Julie Coulter Bellon's Blog, page 7

Freebie Friday for Romance Fans!

If you love short, sweet romances, this Winter Collection of stories by Sarah Eden, Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, Joyce DiPastena, Donna Hatch and Heather B. Moore is free today! I really enjoyed this one and it features some of my favorite authors!

Get your free copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

THE ROAD TO CAVAN TOWN by Sarah M. Eden
Ireland 1864. Alice Wheatley walks each weekend into town, accompanied by Isaac Dancy. And while Alice finds herself falling in love with the gentleman, unfortunately he has his eyes set on the belle of the town, Miss Sophia Kilchrest. Alice must find a way to turn Isaac’s eyes toward her.

IT HAPPENED ON TWELFTH NIGHT by Heidi Ashworth
England 1812. Luisa Darlington discovers the man of her dreams, Percy Brooksby, isn’t in love with her as much as she thought he was. When Percy’s friend, the mysterious foreigner, Mr. Flynn, visits for the twelfth night holiday, he promptly sweeps Luisa off her feet, quite literally. Luisa is left catching her breath in more ways than one.

AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL by Annette Lyon
Logan, Utah 1880. When Caroline Simpson is forced to thwart the aggressive advances of Mr. Butch Larson, she discovers that her long-time friend, James, has genuine affection for her. But as stubborn as Caroline is, she minimizes the feelings he’s awakened in her, and it takes almost losing James to admit her true feelings for him.

CAROLES ON THE GREEN by Joyce DiPastena
England 1151. Lady Isabel has a dilemma. She promises herself that she’ll marry the man who sent a ring hidden in her pastry since the man she truly loves, Sir Lucian de Warrene, has proved to be impossible and exasperating. To forget him, Isabel sets her eyes on other eligible men, only to face another confrontation with Lucian—who isn’t about to back off and leave her to her newest plot.

A WINTER'S KNIGHT by Donna Hatch
Clarissa Fairchild’s coach just happens to break down in front of the most forbidding estate in the county, that of Wyckburg Castle, a place where young brides have been murdered for generations by their husbands. Clarissa is horrified yet curious all in the same breath. When she meets widower Christopher de Champs, Earl of Wyckburg, she must decide if she should flee or uncover the greatest secret in the county about her handsome rescuer.

A FORTUNATE EXILE by Heather B. Moore
Lila Townsend finds herself the victim of a broken heart—broken by the most notorious bachelor in 1901 New York City. If that isn’t bad enough, her father sends her to Aunt Eugenia’s remote farm where Lila must wait for her father’s anger to subside and the gossip columns to find new fodder. When Lila meets her aunt’s boarder, Peter Weathers, she discovers a man who isn’t afraid to stand up to her formidable family and take a chance on a woman with a sullied reputation.

I'm Feeling Grateful Today

There are some special people in my life that are always there for me and cheer me up and cheer me on. There's just something about them that is good for my soul. Do you have people in your life like that? I hope so!

Things Book Lovers Do

This is SO me, except for the read several books at one time. I'm a read-one-book-at-a-time girl. What about you? Are these things that you do?

Are You in a Book Club?

I was invited to (virtually) come and speak about my author journey to this ladies book club in North Carolina. I had so much fun! One of the best perks of being an author is meeting new people. I love book clubs. 
Are you in a book club?

Weekend Book Report

Over the weekend I was reading Cry Wolf by Kathi Oram Peterson. I am really loving the suspense element. It's a lot like the Harrison Ford movie, "The Fugitive," complete with someone missing body parts who is the real killer while the spouse is wrongfully imprisoned. 

What did you read this weekend?

Interested in Cry Wolf? You can get your copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

Dania Blackwolf is bursting with excitement: after years of disappointment, she’s just learned she and her husband are one step closer to having their dreams come true. Eager to tell her husband, Matthew, about her findings, she returns home from her nightshift at the hospital—but what awaits her there is no dream. It’s a nightmare. Matthew has been murdered, and Dania is the only witness to the masked intruder. With no one to corroborate her story, she is the prime suspect.

When U.S. Marshal Brett Rollins’s best friend, Matthew, was murdered, Dania, was convicted of the crime. But it’s never added up for Brett. Now, three years later when Dania escapes prison and Brett finds her, he is faced with a life-altering choice: send a woman he believes to be innocent back to prison or help her find his friend’s killer. Determined to see justice done, Brett goes rogue. The unlikely allies embark on a dangerous quest to uncover the truth. But what they discover is a plot more far-reaching than they ever imagined and a truth that will test everything they thought they knew. 

You Won't Want to Miss This Freebie!

A Matrimonial Advertisement was the first Mimi Matthews book I read and it hooked me on her books! She just has a way of totally immersing you in the characters' lives. You won't want to miss this one if you love historical romance! And it's free today!
Get your free copy HERE
Here's the back copy:
She Wanted Sanctuary...

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill--though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome--is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption...

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household--and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

From One Reader to Another

We have been decluttering at our house and here's my question for you: How hard is it for you to give away or *gasp* throw away a book? Or do you keep them all? 
I have such a hard time giving books away!

Does This Age Me?

Boy, does this ever take me back! (Am I aging myself? haha) For me it's Bo, Ponch, Apollo, and Frank. (But it should be Frank and Joe from the Hardy Boys. Oops!)
What about you? Who were your faves?

I'm Presenting at a Conference Today!

AUTHOR FRIENDS!

I am so excited! I'll be presenting at the Thriving Scribes Summit today. It's free to attend and I hope I'll see you there! All the fun starts at 9:00 a.m. MT today!

I'm teaching about 15 Minute Marketing and how to create a marketing plan that is perfect for your busy life.

You'll learn all about…
How to make a marketing plan and strategy that fits you.
Proven strategies that will increase your visibility and sales.
Tips and tricks to make the most of your marketing minutes.

And it’s not just me—there are tons of other presentations for you to watch, too!

Each speaker is sharing a potential strategy or system you can implement in 2024 to grow in authorship! Get your free ticket at summitthrivingscribes.com and head on over to the summit. I'll see you there!

Holiday Book Deal!

Tomorrow is the last day to get this free book deal! I love these anthologies, especially during a busy holiday season, because the stories are the perfect length to let you still get that bit of romance while you are getting ready for the big day! 
Get your free book HERE
Here's the back copy:
In New York Times & USA Today’s bestselling author Lucinda Brant’s delightful novella, FAIRY CHRISTMAS, Kitty Aldershot is orphaned and forced to live on others’ charity. Offered a home under the generous roof of her relatives, the Earl of Salt Hendon and his countess, Kitty wants for nothing, not even the affections of Mr. Tom Allenby. But when Kitty stumbles across a letter written by Lady Caroline that reveals how Mr. Allenby would be ruined should he marry the likes of Kitty, she realizes she has been fooling herself all along. Kitty’s world crumbles around her as she recognizes she will forever be alone with no prospects at all.

Sarah M. Eden’s charming romance novella A CHRISTMAS PROMISE, Sean Kirkpatrick is trying to get to his new place of employment, Kilkenny Castle, in order to start as the new stablehand. His only requirement is to drive a team of high-spirited nags from Dublin to Kilkenny in a certain amount of time. Unfortunately he winds up in a muddy field, stuck, lost, and running out of time. He’s about to lose the job before he can prove himself capable of finishing his first assignment. When Maeve Butler arrives on the scene, Sean isn’t sure if she’s intent on rescuing him or bent on torturing him with her fiery wit and lovely dark eyes.

In Heather B. Moore’s enchanting novella, TWELVE MONTHS, Lucien Baxter’s best and most incorrigible friend, Will, dies unexpectedly, leaving behind his new bride and unborn child the week before Christmas. Will’s last request is that Lucien watches over Cora, not just as a benefactor, but as a husband. When Lucien does his duty and proposes to Cora, he’s turned down flat. But over the course of the next few days, Lucien discovers that marrying Cora wouldn’t be any sort of duty after all, but a matter of following his heart.

In Lu Ann Staheli’s sweet romance novella, A FEZZIWIG CHRISTMAS, Dick Wilkins and his best friend Ebenezer Scrooge have been looking forward to the annual Fezziwig Christmas dance for weeks. Ebenezer is practically engaged to Annabelle Fezziwig, and Dick hopes to start courting her younger sister, Pricilla. Once the dance starts, and Pricilla arrives, as pretty and charming as ever, Dick discovers that he’s not the only man vying for her attention. His best friend advises Dick that he has to win Pricilla’s heart, as well as her mother’s favor. Losing his heart has suddenly become very complicated.

A TASTE OF HOME, a captivating romance by Annette Lyon, we meet Claire Jennings, who’s on her way to spend Christmas with her family. As she rides the train with William Rhodes, who grew up across the street, memories of Christmases past flood her mind. He may be twenty-one now, but she can’t forget his torturous teasing from their school years. At the rail station, Claire discovers that her home is under quarantine because her little brother has measles. She's stuck in town, away from her family, on her favorite holiday. William stays behind with her, and as Christmas Day approaches and her homesickness deepens, she discovers that perhaps he has changed in more ways than one.

Becca Wilhite’s entrancing novella, MY MODERN GIRL, follows Margie, who lands her dream job as a clerk at Macy’s department store in New York City. Margie might be new in town, but she’s determined to succeed and prove to Henry that moving to the city was the right decision. As the Christmas season approaches, Margie realizes that being a “modern girl” might not be all she had dreamed of, and Henry might have more to offer than she ever imagined.