Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 7

The Sins of a Few (Sins of Salem 3) Releases Today! #99cents for a Limited Time

***99c limited time introductory price*** 

The Sins of a Few | a Sins of Salem novel

Salem, 1692

The moment he steps off the boat and into his hometown of Salem, Nathanial Abbot knows the rumors about Salem are indeed true. For in the two years since he’s left Salem—disowned by his family and seeking a fortune of his own—the town has changed. It is dark with discord and suspicion… and accusations of witchcraft. Now all that remains for him is the woman he’s never forgotten.

But Faith Downing isn’t happy to see Nathanial. In his absence, his younger sisters have ignited the chain of hysteria that resulted in twenty deaths—including Faith’s aunt, to whom Nathanial owed his life. Yet through her acrimony, Faith can’t prevent herself from responding to the man Nathanial has become, handsome and kind. A man who kindles something in her that speaks of sin.

Find it @ Entangled Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Amazon.uk | Amazon.ca | Google Books | Goodreads

Read an excerpt here.

This book stands alone, so if you’ve missed the first two books in the Sins of Salem series, you can still enjoy THE SINS OF A FEW. If you’d like to check out the other books (YAY!), please follow these links for excerpts and details:

Her Wicked Sin
An Unexpected Sin
The Sins of a Few

About Sarah Ballance

Sarah Ballance is a multi-published author of contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense. She’s been married to her own romantic hero for what he calls a “long, long time” (and no, he’ll never hear the end of saying that). Together they have six children … and clearly too much time on their hands. She currently writes for Entangled and has upcoming releases from both Entangled and Samhain Publishing.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

$50 #Giveaway and 5 Amazing Quotes from Prince Hafiz’s Only Vice by Susanna Carr (Harlequin Presents)

Susanna Carr: top 5 favorite quotes from PRINCE HAFIZ’S ONLY VICE

“She made him dream about a life he had no right to pursue.”


He turned away from Lacey. “And even thought we swear that we won’t meet again, that we won’t think about what might have been, we break our promises. The moment we see each other, we destroy everything we tried to create.”


She was already his, and nothing–not time, not distance–would change that.


“I’m you one and only vice. Your weakness,” Lacey said. “I am making you into the man you don’t want to be.”


“I had purged every wild impulse, and nothing could tempt me off the straight and narrow path,” he said quietly. “And then I met you.”

Price Hafiz’s Only Vice

What a royal wants…

Prince Hafiz devotes his days to his people and his nights to indulging his desires with his stunning American mistress, Lacey Maxwell. But duty requires him to marry a “suitable” bride.

In her deepest secret fantasies, Lacey naively hopes to one day wear Hafiz’s ring, until her dreams are shattered and he chooses someone else.

Faced with the reality of a passionless union, Hafiz realizes the years spent with Lacey have done nothing to slake his hunger for her. Instead he’s determined to turn his only vice into a virtue for the sake of his country…and each other!

Buy links: Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo

Excerpt

Lacey stared at the engagement announcement. Her mind refused to comprehend the words. “Marry?” she whispered. Her wild gaze flew to Hafiz’s harsh face. “You’re getting married?”

She waited in agony as he rose to his full height. He looked very tall and intimidating. Almost like a stranger.

Lacey didn’t realize she was holding her breath until he answered. “Yes.”

The single word sent her universe into a spiral. “I don’t…I don’t….” She stared at the headline again, but the pain was too raw, too intense.

Her hands shook as the rage and something close to fear swirled inside her. Fear of losing everything. Pure anger at the thought of Hafiz with another woman. The fury threatened to overpower her. She wanted to scream at the injustice and claw at something. Stake her claim. Hafiz belonged to her.

“You have been with another woman.” She couldn’t believe it. “All this time, you were with someone else.”

Hafiz’s eyes narrowed at the accusation. “No. You have been the only woman in my life since I met you in St. Louis a year ago.”

She was the only woman, and yet he was going to marry another? “Then how are you…I don’t understand.”

He braced his feet a shoulders’ width apart and clasped his hands behind his back, preparing for battle. “I met the bride today and she agreed.”

Lacey’s mouth gaped open. “You just met her?” She snatched the flicker of hope and held on tight. “So, it’s an arranged marriage.”

Hafiz let out a bark of humorless laughter. “Of course.”

“Then, what’s the problem?” She moved slowly as she stood. Her arms and legs felt limp and shaky. “Say that you won’t get married.”

He looked away. “I can’t.” Regret tinged his voice.

Buy links: Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo

About the Author

Susanna Carr is an award-winning author known for her contemporary romances. Readers throughout the world find Susanna’s stories a delightful escape that has often helped them through difficult times. Reviewers frequently describe her work as “fun”, “sexy” and “a must read.” When she isn’t writing or spending time with her family in the Pacific Northwest, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online.

Website: susannacarr.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Susanna-Carr/24294...
Twitter: twitter.com/susannacarr
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/22371.Susan...

Giveaway

Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card! Click here for Rafflecopter giveaway. Want to increase your chances of winning? Follow the tour. The more you comment, the better!

 

 

 

$229 #Giveaway

 

Twitter/Facebook Blast $229 Giveaway

A fabulous group of bloggers & authors have joined together to offer you 1 fabulous prize valued at $229.

The winner of this giveaway will receive their choice of a $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash!

 

For all those who hate the long rafflecopters you should appreciate the fact that this one is much shorter.

Just liking on facebook, following on twitter, a free entry and 2 options to share the giveaway make this much faster to enter.

 

Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)

All New Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7″ Kindle Fire HDX (US Only – $229 Value)

 

Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

 

Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)

Each of these bloggers/authors/publishers paid to help sponsor this giveaway.

 

Sponsors

I Am A Reader

Megan Thomason, author of the daynight series

Tressa @ Wishful Endings

Prism Book Tours

The Zharmae Publishing Press

Krysten Lindsay Hager

B. Kristin McMichael

Where The Broken Lie by Derek Rempfer

Simple Wyrdings

Bernard Charles

Elizabeth Isaacs

LK Gardner-Griffie

Author Toni Lesatz

Sarah Ballance

Lori’s Reading Corner

Jenn’s Book Reviews and Giveaways

Enter Here Canada

The Parent Spot

Mister Darcy – Series by Barbara Silkstone

Aubrey Wynne: Romance Through The Ages

Anna del C. Dye

Sign up to sponsor the next Group Giveaway here:

http://www.iamareader.com/category/giveaway-sponsor-sign-ups

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7″ HDX (US Only – $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).

Ends 10/29/14

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 and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

New from Eve Devon: The Love List #contemporaryromance #harpercollins

                                                         

The Love List

Falling in love is just not on workaholic Nora King’s To Do List…

Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life!

With all the hard work she’d put into securing the family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour.

Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side.

As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?

Title: The Love List
Author: Eve Devon
Publisher: HarperCollins HarperImpulse
Release Date: October 2, 2014
Available Formats: ebook

Find it at:

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
GOOGLE BOOKS
iTUNES
KOBO

Excerpt:

‘I should probably not have ridden us so fast,’ she said her breath finally coming out in a rush.

His eyes blazed white heat while his smile was gentle and did something to joggle that twisted mess of emotion inside of her. ‘Speed-freak.’

‘You say that as if it’s a bad thing.’

‘On the contrary. Fast can be good.’

‘Exactly.’ Nora nodded, unable to deny that she wanted to escape this any longer. Making his kiss happen in a rush of heat was what she would focus on to calm the swirling vortex of anticipation. ‘There’s nothing wrong with speed if it means you bypass the waiting,’ she said, staring at his lips and willing him to lower his head.

Ethan chuckled and her gaze whipped up to meet his eyes. Damn it, there she was admitting stuff again. If he didn’t shut her up with his lips, soon she’d be admitting to him how the sheer size of him when he was up this close and personal with her made her feel all… protected and… needy.

‘But if all you ever do is rush to the end— don’t you sometimes feel like you’re missing out?’

‘Missing out?’ she frowned.

‘Hmm.’ Ethan lowered his head to nuzzle her hair away from her ear and whisper, ‘Because sometimes slow can be good. Better even.’

Nora’s eyes rolled back in her head at the combination of his words and the feel of his breath in her ear making her last-ditch cautious, ‘Ethan, what are we doing?’ come out on a distinct sigh.

‘Oh, I think you know what we’re doing.’ His thumbs brushed the underside of her jaw as he tilted her head up. ‘You do know, don’t you, Nora?’

‘Maybe.’

‘And maybe you like. Maybe you want.’

‘Maybe,’ she managed to get out. Her hands came out to latch onto the hard wall of his chest. Definitely. She licked her lips. ‘But—’ What happened after? Her fingers clenched against his sweater. She needed to know. So she could prepare.

‘No buts. Like I said; if I see something I want, I make sure I get it.’

‘And it has to be slow like this,’ she rushed out, her hand snaking under the heavy knit to get even closer. Closer to all that hot muscle.

Her breath blew out and landed against his throat making him shudder against her, but still he insisted, ‘I kind of think it does. I want time to discover the secrets of your mouth.’ His lips hovered a millimetre above hers, intoxicating her, confusing her, mesmerising her. ‘You going to give up those secrets for me, Nora?’ he whispered.

About the Author

Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me quite the taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals! When I wasn’t consuming books by the bucketload, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucketload, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself. I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!

I hope you enjoyed the teaser from The Love List and you can find out more about me, or drop by for a chat—which I always LOVE, here:

WEBSITE                              TWITTER                              FACEBOOK                          GOODREADS

Eve xx

 

 

Tea Cooper: Research…Love it or Hate it?

Please welcome my guest, Téa Cooper, who is here talking research with JAZZ BABY, her brand new 1920s historical romance!

Téa Cooper: Research – Love it or Hate it?

I love it and the research for Jazz Baby was a blast …The 1920s had its own unique brand of colourful slang. I was amazed how much is still used today!

My Top Ten Jazz Age slang phrases:

Baby: sweetheart; someone of high value or respect.
Choice bit of calico: a desirable woman
Whoopee: to have a good time, “Make whoopee”
Zozzled or splifficated: drunk. “He’s zozzled.”
Bee’s knees: terrific. “She’s the bee’s knees.” There were lots of variations … elephant’s eyebrows, gnat’s whistle, eel’s hips.
Hair of the dog: a shot of alcohol “He needs a hair of the dog.”
Bum’s rush: to be thrown out of a club. “We got the Bum’s Rush.”
Cat’s meow: great. “She’s the cat’s meow.” Or the cat’s pajamas, cat’s whiskers.
To see a man about a dog. To leave. “I’ve got to see a man about a dog,”
An earful: enough

So before I get the bum’s rush I’m off to get zozzled and make woophee to celebrate the release of Jazz Baby. Check it out – it’s the bee’s knees!

Jazz Baby

In the gritty underbelly of 1920s Sydney, a fresh-faced country girl is about to arrive in the big, dark city – and risk everything in the pursuit of her dreams.

Sydney is no place for the fainthearted—five shillings for a twist of snow, a woman for not much more, and a bullet if you look sideways at the wrong person.

Dolly Bowman is ready and willing to take on all the brash, bustling city has to offer. After all it is the 1920s, a time for a girl to become a woman and fulfil her dreams. Turning her back on her childhood, she takes up a position working as a housemaid while she searches for her future.

World War I flying ace Jack Dalton knows he’s luckier than most. He’s survived the war with barely a scratch, a couple of astute business decisions have paid off, and he’s set for the high life. But a glimpse of a girl that he had forgotten, from a place he’s tried to escape suddenly sets all his plans awry. Try as he might he can’t shake the past, and money isn’t enough to pay the debts he’s incurred.

ISBN:  9780857991928
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2014
Harlequin Escape
Amazon.com
iTunes
Amazon.Aus
Kobo
For reviewers: NetGalley

Excerpt

Heeled shoes tip-tapped on the black and white floor tiles and she gaped at the vision framed in the narrow hallway. A shiny black, beaded dress, fringed and tasseled, stopped almost at the woman’s knees and her long slim legs, encased in the sheerest silk stockings, led to the most elegant ankle strapped shoes ever seen. Smoothing her hands down her brown worsted coat, Dolly blinked and peered at the woman. Her bobbed hair lay like a waved helmet on her head and the ribbon holding it all in place looked like a fine bandage.

The woman stopped halfway down the hall and gave a little shimmy. “Well hello! What have we here?”

“I’m here to see Mrs Mack, about the job.” Dolly screwed up her face cringing at the squeaky sound of her voice.

“Oh! A new girl. How exciting!” Lifting her hand to her mouth the woman dragged on a cigarette in an ivory holder, then exhaled a cloud of perfect smoke rings making Dolly’s eyes water.

“Darling!” The woman called down the hallway, “Come and meet the new girl.”

Biography

Téa Cooper divides her time between Sydney and the nineteenth century village of Wollombi, in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia. When she isn’t writing, Téa can be found haunting museums or chatting to the locals, who offer a never-ending source of inspiration. Her first two rural historical romances, Lily’s Leap and Matilda’s Freedom are set in and around Wollombi and Jazz Baby involves both Sydney and Wollombi.

In February 2015 Forgotten Fragrance the first book in a family saga entitled From the Ocean to the Outback, is due for release and there is a sequel to Jazz Baby entitled The Wages of Sin in the pipeline. At the moment Téa is working on a parallel time-line series entitled The Adventures of Miss Abigail Wynter and an Australian Regency – The Great Platypus Hoax. She has also written three Australian contemporary romances.

Personal Links:

Website: www.teacooperauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeaCooper
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeaCooper1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/teacooperauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/teacooperauthor/

$25 #Giveaway: Charlesgate by Dina Keratsis

Charlesgate

Ever since Zylla Berry first saw the dilapidated mansion in Boston’s Back Bay, she’d become enchanted. When she walks by one day to find that someone is renovating the old beauty, she walks through its open door and meets Jabe Thayer.

Determined to restore The Charlesgate to its former splendor, Jabe is thrilled to meet Zylla, who shares his passion for the building and knows its history. As they get to know each other, they find that their love for The Charlesgate is not a coincidence and as supernatural forces intensify, they begin to uncover a sinister secret that will threaten their future.

From the piratical seas of the seventeenth century, to Boston’s Gilded Age to the present, The Charlesgate is a haunting novel of ancestry, fate, and the unfailing power of love.

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Charlesgate-Dina-Keratsis-ebook/dp/B00L94GYM4
Page Foundry: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/43c183cf-56a9-4e8d-8566-0523c3ec8134
Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/book/240469215/Charlesgate
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/charlesgate-1
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id921386227

[image error] Excerpt

Zylla trotted up the steps into the cool darkness of the alcove and lovingly gazed at the gold-green ceramic tiled walls. Along the ceiling, the glossy tiles sported figures of knights, cherubs, flowers and heraldic crests. She ignored the chunks where tile was missing, just as she overlooked the broken lantern that hung from the ceiling on a rusted chain.

Instead, she turned to the iron-barred glass double doors, barely glancing at the yellow and black “No Trespassing” sign taped across them, or the thick chain and padlock wrapped around the door handles.

As always, Zylla wrapped her fingers around one grubby brass handle, closed her eyes, and pulled. And as always the padlock didn’t magically fall off to allow her entry into the Charlesgate’s realm.

Buy the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Charlesgate-Dina-Keratsis-ebook/dp/B00L94GYM4

About the Author

Dina Keratsis is an award-winning author of romance fiction in which all roads lead to illumination and magic is found in the mundane. A New England girl, she has a penchant for punk rock, Scottish tea rooms and a mad crush on Sirius Black. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dina-Keratsis/128401957254964
http://www.dinakeratsis.com/
https://twitter.com/dinakeratsis
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6983309.Dina_Keratsis/
http://www.pinterest.com/dinakeratsis/
http://www.amazon.com/Dina-Keratsis/e/B002BLU538
Buy the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Charlesgate-Dina-Keratsis-ebook/dp/B00L94GYM4

Giveaway

Click here to enter via Rafflecopter. For more chances to win, be sure to follow the tour. The more you comment, the greater your odds of taking home the grand prize! For other tour stops, click here.

[image error]

#Roadtrip 8: The Road Home

Last fall we headed off on a surprise 5,000 mile family vacation and I’ve since periodically shared some of my favorite pictures here on my blog. With today’s photos we’re headed home, so I bring the final shots from the road. If you’ve missed previous installments, you’ll find links following the pictures. Our first picture brings us to…Nebraska? (INORITE? LOL!)

Strangest site on the road, hands down, was this dinosaur hanging out alongside I-80 in Nebraska.

On the outskirts of Lincoln, NE, this dirt road goes on forever.

Storm clouds over Lincoln, Nebraska. They had tornadoes that night.

The state in the middle of that mess is Wyoming, and this is what happened the day after we left. We were supposed to continue on to Yellowstone, but the federal government shutdown kept us out of the park and the snow kept us from heading further west. BTW, if you look near the bottom of the picture you’ll see my files for THE MARRIAGE AGENDA and AN UNEXPECTED SIN. Both were due shortly after we returned home from our trip. :)

Despite a couple of near misses with bad weather, the only rain we experienced was overnight in Nebraska City. The following morning we drove into Missouri under a light drizzle that left the mountains looking like this.

Bridge over the Missouri River in Missouri.

The famed St. Louis Arch in Missouri.

“Crime” pretty much sums up East St. Louis, IL. It was terribly blighted–obviously so, even from the interstate.

We stopped at a rest stop in West Virginia and this was sitting just across the interstate, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Hello, IRL Amazon!

The West Virginia capitol building. You can’t really tell in this picture, but that shiny top is gold. (Hopefully just gold in color and not actual gold.)

This is pretty much terrifying. It’s a runaway truck ramp just off a 7% downhill grade. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I had runaway truck issues I don’t think I want to add that sharp turn to my troubles. *shudder*

A river in West Virginia

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains

I love this one of my husband and youngest son walking in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Found this guy (groundhog) in Charlottesville, VA.

One final sunset for the road.

That’s it for this trip. If you’ve missed a stop, the links to previous posts follow. If you’re ready for some new sights, stay tuned. I’ll have new pictures before you know it!

Roadtrip 1: highlights and favorites from the road
Roadtrip 2: on the road 
Roadtrip 3: on the road (still)
Roadtrip 4: Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills of SD
Roadtrip 5: Badlands National Park, SD
Roadtrip 6: Deadwood, SD and Mt. Moriah Cemetery
Roadtrip 7: Devil’s Tower and more from Wyoming

$229 #Giveaway (Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card OR Paypal Cash)

 

Twitter/Facebook Blast $229 Giveaway

A fabulous group of bloggers & authors have joined together to offer you 1 fabulous prize valued at $229.

The winner of this giveaway will receive their choice of a $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash!

 

For all those who hate the long rafflecopters you should appreciate the fact that this one is much shorter.

Just liking on facebook, following on twitter, a free entry and 2 options to share the giveaway make this much faster to enter.

 

Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)

All New Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7″ Kindle Fire HDX (US Only – $229 Value)

 

Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

 

Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)

Each of these bloggers/authors/publishers paid to help sponsor this giveaway.

 

Sponsor List

I Am A Reader

Feed Your Reader

A Leisure Moment

A & E KIRK, YA Paranormal Authors

MoreThanaReview

Leisure Reads

MamaNYC

Megan Thomason, author of the daynight series

A Book Lover’s Retreat

BookHounds

Author Christie Anderson

Sarah Ballance

Glistering: Bs Blog

Kai Strand

Lori’s Reading Corner

Bound 4 Escape

My Nook, Books & More

Jeannie Moon

MI Bookshelf

Sharon Bayliss

MyLadyWeb: Women’s History & Women Authors

Aubrey Wynne: Romance Through The Ages

Michael Allan Scott

 

Sign up to sponsor the next Group Giveaway here:

http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups

 

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7″ HDX (US Only – $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).

Ends 10/26/14 – 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 Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$50 #Giveaway and Book Blast: Life on Hold by Beverly Stowe McClure

Life on Hold

A paper found. A secret revealed. A girl’s life changed forever. Myra Gibson’s life is a lie. For sixteen years her parents have kept their secret, but the adoption paper she discovers while cleaning the guesthouse tells the truth. As the past and present collide, Myra finally stands up for herself and begins a journey she may regret.

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * The Book Depository

Praise for Life on Hold

All I can say is wow! Beverly Stowe McClure knocked this one out of the ballpark. The story of Myra and her search for the truth touched upon one of the fundamental needs of all children (and teens): the need for a father in their lives. Darby Karchut, author of the Griffin Series and other books for tweens, teens, and adults.

McClure exhibits rare talent in this story which follows a young girl on her journey to discovery as she struggles to be true to herself in this compelling coming-of-age novel.

Children’s Literary Classics Book Reviews (Silver Medal Winner 2012)

Teen readers can easily relate to Myra’s pain and rebellion. Part coming of age, part teen romance, “Life on Hold” is full of surprises. Peggy Tibbetts, author, editor, and associate producer.

Excerpt

As we drove to my house, I gazed out the car window. The moon, hazy around the edges, hung in the sky. Stars smiled down. The evening with Jeremy had been fun, like before his trouble, before KW, before I defied my mother. I tried to hold the happiness of the past hours in my mind, but a sour lump clogged my throat. Shivering, I rubbed my arms. I was as bad as Rachel, thinking only of myself, unconcerned about my mother’s feelings, ignoring the fact she’d worry if she got home before I did.

“You want me to turn off the air conditioner?”

Jeremy’s voice startled me. My thoughts had wandered. Lately, the past kept intruding in my life, making it difficult to concentrate on the present. I looked at Jeremy, who was looking at me, a thin wrinkle between his eyes. “What?”

“You’ve got goose bumps.”

I stared at my arms. Tiny bumps dotted them, yet sweat dampened my palms. “I’m okay,” I said, as okay as I could be, considering I’d hung up on my mother, considering I was with Jeremy.

On the plus side, I was enjoying myself, except for the unwelcome phantom face haunting me every time I blinked ¾ KW. He would not go away. I wanted Dad to be my dad. He wasn’t, at least not my birth-dad. Since he wasn’t really my dad should I keep calling him Dad? Father? Or was Neil better? What about Stepfather? Why was it so hard to make decisions?

Book Trailer

 

Author Beverly Stowe McClure

Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. When she’s not writing, she takes long walks and snaps pictures of clouds, wild flowers, birds and deer. She also enjoys visiting with her family and teaching a women’s Sunday school class at her church. To relax she plays the piano. Thank you, Mom, for making encouraging me to practice. Her cats do not appreciate good music and run when she tickles the ivories. She is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.

Beverly has several articles published in leading children’s magazines. Two of her stories have appeared in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL Anthologies. She also has nine books for children and teens published, with four more under contract.

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook

 

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 10/13/14 – Click here to enter 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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$30 #Giveaway: And Justice for Some by Joanne Sydney Lessner

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joanne will be awarding a $30 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post. Please click the banner to see a list of other stops on the tour.

Dinner theater can be a death sentence—literally.

Actress Isobel Spice and her best friend Delphi Kramer are thrilled to finally have an opportunity to perform together, even if it’s just a cheesy interactive murder mystery at a judge’s lifetime achievement dinner. But when Isobel’s dramatic death scene is upstaged by a real murder and Delphi is left holding the still-smoking gun, Isobel drops the role of victim and assumes the role of detective. With the help of her precocious brother Percival and her reluctant temp agent James Cooke, Isobel peels back layers of deception to reveal a shocking abuse of power—and no shortage of suspects eager to deliver justice to a man who denied it to so many.

Excerpt One:

Practically before the last word was out of Delphi’s mouth, the crack of the gunshot ricocheted off the walls. Isobel smacked her hand to her chest and felt the blood packet burst against her blouse. Someone shrieked behind her as she staggered forward onto the dance floor. The Brioschi burbled up from her throat, foaming out the corners of her mouth and down her face. She spun around, arms flailing, eyes closed. More shrieks erupted around her.

Yup, she thought with satisfaction, definitely memorable.

She finally collapsed on the floor, limbs splayed, and after a few full-body spasms, settled into a position she could hold until Peter lifted her into the fireman’s carry.

She strained to hear Andrew’s line, “You just shot my wife,” but she was distracted by the sound of a glass shattering somewhere to her left. Somebody kicked her arm, but she held still, determined to be a convincing corpse. A pungent tang of gunpowder tickled her nose. Funny, she hadn’t noticed that when they were practicing. And…was that someone crying?

Suddenly, she felt Peter’s stubble scrape her cheek as he hissed in her ear, “Get up. Get up!”

He tried to yank her into a sitting position, but the sharp movement made her choke on the still-fizzing Brioschi. She knelt on all fours, hacking and heaving until her eyes finally stopped tearing.

“You see?” she heaved. “That’s why I wanted to practice…”

Her words died in her throat as she got to her feet. Two Hostelry security guards gripped Delphi’s shoulders, pinning her arms behind her back. Delphi’s mouth was frozen open in horror. Slowly, Isobel turned and looked behind her.

Joanne Sydney Lessner is the author of BloodWrites Award-Winner The Temporary Detective (Dulcet Press, 2012), which introduces Isobel Spice, aspiring actress and resourceful office temp turned amateur sleuth. Isobel’s adventures continue in the novels Bad Publicity (Dulcet Press, 2013) and And Justice for Some (Dulcet Press, 2014). The Ghosts’ High Noon (Dulcet Press, 2014), an Isobel Spice short story, is available on http://joannesydneylessner.com as a free download. Inspired by the true story of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine, Joanne’s debut novel Pandora’s Bottle (Flint Mine Press, 2010) was named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls. Her play, Critical Mass, winner of the 2009 Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition, received its New York premiere at the Lion Theatre on Theatre Row in October 2010. She has written the book and lyrics to several musicals with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, including the cult hit Fermat’s Last Tango, which received its Off-Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company in November 2000, and Einstein’s Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. They are currently developing a musical based on Wilkie Collins’s The Haunted Hotel for the Signature Theatre Company in Arlington, Virginia. Joanne is also a regular contributing writer to Opera News.

http://joannesydneylessner.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JoanneSydneyLessner

https://twitter.com/joannelessner

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Justice-Some-Isobel-Spice-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00MT6H8EY/ref=la_B003UH5IBQ_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409506048&sr=1-4

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/joanne-sydney-lessner

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/and-justice-for-some

Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway