Two Lips gives Free Falling 5 lips!!

My thanks to Tina at Two Lips for her beautiful review of the second in the Damaged Heroes series, Free Falling! A five lip rating!

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Laurie Miller was feeling burnt out. Her psychic gift of empathy has left her. Being a psychologist, she could live without it, but it made life that much harder. She decides to go away from people for a while and recharge herself. She needs to figure out what is wrong so she can come back fresh so she goes to Montana for while. Ross Kennedy has just lost the love of his life to someone else. Though he is happy for Katie he still misses her. He, too, needs to recharge and regroup. He takes a vacation to Montana to do just that. When Ross gets lost and Laurie ends up saving him from hypothermia they get to know each other very well, trapped in a cabin together for days snowed in. The more they get to know each other the more in love they become. But they both have to eventually go back to their lives in Chicago. Once there they have a mystery on their hands with a diary they found, and Laurie has a stalker, to boot, with an old boyfriend that just will not let go. Can Ross save Laurie and solve this mystery before it is too late?

Sandy James has the second installment to her Damaged Heroes Series with Free Falling. Ross is over worked and missing Katie. He really is happy she is married and off on her own but he misses having someone special in his life. Laurie is over worked and just plain burnt out. She really needs a vacation from everyone and everything. Together Ross and Laurie are what the other needs. She needs to have a stable man who is willing to let her be herself in her life. Ross needs stability of a relationship and a purpose to his life that Laurie brings.Since this is the second to the Damaged Heroes Series I feel you'd have a better understanding of Ross if you read Murphy’s Law first. Though this book can stand alone and be enjoyed too. When you want your romance sweet, emotionally charged, and one to remember you want Free Falling.

"You Gotta Read!" ~ Free Falling Review

I was thrilled to receive a "You Gotta Read!" rating from Val at You Gotta Read Reviews for the second in the Damaged Heroes series, Free Falling.



Thanks so much, Val!

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Oh my gosh, where to begin with this book? Characters, we will start with the characters. I recently reviewed Murphy's Law which is book 1 in the Damaged Heroes series. Ross had been one of the characters in the first book which left me feeling that his character was just a bit too nice, safe, and maybe a bit too deeply infatuated with Katie. There weren't the sparks you would think when you thought of a romantic couple. So when Ross got his own book, I couldn't help but think, finally, I get to see what makes Ross who he is. I was stunned.

Ross turned out to be a character who definitely had control issues, was a Type A personality and had a wide range of emotions that left me pleasantly surprised. To make a long story short, Ross turned out to be a dream hero! I fell in love with his character, humor and fierce protectiveness of Laurie. He was one to come to a snappy judgement but was slowly learning to look at situations in a different perspective. Laurie's character was so spunky, straightforward at times and humorous about eighty percent of the time (the other twenty percent she was too busy dealing with the action that was taking place in the book). Being a psychologist, she knew her self confidence issues were something she needed to deal with but out of habit, succumbed to regularly putting herself down. It would take a strong man to show Laurie just how beautiful and mesmerizing she really was. Having a gift of being able to read peoples emotions had hindered Laurie in the love department. She couldn't even kiss a man because she could read their deep emotional thoughts. It was just too much for her to handle.

Ross and Laurie's characters were polar opposites with him being the type of person to need control at all times and Laurie's need to help everyone. These two characters complimented each other in a way that was unexpected and appealed to me. Alex was the ex-boyfriend who had left abruptly only to come back into Laurie's life a few months later. The drama he brings to Laurie's life is sure to put some stress on the relationship between Ross and Laurie, or will it only bring them closer? Sheila, Ross' secretary had me laughing so hard with her smart comments and spot on assessment when Ross did something wrong.Now on to the plot of the book. Free Falling was an intense suspense read laced with a paranormal element that certainly brought a sense of intrigue to the story.

A combination of two love stories that were intertwined throughout the book had me hooked. I loved how the clues were left along the way and I was kept on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the the answer to the mystery. The plot line was very well developed and the writing was so smooth it flowed flawlessly. I could feel the emotions of horror, anger and love from Ross as well the helplessness Laurie felt to keep the circumstances that were happening around her at bay.

This is the second book that Ms. James has written in this series and I have fallen in love with her writing style and ability to combine suspense with a breathtaking plot. I highly encourage you to read the entire series. Although Free Falling is book 2 in the series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone book, but I guarantee you that once you read one, you will want to read them all.

Five Heart -- Reviewer Top Pick for Free Falling!

The first review is in for Free Falling! A huge thank you goes out to Diana Coyle for her beautiful write-up!

Free Falling Damaged Heroes Book 2
Author: Sandy James (Author Website)
Genre(s): Contemporary - Suspense/Mystery
Review Date: 5/3/2009

SCORE: 5 / 5

Laurie Miller, a twenty-nine year old PhD in clinical psychology who has empathic abilities, decides that she needs to get away from her job as counselor from the clinic where she is half partners in. Lately, she doesn’t know why, but her empathic abilities just seem to have slipped away from her. No matter how hard she tries, nothing is working for her. Her dear friends, Dr. Deepika Sen an Emergency Room doctor and Andrew Greve, her fellow psychologist and clinic partner, both think it’s a wonderful idea for Laurie to go spend a few days in Montana where her family’s vacation house is. Reluctantly, she decides to go in hopes of just using the time away to relax and obtain her abilities again.

While there, Montana is being hit with a winter blizzard. Sipping a cup of cocoa and looking out her kitchen window, she sees a car buried under the snow not too far from the house. Since her house and barn are the only structures for miles, she decides to head out to see if someone might need her help. When she approaches the vehicle, she spots a man dressed in nothing more than a suit and overcoat in the driver’s seat. Pounding on the window, she hopes the man is still alive and not frozen to death. Unfortunately, she gets no answer from him. She moves around to the passenger side of the car and begins to get as much snow away from the door as possible so she can enter the car and assess the man more closely. Once inside, she sees that his lips are a shade of blue, but his cheek is warm to her touch. She tries slapping him awake a few times and he finally wakes up. She helps him get out of the car and they start the treacherous trek back to her house.

Once inside the warm house, she tries warming him up because he’s so cold. He settles down on the sofa near the crackling fireplace and he can’t help but fall asleep. Because the storm knocked out the phones and the electricity, she knows the fire isn’t going to warm him enough. Not knowing what else to do to warm him up, she decides to lay next to him on the cough and falls asleep with him. This is something she hasn’t been able to do with any man because once her skin touches someone else’s, all their emotions start flooding to her because of her abilities. No matter how close her skin was to this guy, she couldn’t get any readings off of him. In a way, she’s relishing the fact that she is enjoying the closeness of a man’s body to hers without being inundated with emotions and such as she has in the past.

When they both awake, they start talking and getting to know each other. She finds out that his name is Ross Kennedy and he is an attorney, who just happens to be on a forced vacation from his law firm because he’s been working way too much to suit the firm. So his boss sends him to Montana to search out a client for their signature because it seems that they keep running from this paperwork that finally needs to be signed. Ross doesn’t consider this a vacation at all because now the blizzard has snowed him into Laurie’s house and he can’t try to find the client he desperately needs to get this signature from.

Since the weather is that bad outside, it’s going to be awhile before either one can leave the house. They both have no choice but to make the best of this bad situation they’re both in. But as their time passes, they both realize they are secretly enjoying each other’s company.
How long are they snowed in for? What do they learn about each other while being cooped up together? Does Ross ever get to find the client he came to Montana for? Does Laurie ever get her empathic abilities back?

Ms. James has penned another fantastic story within these pages. This was the second book in the Damaged Heroes series and it was just as entertaining as the first book. I loved how the author weaved her twist and turns throughout the storyline and she had me completely engrossed right until the very last page. I loved Laurie because she was a very smart and independent woman who wasn’t going to take any nonsense from anyone, but she also had a soft side for her family, friends and close clients she dealt with. I already liked Ross because he was introduced to me in the first book, Murphy’s Law, and it was nice to see he had his own story within these pages. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him this time around because Ms. James really went into detail letting her reader get to know Ross on a completely intimate level. I hoped all along that Laurie would get her abilities back and that Ross would find the client he was going crazy looking for. Since he and Laurie were getting along fairly well while they were stranded together, I found myself hoping that maybe something could come about between these two characters. I highly recommend this story and I urge you to pick up the series because you won’t be disappointed with this author’s writing style. She’s very talented and will definitely keep you entertained for a few hours while reading her work. I’m happy to tell you that the third book in this series, All the Right Reasons, has just been released also. Each book is a stand-alone story, but they’re well worth reading in order.

LASR Book of the Week and a New Release

Stopping by the BookStrand blog with two pieces of good news.

First, Turning Thirty-Twelve not only received a fantastic "Best Book" review from Violet at Long and Short Reviews, but it was also named as their "Book of the Week." Here's what Violet had to say:

Jackie had gone through a divorce that left her self esteem shattered and her best friends constantly trying to set her up on blind dates. Mark's wife had died of cancer two years earlier and his friends were also hoping for a Cupid to strike up a relationship with the next woman of his dreams. Both Jackie and Mark have children from their previous relationships and now, my friends, it's time to watch the fireworks.

Jackie was hilarious, captivating and had issues with trusting men. So many women, including me, can relate to Jackie's character. Mark's character was seductive at just the right moments, knew what to say and just when to say it. His overall character was stunning and very very real. The secondary characters in this book were sensational. The situations between David (the ex) and Jackie had me laughing till it hurt. They all added a very real element to the book with their emotions and the way situations were handled. When Jackie and Mark's character got around each other, it was electric and you could feel the sexual tension between the two. This was a very believable book and was written in such a way that during the tense moments, it ripped my heart out. During the happy moments, I found tears in my eyes.

Ms. James did an outstanding job writing Turning Thirty-Twelve. I most definitely did not see the twists and turns coming. This book grabbed a hold of my heart and did not let go until the very last page. I still find myself thinking of this book and the characters who made this book so special. I highly recommend Turning Thirty-Twelve to anyone who enjoys a laugh out loud, exceptionally written book that will keep you coming back for more. I would love to see this book either have a sequel or become a series so I can see where my favorite characters are today and how they are faring. Turning Thirty-Twelve was simply an amazing book that I would read many times over which is why I would like to give it the LASR Best Book Rating! I will most certainly be keeping my eye on Ms. James for any books she may have coming out.

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The second piece of news is that the second of my Damaged Heroes series releases tomorrow. Free Falling brings back the popular Murphy's Law character attorney Ross Kennedy. He deserved a great heroine, so I wrote Laurie Miller. Not only is she a psychologist, she's also an empath, able to read other people's emotions. She's a great heroine who is spunky and full of life even though she often says she feels like a "size fourteen in a size four world." I strand these two in a blizzard just to watch the sparks fly.

Here's the blurb for Free Falling:

Workaholic Ross Kennedy never learned to enjoy life until he meets the woman of his dreams. If only Laurie Miller can convince him that's exactly who she is.

A psychologist with empathic abilities, Laurie rescues Ross, who has been stranded in the middle of a Montana blizzard. The two strangers are completely snowed in and out of contact. In just a few days, their attraction to each other is overwhelming, but Laurie is troubled. Her empathic gift seems to have vanished. Fascinated by his pretty rescuer, Ross struggles to open up his heart enough to let this woman in.

When the two return home to Chicago, they try to solve a mystery revolving around a Prohibition Era journal they discovered in Montana. Will they find the missing treasure the journal points to? And as a former boyfriend begins to stalk Laurie, how will Ross be able to protect her?

Thanks to all of you who helped vote to make Turning Thirty-Twelve LASR's Book of the Week! And I hope you'll give Free Falling a look.

*hugs*
Sandy

http://www.sandy-james.com/

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/sandyjames

Come over the prizes, the fun , has just begun

I's release day Check it out!
IT’S A PARTY AND YOU’RE INVITED!
RELEASE DAY PARTY FOR

Lavender Lust
By Cricket Sawyer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFv1VugU1s

Release date: SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Men from the Recreation League basketball team
Are dying one after the other. Each of them
Murdered. Each corpse has the serial killer’s
signature of a Purple feather. And fledgling
psychic Heather Highmark sees something no
one else can see…
Purple haze floats above each of the victims
A face appears in it—who is it? She needs
To find out, her life, her brother Roy or her
Lover Langdon Cruise could be the next
Victim of the Purple Feather Murderer.

It’s Time for a Party to celebrate!
Come join me at Cricket’s Hearth on Tuesday, September 30
All day – prizes galore, excerpts and more…
http://cricketshearth.blogspot.com

Order your copy of Lavender Lust from
Siren/Bookstrand (http://www.sirenbookstrand.com )and send me your receipt for a
Chance to win the grand prize of an uncut, lavender/ Amethyst stone
or a join in the festivities to win a Dream catcher key chain— or one of many other
Prizes to be given away. To see more of the prizes visit Cricket’s website
at http://www.cricket-sawyer.com
Then join the fun at the Hearth on September 30, 2008
http://www.cricketshearth.blogspot.com

Do the jigsaw puzzle of the cover —the fastest time will win a download copy of The Great White Bull—a paranormal erotic romantic suspense. You’ll find the jigsaw puzzles at
http://www.cricket-sawyer.com/PUZZLES.html
Send me your time for doing the Lavender Lust cover – you have a chance between midnight September 29 to midnight September 30 — I will take the fastest time from all players – if there is a tie I will draw a winner.

Lee Silver's Secret Hot Fudge Sundae Recipe

OK, so it's not really secret, but it's always a favorite :) You'll need Hershey's Vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. The ingredients aren't all that important, but the quantities are critical. Add (2) scoops of Hershey's vanilla ice cream to a bowl. Cover those suckers with syrup until you can't see em and curl up by the fire with a just released paperback copy of The Twist :)

Every man should have to spend at least a month as a woman.
Debra Gaynor, ReviewYourBook

THE TWIST, BookStrand #1 Bestseller

***Available in Paperback & E-book***

*FIVE STARS* KaseysView

*4 1/2 HEARTS* The Romance Studio

*FOUR STARS* ReviewYourBook

($12.99 paperback) ($5.99 e-book)
15% OFF E-Book at Checkout

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Theme: High Tech Metamorphosis
Length: 79,000 words

(Blurb)

Zane Tollison's wife is running through their cash faster than he can make it. A "Hail Mary" contract with Clearwater Tobacco arrives in the nick of time to keep his fledgling consulting firm afloat, and to unchain him once and for all from his narcissistic wife.

Beautiful, brilliant, and estranged Kathy Davis is desperate for a new beginning. The feisty post doc bio-geneticist jumps at an offer from Clearwater, pouring her soul into a development that will revolutionize the tobacco industry.

The two are unwittingly reeled into a convoluted plan to steal $12 million. Zane is changing into a carbon copy of Kathy, a pawn in a bizarre genetic metamorphosis, entangling Kathy in a sinewy web of seduction and deceit. Forging a bond that will set the course of their destiny, they fight to overpower the diabolic hold that has taken over their lives.

Lee

Lee Silver
"Romance with a Twist"
THE TWIST, BookStrand #1 Bestseller
www.LeeSilver.org