Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz.  This is the third book in the Cutler, Sutter & Salinas series.

 

Beginning:  Fifteen years earlier . . .
She was fourteen years old and sleeping in yet another bed.  The little house on Marigold Lane looked cozy and welcoming from the street--lots of curb appeal, as the real estate agents liked to say--but she had decided that she would not be there for long.

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Page 56:  The storm had made landfall.  That was probably what had awakened her. But for some reason that didn't feel like the right explanation.

 

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My thoughts:  I'm looking forward to starting this latest book by Jayne Ann Krantz. She is a masterful suspense writer who has never disappointed me with her talent and imagination.

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From Goodreads:  A man's quest to find answers for those who are haunted by the past leads him deeper into the shadows in this electrifying novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Promise Not to Tell.

Quinton Zane is back.

Jack Lancaster, consultant to the FBI, has always been drawn to the coldest of cold cases, the kind that law enforcement either considers unsolvable or else has chalked up to accidents or suicides. As a survivor of a fire, he finds himself uniquely compelled by arson cases. His almost preternatural ability to get inside the killer's head has garnered him a reputation in some circles--and complicated his personal life. The more cases Jack solves, the closer he slips into the darkness. His only solace is Winter Meadows, a meditation therapist. After particularly grisly cases, Winter can lead Jack back to peace. 

But as long as Quinton Zane is alive, Jack will not be at peace for long. Having solidified his position as the power behind the throne of his biological family's hedge fund, Zane sets out to get rid of Anson Salinas's foster sons, starting with Jack.

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.  

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 
                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be Reading, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring a book I picked up from the library, Promise Not To Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz.

Chapter 1

Hannah Brewster splashed the accelerant around the inside of the small cabin, working feverishly because time was running out.  She was certain now that the demon would come for her that night.  He had been stalking her for weeks.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?
Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my go-to authors.  She writes in several genres, and her romantic suspense novels are among my favorites.  Every time I learn of a new title being released, I request it from the library.  This one is the second in the Cutler, Sutter & Salinas series.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz.  The excerpts shared are from the hardcover version I borrowed from the library.

 

Beginning:  Chapter 1

The killer waited patiently for the target to emerge from the cabin.

There was no great rush, after all.  The waiting allowed time to savor the prospect of revenge.

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Page 56:  "'Use your own judgment, Mr. Cutler.  I just want answers.'"

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My thoughts:  Jayne Ann Krantz is one of my favorite authors--a talented novelist who writes under several different names and in several genres.  This is slated as my next read, my last of 2016.  It's comforting to end the year with the newest work of an author who never disappoints me.

 

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From Goodreads:   When Charlotte Sawyer is unable to contact her step-sister, Jocelyn, to tell her that one her closest friends was found dead, she discovers that Jocelyn has vanished.

Beautiful, brilliant—and reckless—Jocelyn has gone off the grid before, but never like this. In a desperate effort to find her, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler, a struggling PI who recently moved to Seattle after his previous career as a criminal profiler went down in flames—literally. Burned out, divorced and almost broke, Max needs the job.

After surviving a near-fatal attack, Charlotte and Max turn to Jocelyn’s closest friends, women in a Seattle-based online investment club, for answers. But what they find is chilling…

When her uneasy alliance with Max turns into a full-blown affair, Charlotte has no choice but to trust him with her life. For the shadows of Jocelyn’s past are threatening to consume her—and anyone else who gets in their way... 

This Friday Focus post was originally written and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated. 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz.  The excerpts shared are from the hardcover version I purchased this summer from the Surf City Library book sale while vacationing on Long Beach Island, down the Jersey shore.

 

Beginning:  A funeral always made for a bad day.  Knowing that it was probably his screwup that had put Katherine Ralston into the ground made things a whole lot worse for Ellis Cutler that afternoon.

 

 

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Page 56:  "The instant the words were out of his mouth, he cringed, mentally kicking himself.  That had been a stupid thing to say under the circumstances."

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My thoughts:  This is an older JAK novel (published in 2004), but I couldn't resist it when I saw it on one of the library sale carts.  I've read a fair share of this author's novels and have really enjoyed them, so I'm happy to add this one to my reading queue.

 

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 From Goodreads:  The phenomenally popular bestselling author of Light in Shadow returns with a riveting tale of intrigue and intimacy that questions whether dreams can be trusted . . .

A red scarf. A roller coaster. A tidal wave of blood . . .Isabel Wright spends her days at the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research analyzing the dreams of others. Dr. Martin Belvedere, a pioneer in the field, recognized her unique talent for what he calls Level Five lucid dreaming. It's satisfying, lucrative work, but it can be emotionally draining. Especially when one of her anonymous subjects, known only as Client Number Two, captures her imagination through his compelling dream narratives. Secretly, she thinks of him as "Dream Man."

His real name is Ellis Cutler. A loner who's learned not to let anyone get too close, he works for a highly classified government agency with an interest in the potential value of lucid dreaming. And he's just been ordered by his boss to make contact with Isabel, who's been fired after the sudden death of Dr. Belvedere. Heading to California, he pushes his fantasies out of his mind, determined to maintain a professional relationship with the woman who reads his dreams, the mysterious figure he has come to think of as "Tango Dancer."

But when they meet in the flesh, the dream becomes real enough to touch. And a waking nightmare begins-when a suspicious hit-and-run leads them into a perilous web of passion, betrayal, and murder, and forces them to walk the razor-thin line between dreams and reality.

 

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start? 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #66

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts from a current or upcoming read with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a book I borrowed from the library.  Trust No One is the latest suspense novel from best-selling author Jayne Ann Krentz . . . 

 

  

Beginning:   The note pinned to the front of the dead man’s silk pajamas was a one-sentence email printed out from a computer: Make Today a Great Day the Witherspoon Way.

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Page 56:  "'A long time ago I was warned not to get personally involved with the people who work for me.  That way madness lies.'"

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My thoughts: Jayne Ann Krentz's books and characters are completely engaging.  As the opening sentence illustrates, this masterful storyteller sets a suspenseful mood. 

 

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start?
 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #66 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.    

Waiting on Wednesday: New Jayne Ann Krentz Novel

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  Today I'm featuring a new novel by popular author Jayne Ann Krentz.  Whether she writes under this name or as Jayne Ann Castle or Amanda Quick, the former librarian has never disappointed me.  Jayne's previous novel, River Road was a resounding hit.

 

    

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) 

Publication date: January 6, 2015

 

From barnesandnoble.com:  Following up on the incredible success of River Road, New York Times–bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz delivers another masterpiece of romantic suspense. 

It’s no coincidence when Grace Elland finds a vodka bottle next to the lifeless body of her boss, motivational speaker Sprague Witherspoon. The bottle is a terrifying—and deliberate—reminder of the horrors of her past.

Grace retreats to her hometown to regroup and tries to put everything she’s learned about positive thinking into practice—a process that is seriously challenged on the world’s worst blind date.

Awkward doesn’t begin to describe her evening with venture-capitalist Julius Arkwright. She has nothing in common with a man who lives to make money, but the intense ex-Marine does have some skills that Grace can use—and he’s the perfect man to help her when it becomes clear she is being stalked.

As Witherspoon’s financial empire continues to crumble around them, taking a deadly toll, Julius will help Grace step into her past to uncover a devious plan to destroy not only Grace, but everyone around her . . . 

Which book are you waiting for?

. . . Will you add this one to your list of must-reads?

Waiting on Wednesday: New Jayne Ann Krentz Novel was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.