5* #Review "Dark Tale of #Suspense" #YA #Paranormal #Romance #Angels

My YA Paranormal Romance, DIVINE FALL, was on Netgalley during the month of September, and a wonderful review from Tome Tender showed up last week!  I'm sharing the link to the review here, along with a reminder that the Kindle and Nook versions are currently 99 cents ~ so you can get a new paranormal read filled with forbidden first love and supernatural secrets for the Halloween season for less than a buck!  And if you're looking for more spooky stories for the season, try one of my ghost mystery romances!

TOME TENDER REVIEW of Divine Fall

"These 2 are smokin' hot!" #Romance 4 the Beach #Review of #HAUNTED SOULS

I've always enjoyed the review site Romance Novels for the Beach.  The reviews are not only well-written but humorous, and usually include gifs which make it more fun.  So I was thrilled to see my latest book positively reviewed on the site, along with some great graphics.  Check out the link below!

Romance Novels for the Beach - Review of Haunted Souls

A few of my favorite quotes from the review:

"Hot damn these two are smokin' hot!"

"They are all amazing characters featured in this sexy yet suspenseful romance."

"I found it hard to put down a lot of the time!"

Beach weather may be over for a lot of places, but who doesn't want to escape into the pages of a steamy military romance spiked with a haunting twist?  Find HAUNTED SOULS on Kindle by clicking the color title, and please note that the review was done while the book was on sale for 99 cents.  And guess what? A check at the time of this post shows it is STILL at 99 cents, and I have no idea when that might change, as my pub is in charge of pricing.  So hurry and grab it while it's on sale, put your feet up, and find your new book boyfriend!

Last Days for Goodreads #Giveaway! #Ghosts + #Romance #amreading

Short and sweet post - if you're on Goodreads, you can enter to win a signed paperback copy of HAUNTED SOULS - just in time for Halloween reading!  A spooky haunting with a hot military romance to counteract the spine-tingling chills ~ to enter, click the rectangular box below the book cover in the widget below (if you hover over it, it should show "enter giveaway"...the colors don't work well with my blog template!)  Happy haunted reading!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Haunted Souls

by Kathryn Knight

Giveaway ends September 26, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

                                     ^ Enter Giveaway here!

Four years ago, Emily Shea and Staff Sergeant Brett Leeds agreed to part with no strings attached. Sparks flew during their brief affair, but fate intervened, sending Brett overseas. When an unexpected pregnancy derailed Emily’s own plans, her attempts to locate Brett were soon overwhelmed by the challenges of single motherhood. Now, Brett has returned home, and Emily is forced to share her secret.

Despite feeling betrayed, Brett is determined to forge a relationship with their son, Tyler. As the former lovers battle both their inner demons and their mutual desire, another presence enters their lives—Tyler’s imaginary friend.

Soon, however, the chilling evidence points to a different conclusion: a ghost has formed a dangerous connection with their son. Emily’s attempts to help both a lost soul and a friend in need spiral toward a deadly confrontation, and Brett must race to save Emily before he loses her again—forever.

#Whole30 ~ Week 2 #SeptemberWhole30 Journey #FridayFitness

I’ve made it through the first two weeks of the Whole30, and I thought I’d share my results.  First, though, a little background.  I decided to try this for a few reasons, but the biggest reasons were to see if this eating plan could increase my energy levels and improve my mental clarity.  I’m planning on starting my fifth novel in November, after all my October haunting Halloween-related events are over, and since November is also what’s known to writers as “Nanowrimo”, or National Novel Writing Month, that will serve as extra incentive.  But the idea is to complete a certain amount of words each day toward the manuscript, and in addition to a good idea, which I have, that takes—yep, you guessed it—energy and mental focus.

I can say with certainty that I feel better at this point.  The beginning can be hard, I won’t lie.  I tried this once before, with a bunch of women at the gym where I teach fitness classes, and I barely made it through the 7 days of our goal.  Really, you have to push past that initial shock to your body (sometimes referred to as “carb flu”) in order to reap the benefits of clean eating.  The book, It Starts With Food, explains it very well, and I highly recommend reading it first if you’re going to try Whole30.  Not only does it clearly explain WHY you need to leave certain foods out, it does so with humor and just enough science to drive the point home.

So far, the hardest thing for me to give up has been diet soda.  Why not wine, you ask?  Well, because, I have to admit I’ve had a glass here and there.  I know, I know…that’s cheating.  But I also know myself—in fact, I’ve lived with myself for 47 years.  And I knew if I said absolutely no wine for 30 days I might just not try eating clean at all.  So I’ve stayed away from it for the most part, but when I indulged, I did so making sure I did not fall into one of the main reasons it’s banned: alcohol can impair your willpower, thus opening the door for bad food choices.  I have not let that happen.  And I decided allowing myself one glass was better than setting out a glass of 100% grape juice and waiting for it to accidentally ferment, which may have been my back-up plan.

So, what have been my “must-haves” during these two weeks?  Sweet potatoes with ghee (clarified butter) is almost like a dessert for someone like me, who usually avoids carbs like the plague.  Certain flavors of Larabars are allowed, so if I DO feel like I need something sweet, it’s either fruit or one of those.  A spoonful of almond butter is a filling treat.  And I love dipping veggies into homemade guacamole.

This plan has also made me more cognizant of what’s in our food, and I’ve enjoyed expanding my repertoire of recipes to make healthy dinners that even my two teenage boys like.  Providing I make it through another week, I’ll post some of my favorite new recipes.  I might even try to make homemade mayonnaise, which my neighbor assures me is easy.  I should probably video this for the comedic value alone.  And I would love some more support for this journey, so if you’re currently doing the Whole30, or you’ve done it in the past, or you’re considering it, or you’re interested to see if I cut off any fingers while making homemade condiments, comment below and share your thoughts! 

My Event w/ Mary Higgins Clark! Cape Cod #Book Signing #Author Panel

Not just meeting Mary Higgins Clark, but sitting on
an author panel with her and signing books right
across from her - a dream come true!

A few weeks ago, I had the tremendous honor of not only participating in an author panel and book signing to raise money for a children’s charity, but doing so with some very big names in the industry, including my childhood idol, Mary Higgins Clark.  I still can’t believe it all happened, really, but I have the pictures (and my name card for the panel, autographed by Mary Higgins Clark!) to remind myself.  So, I thought I’d share the pictures here as well, as a testament that dreams can come true!

I blogged about the event here, but in a nutshell, I was asked to participate in the event last spring, with no details other than the proceeds would benefit Dream Day on Cape Cod, an organization bringing children with life-threatening illnesses to Cape Cod for relaxation and vacation time with family.  I had no idea who the other authors on the panel would be, but I immediately said yes—a chance to help children and gain visibility for my novels is a win/win.  I didn’t learn the identity of the author panel until a few weeks prior to the event, and you should have seen my expression when I opened the promotional flier and saw “Mary Higgins Clark” next to my name.  Then I saw other very well-known names such as Hank Phillipi Ryan, Sally Cabot Gunning, and Jacquelyn Mitchard and nearly fell off my stool at the kitchen island. 

Trading books with Hank Phillipi Ryan!

The event was held at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, and it was entitled Art, Word, and Wine.  What a great night!  There were nine authors, each with a large table displaying our books, bios, and cards, and while we signed books there, Brewster Book Store employees took care of the sales.  Local shops offered wine tasting and appetizers, and there was a large raffle table as well.  We had a 45 minute author panel with a quick Q&A session; for the most part, we signed books at our tables and chatted with attendees.

Our author panel during Q & A

I was able to chat quite a bit with Mary Higgins Clark and Hank Phillipi Ryan, whose tables were near mine.  What an honor!  Mary Higgins Clark signed my author panel name card on request, and was so very gracious about it, and Hank Phillipi Ryan suggested I Facebook friend her.  Done!  Quite a few of my friends came to the event, as well as a number of members of the gym where I work.  And my mother-in-law came to drive with me, help carry my stuff, take pictures, and offer general support, which I appreciated very much. 

My name card from the author panel, signed by Mary Higgins Clark!

I met a lot of new people as well, including the County Administrator of Barnstable, who works right near the Old Haunted Jail from my novel Haunted Souls (which he purchased and said he enjoyed very much in follow-up emails!).  Since the building in that area of 6A are so old and filled with history—and possibly ghosts—he offered to give me a tour, which is coming up soon.  I can’t wait—maybe a new story idea will strike!  And I’ll take plenty of pictures and notes, so check back in for that post.  Thanks for stopping by!

My table!

Attendees received a hand-painted wineglass
made my children at Dream Day's camp 

Discover 5 Great #Romance Reads from the Authors of #TWRP #amreading

Today I’m highlighting a variety of romance novels by fellow authors at my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, and there’s a genre here for everyone – paranormal, romantic suspense, sci-fi romance, historical, and contemporary.  Happily Ever Afters are guaranteed, although the characters will have to overcome a lot of obstacles to get there!  So pick one, or all, and get ready to meet some new book boyfriends!

Not2Nite by Barbara Burke

Not2Nite is part of the Candy Hearts series and it's a sweet historical romance set during WWII.

BLURB:

When ARP warden Molly sees a light shining through the darkness of London on a cold winter's night in the middle of the blitz she's infuriated with the careless American who struck it. Doesn't he know there's a war on?

Guy's just trying to find his way through a maze of unlit streets. He's very sorry and Molly reluctantly forgives him. When he accompanies her on her nightly rounds the two learn about each other, themselves and whether it's really possible to fall in love in only one night - especially when there's no guarantee of tomorrow.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / Indigo Books / The Wild Rose Press

SEISMIC CRIMES by Chrys Fey

Seismic Crimes is a romantic-suspense and Book 2 in the Disaster Crimes Series. Tsunami Crimes will be coming out 2017!

BLURB:

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?

Buy Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / KOBO / The Wild Rose Press

BELOVED ENEMY by Hywela Lyn

Book 3 of The Destiny Trilogy. Starquest is Book I and Children of The Mist Book 2. Each book is complete and can be read as a standalone.

BLURB:

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

Buy Links:

Amazon / The Wild Rose Press / Barnes & Noble / KOBO

The MARRIAGE ULTIMATUM by Charlotte O’Shay

The Marriage Ultimatum is Book 1 of a 3 Book City of Dreams series

Look for A Model Engagement (Book 2) and An Illicit Affair (Book 3)

BLURB:

Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina's plan. But Sabrina's dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost.

Vladimir Grigory doesn't believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York's corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he'll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level.

When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina's son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad's marriage ultimatum.

Buy Links:

Amazon / KOBO / Barnes & Noble / The Wild Rose Press

A WITCH’S JOURNEY by Tena Stetler

A Witch’s Journey is a paranormal romance.

The sequel comes out holiday season 2016!

BLURB:

Pepper McKay comes from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, magic brings her nothing but trouble. She learned the love of wildlife rescue and rehab from her Aunt Ashling. After graduating from college, Pepper works for Salem Wildlife Sanctuary and lives from paycheck to paycheck until she inherits the McKay property in Lobster Cove. With the family land and resources, she dares to dream of starting her own wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.

Lathen Quartz, a former Navy SEAL turned handyman maintains the enchanted McKay property for the estate. But someone is trying to steal the McKay magic. Lathen offers to help Pepper achieve her life-long dream of building a wildlife center. During the long hours spent together on the project, their mutual attraction can’t be denied. But each harbors a deep, dark secret. Will they overcome their demons and give love a chance? Can they save the magic before it’s too late?

Buy Links:

Amazon / Amazon UK /  Amazon Australia / Amazon Canada

The Wild Rose Press / KOBO / Barnes & Noble / All Romance Books

Fiction Writing + Publication Course #Falmouth Cape Cod #amwriting

I can’t believe it’s September already, but the school year has arrived and I’m gearing up to teach two new sessions of Fiction Writing and Publication.  This is a 5-week, non-credit course held in the evenings, and I’ll be in two locations this fall.  

The September class begins on Tuesday, Sept. 20^th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Lawrence School in Falmouth.  More details and sign-up information can be found at this link: Falmouth Community School.

Another class will begin on Thursday, October 20^th, also from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, in Hyannis.  This is held right on Main Street in the Hyannis Center building (540 Main Street).  The link for details and sign-up information can be found here: Center for Corporate and Professional Education at Cape Cod Community College.

I’ve had really great reviews from past participants in both classes, so if you’re interested in writing a novel, this is a valuable resource to help you achieve your goals.  Writers at any stage are welcome, and no matter where you are in the process, you’ll find useful information to help you on your journey.

The class descriptions can be found on the sites--hope to see you there!

Divine Fall on #NetGalley! #YA #Paranormal #Romance #pnr #review

Although I’ve been a published author now since 2011, this September will be my very first experience with NetGalley, a service that matches readers willing to post reviews with free digital copies of books.  My publisher had not been involved in the program until this year, so I’m very excited to now have an opportunity to introduce my novels to avid readers and hopefully garner some additional reviews, which are so important on retail sites. 

My latest release, Haunted Souls, is scheduled for NetGalley in October, since the Halloween season is perfect for ghost stories.  Then a slot opened up for September, and we decided to put one of my backlist titles, Divine Fall, into the opening.  Although it came out in 2014, it will still be “new” to many readers in this crowded market, and since the story takes place in September, it’s a good fit.  In fact, the word “Fall” in the title not only refers to the season, but also fallen angels and falling in love.  And in this case, it’s an unexpected and dangerous fall into a forbidden relationship.

Last autumn, the prestigious BookBub posted a wonderful article on 14 Perfect Novels for Fall, and Divine Fall was on it, along with some very popular books by well-known authors like Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Lisa Kleypas, Elizabeth Lowell, and Diane Setterfield (The Thirteenth Tale was one of my favorite books...it's such a match for my tastes that not one but TWO of my friends bought it for me for my birthday...so seeing my title next to it on a recommendation list was a huge moment!)  I'm hoping this fall it will be a good fit for readers' lists as autumn once again approaches.

So if you’re on NetGalley and you’re a fan of Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Forbidden first love, and supernatural secrets, put in a request for Divine Fall!  And next month, look for Haunted Souls, a steamy military romance mixed with a ghost mystery.  Happy reading!

eta: It's October!  Divine Fall is no longer available on NetGalley, but Haunted Souls is - find it here.

DARK BREW ~ #TimeTravel #Paranormal #Romance on #CapeCod

It’s a small world sometimes, and my blog post today really underscores that fact!  I recently connected with today’s featured author, Diana Rubino, and as it turns out, we have a lot more in common other than the fact that we both write novels.  We share an interest in the paranormal as well, and incorporate it into our writing, along with romantic elements.  Our recent novels, both out this summer, are published by the same press.  Diana saw a blog post of mine on the Old Haunted Jail on Cape Cod, and discovered yet another exciting coincidence—both our new releases have scenes based on a Ghost Tour of Barnstable that starts and ends at the Old Jail!  I’m sharing her book’s blurb today, along with an author interview.  Links to retailers can be found at the bottom of the page as well.

DARK BREW

A time travel romance

Learn from the past or forever be doomed to repeat it.

Accused of her husband’s murder, druid Kylah McKinley travels back through time to her past life in 1324 Ireland and brings the true killer to justice.

Two months of hell change Kylah’s life forever. On her many past life regressions, she returns to 14^th century Ireland as Alice Kyteler, a druid moneylender falsely accused of murdering her husband. Kylah’s life mirrors Alice’s in one tragic event after another—she finds her husband sprawled on the floor, cold, blue, with no pulse. Evidence points to her, and police arrest her for his murder. Kylah and Alice shared another twist of fate—they fell in love with the man who believed in them. As Kylah prepares for her trial and fights to maintain her innocence, she must learn from her past or forever be doomed to repeat it.  

An interview with Diana about Dark Brew 

Where did the story come from? 

The story took 12 years from start to finish. I’m a longtime member of the Richard III Society, and in the spring of 2004, I read an article in The Ricardian Register by Pamela Butler, about Alice Kyteler, who lived in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1324, and faced witchcraft charges. After her trial and acquittal, she vanished from the annals of history. I couldn't resist writing a book about her. 

How did you decide to make it a paranormal? 

I’m a believer in reincarnation, and I go on paranormal investigations whenever I can. I’ve gone on several past life regressions. Cape Cod has a lot of history and paranormal activity. I’ve been on many ghost walks and ghost hunts there. I wanted to connect Alice in the past with someone in the present, her reincarnation. 

Was Alice Kyteler famous in 14^th century Ireland? 

Not at all but she was the richest woman in Kilkenny, and for that reason the villagers hated her, especially the men. They accused her of killing her first husband, but she was acquitted. Then they accused her of killing her fourth husband, John LePoer, with witchcraft, the accusations more absurd than those of the 1692 witch hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts. Chancellor Edward de Burgh arrested Alice because her stepsons claimed she had murdered John by casting a witch’s spell with malefecia…and she used the enchanted skull of a beheaded thief as her  cauldron.  She went to trial and her dear friend Michael Artson had her acquitted, but she vanished into the annals of history. According to legend, she went to England. But no one knows for sure. 

Why did you make it a time travel? 

Because my heroine, Kylah McKinley, is a druid and has done many past life regressions, she knows she’s the reincarnation of Alice. So she has to go back and find out what happened to Alice, because too many weird things are happening to her in this life that parallel Alice’s life. 

Kylah lives on my beloved Cape Cod. She’s a druid, a ghost hunter and owns a new age store in a restored Revolutionary War-era tavern. She was also the target of a hit-and-run. Another hit-and-run crippled her husband Ted. That’s no coincidence—she’s convinced someone’s out to get them both. She brews an ancient Druid herb mixture, goes back in time and enters Alice’s life to find out exactly what happened and who killed her husband. 

These two months of hell change her life forever. Kylah’s life mirrors Alice’s in one tragic event after another—she finds her husband sprawled on the floor, cold, blue, with no pulse. Evidence points to her, and police arrest her for his murder. Kylah and Alice shared another twist of fate—they fell in love with the man who believed in them. As Kylah prepares for her trial and fights to maintain her innocence, she must learn from her past or she’s doomed to repeat it.  

Have you ever spoken to Pamela Butler, who wrote the article about Alice? 

Yes, we’ve corresponded. She lives in New Mexico, so we’ve never met in person. I asked Pam what inspired her to write about Alice. I’d never heard of Alice until I read her article, “Witchcraft & Heresy. She replied: 

“You asked why I wrote about Alice Kyteler, who preceded Richard by a century-and-a-half. I only wrote it because others on the listserv encouraged me to write about witchcraft, a subject about which I knew very little. I ordered three books from Amazon.com on the subjects of witchcraft, heresy, Satanism, etc. for research reasons. That was my basis, plus I searched the Internet. The Malleus Malleficarum was published in 1487, just two years after Richard's death, so it's almost contemporary. I chanced across Alice in this reading and thought that it was an interesting case. Witch burning was fairly rare in Ireland, and wasn't as bad in England at that time as it had been on the Continent. I wish that the M.M. had never been published; still, the fact that it was published and accepted may reveal the mindset of those times.” 

Purchase Dark Brew

Kindle

Amazon Paperback

B&N Nook

The Wild Rose Press--Paperback & Ebook

Contact Diana

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