Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan


 The Third to Die: A Novel
Allison Brennan
On Sale Date: February 4, 2020
9780778309444, 0778309444
Hardcover
$26.99 USD, $33.50 CAD
Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
464 pages

About the Book:
New York Times bestselling author and gifted storyteller Allison Brennan's new standalone thriller features a troubled female police detective and an ambitious FBI special agent who wind up at the center of a ticking-clock investigation into a diabolical serial killer.

Brennan's novel will launch a book-a-year series featuring a fabulous cast of recurring characters. It’s the story of a troubled female police detective and an ambitious FBI special agent who wind up at the center of a ticking-clock investigation into a diabolical serial killer; and the bond they forge in this crucible sets the stage for the future books in the series.

Detective Kara Quinn is visiting her hometown of Liberty Lake, Washington, after being placed on administrative leave by the LAPD, when she comes upon the mutilated body of a young nurse during an early morning jog. The manner of death is clearly ritualistic; she calls it in. Meanwhile back in DC, special agent in charge Mattias Costa is meticulously staffing his newly-minted Mobile Response Team. One of his first recruits is the brilliant FBI forensic psychologist Catherine Jones. When word reaches Matt that the Washington state murder appears to be the work of the Triple Killer--it will be the first case for the MRT. Jones has done the only profile on this serial killer, but she is reluctant to join the unit, still shaken by the death of her sister a year ago under circumstances for which she holds herself responsible. But only she holds the key to understanding the killer's obsessive pattern--three murder victims, three deep slashes a piece, each three days apart, each series beginning on a March 3rd--3/3, then a three-year hiatus before he strikes again.

This time they have a chance to stop him before he claims another victim strikes, but only if they can figure out who he is and where is hiding.

About the Author:
Allison Brennan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of three dozen thrillers and numerous short stories. She was nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers, has had multiple nominations and two Daphne du Maurier Awards, and is a five-time RITA finalist for Best Romantic Suspense. Allison believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five kids. Allison and her family live in Arizona. Visit her at allisonbrennan.com

Social Links:
Facebook: @AllisonBrennan
Twitter: @Allison_Brennan
Instagram: @abwrites

Buy Links:



Excerpt:

Wednesday, March 3
Liberty Lake, Washington
12:09 a.m.

Warm blood covered him.
                His arms, up to his elbows, were slick with it. His clothing splattered with it. The knife—the blade that had taken his retribution—hung in his gloved hand by his side.
                It was good. Very good.
                He was almost done.
                The killer stared at the blackness in front of him, his mind as silent and dark as the night. The water lapped gently at the banks of the lake. A faint swish swish swish as it rolled up and back, up and back, in the lightest of breezes.
                He breathed in cold air; he exhaled steam.
Calm. Focused.
As the sounds and chill penetrated his subconscious, he moved into action. Staying here with the body would be foolish, even in the middle of the night.
He placed the knife carefully on a waist-high boulder, then removed his clothes. Jacket. Sweater. Undershirt. He stuffed them into a plastic bag. Took off his shoes. Socks. Pants. Boxers. Added them to the bag. He stood naked except for his gloves.
He tied the top of the plastic, then picked up the knife again and stabbed the bag multiple times. With strength that belied his lean frame, he threw the knife into the water. He couldn’t see where it fell; he barely heard the plunk.
Then he placed the bag in the lake and pushed it under, holding it beneath the surface to let the frigid water seep in. When the bag was saturated, he pulled it out and spun himself around as if he were throwing a shot put. He let go and the bag flew, hitting the water with a loud splash.
Even if the police found it—which he doubted they would— the water would destroy any evidence. He’d bought the clothes and shoes, even his underwear, at a discount store in another city, at another time. He’d never worn them before tonight.
Though he didn’t want DNA evidence in the system, it didn’t scare him if the police found something. He didn’t have a record. He’d killed before, many times, and not one person had spoken to him. He was smart—smarter than the cops, and certainly smarter than the victims he’d carefully selected.
Still, he must be cautious. Meticulous. Being smart meant that he couldn’t assume anything. What did his old man use to say?
Assume makes an ass out of you and me…
The killer scowled. He wasn’t doing any of this for his old man, though his father would get the retribution he deserved. He was doing this for himself. His own retribution. He was this close to finishing the elaborate plan he’d conceived years ago.
He could scarcely wait until six days from now, March 9, when his revenge would be complete.
He was saving the guiltiest of them for last.
Still, he hoped his old man would be pleased. Hadn’t he done what his father was too weak to do? Righted the many wrongs that had been done to them. How many times had the old man said these people should suffer? How many times had his father told him these people were fools?
Still, he hoped his old man would be pleased. Hadn’t he done what his father was too weak to do? Righted the many wrongs that had been done to them. How many times had the old man said these people should suffer? How many times had his father told him these people were fools?
Yet his father just let it happen and did nothing about it! Nothing! Because he was weak. He was weak and pathetic and cruel.
Breathe. Focus. All in good time.
All in good time.
The killer took another, smaller plastic bag from his backpack. He removed his wet gloves, put them inside, added a good-sized rock, tied the bag, then threw it into the lake.
Still naked, he shivered in the cold, still air. He wasn’t done.
Do it quick.
He walked into the lake, the water colder than ice. Still, he took several steps forward, his feet sinking into the rough muck at the bottom. When his knees were submersed, he did a shallow dive. His chest scraped a rock, but he was too numb to feel pain. He broke through the surface with a loud scream. He couldn’t breathe; he couldn’t think. His heart pounded in his chest, aching from the icy water.
But he was alive. He was fucking alive!
He went under once more, rubbed his hands briskly over his arms and face in case any blood remained. He would take a hot shower when he returned home, use soap and a towel to remove anything the lake left behind. But for now, this would do.
Twenty seconds in the water was almost too long. He bolted out, coughed, his body shaking so hard he could scarcely think. But he had planned everything well and operated on autopilot.
He pulled a towel from his backpack and dried off as best he could. Stepped into new sweatpants, sweatshirt, and shoes. Pulled on a new pair of gloves. There might be blood on the ATV, but it wasn’t his blood, so he wasn’t concerned.
He took a moment to stare back at the dark, still lake. Then he took one final look at the body splayed faceup. He felt nothing, because she was nothing. Unimportant. Simply a small pawn in a much bigger game. A pawn easily sacrificed.
He hoped his old man would be proud of his work, but he would probably just criticize his son’s process. He’d complain about how he did the job, then open another bottle of booze.
He hoped his father was burning in hell.
He jumped on the ATV and rode into the night.

#Giveaway PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS PLAN by Dr. Janice Asher and Jae Rivera















Book Details:

Book Title The Permanent Weight Loss Plan: A 10-Step Approach To Ending Yo-Yo Dieting by Dr. Janice Asher; Jae Rivera
CategoryAdult Non-Fiction (18+), 308 pages
Genre How-To
Publisher Skyhorse Publishing

Release date:   January 2020
Tour dates: January 7 to February 3, 2020
Content Rating: PG


Book Description:

Diets
 come and go, and the scale needle swings as you drop pounds and then
gain them back. But what if there were a weight loss solution for
forever? Not another fad diet based on deprivation and restriction, but a
 holistic system for shedding pounds and maintaining your weight?

In
 The Permanent Weight Loss Plan
, Janice Asher, MD, and Fulbright Open
Research Fellow, Jae Rivera, reveal (from their own first-hand
experiences) that it’s not just about the food you eat or don’t eat—it’s
 about a mindset and lifestyle change. After collectively losing 170
pounds and maintaining their weight for years, Janice and Jae share
scientific evidence, personal experiences, and practical insights on how
 you can successfully reframe your relationship with food.

It’s
about stopping the shame associated with body size, recognizing
instances of disordered eating, equipping yourself with the knowledge of
 what behaviors contribute to lasting weight loss, and making use of
proven strategies. Get actionable tips on how to:



  • Overcome barriers like stress, shame, and emotional eating



  • Escape the comfort food circle of hell



  • Eat food that nourishes your intestinal microbiome and brain



  • Replace unhealthy habits with new ones that will treat your body well



  • Boost your metabolism by eating during the right times of the day



  • Commit to an exercise regime you can enjoy



  • Transform your kitchen from danger zone to a safe space



  • Survive potential landmines like holidays and parties



  • Develop strategies for not gaining back the weight you lose



  • Stop the cycle of fat-shaming and treat yourself with kindness



  • Complete
     with 26 recipes for cauliflower quinoa puttanesca, “umami bomb” roasted
     portabella mushrooms, blueberry breakfast smoothie, curried lentil
    salad, and more, The Permanent Weight Loss Plan encourages readers, with
     gentle humor and compassion, to embrace a paradigm shift and transform
    their lives for good.


    Buy the Book
    Amazon










    Dr. Janice Asher








    Jae Rivera



    Meet the Author:

    Janice
     Asher is a gynecologist at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition
    to being a clinician there, she began the MILE (mindful, intuitive
    living & eating) Program, and the PANDA (Physicians And Nurses
    Domestic Abuse) Program. She is a co-author and co-editor of a textbook
    on sexual assault.

    Jae
     Rivera is a biological anthropologist specializing in human osteology.
    She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and continued
    on to work at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
    Presently, she is living in Peru analyzing human remains with a
    Fulbright Open Research Grant. and will begin her PhD when she returns
    in 2018.

    Connect with the author:    website ~ twitter


     

    Tour Schedule:


    Jan 7 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 7 - Over Coffee Conversations – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 7 - Reading Authors - book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 8 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 9 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 10 – Tabi Thoughts - book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 13 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 14 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 15 - The 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News - book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 16 – b for bookreview – book spotlight

    Jan 21 – Laura's Interests – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 22 – Words And Peace – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 23 – #redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 28 – Rainy Day Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 29 – Seaside Book Nook – book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 30 – StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway

    Jan 30 - eBook Addicts - book spotlight / giveaway


    Enter the Giveaway:






    Saturday, January 25, 2020

    Kai Storm - Her books and an author interview!


    1Guest Post:

        A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Getting Published

    So Alani’s Bigger Hustle (my first baby/book) was set to be published in 2009 via a small publisher who I signed with. I was so excited to get a contract that I didn’t read it (mistake #1) nor did I research the publisher or talk to anyone they published previously (mistake #2). I didn’t know anything about the publishing process (mistake #3) I trusted everything the small publisher told me (mistake #4) and I was just happy with the thought of getting my book published. The only piece of good advice they gave me was to join Facebook and develop a following. With that following, I also connected with real authors who knew the business and were willing to give me pointers. I then read my contract and realized it killed itself after 2 years. Because the time on the contract expired I was able to sign with a credible company and my first book was published six months later.

    Author Interview:

    First I want to say thank you for taking the time to chat with me!

    Thank you for having me, always appreciate an interview!
    Where do you get your ideas?
    Past experiences, my wild ass imagination and the overwhelming fact that people generally are comfortable telling me things so that I can turn it into a story. I don’t know why but I enjoy every bit of it.
    What is your writing process like?
    I have to see it in my head like a movie first…that way, I’m just writing what I see.
    What advice do you have for writers?
    Always push forward; if writing is your art and you’re not in it for the money/fame, always push forward because someone is watching and admiring your hustle!
    What is the first book that made you cry?
    I’m not that type no matter what it is….well…it has to be real or hit me in a soft spot where I couldn’t help it, but that doesn’t happen often.
    Do you find it easier to write character and dialogue for the opposite sex because you are the opposite sex? (A woman writing a man’s part and dialogue for example). Either way, it doesn’t matter to me. I feel my natural grit comes off man-ish on a regular basis so I never have a problem writing from that perspective.
    What is your writing Kryptonite?
    Hearing people praise my work but not paying for it or not writing reviews. The worst is someone telling you what to write lol like no, I’m the artist therefore I drive!

     Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
    ALL THE TIME…but it goes away with inspiration.
    How did publishing your first book change your process of writing, if at all?
    My first book was published via Twenty First Street Urban Editing & Publishing LLC in 2011 and my first book, Alani’s Bigger Hustle was a long time story in the making aka a movie that replayed itself multiple times in my head until I finally decided to write it. Publishing that book made it all real for me so I’m thankful for its birth.
    What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? I love a bit of realness to my reads to I will use real places and because Google is the best snitch ever, I always have accurate information.


    Thank you so much for taking the time to not only guest post for me but for chatting with me as well!

    Kai Storm



    Author of
    www.nattiekai.com
    www.nattiekai.wixsite.com/kaih
    www.21streeturbanediting.com
    Find me on Facebook/Kai.Storm2
    Twitter/Alanistory
    Instagram/Kaihustler
    YouTube/Jennchocostar
    Kaistormbooks.tumblr.com