Showing posts with label freebie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freebie. Show all posts

Monday, February 25, 2019

#RomanceIsInTheAir - Author Delaney Cameron, Freebie & Giveaway

 




   

Yours, With Love by Delaney Cameron 

A modern Beauty and the Beast... 

An unexpected inheritance brings Ellen back to her hometown of St. Marys. After an absence of ten years, she never expects to run into Quinn, one of her sister’s old boyfriends and her teenage obsession. If it's true that it's a small world, it's also true that it can be a cruel one. The good-looking eighteen-year-old who touched her young heart is no more. In his place is a man whose life has been torn apart by tragedy and loss. 

There was a time when Quinn believed love could conquer all; that there was nothing it couldn’t overcome. Losing Avery changed all that. Her rejection was a painful lesson in the limitations of human love. Ellen’s sudden reappearance in his life is a complication he didn't anticipate. She epitomizes everything he wants and everything he can’t have. Her touch awakens not a sleeping giant bent on destruction, but a tormented soul desperate for affection and acceptance. Is love a shallow emotion that flees at the first sign of adversity or will it wait forever for the one whose heart it seeks? 




 




  

As Quinn watched Ellen’s slim fingers remove more material from the spool, he knew it was going to be next to impossible to remain indifferent to her. Already she was consuming his thoughts and influencing his behavior. She epitomized everything he wanted and everything he couldn’t have. Like a piece of forbidden fruit dangling just out of his reach.

A small part of him wished she hadn’t reentered his life again, arousing unwanted desires and disturbing the calm surface of his existence like a pebble skipping across water. She was a complication he hadn’t anticipated and wasn’t prepared for. Like a patient dealing with the effects of anesthetic, the emotions he’d put to sleep all those months ago were slowly waking.

With an effort, he forced his thoughts in another direction. “What colors would you choose for your own wedding?”

“Probably blue, as long as my husband-to-be agrees, of course.”

“Why would he disagree? You’d look pretty in blue.”

“I wouldn’t be the one wearing it.”

“Well, then, you’d look pretty in white. How’s that?”

She glanced at him and smiled. “Very nice.”

Quinn felt that dizzy sensation sweep over him again. He frantically searched his mind for another topic of conversation. “What do you do when you’re not arranging flowers?”

“During the week, I usually come home and collapse on the couch. If I’m feeling energetic, I’ll do a few rounds on my treadmill. On the weekends when I don’t have a wedding, I like scouring antique stores for unique items to use in the shop. Other times I go to the park or to Cumberland Island.”

“I haven’t been to Cumberland Island since high school. It was a fieldtrip with my science class. I didn’t pay much attention to the scenery or the wildlife. I was too interested in trying to sneak away from the group so I could be alone with your sister.”

“That sounds normal for a teenage boy.”

Ellen reached in front of him for the floral wire, close enough that her hair brushed against his cheek. His pulse leapt to life as if she’d actually touched him. He swallowed quickly, feeling more like a teenage boy than a man old enough to have a teenager.

“I’m going to get the chance to redeem myself. I’m taking a photography class. One of our projects is to capture the essence of Georgia’s barrier islands. I was planning on going to Cumberland Island on Sunday.”

“In your preoccupation with Bethany, you might not have noticed that there are no amenities over there except water fountains and bathrooms.”

Quinn grinned. “I didn’t remember that, but my photography teacher mentioned it.”

“Would you like some company? I promise not to get in the way.”

He wasn’t sure what to think about this development. The more time he spent with Ellen, the more difficult it would be to keep his distance. Tonight was a perfect example. There had been no urgent reason for him to be here. He’d used the excuse of being close by, but that’s all it had been. An excuse to see her.

“I’ll probably be there all day,” he felt compelled to point out.

“I don’t mind. I’d much rather be outdoors than stuck inside cleaning. My mother would have a fit if she saw the cottage right now. She’s a meticulous, borderline obsessive, housekeeper. There’s never anything out of place in her house, and you can eat off the garage floor. It wasn’t until I was out on my own that I realized the earth wasn’t going to stop rotating on its axis if I left the dishes in the dishwasher overnight or didn’t make my bed every morning.”

Quinn stretched out his legs and crossed his arms. “I’m not overly concerned with those things myself. You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but Jase is something of a neat freak. I told him he could knock himself out on the rest of the house, but to leave my office and bedroom alone. The maid service that comes once a week hardly has anything left to do as it is. Jase even does the laundry. The one thing he won’t do is cook, but that’s okay. I don’t mind doing that if he’ll clean up the kitchen.”

“It’s obvious you two have a good relationship. Bethany and I were close when we were young, but as we grew older, we also grew apart. When I realized that she preferred her friends at school to spending time with me, I felt abandoned. I know now that she was just being a teenager.”

“The period between thirteen and eighteen is rough. You feel torn in so many directions. You’re not a child, and you’re not an adult.”

She sent him a mischievous glance. “And in the midst of all that confusion, my sister brought home a new boyfriend. Instead of treating me like a member of a subhuman race, he talked to me. After he discovered I liked gummy bears, he brought me a huge plastic container filled with them. He also didn’t laugh when I showed him the poems I wrote. And when he found me in tears because someone made fun of my freckles, he told me he liked them.”

“I don’t remember doing all that.”

“I’m sure you don’t. You were just being yourself, and from what I can see, you haven’t changed.”

“Not on the inside at least,” he added in a low voice.

Ellen put down the bow in her hand. “That’s the only place that matters.”

“It sounds good in theory, but it doesn’t always hold up in real life. We live in a society that judges by appearance. I can’t blame anyone for doing it; I used to do it myself.”

“That may be true at first, but as you get to know someone, you’re less concerned with what they look like and more influenced by what kind of person they are. If you come to really care for and love them, you will see them as being beautiful or handsome.”

“Until something changes. It’s easy to love when everything’s going well. The real test of love is what you do when everything goes wrong. In my case, she called off the wedding.”

“Then I have to question whether she really loved you. Love isn’t dependent on something as transitory as appearance.”

“It shouldn’t be, but appearance has a lot to do with getting the process started.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost seven. Don’t you think you’ve worked long enough for one day?”

She laughed as she started clearing away ribbon and floral wire. “I always feel like there’s more I can do, but you’re right. This can wait until tomorrow.”

Quinn walked with her to the small parking lot at the end of the street. His reluctance to leave her was yet another sign that he was in serious trouble. He needed a dose of reality, like a quick glance in a mirror, to remind him how impossible this was.
 
 




  

This book tugged at my heart-strings. Loved these characters! Physical scars are one thing, but emotional scars are even worse. Sweet story of redemption and healing. -- Amazon Reviewer 

Love heals like nothing else--and Ellen and Quinn discover this beautiful fact after they learn to trust each other! Beautifully written with heart experiences along the way. Delaney Cameron's writing is delight to say the least. -- Amazon Reviewer 

A very sweet story. I loved the fulfillment of Ellen's teenage crush. The relationship between Quinn and Ellen was sweet and well paced. I loved the way Quinn's family was getting involved. These are characters who you want to be friends with. I can't wait for more books in this series! Each book can be read independently. -- Amazon Reviewer 

This was a very touching, sweet "second chance" romance. I loved how the heroine was determined to show the hero that he was worthy of being loved, despite his physical and emotional scars, and how he tried to fulfill all her teenage dreams and expectations in return. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series! -- Amazon Reviewer 


 


   

Author Delaney Cameron 


I'm a Georgia girl at heart if not by birth. I love to read, watch college football, and spend time with my husband. I'm a hopeless romantic so there will always be a happily ever after in my stories. I also like to write about second chances because love doesn't always work out the first time. I write sweet romances set in both contemporary and regency settings. My stories are about the journey to love, from that first meeting to the point where two people know their hearts are no longer their own. My characters aren't perfect. They make mistakes and have faults like the rest of us. They learn the sometimes painful truth that the path to love isn't always smooth, but it's a road worth traveling. 

 




  

   




  

   

Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/18/19 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. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  





Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Forever Yours Event: Author Stephanie Fowers, Freebie & Giveaway

 

  

Out of the Mouth of Babes by Stephanie Fowers 

Kids get away with saying most anything, like Aunt Gina should marry that "charmer" she met at her sister's wedding. But Gina won’t have anything to do with that guy who played with her heart that night—he’s a heartbreaker—no matter how much her niece and nephews adore him now. Besides, the two come from different worlds. Gina’s a workaholic career woman; he’s the irresponsible flirt. Whenever they meet, there are fireworks, and not the good kind. That is, until her sister wins a cruise to the Caribbean and asks the two to babysit for 2 weeks. Sparks fly as they find a way to play house without burning the place down. Forget marriage—these two shouldn't even date. And what do kids know anyway? Maybe everything. 

      




 

“Oh, hey,” he said casually, “hold the door.” Without my making a move to do so, his hand stopped the doors from shutting between us, and I got a full view of his face. I liked his eyes—they were vibrant blue and full of life, and now they creased into a myriad of laugh lines.
 
He stepped inside with me. He was tall and standing very close. He acted like it wasn’t a big deal and smiled at me before hitting the button for the thirteenth floor. The button didn’t light up. 

He shrugged and dug his hands deep into the pockets of his dress pants. “I guess that means no thirteenth floor.” He leaned against the back of the elevator and tucked his cell phone away. His gaze drifted to the gift bag in my hand. “You going to the wedding?”
 
The elevator doors closed us in together and I tried to adopt his casual manner while holding up the brightly colored bag between us. “What was the giveaway?”
 
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Is it any good?”
 
“The gift?”
 
He nodded. I felt like I was getting punked. How could he have guessed that I had no idea what I was bringing to this wedding? He couldn’t. I shrugged. “It’s the usual boring…”
 
He leaned over and peered past the pink tissue paper. “You got the lucky couple toothbrushes? Are you a dentist?”
 
“No!” I swatted him away but was laughing all the same. How could my mother think that toothbrushes were better than a tool set? I tried to deflect his attention from the gift. “I work advertising. Just down the street actually.”
 
“Oh really? I work downtown too.”
 
“Nice. Wait,” I stared down at his empty hands. No gift. My eyes went to his laughing ones. “Are you a wedding crasher?”
 
“Do you want me to be?”
 
“I…” this guy was unbelievable. He took bantering to a new level. I was horrible at real conversation—it was so boring. But banter? I was amazing at that. I relaxed. This guy was in no position to judge. “Yes,” I admitted with a smile, even though I didn’t believe he was crashing for a second. “Though you’re clearly an amateur. Wedding Crasher 101—bring an empty gift so no one is suspicious.”
 
His eyes turned appreciative at that. “And you?” he asked.
 
“I was invited,” I said, “but it was one of those invites that people have to give, you know?”
 
He looked intrigued. “Why is that?”
 
I pursed my lips and decided against ruining the moment by getting too personal. “I’m related.”
 
His eyes turned watchful. “To the bride or to the groom?”
 
“Bride.”
 
“Good,” he said.
 
Before I could ask what he meant, we passed the thirteenth floor and he whistled. “Makes you wonder why they won’t let anyone on the thirteenth. What are they hiding there?”
 
“An alternate dimension where they hide dead bodies,” I said without hesitation.
 
He snickered. “You’re not even curious, are you?”
 
“I’m always curious,” I said. “I’m just used to disappointment.”
 
“Really? Why?”
 
I lifted my shoulder. “Getting caught for trespassing isn’t on the schedule for tonight. Maybe another time.”
 
He nodded in understanding. The 22nd floor was fast approaching and for some reason, I felt myself getting more nervous than I was twenty minutes ago. Everyone asked me where my prince charming was at my younger cousin’s wedding two years ago and I wasn’t ready for that again. The rushing sound as we passed each floor felt ominous, and I wasn’t sure why I felt so anxious. All my faults came at me, my fear of not measuring up. I was happy for my sister, sure, and wanted her to know that I loved and supported her, but my mother had said it: Emily wouldn’t even know that I was there. So why did I have to go right away?
 
The elevator door opened on the 22nd floor, bringing in the loud laughter and chatter. Two little girls in puffy white dresses stood at the door. They grabbed my gift for Emily and ran away with my jacket. Still, I couldn’t leave the elevator. I turned to the stranger beside me like he was my lifeline. 

“You know what?” I asked. “I’m really tired of disappointment. Aren’t you?” He looked confused and I tried to clarify. “I’m dying to know what’s on the thirteenth floor.”
 
He didn’t move, even as the elevator made its warning noises for us to get out. “Wait.” A dimple played at the corner of his mouth. “You aren’t kidding?” I shook my head and he hit a button that made the door close us back into the elevator. “Great. Let’s go on an adventure together.”

       




 

And when I saw that the story began winding down, I was saddened for it to come to an end. These are characters that I had come to know and love. I could barely stand to shut the book at its ending. ~J.L. Thomas 

Great book! I’m jealous you get to read it for the first time! ~PocketfullofGoldfish 

I don't want to give everything away, but this story wrapped itself snug and tight around my heart. Every character is well done, even the villains, and the chemistry is snapping and popping with swoony heat. The comic relief is spot on, too. I honestly didn't want this one to end and was still thinking about it days later. ~Lilacqueen75 

I rarely give 5 star ratings, but this was such a 'licious' read, well worth every minute! Could barely bring myself to put it down. Gina and Ash's story is a story for the ages. Loved it! ~SL K 

I absolutely love love loved this book! I seriously couldn't put it down! I was hooked from the very first page to the last! It's one of those books that you could read over and over, because it's so cute! ~Amielovestoread 

Squeaky clean and fun! I have enjoyed other books by Fowers, but this might be my favorite. It was hard to put down. ~Reading My Dessert  


  


  

 

Get your FREE copy of With a Kiss by Stephanie Fowers


      


 

Author Stephanie Fowers 


Stephanie Fowers loves bringing stories to life, and depending on her latest madcap ideas will do it through written word, song, and/ or film. She absolutely adores Bollywood and bonnet movies; i.e., BBC (which she supposes includes non-bonnet movies Sherlock and Dr. Who). Presently, she lives in Salt Lake where she's living the life of the starving artist. This summer, she will do the reading of her musical, "The Raven" with the talented composer, Hilary Hornberger. She also expects to film some shorts with Triad Film Productions. Stephanie plans to bring more of her novels out to greet the light of day. Be sure to watch for her upcoming books, including YA fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, a compilation of short twisted fairy tales, and more--many more--romantic comedies. May the adventures begin.  

    




 

    




  

 

Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash Ends 2/13/19 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 may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.