Cover Reveal: Summer Hearts: 6 Stories of Sweet Summer Romance

Thank you so much for coming to join us as we reveal a fantastic new cover!!! 
Every summer has it's love story, and this compilation has 6 fantastic stories that range from historical fiction, contemporary, paranormal, to fantasy!

First, please let me introduce you to the stories included in the compilation: 
Summer Hearts: 6 Summer Tales of Sweet Romance

Book Synopsis:

Dreaming in California:

In the summer of 1967, Hollywood actress, Lucinda Baker, appears to have it all-- fame, money, and an all too doting fiancé. Dark traits begin to emerge from the man she's pledged to marry, and he threatens her. Lucinda must now lean on her best friend, celebrity photographer, George Creston to escape the clutches of the dangerous relationship. Together they are forced to summon courage, and trust each other in desperate circumstances. Will they find love in the process or lose everything they hold dear, including their lives.

A Summer of Stars: 

McKinley Graham has escaped to her summer getaway to regain her perspective and her health.  Zane Davidson has taken refuge in the lovely seaside community, welcoming the healing balm of the salty sea air and his childhood home to mend his wounds.  They aren’t looking for love, but their attraction is too explosive to ignore.  Against the backdrop of starry nights and sultry kisses, they come to realize that even love may not be enough to save them from the angry storm of his past that threatens to destroy their dreams!

Drowning Sandy: 

The water is calling...

and Sandy can no longer resist the urge to unleash her mermaid form. But a simple swim in Lake Ontario ends when she discovers the truth of her own banishment. When long time crush, Alardo, seems to shift in a direction she never dreamed possible, Sandy must make a choice — mermaid or human? Once she chooses, she can never go back.   

Summer Holiday: 

In the summer of 1905, Lizzy Gordon’s father dismisses her desires to be a doctor, demanding she become a teacher—a profession which does not allow women to marry.
Teacher Brent Pierce is dedicated to expanding young minds, but circumstances are forcing him to take over the family farm.
Before the summer is over Lizzy and Brent will be forced to make hard decisions. Can they find the courage to each stand up for themselves and still be together?

Shark Boss:

When Tara takes up a job at the local aquarium, her colleagues warn her about their harsh boss, Mr. Carter Jones. She soon discovers how impatient he can be, but she also can’t deny her fascination and attraction to him. Carter can’t stop watching Tara as she works but holds back from her because of his secrets. If she knew what he was, she would never want him. Could the reason for Carter’s moods be related to something more troubling than what’s on the surface? Tara soon discovers Carter’s secret, and it only bonds them closer. But the curse starts to take over Carter’s life, and he won’t give his heart to a beautiful woman when he can only cause her pain.

The Best Place to Meet a Man:

Jeff goes to the beach to run and clear his head. Meredith goes to the beach intent on burying her nose in her book. In this contemporary romantic comedy, these two collide when Meredith’s two young nephews come up with other plans.

Next, here is a little about the fabulous authors who contributed:
(In the same order as their books appear in the compilation)

Debbie Lee
Debby Lee was raised in the cozy little town of Toledo, Washington. She has been writing since she was a small child and has written several novels, but never forgets home.
The Northwest Christian Writers Association and Romance Writers of America are two organizations Debby enjoys being a part of. Publications, thus far, include a series of short stories titled The Butterfly Fairytales Collection, and a novella with Barbour Publishing.
As a self-professed nature lover, and an avid listener to 1960s folk music, Debby can't help but feel like a hippie child who wasn't born soon enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long, but often does anyway in grass and on beaches in her hamlet that is the cold and rainy southwest Washington.
During the football season, Debby cheers on the Seattle Seahawks along with legions of other devoted fans. She's also filled with wanderlust and dreams of visiting Denmark, Italy, and Morocco some day.

-->Website                     Blog                     Facebook

Lisa Watson
A native of Washington D.C., Lisa Watson writes multicultural novels with engaging storylines, strong, fun characters with universal appeal. Lisa's Match Broker series, introduced readers to Love Contract, and matchmaking guru, Norma Jean Anderson, aka The Love Broker. Book two in the series, Her Heart’s Desire, was a #1 on Amazon’s Bestseller list, and was listed as one of 2014’s Top 25 Books of the Summer, and Top 50 Best Reads. Book three, Love by Design was #2 on the Amazon Bestseller list.
Her latest story is a Sweet Romance. A Summer of Stars, is one of the novellas in the Summer Hearts Compilation. This exciting new collection featuring five additional authors, and their sweet, beach-themed romances, will be released May 2015.
Lisa works at a technology consulting firm, is the co-publicist for RT BookReview Magazine's annual RT Booklovers Conventions, and host for Reader’s Entertainment Radio show.
Married for nineteen years, with two teenagers, and a Maltipoo, Brinkley, Lisa lives outside Raleigh, NC and is avidly working on a Sweet Romance, and her next series.  

   Website                       Facebook                      Twitter                      Pintrest  

Sarah Daley

Sarah lives in Arizona with her best friend and husband, Chris, their adorable monster child, and neurotic dog.
At the age of six, she became a reading machine. Devouring everything she could possibly get her hands on. In high school she almost failed English three times because of her detest for writing book reports. Today, Sarah writes whatever stories haunt her dreams, and struggles to focus on one idea at a time. When she isn’t enjoying time with her family, or writing, you will find her nose stuck in a book, or out walking and enjoying the sunshine.
Drowning Sandy is her debut novella!


Links to find out what is coming next:

Facebook page         Twitter         Blog             Pintrest           Goodreads             Email

Carol Malone
Award-winning author Carol Malone has successfully combined her three passions – romance, sports, and writing in her two highly-rated books, Fight Card Romance: Ladies Night, and Ladies Night Christmas sequel. She was the first woman to write a romance for the all-male dominated genre. Carol invites her readers to scramble into a front row seat for a thrill-ride of suspense, sports, and romance. If not hammering out new tales, Carol’s loves reading, sports, and hanging with her author husband on the coast of California.

Website                Facebook                Twitter

Kathy Bosman

Kathy loves reading and writing even more. She homeschools her three kids, so in between unsuccessfully explaining the difference between subject and predicate or how to divide fractions, she enters an imaginary world of troubled and passionate characters whose stories take over the page. Kathy lives in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, where the summers are hot, the winters cool, and bugs thrive. Her first published novel, Wedding Gown Girl, came out in 2012 with Astraea Press. She belongs to the Romance Writers of South Africa Group (ROSA) which has been her greatest support and inspiration the last few years.

Website and blog             Facebook              Twitter            Goodreads               Pinterest

Amazon             YouTube                 Newsletter Subscription                 Tsu              Authorgraph

Robyn Echols

Robyn Echols has been writing since she was in junior high school. By choice, she spent most of her evening hours in her "dungeon", as her mother called her downstairs bedroom, writing stories, only joining her family in front of the television upstairs when her favorite programs were playing. She has spent hours learning and teaching family history topics, and focuses on history from a genealogist's perspective of seeking out the details of everyday life in the past. Several of her family history articles have been published in genealogy magazines.

Now Robyn resides with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite” and has fun researching and writing the books that she hopes will interest and entertain her readers. She writes Young Adult/New Adult and contemporary fiction under Robyn Echols and adult historical romance under her pen name, Zina Abbott.

When Robyn isn’t busy piecing together novel plots, she stays busy piecing together quilt blocks.

Website              Books Blog            Amazon Author Page          Facebook           Pinterest 
  

Compiled by R M Alexander
RM Alexander is an author of clean romances that are sometimes contemporary, sometimes paranormal or suspense, but are always ruled by the heart of true romance.
With characters who look for love in the wrong places and are victims or the worse kinds of betrayal while fighting for what they want and believe in, RM's novels promise a good read with unexpected twists and turns.
When she's not writing, RM is spending time with her husband and two small children in Michigan. She loves to travel, especially to Walt Disney World, and can often be found on Twitter or Facebook chatting with other authors and readers.

http://rmalexanderauthor.weebly.com/

Cover designed by: Creative Book Covers 

Check them out here: www.creativebookcovers.com

Are you ready to see the fabulous cover?
TA-DA!!!

Snippet from DROWNING SANDY:

“You know, I could sneak you out of here.” His face close to her face, as he whispered even softer.

Goosebumps erupted down her arms.

 
What do you think? 
Pre-Order you copy here:
 http://amzn.com/B00XFTTN4M 


We are GIVING AWAY 1 Copy of Summer Hearts! 
Enter your name below!
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other Blogs Participating in the BIG REVEAL:
(You can check out other posts that have been made today here: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/472890626192076/?ref=4)

Amazing Author Adventures

http://amazingauthoradventures.blogspot.com

April Vine

http://aprilvineauthor.blogspot.com/?zx=fd645ef8defa051b

Author Candy O'Donnell

http://authorcandyodonnell.blogspot.com/

Beck Valley Books

http://beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com

Blogging For The Love Of Authors And Their Books

http://bloggingfortheloveofauthors.blogspot.co.uk/

Carol Malone

http://carolmalone.net/

cassiethewriter

www.cassiethewriter.blogspot.com

Christy's Cozy Corners

http://christyscozycorners.com/

Elaine's a Book a Holic

www.facebook.com & elainesabookaholic

Elsa Winckler

http://elsawinckler.com/blog/

Go Baby Book Obsession

https://m.facebook.com/GoBabyBookPage?ref=bookmark

Katie's Clean Book Collection

http://www.katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com

Kitty Muse and Me

http://kathyree.wordpress.com/

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima

http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

Love Danielle's Escapes

http://lovedaniellesescape.blogspot.com/

Lynn Spangler

www.lynnspangler.blogspot.com

Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm

http://lynnromanceenthusiast.blogspot.com

Mel's Shelves

http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/

Robyn Echols Books

robynechols.blogspot.com & www.robynechols.com

Room With Books

http://roomwithbooks.com/

Rustys Reading

http://www.rustysreading.com

Semi Short Chic

semishort.blogspot.com

 

Review: When Lightning Strikes by Brenda Novak

Book Blurb:

Gail DeMarco left Whiskey Creek, California, to make a name for herself in Los Angeles. Her PR firm has a roster of A-list clients, including the sexy and unpredictable Simon O'Neal. But Simon, who's just been through a turbulent divorce, won't cooperate, so she drops him from her list—and he retaliates by taking the rest of her clients with him.
Desperate to save her company, Gail makes a deal with Simon. What he wants is custody of his son, but that's going to require a whole new image. He needs to marry some squeaky-clean girl like Gail, who'll drag him off to some small, obscure place like Whiskey Creek…. Gail reluctantly agrees to become his wife. She isn't reluctant because he's too hard to like. It's because he's too hard not to love!
For more Whiskey Creek stories, check out When Snow Falls, When Summer Comes, Home to Whiskey Creek, Take Me Home for Christmas and Come Home to Me.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088NH068/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_121

Brenda Novak Bio:

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's career as a bestselling author--she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home.

"When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book," Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and won many awards, including four Rita nominations, the Book Buyer's Best, the Book Seller's Best and the National Reader's Choice Award.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children--three girls and two boys. When she's not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising funds for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). So far, Brenda has raised $2.4 million. Please visit www.brendanovakforthecure.org to see how you can help.

My Review:

 
 This story is fast paced, and hauls you along a roller coaster of crazy-awesomeness! I found Gail (the female MC) easy to relate to, and her story sucked me in from the first second. While Simon (the male MC) was easy to hate and love all at the same time. 
Brenda is one of my all time favorite authors, and she has done a fabulous job, yet again!

Cover Reveal Assistance Needed

 

I'm so EXCITED!!!! 

I still can't believe I will officially be a published author on May 20th. It just seems totally unreal. But before we can release the fabulous compilation we've created, we have to reveal the cover!

 We will do this May 12th! Then we will have a book bog tour June 6th-12th! 

We'd love to have our blogger friends come and help us share our beautiful cover!

First, let me fill you in on what this awesome compilation is all about! 

 Every summer has a love story

Summer Hearts: 6 Summer Tales of Sweet Romance

Here is a synopsis of the books included:

Dreaming in California:
In the summer of 1967, Hollywood actress, Lucinda Baker, appears to have it all-- fame, money, and an all too doting fiancé. Dark traits begin to emerge from the man she's pledged to marry, and he threatens her. Lucinda must now lean on her best friend, celebrity photographer, George Creston to escape the clutches of the dangerous relationship. Together they are forced to summon courage, and trust each other in desperate circumstances. Will they find love in the process or lose everything they hold dear, including their lives.

A Summer of Stars:

McKinley Graham has escaped to her summer getaway to regain her perspective and her health.  Zane Davidson has taken refuge in the lovely seaside community, welcoming the healing balm of the salty sea air and his childhood home to mend his wounds.  They aren’t looking for love, but their attraction is too explosive to ignore.  Against the backdrop of starry nights and sultry kisses, they come to realize that even love may not be enough to save them from the angry storm of his past that threatens to destroy their dreams!

Drowning Sandy:
The water is calling...
and Sandy can no longer resist the urge to unleash her mermaid form. But a simple swim in Lake Ontario ends when she discovers the truth of her own banishment. When long time crush, Alardo, seems to shift in a direction she never dreamed possible, Sandy must make a choice — mermaid or human? Once she chooses, she can never go back.

Summer Holiday:
In the summer of 1905, Lizzy Gordon’s father dismisses her desires to be a doctor, demanding she become a teacher—a profession which does not allow women to marry.
Teacher Brent Pierce is dedicated to expanding young minds, but circumstances are forcing him to take over the family farm.
Before the summer is over Lizzy and Brent will be forced to make hard decisions. Can they find the courage to each stand up for themselves and still be together?

Shark Boss:
When Tara takes up a job at the local aquarium, her colleagues warn her about their harsh boss, Mr. Carter Jones. She soon discovers how impatient he can be, but she also can’t deny her fascination and attraction to him. Carter can’t stop watching Tara as she works but holds back from her because of his secrets. If she knew what he was, she would never want him. Could the reason for Carter’s moods be related to something more troubling than what’s on the surface? Tara soon discovers Carter’s secret, and it only bonds them closer. But the curse starts to take over Carter’s life, and he won’t give his heart to a beautiful woman when he can only cause her pain.

The Best Place to Meet a Man:
Jeff heads to the beach to run and clear his head. Meredith is intent on going to the beach so she can bury her nose in her book. In this contemporary romantic comedy, Meredith’s two young nephews have other plans.

Ready to come help us out?

Here are the sign-up links:

Cover Reveal Sign-up form: http://goo.gl/forms/7FqCDEqido

Book Tour Sign-up form: http://goo.gl/forms/yKLepGxQqY

And here are the links to the events we have set up!

Cover Reveal Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/472890626192076/

Book Tour Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/983064358393942/

We all really appreciate your help! If you are not in a position to sign-up and assist with our events, or are  unavailable to attend our events on Facebook, please feel free to share this blog post and help us spread the word!

Review: Aundy by Shanna Hatfield

Book Blurb:

Desperate to better her situation, Aundy Thorsen agrees to leave behind her life in Chicago to fulfill a farmer’s request for a mail-order bride in Pendleton, Oregon. When a tragic accident leaves her a widow soon after becoming a wife, Aundy takes on the challenge of learning how to manage a farm, even if it means her stubborn determination to succeed upsets a few of the neighbors.
Born and raised at Nash's Folly, the family ranch, Garrett Nash loves life in the bustling community of Pendleton as the 20th century approaches.
When his neighbor passes away and leaves behind a plucky widow, Garrett takes on the role of her protector and guardian. His admiration for her tenacious spirit soon turns to something more. He just needs to convince the strong-willed woman to give love another chance.

Author Bio:

A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as "reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian" while her contemporary works have been called "laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way."

She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Sweet Romance Reads, and Romance Writers of America.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her blog http://shannahatfield.com or follow her on Facebook.

Excerpt:

Before he let sense overrule desire, he yanked off his gloves and tossed them on the nearest chair then took her face in his hands, brushing his thumbs over her cheekbones, gazing into her eyes and getting lost in the warm blue depths.
Lowering his head to hers, he only meant to give her a swift, chaste kiss. Heat exploded between them at the touch of their lips. Garrett lost his ability to think as he repeatedly pressed his mouth, hard and hungry, to hers. When her arms slid around his neck, he drew her even closer and deepened the kiss.
Garrett felt lost to everything except the woman in his arms, the woman who fit there so perfectly. He admired her spirit, appreciated her fine figure, enjoyed her laughter, and liked her caring heart. What he felt now, though, was so much more.
He felt passion and, if he cared to admit it, soul-deep love for the girl who kissed him with every bit as much yearning as he kissed her.
Aundy finally pulled back with a ragged breath, eyes wide in delightful wonder. She’d promised herself she would never get involved with another man, but her feelings for Garrett were more than just involved.
Involved meant there was care and concern, maybe friendship and fun.
The wild currents of longing swirling inside her were so strong they made her bones ache. The emotions Garrett stirred in her were much, much more than she ever imagined feeling for anyone and most definitely beyond being merely involved.
“Garrett, I… you…” she said, unable to think with the delightful tingle of his kisses still riding her lips. She couldn’t believe he’d kissed her. Or that she’d kissed him in return.
Never, not once, had any kiss ever made her feel like her heart would pound right out of her chest. Her stomach felt light and her knees weak while she scrambled to regain the ability to have a coherent thought. How could one kiss, one magnificent kiss, affect her so?

(All above book and author information taken from Amazon)

My Review:

I actually first happened upon Author Shanna Hatfield when I participated in a book tour for her book Thimbles & Thistles. In checking out her Amazon author page, I found this book for FREE! I was not in any way asked for this review. I give it, out of the pure love and joy I have in my heart for a well written, wonderful book that makes me laugh and cry. So here is what I have to say.
A FANTASTIC read that will have you crying by the end of the first chapter. Aundy is a fantastic women, strong, determined, and not afraid to get her hands dirty. Just the kind of women that the world needs more of. I love that character relationships, and the fantastic twists that kept me guessing the whole time. Absolutely adored this story!

I highly recommend you grab your copy!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GWNCJIA/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0

Review: The Tournament of Ruses by Kate Stradling

Book Blurb:

Flora Dalton wants nothing more than a quiet life in the countryside of Lenore, but her father's promotion to the Parliament of Lords has uprooted her and planted her smack in the middle of a mess. Not only must she adjust to a new home, a new city, and a new circle of friends, but she also gets to endure a whole country gone mad with excitement: the Eternal Prince of Lenore—their famed and fabled protector—has decided at long last to take a consort! Rumor says he's going to marry the Prime Minister's daughter, Viola Moreland, but the lords have petitioned him to consider each of their daughters in turn, and that includes poor Flora. Against her wishes she must navigate a sea of scheming females in a laughable tournament of feminine graces, even as deathly shadows encroach upon her doorstep. For while most everyone is fixated on the Eternal Prince's love life, something much more sinister is afoot in Lenore, and Flora happens to be at the very heart of it.

Author Bio:

Kate Stradling received her BA and MA in English. She is a language-structure junkie. She works as a freelance technical and developmental editor and has published five novels in the fantasy spectrum. Her sixth novel, The Legendary Inge, framed on the Old English epic Beowulf, will be released in Summer 2016. She is a native of Mesa, Arizona.

 You can find this fabulous author here:
Website: http://katestradling.com/books/
Twitter: @katestradling
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Stradling/e/B00J7Y9RMC/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

My Review:

I actually won this book back in February, at the ANWA Conference. In all the hustle and bustle of coming home, it some how got lost in the disaster I call home. On Friday I happened upon it, and snagged it as my boys hauled me out of the house for a fishing trip. 
This book is instantly engaging, as it takes you into world that feels slightly regency era, but more so incredibly unique. As the reader you will instantly feel bad for poor Flora as she suffers through this life that is nothing like she'd ever wanted for herself. Then when magic is introduced... hold onto your socks ladies and gentlemen! There are so many fantastic twist and unexpected turns, I could barely put the book down! As it is, it only took me about 12 hours to devour the entire thing.
There is a book that comes before this one, called Kingdom of Ruses, but as the author so kindly informs us in the preface, you do NOT need to read it before diving into this one. I completely agree that while it's a sequel it also works FABULOUSLY as a stand alone. I want to read the first book, purely because of how much I adored Author Kate Stradling's world that she has created.
The only thing I can say, is I wish that this amazing book had an equally amazing cover. I'd never expected such a dynamic, magical book to be encased in something so simple.
Regardless, I give this book an easy 5 STARS!!!

I highly recommend you grab a copy today!!!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tournament-Ruses-Kate-Stradling/dp/1500161055/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430752959&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+stradling

Release Day Blitz: Through Fire & Sea by Nicole Luiken

Through Fire & Sea

by Nicole Luiken 

Release Date: 05/05/15

Summary from Goodreads:

Mirror mirror, hear my call…

In the Fire world, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm's most powerful lords. She's hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods that either bless a civilization or destroy it. But then Leah discovers she's a Caller, gifted with the unique—and dangerous—ability to “call” her Otherselves in mirror worlds. And her father will do anything to use her powers for his own purposes.

In the Water world, Holly nearly drowns when she sees—and interacts with—Leah, a mirror image of herself. She’s rescued by Ryan, a boy from school with a secret he’d die to protect. Little do they know, his Otherself is the son of a powerful volcano god at war in the Fire world…and he’s about to fall.

As Leah and Holly's lives intersect, the Fire and Water worlds descend into darkness. The only way to protect the mirror worlds is to break every rule they've ever known. If they don’t, the evil seeping through the mirrors will destroy everything—and everyone—they love…

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

Parallel Worlds: Guest blog by Nicole Luiken

My fantasy novel Through Fire & Sea features a number of parallel worlds. There’s the True World from which the four other worlds were copied and the Mirror Worlds themselves: Fire, Water, Air and Stone.

Parallel worlds are a favorite trope of mine. Here are some other fictional parallel worlds that I really enjoyed:

•  Sliders This ‘90s TV show dealt with a group of students and their prof who ended up "sliding" between various parallel Earths in an attempt to find their way back to their own universe. Each universe looked mostly like ours but proved to have a subtle difference. The physics prof was played by Rhys-Davies, who is actually rather tall when not shrunk down to dwarf size for his role as Gimli in LOTR
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured a parallel universe, in which most of the regular cast were either dead or vampires in the episodes “The Wish” and “Doppelgangland”. My husband and I are rewatching this series with our fifteen-year-old son.
• Fringe. This popular SF TV show followed FBI agent Olivia Dunn as she investigated strange paranormal and fringe science phenomena with the help of Walter Bishop and his son Peter. In later seasons, it featured several different versions of Earth. In the main Earth Walter Bishop was a crazed genius, his so-called ‘Walternate’ was the Secretary of Defense. Big difference.
• Once Upon a Time TV show. The Evil Queen’s curse removed all the fairy tale characters from their magic lands, gave them amnesia and placed them in an ordinary American town of Storybrook. I loved how each episode featured a flashback retold fairytale storyline as well as the main Storybrook plot.
• Awake TV show. This one’s a little more obscure and only lasted a season, but I really liked it. Jason Isaacs (otherwise known as Lucius Malfoy) played a cop who’d been in a car accident with his family several months before. In one world, his son had died, but every time he went to sleep he would wake in a subtly-gray world in which his son had survived but his wife had died instead.

What are some parallel world stories in books, TV or movies that you’ve enjoyed?

About the Author

Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age 13 and never stopped.

She is the author of nine published books for young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequels Silver Eyes and Angels Eyes, Frost, Unlocking the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Dreamfire and the sequel Dreamline. She also has an adult thriller, Running on Instinct, under the name N.M. Luiken and a fantasy romance series, Gate to Kandrith and Soul of Kandrith.

Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing. 

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blitz: Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance
by Danielle Younge-Ullman
Release Date: 05/05/15

Summary from Goodreads:

Lola Carlyle is lonely, out of sorts, and in for a boring summer. So when her best friend, Sydney, calls to rave about her stay at a posh Malibu rehab and reveals that the love of Lola’s life, Wade Miller, is being admitted, she knows what she has to do. Never mind that her worst addiction is decaf cappuccino; Lola is going to rehab.

Lola arrives at Sunrise Rehab intent solely on finding Wade, saving him from himself, and—naturally—making him fall in love with her…only to discover she’s actually expected to be an addict. And get treatment. And talk about her issues with her parents, and with herself. Plus she has insane roommates, and an irritatingly attractive mentor, Adam, who’s determined to thwart her at every turn.

Oh, and Sydney? She’s gone.

Turns out, once her pride, her defenses, and her best friend are stripped away, Lola realizes she’s actually got a lot to overcome…if she can open her heart long enough to let it happen.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

About the Author

Danielle Younge-Ullman is a novelist, playwright and freelance writer. She studied English and Theater at McGill University, then returned to her hometown of Toronto to work as professional actor for ten years. Danielle’s short story, Reconciliation, was published in MODERN MORSELS—a McGraw-Hill Anthology for young adults—in 2012, her one-act play, 7 Acts of Intercourse, debuted at Toronto's SummerWorks Festival in 2005, and her adult novel, FALLING UNDER, was published by Penguin in 2008. Danielle lives in Toronto with her husband and two daughters.

Author Links:

Excerpt:

In this scene, Lola finally gets the chance to spend some time on the beach with her crush, and the boy she faked her way into rehab to rescue/forge a love connection with.

We both laugh, and water swirls around my ankles.
“But Carlyle, what happened?” he says, his expression getting serious again. “Last I knew, you were a kid and now you’re here. What’s the deal?”
“Oh,” I say with a dismissive wave, “just a bit of a drinking thing. You know how it goes.”
“Right…”
“Yeah…”
“I wondered about something,” he says, coming closer.
“What?”
“You, ah, you kissed me, Carlyle.”
“Oh, you noticed,” I say, trying to be nonchalant even as my heart rate increases.
“Yeah, I noticed. Hard to miss.”
“Well then, so I did.”
“So…? What was that about?”
“Poor impulse control?”
“Really?”
“No.” I swallow. “Actually, I always wanted to kiss you. Figured I’d check it off the list.”
“Off the list?”
“Yep.” I shrug like it’s no big deal, even though my legs feel like Play-Doh. “So, now I have.”
“And?”
“And it was fun,” I say, and then turn and start walking back along the shore toward Talia.
Wade follows, half walking, half paddling in the shallow water.
“Wait, wait! So…you had a crush? During the movie? Are you saying you had a crush on me?”
“I wanted to kiss you, that’s all,” I say over my shoulder.
“That’s a crush, Carlyle. I call that a crush.”
“Maybe.”
“Why didn’t you say something? I know we lost touch for a bit, but you could’ve called me. Or friended me on Facebook, followed me on Twitter,” he says, all the while struggling to get out of the water and balance his board.
“Followed you on Twitter? Please. I’m not some cheesy fangirl.”
I searched Facebook early on, but he wasn’t there. By the time I looked again he had three thousand “friends,” most of them female. And I do follow him on Twitter, but not as me and not that I’d admit it, ever.
“But you’d have been my cheesy fangirl.” He comes up beside me, carrying the board by his side. “I’m very fond of cheesy fangirls.”
“You have enough of those.”
“My loss.”
“I’d be a bad cheesy fangirl. I’d get bored. I’m too fickle, I’m crap at the adulation thing, and I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing you on a T-shirt.”
He howls with laughter.
“Plus, I have trouble sharing.”
He stops laughing and looks at me. “Sharing, huh? You sure?”
I feel a moment of eww, but brush it away. “Very.”
We get closer to Talia on her rock and the lifeguard station, and our walking slows almost to a stop, as if by silent agreement.
“By the way,” Wade says, “I’m sorry about your parents.”
“Aw, no big deal.”
“Of course it’s a big deal. It’s your parents.”
“Sure, but it happens all the time, right?”
“Not where I’m from. Well, not as much.”
“That’s why you started out sweet, W.A.D.E.”

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot

Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot

I was not gifted a copy of this book, nor was my review requested by the author. I just happened upon it, and fell absolutely in love, so I felt the need to share it with you! 

*All book information and author info has been copied from Amazon.*

Her future stretched out like the clear blue Texas sky.
But a storm is coming.
Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah Dobbs arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom--a man she has never met but whose letters, her paper roses, have won her heart from afar. But there is a problem--Austin Canfield is dead, and Sarah cannot go back East.
As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother Clay wants nothing more than to shake the Texas dust from his boots, but first he must find his brother's killer. And then there's Sarah.
Something is blooming out in the vast Texas landscape that neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit, and the promise of redemption blows like a gentle breeze through the prairie grasses.
Book 1 of the Texas Dreams series, Paper Roses will sweep you away with a tale of love, loss, and tantalizing possibilities.
Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, and an avid traveler.

Author Bio:

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction, which included a play for her fifth grade class entitled "All About Thermometers," were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she's sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she's not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and - of course - reading. 

 For sale here on AMAZON

Review:

I actually purchased this book a couple years ago. Read it and was left with a fabulous book hangover. Back then I'd never thought of writing reviews, but having just re-read it, I couldn't help but hope that the author will someday see my review and know what a fantastic job she did with this book. It's a beautiful story of forgiveness, overcoming the most heart wrenching of challenges, and giving over your troubles to your Heavenly Father. The characters are beautiful people that instantly have your heart wrapped around their fingers, and you turning pages to watch them grow spiritually. A fabulous read that I can't wait to share with my friends and family. Fabulous job!!!

Cover Reveal: The Secret Keeper by Angela Carling

It's a COVER REVEAL!!!! When my friend Angela Carling asked around to see who would be interested in helping to reveal the cover of her brand new book, The Secret Keeper, I just KNEW I had to get in on that action!!! First, let me introduce you to my fabulous friend Angela.

 Author Bio:

Ways to connect with her:
Website http://www.angelacarling.com/
Blog http://www.angelacarling.blogspot.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/angelacarling
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/angelacarling
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5331346.Angela_Carling
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePajamWriter/videos?view=0
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Carling/e/B006P15NOG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/angela-carling
Stalk me on Instagram too!

Now, ready to hear what her book is all about? Here is the blurb:

When Seventeen year old Winter Merrill was driven to make a bargain with the mysterious Secret Keeper, she knew there were rules.  The most important one, the next time you have a secret, you will not be able to tell it….even if you try. What she didn’t know is that her next secret if not told, would destroy her life and the life of Liam, the only boy she ever loved. Can Winter find a way out of the dark bargain that binds her tongue or will her deal with the Secret Keeper bring devastating consequences unimaginable even to her?

GOOSEBUMPS, right!?!?!? 

I can't wait to get my hands on this one! Now, are you ready for the cover? I know we always say "don't judge a book by its cover." But ya'll know if the book doesn't have a beautiful, eye catching cover we aren't quite as quick to snag it. I'm sure I've said this a hundred times over the year, but I LOVE THIS COVER!!!!

What do you think!?!? Leave some kind comments for the author below!

Posh products review #1

When my friend, the gorgeous Desiree Pineda signed up to be an Independent Consultant at Perfectly Posh, I was instantly intrigued. Never having heard of this company, I had to check it out. After kinda hanging in the background during a party, the opportunity to be a product tester came up and I JUMPED on that! A few days later, I got my first package! Check out what I got! The little circle containters of product are about quarter sized, and sadly, that beautiful card that says Seas the Day came with a totally drool worthy square of the sweetest soap! Sadly, my monster child dissolved it before I got to use it. *sniffle, sniffle* I can say it smelled, truly AMAZING! But unfortunately, that's about it.

I'm always a sucker for a mask. My mom and I used to do all kinds of different masks, and I still have a soft spot for them today. According to the super cute card that came with my sample, this is a sea-rich mask to nourish face and neck.
The card also says "What does it do? Algae to preserve youthful skin and kelp to nourish and clean, and aid in the prevention of free-radical damage."
I gave this a try, and after 5 minutes of having a light coating, my face was slightly tingly. There is actually a warning that says the first couple of uses may burn slightly, but the tingle I had was definitely not worrisome. More of a tickling tingle, than a painful one.
After rinsing with cool water, as instructed, my skin felt firm and refreshed. There was no drying, no itching, no oily residue. Just nice soft skin. My son even had to do a double take when he patted my cheek. Which kind of worries me, since I didn't think my skin was all THAT bad before. lol

I can not say how much I really LOVED the smell of this soap. The card sort of explains why it smelled so delicious. On the back of the card it says:
What does it do?
Shea butter & wild cherry extract are just a relaxing wash away.
How to Use
Use in shower or bath. Lather into hands and clean yourself from head to toe. Rinse thoroughly. Use daily for best results.

(Note to self: Do NOT remove yummy smelling soap from bag, and set in shower until you actually have time to get in to said shower, and use it!)

Next sample that I DID use, was the BFF (Best Face Forever) Exfoliating Daily Facewash.
This has to be the first exfoliater (is that a word?) that I was ever instructed to use only a pea-sized drop, and had that tiny amount actually feel like there was plenty! With peppermint, cucumber, grapefruit, and aloe it goes on smoothly, and feels fantastic! I've used a lot of different scrubs, and some are almost painful in their abrasiveness, this was not the way with BFF. Felt fantastic on my skin, smelled great, and my skin felt very clean getting out of the shower.

With all exfoliating face washes, you need a good moisturizer to follow up with! It's super important. Every cosmetologist I've ever known has told me so. (My mother in-law and sister in-law included) Thankfully Desiree, provided me with a Posh moisturizer to try.
Moisturize 911, is a caffeinated moisturizer. A frist for me. I don't drink anything with caffeine in it, because it makes me sick. But I'll NEVER give up my chocolate. The card for this cream said it would nourish, moisturize, brighten, and tighten.
I found that it left certain zones of my skin a little oily, but I'm pretty sure that's my skin. I do think that when I used it, it helped my under eye baggage to tighten up a little. (And I have a LOT of baggage under there)

I was also gifted a sample of The "It" Girl. It's super thick and creamy, and even though it didn't have a card on it, I was able to check out Desiree's website, and find out it was a hand creme. Super smooth, and did NOT leave my hands greasy. Leaving my hands nice and soft, that's all I can ask from a lotion!

If any of these products have intrigued you, I highly recommend you go check out my friend's website! This company has fantastic standards, beautiful ingredients, and (oh my good golly miss molly) the smells! I LOVE THE SCENT OF THIS STUFF! I'm a big nose person, but that's another tangent. Seriously, go check this site out! https://www.perfectlyposh.com/desireepineda