Sunday, April 24, 2022

WATCH OUT FOR HER, by author SAMANTHA M. BAILEY (out April 26th!)

Wherever you go… she’ll be watching.

Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband, Daniel, hired to take care of their young son last summer. It started out as a perfect arrangement—Sarah had a childminder her son adored, and Holly found the mother figure she’d always wanted. But Sarah’s never been one to trust very easily, so she kept a close eye on Holly, maybe too close at times. What she saw raised some questions, not only about who Holly really was but what she was hiding. The more Sarah watched, the more she learned—until one day, she saw something she couldn’t unsee, something so shocking that all she could do was flee.

Sarah has put it all behind her and is starting over in a different city with her husband and son. They’ve settled into a friendly suburb where the neighbors, a tight clique of good citizens, are always on the lookout for danger. But when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home, she has to wonder: Has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?

A tense psychological thriller about a mother who must keep watch at all times if she wants to keep her family safe.

Reviews

“Yet again, one of our most beloved thriller writers brings us a story with the heart of a family drama and the pulse of an edge-of-your-seat spine-chiller. Filled with foreboding from the very first page, this one will keep you up all night—and have you checking the locks!”
— 
MARISSA STAPLEYNew York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club Pick Lucky

“A cleverly written, twisty, and brilliantly creepy thriller. With compelling characters intertwined with obsession, lies, simmering menace, and secrets at its heart, this is a page-turner which drew me in and kept me hooked. A real must-read!”
— 
KAREN HAMILTON, internationally bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend

“A tense and claustrophobic thriller in which Bailey makes you question whether the heart of a family is a place of safety or danger. Paranoia, obsession, and secrets ensure a twisty read.”
— 
GILLY MACMILLANNew York Times bestselling author of What She Knew 

“Creepy, surprising, and relentlessly tense, 
Watch Out for Her is so much more than a thriller; it’s an unflinching exploration of the roles we allow women to fill. With dark secrets and cliffhangers galore, this thrill ride will keep you up long past your bedtime. I couldn’t put it down.”
— 
ANDREA BARTZNew York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club Pick We Were Never Here

Author interview ~

Finish this: “I can’t write without…” 

I can’t write without coffee.

If I had to spend a week on a deserted island, I would need:

Books, notebooks, pens, coffee, and music.

What career did you think you’d have as an adult? 

I thought I’d be a psychologist.

What is something about you that people would surprise people?

I used to be a competitive jazz dancer, but both stage fright and being only five feet tall halted my dance career. It was the last time I gave up on something I really wanted.

 

Do you have a go-to first reader after you feel your manuscript is ready?

 

My first reader is always Meredith Schorr, an incredibly talented rom com author who tells it like it is and nails me to the wall so I can rewrite and achieve my best work possible.

 

 

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

 

While I do wish it hadn’t taken twenty years for me to accomplish my goal of a traditional publishing deal, I don’t think I’d change anything. Over those two decades of writing book after book, getting close then getting rejected, and all the blood, sweat, and tears I shed, I developed an iron will to succeed, a very tough skin, and found an incredible community of authors and readers. As we all know, publishing is both an exhilarating and brutal business, and perhaps I was meant to be older and maybe more experienced when I finally achieved a few of my biggest dreams.

 

 

What is a bestselling book you’ve been itching to read?

 

In my Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead and Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett. Both look absolutely fantastic.

 

 

What was some unique research you had to do for a book?

 

In WATCH OUT FOR HER, Sarah, one of my main characters, is a photographer and a voyeur, though she doesn’t watch people for sexual pleasure. Rather, she watches to find the missing pieces of her own identity. I am not a voyeur, but I’ve always loved people watching. I both needed to learn more about photography, which I discovered I have a passion for, and also the kinds of lenses and camera capabilities needed to take photos in someone’s bedroom from a distance. Of course, I only aimed the camera into my own windows, but it definitely felt awkward doing it from the street.

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 

If I could help aspiring authors in any way, I’d say that it might not be fast and it definitely won’t be easy, but dreams do come true. Take risks, accept critiques, find your writer community, and never ever give up. It’s so worth it.

 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?


I’d love to say thank you. I’m so grateful, stunned, and overwhelmed, in the best way, by the support and love of my readers. The beautiful reviews, messages, comments, and incredible help I’ve received promoting my books makes me feel very lucky. 

Samantha M. Bailey is the USA TODAY and #1 nationally bestselling author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE, which has sold in eleven countries to date. She is also a journalist and freelance editor; her work has appeared in NOW Magazine, The Village Post, The Thrill Begins, and The Crime Hub, among other publications. WATCH OUT FOR HER is her second novel. Samantha lives in Toronto, where she can usually be found tapping away at her computer or curled up on her couch with a book.


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Monday, April 18, 2022

IN THE FACE OF THE SUN, by author DENNY S. BRYCE (out April 26th!)

In this haunting novel set at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the author of Wild Women and the Blues takes readers on an audacious road trip with a pregnant young woman and her brash, profane aunt from Chicago to Los Angeles to confront a decades-old mystery from 1920’s Black Hollywood.

1928, Los Angeles: The newly-built Hotel Somerville is the hotspot for the city's glittering African-American elite. It embodies prosperity and dreams of equality for all—especially Daisy Washington. An up-and-coming journalist, Daisy anonymously chronicles fierce activism and behind-the-scenes Hollywood scandals in order to save her family from poverty. But power in the City of Angels is also fueled by racism, greed, and betrayal. And even the most determined young woman can play too many secrets too far . . .

1968, Chicago: For Frankie Saunders, fleeing across America is her only escape from an abusive husband. But her rescuer is her reckless, profane Aunt Daisy, still reeling from her own shattered past. Frankie doesn't want to know what her aunt is up to so long as Daisy can get her to LA—and safety. But Frankie finds there’s no hiding from long-held secrets—or her own surprising strength.

Daisy will do whatever it takes to settle old scores and resolve the past—no matter the damage. And Frankie will come up against hard choices in the face of unexpected passion. Both must come to grips with what they need, what they’ve left behind—and all that lies ahead . . .

“Bryce excels at placing readers in a glamorous time and place…riveting and vibrant.” – Booklist

Author interview ~

Finish this: "I can't write without..."

I seriously cannot write without coffee. Black coffee. No sugar. Preferably Starbucks. However, if I am someplace with a superior coffee house--and there are two that I can think of, but both are far away. OK, I'll tell you. One is any coffee shop in Hawaii, the state has some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. The other coffee shop is in Rome. And yes, I used to travel a lot and some of my favorite things to do while on the road included seeking out coffee shops, or cool cafes. I'd do this early, too, before the tours begin. And I'd take a notebook or my iPad because I type with my thumbs, and I'd kick back and watch the scenery and write.

If I had to spend a week on a deserted island, I would need...

I'd read. I'd take a stack of printed books because a deserted island implies very little electrical stuff and a couple of pairs of glasses because my eyesight needs assistance because of all of the computer-work I do. Then, I'd sit on the beach with a good beach umbrella, and a big jug of water, and read. I'd also need a cook and a bartender. And yes, I'm thinking my deserted island is sounding more and more like a resort. But let's go with my interpretation of a deserted island because I love luxury.

What career did you think you'd have as an adult?


My dream career was more than one career. I've been a dancer, a media spokesperson, a choreographer, an event management firm owner, and a bad actress but a fair singer. All these careers I've been fortunate enough to pursue and participate in fully. First, I wanted to be a professional dancer.  I am in love with old movies and some old movies that I watched back in the day included films starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse, Shirley MacLaine, but then at my high school during an assembly we had a special guest -- dancers from the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater came and visited my school and that performance was a life changer for me.  Now, I'm a full-time writer, also a dream, since, during every leg of my multiple career journey, I always wrote. I have boxes of journals, wrote press releases, news articles, brochures, and all sorts of things covering many different topics. Then I also wrote a lot of fan fiction. My fandom was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I wrote Spike/Buffy and Spike/Angel fan fiction.

What are you working on now?

I am very excited about the release of my sophomore novel, IN THE FACE OF THE SUN. Available everywhere on April 26, the historical fiction is also written as a dual timeline. Here's a bit about this story set in 1928 and 1968.

In this haunting novel set at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the author of Wild Women and the Blues takes readers on an audacious road trip with a pregnant young woman and her brash, profane aunt from Chicago to Los Angeles to confront a decades-old mystery from 1920’s Black Hollywood.

1928, Los Angeles: The newly built Hotel Somerville is the hotspot for the city's glittering African-American elite. It embodies prosperity and dreams of equality for all—especially Daisy Washington. An up-and-coming journalist, Daisy anonymously chronicles fierce activism and behind-the-scenes Hollywood scandals in order to save her family from poverty. But power in the City of Angels is also fueled by racism, greed, and betrayal. And even the most determined young woman can play too many secrets too far . . .

1968, Chicago: For Frankie Saunders, fleeing across America is her only escape from an abusive husband. But her rescuer is her reckless, profane Aunt Daisy, still reeling from her own shattered past. Frankie doesn't want to know what her aunt is up to so long as Daisy can get her to LA—and safety. But Frankie finds there’s no hiding from long-held secrets—or her own surprising strength.

I also have two projects that I am working on. The first one due is a biographical historical fiction about Sarah Bonetta Forbes. It takes place in the 19th century in West Africa, Portugal, and England.  She was an African princess who was "gifted" to Queen Victoria in 1850 after being "saved" from sacrificial death by a British officer. So my next novel takes place in the 19 century and is a story about the life of Sarah Bonetta Forbes. What excites me about this book in addition to the fact that she's an amazing historical figure is the opportunity to write about West Africa (today Nigeria and Benin for example) in the 19th century. The other story that I'm excited about is The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander for Kensington Books. This novel, historical fiction retells the story of Alice Rhinelander, a domestic, and "Kip" Rhinelander, an American socialite, who were the primary figures in a sensational court case that began in 1925 in New York City.  

Kip accused his young bride of not telling him she was Negro. Mrs. Rhinelander fought the case and the compelling story that takes the reader into the wealthy New York upper crust, New Rochelle, and Harlem where the fictional character Marvel Cunningham, a reporter at the New Amsterdam News (one of the largest Black-owned newspapers in America at the time). Marvel's character is inspired by real-life legend Marvel Cooke, a pioneering American journalist, writer, and civil rights activist.


What is your favorite music genre?

Oh, my gosh music and I are always on a journey because there's so much, I like so many genres so many artists, but I guess I'll go with what is top of mind right now. My favorite group happens to be BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys (except each of the seven members is 25 or older, so I'd call them, men). I love performers. They are excellent singers, but they are also amazing dancers and performers. Their musical taste also reflects one of the fab decades in music -- the 90s. They do Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and more. Initially, I was attracted to the voice of singer Kim Tae-Hyung known professionally as V. His solos Stigma and Singularity are among my favorite songs, period.  

Again, I must mention my love of dance because music and movement go together for me.  Therefore, some of the other great singers and great songs I love are in the jazz genre. I am devoted to the classics of the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Artists like Louis Armstrong, Alberta Hunter, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and just too many names to mention. 

To connect with Denny ~






















Monday, April 11, 2022

THE ROAD TO ME, by author LAURA DRAKE

Jacqueline Oliver is an indie perfumer, trying to bury her ravaged childhood by shoveling ground under her own feet. Then she gets a call she dreads—the hippie grandmother she bitterly resents was apprehended when police busted a charlatan shaman’s sweat lodge. Others scattered, but Nellie was slowed by her walker, and the fact that she was wearing nothing but a few Mardi-Gras beads. Jacqueline is her only kin, so, like it or not, she’s responsible.

Despite being late developing next year’s scent, Jacqueline drops everything to travel to Arizona and pick up her free-range grandma. But the Universe conspires to set them on a Route 66 road trip together. What Jacqueline discovers out there could not only heal the scars of her childhood but open her to a brighter future.

"In The Road to Me, Laura Drake takes on the complexities of one family's struggle to get over a lifetime of mistakes and misunderstandings, expertly blending the heartbreak of a grandmother's past and a granddaughter's reluctance to trust her. The Road to Me offers a fresh and entrancing take on reconciliation and forgiveness, a truly captivating story filled with wit, wisdom and a whole lot of heart." -- Donna Everhart, author of The Education of Dixie Dupree

“The Road to Me is an unforgettable story of self-discovery and survival, reconciliation and redemption.” -- Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of The Perfect Son and The Promise Between Us

Author interview ~

What are some things you enjoy when not writing? 

Motorcycling, fishing, knitting, sewing, and of course, reading.

 How do you start your day (a routine of sorts?) 

I’m odd. I get up at 3 am. I down a few cups of coffee while doing social media, have breakfast around 5, get a shower, then sit down to write. I developed that routine when I was working – got up two hours to write before I had to get ready for work. By the time I retired, that routine was ingrained.

Finish this: “I can’t write without…” 

Classical music. I love other types, but if they have words, I end up singing instead of concentrating!

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published (or this book?) 


Oh my gosh, yes. It took me 15 years to sell a book. I wrote my first in a year, then queried every agent who took that genre (romance). All passed. Wrote another book – repeat. My third book, I thought was special (I’d learned SO much!), and so did my crit group. But the rejections poured in. Luckily, an editor was coming to town, and I worked close to the airport, so they asked me to pick her up. Poor woman was stuck in an L.A. traffic jam with me for 2 hours!

 

Eventually, she asked what I wrote, so I pitched her my book – she said she’d like to see the first pages, so I reached in my back seat and handed them to her! She was a bit taken aback, but she told me she’d read it on the plane home, and sure enough, she contacted me on Monday and said, ‘First thing, we’ve got to get you an agent.’ – Yeah, like that hadn’t occurred to me! She introduced me to my perfect agent. 417 rejections, but that book eventually won me a RITA award! Never give up!

 

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change? 


Yeah, it would have happened FASTER! 😉

 

How do you market your work? 


I’m a promo-ho. I love it (I mentioned above that I’m weird, right?) I’ve tried a LOT of things, but I like Facebook best. Years ago, I started two reader groups – Western Romance Café (over 2k members) and Reader’s Coffeehouse (almost 16k members) they help a lot. When I reached my ‘friend’ limit, I started my own group to get around that. It’s called, Laura Drake’s Peace, Love & Books – and I have a blast there posting snark, interesting questions and other weirdness. It’s become a community. Come join us!

 

Do you have a favorite character? 


Probably Nellie – the octogenarian hippie in my April release, The Road to Me. She walked away from a rehab facility for her broken hip and was caught when the police raided a charlatan Shaman’s sweat lodge in the desert. Others scattered, but Nellie was slowed by her walker, and the fact that she was wearing nothing but a few Mardi Gras beads.    She’s a kick!

 

Do you have other books you’d like to talk about here? 

 

My April release is Women’s Fiction, and I’m loving the freedom of the genre. It’s called The Road to Me, and I had so much fun writing a Route 66 road trip between an uptight 30-something indie perfumer and the hippie grandmother she bitterly resents. So much opportunity for humor and family relationships. I know the road well, having traveled so much of it by motorcycle over the years. Can’t wait to see what readers think of it!

 

What was some unique research you had to do for a book? 


I went to a bull riding/bull fighting school! I was writing a book about the first woman bull fighter (not the ones with the cape – the rodeo ones), and I wanted to know all the ins and outs of it. I didn’t get in the arena with a bull, but if my husband wouldn’t have been there, I might have tried!

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? 


Don’t look outside for support or motivation. We all need a boost sometimes, but if you don’t have a solid core of belief in yourself, you’ll never survive this tough business.

 

Try to take a learner’s attitude. If you keep learning and you keep breathing, you have to get there eventually – it’s science!

 

To connect with Laura ~

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/753367188406020

Twitter: @LauraDrakeBooks

Instagram: @LauraDrakeBooks