Friday, July 31, 2020

Buy A Book And Help Save A Child!


Today is the day that you can help save a child by buying a book!

All the proceeds from the sales of my bestselling Griffin Force series books will be donated to Operation Underground Railroad, a non-profit organization that rescues children who are being sex trafficked. If you already own my books, there are 85 other authors are also participating in the event, so there are lots of books for you to choose from!

You can get the direct links to my books here

And see all the other participating authors here

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Do You Love Podcasts? I've Got a Giveaway For You!


I have a fun GIVEAWAY for you today! Do you love podcasts? 

Authors Off the Page features me, Jennifer Peel, and Becky Monson and we have a lot of fun talking about books and everything else "off the page." This month we featured special guest author Lucy McConnell! We talked about Everything British and found out which author met Princess Diana, which one had a mystery man who walked a dog inspire a character, and which one melts into a puddle when a Brit says, "love." We had a lot of fun and laughed so much!

So, back to the giveaway. If you would like to win an autographed copy of:

Jennifer Peel's Facial Recognition

Becky Monson's Thirty-Two Going On Spinster

Julie Coulter Bellon's The Viscount's Vow

or 

Lucy McConnell's books Quarantined in the Arena, His Kissing Penalty, Blue Christmas, or The Cowboy Songwriter's Fake Marriage

then all you have to do is listen to an episode here (you can also find us on Apple podcasts or Spotify) and then tell me right here in the comments what you liked best about it!

For extra entries you can:

⭐️ Subscribe to the Authors Off the Page podcast

(Be sure to tell me in the comments if you subscribed!)

Winners will be randomly chosen from the comments and announced on July 31st.

Monday, July 27, 2020

Heart of Africa Movie Review & A $50 Giveaway!


This movie, The Heart of Africa, is unlike anything I've seen before. It was filmed entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo and it shows the raw and visceral feelings of a people who have suffered from decades of oppression. The movie is mostly told in the native language with English subtitles, adding to the feeling of being immersed in another culture.

We first meet a young man named Gabriel who is trying to find his place in the world. His parents have died and he's been taken care of by a revolutionary leader who assures him of his great destiny. However, Gabriel soon finds himself running away after a terrible accident. Homeless and hungry, Gabriel meets the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is first drawn to the church because they give him food and shelter, but then joins and serves as a missionary. He's given a white companion and a charge to build an orphanage---in the hometown he's escaped from. There, Gabriel must face his demons and find his true identity.

This is a story that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled. There is a wild beauty in the setting and a chaotic stillness as we experience Gabriel's search for self. The story is sometimes hard to follow because there are flashbacks that aren't clearly delineated and if you look away for even a moment, you will miss the subtitles and possibly necessary information that would further the plot. I wish there had been more time to flesh out the secondary characters, as well as the deeper issues of Gabriel's conversion and how the losses he's experienced affected his relationships, including with his companion. However, the story presented is heart-wrenching and inspirational and reminds us that faith gives us strength---no matter where we are in the world or what road we're on in our mortal journey.

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

You can get your DVD here

Here is what it's about:

A Congolese man runs from a terrible accident and finds himself at a revolutionary camp, where he is told that he has a great destiny. He tries to escape and start a new life by going to another town, joining a new religion, and becoming a missionary. Ultimately, though, he finds himself back in the very place he had tried to leave. He must face his fears and his shame—but also his magnificent possibilities.

Heart of Africa is the first full-length, faith-based film to come out of the nascent Democratic Republic of Congo film movement. After decades of colonial oppression and civil war, the country's scars run deep. Cinema is emerging as a cathartic new medium, and director Tshoper Kabambi is a leader of a new kind of revolution: one driven by stories that he hopes will heal the hearts of his people and the DR Congo.



Friday, July 24, 2020

It's Christmas in July!


It's Christmas in July! Do you need some Christmas magic in your life? There are some sweet deals going on for Christmas stories right now. 

My own book, Truth or Dare is on sale for just .99 cents! Get your copy here 

But there's more!

You can see ALL the Christmas books on sale here  They look like stories you'll want to cuddle up with!

Here's the back copy for Truth or Dare:

Two wounded hearts. Two matchmaking dogs. One miracle needed.

After a year of recovery, wounded war veteran Jonah Harrison comes home for Christmas. No longer the outgoing high school track star, he just wants to be left alone, away from well-meaning friends and neighbors. But when a blizzard strands him with Kami Jackson—the girl who once knew him best—he can’t hide anything from her, no matter how much he wants to. Kami has a wounded heart of her own, though, and it might take a miracle---or at least two matchmaking dogs---for them to find the healing they both long for and the courage to reach for a chance at love.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

In the Non-Fiction Corner: Pioneering the Vote

In the Non-Fiction Corner With

 Lauren


Pioneering the Vote by Neylan McBaine is a fascinating read on the history of Utah, specifically their journey to statehood and how women got the right to vote. The story is mostly told with Emmeline B. Wells, who is a compelling heroine who gave much of her life to paving the way for women who came after her to have the rights and privileges that we enjoy today. In fact, learning more about the life of Emmeline B. Wells was my favorite part of the book, I enjoyed it just as much as learning about the history of women’s suffrage. She accomplished so much in spite of the hardships she faced.

There is a lot going on in this book, from a quote at the beginning of each chapter, short biographies of many of the women’s lives, sections about looking back, some about looking forward, and then the actual story. I thought it was great that the author used different fonts, or I would have been very lost. I particularly enjoyed the highlights of the women’s lives, I loved learning about the backgrounds of the women that played a role in women’s suffrage all over the country, not just in Utah. This book is very timely and covers an important topic, and I appreciate the author putting forward a historically accurate and well researched book on one of the most important events in our country's history.

Preorder your copy here

Here's the back copy:

In 1895, Utah's leading suffragist, Emmeline B. Wells, welcomed her friends Susan B. Anthony and Reverend Anna Howard Shaw to a gathering of more than 8,000 people from around the nation at the Rocky Mountain Suffrage Convention. Tensions and setbacks had defined the effort to enfranchise women up until that point, but the women gathered in Utah to celebrate the suffrage movement's recent wins and strategize their next triumphs. Pioneering the Vote tells the remarkable, largely unknown story of the early suffrage victories that happened in states and territories in the American West, when the East was still decades away from the 19th Amendment. With the encouragement of the Eastern leaders, women from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho came together in a unique moment of friendship and unified purpose to secure the vote for women in America.

About the Author:


As CEO of the Better Days 2020 non-profit, which popularizes women's history through education, legislation and the arts, Neylan McBaine combines a Silicon Valley career in brand marketing with her experience in advocating for women.

Since co-founding Better Days 2020, Neylan has become a leader in speaking and writing about women's leadership and the U.S. suffrage movement, with a specific focus on Utah and the west's early role in that movement. She has developed a team of historians, educators and marketers that have changed the way Utahns view and understand women's history, leading to shifts in current perceptions of Utahns generally. As a TEDx presenter, columnist and writer, Neylan has been called a "change agent" and "uniquely important." She is also the founder of another non-profit, The Mormon Women Project, and the author of the best-selling "Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact". Neylan is a graduate of Yale University, mother to three daughters, and lives in Salt Lake City.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Which Author Quarantine House Would You Pick?


Which author quarantine house would you pick? It's a tough choice for me, but I think I might go with #6! What about you?

Monday, July 20, 2020

Freebie for Sports Romance Fans!


Have you read Heather Moore's sports romance series? Charming the Shortstop is free today! I really enjoyed this one and even though it's in a series, it can be read standalone.

Get your free copy here

Here's the back copy:

He’s not looking. She’s been burned. But sparks fly, and they decide to go on a date. Just this once.

When professional baseball player Axel Diaz travels back to Belltown University for a friend’s wedding, he’s not planning on bringing a date. Until he meets Brighton West, the flight attendant who he can’t get off his mind. Although dubbed “Cold Axe” by some of his female fans, Axel asks Brighton to be his date to the wedding, all the while wondering why of all times and places he is breaking his no-dating streak. But the more he gets to know Brighton, the more he realizes she may be the one woman who can melt his cold heart.


Thursday, July 16, 2020

Authors For Freedom Event


I write books about fictional heroes who fight evil every day, but I am so proud to be part of the Authors For Freedom event to help real-life heroes rescue children from sex trafficking.

Save the Date! You can buy books from any of the participating authors on July 31, 2020 and all profits will be donated to Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an international nonprofit organization that exists to rescue children from sex trafficking, other forms of human trafficking, train leadership and law enforcement, and provide aftercare for survivors.

Such a more-than-worthy cause to help protect our children.

You can see a list of the participating authors and learn more here and at Operation Underground Railroad here

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Blog Tour for the Viscount and a Giveaway!



I am so excited for The Viscount's Vow blog tour that starts TODAY! And there's a giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card or an autographed copy of The Viscount's Vow!

You can get your paperback or ebook copy here

Here is the back copy:

A man changed by war. The woman who loves him. And a secret that could tear them apart.

Edward Rutledge, the newly minted Viscount Carlisle, has come back from war a changed man. The echo of the battlefield and the death of his best friend Marcus haunt him to the point that he decides to break his betrothal to Charlotte---the only woman he’s ever loved.

When he’s summoned home to Hartwell Manor, he comes face-to-face with her. Slowly, her strength and love make him see that he might be able to reclaim what he thought was lost. But when word reaches him that Marcus might not have died in Spain and yet lives, Edward will do anything to bring his friend home. As the mystery deepens, however, Edward is drawn into an intrigue that forces him to confront the demons that have plagued him since he returned to England. Will he have to sacrifice everything he’s built with Charlotte in order to keep her safe?

Here is the list of participating blogs. I hope you'll check them out!

July 15
My Book a Day
Bookworm Lisa

July 16
Empower Moms

July 17
Katie's Clean Book Collection

July 18
Emilee Reynolds (we had a post office issue so this one might be on hold temporarily)

July 20
Reading is My Superpower

July 21
Why Not? Because I Said So


And don't forget to enter the giveaway here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here's what the reviews are saying so far:

A "sweet story of redemption, forgiveness, and love." ---T. Westoff

"A powerful message tucked inside!" ---Books are Sanity

"Excellent writing and captivating characters . . ." --- Mylissa

"I read straight through this on a rainy afternoon and it was the perfect entertainment." ---Wooshey



Monday, July 13, 2020

A Little Book Bingo For You Today! And Last Chance to Win A Gift Card!


No photo description available.


Would you get a bingo if you had this card? If so, tell me which ones you've done in 2020!


And I have been doing a Quarantine Reading Challenge while we've all been quarantined and I'm closing it tomorrow! If you want to enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card click HERE

Friday, July 10, 2020

Calling All Second Chance Romance Fans!


Jennifer Peel's book, Second Chance in Paradise, is on sale today for only .99 cents! I haven't read this one yet, but it sounds cute and I love a good second chance romance. Who else needs a new "I'm-at-home-but-wish-I-was-at-the-beach" read this weekend?

Get your sale copy here 

Here's the back copy:

A first love that deserves a second chance.

Doctoral student Holland Reeves may have aced every class she's ever taken, but when it comes to life outside her lab, she finds she has more meaningful relationships with test tubes and pipettes than she does with people. That all changes when a surprise wedding invitation arrives, forcing her to return to the small coastal town of Paradise and the Clairborne Resort, where she left her first dream of being Mrs. Clairborne to begin the dream of becoming Dr. Reeves. There she must face her past and, to her surprise, the only man she ever loved, Porter Clairborne, the prodigal son who has unexpectedly returned.

Together, Holland and Porter must decide if their love deserves a second chance, and if Paradise will finally live up to its name or forever remain a town of broken dreams.


Thursday, July 9, 2020

My Author Copies Are Finally Here!


Look what came in the mail today! My author copies of The Viscount's Vow. So pretty! *le sigh* I love the new book smell and I wish the camera captured just how vibrant that green in on the cover. I love it!

Book mail is the best mail!

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Do You Love Rhubarb and Need Some More Recipe Ideas?


My mother-in-law brought a rhubarb cake over and it was SO GOOD. The entire pan was gone in probably twenty minutes, that's how good it was.

I got the recipe from her and thought I'd share with you, just in case anyone still needs some rhubarb ideas!

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Fun and Games for a Hot Summer Day!


The days are starting to get hotter and longer and I find myself escaping more and more often into my books. But I want to know about you! If you woke up where the last book you read took place, where are you? 

I would be in London! 

Monday, July 6, 2020

Get A Finnish Folklore Retelling On Sale Today!


Finnish folklore and mythology is so interesting to me. I didn't know much about it actually, until I read Annette Lyon's retelling of one of the stories from the Kalevala, called Song Breaker. It's not like anything else I've read. If you want to try out something awesome, Song Breaker is on sale today for only .99 cents! 

Get your sale copy here

An old, powerful wizard who wants Aino for his wife. One chance to break the spell he's woven. And time is running out.

Friday, July 3, 2020

Freebie Friday for Romantic Suspense Fans!


Freebie Friday! Need a romantic suspense to read this weekend? The Captive is free! 

Get your free copy here

Here's the back copy:

Former Navy SEAL Jake Williams is the newly appointed head of a task force assigned to rescue a kidnapped American diplomat. Their only hope is Mya Amari, the daughter of a notorious Algerian hostage negotiator, but she is full of secrets and complications---something Jake takes as a personal challenge. As they grow closer, the threat to the mission escalates and time runs out for the hostages. Can Jake unravel the web of deception to save them all without getting caught in the crossfire?

Mya Amari has been in hiding nearly her entire life to escape her father' s enemies. But when her sister is kidnapped along with an American diplomat, she'll do anything to bring her home---including walking into the enemy's lair. She doesn't trust anyone, especially the too-handsome-for-his-own-good Commander Williams, but when all her careful plans explode out of control, he's the only one she can turn to with the truth about her family. Is it too little, too late?

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Book Review: Flying in Love


There are so many great things to love about Chalon Linton's new book, Flying in Love. As a military wife herself, this story hits some really great beats in the emotions of what it means to serve.

Paige Hall gets her heart broken when she catches her boyfriend cheating. She is trying to heal when she meets Captain Jake Summers. He seems almost too good to be true. He's great with children, loves to laugh, and has charm to spare, but Paige takes a chance. She is careful and their love story has quite a few twists and turns to it that will keep readers up late to see if they get their happily-ever-after.

The author does a great job in weaving in military life and how transitory it can feel sometimes. The only drawback to the book were the times that Jake treats Paige horribly in front of family and colleagues without a good reason, but then he apologizes in private and she forgives him. I wish that cycle hadn't been introduced because that could be a red flag in many relationships. It sort of took the shine off his hero status for me a bit. Other than that, however, I thought the setting was well-done, the family relationships complicated and realistic, and Paige was very relatable. I'll definitely be looking for the next book from this author.

Get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

Paige Hall’s happy ending may just be in sight. She has been dating her boyfriend for months and feels confident their relationship is going in the right direction—until she catches him kissing another woman. Humiliated and hurt, Paige retreats from the dating scene and pledges to never fall hard again as she throws herself into her work as a speech therapist. Her vow is upended in a grocery store parking lot when she is nearly run over by a handsome and very apologetic air force pilot.

Captain Jake Summers is everything a girl could dream of: charming, considerate, and hardworking. Despite Paige’s determination to avoid falling into another relationship, her resolve is no match for the whirlwind romance that ensues. When Jake is not flying, he and Paige are inseparable, and Paige begins to believe in happily ever afters again. But when the couple faces a heartrending loss, they must find strength in each other and in their faith or risk losing a once-in-a-lifetime love.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Happy Canada Day! And An Announcement



I miss so many things about Canada, but mostly I miss my family and friends that are there. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful things my Canadian heritage has given me!

To celebrate, I am hosting a Facebook Takeover TOMORROW, July 2nd from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST You can click right HERE for the Facebook link. I'll be playing games and giving away lots of fun prizes. I'd love to have you join me!

(Did you know July 1st is Canada Day? It's celebrated essentially the same as July 4th in the USA with fireworks and barbecues. What are your 4th of July plans?)