Thursday, April 10, 2014

HAWTHORNE - Book Blast by Sarah Ballance


Hawthorne

Hawthorne by Sarah Ballance 

 After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it takes ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. She seeks peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she finds is an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she can right. Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett has never forgotten about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents reveals a truth that can cost him everything. What he finds gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?  


  Praise for Hawthorne

"This is a marvelous ghost story. The mystery, the suspense, the eeriness - all collaborate to weave a spell-binding tale . . . The story seamlessly flows to a shocking ending that is utterly brilliant." -- Coffee Time Romance

 "When I finished it, honestly, all I could do was sit there - a little awestruck." -- Kick Back & Review

Hawthorne will be FREE on Amazon from April 10th to 14th

Excerpt from Hawthorne
Noah closed in on the convertible, giving the nearby grounds a cursory look. The lawn was meticulous, the beds overflowing with sprays of purple garden phlox which trailed around the bend in the road and disappeared. A riot of white and rust-red irises backed the smaller purple flowers, their leaves deep green and glossy. Overhead, Spanish moss swayed only occasionally atop a maze of live oak, more likely a result of a passing swarm of insects than an actual air current. The land was still. If there were tourists snapping photos of the historic plantation — or doing anything else — he didn't see them. But someone had been there. The car was certainly real, even if that too-familiar scream had been a figment of his imagination. Wasn’t it always? Resigned to another night alone with his memories, Noah pivoted. And found himself nose to nose with Emma Grace. Astounded, he opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to reach for her, but his arms refused the notion; they hung uselessly by his sides, the effort futile. His mouth wasn't much on cooperation, either. Finally, he found his tongue. "Em—" Her expression cut him off. Green eyes wide, skin pale, her small frame shaking, she spoke. "I saw her, Noah. She's back." The words, nearly soundless, seemed to catch in the thick air. Lingering. Threatening. And ripping the heart from his chest.


sarah

Author Sarah Ballance

Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many long, long years” live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids). When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her. She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly paranormal romance.


BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/30/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

COVER REVEAL FOR REWIND TO YOU by Laura Johnston

Cover Reveal, About the Author, a Sneak Peek of REWIND TO YOU and Rafflecopter Giveaway


Genre: Clean Contemporary YA Romance
Release Date: September 15, 2014; Available for PREORDER now

One last summer before college on beautiful Tybee Island is supposed to help Sienna forget. But how can she? This is where her family spent every summer before everything changed, before the world as she knew it was ripped away.

But the past isn’t easily left behind. Especially when Sienna keeps having episodes that take her back to the night she wants to forget. Even when she meets the mysterious Austin Dobbs, the guy with the intense blue eyes, athlete’s body, and weakness for pralines who scooped her out of trouble when she blacked out on River Street.

When she’s with Austin, Sienna feels a whole new world opening up to her. Austin has secrets, and she has history. But caught between the past and the future, Sienna can still choose what happens now…

About the Author:

Laura Johnston lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and two children. Growing up in Orem, Utah with five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed an active imagination and always loved a good story. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, dancing (deduced to dancing around the kitchen while cooking dinner these days), traveling, writing, writing and more writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids. REWIND TO YOU, her debut novel, was inspired by the loss of her father as a teenager.

A Sneak Peek of REWIND TO YOU:





Giveaway: Signed Copy of REWIND TO YOU and $25 Amazon Gift Card


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. The winner, chosen by Rafflecopter, will be announced here on April 29th as well as emailed. The winner will have 5 days to respond at which point a new winner will be chosen. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

SYNCHRONY by Cindy Ray Hale - BOOK BLITZ


Release Date: 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
When her parents discover she’s been sneaking out with Isaac Robinson the forbidden Baptist boy, Mormon girl Destiny Clark decides it’s time to keep their relationship quiet. As their relationship moves to shakier ground, Destiny discovers that Isaac has a terrible secret, and she is left completely shattered.

The moment Destiny feels all hope is lost, Preston Nelson, her longtime church friend and Isaac's bitter rival, arrives like a beacon of light. It isn't long before two separate disasters strike for Preston and Destiny's best friend, Hannah. As Destiny helps them through their issues, she discovers that sometimes the best way to forget about your own problems is to help a friend in need.

Just as her heart begins to mend and her friendship with Preston begins to heat up, Isaac walks back into her life, threatening to rekindle the feelings she’d hoped to bury forever. Will Destiny and Preston find the synchrony they so desperately need, or will she find a way to forgive Isaac and return to his outstretched arms?


Excerpt #1
My scattered emotions continuously wove themselves around each other chaotically, growing from a few errant threads of thought into a tangled mess, snagging tighter and tighter until I was ready to explode.
I began wailing, and Preston grabbed me by the shoulders, pulled me back, and said, “Destiny, stop.” But I couldn’t. The tears kept coming. Living without Isaac was like being held underwater and being told to breathe. I would take water into my lungs, and it would burn. And eventually, everything would grow dimmer until it became black.
Preston shook my shoulders, jarring me from my despair. “Look at me, Destiny.” I cracked open my eyes and peered into his trustworthy green ones. They were so full of concern. “He’s not worth your tears. Do you hear me?”
I stared back at him. Not worth my tears? Did he have any clue what Isaac really meant to me?
“Don’t let him hurt you worse than he already has. It’s going to be hard for a long time, but you’re going to survive this.”
“How can you possibly know that?” What did he know about getting his heart ripped out? He’d never even had a girlfriend.

A corner of Preston’s mouth quirked up. “Because the Destiny Clark I know is a fighter.”




Available from:

Link to Book One:



About the Author

Cindy Ray Hale lives in a little slice of wooded heaven near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and children. She spends way too much time following up-and-coming musicians on YouTube and dreams of joining their ranks one day. She’s a bit of a health food nut and can’t live without her daily green smoothies. She tries to stay sane as she juggles writing with four kids, staying active on social media, and keeping up her book blog at http://cinnamoncindy.blogspot.com/. In addition to writing and self-publishing two Young Adult Contemporary novels, she has also written articles for "New Era" magazine and The American Preppers Network.

For more information on The Destiny Trilogy and Cindy’s upcoming books visit http://destinybycindyhale.blogspot.com/ or follow @CindyRayHale on Twitter.

Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png   photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png



***GIVEAWAY***
1 ebook of 12 Steps by Veronica Bartles, 1 ebook of Not Your Average Fairytale by Chantelle Sedgwick,  swag pack of Destiny bookmark, a Destiny charm bracelet, and a Synchrony keychain + $50 Amazon gift card (INT)


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Book Blitz Organized by:

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

WHAT GOES ON TOUR by Claire Boston Playlist

A themed tour with Prism Book Tours...

Welcome to my stop for
The Rock Star Tour
for What Goes on Tour by Claire Boston


What Goes on Tour
What Goes on Tour
by Claire Boston
Adult Contemporary Romance
Ebook, 282 pages
February 11th 2014 by Momentum Moonlight


What goes on tour, stays on tour … or does it?

Few people know that socially awkward Adrian Hart is actually rock god Kent Downer, and that's the way Adrian likes it. His privacy is essential, especially now that he has guardianship of his orphaned, ten-year-old niece, Kate. But when the nanny quits in the middle of his tour Adrian finds himself in a bind.

Until Libby Myles walks into his life.

Libby has only ever wanted to become a full-time author and prove to her parents that she can make it on her own. On the surface, the temporary job as the nanny for Kent Downer's niece looks perfect—the pay is fabulous, the hours are short and Kate is a big fan—it's the rock star that's the issue.

Arrogant and way too attractive for anyone's good, Kent Downer has enough swagger to power a small city. But when he's out of costume he's different—shy and uncertain. For Libby it's a far harder combination to resist. She needs to find a balance between work, writing and ignoring her attraction to the rock star, because if she falls for him, it could mean the end of her dream.

But when a horrible scandal is unleashed—putting young Kate in danger—there's more heat between Libby and Adrian than just sexual attraction. Libby must figure out if Adrian ever cared for her, or if it was all just part of the show …
   
 

What Goes on Tour Playlist

When What Goes on Tour first came out I decided to have a book launch. It was reasonably low key, at the local library, with about 70 friends, family and writing and reading enthusiasts attending. During the planning phase my mum and I discussed decorations and arranged an electric guitar and amp as props. Then we got a little bit carried away and thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could get a real rock star to play as people arrived (because a rock star would really love to perform for free at a debut author’s small book launch!). Bruce Springsteen happened to be in Australia at the time, but alas he had a concert on the night of the launch – drats! J

So instead I put together a playlist of rock tunes to set the mood of the night. The playlist contained 45 songs, ranging from various decades but I’ll list a sample here:

Dirty Deeds                                         AC/DC
Foreplay                                              Boston
The Best of You                                  Foo Fighters
Girl You Really Got Me Now             Van Halen
Goin’ Down                                        Melanie C
I Love Rock N’ Roll                           Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
I Want It All                                       Queen
Joker and the Thief                            Wolfmother
Money for Nothing                            Dire Straights
Kickstart My Heart                          Motley Crue
My Generation                                The Who
Paradise City                                   Guns N’ Roses
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction            Rolling Stones


SALE! What Goes on Tour for $2 (50% off)!!
Purchase through Momentum's store from April 8-15.
Click on the "Buy Direct" button and use this coupon code:
wgot


Claire Boston was a voracious reader as a child, devouring anything by Enid Blyton as well as series such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Baby-sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. Then one school holidays when she’d run out of books to read her mother handed her ‘Hot Ice’ by Nora Roberts and Claire instantly fell in love with romance novels.

The love of reading soon turned to a love of writing and she struggled to keep within the 1500 word limit set by her teachers for her creative writing assignments. When she finally decided to become serious about her stories she joined Romance Writers of Australia, found her wonderful critique group and hasn’t looked back.

When Claire’s not reading or writing she can be found in the garden attempting to grow vegetables, or racing around a vintage motocross track. If she can convince anyone to play with her, she also enjoys cards and board games.

Claire lives in Western Australia, just south of Perth with her husband, who loves even her most annoying quirks, and her two grubby, but adorable Australian bulldogs.



Tour-Wide Giveaways

$50 GC & ebook of What Goes on Tour
10 ebooks of What Goes on Tour
Ends April 20
Enter via the rafflecopters below.

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Prism Book Tours
Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.
Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.

Monday, April 7, 2014

HE IS RISEN CD by Mormon Tabernacle Choir Tour / Review

He_is_risen_final_cover
pic and description taken from Deseret Book

Description:
Featuring heartwarming and uplifting hymns like Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, and He is Risen, your Easter holiday will be filled with true remembrance and thankfulness for Christ, His life and the love He shows for each of God's Children.

My Review / Thoughts:

I love all things MO TAB (what we call the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in our house).  Their music is so beautiful, uplifting, and soothing.  This CD is all of those things :).  When I get a new CD from Deseret Book, I add it to the collection I have in my van that we listen to on Sundays.  It helps us get in a better "mood" before church.  Sometimes we don't leave in a happy mood.  But you cannot help but feel the spirit when listening to this beautiful music.  I just love it.

Christ the Lord Has Risen Today is one of my favorite hymns so listening to the MO TAB sing it makes me happy.  I am amazed at how powerful the music is.  There are 360 members and when they sing it give me chills.  It's amazing.  Beautiful.  Their combined voices are angelic.  I am sure individually they are just as angelic.

This is a wonderful CD to help celebrate Easter.  Each song is a beautiful representation of Christ and all he has done for us.  I really cannot give this CD enough praise.  I just love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  They are so talented.  I love to be able to turn on any CD of theirs and feel the instant power of the spirit.  It's a beautiful thing.  

Thanks to Deseret Book's Michelle Moor and Adam Young for letting me be part of this tour and review.  It has been a pleasure!

Source:  I received this CD from Deseret Book in return for an honest review.  I am not affiliated with Deseret Book,and was not compensated in any way for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the CD.

My Rating:


Seriously  - so beautiful.

Where to Buy:


About the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

The 360 members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir represent men and women from many different backgrounds and professions and range in age from 25 to 60. They reflect a medley of unique lives and experiences and are brought together by their love for singing and their faith. Their incomparable voices are the common chord that unites to form the choral group known all over the world as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.



The Mormon Tabernacle Choir originated in the mid-19th century in Salt Lake City. As the Latter-day Saints moved west, Church President Brigham Young included musicians among members of the advance parties. Consequently, a small choir first sang for a conference of the Church in the Salt Lake Valley on August 22, 1847, just 29 days after the first group arrived. The origins of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir may be found in the desire and commitment of early converts to include appropriate music in both sacred and secular events.


The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has appeared at 13 world’s fairs and expositions, performed at the inaugurations of five U.S. presidents, and sung for numerous worldwide telecasts and special events. Five of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s recordings have achieved “gold record” and two have achieved “platinum record” status. The most popular was the Grammy-Award-winning 1959 release of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” with the Philadelphia Orchestra.





Friday, April 4, 2014

Chasing Justice - by Danielle Stewart


The author contacted me and asked me to share this deal.  I haven't read this, but it sounds interesting!  What is even better is that it is FREE right now on Amazon!

Go grab a copy!  Here



Wednesday, April 2, 2014

HUSH by Stacey R. Campbell - Review

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pic and description taken from GoodReads

Description:

For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princesses. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t. 
Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right. 
Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way? 
When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.
From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?


My Review / Thoughts:

When I started reading this I thought it had kind of a "Princess Diaries" feel about it.  Which I mean in a good way because I LOVED "Princess Diaries".  This book is so much better than that though.  

Blakely is the MC, and I love her.  She is an athletic, sporty girl with a wonderful family.  She was adopted, and tried to search for her birth parents at one point, but there wasn't any information on them...

Meanwhile at St. Andrews Max, want to  be an investigative reporter.  He finds some pictures in a locked drawer in his Aunt Rose's desk after she passes away.  When he looks at them he realizes that they are pictures of the Royal family that had just been killed in a yacht accident.    Max finds a name and an address in the pile of things that lead him to believe that there is a child still out there that belongs to the royal family.  He takes his information to his professor and he embarks on a journey he isn't quite ready for.

Max goes to Canada where he meets Blakely.  He is suppose to find out if she is the lost princess.  He wasn't prepared for how he would come to feel about her!

The love story in this is so much fun.  I am a sucker for Princesses and love stories.  What little girl didn't wish she was a Princess???  

When information is stolen about the true identity of Blakely life gets a little more interesting for the poor girl.  

There are so many great characters in this book.  Blakely is such a sweet girl with a sweet and loving family.  She has loyal friends who watch out for her.  The setting in this book is amazing also.  The author did a great job of putting me "in" the book.  The book got quite intense at the end.  I couldn't go to sleep last night until I finished it.  I cannot tell you how much I love it when a book does that for me.

Toward the end of the book my hands were starting to sweat (I know TMI) because I was so anxious to see what was going to happen.  It was actually a little amusing...hehe!  It is always so much fun for me when a book can pull me in as much or MORE than a movie can.  

There are some great villains in this book as well.  Yes, I said great villains.  It's easy to like the "likable" characters, but when there are well written villains it's awesome.  

Okay, now  this is kind of a personal note on the book.  When you get to the end of this book there is a little interview with the author.  I already loved the book, but after reading the interview I loved it even more.  The author states that she has Dyslexia.  I have a son who was just given some testing and told he has Dyslexia also.  He has struggled with reading for so long, that when we finally had a diagnosis it was a relief.  Ever since then I have tried to tell him that having Dyslexia doesn't mean he cannot be just as successful as any one else.  Whenever I find a celebrity or anyone that will come out and say they have Dyslexia I point it out to him.  When it is a writer with Dyslexia I am even more impressed.  I know for a fact what a struggle it is for my son to write and read, so the fact that an author can write a work of beauty with Dyslexia really makes me so proud. This author inspires me!

Okay, enough of the personal stuff.  I LOVED this book.  I am starting the second book today.  I am very excited.

Content: there is a little language, but not a lot.  The "f" word is used just a few times, at the very end.  I considered this book pretty clean (and fabulous).

Source:  I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.  I am not affiliated with Netgalley in anyway, and was not compensated for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.


My Rating:

Where to Buy:


About the Fabulous Author:

Stacey R. Campbell
pic and bio taken from GoodReads

Stacey R. Campbell lives in the Pacific North West with her husband, three daughters, three dogs, and a pet turtle named Todd. She is a graduate of the University of Washington. At an early age she was told that she would never be the writer because of her dyslexia, but finally found that she could not look her children in the eyes and tell them that they could be what ever they wanted if she did not do the same. Now Stacey can't stop writing and loves to help children pursue their own dreams. Hush is the first book in the Lakeview Novel series. Look for book two, Whisper, 3/15/2014



Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Another Challenge

Phantasmic Reads

I have entered another challenge.  I am excited about this one.  I have one that I cannot read "review or ARC's" for, and this one I can!  Yay!  I always feel a little guilty when I have review books around that I haven't read.  I feel guilty when I am reading something for myself..hehe!  I don't know why a challenge makes it easier for me to do, but it just does.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having review books, but sometimes I feel like it is all I am doing.  Having the challenge makes it a little more "exciting" to do.  Make any sense?  Probably not, I am a little crazy..hehehe

This is hosted by
Rachel @ Fiktshun
and
Reanna @ Phantasmic Reads

You can find the details of this challenge HERE or HERE

I still very book blogger challenged so lets see if I can do this right.  It will help me get the reading done I need to do...I want to do also, but you get what I am saying! 

Thanks for the opportunity to join this challenge...I am excited! 

The only book I think I can use for the April 1st post is the Duke City Splits.   You can find my review here.

I hope that next month I have quite a few to add!  I think I will try to be a "Journeyman" (meaning I will try to do 11-20 review books).  Hopefully I will be able to do more than that, but that is what I am going to start with :)!

EVA'S DEADLINE - By Linda Hope Lee RELEASE DAY BLITZ



We're kicking off the release of Linda's new Harlequin Heartwarming novel and sharing an excerpt with you below! Once you've checked out the book info and read the excerpt, enter the two fabulous giveaways!

Eva's Deadline
by Linda Hope Lee
Paperback or ebook, 368 pages
April 1, 2014 by Harlequin Heartwarming


Eva Sinclair finally had it all: the Seattle sea-view condo, the fancy blue car and the assistant editorship at the city's hottest magazine. Everything she fought for since the day she walked out on her father and the Willow Beach Herald, his beloved small-town newspaper.

With one call from Mark Townson, her father's protege, it was all gone. Her father. Her career. Her independence. And, quite possibly, her mind. Because fulfilling her father's final wishes meant meeting a one-year deadline as Mark's coeditor at the Herald. That's what they call an impossible deadline. Especially when the sparks begin to fly.

Read an Excerpt now HERE!


Praise for previous books by Linda Hope Lee:
For Tell Me No Lies: "Well-written . . . fast-paced . . . highly recommended." 
-Joyce Koehl, Romance Reviews Today 
For Dark Memories: "An emotional drama and puzzling suspense . . . churns with guilt, passion, and intrigue." 
-Romantic Times  
For Finding Sara: "A modern Western, packed with secrets, intrigue, and old-fashioned romance."
-WRDF 
For Loving Rose: "A heartwarming read that will tug at your heartstrings."
-sizzlinghotbooks.net
"What a beautiful story!" 
-sirenbookreviews.blogspot.com

Linda Hope Lee writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and mysteries. She enjoys traveling especially to small towns in search of story ideas. She's also an artist, specializing in watercolor, pen and ink, and colored pencil. Photography provides inspiration for both her writing and her art. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where many of her stories are set.



Blitz-Wide Giveaways
April 1-15

Giveaway #1:
$50 Amazon Gift Card - International

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Giveaway #2:
ENTER TO WIN EVA'S DEADLINE BY LINDA LEE HOPE!
3 paperback copies - US and Canada
3 ecopies - International

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