No Castle, But There's Awards And More Reviews!

We still have another month to go before we have a new Castle. *sigh* Luckily the two other shows I watch this week are coming back. But until then, my Tuesdays are a little sadder with no Castle to review.

However, in order to offset my sadness, I have some good news!  The Captive, my newest novel and first book in my Griffin Force series, was nominated for a Whitney Award! Yay! I'll find out whether it's a finalist or not in February.

AND . . .

I saw two more reviews of my new novel, The Captive, and I want to tell you about them!

GG Vandagriff had a wonderful review on her blog, and this was my favorite part: "The plot is Bellon’s special forte and her writing is excellent. The characters are multi-dimensional, the setting so real you can smell it, and the story full of surprises. I enjoyed the book very much and can’t wait for Griffin Force #2." You can read her whole review here

And Julia Lance at Book Reviewing Rocks had this to say: "This book stays true to Julie Bellon form! It is full of action, suspense, terrorists and even some romance. Julie has a way of taking the good out of a bad situation and making it enjoyable to read about!"

She had more to say about her son and SEALs, and you can go here to read her full review.

I'm always grateful to those who take time to review a book they've enjoyed. It makes all those writing hours worth it!

Book Review & Giveaway: Three Little Words

Today is a day for firsts! 

I got my first blog review of The Captive from Getting Your Read On! 

Here's a little bit of what they had to say, "I read through this book quickly and was a bit sad to see it come to an end. It's so easy to get wrapped up in books by Julie Bellon. She is one of my favorites!"  

They also mention what they liked best about Jake and Mya. You can read the full review here

And my first review of 2016 was a collection of romantic short stories called Three Little Words, by some of my favorite authors! (Be sure to scroll all the way down and enter the giveaway!)

The first story is by Jennie Hansen called Rescuing Bailey.  Bailey's next door neighbor is constantly rescuing her---from a tree as a little girl to a broken heart as an adult woman. But when she runs away to find her footing, she thinks she's over it until her father's heart attack. Coming home brings up a lot of emotions for Bailey. Can she trust her feelings for any man?  And is it too late for her and the boy who's always been there for her? I really enjoyed this story. The characters felt fleshed out and even though it was a short story, I didn't feel short-changed at the end. Loved it.

The second story in the book is Three Little Words by K.C. Grant. This one took place in New York and it felt so real with the way it was portrayed and made for a good setting.  Elizabeth is a speech therapist that believes the way you speak and present yourself can open professional paths up for you. Her roommates aren't so sure and make a bet with her that she can't take a Texan guy with a strong accent and turn him around in three days. Only, her subject has a few Texas-sized secrets of his own which makes for a page-turner to see how it turns out. Cute, flirty, and romantic, and this one had an epilogue which really helped me feel the closure I needed for this short story.

The last one in the compilation is A Crying Shame by Aubrey Mace. Aubrey is one of my favorite romantic comedy writers and this story was just like her others---you will laugh with the characters as you get to know them and enjoy the romantic journey that much more.  Cassidy has been unceremoniously dumped and her best friend Elle is determined to move Cassidy past that jerk. Forcing Cassidy to go to Paint Nite with her is her solution and when she maneuvers Cassidy next to a cute guy in the class, the story really takes off. I have to admit, I laughed at the "trees" she was painting and the art teacher's reactions. But the best part was the building relationship between Cass and her cute painting partner.  The ending definitely left me with a smile.

This was the perfect book to start off the year with because the stories were short so I could fit them into a busy schedule and yet they ended well so I didn't feel like they were rushed. If you're looking for a quick romantic snack, then this is the book for you!

You can get your Kindle copy here for $14.99

Here's the back copy:

The road to true love never did run smooth, but a few bumps along the way make it all the more thrilling. This timeless truth is showcased in Three Little Words, a charming compilation of short stories written by a trio of popular LDS romance novelists. Readers are invited to follow the journeys of three young women as they encounter love where they least expect it.

Rescuing Bailey by Jennie Hansen

For as long as she can remember, Bailey has loved the boy next door. But despite her feelings, his schedule and his little brother keep getting in the way. Will her childhood crush finally blossom into something real, or will she discover that true love is waiting just around the corner? 

Three Little Words by K.C. Grant

The bet is simple: Elizabeth, a speech therapist, has three days to teach a country bumpkin with a drawl as thick as molasses how to speak like a gentleman. But as she gets to know her charming student, it soon becomes clear that there may be more to him than meets the ear.

A Crying Shame by Aubrey Mace

Cassidy is in love with the idea of love, though after her most recent breakup, the possibility of finding Mr. Right seems hopeless. But when she meets a handsome classmate in her painting class, she may end up learning more about chemistry than about art.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year!  

*toasts everyone with sparkling cider*

Here's to a year full of a ton of great books, some Canadian chocolate as often as possible, and many awesome episodes of my favorite shows. *I'm looking at you Castle*

Oh and some great friends and family times, too!

photo credit: Lemony via photopin (license)

So Excited For New Year's Eve!

photo credit: Life (23/365) via photopin (license)

The chocolate fountain is ready with all the stuff to dip in it, the shrimp plate is in the fridge with the cheeseball and sparkling cider. The movies and board games are ready to go. It's going to be a fun-filled Bellon family New Year's Eve party!

May you ring in the year with all your favorite fun, people and food!

Writer Goal Wednesday

photo credit: plnaugle via photopin cc 

I've been sitting here looking over my goals for 2016. Some of them are totally fun. Most of them will take a lot of work. But I like how things turned out in 2015 when I did baby steps. When I was accountable to you every week on my progress. So I think I'm going to do that again in 2016.

So, what's on my goal list?

• Release of the second book in my Griffin Force series, The Captain.

• Release of the companion novella to Pocket Full of Posies

• Release of audio books for the rest of the Hostage Negotiation series.

• Do something fun on the blog every month.

I think the new year is going to be awesome! Have you made any goals for next year?

Stuck In A Snowbank

Since it's still Christmas vacation, I've still got all my family home. Today, however, I was going to escape the madness, . . . er, the wonderful together time, and go to lunch with my friend.  There has been quite a bit of snowfall lately, though, and the roads weren't great, but I wasn't worried. I was born in Canada! I can drive in all kinds of snow and still drink my hot chocolate in one hand!

Except for today.

My innate Canadian proficiency for driving in the snow took a big hit today when I went to pick up my friend for lunch. I pulled out of her driveway and the car slid on some ice and we ended in a snowdrift. It didn't look too bad, so I tried to back up and go forward to rock myself out of it, but that just slid me further into the snowbank and then I was really stuck. So, what else could I do but laugh and call my long-suffering husband and son? Thankfully they came and dug us out and we were still able to go to lunch. (I am a very lucky woman in the husband and son department).

When we were through with lunch and I dropped her off, my friend said, "Don't pull into my driveway again. Just let me off in the middle of the street." (I'm sure she didn't mean to stab me in the heart of my snow-skills driving confidence, but dang!) As I drove away, I was wondering what could have caused such a crazy thing to happen to this Canadian girl? Does living in the States slowly drain me of my winter driving skills every Canadian is born with? Is it because there are no Tim Horton's in my state, with their magical mystical donut holes?

Speaking of donuts, maybe I'll go do some in the school parking lot (make a snowman, if you get my drift.) ("Drift" see what I did there? Haha) just to be sure.

Book Review: Saints and Spies

Today's book review is Saints and Spies, by Jordan McCollum. This one is a tight murder mystery, that includes LDS characters, and it is definitely one you won't want to start before bed because you'll be up all night reading!

Molly Malone is such a great character. She finds her parish priest murdered and is trying to do a little investigating to find out who did it. She has investigative experience, but there are so many players involved as she tries to narrow things down. Then the new priest, Father Tim arrives and she wants to protect him---if only she wasn't so attracted to him! Molly's life is one complication after another, but you can't help loving her.

Zach is an LDS FBI agent posing as Father Tim and he's on a time crunch to find out about the mob activities in the parish. Molly is a helpful thorn in his side at first, and it doesn't hurt that she's someone Zach could truly come to love---if he was himself and not undercover. So many problems when you're trying not to fall in love and bring down the mob at the same time!

I really enjoyed the banter with this couple and how they dealt with the issues between them. There was happiness tempered with angst and their romance really had some sigh-worthy moments. The murder mystery was also well-done and there were plenty of twists and turns I wasn't expecting. The best part of the book, however, was how both the romance and the mystery meshed into a tight plot. The characters had depth, the Irish side of it wasn't overdone, and this was a book that kept me turning pages to find out how it would end.

Ms. McCollum was a Whitney award nominee with her Spy Another Day series and I think this new series will definitely follow suit!

Get your Kindle copy here for $4.99

Here's the back copy:

When she finds her priest murdered, Molly Malone, secretary of their Catholic parish, vows to never let it happen again. She’ll use the full force of her Irish will, and her previous stint on the Irish police force, to protect the new priest from the congregation’s rumors of criminal activity.

Falling in love wasn’t part of her plan. However, young, handsome and—dare she even think it?—flirtatious, Father Tim O’Rourke is nothing she expected. But Father Tim is also nothing like he seems to Molly: he’s Special Agent Zach Saint, an LDS FBI agent undercover to root out the mob that’s hiding in the parish.

And Molly isn’t helping: every time Zach gets close to the mob, Molly manages to get in the way. Falling for her is the last thing he needs. Now Zach must find the murderer and catch the mobsters before his feelings for Molly blow his cover and add another murder or two to the mobsters’ docket.