Review: Heart of Lies by M.L. Malcolm

How unfortunate to find the love of your life when you have to run to save your own.

Leo attempted to live outside the political pressures of WWI in Hungary. His Jewish faith, communist adoptive parents, and even his talent with languages worked against him. Offered an opportunity to serve as a multi-language interpreter for a business meeting, Leo assumed he made the right decision to accept.

Waiting for the meeting, he met Martha and left his heart in her lap.

He wasn’t informed of the national security and counterfeiting of the meeting. Murder or be murdered. He chose the first and then defected to Shanghai, the only country that accepted new residents with little concern for their past. Yet he left Martha with a promise.

Years later Leo made his fortune in the Asian city and sent for his love. She traveled to his side and they lived with love, money, and everything they wanted.

The beginning of WWII with Japan’s invasion brought on the Great Depression and Leo lost his fortune. Love was most important, yet he had to begin again.

A great read to experience the strength of love and to follow a man of great talent through the myriad of lives he was forced to live, some favorable and some not. Grab some tissues because tears are inevitable.

Dawn

Guest Author: Lisa Greer

I'm so happy to be a guest on the blog today. Thank you!

My debut gothic romance novel, Magnolian, is on sale today in e-book format. It's an exciting day for me.

I wanted to talk a little about setting today because setting plays a huge role in my writing. I've lived in two countries and four states now, and I'm so happy that I have. Moving wasn't always fun, but I've realized that I have a rich base of experience to draw from because of my moving. I can write about Western Pennsylvania and do it with a genuine voice. The same goes for Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Vancouver, BC, Canada. I like to really know the places I write about. One of my pet peeves is reading a novel that has a sketchy setting. My favorite settings are in the South in small towns.

If you like the South, ghosts, romance that keeps you guessing, and old family estates, I invite you to check Magnolian out. Here's a little more about it:

When her father dies, college dropout Lillian Mullins steels herself for a future of nothing special in Pittsburgh. An invitation to Magnolian holds promise, but nightmares, ghosts, and murder threaten to derail her attempt to get a life.

Lillian heads to the South, leaving Donovan Ross, an angsty potential lover, behind. After she finds her mother's old journal at Magnolian and learns a shocking secret, Lillian resolves to find out what happened nearly forty years ago to her mother's African American lover, Samson Jones. Mysterious accidents and threats make her wonder whom she can trust: her enigmatic distant cousin Willoughby Tate, who is running his father's gubernatorial campaign, her Aunt Lorelei, who warns of a dire future, the ghost who beckons her in the night, or her father's voice in the recurring dream that will not let Lillian rest.

I've enjoyed being here! Since today is release day for my novel, I'm giving away a copy of Magnolian. Just tell me what type of setting you like in the comments, and I'll use the Random Number Generator to pick a winner by March 9th at 12pm.
Facebook: Lisa Greer

http://www.lisalgreer.com/

gothicked.blogspot.com (gothic novels review blog with contests and give aways)

To read an excerpt from Magnolian or buy the novel, visit: www.bookstrand.com/magnolian

Did They Really Say That?

Have you ever picked up a book and the dialogue simply exploded off the page? Have you ever been struck by the sparkling, witty exchange between hero and heroine? Or sarcasm so thick, you needed a chainsaw to cut through it (sorry, that’s a cliché but I couldn’t help myself)? Or the fights, where the words are thrown like missiles through the air (and not one of them is the F bomb)? Have you ever wished you could have said that in the heat of an argument? Or wished your loved one could be that romantic?

I’ve often wondered how authors do that – you know, take simple ordinary words and make them come alive, make the reader feel the anger of a quarrel or feel the romance blossoming just by the dialogue. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve giggled out loud by something the heroine said or gasped because the venom in the words hit me like a sledgehammer or sighed because the hero said something so sweet, so beautiful, it made my heart melt.

As a writer, I find this the most difficult thing to do – twist those common place, everyday words into something that makes the reader gasp or sigh or laugh, but there are some authors who do it effortlessly (or so it seems). And isn’t that one of the pleasures of reading? To see what a normal, mundane word can become in the hands of a master?

Happy reading!

Marie

Guest Author Interview: Terri Brisbin

Alexis: Hi Terri. Welcome to Happily Ever After Thoughts. Thank you so much for coming. Your website is so beautiful. It puts me in the mood for one of your many books right away! Why did you decide to write historical? I mean, besides the hunky men and strong willed women :-)

Terri: I have always loved history and loved reading historical romances, so I’m not sure it was a choice? Actually, my first book (which is now hidden away in a closet) was a contemporary and I discovered quickly that I enjoyed writing historicals more and that my voice is definitely historical.

Alexis: As a lover of historical romances, I have to say I’m glad you found your voice in historical :-) And speaking of, you have a new romance being released this month. Can you tell us about HIS ENEMY’S DAUGHTER?

Terri: HIS ENEMY’S DAUGHTER is a story of a man who has survived a horrifying battle wound fueled by hatred and the need for vengeance who discovers that vengeance isn’t enough to live on.

Soren lived on his looks and was called the ‘beautiful bastard’ but all that changed at the Battle of Hastings. Seeking out the family of the man who destroyed all that he was, Soren finds the daughter who has been blinded in his attack on her home. And he finds the only woman who cannot see the monster he has become.
 
Sybilla knows she is the only one who can protect her people from this conqueror’s wrath but she wonders if she can survive blinded and as his wife. Slowly, the man within the monster begins to live again and she falls in love with him, helping him even more than he helps her.
 
But, when her sight is restored, Soren knows he will lose her and the love he never expected to find. Can love overcome the terrible wounds of the flesh and the soul and help him be the man he should be rather than the monster he is?

Alexis: Wow, I’m so hooked on this. What a wonderful, emotional plot. Where did you get the idea for this story?

Terri: Hmmmm. I’m not sure where the idea of the three bastard knights fighting for William the Conqueror came from but once I got that idea, I began thinking about who the knights should be and what linked them together. I knew they must have been raised together and then began playing ‘what if…?’ with that idea. When Harlequin asked me to write a short story (A KNIGHT FOR HER PLEASURE) to introduce them before the trilogy began, I got the chance to show Soren before the battle. And when I did, I realized he would have to lose everything in order to become the hero I knew he could be. What better way to bring that hero out than to take away the one thing that made him who he was – his looks? So I did that and Soren came to me as he is in his story – wounded, damaged, half-blind and not knowing who he should be. Sigh…. I guess I love ‘beauty and the beast’ stories so much, they just run to me now? LOL!

Alexis: Those are my absolute favorite types of stories as well. What are your favorite character traits of Soren and Sybilla?

Terri: I think both of them are fiercely loyal and I like that about them. I think what drew me to them is that they’re both lost and damaged and seeking a way to be a better person.

Alexis: What kind of research did you have to do for this novel?

Terri: I had to do lots of research about the time period and specifically about William the Conqueror, Normandy, Brittany, warfare, England and so much more to write this series (there are three novels and the short story all connected as the Knights of Brittany). I did discover that the Bretons got a bad rep in the Battle of Hastings for running and nearly causing William’s defeat, but I decided to change history a bit for my stories after meeting a very sexy Breton harpist and deciding that they were a noble, courageous breed of men! LOL!

Alexis: I guess that is one advantage to writing fiction; you can make your characters how you want them. Now, you just released a Scottish Romance KIDNAPPING THE LAIRD. You are one busy lady. Can you tell us a little about that book? I have to admit to loving a good Scottish romance.

Terri: Actually KIDNAPPING THE LAIRD is a short story that was released in the print collection – MAMMOTH BOOK OF SCOTTISH ROMANCE in January. Since I retained the digital rights to the story, I decided to make it available to readers. So, it’s now available for Amazon’s Kindle and B&N’s Nook. It should be available for Sony ereaders and in iBooks later this month!

KIDNAPPING THE LAIRD is about a marriage of (in)convenience which fails miserably on the wedding night. The laird and lady live almost separate lives, each though secretly wanting more. Catriona, the lady, finally decides she’s had enough and wants a husband. . . HER husband and kidnaps him in order to give him her ultimatum and to find her happily-ever-after.

I set this story in a location I visited while in Scotland in late 2009 – there really is a ‘lady’s house’ of stone next to the River Moriston just before it meets Loch Ness. I realized it was a perfect location for a kidnapping and the designer even used one of my photos from my trip in the background of the coverart!

Alexis: I love Scotland and have been inspired myself by the buildings and scenery there, so I can understand the draw. How wonderful that your cover is so in-line with your story!

You have over 16 romances published now, right? Which one has your favorite hero?

Terri: Actually, I have had 25 or so romances published since 1998! Overall, I would say that I have 2 favorite heroes – Orrick of Silloth (from THE KING’S MISTRESS and “Love at First Step”) and Rurik Erengislsson (from SURRENDER TO THE HIGHLANDER and all the HIGHLANDER stories). Orrick was a real beta-hero in an alpha-male and I just loved him! Rurik. . . well. . . sigh. . . Rurik is just a man who loves women who love him and I fell hard for the half-Norse/half-Scot warrior who lives life to its fullest!

Alexis: Hmm, they do sound perfect, at least for those of us who love historical men :-) Do you have any other men, I mean, romance novels in the works that we can look forward to?

Terri: Yes! I am currently working on the first book in a new trilogy for Harlequin Historicals – I’m returning to the Highlands with a kind of ‘Highlanders-Next Generation’ series about the children of those relationships from my previous HIGHLANDER books! The first one features the daughter from POSSESSED BY THE HIGHLANDER – Ciara – and the Highlander she swore to marry when she was five years old! No titles or release dates yet but I’ll post info on my website when I know it.

Alexis: I love continuation stories and Ciara sounds like my kind of heroine.

We like to give our readers some great stories to check-out, but we also like to learn a little about the wonderful authors who create them. Could you share something about yourself with our readers that they may not know about you?

Terri: Hmmmm….not sure if there’s anything readers don’t know? LOL! But I’m open to questions!

Alexis: Thank you so much for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts. We like talking about romance novels here and learning about the writers who create them :-)

Terri: Alexis, thanks so much for having me visit today! I hope readers will check out my website – http://www.terribrisbin.com/ or friend me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/terribrisbin
 
Alexis: Ask Terri a question or make a comment and you will have a chance to win one of her romances. Terri will be giving away TWO of her stories so you have double the chance to win :-)

Check out Terri's excerpt from HIS ENEMY’S DAUGHTER:

Sybilla, Lady of Alston, stood up straight and moaned as her back spasmed in response to the movement. Pressing her fists into her lower back, she tried to ease the pain caused by leaning over too much and by carrying too many large rocks to the wooden palisade. They must shore up the defenses, Gareth said. So, she helped as much as she could. Lady or not, another pair of hands lightened the work of all and gave her the hope that the wall could be strengthened to protect the keep from the coming invader.
 
Sybilla accepted a cup of water from the servant girl passing by, tightened the leather ties around her braid and began anew. They had little time to finish this task before the invader king’s pawn arrived at their gates. After receiving the message that he traveled there to claim the lands of her father, Sybilla and her late father’s steward and the commander of those who yet defended her and the keep decided to protect themselves from the devastation committed on their neighbors and kin when faced with the same situation. She did not believe they could hold out long, but if they presented their strength, she and they hoped to negotiate a peaceful transition—one that allowed her people to live and her to travel to her cousin’s convent and live out her life there in peace and contemplation.

With her father and her brother dead, with no other Saxon kin able to come to her rescue or to stand against these invaders as they moved inexorably north towards her lands, Sybilla knew she and her people had few choices and little power.

They worked until nightfall, taking advantage of every moment of summer’s daylight to build the wall as high and strong as they could. Gareth had nodded his approval of their efforts in that stern, serious manner of his, but Sybilla knew it was not enough. Still, they had two days, possibly three, before the invaders arrived and they would take every moment given to them to prepare.
 
The birds’ song that heralded the dawn also brought terror to their doors, for the invaders crested the hill across from the keep and formed their lines to attack. Sybilla quickly gathered the children and took them to the back of the keep and carried out whatever Gareth ordered. Though she’d lived there for all her life, never once had they needed to defend it from outsiders. Even when her father and brother went off to fight alongside their king, her brother to Stamford Bridge and then her father to Hastings, their defenses here were perfunctory and never needed.
 
Now though, it meant the difference between life and death.
 
When things were settled in the keep, she climbed to the top of the wall to see what forces they faced. Gareth ordered her away, but Sybilla thought that meeting the enemy face to face might ease the situation. If the duke’s man thought them no threat, he might not attack before they could negotiate. Holding her hand over her eyes to shade the growing light of the rising sun, she shivered when she saw him.
 
Black. Everything he wore was black, except for the slash of red on his shield, angling to the left that she understood spoke of his bastardy. Or his duke’s? She knew not which, but once more her body trembled. His armor was black, not reflecting the rays of the sun above him. His horse, a huge, monstrous destrier, was the color of midnight, without any markings to lighten his coat. And Sybilla felt as though death stood before her on the field.
 
Or the devil incarnate?

Alexis: Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win one of two of Terri's stories!

Review: Rainwater by Sandra Brown

I must say that I have been choosing the best books to read lately. Sandra Brown’s Rainwater reminded me how incredibly powerful characters are. The plot is very touching also, set in Texas during the Dust bowl.

A proclaimed widow, Ella, has little time for herself as she manages a boarding house and dotes on her young, autistic son. During the early twentieth century, her son, Solly, was labeled an idiot savant, a harsh stigma as the medical field knew little about his condition. Ella does her best to care for him, manage his outbursts, and avoid sending him to the suggested asylum.

Dr. Kincaid, friend and medical advisor for the town, requests a room at the boarding house for Mr. Rainwater. Ella accepts the plea under duress as she worries how much of her time Mr. Rainwater will need considering he’s terminally afflicted with a disease she prides herself with not asking about.

During this time of economic disaster, there’s little to depend on except yourself and the helpful hand of your neighbor. Mr. Rainwater unobtrusively assists Ella and begins a communication with Solly. An action here and a comment there, Ella finds it unacceptable to admit the slight electric reactions she feels between herself and her new boarder.

The desperate conditions and sincerity of Ella and Mr. Rainwater simmer throughout, as I find myself urging them to allow their deserved happiness. This is a must read to rediscover the pure intentions of love and how it can wipe away problems, even for a brief time.

Dawn

Guest Author Interview: Beate Boeker

Alexis: Hi Beate. Welcome to Happily Ever After Thoughts. Thank you so much for coming. Your website is entitled “Happy Books.” I’m guessing there is a story behind this. Am I right?

Beate: Absolutely. My first name is of Latin origin and translates as “Happy”, and my last name means “Books” in a northern German dialect. I never even noticed what a fitting name I have until my husband surprised me one day with the information that he had now created a website for me that was called http://www.happybooks.de/

Alexis: Wow, talk about fate. I guess you were meant to write books with happy endings :-) But you live in Germany, so why did you decide to publish with an American publisher?

Beate: I wrote my very first novel in German. That only makes sense, as I'm a native German speaker. However, when I realized that I might need a teeny bit of help to make it perfect and tried to learn more about the craft of writing, I realized that most of the information was available in English only and geared toward the US market. Luckily, I have studied English and felt comfortable writing in that language, so I finally decided to write another novel all in English. I'm glad I made that decision because I would still not be published if I had stuck to German.

But I have yet another other reason why I like to write in English. It's a lot easier to write a love scene in English than in German. I don't know why, but if you express your feelings in English, people are touched. If you express them in German, they will roll their eyes and say “my, aren't we being emotional today.”

Alexis: Oh, that is too funny. I guess there are a few cultural differences to be aware of. So what is A Little Bit of Passion about?

Beate: It's about Karen, a woman who's fiercely independent. She has organized her life in two perfect halves – she's a skiing instructor in winter and sells books in her partially owned bookstore on Long Island in summer. Her best friend Leslie owns the other half of her bookstore, and she writes e-mails to her whenever something exciting happens in her life. That's why the entire book is written in the form of e-mails. But then Karen meets John and realizes that she has to give up some of her independence if she wants to be with him – but she dreads that due to her personal history.

Alexis: I’m sure a lot of readers will be able to relate to Karen’s predicament. Where did you get the idea for this story?

Beate: I went skiing as a child and loved it, and every autumn, as the first snowflakes fall, I yearn for glistening mountains and frosty winter air. That's how it all started – I wanted to transport myself into that world. And then the book took on a life of its own, and suddenly, I was deep inside this struggle and just couldn't stop. It was a bit like a fever – I had to continue with hot cheeks and hot ears, even if it was getting late.

Alexis: I completely understand that place where you just can’t stop writing the story going on in your head. That is so fun! So, what are your favorite character traits of Karen and John?

Beate: I love Karen's humor and the way she describes things. She makes a lot of fun of herself, and I found myself chuckling so often while writing it. About John, I love that he's patient and gives her the freedom she needs.

Alexis: A guy after my own heart ;-) What kind of research did you have to do for this novel?

Beate: I poured over maps of the Teton Mountain Range and looked for hours at ski trails and lifts and that kind of thing. I also checked pictures to get a feeling for the place and had to find the closest airport and hospital to my chosen location.

Alexis: Of course, being over there in Germany, I’m sure you know all about snow, but specific trails and the locations of specific facilities would definitely need research. We tend to think of research as only for historical authors, but contemporary authors must do some too. But this isn’t your first book. What other books have you had published?

Beate: Two other contemporary romances, both with Avalon Books, too. One is called Wings to Fly, and the other Take My Place. Take My Place was nominated for the Golden Quill Award in 2010.

Alexis: Do you have any other romance novels in the works that we can look forward to?

Beate: Yes, I do. Avalon already has two other manuscripts to decide on, and I've started to write a series that mixes mystery and romance. I haven't yet sold this one, but I have endless fun creating it.

Alexis: Thank you so much for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts. We like talking about romance novels here and learning about the wonderful authors from around the world who write them :-)
Beate: And I love to talk to other authors and readers all over the world! The Internet is a fascinating thing – this would not have been possible twenty years ago. Thank you for inviting me as your guest!

Alexis: For more information on Beate, visit her at http://www.happybooks.de/ Check out this excerpt from Beate's book, A Little Bit of Passion.

Teton Mountain Range

Dear Leslie,

 Do you remember the guy who made me think for the first time that I’m too old to teach skiing? I was so glad when he finished his course last year and took his turtle-y head elsewhere.

 Well, he’s back.

I greeted my new ten o’clock group this morning, and the instant I finished presenting myself, he sidled out from behind someone else’s back and stared at me with his half closed eyes. A shiver ran down my spine, and I’m sure I looked as if I had discovered a huge spider amongst the Easter eggs. He must have hidden at the guest-house this morning, or I would have been on my guard.

I turned my back on him as soon as I could, but I knew he continued watching me, his head swiveling from left to right like a hundred year old turtle. That image really fits, right down to the wrinkles all over the face and the folds in the neck. You can’t imagine how stiffly I moved all at once, like a wooden doll, waiting for his first filthy comment.

I didn’t have to wait long. Just as I showed them how to swing into an arc, he muttered in that penetrating voice of his, “Show me again how to swing that hip, baby. It’s so inspiring.”

I ignored him with clenched teeth.

But of course he didn’t let go. He lifted his voice and repeated: “Baby, I said show me again how to swing that hip. I’m here to learn, and you’re here to teach.”

The group stared at him.

A woman called Minnie started to giggle.

I fixed the turtle with a stare as hard as I could. “My name is Karen.”

“Oh, my, baby, I’m so sorry. I forgot. I thought you’d given me leave to call you some other names.”

What could I say? The management has made it clear to me that I have to keep the customers happy no matter what. Every time I complain about the turtle or other types, they say I should “endeavor to be a little bit more skilled in the art of flirting”. After all, the other instructors don’t complain, so it must be me, right? Why, oh why, do so many men think the skiing teacher is part of the package tour?

I closed my eyes and tried to remember why I love my job. The purple mountains. The air like chilled white wine. The joy of flying across the snow. Meeting many wonderful people, teaching them how to ski better. And the nasty ones don’t stay long, so it’s easy to bear. Usually.

I knew I had to put a stop to it right away; he would only make it worse if I laid down now. “I can’t remember giving you leave to call me anything but Karen,” I said and swished around to show them the arc once again.

Without giving them time for comment, I made them go through the motions. It’s a mixed group, aged from thirteen to fifty, I would say. I’ll separate them into beginners and advanced tomorrow, but unfortunately, I have promised Steve to take the advanced group this time, and the turtle is advanced, there’s no denying that.

When I asked the turtle to take his turn, he managed to brush by me and yelled, “Oh, my, I’m so sorry, Kare-een, I lost my footing.”

My face burnt so much, it’s a wonder I didn’t melt a hole into the snow, but I clenched my teeth and didn’t comment.

Next came the youngest of the group. He made a very creditable arc, and when he pushed past me on his way back, I said “Well done”.
The youngster cast me a glance and said in a low voice “Don’t mind that jerk.”

Underneath his red cap two gray eyes fixed me earnestly. He has lashes every female will envy, thick and long and straight. But what floored me was the spattering of freckles across his nose.

I swallowed and promised myself to dispatch the turtle somehow, to avoid spoiling that kid’s Easter holiday.

So if you read about the murder of a turtle in the Teton Mountain Range, make sure you get a good attorney, because it’ll be hard to wriggle out of this one.

Love,
Karen

Book Lovers R Us

Have you ever met someone for the very first time and something between you just “clicked.” I’m not talking about romance (although, who among us doesn’t relish that feeling?). No, I’m talking about a fellow book lover. Someone who loves the written word as much as you. Someone who loves the feel and smell of a book in their hands.

I felt this amazing connection the first time I met my late mother-in-law (she was in the hospital in traction for her back). Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I loved her son (and still do). Perhaps it had something to do with the fact she asked me to call her Mom.

The second time I met her, I knew why we’d hit it off so well, why I felt that instant bond with her. She was a booklover! Indeed, the moment I walked into her house, I fell in love with her. One entire wall of her living room was a bookshelf. I’m not talking fancy wood cabinets. I’m talking huge metal things, strictly utilitarian, to hold her massive collection. These books were piled three deep and three high. There were also piles beside it on the floor and another stack on the kitchen table (she also had a problem with her To Be Read pile taking over her house). And she read EVERYTHING! She introduced me to Nora Roberts and Lavyrle Spencer and so many authors I hadn’t yet read.

My mother-in-law is gone now but I still, to this day, want to call her and tell her about a new story I just love or a new author I’ve found. And isn’t that the most amazing thing about reading? Sharing your love of books with someone else?

Happy reading!

Marie