Showing posts with label K.M. Daughters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K.M. Daughters. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Authors I Wish More People Knew About

 


The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Happy Wednesday! Today, we're discussing authors we wish more people knew about. In the years I've been blogging, I've come across some really wonderful authors. Here are five that came to mind today.


I came across H.B. Berlow thanks to my job as an acquisitions editor. The Day of Calamity is one of those books that got away. I loved it in draft form. Loved it even more in published form. I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series, one of which is coming out next month. 


Duffy Brown is a well-known author. She has two series, one book in a new series, and she is a National Bestselling Author. I read her entire Consignment Shop Mystery series and was disappointed when it ended. I wanted more! If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a hint of humor and some romance, she is an author to explore. 


K. M. Daughters is a sister writing team who have published fourteen award-winning novels and three novellas in the inspirational romance and romantic suspense genres. I reviewed Beyond the Code of Conduct first, and then went back and read the first book in The Sullivan Boys series. Superb!


Author Holly Bush seems to have written two books: Romancing Olive and Reconstructing Jackson, which was one of the most amazing books I read in 2013. It is a book that I loved so much, I still recall bits and pieces from it. 


F. M. Meredith is the alternate name of Marilyn Meredith. As F. M. Meredith, she wrote the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, which introduced me to one of my favorite fictional cops, Gordon Butler. Under the name Marilyn Meredith, she wrote the Tempe Crabtree Mysteries series and numerous standalone stories. She has also written three memoirs. She has chosen her latest book, My Writing Life, to be her last. Her friendship has been a true blessing to me for almost two decades. 

Hope you check out these authors. What is an author you wish more people knew about? 


Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5… Books Where Something Went Right



This a new meme for me, but it's not a new meme at all. Originally created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, it is now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads. Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme that explores different topics. For a list of August topics you can click here. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan's blog or leave her a comment on her weekly post.

Top 5… Books Where Something Went Right



This might seem like an odd choice, but hear me out. In the St. Nick of Time is a romantic suspense novel. The final book in The Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters, the main character in this one is the Sullivan's only sister, Kay. A widow with four older kids, she has opted to return to the Chicago Police Department despite the reservations of her entire family. Kay is a woman who knows she wants more out of life than what she's been dealt and, by going after it, she finds herself in love again. The reader gets to see Kay succeed despite several obstacles and her own uncertainty.



On Strike for Christmas is such a fun story. A bunch of local wives feel their husbands don't appreciate the amount of effort they put into making sure their families have a special Christmas. So, these women go on strike. Then the media gets a hold of the story and they find support from all over the place. In the end, families are changed; the efforts of these and other wives is acknowledged; and everyone has a wonderful holiday.





In the first book of this series, The Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate, Jake Witherspoon is the victim of a vicious hate crime that cripples him. It was so nice to see him again in Up the Devil's Belly, where the Witherspoon Mansion is turned into an upscale day spa and Jake finds success. 



Melanie and Jack have been through a lot. Let's just say that Return to Tradd Street made it all worth it. 



This book starts out so sad, but The Santa Letters is such a heartwarming tale of the season that you will want to read it over and again.

After the sudden death of her husband William, Emma Jensen struggles to find hope in her life. Even knowing she must go on for her children is not enough to bring her out of the depths of despair. Then the first Santa letter arrives. The lives of the Jensens are forever changed by these messages from the man in the red suit who helps them find that missing hope they so desperately crave. 

So, what did you think of my list? What are some books you've read where something went right?

Thursday, February 11, 2016

New From K.M. Daughters: Fill the Stadium


Nikki Lambert’s husband purposely stalls his truck in the path of the midnight freight on the same day her eldest son, Jack, is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder.

Injured NFL quarterback, Ramsey Delaney is benched from his starting position leaving him ample time for more hands-on involvement in The Good Sports Club, a community center he established where Nikki’s sons, Jack and Rocky are enrolled.

Jack’s deteriorating motor skills concern Ram’s employees who bar Jack from attending the club without Ram’s knowledge. Nikki wants nothing but normalcy for Jack and she heatedly confronts Ram for depriving her son of a beloved activity. Ram immediately reinstates Jack forging the fateful bond between Nikki and her boys’ number-one sports hero. Ram is instantly attracted to Nikki. He wants to win her heart more than he’s ever wanted to win a game. But after her husband’s terrible abandonment will Nikki trust Ram’s motives and open her heart to love again?

EXCERPT:

Nikki’s gaze lit on Jack hunkered down along the sidelines, and her heart constricted. Head to head with Ramsey Delaney, boy and man hung over one of Jack’s ever-present notebooks. The football star draped a muscled arm around Jack, cupping his shoulder with a huge hand that covered a quarter of her son’s back.

“I smell perfume,” came Ram’s deep resonant voice.

“Uh huh. Smells like my mommy.”

Both faced Nikki, presenting ear-to-ear grins. Their matching dazzling smiles swelled her heart—her customary reaction to Jack, and a jolting, giddy pleasure in the wake of Ramsey’s seeming delight at her arrival.

Purchase at Amazon!


Fill The Stadium for ALD is based on a charity football game held in Soldier’s Field at Harvard University – the concept is the brainchild of K.M. Daughters. Kathie’s son is an alumnus and former captain of the football team. His dear friend’s grandson died of ALD which prompted his passion for fundraising benefiting research. K.M. Daughters wrote the novel inspired by the charity event concept that they created.

Learn more about the sister writing team of K.M. Daughters at www.kmdaughters.com.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Book Spotlight: The Snows by K.M. Daughters


A UNIVERSAL SIGN WILL APPEAR PRECEDING THE APPEARANCE OF GOD. A PERMANENT SIGN WILL REMAIN – WONDROUS AND INEXPLICABLE ON EARTHLY TERMS The world's reckoning with God is imminent. Anna Babic Robbins, a Marian visionary from the remote Adriatic village, Valselo, is entrusted with the mission of delivering a parchment that documents unprecedented future events to a Chicago parish priest. The priest is charged with "shepherding" mankind to fulfill God's plan. Four devoted friends since grammar school at the Chicago suburban St. Mary Academy, the “Belles of St. Mary’s”: Bernadette O’Neal, a local television journalist on the Now Chicago show, married to an atheist; Tina Hernandez, a teacher at the women’s high school alma mater, married to a former teacher falsely accused of child molestation; Marlo Waters, a single supermodel; and Laci Marshall, the CFO for a non-profit organization engaged to a homicide detective, visit Las Vegas for Laci’s lavish bachelorette party when the universal sign appears. When God speaks, He whispers in the form of a seven-day, worldwide, impossible snowfall. The women and their loved ones witness the spectacle of the permanent sign, join humanity in facing judgment “before the throne” immediately after the sign appears, and grapple with how best to alter their lives before it’s too late after a preview of final judgment. WHEN GIVEN BY THE CREATOR HIMSELF, WILL THE HUMAN RACE TAKE THE SECOND CHANCE?

Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: K.M. Daughters (August 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0990691101
ISBN-13: 978-0990691105





"Every story we have told has led us to this book…THE SNOWS."


K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare nee Lynch. The author name is dedicated to the memory of their parents, Katherine and Michael, the "K" and "M" in K.M. Daughters. Inspired by their father who wrote children's books for them when they were small and their mother's love of romance novels, K.M. Daughters was "born" in 2005 at a Romance Writers of America national conference when the sisters plotted their first manuscript. K.M. Daughters has written eleven award-winning novels that have garnered rave reviews. The Sullivan Boys Series: AGAINST DOCTORS ORDERS, BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT, CAPTURING KARMA, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND LAW, IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME. The Adriatic prequel and sequel: JEWEL OF THE ADRIATIC, ROSE OF THE ADRIATIC. Gospa Journey novellas: LEFT AT THE ALTAR, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, RESURRECTED LOVE.


Social Media links: Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KM-Daughters/254548634579413

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Book Connection's Top 10 Books of 2011


I think this was the hardest year for choosing my Top 10 Books. In going through my spreadsheet, I kept checking off books I knew should be on it, but then there over double what I was supposed to have. I had to go back through the list again, check out what I had to say about these books, think on it some more, and then compose a new list--a few times. I've decided to include honorable mentions because there are several books that could have made the list.
  1. Falling Home by Karen White
  2. A Christmas Journey Home by Kathi Macias
  3. The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn
  4. Born Under a Lucky Moon by Dana Precious
  5. People of the Book by Kathi Macias
  6. Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
  7. Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil by Jerome Charyn
  8. A Higher Court by John Betcher
  9. Elizabeth I by Margaret George
  10. In the St. Nick of Time by K.M. Daughters
Honorable Mentions:

  1. Bears With Us by Marilyn Meredith
  2. Love You More by Lisa Gardner
  3. The Queen's Gamble by Barbara Kyle
  4. My Dearest Friend by Hazel Statham
  5. Murder is a Family Business by Heather Haven
  6. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin
  7. The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner
  8. Cold Lonely Courage by Soren Paul Petrek
  9. Resurrection Garden by Frank Scully
  10. Murder in the Vatican by Ann Margaret Lewis

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Book Review: In the St. Nick of Time by K.M. Daughters

A sexy, suspense-filled mystery concludes the award-winning Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters.

In the St. Nick of Time finds Kay Sullivan Lynch returning to the Chicago Police Department, much to the dismay of her family. She's not sure it's the right move for her either, but the widow needs to make a life for her and her children so they can move past their loss.

Captain Flynn Dowd transfered to the CPD to escape his own troubles. He hasn't thought about having a woman in his life for a long time, but beautiful and dedicated Detective Lynch sets his pulse to racing. When Sidewalk Santas collecting to feed the hungry are dropping dead all over Chicago, Kay and Flynn are hard pressed to find a motive or MO. They do however, find a strong mutual attraction they can't deny.

Racing against time, Kay and Flynn try to connect the pieces of this strange murder mystery, while exploring their feelings for each other. Will the Lynch children's opposition force Kay to choose between her family and her man?

I am both excited and upset at the same time. I've loved The Sullivan Boys series since the first book, Against Doctor's Orders. Now that the series has come to an end, I'm sad to know I won't have more Sullivan family stories to look forward to.

In the Saint Nick of Time is a romantic, suspenseful conclusion to a great series. The strength of this series has always been its characters. K.M. Daughters creates wonderful, complex characters whose stories you want to follow. You root for these couples to get past all the obstacles standing in their way.

We see the focus shift to the one girl in the Sullivan family, Kay. Having given up her job with the CPD years ago in exchange for life as a wife and mother, she is at a crossroads. Her husband is gone, her children are growing up, and she's not quite sure what she should do. She's only sure that being a depressed, grief-stricken widow isn't the only thing in her future. Her decision to be reinstated is met with mixed feelings in her family. Add in her attraction to Flynn, and her plate is more than full.

What I truly appreciated about In the Saint Nick of Time is that we get to experience all of Kay's doubts and triumphs with her. When she and Flynn are together for the first time, we see the shyness of a mature woman who is exploring a new relationship, unsure if she is still attractive after giving birth to four kids. We see how she is accepted by her peers, despite that her brother Pat doesn't give her a break and treats her differently than the rest of the members of the department. We witness Kay in all her roles: mother, detective, sister, and daughter.

While Bobbie and Joe's story in Beyond the Code of Conduct remains my strong favorite (I still re-read passages from it), In the St. Nick of Time is a close second. The motive and modus operandi are unique, the storytelling spectacular, and the conclusion very satisfying.

I highly recommend In the St. Nick of Time by K.M. Daughters. If you want sexy romance and suspense, you'll find it in this book.

Title: In the St. Nick of Time
Author: K.M. Daughters
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN-10: 1601549032
ISBN-13: 978-1601549037
SRP:  $11.99
Also available in a Kindle edition.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide this review.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Guest Blogger: K.M. Daughters, Author of All's Fair in Love and Law

Today's special guest is K.M. Daughters, the sister writing team behind the romantic suspense Sullivan Boys series. The fourth installment in this series, All's Fair in Love and Law, will be released on Friday.

The enchantress on stage at an amusement park review captivates new Chicago Police Department Captain Patrick Sullivan. Stunned to learn she’s the infamous defense attorney, Charlie Demarco, who substituted for her twin at the performance, Pat battles Charlie in and out of the courtroom. With CPD cutbacks and a serial murderer to apprehend, Pat struggles to uphold the law and his reputation, while Charlie seems determined to undermine him. Chained to her job to restore her family’s finances, Charlie has no choice but to defend the criminals Pat wants behind bars. Her biggest battle yet involves defending her heart against Patrick Sullivan.


A K.M. Daughters Christmas


Since we have resided in separate parts of the country since Pat was twenty-five, we have only celebrated Christmas together three times: once when Kathie’s first born son was six months old (he’s married now and the father of her first grandchild, eight year old, Natalie), and twice at Pat’s house in the Chicago suburbs when all the kids were still single.

Although apart, Christmas celebrations in each “Daughter” household are quite similar stemming from cherished remembrance of Christmases past when both our parents were alive.

The season officially begins when Santa Claus “sleighs” into Herald Square at the conclusion of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The annual TV time slots are staggered, so Pat, the last to witness the jolly man’s entrance into the Square, telephones Kathie with loving Thanksgiving wishes – invariably two teary-eyed women cling to each end of the connection. We are sentimental Irish women and tears flow during the holidays and at each airport good-bye.

We load our Christmas music collection into CD players or play-list holiday songs through docked Ipods, despite overt groans from children who once shared our households, and now, still don’t avoid escape if they want their presents. :)

Christmas Eve is the “big deal” for us. Festivities always involve lots of food, beverages to suit, gift giving and our beloved family circuses. The season wouldn’t be complete without watching our favorite Christmas movies each year.

So here is our top ten list!

White Christmas
Holiday Inn
It Happened One Christmas (the remake of It's a Wonderful Life with Marlo Thomas...K.M. Daughters LOVES her and grew up wanting to be That Girl!)
Christmas Vacation
The Christmas Story
Frosty The Snowman
Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Bells of St Mary's
Going My Way
and Twilight.....every girl deserves to spend Christmas with Edward


We have one thing to add – since the publication of Against Doctors Orders, “The Daughters” have a favorite tagline: All We Want For Christmas Is A Sullivan Boy!”

Peace, love and cherished remembrances for all during this sacred season!



Sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare write as K.M. Daughters. Their penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, Kay and Mickey, the "K" and "M" in K.M. Daughters. All's Fair In Love And Law is the fourth book in the author's acclaimed Sullivan Boys Romantic Suspense Series. K.M. Daughters writes romantic suspense for The Wild Rose Press, inspirational romance for White Rose Publishing and contemporary romance for Sapphire Blue Publishing. Contact K.M. Daughters at http://www.kmdaughters.com.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Book Preview: All's Fair in Love and Law by K.M. Daughters

Coming in December 2010, the Sullivans return in the fourth installment of The Sullivan Boys series by writing team K.M. Daughters!

The senseless death of their brother-in-law, Mike Lynch, has left the Sullivan boys reeling. Still coping with the death of their brother, Jimmy, they are pulling together to help their sister Kay deal with the loss of her husband as she slips into depression.

During an outing with Kay's twin girls, Patrick Sullivan, a new captain at the Chicago Police Department, comes face-to-face with a woman who gets his body tingling all over. Little does he know he'll see this woman again all too soon--in the courtroom.

C.J. Demarco, also known as, Charlie, is a shining star of a defense attorney at Schotz, Pearson and Freemont. When she gets a perp off on a technicality, Patrick's department isn't looking too good and he has to answer for it to the media. But he has much bigger issues to deal with. Someone is brutally killing prostitutes and dumping them in the trash in the city's alleys. The Garbage Man Murderer case is going  to take all of Pat's limited resources to nail; not an easy task considering the recent budget cuts.

Despite working on seemingly opposite sides of the law, Charlie and Pat can't deny their attraction to each other. When Charlie is set to defend a high-profile case, Pat can't believe she would be involved in trying to get such a creep off. But Charlie isn't about to reveal why she does the type of work she does or the reason getting too involved with Pat scares the hell out of her. Their budding romance is threatened. And for Charlie, one mistake, could be a fatal one.

In one word, this book is, "Awesome!" I have loved this series from the get-go and each book keeps drawing me in. The Sullivan Boys series blends intriguing plots, complex characters, and loads of conflict to keep you turning page after page.

In All's Fair in Love and Law, a new Sullivan brother takes the spotlight. Patrick is definitely the type of hero every woman has been waiting for. Strong, sexy, and with a deep sense of right and wrong, Pat isn't the kind of guy to abuse the law. He hasn't exactly been looking for the perfect woman, but she finds him, and he's totally captivated by the alluring defense attorney who is part teddy bear, part barracuda.

K.M. Daughters proves over and again that they have mastered the art of storytelling. I can't put one of their books down, despite the late hour, despite the fact that I'm facing an early morning with my kids, despite knowing I'll be sitting at my desk gulping caffeinated soda the next day just to stay awake at my PC.

The cover art on this one isn't my favorite, but I'm willing to forgive that because the story is superb.

The perfect blend of romance and suspense is what you'll find in All's Fair in Love and Law!


Title:  All's Fair in Love and Law
Authors:  K. M. Daughters
Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press
ISBN:  Not yet available

Keep an eye on the K.M. Daughters' website for information on this book's release. The final installment is on its way too. I'll be sad when this series is over, but I would read them again in a heartbeat.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Capturing Karma by K.M. Daughters -- Book Review



The Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters continues with a powerful new installment titled, Capturing Karma.

While racing to get to his brother's wedding, Brian Sullivan's car is struck by another vehicle. Instantly Matilda (Matty) Connors, the woman with the hypnotic eyes who had once delivered a message from his dead brother, is quickly back in Brian's life. She has a message about the case he has been working on for the past few months. Determined not to get involved, Matty shares the message but wants nothing more than to go back home and back to the veterinarian clinic where she works with her brother. The last time she officially got involved in a case, she ended up with a murdered fiance and nightmares that never go away.

Brian is the reputed ladies man in the Sullivan clan, but Matty quickly lays claim to his heart. She's quite taken with him too. The problem is that Brian isn't so sure about her abilities, despite the fact that history has proven her to be right every time. And when it appears that Matty might be leading the investigators down the wrong path, trouble arises in their budding romance. Then once Brian fits all the pieces together, he's not sure he'll be in time to save the woman he loves.

For some reason I thought this was the fourth book of the series, but it is the third, and what an outstanding addition to a spectacular series this is. In Capturing Karma, Brian Sullivan is the main focus of the story. A woman from his past returns with a bang into his life and he's instantly reminded of his attraction to her.

Matty's gift is so impressive that Danny Sullivan teaches a class to the Academy about how she lead the police to the Firing Squad Rapist. Brian isn't too sure about her methods, despite his brother, fellow officer, Joe Sullivan, and half the force singing her praises. This sets up a nice source of conflict between Brian and Matty; a conflict that could have tragic circumstances.

What I've loved about The Sullivan Boys series from the beginning is that it always offers a riveting plot surrounded by complex characters you really care about. There's the job aspect for each of the Sullivan men, the big family angle with people offering all types of support and unwanted advice, and also the conflict with their romantic partner to deal with.

Even though in Capturing Karma the reader is quickly introduced to the huge Sullivan family, you're never lost. K.M. Daughters brings them in, and whether through physical characteristics or banter, you know who is who, who is married to whom, and exactly where it all falls into place. The authors, because K.M. Daughters is a sister writing team, sprinkle in enough backstory that if you pick up this novel first, you won't be lost; but for a reader like me who has been with the series since the beginning, it's nice to see how each character is developing over the course of time. And since each book focuses on a different Sullivan brother, you get to see how their romances impact the family as a whole.

I have to admit, this time, I had the villain figured out way before it was revealed. I didn't know why this person did what he/she did, but I knew he/she did it. It didn't matter, however, because the suspense came from seeing if Brian could make that final decision to accept Matty as she is and then find her in time.

Capturing Karma is another fabulous addition to a great series. I can't wait for Book 4!


Title: Capturing Karma
Author: K.M. Daughters
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN-10: 1601547218
ISBN-13: 978-1601547217
SRP: $10.99

Friday, January 1, 2010

Against Doctor's Orders by K.M. Daughters - Book Review



Against Doctor's Orders is romantic suspense at its best!

Detective Danny Sullivan is brought into Dr. Molly Jordan's ER with a bullet wound. While Molly has never found herself attracted to a patient before, Danny stirs something inside her that she thought was buried alongside her husband, Eddie, a cop killed in the line of duty. Left to bring up their daughter alone, even after all these years, Molly is opposed to the cop life and all it entails; and Danny certainly isn't looking to get involved with another woman after his divorce left him bitter and not trusting women. But neither of them knew how their chance meeting might change their lives.

In this first book of The Sullivan Boys series by sister writing team, K.M. Daughters, readers are treated to a riveting plot that includes a mysterious serial killer who has a thing for red-headed women, a cast of complex and engaging characters whose lives you become totally immersed in, and a satisfying conclusion that will leave you wanting to read the book all over again. Though the cover of this one makes me shiver, it's perfect for the book.

I read the second book in this series, Beyond the Code of Conduct, last summer, and as soon as I read Against Doctor's Orders, I remembered how much I enjoyed Beyond the Code of Conduct and was tempted to pick it up again. Now that I know Bobbie Leighton's and Joe Sullivan's backstory, because they are secondary characters in Against Doctor's Orders, I'm sure I would be even more satisfied if I read Book 2 again, though they are perfect stand alone books too.

Romantic suspense novels are close to becoming my favorite genre because they offer so much, and K.M. Daughters has mastered that genre with a plot that pulls you in right away and characters you get so involved in that it's almost like they are part of your family. You just have to keep turning page after page until you reach that superb ending.

Now that Book 3, Capturing Karma is due out on January 13th, I am eager to read that book as well.

K.M. Daughters is a writing team to watch!


Title: Against Doctor's Orders
Author: K.M. Daughters
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 1-60154-350-6
SRP: $11.99 Paperback, Kindle edition $4.50

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Book Trailer Wins Contest!

I had the best news today! One of my former clients sent me an email letting me know that the book trailer I created for her book won the July-August 2009 Book Trailer Recognition Contest from Books In Sync.

You can view the winning trailer for Beyond the Code of Conduct by K.M. Daughters, below.



We reviewed this title here.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Video Trailer for Beyond the Code of Conduct by K.M. Daughters


Here is the latest trailer I created. This is for the romantic supsense novel, Beyond the Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters, which we reviewed here.

FBI Agency Brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan.

Posing as a cattleman and his arm-candy wife the couple is assigned to infiltrate NY attorney Bradley Sterling’s illegal operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling maybe be connected with Joe’s brother, Jimmy Sullivan’s murder.

How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling’s victims list?

You can visit the authors' website at www.kmdaughters.com and follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!



I would love to hear what you think.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Beyond the Code of Conduct by K.M. Daughters -- Book Review


Looking for romance? Looking for suspense? Looking for an outstanding book with tons of conflict and complex characters?

You'll find all that and more in Beyond the Code of Conduct, the second book in the Sullivan Boys series by the sister writing team known as K.M. Daughters.

A vicious attack on Bobbie Leighton's life destroyed her relationship with Joe Sullvian and left Joe permanently impaired. Now an FBI agent working in New York, Bobbie returns to Chicago to discuss the possibility that a baby trafficking case she is working on may have a connection to Joe's brother's murder.

Joe is determined to find out why Jimmy died and to bring his killer to justice. Joe and Bobbie go undercover as a rich cattle rancher and his arm candy wife looking to adopt a baby from a slick Park Avenue lawyer. Forced to live with one another day by day, Joe and Bobbie struggle to resist their feelings for one another. Can they overcome their past? And can they bring a murderer to justice before they become the next target on a killer's victims list?

Romantic suspense just doesn't get any better than this! I had not read the first installment of the Sullivan Boys series by K.M. Daughters, but as soon as I finished Beyond the Code of Conduct, I begged the authors to send me that book, titled Against Doctor's Orders. I can't wait to read it because if it is anything like Beyond the Code of Conduct, I will instantly love it.

Beyond the Code of Conduct opens with Bobbie showing up at Jimmy Sullivan's funeral and getting an icy reception from Joe. The authors immediately draw you right into the conflict and it doesn't stop until the very end. These characters are pushed beyond their limits every step of the way. You feel that pull between Joe and Bobbie, that fine line they walk between just working together and resisting the temptation to be together in a more meaningful way. You witness how much of an obstacle their past remains. And you want them to nab the bad guy as much as they do.

I've now read the last chapter three times and each time it gets better, is more touching and even more satisfying than the first.

While the strength of this book is definitely its complex characters, the gripping story keeps you turning page after page. I couldn't put the book down. I read it cover to cover in one night. At 180 pages, it's the perfect book to take on vacation or to read on a long car ride.

Beyond the Code of Conduct is romantic, it's filled with suspense, and it's one book that I would love to read again.


Title: Beyond the Code of Conduct
Author: K.M. Daughters
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 1-60154-544-4
SRP: $10.99

Friday, June 12, 2009

Sisters Collaborate To Write About Brothers: K.M. Daughters and Beyond the Code of Conduct


We have a special treat for you today. The writing team of K.M. Daughters is here to talk about collaboration. The idea of sharing the effort with another writer has always intrigued me. How does it come about? How much effort does each person contribute? What happens if two people have different visions for the same piece of work? And while collaborating can be challenging, what happens when you're writing a book with one of your sisters?

It certainly looks like the sister writing team of K.M. Daughters has figured out a way to make it work.

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series. You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com and follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters.

Here, K.M. Daughters talks of how they have collaborated to write about brothers.

Sisters Collaborate To Write About Brothers
by K. M. Daughters

We’re not forgetting about Kay Lynch nee Sullivan, the only sister among six brothers in our Sullivan Boys romantic suspense series. But, to date, each of the books in the series focuses on one Sullivan brother in the hero role searching for his perfect match.

Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series tells Joe Sullivan and Bobbie Leighton’s story. Introduced as secondary characters in Book 1 (Against Doctors Orders), the pair have a history clouded with what Joe considers tragedy. Although he saved Bobbie’s life in the midst of crisis in the first book, Joe was gravely injured. His bravery cost him his career as an active homicide detective.

We had a blast writing these characters. Joe overcompensates to prove to his superiors he’s fit for active duty and as the book opens he’s “Iron-man” conditioned and a rather forbidding attitude – wonderful to write. Bobbie has finally found a career fit at the end of a long line of odd jobs. She thinks she’s moved on and forgotten Joe until they’re brought together again. Behind the scenes manipulations not only require their partnership working an undercover operation but also that they live under the same roof posing as a married couple.

Bobbie and Joe’s physicality in conflict versus book one’s Molly and Danny’s subtle maturity appealed to us and was fun to write. As we continue the series we’re discovering the personality differences among the brothers – a real family dynamic considering birth order, sibling rivalry, etc.

Since we’re each other’s only siblings our family dynamic is simple – oldest, youngest, duke it out. We tried to knock each other brainless when we were kids and had our share of screaming matches when we were teenagers. When the first of us went off to college, we acknowledged an astounding truth. We hated separation. It’s ironic that we live half a country apart considering that sentiment is no less true a couple decades later.

Maybe that’s why our writing collaborations are so special to us. Long distance or not, when we’re writing, we’re living in the same worlds with the same immediacy. And in the case of the Sullivan brothers, we can play out all those things that make us different yet uniquely close as siblings.

More about Beyond the Code of Conduct:

FBI Agency Brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan.

Posing as a cattleman and his arm-candy wife the couple is assigned to infiltrate NY attorney Bradley Sterling’s illegal operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling maybe be connected with Joe’s brother, Jimmy Sullivan’s murder.

How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling’s victims list?

Now available from Amazon.com.