Friday, October 30, 2015

#Kindle Countdown Sale: .99 LOVE BY SECRETS by Debra Elizabeth

Be sure to grab your copy of LOVE BY SECRETS, a sweet regency romance for ONLY .99 for a limited time only. The Kindle Countdown sale won’t last forever!

LOVE BY SECRETS
Age of Innocence, Book 1

Eighteen-year-old Emily Stanton is excited to attend this season's society balls and begin her search for a husband. She is thrilled when the dashing and handsome Connor Preston begins to show her more attention. After each ball, Emily finds a love note in her drawstring reticule, and she expects a marriage proposal from Connor any day.

When her father objects and forces Emily to accept the proposal from Lady Tisbury's shy nephew, Ethan Richardson instead, her heart is broken. How can she love her new husband when her heart belongs to the man who wrote her such beautiful love letters?



Reviewers Comments:
"As a fan of the incredible Jane Austen ... this novella was a real treat for me to read. The author does a wonderful job with descriptions, such as when she describes Emily's first ball as a kaleidoscope of colors as the couples dance the night away."

"Love by Secrets is a sweet, bite-size love story. ... I really liked the time period the book was set in. It reminded me of Pride & Prejudice in that regard." 

 "The story was captivating, truly well-written.....Overall, Love by Secrets was an enjoyable, quick read. The author did a good job in conveying all the right elements of a sweet historical romance and I look forward to continuing the series, as well as read her other works. I recommend giving this one a try. 


#Excerpt: SPECTACLE by S.J. Pierce


I lie in my bed and stare at the ceiling. Dad covered them with glow-in-the-dark stars for my tenth birthday. I think of leaving for the mountains and I’m filled with a mixture of agony and relief. In a way, I don’t want to leave this place; memories of my father, as painful as they can be, are everywhere and it’s all I have left of him now. But in another, I want to start fresh, even if we have to live in huts or caves or whatever they’re planning on doing. The thought unnerves me a little, like any unknown thing, but it’ll be good for mom to leave here and be around others. And I’ll be able to see Jacks and Luxxe more; I desperately need their company.
A knock on the front door startles me. It was too loud to be Jacks or Luxxe. A man shouts through it, but I can’t make out what he’s saying from here. Our dog is going wild.
Mom stirs on the couch and I wait to see if she’ll get it.
The man shouts again, and her feet patter my way. She finds me erect on the bed with my covers wrapped around me in a cocoon. Her eyes are huge white saucers, and she presses her finger against her lips to keep me quiet before she shuts my door and sprints away.
Alone in my room, I hide inside the space between my bed and the wall and snatch a book of Robert Frost poems on my nightstand, hugging it close for comfort. To distract myself, I try to recite The Road Not Taken but can’t focus enough to do so. My heart gains speed as panic courses through me. Whoever is on the other side of the door has her worried. Are we in danger? I’ve never wanted my dad more than I do in this moment. This isn’t right. He should be here to protect us. If I wasn’t so scared, I’d pay more attention to the anger writhing inside me. I hope whoever took him from us is dead. I hope they’re gone for what they did.
The man shouts louder this time and bangs three times on the door. I still hear our dog, but where’s mom? I don’t hear mom!
After an eternity, she shows up again with a bag slung over her shoulder and points to my cracked window. She wants to escape. But where would we go? I nod silently and stand, slipping the book into my waistband.
 A loud bang rattles our apartment, and the living room door hurls into the kitchen. Splinters of wood lie in its wake. In one swift movement, mom snatches me by the arm and heaves the window open the rest of the way.
The thumping of loud boots fills our apartment, and to keep from screaming out, I bite my tongue so hard it bleeds. The men in uniforms, they’re here for us.


 
Author bio: 

Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy, Paranormal and Sci-fi novels.
Please visit www.sjpiercebooks.blogspot.com and sign up for her mailing list or subscribe to her blog if you’d like to hear when new books come out!

Coming soon:
Iris (Novella: The Captivated Series) Available now!!!
Fight for Me (Book Two: The Captivated Series)

Website:

Buy links:

 



#Review: SO I MARRIED A HIGHLANDER by Kate McKinley



  4 of 5 stars
 
This was a very enjoyable light read that I read in one sitting. Lady Evelyn Alexander is eloping with Stephen Crawford, a gentlemen well-suited to her social standing, but things don't always go the way you think they will. After their quickie marriage was interrupted, events spin out of control. After a night of drinking, she wakes up in the arms of Alec McAllister, the hunky Highlander who was supposed to have married her to Stephen, and to make matters worse, Stephen has disappeared.

I loved the banter between Evelyn and Alec. She, the prim and proper English lady and he, the wild Scotsman. What could they possible have in common? The plot moves along quickly as they try to solve the mystery of Stephen's disappearance and the book was an easy read. There are a few sex scenes, but nothing too graphic. I thought the ending was rather rushed and left too many questions unanswered. Perhaps the author will answer some of them in the next book. Fans of Scottish romances will certainly enjoy this story. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Married-Highlander-What-Happens-Scotland-ebook/dp/B016XEZDB2/ref=twoen-20

#Excerpt: FURY OF HIGHLAND DRAGON by Coreene Callahan


Excerpt:

To kill or not to kill. That was the question.

Gaze locked on the FBI agent, Tydrin debated a moment. It wouldn’t take much. A flick of his fingers. A little swirl, a lot of arm action combined with a burst of magic and…poof gone. Fireball central and two dead agents, nothing but human ash spread over the cruel lines of a desolate cemetery. Kind of fitting, actually. Way too tempting, but well…shite. He couldn’t do it. Not with the lass in his arms and his dragon half in full protection mode.

Ivy needed help, not added trouble.

And a couple of dead agents? Tydrin pursed his lips. Aye. For sure. Not the best way to get on the lass’s good side.

Under his influence, soothed by his magic, he cradled her closer. She sighed and settled in, curling up like a well-fed kitten in his arms. The underside of his chin brushed the top of her head. Her long damp hair clung to his skin, getting caught in old day stubble. He rubbed his mouth over the soft strands. A sense of peace invaded him body, mind and heart. His muscles loosened, releasing some of the tension. He exhaled in relief. Hmm, she was sweet. So alluring with her dark red hair and pale, freckled skin. Far too pretty to be a fugitive. Hunted. Trapped. Wanted by the FBI.

Way too vulnerable without him to protect her.



BLURB:
Trapped by a future she refuses to face…

Accused of cyber espionage by the United States government, ethical hacker Ivy Macpherson is now on the FBI’s most wanted list. Out of options, she runs, desperate for time to prove her innocence. When fate takes an unexpected turn, bringing her face-to-face with Tydrin, she must decide—trust a man more dangerous than the hunters on her trail to keep her safe. Or risk capture by a covert agency well known for ruthlessness.

Condemned by a past he doesn’t want to remember…

Cursed with a terrible temper, Scottish dragon-warrior Tydrin struggles to atone for a mistake that took innocent lives. Unable to forgive himself, he returns to the scene of his crime in hopes of finding absolution, but discovers a woman in need of his help instead. Intervening in the nick of time, he whisks Ivy to safety, only to realize the daughter of the family he wronged is the one destined to steal his heart.

Amazon buy link:


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Growing up as the only girl on all-male hockey team, Coreene Callahan knows a thing or two about tough guys and loves to write characters inspired by them. Call it kismet. Call it payback after years of locker room talk and ice rink antics, but whatever you call it, the action better be heart stopping, the magic electric, and the story wicked, good fun.

After graduating with honors in psychology and working as an interior designer, she finally gave in and returned to her first love: writing. Her debut novel, Fury of Fire, was a finalist in the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest in two categories: Best First Book and Best Paranormal. She combines her love of romance, adventure and writing with her passion for history in her novels. She lives in Canada with her family, a fun-loving golden retriever, and her wild imaginary world.


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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

#Excerpt: WONDERWALL by M.H. Soars


Excerpt:
I stare at Liv's darkened window for far too long. The entire house is quiet which doesn't surprise me, it's already past midnight. I should have called her after she flew out of my house earlier, but I was too confused about Liv's reaction to the kissing lesson and what it meant to our friendship. I'm still confused. I went to bed lying to myself, saying it would be better to sleep on it and talk to her face to face tomorrow. But after tossing and turning in bed for nearly three hours, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep before I saw her again.
There's no doubt in my mind now what that weird, swirling emotion inside my heart is. It's almost like an ache. I'm positive I'm in love with my best friend. But does she feel the same way about me? My gut feeling is telling me yes, but there's no way to know for sure until I see her again. And it has to be now.
Gathering my courage, I call her. It rings ten times before it goes to voicemail. Drat. What am I going to do now? I glance at my feet and see some tiny pebbles on the grass. The idea is stupid and totally eighties movies, but what choice do I have? Liv has probably muted her cell. I bend down and pick the smallest stones, hoping I won't end up waking up Liv's parents instead, or worse, breaking her window.
I roll one of the pebbles between my fingers, trying to steady my breathing and slow my pulse. With one big inhale, I let it fly and cringe when it bangs against Liv's window. It wasn't that loud, but in the dead silence of the night, it sounded pretty noisy. I throw a couple more stones before I lose my nerve. I'm about to throw the last one when the light in Liv's room turns on. A few seconds later, the curtain is pulled to the side, and Liv's startled face appears behind the closed window. When her eyes adjust to the gloom, she pulls the glass panel up.
"Sebastian, what are you doing here?" she hisses.
"I have to talk to you. Can you come down?"
"It's the middle of the night."
"I know. Please, Liv. It will only take a minute."
She bites her lower lip and looks over her shoulder, before glancing down again. "Okay, I'll be down in a second."
My stomach begins to clench, and it feels like there's an army of super ants crawling all over my body. I run my fingers through my hair and start to pace in front of the big oak tree that stands between our houses, trying to get rid of the sudden jitters. I hear Liv's front door unlock and freeze mid-step. My throat is completely dry, and I don't know what I'm going to say to her. I've always prided myself on being a confident person, but I realize that when it comes to Liv, I'm not certain of anything.


Book & Author Details:
Wonderwall by M.H. Soars
Publication date: October 28th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
There is something magical when best friends fall in love. Liv and Sebastian used to be inseparable until circumstances beyond their control destroyed their fairytale romance to dust.
Liv hasn’t seen Sebastian since he walked out of her life five years ago. When she accepted her internship in London, she never dreamed their paths would cross again. Not when Sebastian is a celebrity, a singer in one of the most popular boy bands of all times. Living in the same city, their worlds couldn’t be farther apart. But when two people are destined to be together, they can’t outrun fate.


Purchase:


AUTHOR BIO:
M. H. Soars always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.

M. H. Soars resides in Florida with her husband and baby daughter. She is currently working on the Arcadian Wars series, and the Love Me, I'm Famous series.

Author links:

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Monday, October 26, 2015

Interview with Abby Bardi, THE SECRET LETTERS


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?
When thirty-seven-year-old slacker-chef Julie Barlow's mother dies, her older sister Pam finds a cache of old letters from someone who appears to be their mother's former lover. The date stamped on the letters combined with a difficult relationship with her father leads Julie to conclude that the letters' author was a Native American man named J. Fallingwater who must have been her real father.

Inspired by her new identity, Julie uses her small inheritance to make her dream come true: she opens a restaurant called Falling Water that is an immediate success, and life seems to be looking up. Her sister Norma is pressuring everyone to sell their mother's house, and her brother Ricky is a loveable drunk who has yet to learn responsibility, but the family seems to be turning a corner.
Then tragedy strikes, and Julie and her siblings have to stick together more than ever before. With all the secrets and setbacks, will Julie lose everything she has worked so hard for?

Do you have a favorite character?

I love all the characters in The Secret Letters because I have lived with them for a long time, so they’ve come to seem real to me, but my favorite it Julie, the narrator. I love the way she isn’t necessarily the sharpest tack in the box, but she cares so much about her family and her restaurant. She’s all heart.


How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?
By the time I got my first book contract, for my first novel The Book of Fred, I was already on my third agent. My first two agents had repped two other novels but had not been able to sell them, though one came close. They were both amazing agents, but it’s a tricky business.

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books?

I have loved working with HarperCollins Australia! They’ve really done a wonderful job, and they all seem to be incredibly nice. They plan to publish my next novel, Double-Take, in March 2016.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I belonged to a group for a long time some years ago, and while we no longer meet, I often talk one or two of them into critiquing my writing via email. Even when they don’t actually read things, I still hear their voices in my head. They’re all wonderful writers and critics. Recently, I’ve been sharing work with two of my best friends from high school, also very gifted writers and readers, though we tend to focus on poems, since they’re shorter.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I write every single morning, preferably before anyone else is awake. Even my dog is still asleep when I write. I crave total silence and solitude.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yes! Itunes and Kobo.

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?

I’m on Twitter, but I tend to spend way too much time on Facebook.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

I find it hard to juggle everything I have to do with writing—for example, I should be grading papers right now, and then I have to give my dog a flea bath. But I try to write every single morning, without fail. It’s that concept of paying yourself first.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

Yes! I am passionate about teaching (I teach writing and literature), my family, my dog, Bollywood films and music, and belly dance.

What’s next for you?

In addition to the novel coming out in March, I am working on two other novels. I’m always writing!




AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Abby Bardi is the author of THE BOOK OF FRED. She grew up in Chicago, went to college in California, then spent a decade teaching English in Japan and England. She currently teaches at a college in Maryland and lives in historic Ellicott City with her husband and dog.



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Friday, October 23, 2015

Interview with Linda Bennett Pernnel, CASABLANCA: APPOINTMENT AT DAWN


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn is set in the weeks leading up to the first World War II Allied Conference in 1943. The novel could just as easily been entitled Unconditional Surrender, because the Casablanca Conference is where Roosevelt and Churchill set that policy for surrender of the Axis powers. Would have made a nice little double entendre, no?  Here is a little taste of the story is about.

Casablanca, 1943: a viper’s nest of double agents and spies where OSS Officer Kurt Heinz finds his skill in covert operations pushed to the limit. Allied success in North Africa and the fate of the First Allied Conference—perhaps the outcome of the war—hang on Kurt’s next mission. The nature of his work makes relationships impossible. Nonetheless, he is increasingly torn between duty and the beautiful girl who desperately needs his protection and help.

Sarah Barrett, U.S. Army R.N., is finished with wartime romance. Determined to protect her recently broken heart, she throws all of her time and energy into caring for her patients, but when she is given a coded message by a mysterious dying civilian, she is sucked into a vortex of danger and intrigue that threatens her very survival. The one person who can help Sarah is Kurt, a man with too many secrets to be trusted. 

Do you have a favorite character?
I love both of my characters, but if I must choose between my darlings, I think Kurt is my favorite. He is strong, kind, loyal, and dedicated. He is a man’s man and a woman’s man. He chooses to do right even when it may cost him dearly. You’ve gotta love a hero!

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
Yes, I am published by two small houses: Soul Mate Publishing and The Wild Rose Press.

How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?
Soul Mate offered me my first contract about three months after I submitted. I met the publisher at a conference and we just clicked.

What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?
Debbie Gilbert, Soul Mate’s founder and editor-in-chief, and I have a lot in common. When I met her at a conference, I felt she was someone who would understand my work. I have absolutely no regrets!

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?
Both of my publishers are very concerned that authors have input into the cover designs for their books. I submitted the basic ideas for my books’ covers and have been very pleased with the results. Since I write historical fiction, I want my covers to have a historical feel. Each of them incorporates the aesthetic of an old photograph appropriate to the period in which the story is set. My stories are all set after the invention of photography! 

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
I have a wonderful critique partner who has an unfailing eye for where my story needs improvement. She is the yin to my yang and vice versa.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I probably ought to be ashamed to admit that my “process” is pretty freewheeling. I can basically write anywhere and any time. I guess it is a tribute to my form of ADD that you could fire off a pistol and I might not notice if I am deep into writing mode.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
I am a plotter with pantser tendencies. Before I begin a novel, I usually know the general story arc, the end, the main characters, some of the major scenes, and even the title. The rest simply reveals itself as I write.

What’s next for you?
My work in progress is set in Miami and Havana and features Liz Reams, my professor who specializes in the history of American crime, from my first book, Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel. This time, she is chasing Meyer Lansky!  The story will be told in timelines alternating between the past and present like the Capone book.

 
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work.

As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or himself, "Let's pretend."

I reside in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl.

"History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." Voltaire 

Books:
Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel from Soul Mate Publishing
Confederado do Norte from Soul Mate Publishing
When War Came Home from real Cypress Press
Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn from the Wild Rose Press



Twitter:  @LindaPennell
Buy link for Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel:  http://amzn.to/16qq3k5
Buy link for Confederado do Norte:  http://amzn.com/B00LMN5OMI
Buy ink for When War Came Home: http://amzn.com/B010RXNZRO

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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

#Excerpt: ELLI by Tina DeSalvo


Excerpt:

“Out!” Ben stormed into the guest room and closed Elli’s open suitcase, zipping it shut before speaking again. “You’ve got some nerve moving into my home, lady.” Two hours ago, he thought he’d made it clear to her that she was not welcome anywhere on his land. “Either go back to the bunkhouse for the night or find a hotel…preferably in Kansas!”

She lunged for the suitcase and sat on top of it before he could pick it up. “This is my house, too. I can stay here if I want. You can threaten me all you want, but I have rights. I asked my attorney, and she said I had the legal right to domicile on the plantation if I want…and I want.” She folded her arms across her chest as if that made it final. The hell it did.

He gripped the suitcase handle, looking at her a full three seconds to give her ample warning she had better move her West Coast derriere off the suitcase. When she just stared back with that stubborn look he’d seen much too often in the short time he’d known her, he figured they were at an impasse. Again. He shrugged his shoulders and yanked the suitcase off the bed, causing Elli to tumble to the floor. Her little prissy dog, resting on the bed pillow, raised her head and looked at her owner, sniffed, and put her head back down.


BLURB:
Her life could have been over with her breast cancer diagnosis, but Elli had fought and won. Now she is ready to fight for other women facing the same nightmare, but to do so she is going to need money. And she is going to need it fast.

Fortunately, Elli finds herself with half ownership of a Louisiana plantation. A twisted inheritance has set her up with an interesting future. Unfortunately, Elli no longer believes in planning a future, she just wants to take the money and run.

Ben Bienvenu wants nothing to do with the woman from California who is certain to turn his world upside down. But the conditions of the will that left the property to both of them doesn’t give him much choice. Not if he wants to keep the property that’s been in his family for generations.

A snobby diva rental dog, an impossible will, a nosy Bienvenu family, a distracting Mardi Gras season and a man who thinks he is protecting his son by standing his ground against her… Elli knows that trying to find common ground with this man known as the Cajun Dog Whisperer is going to be an uphill battle. 

Two broken people.

Both in need of a Second Chance….

Buy links:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio:

Throughout her life, Tina DeSalvo has filled many roles – daughter, sister, student, wife, mother, journalist. Then one day she took on one she had not planned – breast cancer patient. In an instant her life changed. But as she had done everything else in her life, Tina threw herself into overcoming this role and becoming a survivor.

It was during this time of fighting and healing that Elli was born. Tina took all that she learned, many of the people she met during the battle and poured it all into a book full of heart and humor. Elli is the story of getting a second chance at life after breast cancer. It’s not a book about cancer, it’s about a woman who’s had it. It’s a story that will make you laugh and could even bring tears to your eyes and it’s right from Tina’s heart. So much so that she is donating all proceeds from the sale of Elli to help meet the unmet needs of other women who are going through the same fight she did.

Since Elli, Tina has continued her Second Chance series with Jewell. We hope that you will check out Jewell as well and keep an eye out for Abby coming later in 2016.

Now, as we enter October and another Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Tina is reaching out to share her story and share Elli’s story again. There will be Facebook events (https://www.facebook.com/TinaDeSalvoAuthor) and news of other contests and appearances on her website (www.tinadesalvo.com ). And all month long she will be visiting blogs to share her heart and her message. She’s looking to give away Care Packages to ten Centers that work with Breast Cancer patients.  You can nominate a Center or Charity that has worked with you or a friend or family member as they went through treatment for Breast Cancer. From all nominated, ten will be randomly picked and Tina will give away a basket full of goodies in the name of you or your friend or family member. Let’s spread the love in October to those that might need it the most.

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