Stephen Spencer and the Paul Mallory Thrillers

Coming Soon 

Being a full time author is a wonderful job, but one downside is that you don't get any employee benefits. One bestselling author, Stephen Spencer found this out to his cost. He was a regular fixture on the bestseller lists back in 2011 when his Paul Mallory thrillers took off, but disaster struck shortly after his third book when he found out that he had a brain tumour.

No longer able to go on the book promotion circuit, his novels soon fell out of the public view and the double whammy of unexpected bills and a drop in royalties kicked in.

When Julia Hughes, a British author, heard about Stephen's plight she started #OperationMallory. She enlisted a dozen other authors, and set about getting the Paul Mallory novels back on track.

Julia had this to say: "Stephen is a fantastic thriller writer, and for most of 2011 he owned the bestseller lists on both sides of the pond. When I saw that he'd stopped promoting, I knew something had to be done so I put together a group of authors to re-launch the series."

That work came to fruition last week with seven brand new eBook covers, five new print editions and a brand new website at StephenCSpencer.com

But a full rebrand wasn't enough to satisfy Julia. Instead, she set about organising the biggest book tour in history inviting readers and writers everywhere to share Stephen's story and show off the new artwork (which was designed by renowned Singaporean artist Clarissa Yeo).

For his part, Stephen has maintained he doesn't want charity. He just wants the chance to reconnect with his readership. To do it, he's giving away his first book, It's Always Darkest, absolutely free. You can download it in any of the major eBook formats here (no registration required).

If you enjoy It's Always Darkest, the series carries on with The Devil You Say, Third Time Lucky and The 

Middle of Nowhere with a fifth book, Ghost of a Chance, slated for release later this year.

Stephen C Spencer was raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, the oldest of three brothers.

Before becoming an author, Stephen travelled the world with the United States Navy. He spent his youth enjoying casinos from Torremolinos to Monaco, but it wasn’t until he met his wife Melissa in 2003 that he settled down, and began a family. He's the father of two children, Kaitlyn and Evan.

Domestic bliss provided an outlet for his vivid imagination, and this, combined with his extensive personal knowledge of the world’s most exotic ports, gave birth to the internationally acclaimed Paul Mallory thriller series published by Crimeways.

He now splits his time between the family homestead in Indiana, and the tropical island of San Estaban.

www.StephenCSpencer.com

@StephenCSpencer

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

What readers are saying...

"Witty and well paced with an ending " - Kate Farrell, Kindle Book Review

"Fast, exciting and full of intrigue" - Charlie Plunkett

"Spencer really has a knack for the written word." - Joyce Mitchell

"A wickedly dry sense of humour." - Jenny Worstall

"The main character leaps off the page." - Doreen Cox

"Tension-filled" - Joseph Bouchard

"A James Bond with heart, tough and chivalrous" - J Ryder

"Broody and oppressive atmosphere" - Amazon UK Top 500 Reviewer

"Gripped from beginning to end" - Pam Anderson

"It's Always Darkest will pick you up, throw you into the air and keep you gulping for breath until the very end." - Emma Elizabeth Fry

"One of the best thrillers I've read in years." - Julia Hughes

Firemonkeys Sims FreePlay

I am a huge fan of EA's Sims. I have been playing for years and own the games. I spend more time, (and money), than I really like to admit to on them. So when I discovered Firemonkeys, (Real Racing 3), made an app game I can play on my Kindle Fire I was so stoked! I have been playing day and night since.
The game features my beloved Sims, though a smaller selection, and a Sims neighborhood. I can make a Sim, and build a home like I do in Sims 1,2, 3 and soon to be 4, (again on a smaller scale). Much like Sims Medieval, Sims FreePlay has Quests and tasks to do. I personally love doing the Quest play as much as I love just doing my own thing on regular Sims play. I think Firemonkeys have done an awesome job with game play on the app.
I had an issue with the game. It was something I brought to the attention of Firemonkeys and they fixed immediately, (it concerned their bundles of Simoleons/Life Points for purchase on Amazon)! Yay! Yeah! Go Firemonkeys!! Having dealt with EA regarding game play on Pogo.com I really was not expecting much at all from Firemonkeys. When I received an email from them regarding the issue and then saw that they fixed the issue, I was impressed. Nina Nikolic over at Firemonkeys has it going on! They weren't the easiest to contact as I did not have an account set up on https://firemonkeys.zendesk.com. I think I ended up just leaving a message on Facebook or Twitter so getting the email was major. It meant someone in that company cared about the game and consumers. I'm totally excited about these Firemonkeys and would definitely trust them for future games.
There is an issue dealing with the quests. I call it an issue because I have read so many gripes about it. For me, personally, I see it from both sides and normally it doesn't bother me. The issue is the length of time to complete taking longer than possible without using Life Points. Life Points, (LP), as well as Social Points, (SP), and Simoleons, (a form of cash Sims can earn during normal game play), can be purchased using real money, (you can also earn small amounts of both LP and SP in the game. Sims earn Simoleons in various ways). Parents, take note of that. You may want to put a parental lock on if you don't want to be surprised. If you complete the quest on time, you receive a reward. You can still complete the quest even without the time. Most of the time you can purchase the reward in the Sims store. Since it may involve LP or SP it could still cost you money. My opinion on this is that the app is free. The developers need to make money somewhere. I'm mostly cool with it but today I wasn't. More on that later.
The quests are set up as three different types, Quests, Weekly Tasks and Social Tasks.  I'll start with weekly tasks.  If you complete it you gain a key that you can save or use to purchase mystery boxes. I love these tasks and am excited to get new ones each week. You can keep playing these tasks after you earn your weekly key but you get no credit for them. Sometimes I choose to do them just for the challenge. They are fun to do and along the way to the key you can earn Simoleons and LP. Woot! Woot!
Quests are opened up one after another and follow levels. These are usually the ones that get the gripes. I am on An Alien Concept: Weather Machines. If I complete it in time my reward is winter clothing. It would be cool to get it. This quest will also give the option for a weather machine that you can use to bring on rain, snow or sunshine. I think that is awesome. The quests, once completed, unlock new quests. You can look on the Quests page in game and see what Quests are coming. For instance this quest will unlock Multi-Story Renovations, (allowing 2 story homes FTW!), Teenagers, Higher Education, The Road to Fame and Adulthood. My issue today dealt with the quest task of End Is Nigh On A Soapbox, a task that takes 12 long hours to complete. I had 2 hours left when I went out of the game. An hour later I went to check on my Sim and collect my game goodies when I discovered all my Sims were just standing around. I have no idea what happened but I lost 10 hours from the quest. No way am I completing it in the allotted time without a major LP investment now. So that sucks. Major sucks. I was already figuring I would need to use a few LP to complete everything in time, (the quest I just finished I had to shave a few hours off of by use of LP so it stands to reason I would again), I just wasn't counting on these lost hours. So now I have another Sim on the task and will see how it goes. Really sucked that every single Sim was taken off tasks so that those who were working went home with no pay and those who were working on hobbies lost credit. Hopefully a one time glitch. At any rate, you do not have to complete the quests within the time frame if you do not want the reward. You will still unlock what needs to be unlocked and most quest rewards do become available in the store later on. So if you don't want to purchase LP you don't have to. It is your choice.
The third type is Social Tasks which you receive Social Points for completing. These are fun and involve your friends. You don't have to have neighbors as there is a Sim Town but not everything is available in the Sim Town so neighbors are awesome. I try to set up my towns with my neighbors in mind. I have a pool with inflatable toys, I try to have at least one 3 star furniture of each type so that visitors get faster times on tasks and I am steadily working on the mountains on my islands. I have my neighbors from Facebook. I believe you can get neighbors through the Firemonkeys forum too. I just haven't accessed that yet. In case you are wondering what SP are good for - really cool stuff for your Sims home.
I love this game, even with today's glitch. I am impressed with the Firemonkeys team. The additional purchases of Simoleons, Life Points and Social Points are optional. However, the purchase does support the developers so if you really like the game it is an easy way to send your support. Well that's how I justify my purchases anyway. LOL.  So I give this game 5 stars and really hope they keep it going. It is a lot of fun.
Firemonkeys have a YouTube Channel where you can keep up with changes, see houses, walk through game play, learn about other games and even meet the developers. Pretty cool stuff there. The video below is from that channel. Be sure to subscribe. http://www.youtube.com/user/FiremonkeysTV

I have noticed that there are some small differences depending on what you are playing on. So not everything you see may be available to you if you play on a different tablet. Also have a charger handy. LOL.

You can also follow Firemonkeys on

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFiremonkeys

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

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thefiremonkeys

Do you play Sims FreePlay? Do you play any Sims? What do you think? Leave a comment if you need a neighbor! 

Review of Come Home to Me

Come Home to Me by Brenda Novak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This installment of Whiskey Creek deals with Presley. If you are already a fan of the series then you know Presley is Cheyenne's sister and not a major player in the clique of friends. We learn some of Presley in Book 2, When Snow Falls, which is Cheyenne's story. I wasn't certain Presley would be included in the series but was hoping. I think the relationship, and how it came to be, between Cheyenne and Presley is interesting and perhaps a bit difficult to understand. I try to avoid spoilers for those who haven't read the books, so this may be left mysterious for some but others know why I say that. It is the background you read of in Book 2 that lays the foundation for this strangeness. I would definitely suggest you read Book 2 before you read this book, if you haven't. There are things going on that influence heavily the decisions made by Cheyenne. If you love Chey you may hate this book. It definitely shows her in a human, flawed light. I personally loved this book. I thought the lying and scheming done brought up some of the psychological issues that are a part of Chey and Presley. While it may bring Chey down to some, I feel it shows how the past can influence you into doing things you usually wouldn't. For me, it made Chey more human, less perfect.Presley changed a lot from where she was left in Book 2. Her return brings her into contact with Aaron again, who has also been making changes in his life. It is difficult for Presley to accept Aaron changed enough to accept her and her son. I think this is a multifaceted issue. I believe that part of her difficulty was her own shame and guilt over her lie. One she really had no clue how to rectify and defend herself at the same time. This may have influenced her beliefs about Aaron, distorting the way she saw him. When you don't really forgive yourself completely your vision is distorted. I'm not certain what was going on with Riley and his sudden deep interest. Perhaps it was what I call, desperate single father syndrome. DSFS is what influences single dads to obsessively seek a "mom" for the family. I have known men who have raised their children to adulthood who are still seeking the "mom" to the family. These men, (not every single dad falls into this category), tend to look for a woman who has a child and then make decisions about her based on her mothering. I think Riley may be going through that and it is why he instantly fell hard for Presley. In my opinion this book is well done. It explores how our past influences our decisions no matter if we are the main character or the sister supporting her. I think it will be difficult for those who have put Cheyenne on a pedestal but for me it was perfect. I think Cheyenne and Presley have a unique bond that is very difficult to understand fully. It will be interesting to see how things go between them as they mature more with life's challenges. This is one series I definitely find fascinating. It is due, in part, to the author not being afraid to explore darker things and in part, to the author not being afraid of her characters falling down. No one is perfect though some are perceived that way. When their flaws are exposed it always brings out strong, intense emotions of like or dislike. This book will bring that out, for sure.

View all my reviews

*I was given an advanced ecopy of the book for review purposes. The author, nor anyone affiliated with her, requested a "good" review. Nor did they influence or compensate me in any way. All opinions and thoughts are my own.*  

Complete, (so far), Whiskey Creek Series covers.

          

You may find out more about the series and the author, Brenda Novak by visiting:

http://www.brendanovak.com/

https://twitter.com/Brenda_Novak

https://www.facebook.com/BrendaNovakAuthor

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12937.Brenda_Novak

http://www.amazon.com/Brenda-Novak/e/B001IGNW9G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

This author is linked to the charity For The Cure and does an online auction during the month of May. For more information or to get involved please visit:

http://www.brendanovakforthecure.org/

For more information on Diabetes please visit: 

http://www.brendanovakforthecure.org/resources.html

Review: Cooper's Grove by Ann Werner

Cooper's Grove by Ann Werner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was epic! I was quickly drawn in. It is a love story and a ghost tale. Absolutely storytelling at its finest! This was my first book by this author. I was intrigued by it when I saw it here on Goodreads. I thought it would be a good book. I was totally not expecting how much I would fall in love with it. From its opening sentence, "They call me the Witch Woman.", I was hooked. I knew from it I was in for a haunting treat. I did not realize how much I would be swept away. I was left wowed at the end of it all. I needed to breathe. The love story was so amazingly beautiful. I was touched by it. I could relate to all the characters, even the two I disliked.The characters were written very realistically, actually, for me, the entire story was realistic. I have loved someone for 40 years. I am not with him though I hope. May be this had something to do with my loving this story so much. Truthfully though, I believe this story will sweep you away. If you like paranormal romance that is excellently written. If you desire a real story with real emotions. If you want to escape into a love story that contains real, solid romance. If ghost and haunts intrigue you. Read this book. The book has many places I highlighted but my favorite was the final paragraph.

"But the next time you think you see a flash of color, remember that feelings have a way of emanating from us, both the good and the bad . Or if you think you hear a voice whispering in your ear, or feel a phantom touch, remember we are never totally alone and we never really die. We merely exchange realities."

Werner, Ann (2013-12-29). Cooper's Grove (p. 248). ARK Stories. Kindle Edition.

I get the shivers every time I read that. Absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend it.

View all my reviews

Sundy Best - Bringing on the Music

Today I am going to take one of my side trips and write about some music I really enjoy. I know I so rarely write about anything other than books that you are asking if I am reading anything at all. The answer to that is yes. I am currently reading the following:

     

But this week I got a new album on my Amazon Music Cloud and have been playing often...loudly. The guys are Sundy Best and the album is Bring Up The Sun. Sundy Best is comprised of two boys, (okay men but I'm going to keep calling them boys cause that's just how I talk), from East Kentucky. They are Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson and yes they are hot, (but since they are from home and I am probably closer to their mom's age, just saying that feels wrong) and really good guys who make awesome music. Bring Up The Sun is their second album, (I'm old school - I know it's a CD), just released on iTunes, Monday, where it shot straight to the top of the charts within hours of its release and on Amazon Tuesday. Huge disappointment for me, Amazon. I consoled myself by playing their first release, Door Without a Screen, and drowning myself in Twizzlers and Mountain Dew. Thankfully it hit my Cloud at midnight and everybody living around me knew it. What can I say, it's good music and I was totally wired from the Mountain Dew. 

 

Sundy Best 

Photo from Sundy Best.Net (click the photo to go there)

The music these boys make is unique. The sound, to me, brings up country, bluegrass, southern rock, (I don't know but at times when I listen to them I am reminded of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers) and 70's classic rock, (Eagles, Bob Seger). All the songs on the albums are, I believe, originals, (except for My Old Kentucky Home on Door Without A Screen). Thank you boys for including that song. It is close to my heart as I am currently so far from home. I'm going to post a couple of videos here so you can see why i am so excited about these boys. They are amazing! I'll start with Until I Met You which is off their new release, Bring Up The Sun. It is one of my favorites off that CD.

Now I will share the song that gets played often on weekend nights, super loud and several times a night during poker games and parties. Drunk Right. Like Skynyrd says...turn it up. 

For the final video I had a time of it choosing just one. I wanted Home because I truly do wanna go home. Then I thought maybe Kentucky Women because it is live and really gives you a feel for the boys. I considered Mountain Parkway but then decided on These Days. 

If you liked what you heard and want to hear more or know more about Sundy Best, please check them out on the links below. I definitely invite you to join the Kinfolk Movement where you can meet up with other Sundy Best fans and keep up with the boys. Jake is the admin over there and is a truly awesome guy. 

WHERE TO FIND SUNDY BEST:

http://www.sundybest.net/home

https://www.youtube.com/user/SundyBestOfficial

https://www.youtube.com/user/SundyBestVEVO?feature=watch

http://www.amazon.com/Sundy-Best/e/B00E80TI5G

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sundy-best/id434676689

https://www.facebook.com/SundyBest

http://instagram.com/sundybest

http://officialsundybest.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/SundyBest

https://twitter.com/Kris_Bentley

https://twitter.com/nickjamerson

http://www.sundybest.net/kinfolk/

And here is where you can get an autographed CD, bundles, tshirts and other goodies

http://www.theconnextion.com/sundybest/sundybest_index.cfm

Album covers:

Thanks for stopping by! 

Hell Hath No Fury Review

Hell Hath No Fury: Women Who Kill by Les Macdonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hell Hath No Fury is a fascinating look at female murderers. We tend to think of women as the nurturers so we are stunned when we hear of these cases. Some of the murders in this book you will instantly remember. Others, it was the first time I heard of them. A number of the cases in this book are mothers who kill their children for reasons that range from postpartum depression/psychosis to straight out narcissism. I think we find these types of murders the hardest to take. Children should be safe in their homes. Parents should be protectors. Too often they are not. I appreciate the authors bringing up postpartum depression/psychosis. I think this is a subject we all need to learn more about. Many women have postpartum depression after giving birth. What is it that makes the difference between those who get past the depression and recover and those who slip into psychosis? What factor is present that some women step over the line and kill their child? I have the most difficulty with those who kill multiple children over the course of a few years. How does this happen? Is it really postpartum psychosis? Does the mother never come out of it? I mean how do you kill your child, then get pregnant, give birth, kill that child and repeat yet again? Do you never think about what you did? Is there no remorse that prevents you from even taking that chance of getting pregnant again? There are so many unanswered questions or unsatisfactory ones that books such as this are necessary reading. They bring up what was down and make you question, wonder, think. They require a response, an accounting, research. History forgotten is history repeated. Then there are the others in here. Women who kill out of jealousy or for greed. We all deal with some form of jealousy at some point and even the rich sometimes want more yet we all are not out there committing murders, though, in reality, we are all capable. What is the difference? This is what makes true crime fascinating to me. Perhaps, to me, the most chilling chapter of this book is the last. Youth who murder. Are we becoming a more violent society? Are we losing our moral compass? The cases in this book make me wonder if our children, (society on the whole), are capable of feeling empathy. What needs to be done to prevent the violence from rising? This book will bring these questions to you. The cases are horrifying, chilling and even baffling. Excellent book to open up discussions on society and violence. If you think women who kill are a rarity or that they kill in less horrifying ways than a man, read this book.

View all my reviews

Cover Reveal of UNPINNED by Mila A. Ballentine

UNPINNED

MILA A. BALLENTINE

Coming Soon 

Her life was filled with constant loss and upheaval, but Marie Tousant was eager to put it all behind her. She leaves Hapville, Louisiana, hoping to find inner peace on a tropical isle. With Louisiana in her rear view mirror, Marie attempts to create a path to a normal life, but she soon realizes how inconsistent a sense of normalcy can be. Haunted by her past in every conceivable way, Marie recognizes that she can’t run from herself.

Marie’s only ally, Libby Townsend, is thousands of miles away when unsettling emotions surface and a sense of dread takes hold. A welcome surprise eases her worries, but it doesn’t last and her world begins to unravel. Evil forces take hold and tighten their grip; Marie and a sinister being summoned by practitioners of the Dark Arts clash. In the face of a heroic battle, Marie Tousant can’t help but wonder if there’s anyone left willing to protect her, even in the face of death. 

PROLOGUE

Marie took one last look around her home. White sheets covered all of the furniture and the walls were bare. The taxi driver honked the horn and it echoed inside. She looked at her suitcase and sighed. The memories of her parents and Granma Tilde tiptoed into her subconscious. They were all gone. She was all that was left of them and she had to go out into the world alone. Hopefully the world would be kind and not devour her. Marie opened the front door, put her suitcases outside, and closed the door behind her.

The night sky illuminated with a constellation of stars. Marie rolled her suitcases down to the curb; the cab driver stepped out and put her suitcases in the trunk. They entered the cab and drove away. Marie lost everything that was dear to her; Libby Townsend was the closest thing to family that she had left. She said her goodbyes earlier in the day. Marie didn’t want any erratic emotions to hinder her departure when the time came.

Libby looked out of her living room window. Marie made her promise that she wouldn’t come over when she was about to leave for the airport, but she never said she couldn’t watch. Libby tried to hold back her tears, but it was inevitable. She looked at the cab drive away until the rear lights faded. Libby slouched to the floor and cried silently.

^^^

The bayou was abuzz with lights. The reflection of a fire reflected on their masked faces. They knelt in a large circle around the fire, with their heads bowed to the ground. A man huddled against a red oak tree with a Congo drum clenched between his thighs. His fist struck the drum and rhythmic sounds flowed through the air.

“Rah!” They responded, repeating the word every time the drummer hit a specific beat. Their bodies waved in a serpentine motion, sending their spines into a bell curve.

“Rah!”

The beat changed and they rose to their feet, pranced, bucked and stomped. Clouds of dust rose to their waistline and the drummer changed the beat yet again. A figure with a horned white mask broke through the circle. The fluidity of their movements trickled out to the bog people who began thrusting their right foot backward, as if they were about to charge.

The figure was stacked in hundreds of layers of tree roots that stopped below where a knee should be and another layer that ended just above the feet came to the forefront. It stomped and gyrated its body to the Congo beat. The more it moved, the wider the circle became. Suddenly the figure jumped into the fire and sent flames ten feet into the air. A face animated within the flames.

The circle closed and the bog people knelt, and bowed, resting their foreheads to the ground. The drummer’s beat lowered. A young woman in the group stood up and walked over to where two cages sat, one with a crow and the other with a dove. She removed them from the cage, pressed their breasts together, and bound them with barbwire. Their blood flowed until it became one.

She removed a vial from a satchel, and drank its contents. The bonded crow and dove fell to the floor. It didn’t take long for the black mamba’s venom to send her body into violent twitches as the venom coursed through her veins. She collapsed. A man in the circle emerged with an ivory handled knife. He knelt beside her, made an incision just below her navel, and inserted the crow and dove inside her womb.

Death loomed above her and the full moon faded when her eyes went black. She had offered herself as a sacrifice to summon a creature more powerful than the Soucouna. Once the creature was summoned, it would be nearly impossible to kill it and it possessed the ability to smell a Silken thousands of miles away.

The drummer’s beat became erratic and the bog people stomped, jumped, and spun their bodies, until the last beat hit the drum.

     “Rah!” 

Last week Mila was on the blog and had offered a copy of the first book, Thin Skin Soul Pinned to one lucky person who left a comment. Unfortunately something went wrong with my comments. While it showed there were some, I have never found them. I apologize. I believe we have fixed the problem, (thank you to a computer savvy friend). The giveaway will run this week! 

If you would like to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with the answer to:

If you could get away from all the cold and snow covering much of the country, what island would you choose to soak up some sun and warmth in?