Sunday, November 4, 2018

Book Tour Grand Finale: A Small Town Christmas by Nan Reinhardt

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for
A Small Town Christmas
By Nan Reinhardt

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Note from the Author

Thank you very much for coming along on my Prism Book Tour for A Small Town Christmas—the first book in my new Four Irish Brothers Winery series for Tule Publishing. I’m so excited about this book and about this series—Conor, Sean, Brendan, and Aidan Flaherty have been in my head for quite some time, banging around, insisting that their stories be told...


Conor trudged through the rain, which had now subsided to a chilly drizzle. As he drew closer to the car, the air was fairly blue with the woman’s frustration and he couldn’t help grinning as he approached the back of the vehicle. “Can I help you?”

“Oh, crap.” When she released the handle of the cable holding the tire, her foot slid on the wet gravel and her arms wheeled as she tried to keep herself upright.

He bolted around the rear fender and caught her just before she hit the ground. He kept an arm around her waist to steady her. “You okay?”


The weather had turned downright cold after last night’s rain and he felt around in Ali’s pockets for her mittens. “Be sure to put these on if you go outside today, okay?”

“Okay.” She was already distracted, clearly anxious to get into the building to play with her friends. “Come on, Da. Miss Karen’s mommy is bringing in kittens today.” Ali tugged at his hand. “I can’t wait to pet one. I love kitties, don’t you?”


The winery was dim and vast with a high beamed ceiling and a fieldstone fireplace that took up one entire end of the room. A round dark wood tasting bar stood in the middle, surrounded by several high-top tables and stools. One corner was the store with shelves of wine-themed tchotchkes of all kinds, while the back wall was nothing but racks and racks of bottles. A light shone from an office just to the right of the front door and plastic totes were piled haphazardly in front of an open closet nearby.

Sam cleared her throat. “Mr. Flaherty?” Her voice echoed slightly in the immense space.

She marched over to the office, her heels clicking loudly on the hardwood floor. Nobody was there, although several photo albums and scrapbooks lay open on a rather cluttered desk. She glanced at her watch and then at a large wooden clock above the mantel. Nine on the dot. Obviously someone was here.


“Get in here!” the voice commanded, but this time it sounded familiar. “You have got to taste this.” Heavy footsteps hurried toward her and around a tank appeared . . . the man who had changed her tire yesterday? He was holding a bottle in one hand and a small tumbler in the other, but practically squealed his tattered running shoes as he halted mid-step. “It’s you.”

They gazed at one another for a long moment, his blue eyes narrowing, color staining his cheeks. “Um, you want to try this? It’s pretty amazing,” he blurted as the flush on his face deepened from pink to scarlet.

She stepped back. “It’s nine o’clock in the morning.”


"The characters felt so real and the plot scenes were very well-developed, which allowed the reader to feel a part of the story. . . . This was an uplifting read in anticipation of the Holiday Season."

Heidi Reads... - Excerpt

“You have a great palate.” He took the glass, poured more wine and tasted, his eyes closed in obvious ecstasy, long sooty lashes resting on his cheeks.

His words of praise sent a not-unpleasant tingle down her spine. She couldn’t remember ever seeing any man with such long, thick eyelashes . . . except for one—Sean Flaherty. “Are you Conor?” She met his gaze when he opened his eyes and then she knew for sure he had to be a Flaherty. They were as true cornflower blue as Sean’s. Apparently, gorgeous ran in the family.

“I am. Conor Flaherty, winemaker extraordinaire at your service.” He bowed with a cocky grin.


"It has hope, grief, and a cute four year old girl at Christmas time! . . . With Christmas themes that remind me of the season, this book was very enjoyable."


When he glanced out at Sam, she was all business with a manila folder open in front of her and a legal pad set to one side. The bottle of Gewürztraminer she’d brought up from the cellar had been set aside, along with the two glasses as she sorted through a sheaf of papers in the folder. The woman was an enigma—a very attractive enigma to be sure. Again he was shocked at his level of interest, but now that he knew who she was, it was probably a bad idea to pour more wine. An intriguing notion, though . . . and she had brought the bottle up.

Sean might have warned him that Sam Hayes was a woman, but it probably hadn’t even occurred to him to mention it. To Sean, she was simply an associate in his firm, not a potential mate for his widowed younger brother.

E-Romance News - Excerpt

Her voice made him think of zin or petit Syrah—sultry and husky and as captivating as wine and chocolate. As a matter of fact, everything about her made him hungry, and that was something entirely new and unexpected, too. Since Emmy’s death, most food had tasted like ashes. He cooked for Ali and he ate because it was important to keep his strength up, but there was no pleasure in it anymore. Suddenly, as he eyed the new Gewürztraminer, he longed for apples and cheese and a loaf of warm crusty French bread.

Brooke Blogs - Review

"A Small Town Christmas by Nan Reinhardt perfectly captures the essence of love in a small town. . . . A bit of Christmas magic and a whole lot of love make this a wonderful story for the holiday season."


"This is the first book I have ever read by this author and what a treat! I loved the small town feel to this book. It really captured all the familial charm, especially with the Christmas background. There were a lot of secondary characters in this book but I never felt overwhelmed with keeping them straight which is a credit to the author."


"I LOVED reading about Sam and Conor’s love story. I loved how a small town romance can open up our own hearts to love. When you first introduce us to Sam, Conor, and his daughter you can see how much of a gentlemen he is."


He was rambling; something Sam did herself when she was nervous. How funny that she was making him nervous. The whole morning had turned into something entirely different than what she had prepared for, and it was becoming harder and harder to maintain her attorney face.

She smiled, hoping to ease his discomfort. “Ali?” She quirked one brow. “Your daughter? The one in the car yesterday?”

“Yes.” He didn’t meet her gaze. Instead he focused on the apple, cutting it into precise sections. “She’s four.”

Becky on Books - Review

"A Small Town Christmas is a sweet, feel-good holiday themed romance! The first book in its series (Four Irish Brothers Winery), its setting and characters somehow manage to make the reader feel as if they’re back among friends, and the main characters–Conor, Samantha, and Ali, Conor’s daughter–are just delightful, and very easy to root for. . . . it's obvious that these two crazy kids are obviously meant to be together. This was my first book from Ms. Reinhardt, but definitely not my last!"


"Dynamite High 5 Teacups! . . . If you love a sweet romance, a sensual and gorgeous hero and a strong, yet gentle heroine, and set in a small then this is the book for you! . . . I really loved this tale and would highly recommend this to all!"


"Pure, well-written escapism at its best. Maybe it's Christmas, or the talent Reinhard utilizes to pen characters you can't help but dream along with. Just like Conor and Sam, you'll be tempted to believe love deserves second chances, and it's never too late to start over."


"A Small Town Christmas is a quick read with a great setting and great characters. Add this to your holiday reading lists!"


"I feel like these characters have lived before we enter their lives in this installment of the series - a credit to the author whose writing a four book arc of their adventures! . . . Her instincts for setting the scenes to be a bit random and allow her characters the room to breathe is one of the things I loved most about reading A Small Town Christmas!"

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven't already...

A Small Town Christmas
(Four Irish Brothers Winery #1)
By Nan Reinhardt
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 185 Pages
October 29th 2018 by Tule Publishing

Winemaker and single father Conor Flaherty is determined to make this Christmas holiday special for his daughter even though his family’s winery, Four Irish Brothers, is facing some challenges.

High-octane Chicago attorney Samantha Hayes is looking forward to some delicious food, fine wine, small town charm, and a break from her hectic big city life when she agrees to do a favor for her boss and help his younger brother with a lawsuit that’s been slapped on his family’s historic winery in River’s Edge. She’s not expecting that her sexy new client will have a smile that will melt her heart and remind her that there’s more to life than work.

Sam falls hard for Conor, his daughter and the small, friendly town, but can she trust her instincts and risk her heart? Sam hasn’t seen a lot of happy-ever-afters in her life, but Conor and the magic of Christmas make her want to believe.


About the Author

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, Kensington Books, Tule Publishing, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.
Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!), and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! Her latest novel, A Small Town Christmas, which is the first book in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series from Tule Publishing, releases on October 29, 2018.

Visit Nan’s website at www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every sixth Wednesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors and is a frequent contributor the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.


Tour Giveaway


5 winners will receive: a wine-themed kitchen towel and potholder set, 6 handmade wineglass charms, and an autographed copy of the first book in Nan's Women of Willow Bay series, ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP
Open to US only
Ends November 7, 2018


Grab Our Button!





Books I'm Grateful I Read Giveaway Hop!


https://www.bookhounds.net/2018/09/books-im-grateful-for-giveaway-hop-ends-11-15-sign-ups-now-open.html


I'm so happy that cooler weather has finally arrived! It puts me in the mood to read historical fiction and one that I'd love to give away is my ARC copy of To Win Her Heart by Tamera Alexander! Read about the book below and enter to win in the Giveaway Tools widget. Be sure to check out some other blogs on the hop for more giveaways!



http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society's expectations must work together to achieve their dreams—provided that the truth doesn't tear them apart first.

Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father's name. One man holds the key to Sy's success—General William Giles Harding of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks. Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville's society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he's found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison's fiancee—and what has broken her heart.

Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen's university in the United States. But family—and Nashville society—do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both. Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy's roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?

Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn't count on is having to wager her heart to do it.

Set against the real history of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a stirring love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in history when both were tenuous and hard-won.




Friday, November 2, 2018

#TFBRC Classics




Some of my favorite classics are by Gene Stratton-Porter. I love the descriptions of nature and the obvious love and devotion the naturalist author had for the wilderness. The wholesome romance is in the style of the early 1900's which I find sweet. It's interesting to note how different times were back then! 



http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

The scene is laid in the same country as that of “Freckles”, which appeared a few years before. A number of the characters in "Freckles" are introduced here, and Elnora, the chief character, has the same deep love for the woods that possessed the boy Freckles. She has also become the proud owner of all his books on birds, insects, etc., and has tried to preserve the wonderful room he had made on the edge of the swamp. Elnora is a strong character, and although she has many things to contend with, she accomplishes what she has set out to do—namely, win for herself the education she craved. Through the money she received from the Bird Woman for the specimens she gathered and carried to the city she is able to pay her way through the High School and eventually is able to accept the position of Lecturer on Natural History in the city schools.



http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

The Harvester is set in Gene Stratton Porter's Limberlost Swamp series. David Langston lives a simple life harvesting medicinal herbs to sell in the city. He believes that he has all that he needs in life, that is until he meets Ruth and everything changes. A gentle love story that changes everyone who reads it.



http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

In this book a homeless waif finds his deliverance in the primeval Limberlost swamp. Maimed and abandoned as an infant, Freckles seeks a chance to prove his worth. He is given that opportunity as the guard of the precious timber of the Limberlost. In his stewardship of the woods, he finds happiness in the companionship of the birds and other wild creatures and in the love of the beautiful Swamp Angel. This moving story of courage and virtue will warm the hearts of young and old.



http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Set in the author's adopted home of California in the 1920s, this is Gene Stratton-Porter's last novel, a story filled with wisdom, a love of nature, and her own abiding optimism. In it a Master Bee Keeper, his bees, and the natural beauty of California restore a wounded World War I veteran to health.






Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Southern Season: Four Stories From a Front Porch Swing by Eva Marie Everson, Claire Fullerton, Linda W. Yezak, Ane Mulligan


JR_SouthernSeason_BLOG

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for A Southern Season: Four Stories From a Front Porch Swing by Eva Marie Everson, Claire Fullerton, Linda W. Yezak, and Ane Mulligan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! Pull up a front porch swing and enjoy learning more about this collection from 4 great authors :)

ABOUT THE BOOK

a southern season Title: A Southern Season: Four Stories From a Front Porch Swing
Authors: Eva Marie Everson, Claire Fullerton, Linda W. Yezak, Ane Mulligan 
Publisher: Firefly Southern Fiction 
Release Date: November 1, 2018 
Genre: Inspirational Southern/Women's Fiction Four seasons. 

Four stories. Each one set in the enchanting world of the South. These are the kinds of stories your grandmother told you from a front porch swing.  

Ice Melts in Spring by Linda W. Yezak
When Kerry Graham's boss forces her to return to the Gulf of Mexico where her husband drowned years ago, she feels only spring's chill and not the warmth of the Texas sun. Can the joy of a reclusive author and the compassion of a shrimp-boat preacher thaw Kerry's frigid heart?  

Lillie Beth in Summer by Eva Marie Everson
With the untimely death of his wife, Dr. James Gillespie believes God has abandoned him. He also believes he's never met anyone like the young widow Lillie Beth, whose beloved Granny lies dying at home, and who sees a God who sweeps hope through a farmhouse window. Can a young woman whose husband died in Vietnam restore a faith that is all but dead.  

Through an Autumn Window by Claire Fullerton
Because her larger than life mother Daphne Goodwyn is dead, forty-year-old Cate returns to Memphis with one thought in mind: something always goes wrong at a Southern funeral. But surrounded by the well-mannered society that raised her, the nostalgic rites of a three-day, autumn mourning bring the unexpected gift of the end of sibling rivalry.  

A Magnolia Blooms in Winter by Ane Mulligan
With Broadway stardom within her reach, Morgan James returns home in winter to help an old friend. Maybe it s just nostalgia, but when she sees him again, an old flame rekindles. When she's called back to NYC to take the lead in a new musical, will fame be worth losing the man she loves?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

EXCERPT


From: A Magnolia Blooms in Winter by Ane Mulligan

“How are you, Mama? Is Daddy still treating you like a queen?” I leaned against the two-foot long kitchen counter. Affordable Manhattan apartments were miniscule compared to ... anywhere, but especially to home.
“He’s a keeper, that’s for sure.” 
I heard a “but” in her voice. 
“Sweetie, I called for a reason.” 
Yep, there it was. 
“Are you between roles now? Can you come home?”
Between roles? Uh, yeah. Way between. I hadn’t played so much as a walk-on since September and it was now November. I actually had to take a second job to pay my rent, which was due in—I flipped a calendar page on my tiny fridge—two days. I stifled a groan so Mama wouldn’t hear.
“I might be able to, but I just had two different auditions. Rehearsals start in a few weeks for one and six weeks for the other.” I didn’t really feel I was right for the part that started soon. But the other? Oh, I was born to play the lead in Bloom!  “Why? Is something wrong?”
“Sugar Hill Community Church needs you, darlin’. I don’t know if I told you, but we hired Andy Wayfield as our worship pastor six months ago.”
“Andy?” My heart did a little flutter. How long had it been? Over four years, and his name could still send my pulse to racing. “No, you didn’t tell me. I wouldn’t have forgotten something like that. Wait a minute ... did he leave the band?” Another thought hit me like a wrecking ball. “Did he get married?” I swallowed my heart as I waited for her answer.
“Yes and no. Left the band, not married.”
That last bit of news zipped a delicious shiver down my spine. Andy. My college leading man. He always encouraged me to reach for the stars, telling me God had gifted me and I should use that gift for His glory. At the time, I sort of hoped he’d ask me to stay—and I would have. 
Three years to make it to the top. That’s what I thought. How could I tell him that even stretching on my tippy toes, my touch never reached a single star?


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Eva Marie by Mary Denman Photography 2

Eva Marie Everson (Lillie Beth in Summer) is a multiple award-winning author and speaker. She is the president of Word Weavers International and the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference & North Georgia Christian Writers Conference.  

CONNECT WITH EVA: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 
2 Claire LvgRm 3 set 2 828 465 360-1010730

Claire Fullerton (Through an Autumn Window) is the author of Mourning Dove, Dancing to an Irish Reel, and A Portal in Time. She is a transplanted Southerner from Memphis now living in Malibu, California.

CONNECT WITH CLAIRE: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 
Ane

Ane Mulligan (A Magnolia Blooms in Winter) writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall, sweet iced tea. She's an award-winning, multi-published novelist and playwright, who believes chocolate and coffee are two of the four major food groups.

 CONNECT WITH ANE: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
 
Linda Yezak

Linda W. Yezak (Ice Melts in Spring) lives with her husband and PB, the original scaredy cat, in a forest in Deep East Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. Author of several novels, novellas, and short stories, she is best known for her award-winning Circle Bar Ranch series.  

CONNECT WITH LINDA: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

a southern season giveaway

TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Southern Season, signed by all 4 authors! (US only)  

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 30, 2018 and last through 11:59pm November 5, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.



Follow along at JustRead for a full list of stops!
cropped-justread-logo.png





Thursday, November 1, 2018

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Enchanting Nicholette by Dawn Crandall


jr_EnchantingNicholette_Blog

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Enchanting Nicholette by Dawn Crandall, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours.

ABOUT THE BOOK

EnchantingNicholette Title: Enchanting Nicholette  
Series: The Everstone Chronicles #5  
Author: Dawn Crandall  
Publisher: Whitaker House  
Release Date: October 9, 2018  
Genre: Historical Romance

In this captivating novella by Dawn Crandall, Nicholette Everstone is already a widow at the age of twenty-two: her husband was murdered on their wedding day. She has just returned to Boston after two years of mourning in Europe. Although her husband was loving, the marriage was an arranged one, and Nicholette would like to wed again–this time for love…and to someone safe.

As she acclimates to life in Back Bay again, Nicholette meets someone she can’t help but fall for. But when she learns of the danger and sacrifices Cal Hawthorne takes on for the safety of others, will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears of “what if” at bay?

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | BAM! | Christian Book

 MY REVIEW

5 stars / It was amazing

Fans of The Everstone Chronicles series will absolutely love this addition to the series! Cal Hawthorne and Nicholette Everstone are pleasant and charming together, but Cal has secrets and Nicholette struggles with any sort of danger that puts loved ones at risk. I enjoyed their friendship and loved the chemistry as they are instantly attracted to each other. The themes of trust and overcoming fear are well-executed and powerful. There is a good pace to the story and it felt longer and fuller than a novella with its full plot and character arc. It can be read on its own but the reader will definitely want to pick up the other books in the series to read the lovely stories of all the characters they meet!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions expressed in this review are my own)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn Crandall

Dawn Crandall‘s debut Gilded Age Victorian romance, “The Hesitant Heiress,” was a 2015 ACFW Carol award finalist in the debut category and received the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2015 Write Touch Reader’s Choice Award and the 2015 Romancing the Novel Reader’s Choice Award. Her follow-up novel, “The Bound Heart,” received the 2016 Laurel Award from Clash of the Titles. Dawn earned a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University. She’s been balancing books and babies lately as her two sons were both born as the four books of her Everstone Chronicles series were being released from Whitaker House from 2014 to 2016. Dawn lives with her husband and two young sons on a hobby farm in her hometown in northeast Indiana.

 CONNECT WITH DAWN CRANDALL: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

enchanting nicholette blog giveaway

TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) Winner will win:
  • A print copy of Enchanting Nicholette
  • A library card zipper bag
  • Two pairs of Jane Austen socks
  • Two hand poured candles
  • A historically accurate soap from Austen’s time
  • A Jane Austen set of playing cards
  • A set of Jane Austen notecards
  • 6 magnets with Jane Austen quotes
(US Mailing Addresses Only)  

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 29, 2018 and lasts through 11:59pm November 12, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. US addresses only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.



Follow along at JustRead for a full list of stops!
cropped-justread-logo.png