kris' bookfession #1*

*A few people have already read this, but I reckon they overreacted so I'm trying it out with a broader readership.  Make sure you get it right this time.

I'm not sure if you've seen a project going on called 'the burning house'? It's where people take pics of what they would take with them if, well, their house was burning down. It's fascinating so go check it out if you haven't already.


Another cool meme type thingy is 'bookfessions'. I love these. As a bibliophile I can totally relate.


So, these concepts got me thinking about which books I would take with me if my house was burning down.


For those of you who know me from my old blog it's a no brainer. The books I would save are those by my beloved *hand to heart* Sir Terry Pratchett.


*moment of silent awe*


Of course, the possibility of loosing my Sir Terry's to a fire caused my anxiety and OCD levels to rise to astronomical levels, therefore I started to prepare a disaster plan.


As you would.


Which, naturally, led me to a dilemma and then to this realisation:


Kris' Bookfession #1


If my house caught on fire, I'm pretty sure that I would save my Sir Terry's before my boy kittehs. 


Yeah, I might regret and stuff, but still... it's Sir Terry.  


Nuff said.


What would you do?  And be honest... I bet a whole heap of you thought about grabbing your ereaders before you even thought about the kids or pets, right.


Ha!


Case closed.

Review: The Rifter Part 7: Enemies and Shadows by Ginn Hale

Like the previous part in this serialised novel, part 7 has a quiet, reflective feel about it at first. Much of the action happens towards the end and before that the story deals with the tricky politics surrounding the possible imminent war between Jath’ibaye and the Gaun'im of Southern Basawar. Much of the plot is taken up with discussion and intrigue, and whilst this meant that the action was slow, I was still immersed in the story because there's a constant tension. This tension gave the tone of writing an uneasy feel as Kahlil and Jath’ibaye strive to find a way to avert war or face the possibility of mass slaughter.

One of the beauties of this book is the way that dialogue is used to further the plot and that is certainly the case in this section which is taken mostly from Kahlil's point of view. He's a good observer of people, having spent most of his life observing John grow up, and this seeps into the way he views people and body language. Sometimes this is slightly humourous - for example as he watches Hirran use her feminine charms on the one of the Gaun'im noblemen - and sometimes it's deadly as he waits for the right moment to kill. We find out a lot about Kahlil in this section, especially about what he has been forced to do in his role as The Kahlil. This leads to comparisons with Ravishan, especially when we see Ravishan's innocence about the world when compared to Kahlil's world-weariness.

Towards the end of the section, in a scene which is both terrifying and compelling, the action is ramped up to maximum. This 'heart in your throat' moment shows us the versatility of Ginn Hale as an author in directing the pace, in this case from quiet intrigue to all out action and horror. About 20 pages before the end the action ends on a chilling note leaving the reader with a cliff hanger when we are suddenly thrown back in time to be with John and Ravishan. I have to admit I let out a wail of protest at this point and felt severely disgruntled! It wasn't long before I adjusted to John's point of view though, and if I have to be honest, I like John's point of view more than Kahlil's so once I got over the shock I settled into the narrative of John and Ravishan's escape from John's attempted murder on the Holy Road. It was interesting to see the contrast here between the earnest love of Ravishan for John when compared the the more mature feelings that Kahlil and Jath’ibaye have for each other. Both are passionate but the naivety of Ravishan seems almost painful next to Kahlil now that we've spent the last 200 or so pages in his head.

In the final 20 pages the pace again shifts to quiet moments between John and Ravishan which leaves the section on an emotional, rather than action based high. As a reader, I already know much of what is going to happen between them now because we have been told of Ravishan and John's future during the parts from Kahlil's point of view, and I wonder how much more of John's point of view can be sustained without repeating what we already know. However, I've trusted this author so far to deliver a tightly plotted story and I'm sure I won't be disappointed. With only 3 more parts to go, things surely must start to move towards what promises to be an exciting dénouement and I'm very much looking forward to the events in part 8.

You can either buy this seventh part - and then any of the other parts - separately for $3.99 each, or buy the whole book at $29.95 and each month the new part will be sent to you via email. More information about this and the buy now page can be found HERE.

And The Winner Is:

You Won!

Don't cry - it's a happy event!

The winner of Katie Reus's new release is:

Diane

I have your email address so I will pass this on to Katie and have her send you the book.

Congratulations!

Anyone Up For A Vicarious Vacation? Let Christi Barth Be Your Cruise Director!

As a writer, I find that the creative side of my brain never turns off completely, even on vacation. Or should I say especially on vacation. Something about travel fires up my neurons into overdrive. I guess it’s the sense of newness and possibility about someplace unfamiliar. This creative spurt is actually what started my writing career. Years ago I was on vacation with my husband in Charleston, walking down a cobblestone street lined with magnolias and oozing history. All of a sudden it hit me what a great setting the city would be for a novel. At the time I was on a romantic suspense kick, so I decided to write one (as with most things, the idea was far simpler than the actualization).

Fast forward two completed books and a few years, and I started to think about setting a book on a cruise ship (chalk it up to watching The Love Boat during my formative years). A cruise ship hits so many romantic stereotypes. You’ve got brilliant starlight, a balmy breeze, the gentle lap of the waves…and a feeling of absolute freedom from your everyday life. The setting makes it so easy to throw caution to the wind, give in to lust, and fall in love.

Coincidentally, my husband and I went on a cruise when I was only a few chapters into my new manuscript. Yes, I spent time lazing on a deck chair reading and hiking through a rain forest, but I also thought about my story constantly. Every deck, every shore excursion, every peek over the railing was another visual I wanted to cram into the manuscript. While the cruise ship itself was spectacular, I also fell in love with every stop we made. The Caribbean is a treasure trove of beautiful spots.

In my books, setting is very important, and often acts as another character. My goal is to transport my readers, and drown them in sensations and experiences. I want you to finish a chapter, look up, and be genuinely surprised that you’re in your living room, instead of walking along the walled city of San Juan, or snorkeling in St. Maartens. I mean, look at these pictures - how on earth could I choose a single location for my story? Well, I couldn’t. Instead I added an island-hopping scavenger hunt to the story, to give me an excuse to share with readers every single island I visited. It turned the story in a completely different direction, not to mention making it much harder to write, but I had to do it.

So my latest book, Cruising Toward Love, is meant to be a vicarious vacation for everyone who reads it. Enjoy the brilliant sun without getting burned, and the endless buffets without gaining a pound. Pour yourself a piña colada and dive into this blurb to get you started:

When her sister is left at the altar, small town librarian Zoe Balis jumps at the chance to take the bride’s unused ticket for the honeymoon cruise. But she didn't count on sharing a cabin with the man who broke her heart ten years ago!

Army medic Nate Hyatt never told Zoe goodbye when he enlisted - or the real reason why he dumped her on prom night after a year as high school sweethearts. And he never stopped dreaming about the girl he left behind. Could this voyage be his chance to fix the worst mistake he ever made? After all, a Caribbean cruise should be romantic… if he can convince her to move past ten years of bitterness and hurt.

Once aboard the luxury liner, Zoe befriends a bored Internet mogul with more heart than tact. Nate vents his problems to a ship’s photographer battling PTSD. The four team up on an island hopping treasure hunt. The stakes grow higher with each of Zoe’s mysterious brushes with death. They race to discover why she's a target and who's behind it, while still competing in the treasure hunt. Zoe’s never gotten over her first love, and is tempted to let Nate back into her life. But she already lost him once. She’s not willing to risk loving a man whose career keeps him in a combat zone. Can Nate breach her defenses and suture her broken heart? Grab a deck chair and see if they survive the stormy relationship seas as they cruise toward love!

For more information, visit www.christibarth.com
 

Two in One

Please welcome D.R. Hildebrand to the Island!

I’ll be honest: I had never heard of this lascivious (I mean quaint…) little island of yours until the day I was invited to visit it. I did some research, of course, and it seems I’ve entered quite the competition. Your favorite books and your favorite men. It’s a hard life you have here. Does it come with a massage?

Well I’m not intimidated. I’ll gladly compete. In fact, I’ll match your charming fantasies with a little deep-tissue reality of my own. You see, I’ve combined your two desires into one. I’ve taken your good-looking guys, pulled them smack-dab out of New York’s modeling world, intertwined their lives, and slapped them down on three hundred pieces of page-turning paper. It’s called Walking Marina and it’s everything that only an insider could share about modeling—male modeling. It’s raw and it’s racy and you can thank me later. (Surprise me.)

So I suppose it would be rude to not give you at least a glimpse of it. You have, after all, invited me over. And I was raised to come bearing gifts.

In the hopes of whetting your appetites without ruining your panties I decided I’d go easy on you and take it from the top:

It was midnight in late spring in a condominium on Central Park. A middle-aged woman with an appetite for extremes straddled wide over her bed and a boy. She planted her knees at his waist. She paused in control. Then she lowered herself, hard, to entirety. The boy closed his eyes. The woman breathed deep. She arched her back. She moaned. The bed began to rock. She moved slowly and evenly in effortless aches until her thighs flexed tighter, her panting came quicker, and she stared glazed with a smirk in the mirror. Her breasts and buttocks bobbed wildly with enhancements as her hair slapped across her face, splashing sweat and saliva at the man filming everything beside them.

The night continued until the sheets were soaked and the woman was satisfied. Without a word, she strolled naked from the bed through the condo. She set an envelope by the door, fixed her favorite martini, then took her time in the bathroom as the man fell asleep and the boy dressed in silence. The following morning, each returned to society. The man ordered scotch aboard a flight to Los Angeles. The woman walked comfortably through Central Park. And the boy, red-eyed, unkempt, clutching a brand new portfolio, sat quietly in the corner of a casting—waiting, watching, thinking about things few would ever imagine, before bringing his envelope to the bank.

Thanks so much for having me, ladies! Please don’t hesitate to share with your friends. You can find Walking Marina online in paperback and e-book, and you can find me at: www.drhildebrand.com