Friday, March 29, 2019

Freebie for YA Romance Fans!


I don't usually read YA Romance, but Dating the It Guy pulled me in and it's free today! If you're looking for a weekend read and love a good YA, this might be the book for you.

(You can see my review of it here.)

You can download your Kindle copy here

Here's the back copy:

Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brendon Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator's son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon's world and it doesn't help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren, seems determined to get back into his life, along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her grandpa's health issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you're dating the it guy.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

My New Tote Bag Design is Here!


I got the first of my Julie Coulter Bellon tote bag designs. I am so thrilled with how well it turned out! It's such a nice size and, well, I think the saying is pretty close to the truth at my house. Haha! If you'd like to order your own book bag, you can click here

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

In the Non-Fiction Corner: Holy As You Are

In the Non-Fiction Corner With Lauren



In the book “Holy As You Are” by Christie Gardiner, the author explores what it means to have a holy life, shows how other people have accomplished this, and gives real life advice on what we can do to feel like we are enough. Her chapters include habits to form to make your life holier, the importance of ministering, having questions (although I believe you can have very few questions about our religion and still be an avid reader) and letting go of the noise and the judgments that clog up our lives from feeling the Spirit. The most eye-opening part of the book for me was Gardiner’s section on excuses. She went through many excuses we have for not doing more, or not leading a holy life. We often say we are too busy. We all have careers, families, callings, we may be too old or too young, but we all have holy ministries to fulfill. The Lord gave us these ministries, even though he knew the limitations we face. This really made me ponder what I can do to give more to The Lord in my everyday life.

In the first few pages, the author spends a couple of paragraphs talking about how she is inadequate to write this book. Do not let this deter you from reading it, as it almost did for me. She has a fun personality and a few really good points in the book. At one point, though, the author is listing some of the things she could struggle with, from family and friends, to what she says is the “biggest villain of all: cultural expectations heaped on Latter-day women.” I felt uncomfortable with this phrasing because, for me, as I am sure it is for the author, being a Latter-saint woman is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Call the biggest villain comparison, or self-doubt, or even Satan himself, but even within the “culture” of the Church I believe that it is our greatest blessing in every way, shape, and form. It is also hard to feel holy as I read about all the women in the author’s life who are seemingly perfect. As a teacher, I will never have the funds to go on five humanitarian trips a year or have a pool in my backyard to teach children with disabilities to swim. While I am grateful for these examples and the good that is in the world, it’s extremely difficult to read lists of people who are always going to be doing more than me and still consider my life “holy as it is.”

I appreciate the author sharing her personal experience and making her book relatable to everyone. I love how much research she put in, especially her use of Church History and current issues facing the church. Her goal was to turn people toward Christ and His Atonement, and I think it does exactly that.


Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway

You can get your copy here

Here is the back copy:

When referenced in the scriptures, the word holy means to “set apart for a sacred purpose.” It is a description all women who seek to follow Christ want to embody—but the struggle between the ideal of a holy life and reality can seem far apart. In Holy As You Are, best-selling author Christie Gardiner seeks to close the gap reminding women of the holy attributes they already possess and how they can accomplish extraordinary ordinary things that will forever change the landscape and heart-scape of their worlds.

With a wealth of spiritual guidance and upbeat wisdom that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, this inspired volume challenges readers to look at their tragedies and triumphs and everything in between as sacred opportunities to choose holiness. What if ordinary is extraordinary? What if you are Holy As You Are?

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Interview with Romance Author Michele Ashman Bell!

I was so excited to have romance author Michele Ashman Bell as our book club guest author this month! She is so sweet in person and has an incredible story of her journey to publishing. It took her eleven years and dozens of rejections, but she hung in there and finally realized her dream. She is amazing.

Michele very graciously answered a few questions for us, including her big announcement!



And in this one she tells us where she gets her ideas . . .



There were a few more questions, and you can see them all over on my Facebook author page. Don't miss finding out if she uses real people as a basis for her characters and when her next book is coming out! Click here to see the rest of the interview

If you haven't checked out Michele's books, you can see a list of them here

Monday, March 25, 2019

Book Deal for Regency Romance Fans!


I really enjoyed this regency romance, The Roses of Feldstone, by Esther Hatch. A sweet afternoon read! (You can see my review of it here)

You can download your .99 cent Kindle copy here

Here's the back copy: 

Standing before Feldstone Manor, site of so many happy memories, Rose Davenport feels nothing but dread. Her family’s annual visit to the stately home was once brightened by her friendship with the earl’s youngest son, William, but everything changed the day his elder brother was disinherited and William became heir to his father’s earldom. From that moment, William made it clear he has no interest in continuing an acquaintance with Rose. Heartbroken, she sets out to prove that she will simply not be ignored—or outdone—by the arrogant future lord of the manor. When his elder brother marries for love, William’s entire life changes in an instant. He does not have the same option to marry whom he chooses, and he must let go of the feelings he has harbored for his dear friend, Rose. He steels himself against her annual visits, determined to keep his feelings for her a secret. But when he makes the hasty promise to marry within six months, he never dreams that his actions will lead Rose to impulsively undertake the same challenge.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Steve's Journal After the Dissident Artist Case

This is just for fun, for my McRoll fan friends.

Steve's Journal after the Dissident Artist Case


Had to call one of Joe’s contacts in Nicaragua today for a case we were working on. I met him once, back on a SEAL mission. Nice guy, dedicated to the job. He didn’t ask a lot of questions, just contacted his people.
While we were waiting for confirmation on the intel I needed, he mentioned that he’d heard Cath had broken up a Libyan arms deal and had won some serious respect from her superiors. I was surprised to hear her name come up, but not that she was in Libya. Part of me wanted to be there with her. I know she doesn’t need my protection, but I think I’ll always want to make sure she's safe. I kept it casual on the phone, told the guy that was good to hear. I really wanted to ask questions, though, to know more about what the mission was and if there had been any casualties. Had she been injured at all? Where was she now? But I knew if I asked the answers wouldn’t be good enough and I’d want to contact her and see for myself. I can’t do that. Not right now. So I hung up and tried to focus on my case, using the intel I'd gotten to find the dissident and bring her in. I feel bad I was a little short with Jerry when he was trying to load the link we'd gotten, but it wasn’t about him. It was about wanting to be in my office, tracking down Cath to talk to her. Listen to her laugh. Make sure she was good. I got it together, though, and stayed late arranging asylum for the Nicaraguan woman and her grandma. If I couldn’t make sure Cath was safe, I’d make sure I’d do what I could for someone who needed my help. Okay, yeah, I took out my phone a thousand times and thought hard about getting in touch, but in the end I never dialed. As soon as I could I took an extra long swim, pounding the surf until I was tired enough to lock away any worries I have for Cath into the corner of my mind. It took a lot longer than usual.

I put on my blue shirt afterward. It helps me feel close to her since it was one of her favorites of mine to wear. Sometimes I think I can even smell her shampoo scent on my collar.

I miss her. 



Bestselling Romantic Suspense Sale!

Have you read my bestselling romantic suspense novel, The Capture yet? It was a Whitney Award finalist for Best Suspense and it's on sale today for only .99 cents! Get your copy here


Thursday, March 21, 2019

In the Non-Fiction Corner: The Five Legends (And a $100 Givewaway!)

In the Non-Fiction Corner With Lauren 

The Five Legends by the Anasazi Foundation is a quick read packed full of many powerful insights. The interest in Native American studies is growing as many people explore their own family history or try to preserve the culture of this group of people. I know that my own family is proud of our Native American history, so I absolutely loved reading this book that helped share a few legends and stories that are actually very applicable to our world today.

The book begins with two brothers who are at odds with each other and cannot get along. As one brother becomes leader of the tribe, the other gets upset and takes a group of followers to live on the other side of the canyon. The two groups become hateful towards each other, except for the boys’ mother, whose dying wish is to see her son again. The first son goes to the other side of the canyon to bring back his brother to see his mom one last time. When he arrives, the brothers become trapped inside the canyon, lost, still bitter toward one another, and their only help is a strange old man who loves to tell stories. Their journey home can teach us all how to heal divided hearts and change ourselves without trying to change others.

The entire book was beautiful and extremely well-written, but my favorite part was when the brothers’ new friend is talking about how a community or family is much stronger when we focus on the WE rather than the ME. We may not want to change because we feel like we are not in the wrong and that the other person will never change. However, the only person we have control of is ourselves, and as we give those around us a different ME to react to, they may want to change for themselves. I loved that this book gives real advice through beautiful legends that can truly make our lives happier as we think less often of ourselves and see what we can do to help others.

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

You can get your copy here



Here's the back copy:

Drawing on 30 years of helping families, this profound fable by the Anasazi Foundation illustrates the true anguish of conflict and explains how we can end war within ourselves, within our families, and even between nations.


Created in 1988 by renowned wilderness pioneers Larry D. Olsen and Ezekiel C. Sanchez (a Totonac Indian whose native name is Good Buffalo Eagle), the Anasazi Foundation invites young people, through a primitive living experience, to effect a change of heart. For over thirty years, their teachings have helped families begin anew and walk in harmony in the wilderness of the world.


Inspired by their wisdom, this book tells the story of two brothers whose warring hearts threaten to destroy their lives and their community. Trapped in a canyon, the two brothers are rescued by a mysterious old man who perceives their need for peace. He offers to guide them home -- inviting them to open their hearts toward a New Beginning. When they agree, he teaches them the five legends of peace. And as they walk forward, they learn that we are free to create peace in our own lives--and how to do it. This discovery saves not only the brothers but ultimately their people. This poetic narrative offers us all a hopeful way out of the canyons of war, leaving behind the warring within.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Book Review and Giveaway!


I was interested to read debut author's Paige Edwards' new romantic suspense Catherine's Intrigue because the back copy looked, well, intriguing! And the story lived up to the title!

We are introduced to Catherine Pressley-Coombes when she travels to England and is looking for one of her ancestors. Her brother lets her drive his sports car and she isn't used to the driving rules in England and accidentally ends up in a ditch. A nice farmer comes along and tows them out, but he turns out to be the heir to an earldom and very attracted to Catherine. She feels a connection, too, but there are conspiracies afoot as someone does not want Catherine to find her ancestor and will do anything to stop her. Can Catherine and Nick work together to uncover secrets long buried and take a chance on love?

I really enjoyed the way the author used authentic British terms and, being a Canadian myself, saw many familiar ones. Like a little bit of home in a book! Our heroine, Catherine, is strong, yet vulnerable, and is always trying to do the right thing. I liked her realistic interactions with her brother and how she was knowledgable, yet humble. She was easy to relate to and readers will cheer for her to get her happy ending. Nick was a dreamy hero, who had just the right balance of charm and integrity. He's got a lot on his plate, combined with his position in the nobility and community, but he handles it well, most of the time. He is flawed, but a sweet and swoonworthy hero.

The secondary cast was drawn well, even the villains, which adds depth to the plot and ramps up the suspense. This is an LDS romance and the religious practices are featured prominently in the story. There were a lot of POVs and characters to keep straight, but I thought the author handled a complicated suspense plot and realistically intertwined it with the romance. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

Get your copy here

Here's the back copy:


To fulfill her mother's last request, twenty-four-year-old historic design specialist Catherine Pressley-Coombes travels to England in order to investigate an elusive family line. Armed with an illegible diary, she is determined to discover the identity of her mysterious ancestress. Distracted by an Elizabethan manor and unused to British country roads, Catherine runs her car into a ditch. Luckily, Nick Davidson, a handsome, hard-working local rides in on his tractor to save the day. As the down-to-earth manager of his family's estate, Nick also happens to be one of England's most eligible aristocrats.

Nick is certainly not the kind of man Catherine would fall for a man dogged by media and rumor. So why does she find the English lord so irresistible? Even though she can't overlook their differing values and beliefs, as she and Nick spend time together, their attraction deepens. While she battles through romantic turmoil, Catherine is beleaguered with far more sinister concerns: a series of unexplainable misfortunes that are not mere accidents. With her heart on the line, Catherine discovers her life is in jeopardy, and she has no idea who the perpetrator is but she has a growing suspicion that the danger might be connected to whatever secrets lie hidden in her ancestor's diary.



Blog Tour Schedule:

*March 18th: https://brightlystreet.com/, https://thekeeledeal.com/, http://mybookaday.com/, https://www.wishfulendings.com/, https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/

*March 19th: http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/

*March 20th: https://rachellechristensen.com, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/

*March 21st: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/

*March 22nd: https://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Sarah Eden Historical Romance Sale! Don't Miss This One!


I loved Sarah Eden's Hope Springs series and I was definitely Team Tavish. Love Remains is Tavish's story and it is on sale today for only $1.99! If you love historical romance, you'll want to pick this one up! (You can see my review of it here) You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll want to go back and read all the good parts again.

Get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

For nearly a year, Tavish O’Connor has carried the crushing weight of his family’s future on his shoulders. He has taken on the care of his youngest brother, Finbarr, who lost his eyesight in a terrible accident. But the lad needs more than Tavish can provide. Finbarr needs hope.

Cecily Attwater specializes in hope. As a tutor to the newly blind, she has dedicated her life to helping others overcome the obstacles she herself has conquered. Her new assignment in a remote corner of Wyoming proves trickier than usual: Finbarr refuses to learn. To make matters worse, his family—and the other Irish townspeople—are less than thrilled to discover an Englishwoman in their haven.

Cecily’s only hope lies in securing the cooperation of her pupil’s brother, Tavish, who happens to be her harshest critic and quite possibly the most frustrating man she’s ever known.

For Finbarr’s sake, Tavish and Cecily forge an uneasy alliance that, as the weeks pass, tiptoes toward something deeper than either dares admit or face, and toward a future they know to be impossible. There can be no hope of a happy outcome for an Irish man and an English woman amongst a people reeling from violence and centuries of hatred between their two homelands.

Other Books in the Hope Springs Series:

Longing for Home
Hope Springs
My Dearest Love



Monday, March 18, 2019

Hawaii Five-0 Recap & Review: The One With a Lot of Talking & A Shirt Thief

I got a little behind for the last few Hawaii Five-0 reviews, so I'm hoping to catch up this week. Honestly, you didn't miss much. This one was a bit on the boring side for me.

This one starts out with Junior helping his dad repair that deck. (It's a pretty small deck, but they've been working on it for a really long time.) The dad is listening to some musical theater and reminiscing about how he joined chorus to meet Junior's mom. *yawn* The dad then finds his daughter's old bracelet beneath a board and just shoves it in his pocket. Junior gets a call and has to leave. (Please let this episode get better.)

Steve and Junior arrive at the crime scene of a window washer who fell to his death. Duke gives them the rundown that the dead window washer's (DWW) rigging was cut and all he had in his pocket was a set of keys. Tani finds out the company that was on the guy's shirt is a fake. They stand around speculating that maybe he saw something he shouldn't have or maybe someone had a beef and made it look like an accident. Just what was the guy doing up there? (And why is an elite task force taking this case? Poor incompetent HPD)

Back at the Chatting Table the keys in the DWW's hand matched the keys to a van parked nearby registered to James Cooper. James is a corporate consultant based out of Miami, who hasn't been there for a year and doesn't have a local address. Grover says he's been to Boston, Atlanta, London and Costa Rica recently, but maybe since he's a consultant he's meeting with clients or you know, casing places for a robbery. Steve tells Junior to check the tenants of the building to see who would be obvious targets and to ask HPD robbery if there have been any high end burglaries.

Tani calls and she's on the roof of the building where DWW fell. Jerry has a crime scene modeling drone and since the roof is made of white membrane, they can distinguish footprints. Oh, and there's fresh shell casings up there, too, from two different guns. They 3-D map the roof and lift off the maintenance man footprints and match the victim's. Looks like DWW was on the roof when two shooters open fire so he runs to his rig and goes over the edge, but the attackers cut the rig line. Then the team sees a smaller, probably female, set of prints. She got away using the fire escape so they have a witness to the crime that they need to find before the killers get to her, too.

Back at the M.E. office, we get the rundown on DWW. He had a non-fatal bullet wound to his shoulder and end stage bladder cancer. Also, his fingerprints were burned off with acid. Ew. Jump back to the Chatting Table, where Jerry has cloned the garage door clicker in DWW's glove box and narrowed the search area to a half mile radius. Tunior and Jerry are going to help HPD with the canvass. (Seriously can we blow something up? Have a chase scene? Anything but more talking.)

Adam calls Grover and he needs help with a body. Good. (Maybe his case can be more exciting than the DWW!) But no. It's just a shirtless man who has been strangled to death. He's still got his slacks and shoes on, but his wallet is gone. Grover randomly finds a bamboo button near the body so they go to an aloha shirt shop where the owner tells them it came off a vintage 1950s royal Hawaiian shirt worth a couple grand. So, to amp up the excitement, they're going to wait and see if the perp shows up at the store to try and unload it. (If you drink caffeinated beverages, go get one right now to get you through the rest of the ep.)

Tunior are driving around pointing the clicker at different garages. Since Junior is quiet, Tani starts asking him what's wrong. Junior tells her about finding his sister's bracelet that she lost when she was ten and how his dad never cried after she died. Tani is all, wow, someone who shares your DNA doesn't want to share his feelings? Then they sort of awkwardly laugh. But then they find out that  Pua found the right garage and they head over there. He's been guarding it since the female might still be in there. Tunior moves in and set off a paintball booby trap. (It's probably the most exciting thing that happens this episode.) They find a bunch of painting supplies, stencils, exacto knives and art. DWW was a graffiti artist. So they call in Hirsch who identifies DWW from a panda motif. He is none other than the anonymous, and yet legendary, street artist Brickz. Tunior doesn't know who that is, but it's one of the top street artists in the world (who is apparently rich. Who knew there was money in that?) and it's even more awesome because no one knows who he is except his art dealer Sterling Jacobs. Back at the Chatting Table AGAIN we get the rundown on Brickz pieces that started appearing in Honolulu, but as soon as they went up, they got defaced with horrible sayings like Haole Go Home. Hirsch tells them that crossing out someone's work is basically a death threat, so if they find out who defaced the art, they'll find the killer. So, Hirsch goes with Tani and he uses the stencils from the warehouse to make a Brickz piece and watch it after Hirsch puts the image on his Instagram.  (Is watching paint dry the symbolism for this ep?)

Back to the stolen shirt story. A guy comes in with the shirt wanting to know how much he can get for it and Grover shows him his badge and says 30 to life. The ShirtThief immediately caves and says the ShirtlessGuy was already dead when he stole his clothing. Apparently, they were both at a poker game and ShirtlessGuy won twenty grand and was bragging about how much his shirt was worth before he headed home. ShirtThief went out the back and found Shirtless Guy dead, his roll already gone, so ShirtThief decided to just take what he could get. Yuck.

Jerry is trying to get past the encryption and Junior finds some pictures that could help identify the mysterious female.

Tani and Hirsch are waiting for the defacers and Hirsch is droning on about how he's not talented, he's just a good forger who wasn't happy no matter how many people he fooled, he was just a phony. Now that he cleans up crime scenes, though, he can look at himself in the mirror every day. Two goofy guys come along and start spray painting the graffiti. Tani sends HPD in, but as usual, they can't catch a cold, so Tani has to run one guy down and clothesline him, while Hirsch whacks the other one with a baton. Tani questions them and they said they got paid really well to deface the Brickz art with paint that washes off. Oh, and the guy who paid them was Sterling Jacobs. Good old Sterling knows his client is going to die soon, and that the art will skyrocket after his death, so he's taking them off the market. Maybe Brickz found out about it and things got heated and Sterling killed his client. Steve and Tani head over to Sterling's rental house (yay, a Steve in the field scene!) Unfortunately, Sterling is dead and has been gruesomely tortured with burns and torn out fingernails. The killers were obviously after Brickz' identity.

They finally get an ID on the female who was on the roof with DWW. She's a Nicaraguan national wanted for terrorism named Teresa Estrada. Jerry is able to break into the encryption on the computer using a homemade fingerprint from the keyboard and they all stand around the Chatting Table AGAIN and watch a video of Teresa talking about her son being kidnapped from his dorm and murdered for his political views. Good old Brickz wanted the world to hear Teresa's story, so they were making a documentary about her since she's a dissident artist who makes street art in Nicaragua to protest the government and carry on the fight of her son. She's made some powerful enemies, including Arturo Grenara, a top official in the Nicaraguan Directorate of Intelligence Affairs who wants to be president. It looks like Brickz went to Costa Rica, right next door to Nicaragua, and smuggled her out of the country, so Grenara had to send a team out to Hawaii to track her down. Tani asks why the strike team didn't just take Teresa out on the roof, but Steve thinks Grenara wants to bring her in alive to discredit and diminish her with a show trial, or a long slow death in a dark cell. They still have a chance to intercept her before they take her off Oahu, so Steve calls on Joe White's agency friend down in Nicaragua.

Adam and Grover go to the poker game, show their badges and flash ShirtlessGuy's picture. His name was Earl Whittaker, and he cheated on his taxes, always bragged about not claiming his winnings and wasn't faithful to his ex-wife or girlfriend. (Get some toothpicks in case you need to prop your eyelids open.)

The CIA intercepted a live video signal transmitting from Oahu to Directorate of Intelligence offices and it's the remote interrogation of Teresa! The strike team knew every cop on the island was after Teresa so they decided to play it safe, get her confession now, and then kill her. Teresa's talking about her guilt and crimes in a coerced testimony with guns pointed at her head. Tani notices some art on the wall behind her, Hirsch identifies it as a prominent local artist's work, and they find out who bought that piece and head over to the house. We get to see and hear the short gunfight during Teresa's questioning and Tani leading her away. Grenara asks who are you and Steve leans down into the camera and says, Five-0, case dismissed. Burn!

Grover and Adam go to Earl's ex-wife's house. Looks like she received a text around her ex's time of death and bribed the dealer of the poker game to let her know if Earl started winning big. She says she was home last night, but they want to talk to her boyfriend. She says she hasn't seen him, (she's a terrible liar) and the idiot boyfriend loudly breaks a window in the back and Adam catches and cuffs him.

Hirsch meets Tani at shrimp truck, though it's not a date. Tani tells him Teresa is getting asylum along with her grandma. Oh and Brickz left a chunk of money to start a foundation for dissident artists and Tani put Hirsch's name in as someone who could run it. Hirsch is surprised, but Tani gives him a pep talk that he can do this. Hirsch says that if this isn't a date can we plan one for tomorrow?  *groan*

We end back at Junior's dad's house. Dad is in his little girl's old room staring at the bracelet and remembering how happy she was when he gave it to her. Her voice echoes saying Love you so much daddy. Dad has been drinking and is emotional and crying when Junior comes in and helps him to his bedroom. Junior tenderly takes off dad's prosthetic leg and tells him "I got you, Dad." Dad cries on Junior's shoulder and they hug. Sad!

Not a lot of action in this one and a lot of talking. But a good end scene and Steve did appear in tac gear. What did you think? Did you watch?


Saturday, March 16, 2019

Have You Entered to Win $100?



$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

It’s time for another $100 Giveaway!! Just think how many books you could buy with $100! Or maybe you need a new Kindle! Or maybe you want to try Kindle Unlimited! Or maybe you want to buy a gift for someone! Or maybe you just need an extra $100! I’m excited to bring you another $100 giveaway sponsored by an AWESOME group of authors who write clean romance. Who do you recognize on this sponsor list? Which authors are new to you?


Giveaway Details

One winner will be awarded $100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon Gift Code! The winning entry will be verified! Make sure you actually subscribe and confirm your entries so you don’t get disqualified. If you already subscribe to an author’s newsletter you can, of course, claim the entry! Ends 4/10/19
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 MAY BE CHOSEN. THIS GIVEAWAY IS IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, RAFFLECOPTER, AMAZON, PAYPAL OR ANY OTHER ENTITY UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE ENTRIES RECEIVED DETERMINES THE ODDS OF WINNING. THE GIVEAWAY WAS ORGANIZED BY KATHY FROM I AM A READER/CLEAN WHOLESOME ROMANCE AND SPONSORED BY THE PARTICIPATING AUTHORS. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Enter the $100 Giveaway via the rafflecopter.

Friday, March 15, 2019

Griffin Force Has An Emblem and Motto! Official Reveal!

I am so excited to reveal my Griffin Force emblem and motto! Thank you to everyone who voted.

*drum roll*
Pro Libertate is Latin for "For Freedom" and is so appropriate for the Griffin Force who travels all over the world in the cause of freedom. I really think the emblem captures the essence of the task force as well and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

What do you think?

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Movie Review of Jane and Emma With a $50 Giveaway!


I was excited to see this movie since it has received so many great reviews. Jane and Emma is based on the relationship between Sister Jane Manning, one of the first black Mormons, and Emma Smith, wife to the prophet Joseph. It's a fictionalized depiction of the night after Joseph Smith is murdered and Jane and Emma are watching over the body, sharing their grief. The actress who plays Jane, Danielle Deadwyler, gives a powerful and believable performance as Jane. I could feel her emotions as she faced so much trial and hardship in her search for truth and peace. I wanted to know more about her life and wished the film had delved deeper into the events that shaped her incredible faith. The music of the film was also extremely well-done. I thought the film provided a lot of opportunity for discussions on social issues that we still face today and has an inspiring message. Definitely a film for every library.

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

You can get your copy here

Here's the movie synopsis:

JANE & EMMA is based on the life of Sister Jane Manning, one of the first black Mormons. She returns to Nauvoo to find that Joseph Smith, her prophet and friend, has been assassinated. Jane spends a ceaseless night with his widow, Emma Smith, sitting watch over the body of the prophet as a whirlwind of loss and confusion leaves them wondering how either one of them will be able to move forward. Through the long night, Jane wonders if the prophet’s promise to extend the blessings of eternity to her has died along with him. The film explores the possible events of that night, including Jane’s endeavor to remain amongst the Mormon people and Emma’s struggle to cope with her heartbreaking loss. Poignant issues of racism and polygamy threaten to break their bond of friendship. In the end, will Jane and Emma have the courage to follow the path each believes they must take?

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Book Review and a Giveaway!


Traci Hunter Abramson has another suspense novel out in her Guardian series called Sanctuary. This one is a second chance romance for an older couple (Ace is in his 40s. Is that older?) Anyway, Ace comes back after twenty years of letting the woman he loved think he was dead. And he definitely gets a mixed reaction.

Kristi Hartinger hasn't had the life she once dreamed of.  The one person she ever truly loved, Ace Samson, dies at twenty and she's mourned him all these years later. Retreating to family property in Maine, she's trying to live a simpler life---until Ace shows up at her door. He wants to offer her a job with the Guardians, but she's stunned and hurt that he's let her think he was dead for twenty years. But things start to heat up when Kristi's life is threatened. There are a lot of twists and turns to this one as to what is really going on and you will definitely be kept guessing! While Ace does have to save her life several times, Kristi isn't a damsel in distress. She's a complex character that readers will relate to. I thought the pacing was great, and the characters three-dimensional, but Samson the dog definitely stole the show. I also loved the setting of this one and the author does a great job of making you feel like you are there. (Now I want to visit Maine someday and see some of the things described.) But this is definitely a suspense book that will be hard to put down, so clear your schedule!

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

You can get your copy here


Here's the back copy:

Kristi Hartinger has come to terms with her life as a single, thirty-something woman. She was in love . . . once. But following her boyfriend's tragic death, no one else could capture her heart. And nothing else could fill that void, though the serenity of the ocean came close. Two years ago, Kristi left the craziness of her Wall Street career behind and embraced a simpler life on her family's private island off the coast of Maine. As a resident of the small beach community, she anticipates a quiet future until she comes face-to-face with her past.

Ace Samson is dead, or so the world believes. As a member of a secret organization known as the guardians, he was forced to fake his death years ago, leaving everything behind when he became an agent. So when he is selected to offer a potential new recruit a job with the organization, Ace braces himself: for the first time in more than a decade, he must face the woman he loved and left.

Kristi's world is rocked by Ace's sudden reappearance, and she's soon drawn into his world of danger and cover-up. But when Kristi herself becomes a target, Ace will do whatever it takes to protect the only woman he has ever loved.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

A $100 Giveaway! Don't Miss This One!

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

It’s time for another $100 Giveaway!! Just think how many books you could buy with $100! Or maybe you need a new Kindle! Or maybe you want to try Kindle Unlimited! Or maybe you want to buy a gift for someone! Or maybe you just need an extra $100! I’m excited to bring you another $100 giveaway sponsored by an AWESOME group of authors who write clean romance.  

Tina Dee   

Giveaway Details

One winner will be awarded $100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon Gift Code! The winning entry will be verified! Make sure you actually subscribe and confirm your entries so you don’t get disqualified. If you already subscribe to an author’s newsletter you can, of course, claim the entry! Ends 4/10/19
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 MAY BE CHOSEN. THIS GIVEAWAY IS IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, RAFFLECOPTER, AMAZON, PAYPAL OR ANY OTHER ENTITY UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE ENTRIES RECEIVED DETERMINES THE ODDS OF WINNING. THE GIVEAWAY WAS ORGANIZED BY KATHY FROM CLEAN WHOLESOME ROMANCE AND SPONSORED BY THE PARTICIPATING AUTHORS. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Enter the $100 Giveaway via the rafflecopter.

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Spotlight on Kimberley Montpetit, A Book Deal And A Giveaway!



 

The Fiance's Secret by Kimberley Montpetit He's a successful entrepreneur who almost has it all. She's the long-ago crush—the girl who got away. When they meet again, fireworks explode once more. But will a buried secret steal their second chance at a happy ending? Troy Thurlow let the girl of his dreams get away fourteen years ago, back when he was a high school football star. Now he’s a highly successful executive with a life most people only dream of. Still, he's never stopped thinking about Jasmine, and wondering what would have happened if he'd ever had the courage to ask her on a date. When he meets her by chance on a New York business trip, he's determined to take this second opportunity and run with it. That is, if his past doesn't catch up with him first . . . Jasmine Cervantes does “happily ever after” for a living, arranging dream-destination honeymoons for the fabulously rich and famous. But, so far, her own fairy-tale ending has eluded her. That is, until the boy she couldn’t stop dreaming about in high school barges unexpectedly into her office one day. When the two start a whirlwind romance they begin to see that fate is giving them a helping hand. Until Jasmine ends up on Italy’s most romantic coast without him. Missing him desperately, she begins to believe that Troy is truly “the one.” But he's hiding something that could change everything . . .


 




    

5 stars! LOVED THIS ONE! I ended up binge reading it until I could barely keep my eyes open but it was totally worth it! This book pulled at my heartstrings. I loved how the characters were developed so that I could clearly feel their emotions. This book was clean but still involved passion and I appreciate that. I loved every second. Love, love, loved this book!!!!! If you want a book that will leave you feeling happy, satisfied, and so much more then read this book.

   

 



When she was in Paris, Kimberley Montpetit spent most of her souvenir money at the La Patisserie shops with their beautiful and delicious pastries. She grew up in the fabulous city of San Francisco, loves all things chocolate, and now lives in a small town along the Rio Grande with her engineer husband and three sons. She once stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland and didn't sleep a wink, sailed the Seine in Paris, rode a camel in the ancient world wonder of Petra, shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria. Kimberley also writes Award-winning Middle-Grade novels with Scholastic and epic Young Adult novels with Harpercollins under the name, Kimberley Griffiths Little.

 


 

Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/28/19 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. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   

Romance Spotlight on Crystal Walton and a Giveaway!


 

Begin Again by Crystal Walton A 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Award Winner & Kindle Book Review Award Semi-finalist. Escape to the beach and enjoy a laugh-out-loud clean romance. What happens when a free-spirited artist from big-city New York collides with an uptight business owner from small-town Ocracoke? Fireworks. The kind neither saw coming. A single call is all it takes to drive artist Ti Russo into what she does best. Run. But hey, lying low in a beach town for a while isn’t so bad. Thanks to the distraction of playing consultant to a guy she’s determined to crack, she can almost forget about the past stalking her back home. But she never counted on the real danger being a picket-fenced life she has no business falling for. Focus and self-preservation have gotten single dad Drew Anderson through the last nine years. With the threat of his shop’s foreclosure jeopardizing his daughter’s health care, the last thing he needs is a distracting hippie chick swooping in to shake up what he’s fought to protect. Including himself. The bank’s deadline adds enough pressure without re-risking feelings better left buried. But as sparks flare and secrets escalate, the race against time propels Ti and Drew into a choice neither’s ready to make: Find the faith to surrender their past or forfeit their only chance to begin again. Download Begin Again and escape into a sparks-flying, opposites-attract contemporary clean romance full of small-town charm, broken characters, and deep undertones of grace that’ll win your heart. For fans of Gilmore Girls, you’ll love Drew and Ti’s sparring relationship, along with Begin Again’s small-town setting, quirky characters, and family bonds.

  

 

 

A 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Award Winner & Kindle Book Review Award Semi-finalist. "Love, Love, Loved spunky Ti and the banter between her and Drew. I didn't want to stop reading. Great character development and the characters are engaging and interesting." - Amazon Review "This book was well written, the characters were relatable and refreshing and the plot flowed quickly...Grab this book and her others and be prepared to be wowed! You will quickly discover that you have found a hidden gem of an author!" - Nerd Girl Official "The prose is excellent and her narrative voice so powerful and clear that it will have readers hooked throughout the entire ride. This is a character-driven story that will have you entertained, reminding you of some of the finest emotions you have experienced." - Readers' Favorite



Author Crystal Walton Crystal received her bachelor of arts from Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in upstate NY, and earned her master of arts from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides with her husband, David and son, Ryder. She writes modern clean romances with humor, broken characters, and emotional plots full of grace and hope. Her popular Home In You series includes Write Me Home, a 2017 RONE Award finalist, and Begin Again, a 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Award winner. When her hands aren't full with her very active, little blue-eyed hero, she's delving into the wonder of words, supporting her Starbucks habit, or laughing over movie quotes with her husband.




 

 


 

Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/27/19 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. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.