Tales and thoughts from the coal face of writing and life from Scottish crime writer Jennifer Lee Thomson.
Friday 3 July 2015
Monday 29 June 2015
Get Hell to Pay (Crime Files Book 1) by Jenny Thomson FREE for a limited time
Starting on the 29th of June and lasting 5 days, Hell to Pay is FREE to download on Amazon.
Cometh the hour
Cometh the woman.
Cometh the revenge
Glasgow's about to get meaner with Nancy hell-bent on revenge.
You won't believe what she does.
It’s the first book in a 3 book series called the Crime Files. Books 2 and 3, Throwaways and Don’t Come For Me, are already published.
Click HERE to take you to your country's Amazon.
Thanks for reading my post! And if you do download the book, I would be really delighted if you'd leave a review even if its to say you thought the book sucked:)
Sunday 21 June 2015
Psychological thriller Don't Come For Me by Jenny Thomson is out now
You're in the bathroom
You hear a noise
You come out and your boyfriend is gone
There's a pool of blood on the floor and a knife
The police think you've killed him
You need to prove your innocence
But how?
When you're not sure you didn't kill him?
Don't Come For Me by Jenny Thomson is out now on Kindle and paperback.
You can read more here
Tuesday 9 June 2015
Introducing The Seeker Series by Amy Reece
✢✢✢ THE SEEKER SERIES ✢✢✢
Author: Amy Reece
Publisher: LIMITLESS PUBLISHING
Genre: YA | Paranormal | Romance | Suspense
•*´¨* )
¸.•*´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`RELEASED JUNE 9th`*)
• *
DREAMER
Author: Amy Reece
Series: The Seeker Series, #2
Genre: YA | Paranormal | Romance | Suspense
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Meet Ally, a 17 year-old who also happens to be psychic. Oh, and she’s getting more psychic with every passing day, so much so that she’s been sent to Ireland to check in with the Seer Council to see what’s up with her freaky new powers.
Jack is her 19 year-old boyfriend, a former trouble-maker who is back on track and trying desperately to graduate. His plans did not include falling in love with psychic trouble-magnet.
Just last month they worked together to save a friend in deep trouble and ended up exposing a steroid ring at their school. Now there’s a new guy at school who seems just a little bit too interested in Ally for Jack’s liking. And why does Ally keep dreaming about a kidnapping? Last month seems like a cakewalk compared to this semester. Ally's trying to solve a mystery, but Jack is just trying to keep her alive.
~ PURCHASE ~
~ TEASERS ~
~ EXCERPT ~
“Ally? Hey, what’s up? You got real quiet all of a sudden. Not a good quiet, either. What are you thinking?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s nothing. I get it. I understand.”
He looked at me for minute and then sighed. He got up and came around to my side of the booth and took me in his arms and kissed the top of my head. “You’ve got that look on your face. You know, the one that says you think I’m not going to be able to handle any more weird stuff and this is it for us. Huh? Admit it—it’s what you were thinking, isn’t it?” I nodded, trying to keep the tears in. “Okay, look at me.” He pulled my face up to look directly in my eyes. I could stare into his beautiful, deep brown eyes all day. “First, and most importantly, I love you, Ally. I’m in this for the long haul, no matter how freaky things get. If it means I get you, then count me in. You gotta start believing in us, babe.” He stopped to kiss me briefly and thank the waitress for refilling our coffee cups. “Secondly, you’re giving me, and all guys in general actually, way too much credit for deep thinking. When I say ‘what the hell is an oracle?’ that’s all I mean. No hidden meaning. I just want to know what it is. Guys are actually pretty simple and we tend to say exactly what we mean.” He kissed me again and then returned to his side of the table, placing a napkin in my hand so I could mop my face. Poor guy: it seems like all he ever did was watch me cry. I was such a girl. “Now let’s finish eating while you tell me all about this oracle stuff, okay?”
So I wiped my eyes and told him about how the Seer Council had tricked me into believing they were simply a group of innocent little old lady gardeners, but they actually held my fate in their hands. I told him about the last Oracle being stolen away from her people by the Gaulish clan, never to be heard from again. And I told him how the council was very interested in my abilities to see the future and seemed to think it was possible evidence of my oracle-ness or whatever. I finished with, “And they didn’t want to even let me go. They made me promise to come back over spring break and in the summer.”
“Spring break? Ah, Ally, no. I can’t stand not having our last school vacation together. You gotta tell them no, querida. I’ll probably go nuts if you’re gone.”
“Don’t worry. There is no way I’m going back over spring break. I’ll go in the summer as long as it’s while you’re gone to basic training.” I grabbed his hand across the table and rubbed my thumb over his knuckles. I told him what the council had told me about oracles, how they were messengers between worlds or something.
“Ally, what do you think? Do you think you could be this oracle?” He looked at me with concern.
“I don’t know, Jack. I think there’s a lot more to the story than what they’re telling me. I don’t trust those little old garden-seer ladies. I can’t even think about being an Oracle before I know what’s really going on.”
“That was a very Oracle-like thing to say,” he said with a laugh.
“Shut up.” I smiled. “Does this lunch include pie?”
Author: Amy Reece
Series: The Seeker Series, #1
Genre: YA | Paranormal | Romance | Suspense
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Ally Moran has always just known about things—things she shouldn’t really be able to know…
Suddenly when she starts having vivid visions about a former friend who is in desperate trouble, the adults in her life think she might hold the key to an ancient mystery.
Jack Ruiz has a troubled past, but is trying to make a fresh start at a new high school…
He just wants to keep his head down and graduate, hopefully before he turns 20. The last thing he needs is to get involved with a feisty redhead and her psychic visions.
While Jack valiantly attempts to keep Ally at arm’s length, she is equally determined to be a part of his life. Who will win this battle of wills?
More importantly…
Can this unlikely couple work together to find answers to Ally’s visions before someone gets killed?
Suddenly when she starts having vivid visions about a former friend who is in desperate trouble, the adults in her life think she might hold the key to an ancient mystery.
Jack Ruiz has a troubled past, but is trying to make a fresh start at a new high school…
He just wants to keep his head down and graduate, hopefully before he turns 20. The last thing he needs is to get involved with a feisty redhead and her psychic visions.
While Jack valiantly attempts to keep Ally at arm’s length, she is equally determined to be a part of his life. Who will win this battle of wills?
More importantly…
Can this unlikely couple work together to find answers to Ally’s visions before someone gets killed?
The Seeker is Book One is a Series
It was time to pull myself together and slink out of this bathroom to face Jack; if he was even waiting for me. He most likely lost interest and retreated back to class. I splashed water on my face and tried vainly to tame my obnoxious, curly red hair and exited the bathroom. To my surprise, Jack was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground. He looked up and smiled slightly at me, one corner of his attractive mouth inching higher than the other. His big, nearly black eyes were full of concern as he asked, “You feeling better? I thought maybe you were gonna puke all over the place back there.”
Perfect. Exactly what I wanted him to think of in connection with me: the girl who looked like she was going to puke. “No, I’m fine. I needed to get away from the Wikipedia re-hash, that’s all. Thanks for the escape.” I tried to scoot by him.
He laughed a bit under his breath and reached out, gently grabbing my arm as I passed. “Hey, don’t run off. You looked really upset. I want to make sure you’re all right. Besides, Ms. Gonzalez thinks we’re at the nurse. No need to rush back for more coma-inducing book reports. I’m Jack, by the way. Jack Ruiz.” He pulled me directly in front of him and again examined my face. An intoxicating aroma wafted to me from his warm skin; a sort of warm, spicy scent that instantly became my new favorite. I might have swayed toward him a bit.
“Yeah, I know, Jack. I’ve been handing your papers back all semester.” I struggled to sound unaffected.
He nodded. “You still look really pale, Ally. And you seem a bit unsteady. Sure you’re not gonna puke?”
Really? Why me, God? I stood up straight and gently shrugged off his hand. “Yes. I had a, uh…a moment. I’m okay. Thanks for getting me out of there.” His dark eyes looked like melted dark chocolate. Life is so not fair. On the bright side, he actually knows my name. I wouldn’t have bet on that. I’m not the kind of girl who stands out—well, except for the crazy red hair—or attracts much attention. I’m short and small, wear really plain clothes, and I don’t say very much at school. I have a few good friends and we pretty much fly below the radar and try to stay out of the limelight. I like it that way. High school seriously sucks and I just want to get through it quietly and without a lot of drama. Please, God, life will be better in college.
“So, this is gonna sound pretty weird,” Jack started hesitantly, “but, uh, when it got really hot in the classroom, it, well it kinda felt like it was, uh, emanating from you.” He laughed once, quietly. “That’s crazy, huh?”
Wow. Did he just use the word “emanating” in a sentence? Who does that? I mean, in high school? I wonder what he got on his ACT? I had always had the sense there was more to him than meets the eye, and this cemented that feeling.
~ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~
•*¨*•*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` Amy Reece
Amy Reece lives in Albuquerque, NM, with her husband and family. She loves to read and travel and has an unhealthy addiction to dogs. She loves wine and friends, in that order. Stay tuned for the rest of The Seeker Series, coming Summer and Fall 2015
Social media links:
••*´¨`*•.☆•HOSTED BY ••*´¨`*•.☆•
Book Junky Tours PR & More http://bookjunkygirls.blogspot.com/
HEA Book Tours, PR & More: http://heabooktours.blogspot.com/
Friday 5 June 2015
Introducing an excerpt from A Life of Inches by Douglas Esper
Synopsis:
Ryan Kelly and Woodie Wodyzewski always fight for every inch.
Whether on the baseball diamond, the basketball court, or even the dance floor, these two friends are true competitors.
When Ryan beats Woodie in a bike race because Woodie has the misfortune to be hit by a car, he seems to have won. But the beautiful girl who crashes into their lives is worth far more than any trophy.
Molly De Leon knows all about winning, and nothing will keep her from her goals.
Ryan and Woodie have been vying for Molly since the day they met. How can she possibly choose between them?
Woodie has a complicated family situation and she desperately wants to help him through his misery and confusion. A little on edge with a temper, he’s the bad boy in her life who reminds Molly a lot of her mother, a powerful politician she’s grown up watching bend men and women to her will with a simple smile.
Ryan, on the other hand, is very close to his parents, grounded, and has a good sense of humor. He’s not your typical jock; he’s a safe, reliable pick, and a constant in Molly’s life—that is, until his injuries lead him down a destructive path.
Molly realizes it’s time to make a decision…
But how can she risk losing either one of them when they both own a piece of her heart?
An Excerpt
1. I turn in
time to witness Woodie’s arms lash out in an exaggerated sign of frustration.
Fury and adrenaline fuel his fist outward, connecting with Molly’s jaw just as
she reaches to wrap him in a caring embrace.
She’s falling
before I can comprehend what happened. Whatever breath her lungs still hold
escapes as a grunt as she hits the ground. Woodie pivots, eyes too full of
anger to carry concern.
Overcoming my
shock, I unfreeze my feet, and call out, “Molly.”
Woodie tilts his
head skyward and screams louder than his last outburst. It carries throughout
the whole park, an echoing challenge to anything within earshot.
I cradle Molly’s
head up from the dirt, rocks, and anything else that might cause her further
damage. I place my other hand on her stomach to hold her still.
All of a sudden
I have to act as a shield between her and Woodie, and that’s something I never
ever dreamt I’d be. Woodie has always had a temper, but this feels different.
My best friend just hurt Molly, yet his only concern revolves around a bouncing
orange ball and a rusting hoop.
I call, “Get
over here, Woodie.”
Adrenaline must
be pumping through his veins by the bucket, but I know he’ll come to his
senses. Hell, let him yell and scream all he wants. I’m fine right here with
this angel in my arms.
I look down and
realize I’m caressing Molly’s cheek. She reaches up and matches my action.
Overwhelmed by the moment, I lean forward, making my advance and ambitions as
obvious as possible. I follow her raised jaw and peck a darkened area, already
bruising.
“My hero,” she sighs, smiling despite the
ugliness of the situation. “If you’re going to sweep me off…well, back onto my
feet, you had better kiss me with more passion than that.” Her mischievous grin
widens as she grabs my shirt and pulls me toward her. Our hands seek placement
and purchase. Following her lead, my lips part. I run my fingertips down her
arm as the taste of orange pop touches my tongue.
I flash back to
the thousands of times I’ve pictured this moment, our first kiss. I don’t
recall ever daydreaming of it happening to the soundtrack of screams. Though,
as I pull back to peck down her left cheek toward her neck, I can’t imagine a
more perfect moment.
2. From across
the entire frat house, Molly’s emerald eyes sparkle with an intensity that
would make anyone living in Oz jealous as she enters the party. Back in high
school, Molly was self-conscious of her curly hair, but now she appears to be
embracing it.
Mesmerized, I
speak with a pause between each word. “She. Looks. Gorgeous.”
Ever the
trendsetter, Molly wears a silky purple blouse that betrays her athletic
figure. Not that she looks like a bodybuilder or some East German swimmer. It
isn’t as much about big muscles as the way she carries herself.
A football
player from my college, Jimmy-John escorts Molly, arm in arm, into my home.
Goodbye confidence, hello jealousy. “Where does he get off, walking in here
with her?”
In his free
hand, the dumb jock clutches a shot glass full of my whiskey.
I admit, “I’d
rather fill that glass with a rabies shot.”
“All right, Ryan,”
Woodie whispers. “It looks like our lady has just upped the stakes. If this
slab of beef thinks he can waltz in and swipe her away, he has another thing
coming.”
I ask, “Ok
champ, what’s the plan?”
Instead of a
reply, Woodie advances toward Molly and her date.
Warning bells
ringing as I follow. “Wanna drench him in beer? We have plenty.”
In the end, it’s
nothing personal against the guy, but Molly’s out of his league, hell, she’s out
of his universe.
Woodie enters
the kitchen a few paces ahead of me. Shock stuns me for a moment as Woodie
reaches out his hand to Molly’s beau, and says, “Hey pal, what’s up? It appears
you’ve made a mistake. You see, this is my girlfriend you just waltzed in here
with, and I don’t appreciate it.” His voice remains calm, yet his pace ramps up
as he crosses the room toward the mass of human clay standing with Molly.
Jimmy-John reaches
out his hand toward Woodie to shake it, and I know this will ruin the party. Woodie
grabs the extended hand, pulling as hard as he can. Lowering his left shoulder,
Woodie lunges forward.
Before
Jimmy-John realizes what’s happening, momentum carries both men off their feet.
Airborne, they crash backward into a door that doesn’t stand a chance. The
splintering of old wood startles everyone. With little room to maneuver, I know
this fight will get real ugly, real fast.
Woodie grabs onto the man’s shirt and
shoves. “How’s that feel?”
3. Pushing with
all of my strength, I extend my arms another an inch as I think of Molly, of
Woodie, and about pitching a baseball. Another surge of effort, another inch,
but the thoughts fueling my workout remain the same. I think of her. I think of
him. I think about baseball.
Ho Ban, my team’s
trainer, says, “A little faster, now.”
Separating
myself from the stench of the padded floor, I push as I kiss Molly. Another
push and I strike out Woodie.
I push.
I grunt,
attempting to ignore the dull ache in my arm growing sharper with each rep, but
I don’t allow any sign of self-doubt to show on my face. I’m not going to let
anything stand between myself and the Triple-A Championship tonight.
“Ryan, keep your
back straight. I don’t want to see you favoring your right side anymore.”
Ho, a former baseball star fromSouth
Korea , is one of only three people in the
organization aware of my shoulder issue from college.
Ho, a former baseball star from
“Embrace the
pain, Ryan,” he says. “Embrace the pain and rise above it.”
I push.
I push.
I think about
Molly, and I push faster.
The sweat feels good,
the warmth of motion feels good, and, to be honest, even the pain feels good.
Woodie, here I come.
Ho says, “Good.
Good. That’s better.”
It’s still early
in the day, yet I’ve been training for over an hour to prepare for tonight’s
big game. Quickening my pace, my arms grow weak and a little shaky.
Ho says, “Ok,
that’s enough.”
I ignore him and
keep pushing.
“Ryan, enough.”
Ho claps his
hands, the sound echoing around the empty gym. “We get it. You’re capable of a
massive amount of very fast push-ups, but you’re not going to win us the game
at 7 in the morning.”
Making baseball
a career requires a knack for swinging a stick of wood and hitting the ball
screaming toward you at high speed, but keeping a routine can prove just as
important a skill. The ability to grind it out day after day, night after
night, small-town city after small-town city is what separates the successful
players from the ones you’ve never heard about.
Tonight, I’ll be
facing off against my best friend and oldest rival, Hank “Woodie” Wodyzewski.
I push.
I push.
I push, and I
ache.
4. Woodie wraps
his arm around Molly and pulls her close. “We’ve been arranging trips to see
each other over the last year, and I just want to follow the natural
progression of things. If I get traded, I’ll be leaving as early as tonight, so
I had to ask now.”
Molly seems to
have just noticed something of immense importance on her shoes.
I ask, “Will
Mitch be going with you guys?”
Her footwear
forgotten, Molly regards me with confusion, anger, and betrayal.
My friend’s brow
furrows. “Mitch who? The gym guy?
“Molly, do you
want to tell him or should I?”
Her shoulders
slump and she slinks out of Woodie’s embrace.
Woodie asks, “What
is it you want to tell me, Molls?”
To her credit,
she doesn’t hesitate or try to deny anything. “For the past few months, I’ve
also been seeing Mitch.”
Woodie’s
nostrils flare, his eyes dart back and forth, and his upper body shifts back
and forth as if containing his anger causes discomfort.
Molly slows down
her speech, an attempt to calm the situation down. “I did it to appease my
mother.”
“You’ve been
dating him for months?”
Molly nods.
Woodie snaps, “Call
him right now and say it’s over.”
“It’s not that
simple, Woodie. He contributes to several campaigns that mean a lot to me.”
Woodie jabs a
finger into Molly’s collar as he speaks each word. “Don’t you dare.”
As usual, Molly
isn’t willing to back down to anyone. “Woodie, listen, I don’t owe you
anything. I won’t sit here and get treated to like a three-year-old by some
aggressive, selfish jerk who can’t control himself when things don’t go his
way. I like Mitch and you don’t own me.”
Without warning,
he lunges toward her. His arms are out, but his palms are open, as if he’s
trying to hold her, not hurt her. Molly uses her quickness to evade his
advance. Woodie regains his balance, takes another step toward her, but again
she retreats toward her car.
Breathing now, a
good sign, Woodie slumps his shoulders and searches the trees for the right
words. “Molly, don’t go. I’m sorry. I just want, I mean, today is supposed to
be—”
Molly still has her guard
up as she turns. “Woodie, I know what today means for you, and I’m so proud of
you, but I can’t be here right now. Not like this.”Buy it now - Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Go2HBL
Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1Hg0HaM
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1FvVDmd
Friday 22 May 2015
Winners of have a character named after you in Don't Come for Me (Crime Files Book 3)
A while ago to thank everybody for supporting my books, I held a competition for readers. The prize, a starring role in the 3rd book in the Crime Files series, Don't Come For Me.
There was only supposed to be 3 winners, but thanks to an amazing response (and because I'm so garbage at naming characters) I decided to have 5 winners.
And the winners are...
Thomas Dettingen
Kirsty Lothian
Per Lundberg
Connie Lundy
Bonnie Smith
Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks to everyone who entered:)
Each winner has had a character named after them in the 3rd Crime Files book, Don't Come for Me.
Here's a wee taster -
Saturday 16 May 2015
Can you hear the Thunderclap?
I’ve started a Thunderclap campaign for Hell to Pay, the first book in my Crime Files series. I’d love your support and if you would like some author love in return (or have a humane cause of your own to support) please let me know.
The book's set in Glasgow and features feisty Nancy Kerr and as well as being described as a "thrilling read" the book looks at violence against women.
What’s Thunderclap? Well, until I started one of my own, I thought it was a sign a storm was coming. What it actually is, is a way of spreading the word about something on social media. Sign up and on a specific time and day a Tweet or Facebook post will go out.
Being an author can be such a lonely business, as we all know, but if we support each other, it doesn’t seem so lonely.
Here's the link
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