Tag Archives: Amazon

Get out! Perfect heroes who cook? 🥘🦐

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Hello, friends!

I’ll start this post with a fun fact: did you know that today is National Men-Make-Dinner Day? Yep, you read that right! Today is the perfect excuse to get your man cooking, and although the rules say that no BBQ is allowed, I say you should take what you can get. 😉

I am lucky and blessed that my husband actually enjoys cooking, and in the little free time he has, he spoils me with dishes from great chefs like Gordon Ramsay. I don’t even care if he makes a little mess, if I get a delicious dinner (but he does clean up afterward!).

I know what you must be thinking: some guys sound too good to be true, right? Well, it’s not like us, women, are perfect, so I figure men are allowed to get away with a few flaws here and there. Even in fiction.

But if you do like romance with heroes that are too good to be true, I have a treat for you this weekend. My romantic comedy, Unabridged, is FREE! So if you’re in the mood for some romance, steam, and lots of laughter, take advantage of this limited offer and grab your copy from Amazon.

Whoever thought Cinderella had it easy didn’t stick around for the alternate ending…

Everyone believed I was an idiot to leave Blade Spencer—rich, handsome, and head-over-heels in love with me. But I did it for his own good, determined to take the secret to my grave.

I moved to Seattle, pursued my career as a journalist at Unabridged magazine, and almost convinced myself I didn’t need a man. I had enough virtual admirers, and my email was jam-packed with marriage proposals and X-rated pictures—not to mention hysterically funny letters from a clever fan.

Imagine my surprise when I show up at work, and Blade is my new boss. Did I mention he has no idea why I left him and thinks I’m a cold-hearted bitch?

Just as I decide to prove him wrong, I discover Blade’s life has changed in ways I never imagined. Having to work with him is the least of our problems…

 

If you prefer audiobooks, you can find Unabridged on many retailers, including SCRIBD, audiobooks.com, Kobo, etc.

Here’s a sample for your enjoyment! Click to play: 

Fondly,

 

 

 

 

S is for Strike!

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Hi, friends!

I hope this post finds you and yours well and safe. This has been a challenging year for all of us, for some more than for others. Personally, I often felt like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel—and that the tunnel is underwater. But despite everything else, I kept my conviction that hard work pays off, and I dove into my work, giving it everything that I had.

This is how Silent Strike came to life, and I am thrilled to announce that today is Launch Day for my next Irish Garda Squad novel, which several early reviewers say is the best of the series so far.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Gripping and page-turningly fantastic from the very beginning. Silent Strike is not to be missed!” — IND’TALE MAGAZINE

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Colt Strikes Gold Once More” — Goodreads

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Lots of mystery with some romance and unexpected emotion to keep you on a roller coaster of a ride.” — Goodreads

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I enjoyed a REAL mystery, one that I had to look at all the suspects and figure out whodunit” — Goodreads

So what’s this book about? Well, I’m happy that you ask! 🙂

Detectives Aidan Connor and Jenna Darcy never had compassion for vigilantes—until now.

A politician’s murder is always big news, but Detective Aidan Connor isn’t sure if landing the high-profile case is a blessing or a curse. The late senator was not as well-liked as everyone claims. As the investigation advances, the problem isn’t that Aidan has no suspects—he has too many.

Pressured to close the case quickly, Aidan partners with Detective Jenna Darcy, the finest cybercrime expert from the Irish Garda. As they dig into the politician’s life, the secrets they uncover go from dirty to shockingly disturbing. Aidan and Jenna start to wonder if the killer is the true villain…

Don’t worry if you haven’t read any of the other books in the series. Each story in the Irish Garda Squad series is a stand-alone, so you don’t have to worry about previous backstories or cliffhangers.

If you’re still on the fence, I need to mention that Silent Strike is launched at the special price of 99 cents, which is a very limited time deal.

You can buy it as e-book or paperback from:

Amazon   *   Kobo   *   Nook  *   iBooks  *  Google Play

So go grab your copy, then after you finish reading, shoot me an email and let me know what you thought of it!

Until next time, Mr. Colt and I wish you a Happy September!

 

Fondly,

Melinda

☘️ Something special for Saint Patrick’s Day! ☘️

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Saint Patrick’s Day is by far the most famous Irish holiday, and it has come to be celebrated all over the world. Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary whose name marks the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Today, he is the foremost patron saint of Ireland. On March 17 many people across the globe celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with parades and festivals, Irish traditional music sessions, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. At the end of the celebrations, a shamrock is put into the bottom of a cup, which is then filled with whiskey, beer, or cider. It is then drunk as a toast to Saint Patrick, Ireland, or those present. The shamrock would either be swallowed with the drink or taken out and tossed over the shoulder for good luck.

As fun as this sounds, no wonder so much of the world celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day!

I’ve become fascinated by Irish culture through several Nora Roberts books, so much so that I’ve decided to create my own series that takes place in Dublin. The Irish Garda Squad is a series of detective mysteries/police procedural books with a touch of romance. Each book features exciting new characters and follows the journeys of the Irish Police detectives, the complicated cases they solve, and the challenges these cops face in their personal lives.

All the stories can be read as stand-alone novels, in any order.

The first two books, Dare Game and Killer Score, have both received Crowned Heart Reviews of Excellence from Ind’Tale Magazine, a distinction that is not given lightly. I’m particularly proud to have gotten two such reviews for two books in a row, and I hope the third Garda book will live up to the standards.

To be honest, I planned to release Silent Strike, the next Garda book, today on March 17, but I weaved such a twisted plot I got tangled in it myself. 😂 After many ups and down, I’m finally working on the last chapters, and with a bit of luck from Saint Patrick himself, I will be releasing the book in April. If you’d like to be notified when it’s published, make sure you follow me on Amazon and BookBub, or subscribe to my Newsletter.

If you haven’t checked out the published books yet, you can find them on Amazon and read them for free in Kindle Unlimited.

I hope you have a wonderful day, whether you celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day or not. We could all use a bit of luck right now. 😉

Stay safe and read books!

 

Hugs,

Bittersweet Beginnings 🍂🍁

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Have you ever wanted something so badly that when you finally got it you didn’t know how to react? Well, it’s happening to me now. For weeks, I’ve been wondering what to write in this post, and here I am now, living my big day and not knowing what to say.

2020 is one of the most difficult and controversial years in our contemporary history—I know some of you survived much more difficult times. All of this year, I tried not to complain, not to despair, not to fear the future. I faced it with a smile on my face and forced optimism, immersing myself in work. Because, like everyone else, I had plans for 2020.

Today is the launch of my new pen name and the release of my first book in a new genre.

It’s the beginning of an era for me.

I’ve been planning this moment for a whole year. I’ve poured so much heart, sweat, tears and sleepless nights into this project, trying to perfect every single detail of my new adventure. I’ve agonized for months before I decided to start writing under a new pen name, because I wanted to keep my audiences separate and not mislead my romance fans by giving them mysteries and thrillers.

For weeks I’ve studied potential pen names before I chose Melinda Colt, a name that is actually close to my own, Melinda Coliolu. It does sound better though, and it evokes action, danger, hopefully a little sexiness—all that I try to include in my books. Plus, it’s easier to pronounce. 😊

During the past year I have worked relentlessly to write the first three novels in my new series, The Irish Garda Files. I have researched, hunted for information, knocked on doors, and even reached out to An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s police force, to assist me in my writing. With every sentence, I struggle to offer my readers the best product, the most authentic and heartfelt journey. Of all my hobbies, reading has been my favorite since I was four years old. Escaping into books and living along my favorite characters is such a fantastic experience it’s impossible to describe. I want to give that to my readers. If only one of you escapes in my stories and loves them so much you wish they never end, then my mission as a writer is complete.

I spent the past few months preparing frantically to launch Dare Game, the first book in the series. My hands still shiver with anxiety as I check my sales and reviews. What if readers won’t like it? What if people won’t buy it? What if it will get buried among the millions of books on Amazon and no one will find it?

I’ve never been this honest and open about my feelings in a public post. I’ve learned the hard way never to show vulnerability, because in this day and age a lot of people prey on it just for kicks. I know I will get some hate for this post. I know I will get some indifference. But, most of all, I hope I will get some love and understanding.

Because launching a dream of this magnitude during a frigging pandemic sucks!

I know you’re well aware of that. All over the world people lost their jobs, cancelled their weddings, went bust in their businesses, got separated from their families, lost loved ones, or lost their lives prematurely.

We’re living some crazy times. It seems that everything is trying to kill us—Covid-19, the weather, the worldwide political and financial crisis, and pretty much everything we eat, drink, or breathe. Everyone is affected by some or all of this.

To me, September 22nd 2020 was all about me and my new book—the light at the end of the tunnel. I literally survived this entire year dreaming and dreading this day. Well, today isn’t about that anymore. According to Google, on this fall equinox we’re celebrating a number of things: Falls Prevention Awareness Day, National Elephant Appreciation Day, Hobbit Day, National Ice Cream Cone Day, National Singles Day, National Temperature Control Day, National Voter Registration Day, National White Chocolate Day.

All of these things are more important than one book. Because while this book might be valuable to me, those things up there are valuable to all of us. All I can hope for is that one day, maybe decades from now, my writing will matter enough to be included in a list like that—maybe somewhere between ice cream and chocolate.

For today though, I just want to share my joy with you, and hope you won’t judge me too harshly because of my weaknesses.

And if you’re wondering what I’ve been talking about for the last ten minutes, feel free to check out the infamous—not yet famous—Dare Game. I would be honored to hear your opinions.

 

Stay healthy and safe,

Melinda