Cami Checketts's Blog, page 31

Prom

Not sure when my little boy grew up!




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Reading

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." Mark Twain
I taught my young women about the dark ages and had to fight tears as I thought about all those people who were illiterate and couldn't lose themselves in good book, couldn't read the Bible. I often forget how blessed I am. 

It is shocking to me how many people tell me, "I don't read." They aren't saying they don't know how to read, but they choose not to.

There are so many distractions in our world that I understand why people feel like they don't have time to read, but when you think about all the benefits to reading: Mental stimulation, stress reduction, memory improvement, help prevent Alzheimer's disease, better sleep, prevent depression, the list goes on. 

I love to read, but life is busy for all of us and I know it's hard to fit it in. I read in the bathroom, on the treadmill, while I eat lunch, while I wait for boys at lacrosse practice, when I get tired of chasing my four-year old at the park, anytime I can fit it in.



How do you fit reading in?

Do you feel reading benefits you?





10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Everyday - http://www.lifehack.org/articles/life... 

7 Unconventional Reasons Why You Absolutely Should be Reading Books - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10...

Between Now & Never by Laura Johnston

Contemporary YA Clean Romance

Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kensington Publishing, Kobo, and other online retailers.








A
convict’s daughter should never fall for an FBI agent’s son, certainly not a
feisty teenager like Julianna Schultz who is furious over her mother’s
incarceration and the injustice of it all. But that’s exactly what
seventeen-year-old Julianna finds herself doing when Cody Rush, the cocky son
of the FBI agent who put her mom behind bars, moves into her hometown of
Gilbert, Arizona.







Cody Rush—studious,
principled, athletic, good looking and blond to boot—is everything Julianna
hates, or so she thinks. Yet a series of ill-fated events one night brings them
dangerously close, entangling the futures of two people who were never meant to
be…








 Find BETWEEN NOW & NEVER for $3.03 on Amazon

BETWEEN NOW & NEVER on Goodreads

And on Barnes and Noble














Excerpt—Photo Booth

JULIANNA




We listen to the monotone voice
reel off instructions. Four pictures. A light will flash before each picture is
taken. Etcetera. How I ended up in this position I’m not sure. We both sit,
staring at our reflections on the dark plastic and, no doubt, both stuck on the
same thought that crosses everyone’s mind when they’re on this seat.

“Quick,” I say, “what should we
do?”

A flash of light. Picture one down.
Both of our mouths were hanging open, blank stares straight ahead.

We burst into laughter and can’t
stop. A second flash. Picture number two: both of us laughing.

Our gazes meet and we pull
ourselves together, his eyes never veering from mine. He leans toward me,
coming halfway before pausing, his eyes seeking permission. I regard him with
equal parts terror and anticipation, the intimacy of the situation whispering a
thrill. He closes the distance between us and glides his nose through my hair.
My heart rattles around as though this is the first boy I’ve ever been close
to.



“Now smile,” he whispers into my
ear. Even if I should be creeped out, forget it. My cheeks burn despite myself
and I feel the corners of my lips tugging upward. A flash of light signals the
third picture and I am totally seduced.




About the Author



Laura's Facebook Page, Twitter, Blog, Goodreads




Laura
Johnston lives in Utah with her husband and three children. Growing up with
five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed
an active imagination and always loved a good story. She fell in love with the
young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job
later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing,
traveling, writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids.







About Writing BETWEEN NOW & NEVER

My husband was a special agent for five
years, and while I’m sure he would have loved it if I’d written an intense
thriller about Special Agent Johnston thanks to all of his crazy stories
(sorry, babe…maybe someday!), I wrote a romance instead.

The convict’s daughter and the FBI
agent’s son—I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t resist.

Soon, characters began taking shape.
And then a certain photo booth scene that had been on my mind for years came
back to me. For so long, I couldn’t shake the image of two strangers meeting in
the mall at a photo booth. I frequently wondered why I couldn’t stop thinking
about these two mysterious people.

The two characters now had a face, a
name.

Julianna,
the convict's daughter; Cody, the FBI agent's son.

Julianna
doesn't realize who Cody is at first. Yet he does—Cody knows who she is, knows
his dad put her mom behind bars. And he's into her. And Julianna is into him. However,
Cody knows it won't last...as soon as she figures out who he is.

Add to
all of this the fact that Cody knows Julianna is in danger and we have their
first meeting, near a photo booth, right after Julianna gets off work at the
mall.

















Their story was something else to
write, and I’m so excited to see it in print!







Be sure to add BETWEEN NOW & NEVER to your to-read list on Goodreads and get your print or eBopy copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kensington Publishing, Kobo, or select other online retailers.

Protect This by Cami Checketts: Prequel to Blog This

I'm so excited to announce the prequel to the Tenderness and Terror series. It's available now for only $.99 at the following vendors:






Amazon * B&N * iTunes * Kobo * Scribd * Inktera



With five female college students on the missing persons’ list, and the perpetrator still at large, Natasha is nervous about dating anyone. But, it’s hard to say no to Tony, the hot graduate assistant she’s been drooling over all semester.  Too bad she’s not sure who to trust and all the men around her feel more like suspects than heroes. When Natasha gets into trouble and the man that should have been the safest…turns out to be her worst nightmare, Natasha has no choice but to fight for her life and the man she almost gave up.






Blog This: Book 1 of Tenderness and Terror





Will protecting children throughout the world cost Natasha her own family?



Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot works to expose the dangers of Matthew Chrysler's violent video games, succeeding in bankrupting and humiliating him.

Chrysler retaliates and sends a hit man after her. Natasha is forced to fake her own death to protect her children, but after witnessing another tragedy, Natasha won't hide any longer.

In a race against time, can Natasha expose Matthew Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

"Cami Checketts is a genius! She writes about topics that aren't widely discussed, in and out of books, and she does such a brilliant job of crafting these things into wonderful stories that touch your heart and remain with you for days afterwards.I sat down in the library and started reading this book, just for a little while. Three hours later the book was finished and I was regretting reading in such an open environment without at least 20 packets of tissues handy. There are so many emotions in this book, so many different layers of love and bravery and hope and I loved every moment of it!" Myra, Blogger, Pieces of Whimsy






Redeem This: Book 2 of Tenderness and Terror









Some men are beyond redemption. Alex is one of them.

After Alex Chakhota was blackmailed and manipulated into becoming a hit man to protect his sister, serving time as the FBI's assassin doesn't do much to ease his conscience. His next assignment brings him face to face with Brittany, a beautiful woman that believes he's more than the killer he's been made into. The road to redemption is long for someone with a blackened soul, and with lives hanging in the balance, Alex has a short deadline.

Detective Scott Bentley's days of law enforcement are behind him. When he's asked to host agents at his secluded ranch for an FBI sting operation, Scott cannot refuse. Ivy McMahon shows up with the team, and Scott gets more than he signed up for. Not only can she hack into the any computer system, she's found a way into Scott's heart. The trouble is that she's in protective custody and when the job ends, she'll disappear. Is redemption possible for those whose lives are scarred by the past?

Is redemption possible for those who lives are scarred by the past? With danger crowding close, not even love may have a chance to redeem before it's too late.




"This book was so good I couldn't put it down. I was fun to see so many characters from the first book, Blog This. I suggest you read that one first....by the end of the first book you start to like Alex. Yet, you want to hate him for all he has done. This book is really his redemption. You fall in love with all the characters even Alex. It is fast paced excitement the whole way through and such a great story! I was glad to see both Scott and Alex get the chance for love that they didn't get in the first one. Cami is one of my favorite Authors and once again she writes a really great book!" Julia Lance, Reviewer, Book Reviewing Rocks

"I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this book! Cami Checketts is one of my favorite authors. She knows how to write romantic suspense and I am always so drawn in by her books. I usually steam roll right through them because I cannot put them down. Redeem This grabbed me from the very beginning. The suspense is there from the very first chapter. There is a fantastic balance of suspense and character/relationship building. I could not put this book down!

Alex. Oy. Here's a guy that will make your heart squeeze. Honest. He is seeking redemption. Forgiveness. Acceptance. He's strong, handsome and yes, a bit dangerous. I'm telling you, heart SQUEEZE.

One of the other things I love about not only this book but all of Cami's books is that they are clean. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the no swearing/no sexual content.

Redeem This is the sequel to Blog This. If you haven't read Blog This yet, you really need to! Not only is it a fantastic book, it must be read before reading Redeem This."

Aimee, Reviewer - Getting Your Read On

Happy Monday

Monday Morning Blech!

Brighten your week with this easy, all-natural trick

from Lucy McConnell, and a box set full of sweet romances.
















Of Love and Magic--on sale today for only $.99!
You can buy your copy here.






Have you ever had one of those days where your skin looks less than bright? You can spend hundreds of dollars on creams, lotions, and gels that promise to brighten your skin; or, you can spend a dollar on a container of Greek yogurt and have brighter, beautiful skin in a matter of minutes.
You'll want to buy Greek yogurt that does not have sugars or flavoring added. Keep it in the fridge. Then, when your skin needs a pick-me-up, simply spread a tablespoon of yogurt across your freshly-washed face and let it sit for 10 minutes. Use it like you would a mud mask and go ahead and put it on thick.
Then, wash it off with warm water, blot dry, and apply your regular moisturizer. Right away, you'll notice the difference. What happens, is the lactic acid in the yogurt strips away dead skin cells and brightens the layer underneath. It's a great way to gain that added boost for your day or date.








Excerpt from The What If Wish the final book in the Of Love and Magic Anthology.


Our eyes met and I caught a glimpse of something I hadn’t seen there before, awareness? Like he’d suddenly noticed–me. Not the best friend me, or the funny girl me, but the me that loved him. His breath brushed my face before we jumped apart. I wasn’t ready for him to grasp the depth of my feelings for him and apparently, they made him nervous.
“You cut your hair.” He reached out and fingered the short ends.
“It was…an impulse.” I gave him a sheepish look.
“It suits you.” He grinned. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
My wings fluttered. “I’m going to try to be a godmother.”
“Really?” His face lit up and a second later he lowered his eyebrows. “Are you a godmother?”
This was the one and only thing I’d ever dreaded about his return. This conversation. The words were so big they stuck in my throat. I shrugged and looked away.
“If you are, you are. And if you aren’t, you aren’t,” he said easily.
“It doesn’t matter.” I sniffed. Mortified that I would burst into tears in front of Adam when he had been so excited to see me that he came directly to my window instead of going home, I pulled my bottle of lavender oil off the shelf and struggled with the stopper.
Adam crossed the space between us and lifted the bottle out of my hands. He popped the top off, making it look easy. “It does matter,” he said as the fragrance filled the room. “But it won’t change who you are.”
My eyes widened. “Yeah, right. Look at you! You’re like a giant now.” I gestured to his whole body.
Adam’s wing tips turned a rosy color. Embarrassed that I’d embarrassed him, mine soon followed suit. We chuckled together.
“What I meant, was that it doesn’t change who you are on the inside. You’ll still be you if you’re a godmother, a tree fairy, or the Fairy Queen.”
I sprinkled some oil in my palm and massaged it into my hands, needing the calming effect. I was nervous enough that my thought just popped out. “Are you still the same?”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. It was light and comforting and sent waves of giddiness though my body. “I thought I was…until I came here.”
“What changed?” I asked, my voice barely loud enough to reach him.
“Stuff,” he said, his voice raspy.
“What kind of stuff?” I leaned closer, pulled by the overwhelming need to be near him.
“Deep stuff.”  Adam pulled me in for another one of his crushing hugs. “I should go.”
“But, you just got here and you haven’t told me about your trip and I want to hear about the ocean.”
He threaded his fingers through my hair. “Morana, I’ll come back.”
The way he held me close wasn’t any different than before he left. We often leaned on one another. He’d put his arm around my shoulder hundreds of times. But the way he looked at me tonight made me think that all the feelings I’d held inside weren’t mistakes. In a way, it made me feel like less of a mistake overall. Perhaps I did hold a purpose. Perhaps I wasn’t the fluke I feared.
Adam pressed his lips to my temple before he half-climbed, half-wiggled out my window. Once outside he stopped to wave goodbye before climbing down the wall and disappeared into the garden.
I let the curtains drop back into place and squealed softly.
Adam was home.
 

$5 Credit at Nook

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Loving Helen by Michele Paige Holmes

From Amazon Top 100 Regency Romance author, Michele Paige Holmes, comes LOVING HELEN, a regency romance from the Hearthfire Romance series. Revisit the characters from SAVING GRACE in this story of Grace’s shy, younger sister.



Eighteen-year-old Helen Thatcher grew up under the protection of her older siblings, Grace and Christopher. Living in their shadows and keeping to herself suited Helen just fine—until she met widower Samuel Preston. Watching Mr. Preston care for his young daughter and seeing his concern extend to her own family, Helen felt her reserve slipping away, as she learned first to trust him and then realized she had fallen in love with him. But instead of returning—or even noticing her affection—Mr. Preston developed his own tender, and unrequited feelings, for Grace.



In the midst of each silently nursing their broken hearts, Helen and Samuel are faced with a daunting task—reuniting Grace with her fiancé, Nicholas Sutherland. Now it is Helen who must look out for her sister and sacrifice her own fragile heart, as she and Samuel pretend to be engaged. Helen finds the role surprisingly easy to play, allowing herself to imagine that Samuel’s loving remarks are sincere. As the time for their charade to end draws near Helen must summon her courage and tell Samuel the truth of her feelings, or risk losing him forever.



My Review:

This author has long been a favorite of mine. Loving Helen was a sweet and well-written romance. I loved how the author reflected Helen's personality in the storyline. You should really read Saving Grace first. I actually preferred that story with the feistier heroine and more conflicted hero, but both books are fabulous.



Find Loving Helen

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iTunes

Three books for $.99

Three of my books are on different promos today and are all $.99. Fun stuff!





***Reality Ever After is available in the boxed set Of Love and Magic***



Pregnant at eighteen, Sydney Richland's happily ever after is in serious peril. Her grandmother's ghost can work miracles, but she also might ruin Sydney's chances with the man of her dreams.



"I love Cami Checketts! Her books never disappoint! This one really hit home for me. I made some choices when I was young that could have easily landed me where Sydney was. Luckily for me, they didn't when I was young and unmarried. However, this story really touched me and I related to it more than I care to admit. I also don't want to spoil the story but I also have faced what she did and felt pain and loss. All around it was an excellent novella and my favorite of the set." Julia Lance, Book Reviewing Rocks



Amazon












Every stage actress wants fans, but what happens when one goes too far?

Emmy has the perfect life--a house on the beach, a successful career headlining the local theater, and love. But when a brutal murder brings unimaginable grief, Emmy's world comes crashing down. As she tries to pick up the pieces, she can't seem to avoid Josh, the new fireman in town.

Emmy does her best to fight the sizzle in her chest when Josh is near. But with the stalker still out there, terrorizing her and those she cares about, she can't fall for anyone--especially Josh, a suspect in the murder investigation.

If Emmy allows a man to get close, it's not just her heart she puts at risk, it's her life.



"Cami Checketts can spin a tale like no other. Love, suspense, thrills, she has it all, and Shadows in the Curtain is no exception. What a thrill ride! I highly recommend this book. 10 stars!!"

Sherry Gammon, author of the Port Fare Series

"Here's the thing. Cami Checketts knows how to write a good book. She knows pacing and tension and love. She brings those things together in such a fabulous way that I literally devour her books. Can't put them down, so bummed when they are over kind of devouring. The characters are real and believable and you connect to them, feel with them.

Cami is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors and I am always so excited when I see she has a new book coming out. This was probably one of my favorites so far. It was a good, clean book and a great diversion for my brain. Yay!" Aimee Brown, Reviewer - Getting Your Read On




 Amazon







Cassidy Christensen is running.

Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents.

Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable.

Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.

With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she'll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them?

A light-hearted and clean romantic suspense, by #1 Bestselling Christian author, Cami Checketts, Dead Running will have you lacing up your running shoes and racing for the sequel, Dying to Run.

"Dead Running was everything I was hoping it would be, captivating, invigorating, and a page turner that I could not, would not, put down! Cami Checketts writes books that will make you think, and make you feel. She captivated me with The Sister Pact, and doesn't lose speed with her newest 'must read', Dead Running."

Sheila DeChantal, Book Reviewer - Book Journey

"Dead Running can make a claim not many mystery/thrillers can, and that is that it is also really funny. I loved everything about the book. There was murder, romance, family bonds, 5K training, humor, good guys, bad guys, and an ending that left room for a sequel."

Vicki, Book Reviewer - I'd Rather Be Reading At The Beach




Amazon * B&N * iTunes * Kobo * Smashwords

Finding clean fiction

Thank you to everyone who requested clean fiction categories be added to Amazon and B&N. It was a huge response and they are responding! 
I found another fabulous way to find the books you want to read. My Book Cave sends an email with free and discounted books. You choose what genres you're interested in, but also can specify language, sensuality, violence, and more. I'm really excited about this one. It's going live in a month. You can go to the site here and enter your email and they will notify you soon to enter the book information you're interested in. 

Thanks!

Clean Romance

Finding clean fiction should be simple as there are many authors who write it, but neither Amazon nor Barnes & Noble have categories for clean fiction. If you are interested in a category that is specifically for clean fiction please send an email to the following links. I've written a sample email below that you are welcome to use.

Thanks,

Cami



Barnes & Noble Contact

Amazon Contact



I'm looking for more clean fiction -- stories that don't include sex as well as clean language and minimal violence. Listings for clean books in romance, suspense, historical, fantasy, and comedy would be wonderful. Thank you very much. ​