Author Archives: Kam Brook

About Kam Brook

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August 6, 2016 · 5:00 am

Asked For by Colleen L. Donnelly (Book Review)

Lana was young when Cletus asked for her. Barely more than a girl when he offered to give Lana a home and her grandmother a pittance to help her survive if Lana would become his wife. Cletus was older, a widower who wanted a wife young enough to be uncomplicated and give him sons. He cared nothing about pretty, and he had no desire for a bride. Just a wife, and only sons.

Lana gave Cletus more daughters than sons, lastly giving him James, the one Cletus referred to as That Boy, the one he claimed wasn’t his. Isolated and without love, Lana forged ahead as mother, as a disappointing wife, the beauty Cletus dismissed in her seen by others who offered their support. Jim, her childhood friend, who never thought she’d be taken away so young to be someone else’s. And Mr. Morgan, Cletus’ nemesis, who said to James, “Your mother’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

Did she or didn’t she? Was Lana faithful or not? James has the key, That Boy who looks nothing like Cletus, but who walks in his shoes more than anyone else.

PURCHASE LINKS: 
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
From the very beginning of Asked For, it’s apparent Lana’s life was not going to be the fairy tale life most little girls dream about. While she’s still in 8th grade (time period 1920’s), she forced to wed Cletus. He doesn’t want a typical marriage with love, laughter, and equal partnership. No, he basically wants a workhorse who will bear his children….preferably sons. It’s obvious by his behavior girls are subpar. Heck, he showed no love for his sons either. 
 
Really, the only one he seemed to love was himself and that was debatable. 
 
Lana, though, loved her children with all her heart and, in time, grew to love herself. Glen, the true gem of the story, brought much joy to their family. He wasn’t her husband, nor the father to her children, but he showed more attention, love, patience, and support than Cletus. 
 
He was their family. He was the man Cletus should’ve been and the man James (youngest child) mirrored. 
 
Word of warning……
 
Asked For is not a fast pace, gotta keep reading until I fall asleep, story. 
 
No, it’s rather slow at times. 
 
However I believe every aspect of her life, the good and bad, were vital in us (the readers) understanding the true depth of Lana’s strength & determination to have a better life for her children. 
 
  
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5
(highest)  
Score: ❀❀❀
  
PURCHASE LINKS: 
 
 

Colleen L. Donnelly has her roots in the rural Midwest of the US, but moved around and explored other cultures as an adult. Those other areas were fun and they were exciting, but…there’s no place like home, so she’s back in the Midwest.

Colleen works as a laboratory technician by day, but spends her evenings writing, poised in front of her laptop until she can’t think any more. Her story ideas come from observing people, pondering their dilemmas, and adding a twist of her own.

Other interests are/have been bicycling, antiquing, anything outdoors, furniture refinishing, and raising pets or small barnyard types of animals. Last thing in the world she would be caught doing – “vegging” in front of a television. She loves a good movie on occasion, but most of the time, the TV is off.

colleenldonnelly@gmail.com
http://www.colleenldonnelly.com/ 
https://colleenldonnelly.wordpress.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/colleen.donnelly.568
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August 4, 2016 · 5:00 am

Author Showcase – M.S. Kaye (The Once Series)

Book One
Released July 2, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.
 
Her first and also her once.
Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.
But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.
Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.
But are they able to forget and let go?
—> Kindle Purchase Link <––
 
 
Book Two
Released TODAY from Inkspell Publishing.
 
She was once his secret desire
 Will she be again?

Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams.
Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancĂ©, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?
 

Get your KINDLE copy today at  Amazon.
Add to your to-read on Goodreads.
 
 
Once & Forever, book
three
Releasing December 2016 from Inkspell
Publishing.
 
Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? As Eden and Trace grow closer, confessing their pasts to each other, will they be able to resist getting too close?
 
~~ Excerpt~~ 
 
“You’re studying to be a priest?”
He made himself meet her eyes. “I am a priest.”
She let go of his hand and stepped back.
Her smiled was tight. “I’m glad you found your
path.”
Quiet.
He couldn’t quite read her expression. The distance
between them felt like a gorge chiseled into the earth.
“Are you all right, Maylynn?” he asked.
“I’m really happy for you.” Then she added, “Father
Aiden.”
For some reason, her words stabbed him in the gut.
He usually liked when people used his title—it seemed to imply a certain amount
of trust.
“I’m sorry, Maylynn.” He wasn’t entirely sure why
he was apologizing. He just didn’t like to see her uncomfortable.
“I’m happy for you,” she repeated.
Then he realized what the problem was. He hadn’t
anticipated this.
He moved closer. “I’m so sorry.”
Her forced smile finally dropped. “Why didn’t you
tell me sooner?”
“It didn’t occur to me
”
“That I might be attracted to you?”
“Yes.”
“Why aren’t you wearing your collar?” Anger
prickled the edge of her voice.
“My mother’s last wish was that I find my father.
I’ve been following her notes. She was convinced he was somewhere in this
area.”
“Wait
 Your mother’s name was Adalina?”
He nodded. With the number of times the shelter was
mentioned in the notes, he figured his mother and Maylynn had met.
A pause.
Anger flashed in her eyes. “You still should’ve
told me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why’d you play with me like that?”
“I swear that wasn’t my intent.”
“You knew damn well what was going on. Was it a
game—see if you still had it? If you could still get the chicks?”
Under the anger in her eyes, he saw the hurt. He
swore he could feel it exactly, as if it was his own.
He shifted even closer, just in front of her. “I’m
sorry,” he said again. His voice lowered, quieted. “I didn’t see what you were
feeling because I was fighting so hard myself. I still am.”
“Fighting what?”
“What I felt the first time I saw you, what I’m
still feeling.”
She waited, glaring at him.
“I’m attracted to you,” he said. “Intensely.”
 
 
 
 
M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.
To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.

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August 2, 2016 · 5:00 am

Renegade Heart by Nina Barrett (Book Review & Author Interview)

 

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As if Vegas didn’t have excitement enough, December brings the National Finals Rodeo to the city. Heading the Imperial Hotel’s participation as a host hotel, Kerstin Hennepin is rushing to a meeting when a fall sends her tumbling into a stranger’s arms and he’s in no hurry to let her go.

Jake Aaron is a troubleshooter for the rodeo Or maybe he’s just plain trouble. Their attraction is instant and one close encounter leads to another, but Jake comes with plenty of questions. True he’s busy handing the offstage antics of rowdy rodeo contestants, but does his job also include romancing a young barrel rider and carrying a concealed weapon?

With the finale of the Finals approaching, Kerstin needs answers. But when her search for the truth reveals more is going on behind the scenes than on the arena floor, she and Jake are squarely in someone’s cross hairs.


Interested?
Below is a sneak peek of Renegade Heart – Let me know what you think.
 Thanx!
 
 

“This way.”
 
It wasn’t a question.
 
Putting an arm around her shoulders, Jake steered her away from the entry to a shadowed alcove behind a pair of oversized ornamental urns. Droplets of water from the fountain misted the air. He pulled her into the dark recess as if it had been placed there for them. Kerstin flinched as the cold of the stone façade penetrated her thin clothing. The afternoon’s warmth was only a memory now. Before she could shiver, he swept her into an embrace. Her legs braced against his, he trailed kisses down her exposed neck.
 
“Jake.”
 
It sounded like she was begging.
 
Was she? Backed against the stone of the Imperial, she was trapped between fire and ice.
 
He captured her head in his hands, his tongue parting her lips.
 
Her breath caught in her throat as she melted into him. The sweetness of his mouth was intoxicating, like drowning in honey.
 
Her hands made their way around him, savoring the tight muscles of his chest and waist. It was December and she was burning up. His thumb flipped the clasp of her bra. Was the Imperial’s director of special events about to be taken up against the wall of the hotel’s entryway? Over the years there’s been similar stories about some of the hotel’s randier guests.
 
Her hands found their way under his suit coat and down his back, feeling the dampness of her shirt. She caught her breath as he cupped her breasts. He was saying something about his room.
 
She jerked her head, staring up at him. Taking both hands, she shoved back against him. Her sudden strength must have caught him off-guard. He took a step back.
 
“Kers . . .”
 
She twisted away as he reached for her.
 
His room? His room?
 
She was at the entrance and inside before the doorman had a chance to open it.
 
His room? Not until Jake Aaron could convince her he wasn’t Ginny Mathieu’s lover and explain why he carried a concealed weapon in a back holster – .40 caliber if she knew her weapons.
 
And she did.
 
PURCHASE LINKS: 
 
 
 images-15
 (review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
For those who live the rodeo life or have every been to one, I know you’ll appreciate the attention to detail in Renegade Heart. She illustrated beautifully the hard work it acquires to pull off the rodeo. How much time and effort it takes to keep guests, vendors, competitors, basically everyone happy. For the most part, it appeared to be a 24-7 job but Kerstin did it with style and grace. 
 
For those not familiar with rodeos, Nina explained certain events in a rodeo without it appearing mundane. BTW, if you haven’t seen a rodeo before, check one out. It’s a helluva thing to witness — intense, on the edge of your seat action! Plus, you can’t go wrong with men or women in chaps. For that alone, I’d buy a ticket. 
 
Before I conclude this review, I want to touch a bit on the mystery portion of this western tale. For me, the mystery was boring. It didn’t hold my interest at all. The conclusion of it seemed rushed as well. Actually the last 10 or so pages seemed thrown together because the author needed to ‘wrap it up’. 
 
Hey, at least Jake and Kerstin got to ‘ride off into the sunset’ together and that’s all that matters…. Right?
 
PURCHASE LINKS: 
Kindle / Paperback (Amazon)  
The Wild Rose Press
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❀❀❀
 
 
 
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Hi, I’m Nina Barrett. I’ve been a public school teacher, focusing on early childhood education and am having a blast now writing contemporary romances. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I was one of those children who loved going to bed at night because you could lie there and make up stories. I’d be out west with Roy and Dale or in Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood. It took time and persistence to gain publication. Winning a scholarship to the Antioch Writers’ Workshop gave me a boost and my forthcoming romance Renegade Heart is dedicated to them in appreciation. Musa Publishing released my first book Marriage Made in Haven in June 2012. The Wild Rose Press published Return of the Dixie Deb in December 2013 and A Man to Waste Time On in January 2015. Its sequel Renegade Heart is available April 27th.

I live in Southwest Ohio. My hometown recently was featured on the cover of Ohio magazine. I enjoy traveling – I’ve been to the top of Masada in Israel and the bottom of the great pyramid at Chichen Itza. Advocating for autism research and education is a passion.

I’m on Facebook as nina.barrett.315 and at nina@ninabarrett.net – love to hear from readers and fellow writers!

 

Tell us about your background – have you always been a writer?

(Nina) At least in my head. My mother was a great reader, reading to me nightly and on long car trips – Mother Goose, Thornton Burgess, later introducing me to the classics – Heidi, Treasure Island, Little Women. I finished my first complete story in junior high, an Agatha Christie type mystery, and continued writing through high school. College, marriage and a career in education kept me busy, but I continued writing and submitting manuscripts growing more and more discouraged. Winning a scholarship to the Antioch Writers’ Workshop re-energized me and led to the publication of my Western romance Marriage Made in Haven.

 

What lead to the writing of Renegade Heart?

(Nina) I was intrigued by the excitement and explosive energy of Las Vegas. In my previous release, A Man to Waste Time On, Cinnamon Smith is stunned to realize the general manager of the neighboring Imperial Hotel Casino is the waste of time loser who dated and dumped her sister back in their hometown. And he wants to date her. No way . . . but then securing an order from his hotel might prove salvation for her struggling teashop. And he is so good looking.

Doing research and finding out what goes on behind the scenes of a major Vegas property was so captivating it lead to Renegade Heart and Kristin Hennepin’s adventures when the National Finals Rodeo comes to Vegas and Kristin falls into the arms of a rodeo troubleshooter.

Who are some of your favorite writers?
 
(Nina) Jennifer Crusie, of course. She began by writing category romance for Harlequin while teaching English in a local school system before moving on to being the best selling author she is today. Having taken a class with her at Antioch, I can attest to the fact she is unfailingly supportive and encouraging to neophyte writers.

In historicals – Dorothy Dunnett; for mysteries James Lee Burke and for fun, Kristen Higgins.

What’s coming up for your readers?

(Nina) My work-in-progress, Deep, Dark, Delicious. And Deadly, continues my Vegas trilogy. When candy heiress Sofie Matthew wakes up from her coma in a hospital bed, there’s a strange man staring at her, a murder to be solved and a ring on her finger. What’s the story with that?

 

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July 30, 2016 · 5:00 am

Love is Love!! (Couple’s Month)

 
 
 
 
 
Paris Photographer Pierre Torset / Via paris-photographer.net
 
 
Source: fanpop
 
 
Vero Luce Photography / Via verolucephotography.com
 
 
Renee Hollingshead Photography reneehollingshead.com / Via munaluchibridal.com
 
 
Source: unknown

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July 28, 2016 · 5:00 am

ALL THE COLORS INSIDE ME by Diane M. Walker (Book Review)

Has Diane M. Walker found her true love after two failed abusive marriages? Her personal journey within reflects the humor, illness, substance abuse, jail, depression, death, the demise of her career and her spiritual faith.

Through all of the trials and tribulations, Diane finds an inner strength that not only pulls her through but also finds unconditional love and forgiveness for her life partner and best friend, John.

She shares stories of her strength and how she was able to overcome some of the heart-wrenching and horrific experiences in her life.

 
 
 PAPERBACK / KINDLE / BLACK ROSE WRITING / BARNES AND NOBLE

 

 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
I can’t even fathom living through everything Diane’s endured. Below is a sneak peek of a few life-altering events in her life. I’m only going to list my top three picks and then discuss them. For more on her life, you’ll have to purchase the book.

Ok, here goes.

1.) Two abusive ex-husbands: No one wants to be the victim of an abusive relationship, yet alone two. One such relationship would break most people’s spirit. Two: It would difficult not to shut down and withdraw within thyself. To find the strength to get up in the morning is no easy feat but she does it. BRAVO!

2.) Death of two parents: I’ve lost two dads so I can relate to the pain and don’t wish that on anyone.

3.) Jail time: Diane and John’s legal trouble took it’s toll on their lives emotionally, physically and financially. Through it all, they stood by each other. They weren’t married, but it was hard to tell because they still honored the vows, “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

Besides the doom of gloom, there were happy moments. One example springs to mind: the Christmas tree incident. John had the brilliant and funny idea of placing “tree” air freshener inside the artificial branches to create the illusion of a real tree.

That man really would do anything for his one true love.

To find out what else he’s done for her over the years, you’ll have to read the book.

 

Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score:

❀❀❀❀

 
PURCHASE LINK: 
PAPERBACK / KINDLE / BLACK ROSE WRITING /
 
 
 

Diane Walker is a Trenton NJ native. Having developed a love for literature at an early age, she began writing poetry and short stories.

After failed marriages and losing the love of her life through death, she chose to write her story at the age of 59.

Diane sincerely hopes her story empowers others to remain steadfast in their strength, belief in their Higher Power and know, no matter what the circumstances, they too can overcome obstacles and challenges in their life.

Her professional background is in Sales, Marketing and Residential Property Management.

Diane is presently single with one adult daughter and two granddaughters.

She now lives a basic and somewhat secluded life in Northeast Pennsylvania.

 

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