Book Blitz & Guest Post with Giveaway: Nearly Almost Somebody by Caroline Batten

Hi guys! Exciting things are happening on the blog today, I've got Caroline Batten here today talking about her book Nearly Almost Somebody talking about 14 things that she's discovered on the road to being a self-published author. I'm happy to lend my support to some amazing and wonderfully talented Indie/Self-Published authors, which is part of the reason why I wanted to participate in this Book Blitz. I think it's important that as readers, we embrace them and show them our love just as much as we would show support to the traditionally published authors like John Green, Gayle Forman, J.K. Rowling, etc. 

Nearly Almost Somebody is a quirky, scandalously paranormal murder mystery that is charming and oodles of fun to read. Full of unexpected twists and turns, this will be a book that you won't want to put down until you've finished it. So, if you want to know more about this awesome fun read and be entered in the giveaway just fill out the Rafflecopter below. Please comment below and leave some love and support for Caroline Batten. 

A little bit of hubble bubble, toil and trouble mischief and magic coming your way...

Nearly Almost Somebody

by Caroline Batten

Published: March 26, 2015

Self-Published

Age Demographic: Adult

Pages: 486

She’s nearly perfect – He’s almost the one..

Hubble Bubble, the Vet’s in Trouble

When Patrick’s caught in flagrante with a local beauty queen, his father delivers an ultimatum: one more newspaper scandal and Patrick will be out on his ear. Desperate not to lose his job at the family veterinary practice, Patrick needs to avoid trouble – and girls like Libby.

The Ballerina’s Broken

She’s a headline waiting to happen and mourning her short-lived career as a dancer, Libby casts a wiccan spell to summon a new love: Good-looking, honest, non-brown eyes, English, good with animals… in a nutshell, she summons Patrick.

And the Old Witch is Dead

But fighting Libby’s love spell will be the least of Patrick’s problems when a woman dies from a ketamine overdose – Ketamine stolen from his surgery.

Witchcraft, Scandal, Murder...

Will anyone find their perfect Somebody? 

To purchase a copy of Nearly Almost Somebody 

by Caroline Batten, please visit Amazon.

14 Things I’ve discovered on the road to becoming a self-published author

© Caroline Batten 2015

I’ve been writing since I first read a Sweet Valley High book and thought I could do better myself. Of course I couldn’t at the time, I was nine but over the years the years, I’ve also learned a few things. 

Please note, these are my experiences and may not be typical – in fact, they may be as far from typical as appears feasible whilst still sitting somewhere within the realm of possible... 

1. If you look at self-publishing as a hobby, it’s cheaper than horse-riding, diamond mining or going to the movies once a month. 

2. A brilliant book does not mean you’ll bag an agent/six-figure publishing deal. A brilliant book, kick-ass cover, slick editing, and selling a hundred thousand Kindle editions might. 

3. Submitting to agents is a form of self-flagellation. Horsehair shirts cost less and are emotionally less devastating. (Plus you can write about the experience later, publish that book on Kindle, give it BDSM tags and sell more copies than you would the dystopian YA thriller you were originally touting to agents.)

4. Having a blog is great - random strangers DO read your witterings. Some of them even buy your book. 

5. Signing up for authonomy.com does not guarantee you’ll be noticed by an agent the next day. It’s a website where you can learn key marketing skills such as, I’ll read your book if you read mine. Promise this one million times and you might hit the Editors Desk - this never leads to publication. Ever.

6. Signing up for animoto.com does mean you can make your very own book trailer. 

7. Getting your first book professionally edited is a really good idea even if you’re not looking to self-publish. An editor will focus your style on the market/genre you’re really writing for, point out where your writing skills need work and you could end up with a manuscript an agent does want to read. 

8. Grammar and punctuation are not dark arts – they’re a skill every author can and ought to learn;

9. Signing up for youwriteon.com does not guarantee you’ll be noticed by an agent the next day. It’s a website where you’ll receive reviews such as , ‘I hate chick lit and this shoe-based romance...’ and ‘I normally prefer steampunk erotica so this western romance...’ 

10. Some people do make it big - with very little effort it can seem.

11. Some people plug away for years and make pocket money.

12. That book you finished - it isn’t finished. Typing ‘The End’ simply means the editing can start.

13. Right now, on Amazon you can buy a book called Mail Order Tiger Bride Wars – it does what it says on the tin. That BBW shape-shifter piece of romance is currently ranked higher than #FORFEIT. Yet that doesn’t sting nearly as much an agent rejection letter because....

14. Three million reads on wattpad.com say people really like my books. 

And that’ll do, pig.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS...

A Signed Paperback of Nearly Almost Somebody + Some super cool book Swag

Giveaway ends May 7th.

Open to US/Canada Residents.

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About the Author

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Caroline Batten lives in the Lake District with her husband, small child and two Kune Kune pigs.

She daydreams of one day owning a pair of Louboutin’s and having somewhere fabulous to wear them. Until then, she’ll be found plodding up a mountain in her trusty hiking boots.

#forfeit is Caroline’s debut novel. Her second novel, Distraction, is due for publication in February 2015.

Book Blitz + Playlist & Giveaway: The Space Between by Nikki Mathis Thompson

I'm super excited to be sharing The Space Between by Nikki Mathis Thompson, with you guys today along with an amazing playlist that she has put together for this beautiful book. There's also going to be a Blitz-Wide Giveway for a $20 Amazon or Barnes&Noble gift card, so definitely stick around for that, fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter and good luck!

The reason I am so excited to be sharing this book with you on the blog today is, because I think that it's going to be an emotionally moving and uplifting novel that ANYONE would enjoy and also partly, because of the diversity that it brings to Adult literature which I think is incredibly important. The Space Between is a beautifully touching and inspiring novel, that I think you guys will fall head over toes in love with, the moment that you sit down and start reading it. It's a story about getting lost and in getting lost, only beginning to realize that what you wanted was always right in front of you. 

I don't know about you guys, but this is a story that I will always want to read. 

So, how about I tell you a little more about The Space Between. . .

The Space Between

by Nikki Mathis Thompson

Published: March 20, 2015

Self Published

Age Demographic: Adult

Pages: 151

Georgia Bristol’s life hasn’t turned out the way she’d imagined…but it’s a good life.

Despite that fact, she finds herself yearning for something she can’t define. Haunted by the choices of her youth. 

Regrets. Everyone has them. What if? Everyone wonders at times. 

Lost in town a few heartbeats shy of deserted, Georgia encounters a mysterious woman who gives her a second chance to regain the life she thought she missed out on. 

Some say getting lost is the best way to find where you’re going. And sometimes everything must be stripped away before you realize that what you have, is what you wanted all along. 

The Space Between is one woman’s unconventional journey to regain what she holds dear, filled with heartbreak, friendship, and love. A thought provoking tale that will have you relating to her struggles and celebrating her triumphs.

To Purchase a copy of The Space Between by Nikki Mathis Thompson please visit Amazon.

Playlist for The Space Between 

by Nikki Mathis Thomspon

1.The Reason- Hoobastank (Bonfire)

2.Three Libras- A Perfect Circle

3. No Surprises- Radiohead

4. Why Georgia- John Mayer (On the road)

5. Sleeping Lessons- Shins

6. Save Me- Muse

7. Sheep in Wolves Clothing- Little Hurricane 

8. Bad Dream- Keane

9. Side- Travis

10. Meant to Live- Switch Foot

11. Shake it Out- Florence + The Machine

*Bonus Track*

The Space Between- Dave Mathews Band

Radiohead, Muse, Florence + The Machine, Shins, A Perfect Circle, and Keane?! How do you NOT want to listen to this amazing playlist over and over again a thousand times, while reading The Space Between. It's absolutely the most best and perfect accompaniment for Georgia's emotionally uplifting journey. These are some of my favorite artists and bands and being the music junkie that I am, I absolutely love it when an author takes the time to put together a playlist for their book and goes that one step further to share it with the readers, so that they can sort of get into their head space and see where they were at when they were writing and get a better understanding of the story. 

Blitz-Wide Giveaway

Please Fill out the Rafflecopter Below!

$20 Amazon or Barnes&Noble Gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Nikki Mathis Thompson spent her formative years singing, dancing and creating her own world of make-believe. From an early age she developed a love of reading that has grown exponentially to near addiction. She has a business degree from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Her degree looks great in the frame, but hasn't been utilized in years. She gladly left the cubicle life behind to raise her daughter and a son was added to the mix some years later. You can find her devouring a book while drinking a glass of wine, doing her part to save the planet or lip-synching to her favorite songs while running through her suburb. She lives outside of Dallas with her family.

Book Tour: The Ghost In The Machine by S.J. Davis

I am so legit excited to be a part of the blog tour for Ghost In The Machine by S.J. Davis. It's an amazing Steampunk Sci-Fi thriller that will totally knock your boots off! Seriously, look at that cover, and the synopsis alone has already has me salivating. 

COME ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO READ IT TOO! 

Josephine, Bodhi, and Caroline, live in a scientifically advanced Victorian London as the Industrial Revolution is in full swing. Infrared goggles, dirigibles, and analog computers exist alongside bustles, parasols, and high tea. On the grounds of an Old Saxon church, three strange net-runners arrive from a future where everyone is assigned a barcode from the moment of birth. 

What you buy, what you read, your health care history, your bank accounts, your measured intelligence, are all captured by this barcode and sent to the feed of OmniCorp. Human data mining forms the basis of a massive Industrial Complex, a thinly veiled profit center, based on the control of human behavior. To interrupt the inception of OmniCorp, the net-runners, a subversive underground group, enlist the aid of the steampunk Victorians to thwart a meeting between two men, who hundreds of years earlier, laid the foundation for OmniCorp. 

Extraordinary figures race toward a rendezvous with history, weave in and out of time, fight evil steampunk automatons, hide in Victorian brothels, fight Indian mutinies, and take refuge in dystopian cyberpunk pawnshops, to insure a future where personal privacy is protected over corporate power.

Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter

SJ Davis runs three Indie Publishing companies: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, Hot Ink Press, and Vamptasy Publishing, UK.

Ten percent of all proceeds for SJ's books go to Turning Point, a counseling center for women in crisis or experiencing domestic abuse.

On a personal note, SJ Davis is the daughter of an ex-patriate British mother and a Southern Baptist former CIA father. As a child, she spoke in silly accents and recounted outlandish tales of fantasy over afternoon tea. To this day it remains her favorite activity. 

Born in Long Island, NY, she was raised in the suburbs of Washington DC and went to school for a ridiculous amount of time. She moved from Virginia to New Jersey to Philadelphia to Chicago to Detroit, and began her writing career once her children were old enough to reach for the goldfish themselves. SJ is an avid tea drinker, a stiletto aficionado, Doc Marten worshipper, punk rock listener, and lover of flip flops and cardigans. She has a terrible sense of direction, loves gummy bears, and is a Johnny Depp fangirl.

Master Post: March Take Control of Your TBR Reading Pile Challenge

March 2015 Take Control of
Your Reading Pile

Hi guys, I'm excited to be participating this year in March 2015 Take Control Of Your TBR Pile challenge that Kimba @ the Caffienated Book Reviewer is hosting this year. I thought it would be the perfect way for me to put a dent in my TBR stack that's getting out waaaaay of control. I saw several people that I follow on a regular basis doing it last year and actually getting through a pretty good amount of their TBR pile and I was like, yep...this year, I'm doing it! 

What you do is pretty much ditch your ARC's and eGalley's during this month and only read books that were released before March 2015 and have been on your TBR pile for quite a while. They can pretty much be anything that you want to read, digital books, audio books, physical, etc. I'll actually be using the time during the month to focus on finishing up a few of the series that I am behind on and really want to be finished with this year. So, it's definitely going to work out perfectly for me in that respect and it's a challenge that I feel like I'll really be able to keep up with and make some progress in. I'll be using this post as the master post, where I'll be linking up reviews to all of the books that I'll be reading this month for this particular challenge and keeping track of them. 

• Daughter of the Blood (Black Jewels, #1) by Anne Bishop
• Redeem Me (Lost Souls, #2) by Eliza Freed
• The Destiny of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence, #3) by Jessica Sorensen
• Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood, #1) by Victoria Scott
• The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
• This Song Will Save You Life by Leila Sales
• Last Sacrifice (The Vampire Academy, #6) by Richelle Mead
• The Probability of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence, #4) by Jessica Sorensen
• On Dublin Street (On Dublin Street, #1) by Samantha Young
• Smokeless Fire (Fire Spirits, #1) by Samantha Young

• Link-up! This is open to everyone. If you do not have a blog then link your Facebook or Goodreads account.
• Make a Goals/updates/Results post (can be combined). On Goodreads create a folder for Take Control and share your intentions on your wall.
• Begins March 1st, 2015 and ends March 31, 2015 at midnight.
• Read/listen to books from your TBR pile .
• ALL books must have been published before March 2015.
• Post a review to Goodreads, your blog or Facebook then link it to the Rafflecopter for an entry. (mini review)
• You can combine events, challenges etc.
• No novellas for this one peeps.
• The rafflecopter will only allow you to enter up to two books daily, so update as soon as you finish a book.
• Earn an extra entry for adding Take Control Button to your blog, or facebook (with link-back)
• Use hashtag #TakeControlTBR
• Twitter Party and read-a-thon will be announced to help you reach your goals.
• Rafflecopter will close on April 2, 2015 at midnight and a winner will be chosen within 72 hours. Open internationally as long as Book Depository/Amazon/ Barnes and Noble ship to you. Prize: New 2015 release valued at up to $20.00. I will do pre-orders as well. (may request eBook or Audible audio copy)

So, what are you guys planning on reading or what are your goals for this challenge? Let me know in the comments below, good luck!

Love Is In The Air: Longing by Lilly Avalon | Excerpt + Giveaway

I'm excited to bring to you, a count down to Valentine's Day that will be going on all this week featuring, three of my favorite Indie/Self-Published Author's. When I started putting this project into motion, I thought of three of my favorite author's and several of my favorite books between the three of them. I knew that I wanted a little something saucy to spice up the week, a sweet southern romance full of swoons to give you all the feels, and a little bit of diversity in the love department to round it out with some amazingly positive friendships. 

I've got excerpts, playlists, and a grand prize giveaway that will absolutely knock your socks off. So, tell your friends and other blogging pals about it. If you'd like to link back to my site with the banner above, feel free to snag it and share it in your sidebar. I've got a lot of fun stuff planned for you guys this week. The spotlight days will be today, Wednesday, and Friday.

Today's guest is going to be the lovely and spicy vivacious Lilly Avalon. Guys, she's amazingly talented, super funny, and definitely entertaining in all the best ways possible. She's written three novella's and one full length novel, that originated from her Resist novella. Longing (Resist, #2) is an amazing book full of ALL THE FEELS AND SWOONS that you could possibly hope for in a book. Allegra and Devlin are definitely fan-worthy hot! 

Before I share the SUPER HOT AND UNDENIABLY SWOON-WORTHY excerpt with you guys that she generously shared with me, I feel like telling you...

Resist (Resist, #1)
Lilly Avalon

Resist (Resist, #1)

by Lilly Avalon

Published: August 26, 2014

Self-Published

Age Demographic: Adult

Pages: 74

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N

Allegra Maxwell is sick of the monotony of life. It's all work and no play, and right now she wants to play. She shows up at her company's yearly meeting with one goal in mind: have a one night stand with a stranger. What she doesn't count on is Devlin Pierce walking through the door.

When Allegra first met Devlin, she knew he would be nothing but trouble. After he proved her theory true last year, she made a vow to avoid him at all costs. He's the last person she wants to see, and he knows it. He refuses to leave her alone though. As much as she tries to fight it, the pull he has on her is undeniable. Her ability to resist him proves impossible when Devlin makes her an offer she can't refuse.

One night. That's all he asks. That's all she wants. Or is it?

*Resist is a 21,000 word erotica novella, and the first of a three book series 

Longing (Resist, #2)
Lilly Avalon

Longing (Resist, #2)

by Lilly Avalon

Published: January 27, 2015

Self-Published

Age Demographic: Adult

Pages: 225

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N

It's been two months since Allegra walked out of Devlin's hotel room. Well, two months and five days, but she's not counting. She needs to move on, but before she can, Devlin shows up again...as her new coworker.

Seeing him at work every day is enough to make her lose her mind. Allegra tries to stay away from Devlin, knowing the effect he has on her, but she can't. The more she's around him, the more she's tempted to have something more with him. After everything that's happened in the past, it's a slippery slope that may land her in a place she never wants to revisit. Something is happening to her heart, though. A longing is building up that isn't one-sided...and doesn't feel temporary.

He wants her. She wants a forever. Is it possible to have it all?

*Longing is a full-length erotica novel, and the sequel to Resist

Why do I love this scene?

It's the first real "moment" Devlin and Allegra have together. The day before is the day Allegra finds out Devlin is back in her life in a more permanent sense as her coworker. She's not too pleased about it, but she feels guilty about New York, so they talk briefly and then this happens. Allegra realizes what there is between them and it not only scares her, it intrigues her. Also, super sexy Devlin moment for the win. Complete swoonage.

I expect him to leave, but he continues standing in front of me. That panty-dropping cologne enters my nostrils again and I can’t move. “Um, I need to…work…stuff.”

“I don’t want to walk away just yet.”

What does he mean by that? My breath catches in my throat. “What are we doing?” I whisper.

He tilts his head. “Whatever you want.” His fingers graze across the edge of my jaw.

Focus, Allegra. “I…uh…” I heave a heavy sigh. “Look—we had a great night together. But that’s all it was—it’s what we agreed to.” A one-night stand is a one-night stand for a reason. This reason right in front of me.

“I promised you one night of passion. I didn’t promise that it would be the last.”

“I never said I wanted more than that.”

He comes closer, our breaths now mingling. “Your reaction to me begs to differ.”

“Just because you can turn me on doesn’t mean I want you.”

His lips quirk into a smile and he whispers into my ear, “I think that’s the definition of want, princess.”

This is bad. He’s twisting up my insides in several different ways. It’s okay to let go once, but not twice. He’s not the one. I can’t give in to the temptation again without the threat of opening what I call the vault—my Pandora’s Box of heartbreak. I can’t think about the fact that I want to run my fingers through his soft brown hair, pulling him down closer to my face as he…

I push him away with one palm flat on his chest. He willingly steps back. “I have to get to work,” I tell him, straightening up.

“Very well. As you were.” He gives me one final glance, and then walks off.

Well, I know now that he’s still interested. What I don’t know is if I’m the reason he came here. It’s only a matter of time before he reveals the truth to me. I just have to hope I can keep it in my pants in the meantime.

One lucky winner will receive the following goodies!

• 1 eCopy of Sweet Indulgence: A New Adult Clean Steam Collection Featuring Author's Molli Moran, Amy Evans, Cassandra Giovanni, Nikki Goodwin, and  Deirdre Riordan Hall
• 1 eCopy of Resist (Resist, #1) by Lilly Avalon
• 1 eCopy of Waiting for the Storm (Angel Island, #1) by Marie Landry

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About the Author

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Tsu

Newsletter * Goodreads * Pinterest

Lilly Avalon is the author of the RESIST series as well as other erotic romances. She's somewhere in the midst of her twenties and lives mostly in the stories in her head. When she's not enveloped in the worlds she creates, she's out in the real world making stories happen. That or reading other romances. It's a toss-up.

Stay up-to-date with the latest Lilly Avalon news by subscribing to her newsletter. Want to be a part of her Street team, sign up here!

Lilly Avalon is also part of The Authorteers, check them out!

Promo Blitz + Giveaway featuring Edge by Jamie McGuire

Free on

Amazon * B&N * iTunes

Reveca Beauregard had long ago been dubbed the Queen of Darkness by the dead. To the living she was known as the Pentacle Daughter, the only acknowledged female member of the Pentacle Sons MC, the most lethal biker correlation known to exist. She was rumored to be a witch. That rumor, of course, was true.

New Orleans was her home, at the Beauregard Boneyard, the safe haven the Club resided within. Only those in the inner circle were as Reveca was—immortal. To be as such you had to choose the life, and the life had to choose you. For either to occur, death came first.

Those deaths came from wars the Sons fought with both the mortal and immortal worlds, as they bent the decrees of the modern lawmen and the paranormal world at large who had no
hope of opposing the dark splendor of their vengeance.

Presently, the mysterious murder of a mortal coupled with the cold-blooded slaying of Reveca’s close friend has led the lawmen to place their corrupt accusations upon the Sons. A
forced barter with a Lord of Death has landed the Club with a soul that is set to rock the foundation the Sons as a whole stand upon.

Giveaway

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About

Jamie Magee

Website   Facebook   Twitter

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

Blog Tour featuring Deep Trouble by Jean Erhardt + Giveaway

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About The Book

The Fourth of July isn't going at all as Kim Claypoole expected. It starts with a bang, including a run-in with a dead body, and ends with her juvenile delinquent nephew, Little Bucky, disappearing from her double-wide trailer on a souped up Suzuki.

When Little Bucky fails to return and no one seems concerned but Claypoole, she sets out to find her wayward nephew. Nothing ever goes easy for Claypoole, and her investigation soon involves several trips to Krispy Kreme, a visit to Jesus Our Savior Bible Camp and some nasty encounters with a series of backwoods characters, including hillbilly counterfeiters and a major league Smoky Mountain dope dealer. In the midst of this chaos and while Claypoole is desperately trying to keep a rocky romance on track, her kooky mother and redneck cousin Alonzo show up for a surprise visit. Relatives, murder and love—all ingredients in a recipe for Deep Trouble.

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Links to Purchase

Kindle: Amazon US  | Amazon UK

Paperback:  Amazon US |  Amazon UK

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Book Excerpt

It was almost near high noon on the Fourth of July and already as hot and humid as east Tennessee gets. I’d just turned the air conditioner to frigid and was contemplating going back to bed when a tall intruder pushed open the back door and let it bang against the wall.

“Let the games begin,” he fairly shouted. My restaurant partner and sometimes best friend Ted Weber, all six feet four of him, stood in my doublewide trailer’s kitchen. He was wearing purple plastic flip-flops, cut-off jeans and a tank top that read, ‘Can’t Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me.’ His thinning hair was slicked back like he’d just gotten out of the shower.

“Ever hear of knocking?” So much for going back to bed. “We’re way past formalities, Claypoole,” Ted said, helping himself to a bottle of Bud from the fridge. “How do you live like this, girl?” Ted made a sweeping gesture at my sink full of unwashed dishes.

“Easy for you to say,” I said, slouching down onto the couch. Ted lived year-round at the Mountaineer Motel in Pigeon Forge with maid service, fresh towels and those little packets of coffee provided daily. That is, when Dorie wasn’t pissed off at him. Dorie was the head housekeeper and she and Ted had a thing going on for years. They seemed to gravitate to one another when either ofthem had a lull in their sex lives. “You going to bring me a beer or what?”

“That’s the spirit,” Ted said, fetching another Bud.


Ted flopped down next to me on the couch and handed me the sweaty beer bottle. He picked up a motorcycle magazine from the coffee table and absently thumbed through it. Lately, I’d been fantasizing about buying a bike, specifically, a brand new Ducati Streetfighter. However, no one in their right mind should spend that kind of money on a toy.

“I had one of these once,” Ted said, pointing out a picture of a vintage Honda.

“Dumped it on a hairpin turn. Burned the skin right off my ass. Lucky I didn’t end up as an organ donor.” Ted tossed down the magazine. “Hey, I picked up fried chicken on the way over. I’m ready to roll when you are.”

I had almost accidentally on purpose forgotten that Ted and I had talked about going tubing on the Fourth of July. I’d been entertaining the notion of other holiday activities like hanging around in my air-conditioned doublewide and working out with my TV remote until I exhausted myself and fell asleep on the couch.

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December Giveaway

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About The Author

Website Facebook Twitter

 JeanErhardt's Amazon Author Page Untreed Reads

Jean Erhardt

I was raised in the small rural town of Amelia, Ohio, about twenty five miles out of Cincinnati. My younger brother and sister and I had a pony, a horse, many great dogs and a couple of motorcycles. We raised a lot of hell. My father served in The Big One at 17 and, after riding a motorcycle around Europe, became a lawyer and later a judge. My mother worked as a homemaker and nurse, a skill she had to use a lot with all of the injuries my siblings and I subjected ourselves and one another to.

I wrote my first mystery story when I was in fourth grade. It was about a kid a lot like me who heard strange noises coming from the attic and became convinced that the attic was haunted. Eventually, the mystery was solved when she investigated and found a squirrel eating nuts in a dark corner. It wasn't a terribly exciting conclusion, but my teacher gave me an A anyway.

As a teenager I worked at a lot of different jobs. I worked at a gift shop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which is a frequent locale in my books. I was a swimming instructor and a lifeguard where my primary goal was to never get wet. I did a stint in a stuffed animal gift shop at the Kings Island amusement park where I actually sort of met the Partridge Family when they shot an episode there. After

graduating from high school, I went on to attend Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee, a stone's throw from the Great Smoky Mountains. There was some more hell raising at college and I made some very good friends and occasionally we have our own private reunions.

In high school and college I played basketball and I graduated from Maryville College with a degree in Phys Ed. I went on to teach at Amelia Junior High, the same junior high that I had attended. There was something a little weird about passing by my old school locker every day when I walked down the hall as a teacher. Plus, some of the teachers I'd had back when I was in junior high were

still working when I started to teach. Some of them had been none too fond of me as a student and I don't think they were much fonder of me as a teacher! I coached the girls' basketball and volleyball teams which was the best part of my job.

In my late 20's I moved to the West Coast to get a broader perspective on life or something like that. I ended up working in retail security, or loss prevention, as it is now known, at an upscale Northwest retailer. I kept getting promoted and with each promotion, the job became less and less fun. It was a lot more fun catching shoplifters than sitting in endless meetings and crunching budgets. After ten years of that, I quit to try my hand at some serious writing. I wrote two books of fiction (not mysteries), Benny's World and Kippo's World, as well as a book of not-especially-reverent poetry called A Girl's Guide to God

and numerous short stories, articles and poems which have appeared in The Sonora Review, The Quarterly, Word of Mouth, Blue Stocking and 8-Track Mind.

After that, it was time to go back to work. I got my private investigator's license and hung out my shingle. At first, I took a lot of the cheaters cases.

It seemed to me that if a guy thought his woman was cheating, he was usually wrong. On the other hand, if a woman thought her guy was cheating, she was almost always right. Eventually, I moved on to take mostly criminal defense investigation work which often involved trying to figure out what the client did and didn't do and then minimize the damage of what they usually did do. There were so many crazy ways that people could get themselves in trouble. In one case, the attorney I was working for represented a wife who had gotten so enraged about all of the time and affection her husband lavished on his pet iguana that she shot the poor iguana and killed it. The husband was furious and wanted the district attorney to press charges. The wife was eventually charged with reckless endangerment and took a pretty sweet deal because even the DA felt sorry for the fact that she was married to such a schmuck.

It was an interesting ten years. Somewhere in this time period I began to write the Kim Claypoole Mystery Series, which was a great distraction and a lot of fun. I liked the idea of having many of the same characters appear in each book.

So here I am now, working on the fifth book in the series.