The Chill of Night by James Hayman -- Book Review

Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe returns in The Chill of Night by James Hayman.

When the naked frozen body of young attorney Lainie Goff is found in sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier, detective Mike McCabe and his partner, Maggie Savage, are called in to investigate. They soon discover the only witness to the crime--a mentally disturbed woman named Abby Quinn--mysteriously disappeared the same night.

McCabe is on the track of a clever killer, who may or may not know that Abby is the one who witnessed the crime. He must find Abby and the killer before another life is lost.

Things at home aren't so rosy either. A phone call from McCabe's ex-wife concerning their daughter, Casey, and relationship issues with Kyra, leave McCabe rethinking his past and present, and wondering about the future.

In this follow up to The Cutting, Hayman brings back Mike McCabe, Maggie Savage, and other members of the Portland PD to handle the investigation of the mysterious death of a glamorous, beautiful lawyer, who was moving swiftly toward a partnership in a prominent law firm. Hayman does an excellent job, as he did in the first book, of creating a suspenseful mystery for his characters to solve. Twists and turns keep the reader guessing the identity of the killer right along with McCabe. Hayman also does a fine job of describing the world in which McCabe lives and works.

McCabe's personal life is well drawn in The Chill of Night, as he is once again dealing a bit with his ex-wife, and complications arise in his current relationship with girlfriend, Kyra. My tiny complaint, which actually is a carry over of my feelings from the first book, is that his daughter, Casey, seems to be used solely to give McCabe an eternal tie to his past. In The Cutting, his ex-wife Sandy reappears after she had left Casey behind so she could marry another man. While Sandy's emergence causes conflict, and Casey is mentioned in several chapters of the book, I came away feeling like she was just a pawn the author used to keep McCabe tied to his past. Chapters would go by without a mention of Casey, and you were wondering what the heck she was doing all that time. I didn't cite this in my review because I thought I was being a bit too picky.

In The Chill of Night, however, Casey is absent for most of the book, having gone off with a friend on a trip. While she returns toward the end, I couldn't help but think how convenient her absence was. Though McCabe mentions her a couple of times, it nags at me that I didn't get to see more of them together. It's almost like watching an episode of a television show where you know kids exist, but they are barely mentioned or seen; kind of like having to wonder where young Grace was while Caroline was working at the restaurant in Little House on the Prairie.

It is my hope that Casey plays a deeper, more significant role in future installments of this series. While I'm reading these for the murder mystery, I still need to get to know McCabe as a person, the whole person, not just his work persona or as Sandy's ex-husband or Kyra's boyfriend. His being a single father is an important part of his character, and will hopefully be further developed.

That said, I felt The Chill of Night was a great addition to a series I am very excited about. I'll certainly be on the lookout for Hayman's next book.


Title: The Chill of Night
Author: James Hayman
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN-10: 0312532717
ISBN-13: 978-0312532710
SRP: $24.99

Is there such a thing as the perfect family? by Kathryn Shay, Author of The Perfect Family

Today's special guest blogger is Kathryn Shay, author of The Perfect Family.

Seventeen-year old Jamie Davidson doesn’t think being gay should be such a big deal…until he comes out to his parents and friends. Even as Jamie celebrates no longer needing to hide his true self and looks forward to the excitement of openly dating another boy, the entire Davidson family is thrown into turmoil.

Jamie’s father Mike can’t reconcile his religious beliefs with his son’s sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her crumbling marriage. And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his disclosure has caused.

What happens in their small town community, in the high school, in two churches–one supportive and one not—as well as among friends and relatives is vividly portrayed. Finally, every member of their “perfect family” must search their hearts and souls to reconnect with each other in this honest, heartwarming, and hopeful look at the redemptive power of love and family.

Is there such a thing as the perfect family? by Kathryn Shay

Dear Book Connection Readers,

Thanks for inviting me to blog on your site. First, let me introduce myself. I’m Kathryn Shay and I’ve been published by Harlequin and The Berkley Publishing Group for the last fifteen years. The Perfect Family, released from Bold Strokes Books in September, is my thirty-seventh book.

The question posed in the title of this blog, “Is there such a thing as a perfect family” has a simple answer--a definite no! So why is it the title of my new book?

The story is about an average family with devoted parents and two terrific sons. Mike and Maggie love their jobs and have close friends and extended family. The boys, Jamie and Brian, are happy in their environment, one an accomplished actor in school plays, one a star athlete for the baseball team. Their life is wonderful and they are extremely grateful for this.

Maggie came from a dysfunctional childhood with severe, sometimes cruel parents, a beloved sister who was disowned by them, and two other siblings she doesn’t always see eye to eye with. Her mother is still alive and causes Maggie great heartache. Because of this, Maggie has vowed to create “the perfect family” of her own. And she thinks she’s done this. But then Jamie tells them he’s gay and their world shifts. Mike, a loving, giving man, struggles with Jamie’s sexual orientation mostly because of the Catholic church; Brian is harassed at school by his jock buddies and makes poor choices because of it; and Maggie tries to keep the family together amidst her own concerns for her son and the heartbreak of watching him endure discrimination. It becomes very clear that their family isn’t perfect, and the Davidsons have to struggle to maintain their loving relationship during this difficult time. Hence, The Perfect Family is an ironic title. An overriding theme of the book is that even in a good family, problems occur and it’s important to work them through with unconditional love and support.

I know personally that there is no such thing as a perfect family. I was a high school teacher and saw families in conflict all the time. Even when there were super parents and super kids involved, problems arose. Thank God for unbiased teachers who help kids with these issues. In my own English class, I taught Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, which also shows an ostensibly perfect family in crisis. Kids really related to the book, as did I.

As for myself, my extended family of two parents and four siblings was far from perfect, but my sisters, brother and I managed to create good successful lives. We’re still close and there for each other.

I must confess that, like Maggie, I set out to create the perfect nuclear family, too. I learned more quickly than Maggie that this isn’t possible. I love my kids and husband more than anything in the world, but I made mistakes with them. However, we learned from our problems and though the kids are grown now, my husband and I enjoy a wonderful relationship with them.

So that’s a long answer to why I believe there’s no such thing as the perfect family but titled my book as such anyway. I hope you’ll read The Perfect Family to see how this story is played out. By the way, though the book is fiction, it has some elements of my own personal story when my son came out gay at seventeen. We had our ups and downs, too, but managed to stay loving and supportive. And we have a gift for readers: we’re giving away copies of a CD my son made in high school. Many of the songs are about loving a boy. You can get it free when you order from the Bold Strokes website at http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/products.php?product=Perfect-Family%2C-The-%252d-by-Kathryn-Shay. Or, depending on availability, you can and also get it from my website, www.kathrynshay.com.

I’ll come back to comment during the day.

Kathryn Shay

P.S.
Many people ask about my next book. I’m working on new projects now, but I’d also like to say here that if readers are interested in my backlist, I’m making plans to put nine previously published single title books up on Kindle and Smashwords by the time The Perfect Family is released.



Kathryn Shay is a lifelong writer. At fifteen, she penned her first ‘romance,’ a short story about a female newspaper reporter in New York City and her fight to make a name for herself in a world of male journalists – and with one hardheaded editor in particular. Looking back, Kathryn says she should have known then that writing was in her future. But as so often happens, fate sent her detouring down another path.

Fully intending to pursue her dream of big city lights and success in the literary world, Kathryn took every creative writing class available at the small private women’s college she attended in upstate New York. Instead, other dreams took precedence. She met and subsequently married a wonderful guy who’d attended a neighboring school, then completed her practice teaching, a requirement for the education degree she never intended to use. But says Kathryn, “I fell in love with teaching the first day I was up in front of a class, and knew I was meant to do that.”

Kathryn went on to build a successful career in the New York state school system, thoroughly enjoying her work with adolescents. But by the early 1990s, she’d again made room in her life for writing. It was then that she submitted her first manuscript to publishers and agents. Despite enduring two years of rejections, she persevered. And on a snowy December afternoon in 1994, Kathryn Shay sold her first book to Harlequin Superromance.

Since that first sale, Kathryn has written twenty-five books for Harlequin, nine mainstream contemporary romances for the Berkley Publishing Group, and two online novellas, which Berkley then published in traditional print format. Her first mainstream fiction book will be out from Bold Strokes Books in September, 2010.

Kathryn has become known for her powerful characterizations – readers say they feel they know the people in her books – and her heart-wrenching, emotional writing (her favorite comments are that fans cried while reading her books or stayed up late to finish them). In testament to her skill, the author has won five RT BookClub Magazine Reviewers Choice Awards, three Holt Medallions, two Desert Quill Awards, the Golden Leaf Award, and several online accolades.

Even in light of her writing success, that initial love of teaching never wavered for Kathryn. She finished out her teaching career in 2004, retiring from the same school where her career began. These days, she lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children. “My life is very full,” she reports, “but very happy. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to pursue and achieve my dreams.”

You can visit Kathryn’s website at www.kathrynshay.com.

Paula Deens' Savannah Style by Paula Deen and Brandon Branch -- Book Review

Paula Deen lovers are going to eat up this great new addition to the Paula Deen line of products. Paula Deen's Savannah Style invites readers to take a look into the styles that make Savannah unique and interesting to people all around the world.

Along with the help of decorator and stylist Brandon Branch, Deen brings readers on a season-by-season tour of rooms (indoor and outdoor) that display what Savannah style is all about. With photographs by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn, you'll be inspired to bring a bit of Savannah into your home too.

Until now I've pretty much managed to avoid the Paula Deen, Martha Stewart, and Rachel Ray crazes that entice my friends. I don't watch a lot of TV, so I've never seen Deen's show on Food Network. As a homeowner, however, and someone who enjoys visiting North Carolina every year, I wanted to see what Paula Deen's Savannah Style is all about. While our family hasn't made its way as far as South Carolina, there's a definite difference in style and culture from the New England states that depicts an easier pace where food and family are celebrated with gusto.

Both Deen and Branch offer a nice introduction to the readers, inviting them to come along on this journey through Savannah. Starting with the spring season and flowing through casually to winter, readers are treated to tons of stunning photographs of decorating ideas in all types of rooms: from porches to gardens, from decks to kitchens, and formal dining rooms to comfortable reading spaces, everyone will find new ways to bring Savannah into their homes.

Included throughout are "Brandon's Style Secrets" where Branch shares his experience on furniture, lighting, and fabric choices for every room in your house. A helpful Source Guide can be found at the end of the book, and includes web addresses and phone numbers in case you are interested in contacting certain vendors.

What's truly nice about Paula Deen's Savaanah Style is how Deen shares family memories throughout the book. This is a great book for anyone's Paula Deen collection, but it also would make a wonderful choice for any homeowner who is searching for ideas and inspiration. It's truly worth every penny!


Title: Paula Deen's Savannah Style
Authors: Paula Deen and Brandon Branch
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition
ISBN-10: 1416552243
ISBN-13: 978-1416552246
SRP: $29.99

Healing with Words by Diana M. Raab -- Book Review

Beautifully written, powerful, and inspiring, Healing With Words: A writer's cancer journey by Diana M. Raab will touch your heart and encourage you to use your writing to ease your suffering and improve your overall health.

In this emotional memoir, author Diana M. Raab shares the story of how her life was shattered by her first cancer diagnosis. Raab would face her mortality again, five years later, when she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma; a battle she continues to wage and is determined to win.

I had selfish reasons for requesting this book. For those of you who might not know, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45. Cancer returned a year later, and she died a week before Christmas at the age of 47. I found the first lump in my breast when I was 25.

Writing helped me cope with the grief of losing my mother when I was a young teen. I still keep a journal, though since I began blogging, it hasn't seen as much time as it used to.

Healing with Words made me cry, it made me sympathize with what the author had to--and still has to--endure. The majority of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma will die from it. Perhaps this is why Raab can share her story with such grace and compassion. Whatever the reason, I admire her for it.

When she spoke of the anxiety over waiting for test results, I understood her. The three weeks I waited for the results of my genetic testing to see if I had a mutated gene that would highly increase my risk for breast cancer, were the most difficult weeks of my life. Not knowing how my life would change if the test came back positive seemed unbearable at times. And then when Raab discussed the sense of loss before and after her mastectomy, I thought of my mother, and also what might have been in my future--could still be.

What ties all this together nicely, is that in Healing with Words, the author shows how journaling can impact your overall health. Included are some poems Raab wrote since her original diagnosis and on through her continuing journey. In addition, each chapter ends with thought-provoking questions and plenty of blank space for the reader to write. On Page 7 it says, "Write about the day you first thought you had cancer." While I have been fortunate never to actually have been diagnosed, let me tell you, that first lump scared me as if it was already a forgone conclusion that I was going to lose a breast.

Healing with Words is a phenomenal book. Not only will you read one woman's story, you will be changed by it.


Title: Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey
Author: Diana M. Raab
Publisher: Loving Healing Press (May 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615990100
ISBN-13: 978-1615990108
SRP: $19.95

Let the Readers Decide: Ethical or Unethical? by Dr. Harry Saranchak, Author of Betrayal of Hippocrates

Today's special guest is Dr. Harry Saranchak, author of Betrayals of Hippocrates.

Dr. Alston Crowley’s medical career took flight on the wings of his parents’ dream. With fluctuating grades and a half-hearted desire to become a doctor, Alston much preferred to set his sights on specimens of the female variety. Not wishing to disappoint his parents, however, he decided to compromise, and set out for the Caribbean island of Montserrat, where he studied while basking in the natural beauty around him. Then, during his residency, the euphoria of paradise soon morphed into the harsh, clinical reality of New York Charity Hospital, where he met his nemesis, the brilliant practitioner, Dr. Maggie Finney. Under her relentless scrutiny, Alston’s medical career teetered on the brink of annihilation – until he was given a second chance to study at Physicians Scientific Research Institute in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, under the mentorship of Dr. Harry James Thornton, M.D., Ph.D.. At the Institute – metaphorically somewhere between Montserrat and Alcatraz, Alston’s life unexpectedly converged with researchers and practitioners in a tangled web of good versus evil.

The subject of everyone’s focus: tiny yellow, red, and green frogs, emitting a mysterious substance. In the right hands, the discovery had the potential to revolutionize medical science. When in the clutches of the sinister Dr. Vincent Edison Longfellow, however, it altered countless lives and generations, engendering debates about the definition of “life” and its preservation. The ensuing challenges were not for the faint of heart, and beckoned Alston and his colleagues to probe and question the integrity of their profession. Ultimately, they found their way home – to the core meaning of “justice,” and the true essence of themselves.

In this intense narrative, blended with intrigue, romance, and humor, author Harry J. Saranchak asks his readers to do the same. No one is immune to unethical practices and, where lives are at stake, the world is involved. Anyone, anywhere who has been privy to injustice must rise to the cause and have a voice.

Let the Readers Decide: Ethical or Unethical? by Dr. Harry Saranchak

As a retired general and vascular surgeon for over 30 years, I have seen many changes in the training of a physician, as well as a surgeon. My wife Kathy, who is also is and has been in the healthcare field for about the same amount of time as I, have many conversations regarding healthcare and ethics. Much of the material we write about is inspired by these chats.

There are some policies that we hear about from friends regarding prescriptions for instance.

Here is a typical scenario: A person goes to the doctor for back pain. The doctor runs tests, takes a full medical history, asks for a current list of medications, allergies to food or drugs, supplements, over the counter drug usage, herbs, sports drinks, etc. etc. etc., and comes to the conclusion/diagnosis: muscle spasm of the low back. Laymen’s terms. The doctor orders a muscle relaxant. The prescription is for say 30 tablets.

The patient goes to the pharmacy to have the prescription filled. The pharmacist asks if the patient has any questions about the medication. Along with the bottle of tablets is a medication education sheet, that is given to the patient. The patient pays for the medication, pays a co-pay or not, pays full price or not for the 30 tablets.

The patient takes the tablet according to the directions and about an hour later, begins feeling “ funny”. ( fill in the blank…..)

He calls the office of the doctor who prescribed the tablets, and is told by the doctor, to stop taking the pills and make another appointment, or is prescribed another medication, or treatment plan reassessed.

Problem: The patient, in some form, has paid for the 30 pills. Took 1. Now owns 29 tablets that he/she, cannot return to the pharmacy.

Now it’s time for the reader to decide. Is it ethical for a pharmacy to fill a prescription and not have a policy for returns of medication? Is it in the interest of business to fill medications in bottles, rather than in individual plastic packs, like drug samples?

Please note this one anecdotal story may be happening with medications that cost .05 per tablet, or $10.00 a tablet or more for thousands of people.

We offer this possible case an opportunity to think, react, question.

Betrayals of Hippocrates: Crimes against Innocence is about a research scientist who decides to further his experiments without any conscience or thought about the rights of a human being, no matter what the condition of that human being is.

It is a medical thriller, because bringing an entity to justice is a road paved with twists and turns, a thrill ride, if you will.

The case of a patient’s need for freedom from back pain, without creating an expensive in home pharmacy filled with unused, out dated medications can be just as important to our readers as Maggie and Alston’s need to bring darkness to light.




Dr. Harry J. Saranchak earned a B.A. degree cum laude from Georgetown and followed it with an M.D. from University of Connecticut School of Medicine. For 30 years he was a vascular and general surgeon in three Connecticut hospitals, and for 25 of those he was also educator and mentor to medical students, residents and colleagues—while receiving eight Golden Scalpel awards for teaching excellence. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Saranchak co-authored seven medical journal articles from 1974 to 1984. After retiring from his private practice at Grove Hill Medical Center in New Britain, CT, he wrote Betrayals of Hippocrates: Crimes Against Innocence.

You can visit his website at www.harryjsaranchak.com.

Author Spotlight: Dot to Dot by L.G. Bradshaw

Dot to Dot is a literary relay race revolving around one central theme: we are all connected. These connections may be seemingly insignificant – bumping into an old friend on the street or passing a stranger in a hospital corridor – but they have the potential to alter the course of our lives, some slightly, others in more profound and lasting ways.

The race begins with an embattled United States senator and moves from character to character like wildfire: the senator’s disgraced wife who decides to leave the public eye following the outing of her husband; the motley crew of movers tasked with transporting the senator’s wife and kids back home to New Mexico; a boy who takes matters into his own hands to save himself and his mother from her murderous boyfriend; a private detective who discovers that his past has come back to haunt him; a police chief who spends his own money to help a Mexican family; the Mexican family themselves who are desperate to get their kidnapped daughter back; a country music singer who stumbles on fame after heartbreak; and, finally, a serial killer who has the tables turned on him by a very unlikely avenging angel.

Simply put, Dot to Dot is a story about people, some extraordinary, some not, but all memorable and flawed in their own unique ways.

Read an Excerpt!

“Silly boy,” Chester Dahl chided himself as he thrust deeper inside the dead girl he’d picked up in the ghetto after leaving work. He called her Ethyl and she had been pretty. She’d told him she was eighteen and had just arrived in town from Madison. No family or any ties to Milwaukee. Just the clothes on her back and a few meager crumbs of meth in her pocket. She’d asked him if he wanted to party. Sure, why not, he’d said. The party hadn’t lasted long. For her at least. For him it was still a major rager.

Read the Reviews!

"It's hard to describe why you like it, but it's definitely a page turner! I'd definitely recommend this one!" --Marta's Meanderings

"Certainly a book I would recommend!" --Ellie, Amazon.com Reviewer

"The stories weave together in a way that leaves one wanting more! I can't wait for the next one!!!" --Angela, Amazon.com Reviewer


L.G. Bradshaw lives in Minnesota. He served in the United States Army and worked as a Minneapolis police officer for 14 years, witnessing a seemingly endless stream of human depravity, some of which has found a home in his writing. Dot to Dot is his first of many novels, and defies convention. Dot to Dot can’t be pigeonholed into any one genre. It’s got a little bit of everything: drama, comedy, horror. Even a necropheliac serial killer thrown in for good measure.”

Bradshaw has finished two other novels and is currently working on a fourth. For more information on the author, visit his website: www.lgbradshaw.com.

Faith and Fiction: The Magnetism of Story by Jonathan Williams, Author of Jungle Sunrise

Today our special guest blogger is Jonathan Williams, author of Jungle Sunrise.

When award-winning fiction writer Jonah Frost’s drunken depression drives him into the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, he searches for a story worth writing and finds instead a life worth living. In a place where he clearly does not belong, the young New Yorker discovers faith, adventure, love and a second chance.

This untamed and passionate journey unfolds in my first novel, Jungle Sunrise.

Charming, funny and handsome, 30-year-old Jonah feels he has wasted his best years. It’s not just the 1,070-day writer’s block that has him down, but also his dead-end job of teaching creative writing at a community college compounded by his unwanted divorce three years ago. Getting fired sends him over the edge. After a nearly successful suicide attempt, Jonah is cajoled by his brother to join him on a trip to Peru. Jungle Sunrise tells how that get-away excursion turns into a dangerous voyage by seven strangers bound together by a shared desire to locate the nearly extinct Isconahua tribe. In the end, only three of the seven survive.

Faith and Fiction: The Magnetism of Story by Jonathan Williams

Stories attract. Stories fascinate. Stories captivate.

From “In the beginning” to “Once upon a time,” mankind has been forever drawn to narrative. God, the Author of Life, first demonstrated how to tell a story, as He wrote an entire history filled with danger, love, beauty, life, adventure, death, emotion, betrayal, relationships, and redemption. Since then, just about every human being has taken a shot at storytelling.

Whether it’s the latest fishing embellishment, an off-color joke, groundbreaking news, or a heart-warming anecdote, we are all storytellers, daily imitating the Creator of stories.

In the Bible, Jesus is called the “Author of Life” (Acts 3:15), the “Author of Salvation” (Hebrews 5:9), and the “Author of Faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Faith is the story of hoping in God’s promises, believing in what we have yet to see. It’s a challenging story full of struggling characters depending on their Hero for their salvation. It’s an action film, a divine comedy, and a love story all rolled into one.

Fiction, on the other hand, allows the author to take what we’ve already seen and then imagine these elements in another setting with invented plots, themes, and outcomes. It’s a creative process that simply reflects God’s peerless creativity.

The story of faith, true faith in a true Savior, is vital to every heart, far surpassing any other story ever told. Even still, there remains a place for fiction, as it allows God’s creation an outlet to inspire readers with innovation, which in many ways, points back to the original storyteller.

My first novel, Jungle Sunrise, combines the concepts of faith and fiction. It is a fictitious story of a man searching for a story worth writing, finding instead, a life worth living. His story, seemingly stalled without hope, is revived when it collides with faith. It is this impact, the life reverberations set into motion by faith’s entrance that captivates the reader. It’s captivating because it’s familiar.

And that’s the key: any story, whether the unmatched tale of faith or a creative work of fiction, must be believable. The reader has to relate. We are all storytellers because we are all story-livers, living a dozen stories a day.

Faith influences fiction simply because, faith influences life. If it exists in the stories we live, it will exist in the stories we write.



Jonathan Williams served as a missionary with the International Mission Board’s Xtreme Team in the jungles of Peru for two years. It was there, lying under a mosquito net in a hut in the middle of the Amazon Jungle, that Williams began to write his first novel, Jungle Sunrise.

Living with a previously unreached indigenous tribe, the Amarakaeri, Williams experienced first-hand the beauty and danger of native life as he had the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, hunt with bows and arrows, fish with spears, navigate the rivers, and encounter every aspect of the tribe’s culture. This breathtaking scene of the Amazon serves as the backdrop for Jungle Sunrise.

Williams, 30, writes and lives in North Texas with his beautiful wife, Jessica, where he pastors Body Life church and serves as the Campus Pastor for Trinity Christian Academy as he pursues a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His passion and desire is to inspire readers with creativity and truth.

Find out more by visiting http://www.junglesunrise.com/.

Drawing You into the Web of Suspense, an Article by Sharon Ann Donovan, Author of Mask of the Betrayer

Today's guest blogger is Sharon Ann Donovan, author of Mask of the Betrayer. Let me tell you, the first time I saw that cover I just about jumped out of my chair. That is one creepy guy.

Here's a bit about the book:

When the whispers in the night, the whispers of her lover, are the whispers of a killer, will Margot escape before she becomes the next victim?

Deep in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon, a serial killer stalks. He leaves his signature—a skull mask on the corpse. But when the homicide cop realizes the crimes are the reenactment of a case never solved ten years ago–all fingers point to Michael DeVeccio. And when Margot realizes she is married to the killer, her life becomes a living nightmare.

Gee, I guess I should be glad I'm not Margot. Wow!

Drawing You into the Web of Suspense by Sharon Ann Donovan

Good Evening!

Those chilling words still send shivers racing down my spine from the old television show “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved being scared to death. Nothing could come close to the images the master story teller conjured in my head. Just the sound of those words in barely more than a whisper made my skin crawl. The anticipation of the story he was about to show had my heart racing. I remember glancing around the room to make sure all the curtains were drawn, all the doors locked. My family and I would gather around the television on a Friday evening, lights out with a big bowl of buttered popcorn. And the second the master of suspense’s face would appear on screen, my brother, sister and I would scream loud enough to wake the dead.

Alfred Hitchcock packed it all in his books and movies—chance meetings on a train, murder and mayhem, voyeurism, ice-blondes, debonair actors with a touch of quirky humor and rakish charm, espionage, romance and lost love. And who better befitting to portray the femme fatale of that era than Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Kim Novak and Janet Leigh? They were a perfect fit with Hollywood legends as Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart, two of Hitchcock’s favorites.

Few books or movies since the Master’s time have stayed with me or left such jarring images. Although not his best film, I think we all agree that Psycho is his most chilling. The Bates Hotel is such a simple name, who would suspect that such a twisted psychopath lived inside. With a fetish for peeking on guests as they shower, Janet Leigh is about to find out just how twisted Norman Bates is. (Voyeurism at its peak) Just the sound of that screeching violin gets my blood pumping!

The Birds is the movie that truly frightened me. To this day, I have a bird phobia. The image of those eerie birds gathering in the playground still makes me shudder. When I hear the flapping of wings overhead, I hitch in my breath, petrified for a fleeting second that I will be the victim of a ghoulish attack.

Vertigo is another favorite of many Hitchcock fans. Set in the almost dream-like haze of the empty San Francisco streets, Vertigo portrays obsession and lost romance in a surreal manner, a true hallmark of his movies. In this story, Jimmy Stewart pursues Kim Novak as she slips in and out of her dead great grandmother’s persona. So even back then, there was a touch of paranormal in the books Alfred Hitchcock wrote.

Thinking of some of these old plots that linger in my mind, I write stories of romance and suspense to hopefully give readers just a hint of that old Hitchcock magic. When I write a suspense book, the first thing I focus on is music. Think about a scary movie. Right before a murder or something dangerous, the chilling music clues us in and has our hearts racing.

In my latest book Mask of the Betrayer, book one in the sequel series, I begin with The Hunting Song, the villain of the story, billionaire Michael DeVeccio, is a trained killer. Programmed to kill the betrayer at midnight, the song plays in his head before each assassination. When you read, you will hear these chilling lyrics throughout the entire book because I have planted them in your head.

So for me, it’s all about music and images to make a suspense book a page turner. Take a gander at the mask I created in my head for the book cover. Michael DeVeccio kills those who have betrayed him by slashing their throat with a Ninja death star. Then he covers the corpse with a macabre skull mask. Let’s take a look at my book video by Triad Film Productions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KzpiRni7R0

I hope this gives you a teaser of the suspense books I write. You can visit my website to read an excerpt, reviews and sign up for my newsletter:
www.sharonadonovan.com

And you can buy Mask of the Betrayer in either print or electronic format at Whimsical Publications.



Sharon Donovan lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her family. Prior to the loss of her vision, she was a legal secretary for the Court of Common Pleas where she prepared cases for judges in Domestic Relations. Painting was her passion. When she could no longer paint, she began attending creative writing classes and memoir workshops. After a long and winding road, a new dream arose. Today, instead of painting her pictures on canvas, Sharon paints her pictures with words.

Sharon writes stories of inspiration and suspense. She has certificates in business and medical transcription. She is a published author with The Wild Rose Press, White Rose Publishing, Whimsical Publications and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Echo of a Raven received a CTRR award for outstanding writing, and The Claddagh Ring is a 2009 CAPA nominee. To read excerpts and reviews of Sharon’s books and to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website at www.sharonadonovan.com.

Mask of the Betrayer is Sharon’s latest book.

Author Spotlight: Cold Lonely Courage by Soren Paul Petrek

An assassin born of death and violation is the most dangerous of all. Cold Lonely Courage tells her story. The action begins during the German Blitzkrieg attack on France in the opening days of World War II. The heroine, Madeleine Toche races to the front to find her brother dying after his unit is destroyed as the Germans advance. Crushed, Madeleine returns his body to her parents. In the months that follow, Madeleine is raped by a Nazi officer. Seeking revenge she kills him and flees to England to volunteer for duty with Britain’s shadowy Special Operations Executive. Trained as an assassin she clandestinely returns to France with Captain Jack Teach a veteran of the SOE ‘Dirty Tricks Department’. They find themselves in love but are torn apart by duty and the insurmountable odds of survival. Madeleine fights on terrorizing the murderous Nazi elite always only one step ahead of capture and torture.

Read an Excerpt!

More than three years later, Madeleine pushed her bicycle slowly down an alley towards the front entrance of a police station. She was acting on very recent intelligence and swift action was required. She didn’t like having to expose herself to enemy eyes, but the situation dictated it. She wore no disguise. She needed to appear as normal as possible and for the men to focus on her body, not her face. She could not disguise her beauty, and tried to utilize it to her advantage. There were too few clothes to choose from and the ones she’d chosen were worn and threadbare. Although the garments were loose, her looks captured the attention of the police officers loitering around the entrance. She hoped that the last thing the men would look at was her face. She made sure that the clothing didn’t obscure her curves completely, positioning her body to ensure that they did not. She leaned the bicycle against a lamppost and collected a few loaves of bread and a wheel of cheese from the basket behind the seat. The loaves were irregular in shape but were mostly baguettes, partially wrapped in paper with the top halves sticking out. She moved uncertainly, seemingly confused and frightened trying to appear subservient and nonthreatening. The men showed no concern for security, despite the fact that two of their more important masters were inside the station on an inspection. “Bonjour, mademoiselle, you are new. Where is Marc today?” The closest of the officers called to her as she moved towards the door. “My uncle is ill today and cannot make his rounds,” She answered, making only brief eye contact with the policeman and smiling demurely, shrinking slightly into herself. This is a shy one, the man thought. With looks like that perhaps she will not always be so. He admired her openly, and inwardly bemoaned his own lack of success with women. Half of them seemed to be afraid of him because of his position as a police officer working with the enemy, the Vichy government. It wasn’t his fault France had fallen so quickly. In his mind, one did the best they could under the circumstances and followed orders. His situation had been vastly improved by his cooperation. He was better off now than before the war. His food and clothing were more than adequate. He was thriving under the occupation. He felt that reporting illegal activity was his duty. After all, he was a police officer and the Resistance were terrorists and subversives. They made life harder for everyone else. The war couldn’t last forever, and it didn’t seem like the Germans were going to leave France. He sighed inwardly as he looked at her. In passing he thought about searching the bundle of bread and the small package the girl carried, but she seemed so young and insecure, she’d probably collapse in fright if he did so. “Let me get the door for you. I hope Marc remains ill for a while so that we may enjoy your company again.” The man smiled and looked over at his fellow officers who were only interested in Madeleine’s feminine charms. They made no move to search her deliveries. “Thank you monsieur, I will be sure to tell my uncle of your kindness,” She almost whispered as she slid past him and into the hallway of the police station. As she entered she saw two leather overcoats hanging in the hallway. They bore the insignia of the Gestapo. The intelligence had been correct. A routine visit by the hated German secret police was underway. As soon as she was out of sight of the men at the front of the building, the transformation in her demeanor was instant. She seemed to grow and harden, her limpidness replaced with iron. She moved swiftly towards the back of the building where the small kitchen was located. She walked past two offices along the corridor and heard voices coming from the one closest to the kitchen. They were distinctly German. As she unloaded the bread onto a table she listened to see if a third voice came from the room. She moved slowly and with patience, knowing that for what she intended to do, patience and nerve beat bravado and recklessness every time. The men in the room were smoking, and thus would have at least one of their hands occupied. She could detect different odors of tobacco. One of them had a pipe. Their conversation was languid and unhurried. There was no excitement in their voices. Given the time of day, it was likely that these officers had eaten a good meal. Their movements would be slow. Madeleine worked with her hands as she kept an eye on the front. She was aware of everything around her. Her senses heightened and became acute. She selected one of the thicker baguettes and tore open one end, revealing a small metal cylinder. She raised her skirt and took out a pistol that was bound to the inside of her thigh, a location few men felt comfortable searching under fairly routine circumstances. She quickly screwed the cylinder into the end and tucked the gun under the bread paper and carried it over to the office door behind which she heard the steady cadence of the men’s conversation. She paused briefly, then gently pushed the door open and walked into the room holding the silenced weapon along her side so that it wouldn’t instantly be noticed. The officer seated at the desk turned only after she was fully into the room. Without hesitation she shot him squarely in the forehead. The other officer seated in front of the desk didn’t have time to register surprise. She turned and put a bullet through his throat and face in instant succession. Turning back to the first officer she shot him a second time so there would be no mistake. Aside from the smell of gunpowder in the room, there had been little sound. Both men remained slumped in their chairs, surprise etched on their faces. Madeleine moved swiftly out of the room and closed the door behind her. With practiced efficiency she unscrewed the silencer and tucked it away inside her sweater. She placed the gun in her pocket. She moved back to the kitchen, opened a window and dropped a short distance to the pavement below. It was a market day, and although many things were scarce, the street was getting crowded. She was well into the crowd and away before she heard the first shriek of a police whistle.

Read the Reviews!

"If you are looking for a tremendous war story, try Cold Lonely Courage."

--Mary Long, Amazon.com Reviewer

"...awesome mix of factual, historical information with a fictional story that quickly places the reader into the middle of the French Resistance during WWII."

--Don Nordness, Amazon.com Reviewer



Soren Petrek is a practicing trial attorney with a passion for studying World War Two. He lived in England and France listening to people’s stories of struggle and sacrifice during the darkest periods of the war. Soren’s debut novel, Cold Lonely Courage was inspired by the true story of a young Belgian woman who helped countless Jewish children escape from the terrors of the Nazi regime. Soren lives with his wife, Renee and sons, Max and Riley, in central Minnesota. You can visit Soren’s blog at http://coldlonelycourage.blogspot.com. Cold Lonely Courage is Soren’s debut novel.

Shoes, Superheroes, and Secret Ninjas by Maya Jax, Author of Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me

Today's special guest is Maya Jax, author of Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me. Now, no one is ever going to accuse me of having a chick lit fetish. I don't think I've actually read one chick lit novel, but this one caught my eye because I read somewhere that superheroes and secret ninjas played a part in this one. That, combined with the fact the the author admits at one point she wanted to become a secret agent, meant I had to have her stop by The Book Connection to hear what she had to say.

Here's more about the book:

The Scene: Aspiring screenwriter Lelaina Zane finally lands a Hollywood break, but it’s cut short when her dad has a heart attack and she has to return to her hometown. Now that she’s back, her parents want her to stay, show some responsibility and join the family law firm.

Her Ex: Her first love, first kiss, first… you know, and first guy she caught with another woman. Full of apologies and a proposition, he wants her to stay and be with him.

Her Dilemma: With one embarrassing disaster after another, a devastating blow from Hollywood and four weeks until the Bar Exam, Lainey has to decide if she’ll stay and have it all — career, love, money — or return to LA to pursue her impossible dream.

Can you tell Maya Jax started off by writing screenplays?

Shoes, Superheroes, and Secret Ninjas by Maya Jax

While I love Manolos, I also love the Batmobile, so having a main character that loves her shoes and her superhero fantasy was actually easy to do, especially with Lelaina. At the start of Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me, Lelaina has reached a point in her life where she has to decide if it's time to give up her dream of being a screenwriter and take the safe route out, or to keep struggling despite everyone else moving on around her, so Lelaina’s desperation to ‘make it’ was an opportunity to exhibit this part of her personality. When Lelaina learns her ideal agent has a Catwoman fetish, she decides dressing as Julie Newmar is her way in. The plan goes very wrong, but it's the perfect intro to show just how far she's willing to go, while keeping the story light -- and I was able to fulfill a small superhero fantasy of my own by writing a character dressed as Julie!

As for secret agents and ninjas, the first screenplay I wrote was about spies, and since I knew rejection from that so well, I made Lelaina’s screenplay a spy-ninja flick. When I pitched my screenplay to a friend in Hollywood, who used to write for a major action TV series, he told me to never show it to anyone ever again. He said talent was there (after ten minutes of hearing how much I sucked, that was sweet relief!), but his advice was that the voice didn’t ring true of the action genre. So when Lelaina wants to break into Hollywood, it’s with that same fantasy/delusion that I had: wanting to write a character like Batman or Jack Bauer when the voice in your head is so much more like Bridget Jones or Becky Bloomwood.

And these are the reasons why I love chick lit so much -- characters can embody our inner selves, while dealing with relationships, friends, family, and aspiring dreams. It’s the perfect way to play with life’s tough spots without losing the fun. If I’m destined to write chick lit, I can live with that!




Loving spy and mystery novels, Maya Jax entertained the idea of being a secret agent and started working at an embassy overseas while doing her master’s in international relations. During this time, she finished her first screenplay, an action/thriller about spies and nuclear weapons. She pitched it to a friend in Hollywood, who told her she had talent, but to never - ever - show anyone the script again. Realizing her love for writing was stronger than her desire to spy and fight crime, she attempted a second screenplay focusing on what she knew best -- trying to make it as a writer. The screenplay turned into a manuscript and the result was chick lit novel Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me. You can read more about Maya at www.mayajax.com.

Where is God in Your Life? by Sue Provost

As Christians, our spiritual journey constantly brings us back to Jerusalem, to the death and resurrection of Jesus, which gives meaning to all that we do. Strengthened by God’s Spirit we join on the walk to wherever, we share meals, and we tell our stories. We remember. God, as we go along our life’s way, will help us to be aware of His presence with us. He will open our eyes, makes us expectant, eager to be met by Him. We will never complete our spiritual journey.

Quite often people do not know how to develop a relationship with God, in order to be able to feel God’s love for them and to be able to share that love with others. They need to be given the tools necessary to develop a relationship with God and to understand how that relationship is celebrated in community.

Through the development of three two-day workshops, I have presented a program that will show readers and participants how to recognize God in their lives and to feel His love. I have designed these workshops to help people to continue their spiritual journey to greater connection with God. Finally, I have created these workshops to help others to see the importance of the Christian faith as a spiritual roadmap to be used on the path to God.

Read the Reviews of Where is God in Your Life?:

"Where is God in my Life? Is full of rich resources of material that will help others discover God. I recommend it for retreats and small groups."
--Healthy Spirituality

“Where is God in Your Life? Do you feel stuck in your quest to know God? Have you been around a person whose pores breathe perfect and radiant peace? Fear does not define any part of their life; they are not driven toward recognition yet they clearly and brightly reflect God so that you can’t help but notice them. You may pray, go to a church, and have a great family, but you know you don’t feel satisfied on the same level as your glowing friend. Where is God in your Life: Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality by Susan M Provost, a new book available on Amazon, offers readers a pathway to reach a new depth in their relationship with God.”

--K. Tomsic, Amazon Reviewer


Three Easy Ways You Can Begin Recognizing God in Your Daily Life by Sue Provost

1. First, you can find God through prayer. Ask God quietly and frequently, "God, what do you want me to do with my life?" God knows you best. He created you, uniquely. It is not likely that Jesus is going to walk up to you like the apostles and say directly, "Come, follow me." Instead, God will guide you through prayer and experiences. Pray quietly, pray often, "God, what do you want me to do with my life?" Communication is not so much what we have to give God, but is more a living with God, a meeting with one who loves us unconditionally, a personal relationship in which it is truly God who does the giving, the giving of himself for us. The experience of being fully present in this personal relationship with God could be described as an altered state of awareness. Communication with God is essential, just as it is in any relationship. Communication is how we make the connection and build our human relationships; we learn to connect the same way with God through the communication called prayer.

2. Second, we know of God through faith. We trust in God’s goodness because we can see the beauty of God’s creation. We can also see the beauty of God in each other. We are all creations of God and God wants us to know how much God loves us. To feel the warmth of God’s love, we must open ourselves (just a little) so that God can take hold of our hearts and help us understand the depth of God’s love. God will help us if only we ask. We do not need to find God; we only need to recognize that God is already in our lives. God is continually working in our lives, but many of us do not feel or see this work. What is offered is the humble quest of a God who, in the person of Jesus, comes to reveal His love and beg our love in return.

3. Third, it can be difficult to encounter God while the focus of our lives is on the importance of earthly power and possessions. We cannot notice God working in our lives when we do not take the time to stop and notice anything. We do not know how to step out of the world of progress. We are moving so fast through our lives that we take no time to notice what is happening around us when the noticing is not necessary to fulfill our goal. In essence, we are programmed not to accept who we are, but we are driven to judge others and ourselves by earthly success, productivity, and accumulation of things. Consequently, we have no real appreciation for others or ourselves. We are trapped in a jail of our own creation. Ask God to reveal himself to you. So, slow down, sit quietly, and listen and you will hear God speaking to you. You will feel God’s presence with you. The more you do that, the easier it becomes. God is always with you whether you recognize him or not.




Sue Provost is an active spiritual director, religious education teacher for both children and adults, and author of Where is God in Your Life? Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality. Her vocation in the practice of spiritual direction supports lay men and women, as well as clergy and those in ministry formation, in discernment of God’s gifting and God’s calling.

Sue has a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from Regis University, in Denver Colorado. She is on the board of directors for the national headquarters of Small Christian Communities Connect (SCCC), as well as being the chairperson for SCC in her local parish. She is a teacher of religious education to both children and adults. She writes a daily blog about the message of Jesus on her site “Let Your Life Sing” . Sue goal in writing this daily blog is to bring awareness of God walking with us on this earthly journey.

Her desire is to share her understanding of God’s love with others, so they can experience what she found in her own relationship with God. She feels that communication with God through prayer is the essential element needed to be able to see God’s movement in their lives.

You can visit Sue’s website at http://www.sueprovost.com/.

Blending History and Fiction, an Article by Leonora Pruner, Author of Close to His Heart

Today's guest blogger is historial novelist, Leonora Pruner, author of Close to His Heart.

In this eighteenth-century romance, a young and naive Grace Carstares plans a midnight elopement with a handsome stableman with suspicious motives. Their plans are thwarted, however, when Grace discovers a mysterious stranger lying guard at her bedroom threshold. All is explained the next morning when, to her dismay, Grace learns her nighttime guardian is young Lord Buryhill, a suitor approved by her father who caught rumor of her misguided romance and decided to protect her from ruining her life.

Determined to marry this particular young woman, Lord Henry Buryhill comes to deeply love Grace and hopes to win her love in return. Yet buried beneath this determination is his own abandoned hope that he would meet a woman who might share his commitment to God.

Henry wins Grace’s heart as well as her hand in marriage. But Henry cannot overcome his nagging fears that Grace clings to her affection for the stableman. His distrust darkly clouds their wedding night and shatters their hopes for a joy-filled union. Unaware of the reasons driving her husband’s suspicions and jealousy, a devastated Grace withdraws from Henry, busying herself in gardening and taking solace in God’s love.

An ensuing pony-cart accident, through which Grace loses all memory of former things, presents both Grace and Henry the opportunity to either abandon their shattered marriage or begin anew. A guilt-ridden Henry is determined to win Grace’s heart once again, but Grace must decide whether to accept the courtship of a complete stranger or continue her life in the small community among the people who found her and nursed her back from a head injury. Will Henry’s determination, forgiveness, and tender care be sufficient to rebuild a foundation for their marriage?

"Blending History and Fiction" by Leonora Pruner


People seem to read fiction more for a vicarious experience than learning facts as in non-fiction.

In writing fiction that takes place in a previous century, I think we owe it to the future readers to be pretty accurate in presenting life like it was then. That is, to avoid describing modern things that were not yet there, like a bridge not yet built, or using current American expressions, like “step on it” in a time in Europe when there were only horses for transportation, or current expressions like “no problem”.

A certain amount of “license” is permissible in placing a historical person in a place where he might have been, but may not have been at that precise moment. Fiction is not limited to the bare facts in telling a story that brings out Truth in a different dimension. It is not strictly limited to what did actually happen (although the facts may be given a very biased presentation). A great deal of history is based on surmise. Fiction goes beyond that.

In reading historical fiction, I like to have the experience of seeing things as they were, better understanding that time, how people lived then, and the things they might have experienced. Iain Pears recreated the 1600s in a fascinating way, from several perspectives in his “An Instance of the Fingerpost” and opened my eyes to a part of English history that was very vague to me. Kenneth Roberts did the same with “Oliver Wiswell” helping me understand the American Revolution from a non-revolutionary perspective.

When I was writing Love’s Secret Storm, I only read novels and history of that period or about the flowers and geology of the south of England and studied old maps of Oxford. The pleasure of reading anything else was denied. In so doing, I tried to soak up that time and place and those people’s lives in order to recreate it realistically.

Also, with dialog, I try to reflect different dialects without becoming burdensome to the reader. Since I could not remove a certain book on library loan from my library, I copied the entire dictionary of Sussex dialect to insure the correct use of terms and phrases. In addition, I asked a friend of mine who was born and raised in Yorkshire to review the text of a novel soon to be published for local dialog so the spelling would be correct.

Mentally and emotionally, I tried to “live” in that period of mid-18th century England and record what my characters experienced, saw, and thought. It was enjoyable and challenging. Imagine my surprise when I emerged after typing “THE END” of the first novel to see women’s shoes advertised with heels under the arch, like they had worn then and to observe men’s jackets in wide plaids and patterns as in the 18th century instead of plain black, dark blue, or brown. The past had become the present.



Leonora Pruner was born in Dubuque, Iowa, but has lived most of her life in California. Writing has been an important activity since junior high. She graduated from Westmont College in 1953 and earned an MBA from Pepperdine University in 1981.

Fascination with a possible eighteenth-century English character led to five years of extensive research, which resulted in the 1981 and 1987 publication of two period novels. That time remains of great interest to the author, and she continues to use eighteenth-century England as a setting for her work.

Leonora married in 1953, and her family has expanded from two children to thirteen grandchildren and five great-grand-children.

She lived in the Republic of Maldives from 1987 to 1997, where she collected folklore and taught economics and computer science. While there she wrote the first drafts of this book.

Other books by Leonora Pruner include Love’s Secret Storm and Love’s Silent Gift. The title of her next novel is The Aerie of the Wolf.

For more information please visit
http://nordskogpublishing.com/book-close-to-his-heart.shtml

Why Are Men on Ice so Hot? by Kerri Nelson, Author of Cross Check My Heart

Today's guest blogger is already a favorite of mine because her book involves hockey. For those of you who don't know, our son played hockey for thirteen years. He has recently, as an adult, picked it up again but in a league that isn't as competitive as the good ole days.

I was a tried and true hockey mom. I rarely missed a game, screamed at the refs when they made bad calls, traveled for tournaments, and bit my fingernails down to the nub when my son was in net. Those were good times.

Author Kerri Nelson has written a romantic suspense novel titled, Cross Check My Heart. Here's more about the book:

She's on the run from something ominous in her past and escapes to a new town and a new job as the physical therapist for the U.S. Hockey Team who is preparing for the Olympics.

He’s a veteran hockey player with a secret of his own that threatens his chances at making the final cut for the team.

When she discovers his secret, will she attempt to stand in the way of his childhood dreams? Or will he unwittingly become the new target when her past ultimately catches up with her?

As their attraction for one another grows, danger looms nearby. Jana and Danny must decide what they will risk for the ultimate game of love…

Why Are Men on Ice so Hot? by Kerri Nelson

My recent romantic suspense release from Eternal Press entitled Cross Check My Heart features a professional hockey player named Danny Cipriani. While Danny is very real to me because I created him—in reality he lives only in my mind and my heart.

However, since the book’s release, I’ve received more “love letters” for Danny than you might ever have imagined. Women seem to swoon over the hot bodied ice hero with a heart of gold. So, I started wondering just what is it about men on ice that makes them so hot?

If you think of other “on ice” sports such as figure skating—men just don’t seem to have quite the same appeal to females. Maybe it is the costumes they wear or the cute dance routines that don’t quite get the same response from the fairer sex. Of course, you do have speed skating and Apolo Ohno is quite the lady magnet. Maybe in that case it is the skin tight uniform or the “need for speed”?

But when you think of hockey, most people would agree that images of violence, brute strength, and big bulky uniforms with tons of padding are what spring to mind. So, again, I ask, what is it exactly that attracts women to hockey players? I mean, aren’t we typically opposed to violence? Aren’t women more about talking than about the tossing of gloves and the spouting forth of testosterone based insults?

To answer my own question, I ran a little poll today among romance authors and readers alike. I asked them to tell me why they loved hockey players.

Blogger's note: Had I known about this poll I sure would have voted. Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins could always get my blood pumping.
Here are the TOP TWENTY reasons why women love hockey players:

• Sense of Humor
• Gentle Giants
• Hockey butt rocks!
• Smart
• Down to earth
• Hockey players are sexy!
• HUGE-- much bigger than most people think
• Take their sport seriously
• Sensitive to fans
• Active in their communities
• Perpetual 5 o’clock shadow
• They’re strong & tough
• The drive to play even when injured
• Hockey is fun to watch
• Hockey takes an unbelievable amount of strength and skill
• They’re Bad Boys!
• Big Hearts & Big Sticks!
• Hockey players have endless energy/Tireless (all those early morning practice)
• They have that "guy camaraderie/ brotherhood" thing going on.
• They are reckless; you have to be able to trust your life on a pair of skates!

So there you have it. My recommendation, if you don’t know any real life hockey players…pick up my book and meet Danny and his friends...how could you not want to meet men like these?

Blogger's note: I agree!



Kerri Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing. At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly "Panther Tales" column. She won the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.

After an education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense novels with a legal or law enforcement theme. She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing southern gentleman husband and three adorable children. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her baking homemade goodies for her family, feeding her addiction to blogging online or designing custom made book trailers. Kerri is an active member of Romance Writers of America as well as numerous Chapters including Hearts through History, Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

Read more about Kerri’s books at her website: http://www.kerrinelson.com/

Come out and chat with Kerri at her blog: http://www.kerribookwriter.blogspot.com/

Want to play, learn and compete with other authors in the biz? Visit Kerri’s industry blog here: http://www.thebookboost.blogspot.com/

For the latest news and updates from Kerri, follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter