Monday, November 2, 2020

A New Beginning: Where I Am Now

Welcome back!

I took a long break from blogging for both health and personal reasons (though I had not planned on it being 2 years). 

I hope to return to book blogging on a semi-permanent basis beginning next week. 

I know we've all been struggling with everything that's been going on lately but I hope reading books has been as much of an escape for you as it has been for me. Hopefully, as we get ready for 2020 to end and 2021 to begin, things will look up for all of us and life will get better and better. 


Maria 

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Book Blast & #Giveaway for You Never Forget Your First Earl by Ella Quinn

Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for You Never Forget Your First Earl by Ella Quinn.  Please leave a comment or question for Ella to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway, where Ella will be awarding a signed print copy of this book (international entries accepted) to five (5) randomly chosen commenters via Rafflecopter (form below).  You may follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.  Good Luck!

You Never Forget Your First Earl
By Ella Quinn
The Worthingtons, Book 5

Publisher: Zebra (An Imprint of Kensington Books)
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 304 Pages
ISBN: 978-1420145182
ASIN: B075C139K2

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N |Kobo |Google Play |IndieBound | BAM


About the book:

With her three good friends all recently married, Elizabeth Turley is ready for some husband-hunting of her own. One gentleman in particular sparks her interest. Geoffrey, Earl of Harrington is tall, handsome, and dashing. He’s also just a bit too sure of himself. But Elizabeth has observed enough about the rules of attraction to pique the earl’s attention. Yet once she has it, the discovery of a troubling secret taints her future happiness . . .


Lord Harrington must marry or lose a prestigious position in Brussels, and pretty, well-connected Elizabeth fits his needs admirably. But could it be that he has underestimated his bride? She doesn’t bat an eye in the face of the danger they encounter overseas. She’s strong-willed, intelligent, and more enticing each day—yet also more indifferent to him. Now Geoffrey faces his greatest challenge: to woo and win his own wife, or risk losing her for good . . .




EXCERPT

Once Gavin had accompanied Lord Harrington into the house, her aunt looked at Elizabeth. “Well, what did you think?”

“After his initial stiffness, he was quite charming.” Even if he didn’t kiss her fingers.

“He’s a handsome man,” her aunt mused.

She had studied him as he’d strolled off with Gavin. She had been right. It was clear his tall frame and broad shoulders had no need of padding anywhere. “Yes. His eyes in particular are a beautiful color blue. They almost match the sapphire he wore.” His hair was blond but slightly darker than hers. “I like the way his hair curls.”

“But he is not pretty,” Aunt said. “Not like Byron.”

“No. He is very manly looking. His jaw is firm.” Not able to get the vision of his shoulders and shapely legs out of her mind, Elizabeth fought the urge to sigh. She might be a little too interested in his physical attributes.

“And he was attentive to you,” her aunt prodded.

“Yes, he was very attentive.” Especially when he talked about going abroad. In fact, that was almost the only thing he discussed. He had not asked anything about her likes and dislikes.

“Very well.” Her aunt’s tone was a bit impatient. “He is tall, blond, and handsome. He appears, from his conversation, to be intelligent and well read. He comes from a good family. He will be a marquis someday, and he wishes to be wed.” Aunt Bristow arched a brow. “Tell me. What is it about him that you do not like?”

Her aunt was right. Something about Lord Harrington had struck Elizabeth as . . . off. She pushed is physical looks aside and focused on what was bothering her. Lord knows it wasn’t his appearance. It was not his demeanor as such. It was . . . was he really interested in her? “He wants this position so badly that I believe he will marry any suitable lady just to have it.” She scrunched up her face. “Do you know what I mean?” Her aunt stared at her, clearly not understanding. She’d have to find a different way to put it. “It strikes me that in a way he is like a fortune hunter. He does not care who he weds, so long as he can have what he wants. In the case of a fortune hunter it is the money. In Lord Harrington’s case, it is the position with Sir Charles.” She rubbed the space between her eyes, trying to ease the tension she felt. “I do not wish to be the means to an end.”

Aunt rang the bell on the table next to her. “You do not think he cares if his affections are engaged.”

A footman appeared carrying two glasses and a decanter of claret. After setting it down, he returned to the house.

“I am not even sure if he cares about compatibility.”

 AUTHOR Bio and Links:

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.
  
She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Portuguese Water Dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.







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Monday, May 28, 2018

Book Blast & #Giveaway for Ruby by Emily Mims

Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Ruby by Emily Mims. Please leave a comment or question for Emily to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway, where Emily will be awarding digital copies of books one and two in the Smoky Blues series, Mist and Smoke, to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter (form below).  You may follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your chances of winning. Good Luck!

Ruby
By Emily Mims
The Smokey Blues, Book 8

Publisher:  Boroughs Publishing Group
Release Date: May 24, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 166 Pages (50,210 words)
ISBN: 9781948029230
ASIN: B07D2XXP4Q

Buy Links:  Amazon | Smashwords | Nook | Kobo | iTunes



About the book:


Forty years ago Lexi Barstow and Collins Wentworth thought they had made the biggest mistakes of their lives. Heartbreaking choices and bitter tears cemented a pact that would shape who they were and what they would be. But now so much has changed...except the passion they share and the differences between them. But some things are fixable, and with forever staring them hard in the face, they learn all their decisions brought them to this place...an ever after filled with love.


EXCERPT

She pushed open the restroom door to leave and stopped in her tracks. Collins was leaning against the wall with his hands folded in front of him, a small smile playing around his lips. Lexi felt her pulse ratchet up a notch and her breath catch. But she’d be damned if she let him see that. “Fancy meeting you again this afternoon,” she teased. “Did you and Sarabeth finish working the room?”

Collins laughed softly. “Was it that obvious? I thought I was being friendly to my daughter’s friends and family.”

“You were that, sure.” Lexi felt a smile curve her lips. “But yes, you were working the room, exactly as you did at Kylie’s wedding. You’re good at it, Collins. But you need to find a friendlier sidekick. Sarabeth is a little too…shall we say, selectively friendly.”

Collins had the grace to wince. “Out of the mouth of babes and Lexi Barstow. You couldn’t varnish the truth if you had to.”

“No, I couldn’t. Never did, never will. Sorry about that.”

“Honesty isn’t a bad thing.” He paused and appeared to be taking a deep breath. “Go out with me tonight, Lexi,” he asked suddenly. His smile widened. “I’d like to take you out on the town.”

Lexi stared at him in shock. That was the last thing she expected to hear from him. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

She didn’t try to hide her surprise. “Why?”

“Why does any man want to take out a beautiful woman?” He stepped closer and took her hand. “Because he wants to be in her company, that’s why. Because he’d like to sit across the table from her and enjoy some good conversation and a medium-rare steak.” He looked her in the eye. “I’ve been alone now for four years and divorced for two of them. I’ve spent a lot of time by myself and it gets damned lonely. Let’s go out tonight, Lexi. I’d love to spend an evening with you.”

Lexi’s heart thudded in her throat at his touch. She felt herself shiver as memories flooded her mind of how his hands had caressed her those long years ago. Common sense told her that going out with him would be a bad idea. Common sense reminded her that Collins Wentworth was nothing but trouble. It seemed that her body felt otherwise.

 AUTHOR Bio and Links:

The author of over thirty romance novels, Emily Mims combined her writing career with a career in public education until leaving the classroom to write full time. The mother of two sons, she and her husband split their time between central Texas, eastern Tennessee, and Georgia visiting their kids and grandchildren. For relaxation Emily plays the piano, organ, dulcimer, and ukulele for two different performing groups, and even sings a little. She says, “I love to write romances because I believe in them. Romance happened to me and it can happen to any woman—if she’ll just let it.”




Social Media:

    website: emilymims.com
    facebook: facebook.com/emily.mims.756
    instagram: mims_emily




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Friday, May 25, 2018

Book Blast & #Giveaway for Asta and the Barbarians by Becca Fox


Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Asta and the Barbarians by Becca Fox.  Please leave a comment or question for Becca to let her know you stopped by.  You enter Becca's giveaway, where she will be awarding custom made bookmarks, coasters, and magnets to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. You may click on the banner above to see the other stops on the tour.  The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.  Good Luck!

Asta heard about King Torvald's crusade and watched her people fortify the town's defenses, but she never imagined foreign invaders would come to her peaceful shores. In one fateful night, she loses everything she holds dear and somehow gains the favor of the warrior god. Has he given her the tools she needs for revenge or does he have a greater plan in store?

Buy Links for Asta and the Barbarians:

The book is $0.99 during the tour

Amazon US  Amazon UK   Smashwords
Apple  Kobo  Nook

Read an Excerpt:

“Why did you help me?” I asked. “I have nothing to give in return. You must have known that.”

Bryn smiled softly. “A very wise woman once said, ‘A world without kindness is a dark and hopeless place.’ And that isn’t the kind of world I wish to live in.”

My eyes stung with the coming of new tears.

Viggo rolled his eyes and turned to leave. “I’ll see you at dinner, Bryn.”

“Until then,” Bryn said over his shoulder. His glowing eyes fell on my face again. “What’s your name?”

“Asta.”

“I would like to hear your story, if you are willing and able to tell it, Asta.”

I rubbed my face against the blanket. “You won’t like it.”

“We are rarely fond of the truth,” Bryn said with a shrug. “Tell me anyway.”

About the Author:
Becca Fox was that strange girl in high school, who always seemed to have her nose in a book. She didn’t talk much because, more often than not, she was daydreaming about different fantasy worlds. During class, under the guise of taking notes, she wrote scenes for her works in progress.

Becca is a bit more social now but still enjoys reading, writing, and daydreaming. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, a fat orange tabby cat, and a forever-puppy. She has published three books to date, I Dare You to Love Me (a young adult romance), In the Dark (a new adult paranormal romance), and Asta and the Barbarians (a new adult fantasy.)

Links:

Blog: https://fanofthefiction.wordpress.com
Website: http://becca-fox.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Becca-Fox/e/B076PTNPV9/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17274613.Becca_Fox
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bears_Goose1?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beccajfoxauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beccajayfox/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjagundez.5/?hl=en






Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Sale Blast for Model Marine by Sondra Sykes Meek



Welcome to my stop on the Sale Blast, presented by RABT Book Tours, for Model Marine by Sondra Sykes Meek.  Please leave a comment or question for Sondra to let her know you stopped by. 



Literary Fiction / Military Fiction
Date Published: January 13, 2018  


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Molly Monroe had her future planned out for her. When she makes an impulsive decision to join the Marine Corps, her boyfriend breaks up with her, her brother bears the burden of guilt, and her mother feels betrayed. The people in Molly’s life have always tried to protect her, but she wants to protect herself.

As a Combat Camera Marine, Molly observes and records her environment from behind the lens, where image shapes day-to-day life. After she is wounded during a combat deployment, her dreams are frightening, and her memories are a kaleidoscope of scattered and chaotic scenes; a collision of past and present, real and unreal. Snapshots in time. Glimpses of war. Fragments of love: lost and found.

This story unfolds through multiple perspectives and as the negatives and positives develop, an image of the Model Marine is sharpened into focus.



KDP Countdown Deal from 23 May – 30 May. The book will be priced at $.99.

EXCERPT



Corporal Molly Monroe

She sat on the hill with Ramirez, overlooking the Airboss tent. The desert stretched for miles across an endless horizon. The orange glow of the sun peeked over the sea of sand and sent violet and crimson streaks into the fading night sky. It reminded her of another time, when the sea was ocean instead of sand—when love rekindled and then withered again. She marveled at the natural beauty of a place that was so perilous.

            “Thanks for coming with me,” Ramirez said.

            “Of course. I’m glad you brought me along,” Monroe said. “Will they be here soon?”

            “Any minute. I prepared the last one for this flight a couple hours ago.”

            “I can’t imagine having your job, Ramirez. Does it ever get to you?”

            “I try to detach myself. You know how that goes. But sometimes, they look so young. I can’t help thinking about my kid brother. I can’t help imagining what their families are going through. Sometimes, it starts to feel like I know them.”

            Two Humvees approached the flight line and parked; the Marines inside waited for their cue.

            The CH-53 helicopter roared to life, the rotating blades sending desert dust particles funneling around the gray bird. The Marines exited their vehicles and pulled the large black bag out of the back. Placing it on a field-expedient stretcher, they somberly carried their brother up the ramp, into the belly of the bird. They showed no sense of urgency, as they repeated the slow procession from the Humvee to the helo two more times. On their final trip out of the helicopter, the Marines formed a line from a distance. As the bird began ascent of the Angel Flight, Corporal Monroe and Lance Corporal Ramirez stood and joined their fellow warriors in a final salute.




About the Author


Sondra Sykes Meek is originally from Florida, but she has lived in several locations in the United States and abroad. She is a wife and mother of two, a retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant, and a Project Manager in the Defense Industry. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and has several stories in various stages of progress. She hopes to write full-time one day, but for now, she writes in the spare, quiet moments of her life.

Sondra wrote and published Model Marine: A Novel to reveal the courage and sacrifices of Marines and their families. She wanted to offer readers another kind of hero: someone who is not supernatural, immortal, or from the future. Although the events of this story are fiction, the setting and characters are influenced by her experiences as a Marine. The narrative is as authentic as it can be without excluding civilian readers. The protagonist is named after a Marine Corps icon, “Molly Marine.” This is especially relevant now, as 2018 marks 100 years since the first woman joined the United States Marine Corps.

Sondra hopes all readers enjoy this emotional journey of love, loss, and sacrifice. There are real heroes hidden within the pages of her debut novel. She invites you to meet them, love them, and remember them.

Contact Links



Purchase Link

KDP Countdown Deal from 23 May – 30 May. The book will be priced at $.99.


RABT Book Tours & PR

Book Blast & #Giveaway for Hightail It To Kinsey Falls by Gayle Leeson


Welcome to mu stop on the Book Blast, presented by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, for Hightail It to Kinsey Falls by Gayle Leeson.  Please leave a comment or question for Gayle to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You may follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your chances of winning.  Good Luck!



About the Book

Hightail It to Kinsey Falls
By Gayle Leeson
Kinsey Falls Series, Book 1

Publisher:  Grace Abraham Publishing  
Release Date: May 22, 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Length: 139 pages

Kindle ASIN: B07C46H3WH


Buy Links:  Amazon| Kobo Apple




All work and no play make Jade a dull girl.


Jade Burt can do without her grandmother’s meddling in her love life. But when Millie finds an abandoned baby possum, it leads her to Caleb Young. Caleb would be perfect for Jade! When Jade meets Caleb, it’s hard to argue with her grandmother’s choice. Still, Jade is determined to push Caleb away, but his friendship with Millie concerns her. What if he’s a slick con man trying to take advantage of a sweet old lady? Jade needs to figure Caleb out before he breaks her grandmother’s heart…and Jade’s too!



About the Author

Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series.

I live in Virginia with my family, which includes my own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I’m having a blast writing this new series! But, never fear, I’m also working on a new cozy mystery series as well.




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