Best Seller - Review & Giveaway

 Review by Darcie Czajkowski

Nineteen-year-old Robin Fortune returns to her hometown in New England after getting kicked out of college for dealing pot. She has little interest in returning home even more so given that her father hasn’t spoken to her since he paid her fine to the court. But the bigger problem is that she wants to be in college and feels like she doesn't fit in back home.

At least her all-time favorite author, Maryana Capture, is scheduled to pay a visit to Robin's little town. That’s something to look forward to. Maybe, just maybe, Maryana will be able to provide Robin with guidance for getting the novel she secretly wrote published. Or maybe Maryana will put in a good word for Robin with her own publisher. Yes, that will be a good way to escape this sleepy town.

In the meantime, as Robin awaits the big day, she works as a waitress in a diner for a grumpy Greek man and reconnects with a friend from high school who turns into her boyfriend. One day blends into the next, like a single day on repeat. Robin feels like nothing will ever be the way it was: that beloved time when she was happy in school, pursuing her dreams.

The day of Maryana Capture’s book signing finally arrives, but the event doesn’t unfold like Robin thought it would. But why should that surprise her? Nothing about her return has been simple and Robin wonders if her dreams died on the day she was forced off her college campus and if it’s time to let it all go and move on. For good.

This is Martha Reynolds’ best story yet. I don’t typically gravitate toward books set in the 1970s, at the time of the American Bicentennial, but Martha’s smooth and eloquent story-telling always pulls me in and I become invested in the characters and their relatable struggles. Fact: I read this book in two days. It was that good. So when you buy this book, I recommend starting it on a Friday night. I wouldn’t want you to suffer the consequences of missing work because you have to know how the story ends.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon

About the Author:

Martha Reynolds ended an accomplished career as a fraud investigator and began writing full time in 2011. She is the author of five novels, including the award-winning Chocolate for Breakfast (her debut novel), Chocolate Fondue, Bittersweet Chocolate, and the Amazon #1 bestseller Bits of Broken Glass. Best Seller is her latest release. Her essays have appeared in Magnificat magazine.

She and her husband live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean.

Connect with the author at:

Blog/Twitter/Facebook-personal/Facebook-author/Google+/Goodreads/Amazon

Martha is graciously giving away 2 e-copies of Best Seller!!!

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Elly in Love - Review

Review by Marlene Engel

Posies Florist is Elly’s pride and joy.  There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to ensure the success of her business.  Including designing the flowers for her ex-husband’s wedding to the mistress that broke them up!  But that’s behind her now and so is the crazy year that she’s had.  Things are finally looking up for Elly Jordan.  She has a new boyfriend, Keith, who adores her and she just found out that she was chosen to be on BlissBride, a reality show where she gets to design the wedding for a celebrity.  She’s even hoping that, with the added attention her store will be getting from being on the show, that she’ll be able to open a second store in downtown Clayton.  But when a strange, young man shows up at her store, Elly’s world gets turned upside down.  He comes bearing information that will change her life forever. 

What I love the most about this book is Elly’s character.  She just seems so real and relatable.  She’s not stick thin, hasn’t had the perfect life, but she tries to make the best of what she’s got.  I enjoyed how endearing the book was with the perfect amount of humor mixed in.  Although it’s the second book in the series, with Elly In Bloom being the first, it can be read as a stand-alone.  I would definitely recommend this book.  It would make for the perfect summer read!

 Purchase the book:

Amazon

About the Author:

Colleen Oakes is the author of the Elly in Bloom Series and the upcoming YA fantasy Queen of Hearts Saga, both published via Sparkpress. She lives in North Denver with her husband and son. When not writing, Colleen enjoys swimming, traveling, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is currently at work on the last Elly novel and another YA fantasy series called Wendy Darling.

Colleen’s Favorite Things

Favorite Movie: Moulin Rouge and Titanic. I’m a sucker for a tragic love story. Sorry about the spoilers.

Favorite Musicians: Sia, Missy Higgins, Josh Groban, U2, Adele, Mumford and Sons, JJ Heller, The Autumn Film, Joshua Radin and Ingrid Michaelson.

Favorite Foods: Tuna wraps, grilled cheese sandwiches, strawberries, frozen yogurt and anything with chocolate. I have the distinguished palate of a five year old.

Favorite Authors (this will be a doozy): Ann Patchett, Jennifer Weiner, Barbara Kingsolver, Erik Larson, George R.R Martin, J.K Rowling, Ernest Cline, C.S Lewis, Audrey Niffenegger, Margaret George, Janelle Brown, Neil Gaiman and about a hundred more.

Favorite Book: Classic? Jane Eyre. Contemporary? The Poisonwood Bible.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Pinterest

Destination Wedding - Excerpt & Giveaway

Life is full of surprises...

Claire Martin's life is perfect, or at least she tells herself it is. She owns a successful clothing boutique, has a steady, dependable boyfriend, and a beautiful grown daughter who is about to be married. Sure, Claire's husband of twenty years left her for a younger woman four years ago, but that is all in the past. Now, Claire is looking forward to her daughter's Bahama wedding and spending a week in paradise. The only thing Claire dreads is her ex-husband and his wife will also be on the island. Claire is determined to make the best of it, though. What Claire doesn't realize is ignoring her ex-husband for the week is going to be impossible.

James Martin's life is a mess. His wife of less than four years has made him the most miserable man on earth and now they are in the middle of a messy divorce. He's happy that he can forget her for a week as he goes off to the Bahamas to attend his lovely daughter's wedding. Jim is embarrassed to admit to his daughter and his ex-wife, Claire, that he made the biggest mistake of his life when he left her for another woman, so he makes up a story as to why his new wife didn't come along. When he and Claire are unexpectedly forced upon each other, Jim soon realizes what he's lost and he begins to wonder if he can find a way back into Claire's heart.

Excerpt:

From his seat at the back of the plane, Jim could watch everyone in the wedding party. He'd purposely boarded the plane early so he could get on without any questions from Mandy. Soon enough, he'd have to explain why Diane wasn't with him. He just wasn't sure yet what he was going to say.

To admit to his daughter that he'd failed at his second marriage after leaving her mother for Diane left a lump in his throat. What an idiot he'd been. The grass hadn't been greener on the other side. In fact, it had been brown, prickly, and downright nasty. When he'd left Claire to start a new life with Diane, he'd thought it would be a life full of love, laughter, and carefree fun. Boy, had he been wrong. The minute he'd said "I do," Diane ran over him like a steam shovel. She wanted a brand new house, brand new furniture to fill it with, and expensive vacations. She wanted to change the way he dressed, the way he cut his hair, the way he ate, and even the way he walked. What the hell was wrong with the way he walked? Diane became a living nightmare. And the fact that they worked in the same office and that he was her superior didn't help matters. She thought she could reign over him at work like she did at home. But the worst part of all, she'd done everything she could to keep him away from his only child. That had hit Jim hard. When Mandy began planning the wedding, Diane flat-out refused to go on the island vacation and attend the wedding. They fought over it endlessly. He literally had to bribe her to agree to go to the engagement party by giving her a ridiculously expensive diamond necklace. It was all too much for Jim. When Diane refused to go to the wedding during their umpteenth argument six months ago, it was the final straw for Jim. He gave her an ultimatum. Go to the wedding with him, or leave. She chose to leave, thank God. As bad as it sounded, he'd actually been relieved.

Jim looked up in time to see Claire staring back at him. He gave her a small smile and a wave, which made her turn around instantly. Jim sighed. He'd really screwed up his life the day he'd left Claire. True, their marriage had been faltering and it had seemed like their work life had become more important than their relationship. Looking back, however, he realized that it had been his fault completely since he'd let himself become distracted with a younger woman at work while Claire had stayed true.

Jim watched the back of Claire's head as she seemed to be rocking in her seat and chanting something. Then he saw Mandy turn around in her seat and say something to her mother. Jim wondered what Claire had been doing. She seemed nervous. He'd secretly watched her as she'd boarded the plane with the rest of the group and was amazed at how young and vibrant she looked. She'd grown out her sandy blond hair a little and she looked like she'd lost a little weight. Not that Claire had ever been overweight; she'd always looked neat and trim. But today, she looked amazing in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Since the day they met in college, Claire had always been a smart, confident woman who knew what direction she was heading. Jim had always envied that about her. But today, she looked nervous, almost vulnerable. He wondered if she was, or if it was just his imagination.

As the plane landed in Marsh Harbour, James decided he'd keep his divorce to himself for as long as he was able. There was no sense dumping that information onto a fun family vacation and Mandy's special day. He'd make up an excuse for Diane's absence. He was pretty sure that no one was going to miss her anyway. He sure as hell knew he wasn't going to.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon Kindle * Barnes & NobleNook * Paperback

About the Author:

Deanna Lynn Sletten is a bestselling and award-winning author. She writes women's fiction and romance novels that dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Deanna's women's fiction novel, Widow, Virgin, Whore, made the top 100 bestselling books on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble in 2014. Her romance novel, Memories, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012. Her novel, Sara's Promise, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2013 and a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer. 

Connect with Deanna: 
Deanna's blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads 

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Read, Write, Love - Review & Giveaway

READ, WRITE LOVE

Book Five, The Remingtons

Blurb:

Bestselling author Kurt Remington lives to write. He spends twelve hours a day in front of his computer, rarely leaving the seclusion of his beach-front property, where he’s come to finish his latest thriller—that is, until free-spirited Leanna Bray nearly drowns in the ocean trying to save her dog. Kurt’s best-laid plans are shot to hell when he comes to their rescue. Kurt’s as irritated as he is intrigued by the sexy, hot mess of a woman who lives life on a whim, forgets everything, and doesn’t even know the definition of the word organized.

Purchase the book at:

B & N * Apple * Amazon US * Kobo* Google Play

Review by Marlene Engel

The quietness of the beach house is just the place for bestselling author, Kurt Remington, to work on his latest thriller.  But the usual serine atmosphere is quickly disrupted when he spies Leanna Bray unsuccessfully trying to get her dog out of the rough ocean water.  Concerned that she’ll end up drowning, and wanting to get them both away from his beach house so he can finish writing, Kurt offers up his assistance.  It doesn’t take long for Kurt to learn that stubborn Leanna is not only eccentric in her lifestyle, but is as disorganized as Kurt is strictly organized.  But he finds himself captivated by her none the less.

Unlike Kurt’s immaculate house, Leanna’s cottage is a bit unkempt, but cute … sort of like Leanna.  Much of her time is spent making homemade jams and jellies that she sells at the local flea market, but her dream is to someday sell them in stores.  To say thank you for helping rescue her dog, Leanna decides to bring a basket of her homemade goods to Kurt.  Impressed by her thoughtfulness and intrigued by her free spirited ways, Kurt finds himself enjoying Leanna’s company.  Come join Kurt and Leanna as they test the theory of attraction and see if, indeed, opposites attract.

Read, Write, Love is the fifth book in The Remingtons series and the twelfth book in the Love in Bloom series.  I have been enjoying this series since the first book and can honestly say that I have loved each and every one of them.  Not only are the characters fun and sexy, but the storyline brings you in and holds your attention throughout the book.  I would not only recommend this book, but all of the books in the Love in Bloom series.  

About the Author:

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. 

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads

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Sparked By Love - Virtual Tour & Giveaway

Sparked by Love

A Holiday for Romance Series

By: Peggy Bird

Blurb

Some fussy artist is making Shannon Morgan’s job with the city of Vancouver, Washington harder than it should be. She’s organizing the huge annual Independence Day celebration and he’s being impossible. But then, he’s like a couple other men she’s known—her mostly absent father and her disappearing ex-boyfriend, for example.

All Leo Wilson wants is an okay for his plans to install glass fireworks at Fort Vancouver on the Fourth of July. With thousands of people there to see his work, it could be his big career break. If the crabby bureaucrat will get him the permits he needs.

When Leo confronts the cause of his trouble in person he’s surprised to find a beautiful young woman. Shannon is equally surprised at meeting a sweet, sexy man. Dinner, a movie and a few torrid kisses take it from spark to flame.

But then the father she’s always wanted as part of her life reappears, accompanied by her ex-boyfriend. Shannon has to decide how far she’s willing to go to have her father around. And find out why he’s with her ex.

If she makes the right decisions, she and Leo will create fireworks that rival the pyrotechnics that light up the sky on July Fourth. Privately.

Purchase book at:

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iTunes

Guest Post by Peggy Bird

Holiday for Romance

            I’m a sucker for a holiday. Name any one and I can pull out decorations and special menus for the day so fast your head will spin like that possessed kid in “The Exorcist.” I have hearts to string for Valentine’s Day (and a heart shaped brownie dessert to make), flags to fly for the Fourth of July (and a red-white-and-blue cake to serve at the picnic), ghosts and goblins to display for Halloween (and a graveyard cake for the family to share) and boxes of Christmas decorations and cookie recipes.

            Every now and then, as I sort my way through the Easter egg tree strand to find the New Year’s Eve hats and horns, I wonder why I’m so obsessed. Then I remember the pleasure I get from looking around my clean, decorated house, smelling whatever I’ve cooked for the meal ahead, anticipating the arrival of loved ones and friends to mark a pause in our ordinary lives for something special. Or as Wikopedia says, to mark “a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work, are suspended or reduced.”

            It’s also true I think sharing those special days with someone you love is romantic. How many engagements begin with a ring as a birthday gift? Or romances start with a kiss on New Year’s Eve? How many friends turn into lovers after a special Valentine’s Day dinner? Or deeper feelings get unmasked at a Halloween party?

            That’s the reason I wanted to write a series of holiday romances. But more than just acknowledging the romance of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, I wanted to explore the possibilities of romance connected with other holidays. So, the first book in the series, “Sparked By Love,” centers on a Fourth of July celebration. That will be followed by Halloween, New Year’s Eve and a birthday. I have a couple ideas for Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day, too. Haven’t figured out how to make Arbor Day romantic but I’m open to suggestions.

            What do you think? What’s the most romantic holiday? 

About the Author:

Peggy Bird lives in the Pacific Northwest where she sets most of her novels. To stay out of trouble—and the rain—she writes stories about smart women and sexy men and creates the occasional piece of glass art.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

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Grand Prize: Print Set of Books 1-3 of Second Chance Series, a $15.00 Amazon Gift Card and Custom Pendent 

Two Runner’s Up will receive a Digital Backlist Romance from Peggy Bird and a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card

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Love, Lies and Lemon Cake - Review

Review by Marlene Engel

For the past twenty years, Faye Dobson has been a devoted wife and loving mother.  But when her daughter goes off to university and her husband would rather curl up with a plumbing magazine than her, she realizes that her life has become a bit stale.  When she was younger, she made a “living list” that consisted of all of her hopes and dreams.  When she comes across the list and realizes that the only two things that she’s ticked off of it was becoming a bride and being a mom, she decides to leave her husband and her old life behind.

What she didn’t expect was to get the hots for the young, Australian surfer who works at the deli.  But there’s just something about the tanned hottie from down under that gets Faye all giddy and saying all sorts of crazy things.   Although he’s ten years her junior, he has paid more attention to her in the short time that they’ve known each other than her husband has in years.  And when he gets a wind of her living list, he’s determined to be the one to help her break out of her shell and throw caution to the wind.  But is Faye being unrealistic?  What would a guy like him want with a middle-aged woman like her? 

Come on a hilarious journey with Faye as she learns that life can be sweeter if you have the right person by your side and who brings cake along for the ride.

Love, Lies and Lemon Cake is a deliciously hilarious book that will have you laughing out loud and rooting for the new Faye!  From vajazzled lady parts to fake bake, orange self-tanners, Sue Watson’s humor is brilliant and spot on!  This is the perfect books for summer!  Don’t walk, but run out and get this book.  You will be glad that you did!

                

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble 

About the Author: 

I was a journalist on women’s magazines and national newspapers before leaving it all behind for a career in TV. As a producer with the BBC I worked on garden makeovers, kitchen takeovers and daytime sofas – all the time making copious notes so that one day I might escape to the country and turn it all into a book.

After much deliberation and copious consumption of cake, I left my life in TV to write. My first novel was Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes about a woman struggling with weight, work, marriage and motherhood. My second novel Younger, Thinner, Blonder, is about a talk show host who has the perfect ‘Hello Magazine’ life… or does she?

My latest novel, Love, Lies and Lemon Cake is about hairdresser Faye Dobson, who’s lost her sparkle. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi Fountain and having sex under the stars. But her wrinkles are multiplying, her husband’s passion is only for plumbing, and the nearest she’ll get to Rome is a take-away pizza. Can Faye get her life back before it’s too late?

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Wicked Sexy - Excerpt & Giveaway

Wicked Sexy

Uniformly Hot!

By: Anne Marsh

Releasing June 17^th, 2014

Harlequin Blaze

Blurb

Too sexy to resist?

Danielle Andrews was supposed to be on her honeymoon. Instead, she's back on Discovery Island licking her wounds and running for shelter when she sees Daeg Ross coming her way. Years ago, on this very beach, Dani started something with the special ops aviation rescue swimmer. But she refuses to be tempted by the wickedly hot military hunk again.

Daeg Ross is used to jumping into treacherous waters. But his feelings for relationship-shy Dani are a whole new type of risk. They are volatile—and irresistible. When their lives are threatened by the invading winds and endless rain of a tropical storm, Daeg and Dani are forced to take shelter and ride out a wild night. Together, will they sink…or swim?

Uniformly Hot! The few, the proud, the sexy as hell!

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * B&N * iTunes * BAM

Excerpt – Wicked Sexy

Standing there on the beach, staring up at him, Dani Andrews looked confused, as if she wasn’t sure if she wanted to haul off and hit him—or if she’d decided he wasn’t worth the bother. She certainly knew who he was. After all, she’d come over from the mainland and spent every summer at her grandparents’ place for as long as he’d been on the island. She’d worked at the ice cream joint at the end of the boardwalk, making cones, and he’d eaten his weight in ice cream just for the excuse to chat her up some. Those brown eyes of hers looked decidedly less friendly by the minute, her head already shaking back and forth. Or maybe that was the effect of the wind picking up as the storm offshore gathered steam.

“Daeg Ross,” she said and, from the way she pronounced his name, she was still plenty upset about how their last encounter ended ten years ago.

He, meanwhile, still wanted to kiss her and kiss her and that was the problem, wasn’t it?

He’d already kissed her—just once—all those years ago, not too far from this very spot. Fresh out of the search and rescue training program, he’d had two weeks’ leave before he shipped out to the Middle East. Cal's family had been the closest thing to family Daeg had; his own father had never been part of the picture and he'd lost his mother in a car accident a few years before. So, when his leave came up, returning to Discovery Island had seemed natural.

It had been prom night when he'd last seen Dani and she’d been seventeen—too young for the likes of him, ice cream aside. He hadn’t been the one to take her to prom—she hadn’t asked and honestly, he didn’t even know if she knew his name, although he’d caught her looking at him a few times. Prom night he’d found her walking alone on the beach. She hadn’t started out the evening alone and they both knew it.

One look at her sad, disappointed face and he’d broken every rule in his book right then and there.

About the Author:

After ten years of graduate school and too many degrees, Anne Marsh escaped to become a technical writer. When not planted firmly in front of the laptop translating Engineer into English, Anne enjoys gardening, running (even if it’s just to the 7-11 for slurpees), and reading books curled up with her kids. The best part of writing romance, however, is finally being able to answer the question: “So… what do you do with a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures?” She lives in Northern California with her husband, two kids and four cats.

You can reach Anne Marsh at www.anne-marsh.com or email her at annemarsh@ymail.com

Connect with the author at:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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