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Books & Spoons Book Blast: AFTER MIDNIGHT & CRIES IN THE NIGHT by Kathy Clark

8/6/2015

1 Comment

 
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After Midnight and Cries in the Night
Denver Heroes # 1 & 2
By: Kathy Clark
Re-issued June 9, 2015
Loveswept

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After Midnight: Denver Heroes # 1

Perfect for fans of Nora Roberts and Karen Robards, Kathy Clark’s suspenseful, seductive Denver Heroes series kicks off as a dedicated cop and a beautiful actress get wrapped up in a world of danger and desire.

Aside from the reporter riding along in the passenger seat of his cruiser, it’s a typical Saturday night on the job for Sam Morgan of the Denver Police Department. Then shots ring out, and a routine stop involving a pimp and a hooker spirals into senseless violence. Now Sam is lying in a hospital bed, haunted by fleeting memories of the stunning blonde who saved his life—and then just disappeared.

Kate McKinney was hired to play a prostitute on a reality-TV show, not stand around as actual bullets start flying. Unable to shake the feeling that trouble is stalking her, Kate turns to the only man she can trust: the wounded cop whose blue eyes send chills through her body. He doesn’t believe she was just playing a role, but the predator hiding in the shadows is all too real—and, as Sam and Kate edge closer to the truth, so is the heat that ignites between them.


Review:

Cruel and bloody crimes, crazy stalker after the heroine, and budding, passionate romance all mixed with a bit of humor, and you have good entertainment in your hands.
The tone of the story is dark and dangerous, the threat towards Kate is constantly present, the attacks escalating in their nature.
The attraction and connection between Sam and Kate seem fragile, as Kate's life has been turned upside down, and everything is slipping from her hands. Without help from Sam, she would have to give up, and that puts her on defense, her self esteem frail at the moment. The feelings between them grow and deepen, the fervor of passion sweeping them away.
I loved the corny, cliché pick up lines Sam was using constantly. He loves to fix things, take care of people, and protect them. The relationship between him and Kate is fun, flirty, sexy, and joyful, when not being in danger to their lives.
The unity of the brothers, closeness, and support they gave each other was admirable, and attractive.
The funeral for Larry, a fellow police officer was so touching I was in tears, what a beautiful tribute for all who have lost their lives in a line of duty.
Even though the suspense side of the story was predictable for me, I enjoyed the investigation process, as Sam is working to find out who is behind it all. Also the developing romance was fun and lively.
~ Three Spoons
B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

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Cries in the Night: Denver Heroes # 2

Fans of Nora Roberts and Karen Robards will love this pulse-pounding novel of romantic suspense, as a red-hot firefighter reaches out to save a courageous beauty from the terrors of the night.

As a victim’s advocate for the Denver Police Department, Julie Lawrence is always on call for survivors of abuse, fighting for the justice she never got for herself. It’s a high-risk job that makes a lot of enemies—one of whom seems to be now targeting Julie. But teaming up with firefighter and local hero Rusty Wilson sparks a different kind of danger. As Julie surrenders to intoxicating passion, she finds herself breaking her own rules, caring about Rusty in a way she thought she’d sworn off forever.

When a domestic incident escalates into a deadly hostage crisis, Rusty is willing to risk everything to protect those who really need his help—like Julie, the breath of fresh air who fills his days with purpose and his nights with pleasure. He just hopes he’s not too late to stop a chillingly orchestrated act of payback that puts the woman he loves at the mercy of a madman’s rage.


Review:

What an amazing and moving story, mixed with danger, suspense, love, passion and tenderness.
The way the work of both firefighters and the victim's advocate is described is real, raw, and lifelike. There are many scenes from the work they do, the reality of the daily life they go through, the stress, trials, and triumphs so clearly stated. There are some violent scenes, that made my stomach turn with the brutality and cruelty.
The creepy, fearful moments Julie's feeling, with the stalker after her, are palpable, and constantly present.
Still the main focus of the story is the tender connection, attraction, and friendship forming between Julie and Rusty. Slowly but surely Rusty is changing his playboy ways and his love-them-and-leave-them reputation, and at the same time Julie is coming alive again, with feelings of attraction, interest, and allure towards Rusty. The more time they spend together, deeper their feelings for each other grow, the relationship changing, the affection, desire, and devotion evident.
This story kept me up late into the night, it is captivating, fascinating, and yet chilling at the same time with the dangerous events the characters go through. While the romance of the story made me swoon and sigh, the other aspects of the tale made me think, and ponder with the eye opening way abusive relationships are described. A fierce, intense, and complex, memorable story
~ Five Spoons
B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

Meet the author:

Kathy Clark is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels have sold more than three million copies in eleven languages. Her plot lines have always championed women’s empowerment, placing strong female characters in real-life situations. Her stories will make you laugh and cry, and her characters will live in your heart forever. She lives with her husband and co-author, Bob Wernly.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads  

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Goodreads Link Cries In The Night
Goodreads Series Link

Link to Follow Tour
Goodreads Link After Midnight


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Kate leaned against the closed door of her apartment, then whirled around and scrambled to lock all three locks. Her fingers were trembling so violently, it took several seconds to get the safety chain into its small round hole. Her first impulse was to crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head, curl into a ball, and not move for at least a week. If she was lucky, this would all be an awful nightmare, and at any moment, she would wake up and everything would be just as it had been several hours ago. Back to the worries about coming up with the rent, getting a good long-term job, having enough extra money to get the brakes on her car fixed and maybe even being able to afford a new pair of shoes.

But tonight Kate wasn’t so lucky.

She glanced down at her hands and realized they were splattered with dried brownish-red spots. Blood. She pressed her lips together and struggled to swallow the rush of bile that suddenly filled her throat. With increasing panic, she saw there were more dark red splotches all over the front of her tube top and skirt and even on the bare skin of her shoulders and chest.

Oh God, she had to get them off. Frantically, she clawed at the fastener of the skirt and yanked it off. She peeled off the tube top and dropped it on top of the skirt and added her shoes to the pile. Finally, she pulled off the long blond wig and tossed it on a chair.

Wearing only black bikini panties and a black strapless bra, she hugged herself, trying to stop the shivering that had wracked her ever since the first shots were fired. Her jaws ached from being clenched for so long. She needed a shower—a long, hot shower to wash away the blood and the horror and the death.

Kate crossed the room that served as a combination living/dining room with a kitchenette blocked off in one corner by a folding screen. Small, run-down, yet barely affordable, her apartment had, nevertheless, been her cozy hideaway . . . until now. Even with all the blinds closed, her drapes pulled, and the door locked, she still felt vulnerable and alone. At any second there could be a knock on the door from the police. She wasn’t ready. Not yet.

Kate knew she shouldn’t have run away. It wasn’t even a conscious thought as much as an instinctive reaction to flee. When she heard the sirens, she knew help was near, and there was nothing she could do for any of the men lying on the sidewalk. She melted into the growing ring of curious bystanders and watched the emergency activity. As more and more people arrived, she had slid farther into the background until she just stepped away and disappeared into the night. Sooner or later she would have to talk to the police. Later seemed to be the better plan.

She entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. It would take at least five minutes for the hot water to reach her second-floor pipes, so she finished undressing while it ran. Her fingers fumbled as she took off her left earring, then reached for the right one. Touching the empty lobe of her ear, she sighed. Damn! The sparkling crystal hoops had been her favorite pair. She stepped out of her panties, then unhooked her bra. As she tossed it on the bed, a hundred-dollar bill fluttered to the floor.

She blinked and stared at the crumpled bill for a few seconds without moving. Jameel had given it to her earlier in the evening, and because she hadn’t brought a purse, she’d tucked it into the cup of her bra. In all the excitement, she’d completely forgotten about it. Stepping over it as if it were a poisonous snake, she entered the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind her.

As expected, the water was barely lukewarm, but it still felt good, pouring over her, washing away all the physical reminders of the night. She scrubbed her face and body with a soapy washcloth until her skin felt raw. Even after the water ran cold, she lingered in the protective cell of the tiled shower until she started shivering again. Reluctantly, she turned off the faucets and picked up a towel.

She made a halfhearted attempt to blow-dry her hair, then wrapped a fluffy robe around her naked body. Suddenly overwhelmed by a debilitating exhaustion, she succumbed to her earlier instinct and crawled into bed. With all her lights blazing and her ruined clothes littering the floor, she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. As much as she hated to think about it, she knew nothing would change before morning. Sooner or later, she’d have to deal with it all . . . but for the few hours left until dawn, she would try to find peace in the depths of sleep.


1 Comment
Tasty Book Tours
8/6/2015 10:55:59

Thank you for hosting AFTER MIDNIGHT and CRIES IN THE NIGHT!

Reply



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