BOOK REVIEW: Beyond Control by Kat Martin
May 27, 2018 by A Slice of Orange in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh . . . by Geralyn Corcillo tagged as Afghanistan, bestseller, Beyond Control, books, domestic abuse, Kat Martin, marines, military, new release, novel, novels, on the run, ranch, romance, stallion, Suspense, Texas, thrillerBeyond Control by Kat Martin
When Victoria Bradford got engaged, she told herself to give love a chance. Six months later, she’s on the run from her angry, abusive ex-fiancé with her four-year-old daughter and nowhere to go.
Seventy miles north of Dallas, the Iron River Ranch is pretty much nowhere. That’s what its new owner, Josh Cain, wanted when he came back from Afghanistan. Big skies, quiet nights, no trouble.
One look tells Josh the pretty redhead with the adorable little girl will give him trouble of the most personal kind. But he’s seen trouble before, and he doesn’t scare easy. Not when “accidents” start happening around the ranch. Not when Tory’s best friend back in Phoenix is abducted and brutalized. Not even when it looks like their current problems are only the tip of the iceberg.
But if he gets too close to fierce, determined Tory, Josh knows his nights are going to be anything but quiet. And that’s one possibility no amount of training can prepare him for . . .
In this book, Kat Martin weaves together compelling characters and well-crafted plots, all to culminate in a thrilling, immensely satisfying ending.
When Josh Cain meets Tory Ford (aka Victoria Bradford), he quite likes her fiery red hair and cute behind. But that’s after we’ve already seen Tory’s true worth: her strength and courage shine through in the opening scene when she stands up to her monster of a fiancé Damon, a man who believes he owns Tory lock, stock, and barrel. Tory survives his nearly fatal beating, escapes, and keeps on surviving.
Once she gets to the Iron River Ranch, the attraction between Tory and Josh simmers and sizzles. We get heart-wrenching and thought-provoking glimpses into Josh’s heroic military career, a career that haunts him… in more ways than one. We meet the tough and charming Clara Thompson, the baby-sitting neighbor who can be trusted to the hills and back. We get to know the eminently likable Cole and Noah, former marines who work on Josh’s ranch. And we are introduced to Satan’s Star, a troubled stallion who has suffered, like Tory, at the hands of an abusive man.
But this warm, romantic, and exciting story becomes chilling as chapters from Damon’s POV begin creeping in as he hunts for Tory. He beats women, rapes women, and kills with abandon. When Damon gleefully and arrogantly kidnaps and rapes one of his victims, this scene is intercut with the sexual culmination of the flirtation between Tory and Josh. While the juxtaposition of sickening brutality with incandescent romance is viscerally disturbing, it is also ingenious in how it undercuts the romance, shifting the focus of the book away from the relationship between Tory and Josh and onto the battles both are facing as they try to elude and conquer the bad guys in their lives. The lovers must stop the villains and the story kicks into hyper-drive.
Josh’s friends and family circle around Josh and Tory, helping them both ward off and fight the evil blasting at them from all directions. The camaraderie is heartwarming; the suspense is so compelling it will have you flipping pages with the speed of a stallion.
And the ending? It is breath-taking, comprised of brilliance and absolute perfection in the narrative. And even to hint at it would be to do this tightly woven story a disservice.
Beyond Control is available in two days, on May 29. Happy reading! Pre-Order here.
Geralyn Corcillo is not only an avid and eclectic reader, but she is also the author of romantic comedy and women’s fiction novels, novellas, and short stories. Drop her a line– she loves to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter!
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0 2 Read moreOut of The Loop
April 9, 2018 by Kitty Bucholtz in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz tagged as fantasy, free books, Kity Bucholtz, romance, Superheros
Kitty Bucholtz has had quite a busy month, so busy she not in A Slice of Orange’s posting loop. Don’t worry, she’ll be back soon. In the mean time, she left you a free ebook to read.
Kitty Bucholtz grew up forty miles east of Traverse City, Michigan – a town that is a smaller but surprisingly similar version of Double Bay, Michigan, the setting for this book. She went to college in Traverse City, met and married the love of her life, and waved goodbye to everything she knew when she and her husband John struck out for parts unknown.
Their adventures included going back to school, changing careers, and traveling Down Under. Kitty now writes wherever John is working on a film. They spent three years in Sydney, Australia, where Kitty earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree from University of Technology, Sydney, while John made a penguin named Mumble dance.
Only God knows where they’ll wind up next – but they’re pretty sure it will be another cool chapter in their adventure!
Kitty is also the author of Unexpected Superhero, book one in the Adventures of Lewis and Clarke, the romantic comedy Little Miss Lovesick, and short stories in the anthologies, Romancing the Pages and Moonlit Encounters.
0 0 Read moreROMANCE + MYSTERY + PARANORMAL = AUTHOR MARY CASTILLO!!
April 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Mary Castillo, mystery, paranormal, romance
It is no wonder that Mary Castillo is a paranormal mystery and romance author. She grew up in a haunted house.
Her mom once found her in the closet talking to the nicest lady who had a daughter and two sons. Mary was the only person in the closet and the more questions her mom asked, the plainer it was that her then three-year-old child described the previous (and deceased) resident of their house!
Mary grew up in the same town as the psychic detective of her paranormal mystery series, Dori Orihuela. She even “gave” Dori her dream home, a three-story white Edwardian mansion based on a real historic property. (And no, there are no bootleggers buried in their backyard!) Also, Mary made Dori a tough, smart robbery detective because Mary has discovered from practical experience as a former reporter that is not cop material. She likes to think that Dori is a psychic version of Wonder Woman!
With her degree in history, Mary also loves to find and share untold histories such as bootlegging women and no-nonsense World War II era nurses. Mary’s background is in marketing, public relations, and journalism, proving that yes, you can make a living as a writer! Combining her love of the paranormal with historical, Gothic fiction is a dream come true. Mary now writes the books she loves to read—chilling, psychic suspense novels with sexy heroes and courageous heroines.
However, her current home in Orange County, California is not haunted.
Jann: We’re here today with the remarkable author, Mary Castillo, to talk about haunted houses, a Mystery series and audiobooks.
Jann: What are some of the best things you have learned since your debut novel, Hot Tamara, in 2005?
Mary: The best thing I learned since Hot Tamara is how we can touch our readers’ lives. A few months after its publication, I received an email from a woman who never thought she’d laugh out loud in the chemo infusion room. 
But she did thanks to reading my book! What a beautiful gift. Ever since then, she pops into my mind and inspires me to do the very best I can with each story because I never know how or when one of my books will come into someone’s life.
Jann: What was it like to have Cosmopolitan magazine select Hot Tamara as the Red Hot Read in April of 2005?
Mary: It was very unexpected and so exciting. The only problem was that my grandma read that issue of Cosmo first before reading the book. Her first impression of my writing was well, spicy to say the least! But she was so excited to see my lifelong dream come true. I must lay the blame on her because when I was 12 she lent me Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins and told me that being an author would be the best job in the world. Good thing I listened to my grandma because she was right!
Jann: What was it like to grow up in a haunted house?
Mary: My parents were very open and natural about our resident spirit, so it didn’t occur to me that it was odd until I was old enough to tell my friends and either scare the heck out of them or be teased! My mom got a few concerned phone calls from parents. Honestly, our ghost was like a nosey, shut-in spinster aunt. Every now and then she’d switch the lights on and off, or open and close doors. We knew she was around when the room would turn cold and we’d just say hello and ask her not to scare us.
Jann: If your house hadn’t been haunted, do you think you would be writing the Dori O Paranormal Mystery series?
Mary: Lost in the Light is heavily inspired by the classic movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (I listened to the soundtrack while writing and editing the book). I was also edging into the paranormal with little touches in In Between Men and especially, Switchcraft in which the heroines switch bodies and live each other’s lives.
Jann: Tell us about Detective Dori Oriheula and the series.
Mary: Dori first appeared in a novella I wrote with my author friends titled, Names I Call My Sister. I loved her from the start: she’s beautiful, smart, tall and can take down a grown man without messing up her hair. She’s the least likely person to be psychic and I’ve had a lot of fun watching her wrestle with accepting this fact. She’s getting there.
Jann: Dori is getting a second chance at love with Gavin Salazar. Where do you see their relationship going?
Mary: I can’t tell you or else I’ll ruin the series! But I can say this: as long as they’re together, there will be challenges. He is a laid-back, creative surfer guy who loves his little daughter. Dori is quiet, fact-driven and on the surface, isn’t cozy. While he’s open to the idea of the paranormal, Dori is very guarded which only adds to their trust issues. When I threw them together, I knew they had something if only they’d open-up to one another. It’s been fun to make their lives difficult and see them come together as a team.
Jann: You have published three books in this series, Lost In The Light, Girl In The Mist and Lost In Whispers–is there a book four coming soon?
Mary: Yes, I’m preparing the fourth book (a novella) for October 2018. It picks up right where we left off with Lost in Whispers. My mom begged me to tell her what happened to one of the main characters who was in a coma at the end of the book. I didn’t even tell her. She’ll make me pay for it, one way or another!
Jann: All three books are available on iTunes and Audible and you are the narrator. Why did you decide to do your own narration?
Mary: I really, really wanted an audiobook. But we didn’t have the budget to produce one. I have a background in drama and video production, and I’ve always had so much fun performing at book readings. In January 2016, I did some test recordings and began narrating my audiobook. I fell in love with this method of telling stories. Now that it is a finalist in the ABR Listener’s Choice Award for Mystery, I may have found a new career!
But the unexpected gift of recording Lost in the Light while I was editing Lost in Whispers, helped with continuity because I recalled details that I had forgotten! Once I finished Lost in the Light, I jumped into Girl in the Mist, which taught me that it is fun to write a steamy love scene but a bit awkward recording it! I’m now recording Lost in Whispers which I plan to release in the fall and then the fourth Dori novella to be released in Winter 2018.
Jann: Thank you Mary for letting us into your writing world. You can contact Mary at the following sites.
Website: https://marycastillo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycastillo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCastilloWrites/
A selection of Mary Castillo’s books are available below. Hover over the book cover for the buy links.
0 0 Read more
Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh…Some Irish-themed Romance
February 27, 2018 by A Slice of Orange in category Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh . . . by Geralyn Corcillo tagged as Coach Tour, Gail Ward Olmsted, Hill Harper, Ireland, Irish, Irish romace, Irish Romance, romance, romantic comedy, The Good Doctor, women's fiction
As St. Patrick’s Day draws near, do you long for some Irish-themed romance? I’ve got a few recommendations for you.
Check out Gail Ward Olmsted’s Driving on the Left, a novel about a mother and daughter, Jackie and Becca, who take a coach tour around Ireland. This book weaves together the stories of the mother-daughter bond and friction, the daughter’s romance with an Irish hottie, and the mother’s continuing romance with her husband. And what a deliciously relaxing read! Off to beautiful Ireland, for one thing. But oh, the brilliance of the two characters, Jackie and Becca. Becca, especially – Olmsted NAILS the dramatic ups and downs of a 
twenty-one year old in love. Becca’s passion for her new-found love, her fierce desire for independence, her warm and gooey love for her parents, her bursts of immaturity – JUST SO PERFECT. And Jackie! What a bubble bath of a character to sink into! I just really really wanted to see how it all worked out and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is SUCH a treat.
If you long to relax in front of the television watching a charming, romantic film about Ireland, consider The Nephew (1998). American teenager Chad (Hill Harper) brings his mother’s ashes to her hometown in Ireland. There, Chad finds love and uncovers years of secrets, betrayals, and feuding. Does this kid from America have what it takes to heal the scars of the past? I have just adored Hill Harper ever since I saw this movie 20 years ago, and I am so excited to be watching Hill Harper every Monday night now as the Chief of Surgery on The Good Doctor. Check out this trailer for The Nephew.
What Irish-themed stories can you recommend?
0 0 Read more
The Unromantic Romantic
February 15, 2018 by Rebecca Forster in category The Write Life by Rebecca Forster tagged as author, romance, romance genre, romantic, thrillers, writing, writing craft
Early in my career, when I was writing romance and women’s fiction, a bookseller, who I greatly admired, commented that my idea of romance was a chuck on a man’s shoulder. The other authors gathered in her store for a book signing laughed – and so did I. She was right in context of the romance genre. I was never comfortable writing love scenes or covering my ‘author lens’ with gauze. I didn’t care for characters having long involved conversations about their relationships. It never occurred to me to have brooding heroes or pining heroines. I was less interested in cupid, than I was in the arrow he shot and, I suppose, that is why I write thrillers now.
However, that does not mean I am unromantic. Why? Because in each of my books I take great care with character relationships, character’s moral core, their willingness to take chances and their curiosity about their mysterious world. To convince myself I was correct in believing these attributes to be romantic, I looked up the definition. Here you go, straight from Meriam/Webster:
Romantic: marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious or idealized.
In other words, romance for one heart might carry an emotional connotation that leads to a sexual encounter or a committed relationship. For my heart, romance is embodied in how characters react to challenge. As a thriller writer I want my reader to feel the romance of suspense, of mystery, of the idealization of a hero who will walk through fire to make things right.
I find John McClane in Die Hard, Indiana Jones in any of the Indiana Jones movies, romantic and yet you never see them in sexual situations. The focus of these movies is on action within a mysterious world. The romantic in me sighs over their heroics, my heart beats faster at their commitment to justice and the place of honor in which they put women while also treating them as equals in adventure.
Whether you are an author or are a reader, do not pigeonhole the idea of romance. If you do, you will be limiting your talent and your reading enjoyment.
This Valentine’s Day, I hope cupid brought you candies and flowers. In the next year, I wish you a different kind of romance; the kind that take you to exotic, mysterious and adventurous places in your imagination.
XOXO,
The unromantic romantic
USA Today and Amazon bestselling author, Rebecca Forster is the author of over 38 novels including the acclaimed The Witness Series and her new Finn O’Brien Thriller series. She is married to a Superior Court judge and is mother to two sons.
Find Rebecca here:
Website: http://rebeccaforster.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaForster4/
Twitter: @Rebecca_Forster (https://twitter.com/Rebecca_Forster)
Subscribe and get my 2-book starter library: http://rebeccaforster.com/thriller-subscribers/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rebecca-forster
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