Cover Reveal….This Is The End, Baby by K. Webster

This is the End, Baby

War & Peace #7
by K. Webster
Publication Date: May 23, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance

***This is the seventh and final book in the series. First six books must be read in order to fully understand this story line. THIS STORY IS A NOVELLA AND SHORTER THAN THE REST.***

They say the king is the most powerful piece on the board.
However, they haven’t met me.
This queen knows all the rules. She plays the game better than him.
In my game, the queen can knock the king right off the board.

Game over.
The END.

But, I love him.
The darkness threatens to make me lose sight of my strategy from time to time, but in the END, love always prevails.

Problem is, my black king is playing by a different set of rules. His END game is one he shields from me. It’s a game he plays closely with the white king, the most brilliant player of all. Together, they want to END my game.

They want to END me.

This queen doesn’t go down without a fight.
This queen makes her own rules.
This queen will outsmart those who play against her.

This is the END, baby.
In the END, I am going to win it all.

***Warning***
This is the End, Baby is a dark romance. Extreme sexual themes and violence, which could trigger emotional distress, are found in this story. If you are sensitive to dark themes, then this story is not for you.

About K. Webster

K Webster2

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.

You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!

Website: www.authorkwebster.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bllgoP

Cover Reveal….Things Are Going to Get Complicated by Ashley Jade

 

Title: Complicated Hearts: Book 1
Author: Ashley Jade
Genre: Young Adult
Cover Design: Book Babe
Release Date: June 8, 2017

 

Blurb

Breslin
I was in love with Asher Holden the moment I saw him…and I knew nothing would ever be the same.
Then he hurt me. He wrecked me. He ruined me.
I spent three years putting myself together and fixing what he broke.
I never thought I’d see him again after that day.
I was counting on it.
Little did I know, life had other plans…and things were going to become a lot more complicated.
 

 


Asher
I finally know who I am. I own it, I embrace it…I’m no longer afraid.
I live my life with no regrets now, because I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.
I thought I had it all figured out.
But then my past collides with my present…and things become complicated.
Turns out I don’t really know myself after all.
 

 


Landon
My life was all mapped out.
I knew exactly what direction I was heading in – I didn’t have time for any roadblocks or obstacles.
Then I meet her.
And him.
Now, my heart is split right down the middle.
She controls the rhythm. He controls the melody.
Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it…and there’s only one way this can end.
 

 


Warning: This story is for mature readers only, due to language and sexual themes. This duet contains explicit content featuring m/f, m/m, m/f/m. Reader discretion is advised.
 

 


Trigger Warning:
This story is strange and unconventional. It’s everything you hate. That’s the only warning I can offer you.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio

Ashley Jade is a lover of contemporary romance, erotica, new adult, dark romance, oxford commas, the em dash, peanut butter on her cookies, coffee, and anything thought provoking…except for math.
She’s always read books growing up and after having a strange dream one night; she decided to just go for it and publish her first series.

Little did she know, she would end up falling head over heels in love with writing.

If she’s not paying off student loan debt, working, or writing a novel, you can usually find her listening to music, hanging out with her readers online, and pondering the meaning of life.

Check out her amazon page and Facebook page for future novels.
She recently became hip and joined Twitter, so you can find her there, too.

She loves connecting with her readers – they make her world go round’.

~Happy Reading~

Feel free to email her with any questions/comments:
ashleyjadeauthor@gmail.com

Author Links

Groupie by Susan Daugherty…Blog Tour with Review

 

Today is our stop for the Groupie blog tour! We are so excited to host Groupie and Susan Daugherty! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!

 

About Groupie:

Moving to a new city isn’t the magic fix Lexie Travis hoped it would be. Sure, she put some mileage between herself and her feuding parents, her miserable dating history, and the memories of a life-altering injury. However, she still feels like a former shadow of herself, hiding behind her diminished confidence and her thorough disbelief in true love.

Everything changes when Lexie’s best (and only) friend drags her to a country music concert. Lexie loves country music, but she loathes the top-selling heartthrob who sold out the arena. Jack Morgan became a sensation with a string of degrading, shallow songs that she can’t stand.

A startling trauma lands Jack in the hospital, and Lexie is the physical therapist assigned to the VIP treatment of the very man she despises.

Jack is drawn to the one woman who appears resistant to his charms and who loves to check his ego every chance she gets, yet gives him the honesty he needs. She’s the opposite of his usual groupies. He can only continue his tour if he receives rehab on the road, and Lexie is the lone person Jack trusts for the job.

Reluctantly, she agrees to take the journey on his luxury coach, joining the wild cast of characters on his crew. Yes, she was given many incentives to take the assignment, but the reason she wants to ignore is the dangerous one. Jackson Morgan is growing on her.

At every turn, another challenge pushes her away from him.

Stepping onto the tour bus is the domino that starts a chain reaction in their lives and challenges them both to change. Could they learn to believe in love and happily ever after?

*Please note: Groupie is Volume One in a two-part series

Get Your Copy Today:

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Groupie by Susan Daugherty was such a sweet romance story to read. Yes, I could see some parts coming but in a way don’t you read a book hoping it will play out like you want? What was great about Groupie was that I could tell Susan Daugherty really enjoyed writing Lexie and Jackson. That is always a wonderful thing because there is an abundance of emotion in the story.

After an accident at Jackson’s concert leaves him injured and in need of a physical therapist, Lexie finds herself thrown into his world. Not only is she not a fan of Jackson’s but also not a fan of his groupies. However, Lexie is determined not to let Jackson get to her even through he is a hot country singer. Travelling with him on his tour so she can continue his PT, Lexie starts to find herself falling for him.

Jackson is hard to figure out at first. Does he like Lexie or is he toying with her like all his groupies? It is actually fun to read how he reacts to Lexie because she does not care for his music and is not a fan of him at all. Jackson, I liked, hated, liked, then loved. I really was on the roller coaster of feelings with Lexie.

This is an easy read and slow paced but a great first book with a cliffhanger that got me! I cannot wait to read the next book!

About Susan Daugherty:

Susan Daugherty is a freelance writer, and by some happy coincidence, also a licensed Physical Therapist and an APTA Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist. She is the author of the 2016 novel Groupie as well as its sequel, Muse. Her essay The Cycle of Inspiration was published in PT InMotion in April 2013. She is a member of Romance Writers of America. Raised in Kentucky, she now resides in Knoxville, Tennessee where she lives with her husband and two children.

Connect with Susan:

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Follow the Blog Tour:

April 24th          

Booknerd1107   Review

Under the Cover Book Lovers     Review

The Phantom Paragrapher          Review

Love Between The Sheets            Review

April 25th          

Ramblings From This Chick         Review

The Silver Dagger Scriptorium    Excerpt

Books,Dreams,Life          Excerpt

April 26th          

Book Sniffers Anonymous           Excerpt

Sweet & spicy reads       Review

Jordan’s Romance Reviews         Review

April 27th          

kdrbck  Review

Mama She’s Crazy about Books Review

Hello Beautiful Book Blog            Excerpt

April 28th          

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews  Review

The Lovely Books            Review

Best Book Boyfriends     Review

Zili in the Sky     Review

April 29th          

What Is That Book About            Excerpt

Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess           Review

Reflections Of A Book Geek        Review

April 30th          

Hike2Forty and beyond Excerpt

Crystal’s BookWorld       Review

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions           Excerpt

May 1st              

The book slayer               Review

Simply Infatuated           Playlist

a geordielass honest blog on reviews      Review

May 2nd            

My Favorite Things         Review

All Is Read          Excerpt

Book Haven Book Blog  Review

May 3rd             

Bitches N Books               Excerpt

My Slanted Bookish Ramblings  Review

Quesarasera Book Blog                Review

May 4th             

Adventures in Writing    Excerpt

Book Briefs         Review

 Short and Sassy Book Blurbs      Review

May 5th             

Sweet Reading  Review

Jax’s Book Magic             Excerpt

Angel Reads       Review

The Ordinary Housewife Book Blog         Review

My Girlfriend’s Couch    Review

May 6th             

Tania’s Book Blog            Review

Aisha Reads Books          Review

AC Squared Book Blog   Excerpt

I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore        Review

Read-Love-Blog Review

May 7th             

Cutting Muse Blog Review          Review

Dog-Eared Daydreams   Review

Jeri’s Book Attic               Review

G & T’s Indie Café            Excerpt

 

Fraud by J.L. Berg….Blog Tour & Review

JLBFraudBookCover6x9_BW_HIGH

About FRAUD

From USA Today Bestselling author J.L. Berg comes a sexy standalone about love, lies and every dirty little thing in between.

It wasn’t just a job.
It was my way back to the top.
After losing my position as a journalist for one of the biggest news publications in the world, I knew I’d do anything to get it back.
Even if it meant breaking a few hearts to get there.
She was the hottest author in the country. Known only by a pen name, there wasn’t a person alive who wasn’t dying to discover her true identity.
And I’d figured it out.

Her real name was Kate O’Malley and not only did I plan on finding her, but I fully intended on learning every dirty secret she had and exploiting it for my own gain.
But I underestimated my prey.
I didn’t anticipate how her words would intoxicate me, or how the curves of her body would consume me.
I never meant to fall in love.
And now I had a choice to make.

Do I give up everything for the woman I set out to destroy, or walk away, making me the biggest fraud of all?

Add FRAUD to your to be read shelf on Goodreads!

Read FRAUD for free with Kindle Unlimited!

 

 

 

J.L. has another smashing hit to add to her list. Fraud is definitely a swoon-worthy read and will leave you smiling for days.

I love the Prologue in this book – it starts the book off on the right vibe and has you riding this euphoric wave throughout the whole book. There were times that my smile got turned upside down because Killian is a slight douche, but overall, I was nothing but a smiling fool.

Kate is a loan processor at the local community college that she herself attended at one time. She has pretty much kept to herself most of her life since her parents passed away. Jane is the only person who never allowed Kate to push away. And Jane is also the only one he knows her darkest secret – she’s the woman behind the hot and sexy newest book on the market.

Killian is a journalist, a very popular one at that. So popular that his most recent article gets him fired and pretty much blacklisted. He’s determined to get himself back in the game, at any cost.

I love Kate and Killian’s story. It took me a little bit to warm up to Killian, but he slowly won me over. Kate, I love that girl. She comes across so sweet and innocent and she is, to a degree. But I love that she has no problems coming out of her shell and learning new things – becoming the person she wants to be.

The secondary characters definitely help round out this book. Jane, Liam and Amy all play great parts in this story and add their flair to it. I really hope we have not seen the last of Jane or Amy because I know the next book is about Liam (and I can’t wait to read that one!!).

I really enjoyed this book. The characters have their own flaws and both grow not only together but as individuals. I enjoyed the whole story line and how everything played out. A perfect summer read. Now bring on Liam’s book!!

 

 

 

 

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About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series, The Walls Duet, and the Lost & Found Duet. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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Dream Author Panel

 

How amazing would it be to be able to create your own panel of authors???  Whether they are ones from a particular genre, those who write more difficult topics or just those who’s brains you loved to pick at a little (or a lot in our case).

Eventbrite inspired us with their new project they are working on – planning your dream author panel!!!  Jillian and I both have attended author panel discussions at various author signings and conventions.  We both have personally been asked to sit on panels too for various topics.  While we both have enjoyed both being on panels and attending author discussions, we jumped at the chance to showcase some authors that we would love to see on panels in certain genres.

We chose to do genres instead of particular topics only because we know that some authors do write difficult topics in some genres.  As to what we would ask these authors, that really all depends on the discussion that pops up, but these are some general questions we would ask of the authors below:

1.  Are there any character(s) that were more difficult to write for you?  And are there are any characters that you enjoyed writing more than others?

2.  When do you realize you wanted to become a writer?  And why this particular genre?

3.  Who has inspired you throughout your writing career or even before?

4.  Is there any genre you would stay away from for any particular reason?

5.  If you could pick, who would you want to co-author a book about and what would it be about?

6.  Do you prefer to write standalones or series?

7.  Who is your unicorn author?  Have you met them?  What would you say to them?

8.  Do you keep a notebook on you all the time in case of those spur of the moment epiphanies?

9.  Do you have any “quirks” when it comes to writing (i.e. –  need specific music playing, a certain area of the house, etc).

10.  What book of yours is your favorite?

Those are just a few questions that we would ask these authors.  But again, depending on where the discussion goes, other questions could come up.  Now the list of authors below in each genre, is in no particular order and we only wanted to list 3-4 in each category.  Trust me, there are plenty more we would add to each one. 

And I will clarify that certain genres will cover more than one genre as a whole (Dark Romance will cover mafia/MC and erotic and edgy romance, Fantasy/Sci-Fi will also include paranormal and dystopian, etc.).  And some authors fall into more than one genre.

But here’s our list!

Alice Clayton

Meghan Quinn

Tara Sivec

 

J.R. Ward

Keri Lake

C.J. Roberts

Madeline Sheehan

Lexi Blake

Soraya Noami

Aleatha Romig

Rebecca Zanetti

Karin Slaughter

Iris Johansen

Lisa Unger

Dan Brown

 

Richelle  Mead

Sarah J Maas

Dannika Dark

Lauren Kate

 

Jennifer L Armentrout

Jessica Sorensen

Lisa Brown Roberts

 

 

Marina Adair

Tessa Bailey

Kendall Ryan

Courtney Cole

Michelle Leighton

There are so many genres today, it’s really hard to narrow it down and so many authors fall into multiple categories and that makes it even more difficult.  But these are just a few authors in a few genres that we would love to have a discussion with and see them on a panel and talk to us about whatever was on their minds.

Who would you want to be on your Dream Author Panel??

And do not forget, always utilize Eventbrite to find or plan any conferences or signings in your area or places you will be visiting.

Event Planning Software

 

Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf….Release Day Blitz & Review

Release Week Blitz: Remember Me Forever (Lovely Vicious #3) by Sara Wolf,
presented by Entangled Teen

 

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Release Week Blitz for

Remember Me Forever (Lovely Vicious #3)
by Sara Wolf!

If you haven’t checked out this series yet,
what are you waiting for? Grab your copy today!

Be sure to enter the giveaway below for an
Ultimate College Survival Kit!

Congratulations Sara!

 

 

“What a rush! Brilliantly crafted, sharply written, and completely unpredictable–the perfect ending to an all-time favorite series! Sara Wolf is a fresh voice in YA, and her characters never fail to make me laugh and think. If you’re in the mood for an edgy, witty, one-of-a-kind romance, this is definitely for you!” —Rachel Harris, NYT bestselling author

AUTHOR TAKEOVER

 

 

 

 

Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, forty-three weeks, and two days. Or so she thinks.

The boy she maybe-sort-of-definitely loved and sort-of-maybe-definitely hated has dropped off the face of the planet in the face of tragedy, leaving a Jack Hunter–shaped hole. Determined to be happy, Isis fills it in with lies and puts on a brave smile for her new life at Ohio State University.

But the smile lasts only until he shows up. The menace from her past—her darkest secret, Nameless—is attending OSU right alongside her. And he’s whispering that he has something Isis wants—something she needs to see to move forward. To move on.

Isis has always been able to pretend everything is okay. But not anymore.

Isis Blake might be good at putting herself back together.

But Jack Hunter is better.

Remember Me Forever (Lovely Vicious #3)
by Sara Wolf
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen

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EXCERPT

 

Jack Hunter turns to face me.
It feels like years, but it’s only been months. A few months.
He looks so much older—lines around his eyes that didn’t used to be there. His face matured somehow, the sharp angles of pubescence rounded off in a handsome, hawkish way. His eyes are the same frigid, clear blue, brows drawn tight.
“Isis, I—”
I pull my fist back and punch him.

Well I have to say that I enjoyed this whole series more than I anticipated. Sara is a new author to me. I was asked by Entangled to read this book in exchange for an honest review, but it was the third and final book of her series. The synopsis for this book intrigued me enough that I read the first two and truly fell in love with Jack and Isis. I didn’t think expect to enjoy this series as much as I did, for various reasons. I truly did not want it to end.

So about this series – it’s a YA romance that had me laughing a lot. Some people may find the ramblings of Isis to be a bit annoying, but I personally truly enjoyed her. She was unique and herself and didn’t apologize for it. Jack – we have all have a Jack in our high school days. He’s a popular one but is nice to everyone too. I love the bantering and the interactions of Jack and Isis. They annoy one another while at the same time, they keep one another on their toes. And then add in their friends, Kayla, Wren, Avery and Sophia plus a few new ones from this book, these characters really round out the whole story.

This book was probably my favorite of the three. Isis really grows in this book. Oh, she still has her quirky mannerisms and off-the-wall sayings, but she matures a lot. She gains personal strength and learns to stand up for herself, and just not fighting for others. Isis has always been one to help others fight their battles, but never face hers – it was her defense. If she was busy helping her others, her problems could hide in the shadows and never be seen. Until she realizes she has to face them in order for her to get what she wants.

Sara’s writing is a little different from what I am used, but it didn’t hurt the story telling. It just took some adapting on my part. I enjoyed how each book she dealt with issues that all teens go through in life. They may not deal with it directly, but they are affected by it through either their friends, family or acquaintances through school. Sara told a beautiful story overall – we are all different and loved the same. I also enjoyed the small bit of secrecy and espionage stuff that Jack dabbled in – it added a different element to the story.

Overall, if you are a YA lover like me, you really enjoy this series. Sara does a great job of building these characters and the plot lines. The writing is perfectly paced and everything pans out really well. I look forward to reading more from Sara in the future.

 

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

 

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I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this. I was asked to review the third book in this series, so I had to read the first two in order to read the third properly and well, I was pleasantly surprised. However, I will mention that if you can’t handle extreme immaturity of teens, don’t read this. There is a lot and it will drive you batty. For me, I found it funny most of the time and added some humor to this YA book.

“A boy broke my heart. No, more than that. He broke m soul, my heart, and who I used to be.”

Isis moves away to help her mom heal. She is getting her fresh start too. She was broken by Nameless and has sworn off love altogether. Isis meets Jack at a party when he makes the only friend she had made, cry. She makes her mission to take him down. Jack is known as Ice Prince and the whole school seems to avoid him for reasons unknown to Isis. But reasons she’s determined to find out.

This was a cute story to read. There were times where I felt certain scenes didn’t make sense and had me scratching my head. But the overall story line had me too interested to really care. LOL Sara’s writing style is a little different from what I am use to, so that took some time for me to get a handle on, but it didn’t hurt the flow or anything. The ending has me scratching my head a bit but I shall wait and see how Sara unfolds this in the next book before I judge too harshly on this one.

I have to admit I am quite interested to see how this plays out in the end. For a YA story, it’s definitely different than what I have read in the past, but unique and entertaining enough that I can’t not see where this all goes.

 

 

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Forget Me Always is the second book in this series and starts off where Love Me Never ended. Jack saved Isis and her mom from Leo but not until after Leo had already inflicted enough abuse of them and leaving Isis with memory loss – she remembers almost everything, but nothing about Jack.

As I stated in my review of Love Me Never, this is a YA with some eye-rolling antics and commentary, but it’s expected of teenagers. Isis is slowly gaining her memory back bit by bit, but has to piece it all together. All the while, she is learning more about Sophia, Avery, Wren and Jack as her memory comes back. And in typical Isis fashion, she inserts herself whether she is wanted or not; not thinking of the consequences and how that will affect everyone involved.

There are some things that are revealed that did surprise me and did add to the animosity amongst these once upon a time best friends. The characters don’t so much as grow in this book, but they try to become a better person than what they’ve been. Isis and Jack did give me some whiplash with their back and forth with one another and uncertainty of what they want from each other. But it’s expected too with these two because they both know how to push the other. They force each other to deal with things they’ve chosen to run away from before, even if they do it in a juvenile way.

“And Naomi! My, what big hands you have. The better to grab me with, am I right? Ack, gently, woman! I’m damaged goods!”

He’s Jack Hunter, the greatest douche who’s ever douched. Or not douched, because he’s a guy. Ugh, I really do gross myself out sometimes.

I have to say that Isis grew on me in this book. Her off the wall comments had me laughing and shaking my head at the same time. You can definitely tell humor is her go to coping mechanism but she’s never annoying with it. If I am seeing a theme here, Sara is trying to handle a different problem that teenagers face in their years and how each person deals with it in each book. I did see the ending coming in this book but that did not change my rating or thoughts on this book in any way.

I am much more curious to see where Sara takes this series in her final book. The one person tying them all together in ways they never expected is no longer alive – where do they all go from here???

 

Sara Wolf is a twenty-something author who adores baking, screaming at her cats, and screaming at herself while she types hilarious things. When she was a kid, she was too busy eating dirt to write her first terrible book. Twenty years later, she picked up a keyboard and started mashing her fists on it and created the monster known as the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in San Diego with two cats, a crippling-yet-refreshing sense of self-doubt, and not enough fruit tarts ever.

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Author Q&A with Brian Freeman, author of Marathon

Brian Freeman’s heart-pounding new thriller, MARATHON (QUERCUS, 5/2/17), draws inspiration from recent events to paint a portrait of crime in an American city that is also a dark reflection of national politics. With echoes of the Boston Marathon bombing, when people’s lives were forever changed at the finish line, this timely and poignant novel addresses some of the defining issues of our time: terrorism, fear of the other, and the raw power of social media to shape the public’s understanding of events.

On a rainy June morning, tens of thousands of people crowd into Duluth for the city’s biggest annual event: the Duluth Marathon. Exhausted runners push to reach the finish line and spectators line the streets to cheer them on. Then an explosion along the racecourse leaves dozens of people dead or injured.

Within minutes, Duluth PD homicide detective Jonathan Stride, Serena Dial, and Maggie Bei get to work sifting the debris for clues to who’s behind the bombing. Soon the investigation is taken over by the FBI, whose lead agent is certain the act has all the hallmarks of Islamic terrorism. Complicating matters, the social media feed of a conservative First Amendment activist immediately floods the community with rumors and unfiltered information about the bombing.

One spectator, joining the community-wide effort to help the authorities, remembers being jostled by a young man with a backpack not far from the bomb site. He spots the man in a crowded photo of the event and tweets out that this is  the same individual who bumped into him in the crowd—but now the backpack is missing.
In a matter of minutes, the young man identified in the tweet, Pakistani immigrant and cab driver Khan Rashid, becomes the target of a massive manhunt

But are the answers behind the Duluth bombing more complex than anyone realizes? And can Stride, Serena, and Maggie get to the truth before more innocent people are killed in the spiraling confrontation between the Feds and the Islamic community?

 

1.)  Can you tell us a bit about the research that went into Marathon?

Doing the research for this book was both scary and uplifting.  On the scary side:  I got a crash course in bombmaking and the security demands for large-scale events.  However, despite the ongoing threat of violence, there are few events more inspirational than a marathon.  It’s such a personal triumph for every individual who participates.  My wife and I have been spectators at the marathon in Duluth for the last two years, and it’s an extraordinary experience.

I also got to know Muslims in Minnesota and learned more about their values, their family life, and their religion.  It was an honor.  And I was pleased to find their love of the U.S. undimmed by the fact that they are often caught in the middle between the extremists who have hijacked their religion and the angry rhetoric that arises in the wake of terrorism.

 

2.)  What is the biggest lesson that Stride learns in Marathon?

People assume that the title MARATHON refers to the race.  In fact, the title arises out of one of Jonathan Stride’s lines in the book.  In talking to a Muslim leader, he says: “Building trust between us isn’t a sprint.  It’s a marathon.”  That’s the lesson for Stride as he tries to keep his community together.  Hopefully, it’s a lesson for all of us.  We have to talk to each other.  That’s how we stop hatred, and in the end, that’s how we stop violence, too.

 

3.)  Give us a glimpse inside the cover design – what was that process like?

It’s a shocking cover:  the debris of an explosion in black and white, and a man with a backpack in the middle of it.  With most covers, we go through several iterations to find an image that closely fits the book and the theme.  This time, we knew it was right from the first review.  Everyone thought this cover would grip readers and make them pull the book off the shelf.

 

4.)  Social media plays a huge role in this book. Where do you see the world of social media and all its implications 10 years from now?

Yes, Twitter is almost a “character” in this novel.  I wanted to showcase the way social media contributes to the divisions in society and the way misinformation can spread like wildfire – sometimes with tragic results.  Social media has become a player in every crime scene.  What will we see in 10 years?  I don’t think you can turn back time, but I hope we will learn some patience again.  Technology moves at the speed of light, but human beings don’t.  Tragedies should force us to slow down.

 

5.)  What is up next for Jonathan Stride?

I haven’t even begun to think about what’s next!  Stride is a character who grows and changes with every book, and MARATHON is bound to take an emotional toll on him.

I write every Stride novel so that new readers can embrace the series even if they haven’t read any of the previous books.   That’s especially true of MARATHON.  It’s also a novel that’s perfect for book club discussions because of the timeliness of the issues, so I hope many book club readers discover it.  In fact, you can invite me to join your discussion by FaceTime or Skype by writing to me at brian@bfreemanbooks.com.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chicago native and longtime resident of the Twin Cities Brian Freeman is an international bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. His books have been sold in 46 countries and 20 languages and have appeared as Main Selections in the Literary Guild and the Book of the Month Club. He is the author of The Cold Nowhere, a finalist for the 2014 Minnesota Book Award. Freeman’s first novel, Immoral, won the Macavity Award in 2005 and Spilled Blood won the 2013 ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel; he has also been nominated for many other awards, including the Edgar, the International Dagger, the Anthony, and the Barry. In 2011, The Burying Place was a finalist for the Thriller Award and The Bone House was a finalist for Best Audiobook of the Year in Thriller/Suspense as well as the Minnesota Book Award. Freeman has sold millions of copies of his books worldwide.

CONNECT WITH BRIAN FREEMAN

Website http://www.bfreemanbooks.com/

Twitter @bfreemanbooks

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Fraud by J.L. Berg…Release Day Blitz

USA Today Bestselling Author J.L. Berg’s FRAUD is available now – and you can get it for a special release week price of just $2.99! Read an excerpt below, enter to win an Amazon gift card, and pick up your copy today!

 

 

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About FRAUD

From USA Today Bestselling author J.L. Berg comes a sexy standalone about love, lies and every dirty little thing in between.

It wasn’t just a job.
It was my way back to the top.
After losing my position as a journalist for one of the biggest news publications in the world, I knew I’d do anything to get it back.
Even if it meant breaking a few hearts to get there.
She was the hottest author in the country. Known only by a pen name, there wasn’t a person alive who wasn’t dying to discover her true identity.
And I’d figured it out.

Her real name was Kate O’Malley and not only did I plan on finding her, but I fully intended on learning every dirty secret she had and exploiting it for my own gain.
But I underestimated my prey.
I didn’t anticipate how her words would intoxicate me, or how the curves of her body would consume me.
I never meant to fall in love.
And now I had a choice to make.

Do I give up everything for the woman I set out to destroy, or walk away, making me the biggest fraud of all?

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Read an excerpt from FRAUD

What had started as a fun little game to bring this timid beauty out of her shell somehow turned into a wrestling match.

And I was the one about to lose.

Katelyn O’Malley was nothing like I’d imagined.

What had I imagined?

I wasn’t sure exactly.

I’d diligently done my homework— reading Scandal not once, but twice— before I’d hopped on a plane to Oregon. I’d thought the novel would give me insight to this perplexing woman I was about to meet.

It hadn’t.

Not one bit.

If anything, it’d created a thousand more questions.

At first, cracking her ironclad shell seemed like a daunting task. She had come off dry and dull.

God-awful boring.

But boring women didn’t do tequila shots until two in the morning.

Boring women didn’t lie to waiters for free wine and dessert.

And boring women definitely didn’t make me feel this way.

Needy. Desperate. And fucking horny as hell.

Even the way she licked the chocolate off her fork was making me shift uncomfortably in my seat.

This was a job.

Get your head in the game.

“You were pretty good at that,” I said, trying not to stare at the way her pink tongue darted out to grab the last bit of mousse from the tip of her finger.

“Good at what?” she asked.

“Lying.”

She let out a choking cough, patting her chest with her palm. “I’m not a good liar,” she argued.

“Really? You seemed to have everyone around us fooled, including that charming elderly couple who offered their congratulations on their way out.”

“That really was sweet.” She smiled, a touch of whimsy in her gaze. “Did you see the way they held hands? I’m pretty sure he even grabbed her ass when she walked past him to go to the restroom.”

I laughed. “My kind of guy.”

“I just wonder what it’s like— to be that in love after all that time,” she said, bending forward and resting the curve of her chin on her hand.

“How do you know it has been a long time?” I asked. “Maybe they got married late in life.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Why?” I asked, curious how she’d reached that conclusion.

“There was a familiarity in the way they touched. The way they leaned into one another, the way they walked. It was as if they’d been doing so forever.”

I studied her for a quiet moment, recalling the intensity of her words and the passion in her voice. It was the first time since meeting Katelyn O’Malley, I could actually see a sliver of Laura Stone, the author, somewhere inside.

“I do believe you are a bit of a romantic at heart,” I replied.

She smiled sweetly. “Maybe a hopeless one.”

My hand reached out to hers, a needless gesture since we’d already achieved our goal for the evening and sold everyone on our false marital status.

This time, I touched her because I wanted to.

“Definitely not hopeless,” I said softly, knowing that instant that I was crossing the line between business and pleasure.

And heading straight to the land of hell.

“So, tell me about technical editing,” she said, shifting topics. “How does one get into something like that?”

I suddenly felt like I’d been hit in the face with a bucket of ice water. Here I was, in a dimly lit room, romancing the hell out of a woman I’d just met, and then reality hit.

I was lying to her.

Flat-out lying.

I needed to remember that. “There’s not much to tell,” I said, straightening slightly in my chair. “Rather boring really.”

We continued to chat about our lives. She told me more about her work at the college. I rambled off more lies about mine until the check came around.

I was feeling quite good about myself as I led us outside.

My head was clear.

But then I saw the way the moonlight highlighted her golden-blonde hair. I became mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the soft curves of her body.

Katelyn O’Malley was casting a spell on me, and she didn’t even know it.

And I wasn’t sure I wanted her to stop.

 

About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series, The Walls Duet, and the Lost & Found Duet. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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