Guest Blogger: Kate White & Giveaway

Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Kate White comes a riveting psychological suspense in which a media star must battle a malevolent enemy who may be disturbingly close to her.

After losing her on-air job two years ago, television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and now she’s hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat. But suddenly, things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation the makeup artist uses burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident—someone had deliberately doctored with the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her . . . including her life. -- Harper

Just yesterday, I reviewed EYES ON YOU by Kate White. I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and it's a summer must-read. Seriously... this book needs to be in your beach or pool bag! I consider myself a big fan of Ms. White's, so I'm very honored that she took time from her busy schedule to share with my readers (and me!) some of her favorites summer reads!

My Secret Summer Reading Habit 

I love reading no matter what time of year it is, but there’s something absolutely delicious about summer reading. The days are longer and so you’re lulled into thinking you have more time on your hands. Plus it’s the lazy season, right? You don’t have to feel guilty about devouring something a little trashy, a book that’s not guaranteed to make you a better person.

I always read more than one book at a time but in summer I often have as many as five going at once because there’s a ton of new releases. Though I read a lot of books on my iPad, I keep a few hardcovers around, and I travel with them on vacation. I don’t want to wait until a plane reaches cruising altitude to start reading!!! 

This summer I've already polished off a few terrific reads. I loved The Arsonist by Sue Miller. Her writing is always rich and provocative. I enjoyed my first Megan Abbot novel, The Fever and I couldn’t put down I’m Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum, a smart, engaging book about a guy who is dumped by his mistress and realizes he wants to fall in love with his wife again and get her to love him back. Good luck with that, buddy! 

The read of the summer for me is I Am Pilgrim, an utterly gripping thriller by Terry Hayes that is over 600 pages so you get to relish it for days. Just hold on tight, okay? 

Here’s one quirky aspect of my summer reading. I often use this time of year to re-read books I loved in the past. I guess I do it because I feel I have a bit more down time, even though that’s not necessarily true. I just finished The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey, one of the great mystery writers of all time. If you haven’t read her, treat yourself. It had been decades since I read it the first time and I realized I didn’t remember the ending, so that made it extra fun for me. The book has very little action compared to contemporary mysteries and yet it’s seductively written and you just can’t stop turning the pages. I’m trying to learn from this for my own writing. 

Speaking of seductive, I just started re-reading Rules of the Game (a Novel of Africa) by Francesca Marciano about a young ex-patriot in Kenya. It’s erotic and lush and it stays with you long afterwards. And it evokes Kenya for me, a country I’ve visited twice but would be reluctant to travel to right now because of the violence happening there. That’s partly why I chose to read it again. 

And at some point this summer I will re-read The Dead by James Joyce, something I do almost every single summer. Even though it takes place at Christmas time and the pivotal memory in the book is a winter one, I love to savor this masterpiece in warm weather. Perhaps because at this time of year, memory seems to play such a significant role. I always find myself stirred by memories of summers past. 

If you haven’t found a book that’s grabbing you right now, why not indulge in a book that moved you long ago. And don’t feel guilty about reading it more than once! 

*****

Kate White is the New York Times bestselling author of nine works of fiction—six Bailey Weggins mysteries and three suspense novels, including, Eyes on You (June 2014). For fourteen years she was the editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, and though she loved the job (and the Cosmo beauty closet!), she decided to leave in late 2013 to concentrate full time on being an author.

Her books have received starred reviews from a variety of publications and she has been covered everyplace from The Today Show to The New York Times. Her first Bailey Weggins mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was named as the premier Reading with Rippa selection and soon shot to number one on Amazon. (And it’s now being made into an opera!). She is published in 18 countries around the world.

Kate is currently editing the Mystery Writers of America cookbook, a selection of recipes from many of the top-selling authors.

Like many mystery writers, Kate fell in love with the genre after reading her first Nancy Drew book, The Secret of Redgate Farm, and she still admires those cliffhanger endings that “Carolyn Keene” created.

She is married and the mother of two children, and once had her daughter stalk her through the woods so she could better describe the sounds of someone being followed.

Kate is also the author of several very popular career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve, and Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.

Website: http://katewhite.com
Blog: http://katewhite.com/blog
Twitter: @katemwhite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateWhiteAuthor

Giveaway alert: I have a copy of EYES ON YOU to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before July 28th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!