The Troubles Keeper by Susan May
The Troubles Keeper by Susan May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rory Fine is a bus driver but he’s far from your ordinary every day blue collar worker. Rory was born with a gift that allows him to ease the fears and troubles from others with just a touch. One night along his regular route Rory gets the feeling that his passengers are a bit more bogged down with their problems so he offers to help them all as they depart his bus.
As Rory touches one particular passenger though he finds himself taking on something dark and evil that he’s never experienced before. Little did Rory know that his offer to brighten the day of his passengers would lead him on a perilous journey dealing with forces that he never could have imagined before.
The Troubles Keeper is another book that is an interesting mix of elements involved in the story. It’s definitely part paranormal fantasy with Rory having a special ability but there is also the edgy thriller side of it that I became a fan of Susan May for from her book Deadly Messengers that I read last summer and ended up one of my favorites of 2015.
Rory is a very likable main character that is a bit of a superhero with what he can do to help people. Those he touch have all of their misery lifted from their minds that bog them down so you can only imagine the possibilities in what this gift could do. Think of those suffering depression or contemplating suicide, families that are torn apart as relationships crumble over arguments that if given the chance at clearing your head and tackling problems from a better state of mind could be saved it became clear while reading the world could really use someone like Rory in it.
Along with the gifts of the main character though we have an intense plot that pulls you in rather quickly and keeps the pages turning. The reader learns early on there is a killer on the loose but things quickly get escalated which you would expect with the paranormal elements to the book. I won’t go too into the details to not spoil things but it’s definitely one I’d recommend checking out.
I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Whatever You Call Me by Leigh Fleming blitz with giveaway
Whatever You Call Me
Leigh Fleming
Publication date: September 20th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Annie Cooper is fed up with Washington. More importantly, she’s done with being Senator George Cooper’s daughter and all the expectations that come with it. She changes her name and tries to start fresh after quitting her job, but the only position she can find is in the political world she despises.
Kip Porter is a two-term congressman from a blue collar district along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay whose ambition leads him astray from the core values he—and his constituents—hold dear. He needs Senator Cooper’s backing to get his bill through the Senate and plans to use Annie to do it.
What starts out as a simple game of hidden identity soon becomes complicated. Annie wants to prove her worth on her own terms, but the closer she grows to Kip, the more she needs to come clean. With unexpected romance blossoming between them, will Kip keep his own secrets, or reveal the truth in the name of love?
(This is a stand alone romance – you do not need to read Best Friends Book 1 to enjoy this title).
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EXCERPT:
Annie felt the sting and quickly slapped the mosquito nibbling on her calf. They’d been sitting in the grassy field for over an hour waiting for the tow truck to arrive. The subs had long ago been eaten, but they lounged on the trunk carpet sipping what was left of their fountain drinks.
“Damn, it’s hot.” Kip began unbuttoning his shirt and pulling the tail out of his pants. “I’ve got to get out of these clothes.”
Purposely looking the opposite direction, Annie fought the urge to take a glimpse of a shirtless Kip, but instead looked out at the baking weeds in the field. She jerked upright when she heard his belt buckle clink.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked.
“I’m getting out of these clothes. I’m burning up.” Kip tramped to the car, walking around to the driver’s side back door, and leaned inside where Annie couldn’t see. She strained her neck and rose up on her knees, stretching to see what he was doing. A few minutes later he returned to their makeshift picnic spot wearing gym shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. Annie dropped back onto the carpet and pulled up a few blades of grass as Kip dropped beside her.
“Disappointed?” he whispered in her ear.
“Huh?”
“You heard me.”
“Why would I be disappointed?”
“You were hoping I was going to strip down.” He wiggled his eyebrows and nudged his shoulder into hers.
“Oh, please.” She went back to weeding the field, furiously yanking blades of grass and letting them flutter in the humid breeze.
“Come on, Coach. I saw the look on your face when I started unbuttoning my shirt.”
“Get over yourself.” She shoved back and then stood up, brushing the dust from her dress. “Should you call them again to see where the truck is?”
“What, don’t you like our little picnic?”
“Porter…seriously, we need to get back.” Annie glared at Kip where he lay on the carpet, resting his head in his hands.
“Relax, it will be here soon. Come lay down with me.” He patted his hand on the carpet and gave her his most salacious grin.
“Not a chance.”
“Come on…what are you afraid of?”
Annie stared at Kip, taking a tendril in her hand and twisting it tightly around her finger. She glanced over her shoulder at the car and then back at him, now lying on his side with his head resting on his hand. He patted the carpet once more and invited her over with a swoosh of his hand.
“Fine,” she said, joining him on the carpet and mimicking his relaxed position.
“Tell me about the mechanic.”
“I already told you. We dated in high school and he taught me all about cars.”
“Nah…there’s got to be more to the story.” Annie watched Kip’s soft lips curl at the corners. The memory of him leaning in to kiss her earlier in the day flashed through her mind. She sighed and flipped flat on her back.
“Not really. My father hated him…thought he wasn’t a good influence. We didn’t date long.”
“This is the first I’ve heard about your dad. You’ve never mentioned your family, actually. What do they do?”
“Oh, um…” Annie closed her eyes against the bright sun. “My dad is an attorney and my mom is a professional party giver.” Not a total lie.
“Sound like interesting people. I’d like to meet them.”
Author Bio:
After several years of saying she would write a book someday, Leigh Fleming finally fulfilled her ultimate bucket list item by writing and self-publishing a novel. In 2013, she completed her first work, Precious Words, a romance suspense story set in the glittering world of men’s professional tennis, taking the reader on a whirlwind trip full of love and danger.
Leigh continues to hone her craft and learn what it takes to create a page-turning novel. She has completed Whatever You Call Me, set to release in fall, 2016, and Whatever You Say, to be released spring, 2017.
Leigh lives with her husband, Patrick, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and is mom to adult children, Tom and Liza, and her two dogs, Lula Belle and Napoleon.
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Shadow of a Girl by Shannon Greenland blitz with giveaway
Shadow of a Girl
Shannon Greenland
Published by: Entangled: Teen
Publication date: September 19th 2016
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Use cash and keep moving.
After I ran away from home, these were the two rules that dictated my life. Scoring a job as a roadie fit perfectly for what I needed. Traveling, cash, and life out of the spotlight. But when my path collides with West, the lead singer of Bus Stop, I can’t seem to stay out of his spotlight—especially since we’ll be touring together for an entire year.
West is determined to break down my walls. He won’t give up. And little by little they come crumbling. But if he knew what lurked behind them, he wouldn’t be so eager to get rid of them.
The more time we spend together, the more the lines of our friendship become blurred. He makes me dream of things I never thought possible. But while our friendship has been evolving into a romance, my secrets have been closing in. And just when I’ve decided to reveal my past to West, I’m confronted by it. The cost of my freedom could ruin the life of the guy I love…
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EXCERPT:
His hand stills. He doesn’t move. Neither do I, and neither one of us speaks. Then West shifts first, gently pushing me away, and rolls to a sitting position. He rubs his eyes and looks around and finally with a sigh, glances over his shoulder at me where I still lay on the blanket.
“It’s late,” he says, “and you’ve got to be up early for work.”
I nod, completely confused that he’s the one who pulled away.
He gets to his feet and holds out his hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your room.”
I let him pull me up, and together we fold the blanket. But as I come toward him with my ends of the blanket, he slides one arm around my back and holds me to him. “Hug me,” he whispers. “Please?”
His words liquefy my insides, and I don’t hesitate as I slip both arms around his waist and lay my face on his chest. With the blanket smooshed between us, I listen to his heartbeat as he pulls me in snug, resting his head on top of mine. Gently, he rocks me, humming a song I don’t recognize, but the tune buzzes through me, and I sink further into the embrace.
We stand this way, gently swaying, as he hums the whole song. I haven’t cried in many years. The last time I did I was in excruciating pain. So when the wetness pools in my eyes, I blink my lids, surprised, realizing they’re tears of happiness.
Exactly what tears should be.
Author Bio:
Shannon Greenland is the award winning author of several novels including the teen spy series, THE SPECIALISTS, and the YA romance, THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN. Her latest teen novel, SHADOW OF A GIRL, is due out 9.19.16. She also writes thrillers under S. E. Green and lives off the coast of Florida with her very grouchy dog. Find her at http://www.shannongreenland.com
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Cover Reveal: Crown of Cinders by Rebecca Ethington
Crown of Cinders
Rebecca Ethington
(Imdalind, #7)
Publication date: November 28th 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
The Internationally Best-Selling Imdalind Series comes to a close in this long awaited heart-pounding conclusion.
For centuries the war that has raged within magic has ripped the world apart. Fought between Skȓítek and Trpaslík; killing father and son, and destroying a fragile balance between mortal and magic.
For centuries everyone has been awaiting the Silnỳ, searching for the girl who was prophesized. The girl with power strong enough to defeat the evil that plagued the world, and bring the war to an end.
For centuries, everyone was wrong.
The Silnỳ was not what they had been told, the promises of future distorted by a sight that was tarnished. The evil was not what they had expected, not what they had been fighting against. Instead it was hidden amongst them; plotting, waiting for their time to strike.
And it did. With fire and blade the hidden evil took it’s place upon a throne of blood. The evil has shown itself and now only one person can save them all.
But with Sights that are no longer infallible and armies that are abandoning their king – it is no longer clear who that person is, or even if they have the courage to stand up to the evil and face their end.
Previous books in the series:
Author Bio:
Rebecca Ethington is an internationally bestselling author with almost 700,000 books sold. Her breakout debut, The Imdalind Series, has been featured on bestseller lists since its debut in 2012, reaching thousands of adoring fans worldwide and cited as “Interesting and Intense” by USA Today’s Happily Ever After Blog.
From writing horror to romance and creating every sort of magical creature in be-tween, Rebecca’s imagination weaves vibrant worlds that transport readers into the pages of her books. Her writing has been described as fresh, original, and groundbreaking, with stories that bend genres and create fantastical worlds.
Born and raised under the lights of a stage, Rebecca has written stories by the ghost light, told them in whispers in dark corridors, and never stopped creating within the pages of a notebook.
Fallen Star by Allison Morse blitz with giveaway
Fallen Star
Allison Morse
Publication date: September 21st 2016
Genres: Adult, Gothic, Romance
Who killed 1940s screen goddess Gloria Reardon? Her unsolved murder hypnotized the public with its scandalous details and shocked two generations.
Avid feminist and aspiring filmmaker, Kate Bloom discovers long lost footage that holds the key to who murdered her grandmother. Legendary movie star, Gloria Reardon, may be dead, but friends and lovers from the Golden Age of Hollywood’s heyday are still very much on the scene, and it seems everyone has something to gain or lose from Kate’s discovery. Enlisting the youthful and brash film restorer Dylan Nichols as her closest ally, Kate becomes haunted by Gloria’s glittering past. Caught between glamorous Old Hollywood and the gritty, exciting New Hollywood of the 1970s, Kate is determined to find out what really happened to her grandmother and in the process becomes the killer’s new target.
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“…Morse has woven a Gothic masterpiece that reflects the charm of the old films it discusses.” – San Francisco Book Review
“A brilliant, well-written novel that…will keep readers in the dark and guessing all the way.” – Manhattan Book Review
“…a delightfully complex plot filled with myriad twists and turns…” – RT Book Reviews
Author Bio:
Allison Morse grew up in a family of actors in Los Angeles; before the age of five she started acting classes, which she adored. She continued in the family business until her early twenties when her curious spirit led her to consider other interests and professions, like counseling and the law. After receiving her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, Allison went on to graduate from Phillips Graduate Institute with an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy and U.C. Hastings College of the Law with a J.D.
Although she loved learning from each of her varied careers one of her favorite jobs was working for the now closed Dutton’s, a wonderful, musty new, used and rare bookstore in North Hollywood with deep roots in Southern California’s literary community. This wonderful, musty new, used and rare bookstore in North Hollywood had deep roots in Southern California’s literary community. Whatever she was doing, books and story-telling ruled her imagination.
Allison always knew that for her, writing is as essential as breathing. But as she pursued her professional life, this great love was consigned to private journals that she filled with musings and story ideas. Ten years ago that changed and she decided to get serious about being a writer.
While continuing to work full time as a lawyer, she kept to a strict writing schedule, took writing classes at UCLA Extension. She joined the Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Now Allison has completed two novels: a romance entitled The Sweetheart Deal and Fallen Star, a Hollywood gothic.
Allison lives with her husband in a house in the hills that’s filled with books.
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