Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Goddess Fish Promotions Book Blast: Dream Girl


DREAM GIRL
by S.J. Lomas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

For Christine, dreams have never meant much. Until she meets Gabriel. Everyone thinks Christine should stay away from her new coworker at the library-thanks to his bad reputation-but when her dreams grow more vivid and she becomes entangled in a dangerous dream world with Gabriel every night, she can't stay away. Soon it's clear there is far more to dreams than Christine ever imagined, and now she's on the path to making the biggest, and strangest, decision of her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Excerpt :

I walked down a moonlit street. It smelled like smoldering autumn leaves but there was no chill in the air. Wind slowly blew through the trees and made their leaves whisper. Everything else was quiet.

The wind curled around me, but this time it brought a few drops of rain with it. Glancing at the sky, I noticed clouds gathering over the moon. It dawned on me that I should get back home and go to bed. I looked around and, for the first time, realized I wasn’t in my neighborhood. This neighborhood resembled a set from a musical rather than a real street. The houses were big and imposing, like something from My Fair Lady. At any moment, I expected to see Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn strolling toward me. The thought of wandering through an old movie scene, alone, at night caused cold goose bumps to rise on my arms. Keep it together, Christine. I tried to stay reasonable.

Was it safer to go back the way I’d come or keep going into unknown territory? I didn’t remember going for a walk anyway. Basically, turning back was no different than continuing on. I took another quick scan of the street to see if anyone else was out. Nothing stirred. Even the wind had deserted me.

I tried to grab hold of my courage. There had to be a logical explanation for this and it wasn’t like I could have wandered too far from home. I decided my best bet was to turn around and go the way I’d apparently come. Maybe something would look familiar eventually and I’d be snuggled in my bed soon.

I turned and the wind rushed past my ears. “Christine,” it sighed, producing the effect of ice water dripping down my spine. The voice was soft, but I had not imagined it.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:



S.J. Lomas is a cheerful Michigan native who writes strange and somewhat dark stories. She is a wife, mother, librarian, and definitely a dreamer.

Readers can visit S.J. at her website: www.sjlomas.com

Twitter: @SJLomasAuthor



Personalized copies available from Blue Frogs Books : http://www.bluefrogbooksandmore.com/book/9780985956295

Amazon:

Barnes and Noble:

Buy direct from the publisher:


REVIEW QUOTES:

“Told in very short chapters with alternating points-of-view, Dream Girl tells an enticing story of friendship, adventure, and determining one’s path in life.”
- Randy-Lynne Wach
Review for San Francisco Book Review

“This part-adventure/part-romance will keep readers on the edge of their seats while trying to figure out where it all will end. This will appeal to fans of the Abandon series by Meg Cabot.”
-Deborah L. Dubois
Voice of Youth Advocates, (VOYA)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~






Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Goddess Fish Promotions Book Blast: Mocassin Trace




Moccasin Trace
by Hawk MacKinney

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

… it was about the land…a tale of love and loss and hope…


“The most engaging and brilliantly crafted historical work since Margaret Mitchell’s great classic.”
Barbara Casey
Author, The Gospel According to Prissy

Hamilton Ingram looked out across the fertile Georgia bottomlands that were Moccasin Hollows, seeing holdings it had taken generations of Ingrams to build.  No drop of slave sweat ever shed in its creation.  It was about the land…his trust, his duty to preserve it for the generation of Ingrams to come…

It is July of 1859, a month of sweltering dog days and feverish emotional bombast.  Life is good for widower Rundell Ingram and his Hazel-eyed, roan-haired son, Hamilton.  Between the two of them, they take care of Moccasin Hollows, their rustic dogtrot ancestral home, a sprawling non-slave plantation in the rolling farming country outside Queensborough Towne in east Georgia.  Adjoining Ingram lands is Wisteria Bend, the vast slave-holding plantation of Andrew and Corinthia Greer, their daughter Sarah, and son Benjamin.

Both families share generations of long-accepted traditions, and childhood playmates are no longer children.  The rangy, even-tempered Norman-Scottish young Hamilton is smitten with Sarah, who has become an enticing capricious beauty—the young lovers more in love with each passing day, and only pleasant times ahead of them.

But a blood tide of war is sweeping across the South, a tide that might be impossible to stand before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Excerpt :

He took special care to have quiet times for Sarah, 'specially since night before last. He got real excited when she told him she might be with child again.  She hadn't been sleeping well, often wanted him to rub her aching back.  Now he knew why.
           
Threadbare clothes and unshorn hair gave Hamilton Bothington Graeme Ingram the look of a run-down, unkempt derelict instead of heir to one of the largest non-slave plantations in Saint George Parish.  He ducked under what was left of the split-rail fence with its crooked corner post.  Rails and most posts had long gone up in the smoke of hoards of campfires.
           
"Step wide."  He reached back to help her through.  "I don't want the mother of our children to step on a canebrake rattler catchin' sun on this fine day."
           
"Lord have mercy."  Sarah clutched her bonnet in her hand so as not to get it snagged in the coiled tangle of wire.  "I suppose it's up to me to get used to your hoverin' over me again."
           
"Yep," he grinned.  "Reckon my favorite sweetheart will have to do just that."
           
"Your favorite sweetheart?"  She giggled, wrinkled her nose at him.  "Just listen to you and your Ingram fiddle-faddled talk."
           
He grinned as she brushed back strands of the golden hair Hamilton loved to run his fingers through.  She gathered her mended skirt, slipped her hand into his, and quickly stepped wide over the fallen post.
           
"C'mon..."  Her voice lilted soft, and she squeezed her grip on his hand.  "Let's hurry."
           
Her singular tenderness refused to let the devastation around them blight their few alone-times.  In the spoliation around them, such times when they managed to make it just the two of them held a more-than-special meaning.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.

Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention.  Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012.

"Without question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and conspiracy--these are the things that take Hawk's main character, Navy ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation's capital and across Europe and the Middle East."

Barbara Casey, President
Barbara Casey Literary Agency








Saturday, April 25, 2015

Today's Earworm

I blame James Corden for this one.

If you haven't heard Andy Grammer's Honey I'm Good, you really are missing out on some fun pop music.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour: Diary Of A Gutsy Teen


SECRETS, DIARY OF A GUTSY TEEN
by Barbara Becker Holstein

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Following in the footsteps of The Truth, Secrets: Diary of a Gutsy Teen begins as the thirteen-year-old protagonist makes a move with her family to a new town. She has grown up a lot over the past year—and has made a list of everything that’s important to her now that she doesn’t want to forget when she gets older. But now, as she enters her early teen years, she begins to write down the secrets she wants to keep—and the ones she has no one to tell about. From new school experiences to a new baby in the family to a new crush, this new teen finally feels empowered on making her own decisions with confidence and keeping those secrets she holds dearest for herself.

In a positive and supportive diary-entry format, Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein encourages tween and early teen girls to carry the most precious parts of themselves into adulthood. A great book for mothers and daughters to read together, Secrets is aimed to improve communication, understanding, and self-esteem for young girls as they enter the rocky road of teenager-dom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT: 

Date: December 2
Dear Diary,

I have a secret and it’s been eating me up inside, so I have to tell you. I lied to Angela. I told her I had a terrible sore throat and couldn’t come for the weekend. She said she was sorry and that she would invite me again.

I felt terrible, and then my throat really began to hurt. But I just couldn’t go to Springport for a whole weekend_even though I miss being around Angela.

Now that I have best friends here, I don’t feel the same way I used to about going back to visit. And I didn’t know how to tell Angela that. I could tell when we talked on the phone that she really wanted me to come. And she sent me a new selfie, holding a sign that reads I Miss You! She even told me that she doesn’t have a new best friend since I left. She really misses me. She also told me that Paul is in lots of her classes and he asks if she’s talked to me. How could I tell her I’m in love with Rob and don’t care about Paul anymore? How could I tell her that I have new best friends and want to stay here with them?

I did go to Sally’s instead, and we had the best time. Her mother ordered pizza for us and we drank Coke. We watched television and made popcorn and did each other’s hair with all of Sally’s older sister’s hair products we found in the bathroom. I look silly with curly hair. We kept laughing and falling on the floor and giggling, and we played this fun game that Jackie learned in camp last summer. We all lay down on the floor and we each put our head on someone else’s belly. Someone says, “Ha-ha,” and then the next person says, “Haha-ha,” until everyone is laughing. Then you can’t stop laughing because the belly you are on is bouncing all around under your head.

Sally’s mom got really angry at all the noise we were making, and we had to turn off the lights and pretend to go to sleep. I hardly slept a wink, though. I was so excited and having so much fun with my new friends. I was tired the next morning and really did have a sore throat when I went home, but I didn’t care. It was worth it to have so much fun.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GUEST POST: 

The Girl writes in her diary:
"I thought of another poem:
Love, it comes and goes
But the fire still burns
Deep inside me, it never cools.
How hot will the winds blow
Before I have peace of mind?
I think maybe I’ll be a poet when I grow up. Poems just seem to keep coming out of me from somewhere. I don’t know where. It’s weird."

The girl in Secrets, Diary of a Gutsy Teen is surprised to discover that she has the capacity to create poems. I find that a lot of us have talents that can surprise us at one time or another.  In fact, I remember as a teenager waking up in the middle of the night with a poem flowing through my head.  I actually had to find a pen and paper and jot it down.  I was totally amazed.  And my parents were also the next day.

One of the great things about growing up is coming in touch with our talents.  Sometimes they try to tell us they are there and we ignore them.  That is a shame because you never know how a talent can come in handy.  I certainly think my writing ability has behind it a variety of talents, including spontaneous thoughts in the middle of the night that sometimes rhyme!

So stay alert to your talents and those of your kids.  Who knows what great potential lurks in the corners of our brains! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~




AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I have been a positive psychologist in private practice for the past thirty years. In the course of working with my clients, I originated the idea of THE ENCHANTED SELF(R), a positive psychology therapy where I teach people how to recognize and utilize their strengths, talents, skills and even lost potential. I have developed a number of methods, including using our memories to rediscover what is right about ourselves and our lives, rather than what went wrong, helping people to overcome adversity, experience positive emotions and live the good life!

Since developing this concept, I've been able to use many tools to bring the Enchanted Self to everyone, particularly women and girls. I've written many books, starting with THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, and then Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU!  My books for girls are very popular, as they are great fictional reads and also help deal with many of the questions that trouble kids as they move into the tween and teen years.  The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween and Secrets, Diary of a Gutsy Teen are the first two books in this series.

I really love to teach and educate about happiness and how to benefit from positive psychology in ways that let us lead lives of meaning and happiness. You can find me all over the place on the web.








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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Goddess Fish Promotions Book Blast: The Reluctant Prince



NOTE: This book is on sale for $0.99 until April 30!

BLURB:

Seventeen year old Ryleigh Donnovan is certain her life is cursed. Nothing ever goes smoothly, and her first job interview is no exception. An earthquake rocks the building, sending Ryleigh on a frantic search for her younger sister, a search which lands her in the hospital. Terrified they’ll push her for answers she can’t afford to give, Ryleigh flees with a mysterious stranger.

Jackson Maynard is about to be ordained as a Death Dealer, a warrior for the Kingdom of Cymmera, but first he must pass one more test. When he fails to acquire the human girl the prophet has chosen, he’s forced to stand trial for treason. Banished from his realm, he seeks out the girl from the vision, Ryleigh Donnovan, and together they embark on a journey to save his dying kingdom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Excerpt: 

Ryleigh stood. This couldn’t be happening. With only a few months left until graduation, she didn’t want to be forced to drop out, but what else could she do? “Look, Mr. Jacobs, can’t you just—” Vertigo assailed her. The room rocked, and she grabbed the desk.

Mr. Jacobs grabbed the back of his chair. His eyes mirrored her panic. Books flew from the shelves. Glass shattered.

She had to get to Mia.

She turned to run. The building bucked, and she toppled, slamming her knee into the hard wood floor. Pain shot up her leg. She grabbed the chair to pull herself up, but the next wave threw her back down. She tried to regain her footing, but someone yanked her to the ground.

“Stay down.” Mr. Jacobs shoved her forward. He crawled beside her, half pushing, half dragging her toward the door.

Debris pelted her back, shoulders, and head. How could she have left Mia? Tears blurred her vision.

“If it’s an earthquake, it should stop any minute. Just keep crawling toward the door.”

Desperately wishing she could cover her ears to block the screaming, she clawed forward. Her knee dragged behind her, pain pulsing with each movement. Falling apart wouldn’t help matters. She had to get to Mia.

Ryleigh crawled through the doorway, into utter chaos. People trying to push through the mess, others huddled in corners shielding their heads. An injured woman cried as she rocked back and forth clutching her arm. A man crouched over her.

Fear and disorientation held Ryleigh immobile.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Dani-Lyn Alexander lives on Long Island with her husband, three kids and three dogs. She loves spending time with her family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In her spare time, which is rare, she enjoys reading and shopping—especially in book stores. Some of her favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. She’s an incurable insomniac and has an addiction to chocolate.

Social Media:




Buy Links:







~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Dani-Lyn Alexander will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. 





Monday, April 20, 2015

Single Review: Freddie Atlas - Wicked Game

Artist: Freddie Atlas
Single: Wicked Game
Reviewer: Andrea Guy

Flash back to 1990. One of the most overplayed videos on Mtv was a song by Chris Isaak called “Wicked Game.” The video was black and white and featured the stunning and scantily clad, Helena Christensen. Flash forward twenty five years and Freddie Atlas is delivering his version of this iconic tune to the masses.

This song epitomizes romance. It is hard to imagine anyone covering it, but Freddie Atlas has, and he has in fact made it better.  This song is one that you either love or hate, depending on how many times you heard it on the radio, and how well you liked Isaak’s Roy Orbison styled vocals. Atlas tones the warbling down quite a bit and really lets the piano steal the show.

The piano brings a new level of sensuality to this song, as well as adding to the atmosphere. It takes away the slightly countrified tone of the original,

Atlas’ voice is guaranteed to make the listener weak in the knees. His vocals can soar and whisper, all while making most women wish he was singing this song to them.

When it comes to covers sometimes you want to change it up and other times you want to follow the original format of the song, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery and all that. Most covers of this song haven’t tried to make any changes to the arrangement, and Freddie hasn’t either. So what you’re getting here is another voice singing a fabulous song the way it was meant to be sung, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Freddie sings “Wicked Game” so well, that you might forget any of the versions that came before it, including Isaak’s original.

If you are looking for a song to get your special someone in the mood or if you want to make a romantic mix cd, this song should make the cut.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars




Thursday, April 16, 2015

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Nut Bread

My mother watches The Chew most days and she saw Michael Symon's recipe for chocolate peanut butter banana bread.

I love The Six Sister's Blog and I follow it frequently for quick recipes that are delicious.

Well I've been a huge fan of their 3 ingredient banana bread, that I turned into 4 and sometimes 5 ingredient bread, so I thought, why not try it this way.

It was freaking fabulous.

Here's how you do it.

3-4 over ripe bananas mashed
2 eggs
1 package of Devil's Food cake (or your favorite chocolate cake mix)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of peanut butter

Pour into two prepared loaf pans. (Spray with Baker's Joy or something similar)
Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes.

Enjoy!

The regular banana nut bread is made with yellow cake mix. (I recommend Golden Butter by Duncan Hines) And you omit the peanut butter.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Goddess Fish Book Tours Book Blast: Bittersweet



BITTERSWEET

by Michele Barrow-Belilse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To save the Faery world and her mother’s life, seventeen year old Lorelei sacrificed everything,

and the dangerous bargains she made in Nevermore had lasting repercussions. Now safely

back in her own world, Lorelei seems the same to her high school friends and her supernatural

boyfriend, despite the dark magic growing within her. Love across dimensions is complicated,

especially when an invisible veil between the two worlds is sealing, threatening to separate

Determined to find a solution, Lorelei resorts to exploring her new found powers. But when her

friends fall ill, and her healing touch only makes things worse, Lorelei can’t help but wonder if

Nightmares from the Nevermore tighten their icy hold when someone arrives determined to

destroy Lorelei’s world, starting with those closest to her. Once again she’s forced to choose

between her family... her friends... and a love that was ill-fated from the start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

“Stay. Just.... Stay.” The second I said it I felt awful. What was I asking? I knew he couldn’t stay,

that he needed to return to his world to stay alive in mind.

Since the night of the dance we’d carefully stayed away from discussing our little predicament.

We were still at a standoff. He couldn’t live in my world without magical aids to keep him alive,

because of the toxic nature of our polluted air, and I couldn’t go back to his world, because of

a bunch of angry beings trying to kill me. That left us here. He would have to return to his world

and refuel, to come back to mine. How long the potions lasted depended upon how much stress

he was under. Physical exertion, extreme emotions all used up the reserve more quickly. Then

there was the issue of his still being tied to Venus, the daughter of the ice witch I killed. A curse

had caused his forced fealty to her. Killing the witch was not only supposed to save Mythlandria

from her destructive wrath, it was also supposed to free Adrius of the curse that bound him to

the ice witch’s commands. Who knew there was a daughter who would take over the bonds,

and that she was also his ex-girlfriend.

Now she wants me dead in payment for killing her mother, and as a bonus, I’d be out of the

way so she could get Adrius back in her life. That he could come here at all means the curse is

weakening. I want his freedom, but at which price? Was I willing to kill for it? I’d have to end her

life as well if I was going to destroy the bonds. And I wasn’t a killer. Even Octăhvia’s death was

more of an accident than intended. I had no idea what awakening the magic would do, or how

to wield it. This arrangement seemed like our only option, for now. And while I hated to see him

leave, there was something comforting in being able to pretend that my life was normal again.

As normal as it ever was. I could enjoy being back home with friends and back at school which

surprisingly enough, I’d missed. It’s amazing how coming to the edge of your life multiple times

will make even the most mundane routines a welcomed change.

“Think about what you’re asking me,” he said. “You know why I have to leave.”

He watched me suck in a breath of regret, as I wished I could take back my self-serving plea.

Pain creased his eyes. “Sleep soundly, Lorelei,” was all he said. He kissed the top of my head

The tense set of his jaw revealed the effort it took to leave. I watched him walk away, biting

down on my lower lip until he reached the driveway.

“How am I supposed to sleep?” My voice was almost too quiet to be heard over the howling

wind. But his hearing surpassed most mortal’s.

“Warm milk with honey works well,” he answered my whisper, his back still facing me. “It helps

with the night terrors too,” he added.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” I moved closer, descending one step at a time until my bare

Adrius froze. Electric pulses crackled between us.

“I was talking about sleeping without you. Here.”

“You’ve managed to do it before,” he said cautiously, the strain of his resolve vibrating in his

This was wrong. It was selfish. How could I ask him to stay, when I know that leaving is what

would keep him alive to return to me?

“I’m sorry. I’m being silly. It’s just I can’t—“

With whipcrack intensity, his resolve burned away and he rushed toward me and pulled me into

his arms. His touch burned though my shirt as his hands splayed against my back, pressing us

closer. He kissed me, hungrily at first, then it quickly deepened to ravenous. Matching his fervor,

I tangled my fingers in his hair. Every inch of me was on fire. He gasped, his lips slowing against

mine. By the time we separated, we were both breathless. He leaned his forehead against mine

for a few rapid heartbeats, then pulled back. Our eyes remained locked in a palpitating stretch of

silence that spoke volumes. My head swirled, and all I wanted was more of where we’d left off.

But he read my intentions. The corners of his lips quirked and he shook his head. Warm hands

slid down my arms with one last caress, before he disappeared. Gone so quickly I didn’t actually

see him leave. Swallowed by the darkness of the night and the forest that held the secret


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A dreamer at heart, Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in this reality and

one foot in another, one of her own imagining. So it follows that she would grow up to write

about the characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well. A fan of all

things romantic, her young adult novels are populated with scintillating witches, vampires and

fey. Her bestselling debut book series Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Trilogy) was optioned for a

major motion picture this year. Michele resides in southern Canada with her hubby and son who

indulge her never-ending obsession with reading, writing and most importantly... chocolate.

Website: www.michelebarrowbelisle.com (join my mailing list)

Blog: www.michelebelisle.blogspot.ca 

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/authormichele

Facebook Street Team page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/396189297153826/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3059577.Michele_Barrow_Belisle 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MicheleBelisle 

Pintrest: www.pinterest.com/micheley26 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/micheley26

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110546512991850441753/posts/p/pub 

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Barrow-Belisle/e/B00BVRJADY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY 

Paste giveaway information here: The author will be giving away a $10 Amazon/BN Gift Card.


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Monday, April 13, 2015

Goddess Fish Book Promotions Book Blast: The Billionaire's Suite Dreams







THE BILLIONAIRE'S SUITE DREAMS
by Lori Ryan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Her Secrets Are All About to Come Out

Pop star PJ Cantrell's life and career are threatened when an angry blackmailer uncovers the truth about her hidden past. PJ knows it has to be someone close, someone she trusts. She turns to long-time friend Gabe Sawyer for help, but finds more than she bargained for. As she quickly discovers she wants more from him than friendship and support, she has to wonder what he'll think of her when he finally learns the truth.

Gabe Sawyer built a successful chain of luxury hotels by focusing on one thing and one thing only - his work. And, he's now discovering, that just isn't enough in life. He's loved PJ from afar, but he's never felt the time was right for a deeper relationship. When he discovers a blackmailer is threatening her life, everything changes as he struggles to keep her safe and end the threat to her life and to the career she loves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

“What happened, Gabe?” she asked, but it came out more as an accusation. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He tried a halfhearted ‘it’s nothing’ kind of response, but she put her hands on her hips and waited him out.

He picked up the envelope and handed her the sheets of paper. “These came to me by courier while you were sleeping,” he said as she read the sheaf of papers. It’s almost time, Pretty Pru. It’s almost time, Pretty Pru. It’s almost time, Pretty Pru.

She looked up at Gabe and Zach. “He knows where I am.”

Gabe’s face was grave as he nodded. “Yes, he knows.”

She looked at him and knew he wasn’t telling her everything. “What are you hiding? What haven’t you told me?”

“This came, too,” he said quietly. She knew what it was the minute she saw it. Matthew’s baby picture. The one she’d carried with her until it was lost a month ago. The photo of him the day he was born.

PJ didn’t hesitate. She dropped the photo back on the counter as though it had bit her, and ran to her room and began haphazardly shoving her things into her bag. She needed to get to Matthew. Gabe and Zach followed her. She felt Gabe’s arms come around her, stilling her hands and stopping her frantic packing.

Zach came around in front of her. “PJ, I’ve got guys headed that way now. They’ll have Matthew and his family whisked away within the hour, and they’ll get them to a safe place. Somewhere we can control.”

And Gabe kept talking to her, his breath warm and reassuring as her heart raced in her chest. “They’ll get to them, Pru. I promise. We’ll keep Matthew safe. I’ll keep you both safe.” But PJ didn’t care about her own safety anymore. In a heartbeat, she’d give herself to whoever it was that was doing all of this in exchange for Matthew’s safety.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lori Ryan is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes contemporary romance with a twist of suspense. Her books range from sweetheart to steamy in heat level (for sweeter, read the Evers, TX series.)

She lives with an extremely understanding husband, two wonderful children (with another on the way!), two mostly well-behaved dogs, and a lone little cat in Austin, Texas. It's a bit of a zoo, but she wouldn't change a thing.

Lori published her first novel in April of 2013 and has fallen in love with writing. She is the author of the Sutton Capital Series, the Evers, Texas Series, and will be putting out several novellas with baseball player heroes in Bella Andre's Kindle World, Game For Love, in late 2014. She loves to connect with her readers. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to her blog.

Twitter: @loriryanauthor


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Saturday, April 4, 2015

Mississppi Roast

I think anyone that's looked at a cooking website has found this roast recipe.

My mom loves roast and I thought, why the hell not. It's only 5 simple ingredients, that you layer in the crock pot.

1 chuck roast
1 pack of ranch dressing mix
1 pack of McCormick or any other brand of au jus mix
1 stick of butter
5 pepperocinis

There's no water in this recipe. I know that sounds odd, since it is a slow cooker meal, but trust me, the butter does all the work.

This was one of the best chuck roasts that I've ever made. Even my nephew, who hates roast ate this one with relish.

There were no leftovers!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Goddess Fish Promotions Book Review: Harvest Of Blessings





HARVEST OF BLESSINGS
by Charlotte Hubbard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

The tranquil little town of Willow Ridge is facing a startling challenge. Wealthy Nora Glick Landwehr is determined to make it her home again—and put her past to rest. Cast out by her own family, Nora can’t reconcile with Old Amish ways or her strict father. But she’ll do anything to help her community embrace the future . . . and make amends to the daughter she had to give up. She certainly has no time for her reckless new neighbor Luke Hooley. They disagree about almost everything. And how can she trust him if he always seems to believe the worst about her? Somehow, though, his unexpected support and passionate heart are helping her find her own way in faith. And Nora will discover that even in the face of insidious lies and unyielding judgment, God creates unexpected chances for forgiveness—and love.

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Excerpt :

Nora’s hand found the inside of Luke’s elbow. His skin felt smooth and warm beneath the short sleeve of his tan cotton shirt. His eyes were the deep green of the shaded cedar trees along the road, and the intensity of his gaze unnerved her. “Um, maybe before we get to Willow Ridge, we could . . .”

“Shall I pull over?”

Nora’s breath escaped her as she nodded. She felt like a nervous girl on her first date. Her heart hammered as Luke brought his horse to a halt on the side of the road. He just kept looking at her, waiting for her to make the first move. Nora was once again impressed by Luke’s control, because even as desire danced in his eyes, his hands remained on his lap.

When she reached for him, Luke pulled her close and kissed her for several long, lovely moments. His soft sighs mingled with hers as he explored her mouth. When she eased away, Nora knew she’d followed a path from which there was no retreat. No turning back.

“Wow,” Luke murmured as he caught his breath. “Wow.”

“You got that right,” she murmured. “This is the first time I’ve ever been kissed in a buggy—which sounds odd, considering the reason Dat sent me away. But before Borntreger took what he wanted, I’d led a very sheltered, good-girl life.”

“Maybe I can re-introduce you to Plain dating,” Luke replied as he took the lines in his hands again. “The basics between a man and a woman don’t require a car or cell phones or electricity, after all.”

Nora grinned, for it seemed they had generated their own type of electricity—and it was very different from what she’d known with Tanner Landwehr.

“Will you need a ride to pick up your painted van?”

“No, the Stutzman brothers offered to deliver it, to be sure everything drives the way it should after they’ve checked it over,” she replied. “Poor planning on my part, eh?”

Luke wrapped his hand around hers as the horse clip-clopped along the blacktop again. “The best parts about getting to know someone usually don’t follow a plan. Although I’ll confess that I accomplished everything on my agenda today. And I liked it. A lot.”

Nora smiled. Who could’ve imagined that cool, self-assured Luke Hooley would admit such a thing in a way that seemed so guileless? So sweet and open.

When the mill came into view, Luke kissed her once more, gently guiding her chin with his finger. He drove her to the front door of her house, and as Nora got out of the buggy she felt so giddy she wasn’t sure what she said to him. When she entered her front room, the fabric hangings stacked on her couch reminded her that she had a million things to do to get ready for her store’s opening, but she went straight upstairs. She changed into a cape dress and pulled her hair into a bun with a kapp over it. In the bathroom, she washed off her makeup.

Grabbing the wardrobe boxes she’d used for her move to Willow Ridge, she went to her closet and quickly took out every pencil skirt, silk blouse, and pair of tailored slacks, plus all the sundresses and suits and high-dollar shoes and purses that went with them. She bagged her jewelry and colorful scarves, and yanked her tee shirts, jeans, and shorts from her dresser drawers. Waves of emotion rolled through her as she recalled the occasions when she’d worn some of this stylish clothing, but before she lost her resolve, Nora sealed the boxes shut with packing tape. She would haul this stuff to the thrift store in Morning Star as soon as her van arrived.

She felt purged. Clean. Her English wardrobe represented a life she felt good about leaving behind, even though she’d known some shining moments and had gained a world of experience that would never leave her. But it was time to move forward, even if that meant stepping back in time to the simpler life she’d known as a girl.

Nora looked in the mirror and smiled. The woman gazing back at her belonged in Willow Ridge. No matter what her father thought of her, she had come home. To stay.
  

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Review:  Harvest of Blessings is the fifth book in the Seasons Of The Heart series by Charlotte Hubbard. 

If you love Amish romance with a little bit of a soap opera touch, you'll love this book. I absolutely loved this book and it was very much like a soap opera.

Nora gave up her child when she was sixteen, her father turning his back on her and keeping her from her family.  Sixteen years later, she comes home and wants to reconnect.

You learn more about who the father of her baby is and a bit about her pregnancy. It is much easier to connect to her. I liked that she wasn't willing to come back to the Old Order just to please her family.

Then there's Luke, who definitely has a thing for her, and his brother, Ira,  has a thing for her daughter.

See what I mean? Soap Opera-y!

I love it.

Oh and Hiriam is up to his old tricks. He's really a great villain in this series. He is really a nasty guy that enjoys stirring up trouble. 

There are lots of twists and turns, but that's what makes this such a great read! I love this series!

Rating: 5 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Drawing upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi, longtime Missourian Charlotte Hubbard writes of simpler times and a faith-based lifestyle in her Seasons of the Heart series. Like her heroine, Miriam Lantz Hooley, Charlotte considers it her personal mission to feed people. Faith and family, farming and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle. She’s a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and when she’s not writing, she loves to try new recipes, crochet, and sew. Charlotte now lives in Minnesota with her husband and their border collie.

Seasons of the Heart, Book 5
Zebra (February 24, 2015)
ISBN-13: 9781420133097 •• ISBN-10: 1420133098
Click on these links to buy this book now!
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Facebook page =  Charlotte.Hubbard1



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