Take a Ride with Selene Chardou's Fascinating Series

Any time you read a book based on the lives of people in a Motorcycle Club, there are some things you should expect.

1)  Lots of infidelity.
2)  Lots of language.
3)  Lots of violence.
4)  All the wives are called "old ladies".

It all is really fascinating to me.  But let's face it...I'm a wienie, so I'm not heading out to the local biker bar any time soon.  I get to learn what actually goes on inside an MC without leaving the comfort of my middle class, drug and violence free home.

What I really like about my new Diamond, Selene Chardou's take on Motorcycle Clubs in her "Rough Riders MC" series, is that she goes beyond just the intriguing stories of day to day life.  She really digs into the emotions behind those who live it.

What if someone who was born into this life, didn't really want it?  How can someone forgive himself for things he's done, when there is no way to not do them again?  Will he end up ruining his own life over it?  Or will he inadvertently take down everyone around him as well?

Throughout the series, Ms. Chardou tackles the inner demons the characters face on a daily basis.  We really get to feel what it must be like to live a life that will most likely lead to an early grave.  It's sad and scary and exhilarating, all at the same time.

I read the first two in the series, "Ride to Temptation" and "Ride to Chaos" in a 36 hour stretch.  I just couldn't put them down!  The third installment, "Ride to Vengeance" is scheduled to release on Wednesday.  According to Ms. Chardou, it's a bit darker than the first two.  But she has lofty plans for this series, including introducing us to the inner workings of rival MC's.  So she has lots of times to play with the dark side of an illegal lifestyle.

You can start on the series and check out how intriguing it is for yourself by clicking here.

Selene Chardou and her cast of Motorcycle Club characters pull in an exhilarating 

Make Sarah Dosher's Books Next in Line on Your TBR!

Writing a novel is hard.  REALLY hard.  I know, because I tried once.  60 thousand-ish words and I was pooped!

My mother said it was a brilliant work of art.  But frankly, I doubt it was all that good.  Because, let's face it...it was my mother reading it.  And of course, because debut novels many times, are an author's very first attempt writing a book.  There's lots of room for error.

But Sarah Dosher's debut novel, "Haven from the Storm" is the exception to the rule.  From the wonderfully written story to some surprisingly interesting supporting characters, this book was really well done.   Before I go on, here's the synopsis as posted on Amazon:

"'If you're going to make me cry, at least be there to wipe away the tears...'

Most were asleep in their beds the night Lily Grace's entire world was ripped apart leaving only darkness and torment in its place.  The only remaining person she depended on abandoned her without a second thought...or so that's what Lily's believed for the last four years.

Dean Haven has returned for one reason, to win Lily's love again.  He broke her heart once because of the demons that haunt him, can his desire for Lily keep him from succumbing to those demons again?

Dean has no idea what awaits him when he tries to fight his way back into Lily's life.  Everything he remembers has changed, including Lily.

Is love enough when you're forced to weather the storms life has blown your way?"

I actually listed to this book on Audible and really thought it was fantastic.  Not just because of the story, but because the narrator did a wonderful job!  She was the only voice, so she read for ALL the characters.  Including the male voices.  And she nailed it.  If you're looking for a really good audiobook, I highly recommend getting it by clicking here.

As I said, "Haven From the Storm" was Ms. Dosher's debut novel.  The second one in the series, "Before the Storm" is actually a prequel.  So it really is your choice which one you read first.  They can each be read as stand alone novels.  Be prepared, you probably aren't going to like how "Before the Storm" ends.  But it will give you lots of insight and history for "Haven".

There is a bit of room for growth in "Haven from the Storm".  But Ms. Dosher's writing level in her first book is where most authors are finally at when they publish their second or third.  So she can only get better from here and I can't wait to see it happen.  You can see what I mean by clicking here.

Sarah Dosher and "Haven From the Storm" blew right into my heart for a solid

We Have A Winner!!

Congratulations!!  

The winner of a FREE copy of "Working Girl" by A.E. Woodward, as chosen by Random.org, is.....

Anna Bowie!!

Email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com with your preference of Kindle or Nook and the email address you want it gifted to.

If you didn't win, you can still pick up a copy by clicking here.

HAPPY READING!

Who Doesn't Love Winning a Free Book? Enter Here!

Yesterday I reviewed "Working Girl" by A.E. Woodward.  It's her newest release and really cements herself in the indie world as a very solid author.  She really is one to watch.

So in honor of the new release, let's giveaway a free ebook, shall we?  And in honor of release day being yesterday, here's the book we're giving away.

There are just three small things you have to do to enter to win:

1)  "Like" the Diamonds in the Rough Facebook page so you can keep up with the latest reviews by clicking here.
2)  "Like" AE Woodward's author page so you can keep up with all her latest releases, giveaways and, dare I say, special deleted scenes by clicking here.
3)  Come back here and comment that you liked both pages.

That's it!

Winner will be chosen tomorrow by Random.org.

Good luck!

Happy Release Day to A.E. Woodward!

Some books can be really hard to read.  Just because of the difficulty of the content.  If it's hard for me to read, I can't even imagine how hard it is for the author to write! 

"Working Girl" by A.E. Woodward is one of those books that must have been exhausting to write. Here's the synopsis as found on Amazon and you'll figure out why:

"Life As I Know It:
Booze
Drugs
Gambling
Easy Women
Such was my life in fabulous Las Vegas.  But what do you expect when you're the daughter of a prostitute.  This is not the life I want for myself, and I have a plan.

Life As I Want It:
Go to college.
Get a degree.
Get as far away from Vegas as possible.

But life has other plans.  Plans that include him.  Life isn't always sunshine and roses and even the best laid plans change.

This is my story.  The story of a girl who thought she had it all figured out until life threw her a curve ball.  My name is Presley and I refuse to be just another Working Girl."

After reading "Working Girl", I really struggled with writing a review.  I loved this book.  And I hated it.  I wanted Presley to get out of this terrible situation she was in so badly!  But I also knew the reality of situations like these make that almost impossible.

I had a hard enough time sorting through my feelings that I called a friend of mine, who had also previewed the book, to hash it all out.  At that point, it finally hit me.

This book resonates with you.

It resonates THROUGH you.

Once it's over, you can't stop thinking about it.  You can't stop thinking about the story and the characters and even the writing style.

That is the sign of a really well done novel.

My only critique, and Ms. Woodward and I have discussed this at length, is that is could have been grittier.  It could have been harsher.  She could have pushed it further to make me feel even more uncomfortable.  And I would have believed every second of it and loved it.

But as it stands, "Working Girl" will at minimum, stick with you.  It is sad on so many levels.  Yet the strength of the main character never, ever wavers.  So no matter how uncomfortable it makes you, you will always find hope.

Once again, A.E. Woodward proves what a great author she is.  You'll see what I mean when you pick up a copy of "Working Girl" by clicking here.  She worked hard for a solid

L.B. Simmons Rises to the Challenge with this Emotional Read

I know we're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover.  But can we all just take a moment to enjoy this most AMAZING cover!  Just beautiful.  Possibly one of my favorite book covers ever.

Ok, back to the actual blog post.

When I go to author events, I keep a certain amount of money in my pocket for books.  It's really the only way I can keep  myself on a budget.  When I start to run out of money, though, it becomes quite the challenge.

The Denton Author Event was no different.  When I started running low on cash, I turned to my good friend Kathryn Perez and said, "Ok...I've gotten everything I was dying to get.  What should I spend my last $15 on?"

She looked around the room and said, "Oh!!  L.B. Simmons!  "The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller! You'll love it!"

I am now re-evaluating my friendship with Kathryn because I'm pretty sure she is trying to kill me with all the emotions.  Because she knows I'm a crier by nature.  

I cry when someone loses on a game show.  I cry when someone wins on a game show.  If I don't cry while reading a book, it was probably a comedy.  And even then, it's a pretty good possibility that I teared up.  So for me to say I cried while reading this book isn't saying much.

So how about this....

I cried A LOT!  I mean...a WHOLE lot.  There are just so many well written elements of the story line that brought me to tears.  So much heartbreak and and drama.  At one point, I could actual envision my own 6 year old in the scene and it just about gutted me.  Seeing certain traumas from a child's perspective is enough to bring even the most hard core reader to their knees.

Now, there are a few back and forth personality transitions that I think were a bit too rushed. But even to my own critique, I have to say...

GET OVER IT!  Get over the discrepancies and read this book by clicking here.

Any book that makes me see people with more compassion and less judgement, is a book well done.  And I will be the first to admit, when I volunteer at my teen's school, I will now and forever look at the goth kids differently.

L.B. Simmons and her book, "The Resurrection of Aubry Miller" rose to the challenge for

You've Never Met a Vampire Like This Before

Vampires are all the rage right now.  And there is no shortage in conflicting information on what they are like.

We've seen vampires that sparkle in the sun (Thank you Twilight).

We've seen vampire warriors that protect the population (Love my Black Dagger Brothers).

We've seen vampires that make weird faces when they get angry.  Or hungry (A la Vampire Diaries).

But you have never met a vampire like this!

Or maybe you have.  And you just didn't know it at the time.

In C.D. Hussey's intriguing book "La Luxure: Discover Your Blood Lust", you are introduced to a small bar just off the French Quarter in New Orleans where things are not all that they seem. While being sucked into the dark and eery world of the vampire community, you don't realize you are missing what's right in front of you.

Intrigued yet?

You should be.  The story of Armand and Julia is not your average story of a vampire falling in love with a normal girl.  Oh no.  It's a story about figuring out who you are and who you want to be.  It's about being ok with yourself, even when others choose to see you as a freak.  It's about not getting stuck in the trivial, mundane moments and enjoying life to its fullest.

And then when you find out...

HA!  No way am I telling you that part!  And I'm not even going to tell you how you are going to feel about it because I don't want to prepare you too much.  Just know, no matter how you feel at the end of this book, you will FEEL something!  And you will feel it strongly!  The conflicting Amazon reviews are proof of that!  (Speaking of...please, please, PLEASE do not read any reviews!!  They are chock full of spoilers with no warning!  Don't ruin what could possibly be.....um.....just don't ruin it, ok?)

So whether you love it or hate it.  Give it a shot.  It's free, so what do you have to lose?  Get "La Luxure: Discover Your Bloodlust" by clicking here.

My newest Diamond, C.D. Hussey and her book "La Luxure" get a pleasantly surprising

A Perfect Read For Your Book Club

Sometimes a girl just needs a good cry.  She needs to curl up on the couch in her jammies with a pint of Chunky Monkey and watch "The Notebook".  It's just cathartic to have that release.  

"Family Interrupted" by Linda Barrett was that cathartic release for me.  I cried for the majority of the book.  I know, I know...I cry all the time when I read.  But this one just kept sneaking up on me.  Here's the synopsis as posted on Amazon:

"Guilt and Blame.

Shaken by tragedy, the Barnes family has fractured.  Mother.  Father.  Son.  Each dealing with the pain separately and alone.  Holding fast to guilt and blame.  Real or imagined.

Claire, an artist who finally follows her dream and encounters a nightmare.  Jack, a home builder who thinks he can fix anything -- except what matters most.  And Ian, a teenage son to be proud of.  Until he moves out.  Fifty miles away from the darkness at home.

On the verge of divorce when their son's new life goes terribly awry, Clair and Jack are forced to re-examine their lives in order to save their marriage and heal a family that, according to Ian, "has gone to hell."

But can they find the road back?"

This book takes place over a two year period of time.  We watch as all three immediate family members go through the ten stages of grief (or twelve or eight, depending on which source you are referring to).  It really shows how there is no clear distinctions between those stages.  It's more of an ebb and flow.  And no one's ebb and flow is the same as anyone else's.

As a mother, reading this book and "living" through it was extremely difficult.  Losing a child is the biggest fear I have.  In a sadistic sort of way, that may be part of why it was so fascinating to read.  Because, what would I do?  Would I find an inner strength?  Or would I become a drunk?  I just don't know.  This book brought up questions about myself that were interesting to think about.

My biggest critique is that is ended at 86%, which threw me off.  In its defense, it is a pretty lengthy book, so it wasn't a huge deal.  It was just a little jarring, so be prepared.  Besides previews of a couple of other books, there is a section of discussion questions, making it a perfect read for a book club meeting.

"Family Interrupted" is definitely an unexpected and welcome find. Linda Barrett is now newest Diamond in the Rough. I will be watching her and her work from now on.  You can get "Family Interrupted" by clicking here.

This unexpected tear jerker gets a solid

Dear Reader, Don't Be a Douche.

I worked in social services for about 5 years.  It's one of those jobs that everyone goes into with good intentions.  But it's way more stressful than you would think.  

Government money must always be accounted for.  People who are there for the right reasons lash out because they are on their last dime and freaking out.  People who are there for the wrong reasons lash out because of a strange sense of entitlement.  It's enough to make a normal, everyday person go insane.

I worked that high stress job while I was pregnant with my daughter.  It was a terrible pregnancy with lots of sickness, gestational diabetes, lots of hospital visits for bleeding...it wasn't fun.  Add to that, we were going through an incredibly stressful custody battle over my oldest daughter whose birth parents kept trying to kidnap her (literally.  Like cops coming to the house and everything.).  Add onto THAT I had roughly a 2 hour commute every day, an employee who refused to be on time, another one who couldn't account for a LOT of money and I had to help her clean up the mess....and one day two of my employees decided to throw down in the office.

I.

Snapped.

To my credit, I didn't snap in the middle of the office.  I dragged their sorry butts into the back room to lay into them while waiting for MY boss to get there and help sort it out.  By the time she got there, she had to calm ME down because I was going ballistic on these employees.  I did the best I could in that moment, but everything....pregnancy, custody, exhaustion, high-stress job...it all came crashing down on me in that moment.

I was so grateful my boss gave me grace, because as their supervisor, I should have known better.  It was my job to maintain my cool, even when they didn't.

I can hear some of you thinking, "Well  yeah.  Of course.  You're human.  It's not unreasonable to snap sometimes."

Hey guess what?

Authors are human, too.  Sometimes they snap.  Sometimes it's not pretty.  And most times, instead of giving them grace for being human, we lash out and screenshot things they say in that "moment" and we do our best to put them on trial for one mistake that probably has NOTHING to do with us.

Even better, we see someone else lashing out and instead of getting all the information, we just jump on the bandwagon and try to crucify someone over a situation we know nothing about.

Case in point:

Recently, an author outed a bully who was harassing her daughter.  She took a screenshot of what the offender had said publicly and posted it on her Facebook page.  People immediately banded together to find this offender, who also happened to be an author, and ruin her.  I mean, it was nasty.

Here's where it gets interesting:

There are apparently 2 authors with the same name.  The one everyone was crucifying....WAS NOT THE BULLY.

Let me throw in a disclaimer here.  I 100% agree with the way the original author handled the situation.  This offender is an ADULT harassing a 15 year old CHILD.  This wasn't the first incident.  And it wasn't the first time the original author had tried to get it to stop.  It was a last resort.  She was completely within her right to handle it the way she did.  I would have done the same thing.

What I do NOT agree with, is people immediately grabbing their pitchforks and torches and going on a man hunt to find the perpetrator.  Who is the bully now?  The original bully?  Or the people rising up again someone they know nothing about because of a situation they know very little about?  (The original author did try to sort it out and publicly posted that people were going after the wrong person.  I don't know if it helped, but the effort didn't go unnoticed and unappreciated.)

In another recent case, an author had a bad day after a family member unwittingly stirred up a lot of public drama.  When a reader contacted her about it, she handled it in a less than stellar way.  That reader then went to her Facebook page and complained about an author being rude.  Ok fine.  But during the thread, the author's name was brought up and it got down right nasty.

After she had calmed down and handled the family member, the author then went on her page and publicly apologized to the reader.  She accepted responsibility for her actions, asked for forgiveness and ended by saying she had learned from her mistake and it wouldn't happen again.

Maybe too little, too late.  But I really appreciated the sentiment.  The reader who had been wronged, apparently did not.

She went BACK to her Facebook page and complained about how the author apologized to her and now she was getting people attacking her for not leaving the author alone and that she was pissed.

At this point, why is this still being publicly discussed?  Someone attempted to right a wrong and for THAT she's getting nasty things said about her?  And for goodness sake, why are people still taking it upon themselves to be in the middle of it when the author clearly stated she didn't want anyone to defend her?

Don't misunderstand.  There are authors out there who say inappropriate things and when they are called out, flat out refuse to see the error of their ways.  Some even go on and on and ON about how they have a right to say what they want.  Well, that's true.  It's terrible PR.  And it doesn't make me want to read any of those books.  Those people will just have to learn the hard way.  

But why do we continue to be angry at the people who try to  make amends?  Why does the witch hunt continue?  We still refuse to give people grace.  We continue to call them names and change our ratings on Goodreads to reflect our anger.  Anger that, let's face it, isn't really justified at all.  But we try to justify it by reminding everyone that "as a public figure they should know better!"  Really?

Think about this.  When a Hollywood actor comes into the limelight, there is an agent teaching him how to respond to negativity.  There is a publicist who creates all the PC responses to any drama.  There is a team that buffers the celebrity from all the nasty things that are said, which helps keep them focused on their job and out of the drama.

Indie authors don't get that.  When they are thrown into the public eye, it is with no training whatsoever on how to handle criticism.  They are self-published, for goodness sake!  So they go it alone.  And they make mistakes.  And they learn as they go.  And being that people who write books are typically a little more emotional than your average everyday person, it can also take them a little longer to build up that thick skin.

My point in all of this, is to take a step back when something is said online.  Is this really an atrocity that needs to rally the troops?  Or is this two people having a falling out, as people do regularly throughout life?  Do you need to be involved and to spread the drama?

Or do you need to give a little bit of grace, like my former boss did for me?

That author you wrote a review about may be going through a terrible custody battle over her daughter.  The blogger you send an email to pointing out something they wrote incorrectly may be in the hospital, afraid of losing her baby.  That reader you lashed out at may be in a low-paying, high-stress job trying to make ends meet, and you just happened upon her at the wrong moment.

So reader, blogger, author...don't be a douche.  A little grace can go a long way.  And a little forgiveness, when requested, can lead to some great friendships.

Here's to fewer witch hunts and more relationships!

Possibly My Favorite Read This Year

In 1917, Lena Buchanan was tired of living under the thumb of her abusive husband.  She had 3 small children and wanted them, and herself, to live a life without fear.  She wanted a better life for all of them.

Before I go on, think about this for a second.  It was 1917.  Almost 100 years ago.  Women didn't work then.  They didn't even have the right to vote!  But Lena imagined something better.  So had the courage and gumption to do what NO ONE did in 1917.  

She said, "Enough".  And she filed for divorce from her husband.

In August of that same year, her husband proved exactly how crazy he was when he shot and killed her in front of a department store just past 8am.  He then shot and killed himself.

Sounds like an interesting book right?  Well Lena's life and death isn't the result of someone's imagination.  No.  Lena Buchanan is author Emily Hemmer's great-great grandmother.  And 100 years later, Lena is the inspiration for the beautiful book, "Wynn in Doubt".

Ms. Hemmer told me Lena's story when I met her at the Denton Author Event.  She then told me how Lena's story took on a life of it's own.

What if Lena had gotten away?  What kind of life could she have had?  Could she had survived?  Could she have thrived?  Could she have found love?

So Ms. Hemmer began writing.  And ended with one of my favorite books this year.

Now, I don't normally go for historical romances or historical dramas.  Period pieces just don't do it for me.  But "Wynn in Doubt" isn't just a story about a woman living in the roaring 20's.  It's actually about a modern day girl who seems to have gotten lost in her own life.  As this girl, Wynn, goes looking for answers about her great grandmother, she finds parallels to their lives that start to explain her own self-doubt and depression.

Just because this book doesn't fall into the historical genre, doesn't mean the attention to detail has been lost.  No.  Ms. Hemmer did a lot of research that really came through.  It was fascinating to find out  more about bootleggers and moonshine stills.  In fact, if it weren't for the lone sex scene, I would have my 11 year old daughter read this novel when her history class starts discussing this era.

(Speaking of, if you have a teen, I would suggest reading this novel to see if it's something you feel comfortable with him/her reading.  As a fictional book it is beautiful.  But as a glimpse into the past, it is fascinating.  It would definitely bring the 20's to life to any student studying it in school)

"Wynn in Doubt" is an absolute beautiful story of finding yourself, learning how not to settle, and facing your future head-on without forgetting your past.  It is one of the only books I have read recently that I can say is just about flawless.  Get it by clicking here.

So thank you, Lena, for being a courageous woman who took a stand.  100 years later, your story is making a difference.

And thank you, Ms. Hemmer, for breathing new life into Lena's story.

My newest Diamond, Emily Hemmer, and her book "Wynn in Doubt" get a flawless

My Newest "Go To" Author

There are a few authors out there that I revolve my world around.  Don't judge.  You know you do it, too..when their release is coming out, you take the day off, get a babysitter and park it on the couch.

Colleen Hoover is one of these authors.  I mean, duh.
Jessica Sorensen is another.  Man, that girl can write!
J.R. Ward...ooooooh.  Love me some brothers.

Now, there is a new name on that list.  Fisher Amelie.  

Ms. Amelie's "Seven Deadly Sins" series is the latest obsession on my mind.  I read both "Vain" and "Greed" in less than 36 hours because I couldn't put them down.

In this series, Ms. Fisher explores the worst offenders of these particular sins.  Besides vanity and greed, she's on task to tackle things like anger, lust, laziness, gluttony and envy. (The titles change slightly, but the sin remains the same)  

Here's the synopsis to "Vain" as seen on Amazon:

"If you're looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who's been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she's not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you're gonna hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel.  It's not the "I can do anything, now that I've found you/I'm misunderstood but one day you'll find me irresistible because of it" tale.  Why?  Because, if I was being honest with you, I'm a complete witch.  There's nothing redeeming about me.  I'm a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles.  I'm every girlfriend's worst nightmare and every boy's fantasy.

I'm Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world's most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

Now don't be confused.  These books aren't just about a character that you love to hate.  No. They are about the process someone goes through when the one thing they love more than anything is taken away.  What happens when the lives of these "offenders" are completely shaken up? Can they change?  Can they make amends?  Can they forgive themselves for the sins they've committed?

One of the things that makes these books so fascinating, is the amount of research it must have taken to get some of the details right.  From orphanages in Uganda to ranches in Montana; there is an incredible amount of detail put into every story.  And these are the things that really brought it all to life and made it so much more interesting than the average everyday novel.

However, the biggest surprise to me was...wait for it...

No Sex.

WHAAAAAAT????

You heard me.  In this day and age where reading an Indie book probably means a sex scene or two, it was a pleasant surprise to close the book and realize I can recommend these to my friend's high school freshman without a second thought.  (Seriously Rachel, Rylee will love this series.)

It is safe to say that Fisher Amelie is my newest go-to author.  I have a serious fangirl crush on her now.  And I cannot WAIT for the next the installment, "Fury", which is due out later this year.

I can officially say I am ruined for other books.  Forever.  So start reading this series by clicking here.  

Fisher Amelie and her "Seven Deadly Sins" series earn rave reviews from me and a solid