Monday, April 25, 2016

Rachel McMillan’s Murder Mystery Prize Pack and Facebook Party



{More about The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder}

The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder (Harvest House, April 2016)
In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.
Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.
While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever–if they can stay alive long enough to do so.
Learn more and purchase a copy.


About Rachel:
 Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.






Meet best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem, who launch their own Sherlock Holmes-esque consulting detective business in 1910 Toronto in Rachel McMillan’s The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever–if they can stay alive long enough to do so.




Rachel is celebrating the release of The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder with a Murder Mystery Prize Pack giveaway (details below) and an author chat party on April 28!





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One grand prize winner will receive:



Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 4/28. The winner will be announced at The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Rachel and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!





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RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!




My Thoughts:

Rachel is a new author to me, the book had a feel of Ms. Marple by Agatha Christie, quirky and somewhat eccentric. The characters, Jem and Merinda are quite interesting. They go against society not getting married and becoming a housewife. They decide to solve a murder. There were some funny moments, I found the book to move slowly in many parts. It wasn't a bad book, sadly it wasn't a page turner for me. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes type mysteries this one is definitely for you!

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation.

 

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Moments of Truth by Sandra Bricker






Regan Sloane was married once. Eight years, no kids, she got the house. In the years since the divorce, she's managed to keep afloat with the only real skill she has: Writing. She hadn't really noticed how her readership had blossomed until a well-known reviewer noticed her sweet little lifestyle blog. When had it transformed into a single woman's go-to? With the life and loves of her four BFFs to fuel the content and have her back at every turn Regan realizes that something magical happens when women join forces. Girl Power just might be the new super power!


About Sandra:


Raised as a Cincinnati Kid, Sandie Bricker spent her formative years dreaming about the movies and television shows she would someday write. It came as no surprise to anyone when she packed up her Ford Fiesta and migrated to Los Angeles to study screenwriting.

"But life is what happens while we're busy making other plans," she jokes. While searching for a way to earn a living and pay her tuition, Sandie says she "stumled into" her own business working as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill on the other side of the country, however, Sandie put soap opera clients, film dreams--and Los Angeles--in her rearview mirror to take on a new role: Caregiver.

"I guess most people would see my career as a publicist as a sort of dream job. But giving it up and moving to Florida to take care of my mom until she died turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me!" she declares. When, at her mother's urging, she channeled her writing dreams from the screen to the page, a
reader favorite was born! "Twenty books later," she says, "I'd say God had another plan for me. I do still dabble in screenwriting because my passion for visual storytelling is still a strong force in my life, but the opportunity that comes with combining my Christian faith with publishing platforms is a blessing I never expected and wouldn't trade for anything!"

In November 2013, Sandie packed her car once again and this time headed north. "I was raised in Cincinnati," she says. "So it feels like full circle to find myself led back to Ohio." She is in the process of making a home in Toledo where her home church and best friend of more than 40 years are located. This year, she has taken her established writer brand of Laugh Out Loud Fiction and transitioned to Live Out Loud Fiction. "I think I've grown as a writer over the last couple of years," she says. "Although humor will never filter out of my stories, I do think my readers have enjoyed the deeper spiritual and life lesson threads that have become part of my storytelling."


My Take~
This is a completely different book from the ones I've read of Sandra's, but it has the tenderness and love that her other books have. This book reminds me of Mary Alice Monroe's book The Book Club, the only difference is that the women in Sandra's book follow Christ so the content and spirit of the book are completely different. The women in the book are a tight knit of friends who hold each other up in difficult times and rejoice in the good times. It is a fun and inspirational book, with laugh out loud moments that Sandra is known for, I highly recommend it!



 

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Learn a Lesson in Love—Tippy Style— in Dana Mentink’s New Book (Plus a Prize Pack Giveaway)


Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you're ready for a lesson in love...Tippy style.

Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother's elderly dog, Tippy, he's quick to call on a pet-sitting service.

Gina isn't thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can't abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.

As Gina travels through Cal's world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too...

Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.


 Dana Mentink enjoys writing in many different capacities. She currently writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Harvest House Publishers.

Dana is the recipient of a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award and an ACFW Carol Award as well as a Holt Medallion Merit Award winner. 
Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her via her website at www.danamentink.com.




What do you get when you add one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog? A lesson in love—Tippy style—in Dana Mentink's new book, Sit, Stay, Love. As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too. . . .




Join Dana in celebrating the release of Sit, Stay, Love with a blog tour and a Travels with Tippy prize pack giveaway!





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One grand prize winner will receive:



  • A copy of Sit, Stay, Love

  • A $75 Visa cash card

  • A basket filled with Tippy-themed goodies

    • Travel-themed decorator box

    • Reading dog statue

    • Dog journal

    • Poems for Dog Lovers

    • Snuggle Paws fleece blanket from Animal Rescue Site

    • Pawprint scarf

    • Doxie desk pen

    • Pupmobile auto magnet





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Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on April 25th. The winner will be announced April 26th on Dana's blog.





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My Take~
This book is adorable and fun from the first page! I am a huge dog fan, and Dana did a great job of creating Tippy. She may be geriatric but she has a lot of spunk. The chemistry between Gina and Cal is subtle yet something they can't deny. Tippy is the catalyst that helps Cal forgive his father that brings about healing between them. One of my favorite reads of the year.
Highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book compliments of Harvest House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group free in exchange for my honest review.    


 

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Bride of a Distant Isle; Daughters of Hampshire by Sandra Byrd

About the book:

Miss Annabel Ashton is a teacher at the Rogers School for Young Ladies in Winchester when she takes a brief visit to her family home, Highcliffe Hall at Milford-on-Sea. She believes her stay will be short but soon learns that she will not be returning to the safety of the school. Instead, she remains at Highcliffe, at the mercy of her cousin, Edward Everedge.

Annabel protests, but as the illegitimate daughter of a woman who died in an insane asylum, she has little say. Edward is running out of money and puts the house up for sale to avoid financial ruin. He insists that Annabel marry, promising her to a sinister, frightening man. But as the house gets packed for sale, it begins to reveal disquieting secrets. Jewelry, artifacts, and portraits mysteriously appear, suggesting that Annabel may be the true heir of Highcliffe.

She has only a few months to prove her legitimacy, perhaps with assistance from the handsome but troubled Maltese Captain Dell’Acqua. But does he have Annabel’s best interests at heart?

And then, a final, most ominous barrier to both her inheritance and her existence appears: a situation neither she nor anyone else could have expected. Will Annabel regain her life and property—and trust her heart—before it’s too late?



About Sandra:

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I published in April, 2013.

Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens including the Secret Sisters Series, London Confidential Series and a devotional for tweens.

A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has published many nonfiction articles and books. She is passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more, or to invite Sandra to your bookclub via Skype.



My Thoughts:

Upon opening the book and I read the first sentence. . . "I had no warning before evil befell me", I knew I was in for a good read, and Sandra did not disappoint.  Her writing is lyrical and visual, I was pulled right into the story and felt like I was apart of the story not merely reading one. I love historical England and this book  did not disappoint. I cared for Annabel immediately, which for me is a big deal, because if I can't connect with a character I don't enjoy the book. 
I highly recommend this book!



Friday, April 8, 2016

The Gifting by K.E. Ganshert

About the book:

"If science is right, then I am crazy. And crazy is dangerous."

In a world where nothing supernatural exists, Tess Eckhart is positive she’s going crazy. After her complete freakout at a high school party, her parents worry she might be right. So much that they pack their bags and move across the country, next to a nationally-renowned facility for the mentally ill.

Tess is determined to fit in at her new school, despite the whispers and stares. But when it comes to Luka Williams, a reluctantly popular boy in her class, she’s unused to a stare that intense. Then the headaches start, and the seemingly prophetic dreams that haunt her at night. As Tess tries harder to hide them, she becomes increasingly convinced that Luka knows something—that he might somehow be responsible.

But what if she’s wrong? What if Luka Williams is the only thing separating her from a madness too terrifying to fathom?


 About Katie:


K.E. Ganshert was born and raised in the exciting state of Iowa, where she currently resides with her family. She likes to write things and consume large quantities of coffee and chocolate while she writes all the things. She’s won some awards. For the writing, not the consuming. Although the latter would be fun. You can learn more about K.E. Ganshert and these things she writes at her website www.katieganshert.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @KatieGanshert


My Take~

This book confirms why I enjoy YA fiction. Katie writes a book that is engaging, entertaining, and keeps you guessing. The relationship between Luka and Tess is typical of teenagers in many ways, yet not typical. I loved Tess being a seer, especially since she is a teenager. It made me wonder how I would be if I was in her shoes as a 17 year old teen. Tess was completely believable and I cheered for her throughout the entire book.
This is a clean read, and perfect for a pre-teen up. I highly recommend it! I am so glad I have the second book, The Awakening book 2 on my kindle. 



Tuesday, April 5, 2016

PLAYING THE PART BY JEN TURANO | BLOG TOUR AND 5-BOOK GIVEAWAY


{More about Playing the Part}

Playing the Part (Bethany House, March 2016)
Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucetta’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.
Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.
Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.
Learn more and purchase a copy.

{More About Jen Turano}

Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Find out more about Jen at http://jenturano.com.








 My Take~
Jen once again has created a fun and hilarious story. It was fun from start to finish and truly engaging. With each book, I think it is my favorite and then she writes another and it becomes my favorite. The characters are engaging and make you care about them and want to be apart of the action. There is a crazy goat that just shows up and creates havoc and laughter. I can't recommend this book enough, you will not only be laughing you will also be enjoying a clean read.




First Line Friday Featuring Riot (A Breed Apart: Legacy #3) by Ronie Kendig and JJ Samie Myles

  Happy Friday!! Welcome to the weekend!!! Today I am featuring one of my favorite authors, Ronie Kendig. I loved A Breed Apart series and I...