Book Review ~ "The Shock of Night" by Patrick W. Carr

The Shock of Night by Patrick W. Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley - to review
Genre: Fantasy/Suspense

Book Description: When one man is brutally murdered and the priest he works for mortally wounded on the streets of Bunard, Willet Dura is called to investigate. Yet the clues to the crime lead to contradictions and questions without answers. As Willet begins to question the dying priest, the man pulls Willet close and screams in a foreign tongue. Then he dies without another word.

Willet returns to the city, no closer to answers than before, but his senses are skewed. People he touches appear to have a subtle shift, a twist seen at the edge of his vision, and it's as though he can see their deepest thoughts. In a world divided between haves and have-nots, gifted and common, Willet soon learns he's been passed the rarest gift of all: a gift that's not supposed to exist.

Now Willet must pursue the murderer still on the loose in Bunard even as he's pulled into a much more dangerous and epic conflict that threatens not only his city, but his entire world--a conflict that will force him to come to terms with his own tortured past if he wants to survive.


My thoughts: Willet Durra is a man who knows his place in society. He is the lowest noble, has enemies, he solves crimes, and he is about to marry the woman that he loves. His life may not be perfect, but he understands it. Until... a dying man screams a word and his life changes.

This is a fantasy book that has a complex plot and many characters involved. I had a hard time at first pulling everything together. Once I figured out who was who I was pulled into the world of Darkwater and had a hard time putting the book down, even when I knew I had other books that needed to be reviewed right away. I had to keep reading this book!

This book has a darkness to it. Evil is encroaching from the Darkwater Forest and finding its way to the city. The book threw a few surprises at me, while I didn't anticipate some of the events, they made sense in the world that Patrick Carr has created.

This is a series that I look forward to reading. The book contains violence.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

LOVE AT FIRST NOTE by Jenny Proctor (Blog Tour + giveaway)

Love at First Note by Jenny Proctor

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Publisher to Review
Genre; Contemporary Romance

Book Description:  Emma Hill was practically born with a violin in her hands. She lives for the life of the piece, for each song's story, for the perfect stillness after the endnotes when the vibrations of sound are still humming through her body. 

If only her love life were that harmonic. But she knew her chances at love would take a hit when she decided to leave her prestigious concertmaster position in the Cleveland Orchestra and move back home to Asheville, North Carolina. She justifies her actions with the fact that being concertmaster for the Asheville Symphony is better than no dates and no job.

But when Emma's world collides with piano-playing YouTube sensation Elliott Hart, she finds herself falling for the way he plucks at her heartstrings. Despite a, ahem, not-so-good first impression, the two soon develop the beginnings of a rhythmic relationship. But when Elliott insists they can't be together, it's up to Emma to strike up a little romance. Will she be able to bring their two worlds into harmony, or will she only manage to get herself in trouble?

My thoughts: Sometimes when I read a book I think of a phrase that describes the book. In this case it is "very cute".  (OK, it was actually "stinkin' cute", but this book doesn't stink.) I have to admit that the first thing that drew me to the book was the cover.  It has a prominent violin.  I love the violin.

The book begins on a sour note (pun intended).  Emma is awkward when it comes to meeting new people and her first meeting with Elliott left me chuckling.  I knew from that moment that I was going to like this book.  Awkwardness and music... definitely a winner for me.

Both Emma and Elliott are talented musicians.  With musical talent comes pride (at least in my experience, and the reason I walked away from music.)  It takes character to realize that you are wrong.  A lesson that is pointed out to both characters.  You can't help but like Emma from the beginning, and it takes a little longer to warm up to Elliott.

This book is a contemporary LDS romance. It's clean and fun.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

About the Author: (taken from Goodreads)  Jenny Proctor was born in the mountains of Western North Carolina, a place she still resides and considers the loveliest on earth. She hikes to spend time with her family, runs because her love for food requires it, and writes because it keeps her calm in an otherwise crazy world. She believes that life in the south has a certain flair to it--and works to capture that flair in her novels.

Visit her Website!

Enter the Tour Giveaway:  (The publisher is responsible for notifying and sending out the prize to the winner)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the tour stops:

*March 14th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://emileeschristmasjoy.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*March 15th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/

*March 16th: http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/

*March 17th: http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/

*March 18th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/ 

"Painting Rain" by Annette K. Larson (Blog tour + giveaway)

 How do you heal your heart after tragedy leaves you broken? When the person you loved didn’t deserve it and they can’t earn your forgiveness because they’re already dead? How do you move on, and heal, and love? If you’re Princess Lorraina, you paint. A year ago Lorraina watched Tobias die, and she still doesn't know how she's supposed to heal—or forgive. How can she when she’s still running away? In an attempt to reinvent herself, she steps outside her comfortable life as princess and seeks the tutelage of a master painter—a man who is not at all impressed by her pedigree, and demands not just talent, but emotional honesty. Struggling to learn what’s being taught, she finds herself drawn to someone who not only knows her secrets, but who she once considered far below her notice. Now she is compelled to seek him out despite knowing their relationship would be forbidden if discovered. Staying away from him doesn’t seem possible when discovering him may be the key to healing her heart and rediscovering herself.

 

My thoughts:  I am in the process of reading this book as I write this post.  I love it!  

I am happy to re-visit this series and get to know the Princesses in greater depth.

 Read an Excerpt:

********************

“Now.” Master Sterrino stepped toward me, grabbing my arm and pulling me forward until I stood in front of the canvas. He jabbed a finger at the blank expanse. “This is your one chance. This is it. So I suggest you take it! If you are so convinced that I should spend my time teaching you instead of a worthier candidate, then prove it!”

 My chest rose and fell as I battled my emotions. I fought for poise, for dignity. I fought for the righteous indignation I had felt only moments before. 

 But his words screamed through my head, over and over until all I could hear were the words Tobias had spoken to me. What’s pathetic is that you have one chance. And this is it. I—am it. I’m your one chance to choose, and you won’t take it! 

 It had been a long time since I’d felt this kind of burning anger, and I hated it. I hated that Sterrino had found a way to fling me back into the muck that I’d been in throughout my youth, that he could make me feel isolated and unwanted. What did he want? For me to paint something angry and disgusting? To tear open my healing heart and smear my own blood all over the canvas? I had put up with Dante’s provocations—his odd mood swings—all in the hopes of having a chance to work with this man, to show him what I could do. Now as he stood there, mocking, I couldn’t make myself move. 

 “That’s what I thought,” he said with grating satisfaction. “Brilliance comes from experiencing life, from true love and true loss. I didn’t expect a privileged member of the royal family to be acquainted with either.” He raised one eyebrow as a final challenge. 

 True loss? He wanted to know what my loss looked like? “Fine.” I stalked over to the paints. “You want me to paint something you’ll understand?” I ignored the brushes and thrust my hand directly into the bowl of deep black, scooping out a handful and slapping it onto the canvas in globs. I grabbed a rag and smeared the paint until it spread in uneven, clumsy strokes across most of the canvas. But I couldn’t leave the black uncontaminated, so I grabbed two more rags, dipping one into the gray and the other into brown, smearing them on top of the black, mixing everything into a muddy mess. If pain and angst was all he wanted to see, then I could certainly give him that. I had spent so much of my life pushing people away—afraid that any close attachments would make me weak, that having fun with my sisters would make me less worthy of my title. I knew what isolation, anger and fear would look like. I threw the rags aside and curled my hands into claws, then dragged my fingernails over the canvas, slashing through the paint, criss-crossing in jagged, broken stripes. I scrubbed my hands on my skirts, forgetting that I had abandoned my apron, and moved on to the bowl of red. The final touch would speak of blood because that had been the ending of my tragic story. The story that I would just as soon have left behind but which Sterrino seemed determined to drag out of me. I grabbed a jar of linseed oil and dumped some into the red, mixing it until it was thin and fluid; then, cupping my hands in the bowl, I filled them with crimson liquid before flinging it at the canvas. It splashed across the surface, dripping down in rivulets. I shook my hands forward, splattering the edges with the excess paint from my hands, then took two steps back, my breathing labored as I took it in. What I had created was angry, torn, and ugly. Exactly what I had wanted. Exactly what I thought Master Sterrino deserved. 

 I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to tamp down the burning in my chest caused by the blatant reminder of the pain I used to cling to so desperately. I tore my gaze away, refusing to claim it as my own and spun to face Master Sterrino. He was staring at me, his eyes intent but unemotional. 

 I flung one paint-caked hand toward my work. “There you have it,” I declared. “Enjoy.” I sank into a mocking curtsey, but as I did, it reminded me too much of the way I used to treat people, of the way that Tobias used to taunt and humiliate, and I hated myself for stooping to such depths. I turned without meeting his eyes and stalked out of the studio.

********************

This is a wonderful series that I highly recommend.  The stories are well written with wonderful plots.  You really don't want to miss out on them if you love romantic fairy tale fiction.  They are also clean, every age in the family can enjoy them.

Blog Tour Sale!! Grab a copy of Just Ella for 99 cents!

  Author Annette K. Larsen I was born in Utah, but grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and St. Louis, Missouri, the fifth of seven children. I attended Southern Virginia University and Brigham Young University, where I studied English and Theater. I now live in Idaho with my husband and four children. I have Charlotte Brontë to thank for the courage to write novels. After being bombarded with assigned reading about women who justified abandoning either their families or their principles in the name of love, I had the great fortune of reading Jane Eyre. And that was it: finally, a heroine who understood that being moral and making the right choice was hard, and sometimes it hurt, but it was still worth it. After rereading it several years later, I realized that if I wanted more books to exist with the kinds of heroines I admired, then I might as well write a few myself. My books are about women who face hard choices, who face pain and rejection and often have to face the reality of sacrificing what they want for what is right. The consequences are often difficult or unpleasant, but in the end, doing what’s right will always be worth it. I believe there is no substitute for good writing or good chocolate. Fortunately, one often leads to the other.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

  Blog Tour Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Code or Paypal Cash Ends 3/31/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour ~ "By the Stars" by Lindsay B Ferguson

Visit the tour Page.

By the Stars by Lindsay B. Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received electronic copy from publisher to review
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  He was lost. Lost in those deep brown, beautiful eyes. 

As clear as day, Cal heard a voice inside his head: “That’s the girl you’re going to marry.”

When Cal finally gets a chance with Kate, the girl he’s loved since grade school, their easy friendship quickly blossoms into a meaningful romance. But World War II soon cuts their time far too short and Cal prepares to part from her—possibly for good. With Kate's memory willing him on, Cal must put his trust in God to survive if he hopes to ever return to her. Inspired by a true story, By the Stars is a romance that stands the test of time and the most intense obstacles. 


My thoughts: This is a very moving story.  I was touched by the trials of Cal and Kate as they tried to figure out what they wanted with their lives.

The majority of the story is set during WWII.  Cal was away from his home and family for three years serving a mission for his church.  He came home and was immediately drafted.  During his short period home he reconnected with the girl he had loved from afar as a young boy and teen.  Their courtship was quick and intense, but war has  a way of leaving the future uncertain.

The book helped me think about how I view history.  Often I see events and names of people and forget that they had dreams and hopes.  They lived, loved, and faced trials. This book brought the time period to life for me.  I loved looking at events through the hearts and minds of Cal and Kate.

Cal's view of the war in the Philippines is not pretty.  This book does contain violence.  It helped me appreciate the sacrifice of the soldiers who survived and mourn for the fallen soldiers.  This book touched my heart on many different levels.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * Deseret Book

About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads)  Lindsay has been immersing herself in stories since her childhood days of sneaking a flashlight into her room and staying up reading The Babysitters Club series way past her bedtime, writing spinoffs of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and imagining herself in fascinating, far-off places. She still dreams of traveling the world one day, and finds getting lost in a good book almost as absorbing as penning her own stories and experiencing them unfold. A Communication graduate from the University of Utah, she worked as a PR and marketing writer for a computer software company for several years and has contributed feature lifestyle articles to various media outlets. When she felt the itch to attempt novel writing a fascination with history created a natural inclination toward historical fiction, with a romantic flare, of course. She lives in a suburb of Salt Lake City with her husband and four children. By the Stars is her first novel.

Visit her WEBPAGE!

Visit the tour stops:

March 8: My Book a Day | Write Writing Written | New LDS Fiction
March 9: Robyn Echols | Rambling Reviews
March 10: Bookworm Lisa | Totally Obsessed
March 11: Aubrey Zaruba | From Eeka’s Eyes
March 12: Novel-ties | Books R Us
March 13: Read Between the Bindings | This Mormon Life
March 14: Marianne Sciucco | Clean Romance Reviews
March 15: LDS & Lovin’ It | Emmy Mom
March 16: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books | I Am a Reader
March 17: Getting Your Read On | Wishful Endings
March 18: Mel’s Shelves | The Things I Love Most
March 19: Singing Librarian Books | Inklings and Notions
March 20: Ashley Ziegler | Jorie Loves a Story
March 21: Katie’s Clean Book Collection | My Little Sunshines
March 22: Making Life a Bliss Complete | The Random Book Blogger
Books Are Sanity | Fire and Ice
March 23: Becky’s Book Reviews | Rockin’ Book Reviews
March 24: My Reading Spot
March 25: September Fawkes
March 26: Wanna Be Balanced Mom
March 27: Compass Book Ratings
March 28: Blooming with Books
March 29: Jorie Loves a Story

Book Review ~ "Playing the Part" by Jen Turano

Playing the Part by Jen Turano
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review via Netgalley
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucinda's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.


My thoughts: I love this series! The characters are quirky and lovable. They may me laugh and I look forward to reading the books.

This book focuses on Lucetta Plum, and actress who is down to earth and doesn't care for her fame. She is happy in old clothes with her hair undone. She has two best friends and together they hilarious.

Her fame is a problem in this book because she has an unwanted admirer, who is really more of a stalker. He thinks that he has won her in a game of cards and will do whatever it takes to take possession of her. She is not the damsel in distress type and not happy to change her routine or location to thwart Silas.

Most of the book is set at a castle with a menagerie of criminals turned domestic servants. Goodness... they antics that happen at the castle made me chuckle. There is also a bit of a mystery of whatever or whoever is haunting the castle. The owner of the castle is handsome, but it is hard to figure out if he is a hero or a villain.

The book is clean romance with a little bit of violence and kissing.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

It's the Tour Grand Finale for "Courting Cassandry" by Joyce Di Pastena

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Grand Finale for

Courting Cassandry

By Joyce DiPastena

We hope you enjoyed going back to Medieval times, finding tokens of courtship from Gerolt to Cassandry, and their story at their chance for a rare second chance at love! If you have been gathering tokens for the giveaway, here is the eighth one (previously not posted):

If you missed any of the stops or tokens, go back and check them out now...

Launch - Author Q&A

What is your motivation behind Courting Cassandry? Why did you want to write it?

Courting Cassandry is the second book in my Hearts in Autumn Romance series. The couples in this series are older than couples in most romances, in their 40s and 50s. Now that I’m, oh, somewhere around those ages myself, I thought it would be interesting to explore how romances might develop between more mature couples, all based on the premise: “You’re never too old to fall in love!” Because really, don’t we all want to be loved regardless of our age?

The Written Adventure - What is a Hearts in Autumn Romance?

These are characters who have already lived rich lives, who have experienced depths of heartache and joy that my younger characters only stand on the threshold of. That gives my autumn couples layers of complexity that I can’t quite reach with younger characters. And I am finding that aspect exceptionally enjoyable!

Lampshade Reader - Interview

6. If you were presented with the opportunity to travel through time, which period would you choose and why?

My fascination with the Middle Ages began with King Henry II of England, who has played an offstage role in several of my books, so I suppose I would like to go back to the days when he was king and see what he was truly like. Not what his modern critics or supporters say he was like, but what he was really like.

Wishful Endings - Excerpt

Fire churned in her stomach. How dare you make me feel again? After you failed me so abysmally. You abandon me, then sweep back into my life as though you were never gone. But I will always be a child to you, your sparrow, when at this moment I want nothing more than to wipe away the taste of Sir Samson with your kiss on my lips.

Bookworm Lisa - Review

"The characters and story are well written. This is a clean romance that pulled me in from the beginning. I love reading Joyce's books and this book lived up to my expectations!"

deal sharing aunt - Excerpt

At the risk of another rebuff, Gerolt took her hand again, allowing some of the purple blossoms to scatter at their feet. How could she not feel his longing for her in his touch? His thumb swept lightly over her knuckles. “I cannot let you simply disappear again.”

I Am A Reader - Medieval Tokens

One event at which a lady might quite openly give a token to a man with few repercussions was at a tournament. These tokens were usually called “favors” and when worn by the knight, indicated that all his successes on the tournament field would be won on behalf of the lady whose token he wore.

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima - Medieval Rules of Inheritance

Sometimes well-meaning readers question the lines of inheritance in my medieval romances. More familiar with the popular and wide spread Regency romance, they assume that the strict rules of inheritance that basically disowned the rights of daughters during the Regency or even Victorian eras have always stood in England. This was not the case.

EskieMama Reads - Excerpt

“I hate seeing you in such distress.” The vehemence that shook his lowered voice made her turn her head to gaze at him. “As much as we love them, children can sometimes be the very devil. If you would like me to shake Egelina for you, I should be happy to oblige.”

Getting Your Read On - Review

"I loved the stories within stories. Each character in this book has a story to tell. They all weave together but shape each character separately. It was a gentle and slow unfolding and I feel like I became more personally acquainted with each character page by page."

underneath the covers - Medieval Entertainments, Part 1 – Dancing

The curious thing about medieval dancing is that no one knows how medieval couples actually danced. Written descriptions of dancing in Europe didn’t appear until the mid-1400s, during the Renaissance. Nevertheless, we know people did dance during the Middle Ages because there are references to dancing in medieval poetry, as well as glimpses of dancing in medieval paintings and illuminated manuscripts.

Singing Librarian Books - Review & Interview

"Readers will be captivated by the charming and beautiful love story, as well as the wonderfully developed characters. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy medieval romance novels."

5. What inspired the idea for your Courting Cassandry or Hearts in Autumn Series?

A couple of years ago, a writers group I was in challenged us each to try to write an autumn-themed story. While I was trying to come up with an autumn theme, the thought came to me, “What if I wrote a story about falling in love during the characters’ ‘autumn years?’” So I wrote a romance about an older couple and enjoyed it so much, I decided to turn it into a series called “Hearts in Autumn.” Courting Cassandry is the second title in the series. (The first was Loving Lucianna.)

Zerina Blossom's Books - Medieval Entertainment, Part II - Chess

Chess was a hugely popular game among the nobility of Europe during the Middle Ages. The game is believed to have originated in India in the 6th century and made its way to Europe somewhere around the year 1000. The rules were somewhat different than the modern game and the names of some of the pieces changed, translated into more familiar European concepts.

Courting Cassandry

(Hearts in Autumn #2)

by Joyce DePastena

Adult Historical Romance

ebook, 348 pages

February 17th 2016

Is it too late for second chances when the girl you loved in your youth comes back into your life?

Gerolt de Warenne became guardian to a child-heiress named Cassandry when he was only nineteen-years old. As he watched her grow into a lovely young woman, he found himself falling in love with her, but Cassandry viewed him as an older brother. So, burying his feelings, he gave permission for her to marry another.

Twenty-four years later Gerolt and Cassandry meet again. With the loss of their respective spouses, Gerolt hopes to finally court Cassandry, but she desires to remain a widow. Instead, they agree to a betrothal of their children.

Matters become complicated as their friendship begins to evolve into the romance Gerolt has always wanted. But by the law of the medieval Church, Cassandry and Gerolt can’t marry if their children do. Can they find a way to be together? Or must they sacrifice their future for the love of their children?

"Courting Cassandry" is a “Hearts in Autumn” romance, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because love isn’t only for the young!

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│iTunes

The First Book in the Series

Loving Lucianna

(Hearts in Autumn #1)

by Joyce DePastena

Adult Historical Romance

Paperback & ebook, 220 pages

October 11th 2014

Sir Balduin de Soler gave up long ago on love. He never had the means to support a wife until an unexpected advancement in his fifties allows him to reassess his future just as the lovely Lucianna enters his life. 

Lucianna Fabio harbors a secret, painful memory from her past that has kept her unwed, as well. Now in her forties, she thought herself too old to marry until she meets Sir Balduin. Now suddenly their lonely autumn lives feel very much like spring again . . . until Lucianna’s brother appears without warning and threatens to revive the secret that will destroy Lucianna’s second chance at love. 

"Loving Lucianna" is the first in Joyce DiPastena’s new "Hearts in Autumn" romance series, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because you’re never too old to fall in love!

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│iTunes│Smashwords

Joyce DiPastena dreamed of green medieval forests while growing up in the dusty copper mining town of Kearny, Arizona. She filled her medieval hunger by reading the books of Thomas B. Costain (where she fell in love with King Henry II of England), and later by attending the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in history, specializing in the Middle Ages. The university was also where she completed her first full-length novel…set, of course, in medieval England. Later, her fascination with Henry II led her to expand her research horizons to the far reaches of his “Angevin Empire” in France, which became the setting of her first published novel, Loyalty’s Web (a 2007 Whitney Award Finalist).

When she’s not writing, Joyce loves to read, play the piano, and spend time with her sister and friends. A highlight of her year is attending the annual Arizona Renaissance Festival .

Joyce is a multi-published, multi-award winning author who specializes in sweet medieval romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter

Tour Giveaway

$20 See's Candies Gift Certificate (if US) or $20 PayPal Cash (if international)

Copies of Loving Lucianna and Courting Cassandry (signed print if US, ebook if international)

Ends March 12th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlighting "Spring in Snow Valley" Anthology + giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

 

Spring in Snow Valley: A Snow Valley Anthology

Six romances in one collection. 

Operation—Kiss the Girl, Cindy Roland Anderson Ivy Baker is doomed to marry a man she only pretends to be in love with to save the family ranch. Since she isn’t marrying for love, Ivy secretly creates a kissing wish list composed of scenes from the romance books she loves to read. She hopes to experience at least one kiss from her list before she becomes officially engaged and seals her fate. When she travels to Snow Valley to help her aunt recover from knee surgery, Ivy finds herself falling for Kellen Thomas, an irresistible cowboy she should avoid. By chance Kellen finds Ivy’s list, and decides to make it his mission to help her fulfill her bucket list, turning her world upside down and making Ivy want to choose her heart over duty.

   Love Coming Late, Jeanette Lewis Cynthia Eddington never thought she'd return to Snow Valley after a string of bad luck forced the sale of her beloved farm there. But here she is, about to start a new life with her children, Jackson and Anoria. Cynthia plans to focus on her career and her family; she's not looking for romance and she's definitely not looking for sexy cowboy, Colby Schroder.

  Running from the Cowboy, Cami Checketts Missy Horman escaped an abusive marriage and returns to Snow Valley to help her father deal with her emotionally disturbed mother. Volunteering to teach a youth Sunday school class seems like a good way to get out of her comfort zone—until she ends up kissing Porter Wilson in front of a bunch of teenagers. Embarrassed, and secretly thrilled, by the kiss, she writes Porter off as a playboy. But, Missy wasn't the only one affected and Porter's new mission in life is to prove that there's more to him than flirting and world-tilting kisses. He wants to show her that a true cowboy knows how to treat a lady and, if Missy can't keep her wits about her, she might just let him.

  The Bet, Taylor Hart When Destiny Morningstar gets blackmailed into spending her spring break in Snow Valley, the last thing she’s looking for is a date, especially not with Adam and Chase Moon—two attractive and athletic brothers. But soon she finds herself tangled up in a dating spree that includes a flag football game, swinging around the barn dance, and hiking to Snow Valley's romantic hot springs with the town's most eligible bachelors. At every turn she's within kissing distance of one of the delectable Moon men. When she discovers she’s been part of some bet fueled by sibling rivalry and overactive egos she has to make a decision—forgive them both or miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

  Sealed with a Kiss, Kimberley Montpetit Jessica Mason and Pastor James are struggling to make their long-distance relationship work between Snow Valley and New Orleans where Jessica dances with the local ballet company. When April Murphy, a war widow with a child, shows up in Snow Valley, James reluctantly begins to wonder if he and Jessica are really meant to be. April would make the perfect pastor’s wife and he’d have an instant family and the stability he craves. But he can’t get the spitfire Jessica out of his mind and when she returns to Snow Valley to accept an inheritance, her male ballet partner in tow, the love triangle takes on a new edge. Can Jessica and James figure out how to create a family while living in two different states—or do they allow their hearts to move on and forget the passion they once shared?  

  Romancing a Husband, Lucy McConnell Natalie Lawson is at a crossroads. Her husband is down on his luck and some days he’s just plain down while Natalie is moving forward, gaining promotions and starting new adventures. In some ways, they’ve grown apart and Natalie can’t help but wonder if her path through life will always include Eli. When tragedy throws them together, Natalie learns a profound lesson that may save her marriage and provide the key to romancing a husband.

 

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 3/17/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway