Sins and Needles (The Artist’s Trilogy #1) by Karina Halle
Synopsis
Publication Date: January 24, 2013
Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents’ latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.
***The Artists Trilogy is a dark and sexy contemporary ride about three flawed individuals caught in a world where it’s so easy to justify the bad things we do. This is a pure adult read (Not YA or NA).
This is the 1st book in the trilogy. It is followed by the novella On Every Street (released in March 2013) and the sequel Shooting Scars (released in May 2013). The third and final book in the series will also be released in 2013.***
Abby’s Review 5 stars
Wow! If you are looking for the hearts and flowers happy ever after love story, this is not the story for you. This is raw. This has a main character that you will not be 100 percent sure how you feel about her. She is a criminal. She was raised that way. Somewhere inside she wants to change. She has made a lot of mistakes. They are catching up to her.
Ellie runs into a man from her past, Camden McQueen. Camden is sexy. Halle’s writing describing some simple touches from Camden gave me chills.
This has some action, some love making, car chases and teary eyed moments. It’s not your typical love story, but somewhere under the violence and the anger there is love.
“You’re so afraid, Ellie Watt. You’re afraid to show the world what you are really like. You’re afraid to come to peace with your scars, because the minute you do, the minute you accept them, you have to let go of your anger. You have to let go of your quest. And then who would you be?”
That quote is an example of how frickin powerful this is. It’s a tragic, insane story but it definitely leaves you wanting more.
About the Author (Goodreads profile)
Karina is represented by Scott Waxman of the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency
The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).
Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.
Connect with the Author
Website ♦ Twitter: @MetalBlonde ♦ Goodreads Author Page
