#Spotlight: The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel - #Q&A

The Summer That Melted Everything
by Tiffany McDaniel

Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Adult, Literary Fiction
Publication:  July 26th, 2016 by St. Martin's Press
Connect: Website | Goodreads
Buy: Amazon

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere - a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he's a runaway from a nearby farm town.

When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.

Q&A with Tiffany McDaniel

1. Please introduce yourself and your book.
   I’m an Ohio poet and novelist who wants to live on the greenest summer leaf on the highest tree.
   
   
2. How do you come up with the idea of the book? What is your inspiration?I always say the ideas come from the elements that make me. All those tiny little connections, all those big bangs, rippling my soul, crafting its edges and turning its center. Somewhere in that chaos and that impact, there’s an origin of the story. Whether it be a deep well or high mountain peak, the ideas exist there only to drift toward me like smoke I can’t grasp but can decipher. I know this answer is very dream-like, but to me, the craft of story itself is a dream.
   
   
3. How long on average does it take you to write a book?
   I wrote The Summer that Melted Everything in a month. I have eight completed novels and on average they took me about a month. One novel, Because of the Indians, I wrote in eight days. I’m still not sure how that happened. And another novel, When Lions Stood as Me, took about four months. It’s a novel that takes place during WW2 so there was more research involved and I had to be a bit more concrete with dating.
   
   
4. How do you set up your book? Do you outline them first, or did you just spin the story?
   I never outline or pre-plan. I like the natural flow of allowing the characters and scenes to come out on their own. It’s like setting up a lantern on a dark porch and waiting for the moths to chatter around the light. I listen to that chatter, capture it, all the while the moths freely fly in their own good time.
   
   
5. What did you like most about writing this book? 
   What I like about writing all my books is being introduced to the characters for the first time, falling in love with them, and feeling like I can never let them go, hoping I’ll never have to.
   
   
6. What's the best thing that happened to you since becoming an author?
   It hasn’t happened yet. And that is when I’ll get to see my novel on the bookstore shelf for the first time. I wrote my first novel when I was eighteen and didn’t get a publishing contract until I was twenty-nine, so it was eleven years of rejection and fear I’d never get published. I honestly never believed I would. I know I’m very fortunate to be in the position I am, about to see my book on the shelf for the first time. I feel for those authors still on the journey to publication. To them, I say it will happen. Have faith that the best thing as an author is yet to happen to you too.
   
   
7. Grade your book. How many stars out of a perfect score of 5 stars? Please give the reason too.
   This is a dangerous question. If an author answers they’d give their own book five stars, they may appear over-confident or egotistical. But if an author rates their own novel too low, then why should a reader even bother reading it? So I’ll tiptoe around the danger and say I’ll leave the rating up to the readers who, in their fair and honest judgment, can best rate the novel.
   
   
8. What are you working on right now?
   The novel I hope to follow The Summer that Melted Everything up with is When Lions Stood as Men. It’s a story of a Jewish brother and sister who escape Nazi Germany, cross the Atlantic Ocean, and end up in Ohio of all places. Struggling with the guilt of surviving the Holocaust, they create their own sort of camp where they punish themselves, realizing in the end, it was each other they truly had to survive.
   
   
9. Please say something to your readers.
   You readers have all the power. It’s not the agents or the editors or the publishing houses as a whole that determine a writer’s career. It’s the readers. Without readers buying books, there are no novelists to be had. Readers give meaning to an author’s words. So if you like a book, tell everyone you know. Be that book’s champion because if you do, you’re being a champion for the author herself. My only hope is that readers like what I’ve written. That they can count on me to deliver a story that is worth both their time and their hard-earned money. Nothing would make me happier than to know a reader has finished one of my books with the pleasure of having read it. That’s what I strive for as an author. To be someone’s favorite author as so many authors have been mine.

#BookReview Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler

Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale 
(Seasons of the Sword #1)
by David Kudler

Genre: Historical, Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication:  June 15th, 2016 by Stillpoint
Format: ebooks
Source: NetGalley, Stillpoint Digital Press
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Can One Girl Win A War?

Though Japan has been devastated by a century of civil war, Risuko just wants to climb trees. Growing up far from the battlefields and court intrigues, the fatherless girl finds herself pulled into a plot that may reunite Japan -- or may destroy it. She is torn from her home and what is left of her family, but finds new friends at a school that may not be what it seems.

Magical but historical, Risuko follows her along the first dangerous steps to discovering who she truly is.

Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) is a young, fatherless girl, more comfortable climbing trees than down on the ground. Yet she finds herself enmeshed in a game where the board is the whole nation of Japan, where the pieces are armies, moved by scheming lords, and a single girl couldn't possibly have the power to change the outcome. Or could she?

I wasn't expecting much when I first read the book. I was afraid that it was going to be a letdown. But after reading Risuko, I have to say that I'm impressed with this book. I think the author did a very good job in writing the book with a strong heroine and magical world of the Kunoichi. 

Kano Murasaki or Risuko was a child who grew up without her father. She was taken away from her family and was brought to a school. She was a likable character. She's strong and curious. She sounded a bit like a child now, but I have no doubt that she was going to grow up fine. The secondary characters made the story much more interesting. I love her friends and will be happy to see more of them. I'm excited to see Risuko and her friend grew as Kunoichi.

I was intrigued with the book after the first few chapters, although it slowed down a bit in the middle. It wasn't draggy, but slow. Soon, the story picked up its pace with a whole lot of action, mystery, secrets, and twists. The book was lacking in romance, but I'm fine with that because I truly enjoyed Risuko's growth within the story. I'm glad that there was going to be a continuation from this book. Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale is definitely a one of the best historical fantasy book I've read.

I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my review.

#BookReview All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

All the Missing Girls
by Megan Miranda

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Adult
Publication: 28 Jun 2016 by Simon & Schuster
Format: ebooks
Source: NetGalley, Simon & Schuster
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

I was intrigued after reading the description. It was interesting to see how the story was going to be told backward, from the time Nicolette (Nic) Farrell returned home. All the Missing Girls tells the story of the disappearance of two missing girls, Corinne, Nic's best friend who disappeared years ago, and Annaleise, who went missing shortly after Nic's return to Cooley Ridge.

Cooley Ridge holds a few secrets with Corinne disappeared. When Annaleise too, went missing, shocking truths about Nic's family and friends resurfaced.

I was a bit worried about the story at first with how the story was told. I was afraid that it wouldn't make sense, but surprisingly, the story worked better with how it was told. I admit that the story was a bit confusing at the beginning. But after reading the book, I think the author did a great job with the storytelling. It was clever to write the story backward with each secret unraveled slowly as the story goes. In the end, I feel like I wanted to reread the story again - from the way it was written and from the correct chronology.

All the Missing Girls is definitely a great crime thriller read. The writing was brilliant. There's a lot of twists that I didn't see or expect. I just didn't know who to trust in the book. It was shocking to find out the truth about the missing girls. I will definitely look forward to the author's other books.

I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley & Simon & Schuster in exchange for my review.

#BookBlitz: All Access by Liberty Kontranowski - #Excerpt + #Giveaway

Welcome to Liberty Kontranowski's Book Blitz with her book, All Access. Visit CLP Blog Tours for more info and Book Blitz stops.

All Access (Fangirl #1)

by Liberty Kontranowski

Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Humor

Publication: June 22nd, 2016 by Marching Ink LLC

Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Every fangirl has a fantasy . . . what happens when that “if only” dream comes true?

Though she’s a single mom wedged firmly into thirty-something territory, author Kallie Reagan’s devotion to rock star Niles Russell knows no bounds. To pay homage to her muse, Kallie writes a smokin’ hot novel featuring a hero who looks and acts an awful lot like Niles — and a heroine who may or may not have a smattering of herself thrown in for fun.

When Niles learns about the book and surprise-texts Kallie, the two deliciously complicated creatives become fast friends . . . and so much more. But trying to define a relationship that’s laced with closeted skeletons, half-truths, and constant question marks proves harder than making it big. If they’re going to progress from Fangirl Infatuation to The Real Deal, these two need to give each other All Access to the most important place of all: their hearts.

Excerpt from All Access

CHAPTER FIVE

Backstage Pass

Backstage is not at all as glamorous as it should be. It’s a bit musty and surprisingly chilly, given the steamy summer night outside. Eight-foot tables are pushed together in a C-shape with food, beer, energy drinks, and disposable tableware covering every inch. I lean against a wall, not knowing what to do with myself. There are a few others trickling backstage, but Zeke, the bouncer, took only me to the part of the room with the food.

There’s some commotion and laughter, but it still sounds far away. My pulse picks up and there is no question that anyone within a ten-mile radius could hear my heart thump if they listened hard enough. This is getting too real. This isn’t words on the pages of a book anymore, or even some texts and a quick phone call. Niles is a real human being who just walked through the door backstage and is heading straight toward me. There is seriously nowhere—and no time—to hide!

He immediately catches my eye, and I lose my breath. I am one hundred percent sure my face rivals the color of red velvet cake. I break into a cold sweat so bad it feels like my skin is melting.

He slips past everyone else and, in an instant, is less than a foot away from me. “I got you on the first try,” he announces, clearly proud of himself. “I knew it was you. I knew you’d be blonde. Knew it!”

His lips part to reveal those teeth! I read once that he had veneers applied after busting a tooth at a show a few years back, and now I truly believe it. They are Colgate-commercial straight, pure white, and all lined up like little soldiers in his wide mouth. I’m dying.

From the first row, I could see every one of his fillings (there are four) and I quickly became fascinated with how he could sing and smile at the same time. When his eyes fell on mine, not five minutes into the show, I knew he knew. He didn’t reach for my hand until over halfway through, but we made eye contact several times. When his fingers finally clasped mine, it was electric. I was touching Niles Russell. He held on longer than he should have, making the fans around me—guys and girls alike — that much more determined to get their own piece of him. He surprised us all by grabbing a few more hands, but only mine did he grab a second time.

Now, he’s so close to me I can smell him. His hair is wet and messy, but his face is no longer sweaty, as though he stuck his head under a faucet on the way back. He has a towel wrapped around his neck and his concert T-shirt has been replaced with a clean, dry one. He smells of deodorant and hot skin. It’s intoxicating.

“Have fun?” He hands me a half-empty water bottle. “Shit! That one’s mine. Here’s a full one.” He shakes his head in embarrassment and switches the bottles, which is disappointing since I would have gladly taken his.

It occurs to me that I have not yet uttered one word—only smiled stupidly—so I take a breath and give it a try.

“You positively killed it tonight,” I say, my voice shaking as it finds its legs. “As always.” He beams.

I can tell I touched a hot spot, so I keep going. “Every performance gets better, I swear. And I’ve seen many.”

“Thank you.” He reaches out like he’s going to touch my arm, but his hand just kind of airballs and falls back to his side. “Much more fun than real life.” He winks.

Author Bio

Liberty Kontranowski is a romantic women’s fiction author who adores all things lovey-dovey with a pinch (or more) of hubba-hubba. When she’s not at the keyboard, she’s taxiing around her three boys, knocking back craft beers with the hubs, blogging, fangirling, and dreaming up more fake people. She also spends an inordinate amount of time drinking coffee and dreaming of the day she can bid adieu to far-too-wintry Michigan and move to a place where she can write with her toes in the sand.

Liberty loves to hear from her readers (and otherwise cool people) so give her a yell. You can find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/libertykontranowskiauthor; on Twitter at @liberty_k; and through her blog at www.PurdyandWordy.com.

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#OnTour A Wolf On The Loose By Daniel Straka - #Interview + #Giveaway

 A Wolf On The Loose  By Daniel Straka is now on a Virtual Book Tour from June 19 to July 22, 2016.

A Wolf On The Loose: Episode 1 (A Wolf On The Loose)
by Dan Straka

Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Publication: February 21st, 2015
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

A Wolf On The Loose is a weekly e-serial, containing 36 parts spread over 5 episodes. One part is released weekly, free, on Amazon for 5 days (Monday-Friday). Completed episodes are available for purchase. 

Amid struggling with his addictions, former Marine Andrew St George goes AWOL from his rich family and lavish lifestyle. He appears months later in Miami with one intent; convince his friend, Emilio Cortez, to start a Private Military Company with him. Having left the Corps after his brother was killed in a drive-by, Emilio’s been stuck working three jobs to support his extended family, all of whom he lives with in a small apartment. 

While Andrew and Emilio enter into the security business looking for an escape from their civilian lives, both struggle with their demons. From the slums of Miami, the glitzy South Beach nightlife, to Cartel controlled Mexico, the boys will learn that despite their best intentions, no one job is the same and that there are battles to be fought outside of war zones.

Interview with Dan Straka

1. Tell me about yourself & your book.

A WOLF ON THE LOOSE is a weekly adventure/thriller about two former Marines trying to find their place in the civilian world by starting a private security company in Miami, Florida. What they get, is more than they bargained for.

The genre, timeframe, and format allowed me to have the character’s living in our world, reacting to major events. The week-to- week format also gave the characters room to breathe; slice-of- life scenes that wouldn’t fit within a novel were able to be included.

The nature of the security company, and finding new clients with varying backgrounds, allows for social commentary on subjects ranging from police shootings to veteran’s affairs, gang wars, drug lords, and even nerd culture.

2. How do you come up with the idea of the book? What is your inspiration?

Originally I started a novel, based on a private military company (PMC), and the protagonist was a female journalist embedded with the PMC operating in Kurdistan. This plot had some legs, and may appear in future seasons, but at the time I didn't have enough "good stuff" to flesh out an entire engaging story.

Around that time I watched Showtime's "Strike Back", which was focused on two Special Forces soldiers engaging in alternative conflict theaters and in small scale battles. I thought, that's how I should do my story.

The plots of AWOTL are not about stopping a speeding train filled with bombs, on its way to DC. AWOTL is about the characters dealing with conflicts based on events that can, and do, happen in the real world, and their own struggles. That's why Andrew and Emilio are not action heroes straight out of Call of Duty. They are simply two former Marines, with their own hang-ups and issues.

3. How long did it take you to write this book?

I started preliminary work in the fall of 2013, and weekly releases began in January 2015. Thirty-six weeks later, Season 1 concluded in September 2015 with a nasty cliffhanger.

4. Do your characters ever surprise you? 

Yes, not just the characters but the flow of the narrative. I'll start planning and typing out a scene, and as the characters are talking, things happen. I sit back and think, oh, I didn’t anticipate that twist. That's in the initial draft, and then I re-write. The best way for me to edit and keep that plot twist or excitement I uncovered is: read a scene, remember what I like about it, then crtl+x and delete. And rewrite it from memory.

5. Grade your book. How many stars out of a perfect score of 5 stars? Please give the reason.

I think the story overall is fun and engaging, and the writing is clean thanks to my editor. Even my wife likes AWOTL! She is a diehard Jane Austen and classics fan, and not a fan of thrillers. So I count that as high praise!

Like most writers, I'm happy with some scenes and wish I could tweak others. Really, I'm more interested in what readers think. How they feel. And I hope they get as excited to read AWOTL each week, as I was to write it.

6. What are you working on right now?

I'm actively working on Season 2 of AWOTL. This one requires a bit more research. And, I'm going a traditional publishing route with a sword and sorcery fantasy.

7. Anything you would like to say to your readers?

As part of the blog tour, I will be releasing one episode a week for free on Amazon, beginning on July 4 th . I hope you enjoy reading any, or all, of A Wolf On the Loose. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section, or as a review on Amazon.

Thanks for reading!

Author Bio

Dan achieved a BFA in photography and metal working and since graduating, has done neither. By day he works in manufacturing. By night, often very late into the night, he writes and stalks America's sub-cultures on the vast internets.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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#BookReview Fixin' To Die by Tonya Kappes

Fixin' To Die
(A Kenni Lowry Mystery)
by Tonya Kappes

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Chick Lit, Crime, Mystery
Publication: June 14th, 2016 by Henery Press
Format: ebooks
Source: NetGalley, Henery Press
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected. When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits.

With the help of her Poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.

Fixin' To Die by Tonya Kappes is definitely a good, cozy mystery  read around. It was fascinating to see a bit of mystery and supernatural combined in a book. Kenni Lowry, a sheriff, faced a murder case and a jewelry store robbery on the same day.  And somehow, a mystery symbol ties the two case together. It was up to Kenni to solve the mystery.

I love Kenni as the main character. It was exciting to know that she's a sheriff. This is the first murder case she had as a sheriff and Kenni must solve the two cases with the help of her Poppa's ghost (my favorite character in the book) and the State Reserve officer, Finn.

This is definitely a cozy mystery read that I really enjoyed. The plot was nice, fun, exciting and believable. There are a little bit of twist here and there keeps me guessing until the end. I enjoy the bits of romance between Kenni and the Finn. Oh well. It wasn't really a romance. But, Kenni does have a crush on Finn. I'm excited to see them again in the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley & Henery Press in exchange for my review.

#BookReview Porn Money and Wannabe Mummy by Laura Barnard

Porn Money and Wannabe Mummy
by Laura Barnard

Genre: Romance, Chick Lit, Drama, Contemporary, Women Fiction
Publication: March 2016
Format: ebooks
Source: Author
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

What is it about turning thirty that sends rational women into a tailspin?

Suddenly going from having all the time in the world, to cringing at the ticking of her biological clock, Poppy is drowning under the strain of trying to get pregnant.

With a dad in the throes of a mid-life crisis, a crazy mother-in-law and time racing towards Lilly's wedding, will she be able to cope with it all...and give Ryan the baby they so desperately want?

Finally able to inherit her dad's porn money, Jazz can't wait to be rich! She can buy a house in Chelsea, go out partying with her old mates and start living how she deserves.

But with Ollie, Jemima and Meryl each clawing at their own little piece of her happiness, will she have to leave behind those closest to her in exchange for it?

The real question is, can Poppy and Jazz rescue their own lives before everything gets ruined, or will their own stubbornness destroy the lives they've created.

I haven't read the other books in the series, so, I'm probably not quite familiar with the characters. But I guess, Porn Money and Wannabe Mummy can also be read as a stand alone.

The book is mostly about two girls, Poppy, who is trying to get pregnant, and Jazz, who turns after she inherits her dad's money. I'm mostly intrigued to know what was going to happen with Poppy as she and her husband try to get pregnant. I think it is a very interesting issue. I know a lot of people who are having the same dilemma as Poppy. I think a lot could probably relate to Poppy. The frustration to watch everyone around her gets pregnant, but not her. And then, there's Jazz. She's a really good friend who tries to be the best to people around her. Although I'm a bit concerns with how she spends her money.

This book is pretty funny. Poppy will definitely make you laugh with her clumsiness. She always finds herself in hysterical, but hilarious moments. But the laugh-out-loud moments somehow turns dull after too many coincidences at the hospital. 

Overall, Porn Money and Wannabe Mummy is definitely an enjoyable read. The author had a pleasant writing style, which I enjoyed. I thought I would probably like this book better if I get to know the characters from the first book first. But because I read this as a standalone, my only wish is that the story would focus more on Poppy trying to get pregnant. 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my review.