Guest Post and Giveaway - Covet by Terri Herman-Ponce

Covet

by Terri Herman-Ponce 

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BLURB: 

Everyone wants something. 

Even if it belongs to someone else. 

And some will destroy the very thing they want, just so no one else can have it. 

Professional soldier David Bellotti's latest mission seems simple: steal the key card to a drug lord's compound so the empire can be infiltrated and destroyed. But when David discovers evidence of his lover Lottie’s possible infidelity, his mission turns personal. He searches for answers others would kill to keep buried and discovers a link to the past he's been trying hard to ignore. 

Ancient lives, twelve thousand year old secrets, murder, and primal instincts lead David on a journey through past lives and present danger—all to save the woman he loves. 

Find your way back through history, when hunter-gatherers roamed and David and Lottie's past incarnations began. The Reading Café calls Covet, Book Two of the Past Life Series, "An amazing and fascinating storyline of suspense, mystery, betrayal, hatred and love."   

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Excerpt:

I blew out the entrance and took off, hustling through the panicked crowd. Another gun fired and police sirens sounded in the distance. I made a left down a small street then a right into an alley, jumping a garbage can, hurtling over a short wall, and disappearing into the neighborhood. If Galen didn't make it to our backup rendezvous point, I had to get to the safe house and that was five miles away. And right now, I had no idea if Galen and Lady in Blue were still alive. 

I skidded past a corner, wondering if I should take the chance and call an alert into HQ, when I heard screeching tires. I backed up, pressed myself against a wall, and realized who it was. Galen in a Toyota. He threw open the passenger door and I jumped in, slamming the door shut as Galen jammed the gas pedal. 

“You get it?” he asked, swerving through a turn then dropping our speed so we didn’t draw attention. 

I nodded. “Is Lady in Blue okay?” 

Galen hugged another turn. “She will be. She came to when the gunshots were fired.” 

I blew out a sigh of relief. It wasn't the first time a distraction job had taken a bad turn, but it was still a worry. “And the cops?” 

“All at the nightclub. But we will have to lose the car.” He used his cell phone and dialed our contact, making arrangements for cleanup. 

I pulled out Sahin’s wallet and lifted the keycard. “Payday,” I said, holding it up. 

“Mommie Dearest says we should leave the wallet and card with the car.” Galen disconnected the call. “They will pick it all up at the Starbucks near the safe house in ten minutes.” 

I drew in a breath and held it, forcing my heart and my lungs to calm down. Another close call. I loved this stuff. 

“You love this stuff way too much,” Galen said, glancing my way. 

I had known Galen all of three months, and he was far too good at reading my mind already. I was trying to get my head wrapped around the fact that we were connected in a way that didn't make sense, but that didn't mean I had to like it. Ignoring him, I sank into the seat, letting the adrenalin wear off. 

“Let’s see what else we’ve got on this guy.” Inside his wallet I found a black American Express, a MasterCard, and over five thousand Euros in the billfold. A picture was tucked in with his identification. I pulled it out and held it up to catch the light from passing street lamps. 

It was a photo of the love of my life kissing another man. 

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My Top 5 Favorite Books: 

My top 5 favorite books?  This has to be the hardest and easiest question to answer. 

I have to tell you that I adore reading. I’ve got a bookshelf filled with well over a thousand books, plus a Kindle that I’m now starting to fill up, too – because there’s no more room on the bookshelf! And as I was thinking about my favorite books, I stared at that wall filled with colorful covers and all that paper and thought…what really jumps out at me? 

For me, reading is the best past-time ever. Better than television or even the movies. And the best stories, in my mind, are the ones that grab me from page one. That draw me into a character’s world so deeply I can’t help but turn the page and keep turning until The End. But the thing is, there’s something indefinable about a great story. There are SO many good ones, but the great ones are those books that dig into you like teeth, that stay with you long after you’ve closed the book, and that you can’t resist discussing with friends because, you know, they just HAVE to read the book, too.

So I considered those indefinable qualities (the easy part of today’s blog) as I studied my bookshelf and finally came up with my Top 5 list (the hard part of today’s blog). And hopefully, in doing so, I’ve given you a snapshot into what really turns me on as a reader and provided you with some new authors or titles to read that you’ve never experienced before. 

So. Here it goes. 

1.      L.A. Requiem (Robert Crais)

For me, Robert Crais is a master storyteller. His characters, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, are just SO realistic, and Crais isn’t shy about throwing challenges at them that test their very limits. The decisions may not always be easy, but Elvis and Joe always do the right thing. They’re admirable men, with a very strong ethical code, who also live very dangerous lives. Their friendship is profound and deep, and built on a loyalty even the best marriages could envy. In L.A. Requiem, Crais gives us a mystery that’s filled with twists and turns, heartbreak and darkness, humor and love. Like all of Crais’s other books, the writing has depth and color but it’s amped up to such a degree that it feels like you’re reading a movie. Though I love all Crais’s books, I consider L.A. Requiem (which was his breakout novel, btw), the pinnacle of his work.

 

2.      Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)

Gone Girl is the book I wish I’d written. And it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s a suspense about a marriage that, on the surface, appears happy and fulfilling but that has a sinister side that makes this book a psychological thriller. Scott Smith from the NY Times said, “It’s as if Gillian Flynn has mixed us a martini using battery acid instead of vermouth and somehow managed to make it taste really, really good.” No one could have said it any better. A story about a wife gone missing, Gone Girl shows us that everyone has a shadowy side, and that diabolical minds can surface in the most unexpected of people. And the ending? Yikes. It still makes me shudder, to this day. A must read for those that want to be manipulated in the eeriest, most incredible way possible.

 

3.      The Wrong Girl (Hank Phillippi Ryan)

What I love about The Wrong Girl is that it reads like a smart, sharp television show. The mystery comes at you at break-neck speed, the writing is tight, and the plot walks a fine line of twists and turns that you don't see coming. And the characters Jane and Jake shake things up with just enough sexual tension to kick up the heat level. It’s filled with political sabotage, dirty secrets, and a coldblooded killer – all the things I love to read in a fast-moving suspense. Plus, I gotta say, Hank is one terrific lady and all around great person so I’m naturally going to have her in my Top 5. J

 

4.      Dark Lover (JR Ward)

Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and it was the first chapter that grabbed my attention and sucked me in for the ride. For me, the book had the perfect combination of suspense, sexy male vampires (who have depth and emotion), and a paranormal world that was so vividly drawn it felt as real to me as my own. It’s dark and adventurous, and erotic and powerful, and what every first book in a series of this type should be. Though there are other books in this series that I’ve read, it’s Dark Lover that I keep going back to. It’s about as perfect as it can get.

 

5.      Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)

If I were to classify this novel in one word it would be “intense”. It’s the story about Catherine who marries Lee, a man who, on the surface, seems perfect. Handsome, wealthy, charismatic. He’s every girl’s dream. But when Lee starts exhibiting a darker, jealous side, and making Catherine more fearful with each passing day, Catherine starts looking for her escape. It comes, but not without a precious personal price to her mental health. And years later, when Catherine is battling OCD and Lee is about to be released from prison, Catherine realizes that Lee’s got her in his sights again. Like Gone Girl, the story is dark and oh so compelling, and shows us that obsessions come in many forms. For me, it was true shudder material with a very surprising ending, which is why this book is also on my Top 5.

 

So that’s it! I’ve enjoyed being here today and sharing my Top 5 reads. What are your favorites? I’d love to know…I’m always looking for another outstanding read.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Terri looks for any opportunity to make stuff up. She thinks anything that can’t so easily be explained is worth an extra look and often makes a great story. She loves red wine, scotch, sunrises, Ancient Egypt, the beach—and a host of other stuff that would take too much real estate to talk about. The youngest of five children, Terri lives with her husband and son on Long Island. And, in her next life, if she hasn’t moved on to somewhere else, she wants to be an astronomer. Terri’s fascinated with the night skies almost as much as she’s fascinated with ancient Egypt. 

Terri is a member of member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and you can read about her at http://terriponce.com/.

 

If you love social media, you can also find Terri on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Terri.Ponce.Author
 and on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/TerriPonce
Come visit. She’d love to hear from you!

 

Links:   B&N   Amazon

 

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Giveaway:

 

Terri will be awarding one free Ecopy of Covet (Book 2 of the Past Life Series) and In This Life (Book 1 of the Past Life Series), to a randomly chosen commenter at each stop and a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

The more you comment, the greater your chances of winning! 

Follow the tour HERE