B.L. Blair's Blog, page 43

July Giveaway - $10 Gift Card

The giveaway for July is a $10 Amazon Gift Card. You may enter each day, but please note that entering the giveaway will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time. Good Luck!


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Legacy of Truth by Christy Nicholas

 Historical Fiction, Historical FantasyDruid's Brooch Series, #2Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing Release Date: July 6, 2016
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Set in late 18th century Ireland, Esme must grow up quickly in small, isolated northwestern town. Her parents are leaving for America, abandoning her and her sister to fend for themselves. As she struggles to find her place, she finds it difficult to keep hold of what's left that's precious to her.
Once married and in a new town, Esme's only friend, Aisling, helps her through difficult times, as her Traveler husband stays away longer and longer plying his trade.
While Esme has had some comfort in her small family, she must now find comfort on her own, as her treacherous sister tries stealing the family heirloom to sell, a brooch reputed to have mystical powers, which had been left to her by her grandfather. Esme must learn to cope with her dwindling family and growing despair in order to keep the brooch safe.
Other Books in the Druid's Brooch Series:
Legacy of Hunger 


EXCERPT

Ardara, County Donegal, IrelandMarch, 1787
Éamonn Doherty eased onto the old rocking chair beside the crackling fire. As soon as he settled, he was bombarded with children, clamoring eagerly for a story from Grandfa. Well, it was his fault. Whenever he returned from his wanderings around the country, he would give them a story, a tale of Ireland’s past or his own. The bairns settled onto the ground at his feet. There were Esme and Eithne, the twins, looking stark and thin with shocks of wild red hair and too many freckles to count. “That's my spot! I always sit there, Eithne, and you know it!”Eithne looked at her sister and sniffed, saying nothing. She turned to Éamonn and blinked as if innocent.Esme pushed at her sister, but Eithne was braced for it. She resisted the shove and looked back over her shoulder with disdain.Fuming, Esme crossed her arms.In the far corner, with her arms wrapped firmly around her knees, sat the youngest sister, wee Brighid. Everyone called her Bridey. Her solemn green eyes peered at him, owl-like. She must be about ten years old by now. And little Níaṁ wasn’t a sister, but a cousin, her parents having died of a fever. A brown wren, she was plump and sweet, still a toddler.Éamonn would have preferred some grandsons to pass his stories to, but his son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Shona, had given him only granddaughters thus far. Still, he loved them dearly. His two other children were both dedicated to the church, so Brian was his last hope for grandsons. Éamonn looked at the girls and decided perhaps a story of a manly hero might do them for the night.He fixed his eyes on wee Níaṁ until she giggled nervously. He tousled up his thick white hair until it looked like a lion and she laughed. Smiling, he began.“Tonight our tale will begin with a hero of great fame, for who has never heard of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna, Warriors of Ireland?”Timidly, Bridey raised her hand.Interrupted, Éamonn cocked his head. “Yes, child? What is it, my dear?”“I haven’t heard of him, Grandfa.”Éamonn closed his eyes, reaching for patience. The children weren’t to know what a rhetorical question was. “That’s all right, mo chuisle. I will be telling you now, so?”The girl nodded and wrapped her hands more tightly around her knees until she was just a pair of feet, arms and a curly mass of red hair sparkling in the firelight. For a moment, Éamonn went back in time, to the memory of his dear, long-dead wife, Katie. She had hair such as that, wild and bright. The windows rattled as the wind outside picked up. The children all shifted uncomfortably.“The Fianna were a band of warriors, pledged to protect the shores of Ireland from foreigners. Fionn’s father was the leader of the Fianna, so he had his son raised by a warrior woman. Have you ever seen a warrior woman, Eithne?”“I have!” The girl was the boldest of the lot. “There is a woman who hunts up in Bunbeg. I heard Alan say she came into his dad’s bakery one day!”“I heard that first! He told me first.” Esme said.“Girls, that’s enough. Would you like to know about this warrior woman?”It did the trick. All four children looked up at him, expectant.He grinned and got back into the rhythm of his tale. “This great woman was called Liath Luachra, and she was tall, with long muscles and longer hair. Her brown hair she kept in thin braids, which went all the way down to her knees. She was a fierce warrior, always clad in skins and furs, and she taught Fionn all her arts. When he had learned all he could from her, he left to join the Fianna. “But the Fianna knew him for his father’s son and worried for his youth and safety. They told him he must leave, and they could not protect him from harm. This angered Fionn, so he left in a temper. After his temper had cooled, he sought out a Druid to learn wisdom. The Druid he found was named Finnegas. Finnegas spent seven years trying to catch the Salmon of Knowledge, and he had just caught the fish before Fionn found him. It roasted on the fire, and Finnegas told Fionn to watch it while he got more firewood. “Fionn watched the fish, watched it bubble and pop, sizzle and squeak.” Níaṁ let out a squeak of her own to help with the sound effects.“He saw a great blister form on the skin of the salmon, growing larger and larger, about to pop. He pressed his thumb to it to push it back down so the skin wouldn’t be blemished. As he did so, his skin burned, so he stuck his thumb in his mouth.” Éamonn demonstrated with his finger and looked around until each child did the same.“But he had done a terrible thing, now.” “What was so horrible, Grandfa?” Bridey asked with wide eyes. “All he did was touch the fish!” She replaced the thumb in her mouth absent-mindedly.“Ah, that is true. But, you see, Fionn was the first to taste of the flesh of the Salmon of Knowledge, and it meant he now had all the Salmon’s great wisdom. Finnegas was furious and chased him out with a club, but Fionn now had the knowledge and wisdom he needed to lead the Fianna fairly.”All the girls watched him for the end of the tale.“In the end, he controlled his own fate, and therefore could make himself happy. That's all that any one of us can do, aye?”When Níaṁ realized the tale was over, she belatedly removed her thumbs from her mouth. As she did, he picked her up into his lap and rocked in front of the fire with her. She was a solid, warm little child. Brian might not be able to make his farm work well, but he at least kept his children fed.He sang a sad, low song of lost love and broken promises until each child fell asleep on the soft, white wings of fantasy.




About the Author

Christy Nicholas lives in western New York State with her husband, dog, cats and sugar gliders. She works as an accountant, an artist, and an author, and is likely looking for another career that begins with A.
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Purchase Links
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Legacy of Truth is available for $.99 during pre-order and the first week of release only. After that the list price is $5.99
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Monthly Giveaway - $10 Amazon Gift Card

The giveaway for July is a $10 Amazon Gift Card. You may enter each day, but please note that entering the giveaway will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time. Good Luck!


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Across Borders by Lee Ducote - $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Across Borders
by Lee DuCote
Genre: Romance/ Crime
Age category: Adult
Release Date: February 21, 2016

Blurb:
In Across Borders, Lawson Caine, a seasoned Border Patrol agent, is stationed in Presidio Texas with legendary lawman Capt. James Garrett. Lawson, who is from a long linage of lawmen, has gained the respect and reverence from his team, Dale Chanson, Terry Bennet, and the crazy member, Alex Sweeny.

Lawson never expected anything to come between his dedication with the Border Patrol and his brotherhood with Sweeny until he meets local pharmacy owner, Lia Gonzales. Against her father’s wishes Lia continues to see Lawson not realizing the inevitable consequences.

In this story of protecting others on the border and the heartache of relationships you will find yourself in the lives of those who have sworn to uphold the law, no matter the cost.

- Amazon
- Amazon paperback
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- Goodreads

About the Author:
Well, I am a husband and father. We always have a house full of teens and college students, mostly Young Life kids. I love the outdoors, hiking, kayaking, stand up paddling, fishing, you know "man stuff" but I'm a sucker for chick flicks. I wrote Fields of Alicia, Waterproof, Across Borders, and the series Micah and have several other novels finished and in the making. And yes I am a raccoon lover, check out Tucker on my social media.

Contact Information:
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- Amazon
- Instagram
- Grave Distractions Page

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Across Borders. One winner will win a 25$ amazon gift card. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and runs from June 28 to July 18. You can see the tour schedule here.

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Monday Excerpt - Trust Me (Holton Series #3)

Paul pulled the car to a stop behind the one already parked in front of the house. He saw a woman open the door and start to get out. It was the real estate agent. Paul turned to Rachel. She was watching him with a quizzical look on her face.
“I’m not opposed to buying in Holton. I hadn’t considered it before because I wasn’t planning to make Texas my permanent residence. Things have changed, and now I am thinking about moving here.”
He watched as surprise filled her face. Her eyes searched his. The agent was walking toward them, but Paul wanted to know her reaction. He waited for her to say something.
“You want to move here? To Holton?” she said, disbelief coloring her voice.
“Is that a problem?” he asked her sharply. Her reaction wasn’t the one he expected. Had he read her wrong? He had thought the last three weeks had been going well. Once they had straightened out the issue with her believing that he was in love with Victoria, he thought she was ready to move forward, but apparently he was wrong.
“No. I guess I’m just surprised,” she said slowly.
The agent tapped on his window. Paul turned and nodded at her before saying to Rachel, “Then I guess I wasn’t reading you right. I thought you would be pleased. We’re here now so we might as well look at the house.”
Paul opened his door and got out. He was no longer excited about viewing the home. If Rachel didn’t want him living here, there was no point in even looking. One of the homes in Plano would work just fine. He didn’t need a large house if Rachel didn’t want to be part of his future. The agent introduced herself as Rachel got out of the car.
It was a beautiful home. The front door opened into a large foyer. All the rooms had hardwood floors. There was a study just off the entryway, and the living room was directly in front of them. It had vaulted ceilings and the back wall was almost completely covered by windows. There was a glass door that opened out to an enclosed patio. The bedrooms and master suite were on the second floor.
The agent went into her sale’s pitch, and Paul listened absently as he looked around. He actually liked the house. It was lovely and had plenty of room for entertaining. He didn’t have a lot of large parties, but in his business, he did occasionally host a dinner party or two. The house was perfect for his needs. He wandered through the rooms on the first floor before stepping out onto the patio. Rachel followed him.
“Paul,” she said.
He turned to see her standing just inside the doorway. The agent was still in the living room. Rachel took a step closer. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just surprised. You hadn’t said anything about moving to Texas, much less Holton.”
He nodded. She was right. He had sprung it on her rather suddenly. They hadn’t spoken much about his business the past three weeks. Their time together had been so limited that they had stuck to the basics. He had mentioned to her that the office was not running as smoothly as he liked, but he hadn’t gone into any detail about the operations or the fact that he felt he needed to be here for longer than just a few months.
She took another step closer to him and reached for his hand. “I’m sorry if my reaction was negative. I would love for you to move here.” She paused a moment and then briefly looked over her shoulder. Rachel smiled that mischievous smile he had come to love. She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. “I hope to get you to break Rule #4.”
Paul pulled back and looked at her, a frown on his face. He didn’t have a rule four. “What is Rule #4?”
“Relationships are only temporary,” she said saucily as she walked back into the house.
Purchase Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Trust-Me-Holton-Series-ebook/dp/B00FMF2FMEiBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/trust-me-holton-series-3/id703553343?mt=11Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trust-me-b-l-blair/1116875140?ean=2940045252133Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/trust-me-holton-series-3Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353821CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4427478Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=W3MiBgAAQBAJ

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Dead in a Dumpster Gift Pack Giveaway

This month's giveaway is a Dead in a Dumpster Gift Pack which will include a t-shirt, tote bag, magnet, bookmark, and a paperback copy of the book. Entering the contest will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at anytime.


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A Bodyguard of Lies by Donna Del Oro - Book Giveaway

BLURB:Despite Meg Larsen’s mounting passion for the stranger who has joined their tour, she suspects he’s not who he claims to be. When she realizes her grandmother is the target of the man’s investigation, her first instinct is to protect the woman who raised her. Eventually, however, Meg must face the possibility of her grandmother’s lifetime of lies while forced to trust a man who has become both their nemesis and bodyguard.
Note from the Author:My new FBI series, INTERNATIONAL RELEASE-JUNE 8th, is the Jake Bernstein FBI series--A BODYGUARD OF LIES, Book One. If you love a genre that's chock full of danger, suspense, crime drama and a heavy dose of sizzling romance, you'll LOVE THIS SERIES! FBI agent Jake Bernstein is my epitome of a hardy, justice-seeking federal officer who combines good looks, a sense of humor and unyielding courage. He knows how to investigate as one of the Bureau's best undercover agents, but he also knows how and when to bend the rules for the sake of true human justice.
The idea for this book, A BODYGUARD OF LIES, struck me when I was tipping a pint with fellow tourists at an Irish pub. There on the wall was an old, WW II photo of Irish dockworkers sharing their pub with German U-boat sailors. That started me wondering about the role that Ireland played during the war, its uneasy relationship with Nazi Germany and the German spies who infiltrated Ireland and England. Lots of research followed, which led me to a contemporary story about an FBI undercover agent who investigates an elderly, naturalized American grandmother, wanted by MI6 for war crimes. Little ol' Mary McCoy Snider, a dangerous WW II Nazi spy who caused the deaths of thousands? Even Agent Jake Bernstein finds that an unbelievable stretch. The granddaughter whom Jake finds himself falling in love with also disbelieves MI6's allegations.
Until his investigation draws him into the middle of a dangerous, secret neo-Nazi group that'll stop at nothing to protect one of their own. And then Jake must choose, the old woman and her lovely granddaughter. Or justice!
Excerpt:Her expression grew serious once more. He hated to see her worried. Hated the idea that Meg and her grandmother were falling under that couple’s control. Hated even more the possibility he might never see her again after today.
“Code? Like what?”
“You said they were talking about photo shoots in Berlin and Hannover. If they take you there...for Berlin, tell me your plane had to stop in Boston on the way back to Texas. B for B. If it’s Hannover, your plane stopped in...”
“Houston. I get it. I’ll improvise.”
“Good, you’re a quick study. If they take your phone away, well, I’ll have to assume it’s Berlin first, then Hannover. MI5 will think you’ve gone home but they’ll expect you to get in touch with me, so my cell phone might be monitored. At least, for the first twenty-four hours after you leave. Enough of a delay for me to get to Germany and the right city.”
Meg looked uncertain. “You’ll ditch the MI5 agents?”
“You bet I’m following you.”
“Good, I’m glad. I don’t trust those people. You won’t believe this, Jake.” Meg was preceding him down the inn’s narrow, wooden stairway. “They’ve been speaking German to Grandma, calling her Clare. Madeleine’s even calling her, mother. And Grandma’s so zonked out, she believes them! I’m so confused, I’m half believing them myself.”
“Meg, we think your grandmother is Clare Hillenbrand Eberhard from Hannover. She was a gifted foreign language teacher and amateur actress until her husband, Horst Eberhard, recruited her to join him in the Abwehr. He was her handler during the war. Both of them were moles, spied for the Abwehr and then later the SS. Horst was killed during the war, sometime in early 1945 during the German retreat from Italy. Your grandmother…well, she hooked up with your grandfather, Captain John Snider of the Army Air Corps, married him and, you might say, got out of Dodge as soon as she could.”
Jake looked back at Meg as she halted by the inn’s door to the kitchen. By the look on her face, he could tell she wasn’t totally surprised. He was just confirming what she’d already tossed around in her mind. Still, the truth hurt. He dropped the key on the counter as the blushing teenaged boy watched them stop and talk.
They lingered beside the kitchen door, reluctant to part. Jake’s pulse quickened at the melancholy look Meg wore. She shook her head morosely.
“So Gran’s been undercover all these years. What a terrible burden for her, regardless of what she did during the war.” Meg looked up at him. “I thought I knew my grandmother. I don’t really know her at all, I guess. Jake, I think Gran was in touch with the Le Blancs before this tour. I think they met up on purpose.”
Her voice sounded on the verge of breaking, so Jake tried to console her by stroking her face with the back of his knuckles. He wished like hell he could assure her that his investigation had cleared her grandmother. Just the opposite was true, and now the Le Blancs had unwittingly confirmed his and MI5’s theory.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Donna is a retired high school English teacher and is finally able to fulfill her dream of writing fiction. She lives in Northern California with her husband and three cats. When she’s not writing novels, she’s singing with the Sacramento Valley Chorus or traveling with her husband. Life is good and she feels very blessed.www.donnadeloro.comwww.thewildrosepress.com/DonnaDelOrohttps://www.facebook.com/Donna-Del-Oro-Award-Winning-Author-of-Smart-Romantic-Thrillers-326564600705968/?fref=nfdonna@donnadeloro.com






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Follow the tour for more chances to win!June 6: Danita MinnisJune 7: Rogue's Angels
June 8: Romance Novel Giveaways
June 9: Urban Girl Reader
June 10: fuonlyknew
June 13: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
June 14: Readeropolis
June 15: Full Moon Dreaming
June 16: The Reading Addict
June 17: Writer Wonderland
June 20: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me Roar
June 21: Harps Romance Book Review
June 23: Long and Short Reviews
June 24: Booklover Sue
June 27: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
June 28: Welcome to My World of Dreams
June 29: Room With Books
June 30: EskieMama Reads - review
July 1: Harlie's Books - review