We Have A Winner of "The Contest"!

Thank you to everyone who has taken an interesting in Dawn L. Chiletz's debut novel titled "The Contest".  And thank you to everyone who participated in our giveaway.  

The winner of an e-copy of this book, as chosen by Random.org is....

Krista Guerrero!!!

You have 7 days to email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize!  

Congratulations!!!

Let's Shake Things Up With a Guest Review by Author Kathryn Perez!

Some of the best authors I have found have been at the recommendation of other authors.  It makes sense.  They see each other at author events.  They critique each other's manuscripts. They become friends.  

So I thought it would be nice to see what some of my Diamonds recommend reading.  

Be forewarned...this one has a potty mouth.  But without further ado, here is a book highly recommended by Kathryn Perez.

There are those books that are good.  You like them, you're not regretful for the money you spent on them and you feel content about them.  Give them their 3 or 3.5 stars and call it a day.  But then that book is over, you never think about it again.  Then there are the books you don't just like at all so you either don't take the time to review them or like some crazy people you shred the author and give a nasty, terrible review and go on and on about how bad the book was.  (Not Me)  I just don't review books I don't like.

THEN there are those books that blow your mind!  Books that as you read the last line you're breathless, you're speechless and you walk away from the story changed forever.  This doesn't happen often for me but let me tell you, "In the Stillness" rocked me to my core!

Andrea Randall rummaged through my brain, comfortable positioned herself in my emotional psyche and took me on a journey that brought me to tears, evoked deeply rooted feelings and caused me to need many chapter breaks just to compose my thoughts in order to keep reading. I "felt" this book from page one all the way to the last line.

Let's just being with the synopsis shall we:

"Natalie is a wife.
Natalie is a mother.
Natalie is a cutter.

Clawing at walls built by resentment, regret, and guilt, Natalie cuts as an escape from a life she never planned.

Staying present is only possible when you let go of the past.  But, what if the past won't let go?"

See, even the synopsis leaves you in a thought provoked state!  The entire book is that way! When I say the ENTIRE book, I mean the entire fucking book!  You don't skim; you don't miss a mother lovin word of this book because you're scared you might miss something poignant or moving.

"Change never comes slowly, brewing on the horizon.  It's always in a second.  Balanced on the tip of a razor blade, in empty pill bottles, behind two pink lines, or learning that one of your children is slowly slipping into a world of silence."

I LOVE the fact that Andrea Randall owns her writing voice in this novel.  Not only that but she give Natalie a voice that will echo in your mind for many, many days after you finish the book. Natalie is the most honest, real character that I think I've ever read.  The realistic nature of this book took me over word by word.  I love the brutal honesty that we saw in Natalie and how she so bravely owned her fears and feelings despite the guilt they brought upon her shoulders.

"Guilt is intense.  Suffocating.  A brick, tied quietly around your ankles while you sleep.  You never fall slowly into guilt - you wake up with little time to take your last breath before being pulled under."

I think that a book like this comes along so very little that when I read it I literally could not review it until now.  If I had reviewed this book right after I finished it I would have come off as insane.  I was a mes and totally could not put together a decent review that would do this piece of wonderful words it's proper justice!

This was a love story, yes.  It was SOOO much more than that thought.  It was a life story more than anything else.  The raw emotions and grit that you will find in the pages of this book will stay with you and I assure eve if you hate the book it will change you in one way or another.

Grab a load of damn tissues, have your choice of alcohol nearby and the fuck on becasue you are in for the most intense emotional rollercoaster ride you've ever taken when you read this book!

Andrea Randall this book pissed me off, chewed me up, spit me out, ripped my heart out of my chest, stomped on it the step by step put me all back together.  Your bravery to write such a raw and controversial topic has me applauding you, cheering for you and loving you even more!

That.Is.All.

Buy it HERE on Amazon.

Chelle here...I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she gives this book

It's a Contest for "The Contest"!

If you haven't read "The Contest" by brand new author Dawn L. Chiletz, you're missing out on a treat!  So to ensure you don't miss out, you have a chance to win an e-copy!!

Here's how it works:

1)  "Like" Dawn's Facebook page by clicking here.
2)  "Like" my Facebook page by clicking here.
3)  Comment below this blog post or on the Facebook thread where you saw this contest.

That's it!  So simple, my kids could do it!

Winner will be chosen Friday by Random.org.

Good luck!!!

LG and Michelle Keep up the Pace with "Mollywood"

When LG Pace III and Michelle Pace first decided to write a book together, they thought it would be a good idea for him to write the male perspective and her to write the female perspective. After trying it out for a while, they discovered that process might work for others, but it didn't work for them.  Instead, they work together the entire way.  

Sometimes they go line by line.  Sometimes one of them gets going and the other tweaks the contributions.  But either way, there is no "him" and "her".  It's "them".

The second installment of the "Carved Hearts" series titled "Mollywood" explores the issue of taking a "him" and "her" and turning their relationship into a "them".  They quickly find out, it's not always easy to do.

As you discovered in "Good Wood", the first in the series, both Joe and Molly have been through their fair share of trauma.  Life has not necessarily been kind.  But where many authors let the readers believe that finding true love makes everything better, the Paces recognize that the story doesn't end with the words "I love you".  No, that's when the hard work begins.  When all your patterns and bad habits have to be dealt with because it's not just about you anymore.  When you stand to lose everything if you don't figure your crap out.

The story is crafted beautifully, which I am coming to expect from the Paces.  There are twists and turns and surprises around every corner.  But maybe best of all, I could feel all of the heartache and difficulty as Joe and Molly go through this journey.  My stomach clenched and my heart hurt.  I even started crying on the treadmill at the gym.  (Thanks for that Paces.  It wasn't embarrassing at all.)

If you haven't already read "Good Wood", you really need to pick it up by clicking here.  It's only $.99 and you will fall in love with the story.  

After your done with that, head on over to "Mollywood" by clicking here.  Just like life continues on even when a relationship is established, so does life with Joe and Molly.

Oh, and by the way, the final installment is in the works as you read this.  Yes, that makes me giddy with excitement.  And yes, I will read it on the treadmill if I need to.  Embarrassment be damned!

The Paces continue to work on perfecting their craft and have, once again, carved up 

Be Careful What You Stand For

For the last several weeks, an online book club I am a part of has been harassing me to read a particular series.  I have had more than one SHOUTY CAPITALS message sent my direction in hopes of getting me to pick them up.  I haven't been avoiding them or anything.  I'm just busy like everyone else.

Finally, one of my book nerd friends took matters into her own hands and gifted me the first one in the series.  (Side note:  Thanks babe!  That was really super sweet of you)  She then started a thread just for me so when I finished I could simply request the next one and whoever had it would loan it to me immediately.

So here I am, all excited that I'm about to read this series of books that all my friends rave about and they're all so kind and generous and I open up my gifted ebook and see the author's name...

And my heart sinks.

You see, some really nasty drama has been running around the online world of indie authors lately and this particular author was the catalyst of some serious accusations towards someone else.

Now, I try to stay out of the drama.  But that doesn't mean I don't watch it happen.  And I watched this particular drama go down and it was nasty.  The accusations of stealing someone else's idea were nasty.  The comments to the accused as she tried to defend herself were nasty.  The entire thing was just...nasty.

And quite frankly...it was all pretty unnecessary.

The reality is, no ideas are really all that unique anymore.  I have two favorite authors that write about hockey studs.  I've read multiple books about student/teacher romances.  And don't get me started on how many billionaire alpha males fall in lust with an inexperienced virgin.  Frankly, unless it's flat out plagiarism, I don't really care if someone's idea is inspired by someone else.  A good book is a good book.

Don't misunderstand, actual plagiarism is serious and needs to be addressed.  But there are is a proper way to do that and proper channels to go through.  

Back to the books my friends so generously gave me...

I decided to put all this nastiness out of my mind and take advantage of all these books being thrown my direction.  I mean, my friends have been raving about them for weeks so they must be good!  So I started reading, and while I am thoroughly entertained, I can't seem to love them as much as everyone else.  Sure, they're well written.  Sure, they're hot.  But just the author's name on the cover completely changed the feeling I get when I read them.  

And that pisses me off.

I should be in love with this series like my friends.  I WANT to be in love with this series like my friends.  We agree on books 99% of the time.  But instead, this particular author put a nasty taste in my mouth about who she is and in the process she tainted her own work.  

No, don't ask who it is.  I'm not here to tear anyone down.  Just trying to make a point.  And the point is...how many other people had this same series on their TBR and changed their minds like I did?

I read an old study once about customer complaints.  One of the reasons businesses go above and beyond to fix things for a complaining customer is because that ONE person represents the way FIFTY other people feel.  Let's translate that into book terms.

I am ONE small reader/blogger.  I only have about 400 followers (maybe fewer after today).  I have no desire to read or review this author's books partially because I know my view is flawed.  My opinion isn't solely based on the work anymore, however much that grieves me.  

Now if I represent FIFTY small bloggers who all feel the same way, that would be a total of 20,000 potential readers that will never have this series recommended to them.  That doesn't even include the several other people, each of whom represent 50 more, who commented on all this nastiness, outraged at the person who started it all.

That is a hell of a lot of 1-clicks to lose because of some online catty nastiness.

My point is this...authors, bloggers, publishers, editors, formatters.....be careful what you stand for publicly.  Yes, there are issues we all need to be enraged about.  And if you want to use your public platform to stand up against human trafficking or child pornography or world hunger DO IT.  Those issues need to be addressed.

But think long and hard about what issues you want to stand up for.  A good question to ask before posting anything is, "Am I willing to give up my career for this?"  Because the internet sees everything.  Readers see everything.  And they are not always forgiving.  And if the readers won't forgive you, that could end up being the kiss of death for your career.

Brenda Rothert Proves Herself Once Again with "Unspoken"

Some books take you on journey and at a certain point BAM!  They knock you sideways and you don't ever see it coming.

Others are a slow burn the whole time.  Your heart hurts from the beginning and you find yourself tearing up in chapter after chapter after chapter.  Oh, the feels!

My Diamond, Brenda Rothert's newest work of art, "Unspoken" is one of those slow burns.  I teared up right at the beginning and it never let up.  I didn't bawl my eyes out at the end.  No, it's even worse.  I think I have a permanent divot down my face because of the single tear that kept coming.

It's hard to explain why it was so consistently sad without giving away some small spoilers.  So I'm going to defer to the official synopsis:

"Palmer Sinclair was on the edge of happily ever after when she broke off her engagement to Brady Grant.  The end of their relationship marked the beginning of a painful solitary journey for her.  Though she makes places beautiful with her work as an interior designer, the rest of her life is anything but beautiful - it's slowly pulling her under.

Brady, a contractor, is swiftly building his business into an empire.  Work is a faithful companion that never lets him down like Palmer did.  When he sees women now, it's on his terms.  And his terms are simple:  just sex.  He won't let a woman break him again.

Palmer is barely holding it together when she and Brady are unexpectedly paired on a project after a year apart.  The pull between them is stronger than ever, but the fallout from their reconnection leaves them both wondering if maybe some things are better left unsaid."

"Unspoken" explores the choices we must make in times of crisis and how we don't always choose wisely.  Sometimes the path we think is right for everyone ends up being the path that's wrong for all involved.  And sometimes when we aren't willing to stand against being forced on the wrong path, the only way to fix it is to double back and start all over.

My only critique of this beautiful book is at the beginning...the decline of their seemingly solid relationship happened so fast it left my head spinning.  But then again, I think even the character's heads were spinning once the dust settled.  How could things spiral out of control so quickly?  You'll see what I mean when you pick it up by clicking here.

I have been a Brenda Rothert fan for quite some time.  Her "Fire on Ice" series is one of  my favs. But "Unspoken" proves that her range of story lines continues to expand and she's not afraid to take more risks.  It's really exciting to see.

"Unspoken" was a wonderful slow burn.  If I could, I would give it 4.5 diamonds.  But alas, I have no .5 graphics.  So I feel comfortable rounding it up to a solid

A Totally Creeptastic Book Just in Time for Halloween

I am a huge wienie.  For real.  I don't do scary ever because I will be the first to have nightmares.

Case in point....I have tried to watch the Halloween episode of Boy Meets World about a dozen times, during the day, with all the lights on and I still can't get through the first eight minutes. 

So I was a little nervous about reading "Villere House" by Leslie Fear and CD Hussey.  When I talked to Ms. Fear about it, I even told her I would do my best, but there was no guarantee I could make it through the book!  I mean, come on.....it was Topanga and Corey, people!

But that's where brilliant writing, interesting story lines and well developed characters come in.  Because those things can take a book that might have just creeped me out, and turned it into a book that was creeptastic in the best possible way.

Here's the synopsis as found on Amazon:

"The last thing college senior Lottie Boyd expected while on spring break in New Orleans was having strange, yet vivid dreams of a 19th century young widow, desperately trying to save her dying little girl.  When doctors are unable to do more, the beautiful woman in Lottie's dreams is forced to go beyond her beliefs for one last attempt.

Compelled to find answers, Lottie is drawn toward the historic Villere House of Voodoo, where she meets the owner, Xavier Villere.  She is attracted to his intriguing creole good looks, but his skepticism of his family's century-old link to Voodoo and the occult keep pushing her away.  It isn't until Xavier beings experiencing unexplainable events from his own past that he begins to understand why he must help Lottie with hers."

"Villere House" had all the elements of a good book:  mystery, romance, plot, some "WTH?" moments.  While I have no desire to ever visit a voodoo house, especially after reading all about this one (scary!!), this was an incredibly well done story.  I read it in just a few hours because I found myself not being able to stay away.  I wanted, no needed, to know what was happening, even though I had the willies.  

So if you like creeptastic, especially around Halloween, then pick up "Villere House" by clicking here.  

Diamonds Leslie Fear and CD Hussey's "Villere House" conjures up 

Columbus May Have Discovered a Brand New Land, but I Discovered a Brand New Author!

Ok, fine.  So I didn't discover the author.  Other people knew she was there.  But most didn't know Dawn L. Chiletz was an author until she hit "publish" yesterday for the very first time.

I was really honored to be one of the first people to read this debut novel.  It was a really fun read!  I think the synopsis explains it best.  Here is what's listed on Amazon:

"When college student Madi Ryan wins a contest she didn't enter, she reluctantly accepts a weekend date with gorgeous singer/songwriter Jake Morgan.  Determined to find something wrong with him, Madi sets out to prove he's not all he appears to be.

Haunted by mistakes, Jake Morgan lives with a past that prevents him from having a future...until Madi Ryan walks into his life.  As his walls and his rules slowly crumble around him, Madi makes him doubt everything he thought he knew.  Her desire to find something wrong with him fuels his interesting in her.  It doesn't hurt that she's beautiful, feisty and keeps him guessing.

As the weekend turns into something more long term, Madi finds herself drawn into his world and his charm.  From harmless flirting, to denied passion, no matter how much Jake tries to push her away, he ends up pulling her in.  And as Madi tries to put him together, he unknowingly tears her apart.

Contests don't always have a winner and a loser.  Sometimes love takes all."

While I'm normally not a big fan of third person writing, this one didn't actually bother me so much.  I'm not sure if it's because the writing was so good or because the story line was so interesting.  Either way, it seemed to work for the story.

I also really like the characters.  They are real and nicely developed.  There's lot of regular, everyday humor built in to the conversations.  I love that.  The characters just come across as the kind of people you would find yourself hanging out with at a party or having coffee with.

As with all debut novels, it wasn't perfect.  There was one point in time where the story started to drag a bit as the main characters started to get a little...um, co-dependent is probably the best way to describe it.  But it didn't last very long and more than redeemed itself by the end.

This is just one of those books that when you will finish you will think, "That was really nice.  I'd like to get to know them better."  Well...SURPRISE!  Ms. Chiletz is already working on a continuation! This news made me happy and I'm really looking forward to catching up with these two in the near future.  But first, you have to get acquainted with them.  You can introduce yourself to Jake and Madi by clicking here.

My newest Diamond, Dawn L. Chiletz and her debut novel "The Contest" have won

Yo, Winner!! Claim Your Prize!!!!

One lucky winner is getting an Audible version of "Haven From the Storm" by Sarah Dosher.  Let me just say, this audio book will make boring tasks, like vacuuming, SO much more interesting!!

So without further ado, the winner as chosen by Random.org is...

Kristin D!!

You have 7 days to send an email to chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Thank you to Sarah Dosher for this generous prize.  And Kristin, enjoy your book!

Who Wants to Win an Audible?????

The lovely, talented and peppermint smelling Sarah Dosher wants to give away a copy of her audio book, "Haven From the Storm".  And one of you lucky people is going to be the recipient! Isn't she fabulous?!?!

Here's all you've gotta do:

1)  "Like" my Facebook page here.
2)  "Like" her Facebook page here.
3)  Leave a comment when you are done.

Simple as that.

"Haven From the Storm" was a fantastic audio book.  So you don't want to miss out!

Good luck!

((Winner will be chosen on Friday, October 10, 2014 by Random.org.  Winner has 7 days to claim their prize.))

Don't Be Confused By the Title of this Great Book

With as many indie authors as there are, it stands to reason that sometimes there will be more than one book with the same name.  There are only 26 letters in the alphabet.  Granted, that translates to bazillions of possible titles.  But overlap is inevitable at some point.

My newest Diamond, Bayli Lane, titled her masterpiece "What If".  This "What If" should not be confused with Rebecca Donovan's book by the same name.  (Which, by the way, is supposedly a fabulous read.  You can get it by clicking here.)

Bayli Lane's "What If" is a beautiful work that holds it's own.  It is a bittersweet story that spans over a decade in time and shows how assumptions and lack of communication can impact life in a negative way.

Throughout the book, I wanted to jump into the pages, shake everyone's shoulders and scream, "You love her!  And you love him!  Tell each other and go for it!!"  But sadly, my powers to become a book character weren't working that day, so I was left to suffer in the most wonderful way. 

The truth of this difficult situation is that when you are 15 years old, you're too afraid to say what you really feel.  You are too busy worrying about what others think about you to see the truth of the situations around you.  By the time you are old enough to recognize what's real, decisions have already been made that impact everyone you know.  Once those events are set in motion, it's almost impossible to set out on a different path.

I made one vital mistake while reading this book.  My heart ached so much that about halfway through I couldn't take it any more...and I snuck a peek at the end of the book.  I know, I know!  I felt guilty about it as soon as I flipped the pages back, so you can stop waggling your finger at me! My  mistake didn't ruin the read for me at all.  But I guarantee the impact of the final events were not nearly as strong because I already knew.  Don't make the same mistake I did, no matter how much your heart hurts.  Tough it out.  It'll be worth it.

For me, Ms. Lane did a remarkable job of showing what happens when you let fear keep you from pursuing what you really want, and always living with the knowledge that "If I had only......." Don't make that same mistake with this book.  Get it by clicking here.

Bayli Lane and "What If" don't need to question why I give it

When I Bet on Mara Jacobs, I Always Win

I cannot tell you how many times I have recommending Mara Jacobs' "The Worth" Series to fellow readers.  It is one of my favorites.

So when I picked up a book from one of her other series', I was expecting a lot.  And once again, Ms. Jacobs delivered.  Her writing is just....

Spotless.

All of her characters have depth and none of them even remotely resemble any other character. Even from book to book.  Her story lines are fun and interesting.  But they are written in such a way that they aren't far fetched.  Everything that happens probably does happen in real life.  Not that other books aren't written about real life.  But not every author can pull it off EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Mara Jacobs can.

This time, I read "Against the Odds".  Check out the Amazon synopsis:

"My name is Anna Dawson, and I'm a professional poker player.  And I'm good.  Very good.

But, I also have a little bit of a problem with placing bets on a sporting events.  Not so good.

Sometimes my little problem becomes a whole lot of trouble and I need to resort to some, shall we say, less than stellar actions to get out of debt.  So, I become my alter ego, JoJo, and fix college basketball games.  Hey, a victimless crime, no one's the wiser, and it's better than the alternative, which is a drive into the desert with my loan shark and a shovel in the trunk.  Although, it has to be said, my loan shark is pretty good looking.

I love Vegas, and I love the life I've built, but when one of my friends is murdered, and another one shot at, I know I need to take a serious look at myself.  And I need to call in the big guns. Even if that means teaming up with detective Jack Schiller, a man who's dealing with his own problems.  But dang, he sure is sexy.

Right now I'm just trying to juggle protecting my friends, helping sexy detective Jack while not letting him get to close, and finding a murderer.  And, oh yeah, no one can learn about JoJo, or this will be the last hand I'm dealt."

Normally I'm not one to pick up a mystery book of any sort.  And certainly not a mystery with a romantic thread running through it.  But since it was Mara Jacobs, I figured I'd give it a shot.

True to form, this one had me hooked from the beginning.  Not only did I adore the characters, but learning some of the ins and outs of high-stakes gambling was really interesting to me.  For a "who done it" book with some romance involved, it was really good!

Be forewarned, it's not a cliffhanger, per se, but you will definitely know there is more to discover by the time you're done.  And at that point, you'll be hooked.  You can start your obsession with Anna Dawson and her friends by clicking here.

Once again, Mara Jacobs proves to me why I love her writing.  I took a chance on this book and won.  Ms. Jacobs solidifies her role as one of my favorite authors with an easily earned