Friday, March 25, 2016

Excerpt Tour & #Giveaway for Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

Welcome to my stop on the Excerpt Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard.  Please leave a comment or question for Charlotte to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway, where one (1) randomly chosen commenter will be awarded a $15 Amazon/BN GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  you may follow all of the stops on her tour by clicking on the banner above, the more stops you visit, the better your chances of winning.  My full review for this book will be a part of this post - it will be posted later in the morning.


Promise Lodge
By Charlotte Hubbard
Promise Lodge, Book 1

Publisher: Zebra (Kensington) Publishing
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Genre: Amish/Inspirational Romance
Format: eBook/Print
Length: 320 Pages
ISBN: 978-1420139419

ASIN: B00Y6RB2PA




About the book: 


Energetic widow Mattie Bender Schwartz is working day and night to get Promise Lodge going. She’s also hoping the change will help her son Noah’s heart to heal after his broken engagement. But his former fiancĂ©e, Deborah, is looking for a fresh start too. Filled with regret, and cast out by her dat for a reason she can’t yet reveal, Deborah can only pray Noah will forgive her foolishness.

Deborah is the last person Noah expected to show up at Promise Lodge. But with her cruel words still ringing in his head, he’s reluctant to accept her apology—even if the Old Order ways demand he try. If only he could obey Christ’s most important commandment: love one another. But one thing is certain—his mother and aunts, and their beloved Preacher Amos, will do their best to help him get there.



EXCERPT


“This is our neighbor, Truman Wickey,” Preacher Amos said in a jovial voice. “He and his mamm live on the other side of the orchard from us—the place on the hill with the nice white board fence. Our cookie bakers are Laura, Phoebe, and Deborah,” he went on, gesturing to each girl, “and these three sisters are the brains behind the businesses we aim to operate. Christine Hershberger owns the dairy herd you just saw. Rosetta Bender’s going to manage apartments here in the lodge building. Mattie Schwartz will be opening a roadside produce stand as soon as the vegetables are ready—and she’s overseeing the sale of property to folks who want to join us in our new colony.”

“Those are impressive undertakings,” Truman remarked as he nodded to each woman in turn. He grinned at Amos, including Noah and Roman in his glance. “So what do you fellows do, then?”

“Mostly what we’re told,” Amos quipped without missing a beat.

The laughter that erupted lifted Noah’s spirits. He already liked this guy Wickey. His straw hat had seen better days, and his striped shirt was smudged with concrete because he’d come along just in time to help them set some fence posts for a new corral behind the barn. The farm Truman owned was as neat and pretty as a picture postcard, and he just seemed happy.

“I’m not prying, understand, but I noticed electricity out in your barn, and of course this lodge is electrified, too,” Truman remarked. “Will you folks have to remove all the wiring to comply with Old Order ways?”

“Here in the lodge building, we’re going to install solar panels and cover the electrical outlets,” Rosetta responded as she checked the pies in her oven. “And since these big stoves and ovens are gas, we’ll only need to replace the fridges and freezers with gas ones—when I get the money to cover that.”

“And the government requires dairy farmers to have electric bulk tanks to store their milk in,” Roman remarked. “The Old Order bishops have had to go along with that so a lot of their members can make a living.”

Truman nodded as he gazed up at the pots hanging from hooks in the ceiling. “Plain folks have to deal with a lot more governmental regulations these days.”

Preacher Amos was nodding. “When we start building houses, though, the Amish places won’t be electrified. Most buggy sheds will have solar panels with plug-in adapters for charging the car batteries that run their buggy lights, and small businesses might use the solar panels to operate cash registers and such. But make no mistake,” he added emphatically. “We Amish still stay off the grid, far as electricity in our homes goes.”

Truman was peering into a pot on the stove—and then admiring the pies Rosetta and Christine were taking from the oven. “Seems to me these old campground appliances are working just fine for the food you ladies are whipping up, though,” he remarked. “You’ve really got this place shined up. I wish you all the best as you get your businesses going.”

“Can you stay for dinner so we can get better acquainted?” Noah’s mother asked. “Might be half an hour before the meal’s on the table, if you’ve got that long.”

Truman’s grin lit up his entire face. “I’d be crazy to refuse an offer like that, considering how gut it smells in here.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King.
Charlotte lived in Missouri for most of her life, so her Amish stories are set in imaginary Missouri towns. These days she lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40 years and their Border collie, Ramona.






Pending










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Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Collide by Melissa J. Crispin

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Bridging the Gap Promotions, for Collide by Melissa J. Crispin.  Please leave a comment or question for Melissa to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter the tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

Guest Post by Melissa J. Crispin

Hi there! Thank you so much for having me on your blog. I’m very excited about the release of my YA Fantasy, Collide, and wanted to share something about both myself and my book.

I’ve been asked if the three main characters in Collide are based on anyone I know in real life. The answer is no. I haven’t met anyone exactly like Kayla, Alec, or Luke in person. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized, I inadvertently put pieces of myself in each of them. When I take a step back, I can now see what I never noticed the entire time I was writing the book. I have a few things in common with each of them. Curious what that might be?

Well, let’s start with Kayla. One trait I do have in common with her which I was aware of all along is that we both lost our dads at a young age. My father passed away from lung cancer when I was eighteen, and it changed me, to say the least. Kayla lost her father in a tragic car accident, but she lost him, nonetheless. His passing changed her, too.

The less obvious thing we have in common is a love for our vehicles. In Collide, Kayla drives a restored yellow, VW bug that she affectionately named Goldie. There are a few times in the story where she’s stressed out and seeks refuge in the safety of her car. While I haven’t named my own car, I do love my lifted Jeep. If I’m having a bad day, I have been known to sit in it quietly for a few minutes before I face whatever disaster awaits.

Moving on to Luke…He’s a distance runner. Back when I was in high school (and trust me this was quite a while ago) I was also a runner, though not of Luke’s caliber. He’s an elite athlete capable of breaking school records, but that was never me. I ran cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track and I loved it. As an adult, I’ve also run a half-marathon and two full marathons. I go through long stretches of time where I won’t run at all, then I’ll run like a maniac. For whatever reason, I always find my way back to it.

As for Alec, in Collide, he tells Kayla about how his house was originally a vacation home that’s been in his family for many generations. My husband’s family has a place in New Hampshire not too far from where the book takes place. We spend vacation time there time allows. I find being outdoors peaceful in that area, much like Alec does in one of the scenes in the book.

So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about the characters in my story and me. Thanks for reading! J 

COLLIDE
Melissa J. Crispin
Release Date: March 18th
Approx. 88K, Evernight Teen
Romance/Love Triangle/Fantasy Elements



Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That is, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her down for a power she never knew she had.

When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.


Buy Links:    ARe    Evernight Teen     Amazon

14+ due to sexuality, language, teen pregnancy, and adult situations




EXCERPT

Luke nodded. “Let me get this straight. So, this guy, he can heal your leg, protect you from something that isn’t yet clear to me, and bring you to some otherworldly place, where you’re reunited with your father?”

“Yeah.” There was that word again.

He pulled his hand out of mine and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, that’s pretty damn hard to compete with.”

“Luke, this isn’t a competition. This is my life. He’s already saved me once.”

“And I’ll do it again,” Alec said.

Luke pointed a finger at Alec. “I don’t care what you can do. I don’t like you. You stole my girl, who’s pregnant with my baby.” Luke stepped around me and got in Alec’s face. “She will always have a part of me in her life.”

Alec slowly shook his head. “Not new news, and for the record, you stole her from me. So, you don’t get to play that card.”

The tension thickened in the air until the hairs stood on the back of my neck.

“She never said a word to you before all this weird shit started to go down.” Luke poked Alec in the chest. “You’re a liar.”

“It’s true,” I whispered.

Luke whirled around. “What?”

“Before us. It was him.”

Luke opened his mouth, as if to say something, but snapped it shut. He finally spoke after a long moment. “You said I was your first boyfriend. Your first kiss. Your first everything with a guy. You lied to me?”

“At the time, I thought that was true. He finds me in my dreams and takes me to Afterlife. That’s how we met. I never even knew he was real. I thought he was a boy in some recurring dream. I never even remembered until I barreled him over in the hallway one day by accident. His touch jarred my memory.”

Luke’s eyes were wild. “Do me a favor. Do not talk about touching him, ever, in my presence.”

“I’m sorry, Luke. That’s why this is so difficult. I’m only now remembering things that happened before us. It’s … confusing.”

“You were with him? Actually with him, before me?”

I swallowed. “We were sort of dating.”

“That’s not what I meant.” A muscle ticked in Luke’s jaw, and realization dawned on me.

“Oh, no. We didn’t.” I cleared my throat. “Not that…”

“I don’t know what you’re so pissed about. You’re the one who got to have a real relationship with her,” Alec said.

“Shut up. Just shut the hell up.” Luke gently brushed me to the side, leaving him and Alec staring each other down. “You’re an asshole.”

“Hate me, if you want. Call me whatever you want. But that girl right there?” He pointed to me. “She needs me. I swore to protect her, and I don’t give a shit about what you think. I’m her best shot at survival. Your baby’s, too. So, next time you get in my face, remember their lives are at stake and that your guns can’t fight off the shit that’s coming.”

“Asshole,” Luke muttered.

“Douche,” Alec said under his breath.

“Stop fighting,” I said from behind Luke’s back.

“You’re a loser. A loser, with no friends and no life, who came in and stole my girlfriend. Even if she chooses you, you’ll have to help her with my baby. Every time you look at our kid, you’ll be reminded of who was there first.”

I took a step outward to try to get between them, but Alec swung before I could, and as his fist connected with Luke’s face, Luke charged him, sending them both tumbling toward the ground.

Fists flew and grunts sounded in the scuffle as they rolled, each trying to get the upper hand.

“Stop!” I yelled.

About the author:



Melissa J. Crispin lives in Connecticut with her husband, two kids, and an adorable Siberian Husky. She spends her days in the corporate world, and pursues her passion for writing in the late nights and early mornings.

From micro-fiction to novels, Melissa loves to write stories in varying lengths. But, no matter the story, it's almost always about the romance.



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Book Blast & #Giveaway for The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau

The Tapestry (Joanna Stafford #3) by Nancy Bilyeau
Paperback Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster
Paperback; 416 Pages
Series: Joanna Stafford
Genre: Historical Mystery




“Fans of the Tudor era, you’re in for a treat” – InStyle Magazine

Henry VIII’s Palace of Whitehall is the last place on earth Joanna Stafford wants to be. But a summons from the king cannot be refused.

After her priory was destroyed, Joanna, a young Dominican novice, vowed to live a quiet life, weaving tapestries and shunning dangerous conspiracies. That all changes when the king takes an interest in her tapestry talent.

With a ruthless monarch tiring of his fourth wife and amoral noblemen driven by hidden agendas, Joanna becomes entangled in court politics. Her close friend, Catherine Howard, is rumored to be the king’s mistress, and Joanna is determined to protect her from becoming the king’s next wife–and victim. All the while, Joanna tries to understand her feelings for the two men in her life: the constable who tried to save her and the friar she can’t forget.

In a world of royal banquets, jousts, sea voyages and Tower Hill executions, 
Joanna must finally choose her future: nun or wife, spy or subject, rebel or courtier.

The Tapestry is the final book in a trilogy that began in 2012 with The Crown, an Oprah magazine pick. Don’t miss the adventures of one of the most unforgettable heroines in historical fiction.




Praise for The Tapestry

“In Joanna Stafford, Bilyeau has given us a memorable character who is prepared to risk her life to save what she most values.” (Deborah Harkness)

“Nancy Bilyeau’s passion for history infuses her books and transports us back to the dangerous world of Tudor England. Vivid characters and gripping plots are at the heart of this wonderful trilogy, and this third book will not fail to thrill readers. Warmly recommended!” (Alison Weir, author of The Marriage Game: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I)

“A rip-roaring Tudor adventure from Nancy Bilyeau! Novice nun turned tapestry 
weaver Joanna Stafford returns to the court of Henry VIII. She’s that great rarity of historical fiction: a fiercely independent woman who is still firmly of her time. A mystery as richly woven as any of Joanna’s tapestries.” (Kate Quinn, author of Lady of the Eternal City)

“The Tapestry takes its history seriously, but that doesn’t stop it from being a supremely deft, clever and pacy entertainment. This is Nancy Bilyeau’s most thrilling – and enlightening – novel in the Joanna Stafford series yet.” (Andrew Pyper, International Thriller Writers Award winner of The Demonologist and The Damned)

“A master of atmosphere, Nancy Bilyeau imbues her novel with the sense of dread and oppression lurking behind the royal glamour; in her descriptions and characterizations . . . Bilyeau breathes life into history.” (Laura Andersen, author of The Boleyn King)

“In The Tapestry, Nancy Bilyeau brilliantly captures both the white-hot religious passions and the brutal politics of Tudor England. It is a rare book that does both so well.” (Sam Thomas, author of The Midwife’s Tale)

“In spite of murderous plots, volatile kings, and a divided heart, Joanna 
Stafford manages to stay true to her noble character. Fans of Ken Follett will devour Nancy Bilyeau’s novel of political treachery and courageous love, set amid the endlessly fascinating Tudor landscape.” (Erika Robuck, author of Hemingway’s Girl)


“These aren’t your mother’s nuns! Nancy Bilyeau has done it again, giving us a compelling and wonderfully realized portrait of Tudor life in all its complexity and wonder. A nun, a tapestry, a page-turning tale of suspense: this is historical mystery at its finest.” (Bruce Holsinger, author of A Burnable Book and The Invention of Fire)

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau has worked on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Ladies Home Journal. She is currently the executive editor of DuJour magazine. Her screenplays have placed in several prominent industry competitions.

Two scripts reached the semi-finalist round of the Nicholl Fellowships of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Her screenplay “Zenobia” placed with the American Zoetrope competition, and “Loving Marys” reached the finalist stage of Scriptapalooza.

A native of the Midwest, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. THE CROWN, her first novel, was published in 2012; the sequel, THE CHALICE, followed in 2013, and THE TAPESTRY in 2015.

Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Stay in touch with her on Twitter at @tudorscribe. For more information or to sign up for Nancy’s Newsletter please visit her official website.


Book Blast Schedule





Saturday, March 26
A Holland Reads

Sunday, March 27
Layered Pages


Tuesday, March 29
Book Nerd
Carpe Librum





Sunday, April 3
Susan Heim on Writing





Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, presented by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, for The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau.  Please leave a comment or question for Nancy to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway below.

Giveaway
Two paperbacks of The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau are up for grabs! To enter, please use the GLEAM form below.

Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

– Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

The Tapestry Book Blast

Book Beginnings & #Friday 56 - #25


Book Beginnings on Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader. Every Friday we share the first sentence (or so) of the book we’re currently reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.


My Book Beginning:  

Pardonable Lies (A Maisie Dobbs Mystery, Book 3) by Jacqueline Winspear



Part 1 

London, September 1930

The young policewoman stood in the corner of the room.  Plain whitewashed walls, a heavy door, a wooden table with two chairs, and one small window with frosted glass rendered the room soulless.   



My Thoughts:  Somebody is in trouble – this is clearly a room where people are questioned about their activities….glad I’ve never had to visit one myself.  This is the third book in the series and I'm enjoying them so far - looking forward to finding out why Maisie is at a police station. 

What do you think?  Don't forget to leave your book beginning below and to link-up at Rose City Reader.  

 


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


Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice on every Friday.

To Play along here are the Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your post below. 
*Don’t forget to add your post URL (not your blog url) at Freda’s Voice.  
*It's that simple.


My 56 (Also from Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear ): 

     

Leaning her head against the window frame, Maisie heard the back door open and watched as Madame stood outside, looking back into the kitchen while pointing into the garden.  “Philippe! Attention! Vite, vite!”.  The old hound ambled from the kitchen, across the garden, and took up his place by the apple tree. 

My Thoughts:  At first I wasn't sure who "Philippe" was but I'm glad to find out that he is Madame's dog and not her husband or child...lol 


So what do you think?  Keep reading?  Don’t forget to leave your link below and link up at Freda’s Voice.  






Pardonable Lies (A Maisie Dobbs Mystery, Book 3)
by Jacqueline Winspear

In the third novel of this bestselling series, London investigator Maisie Dobbs faces grave danger as she returns to the site of her most painful WWI memories to resolve the mystery of a pilot's death.

A deathbed plea from his wife leads Sir Cecil Lawton to seek the aid of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator. As Maisie soon learns, Agnes Lawton never accepted that her aviator son was killed in the Great War, a torment that led her not only to the edge of madness but to the doors of those who practice the dark arts and commune with the spirit world. In accepting the assignment, Maisie finds her spiritual strength tested, as well as her regard for her mentor, Maurice Blanche. The mission also brings her together once again with her college friend Priscilla Evernden, who served in France and who lost three brothers to the war―one of whom, it turns out, had an intriguing connection to the missing Ralph Lawton.





Don't forget to post your meme's and link up at both host locations.  

Have a great Friday! 
Maria