Hiya guys, we have Jambrea Jo Jones and her newest release Vegas Sin, we have a fantastic guest post, a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Lisa’s review, so enjoy the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Vegas Sin
Jambrea Jo Jones
Sex, weddings and gambling hold a back seat to kidnapping and murder in the city of sin…
Owen Carpenter sets aside one night each month to relax at the Totally Five Star, but a case has just landed on his desk that has those nights disappearing for the foreseeable future. Someone is kidnapping women in Las Vegas and Owen needs to stop them before the women end up dead.
Harrison Boone is head of security at the Totally Five Star. He notices a man who comes in once a month and he wants to know more about him. When Owen introduces himself, there’s an instant attraction between Harrison and Owen, but they are interrupted by a kidnapping—at his hotel. After Harrison leaves the military, the hotel becomes his life, so Harrison will do anything to keep the hotel out of the news and protect its reputation.
Can Owen and Harrison find love in Sin City, or will the case of the disappearing women crush what might be the best bet the men have ever placed?
Killing Characters
by Jambrea Jo Jones
It isn’t always an easy decision to kill off a character. I know I have to make sure it fits the story, if it’s needed. I don’t just randomly kill… wait, there is that one book, but… um if you’re writing a serial killer, people will die.
Unfortunately, sometimes, characters have to perish so the story moves on. The character might need clues and the body can help them solve the case. I never take it lightly, but I write a lot of romantic suspense so someone usually dies.
I could kill someone off page, a character the reader doesn’t get a chance to get to know. Those are generally easiest for the reader because they haven’t become invested in the character. It could be someone that is on page that a reader gets to know a little or a bigger character that has to die. Well—whom I need to die for—reasons. The bigger part a character has in the book, the harder it is to kill them off.
Killing off a main character is hard to read and write. And I’m talking one of the leads in another book or an in your face supporting character that takes over the book. I know some authors have done it. If I’ve read the story, I usually email them and say fix it! *Glares at Amy Lane* But then say they can’t. It has to be that way. I guess it is their world and they know best, but I don’t have to like it. I will say, if anyone could get away with knocking someone off and you still liking the book, it would be Amy Lane.
I think my next step would have to be writing a book from just the bad guy’s perspective. I love writing the bad guy. I think I have a dark side and it creeps out when I’m writing a story that has someone on a murdering spree. Or even a kidnapping spree. I don’t know why, but it fascinates me. I’m not a big horror fan, but there was one book that hooked me. It was a Dean Koontz story and he let us in to the bad guy’s mind. I wanted to write that, but, I happen to love romance. What better way than to fuse the two, which is where my love for romantic suspense comes from. I can have that evil person in my story, but still let two characters find love.
Excerpt
Owen had just settled in when his captain threw a file on his desk. He knew he wouldn’t be lucky enough to skate through the day with the files he already had. He’d jinxed himself.
“Kidnapping. This is the fifth one in as many weeks. They’re all tall, blonde, mid- to late twenties. That’s about the only thing they have in common. One is a local and the other four were all staying at different hotels. I want you and Polubinsky on this.”
“He’s on leave.” Owen picked up the file.
“You can start on it. He’ll catch up. Take a look at the notes and do some legwork. This one takes top priority for now. I want them found. None of them have shown up dead yet, and I’d like to keep it that way. There have been no demands or ransom calls. The first couple were filed and looked at briefly, but nothing came of it. When the third was reported, we noted a pattern. Now that we have five, we have to consider that they might be connected. None of the vics look like the types who would just walk off, but you never can tell. You know how it is. Most of them can be chalked up to having too much fun, but it’s been weeks on the first two girls. The local lady has a kid and appears responsible. She has lived here in Vegas her whole life, so I don’t see her running off now.” The captain shrugged and left.
Owen flipped through the file. There wasn’t much there, just a description of each girl and where they were from, the hotels where they had stayed. They were all over the place. One of the hotels caught his eye—Totally Five Star. He’d take a look at that one last. He had a friend who dealt cards there. Plus it was the place he loved to go once a month. He’d missed last month and it looked like he was going to miss this month too with all the stuff going on.
At least now he could get that cup of coffee he wanted. Plus he’d get out of the morning meetings, which could get boring, especially if Espinoza got to talking. It sucked that it had to take a foul-play case to get him out into the streets, but he’d take it.
It was only eight in the morning and it was already reaching the hundreds. One of the things he loved and hated about Vegas, but it was his city, so he dealt with it. He really couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
First stop for interviews would be to the local girl’s family. It looked like she was the first one taken. He just hoped the leads hadn’t run dry with that one. It sucked that sometimes it took a murder to find these people. Most of the time they turned up safe and sound. For some they just needed time away from the world. Hell, he could understand that. At times he wished he could run away, but he had too much responsibility and he wouldn’t leave like that. It just wasn’t in him to flee his duties.
Who would take care of his mom or his sister, not to mention Gabbi? If anyone needed him, it was the kid. He was the only one she could act her own age with.
About Jambrea
Jambrea wanted to be the youngest romance author published, but life impeded the dreams. She put her writing aside and went to college briefly, then enlisted in the Air Force. After serving in the military, she returned home to Indiana to start her family. A few years later, she discovered yahoo groups and book reviews. There was no turning back. She was bit by the writing bug.
She enjoys spending time with her son when not writing and loves to receive reader feedback. She’s addicted to the internet so feel free to email her anytime.
Giveaway!
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Review
Title: Vegas Sin
Series: Totally Five Star Imprint
Author: Jambrea Jo Jones
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: Novel (181pgs)
ISBN: 978-1-78430-952-7
Publisher: Pride Publishing (January 26, 2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: Sex, weddings and gambling hold a back seat to kidnapping and murder in the city of sin…
Owen Carpenter sets aside one night each month to relax at the Totally Five Star, but a case has just landed on his desk that has those nights disappearing for the foreseeable future. Someone is kidnapping women in Las Vegas and Owen needs to stop them before the women end up dead.
Harrison Boone is head of security at the Totally Five Star. He notices a man who comes in once a month and he wants to know more about him. When Owen introduces himself, there’s an instant attraction between Harrison and Owen, but they are interrupted by a kidnapping—at his hotel. After Harrison leaves the military, the hotel becomes his life, so Harrison will do anything to keep the hotel out of the news and protect its reputation.
Can Owen and Harrison find love in Sin City, or will the case of the disappearing women crush what might be the best bet the men have ever placed?
Product Link: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/vegas-sin
Review: Vegas Sin is part of the Totally Five Star imprint stories.
I very rarely read murder and mystery stories, because they just don’t call to me like a good romance does. In a story I want the danger and suspense, but I also want heat, passion, romance and some hot sex. Now I have only read a handful of Jambrea’s stories but I have never been disappointed in them. And that hasn’t changed at all. This story had a serious tone which one would expect in this type of story, however there is a bit of humor that makes it even better.
I love the way Owen is when he meets Harrison. He comes off like a giddy school boy around his first boyfriend. Then there is Harrison who just absolutely adores Owen. These two get together and damn it is hot to watch.
Owen is a detective in Las Vegas and has just found himself on a multiple kidnapping case. On top of that he finally got his mother in to a home for Alzheimer’s. Then his sister and niece manage to get kicked out of yet another home, so he has some new roommates, things were getting a bit strange. However he loves his niece that is for sure. The problem is his sister looks like those missing girls.
Harrison notices Owen at the casino and wants to see more of the man. Harrison is head of security at the Totally Five Star hotel and casino. Out of the military, he loves his job and looks forward to working. It would seem now he has more to look forward to. That is if they can catch the bad guy and save the girls.
Now I did notice a few errors and spelling mishaps in the story but it didn’t take away from the story at all. Also there was something about the way this one was told that made it feel a bit stiff and off. You also don’t really get a good description of the guys which makes it hard to visualize them in the story. Plus they meet but there is no buildup to their relationship, no friction at all. Just meet, sex, and slowly fall in love with.
It gets better with time but the story was missing some important parts to make it perfect. It does come off rushed and a bit awkward. However the story has great potential. Now other than those issues with this story, I had a lot of fun reading it.
I could definitely see myself reading this more than once. There is just something about it that pulls me to the story and to the guys.
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