Blog
Fiction, Food, and Foolishness
99 Cent Promo from Cailin Briste
Price Drop! It Takes a Cat Burglar 99¢ – a thief in love suspense romance
It Takes a Cat Burglar is now $0.99 permanently. That’s right the price drop is here to stay. It’s available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo.
It Takes a Cat Burglar: A Thief in Love Suspense Romance
By Cailin Briste
Buy Now: https://books2read.com/cat-burglar
Add it on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34938046-it-takes-a-cat-burglar
Blurb
When Darcelle Lebeau throws off the invisible chains that keep her bound to her family, she discovers a new vocation. Tempted to enter the illegal playground of a man she nicknames Matou, she becomes a cat burglar in training. Deeply ensnared with each task he entices her to fulfill, she fails to discover his identity and true intentions.
Sebastian St. Croix, a wealthy businessman, has a dark side. He’s a thief, a cat burglar who steals art and historical objects. For one year, he trains Darcelle to become his assistant, remaining incognito, observing her from afar. His admiration grows along with his desire for her with every phase-one challenge she completes. Phase two will test the limits of his control. Hands-on personal training? Yes. Sex? No. With his sister’s happiness at stake, nothing, not even the tempting Darcelle Lebeau, can interfere with accomplishing the biggest break-in of his career.
Excerpt
DARCELLE STEELED HERSELF before entering the study. She’d been shocked to discover her own clothes laid out for her. This stranger had insinuated himself deep into her life, and she was determined to find out why.
He was seated at a large desk, hands behind his head, long legs stretched before him, and feet propped on the desktop. Arrogant man. Before her strides brought her to stand across from him, he pointed at a chair positioned at an angle to the desk. It was straight in line with his gaze, so he could study her at his ease.
“Sit there.” He returned his hands to the back of his head.
Darcelle ignored the command, stopping at the edge of the desk. “Who are you?”
A glimmer of heat flashed. “If you want your questions answered, you will sit. Do not defy me. There will be consequences.”
Unmoved by the threat, she pressed her lips into a tight line and narrowed her eyes. If it was a battle of wills he wanted, she’d be happy to oblige.
He stared pointedly at her. “Do you want answers?”
She balled her hands into fists. He had her. Without looking at him, she sat.
“Good girl.”
She shot her gaze up to him. Gods. I’d like to wipe that smirk from your face. Or kiss it away. What the hell was wrong with her? She should look out for herself not sink deeper under his thrall.
He abruptly dropped his feet to the floor and sat forward, his gaze aimed so sharply at her that she jerked back.
“There’s a price for my services. It’s time for you to pay.”
Buy Now: https://books2read.com/cat-burglar
About Cailin
Cailin has been writing fiction for six years and non-fiction for two decades. Her non-fiction work has been published in magazines and in a non-fiction anthology. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter, and the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter.
Cailin likes to flip convention on its head, creating a universe in which each planet is a study in different what ifs. What would happen to alpha men on a matriarchal planet? How would society handle it if girls born on their new planet developed empathic senses?
She is currently writing the third book in her Sons of Tallav sci-fi erotic romance series. Shane: Marshal of Tallav and Maon: Marshal of Tallav were released in 2016 by Loose Id. Educated by the Master, a Sons of Tallav novella, will be released in October in the Cosmic Love Cabaret anthology.
For information about Cailin’s new releases, sale prices, and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter. http://cailinbriste.com/cailins-newsletter-sign-up/
Social Media Links:
Website http://cailinbriste.com/
Blog http://cailinbriste.com/category/all-posts/
Street Team http://cailinbriste.com/cailins-street-team/
Twitter http://twitter.com/CailinBriste
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cailinbriste/
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/102592935378667862505
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cailinbriste/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7413817.Cailin_Briste
Bookbub Author Page https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cailin-briste
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Cailin-Briste/e/B00GSX9QVW
Brenda Whiteside Love and Murder Series
Penny Sparks has secrets that can ruin a presidential contender, got her family murdered…and mark her as the next hit.
For thirteen years, Penny Sparks has managed to hide from the political powers who murdered her family. When she unwittingly exposes her true identity, not only is she marked for death but the people closest to her risk meeting the same fate.
Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets his sister’s roommate, Jake believes Penny might be that someone who can help him find life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world.
With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender behind the murders of her family. Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hope for a new life.
Exerpt
Jake nodded, but all he could concentrate on were Penny’s last words before the officer appeared. When they were alone again, he threw up his hands. “What do you mean, go back to Phoenix? Why the hell would I do that? My sister’s been murdered, and I want to find out why.”
She turned her back on him, went to the open door of the bathroom, and lifted her clothes from the hook. Beneath the thin, hospital gown her spine was straight, her movements tight, as if coiled and ready to spring.
“Penny, I know how much she meant to you.” How much she meant to both of them. He wanted to hold her, share their loss. “I’m not leaving you.”
Untying the gown, she let it drop around her feet and sidestepped out of the heap. She pulled the dark gray sweater over her head then stepped into black velvet jeans. She wouldn’t make eye contact, wouldn’t speak as she sat on the green plastic chair.
This was killing him. He needed to hold her, help her with her pain—his pain. Haltingly, he made his way to her, touched her head, and waited while she zipped her boots. “Penny.” She resisted, but he tipped her chin, forcing her to look up. “Come on, baby. You don’t have to worry about me leaving you.”
“You will.”
“No—”
“When I tell you the truth, you will.”
Brenda and her husband are gypsies at heart having lived in six states and two countries. Currently, they split their time between the pines of Northern Arizona, the desert of Southern Arizona, and the RV life. Wherever she roams, she spends most of her time writing stories of discovery, suspense, and the tangled relationships of life.
Visit Brenda at www.brendawhiteside.com
Or on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/brendawhitesid2
She blogs on the 9th and 24th of every month at http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com
She blogs about life’s latest adventure on her personal blog http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside
Lisa Caviness Five on Friday
Today, I welcome Lisa Caviness to Five on Friday where she not only answers five chosen questions but also celebrates the release of Book Two in The Order Series, Order of Malice.
Lisa Caviness – The Order Series
Order of Fear
Book One of the Order Series
Marissa Nash, part time ballet dancer and accountant by day, plans to call off her wedding to her philandering fiancé, instead she finds him dead. Dr. Justin Tanner is the best man who harbors buried feelings for Marissa. As they uncover past secrets, throwing them into a deadly battle with an evil organization, they must also come to grips with their growing feelings threatening to leave them both shattered. Order of Fear is a romantic suspense novel.
Buy Links for Order of Fear:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sXKYBK
Kobo: https://www.smarturl.it/OrderofFearKobo
Barnes and Noble: https://www.smarturl.it/OrderofFearBN
iTunes: https://www.smarturl.it/OrderofFeariBooks
Smashwords: https://www.smarturl.it/OrderofFearSmash
Order of Malice – New Release
Book Two of the Order Series
Armed with a new identity, Reid Patterson plans to join the FBI hoping to right the wrongs of The Order, a sinister faction controlled by his murderous, biological family. But Reid’s plans go awry when a young girl pleads for his help, bringing fresh threats, a beautiful woman, and a thrill-seeking boy. The countdown begins ticking toward a fiery contest of will and passion.
Foster care psychologist Holly Babson, dreams of a life where her away teen, death returns to her doorstep, revealing the teen’s connection to The Order. Holly’s life pivots as her past, her fears, and her heart are locked in vicious turmoil.
Denied a place in The Order, wealthy businessman Ivan Sinclair will stop at nothing to reclaim the top seat in his family’s insidious organization. A deadly game is his vehicle to amass even more power.
Reid and Holly’s worlds collide with the diabolical force of The Order, and Ivan’s cold-blooded plot. Together, they must fight for their lives while learning to trust their hearts.
Buy Links for Order of Malice:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rWDS0t
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/OrderofMalice.iTunes
Smashwords: http://smarturl.it/OrderofMalice.Smash
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/OrderofMalice.Kobo
Barnes and Noble: http://smarturl.it/OrderofMalice.BN
Lisa Caviness
As a lifelong reader of an eclectic pool of books from mystery/thrillers, science fiction, contemporary romance, and the classics, Lisa Caviness has never been without a book on the nightstand and a long to be read list. Like many writers, she started crafting stories as a child. However, as an adult, creativity took a back seat to her career in pharmaceutical and medical device research. In 2013, Lisa decided to get serious about writing and joined Romance Writers of America (Crossroads Romance Writers, Indiana RWA, and Kiss of Death Chapters) and later Sisters in Crime (Speed City Chapter). In addition to her quest to develop interesting characters, thrilling plots, and compelling stories, Lisa is a busy wife and mom.
Lisa writes romantic suspense.
Social Links:
Website: http://www.lisacavinessauthor.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LisaCaviness1
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisaCavinessWriter
Amazon Author page: hyperurl.co/lqr3zk
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14668568.Lisa_Caviness
Five on Friday questions
1. What makes you laugh?
My husband and three daughters keep me laughing.
Ann: One of the top qualities each relationship needs is humor! It’s a good thing when a family can laugh together.
2. What is one strong memory that has stuck with you since childhood…and why?
One of my strongest childhood memories is reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L-Engle. I loved the story and characters and I didn’t want the book to end. This was the point I truly fell in love with books. I’ve been an avid reader ever since.
Ann: I love it when I get lost in a book and its characters. I think every writer will agree!
3. What is the single most powerful challenge when it comes to writing a novel?
The single most powerful challenge for me is capturing on paper the running movie playing through my head accurately and in compelling detail. I can create a scene or even dream a scene but sometimes it takes many revisions to get the written words close to what I envision.
Ann: Right there with you, Lisa!
4. What is your favorite thing to do during your spare time…besides writing?
I love reading. My favorite genres are thrillers, mysteries, and suspense but I’ll read contemporary and paranormal, too. I also love history and enjoy reading nonfictional accounts of people and events from the past. In addition to reading, I’m frequently in the gym for runs and weight workouts.
Ann: Gee, I wish I could dedicate myself to a gym workout!! :+(
5. You get to have dinner with one character from any of your books. Who would you pick and why?
I’d choose Reid Patterson from my latest release, Order of Malice. Reid has done a lot of work on himself. He was a research librarian, turned jury consultant, and is now looking to join the FBI. After he was shot in the last book he began rehabilitation and now has a swoon-worthy body to go along with a handsome face. But looks aren’t why I’d choose to have dinner with him. He is a treasure trove of trivia and facts. I think he’d be a fun person to have a conversation with.
Ann: Well, eventually I’d get to the treasure trove part…but I imagine that hot bod and handsome face would be my main influence. My bad.
Lisa,
Thank you so much for taking part in Five on Friday. I love your covers and the books sound super interesting! I’ve added them to my TBR list.
National Read a Romance Month
August is National Read a Romance month, so I thought I’d do a bit of research about how the romance novel has evolved.
According to Wikipedia, Mass Market romance really took off after WWI. Category romances in the 1930’s, and in the USA modern romance genre fiction was born in 1972, with Avon’s publication of Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Flame and the Flower; it was the first of the modern “bodice ripper” romance novels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_novel 24/50
Over the years, many genres of romance have developed. One of the latest is New Adult Romance, which rose in popularity in 2012 due to many self-published books.
My latest romance, Chirp, falls into that category, which means the characters are in their twenties. Having been named a Kindle Scout Winner, Chirp is published by Amazon Kindle Press.
National Cheesecake Day
To celebrate National Cheesecake Day, I’m sharing Sugarpie’s (AKA, my sister, Carol’s) recipe!
Sugarpie’s Famous Cheesecake
Ingredients
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ stick melted margarine
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
at room temperature.
1½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and margarine. Press into spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt, until creamy, add eggs one at a time. Pour into pan.
Bake approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let set for 10 minutes.
Reset oven to 450 degrees.
Mix sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spoon over cheesecake and return to oven and bake 3 minutes or until set.
Cool, Chill overnight or at least 6 hours. Top with favorite fruit topping and or Whipping Cream.
Sugarpie loves to make little individual servings in small glasses, and they are beautiful!
Five on Friday with Augustine Sam
Today, I’m thrilled to have multi-talented Augustine Sam on my blog.
Journalists, they say, can be a pretty soul-less bunch at times, and while they are great at communicating hard facts they are generally less adept at expressing their feelings and their sensitivities. That’s not true of all journalists, of course, and, according to Andy Smith (editor of The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Journalists, U.K.), “it certainly isn’t true of Augustine Sam who has somehow managed to combine a career in mainstream journalism with an equally successful career as a creative writer.”
Augustine is a journalist by profession, a novelist by choice, and a poet by chance. In addition to pursuing hard news, he fell in love with poetry the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. His entry poem in the North America Open Poetry Contest—Anguish & Passion—was the winner of the Editors’ Choice Award. And his poetry collection, Flashes of Emotion, now being translated into Spanish & Portuguese, was the finalist in the International Book Award Contest. His debut novel, Take Back the Memory, a thought-provoking women’s fiction, and his mystery/thriller, The Conspiracy of Silence, were both awarded the prestigious Readers’ Favorite 5-star seals.
Grady Harp, an Amazon Vine Voice, says of him: “Poet and storyteller blend seamlessly in a drama that explores the human psyche and that thin line between living and experiencing life.”
About his latest book – BLACK GOLD
His name is Anthony Femi Adeola. Her name is Jessica Rhodes. He has a first class degree in Chemistry. She has a first class degree in Economics. He is black. She is white. They are young and carefree and broke. When they land two spectacular job offers within the first week of graduation, their bleak honeymoon is transformed into a dream.
From the skyscrapers of Manhattan to the breathtaking Grand Canal in Venice, they dangle their future over a multi-billion dollar cliff-hanger. What they don’t know is that undisclosed details of the deal will pitch them against each other and entrap them in the place where dreams end and nightmares begin.
Will their interracial love survive the greed, the captivating allure of Black Gold, and that vile, ancient tradition that seeks to determine who should be married and to whom?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00QOREIB0
Let’s get to the five questions Augustine chose to answer. Be sure and read all the way to the end, then follow him on social media.
If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Answer: Realist
Ann: I consider myself a realist, as well, which is kind of funny, since I write fiction!
Who would you choose to play the two lead roles in your book, if it was made into a movie?
Answer: I would choose Jessica Alba and Chiwetel Ejiofor to play the lead roles – Jessica Rhodes & Femi Adeola – in my latest book, Black Gold.
Ann: For me, part of the fun of writing is casting my characters. I should add an addendum to this question to find out if authors do it before or after they write the story!
How do you react to a bad review?
Answer: I learn from it. As a matter of fact, I do not consider any review a bad review unless it’s an outright and gratuitous abuse. Sometimes the so-called ‘bad reviews’ contain valuable insights and suggestions that can be quite useful to an author.
Ann: Excellent answer! I always say you’re not a legit author until you get a 1-star review!
What’s next for you? Any upcoming releases we should be looking out for?
Answer: My upcoming release is the first book of a long-delayed trilogy – a literary thriller with romantic elements.
Ann: You had me at romantic elements!
Describe your book in one word.
Answer: Blunt
Ann: I critique a lot of new writers, and one lesson I teach is…less is more. The fewer words used to get your point across, the better.
SOCIAL AND BUY LINKS:
Website: https://www.augustinesam.com/
Blog: https://authorsuite.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/austin_sam001
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austin.sam001/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/+AugustineSam01
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1831067.Augustine_Sam
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/austinsam001/
Ann Everett, Best Selling Author
Follow Me
Be a Sweet Thang and sign up for my newsletter!
Then, watch your inbox for a sweet surprise!
{I hope you enjoy this sweet, short-story romance!}