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WORK TITLE: Bombshell
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Reiss, Christine
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://cdreiss.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in New York, NY; married.
EDUCATION:University of Southern California, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
C.D. Reiss works predominantly as a fiction writer, and specializes in romance novels. Prior to breaking into fiction writing, Reiss attended the University of Southern California and earned an M.F.A. Her work has earned her notoriety and an honorary title: “Shakespeare of Smut.”
Bombshell
One of Reiss’s novels, Bombshell, stars a young man by the name of Brad Sinclair. Brad is the type of guy who has it all and has it made; he works in the Hollywood industry, and has earned his place as one of the biggest actors in town. However, life has a few extra plans in store for him. Brad is thrown for a loop when, one day, a little girl named Nicole is dropped into his lap. Brad doesn’t know her, but he knows her mother, who was one of his past flings and has recently passed away. Nicole is acknowledged as Brad’s daughter, but he never planned to parent so soon and has no idea what to do with a child. He’s still in the mode of focusing on his career and having fun with as many people as he can. Brad takes it upon himself to hire a nanny, and finds a great potential candidate in the form of Cara DuMont. The only problem is Cara is entirely disinterested in helping Brad due to his celebrity. She is determined to stay out of the spotlight, and has already landed a job as a nanny elsewhere that she enjoys. However, her burgeoning relationship with Brad and Nicole may change her mind.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Bombshell “a heartfelt contemporary romance that shows family is what you make of it.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer felt that Reiss “[takes] all three of her central characters down an enchanting path to a happy ending.” Jennifer Wilson, a contributor to the RT Book Reviews website, remarked: “Readers will be rooting for this unlikely couple to beat the odds of Hollywood gossip.”
Marriage Games
Marriage Games stars Diana McNeill-Barnes and Adam Steinbeck, a young couple who is anything but happy. Diana’s aspirations lie in business. However, her success in the business world is all too closely intertwined with her relationship with Adam, who she no longer wants to be with. She does want the business that’s half in her name, but Adam refuses to give it to her that easily. Adam has given up quite a bit of his own personal happiness in being with Diana as well, including the opportunity to freely indulge in dominant sex. Diana prefers much softer bedroom interactions, which Adam obliged to throughout their marriage. Therefore, before Diana can leap into entrepreneurship, Adam has one last test for Diana. She must join him at his small, countryside cabin for one full month. There she has to stay with him and be his submissive. If she’s able to go along with this, she can end the marriage on her own terms and gain complete control of the business. Diana agrees, thinking little of the arrangement. However, what’s in store for the couple may push both of them beyond their limits and alter their relationship even further.
RT Book Reviews website writer Leona Woolfolk wrote: “Fans of the author will definitely fall in love with this new twist on this Dominant/submissive relationship between Adam and Diana.” On the Book Junkie Reviews blog, one reviewer noted: “As always, Ms. Reiss’ prose is spare, elegant, and lyrical.” She went on to add: “Her poetic eroticism depicts the emotional brutality of a relationship in its death throes with such realism that it bleeds off of the page and burrows into your heart, leaving a gaping wound in its wake.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2017, review of Bombshell.
Publishers Weekly, March 13, 2017, review of Bombshell, p. 64.
ONLINE
C.D. Reiss Website, https://cdreiss.com (November 7, 2017), author profile.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (October 22, 2017), Jennifer Wilson, review of Bombshell; (October 22, 2017), Leona Woolfolk, review of Marriage Games.
Book Junkie Reviews, https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com (October 22, 2017), review of Marriage Games.
ABOUT
cd-reiss-author
CD Reiss is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up, she's at the well, hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did give her a big enough ego to try her hand at books.
She's been nicknamed the “Shakespeare of Smut,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she's some sort of braggart who's too good to chop a cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.
CD Reiss is a New York Times bestselling author. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up she's at the well hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.
She's frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn't ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.
Reiss, CD: BOMBSHELL
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Reiss, CD BOMBSHELL Montlake Romance (Adult Fiction) $12.95 5, 1 ISBN: 978-1-5039-4354-4
A Hollywood heartthrob finds his life thrust into chaos when he meets the child he never knew he had and a nanny who
hates being in the spotlight.A-list actor Brad Sinclair never knew he had a daughter. But when 5-year-old Nicole is left
in his care following her mother's death, Brad must adapt to fatherhood more quickly than he'd like. That means
balancing a complicated and demanding work schedule while attempting to give up his partying playboy ways. In a
desperate search for a nanny, Brad discovers the one woman who can ease his daughter's sensitive nature, but he'll have
to work hard at convincing Cara DuMont to be on the payroll. She doesn't do celebrity dads, especially not ones who
often make the front pages of gossip magazines. Given Brad's fame, he has a large circle of acquaintances, both
personal and professional, who are hard to keep straight: assistants, PR guys, old friends. However, it's the slow and
tense romance between Cara and Brad that truly takes center stage here. As Cara helps Brad adjust to being a single
dad, her attachment to the actor and his little "bombshell" grows, putting Cara in jeopardy of violating her foremost rule
to never become tabloid fodder. To prevent Cara and Brad's tentative relationship from veering into melodramatic
territory, Reiss (Separation Games, 2017, etc.) weaves a touch of humor through the romance via a mischievous
preschooler who has a penchant for ponies, light-up shoes, and speaking her mind. The story's pace intensifies as Brad
and Cara spend more time together and every interaction increases the stakes of their relationship, though an
unnecessary epilogue pushes the boundaries of realism. A heartfelt contemporary romance that shows family is what
you make of it.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Reiss, CD: BOMBSHELL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA485105340&it=r&asid=1db5d4d154757159c5985be7e53e1f99.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485105340
10/22/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1508707956558 2/2
Bombshell
Publishers Weekly.
264.11 (Mar. 13, 2017): p64.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* Bombshell
C.D. Reiss. Montlake Romance, $12.95 trade paper (363p) ISBN 978-1-5039-4354-4
Reiss's delightful, diverting contemporary pits independent Hollywood nanny Cara DuMont against completely
incompetent new dad Brad Sinclair. He's movieland's latest shooting star, complete with all the women, booze, and
instability that goes with it. He has no idea he's a father until his one-time fling dies in a car crash and five-year-old
Nicole is dropped in his lap. Meanwhile, Cara finally has her dream job: nanny for the child of two gay men. Not a
chance of dodging grabby hands while tending their tot. But when Nicole suffers a bout of severe gastric distress at the
nanny agency office, Cara goes into super-nanny mode, and Brad and Nicole both refuse to settle for anyone else.
When Cara, against her better judgment, agrees to help save Brad's paternal hide, he can't help falling for her. It's
challenging to open a romance with "a wall of poop stink" and make it work, but Reiss guides her narrative as firmly
and kindly as Cara guides Nicole and Brad, taking all three of her central characters down an enchanting path to a
happy ending. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Bombshell." Publishers Weekly, 13 Mar. 2017, p. 64. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA485971644&it=r&asid=480016891d2570cd74d6bdf2efb035d9.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485971644
BOMBSHELL
Image of Bombshell (Hollywood A-List)
Author(s): CD Reiss
Reiss writes a fantastic tale that takes readers into the world of Hollywood’s hottest star. Brad Sinclair’s life is turned upside down in more ways than one; in an instant, he goes from party boy to father. His new nanny, Cara, only wants to take care of her charges and not be looked at as a homewrecker/golddigger. Brad’s transformation is a struggle, with secrets and temptation lurking around every corner. Readers will be rooting for this unlikely couple to beat the odds of Hollywood gossip.
Hollywood A-lister Brad Sinclair is suddenly a father to a five-year-old daughter that he never knew about. Deciding to hire help, he goes to a service and starts interviewing possible nannies. Cara DuMont is looking for a new job when she runs into Brad and his daughter Nicole in a messy situation. Seeing that Cara handled the situation with ease, Brad insists on hiring her to care for his daughter. Brad and Cara grow closer as they care for Nicole, and their attraction sparks whenever they are near. With reporters at every turn, and secrets threatening to be exposed, Brad and Cara must work together to make sure they can protect Nicole. But can they also protect themselves? (MONTLAKE, May, 364 pp., $12.95)
Reviewed by:
Jennifer Wilson
MARRIAGE GAMES
Image of Marriage Games: The Games Duet
Author(s): CD Reiss
Through glimpses of past and present, the world of Adam Steinbeck and Diana McNeill-Barnes are revealed in such clarity that readers can’t help but visualize the whole picture painted by CD Reiss’ pen. Fans of the author will definitely fall in love with this new twist on this Dominant/submissive relationship between Adam and Diana. But it’s the constant past-present switch between chapters that can cause irritation. Not one to begrudge the gift of the characters’ back story, but it’s hard to stay in the now when the past is constantly being thrown into the mix. Regardless, Reiss does a good job of amping up the drama and pulling readers’ heartstrings along the way as they navigate the through the tug and pull, psychological mind games.
Would you do anything to make sure that the business you’ve worked hard to build stays alive? Would you make a deal with the devil … who, in other settings, you call your husband? Diana is really given no choice if she wants to see her business remain, and Adam Steinbeck is the man who won’t take no for an answer. What will the Adam and Diana find when the it’s just the two of them locked away in a cottage — no distractions, and no escape from the other’s ability to bring out the best and worst out of them? Will Diana continue to fight to be rid of Adam’s influence in her life, or will she succumb to the Dominant being that emerges as the countdown of their time in the cottage starts to dwindle? (EVERAFTER ROMANCE, Oct., 296 pp., $14.99)
Reviewed by:
Leona Woolfolk
Review: Marriage Games by C.D. Reiss
SBPR-MG-RB.jpg
Marriage Games
by CD Reiss
Series: Games # 1
Release Date: October 25th
Genre: Contemporary Romance
MARRIAGE-GAMES-cover-2xblurb.jpg
“Marriage Games is one of the most powerful novels I have ever read. CD Reiss gets into the soul of her hero and heroine and never lets go. A strong, clear picture of the psychological and emotional challenges of a D/s relationship, especially in a marriage. Why it works and why it might not. Can’t wait for the next one.” ―Desiree Holt, USA Today bestselling author
Synopsis:
THIRTY DAYS
That’s all Adam Steinbeck demands of his wife.
Thirty days in a remote cottage, doing everything he demands. After that, he’ll sign her divorce papers and give her complete ownership of their company.
THIRTY DAYS
That’s how long he has to rediscover the man he once was. The Dominant Master he hid when he fell in love with her five years ago.
THIRTY DAYS
She wants the business they built badly enough to go to the cottage for a month. Cut off ties to the world and do his bidding. She can submit to him with her body, but her heart will never yield.
She thinks this is his pathetic attempt to repair their marriage.
She’s wrong.
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Buy Links:
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Guest Review from Jeannie:
CD Reiss rewrites the rules, blazing new trails in this shattering novel of a marriage coming apart. It disintegrates every expectation and preconceived notion of the genre, and gives us characters we can inhabit. We crawl into their skin and heads and feel every bit of their joy, pain, anger and sorrow. It’s not a romance novel – it’s a haunting love story. Full of messy, exultant, punishing , enslaving love. This one will live in your head and your gut for weeks. I loved and hated how this story made me feel. So much anguish. So many misunderstandings and missed connections.
We meet Adam Steinbeck on the worst day of his life – his wife and business partner, Diana McNeill- Barnes, ends their marriage with a note on the kitchen counter. No cheating. No confrontation. Just “I don’t love you anymore” – despite the orgasmic Tuesday night sex. As his life threatens to spin apart, he seeks refuge in the life he left behind five years prior. You see, Adam is a Dominant and he left it all behind when he met Diana, committing himself to a life of vanilla sex with the woman he loved. But that wasn’t his only secret.
CD Reiss is masterful when it comes to the male point of view and Adam Steinbeck is no exception. You WILL fall in love with him. Guaranteed. We live in his head and his heart as he tries to figure out a way to survive the devastation Diana’s words have unleashed. They were the perfect team. Diana was the schemer and dreamer in their business partnership but Adam was the one who figured out how to make it work. Have no doubt – Adam is a man with a plan and never fails to see it to completion. A survival plan that involves 30 days at the play house in Montauk with Master Adam.
Once we arrive in Montauk and the rules of the game are established, the POV shifts to Diana, Adam’s little huntress. But if he had paid attention in class he would know that Diana was also the goddess of the moon, magic and sexual freedom. Diana’s story of sexual and emotional awaking is beautiful and poignant as she rediscovers herself as a woman, wife, partner, lover, and daughter. You will see yourself in her. Also guaranteed. She decides to play the game to win – without truly realizing what she is competing for. She has to battle a past she doesn’t understand and the outside forces tempting Adam back to the life he left behind. A life that has no place for her. Or does it?
As always, Ms. Reiss’ prose is spare, elegant, and lyrical. Her poetic eroticism depicts the emotional brutality of a relationship in its death throes with such realism that it bleeds off of the page and burrows into your heart, leaving a gaping wound in its wake. Marriage Games, at its essence, is about the masks we wear in our quest for a forever love and how those masks change us, allow us to hide from ourselves, and change our love as we find it, keep it and push it away. It’s also about what happens when we finally strip those masks away and have to decide whether we like what we see in the mirror and see in our partner.
Out of every ending is a new beginning. Or is there? Marriage Games is the first installment in a duet. You’ll have to wait for its companion, Separation Games, due January 3, 2017to find out.
A shower of stars but I am only allowed to give five.