The Festival of Trees Was Amazing!

My daughter got to perform with her dance team in a charity event called the Festival of Trees so we went to support her and the event as a family. I'd never been to the festival before and I was completely blown away.

An entire expo center is filled with donated and uniquely decorated Christmas trees. Each tree has a story, some of them are in memory of a family member that passed away, some are themed with princesses, Marvel characters, the Grinch, you name it! Each tree was so fantastic and beautiful. I was so surprised at how much time and effort had to go into decorating something like that. In the video, you can see a Santa figure climbing the ladder! There were so many little details like that, showing off the creativity of those who put it all together.

The trees are then auctioned off and the money is donated to the children at Primary Children's Hospital. It's such a worthy cause and we had so much fun walking around and looking at all the incredible trees. They also had Santa available for pictures, sweet shops, and gingerbread masterpieces to look at as well. I know I'll be going back next year!

Do you have charity events like that where you live?

Taylor Hart's New Christmas Romance Only .99 Cents Today!

  

  How much would you bet on true love this Christmas season? After the worst year of his life, Cameron Cruz, owner of the Denver Storm, agrees to a family Christmas cruise with his twin sister and her family. Sure, maybe part of the reason he agreed to go was because it got him out of court mandated therapy for a week. Still, he was trying to focus on relaxing. He was trying to focus on having fun. He was trying not to look at the reports that came everyday from the private investigator's he'd been hiring and firing for the past year to bring justice to the man who killed his wife. 

Isabel Kind was only on this Christmas cruise for one reason--to heal. After tragically losing her husband and son five years ago, she'd been stuck. And she and her therapist thought doing the list of excursions they'd planned to do as a family--might help her move on. When she sprains her ankle and Cameron Cruz offers to help her, she finds herself accepting. After reluctantly getting piggy backed around by the amazingly strong and handsome man, swimming with the sting rays, and zip lining through the Honduran jungles, she is more and more mystified by this troubled man. Even more mystified that he's not only helping her physically but he's also trying to help her emotionally--even if, as he says, he can't heal himself. When bad news comes to light and Cameron has to face the past, they are left with a choice--walk away or let the power of grace make them whole.

Grab your copy for just 99 cents today!

Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

  Praise for The Midnight Groom Grief is real and hard. Taylor Heart does a beautiful job of honoring that pain while showing us Cameron's way through it. Their story is beautiful with just the right amount of laughter and hope and, as always, grace. A perfect read when you want to cuddle up with a story that will fill you with peace. The Midnight Groom is a wonderfully entertaining love story that will inspire you to be a better person! I thought the struggle and the healing felt real. This book was a roller coaster ride for my emotions.

When You're Alone With Your Book

As a mother of eight children, I am rarely alone, but when I am, it really is a giddy feeling! Haha! Can anyone else relate?

Cyber Monday Deals for Romantic Suspense and Regency Fans!

Two newly released books (they just barely came out!) that I really enjoyed and could hardly put down are on sale today only for $1.99!

 

The Gem Thief is full of intrigue and romance and is set in exotic locations that will make you feel like you're right there with the characters! I loved this one!

Here's the back copy:

Gracie Miller is a small-town girl who has landed her dream job in New York City. As jewelry designer for one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world, she completed a particularly stunning piece, a custom setting for a large diamond. But when her billionaire client Mrs. Katsaros comes to have a minor issue with the setting repaired, Gracie is horrified to realize it is not the ring she created. Someone has forged her design, and the priceless diamond is gone.

Mrs. Katsaros has no desire to bring media attention to the jewelry heist, so she recruits her nephew, Quinn, and his FBI agent friend, Steve, to do some sleuthing off the record. When they discover that the missing ring is just one of many forgeries in the widow’s collection, they look to Gracie for help. They need her to act the part of Quinn’s fiancée. From the lights of New York to the shimmering islands of the Mediterranean, Gracie is swept into a thrilling hunt. But amid the search for the elusive thief, she and Quinn find themselves increasingly distracted by their growing feelings for each other. What neither realizes is how close the danger lies and how serious the vendetta is—because, apparently, it is worth killing for.

You can get your sale copy here

The Truth About Miss Ashbourne is such a sweet story of rags to riches with a swoon-worthy hero and a heroine that will have you rooting for her to get her happily ever after. It was so good!

Here's the back copy:

Governess Juliana Ashbourne has dreams reaching far beyond the confines of her current position, hoping to someday establish her own school for girls. When she inherits a fortune from her late grandfather, she is shocked to learn that "someday" may soon be within reach. However, there is one condition: she must spend a month at the estate of Havenfield--with the very family who disowned her mother. Intent on securing the money she needs to start her school, Juliana accepts the invitation, vowing to guard her heart against those who shunned her all her life.

But Havenfield is far from what she expects. She discovers a grandmother seeking forgiveness, a cold and disapproving aunt, and a painfully shy cousin. And then there is Mr. William Rowley. Though the heir to the estate is a merciless tease, Juliana finds in him a friend and confidant--and perhaps something more. As she struggles to make sense of her new place in the world, her stubborn independence clashes with a yearning to belong and the even more confusing desires of her heart.

You can get your sale copy here

You won't want to miss this deal!

New Christmas Romance & A $50 Giveaway!

Taylor Dean has a new book out!

 

Violin Words by Taylor Dean 

WHO IS THE AUTHOR? When Jade Lockwood begins to receive anonymous love letters, she becomes a woman on a mission. She’s determined to figure out who wrote the flowery, over-the-top letters filled with the sweetest violin words she’s ever heard. She’s neglected her love life, concentrating on Lockwood Cabins, the business her father built from the ground up. But her sweet letters have awakened something inside of her, something that can’t be ignored. Facing Christmas alone this year, her emotions are already fragile. Add in a mysterious burglary, a handsome stranger, and a little deceit, and it just might be the most eventful Christmas she’s ever endured. Will Jade find her happy ending? Or will her love letters prove to be nothing more than a sinister ploy? Find out in this charming Christmas novel. 

Get your copy on Amazon

Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

 

Praise: Don’t miss this fun, perfect holiday read by a master storyteller! -Mylissa Demeyere, Author of The Songs of You and Me and The Songs that Brought Me Back

 A sweet, heartwarming romance with a twist of mystery and suspense, all wrapped up in Christmas magic that makes this one hard to put down. -Charissa Stastny, Author of The Ruled Out Romance Series

 

Excerpt:

You are in my heart, Jade, and you always will be. You’ve had a profound effect upon my life. Just the knowledge of your existence renews my faith in the human experience. There is joy in this world. And you are it. ME SIGNED ME. THAT’S it. Just Me. I have no idea who Me is. Wondering about The Author of my flowery, over-the-top letter consumes my thoughts. I can hardly think of anything else. As I sit at my desk—reading the letter when I should be tackling mounds of paperwork—I can’t help but sigh. The letter fills me with a warm sensation, a feeling as though my heart is about to explode. I’m addicted to reading it. Over and over again.   Excerpt #2: I have no clue whatsoever as to The Author of the one and only love letter I’ve ever received. I’ve neglected my love life, giving all of my attention to Lockwood Cabins. Now I realize what a mistake that has been. When I read the letter, I’m filled with sensations I didn’t know existed. It’s as if I can physically feel the depth behind his words. I’m taken away to another world and I just want to float away, wrapped in his love. The Author’s words are flowery and eloquent, stirring and moving. They’re as lyrical and achingly sweet as a few strokes from a violin. Violin words. Yes. My letter is filled with violin words. All meant for me. And I love them. A few simple chords from a violin inspires soul soaring emotion within me and leaves me breathless. Somehow the sound speaks to me and I have to close my eyes and thank God that I’m alive, if only to hear such a precious sound. But when I read my love letter, my reaction is the same. Words alone have never had this effect on me. Plain and simple words—twenty-six letters all strung together in thousands of combinations—and together they form the most beautiful thoughts. I hold the letter to my chest and absorb the love. It’s the sweetest torture, the most exquisite agony. I welcome it. To feel is to live, I know that now. Wow. Just wow. Are those violin words really directed toward me? I always figured I’d meet someone and get married one day. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a man would speak to me like that. It sends a thrill through my body. Every time.

    

 

Author Taylor Dean Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

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Blast Giveaway Details $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/12/18 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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And An Ebook Sale!

I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of great food and surrounded by the love of family and friends. I am so grateful for so many things, and one of those things is you, my readers! What a wonderful year we've had together!

In order to celebrate, for this holiday week I'm offering some .99 cent ebook deals on fan favorite Julie Coulter Bellon books! Perfect if you're traveling and need some reading material. (And if you already have a copy, tell your reader friends who love a good bargain!)

Here are the download links:

All Fall Down (Hostage Negotiation Team 1)

Truth or Dare

The Captive (Griffin Force 1)

Through Love's Trials (Canadian Spy Series Book 1)

Love's Broken Road (Lincoln Love Stories 1)

Hostage Negotiation Team Boxed Set: Home Vol. 2

In the Non-Fiction Corner: Joy in the Covenant

In the Non-Fiction Corner With Lauren

Julie B. Beck is one of the most incredible people I have ever had the privilege of reading a book by. Could her life get any more perfect? She has had so many awesome experiences; I am glad that she decided to share them in this book. She also managed to pull off the cutest beginning of a book ever, as she talks about her parents and what a joy it was to grow up in their home. You can tell how much she loves them by the way she writes. Beck’s stories are the best part of her book, I loved the way she talks about the experiences from her life and how she has watched countless others keep their covenants.

There were several parts of her book that made me stop and think. I loved the premise of her book, which was her parents life motto of “Enjoy It!” No matter what hardship is happening, we can take a moment and because of our covenants, see the bigger picture. What an attitude to have! Some other quotes from her book that I enjoyed were when her father was offering someone a calling and they said they couldn’t accept it because they smoke. His response was, “you used to smoke!” I also learned that her and all nine of her siblings graduated from BYU, which made my heart so happy this rivalry week. Julie B. Beck is an extremely talented writer and a bright woman who aims to empower and inspire all women to be the best that they can be.

You can get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

In a world of challenges and insecurity, how can we find confidence and live joyful, faith-filled lives? How can we gain the blessings promised to the Lord’s covenant people?

Sister Julie B. Beck, former Relief Society General President, offers answers to these questions in Joy in the Covenant. She writes: “The reflections in this book are personal expressions of deep-seated feelings and beliefs...In these reflections, I draw heavily on the lives of my parents and the lessons I have learned from them. They were my first earthly teachers, and their examples formed the foundation for my faith.”

Sister Beck prompts us to reflect on our identity and purpose, both as members of earthly families and the house of Israel. Her insights are simultaneously challenging and encouraging, profound and practical, authoritative and friendly. The messages found in Joy in the Covenant speak to all of the joy that can be found in living the gospel of Jesus Christ and in being part of God's covenant family.