Showing posts with label kindle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kindle. Show all posts

Wednesday 5 April 2017

The Millionaire's Wife - Preview

The Millionaire's Wife comes out April 27th. You can read Chapter One here!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZYSH7JS
 
Can you ever really know the ones you love?
Anna Blackwell lives a charmed life with her husband, in a clifftop mansion overlooking the ocean. But things haven’t always been this way.
After seeing a news report about the death of a woman on the other side of the world, Anna realises that her past has caught up with her. That her greatest fear is about to come true. That it’s her turn next.
Uncover a web of lies and deceit in this chilling, twisty suspense thriller.

 
Chapter One
3rd January 2017, Barbados
The man watched her hasten down the stone steps, slightly ahead of him, her bare, tanned legs lithe and slim – a combination of good genes and regular dance classes, more like a teenager than a woman in her late twenties. For a moment, he felt as though he were watching a memory, a video on his laptop of someone he used to know. He gave himself a shake and followed her.
‘Come on, slow-coach!’ she called, dark ringlets bouncing around her shoulders. She threw him a glance over her shoulder, a teasing grin. He smiled back and put on a spurt of speed, scooped her up in his arms and jogged down the remaining steps with her until they reached the arc of pristine sand which curved around the turquoise bay, its backdrop of trees swaying in the breeze. The sand sifted pleasantly beneath his soles, warm and soft. Later it would become a white-hot furnace, impossible to walk on with bare feet, and he’d have to dig out his flip flops from the beach bag.
Katie wriggled out of his arms and pulled him along by the hand to their favourite spot under the morning shade of a benevolent palm, far enough away from the manchineel trees with their poison fruit and deadly sap.
A cursory glance left and right, showed two other couples already on the beach, stretched out on bright towels, and one older woman on her own, nose buried in a paperback. It was a week day, so no sign of the weekend yachties and speedboat owners who would moor up in the bay often staying until sundown. No. Today, the view was of empty ocean and sky. Perfect.
Dropping her towel and bag on the sand, Katie twirled her hair up into a makeshift bun, fixing it in place with a hairband from her wrist. ‘You coming in?’
‘Later. I think I’m going to relax for a while.’
‘Lightweight,’ she teased. ‘The woman in the villa next to ours said she saw whales in the bay yesterday. I’m going to swim out and see if I can spot them while it’s still early enough.’
‘Don’t go too far,’ he said, knowing she’d most likely ignore him.
He’d never been on holidays like this before he’d met Katie. Yachts, mansions and ski slopes had not been for the likes of him. Katie, however, had been born to it. While he’d been skinning his knees learning to ride a second-hand bike at the local skateboard park, she and her parents had been gliding across virgin snow, flying to far-flung continents on safari, or watching prima ballerinas twirl on famous stages. She had led a charmed life.
Surely, the parents of a girl like this should have been horrified when she brought home a nobody like him – a dirt-poor, classless loser with no career to speak of. But he had been proven wrong. The Spencers were nice people. Warm and welcoming. Non-judgemental. Nothing like his own family. To give himself credit, he did have a decent sense of humour and a beautiful face. He had always been admired. Charm was his gift.
And so, it had been an easy thing to become absorbed into this family. He and Katie. The golden couple. Shining wherever they went. He had shrugged on her privilege with ease, taking it for his own. Long-haul flights to distant lands, skiing, safari-ing, visiting the ballet, the opera. Moving in dizzyingly high circles without once losing his balance. They were a pair. And she loved him without reserve.
Peeling off his t-shirt, he began applying sun lotion to his torso, watching as Katie walked across the beach in her skimpy bikini towards the gently lapping ocean, its water the perfect temperature. Not like the English Channel back home which would steal your breath, needle your skin and finally give your stomach an icy punch. No, Barbados seas were warm yet refreshing. Already up to her waist, Katie struck off away from the shore, her arms powering forward. He watched her for a moment and then lay back, gazing at the palm fronds and blue sky above, trying to let his mind go blank for a while.
It didn’t do to overthink things.
He lay there for some time before he heard the noise. Faint, at first, like a lazy bumble bee or a neighbour’s lawnmower. Then, growing louder. An engine, determined, fast, the random crashes of its hull against the ocean’s surface. He imagined himself sitting up and looking at the sea, searching out the source of the noise, but his body was locked in place, too tense to move. He couldn’t stop staring at the impossibly blue sky. Could barely breathe.
A scream jolted him from his brief stasis and he jerked upright before springing to his feet. As his senses sharpened, he saw the other sunbathers running towards the ocean, their hands raised against the glare of the sun, pointing, shouting. Beyond them, a white speedboat bounded out to sea, its wake contaminating the glassy blue ocean. His eyes scanned the water for Katie. No sign. Maybe she was hidden by the chop from the boat.
He sprinted down to the water’s edge, shielding his eyes from the sun, trying to locate her.
‘Did it hit her?’ a woman with a German accent cried out to him. ‘Did you see?’
‘What?’ he replied, panting.
‘The boat out there. I think it might have hit your friend.’
‘Are you sure?’ he questioned, his voice slow and stupid, his mind frozen. ‘The boat? It hit my wife?’ He dove into the water, powering through the ocean to reach Katie.
He felt the company of another swimmer beside him – a concerned sunbather wanting to help. The boat was already a pale dot in the distance, its motor a receding hum. He didn’t know where to look for her. Stupid. He should have been looking out for her instead of staring at the sky. But the man ahead of him knew where he was going, his long, powerful strokes propelling him towards a fixed point. He would follow that man.
A crimson stain like a beacon spread out before him, already losing its bright hue, turning pink and dissolving into wisps. Soon it would be absorbed into the ocean. But still no sign of Katie. This is where it must have happened. Where the speedboat had collided with his wife. He took a long gulp of air and dove down. He couldn’t let the other man reach her first. The crystal water showed him what he needed to see.
Her body was whole, but had been mangled, torn up, beyond repair. One side of her head was missing, ribbons of red following her descent. He looked away briefly, noticing the blurry shape of the man from the beach next to him. Then, he turned back, swam towards his wife, took hold of her slippery body and kicked up to the surface, gasping for air.
The man rose up with him, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘Jesus,’ the man gasped. ‘Let’s get her to shore. That fucking speedboat, man.’ A South African accent. ‘Shall I help you . . . with . . . her?’
‘No. I’ve got her.’ He knew how to tow an inert body. Remembered it from his lifesaving classes. The South African swam alongside him as he carried his dead wife, the smell of sun and salt and blood in his nostrils, a strong desire to vomit, a blank void in his brain, a trail of blood in their wake.
Back on the beach, one of the women was shaking her head and crying, the other two had mobile phones clamped to their ears, no doubt calling the emergency services. The other man on the shore took Katie’s legs and they carried her between them, up the beach away from the shoreline towards his and Katie’s favourite palm tree. They laid her on her towel, where she’d been standing less than an hour earlier. A numbness overtook his body and he realised he was shaking.
Someone placed a warm towel over his shoulders, but the shivering only increased.
‘He’s in shock.’ A woman’s voice, loud and authoritative.
‘It was his wife,’ the South African said.
‘Do you think they’ll catch them? The people in the speedboat?’
‘I gave the police a description of the boat over the phone. Didn’t see who was driving it, though. Surely they can track it on radar?’
‘No chance. They’ll be long gone.’ An English voice.
‘Irresponsible bastards.’
‘I can’t believe it. Poor woman.’
‘Poor guy.’
The crush of words wove through his consciousness, but he didn’t respond. He closed his eyes and clutched at the towel around his shoulders, desperately trying to stop the shivering and act more coherently. React. Respond. Cry. An arm slid around his shoulder – the South African. ‘The police will be here soon, mate. Don’t worry. They’ll catch them. Those bastards will get what’s coming to them. Don’t you worry about that.’
 
The Millionaire's Wife will be available on April 27th
on Kindle, in paperback and slightly later as an audiobook.
 
 

 
 

Monday 17 October 2016

Chilling Psychological Thriller - The Best Friend



 

RELEASE DATE - October 20th 2016

Now available to pre-order!

Limited-time, new-release price of 99c / 99p


"THE BEST FRIEND"

Toxic school mums, money worries, paranoia, murder...
 

They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer . . . Wrong.

Louisa’s new best friend has it all – the house, the status, the money.
But she’s also hiding a dark secret. And as Louisa is drawn
deeper into her friend’s life, events take a chilling turn.

Available for 99c for a limited time from:

Amazon US   Amazon UK   Amazon CA   Amazon AU

 

Will also be available in print and audio very soon


Friday 28 August 2015

Win a Kindle Fire with BY MOONLIGHT!

To celebrate the release of  
BY MOONLIGHT 
 a 15-book paranormal box set,
we're giving you the chance to...
 

It's free to enter
and there are multiple chances to win :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 6 January 2014

How to get free ebooks for kindle, nook, kobo, ipad etc

These past few months, I've been busy setting up 
a new free service for readers called eBookSoda
a way to get free and cheap ebooks in genres you love.

http://www.ebooksoda.com

With millions of books out there, it’s hard to find the stuff you like. eBookSoda emails you with great deals on highly rated ebooks in your favourite genres. 

If you like thrillers and cookery, that's what you'll get. If you like contemporary romance and bestsellers, then you'll only receive those types of deals.

The deals are available for all reading devices, including kindle, nook, ipad, kobo, sony, laptop and more.

Getting Started: 
1. Enter your email address. 
2. Select the types of books you’re interested in. 
3 . Receive a daily email with fantastic free and bargain ebooks. 
    Join up for free here: http://www.ebooksoda.com 


Authors and publishers are now welcome to submit their books to eBookSoda for free inclusion in their listings. The site is a fantastic platform for authors to showcase their books, and for readers to get their hands on various genres of books at low prices and for free.



Sunday 29 April 2012

Kindlegraph - Get Your Ebooks Signed!

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I've just discovered a website called Kindlegraph, where you can request authors to sign your ebooks.

How cool is that!!!

Kindlegraph is the brainchild of software developer, Evan Jacobs, and was launched in 2011. There are currently 3,500 authors representing over 15,000 books and I guess those numbers are growing daily as word spreads.

I've already signed my own books up to the site and was ridiculously excited when I started receiving my first Kindlegraph requests from readers. My signature looks a little shaky, as I have to write it using my laptop trackpad. But it is my signature. Another great element, is the option for the author to write a personalised inscription to each reader.

Now I'm looking forward to requesting Kindlegraphs from my favourite authors.



Get your own Kindlegraphs here.

Wednesday 4 April 2012

First 5 Chapters -Try before you Buy (YA Paranormal)

Here's the next volume of First 5 Chapters available free from Smashwords



Read the first five chapters from these
YA paranormal/fantasy authors:

Hunting - S.M. Hineline
Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series #1) - Shalini Boland
Coexist (Keegan's Chronicles #1) – Julia Crane
Progeny Of Innocence - Patti Roberts
Ties To The Blood Moon - Robin Waldrop
Fire Sprite - Lenore Wolfe



Click here to download for free


Thursday 8 March 2012

Free For One Day! Becoming Edward by Faye Meredith

Just thought I'd let you know that Faye Meredith's fantastic novel
Becoming Edward is free to download today!


A guy starts dressing up like Edward Cullen to attract a girl who’s a massive Twilight fan. Trouble is he gets it wrong and it kind of goes to his head, with disastrous consequences.

Becoming Edward is set in the UK and is a light-hearted, fun novel about what happens when obsession goes too far. Perfect for both Twilight and non-Twilight fans.


Faye Meredith talks about Becoming Edward

Becoming Edward has turned into a bit of a Marmite book (for those of you outside the UK, Marmite is a sandwich spread that people either adore or can't stand). It's really divided opninion amongst readers, which I never expected. Some loathe it, others love it.

I guess some readers were expecting another Twilight and, while it does have a love triangle, that's about as far as the similarities go. The characters are just ordinary people,and are a little bit flawed. It's more about how Twilight affects these people and makes them behave.

Rachel wants to find her own Edward Cullen to sweep her off her feet. Clive is in love with Rachel but can't figure out how to get through to her, while Lewis decides the best way of attracting her is to change his player ways and dress up like Edward. But like most guys he completely misses the point of why women love Edward. And it's this that makes the gears grind in the story.

It's not a spoof or a send up. I happen to be a massive fan of the saga and made sure that Becoming Edward doesn't mock or belittle Twilight. All the humour is at the expense of the characters in Becoming Edward, never Twilight, which I hope people appreciate!


If you want to get hold of your free copy today, here are the links:

Free on Thursday 8th March 8am - Friday 9th March 8am GMT

Becoming Edward on Amazon for Kindle (US)
Free on Thursday 8th March 12am-12pm Standard Pacific Time
     

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Win a Signed Copy of Hidden over on Jera's Jamboree

** This Contest is now Closed**

Check out my Giveaway over on Jera's Jamboree this week.
You could win a lovely shiny newly signed copy of HIDDEN or a fab ebook.



Jera's Jamboree: Book giveaway with author Shalini Boland: Today Jera's Jamboree would like to introduce to you ...

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Only One Week Left To Be My Vampire

Last month I asked if anyone would like to be a character in Thicker than Blood my upcoming sequel to Hidden. So far, nearly 70 of you have entered. I've no idea how I'm going to choose, but I'd better get thinking because there's only one week left until I have to make the decision.

Part of the novel will be set in 6th century Byzantium and here's a taster of where my lucky vampire might live - Cappadocia in winter...


Of course, as a vampire you'll never get to experience it in daylight. Your view will be something like this...


So if you haven't entered yet, click here to see what it's all about.

Sunday 30 October 2011

Spooky Reads for Halloween

I'm not on about gore-fests or full-on horror - no. I'm talking proper old-fashioned, spooky stories with haunted houses, ghoulish ghosts and other things to make you shiver...



The Winter Ghosts
Devastated by the death of his older brother during WW1, Freddie Watson goes abroad in search of solace. Driving through the foothills of the Pyrenees, his car spins off the road in a snowstorm. Freddie takes refuge in an isolated village and there meets a captivating woman. But by daybreak, Fabrissa has disappeared and Freddie realises he holds the key to an ancient mystery that has been concealed for 700 years...







The Beaumont Bequest   When Patrick Peto destroys the last will and testament of his uncle Rex Beaumont, he has no qualms about ignoring his request to leave "all my books to Barbara". But when he illegally obtains possession of the Heartsease estate and consigns the author's stories to the flames, he awakens vengeful forces that are determined to set matters right and make sure that Barbara Dane receives what is rightfully hers.

As Patrick imposes his own vision on Rex’s old house, the author's imaginary worlds invade Patrick's reality until he can no longer distinguish fact from fiction. He becomes a prisoner at Heartsease where Rex's fictional creations put him on trial for murder. He is sentenced to death, but after a plea for mercy from one of the characters, his sentence is reduced to 90 days and 90 nights, during which time he must recreate every story he has destroyed.



The Little Stranger     One post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive, is now in decline. Its owners - mother, son, and daughter - are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his. 


The Woman In White  "There in the middle of the broad, bright high-road-there, as if it had that moment sprung out of the earth or dropped from the heaven-stood the figure of a solitary woman, dressed from head to foot in white garments."

And this is how young Walter Hartright first meets the mysterious woman in white. Secrets, mistaken identities, surprise revelations, amnesia, locked rooms and locked asylums, and an unorthodox villain made this mystery thriller an instant success when it first appeared in 1860, and it has continued to enthrall readers ever since.









So those are my spooky picks for Halloween.
If you have any of your own you'd like to share, feel free
to leave a comment below!