Book Blitz: Q&A with C.J.Lake author of A Hot Winter

A little bit from author C.J.Lake about her latest book A Hot Winter. Find out more about the book here

What was the inspiration for A Hot Winter?

I didn’t originally intend to write this story, but Matt and Emma seemed to have instant chemistry in my first book, Constructing Us, so I was compelled to explore them as a couple.  They ended up being perfect for each other (though it’s a ride to get there!).

What makes Matt & Emma such a great couple?

There’s a current of attraction between them when they first meet, but neither knows who the other is.  Once they discover the connection (to Tragan and Andy), they try to dial it back--especially once Matt begins work on Emma’s house.  But it’s virtually impossible not to be aware of each other or to keep their distance.  That initial attraction is always there--and building every time they’re together, despite Emma’s determination to keep things platonic.  Something that works in their favor is that while Matt is four years younger than Emma, he is strong and responsible, with a maturity and a protective nature--exactly what she needs!

If you had to choose, what is your favorite scene?

Well, here’s a very short excerpt from it:

“Jesus, Emma,” Matt rasped, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes.  “Why do you torture me?”

Gazing into those intense, dark eyes, Emma became overwhelmed by a longing that was almost painful.  She reached up and brushed her lips across his.  “I didn’t mean to,” she said softly, and it was the truth.  “Don’t go,” she whispered, digging her fingers into his hair and keeping him close.  Lightly she bit his lower lip.  “Don’t go…”

>>I love this whole scene; it’s erotic and emotional and represents a major turning point for Matt and Emma.  Also, it’s literally just the beginning of their first intense night together…

Can you pick a favorite quote?

Hmm…maybe this:

“Being with Matt did something to her.  It brought back a younger version of herself, a younger time in her life.”

>>This is a theme that’s played implicitly throughout the story and a concept that Emma wrestles with and embraces at the same time.  She’s only twenty-seven, but has responsibilities that make her feel older and more settled than that.  Matt taps into her youthful, fun-loving spirit and almost makes Emma forget the reasons why they shouldn’t be together…

Did you have a music play list for this book?

Yes!  My “soundtrack” for A Hot Winter includes songs that fit Matt & Emma so well.  Like “Teenage Dream” (Katy Perry), “Safe and Sound” (Capital Cities), “Am I wrong” (Nico & Vinz), “Everybody Talks” (Neon Trees), “Green Eyes” (Coldplay), and “Everything Has Changed” (Taylor Swift). 

What else should readers know?

• A Hot Winter is set in one of my favorite places: snowy Boston!
• Tragan & Andy, along with other familiar faces from Constructing Us, are back.
• Though my books have overlapping characters, they are all standalone novels--no cliffhangers!

What’s next?

In 2015, look for Sky High (Book 3 in The Attraction series).  Sky High is a fast-paced, romantic and sexy New Adult romance, featuring Jamie from Books 1 & 2.  Stay tuned for more updates, both on Amazon and Twitter (@brightbluesurf) -- plus, readers can email me at: writercjlake@gmail.com.

Book Blitz: A Hot Winter by C.J.Lake with giveaway

A Hot Winter by C.J. Lake 

Publication date: December 2nd 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

*Story contains explicit/steamy scenes that are intended for mature readers.

**All books in C.J. Lake’s Attraction Series are standalone novels with NO cliffhangers.

It was supposed to be a simple job.  A favor for a friend, nothing complicated.  But that was before I realized who Emma was.  I knew I wasn’t imagining the tension between us–still there and getting stronger every second.  She wanted to keep things professional now.  I suppose we’d have to try–because if we gave in…once would never be enough…

I never thought I’d see Matt Winter again, and now here he was.  Working on my house!  Making me nervous, flustered, and almost breathless.  Disarming me and making me feel things I haven’t even considered since my husband died four years ago.  No, I don’t want to want him.  My life was in order before he came, and I’m leaving Boston anyway.  Forget Matt.  It’s the only logical option.  So…why can’t I stay away from him?

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Purchase: 

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AUTHOR BIO

C.J. Lake is a storyteller who is passionate about art, surfing, and skiing/snowboarding. Residing near the coast of Massachusetts, C.J. is working on a new book that will feature Tragan Barrett's friend, Matt Winter. Readers can get in touch via email (writercjlake@gmail.com), or follow C.J. on Twitter @brightbluesurf.

Giveaway 
US Only

• A $15 gift card to Amazon + a signed copy of C.J.'s first book, Constructing Us.

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Book Blitz: Withering Hope by Layla Hagen Excerpt with giveaway

Withering Hope by Layla Hagen 

Publication date: January 19th 2015 
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The Blurb

*This will be a STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE.*

Aimee’s wedding is supposed to turn out perfect. Her dress, her fiancé and the location—the idyllic holiday ranch in Brazil—are perfect.
But all Aimee’s plans come crashing down when the private jet that’s taking her from the U.S. to the ranch—where her fiancé awaits her—defects mid-flight and the pilot is forced to perform an emergency landing in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

With no way to reach civilisation, being rescued is Aimee and Tristan’s—the pilot—only hope. A slim one that slowly withers away, desperation taking its place. Because death wanders in the jungle under many forms: starvation, diseases. Beasts.

As Aimee and Tristan fight to find ways to survive, they grow closer. Together they discover that facing old, inner agonies carved by painful pasts takes just as much courage, if not even more, than facing the rainforest.

Despite her devotion to her fiancé, Aimee can’t hide her feelings for Tristan—the man for whom she’s slowly becoming everything. You can hide many things in the rainforest. But not lies. Or love.

Withering Hope is the story of a man who desperately needs forgiveness and the woman who brings him hope. It is a story in which hope births wings and blooms into a love that is as beautiful and intense as it is forbidden.

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Purchase 

Amazon: no pre-order available. Purchase link will go live on January 19th 

Barnes & Noble
iBooks
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Excerpt

(Aimee’s POV)

I wake up covered in cold sweat and something soft that might be a blanket. I can't tell for sure, because when I open my eyes, it’s dark. When I try to move, a sharp pain in my temple makes me gasp.

"Aimee?"

"Tristan." The word comes out almost like a cry. In the faint moonlight coming in through the windows, I see him leaning on the seat in front of me, hovering over me. I imagine his dark brown eyes searching me worriedly.

"Are you hurt?"

"Just my temple, but I'm not bleeding," I say, running my fingers over the tender spot. I assess him next. It’s difficult given the dim moonlight. His white uniform shirt is smeared with dirt, but he appears unharmed. I turn my head toward the window. I can't gauge anything outside in the darkness.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"We landed," Tristan says simply, and when I turn to look at him he adds, "… in the rainforest."

I nod, trying not to let the tight knot of fear in my chest overtake me. If I let it spiral out, I may not be able to control it.

"Shouldn't we … like… leave the plane or something? Until they rescue us? Is it safe for us to be inside?"

Tristan runs a hand through his short, black hair. "Trust me, this is the only safe place. I checked outside for any fuel leaks, but we're good."

"You got out?" I whisper.

"Yes."

"I want—” I say, opening my seatbelt and trying to stand. But dizziness forces me back into my chair.

"No," Tristan says, and he slumps in the seat opposite mine on the other side of the slim aisle. "Listen to me. You need to calm down."

"How deep in the forest are we, Tristan?"

He leans back, answering after a long pause. "Deep enough."

"How will they find us?" I curl my knees to my chest under the blanket, the dizziness growing. I wonder when Tristan put the blanket over me.

"They will," Tristan says.

"But there is something we can do to make it easier for them, isn't there?"

"Right now, there isn't."

"Can contact someone at base?" I ask weakly.

"No. We lost all communication a while ago." His shoulders slump, and even in the moonlight, I notice his features tighten. His high cheekbones, which usually give him a noble appearance, now make him look gaunt. Yet instead of panic, I’m engulfed in weakness. My limbs feel heavy. Fog settles over my mind.

"What happened to the engine?" I whisper.

"Engine failure."

"Can you repair it?"

"No."

“There is really no way to send anyone a message?”

“No.” As if in a dream, I feel Tristan put a pillow under my head and recline my seat.

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Top Ten Crime Books of 2014

Well over half of the books I read in 2014 fell somewhere into the crime fiction genre, be they detective series, romantic suspense, psychological thrillers or something else. I read some pretty amazing ones as well & when I looked back through my 5 star reads for last year there were more than ten. However I have eventually managed to narrow it down to these ten books which are in no particular order.

1. The Night Stalker by Chris Carter

Chris Carter is an author who has been on my radar for a long time but I'd never gotten around to reading one of his books before last year. I quickly became hooked on the Robert Hunter series reading 4 of the books in quick succession with the next 2 on my to read pile. I'm saving them to read closer the the release of his next book. The Chris Carter book that stood out the most for me was book 3 The Night Stalker, at times truly horrific but with so much suspense and so fast paced I just couldn't put it down. Chris Carter is a true master of the crime novel and for those of you with a strong stomach then I urge you to give his books ago.

2. Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs

I eagerly await Kathy Reichs new Temperance Brennan book each year & I must say that the last couple of books in the series were a little disappointing. 2014 saw book number 17 Bones Never Lie arrive and wow what a book it was, Kathy Reichs is certainly back to her best with this one. By bringing back an old nemesis of Tempe's, the one who got away, Reichs was able to throw us right back to one of her earlier novels. A totally gripping read full of suspense with some excellent plot twists. Check out my review here 

3. Personal by Lee Child

I've been a huge Lee Child fan right from day one. I picked up his first book The Killing Floor at the airport when I was flying out on my honeymoon over 16 years ago. Jack Reacher has become a little bit of an obsession with me & I was really lucky to see Lee talk at an event at the Hay Festival last May. One of the things I loved most about Personal was that it was set for the most part in London, another was that Jack was being hunted personally and not just caught up in someone else's mess. Check out my review here

4. That Night by Chevy Stevens

I discovered Chevy Stevens when her first book Still Missing was recommended to me on GoodReads. That was an excellent read and her writing has really developed with each new book but her best to date has to be That Night which was released in 2014. This was an engaging read that tells the story of a young woman who as a teenager along with her boyfriend is wrongly jailed for the murder of her younger sister. Once out of jail she is determined to find out the truth about what happened on that fatal night. 

5. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

This was an outstanding debut that I picked up based on the fact it was recommended by the author Karin Slaughter. A really well written novel about two women who disappear from the same small town years apart and how Lucy who has a connection with both women searches for answers. A truly fantastic psychological thriller. Read more about it here

6. The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

This is the book that I love to describe as wonderfully gruesome whenever I mention it to library users. It is one of those books that you almost have to read from behind your fingers, one that you think I can't read this but out of a morbid curiosity you just have to carry on. Alex Marwood has done a wonderful job with this book, her writing is fantastic, the way that she makes you feel so unsettled and leaves you wondering about your own neighbours. A must read with some laugh out loud moments but be warned it is not for the faint hearted.

 

7. Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is one of my favourite authors & I have enjoyed both her Will Trent & Grant County series. This is a stand alone novel & I was totally intrigued by the setting - the Atlanta police department in the 1970s. In my opinion it has one of the best opening scenes of any crime novels and you are immediately thrown into a world where female cops are invisible and pretty much overlooked. Police work is deemed men's work but with a serial killer on the loose who is targeting Atlanta's finest 2 female cops are determined to make a difference. Think Life On Mars but in a book and set in the US. Read more about the book here

8. One Kick by Chelsea Cain

Another favourite author of mine is Chelsea Cain, her Archie & Gretchen series is wonderful. One Kick, is the first book in a new series(I love new series)and after reading it I can't wait for book two. The female protagonist Kit Lannigan, is scarred by events that happened to her as a child, abducted aged 6 & held in captivity for 6 years it is no wonder that Kit has issues. She has made her mission in life to ensure that she is never made a victim again & in doing so has turned herself into a one woman killing machine.

9. The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

This was one of my first books of 2014 & it is one that has stayed with me.  In a small town in Kansas in 1987 the body of a dead girl is found in field covered in snow. Noone knows who she is or what happened to her. Almost twenty years later Mitch Newquist returns to town & the mystery surrounding the girl's death begins to unravel. This was such a well written fast paced book with plenty of twists & turns that I just couldn't put it down & I finished it in one sitting. Expect the unexpected with this one.

10. Stranded by Alex Kava

And lastly yet another book from crime series. Stranded is the 11th book in Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell series & is easily the best in my opinion. It starts where the last book left off with Maggie & her partner on the hunt for one of the most sick & twisted serial killers they have ever come across. The Maggie O'Dell series is perfect for fans of tv shows such as Criminal Minds. I'm not sure I will ever look at rest areas/service stations in quite the same way again after reading this. FBI procedural writing at it's very best.

Review: Hellbound by David McCaffrey

**** 4 stars

I'm always on the lookout for crime books with that little something different so I was really pleased to be invited to be a part of David McCaffrey's blog tour for his debut novel Hellbound. The blurb made it sound like just the type of crime novel I would enjoy with a touch of the unknown with the mention of the afterlife & the possibility of some horror.

The Blurb

His crimes - unforgivable. His death - inevitable. His suffering - just beginning.

Obadiah Stark aka The Tally Man, is executed at ADX Absolom, his death sentence watched by the world's media, victim relatives and one investigative reporter, Joe O Connell. Penning an account of Stark's personal history and subsequent crimes in the hope of determining what elements make the sociopathic mind tick, Joe discovers clues and inconsistencies which cause him to investigate Stark's execution.

While this is happening in the real world, Obadiah Stark awakens to an afterlife where he has a wife and daughter bound to his childhood hometown. Following his natural predatory instinct, Obadiah proceeds to torment the town, committing multiple murders before being gunned down by the police. He awakens to find that everything has reset, with no one recalling his murderous spree a reality which offers no escape. As the scenes repeat, he is forced to submit to emotions he has never experienced before... and with it, a poisonous dose of morality.

My Thoughts

When the story opens we are waiting with the rest of the world for execution of Obadiah Stark, a serial killer like none the world has ever seen. A murderer who escaped police capture for almost 20 years, murdering 27 young women on two continents just for the fun of it. Obadiah earned himself the name 'The Tally Man' due to the tally markings he has marked on his back, one to represent each of his victims. He is perhaps one of the worst serial killers ever known largely down to the fact that as he awaits his lethal injection he shows absolutely no sign of remorse & no fear about his imminent death. The execution goes ahead as scheduled under the watchful eye of the world's media including investigative reporter Joe O'Connell.

Joe is writing a piece about Stark and during his research & the interviews her conducts after the execution he begins to find some inconsistencies with what happened on the night Stark died. Stark meanwhile has woken up after he has been executed in his own personal hell, living back in the town where he grew up with a wife and a young daughter. It's almost as if he is experiencing his own groundhog day, continuing his murderous spree on the other side but then waking up the next day unsure it ever happened. You see Stark start to unravel and his mental state become very unstable.

I have read an awful lot of crime novels but I can honestly say that I have never read one quite like David McCaffrey's Hellbound. The story is totally unique and had me totally gripped from the start. I had absolutely no idea what journey McCaffrey was going to take me on & had so many thoughts running through my head. Was I going to be plunged into the dark world of an un-repenting serial killer? Would good win over evil? How the hell has Stark ended up alive and in the afterlife? Where on earth is this story going to end?

I found myself totally immersed in the book which is told from both Joe & Obadiah's points of view. This led me to have a connection with Obadiah, a connection that I wasn't quite comfortable about. I saw the crimes he committed through his eyes and felt somewhat unclean, this is a mark of McCaffrey's clever writing. He writes the book so well from both Joe & Obadiah's side that at times you actually find yourself feeling sorry for Obadiah.

I thought that the author tackled the issue of the death penalty very tactfully and his storytelling made for a very thought provoking look at the morals around execution. An eye for an eye and all that. The books is extremely well plotted with unexpected twists & turns that really do keep you guessing right up until the very end. I would highly recommend it to all crime fiction lovers especially those of you that are looking for something a little different. Overall an excellent debut & I am looking forward to seeing what David comes up with next.

About The Author

David lives in Redcar in the North East of England and works as an Infection Prevention and Control nurse in a local Acute trust. His wife Kelly is his muse and ardent (but constructive!) critic of his work. He has a seven year old son Jake and a little boy Liam, who is a few months old. Jake once took some draft pages of his Daddy's work to school to draw on which prompted the school to become concerned about the books Jake was having read to him!!! The school were relieved when they found out Jake was not being subjected to books such as Hellbound.

My Top Read of 2014 - Summertime by Vanessa Lafaye

2014 was a great reading year for me with a total of 151 books read. Not quite as good as the 156 books that I read in 2013 but I read some true gems in 2014.

I have a very eclectic reading style from my true love of crime fiction to fantasy to my recent discovery of new adult. I think that it is pretty safe to say that I will give most books a chance. The fact I read so many different books across so many genres has made it really hard to pick out a top 10 as what I look for in a crime novel will be totally different to what I look for in a new adult book. 

For that reason I am going to have a top 10 crime books & top 10 other books but even with 2 top 10s there is one book that stood out for me a head & shoulders above the rest & that is Summertime by Vanessa Lafaye. This book was a late entry for my top read as I only read an advanced copy in December but I was totally blown away by it & the fact that it is Vanessa's debut novel was even more mind-blowing. I loved absolutely everything about it - the plot, the intrigue, the location, the time period - everything about the book just worked.

Watch out for my review next week when Summertime is published. Trust me you need to add this book to your must read list for 2015.

Wednesday Wonder #9 - Fear The Dark by Chris Mooney

I've only read a couple of Chris's Darby McCormick books but I loved them & this one looks just as good. With an eye-catching cover, a great tag line & praise from Lee Child then this looks as though it is going to be a great read. I will certainly be playing catch up with the series so that I can read this one sooner rather than later.

Publication due 29th January

The Blurb

Fear grips a town in Colorado as a murderer targets entire families in their own homes. As police and the FBI struggle to contain the situation, they bring in forensic investigator and serial killer expert Darby McCormick.

What she finds is a brutal and elusive predator who stays one step ahead of their investigation.

As Darby navigates the blood-ties and broken promises that divide the locals, she knows that all the while the killer is watching, waiting and circling his next target: her.

She must not only meet evil—and somehow survive—but also be prepared to face this small town's dark heart ...