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Goslyn County by A. M. McKnight (Book Review)

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A mostly black community with its roots in farming, Goslyn, Virginia lay just south of the State’s Capital. The once small, close-knit county had grown rapidly in the past two decades and boasted a population of just over fifty thousand. But the county’s crime stats had grown as well, and the latest offenses included several break-ins and rumors of a meth lab. Time had brought many changes, and many of the longtime folks of Goslyn no longer recognized their community and longed for days gone by. 
 
Goslyn PD Detective Olivia “Ollie” Winston loves her family and friends and shows it through her sense of humor. Just like her neighbors, she too worries about the recent events, and it’s her job to find out who’s behind the crime spree.

While investigating three burglaries, Olivia meets IRS Special Agent Maureen Jeffries who is pursuing a tax fraud suspect. Their cases are connected, and both soon discover they have much in common, personally and professionally.

 

Excerpt from Goslyn County:

“I think we’ve talked about everything except politics and sex,” Olivia said out of the blue.
Maureen blushed and was speechless.
“Sorry, Maureen. I don’t know where that came from.”
“Don’t worry about it. You just reminded me of Carol, my receptionist. She’s far more graphic though. Let’s make another date so we can talk about politics. Then…perhaps a third date for sex? I mean, to talk about it.”

 
 
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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

When you first pick up Goslyn County, you’ll note the cover isn’t flashy. There are no sexy women on the cover. Nothing that screams it’s a book focusing around the love that blooms between two lesbians.

What you see is a detective’s badge. 

Maybe A.M. McKnight’s intention was to let our imaginations conjure up how we think Olivia and Maureen would look or maybe she wanted the readers to buy the book because it was a crime story (first) with a love story attached.

All I can say is …thank goodness for book summaries because without it I wouldn’t know it had a same sex coupling in it. 

Those of us who look towards a cover first, seeking a lesbian story, I think they might pass on it, unbeknownst to its content. That’s why I always read the back cover. 

 

Moving on……

The first thing I loved about McKnight’s story, Goslyn County, was the countless strong women gracing the pages. Brains, beauty, brawn – her characters had it all and were respected members in their field of expertise and/or distinguished members of society. Take Ollie, she was a detective and taught math at the community college. Her mother, a retired teacher, was in Haiti helping to re-open schools devastated by Mother Nature. Lisa, her best friend, was a IT goddess and business owner. Gloria, Maureen’s sister, was also a business owner. I could go on but you get the idea. Smart, strong women — ideal role models for our youth. 

In regards to the cases being investigated by Ollie and Maureen, the plot of  the tax  fraud and subplot of car cloning had its moments were I was totally engrossed into the unfolding action and other times where I felt the story had gone stale.

When the lull moments came about, McKnight would bring me back into the fold with their choice of date topics. And McKnight, if you are reading this, I will never be able to look at the Pillsbury Doughboy the same way again. (See page 147 for explanation) 

Since this is a book revolving around two women falling in love, I must discuss my thoughts at the pairing. I liked they didn’t rush into sex. They waited until they were in love. When they finally consummated their relationship, they didn’t rip each other’s clothes off. They weren’t consumed with a fiery passion where they were frantically pawing at each other, starved for physical content. Like their courtship, they took their time — exploring one another. For me, the slow loving was more sensual, more erotic, than most “must have you now” sex scenes most authors seem to write.

Well done, A.M. Knight!! 

 

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

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Print Purchase Link 

 Kindle Purchase Link

 

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I’m a longtime Virginian and practice law as a first profession.  I decided to try my hand at writing after getting hooked on lesbian crime and romance novels. As a lover of fast crime action and black lesbian romance, I combined the two and wrote my first book, Goslyn County–self published. My future works include a short story romance and a second self-published novel–both based on the characters of Goslyn.

Twitter: @wordmc46

Website: ammcknight.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ammcknightbooks

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The Last Immortal by Jenna Whittaker (Book Review)

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Death was alien to them. The people of the world never knew death for as long as any could recall; yet when their world slowed on its axis, the atmosphere disintegrating, the immortals felt death for the first time.

A wasting sickness ravaged their species. The old could not fight it, and the young who survived were permanently scarred by it, unable to ever bear children. Yet when it seemed that the sickness had passed, further destruction was laid upon them; the earth shattered. What was once a whole world became a mass of small shards of land held together, barely, with never-ending chasms separating them.

But when an immortal girl appears, Kyrilee, who cannot catch the wasting sickness, she tells a tale of dreaming thousands of years past, of giving birth to a cat. Most dismiss her as mad, but some believe she is the one they have been searching for. The one who holds the key to curing the sickness, who can bring the people together once more.

Kyrilee finds that she is no immortal, but instead a mortal body with an immortal soul, constantly reincarnating throughout the ages.
When she discovers the cats, the descendants of the one she birthed in her dream, and she realises it wasn’t a dream at all. These creatures hold the key to restoring the earth. She must take this key from them before they enslave the humans.

 

Kindle Purchase Link

 

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

For a science fiction book, I will admit there were certain elements of The Last Immortal which fell in beautifully with the sci-fi genre: immortal women, speaking cats, portals, and soul transference.  The cats, monstrous in size, were thought of Gods because of how they made their appearance to the humans. Humans whose lives were altered dramatically due to radiation and these cats. For the humans in the story, I would have appreciated more backstory on certain people: Marissa and Avery in particular. Jenna mentioned Avery loving her and her hating him in return. No explanation. No flashbacks. Nothing. Their part in the story felt incomplete and I think an expansion of their roles would have benefited their storyline greatly. I also wondered why they were the appointed leaders of their respected groups. Maybe this can be addressed in a prequel?

Now back to the cats, whose roles were the main focal part of The Last Immortal. I didn’t quite understand the whole concept of where they came from but science fiction is the genre of WTF. Basically, the impossible made possible through imagination and Jenna sure does have one helluva imagination.

However, due to the incompleteness with character development and the all-together feel this story was a sequel instead of a first in a possible series, I must dock it stars.

(Ends with a cliffhanger.)

 

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

Score: ❤❤1/2

Kindle Purchase Link

 

 

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My name is Jenna Whittaker and I am an Australian author who has been writing fantasy, science fiction, and horror novels for as long as I can remember! I love writing, my artwork, and caring for animals.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jen_W_95

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennawhittaker

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Blog/Websites:

http://jennawhittakerart.weebly.com/

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The Keresa Headdress by Larry Shackelford (Book Review)

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It’s just a routine case at the FBI’s Salt Lake City offices. The young woman’s boyfriend is missing, possibly dead. Agent Karen Adams thinks he’s probably just out with another woman—but then the Royal Canadian Mounted Police come calling. Why would they care about a wayward addict cheating on his girlfriend in Utah? Soon, Karen is involved in a case like nothing she’s ever seen, navigating through an international criminal network of drugs, sex trafficking, murder, and the black market trade of priceless archaeological relics. Her new partner Marcus “Playboy” McCoy—handsome, charming, and almost unbearably crass—is equal parts help and hindrance as she navigates a seamy underworld in the Utah desert. But she also finds assistance from some unusual sources: a graduate student in archaeology, a dissatisfied sister-wife from a polygamous commune, and an undercover Canadian Mountie. Together they become entangled in the web of international crime and the only way out is to find the most priceless artifact of all: the legendary Keresa Headdress.

 
Kindle Purchase Link

 

(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
When a writer constructs a story dealing with historical facts, it’s easy to get caught up in the finer details and suddenly your story takes on the image of a wikipedia page. In this case, Larry didn’t cross the line from entertaining to overly informative. Sure, you could feel the passion and respect Larry Shackelford had for the Native American culture. Through the use of his characters, (Derek and Ruth), we learned much about their history but it wasn’t presented in a stuffy, clinical way. Knowing when to pull back takes talent. Larry, congrats on possessing such talent. 
 
However, as much as I enjoyed the history lessons, I didn’t connect to some characters. 
 
Constable Lee Bergerman’s focus seemed to shift drastically from work to pleasure once he met Ruth. Guess his “other head” did all his thinking for a bit until work/case struck a little bit too close to home. 
 
I didn’t really see the importance of Marcus except for comic relief. But, if we look at all the great detective shows, there’s always one funny guy to help lighten up the tension filled cases so I guess Larry felt his story would’ve benefited from a funny guy too. Actually, it kind of did. 
 
Karen: When I think of an FBI agent, I picture a woman who comes across as a leader, not a follower. Basically, I felt everyone was leading her around by the nose. Her detective skills were also lacking. She should’ve been able to realize sooner that Marcus had been using her phone for personal pranks. Others caught on fast. Maybe go back to FBI training camp?
 
I could discuss my take on the various other characters but I won’t. I will say despite my lack of love for them, they didn’t turn me off from the story. With the historical info, Marcus’ pranks, I found myself enjoying the story. 
 
So would I recommend this story to others? Yes, yes I would. 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤1/2
 

 

 
 
 

Larry was raised in southwest Missouri where he received his college degree, but he received his education after he graduated and began working in a maximum-security federal prison. After spending two years behind bars, he continued his law enforcement career as a criminal investigator, residing and working in eight states and two foreign countries. Larry retired from law enforcement after twenty-five years of service and resides in Salt Lake City with his wife and cat.

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Cold Feet Fever by Maureen Fisher (Book Review)

 

An irresistible bad boy with commitment issues, who always takes the easy way out:

For the first time, playboy Sam Jackson has no choice but to tough it out. Turns out owning Kinki, a glitzy nightclub, isn’t as easy—or as much fun—as he’d anticipated. Someone’s trying to shut him down before he opens, he’s on the verge of bankruptcy, and his matchmaking granddaddy has hired a sexy event planner with a mysterious background, bossy disposition, and criminal ties. If Sam can’t deliver a memorable grand opening, he’ll bring his granddaddy down too, and there will be no one to blame but himself.

A determined mortician-turned-event-planner with big secrets, who will do anything escape her past:

A job as event planner for Kinki, Atlantic City’s glitzy paranormal nightclub, offers single mom, Katie Deluca, her last chance to earn enough money to flee her criminal stalker. But who knew party planning was harder than organizing funerals? Plus, the gorgeous but womanizing nightclub owner, although perfect for awakening her sensual side, couldn’t be more wrong for the stability she craves.

Forced to collaborate, they overcome obstacles and fight crime:

Sam soon realizes Katie’s the one person who can salvage Kinki—and heal his emotional wounds. Fighting their growing attraction, the couple tangles with exploding trucks, ruthless thugs, an unfortunate synchronized swimming episode, a corrupt building inspector, disappearing corpses, and the very real threat of live cremation, all to wow the vampire wannabes of Atlantic City.

 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
If you’re familiar with romance books, you’ve read countless stories featuring a playboy with a heart of gold and/or a single mom who’ll do anything to ensure her child has a bright future. You’ll also recognize a theme here, which can be found in other romantic tales: Playboy doesn’t want to fall in love because love is messy – complicated. The woman vows sex without strings is what she wants because she has no interest in falling in love either. As you might’ve guessed, they fall in love. 
 
What you might not have read before is a heroine who happens to be an ex-mortician turned event planner. Different, right? 
 
“Cold Feet Fever” also featured an energetic old man, Hiram, who’s heart was as big as his appetite. A heart who had plenty of room for the ladies. Yup, he might be labeled a “senior” but he had the libido of a man half his age. 
 
Other cast members: I could discuss Katie’s family in detail but I think the food they dined on captured my interest more than the characters themselves. I’m a sucker for Italian cuisine. Lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli….. Mm, I’m with Sam, you can absolutely NOT go wrong with carbs. 
 
Speaking of Sam, you have to appreciate a man who can turn any conversation sexual and drop innuendoes without batting an eye. Well, unless you count winking. He did that on occasion. 😉
 
Katie: Her resolve to keep things professional didn’t last very long. In fact, she made good use of all her sex research she’s absorbed throughout her celibate years. 
 
Her roleplay scenario wasn’t inventive but, really, what guy would pass up the chance to have a slutty secretary ease their “tension”. 
 
If all that doesn’t wet your whistle, how about the promise of a fire, explosion, kidnapping, gun battle, crooked politician, some crazies, and a glimpse into “The Joy of Sex”. 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤❤
 
 
 
 
 

I write sassy romance with hot heroes, kick-ass heroines, tons of humor & an animal or two.

Transplanted from Scotland to Canada at the tender age of seven, I’m a voracious reader, volunteer for an addiction family counseling program, bridge player, yoga enthusiast, seeker of personal and spiritual growth, pickleball enthusiast, and infrequent but avid gourmet cook. My husband and I love to hike, bicycle, and travel. I’ve swum with sharks in the Galapagos, walked with Bushmen in the Serengeti, sampled lamb criadillas (don’t ask!!!) in Iguazu Falls, snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef, ridden an elephant in Thailand, watched the sun rise over Machu Picchu, and bounced from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a bus called ‘Marula’.

A quote about my books: “Maureen combines action, adventure, romance, mystery, and an often LOL sense of humor in her page-turning novels. They are the perfect additions to your electronic libraries, like da rum and da coconut in your pina coladas.”

To learn more about my books and my blog, please visit my website at http://booksbymaureen.com

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Precious Cargo by Sarah Marsh (Book Review)

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Evernight Publishing: 88 pgs

 

What would you do if you woke to find yourself confronted with an entirely new universe? Alison Baker deals with it the best way she knows how, one day at a time.

Alison wakes in the midst of a nightmare, complete with monsters included. She winds up being rescued by three alien males but when it comes to her future she’ll need to learn to open up her mind and her heart if she hopes to survive the virus that her kidnappers infected her with.

Clan Drogan are quite content with their lives and careers, when their ship gets attacked by pirates and they are forced to protect themselves, their spoils of war come in the most unexpected of packages. They’ve never met any female like Ali before, and her sweet and caring nature draws them to her like a moth to a flame. But they have commitments of their own when it comes to their future, will the three of them be able to decide once and for all if their intended mate back home is the right one for them? Or will they follow their instincts and see where their attraction to Alison leads?

Ali knows that Conn, Kal, and Tannen are meant for another woman, but she can’t seem to help herself when it comes to falling for the three charming men. They introduce her to pleasures she’s never even imagined; how could just a taste ever really be enough? When they finally arrive on the men’s home planet of Dolak, she sees first hand that her competition for their hearts is fierce and not about to go away quietly. 

Will she find the strength to stand up and fight for what she wants?

 
 
 
 
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Adult Excerpt

 

Kal had been trying all morning to get some work done, but his mind kept wandering back to delectable little Ali, and eventually he just quit what he was doing and went to track down her and Conn to see what they had gotten up to. He certainly hadn’t been expecting to find what he had when he’d walked into the observatory, but the sight of the two of them half naked, kissing on the couch brought his cock to full attention in a matter of seconds.

“I see I’ve arrived just in the nick of time.” Kal smiled as he walked up to the couple and ran a finger gently along Alison’s flushed cheek. “Is there room for one more?”

He loved the way her blush got brighter as she bit her lip and nodded yes to him. Conn lifted his head from nibbling on her neck, and Kal slowly leaned in to take the other man’s mouth in a sultry, deep kiss. Alison’s breathing became even more rapid and her eyes went heavy with lust as she took in the scene before her.

Kal had his suspicions that Ali would enjoy seeing him with Conn and Tannen, and it seemed he was correct. The aroma of her desire was filling the room, causing their own pheromones to increase in return. Their sweet little Alison couldn’t have been a better match for them if she’d come straight from their wildest fantasies. It seemed that his plan to convince his two bond mates of that fact was coming to fruition without much interference from him at all. He stopped for a moment to watch as Conn continued to grind himself against the woman below him, drawing sweet whimpers from her lips.

“Get naked and get over here,” Conn said to him after he broke the kiss, and returned to torment Alison with kisses on her neck as Kal rounded the couch and began to undress.

Just as last night, Kal could feel her eyes roaming over his skin as he took off his clothes, and a thrill went through him at the thought that she admired what most of his people saw as a defect. The only other two beings in his life that had ever looked at him that way were Tannen and Conn, and once he’d found them, he’d vowed never to let them go.

Kal loved the sound of her gasp as he took his briefs off along with his pants this time, revealing his long, hard cock that was aching for both her and his Captain.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Conn whispered in her ear, as they both watched Kal undress, with rapt desire. “It always takes my breath away to see the contrast of his skin against my own.”

Ali looked from one to the other, a slow smile forming on her beautiful lips, and Kal could only hope that she was imagining them entwined in each other’s arms.

“He is,” she finally agreed on a sigh, as Kal finished and moved towards them.

Conn finally released her arms, only to move his hands down her torso, and he began to slowly raise the shirt that had been covering her.

“May I?” Conn asked, looking deep into her eyes for permission to remove the barrier.

****

Alison was so enthralled by the directness of his gaze that she simply nodded in agreement, biting her lip again once the shirt was removed and she was naked to them.

“Ah, no biting, lovely. That’s our job now,” Kal said as his eyes dropped to her mouth and he knelt in front of them both. “I’ve been dreaming about these lips.”

By the time he leaned in and pressed his soft mouth against hers, she could no longer hold back. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. He seemed to be surprised at first, but then she felt his hands move down to caress her aching breasts and he returned her kiss with exactly the passion and heat she was craving.

“You two are so sexy together,” Conn said as he claimed one of her breasts with his mouth, sucking her nipple deep into his warmth.

She could feel his still-covered cock lightly rubbing back and forth against her pussy. To have the both of them touching her at the same time was scrambling her senses with sensation overload. The harder Kal kissed her, the more Alison felt as though she wanted to crawl right into him, and she couldn’t help but slide her hands into his wavy dark hair to pull him closer. She felt her nails dig into his skin, but all she could do was moan and suck at his tongue wanting everything he had to give.

Kal pulled away, and Ali was bereft at the sudden loss of contact. When she opened her eyes and looked up both men were staring at her with such a look of hunger it took her breath away.

“Why did you stop?” she asked desperately, panting hard.

“Gods, Ali, you could burn me alive,” Kal said in a low growl. “Why don’t we help our Captain out of his pants?”

Ali watched as Kal knelt on the couch behind Conn and began to nibble and lick on the other man’s neck, causing Conn to moan, his head falling back in pleasure. Kal took one of Alison’s hands in his own and slowly brought it down to caress his bond mate’s chest and stomach until finally they found the closure to his pants and released it. Conn groaned loudly when both Ali and Kal’s hands reached inside and found his long, hard cock and stroked it together.

“Are you two trying to kill me?” Conn growled as he opened his eyes and looked down at their combined fingers gliding over his hard flesh.

Alison looked down at Conn kneeling between her thighs, his dark skin such a lovely contrast with Kal’s silver arms around him and the pale cream of her own hand wrapped tightly around his thick shaft. Their skin was a slightly different texture than hers. It was almost like a soft velvet, and she couldn’t stop wanting to roll her entire naked body against them both.

The pleasure was so decadent, she almost felt high just from touching them, especially with their combined scents playing at her senses.

“You need to take the pants off, Conn,” she said, tightening her grip on his cock and stroking it slowly, gratified to see a small bead of moisture collect at the tip.

“As you wish, my lady,” Conn said, before leaning forward to kiss her and then climbing off the couch to remove the last of his clothes, leaving him just as naked as she and Kal.

Alison was distracted watching the thick muscles of Conn’s well-toned body as he stood back up, and then she felt Kal’s hands move along her thighs and open her legs further as Conn laughed out loud.

“You bastard!” Conn teased. “I knew you would steal my spot!”

 

 

  ~~~~  Review ~~~~

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

Many women (and men) can relate to Ali’s plight in the beginning of “Precious Cargo”. She’s 35, single with no prospects. She eats dinner alone, watches tv alone, because she has no family — no one to love her.

Then, in a blink of an eye, her luck changes. 

No, she didn’t meet “the one” on Match.com or eHarmony. Instead, she was whisked away on a spaceship where she was rescued by three hunky aliens. 

Before you ask, cause I know you’re dying to know, yes she was probed but she wanted to be — practically begged for it. 

I could say the Seria 9 strain she was injected with by her abductors was the sole reason why she became so touchy feely. I mean, yes, the side effect of the strain was the need for bodily contact. And, no real surprise skin to skin contact proved most effective. 😉


But really, I think being surrounded by three men who were sexually attracted to her and each other might have something to do with her sexual awakening. It would be hard for anyone not to be affected by them, under the influence of Seria 9 strain or not. Right?

Picture this, at 88 pages, Alison (and us readers) were treated to scenes where everyone got handsy with everyone. 

No one was left unsatisfied and, if you pick up this book, you won’t be either. 

 
Heart Rating System
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2
  

 

About Sarah Marsh

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Sarah Marsh was born in British Columbia where she still lives, she has only recently began her writing career finding it the perfect outlet for taking the edge off a nine to five office job. She’s been a science fiction and romance junkie for years and when her imagination started to take the characters she’d read about even further in their adventures she decided to try writing something of her own.

Sarah’s also a former pastry chef and spends a lot of time cooking and baking for friends and family as well as painting and knitting. Her biggest weaknesses are animals of any kind…she even loves the ones that wake you up at four in the morning because they can almost see the bottom of their food dish.

When it comes to life in general she’s a big believer that laughter is the best medicine and that there’s no such thing as too much love, which is why she’s such a sucker for a happy ending.

 

Connect with me!

 

 

 

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