Author Spotlight : Cheryl Holt & Giveaway

Hello Everyone and welcome  Cheryl Holt to SeawitchReviews and thank you to our Miss Ivy for directing her our way.

Official Bio: CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author of over thirty novels. She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer.  She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories. Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards.  She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews. She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans.  Visit her website at http://www.cherylholt.com.

Seawitch: So Cheryl Holt is here to share the details about her newest self-published books that are coming out back to back in May, June and July so that you don’t have to wait months for the next story in the series. So I am happy to turn the blog over to Cheryl Holt:

Cheryl: I’ve finally written my first trilogy.  Ta-da!        I’ve never done an actual trilogy before.  I’ve now published thirty-five novels, so over the years, I’ve had plenty of cross-over characters and a few linking premises, but I never previously set out to write a trilogy where one book flows to the next. The finished product is my “Lord Trent” trilogy, and the great news is that the three books are being released back to back so readers don’t have to wait months or years to read the next installment. The first book, LOVE’S PROMISE is already out.  Book #2, LOVE’S PRICE, is coming on June 1^st, and the final book, LOVE’S PERIL, will be here on July 1^st.  The hero in LOVE’S PERIL is a pirate.  Yum!  I always love macho pirates. The main linking characters in the trilogy are Charles Sinclair, the Earl of Trent, and his natural-born son, Phillip.  For decades, Charles has been England’s most notorious roué.  He’s handsome, charming, and magnetic, and he loves women—and they love him back.  So he constantly has brief, illicit affairs.  Yet even after he’s left his paramours, even after it’s clear he considered it a quick fling and he’s never coming back, they still pine away, praying he’ll return.  But he never does. He doesn’t have much of a conscience, so he’s never been sorry for any of the havoc he’s caused in women’s lives.  And since he’s seduced maidens from London to Rome, he has many, many illegitimate children. Phillip is his oldest bastard son, and he has a cordial and intriguing relationship with Charles.  Charles doesn’t ever let anyone get too close, but he likes Phillip and has let him establish a fond connection. Phillip is everything that Charles is not:  loyal, devoted, kind, generous.  He worries about Charles’s bastard children—especially his natural-born daughters.  Phillip has made it his life’s work to find his lost half-siblings, to create a family with them, and to fix any damage inflicted on their lives by their father’s licentious conduct. The “Lord Trent” trilogy tells the stories of four of Charles’s adult children.  Book #1, LOVE’S PROMISE, is about Fanny (Sinclair) Carrington on her rocky road to love with a Duke’s son, Michael Wainwright, Viscount Henley. Book #2, LOVE’S PRICE features twins, Helen and Harriet (Sinclair) Stewart.  They cross paths with sexy, yummy brothers, James and Tristan Harcourt.  James is Earl of Westwood, and Tristan is a ship’s captain.  Harriet is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever created, and in the novel, she lands herself in a wild, unbelievable predicament that will have readers whipping through the pages to learn her fate. The final book, LOVE’S PERIL, tells the story of Charles’s bastard son, John Sinclair.  John grew up in France, and he has an alias:  He’s the world’s most notorious pirate—Jean Pierre, The French Terror—and the entire British Navy is searching for him.  When he sets his sights on the Bramblebay Estate on the English coast, Miss Sarah Teasdale’s life will never be the same. The trilogy has gotten great reviews, with Novels Alive TV saying the books are “…filled with extraordinary passion—both physical and emotional—that make it difficult to set them aside for any length of time. A true guilty pleasure!” And Ivy Truitt at Manic Readers said, “LOVE’S PROMISE can’t take the number one spot as my favorite by Ms. Holt—that belongs to her book NICHOLAS—but it’s currently running a close second.” The novels will be available both as e-books and print books, so they’re the perfect choice to take on your summer vacation or weekend getaway.  The print books will not appear in stores but can be ordered on-line at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  And the e-books will be available at all the major on-line bookstores and available for download to any e-device. At the beginning of Book #1, LOVE’S PROMISE, the hero, Michael, mentions that he and the heroine, Fanny, have been exchanging angry letters, but the letters aren’t included in the novel, so readers are left to wonder what the letters say.  When I was trying to figure out what sort of promo I should do to advertise the book’s release, I decided it would be fun to write the letters and send them out as if they were penned by the hero and heroine. So before you start to read LOVE’S PROMISE, be sure to read the ten letters between Michael and Fanny.  They’re posted on my web page (on the LOVE’S PROMISE book page), and they set the tone for the beginning of the novel. http://www.cherylholt.com/books-by-cheryl/books/lovespromise.html Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post today.  I’m very, very grateful to have had this chance to connect with you.  I hope you love, love, love my Lord Trent trilogy.  I think it’s the best work I’ve ever done.  I hope all of you agree.

 LOVE’S PROMISE  May 2013          New York Times bestselling author, CHERYL HOLT, will sweep readers away with the first novel in her new and breathtaking ‘Lord Trent’ trilogy… With the death of his older brother, Michael Wainwright, Viscount Henley, has become heir to his father, Duke of Clarendon.  The Wainwright men are renowned cads, and as his brother’s will is read, it’s discovered that he sired an illegitimate son and has left the eight-year-old boy his entire fortune.  Michael decides to bring the boy to London so he can be showered with all the wealth and status guaranteed by his inheritance.  But first, he has to gain custody from the boy’s aunt, who is determined to keep her nephew away from Michael’s dissolute family. Frances “Fanny” Carrington has always lived in a small village in the country.  As a newborn, she was left in a basket on the church steps and raised by the vicar and his wife.  But they’ve died, and Fanny is in dire straits, struggling to raise her nephew, to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.  When she begins to receive correspondence from Michael, asking for custody, she can’t help but be suspicious.  For years, the Wainwrights have refused to claim her nephew or provide financial assistance to him.  She’s alarmed by their sudden interest.  What can it mean? As Michael finally meets Fanny, their attraction is swift, blatant, and dangerous.  He can’t fight the need to have her at any cost, and gradually, he lures her into his decadent life of affluence and privilege.  But she’s never possessed the callous nature required to thrive in the cut-throat world of the aristocracy, so she could never understand the peril she faces from those who would do anything to keep them apart… “…a master writer…” Fallen Angel reviews “Best storyteller of the year…” Romantic Times Magazine

LOVE’S PRICE   June 2013  CHERYL HOLT dazzles readers once again with another tale of soaring romance and  breathtaking drama as she delivers the second novel in her  critically-acclaimed ‘Lord Trent’ trilogy. Helen Stewart never  understood why—as a tiny girl—she and her twin sister Harriet were sent  away to boarding school and never allowed home for holidays.  At age  sixteen, they were shocked to discover that they are the illegitimate  daughters of the notorious rogue, Charles Sinclair.  Cast out by their  relatives, they moved to London, and Helen has made a life for herself  as a lady’s companion.  In her line of employment, she must maintain a  stellar reputation, but she’s exhausted by the fussy whims of the  debutantes she’s forced to chaperone.  She’d give anything to change her  fate. James Harcourt, Earl  of Westwood, is in a bind.  After his father died, he learned that his  estates were bankrupt.  He gambles to replenish his coffers so he’s  living a dissolute bachelor’s life.  When his female ward arrives  unexpectedly for an extended visit, he must protect her from scandal by  hiring a lady’s companion.  When pretty, alluring Helen interviews for  the position, he’s instantly smitten.  She possesses the qualifications  to fill a much more intimate role. He  shocks her by suggesting she become his mistress, and when his offer is  rebuffed, he begins a cunning seduction, aimed at wearing her down.  Helen can’t resist the temptation he offers, but she doesn’t have the  sophistication to survive in his world. And as James immerses them in a  dangerous spiral of pleasure and excitement, he proves that he is  determined to have her at any cost…

LOVE’S PERIL      July, 2013   CHERYL HOLT delivers  another gripping tale of love, betrayal, loyalty and family, proving  once again why she’s hailed as a women’s fiction powerhouse.  In this  explosive conclusion to her ‘Lord Trent’ trilogy, readers will be  sighing with pleasure and cheering with delight. John Sinclair leads  a double life.  Though he’s the illegitimate son of the infamous cad,  Charles Sinclair, he seems to be a rich and prosperous gentleman.  In  reality, he is the notorious pirate known as Jean Pierre, The French  Terror.  He preys on British ships, carrying out a secret vendetta  guaranteed to financially ruin several wealthy families. He’s driven  and determined and takes what he wants with a reckless abandon. Sarah Teasdale  lives quietly in the country at her family’s estate on the English  coast.  With her father’s death, she’s at the mercy of her cruel  relatives, and she’d give anything to change her fate.  When dashing,  mysterious John Sinclair arrives for a visit, she’s stunned to learn  that her stepbrother has gambled away her home to John.  Everything is  lost—including Sarah—with John claiming she now belongs to him and he  can use her however he wishes.  And he has many ideas as to the exact  sort of role he’d like her to fill. Normally,  John wouldn’t have bothered with a sheltered innocent like Sarah.  But  he simply can’t resist.  As a man who enjoys only the finest things in  life, Sarah might turn out to be just what he’s always needed.

SW: So now it is that time where we ask our Just For Fun Questions, “Ready Cheryl?”

CH: “Ready!”

 

SW: Which makes you go weak in the knees Southern Drawl or Scottish Burr?

     CH: Scottish Burr

SW: Guard Dog, Lap Dog or Independent Cat?

    CH: Not an animal lover

SW: Fur(wolfies) or Fangs(Vamps)?

    CH:  Not a paranormal reader, so no favorites

SW: Time Travel to The Future or to The Past?               

    CH: Time travel to the past.  I love historical novels.

SW: Your idea of camping 5 Star Hotel or Canvas Tent?

    CH:  5-star hotel

SW: Cowboy, City Slicker or Man of Mystery?              

    CH:  Cowboy

SW: Offspring or Home aloner?               

    CH:   Home aloner

SW: Umbrella Cocktails or Longneck?    

    CH:  Wine—with no umbrella

SW: Favorite Ice-Cream?

    CH:  Anything with chocolate in it

SW: Briefs, Boxers, Boxer-Briefs or Commando?       

    CH:   Boxers

SW: Camel Ride or Elephant Ride?            

    CH: Elephant ride

SW: Breakfast at Tiffany’s or IHOP?           

    CH: Tiffany’s—definitely

SW: Quiet Night In or Wild Night Out?

    CH: Quiet night in—I’m the most boring person in the world!

Thank you so much for visiting us today Cheryl and if you want to go check out Cheryl and her books her are some links for her. http://cherylholt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Official-Cheryl-Holt-fanpage/292658201347?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/theCherylHolt

Please give a shout out to Cheryl, ask her a question or just show your love, three lucky commenters will receive a digital copy of Love’s Promise from the Seawitch.

Enjoy and thank you again for visiting Cheryl.

Z Seawitch

  And as an added bonus our Miss Ivy has a review of Love’s Promise.

Michael Wainwright, Viscount Henley will also eventually become the Duke of Clarendon.  With the death of his brother, John, Michael had the yoke of obligation firmly round his neck like a noose.  At the reading of John’s will Michael discovers John had a son, Thomas.  Thomas was left a fortune and Michael named his trustee.  When Michael tries to gain custody of Thomas via letters he’s dismissed by Frances Carrington, Thomas’ aunt.  Tired of arguing (really who does the woman think she is?) and ready to claim Thomas Michael travels to the village where they live.  When Michael finally meets Frances all his carefully laid plans go to hell in a hand basket.

Michael Wainwright, Viscount Henley, is our hero and typical aristocrat, entitled and self-centered with a cavalier attitude regarding others.  With the death of his elder brother John, Michael’s had to resign his military commission and return home.  Michael resents the obligation and responsibility being the only son has placed on him.  Upon the reading of John’s will the family discovers he’s fathered a son, Thomas, and bequeathed everything he could to him, naming Michael as his trustee.

Ms.Holt specializes in heroes who aren’t necessarily nice or likeable people, at least not to begin with and Michael is no exception.  His disregard for the reality of Fanny’s position and rationalization of his actions, despite his suspicions about her parentage, are typical.  Michael is thoughtless which oddly enough is his saving grace.  He truly doesn’t thoroughly consider the consequences.  It’s all about the moment and whatever goal he’s set his sights on.  Michael kinda grows on you.

FrancesCarrington is Thomas’ aunt.  She has raised Thomas and provided, however meagerly, for their survival.  The scandal of Camilla’s pregnancy caused their father, the Vicar, to lose his position and the family to be shunned.  The shame was blamed for his and his wife’s death.  Frances doesn’t trust the sudden interest in Thomas by the Wainwright family when her letters requesting assistance in the past were ignored.

Fanny has dignity, class, and an honest loving heart.  Though their circumstances may be dire she doesn’t give up hope.   She loves Thomas dearly and vows to keep him from the Wainwright’s believing they don’t have his best interests at heart.

Our first introduction to Michael is at the end of an illicit tryst during a ball with a woman whose name he can’t recall.  This sums up Michael in the beginning.  His resentment shows in practically every move he makes.  He feels trapped and can’t see any way out of his current situation.

When Michael sets out to claim Thomas he meets Fanny on the outskirts of the village.

Fanny affects him in the strangest and most disconcerting way.  The only thing to ever truly discombobulate Michael is Fanny.  She starts him thinking.

A lot of the appeal in Ms.Holt’s books is the rocky road to redemption and hopefully love requited.  LOVE’S PROMISE has a particularly perilous path to a potential happily ever after.  There are numerous wrongs to be answered for and a lot of growing to be done.  A lot of living and action is packed into LOVE’S PROMISE; it’s busy and occasionally dramatic.   I was hooked from the start.

Another favorite is the karma and comeuppance factor.  Ms.Holt never stints on the karmic payback for her nasty characters and LOVE’S PROMISE contains some especially gratifying just rewards.

LOVE’S PROMISE can’t take the number one spot as my favorite by Ms.Holt, that belongs to Nicholas, but it’s currently running a close second.

4 Tail Swishes

IvyD Truitt

 

             

OVER THE EDGE and interview with Suzanne Carroll

Below is my review for OVER THE EDGE by Suzanne Carroll.  

Her interview is @MR today & she owns a purple boa!  If you’d like to meet her & learn more, please stop by.  Y’all have a great day!

Zoe Harper is dealing with the future mother-in-law from hell taking over her wedding and turning it into a side show.  Dan Costi, the husband to be, isn’t exactly sympathetic.  He tells her if she wants to elope just let him know. Zoe’s sorely tempted but knows such a course is fraught with peril.  She’s not sure she’s up to dealing with the consequences in her current fragile state. 

Angus Creed, CEO of Creed Constructions and self made millionaire, makes an unannounced visit to his Sydney office causing quite a stir.  No one knows exactly why he’s there and people are nervous.  

When Zoe and Angus meet unexpectedly, in quite an embarrassing manner for Zoe, hilarity, friendship and more ensues.  

Zoe Harper is a mature twenty-eight year old who understands the meaning of hard work and sacrifice.  She deserves a medal for putting up with Dan Costi, her fiance  and his mother, Marie.  Zoe has the advantage of a wonderfully supportive group of family, friends, and co-workers.  When first we meet Zoe she’s in the midst of a quiet breakdown in the restroom of a swanky hi-rise.  Did I mention that Zoe is an employee at Angus’ Sydney office?

Dan is the epitome of privileged and spoiled with a grating attitude of entitlement.  When Zoe has the audacity to question the wedding gift from his parents the ugliness inside Dan becomes blindingly apparent.

Marie is proof positive that money can’t buy class or manners. She has hijacked the small, tasteful, family oriented wedding Zoe had desired and is turning it into a bombastic side show. 

Angus Creed, owner of Creed Constructions- an international company, is an old thirty-two.  Angus hasn’t had a picket fence upbringing.  Despite this fact he’s a gentleman through and through.  When he assists Zoe she later returns the favor and friendship blossoms. In this age of tabloid press and people who’ll stoop to any level for their fifteen seconds Zoe’s discretion is a quality Angus admires and values.

Jo is Zoe’s best friend.  Her suggestion is the catalyst for Zoe meeting Angus.  Jo’s a person you want to have your back, loyal to a fault and honest.

Elaine, Zoe’s mom, is insightful, knows just how to get Zoe thinking and overall is quite wonderful.

Kevin and Jeffrey are the standard poodles who bring a bit of chaos and canine drama to Zoe’s life.  

OVER THE EDGE is a disarming love story I inhaled in one day.  Zoe and Angus were the mental equivalent of a breath of fresh spring air.  At least twice I caught myself cheering Zoe on out loud!  Her mental asides are a hoot and responsible for a lot of the charm of this little gem.  Several times I laughed aloud and wore a sappy grin during most of the book. 

The writing and story flow so easily that it reads amazingly fast.  The progression of Zoe and Angus’s relationship, as well as the bumps in their road, feel natural; never forced or contrived simply for the sake of dramatic effect.

There are no hot and steamy scenes in OVER THE EDGE.  To be honest I never missed them.  Angus and Zoe are all about the journey not the destination. It was refreshing to have their arrival at Consummation Avenue left entirely to my imagination.

A delightfully charming hero and heroine, strong ensemble cast, captivating romance and probable situations, combined with copious amounts of wit and humor make OVER THE EDGE an enchanting read.  I enjoyed it immensely.

4.5 stars

Winners Galore! I’m headed out to help Denny and I’m being held Hostage.

Ok, so I am back from Rhode Island where I had to take care of some issues with our house there. Denny is holding me hostage for the day so I can help him out at the farm. I didn’t miss the kids or Denny while I was gone, working hard and packing up the RI house. I was able to get done everything I needed to but I did have to extend my stay a wee bit  to get it done but I did it. I was able to get rid of 75% of what I had left in the house. It went into a bin for future transport here, the donation center at the Johnny Cake Center or to the dump. What I have left to transport fills about half my garage there, so yeah for me. And I lost about 8 lbs doing it; unfortunately now that I’m home the weight is coming back on too, I’ve gained back 3 lbs now.

I took a day off and Stephanie and I went and visited with Jeanne  one day and then headed up to visit with Kathy  and it was such an enjoyable day. I will be posting some pictures we took later.  The cherry to my Sundae ( and it was a Sunday too) was while I was visiting Kathy I was surprised to hear her phone start playing Pipe music, how I love the Pipes, and surprise our dear friend Sue-Ellen was on the line and I got to say hello to her and make plans to get to visit later this year.

The bad news…Denny received a D+ for the state of the house when I got home and for not getting the kids everywhere they needed to be for practices and such. I came home to find junk, chicken coops, wires and stuff like that all over the yard. I tripped coming in the house at 2 am because of all the shoes in the walk way. You couldn’t even see the top of my table or the living/dining room floor for all the book bags and stuff everywhere. When I went into the kitchen I couldn’t even see the counters or sink for all the dirty dishes and the crock pot had something dead in it I swear by the smell when I lifted the lid. He got marks for clean sheets on my bed. The reason he didn’t totally fail was the house wasn’t burned down, kids all still alive, (even though some had no clean clothes to wear!!) and the clean sheets. Then yesterday I had to drop his grade to a D- because I found out we had been out of eggs for 2-3 weeks and there was no milk or lunchmeat and he didn’t change the sheets, my daughter Babe did. After driving 14 hours, one hour of that I spent at Cabella’s shopping, and walking into my destroyed house I was ready to turn around and drive back to RI. It took 5 dishwasher loads to get the dishes done and I’m on day 4 of a laundry marathon. It took a day to clear out the living room and clear the table and a lot of treats thrown out to get the bathroom clean.

So now that we got that out-of-the-way how about some overdue winners???

Author Spotlight Winner

The winner of Renae Roses Battered Not Broken e -book    is Victoria Zumbrum and I’m throwing in a digital copy of     Rough Around the Edges too to Victoria for my tardiness.  Please send me an email with the email and format for where you want your e-books sent to seawitch reviews at yahoo dot com.

 

For our Tortured Hero Hop Winners

Heart of A Hero by Janet Chapman    now belongs to  Mary Preston.

Warrior Reborn by Melissa Mayhue    now  belongs to Cate S.

Haunted Warrior by Allie Mackay    now belongs to Patti P.

Seduction of A Highland Warrior by Sue-Ellen Welfonder    now belongs to Jackie W.

The Recruit by Monica McCarty    now belongs to Libby Shorthouse and it’s a signed copy!

The Digital Copy of Rough Around the Edges by Ranae Rose   now belongs to Tore 923.

 

Ok, so winners please send me your snail mail addy to seawitch reviews at yahoo dot com  with  Tortured Hero Winner in the subject line. Tore 923 please send me your email addy and format for where you want your e- book sent.  You will also all be getting a wee bit extra in your mail for my tardiness, you also have until the end of the month to claim your books.

Have a great rest of the day everyone, I carried and chucked two truck loads of wood today so I’m headed in to clean up for Liz’s senior banquet tonight. Her graduation is Sunday but we also have her awards assembly Thursday afternoon and I’m still digging out the house so that’s why you get extra time, we’re all busy with all the end of the school year stuff.

Z Seawitch

Rural Romance from Down Under w/ Giveaway!

Alissa Callen guests today @Manic Readers.

BENEATH OUTBACK SKIES

Take a trip to Australia without leaving home.

Y’all have a great day.  May your Mother’s Day be lovely.

Chilly wet & dreary here for the next few days, hope it’s lovely wherever you are!

JKS Communications announces First Annual Book Bloggies

This notice just arrived in my email.  JKS & Sami are the people who enabled me to bring HIDING GLADYS, THE LONGING, ADELICIA, COVER OF SNOW, & TRADE SECRETS to Manic Readers.  We have some great future titles coming up too, btw, so keep an eye out. 

I confess to be excited and tickled that Manic Readers has been nominated in the Most Creative Features Category.  I started doing this as a fluke but am having a blast. I’ve met some wonderful and amazing people & wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.  If you’re on FB any and all votes would be greatly appreciated!  Not sure if you can vote @ the JKS site or not.  Didn’t see it even though there was a link.

Thank y’all & don’t forget Jami Davenport & her DOWN BY CONTACT rafflecopter giveaway!

Down by Contact with giveaway!

Remember when I said that Jami Davenport would be visiting with a giveaway?  It’s today!

Stop by, tell Jami hey & enter her giveaway @ the link below.

DOWN BY CONTACT

STRADDLING THE EDGE & GIVEAWAY

Julie Prestsater visits Manic Readers today & talks about STRADDLING THE EDGE.  How do you make someone perceived as a homewrecker a likeable character?

There’s a giveaway too!

http://bit.ly/13273dn