Friday, April 18, 2014

Featured Author: Sarah Robinson

We would like to thank Sarah Robinson for Rocking our page and being our Feature Author today.
~Raquel~

Tainted Pictures (The Photographer Trilogy #2)
Romantic Suspense
Sarah Robinson
Kate Jackson had no idea who she was until she met Derrick Kane and their whirlwind romance turned out to be everything she needed to build a future and heal her past.
But a shocking crime leads Kate to uncover the work of an extremely dangerous serial killer, notoriously called "The Photographer" due to his penance for taking pictures of his victims.
Derrick continues to work to gain back Kate;s trust and to find The Photographer as Kate builds new friendships and finds new skills.
Can she catch The Photographer and learn to trust Derric again? Find out in Tainted Picture's sequel and the final installment of The Photographer Trilogy.




**Please note that this book is to be followed by a final book in the trilogy, therefore contains a cliffhanger. 

DISCLAIMER: Due to violent and dark subject matter, this book is meant for 18+.

5 stars. As I read Sarah's books I love to see her grow as an author this book blew me away. The characters have grown along with the writing. Tainted pictures is everything you want and need in book two it answers many questions I had and left me feeling complete. I love how Derrick and Kate work through the problems together and start to develop a healthy and happy relationship. Derrick redeemed himself in this book and had me swooning hard over him. The curve balls in this story make me love it that much more I love the suspense of not knowing. This book left me hanging but I can not wait till book three for all my questions to be answered and to know who it is. I am glad to be on this Journey with Sarah and can't wait for more. If you have not been Tainted why the hell not you are definitely missing out!!
~Raquel~


Book 1 - Tainted Bodies
Book 2 - Tainted Pictures
Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Book 1 - Tainted Bodies

Book 2 - Tainted Pictures


Kate just nodded slowly and picked up her phone.  She sent Derrick a text message, not saying anything specific except that she needed him there now.  She just didn’t know what else to tell him over text message and she wasn’t sure she could put a string of words together to talk over the phone.  The joy she had felt all day had come to a crashing halt and everything had taken two steps backwards. 
            Plus the truth was that she did need him.  She needed him right this moment, his arms wrapped around her to hold her up, his breath against her neck reminding her that she was alive, his eyes piercing through her in a way that always made her brain completely shut down.  She needed to shut down in that way that only he was capable of bringing out in her.  She wanted him to be there right now and her anxiety began to raise as she realized how badly every second without him felt to her. 
            Detective Snow was on her phone calling her partner and forensic techs to come sweep the apartment.  Kate went to her bedroom to put on a sweatshirt and some socks, since she was only wearing a tank top and pajama bottoms at that point.  She then went back to the kitchen where Detective Snow was writing in a notepad.  She sat down next to her and began sipping the tea that had been made for her, but she wasn’t even tasting it.
            Finally there was a knock at the door and Kate jumped up out of her chair.  She wasn’t sure how much time had gone by since she had sat down at the table, she felt quite out of it.  All she knew is that Derrick was at the door and she couldn’t handle another moment not having his broad, thick arms clenched around her shoulders and pressing her tightly against his chest.  She rushed to the door, flying right past Detective Snow, and swung open the front door.
            “Good evening, Kate.”  It was Detective McCraig with several crime scene technicians behind him wearing matching windbreakers and carrying cases and boxes of supplies.  Kate felt her entire face fall and practically hit the floor, she couldn’t possibly have looked more disappointed to see him.  McCraig wrinkled his eyebrows at her furtively, wondering why she looked so startled to see him.  
            She didn’t say hello back but instead just stepped to the side and motioned everyone into her apartment.  She grabbed her jacket hanging near the door and pulled it on and stepped into some tennis shoes, getting ready to leave.  She didn’t want to be here while they were making her apartment look like a crime scene again.  She just stood there, dejectedly, and waited for the last person to walk in the door so that she could leave. 
            “Kate?”  Someone called her and she looked up to see the last crime scene technician walk past her, but behind him was a friendly face.  Derrick stood in the doorway, almost blocking the entire entrance with his large, muscular frame. 
            “You beckoned, beautiful?”  He grinned at her, knowing that she needed a hint of normalcy right now.  Kate burst into a smile and rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face into his smooth, soft skin.  He caught her with his arms around her waist and on her back, her feet dangling off the ground as he supported her. 
            “Take me away from here.” Kate whispered to him.
            “You’re with me now and everything else doesn’t matter.  Just you and me.  This is all that matters.  Let’s forget about everything else for tonight?” Derrick touched her chin, gently pulling her to face him.  She nodded in agreement, eager to have him take over and just care for her.  She was too worn out to keep pretending everything was fine.  Everything was not fine. There was a psychotic killer hunting her.  That’s really the very definition of not fine. 
            Seeing Derrick here pushed all of those thoughts away.  The way he expanded to take over the room and envelope her in his arms was mesmerizing.  She glanced up at him, her arms still wrapped around his waist and he head leaning against his shoulder.  His lips were only inches from hers.  Her eyes were searching his, looking for any signs of doubt, any signs that he might betray her again.  She wanted to push that fear away, she couldn’t keep holding onto this much fear.  She loved Derrick and she knew he wasn’t the same man he had been before. 
            “And I’m never going to leave you again.” He whispered, reading the fear in her gaze and stifling it immediately.  He wished he had never made the mistake to abandon her in her time of need and he knew he would happily spend every day for the rest of his life reassuring her that he would never be that man again. 
            The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile and she looked down at his lips and then back up at his deep, gentle eyes.  He wasn’t going to deny her another moment and so he leaned down and kissed her gently.  He squeezed her tighter against him as he did and then he smiled at her in the midst of their kiss and lowered her back down so her feet were on the ground.  With one quick motion, he reached down and one of his arms swept up behind her knees lifting her straight up into his arms.  She squeaked in surprise but didn’t try to fight him.
            “Let’s go home.”  Derrick said to her, as he carried her down the hallway and she curled up in his large arms.



 
Synopsis
 Kate Jackson is listlessly floating through her life having no idea what or who she wants to be and burdened by the pains of her past. That is until she meets Derrick Kane.

A whirlwind romance leads Kate to believe that Derrick is the answer to all her questions and the patch to heal all her wounds.

Derrick and Kate’s love is quickly tested as a shocking crime forces Kate to have to figure out how to take care of herself and leads her into a mystery that only Kate has the key to solve.

Can she catch an extremely dangerous criminal and keep the love between Derrick and her alive? Find out the conclusion of this thrilling crime drama and contemporary romance in the following books of The Photographer Trilogy.

Warning: Mature subject matter for 18+

Review
4.5 stars. Tainted bodies is a book that challenges real life issues that are not sugar coated. Kate had a rough childhood growing up she now works at a furniture store owned by her uncle. When Kate meets Derrick at her local coffee shop they start a relationship but its not that easy they have things to work through and they dont seem to do it in the right way.This book had me so frustrated one minute at Derrick for just being an idiot and then Kate for her decisions. I like how strong and independent Kate is. I love how Sarah writes it like it is life isnt always peaches and cream things happen that we cant control what matters is what we do after.  This book had it all drama, tragedy, mystery and so much more from the first word to the last this book drew me in never knowing what would happen next.The ending killed me and left me wanting more thanking God I had book two to pick up after;) I've been tainted!!
~Raquel~
 


Synopsis
Young New York socialite Caroline falls for a rock star bad boy Logan
Clay, he's bad for her and she's bad for him (he has a fiancée after
all).



Against all reason and sanity, they know they belong together, but
how can they make it work when time and fate seem to be completely
against them?



She was ready for love when he wasn't, but she moves on only to find
that real love can't be replaced. Happy endings might not be for
everyone...

Buy Links
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Itunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id854639527

Review
First I want to say thank you Sarah for messaging me cause this is one book I could not live without reading.....Loved this book!! Sarah Robinson's First Debut Novel is definitely a 4 star read!! Logan and Caroline's love is like two forces that are being pulled together but something seems to keep them apart. Who doesn't love a Rock star? This book once I started I could not put it down I had to keep reading and find out what happened next and let me just say that ending definitely left me speechless... Cant wait for the next book!! So for those of you looking for a rock star read get to reading;)
 
  
 

Sarah Robinson is a native of the Washington, DC area and continues to reside there with her new husband, Justin, and their 16 pets! She has both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in criminal psychology. A vast amount of in-depth work experiences in intense environments have given her a plethora of experiences to draw from when writing crime dramas. Writing has been her hobby since high school and she has been published several times. 

Sand & Clay was her first full-length novel and will have a sequel coming out in 2015. Her second book was Tainted Bodies and is the first part of The Photographer Trilogy. Her writing often concentrates on the complexity of love and emotions and the struggles of finding your destined path through life, as well as overcoming life’s tragedies and misfortunes. She combines psychological complexities and human emotions to attempt to create real characters experiencing life in a very real way. Her books focus on redemption and forgiveness, learning to build on what has been broken.


Author Interview

What inspired you to write your first book?

-I published Sand & Clay first due to my publisher at the time asking me to do that but I started writing Tainted Bodies long before that.  Tainted Bodies is based on a true story and it was nagging in the back of my mind for years.  I knew that it was a story that had to be told and I couldn’t stop myself from writing it!
Do you have a specific writing style?
Show don’t tell.  My creative writing teacher in highschool, Mr. Wagenblast, taught me that and said it to me so many times that it never let me.  I want to write in a way that when you read it, you are actually watching it and standing in the middle of the scene as a part of it.  I don’t want to tell you someone is sad, I want you to see it and feel it. 
Whats your favorite food?
Anything I don’t have to make myself! When my husband says he is cooking dinner that night, it’s a great day!  That’s what real life romance is once you are married!
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
In the Photographer Trilogy I tackle a very dark topic.  The point of this was to show the world how many sides there are to a sexual assault.  I wanted people to hate Derrick for what he did because his reaction is actually entirely too common.  People are shocked that I had him react the way he did, but I did that for a reason.  He is human and flawed and as a former counselor, I often saw victims who were more traumatized by their loved ones reaction to them then they were by the assault.  I want people to understand that this happens to 1 in 4 women and that it goes unreported more times than not.  People were shocked that Kate didn’t want to report, well why would she?  The process of reporting what happened, going through trial, physical exams, and more is unbelievably traumatizing.  Who is to say that going through all that is the right answer?  That is the point of this trilogy- there is no right answer.  Nobody does the right thing in the situation but that’s because there is no right way to act or respond.  That’s the message I want people to understand- forgiveness and understanding. 
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
I write best in the middle of the night in bed while listening to my snoring husband and dogs.  I don’t know why that is, but that is the most inspiring time for me!
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Yes, Tainted Bodies is based on a true story.  Everything after Derrick leaves the hospital is fictional but before that it is true.  Tainted Pictures and Sand & Clay are fictional entirely. All of my characters have pieces of people I know in them, I think that every writer does that.  You pull from what you know. 
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Cay by Theodore Taylor.  Super random I know.  I read it in middle school and I still cry every time I read it.  I will never forget it. 
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Sandi Lynn!! I talk to her all the time and love her to pieces.  She has been so helpful.  Also, Jenn Foor because she has taught me so much and always been there for me.   
What book are you reading now?
I am reading Unsettled by Alisa Mullen and LOVING it.   Everyone should go get it for sure.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Yeah for sure!  Eliza Brown, Alisa Mullen, and many more!
What are your current projects?
Currently working on two anthology projects with other authors as well as the final book of The Photographer Trilogy.  I also have a WIP for a stand alone coming out at the end of the year that will BLOW YOU AWAY!
What is your most embarrassing moment?
Falling down an upwards escalator in a mal.  Do you know how long it takes to fall to the bottom????  And all the people you take down along the way??  Lord.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Nope.  I would not at all.  I might fix typos or things like that, but the story is perfect. I can’t doubt myself, because I need to be my biggest fan (as well as my biggest critic!). 
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
It started with poetry as a child, mostly an emotional outlet.  Then in high school and college, my poetry was sought out and published a few times and I began writing more.  The stories just swirl around in your head, you can’t stop yourself from writing if you are a true writer.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Everyone knows The Photographer Trilogy but the stand alone coming out afterwards is based on a soldier, I can’t tell anymore than that because it is SUPER secretive and AMAZING. You will never ever ever see a story like that again.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Writer’s block.  That is rough.  And finding the time to write after all my day jobs and taking care of my family.  It’s hard not to be exhausted.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I do not have a favorite author.  I love so many that there is no way to pick!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully living in a nice house with a big yard and pond!! I need a pond, seriously, because our snapping turtle is getting huge and needs a pond before he eats me!  Plus we will have kids I hope and not have to both be working four jobs!
 What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Finding the time and the money.  Publishing is expensive. 
Do you have any advice for other writers?
The best way to be successful is to keep writing and never stop.  The second best way is to be kind to everyone.  Best advice I ever got.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without them.  They mean the world to me and are the reason I write!
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
I think it flowed pretty easily, so I am not sure that there really was any issues. 
If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would
play your characters
Lucy Hale as Kate and Jesse Williams as Derrick for sure.
Do you write naked?
Ha! No!  I don’t know why I would, it’s never occurred to me.
 What is the biggest lie you've ever told?
            -That I like my husband’s meatloaf. 
 Have you ever been in trouble with the police?
            -My husband is a police officer so yes, I get in trouble with him all the time!
 Have you ever gotten into a bar fight?
            -Yes, but to be fair I didn’t fight I just got knocked out.  How was I supposed to       know that guy had a girlfriend?  He certainly wasn’t acting like he did.  Well, she             wasn’t my biggest fan and that was her way of letting me know.
 Characters often find themselves in situations they aren't sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?
            -I think as a writer it happens a lot.  You want to be nice to everyone but you can get taken advantage of.  What do you do when bloggers or reviewers keep asking you for free things and they aren’t really doing anything to warrant getting that free stuff?  Do you say no and risk them publically bashing you?  Or do you just let them keep taking things from you?  Honestly, there are a lot of times if you are in the public spotlight that you have to make decisions that you don’t want to make, that you have to say no when you don’t want to, or yes when you don’t want to.  It’s a tough world to navigate and I don’t think anyone has found the perfect road map on how to do it.




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