Saturday, August 31, 2019

#BookReview – “To Command and Collar” by Cherise Sinclair


Blurb

Working with the FBI to capture human traffickers, Master Raoul scores an invitation to a slave auction. To his surprise, one slave is the kidnapped friend of a Shadowlands submissive. Although Kim’s body is scarred, her spirit is unbroken, and he can't leave her behind. Ruining the FBI's plans, he buys her.

Kimberly's freedom has come at a devastating price: the other women are still imprisoned. Desperate to help the Feds locate the traffickers, she agrees to pose as Master Raoul's slave. Although wearing a collar again is terrifying, Kim starts to heal and then to blossom under the powerful Dominant’s care.

Submission. It’s what she's been drawn to--and fled from--her entire life. She has escaped the slavers who captured her body. Escaping the Master who has captured her heart will be far more difficult.


Review

In the sixth book in the Masters of the Shadowlands series, Raoul Sandoval infiltrates a human trafficking ring in Tampa, FL with the assistance of the FBI. While at a small sale, he intends to refuse the women available in order to get an invitation to a large auction, so the FBI can raid it. His plans are derailed when the vicious Overseer tries to sell him a beautiful, scarred woman.
Kimberly Moore enjoyed light BDSM before she was kidnapped, raped, and brutalized. When Kim finds herself as Master R’s slave, she intends to escape. Instead, he frees her and she’s soon reunited with her friend Gabi, another human trafficking victim who was saved a while back (in a previous book). Rescuing her, however, put a big dent into the FBI’s plan. To get the invitation to the auction, Raoul needs to train her as his slave to make the Overseer happy in his mandatory follow-up visit. Kim agrees in order to stop the slavers, but she never expected to enjoy her master’s touch or serving him as a slave, both in and out of the bedroom.
Kim is damaged but not broken. Even though she’s a natural submissive, she doesn’t want to surrender every bit of herself to a man, especially to a Dom, and she’s always felt empty inside as a result. Under Raoul’s care and training, she finally finds fulfillment. As they work together to become Master and slave, they soon learn each others’ fears and their trust in one another is put to the test.
There were a lot of side characters, couples from the previous books. Even though this book is a standalone, all the Shadowland books are interconnected, and I probably would’ve understood this story more if I’d read the other ones first.
I really like bondage, BDSM, Dominate/submission, erotic stories, but I haven’t read many with characters in a Master/slave relationship. I appreciate the characters’ consensual need to enter into such a relationship, but the full submission in this book was just too much for my taste.
The book is really long due to all the sex scenes, but it kept my attention for the most part. I found a few typos (missing words and quotation marks), but nothing that really distracted me. The story is predominately told in Kim’s and Raoul’s POV, and occasionally in the POV of side characters, but sometimes the narrative shifted without scene breaks.
All in all, Kim and Raoul are awesome people with a kinky dark side. I enjoyed reading about them falling in love.
4 Stars

Friday, August 30, 2019

#BookReview – “Club Shadowlands” by Cherise Sinclair


Blurb

Her car disabled during a tropical storm, Jessica Randall discovers the isolated house where she's sheltering is a private bondage club. At first shocked, she soon becomes aroused watching the interactions between the Doms and their subs. But she's a professional woman--an accountant--and surely isn't a submissive...is she?

Master Z hasn't been so attracted to a woman in years. But the little sub who has wandered into his club intrigues him. She's intelligent. Reserved. Conservative. After he discovers her interest in BDSM, he can't resist tying her up and unleashing the passion she hides within.


Review


In the first book in the Masters of the Shadowlands series, Jessica Randall finds herself stranded on the road in the middle of a tropical storm. She seeks shelter at a dark, imposing mansion and soon finds herself in the middle of a private club that caters to kink. She’s nervous but intrigued at the BDSM scenes, but it’s the club’s owner, Master Z, that has her all worked up.
Though he often has his pick of subs, Zachary finds the stubborn, curious Jessica refreshing and sets out to teach her about the lifestyle. After he brings out her inner submissive, his possessive tendencies come out and he realizes he doesn’t want to let her go.
This is a pretty fast-paced story that focuses more on introducing the reader to what BDSM is about. There’s no drama, pain, past trauma, etc, that I’ve read in the author’s other books. It’s a short novel with an abrupt ending, but at least there wasn’t a cliffhanger. The age difference irked me a little. He’s in his 40s and she’s in her mid-to-late 20s. He’s divorced with two grown children, but not much was said about them and I really wanted more. I read book 6, To Command and Collar, before this one by accident, and in that book, I got to know Jessica and Z better even though they were side characters.
Other than a few minor typos, the book is well-written and the sex scenes are super hot. The story is in Jessica’s and Z’s third POV with proper scene breaks. Overall, I liked the story.
3 Stars

Thursday, August 29, 2019

#BookReview – “Hero, Come Back” by Stephanie Laurens, Christina Dodd, and Elizabeth Boyle


Blurb

Two superstar New York Times bestsellers, Stephanie Laurens and Christina Dodd, join forces with one exciting rising star, Elizabeth Boyle, to create this sexy anthology with an exciting new theme. In an innovative new twist for anthologies, each author is reintroducing a secondary character from a previous book to star in his own story!

Review

This anthology showcases three Regency-era novellas about characters from each author’s respective series, but you don’t need to be familiar with the full-length novels to understand and enjoy this book.

In “Lost and Found” by Stephanie Laurens, Reggie’s uncle is on his deathbed and that means big changes are coming to Reggie and the Carmarthen family. Soon enough, he’ll become a viscount and then an earl. When news of this hits the ton, all the matchmaking mamas and their daughters will chase after him for marriage. Reggie, a resolute bachelor, decides to find his own wife before they do. When he stumbles upon Anne Ashford in a heated discussion with another man, he comes to her rescue. After all, she’s his best friend’s sister and they’ve known each other for years. For the first time, he sees her in a different light. When they have to work side by side to help unite a sweet orphan with his long-lost family, loves blooms between them.
This is a sweet story and I liked it, but it was a little slow and the POV shifts were confusing.
3 Stars

In “The Matchmaker’s Bargain” by Elizabeth Boyle, Amanda finds herself stranded in a storm and takes shelter in the home of a mysterious old woman. She unknowingly drinks a potent tea and pays for the woman’s services. In the morning, she learns she has to find her heart’s desire and be married in a few days. Desperate to finally live her life on her terms, she enlists the help of Jemmy Reyburn, the old woman’s neighbor and Amanda’s unrequited love from years past, to help her escape the town unwed.
Jemmy doesn’t remember Amanda, but he’s entranced by her now. After serving in the war against Napoleon, he’s no longer the arrogant rake she remembers. He’s bitter, scarred, and has a bum leg. He’s given up on living until Amanda brings the light back into his world. As the town gathers to see her married, he soon realizes he wants her for himself, but can he convince her to give him a second chance and stay in Bromley Hollow?
Jemmy is definitely troubled, but he’s so kind and comes out of his shell around Amanda. She’s torn between what her heart wants and what she knows is polite decorum. They both find themselves and grow as characters throughout the story. I think Amanda’s parents are by far some of the worst parents I’ve ever read in a book. I really sympathized with the poor woman and the life she’s led. The story is well-written with no stray POV shifts. This is a wonderful story and my favorite in the anthology.
5 Stars

In “The Third Suitor” by Christina Dodd, Harry is on holiday in a sleepy English coastal town to relax after risking his life abroad serving his country. He’s bored and thinking about his next mission, whatever that might be, when he finds a young woman sneaking through the garden outside his rented cottage. Jessie is in hiding from a persistent suitor and beseeches Harry for his help. Friendship quickly blossoms between them, and Harry scares the man away. When he finds out she has three unwanted suitors (Jessie and her unwatchful chaperone are on holiday to meet to meet and pick from the men), he’s determined to help her out of the dreadful matches. Things heat up between them, but he’s a man with a past and his secrets could get her killed.
This is a great story and I love the characters. Harry is dashing and mysterious, Jessie is smart and brave, and the chemistry between them sizzled the pages. Though well-written, there were a few POV shifts. I felt a little lost during the climax. In my opinion, the beach scene could’ve used more description. I had a hard time picturing the cliff and the boulders, but maybe that’s just me.
4 Stars

Book Overall
4 Stars

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

#BookSpotlight - "Kai" by Valerie Ullmer


Title: Kai (A Dark Assassins Novel Book One)
Author: Valerie Ullmer
Genre: Paranormal Romance
3-Year Book Anniversary

Blurb

There are two words that described Kai.
Remote and Deadly.
And until six months ago, he was fine with that description. But when the vampire assassin spots a curvaceous woman, a human no less, who would come to fill his thoughts, he would gladly shake his persona for a moment in time with her. Instead, he kept his distance, watching out for her and learning more about her every time their paths crossed. But he had yet to speak to her. When a turn of events thrusts her into his solitary life, he must decide whether to complete his assignment, or protect her.
Olivia Sabin had dedicated her life to her work; finding a cure for cancer. She had hidden behind the mask of a scientist who cares little about anything beyond her laboratory, and for a long while she believed it herself. But when a mysterious man came to frequent the diner she visited nightly, her awareness of him devastated her concentration, and she came to look forward to the glimpses of him, however brief.
When she stumbles upon a horrific experiment at work, she knows he’s the only one she can turn to. She’s willing to sacrifice everything in order to protect him and others of his kind from the same fate. But first, she needs to find a way to get him to hear her explanation.


Buy Links


That was the moment he spotted her from the corner of his eye.

Her mass of cascading dark, curly hair bounced against the burgundy mid-length trench coat wrapped tightly around her to ward off the chill of the late September night. But with her head tilted down, he was unable to see her face. Even from the distance of over two hundred yards, he could hear her mumbling to herself. As hard as he listened, he couldn’t quite make out the words. The coat did nothing to cover her curves hidden underneath, and he found himself enthralled by the sway of her hips. His gaze traveled down her curvy body, and his groin tightened with every step she took.

Before he could contemplate his actions, he leapt from the deck and flew down the mountain, stopping when he stood, hidden in the darkness, a few feet from her. He forced himself to widen the distance between them, and started trailing her.

Experience and his enhanced senses kept him out of sight from her and the others who ventured out on the cold night. He soon found that she was so absorbed in whatever happened to be on her mind that he could have stood right in front of her, and she would’ve ignored him and kept walking.

He trailed her as she closed in on the diner on the corner, learning that the small eatery was her destination on most nights. She chose that moment to brush her long hair out of her face. With that tiny movement, her fragrance of lemongrass and green apple drifted back toward him. A low snarl erupted from his throat as his body stiffened in shock; the unexpected reaction to her scent was so fierce, he was torn between his instant desire for her and self-preservation. The sound he hadn’t managed to smother must’ve reached her, because her head turned toward him and her brows drew down in confusion. A split second before her eyes landed on where he stood, he stepped back, pissed at his infinitesimal loss of control. A silent sigh of relief passed his lips as she shook her head, not able to spot in him the dark, and continued on her way.

In his over two hundred year existence, he’d never been attracted to a human. Blood was the one reason that he interacted with humans, and even that could be taken from a donor without him having him drink from the source. But as he tried to pass off a reason he reacted to her in such an elemental way, he continued to follow her, finding himself outside the door that read Blue Plate Diner. Obscured by the door, his eyes tracked movement as the waitress greeted her as if they were old friends. For a reason he couldn’t fathom, he felt a surge of jealousy. He was still a stranger to this captivating human, and she intrigued him.

Without quite knowing why he had followed her, he opened the door and walked into the chrome and tiled cafe, taking the time to pull up the hood of his sweatshirt. He scanned the place and settled for a booth at the back of the restaurant, where he could watch her without being detected.

By the time he’d sat down and scanned for any possible dangers, she had pulled out a laptop along with a sheaf of papers filled with formulas he couldn’t decipher. Between typing and writing in the margins of the already filled pages, the concentration on her work was total.

He found himself mesmerized by the play of emotions on her face as she worked. A smile for when she figured out a problem, or a frown when something didn’t quite fit, and everything in between. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. When she bit her lip in concentration, it took all of his control to keep his distance from her. He found that he had to grip the table to keep himself still, when all he wanted to do was devour her.

The spell was broken when the waitress had placed a club sandwich with a side of fries on the free space next to her elbow. He forced himself to relax, but kept his eyes on her when she reached for the sandwich absently and ate without really paying attention to anything else but the work in front of her.

After several hours, her hand covered a small yawn. She glanced at her watch, and he felt the side of his mouth tilt as she rolled her eyes. Thanking the waitress, she reached for two tens in her pocket and dropped them on the table before she packed up and left.

From that night on, he made a point to arrive at the diner minutes after she was seated, and spent hours scanning her face as he watched her work. And every night, he slid into the shadows as she walked home to her small cottage, with its bright white siding with cornflower blue shutters that matched her perfectly. Each night, he waited until she was safely inside with the door locked, before he made his way back to his home on the mountain.

His attraction also came with a somewhat unwanted reaction. Protectiveness. He estimated her height at under five and a half feet tall, and although she walked everywhere in their relatively safe little town—to her job at Standard Biotech and her home, several blocks from the diner—he had to tamp down his need to protect her. From what, he couldn’t explain, even to himself.

Author Bio

Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary romances with strong alpha males and brilliant, beautiful heroines. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character driven romances.

Social Media

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

#AuthorInterview - "The Shadowheart Curse" by Karilyn Bentley

Thank you so much, Karilyn, for stopping by my blog.
Author Interview

What kind of research did you do for The Shadowheart Curse? Did you travel, use the Internet, speak with experts on a topic, etc?
I was given the pictures of where the movie would be filmed and had to write the scenes according to that. The book takes place at an abandoned Italian mill and while I had pictures of the outside, I did not have any of the inside. So I had to Google abandoned mills (which is totally fascinating, BTW). I've also never been to Italy, so there was a lot of research for me!

What process did you go through when you picked your characters’ names for The Shadowheart Curse?
I looked up popular Italian baby names for the years my characters were born in and picked two that mean the opposite of each other, light and dark. 

Are your characters based on anyone you know?
No, not for this book. I was given descriptions of the characters, even though I got to name them. Only once have I ever based a character off of someone I knew and then it was more of a personality quirk than the actual person!

What do you prefer: ebook or print? Why? 
I actually prefer print but print books take up a lot of room so for the last few years, I mainly read on my Kindle. Ebooks are nice because you can store a lot of them without wasting physical shelf space.

What did you do when you received your first Acceptance Letter? 
It was an email, not a letter, and I had to read it at least three times to make sure it said what I thought it said. Then I jumped around the room shouting. 

What is your favorite book? Favorite author?
I can't pick just one! I love the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin and of course Harry Potter by JK Rowling. Favorite authors are like favorite books. Too many to count!

Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?
I used to love to grow a vegetable garden, but since I've moved to the mountains, I can't get anything to grow. My container garden is sad. 


BLURB:

Escaping New York after a client’s untimely death, medium Adrianna Sinclair flees to her family property in Italy. All she wants is to avoid ghosts, but an attractive one tempts her in ways she never knew possible. 
Luca Fausto has been trapped on the Romani property for over a century for a crime he didn’t commit. Adrianna may be the answer to breaking the curse that keeps him bound. 
Standing in their way is a demonic spirit's plan for revenge.  Will they prevail or will Luca be cursed to the shadows forever? 

EXCERPT:

Lights drew her attention to the opposite wing of the mill, where a man stood staring at her window. At her. Breath caught in her lungs as she froze.
But only for a brief moment until she realized it wasn’t a man, at least not a living one. Her breath escaped on a whoosh of relief. Intuition whispered the man was the spirit who’d watched her last night.
The one from her dream.
Shadows clung to his body, ghostly fingers releasing as he stepped into the dim slash of moonlight. Lights flickered from behind him, like the dying gasps of sputtering candles. Dressed in a white shirt with an old-fashioned high collar, sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, and dark trousers, he reminded her of a working man in a World War I photograph. As if he had removed his coat and tie and rolled up his sleeves to get to work.
Except the men in those photos didn’t sport the wide-eyed, happy look of this man. Ghost. Whatever. Yeah, he wasn’t the only one surprised. She’d sworn never to see a ghost again, yet there stood a ghost, captured by her gaze. The man was hot, in an old-fashioned way. At least he didn’t sport a handle-bar moustache.
He gestured to her, his hand beckoning in a “come here” motion.
She squeezed the bridge of her nose. Was she actually thinking of heading his way? Judging by the way her feet pointed toward the door, she’d already decided. Dammit. She might not want to see a ghost or speak to a spirit, but past experience told her if she ignored them, they ramped up the annoying factor.
       How bad could it be to talk to an attractive spirit?

BUY LINKS:


BIO:

Karilyn Bentley's love of reading stories and preference for sitting in front of a computer at home instead of in a cube, drove her to pen her own works, blending fantasy and romance mixed with a touch of funny.
Her paranormal romance novella, Werewolves in London, placed in the Got Wolf contest and started her writing career as an author of sexy heroes and lush fantasy worlds.
Karilyn lives in Colorado with her own hunky hero, two crazy dogs, aka The Kraken and Sir Barks-A-Lot, and a handful of colorful saltwater fish.

WHERE TO FIND KARILYN:

Website: www.karilynbentley.com
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/ba_0Rf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarilynBentleyAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/karilynbentley1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051943.Karilyn_Bentley
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/karilynbentley
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karilyn-bentley

Sunday, August 25, 2019

#BookReview – “Lucky Me” by Kelly Moran



Blurb

Declan O’Leary’s family is cursed. For the past one-hundred years, bad things happen if they fall in love. So Declan lives his life one woman at a time. Until he meets Lily Durand and he finds himself wishing for a forever that can never be. Yet their fate encounter and one week of bliss just might be enough to turn his luck around. 

Review

Declan O’Leary lives his life day by day, one woman at a time. He can’t afford to fall in love because of a century-old family curse. When he first sees Lily, he’s instantly attracted to her but she’s one elusive woman. Every time he approaches her, something happens and she gets away. Finally, a week before St. Patrick’s Day, he sees her in his brother’s pub and finally talks to her. Not only is she beautiful, but brainy too. They instantly hit it off, and he finds himself making an offer he’d never expected to make—they could be together for one week and then say goodbye, no strings attached.
This is a great story. Declan’s fear of love and losing the woman he loves is heartfelt and so understandable. His family has been through so much pain, especially his sexy older brother Aiden, and Declan doesn’t want to follow in their footsteps. Lily’s back story is heart wrenching too. Though different, their pain drew them together in ways neither expected and in ways they didn’t know they wanted.
Though I found the pacing a little slow at times, it’s very refreshing to read a story without typos. I noticed absolutely none in this story. Bravo to the author! It’s told in first person, Declan’s POV. It was a little strange to only read from the hero’s POV, but it made sense for the plot. I still got to know Lily very well, so I don’t think I missed anything by not reading in her POV.
If you want a sweet, heartwarming, and very sexy story, this is a great book to pick up.
5 Stars

Saturday, August 24, 2019

#BookReview – “Berrr’s Vow” by Laurann Dohner


Blurb

Kidnapped from Earth and transported to planet Zorn to be sold as a sex slave, Shanna is one angry, frightened woman ready to fight anyone who tries to touch her. Raised in foster care, she’s not going to take any crap off some alien men no matter how big, terrifying or muscular they are. Before she can be sold, she’s freed by a huge, sexy Zorn warrior... a warrior with the most beautiful blue eyes she’s ever seen. Shanna demands he take her under his protection when she realizes she’s stuck on Zorn.

Hyvin Berrr, the leader of Zorn, thinks humans are helpless and weak. Shanna decides to teach the big hunk he’s wrong by knocking him on his backside. He might think she’s playing but she’s trying to teach him a lesson. She’s not sure if she wants to fight her feelings for the sexy alien, though if a woman has to lose a battle, this just might be the one time to concede.

Review 

In the fourth Zorn Warriors book, Shanna is kidnapped from Earth by the Collis aliens. The Collis take their human captives to the planet Zorn to illegally sell them as sex slaves, but Hyvin Berrr, the leader of the planet, and a group of warriors break up the auction. It’s love and lust at first sight for Shanna and Berrr, but he already has a bound (a mate/wife).
This is an awesome book. I’ve been anxious to read Berrr’s story since book one, and it was worth the wait.
He’s totally gorgeous, buff, wonderful, caring, so alpha, and the duty-bound man has the weight of the world on shoulders. I’m not sure how old he is—he has several grown children, some are in their 30s, and he has three grandchildren on the way—but he looks like he’s in his early to mid 40s. Yummy—I love older men! He’s trapped in loveless bound (marriage) with Alluwn, and the nasty, manipulative woman despises him and the children they have together. At least they don’t live in the same house.
Shanna is the toughest, strongest female heroine in the series, thus far. She’s smart and determined to fight for the ones she cares about, but she finally lets her guard down when around Berrr.
I really enjoyed this story, but a few parts confused me. Though Berrr loves Shanna and does his best to protect her, he couldn’t shield her from Alluwn and from the male-chauvinistic laws that govern the planet. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but Shanna gets into serious trouble and he couldn’t do anything to help her. (I saw two ways out of their predicament, but neither character thought of it, which didn’t make sense to me.)
Though the story ended with a HEA, there were a few unanswered questions: Will the guards who did Alluwn’s bidding be punished? Will Berrr invite a certain horrible, violent man back into his home?
Berrr’s sons, Ral and Rever, and Ral’s bound Ariel make appearances. It was good to see how the previous books’ couples were doing.
The book is better edited than the prior ones, but it’s still written in passive voice and has typos. It’s all in Shanna’s POV. I would normally knock off a star for editing issues and unanswered questions, but I really loved this story and think it’s the best one in the series. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a long time to come.
5 Stars

Thursday, August 22, 2019

#BookReview – “Tempting Rever” by Laurann Dohner


Blurb

Brenda spent four years trapped in an unhappy marriage. She’s so desperate to start a new life somewhere safe that she’s agreed to go to another planet with a handsome alien stranger. When he’s killed, she finds herself in the home of a Zorn warrior willing to protect her until the fallen warrior’s brother arrives to claim her.

Brenda never believed in love at first sight until she gazed into the gorgeous blue eyes of Argis Rever. He’s tall, dark, sexy…the kind of guy she’s always dreamed of finding—and already bound to another human woman. She could have lived with letting the man of her dreams slip through her fingers, except he isn’t happy—the horrid woman doesn’t even want him, and will never love him.

Brenda has lost a lot in her life but she’s not willing to lose the one chance at finding happiness with a man she’s falling in love with. She’s more than ready to start tempting Rever into finding his own happiness... with her.
 

Review

In the third Zorn Warriors book, Brenda leaves Earth with an alien warrior to escape her abusive husband. Days later, the warrior is killed in battle. Berrr, the leader of the planet Zorn, gives her as a bound (a wife/mate) to the fallen warrior’s cruel brother. The brother won’t make it to the planet to claim her for a week, so she’s temporarily sent to live with the leader’s mated son, Rever, so she would be safe.
Rever is a very honorable man and even though his horrible human bound, Tina, insults him at every turn, he’s loyal to her and tries to make her happy. When he and Brenda meet, it’s love at first sight for both of them.
Rever and Brenda are perfect together. They both came from bad, abusive relationships and found solace and understanding in each other. I loved the emotion and tension between them as they struggled with their feelings and doing what they believed to be the right thing at the expense of their hearts. This couple definitely had a hard time coming together, but it makes the romance all the sweeter.
Rever’s brothers and his father are awesome as usual. Ali, the house helper, is my favorite helper by far. She’s a fun, spunky older woman, and a true friend to Brenda. (House helpers are Zorn women who live in a warrior’s household to cook, clean, and take care of the warrior’s sexual needs. The men who bind with humans, however, have older house helpers whom they don’t have sex with. This is a very male-centric society. Most Zorn women don’t mind sharing their men with each other, and they are never harmed.)
The story is told predominately in Brenda’s POV. Though mostly fast-paced, it did slow down a little in the middle. As with the previous books in the series, this one could use an edit. For some readers, this might be a turn off, but the book and series is very good if you can get past it.
I really enjoyed this story and I can’t wait for the next one. I’ve been intrigued with Berrr since book one, so I’m anxious to get to it.
4 Stars

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

#AuthorInterview and #BookSpotlight - "Gravedigger" by CeeRee Fields

Welcome to my blog, CeeRee! Thanks for chatting with me.
Author Interview


What made you decide to become a writer?

I never 'decided' to be a writer I just wrote. When I was younger my parents weren't big into television. It was always 'go outside and play' and there weren't swingsets and such only a yard with a few toys. So I made up stories and my brother and I acted them out. So there's always been stories floating around in my head. Later, the stories helped me get through boring life stuff like standing in a grocery line before ereaders were ever invented or waiting for the gas to hurry up and pump.
The first story I ever put to paper and tried to have published was not your run of the mill story. I based it on the game Mortal Kombat with a female character as lead. It was a romance and when I sent it off for publishing, after having my English teacher proof it for me, I received so many rejection letters. Not for grammar. Not for a weak story. But because my female lead did not fit with their 'cookie-cutter' norm.
Needless to say, that story is still sitting in paper form on a shelf next to me.
It wasn't until I moved to the Netherlands that I had enough time to actually sit down and put more stories to paper. Living here is slower not at all like living in the United States where every minute of every day was always filled. So, I'm able to write more.

Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

I'm a pretty voracious reader and will try any genre once. Some of my favorite suspense authors, since we're talking about my book, Gravedigger, today are JD Robb, Carol O'Connell, John Sandford and Michael Connelly to name a few.

If you could be any character in any book, who would it be and why?

If we're talking one of my stories, then I would want to be Fawn. She's an assassin who is a few pieces short of building a slider. In other words, she's crazy. But in a fun way... unless you're on the wrong side of her blades. Or Jo Rayburn as she and I have a lot in common in terms of family ties.
If we're talking about another author's work...
I would have to choose Robert Jordan's Ahvienda. Because she was born a fighter, it's all she's ever known but when her destiny catches up with her she runs until she can't run anymore and then she finally accepts what life has in store for her. She acts like an every day person. Everyone panics when things go wrong or crashes down all at once, but when they stop fighting and actually accept what's happening flourish and are usually happy. The few that continue to fight become bitter and sullen, I'd rather be happy than bitter when life throws me curve balls.

Do you have any hobbies you would like to share?

I'm a computer geek. So I'd say computer software whether it's games or just software I can use as an author. For instance I'm learning GIMP to create a world map for my futuristic fantasy books as well as my covers, and adverts. Otherwise, I game. My primary game is Runescape which I've played over 14 years and it's where I met my husband. If I'm not on RS then I'm playing Sims3, Skyrim or on one of our gaming stations.
Yep I know total nerd.

Whats an item on your bucket list that you havent done yet?

I want to travel. I'd love to see more of Europe. Greece, Norway, Denmark are a few of the countries on my bucket list to see and wander around.

Tell us the best vacation you have ever been on.

I don't have a best/favorite vacation, because I loved all the experiences I've had while on vacation. From getting seasick when my dad tried to share his love of deep sea fishing to bungee jumping and having the biggest adrenaline rush. Now I love to go and just learn the history to walk in places that are steeped with stories and history. Like seeing the attic where Ann Frank hid to evade the Germans, touching the bullet holes Germans left behind during World War II and realizing my grandfather wandered these same streets when the Allies came to help. I'd like to go see the village that inspired the story of the Pied Piper which is in Germany. Those are all enjoyable in different ways.

Where do you find the inspiration for your books?

I find inspiration in the oddest places. For my first Rayburn Mystery, Gravedigger, I was actually flipping through some stuff learning about the Grim Sleeper, aka Lonnie David Frankling Jr., a California serial killer. I ended up stumbling across an article about a Russian man who'd been digging up graves and putting the bodies in plaster so the dead wouldn't be lonely anymore.
He probably never would've been caught except he left a note at one or two of the sites and the parents became suspicious and had their daughters' bodies exhumed only to find an empty coffin.
It made my mind churn and of course a story was born. Most of it I let my imagination run as wild as I wanted, because cemeteries can be fun exploring at night. And yes, I speak from experience... who hasn't dared a friend to hang out in a cemetery on Halloween?

Is there anything else you would like to share with your fans?

Yes, there are two more in the Rayburn series written as well as two blog stories.
I'm in the process of writing the stories for Josephine's sisters which has been a lot of fun since each of them have vastly different personalities from not only Jo but each other as well. Juliette is a CIA wetwork operative who worked with their father. Jenna is a white hat hacker. And of course you've met Karma, she's found throughout Josephine and Rhys's stories.
Also, Gravedigger was a finalist in The Beverly for 2019. It came in at the top five of their Published Author's Contest.



Tagline: Hunting a killer is easy. Learning to love is hard.

Blurb:

Josephine 'Jo' Rayburn has no luck with love. Between the demands of her job as a homicide detective, finding the perfect yarn for her knitting projects, and her nosy family, she doesn't have time to find her happily ever after, nor does she really believe it exists. Until she's assigned to the Gravedigger task force where she meets Rhysian 'Rhys' Harrison, the sexy Coroner's assistant.

Rhys Harrison thought he had found love with the perfect woman. But his parents' death forced him to choose between his fiancée and caring for his brother, he chose his brother. His only regret, the medical degree he abandoned to work in the Coroner's office. When the Gravedigger leaves his latest victim at the gates of a cemetery, Rhys and Jo are thrown together, her prickly personality interests him, but it's her deeply hidden romantic side that captivates him.

After one of the task force members is shot, Rhys's fears of losing Jo, like he's lost so much already, threaten to rip them apart. Can she convince him that love is worth having no matter the risk? Or will he play it safe, leaving before his heart becomes too attached?

Gravedigger Amazon Links:

Trailer:


Excerpt:

~Their first date at a craft show~

They rounded the corner and Jo released a startled gasp when Rhys led her to another booth. “And this is the reason I wanted to bring you here.”
Her gaze bounced from all the colorful yarn in front of her, to him. She narrowed her eyes. “Did Sullivan talk? Because if—”
“Sullivan knows?” Rhys held his palms up, shaking his head. “No, I kind of spied on you . . . sort of.”
She took a careful step back. Could she have read him wrong? God, she had the absolute worst luck with men.
“Get that look off your face. I wasn't following— Wait, I kind of . . . Dammit.”
It was the first time she'd seen him at a loss for words and had heard him curse. He took a deep breath, then released it as he rubbed his palms across the sides of his pants. Nervous was good . . . maybe.
Rhys's gaze tangled with her and she read the sincerity in it. “I take my brother to the library on Wednesdays. They sponsor a reading program, and I like him to have real books. Borrowing the books teach him to take care of items, especially if he's responsible for turning them back in or paying for damages out of his allowance.”
“I thought I saw you on the escalator, but . . .” she trailed off unsure if she wanted him to know she'd almost followed to see if the man really was Rhys. Jo hadn't followed though, not wanting to embarrass herself if she were wrong.
“Yeah, probably. I followed you—”
“And saw the knitting books. Crap.” Jo stepped into his space, jabbing a finger at him. “No telling anyone. Sullivan knows, but I have enough blackmail video of him that he won't ever spill.”
“I'm not going to tell anyone, Jo. I mean I don't get why it's a big secret—” Rhys's hand caught hers, linking them together again.
People who didn't work in law enforcement rarely understood the weird sense of humor and pranks that occurred because of it. “If any of my coworkers know, I'll get orders showing up on my desk for knitted speedos, with sizes I'm sure—”
“Are you kidding?” Rhys's mouth fell open when she shook her head.
“With just the Digger case, Sullivan and I have gotten three different adverts for zombie apocalypse survival kits. Not to mention a few axes, and tons of emails with videos on how to survive a zombie attack.”
“I thought cops had more important things to do.”
Jo snorted. “They do, but they also know levity keeps you from sinking into the deepest darkest hole you can find. We see the absolute worst humanity has to offer. Grandmothers killing grandkids because they were high. Or parents selling their kids. Kids shooting parents or other family members. If someone can dream it up, we've seen it.”
He gently pulled her close, cradling her in his arms. Safe. His chest was solid under her cheek. His heart a steady beat in her ear, she stifled a gasp at how right he felt.
“I know. I've only worked for Jim for a few months and I already know I'm not cut out for it.”
Gathering her composure, Jo kept their hands linked and leaned back. “You wanted to be a doctor? I thought I heard that.”
“Yes, a pediatrician.” His thin lips softened from the hard-flat line they'd been in. “I planned to go into practice with a couple of friends I'd met in school. One was studying to be an OBGYN and the two others were studying general medicine. I wanted to help kids.”
“And what stopped you?”
“My parents died, and I needed to take care of Rian.” Rhys set her away from him. “And this is depressing. How about we get off these subjects and back on this amazing yarn.”
Deciding to go along with him, Jo turned and fell into her second love. Knitting. Jo wanted to dig into all the questions she had: why Rhys quit medical school, why he'd taken a job at the Coroner's office and why he still drove his father's car after they'd been dead for two years, she tamped down the urge. Focusing on his smiles and laughter. But especially the bubbly feeling of happiness he drew so effortlessly from her.



Blog Story Links:






Author Bio:

I'm a geek, a gamer, a music lover, and a voracious reader. I love Star Trek and B-grade movies like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Sharknado. I enjoy figuring out software and learning new things and applying them to whatever book I'm currently working on.

I write romantic adventures. Mostly, I live vicariously through my characters. I can be a knife-wielding forager who saves her family from deadly kidnappers or a slinky thief who must outmaneuver her sadistic cousin. My male characters aren't cookie cutter either. There's so much diversity in the world that one size does not fit all. It's the same for love. My male characters are diverse. I have several he-men, alpha types, but I also have nerds in glasses who can kickass when needed, whether in a board room or in a parking garage. I have characters who are blind and some who have lost a limb putting their lives on the line to save others.

The one thing they all have in common is they are people who learn to move past their hurdles and find love.

I can be found at: