BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT by K.M. Daughters

Closing Molly and Danny’s love story in Against Doctors Orders, we sighed and relished their happily ever after. Bobbie Leighton, Molly’s live in house keeper and caregiver to her daughter, Amy, was on the mend after suffering an attack from a crazed killer at the book’s conclusion. We trusted that she’d deal with her estrangement from the younger Sullivan brother, Joe, who had not only captured her interest, but had also captured that serial killer who had threatened her life.

But Bobbie lingered in our minds. And so did her love interest, Joe Sullivan. Wounded in the line, would Joe be bitter that he’d lost his career as the price for his bravery? Would Bobbie remain in Molly’s household as a caregiver, or would her brush with mortality change her life forever, too?

Those open-ended questions plagued us. What if Bobbie did change her life? She had toyed with aspiring to a law enforcement career on her way to a fateful dinner with Joe when the Henna Housewife Killer had attacked her. What if that didn’t short-circuit her career, but instead reinforced her desire to protect and serve? How could Joe Sullivan accept an inactive role in the homicide department? Wouldn’t he always strive to resurrect his career despite the unlikelihood that he could convince his superiors that he was fit for active duty?

Beyond The Code of Conduct became an inevitable necessity for us! We had to find out the answers to those questions and we were eager to know what happened to Joe and Bobbie. Ironically Bobbie excelled in law enforcement while Joe’s career stalled. Wouldn’t it be fun to see what that meant when they were reunited? And to make things more interesting, wouldn’t it be dangerous to cast them into an undercover operation where major life interests were at stake for both of them and see what happens?

Exploring this premise and writing Joe’s edgy character compared to the sweet, easygoing man depicted in Book 1 was more than fun. Bobbie had matured into an accomplished woman, able to deflect Joe’s barbs and keep her eye on the target. But could she remain impervious to Joe’s charms and forget the sweet man under his eye patch and chip on the shoulder exterior?

We don’t know if questions as a central basis for a story are common plot drivers for all writers, but for us, Book 2 in our series translated into answers. Bobbie and Joe could finally play out their beliefs that the story in Book 1 was really all about them.

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series. You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com. Follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!

Editor’s note: Leave a comment on K.M. Daughters’ blog stops during her virtual book tour in June and you could win a free virtual book tour if you are a published author or a $50 gift certificate if you’re non-published.

ACROSS THE POND by Barry Eva (aka Storyheart)

Up until this book I have mainly worked on short romance stores, a quick 5/10 minute read. While these have been read an enjoyed at my site. I wanted to write something with a little more depth and substance.

So deciding to write a novel I had to almost teach myself to write all over again. Thankfully there is plenty of help and encouragement out there. Joining the SCBWI (Society of Book Writers and illustrators) was a great help and I was able to use my local monthly meeting as a sounding board especially through the hard graft of the early chapters.

They say “write about what you know” and after moving from England to the U.S.A. I certainly know all about the complications one can run into when I moved “across the pond”. Many of the parts in my book “Across the Pond” I can relate to from first hand experiences, you could say that the main character has a lot of me in him. Like Hitchcock used to appear in his own films, you could say I am there in the book; even my local “watering hole” gets a mention

I wanted to write something for a younger audience both with humor and with romance and came up with this story. The inspiration coming from my own migration from England to the USA in 2000 and what I have run into since being here. My previous romance writing experience also helped shape the story. The characters actually started out a little younger in my mind, however when the romance side developed so did their ages.

While writing the short stories did not help with planning the novel, it did help with creating the hooks at the end of each chapter, something to make the reader keep turning the pages. Many people and reviews have commented on the fact that once they started reading the book they could not stop until the end. So this seems to have worked.

I always try and add humor to what I write and love putting twists in the story to keep the reader guessing.

In the end I am very pleased with what has been the result of my writing; Across the Pond has in its short three months since publication received great reviews from ages ranging from ten to eighty.
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Born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Barry, also known as “Storyheart”, left his beloved England in 2000, moving to the USA to be with the woman he’d met and fallen in love with on the Internet.

Better known for his short romance stories on the net and in his book “Stories from the Heart”.Barry is popular for narrating his stories on local TV or as a guest on other media stations,where his whit, oratory, and old-fashioned English charm make him a popular interviewee.

At present, Barry is living in Connecticut, with his wife and two children.

You can visit Storyheart’s website at http://www.across-t-pond.com.