Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 17
March 28, 2014
Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research
Bidding starts May 1 – Start perusing the listings NOW!
It’s almost time for Brenda Novak’s annual auction and you guys are just going to go CRAZY for ALL THE THINGS! There are already more than 900 items listed, including TONS of goodies and services donated by the good folks at Entangled Publishing. Anyone can bid, so please head over and find something amazeballs that you MUST HAVE RIGHT NOW.
PLEASE go check it out and tell a friend!
BRENDA NOVAK’S 2014 ONLINE AUCTION FOR DIABETES RESEARCH
March 26, 2014
$25 #Giveaway: Rest Her Soul by Christopher Gibbs (#mystery #detective)
Title: Rest Her Soul
Genre: Mystery/Detective
Author: Christopher Gibbs
Publisher: iUniverse
EBook: 258 pages
Release Date: October 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-47595-054-0
It’s 1928, and the presidential election between Herbert Hoover and Al Smith is on everybody’s mind—everyone but Police Chief James Buckner of Corinth, Missouri. A young woman’s corpse has been discovered buried in the cellar wall of a boarding house in the nearby mining village of Taylor. Knowing he’s one of the best detectives they have, Corinth’s officials allow Chief Buckner to investigate.
Buckner learns the woman was strangled and then immersed in acid before being buried. Worse, she was pregnant. His investigation takes him to Arkansas and Tennessee, where he realizes he may be on the trail of a serial killer—one who specializes in murdering young prostitutes. But as Buckner closes in on the killer, he knows that coming up with enough evidence for a conviction may be difficult, if not downright impossible.
Tragically, no one seems to care about the dead women except Buckner. One thing is for sure: the murderer will kill again. But in this hardboiled world of nasty politics, questionable morals, and ruthless ambition, stopping his prey might exact a price that Buckner isn’t willing to pay.
From Missouri backwoods to seedy brothels, Rest Her Soul reveals the dark underbelly of America in the 1920s.
About the Author
Christopher C. Gibbs was born in California and raised in Missouri. He attended college in Colorado and received his PhD in history from the University of Missouri in 1980. Gibbs lives with his family and teaches history in New Jersey. He is the author of numerous nonfiction books and articles.
Giveaway
Pump Up Your Book and Christopher are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Terms & Conditions:
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
1 winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive each of the prizes
This giveaway begins March 24 and ends on April 4.
Winners will be contacted via email on April 5, 2014.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
Cover Reveal and #Giveaway: Discovery by Brina Courtney
Discoveries can be dangerous. Discoveries can be deadly.
Nine months ago, Teagan Matthews’ boyfriend disappeared and took her sense of stability with him. But when the opportunity to live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides it’s time to get on with her life. A new home, new job, and new friends are adding up to a beautiful summer…
…until a young girl’s body shows up one night in town, wearing a pentagram necklace exactly like Teagan’s.
Now a guy looking remarkably like her missing boyfriend has arrived in Salem along with a mysterious stranger who may have some answers that Teagan has desperately been searching for. Teagan must now decide who to trust. It’s a matter of life… and her death.
About The Author
Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She’s spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.
GIVEAWAY
1 Copy of The Cryptid Tales ( Omnibus ) by Brina Courtney
- Paperback for U.S or Ebook copy for International
$5 Amazon Gift card – international
March 25, 2014
It’s Time for a Little “Sex and Alcohol in Retirement” – An Autobiography by Alan Rose ($25 #Giveaway)
Title: Sex & Alcohol in Retirement
Genre: Biography
Author: Alan Rose
Publisher: Trafford
EBook: 140 pages
Release Date: March 31, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-42690-051-8
The author set up the London Gender Clinic, the first clinic in Europe to offer parents the ability to choose the sex of a planned baby. Hegives an account of the furore that began when it opened.
Part two describes his long experience in the law courts as an expeert witness in Drink-drivingt cases, and includes most of the reasons gven for fighting the charges brought against the drivers. His long experience threw up, some fascinating reasons.
About Alan Rose
The author took his first degree in chemistry at the end of the second world war. He then developed an interest in biochemistry, and after working in research biochemistry, was advised to go and take a degree in medicine, which he completed in 1954. After two Hospital house jobs, he spent his remaining career years in clinical research, studying at different times inborn errors of metabolism, metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis, vitamin D resistant rickets and hyperparathyroidism. Finally he did a lot of work on formation and prevention of renal stones. He wrote some 200 or more original papers and in the last 10 years before retirement travelled the world as an invited speaker at many conferences. After retirement from the NHS in 1990, he expected a quiet life, but it was not to be. After 3 enjoyable months as visiting professor in the Sultanate of Oman , he met up with one of his former research biochemists who asked him to join in opening the London Gender Clinic. This proved to be the most controversial matter he had ever undertaken and forms the basis of part one of this book. In addition, his medicolegal work as expert witness in drink-driving matters, expanded enormously, and this work forms the basis of part two of this volume.
Giveaway
Pump Up Your Book and Alan are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Terms & Conditions:
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
1 winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive each of the prizes
This giveaway begins March 24 and ends on April 4.
Winners will be contacted via email on April 5, 2014.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Review Copies of “An Unexpected Sin” Available Now!
Hey y’all! If you’re interested in getting an advanced review copy of my upcoming historical romance, AN UNEXPECTED SIN, you can request one now. Please be prepared to publish your honest review on Monday, April 14. You do NOT have to be a blogger – you simply have to agree to post in a timely fashion to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble.
READERS (including bloggers) – sign up here
NETGALLEY USERS – here’s your link
Title: AN UNEXPECTED SIN
Author: Sarah Ballance
Series: Sins of Salem (Book 2)
Genre: historical romance (Salem MA 1692)
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Imprint: Scandalous Books
Sold by: Macmillan
Only a limited number of copies are available, so act quickly to reserve yours!
March 19, 2014
$25 #Giveaway and Spotlight: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford (#cleanromance)
Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
According to her mother, Olivia Pembroke was born to be a star. But how is she supposed to be famous when she can’t even get a decent acting gig? Her lucky break comes when she lands an audition for a wildly popular home improvement show. Even though she has no design training and has never even held a power tool, she refuses to let that stop her. She’s confident that her destiny is finally within reach.
When her affections are torn between her heartthrob co-host and the irritating, yet somehow endearing lead contractor, does she continue to reach for the stars? Or does she design a new happily ever after? One that leads not to the fading lights of fame and fortune, but to a love that will burn forever.
Amazon * Kobo * Barnes & Noble
Excerpt
Knock, knock, knock. “William.” Knock, knock, knock. “William.” Olivia’s knuckles stung from her vigorous rapping, but she hit them against the hotel room door again anyway. Knock, knock, knock. “William.”
She’d never physically been to his room, but she was more or less sure this was the room number he’d given her. An ear pressed against the cool wood panel, she held quiet an impatient moment, listening for evidence that William was on the other side. And given that the clock had yet to strike the eight a.m. hour, she suspected he was not only in there, but more than likely still fast asleep.
Her fist poised to begin another round of knocking, she held back upon hearing the sound of throat clearing coming from the other side. “Olivia, darling, why are you Sheldon- Coopering my door?” William asked.
Relief washed over her panicked body. She collapsed against the door. “Something’s happened,” she pled. “I need to talk to you. Open up. Please.”
William cracked the door and leaned out his head. “Sweetie, can’t it wait? I’m not properly dressed,” he apologized, but Olivia ignored his reservations. Strong- arming the door open, she barged in. “All-righty then,” he said as she breezed past him. “What could be so important, it couldn’t keep until a less ungodly hour?”
Olivia skidded to a stop in the middle of a posh living area, her focus scanning from the mini bar and kitchenette to a fifty-inch flat screen TV, then through a set of doors, into another room, and on to a four-poster, king-sized bed. Her current predicament temporarily relocated to the backburner, all she could think was: “Your room . . . It’s so much bigger than mine.”
William chuckled. “That’s your idea of a crisis?” he said. “Welcome to the top of the mountain.”
Author Julie N. Ford
Julie is a forty-something, dangerously close to becoming a fifty-something, graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science. In addition, she has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama, which has only made her better able to recognize the unhealthy, codependent relationship she has with writing. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a marriage and family counselor. She is the author of four women’s fiction novels, including Count Down to Love, a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she entertains delusions of being a master gardener, that is, when she’s not killing the unsuspecting plants in her yard with her good intentions. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two daughters, a Betta named Bob, and a Scottish fold kitten, Ardweal.
The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series
Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors.
“Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love.”
Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin
Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson
Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White
Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver
Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/31/14 – click here to enter
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 Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY
March 16, 2014
$15 Lucky Leprechaun #Giveaway (INT)
Welcome to the 2014 Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway! With over 100 participating blogs and a minimum prize value of $10, there are more than $1,000 in prizes up for grabs. Lucky, indeed!
Here, I’m giving away a $15 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice. (And something more…keep reading!)
I’m running my first Rafflecopter giveaway, but if you’re like me and barely know what the heck that is, never fear. You get one free entry (just leave a valid email so I may contact you if you win) and you can also enter by leaving a comment (just be sure to check the box on the Rafflecopter indicating you’ve entered.)
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! (She says in her best infomercial voice.)
In addition to the $15 gift card prize, I will be giving away (via a random drawing) SEVERAL e-copies of my books. If you’d like a chance to win one, please leave a comment letting me know which one you’d most like to read and whether you prefer a Kindle or Nook copy. (This comment doubles as an entry for the $15 giveaway, too!) Eligible ebooks are HAWTHORNE (sweet romance), RUBY HILL (haunted asylum novella), and HER WICKED SIN (a not-so-wicked historical romance set during the Salem witch trials). If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free app for pretty much any e-device in existence by clicking here.
IF YOU ARE WILLING TO REVIEW ON AMAZON, please say so. You certainly don’t have to offer a review to win an ebook, but I’m going to give out a few extra copies to reviewers.
Now that I’ve muddled what should be something simple into a mess (hey, it’s what I do, LOL!), I’ll leave you to your entries. And when you’re finished here, be sure to visit the other blogs for more chances to win!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER $15 GIVEAWAY
March 3, 2014
$50 #Giveaway: A Thousand Perfect Things by Kay Kenyon
A Thousand Perfect Things
In this epic new work, the award-winning Kenyon, whose work has be compared to Larry Nivens and Stephen R. Donaldson, creates an alternate Earth in the 19th century. This Earth is ruled by two warring factions—scientific Anglica (England) and magical Bharata (India).
Tori Harding, a Victorian woman, whose heart aches to claim the legendary powers of the golden lotus, must leave her reasoned world behind and journey to Bharata. In pursuit of the golden lotus, Tori will be forced to brave its magics, intrigues, deadly secrets and haunted places, to claim her destiny and choose between two lovers in two irreconcilable realms.
As a great native insurrection sweeps the continent of Bharata—Tori will find the thing she most desires, beautifully flawed and more wonderfully strange than she could have ever dreamed.
Praise for A Thousand Perfect Things
“This has become my favorite of all Kay Kenyon’s books. The science-driven men of Anglica have constructed a marvel of engineering-a bridge that crosses the ocean-but they don’t understand the mystical forces they’re facing in the dangerously seductive country of Bharata. As usual, Kenyon offers flawless world-building and a diverse cast of characters driven by conflicting and wholly believable desires. This is a rich, gorgeous, and marvelously detailed tapestry of a book.”
– Sharon Shinn, Author of Troubled Waters and Royal Airs
“Kay Kenyon has once again created a world into which one blissfully disappears, replete with magic and monsters, romance and reigning dynasties, set upon the fragile social scaffolding of mid-nineteenth century England. The story is, literally and figuratively, a bridge between the mystical and the very real, with a young heroine who a delivers a deliciously vicarious ride. Brilliantly told with elegant yet occasionally jarring prose, A Thousand Perfect Things is a masterwork from the mind of one of our best authors of compelling alternate realities.”
– Larry Brooks, Author of Story Engineering
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository
Excerpt from A Thousand Perfect Things
Tori’s stomach clenched as she now saw before her a woman in a green sari facing away. Streaming out from the woman’s head, her long hair was writhing in an impossible way, as though alive. The sight both sickened and fascinated her. The woman walked slowly away in a disconcerting gliding motion. Afraid yet intrigued, Tori followed the woman to the garden wall.
“Come, beti,” the woman whispered, though the whisper was in Tori’s ear, not fifteen yards away.
Tori approached. The woman’s long hair was shot with gray, her face deeply lined.
They stood regarding one another. Slowly, and to Tori’s relief, the long hair came to rest around the woman’s shoulders. It seemed to Tori that the frantic hair warned of discontent, and must put Tori on warning that the apparition could do violence. Suddenly, alarming noises issued from behind the zenana wall–squealing almost at the limits of hearing. Filaments of the woman’s hair rose again.
Tori backed up.
“They cannot hurt you, or even see you, beti.” The voice was a breath in Tori’s ear, but the woman’s lips were not moving.
“Why are you trying to scare me?” she managed to say, her voice gone pinched and high. The squealing behind the door grew louder. At that, the woman slammed a fist against the wooden door, all but shattering Tori’s resolve to stay.
The noise stopped.
“They do not wish for me to be long gone.” Bits of dust fell off the door.
Tori looked down to find that the woman’s feet were not actually touching the ground. Merciful God. Tori could not move, nor swallow, nor keep from staring.
The whisper again: “Jai will be showing you where to go. You should be trusting only him, beti.”
The squealing resumed, louder now. The woman placed her hand on the latch of the door, and as she did so, her hair swept in that direction.
Tori did not want to see what was on the other side of that door.
She looked desperately behind herself for her companions, but she was alone. As she turned back to locate the woman in green, all that remained of her was a shred of forest-colored sari sliding through a crack in the door.
Author Kay Kenyon
Kay Kenyon is the author of eleven science fiction and fantasy novels, including A Thousand Perfect Things. She is the author of the critically acclaimed science fiction quartet, The Entire and The Rose. Bright of the Sky was among PW’s top 150 books of 2007. The series has twice been shortlisted for the ALA Reading List awards and three times for the Endeavour Award. Four of her novels have been translated into French, Spanish and Czech. Along with her novels Tropic of Creation and Maximum Ice, two of the works in the quartet received starred reviews from PW.
Pinterest * Goodreads * Google +
Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/31/14
Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway
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.
Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway
A Warm Welcome to Embracing Romance!
This is an amazing group of historical romance authors with a brand new blog, and they’re celebrating with a giveaway. Please head over and say hello!
Originally posted on Embracing Romance:
As the winter season ends, we welcome the warmth of spring and the fellowship it inspires. Embracing Romance is a consortium of talented romance authors who share similar dreams, goals, and an unwavering love for the genres we write in. It’s our intention as writers and readers, to improve our craft, provide personal and professional support for each other, and most importantly, to sponsor a forum where readers can interact on a more personal level with the authors they admire.
Our motto, Heat, Heart, and History, defines the nature of our stories.
February 26, 2014
New Release: “Her Best Laid Plans” by Eve Devon (HarperImpulse) #Giveaway
Please welcome author Eve Devon with the scoop on her new HarperImpulse release, HER BEST LAID PLANS, and a completely awesome giveaway. Seriously, you need to be allll over that. But first, welcome Eve!
Eve Devon: Her Best Laid Plans
Hi Sarah, Thank you for inviting me to share a GIVEAWAY competition to celebrate the release of my contemporary romance. ‘Her Best Laid Plans’ releases from HarperImpulse today *happy dancing all over the place*
And because I like to share the love, I’ve also got deets of a book that releases alongside mine. ‘Love is a Four Letter Word’ is an erotic romance from the fabulous Zara Stoneley.
Zara and I have teamed up for a “Her Best Four Letter Word” blog hop (do you see what we did there!)
Look out for the GIVEAWAY DEETS via Rafflecopter at the end of the post.
ABOUT ‘HER BEST LAID PLANS’ by Eve Devon
Blurb: Love is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans…
The Totally Perfect Life Plan of Amanda Gray
Step 1 – Take total control of own destiny and avoid getting too wrapped up in the details.
Step 2 – Definitely do NOT kiss gorgeous bad-boy businessman who doesn’t know how to live life without scheduling it six months in advance, even if he is absolutely irresistible.
Step 3 – Don’t even THINK of accompanying him to London as his PA to enjoy steamy encounters in a metropolitan paradise.
Step 4 – Absolutely, positively, whatever you do- do NOT fall in love with him…
Available from AMAZON or click here for other retailers.
I love connecting with readers. Find out more about me or stop by for a chat:
~ * ~ * ~
ABOUT ‘LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD’ by Zara Stoneley
Blurb: Take one rich girl who has a thing for the bad boys.
Take one tough guy who thinks possession is nine-tenths of the misery law.
Mix generously with a land dispute and a whole lotta lust…. And what have you got?
Sometimes being bad can be just too good to miss.
Available from AMAZON or click here for other retailers.
Find out more about me: Website Facebook Twitter
GIVEAWAY
Goodie Bag Contents: All the perfect ingredients for a girlie reading experience…
10.00£/$ Amazon Gift Voucher (to purchase delicious ebooks)
Her Best Laid Plans Beaded Bookmark (for a touch of book bling)
Love is a Four Letter Word Beaded Bookmark (for a touch of book bling)
Her Best Laid Plans/Love is a Four Letter Word Linen Bag (to keep all your reading experience ingredients together and handy for those urgent date night clothes shopping trips)
Bottle of Bubbly (for if you don’t like hot chocolate/tea)
Hot Chocolate/Tea Drinking Goodies (for if you don’t like bubbly)
Chocolates (no explanation required!)
Nail Varnish/Nail Files (for that break between reading books!)
And it’s all inside a lovely HarperImpulse bag!
Due to the content of the prizes, all entrants must be over 18. If the winner does not reside in the UK, some items may be substituted with others of an equal or greater value due to individual country restrictions
No purchase is necessary, all answers will be available on the publisher’s blog, retailer sites, or the authors’ blogs, websites or Facebook Pages.
Answer Eve and Zara’s questions using the Rafflecopter:
Question 1: In the blurb of ‘Her Best Laid Plans’ how many steps are there on Amanda Gray’s Life-Plan?
Question 2: In the blurb of ‘Love is a Four Letter Word’ what can sometimes be too good to miss?
CLICK HERE TO RECORD YOUR RESPONSES
All entrants who enter the answers correctly will be put into the grand draw for the Goodie Bag. Winners will be announced on the March 6th HERE
To gain extra entries in the Rafflecopter follow us on our blog hop and answer each new set of questions – you can find a full listing of where we’ll be here: www.EveDevon.com/blog
