Friday, August 30, 2013

Cover Reveal for LOVE AT FIRST SLIGHT

I have been wanting to participate in a cover reveal for some time now, and when I read a little bit about J. Marie Croft's upcoming novel, LOVE AT FIRST SLIGHT, I couldn't resist...

LOVE AT FIRST SLIGHT by J. Marie Croft

Cover Reveal- August 30, 2013

Genre: Fiction | Romance | Historical | Regency | Jane Austen Sequel
Publication Date: October 1, 2013


About the Book:

“It may not be universally acknowledged, but the unvarnished truth is that a young widow in possession of a good fortune is not necessarily in want of another husband.”

In this humorous, topsy-turvy Pride & Prejudice variation, all the gender roles are reversed. It is Mr. Bennet’s greatest wish to see his five sons advantageously married. When the haughty Miss Elizabeth Darcy comes to Netherfield with the Widow Devonport nee Bingley, speculation—and prejudice—runs rampant.

William Bennet, a reluctant and irreverent future reverend, catches Miss Darcy’s eye even though he is beneath her station. However, his opinion of her was fixed when she slighted him at the Meryton Assembly. As her ardour grows, so does his disdain, and when she fully expects to receive an offer of marriage, he gives her something else entirely ….

Links:

Product Pages:

Author’s Website:

Publisher Websites:

About the Author:


J. Marie Croft, a Nova Scotia resident and avid reader all her life, discovered Jane Austen's works later than others but made up for lost time by devouring the six novels and as many adaptations and sequels as she could find. In the midst of reading prodigious amounts of Austen-based fan-fiction, she realized, "Hey, I can do that." In her spare time, when not working at a music school or on a wooded trail enjoying her geocaching hobby, she listens to the voices in her head and captures their thoughts and words in writing. Her stories are light-hearted; and her motto is Miss Austen's own quote, "Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery." J. Marie Croft is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America (Canada) and admits to being "excessively attentive" to the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. She can be contacted at jmariecroft@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Book Thief Read Along

I'm joining my friend, Britney Gulbrandsen, in this September read along hosted by It's All About Books. I have never participated in a read along before so this is a first.

I have heard great things about The Book Thief and have wanted to read it for sometime, so I'm excited. Plus, the movie comes out this November. Now is the time!

Thought I'd spread the word and invite anyone who is interested to join me.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Books I Read This Summer (and Enjoyed!)

"Summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." 

     -Henry James

Goodbye summer. *sniff* Picture a hammock between two large shade trees and me kicking up my feet with a good book. Okay, so I don't have a hammock, but I do love to pick out a handful of books at the beginning of summer to enjoy. Here are some of the novels I read this spring/summer, along with some children's books my kids and I enjoyed together:





THE COMMANDER'S DESIRE
Watch for an author interview I will be posting next Monday with Jennette Green, author of THE COMMANDER'S DESIRE.

Children's Books
With my kiddos (a few of the many great picture books we read together):

We love Karma Wilson's books! BEAR SNORES ON is my new favorite.

(Warm up your tongue before cracking this one open.)

Such a cute book. My two-year-old loved it!

For my horse lovers:
 

 Here are three of the who-knows-how-many Pony Scouts books we read. We love them!



For my little one who just lost her first two teeth:


For my little Lion King lover:

 A few others... 



 And to get us excited for school: 

 So many great books! What did you read this summer? I'd love to read your comment below. Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

TIMESPELL Blog Tour, and a GIVEAWAY!


Guys! Seriously, I'm way excited about this post. I'm lucky to be a part of Diana Paz's blog tour for her novel, TIMESPELL. Isn't the cover GORGEOUS?! And just wait until you read the book. If you are at all tempted to buy this book (and you will be after this post), do it. I have so many great things to say about it.

Rich with conflict and captivating characters, TIMESPELL is a YA novel I won't soon forget. Great pacing. Vivid writing. Distinctive, larger-than-life characters. Humor sprinkled throughout. I loved this fresh take on everything magic. I didn't want to put it down for anything! Oh, and super-cute character Ethan? Diana, please write an entire novel about him. TIMESPELL begs for a sequel. And I will be downloading it onto my Kindle as soon as it comes out.

Magic, romance, time travel and adventure...this novel will sweep you away.

So, let's introduce TIMESPELL and author Diana Paz.

:
In TIMESPELL, the brash and impulsive Julia must team up with her sweet and straight-laced best friend, Angie, and the malicious and power-hungry Kaitlyn in order to keep the witch-like powers of her inheritance. But these powers come at a cost. The girls are bound to serve the Fates, and their first mission sends them back in time to Marie Antoinette’s Paris and eventually, into the chaos and war of the French Revolution.

Julia Corona and her best friend Angie are Daughters of Fate, destined to travel through time to battle the creatures of Mythos. It takes three Daughters to keep the creatures at bay, but when they discover the third Daughter is Kaitlyn, the bullying bad girl who tried to steal Angie’s boyfriend, suddenly a world ruled by demons doesn’t sounds so bad.

Julia is ready to kiss the magic goodbye until she meets Ethan, an intense young man who seems to know Julia better than she knows herself. Before she gets a chance to solve the mystery, the creatures of Mythos strike in Revolutionary France. The Daughters of Fate must set aside their differences and band together with Ethan to travel back in time. They have to stop the creatures, but someone close to them will betray them, making their task nearly impossible. The history books are changing, and it may already be too late.


Diana Paz writes books about magic, adventure, and romance. She was born in Costa Rica, grew up on Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles in high school, and went to college in San Diego. Basically, she’s a beach bum. Diana graduated from California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. She loves old movies, epic fantasy, all kinds of music, and heading to the beach with a good book. Preferably sipping a highly sweetened iced coffee.

Diana's Website
Diana's Facebook Page
@dianapazwrites

Interview with Author Diana Paz

Welcome, Diana! How did you come up with the idea for Timespell?

The idea came when I thought up a scene about a pair of time-crossed lovers, and the scene wouldn’t leave my thoughts. I wrote it down, and from there everything started falling into place. The idea of two best friends, completely excited about having magic so they could travel through time to fulfill their destiny, only to realize they can only keep their power if they join with the most evil girl in school? That was too much fun not to write.

I just finished the book, Diana, and those time-crossed lovers won't leave my thoughts either! Do any of the characters personalities resemble your own, or people you know?

Even though I created the main characters as their own people, I can’t help but infuse pieces of myself, and the experiences I’ve had, in every character I write. Because of this, I would say that I can relate to each of them.

That's probably why they felt so real, so original and distinctive to me. Your characters blew me away. The main characters in Timespell have the ability to time travel. If you could time travel, would you go into the past or into the future?

Oh, that’s so tough… as much as I adore history, I’m too curious for my own good, and I would choose the future.

Gosh, I've been sitting here at my computer trying to figure out how I would answer that question myself and I still don't know. It is a tough one. Okay, so like I said above, Timespell begs for a sequel. Is Timespell a stand-alone novel or is it planned as part of a series?

Timespell can definitely be read on its own, but I wrote it with the idea of a series in mind. I’m currently working on the next book, in which the girls will be sent on a mission back in time to the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy. I’m thrilled to be joining Julia, Angie, and Kaitlyn in another adventure, especially one involving sword fights and treasure.

Hooray! You've made my day. I will be watching for that sequel. Thank you, Diana, for introducing us to your novel today.

Be sure to check out this excerpt from TIMESPELL and also enter the eBook GIVEAWAY below!

TIMESPELL excerpt

Julia

Julia didn’t know whether she was running from Brian or toward Ethan. Maybe it was both. She couldn’t get her head straight, and slowed to a stop in the dim corridor.

Yellowed wall sconces struggled to give light. The flowery carpet and glossy wood walls seemed to go on forever. How far had she gone? Did it matter? She wanted as much space between her and the ballroom as she could get before Ethan found her. She had no doubt that his protector antennae would send him her way.

The mark on her arm grew warm and she rubbed it. That must be him. Should she try to find him and get this inevitable meeting over with? It wasn’t as if she could wait in this spot forever.

She pushed herself off the wall, wondering which way to go. The long hallway stretched like a mirror image in either direction. She shivered, deciding to go left. This whole ship reminded her a little too much of the Titanic. Her stomach tightened as she headed toward one of the openings that might be stairs or might be a lounge. Or might be where some eighteenth century ghost waits for stupid girls who wander ships alone.

She glanced behind her as she gnawed on her lip, unable to help the tremor of fear in her chest. Everything she had ever heard about the steamship Queen Mary raced through her mind; that it was bigger and faster than the Titanic had been, that it had crossed the Atlantic over a thousand times before retiring... that almost seventy people died onboard. Wasn’t this ship supposed to be haunted? Where is the ballroom? I want to go back!

A figure appeared at the end of the corridor. She tripped backward, banging her head against the wall.

He stepped into the gloomy yellow light and she exhaled in relief. It was only Ethan. His eyes remained darkened by shadows, a mess of black hair falling into them.

She swallowed beneath the intensity of his stare as he moved closer.

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Monday, August 12, 2013

Favorite YA Books Of Late

Set the timer for 3 minutes. Got it? Now write down your favorite young adult (or any other genre of choice) novels that you've read recently, like within the past year. You've got three minutes. Go.

What comes to mind first? (Go ahead and peek at your Goodreads account if you must. I did.) Here are the YA novels I've read fairly recently that came to mind:


 JUST ONE WISH by Janette Rallison. Such a sweet, funny, heartrending story. Read an interview I did with Janette HERE and my review of the book HERE.

THE LUXE by Anna Godbersen. So good.





THE KEEPER'S QUEST by Kelly Nelson. Adventure I won't forget and characters I love. More of my thoughts on this book HERE. Also, read an author interview I did with Kelly HERE.



SING ME TO SLEEP by Angela Morrison. Heartbreaking. And don't you love the cover? I do. Read my short review of this novel HERE.





Tuesday, August 6, 2013

eBook Giveaway of A CHANGE OF PLANS, and Author Interview with Donna K. Weaver

Hooray! Today I am super lucky to have Donna K. Weaver intreviewing on my blog. AND I get to host a GIVEAWAY of her novel in eBook format (be sure to enter via Rafflecopter below!).

Donna is the author of A CHANGE OF PLANS, a contemporary adventure romance. What a journey this novel took me on. See my previous post to read the book blurb and more of my thoughts on the novel.

LINKS:

So, welcome, Donna!

1) First of all, tell us about your swoon-worthy cover. It's beautiful, captivating and drew me in. Were you able to have any input on the cover design?

Donna: I know, right? I love it. Yes, I did have input on the cover design. I'm fortunate that my publisher involves the author all along the process.



That is awesome. Praise to you and everyone at Rhemalda who worked on the cover design.

2) What books inspire your writing?

Donna: Stories that compel me or characters that draw me in.

3) A CHANGE OF PLANS takes place on a cruise ship and on various islands in the Pacific Ocean. Can you tell us a little about the trips you've been on in this area of the world?

Donna: By the time I was 13, I'd crossed the Pacific three times by ship (only once by plane). We lived in the Philippines for two years, and I experienced a typhoon first hand--there's a kickin' storm scene that got cut from the book, with projectile coconuts and everything. Someday I would love to visit American Samoa.

A typhoon! That is sort of awesome and sort of crazy, Donna. Your experience with the Pacific definitely shined through in your novel.

4) So much goes into writing a novel. Tell us about the research you did while putting this story together. What was the hardest part?

Donna: I did all kinds of research. The cruise itself was a real one offered at the time I wrote the book. The cruise line is the same one my husband and I went on for our 25th wedding anniversary. When we visited Great Falls to see a daughter, it was an hour and a half to Lewistown. I told my husband we couldn't be that close and not visit. It was an awesome experience and changed many things. I wanted it to be real.
The hardest part was Part 2, while they are shipwrecked. What should it really be about? Survival? The romance? One of these days I'm going to put together a section with deleted scenes. Most of those will come from Part 2.

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! I know how hard it is to cut scenes. As Donald Maass says, we authors are "wedded to our words." But it ends up being worth it. I would still love to read your deleted scenes sometime!
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5) Many of the characters in A CHANGE OF PLANS intrigued me, including Braedon, Jack Randolph and, of course, Lyn. The scene where Lyn meets Jack is classic. Are any of your characters modeled after someone you know?

Donna: Jori is the only one, and it's more his dirty little secret than his personality. I knew someone who experienced what Jori did, though his circumstances and subsequent behavior were different.

6) What is your favorite chapter or scene and why?

Only one? I love the tender scenes. One of my favs is on the catamaran when Braedon needs to hold Lyn to deal with his own grief. What a complicated position for the poor guy to be in.
But I also love the scene at the breakfast table when everyone's trying to get Lyn to help with Jimmy's act for the talent contest. I love the not-so-subtle coercion because, of course, we all know she should do it.

Agreed! I also loved the end of chapter 16 when Lyn tries to take a shower in the rain. Classic!

7) What's the best writing advice you ever received?

Never give up.

Great advice, Donna. "Becoming a published author is one part talent and one part relentless, dogged determination." That quote from Barbara Larmon Failing has stuck with me.

8) What project are you working on now?

I finished a companion novel to A Change of Plans that stars Jori as the main character. It's with my publisher now. For November's NaNo, I've got a book planned with Lyn's brother, Marc, as the main character.

Fun! I'm excited to read more about those characters. Thank you, Donna. I thoroughly enjoyed your novel and this interview!

Don't forget to enter to win an eBook version of A CHANGE OF PLANS (enter via Rafflecopter below)! The contest closes Friday night. One lucky winner will be announced Saturday morning! Also, check out the book trailer for A CHANGE OF PLANS below.

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    Monday, August 5, 2013

    Review of A CHANGE OF PLANS by Donna K. Weaver

    I'm back! July was an awesome month filled with trips, family and summer fun. It's nice to be back in the swing of things and blogging again. And what a fun week of posts to come back with! Today I am sharing my thoughts on Donna K. Weaver's novel, A CHANGE OF PLANS, aaaand...announcing that tomorrow Donna will be here on my blog for an author interview. Oh, and she's giving away an eBook copy of her novel. A GIVEAWAY! So be sure to stop on by tomorrow.


    When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

    However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer.

    Their confusing relationship is bad enough, but when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa things get worse. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.


    Okay, so first of all, who can look at this cover without wanting to crack the book open? Praise to everyone involved in the cover design!  It's beautiful. And what a journey Donna K. Weaver took me on!

    Lyn's emotional life is in turmoil. She is in major need of a change. And, oh, what a change she gets! Convinced by her best friend, Elle, to go on a cruise with her in the Pacific, Lyn embarks on a trip that will change the course of her life. Enter Braedon, a captivating single man Lyn can't help but notice. But her heart is still shattered and she is reluctant to let herself fall in love again.


    Pirates, sharks and shipwreck raise the stakes and take the story to a new level. Honestly, I didn't want to put the book down for anything. At one point toward the end, my husband took one look at my face as I was reading and stated, "It's a great book." He knows my "reading faces" well. Bold, moving, and full of adventure, A CHANGE OF PLANS is a fun read.


    Don't forget to check back tomorrow for Donna's interview and the eBook Giveaway!