Posted in Giveaway on July 14, 2019

 

It is hard to believe that the holidays will be here in six months or less.  2019 is sure flying by!

This month, I am giving away a coloring book to help you through those stressful holidays and the preparations for those holidays.  It even comes with a bonus pencil set so you will be all set to color your frustrations away.

 

 

Giveaway open to the US only due to shipping costs.

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on July 14, 2019

 

 

Murder’s No Votive Confidence (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (June 25, 2019)

Synopsis

Nantucket candle store owner Stella Wright specializes in creating unique candles for every occasion. But someone sets the stage for murder when a Memorial Day celebration becomes a wedding to die for . . .

Jessica Sterling’s candlelight-themed nuptials promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer’s first official holiday weekend. Stella’s thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot-tall scented unity candle—a symbol of the happy couple’s love. But it looks like the bride-to-be’s uncle won’t be walking his niece down the aisle after he’s found dead. The murder weapon is Stella’s seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two.

When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella’s sure a visiting police captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be canceling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town’s sexiest cop, Stella’s determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who’s snuffing out her own flame.

 

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – BAMIndieBound – Hudson Booksellers – Google Play

 

Review

Candles, an Island, and Murder – oh my!

I love reading cozies that have the protagonist in a career that is crafty and one that is intriguing.  Enter Stella and her candlemaking business.  She makes unique candles with handcrafted scents and seems to know what sort of scent would be best for various people.  I’d love to know what she would suggest for me.  She even teaches classes on candlemaking and I would have liked the book to have explored that just a little bit more, or added more details regarding the two classes that were taught in this book.

This mystery has a fair amount of characters but most of them are tied to a wedding that is taking place.  I think we meet about 7 characters that were townsfolk.  That helps when trying to figure out who might be the killer since it is most likely tied to the wedding and its guests.  Speaking of the murder – while I didn’t figure out the killer, I thought the author did a good job of throwing suspicion on various characters so that when the killer was revealed it was quite a surprise to me.  I might have suspected this character but didn’t know how deep the hatred ran and why.

There is also a potential love triangle between Stella, Andy, and Peter.  Andy has a girlfriend but I don’t think she is right for him.  Peter is the new journalist in town and seems interesting but you wonder how much is him or his career choice.  If I had to choose, I’m #TeamAndy because they just seem like they fit together plus they have been friends forever.  But we shall see how the author decides to work this out in future books.

I think this is going to be a good new series and we give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Christin Brecher was born and raised in NYC, where her family and many childhood friends still reside. As such, she feels she is as much of a small-town girl as any. The idea to write the Nantucket Candle Maker series sprang from her life-long connection to the small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Spending summers there as a child, Christin read from her family’s library of mystery novels, after which she began to imagine stories inspired by the island’s whaling heyday, its notoriously foggy nights, and during long bike rides to the beach. After many years in marketing for the publishing industry, followed by years raising her children, Murder’s No Votive Confidence is Christin’s debut novel.

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Posted in 5 paws, e-books, Giveaway, Review, romance, Sale on July 12, 2019

 

Chasing Hope

by

Dana Wayne

  Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Book Liftoff

Date of Publication: June 10, 2019

Number of Pages: 295

Scroll down for the giveaway!

 

 

Max Logan longs for the joys of home and family he missed growing up in foster care. He fills that emotional void by becoming a kick-ass Marine, and for eighteen years, led his band of brothers from one hellhole to another…until the one that nearly destroyed him. Sixteen months of therapy and rehab put his body back together, but some wounds can’t be seen. Some can’t be healed.

Skylar Ward dreams of a life that includes someone beside her. Someone to share her life with, to be a father to her young daughter. But if she learned anything from her failed marriage it was that you don’t rush into a relationship. Options in her small town are limited, and those who approach her lack appeal. Only Max Logan sparks her interest. But the handsome, brooding war hero remains aloof.

Intelligent and intuitive, seven-year-old Maddie overhears a neighbor tell her mother she needs a male companion, so she Google’s it to see what it means. Convinced her mom needs a boyfriend and Max needs a girlfriend, Maddie sets out to make it happen. He needs a family. They need him. If she can make them see that.

Can one precocious child be the catalyst that heals a wounded warrior’s soul and brings joy back into her mom’s heart?

Or will ashes of the past bury hope once and for all?

Praise

“The pace was fast, the love was simple yet energetic, and the dialogues were lively enough to make me want to know more about the characters. To say that I loved this novel is not enough! Absolutely beautiful. It deserves these 5 stars.” – Readers’ Favorite

“I could not put Chasing Hope down! From the first few sentences, I was hooked and read over half of it the first night finishing it the following night. The main characters, Sky and Max, intrigued me right off the bat but feisty little Maddie wormed her way into my heart immediately! What a breath of fresh air.” – Mary McCormack, ARC reader

eBOOK DEAL! $1.99 JULY 9-20, 2019

Amazon       more links: BOOKS2READ

 

 

Chasing Hope from Dana Wayne on Vimeo.

 

 

Love may be patient and kind, but sometimes it is cautious, jealous, and insecure.  Despite it all, we all deserve a second chance at love.

Enter Sky and Max, star-crossed souls meant to be together but each has issues that have to be dealt with in their pursuit of love and each other.  Max is a former Marine with PTSD and was smart enough to seek out help to combat his memories of his time overseas.  Sky is a single mom with a precocious daughter this is 8 going on 30.  I love her inquisitive nature especially when she decided Max should be her mom’s “male companion”.

This book touched me in many ways – laughter over the various antics, tears at the end (have tissues handy), and anger towards Cole (trust me he deserves it).  I felt like all of the character’s lives were well developed and shared a part in the courtship between Sky and Max.  I could feel their friends rooting for their relationship to flourish and succeed.  One of my favorite characters is Big John.  He has developed fatherly feelings towards Sky and Maddie and he even asks Max his intentions towards Sky.  Please note you will need a tissue or two near the end for a very touching scene regarding Big John.  I think the author needs to write his story, I think it would be a smash!

I have several favorite lines to share with you.

“Two lost and lonely souls overwhelmed by the knowledge that they were no longer alone.”

“Sky endured those agonizing weeks chasing Hope alone….”

“Next time Bobby tries to get your attention, Tink, talk to him. See what he ha to say.” Her smile melted his heart. “Roger that.”

“How could one whispered word hold so much promise?”

“You’re going to leave me here alone with a fresh peach cobbler?”

“The man was  a kissing ninja.”

“You’re my heart. My soul. Without you, I’d be nothing more than a speck of dust on the ground.”

We give this book 5 paws up and suggest you take advantage of the $1.99 eBook sale this month.

 

 

 

Dana Wayne is an award-winning author and 6th generation Texan. She resides in East Texas with her husband (and biggest fan) along with a Calico cat named Katie, three children, and four grandchildren. She routinely speaks to books clubs, services organizations, writers’ groups, and other organizations on writing and publishing, and is a frequent guest on numerous writing blogs.

“I grew up listening to my father read passages from the stack of paperback westerns beside his chair. I was fascinated at how someone could paint a picture with words so vivid, I saw it in my mind. That’s when I knew that one day I would be a writer. It wasn’t until I retired in late 2013 that I was able to devote the necessary time to achieve my goal. I published my first book in 2016 and never looked back. My stories are heartwarming, a little spicy, and all about the romance because I believe romance is more about emotion than sex, and the journey is more important than the destination.”

A staunch supporter of new authors, she is a member of Romance Writers of America, Texas Association of Authors, and Writers League of Texas as well as several local writers’ groups.

Website ~ Facebook

Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Email

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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

FIRST PRIZE:  Signed Copy of Chasing Hope 

Swag bag including fan, tote bag, and throw blanket; 

SECOND PRIZE: eBook Copy of Chasing Hope

+ $10 Amazon Gift Card

THIRD PRIZE: eBook Copy of Chasing Hope

$5 Amazon Gift Card

(US Only)

  July 9-19, 2019

 

 

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

7/9/19 Notable Quotable That’s What She’s Reading
7/9/19 Notable Quotable Kelly Well Read
7/9/19 BONUS post Hall Ways Blog
7/10/19 Review Reading by Moonlight
7/11/19 Excerpt All the Ups and Downs
7/11/19 Excerpt The Page Unbound
7/12/19 Review StoreyBook Reviews
7/13/19 Review Rebecca R. Cahill, Author
7/13/19 Character Interview Forgotten Winds
7/14/19 Author Interview Chapter Break Book Blog
7/15/19 Review Carpe Diem Chronicles
7/15/19 Review The Clueless Gent
7/16/19 Teaser Nerd Narration
7/16/19 Teaser Book Fidelity
7/17/19 Review KayBee’s Book Shelf
7/18/19 Review The Book Review

 

 

 

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, Interview, romance on July 11, 2019

 

Title: Only Ever You
Author: CD Reiss
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Synopsis

Rachel knew exactly what turning thirty would be like. She had a plan, after all. First college, then a climb up the professional ladder. Love, marriage, children. All of it was on the schedule.

The cheap Hollywood apartment wasn’t on the list. Neither was the string of heartbreaks. Or the effect her mother’s cancer had on her career.

It’s hard to stay practical and on point when everything takes a left turn.

Enter Sebastian, the nerd across the street. The boy she defended when he couldn’t defend himself. The best friend she promised she’d marry if life didn’t go according to plan.

Not only is he successful, confident, and gorgeous, but he also still has their handwritten marriage contract.

No one goes through with childhood wedding pacts.

That’s crazy.

But their families might just be crazy enough to rent a hall and set a date. All Rachel and Sebastian have to do is fall in love.

Author Interview: CD Reiss

Please introduce your newest release.

Only Ever You is about a girl who planned for everything but never got what she hoped for, and a dweeb who hoped he’d to marry the girl, but never planned for it.

Rachel and Sebastian have an interesting history. They were friends as kids, but have lost touch as adults…

They’re really strangers when they reunite at 30, but they’re burdened by what they think they know about each other. Sebastian was supposed to be an artist and Rachel was supposed to be a screenwriter. They have to shake all that stuff loose before they can see each other. When they do, they’re strangers.

I think attraction between strangers is real. Sexual heat is real. But “hearts and flowers” are earned. (I know that sounds like I’m your dad telling you to mow lawns, but that’s where the magic is. Not the lawns.) In the time just before you’re struck by lightning there’s a real electricity. It’s pure potential and anything can go wrong. It’s the best thing ever.

When they were kids they made up a ‘contract’ to get married at 30—which is pretty much panned when they do meet up and have the most awkward first kiss EVER. How do they overcome such an incredibly uncomfortable situation?

They overcome it by running away!

Sebastian is thinking “now or never” because he thinks Rachel’s never going to think he’s any cooler than when she sees him in the office of his own company. And she isn’t ready because her whole idea of herself is tied up in what a failure she is. Neither one of them is feeling good enough about themselves to have a really hot first kiss, which is the same reason they’re not ready to get married.

***

Excerpt: Only Ever You by CD Reiss

After I left her and CJ with Lucinda, I spent the weekly staff meeting wondering if Rachel was the same warrior I’d loved or if she was more the woman who’d held her laptop to her chest as if she needed protection.

I was obsessed.

I had to know.

Her text came in as I was leaving the meeting.

I need to check that we’re kidding

Before I could finish typing a response, I caught her coming out of the bathroom with her laptop under her arm.

Alone. Me and her. Nothing between us but the question of who we were and how we fit.

“Seb, I—”

She didn’t have a chance to finish. I crowded her back into the bathroom and locked the door behind us.

“Kidding about what?” I said.

“About getting married.”

“Why would that even be a question?”

“Our parents have been in negotiations about it.”

My mother couldn’t keep herself from talking if she tried, and I was her favorite subject.

“It might be a little soon for marriage, but—”

“Soon? I don’t like you seeing what I do for a living while you’re in a glass-walled office overlooking the ocean. I mean, I’m not marriage material, and the odds are that’s never going to change.”

“I don’t see why a date’s off the table.”

“Do you know what’s going to happen if we date?”

The list of possibilities was as long as my arm. I could have counted them off, from “We decide we hate each other” to “We end up in bed.” But I didn’t, because I was still trying to figure her out.

What did she want to hear?

With her wide eyes and parted lips, what did she want? Did she have a fondest wish where I was concerned? Was she leaning forward? Was her expression soft and yielding?

My mind spent too long deciding what to say, so my body spoke for me.

I kissed her hard and was met with teeth and stiff resistance. It was a kiss I’d wanted since I’d had hairless armpits and a voice somewhere in the low soprano range. I’d dreamed about it. Fantasized about it. Thought about it so hard in the middle of the night I could practically feel it.

But never, ever in my fantasies did she push me away so hard I fell back against a towel dispenser, watching her face twist into surprised rage as the machine spit out a ragged rectangle of brown paper.

“That was—”

“Messed up. I know.”

“Then why? What is wrong with you?”

She was livid, just like she would have been. Just like she should have been.

The tiger within Rachel was in there, and my attempt to tease her out had probably alienated her. She’d be right to never speak to me again.

“I’m sorry,” I said with my hand on the door lock. “I misread you. It won’t happen again.”

I started to open the door, but she held it closed.

“If we date, my mother’s going to get her hopes up that I’m going to settle down. And I’m sorry, Seb, but if we break up while she’s in chemo, it’s going to crush her.”

“You don’t even know if she’s sick again.”

“You’re right.” She pointed a rigid finger at me as if I were her mother. “I’m going to make her tell me.”

“You’re really beautiful when you’re telling it like it is.”

She slid her hand off the door. Having been called out, the warrior was sent into hiding.

No. I wouldn’t accept that. I wouldn’t allow it.

“Let’s just go out and catch up,” I said. “Saturday.”

“Can’t. Saturday’s the soonest I can talk to Mom.”

I unlocked the door. “I’m sorry about . . . the thing.”

“Kissing me?”

“No, wasting paper towels. Of course kissing you.”

“Next time, give a girl a little warning.”

Next time? Her eyes darted to the door. Was she calculating the distance to her getaway? Or making sure it was closed?

“How about now?” I asked.

“Now what?”

“Fair warning. Now.”

I stepped a little closer and put my hands on her arms. Not right away. I let them hover an inch away before touching her to give her the chance to move away. A chance I was sure she’d take.

“Seb, really?”

But she didn’t move away.

Not this time. When I laid my hands on her biceps, she leaned in to me just a little. I smelled the floral lotion on her skin and a hint of cool water on her breath.

“Really.” I slid the laptop from her arms and placed it on the counter. “This is your warning.”

You’re doing this. I cannot believe you’re doing this.

“It doesn’t feel like a warning,” she said, and again—I noted—she didn’t move away.

“Flashing red lights.” My lips brushed her cheek, heading for her mouth. She felt better than I ever imagined. “A buzzer, maybe.”

“Just a kiss?” she asked, her lips moving against mine.

Before I could consummate what she was agreeing to, I was smacked by a swinging door.

“Oh!” CJ said. “I’m sorry! I was looking for you.”

Rachel snatched up her laptop and walked out. CJ raised an eyebrow with good reason, since I was in the ladies’ room. I left, and we all gathered in the hall.

Awkward.

“Well,” Rachel said. “Thanks for showing us your tedious financial-sector company.”

“Thank you for coming,” I said and let them walk away. I could have done or said much more, but not without getting her into trouble. She glanced back at me when they turned the corner, as if she wanted to make sure I was still there.

 

About the Author

CD Reiss is a New York Times bestselling author. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God, but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well hauling buckets. Born in New York City, Reiss moved to Hollywood, California, to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere—but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.

Reiss is frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut, which is flattering but hasn’t ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood. If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

Text cdreiss to 77948 to get a notification whenever she has a new release.

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Posted in 5 paws, Review, women on July 10, 2019

Synopsis

Three women. Two families torn apart by secrets.

Crushed by guilt over the car accident that killed her father and sister, and torn apart by her mother’s resentment, Darcy Goodridge fled her family estate eight years ago and hasn’t looked back.

Now an unexpected phone call threatens to upend what little serenity she’s found. Her nephew, Emerson, who was just a baby when his mother died, has gone missing. Darcy must return home and face her past in order to save him.

Once back in Ohio, Darcy realizes there’s more to Emerson’s disappearance—and to the sudden retirement of her mother, Rosalind—than meets the eye. As she works to make inroads with Rosalind, Darcy begins to unravel a decades-old secret that devastated her family and forced a wedge between her and Michael Varano, the man she left heartbroken when she vanished after the funeral. After carrying the scars of that fateful night for almost a decade, Darcy is determined to find closure, healing, and maybe even love where she lost them all in the first place—right back home where she belongs.

Editorial Reviews

“At the very heart of The Road She Left Behind are the powerful lessons of humanity: forgiveness, healing, and letting go, all woven together with the threads that bind family and friends. You will laugh, you will cry, you will root these characters on, and miss them profusely when they’re gone. I know I do.” —USA Today bestselling author Rochelle Weinstein

“The Road She Left Behind masterfully knits together the past and present, showing us a fractured family, grave misunderstandings, and heart-wrenching betrayals. I connected with the flawed but lovable characters and found myself enthralled from the first page to the last. Bravo!” —Karen McQuestion, bestselling author of Hello Love

“In The Road She Left Behind, Christine Nolfi takes her gift of storytelling to new heights. You’ll find it all here: deft prose, troubled relationships that overcome and triumph, and a plot that will keep you guessing until the very end.” —Grace Greene, bestselling author of Wildflower Heart

 

Review

This book has it all – family, forgiveness, love, and understanding.

All families have some sort of dysfunction and Darcy’s is no different.  A tragic accident tears apart her family and sets her on a path that is lonely since she has no communication with her family other than Latrice, the nanny/housekeeper that she has known all her life.  And that contact is only once per year until a call out of the blue changes Darcy’s life forever.

It is hard to know who to feel sorry for in this book – there are so many characters with their own issues and I found myself rooting for various characters at different times.  While the main character is Darcy, there are those that play a part in her life in different ways.  Sampson is like an adopted son and Darcy is able to identify with him since he has been in the foster care system and bounced around from home to home until he turned 18 and is then out on his own.  Michael was Darcy’s best friend and first love, but will he be her last?  A misunderstanding caused their rift, will they be able to overcome?  Rosalind is Darcy’s mother but she doesn’t seem to have a nurturing bone in her body.  This could be due to her career as a judge or it could be due to her issues in her marriage.  Emerson is Darcy’s nephew and quite a pistol!  He is smarter than he should be and wants a family more than anyone knows.

All of these characters add depth to the book and the story is woven through time, heartache, and joy.  You will even find some light moments that will make you laugh especially Michael’s grandmother, Tippi.  She is quite a hoot.

We give this story 5 paws up and suggest you pick it up next time you are looking for a story that encompasses everything!

About the Author

The heartwarming fiction by Christine Nolfi has reached multiple bestseller lists and won numerous awards. The Sweet Lake Series has won gold medals in The Reader’s Choice Awards. The Midwest Book Review lists the Liberty Series as “highly recommended.”

Prior to writing fiction, Christine owned a public relations firm in Ohio. She closed the firm after adopting her four children from the Philippines. Today she resides in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and her crazy Wheaten Terrier, Lucy.

Website * Twitter * Facebook Page * Amazon Author Page

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Posted in 5 paws, excerpt, Giveaway, Review, romance on July 9, 2019

 

Rainbow Above Us

By Sharon Sala

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

 

 

Synopsis

What will it take to bring people together?

Hurricane Fanny left no one in Blessings, Georgia unscathed—including Rowan Harper, the only surviving member of her family. Rebuilding her life now seems almost impossible.

Bowie James comes back to help repair his grandmother’s house, but he doesn’t intend to stay long. He and his mother were forced out of Blessings a decade ago, and he’s neither forgiven nor forgotten those responsible.

But Rowan is kindhearted, beautiful, and lost, and Bowie discovers that he can entrust her with his deepest secrets. If only their love could bring hope and healing to everyone around them, maybe they’d be willing to give it a chance…

Blessings, Georgia Series:

You and Only You (Book 1)

I’ll Stand by You (Book 2)

Saving Jake (Book 3)

A Piece of My Heart (Book 4)

The Color of Love (Book 5)

Come Back to Me (Book 6)

Forever My Hero (Book 7)

A Rainbow Above Us (Book 8)

AmazonB&NAppleIndieBoundBAM

Praise for the Blessings, Georgia series

“Filled with unforgettable charm and delight!” —Robyn Carr #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“A delight… I couldn’t put it down.”—Fresh Fiction

“Engaging, heartwarming, funny, sassy, and just plain good.”—Peeking Between the Pages

“Sala’s novel is one of those rare treats that is not only a pleasure to read, but is so enjoyable it becomes difficult to put the book down.”—RT Book Reviews

 

Review

If you have not ever read any of this series, then you need to start now (and of course with book 1).

Blessings GA is a place I’d love to live, the small town atmosphere and how everyone cares for each other is refreshing considering today’s society and the turmoil we see in the media.

Blessings is dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane that has devastated many people in the town. Thankfully, one of the residents has a grandson that remodels/builds homes and he is able to come to their rescue. But it isn’t as easy as Bowie just showing up to do a job, he has to deal with the past and the hatred of one family in town.

Rowan has her own issues to deal with and the revelation of what her father did/kept from her all those years. Plus the guilt of him dying in the hurricane thinking it was her fault.

Tragic pasts bring Bowie and Rowan together and the obstacles they overcome together make for a good love story. Both are so down to earth and are able to connect on a level that most cannot.

The author does an amazing job of making us laugh, gasp at certain treacherous situations, cry, and always having a villain in the story that makes us mad for what the characters are put through but glad to see the justice in the end.

I had to chuckle when the characters were talking about books and the author made a plug for herself and one character said she needed to put the book on her kindle.

Excellent series and I always love reading these books.  We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

Excerpt

Bowie pulled up at his motor home and got out. He was almost at the steps when he heard a laugh that cut to his core. He knew it was Rowan. He didn’t know what had made her laugh like that, but it was such a joyful belly laugh that he was already grinning when he unlocked the door and walked in.

The trio was sitting at the dining table, playing cards. Ella looked up and waved.

“You’re back! Thank God. We’re playing strip poker, and I’m losing.”

He grinned. His aunt Ella was missing both shoes and her skirt. Luckily for all of them, she still favored slips.

But it was Rowan who startled him most. The quiet, dark–eyed beauty was doubled over with laughter, and every time she looked up at Pearl, she started laughing all over again.

Pearl was blushing. “It’s not funny, missy. Just because you’re still wearing all of your underwear doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry.”

Rowan couldn’t even look up. She just rolled out of her chair onto the floor, laughing until tears were running down her face.

Pearl slapped the cards she was holding facedown on the table and pointed at Rowan.

“Bowie, take this snippet with you to Piggly Wiggly so we can put our clothes back on. I’ve never played such a game in my life.”

Ella laughed. “Mama, don’t lie. I remember you and Daddy playing this after you put me to bed.”

Pearl gasped and then blushed again. “Well, never mind.”

Rowan groaned. “Oh my God…somebody help me up. I can’t breathe,” she said, and then covered
her face.

Bowie couldn’t take his eyes off her…flat on her back on his floor, so gloriously sexy he could hardly think.

“Well, get her up and out of here,” Pearl said, and then hid a grin. Even she was entranced by the unexpected delight.

Bowie moved toward Rowan. When she held up her hand, he grasped her by the wrist, her hand engulfed within his fist, and pulled her upright.

“Thank you,” Rowan said, and then turned loose of him and ran around the table to hug Pearl. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but thank you for the first joy I’ve felt since before the storm.”

Pearl kissed the side of Rowan’s cheek and hugged her back. “I’m happy to have been of service.”

Rowan started giggling again. “I need my shoes. I think I left them in the master bedroom. I’ll be right back,” she said, and bolted toward the back of the motor home.

Bowie was a dedicated bachelor with an image to protect, but they had yet to pass one night under the same roof, and he was already feeling a complication in his life that he didn’t need.

“I’m back,” Rowan said, and snagged their grocery list from the table.

“Then I guess we’re off,” Bowie said. “You sure you two don’t want to come with us?”

Ella shook her head. “I guess we’ll pass. I’m not dressed, and Mama isn’t wearing underwear, so there’s that.”

Rowan was still giggling when she got in the front seat with Bowie and buckled up.

“Oh my word…I didn’t know I could still laugh. That was the best medicine ever,” she said, and then burst into tears and started apologizing.

Bowie handed her a pack of tissues from the console.

“Honey, don’t apologize. I grew up with three women. There’s little I haven’t already seen or heard about.” Then he grinned. “I can’t believe you got Gran to play strip poker.”

“It was Ella’s suggestion, and then she kept losing. Pearl is the one who made me laugh, though. I guess she figured if she shed her drawers, she could still maintain her dignity…unlike Ella, who just peeled stuff off as she went.”

Now Bowie was chuckling, imagining Gran getting up and taking off her panties.

“What did she do with them?” he asked.

“She heard you drive up and sat on them,” Rowan said. “That’s when I burst out laughing.”

That image was too priceless to ignore. Bowie laughed all the way to the Piggly Wiggly.

Right before they got out, Bowie paused. “I don’t know what’s on the list, but if you have things you need that you might be embarrassed about, I can easily wait up front and just pay when you’re finished.”

Rowan shrugged. “Mama died when I was ten. Daddy raised me. He’s the one who told me about the birds and the bees and all the girl stuff. I’m used to shopping for all that with a man, so I’m fine if you are.”

“Then we’re good,” Bowie said. “Remember…three women and me.”

Rowan grinned. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” she said, and jumped out. He got out and followed her into the store, trying not to think about what it would be like to be part of her world.

***

Excerpted from A Rainbow Above Us by Sharon Sala. © 2019 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

SHARON SALA has over one hundred books in print and has published in five different genres. She is an eight-time RITA finalist, five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Book Reviews, and five-time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

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Giveaway

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Posted in Book Club on July 8, 2019

Do you love to read and wondered how you could find others that love to read just as much as you? Here are a few tips on starting with the place you are at the most, work.

Lots of people love to read: Libraries and independent booksellers are going strong, not to mention Amazon itself. And lots of people love to get together and discuss books that they’ve all read, leading to a fun way to socialize and share — a book club. Of course, you spend a lot of time with people for work, and you might enjoy spending some time with them that doesn’t involve projects or deadlines. If that’s the case, then you might want to combine a love of literature with free time at work and create a work book club.

There are all sorts of ways you can create a book club at work. You can have one that’s themed — maybe you have a group of co-workers that are really into mysteries, or maybe they’re even interested in management or business-themed books. What other organizational aspects do you need to cover in a book club? This graphic explains them.

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Posted in Book Release, romance, women on July 7, 2019

 

Synopsis

Rebecca Jordan’s life is simple, disciplined, and uncomplicated, at least on the surface. Then she meets a handsome stranger/secret admirer named Michael Vale one fateful late night at a bookstore café. As a focused but struggling photographer with a passion for art, her outwardly happy world is turned upside down during this life-changing encounter when she quickly realizes she has met her soul mate. The undeniable attraction between them and their intense, immediate connection seem picture perfect as they discuss the shop’s local artwork, until Rebecca abruptly ends the chance meeting with no explanation.

Betraying Brett, her loyal, loving boyfriend, is something Rebecca can never bring herself to do. Driven by a strong moral code and molded by divorced parents and a tumultuous childhood, she struggles to stay away from Michael, but fate and circumstance intervene, bringing them back together time and time again. As much as she resists, there is no denying her true feelings for him and the simple fact that Michael understands her in a way Brett never has. Michael proves to be everything she’s ever wanted, but remains just out of her reach.

Behind the Glass tells the story of Michael and Rebecca’s extraordinary love and the many unconventional stages their relationship must go through. Their morals and their faith in true love and in each other will be put to the test as they learn that meeting one’s soul mate does not come without obstacles.

 

About the Author

Kristen Morgen, an up and coming new adult contemporary romance author, can’t remember a time in her life when she didn’t crave designing, creating, discovering, and using her imagination in some way. She enjoys exploring relationships and discovering the little reasons people fall in love with each other while uncovering deeper truths. Honing her craft in her free time and choosing exactly the type of story she wanted to tell, Kristen presents Behind the Glass as her debut novel.

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Posted in Book Release, excerpt, Historical, romance on July 6, 2019

 

Title: SAY NO TO THE DUKE

Author: Eloisa James

ISBN: 9780062877826

Price: $7.99

On-Sale Date: 6/25/19

Synopsis

Could she possibly refuse a duke’s hand—in favor of a sardonic, sinful rake?

Lady Betsy Wilde’s first season was triumphant by any measure, and a duke has proposed—but before marriage, she longs for one last adventure.

No gentleman would agree to her scandalous plan—but Lord Jeremy Roden is no gentleman. He offers a wager. If she wins a billiards game, he’ll provide the breeches.

If he wins…she is his, for one wild night.

But what happens when Jeremy realizes that one night will never be enough? In the most important battle of his life, he’ll have to convince Betsy to say no to the duke.

 

Excerpt

They moved toward each other as if they were following the steps of a very slow, very grand country dance. One that was danced by kings and queens and countryfolk alike.

When they were  beside  each  other, she  squared her shoulders and met his eyes. “I decided to come to you. I hope that is all right.”

“I do believe that you are the bravest woman I’ve ever met,” he replied.

He couldn’t have said anything better; Betsy felt herself begin to glow. “I haven’t been brave to this point, but I have made up my mind to change. I outlawed being nervous, but now I need to outlaw being afraid.” She hesitated. “I have chosen courage, and now I choose happiness.”

“I love you as you are,” he whispered, and then his mouth came down on hers.

Her breath caught in her throat because their tongues met as if they kissed every day, every night. He tasted right, which sent a shiver through her whole  body,  and  pushed  her  against him gently, the way a pebble might roll up a beach when the tide comes in.

One doesn’t fight the tide.

 

About the Author

ELOISA JAMES is a New York Times best-selling author and professor of English literature who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

 

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Posted in Guest Post, mystery on July 5, 2019

 

Synopsis

A scrap of cloth fluttering in the wind leads Hilo police Chief Detective Koa Kāne to the tortured remains of an unfortunate soul left to burn in the path of an advancing lava flow. For Koa, it’s the second gruesome homicide of the day, and he soon discovers the murders are linked. These grisly crimes on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island could rewrite history―or cost Chief Detective Koa Kāne his career.

The dead, a reclusive couple living off the grid, turn out to be mysterious fugitives. The CIA, the Chinese government, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, attempt to thwart Koa’s investigation and obscure the victims’ true identities. Undeterred by mounting political pressure, Koa pursues the truth only to find himself drawn into a web of international intrigue.

While Koa investigates, the Big Island scrambles to prepare for the biggest and most explosive political rally in its history. Despite police resources stretched to the breaking point, Koa uncovers a government conspiracy so shocking its exposure topples senior officials far beyond Hawaiʻi’s shores.

Praise

“In Off the Grid, Robert McCaw has fashioned the year’s most original mystery-thriller set, appropriately enough, in the equally original setting of Hawai‘i. He crafts a relentlessly riveting tale that races out of the gate and never lets up for a single minute or page.”―Jon Land, USA Today best-selling author

“This one sizzles with tension and twists that entertain and magnetize. Danger and drama abide, with a wonderful, devil-may-care hero. Robert McCaw has the touch.” ―Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author

“Off the Grid is a gripping thriller that grabs the reader by the throat in the opening scenes and doesn’t let go until the dramatic conclusion. If you don’t know McCaw, this crime novel is the place to start―grisly murders, smart cops and agents, and a unique sense of place on the island of Hawaii.” ―Linda Fairstein, New York Times best-selling author

 

Guest Post

The Inspiration Behind Off the Grid

By Robert McCaw

Readers sometimes ask me where I get my plot and character ideas. I believe that all good fiction is grounded in some germ of truth. That’s what makes stories believable. But truths from different sources can be twisted together to form believable fiction. The original inspiration for Off the Grid, for example, came from a painting my wife and I commissioned from an artist who lived in a remote part of the Big Island in a rather ramshackle house deep in a rain forest. The inside was cluttered with mismatched bric-a-brac, art supplies and partially finished paintings. I knew immediately that the house had a story to tell. The artist, an eccentric painter, exacting in rendering natural detail, was for me a character in waiting. That her husband had some sort of clandestine military background made the pair a writer’s dream.

Shortly thereafter, a small rural restaurant we frequented closed because the authorities arrested the proprietor as a fugitive from justice, and research revealed that the restauranteur was not the only wanted man hiding out in the backwaters of the Big Island. Other refugees from justice had been apprehended after living for years in remote corners of rural Hawaii. The merger of these two experiences led me to the first inklings of a story about two fugitives, an artist and an ex-military orchid grower, living in a remote dwelling off the grid.

The death of a pair of fugitives creates a mystery for the police who must discover their true identity and reconstruct their lost lives. I imagine the fugitives’ lives and create a trail of clues leading up the discovery of their identity and then to the reasons they are fugitives. But first they must be murdered and their bodies discovered.

I have long loved Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where legend holds that Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanic fires, lives and breathes. From the early 1960s until 2018, she erupted from Pu’u O’o launching successive waves of lava down the mountain and into the sea. Pele’s fury repeatedly propelled lava through the community of Royal Gardens until she consumed all of its sixty homes. Fortunately, no one died in these eruptions, but what a perfect place for a murderer to conceal a body . . . or worse.

My fugitives had to be running from something—something sensational—like an international incident involving clandestine players. An unresolved international crisis cloaked in mystery would be perfect. One such incident that had long intrigued me and about which I had read every scrap of information available in the press and government documents came immediately to mind. Voila. I had my fugitives and a credible reason for them to be hiding. I won’t identify the incident here. No spoilers.

Most people who visit the Big Island for the first time are surprised to learn that the slopes of its five volcanoes are dotted with herds of cattle, some tended by paniolos, descendant from Mexican or Spanish cowboys brought to the island to tend King Kamehameha cattle in the 1800s. I had a dear friend who worked on the Parker Ranch, the largest ranch in Hawaii. With a fictional makeover, he and his paniolos play important roles in the story. They are suspects . . . but did they orchestrate murder?

Criminal lawyers know that the police work closely with prosecutors whose responsibility is to win convictions. That part of Law and Order reflects reality. During my years as a practicing lawyer, I’ve both fought and assisted prosecutors, finding most to be hard working and ethical. Zeke Brown, the Hawaii County Prosecutor in Off the Grid, is a composite character pieced together from a handful of prosecutors I’ve admired. Zeke is armed with an arsenal of tactics I’ve seen used over the years. Like many prosecutors I’ve known, Zeke, who occupies an elective office, is not particularly fond of politicians. He’s one of my favorite characters and deserves a book of his own. Someday.

Chief detectives need friends and confidential sources. One such character came from the Suisan fish auction that used to take place in Hilo shortly after dawn most mornings. The man I call Hook Hao was the real-life Suisan auctioneer, a giant of man who used a short-shanked gaff to haul the catch from fishermen’s ice chests to the scales and then the sales floor. His size, his gaff, and his commanding presence on the auction floor made him a perfect model for a fictional character. And who is better positioned to inform for the police than a player in and around the Hilo Bay docks?

There are, of course, countless other moving parts to be assembled into a mystery novel, but more of them come from experiences than pure imagination.

 

About the Author

Robert McCaw grew up in a military family traveling the world. After graduating from Georgetown University, he served as a lieutenant in the US Army before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia. Thereafter he practiced as a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, DC, and New York City—and maintained a home on the Big Island of Hawai’i. McCaw brings a unique authenticity to his Koa Kāne Hawaiian mystery novels in both his law enforcement expertise and his ability to portray the richness of Hawai’i’s history, culture, and people. McCaw lives in New York City and La Jolla, California, with his wife, Calli.

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