C. D. Bennett & her new romantic suspense No Good Dead

Please welcome C. D. Bennett and her new romantic suspense, No Good Dead. 

Hello readers, I am thrilled that M.S. Spencer invited me to her blog today. I appreciate the opportunity to connect with all of you and introduce you to my upcoming release No Good Deed, a book that, in a small way, took shape from personal experiences. This novel takes place on a family ranch in the rugged mountains of Colorado, a beautiful state filled with breathtaking views and people that share a deep-rooted love of the outdoors. It also happens to be where I spent a lot of my childhood. I got to play among the aspen trees and have ridden through those mountains on horseback. I still miss it. Since I can't hop on a plane every time I get nostalgic. What better way is there to revisit my old stomping grounds than to write about it?

I also included a main character that previously worked as an EMT (just like I did). It is how I put myself through college. Everyone says to write what you know, right? Needless to say, my heroine can handle a crisis. It's a good thing too, because Kiya James couldn't have known that saving the life of a stranger would make her the target of a dangerous unknown adversary. When she joins forces with the victim and his family, she finds herself thrust into a world filled with endless greed and relentless danger. It also opens the door to new love and found family.

I would love to hear your thoughts on No Good Deed!

 

Blurb:

No Good Deed…goes unpunished.

Kiya James’s relocation to idyllic Riverton, Colorado is disrupted when she discovers a critically wounded man lying in a field near her home. Little does she know that her selfless act to save the man’s life would thrust her into a world of corruption, greed, and danger. As the only witness to the initial attack, and shaken by an attempt on her own life, Kiya is offered refuge with the victim’s family. Together, they struggle to uncover the circumstances that would trigger an unknown assailant to unleash a string of deadly attacks in an otherwise quiet rural ranching community.

Jake McCleary’s world could have been destroyed with a single bullet if it hadn’t been for the quick actions of a stranger. Now, in a desperate attempt to protect her and his entire family, Jake must fight to defend his home, livelihood, and the woman who is rapidly capturing his heart, against the vicious actions of a criminal who will stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wants. But will they find the answers they need in time, or will they lose everything to the conceit of a madman? And will the bond between his wounded brother and the woman that saved him prove to be too big of an obstacle for Jake to overcome in the pursuit for Kiya’s love?

Introduction to the excerpt:

In this excerpt, Jake and Kiya have been spending time together while trying to uncover information about an attack on Jake’s brother, Dylan. Jake starts to realize that his feelings for Kiya aren’t as simple as he thought, but he would never hurt his brother by coming between the two of them.

Excerpt: Troubling realization

Outside, the air had turned chilly causing Kiya to shiver slightly when the wind blew across the yard. Jake immediately wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. He had snagged it from a peg hanging inside the door as they were leaving. “What are you doing running around out here without a jacket?”

“Thanks, I didn’t need one on my way over, and I wasn’t expecting it to get so cold. The temperature changes fast around here,” she said as she snuggled farther into the jacket.

They made the short walk to the cabin in relative silence, but as they entered the glow given off by the light near the front door, Kiya stopped and turned toward Jake. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. It was great getting to see Dylan that way. Even if he still tires easily.”

“It’s surprising how effortless it is for you to tune in to how he’s feeling. You noticed his change in energy quicker than any of the rest of us.”

Jake’s words were spoken lightly, but his eyes appeared guarded. Kiya shrugged. “I know what to look for, that’s all.”

“I suppose that could be it,” he allowed.

The wind picked up again causing Kiya’s hair to flutter across her cheeks. Without thinking, Jake reached over and smoothed the silky strands away from her face, but the mental image of his brother’s interaction with her earlier in the evening had him pulling his hand back and shoving it into his pocket. He had been unprepared for his reaction to their almost instant and very obvious bond. He was struggling with the fact that he didn’t like it.

 

No Good Deed

The Wild Rose Press, June 26, 2024

Romantic Suspense

308 pages

 

Buy Links:

The Wild Rose Press

Books2Read

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

I am an avid reader and nature lover who enjoys adventurous outdoor activities when I'm not busy writing romantic suspense novels. Horseback riding, hiking, kayaking/paddleboarding, and swimming are some of my favorite pastimes. I have even "taken the plunge" with skydiving and scuba diving. I live in rural northwest Pennsylvania with my family and a menagerie of animal companions. I am currently working on my third book.

 

Contacts:

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Marla White and Framed for Murder

Please welcome Marla White, author of the acclaimed Pine Cove Mystery series. The second in the series, Framed for Murder: A Pine Cove Mystery, has just released. Marla, could you tell us a bit about the background of the series?

Framed for Murder: A Pine Cove Mystery is set in the fictional, tiny, Southern California mountaintop village of Pine Cove that may or may not bear a close resemblance to the very real town of Idyllwild but is obviously a lot more murder-y than the real thing.

I’ve been to Idyllwild as a mentor for several retreats and have stayed in rooms from the awesome to the eccentric, but they showcase the beauty of the place. Pine trees, clear blue skies, a rushing brook, and not a chain coffee shop in sight.  And the people are so lovely!

When I learned the Wild Rose Press was looking for holiday themed novellas, I was in the midst of failing to bake Starlight Mint Surprises and the origin story to “Framed” was born. I thought it would be funny to have a character running a B&B who was equally baking challenged. And what better place for the B&B than a small, mountain town like Idyllwild?

More than dealing with being a terrible cook, Mel is also dealing with the trauma of losing the only career she ever wanted, being a beat cop for LAPD. I’ve always loved fish-out-of-water stories and wanted to play with the idea that this quirky little town is exactly what she needs to heal. “Framed” is the second book in the series and she’s not there yet, but her mountain home is starting to grow on her.

 

Fascinating—what a contrast between small town baker and former cop in the same body! Can you give us a summary of the story?

Old enemies become allies to unravel a deadly mystery. 

Mel O'Rourke used to be a cop before a life-changing injury forced her to turn in her badge. Now she leads a relatively peaceful life running a B&B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. That is, until her old frenemy, the charismatic cat burglar Poppy Phillips, shows up, claiming she's been framed for murder. While she’s no saint, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone and sets out to prove Poppy's innocence.

The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

Pine Cove

How about an alluring little excerpt?

Too much conversation before coffee. 

“Excuse me, is that your car parked out front?” She struggled to maintain a polite tone.

The woman’s head snapped toward her, her perfect lips making a surprised little ‘o’ before breaking out in a broad smile. She removed her wireless earbuds, blasting classical music across the room. A swipe to her phone silenced them, and she got to her feet in a fluid motion, stepping toward her with the grace of a ballet dancer. “Officer O’Rourke, how good to see you,” the woman gushed in a lilting British accent. “Or should I just call you Mel?”

“Poppy?” She was too astonished to squeak out more.

“In the flesh.” The lithe woman beamed but stopped short of wrapping her arms around Mel in an enthusiastic hug. So many questions rattled around in her pre-coffee sluggish brain, but she blurted out the most obvious one first.

“How did you get in here?” She’d locked the front door after the posted eight o’clock closing time last night. The guests all had keys to their own cabins or rooms and had instructions to call if they needed her after eight. The safety protocol was a habit she’d stuck to religiously after finding a murdered man sitting in a chair right across from the one vacated by her…nemesis? Acquaintance? She shook her head, unable to put a label to their relationship.

“Well,” she purred, her brown eyes sparkling behind long fake lashes, “I drove up early this morning and it was too cold to sit in my car until your eight a.m. opening time.” She gestured to the sign in the window stating lobby hours. “So I let myself in. I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

Poppy Phillips was a thief. A notorious cat burglar, sometimes called “The Ghost” by social media outlets and more whimsical members of the public. Many police forces had been chasing her for years, including the LAPD. They knew she’d committed a multitude of crimes, but never found the evidence to make the charges stick, until last year. Mel, hot on her heels in pursuit after a daring robbery, got within an arm’s length of grabbing her with the stolen items on her person when the thief nimbly jumped from the roof of the building they were running across, over an alley, to land on the one next door.

Mel tried to follow, but slipped and slammed into the side of the building instead. With her partner too far away to help, she clung to the rooftop by her fingertips until they cramped from the strain. She started reciting the Hail Mary for what she thought would be the last time when two strong, slender arms pulled her to safety. It was Poppy. She could have kept going and escaped, but she came back to save Mel’s life.

As they both collapsed to the roof, breathless and laughing at the absurdity of the situation, she cuffed herself to the thief and arrested her. Rather than lashing out and trying to escape, she just sat there and laughed some more. It was almost insulting how chill she was about the whole thing. But, since one rescue deserved another, she convinced the prosecutor, a member of her extended family, to drop the charges in light of services rendered. So what was she doing here?

Making a mental note to change the lock and check into a security system to prevent another surprise visit from potentially less amiable thieves, she persisted. “Yes, but what are you doing here? In Pine Cove?” She narrowed her eyes at the intruder. “Are you on the run?”

Poppy’s eyes grew wide in a nearly convincing guise of innocence. “No.” She huffed with the perfect blend of indignation and hurt feelings. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“Experience?”

After mulling her statement over for a moment, the Brit gave her a crooked grin. “You got me there but seriously, after our run in on the rooftop and you managed to keep me out of the nick, I got to thinking, is this what I really want to do with my life? So, I decided to turn over a new leaf. When I heard about your lovely B&B, I says to me-self, ‘Poppy, that’s the ticket. Go work for your old pal Mel.’ And here I am.” She spread her arms wide like a magician who had performed a trick and awaited her due applause.

Mel scrubbed her face with her hands. “This is too much conversation before coffee.”

Framed for Murder: A Pine Cove Mystery

The Wild Rose Press, June 17, 2024

Cozy Mystery, Romance

300 pp.

Heat Level – on a pepper level? A poblano for salty language and mild kisses

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple Books

GoodReads

AllAuthor

Books2Read 

Book Bub

 

About the Author

Marla White

Marla White is an award-winning novelist who prefers killing people who annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her first full-length mystery novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several contests including Killer Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite, and finishing second in the Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma, she lived in a lot of other states before settling down in Los Angeles to work in the television industry.  She currently teaches at UCLA Extension and gives seminars about the art of script coverage. When she’s not working on the next book, she’s hiking, cheering on the LA Kings, or discovering new craft cocktails (to, you know, drown her sorrows over the Kings).  

Contacts:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheScriptFixer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlawriteswords/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarlaAWhiteAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21467766.Marla_A_White

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/marla-a-white

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MHIzkB

Substack: https://substack.com/@marlawhite?utm_source=edit-profile-page

Lisabet Sarai has a New Release!

 

Please welcome Lisabet Sarai and her New Release!

Serpent’s Kiss

 

A Father's Inspiration

      My latest book, Serpent’s Kiss, is dedicated to my father. He has been gone for for nearly fifteen years, but I still feel his presence, every day. During the time since his passing, the pain of loss has healed. I’ve come to understand that he'll always be with me, in my memories and in my heart.

More than any other individual, it was my dad who inspired me to read, and to write. He had the gift of words, and passed it on to his children. I recall him reading aloud to my siblings and me—folk tales, fairy stories, adventures like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe. He told his own stories, too, inventing worlds and characters for our pleasure. There were the Gulkons, terrible demons who lived in the fire on the hearth, and Houligan, the god of snow. (I grew up in chilly, stormy New England.) I still remember sitting spellbound while Dad recounted his story of the hapless wizard Thomas Carl Sefney who had to touch his wand to every one of the monster's thousand tentacles before it consumed him.

Both my parents encouraged me to write. My first poems date from about third grade. During my childhood I wrote fantasies about Martians and ghosts, and plays about the Beatles and politics. In my adolescence, too shy to speak to any of my crushes, I poured out my adoration in anguished free verse. In my twenties and thirties, I wrote science fiction and first tried my hand at romance. Finally, in my forties, I actually managed to publish something (other than in my high school newspaper). My first thought was to call my father.

My dad and I shared favorite books, characters, and authors. When he and I got talking about Sherlock Holmes or Frodo Baggins, H.P. Lovecraft or Edgar Allen Poe or Anne Rice, the rest of the family would roll their eyes and leave us to our obsessions. I never had any difficulty figuring out what gift to get him for his birthday or Father's Day. There was always some book that I had seen or heard about that I knew he'd love.

I never did introduce him to my erotica, though. I was so tempted to show him the pile of paperbacks with my name on the cover, the multiple volumes I had penned or edited. I wanted to autograph a copy of my first novel for him, telling him how much he had contributed to my literary endeavors. I wanted him to be proud. However, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. I recalled the way he reacted when I gave him Anne Rice's BDSM classic The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty - an embarrassed grin and an "oh, that's interesting". We didn't discuss that book much. Though I would have welcomed the opportunity to open up to him about my own pursuits in the world of sex and sensuality, dominance and submission, I sensed that he would rather not know.

I guess that there are just some things you can't share with your parents, no matter how close you are. But at very least, I can acknowledge him as my lifelong inspiration.

 

Blurb

When a woman atoning for past sins heals the human avatar of an ancient god, she’s drawn into a perilous dance of destiny and desire. Though mortally wounded, Jorge still demonstrates unnatural strength and power. Irresistibly attracted, Elena risks everything for his love. Gradually she realizes that even if he triumphs in his apocalyptic struggle with his nemesis, she may lose him forever.

A Serpent’s Kiss

Paranormal Erotic Romance

Five flames; 36,000 words, 136 pages

Smashwords and Amazon KDP

ISBN (Smashwords): 9798215674734; ASIN: ‎ ‎ B0CL2HPVV4

Hashtags/Keywords

#Paranormal #Shifters #Mayan #Mythology #Guatemala #FatedMates #Tikal #Ritual #Quetzlcoatl #Reincarnation #Apocalypse

Excerpt (PG): Remorros

The waiting room was dim. An unfamiliar smell lingered in the air, some kind of petroleum smell, like tar or kerosene. She sniffed suspiciously. She kept two Coleman lanterns in the storeroom, in case the generator ran out of diesel. Could some animal have got into the place and knocked them over?

Elena moved cautiously towards the door of the infirmary, not wanting to alarm a possible animal intruder. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, she heard noises behind her—footsteps, and the sound of the front door bolt being thrown.

She whirled around. “Who’s there?” In her sinking heart, though, she already knew.

“You lied to me,” Teodoro Remorros growled at her. He looked as affluent and dapper as ever, but his handsome features were twisted into a grimace of rage. “You told me that you didn’t know Jorge, that you hadn’t seen him.”

Elena tried to swallow her fear. He might be only guessing, threatening her in order to get her to talk.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“He’s been here, here inside this pathetic clinic of yours. I can smell him.”

The man’s nostrils flared, exactly like a beast’s.

“How can you smell anything? The place reeks of kerosene. I was just going to check the storeroom…” Elena began inching backwards, toward the infirmary, the rear exit and freedom.

Remorros lunged forward and grabbed her arm. His nails bit into her flesh like talons. “I warned you, woman. You don’t know what you are dealing with. Jorge is not a normal man. He doesn’t have a man’s heart. He’s a power, a force of nature, hard and pitiless, implacable, vicious, evil.”

“No, he’s not! He’s not evil!”

“Fool!” Remorros dragged her into the infirmary and threw her on the cot. “You’ve been meddling in matters far beyond your puny mortal capabilities. And now you will pay the price.”

Note: Serpent’s Kiss was previously published by Totally Entwined. This new edition has been re-edited, revised and expanded.

Reader Advisory: This book may not be appropriate for individuals with a fear of snakes.

Buy Links

Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1317-serpents-kiss/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL2HPVV4

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CL2HPVV4

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1465062

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/serpents-kiss-lisabet-sarai/1017488008?ean=2940166119209

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/serpent-s-kiss-26

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6469359665

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199721219-serpent-s-kiss

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/serpent-s-kiss-by-lisabet-sarai-2023-10-15

About the Author

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance: over one hundred titles and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh