Friday, February 1, 2019

Blurb Blitz & #Giveaway ~ For Her Honor (The Gentrys of Paradise, Book 4) by Holly Bush ~ Historical Romance ~ @hollybushbooks


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Holly Bush will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Genre: Historical Romance
About the Book:
1873 –
Adam Gentry, heir to the celebrated Paradise Stables in Virginia, is haunted by the visions of his lost love. Feeling cursed by fate, he slips deeper into grief, shrouded in a cloud of liquor and depression, and neglects his duties and responsibilities. But when Adam is forced to accept that there’s nothing he can do to change his past, he knows he must move on.

And he accepts his own destiny: that he will never love again.

Emmaline Somerset finds herself in the worst possible position any unmarried woman can be in. She will have to abandon all of her plans, hopes, and dreams for an independence using her own talents. The only viable solution is to move to a distant relative’s home and reinvent herself as a widow with an infant. No one will ever be the wiser.

Adam, now determined to secure the Gentry legacy, plans to save longtime family friend Emmaline from her embarrassment with an offer of marriage. But what Adam didn’t plan on was how his unexpected attraction to her would stir something inside of him, something he's kept locked deep within.

Can love finds its way between two troubled souls, one driven by duty, the other by honor, both determined to find their way home?
Read an Excerpt:

Adam thought that she really did need some rest as it seemed to him she was holding herself upright by sheer will alone. He stood at his place. Everyone turned their heads to him as if he would be giving another toast like Matt had done, making everyone chuckle, and then Jim, whose wishes for them had everyone in the room misty-eyed, including him. But his mother and Mrs. Somerset, his mother-in-law, strange as that sounded, both looked at Emmaline and stood.

“Come along now,” Louise said to Jane and Phillip and Betsy and motioning to Edwin to help her from her chair. “This has been a long day and I am exhausted.”

“Yes. I am as well,” Eleanor said. “And these children have near worn themselves out.”

Everyone drifted to the front hallway, gathering wraps and kissing children. Jim had Nettie’s two in his arms, carrying them outside to their carriage. Adam helped Louise into her seat and kissed her cheek as Edwin gathered the reins and nodded at him.

“See that Emmaline lies down, won’t you, Adam? I’m so worried for her,” Louise said.

“Of course. It’s been a trying week, but I think it was a beautiful and memorable day.”

She nodded and looked at him with watery eyes. “It has. Thank you.”

Matt and Annie were walking home, and he waved at them after kissing the children and thanking them. He went back inside and found Emmaline hurrying to the door.

“Tell mother to wait,” she began and then looked at him, her face going scarlet. “I don’t live there anymore, do I?”

Purchase from Amazon

About the Author:

Holly Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S.in the late 1800’s, in Victorian England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

http://www.hollybushbooks.com http://www.twitter.com/hollybushbooks
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Holly-Bush/247399131941435

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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Book Spotlight & #Givaway ~ Unbalanced Unbalanced Series Book 1 Courtney Shepard ~ Urban Fantasy, Light Romance #Excerpt



Unbalanced
Unbalanced Series
Book 1
Courtney Shepard

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Light Romance

Publisher: Champagne Books

Date of Publication: June 1st, 2015

ISBN: 9781771551502
ASIN: B00Y6A2RVU

Number of pages: 224
Word Count: 75,000

Cover Artist: Trisha FitzGerald

Tagline: Four sister, one destiny.

About the Book:

Every generation four sisters with power over earth, air, fire, and water are born to fight against a fanatical, secret faith. The Order exists only to sacrifice the sisters for their power. With each success their strength and control grows. They have never failed, for their rule depends on it.

The sisters, separated at birth, are unaware of what hunts them...but they are coming.

A handsome stranger discovers Asha in hiding, and swears allegiance to her cause. She falls for him; though he is not who he says he is. Betrayed and imprisoned inside the Order, Asha is without her power for the first time in her life.

As the war heats up haunting secrets and true motivations are revealed, but the sisters must unite and override their instincts and trust the untrustworthy if they are to fight their terrifying destiny.

Watch the Book Trailer:

 https://youtu.be/1YMFi48_zIA

Purchase Links:

Amazon     Kobo     Lulu     iTunes    AmazonUK      AmazonFR


AmazonCA     Champagne Books     Chapters     BN

Read an Excerpt:

With a crack and rumble, the ground surrounding the cabin broke apart and water burst from the earth. It sprayed as strong as any fire hose up and over the cabin. The pounding force was like a waterfall in reverse, and the flames sputtered and died.
She had never seen anything like it, an enormous water fountain extinguishing fire burning that hot. The cabin door, charred and still smoking, flew off its hinges and onto the flooded grass.
Three figures ran out into the early morning glare. Asha took off her helmet and slouchy hood, but her eyes weren’t playing tricks. She could see them clearly, even across the distance, and her stomach dropped. They stopped short, facing an army with guns raised. No.
“Fire!”
“Stop!” Her scream was too late; the soldiers fired. She didn’t have time to act; they were sitting ducks. She prepared for their thrashing bodies, but like a swarm of hovering locusts, the bullets stopped in mid-air and dropped.
What? She couldn’t get her mind around the scene unfolding before her. She’d lost control of her body. Her muscles wouldn’t move.
“Hold your fire,” Clay shouted, but the soldiers continued shooting.
His brothers were the only ones not attacking. They had to be as shocked by the falling bullets as she was. She couldn’t blame them. She was as still and as useless as a rock, unable to move or act, only watch in growing disbelief. Three young women stood against an army.
“Asha,” yelled one of the girls, her eyes were even brighter green than Clay’s. “We’re your sisters. We’ve been looking for you.”
Sisters?

Meet the Author:

Courtney Shepard is a freelance writer living on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. After initially studying for a career in journalism, she switched to fiction writing.


Unbalanced is the first book in the Unbalanced Series published by Champagne Books.




http://www.unbalancedseries.com/

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Monday, January 28, 2019

Book Spotlight, Review & #Giveaway ~ The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) by Sherry Harris ~ #CozyMystery ~ @SHarrisAuthor


The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) by Sherry Harris


Book Details:

The Gun Also Rises
A Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery, Book 6
 Cozy Mystery
 Kensington 
January 29, 2019
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages 
ISBN-10: 1496716965 
ISBN-13: 978-1496716965 
Digital ASIN: B07CWF942Q

 

About the Book:

TO RECOVER A PRICELESS MANUSCRIPT . . .

A wealthy widow has asked Sarah Winston to sell her massive collection of mysteries through her garage sale business. While sorting through piles of books stashed in the woman's attic, Sarah is amazed to discover a case of lost Hemingway stories, stolen from a train in Paris back in 1922. How did they end up in Belle Winthrop Granville's attic in Ellington, Massachusetts, almost one hundred years later?

WILL SARAH HAVE TO PAY WITH HER LIFE?

Before Sarah can get any answers, Belle is assaulted, the case is stolen, a maid is killed, and Sarah herself is dodging bullets. And when rumors spread that Belle has a limited edition of The Sun Also Rises in her house, Sarah is soon mixed up with a mobster, the fanatical League of Literary Treasure Hunters, and a hard-to-read rare book dealer. With someone willing to kill for the Hemingway, Sarah has to race to catch the culprit—or the bell may toll for her . . .

Read My Review Here:


About the Author:

 

 Agatha Award-nominated author, Sherry Harris, started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry uses her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her time living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series. 

Author Links:


Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS: 

January 28 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 
January 28 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW 
January 29 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST 
January 29 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT 
January 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
January 30 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
January 30 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
January 31 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW 
January 31 – Celticlady's Reviews - SPOTLIGHT 
January 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
February 1 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST 
February 1 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW 
February 1 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW 
February 2 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
February 2 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW 
February 2 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
February 3 – Carla Loves To Read - REVIEW 
February 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW 
February 3 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
February 3 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW 

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Book #Review ~ The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) by Sherry Harris ~ #CozyMystery ~ @SHarrisAuthor

The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) by Sherry Harris


Book Details:

The Gun Also Rises
A Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery, Book 6
 Cozy Mystery
 Kensington 
January 29, 2019
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages 
ISBN-10: 1496716965 
ISBN-13: 978-1496716965 
Digital ASIN: B07CWF942Q

 

About the Book:

TO RECOVER A PRICELESS MANUSCRIPT . . .

A wealthy widow has asked Sarah Winston to sell her massive collection of mysteries through her garage sale business. While sorting through piles of books stashed in the woman's attic, Sarah is amazed to discover a case of lost Hemingway stories, stolen from a train in Paris back in 1922. How did they end up in Belle Winthrop Granville's attic in Ellington, Massachusetts, almost one hundred years later?

WILL SARAH HAVE TO PAY WITH HER LIFE?

Before Sarah can get any answers, Belle is assaulted, the case is stolen, a maid is killed, and Sarah herself is dodging bullets. And when rumors spread that Belle has a limited edition of The Sun Also Rises in her house, Sarah is soon mixed up with a mobster, the fanatical League of Literary Treasure Hunters, and a hard-to-read rare book dealer. With someone willing to kill for the Hemingway, Sarah has to race to catch the culprit—or the bell may toll for her . . .

My Review:

The Gun Also Rises (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #6)The Gun Also Rises by Sherry Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery Series of one of my favorites cozy series' and I devoured The Gun Also Rises.

When Sarah is hired to manage an enormous book sale by Belle Winthrop Granville, one of Ellington, Massachusetts' elite citizens, she's shocked to find rare Hemingway manuscripts among the books and dust. She barely gets a glimpse when Belle is assaulted and the case of manuscripts is stolen. With the manuscripts on the run, Sarah puts herself in danger to chase the thief. Murder, mayhem, and of course, mystery abounds in The Gun Also Rises, another excellent book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and is written in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. The secondary characters are also realistically written.

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, The Gun Also Rises is a fantastic cozy mystery that is full of twists, turns, distractions, and red herrings. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth until it's time.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher.

View all my reviews

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Want to Learn How to Write? Don’t miss You Can Write—Really! by Kelli A. Wilkins @KWilkinsauthor


Want to Learn How to Write? Don’t miss You Can Write—Really!
by Kelli A. Wilkins

If one of your goals is to write a novel or a short story this year, you’ve come to the right blog.
When people learn that I’m a writer, they often tell me: “I want to write a book, but…” and then they go into longwinded explanations about why they can’t write it. Usually they don’t know where (or how) to start, or they say they don’t have the time.

Well, I’ve got a solution for all that.

And as an author of more than 100 short stories and 19 romance novels, I’m often asked: Where do you get your ideas? How do I get published? How do you write a book? What advice do you have for writers who are just starting out? Do you have any writing tips? Can you help me?

Sure I can!

One day I started thinking about everything I’ve learned over the years, and inspiration hit me: Why not write a book on how to write? The result? You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction.

This fun and practical book walks you through the story-creating process step-by-step from getting a great idea to meeting your characters, developing a plot, and on to writing, revising, and submitting your work.
Each easy-to-read chapter is based on my years of experience as a writer, advice I’ve received over the years, and the technical “know-how” I’ve gained in writing classes and workshops. I also included helpful tips all writers can use, plus easy writing exercises to get you motivated.
I’m an eclectic writer, and that means I write everything—short horror fiction, full-length romance novels, science fiction, and non-fiction. People are always asking me, “How can you write in so many different genres and styles? What’s the secret?”
It’s really not that difficult. Why? Because the basic mechanics of good storytelling are universal, no matter what genre you write. Every fiction story contains the same ingredients: an interesting and engaging plot, characters the reader cares about and roots for, supporting details, and background that draw the reader into the story.
Once you have the basics down, you can write—really! Here are a few quick tips and writing exercises:

TIP: Set aside an hour a day to write. Not sure you have an hour? Consider writing on your lunch break or during a commute. Get up an hour earlier or schedule time after dinner. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it. You can also write in two blocks of 30 minute sessions.
TIP: Keep a pen and paper (or a voice recorder) with you at all times to note bits of dialogue you overhear, something strange, funny, or creepy you see, or anything else that captures your attention and could be used for a story.
EXERCISE: Write three to five dialogue exchanges where two characters meet for the first time. What do they talk about? What is happening in the scene or around them?

EXERCISE: All characters want something, whether it’s a cup of coffee, a new car, to escape from jail, to eat lunch, or to finish a big project on time. Brainstorm five things your character wants, large or small. Here are some examples: woman wants to escape her abusive husband; man wants to bury a body; private investigator wants to find a blackmailer; fifth grade kid wants to get away with cheating on a math test.
Here’s the book summary:

You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction
Have you always wanted to write?

Are you looking for an extra boost of motivation?

Do you have a great story idea, but don’t know how to develop it?

If you’ve always dreamed of writing and getting published, but have no idea where or how to start—THIS is the book for you!

You Can Write—Really! is an easy guide designed for beginner writers who need a boost of motivation and simple instructions on how to get started.

Award-winning author Kelli A. Wilkins takes you step-by-step through the writing process, covering the basics of plotting, editing, revising, and submitting. She explores ways to get your creativity flowing, explains where authors get ideas, and shows you how to create interesting characters for your story.

Contains helpful tips all writers can use, PLUS fun writing exercises to get you motivated!


Ready to write? Order your copy here:


All other platforms

Happy Reading (and Writing!)
Kelli A. Wilkins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers with her horror stories.
In January 2019 Kelli released the second half of her new flash fiction series, Cupid’s Schemes. These two volumes of lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.
She also released her first online writing course, Fiction Writing for Beginners, through Teachable. This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details.
Kelli’s historical romance, Redemption from a Dark Past, was published in 2018. This full-length Gothic novel is set in the kingdom of Hungary in 1723 and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.
If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her latest novella, Nightmare in the North.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com and blog http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ to learn more about all of her writings.
 CATCH UP WITH KELLI
Here’s a full list of where you can find Kelli on the web.

Website: http://www.KelliWilkins.com

Blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

Facebook Historical Romances: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/

Facebook Contemporary Romances: https://www.facebook.com/Contemporary-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1965702023664339/

Facebook Gay Romances: https://www.facebook.com/GayRomancesbyKelliAWilkins/

FREE READS: http://www.manicreaders.com/KelliAWilkins/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelliwilkins2/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelli-a-wilkins

Books2Read: https://www.books2read.com/ap/nkvddR/Kelli-A-Wilkins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KWilkinsAuthor/

Shutterstock: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/kelli+wilkins

iStock: https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/kelliwilkins

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb

Teachable Online Writing Course: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/