E. Bard of the Thrillers Rock Twitter team says City Under the Moon by Hugh Sterbakov may be right up your alley. Gives it 5 stars but with strings attached.
"I really never imagined I'd be writing this in a review: It's the werewolf apocalypse! This story is a very unique thriller that returns the werewolf firmly to the role of monster. For me, this was a welcome change from the recent trend in popular fiction where the werewolf is cast as more of a tortured romantic hero...”
Shaw Cassidy’s nightmares are shredding her sanity. Her global empire, her freedom from federal prosecution for espionage, and her life are all on the line. Long-ago secrets of love and betrayal swirl like living fire through her dreams until she doesn't know whom she can trust, or who is out to hurt her.
Federal Marshal Cole Marino has one mission: infiltrate his former lover's mountain retreat and force her to remember the shooting that triggered her amnesia. But when Shaw questions Cole's motives, and his lies are revealed, will the connection they've begun to forge be torn apart, or will the soul-deep bond they once had save them both and crash through Shaw's amnesia, once and for all?
And here’s 3 Good Questions with Anna DeStefano:
NFE: What book or books kept you up all night reading?
Anna DeStefano: Classics like Wuthering Heights, Jayne Eyre, Rebecca... Contemporary romances like Dream a Little Dream, It Had to be You and Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips... Category romance from Linda Howard (the Mackenzie Family series) and Suzanne Brockmann (her Tall, Dark and Dangerous books)... Nora Robert's Chesapeake Bay series keeps me up every time I re-read it... Anything Pat Conroy or Kristin Hannah write... A sci-fi/fantasy favorite is the Honor Harrington series... Neil Gaiman...
I'm a pretty eclectic reader. I gravitate towards characters that dig deep inside you and never let go. Beyond that, I'm in love with fiction and have spent just as many nights reading it as I have writing it. More, probably, since I started reading late as a kid under the covers with a flashlight. Insomnia and I have been fast friends for a long time ;o)
NFE: Would Her Forgotten Betrayal keep you up all night reading if you hadn’t written it? Why?
Ann DeStefano: It would. The depth of character and the richness of the gothic symbols and theme in Her Forgotten Betrayal make it exactly the kind of contemporary story I love to read. In addition to the kick-ass suspense plot and the romance arc, there's so much more to explore and draw you in. You're never sure exactly what's going to happen next, even though it's a romance and you know 'twill all end well for our haunted couple. The returning home, second chance, fighting the past to make the future possible story arcs are exactly what I look for when I'm browsing for my next read--I'd love discovering them in HFB and would definitely keep turning the pages.
NFE: Give us a link to your website or blog so we can find out more about you!
Anna DeStefano: I’m active on Facebook and Twitter (just look for my name). My website is www.annawrites.com. And I blog regularly on a array of topics at www.annawrites.com/blog: Dream Theories (like the dreams in Her Forgotten Betrayal), Things My Teenagers Says, The Soul of the Matter, How We Write, and more.
Also, for more spooky goodness about Her Forgotten Betrayal, check out its Pinterest page: http://bit.ly/IIejQc. There are tons of articles and guest blog posts to explore (like its feature in USA Today's Happily Ever After blog), plus pics that inspired the scenery, videos that share the soundtrack that kept running through my head as I wrote, and more!
When an Oscar-winning movie star meets a department-store photographer…
Movie star Nic Lamoureux appears to have a playboy’s perfect life. But it’s a part he plays, an act designed to conceal a dark secret he carries on his shoulders. His empty days and nights are a meaningless blur until he meets the woman who fulfills all his dreams. She and her son are the family he’s always wanted—if she can forgive a horrible mistake from his past.
A Hollywood dream…
Lauren James, a widowed single mother, earns barely enough money to support herself and her son. When she wins a photography contest and meets Nic, the man who stars in all her fantasies, her dreams, both professional and personal, are on the verge of becoming real. The attraction between Lauren and Nic is instant—and mutual. Their chemistry burns out of control during a photo shoot that could put Lauren on the fast track to a lucrative career.
Becomes a Hollywood nightmare
But an ill-advised kiss makes front-page news, and the lurid headlines threaten everything Nic and Lauren have hoped for. Before they know what’s happening, their relationship is further rocked by an obsessed and cunning stalker who’ll stop at nothing—not even murder—to have Nic to herself. When Nic falls for Lauren, the stalker zeroes in on her as the competition.
And the competition must be eliminated.
NFE NOTES: Yow, there are some totally window-fogging excerpts on Kristine Cayne’s blog, but we’re just going to link to them because our Moms read this website. ;)
Oh, and there is also a chance on her blog to win a paperback copy of Book 2 in the series, DEADLY ADDICTION, in a Goodreads giveaway!
Kristine Cayne: So many books have kept me up all night! Some of the most recent have been: Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider, J.R. Ward's Lover Reborn, and Riptide by Cherry Adair. All of these books successfully marry romance and suspense or intrigue from the first page to the last. The authors are masters of giving readers just enough information to satisfy, but not enough to answer all the readers' questions. This is what keeps us turning the pages well past our bedtimes.
I have to admit, I had a hard time putting down Lorelei James' All Jacked Up, but that might have been for an entirely different reason :)
NFE: Would Deadly Obsession keep you up all night reading if you hadn’t written it? Why?
Kristine Cayne: Deadly Obsession and Deadly Addiction are both page-turners. New layers are revealed as the story moves forward and unpredictable twists and turns will keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat. At the same time, the romance aspects of the book ratchet up in lock-step with the danger. I write stories exactly like the ones I love to read--fast paced, relatable well-developed heroes and heroines, and protagonists with believable motivations that drive their actions.
NFE: Give us a link to your website or blog so we can find out more about you!
**Book Lovers! Stop in at the Open Book Challenge where lots of new and established writers (including Kristine!) are playing hard, posting randomly selected snippets (Bookstore Browsing Style) from their latest works. Read, Comment on what you like, and register for a chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate from Amazon!**
"New Fiction Engine is all about matching great books with readers who would totally stay up all night devouring them if they only knew they existed. We want NFE to become a place where readers come looking for great writing, and where great writers come looking for readers. With that in mind...
We’re playing the OPEN BOOK CHALLENGE! An easy and fun way for authors to show off their work, and for readers to find something new they’ll love.”
You can read all about the OBC HERE or just jump in and start playing right now.
***
Welcome to the Open Book Challenge! From June 25th-July 26th, and through several thrilling rounds of play, the Open Book Challenge will be hosted by... me, Stephen T. Harper, author of the book up there in the top right corner, and now, rather suddenly, gameshow host.
Before we kick off Round 1, don’t forget there is a FABULOUS PRIZE at stake - a $25 Gift Certificate from Amazon - and you'll need to register for the game to be eligible to win. Don’t worry, it’s as easy as following this blog (actually, it IS following this blog).
I’m going to walk us through game play (it’s very easy), but if you want a full explanation and all the details, click that link above or the Open Book Game tab at the top of the blog.
If you are still here and ready to play, lets go.
The scene: You are a Book Lover who just picked up a book you never heard of. First sentence is intriguing. First paragraph too. But a great read must be great all the way through, on every page, even a random one. Open a book anywhere and start reading. You don’t know the characters, but can you see what’s happening? Can you feel it? Do you want to read more?
Let’s see...
ROUND ONE:
Using a pair of dice and the honor system... the randomly selected page number is... 257.
Now I’m looking on page 257 of “King’s X” (a digital file)... now I'm selecting the best paragraph... copy and paste... and...
"De Buci’s body hung in the desert air for a moment before toppling like felled living wood into the sand. St. Ives stood at the ready, his sword stained at its heart by a swath of fresh crimson. He returned his stare to the center of his enemy’s chest, unmoved but for the prickling flesh at the back of his neck."
Now it’s your turn. You are an Author and we are Book Lovers looking for something awesome. Go to your book, (published, unpublished, work in progress, it doesn’t matter, just show us what you’ve got!) turn to page 257* and give us the best paragraph you see in the comments section below.
Readers, you don’t need to have written a book to play. Comment on what you see and and you score points toward the Fabulous Prize. (Be nice, it takes a bit of courage to post).
*If your book has fewer than 257 pages, use page 157. Or 57. Or 7. The point is to honor the element of randomness, it doesn’t matter how long the work is.
We’re starting it off with something Red Hot (in more ways than one!) Intimate Strangers by Laura Taylor is not only hot the way Romantic Suspense should be, it’s also the first in a series currently burning up the charts at Amazon.
Award Winning Novelist Laura Taylor has also graciously agreed to be the very first participant in our 3 Good Questions Interview series. Hear directly from Laura in a moment, but first...
School teacher and advocate of abused children Hannah Cassidy invades a private retreat in the N. Nevada wilderness. Ignoring posted No Trespassing signs and the property's angry owner, she dismisses his threats and demands that he reveal her missing brother's location.
Nicholas Benteen, ex-mercenary and former CIA covert operative, assumes she is yet another adversary intent on exacting lethal revenge for his past deeds.
He will fight to the death to protect the sanctuary he has created for himself and those from his past he has vowed to safeguard. Even as Hannah penetrates Nicholas’s isolation and melts the ice that encases his weary heart, she is seduced by the sensual, battle scarred veteran and the dark secrets of his past.
NFE NOTES: Laura Taylor is a multiple award winning author for her work in both Romantic and Mainstream Fiction. Some of these awards include...
* Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award as Best New Contemporary Mainstream Fiction Author
* RWA Rita Award Mainstream Fiction Finalist
* Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Certificate of Excellence for Series Romance
* Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Bantam Loveswept Novel
* Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Best Series Romantic Adventure Novel
* Romantic Times Career Achievement Certificate of Excellence as Series Storyteller of the Year
* Romantic Times Career Achievement Certificate of Excellence for Best Series Romantic Suspense...
And the list goes on. You’re in good hands here, people. Plus, there are four more books in the series available now, with more to come soon, each at a great price!
3 GOOD QUESTIONS with Author LAURA TAYLOR
NFE: What book or books kept you up all night reading? And Why?
LAURA TAYLOR: Most recently? Barry Eisler's THE DETACHMENT. I live a double life as a veteran women's fiction author and as a veteran freelance editor. In my editorial practice, I work primarily (and confidentially) with international thriller writers, both established and about-to-debut authors. I'm also a dedicated thriller reader. THE DETACHMENT is the most recent book from Barry Eisler for his John Rain series, and it did not disappoint! What sets the novel apart for me is that the author exceeded the high standard he established in previous books in the series in his first foray into the ranks of indie book writers, having declined a lucrative book contract from a traditional publisher with whom he had an established relationship. This reader will remain faithful to Barry Eisler, because he fully grasps and embraces his responsibilities to his readers. He is a gifted storyteller who excels at characterization, story tension, and layered personal and situational conflict. Barry Eisler also possesses a gift for conveying a viscerally satisfying, albeit pragmatic, code of honor that resonates in the life and death decisions made within the framework of each one of his books.
NFE: Would this book (Intimate Strangers) keep you up all night if you hadn’t written it? And Why?
LAURA TAYLOR: In a nutshell, yes! Like Barry Eisler and most other writers, I endeavor to pen a tale in such a compelling manner that readers cannot set aside the book until they reach the final sentence of the story. When I wrote Intimate Strangers, I deliberately created an emotionally intense and sensual novel for my established global audience of romance readers. Recognition of my name by romance readers conveys an implicit promise that I will meet their expectations of a sensual, dramatic, and well-crafted story with a happily-ever-after conclusion. With 22 published books to my credit, you can probably tell that I take quite seriously my responsibilities to my readers. The ultimate reward, aside from being able to indulge my own creative passion, occurs when romance readers praise my books and eagerly await the next one.
NFE: Give us some links where we can find out more about you? (See, isn’t this an easy Interview?)
LAURA TAYLOR: Easiest ever. Thanks. And I love to hear from readers. You can reach me on Twitter @AuthorLTaylor
New Fiction Engine is excited, “Thrilled” even, to announce the first member of our Network of Reviewers!
Thriller’s Rock Twitterfeatures new reviews every week from a team of Four thrill seekers who love the pulse-pounding genres best. They devour it all - Techno, Crime, Mystery, Horror, and even cross-genres (YA Thrillers, Mystery/Romance) - as long as it promises to at least double their heart rate.
"If you are an adrenaline junkie, then thrillers are your fix.
And we, well we are your pusher #inthebestwaypossible” - TRT
TRT’s goal is bring readers not only Traditionally published books, but great Indie books too. With that in mind, TRT is also a is also a proud member of the Indie Book Collective.
New Fiction Engine says: “Welcome aboard! We’re excited to have Thrillers Rock Twitter as the first member of our Network. And we’re especially proud to display your really cool logo in our sidebar!"
What readers can expect: Thrillers Rock Twitter reviews a lot of books. Whenever TRT finds a worthy book for under six bucks, we’ll know, we’ll jump and down screaming about it, then you’ll know! NFE will link their reviews directly and send you right on your way.
**About our Network of Reviewers**
Books need readers like stuffed animals need kids to love them. The absolute best way to help match a book to a reader who will love it is Word-of-Mouth from other readers who love it already.
NFE is brand new, but we’re growing fast. Our mission is simple, just what it says up there at the top of the blog.
And we’re every bit as serious about the “Great” part of what we promote as the “Under Six Bucks” part.
Finding that price is easy. Finding “Great” is not. We need help for that.
Bottom line: No one love books more, no one knows more about being exhausted all day Tuesday because they were reading all night Monday, than book bloggers. We want to know what they think because nobody knows books better.
To learn more about the NFE Network and how your blog can join and why it’s a good idea, click the Reviewers, Book Lovers and Bloggers TAB at the top of the page.
NFE is looking far and wide to help you find great reads for under 6 bucks. We’ve sent out a call to book reviewers to become a part of our Network of trusted opinions.
The first to answer that call...
An excellent review blog for all you Book Lovers who take a little adrenaline with your coffee...
Announcement to follow, but first, here’s a high-octane gem they recently found for you...
Do you know who your enemy is?
What if the good guys weren't good?
The streets aren't safe when your enemy wears a blue uniform and a gold badge.
"…it will make you think and that might make you angry, or upset, or even shock you. Still though, I would give it a 5 star rating because of those very things. A book should make us think, and that’s exactly what Enemy in Blue does.”
NFE Notes... Yeah, that sounds pretty good to us! And we love that cover too.
Click the link to for the full review and find many more Thrills and Chills @
Noir Thrills from Author Jude Hardin and Detective Nicholas Colt. A Kindle Bestseller!
Fifteen-year-old Brittney Ryan has taken to the streets. Leitha, her older sister and legal guardian, hires private investigator Nicholas Colt to find her and bring her home. Piece of cake, Colt thinks. With Brittney's forbidden boyfriend's address in hand, he plans to make a surprise visit and put this one in the scrapbook.But something more sinister is behind Brittney's disappearance, and Colt soon finds himself in an ever-widening maze of deceit, betrayal, and murder. When Colt learns what the mysterious phrase Pocket-47 means, he is haunted even more by the plane crash that killed his family and rock band twenty years ago-a crash he now realizes might not have been an accident.Determined to save Brittney, Colt struggles to untangle the threads of his own tortured past. Unfortunately, one of the most heinous and violent criminals in modern history has other ideas.
From Publishers Weekly
(Starred Review)--Hardin gets everything right in his powerhouse thriller debut, which introduces rock star–turned–PI Nicholas Colt. The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed everyone in his band as well as his wife and baby daughter 20-some years earlier, Colt now works out of an SUV in north Florida. Strapped for cash, he agrees to help 23-year-old Leitha Ryan track down her missing 15-year-old sister, Brittney. Leitha is reluctant to involve the police out of fear that they will return Brittney to foster care. What appears to be a straightforward case proves to be anything but. Colt uncovers several murders as it becomes clear that Brittney disappeared in order to hide from someone who wants to kill her. The violence, while sometimes extreme, is never gratuitous, and Hardin crafts a well-constructed plot and conjures up a flawed protagonist who's more than capable of carrying a series.
Garcia Award Best Fiction Book of the Year
1st Place Fantasy - Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards
Winner - Sci-fi/Fantasy Category Indie Book Awards
Description:
"Cinderella is dead and one of Odin's hellhounds has gone rogue. The Woodcutter, protector of peace between Man and Fae, is charged with finding the beast and returning him to the Wild Hunt.
Unfortunately, the forces of evil have other plans.
Leaving the comforts of his quiet home, he finds a pixie dust trade raging out of control and a power hungry Queen who will stop at nothing to take over the world. The lives of Snow White, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood are at stake in this dark fairytale. It is a race against time as the Woodcutter travels east of the sun and west of the moon, up beanstalks and down to the bowels of the earth to unravel a mystery that can only be described as Grimm."
NFE Note: Beloved and Feared characters of the Grimm tradition,
re-imagined in a mature, noir-style mystery. Very imaginitive, fun
read. If you enjoy, or even sort-of-almost-like TV's "Once Upon or
Time," you'll really like this because it's much better, and more
"grown-up."
Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed. Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.
"...A believable and lively world filled with even more lively, engaging characters. The style is very distinct with a genuinely witty, dynamic prose that is very easy to read" --SFBook.com
NFE notes: With 157 customer reviews and an average star-rating of 4.6 out of 5, Lindsay Buroker’s “The Emperor’s Edge” has been acknowledged by Amazon as one of the best reviewed books in their entire store.
Better yet, it’s FREE.
And better yet, Ms. Buroker is quite prolific, with multiple series and new books coming out it seems all the time.
She has completed 4 books in the Emperor’s Edge Series, each one a hit with readers and priced at under 5 Bucks!
Okay... you’re all set with Lindsay Buroker’s books. One last thing...
She also has an excellent Author’s blog you can read HERE. Seriously, especially if you are a writer yourself, check it out.
"Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is about to become the greatest adventure of her life.”
NFE Notes - Imaginative YA offering different perspective on the afterlife. 67 customer reviews on Amazon with an Avg. of 4.6!
Lucy Donovan was supposed to have a weekend of fun in the sun, celebrating her upcoming graduation from college. In a split second, everything changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy’s mortal life. Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward spirits who don’t want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she can’t bear to lose. Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued. Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is about to become the greatest adventure of her life.
This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.
The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.
This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.
NFE note: Oh, and by the way... Ridley Scott likes this one a lot too. Read about Wool's impending journey to the Big Screen HERE
The summer of 1984 was a golden time in America. From California, where gymnast Mary Lou Retton was winning Olympic gold, to Cape Cod, where explorer Barry Clifford was discovering pirate gold, the nation seemed obsessed with the precious metal. But for 15-year old Al, that obsession hits a little too close to home when he finds a code-filled notebook belonging to his missing father that may contain the ancient formula for turning lead to gold. Convinced that his father’s sudden disappearance is connected to his secret experiments in alchemy, Al sets out to find the truth. He enlists the help of Cammie, a beautiful girl staying for the summer while her marine biologist father tracks a wayward manatee, and together they begin unraveling the mystery. But the closer they get to an answer, the closer they grow to each other, and as the end of summer draws nearer, Al wonders if they can break the code without breaking his heart.
Here’s some of what’s inside (warning: one naughty word ahead, but we thought this was pretty funny) - NFE
“...would you rather eat a piece of shit or a piece of chocolate? It’s that simple. You don’t need to worry about what’s going to happen in the end…eventually they both come out the same, if you know what I mean. All you need to figure out is which will leave a better taste in your mouth.”
NFE notes: Alchemy has 66 customer reviews with an Avg. of 4.6 Stars out 5
NFE Notes: This first in Andrew Mayne’s Steam Punkie, Sci-Fi Mystery series featuring a mysterious time traveler named Smith. Worth much more than $0.99. Perfect for Dr. Who fans. Actually, now that we’re thinking about it... here’s a link to the Kindle store in the UK too!
The exciting first Chronological Man Adventure! It's 1890 and the citizens of Boston are beginning to go missing in the fog. The police are confounded. The public is frightened. The city is on the edge of hysteria. It's up to the mysterious Smith, inventor and adventurer, to figure out what's going on with the help of his assistant, April Malone. They'll have to face off against a secret society, corrupt policemen and a mad psychologist hell-bent on dissecting Smith, in order to solve the mystery of what's going on and to save the city from an even more sinister threat. It’s the first story of Smith, a hard science fiction time traveler with more than a enough quirk to last him several centuries. A fast-paced 45,000 word tale of scientific adventure combines elements of DOCTOR WHO, SHERLOCK HOLMES and TONY STARK set against turn-of-the-century Boston’s soot-stained streets. “Mayne's books just keep better! The Chronological Man: The Monster in the Mist was excellent! It had well written characters, good dialog and a great story to be told!” - Simone Allyne “In many ways I enjoyed it better than the canonical Doctor Who books.” - Joseph Rochetto
NFE Notes: And while we’re at it, you’ll probably want this one too!
Ken Lowery is a man at odds with his life. He hates his job, is disappointed in his marriage, and feels resigned to leading a mundane existence. That all changes when his wife brings home a rambunctious Black Labrador puppy named Silas, who forges a remarkable connection with Ken and begins to heal his inner turmoil. When some neighborhood children start to go missing, he takes it upon himself to protect those around him and is thrust into a surreal world where monsters roam. Not everything is what it seems to be, he soon discovers, including his new best friend.
Blurbs and Reviews...
"Silas is heartfelt and compelling, dark yet uplifting. It's The Dark Tower, with a dog. You'll love this book." -- Daniel Arenson, author of Blood of Requiem and Firefly Island
"Fans of Lost and The Talisman, here is your next adventure. Action, suspense, heartbreak, and true friendship - Duperre brings it all. Be glad you don't live in an alternate universe where this book was never written." -- Daniel Pyle, author of Dismember and Freeze
"The perfect Manly-Man fairy tale!" -- Paranormal Wastelands
"An unforgettable depiction of the good and bad of everyday life, and the special ways that having a pet can make one's life better." -- Bewitched Bookworms
NFE notes: 45 Customer reviews on Amazon, average Star rating 4.3!
.jpg)
