Dangerous Waters by Toni Anderson

A RECIPE FOR SUSPENSE

 

 

Dangerous Waters is the fifth book from Toni Anderson and the second one I’ve read.   And I can report that if you enjoyed her previous suspense romance, EDGE OF SURVIVAL, or any of her other stories for that matter, then this latest tale will not disappoint. Anderson follows a formula which I am sure fans of her books will wholeheartedly applaud.

Her recipe for a successful suspense seems very simple but certainly difficult to replicate if you haven't her talent for plotting.  Take a feisty police investigator, Sergeant Holly Rudd, and place her in the middle of a mystery in the wild setting of Barkley Sound, notorious for dangerous swells.  Throw in a beyond handsome suspect in Finn Carver, who just happens to be a former special services soldier, and you have a recipe for a thumping page-turner.

Whilst diving on a just discovered local wreck, Finn Carver and Dr. Thom Edgefield discover a submerged body stabbed to death   Thom, thirty years before, lost his six-week-old baby and wife to an unsolved murder.  His two-year-old daughter was never found and he never stopped trying to unravel the mystery. When he sees Holly he is flawed by her resemblance to his dead wife but Holly is certain they are not related.  Besides she has other problems to contend with in her investigation.

She has already made the mistake of sleeping with a fellow officer before realizing he was married, so she is not making another mistake by giving in to her wild desire for a suspect in her latest murder case, Finn Carver.

There is a cast of suspicious characters, including Finn’s brother Brent who has recently been freed from prison.  As Holly moves closer to untangling the web of secrets she finds herself in danger, not only from a murderer, but also of falling hopelessly in love with a man, whom she fears will only compromise her.

Grab yourself a coffee and a sweet treat and sit yourself down with a fulfilling read from an author who knows how to flavour her stories with the right mix of suspense and steamy romance.

RELEASE DATE:  November 20, 2012

For more information and to purchase please visit Toni's Books
Toni Anderson's Blog: http://tonianderson.blogspot.com.au/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TONI ANDERSON is a former marine biologist who conducted her Ph.D. at the Gatty Marine Laboratory in St. Andrews, Scotland, and traveled the world with her work. She was born and raised in rural Shropshire, England but, having lived in five different countries, finally settled in the Canadian prairies with her husband and two children—about as far from the ocean as possible. She combines her love of travel with her love of Romantic Suspense and writes stories based in some of the places she’s been lucky enough to visit.

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death Chapter, and The International Thriller Writers’ Association.

When not writing, she’s walking the dog, gardening or ferrying the kids between school, piano, and soccer games.
           Toni is represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC

Visit Toni Anderson's Website for more information on her and her books. http://www.toniandersonauthor.com/#

SHALLOW BREATH by Sara Foster ★ ★ ★★

DEEP CONNECTIONS

 

          “It’s about connections, across difficult boundaries,” comments Sarah Foster, in describing her third novel SHALLOW BREATH.  And there are so many extraordinary connections over the twenty year span of the story that your head will spin; but spin in a good way where you keep wondering what impact did this character have on this one. Even the animals in the book are connected and their impact on the human characters is also long-ranging.

          If you have ever visited or lived in Western Australia you will also find the factual component of SHALLOW BREATH fascinating and well-researched, as Foster skilfully weaves a tale of intrigue surrounding the main character, Desi, who once worked in the real-life "Atlantis Marine Park" outside Perth which closed in the nineties.

          The story begins with just-released-from-jail, Desi Priest, returning to her home by the Indian Ocean to hopefully reconcile with her teenage daughter Maya.  All we know is that Desi did something unthinkable and inexplicable and Maya is finding it difficult to understand and forgive her.  

          Told in five parts via multiple points of view, Desi recounts her life in the nineties whilst working at Atlantis just as it is closing. It was there she met AmericanConnor, a passionate marine biologist, with whom she develops a friendship which takes them further than she ever expected.

          In present day, a stranger, Kate, arrives in town and it is clear she is more than a visiting tourist. She has a dangerous agenda that is only revealed at the end of the book.  There are many secrets kept by each character and slowly the pace builds as the character perspectives flow back and forth to reveal how each character connects with Desi’s past and will impact on her future.

          For those who love a psychological mystery, SHALLOW BREATH will see you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. Along the way, there are some fascinating insights into animal conservation, dolphins and even orang-utans as the story travels from Western Australian to many countries.  Whilst it doesn’t beat you over the head with its conservation issues it certainly takes you to places where you will feel angered by the brutality but also encouraged by the bravery of those who fight against that cruelty.

          SHALLOW BREATH is a modern Australian saga, written by an author who knows how to breathe life into characters.  The story reaches through the pages pulling you into its watery depths and when it is over the characters will stay with you as if you’ve connected deeply with new friends.

Review Copy supplied by RANDOM HOUSE Australia. For more information please visit http://www.randomhouse.com.au

For a FREE First Chapter of Shallow Breath CLICK HERE

Visit The Shallow Breath Website to learn how Sara blended fact with fiction to create SHALLOW BREATH.

Release Dates: Australia and New Zealand: December 2012

PURCHASING DETAILS
You can purchase Shallow Breath from all good books stores in Australia.
E-Book for Australians and International: Amazon   Amazon UK
if you are overseas or in Australia, you can ALSO purchase direct from the author's website.
CLICK HERE.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

          Sara Foster lives in Western Australia with her husband and young daughter. She divides her time between writing, book editing and being a mum. Her passions include the natural world, photography and travel. She is the author of three novels: Come Back To Me, Beneath The Shadows and Shallow Breath.

 

• Sara Foster on Facebook
• Sara Foster's Blog
• Sara Foster's Website
• Sara Foster on Twitter

 

 

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane ★ ★ ★

Cheating death but not the reader

The idea that fate and death can be manipulated has haunted mankind for millennia. The Ancient Greeks, seeing death as inevitable, did not portray him as evil but represented by a bearded and winged angel or sometimes a young boy. 

That Death is more than a biological event forms the basis for ON A DARK WING, the latest book from Jordan Dane and her second Young Adult novel.

            “Death would be my willing teacher,” reflects Abbey Chandler, thinking back on the death of her Mother five years before in a terrible car accident for which Abbey feels responsible. She survived whilst her Mother did not and she pays the price every day with guilt. In between her thoughts of guilt we follow Abbey’s obsession with Nate Holden—a boy who doesn’t know she exists.

Each year, as homage to Abbey’s Mother, her Father takes them to their holiday cabin in the wilderness. This year Abbey doesn’t want to go. She wants to stay with her paraplegic friend, Tanner Lange, and follow Nate’s latest expedition on Tanner’s broadband radio. But go to the Cabin she must, with all her teenage rebellion and the still smoldering anger at losing her Mother, on full throttle.

When Nate starts to climb Alaska's Denali, with his experienced mountain climbing Father and a close friend, he cannot realise his fate is intertwined with Abbey’s long ago brush with death.

The story moves back and forth between Nate, and his drama unfolding on the mountain, and Abbey, thousands of miles away, pining for him. Dane brings these two young people together in a surprising twist that finds Abbey in a desperate struggle to save Nate. The page-turning pace increases until we ultimately discover what really happened on that fateful day of the car accident five years ago.

Although, this book appears to be a romance at the outset, it is more an entry into the question posed by so many writers: “What are the repercussions of cheating death?” In the case of ON A DARK WING, the answer is frightening and a little heart-breaking and a page turning read.

About the Author

Publishers Weekly compared her intense thrillers to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag. This national best selling, critically acclaimed author’s debut novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM was named Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2008.

Dane’s first Young Adult book is IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS (Apr 2011, Harlequin Teen) with ON A DARK WING released January 2012. Her next YA books with Harlequin Teen will be a series –THE HUNTED, release slated for fall 2012 through 2013.

Formerly an energy sales manager, she now writes full time. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with two cats of highborn lineage and two very lucky rescue dogs.

            Learn more about Jordan DAne and her books at Jordan Dane Website

Mariam Kobras Interview - The Distant Shore

Read my review of the Distant Shore HERE

 

The Distant Shore is the first book for Mariam Kobras. Mariam describes the story as a contemporary romance with a light twist of suspense.

Born in Frankfurt Germany, she currently lives in Hamburg with her husband and two sons and to say she is excited about the launch of The Distant Shore is an understatement.

Mariam’s road to publication is an interesting one, having been discovered on Twitter by her publisher Buddhapuss. Read on to discover the inspiration for The Distant Shore, what genre she loves but wouldn’t dare attempt and her thoughts on the digital age of books.

INTERVIEW

Susan May (SM): What were you doing when the idea for ‘The Distant Shore’ came to you?

Mariam Kobras (MK): If I remember correctly, it was inspired by a song. I’m not going to tell you which one, though, because you might think the book is about that songwriter. Which it isn’t. To be honest, the scene in the hotel lobby where Jon and Naomi meet again after all that time was inspired by that song. The rest fell into place. Something like that.

(SM): What do you enjoy most about writing?

(MK): I love the writing, the shaping of scenes and situations, of scenery and people’s thoughts. Actually, writing is nothing more than describing things very, very well.

(SM): In what genre would you love to write but wouldn’t dare?

(MK): One word: SciFi. I love reading SciFi, I’d actually go so far and say it’s my favorite reading genre. But I don’t know enough about physics, astrophysics, the Universe, and all that to write it myself. But I’d love to.

(SM): If you could co-author a book with any other author—alive or dead, who would they be?

(MK): I’m thinking I’d really like to collaborate with my editor at Buddhapuss Ink some day. That would be amazing fun. And there’s still the idea of writing a book with Sam Hilliard, the author of The Last Track.

(SM): As an author, how have you adapted to the Digital age and what are your thoughts on it?

(MK): I take it you mean digital publishing, and not twitter and facebook and how they can help one get established as an author

To be honest, I’m totally in two minds about e-books. Margaret Atwood said at the Tools Of Change conference in NY that there are always three sides to each tool, an upside, a downside and a dumb side, which is the one you hurt yourself with. She made a rather passionate plea for paper books, and I tend to agree with her. From the author’s perspective, it’s a great thing to hold your book in your hands, feel the cover, read the words on paper. It’s also rather cool to sign it at book readings. I know they are working on making “digital signing” possible, but really. How would I sign on a kindle with my Montblanc Meisterstück, with my rose-scented, dark pink ink?

Margaret Atwood said, “When all technology fails, you can still read a paper book with the light of a candle.”

She also mentioned that a lot of people make their living by publishing books. Publishers, editors, cover designers, AUTHORS, book store owners, and so on. I don’t think every kind of progress is necessarily good progress. Do you remember the old version of the “Stepford Wives”, where the woman asks the men at that “club”, “Why do you do this?” and the reply was, “Because we can.”

It’s a bit like this. Destroying the paper book market is a bit like destroying a piece of culture. On the other hand, when I’m on a plane, I really do appreciate the handiness of an eReader. I just think there should be room for both.

(SM): Is there any character that has inspired you in life?

(MK): In my books? Or in someone else’s? In my books, I don’t know. I don’t think so. Not in other books either, no. Cetainly not inspired in the sense of, “They made me want to write.” I know the people in Peter F. Hamilton’s Reality Dysfunction made me want to be a space explorer, and see the things they saw. Well, not all of them, but some, for sure.

(SM): What has been the best part of having your first book published?

(MK): EVERYTHING! There is no specific best part. It’s just a long, lovely thrill ride, and I hope to be on it for a long time to come!

Thank you Mariam for taking the time to share your thoughts. We all look forward to your next book in the “Stone Trilogy.”

MARIAM’S BLOG HOP & THE PRIZES

This was the sixteenth and LAST stop on Mariam’s The Distant Shore “Love is in the Air” Blog Hop & Giveaway. We hope you enjoyed this and all the stops along the way.

Buddhapuss Ink is giving away copies of Mariam’s book, along with some pretty terrific (and very romantic) gifts, as we count down to that most romantic day of the year—Valentine’s Day!

Want to enter the giveaway? There’s still time! Entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM ET tonight – 2/13! Leave a comment for this post for one entry. We also encourage you to “Like” this blog and follow it! Tweet a link to this blog including the hashtag #TDSBlogHop for another chance to win.

Want more chances to win? CLICK HERE for all the info!

The Distant Short by Mariam Kobras

Read my interview with Mariam Kobras HERE



ROMANCE ON A HIGH NOTE

 

The world of fame and fortune is always a fascinating topic. What girl doesn’t love the idea of being whisked away from her life to trot around the world with a gorgeous famous singer loved by millions? And then who wouldn’t want to discover sixteen years later that said singer is still besotted with you even though you have run away from him carrying a secret.

Well the protagonist of The Distant Shore, Naomi is the one girl who chose to walk away from Jonathon Stone, famous singer, and he doesn’t know why.

The Distant Shore opens with Jon, now in his forties, but still confident and gorgeous as ever, receiving a letter from an unknown teenage son, born to Naomi the woman he has never forgotten.  He immediately sets out to meet his son and confront Naomi and beg her to take him back.  In all these years, he has never managed to understand her sudden departure.

When he sets out for an isolated fishing village in Norway, where she is managing a hotel, he is desperate to see Naomi again, as much as he fears her rejection of him. What follows is a tussle between two passionate people who are so afraid of losing love again that their fears may doom them to forever live apart. And it’s this tussle that provides the high romance and passion in the book.   There are also shadowy secrets Naomi is determined never to reveal to Jon that also haunt their rekindled love.

The Distant Shore is a window into the rock world and all the craziness therein.  Mariam has populated her book with characters and scenarios that test her two protagonist’s love for one another as they travel around the world in support of Jon’s career, at a cost they will only discover much later.  We all want to peek behind that showbiz curtain and this story is packed right up until the last page with dramas, steamy love scenes and even assassins.

If you enjoy your books romantic and filled with longing and angst, then grab yourself a coffee, and a box of chocolates and curl up in bed for the weekend with this book.

This is a debut novel for Mariam Kobras and there are two follow books in the trilogy to come.  So, there is no need to worry as you near the end of the book, the next installment will be released later in the year.

If you want to know more about Mariam, CLICK HERE to read my interview with her.

Read a sample of the “The Distant Shore” and learn more about its author at her publisher’s website, CLICK HERE

Purchase The Distant Shore online from Amazon

MARIAM’S BLOG HOP & THE PRIZES

 

This was the sixteenth and LAST stop on Mariam’s The Distant Shore “Love is in the Air” Blog Hop & Giveaway. We hope you enjoyed this and all the stops along the way.

Buddhapuss Ink is giving away copies of Mariam’s book, along with some pretty terrific (and very romantic) gifts, as we count down to that most romantic day of the year—Valentine’s Day!

Want to enter the giveaway? There’s still time! Entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM ET tonight – 2/13! Leave a comment for this post for one entry. We also encourage you to “Like” this blog and follow it! Tweet a link to this blog including the hashtag #TDSBlogHop for another chance to win.

Want more chances to win? CLICK HERE for all the info!

Edge of Survival - Toni Anderson ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Things hot up in the wilderness

Three things you will learn whilst reading the Edge of Survival by Toni Anderson;

·         Diabetes is a far more dangerous disease than you realise;

·        Girls, we’re looking for love in all the wrong places; it’s in rough, isolated mining communities;

·         Toni Anderson can write a good thriller romance without losing pace.

Toni describes Cameran Young (Cam) as one of the gutsiest, most intelligent characters she’s ever written and, as a good protagonist requires flaws, her heroine, suffers with diabetes.  This physical challenge plays an important role in the story, creating constant tension as she manages her disease.

Cam is a biologist sent to an isolated North Canadian mining project to assess their impact on the native wildlife.  Within the first chapter and, on Cam’s first day, she discovers the dead body of a local prostitute.  She also meets Daniel Fox, an ex SAS Sergeant, with a guilty past, who is to be her, and, her assistant Vikki’s, helicopter pilot.

Their attraction to each other is immediate but they both battle their desire to act upon their feelings.   Haunted by his memories of his last SAS assignment, Daniel an emotional loner wishes Cam gone, whilst feeling an overwhelming urge to protect her.  Daniel represents everything Cam dislikes in a man.  He’s not only an arrogant womaniser but she suspects he is also a cold blooded killer with a violent past. 

But there is a killer on the loose and he has decided Cameran is a threat. As Staff Sergeant Kershaw investigates the killing, Daniel and Cam find themselves not only attempting to avoid falling in love but also attempting to stay alive.  Not an easy thing in an isolated community where outsiders are unwelcome and the killer has all the advantages.

Toni Anderson is donating fifteen% of her royalties to diabetes research, which is another good reason to enjoy the guilty pleasure of Edge of Survival.


Toni's Blog  http://tonianderson.blogspot.com/

Edge of Survival is now available from Carina Press, Amazon.com. Amazon.co.uk and Barnes & Noble.

This review published in December 2011 issue of Suspense Magazine