Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 8

$50 #Giveaway: FORSAKEN by Sarah Ballance (Yep, That’s ME!)

Forsaken

Her past is back to haunt her—and this time, it’s got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot to death on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage’s ex-lover, Riley Beckett. The only gun in town that fires a bullet of that caliber belongs to her.

Certain the shooting is payback for his part in the loss of her parents, he abandons his promise to stay out of her life and confronts her, his rage backed up with a revolver. Yet when she steps through the door, all thoughts of revenge burn to ashes.

A year after Riley unwillingly walked away from Gage, she enters her home to find him sitting in the dark, gun pointed at her head. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes reminds her how wrong she was to let him go. But now there’s more standing between them than their heated past.

A twist of fate—and a hail of sniper bullets—puts them in the cross hairs of a killer, leaving Riley with just two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer, or face a murderer alone.

Warning: Prepare to get caught in a crossfire of profanity, danger, and desire. Intense violence may trigger the desire to wear body armor…and take it off. Very, very slowly.

Title: FORSAKEN
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: romantic suspense
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN 13: 978-1-61922-262-5
Available format(s): ebook

Excerpt

The evidence had been right in front of him. He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t deny it either. Not until he saw her reaction for himself, and he wasn’t going to do that unarmed. He reached for her, feeling the charge of their connection long before his fingers grazed her skin. A hint of blue peering from beneath her thick lashes caught his attention. She was watching him.

Frozen by her beauty—by all she meant to him and everything he tried to tell himself she didn’t—his thoughts left him. He fell closer, his hand dipping to her jaw line. Tracing the familiar contours of her face with a fingertip came as naturally as breathing.

“Riley…” The tangle of emotions in his chest loosened. The evidence was unmistakable, but she couldn’t have done it. Not the Riley he knew.

Contentment drifted behind those thick lashes. For a single moment the last twelve months of hell wasted away, and she was his again. His name spilled from her lips, soft and sweet, like no time had passed. God help him, he wanted it to be true. He’d give anything to go back to the day he lost her and change it all.

She reached for him, and when she drew him in he didn’t—couldn’t—resist. Her arms circled his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair she always said was too long, and every bit of the fight fled his traitorous heart. He forgot the cold, hard floor. He forgot why he had waited in her living room, untouched whiskey taunting him, tempering his rage.

He forgot murder.

Giveaway

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Published on September 15, 2014 21:01

Ultimate Fear by Kristine Mason (Multi-Winner Gift Card #Giveaway)

This post is part of a multi-stop tour organized by Goddess Fish. Be sure to follow the tour here – the more you comment, the better your chance to win! Keep reading for giveaway details.

Ultimate Fear

When a deranged mother’s grief drives her to replace her dead son over and over, obsession leads to murder…

Chicago detective Jessica Donavan will never stop looking for her missing daughter. Her obsession has destroyed her marriage, but the search is the only thing that helps keep her sane and her mind off of everything she’s lost—her husband and her baby girl. When she uncovers a string of unsolved disappearances and reappearances of a number of baby boys, Jessica turns to her soon to be ex, Dante Russo, a former Navy SEAL turned investigator for the private agency, CORE, to help her fit together the pieces in this perplexing puzzle. But as Dante helps her, she realizes just how much she still craves his support—and his touch.

Dante is still in love with his wife and would do anything to have her back in his life again. He’s been miserable since she left him to deal with the grief over their daughter’s abduction, never understanding how much he grieves as well. When Jessica tells him about the case she’s working, he jumps at the chance to take part in her investigation. He’s hoping not only to save their marriage and ease his personal pain over the loss of their daughter, but to stop a serial kidnapper from taking another victim.

As Jessica and Dante work side by side, pregnant women begin to turn up missing or dead, and they start to uncover the consequences of another woman’s unfathomable grief. The childless mother doesn’t just want a baby. She wants a newborn straight from the womb.

And when forced to confront the dark and twisted perversion of a mother’s obsession, can Jessica and Dante find their lives again…or merely more death?

Excerpt

(Heroine’s POV)

Jessica’s heart sped up when she caught the determination in his eyes. “Then why did you have me come over?” she asked, suspecting his reason. Dante knew his lasagna was her favorite, and then there was the discussion of dating. Chances were, like her, he could use a sexual release, but she needed a straight answer. As it stood, she’d end up dwelling on their conversation until sleep finally consumed her, but at least she’d have this portion of it settled.

Dante took several steps forward until he crowded her against the kitchen counter. “Honestly? I planned to romance you.”

His familiar, earthy scent surrounded her. He stood so close, his warm breath caressed her lips. She could easily see them having sex right here in the kitchen. Hard, fast and hot sex.

He cupped her cheek with his warm hand. She sighed and closed her eyes at the gentle touch and leaned into his palm. She’d missed the feel of him.

“I don’t want a divorce and I hate living here without you. I lied to get you here tonight, because I wanted to see if there was anything left between us.”

She stiffened and opened her eyes. Her stomach tightened, not with sensual need, but with fear and self-loathing. And she had no one to blame but herself. She’d walked away, left their home, left him. Not because she didn’t love him, but because he represented what she’d lost. “Is this the point where you pull out one of your spiritual quotes? Maybe you’ll give me the ‘if you love something, set it free’ line. That’s rather fitting.”

He gave her a tired smile, then surprised her by cupping the back of her head and drawing her closer. “That one might work. If you still love me.”

About the Author

I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good came from writing it. I realized my passion and found a career I love.

When I’m not writing contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense novels (or reading them!) I’m chasing after my four kids and two neurotic dogs.

JOIN MY NEWSLETTER AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A $50 AMAZON GC

Website: www.kristinemason.net

LINKS:

Email: authorkristinemason@gmail.com,
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kristinemasonauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristineMason7

Buy Links:

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/ultimate-fear-book-2-ultimate-core
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultimate-fear-kristine-mason/1120061582?ean=2940149625611
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Fear-Book-CORE-ebook/dp/B00MG5IUH2/ref=la_B00BSER7LM_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407348602&sr=1-9
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ultimate-fear/id905462057?mt=11

Giveaway

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Published on September 11, 2014 21:01

New Release from Sarah Ballance: Forsaken (Romantic Suspense)

Forsaken

Her past is back to haunt her—and this time, it’s got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot to death on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage’s ex-lover, Riley Beckett. The only gun in town that fires a bullet of that caliber belongs to her.

Certain the shooting is payback for his part in the loss of her parents, he abandons his promise to stay out of her life and confronts her, his rage backed up with a revolver. Yet when she steps through the door, all thoughts of revenge burn to ashes.

A year after Riley unwillingly walked away from Gage, she enters her home to find him sitting in the dark, gun pointed at her head. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes reminds her how wrong she was to let him go. But now there’s more standing between them than their heated past.

A twist of fate—and a hail of sniper bullets—puts them in the cross hairs of a killer, leaving Riley with just two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer, or face a murderer alone.

Warning: Prepare to get caught in a crossfire of profanity, danger, and desire. Intense violence may trigger the desire to wear body armor…and take it off. Very, very slowly.

Title: FORSAKEN
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: romantic suspense
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN 13: 978-1-61922-262-5
Available format(s): ebook

Excerpt

Something was wrong. Was the dark playing tricks on her? Riley Beckett froze, arm outstretched, hand poised to toss her keys on the table just inside her front door. But she didn’t let go. Instead of dropping them in their usual spot, she feathered pieces of the makeshift weapon between her knuckles. Heart pounding, she pressed the keys in a silent, white-knuckle grip and prayed her concerns were her imagination, that the paranoia of coming home alone to a dark house was getting the better of her.

One, two steps in. Wood planks echoed underfoot. She fought to breathe air that grew thinner with every tense second.

Three steps.

Then it hit her. The scent. His scent. And with it a flush of memories. The burn of hot grass on her bare skin. Rough hands, a tender touch. Love so sweet she ached for it, her dreams raging, and her body drenched with need.

“Gage?” Her voice broke on the single syllable. Riley’s grip on the keys tightened, her blood raging hot and cold all at once.

A creak sounded from the corner chair. Her eyes refused to adjust in the darkness, but not even the faint light kept the blond streaks in his russet hair from giving him away. Like rays of sunshine, she used to tease, and her words never failed to draw a scowl across his rugged face.

“Riley.”

God help her, her name on his lips sounded as it always had. Coarse. Dangerous. Forbidden. Even before… The memory surged, hot and vivid, leaving a metallic taste in her mouth. White heat assaulted her from every corner of the room.

The keys fell to the floor with a dull clink.

“An eye for an eye, is it?” His voice sounded unpracticed, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long while.

She couldn’t see his face, but she knew his expression. Flat and humorless. Broken. She remembered the day he stopped smiling. Every part of her wanted to flee, but she stood frozen to the spot.

“What do you mean?” Riley wondered if the words, whispered and weak, had the strength to make it across the room. Hadn’t she always known she’d shatter the next time she saw him? Hadn’t she dreamed of seeing him anyway?

“You have to ask?” Gage laughed, cold and hollow. “Billy’s dead. Hell of a thing to come home to. My brother blown to bits on my back porch.”

“Oh God.” She swayed. The room filled with a distant buzzing. She took one unsteady step to the side and stumbled.

When she found his gaze, it was over the business end of a revolver.

He leveled the gun in her direction. Everything else in her world trembled, but his aim held rock steady. Unyielding.

His eyes burned blue and bright. “What I want to know, sweetheart, is why you did it.”

He worked his finger over the trigger, and a veil of blackness threatened her last discerning thought.

***

He hadn’t even pulled the trigger, yet Riley hit the hardwood in a crumpled heap. That was a first.

Without taking his attention from her, Gage Lawton climbed out of the chair, cursing when he realized his foot was asleep. He tucked the .38 in the waistband of his pants and limped through the pins-and-needles sensation wreaking havoc in his left boot.

Hell of a time to feel ticklish, he thought, staring at Riley’s wild mane of dark waves sprawled over the floorboards. Not the stark contrast he’d seen over a crisp white pillowcase. His mind played flashbacks. Memories of dragging his lips over her heaving, sweat-slicked skin threatened his plans…and his resolve.

The flood of emotions shouldn’t have surprised him. He was as stoic as a block of granite when it came to everything—and everyone—except Riley Beckett. He never could put the feeling into words, but just being around her made him feel free, like standing in the middle of the prairie with the sun, and the breeze, and the vastness…and the promise of something he didn’t dare believe.

And he didn’t. Gage knew good things didn’t happen to him. But she’d captured a piece of his soul with her laughing eyes and damning innocence.

The purest woman he’d ever known and he’d destroyed her.

Twice.

He eyed the glass of whiskey he’d poured to keep himself company while he waited. He hadn’t touched it yet. The amber liquid represented a line Gage couldn’t cross, but he’d given himself too much credit where Riley was concerned. The moment her sky blue eyes found his, she’d broken him all over again.

With a weary sigh, he knelt at her side, irony forcing him to suppress the urge to laugh. How many times had she brought him to his knees? He thought of his kid brother sprawled on his porch and promised himself this would be the last time. Rage and guilt made for strange bedfellows, but he knew one thing: if Riley Beckett had pulled that damned trigger, she had cleared his heart of the latter.

An eye for an eye.

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Published on September 09, 2014 06:00

September’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway or $229 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

September $229 Giveaway

It’s time for September’s $229 Kindle Giveaway Hosted by I Am A Reader.

We are giving away 2 great prizes both valued at $229.

Winner’s choice of a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash!

The first prize is available via the rafflecopter below.

The 2nd is available only to those share this giveaway. You can find info on how to enter the 2nd giveaway in the rafflecopter.

Win a Kindle Fire HDX 7″, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)

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)

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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 9/30/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Published on September 02, 2014 16:48

Sarah Ballance: Meet My Character Blog Tour

It’s my pleasure today to join the “Meet My Character” blog tour. The incredible Stacy Reid invited me, and if you don’t know her work it’s past time you check her out. Her new release, THE IRRESISTIBLE MISS PEPPIWELL is irresistible indeed! Here’s a bit more about Stacy:

STACY REID is an avid reader of novels with a deep passion for writing. She especially loves romance and adores writing about people falling in love. Stacy lives a lot in the worlds she creates and actively speaks to her characters (out loud). She has a warrior way, never give up on her dreams. When Stacy is not writing, she spends a copious amount of time drooling over Rick Grimes from Walking Dead, watching Japanese anime and playing video games with her love, Dusean Nelson.

FIND THE AUTHOR HERE: @st_reid Facebook Website Good Reads

And courtesy of Ms. Reid’s invitation to join the hop, today you’re going to get to know Knox Hamilton, the yummy hero from THE MARRIAGE AGENDA, my new release from Entangled Indulgence.

MEET MY CHARACTER

Knox Hamilton (that’s him on the cover!) is the first son of a third generation political dynasty. His father is an ass. When the elder Hamilton steps down after becoming mired in personal scandal, Knox aims to win the Senate seat his father vacated, but he won’t win with his playboy reputation. The solution? Find a wife. But Knox won’t have any woman…he wants Chloe Lochlan, so he makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

THE BACKDROP FOR THE STORY?

Although beltway politics serve as a catalyst for the story, the majority of the book focuses on the relationship between the characters. More often than not, hilarity ensues. (Yes, even during the sex.)

WHAT DRIVES KNOX?

Following his father’s, shall we say, indiscretions, Knox wants to restore honor to his family name, and though he doesn’t quite admit it, he wants his father to be proud of him. Knox knows it won’t happen, but he’s driven by it all the same. As third generation political royalty (think the Kennedys) he won’t have the chance to make a name for himself in the traditional sense, but on a personal level there is a desire to prove he’s a good, honorable man. He wants to protect his grandfather’s legacy while carving out his own place in the world.

WHAT THWARTS HIS PLAN?

In order to win the favor of his conservative constituents, Knox needs a wife. He doesn’t want just anyone, though…he wants a woman with whom he can see spending his life: his ex-girlfriend, Chloe, who just happens to be a beltway reporter. He woos her with the promise of the access she needs to nail a big headline and cement her own career, never dreaming that when she got her story, it would absolutely wreck him. To borrow a line from the blurb, When the truth she uncovers threatens to destroy the man she still loves, will she bury the story…or his career?

Meet the Author Who Will Be Sharing her HAWT Hero with Us Next Week!

MELISSA MACKINNON grew up surrounded by dragons, fearsome creatures, and damsels in distress from the wonderful world of make believe. She soon found her ideas on paper, littering her desk with world maps and character biographies. Study hall was used not for homework but for writing. Although she pursued a career in theater, the written word never left her. Melissa now leads a full life with her husband and children (five amazingly adorable clones to be exact), though she still finds time to write in her “spare time”. She sports a Military Wife badge of honor, and is lucky enough to have her own knight in camo armor.

Melissa enjoys writing everything from sexy, sword-toting heroes to spit-out-your coffee funny romantic comedies. Her passion lies within the ancient walls of fantasy and historical romance, where anything is possible.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter

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Published on September 01, 2014 21:01

An Excerpt from Sarah Ballance’s THE MARRIAGE AGENDA

Here’s a spicy excerpt from THE MARRIAGE AGENDA, my new contemporary romance from Entangled Indulgence. Want more? Read the first TWO chapters for free at Entangled!

“If you only read 1 book this year, make it The Marriage Agenda.” – Christine via Amazon

“…the ending was absolutely incredible. I don’t think I’ve seen a gesture like Knox’s in a book before and I absolutely, totally, fell in love with him in the end.” – ToryMichaels via Amazon

EXCERPT (Warning: Contains profanity and smexiness. Adults only, please!)

His touch left a trail of gooseflesh over her thighs, her shivers contrasting wildly with the heat nestled against the front of his slacks. A string of profanity grazed his lips where they crept against her skin. More.

He dragged her closer, but the dress bunched around her waist and created a surprisingly formidable barrier for something so damned soft. He tugged and shoved the fabric to no avail, then finally gave up and slipped a finger beneath her panties.

Though he didn’t enter her, the barometric pressure lowered with the force of her gasp. She caught her breath enough to utter a very unladylike oath, and he had every intention of following through on that particular demand.

He withdrew to his knees, gaining an edge of control with the distance. With a laziness that belied the charge of his heart through his chest, he explored her outermost contours with soft, intimate strokes. Little sounds of contentment spilled from her lips, a breathy staccato of demands for more. Clearly, he wasn’t the only victim of this crippling desire.

She was wet and unbelievably hot, and he was an ass. When this was over and the sun pasted a morning-after glare on what they’d done, she’d want to fall in love and charge head over heels for a happily-ever-after that wasn’t on the agenda. Not his anyway. But sex…dammit.

He bit back a groan that had nothing to do with the erection that had probably by now reshaped his zipper. He didn’t have any condoms.

“What’s wrong?” Her breathless words were punctuated by the trace of her nails down his abdomen. Her dress, at this point, was little more than a belt. She hadn’t worn a bra, but she hadn’t needed one. Her breasts—perfect handfuls, each of them—were fully bared and begging for his attention. Her soft, sleek hips gripped him, framing the silken vee of her drenched underwear. He stroked her there, watching desire churn in the oceanic depths of her eyes.

“No condoms,” he muttered, fully sheathed in some sort of Chloe trance. Whatever element she possessed belonged on the krypton block of the periodic table. She vexed him, and he’d have been smart to remember that before he’d gotten close enough for all of his blood to rush south and point her way—simple instructions for a senseless man.

No condoms.

For some reasons, his words incited a riot of blush over her face. She raised a white-tipped nail to her lips. “I…uh…in my bag. You…help yourself.”

Well, hell. Good for her, but she hadn’t planned on spending her evening in his arms. Which meant Chloe was prepared for, well, someone other than him. A man she didn’t know, per her own admission. The news stung but didn’t change the fact she lay there wet and trembling and offering Knox the latex key to her kingdom.

He’d cope.

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Published on August 31, 2014 20:04

$50 #Giveaway: Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson

Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

Purchase your copy for just $2.99!!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo

Praise for Thirty-Two Going on… Spinster

“Oh my, oh my. I have just finished wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. This is seriously funny.”

~Julie Darley (Never judge a Book by its Movie)

“This was a refreshing change of pace for me to read. Some good clean romance was found in it’s pages and that is a rare find these days. It was some great chick-lit. I would not have thought this was Becky’s debut book, it was so well done.”

~Liberty Ann (SnifferWalkBooks)

Author Becky Monson

By day, Becky Monson is a mother of three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful time will last… But it probably won’t. Becky runs a large book club on Facebook called “This Chick Reads”.

Facebook * Website * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads * Blog

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/30/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

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Published on August 28, 2014 20:47

$50 #Giveaway: For Love and Country by Elizabeth D. Michaels

For Love and Country

When A Man Is Torn Between Honoring His Country And The Woman He Loves, The Best Option Might Be To Choose Both.

When Maggie du Woernig willfully ignores her parents’ admonitions and entangles herself with Nik Koenig, she is certain he’s the only man who will make her happy. Blind to Nik’s real intentions, she throws herself recklessly into a situation that could not only destroy her life but compromise the safety of her country.

Han Heinrich has resigned himself to working in the castle stables, mostly as an excuse to have contact each day with Maggie. His aspirations for a more fulfilling career seem fruitless, in spite of his father’s position as the duke’s highest advisor. But when Han learns about Maggie’s precarious situation, he is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the woman he loves, and to save the country he would die for. He only hopes that someday Maggie will forgive him.

Purchase your copy:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

iTunes * Google Play * Kobo

Praise for The Horstberg Saga:

I completely enjoyed this book. The character development is fantastic. The author has a great sense of emotional storytelling that wraps you into the story as if you know,and can fully relate to the characters. This is the kind of story that touches the heart and the spirit. Well done. I look forward to the next chapter in the Horstberg Saga.

This book kept me so interested, I had a hard time putting it down. Suspense, love without smut, emotions that so relate to everyday life. This author touched on it all. Such in depth understanding of human emotions with the characters.

Firstly, I loved that this was a VOLUME! And what a great story to really sink my teeth into and get settled in with for more than just one sitting!

Well written and thoroughly satisfying.

Author Elizabeth D. Michaels

Elizabeth D. Michaels began writing at the age of sixteen, immersing herself ever since in the lives created by her vivid imagination. Beyond her devotion to family and friends, writing has been her passion for nearly three decades. While she has more than fifty published novels under the name Anita Stansfield and is the recipient of many awards, she boldly declares The Horstberg Saga as the story she was born to write, with many volumes in the works. She is best known for her keen ability to explore the psychological depths of human nature, bringing her characters to life through the timeless struggles they face in the midst of exquisite dramas.

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BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/26/14

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 author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Published on August 27, 2014 21:01

$50 #Giveaway: The Secret Bliss of Calliope Ipswich by Marcia Lynn McClure

The Secret Bliss of Calliope Ipswich by Marcia Lynn McClure

“Oh! Do link arms with me, Calliope,” Blanche whispered, her brown eyes widening with apprehension. She took Calliope’s arm, tightly linking it with her own. “The old Mulholland house still gives me the willies every time I walk past it. I hate to think on what might have gone on inside. It’s truly terrifyin’!”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Blanche,” Calliope said, feigning calm. “Poor Prudence’s lunacy…it’s sad. And besides, her fiendish acts were not committed inside the house. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just…it’s just a sad, empty building.” Calliope Ipswich felt the hypocrite, however, as an uncomfortable shiver of residual dread and unease shuttered down her spine.

More than six months had passed since the All Hollow’s Eve when the dangerous state of Prudence Mulholland’s fracturing mind had been revealed to the townsfolk of Meadowlark Lake. And now, each time Calliope thought of poor Prudence and her family, not only did her heart ache for their family’s unhappy lot but a chill of lingering horror rippled through her being.

In truth, at times Calliope wondered if it had all been simply a bad dream—a nightmare. But it hadn’t. It really had happened—all of it.

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Author Marcia Lynn McClure

Marcia Lynn McClure’s intoxicating succession of novels, novellas, and e-books, has established her as one of the most favored and engaging authors of true romance. Her unprecedented forte in weaving captivating stories of western, medieval, regency, and contemporary amour void of brusque intimacy has earned her the title “The Queen of Kissing.”

Marcia, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has spent her life intrigued with people, history, love, and romance. A wife, mother, grandmother, family historian, poet, and author, Marcia Lynn McClure spins her tales of splendor for the sake of offering respite through the beauty, mirth, and delight of a worthwhile and wonderful story.

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/16/14

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 author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

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Published on August 26, 2014 21:01

$25 #Giveaway and Blast: Share the Moon by Sharon Struth

Click image above to follow the tour. For information on the $25 giveaway, read on!

Share the Moon by Sharon Struth

Sometimes trust is the toughest lesson to learn.

Sophie Shaw is days away from signing a contract that will fulfill her dream of owning a vineyard. For her, it’s a chance to restart her life and put past tragedies to rest. But Duncan Jamieson’s counter offer blows hers out to sea.

Duncan still finds Sophie as appealing as he had during boyhood vacations to the lake. Older and wiser now, he has his own reasons for wanting the land. His offer, however, hinges on a zoning change approval.

Bribery rumors threaten the deal and make Sophie wary of Duncan, yet she cannot deny his appeal. When her journalistic research uncovers a Jamieson family secret, trust becomes the hardest lesson for them both.

“Heart-tugging small town romance with real emotion. Struth is an author to watch!”

—Laura Drake, author of RITA-award winning The Sweet Spot

“Superb… throw in a hunky dad, a small town and a savvy heroine who gets the job done and you’ve got me hooked!”

—Rachel Brimble, author of A Man like Him

Excerpt

“I treat reporting the old-fashioned way. I only got your story in the first place because—”

He raised his palm. “My accusation wasn’t fair. Listen, I’m sorry to have outbid you on the land so close to the closing date. A pure business decision and not personal.”

“I never thought it was. Besides, the land isn’t yours yet.” Her brows arched.

“Point taken.”

“For the record, though, I write news. Not opinion pieces. I want to clear up any misconceptions since Mr. Steiner requested we put together a favorable piece.”

“I didn’t request special treatment.” He squirmed in his seat. “Write the story as you see fit.”

“Trust me. I will.”

Once again, she’d left him as winded as if he’d hit the bottom of a huge crest on a roller coaster. Her stare burned through him.

“May I switch gears?” Duncan ached to reclaim control.

“Sure.” She crossed her shapely legs.

“The other night, in the parking lot, you told me I’d never understand why you wanted the area to remain unchanged. It’s understandable you’d be unhappy about my bid. Is there something else I need to know?”

Her dark gaze averted to the tip of her jiggling foot and she blinked, making her long lashes flutter. He wanted to look, too, but didn’t want to appear as if he were checking her out again. His earlier trip past her pleasing calves and nicely rounded bottom had given him the urge to unpin her knotted hair and do something that would earn him a slap across the face. Instead, he watched her expression, now more sad than angry.

Her hand lifted to her slender neck, where her fingers slowly massaged beneath her chin. “No. Just the vineyards.” She met his gaze, but a story rested in the pain behind her empty stare.

Sophie switched topics, but the need to understand her overwhelmed him in the most unsettling way.

About the Author

Sharon Struth is an award-winning author who believes it’s never too late for a second chance in love or life. When she’s not writing, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail. Sharon writes from the small town of Bethel, Connecticut, the friendliest place she’s ever lived. For more information, including where to find her other novels and published essays, please visit her at http://www.sharonstruth.com

Share the Moon Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GczH6uBi1og

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