The Boxford Stories Book Blast

Welcome to the book blast for The Boxford Stories by Kristen Carson!

Welcome to the world of the Runyons and the Feldsteds, two Mormon families in 1970s Maryland. Far from their Western American roots, they cling to each other like exiles clutching a precious box of topsoil from the old country.

In The Boxford Stories you will meet Ada Runyon who always turns to Ruthalin Feldsted when she needs an ear—sharing her deepest confidences, her everyday musings, and her bits of horrified gossip. Yet Ada dies inside whenever Ruthalin’s country-cousin manners poke out in public.

Latham Runyon, a history professor, and Erval Feldsted, a hospital engineer, bond every Sunday night over gooey desserts and vigorous religious discussion, a game their children call Stump the Rabbi. Underneath their balding heads and graying temples, each man desperately seeks a sign that God would choose him as a buddy.

The Feldsted and Runyon children, running breathlessly through each other’s houses and backyards, have long considered each other substitute cousins. However, Ginni Runyon plots to change herself from the girl next door to the girl Marc Feldsted can’t live without.

And when Boxford’s Mormons mix with the rest of the town, everybody could use a field guide to the other species.

Laugh, cry, and shake your head with the Runyons and Feldsteds as they make their way through the decade that brought us leisure suits and urban decay."

AMAZON

 

Author Kristen Carson
Kristen Carson was born in Idaho, the caboose baby in a family of six girls. She studied at Brigham Young University.

Hearing tales of how green the grass was elsewhere, she pledged to move east of the 100th Meridian. Even though she’s never lived in the #1 place on her list (Lexington, Kentucky--have you seen those beautiful bluegrass hills?!), she enjoyed her years in Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania. She currently lives in Indiana.

Kristen’s stories and articles have appeared in The Indianapolis Star, Chicago Parent, Indianapolis Monthly, Dialogue: a Journal of Mormon Thought and Irreantum.

She and her husband are the parents of four adult children.

She loves her two cats for their affection, their paranoia and their sense of entitlement. She takes long walks wherever she goes, because she thinks the best way to see the world is at 3 miles an hour. She loves cooking. All the chopping, stirring and inhaling lend the perfect capstone to her day.

Kristen is also an avid reader. No doubt she won’t live long enough to finish all the books on her list. Her favorite authors are Herman Wouk, Diana Gabaldon and Tom Wolfe.

Check out her blog, where she writes about whatever she’s reading and cooking

Website * Facebook * Twitter

 

 $50 Blast Giveaway
Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/4/15

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 readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review: Wishing on Baby Dust by Lydia Winters

Title:		Wishing on Baby Dust
Author:		Lydia Winters
Publisher:		Snowflake Press
Pub. Date:		1/8/2015
Pages:		322

Infertility stinks. No one knows that better than Megan. After six years of insanity-inducing hormone drugs and desperate prayers, all she has to show for her efforts are enough negative pregnancy tests to fill a bassinet. All around her women are accidentally getting pregnant—like her star piano student—while Megan remains hopelessly barren. 

Megan’s never felt so alone. But she’s not the only one struggling.

Christina has just entered the world of infertility, made worse by the fact her husband isn’t ready to be a father. Their marriage, already hanging in the balance, is being torn apart. 

Then there’s Kyra, the mother of a precocious three-year-old. She’s shocked to be struggling with secondary infertility. A baby is priceless, but sometimes Kyra feels like she’s being forced to choose which commandment to keep: stay out of debt, or multiply and replenish the earth. 

When Megan and Christina are assigned as Kyra’s visiting teachers, they all realize that what you see isn’t necessarily what’s beneath the surface. Some secrets aren’t worth the cost of keeping them.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

              **************************************************

Infertility is a struggle for many women, and this book tells the story of three of them. Megan desperately wants a child, but she is dealing with the effects of PCOS. Christina put off having a child to get her life just perfect. Now it is, but she can't seem to get the one this she wants. Is this her fault for putting it off? Kyra has one child, but she hasn't been able to have another. When Megan, Christine, and Kyra's worlds collide, they soon find that they are not alone. Sometimes having someone who truly understands you makes all the difference in the world.

I was very interested in this book because it's a very difficult subject for many women. I was so pleased with how everything was handled. This book was able to be sensitive to the subject and women involved without every being patronizing or treating them with kid gloves. There was a lot of hurt for these women and with good reason. Each of them really learned to lean on the others to help them through all their trials. Just the mere fact that they are not alone in their struggles seems to relieve a huge part of the burden. I also liked that this book was able to show the different effects infertility could have on the marriages of these women. They all had to work through different things to make their lives better and be prepared for whatever the future holds.

This book also make me really reflect on how we treat other women. The scene where two of them are in Relief Society feeling the pain of feeling like they didn't fit in with a church that stresses family so much was very real to me. While I have never dealt with infertility, I was single for much longer than most LDS women. There were Sundays when I questioned why I even bothered going because I had nothing in common with any of these women. Now, clearly that wasn't true, but I think we all struggle with things at different times. We need to work to be so understand and supportive to our fellow women. How much better would it have been for these characters to have more people to be able to lean on in good times and bad? This book provides a very realistic view of things as well. There are good things that happen as well as bad. Not everyone gets that fairy tale ending. However, every is much better off in the end then they were at the beginning. This was a lovely tale that warmed my heart while managing to break it at some points. It is very moving, and I encourage everyone to take a chance to read it.

Book provided for review.

Snow Angels Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Snow Angels by Lezlie Anderson!

A winter storm, a family, and an idea for a service project all add up to a delightful Christmas surprise! When Mom and Dad suggest serving their neighbors for the holiday, their kids can’t stop grumbling. But as they secretly shovel snow, their attitudes change, and soon the parents can’t get the kids to stop serving. Share the joys of serving others in this wonderful Christmas pamphlet.

About the Author:

Lezlie Anderson has loved books since she learned to read at age four. She and her sisters used their wild imaginations playing in their backyard as princesses to being attacked by giant grasshoppers. The first books she remembers loving are “My Father’s Dragon” and “The Trouble with Miss Switch.”

Lezlie is married to a wonderful man, Steve, and they have three great children, 3 crazy cats, one tortoise, and a fish that has survived more hazards than should be possible. She loves chocolate, Dr. Pepper, and anything that her husband BBQ’s.

Review:

Struggling to get their children involved in the spirit of Christmas, some parents suggest it's time for a service project. The kids go along reluctantly, but as they work they catch the spirit and have fun. This one act of kindness soon turns into a new project for the family, acting as "snow angels" for their neighborhood. 

This was a very short and sweet story. I think we all struggle with keeping the fun of Christmas balanced with other important parts of the holiday season. For this family, this took form in serving others. By doing some helpful things for their neighbor, the family and eventually the entire neighborhood feels the spark and need to serve others. This story made me want to be better and see how I can help serve others more. It would be a great story to read aloud with the family. The length and topic are both appropriate. This booklet would also make a sweet gift for someone (maybe accompanied by some service). This Christmas I hope to be someone's angel as well.

Booklet provided for review.

Meow If It's Murder Book Blast

Welcome to the book blast for Meow If It's Murder by T.C. LoTempio!

Nora Charles doesn’t believe in fate, even if she is a crime reporter who shares a name with a character from The Thin Man. In fact, she’s moving back to Cruz, California, to have a quieter life. But after finding an online magazine eager for material, and a stray cat named Nick with a talent for detection, Nora’s not just reporting crimes again. She’s uncovering them…

Back in her hometown, Nora reconnects with old friends and makes some new ones, like Nick, the charming feline who seems determined to be her cat. But not everything about Cruz is friendly. Writing for a local online magazine, Nora investigates the curious death of socialite Lola Grainger. Though it was deemed an accident, Nora suspects foul play. And it seems that her cat does too. 

Apparently, Nick used to belong to a P.I. who disappeared while investigating Lola Grainger’s death. The coincidence is spooky, but not as spooky as the clues Nick spells out for her with Scrabble letters—clues that lead her down an increasingly dangerous path. Whether fate put her on this case or not, solving it will take all of Nora’s wits, and maybe a few of Nick’s nine lives.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 

Author Toni LoTempio

While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She lists among her favorite mystery/suspense writers Erle Stanley Gardner, Mary Higgins Clark and James Patterson, as well as EJ Copperman, Steve Hockensmith, Victoria Laurie, Ali Brandon, Rita Mae Brown, Miranda James and Sofie Kelly to name only a few! Toni is also passionate about her love for animals, as demonstrated with her four cats: Trixie, Princess, Maxx and, of course, ROCCO, who not only provided the inspiration for the character of Nick the cat in the Nick and Nora mystery series, but who also writes his own blog and does charity work for Nathan Fillion’s charity, Kids Need to Read! Toni’s also devoted to miniseries like The Thorn Birds, Dancing with the Stars, reruns of Murder She Wrote and Castle (of course!). She (and ROCCO, albeit he’s uncredited) pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime – the first volume, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, debuts Dec. 2, 2014. She, Rocco and company make their home in Clifton, New Jersey, just twenty minutes from the Big Apple – New York.

Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Website

   

Blog Tour - December 8th to 16th

 

$50 Blast Giveaway

Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/22/14

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 readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

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After the Rain Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for After the Rain by Renee Carlino!

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.

Under the bright arena lights of a rodeo show, young Avelina Belo falls for a handsome cowboy with a larger-than-life personality. After a whirlwind courtship, she happily moves away from her family in northern California and settles into married life with her cowboy on a seven-thousand-acre cattle ranch in Montana. One freak accident later, Avelina’s hopes for the future come to an end.

Nate Myers graduated from UCLA medical school at the top of his class, ready to follow in the footsteps of his father, a superstar cardiothoracic surgeon. Six years later, Nate’s career is being ruined by a malpractice suit. Questioning himself for the first time, he retreats to a Montana cattle ranch to visit his uncle and gain perspective. There, he meets a beautiful young woman named Avelina who teaches him more than he ever knew about matters of the heart.

About the Author:

Renée Carlino lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog, June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.com.

Review:

Nate and Avelina live in two different worlds, Nate is an up-and-coming cardiac surgeon at UCLA, while Avelina is widow with wounds to spare. Both of them have been burned by parts of their lives they thought they could trust. So naturally when they meet, they begin to share some of the pain. That along with instant attraction draws these two together in ways they never knew could happen. Each of them though must learn to deal with their pasts before they can develop a future.

This book takes your typical romance and tackles it with some deep issues. Ava grew up fast at a young age, but you find she's very stunted in other ways. Nate has almost always known where he wanted to go in life, and he's done whatever it takes to get there. All this hard work is threatened by the death of a young patient though. Soon Nate is questioning everything about career and his life (which is pretty much entirely his career). His dad suggests that he go out to visit his uncle on a ranch. Nate meets Ava there, and there is an instant attraction. Ava is still dealing with the circumstances of her sad life as well. You can see why they're attracted to each other, and they seem to go together well.

I liked that although there were naturally obstacles for Nate and Ava, none of them seemed forced as can often happen in romances. Their problems flowed naturally out of their lives, and they managed to deal with them in a pretty good manner all things considered. This made the story feel much more real. I found the end bit a little strange, but ultimately I think it worked for the story. This is a cozy romance that will make you both happy and sad, so be prepared for a gamut of emotions in this book.

Galley provided for review.

Beam N Read Personal Reading Light Blast

Welcome to a blast for the Beam n Read Personal Reading Light!

   

Purchase your own Beam N Read Reading Light from AMAZON

 New edition Beam n Read Hands-Free Light delivers a wide & bright light that lights up 2 book pages and doesn't disturb others. It's a true reading light that works with all printed books, Kindles and other eReaders (whether naked, skinned, or covered), PLUS newspapers, magazines, newsletters, loose documents, and other items that can't support a clip-on light. Worn around the neck, there's no need to shift it when reading paperbacks.

Included are two 2 special Relaxation Filters: BNR Orange for a softer, warmer light that blocks energizing blue light (especially useful when reading to relax in bed); BNR Red to block blue light and reduce ambient light for sensitive bed partners.

Standard alkaline AA batteries (not included) last an extra long 100 hours, far longer than flashlights and clip-on lights resulting in a lower cost to use (and fewer batteries in the trash). This light is still bright when others have gone dim. Save batteries for when you're on the go with the optional USB/AC Power Kit with 12 ft of cable that lets you plug into the included USB/AC adapter. Or plug into a USB car adapter/charger, or a computer USB port, or a USB adapter/charger for cell phones, etc.

In addition to reading, this 3 LED hands-free light is great for crafts, travel, and walking in dim or dark places such as an attic, basement, or around the house during a power outage. Use it for writing journals, working, camping, changing diapers at night, and a lot more.

Makes a Great Gift! AMAZON

     Features

• For hands free personal light anywhere; extra bright light is easy on the eyes; doesn’t disturb others
• Wide light from 3 LEDs in a row lights up 2 book pages; works with ALL Kindles, eReaders
• BNR Orange Relaxation Filter softens and warms the cool LED light and blocks energizing blue light
• BNR Red Relaxation Filter blocks blue light, reduces ambient light, & helps maintains night vision
• Alkaline AA batteries (not incl) last Extra Long 100 hours, 3-10x longer than most clip-on lights

 

Purchase your own Beam N Read Reading Light from AMAZON

   

Also Available

Beam N Read USB/AC Power Kit

Save batteries for when you're on the go or the next power outage with the Beam n Read Accessory USB Power Kit. It works with all Beam n Read LED Hands-Free lights (3 and 6 LED lights). In addition to the adapter's 6 foot BnR to USB cable, this kit includes an additional 6 foot USB extension cord letting you work up to 12 feet from a USB-A socket. Need a longer cable? - just add a standard USB extension cable. Use the included USB/AC adapter or a USB DC car adapter/charger, or a computer's USB port, or the USB adapter/charger for your cell phone, e-reader, etc. You may leave batteries in the Beam n Read or take them out to make a super lightweight light. Please note this kit is for external power adapter and will not recharge batteries.

Purchase your Adapter from Amazon

Product Review Tour

November 10th to December 10th

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$50 Blast Giveaway

Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/30/14

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 readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Unstrung Book Blast

Welcome to the book blast for Unstrung by Kendra C. Highley!

 

Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don’t make a career out of stealing other people’s property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation’s hit list because they’ve accidentally stolen the wrong thing—plans for a new model of genetically engineered super humans. Now, every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa’s world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss? 

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?

Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that’s pristine isn’t always innocent, and being a criminal isn’t always wrong.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords * iTunes

 

Author Kendra C. Highley

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.

Twitter * Facebook

Pinterest * Goodreads * Website

   

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/2/14

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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Jubilee's Journey Book Blast

Welcome to the book blast for Jubilee's Journey by Bette Lee Crosby!

JUBILEE’S JOURNEY…FPA PRESIDENT’S BOOK AWARD GOLD MEDAL WINNER   

When tragedy strikes a West Virginia coal mining family, two children start out on a trek that they hope will lead them to a new life. Before a day passes, the children are separated and the boy is caught up in a robbery not of his making. If his sister can find him, she may be able to save him. The problem is she’s only seven years old, and who’s going to believe a kid?   

Purchase Your Copy

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo

 Excerpts – Popular Highlights:  

" His death came as no surprise to anyone. He was one of the countless men forever lost to the mine. They were men loved and mourned by their families, but to the world they were faceless, nameless people, not worthy of mention in the Charleston Times."  

“When Jubilee said she was scared going to a place she didn’t know, I told her not to worry. I said it was a good thing ‘cause we was going to see an aunt we never even knew we had. Then she started smiling. The whole time I was telling her how good everything was gonna be, I was wishing I had someone to tell me the same thing.”  

“I guess God looks past what you claim to want and gives you what you need.”  

“We can plan ahead until we’re blue in the face, but regardless of what we do events will happen as they will. The truth is we don’t have a bean of say in the matter.”    

 

Author Bette Lee Crosby

Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction—the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. “Storytelling is in my blood,” Crosby laughingly admits, “My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write.” Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. Since then, she has gone on to win another fifteen literary awards, including the Royal Palm Literary Award, The Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. A third book in her Wyattsville Series is scheduled for release in January 2015 and the third book in the Serendipity Series will follow in the Spring of 2015.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Google+

   

BookBlast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/3/14

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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Sense & Sensibility: A Latter-Day Tale Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Sense & Sensibility: A Latter-Day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison!

Which is the key to love—passion or sensibility? Sensible Elly and romantic Maren are sisters trying to hold their family together in the wake of their father’s bankruptcy and death. As each unexpectedly encounters the madness and misadventures of love, will they ever find the true happiness they dream of? This modern reimagination of the Jane Austen favorite will capture your heart all over again.

Rebecca H. Jamison has lived on a live volcano, excavated the bones of a prehistoric mammal, and won first prize at a rigged chili cook-off. She wrote novels just for fun until she made a New Year’s resolution in 2011 to submit a manuscript to publishers. Her first two published works are Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale and Emma: A Latter-day Tale. Rebecca grew up in Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, where she earned a BA and MA in English. In between college and graduate school, she served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde islands. Her job titles have included special education teacher’s aide, technical writer, English teacher, and stay-at-home mom. Rebecca enjoys running, dancing, reading, and watching detective shows. She lives with her husband and children in Utah. You can learn more about her atwww.rebeccahjamison.com. 

Review:

Elly and Maren are completely different. Elly uses her good sense to rule her life, while Maren wants passion to rule her life. After their father passes away, they find themselves caught in a desperate situation. Neither of them have worked for a while, and their mother's meager salary isn't paying the bills. Elly is forced to take a job at the company that ran her father's into the ground. It also happens to be owned by her ex-fiancee. Life is further complicated by Elly's growing attachment to Ethan, the brother of her ex-fiancee's wife. Elly will do whatever it takes to keep her family afloat, but this is further complicated by Maren's depression and their younger sister's autism. Will Elly's good sense prevail?

I love Jane Austen, and I have loved each of Rebecca Jamison's adaptations of some of my favorite Jane Austen books. I felt like the author made some particularly creative and bold choices in dealing with this story, and they really paid off for me. First of all, having Elly in a STEM field? I am all in for that. Also, choosing to have the youngest daughter, Grace, have autism was an interesting choice. It certainly makes sense in the context of the story though. It made for some beautiful moments with all the characters. Finally, I thought Maren's POV chapters were amazingly done. Mental illness (and depression in particular) have been on a lot of minds lately as of the writing of this review (August 2013). I thought the author did a great of job of making you feel what Maren was feeling. The utter hopelessness that she had. I wanted so much to be able to help Maren and make her feel better, and once again this choice makes sense in the story. I think Jane Austen would approve for sure.

There are lots of LDS cultural things that are a part of the story, so this would probably make the book slightly unapproachable to non-LDS readers. For me though, that makes it more interesting. The author has a very keen grasp on things that we do as a group that add to the overall interest of the story. Some of these of course are just a matter of "tradition" within the community, but it does make for an additional sense of relating to the story and characters. I loved this book and would definitely read it again. I can't wait to see what the author has cooking up next.

Book provided for review.

The Husband Maker Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for The Husband Maker by Karey White!

The Husband Maker Blog Tour Schedule

Charlotte’s a girl with nicknames. She may not love being called Charles or Chuck, but the hardest nickname to take is the one she was given in college, the one that’s followed her now for too many years. They call her “the husband maker” and sadly, it fits. Every guy she’s dated since high school has become his next girlfriend’s husband. Not hers. Not three girlfriends down the road. The next. Is she doing something wrong or is she just cursed? When Kyle Aldsworth enters the picture and sweeps her off her feet, Charlotte begins to hope that maybe she's not destined to be single forever. A senator’s son with political aspirations of his own, Kyle's wealthy, handsome, and in need of a wife. Will Charlotte be disappointed yet again, or will she finally be able to make a husband for herself?

Get your copy of The Husband Maker for just $3.99!

Amazon * Kobo * iTunes * Barnes & Noble

Author Karey White

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

 

Coming Fall 2014 - Charlotte's Story continues in The Match Maker

Review

Charlotte has had an active dating life, but she hasn't had a relationship that sticks yet. In fact, she's gotten a bit of a reputation as a "husband maker." Ever guy she has dated has married the next woman he dated after breaking up with Charlotte. People are starting to talk about it, and Charlotte is not pleased. When she finally decides to take a chance on someone her boss wants to set her up with, Charlotte is not prepared for what a good relationship she develops. Will this one finally be the one that lasts?

This is a fun, quick read. I'm not going to pretend like the plot was unpredictable or anything. I kind of saw where it was going fairly quickly. That didn't make it any less enjoyable. I found Charlotte to be very likable, and you couldn't help but want her to get what she wants out of life. I loved the relationships she had with friends and family. I actually knew a girl who had a reputation as a husband maker in college. I think she had dated like 5 guys who all went on to get married on their next relationship. Luckily she managed to find the perfect guy for her, and so I have no doubt Charlotte can manage the same thing. 

I read this almost all in one sitting. Once I got into it I wanted to keep going, even having a strong feeling on where the plot was going (I was correct). For me the fun is in seeing how everyone gets there though, so that was a big reason I enjoyed it. Another thing I really enjoyed was a lack of the sorts of dumb decisions you see characters make in these books sometimes. These people were all smart and mature, and they did things for good reasons. I was never left scratching my head wondering why on earth someone would do that. There was never a poor decision to just move the plot along. I really enjoyed that. If there was one thing I didn't like, it was that the ending felt a little abrupt to me. I know the author was going for a cliffhanger feel, but I wanted to know what happens. In any case, this is a great book, and I will definitely be checking the next book in the series out. 

Book provided for review.

$25 Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 8/15/14

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 publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Life In the Palace Blog Tour

Tour Schedule

Welcome to the blog tour for Life In the Palace by Catherine Green!

After a lifetime in the shadow of her sister, Chloe is severely phobic of the chronically cool. Seth is everything she avoids; a pre-med philosophy major who works in a bar, plays in a band and is so good looking that grown women stare at him in the street. But it’s hard to say no to your soul mate. Thinking she’s maxed out her supply of destiny, Chloe settles down to enjoy the happily-ever-after.

Tal says that she’s one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance. Chloe assumes this is code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo.’ Actually Tal’s main extracurricular activity is fighting the forces of Oblivion. The People never need to hide what they are because no one ever believes them. Until Chloe does.

Chloe sets out to help Tal and The People as much as she can as an outsider. Seth says as long as no one wears their underpants on the outside Chloe can do what she likes. What he doesn’t say is that he’s also one of The People, although non-practicing. But as the Final Battle draws nearer, Chloe realizes it’s time for Seth to go collect his regulation sword. The only thing standing in his way is her. Seth says he’ll give up his place in heaven to stay with her. Chloe must choose between Seth’s soul and her own happiness.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Chloe on Facebook * Seth on Facebook

Author Catherine Green 

Catherine Green writes fantasy books featuring religious characters in a brazen attempt to make the people in faith communities seem less weird. She lives with her husband, children and three marginally neglected goldfish. When she's not writing, or pretending to be one of her characters on Facebook, she has been known to cook dinner.

Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook

 
Review:

Chloe Diaz is starting a new life in Montreal. She's discovering a whole new world, one that includes her classmate Tal and the very handsome Seth. Seth and Chloe are immediately drawn to each other, but Chloe also begins to find interest in Tal's background. Tal belongs to a group of believers known as "The People," and Chloe begins to learn more about them. The People are caught in an eternal battle on an entirely different spiritual plane, and they create ammunition and strength for the battle by being of service in the physical realm. Unfortunately for Chloe, the worlds of Tal's beliefs and her relationship with Seth become intertwined in ways Chloe could have never imagined, and things will never be the same.

So I found the concept of this book to be really interesting. However, I'm not sure the execution lived up to the idea. The relationship of Chloe and Seth was very quick, and while I don't particularly enjoy that kind of thing it made sense within the context of the book. The plot kind of stalled out after that though. Some of that was due to some of the necessary exposition with Tal and The People, and then setting up their relationship with Chloe and Seth. Things kind of drug from there though until very close to the end. When things really began to wrap up together, things got very exciting again. Maybe this is just due to my general dislike of schmaltzy romance? There is a lot of that in this book. Think Twilight levels of sudden soulmate-ness. I know a lot of people dig that though, so they may not feel like it drags as much as I did.

I did like Chloe though. She was a girl who did things her own way and for her own reasons. Even while being caught up in this sudden romance, she was very capable of making her own decisions that were best for her life. Seth is very much a dream guy who tons of girls will want to see more of. Tal and her group were even more interesting to me. I wanted even more explanation of what they did and why and how it all worked. I did think that Tal and friends did not come off looking very good with the way they handled the Chloe situation, but then no one really comes off looking the hero in all this. In the end, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The ending felt very unsatisfying for me, but it certainly left me hanging. However this is a creative book with interesting concepts. I think people who enjoy romance and adventure will find things to like in this book.

Book provided for review.

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/22/14

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, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

White Hellebore Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for White Hellebore by Nicole Zoltack!

After destroying Skull Krusher, Nicholas Adams thinks Falledge is safe and becomes a security guard at the museum, watching a valuable statue. Unfortunately, the Egyptian statue houses the soul of a scorned witch, biding her time to have her revenge on the descendants of her cheating lover.

Kiya the witch isn't the only new foe in town as the drug that created Skull Krusher has now transformed a scientist into yet another monster, forcing Nicholas to don his Black Hellebore mask again and save Falledge.

Nicholas has no help this time as Kiya gains possession of his love Julianna's body and brings the soul of Justina, Nicholas's high school sweetheart and Julianna's twin, with her. Despite himself, Nicholas is torn between the sisters. If he can't stop the fiends from taking over the world and destroying humankind, he'd never be able to find lasting, true love.

Add the first book, Black Hellebore, and this book on Goodreads!

About the Author:

Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead. To learn more about Nicole and her writing, visit http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.

These look very interesting, so be sure to check them out! Also, visit the author's blog for more information and fun stuff like excerpts! Thanks for stopping by!

Prejudice Meets Pride Book Blast

Welcome to the book blast for Prejudice Meets Pride by Rachael Anderson!

After years of pinching pennies and struggling to get through art school, Emma Makie’s hard work finally pays off with the offer of a dream job. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to make a cross-country move to Colorado Springs to take temporary custody of her two nieces. She has no money, no job prospects, and no idea how to be a mother to two little girls, but she isn’t about to let that stop her. Nor is she about to accept the help of Kevin Grantham, her handsome new neighbor, who seems to think she’s incapable of doing anything on her own.

Fun, compelling, and romantic, Prejudice Meets Pride is the story of a guy who thinks he has it all figured out and a girl who isn't afraid to show him that he doesn't. It’s about learning what it means to trust, figuring out how to give and to take, and realizing that not everyone gets to pick the person they fall in love with. Sometimes, love picks them.

Amazon

Coming Soon...

 

Tour Schedule

Author Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/25/14
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, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shadow Fire Book Blast

Shadow Fire Blog Tour Schedule

Welcome to the book blast for Shadow Fire by Kimber Leigh Wheaton!

Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.

All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?

Each installment of The Light Chronicles is a standalone story.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Smashwords

Author Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in The Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming soon.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Blog

Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/15/14
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, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway