Saturday, September 28, 2013

Cover Reveal: "Just Once" by Julianna Keyes

COVER REVEAL
by Julianna Keyes and Omnific Publishing
Adult Contemporary Romance
Releasing October 29, 13
 
Kate Burke is done making bad decisions. Thirty years old and belatedly determined to grow up, the successful travel writer and one-time party girl returns to work at the remote Ponderosa Pines Ranch to reassess her life. Although her kitchen/cabin staff is lacking and the workload never relents, Kate’s main challenge is Shane Maddox, the ruggedly handsome and doggedly stubborn ranch foreman. Instantly at odds, they battle over everything from ceiling fans to bothersome bats—studiously ignoring the sparks they generate with each confrontation. They can’t explain their explosive physical chemistry, but after a few frustrated weeks they can’t deny it either. Their solution? Just once. They’ll get past their inconvenient lust and move on. Kate’s been trying to think with her head instead of her hormones, but is this just another bad decision in a lifetime of careless choices? Has she really changed at all? Set in the striking and serene hills of southern Colorado, Julianna Keyes’ debut novel offers a sizzling and satisfying tale of unexpected chemistry and the power of second chances. Her characters will get under your skin and into your heart. Just once may not be enough for you either.


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About the Author
Julianna Keyes is a Canadian writer who has lived on both coasts and several places in between. She’s been skydiving, bungee jumping, and white water rafting, but nothing thrills—or terrifies—her as much as the blank page. She has volunteered in Zambia, taught English in China, and dreams of seeing pink dolphins in the Amazon. This is her first book.




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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Release Event: "Loved by You" by Kate Perry

Kate Perry's newest release in the Laurel Heights series is now available! Read a teaser below and enter the giveaways!
Title: Loved By You
Author: Kate Perry
Publisher: Phoenix Rising Enterprises, Inc. (Indie)
Release date: September 18, 2013
Genre: Contemporary romance
Age Group: Adult  




Synopsis:

It’s time for Karma Taylor to ante up. When her mom raises the stakes, KT has no choice but to prove that she’s living up to her potential. To her mom, that means performing in the upcoming concert, but KT would rather run naked through Golden Gate Park than expose herself on stage. Chance Nolan, world traveler and all-around gypsy, offers KT a solution: distract her mom by faking an engagement—to him. KT would be doing him a favor, too, so he can shake the overzealous blonde who won’t take no for an answer. Only pretending to be in a relationship feels very real, and Chance wonders if he hasn’t been searching for KT all along. He just has to convince her he’s so much more than a decoy fiancé.

 

About the Author

Kate has tangoed at midnight with a man in blue furry chaps, dueled with flaming swords in the desert, and strutted on bar tops across the world and back. She’s been kissed under the Eiffel Tower, had her butt pinched in Florence, and been serenaded in New Orleans. But she found Happy Ever After in San Francisco with her Magic Man. Kate’s the bestselling author of the Laurel Heights Novels, as well as the Family and Love and Guardians of Destiny series. She’s been translated into several languages and is quite proud to say she’s big in Slovenia. All her books are about strong, independent women who just want love. Most days, you can find Kate in her favorite café, working on her latest novel. Sometimes she’s wearing a tutu. She may or may not have a jeweled dagger strapped to her thigh...



To enter the author's Facebook giveaway for $200 Gift Card to any online store of choice, visit here.



Monday, September 16, 2013

Cover Reveal: Alchemy by Sheena Boekweg, Melanie Crouse, and Sabrina West


"Do you want me to be dangerous?" he asked, his voice husky and low.
I gulped, and for a moment I was incapable of speech. But he was quiet, waiting. "No. I don't."
"Then I'm not dangerous at all," he murmured. His gaze moved from my eyes to my mouth. "You've never been safer than you are at this moment." I shivered as his breath tickled my skin. Our lips were mere millimeters apart when the sky shattered in a kaleidoscope of colored light. 


We didn’t know how much we had to lose until we were infected with magic. Sam was in love, Juliette was the main caretaker for her siblings, and Ana and her dad planned the best parties in New York. But we lost it all when we were shipped to Chebeague, an exclusive school for newly infected mages.

Everyone knows about the mages, those who survive the infection and end up with magical abilities. We’ve seen the power of magic, the high-paying jobs, and the world fame. But we never saw the cost. We didn’t know we’d be forced to give up everything: sanity, family, even the right to talk on the phone.

We didn’t know mage was just another word for prisoner.




Sunday, September 15, 2013

Review of "The Winnowing Season" by Cindy Woodsmall


The Winnowing Season: Amish Vines and Orchards Book 2


“Are Rhoda, Jacob, and Samuel strong enough to face the secrets that move with them to Maine?”


Title: The Winnowing Season
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher:  WaterBrook Press
Genre: Fiction/Amish and Christian Fiction
Source: Received free copy from Blogging for Books for honest review.



Synopsis:
 
The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?

On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?

abookandalattee’s Review:

Cindy Woodsmall is absolutely brilliant and definitely an extremely gifted writer. Every now and then I do enjoy a book that doesn’t have foul language, in which Cindy Woodsmall “The Winnowing Season” is a great read. This is book 2 of a series, but can also be read as a standalone as well. Woodsmall’s able to write each book as if its own story. Captivating each character so personally and bringing them to life on every single page.

I truly enjoyed reading Cindy Woodsmall’s “The Winnowing Season” and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys Christian Fiction.


 abookandalattee gives “The Winnowing Season” 4 out of 5 Stars.
 
Biography
 
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.

She's a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.

She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.

Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.

If you'd like more information or to contact her, you can go to her website or Facebook

 

Cover Reveal for "Finding Faith" by Tabatha Vargo


Title: Finding Faith
Author: Tabatha Vargo
Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Romance
Presented by: As You Wish Tours


BLURB

A little FAITH can get you through…

One night. That’s all Finn had with the only girl he ever loved. Years later, all he has left of that night is a silver cross, a broken give a damn, and the unrelenting desire to drink her memory away. As the lead singer of Blow Hole, Finn has his pick of women, but none are able to squash the need he still carries around for Faith. To hate her offers some relief, but when Finn sees her again after so many years, it’s hard to despise her. Especially when every reason he had to hate her, turn out to be lies.

As the daughter of a strict Baptist preacher, Faith Warren lived sheltered from all things sinful. When she met Jimmy Finn, the epitome of all seven deadly sins, she found out exactly what she was missing. After being forced to choose between her soul and the only person in the world who made her feel alive, Faith walked away from Finn and dove head first into her father’s preferred life. But now Finn’s back and he’s getting payback by wreaking havoc on her emotions. Except sometimes bad things feel good, and Faith has to decide once again if she wants to stay in her gilded cage or fly free with the dark angel of lust himself.

AUTHOR BIO
Tabatha's been writing since she could pick up a pencil. Her first publication was a little poem in her elementary school paper, from that point on she was hooked. When she was a teenager, she traded in her girly magazines for personalized writing notebooks.

At nineteen, she met her own personal prince charming and writing took a back burner for a while. She's now married to that prince and the mother of a beautiful seven-year-old princess/rock star. Once her daughter was born, writing came back into her life, and she finished her very first novel, Wicked Fate, in May of 2009.

She's now pursuing her English degree and she hopes to one day teach while continuing to write.


Saturday, September 14, 2013

Book Blitz for Josh Grayson's "SIA"


SIA by Josh Grayson


Synopsis:

When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.

Excerpt from Sia

While I wait for my driver, I sit on a step outside the school. I watch the kids go by. No one stops to say hello to me, and I'm starting to understand why. Then I see Kyle trudging out of the school, shaking his thick brown hair back from his brow. I decide to go talk to him. But he changes direction when he sees me approaching.

“Wait! Kyle? Is that your name? Kyle?”

He stops, but doesn't turn around.

Undaunted, I run up from behind. “Listen, I just wanted to apologize for Duke in the cafeteria today.”

“Why? Can’t he take care of that himself?”

“I guess he can, but I don’t think manners are his strong point.”

Kyle squints at me, trying to read my expression, so I keep my eyes wide open. If he's looking for dishonesty or cruelty, I'm determined he won't find any there.

“I don’t get it,” he says skeptically. “Why would you apologize to me?

I shrug. “Because it was wrong of him to be like that.”

“If you're gonna apologize on behalf of Duke, you should apologize to Ben, not me.”

“Um…okay, I will.”

After a moment of quiet, Kyle says, “Okay. Thanks.” He sniffs and looks at the ground, obviously uncomfortable. “As long as we’re apologizing, I guess I owe you one, too.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry about yelling at you at the soup kitchen. That was you, right?”

I nod.

“So I guess it was my yelling that made you run into the street, wasn’t it?”

I nod again.

“Well, I’m really sorry. About all that. I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn't. Don’t worry about it.” I look down the street, past Kyle, but I can't see John and the car yet. I glance down at my nails, still torn and ratty from living homeless. “What were you doing there, anyway?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I volunteer there sometimes.”

“Oh.”

“My parents own a bakery nearby. I work there almost every afternoon. When we have day-old bread and stuff, I take it over to them.”

“You…Oh!” I suddenly recall the slice of bread I'd enjoyed just before Kyle yelled at me that day. Soft, homemade, and unforgettable. It brings a smile to my face. “Well, I know from personal experience that they really appreciate that. It’s very generous of you and your family.”

“It’s the least we can do.” He hesitates. “So you’d been eating there?”

“Yup. All week. With my friend Carol.”

“Carol? That older lady? I know her. She’s sweet. Helps a lot of the kids out. I guess she’s kind of a teacher for lost souls, huh?”

“You could say that,” I agree, remembering my wise friend fondly.

A dark car pulls up to the curb.

I smile with apology. “Sorry, but I have to go. That’s John, here to pick me up. So are we okay?”

“We?”
“Yeah. You and me.”
After a second, he returns my smile and holds out a hand. “Sure.”

I step closer so I can shake it, and while I'm there I purposefully inhale the smell Amber had so detested. She's right. He smells like bread. Banana bread, I think. And cinnamon. Not unpleasant at all.

 Click Here to read my Interview with Josh Grayson.

About Josh Grayson

Josh Grayson was born in Mexico, raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming, and watching YouTube videos.

Josh currently works as a medical driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you).

Sia is his debut YA novel.

 

Josh’s Links:

Friday, September 13, 2013

HOUSTON BOOKRAVE: GIVEAWAY - 10 Signed Copies




Would you like to win some signed copies from some of the amazing authors who will be attending the Houston BookRave?

Well, here is your chance!

TrinDee Events is giving away 10 signed copies to three lucky winners. The first winner drawn will get to choose five books, the second winner will choose three, and the final winner gets their choice of two.

Best part? Winners choose off TrinDee Events featured author list.

Check out the attending authors here: http://houstonbookrave.blogspot.com/p/authors.html

All you have to do is help spread the word about the Houston BookRave!

Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to the US only. However, if you live outside the USA and are willing to cover the shipping cost, feel free to enter. If your name is drawn TrinDee Events will contact you with shipping details.

Good luck everyone!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Interview with Jessica Prince author of "Picking up the Pieces"


Interview with Jessica Prince author of

“Picking Up The Pieces

 
So today I had the pleasure of Interviewing Jessica Prince, author of Picking up the Pieces. Which is the first of the Picking up the Pieces series.
 

 
What book are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading the Dark Prince by S.L. Jennings even though she told me not to ;)
 
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Oh, hell yeah! I read Unteachable by Leah Raeder and was floored at the level of talent that chick had in her first book. I thought it was amazing and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
 
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I’ve made so many friends in the process of writing and publishing and each of them have helped me tremendously but I have to say that the one that helped me the MOST would probably be Lynda LeeAnne. She’s just released her third book in her This Can’t Be Happening Series and she’s helped me from day one. Whenever I had my epic freak-outs about PUTP not being good enough she talked me off the ledge. She was definitely my go-to girl when I needed someone. I don’t know how many times I texted her in the middle of the night with an idea. I love that girl and I’m so glad that she’s become one of my best friends.

What inspired you to write your first book?
Technically, Picking up the Pieces isn’t my first book… but it is the first one that was good enough to publishJ. When I wrote Luke and Emmy’s story I wanted to write a story with a strong leading female. There are so many books out there with strong, alpha men, (and don’t get me wrong… I LOVE my alpha dudes) but I wanted to write a book where the heroine was the strong one. That was my main goal when I wrote both Emerson and Savannah. I took strong as hell women and wrapped a story around them.

What are your current projects?
Write my standalone, Nightmares from within, is with my editor and I’m hoping it’ll be ready to release around October 8th. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and wrote a romantic thriller instead of my standard contemporary romance and I’m in the oh-my-god-this-book-is-shit phase right now ;). I just hope I did that genre justice.
After that one is out I’m heading back to Cloverleaf to finish up Savvy and Jeremy’s story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
I'm a wife, mother, wino, coffee addict and avid a lover of all types of books, but romances are my main favs. My husband likes to say reading is my obsession but I just say it's my passion... there's a difference.

I've been writing since I was a little kid and I finally decided to take the leap and actually publish when Picking up the Pieces came to me. Now that I've been bitten by the writing bug I just can't seem to stop. 
You can find Jessica over at the following:
 
To purchase Picking up the Pieces head on over to
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Interview with Josh Grayson, Author of "Sia"

abookandalattee had the pleasure of interviewing Josh Grayson author of Sia. We asked him some serious and yet fun questions to see what he’s been up too.


If you could fly anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
Italy, simply because it’s always ranked as having the best food in the world. Its beaches are nice too. I’ve Googled it.

What is your favorite genre to read/write?
Young adult (YA), because those stories carry universal themes we can all relate to, a peek into the lives of characters who are more intriguing, real, and raw.

What is one silly fact about you?
I can mimic Enrique Iglesias’s voice pretty well. I sang “Hero” at a friend’s birthday party once and received an enthusiastic response. Some applauded, others laughed. Overall, though, I felt good about my performance.

What got you started on your writing journey?
My move from Massachusetts (where I’d lived most of my life) to Virginia. The first year here was difficult. I was alone, depressed, and in completely new surroundings. But it was here in the South that I began seeing all these stories in my head, and that my “writing gene” got activated. So it seems the old saying is true, everything does happens for a reason.

Why do you choose to write clean/sweet romance?
I don’t choose, per se. I just write whatever I see in my head. And so far, all the romantic parts have been sweet and clean, which is fine with me.

What other things do you have planned with your writing for the rest of the year 2013?
I’m working on another YA novel that Sia fans should enjoy as well. If things go according to plan, I’ll publish that in the summer of 2014.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Being able to partake in the wildest adventures imaginable, all without ever leaving your house.

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?
One reviewer said, “It, without a doubt, inspired me to find ways to help others in need. I’m looking into charity work.” I loved hearing that, because that’s exactly what I wanted Sia to do: to motivate others to become their best self, to make positive changes in the world, wherever they are.

Where do your ideas come from?
I find muses everywhere! In books, magazines, poems, movies, YouTube videos, and so much more. I always try to be receptive. You never know what might trigger your next story.

What inspired you to write Sia?
Initially? Oprah. (Laughs). I saw an interview she did on a man with fugue amnesia that impacted me. Fugue amnesia occurs when someone, usually in response to excessive stress, takes off on some unexpected travel. And during the travels, that person assumes either a partial or complete new identity. I found it both fascinating and frightening to think that stress alone can cause the human brain to demand a reset like that. I often wonder why I haven’t gotten fugue amnesia yet!

 Is it true you wrote the screenplay adaption as well?
Yes! I wrote it as soon as the book was finished. I’m about to hire a seasoned Hollywood screenwriter to polish it. When it is up to industry standards, we’ll submit it to film companies and cross our fingers. I think Sia would translate wonderfully to film.

 If you could sum your main character into five words, what would they be?
Determined. Compassionate. Humble. Kind. Brave.

 Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?
Because I believe it will leave you touched, encouraged, and—of course—entertained.

About Josh Grayson

Josh Grayson was born in Mexico, raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming, and watching YouTube videos.

Josh currently works as a medical driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you).
Sia is his debut YA novel.




Josh’s Links: