BOOK BLITZ: Burning for the Truth by A.B. Medley #ContemporaryRomance #Suspense @XpressoTours @ab_medley

Burning for the Truth
A.B. Medley
(Finding the Truth Series, #3)
Publication date: February 28th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Once the fire starts, no one is safe until the smoke clears.

He’s the one who broke her heart first, the one she can’t let go, and still always saves her when it seems all hope is lost.

He’s also her brother’s best friend and way off limits.

***

She’s the one he dreams about, the one he’s always drawn to, but the one he keeps at arm’s length..

She was meant to walk away—he made sure of it—but he can’t stop holding onto her.

Even though she’s the one woman he can never have.

***

Dean and Briella think their feelings are under control—all they’ll ever be is friends—until tragedy strikes, followed by a string of mysterious fires targeting the hearts of Greendale Valley’s police and firefighters. The aftermath pushes them apart completely, only to drive them back together as they risk burning everything down in search of justice.

Will the flame between them continue to burn, or will uncovering the truth leave nothing but ashes?

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

The ride to my apartment is silent. When we get back, I keep quiet as I get ready for bed.

“Is everything okay?” he finally asks.

“Fine. Why wouldn’t it be?” I clip frostily.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’ve been acting like a spoiled brat since we left the diner.”

I stop what I’m doing and face him with my jaw clenched. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Bree. You’re mad because she talked to me. Admit it.”

“I’m not mad. What you do and who you do it with is none of my business,” I reply coolly even though he’s right. I don’t want to think of him with anyone else even though I have no right to those feelings.

He steps closer, almost nose to nose. “You’re lying.” He searches my face for a crack in my armor.

I step closer so there’s no space between us. “I don’t tell lies. It sounds like you made your move with her and I’m happy for you.”

He scoffs and laughs humorlessly. “I was on duty and checked her detectors, one of the other guys was with me. We were in and out in a matter of about fifteen minutes. This dinner she keeps wanting to have with me is her idea, not mine.”

“So go. You might have fun. You might even be able to give your heart to her and be happy. You won’t know until you try. What do you have to lose?” My chest is aching as I say the words. I don’t mean them. I want him to be happy, but not with her.

“You.” He slides his hand into my hair at the base of my neck; his stormy gaze blazing with fury and passion. “I stand to lose you. Chelsea’s nice, but she’s not you. I can’t give my heart to her or anyone else. You have it. You took it a long time ago.” His breath fans my face as his lips lightly brush against mine.

He brings both hands to either side of my face as I lean into him for an instant, my body and my heart responding in every way, until I think about all the ways this can go wrong. “No. You don’t mean that. And even if you did, we can’t.” I take a step back with my hand placed firmly on his chest as if it will keep him from coming closer.

“The hell I don’t. But if you don’t want me, then I’ll back off.” He takes a few steps back as if demonstrating what he means.

My heart squeezes painfully. “It’s not that I don’t want you. This isn’t only about me and you. If we take a chance and we fall instead of fly, we risk hurting other people too,” I admit honestly.

He comes closer and pulls me into his arms. “We won’t fall. I won’t let go. We can do this if we’re in it together. Hold on to me, Briella. Don’t let go.”

His lips crash down on mine as he pushes me toward my bed, and I know with certainty I’ll do exactly as he says. I won’t let him go. I don’t think I ever truly did.

Author Bio:

A.B. Medley lives in Tennessee with the love of her life and two sons. Her husband stole her heart when she was sixteen and their relationship is one of those meant to be love stories you find in magazines and novels.

She is a dental hygienist who loves to read and has always dabbled in writing. When she’s not making people’s smiles shine, she enjoys belting out songs with her boys, dancing, raspberries, baseball, and anything vintage. Like any proper Tennessean, Sundrop is her drink of choice.

She loves her family and friends fiercely and believes in always chasing your dreams.

Deception in the Truth is her debut novel—but now she’s hooked, and there’s more to come!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / TikTok

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RELEASE BLITZ: A Stop in Time by RC Boldt #RomanticSuspense #PNRLite #SupernaturalPowers @valentine_pr_

They say time waits for no one.
It waits for me.

A Stop in Time by RC Boldt is now live!

I’ve been an outcast my whole life. If my scars don’t scare people away, my attitude certainly will.
I don’t know what I am or how I got the power to stop time. What I do know is, there are far too many questions I need answers to.
When I cross paths with a local gang member, his presence unravels a part of my past I never knew existed.
At every turn, danger leaps closer, and I realize that stopping the killer will mean losing everything—including the first man I’ve ever loved.
But I should’ve known better. We were never meant to be anything more than a brief stop in time.

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3Ibviz2

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3OkkFMo

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Google Play: https://bit.ly/3OfCuMi

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3E7MVj4

Meet RC Boldt

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BBBReaders/

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Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/rcboldt

COVER REVEAL: Dangerous Dreams by Annie Roads #RomanticSuspense #CoverReveal @greyspromo @Abbie_Roads

Abbie Roads has revealed the cover
and blurb  for Dangerous Dreams!

Releasing March 14, 2023

Xander
Love makes you weak and vulnerable. He vowed long ago to never feel that way again. But when he rescues a woman who’s been held hostage, she challenges all his beliefs. The attraction is staggering. The urge to keep her near him, to keep her safe, is overwhelming. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t resist her. And he’s not sure he wants to because deep down he knows he’s the only one who can protect her.
 
Isleen
There’s only one reason she survived the past eight years of torture and starvation. Her nightly dreams of him: The man who finally rescues her. But now that she’s safe, the outside world no longer makes sense, and she’s questioning her own sanity. Is she a bad person? Was humanity better off when she was locked away? The only thing she knows for sure is that she feels secure with him. But what if he’s in danger because of her?
 
No one is safe.
Everyone is at risk.
Who will survive?
Who will die?
Only fate can decide.

 Preorder today on Amazon!
https://mybook.to/dangerousdreams

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3gEcKhk

Meet Abbie Roads

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, but always with hope and a happily-ever-after. She loves true crime and good inspirational quote.
 
Connect with Abbie
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BOOK BLITZ: High Impact by Freya Barker #RomanticSuspense @XpressoTours @FreyaTwitter

High Impact
Freya Barker
(High Mountain Trackers, #4)
Publication date: December 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Manager for Hart’s Horse Rescue, Lucy Lenoir, finally feels she has a handle on life after having worked hard to leave her old one behind. So hard, there are times she almost forgets what she escaped. Memories which suddenly come flooding back when she catches a glimpse of a familiar horseman in town.

What’s worse, he’s in the company of the unlikely cowboy she’s only just beginning to trust.

High Mountain Tracker, Bo Rivera, tries hard never to repeat his mistakes. A huge one changed the course of his life and made him particularly cautious, especially around women. So much so, he almost passed up on the best thing to ever walk into his life; the compact, blonde ballbuster in need of a gentle hand.

However, the more he learns about her, the more he realizes a soft touch alone won’t keep her demons at bay. Those will need a firmer hand…to keep the gun steady.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Start the series with High Meadow:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram / Newsletter / TikTok


BOOK BLITZ: Black Widow by Brooke Sivendra #RomanticSuspense #Revenger @greyspromo



Black Widow by Brooke Sivendra is now live!



They told him she was dead. They were wrong.

James Thomas is content. His private security firm is thriving, he’s enjoying his role as head of the CIA, and he’s happily married to the woman he loves more than life itself. But just when everything is going right, she resurfaces…

Black Widow.

Five long years he searched for her. When the CIA told him she was dead—killed in an explosion he’d caused—he had given up the search. But now a photograph sits on his desk. A photograph taken one block from his house.

James doesn’t believe in ghosts.

Black Widow is back.



Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
https://mybook.to/blackwidowbs

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3TXA1cT






Meet Brooke Sivendra



Brooke Sivendra is a best-selling author of more than eighteen romantic suspense novels. She wrote her debut novel in 2015, after walking away from a career in Nuclear Medicine.

Instead of spending her days working in hospitals, Brooke spends them creating heart-racing stories of bad boys with good intentions. Readers say her books are like, ‘Jason Bourne for women.’

Brooke Sivendra lives in Adelaide, Australia.
 
Connect with Brooke
Website | https://www.brookesivendra.com/
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Amazon | https://amzn.to/3MuA38J
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SPOTLIGHT: Arresting Benjamin by Amber Daulton #RomanticSuspense #ContemporaryRomance @amberdaulton1

With enemies at every turn, how will they survive with their lives and love intact?

Arresting Benjamin

Series: Arresting Onyx (book 3)

Publisher: Daulton Publishing

Release Date: October 11th, 2022

ASIN: B0B5VMNPBC

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 85k

Heat Rating: 5 Flames

A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker.

Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him.

Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart.

When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child.

EXCERPT

An eerie chill crept down her spine as he pulled into the parking lot. Her heart slammed. “What the hell? Benji, stop the truck.”

He parked in a vacant spot near her little green bug. “What is it?”

“My car. Someone trashed my damn car.” She jumped from the cab and hurried across the shadowy lot. Air puffed white from her mouth as she heaved.

A streetlight cast a dim glow across the shattered back windshield, four slashed tires, and broken taillight casings of her car. Someone had even keyed the doors.

Benji grabbed her arm. “Careful.”

Fear clutched her in a stranglehold. “The guy who left the photos did this. I’m sure of it.” She walked from one side of the vehicle to the other, stepping over glass and plastic shards. Nausea swam in her stomach. “What does he want?”

“That’s pretty obvious.” He nodded toward the driver’s side front and rear doors. “He wants you to stop singing, or so he scrawled here.”

Belle snatched her cell from her purse, smashed a button on the screen, and lifted the glowing phone to the passenger side doors. As the light lit up the keyed letters, she shuddered. “The word bitch is on this side. I can’t believe this is happening.”

He stomped around the car and scowled at the nasty word.

She gazed around the lot. No one was there from what she could see, but were they really alone? Was someone lurking behind a vehicle? Perhaps watching them from a window or rooftop with a high-powered assault rifle?

Don’t panic. The cold breeze raked her skin as she dialed for help.

Add it to Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61398149-arresting-benjamin

Check it out on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/arresting-benjamin-by-amber-daulton

Download Links

Universal link

Amazon US

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Google Play

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Social Media Links

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers) – https://bit.ly/amberdaultonnewsletter

RELEASE BLITZ: Irish Charmer by L.K. Shaw #MafiaRomance #RomanticSuspense @valentine_pr_

 

Irish Charmer by L.K. Shaw is now live!

Lucia

For three years I’ve kept my son a secret in order to protect him from the dangers of the syndicate. A life his Irish father is still a part of.

When I have to return to Brooklyn, I don’t expect Nathan to be the first person I see. For a moment, the world disappears and it’s only the two of us. Until reality intrudes.

Because there’s no more hiding the fact that the blue-eyed, red-haired little boy at my side is his.

Nathan

Neither time nor the distance separating us has made me forget Lucia. From our first meeting, there’s been some part of her that calls to me.

With the discovery of my son, I’m even more determined to prove to her that she’s mine.

Soon though, a possessive stalker from her past re-emerges, and he wants her for himself. We begin a deadly game of hide-and-seek, and when it’s over, only one of us will be left standing.

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zEvNLW

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Kobo: https://bit.ly/39sDx8X

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3eGyJ5H

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3rKr9tR

 

Meet L.K. Shaw


L.K. Shaw is the bestselling author of sexy, sinful suspense. She resides in South Carolina with her high maintenance beagle mix dog, Miss P. An avid reader since childhood, she became hooked on historical romance novels in high school. She now reads, and loves, all romance sub-genres, with dark romance and romantic suspense being her favorite. Her books feature hot alpha heroes and the strong women they love. L.K. describes herself as a world traveler, chocolate lover, and perpetual procrastinator.

Connect with L.K.

Website: www.lkshawauthor.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14878033.L_K_Shaw

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LK-Shaw/e/B01EZ0X4DA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lkshawauthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lkshaw_author

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/lk-shaw

BOOK REVIEW: Strange and Unusual by Lani Lynn Vale #mcromance #suspense

Strange and Unusual

Battle Crows MC, Book

Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: August 23, 2022

About the Book

The moment he divorced his ex-wife, Jeremiah decided two things.

One, he would never, ever get into that kind of situation again—i.e., marriage.

Two, he would spend more time doing what he loved—baking, riding motorcycles, spending time with the Battle Crows MC, and getting some quiet time for just himself. Pretty much doing the things he enjoyed, that his ex-wife could no longer ruin.

And, months after his divorce was final, he’s held strong.

He hasn’t gotten entangled with a woman. He’s opened his own bakery. And he’s never been closer to his club.

It has to be why he allowed them to have a massive club party at his place, which became the cause of Gracelynn Barry entering his life.

If he’d known Gracie was going to be his employee, he definitely wouldn’t have slept with her.

Yet, there he is, in the middle of an interview, finding out not only was the woman he slept with the most viable applicant for a job he very much needed filled, but that she’d recently broken up with the man he loathed. The second reason he’d divorced his ex-wife. Erich. His ex-stepson.

To say life is simple for Jeremiah would be a joke of epic proportions.

It’s time for him to buckle up.

Purchase Links

✦ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3J42iJq

✦ Apple: https://apple.co/3POOm8C

✦ Nook: https://bit.ly/3czliU7

✦ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3RX07vC

✦ Audio: https://amzn.to/3wlSntC

Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/3BBrCSG

MY REVIEW – 5 stars

Wow! And I mean… WOW! Lani Lynn Vale really brought it with this one!

Lots of drama and action, but those last few chapters really hit me hard. Talk about thrills and chills. I loved all the sweet moments between Jeremiah and Gracelynn. Wanted to kick Jeremiah in the balls over one incident, but thankfully he pulled his head out of his @ss. Lots of ups and downs that kept me guessing and needing to find out what happened next.

Very well written! Loved every second of it!

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC and am leaving a voluntary review. The review above is only my opinion.

BOOK TOUR: Asylum by Susy Smith #dystopian #romanticsuspense @susy8469 

 

Asylum 

Asylum Series 
Book One
Susy Smith
 
Genre: Dystopian Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Balkan Press
Date of Publication: August 17, 2021
ISBN: 195487118X
ASIN: B09C4WRJQH
Number of pages: 330
Word Count: 87k
 
Tagline: A fight for freedom
 
Book Description: 
 
In the aftermath of the Big Crash, the President of the United States declares martial law. The National Guard rounds up citizens who are never heard from again. While fear and chaos reign, a small band of revolutionaries rise up to resist.
 
Lacy Monroe, barely out of high school, never saw herself as a leader. All that changed after the Big Crash. When the rest of her family fled, she remained on the farm, the last piece of land in the state holding out against the hostile government. Alone and vulnerable, she endures a horrific attack, yet survives and offers sanctuary to others like herself—until an old friend turns her world upside-down.
 
Jace Cooper has harbored a secret for years—he is completely in love with his best friend’s sister. The world is crumbling around them, no one knows how long they will survive, and all he wants is to protect Lacy and stay with her.
 
With the National Guard circling ever closer, hunger and sickness taking a toll, and betrayal and jealousy threatening to destroy the group from the inside, the struggle to hold onto the farm pushes them to the brink. And Lacy is keeping a secret so devastating it could drive Jace to unthinkable actions. Is the farm a safe asylum—or will the fight for freedom destroy them?
 

Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/T1kpaMsvkSw


Amazon      Apple     BN     Kobo     Scribd

Excerpt

“Can I ask you something?” Lacy asked quietly.

Jace looked over his shoulder. “Anything.”

“This tattoo on your back.” She ran a finger down his spine. He shivered.

“Yeah?”

“Why do you have it? I mean, what made you get a wolf-dragon tattoo? It’s unique.”

“Do you want the short answer or the long one?” She trailed her finger back up his spine. “Just tell me what was on your mind. Did you design it?”

“Yeah, I did,” he said, his voice husky. Her fingers kept tracking his spine and he found concentration difficult. “I’ve always been fascinated with dragons. The
symbolism behind the myth. I love everything about them. But the dragon needs
temperance. With great power comes arrogance, conceit, and a thirst for even
more power.” He chuckled and glanced at her.

“Just about everything you’ve accused me of.”

Her hand stilled. “Jace, I—”

“It’s okay,” he reassured her, giving her leg a squeeze. “Don’t feel bad.”

“Go on,” she urged.

He continued to tread water. “Well, the dragon holds immense possibility while the wolf relies on his instincts to guide him. Combined, the dragon sees all the
possibilities before him, but the wolf chooses based on instinct. His heart
guides him. It’s a balance. The dragon embodies primordial power. The wolf
checks it with his ability to relate to others. The wolf takes on everything
the dragon is—his protection, loyalty, fearlessness, and strength—and enhances
it, makes it stronger. The two combined incorporate everything I want to be.
The tattoo is a reminder. Especially when I’m having a bad day.”

She laughed. “Or when someone accuses you of being conceited?”

“Pretty much,” he admitted. “Do you like it?”

“I do. You said you designed it. Does that mean you drew this?”

“Yeah. I knew what I wanted.”

“Wow.” She sounded impressed. “I had no idea you could draw. You’re talented.”

He grinned. “Girl, you have no idea just how talented I am.”

“And the dragon rises.”

Laughter burst from his chest. “Touché.”

A red-eared slider swam their direction. “Look.” He pointed at the turtle’s nose jutting out of the water.

Her grip around his neck tightened. “Let’s go back.”

“He won’t hurt you,” he said, laughing, but swam back anyway. He helped her out then hoisted himself on the dock beside her. He retrieved his shirt and offered
it to her. “Dry off with this.”

She took the shirt and mopped her face. “Pond water is so gross, but that was fun.” She gave him a demure smile. “Thanks. I needed that.”

He spent the rest of the day making her laugh. Being her distraction. But as the
afternoon waned, so did her spirits. She shifted from cheerful to pensive. The
temperature dropped as the western sun burned to the ground. “I guess we’d
better get back.”

She sighed. “Yup. Duty calls.”

They untied their horses and started back. When Highway 11 stretched before them like a winding, black snake, he trotted up beside her and grinned. “I saw the
girl I used to know today.”

They crossed the highway onto Monroe land then she turned and faced him, eyes full of pain and regret. “That girl is gone, Jace. She doesn’t exist anymore. If
that’s who you’re looking for then give up because you’re wasting your time.”
She gave Acer a nudge and galloped away. Frustrated, he urged his horse
forward. She wasn’t going to run. Not this time. He raced beside her and
grabbed her reins.

Eight hooves skidded on dirt and loose gravel and halted in a dusty cloud between the two farmhouses. His horse whinnied, tossing her head. She jerked her reins out of his hands. “That was a stupid thing to do,” she shouted. “I could’ve been
thrown!” Chest heaving, he jumped off his horse. His boots thudded on the
gravel. He stomped around Acer, trying to check his frustration. The girl was
scared, and he didn’t want to demolish the progress he made today. He reached
up and plucked her out of the saddle. “Stop running from me, girl.” He studied
her and saw her demeanor shift from anger to fear. “I’m not going to hurt you.
If you’d crawl out of your pain long enough, you’d see that.” She flung her
hands up, eyes glistening.

“You don’t think I’m trying? I’m drowning trying to save everyone else, but
who’s gonna save me?” She bit her lower lip and looked away. He drew her into
his arms and to his surprise, she didn’t fight him. He rested his chin on her
head and whispered, “Hold on to me. I’ve got you.”

 
Guest Post:

Creating Character: Breathing Life into the Cast of Asylum

If you remove characters from a story, any story, all you’re left with is a news report, right?So, characters, even though they’re metaphors, should feel, act, and speak like people. If you plucked your characters out of your book and Geppetto’d them into real, living beings, would they withstand the test? Or would they fall short as too perfect? Or too flat? No one is princess perfect just as no one, not even the most obtuse person you know, is two dimensional.

  1. First impressions. What is the first thing you notice when you meet someone? Unfortunately, for most of us, it’s their physical appearance. When readers meet characters in a story, they must be able to “see” what they look like. I read a novel recently, and the author never clued me in on what eye color the main character had. For me, that was super annoying. Seasoned authors will tell you to character sketch and that’s one of the first things I had to sit down and do. I mentioned eyes, and for me personally, that’s a big deal. I tend to focus on eye color (for better or worse). You have three basic colors to choose from: blue, green, brown, and their variants. It’s how you describe the color and what shines through them that will help bring your character off the page. My main character, Lacy, had green eyes, but what about them? In Jace’s point of view, he described the color changing with her mood from a thoughtful forest green to glittering diamond hard. Conversely, Jace had blue eyes, but not the light, ice blue of Zach, his brother. They were dark, sometimes with a humorous spark, and other times darkened with desire. In moments your characters can’t speak, their eyes can. Any character can have green, blue, or brown eyes. Breathe life into them. Otherwise, you’re left with a main character’s eyes the same boring brown as your supporting cast.
  2. Give your characters flaws. This was hard for me to do. Even though I wanted Lacy, my main character, to react to diverse, difficult situations with unerring grace, I realized she couldn’t. I let her make mistakes: lose her temper with Jace, treat Hailey harshly, yell at Cat. I placed her in unthinkable circumstances. Of course, she was going to fail! Why? Because that’s what people do. How they handle and grow from their failures shows the reader of whatmettle your character’s made. Crawl through their head for their reactions. At the beginning of Asylum, Lacy suffered a brutal attack. As her rapist was leaving, I felt I had to show how absolutely devastated and angry she was. I can’t tell you how many times I re-wrote the scene until she uttered two words to himthat summed up everything she felt. As an author, I’m never happy using vulgar language, but at that point in Lacy’s life, those two words were exactly what she would’ve said. Even though I fought her (and myself), I eventually conceded they were the best two words to write.
  3. Character vernacular; keep it real! If it sounds stiff and too formal as you read it back to yourself, it probably is. I had to go back and edit in contractions, and even use words like, y’all. Two of my characters needed their speech to set them apart. Raul, born and raised in Mexico, needed to sound different. Think about how a foreigner doesn’t contract their words. They say things like, “I do not understand,” instead of,“I don’t get it.” Edwards, an older gentleman and from a different era, used words like fella instead of guy or man. Set your characters apart by what they say, how they sound. Otherwise, you’re back to a news report.
  4. Oh, the feels… Showing my character’s emotion instead of tellingabout it was what I struggled with the most. Those dang adverbs ending in ‘ly’ tripped me up more times than I can count. Don’t underestimate the power of movement. Show your character’s frustration by pacing, running a hand through their hair, heat rising up their neck, etc. In Asylum, I wrote, “Her feet slammed against the wood floor. Her socks softened the impact, and much to her disappointment, muted the sound.” This showed Lacy’s frustration. It took a lot of work to edit in how Lacy felt by her actions. Your character’s differing personalities will show through their actions. In Hailey’s case, she showed how she felt by simply sniffing. I didn’t have to say she was too haughty to do menial household chores to convey her personality. I wrote, “She sniffed. ‘I don’t plunge toilets.’” Can you see it? I can.
  5. Do you know someone who’s eccentric? We all do. Don’t be afraid to give your character a quirk or two. Cat entered Lacy’s life and quickly became her surrogate mother. Even though Cat wasn’t a main character, I wanted her to stand out as no-nonsense, and a bit audacious. She kept the farm running and everyone in line with nonsensical metaphors. One of my favorite examples is when she chastised Jace for picking a fight with Travis. She said, “Travis didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Lacy and you know it. I’ll admit, sometimes he has no more sense than a snake in a snowstorm …” Memorable, right? I mean, who wants to be compared to a snake in a snowstorm?

Breathe life into your characters. You’re omniscient, the master of your own universe. Whether your story is plot driven, or character driven, you need strong characters that will live inside the readers mind long after they’ve finished the book.

About the Author:

 
Susy Smith has a bachelor’s degree in English and is a language teacher for the Kanza Tribe. Her debut novel, Asylum, won the 2020 WriterCon contest in the novel category. She loves creating a home on paper for the characters in her head and dabbling in poetry. She lives in a small Oklahoma town with her husband, four grown children nearby, and two spoiled dog-children.
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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Harri Unbound by Rebecca York #paranormalromance #romanticsuspense #darkfantasy

When the ruthless magician Madrin dies, opportunists seek revenge for his cruelty. They kidnap his daughters, meaning to sell them into sexual slavery at a brutal club for sadistic, wealthy men. Lady Harri Madrin manages to escape before the doors close behind them and vows to rescue her sister, Morgan.

Gareth Lamb, the handsome son of a local merchant, finds Harri and hides her from her furious pursuers. When she begs him to help rescue her sister, he agrees. They decide to pretend she is his concubine so they can gain entry to the club to search for Morgan.

The master-slave charade forces them into sizzling erotic encounters. Soon, they fall in love, but Gareth knows he could never aspire to marriage with the high-born Lady Harri.

Though Harri’s magical abilities give them an edge, they’re badly outnumbered by the slavers. Even if they manage to rescue Morgan, will Gareth’s disapproving father disown him if they declare their love and attempt to marry?

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EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2022 Rebecca York

Harri Madrin woke in her narrow bed in the dark hours of the night. For a moment she thought she might be dreaming — until she realized there was some sort of disturbance in the convent, something she had never heard in this place of tranquility.

With moonlight streaming through the narrow window, she slipped across the stone floor of the small chamber to where her sister still slumbered. “Morgan, wake up. Something bad is happening.”

Her younger sister’s eyes blinked open as the sound of rough male voices came closer. Men in the convent? Never, unless there was some task that the vestals could not accomplish on their own. And never at night.

Sister Matilda rushed into the room. “Hurry, you must hide! They are after you.” She had always been kind to them, and now her wrinkled face was full of fear.

“Who? Why?”

“For revenge. Your father is dead.”

Harri felt nothing for her sire besides a flood of relief. In all her eighteen years, she had feared her father, the magician, Madrin. Now he would no longer rail at her for being born the wrong sex — and for not inheriting any of his powers. Or so he thought. He was incorrect about the latter, but she had kept that knowledge from him, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of her talent. It was the same for her sister, Morgan.

“You must hide before they find you.” Sister Matilda urged.

“But where?”

“Come with me,” she pleaded.

“We must dress,” Morgan protested.

“No time.” The elderly vestal ushered them out of their room. The stone floor was cold on their bare feet as they followed the sister to a small chapel. She led them up the aisle to the front of the room, then removed two candlesticks and opened the top of the altar where they saw a deep cavity under the horizontal surface.

“In with you.”

The girls climbed into the box, curling on their sides and scrunching down to fit into the space.

“I will come back for you when it’s safe,” Sister Matilda promised before lowering the lid. The sound of metal hitting wood told Harri she had replaced the candlesticks.

Harri moved in the cramped space, trying to get comfortable. She froze when a rough male voice demanded, “What have you done with them?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying, you old bitch.”

“You dare such sacrilege?”

“You are no better than Madrin, sheltering his demon’s spawn.”

The words were followed by the sound of a hand slapping against flesh. Sister Matilda cried out in pain.

“Where are they?”

There was no answer, but Harri heard something hitting the floor. She crammed her fist against her mouth as she struggled not to scream.

Outside in the chapel, a whirlwind of destruction erupted — heavy pews being tossed about, glass breaking. And then silence.

Harri trembled in their hiding place, and she could feel her sister’s similar vibrations.

Footsteps approached the altar, and she struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. A sweeping noise sent the candlesticks clattering to the stones. The top creaked up, and Harri cringed away.

“And what have we here?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling Author Rebecca York began her career as a journalist writing articles for newspapers and magazines, but after several years decided to try writing fiction. She’s a highly successful author of over 50 romantic suspense and paranormal novels and is the head of the Columbia Writers Workshop. Her many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and for Series Romantic Mystery. Her Peregrine Connection series won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense Series. She collects rocks, and enjoys cooking, walking, reading, gardening, travel, and Mozart operas.