GOOD WEDNESDAY EVERY ONE

 Good Wednesday everyone hope your week is going fast and your summer is going well. Today I have a good summer read for your poolside entertainment.  IN A STRANGER'S HANDS by Shaelyn Jackson.

                             BOOK BLURB

Sam is on her way to Vegas for a girls' weekend.

Miles from any town her car leaves her stranded with one option: to walk until she finds help.

Hot and sweaty from the walk she spots a run down shed in the distance. Still miles from town she decides to take a chance on it being her salvation.

Will that decision be the worst one she ever made or will she find the most glorious pleasure at the hands of a stranger?

                             MY REVIEW
  This is Shaelyn Jackson's debut novella , it is a paranormal tale with a twist . Would you trust a stranger in helping you out of a jam . Sam is in that predicament as her car stalls on a lonely road. She walks until she finds help a sexy stranger that will show her the time of her life and ignite a spark that won't die . NEVER TRUST A STRANGER .
  When you start this book , its like you are in your very own fantasy. Being stranded and finding a hot sexy man to help you out and then rocking your world all night long. The characters were well written and they were hot for each other. I loved the rawness of Gavin , he is like the alpha predator on the hunt. Sam was just a little naïve to me, she needs to be a little bit more oomph for me . She is a really good character but just needs something.
   This is a short novella and you can have it done in the afternoon by the pool.  For a first book the author did a great job. I think it should of been a bit longer and develop the characters just a little bit more . Over all I loved this book and the sex was sooo hot, melt your kindle and have a cold drink beside you hot. So if you want a hot summer read for the pool check it out .

Books to curl up with: HEY ALL ITS MONDAY

Books to curl up with: HEY ALL ITS MONDAY: Good afternoon all , I know its only Monday but I hope you are all doing well  So question for you what do you do if your all time favourite...

HEY ALL ITS MONDAY

Good afternoon all , I know its only Monday but I hope you are all doing well  So question for you what do you do if your all time favourite horror author does a graphic novel . Well after you stop your happy dance around the house , you go and start to buy the whole damn series . Well I will admit that's what happened to me this weekend . When I was cruising net galley and found out my favourite author Dean Koontz has done a remake of FRANKENSTEIN in graphic novel form . So let me introduce you to FRANKENSTEIN STORM SURGE by Dean Koontz, Chuck Dixon and Rik Hoskin.

                             BOOK BLURB

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time! Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents an all-new, in-continuity story set within the universe of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein novel series. While healing from a beating she suffered at the hands of Victor Helios (the madman once known as Dr. Frankenstein and her own maker), Erika Five decides to leave the comfort of her glassed-in porch and bottle of cognac to explore Victor's secret home lab, which she believes is an antechamber to something more sinister. With the help of a decapitated head named Karloff, Erika finds a secret lab and within discovers that Victor's experiments are not limited to his attempts at creating a race of super-immortals. No, he has constructed a mirror-like portal to another universe... one of infinite realities that Victor is trying to bridge for his own horrible reasons! 

                             MY REVIEW
      Where can you have an evil scientist , a damsel in distress, a pack of zombies and a monster that is more sexy then scary . Well let me introduce you to Frankenstein a great reworking in graphic novel form.  After suffering a beating Erika  five and after finding the ante chamber of the infamous  Dr Frankenstein and the evils that is processes . Will she survive or will the evils take her and hurt her .
  This is a dark moody set of stories , I must say I really loved this book . Some stories a little bit more then others but over all the stories were so good. The illustrations are dark and well drawn which sets it apart from most graphic novels now a days . Seems like they went the retro way with them.  The characters are also well written and complex you will like Frankenstein cause he is actually really hot looking hehehehe  and there  are zombies in this retelling and a talking head named Karloff who helps Erika.
   So if you want to read a great reworking of  Frankenstein as Frankenstein as the hero and alternative universes check out this set of novels . You will love the story line and the graphics are to die for .  If you are into graphic novels and love a good horror story, check it out . You won't be disappointed .

Books to curl up with: HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE

Books to curl up with: HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE:   Good Friday all , hope you all are ready for the weekend . Summer is going by so fast I can't believe we are in August already. So if ...

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE

  Good Friday all , hope you all are ready for the weekend . Summer is going by so fast I can't believe we are in August already. So if you are looking to add to your summer reading list this could be the book for you. BROKEN LION by Devon Hartford


                             BOOK BLURB

Bestselling author Devon Hartford brings you another scorching hot and scandalous standalone romance.

BROKEN MEN BREAK HEARTS

The night the EMTs wheeled Lion Maxwell into my Emergency Room turned my life upside down. Although he was bloody and battered from defending his title as the reigning cruiserweight champion of Mixed Martial Arts, his cocky grin lit up the room.
And every cell in my body.
Our fiery chemistry was off the charts.
The ER staff sensed it.
Lion’s entourage and his drooling groupies sensed it too.
If the two of us had been alone, I might have done something entirely unprofessional and completely unethical right there in the exam room. But I was his attending physician. A sexual or romantic relationship with him was grounds for my termination or worse, revoking my medical license. I wouldn’t risk my career on a moment of passion. It didn’t stop that arrogant caveman from doing everything he could to get me into his hospital bed.
After denying his advances for weeks, the last thing I expected were the wild nights he would be spending in my bed.
It was supposed to be nothing more than a secret fling.
I knew it couldn’t last.
He was still my patient.
What we were doing was wrong.
If anyone found out, it could ruin my life.
But we couldn’t let go.
We were bound to each other on some primal level that consumed us.
Sometimes love is tragic.
Sometimes two people aren’t meant to be together.
But sometimes, two people overcome all adversity and build a love that lasts forever.
Deep in my heart I knew that Lion Maxwell could be my forever love.
As long as we kept our love a secret.
I wish I’d known beforehand that some secrets are too hard to keep…

***HEA approved, steam guaranteed.

                            MY REVIEW
   Some rules are meant to be broken  is what you think when you first meet Lion Maxwell , he is a world champion mma fighter who is rushed into emergency with a screwed up knee, where he meets the one woman that says no to him . Dr, Brigad Flanagan  is that person she is his doctor and trying hard not to fall for his charm and cockiness. But the good dr. runs into him again and again so she decides what the hell . He is helping her son with his martial arts and she hasn't been with a man in such a long time. But they need to keep it quiet she is his dr. and can't date him . Can she .
  The characters written with such gusto, Lion is so damn cocky you kind of want to knock him upside the head every now and then . As you read into the story you find as side of Lion that is sweet and sensitive , nothing like the character he portrays in the ring . Don't get me wrong he does have a temper when he is protecting the ones he loves . He is kind of crass also so you have to take him with a grain of salt sometimes  Brigad is a complicated character . She is tough and well assured when she is working but her personal life is such a mess . She needs to get a back bone to stand up to her ex husband and his family and her son . She is such a wimp when it comes to her ex and his family . As you read you see her start to get her back bone and you see her grow as a character .  The rest of the cast of characters add some spice to the book too
  This was a fast read for me I read it in an afternoon while I was at the beach . The characters are well written and the story flows good  but I found that it kind of dragged just a little in some areas . I felt like there was some that could of been left out . I just felt like sometimes there was too much cockiness and attitude by Lion . I wanted him to be more of a normal guy. Don't get me wrong over all I loved the book and trust me your kindle will melt and you will need a fan to cool down in some parts. So if you want to meet a cool couple and want a good summer read . Check it out you wont be disappointed

Books to curl up with: TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY ON THE BLOG

Books to curl up with: TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY ON THE BLOG: Sitting in the legendary Perk Noir waiting for my interview to show up . I must try their favorite coffee as I sit in the blue room listeni...

TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY ON THE BLOG

Sitting in the legendary Perk Noir
waiting for my interview to show up . I must try their favorite coffee as I sit in the blue room listening to some smooth jazz and looking over the pictures .  Waving as my interview shows up
 Hi Chris welcome to the blog
Thanks for having me

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself .

I make my home in Cleveland, Ohio, where I’ve lived my entire life.  I’m retired, after providing twenty-five years of leadership as an IT executive to a Fortune 200 insurance company.  That’s a quarter century of corporate moments to find homes in short stories.  I was nationally known, in insurance technology circles, which is to say entirely unknown.  I’m a big fan of the Grateful Dead, have two cats and host a long running Dungeons and Dragons game.  I volunteer at a creative writing space for youth, helping fourth through sixth graders get comfortable expressing themselves creatively. 

2. What got you interested in writing  

I’ve always been an avid reader.  During college, I was exposed to the fantasy of Tolkien and became hooked.  I wrote the outline for my first novel in 1981, an epic fantasy saga.  The pages yellowed and collected dust for 20+ years.  I pulled out my notes and started writing that story in 2002, eight years before my retirement.  I’ve written four novels in that setting (the World of Sangrar) two of which have been released to the public. 

3 I just finished reading your new book Perk Noir , want to tell us a bit about it.

After writing those epic fantasy novels, I built a website to house an encyclopedia for the World of Sangrar setting.  I wrote a hundred entries, using the narrator of the novels’ voice after evolving his story so that he could legitimately use modern colloquialisms.  I found this change liberating and decided to try my hand at a different kind of fiction.  Perk Noir is a contemporary story and Mason Barnes is a contemporary hero.  I loved writing a story set in modern society, not counting those turn of the century flashbacks, and creating a tale incorporating music and football, two of my pastimes, and my love of pop culture.  The racial themes in the story I took from the current political milieu.  I believe we are moving towards a more blended society, which is a future I fervently favor. 

4 do you have any rituals when you sit down to write 

Not really.  As long as I’m appropriately caffeinated, I can write.  I mix up my routine regularly.  Sometime I write at home, sometimes in coffee shops.  Sometimes I write in the morning, sometimes in the evenings.  I do find that it varies by what phase I’m in for a particular story.  For me, pounding out a first draft, revising the structure of a story, and reading for line level edits all require different types of energy and settings. 

5 how old were you when you wrote your first story 

The first story I remember writing was titled “Augusta the Dragon”, which I penned for my fourth grader teacher, Mrs. Hamilton.  I’m a slow starter.  I didn’t start my next story until college and it took more than 20 years so complete.  Unfortunately, it was my first novel so it still stinks.  Someday I hope to whip it into shape. 

6 who inspires you, in your writing

So many classical fantasy and science fiction writers shaped my early story telling.  Robert A. Heinlein was always a favorite.  I loved how he started his stories with great hooks that instantly grabbed the reader’s attention.  Among more contemporary writers, I admire and draw inspiration from David Sedaris and Carl Hiaason.  Sedaris taught me to create unusual characters.  Hiaason has a wonderful way of writing entertaining, contemporary stories containing thematic significance, memorable characters and great humor.

7 what do you like to do in your free time , if you have any 

I write.  I think about writing.  I help children learn to write.  And I play games, live roleplaying or on my PS4.  Also, I’m a basketball junkie and watch every Cavs game.  Winning the NBA championship this June was dream come true for me and other Clevelanders. 

8 if you could change anything about your writing what would it be 

Get more readers.  It’s not about sales.  It’s not about money.  It is all about having my stories entertain readers.  People have long questioned whether a tree falling in an empty forest makes any sound.  For me, and my stories, the answer is a resounding NO.  There’s no such thing as a good story nobody reads.  If it ain’t read, it ain’t good. 

9 do you have a tradition when you finally finish a book . 

Typing the last period is a great feeling of accomplishment.  So many people set out to write a novel with the best of intentions, but it’s harder to finish one than it is to start one.  I don’t have tradition or ritual though, because for me writing is a process – I guess it’s my IT/analytical roots showing through – and writing the last sentence is little more than the end of a phase in the creative process and the start of a new one. Perk Noir took four months to write.  I then spent two months revising and editing.  After that, a six month process of giving it to beta readers, gathering their feedback, and making more revisions.  Next to tackle are marketing and distribution, which are not my strongpoints.  I’m so grateful to have the expertise of Optimus Maximus Publishing and the wonderful Christina Hargis Smith on my side. 

Now for some rapid fire questions 

Coffee or tea – Coffee for sure!  I start my day with a 20 ounce cold brew toddy.  It’s the equivalent of 7 double shots of espresso. 

 

 

Morning person or a night owl – night owl.  I stay up way too late, hence the toddy mentioned above. 

 

 

Sweet or salty snacks – I have an insatiable sweet tooth, much to my waistline and doctor’s dismay/

 

Dogs or cats – cats.  I’ve owned a cat since I was ten years old.  The two shelter cats I have now, China and Rider, are named after songs from Grateful Dead set lists (China Cat Sunflower à I Know you Rider/

And one last question 

Where can people find you and contact you . 

By email at Chris@tsgar.com or

my website, http://chrisgarsonwrites.com/ or

on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/chrisgarsonauthor/?fref=ts

Thank you for sharing your time with me today Chris  it was a great pleasure getting to know you .

 

NOW EVERYONE GO CHECK OUT PERK NOIR 

 

SYNOPSIS OF THE BOOK FOR YOU ALL

Meet Mason Ezekiel Barnes, former NFL tackle turned successful author of the naughty ninja adventure series Mia Killjoy. Mason is obsessed with winning a Pulitzer and is thwarted by his fellow author and nemesis, the twerpy little gnome Conrad Bancroft. Mason spends his days writing at a local cafe, Perk Noir, the one-of-a-kind jazz coffee shop where he and Bancroft ply their craft. The joint is thick with mysteries. Mason is obsessed with the life of jazz great Earl ‘Lightning’ Perkins, the legend and former owner of the Perk Noir. Mason is convinced that Lightning has a hidden past and he’s determined to find it and catapult himself to greatness and the coveted Pulitzer once he writes his greatest story yet. One day, unexpectedly in walks Shelly, a Mia Killjoy super fan girl who happens to have a mysterious pocket watch she recently inherited from her grandfather. Shelly convinces Mason to assist her in unravelling its history. Join along with Mason and Shelly as they find themselves embroiled in a deeper mystery than they could ever have imagined, full of twists and turns, and surprises that pop up around every corner. Perk Noir is full of comedic relief, pop culture, NFL, jazz, a little touch of romance, and flashbacks of Lightning and his family during both the first half of the 20th century and later during the Civil Rights movement. Mason and Shelly and their adventures is a fun filled thrill ride that will appeal to all readers, there is something for everyone at the Perk.