Contact email: mesreads AT gmail.com
###Winner Announcement Posts are linked here.###

GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW LOCATED ON THEIR OWN PAGE - CLICK ON TAB ABOVE; Giveaways also linked on right sidebar.
Showing posts with label No Escape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label No Escape. Show all posts

Sunday, December 15, 2013

A Month of Winners!

I apologize to all these winners - I have been late in picking the winners and although I have listed them in the right sidebar I have not posted the a Winners post for November Giveaways.
So here are the Winners to bring us up-to-date.
{Note- Friday Pick and Sharing Beyond Books Winners are announced each week and listed in the sidebar too so they are not included in winner link listing - you can check those winners by clicking on Friday Pick link or Sharing Beyond Books link found on the right sidebar.}


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Giveaway Ended November 8, 2013


Giveaway: No Escape
WINNER: Texas Book Lover







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Giveaway Ended November 15, 2013


Accidentally in Love With...A God?
Winners: 
Entry #74 Amber H.
Entry #22 Meghan S.





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Giveaways Ended November 15, 2013


Giveaway: The Last Christian by David Gregory, 
Two Copies US - Print: Becky W and Vicki W
International - Digital: Mary P and Djamel E





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Giveaway Ended November 22, 2013

Giveaway: Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait  

Winner: Martha L






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ARC Giveaway: To Have and To Hold

Winner: Di








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Giveaways Ended November 29 , 2013

 

Giveaway Accidentally Married to...A Vampire?

TWO COPIES from Hachette:
OPEN WORLDWIDE: Print for US or digital for Canada or International
WINNERS: 
Entry #101  Amber H.
Entry #63  Jossy M.


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Giveaway Ended December 6, 2013




ARC GiveawayDon't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill Mansell, 
US address

Winner: Rita






ALL WINNERS - if you have not already done so - Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form AND you can email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I will arrange the mailing or notify the publishers.
[I ask that all winner's fill in the form as it helps me keep track of when I have completed the mail outs or notice to the publishers rather than tracking individual emails. But of course -- feel free to email me too! :-)]

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Winners: The Christmas He Loved Her, Hallowed Eve and No Escape

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS:


Giveaway Ended October 25, 2013

ARC Giveaway: The Christmas He Loved Her

Winner: Cheryl (scottsgal)



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Giveaway Ended October 31, 2013

Giveaway: Hallowed Eve 


Winners: Meghan and Kyaw


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Giveaway Ended November 8, 2013


Giveaway: No Escape

Winner: Texas Book Lady


Cheryl (Scottsgal), Meghan, Kyaw, and Texas Book Lady Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I will arrange the mailing.  Please reply within 72 hours! 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Author Interview with Giveaway: Mary Burton Author of No Escape

MEET MARY BURTON...

       Mary Burton enjoys the hunt. This New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist, whose work has been compared to that of Steig Larson*, Lisa Gardner**, and Lisa Jackson***, has been intrigued by investigative work and the people who do it since Virginia, her home state, was stung by a string of serial killings that spanned more than twenty years. Not surprisingly, many of her suspense novels are fueled by the acts of multiple killers and the people who pursue them, as is NO ESCAPE, Mary's latest novel and the second in a trio of stories set in and around Austin. There she calls upon the people and resources of the state's lead investigative team, the Texas Rangers.

       NO ESCAPE's predecessor, THE SEVENTH VICTIM quickly became a USA Today bestseller. It was praised by reviewers, including Publishers Weekly, which says it "delivers action-packed suspense" and calls it "compelling.” Suspense Magazine hailed it as “an excellent thriller” and a “saga that readers will find unbelievably hard to put down.”
      Mary's admiration for the work of law enforcement and the skills, insights and tools necessary to do it, is evident even in her earliest forays into suspense, such as In Dark Waters, in which a romance evolves when the Sheriff's office is called upon to solve a murder in rural Virginia. Future plots explored arson investigation, flaws within a witness protection program, and the reopening of a cold case.
       Beginning with her novel I'm Watching You, Mary started connecting several cases and characters within the same department or agency. For I'm Watching You she invented a homicide unit for her hometown of Richmond, defined its strengths, weaknesses and resources, and kept those characters and elements in place through two additional stand-alone, but related, books, Dead Ringer and Dying Scream.
       The three-book arc provided numerous creative options, especially as regards character development. This larger canvas allowed her to incorporate more of the forensic and procedural detail that fascinates her and her readers, and created new opportunities to explore dynamics unique to investigators working together over time.
       Her other "connected" novels are Senseless, Merciless and Before She Dies, all set in Alexandria, and THE SEVENTH VICTIM, NO ESCAPE and YOU'RE NOT SAFE, which is being published in April 2014.
       Mary's research has led her to interview a wide range of law enforcement personnel, to attend forensic seminars and to handle weaponry at the firing range. She is a graduate of the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen's Academy, and has attended Sisters in Crime's Forensic University program and the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina, where the focus was on undercover work, autopsies, and the theories behind why people kill.
       Despite her emphasis on hard facts related to the crimes she writes about, Mary's approach to each new novel is psychological. She backs away from details, whether it's forensic research or a plot point she's already fixating upon. To begin her story she needs answers to three questions about her killers: why do they kill, what demons drive them, and how do they choose their victims. The answers are critical to her plot, she says, just as they are for detectives solving a murder.
       A Richmond native whose family roots run as deep as the nation's, Mary has lived there for most of her life. She graduated from Virginia's Hollins University and worked in marketing before deciding to write full time. Her first manuscript, a historical romance, was published in 2000.
       Mary wrote several more romance novels and three novellas before embracing the dark world of suspense. She even managed to bring danger to her holiday novella, Christmas Past, which appears in the New York Times bestselling holiday anthology Silver Bells.
       The author of twenty published novels and four novellas, Mary is a member of Thriller Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, for which she is president of the Central Virginia chapter. She travels frequently for signings, speaking engagements and other appearances. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, book festivals, book stores and libraries regarding writing and genre fiction, and is frequently asked to present her "Unraveling Romantic Suspense" workshop or her day-long program "Writing Your Book...The First Step."
       An avid baker and an accomplished cook, Mary's discovered that the creativity of the kitchen entwines with her professional routine in unanticipated ways. It’s her ideal retreat when the writing hits a rough spot. Once there, she's working out dialogue, untangling plot lines and figuring out how to trap a killer before the oven has a chance to preheat.
       When not committing murder, Mary pursues her Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program, and continues her involvement and appearances on behalf of Coordinators2inc, a lifetime adoption resource organization. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their newly empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds Buddy and Bella.
       Mary is currently at work on her next novel, set in Nashville, and anticipating the November publication of her new Union Street Bakery novel, Sweet Expectations, written as Mary Ellen Taylor.

*Publishers Weekly, **Library Journal, ***Library Journal

www.maryburton.com    http://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage   www.kensingtonbooks.com

NO ESCAPE by Mary Burton
Zebra Books/Mass Market Original/Fiction
November 2013/On Sale 10-29-13/$7.99 ($8.99 Canada)
978-1-4201-2506-1

I was pleased to ask Ms. Burton a few more questions about her writing:

Q1. What inspires you to write the different genres you write– Romantic Suspense, Historical Fiction and Women’s Fiction? Do you have plans to write in any other genres?
MB:  I love to write and sometimes a story just fits into a certain genre.  Some are fast-paced mystery/thrillers and others are more introspective and emotional. If a story really excites me I’ll find a way to write it.
Q2. Is there a big transition in your writing style from one genre to another?
MB:  There is a huge difference between my suspense and my women’s fiction stories. The suspense novels are written as edgy page turners and have some real dark moments. The women’s fiction novels are a little slower paced and I can take more time to explore emotions.
Q3. Do your characters live with you or haunt your dreams as you write?
MB:  They haunt me. I’m always thinking about the next story and, as they take form, the characters seem to get louder and louder. I know that sounds a little crazy but I think most writers will tell you that their characters are constantly tapping them on the shoulder and shouting for attention.
Q4. What is one of the best tips you’ve received on writing?
MB:  Write every day. When you write every day your skills really sharpen and you don’t lose the thread of your story. When I take long breaks I lose the habit of writing so I’ve learned to keep the breaks short.
Q5. What is the single most important thing you've learned about managing your career?
MB:  Be a professional. Write the best stories you can but be mindful of your deadlines and be kind and polite to the folks you meet along the way.
Q6. What is the craziest thing you've done to research a story idea?
MB:  I attended a shallow grave seminar at the Writers’ Police Academy. It was a fascinating afternoon and it inspired NO ESCAPE.
Q7. What do you hope your readers get out of your books?
MB:  I want to pull them out of real life and take them on a great ride. My hope is that the story keeps them up way past their bedtime and maybe they forget to cook dinner or switch the laundry along the way.
I have to say that Ms. Burton succeeded in her goal by pulling me into NO ESCAPE!

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for a Print Copy from the publicist:

Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! 
I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.  

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Comment on the Author's bio or Interview.
For additional 3 Extra bonus entries, Comment on the Review Post. 

* This contest is open to those with US or Canada address only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on November 8, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after November 8, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review: No Escape by Mary Burton

This has all the elements I love in a romantic suspense: lots of action and suspense with good romantic tension.
No Escape (Texas Rangers)
Mary Burton

  • File Size: 1316 KB
  • Print Length: 384 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1420125060
  • Publisher: Zebra Books (October 29, 2013)
  • ASIN: B00DV1ISQI
Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0


Book Description
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
He Was Taught How To Kill
Even behind bars, serial killer Harvey Day Smith exudes menace. Psychologist Jolene Granger has agreed to hear his dying confession, vowing not to let the monster inside her head. And Harvey has secrets to share—about bodies that were never found, and about the apprentice who is continuing his grisly work…

And Now He’ll Teach Them
He buries his victims alive the way his mentor Harvey did, relishing their final screams as the earth rains down. And as one last gift to the only father he knew, he’ll make the most perfect kill of all.

How To Die
Everything about this investigation is unnerving Jo, from Harvey’s fascination with her to the fact that she’s working alongside Texas Ranger Brody Winchester, her ex-husband. Harvey’s protégé is growing bolder and more vicious every day. And soon the trail of shallow graves will lead them to the last place Jo expected, and to the most terrifying truth of all…

Praise for Mary Burton’s The Seventh Victim
“Dark and disturbing, a well-written tale of obsession and murder.” —Kat Martin
“Burton delivers action-packed tension.” —Publishers Weekly


Review:
Dr. Jolene Granger is a strong minded young woman whose determination and drive for knowledge pushed her through to become a psychologist. Now Jo delves into criminal minds helping local police and even the Texas Rangers. Now Texas Ranger Brody Winchester has contacted her to take her to interview a serial killer, Harvey Smith, who is dying from cancer. Smith was captured by Brody and has confessed to some of his kills but has refused to give up the location of some of the girls.

Smith is known for burying his victims alive and he likes to play mind games. He has called Jo for a purpose. He is willing to tell her a new location of bodies but there is something else he will only hint at. And he knows the secret between Jo and Brody that few others know...they were married fourteen years before.

Brody goes into protective mode when it comes to Jo. She is cautious about all men, but especially about Brody. After all, they had a whirlwind romance but Brody was young and hot tempered. He joined the Marines in order to earn money to support them but in so doing he abandoned Jo when she needed him most.

Brody wants a chance to show Jo he is not the immature young man she knew before. But right now they are hunting a new killer – Robbie, the protégé that Smith has just revealed. A young woman in Jo’s community has gone missing and it seems that another psychopathic killer is stalking Jo. Brody might have a chance with Jo but only if he can keep her safe and away from the killing ‘son’ of a madman.

Ms. Burton does an excellent job of building suspense into this twisted plot. There are several men around Jo whom the reader can suspect might be dangerous, some more obvious than others. Paths and clues cross to keep the reader guessing. Meanwhile there is the underlying tension of the conflict of unresolved issues, and passion, between Jo and Brody. The writing is sharp, full of action and momentum that made me want to keep reading all night. I am very glad to have found this author to add to my ‘go-to’ list for wonderful romantic suspense. This is definitely a must read for those who enjoy good romantic suspense.

I received this from Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for an honest review, with author Interview and Giveaway - see next post!

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