#MFRWauthor BOOK SPOTLIGHT: A Question of Honor @MonaKarel

A Question of Honor
A Stormhaven Love Story
by Mona Karel
Mainstream (PG13) suspense
Black Opal Books

Sydney Castleton has worked hard to put her less than savory past behind her…until her sister asks for her help. Devin Starke has fought too many battles, seen too many deaths, to look forward to a peaceful future…until his best friend and partner asks him to help return the horse his wife, Sidney’s sister, took when she left.

Stormhaven, a ranch in northern New Mexico, has become a place for fighting men to readjust to the world, a sort of decompression chamber for those who have seen too much. Devin Starke is such a man. And Sydney isn’t far behind him.

Can a woman with a past find love with a man who thinks he has no future ?

AMAZON Buy Link

A REVIEW
AYLOR JONES SAYS: "This book, like the others Karel has written, shows a depth of understanding of people and their relationships. You can’t help but root for her characters as they struggle to find their way through unique trials and tribulations. The story has a good strong plot that will keep you turning pages, but it’s the charming, heart-warming love story that will have you reading this one again and again."

EXCERPT

She knew that walk. With a slight hesitation in one leg, he prowled like a wounded predator, conditioned to succeed against the most dangerous game of all. Even limping, his reactions would be instantaneous, his balance superior. By itself, his body would be a weapon. He’d be the best man to have on your side in a battle. After the battle, he’d unwind with a drink and a woman. The drink would be strong and straight. The woman would be bosomy and not too bright. He’d very likely spend more time with the drink than the woman. 

Sydney Castleton let her mind drift through bitter thoughts and buried memories as she waited for the man who proclaimed danger with every step he took toward her. He was no different from the men who’d worked with her father: soldiers of fortune, whose luck could run out at any minute. 

What trouble had her sister gotten her into this time?

ABOUT Mona Karel
Mona Karel is the writing alter ego of Monica Stoner. After a life time of wandering the country, she settled on the high plains of New Mexico, where she writes about love fought for and found, in an array of genres. When not writing, she is showing and judging Salukis, taking pictures of New Mexico sunsets, and facing life head on.

WEBSITE  |  GOODREADS  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

Myth, Maya and I-Magination on #Thursday13 with #MFRWauthor Cora J. Ramos

MFRW Author Cora J. Ramos reveals the 13 reasons she loves writing.

Cora Ramos is an award winning author of short stories of mystery and suspense that straddle the edge-whether that edge is the paranormal, a deadly decision or the place where science ends and magic resides.

Her current novel, Dance the Dream Awake, is a paranormal romantic suspense--a journey of self-discovery that extends into a past life that threatens this one. 


1. I love to go on adventures.
2. I learn things about myself and human nature.
3. It is better than a 9-5 job.
4. Commiserating with other authors-they're all a bit odd.
5. To sit and drink coffee for long stretches without feeling guilty.
6. Daydreaming is what I do, might as well be productive with it.
7. I stay sharp mentally.
8. Plotting to kill on paper takes out aggressions harmlessly.
9. The writing community is for the most part supportive and encouraging. Who doesn't love that?
10. I love to write--by hand that is, the actual art of handwriting.
11. Research--so much fun to learn new things and then use that information.
12. Reason to travel.
13. I might actually make some money at it.
                                    
                                    Dance the Dream Awake
                    Romantic Suspense, Paranormal 
                     Black Opal Books 
This just kept getting weirder and weirder…what in the hell was going on?

The shaman stepped forward from behind the women gathered around me. He held up my stone. “Where did you get this?”
“I—I didn’t mean to cause offense. Your ceremony was so beautiful

I was moved to place a gift on your altar.”

His face relaxed and he spoke more softly. “I see you do not know its meaning. It is very old, from early times. It has great power. You have been too generous. We cannot accept. You don’t understand what you have. We would like to help. Come tonight at dusk. We will bring someone to help you.” He pressed the stone into my hand and withdrew.

I was shaken. What—come back to this pyramid tonight? Not a chance in hell would I go back at night to this place—not for any reason.

 Buy link  Amazon

 You can find more about Cora at:
 Website
Blog
Facebook
Amazon Author Page

Meet #MFRWauthor @AlisonMcMahan & The Saffron Crocus

Meet Alison McMahan.
Alison chased footage for her documentaries through jungles in Honduras and Cambodia, favelas in Brazil and racetracks in the U.S. She brings the same sense of adventure to her award-winning books of mystery and romantic adventure for teens and adults.

"My life experience is an indirect influence on my writing. I don't put people I know in my books. Instead I write about things that matter to me, and I let the characters tell me who they are. In this story, I originally didn't think the two main characters would fall in love. Instead, Isabella was going to love the wealthy merchant Domenico, who loves her the way he loves a good ship full of pricey merchandise. But Isabella and Rafaele had their own ideas, and fell in love. Who am I to argue with teenage hormones?

"Once I start writing a book I write from 5 am to 9 am. Then my husband gets up and we have breakfast and exercise and I go back to writing the rest of the day. Except lately I spend my afternoons marketing more than I do writing. I cannot write if my environment is noisy or if anyone interrupts me, which is why I write early in the morning. No one else is awake then. I do a lot of research for each book, but I try to save that for the afternoon. The morning is sacred writing time."

Alison McMahan's latest release is The Saffron Crocus, a Young Adult Historical Mystery, with Black Opal Books.

BUY LINK

Venice, 1643. Isabella, fifteen, longs to sing in Monteverdi’s Choir, but only boys (and castrati) can
do that. Her singing teacher, Margherita, introduces her to a new wonder: opera! Then Isabella finds Margherita murdered. Now people keep trying to kill Margherita’s handsome rogue of a son, Rafaele.

Was Margherita killed so someone could steal her saffron business? Or was it a disgruntled lover, as Margherita—unbeknownst to Isabella—was one of Venice’s wealthiest courtesans?
Or will Isabella and Rafaele find the answer deep in Margherita's past, buried in the Jewish Ghetto?

Isabella has to solve the mystery of the Saffron Crocus before Rafaele hangs for a murder he didn’t commit, though she fears the truth will drive her and the man she loves irrevocably apart.

Murder, Mystery & Mayhem in 17th Century Venice...  Amazon BUY LINK

REVIEW
I adored this beautifully written, passionate book. The Saffron Crocus is a glittering, thrilling opera of a novel that plucked my heartstrings and kept me reading at fever pitch. Brava, Alison McMahan! Encore! 
~ Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Wicked Saga

WINNER: 2014 Rosemary Award for Best Historical for Young Adults

EXCERPT

Who knew a singing career would be this much trou-ble?
“Rafaele!” She flew into the garret. “Piero, it was so wonderful, wait until I tell you!”
The stool next to the bed was knocked over. The tray with the genepy bottle was on the floor, one of the cups broken. The fat candle that had been burning next to Ra-faele’s bed had been flung to the other side of the room. Canvases were strewn all over the floor, some of them slashed, and many of Master Strozzi’s jars of paint ele-ments were broken.
Did Piero and Rafaele have a fight? She quickly suppressed the thought. Who would get into a fight with a man who was already injured?
Something else must have happened.
She walked across the garret. “Piero? Rafaele, are you here?”
Rafaele was not in the bed. The sheets and blankets she had piled on top of him were strewn everywhere. Blood-stained sheets spilled over the edge of the pallet. There was a pile of clothes on the floor.
She walked around to get a closer look.
Not clothes. It was Piero. Face down, one arm stretched out before him, as if in supplication.
A puddle of blood under him.
Dead.

She loves hearing from readers. 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alison.McMahan.Author
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/alisonmcmahan
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/almcmahan/the-saffron-crocus/
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/AlisonMcMahan
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/homunculusprods
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alisonmcmahan
http://www.AlisonMcMahan.com

A Short & Sweet Interview with #MFRWauthor @JamiGrayAuthor

A Short & Sweet Interview with Jami Gray
Jami Gray is the award winning, multi-published author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, and the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams.  Her latest release, SHADOW’S MOON (5/14) was a Golden Claddaugh Finalist, and the first in her newest series, HUNTED BY THE PAST, hits shelves in July 2014. She is surrounded by Star Wars obsessed males and a male lab, who masquerades as a floor rug as she plays with the voices in her head.

Here, she answers some fun questions for readers...
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
COLORADO, no doubt about it. I love the mountains. Unfortunately my other half prefers Maui, lots of sun and sand.  We're still flipping coins to figure out where we'll eventually land.

If you were a tool, what would people use you to do?
Umm, hammer? At least to those who claim to know me. Something about being relentlessly stubborn--I call it goal oriented.

What song would best describe your life?
Ain't No Rest For The Wicked by Cage the Elephant. It's self explanatory.

What is your secret guilty pleasure?
No laughing out there...when things get stressed, I have comfort reads instead of comfort food. Although food works too. My favorite is Christine Feehan's Dark series or her Ghostwalker series. I'm all about independence and partnerships in a relationship, but something about those uber alpha males just works for me.

City life or country life?
See answer 1--country life, so long as a Starbucks is nearby for necessary caffeine intake.

Ebook or paperback?
Once upon a time I was solidly in paperback. Then I got the gift of a Kindle Fire. Now, I tend to lean towards ebooks because they don't weigh my purse down as much, but I keep all my favs in hard or paperback.

If you were on a reality show, what one would it be?
Worst Cooks in America--yeah, can't cook to save my life and I don't think even a celebrity chef could save my results. (Although my Knight is reading this over my shoulder and said, ""You're not that bad, love. Close, but not that bad."" Ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.)

Jami Gray newest release is Shadow's Moon (Bk 3 of the Kyn Kronicles), a Paranormal Romance, with Black Opal Books.

Even a wild heart can be broken…

A blonde, a brunette and a monster walk into a bar and all hell breaks loose.

Tracker, Xander Cade, confronts an enraged Shifter in a crowded human nightclub, fraying the thin secrecy shielding the supernatural community from public scrutiny. Danger stalks the pack and she must protect her alpha and mate, Warrick Vidis, even if he doesn’t want it.

If they don’t find a way to trust each other and accept their rare bond they risk losing everything-their pack, their friends and each other.

Buy Links
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Black Opal Books  |  Smashwords  |   ARe  |  iTunes

Reviewers Say It All...
In Shadow’s Moon by Jami Gray, Xander Cade is the tracker for her werewolf pack in the Pacific Northwest. She is mated to the pack al- pha, but isn’t sure that she wants to be and hasn’t fully accepted the mating bond. As tracker for the pack, she is charged with discovering who is threatening both the pack and the alpha, a job that puts her own life in equal danger. I think Shadow’s Moon is an excellent addi- tion to the Kyn Kronicles series. It is nice to get reacquainted with old friends and meet new ones. Gray is really coming into her own. The book is very well written and the plot strong. I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up. It held my interest from beginning to end. – Taylor Jones, Reviewer (www.BlackOpalBooks.com)

Shadow’s Moon by Jami Gray is a fine addition to her popular Kyn Kronicles series. This book, unlike the first two, focuses on Xander Cade, rather than on Raine and Gavin. It’s nice to get an in depth view into characters like Xander and Warrick, both of whom we have met in the two previous books. Shadow’s Moon is riveting. I was caught up in it from the very first word, and I simply could not put it down. I read right through to the end, finishing at 4 in the morning. I can’t wait for the next one in the series. Gray has turned into a first class author of paranormal thrillers. – Regan Murphy, Reviewer

#MFRWauthor BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Defective @Susan_Sofayov

MFRW Author Susan Sofayov released Defective, a Mainstream New Adult Romance with Black Opal Books on April 26, 2014.

University of Pittsburgh law student, Maggie Hovis, battles an enemy she cannot escape—her own brain. Her family calls her a drama queen. Her fiancé, Sam, moves out after she throws a shoe at his head. Maggie knows there is only one way to get him back—control her moods. So she takes the step most of her family is against: therapy.

After a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder, Maggie begins to investigate her family tree—which is plagued by mental illness and hidden relatives—and develops empathy for her deceased Great Aunt Ella, who lived her life in a mental institution. But Maggie’s journey leads her into fear and insecurity, afraid she’ll end up like Ella and never get Sam back. But what about Nick, her super-sexy old flame, who wants to reignite their passion? Does it even matter, anyway? Won’t mental illness stop any man from loving her?

BUY NOW
Black Opal Books  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT

I knew I shouldn’t go, but this party was important. I had to see Sam. Why couldn’t I get a break, just once?
Saturday morning, after finishing a bagel and downing a cup of coffee, dread took up residence in my stomach and brain. Vacuuming the living room failed to help shake off the feeling, so I crawled back into bed, hoping to sleep it away. At about noon, I woke up with a pounding headache, an indefinable angry sensation, and no desire to leave the bed. Then for absolutely no reason, I started sobbing. Please, I begged the encroaching depression, go away; not now, not today. Please, let me make it to this party.
At six-thirty, I dragged myself out of bed and dressed in the costume. By seven o’clock, against my better judgment, I backed out of my parking spot and began the forty-minute drive to Julie’s house. Common sense warned me to turn around and go home, but I needed this chance to talk to Sam.
While driving down the main street of Zelienople, the absurdity of the costume smacked me in the face. I turned up the radio volume to drown out the horrible litany of adjectives reverberating through my brain, Ugly, fat, worthless, stupid…
As I drove west on the Ellwood-Zelienople Road, self-abusive thoughts replaced the rational ones, and the angry, evil woman living inside my head, who silences me during every episode, commandeered my thoughts. She taunted: Julie only invited you because she pities you. She knows Sam will never come back. You’re ugly and useless, Sam marry you? Ha, such a joke. Stop deluding yourself. No man would waste his life with you.
So absorbed in my masochistic thoughts, I failed to realize my car had drifted into the lane of an oncoming van. Frantic horn honking wrenched my attention away from the costume and back to the road. For a brief second, time slowed and every muscle in my chest constricted around my rib cage. My arms cut the wheel hard to get back onto my own side of the road. Once the van safely passed, I eased onto the shoulder, threw the gear into park, and collapsed forward onto the steering wheel. My hands flew to my head and squeezed. “Shut up,” I roared to the part of my brain telling me I should have let the van kill me.
Ten minutes later, I turned the key and put the car into drive. My heartbeat had returned to normal and air moved in and out of my lungs. I gripped the steering wheel with both hands and focused on the road, knowing full well I was driving in the wrong direction. Home was the other way.

About Susan
Susan Sofayov lives in Pittsburgh, PA with one husband, three children, and the most hated dog in the neighborhood. She and her husband operate a real estate development/management company.  She is a former vice president of child care for a large non-profit organization and holds a BA in English Literature and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Teaching from Chatham University.
Susan loves pizza, babies, and gummy bears.  She readily admits to suffering from an acute fear of punctuation marks, especially the ever malicious comma.

facebook  |  goodreads  |  twitter 

Reviews Say It All
TAYLOR JONES SAYS: In Defective by Susan Sofayov, Maggie is a young woman with bi-polar disorder who gets a serious wake-up call when her fiancé leaves her because, while he loves her, he can’t live with the scary person she becomes when her condition acts up and she has what she calls “episodes.” Willing to do anything to get Sam back, Maggie does the unthinkable, according to her family. She decides to see a shrink and get help.

I found the story extremely interesting as I knew nothing about bi-polar disorder. It is sobering to realize that sometimes people act crazy because they really can’t control their behavior. You simply cannot help but feel for Maggie as she struggles to live a normal life, knowing that she isn’t really normal, but not knowing why. And you rejoice with her when she finally finds a medicine that helps her control her symptoms and “quiet her noisy brain.” It is a warm, inspiring, and moving story and I enjoyed every word. I give Defective 5 Stars.

REGAN MURPHY SAYS: Defective by Susan Sofayov is the story of a young woman with Bi-Polar 2 Disorder. She knows that she has good days and bad days, but she doesn’t know why, and she doesn’t get help, or even realize how serious the problem is, until her boyfriend moves out after she has one of her scary bad days. Devastated, she takes a friend’s advice and decides to go see a therapist to get help, knowing that is the only way she can get her lover back.

Maggie spends the whole of the book trying to get Sam back, even when we begin to see that perhaps Sam is a bit of a jerk and doesn’t really deserve her. After all, instead of trying to help her, he just walks out on her. Which is why the ending is such a pleasant surprise. The book is touching as well as thought-provoking, giving us a glimpse into the daily life of someone whose own brain is her worst enemy. It may not be a page turner, but it is definitely worth the time to read and think about. It will at least make you realize how lucky you are to be normal, and perhaps make you a little more understanding of those who aren’t. I’m giving it 4.8 Stars.

#MFRWauthor BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Shadow's Moon @JamiGrayAuthor

MFRW Author Jami Gray released Shadow's Moon (Bk 3 of the Kyn Kronicles), a Paranormal Romance, with Black Opal Books on May 10, 2014.

Even a wild heart can be broken…

A blonde, a brunette and a monster walk into a bar and all hell breaks loose.

Tracker, Xander Cade, confronts an enraged Shifter in a crowded human nightclub, fraying the thin secrecy shielding the supernatural community from public scrutiny. Danger stalks the pack and she must protect her alpha and mate, Warrick Vidis, even if he doesn’t want it.

If they don’t find a way to trust each other and accept their rare bond they risk losing everything-their pack, their friends and each other.

Buy Links
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Black Opal Books  |  Smashwords  |   ARe  |  iTunes

Reviewers Say It All...
In Shadow’s Moon by Jami Gray, Xander Cade is the tracker for her werewolf pack in the Pacific Northwest. She is mated to the pack al- pha, but isn’t sure that she wants to be and hasn’t fully accepted the mating bond. As tracker for the pack, she is charged with discovering who is threatening both the pack and the alpha, a job that puts her own life in equal danger. I think Shadow’s Moon is an excellent addi- tion to the Kyn Kronicles series. It is nice to get reacquainted with old friends and meet new ones. Gray is really coming into her own. The book is very well written and the plot strong. I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up. It held my interest from beginning to end. – Taylor Jones, Reviewer (www.BlackOpalBooks.com)

Shadow’s Moon by Jami Gray is a fine addition to her popular Kyn Kronicles series. This book, unlike the first two, focuses on Xander Cade, rather than on Raine and Gavin. It’s nice to get an in depth view into characters like Xander and Warrick, both of whom we have met in the two previous books. Shadow’s Moon is riveting. I was caught up in it from the very first word, and I simply could not put it down. I read right through to the end, finishing at 4 in the morning. I can’t wait for the next one in the series. Gray has turned into a first class author of paranormal thrillers. – Regan Murphy, Reviewer

Excerpt

“Why are you running scared?” His question was stiff.
“Let me ask you something,” she said. When he gave a short nod, she continued. “Why did you bond us?”
“You were dying.” His voice was gruff, almost angry. “I—we need you.”
Need, not love. His choice of words scraped over her heart. “Need?” she asked around the tightness of her chest.
“If we lost you, the pack would be devastated.”
“What about you, Warrick?” she whispered.

“An alpha can’t have a weakness, Xander,” he said, searing her with the brutal truth.

“So you consider a mate a weakness?” Oh, this was just getting better and better. Why had she thought she could make this relation- ship work?
“Did you forget what happened with Chavez?” he gritted out, rubbing the heel of his hand over his chest.
His movement had her realizing she was projecting her pain through their bond. Furious with herself, and with him, she reeled in her emotions. “Chavez’s mate was crazy.”
“He covered for her because he loved her, and now his pack is in upheaval.”
She wanted to punch him. The urge was so powerful, she had to curl her hands into the leather of her bike’s seat behind her. “So it’s not a mate that you consider a weakness, but the emotion behind it?” she pushed.
“No,” he growled. “You should never give an alpha wolf someone of his own.”
Confusion momentarily overrode her anger. “Why?”
His lips thinned and his jaw tightened. “An alpha is the ultimate protector. Protection of our packs is a natural directive. We will do whatever is needed to protect what is ours. Even if they don’t want to be protected.”
“Even a mate?” She kept her tone careful as she began to get an inkling as to why he was so damned determined to keep his heart out of her reach.
“To protect a mate some would burn the world,” Warrick answered. “Even at the expense of our pack. Chavez is proof of that.”
“Warrick—” she started.
He snarled and ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. “My wolf recognizes you as our mate.” Possessiveness stormed down their bond confirming his words.
Mate. A deep thrill hummed through her at his claim, but her heart ached because there was more to it. Dreading his answer, she asked, “And the man?”
“Is torn.” His face was grim. “Claiming you protects and strengthens the pack, but increases the danger to you.” His and me was left unsaid.
“You think you can claim me, but keep me at arm’s length? As if that will somehow keep me safe?”
He didn’t answer, but she could feel the belief in his screwed up logic. She and her wolf took exception to his assumption, and there was no stifling her growl. “I don’t need you to keep me safe, Warrick. I need you to accept me for who I am.”
Feminine fury rose and burned against his male arrogance. Her challenge was the last straw. She practically heard his control break. Swearing, he trapped her between his body and the bike before she could blink.
Being caged brought her wolf snarling to the forefront. Claws broke through and she swiped out, leaving thin bloody lines across one cheek before he captured her hands in his. He snarled back and took her lips with savage intensity. Ravaging her mouth, he took sharp bites of her lower lip before laving the stings with his tongue.

About Jami Gray
Jami Gray is the award winning, multi-published author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, and the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams.  Her latest release, SHADOW’S MOON (5/14) was a Golden Claddaugh Finalist, and the first in her newest series, HUNTED BY THE PAST, hits shelves in July 2014. She is surrounded by Star Wars obsessed males and a male lab, who masquerades as a floor rug as she plays with the voices in her head.

Website:     www.JamiGray.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jamigray.author
Facebook Author Page:  https://www.facebook.com/JamiGrayUFWriter
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/JamiGrayAuthor or @JamiGrayAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JamiGray
Google+:  https://google.com/+JamiGray
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B006HU3HJI
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/LvoZn

A DEFECTIVE #Thursday13 @Susan_Sofayov

MFRW Author Susan Sofayov released her latest book Defective with Black Opal Books on April 26, 2014. Today, she brings us 13 sentences from her book. Careful! They just might entice you to buy it!

Susan Sofayov lives in Pittsburgh, PA with one husband, three children, and the most hated dog in the neighborhood. She and her husband operate a real estate development/management company.  She is a former vice president of child care for a large non-profit organization and holds a BA in English Literature and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Teaching from Chatham University.

Susan loves pizza, babies, and gummy bears.  She readily admits to suffering from an acute fear of punctuation marks, especially the ever malicious comma.

facebook  |  goodreads  |  twitter     

Thirteen Sentences from Defective

1. Sam kissed me and said, “I love you,” but this morning his hug felt cold, not icy, but slushy.

2. I saw his neck muscles straining inside the collar of his white shirt—the one I ironed before going to bed last night.
3. Until you learn to love yourself, I can’t live with you.
4. I dumped shampoo straight on to the top of my head and sobbed as I clawed it into my scalp.
5. You didn’t really think a guy like Sam would waste his life with someone like you.
6. A bag fastened to the side of her walker contained a deck of cards and a bottle of tonic water.
7. “Because, Maggie, I was a damn fool, and by the time I realized it, my biological clock passed midnight.”
8. I’d always considered my depression to be a misdemeanor in the mental health legal system, just like panic attacks and compulsive hand washing.
9. Bipolar Disorder, of any type, was definitely a mental health felony.
10. This asshole should spend a few months inside my brain or let me write the damn definition:
11. “Maggie, sit down. Either drink or blush, but don’t talk.”
12. I did my best to describe him, but boring English words don’t do justice to off-the-charts-gorgeous, Nick, with his black satiny curls, green eyes, and bulging biceps,” she said, bending her elbow and squeezing her skinny upper arm.
13. If Mildred found out she chose a boyfriend over her—well, let’s just say that, under certain circumstances, plucked turkeys could fly great distances

BLURB
University of Pittsburgh law student, Maggie Hovis, battles an enemy she cannot escape—her own brain. Her family calls her a drama queen. Her fiancé, Sam, moves out after she throws a shoe at his head. Maggie knows there is only one way to get him back—control her moods. So she takes the step most of her family is against: therapy.

After a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder, Maggie begins to investigate her family tree—which is plagued by mental illness and hidden relatives—and develops empathy for her deceased Great Aunt Ella, who lived her life in a mental institution. But Maggie’s journey leads her into fear and insecurity, afraid she’ll end up like Ella and never get Sam back. But what about Nick, her super-sexy old flame, who wants to reignite their passion? Does it even matter, anyway? Won’t mental illness stop any man from loving her?

BUY LINKS
Black Opal Books  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight ~ Rescued from the Dark ~ @lynda_kaye #mfrworg

Author:  Lynda Kaye Frazier

Book:  Rescued from the Dark

Release Date: February 16, 2013

Publisher: Black Opal Books

Publisher Buy Link:  http://www.blackopalbooks.com

Amazon Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFYANMK    

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Length:  290 Pages

Price:  $  TBA

Warnings:  None

Heat Level: PG-13

Format: E-Book in Multiple Formats

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

Author Blog/s:  http://lyndafrazier.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-Kaye-Frazier/189048967838229

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lynda_kaye

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7794016-lynda-kaye-frazier

Amazon Author:  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009L7TK04

She has no memory of their love...

Kidnapped by terrorists and sent into a drug-induced coma, FBI intern Mercy Kingsley awakes with no memory of her ordeal—or the intimate interlude that got her pregnant. Convinced her child was fathered by her ex-fiancé, she walks away from the only man she has ever loved, determined to make things work with her ex, a man the FBI suspects is implicated in her abduction.

He knows the truth, but no one will listen...

FBI undercover agent Jason Michaels remembers what Mercy can’t and those memories are breaking his heart. Forced to keep his distance from his lover and their unborn child, Jason risks his life to protect Mercy from a cell of international terrorists who have vowed to get the secrets locked in her memory, no matter the cost. Can Jason convince Mercy to trust him until she remembers their past, or will he lose her to a man who will trap her in a nightmare world of darkness from which there is no escape?

An Interview With Lynda Kaye Frazier

Today we have the wonderful Lynda Kaye Frazier ~ please give her a warm welcome!

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

Rescued from the Dark is a Romantic Suspense.

This is a story about an FBI agent, Jason Michaels who goes undercover with the Irish Mob to get information on their gun smuggling ring. While on assignment he realizes they have joined forces with a known terrorist group manufacturing drugs. He searches for information to tie the two together when he finds out they have kidnapped a fellow agent and the only girl he has ever loved. Jason soon realizes their using Mercy to perfect their dosage and that his cover has been blown. He knows he has to save her so takes off a  journey that will take him up against his enemies, peers and the Agency that he loves, but willing to give up to bring Mercy back to him.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Rescued from the Dark is the first book in my Guardian’s of Hope series. It is an eight book series made up of Special Ops, Navy Seals and FBI Agents who are sanctioned by the government to do rescues they can’t or are not able to do due to restrictions.

I am almost finished with the second book, Last Chance to Run and hope to have it published by the end of the year.

I also have a contemporary, Saving JT in the works and just finished outlining the remaining books in the Guardian’s series. So many more books in the future.

How do we find out about you and your books?

You can follow my progress on my website:  www.lyndakayefrazier.com

And on my blog:  http://lyndafrazier.blogspot.com

How many readers/fans contact you?

This is my first novel so not a big fan base. Just family and friends.. But that’s a great place to start.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

Mercy has a lot of my personality built into her character. She loves coffee, is always late and is very protective of family and friends. The only thing we share on life experiences is how enclosed areas bother her. I hate it when the elevator closes. I swear I hold my breath until it opens again.

When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

Generally, how long does it take you to write a book? It takes two months for me to complete a rough draft. I am still new to the editing process so I’m slow at it. I think I edit it too much.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

My day job takes up a lot of my time so I have set aside my evenings from 8 to midnight for my e-mails, blog updates and writing. I usually wing it on the weekends but still try to get at least three hours in front of the computer each day.

What is your writing routine once you start a book?

Once I have my characters and plot my book basically writes itself. I keep a tape recorder on me and when I get an idea I record it and feed it into my story when I get home. I am always working on my story whether it’s in front of the computer or recording a thought.

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

I do a short outline then build my characters. Looks, personality and quirks. Then the story builds around that.

What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?

My kids are grown and on their own and once my husband is fed he is happy so the only real interruption I have is when my cats feel like they need attention and lay across my keyboard.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I read. I love to read, that’s what started this journey of mine. It’s my escape.  I relax with a few chapters each night.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels? Do you find them difficult to write?

I only have one love scene in my book. There is a lot of sexual tension but writing that one scene was very difficult for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read erotic and would love to write more but alas my Catholic school background will not let me. When I’m in the middle of attempting to write one I get a mental image of the Nuns and Priests telling me to get those evil thoughts out of my head. Someday I will learn how to kick them out of my head.

What kind of research do you do?

This book dealt with the Irish Mob and a Terrorist cell. I had many hours on the wide web searching for information so my plot sounded as real as it could be without hitting sites that would get me flagged by the US Government.

What does your husband/wife think of your writing?

My family is very supportive of my writing.

Do you ever ask him/her for advice?

No, can’t even get him to read my book. He’s only into westerns.

Please tell us about yourself.

I am married with five children and three grandchildren. I love to garden and paint but the one thing you will always catch me doing is reading. My most favorite place to be is on the beach. I have been known to drive 10 hours for a day on the sand. I went to college for Respiratory Therapy back in 1979 and have been a registered ultrasound technician for the last 18 years. I work for a Cardiology group and can honestly say I love my day job. But I love writing more.

Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?

I have always had a passion for reading, but the one author that influenced me into getting published was Cindy Gerard. When I finished writing my book I had questions so I e-mailed her and she was great. She gave me information that put me in the right direction. She was very kind and answered every one of my dumb questions.

Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.?

I am a member of RWA, Roses Critique group, Savvy Authors, BTS eMag reviewers.

What do you think of critique groups in general?

I would be lost without my critique group.  I love the different advice I get, and use it as just that, their opinion and advice. I don’t let them change my voice but their great at catching plot errors, story structures problems and flow.
 

List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.

Cindy Gerard and Suzanne Brockman. Love their stories.

Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Don’t ever give up. You will get critiques that will make you cry and rejection letters. Make them building blocks for the career you are building.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

 I put on my calendar the date of the next release from the authors I read. I want to know that someone loved my story and was left needing to know what happens next so they put my next release date on their calendar.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Never engage in activity until coffee has been consumed.

Leather or lace? Lace

Black or red?  Black

Satin sheets or Egyptian cotton?  Egyptian cotton

Ocean or mountains?  Ocean

City life or country life? Country life

Hunky heroes or average Joe? Hunky Heroes

Party life or quiet dinner for two? Quiet dinner

Dogs or cats? Both

Tell us your favorites.  

Dessert ~ Peanut butter cookies

City ~ Houston

Season ~ Summer

Type of hero ~ Take charge and sexy

Type of heroine ~ Confident, courageous, not whimpy

Where can your readers find you?

Web ~  www.lyndakayefrazier.com

Blog ~  http://lyndafrazier.blogspot.com

Twitter ~  https://twitter.com/lynda_kaye

Amazon ~ http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009L7TK04

Goodreads ~ http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7794016-lynda-kaye-frazier

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online?

I enjoy Goodreads because I love to read and enjoy finding new authors and recommending great books to others. But I am also a Facebook junkie.

She has no memory of their love...

Kidnapped by terrorists and sent into a drug-induced coma, FBI intern Mercedes Kingsley awakes with no memory of her ordeal—or the intimate interlude that left her pregnant. Convinced her child was fathered by her ex-fiancé, she walks away from the only man she has ever loved, determined to make things work with her ex, a man the FBI suspects is implicated in her abduction.

He knows the truth, but no one will listen...

FBI undercover agent Jason Michaels remembers what Mercy can’t and those memories are breaking his heart. Forced to keep his distance from his lover and their unborn child, Jason risks his life to protect Mercy from a cell of international terrorists who have vowed to get the secrets locked in her memory, no matter the cost. Can Jason convince Mercy to trust him until she remembers their past, or will he lose her to a man who will trap her in a nightmare world of darkness from which there is no escape?

Buy Links:

www.blackopalbooks.com

http://www.amazon.com/Rescued-Dark-Lynda-Kaye-Frazier/dp/1937329933/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

Price: Print $9.99 at Black Opal Books; Amazon and B&N $11.99; eBook $2.99

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Black Opal Books

Release Date: February 16, 2013

Author Bio: I’m an avid reader of romantic suspense and started writing about a year ago after a vivid dream. I know, sounds cliché, but that’s how it started.  I work full time at a Cardiology clinic, then at night you will find me in front of my computer writing. I grew up in Pennsylvania, but now live in Arkansas, surrounded by the Ozark Mountains where I get to enjoy the four seasons without a long, cold winter. Other than spending time with my wonderful family, my favorite things to do are writing, reading and listening to music, but my most favorite is going to the beach. Surf, sand and a good book, my stress relief.