Cover Reveal!

Cover reveal, and what a beauty! Congratulations, Rachael !
  The Rise of Miss Notley by Rachael Anderson To escape an undesirable match, Miss Notley must give up her riches for rags. When Miss Coralynn Notley’s father barters her off to the first titled gentleman to come along, she realizes she must flee her home or be forced to wed a despicable man. Driven by desperation, she applies for the position of housekeeper at Tanglewood Manor, the home of the handsome Mr. Jonathan Ludlow. The moment Jonathan sees Miss Notley, he is intrigued. She is far too young and inexperienced for the position, yet there is something about her that that inspires a certain hope within him. Does he dare offer her the position of housekeeper or will doing so result in catastrophe? The Rise of Miss Notley is the delightful tale of a mysterious gentleman and a determined young woman, caught together in a web so tangled it begs the question: Will they ever get out?

Coming February 2017

  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

  $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 1/25/17 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. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Some Books I've Read This Year...and Some You Should Definitely Read TOO!

So, I get really excited about this post. It's one I do just about every year this time; I love to look back and remember the journey these books took me on. Here are some of the books I read this past year and my thoughts on a few of them:

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES:

Let me begin here and let me rave. THESE BOOKS! I am writing a young adult fantasy right now, so the genre and book blurb of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES piqued my interest. The writing is beautiful, the story gripping, the characters unforgettable. I am a fan of history and loved seeing the Roman influence in this setting. 

BOOK 2, A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT: 

LOVED. These characters and their story have me ensnared. The tension! I did not see some of the twists coming. The emotional and physical journey of each character is masterfully written; something I love in a novel. I was a bit torn about the ending (in good and bad ways!). I am excited to read the next novel in the series.

THE WOMAN WITH NO NAME:

Danger, mystery and sparks wait beneath the cover of this romantic suspense. I had the opportunity to read this novel between drafts and I am so excited to see it out! This is a fabulous read for all who enjoy clean romance and suspense.

While hunting for elk, Colt finds a woman dressed like she's ready for a day at the office instead of the high mountains of Utah. And she's passed out. And injured. And when she awakes, she can't even remember her name. Things only get worse for the two strangers, but with each page turned, Colt and The Woman With No Name begin to feel less and less like strangers...which might only spell out disaster for them both.

DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST:  

5 stars, especially for such an incredible ending. Parts of the first half of the novel drew me in while others were hard to get into. Sorcha goes through a lot in this novel, including some trauma that is difficult to read, however true to life it may be. Although this novel has elements of fantasy, Sorcha's struggle is real, her growth and maturity adding so much depth to the novel. Really, this author was masterful in her telling of Sorcha's story. And the two main leads! Hugh and Sorcha. And Simon. And all of Sorcha's brothers--so many well-developed, great characters in this novel. Halfway through the book I was hooked; I had such a hard time putting it down. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

THE LUXE series (SPLENDOR and ENVY):

** spoiler alert **  I was DONE with this series after the second book when Will, the character I was really rooting for, DIED. And yet I thought about this series often enough (over the next FOUR years), wondering how it all turned out for his love, sweet Elizabeth, that I finally snagged the third book. I liked her character too and COULD NOT believe it when Will died. I repeat: WHY DID WILL HAVE TO DIE!?

Anna Godbersen is truly an amazing author because, even though I didn't entirely love the way everything turned out for each character, holy cow this series was so hard to put down. And the history of New York in the early 1900's really comes to life.

HALF BROKE HORSES

ON WRITING by Stephen King:

I had heard so much about this book. What I didn't expect was that Stephen King would have me cracking up! Like totally laughing out loud at parts. The last half of this book was so good--if you are a writer, you are sure to glean some great tips and overall motivation for your writing. I sure did. During the first half of the novel which focused on his life, I was having a hard time figuring out how this book would all come together, but it did. All in all, a fabulous book on writing.

                       DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE         THRONE OF GLASS

SLAYERS: 
WOW. Okay, I am not usually a dragon book person--they usually don't grab me. But I'm telling you, I DID NOT want to put this book down! It kept me up WAY late, and now that I've finished, I'm anxious to read the sequel. Such an adventure. A quick, gripping read. What a brilliant author. Characters, plot...this book has it all! Loved the sequel too, and looking forward to reading the third book in the series.

NAMELESS:

Ah, Nameless. This is my kind of book! Fast-paced and emotionally gripping, this book will keep you turning pages. These characters and the stakes had me hooked. I am a fan of all things history and ancient warfare too (the high school me would laugh at myself now! My husband has converted me over the years though), so I loved the elements of various ancient civilizations woven into the setting and characters. Jennifer is a talented author, and I look forward to reading her sequel, CLANLESS.

SONG OF DAVID

                                  A HEART REVEALED                     FRIENDS & FOES

LORD FENTON'S FOLLY:

Totally loved this one. Josi's regency romances have a way of sucking me in instantly and never letting me go. This was a forget-the-dishes-and-the-laundry-and-READ type of book for me! I did not fully understand some of Lord Fenton's behaviors regardless of his fears and motives, but every person is different in real life just as in fiction and each reacts differently to various situations--he still became the hero I was rooting him on to be! Characters felt real. Setting, time and place came to life for me. And what a sweet romance!

 MY FAIR GENTLEMAN

 BETWEEN NOW & NEVER:

Ha! I did it. I actually sat down and read my published book, something I--believe it or not--have never done. (I read these puppies only 50+ times during the writing/editing process...). I'll be honest, I've been afraid to do this. Once it's published, it's out there. You know? I've kept my own novels at arm's length for fear that I will read them and cringe at a mistake I am unable to fix or a scene I wish I had developed better. Despite all the fear, this beauty (that cover! Thank you Kensington) kept me up into the wee hours of the night. Sure, there is always something I could do better, but I totally laughed out loud and fell in love with these characters all over again. I look at this book now and smile all the more for having read it in print form. Thank you, Alicia Condon and everyone at Kensington Publishing, for loving Julianna and Cody and bringing their story to light.

ELEANOR AND THE IRON KING

Some Books I've Read This Year...and Some You Should Definitely Read TOO!

So, I get really excited about this post. It's one I do about every year this time; I love to look back and remember the journey these books took me on.

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES:

Let me begin here and let me rave. THESE BOOKS! I am writing a young adult fantasy right now, so the genre and book blurb of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES piqued my interest. The writing is beautiful, the story gripping, the characters unforgettable. I am a fan of history and loved seeing the Roman influence in this setting. 

BOOK 2, A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT: 

LOVED. These characters and their story have me ensnared. The tension! I did not see some of the twists coming. The emotional and physical journey of each character is masterfully written; something I love in a novel. I was a bit torn about the ending (in good and bad ways!). I am excited to read the next novel in the series.

THE WOMAN WITH NO NAME:

Danger, mystery and sparks wait beneath the cover of this romantic suspense. I had the opportunity to read this novel between drafts and I am so excited to see it out! This is a fabulous read for all who enjoy clean romance and suspense.

While hunting for elk, Colt finds a woman dressed like she's ready for a day at the office instead of the high mountains of Utah. And she's passed out. And injured. And when she awakes, she can't even remember her name. Things only get worse for the two strangers, but with each page turned, Colt and The Woman With No Name begin to feel less and less like strangers...which might only spell out disaster for them both.

DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST:  

5 stars, especially for such an incredible ending. Parts of the first half of the novel drew me in while others were hard to get into. Sorcha goes through a lot in this novel, including some trauma that is difficult to read, however true to life it may be. Although this novel has elements of fantasy, Sorcha's struggle is real, her growth and maturity adding so much depth to the novel. Really, this author was masterful in her telling of Sorcha's story. And the two main leads! Hugh and Sorcha. And Simon. And all of Sorcha's brothers--so many well-developed, great characters in this novel. Halfway through the book I was hooked; I had such a hard time putting it down. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

THE LUXE series (SPLENDOR and ENVY):

** spoiler alert **  I was DONE with this series after the second book when Will, the character I was really rooting for, DIED. And yet I thought about this series often enough (over the next FOUR years), wondering how it all turned out for his love, sweet Elizabeth, that I finally snagged the third book. I liked her character too and COULD NOT believe it when Will died. I repeat: WHY DID WILL HAVE TO DIE!?

Anna Godbersen is truly an amazing author because, even though I didn't entirely love the way everything turned out for each character, holy cow this series was so hard to put down. And the history of New York in the early 1900's really comes to life.

'

HALF BROKE HORSES

ON WRITING by Stephen King:
I had heard so much about this book. What I didn't expect was that Stephen King would have me cracking up! Like totally laughing out loud at parts. The last half of this book was so good--if you are a writer, you are sure to glean some great tips and overall motivation for your writing. I sure did. During the first half of the novel which focused on his life, I was having a hard time figuring out how this book would all come together, but it did. All in all, a fabulous book on writing.

                                          DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE                  THRONE OF GLASS

SLAYERS: 
WOW. Okay, I am not usually a dragon book person--they usually don't grab me. But I'm telling you, I DID NOT want to put this book down! It kept me up WAY late, and now that I've finished, I'm anxious to read the sequel. Such an adventure. A quick, gripping read. What a brilliant author. Characters, plot...this book has it all! Loved the sequel too, and looking forward to reading the third book in the series.

NAMELESS:

Ah, Nameless. This is my kind of book! Fast-paced and emotionally gripping, this book will keep you turning pages. These characters and the stakes had me hooked. I am a fan of all things history and ancient warfare too (the high school me would laugh at myself now! My husband has converted me over the years though), so I loved the elements of various ancient civilizations woven into the setting and characters. Jennifer is a talented author, and I look forward to reading her sequel, CLANLESS.

SONG OF DAVID

                                             A HEART REVEALED                                          FRIENDS & FOES

LORD FENTON'S FOLLY:

Totally loved this one. Josi's regency romances have a way of sucking me in instantly and never letting me go. This was a forget-the-dishes-and-the-laundry-and-READ type of book for me! I did not fully understand some of Lord Fenton's behaviors regardless of his fears and motives, but every person is different in real life just as in fiction and each reacts differently to various situations--he still became the hero I was rooting him on to be! Characters felt real. Setting, time and place came to life for me. And what a sweet romance!

 MY FAIR GENTLEMAN

 BETWEEN NOW & NEVER:
Ha! I did it. I actually sat down and read my published book, something I--believe it or not--have never done. (I read these puppies only 50+ times during the writing/editing process...). I'll be honest, I've been afraid to do this. Once it's published, it's out there. You know? I've kept my own novels at arm's length for fear that I will read them and cringe at a mistake I am unable to fix or a scene I wish I had developed better. Despite all the fear, this beauty (that cover! Thank you Kensington) kept me up into the wee hours of the night. Sure, there is always something I could do better, but I totally laughed out loud and fell in love with these characters all over again. I look at this book now and smile all the more for having read it in print form. Thank you, Alicia Condon and everyone at Kensington Publishing, for loving Julianna and Cody and bringing their story to light.

FREE YA Novel Promotion

DOWNLOAD for FREE

Between Now & Never by Laura Johnston is FREE for a limited time. 

Snag a copy and share the deal with your friends!

FREE on Amazon Kindle

FREE on Nook

FREE via Kensington Publishing

FREE on Kobo

FREE on Google Play

Free Download for a Limited Time
Click to Download

A convict’s daughter should never fall for an FBI agent’s son, certainly not a fiery teenager like Julianna Schultz who is furious over her mother’s incarceration and the injustice of it all. But that’s exactly what seventeen-year-old Julianna finds herself doing when Cody Rush, the cocky son of the FBI agent who put her mom behind bars, moves into her hometown of Gilbert, Arizona.

Cody Rush—studious, principled, athletic, good looking and blond to boot—is everything Julianna hates, or so she thinks. Yet a series of ill-fated events one night brings them dangerously close, entangling the futures of two people who were never meant to be.

 

FREE for a short time! YA novel Between Now & Never by Laura Johnston

GUYS! FREE. Yes, FREE! This is the first (and possibly last) time Between Now & Never will be FREE on Kindle, Nook and Google Play. I am so excited about this deal. Snag a copy and share the deal with your friends.

A convict’s daughter should never fall for an FBI agent’s son, certainly not a fiery teenager like Julianna Schultz who is furious over her mother’s incarceration and the injustice of it all. But that’s exactly what seventeen-year-old Julianna finds herself doing when Cody Rush, the cocky son of the FBI agent who put her mom behind bars, moves into her hometown of Gilbert, Arizona.

Cody Rush—studious, principled, athletic, good looking and blond to boot—is everything Julianna hates, or so she thinks. Yet a series of ill-fated events one night brings them dangerously close, entangling the futures of two people who were never meant to be.

BETWEEN NOW & NEVER links:

Free on Kindle

Free on B&N Nook

Free on Google Play