J.D.R. Hawkins

One bullet can make a man a hero… or a casualty.

Archive for the month “May, 2022”

Guest Post by Carolyn Mitchell

This guest post relates to what my husband and I have been going through. We started to have an addition put on last June, and it still isn’t completed. We’ve had to start from scratch by hiring another contractor. Word of advice: don’t go through Home Depot’s Pro Team! Make sure the contractor you hire is licensed and insured. Ours lied to us, so here we are a year later, with an uncompleted project. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this article.

10 Ways to Find a Reliable Contractor For Your Upcoming Home Renovation

Finding a reliable contractor is a vital part of your home renovation plan, and knowing how to find the perfect one will ensure that the job is done right. Check out our tips for hiring the best contractor for your home remodel.

10 Ways to Find a Trusted Contractor

1.   Ask Around

Word of mouth is often one of the best ways to find a great, trustworthy contractor for your job. Ask for professional recommendations on community social media platforms and from neighbors, friends, or family.

2.   Search Online

Do some research online to find reputable contractors in your area. Home service apps are becoming popular sources for professionals to advertise their business with their qualifications, experience, and reviews right at your fingertips. You can also search your city’s website for recommendations. Sometimes there is even a list posted by the city of trusted contractors that keep up-to-date on building permits and regulations.

3.   Read Reviews

When you find a contractor, look for reviews about their previous projects. Reviews could sometimes skew more positive or negative, so reading between the lines is an important factor when reading through them. However, by sifting through them, you will be able to start building a clearer picture of what doing business will look like with certain contractors.

4.   Seasonal Expectations

Depending on the type of project, some home renovations may have seasonal highs and lows. Most indoor repairs tend to happen during the winter months, while spring through early fall is when most outdoor work is carried out.

Keep the season in mind when you are planning your project because it could be a busy season for your contractor. Remember that although you want your project completed right away, a company having a full schedule speaks to the quality of their work.

5.   Interview Prospective Contractors

Interviews are a great way to get to know contractors and how they like to carry out business. Start simple by asking questions about your project over the phone to narrow your search.

Once you have focused on a few select contractors, have face-to-face interviews or consultations so you can show and talk more openly about the project, price, and time frame.

6.   Ask for Bids

After researching your project’s estimated costs and narrowing down potential contractors, have your final group submit bids for the work. Review the offers and find the best one for the job. Beware of a price that is too high or too low and be sure to ask about any fees that may come later down the road.

7.   Check for License & Certification Information

It is crucial in home renovation projects to ask the contractor about which licenses, certifications, and insurance documents they possess. Not having some of these items could invalidate their work when the city checks the job or when you sell your home. You also do not want to be held liable for any on-the-job injuries, so make sure your handyman service has an insurance plan.

8.   Make Sure They Obtain Permits

You will know a good contractor because they will be on top of procuring the necessary permits themselves. If a professional asks for you to get local permits, that is a sign they may not be the right handyman for the job. If they say you don’t need permits, you could be putting yourself at risk for city fines or redoing projects that were not approved. A reliable contractor will take care of all the documentation the city deems mandatory.

9.   Discussing Payments and Schedule

Going over payment plans and schedules should always be a topic discussed prior to the work getting started. This way, the contractor and the client can set expectations about what is acceptable for the duration of the project. Discuss specific goals and time frames for those goals.

Scheduling days and times that work best for you and your home renovator is essential to your plan. You want everything to run smoothly and quickly without disrupting your life as much as possible. Having a conversation about the working hours the team can commit to will help create an environment that is less disruptive for both parties.

10.  Going Over the Contract

Once you have finally found the contractor that fits your needs, it is time for the contract. Make sure to carefully review the contract before signing to ensure that all the agreed-upon points are present in the writing. When you and your contractor have all the details hammered out on paper, sign your name and get the project going!

Find the Best Contractor

Contractors know there are many other home service professionals vying for your business. The best ones will put in the extra effort to ensure your satisfaction. By doing research, reading reviews, interviewing, and asking for specific bids, you will be able to find the right contractor for your home renovation project.

Author bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.

Release Day Blitz – Vive La Résistance (Donovan Trait#3) by Seelie Kay

Things are gonna get messy…

An illegal union, a banned birth, a Great Lie, and now, genocide. Vampire lawyer Donovan Trait and his wife, chemically-turned Judge Shirley Magnusen, are battling for their lives and the lives of their children. The Vampire Coalition wants them dead, but now the despots have also decided to expand their net, targeting any vampire whose blood is mixed with human or Were. Half-bloods are already treated like dirt by the Vampire Nation. They have been subjected to centuries of discrimination and cruelty at their hands. As the Coalition embarks on a campaign of terror, destruction, and slaughter, millions of half-bloods emerge from the shadows, ready and willing to reclaim their place in the Vampire Nation. The problem is, war cannot be unleashed out in the open in the human world, battles must be fought in other ways. Even with an island of highly-skilled vampire nuns and a few Weres and humans at that their side, it appears the Traits may be fighting an unwinnable war. Their only option may be to sacrifice their own lives in the hopes of setting all other half-bloods free.

Book Links:

Extasy Books * Goodreads

Read an Excerpt from Vive La Résistance

Donovan shifted on the lounger and muttered incomprehensively, then he emitted a rumbling snore.

“Hey, y’all. So yeah, vampires are real and they’re not above doing the dirty to those who share their blood. Take a look at this.” The Tik-Tokker grinned. “You are not gonna believe it. It’s so shady.”

Video of the Coalition camps rolled across the screen. Occasionally, the camera zeroed in a dirty or bruised Millennial, or a guard pushing a group of people into a building, their ankles locked together with some sort of rope. They were seen eating off of metal plates and lined up to fill a metal cup with something from a barrel. It wasn’t water. The liquid was rust-colored and thick, like blood.

“And the dudes running the place have a Marie Antoinette fetish. You know—” The woman mimicked a knife across her throat. “Off with their heads?” She giggled.

A guillotine appeared on camera. About ten people were in line, each with a black hood over their heads and their arms bound behind them. One at a time, they were pushed onto a stage and forced to their knees, their necks positioned directly under the blade. With manic efficiency, a guard released the blade. Most heads flew into a barrel in front of the platform. The ones that rolled off onto the stage were kicked to their final destination. The headless bodies were tossed onto a pile on the ground.

“Oh, grosss,” the woman complained. She leaned toward the camera. “Kind of like a bad zombie movie, isn’t it?” She sat back in her chair and made a face. “Whatever. I mean, like, are we supposed to believe that’s really happening? Isn’t that against the law or something?” She cackled. “As if.” She leisurely stretched her body, her crop top exposing a belly button ring. “I’m so shook.”

The woman tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled. “Now, I’m not sharing this for the views. It is kind of sus. But if this shit is real, someone needs to get off the pot and do something about it. Aren’t there any woke cops out there who can play the James Bond card? Before anymore—” She swiped her finger across her throat and giggled. Then the screen went black.

Donovan shot up in his chair and blinked. Once. Twice. He shook his head and attempted to gather himself. What the hell? Sure, he had needed the sleep, even if it was only a thirty-minute nap, but the dreams he could do without. It had been less than forty-eight hours since the worldwide kidnappings. Donovan knew preparations for rescue were underway. But he also knew Bengotten and Hannigan were capable of even greater cruelty. He could only imagine the terror and the torture the victims were being subjected to. 

It was difficult to understand how the vampire world was capable of this. He had long prided himself on their natural superiority, their ability to rise up above the petty politics and unjustified violence in the human and Were worlds. Yet overnight, vampires had become the monsters, the tyrants capable of such evil. That astonished him. For the first time in his long existence, Donovan was ashamed of being a vampire. If it was possible, he might very well submit to being turned into a human or a Were. He buried his face in his hands. Yes, he could live as a human. Perhaps he could ask Dr. Alvarez to find a way to turn off his vampirism, maybe using the gene-editing Marilyn could not stop talking about.

 About Seelie Kay:

Award-winning author Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, sometimes with a dash of kink.

Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nineteen works of fiction, including the new paranormal romance series Donovan Trait, as well the erotic romance Kinky Briefs series and The Feisty Lawyers romantic suspense series. She also authored The Last Christmas, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The President’s Daughter, Seizing Hope, The White House Wedding, and participated in the romance anthology Pieces of Us.

When not spinning romantic tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently, she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine. 

Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Seelie on the Web:
Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Author’s Amazon Page

99Cents Deal :: Imagine the Kiss (Crystal Creek Series #7) by Laura Haley

Available for 99 cents from 23rd till 29th May!

Two people open themselves to the truth and open themselves to each other.

Her marriage in ruins, violinist Teagan Whitloch Munroe escapes into her music and the solace she finds at the Crystal Creek Ranch. Practicing in the woods helps her piece together her life, but she isn’t alone. When she hears someone hiking nearby, she demands he reveal himself, but the only revelation she gets is a soothing voice that heals the pain in her heart.

Maimed by a crushing accident, the once famous architect Phineas St. Cyr protects the world from his disfigurement by sequestering himself in the woods on the Crystal Creek Ranch. When he hears the intoxicating strains from Teagan’s violin, he can’t resist the beauty that quiets his aching soul, and he yearns to know the woman who creates such beauty.

Teagan finds sanctuary in her friendship with this connoisseur of music, but soon realizes Phin’s hiding more than his hideous scars. As they become entangled with each other, Teagan is stunned to learn they share more than a love of music. They are caught in a web of deceit by someone threatening to reveal Phin’s secrets. His exposed past endangers Teagan, and he can no longer walk away. This time he must face the enemy determined to defeat him. He’ll fight to the finish to protect the woman he can never love. No price is too high to keep buried the secret that will mark Teagan for destruction.

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com

Read an Excerpt from Imagine the Kiss

Chapter One

Teagan Whitloch Munroe was trembling. She was trembling, and she couldn’t stop. She’d been trembling for more than two hours—since she’d left the downtown Denver condominium she shared with her husband, Dr. Wilbert Munroe. What she’d seen inside the condo—in their bedroom—made her want to vomit. A cold knot of disgust and revulsion gripped her stomach.

When she’d walked into the master bedroom, she must’ve gasped. Will was lying on the bed, but he wasn’t alone. He’d lifted his head from the pillow. He looked right at her.

And swore.

He didn’t look surprised. He looked annoyed.

She’d pressed a hand over her mouth.

Blinded by tears, she’d backed into the doorjamb and stumbled into the hallway. She didn’t remember running out of the condo, but she must have. Her legs throbbed, and her chest ached. The only thing she remembered was her husband calling her name. What had he said? Let’s talk? She didn’t know if she should laugh or sob.

And she remembered the dulcet laughter of the naked woman who was servicing him in bed. Teagan’s and Will’s bed. Teagan had thought Ginny Andrews was her friend.

Some friend. Ginny who was svelte and toned. A contrast to Teagan who’d struggled with her weight since she was seven years old.

A shuddering breath rocked through Teagan’s lungs. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away.

She barely remembered driving to the Crystal Creek Ranch, throwing a saddle on her favorite horse, Champagne, and racing through the meadows until she reached the aspen forest covering Crystal Peak.

Fighting against the despair that filled her, she wrapped shaky fingers around the reins and urged the Arabian horse through the trees bursting with spring green leaves. Her vision blurred, and she tried to focus on the pink wild roses and purple elephant’s head mingling with the green undergrowth. The splashes of Crystal Creek tumbling over rocks sounded next to the trail. It was happy and musical and far from the darkness that crowded her heart. Her stomach roiled and begged to be emptied of the half sandwich she’d eaten during the orchestral rehearsal that afternoon.

She ran her hand over the horse’s neck damp from perspiration.

About the Author:

A native of California, Laura Haley-McNeil spent her youth studying ballet and piano, though her favorite pastime was curling up with a good book. Without a clue as to how to write a book, she knew one day she would.

After college, she segued into the corporate world, but she never forgot her love for the arts and served on the board of two community orchestras. Finally realizing that the book she’d dreamt of writing wouldn’t write itself, she planted herself in front of her computer. She now immerses herself in the lives and loves of her characters in her romantic suspense and her contemporary romance novels. Many years later, she lived her own romantic novel when she married her piano teacher, the love of her life.

Though she and her husband have left warm California for cooler Colorado, they enjoy the outdoor life of hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and snow skiing. They satisfy their love of music by attending concerts and hanging out with their musician friends, but Laura still catches a few free moments when she can sneak off and read. 

Laura on the Web:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Newsletter

My Books Featured at L.A. Times Festival of Books

My books are displayed second row on the left.

Recently, my novels were featured at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California. My publisher, Westwood Books Publishing, attended the event and set up a display galley, where all four of my books in the Renegade Series were featured.

My books on display.

More than 150,000 book lovers and media members attended the event. This was the 27th annual L.A. Times Festival of Books. It is one of the largest and most prestigious book festivals in the country. Since its debut in 1996, the festival has combined literature lovers with hundreds of booksellers, publishers, and literary organizations.

Because my books were featured at the event, I will now be able to get them placed in bookstores around the country. This was an excellent event and a great opportunity for me to get my books in front of a lot of people. Thanks to my publisher for including my books in this event!

Release Day Blitz – Once Upon a Mistake

There are no second chances, only missed ones…

Five years ago, an accident changed Maya’s life forever. From an engaged, MBA graduate with her entire life in front of her, she’d ended up dumped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.

Five years ago, Yash had been looking forward to marrying the woman of his dreams. Then his father died, he lost his job and his fiancee dumped him over a text.

Neither have forgiven each other and neither has forgotten the other. When their paths cross at Il Couer, a vineyard owned by common friends, sparks fly, past hurts are stoked and present dreams are destroyed.

And that is just the beginning. As their lives get entangled, both professionally and personally, they find themselves fighting familial disapproval, professional jealousy, and a mutual attraction that threatens to burn them down.

Can Maya and Yash ever unravel their tangled past? And will the truth of their past define or destroy them? Can you build a future on a posioned past? They’re about to find out…

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com

Read an Excerpt from Once Upon A Mistake

The door slammed behind her and he heaved a sigh of relief. Peace and quiet at last. He put on his reading glasses, opened up the book and started to read.

And then he heard her laugh. He shouldn’t, he told himself. He really shouldn’t stand up and try to see where she was or what she was doing. Maya Patgaonkar was not someone he should be looking at or looking for or any other type of looking.

He got to his feet and walked to the balcony railing, peering out through the dusky light of early evening. He was definitely looking.

She was walking down the endlessly sloping green lawn with the guy she’d arrived with and another guy and girl. All four of them seemed to be talking at the same time, practically talking over each other.

Her hair was loose and hung in waves down her back. She wore a loose, floral skirt with a billowing white shirt that gave her a distinctly free, bohemian look. And she still limped.

Not a temporary thing then, this limp. Had she gotten it in the accident that had killed Vikram? Aakash’s bitter recounting of their wild night of debauchery that had ended in his brother’s death had been both sordid and distasteful.

It had also been deeply disturbing. That had not been the girl he’d thought he was marrying. Maybe her dumping him for being a penniless loser had been a true blessing in disguise. And yet, Yash continued to stand and watch her and her friends meander along in what was clearly an aimless walk.

Maya. The name resonated in his head. Almost as if she heard him, she turned, her gaze drawn to the house. He saw her scanning the side of the house facing them and was about to step back and out of sight when her gaze snagged on him.

The guy who’d arrived with her, Ved, said something to her and she responded but she didn’t look away.

The moment between them stretched into an eternity that should never have existed. His heart was thudding, a drumbeat that he didn’t want to hear but one that thrummed through his veins nevertheless.

She took a step toward him, a miniscule movement that nobody caught but him. It broke the spell. Yash stepped back and away from the railing, consciously turning away from her.

The few months they’d known each other had been a lasting lesson. Maya wouldn’t get another chance to play him for a fool again.

About the Author:

Shilpa Suraj wears many hats – corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.

An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.

Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter

My Book Made it to Round Three!

I’m so excited that my new novel, Double-Edged Sword, has made it into the third round of voting! I couldn’t have gotten here without you! Every month, AllAuthor sponsors a book cover contest. There are four voting rounds, one for each week of the month.

allauthor.com
Cover of the Month
Double-Edged Sword: A Novel of Reconstruction Book Four of the Renegade Series
Hey Everyone,
I’m excited to tell you that my book has been nominated for the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor.com. This will help me a lot if I could see some votes coming in, so please remember to vote my book.
Vote Now »
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/13313/

Would you please be so kind as to vote for my cover once again? I would be eternally grateful! Thank you so much in advance.

https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/13313/

Confederate Memorial Day

Last month was Confederate Heritage and History month. In honor of this, a special event took place on April 23 at Beauvoir in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Beauvoir, Biloxi, MS

Beauvoir is a beautiful mansion with breathtakingly stunning gardens. It is the home where Confederate President Jefferson Davis spent his last years after the Civil War ended. I have visited Beauvoir many times, and it always amazes me how beautiful it is.

Three days after Katrina

Beauvoir was seriously damaged from Hurrican Katrina. But since then, it has been restored to its previous glory.

Inside Beauvoir

On the grounds is a Confederate cemetery, and in the cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The wreath laying ceremony that took place on April 23 was in honor of the unknown soldier. Solemn ceremonies such as this take place all across the South during April.

Please vote again!

My new novel, Double-Edged Sword, has made it into the second round of voting. Every month, AllAuthor sponsors a book cover contest. There are four voting rounds, one for each week of the month.

allauthor.com
Cover of the Month
Double-Edged Sword: A Novel of Reconstruction Book Four of the Renegade Series
Hey Everyone,
I’m excited to tell you that my book has been nominated for the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor.com. This will help me a lot if I could see some votes coming in, so please remember to vote my book.
Vote Now »
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/13313/

Would you please be so kind as to vote for my cover again? I would be eternally grateful! Thank you so much in advance.

https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/13313/

Another Stellar Review for A Beautiful Glittering Lie

I recently received another five-star review for my novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie. This is the first book in the Renegade Series. Thank you so much, Tom Thompson, for your review!

Tom Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a very enjoyable read

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2022

Normally I haven’t read this type of novel, but this story grabbed from the beginning and is a page turner.
The author painted a picture that placed me into the storyline.
Voracious Readers gave me a complimentary copy of the book and I am glad that did.
You should read this civil war tale.

Please Vote For My Book Cover!

Every month, AllAuthor sponsors a book cover contest. This month, the cover for my novel, Double-Edged Sword, is a contender. There are four voting rounds, one for each week of the month.

allauthor.com
Cover of the Month
Double-Edged Sword: A Novel of Reconstruction Book Four of the Renegade SeriesHey Everyone,
I’m excited to tell you that my book has been nominated for the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor.com. This will help me a lot if I could see some votes coming in, so please remember to vote my book.
Vote Now »
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/13313/

Would you please be so kind as to vote for my cover? I would be eternally grateful! Thank you so much in advance.

https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/13313/

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