Friday 31 October 2014

4 for Friday October Blitz

4 for Friday October Blitz
Presented by Month9Books with Giveaway
4-for-Friday-Oct-Banner
Welcome to the 4 for Friday Blitz for Predator by Janice Gable Bashman, Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake, Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman, and The Emissary by Kristal Shaff, presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

 Predator by Janice Gable Bashman
Predator-Cover“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she’s still got me. I want more!”
Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules
The hunt is on!
Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.
When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.
Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.
Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.
add to goodreads

Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author

Janice Gable BashmanJanice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine).  Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.
Author Links:  Website | Twitter Facebook | Goodreads


Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake
ITF-CoverSeventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.
But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.
A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.
add to goodreads

Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author
Ashelyn Drake
Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman

BoneseekerArabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn’t fit the role of a proper 1900′s lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella’s dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.
Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment–to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.
But this is no time for child’s play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal … or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?
Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.
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Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author
Brynn ChapmanBorn and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.
Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The Emissary by Kristal Shaff

The-Emissary-CoverFor hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army behind him, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. But for others, it was a fate worse than death.
When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.
So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be only a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret.
To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls. He joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short-lived when they discover that the dark clouds, undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.
add to goodreads

Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author
Kristal ShaffKristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome  kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.
Author Links:  Website  | Twitter Facebook | Goodreads


Chapter-by-Chapter-header---Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

Thursday 30 October 2014

*** Cover Reveal *** Warrior Mine box set




Warrior Mine-2


Meet six HOT alpha warriors and the women who tame them! Box set includes novels by six amazing authors. Get ready to swoon over sexy SEALs, Soldiers and Marines! Authors: Sharon Hamilton, Lizzy Ford, Amy Rachiele, Elizabeth Loraine, Amanda Hough, and Janie Storer Release Date: Veteran's Day November 11th!

Cover by: Eden Crane Design Photography: CJC Photography

Click here to add it to your Goodreads TBR list today!

 

Piatkus Halloween Treasure Hunt


This Halloween, follow five amazing authors through five fabulous book blogs for the chance to win a grand prize with Piatkus.

Christopher RiceKate EllisTim O’RourkeKristen Callihan and Darynda Jones have joined forces to write a spooky story. Every day from  27th to 31st October , each author’s section of the story will feature on a different blog. Each section of the story will contain a single highlighted letter. Follow the story through the blogs, collecting the highlighted letters as you go and on 31st October  you will have enough letters to spell a single word!

The creepy blog crawl starts here (you don't need to collect a letter from this section of the story):

You wake up at the end of a long, dark corridor. Someone slams and locks the door behind you. There’s no way to go but forwards. At the end of the corridor is a heavy wooden door.
In front of you is an envelope with your name on it. You open it with trembling hands. It says, ‘You have been brought here for a reason. Prove that you are worth saving. Work out the five clues if you want to live.’
You stand up, clutching the letter, and run for the end of the corridor. On the door is a keypad, containing all 26 letters of the alphabet. Knowing, deep down, that it won’t help, you try desperately to open the door. It’s firmly locked. Turning round, you see five doors in the side of the corridor. Three to the left and two to the right. Five doors, five clues. You know what you have to do.

The Hunt

Day 1, 27th October: Head on over to Chicks That Read to read the first installment of the story from Christopher Rice and to collect your first letter!
Day 2, 28th October: Go to Bookthing to read the second installment of the story from Kate Ellis and to collect your second letter!
Day 3, 29th October: Click through to Book Mood Reviews to read the third installment of the story from Tim O’Rourke and to collect your third letter!
Day 4th, 30th October: Head on over to Opinionated Cupcakes  to read the fourth installment of the story from Kristen Callihan and to collect your fourth letter!
Day 5th, 31st October: And finally go to Fiction Fascination to read the fifth installment of the story from Darynda Jones and to collect your fifth and final letter!

Visit http://www.piatkusbooks.net/halloween-blog-tour/submit that word and you’ll be entered into our competition to win a bundle of Piatkus books and special Halloween sweets.

ROOM FOUR Kristen Callihan

Outside in the corridor I take a deep, trembling breath, trying to banish the image of the old woman. Dreams bring up memories best left buried. Perhaps this is a dream and the corridor an illusion. Hoping to wake, I smash my head against the fourth wooden door.

Pain explodes with blinding brilliance behind my eyelids. “F*cking hell.” Not a dream, then. I have three letters: B, R and A. I need two more.

Forehead smarting, eyes watering, I force myself to enter the fourth room.

My footsteps echo in the cavernous space. My breath is frost in the darkness. From the far side of the room comes the muted tick-tock, tick-tock of a clock. I pause, blood rushing in my ears.

A child’s voice, high and soft, drifts over the icy-blackness. “Ninety years without slumbering. Tick, tick, tick, tick . . .”

My heart stutters. No, no, no. I don’t want to remember. But without thought, I whisper, “His life's seconds numbering. Tick, tick, tick, tick . . .”

Childish laughter rings out, the little voice singing, “It stopp'd short — never to go again . . .”

Numbly, I finish the old nursery song. “When the old man died.”

Terror arcs through me. I have to get out, clue be damned. I spin on my heel, slam into the door. It won’t budge. Won’t let me free. “Let me out! Let me out, you bloody bastards!” My knuckles split against the unyielding wood, blood splattering in glossy dots.

A hiss from behind, and then light flickers across the black wood door. Hairs lift on the back of my neck as I turn.

White faces, their leering grins, highlighted by the lit gas sconces. Masks. Hundreds of masks line the walls.

Sweat rolls down my cheek, my breath a pant that matches the thunderous beat of my heart. Those grins, black goatees painted upon white masks. Guy Fawkes.

“Shit.”

And then I see her, at the far end of the room. Large eyes, button nose, cheeks chubby and pink with the freshness youth. My body seizes. She stares back at me, her little lip quivering.

No, no, no. I shut my eyes tight.

“Mama?”

Sadie. My knees give out, grief and a cold blast of memory ripping through me.

A louder hiss. My eyes snap open as flames flare high and hot. Crackling fire runs on the diagonal from one corner of the room and stops right in front of me. Taunting.

Not real. It cannot be.

Cool air hits my neck. The door has opened. I can leave this hell. Be free.

Another wall of flames shoots out from the opposite corner, trapping the child in the middle. She cowers against the wall, her tender, little arms rising to protect her face. “Mama!”

Heat pulls my skin tight. Thick, black smoke rolls over the ceiling, snaking down the walls. My throat burns. Too much smoke. Too much heat. Too much pain. Not this. Anything but this. This isn’t real. Leave!

“Mama!” The girl is a tiny form. Orange flames lick along the wood floor, racing to gobble her up.

“Sadie!”  Fear roots me to the floor.

A roaring leviathan of fire crouches over Sadie, its hands reaching out, plucking at her hair. “Mama!”

I run. Into the flames. Agony sears my flesh. Skin blisters, cracking open, yellow fat beneath. Flames punch down my throat, claw at my eyes. Fire eating me alive. No breath. No strength.

“Sadie.” My lip splits, blood runs, and my body slows.

. . . life's seconds numbering, tick, tick, tick, tick . . .

A burst of strength and I am free. And she is before me, her little arms lifted, begging me to hold her. I gather her up, her body solid and real. Relief. Joy.

Pop! Like a bubble, she bursts. Gone. I hold nothing.

“No!”

Water rushes over me, slapping into the flames. The air crackles and spits. And then all is silent but for my sobs. 

Gone. Gone. Gone.

Upon the floor, a thick swath of blackened wood forms the letter V. My f*cking clue.

Back in the corridor I stand, whole and untouched, and utterly empty.



Wednesday 29 October 2014

*** Cover Reveal *** TEMPT YOU: A NAUGHTY AND NICE COLLECTION

AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME: From 9 bestselling authors, a boxed set of novels ranging from Naughty to Nice and everything in between! These 9 sweet and spicy stories will TEMPT YOU to fall in love—or lust! Either way, you won't be able to stop turning the page.






Break it Up by E.M. Tippetts
Kyra Armijo's got two problems: her wild past of sex and partying and her overpowering crush on a member of the ultra-clean boy band, Triple Cross. Make that three problems: once they meet, her crush is besotted, but if his fans find out about her reputation, it'll wreck his image for good.

All She Wants by Anna Cruise
Annika Sellers always gets what she wants. But then she meets Stuart Woodcock, a sexy humanitarian who is indifferent to her charms, and Annika realizes she just might have met her match . . .

Love & Relativity by Rachael Wade
It’s no secret that Sanibel Island's notorious resident bad boy, Jackson Taylor, loves to get underneath Emma's skin, but this time he's gone too far. Now all he wants is to earn her forgiveness before she's gone for good, but their ideas of closure—and the future—are enough to keep them worlds apart. Love, life, and happily ever after? It’s all relative.

Deeper by Blue Ashcroft
Lifeguard Rain Wilson can’t afford to get distracted by her gorgeous co-supervisor Knight McAllister. As they find themselves drawn closer together and their pasts start to surface, Rain and Knight realize that maybe too much broken can make a relationship impossible. Then again, sometimes it’s the broken parts of us that fit together best.

8 Weeks by Bethany Lopez
After committing the ultimate betrayal, Cal asks his wife, Shelly, for 8 Weeks: 8 dates, to prove that they're meant to be together and their love is true. If at the end of the 8 Weeks Shelly wants to walk away, Cal won't stop her. Is 8 Weeks long enough to right wrongs and kick start a marriage that has stalled?

Real Eyes by Amy Evans
Two guys, one girl, a public relationship, a private crush. And one tour bus that will never be big enough for any of them to decide what's real to them versus public eyes.

The Ghost & The Graveyard by Genevieve Jack
Meet Grateful Knight, a nurse left destitute by an unscrupulous ex-boyfriend. She’s determined to do whatever it takes to recover financially, including live in a rent-free house on the edge of a graveyard.  Sparks fly when she meets the gorgeous cemetery caretaker and learns her attic is home to things that go bump in the night.

Zoey Rogue by Lizzy Ford
Meet Declan: A sexy incubus Enforcer who specializes in long nights of hot passion and hunting down threats to his supernatural society. His destined soul-mate defies his powerful sex magic—and he’s determined to claim the wild she-warrior, no matter what it takes.

Selling Scarlett by Ella James
Follow Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost Scarlett her life.

Coming Nov 12!
For more details or a release day announcement visit www.elephantinepublishing.com or join their Herd News and get all the details in your inbox the minute it’s live!



Monday 27 October 2014

Dead End Deal by Allen Wyler Spotlight and guest post

Hello cupcakes,

Today we have an exciting spotlight and guest post. Please Join Kimmy and I in saying welcome and thank you to Allen Wyler for joining us today :).

Rinny



 The first of a series of stand-alone medical thrillers.

Synopsis

World renowned neurosurgeon Jon Ritter is on the verge of a medical breakthrough that will change the world. His groundbreaking surgical treatment, using transplanted non-human stem cells, is set to eradicate the scourge of Alzheimer’s disease and give hope to millions. But when the procedure is slated for testing, it all comes to an abrupt and terrifying halt. Ritter’s colleague is gunned down and Ritter himself is threatened by a radical anti-abortion group that not only claims responsibility, but promises more of the same.

Faced with a dangerous reality but determined to succeed, Ritter turns to his long-time colleague, corporate biotech CEO Richard Stillman, for help. Together, they conspire to conduct a clandestine clinical trial in Seoul, Korea. But the danger is more determined, and more lethal, than Ritter could have imagined.


After successful surgical trials, Ritter and his allies are thrown into a horrifying nightmare scenario: The trial patients have been murdered and Ritter is the number one suspect. Aided by his beautiful lab assistant, Yeonhee, Ritter flees the country, now the target of an international manhunt involving Interpol, the FBI, zealous fanatics and a coldly efficient assassin named Fiest.

Guest Post

Thanks for asking me to talk about Dead End Deal, a thriller that takes place in both Seattle and Seoul, South Korea.

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING RITUAL? WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT AND HOW HAS BEING SURGEON SHAPED IT?

For me writing is a difficult process that takes discipline. First thing I do every morning is pour a cup of coffee and sit down in front of my computer, the door to the room shut, the blinds drawn. No distractions. Then I get to work. One to four hours every day, no exceptions. Each day I set a goal and don’t quit until I reach that goal. If it takes the whole four hours, fine. If it takes only two hours, even better. But the point is I work at it daily. So what does this have to do with being a surgeon? Well, surviving neurosurgical training took a great deal of motivation and self-discipline. It taught me that I could succeed at a task if I gave it 100% effort. As far as how my career might flavor my writing, I think being a neurosurgeon given me a wealth of experience on which to base some pretty interesting stories.

WHAT WAS THE RESEARCH BEHIND DEAD END DEAL?

This is a blitz-pace thriller about a Seattle neurosurgeon who, while in Korea, is framed for a murder. Now hunted by police he must evade a professional hit man while trying to find a way back to the United States. I figure it’s Three Days of The Condor meets Michael Crichton.

I got the idea for the story when I was a guest lecturer at a medical school in Seoul, South Korea. I was staying at the Walker Hill Sheraton hotel across the Han River from the hospital. So all the scenes (hotel, downtown Seoul, and the Korean hospital) were from notes and snapshots I took while there. (I always travel with a small point and shoot camera in my pocket). The brief description of the surgical procedure comes from my own experience.

My neurosurgeon protagonist, Jon Ritter, escapes via a route I personally took when figuring out how he might return to the United States without a passport. Again, the scenes were written with the help of snapshots. So, the short answer to the question is that all the research for the story came from personal experience. By the way, I find digital photography a great help when writing. I view a relevant snapshot on the screen as I write. This help me accurately describe what I’m seeing.


WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING A MEDICAL THRILLER?

People who read medical thrillers are usually interested in medical details, just as readers of legal thrillers find law interesting. What is difficult is adding sufficient medical detail to satisfy a reader without making descriptions or facts boring. This is one reason I try to move my stories along at a fast clip. Thrillers are intended to thrill, not lecture. Fast pace, good plot, interesting characters are the elements that should be in a medical thriller.

WHAT MADE YOU TAKE THE PATH FROM NEUROSURGEON TO AUTHOR AND WHAT WERE YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES?

Writing always interested me. Even in grade school I read like a fiend. So it seemed like a good idea to major in English instead of the traditional chemistry or zoology when I was taking my pre-med courses. This caused me considerable grief because it was difficult to get in all my required credits. But I figured once I got into medical school I’d never have another shot at the literature courses. And that’s exactly what happened —medical school and post graduate training consumed all my time. Then one Saturday, after starting practice, I came home from making rounds at the hospital and decided to start writing. Just like that. I began a novel that ended up to be really awful. Then I wrote another one, which was better but still not ready for prime time. At that point I started trolling for an agent and finally secured one, but could not sell my work. Years later, I got the call I’d been waiting for. It was quite a thrill. I guess, in the end, my biggest challenge was finding enough time to devote to writing. For me the writing process is difficult and requires a ton of work. I now enjoy the luxury of having sufficient time to work on my craft. It’s a dream come true.

HOW DOES ALZHEIMERS RANK AS ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING DISEASES IN THE 21ST CENTURY?  WHY AND IF IT GOES UNCHECKED HOW WILL IT IMPACT OUR SOCIETY? (IS THERE ANY PROGRESS ON FINDING A CURE?)

Chances are you know someone among who either has Alzheimer’s Disease or is directly connected—by relation or care—to someone who has it.  As of this year an estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with AD. That translates to roughly one in eight older Americans.  That’s a staggering number, but yet in the public consciousness, AD isn’t as widely considered (“top of mind”) as the dangerous killer that it is; not like say, cancer or heart failure.  (AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the US).

The fact is, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease are becoming more prevalent as the average life span of individuals increase and the more common health care problems ARE better treated. It’s predicted that by 2020, thanks to drugs like Lipitor, mortality from heart disease and stroke will be way down, making Alzheimer’s the leading cause of death in our time.  The personal consequences to individuals or families is devastating, but the general consequence to society as a whole is great as well.  That’s because AD patients often live a long time, their care is very expensive and will become a major health issue (both in cost and quality of life) that our society will have to bear.

There is hope in some novel drugs to treat AD. Because the disease results from the build up of Amyloid in nerve cells, a promising approach is to block the production of this protein. In addition, there is intriguing research into the concept of surgically implanting stem cells into especially damaged brain areas.  This possible cure is a central element that I used in the plot for my new novel, Dead End Deal.


Cures and treatments for diseases like AD are very expensive to develop, (millions upon tens of millions of dollars of R&D) with the resulting payoff even greater (billions of dollars of revenue for the “drug” or the “procedure”) often creating entire new branches of medicine, with thousands upon thousands of new jobs.  This high risk / high reward fact of life for medical researchers and practitioners like me is a natural stage for heroes, villains and high-stakes drama.  I try to capture that in my Thrillers, but the true high-stakes drama on the medical treatment/development stage is much more exciting than any fiction; the heroes are by far much more worthy of praise (though they often go unnoticed).  I like to see my books as homage to them, at least in some small way.


Purchase Links


Dead End Deal,  along with Allen Wyler's other e-books (Dead Ringer, Dead Wrong, Deadly Errors) are on a promo offer at $0.99, through the entire month of October.


About the Author



Allen Wyler is a renowned neurosurgeon who earned an international reputation for pioneering surgical techniques to record brain activity.  He has served on the faculties of both the University of Washington and the University of Tennessee, and in 1992 was recruited by the prestigious Swedish Medical Center to develop a neuroscience institute.

In 2002, he left active practice to become Medical Director for a startup med-tech company (that went public in 2006) and he now chairs the Institutional Review Board of a major medical center in the Pacific Northwest.

Leveraging a love for thrillers since the early 70’s, Wyler devoted himself to fiction writing in earnest, eventually serving as Vice President of the International Thriller Writers organization for several years. After publishing his first two medical thrillers Deadly Errors (2005) and Dead Head (2007), he officially retired from medicine to devote himself to writing full time.

He and his wife, Lily, divide their time between Seattle and the San Juan Islands.



Sunday 26 October 2014

*** Rinny Reviews *** Louisiana Fever by DJ Donaldson

Disclaimer : I was provided a free copy from Adam at Astor + Blue in return for an honest review



Part of the Andy Broussard/Kit Franklyn Mystery series, but can be read standalone.

Synopsis

During an Ebola-like viral outbreak in New Orleans identical to the one chronicled in the best-seller The Hot Zone, Chief Medical Examiner Andy Broussard and criminal psychologist Kit Franklyn find that the lethal epidemic is not the only killer stalking the Big Easy. 

When Kit Franklyn receives a mysterious invitation to Grandma O's famous Cajun restaurant along with one long-stemmed yellow rose, she can't resist the urge to discover the identity of her suitor. At the restaurant, she approaches a table where an older gentleman is waiting with another rose. He stands, speaks her name, and keels over dead. Who is this stranger? And why do her parents seem to be holding something back when she tells them the story? Broussard's autopsy of the dead man uncovers the presence of a deadly virus that causes its victims to bleed to death in a matter of days - a virus for which there is no known cure. While conducting an investigation into the dead man's identity, Kit and her long time boyfriend, Teddy LaBiche, disappear. Another corpse shows up in the early stages of the same disease as the first victim, but with ligature marks around his neck and bearing a clue to Kit and Teddy's whereabouts. Broussard's race to save Kit and Teddy and stop the spread of the virus results in a chilling confrontation with a brilliant, extremely violent psychopath deep in the Louisiana bayou, revealing the lengths to which a family will go to keep its dark secrets.

Review

This book is a unique read, especially for myself I do not often read medical thrillers or thrillers. It is always good to step out your comfort zone and try new things. So when I was offered a chance to read and review I thought why not? 

From the minute you start reading your interest is captured and you are in for a adrenaline roller coaster ride, It is fast paced from the start and the author's writing style adds to this with short, direct descriptive sentences. He also writes with such detail that you can picture everything in your head so clearly. He uses his medical knowledge to make the medical facts and autopsies realistic and detailed. Which is always an interest to readers. It adds another dimension to the readers experience, however I would advise a strong stomach. There was a lot of moments where I was left feeling unpleasantly queasy. 

Even though I have not read any of the books prior to this one in the series, I did not find it hard to get attached to the main characters. It was obvious there is history between them although i feel that both underwent a great deal of growth and development throughout the book. They were realistic and both became endeared to me, even to the point where I did start to worry over them. However as realistic as realistic as i found them, I did get frustrated with them. I found the way they dealt with certain situations a little contrived and the ending was slightly disappointing especially Kit's attitude/behaviour.

The stand out thing for me in this book was the author's way of giving the virus, its own sort of personality/being. The way he gave us an insight into it was one you would expect of a serial killer novel. The use of sections from it's viewpoint was genius.

This is a good read, however I did struggle a bit. It was in no way an easy read for me. I often found myself needing a break not from the story but from the medical jargon and graphic details. However I do think that was a personal thing and not a reflection on the author or his book. I would recommend this book to fans of mystery, thriller novels especially those of medical thrillers.

My Rating :  



Purchase Links


Louisiana Fever is going for 99 cents on the e-format all through October. So are 3 others of the author's books (Sleeping with the Crawfish, Bad Karma in the Big Easy, and New Orleans Requiem, which are part of the Broussard & Franklyn series).


About the Author

D.J. Donaldson is a retired professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology.  His entire academic career was spent at the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, where he published dozens of papers on wound-healing and where he taught microscopic anatomy to thousands of medical and dental students.
 He is also the author of seven published forensic mysteries and five medical thrillers. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife and two West Highland terriers. In the spring of most years he simply cannot stop buying new flowers and other plants for the couple’s prized backyard garden.