Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational, Romance, Christian Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Publication date:February 4, 2019
A heartfelt, emotional story of the beauty and pain found in picking up the pieces and starting over after disappointment.
About the Author
Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone
who really loves dessert. She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Colorado.
Curio (Curio #1) By Evangeline Denmark
YA Steampunk Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 432 Pages
January 5th 2016 by Blink
Grey Haward has always detested the Chemists, the magicians-come-scientists who rule her small western town. But she has always followed the rules, taking the potion the Chemists ration out that helps the town’s people survive. A potion that Grey suspects she—like her grandfather and father—may not actually need.
By working at her grandfather’s repair shop, sorting the small gears and dusting the curio cabinet inside, Grey has tried to stay unnoticed—or as unnoticed as a tall, strong girl can in a town of diminutive, underdeveloped citizens. Then her best friend, Whit, is caught by the Chemists’ enforcers after trying to protect Grey one night, and after seeing the extent of his punishment, suddenly taking risks seems the only decision she can make.
But with the risk comes the reality that the Chemists know her family’s secret, and the Chemists soon decide to use her for their own purposes. Panicked, Grey retreats to the only safe place she knows—her grandfather’s shop. There, however, a larger secret confronts her when her touch unlocks the old curio cabinet in the corner and reveals a world where porcelain and clockwork people are real. There, she could find the key that may save Whit’s life and also end the Chemists’ dark rule forever.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for your novel, Curio?
A: I’m a bit of a logophile and regularly get crushes on words. I was driving home one day when the word curio popped into my head and I was just smitten. I played around with it in my head, thinking about how curio and curiosity have the same root. Then I started thinking about curio cabinets and the kinds of objects found in them—knick-knacks and figurines. For a while I daydreamed about all those curios coming to life. What kind of world would they live in? What would they want, and what would be important to them? Finally I landed on the question: What would be a curiosity to these animated curios? The answer was the key to the story—a human! From there I knew I’d be writing a novel about a girl trapped in an enchanted curio cabinet.
Q: Curio is a Young Adult Steampunk Fantasy. Can you explain steampunk?
A: I don’t think anybody can really explain steampunk. You can describe it and give some rough parameters, but part of the fun of steampunk is that it’s changeable and imaginative. But generally speaking, steampunk stories take place in the Victorian era, so mid 19th century up until the turn of the century. Of course there’s wiggle room. Curio takes place in an alternate history Colorado setting in the early 1900s. Steampunk almost always contains anachronistic technology powered by steam and/or clockwork. If you’ve see the recent movie, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, you’ve gotten a taste of the steampunk genre.
Q: Do you have a favorite character?
A: I’m a sucker for the Troubled Boy archetype, so the male characters in Curio definitely hold my heart. Both Blaise and Whit make some bad choices, but usually with good intentions. I try to make all my characters strong in some ways and vulnerable in some ways so they can take turns helping each other.
Q: Do you have any other books available?
A: The Curio prequel, Mark of Blood and Alchemy, is available on ebook, and I have a holiday novelette called The Ice Child that’s a perfect read for a snowy winter evening.
In this novella prequel to Evangeline Denmark's YA fantasy novel Curio, Olan Havardsson flees a devastating plague that took his family only to be saved by a mysterious group of "magickers" with healing powers. But as he accompanies his rescuers to their alpine enclave, mysteries arise surrounding their potions and powers of alchemy. Questions mount when Olan observes a deep division forming between those who seek to defend the purity of the healing alchemical work and those who would wield it as a powerful weapon.
Olan is thrust into the midst of this dissention after he discovers he is somehow special--chosen as a guardian like the enclave's founder. As he spends time with two of his rescuers--Auriana, a clever and captivating inventor, and Alaric, a brooding young man wrestling with his father's cruel beliefs--Olan realizes he may have the power to direct the course of blood and alchemy.
Introducing readers to the fantastical world of Curio, this novella is wrapped in adventure, romance, and intrigue.
Evangeline Denmark’s debut Young Adult novel, CURIO, was an RT Reviews Top Pick, and USA Today’s HEA blog called the world-building “two levels of genius.” She has also co-authored children’s books and published shorter works of fantasy. Fairy tales, folklore, and magical elements form her creative substrate and weave through every project, whether she’s writing about this world or another.
Evangeline is an active member in her local arts community and is passionate about encouraging creativity in young people. From school visits, to speaking at conferences, to paneling at cons, Evangeline builds her platform on the principle that creativity is for everyone and everyone is creative.
She lives in Colorado with her engineer/artist husband, two sons, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering cattle dog.
Grand Prize #1: Winner will receive a FIRE HD 8 TABLET along with the following ebooks (open to those who are eligible for the Fire Tablet in their area can receive Kindle gifted copies of ebooks):
- CURIO, MARK OF BLOOD and ALCHEMY (The Curio Prequel), and THE ICE CHILD (a holiday novelette) by Evangeline Denmark
- A GIFT OF POISON by Kate Avery Ellison
- THE TWELFTH KEEPER by Belle Malory
- SERVANT O THE CROWN or VOYAGER OF THE CROWN (winner's choice) by Melissa McShane
- THE REMEMBERED QUEEN by J. Ellen Ross
- SILVER HOLLOW by Jennifer Silverwood
- THE FREY SAGA (Books 1-3) ebook box set by Melissa Wright
Grand Prize #2: Winner will receive the following print books (open to continental US residents):
- ORPHAN'S SONG by Gillian Bronte Adams
- MARK OF THE RAVEN by Morgan L. Busse
- SPARK by J.M. Hackman
- ABIASSA'S FIRE 3-book collection by Ronie Kendig
- The complete set of SONG OF SEARE TRILOGY by C.E. Laureano
Phylicia thought life was passing her by, but maybe this was love’s plan all along. . .
At twenty-nine, Phylicia Chandler put her life on hold to care for her dying mother with her sisters, Joanna and Britt. Now Mom is gone and their father stuns them all by running off with a woman young enough to be their sister. Life is moving forward all around her, but Phylicia feels stuck—until her father’s protégé, Quinn Mitchell, presents the sisters with an intriguing business opportunity to purchase a trio of cottages just outside of Langhorne, Missouri. Joanna and Britt are convinced the three of them should launch a vacation rental venture, but Phylicia remains skeptical.
To complicate matters, Quinn soon finds himself falling hard for Phylicia. But how can he pursue this beautiful, talented woman twelve years his junior when she’s still reeling over her father’s hasty engagement to a younger woman? Quinn is determined to give Phylicia her happily-ever-after. But first, he must help her come to terms with her discovery of long-held family secrets and persuade her that true love can transcend their differences.
“Actually, I’m going to be staying
here in Florida—”
“Staying? How much longer, Daddy?”
Britt had put on that infernal smile she always wore when she talked to her
“daddy.”
This time the silence on Dad’s end
went on so long, Phee thought they’d lost the connection. But finally, he
spoke. “Girls, I’m going to stay ... a while. Indefinitely actually. I’ve taken
an apartment here.”
“Taken? You mean like rented?” Phee scooted her chair closer
to the table, as if by accosting the phone, she could change his mind. “Dad?
What is going on?”
“I can’t explain everything right
now.” His voice sounded odd. “I’m still fleshing out some details. You girls
don’t know this, but ... I’ve been working on a deal down here for a while.”
“A deal? What is the nature of this
deal exactly?” Joanna kicked into lawyer mode. She worked as an administrative
assistant for an attorney in town, but she’d actually just started law school
in Columbia when Mom was diagnosed. Like Britt, Jo had quit school and moved
back to Cape at the end of her first semester. Her career might have been
temporarily derailed, but that didn’t stop her from speaking like a full-blown
attorney.
“I’m going to be putting the house
on the market.”
Dad’s announcement brought them all
to their feet. “What?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DEBORAH RANEY dreamed of writing a book since the summer she read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books and discovered that a Kansas farm girl could, indeed, grow up to be a writer. Her 30-plus books have garnered multiple industry awards including the RITA® Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Carol Award, and have three times been Christy Award finalists. Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, shed light on the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and inspired the highly acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. A Vow to Cherish continues to be a tool for Alzheimer's families and caregivers. Deborah is on faculty for several national writers' conferences and serves on the executive board of the 2600-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization. She and her husband, Ken Raney, traded small-town life in Kansas—the setting of many of Deb's novels—for life in the city of Wichita. They often travel to teach at writers conferences across the country and to visit their four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight December 3, 2018 and last through 11:59pm December 10, 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.
The Songs That Brought Me Back by Mylissa Demeyere
Have you ever made a mistake? One so monumental you lost everything? I did, and I hate myself for it! All I want to do is close my eyes, and let the darkness consume me. Make it all go away. The end.
Ainsley is drowning in the depth of her despair. One wrong decision left her alone, with only regret as her constant companion. To escape it all, she makes another choice. One she hopes will end everything. Instead, she’s thrown into a whole new world filled with opportunities she doesn’t believe she deserves.
Ethan gives the appearance of breezing through life. But underneath his bright facade, he’s scarred by loss. When fate leads him into Ainsley’s world at the exact moment she needs someone the most, he can’t ignore the chance to right the wrongs of his past.
Ainsley and Ethan will struggle to help each other heal and start anew.
They’ll learn that the secret to conquering their pain lies within their power, if only they can do it together.
Always together.
Sometimes the ending is really the beginning.
EXCERPT
AINSLEY
Beep… Beep…
Floating…I was floating. My body…weightless. For the first time in
almost three years, the constant pain that had been pushing on me,
threatening to suffocate me…lifted and was gone.
I felt…free.
Beep… Beep…
Finally, I was done and untied, drifting in this place that no longer held me in its terrible grip.
Beep… Beep…
I hovered near the edge, staring down at that empty shell as the
doctor and nurses fought to save me. The scene should have sent more
anguish through me. The ripped clothes, the chaos, but all I felt was
peace.
The body left behind looked like me, but it wasn’t, not really. It
hadn’t been me for so long. I had lost myself in that person ages ago.
Something tugged at me, pulling me down, away from the peacefulness I felt and back toward that cold, empty body. My prison.
I grasped out around me but only caught handfuls of air. Nothing to
hold on to. The pull got stronger. Dread washed over me as I realized
what was happening.
I had to go back.
“Push a dose of ketamine, now!”
The weightlessness was out of reach, leaving me confused and exhausted. A new, heavy sensation pushed down on me.
No! I screamed, but no noise left my mouth. Even as
the weight of my body and my illness pressed down on me, I longed for
the weightlessness I’d felt, the brief glimpse of freedom. I wanted it
back.
“Give me a laryngoscope.”
A sharp pain coursed through me, down my mouth, into my throat.
I tried to raise my hand, trying to yank whatever was there away. But
it wouldn’t move. The weight was pushing on my hand as well.
No! I screamed again, but no one heard me. It was pointless.
“I’m in. Tube her.”
Finally, I surrendered to the darkness as it closed in, and everything went completely black.
What Readers are Saying:
A heartfelt romance with a powerful message about the sanctity of human life. If you've ever simply needed a friend, The Songs That Brought Me Back will resonate--and leave you thankful for the people in your life. -Taylor Dean, author of I’m With You and Chasing Fireflies.
Another remarkable read by Mylissa Demeyere. Ethan and Ainsley had me laughing and crying as they face their own demons and fall in love while doing it. This book adds even more depth as it confronts suicide head on. Suicide has become an epidemic that some are afraid to address; Demeyere brings it to light from both the victims and the survivors giving us insight on the struggles of so many. It does not disappoint and I, again, am excited to see what comes next from this talented writer. – Amazon Reviewer
A beautiful sequel to The Songs of You and Me that cleverly illustrates that there are always two sides to every story and that it is never too late for love to overcome any challenge. – Amazon Reviewer
This poignant redemption story about second chances and forgiveness yanked my emotions all over the place. I cried, I yearned, I hoped. A beautiful story about what true love is and does. - Charissa Stastny, author of Between Hope and the Highway and The Ruled Out Romance Series
Author Mylissa Demeyere
Mylissa Demeyere was born in Belgium, and resides in the beautiful city of Ghent. She lives in a somewhat organized home with her four beautiful children and the love of her life. If she isn’t working, she’s writing, running, reading, or enjoying time with her kids, who are growing up way too fast.
The Songs That Brought Me Back is her second novel in The Songs Series, with a third book releasing in the middle of 2019.
A SECOND CHANCE AT FIRST LOVE.
Jane Hartford fell head over heels for Jackson at the tender age of fifteen. She spent most of high school pining for him, until she realized he wasn't going to see her as anything more than his baby sister's best friend. Now she finds herself single with a daughter, a broken heart, and songs that remind her of a long lost love.
Jackson Wright is a man living with regret. His biggest one, never acting on his feelings for Jane. When he returns to Bellebrook, the town they grew up in, he literally runs into her and his world gets tossed upside down and sideways.
This time, Jackson isn't willing to give up. With a meddling sister eager to push both of them together, he believes things might actually work out. That is, if they can overcome the heavy baggage they both carry. Follow Jackson and Jane as they revisit their past, figuring out what went wrong so long ago.
Will they learn they have the power to make things right in the present?
$50 Amazon Gift Code or $50 in PayPal Cash
Ends 12/30/18
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. 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 I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Ezra Stone wishes Christmas would go away.
Star Henley wants to save it.
When a desperate city council, panicked about losing their iconic main street, urges Star Henley to charm her way into developer Ezra Stone’s life, they hope to change his mind, unaware they could break his heart.
If the small town, Sanders Corners, can’t save its tree festival and protect their Main Street festivities, her father’s tree business and her Christmas shop will go out of business along with the rest of the town. She can’t let that happen, even if it means ingratiating herself into the cold, hard life of their town’s one and only billionaire nemesis. When a conniving city council forces them to work together on the festival of trees, the two clash as often as they connect, but everything could change on December 25th.
He reached into the decorated boughs and her heart pinged just a tiny
amount in sympathy. Balls fell and clattered down around him, his whole
arm lost in the decorated greenery. It wasn’t easy, and she did want
the tree to stay intact for the short drive. “Look, I’ll call Colton up
here to help you.”
“Yes, you’d better.” When he pulled his hand back out, he pinched his fingers together and released them, the adhesive obvious.
She smirked. Sap was a bear to wash off.
“This soon becomes more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Pardon me?”
“This giving of the tree thing. I appreciate the help loading. But no
one will be there unloading.” He seemed to stop himself, but his
irritation was obvious.
“Well, I suppose our apologies are in order.”
He waved his hand. “It’s ok, I understand tradition and all that.
Look, I’ll try to load it and we’ll make sure someone plants it
afterward.” He reached his hand back in and started sliding the tree
closer to the back of the truck.
Colton arrived, threw burlap over the top, wrapped it securely, and then he and another man hefted the tree up into the truck.
Mr. Stone nodded. “Thanks.” He climbed up into his truck. Then his
appraising glance returned. “I’m here for the duration of the build.
Wanna go to dinner sometime?”
“What?” The word, her tone, escaped her lips before she could stop it. “Are you asking me out?”
He grinned, a smile that she guessed women melted over. “I am, you free?”
“No, I’m not.” Was he for real?
His face became a mask, then he nodded. “Good enough. Thanks again.”
His truck door closed, and he pulled out of the parking lot.
Clinton clucked his tongue, watching him pull away. “Wait, is he driving your truck?”
She groaned. “No. He has the same one.” Too bad such a remarkable
looking man with great taste in trucks was so ungrateful, involved in
destroying her town and her store and entirely void of holiday spirit.
A fun, clean, quick Christmas story. I liked the loose references to A Christmas Carol. Great escapist.
This book was written so well that I could picture myself in town on
main street at the Christmas Shoppe!! Only other thing I will say is,
grab a cup of hot chocolate, a blanket and curl up in your favorite
comfy reading chair because you won’t want to put the story down until
it’s finished!
I loved this book! It is funny, heartwarming and romantic. What can
you do when you are both attracted and infuriated with someone?
A very good book.I very much love Christmas stories. This is one of
the best Scrooge stories I have read… a good clean book for everyone.
Truth and trust win out in this sweet romance with Scrooge getting
his Star! I could picture this town and their quaint shops. Sophia
Summers continues in her engaging writing style.
Author Sophia Summers
Billionaires, Royals, Marriages of convenience, Cowboys, and Spies. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
Sophia Summers is an award-winning author who just wants to relax a little and enjoy a great beach read. She lives in a quiet southern town brimming with an extra dose of hospitality and a whole lot of charm.
She writes historical romance under a different name.
Giveaway Details
$25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash
Ends 1/1/19
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.
Lady Tabitha Easton recklessly dodges four over-protective brothers
while trying to gain attention from the man who holds her heart. She has
many choices of suitors, and with Henry as disinterested as ever, she
turns to what is wholly forbidden, an irresistibly handsome footman.
While their friendship grows, her trust in him increases while her hurt
and doubt in her childhood love and friend pushes her away from all
she’s ever known as family.
When Lord Henry Courtenay discovers a new attraction to his childhood
friend, his role as one of her chaperones at the house party becomes
near impossible. Irrationally defensive about any potential suitors and
seeking time alone with the enticing Tabby, maintaining friendship with
her brothers proves more difficult than he ever imagined. His task
becomes all the more difficult when she refuses to understand his
growing attraction and often finds herself in almost compromising
situations.
When Tabitha’s choices might lead her to danger, and doubt and distrust are high, Henry must prove himself or lose her forever.
About the Author
An award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book
of the Year Awards, Jen Geigle Johnson discovered her passion for
England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager.
She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her
fin. She knows all about the sound a water-ski makes on glassy water and
how to fall down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in
college, she sat on top of a jeep’s roll bars up in the mountains and
fell in love.
Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be
forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or
Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to
be: full of adventure. She is a member of the RWA, the SCBWI, and
LDStorymakers. She is also the chair of the Lonestar.Ink writing
conference.
