Posted in excerpt, Historical, Spotlight on July 5, 2016

alligator creek

Synopsis

On a foggy spring morning in 1862, Sarah Browning, eight months pregnant, her two young children standing beside her, watches a train move away from Lake City, Florida, with her husband Alex aboard. She imagines that her own heart rides on the departing train, headed northeast with cars full of confederate soldiers. She wishes she could hold it back for at least one more moment of having Alex at home at their farm, Alligator Creek.

Full of excitement about glorious battles in Virginia, Alex Browning sits in a boxcar, crushed against the bodies of his fellow soldiers. Little can he imagine the terrors awaiting him in Manassas, Gettysburg, Olustee, and the Wilderness. Alex suffers physically and psychologically from his war experiences and from maltreatment at Yankee prisons in Maryland and New York. He returns home on leave twice, fathering two more children.

Without Alex at Alligator Creek, Sarah uses her wit and Christian faith to sustain her as she faces horrific challenges that threaten her and her young children. Childbirth, death of loved ones, her children’s illnesses, poverty, the prejudices of nineteenth century southern society, and years of no communication from Alex threaten to destroy her and her family. Then she makes the most dramatic decision of her life.

Based on a true family story and Civil War history, Alligator Creek presents strong characters, who survived the unique and difficult period of the American Civil War. Sarah and Alexander Browning actually lived in Lake City, Florida, during the 1860’s, and Alexander’s recorded military service includes many of the most famous battles between the generals Grant and Lee.

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Excerpt

Raindrops tapping on the stiff canvas tarpaulin wrapped around him gave him a start. He pushed up to sitting position and shoved his cover back. Mud from the sides of the trench oozed through his jacket.

Someone whispered, “Alex, they’re out there.”

Alex struggled into wakefulness. “Who’s out there?”

“Can’t you hear them?”

Alex strained to filter out sounds of rain, wind blowing, men grunting and wheezing. “I hear something, but it’s probably thunder.”

Jacob leaned closer. “It’s not thunder. Something out there is moving.”

Alex held his breath, his heart thumping like a jackrabbit’s leg. “It can’t be. We saw them leaving this afternoon.”

Jacob coughed and cleared his throat. “We thought we saw them. I think we’d better pray.”

Alex began with a shaky voice. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”

Jacob loaded his rifle. “I will fear no evil.” The rain turned to mist and the woods became still as a dead man.

Seconds later, Jacob hissed, “Someone’s marching toward us.”

Alex tightened his grip on his rifle and focused his attention to faint sounds from the woods.

The drizzle became pelting rain, plastering Alex’s hair to his head and streaming down his forehead into his eyes. The rumble before him now sounded like a roaring steam locomotive, but he’d known battles enough to recognize the sound. This was the noise of marching men. A great many men.

Alex pointed his rifle into the unseen enemy in the dark wilderness. He tried to calm himself by recalling events from the past five days—the long march, the face-to-face battles in the Wilderness, the race to Spotsylvania. All blurred into a single unending horror that he expected to recall as his thirtieth birthday for the rest of his life. The days had melted into evenings then blended into mornings, sunlight and rain, and back to nighttime again.

He wondered what would at last bring this nightmare to an end. A surrender by South or North? Would the Yankee bullet fire true this time and bring his life, however mean or fine, to its end? Thunderous marching interrupted his thoughts.

Lester, crouched on Alex’s left with his finger tense on the trigger of his rifle, nudged Alex. “What do you think? Are they attacking or retreating?”

Jacob exhaled a heavy breath. “It’s getting louder. They’ve gotta be advancing, but I don’t know if they’re on our right or left.”

Alex prayed that someone would replace the artillery before the blue onslaught. “If they go left or right, they’ll miss us. Make ready for the worst. I wish we had those cannons guarding us.”

The stomping boots grew even louder. Then, from the fog-shrouded woods, came a deep-throated growl of advancing Bluecoats—a sound totally different from the high-pitched rebel yell. Throngs of close-packed Yanks with fixed bayonets luminous in first light broke out of the mist, coming for the direct center of the U-shaped trench. Alex, Jacob, and Lester fired reflexively at point blank range.

“I got one of ‘em,” Jacob shouted just as Alex missed his target. Al­ex’s next shot rang true, the bullet blasting the center of the man’s face in a bloody explosion. Alex blanched but reloaded as fast as he could.

On and on they came, line after line, man after man. Alex and his comrades loaded cartridges and fired until their ammunition ran out. Someone yelled, “Fix your bayonets.” Alex snapped his into place. When a Yankee jumped onto the parapet above the trench, Lester sliced his throat. Blood squirted into their faces, mingling with the rain. Max flung his bayoneted rifle like a javelin and pierced the body of an invad­er. The hammering rain transformed the floor of the trench to muck. Alex dared not look down—he knew he stood on bodies of the dead and wounded, trampled deep into slimy, bloody mud. No one spoke or yelled; they reacted. They used anything—guns, logs, shoes, shovels—to beat off the relentless enemy. Numbed by horror, he became a machine, neither angry nor fearful.

“We can’t keep on,” Jacob gasped at their captain.

A quick answer came back: “Your orders are to stand dead or alive.”

About the Author

Lottie Lipscomb Guttry grew up in the small town of Kilgore, Texas, the site of the famous East Texas Oil Field. She attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia and received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Arts from Stephen F. Austin College in Nacogdoches, Texas, and a doctorate from Texas A&M University at Commerce.  She served as instructor of literature and composition at Kilgore College. She also taught advanced composition, literature, and advanced grammar at the University of Texas at Tyler. She owned and directed Sylvan Learning Center in Longview.  During her studies at Stephen F. Austin State University, a professor assigned her class to find and write a family legend. A cousin introduced Lottie to Sarah and Alexander Browning and their story—the basis for her historical novel Alligator Creek. Other publications include a musical, Boom, based on the history of the East Texas Oil Field; a play for children, The Enchanted Swan; a critical article published in the Walt Whitman Review; two devotionals published in The Upper Room; and numerous feature articles for The Longview News and Journal.

Lottie and her husband John, a retired dentist, live in Longview, Texas, near Kilgore, where they both grew up. She participates in the music program at her church, serves as a hospital volunteer, plays duplicate bridge, and travels. She has three grown children and seven grandchildren.

 

 

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, romance, Spotlight on July 5, 2016

billionaire

Title: Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing
Series: Billionaire Wolf, #1
Author: Terry Spear
Pubdate: July 5th, 2016
ISBN: 9781492621898

Synopsis

First in a BRAND NEW SERIES from USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear, queen of shapeshifter romance.

Real estate mogul werewolf Rafe Denali didn’t get where he is in life by being a pushover. When sexy she-wolf Jade Ashton nearly drowns in the surf outside his beach house, he knows better than to bring her into his home and his heart. But there’s something about her that brings out his strongest instincts…

Rafe has good reason to be suspicious. Jade Ashton and her baby son are pawns in an evil wolf’s fatal plan. How can Jade betray the gorgeous man who rescued her? But if she doesn’t, her baby will die, and her own life hangs in the balance…

To get to the truth, Rafe is going to have to gain Jade’s trust. If he can do that, he just might be her last—and best—hope…

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Excerpt

From Chapter 1

Jade Ashton had made a lot of mistakes in her life, but returning to her brother’s pack topped the list. She should have known the pack members wouldn’t accept her son, the product of a love affair with a human, despite pretending they were fine with it. She glanced at her three-year-old son, napping on the daybed in her office in her brother’s home where she alternated between sketching new designs for intimate apparel and for a new baby and toddler wear line she had developed when her son was born.

Toby had just fallen asleep, looking angelic with his blond curls resting on his cheek, his dark brown eyes closed as he licked his lips. No way would she ever give him up, despite how everyone in her pack viewed him as a grievous error in judgment.

She felt a little dizzy, probably because she’d been so busy that she hadn’t had anything to drink in hours. She got up from her chair and headed out the door, practically running into her twin brother moving silently down the hall like a wolf. She fell back and gasped softly when he grabbed her arm to steady her.

“We need to talk.” Kenneth started to guide her to the den, his blond hair much darker than hers, his amber eyes focused on her in a way that said he had serious business to discuss.

Did he know she intended to leave the pack, again? Or did he want to tell her he didn’t think her being here was working out? “I need to get some water. And we can’t talk long because Toby will be waking in a half hour or so.”

“This will just take a minute.”

It had better, because she wasn’t going to be drawn into any long-winded discussions with her brother. She hadn’t told him she was leaving first thing in the morning. She wasn’t sure how he’d take it. She had to admit she was afraid he’d try to talk her out of it. But she was determined.

Every time he and the others had looked at her son in judgment, she’d been annoyed. Not only that, but she’d caught Kenneth and the others having secret conversations and then abruptly stopping whenever they saw her approaching. The pack members pretended to tolerate her son, but she saw through the facade. They didn’t like her having a human son who couldn’t shift. They believed he could be a danger to the pack.

Which was one of the reasons she had left just after her son was born. She had also wanted to save his human father from her brother’s wrath. But raising Toby on her own had been tough. When her brother had promised that the pack members wanted her to live with them and have the backup they could provide, she had agreed. She and her son had left southern Texas far behind, so she figured she’d never run into Toby’s father again. And Kenneth had sounded sincere in wanting to ensure her protection—just like a pack leader should. She wanted to be part of a family again. She didn’t have a lone wolf personality.

She didn’t believe Toby would be welcome in any other pack either.

Clearly, the members had changed their minds about having her and her son there. Unless they had never wanted her back and it was all her brother’s idea. He was the pack leader, so ultimately, it was his decision—one he was apparently coming to regret. He was just being stubborn, didn’t want to admit he’d made a mistake, and didn’t want to have to tell her to leave.

Then again, maybe he realized she was planning to leave. Being twins, they sometimes sensed things like that before they really shared with each other. She hadn’t packed anything yet. She planned to tell him in the morning, before he left for work at his auto body shop. She thought it would be easier on all of them that way. She’d call him when she got settled and let him know where she was staying. It was for the best—for her son, for her, and for Kenneth and the pack.

Having detoured from the direction of the den to go to the kitchen so she could get something to drink, Kenneth leaned against the granite counter, his focus on her, his expression still ultra-serious. “I have a job for you.”

She raised her brows, then grabbed a glass from the kitchen cabinet. Between raising Toby and running her own businesses, she didn’t have time for a whole lot else. But if this was something quick that she could do this afternoon, she would, to thank Kenneth for taking her in—and then she was through with the pack.

“It’s simple. And hell, you might get real lucky.”

She snorted, pouring water into the glass and adding crushed ice. “Lucky?” She drank several sips of the water.

The front door shut, and she figured Kenneth’s girlfriend, Lizzie, was running out for something. She was a wolf too, which meant they were sleeping together, but he hadn’t decided to mate her yet so they hadn’t gone all the way. If they did, he’d be stuck with her as his mate for life. Jade didn’t know why the she-wolf put up with her brother. If Jade was in a situation like Lizzie’s, she’d tell the wolf that either they mated or she’d look elsewhere. But Jade supposed Lizzie wanted to be a pack leader’s mate and was sticking around in case Kenneth decided she was it. Total beta wolf.

“You’re living off me so you can put more money into your apparel business that isn’t making enough to really sustain you and your son. So, I need you to do this job and—”

“Like hell my business isn’t making enough money.” She was extremely tight with her money. No fancy food for either of them. No special entertainment. No expensive clothes. Since lupus garous lived so long, she had worked other jobs to help pad her bank account before Toby was born. She wasn’t wealthy, but she got by just fine. As long as she was frugal. “That’s okay. Being here with the pack isn’t working out for Toby and me anyway.”

Kenneth’s eyes widened. “You’re not leaving.”

“Listen, Kenneth, you know no one wants my son here. And they barely tolerate me. You make Lizzie babysit Toby sometimes when I really need someone to watch him so I can work, but it’s not fair to her. The rest of the pack worries about him. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I really do.”

She shrugged. “But…I know this is the right thing for me to do. And for you and the pack too. I’m leaving tomorrow, and we can get together from time to time…later.” She really didn’t believe that would happen, but she’d make the gesture anyway.

“Like I said, I have a job for you.”

What part of she was leaving did her brother not get? He was so stubborn! Or did he feel it was his place as pack leader to decide if she was leaving? He hadn’t decided things for her since before she left the pack nearly four years earlier, and she wasn’t going to allow him to start now.

Even so, she’d humor him because she was leaving tomorrow, with or without his consent. “What’s the job?”

“Do you remember when that doctor was taking blood samples from us last week?”

“Yeah, Dr. Aidan Denali. He wanted to take some of Toby’s, and I said no. What of it? He’s not asking to take blood samples from Toby again, is he?”

“No, but here’s the thing. I looked into his background, and his brother is Rafe Denali.”

“So?” She’d never heard of the guy. Not that she’d heard of Aidan Denali either before she’d met him at Kenneth’s house. Since Toby wasn’t a shifter, there was no reason for Aidan to take blood from him. Though she hadn’t given the doctor that reason since he hadn’t needed to know.

“Rafe Denali’s a billionaire. Real estate mogul.”

“So?” Her brother was usually much better at getting to the point.

“The good doctor told me he’s close to finding a cure for our longevity issues.”

“Okay. What has this got to do with me? Or you, for that matter?”

“I need you to find out where he’s living. Where he does his research.”

“What?” She narrowed her eyes. “Why?” She was getting really bad vibes about this.

“His brother is ruthless. Hell, he’s the reason our grandparents lost their manufacturing business.”

She closed her gaping mouth. She had never known anything about her grandparents. Since her brother had taken over the pack when their parents died, he’d been the one interested in all things family. She’d been rather a wild card growing up. She’d always known she would never run the pack, so she’d done her own thing. After her son was born, she’d thrown herself into her work and raising him. No room for getting into any further trouble. She was faced with enough already.

“Okay, so I don’t get the connection between what happened with our grandparents and what you want me to do. Or why you want to know where the doctor lives.”

“Rafe is well-known—”

She opened her mouth again to tell Kenneth she had never heard of Rafe, so he couldn’t be that well-known.

“—in financial circles. The kind that you don’t belong to. I know where he lives. He and his brother are close, but Aidan lives somewhere else. I want you to befriend Rafe and learn where Aidan lives.”

“Why would you want to know that? Besides, I don’t run in billionaires’ circles. You already said so yourself.”

“He’s a bachelor wolf. He’s not dating any she-wolves. I’ve checked. If he sees you, and you intrigue him, you can cozy up to him and learn where his brother lives.”

“I’m not interested. Besides, didn’t the doctor give you his business card and tell you to contact him if you have any concerns?”

“It has his phone number. That’s it.”

“Why do you want to know this anyway?”

“I told you. Rafe is ruthless. When he gets hold of a cure for our condition, he’ll sell it to only those who can afford it. What if lupus garous begin to age even more rapidly than we are now? What if we don’t just end up with a human’s life span, but our bodies begin to age rapidly to match all the years we’ve already lived? Hell, your boy would lose you, and he’d have no one to raise him. Think about it.”

She had thought about it. But she wasn’t one to live with a fatalist viewpoint on life. She hadn’t thought her brother was either. Until now.

“If you really want this information, ask Rafe yourself. Or call his brother. You have his phone number.”

“As if either would tell me.”

“Send Lizzie.” Jade turned to leave, and her brother seized her arm. She rounded on him, yanking her arm away from him, and said, “We’re family, Kenneth, but that doesn’t give you the right to make me do things that go against what I believe in. If the worst-case scenario ever comes to pass, I’m sure wolves can unite and make the brothers see the right in this.”

Kenneth folded his arms. “Lizzie isn’t right for the part. She’s not as classy as you.”

“Oh, wow, give me a break. I hope you didn’t tell her that.” Jade started heading back to her office, but she hadn’t taken more than a few steps when her brother cleared his throat.

“I need you to do this. Whatever it takes. After that, you and your son can be on your way. You really don’t have a choice.”

“Nothing would make lying to the Denalis worthwhile, no matter why you want this information. Toby and I will be leaving tonight.” Sooner—once she could get her car packed and Toby ready for the journey. She’d have to plot a course too. Had her brother known about the wolf geneticist before he’d asked her to return to the pack? She whipped around.

“How long have you known about Aidan? Is this why you asked me to return to the pack? So I could be your spy?”

When Kenneth didn’t deny it, she swore under her breath. “I thought you were concerned about me and my son. Or at least me. Thanks for letting me in on the truth.” Furious with her brother, she stalked off toward the office and had nearly reached the doorway when Kenneth let his breath out in a huff.

“You will do this for me, and then you can have your son back.”

His words made her stomach fall and her head spin as she rushed into the room.

Toby and his soft leopard blanket were gone. All that was left on the daybed was his blue rainbow-colored teddy bear.

Lizzie! She must have taken him when Jade heard the front door open. Lizzie was the only one who was close enough to Toby that if she woke him while taking him from his bed, he wouldn’t cry out. He’d settle in her arms and go back to sleep. Kenneth had stalled Jade long enough for Lizzie to gather up Toby and leave.

Shocked at what he had done and angrier than she ever thought she could be, Jade hurried out of the room, ready to kill her brother—but only after he told her where her son was. “Where is he, Kenneth? I swear I’ll—”

“You’ll do this one thing for me, and he’s yours. And then you can damn well leave the pack. But if you ever cause any trouble for our kind, I’ll kill both of you.”

So furious she couldn’t think straight, she beat on her brother’s chest with her fists, cursing at him until he grabbed her wrists and slammed her against the wall. “I’m serious about this, Jade. Do what I say, and your son won’t meet his father’s fate.”

“What?” Tears filled her eyes, but she tried to get a grip on her emotions so he wouldn’t see her as weak. Kenneth had promised he would leave Stewart alone if she left the area before he even knew she was pregnant, and she never had anything more to do with him.

She felt sucker punched. “Why? You said…” It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was Toby’s safety. “Damn you, Kenneth.”

She kneed her brother in the crotch with one good shove as a final comment on how she felt about him taking her son hostage. Kenneth collapsed to his knees, swearing that he’d make her pay if she didn’t do what he said.

Maynard Myer—one of the men who worked in Kenneth’s body shop—interrupted them, red-faced. He was a redheaded bulldog of a man who had brazenly shown his contempt for her and Toby when he dropped by the house. She suspected Maynard didn’t want to intrude on this scene, but the news had to be serious enough for him to do so.

“What?” Kenneth growled at him, still on his knees on the floor and holding his crotch.

“Grayton wants his money now. You’ve got two weeks to pay up or…” Maynard glanced in Jade’s direction.

She didn’t know who Grayton was, although the name sounded like he might be a wolf. If he had loaned Kenneth money, and now her brother was in arrears…

“What are you involved in, Kenneth?” she asked. “Gambling? The horse races? I’ve got money”

“Get out of here, Jade. You want to see your son in one piece, leave and do what I told you to do.”

No matter how angry she was, she knew she didn’t have a choice. She had to get her son back before her brother killed him. She grabbed Toby’s rainbow bear and hurried into her room to pack, praying she could pull this off without getting her son killed. If Grayton was threatening her brother, what if he took out Kenneth’s debt on his closest relations? Her and her son?

What would the Denalis do if they learned what she was up to?

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world and is raising two Havanese puppies. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

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Posted in England, fiction, Giveaway, Historical, Interview, Spotlight on July 4, 2016

Memory of Us Banner

THE MEMORY OF US

by Camille DiMaio

Genre: Historical Romantic Literary Fiction

Publisher: Lake Union Press

Date of Publication: May 31, 2016

Number of Pages: 400

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synopsis

Memory Med Res Cover

Julianne Westcott was living the kind of life that other Protestant girls in prewar Liverpool could only dream about: old money, silk ball gowns, and prominent young men lining up to escort her. But when she learns of a blind-and-deaf brother, institutionalized since birth, the illusion of her perfect life and family shatters around her.

While visiting her brother in secret, Julianne meets and befriends Kyle McCarthy, an Irish Catholic groundskeeper studying to become a priest. Caught between her family’s expectations, Kyle’s devotion to the Church, and the intense new feelings that the forbidden courtship has awakened in her, Julianne must make a choice: uphold the life she’s always known or follow the difficult path toward love.

But as war ripples through the world and the Blitz decimates England, a tragic accident forces Julianne to leave everything behind and forge a new life built on lies she’s told to protect the ones she loves. Now, after twenty years of hiding from her past, the truth finds her—will she be brave enough to face it?

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ADVANCED REVIEWER PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

“Powerful, emotional, and amazing read.”

“A smashing debut!”

“Brilliantly told and executed.”

“Will make you cry in the best way possible.”

“This is a beautiful story of redemption, love, and honor.”

“I fell in love with the characters.”

“I’m not sure if I have ever had such a range of emotions with a book.”

“This is one of the best books that I have read!”

“Touching and funny and tragic and beautiful.”

“Packs a powerful, emotional punch.”

AuthorInterview

 

Who would you cast to play your characters in a movie version of your book? 

I’m still working out my ideal “Kyle”, but I could see Carey Mulligan or Lily James playing “Julieanne.”  Colin Firth for “Mr. Westcott”.  Donna Murphy for “Mrs. Westcott.”  Emily Blunt for “Lucille”.

How important are names to you in your books, and how do you choose them?

I figured out the approximate years in which the characters would be born, and then googled male and female names that were popular in those eras.  I also tried to choose names that were geographically correct.  But none of the names have a particular meaning.

What do your plans for future projects include? 

Although it is only a concept right now, I have an idea for a historical novel set in New York that I am REALLY excited about starting.  I just have to decide it if will be a stand-alone or a trilogy.  There are three stories to tell, but it might be possible to do in one book.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

I would say this more as a genre than a subject, but I would never write horror, erotica, or fantasy.

Do you have any strange writing habits you’d like to share with your readers? 

I fall in to the category of writers who is best inspired when away from home.  I LOVE to travel, and it sparks my imagination more than anything else.  Even if I just sit in my front yard, I can see it as a little escape.  Sitting in my house just has too many distractions.

What is something you want to accomplish before you die? 

My favorite quote is from Mother Teresa:  “Let no one come to you without leaving better or happier.”  It sounds like a cliché, but if I can just leave the world better than I found it, even in my tiny corner, then I would have accomplished all that I want.  I discovered a few years ago that this book and this book process are not about me.  It’s about helping other people in some way.  Particularly in inspiring them to pursue their own dreams and purposes, whatever they are.

What do you want your tombstone to say? 

She didn’t waste a second.

 

about the author

DiMaio PicCamille is an award-winning real estate agent in San Antonio who, along with her husband of 18 years, home schools their four children. She has a bucket list that is never-ending, and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She’s lived in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California, and spends enough time in Hawai’i to feel like a local. She’s traveled to four continents (so far), and met Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. She just about fainted when she had a chance to meet her musical idol, Paul McCartney, too. Camille studied political science in college, but found working on actual campaigns much more fun. She belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes, and forever stays up late reading “just one more chapter”. There’s almost nothing she wouldn’t try, so long as it doesn’t involve heights, roller skates, or anything illegal. “The Memory of Us” is Camille’s debut novel. Her second, “Before the Rain Falls” will be released in the spring of 2017.

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A SIGNED COPY OF THE BOOK!

  June 21 – July 5, 2016

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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

6/21    Missus Gonzo  — Review
6/22    Books and Broomsticks Promo
6/23    The Page Unbound  – Author Interview #1
6/24    Texas Book Lover  – Guest Post
6/25    The Librarian Talks – Review
6/26    Country Girl Bookaholic  – Excerpt
6/27    It’s a Jenn World – Author Interview #2
6/28    Byers Editing Reviews & Blog  — Review
6/29    Forgotten Winds – Book Trailer
6/30    Margie’s Must Reads – Review
7/1       Blogging for the Love of Authors and Their Books – Promo
7/2       The Crazy Booksellers – Author Interview #3
7/3       My Book Fix Blog — Review
7/4       StoreyBook Reviews  – Author Interview #4
7/5       Hall Ways Blog         – Review

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Posted in 5 paws, Review, romance on July 4, 2016

Four Chambers

Synopsis

From the Power of the Matchmaker series:

Every time Andra Stone crosses paths with Everett Covington, trouble follows. First she loses her scholarship. Then she loses the apartment she’d wanted more than anything. But tragedy hits hardest when she loses her grandmother—the best friend Andra has ever known. She determines that Everett is a talisman of ill fortune. When Everett comes to work in her hospital and is applying for the same position she’d been working toward since residency, Andra believes him to be her personal poltergeist.

The human heart has four chambers—four chances to get it right. Andra has only one chance left.

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Review

Andra and Everett – soulmates tied together by red twine and nothing can break their destiny apart.

I loved this book. But then I have loved all the books that are in the Matchmaker series so far. This one spans about 8 years or so – from Senior year in college, through med school and residency. It was interesting to see how Everett and Andra would run into each other at different parts of their lives. There are 4 “parts” and aptly called the Four Chambers for the chambers of the heart.

Pearl isn’t mentioned until about 1/3 of the way through the book, but she does appear quite often as Andra and Everett need her (unbeknownst to them) to guide them to each other.

They each have their own issues and “demons” to deal with and it was interesting to see how they dealt with various situations.

I loved the nicknames they had for each other – Everest with the S and Andrea without the E.

Overall a great book and worth reading!  We give it 5 paws up

pawprintpawprintpawprintpawprintpawprint

About the Author

JulieW

Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the hang of this writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating writing, hiking, playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise, but has a healthy respect for ice cream.

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Posted in 5 paws, Historical, Review, Time Travel on July 3, 2016

mercer street

Synopsis

Weeks after her husband dies in the midst of an affair in 2016, Chicago writer Susan Peterson, 48, seeks solace on a California vacation with her mother Elizabeth and daughter Amanda. The novelist, however, finds more than she bargained for when she meets a professor who possesses the secret of time travel. Within days, the women travel to 1938 and Princeton, New Jersey. Elizabeth begins a friendship with her refugee parents and infant self, while Susan and Amanda fall for a widowed admiral and a German researcher with troubling ties. Filled with poignancy, heartbreak, and intrigue, MERCER STREET gives new meaning to courage, sacrifice, and commitment as it follows three strong-willed souls on the adventure of a lifetime.

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Review

I have read many books by this author and love his attention to detail and the thought of time travel. Thankfully all of the time travelers are not doing it to change history, well not much anyway.

This book follows 3 generations of women that go back in time to 1938 when the eldest was just a baby. It is before WWII and there are a lot of references to upcoming events.

Each woman (Elizabeth, Susan and Amanda) had their own issues to deal with and not all of it was necessarily from 1938. Susan is dealing with the death of her husband, Amanda the loss of her father and Elizabeth, her own mortality. But each woman was able to adapt to the time they were living in and make the most of the situation.

There were a few times where you thought that history was really going to be changed (and not for the better) based on information that was revealed that shouldn’t have been shared. I know my heart skipped a beat in a few places afraid as to what the outcome might have become.

I also liked a few references to the time travelers from the first book. You don’t have to have read that one because nothing big is revealed, but having read the book I remembered the characters and their situation.

All in all a good book and looking forward to the next installment and give it 5 paws up.

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About the Author

Heldt-Bio-Mug-3John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life on his blog.

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Posted in 4 paws, Giveaway, Review, Romantic Suspense on July 3, 2016

 

unravel page hop

The Unravel by Rebecca Rohman Page Hop runs on our Facebook Page from July 3 to July 6, 2016 with 40 blogs having some AMAZING giveaways! Enter them all for more chances to win! There will be a signed paperback copy of Unravel as a grand prize.

UNRAVEL COVER gn6★ Unravel Blurb:

Chella and Mitch Mariani are a happily married couple, living the good life in San Diego. She’s a marketing genius in the cosmetics division at an international conglomerate; he’s one of the city’s most successful real estate investors. Life has never been better.

Until a series of disturbing events cloud a blissful fifth wedding anniversary.

Lies surface. Suspicions escalate. Danger lurks. Their seemingly taut bond unravels their love to its core. As misguided choices threaten to destroy them forever, keeping their hearts on the path to a collective future might be the most monumental fight of all.

★ Take a look at my review of Unravel below:

This was a short suspense story that had me wondering how it was going to turn out for Chella and Mitch. apparently someone wants them split up and their relationship is tested to the max. Will Chella continue to believe and trust Mitch?

Only thing I wasn’t crazy about were the graphic love scenes, so I skimmed through those sections. But that is my preference, I don’t need to read all the details! but outside of that, the story was engaging. I haven’t read the other books so will need to go back and pick those up some time soon!

We give this 4 paws up

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★ Buy Links

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Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon ES | Amazon IT | Amazon IN | Amazon NL

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★ Enter the Grand Prize Rafflecopter Giveaway HERE

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Posted in Historical, Interview, mystery, Spotlight on July 2, 2016

Guardians in Blue Banner

GUARDIANS IN BLUE

by Ken Bangs 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Date of Publication: March 31, 2016

# of pages: 382

synopsis

Guardians Lo Res Cover

A fatherless boy growing up in a small Texas town is taken under wing by the local lawmen. They work with the town leaders to provide his basic needs and help him escape the shame and poverty of his circumstances. One in particular becomes his guardian.

He teaches the boy about life, how to face his fears, that honor is more important than comfort and that defending those who cannot defend themselves is the highest duty of a man.

The boy learns the lessons well. He hears the call and his heart opens to it. He too becomes a Guardian.

 This is the novelized story of the authors’ thirty-seven years service in law enforcement and public safety. It is unique in that the reader is given an inside look at what motivates one to the calling and the process of becoming a police officer.

It is told from the first person perspective of one who walked a beat in downtown Dallas at the age of 19, answered the calls as a radio patrol officer and worked the cases as a detective.

It gives an inside look at the understanding of not only the criminal act but the issues that lead to criminality and the processes by which criminal justice professionals identify and apprehend those responsible for given crimes.

Drawing on interviews/interrogations of criminals the author provides an exposé of the experiences, the anger, and the fantasy that captures the mind and controls the will of those who rape, rob, and kill.

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PRAISE FOR GUARDIANS IN BLUE

“As a man who was privileged to work the streets with Ken Bangs, I can tell you that he was the Guardian.  If you want to understand police work at the base level, then The Guardians is a must read.  It goes beyond the violence and the sensationalism and gives you a window into the hearts and souls of those men and women who ride toward danger when everyone else runs away.”  — Doug Sword, Captain of Police (Retired), Dallas Police Department

Guardians In Blue is an action packed book about actual crimes from the Dallas Police files.  These cases as retold by Ken bangs come alive in a format that makes you feel like you are at the location and involved in the investigations.”  — Gary Holly, Retired Police Officer

“The story is so realistic; it so reveals the rawness of life experienced by a police officer that any who have ever worn the badge will be drawn in as they see themselves in the Guardians.” — G. David Payne, Lieutenant of Police (Retired), Dallas Police Department

AuthorInterview

 

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?

I am a Texan. Need I say more?

How long have you been writing?

Writing — narrative reporting actually — has been part of my entire professional life. As a uniformed police officer (first responder), it was important to present the facts succinctly in a format enabling the detectives to quickly pick up the thread of events leading to the crime and move forward with the investigation.

As a detective, it was important to summarize the facts in a manner that would aid the prosecutor in the courtroom presentation. As a magistrate, the ability to articulate the evidence presented, your evaluation of the evidence and the application of the relevant law with the rendering of your decision, in a clear and concise manner, were important.  As a counselor, the reduction of evaluation (formalized assessment), treatment plan, therapy notes and case reports should provide a record of the journey from issue to solution.

So, you see I have been engaged in illustrative, creative, writing some 49 years. However, my first novel was started in 2012 and published in 2013.

What do you think most characterizes your writing?

Hopefully my writing is characterized by the artful articulation of reality.

What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?

Wow, what an interesting question. So, let’s address it by reversing the words cultural and value. Now allow me to address the question by saying that I believe writing becomes a value to the culture (society) in which the story line is based when it brings to light, encourages, produces questions, and suggests solutions to given behaviors within said society.

How does Guardians In Blue relate to your spiritual practice or other life path?

All of my books contain references to my faith and belief systems. I try to state them in a straightforward manner that provides insight without declaring exclusivity.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

In Warriors and Guardians, I enjoyed bringing to light that which was unknown to the general public and in giving credit long delayed to those who by action of government or the indifference of command had never received it.

What was the hardest part of writing this book? 

This book? Let’s take two of the listed books, Arctic Warriors and Guardians In Blue. In both. the act of writing brought the events forward from their position(s) deep in my memory to the instant. The pain was so real that I was often reduced to tears and had to stop writing as my subconscious released that which it had repressed.

Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured if your book? 

Every day, all around this celestial globe, the men and women of our armed forces stand against tyranny in defense of liberty. On a regular basis, these Warriors are dispatched on assignment(s) that place them in direct armed conflict with the tyrannical forces opposing liberty. Many if not most of these events are never known of by the public and never acknowledged by the government. These then are the perfect illustration of the unsung heroes of freedom.

Not all Guardians wear blue but all who wear blue must serve as guardians. Many have told the story of the street cop because of the action.  But few have provided a behind the scenes look at the reason(s) one becomes a guardian, the process involved in the journey, the failures, and the pain and the joy of being there for those who need a guardian. I try to do this in Guardian.

How do we help those in need within our community?

Stop looking and start acting. Get involved with the many aid organizations. Help establish safe places for abused women and children. Back the Blue in their efforts to provide a safe and secure environment, do not let the fringe elements control by fear and intimidation. Get involved…you don’t have to wear blue to be a guardian…you don’t have to step between combatants…see, report, and be willing to testify.

Who would you cast to play your characters in a movie version of your book?

A young Robert Duvall, a young Tommy Lee Jones, and of course George C. Scott.

Who are some of your favorite authors you feel were influential in your work?  What impact have they had on your writing?

I love James Michener. I read a lot of John Grisham.  Their ability to tell the story in an entertaining manner is what I want.

What literary character is most like you?

Hmmmm….maybe Captain Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove or Horatio Hornblower in the C.S. Forester sea novels.

What book do you wish you could have written?

To Kill A Mockingbird, Texas, Lonesome Dove, and Roots

If you were a superhero, what would your name be? What costume would you wear?

Patton, the uniform of the United States of America. Corny, okay. But you asked and I answered.

If you were an animal in a zoo, what would you be?

An Elephant.  Live long, don’t worry about weight or wrinkles.

If you could speak with any accent from anywhere in the world, what would you choose?

I speak with the accent that I most desire —- TEXAS

 

about the author

ken bangsKen spent 35 years in public safety. A veteran of the United States Army, he was with the military police in the Alaskan Command.  He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, M.S. in Human Relations / Business Management from Amberton University, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Counseling from Jacksonville (Florida) Theological Seminary.  Ken and his wife, Trudy, have been married 46 years. They live in McKinney, Texas.

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Check out the other great blogs on the tour! 

6/28    My Book Fix Blog – Review
6/29    Books and Broomsticks – Excerpt #1
6/30    Missus Gonzo  – Review
7/1       The Crazy Booksellers – Promo
7/2       StoreyBook Reviews  – Author Interview #1
7/3       The Librarian Talks – Review
7/4       It’s a Jenn World – Guest Post
7/5       The Page Unbound  – Excerpt #2
7/6       Country Girl Bookaholic  – Review
7/7       Margie’s Must Reads – Author Interview #2

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Posted in Giveaway on July 2, 2016

freedom to read giveaway hop

Yes I know I just finished one giveaway hop, but if you saw the number of books and swag I have you will understand why I am doing another one!

It is simple to enter, just tell me on the Rafflecopter below how you follow me.  If you Tweet – then you can get an extra entry (and you can tweet each day if you want!)

Make sure to check out all the other blogs participating in this giveaway!

 

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Posted in 5 paws, Book Release, chick lit, Review, women on July 1, 2016

lowcountry stranger

Lowcountry Stranger

By Ashley Farley

Series: Sweeney Sisters #2
Release date: July 1, 2016
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Family, Small-town, Chick-Lit

Synopsis

There’s a stranger in town. And it’s no coincidence when she shows up uninvited at a Sweeney family wedding. All eyes are drawn to this urchin who seems to have washed in with the tide. Before the night is over, the doe-eyed waif charms young and old with her street smarts and spunky personality. For better or worse, Annie Dawn is here to stay.

The memorable Sweeney sisters from Her Sister’s Shoes have returned with more suspense and family drama to hold you spellbound until the dramatic conclusion. As she approaches the next stage of her life as an empty nester, Jackie is torn between expanding her fledgling design business and spending these last precious months with her boys before they fly the coop. Her own worst enemy, Sam is terrified of making a commitment to Eli Marshall, handsome police officer, true love of her life. Her resolve is tested when a ghost from her past shows up after nearly two decades. Faith nurtures her seven-year-old daughter who is recovering from the trauma of her abusive father. Is the threat in the past, or is there more danger on the horizon? The sisters seek guidance from their mother, Lovie, a true Southern matriarch who shows them how to respond to adversity with grace and dignity.

Things are heating up in the Lowcountry. The Sweeney sisters remind us, once again, that being a part of a family is about more than sharing the same DNA.

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Review

What a lovely journey back to the town of Prospect (close to Charleston) and a look into what is happening with the Sweeney family. This is the second book, so make sure you read Her Sister’s Shoes first.

All of the sisters have come a long ways from the first book. They had worked through issues but don’t think that everything is dandy. There are still some problems that need to be addressed for each sister, but it makes them better women for it by the end of the book.

All three sisters have their strengths and weaknesses and I saw myself in several of them. All of the characters were someone that I could relate to either personally or knew people like them. I am wondering about Lovie (the mother) and if a future book will reveal some mental health issues. Jackie is strong but realizes that perhaps not everything has to be about her. Sam has her own demons to fight and does confront a few during the book (can’t give away too much!). And Faith has a few scary moments too, but has a new husband to lean on during those times.

I really enjoyed this book, so much that I stayed up way to late to finish the book. There are some nail biting moments, some sad time but many happy times. I loved that the family always manages to come together despite any personal issues.

Need a beach read – then check out this series.  We give it 5 paws up.

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low country graphic

 

Her Sister's Shoes

Her Sister’s Shoes (Sweeny Sister’s #1)

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About the Author

Ashley FarleyAshley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

HER SISTER’S SHOES—June 2015—is a women’s novel that proves the healing power of family. Merry Mary—October 2015—a holiday novella, a young woman longing for a child stumbles upon a Christmas miracle. BREAKING THE STORY released on March 17, 2016. A romantic political suspense filled with passion, peril, and a scandal that will rock American politics.

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Posted in Giveaway, romance, Spotlight on July 1, 2016

Chasing Fireflies

Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean

Synopsis

My sisters think I’m crazy.

But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love.

She told me to search far and wide for him.

I haven’t stopped looking ever since.

When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence.

It’s destiny.

My sisters say I’m chasing a dream.

Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment?

My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand.

Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird.

The memory silences them.

The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable—and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy.

I will find Paul . . . I will.

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Praise for Chasing Fireflies

It was like Taylor Dean left a trail of chocolate chips leading to a plate of delicious cookies at the end. Yummy! I had to eat every single one and now I’m full and feasting on the satisfaction of a well written story.  -Author Charissa Stastny

Taylor Dean is such a creative and skilled author that she has the ability to make the unusual and the unthinkable seem real.  -Lisa, Goodreads Reviewer

As always I loose myself in Taylor’s books, experiencing rather than reading the story, from that first glance and butterflies in my belly, to the inevitable heartache, to the amazingly captivating events that lead us to the blissful happily ever after.  -Mylissa’s Reviews and Book Thoughts

Excerpt

“Savannah, you’ll always be my baby, even now when you’re twenty-six years old.” Her voice wavers unsteadily as she tries to express herself in her weakened state. “You were a surprise to us all. I thought my child bearing years were over, and then along you came, ten years junior to my youngest child. You were a joy to raise. Quiet and unassuming, content to spend your time watching your sisters and their crazy antics. But it’s your time now, my dear sweet girl. No more watching.”

“Mom . . .” I whisper, angst evident in my tone.

“Life will happen for you, Savannah. I know it will.”

The defeated feeling that sometimes besieges me must be etched in my features because Darling Emma lifts her head off the pillow with strength she doesn’t possess, ready to object.

“Don’t give up, Savannah. I know life has thrown you some hard knocks. But you are strong, stronger than you think. I know you’ll find your special someone, I know you will. Keep searching. I want you to have love in your life, a love like I have known. It’s my greatest wish for you, the utmost desire of my heart. You are a special girl, Savannah. Never doubt your worth. Promise me you’ll never give up on life. Promise me you’ll demand a life that requires all the love inside of you, a life that reaches inside of you and squeezes out every ounce of love from your heart. Only then will you find happiness.”

I have no idea how to find that kind of life for myself.

Mom doesn’t mention my obsessive search for Paul, even though I know she’s never approved of my determination to find him. Instead she’s doing as she’s always done, kindly leading me by the hand toward another path.

Red Bird

taylor deanAbout the Author

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

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Blast Giveaway Details

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 7/21/16

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.

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