Hostile Takeover
Vale Investigation #1
Cristelle Comby
SciFi, Fantasy
Independently published
May 14, 2018
353
WINNER Urban Fantasy Category in the 2019 Independent Press Awards When the devil's his boss, one botched murder case could send him straight to the underworld... PI Bellamy Vale's near-immortality doesn't give him a moment to rest. Completely worn down as Death's supernatural detective, he's starting to think he got the short-end of his do-or-die deal. So when a string of savage attacks grip the city, Vale abandons all hope of sleep and sets out to discover who let the Otherworld beast free... Reading dead crime victims' minds for clues, Vale attracts the very unwanted attention of a fresh-faced journalist and his jealous police officer ex. Reluctantly agreeing to let the women tag along for the danger, the investigation reveals his worst fears. It turns out the brutal portal monster may only be the first wave of destruction. Can PI Vale catch the puppet-master before the whole world is dragged to hell? Hostile Takeover is the first book in the fast-paced Vale Investigation urban fantasy series. If you like classic noir-style action, out-of-control mythology, and a healthy dose of sarcastic charm, then you'll love Cristelle Comby's edge-of-your-seat adventure. Buy Hostile Takeover to open the gates to pandemonium today!
Set in Cold City we have a hero, Bellamy Vale, who seems to get into at least one too many fights.
The story starts with him rescuing a young girl kidnapped for ransom. He is a Private Investigator with a penchant for getting into trouble – and a very strange relationship with a femme fatale demon – she saved his life and got various favours from him in return. He calls her Lady McDeath. And thus, we add in some supernatural to the storyline.
Written in the light style of modern PI stories where we expect to find our PI amenable, lovable, and to feel for him. He is not cold, and is often misguided, and must fight the nasties that other citizens may not even know about.
Fearless
(Less Than Zero, #3)
Kaylene Winter
Adult, Contemporary, Romance
March 17th 2021
Family is everything, I protect mine with my life..
Connor McGloughlin had it all, a great family, a college scholarship and music. Tragedy forced him to grow up too fast. When his life finally is on track, Ronni Miller appears like a dream. Kindred spirits in the most unlikely of circumstances. There’s only one thing in the way— Her dark past he’s determined to protect her from.
When your innocence is stolen, trust is a precious gift..
Actress Ronni Miller tasted fame at a young age. But her path to stardom was riddled with tragedy. She never imagined falling for Connor McGloughlin, a rogue, Irish rock star. The thing is? Ronni’s got revenge on her mind. Regardless of the risk or the consequences. Or losing the one thing in her life that makes her feel alive.
Connor has only ever asked Ronni for one thing: her heart. But when her bravery is couched in lies? She risks losing the man who would do anything for her. Unless she finally realizes being fearless means placing your trust in true love.
Can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about?
Two reasons. The first is my love of Ireland, in many ways this is a love letter to my second country. My husband is Irish and while he is not the inspiration behind Connor, it was awesome to be able to share how much it has influenced me (and a few Irish mannerisms/sayings as well). There’s a reason I’m releasing on St. Patrick’s Day!! The second reason is my obsession with pop culture and blind items. I’ve been following a few different sites for years, and knew about the #metoo movement from the posts years before it became a thing. I wanted to develop a strong female lead who found herself subject to this type of behavior in the industry – with a couple of twists – and how far she’s willing to go to right the many wrongs in her life.
Why do you think it is different and your approach is unique?
I’ve not read another romance book that has tackled this subject matter and the lengths that people go in Hollywood to make it big – it is a big industry blight. Combined with my super strong Irish bassist hero, it was just a really enjoyable book to write despite some of the darkness.
How long do you think about a topic before deciding to write about it?
My LTZ series is more or less planned out for the next few books – but each one of the characters surprises me and sometimes do not comply with how I thought they would be. So, I’m always open to my own creative process and let the characters speak.
Do you have a set of notes or a note book where you write down topics that appeal before making a decision as to which topic this time?
Yes – i use the “notes” feature on my iPhone when I get an idea, or something pops into my head that a character might say.
How long does it take to research a topic before you write?
That depends on the subject. For this one, a lot of it is first hand experience (e.g. Ireland) and living with an Irish husband who has lots of Irish friends. I’d often use my iPhone notes section to write down little “isms” that I’d overhear.
For the Hollywood #metoo/bearding storyline – it was something I had already done a lot of research on – but of course I had to make sure it was my own story with my own scenarios. Really, just concepts.
What resources do you use? In general and for the last book that you wrote?
I’m an avid reader and an avid pop culture fan. My background before I was writing Rockstar Romance was a band manager and music promoter. I’m still very active in the music community here in Seattle, so it’s an industry that I know inside and out. All aspects. Business. Management. Touring – it’s in my blood. So its really fun to make it come to life as fiction!
How helpful do you find authority figures such as the police, medics etc when you say you want to write about them? I love this question because it allows me to shout out to two awesome women who help me with all things medical. In Endless, Zoey has an injury and my doctor friend’s husband had a similar injury – so I just used all of the info she gave me. Another friend is a Rock Star Therapist – she used to work in touring and for a major record label and this is her second career. A lot of the things in ENDLESS, LIMITLESS and now FEARLESS when I refer to a counselor – this is her and she’s given me the information/advice to put into these books. Famous people – especially musicians and athletes who are away from home for long periods of time – they have different issues than the rest of us.
Is there a good way to approach them in your experience? If you need specialist knowledge to write a book, how do you obtain it? For instance, do you interview people? Go to the location? Use Google Earth? Apps?
It helps if you have friends, but I think just reaching out – generally people are nice enough to help.
All of the above. I love to write and work in places that I’ve been and loved. Helps to have first hand knowledge. I love to look up restaurants I’d love to try. Stores I’d like to get clothes from. Designers that would be fun to have custom make you clothes.
For Connor’s home in Ireland, I perused real estate listings until I found my perfect home – and made it his!
Would you recommend self-publishing and building an audience before approaching a publisher? If so, what benefits do you see that it might have for the aspiring novelist?
I always planned on self-publishing. This is not my day job, I’m still running another business and am active in my arts community in Seattle. For me, self-publishing makes sense because I have control. The downside is there is a lot to do – and I’m not always sure I’m on the right path. It helps to put together a “team” – I have a real editor, a real proofreader, a real book cover designer and photographer. It allows me to retain full creative control.
Does writing provide sufficient income to live on? And how long did it take before this happened?
Not yet but crossing fingers!
What do you read when you are ill in bed?
Rockstar Romances from my sister authors. I really just love contemporary romance. I do read biographies and sometimes I even design a few rooms on my design app!
If you could recommend a living author – who would it be? A dead author? Mari Carr, Carian Cole, Cari Quinn/Taryn Elliott, J.A. Huss, Piper Lawson, Jaine Diamond, Michelle Mankin, Anne Mercier – and my new obsession (currently binging) Sasha Marshall…
Which author had the most influence on your writing? Your writing style? Your writing genre?
Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott and maybe Terri Anne Browning – because they were my first Rockstar Romance authors and really the reason why I’m here.
Do you have any pets?If so, what are they?
My handsome boy Boudi, a 3-year old Siberian Husky. He’s magical – please follow him on Instagram @boudithehusky
Which of your books / series are you most proud of?
Less Than Zero is my FIRST series – which means I’m super proud of it!
What, in your life, are you most proud of doing?
My business. I own a business where I have 8 women working for me and we support tech/media companies. It is amazing to work with all women and I love mentoring them to be self-sufficient and awesome.
Which is your favourite place to visit? Do you incorporate it into your books?
Ireland and Australia – and you will see them prominently features. Also, Barcelona. Really, I love travelling. I’m in LA and NYC for work a lot – so these are also cities that factor in heavily into my books.
Do you people watch to find characters for your books? How do you do this?
I love to incorporate people’s traits into my books. The female characters are “inspired” by my close friends and a lot of the characteristics of the male characters I pull from my hubby and friends. Really, I think it’s authentic if you write from what you know.
What music – if any – do you think inspires you to write? Is it different for each novel or the same?
I love Rock music and am sad that it seems to be a dying musical genre. It’s so ingrained in everyone over 30, and I hope that we get a resurgence. That is why my band LTZ is a “throwback” band that has brought it back into the mainstream – and they are the biggest (fictional) band in the world because of it!
Do you keep a timeline and character traits pinned up on your wall? On post-its?
I recently started writing on Scrivener which allows you to do really keep track of everything all in one place – then you don’t need to shuffle around and find it. It’s a computer program, so it allows you to be neat and tidy. You can upload photos and reference material – it’s great! Each character has a file that you can keep track of details – and all of the sub characters that pop up. Yeah, it’s really fun to write on it.
What about turning your best seller into a film or TV series – would you want to write the script or be on the production team?
In real life I work with a lot of productions and production teams – so YES I’d love to be part of it. I’d love for LTZ to be the next Bridgerton – only more EDGY because it’s Rockstar Romance!
What about ‘snark’? is it good or bad?
SNARK IS KING! It’s the best!
How easy is it to write a good sex scene? And do you have to have experienced these things do you think, to write about them successfully? statements
Sex scenes are really fun to write – especially because you can use your wildest imagination. I love to try to make things realistic yet sexy – and try to avoid common ways to describe things to make it more like the characters see things. To prepare to write my first scenes, I literally skimmed about 50 books of all genres and just immersed myself to get over the “hump.”
There are supposedly a number of character arcs. I have listed some archetypes and some characters below as examples. Which of these following do you use most? Why? And do you have any to add? And which book would we find them in?
Transformation: One of my favorites – because we are all transforming all of the time. Characters never stay the same because people and circumstances change you – so you should allow your characters to grow and evolve. My books take place over a number of years – so it’s fun to see how they change!
Author Bio
When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.
Just Curious
Ariella Talix
Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance, Suspense
March 10th 2021
Secrets, curiosity, and passion.
Fantasy becomes reality with little encouragement.
Willa Camden, successful author of steamy novels, becomes entwined with Jackson Mitchell, a brilliant billionaire, and his best friend Casey Melrose. Their love is shared equally, and Willa is not always in the middle.
Craving excitement, they embark on international adventures in the style befitting a billionaire.
Cyber threats, blackmail, and theft turn their world upside down. Their careers are jeopardized, and lives are in danger.
Fair warning: They curse a little and have sex a lot, so please don’t be shocked. Join them for a wild ride.
If you’re ready for a book that will have you on the edge of your seat and grabbing for a fan, this story is for you.
Fantasy becomes reality with little encouragement.
Willa Camden, successful author of steamy novels, becomes entwined with Jackson Mitchell, a brilliant billionaire, and his best friend Casey Melrose. Their love is shared equally, and Willa is not always in the middle.
Craving excitement, they embark on international adventures in the style befitting a billionaire.
Cyber threats, blackmail, and theft turn their world upside down. Their careers are jeopardized, and lives are in danger.
Fair warning: They curse a little and have sex a lot, so please don’t be shocked. Join them for a wild ride.
If you’re ready for a book that will have you on the edge of your seat and grabbing for a fan, this story is for you.
Just Curious by @ariellatalix is an all-new MMF romance and it’s out NOW! Get it FREE on #KindleUnlimited ➞ https://amzn.to/3begPD8
Willa Camden squinted at the television. She was trying to figure out how she knew the woman giving her acceptance speech at the Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. Willa recognized the grating tone of the woman’s voice and the fake smile with overly whitened teeth. She appeared to be in her early to mid-thirties. The woman simpered at the audience and clutched the statuette to her chest. Her angular face was covered in gaudy makeup. It was too bad, Willa thought. If she hadn’t been so made-up, she might have been attractive. Unfortunately, her brassy-blond hair had a terrible case of dark roots. “There is something so familiar about her…” Willa muttered to herself. She was certain they’d met. Her name appeared on the screen: Deb Abbey. It didn’t ring any bells; she certainly wasn’t one of the screenplay writers Willa knew. “I’m so proud of this work,” Deb enthused nasally to the audience. “It started out as a novel, but I just saw everything in my head so vividly, I changed the work over to a screenplay about a quarter of the way through. Thank you to the Academy and to the actors, director, and the entire crew who brought my words to life so wonderfully. I can’t name you all, but you know who you are. And thank you to the people who inspired me.” Music played, and Deb turned to head offstage. Huh, not much of a speech—especially for a writer. Dying of curiosity, Willa grabbed her laptop and Googled the movie—which was apparently new—to see if that would give her any clue about the writer’s identity. Within seconds, she had the trailer booted up. Her face went scarlet, and she began to shake. Like a ton of bricks, the memory of meeting “Deb Abbey” came back in a rush and settled in her chest, crushing her. “Fucking bitch!” she hollered at her laptop as her world blew apart. Willa jumped up and thundered around her house, finally deciding she needed to get outdoors before she broke something in her rage. She went to the fireplace where they’d always kept a bowl of smooth beach stones. She loaded up her pockets and ran for the door where she kicked off her shoes. Thoughtlessly, she flicked on the backyard lights and stomped down the stairs to the beach, where she ran to the water’s edge. Hot tears poured unchecked down her face. She hadn’t even locked the door behind her.
Author details
Ariella Talix is the nom de plume of a bestselling author who lives in America’s Heartland. Her goal is to preserve the dignity of family members who would rather not be associated publicly with a woman who writes such scandalous and stimulating novels. She’s not going to stop writing them though.
She loves her family, pets, great books, not-so-great books that still entertain, and art.
Born and raised near the beaches of southern California, Ariella Talix traveled the world extensively and then found her true home in the Midwest. She has a second-degree black belt in Karate and has been a professional artist for many years. Her work is displayed in countries all over the world.
A sudden brainstorm prompted the first of her novels, Make Believe, and since then the ideas just keep tumbling out like an avalanche.
Moments Like This
(From Kona With Love)
Anna Gomez & Kristoffer Polaha
: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rosewind Books
March 9th 2021
After Andrea “Andie” Matthews chooses her career over a marriage proposal and then loses a promotion she worked so hard for, she jumps at the chance to take a break and help run a friend’s coffee shop.
Alone in Hawaii, Andie befriends the staff and quickly grows to care for them, making her determined to revive the company.
As luck would have it, she meets the mysterious Warren Yates on Christmas Eve. They share a cup of coffee, some conversation, and even a moment, which leads to many more in the coming weeks.
But when Andie learns who Warren really is—and what he actually wants—she is torn between her feelings and his deception.
Yeah, writing books! My day job is acting in movies and on television!
How many books did you write during Covid19/Lockdown?
I wrote three books during the Lockdown, two with Anna, Moments like This and Book 2 in our From Kona With Love series and a book for kids entitled How Are You Loved?
My family and I also liked to watch a lot of movies during quarantine. My wife and I called it film school for our boys, we have them an education in cinema.
What about turning your best seller into a film or TV series – would you want to write the script or be on the production team?
Anna and I absolutely plan on turning our series into a series of movies and we will be producing them. Our plan is help keep the creative team telling the story from the page to the screen, so Anna and I will have a hand in writing the screenplays, production, and in my case, even acting.
What, in your life, are you most proud of doing?
I’m most proud of the family my wife and I have built together. We have three sons who are adventurous and excited about life, they are smart and creative, but most importantly, they are kind. Life is a rollercoaster, but we are enjoying the ride together!
AUTHOR BIO:
Kristoffer Polaha is best-known for his long starring role in the critically acclaimed series Life Unexpected (The CW). Other TV series credits include Get Shorty with Ray Romano and Chris O’Dowd, the limited series Condor opposite William Hurt and Max Irons, The CW’s Ringer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Valentine, as well as North Shore (FOX).
In addition to co-starring with Rainn Wilson in Backstrom (FOX), he had a multi-season role on the acclaimed series Mad Men (AMC) and Castle (ABC). Polaha is also well-known for starring in Hallmark Channel movies such as Dater’s Handbook with Meghan Markle, and the Mystery 101 franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Polaha first received attention for his portrayal of John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the TV movie, America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story, opposite Portia de Rossi. He has appeared in numerous independent features, including Where Hope Grows, Devil’s Knot (Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon), and the Tim Tebow film, Run the Race.
Polaha has a featured role opposite Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 and in Jurassic World: Dominion.
In addition to his work as an actor, producer, and director, Polaha is branching into the book world by co-authoring a new series. He is also involved with several charitable organizations, including being an ambassador for World Vision, a board member for HerArtsInAction, and The Polaha Family Circus Foundation.
Polaha was born in Reno, Nevada, and he is married to actress Julianne Morris. They have three sons.
ANNA GOMEZtells us her story:
Which is your favourite place to visit? Do you incorporate it into your books?
I travel constantly for work and for leisure, so I have many favorite places. I think the two places I consider like my second homes are Paris and New York. Just because I have made many friends and connections there over the past few years. There was a time that I was there for weeks on end, which made me feel like a local, having had the privilege of hanging out at less touristy places. And yes, I love incorporating different places in my books. Always. I write about the universality of love in any country, place or situation, and my characters are also from different parts of the world.
Which of your books / series are you most proud of?
Under my pen name, Christine Brae, I am most proud of my three books, all of which have won literary awards. But I think my heart is falling in love all over again with this new series of books – our From Kona with Love series. We have created so many amazing characters, I am finding myself invested in each and every one of them.
What, in your life, are you most proud of doing?
I think, like Kristoffer, I am most proud of the life we have made here in the U.S. after almost twenty five years of hard work and resilience. To have made my way up the corporate ladder, starting off as a copy girl and to have had the most amazing mentors and supporters in my industry- what an experience! I have also witnessed my children evolve into such admirable adults and have managed through two careers in one lifetime. Balancing them out and bringing my whole self to the table every single day, is a privilege I don’t ever intend to waste.
Anna Gomez
was born in the city of Makati, Philippines and educated abroad. She met and married her best friend who whisked her away to Chicago over twenty years ago. She is Chief Financial Officer for Leo Burnett Worldwide, a global advertising company founded in 1935. In her capacity, Anna serves on the board of several not-for-profit organizations, namely the Hugh O’Brien Leadership Organization and Girl Scouts of America. She is also the executive sponsor for a number of employee resource groups focused on Diversity and Inclusion.
Under the pen name Christine Brae, Anna has published six novels, has an established fan base, and a dedicated following. Her titles rank in the Top 100 months following their release. Her last three novels, In This Life, Eight Goodbyes, and The Year I Left, have won literary awards and were immediate bestsellers on Amazon, ranking #1 across multiple categories.
Secrets of a Duke’s Daughter
The Duchess’s Investigative Society, #1
Samantha Holt
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Independent
March 8th 2021
A duke’s daughter must be prepared for whatever life—and love—throws her way…
Lady Cassandra Fallon is finally ready to take control of her life and join her late mother’s investigative society. She’s more than confident she can do the job—even when her first case involves a potentially deadly scandal. What she’s not quite prepared for is her brother’s attractive (and increasingly distracting) friend acting as her self-appointed bodyguard…
When Lord Luke promised his best friend he’d keep an eye on Cassie, he meant it. But the brazen and entirely too alluring woman she’s become is a far cry from the mischievous, freckled girl she used to be. Luke knows a lowly viscount has no business longing for (or touching) a duke’s daughter. But against all reason…he does…
She craves independence. He only craves her. An epic battle of the sexes is at hand. But will love be enough to get them to happily ever after? Cassie and Luke will soon find out…
A duke’s daughter must be prepared for whatever life—and love—throws her way…
USA Today Bestselling author @samantha_and_duke is back with a new series, The Duchess’s Investigative Society! Book 1, Secrets of a Duke’s Daughter, is out NOW! Get it FREE on #KindleUnlimited ➞ https://amzn.to/3kLvM2F
“Anton will not be pleased you are keeping secrets.”
“Anton is not here, and even if he were, he would not be as tiresome as you are being.” She shook her head. “I know you mean well, Luke, but I am not going to get into trouble as my brother fears and it is rather tedious to be treated as though I am still a little girl.”
Oh he well knew that. If she were, he would not have to dwell on how womanly she appeared in her powder blue pelisse. More slender than technically fashionable, her figure still teased, the coat hugging under her breasts and offering a hint of curves.
Luke prided himself on being an equal opportunities sort of a man, finding himself attracted to a variety of traits but there was something about the tall length of Cassie that made him want to claw at his gut to rid himself of the itch there.
If he had a penny for every time he’d thought of her naked over the last year or so he’d be, well, still too poor to afford Cassie’s upkeep but it would certainly buy a decent meal. His desire to see her long legs, bare and spread out on his sheets, or those delicate breasts free of their confines bordered on the obscene.
He clenched his jaw and watched their progression through the busy London streets. Drivers cursed one another and pedestrians darted between the vehicles, slowing the journey to an agonizing pace. He needed it over as soon as possible so he could breathe Cassie-free air and rid himself of this madness.
Because, damn it, she was Anton’s little sister.
“I will never understand why you do Anton’s bidding. Surely you have better things to do with your time?”
He allowed a tight smile. Cassie had little idea quite how wild he had been back in his college days and how close he had come to ruining his life forever. He considered that perhaps he should tell her and frighten her away for good, but he couldn’t bring himself to see the disappointment in her gaze.
“I gave Anton my word to protect you, Little Cassie, and I am a man of my word.”
She made a dismissive noise and lifted her gaze to the roof of the closed carriage. “You men and your word. I would rather see action than words.”
Luke’s throat tightened and he swallowed hard, but the knot did not budge. She wanted action. He wanted to give it to her. By some miracle, he managed to remain on his seat and resist the desire to leap across the gap between them and pin her to her chair, ensuring they went absolutely nowhere while he showed her exactly what sort of action he was capable of.
“I am here, in your carriage, escorting you to your friend’s house.” He forced a relaxed smile that felt borderline fraudulent. “That is action, Cassie.”
The redness in Cassie’s cheeks deepened. “Must you be so…relentless.”
“I must.”
“Well, I do not care what anyone has told you, it is a frustrating trait.”
Luke smirked to himself. Frustrated by him she might be, but he doubted Cassie felt even half of the frustration he suffered by simply being in her company.
Today would be a long day.
Book & Author Details:
AUTHOR BIO:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Samantha Holt is known for fun, witty, and usually steamy historical romances. She’s been a full-time writer for longer than she ever thought possible having originally trained as a nurse and an archaeologist. She’s a champion napper, owner of too many animals, mum to twins, and lives in a small village near the very middle of England.
She’s usually writing (or napping) but when she’s not, Samantha is plotting (books of course!) with her husband, drinking coffee, climbing hills that are far too high for her fitness levels or visiting stately homes and pretending she’s posh.
▶ Capturing the Bride (The Kidnap Club #1). A fun Regency read full of spice and an unusual heroine trying to escape an arranged marriage and a hero who has no idea how to keep his hands off her!
▶ You’re the Rogue That I Want (Rogues of Redmere #1) is a longer read with heat, witty dialogue, a feisty heroine and adventure. All books in the series are standalone.
▶ There Are Plenty More Dukes in the Sea (The Inheritance Clause #1) is a fun, steamy read focused on the Templeton family as they fight to save their inheritance.
▶ Wake Me With a Kiss is a sweet, fairytale romance. Twists on Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella are also available if you love a clean, fun read.
▶ To Steal a Highlander’s Heart is a full length dive into the world of sexy highlanders. For those who love braw Scots, some steamy scenes, and medieval romance, this series is a perfect escape.
