Archive for August, 2012

World Exclusive Interview With Author Charles A. Cornell Plus Giveaway

Posted: August 16, 2012 in Book Promos, crime thriller, fiction, giveaways, Interview, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
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Information about the giveaway for Tiger Paw is included after the interview. Thanks so much.

As you all know by now. I absolutely loved Tiger Paw by Charles A. Cornell.

Tiger Paw

I asked him to take some time out from his busy schedule for an interview and he graciously agreed. So grab your favorite Tiger Paw Beer Shake and some popcorn or pretzels and enjoy the show!

How about you tell us something about yourself as that is the way these things usually start.

I’m what they call a ‘TransAtlantic’ – born in England, raised in Canada, now living in the Detroit area. I have a degree in Metallurgy from the University of Sheffield in the UK and an MBA from a college in Michigan. I’ve been happily married to the same person for over 35 years (the formula will be bottled and on sale at my website soon). Our one and only son is a talented rock guitarist which means he is one notch above poverty until he gets discovered.

Your book trailer for Tiger Paw is top-notch. I want to see the movie! Where did you come up with the artwork for the Goddess and could you tell us about your process in creating the trailer?

In Tiger Paw, I created a fictional Hindu Demon-Goddess, called Dvaipa which is Hindi for ‘from a tiger’. In the book, I called the antagonists – a cult of devil worshippers – the Temple of Dvaipa. I chose to create both of these as a work of fiction out of deep respect for the followers of Hinduism. They will know that Dvaipa is a work of fiction. Tiger Paw is full of references to Hindu scripture and legends. It also contrasts Hinduism with Christianity in my humble attempt to explore the similarities which bind us as a human race, rather than the issues that divide us.

The ancient art in the Tiger Paw video is actually of Narasimha or Narasingh, an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. See Wikipedia for more… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narasimha  Half-man/half-lion, with a lion-like face and claws, Narasingh is a force for good. In the artwork, he is shown destroying a demon. It was my inspiration for Dvaipa – my fictional Demon-Goddess, half-woman/half-tiger. I just reversed the ideas to make Dvaipa the incarnation of evil.

I paid for licensed photos for my book cover, website, blog and video from iStockPhoto. I also use free license photos available from Wikimedia Commons. Link… http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page  I follow their licensing guidelines closely.

One of the cool mini-videos I paid for is the bullet that flies through glass. It has no sound attached to it, so I also licensed a breaking glass sound effect and then had to splice the sound into the video to match it with the exact moment that the bullet crashed through the glass. I use Magix Movie Editor Pro 17. It has some great transition effects that can make still images look like they’re moving. Examples in the video are the fog (it’s a still photo that scrolls and fades), the New York City skyline (a panorama scroll) and the final shot of the tiger coming out of my book cover which is a combination of an ‘earthquake’ special effect with a ‘zoom-out’. After much experimenting, I got pretty dangerous with effects. Just wait until you see my trailer for the sequel, Lucifer’s Key!

There are some excellent sound tracks available from Shock Wave Sound. (Link… http://www.shockwave-sound.com/  ) The music is called ‘Cool City’. With Magix Movie Editor it was easy to splice the sound track so that I could match the drama of specific musical sections with each set of images. Check out the point where the video reveals ‘A Mystic Symbol’ to see that.

When the idea for Tiger Paw first began, which came first, The Temple of Dvaipa and her followers or your protagonist, Scott Forrester? I am curious as to which you used to build the story around. Or was it written around current shenanigans going on with Wall Street?

What an incredible question! I looked back in my archives and pulled up my first chapter outline of Tiger Paw from 2003. Tiger Paw was not my first novel. The year before that, I had finished an espionage novel about a Navy SEAL recruited into the CIA to stop a nuclear terrorist attack. It was OK, but in hindsight it needed some work. It remains unpublished. One of the biggest problems I had was that I’m neither an ex-Navy SEAL nor an ex-CIA agent, so my author’s bio didn’t resonate with agents. Instead of re-writing this spy novel to make it better, I decided to start over and write a murder mystery set in Wall Street, a topic which is definitely in my resume as a businessman and investor.

I’d really forgotten how Tiger Paw originally started until you asked me (that happens when you get older!). There was no Temple of Dvaipa. That idea came later. So the answer is… Scott Forrester came first. Also, well over half of the characters’ names changed from my initial selections for a variety of reasons, some practical and some because I didn’t like the way they sounded!

Tiger Paw is built around the following ‘what if’ question… ‘What if Wall Street defrauded the wrong investors? People who could really fight back?’ I did a lot of research on psychopaths and sociopaths. I wanted my serial killer to be driven by the same sense of revenge that everyone else who has lost money in the stock market feels. I also read the book, ‘Snakes in Suits’, written by a psychologist. It’s about how sociopathic personalities can be very successful in business. You may have a sociopathic manager or executive working in your company and not realize it. They may not act out their value system in a murderous way but evil can take many other forms. So Tiger Paw evolved into sociopaths being murdered by other sociopaths. And us ‘little guys’ get to watch!

But there had to be more to the motive than that. That’s when I came to the realization that sociopaths have value systems which seem ‘right’ to them. But what kind of thought process is this? I studied the concepts of karma and reincarnation, and from that I developed the killer’s warped sense of justice. It’s a form of religious fanaticism that is another current headline maker. The introduction of Hinduism, and the demonic cult behind the killings, hopefully creates a motive that will give readers a new world of mysticism, danger and diversity to escape into.

The final manuscript for Tiger Paw was completed in 2005 which was three years before the 2008 financial crisis and Occupy Wall Street. The ‘shenanigans’ of the moneyed elite have been going on for some time! An agent in New York liked Tiger Paw but passed on representing it. It lay dormant for three years. When the financial crisis hit and Occupy Wall Street was in the news, I knew I had a story that matched the mood of the 99%. So I updated the first chapter to add OWS and self-published it.

How hard was it to keep the killer’s identity hidden while writing Tiger Paw? I don’t recall one clue all the way to the moment of discovery! I know it couldn’t have been easy.

I really love these questions! You’re right, there are few direct clues. I actually had one that I removed because it was too obvious and would spoil the surprise at the end. There’s a way in the novel to figure out what that clue was… but I’m going to keep that secret until after the sequel, Lucifer’s Key is published.

There are actually more red herrings in Tiger Paw than clues. That is deliberate. It’s the ‘mystery’ in mystery thriller!

As you know, Laura, the reveal at the end is preceded by evidence of the exact opposite conclusion. But if I said any more, it would be a spoiler. It’s also the biggest problem I have in promoting the book. Because I can’t really say too much about the plot without diminishing the impact of the ending!

The sequel, Lucifer’s Key will have a surprise ending too.

Tiger Paw touches on some sensitive issues that are going on right now. Will the other two novels in this series have a specific theme?

Absolutely! Tiger Paw has many layers. The surface is entertainment… thrills and chills. Then there is information… about Hinduism, the danger of cults, the mechanisms of sociopathic killers, various interesting geographic locations, the history of Wall Street. Then there is the deepest layer… one that involves the psychology of evil and how it translates into our everyday world. As the Hindu protagonists in Tiger Paw state, “asuras (demons) walk all around us.” Corruption on Wall Street is the current lightning rod for this idea. But there are many other examples.

So many demons, so little time! Here are two world exclusives for Laura Thomas:

The sequel, Lucifer’s Key will involve the concept of the monetary value of human life. What do you think your life is worth? Read Lucifer’s Key to find out.

The third book, Black Venom has the potential to be the most controversial thriller ever written. I’m going to explore a political taboo, something that is whispered about in the corridors of power but never spoken about in public. As an author, this could be very dangerous. But I’m going to try. In literature, questions are often asked, ‘why do wars start?’ and ‘how can they be prevented?’ But ask yourself this, ‘once started, why are some stopped and others aren’t?’ And history has a nasty habit of repeating itself. The plot of Black Venom has already been written in the history books, it just needs to be brought into today’s world.

Tiger Paw is the first of a three novel arc. Scott Forrester’s journey starts with tracking down a demonic assassin. In Lucifer’s Key, it progresses with a prophecy from an Obeah sorceress that is a destiny he cannot escape. In Black Venom, will it be the end of the Temple of Dvaipa? Or will it be the end of the world as we know it?

World Exclusive!
Let’s talk about that missing prologue for Tiger Paw. Why did you not include it in the novel?

Another world exclusive? How greedy!

I’m going to blog about this soon, so I’m going to give you the short answer. The prologue was the original first chapter but since it didn’t include the main protagonist, it violated the genre ‘formulas’ that are prescribed. As a reader, I’m also not a fan of prologues. There’s a purpose for some, typically those that need to provide the historical context of an event that has happened maybe centuries ago. Most other prologues get in the way of starting the story. I actually recommend reading the Prologue to Tiger Paw after reading the novel because when you know who the killer is, and what their motive was, it has an extra chilling meaning.

I know you are anxious to tell us about your other passion – Saving the Tiger! Please share with us.

I don’t know what they teach about extinction in schools these days, but when I was little we were taught about the Dodo Bird. Now this was one butt ugly looking creature that had the unfortunate condition of a bird that couldn’t fly. Man introduced various predators into its environment and the ungainly avian became a toddling buffet. Too bad, eh? It’s gone now. Nothing we can do about it.

But when I was confronted with the following facts… that a hundred years ago there were 100,000 tigers in the wild and now there are fewer than 3,200… and that there are almost as many in captivity (2,500) as there are in the wild… well, it sealed the deal for me. This creature was beautiful! It’s a cultural icon everywhere around the world (it’s on cereal boxes for goodness sake!) And it’s at the very top of its food chain. So why is it going extinct? Look in the mirror to find out. If we can’t save the tiger, nothing’s safe.

For more, please visit the World Wildlife Fund’s campaign to Save the Tiger at http://www.savetigersnow.org/

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I like bulldogs but unfortunately they don’t fit into our lifestyle at the moment. So I have a low maintenance fat cat instead.

I have one fun question for you. Which Tiger Paw Beer Shake is your favorite?

The Siberian (double chocolate stout & vanilla ice cream). My two favorite flavors, chocolate and vanilla, plus beer. What’s not to like about that!

Thank you Charles. I enjoyed this interview so much I hate for it to end. I do want to share with all of you a favorite poem of mine. Please enjoy!

The Tiger – a poem by William Blake

Tiger, Tiger burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye.

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat.

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp.

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears

And watered heaven with their tears:

Did he smile His work to see?

Did he who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, Tiger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

For more about the Charles:

http://www.CharlesACornell.com

http://www.facebook.com/CharlesACornell

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768487.Charles_A_Cornell

Three ways to win Tiger Paw!!!

To enter a giveaway to win your own copy of Tiger Paw: http://wp.me/p27ipo-k0 

For another chance to win a copy of Tiger Paw: http://wp.me/p27ipo-lq

And for another chance to win, go to Sherry’s blog: http://wp.me/p2uiv4-28

If you are an Amazon Prime customer, Tiger Paw is currently free for Kindle until August 31. Just click on the image at top of the post.

To purchase your own copy, click on this cover image.

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Another Chance To Win!

Posted: August 16, 2012 in Creatures, crime thriller, fiction, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller
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Another chance to win your own copy of Tiger Paw by Charles A. Cornell.

Enjoy these pictures and then head over to this link: http://wp.me/p27ipo-k0 and answer this question from Charles.

Tigers can swim. The Jaguar is the only  other big cat that likes to do this. But, there is something that tigers don’t do that other big cats can do. What is it? The first correct answer gets a copy of Tiger Paw!

So put on your thinking caps and give it a go! Good luck!

 

And a really fun video

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8edVU2eo3AY]

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Release Your Inner Monster/Half Black Soul by H.D. Gordon

Posted: August 14, 2012 in fiction, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, suspense
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If you think Blood Warrior by H.D. Gordon was great, which I do, you are in for more thrilling reading with Half Black Soul (Book 2 of the Alexa Montgomery Saga).

Spoiler Alert

This is Book 2 of the Alexa Montgomery Saga for those of you who have not YET read Blood Warrior(Book 1).

The story picks up right where it left off in Book 1. Alexa has left Two Rivers, heading to Dangeon, the prison where it is rumored her mother is being held. Alexa believed her mother was killed by the Lamia, but has been told that is a lie. Believing her sister Nelly will be safe in the city, she hits the road alone.

An incident in a parking lot adds new images to her tattoo. This time she had to kill a human. The monster inside her is getting harder and harder to contain. Once unleashed, she fears losing herself as she almost can’t get it contained again. Lucky for her, Kayden did not listen to her and follows her. His presence is a balm, helping her to calm down and get control of her monster inside.

As they prepare to enter Dangeon to rescue her mother, Alexa fears the outcome. This may be the last time she sees Kayden.

“Kayden ran his hands through my hair, and I shuddered in his arms. His fingers found my chin and tilted my head back so that I was looking up into those beautiful sunrise eyes. “It’s okay Alexa,” he whispered…… Then, he kissed me. The sounds of the ocean died out around me. The smell of the salty air disappeared and yielded to the scent of my Kayden; my Libra. I knew nothing other than the way his lips felt and moved against mine as desperate as they had been in the parking lot of that rest stop, just a couple of days earlier. His warmth and safety…and, yes, love, gave me a reprieve that I hadn’t realized I needed so badly. All of a sudden I wished I’d given myself to him in that hotel last night. But, this would have to be enough. Against my wishes and beyond my control, a single tear fell from each of my eyes. It all seemed so incredibly…unfair.”

Then she enters Dangeon.

“Be ready” she told her monster silently.

“I’m always ready.”

Back at Two Rivers, her sister Nelly has had to do some growing up.  She has stumbled upon a conspiracy in the city, war is coming and sides must be chosen.

She makes covert trips to the woods to strengthen her powers, preparing for the struggles ahead. One such trip lands her in serious trouble. It is the full moon and the werewolves roam the woods at night. She shouldn’t be out here.

Victoria, a werewolf, hates both Alexa and Nelly and has been waiting for a chance like this. She catches Nelly’s scent and rushes through the woods, intent on ripping her throat out.

Now Nelly’s powers will be tested.

“Helpless. I hated that word. I had considered myself helpless for my entire life. I’d skimmed by with the comfort that Alexa would always be by my side to fight my battles for me.

I realized. I had never given myself enough credit. I could handle this. I’d have to. No one was here to wipe my bottom and give me a bottle.

Victoria – she was positive that I was what I always thought I was: helpless. Well she was wrong.”

Nelly, forced to look out for herself now, takes charge. But she needs Alexa to return. She knows about the dirty little secret hidden in the woods and about the blood.

H. D. Gordon does not disappoint in this sequel to Blood Warrior. She tells it from multiple points of view and it really worked for me. It didn’t  interrupt the flow at all and actually made it easier to follow the events. I felt like I was watching a movie.

Her characters mature throughout the story, making them genuine. The plot continues effortlessly and gains momentum, pulling you with it. Secrets are laid bare and you zigzag along, picking up crucial, need-to-know-information with each scene. Great writing, with many thrilling fight scenes and descriptive inner conversations by the characters makes for a great sequel. My connection is stronger and my anticipation is revved up.

I hope H.D. Gordon writes really, really fast. I want more!

Oh yeah! The very last sentence is a killer! I know you will be tempted to peek, but don’t. It’s worth the wait!

Another thing I enjoyed was the inner dialogue between Alexa and her monster, or other self. It is often humorous. Here is one of my favorites.

Alexa to monster: “We don’t have to kill them!”

Monster: “Oh, for shits sake, grow a pair….This is war, Warrior. Get with the program or turn back around and go the f..k home!”

I had several laugh-out-loud moments because of these conversations.

4 STARS Loved it.

If you have not read the first book in this series you can read my review here: http://wp.me/p27ipo-ak

This Just In

I have it from a reliable source that Book 3 of the Alexa Montgomery Saga is tentatively scheduled for release in Mid September. This makes me so happy. I won’t have to wait a long time to pick back up where I left off.

To learn more about the author and her books:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HDGordon?sk=wall

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hd_gordon

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5189455.H_D_Gordon

Her Blog: http://hdgordon.com/

You can sign up for her newsletter and get all of the latest news at the bottom of her blog.

Books by H.D. Gordon

To purchase a copy of your own just click on the image.

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Emma puts the H in Horror

Posted: August 13, 2012 in Creatures, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, Videos, Zany, Zombies
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Have you met Emma Audsley? She is my go to gal over at  HHHB . I don’t know how she does it, but her blog always has such cool scary stuff on it. Like the trailer below. You are in for a treat!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVnfyradCPY]

 

The Horrifically Horrifying Horror Blog Is all about Horror. I’m sure the name gives it away.

Go on over and check it out. Emma and the gang are always cooking up new scary goodies.

Hey Emma! Can’t wait to see what you have for us on Halloween. Are we in for a trick or a treat?

I’ll be keepin an eye out!

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International Giveaway/Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

Posted: August 11, 2012 in Adult Fiction, Creatures, crime thriller, fiction, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
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It’s time. Time for my review of Tiger Paw by Charles A. Cornell!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway afterwards.

13517241

I have been talking about this book for days. Posted about it twice. Now, finally I am ready to tell you all about it.

One million people, a flash mob, have shown up for Occupy Wall Street, effectively shutting down everything from Central Park all the way to Wall Street. One million very angry people.

Wall Street’s biggest and “most high” brokers hide in their towers of glass and steel, fearing bodily harm or death if they venture out.

The “Roar” of “We are the 99%, Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Ignore” reverberated through Wall Street. It was going to take National Guard troops to disperse this mob, born of frustration and desperation.

FBI Special Agent Scott Forrester is sitting in the Big Sky Bar at Denver Airport watching the National Guard enter New York City on TV. After a four-hour delay due to heavy snowfall, his flight to Washington D.C. should be available soon.

Scott’s partner Trish calls him from NYC, the mob is so loud he can’t quite make out everything she’s saying. Something about a vintage 1955 Mercedes Gullwing Coupe, a million dollar car, found sitting on top of a garbage barge in the harbor. His orders are clear. Forget Washington.  Catch the FBI jet to East Hampton and a police cruiser will take him where he needs to go.

Scott’s ride drops him off at Carleton Mansion, home of the billionaire Matthew Carleton.  His first thought upon seeing it is “The person who had this built made one helluva bargain.”

It looks like Matthews bill has come due. He was killed slowly, with his own “sin.” Left at the crime scene is a message written in a language no one recognized, and beside it, a bloody paw print.

Another signature murder. Scott has been chasing this elusive killer for over six months, from California to Florida, then Wyoming, and now New York.

His biggest questions are, what is the message and why kill these people?

As more of the “Elite of Wall Street” meet their grisly ends, this story takes a bizarre turn into the world of cults.

A meeting with Professor Chandra at the Freer Gallery gives Scott and Trish insight into the mind of the killer, and just maybe an answer to why the victims were targeted.  The display of Manifestations of the Divine: Gods and Goddesses of Ancient India is the reason they are at the gallery. Dr. Chandra shows them the painting of The Revenge of Dvaipa, a Demon-Goddess of Ancient India. The painting was lost when the Indian government ordered the sect be disbanded in the early 19th century. It was found a few years ago and, not wanting the cult to start up again, they exiled the painting on a non-stop tour of the world’s galleries. Dvaipa is known as “revenge incarnate” and her followers could be called Satanists. A very disturbing painting, Dvaipa is half-human and half-tiger, wielding her scythe, the Tiger’s Paw.  The professor tells Scott the answers lie in the painting.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj1cu6qZdH8]

What does this have to do with Wall Street’s finest?

Follow Scott as he digs into the investigation, uncovering blind lead after blind lead, to India and back again. He feels he is beginning to understand the killer, with help from some unusual sources.

This story is so scary. People, including me, are so fed up with the “psychophants”(my spelling) lining their pockets while we supply that money with our blood-sweat. The Stinking Rich get Stinking Richer!

Tiger Paw was a very tumultuous read for me. It touches on everything that’s wrong in government and Wall Street. Millionaires, billionaires and Fortune 500 CEOs, they are all about the money. Money means control and power.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see something like this story in today’s headlines. In fact, I’m surprised we haven’t seen it already.

This book made me all emotional. Am I supposed to feel bad for the victims? Sorry, not happening. I think they got their comeuppance and I hope they forget to pay the Ferryman!

I am not even going to try to give this book a STAR rating. It goes so far beyond that.

Charles A. Cornell is a magnificent storyteller, and his debut novel is brilliant. I can imagine the challenge he faces when writing the next two books. It will be hard to top this.


Are you ready for the giveaway? Let’s get started!

Charles has offered up 3 e-book copies of Tiger Paw for this giveaway. As usual, entry is easy. Just leave your email address along with a comment to Charles about what you like most about tigers.

While it is not required, it would be so nice if you followed my blog and visited Charles at the links provided below.

Last day to enter is August 31, 2012. Don’t wait!

And if you would be so kind, please hit that tweet button. Thank you so much:)

Do you know the wonderful thing about Tigger? He’s the only one!

BONUS

Charles threw out a challenge to me and my sister. We both started reading Tiger Paw at the same time. I said it was no contest as she spends all day reading while I bust butt  at work! So you know she was finished way before me.

A second Contest:

For another chance to win, hop over to Sherry’s blog http://wp.me/p2uiv4-28 .

Read her review of Tiger Paw and enter for a chance to win. She also has 3 e-books to give away!

I am curious to read her review too.  But I won’t be able to do so until I hit that Publish button. We are side by side. Ready, Set, Go!

Now a third chance to win! Just answer this question by Charles: What is one thing tigers CAN’T do that other big cats can do? Leave your comment in the box below for another chance to win. If you need clues go here: http://wp.me/p27ipo-lM

This just in!

We have three winners for the mini giveaway. The answer was climbing trees! The three lucky winners are

Janna

DH Nevins

Jill

To see what happens when tigers climb trees, check out this video:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk6JvkdQAa0]

There are still three e-books up for grabs!

  Visit Charles at his blog to learn more about his efforts to save the tiger.

http://www.CharlesACornell.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768487.Charles_A_Cornell

http://www.facebook.com/CharlesACornell

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Tiger Paw Trailer and Announcement!

Posted: August 10, 2012 in Book Promos, crime thriller, fiction, suspense
Tags: , ,
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It’s almost time. Time for my review of Tiger Paw by Charles A. Cornell. But first I want you to watch this trailer!

 [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj1cu6qZdH8]

Now that I have your attention, I’ll let you in on what’s coming up next.

Friday, August 10, 2012 is the beginning. I will be posting my review of

and I’ll also be hosting a giveaway of this spectacular thriller.

Three lucky people will have a chance to win an e-book copy of Tiger Paw!

Well actually six chances to win. My sister over at http://fundinmental.wordpress.com is having a giveaway of three e-books of Tiger Paw at the same time. We will be hitting that publish button at the exact same moment!

I can’t wait to tell you all about this brilliant debut novel.

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Posted: August 9, 2012 in Uncategorized
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very 1st giveaway on her new blog. please check it out and welcome her!

Dark Ops/Steamy Romance/ARC Review

Posted: August 8, 2012 in fiction, military romance, reviews, suspense
Tags: , , , , , ,
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It all started with Twitter. Curiosity got me and I checked it out and fell in love with it. I met some wonderful peeps and soon was tweeting like mad. Then it was suggested that I check out Goodreads. Curious, I checked it out. What can I say! I fell in love again. Some wonderful friends suggested I start my own blog. Curiosity got me shopping around and I picked WordPress. Easy to set up, with plenty of support, I was fuonlyknew! It took me almost a month to post my first review. I had that fear of looking ridiculous. What if no one reads it or likes it? Some of the first people to read my blog posts were so encouraging and provided me with helpful tips. So guess what, I fell in love again! It has been a wonderful experience and I am loving every second of it.  I am like that curious cat.

If I had never hit that Publish button I would not be getting incredible opportunities like this.

Guardian (Book #5 in Dark Ops Series) by Catherine Mann

This book will be available to purchase on September 4, 2012. If you want to pre-order, just click on the image.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I used to read military romance like there was no tomorrow. Big, strong, gallant soldiers, impassioned romance, and plenty of suspense all add up to a captivating story. 

Major Sophie Campbell is involved in a case that could make her career. Single mom and Jag lawyer, she is on a mission and Major David “Ice” Berg is sitting in the hot seat. She needs crucial evidence from him, but a surprising attraction has caught her off guard. She’s known David for over a year. Why now? Remaining focused on her agenda, she grills David mercilessly, looking for a chink in his defensive armor, trying to get that much-needed information to prove her case.

But David isn’t called “Ice” for nothing. Sure that Captain Tate is innocent of any wrong doing, he does what soldiers are trained to do, what becomes ingrained in them in order for them to face a battle field. He covers the captain’s back. Trying to remain calm while being picked away at by Sophie is getting more and more difficult. Not only is she an experienced lawyer, she is also incredibly beautiful. David has been drawn to her ever since they met over a year ago. At the time, she was still married so he ignored the attraction. Now she is widowed and, like him, unattached .

We have two strong-willed people with successful military careers, both single parents, recognizing the growing physical and emotional attraction between them. Things get complicated as their desire for each other proves to be distracting. They need to concentrate all of their energy on solving this case, exposing a traitor, and staying alive.

Can Sophie and David work together to expose the truth and have a happily ever after?

You’ll have to read Guardian and discover for yourself.

Thinking this would be a casual, light read sure wasn’t what I got. The suspense grows gradually as the case moves along and the attraction between Sophie and David is well plotted, no instant giving in to their desires.

Catherine Mann keeps the romance true-to-life, showing how difficult it is to have a career, raise a child as a single parent, and have a relationship. I enjoyed reading about this from both the female and male perspective. The emotional longing to be close to each other and the steamy scenes when they give in to their desires is like an intense suspense and then an Aah moment. Now you can relax for a while.

Here are a couple of examples of what I mean:

She wanted to kiss his smile more than she wanted air.  She also wanted to tear his clothes from his body and have him here, in the water or even on the dock – if it was a little more private.

What the hell was going on with her?

She wasn’t a rip-a-man’s-clothes-off type. She was more the candlelight-and-flowers sort, sensual romanticism, not gritty passion. Making a change in her address was one thing. Taking on an affair with this man was a different matter altogether…if she dared.

He leaned toward her, and her hand settled on his chest, her fingers gripping the warm cotton of his polo shirt. She felt his heart beat faster. Touching him, angling into the kiss was beginning to become such a natural thing…

Feel the heat? It gets hotter.

David crossed the kitchen in three strides, kneeling inches in front of her.

Sleepy-lidded eyes stared down at her as he braced both hands on either side of her on the sofa. If she leaned even a hint either way, they would touch. Her every nerve ending would ignite.

“David?”

“Until today, for over a year I’ve resisted the urge to take you to bed, uncover every inch of you, and show you just how good we can be together. ” He seduced her without a single caress, using his low husky tones instead.

Okay, that’s enough for now.

No doubt about it, Catherine Mann knows how to write a suspenseful military romance. I missed reading stories like this and enjoyed my racing pulse. Much more than a story of wrong-doing, Guardian is a story of life and living it despite the hardships dropped in your path.

Romance and Romantic Suspense are Catherine’s specialty! I would suggest you do as she does. Grab her book, head to the beach, and “dive” in (to her book, silly). Don’t forget a hat and sunscreen as you will forget where you are once you start this book. She wields a wicked pen.  Wouldn’t want you to get a sunburn.

4 STARS

Thank you Catherine for an opportunity to read your ARC of Guardian.

I am going over to get the other books in this series. I love that they can stand alone.  If you want to get started right now, click on any of the images to purchase your own.

She sure has some yummy covers!

About this USA Today Bestseller author and her books

RITA Award winner Catherine Mann resides on a sunny Florida beach with her military flyboy and their four children. Although after nine moves in twenty years, she hasn’t given away her winter gear! Catherine writes action-packed military suspense for Berkley Publishing and Silhouette Romantic Suspense, and emotional. steamy romance for Silhouette Desire. With over a million books in print in fifteen countries, she has also celebrated five RITA finals, three Maggie Award of Excellence finals and a Bookseller’s Best win.

A former theater school director and university teacher, she holds a Master’s degree in theater from UNC-Greensboro and a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the College of Charleston. Catherine enjoys hearing from readers and chatting on her message board – thanks to the wonders of the wireless internet that allows her to cyber-network with her laptop by the water.

Catherine and her family are also active volunteers in animal rescue, having fostered more than fifty puppies and special needs dogs for their local shelter.

Series by Catherine Mann

Elite Force

Wingmen Warriors

Dark Ops

Special Operations

The Landi$ Brothers

Rich Rugged & Royal

Alpha Brotherhood

Beachcombers

Harlequin Desire

Silhouette Intimate Moments

Silhouette Bombshell

You can  find  more of the latest news, upcoming releases and contests here

http://www.facebook.com/CatherineMannAuthor

http://www.catherinemann.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93454.Catherine_Mann

http://twitter.com/#!CatherineMann1

http://pinterest.com/catherinemann/

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Posted: August 7, 2012 in Uncategorized
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I will always look closer.

So I didn’t win the GOLD! JIBJAB!

Posted: August 7, 2012 in Videos, Zany
Tags: , ,
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http://www.jibjab.com/view/GAdEqGPLhS1wsJka7oXL

Please click on the JIBJAB link above!

I didn’t win a Gold Medal in the Olympics but I should have!

I think my brother-in-law has too much time on his hands. He makes some of the funniest videos.

Here is Katy Perry 3D. I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants.

Katy is portrayed by none other than my brother-in-law! See if you can guess which one is me! Click to watch below, but make sure you use the bathroom first:)

http://www.jibjab.com/view/nikZ1qPVAvatyytXBsul

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