Monday, February 6, 2012

Giveaway - Blood Orchids - Toby Neal

Blood Orchids is the first in a new series - the Lei Crime Novels - by author Toby Neal. And I have a copy to giveaway!

What's it about? From the publisher:

"Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water— but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise.

Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop in the sleepy Big Island town of Hilo. On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers—one of whom she’d recently busted. The girl’s harsh life and tragic death touches a chord with Lei, and she becomes obsessed with the case. The killer is drawn to her intensity and stalks her, feeding on her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity.
Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei’s quest for answers. She finds herself falling in love for the first time—but the stalker is closer than she can imagine, and threads of the past are tangled in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer—but he already knows where she lives."

Born and raised on the island of Hawaii, Neal uses her native knowledge and first-hand experience as a psychologist to create realistic settings and experiences, complex characters and an all around chilling crime thriller. You can find Toby Neal on Facebook and on Twitter.

Sound good? Simply leave a comment to be entered. Sorry, open to US only. Ends April 26th at 6 pm.

21 comments:

Linda said...

I haven't read a good thriller for quite awhile. This sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway.

Harvee said...

A thriller set in Hawaii! Count me in!

harvee44 at yahoo.com

debbie said...

I would love to read it, it sounds really good.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

traveler said...

Many thanks for this great giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

petite said...

This book sounds compelling.Thanks for this giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

Beth said...

This looks intriguing! I'd love to win!

bethsbookreviewblog2 AT gmail DOT com

Myra C said...

This sounds really good, thanks for the giveaway!

myra0502 at yahoo dot com

Carol N Wong said...

I would love to read this thriller and go to Hawaii at the same time!!!

Thank you for this giveaway so much!

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Sue Farrell said...

I haven't read a book set in Hawaii for a long time---and this is a mystery/thriller---I think it's time to give it a try.
suefarrell.farrell@#gmail.com

skkorman said...

Sounds like a good read—please enter me to win!

skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

ChristyJan said...

Sounds like a great thrill read! Please enter me


hawkes(at)citlink.net

FunnyFence said...

Hello Toby,
I’d love to have your book, if I’m lucky enough to receive/win it from you that would be quite nice, (a signed copy I hope) but if not, I will have to purchase one. Hawaii has always been of interest to me. Way back when 1957 (?), in the fourth grade as a student, I constructed two papier-mâché projects; one was a volcano that we could put baking soda(?) and vinegar(?) into the cone and it would froth up like an erupting crater, the other was a papier-mâché 3-dimensional map of the new 50th State of Hawaii. Later in 1961, I began to skimboard on shaped pieces of plywood only later to become a surfer in the cold waters of Northern California. My father bought me my first surfboard in December 1962 from the small O’Neill surf shop across Sloat Blvd. near the Fleishshacker saltwater swimming pool in San Francisco. My first visit to Oahu was for 3 months during the summer of 1964. I later moved to Oahu in 1978 with my girlfriend Linda. We married a year later, and then moved back to San Francisco in 1981.
Sorry for the blah blah blah background stuff. Anyway back to your book. Hawaii, Wow, such a beautiful place, the warm ocean waters, the mountains, the perfect climate, the rainfall with its rainbows and waterfalls, and let us not forget the power and glory of nature the volcanoes and the mystic of Madame Pele. So, having visited there several times (7) and living there briefly I saw firsthand the glorious beauty of the islands but also experienced/witnessed a small portion of its dark side. I met and knew many very nice, friendly, and generous people in my short time there. A few that we will never forget and often think about. Uh oh, I did it again.
There is that dark side in Hawaii, presented by small segment of the population of disillusioned native and local inhabitants with a brewing hatred of resentment and hostility. Hatred focused on the innocent haoles or even local white folks who for a generation or two had been born and raised there. A story of ‘The Beauty and The Beast’ living within the backdrop of one of Nature’s wonderland.
So you have a perfect intriguing environment to cast amazing characters from; a natural habitat with an aura and ambience that most experience when they visit or live in Hawaii. You having grown up there and being a young girl and a woman have experienced life from a very different perspective. But I’m sure you have seen firsthand, read, and/or heard about many stories of the dark side of paradise. I remember most the beauty and friendships of Hawaii. A place that I wish I could afford to live comfortably. A place and friendships I will cherish and always remember. Please consider my lengthy comment, I do wish to read your book.

Peace and Good Health,

Michael

Dolly said...

A crime thriller set in Hilo - interesting! When I stayed on the Big Island for a week, I visited Hilo for the day, and even though I'd heard the weather was bad on that side (we stayed in Kona), it was a gorgeous day, the best of the week.

jcsites2002 at hotmail dot com

Nancy said...

I like the idea of an author drawing from what she knows. And I love thrillers.

nanze55 at hotmail dot com

Carla said...

I would like to receive this book because it sounds like Hawaii Five-O.

christa @ mental foodie said...

My genre!

cytljjb @ gmail com

Stacy said...

This sounds liek a fantastic thriller - would love to be neter in win it ~

Lilian said...

What's with the three repetitive comments, Cara? O_o

I am raised (and still living in) Hawaii, and I am definitely intrigued. Suspense is just my cup of tea!

lilianxcheng AT gmail.com

Rebecca Lochlann said...

Ooooh! Me! Me!

Kelly g said...

This sounds like an exciting read!

Mrs Mommy Booknerd said...

Sounds like a great thriller