To Catch Her Death
Grim Reality Series, Book 1
Boone Brux
Genre: Paranormal Humor
Publisher: Red Hot Publishing
Date of Publication: October 18, 2013
Number of pages: 210
Word Count: ~60,000
Cover Artist: Jennifer Meyers & Hot Damn Designs
Excerpt:What do you get when you cross a hockey mom with the grim reaper? Me, Lisa Carron.
If being a depressed, frumpy, widowed mother of three wasn’t bad enough, I just discovered I’m a grim reaper. I know what you’re thinking. Wow, that’s kind of sexy and full of awesomeness. Hardly. Oh, and my clients? Stupid people. Like I don’t get enough of that from the living.
Since Alaska is big and angels of death are few, I’ve been partnered with reaper extraordinaire, Nate Cramer. He’s strong, silent, and way too good looking for my recently widowed state. Oh, and he reaps violent criminals, so that should be interesting.
Forget the danger and the hours of self-analysis it will take for me to find my reaper mojo. My biggest problem? Hiding it all from my overly attentive family and nosy neighbors. Now that’s going to take a miracle.
“You’re not welcome here.” He took a step forward and I slapped my hand against the wall, blocking his path with my arm. If he was a grim reaper then maybe he couldn’t enter my house until he was invited—like vampires. “Be gone.”
He smirked. “I’m not a vampire.”
“I know you’re not. There’s no such thing.” I rolled my eyes, trying to give the impression I hadn’t totally been thinking that. “What do you want?”
“Give me ten minutes. Then I’ll leave and never bother you again.”
It sounded too good to be true. “Never ever?”
“I promise.”
He didn’t do any kind of scout’s honor hand gesture, so I didn’t know if I could completely trust him. “Ten minutes.”
In that amount of time, he could have me sliced up and vacuum sealed, but what choice did I have. I spun and walked into my kitchen. The idea of he being a grim reaper was the lesser of two evils made me want to laugh. Not in a haha, ironic isn’t it way. But a deeply disturbed things keep getting weirder and weirder way.
His footsteps followed. I cursed myself. He’d probably leave big, stupid dirt marks all over my sparkling floor. I scooped up my glass and turned to face him. My upbringing forced me to offer him a drink. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
He held up a hand and shook his head. “No, thank you.”
Hmm, very polite—for a killer. I pulled out the chair and sat, indicating he should do the same. I sipped slowly, wishing it was something stronger. “Okay, speak.”
He lowered himself into the chair and propped his elbows on the table, leveling a stare at me. “You are a grim reaper.”
“So you’ve said.” I took another drink and set down my glass. “Are we done?”
“Hardly.” He eased back and sized me up, his gaze narrowing. “All right then, you explain what happened at the Holiday station this morning.”
I considered giving him Vella’s explanation, but those reasons sounded even more ridiculous than reaping a soul. I decided to change tactics. “Let me ask you this. Why do you think I’m a reaper?”
“We recently lost one of our own and you came on our radar as the next reaper in line.”
“Lost one of your own?” I didn’t like the sound of that at all. “You mean one of your reapers died?”
He shifted in his chair. “Yes.”
“That’s a bit ironic isn’t it? The angel of death dying.”
He shrugged. “We’re mortal, tools for the greater good of mankind.”
I refrained from telling him how much of a tool I thought he was. “Isn’t the grim reaper immortal?”
“You watch too many movies.”
That was true but I didn’t confirm his statement.
Interview:
Today, we welcome Boone Brux to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give her a big Geeky welcome!
I’m so thrilled to be here! Thank you.I have some questions for you that are writer specific as well as some fun stuff so that we can really get to know the real you. *grin* Plus we will finish things off with round of Think Fast. Ready to begin?
Writing Specific
1. Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.
I have a dragon tattoo. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.2. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
It’s boring but I like to spend time with my family. They’re some of the funniest people I know.3. How did you choose the genres you write in?
The first time I read a paranormal I knew it’s what I wanted to write. I love the ability to create stories that go beyond the norm. There’s no restriction on what kind of characters I get to come up with. Plus, I love writing humor so I putting paranormal characters in funny situations is just fun.4. Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?
Probably Janet Evanovich. Her Stephanie Plum series made me realize how much I enjoyed humor.5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
LOL, the very first review I ever got was horrific. The reviewer couldn’t even finish the book she said. Wow, harsh. That was a tough pill for a debut author to take. The silver lining was that I became immune to reviews and focused on what I wanted to write.
I have to say, some of the best compliments I’ve gotten have been over my last two books. Readers have emailed me that they love the stories and humor. Since I love writing it so much, it really makes those comments uber special.Fun Stuff
6. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?
Jesus. I have a few questions.7. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
Evian bottled water, a solar powered battery charger and my iPad.8. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why?
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russle. They seem down to earth and fun.9. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
Apples, rhubarb beer, a big jar of mayo, and moose bologna. I wish there was a box of glazed donuts, but there’s not.10. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Hold on, I Need to Put My Pants on. We’ll leave it at that.Think Fast
Summer or Winter? Summer
Coffee or Tea? – Coffee, lots of it
Cake or Pie? - Cake
Car or Truck? – Car in the summer, Truck in the winter
Print or Electronic? Electronic
Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
Thank you for having me. The only words, or more of a favor, is if you love a book post a review. Thanks!!!
Review:
This is the first book in the Grim Reality Series by Boone Brux. This was my first exposure to the author, but now I will be checking out her back list. I liked the idea of a single mom being a Grim Reaper, especially with the setting of Alaska as the backdrop. The premise just intrigued me, so I signed up to give it a go. I am glad that I did.
The story opens with Lisa Carron on the one year anniversary of her husband's death. We are introduced to Lisa as she reflects on the changes in her life and attitude in the past year. After a phone call with her mother and daughter, Lisa is headed to Vella, her best friend and hairstylist, to get her hair done for the first time in a long time. On the way, she stops in the local convenience store for her cold caffeine fix. While she is there, the store is held up by a robber. One of the clerks, in a show of bravery or stupidity, pulls his own gun on the robber and shoots him. Lisa's Mother Mode kicks in, and she races over to check his pulse, yelling for someone to call 9-1-1. But as she puts her fingers to his neck to check for a pulse, things start to get weird.
The ghost of the robber attaches himself to her. Another bystander, who had tried to warn Lisa not to touch the body, now instructs her to hold on to the ghost and proceeds to give Lisa a quick lesson in what it means to be a Grim Reaper and helps Lisa get the soul off to its destination. When she realizes that he has been saying her name all along and knows all about her, Lisa is a quite a bit freaked out. But this is just the tip of the iceburg to come.
First let me start by saying that some of the best dialogue in the book happen between Lisa and Vella. Their relationship was a blast to read. I also liked the relationship between Lisa and her daughter Bronte. There is also the relationship between Lisa and her dead husband, Jeff; clearly defined by his absence in the book. There is also the new relationship Lisa is creating with her trainer, mentor and partner - Nate. I honestly don't see him as a love interest, and that is okay. Lisa is a recent widow who is still very much dealing with the aftermath of her husband's sudden death. As a matter of fact, I believe that Jeff's sudden death is a part of a larger story arc that will be further developed in coming books. I think my biggest complaint is that the story ended too soon. I would have happily kept reading. I am giving this book 3 stars on Goodreads and hope that the next book is in the works.
Giveaway:
1 E-copy of To Catch Her Death
Book Tour Info:
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:
October 21:
Penny For Them... - Review
AC James
October 22:
Adrienne Woods Books and reviews - Guest Post
October 23:
Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews - Review
Booker Like a Hooker - Review
October 24:
Booked & Loaded - Interview
October 25:
Black Words-White Pages
October 28:
Mochas, Mysteries and More - Interview
October 29:
Smitten W/Books - Review
October 30:
Fantasy Book Addict - Interview
October 31:
Reviewing in Chaos
November 1:
Who's Reviews - Interview & Review
November 4:
Musings and Ramblings - Interview & Review
My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews - Review
November 5:
Pembroke Sinclair - Interview
Books & Other Spells
November 6:
Marsha A Moore’s blog - Guest Post
November 7:
Happy tails and tales - Review
November 8:
Mythical Books - Guest Post
November 8:
Painted Words - Review
November 11:
Victoria's Gossip - Guest Post
Share My Destiny
November 12:
Kimber Leigh Writes - Review
Sunshine & mountians Book Reviews - Review
November 13:
Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust - Guest Post & Review
Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog
November 14:
Belinda Williams Books - Review
Cover Reveals
November 15:
The Simple Things in life - Interview
Booklover Sue
Ramblings of a Book Lunatic - Review
November 18:
Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews - Character Interview & Review
Sapphyria's Book Reviews - Review
A_TiffyFit's Reading Corner - Review
Paranormal & Erotica Romance Musings - Review
Author Bio:
As a bestselling author, Boone Brux’s books range from high fantasy to humorous paranormal.A former nanny, Boone has lived all over the world, finally settling in the icy region of Alaska, where she writes full time. Always looking for the next adventure, it’s not unusual to find her traversing the remotest parts of the Alaskan bush. No person or escapade is off limits when it comes to weaving real life experiences into her books or blogs.
To connect with the author online:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
I am a terrible liar. I am unable to lie about anything, even over the telephone to strangers, so I can imagine how hilarious my attempts at hiding being a Grim Reaper would be. "So, where have you been, Michelle?" "Uh, ...um...well, I had to step out a moment to pay a LAST minute visit to a friend. She really had to GO somewhere and I was afraid if I didn't see her right away I NEVER would AGAIN." Yep. It would work out just fine. Not.
ReplyDeleteoh...this sounds really good. Great review.
ReplyDeleteI just started finished a grim reaper story and liked it, but one as a single mom? quite interesting indeed.
By being as cheerful as possible!
ReplyDeleteLove it!! Great answer. Thanks Michele.
ReplyDeletePlus Alaska! I have always been fascinated by the state and its untamed beauty.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Great answer Meghan.
ReplyDelete