Thursday, May 16, 2013

Tour reviews and giveaway winner! Heiress Bride by Cynthia Woolf.




Heiress Bride 
by Cynthia Woolf.


For fans of Historical Romance, during this tour we met the second instalment in the Matchmaker & Co. Series:

Heiress Bride.




Check the reviews of this tour:






If you still don't know what this is about, keep reading!


Quick Facts

Release Date: March 15th, 2013.

Genre: Historical, Romance, Western.​


Formats Available: Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo.





Book Synopsis

Heiress Ella Davenport survived a carriage accident that killed her father.  Her life saved in exchange for savage scars marring her beautiful face.  Her friends, socialites, showed their true colors, casting Ella from the social circles and leaving her a social pariah. Even her wealth can’t buy her the kind of marriage she wants. Desperate to find a husband who can accept her despite her scars and, without knowing about her money, she seeks to become a mail order bride.  Matchmaker & Co. has a new client.

Nathan Ravenclaw was run out of town by the father of the girl he was courting once he discovered Nathan’s Arapaho Indian heritage. It didn’t matter he was a successful rancher, businessman and a positive member of society.  The white community suddenly saw only a half-breed. Even his money couldn’t buy him a wife. That was ten years ago.  He moved and rebuilt everything that cold rancher took from him except a wife.  Matchmaker & Company can get him a wife.  But Nathan is not expecting the beauty that waits for him on the train platform.  Though he still lacks the ability to trust, he determines that she will be the wife and mother he needs.

Can these two people find love and healing together? Or are their scars too deep to bridge the gap between trust and acceptance?

LINKS:








Excerpts

She arrived in Denver on April 6, 1868.  A date she would forever remember as the start of her life.  It was almost like another birthday.
The weather was cold with the wind off the plains toward the mountains.  The buildings weren’t as tall as in New York, but the wind still whistled between them and over the platform where she stood.  She was glad of her good wool coat and lined boots.  They kept her warm while she waited for Mr. Ravenclaw to find her.  There wasn’t anyone else wearing a veil so she didn’t think he’d have much problem identifying her.
She wasn’t really sure what she expected, but it wasn’t the tall, devastatingly handsome man that approached her.  He had a square jaw shaved clean and a tiny dimple in his chin.  Black eyebrows slashed over his eyes, the color of which was hidden by the shadow from his hat, pulled low on his head.  For once she was glad of her veil.  He wouldn’t be able to see her mouth hanging open, gawking at him.
“Miss Davenport?”
“Yes.  Are you Mr. Ravenclaw?”
“I am.”
She held out her hand.  “Ella Davenport.”
He removed his glove and enveloped her hand in his big one.  His fingers brushed the skin of her wrist just above her glove.  The tingle that traveled clear to her toes was unexpected and her gaze snapped up to his.  She looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes.  They seemed to question what was happening between them as much as she did.
He held her hand for what seemed like a lifetime and they simply starred at each other.
“Miss Davenport….”
“Ella.  Please.”
“Ella.  I would like for you to lift your veil.”
“Are you sure you want to do this in public.  It can be…shocking.”
“I’m sure.”  He squeezed her hand and then let go.
“Very well.”  She lifted the heavy lace, prepared for him to be taken aback by the ugliness of it.  She wasn’t prepared for him to lift his hand and gently trace the scar all the way from her left eye over her cheek and down her neck to the top of her collar.
There was no disdain on his face.  His blue eyes took in everything and accepted it, but even so he said the last thing she expected.
“You are a very beautiful woman.”
She stood there with her mouth open until he raised her chin with his knuckle.
“Why are you surprised?  Surely you have heard the compliment before.”
She shook her head to clear it and find her tongue.  “Not since the accident, except from my brother.  But he’s biased.  He loves me.”
“He but states the obvious.  Your scars do not detract from your beauty.”
“I must thank you because good manners dictate it.  However, I believe we should see about getting you some glasses.”
He laughed.  A rich, deep baritone.  “I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”
She stared back at him, incredulous, “Who was joking?”



The Author

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.
She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.
In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

Find more about her at: www.cynthiawoolf.com




Giveaway:


Open Internationally.
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift card


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Follow the Tour:

Tour Schedule:

May 2: Black Lion Tours Blog
           Mochas, Mysteries and More: Interview

May 3: Bunny's Review Blog: Guest Post and Review

May 4: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews: Interview

May 5: Fandom Fanatic: Interview

May 6: Books รก la Mode: Guest Post

May 7: Lindsay's Scribblings: Guest Post

May 8: Makayla's Book Reviews: Review and Guest Post.

May 9: The Stuff of Success: Guest Post
            MK Mc Clintock's Blog: Top 10 List

May 10: Pure Jonel: Review and Guest Post

May 11: My Devotional Thoughts: Review and Interview.

May 12: Jody's Book Reviews: Guest Post.
              Recent Reads: Review.

              Love in a Book: Interview



May 16: Black Lion Tours Blog: Wrap Up

Monday, May 13, 2013

Double Cover Reveal: Unbidden and Redeemed by Jill Hughey



Today we say hello again to author Jill Hughey and her books Unbidden and Redeemed, that had an amazing MAKE OVER!


"Two new covers, same great stories"

For fans of Historical Romance here are Book 1 and 2 in "The Evolution Series".


Evolution Series Book One: Unbidden
by 
Jill Hughey


Book Synopsis



When the emperor chooses a husband for Rochelle, she tries to drive her betrothed away, but by the time she realizes she might want to keep him, she has been too successful and other forces are dividing them as well.
A whirling romance in the enchanting world of Charlemagne’s Empire. Rochelle of Alda, a feisty Frank noblewoman, expects to continue her industrious life managing her family’s estate. When her emperor summons her to the palace to meet the skilled soldier she is required to marry, Rochelle engages in a battle for independence from David of Bavaria. As her own deceptions multiply, she suspects another of also plotting against their marriage. To her surprise, and too late, David’s passion and patience begin to win her heart. Can their love survive the tangled web of her schemes and the secret adversary David refuses to see?



Evolution Series Book  Two: Redeemed
​​


Book Synopsis

Doeg has only two requirements in a wife, and when Philantha arrives he knows she is the one who will fulfill them. However, she has a requirement of her own that at first frightens her new husband, but eventually breaks down the barriers he has kept erected around himself for decades. They work to rejuvenate his estate by day while their passion grows at night. When an unexpected threat from within their world endangers Philantha, will Doeg throw off the shackles of his past completely to claim happiness once and for all? Travel to Bavaria in 834 where Redeemed combines the best elements of historical romance with an exciting new setting.









The Author
Jill Hughey has loved historical romance since sneaking peeks at her mother’s library years ago. She has enjoyed writing just as long.  She prides herself on deep character development, and settings that take her readers on long, satisfying journeys to places they have probably never been in a book before.
Jill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. Her hobby is singing lessons, in which she studies classical soprano and some lighthearted works.
Learn more about the author at: http://jillhughey.blogspot.com


GIVEAWAY:
An e-copy of Unbidden.
International. 





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Beacon of Love Book Blast and Giveaway!





"Beacon of Love" (Hometown Heroes Series)
by Allie Boniface.


​​Quick Facts                                        
                                           
Release Date: May 6, 2013.                                
Genre: Contemporary Romance.                                                    
Formats: All digital formats.   





 Book Synopsis

Welcome to Lindsey Point, Connecticut: suspicious of outsiders, loyal to tradition, and absolutely devoted to its local legends.
Enter Sophie Smithwaite, feisty travel show host, in town to film an episode about Lindsey Point’s haunted lighthouse. But digging into the story of a tragic murder-suicide and love gone wrong reveals startling connections to Sophie’s own past. When a gorgeous local handyman fills in behind the camera, Sophie’s life gets complicated by more than just her family history.
Part-time paramedic, handyman, seasonal Santa-Lucas Oakes does it all–except get attached. He’s still reeling from the death of his best friend ten years ago and the more recent infidelity of his ex-fiancee. Yet despite Sophie’s big-city nosiness and her insistence on chasing long-dead ghosts, he’s drawn to her.
But mixing with an outsider means questioning people and traditions Lucas has always defended. When a series of attacks seem to be connected to Sophie’s investigation, both Sophie and Lucas must decide if they are willing to risk everything to uncover the town’s secrets…and their own.





Excerpt 1
“Wise ass.” Sophie backed into the street before he could grab her. “I’ll see you later!” she called. “I think Lon said something about meeting tomorrow morning and--hey!” She squawked off the last word as Lucas lifted her off the ground and onto his shoulder.
As if she was a bag of flour.
Or a damsel in distress.
Or his damn cavewoman.
About a hundred thoughts raced through her mind, and it took all she had to keep them from coming out in biting words.
“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he asked as he carried her back to his truck, parked in front of the bar. He wasn’t panting, not out of breath in the least, as if she weighed close to nothing. “If anything happened to you, Lon would kill me.” With one hand he opened the passenger side door. Only then did he lower her to a seat inside the truck. His hands slid down her arms and settled her hips into place.
Oh yum. All her scathing thoughts of thirty seconds earlier vanished. She shifted on the leather. There was room for him on this side of the cab, she was almost positive. If not, she’d make room. In about two seconds.








The Author

Allie Boniface is a small-town girl at heart who's traveled around the world and still finds that the magic and the mystery of small towns make them the best places to fall in love and find adventure. From the New England coast to Rocky Mountain hotels to tiny European bars, she's found more character and plot inspirations than she could ever count. Currently, she's lucky enough to live in New York's beautiful Hudson Valley with her own "Hometown Hero," a guy who can fix, build, drive, and grill anything and is the epitome of the strong and silent type.
When she isn't writing love stories, Allie is a full-time high school English teacher who gets a kick out of helping her teenagers negotiate the ups and downs of writing along with the ups and downs of life (because, really, she's still trying to do the same thing!). And while she'll continue to travel far and wide, Allie knows there's really nothing like coming back to the place where the people who have known you forever welcome you home with open arms.

Find more about her at: 





Twitter: AllieBoniface1

PURCHASE BEACON OF LOVE HERE.







Tour Giveaway
  • $10 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice)
  • winner's choice of any ebook from Allie Boniface's back list




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Friday, May 10, 2013

KDP BLITZ: To Be Maria for FREE on AMAZON!


 KDP BLITZ! 

Enjoy this amazing book for free at AMAZON!
Only from May 10 to 14th!

 Get to know it!

TO BE MARIA
by Deanna Proach


Quick Facts                                        
                                           
Release Date: May 3, 2013                                       

Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction (Coming of Age)                                                    
Formats: Kindle.​            


Book Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Anya Preschnikov dreams of one day becoming a famous actor, but she is faced with two problems: her one-parent, dysfunctional family neglects her and has no money to support her and at school, she is the target for her peers' contempt. Anya believes that, in order to gain her stepping stone to stardom, she must dress like the rich girls and be surrounded by a large network of friends. All of this changes when Maria Hernandez--an immigrant from Spain-- comes to Peach Valley Senior High.
Maria knows what it takes to fit in. She is bold, confident and she dresses suggestively, characteristics that all of the popular kids admire. Yet, she sees in Anya what everyone else does not see: Anya's outer beauty and her immense talent.
Maria is everything Anya wants to be: popular, sexy and confident. So, when Maria extends her hand of friendship, Anya is elated. Her lifelong dream is about to become a reality, but it falls short one Saturday night at a party when a boy's rude comment sends her into a rage.
Desperate to belong somewhere, Anya and Maria set out to find new friends outside of school. They meet Alex and Marissa, a young couple who eagerly welcomes them into their world of parties and drugs. Anya and Maria soon find out that Alex is a drug dealer, but they are so lured by his wealth, good looks and aggressive confidence that they cannot resist his friendship. They don't know that Alex's gang is at war with a rival gang--one that is run by Anya's older brother, Adrik--until one incident puts their lives in danger's path. To make matters worse, Alex will not let Anya and Maria out of his sight.
Anya and Maria must find away out of this situation before it's too late.




GOODREADS     




Excerpt

CHAPTER 1
Anya wakes, startled by the loud, repetitive beep of her alarm clock. In a daze, she reaches over the small night stand and slaps the stop button. She groans, her tired eyes half closed, while she slips out from underneath the old, but comfortable blanket.
Great. I'm so tired. If only I had two more hours. But no. When there's no school, there's work, and that's even worse. I hate that I have to get up at five-thirty every Saturday and Sunday morning. My manager always gives me the worst shifts.
She shuffles over to the closet. Unlike most other girls in school, she never rummages through the closet in search of the perfect outfit. She rolls her eyes. "Oh God, here we go again: the same jeans, faded tank-tops, baggy t-shirts and sweatshirts. I can't wait until the day comes when I throw away these ugly clothes. I just wish I had the money to buy new clothes, fashionable clothes. Maybe then, I'd fit in at school."
Anya traces her finger over the delicate cloth of her one and only bohemian-style summer dress. Even the dress is a hand-me-down, worn by her mother back in the 1970s. But it is the only piece of clothing she loves. Unfortunately it's still too cold outside to wear it.
hank god for my imagination. I don't know what I'd do without it.
The things Anya enjoys the most are brushing her hair and writing in her journal. These are the only times she can let her imagination take her away from home. She can pretend to be anything—anything but herself.
Anya rakes her slender fingers through her long hair. Today, I'm a daughter of a wealthy architect, so I'm going to wear a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans and a green peasant top, the revealing one. Then I'll put on that expensive necklace and those silver hoop earrings that Mom bought for me yesterday. She frowns at her clothes. Ugh, who are you kidding, Anya? Why even waste your time pretending to have something when it makes you even more unhappy to realize that you don't have it.
To get her mind off her clothes, she looks at her mother's photograph, the one that always sits on top of the nightstand. Every time Anya looks at the photograph, she studies her mother's features. Her father used to tell her that she looks so much like her mother, Ana Preschnikov, but, until now, she never gave it much thought. Anya now realizes why her father used to call her Ana. Ana--who must have been in her early twenties the time this photo was taken--boasted the same long, caramel brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, petite, heart-shaped face, slender nose and smooth, cream-colored skin. Anya often wonders what life would be like if her mother was still alive. It has been so many years since she passed away that Anya has forgotten what it's like to have a mother. Sometimes she dreams about her mother and sometimes she longs for the comfort of her tender arms and loving words.
Her eyes eventually shift away from the photograph to the journal sitting on the floor in front of the nightstand. The front and back cover is of a soft blue and leather. She received it as a Christmas gift from her best friend Patrick a little over one year ago. Since then, she has filled it with her thoughts until only a few empty pages remain. She has planned to leave those pages blank until she purchased another journal--something she has decided to do after work this weekend.
"Oh heck, I can't wait until the weekend. I really need to clear my mind," she whispers. She changes into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, grabs the journal off the floor, then walks over to the kitchen.
The kitchen is messier than usual. Two of the cupboard doors are left open, the sink is filled with dirty dishes and the counter is littered with stale food, wrappers, cutlery and cups that are half-filled with juice. She bites down hard on her lower lip. She can feel the red creep up her neck and over her face. Damnit! Why doesn't my dad clean up after himself? Why does he expect Sophia and I to clean up after him all the time? She sinks into the nearest chair, breathing out a long, angry sigh. Her stomach growls, warning that if she doesn't eat she will spend the entire day tripping over her words and suffering from exhaustion and a bad headache--something she has endured several times in the past.   
Anya leaves her journal, then walks over to one of the open cupboards. As predicted, it is empty save one box of Macaroni and Cheese and a package of Mr. Noodles. Anya shuts the door, then peers into the next cupboard. All that remains in there is a box of Cheerios. She grabs the box, realizing that it's more than half-empty, but thinking that it should be enough to satisfy her until lunch.
As she opens the fridge door, she hears a shuffling noise from behind. Thinking that it is Sophia, she turns, ready for a round of confrontation. But it is her father and he stands less than one foot away from the doorway. He's hardly ever up this early, so Anya is surprised to see him. For the first time in a long time, he is clean shaven and he's dressed in a red, button-down, flannel shirt that is tucked into blue jeans. Anya suspects that his clothes are also clean because she does not smell any foul stench.
Anya cocks her left eyebrow. "You're up early."   
"Yeah, I got a new job."
"Where?"
"At Home Depot."
Anya purses her lips. That's not a step up from your last job at Canadian Tire. "Cool, is the pay better?"
"Yeah, enough to get me by."
Anya narrows her eyes. "Well, I hope you last at this job," she says, slamming the milk and Cheerios down on the table. It's enoughto get us by, you self-centered jerk. I hope your new boss doesn't fire your dumb ass like your last boss did.
"I think so. You gonna to clean this up," he says, pointing at the counter.
Anya glares at him. "Uh, no."
"Why not?"
"Because you were the one who made the dang mess. That's why!"
He casts her a sharp look. "Don't talk to me like that, young lady."
"I can talk to you however I want!"

"Fine then, be that way. I'm off."
"Clean your stinking mess when you get home from work," Anya yells after him. She slumps into a chair, her eyes brimming with tears. "Don't cry. He's not worth it. Don't let him get you down," she whispers over and over again until the anger ebbs. But when she looks down at the diary, the feeling returns. She flips through it until she comes to a blank page.
'February 17, 2003.' 'Dear Diary,' she writes underneath the date in the top left corner of the empty page.
'This day is not off to a good start.' She then writes about her dad, describing him using every foul word in the English language. Once she has spilled her anger and frustration onto the paper, she breathes out a huge sigh. It makes her feel much better. Besides she doesn't want to spend every minute of the day thinking about the people who get her down.
I'm sorry I used all that bad language. I just needed to let off steam. Anyway, it's time to tell you about the good stuff in my life.
I'm still really excitement that I got accepted into Mr. Hawthorne's advanced acting class. I know, I already told you this--Patrick's sick of hearing me say this--but this is the best thing that ever happened to me. Mr. Hawthorne doesn't accept anyone into his advanced acting class. Over a hundred students auditioned this year, and out of those auditions, he chose only sixteen students to be in his class. The fact that he chose me over several other good actors is a huge gold feather in my cap.
Every year, Mr. Hawthorne sponsors one student to attend Vancouver Film School. His sponsorship pays for one year's tuition. This will give me a huge start to my career. I'm busting my ass to show Mr. Hawthorne the best of me because I'm determined to be the recipient of his sponsorship.
Anya pauses to flex her wrist. She steals a glance at her wrist watch. It reads seven 'o' clock. There is still some spare time to write, thankfully, because she hasn't told her journal everything she needs to say.
There's this new girl in school. She's our age and she's in our grad class. Her name is Maria and she's from Spain, the country everyone seems to think is cool. There's so many Spanish people who live in this city that it's no wonder why most of them go wide eyed when they think about Spain. I've never been to Europe, but I imagine that Spain's a beautiful country, though I don't think it's any better than any other country in Europe. Or every other country in this world for that matter. I think it's the way Maria dresses and the way she acts that everyone finds so attractive. Well, the popular kids mostly. She's been at Peach Valley Senior High for only two weeks and she's already at the top of the popularity chain. Patrick thinks she's a slut, an easy layover. That's why all the boys are so gaga over her. But I don't know if that's true. I personally think she's drop-dead gorgeous.
Anya's eyes droop when she thinks about Maria.
Her clothes are so stylish. I wish I had those kinds of clothes, and--I know I say this almost every day--I wish I was as popular as her. I'd like to get toknow Maria--she'd be the coolest friend I'd ever have--but Carly beat me to it. Carly befriended her the moment she set foot in Peach Valley Senior High. Maria's in two of my classes and sometimes I see her in the hallway, but she never says anything to me. It's no wonder why, though. She's Carly's friend.
Anyway, I think I've told you enough information for one day. I gotta get ready for school. Until next time.
Love Anya.




The Author

Deanna Proach graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Northern
British Columbia in 2008. She initially trained to become a teacher, but decided, in her last year of post-secondary education training, to pursue a career in writing instead.
Since then, Proach has written two novels: DAY OF REVENGE (Inkwater Press) and TO BE MARIA (will be released, May 1, 2013 via Amazon Kindle). Proach is also an aspiring travel writer, avid blogger and actress.
You can find out more about Deanna Proach at:  





GET THE BOOK HERE.