One Scream Away Blog Tour, review, and giveaway!

Synopsis:

Beth Denison is a young single mother with a growing business in antique dolls. Young, beautiful, and active, she is raising her daughter in a wealthy and safe neighborhood. That she has a small almost imperceptible scar on her face and strong training in self defense are two small clues that Beth is more than she seems. When she receives threatening phone calls from a dangerous man in her past, Beth's life is turned upside down.

Killer Chevy Bankes is just paroled and lives to execute his revenge against antique doll expert Beth Denison. A master of disguise and a methodical killer, Bankes is a dangerous and motivated man. To prepare Beth for what's coming, he carefully prepares messages in the form of staged victims and antique dolls that he mails to her one by one.

Former FBI Special Agent Neil Sheridan is called in to consult when the police find bodies that are eerily similar to the crime scenes left by a serial killer that Sheridan knew well - and had previously killed. The investigation leads Neil Sheridan to Beth and seeing Beth with her young daughter reminds Sheridan of the family he'd lost. Sheridan must establish the mysterious link between Beth and Bankes. Sheridan must learn Beth's secrets to stop the killings from escalating. As Beth and Sheridan learn to work together to stop Bankes, they are surprised by the strength of their mutual trust, affinity and attraction.

Review:
One Scream Away reads like a fast paced thriller. It struck me as carefully crafted with strong characters and a complex plot. The three main characters, Chevy Bankes, Beth Donovan and Neil Sheridan are strong flawed characters whose motivations are made clear and coherent. While certain scenes have graphic violence, the book is not disturbing - just sufficiently action packed to be an engrossing read. In this way, the book reminds me of the contemporary action/FBI romances by Julie Garwood.

I would recommend the book to readers of action novels and readers of contemporary romances in equal measure.

Publisher: Forever (June 30, 2009) p 464.
Courtesy of Hatchette Book Group.

About the Author, from the author's website:

My writing career began in the closet, where--thankfully--my first several novels remain. As a full-time choral conductor and assistant professor of music education, I didn't consider goign public with my fiction. It was strictly clandestine and only a hobby. Then the needs of small children convinced me to switch to part-time teaching. For the first couple of years as a mostly stay-at-home-mom, it was all I could do to complete the metamorphosis from domestically-challenged career woman to culinary-queen and housework goddess. (Okay...Some transitions are never fully realized.) But later, when the kids got old enough to be in school for six hours a day, the characters in my head found time to come out again. Murderers, cops, victims, lovers. I started writing down everything they did and said, then finally decided to see if anyone but me wanted to read about them.

Now, I lead a double life. Some days are spent in the university classroom or at the rehearsal podium; others spent chasing villains on my laptop.

So what do I do when I'm not creating music teachers or psycho murderers? (Two unrelated populations, I assure you.) With a husband, two children, and way too many furry, feathery, and scaly things, there isn't a lot of time left. It's enough to keep up with the house, the yard, and the family schedule, and hope no one on my laptop gets murdered when I'm not looking.

To learn more, visit Kate Brady's website.

PARTICIPATING BLOGS:
http://www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/ - July 6 review and giveaway
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset - July 6 review
http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/ - July 6 to 17 review and giveaway
http://reviewfromhere.com/ - July 7 review
http://debbiesworldofbooks.com - July 7
http://www.startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ - July 8 review and giveaway
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/ - July 9 or 10 review and giveaway
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/ - July 10 review and giveaway
http://chicbookreviews.blogspot.com/ - July 10 review and giveaway
http://trinsnook.blogspot.com - July 10 giveaway conclusion
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com - July 11 review and giveaway
http://www.morbid-romantic.net - July 11 review, giveaway, and Q&A
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com - July 11
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/ - July 12 review; giveaway concludes July 17
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/ - July 13 review
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/ - July 14 review and giveaway
http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/ - July 14 review and giveaway
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/ - July 15 review and giveaway
http://justjenniferreading.blogspot.com - July 15 review and giveaway
http://www.beckyworkman.blogspot.com/ - July 15 review and giveaway
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/ - July 15 review and giveaway
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/ - July 15 review and giveaway.
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com - July 16
http://www.thisbookforfree.com - July 17 giveaway and Q&A
http://www.cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/ - July 17 review and giveaway
http://www.mgpblog.com/

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, please tell us (a) if you collect anything, and what you collect or (b) if you don't collect anything, what you would collect if you had an unlimited budget and tons of space or (c) an organizing tip. I would love to collect Matisses, Miros and first edition books.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to become a follower and mention this in your comment. If you're a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
3. For an extra entry, become a subscriber and mention this in your comment. If you're a subscriber, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
4. For an extra entry, blog about this contest and post the link.
5. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to U.S. and Canada. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends on midnight of July 24, 2009.

Thank you so much Anna and Hatchette Books Group for this opportunity!

Did you notice that this book sounds like a mix of thriller and romance? Quick reminder & plug: ThrillerFest starts this Wednesday. Online registration ends tomorrow at 6 pm.