Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Believe In Me - Cover Reveal

In the late ‘70s/early-‘80s, Kenny Rogers had a major hit with the song “The Gambler”. I remember that song well, even though I was very young when it first came out. The lines to the chorus are running through my head right now as I type this: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run…”
The cover for BELIEVE IN ME was the first one that I ever tried to create for myself. It was good, I thought. Other people said it was nice… But when I compared it to the covers of the bestsellers out there, there was something that was missing. I finally put my finger on what it was – the professional edge.
I’d taken a gamble in developing my own cover, and after a year or so, it became clear that BELIEVE IN ME needed a professional face lift; that is, this became clearer to me once I started working with professional artist Barbara Ivie Green on a cover for another one of my books (my upcoming historical novel, THE FADING SUN).
It was instant, love at first sight. Barbara took my story ideas, and she made my characters come to life right before my eyes. I was amazed and so excited. I couldn’t wait to share this amazing cover with the rest of the world. So, without further ado, here it is. 

About Mishael Austin Witty
Mishael Austin Witty is a professional editor and the internationally bestselling author of SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME, a Christian thriller/suspense novel, and BELIEVE IN ME, a sweet contemporary romance/women’s fiction novella. In addition to these books, she has newly released a zombie fairy tale, CAMPANULA, which marks a departure from the usual for her, but it was great fun to write, and she already has plans for another.

She lives in Louisville, KY (where most of the action of CAMPANULA takes place), with her husband, two cats, and two daughters. 

Connect with Mishael at:

Monday, November 18, 2013

Christmas Dinner - Release Day Book Blast & Giveaway


Christmas Dinner
By: Robyn Neeley

News anchor Amanda Turner used to love everything about the holidays—the eggnog sugar cookies, the tacky family Christmas sweaters, and a lawn decorated with so many multi-colored lights that 747s could land safely. That is until her boyfriend dumped her in front of the whole town on Christmas Eve. Humiliated, she fled her small town start a new life. Two years later, she’s finally ready to return to the scene of the emotional crime, until she learns that her ex is engaged. Now, the only thing worse than going home is going home single.

Tate Ryan, her tall, dark, and arrogant co-anchor, offers to pose as her boyfriend. There’s one problem, though: they barely like each other, and he recently scooped her story on live TV. But she needs a ride home and a boyfriend fast, so Tate will have to do.

As she watches Tate interact with her family and town residents, fully embracing the spirit of the holiday season, she starts to see his kindhearted side. She can’t help but wonder if she was wrong about him. Perhaps he isn’t the conniving co-worker that she once thought. And her new feelings for him would definitely put her on the naughty list.

Tate has his own agenda for the weekend that includes telling Amanda he’s been in love with her since the first time they met. He’s ready to reveal all during Christmas dinner but fate has other plans.

Purchase the book at:
Amazon * B&N * iTunes

Author Bio
Robyn Neeley is an East Coaster who loves to explore new places; watches way more reality TV than she cares to admit; can’t live without Dunkin Donuts coffee and has never met a cookie she didn’t like. If you have a must read romance suggestion or a fabulous cookie recipe, she wants to know. Visit her at robynneeley.com

Connect with the author at:
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Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Power To See - Blog Tour, Q&A and Giveaway


SYNOPSIS
At first glance, twenty-two-year-old Brianna’s life seems perfect. But she harbors a deadly secret—her father is the leader of a ruthless drug cartel. Brianna struggles to find her place in a world her father meticulously controls, and believes she is nothing but a pawn in her father’s deadly games.

After graduating from college with an enormous debt, Dominic finds himself lured by money and power into a job that appears too good to be true. He doesn’t realize he works for a drug cartel until he’s in too deep. Trying to keep his family safe, he takes a deal offered by Brianna’s father and agrees to marry Brianna while continuing to work for the cartel.

Brianna and Dominic must rely on one another as their lives become further entwined in the lethal drug world. When Dominic discovers a deadly secret, he begins to question everything and turns to Brianna for support. However, Brianna’s heart belongs to another man—an undercover DEA agent. 

The DEA closes in on the drug cartel, forcing Brianna and Dominic to choose sides, igniting a battle between family loyalty, love, and survival. Brianna soon realizes that she may be the only person capable of bringing down her father’s empire—if she can find a way to outsmart the master manipulator, without losing herself, and her heart, in the process.

Q&A With The Author:

Did you always want to be a writer? Or did you want to be something else? 
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. When I went to college, I didn’t think I could make a career out of writing, so I became a teacher instead. Once I had kids and stopped teaching, I realized I could write in my “spare” time. I’ve been writing ever since.

How long does it take you to write a book?
It really depends. Usually it takes me about 1 month of outlining and planning the book, 2 months to write the first draft, and then 2-3 months of revising.

How often do you write? 
Every day after I drop my kids off at school, I write or revise for a couple of hours. Then at night after my kids are all in bed, I try to get in a couple more hours of writing. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of writing an exciting chapter, but I have to stop to go pick my kids up from school. That is really hard. I have notes all over my house where I write thoughts down so I don’t forget them!

How do you balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
It’s hard. Writing is so very time consuming. And now with a book in print, I have to allocate time to marketing myself as well. I try to only work when my kids are at school or in bed. The weekends are for family (or reading J). It is hard to balance. My characters are always with me and I’m constantly thinking about them. We’ll be in the middle of dinner and I’ll jump up to go and write some notes down about something that should happen or what someone should say. My kids think it’s funny and they ask who I’m writing about and what’s going on with my characters. We talk about them like they’re real people!

What makes a great story? 
I love a lot of action! BUT I absolutely have to get to know the characters. I want to know not only what the character is doing, but when they’re thinking and feeling. I love when the story is infused with a slow building romance. I detest it when characters see one another and are instantly in love because they are so beautiful.

What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
Getting through that first rough draft! I love to plan the book and create the world and characters. But making it through that first draft can be torturous! Once that draft is done, the revising starts, which is hard too, but at least I have something to work with.

What kinds of things do you do in your spare time?
My kids are young so I’m constantly driving them to soccer, karate, and doing homework with them. We love to go swimming and to the beach.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 
Read. You can’t expect to write if you don’t read A LOT. You have to know your genre, audience, and what people are doing that works. Reading will make you a better writer.

Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 
Definitely! I have two writing partners. We bounce ideas around and critique each other’s work. I know I wouldn’t be published today without working with these two individuals. 

BUY THE BOOK

About the Author:
I graduated with Department Honors from the University of San Diego with a degree in English. While working to earn my teaching credential, I was a legal assistant for an attorney. That’s about the time I finally married my high school sweetheart. Once I received my credential from USD, I taught high school English until I had my first child.

Currently I am a stay-at-home mom. I have three kids, one large dog, a gecko, and a frog.

A couple of years ago, I entered a writing contest about motherhood and won. My essay “Caution: Warning Lable Not Included!” was published in the anthology Manual for Motherhood, reaching number one in the Parenting section of Amazon! This sparked my need to write on a daily basis, and I have been writing ever since!
My debut young adult novel The Voice was published by Lands Atlantic in January 2013. The Voice is nominated for three Novel Grounds Literary Awards: Best Indie, Favorite Five Star, and Best Book Boyfriend!

My second book,The Power to See, is a new adult novel and will be available in October 2013.

My third book,The Key, is a young adult light fantasy novel, and will be available November 16, 2013.

I’ve always had a passion for reading and writing. Being transported into another world and experiencing things beyond my imagination – what could be better? Besides being an outlet and a love, I hope to write books that encourage all to read.

Connect with the author at:

Check out the book trailer HERE.

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Friday, November 15, 2013

Marry Me - Blog Tour & Giveaway


Marry Me
By: Kristin Wallace


She'd vowed never to fall in love...

Julia Richardson is no fan of weddings. A lifetime of watching her parents treat relationships like the flavor of the month has taught her that love is for fools. Then she learns her former stepsister is having a crisis with her pregnancy. The crisis has Julia returning to the small Southern town – and the family – she’s been avoiding for years. Before she knows it, Julia’s been pressed into service running her former stepsister’s wedding planning business, Marry Me.

Julia doesn’t know a garter from a garden hose, but now she must navigate couples along the bumpy path down the aisle - despite wardrobe malfunctions, killer bees, and plenty of near disasters. In the midst of it all, Julia makes the most unexpected discovery of all…Love, with Seth Graham, the widowed local minister! Julia’s been running from love and everything spiritual for most of her life. It’s not until she finds the courage to stop running that she finds her own “I Do” moment.



Welcome To Covington Falls

A setting of a book can have as much personality as the hero and heroine and the side characters. Covington Falls certainly falls under that category. It’s a fictional, small, Southern town. I love fictional town because you can make them whatever you want. No one is going to question you about a street being wrong or what have you. I wanted to make it a small town setting because there’s an inherent intimacy with them. Neighbors know each other and they’re always in each other’s business. In a big city, that’s not the case. I also liked the idea of a Southern town because things are just different in the South. Quirky should be the South’s middle name.

I love my little, fictional, Southern town. It’s also full of little family legacies. Covington is a family name. It was grandmother’s maiden name on my mom’s side. The town was founded by two families – the Covingtons and the Rices.  Rice is my grandmother’s maiden name on my dad’s side.

Covington Falls is also a place that represents everything my heroine, Julia, both longs for and fears. It’s a place of verandahs and porch swings and white picket fences. Lemonade stands and ice cream trucks that play a tune. It’s welcome mats and the ritual of making tea.

Main Street in “downtown” Covington Falls is the center of everything. It’s where the wedding planning business (MARRY ME) is located. One of the running jokes in this book (and the two subsequent books I’ve written that are set in Covington Falls) is the store window. First Sarah and then later Julia decorate so it looks like a snapshot of a scene. And both add their own personalities to the display, which is fun.



Growing up Kristin devoured books like bags of Dove Dark Chocolate.  Everything from Nancy Drew & Encyclopedia Brown to C.S. Lewis and the  Sweet Valley High series. Later she discovered romance novels. It’s no surprise then that Kristin would one day try her hand at writing them. She writes inspirational romance and women’s fiction filled with love, laughter and a leap of faith. In May 2013, Kristin sold her first novel, MARRY ME, to Astraea Press. Publication date to come!

When she’s not writing her next novel, Kristin works as an advertising copywriter. She also enjoys singing in her church choir and playing flute in a community orchestra.

Connect with the author at:

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Thursday, November 14, 2013

White Lies - Blurb, Q&A and a Giveaway

Imagine standing in line at Harvey Nichols waiting to buy the most gorgeous silk Gucci dress. The only minor problem? You can’t afford it, it's a size smaller than you are, and you have absolutely no place to wear it.

Meet Natalie Flemming: a twenty-something woman working in London for a fabulous shoe-designing firm, but the only thing they let her touch is the company’s tax forms.  She has decided to give fate a vacation and takes the task of finding the man of her dreams (or Johnny Depp if he would just return her calls...) into her own hands.

She craves adventure, spontaneity, passion- or will just settle for a decent date.

Purchase at:



Q&A with the Author:

When did you know you wanted to become an author?
I was driving to class one day in university and as I was getting off the highway it just hit me.  The stories haven’t left me since.  I am constantly writing in my head and I put it down on paper whenever I get a chance.

Would you classify your books as chick lit?  And is this your favorite genre to read?
My book is definitely chick lit, it’s also one of my favourite genres to read– who doesn’t love to laugh and fall in love at the same time?  I also love mystery novels; I begin reading them as almost a challenge, a game.  The ones that I can’t figure out until the end always get a higher place on my bookshelves.

Where did you come up with the premise for White Lies?
I was sitting down with some friends and said something that wasn’t that bright (I can’t even repeat it, it’s so embarrassing) and Natalie, the main character in White Lies, was born!  She isn’t based on me, but I wanted to project a woman who is good hearted, smart, funny– who just happens to have a lot of those “Oh my god, did I just say that out loud?” moments.

Describe your book in three words.
Laughing into love.

What can your readers expect next from you?
My next book, Checking Inn, is due out December 20 2013!  I am so excited, because it melds my two favourite genres together because it is a murder mystery chick lit. 

I want to thank Emily for stopping by Book Mama Blog!  Feel free to drop by any time.

Author Bio:
Emily Harper, author of White Lies and Checking Inn, has a passion for writing humorous romance stories where the heroine is not your typical damsel in distress. Throughout her novels you will find love, laughter, and the unexpected!

Originally from England, she currently lives in Canada with her wonderful husband, beautiful daughter, mischievous son, and a very naughty dog.

Connect with Emily at:


Emily is giving one lucky winner a print copy of White Lies.  Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY
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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Merry & Bright - Guest Post


Merry & Bright
Six Tales of Christmas Cheer

Sip your eggnog, linger under the mistletoe, and make a Christmas wish. Merry & Bright brings you six tales of Christmas cheer, featuring stories of budding romances, Southern charm, lost loves, heaps of humor, and lots of pie by authors Isabella Louise Anderson, Cindy Arora, Laura Chapman, Lauren Clark, Libby Mercer, and Nancy Scrofano. From sunny Los Angeles to the Rocky Mountains to the Deep South, Merry & Bright will take you on a heartwarming adventure you’ll love to visit again and again. Wrap yourself in holiday mirth and prepare to be swept off your feet.



Four authors from the upcoming Christmas anthology Merry & Bright answered the following questions: If you were to write a book sequel to any holiday movie, which film would you choose and why? And what would be the storyline of your sequel adaptation?

Libby Mercer: Since my short story, “Secret Santa,” takes place in St. Louis, the city I grew up in, choosing the holiday movie I’d most want to write a sequel for was a no-brainer. I’m going with the 1944 campy classic Meet Me in St. Louis. I have many fond memories of watching this flick with my siblings, and I remember my sister and I even choreographed a goofy dance to accompany “The Trolley Song” and performed it for our mom. We were weird like that. Because the film ends with sisters, Rose and Esther, engaged to their respective beaux, my story would be about their double wedding. It would take place at their beautiful Victorian house, and with all the wedding buzz, heaps of hijinks would ensue. Younger sister, Tootie, would provide plenty of comic relief. 

Laura Chapman: The 1983 classic, A Christmas Story, is about Ralphie’s best Christmas present ever – a Red Ryder B.B. Gun. The sequel I’d pen would show how Ralphie found romance at Christmas. In A Christmas Love Story, we reconnect with Ralphie as a young professional in 1960s Chicago. While home for Thanksgiving, he discovers his brother will tie the knot on New Year’s Eve. Fearful of showing up to another family function single, Ralphie has weeks to find a girlfriend. Relying on the help of his friend, Rachel, Ralphie goes on a series of disastrous first dates – including an ill-fated trip to an ice skating rink, an awkward shopping excursion to a shoe store, and a run-in with the mean Santa Clause from his childhood. And just when it seems like Ralphie’s hopes of holiday love are dashed, he’ll find romance where he least expects it.

Nancy Scrofano: I watch The Holiday every year around Christmas, so I think it would be fun to continue that story. In the film, Amanda and Iris exchange homes to avoid loneliness during the holidays, and it works out well for both of them after many ups and downs. I would love to explore what happens a year after the film ends. It’s the holiday season again, and Amanda, Iris, Graham (and his daughters), and Miles all go away together, maybe to an exotic locale. I want the sequel to be a bit more upbeat since the movie is mostly sad. But it’s sad in really poignant and beautiful ways, which make it so fantastic. Anyway, throw in some relationship obstacles, uninvited guests to stir up trouble, and possibly an engagement, and you’ve got a sequel. Most importantly though, any follow-up story must remain true to the original characters.

Isabella Louise Anderson: My favorite holiday movie is While You Were Sleeping. I love the hilarious way that Lucy (Sandra Bullock) becomes part of a crazy, but very loving family. She’s attracted to Peter (Peter Gallagher) and saves his life, but falls in love with his brother, Jack (Bill Pullman), while he’s in a coma. Because I want to know that Jack and Lucy are happy together, I’d love to write a sequel to this 1995 movie. It would pick up right where it left off after Jack proposed to Lucy. Dealing with the ups and downs of Jack’s family, the still very happy couple would try to plan their wedding, doing their best to ignore everyone else’s ideas of what their wedding should be like. With a stressed fiancée, Jack takes over and surprises Lucy with a wedding she’ll never forget.

Add Merry & Bright to your Goodreads shelf! Follow along with the Merry & Bright Blog Tour via Fictionella! And visit publisher Simon & Fig for more information about the book!


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Conditional Love - Review & Giveaway

Review by K.T Sullivan

Sophie Stone is having a perfect Valentine’s Day. Her boyfriend, Marc, maybe close to a commitment and her job isn’t bad. As with all good things, these two will end. Marc declares he needs space without her in it and her boss has decided Sophie is a perfect scapegoat. Sophie’s mother is a singer in a band and has decided to be the next Madonna. Her father hasn’t been a part of her life in decades until Sophie receives a windfall from her late Great Aunt Jane. A dream house is hers under one condition: reconcile with her father. Marc hears of the money and decides to be Sophie’s lover and business partner. He has grand plans for the property which clash with Sophie and her roommates. She wants a small cozy house and hires Nick, the architect. She quickly has designs on him. Will Sophie attract the men she needs, Nick and her dad, and drop Marc once and for all?
  
The author is trying a bit of a Bridget Jones vibe in this book. Sophie is a lovable character who is sure about what she wants, until she changes her mind. Her boyfriends represent many characteristics women love and hate about men. Her predicaments will remind many readers of incidents in their lives. A fun read.

Purchase book at:

After growing up in Birmingham, Cathy went to Nottingham Trent University at the ripe old age of eighteen and five days to study European Business. Upon graduating she spent the next few years in the corporate world of marketing working on high-powered projects such as testing the firing range of Super Soaker water guns, adding hair extensions to Girls’ World styling heads and perfecting the weeing action of Tiny Tears. After making it onto Timmy Mallet’s Christmas card list, she realized it was time to move on and so in 1995 set up her own agency, Apples & Pears Marketing.

Avid fans of the TV series, Cathy and her husband realized their Grand Designs’ dream of building their own house in 2011. They now live in rural Nottinghamshire with their two daughters and a cockerpoo called Pearl.

This project provided the inspiration for Cathy’s debut novel Conditional Love, although it is by no means autobiographical, apart from the unfortunate incident in the boardroom! She shares her time between her marketing agency, writing and taxiing the girls endlessly from one activity to the next.

Cathy is a fan of Masterchef, strong coffee, chocolate brazils and Marian Keyes books. She is addicted to her Kindle and has an irrational fear of bananas.

Connect with Cathy at:

Cathy has kindly offered a $10 Amazon to one lucky winner.
This giveaway is open internationally!

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