Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Stolen Obsession by Marlene M Bell



Book Details:

Book Title: Stolen Obsession by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction; 284 pages
Genre: Romantic Mystery / Thriller
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
Release date: March 20, 2018
Tour dates: Sept 10 to 28, 2018
Content Rating: R (Small bit of language and one detailed sex scene)

Book Description:

Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury dreams of a quiet life on the family's sheep farm, far away from Manhattan's brownstones, when her closest confidant falls victim to a mugging gone wrong. This had to be a hit--There are echoes from the past--and detectives have no leads. Then at a gallery opening, she sees an artifact on display, an interlocking necklace of horse heads matching her friend's stolen bracelet. Annalisse fears for the curator who owns the piece.

Convinced the jewelry collection is evil and must be destroyed, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner's womanizing son. Alec Zavos has his mother's ear but dismisses Annalisse's concerns--until a second victim at the opening brings them together in a fight against treachery, a race through exotic lands, and an unimaginable future. If Annalisse can survive...

To read reviews, please visit Marlene M. Bell's page on iRead Book Tours.


Buy the Book:

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Meet the Author:




Marlene Bell is an acclaimed artist and photographer as well as a writer. Her sheep and lamb landscapes grace the covers of many publications such as, Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News, to name a few. Her mail order venture, Ewephoric, began in 1985 out of the need to find personalized stationery depicting sheep that truly looked like them. She wrote Among the Sheep, nonfiction in 2009, and the Annalisse Series launched in March 2018.

Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside on a wooded ranch in East Texas with their 50 head of spoiled Horned Dorset sheep, a lovable Maremma guard dog named, Tia, and 3 attention-loving cats who rule the household.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Interview:

What is your motivation behind writing STOLEN OBSESSION?
Sometimes stories ramble around in my head and Stolen Obsession’s character, Annalisse needed to be let loose into one of these. A world of murder, art theft and historical curses. The original story and characters changed more times than I can count, but on a debut novel, that road is to be expected. Especially when the book took eight years to complete! Annalisse began as a snarky, young magazine editor in the first draft until she morphed into a stronger, more likable woman with the goal of running her aunt’s farm. There, I was able to put my personal love of animals into the writing with a more sincere result for Annalisse as a credible character.

What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?
There are many morals in this book. Here are the top three: First, you are stronger than you think you are. Shown by Annalisse’s trials with personal loss and helping those around her. Secondly, keep those around you close to your heart because you never know when they can be taken away. Annalisse experiences a great deal of personal loss. Third, judge people not by what others say about them, but by how they truly are. Give people a chance to redeem any negative qualities that come from hearsay. Annalisse learns this with Alec Zavos, her love interest in Stolen Obsession. The tabloids paint him with a broad womanizer brush, and Annalisse takes her time deciding for herself who Alec is and if he can be trusted.

Do you have a favorite scene that you can share with us?
The most challenging and memorable scene for me is the Zavos yacht on the Aegean Sea. I won’t spoil it for the readers with details here, but writing a group of marauding men taking over a sea vessel with all of the favored characters on board, was tough. Action/fight scenes are the most difficult scenes for me to write. Things happen so quickly that the characters don’t have a lot of time to contemplate. Thoughts come rapid fire, as does the action. The chapter on the Gen Amore is the turning point in the novel. Bring Kleenex! There is another scene with a crocodile that didn’t make the cut. I’ve saved it for a future book

If you could sum the book up in one sentence, what would you say?
Join Annalisse and Alec as they journey exotic lands in search of his mother—caught inside the Curse of the Mushasha.

Share something about you that is unique - maybe about how/where you write... or favorite snack foods?
I rarely feel the dreaded writer’s block. If I find that the words won’t flow well from the keyboard, I take to the outdoors. I have the fortunate advantage to run a sheep operation in addition to my writing. The young lambs make great stress relievers and help with the writing process. Sitting down with these gentle creatures, stroking their fleece and talking to them, believe it or not, frees the stubborn words. After a few minutes among the lambs, I get myself back in front of the computer and begin again. Works for me!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Our 4H club asked me to write a book on our experiences raising sheep. I published a memoir and how-to book for sheep raising in 2009. The experience was so exhilarating, I set out to write a novel. Yikes! I had no idea how much work was involved in learning the craft. The longer I worked, the more I enjoyed writing.


Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Oct 6, 2018


a Rafflecopter giveaway




My Review:

Stolen Obsession is the first installment form Marlene M Bell’s series, Annalisse. It is, also, the author’s debut novel. The reader is introduced to Annalisse Drury, an antiquities appraiser from New York. She finds herself trying to identify the killer of her best fired through a missing five hundred year old bracelet that carries an evil curse. She finds a necklace matching the bracelet at a gallery opening in Manhattan. Despite advising to have the necklace destroyed, another murder occurs. She asks Alec Zavos for help when his parents go missing. The two go on an action packed adventure that involves danger, mystery and suspense.

I enjoyed Stolen Obsession. It captured my attention to the point I did not want to put the book down until the end. It is not a long read but it is full of twists and turns that I did not expect or could not have predicted. I loved Annalisse and admired her courage, bravery and strength. I loved her even more when she meets the handsome Alec. Those two had great chemistry that made me want to root for a romance. I enjoyed other characters that I found to be fun and energetic.

I give Stolen Obsession four and a half stars. I recommend it for those who love a good and entertaining romantic suspense. I can not wait to see what happens next to Annalisse Drury in book two of the Annalisse series. I most definitely believe this is a book not to be missed.

I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

5 comments:

  1. What an interesting interview. It was fun learning about how she paints and photographs sheep and how that came about. I have recently discovered the genre of romantic suspense and this would be a great book to read.

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  2. Thank you for hosting the tour for Stolen Obsession. I hope your followers enjoy this wild adventure into an unlikely romance and mystery! Be sure and enter the giveaway. Marlene~~

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  3. Thanks so much for bringing to our attention another great book out there to read. I appreciate hearing about them since I have so many readers in my family.

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  4. This sounds like a fantastic read.

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