Book Cover Contest--You Can Nominate Your Fave!

There is a book cover contest going on and they are accepting nominations right now. It's only for the book cover, not for the author or the story or anything else, so you can go nominate the one that jumps out to you!

There are some really good ones that are eligible in the Historical and Mystery/Suspense category (the books had to be released in 2014) and of course, Ring Around the Rosie is there as a suspense. (But I'm biased. I loved that cover!)  But there are a lot of categories and a lot of beautiful covers. It's going to be a tough choice I think, once it's opened up to voting.

But for now, just go nominate your favorite! They can't win if you don't nominate them!  Click here

Double Book Review

Today I'd like to tell you about two books I've read.

The first one is by Kimberly Krey called Reese's Cowboy Kiss.  It's about a pageant queen named Reese Taylor who survives a traumatic shooting and is put in the Witness Protection Program. (Sort of. It's not like any Witness Protection I've heard of, but she's on a ranch in Montana with a bunch of ranch hands.)  And the owner of the ranch, Blake Emerson, catches Reese's eye immediately.

They are battling their attraction to each other with some fairly steamy kisses, the push/pull of should we/shouldn't we, which was quite enjoyable, actually, when you throw in the ranch hands trying to catch her eye as well, but then the danger finds her and they have to figure out how to keep her safe.

This book had some great tension.  I also enjoyed the setting and description of Montana and the ranch. The "southern/western twangs" got a teensy bit overpowering for me at times, but overall I thought the characterization was well-done.  I even liked the secondary characters of the ranch hands and their antics.  I have to say it was a nice afternoon read and I found out that it's the first in a Sweet Montana Bride series. So, there's more! You can buy your Kindle copy here for $3.99

Here's the back copy:

Texan pageant winner, Reese Taylor, has a former classmate who wants her dead. Now she must leave her friends and family to enter a protection program on Emerson Ranch. A group of good-looking cowboys awaits her, but Reese has her eye on Blake Emerson, the one man too busy with the ranch to give her a chance.

Blake Emerson has no time to go lookin' for love. He's got a ranch to run, positions to fill, and an ache in his heart from love gone wrong. So when he agrees to harbor a witness to help on the ranch, Blake assumes his first two problems are solved. But he never dreamed his new guest would be a woman. One he was destined to lose his heart to.

With sparks burning hot and danger around the bend, one question lingers in his mind: Has he only added to his list of troubles, or has Blake just found the woman of his dreams?

The second book I wanted to tell you about was Drop Zone by Traci Hunter Abramson.  This is a continuation of the Saint Squad series, but they're adding a new member.  Damian Schmitt is the new guy trying to figure out where he fits on the squad exactly, but when his squad deploys without him, he's unsure if he even fits at all.  Paige Vickers is Vanessa Johnson's new administrative assistant and she's hiding secrets of her own about why she left nursing and is deathly afraid of guns.  When the squad goes missing, it comes down to Damian and Paige going undercover to find them before they're captured or killed.  

I thought the story had a solid plot and it was nice to see some of the characters from the other books. I've always liked the team's interaction and the Saint Squad books are my favorites of hers. The one thing that bothered me a teeny bit, though, was that this book had four stories going on simultaneously in really short chapters (what's going on with the squad, Damian and Paige, the bad guys, and Vanessa) so sometimes it seemed really choppy. I would just be getting into the flow when it would suddenly change to another part of the story, so it took a while to get back the flow again, if that makes sense. But I think it's a good addition to the Saint Squad series and the new characters were fun to read about. The tension is high through pretty much the whole book and the ending was definitely sigh-worthy.  You can buy your Kindle copy here for $10.49

Here's the back copy:

Paige Vickers needs a new life, so she’s relieved when she’s given an assignment that takes her away from her stressful position as a psychiatric nurse with the CIA and puts her in a job as administrative assistant for Vanessa Johnson, an instructor for undercover operatives at the CIA’s training facility. At the same time, Damian Schmitt has been transferred to become a part of the Saint Squad—an elite group of Navy SEALs. However, on his first training mission with the team, he is almost killed, and the team suspects that the nearly fatal exercise was no accident. Then tensions accelerate when the rest of the squad is deployed on a secret mission—only to come up missing. When the Saint Squad’s disappearance endangers Paige’s boss, it is up to Paige and Damian to discover what has happened by going undercover to Maracaibo, Venezuela, the city of Damian’s childhood. The shocking twists and turns keep all the members of the team guessing as they push to find out who is responsible for the attacks on the tightly knit Saint Squad.

Nearly Free Friday

Today's Nearly Freebie Friday is a boxed set of three awesome full-length historical novels for only 99 cents! That's 33 cents per story and a steal you won't want to miss. Click here to buy!

Here's the back copy:

EVERY HOPE: A TRIPLE TREAT ROMANCE BOX SET
Three Bestselling Authors, Three Historical Romance Novels, One Great Price

LORD HAVERSHAM TAKES COMMAND, a Regency Romance by Heidi Ashworth

Lord Haversham feels as if he is always running, first from his foolish parents, Lord and Lady Avery, and now as a secret service agent to the young Queen Victoria. Traitors are seeking his life, and Haversham must adapt the façade of a silly fop. Little does he know, this presents danger of a different kind: being found out by the perceptive, sapphire-blue gaze of his childhood love, Miranda Crenshaw. How is he to win her heart without giving away his secret and endangering the life of the Queen?

ILLUMINATIONS OF THE HEART, a Medieval Romance by Joyce DiPastena

Siri de Calendri was trained in the art of illumination in her brother’s workshop in Venice, but when he dies, his will sends her far from home. Siri travels to France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother’s friend, Triston de Brielle. Once settled, she hopes to find employment in an illuminator’s shop— until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss. Triston carries guilt for the death of his wife, making him hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. When he gazes into Siri's face, all he sees is Clothilde. But Siri is determined not to live in another woman’s shadow. She has illuminated many a priceless book with pen and paint, but can her own vibrant spirit illuminate the darkness in Triston’s soul and make his heart beat for her alone?

FOR LOVE AND COUNTRY, a Regency Romance by Elizabeth D. Michaels (pen name of Anita Stansfield)

When Maggie du Woernig willfully ignores her parents’ admonitions and entangles herself with Nik Koenig, she is certain he’s the only man who will make her happy. Blind to Nik’s real intentions, she throws herself recklessly into a situation that could not only destroy her life but compromise the safety of her country. Han Heinrich has resigned himself to working in the castle stables, mostly as an excuse to have contact each day with Maggie. His aspirations for a more fulfilling career seem fruitless, in spite of his father’s position as the duke’s highest advisor. But when Han learns about Maggie’s precarious situation, he is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the woman he loves, and to save the country he would die for. He only hopes that someday Maggie will forgive him.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  

*toasts everyone with sparkling cider*

Here's to a year full of great books, Canadian chocolate, and awesome episodes of my favorite shows.

Oh and some great friends and family times, too!

2014 Is Nearly Over, Can You Believe It?

Can you believe 2014 is nearly over? What an up and down year it has been for me both professionally and personally.  But today I'm choosing to focus on the good things that happened this year.

Professionally

I just found out I made Meridian Magazine reviewer Jennie Hansen's Top Ten Favorite Books of 2014 list.  Woohoo! You can see that list here.

Ring Around the Rosie was nominated for a Whitney Award and a Swoony Award.

From the Ashes was nominated for a Swoony Award.

Pocket Full of Posies won Honorable Mention for Best Suspense

I started a street team (Julie's SWAT Team) and have had a blast getting to know all the people on my team.

I've received some wonderful reviews and fan letters that I keep in a special place to pull out when I need them most.

Personally

My oldest son got married to an incredible woman that I'm so proud to call my daughter!

My oldest daughter earned a Bachelor's degree.

I'm so blessed and grateful to be a mom to eight great children!

And I hope you know how much I appreciate all of your encouragement and comments. Especially to Debra and Jon who have been my blog cheerleaders for a really long time.

Happy New Year! Maybe 2015 be fantastic!

New Year's Eve Eve

Well, I've been getting ready for the Bellon Family New Year's Eve Party today. I am so excited! The board games and movies are ready, the chocolate fountain and stuff to dip in it are purchased.  Chips and dip, homemade cheeseball and crackers, shrimp, sparkling cider, I've got it all! It's going to be a fun-filled and yummy New Year's Eve.

I've also been working on my Goal List for 2015.  I've decided to choose specific goals to work on each month for 2015 instead of just make the same resolutions I made last year.  We'll see how that goes.

What are your New Year's Eve plans? And are you making resolutions this year?

Book Review: Duty

Today's book review is Duty by Rachel Rossano.  I wasn't sure if I would like this book because while it's billed as a medieval historical romance, it also has elements of fantasy in it, and well, the fantasy genre isn't really my thing.  But man, this story sucked me in from the first page, and there's not that much fantasy in it at all, beyond a religious belief system and different names for people and places. (Which I chalked up to the medieval time period, actually.) I really enjoyed this book and read it every chance I got.

We are first introduced to our heroine, Brielle, when she is chosen from a crowd of invaders who are taking over the village and choosing new wives.  This could be a horrifying scene, (and sort of is, but it isn't, you just have to read it!) but the commander in charge, the Earl of Irvaine, is pretty humane about everything.  He's mysterious and brooding, yet definitely honorable.  Which is good, since the King has made a deal with Brielle's treacherous cousin and so Brielle is about to become the Earl of Irvaine's new wife.  Of course, the new couple is immediately thrust into a world of chaos as the new Earl is trying to claim his newly awarded properties, figure out a relationship with his new wife, and he learns the hard way who he can and cannot trust.

I have to say this book was really great with the romance.  It was a nice build between the two of them, with her being more of a warrior to be by her husband's side.  The new Earl of Irvaine wasn't born to nobility, but has worked his way up as a warrior for the king and the Earl is really an awesome hero.  Our heroine is no shrinking violet, either, and holds her own in a world of men and dangerous situations all around her.

I loved the pacing of the book between the swordfights, political intrigue with the king and robber barons, and of course, the romance.  Very well done.  There was a couple loose threads with some secondary characters, but I'm assuming there are going to be more books in the series that will tie those up. The ending was definitely satisfying, though, no cliffhangers here.  I thought the setting was believable, the characters memorable, and I would definitely like to read more of this series!

Here's the back copy:

Duty to King

Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.

Duty to Others

Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?

Duty to Each Other

Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.

You can buy your Kindle copy herefor $4.99