New Release: SAFE HAVEN by Lisa Mondello

Heroes of Providence Book 2 is available now!


SAFE HAVEN

When someone you once loved wants you dead, is there any SAFE HAVEN?

Finding out her ex-husband hired a hitman to kill her didn't leave Daria Carlisle all warm and fuzzy. But Detective Kevin Gordon's suggestion she flee the only home that had ever truly been hers was downright crazy. Forget that the sexy police officer made her heart pound and her blood stir. She'd worked too hard to get what little she had. She wasn't leaving.

Kevin Gordon didn't make mistakes, but he'd made a big one in letting Daria's ex slip through his fingers. Although he tried to make it very clear to Daria that the fixer upper home she considered a palace was no safe haven, she just dug in deeper and insisted on staying, leaving him no choice but to be her protector. Left on her own, she surely faced murder at an assassin's hand. But can Kevin spend every waking hour sleeping on her doorstep just to keep this stubborn woman alive without risking his heart to love?

Order SAFE HAVEN

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo / Google Play / ARe / iBooks




  THE HEROES OF PROVIDENCE SERIES

www.HeroesOfProvidence.blogspot.com


Available Now
MATERIAL WITNESS
Book 1


Available Now
SAFE HAVEN
Book 2


Coming Soon:
 
RECKLESS HOURS
Book 3

 
DESPERATE HOURS
Book 4

 
FINAL HOURS
Book 5

 
COLD HARBOR
Book 6

On Conversations: #author Judy Hudson

Please join me in welcoming author Judy Hudson to Conversations today! Judy is here to talk about her new release, The Good Neighbor, book 2 in the Fortune Bay Series: A ramshackle cabin on the lake in the mountains of Washington State — a haven for people at the crossroads of their lives. So be sure and check out Judy's informative post below, and don't forget to check out her bio too and get to know Judy Hudson!

Lisa ~
__________________________________________


Hi everyone,

Judy here. The stories of women who give up babies are painful and poignant, but often known. At least among women. The fathers have seldom been allowed a voice and, even today, many carry the loss with them silently for years. In this book, I wanted to give them a voice.

Readers have told me they’d like to know more about Stephanie, the matriarch of these stories so in The Good Neighbor, Stephanie gets her own story, and a bit of romance.



 

To celebrate the release of The Good Neighbor, I have made Lake of Dreams, the 100-page Fortune Bay Series prequel, FREE on all online platforms until the end of August. Don’t wait. You can get it today on Amazon, Nook, Kobo and the iBooks Store.

 








Now, more about The Good Neighbor,

Frankie Alvarez has built a life in Fortune Bay, has a good job at the high school and owns a pretty bungalow on Majestic Lake. But her rich, overbearing father still sends her a check every month—never a note, just a check. And every month she rips it up. She’s happy with things the way they are and doesn’t want anything to change.

Then Sean Murphy moves into the cabin next door. He’s just the kind of successful young exec’ Frankie’s father would want her to marry. If she were looking for a husband—and she definitely is not—she would look for someone completely different. Someone sensitive and creative. Trouble is, Sean’s so darn charming, and cooks like a dream, that her resolve to shut him out starts slipping away.

When Sean discovers Frankie hasn’t spoken to her father in years, he can’t help stepping in. He hates to see them estranged. He’d give anything for someone to tell him what happened to his daughter, the one he gave up fifteen years ago.


To find out more about the series at my website: www.JudithHudsonAuthor.com.

Thank you for reading,
Judith Hudson


 
An Excerpt from THE GOOD NEIGHBOR

The meet.

Frankie’s eyes widened and her breath hitched when Louise spun her chair around to face the mirror.

“Oh my,” she whispered. The transformation was miraculous.

Iridescent blusher on her cheeks caught the light as a shy smile flickered across her face. Her hand tentatively brushed the fall of shiny brown hair that covered her shoulders. Louise was indeed a magician. She had picked up the golden, sun-streaked tendrils from around Frankie’s face and looped them back, catching each strand with a tiny pearl pin, creating an effect that was delicate, yet not uncomfortably overdone.

Frankie dipped her head slightly, turning from side to side to examine the makeup her friends had applied. It was more, much more, than she ever wore. In summer, with her skin dusky from the sun, she usually wore none at all. The pearl pink on her cheeks and eyelids added a sparkle that made her feel as if she’d been sprinkled with fairy dust and was ready for the ball.

The doorbell rang and Maddie, still in her underwear, ran for the bathroom, crying, “If it’s Jake—don’t let him in.”

Frankie headed to the front door. “It’s probably Stephanie and Sarah.” The heels were starting to feel pretty good. Like riding a bicycle, you don’t forget that kind of training.

She opened the door and Sarah shot through, no doubt sensing the feminine initiation ritual unfolding within. Frankie knew the allure only too well, having grown up alone with a single father herself. Sarah was lucky though. She’d have Maddie to help her negotiate the quagmire of her teenage years.

Frankie turned back to the doorway. Instead of Stephanie, Sean stood on the stoop. His baby-blue eyes slid over her, thorough as an airport pat-down. A blush crept up her neck. She straightened her shoulders, determined not to show how much the attention unnerved her. Forcing a smile, she looked him up and down. “Very GQ, Sean.”

The man could wear anything and always managed to look like an ad in a classy men’s magazine. His compact form exuded confidence and standing there with his hands in his pants pockets, he looked casual and relaxed in his dove grey tux.

Not her type at all. Groomed for success, he looked like he belonged in a board room or at her father’s club. In fact, he was exactly the kind of guy her father loved. Exactly who he had always set her up with. Exactly what she’d been trying to escape when she moved to Fortune Bay.

But despite his cosmopolitan sheen, Sean had grown up here. Frankie had always wondered why he’d returned to live in this rainforest town. His easy blend of sophistication and small town charm left her running hot and cold. Usually hot. Darn it. Not that he ever noticed.

And to top it off, oh yay, good fortune had made him her date for the day. Mercifully, not her actual date, but as maid-of-honor and best man, they would undoubtedly be thrown together frequently throughout the celebration.

For the first time in their acquaintance, Sean didn’t seem to have anything to say. Frankie looked down at the flowery dress. No wonder. He was probably wondering how he’d gotten stuck with her. Not that there was much either of them could do about being paired up together for the wedding.

Nerves bounced against her stomach walls like caged butterflies at the thought of dancing the first dance with him tonight. Panic or excitement? She hadn’t a clue. She chewed on her lip. Pull yourself together.

The silence stretched between them, hot and sticky, until he finally said, “You look fabulous, Frankie.” His hand came up and brushed her hair back over her bare shoulder, lingering for an instant on the brink.

Sean was a toucher, and entirely too easy with a compliment. She knew this from watching him with other women ever since he’d returned from Europe two years ago when his father died. It took all her self-control to hold her ground and not step back.

Then his eyes swept down to the revealing bodice, and widened slightly. Her shoulders inched forward. Damn push-up bra. She ransacked her brain for something to say.

“Thanks for bringing Sarah over.” His eyes snapped up to hers. “How’s Jake doing?”

“Nervous. Battling his bow tie. But don’t worry, Mom is at the farm so he’ll be on time.” He looked at his watch. “I’d better go. Guests will be arriving already. See you there.” Swinging back down the stairs, he headed across the grass in his shiny black shoes, in the direction of the cabin and Maddie and Jake’s new house.

Frankie watched him disappear into the trees. She took a deep breath and blew it out. She had to keep it together today, but it would be hard if she was running into Mr. GQ every two minutes.


* * * * *

Available now on Amazon, Kobo, and Nook.



Judy grew up in Toronto Canada and St. Louis MO, then moved to the Pacific Northwest where she now lives on beautiful Vancouver Island.

Her romantic women's fiction series, Fortune Bay Books, is set in the Pacific Northwest. In each book, someone at a crossroads of their life moves into a ramshackle cabin on Majestic Lake where they work through their problems with the help of friends and family, and the occasional nudge from the friendly spirit of Aunt Augusta. If a romance grows in the process, and it always does, well, so much the better.

As an landscape artist and photographer, the setting of the story is very important to Judy. "I've painted in the area for many years and I think it helps me make the setting real for the reader, helps draw them into the story. My characters are often artists, like Maddie, the darkroom photographer in Summer of Fortune who is at Fortune Bay for the summer to work on her first professional show, and Stephanie, the widowed matriarch of the clan who is finding a new life as a painter." 

Connect with Judy:

On Conversations: #award-winning #author Debra Salonen

Please join me in welcoming award-winning romance author Debra Salonen to Conversations today! Debra is here to talk about book 4 in her Big Sky Mavericks series, Montana Maverick, and it's on sale for only 99¢! So be sure and check out the cover and story description below. And don't forget to check out her bio too and get to know Debra Salonen!

Lisa ~
__________________________________________


MONTANA MAVERICK
Big Sky Mavericks, Book Four


Be careful what you wish for-
 
Meg Zabrinski wants a child. She's a successful scientist, a well-known environmental advocate, and a tenured professor. She doesn't need a man in her life to make this happen. But having a baby alone is a weighty decision, so she retreats to her isolated mountain cabin to write and think. When Henry Firestone--an old foe from her distant past--drops out of the sky on Christmas Eve with three young children and a baby, Meg tells herself she'd be crazy not to consider all her options--especially when she's always nursed a secret crush on the handsome rancher. Although the sparks between them ignite a mutual passion, Henry makes it clear he's done having children. Falling in love with Henry Firestone and his beautiful family would require Meg to give up her dream. Can the Lone Wolf assimilate into a new pack, or was this Big Sky Maverick meant to be alone?

They say timing is everything-

 
Henry Firestone doesn't recognize the "angel in snowshoes" who comes to his rescue in the middle of a blizzard, immediately, but Meg Z. knows him. Twenty years earlier, the media paired them as rivals to the death. Meg championed the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, while Henry argued just as passionately that wolves would put ranchers on the Endangered Species List. She's still beautiful, independent and headstrong, and Henry's now free to admit that he always had a thing for her. Unfortunately, he's fighting for sole custody of his late daughter's four children. They are his biggest priority. He'd do anything to keep his family together--even sleep with the enemy in hopes that she might join his cause.

The Big Sky Mavericks series
Book 1: Montana Cowgirl
Book 2: Montana Cowboy
Book 3: Montana Darling
Book 4: Montana Maverick
Book 5: Her Forever Gift - Free!
Book 6: Montana Hero
Book 7: Montana Rogue
Book 8: Montana Miracle
Book 9: Montana Rebel - coming soon!




Download MONTANA MAVERICK for only 99¢ while you can!

Amazon / Nook / Kobo / Google Play / iBooks

Read an excerpt HERE.
 
 
 
Winner of Romantic Times Reviewer's Career Achievement "Series Storyteller of the Year" award in 2006, Debra Salonen's 26 titles for Harlequin Publishing have sold more than 2.3 million copies, worldwide.

A six-time nominee for RT's Best Superromance of the Year award, Debra took home that honor with a most unlikely hero and never-say-die heroine. Now, out-of-print, that book will join her BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS series in May, 2016.

BLACK HILLS BABY - Hollywood meets the "real" wild west.
BLACK HILLS BILLIONAIRE - What if his $$ isn't enough to save her?
BLACK HILLS BAD BOY - He's hell on wheels...in his dreams.
BLACK HILLS BACHELOR - Single by choice, no Hollywood princesses need apply.
BLACK HILLS OUTCAST - Hiding out from life works just fine...until he meets Rachel.
BLACK HILLS WHITE KNIGHT - His suit is Armani--not armor.

Channel your inner maverick with Debra's Big Sky Mavericks series from Tule Publishing:

MONTANA COWGIRL - Cowgirl, you can go home--and love--again.
MONTANA COWBOY - He's nobody's cowboy until his new neighbor rocks his world.
MONTANA DARLING - Her land. His tent. And this is Montana, where property disputes can lead to a range war...or love.
MONTANA MAVERICK - A lone wolf PhD rescues a rancher--and gains a life.
MONTANA GIFT (a FREE holiday novella) - The system failed him, but she never would.
MONTANA HERO - He may be her hero, but who's going to save him?
MONTANA ROGUE - He's more than meets the eye--eye candy, that it.
MONTANA REBEL - Defying death is all part of the game...until you have something to lose.
MONTANA MIRACLE - It takes a Montana village to create a Christmas miracle.

Readers and reviewers of Debra's romance novels say:

"Debra Salonen captures readers' attention with multifaceted characters, layered conflict and fast pacing." ~ Pamela Cohen, RomanticTimes Bookclub

"No one writes drama like Debra Salonen." ~ Huntress Reviews

"Great chemistry, great one liners and a sexy cowboy!" ~ C. Arcidiacono

"This novel had everything, family drama, love, a little bit of sexy and a lot of heart." ~ gertyp

"...one of the most heartfelt novels I've ever read." ~ Kaitie Campbell

"Debra Salonen pens a bittersweet love story with a fresh storyline and a love that stays with you long after the book is over." ~ Tami Sutton, The Best Reviews

For something naughty and wildly irreverent, try JUDY UNCENSORED with a 50-something, self-proclaimed "trailer trash" heroine who is: "Old enough to know better--too young-at-heart to care." And, as if finding your HEA isn't hard enough, then comes the holidays. JUDY DOES CHRISTMAS is "Laugh-out-loud funny, poignant and just plain fabulous!"

Connect with Debra: 
Newsletter for insiders
Playlists for current releases

New Release: ABBY'S COWBOY by Kathy Carmichael

The Inheritance Book 7 is available now!


ABBY'S COWBOY
(The Texas Two-Step Series Book 6)


What could be more exciting than writing about a billionaire who gives back by leaving life-altering bequests to people he met and wanted to help? In The Inheritance Series, all of the stories start with bequests by Mr. Harold Hopewell.

Billionaire Harold Hopewell traveled the world, encountering people and letting their stories touch him. In death, he is giving back, leaving an unusual will filled with life-altering bequests to the people he met along the way. Read the Inheritance Series, and let their stories touch you.

A little demolition, some major chaos and a life-changing romance

In Abby's Cowboy, Rancher Josh Callahan is astonished when he learns he has inherited the two Corgis he once returned to their owner Harold Hopewell, as well as a truckload of cash—and an interior designer. Designer Abby Palmer is excited about making over Josh’s beautiful old farmhouse, whether the stubborn cowboy likes it or not. Between the dogs, the debris and the designer, Josh is in over his head—and his heart.

All of the stories in the Texas Two-Step romantic comedy series are sweet, charming and emotional contemporary romance. Each story stands alone, but all Texas Two-Step novels and novellas feature love stories about members of the Nelson, Murphy or Palmer families — and sometimes, more than one!

 
Read an Excerpt




  THE INHERITANCE SERIES

A billionaire’s bequest changes everything…
 
Billionaire Harold Hopewell traveled the world, encountering people and letting their stories touch him. In death, he is giving back, leaving an unusual will filled with life-altering bequests to the people he met along the way. Read the Inheritance Series, and let their stories touch you.


March 8
A BURNING PASSION (Hidden Cove Firefighters Book 8) by Kathryn Shay
The Inheritance Book 1

March 15
TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME (The Magic Jukebox Book 6) by Judith Arnold
The Inheritance Book 2


April 19
WHERE LOVE LIVES (Wyoming Wildflowers Book 6) by Patricia McLinn
The Inheritance Book 3

 
May 17
THE WEDDING DRESS (Texas Hearts Book 7) by Lisa Mondello
The Inheritance Book 4

June 21
TEXAS SWEET (Texas Heroes Book 18) by Jean Brashear
The Inheritance Book 5

July 19
DEADLY LEGACY (Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations Book 7) by Margaret Daley
The Inheritance Book 6

August 16
ABBY'S COWBOY (The Texas Two-Step Series Book 6) by Kathy Carmichael
The Inheritance Book 7

September 20
SHOPPING FOR AN HEIR (Shopping for a Billionaire series) by Julia Kent
The Inheritance Book 8

October 18
BOUND BY BETRAYAL (Bound by Book 4) by Trish McCallan
The Inheritance Book 9

November 15
ENTRUSTED TO THE SEAL (The McRaes Series Book 6) by Teresa Hill
The Inheritance Book 10

December 20
SHELTERED BY THE SEAL (HERO Force) by Amy Gamet
The Inheritance Book 11




On Converstions: #award-winning #author Cherie Claire

Please join me in welcoming award-winning romance author Cherie Claire to Conversations today! Cherie is here to talk about book 1 in The Cajun Embassy series, Ticket to Paradise, and it's FREE! So be sure and check out the cover, story description and "The Story Behind the Story" below. And don't forget to check out her bio too and get to know Cherie Claire!

Lisa ~
__________________________________________


TICKET TO PARADISE
The Cajun Embassy, Book One


What happens when three Columbia journalism students homesick for Louisiana meet over a pot of Cajun gumbo? They become lifelong friends.
 

And so begins The Cajun Embassy, a new contemporary romance series. In each book — Ticket to Paradise, Damn Yankees and Gone Pecan — these dedicated friends make their way into the world and find that love — and a good gumbo — cures everything.
 

In “Ticket to Paradise,” Lizzy Guidry is having the worst day of her life, thanks to newspaperman Martin Taylor, whose editorial has raised the ire of Lizzy’s boss,the mayor of Santa Helena, California. Martin is on the verge of losing his newspaper, which is why he’s buying yet another lottery ticket the night he runs into Lizzy. Still fuming, Lizzy beats him to it, nabbing the last ticket before the machines close. Topping off Martin’s worst day, Lizzy’s ticket wins. Only she doesn’t know it.
As Martin attempts to romance his way to five million dollars, will he lose his heart in the process? Will they both realize that love, more than money, is the ticket to paradise? 

The Story Behind the Story... 

I wrote this story while living in the sweet town of Santa Clarita, California, located just north of Los Angeles. My “day job” in Hollywood, a demanding position with heavy egos, included a commute that was easily two hours daily. Santa Clarita with its planned subdivisions, quaint boutiques and endless hiking paths turned into my personal oasis, my beacon at the end of a long drive through L.A. freeways.

Because I wasn’t happy with my job, I routinely turned to the California Lottery, hoping that a winning ticket would deliver me to Paradise. What I came to realize, and so do my characters in Ticket to Paradise, is that happiness exists with the ones we love — in my case, my husband and children. When I look back on those years I don’t think about my horrid day job.I remember the wonderful times with family in a lovely Southern California town.

But why gumbo? I hail from New Orleans although I now live in Cajun Country about two hours west and gumbo is a vital part of my culture. Whether it’s a family gathering, sustenance when the weather chills or just an excuse to add love into a pot, we adore our uniquely Louisiana dish. There have been so many times when I’ve been away from home — California included — and a pot of gumbo has healed my homesick heart.

The Cajun Embassy initially meets over gumbo and each story has a gumbo at its heart. Be sure and check out the gumbo recipes in the back of each book.


Download A TICKET TO PARADISE FREE!

Amazon / Nook / Kobo / iBooks

Read an excerpt HERE.


Cherie Claire is the award-winning Louisiana author of several Cajun historical romances, including The Cajun Series: "Emilie," "Rose," "Gabrielle," "Delphine," "A Cajun Dream" and "The Letter" and The Cajun Embassy series of contemporary romances: "Ticket to Paradise," "Damn Yankees" and "Gone Pecan."

On Conversations: #romance #author Beth Hale

Please join me in welcoming contemporary romance author Beth Hale to Conversations today! Beth is here to talk about book 1 in her Magnolia Series, Magnolia Secrets. This book is one of her most popular stories to date, and it's on sale for limited time for only 99¢! So be sure and check out the cover and in-depth story description below. And don't forget to check out her bio too and get to know Beth Hale!

Lisa ~
__________________________________________


MAGNOLIA SECRETS
Magnolia Series, Book One

Walker and Lainey share one explosive night together, and he awakens to find her gone. Shrugging it off as just a glorious one-night stand, he accepts a new job in a small town: New Hope, Mississippi. That's where he finds Lainey again. She just happens to be married to the Chief of Police-and Walker's new boss.

Lainey is terrified that Walker will divulge their secret. If he does, Lainey is a dead woman. But despite the danger, she can't forget the one passionate night she spent in Walker's arms. Walker demands answers from Lainey: What secret is she hiding? Why is she so afraid? And when peo-ple begin dying, he wants to get to the bottom of it. Why is the police chief trying to brush off the deaths? Why doesn't he want Walker to work the cases? What kind of secrets is he hiding?

Drawn together, unable to deny their passion, they risk their lives. Lainey is trapped. Walker is determined to save her and uncover the truth. Can they expose the secrets before a ruthless man destroys any hope for a brighter future?


Download MAGNOLIA SECRETS for only 99¢ while you can!



What is Magnolia Secrets about?

Magnolia Secrets has several layers, ranging from corrupt cops to tainted drugs. It also deals with the taboo subject of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is hard to talk about, hard to see, and all too real. I know. I grew up in a home fueled by alcohol and domestic violence.

I chose this as an underlying theme because it is a subject close to my heart, and I could person-ally relate to Lainey’s pain and shame. I know the mind-numbing fear and the embarrassment of those who suffer. And I know the sacrifices made by those trapped in the cycle to try and make it better or save another, more vulnerable person.

I watched my mother suffer for years. I remember the tears, the yelling, the smell of beer. I re-member the bruises.

It’s not pretty, and it’s not easy to talk about. I think a lot of people still have the mindset of “What happens between a couple behind closed doors is not our business.”

Domestic violence is a widespread, often under-reported, problem, and anyone from any walk of life can be a victim. From the woman living in a trailer park, to the wife of a famous athlete, to the wife of a cop. Men can be victims, children can be victims. If you see someone struggling, if you think there is a problem at home, ask. It may be the life-line that person needs to begin the leaving process.

I’m happy to say that I’ve had several reviews on Magnolia Secrets that compliment how well the theme was portrayed: real and raw and true-to-life. That’s what I set out to do. (For those with triggers: While not explicitly graphic, there are some descriptions of domestic violence as they are happening in the book.)

Please know that help is available. If you are a victim of domestic violence, you can reach out to your local law enforcement agency or the national Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. They also have a website, and offer 24\7 confidential help.




Beth Hale writes about what she knows: strong, Southern women and the men who love them. She twines believable characters, realistic circumstances, and heart-felt emotions to-gether to create sassy, sexy contemporary romances. She draws inspiration from the everyday life problems we all face and expands them into vivid, interesting, hard-to-put-down stories.

She loves to hear from readers. Feel free to email her at beth@authorbethhale.com. You can connect with her via her website (www.authorbethhale.com), Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

On Conversations: #AAMBC #author Joseph Lewis

Please join me in welcoming award-winning author Joseph Lewis to Conversations today! Joseph is here to talk about Stolen Lives, Book One of his Lives Trilogy! So be sure and check out the cover and blurb! And don't forget to check out his interview and bio too and get to know Joseph Lewis.

Lisa ~

__________________________________________



STOLEN LIVES
The Lives Trilogy Book 1

Three fourteen year old boys, Brett McGovern, Stephen Bailey and Michael Erickson are inextricably linked by abduction and murder. Brett, who was abducted from Indianapolis, fears that his captors will decide to kill him.  Stephen and Michael have been abducted, and the detectives on the case know that if they are not found within 24 hours, any chance of finding them is remote and they will be gone forever. A fourth boy, George Tokay, a Navajo, holds a key piece to this puzzle and doesn’t realize it. Pete Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have been tracking the murders of kids for the past 2 years. If they can find these two boys, they might find the answers to the questions that have been eluding them.




Interview with Joseph Lewis

1. How would I describe your books?

I write thrillers with a lot of mystery and suspense. My main characters are teenagers, and I would like to think that though I write thriller-fiction, my stories contain a message of hope, courage, and survival. All four books are currently found on Amazon. They are works of fiction. It story centers on human trafficking, specifically children, and based upon my experience as a counselor and as an adjunct educator who had volunteered with an organization dedicated to children who are missing and sexually exploited.

2. What type of research did you do for the book and what was most personally interesting?

I think the facts from the Center for Missing Children, along with facts from the FBI site were interesting, but what was most interesting was listening to stories from kids and parents of those kids who had been abused and in at least one or two cases, still missing. It is that agony, that pain, and the “unknowing” that I brought out in my book.

3. How do you relate to the characters? How does that help make them feel more like real people?

My characters are very real to me. I see them. I hear them speak. I watch as they react. I tend to write visually and vividly, and from what I’ve read from the reviews, the readers seem to “picture” them and “see” them, too. I will say that I have a couple of favorites and I think any reader will quickly tell who they are as they turn the pages.

4. How important was it to make the book realistic?

Without realism, any book becomes boring and a “cardboard cutout” and that doesn’t interest me in the least. Readers are so very smart, intelligent, and they can readily and intuitively feel when an author is lazy. I’ve been told that my books are too gritty and disturbing. Well, so is human trafficking and if I can disturb others, all the better because bottom-line, we need to protect our kids and educate the public. I take pride in making my stories real. If not, I’m wasting my time and the reader’s time.

5. What inspired you to write Stolen Lives and the Lives Trilogy and Prequel?


Jacob Wetterling’s story. If you aren’t familiar with him, Jacob was taken at gunpoint in front of friends in October of 1989. He was eleven years old at the time. There have been many leads and a tremendous amount of investigation, but Jake is still missing. The Prequel to the Lives Trilogy, Taking Lives is actually dedicated to all missing children, but specifically dedicated to Jacob Wetterling.

6. Is there a message in your novel that I want readers to grasp?

I believe all and any writing, good writing, should teach a truth or make a truth apparent, so yes, in my writing, I want the reader to understand that the world can be both-sometimes at the same time- an ugly and beautiful place to live, and that there is always hope and the human spirit is courageous and inspiring.

7. Do you have a detailed master plan or general idea when you write?

I have an idea and go with it. I don’t outline. I do a lot of pre-writing in my head way before I sit at a computer to write. There have been times when I sit down thinking that the story will go in one direction, only to be happily surprised when it shifts in a different direction based upon dialogue, action, and setting. I know it sounds crazy, but I mean it when I say that sometimes, my characters take over and I become just the facilitator.






Joseph Lewis has published four books so far: Taking Lives, (August 2014) a prequel to the Lives Trilogy; Stolen Lives, (November 2015) Book One of the Lives Trilogy; Shattered Lives, (March 2015); and Splintered Lives, Book Three of the Lives Trilogy (November 2015), all in the thriller/mystery genre, and each has garnered outstanding reviews. Previously, Lewis published a short story, Dusty And Me (1989). He writes a weekly inspirational blog, Simple Thoughts From A Complicated Mind, Sort Of located at jrlewis.blogspot.com.

Lewis has been in education for 40 years as a teacher, coach, counselor and administrator.  He is currently a high school principal and resides in Virginia with his wife, Kim, of 24 years, along with his daughters, Hannah and Emily. His son, Wil, is deceased.


Connect with Joseph Lewis:
Twitter: @jrlewisauthor
Facebookt: www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis
Email: immrlewis@gmail.com

Blog: jrlewis.blogspot.com 

On Conversations: #award-winning #author Jenna Ives

Please join me in welcoming award-winning author Jenna Ives to Conversations today! Jenna is here to talk about Programmed To Please, book one in The Tau Cetus Chronicles! So be sure and check out the cover, blurb and excerpt below! And don't forget to check out her bio too and get to know Jenna Ives.

Lisa ~

__________________________________________


Thanks for hosting me today, Lisa!

Little known fact about me: at age eleven, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. But since I get sick on roller coasters, I figured space travel wasn’t really a viable career option, so I became a sci-fi author instead. (Not at age eleven, of course, although I did actually write my first action adventure story at eleven, which was published in my elementary school newsletter…)

I write sci-fi romances with high emotional stakes and lots of plot conflict. I particularly enjoy dropping my two main characters into an impossible situation, and then watching the sparks fly as they try to resist falling in love!

That’s what happens in the first book of my new series The Tau Cetus Chronicles, which is called Programmed To Please.

Here’s the blurb:



Very human Tau Cetus police agent Jai Turner goes undercover as a Beautiful Dolls robot to

bring down the planet’s most notorious arms dealer, Marque Callex. The police have never been able to get close to Callex, and Jai’s assignment is to uncover information on his illicit weapons dealings that will lead to his conviction.

Reclusive arms dealer Marque Callex only accepts an invitation from Beautiful Dolls because with his deadly line of work – and the dangerous secrets he’s keeping – he can’t afford to let a real woman into his life. But neither Jai nor Marque are what they seem, and their week together has consequences neither expect.


 

Programmed To Please is a HOLT Medallion merit award-winner.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Turner, I’m sending you undercover as a Beautiful Dolls robot.”

Police agent Jai Turner stared at her boss, Commander Talis Rainey, convinced she couldn’t possibly have heard him right.

She shifted tiredly on her feet in front of his desk. “Sir?”

For an answer, Rainey leaned forward in his chair and pushed a button on the console on his desk. “Send in Mr. Carron.”

A minute later, a short man stood in the doorway. He was such a stereotype that Jai felt herself stiffen. Thick glasses… hair askew… frankly, all he needed was a lab coat with a pocket protector to complete the picture. Savant. Adept. Carbon-copier.

Maybe her boss hadn’t been making a joke.

Rainey cleared his throat. “This is Anson Carron. Creator of Beautiful Dolls.”

If the abrupt and impersonal introduction annoyed their guest, he didn’t show it. His eyes had locked on Jai, and were scanning her up and down in a way that felt decidedly intimate despite the generic, navy blue one-piece uniform that she and everyone else on the Tau Cetus police force wore.

“Yes,” he murmured. “I suppose I can work with this.”

This,” Rainey said hotly, “is Jai Turner, one of my best agents. She’s human.”

The little man shrugged. “She meets his prime criteria. Of course, it would be better if I could see her without her clothes on before I make a final assessment.”

What? Jai stiffened even more. “Commander!”

Rainey let out a loud sigh. “Sit. Both of you.”

The two took the hard chairs arrayed around Rainey’s desk. Jai crossed her arms and legs defensively. It was obvious she didn’t anticipate liking whatever the Commander might be about to say.

Rainey ran a hand through his grey-black hair and looked at the partners. “Before I start, I have one thing to say to you. Marque Callex.”

That changed everything. The infamous name had her leaning forward in her chair, now eagerly waiting for Rainey’s next words.

“You know how long we’ve been trying to get close to this guy. We may now have a chance, albeit by a very unconventional route.” Rainey nodded toward their guest. “A month ago, Mr. Carron here ran afoul of the law. In an effort to save his neck – and his very lucrative business – he suggested a unique proposal in return for us not pursuing charges against him.”

“What kind of proposal?” Jai asked.

“A clever one, as it turns out.” Rainey smirked. “Mr. Carron agreed to send an… invitation… to Marque Callex, in the guise of offering ‘a select number of high-powered businessmen’ the chance to sample the latest model of Beautiful Doll for free, in exchange for their feedback on the product. In reality, Callex was the only person to get this invitation.”

Jai’s mouth set in a disgusted line. “And he accepted.”

“He did,” Rainey confirmed. “It was a gamble, but it paid off. In this ‘latest model,’ clients are able to customize their girl. Callex filled out the form specifying the criteria of his ideal Beautiful Doll, and now all we have to do is fulfill his requirements.” The Commander gave Jai a pointed stare. “With you.”

Jai’s eyes went wide. “You want me to impersonate a sexbot?”

“He’s requested certain specifics,” Anson Carron said. “Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Lean, athletic build.”

Jai let out a relieved breath. “Well, that rules me out. I’m brown-haired and brown-eyed.”

“Easily fixed,” her boss pointed out. “You fit the most important characteristic: athletic build. We can’t fake that, but we can correct the other things with hair dye and contact lenses.”

Jai scowled. There was absolutely no way she was going to volunteer for this. Have sex on command? Not a chance. Not even to bring down a man they’d long been after for suspected weapons smuggling. Besides, she could never pass for a robot. She had a heartbeat, for goodness sake!

Rainey sighed into the stubborn silence. “Do I really need to play the Joran Breaux card with either of you?”

A spark of anger shot through Jai. Joran was the second – and definitely much more personal – reason they were after Marque Callex. Joran had been sent in to infiltrate Callex Industries from the inside, to discover how one of the government’s top weapons contractors was secretly diverting arms to militant countries. Three weeks later, Joran’s body had turned up – in pieces – in a recycling center a hundred clicks away.

Jai would relish the chance to avenge the death of a fellow Tau Cetus agent, but was becoming a sex slave really the best way to do it?

Rainey scowled. “This may be our best chance to get to Callex. But if you’re not up to it, Turner, I’ll find another female agent with athletic build who’s more committed to her job.”

Crap. Now Rainey was doubting Jai’s dedication to the force. Silence stretched in the room while Jai considered her options. Her very limited options. As in, none. “I’ll do it.”

“What?”

Jai’s mouth set into a mulish line. What real choice did she have? Marque Callex needed to be stopped.

“I said I’ll do it. If this is our best – and possibly only – chance to get to him, then I’m in.”


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Jenna
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