Fractured Steel by T.J. Loveless!!

Title: Fractured Steel

Author: T.J. Loveless

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publication Date: February 15, 2014

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

Karen Barnes’s life is simple, just the way she likes it, surrounded by horses and the mountains of Laramie, Wyoming. She is well aware the longing for adventure can lead to blood and death, a hard lesson taught during her one, and only, tour in Iraq almost a decade ago.

A stranger approaches Karen about boarding a famous horse foaled in her stables, making her instincts go on high alert. She knows for a fact the stallion’s owner would never sell Five Alarm, the US Reining champion worth a hefty ten million dollars. In ten minutes the stranger confirms her worst fears, launching her into weeks of torment at the hands of her kidnappers.

Armed with a spine of steel, she steals a truck and trailer, rescuing another victim, and recovering Five Alarm, but the ordeal is far from over. The kidnapping was a cover up for espionage. Trusted contacts join the fray, and in the end, pay for their loyalty by dying for her safety. Others aren’t so trustworthy, and as the truth is brought to light, she is betrayed yet again.

Safety and freedom come with their own emotional shackles. She had the courage to fight the battle, but can she live with the aftermath of the carnage, or survive the fractures to her mind?

Born in Anchorage, I've lived ... well ... everywhere. From the Arctic Circle to a block from the beaches in Florida. I speak fluent Arkansas Hillbilly, make a mean gumbo, can sew when necessary and am a whiz at packing.

You'll generally find a Muse snuggled to my hip, the other one laying across my shoulders and Editor Kitty staring at the screen, waiting for the red ink to make an appearance. Once it does, he lays across the keyboard purring.

The family brags about the latest compromising position I've been found in, trying to figure out how to truly describe "legs all akimbo" or if falling on the couch could truly land a body in a certain position. They ignore my yelling at characters on the computer screen, and are forgiving when I accidentally write past the time for them to eat. It's one way of teaching the teenager to cook ...

Facebook - Twitter - Author’s Website

Excerpt
Copyright © TJ Loveless 2013

I took two steps forward, but stopped when the little bastard appeared. He wore new jeans and an unripped t-shirt with “No Fat Chicks” emblazoned across the chest. He walked into the bedroom, closing the door and locking it. He put the key into the front pocket of his Wranglers.

“I’ve been given permission. I promise not to break anything,” he grinned, and stalked me around the room.

I stopped in the middle of the room. We’d made two full circuits, but if it was one thing a person learned when training horses, it was that whoever made the feet move was the boss.

He smiled and pushed into my personal space. I wanted to move backwards, to get away from him. Whatever happened next was going to hurt, one way or another. He stood so close a deep breath would make us touch. He looked down, and for the first time, I was distinctly aware I wore no bra. I wasn’t big enough to really need one, but in this moment, the more clothing the better.

“Ah, found your spine. The more you struggle, the better it is for me.” Lightning fast, his hand was around my throat and squeezing.

I couldn’t stop my reaction. My knee rose, but he moved and I only managed to hit the meatiest part of his inner thigh. Hearing his laugh made me sweat. His fingers tightened, and I fought to breathe.

“I can smell your fear.”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Monica Lee, Author of A Heart That Breaks the Soil!!!

Title:   A Heart That Breaks the Soil

Author: Monica Lee

Published:  September 2013

Word Count:  95,000

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Mandy held on to hope that her husband and her situation would change as she tried to honour her commitment despite all signs pointing to this being an unworkable marriage.  A Heart That Breaks the Soil takes you across the vast expanses of Africa and into the insecure realm of the human psyche.

This is the story of how one woman struggled to find her way in the search for that one coveted destination: a happy life.  It is Mandy’s story but it will become yours as well as you enter her world of trials and deep sadness, mixed in with humour, friendship and love.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

Excerpt:

Mandy could hear Winston in the background saying good- bye to his relatives. He then turned to Mandy. “Are you coming or would you like to stay behind?” he asked in a very pleasant voice. The relatives around him burst into laughter at hearing him joke so lightly. Mandy hastily fell into step and together they walked back to the car, and she was the only one who knew he wasn’t joking.

Mandy’s sisters said she looked stunning that afternoon at the registration office. She wore a lilac skirt with a well-fitting silk band, which enhanced her slender waist; the skirt fell elegantly to the floor. A snow-white bodice to accent the lilac skirt showed off her full bust. Her hat was a deeper purple with white and lilac ribbons that gave her an enchanting look.

Driving back in silence after tying the knot was something you don’t see in movies because movies are a fairy tale fantasy; this was real. Mandy could tell by his breathing that he was still very tense. When they got home, he jumped out of the car before it ground to a halt and rushed into the house. Just as he was throw- ing the wedding ring into the kitchen bin, Mandy walked in.

Was that where their symbol of marriage would lie? Looking at the ring lying on top of the rubbish, she reached to pick it up but a second thought overrode her instinct to retrieve it.

THE INTERVIEW 

How long have you been writing?
I have been writing a journal of my thoughts and ideas for nearly twenty years. The
process of starting to write formally to complete a book began about six years ago. 

What or who inspires you to write?
I am interested in family relationships. Coming from an African society this is important to
me. I also, during my life, have been exposed to many other cultures and look for
common themes and behaviours. A few years ago I was talking to me father in law about
how I grew up and everything I had experienced. He encouraged me to write a book and
that is why I dedicated my first book to him.

What genre do you like to read?
Adventure, romance and some new age books.

What is your favorite genre to write?
I like to write about what I know about so I have written about African society.

Who is your favorite author and why?
From a literary point of view I would have to say Wilbur Smith as I love a good adventure.
From the point of view of a person it would have to be my husband Matthew John Lee –
He wrote a book ‘The Quick and The Dead’ a few years ago and encouraged me to write. 

What do you love about writing and why?
I love putting my ideas down on paper and transforming a blank page into something of
which I can feel proud it
gives me a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Sharing my
inner self is something which I find difficult when meeting people but via the medium of
writing it allows me to do so in a thoughtful way. I love it when I connect with other
people and they tell me how much they enjoyed reading my book. 

What is the book about?
The central theme of the book is a lady called Mandy and her relationship with her
husband. It goes much further than that however and details a variety of scenes from
African life.

What or who was the inspiration for the book?
It is easy to see that the book contains a lot of autobiographical information. As
mentioned earlier my father in law encouraged me as did my husband.

Who are the characters in the book?
The main characters are Mandy, an African primary school teacher, and her husband
Winston.

If you could have five authors, alive or dead, who would they be and why?
Charles Dickens, J.K Rowling and Robert Ludlum

About the Author:

The author was born in Zambia. She spent years in England and Sweden as a young woman. For the last 20 year she has taught in an international school in Africa. Monica enjoys writing, cooking and reading. A Heart That Breaks the Soil - is her first contemporary fiction novel. She now lives and works in Asia with her husband and children. Monica is now writing her second book.

Amazon Author Page | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway