Monday, April 20, 2015

Book Blast: A Dream Called Marilyn by Mercedes King

HF Virtual Book Tours invites you to follow Author Mercedes King's Book Blast for A Dream Called Marilyn, from April 20-May 1, and enter to win one of five paperback copies or a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

02_A Dream Called Marilyn CoverPublication Date: March 23, 2015
Triumph Productions
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 180

Genre: Historical Fiction



In the summer of 1962, nothing could prepare Dr. Charles Campbell for his first meeting with his new client, Marilyn Monroe. A reputable psychiatrist, he's been hired by a studio executive to handle and subdue the star, no matter what it takes. Although he's been warned about Ms. Monroe's unpredictability, she's not what he expected, and resisting her natural charms will test his fortitude.

In the days that follow, Charles' world is turned upside-down. His marriage has been under pressure and is still fragile from one of his wife’s antics. Obsessed with reinvigorating her acting career, Helen Campbell often ignores her motherhood duties. Charles does as much as he can to hold the family together and to protect his young daughters, but the strain has reached a new intensity for all of them.

Charles’ sessions with Marilyn range from sensual to bizarre. She even threatens to go public with information that could ruin her career and destroy President Kennedy’s administration.

Desperate for advice, Charles enlists help from a former college pal, Bertrand Miller. A private detective, known for seedy practices, Miller isn’t new to Hollywood’s underside—or even to Marilyn’s secrets. He advises Charles to be careful, as it’s rumored that the mob will silence Marilyn to protect Kennedy.

But Charles makes the mistake of getting too personal with Marilyn. Although his intentions are well-meaning, those keeping an eye on Marilyn couldn’t care less, which makes Charles a target for the mob and the FBI. Saving Marilyn from her self-destructive ways and crossing doctor-patient boundaries, might also cost Charles Campbell his life.

Buy A Dream Called Marilyn


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Excerpt from A Dream Called Marilyn


Dr. Charles Campbell tightened the knot in his tie, knowing that today was the biggest day of his career. Maybe even his life. He promised himself--no, swore to himself--that he wouldn’t let his infatuation get the best of him, that he would hold it together when he met her for the very first time, right there in his office.

He’d cleared away the dust, made sure his diplomas hung T-square straight, and he’d washed his hands. Repeatedly. He’d made sure his gray suit and navy blue tie were pressed to perfection. Like most red-blooded, breathing males he’d taken a beating from inside his chest whenever he saw her on the screen. She had that way about her, being able to stir a man’s desires and make you fall in love with her effortlessly. With that teasing smile and that vulnerable naivety she exuded, she could make any man melt, abandon any morals he held. And her curves. Well, Charles couldn’t think on that. Not today.

He’d treat her the way every psychiatrist was expected to treat a patient. Charles promised himself he wouldn’t flinch or become a caricature of himself when he touched her hand. There would be no unbuttoning of his collar or adjusting the air conditioning unit. And his eyes would not wander. That was his resolve.

He dabbed the beads of perspiration from his forehead. Theirs would be a business relationship, he reminded himself. According to the studio contact, the man who’d arranged today’s meeting, this was a woman in desperate need of his professional services. They would establish a doctor-patient association. Yes, simple as that. Charles would uphold the fine reputation he’d built in Los Angeles and tend to her like he would any female client.

Why, he’d treated a number of actors and actresses, from those struggling with sexual identity issues to depressive diseases. Those famous for their cowboy roles, those noted for their singing and dancing. Even those known for the flip of their hair or their on-set tantrums.

But who was he kidding? There was no one like her. Would she notice his resemblance to Rod Taylor? Remark that his hair was lighter, but that the similarities were uncanny. Perhaps his only hope was that she¾

A knock sounded, interrupting his rambling thoughts.

Charles opened the door to his office.

And there she was.

“Miss Monroe.” He stepped aside, held out his hand to welcome her in. “Please.”

Her eyes flashed that shy but friendly grin he’d seen in her movie characters as she entered, a crème-colored shawl hugging her bare shoulders. Interesting, Charles thought, for a sultry June afternoon.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Monroe.” Charles offered his hand.

Marilyn stole a surmising glance of the room, which served as the outer room and waiting area for Charles’ practice. How he wished he’d spruced up the walls. She shook his hand, almost as if the gesture were new to her. Her pink linen dress reminded him of her outfit from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes when she sang, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”. This dress was shorter, sleeveless but with a high neckline, and sans gloves and diamonds.

“Thank you for seeing me, Dr….?”

Charlie reddened. “Dr. Campbell.” Hadn’t the studio contact mentioned his name to her? And as the man from the studio crossed his mind, he found it curious Marilyn had come alone; he’d expected her to be escorted, handed off almost. “May I get you anything? A glass of water perhaps?”

“No, thank you.” She smiled, sweetly yet cautiously. Charles couldn’t blame her. Here was a woman who’d been raised in turmoil, endured multiple heartbreaks and divorce, professional difficulties, much of it in the public eye. All while being rotated through various doctors.

“Would you like to sit here or in my office?”

“Wherever you’d like me.”

The lump that jumped into his throat almost knocked him unconscious.

“There is a couch in here.” He said it as his hand slid the door open to his inner office. “Well, I only mean that it’s probably more comfortable….”

He was certain he sounded lustful, perverted. Minutes into his first session and he was blowing it! Did he have any hope left of instilling confidence in her, in gaining her trust?

To his surprise she laughed. An unexpected, breathy release that made his own breathing pause. She sashayed into Charles’ inner office and seated herself on the burnt-orange couch--how he wished he’d bought a new one!--tucked her legs up beside her and leaned onto the arm.

Instinct struck Charles; he nudged his tie loose, undid the top button of his collar.

He reached for the pad of notepaper and pen on his desk, desperately hoping she hadn’t noticed his acute failure to behave better than an ordinary man.

“I know why I’m here.” She spoke with a sudden perkiness that caught Charles off guard. Many of his clients had battled resentment, denial while sitting on that couch.

“Oh?” He sat in a tufted vinyl chair across from her.

“Yes.” Her eyes were wide. Trusting. “You see, I’m dangerous.”

“To yourself?”

“Not exactly.” Her smile returned. “I know it will be hard for you to understand, and I’m not sure how much I should tell you, for your own good.”

It was too early for Charles to gauge how serious Marilyn was. Their initial encounter was still warm and clutter plagued his mind. He had to shove aside the characters she’d played, the magazine articles he’d read about her, and momentarily ignore disparaging details he’d read about her in the file from the studio contact. Charles had to figure out who Marilyn really was.

About the Author03_Mercedes King Author


A founding member of Sisters in Crime Columbus, Ohio (affectionately dubbed SiCCO), Mercedes King can be found elbow-deep in research, reading, or enjoying the local bike path. Combining her love of pop culture with history, she created A Dream Called Marilyn, a novella focusing on the last weeks of Marilyn's life.

O! Jackie is a fictional take on Jackie Kennedy's private life--and how she dealt with JFK's affairs. Unable to quench that thirst for Kennedys, Mercedes wrote The Kennedy Chronicles, a series of short stories featuring Jackie and Jack before the White House and before they were married.

Plantation Nation follows Emma Cartwright, a 16 year old Southern girl who disguises herself as a young man and fights for the Union Army.

For more information please visit Mercedes King's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Goodreads.

A Dream Called Marilyn Book Blast Schedule


Monday, April 20
Rainy Day Reviews
What Is That Book About
Of Books and Other Things

Tuesday, April 21
100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, April 22
The Maiden's Court

Thursday, April 23
The Never-Ending Book

Friday, April 24
Queen of All She Reads

Saturday, April 25
It's a Mad Mad World

Sunday, April 26
Passages to the Past

Monday, April 27
To Read, Or Not to Read

Tuesday, April 28
Deal Sharing Aunt

Wednesday, April 29
CelticLady's Reviews

Thursday, April 30
LibriAmoriMiei

Friday, May 1
Just One More Chapter

Giveaway


To enter to win a copy of A Dream Called Marilyn (5 copies are up for grabs) or a $50 Amazon Gift Card please see the Gleam giveaway below.

RULES


Giveaway starts on April 20th at 12:01am EST and ends at 11:59pm EST on May 1st.
Giveaway is open to residents in the US only and you must be 18 or older to enter.
Winners will be chosen via GLEAM and notified via email.
Winners have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Please email Amy @ hfvirtualbooktours@gmail.com with any questions.

A Dream Called Marilyn Book Blast Giveaway


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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Watersmeet by Rachel Cotterill Review

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When a stranger tells her she's a mage, Ailith is intrigued but she's also afraid. Magic is heresy, and heresy means death under the Temple Law. Even literacy is suspect in a girl of her background, and her sister's impending wedding only serves as a reminder that she should be focusing on her future. Then a local priest asks her to rescue his son, and she starts to wonder if her talents could be a blessing, after all.

The Lord Baron of Watersmeet, Leofwin isn't accustomed to welcoming uninvited visitors. A commoner turning up at his gates should be no more than a minor footnote to his day, but something about Ailith catches his attention. Alchemy can be lonely work and an apprentice might be just what he needs.

As their lessons grow into shared experiments, Leofwin wonders if he might even trust her with his greatest challenge. But Ailith can't forget why she came to the castle.




I don't typically read fantasy, but the synopsis really did catch my eye and I'm glad I went out of my normal comfort zone and gave this story a try. I also like the creative spin on alchemy. This story is unique and fast past but the reader does not get lost in the story which makes it ever better. Also, even though the reader introduced to a story already in progress, the reader is given sort of an explanation to what they just opened so the reader is not confused. I love that the story is about even though writing and magic is not allowed, but Ailith can read and write. But because she knows how to, she must keep it a secret. The story keeps unfolding and we find out that Ailith has more hiding....

For those that read si-fi/fantasy, I recommend. For those that do not, I encourage you to give it a try.



I received this book for review

Monday, April 13, 2015

Book Feature: Prophase: A Present Tale By M. Street



M. Street Bio:
M. Street is an avid storyteller with an innate passion for fiction writing. He was raised in rural Wisconsin near the shores of Lake Michigan across from a small forest that became his second home. As an adult, M. Street has lived on the East Coast in Boston, on the West Coast in San Jose, and now resides South, in the great city of Austin, TX. A love for nature, art, spirituality, and science has been his foundation. He has been fortunate to have been adopted by cats, dogs, birds, frogs, turtles, and Monarch butterflies. His professional background is rooted in Engineering having earned a graduate degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is technically published (under a different name). He is currently creating Metaphase and Anaphase/Telophase, the follow on to Interphase/Prophase, part of the Mitosis series.


Links:
Website   
Facebook    
Goodreads 

Book Cover:


Prophase: A Present Tale bcc:
Become swept away into a world of light just beyond our perception.

Piper Walker, a high school senior, has seen her share of hard times. At a young age, she lost her mother to breast cancer shortly after her brother Charlie was born. Raising her baby brother under the wrathful eye of an abusive and alcoholic father, she relies heavily on her small, but tight core of friends. Lisa, her best friend from kindergarten, and Chris, her longtime boyfriend, help to keep her above water. Along with her friends, Piper’s elderly neighbor, Ester, and her lynx point Siamese cat, Jazz, become the extended family she never had.

Even before her mom died, Piper always felt different. She was opposite of her popular best buddy Lisa, and didn’t enjoy doing what most other teenage girls liked to do. She wasn’t much for fixing up and thought hanging out was boring. Music and nature were her muses. Piper grew up next to a forest with countless paths, one of which led to the high school; the others to myriad of seasonal wonders. Piper spent countless hours in the woods exploring and finding solace in the trees, wild flowers, and every kind of animal. Although somewhat shy and insecure of her voice, Piper was lead vocals and a passionate bass player for a garage band called ‘The Coat Tails’ that consisted of Lisa, Chris, and their close friend Josh. Having never sounded better, they were sure to win the senior talent show.

After a Spring Fling dance, a near-death experience prematurely rebirths Piper to her destiny, for not even she knows who she really is. Her identity has remained buried deep for her protection. She awakens to a dimension where light laden with emotions emits from everything around her. Overnight, Piper and her world are transformed into something radically different. What she thought was real was only the beginning, a thin veneer to actual reality. Universal truths are turned upside down. She wakes to a magical world with an ancient history and kingdoms of races. Life becomes way more beautiful, complex, and breathtaking than she ever imagined.

A menagerie of supernatural and metallic gleaming mythical characters come to assist Piper to take her first steps in her new world and keep her safe. The realm of brilliant auras, feelings, and endless color surround her creating a language she doesn’t understand. She begins a long journey to discovering and mastering her powers and senses that defy fantasy. Riding gravity waves, casting spells, and leaping to exotic locations become her new curriculum.

However, amongst the Eden lies a fatal danger. For centuries, a tyrannical rule has suppressed and strangled the enchanted world she is now part of. A most brilliant Guardian, named Eli, and his council, the Arbitri, have become the only voice. Evolution has stopped. Only Piper has the power to bring about change.
Amongst the unspeakable beauty, unknown danger, and the desire to find out who she really is, Piper stumbles upon an unexplainable, first-time love that becomes the only thing that she can cling to in her stormy and unexpected life. From the first time his voice dances on her ear drums, she is taken by something wonderfully unreal.

Piper now must juggle her two worlds – and disguise her increasing abilities and morphing appearance while attempting to be the slightly nerdy teenager everyone knows.

This story captivates the imagination with the beauty of nature and the celebration of love, life, and light – and the power of one girl