permission to marry Emelia, her father denies him, requiring him instead to court Emelia for eight weeks. He's only allowed to see her once each week, however. Desperate to spend more time with her, Fennington devises a scheme in which he'll be able to do just that, but in disguise. Emelia will have to meet Mr. Pepperidge in the park once a week to provide him the on-dit she hears whilst paying calls in Mayfair parlors. That, or he'll print the news of her kiss with Fennington in The Tattler!


Jane Vandermeer, Dowager Countess of Stoneleigh, is considering a move to the Continent—a year of mourning after a loveless marriage has left her wanting something more. When her long lost love, Andrew Burroughs, appears at Lord Weatherstone's ball and informs her he'll be spending the evening—and hopefully the rest of his life—with her in London, the future is suddenly looking bright. That is, until The Tattler prints a report of Andrew kissing Lady Jane in the gardens during the ball. A different Jane.


Hurt and angered, Jane goes about trying to discover the truth while Andrew is seeing to the restoration of the childhood home he hopes to share with Jane.


With mistaken identities ruling the reports in The Tattler and a new Gossip Goddess sharing news of obscure aristocrats, is it any wonder the members of the ton love to hate gossip? Or do they really love "The Gossip of an Earl"? The Tattler knows!










A self-described nerd and lover of science, Linda Rae spent many years as a published technical writer specializing in 3D graphics workstations, software and 3D animation (her movie credits include SHREK and SHREK 2). An interest in genealogy led to years of research on the Regency era and a desire to write fiction based in that time.


A fan of action-adventure movies, she can frequently be found at the local cinema. Although she no longer has any fish, she follows the San Jose Sharks. She makes her home in Cody, Wyoming. See her upcoming books on her websitewww.lindaraesande.com.
















Friday, November 25, 2016

POINCIANA ROAD BY MARGARET WAY



Poinciana Road
by Margaret Way

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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POINCIANA ROAD Blurb:

A successful child psychologist, Mallory has no wish to return to the tropical hideaway where she experienced so much pain. But her Uncle Robert is ailing and it’s only right that she be there for the man who came to her rescue when she was a lost, lonely child. At least he is not alone—his protégé, and Mallory’s rival for his affections, is also at his side. Blaine Forrester hasn’t lost his knack for getting under Mallory’s skin, taking her breath away and leaving her unsettled at the same time.

While Robert recuperates, Mallory is shocked to learn that Jason Cartwright is on the payroll of his estate—the very man whose humiliating betrayal led her to leave North Queensland on the eve of her wedding. Confronting him—along with his wife and his manipulative twin sister—is a trial, though she can’t help forming a bond with little Ivy, Jason’s sickly daughter. But as tragedy strikes Moonglade, Mallory and Blaine will discover a darkness hidden within this deceptively beautiful world and their enigmatic circle—one that will either unite them at last, or tear apart the promise of paradise…



POINCIANA ROAD Excerpt:

“What makes you think you can help?” His eyes rested on every feature of her beautiful face wreathed in masses of tousled dark golden hair. He was close enough to catch the scent of her, the scent of Mallory, the combination of clean hair, clean skin, clean heart. Purity.

“I’m a psychologist, Jason. There are some concerns about Ivy that need to be cleared up.”

“Would you like to know what Jess thinks?”

“No, I would not,” Mallory said forcefully. “I’m absolutely certain your sister blames Kathy for everything that goes wrong with Ivy. “

“And that surprises you?” Jason threw down the challenge. “For God’s sake, Jess isn’t much good at showing it, but she loves Ivy.”

“Not the type of love Ivy craves. Jessica isn’t any good at showing how much she loves her niece.”

“Maybe not, but Jess has a real nose for what Kathy’s up to.”

“Meaning?” Mallory snapped, aware she was starting to lose her cool. “Look, let’s go through to the Garden Room. Would you like something to eat or drink?”

“I’m okay.” Jason followed her through the house until they reached the big beautiful room filled with all manner of indoor plants and luxuriant golden canes in huge Thai pots. “I had lunch with Jess. We could have sat all day talking about what goes wrong with Ivy. Kathy as a mother is a real joke.”

“Joke, am I?”

Startled, both of them turned to face the voice. Even Jason seemed swamped by embarrassment.

Kathy stood there, her hazel eyes puffy and cloudy with fitful sleep.




Author Margaret Way


USA Today bestselling author Margaret Way has written more than 130 books, many of them International Bestsellers. She has been published in 114 countries and 34 languages. Her novels are set in her beloved Australia, where she was born and lives to this day. Her stories always contain the beauty and rugged nature of the rural and Outback Australia, as well as the rainforests and coral reefs of Northern Queensland.



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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Margaret will be awarding a digital copy of Poinciana Road to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

TURKEY TROT BLOG HOP winner of the Grand Prize is Laura. Jeanette P. won the e-book copy of WILD WESTERN WOMEN -- MISTLETOE, MONTANA from me for her comment on my blog.
Congratulations to both winners!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

DOUBLE POSTS - TURKEY TROT AND STEPHANIE BURKHART

Be sure to check below this post for another giveaway! WooHoo! Lots of giveaways today!




A Princess is Always Right
by Stephanie Burkhart


GENRE:  steampunk romance


A PRINCESS IS ALWAYS RIGHT Blurb:

Sophia may be the youngest Windsor, but she knows her mind. A Princess of York, she's committed to do her duty – prevent Jonas Byron from finding Nikola Tesla and decimating the time line.

Jax Ruston is a rugged metalsmith with curly hair and dimples to die for. A resident of 1855, he's pledged to help Sophia find Jonas. Together, they journey across continental Europe in pursuit of Jonas.

Despite her duty, Sophia's attracted to handsome Jax. However, he's committed to living in 1855. Can Sophia keep her focus on her mission, or will desire interfere with her task? Only one thing is certain: a princess is always right.




A PRINCESS IS ALWAYS RIGHT Excerpt:

Jax raked a hand over his hair. He did not want her to leave without him. That meant only one thing. He had to go to her and convince her they couldn't be separated. He stood and cast his gaze on Ian. The boy slept soundly. Jax had to find a compromise by doing right by the boy and doing right by his heart.

He closed the door behind him gently and checked on Sophia's room. She wasn't there. Then he went downstairs. Peeking into the study, he saw Lady Charlotte placing covers over Lord Ridgecroft and making him comfortable. Could she be in the kitchen? He continued down the hall and caught a glimpse of two people sitting on a bench. Jeeves and Sophia. Fisting his hands, he drew in a breath and steeled up his courage.

Jax knocked on the glass of the French doors and stepped out. She looked up at him, sadness etched in her face.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Jeeves glanced at Sophia. She offered the butler a small smile. "It's fine."

Jeeves stood and bowed. "If you'll excuse me, I'll finish my rounds and retire for the evening."

"Good night, Jeeves," Jax said.The butler nodded and left.

"I had no idea I had a son. This was a surprise."

"It's clear the boy is yours," she said, softly. "And so is your duty."

"I won't deny it," Jax paused. "And I do want to get to know him, but I don't want to lose you either."

"I have to leave tomorrow."

He pursed his lips, frustrated. "I knew Fiona briefly. I was attracted to her because she was kind, but I knew nothing would ever come of us. My father suggested she knew that, too, that's why she never told me."

"I'm sorry." Sophia looked at her fingers in her lap, then up at him. "She should have contacted you. It would have been the right thing to do."

He sighed and took the seat next to Sophia placing her hand between his. He snared her eyes with his stare. "The right thing to do is let me go with you tomorrow. I care for you."

"I know what it's like to lose a parent. I was twelve when my mother passed away. I still remember the little things, like her smile. I remember traveling all over Britain with her. When my mother passed away, a sadness filled my heart that I thought I would never replace. That little boy is hurting right now. He needs you."

"He can come with us." Jax just blurted out the first thought that came to his mind. If Sophia wanted Ian to be close to Jax, then it only made sense to have Ian come with them. Jax thought the idea was inspired.

Sophia's mouth fell open, then she closed it, before she scrunched up her brows. "Are you serious? That we take a five-year-old traipsing all over Europe with us?"

"Why not? It's the only way we can be all together." He had no idea what it would entail, but what better way to solve his problem? He would get to know his son and remain close to Sophia.
   
BUY LINKS FOR A PRINCESS IS ALWAYS RIGHT:


AMAZON:

BARNES AND NOBLE:


ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:

My Review of A PRINCESS IS ALWAYS RIGHT

A PRINCESS IS ALWAYS RIGHT is the fourth book in the Windsor Diaries series. This book can be read independently from the previous three but you’d be missing on excellent stories and a lot of talent if you skip them. The previous books are VICTORIAN SCOUNDREL (book one), A GENTLEMAN AND A ROGUE (book two) and A LADY NEVER LIES (book three). These books are speculative fiction of mixed genres: steampunk romance, action, adventure, and time travel.

The heroine is Sophia, youngest of the Windsor princesses. Quiet Sophia blossoms with the emotional and difficult choices she is forced to make.  Handsome Jax Ruston, a blacksmith who is reluctant to admit his love for the princess, aids her in her mission to travel through time and prevent Jonas Byron from changing the future by intervening with Nicolas Tesla's inventions.

The story takes readers rushing through Europe of the past. Various aspects of the Industrial Revolution are put in perspective plus the rapidly changing developments of the nineteenth century are highlighted. Creative plot twists capture the reader and kept me unable to stop reading. Ms Burkhart is a master craftsman who weaves a complex story presented in easily understood terms.

As always, Stephanie Buckhart delivers a great book. A PRINCESS IS ALWAYS RIGHT is a well-written story with likable characters and lots of adventure. I highly recommend it.


Stephanie Burkhart, Author
Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD.  She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.  After serving 11 years in the US Army she currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate, is addicted to coffee and enjoys early morning walks.  She's also a den leader for her son's Cub Scout den and is a Boy Scout mom. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children's books published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

TWITTER:

FACEBOOK:

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

PINTEREST:


GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Stephanie Burkhart will be awarding $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Are you having a crowd for Thanksgiving this year or only one or two at your table?

We used to have a huge traditional Thanksgiving Day starting with the Macy’s parade on television. Our feast—turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, spinach soufflé, green bean casserole, and rolls was a huge meal. For dessert, we had pecan pie as well as chocolate and coconut meringue pies and sometimes apple raisin cake with caramel icing. By the time the meal was over, we were stuffed. Then came the cleanup—is anything worse than getting the meat off the turkey carcass?

When we served all this food, we invited family and friends at Thanksgiving. With more people visiting for dinner, this meal was worth all the effort. As time has gone by, though, our little family has dwindled to the four of us. Friends moved away or passed away, family did the same. The above is a LOT of food for four people. Plus, one of our members is vegetarian and another doesn’t like turkey.

My husband does the cooking now and I’m happy with whatever he cooks. Nevertheless, I hate to see him spending a couple of days getting ready for a meal that lasts a half hour. He hasn’t been feeling well, so our daughters and I have persuaded him to have a Mrs. Stauffer’s lasagna, a salad, and French bread. Our daughter is bringing a pecan pie (his favorite). He also bought Blue Bell ice cream because he likes vanilla ice cream on his pie. I do like tradition, but this makes so much more sense for our family.

On Thursday, we four will gather for our lasagna, salad, and pie. The meal won’t be traditional, but maybe it will be the start of a NEW tradition. The most important thing is not what you eat, but who is eating that meal with you. Yeah, we get that.

Please remember to comment on this blog to qualify for the Turkey Trot Grand Prize of $50, which will be announced on Saturday. You comment will also qualify you for a chance at an e-book copy of WILD WESTERN WOMEN – MISTLETOE, MONTANA, a Christmas box set from me.

If you have trouble connecting with the Linky below, learn all the other blogs taking part in the Turkey Trot Blog Hop at Rose Gordon's website:
http://www.parchmentandplume.com/blog/turkey-trot-blog-hop

You can comment at each blog to increase your chances of winning the giveaway, plus each blog has a different giveaway.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!







Monday, November 21, 2016

A DOUBLE LIFE--TEMPTING THE EARL!



Tempting the Earl
by Rachael Miles

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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TEMPTING THE EARL Blurb:

Olivia Walgrave is finished with being a countess. Writing under a pen name, her controversial column for the scandal sheets provides her with some income and far more excitement than managing a country estate. Besides, in the three years since the wars have ended, her dashing husband hasn’t spent one night under their roof. So Olivia has prepared a plan, and an annulment. All she needs is his consent…

Harrison Walgrave, the Earl of Levesford, let his father coerce him into marriage, but his true devotion is to his Parliamentary career—and his secret work for the Home Office. Yet now, with freedom in his grasp, he finds he cannot so easily release his wife. Seeing her stirs a hunger no other woman has reached. A distraction now, when he is a breath away from revealing a ring of traitors, could be deadly. Still, wherever his investigations lead, the thought of Olivia lingers. It might be obsession. It might be treason. But the only way to escape the temptation is to succumb…



TEMPTING THE EARL Excerpt:

He walked to the window and looked out. That had not gone as well as he predicted. He decided to try a different tack. “Do you hate me?”

She looked puzzled. “Why would I hate you? You made it clear that you had no wish to be married, and you have refused to be married in every way that matters. Hating you would be foolish, for it would mean that I refused to acknowledge what you have made perfectly and repeatedly clear.”

“Then if you do not hate me, what are your feelings?” Perhaps he could gain some insight into her motivations, since he had miscalculated her thoughts at every turn so far. Not in all his years in Parliament had he felt so out of his depths.

“My feelings are my own. If we were married, I might feel obligated to share them, but we are not married nor have we ever been.”

“What if I wish to share my feelings?”

“You may do as you wish, but it does not require me to reciprocate.”

“You have grown into a hard woman, Olivia.” He realized with some sadness.

“I was always a hard woman. You simply didn’t realize it.”

“Ah, how can that be? The Olivia I remember was sweet, open, dutiful.”

She shook her head, rejecting his words. “I have long credited you with greater skills of observation than you apparently possess. I was even then a woman of many secrets. You were simply uninterested in knowing any of them.”




Rachael Miles, Author

Rachael Miles has always loved a good romance, especially one with a bit of suspense and preferably a ghost. She is also a professor of book history and nineteenth-century literature whose students frequently find themselves reading the novels of Ann Radcliffe and other gothic tales. Rachael lives in her home state of Texas with her indulgent husband, three rescued dogs, and an ancient cat.

Author Website: http://rachaelmiles.com/
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rachael_Miles1

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Rachael will be awarding a digital copy of Tempting the Earl to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 18, 2016

JOANNA SHUPE RELEASES BARON



Baron
by Joanna Shupe

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BARON Blurb:

New York City’s Gilded Age shines as bright as the power-wielding men of the Knickerbocker Club. And one pragmatic industrialist is about to learn that a man may make his own destiny, but love is a matter of fortune . . .

Born into one of New York’s most respected families, William Sloane is a railroad baron who has all the right friends in all the right places. But no matter how much success he achieves, he always wants more. Having secured his place atop the city’s highest echelons of society, he’s now setting his sights on a political run. Nothing can distract him from his next pursuit—except, perhaps, the enchanting con artist he never saw coming . . .

Ava Jones has eked out a living the only way she knows how. As “Madame Zolikoff,” she hoodwinks gullible audiences into believing she can communicate with the spirit world. But her carefully crafted persona is nearly destroyed when Will Sloane walks into her life—and lays bare her latest scheme. The charlatan is certain she can seduce the handsome millionaire into keeping her secret and using her skills for his campaign—unless he’s the one who’s already put a spell on her . . .





BARON Excerpt:

He shifted toward her, his gray eyes shining. Strong jaw and sensual mouth, he was a striking man. Even when she was annoyed with him, which was often, she could not help but notice him. “What would you like to know, Ava? Merely ask it already.”

Why was my brother smiling? What did the two of you talk about? Was he mistreated in there? Why do I want to both kiss and strangle you at the same time?

The questions raced through her mind, the last one in particular causing her to jerk slightly. Where had that come from? She didn’t want to kiss Will Sloane. Everything about him was too controlled, too proper. He’d probably never experienced true passion of any kind. She couldn’t picture his hair messed up from a woman’s fingers, or his clothes rumpled from a partner’s impatience.

Dirty and sweaty were two words she’d never associate with Will Sloane, even in the bedroom.

“Why are you staring at my mouth?”

He’d whispered the question in a deep rasp that suggested he knew the answer. Embarrassed, Ava tore her gaze away—only to discover him watching her own mouth with the rapt attention of a predator waiting to pounce. Her heart pounded furiously in her corset, the steady beat far too loud in her ears. Unconsciously she licked her lips to moisten them. “Why are you staring at my mouth?”

“Because it’s the most fascinating thing I’ve ever seen.”

She focused on breathing, desperate to ignore whatever regrettable feelings she’d developed for this man. No good could come of the sudden fullness of her breasts or the rhythmic pulse between her thighs. But there was no escape from it, not respite from the charge building between them. Even if she dashed from the carriage, this thing, this dratted attraction, would follow her.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award-winning author Joanna Shupe has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. While in college, Joanna read every romance she could get her hands on and soon started crafting her own racy historical novels. She now lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband.

Author Website: http://www.joannashupe.com/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Joanna will be awarding a digital copy of Baron to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, November 17, 2016

TWO POSTS MEAN TWO CHANCES AT PRIZES TODAY!



The Lizard’s Tale
by Kurt Kamm

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GENRE:  Mystery/Crime Thriller

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
                         

THE LIZARD’S TALE Blurb:


Kurt Kamm has written a novel that's a literary crime novel, with a strong thread of non-fiction running through it. The Lizard's Tale is a tale of crime—with a wide-ranging cast of characters.

When the DEA goes up against the Sinaloa Cartel, an orphan and an endangered lizard are caught in the conflict. The action moves from Guatemala to Mexico to Catalina Island off the coast of California.

Alejandro, a middle class Guatemalan, wants his share, and makes a deal with the cartel. Now he’s risking his life to deliver the goods.

El Dedo, a brilliant financier, is the Sinaloa Cartel’s banker. He worries about what to do with the billions of dollars collecting dust in his underground vault.

Ryan, a DEA Special Agent, needs to make a high profile case to get a promotion. Is the big yacht headed for California carrying a Mexican drug shipment?

Kate, a wildlife officer on Catalina Island, smells smoke. When she heads out in the middle of the night to investigate a fire, she makes an astonishing discovery.

Jorge, an orphan from the streets of Mexico, is abandoned in the United States. Will he find his way back home and track down his mother’s killer?






THE LIZARD’S TALE Excerpt:

The General’s tank was near empty. Alejandro stopped and took down one of the red plastic gas containers. After he filled the tank, he extracted the second of the three bottles of beer from his cooler. “Bienvenido a Mexico,” he said aloud and held the bottle up in an imaginary toast. The beer was warm, but he enjoyed it anyway. He had overcome the harsh Guatemalan roads and crossed the border safely with his cargo. Now all he had to do was survive the trip through Mexico.

Ahead of him lay 2,500-kilometers on Mexico Highway 200, the main road along the Pacific Coast. The trip north would take Alejandro past Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan before reaching Culiacán. The condition of the road itself had been the challenge in Guatemala, but that was not the big risk on the journey ahead. Highway 200 was a winding, two-lane paved road. The real danger was what Alejandro might encounter. He had been warned not to travel at night. Drunk drivers, livestock, pedestrians, and unlighted farm equipment were some of the lesser hazards. The real threat, day or night however, was robbery and hijacking, and he had read several reports of travelers coming upon roadblocks set by bandits armed with machetes and machine guns, decked out in bulletproof vests draped with hand grenades. Alejandro planned to keep moving and cover about 800 kilometers. By evening, he hoped to reach Acapulco.


Kurt Kamm, Author

Malibu, California resident Kurt Kamm has written a series of firefighter mystery novels, which have won several literary awards. His newest novel, The Lizard’s Tale, provides a unique look inside the activities of the Mexican drug cartels and the men dedicated to stopping them.

Kurt has used his contact with CalFire, Los Angeles County and Ventura County Fire Departments, as well as the ATF and DEA to write fact-based (“faction”) novels. He has attended classes at El Camino Fire Academy and trained in wildland firefighting, arson investigation and hazardous materials response. He has also attended the ATF and DEA Citizen’s Academies. After graduating from the DEA Citizen’s Academy in 2014, he began work on The Lizard’s Tale.

Kurt has built an avid fan base among first responders and other readers. A graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School, Kurt was previously a financial executive and semi-professional bicycle racer. He was also Chairman of the UCLA/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation for several years.

Visit his author website at www.kurtkamm.com

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Kurt Kamm   LITERARY AWARDS
TUNNEL VISIONS  (MCM Publishing 2014)
2014 USA Best Book Award -Fiction: General – Finalist

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL  (MCM Publishing  2013)
Best Novel 2013 – Public Safety Writers Association
Winner of the 2012 Hackney Literary Award for best novel of the year ($5,000 PRIZE)
Reader's Favorite 2013 – Finalist – Urban Fiction
The 2012 Dana Award – Finalist
Eric Hoffer Award - Finalist (2014)
Excerpt published in Birmingham Arts Journal  http://www.birminghamartsjournal.com/pdf/baj10-2.pdf

ONE FOOT IN THE BLACK  (MCM Publishing  2012)
The 2012 USA Best Book Awards – Fiction: General  – Finalist
The 2013 Beverly Hills Book Awards – Fiction: General  – Finalist
Excerpt published in Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides: Stories About America's Public Safety Heroes

CODE BLOOD  (MCM Publishing 2011)
Writer’s Type -  First Chapter Competition.  January 2011- First Place
2012 International Book Awards -  Fiction: Cross Genre Category –  First Place
National Indie Excellence Book Awards – Faction (fiction based on fact) -  Winner of the 2012 Award
The 2012 USA Best Book Awards -  Fiction: Horror  -  Winner
LuckyCinda Publishing Contest 2013  First Place – Thriller
Reader's Favorite  2013– Finalist – Horror Fiction
Knoxville Writer’s Guild -  2011 Novella or Novel Excerpt – 2nd Place

RED FLAG WARNING  Aberdeen Bay 2010
The Infinite Writer– Mystery 2010 – First Place
The Written Art Awards -  Mystery/Thriller 2010 – First Place
Royal Dragonfly – Mystery Category 2011 – First  Place

Buy Links:



GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
                  

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Asmodeus: The Legend of Margrét and the Dragon
by Brooks Hansen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Romantic Historical Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ASMODEUS Blurb:


…Here again, his natural figure crouched beside her in the dank darkness of the cave, watching her in silence as she slept, struggling with cravings which were new to him, both tender and violent, and which he could only really compare to hunger… (from ASMODEUS)

On the cusp of the Great War, an even more pitched battle is waged in the furthest corner of the Nordic highlands, the final chapter of a centuries-old rivalry, pitting a troubled bloodline of thieves, journeyman, and politicians against the last and greatest dragon of the hemisphere, Asmodeus.

Until now, the source of this antagonism has been a single gemstone, the fabled shamir, whose history traces to the coffers of King Solomon. The present clash, however, has been sparked by the emergence of an even more desirable, more defiant, and more powerful force than that.

Inspired by the golden legend of St. Margaret, Brooks Hansen’s Asmodeus is a masterfully woven tapestry of history, myth, and fantasy, in the tradition of J.R.R.Tolkien, Bram Stoker, and C.S. Lewis. By turns a romance, an adventure, and the darkest imaginable Gothic, his tale is also, as seen through the eyes of the maiden Margrét, an unflinching exploration of our divided nature — what makes us beasts, what makes us human, and what makes us divine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ASMODEUS Excerpt:

His golden eyes flicked open, blinked, and narrowed to a squint as he finally lifted up his great, horned head. He shrugged the veil of wings. He uncoiled from his most precious gem and lumbered upward, following the airborne trail up through the high tunnel to the opening just beside the cataract.

Only his muzzle appeared at first, shining like tar in the slanting sunlight, but even that merest of appearances stirred notice among the hovering hawks and vultures: Look. Be warned and wary. The master had awakened.

His head slid further out, taking in the day. The clouds had lifted. The sky was polished glass, but the familiar whisper was still there, coming from below. Down on the near shore of the inlet was a scuttled boat. Again his eyes narrowed, trying to figure from the tides just how long ago the wreck had occurred, and whether its victims were still on premise. He hoped not. Men had their place, but it wasn’t here.

…He crawled further out onto the ledge and extended his neck toward the curtain of water, which was fuller today than usual, gushing down from the mountains after all that rain. He helped himself to several gulps. He let the bracing cold beat on his head a while, then shook free with a glistening, majestic explosion, lifted his wings and leapt. He glided most of the way down, turning three wide circles in the crux of the fjord, his great spanned shadow dashing along the cliff-side, flicking across the cataract, then across the blue surface below, around and up and around again three times before finally re-meeting him, claw to claw, on the strand beside the boat...


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

BROOKS HANSEN is an author, screenwriter, essayist, and teacher. His novels – THE MONSTERS OF ST. HELENA, PERLMAN’S ORDEAL, THE CHESS GARDEN, and BOONE (co-authored with Nick Davis) were all New York Times Notable Books. THE CHESS GARDEN was also selected as a PW Best Book of the Year in 1995. He has written one book for Young Readers, CAESAR’S ANTLERS, which he also illustrated. In 2009 he released his first memoir, THE BROTHERHOOD OF JOSEPH, and in 2005 he received a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for his most recent book, JOHN THE BAPTIZER, which was published in 2009 by W.W. Norton. More recently, his fiction appeared in CENTRAL PARK: AN ANTHOLOGY (Bloomsbury USA, 2012), and he has an essay slated to appear in another upcoming anthology THE GOOD BOOK (Simon & Schuster, 2015).

Brooks Hansen is the critically acclaimed author of The Chess Garden and 7 other books, most recently Asmodeus: The Legend of Margret and the Dragon. He has recently launched his own imprint, Star Pine Books. He lives in Carpinteria, California with his wife and children.

Website link is www.brookshansen.com


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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Brooks will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



a Rafflecopter giveaway