• Whittling down the TBR pile …

    One of my goals this summer is to whittle down my book TBR pile, along with my movies/TV TBW pile.

    I know, I know, I say this every year — but this year I mean it!

    Yeah, I say that too every year. LOL. Anyway, here are some of the books that I’m hoping to read this summer. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon.

    About a Dog by Jenn McKinlay

    Fall in love with a little help from man’s best friend in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s contemporary romance debut.

    Mackenzie “Mac” Harris fled her hometown of Bluff Point, Maine, after being left at the altar—and seeking solace in the arms of her best friend’s off-limits brother. Now, seven years later, she’s back to attend her best friend’s wedding—safe, or so she thinks, from the mistakes of her youth.

    But Gavin Tolliver has never forgotten the woman who has always held his heart. And when Mac rescues a stray puppy named Tulip, only Gavin, the town’s veterinarian, can help. With a little assistance from Tulip, Gavin vows to make Mac realize that their feelings are more than just puppy love…

    My thoughts: I’m always looking for new contemporary romance authors to try, and this looks like a fun book/series.

    Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

    GLORY NEVER GETS OLD.

    Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.

    Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay’s door with a plea for help–the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

    It’s time to get the band back together.

    My thoughts: Wheezley and I both like to read epic fantasy, and this sounds like an interesting take on the genre. I’m going to get it for Wheezley, but I’ll probably read the book at some point too.

    The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

    In the second brilliant, action-packed book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are in a chase across Europe to untangle a web of shocking truths about the Holmes and Moriarty families.

    Jamie and Charlotte are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved Uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers.

    So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.

    My thoughts: I like different takes on the Sherlock Holmes mythology, and I enjoyed A Study in Charlotte, the first book in this series.

    What books do you guys want to read this summer?

  • · · ·

    Rob-Con 2017 appearance on July 29 …

    I will be one of several authors, artists, and more appearing at Rob-Con 2017. The convention runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30, at Viking Hall in Bristol, Tenn.

    I will be signing books Saturday only — July 29 — from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I will have copies of Snared to sign, as well as copies of my other books.

    Also, T-shirts are available featuring the Rob-Con graphic, created by artist John Hairston Jr.

    A one-day pass is $10; a two-day pass is $15; kids under 10 get in free. A costume contest will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday. More information is online here.

    Also, one of the special guests this year is Timothy Zahn, who writes Star Wars novels and more. An event will be held with Zahn on Friday, July 28. Visit the Rob-Con website; the Rob-Con Facebook page; or email the organizers for more details.

    Hope to see you there! 🙂

  • ·

    New covers for Bigtime superhero books …

    [row cols_nr=”2″][col size=”4″]

    Book #1

    [/col][col size=”4″]

    Book #2

    [/col][col size=”4″]

    Book #3

    [/col][/row]

    Some of you have seen these online already, but I have put some new covers on my Bigtime superhero paranormal romance series. The books are still the same, but I wanted to update the cover art and give the series more of a comic-book feel.

    The covers were designed by the awesome Jenny Zemanek of Seedlings Design Studio. Thanks, Jenny!

    [row cols_nr=”2″][col size=”4″]

    E-novella #3.5

    [/col][col size=”4″]

    Book #4

    [/col][col size=”4″]

    E-bundle

    [/col][/row]

    The covers are all so cool that I don’t know which one is my favorite. Maybe A Karma Girl Christmas, or Nightingale, although I really like them all. 🙂 Which new cover do you guys like the best?

    If you’ve never checked out the series, my Bigtime books are paranormal romances that feature superheroes and ubervillains. They are very fun, zany, and campy — sort of like the Batman show with Adam West or Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter.

    Book #5

    As of right now, I do not have plans to write any more books in my Bigtime series. I’m currently writing three other series — Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy spinoff, and Kill the Queen epic fantasy series — which is all that I can juggle. So the Bigtime series is the odd series out. I hope to get back to it someday, although I have no idea when that might be. Not anytime soon, though.

    The books (with the new covers) are available at all the usual sites in ebook format — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. The books are also available in print format from Amazon and will be available in print format from Barnes & Noble and Ingram in the next few weeks — in case you work in a bookstore and want to order some print copies.

    Karma GirlAmazon KindleAmazon print

    Hot MamaAmazon KindleAmazon print

    JinxAmazon KindleAmazon print

    A Karma Girl Christmas — e-novella — Amazon Kindle — also available in the print version of Karma Girl

    NightingaleAmazon KindleAmazon print

    The Bigtime Bundle — e-bundle — Karma Girl through NightingaleAmazon Kindle

    FandemicAmazon Kindle Amazon print

    I hope that everyone enjoys the new covers and gets a chance to check out the series, if you haven’t already. Happy reading!

  • ·

    Elemental Assassin backlist book giveaway …

    One of the things I’m hoping to do this summer is catch up on my TBR pile — especially when it comes to book series that I’ve started. I have several series that I need to get caught up on.

    There are a lot of books in my Elemental Assassin series now — Snared is book #16 — so I thought I would help some of you guys catch up on the series this summer. 🙂

    Let’s do a giveaway. Five folks will win a print copy of any one book in my Elemental Assassin series — from Spider’s Bite, book #1, to Snared, book #16 — winner’s choice.

    To enter, use the form below. Note that the giveaway is open to those 18 and older, U.S. addresses only, due to postage costs. Happy summer reading!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Hello, summer binge-watching …

    Can you guys believe that it’s June already? It seems like it was still January just a few weeks ago. Sigh.

    The broadcast networks have wrapped up their shows for the season (I’ll miss you, superheroes!). But with those shows off the air, it gives me time to check out some new programs. Here are some of the shows that I hope to binge-watch this summer.

    Note: The descriptions are from Amazon. Also, I believe that Bosch is only available through Amazon, but you can get the other shows on DVD or through a variety of TV/streaming services.

    Bosch — Season 3 — Amazon

    Angered by the truths behind his mother’s murder, LAPD detective Harry Bosch struggles to find integrity in an imperfect justice system. The killing of a homeless veteran, the suicide of a serial killing suspect, and the high-profile murder trial of a Hollywood director pit Bosch against ruthless opponents who all threaten to destroy him. BOSCH Season 3 promises to be the most compelling yet.

    My thoughts: I really enjoyed the first two seasons of this show. I love a good cop show, and this one not only looks at various crimes, but it also focuses on the internal politics between various officers, departments, prosecutors, etc. The show is based on the books by Michael Connelly, and I’m hoping to read some of those this summer as well.

    iZombie — Season 1 — DVD

    From the executive producers of Veronica Mars, iZOMBIE stars Rose McIver (Masters of Sex, Once Upon a Time) as Olivia “Liv” Moore, a medical resident on the fast track to a perfect life … until she’s turned into a zombie. Now stuck between half-alive and undead, Liv transfers to the city morgue to reluctantly access the only thing that allows her to maintain her humanity — human brains. But there are side effects to Liv’s new diet. With each brain she consumes, she experiences flashes of the corpse’s memories — including, at times, clues as to how they were killed. Her boss, a brilliant but eccentric conspiracy theorist, encourages her to embrace this gift and to work with an eager, unproven homicide detective to help solve these murders … and quiet the voices in her head. iZOMBIE is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint. Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley and David Anders also star.

    My thoughts: I’m not a zombie fan, but this looks like a really fun show. Plus, I like David Anders.

    The Good Witch — Season 1 — DVD

    The Good Witch series follows the adventures of a mysteriously enchanting woman, who peaks the curiosity of her neighbors. Based on the “Good Witch” series of cable movies, Season One follows Cassie Nightingale and her young-teenage daughter Grace, who shares that same special intuition as her mom. When New York transplants move in next to the Grey House, they are immediately spellbound by the mother-daughter duo next door.

    My thoughts: I love When Calls the Heart on the Hallmark Channel, and I thought I would check out this series too.

    What about you guys? What shows are you planning to binge-watch this summer?