Blog Archives
Yankee Tenacity by Jocie McKade ~ Character Interviews
Yankee Tenacity
Jocie McKade
Mayson Dickson Mysteries
Following the latest cryptic message that might lead them to the truth about their parents, Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson are pulled into another murder investigation when a man dressed in a kilt falls from the sky onto their truck.
As if a dead body isn’t enough, FBI Special Agent Chris Meechum and sexy caretaker Sam Fender try to rein in their sleuthing, but the sisters are determined to solve this murder. Men in kilts, Renaissance Faires, and a few mobsters in all the wrong places complicate the case.
Emme Mayson is a Southern charmer from Alabama. Jackie Dickson is a straight-forward professional from Boston, they aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. The only thing keeping them from starting another war between the states is the mystery surrounding their parents, and their own lives.
Mayson-Dickson – Northern logic, Southern charm, and murder!
Excerpt
Jackie Dickson glanced behind her at the long truck bed. “Why would you buy a pisser like this?”
“Don’t you be calling my pickup a pisser. That is just not nice.” Emme patted the dashboard. “I like Cleo, and I’ve missed having my truck.”
“Cleo? You realize this is a machine, right? Nuts, bolts, an engine, nothing more.” Just when she thought her “maybe” twin sister, that was still to be determined, was going to be tolerable to live with, she goes all Alabama redneck.
“At least, it’s more practical than that little skateboard you bought.” Emme snarled at her.
“Skateboard? That blue beauty is a Z4 BMW roadster that tops out at a 165 MPH.” Patting the dashboard of the truck sarcastically, she moaned. “What does this tank do? A slow crawl through Dixie?”
“It ain’t all about the speed. Cleo can pull a boat, haul anything you want, lets me see over traffic, and as a bonus, I can run right over your puny little Beamer.” She smiled.
Such was life with Ellie May Clampett. Jackie wondered what karmic debt she owed to have been sent here. It must have been a whopper.
“Did you put those coordinates into the GPS?”
“No, I’m just riding shotgun, while throwing biscuits to Jethro in the back.”
Emme swerved a bit to the right, driving through the center of a huge pothole. The sudden impact jolted Jackie off her seat, crunching her elbow against the door. Then a loud thud hammered the back of the truck sending a shudder through the metal. The truck swerved, and Emme fought the wheel.
“Being a smart ass is one thing, trying to kill me is another.” Jackie snapped.
“It wasn’t me,” Emme pulled the steering wheel hard. “I think we blew a tire.” Easing the truck onto the side of the road, she pushed the four-way lights on and slid out. Tilting her head to one side, she looked at the tires, gave a shrug, started to walk to the back and stopped dead in her tracks.
Emme’s hazel eyes grew large, the color drained from her tanned face and every part of her body was frozen into place.
This was one of those moments when Jackie had to decide if she really wanted to look behind her or not. They probably ran over some poor woodland animal. Those beasts were all over the place down here in the south. It’s remains were probably scrambled over the side of the truck, and this miserable humidity would make it start stinking.
Emme stood on tip-toes, tilted her head to one side, and crooked her finger motioning Jackie to get out. Damn, there was no way of getting out of seeing what carnage was underneath the truck. Shoving open the door, she stepped onto the gravel shoulder, turning.
“Holy shit, what is that?”
“I think it’s a body.”
They walked toward the bed of the truck where booted feet hung over the side. The edge of the truck’s bed was now a funky ‘U’ shape, the feet were perched at odd angles, and the branches of several pine trees nearly covered the rest of the body. At least, Jackie hoped there was a rest of the body.
“No. Hell no. Not another dead body. Seriously? Who the hell did we piss off so bad?” Jackie shook her head. Three dead bodies in a matter of weeks wasn’t normal. Normal? Ha! It was downright screwed up.
“Eww, eww,” Emme peered into the truck bed first. “That is nasty.” Walking to the back, she stepped up on the bumper.
“What are you doing?” If she thought it was nasty why was she getting an even better look?
“Huh, will you look at this.” Two cars sped past, their breeze making Emme hang onto the tailgate. “What do y’all think this is a NASCAR race?” She shouted after them.
Jackie hesitated. They’d seen enough mangled bodies recently to last a lifetime. Just a few weeks ago, they hadn’t known each other existed. Jackie was a happy executive with a pharmaceutical company in Boston, and Emme was an architect working in Alabama. Then they both received a cryptic letter to come to Washington, D.C.
Since then a man was assassinated in front of them, they’d been shot at, moved to a ‘safe’ house by some agency – they didn’t know which one – told their recently deceased parents were spies, and decided to open a private investigation office as a way of hiding their search for the truth about their parents. That was all it was supposed to be a PI agency that acted as a good cover story in their search. PI credentials opened doors.
Then they solved a high profile murder after a dead body slammed into them. That gave them a good paycheck, let them help the local cops put a murderer behind bars and put them square in the PI business. They had managed to keep their names out of the paper, barely. Publicity wasn’t a good thing for people in a jacked-up witness protection program.
Jackie was hoping for nice little cases that involved cheating spouses or worker’s comp fraud, not real dead bodies.
Standing on the bumper beside Emme she looked at the surprisingly intact body. It was a man in his mid to late thirties, Caucasian, brown hair tied in a ponytail, and dressed in, wait, what? A Scottish kilt.
“What the hell?” They exchanged glances. Jackie took one of the pine branches and lifted the kilt.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m checking to see if he was a real Scotsman.” She dropped the branch.
“And you think looking at his junk is going to tell you? That is just rude.” Emme jumped down just as a convertible sports car stopped.
“Hey, sweet thing do you need some help?” The driver’s bald head glistened in the sun, his neon blue mesh tank top had been blown to an odd angle off one shoulder, and he was in serious need of a shave. He gave the engine a few revs.
“We sure do, honey.” Emme pointed to the truck. “We could use some help dumping this dead body.” The man the floored the convertible for all it was worth.
Did her sister really just tell that man there was a dead body in their truck? Yes, dammit she did.
“You know that man is calling the cops right now.”
“My call will trump his.” Emme smiled. “I have Agent Meechum’s private number.”
Book Trailer
Interview With Emme Mayson – the Southern Sister
Hey, y’all my name is Emme Dickson. I’m the Southern half of Mayson-Dickson Investigations. I’m glad you invited me over.
What did you think when you met your Boston sister?
When I first met her? Honestly, I didn’t think much of her. I mean, whew, she was all power suit and condescending attitude. After a while though I discovered she was a pretty awesome lady – for a Yankee. Plus, we still don’t know if we’re really sisters or not. You see someone, we don’t know who, seems to have tampered with the DNA test we took.
Tampered with a test? Any idea of who that might be?
Honestly, no. I mean who would want to mess around with DNA test? That’s alright, I can get another one.
The lawyer that summoned both of you was shot and killed, and didn’t answer all your questions. Do you have any ideas what’s really going on?
That poor, poor man. A sniper put one right between his eyes. He managed to croak out a final word or two before he transpired, but neither Jackie nor I had a clue what he meant. The next thing we know this scary secret agent woman Sydney, was ushering us out the door.
The only thing we know is that our parents were afraid and tried to protect us. They split up and they split us up to keep us safe. Our quest now is to find out who they really were, and why someone might have killed them and is likely trying to find us.
Do you think your parents were spies?
We don’t know, but we’ve made a good start on finding out.
On your first walk in your new location you stumbled on a dead body. Did that make you want to pack your bags and leave?
Ewww, that body smelled like a dead pig on a hot August day. I swear every time you mention it, I recall that smell. To answer you, no it didn’t make me want to leave, it made me want to find out who killed him.
Did Jackie feel the same way?
She did, but she sure wouldn’t admit it. It took a few margaritas to convince her.
Tell us about the two men that stumble into your lives at your new location?
First, there is Fender. He is the caretaker of the property we live in and he is a cutie. The man is all beach wave hair, tanned body and he has a thing for Jackie.
Then there is Agent Chris Meechum. He is on special assignment for the FBI and this is one hot agent, let me tell you.
Neither man wants us to start our PI business, but we have a secret weapon – Zack. I just got the loud clearing throat signal from our author Jocie, so you’ll have to read the book to find out about him.
Thanks for having me today. I hope y’all will head over to Amazon and put yourself up a copy of Mayson-Dickson, The line is Drawn, Book One. Grab a sweet tea, and a comfy chair and enjoy.
You can purchase Mayson-Dickson at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
You can learn more about Jocie online at:
Facebook Author Page
McKade’s Mavericks FB Fan Page
This page is just for fans.
Amazon Author Page
Twitter
Goodreads Author Page
Pinterest
Review and Giveaway: Rock Steady by Dawn Ryder
Rock Steady by Dawn Ryder
Series: Rock Band, Book 2
ISBN: 9781492616795
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Genre: Erotic Romance
About the Book
Second in Dawn Ryder’s sizzling new Rock Band series.
HE KEPT IT CASUAL
Superstar guitarist Ramsey’s reputation as a bad-boy rocker is exceeded only by his dedication to his music. He’s worked hard for the success of his hit metal band Toxsin, and he intends to enjoy it—completely. When a jilted groupie gets back at him for a one-night stand with an intimate—and completely inappropriate—tattoo, he needs it fixed, and fast. Sparks fly between Ramsey and his new tattoo artist, and Ramsey finds himself hoping for more than new ink.
UNTIL SHE MADE HIM WANT MORE
When a high-profile tattoo job lands Jewel an invite on Toxsin’s latest tour, she can’t say no. It’ll be great exposure, after all. What she’s really worried about is ruining the gig by hooking up with the first guy to completely rock her world. She knows she should resist—Ramsey’s not the kind to stick around for a morning after. But the way he makes her feel—as an artist and a woman—could be worth any risk.
Buy the Book
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WwbVD7
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1SPQDhB
iBooks: http://apple.co/1NH0k2C
Books A Million: http://bit.ly/21kdxkf
!ndigo: http://bit.ly/1N8pB5H
Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1VXPpVv
About the Author
Dawn Ryder is the erotic romance pen name of a bestselling author of historical romances. She has been publishing her stories for over eight years to a growing and appreciative audience. She is commercially published in mass market and trade paper, and digi-first published with trade paper releases. She is hugely committed to her career as an author, as well as to other authors and to her readership. She resides in Southern California.
Connect with Dawn
Website: http://www.dawnryder.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dawn-Ryder-541256915951279/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dawnryder_write
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/853496.Dawn_Ryder
Giveaway
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7355/
Letter from Dawn
Summer-
That word brings a ripple of anticipation to everyone who has been longing for warm weather, sandals, beaches, carnivals, and so much more. Rock Steady is the perfect summer time read. It’s hot, it’s edgy, it’s got bad boys—hey, what would summer nights be without a little misbehavior? And the one thing I really wanted Rock Steady to have was a lack of people shooting at people.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to write a hard suspense plot but sometimes, you want to read a good, hot, romance without all the life and death struggle. All the edge, all the heat, but with a focus on the personal issues that come with having to make a relationship work beyond the physical attraction.
Rock Steady will take you back onto the road with Toxsin. Now for anyone who thinks Rock Stars have it all easy, take a look at Rock Steady and you’ll get a little taste of the dedication it takes to be a mega super star. Personally, I have a deep respect for those who can apply their talent to the concert stage. It’s a hard job, one that requires team work to accomplish a show that is mind blowing for the ticket holders. A fabulous voice isn’t the only requirement.
For those who picked up Rock Me Two Times, you going to get the chance to see Ramsey, god that he is, meet his match. It was a blast to write this book and I’m eager to present it to all of you.
Cheers!
Dawn Ryder
DawnRyder.com
Excerpt from ROCK STEADY
“Pissed off your girlfriend?” she asked pointedly.
“She wasn’t really a girlfriend.”
Jewel clicked her tongue and looked back at the cheery blossoms. “By the look of that, she disagreed with you on the topic. She must have taken you to Spike Collar.”
Taz was typing into his cell phone as she spoke. “Makes sense. You surfaced right around where that tattoo parlor is on the map.”
“Just don’t go back there,” Jewel warned as she went behind the counter and pulled a blank sheet of paper in front of her.
“Why not?” the blond asked. “I’ve got half a mind to have my lawyer pay them a visit.”
Jewel didn’t look up from what she was drawing. “Won’t do you any good. They never touch a client without a release of liability signed and sealed, with video footage to back it up. Whoever was gunning for you did her homework. The gals at Spike Collar don’t like guys, and they really don’t like any males who try to charm them.” Jewel cast a look at Ramsey. “You are exactly the sort they hate. Bet they popped a bottle of champagne the second you cleared the doorway with that little gem.”
Taz made a low sound under his breath.
But Ramsey was watching her. She felt his attention tightening, focusing on the motion of her pen as she inked a design on the paper. He’d sent a shiver down her spine before, but now he was warming her insides, melting her core slowly with the absolute devotion he was giving her. She looked up, locking gazes with him.
Her insides churned.
And her toes curled.
She’d never felt so connected to another soul. It was his doing, and she realized that his arrogance was something he’d earned.
That fact slapped her across the face and sent her into a full meltdown. He was the sort who could captivate.
Which was a damned dangerous place to go.
It wasn’t like she had any personal experience with it. Still, she felt like she was on pins and needles. The sheer level of sensitivity the guy was able to elicit from her was off the scale. It was fascinating to say the least.
As well as a really bad place to go when he looked like he could afford to hire her.
She looked back at her work, forcing herself to focus on the art and get a grip on herself before he knocked her flat. Sweat popped out on her forehead, but her hands responded perfectly. Art was like a living force inside her. A place she could take refuge in as well as being a gift she might share. She let it consume her, the drawing coming to life beneath the strokes of her pen. It was a little like giving birth: first she had to let it grow and form before it was ready to breathe.
“That is smokin’ hot,” Taz said as he leaned on the counter to peer at her work.
“You’re good,” the blond said in a tone full of awe.
Ramsey reserved judgment until she’d shaded in the last few areas on her sketch. When she lifted her pen, he swept it up and studied the drawing. It was a metal dragon crawling down his abdomen toward his cock. Its front claws would be where the cherry blossoms were, and its tail would wrap around his lean hip and onto his lower back. It wasn’t a reptilian dragon. It was a steel one, a merging of metal and mythical creature.
His eyes narrowed as he studied it, seeing more than just the black lines. He was seeing the attitude she’d tried to capture and portray. His expression gave her a hint of the man inside him. She got the impression he spent a lot of time covering up that man with his didn’t-give-a-rat’s-ass attitude.
But she saw it.
His attention shifted to her, their gazes locking over the edge of the paper. For a moment, she caught a flicker of understanding in his eyes. Just a moment of awareness, a few seconds when he admitted to himself that she saw him.
Really saw him.
It didn’t last long. In fact, she found herself questioning if it had really been there, when his gaze hardened and sealed her out of that place he was determined to keep private.
“You recognize me,” he said.
It wasn’t a question, but she felt inclined to answer anyway. “It isn’t hard to peg you for a metal-head when you’re wearing nothing but leather and have a stud bar through your nipple.”
“I’m a metal god,” he said.
“Right,” she countered, feeling a rise of heat in her cheeks. “I’m good at what I do.”
“You are,” the blond interrupted. He was studying her portfolio. “So why are you working the graveyard shift?”
“I wanted to work at the best shop in town. That left me to choose between Spike Collar and here,” Jewel said without hesitation.
“But you’re not a lesbian,” Ramsey finished for her. “Bet that was a bit of a problem with getting hired over at Spike Collar.”
“Definite ripple in the pond,” she confirmed. “Not on my side, mind you. They just don’t like straight girls. Shame really, they know how to do tats.”
“So do you.” Ramsey was thumbing through the pictures of her work. He had that businessman expression.
“Who are you?” she gave in and asked. All three men looked up at her. “I mean, since it sounded like you were trying to impress me.”
“Impressing you will involve more than my name,” her client said.
His lips curved, and his expression became sensual. He flattened his hand on the counter between them and leaned toward her. In one flat second, it felt like her breath caught in her lungs. She was hyperaware of him, fighting not to take a step back. There was a flicker of approval in his dark eyes as she managed to stand her ground.
“Count on that fact.” Her voice had turned raspy, but his arrogance was rubbing her pride raw. “I do tats. Only tat’s for pay. So if you’ve got a problem understanding boundaries, the door is behind you. There’s another place up a couple of blocks that opens in a few hours.”
Taz reached over and shoved Ramsey. “I told you not to piss her off.” He shook his smart phone in the air between them. “She’s the best in the nearest three cities—checked her out.” He turned to look at her. “Your references rock. Why are you working in this dump?”
“Because my boss might be a prick, but he’s also got twenty-five years’ experience, and references to top mine. I want to learn from the best, and there are a few things you can’t learn from anyone but a master.”
Taz nodded. “True, even if some masters are egomaniacs.”
“You didn’t answer me.” Jewel aimed her inquiry at Ramsey. “Who are you?”
“Ramsey, Taz, and I’m Syon,” the blond answered. “We’re members of a band called Toxsin.”
She bit back the snide, Yeah, right, that tried to escape her lips.
No way.
But they were all standing there looking pretty confident. She reached over and tapped “Toxsin” into the laptop on the countertop. Their website was the first thing to come up. She clicked on the link.
“What the fuck are you doing roaming the streets?” She looked between the screen and the three guys standing in front of her. It was weird, to say the least, to have the pictures from the screen living and breathing in her shop. “Don’t you have people to deal with stuff like this?”
Ramsey eyed her from where he was lying on the counter. “I’m a hands-on sort.” He covered her hand with his, stroking the back of it.
Jewel ended up taking that step back. Victory flashed through his eyes as she sent him a sharp look.
Taz punched him in the shoulder again.
“How’s that ‘hands-on’ thing working for you tonight?” Jewel said. It was a barbed comment, a challenge. Hell, it felt like she’d smacked him across the jaw with a white glove and dropped it at his feet.
The way his eyes narrowed confirmed he felt the same way. For one split second, she half feared he might just flip the counter out of the way or jump over it.
“Let’s focus on the problem,” Syon said. “We need this fixed—discreetly, quickly.”
“No joke.” Jewel happily changed thought tracks. She pulled one of the shop disclosure agreements up onto the counter. The tightly packed lines of legal mumbo jumbo didn’t give her the same sense of comfort they normally did. Ramsey grabbed it and yanked the top off a pen before boldly scrawling his signature across the bottom line.
Taz was flipping the lock on the front door.
“Good idea,” Jewel agreed. She didn’t care for the fact that she had to take a breath before getting her feet to move.
Ramsey flopped down on her worktable, popping his pants open. They were custom, all right, the right side of them shaped perfectly to contain his cock.
The guy had an impressive package.
She ended up stopping halfway around the counter, earning a smirk from him.
“Don’t let my fame make you nervous,” Ramsey teased her.
“Typically, I worry about my clients taking their displeasure out on my hide.” She made it to her stool and sat down. Her workstation was normally the place she felt most comfortable.
Today, she felt like the padded stool was full of spikes.
“So what’s your problem with me?” Ramsey asked.
She wasn’t going to answer that.
Nope.
Not a chance.
She turned half away from him and sterilized her hands.
“Cat got your tongue?” he asked.
Jewel turned back toward him and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
What a man animal.
She really needed to get a grip and enjoy the moment. She was pretty sure she was never going to get the chance to work on so fine a specimen again.
“I’m thinking you wouldn’t think twice about filing a lawsuit against me, signature on a release form or not,” she said.
His expression turned serious , his eyes narrowing, his lips thinning. “I don’t get my kicks out of using my money to pin my mistakes on other people. I own my fuckups.”
It wasn’t what she’d expected him to say.
But she liked it.
A whole lot.
Integrity was something most people sold out on. Especially when it came to admitting they’d made dumb mistakes.
“I’m beginning to see why the gals at Spike didn’t refuse to do your girlfriend’s dirty work.”
Ramsey leaned his head back. “She wasn’t my girlfriend.”
“I’m guessing that was the problem.”
He’d closed his eyes but opened them and looked at her. “Guess it was. But I didn’t lie to her.”
He really did own his screw-ups. It was there in the flat acceptance on his face. He looked past her to his bandmates. “I’m good. You guys can shove off.”
“Not a chance.” Syon settled himself on the other worktable. “Those little pink flowers will take us all down.”
“Yeah.” Taz sat down behind the counter and claimed her laptop. “Besides, I don’t trust you to be polite. Jewel is a lady.”
Ramsey made a low sound under his breath. “I bet she gets naughty with the right company.”
Jewel didn’t look up from where she was cleaning the skin on his abdomen. She was no stranger to personal jabs, especially off-color ones.
What surprised her was the way her pulse leapt.
She needed to get a grip.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Taz said. “She’s an artist, like Kate.”
“Yeah,” Ramsey agreed. “Sorry, I’m still a little buzzed. Talking out of my ass.”
Jewel warmed under the single word of praise. She got the impression Ramsey didn’t hand out undeserving compliments. She ended up looking into his eyes because he was watching her.
“Kate made my pants.” He gestured at his buddies. “She makes all our leather gear.”
“She’s good.” Jewel picked up her sketch and began to position it. “I see my share of leather around here. The good, the bad, and mostly the ugly.”
“She’s the best,” Syon added without opening his eyes. “Even has good taste in men.”
Ramsey snorted. Syon offered him a single-finger salute.
“Aren’t you guys cute,” Jewel muttered.
“There’s nothing cute about the part of me you’re looking at.”
She should ignore him.
Should, but she wasn’t going to. Jewel looked up and caught Ramsey grinning at her. “Did you want this done sometime before Christmas?”
“You wouldn’t let me go on stage wearing flowers…would you, Jewel?” He tried out his puppy eyes on her.
“The idea is growing on me.”
He made a soft humming sound beneath his breath. “I like a girl who plays rough.”
“I bet you do.”
Which was just enough of a reality slap to get her focused. He was an animal, the prowling kind.
And she was already living on the edge enough.
She got the drawing in position and transferred it onto his skin.
Canvas.
Normally the word helped her tune out everything but the art.
Yeah, well there wasn’t much of anything that was normal about Ramsey.
5 Stars
Ramsey is the definition of a rock star bad boy. Raw, egotistical and all Alpha. The man is confident in every sense of the word. Ramsay lives up the rockstar life to the fullest until he gets his ass handed to him, potentially scarring his and the band’s image by a vindictive woman. When taking corrective measures Ramsey gets blindsided by an amazing artist who twists him in every way possible. His talent and cockiness make you want melt and smack him one in the same.
Jewel is a spitfire of a woman struggling to make her name as a tattoo artist. An intelligent woman with a background in marketing that is too stuffy to allow her artistic side to breath. Jewel gets the score of a lifetime when the lead guitarist of highly famous band rolls in the tattoo shop during one of her many midnight shifts. She counters his sarcasm with sass, leaving a deep impression with more than just her ink. That impression leads to what could be the biggest opportunity of her life or the hardest fall she will ever take.
Dawn Ryder entices, titillates and seduces readers with artistry, passion and raw emotion with Rock Steady.
Ramsey and Jewel are fun, feisty and have chemistry off the charts. They challenged each other, hit all the right buttons to infuriate and captivate all at the same time. They are overwhelming and wrong hit all the right buttons to infuriate and captive the all at the same time.
Jewel and Ramsey are overwhelming and combustible. The chemistry intense and the passions on fire.
Ms. Ryder’s attention to detail not only shows her talent as a writer but as an artist as well. Intricate details paint an in depth picture and project the feelings within the music and the art.
Combined the personality, charisma, and charm of the characters, a fast-moving plot and feeling like you’ve been sucked into the rockstar life, Ms. Ryder gives her readers the Rockstar fantasy with Rock Steady.
Rock Steady is the second book of the Rock Band series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. However I recommend reading Rock Me Two Times to enjoy this series to it’s fullest.
A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team selection.
A complimentary copy was provided by netgalley for an honest review.
Review: Caught up in Raine by L.G. O’Connor
Caught Up in RAINE
A Novel by L.G. O’Connor
Collins-Young Publishing April 2016
ISBN: 978-0-990738-12-1 (Trade Paperback) $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-990738-15-2 (eBook) $3.99
Publication Date: April 18, 2016
Media Inquiries | Interview and Excerpt Requests
Contact: Kim Miller, Nancy Berland Public Relations | Publicist kmiller@nancyberland.com
April Eberhardt, AE Literary | Agent april@aprileberhardt.com
L.G. O’Connor | Author lg@lgoconnor.com
Caught Up in RAINE by L.G. O’Connor
An unforgettable debut in romantic women’s fiction, Caught Up in RAINE captures the struggle of a woman who must reconcile guilt from her past with the promise of a future as her life intersects with a much younger man who offers her a second chance to get “caught up” in love on her road to redemption.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover model”
Forty-two and widowed, romance writer Jillian Grant believes hospitals equal death. Plagued by loss and convinced more is imminent when her aunt ends up in critical condition after heart surgery; she has come to equate the absence of pain with happiness. When she spots a hot, young landscaper working on the hospital grounds with an eerie resemblance to the male lead in her next novel, she convinces him to pose as her cover model.
Working multiple jobs to put himself through college, twenty-four-year-old Raine MacDonald is no stranger to loss. Behind his handsome face and rockin’ body lies family tragedy and agonizing secrets. When circumstances put him back in the path of his abusive father, fate delivers Jillian as his unwitting savior. Thing is, when he thinks of her, his thoughts are far from platonic.
Despite their age difference, Jillian and Raine discover they’re more alike than they could ever imagine. But torn between facing her own fears and grasping a chance at
happiness, Jillian makes a soul-shattering decision that threatens to blow their world apart.
Distributed by Ingram, CAUGHT UP IN RAINE is available in both Trade Paperback and eBook formats and can be purchased wherever fine books are sold.
For more information visit: http://www.caughtupinraine.com
4.5 Stars
Jillian a widowed woman who feels death is out to those she loves. She’s suffered the loss of too many in her short years. A talented writer and photographer, she allows her work to be an outlet. She hid behind her loss until an unlikely young man hits her sense for passion. Igniting a fire she can’t control.
Raine was an amazing character. Working his way through school. Beyond wise for his years. A true gentleman. He too, suffered lost that he carries with him constantly. Raine is remarkable mature. He’s one of those, what I call, little things men. He captured this readers heart.
I never thought when I picked up Caught Up in Raine I would need a box tissues when I finished. Wow! This book was fabulous. Emotional, real, raw and fun. Raine and Jillian worked so well together. The age difference between the two was really just a number. The passion was slow and building. They discovered each other while filling in love. Their were each other yin to yang! The chemistry is off the charts and the emotions hit right in the heart. A fantastic read buy a new to me author.
A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.
About the Author:
L.G. O’Connor is a member of the Romance Writers of America. A corporate strategy, branding, and marketing executive for a Fortune 250 company, she writes adult paranormal and contemporary romance. Caught Up in RAINE is the first romantic women’s fiction novel in her Caught Up in Love series. She is also the author of the four-book urban fantasy / paranormal romance series The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles. The third full length novel in that series, Book of Four Rings, is set to launch in 2016. L.G. lives a life of adventure, navigating her way through dog toys and soccer balls. When she’s feeling particularly brave, she enters the kitchen . . .
Find & Follow L.G. O’Connor Online:
Website/Blog: http://www.lgoconnor.com
Twitter: @lgoconnor1
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lgoconnor1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7690970.L_G_O_Connor
Book site: http://www.caughtupinraine.com
Q&A with LG O’Connor, author of Caught Up in RAINE
1. Why do you write what you write?
LGO: Great question! I’ve been an avid reader my entire life, and have read everything from classics to pulp. Being a fast reader, I’ve never let the size of a book deter me. If anything, the bigger the better as long as the story is good and the characters are engaging. I read to escape with characters I can love, and for that profound ‘something’ the leaves me with a book hangover when I’m finished. I try to write with the same things in mind, and since I like to stick with characters for a little while, I’m drawn to series. But when it gets down to it, I write books that I want to read.
2. Given that you are still in the middle of writing an epic Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance series that won’t be fully released until mid-2017, what inspired you to switch genres midstream and write a romantic women’s fiction novel?
LGO: Funny, I didn’t choose to be a writer, it chose me. The same thing happened with this story. The first chapter in CUIR was inspired by something that actually happened to me, and became the impetus for writing the book.
Late on a Friday afternoon in August 2013, I made a trip to the hospital to see my childhood friend’s father who had emergency heart surgery. Just like Vera, he was eighty-two years old. I’d known him my entire life, and loved him like an uncle. When I arrived—having just completed a dialysis treatment—he was fast asleep. So I sat there quietly for about an hour and reflected. It was the last time I saw him alive.
At the time of my visit, I was working on final copyedits for my first novel, TRINITY STONES. One of the series characters is rock star, Brett King, who physically resembles the model on the cover of CUIR. When I was leaving the hospital grounds that day, I spotted a landscaping crew planting trees. You guessed it…one of the landscapers looked just like Brett. Tanned, muscular, long blond hair… I was so tempted to jam on the brakes and ask to take his picture. Of course, I didn’t. But that left me with the question: what would’ve happened if I had? The result is Caught Up in RAINE.
3. Are there any writers in the contemporary romance / women’s fiction genres who particularly influenced you?
LGO: First, let me talk a little bit about new adult, which is a sub-genre of contemporary romance. Despite the fact this book doesn’t qualify due to Jillian’s age, that sub-genre is what inspired me. Interesting, if it were reversed, and Jillian was Raine’s age? It would qualify.
When I wrote CUIR, new adult was taking off. I adored the immediacy of using dual first person point-of-view. I decided to go the route of Jasinda Wilder and use first person, present tense. There are a lot of people who find it akin to nails on a chalkboard, but I think it lends itself to a fast-moving story with deep point-of-view. Even though CUIR is classified as romantic women’s fiction, I used the conventions I loved so much in new adult because it was just plain fun to write, and added the energy that I was looking for.
As for the writers who inspired me? The epicenter of it all was Jasinda Wilder’s book, Falling Into You. By then, I’d already read and fallen in love with Cora Carmack’s Faking It, Laura Kaye’s Hearts in Darkness, and Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster which left me with a book hangover for about a week. Others I’ve discovered and enjoyed since then: H.M. Ward’s Damaged: The Ferro Family, Karina Halle’s The Pact, Vi Keeland’s Worth the Fight, anything by Katy Regnery, Jennifer Armentrout (writing as J. Lynn), and Maya Banks.
4. I understand this book was written during National Novel Writing Month in 2013, is that correct?
LGO: Yes! That question: “What would’ve happened if I’d stopped my car and asked that landscaper to pose as my cover model?” kept rolling around in my head. I’d just turned in the final pages of TRINITY STONES to the publisher, and the first draft of the second novel in the series was staring me in the face. Then in mid-October 2013, I had this weird schedule where I needed to be in Pennsylvania for work three days in a row. I live in New Jersey, so that was a three hour commute each day. On the morning of the first day, the question of the landscaper can back up and grabbed me with a vengeance. I’m a sworn pantser, but by the end of the third day, I had voice recorded an entire outline for the novel. That was a first for me.
My pen hit the proverbial page, and by the start of NaNo on November 1st, I had over 25,000 words written. By Black Friday, I’d finished the novel with more than 50,000 words written during the month of November, for a final word count of 82,000 words. My critique partner read the story as I wrote it, so revisions were being made simultaneously to the story being written. My editor, who was also one of my NaNo buddies, was on standby to copyedit the
manuscript as soon as it was completed. My goal was to make a December contest deadline. Honestly, I’m not sure how I did it. The book grew organically out of my brain and through my fingertips. I wish every book was like that…
5. That contest was the RWA Golden Heart® Contest, wasn’t it? How did you do?
LGO: Yes, it was! That year was the last time I would qualify as an unpublished writer, since, technically, the only contract I’d signed at the time was a distribution agreement with She Writes Press.
It wasn’t until a month after the Golden Heart® finalists were announced that I’d received the results. I’d only missed the cut by 1 point. I found that extremely encouraging given the number of contest applicants.
6. You used a local setting close to where you live. Any particular reason why you chose suburban towns rather than the big city locales of your fantasy series?
LGO: Well, for one, I’ve lived in all these places J I’m a former resident of both Chatham and Summit, and currently live about ten minutes from downtown Morristown. I chose a local setting and venues for a couple of specific reasons. Since this was a NaNoWriMo project, I needed to spend my time writing, not researching. Choosing a local setting gave me the advantage of knowing the locations well enough to write from my own experience. Another advantage in “staying local” is that it gives me a logistical advantage to go deep in my local market without traveling, and yet bring all those relationships and resources to bear. Plus, I get a warm feeling driving through downtown Morristown, and seeing the real-life buildings that I patterned my CUIR locations after… I sometimes wonder if I’ll spot someone who looks like Raine walking across the Green.
7. One of the big questions I think many will have is the age of your heroine, and the choice to do a reverse May-December romance. Are you afraid this may impact your chances to capture a romance audience? Also, this book focuses a lot on the romance and is written in dual first person point-of-view, which gives the male lead equal footing in the narrative – how do you think this will impact your women’s fiction readers?
LGO: In a lot of ways, this is just as much Raine’s story as it is Jillian’s, which distinguishes CUIR from hardcore women’s fiction.
As for Jillian, I think the market needs more books like this for the demographic of readers out there. I think Jillian’s voice resonates with women
of a certain age, I being one of them. Jillian is an attractive woman in her 40s, but she’s far from dead. Yet there’s this negative connotation out there about women over forty in the romance market, signaling to me an underserved segment of readers.
Jillian struggles in a very real way over the age difference between herself and Raine. She’s not a cougar looking for young men. Yet that’s how the market is showcasing stories about older women in this scenario. In CUIR, my intent is to realistically show how an almost impossible pairing can be near perfect based on who these individuals are, and what has shaped them.
I think this book will resonate broadly across markets. However, traditional women’s fiction tends to have a higher level of angst and complexity than I write. As much as I enjoy a good Jodi Picoult book, you won’t find that level of intensity here. I try to use enough angst without making it the entire focus of the story. As a result, this book is more of a hybrid between contemporary romance and woman’s fiction, hence the “romantic women’s fiction” moniker. In it you’ll have spicy love scenes, and a “happily ever after” that is well deserved.
8. Is it true that this book may be part of a trilogy?
LGO: Hmm. I can answer that two ways. Caught Up in RAINE will have two companion novelettes that follow it, so I guess you could say it is a trilogy. Kind of. However, I’ve just finished the first draft of a second full length novel with the working title, Shelter My Heart, about Jillian’s niece Jenny and a young CEO-in-training. In it, many of the CUIR characters reprise their roles. I’m also planning on writing a third book that involves… Well, I’ll keep that one a secret for now. That said, I’m not going to declare it a series yet J
9. Are there themes that tie this potential trilogy together beside the family connection between the main female characters?
LGO: There are two driving themes, really. Each of the female protagonists harbors a shameful secret, and in their own way, they’re all seeking redemption. It’s about finding second chances, and surrendering yourself over to living your best life.
Coffee Books Life 