Friday, April 12, 2013

Tour & Giveaway: Amanda Scott, Historical Romance


Thanks to Amy Bruno of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the author, Amanda Scott, I am giving away one winner's choice of one of the following ebooks.  
DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS, BORDER BRIDE and HIGHLAND FLING.

Description for DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS:

The first book in Amanda Scott’s acclaimed Dangerous series journeys from the battlefields of Waterloo to the ballrooms and boudoirs of London, where a deadly deception unfolds . . .

Engaged by proxy to a man she’s never met, Lady Daintry Tarrant is dismayed when the war hero returns, introducing himself as her fiancé, Lord Penthorpe. She cherishes her independence and has turned away many suitors, but this one she must marry. Penthorpe is completely captivated by Lady Daintry—but he’s not who he claims to be.

Penthorpe and Lord Gideon Deverill fought together at the battle of Waterloo, and when Penthorpe fell, Gideon assumed his identity in order to see the beautiful Lady Daintry. Gideon knows there’s bad blood between Lady Daintry’s family and his own, but he’s smitten with Daintry and determined to reunite the bitterly feuding clans. When a ghost from Gideon’s past appears, he could lose everything—including Daintry’s love.

“Amanda Scott has an uncanny knack of picking up her readers and plunking them down right in the middle of her storyworld.” —Romance Reviews Today

Description of BORDER BRIDE:

Set in treacherous sixteenth-century Scotland, the first volume of Amanda Scott’s Border Trilogy tells the unforgettable story of a woman sworn to defy the knight she is forced to wed—only to discover a love she’ll do anything to claim

As Mary, Queen of Scots, languishes in the Tower of London as a prisoner of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, war tears Scotland apart. To save her beloved homeland, a proud Highland beauty named Mary Kate MacPherson must wage her own battle when she’s forced into wedlock with a knight, Sir Adam Douglas, from the barbaric borderland of Tornary.

Even as she succumbs to her seductive husband’s sensual demands, Mary Kate vows never to give him her heart. She will belong to no man. But Adam burns with something deeper than desire. Sworn to carry out a long-awaited revenge, he won’t rest until he has vanquished his enemies. Accused of treason, the last thing he expects is to lose his heart to the woman he’s determined to tame but never to love: his own wife. 

“Hours of reading fun.” —Catherine Coulter, author of the Bride series

Description of HIGHLAND FLING:

Forbidden passion has never been more dangerous—or more irresistible—in the first novel of bestselling author Amanda Scott’s spellbinding Highland series

Scotland, 1750. In the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion, Maggie MacDrumin vows to keep fighting to liberate her people. But the intrepid Scotswoman is risking her life for a dangerous cause. When her latest mission lands her in a London courtroom on a trumped-up larceny charge, she has only one hope of survival. Enlisting the aid of Edward Carsley, the powerful fourth Earl of Rothwell, is a two-edged sword. The seductive aristocrat who awakens treacherous desire is her clan’s mortal enemy—a man she can never trust.

Edward will do whatever it takes to quell another bloody uprising. But how can he fight his passion for the rebellious Highland beauty in his safekeeping? As their lives come under siege, Maggie lays claim to the one thing Edward vowed never to surrender: his heart.

“[Scott is] a true master of the Scottish historical romance.” —Romance Reviews Today

About Amanda Scott:

A fourth-generation Californian of Scottish descent, Amanda Scott is the author of more than fifty romantic novels, many of which appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Her Scottish heritage and love of history (she received undergraduate and graduate degrees in history at Mills College and California State University, San Jose, respectively) inspired her to write historical fiction. Credited by Library Journal with starting the Scottish romance subgenre, Scott has also won acclaim for her sparkling Regency romances. She is the recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award (for Lord Abberley’s Nemesis, 1986) and the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. She lives in central California with her husband.      

For more information on Amanda Scott and her novels, please visit the official website

This ebook giveaway is open to the U.S. and Canada only and ends on April 26, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Giveaway: And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

Thanks to Danielle Caravella of Wunderkind PR, I am giving away one copy of And Then I Found You.

Book Description:

Twenty-two years ago, New York Times bestselling author, Patti Callahan Henry’s sister placed a baby girl for adoption. Then in April 2010, a Facebook request put an end to all the waiting and wondering. Patti’s sister’s daughter had found her.

Henry’s latest novel, AND THEN I FOUND YOU, coming this April 2013, is a unique story inspired by Henry’s personal family history with adoption.  The novel, much like the true story, is a compelling narrative of love lost, love found, and a miraculous reunion that changed everyone’s lives forever.

Told from the points of view of birth mother, Kate Vaughn, and her thirteen year-old daughter Emily, AND THEN I FOUND YOU (St. Martin’s Press; Hardcover; April 9, 2013; 272 pp.) spans over twenty years and follows the characters as they move through their lives in South Carolina, Arizona, Alabama and New York.  Now thirty-four years old, Kate seems finally ready to begin her life with someone else, but memories keep holding her back.  In her wish to conquer her painful past, Kate decides to visit Jack, the father of the baby she placed for adoption many years before.  Their reunion and an unexpected Facebook request starts a chain reaction that will change not only Kate’s life, but that of her loved ones too. AND THEN I FOUND YOU is ultimately a story about brave choices, our yearning for certainty and the courage it takes to find our place in the world. 

Patti Callahan Henry has written nine novels and has been hailed as a fresh new voice in southern fiction, appearing in numerous magazines including Good Housekeeping, Skirt, The South, Southern Living, and more. She has been short-listed for the Townsend Prize for Fiction and nominated four different times for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Fiction Novel of the Year. Two of her novels were OKRA picks and Coming Up For Air was an Indie Next choice. Patti Callahan Henry is a full time writer, wife and mother of three living in Alabama.

About Patti Callahan Henry:
Shawn Heifert Photography

Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times Bestselling novelist. She has published nine novels (Losing the Moon, Where the River Runs, When Light Breaks, Betweeen the Tides, The Art of Keeping Secrets, and Driftwood Summer, The Perfect Love Song, Coming up for Air and the upcoming And Then I Found You --April 2013, St. Martins Press). Patti has been hailed as a fresh new voice in southern fiction, appearing in numerous magazines (Good Housekeeping; SKIRT; The South; Southern Living, etc..).

She has been short-listed for the Townsend Prize for Fiction. She has been nominated four different times for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Fiction Novel of the Year. Her work is published in five languages and all novels are on Brilliance Audio.  Two of her novels were OKRA picks and Coming up For Air was an Indie Next choice. Patti is a a frequent speaker at fundraisers, library events and book festivals, discussing the importance of storytelling.

Patti Callahan Henry is a full time writer, wife and mother of three living in Mountain Brook, AL.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. and Canada only and ends on April 24, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Giveaway:Next Stop by Glen Finland

Thanks to Jessica Butler, Associate Publicist | Berkley/NAL, Penguin Group USA, I am giving away one copy of Next Stop.

Book Description:

“This is not a romance, or even just a heart-warmer. It’s a real love story, frank and particular. If you don’t like it, you don’t like love.” -—Roy Blount, Jr.

Next Stop is the universal story of how children grow up and parents learn to let go—no matter how difficult it may be for both of them. The summer David Finland was twenty-one, he and his mother rode the Washington, D.C., metro trains. Every day. The goal was that if David could learn the train lines, maybe David could get a job. And then maybe he could move out on his own. And then maybe his parents’ marriage could get the jump-start it craved. Maybe. 

Next Stop is a candid portrait of a differently-abled young man poised at the entry to adulthood. It recounts the complex relationship between a child with autism and his family, as he steps out into the real world alone for the first time, and how his autism affects everyone who loves him.

About Glen Finland:


Glen Finland lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband, Bruce, and her son, David. A former reporter and a freelance writer, she received her MFA from American University where she has taught writing. Her website is http://www.glenfinland.com.

For more about Glen Finland, visit her on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/GlenFinlandAuthor
Or follow her on Twitter at @glenfinland.

Sorry, this giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on April 23, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
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Monday, April 8, 2013

Giveaway Winners Galore

Thanks to everyone who entered the following giveaways! Winners, please reply to the email I sent you today within 48 hours to claim your books. After 2 days you will be disqualified and a new winner will be picked. Rafflecopter picks all winners using Random.org. 

Thanks again to Beverly Bambury  of  ChiZine Publications for making this ebook giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Rebecca G.






Thanks again to Elieba Levine for making this ebook giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Margaret C.







Thanks again to Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Piper





Thanks again to Deb Tobias of  Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting, for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Angela H.






Friday, April 5, 2013

Review & Giveaway: Defiant Heart by Marty Steere

Book Description:

Publisher: Penfield Press (April 15, 2013)
Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, General Fiction
Available in: Print and eBook, 385

Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.

In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town.  He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.

Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town’s mayor.  A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team.  To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys.  That is, until she meets Jon.

But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections.  For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism.  Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.

As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives.  If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.

My Thoughts:

This book is a real page turner and I read it into the wee hours of the morning because I couldn't put it down.  My heart broke for Jon.  He was in a car accident with his mother, father and brother.  He was the only survivor.   At only 15 he was sent to small town Indiana to live with his 80 year old grandmother.  He had never met her before because she was estranged from her daughter, Jon's mother.  It was a cold welcome for Jon, she wasn't outright mean to him at first but certainly not welcoming.

Jon also received a cold welcome at school and was in turns beat up and then ignored.  The only one who seemed to notice him was Mary.

I can't tell you anymore because I would risk giving spoilers.  I warmed up to Jon very quickly.  He was quite a lovable character.  This book has a little of something for everyone.  It is a coming of age, drama, historical fiction, suspense, romance, love story, WWII, and literary fiction story.

The characters are well developed and is the plot.  Marty Steere's descriptions of time and place resonated as true to me.  I felt like I was a character in the book observing everything that happened first hand.

This book is destined to become a classic!  Highly recommended!

5/5

About Marty Steere:


The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he’s not writing, he practices law.  His debut novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012.

Marty Steere’s Website
Defiant Heart on Goodreads


Now for the Giveaway:

Thanks to Marty, I am giving away one copy of Defiant Heart.  This giveaway is open worldwide.  Those living in the U.S. can choose either print or ebook.  Those that live outside of the U.S. will receive the ebook version. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
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Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious Books April 5 Review & Giveaway
Books, Books & More Books April 8 Review
Books, Books & More Books April 9 Guest Post
Dr Bill’s Book Bazaar April 10 Review
Raging Bibliomania April 11Review
Cuzinlogic April 12 Review
Literary Addicts April 12 Interview
Joy Story April 17 Review
Bookworm Brandee April  23 Review
Bookworm Brandee April  24 Guest Post
Green Mountain Couple April 25 Review
Broken Teepee April 26  Excerpt
Every Free Chance May  2 Review & Giveaway
Book Lover’s Library May 3 Review
Book Lover’s Library May 3 Interview
My Devotional Thoughts May 6 Review & Giveaway
Bookalicious  May 7 Review
Recent Reads May 8 Review
No Wasted Ink May 8  Interview
Bass Giraffe May 9 Review & Giveaway
Romance & Inspriation May 10 Review
Book Mark Blog May 13 Review
The Self Taught Cook May 14 Review & Giveaway
Teena in Toronto May 15 Review 


Buy Defiant Heat on Amazon!


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Giveaway: CHILDREN OF THE UNDERGROUND BY TREVOR SHANE

Thanks to Jessica Butler, Associate Publicist | Berkley/NAL, Penguin Group USA, I am giving away one copy of Children Of The Underground.

Book Description:

This riveting dystopian sequel to Children of Paranoia will leave you breathless.

When Maria was only seventeen, they pulled her into a secret war that she had no business being a part of. When she turned eighteen, they killed the man she loved and stole her baby. Then they told her to go home. They told her to pretend that she never knew that there was a war raging on all around her. They told her to go live a normal life. They wiped the world clean and even ordered Maria to forget that her baby existed.

The trouble is, some things simply can’t be forgotten.  So, with only a loose-cannon killer on her side, Maria is going to do whatever it takes to get back what belongs to her. Maria’s son may be destined to grow into a legend but, for that to happen, Maria has to find him and fight for him first.

About Trevor Shane:


Children of Paranoia was Trevor Shane’s first novel. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.

Sorry, this giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on April 18, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.


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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Giveaway: WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY by Wendy Wax

Thanks to Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting, I am giving away one copy of While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

Book Description:

While We Were Watching Downton Abbey is a tribute to the transformative power of female friendship, and reading Wendy Wax is like discovering a witty, wise, and wonderful new friend.” – Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Time Flies

FROM THE AUTHOR OF TEN BEACH ROAD AND OCEAN BEACH, A NEW NOVEL OF FOUR FRIENDS¾AND A SHARED PASSION THAT COULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES...

When the concierge of the Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and¾even more unexpectedly¾with each other...

Samantha Davis married young and for the wrong reason: the security of old Atlanta money for herself and her orphaned brother and sister. She never expected her marriage to be complicated by love and compromised by a shattering family betrayal.

Claire Walker is now an empty nester and struggling author who left her home in the suburbs for the old-world charm of the Alexander, and for a new and productive life.  But she soon wonders if clinging to old dreams can be more destructive than having no dreams at all.

And then there's Brooke MacKenzie, a woman in constant battle with her faithless ex-husband. She's just starting to realize that it's time to take a deep breath and come to terms with the fact that her life is not the fairy tale she thought it would be.

For Samantha, Claire, Brooke, and Edward, who arranges the weekly gatherings, it will be a season of surprises as they forge a bond that will sustain them through some of life's hardest moments¾all of it reflected in the unfolding drama, comedy, and convergent lives of Downton Abbey.

About Wendy Wax:

Wendy Wax, freely admits to her Downton Abbey addiction and the role it's played in the creation of her latest novel, WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY. As Season 2 ended, she found herself thinking about characters who were also fans of the show. "That was all well and good," she says, "but I didn't have abook for them−at least not until I let Downton Abbey itself bring them together."  She adds that once she saw how the show might actually help change their lives, the story "came alive."

The mother of a toddler and an infant when she decided to change careers, Wendy admits it may not have been the best timing in terms of productivity. “I’m still not certain why I felt so compelled to write my first novel at that particular time,” she says, “but that first book took forever.” Since then she’s written eight others, including Magnolia Wednesdays, the Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist The Accidental Bestseller, Leave It to Cleavage and Single in Suburbia. Her novel 7 Days and 7 Nights was honored with the Virginia Romance Writers Holt Medallion Award. Her work has been sold to publishers in fifteen countries and to the Rhapsody Book Club, and her novel, Hostile Makeover, was excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine.

Wendy is currently at work on her next novel, which takes characters introduced in Ten Beach Road (St. Pete Beach) and Ocean Beach (Miami) and sets them loose in Key West. Her first e-original, a holiday novella, Christmas at the Beach, also reunites those protagonists and will be published in the fall.

When not writing, she spends much of her time speaking to writer’s groups and book clubs, enjoying time with her family, visiting relatives in St. Pete, and devouring books. She lives in Atlanta.


This giveaway is open to Canada and the U. S. and ends on April 17th.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Giveaway: The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, I am giving away one copy of  The Last Telegram.

Book Description:

Decades ago, as Nazi planes dominated the British sky, eighteen-year-old Lily Verner made a terrible mistake. She’s tried for decades to forget, but now an unexpected event pulls her back to the 1940s British countryside. She finds herself remembering the brilliant, lustrous colors of the silk she helped to weave at her family’s mill, the relentless pressure of the worsening war, and the kind of heartbreaking loss that stops time. 

In this evocative novel of love and consequences, Lily finally confronts the disastrous decision that has haunted her all these years.

About Liz Trenow:

Liz Trenow worked for many years as a journalist for national and regional newspapers, and for BBC radio and television news, and is now freelance. The Last Telegram is her first novel, and she has begun work on her second, The Queen’s Quil. Visit Liz at www.liztrenow.com

Sorry, this giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on April 17, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
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