New Release & Giveaway: The Redeemed Groom by Taylor Hart

 

The Redeemed Groom by Taylor Hart 

Sloane Kent, famous Country music star, is only in Jackson, Wyoming for one reason: lay down the music for his next album. Since his mother’s passed away and his girlfriend’s left him, there’s been no music, no feeling…nothing. While on a run, he witnesses what a appears to be a young woman who needs help and finds himself hopping on a Greyhound Bus headed for Las Vegas. Hope Jones does not need a celebrity super star’s help and when he gets on the bus and tries to make friends with her…she turns him down flat. But when she discovers he’s fleeing from a stalker….she decides to listen to his story. Too bad … he lied about it to get her talk to him. Good thing she tells him to go away! But after reluctantly sharing dinner with him at a bus stop, breaking down in Rawlin’s Wyoming, and hypothesizing about having thirteen children together and living in a broken down fire station, she finds herself more and more intrigued with the famous Country Music Star. When her ex-fiance tracks her down and puts both of their lives in jeopardy, Hope has to make a choice—trust in Sloane or lose everything.

   

Author Taylor Hart 

Taylor Hart has always been drawn to a good love triangle, hot chocolate and long conversations with new friends. Writing has always been a passion that has consumed her dreams and forced her to sit in a trance for long hours, completely obsessed with people that don’t really exist. Taylor would have been a country star if she could have carried a tune—maybe in the next life.   

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 Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 5/18/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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May I Suggest... Giveaway Hop!

I can't believe it's May already! I'm about five books behind my yearly goal according to the Goodreads challenge, but I'm closing that gap with a slew of books that are coming up on my schedule...

One book I would suggest to fans of western romance and authors like Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer and Vickie McDonough is Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I'm giving away my ARC copy (it's slightly worn) so if you don't mind that, enter to win in the giveaway widget below!

If the Disqus comment widget doesn't load for you at the bottom of this post, please contact me on Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Read my 4 star review here

Synopsis

Abigail Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father's illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can "marry up" with their mail-order brides. Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he's put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the "little city gal" in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won't bring happiness?
 

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Spotlight & Giveway: Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina June

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Release Blitz for

Everywhere You Want to Be

By Christina June

We're excited about this new release! Check out the interview with the

author, the author's playlist, and enter to win a copy of your own below...

Author Interview

What inspired you to write EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE?

EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE is about a girl who believes she has exactly one final chance to make her vision come true. Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, Matilda Castillo, or Tilly, finds herself in the “wilds” of New York City the summer after she graduates from high school. A dancer who spent all of senior year injured, she secretly dreams of joining a professional company and vows not to let anything—or anyone—take away her shot. I really wanted to do a New York book and having written Tilly as a dancer in IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, the set up was too perfect.

Would you tell us a little more about your main characters?

I like Tilly because she’s focused and determined. She’s a list-maker and works hard, no matter what she’s aiming for. And, I love that along the way, she realizes that she can’t reach her target alone. In New York, she rooms with Charlotte, also a dancer, who is fun and funny and pushes Tilly out of her little safe bubble. They’re dancing for Sage, a choreographer who Tilly relates to because they’ve both had life-changing injuries, and working with a troupe of girls, including one who targets Tilly as her main competition. And then there’s Paolo, the guy Tilly pushed away but who has shown back up unexpectedly. He’s a little bit of wish fulfillment—the boyfriend teen-me thought she wanted.

What is your favorite part of the book?

There’s a scene near the beginning where Tilly is on the Highline, which is an elevated park repurposed from old train tracks. I won’t spoil it, but the focus is on forgiveness and being vulnerable. I was able to weave in historical facts about the Highline, which I learned on an amazing walking tour as I was doing research for the book. I also really liked writing Tilly’s mother, Belén, who appeared in IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE as the “evil stepmonster.” It was really eye-opening to draw her through a different lens.

What do you hope readers will take with them once they’ve finished reading it?

I hope that readers will connect with Tilly’s journey to overcome a setback and choose her own path, and also identify with the power of having a support network. Just as I was finishing up this book, I lost not one, but two very dear high school friends. It really hit home for me how influential and special those friendships in our teen years can be. How ironic was it that I’d just completed a story where the protagonist discovers the beauty of allies at the same time my own allies were taken. The silver lining of these tragedies was rediscovering that those friendships—separated by age and distance—don’t fade or fizzle, but can be joyfully resumed as if no time had passed.

If you could sum the book up in one sentence, what would you say?

A girl fights for her future while dancing in New York City the summer after graduation.

What is something unique about you? Any writing quirks or favorite snack foods?

Probably my biggest writing quirk is that I marinate on the plot and characters for a long, long time, before I ever write anything down. I heard another author say once that she writes the entire first draft in her head before typing a word and I definitely relate to that. I like to have everything worked out in advance, which makes for pretty quick and clean drafting. When I’m writing, I like coffee or tea, sometimes munching on popcorn. When revising, I get so involved, I rarely stop to eat or drink anything.

What are you working on next?

I am working on editing my third book, which comes out in 2019. This one is also a companion, loosely inspired by Hansel & Gretl. It follows Ashlyn, who appears in IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, and was arrested along with Tatum in the beginning of the book. This story takes place a year later as Ashlyn, finishing up a year at boarding school, learns her father is going to jail, her mom is going to rehab, and she’s being shipped off to work at a wilderness retreat center with her estranged cousin. Ashlyn is definitely the most complicated character I’ve written, so it’s been a challenge—but a good one! I’m excited to send her out into the world.

Everywhere You Want to Be

By Christina June
Young Adult Contemporary

Paperback & ebook, 288 Pages
May 1st 2018 by Blink

From author Christina June comes Everywhere You Want to Be, a modern tale inspired by the classic Red Riding Hood.

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior years, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes--not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly's mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she'll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends ... and new enemies. Tilly isn't the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can't help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly's future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother's path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

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Playlist

In EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, Tilly and her fellow dancers are preparing for a performance at the end of the summer. There’s a lot at stake, both for the dancers and the choreographer, Sage. The piece is about fighting your demons, both external and internal, so the music I listened to while writing often reflected that, in the artist’s life, their lyrics, or the mood of the song.

“And each of you is going to do a little self-reflection while you’re here.” A collective groan echoed softly through the room. Sage chuckled. “Nothing you can’t handle. The theme I want you all to remember while you’re dancing is ‘slaying the dragon.’ That could mean an actual dragon, like in a fairy tale. It could mean defeating an enemy in a war, like Joan of Arc. It could mean something within yourself. But you need to do some thinking on what, or who, inspires you to keep going. Get a book. Watch a movie. Observe the people in your life.” Sage’s voice grew quieter. “Some of my favorites are the ones who battled and lost. For example, I’ve often used the music of Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin in my pieces because you can hear them wrestling with their emotions when they sing.”

Here’s my playlist on Spotify.

Other Books in the Series

It Started with Goodbye

By Christina June
Young Adult Contemporary

Paperback & ebook, 304 Pages
May 9th 2017 by Blink

Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.

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About the Author

Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters. Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives in Virginia with her husband and daughter. Christina is the author of IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, and the forthcoming NO PLACE LIKE HERE.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram│Blink

Release Blitz Giveaway

- 1 winner will receive an ebook of IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE and EVERWHERE YOU WANT TO BE

- Open internationally
- Ends May 5th

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Review: Miss Wilton's Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

A follow-up to Josi S. Kilpack's bestselling Proper Romance title The Vicar's Daughter.

Lenora Wilton has spent her life hiding behind the keys of her beloved pianoforte and the vibrancy of her younger sister, Cassie. But Lenora is ready for a change and travels to Bath to live with her Aunt Gwen and teach music at an all-girls’ boarding school. She is different in Bath—more comfortable with herself—and enjoys the freedom and independence of her new life there.

When Lenora meets Aiden Asher, she finds herself attracted to him, but her unexpected feelings become more complicated when she learns that Catherine—Lenora’s newest and most troublesome student in the school—is Mr. Asher’s niece. Catherine is a difficult student, and Lenora works hard to make progress with the girl.

When the chemistry between Lenora and Aiden increases, they share a passionate kiss by the River Avon, and Lenora feels it is the beginning of a new forever—until she learns that Aiden has withheld an important detail about his life that changes everything.

Lenora closes her heart to him, and Aiden, caught between his obligation and his heart, must do what he can to make amends. And Lenora, after years of hiding from everyone and everything, faces a decision only she can make.

My Review

I love when I can empathize with the struggles of the main character. Lenora's shyness and social awkwardness is something I experienced outside my family and close friends all the way through high school. Lenora's move to embrace a new life allows her to become more confident and I felt that going to college and leaving behind the role I felt trapped in opened up a refreshing sense of freedom to be happy with myself and all the opportunities before me. I admired Lenora's fortitude with the daunting situations and people she had to deal with. Catherine is not the typical orphan from stories like these- instead of being filled with gratitude, she is manipulative, cruel, and uncaring. I felt like it was a realistic portrayal of an abused child and it was gratifying to see her layers peeled back as Aiden doesn't give up on her, but is determined to help her in any way possible. Lenora's reactions to Catherine were realistic as well, and depicted the real struggle and sacrifice it took to be a part of her recovery and success. I loved Lenora's aunt and the compassion, nurturing, and wisdom she brought to both Lenora and Catherine's lives. The sweet and tender romance between Lenora and Aiden is worth fighting for, and I was filled with tension and anticipation until Lenora reached her happily ever after.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)