Showing posts with label #4Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #4Stars. Show all posts

Thursday, February 15, 2018

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: First Contact by Kat Green

Author: Kat Green

Narrator: Kate Tyler

Length: 5 hours 24 minutes

Series: Haunts for Sale, Book 1

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Released: Nov. 9, 2017

Genre: Horror


Sloane Osborne is a paranormal real estate agent in the business of selling haunted houses, but, in truth, she’s only searching for one ghost. And her time is running out.

It’s the 366th day after her fiancé’s death. Michael used to like putting things off for “a year and a day” - so tonight’s the night. Sloane will do anything to make contact with him before the clock strikes midnight. When she gets a call to check out a home in Waukesha, Wisconsin, it’s the last place she thinks Michael would contact her.

Sloane is dead wrong.









Kat Green is really the alias of authors KAT de Falla and Rachel GREEN.
Rachel Green has always believed in ghosts but saw her first full body apparition while working at an old movie theater in college. When she met Kat de Falla at a writer’s workshop, she knew she’d met a kindred spirit – one who was also sensitive to the hereafter. And after bonding on a few ghost adventures, Kat Green was born.
Kat lived in a haunted house for too long. When things really heated up, she had several paranormal teams investigate, but things only got worse. When her mother suggested they contact a shaman, she agreed to come, saying she had been waiting for Kat’s call. The home was cleansed and sold. When she paired up with Rachel Green, the idea of co-writing a book with a paranormal real estate agent seemed perfect.
With their combined paranormal “experiences”, they decided to combine their creative mojo. That’s when Sloane Osborne, Paranormal Real Estate agent, and the HAUNTS FOR SALE series was born.
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Narrator Bio
Kate Tyler is an audiobook narrator and producer with several published audiobooks available on Audible, iTunes and Amazon. A background in drama and a successful career in voiceover, Kate lives with her family in San Diego and enjoys swimming, running, cycling and stand up paddleboard.
Website
  • Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
    • I think it really depends on your narrator. If you have a strong narrator, which we were lucky enough to find in Kate Tyler, then the audiobook takes on a personality of its own and the magic of the author’s words come to life.
  • Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
    • It was a dream and we are so happy with the reality. As an author, you live inside your mind with these characters in these worlds. The audiobook brought a new dimension to how we were able to have readers experience the book.
  • How did you select your narrator?
    • She submitted her work to our publisher and we chose to work with her after auditioning other narrators. We both fell in love with Kate’s voice the minute we heard her reading.
  • Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
    • Both of us are “sensitive.” Kat lived in a haunted house for years and Rachel saw her first full body manifestation in college while working in an old theatre/movie theatre in her hometown in Illinois. Because of these things, it’s easy for us to dream up our own ghost stories.
  • How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
    • We have each other as well as Kat’s husband, Lee. Whenever we’re struggling, we bounce ideas off each other and then ask Lee if it’s possible. (And sometimes we do it even if he says it isn’t.)
  • If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
    • Rachel - Um...YES! My first stop would be a plantation in South Carolina pre-Civil War. Then I’d head to Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. I’d also want to visit all of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World to see how they really looked. Then I’d have to meet some famous people like Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, John Donne, and Walt Disney.
    • Kat - Heck yes! I would go back and meet my husband waaaaay earlier. I broke my thumb on State Street when I was 18 and I asked him, a complete stranger, if it looked broken. If I knew what I knew now, I never would have let him go after that moment.
  • If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
    • Funny you should ask. With two of us writing, we picked people to play our characters right away so we could both have a clear picture of them in our heads. Sloane would be played by Zooey Deschanel, Michael is Ryan Gosling, and Jonah is Ryan Reynolds.
  • What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
    • Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Any way you are taking in a book is still stimulating your brain. Whether you’re listening or reading as you’re relaxing in the tub, working out on the treadmill, or sitting in your favorite chair, you’re diving into the story and that’s what matters. There are so many people I know who have “read” more because of audiobooks then they ever would have otherwise. One person cuts lawns in the summer and listens to books when he works. What better way to spend your time? It isn’t cheating, it’s a different way of using your brain.
  • How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
    • Rachel - This was my first published novel so my husband took me out to dinner to celebrate. Then I started working on book 2.
    • Kat - opening a bottle of wine! The best way to celebrate :)
  • What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
    • Major in Marketing. You’re going to be able to write, but marketing the book takes a lot more effort.
  • What’s next for you?
    • We are currently working on Book 3 of the Haunts for Sale Series, which ventures out west, to Sin City.









I’ll be honest, I went back and forth for quite a while on whether I wanted to listen to First Contact or not. I was pleasantly surprised when I bit the bullet and signed up! The storyline was interesting… losing your love, your almost husband, and searching for his ghost. Somehow I was even able to grasp the paranormal real estate agent. I think what really made this work for me was that I didn’t take it 100% seriously. It was a bit wonky and something’s seemed off. However, the bad guy… good job Kat Green! I loved how the bad guy came about. I would have LOVED a bit more background on his story and how he came to be who he is. 

I really liked Jonah and the relationship that building into there. There was so much good and fun in this story that it far outweighed the areas that made me roll my eyes. I did roll my eyes a bit. I mean, I’m not an FBI agent like Jonah is and I say that fake call a mile away!!  I was pleasantly surprised in the horror area of this book though. I didn’t expect so much graphic description but you could see the scenes unfold before you!

Kate Tyler was a great narrator. This was the first book that I’ve listened to with her narration and I really enjoyed it. She speaks clear and concise, yet she shows great emotion in each world. I could feel the suspense she portrayed; I could feel the nerves, the fear. Great job!! I’ll definitely look for the next book once released!

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kat Green. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.





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Thursday, August 17, 2017

BOOK BLITZ: Baby Daddy by Nelle L'Amour




Title: Baby Daddy
Author: Nelle L’Amour
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Standalone Full Length Novel
Release Date: May 15, 2017



Blurb


FREE in Kindle Unlimited. And ONLY $.99 for a limited time only! The new STANDALONE romantic comedy from the New York Times Bestselling author of THAT MAN and UNFORGETTABLE.

I have three cardinal rules:

Never mix business with pleasure
Never let a woman spend the night.
Never date a woman with kids.

Kids freak me out. God only knows how many this baby daddy has. Man, what was I thinking when I was in college? Me, Drake Hanson. God’s gift to women. Aka Donor 5262.
It was a piece of cake and fifteen hundred dollars a month for my deposits (in sperm bank speak) came in handy. Wank, bank, and go. I just didn’t think about the consequences. One day, some kid is going to call me Daddy and I’m going to get hit up for child support. Big time.

Now, my father is pressuring me to settle down because the investor who’s looking to acquire his animation company doesn’t want a player running a family-oriented business. Just in time, she came along. The temp. Dee Walker. The minute the hot as sin brunette with her killer curves and those chocolate brown eyes stepped foot in my office and saved me from an ugly disaster with her magic hands, I wanted her to be mine. Except she’s totally off limits. And there’s someone else she loves with all her heart and soul that I can’t replace.

Can my temp become my forever before my past catches up with me? I’m willing to break all the rules.






Purchase Links


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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



Free in Kindle Unlimited







Trailer






Excerpt

With Tyson skating on her own close to the railing and Drake by her side, the twosome skated over to me.

“Mommy, skating is SO much fun! You should try it!”

“She’s right,” Drake chimed in.

“I’m afraid I’ll fall.”

“But, Mommy, you have a big butt so it won’t hurt.”

Mortification raced through me. I felt myself turning as red as a beet. Kids say the darndest things, right? Wrong! My sassy almost six-year-old had no filter.

Drake broke out into hysterical laughter.

I clenched my fists. I wanted to punch him. “It’s not funny.”

“Dee, you have a great butt. Now, get your ass on the ice.”

“C’mon, Mommy,” Ty pleaded. “Please, pretty please with a cherry on top.”

Drake’s laughter let up. “Mighty, why don’t you take a spin around the rink? You’re ready to skate all by yourself. Stay close to the railing and hold on to it if you have to.”

“Yay!” On my next breath, she took off. My breath caught in my throat, but she seemed to be managing just fine.

Drake stayed behind. All that separated us was the waist-high railing. He leaned into me. His sparkling blue eyes flickered with a mixture of determination and mischief while his warm breath heated my cheeks. His hands tugged playfully at the ends of my wool plaid scarf.

“Aren’t you going to skate with Tyson?”

He glanced in her direction. She was already halfway around the rink. “She’s doing just fine by herself. She’s a total natural. She reminds me of myself at that age. I took, like her, to the ice like a penguin.”

“But what if she falls?”

He shrugged. “She’ll get up.” He tugged again at my scarf. “C’mon, Dee, get your big beautiful butt on the ice.”

“No way.”

“That does it.”

My eyes stayed on him as he skated with amazing grace and speed to the entrance of the rink, stormed off the ice, and marched my way. In a single swoop, he hauled me over his shoulders.

“What the hell are you doing, Drake?”

“Getting you on the ice,” he responded, marching back to the entrance, one hand gripping me right below my ass.

“Put me down!” I began to kick my feet in protest.

“Behave! And stop kicking. Skate blades are sharp and can be very dangerous. I don’t want you to cut off my dick. I’d like to keep it intact. And the same with my balls.”

Rage filled every bone in my body. The asshole! He’d made me his captive like some kind of caveman. “Stop,” I shrieked at the top of my lungs as he marched us back on the ice and then raced around the rink at breakneck speed. We quickly caught up with Tyson.

“Hi, Mommy!” she yelled out as we flew by. I could hear her giggling as the whooshing sound of Drake’s skates sung in my ears.

Speeding around the ice, draped over Drake’s shoulder, I was getting dizzy. My arms hung loose like a ragdoll’s within groping distance of his perfect buns of steel. Blood rushed to my head. I’d had enough.

“Put me down!” I breathed out.

“Are you ready to stop acting like a brat?”

“I am not a brat!”

Without warning, he swatted my ass with his free hand. The slap stung straight through my thick leggings, but the incendiary sting strangely turned me on. A barrage of tingles blazed through me, clustering between my inner thighs.

“Put me down,” I yelled again.

He didn’t say a thing. Coming to a braking halt that left a skid mark on the ice, he set me on my feet. Standing behind me, he kept his hands anchored on my waist to keep me balanced. I stood as frozen as the ice, hoping he’d never let me go. Partly because I was nervous as shit. And mostly because it felt so good to have his hands touching me. The sparks coursing through my body were definitely not going to help with skating.

“Okay, I’m going to teach you how to skate. Trust me, you’re going to be the next Dorothy Hamill.”

I couldn’t help a nervous laugh. “I. Don’t. Think. So.”

He laughed his sexy laugh. “Think again.”

“Seriously, Drake, I don’t think I can do this.”

“Come on. If your five-year-old daughter can, so can you.”

My eyes darted to Tyson, who was circling around the rink. Her strokes were a little awkward, but she was definitely skating. And doing it well.

“Tyson is fearless,” I countered.

“What are you afraid of?” he breathed into my ear. The warmth of his breath sent a chill down my spine.

“Of falling.” Of falling for you.

“You won’t. I’ve got you. Now push off with one foot and then the other.”

Trembling, I did what he asked. My legs wobbled, but I moved three feet forward. A small victory on the slippery ice.

“Nice. Now do it again. But this time push from your hips, not your knees.”

“Okay,” I stammered. I did as he asked and noticed how much steadier and more powerful my strokes were. Still holding me firmly, he asked me to repeat the movements and I did so several more times. I’d probably skated a total of twenty feet.

“You’re doing great!” He let go of me with one hand.

Gah! Don’t let go of me.

And then he tugged at my ponytail before repositioning himself so that we were side by side. He laced his fingers with mine. My heart pounding, I squeezed his hand.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice as contorted as my face.

“What does it look like? I’m holding your hand. We’re going to skate around the rink.”

“No, I’m not ready for this!” I protested. “I want to get off the ice.”

“Fine. You can get off by yourself. I’m going for a spin. See ya.”

To my utter horror, he let go of my hand and skirted off—skating backward, no less, the damn showoff, facing me with a Cheshire grin plastered on his face.

“Please, Drake,” I begged.

My begging only made his grin grow bigger. “Please what?”

“Please don’t leave me.” I’m not sure if he heard me because my voice was so shaky and small.

His grin morphed into a wicked smile, and in a few frantic heartbeats, he was again by my side. His fingers entwined with mine once more. How warm his hand felt next to my cold and clammy one. He gave my hand a little squeeze.

“I’m never going to leave you, D-baby.”

My heart jumped. He called me baby. He probably called every girl that, but the way he said it so tenderly made me think I was the first. Following his lead, I began to skate with more confidence. Loving every minute of our togetherness.

For about the next five or so minutes, we circled the rink, Drake holding my hand, me improving with each stroke. Once or twice I turned to look at him, and somehow at those moments, his gaze met mine. No words were spoken. Just silent smiles.

Midway around the rink, my baby called out to me. “Look, Mommy. No hands!”

Half elated, half fearful, I craned my head in her direction, losing focus on my strokes. Suddenly, one of my blades caught with Drake’s and my heart lurched in my chest at that horrible sensation that I—we?—were taking a tumble. “Shit,” I heard Drake mumble as the inevitable happened. On my next rapid heartbeat, I was flat on my back on the ice and he was splayed on top of me. We were a breath apart, his heart beating against mine. The warmth of his body caging mine was a sharp contrast to the cold ice beneath me.

“Are you okay?” he asked, the heat of his breath warming my cheeks.

“Yeah. You?”

“Totally.”

I gazed at his face. His lips were parted, his eyes smoldering. The heat of his body was melting the ice beneath me. Melting the distance that separated us.

The weight of Drake’s body kept me from moving. “Can you help me up?”

“Not yet. I like being on top of you.”

I like you on top too. “It can’t be that hard—”

“Yeah, it is that hard. Very hard.” He rocked his hips against me.

Gah! It was hard. Very, very hard.

His eyes blazing into mine, he traced my lips with his fingertip and then leaned in closer until I could practically taste his minty breath. I could feel my heart pounding, hear my breathing grow labored. My lips parted, partly because I needed to get oxygen into my lungs and partly because I wanted him to devour them. I wanted him to kiss me so badly I could scream. As his lips were about to touchdown, a little voice caused us both to jolt. Tyson.

Giggling, she skated up to us. “You guys look so funny!”

Yes, we were a tangled pile of arms and legs. But it was more than just the physical. Our emotions were all tangled up too.

“I’m hungry,” said my little girl.

Drake’s eyes burned into mine. “Me too.”

“Me three.” I’d never hungered for a man as much as I did for my new boss, Drake Hanson.

I should have felt relieved that Tyson didn’t catch us kissing, but instead I felt bereft.








Author Bio


I am a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, twin college-bound princesses, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. A former executive in the entertainment industry with a prestigious Humanitas Prize for promoting human dignity and freedom to my credit, I gave up playing with Barbies a long time ago, but I still enjoy playing with toys with my hubby. While I write in my PJs, I love to get dressed up and pretend I’m Hollywood royalty. My steamy stories feature characters that will make you laugh, cry, and swoon and stay in your heart forever. They’re often inspired by my past life.


To learn about my new releases, sales, and giveaways, please sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media. I love to hear from my readers.


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I’ve never read (or even heard of Nelle L’Amour until Baby Daddy. The book sounded like a light and fun read… a nice RomCom and I’ve been on a real kick and enjoying RomComs. This definitely turned out to be very witty and a bit crazy. I struggled through half this book to be honest. I’m happy I stuck it out and finished, I really dislike not finishing books. There was just something a bit off on this book. It might have been Drake, he bugged me a bit. It wasn’t his college “profession” it was, I don’t know, him, and I like cocky guys. 

I really like Dee and her cute little girl, Tyson, as well. I had a feeling where this storyline was going and I really think that’s why I had to finish it. I had to know if what I was thinking was what was happening. I enjoyed L’Amour’s writing style and, for the most part, her characters. I loved the bit of angst and the speckle of suspense, the heat and romance, the sweetness in the book. I was also relieved to see Drake transform a bit through L’Amour’s words.

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

As you can see, I really struggled with how to rate this book. 3 Stars is NOT a bad rating to me, 3 Stars is more of an average rating. Meaning it was good but some parts were iffy for me. 4 Stars is good, and 5 Stars is OMG this book ROCKED ME, I can't stop thinking about it.  So I really feel like I should rate this a 3.75 Star because I'm in between 3.5 Stars and 4 Stars. Anything 2 Stars and under, mean, to me, that you need more work on your writing and storyline. I'd even read those books again IF the author tried to fix the problems. Writing is a craft, I don't want authors to loose hope if they see a 3 Star rating from me!