Reading Clean Giveaway Hop

For this hop I'm giving away a PDF of my award-winning and best-selling Fire and Ash.  To enter all you have to do is become a follower of my blog and leave a comment with your contact information. The winner will be chosen using Random.org.

Congratulations to Jes...winner of the blog hop giveaway.  Thank you everyone who participated!!!


 

Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks like the girl was just careless. What Sadie and the handsome new police chief discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community and put Sadie's life on the line.


Excerpt:

"Excuse me, sir. Are you supposed to be in here?"

The fireman turned. Quinn's eyes widened. Even with soot covering a good portion of the face, he could tell it was a woman from the brilliant smile she tossed at him. "It's miss, and I reckon I am if you wanna know the cause of this fire."

"You're with the State Fire Marshal's Office?" he guessed. Emerald Point's Fire Chief had told Quinn earlier that he suspected arson.

She stuck her clipboard underneath her arm, reached for the badge pinned to her turnout coat and flipped it around for him to view. "Sadie McGregor, Fire Investigator."

Interesting. She shared the same last name as the Fire Chief. That couldn't be a coincidence. "I had an officer posted here. Do you know where he went?"

"I sent him on an errand. Hope you don't mind." She stepped forward. Underneath her helmet, short strands of caramel colored hair framed a pretty face with freckles marching across both her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Haunting emerald eyes held his gaze as she offered her hand.

"Guess not." He shook the small latex covered hand, surprised by the strength of her grip. "Sorry for mistaking you for a guy."

She chuckled, turned, and walked into a room off to the right.

He followed. "I thought you were awfully small for a firefighter. I'm Police Chief Quinn Harrington by the way."

"I gathered that from your badge," she said with a smile. "Joe said you were on the scene during suppression, did anyone videotape it by chance? Or take pictures?"

"There were reporters on the scene so footage is probably available. Are you kin to Joe?"

"I'm his niece." She knelt along the baseboard. It was several seconds before she moved anything other than her head, which tilted from side to side as if in deep concentration. A few minutes later she balanced the clipboard on one knee, reached down and picked up what looked to be a framed photograph. "Must be her parents," she said, holding the frame up for his viewing.

"Mike and Donna Ingram. Larissa was their only child."

"Too bad. What do we know about her?"

"She was a senior over at the college, good kid, has never been in any trouble that I know of. The parents are away on vacation, so we think she was house sitting for them."

"Did you know her?"

"Not well. I've only been on the job a few months."

She laid the photograph on the buffet table, scribbled something on her clipboard and continued her examination of the room.

"I believe the point of origin is her bedroom, upstairs, first door on your right," Quinn volunteered.

"I've already been there," she said before exiting the room.

He followed her down the hall, into the kitchen. "How long have you been here?"

"Since dawn."

Just about the time he'd gone home to get a couple hours of much needed sleep.

Sadie pried opened the door of the soot-covered refrigerator and surveyed the contents. "Looks like our girl had herself a party."

"What makes you think that?"

"The refrigerator is almost empty and there are two barrels on the back porch with enough beer cans to pay for both our lunches."

"Preliminary findings of the coroner suggest she died from smoke inhalation."

"She also had a skull fracture."

"You've seen the body?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Well she could have received the head injury when she woke up disoriented. She was found next to the bed. She could have tripped and struck her head on the corner post."

"That's one possibility."

Thursday Teaser & Giveaway

This week’s snippet is from Fire and Ash.  For a chance to win a $5 GC from Amazon, just leave your contact info.  Drawing will take place on the 29^th. Good luck!

Blurb: Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks accidental. What Sadie and the handsome new police chief discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community and may cost one of them their life.  Available in eBook at Desert Breeze Publishing, Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or most online bookstores.

Set up: Quinn has just returned to the scene of a fatality fire and finds female fire investigator Sadie McGregor.

"I believe the point of origin is her bedroom, upstairs, first door on your right," Quinn volunteered.

"I've already been there," she said before exiting the room.

He followed her down the hall, into the kitchen. "How long have you been here?"

"Since dawn."

Just about the time he'd gone home to get a couple hours of much needed sleep.

Sadie pried opened the door of the soot-covered refrigerator and surveyed the contents. "Looks like our girl had herself a party."

"What makes you think that?"

"The refrigerator is almost empty and there are two barrels on the back porch with enough beer cans to pay for both our lunches."

"Preliminary findings of the coroner suggest she died from smoke inhalation."

"She also had a skull fracture."

"You've seen the body?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Well she could have received the head injury when she woke up disoriented. She was found next to the bed. She could have tripped and struck her head on the corner post."

"That's one possibility."

Awards and Recognitions: 4 star review from Romantic Times; ‘Best Book’ and 5 star review from LASR; ‘Top Pick’ and a 5 star review from Night Owl Reviews; #1 Bestselling suspense eBook and #1 Bestselling contemporary romance eBook for over ten months at Christianbook.com. LASR 'Best Book of 2010' Nominee; Winner TRR's 'Best Inspirational 2010'.

Autographed copy of Fire and Ash Giveaway!

This month on my website I'll be giving away an autographed copy of my award-winning/bestselling book, Fire and Ash.  To enter the drawing, just click on this link and leave me a comment telling me you'd like to enter.

Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks accidental. What Sadie and the handsome new police chief discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community and may cost one of them their life.  

New Reviews for Fire and Ash

Onedesertrose's Blog—Christian Book Reviews
Initially misidentified by Police Chief Quinn Harrington at the scene, the sparks of romance hit the Police Chief upon introduction to Sadie. Though strong-willed and opinionated, she is an accurate fire investigator–and that special someone whom Quinn hadn’t met since the loss of his wife. However, her first impression of Quinn was that he was a klutz. Sadie’s wit and ability to banter back and forth with Quinn makes for a fun read amidst the tragedy.

As a forensics show enthusiast, I found that Anne Patrick, in her book, Fire and Ash, goes into great, minute detail of the fire investigation, that puts you on the scent of a perpetrator. Her unique ability to incorporate multiple plots to throw you off course makes the pages fly by to connect the dots. The suspense builds as Sadie’s life is endangered. Someone wants her quieted, but who?


4.5 Stars from Manic Readers - "Fire and Ash turned out to be a heartwarming sweet romantic read. The sweet romance woven together with family, suspense, loss, grief, faith, God and masterpiece characters make this story real and believable. And with the characters, first of all, the author creates genuine unique characters that blend together, perfect for each other. And she uses these characters in real life situations, their problems, hurts, and struggles and teaches us how the Lord can work in any situation, using people that come into our lives to draw us closer to Him. I really like the way the author weaves the Lord and the Christian parts of the story into the characters everyday lives, fitting it right in with the rest of the story."

You can purchase Fire and Ash from Desert Breeze Publishing, or at Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.

Fire and Ash Won Best Inspirational at TRR!

I'm thrilled to announce that Fire and Ash has won 'Best Book 2010' in the Inspirational Romance category at The Romance Reviews. I want to thank TRR for nominating it and everyone who dropped by to vote for it afterwards. Your support is greatly appreciated!!! I also want to thank TRR for the $50 advertising package, which I plan to put to good use.


Thanks again, everyone!

Hugs,

Anne

Fire and Ash Nominated Best Inspirational Romance

I received word last night that Fire and Ash has been nominated by TRR reviewers for Best in Inspirational Romance for 2010 at The Romance Reviews (“TRR”).  If you'd like to vote for it I sure would appreciate it!

http://www.theromancereviews.com/bookvote.php

It was a great ending to an awesome week.  Congratulations to all the winners at our Blog Party!  And a huge THANK YOU to Miss Mae for hosting the event. 

So what do you think of my new look?  It's quite different than usual, and I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it.  I do love the header though.  Be sure to check out My Books page, I revamped it too.  It's more suspenseful.

Fire and Ash - LASR BEST BOOK of 2010 Nominee!

"This is a beautiful, yet hard-hitting story, fluently written, presenting characters you fall in love with, and ensures you’ll keep it on your shelf permanently and re-read often, which is why I have given it a Best Book rating." - Reviewed by Fennel @ LASR.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the nomination, and I thank Fennel for giving it such a wonderful review. You can read it here if you like: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/fire-and-ash-by-anne-patrick.html. A lot of hard work went into the creation of Fire and Ash. Several months of research were involved, which I couldn't have done without the help of a wonderful man named Keith Tarbox. He is the fire investigator I corroborated with to make sure I got my facts straight. His help was invaluable. Not only did he take time out of his busy schedule to answer all my questions he read the manuscript and made some suggestions that gave the book more depth than I originally intended. His insights and the real life experiences he shared helped me to get inside Sadie's head and really get to know her. In all honesty, this books success is due largely to his willingness to help out a nagging author. So Thank You, Keith!


If you'd like to vote for Fire and Ash here's the link: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm the poll is open until February 27th.

And if you haven't read it yet, here is the book trailer and buy links.



Christianbook.com; Desert Breeze Publishing; Amazon; and Barnes & Noble.

New Reviews & Awards for Fire and Ash

January was a fantastic month! Fire and Ash received a Four Star review from Romantic Times, and a couple of Five Star reviews over at GoodReads. It also won Love Romances Cafe’s ‘Best of 2010’’s award for Best Suspense/Mysery and it placed 6th in P & E’s ‘Best Mystery/Suspense. How awesome is that! I want to thank everyone who voted for it. Your support is very much appreciated!!!

If you haven’t purchased it yet, you can pick up a copy at Christianbook.com (where it’s the #1 bestselling suspense ebook), my publisher, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Since it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything personal I thought I’d bring you up to date on current and upcoming projects. Are ya ready? Okay, here we go. My short story, Dangerous Deception, will be coming out in March in a Mystery/Suspense Anthology by Victory Tales Press. My full-length novel, A Familiar Evil, will release in May. Then come November, Kill Shot, the first book in my ‘Wounded Heroes Series', will be released. This five-book series is under contract with Desert Breeze Publishing, and is my first multi-book sale. Yaay! I’m in the process of getting to know all my characters now. And what an interesting bunch they are. This venture is quite a challenge to me because as a panster I never plot anything. So I won’t drive myself nuts keeping up with everyone, and who did what to whom, I’ve decided to be more organized (if that’s possible) and come up with a basic outline for each book. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.

I don’t remember if I mentioned it or not but beginning in March I’m going to a new format here on my blog. Instead of weekly author interviews, I’ll have an ‘Author of the Month’. I’ll start with an interview, different than my usual, and in the following weeks you’ll have the chance to learn more about the author and their books. Also, for those who post comments throughout the month, you’ll have a chance to win a copy of one of their books. Cool, eh?

If you’re an author who is interested in participating in my monthly spotlight, drop me a line via the contact form on my website or email me at: annepatrick07[at]yahoo[dot]com. You don’t have to write mystery or suspense, but I would prefer only sweet to slightly sensual romances please.

Have you entered my Valentine Kindle Giveaway yet? Time is running out. For complete details of the giveaway, click on the Kindle in the sidebar.

In closing, I want to thank you all for your kind comments and emails. I appreciate each of you.

Anne

Fire and Ash receives Best Book ratings from LASR!

Fennel at Long and Short Reviews gave Fire and Ash its highest rating. Here’s a snippet - "This is a beautiful, yet hard-hitting story, fluently written, presenting characters you fall in love with, and ensures you’ll keep it on your shelf permanently and re-read often, which is why I have given it a Best Book rating." Read the whole review here: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/fire-and-ash-by-anne-patrick.html

Thank you for the awesome review, Fennel!

For those of you who have been curious about my progress on A Familiar Evil, I finally finished the first draft. Whew! And it’s going to be a doosy. A funny note – I had to change my heroine’s name three times *grinning*. The reason being I’d already used the name Kate, well Katie, in Sabotage. So I changed it to Morgan...then I realized I’d used that name in Journey to Redemption. The heroine’s name is now Jordan. And yes, I’ve checked, I haven’t used it before. Tip to future writers out there, always keep track of your character’s names. I now have a chart with all the ones I’ve used.

All my edits on coming releases are finished too. Yaay! Now I can get started on the second book in my ‘Wounded Heroes Series’. I’m really excited about this series. Most of the books take place on a fictional island off the coast of Maine called Dauphine Island. No, I’m not joining the paranormal frenzy *grin*. You won’t find any vampires or wolves. All of my characters are human. Each book will be a stand-alone with previous characters making cameo appearances. For instance, Hope & Nick from my Christmas short story (coming in Dec) will be in the series. Each story is about a wounded hero. For instance Deadly Foe is the story about a former army medic struggling with PTSD who has someone trying to kill her. Not all are military heroes, though, some are in law enforcement or other emergency services.

Well, that’s all the news I have so I’m going to get off here and get back to work. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week.

Happy reading!

Anne

Five Star Review for Fire and Ash

Night Owl Reviews gave Fire and Ash their highest rating of Top Pick this week.  Reviewed by: Ursshebear "Anne Patrick's novel, Fire and Ash is a well-written novel that flows wonderfully...A fantastic read!"  Click on the icon below to read the whole review.

Click here for reivew!

Thank you, Ursshebear!!!

If you haven't picked up a copy of Fire and Ash yet and would like a chance to win a free download, check out my interview with Sadie.  Drawing will take place July 31st.

Coming up tomorrow is my interview with Barbara Warren.  Be sure to drop by for some great advice from this wonderful author and fantastic editor.

New Release – Fire and Ash & Character Interview

Since Fire and Ash releases today, I thought it was only fitting that I bring in a very special guest. Please welcome Fire Investigator, Sadie McGregor. Sadie is the heroine in Fire and Ash. A former firefighter, Sadie now shifts through the ashes to determine the causes of fires she’s called to investigate.

[Anne] Sadie, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with me today. Will you tell us what made you decide to be a fire investigator?

[Sadie] Well, Anne, it wasn’t really my choice. I’ve wanted to be a firefighter since I was a little girl. I had to give up that dream seven years ago when a floor gave out from underneath me and I fell, striking my head. The blunt force trauma caused a detached retina and the loss of my peripheral vision in my right eye. So, now, instead of fighting fires I determine their causes. Sometimes it can be just as exciting.

[Anne] I would imagine.  Tell our readers why you’ve returned to your hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri.

[Sadie] A fire has claimed the life of a local college student and I have to determine if it is arson or not.

[Anne] I couldn’t help but notice a very handsome man hanging around the fire scene with you. Care to tell me who he is?

[Sadie] *with a grin* Quinn Harrington. He’s the new police chief.

[Anne] Hmmm interesting. How are you two getting along? I mean with the case of course.

[Sadie] *shrugs shoulder* Okay I guess. Aside from being a little clumsy, he seems competent in his job.

[Anne] A little clumsy?

[Sadie] *chuckles* Yeah, we had a little mishap in the basement earlier.

[Anne] Dare I ask what the two of you were doing in the basement?

[Sadie] Working of course. I was pointing out some red flags that suggest the fire was intentionally set.

[Anne] So you’ve already determined its arson?

[Sadie] My preliminary findings suggest it is. We won’t know for sure until I get the lab results back.

[Anne] *smiles* So you and Quinn will be spending a lot of time together, huh?

[Sadie] Looks that away. Just between you and me, I’m sort of looking forward to it.

[Anne] I bet you are.

[Sadie] I know that look, Anne, and you can forget about it. We’re working the case together, that’s it. Let’s not forget we have a murderer on the loose.

[Anne] That’s true. You need to keep things professional between you two.

[Sadie] Exactly *clears throat*.

[Anne] So when you’re not investigating fires, what do you like to do?

[Sadie] I like to tinker with classic cars. Presently I’m helping my Uncle Joe rebuild a 66 Mustang that we hope to enter in some car shows next year.

[Anne] That’s kind of a strange hobby for a woman.

[Sadie] So I’ve been told *grinning*. I tried needle point once and almost ended up in the emergency room. I do love to cook though. All the McGregor women are great cooks.

[Anne] *smiling* I’m sure Quinn will be glad to hear that.

[Sadie] Anne, you’re starting to sound like my cousin Liz. She’s always trying to fix me up.

[Anne] LOL. Sounds like you are pretty close to your uncle and his family. Joe’s the fire chief, right?

[Sadie] That’s right. And we are all very close. I lost my own family when I was seven. Joe and Hannah took me in and raised me.

[Anne] I’m sorry about your family. That must have been tough to deal with. I’m glad they’ve been there for you.

[Sadie] Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without them.

[Anne] Well, Sadie, I suppose I’ve kept you long enough. Any parting words for our readers?

[Sadie] I want to thank you, Anne, for telling my story. I don’t think your readers will be disappointed. Shall we share the blurb and an excerpt to entice them?

[Anne] That’s a great idea, Sadie! I’ll let you chose. And what do you say we give away a copy of the book in a drawing Monday evening, say around seven (CST)?  Friends, all you have to do is leave a comment.

[Sadie] Sounds good to me. *Shifts through the chapters and comes up with an excerpt* Okay, here you go, Anne. This is one of my favorite scenes. Now I better go track Quinn down and get back to work. Have fun! And good luck everyone!

Blurb:

Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks like the girl was just careless. What Sadie and the handsome new sheriff discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community. Purchase here: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-98/Fire-and-Ash/Detail.bok .

Excerpt:

Half asleep, Sadie entered the kitchen and headed directly to the coffee maker. She took a cup from the cabinet, picked up the glass coffee pot and poured. Behind her she heard a roar of laughter. Looking down, she found the cup, as well as the pot, was empty. Aggravated, she glanced over her shoulder to the kitchen table where her family all sat watching her. "Who drank all the coffee and didn't start another pot?"

"That's what you get for sleeping in," Liz said with a grin.

Hannah got up and moved toward her. "Here, honey, sit down here and finish mine. I'll start another pot."

Sadie gave her a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go on, sit down, and eat your breakfast."

She flopped down in the chair Hannah had vacated, traded the dirty place setting for the clean one next to it, then picked up her fork and stabbed the last pancake.

Joe handed her the plate with the last of the bacon. "Don't think that just because you were out all night that you're skipping out on church this morning."

Sadie glanced up at her uncle's comment just as Liz laughed. Sadie had hoped for a reprieve. It didn't appear as though she was getting one. "Fine, I'll go to church, but I'm not wearing a dress because I didn't bring one."

"You can borrow one of mine, I brought an extra one."

Sadie kicked her cousin under the table. "Mind your own business," she warned, a smile lingering just below the surface.

Liz seemed about to speak when Mary and Robbie ran into the room. Mary paused next to Sadie's chair. "It's about time you got up."

Liz laughed again.

Robbie climbed onto the empty chair next to Sadie. "Where were you last night?" he asked. "You were supposed to color with me."

Having just taken a bite, Sadie swallowed quickly, before turning to the young boy. "I'm sorry, Robbie. We'll color today, I promise."

"Okay." He plopped one elbow on the table, rested his chin in the palm of his hand, and watched her eat. "Are you coming to church with us?"

"Of course she's coming to church with us," Joe answered for her.

Sadie forced a smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Hannah filled her coffee cup. "So are you going to tell us where you were all evening?"

"No." Sadie scooped up her breakfast dishes and moved past Hannah to the sink. She smiled to herself as she rinsed off the plates and placed them in the dishwasher. She and Quinn had stayed at the arcade until Julius insisted he had to close. She'd had a wonderful time, despite her earlier confrontation with Dustin Zweener.

"Well wherever she was, the police had to bring her home. I saw a police cruiser leaving the drive shortly before one," Liz said loud enough for Sadie to hear.

"Did Sadie get arrested last night?" Mary asked.

Oh, good grief! Sadie returned to the table, grabbed her cup of coffee, and met Mary's widened eyes. "I did not get arrested. I was working on a case."

"You were with Quinn all night?" Joe joined in the interrogation.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get dressed. Where's your stupid dress?"

"Hanging in my closet," Liz answered with a smile. "Be sure and do your hair, you'll want to let him know there is a feminine side to you."

She ignored her comment and headed toward the stairs. "Is there something going on here I should know about," she heard her uncle ask, followed by a round of laugher from her aunt and cousin.


*****

In closing I want to send out a huge congratulations to fellow Desert Breeze author, Danielle Thorne who is also celebrating a new release today. Be sure to drop by Danielle’s blog: http://thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com/ to hear all about her ‘sweet’ sea-romance, By Heart and Compass. And don’t forget to comment because she’s giving away a copy of her book too.


Congratulations, Danielle!  LET'S PARTY!!!

Saturday's Book Signing

It didn’t go as well as the last one, where I sold out, but I did sell 12 total of two of my books they had on hand. Woohoo! It was kind of intimidating to be at a book signing with 50+ other authors, but I survived. The highlight of my day was having two women come in (not together) and walk right up to me and tell me they came for my book. One said she'd been following my blog and was a Facebook fan and the other researched me after reading the article in the town paper about the Author Extravaganza. They alone made the two hour drive worth it. The bookstore manager was fantastic. They have two sections dedicated to local authors. It was so cool to walk in and see my books on the shelf. Plus I got to meet and mingle with other authors from around the state. We had some interesting conversations and it was neat to see seasoned authors at work promoting their books. I got some wonderful tips I hope to implement in the future, and made some great contacts.

A couple of authors told me about some workshops in my area, one of which took place today, where copy editors from major publishers attend and you're assigned one. They do a critique of some of your work and you have the chance to pitch your book. One of the ladies had breakfast with a copyeditor from Bantam Books. Another opportunity they told me about was a deal that the Kansas Independent Booksellers (I think) put on. Local authors get together with librarians and bookstore owners and you get ten or fifteen minutes to pitch your book to them. Since I'm not a public speaker (I cringe at the thought) I think I'll stick to my mailings to independent bookstores.

I was kinda bummed that I didn't get to meet Max McCoy, the author of the Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark) series. He was taking part in the workshop at the time of the signing so he came in and did a signing later in the evening. Since this is a yearly event I hope to go back next year and maybe get to meet him.

Here are some interesting observations I’d like to share from today’s book signing. Seems the vampire/werewolf craze is still going strong, as well as non-fiction books (self-help mostly). There were quite a few children’s authors there too. Their books seemed to sell really well. It’s good to know that not all children are glued to the TV. I also noticed a lot of the authors were self-published. This seems to be a growing trend. I know quite a few, through my author loops, that have gone this route and have been quite successful at it. It’s getting easier now days, especially with the Amazon Kindle, Smashwords and CreateSpace, to get your work out there. And as far as I can tell, from the conversations I’ve had, the stigma of being self-published is going by the wayside.

This is comforting news to me because I’ll have a book coming out soon (or Kinzie will) that is basically self-published. One of the aforementioned authors is helping me. She’s doing the editing and is formatting it for me. With my poor grammar and punctuation, it’s vital I have an editor :-). That doesn’t mean I will be self-publishing all my future books. I like being with a publisher. And to be honest I don’t have the time to promote anymore than I already am. It helps to have a publisher that will share in the task of getting the word out about you and who will send your book out for reviews. Plus I like the camaraderie I have with most of my publishers. I’ve learned a lot from them.

Taking part in today’s book signing reminded me how important it is for a writer to part of a network or group of authors. Since I live in a small town, I don’t have the advantage of being in a critique group or anything. I must rely on the internet. I’m fortunate that I’ve found a couple of very supportive Yahoo author loops where we encourage and promote one another. The Sweetest Romance Authors and the Romance and More Promotions groups are my most active. I’ve made many wonderful friends on these sites and I cherish each of them.

Coming up next week: I’ll be celebrating the release of Fire and Ash, July 1st, from Desert Breeze Publishing. If I can wrangle Sadie away from Quinn long enough to do an interview I’ll be posting it midweek. Below are some of the places I’ll be promoting the book this month so be sure to drop in, I’ll be giving away free copies at a few of the stops.

July 1st: Shawna Williams’ blog: http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/
July 3rd: Pamela Thibodeaux's blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com/
July 5th: Tina Pinson’s blog: http://www.tinapinson.blogspot.com/
July 7th: Sandra Sookoo’s blog: http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/
July 8th: Danielle Thorne’s blog: http://www.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com/
July 14th: Regina Andrews’ blog: http://reginaandrews.wordpress.com/
July 28th: Susan Whitfield’s blog: http://www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/

And if you've been keeping up with my WIP, A Familiar Evil, I've post the latest two chapters.

Fire and Ash Cover

I'm thrilled to reveal the cover for my July release, Fire and Ash.  Jennifer Ranieri, w/Desert Breeze Publishing, did a fantastic job, don't you think?

I thnk you're going to like Saddie and Quinn's story.  They are both great characters and I really enjoyed getting to know them.  Here's a sneak peak.

Blurb:
Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspicious fire which claimed the life of a local college student. By appearance the fire looks like the girl was just careless. What Sadie and the handsome new sheriff discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community.

Excerpt:
Quinn looked up at the yellow VW and sighed. Thank God it's Friday. He got out of his cruiser and walked up the drive that was still soaked with run off from the 1:20 A.M. fire. He looked around for the young officer he'd posted at the scene. There was no sign of him or his car. He ducked beneath the yellow tape, stepped through the maze of charred furniture, and entered the burned out structure. As he glanced around, he spotted the possible owner of the classic VW standing in what had once been the living room. At least this guy was a fireman and not a reporter. His eyes narrowed on the man who stood with his back to him. For a fireman he was very small in stature, only about 5'6" and he guessed barely over 120 pounds, even with the turnout gear and helmet.


"Excuse me, sir. Are you supposed to be in here?"

The fireman turned. Quinn's eyes widened. Even with soot covering a good portion of the face, he could tell it was a woman from the brilliant smile she tossed at him. "It's miss, and I reckon I am if you wanna know the cause of this fire."

"You're with the State Fire Marshal's Office?" he guessed. Emerald Point's Fire Chief had told Quinn earlier that he suspected arson.

She stuck her clipboard underneath her arm, reached for the badge pinned to her turnout coat and flipped it around for him to view. "Sadie McGregor, Fire Investigator."

Interesting. She shared the same last name as the Fire Chief. That couldn't be a coincidence. "I had an officer posted here. Do you know where he went?"

"I sent him on an errand. Hope you don't mind." She stepped forward. Underneath her helmet, short strands of caramel colored hair framed a pretty face with freckles marching across both her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Haunting emerald eyes held his gaze as she offered her hand.

"Guess not." He shook the small latex covered hand, surprised by the strength of her grip. "Sorry for mistaking you for a guy."

She chuckled, turned, and walked into a room off to the right.

He followed. "I thought you were awfully small for a firefighter. I'm Police Chief Quinn Harrington by the way."

"I gathered that from your badge," she said with a smile. "Joe said you were on the scene during suppression, did anyone videotape it by chance? Or take pictures?"

"There were reporters on the scene so footage is probably available. Are you kin to Joe?"

"I'm his niece." She knelt along the baseboard. It was several seconds before she moved anything other than her head, which tilted from side to side as if in deep concentration. A few minutes later she balanced the clipboard on one knee, reached down and picked up what looked to be a framed photograph. "Must be her parents," she said, holding the frame up for his viewing.

"Mike and Donna Ingram. Larissa was their only child."

"Too bad. What do we know about her?"

"She was a senior over at the college, good kid, has never been in any trouble that I know of. The parents are away on vacation, so we think she was house sitting for them."

"Did you know her?"

"Not well. I've only been on the job a few months."

She laid the photograph on the buffet table, scribbled something on her clipboard and continued her examination of the room.

"I believe the point of origin is her bedroom, upstairs, first door on your right," Quinn volunteered.

"I've already been there," she said before exiting the room.

He followed her down the hall, into the kitchen. "How long have you been here?"

"Since dawn."

Just about the time he'd gone home to get a couple hours of much needed sleep.

Sadie pried opened the door of the soot-covered refrigerator and surveyed the contents. "Looks like our girl had herself a party."

"What makes you think that?"

"The refrigerator is almost empty and there are two barrels on the back porch with enough beer cans to pay for both our lunches."

"Preliminary findings of the coroner suggest she died from smoke inhalation."

"She also had a skull fracture."

"You've seen the body?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Well she could have received the head injury when she woke up disoriented. She was found next to the bed. She could have tripped and struck her head on the corner post."

"That's one possibility."