Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Beyond Scandal


BEYOND SCANDAL
AND DESIRE
Sins for All Seasons, Book 1
by
LORRAINE HEATH
   Genre: Historical / Regency Romance Publisher: Avon
Date of Publication: January 30, 2018
Number of Pages: 320

Scroll down for the giveaway!



At birth, Mick Trewlove, the illegitimate son of a duke, was handed over to a commoner. Despite his lowly upbringing, Mick has become a successful businessman, but all his wealth hasn't satisfied his need for revenge against the man who still won't acknowledge him. What else can Mick do but destroy the duke's legitimate son-and woo the heir's betrothed into his own unloving arms . . .
Orphaned and sheltered, Lady Aslyn Hastings longs for a bit of adventure. With her intended often preoccupied, Aslyn finds herself drawn to a darkly handsome entrepreneur who seems to understand her so well. Surely a lady of her station should avoid Mick Trewlove. If only he weren't so irresistible . . . 
As secrets are about to be exposed, Mick must decide if his plan for vengeance is worth risking what his heart truly desires.
PRAISE FOR BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE:
"Heath builds a community of fascinating, intertwined characters that readers will be eager to get to know as they cheer for the driven hero and the spunky, smart heroine." -- Publishers Weekly
"RITA Award-winner Heath's new Sins for All Seasons series is off to an impressive start with an unforgettable, emotionally charged love story that will dazzle and delight readers with its exquisitely crafted characters, deliciously sensual romance, and impeccably rendered historical setting." -- Booklist/ *STARRED* Review
"For the first book in the Sins for All Seasons series, Heath returns to the world of dark London - a world she understands as well as Dickens. Heath illuminates the city's underbelly with a powerful romance of healing and redemption. Her talents for drawing readers into the era with her well-drawn, three dimensional characters and realistic dialogue sets her novels apart. The unexpected twists and turns of the plot guarantees it will be placed on your keeper shelf." -- RT Book Reviews/ "Top Pick" Review


How has being a Texan influenced your writing?
Texas has such diversity geographically (from plains, to forests, to mountains) and is so rich with history that it always spurred my imagination. I still have the Texas scrapbook that we had to put together in 8th grade that had sections on the various countries that had ruled over Texas, our fight for independence, our role in the Civil War, Texas Rangers (which was my favorite section), etc. That project gave me a true respect for history and a love of research.

Why did you choose to write romance?
I was never much of a reader until I discovered the romance genre, and then I simply couldn’t get enough of the stories. I loved the emotions they elicited, from joy to sadness to satisfaction when I reached that happy ending. I’d always wanted to be a writer, and once I read a romance novel, I knew the kind of stories I wanted to write.

Where did your love of writing come from?
I’m not sure where my love of writing came from. From the moment I learned how to write letters in the first grade, I became enamored with putting letters together to forms words, words to form sentences, sentences to form paragraphs, and paragraphs to create stories. I would write long letters to relatives, kept a diary, and wrote little stories. As long as I was writing something, I was happy.

How long have you been writing?
I was about 7 when I sat down and started writing a story about a fisherman who fell in love with a mermaid. As long as I can remember, I’ve been writing. But I didn’t start writing seriously with an eye toward publication until 1990.

What kinds of writing do you do?
I write historical romance and on occasion young adult (under the names Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with my son as J. A. London).

What do you think most characterizes your writing?
I tend to write deeply emotional stories because I really want my characters to work for their happily-ever-afters.

What was the hardest part of writing this book? 
Not making Mick a stalker. About ¾ of the way through, I had the uncomfortable feeling that his constantly arranging to cross paths with Aslyn was making him a bit creepish, so I reworked some of the book so she or other circumstances instigated a few of their encounters.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Writing a heroine who doesn’t quite realize her own strength and is growing into her independence.

Who are some of the authors you feel were influential in your work?
LaVyrle Spencer, Patricia Gaffney, Laura Kinsale. 

Which character from your book(s) is most like you?
I think all my characters have some aspect of me in them. Or they may have an aspect to them that I wish I possessed.

What did you find most useful in learning to write for publication?  What was least useful or most destructive?
The most useful thing I learned was to write what I love to read. I find generalized rules to be the least useful. For example, my second year as a published author, I attended a workshop given by a successful writer and she said to never have a prologue. It just slows the story down. I love prologues and I think they can be used to set up the story. So I think it’s important to write a story as it should be written and not to try to second-guess what rules will make it more marketable.

What’s something interesting, fun, or funny that most people don’t know about you?
In my youth, I took tap, jazz, and ballet and competed in a talent show at the county fair.

If you could time travel, what time period would you first visit? 
Victorian England, the early years, shortly after Victoria came to the throne. England was on the cusp of change but still relatively dark. I think it would be interesting to start there and travel through the decades, getting a sense of how people and Society changed as industrialization took hold.

Do you have a mantra for writing and/or for life?
Try to bring joy to others.








Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA's prestigious RITA. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.













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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
1/30/18
Excerpt 1
1/31/18
Review
2/1/18
Author Interview
2/2/18
Review
2/3/18
Excerpt 2
2/4/18
Excerpt 3
2/5/18
Review
2/6/18
Author Interview
2/7/18
Excerpt 4
2/8/18
Review

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Sunday, January 14, 2018

Palo Duro

PALO DURO
by
MAX L. KNIGHT
  Genre: Historical Fiction / Western
Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
Date of Publication: September 2, 2017
Number of Pages: 226
Scroll down for the giveaway!



Westward expansion following the civil war ushered in an era of increased conflict between the Southern Plains Indians and white settlers. Peace treaties offered temporary suspension of hostilities, but more often than not resulted in broken promises as the two cultures clashed over land. The construction of frontier forts and towns, the decimation of the buffalo herds, the movement of cattle through Indian lands to burgeoning western markets, – all of these forces threatened a way of life that had existed for centuries.

The Comanche, the Southern Cheyenne, the Kiowa, the Apache all fought to protect their customs and homelands. The clashes were characterized by savagery on both sides - Indian and white. However, finite numbers and options would ensure the tribes’ defeat; they faced certain death or forced relocation and their days were numbered.

Though the Indian wars are the focus of Palo Duro, the novel also captures the spirit of the “Old West” with its depiction of the great cattle drives from Texas into Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Montana, the cattle barons and the trail blazers, the outlaws and gunslingers, the lawmen and Texas Rangers, and the settlers and entrepreneurs who built this country. It chronicles an era characterized by heroism, brutality, and bold ventures while paying tribute to a genre that is fading from public consciousness – the western. It is the story of the Southwest United States towards the end of the nineteenth century and the rugged individualism that forged a nation.
5 STAR PRAISE FOR PALO DURO:
This book captured Central Texas in the post-Civil War era better than any other book I’ve read. It was well researched, well written, and easy to read. I enjoyed this book more than Empire of the Summer Moon, the standard setter. I recommend this to readers of any level, even if you dislike history, as this book is that good. 
– Jeffrey R. Murray, Amazon review
Max Knight brought to life the saga of how Texas tamed their frontier. He presents a colorful experience with characters effectively placed throughout his story. If you have any interest in Texas history this book is a must read. – AmazonJacki, Amazon review
Palo Duro is an exceptional novel, well researched; a must read. 
– Chuck B., Amazon review
Reading this book is a great way to deepen and appreciate one’s Texas roots – or if you are not a Texan to understand and enjoy what makes Texas, well, Texas! I found this novel to be especially entertaining as well as informative. Made me want to go back and read Lonesome Dove again! – Michael P., Amazon review
In the spirit of the old Western genre of Zane Grey and L’amour, Max Knight pays homage to our national heritage with this fictional but historically accurate labor of love that warms the heart with his vivid imagery and authentic tone of America’s illustrious and sometimes brutal past. – Chester Sosinski, Amazon review


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Max Knight’s Favorites, Part II

Each of us has our preferences in books, authors, hobbies, places, etc. These choices don’t necessarily define who we are as an individual, but they do provide interesting insights into what makes us tick! Here are a few of my favorites:

Destinations
I simply love to travel internationally and have done so extensively in Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. I have yet to see Australia or New Zealand and one day hope to cruise to the South Pacific. Regardless, I’m fascinated by far-away places and the diversity that these destinations offer.

Favorite Leisure Activity
Besides reading and writing, attending performances at the Majestic Theater and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio. Though Broadway musicals dominate touring productions, I also enjoy more serious playwrights and stage productions, the opera, and the symphony.

Cuisine
French - only because I forced myself to choose one, and I love rich sauces and gravies!

Culture
Greece - I love the people, their zest for life, their language, lifestyle, music, food, and history. If ever I identified with a single culture, it would be the Greeks. Opa!

Location
The Bavarian Mountains - the scenic beauty of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is stunning!

Sport
College football - I sometimes wish I only had one or two key conference match-ups to watch each weekend as the broadcast of so many games can be overwhelming. However, I always hate to see the regular season and the bowl games come to an end and can’t wait ‘til next season!

Team
My Fightin’ Texas Aggies. As a proud graduate of Texas A&M University, I live and breathe maroon and white. That reality can be painful at times, but there is always the expectation and exhilaration of the next kickoff. We may get outscored, but we’ve never been licked. Gig ‘Em!







Max L. Knight was born in Panama in 1949, and was raised both in the Canal Zone and in San Antonio, Texas where he now resides with his wife, Janet "Gray." A proud member of the Corps of Cadets and graduate of Texas A&M University (Class of '73), he received a bachelor’s degree in English and a Regular Army commission and served the next twenty-four years as an Air Defense and Foreign Area Officer before retiring in 1997 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After leaving the Army, Max spent the next five years working for RCI Technologies of San Antonio, becoming its Director of Internal Operations. Separating from the company in 2002, he volunteered to be the first docent at the Alamo working within its Education Department before once again serving his country as a Counterintelligence Specialist in Europe, Central America, Asia and the Middle East through 2013. Max speaks several languages including Greek and Spanish. He also holds a Master of Science degree in government from Campbell University. He has written and published two books to date: Silver Taps, a personal memoir of his relationship with his father and a tribute to his alma mater, and Palo Duro, a novel focusing on the Indian wars in the southwestern United States at the end of the nineteenth century.
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One Winner: Signed copy of Palo Duro + $20 Amazon Gift Card Two Winners: Signed Copies of Palo Duro JANUARY 10-19, 2018
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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
1/10/18
Promo
1/10/18
Character Interview
1/11/18
Review
1/12/18
Favorites, Part 1
1/12/18
Guest Post
1/13/18
Review
1/14/18
Review
1/15/18
Excerpt
1/15/18
Favorites, Part 2
1/16/18
Review
1/17/18
Author Interview
1/17/18
Playlist
1/18/18
Review
1/19/18
Scrapbook Page
1/19/18
Review


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