FORBIDDEN BY F. STONE

FOR

MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK

 

 

FORBIDDEN BY F. STONE

Year 2047, City of Samarra, capital of the Republic of Islamic Provinces & Territories

Fifteen American travelers have vanished. Surrendering to Mayor Aamir’s demands, a devout Muslim and police captain becomes the reluctant keeper of his city’s bloody secret – and the witness, Eliza MacKay. Captain Sharif is horrified to discover that if he exposes the cover-up, his family will suffer dire consequences.

The CIA has the lying Sharif in their cross hairs. Sharif’s only hope is to prove his country’s government is free of guilt. Secretly, he hunts forensic evidence. Cryptic messages, backstabbing informants, and corruption threatens Sharif’s resolve to see justice served. When he discovers the shocking truth, he and MacKay become the targets of a ruthless killer.

Sharif is tortured by his attraction to the impetuous Eliza MacKay. In spite of her struggle with PTSD, he’s drawn to her vivacious personality. Islam forbids the intimacy he craves. In desperation to save Eliza, Sharif plots an act most forbidden and fatal.

 

MY REVIEW

FOR MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK FEBRUARY 12TH-22ND

This is an engrossing story that sucks you in from the first pages.  It’s intense, living up to the “word” thriller.  It was like watching an action-thriller movie in my head, which is the way books play out for me if I can really fall into the pages living the story through the characters.  The writing is that good.

 

The blurb tells you about the story so I am not going to try to do that.  It gives you a good idea of the story without giving away the exciting parts that keep you turning the pages.

 

The thing that fascinated me about the character Eliza MacKay was her PTSD and seeing how the author used it to push the story forward, create conflict, obstacles and weave a character that I cared about.  The authors use of deep point of was wonderful giving me enough so I related to the character in some sense as I read.

 

I did not like Captain Sharif at first but he grew on me, making me care just as Eliza had from the first page.  I understood him immediately due to the author’s skillful writing. That beginning feeling of dislike and then changing my feelings made that character arc relatable and powerful for me in the story.

 

These characters are forced to make choices in situation’s created and orchestrated by others that challenge the very core of who they are, what they believe and their own survival in a political-religious arena that has you holding your breath with all the intrigue surrounding them.

 

I felt the story tension, the sense of unease that permeated the air.  It is that fear you don’t want to acknowledge or admit to yourself.  It is when you know, at your core, that things are going get much worse despite the horror you’ve already experienced.  It is a sort of self-denial that allows you to act through horrendous, high-stress events, crisis after crisis, despite the deep terror within.   That is the feeling that the author captured making Eliza’s PTSD all the more engaging.

 

I would give this book a five-star rating plus.  F. Stone is a skillful writer garnering my admiration and fandom.  I received this book as an ARC copy free for an honest review and part of the Mystery Thriller Week.  However,  I could not resist going back to buy her first book, The Guardian’s Wild Child, craving to experience that same sense of adventure and character development again.   (Pssst–the first book is .99 cents, right now! 😉 )

 

Forbidden was a gripping, high-stakes, high-tension, outstanding read with a touch of romance.  This author just made my top ten authors list.   Judy, please write more soon.  

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! 

 

 

GUEST POST FROM JUDY WEIR AKA FEATHER STONE, F. STONE APPEARING IN

MY AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Good morning, Juneta. What a wonderful way to start the day. Usually, I’m doing one of two things. Writing the next paragraph or going through marketing hoops. Both of which can be fun and exasperating, but it’s always a solitary venture. Today, I get to chat with you and your guests.

You asked about my journey, why I write. Throughout my life, since I was a farm kid I dabbled in writing, even poetry. But it never became an obsession until I reached fifty something, because of a paranormal event; not unusual since my mother and I would occasionally connect with our spirit guides in a variety of odd ways. I never gave those events much attention. One guide even saved my life. Then, one evening as I was drifting off to sleep, I was transported to another place. I was physically on a ship standing beside the captain. That particular experience was so profound, partly because of my relationship with that man. It felt as though we had bonded at a truly deep level. I tried to move on from that experience and ignore the lingering feelings. They followed me every day. So I sat down a wrote about it hoping the effort would neutralize the memory. Instead, the paragraphs became chapters, and those chapters became the novel, The Guardian’s Wildchild.

My husband read it and encouraged me to get it published. He’s not one to give praise unless he feels it’s deserving. When Omnific Publishing sent me an email stating they approved of my manuscript, I screamed. I could hardly breathe for a week. It’s been an exciting journey since then, and sometimes extremely frustrating, and most always lonely. I spend hours each day writing and marketing. My reward is to read the reviews and discover how much readers loved my books.

Now that Forbidden is published, I’m wondering if I might return to my old life. My passions vary. But since I’ve focused on writing, I miss lazy days taking my dogs for walks, digging in my flower beds, and watercolor painting. No matter how hard I try to escape from my writer’s cave, the characters call me back. They’re always living in my head, discussing new scenes or trying to convince me to fix yesterday’s dialogue.

What has been the most important key for my success is building a relationship with other writers. I found a group of women who were also relatively new to writing and publishing. They have been vital to helping me navigate the steep marketing learning curve as well as giving me a boost when I get discouraged. Anyone considering writing as a career should look for such a group, either a book writing club (in the flesh, LOL) or an online group. There a several. One of my favorites is Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG). They are amazing.

Thank you so much, Juneta for this opportunity to share my writing experiences with you. I’ll remain on hand here to answer any questions your fans throw into the comments section. Blessings.

Welcome to Forbidden’s book launch celebration

Better Wear Your Flak Jacket

FORBIDDEN eBOOK IS FREE

February 14th to 18th at AMAZON

Synopsis:

Year 2047, City of Samarra, capital of the Republic of Islamic Provinces & Territories

Fifteen American travelers have vanished. Surrendering to Mayor Aamir’s demands, Captain Sharif becomes the reluctant keeper of his city’s bloody secret – and the witness, Eliza MacKay. The devout Muslim is horrified to discover that if he exposes the cover-up, his family will suffer dire consequences.

The CIA has the lying Sharif in their cross hairs. Sharif’s only hope is to prove his country’s government is free of guilt. Secretly, he hunts forensic evidence. Cryptic messages, backstabbing informants, and corruption threaten Sharif’s resolve to see justice served. When he discovers the shocking truth, he and MacKay become the targets of a ruthless killer.

Sharif is tortured by his attraction to the impetuous Eliza MacKay. In spite of her struggle with PTSD, he’s drawn to her vivacious personality. Islam forbids the intimacy he craves. In desperation to save Eliza, Sharif plots an act most forbidden and fatal.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter your name in my rafflecopter for a chance to win:

– GRAND PRIZE: AMAZON coupon valued at $100 USD,

– Second prize: Amazon coupon $50,

– PLUS five ten dollar amazon coupons.

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LAUNCH SCHEDULE

February 13:

Review by Lily Eva Blake

February 14:

Guest Post with Pat Garcia

Review and Guest Post with Juneta Key

February 15:

Featured in OPAL Magazine

Guest Post with Lily Eva Blake

February 16:

Review and Showcase with Nicki Elson

Showcase with Jennifer Lane

February 17:

Showcase with Nancee Cain

Interview with Tyler Wiegmann

February 18:

Review and Showcase with Yolanda Renee

Showcase with Michelle Willms

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Romance Under Fire
Author Feather Stone / F. Stone / Judy Weir:

On our cattle ranch, when an animal was in distress or injured, I was put in charge of nursing it back to health. Never mind that I was just a kid and hated the sight of blood, but I had to muster up the courage to apply home remedies. My survival rate was pretty good. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that I would progress to nursing – humans. After one year into nurses training, I bolted. Bed pans and chronic diseases pushed me in different direction; a career of dealing with drug addicts, murder, suicide, fatalities, and biker gangs. In 1983 I graduated with honors as a paramedic and worked in the City of Edmonton’s Emergency Services.

For the next twenty years, I came face to face with scenes most people would rather not think about. I loved it. Having experienced life in the most deadly and gut wrenching events, and work alongside the police service, I gained the fodder for creating intense novels.

My first novel, The Guardian’s Wildchild, was published by Omnific Publishing in 2011. The setting is on a naval ship, under the command of a surely man who is under suspicion of treason. When a battered woman is brought to his ship for execution, he has no idea that she is about to turn his disciplined life into chaos – and that she is no ordinary woman. The Guardian’s Wildchild has a rating of 4.1 at Amazon.

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