Monday 20 June 2016

Book Spotlihgt: A Sharia London by Vinay Kolhatkar




Suspense / Thriller
Date Published: April 28, 2016

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

“Sometimes, fiction digs deeper and further into the truth.”

“This novel is a rarity these days: plotting, imagery, dialogue, scene-setting, characterization -- all masterfully done. I couldn't put it down.”—P. Cresswell, Editor, Not PC

“A Sharia London elevates a great thriller into literary Romanticism.”—W. Donway, Founder, Romantic Revolution Books

“Expect to be upset by this book, to be shocked, to be excited - and to enjoy every minute of the experience.”—M.M. Lewis, Entrepreneur Coach



A forbidden love draws the Mafia into fighting Radical Islam

An affair between Marlon, a politically correct history teacher, and Jamila Khan, his young student, must be kept a secret. Jamila works covertly toward liberating women oppressed by radical Islamism.

As Marlon awakens to the dark underbelly of orthodox Islam, a turn of events leads to Marlon becoming a fugitive charged with murder. Jamila’s testimony can free him, but her eyewitness account could incur a death fatwa from the Islamic orthodoxy. Marlon won’t let her risk herself.

Hunted by Scotland Yard, and betrayed by England, Marlon must now work with the men he once loathed—his Sicilian uncles. Jamila’s life, and his, depend on it.



About the Author


Vinay Kolhatkar is the author of A Sharia London, a romantic thriller in which a forbidden love draws the Mafia into fighting Radical Islam, and The Frankenstein Candidate, a literary fiction novel about a billionaire who runs in a U.S. presidential election as an independent. Vinay studied screenwriting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and The Story Department in Sydney and at ScreenwritingU (LA) and has written screenplays for film and television. He likes to merge screenwriting techniques such as cliffhanger scene endings and sub-textual dialogue, with character transformation and literary prose, to accomplish a cinematic novel.

Vinay is the Editor-in-chief of, and a columnist at, Savvy Street (www.thesavvystreet.com), an e-zine dedicated to furthering Individualism. He obtained a Masters degree in Journalism with High Distinction from UNSW.

Contact Link



Purchase Link


 photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Release Day: The Main in the Leather Hat by Lisa Acerbo



Middle school mystery
Date Published: June 15, 2016

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Three days of vacation. Two stepsisters. One mystery involving a ghost dressed in a leather hat, suit, and boots. 

Dominique and Jessica had no idea what awaited them during a weekend vacation with their parents. They expected fun and excitement, but instead ran into a ghost and a mystery. 

Long ago in Connecticut, a man in a patched leather suit and hat roamed the countryside, living in caves for more than thirty years. Carrying a sack, pipe, and prayer book, the man came to be known as the Old Leather Man. His death came with the blizzard of 1889, but who could have guess that he would return to haunt the stepsisters. 

A stolen wallet, a threatening anonymous letter, and a ghostly visit force the stepsisters into late-night sleuthing, all to uncover the history of the Old Leather Man. Can these teen detectives find the truth before the Old Leather Man’s ghost returns for good? 


EXCERPT

Dominique shivered outside the bookstore, feeling alone, tired and battered by a negative wind chill that was normal for Connecticut in October. Her tingling, numb fingers agreed. 

This sad bookstore situation was a waste of time and revealed to Dominique how little her stepsister, Jessica, understood the idea of family love and bonding. Dominique was not a reader. Didn’t Jess recognize that more than ten minutes inside a bookstore was much, much too long? 

Twenty minutes earlier, Dominique had entered the store with Jess. The walls were colorful, lined with every type of reading material imaginable. She had followed Jessica to the teen section, standing idle. 

“I’m leaving,” Dominique said after ten minutes of complaining. 

“Five more minutes,” Jess had begged. “Look, they have the next book in the series I’m reading.” 

“I’m so happy for you, but you’ve used your five minutes plus some.” Dominique’s brown eyes flashed with annoyance, the light in the store highlighting the green flecks in them. Spinning around, her long dark hair whipped against her shoulders as she executed a neat turn and walked quickly through the store. She made a happy whistling sound as she exited the front door. 

Twenty minutes was a long time in the cold. Outside, becoming more frostbit every moment, Dominique’s frustration leaked into her not so nice thoughts. For anyone other than Jessica, her rapid exit would have been a huge hint to hurry up and follow, but Jessica remained inside reading. 

Dominique wanted to open the front door again and scream, “Stop looking through the dumb books,” but yelling might not have gone over well with all the quiet, bookworm type people. Judging by the constant ticking of seconds echoing from Dominique’s bright orange Timex watch on her wrist, she was reminded how long she’d been left waiting in what felt like sub-zero temperatures. It didn’t matter much what Dominique did or said. Her stepsister, as usual, ignored her. 

To occupy herself, she eyed the books on display in the front window of the bookstore, skimming the titles. She ignored most of them, until an ugly face on the cover of a book of Connecticut Legends looked back at her. She couldn’t help but stare. The man pictured was round and his bulky brown leather suit made him seem monstrous. Eyes peeked out from under a large, round leather cap, focused on something beyond the photographer. A hand rested at his mouth, as if he might be shy. Fascinated by his odd appearance, she wondered who he was. 

Long overdue, Jessica came out the door, a smile playing on her lips, blue eyes shining with happiness. “That was so fun,” Jess told Dominique. “I got the next series I’m reading and found a great book on dating and love. You have to read it after I’m done.” 

Boys flocked to Jess, who had already started dating at the age of thirteen. 

“Yeah, sure,” Dominique preferred horses to boys and could not imagine that ever changing. 

Even with Jessica’s company, Dominique could tell this was going to be a long, dull weekend filled with the boring events her parents called culture and entertainment.



About the Author

Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and adjunct instructor at the college level, holding an EdD in Educational Leadership. This is her fourth novel. In addition to writing fiction, she has contributed to local newspapers, news and travel blogs including The Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two daughters, three cats, dog, and horse.

Contact Links

Twitter: @Apocalipstick_ 

Purchase Links

 photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Book Spotlight: Dark Moon by C.W. Holcomb




Sci-fi Thriller, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic
Date Published: April 2016

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Dark Moon is a Sci-fi suspense thriller about a time in the near future when creatures from ancient legends emerge from hiding to help the surviving humans fight sinister alien invaders who have begun a ground invasion of New York City and cut down all in their path with lethal energy weapons. The story centers heavily on Raziel, the last remaining Werewolf as he is forced to begin turning the human soldiers that fall in battle in order to save their lives and rekindles his kind after centuries of near extinction.

The storyline follows his ancient mind back, to bittersweet memories of his distant youth more than a thousand years before, where he had met his counterpart and soulmate Lupea, a Pure Born Werewolf like himself that he had lost to the savagery of the Wars of the Moon. As he turns an elite squad of soldiers, one by one into newborn Werewolves, his memories of her are rekindled and he is forced to feel the loss of her all over again.




About the Author



C.W. Holcomb's writing style and major influences include a wide variety of well known novelists that came before him including, J.R.R Tolkien, Mary Stewart, Raymond E. Feist, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, Elizabeth Hayden and Frank Herbert. The biggest influences on his style were Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind. He has drawn inspiration for his novels from other areas as well including, animated shows and video games.

His debut novel, Dark Moon Book one of the Brotherhood of the Moon, is inspired by ancient Celtic legends about Werebeasts that stalked the forests of the Scottish Highlands on the full moon. His newly released novel, Chaos:Worlds Beyond Book one of the Reflections of Infinity Saga is deeply inspired by Ancient Greek Mythology and Lore. His works contain endearing characters that always have something special and unique that helps them survive in the brutal and unrelenting Worlds that he creates.

Contact Links



Purchase Link


 photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Children From Dark Houses by Carlyle Clark



Mystery/Thriller
Date Published: June 1, 2016

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Cynical private investigator Atticus Wynn and his idealistic partner Rosemary Sanchez will stop at nothing to save a damaged boy, even when it means taking on a pair of professional killers and a gang of outlaw bikers in this action-packed and gallows-humored mystery thriller prequel to The Black Song Inside.

When Atticus and Rosemary are hired for the seemingly routine job of finding Imran Khan, a runaway from San Diego’s posh Barrington Academy for troubled teens, the detectives quickly discover this case will be anything but routine.  
Imran wasn’t running away from the rigid rules of Barrington, he was running into the arms of an enigmatic beauty who goes to great lengths to stay in the shadows. As soon as Atticus and Rosemary learn of this mystery woman, they’re targeted by a brutal outlaw biker gang.

When the detectives finally meet their employers in person, Imran's parents, the pieces fall into place.  They discover a family seething with rage, an abused boy seeking love, and a secret so powerful, it blows the lid off the case.  A dark world of dirty money, deadly spies, and double-crosses is brought to light, forcing Atticus and Rosemary to question whether Imran is an innocent victim or a violent avenger.

The detectives will need all of Atticus's street smarts and Rosemary's combat experience to survive as they race down a road of blood and broken people toward a showdown where the very boy they've sworn to save is the person most likely to get them killed. 


EXCERPT

Rosemary Sanchez’s phone rang, or to be more accurate, warbled into song. Specifically, Muddy Waters famous blues tune “Mannish Boy,” which she had not programmed into it. It started at the part that refers to the singer’s destiny to become “the greatest man alive.” She snorted. That Atticus.
Clad in jeans and a gray T-shirt that read ARMY across the front, she’d been in the midst of her daily bed-making duel with her nemesis, her tortoiseshell cat Mawroo, who with feline telepathy, always anticipated the moment she began to make her bed. As the sheet came billowing down, Mawroo leapt onto the mattress. The cat-hump raced around beneath the sheet like a gopher in a cartoon, all the while uttering her namesake cry, “Maaaaawrooooo!” Rosemary could only answer such an affront to bed-making etiquette by scrabbling her fingers about so that the hump raced hither and thither after them, sometimes rolling over to create four paw tent poles, claws poking through the sheet.
Rosemary answered the phone while, in protest at the interruption, Mawroo “mawrooed”!

“Let me guess,” Rosemary said. “You made one too many smartass remarks, and now we’re barred from Barrington.”

“Scoff, scoff,” Atticus said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“I wanted to scoff at your lack of faith, but I’ve only read about people scoffing and never actually seen it. Thus, I don’t know how one would actually go about scoffing in real life. So I improvised.”

“I don’t know whether it’s more disturbing to think you’ve been pondering that for a while or that you just thought it up.”

“Either someone’s playing a violin with a meat tenderizer,” he said, “or you are foolishly trying to make your bed with Mawroo in the room.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Rosemary said. “She sulks all day if I shut her out.”

“How can one tell if a cat is sulking or just being a cat?”

“When one loves another being and is in a close relationship, one pays attention and thus becomes quite attuned to the being’s sensibilities.”

“Are we still talking about a cat here?” Atticus asked.

“Meow,” Rosemary answered.

“Um, er, normally, I’d be game for the metaphorical banter, but I happen to have a gentleman tailing me. I’m hoping you can come out here and tail my tailer.”

Rosemary’s tone switched from banter to business. “Already someone following you? Feel dangerous?”

“Can’t tell,” he said, “but it’s hard to see what I could have done so quickly to make someone want to hurt me.”

“You’ve never been on the other side of your smart mouth.”

“Anyway,” he said, “once you’ve got him, I’ll lose him.”

“And I’ll follow him back to his criminal lair.”

“Criminal lair?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “Any criminal associated with Barrington Academy wouldn’t have anything as uncouth as a hideout. He would merit a lair.”

“Brains as well as beauty,” he said. “Brains enough that once this ne’er do well is ensconced in his lair, you wouldn’t dream of doing something as stupid as trying to get a real good looksee before you’ve called your charming partner in for back up, right?”

“You do recall I’ve done a tour of duty in a war zone?”

“And I know you’re going back soon,” Atticus said, his voice tight, “which I don’t like to even think about. My point is that neither of us should take any unnecessary risks.”

“But that’s my specialty.”

“Computers are your specialty. That’s why we joined forces. Risk-taking is your addiction.”
“Fine, if you’re going to be such a big butt about it, I’ll play it all careful and boring.”

Atticus sighed. “All I ask is that you be as concerned about your safety as I am.”

Rosemary ended the call as Mawroo scooted from beneath the sheet, paused, and then suddenly realized it was absolutely imperative she get out of the room as quickly as possible. She galloped through the door and made it all of three feet into the hall before lying down, licking her paws, and rubbing her little baseball head with her wet feet.

Grinning at the kitty’s antics, Rosemary threw her hair into a braid, wriggled into her jeans, and headed out the door to her silver Ford Fiesta ST. Fifteen minutes later, Rosemary texted Atticus that she was in position behind the tail.

About the Author


Carlyle Clark was raised in Poway, a city just north of San Diego, but is now a proud Chicagolander working in the field of Corporate Security and writing crime and fantasy fiction. He has flailed ineffectually at performing the writer's requisite myriad of random jobs: pizza deliverer, curb address painter, sweatshop laborer, day laborer, night laborer, security guard, campus police, Gallup pollster, medical courier, vehicle procurer, and signature-for-petitions-getter.

He is a married man with two cats and a dog. He is also a martial arts enthusiast and a CrossFit endurer who enjoys fishing, sports, movies, TV series with continuing storylines, and of course, reading. Most inconsequentially, he holds the unrecognized distinction of being one of the few people in the world who have been paid to watch concrete dry in the dark. Tragically, that is a true statement.

Contact Links
Twitter:@Carlyle_Clark

Purchase Links

Giveaway

 photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png

Friday 3 June 2016

Release Week & Giveaway: Big by Emme Rollins





Erotic Romance, New Adult, Military, Romantic Suspense

Date Published: June 3, 2016

Publisher: Fido Publishing

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

He’s big. He’s bad. And he only wants one thing. 
Revenge.

Ric Ryker spent years being called “Big Dick.” 
Ridiculed for his weight, shunned by all the pretty girls, snubbed by all the cool guys.

But after a secret journey of transformation, he’s back—ready to take over leadership from his father at Ryker Arms—with an impressive new physique and a plan to prove them all wrong.

Especially her.

The one woman who hurt him the most.

Annalesa—smart, sassy, stunning.

And his stepsister.

The girl he could never have.

The girl who wouldn’t look twice at him anyway—especially in front of her stuck-up friends. 
Now he’s going to make her want him.

Show her just what she was missing.

And hurt her, just like she hurt him.

He’s got the weapon and he’s taken aim—but he didn’t count on his own heart getting caught in the crossfire.


EXCERPT

“Leesa, I’m still not so sure this is a good idea…” Ric looked down at her, a frown turning the corners of his perfect mouth down just slightly. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Please trust me.” She kissed his chest, rubbing her cheek there, her voice almost a whisper. “I should have tried harder. I should have told you how I felt. I should have been brave then, I know.”

“Oh Leesa.” His lips brushed the top of her head.

“But I wasn’t brave then. And I’m sorry, Ric. I’m so sorry. I’ve been sorry every single day we’ve been apart, every minute that you were out of my reach.”

“Oh Christ.” He sighed.

“But you have to understand something.” She lifted her face and met his eyes, squaring her shoulders. “There are only so many times I can explain, only so many ways I can apologize. I know what happened… it made you feel awful, and I’m sorry you were hurt. But Ric—I never did any of it on purpose. I never, ever set out to hurt you.”

“I know.”

She felt weightless as he lifted her onto the ledge of the booth, feeling the warmth of his palms through the thin cotton of her top as he kept his hands around her waist.

“So you forgive me?” She knew the question was in her eyes as she put her arms around his neck. 
“If we do this…” His thumbs stroked her belly, on either side of her navel, a delicious distraction. “I need to trust you. Completely.”

“Okay.” She nodded, her heart soaring at the possibility. She wouldn’t have admitted it to her closest friend or even confessed it to a priest on her death bed before this moment, but this, with Ric, was what she wanted, what she’d always wanted.

“We’ll have to keep it secret.” His thumbs brushed beneath her top, stroking her bare skin. He looked over his shoulder, checking they were alone. “At least, for a while.”

“Yeah.” She winced, not relishing the thought of telling their parents.

“Leesa, I really need to trust you.” His grip tightened, his fingers digging into her sides so hard it almost hurt. He was so strong! “I imagine our relationship’s going to be tested. A lot.”

“I know.” She nodded vigorously, agreeing, the word ‘relationship’ from his mouth secretly thrilling her. “Ric, I promise, I—”

“I mean it. This isn’t a joke. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” His harsh words jarred her senses but he didn’t let her go. His hands were under her shirt now, fully on her skin, his big palms spreading heat through her whole body. “Because, I may ask you to prove it, Leesa.”

“I will,” she breathed, straightening her spine so she could get her lips closer to his. “I swear, I’ll do whatever I have to, to prove my feelings for you, this time.”

“Good.” He gave her a slow, weary smile, and then he kissed her, his mouth soft and open, not demanding anymore.

“What now?” she breathed as they parted. If he’d wanted to take her right then, right there, she would have done whatever he asked.

“We take it slow.” He rested his forehead against hers. “And keep us a secret.”

“Us.” She smiled at that.

“You up for more target practice?” He smiled, too, glancing down at her gun as he took a step back. 
“I’ll probably miss the target entirely.” She grinned, sliding off the ledge and putting her hands to her flushed cheeks. “But it’s probably a good idea for me to cool down a little before we leave.”
Ric helped her relax into her stance and, with the weight of their conflict gone, she went on to make six bullseyes out of ten shots on the next two targets, and the remaining shots clustered close around the center.

“Damn, girl.” Ric clapped. “I’m impressed. Remind me not to give you any reason to shoot at me.” 
“You’re the last person I’d want to shoot at.” She smiled and emptied the last cartridges out of the magazine, handing them back to him, along with the gun. “At least, most of the time.”

“Except when I’m being a dick?” He snorted and she laughed as he led them back to the armory to check in their weapons. 





About the Author


Emme Rollins is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of New Adult/Mature Young Adult fiction. She’s been writing since she could hold a crayon and still chews her pen caps to a mangled plastic mess. She did not, however, eat paste as a kid.

She has two degrees, a bachelor’s and a master’s, one of which she’s still paying for, but neither of which she uses out in the “real world,” because when she isn’t writing, she spends her time growing an organic garden to feed her husband and children (and far too many rabbits and deer!) where they live on twenty gorgeous forested acres in rural Michigan.

She loves tending her beehives, keeping up with her daily yoga practice and going for long walks in the woods with her boxer dog, who loves chasing squirrels almost as much as Emme loves writing!
Emme loves hearing from fans, so feel free to use the contact page on her site (emmerollins.com) to connect with her.

Contact Links


Purchase Link



Giveaway



 photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png

Wednesday 1 June 2016

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Bring Your Own Baker by D.E. Haggerty


Cozy Mystery / Comedy
Date Published: June 20, 2016

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation into Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur or will Callie’s detective boyfriend Ben and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations? 
Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment. 
Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue. 



EXCERPT

I grasp the weapon in my hand and throw it with all my might at him. The weapon makes a ‘tee hee’ sound as it hits his stomach.

“Did you just throw a Pillsbury dough boy at me?” His voice carries a hint of humor. The Pillsbury dough boy was probably not the best item to grab from the kitchen to use as a weapon. Obviously, I’m totally losing it.

I inch backwards into the kitchen searching for a more appropriate weapon. Dag nab it! The knives are way over on the other side. I have no choice. Without taking my eyes of the man, I grab a perfectly formed and probably fricking delicious muffin from the tin and throw it at the intruder. Apparently, my fast ball needs some work as he just catches the muffin as if I merely lobbed it in his direction. He smiles and, not bothering with the paper liner, takes a huge bite.

“Mmmm…,” he groans around a mouthful. “This is really good.”

“Seriously?” I throw my arms in the air before planting my hands on my hips. “If you want my muffins, just come to the bakery. You don’t have to break in.” Uh oh, I nearly forgot that he broke in. I start backing up again, getting ever closer to those knives.

The man’s eyes narrow as he notices me shuffling my way towards the knives. He stalks me and, when he’s only an arm’s length away, reaches around me and grabs the knife block. He keeps his eyes steady on me as he places the block on top of the refrigerator. Somewhere I can only reach if I get out my step ladder.

“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” I may be terrified and my voice my stutter a bit, but I’m not backing down. Not. One. Bit.

“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?”

“Who you calling little?” Apparently, I have no regard for my safety at all as I’m now goading an intruder.

The man chuckles. His smile shows a perfect set of teeth. Huh, not exactly what I expected from Mr. Piercings and Tattoos. “For a pink-haired pixie, you sure aren’t afraid, are you?” 




I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.

Contact Links

Email: dena@dehaggerty.com

Purchase Links


Book #1 of the series, Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker, is on sale for 99 cents Today!!!


Giveaway
$15 Amazon Gift Card


 photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png