Tuesday, December 4, 2018

New Release & Giveaway: The Songs That Brought Me Back by Mylissa Demeyere

     

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.

 

Also By Mylissa:

 

The Songs of You and Me 

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? 



https://amzn.to/2Pdmf33

   

$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.





Monday, December 3, 2018

12 Days of Clean Romance: Author Sophia Summers, Sale & Giveaway

 

   

Taming Scrooge by Sophia Summers 

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.    





Spotlight & Giveaway: Tabitha's Folly by Jen Geigle Johnson



https://amzn.to/2U6xzSg

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

Synopsis

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.


Giveaway


$25 Amazon Gift Card



Follow the Blog Tour . . .

December 3
Heidi Reads…
December 4
Paulette’s Papers
December 5
Emily Yager
December 6
Maiden of the Pages
December 7
Why Not? Because I Said So!
December 8
Blooming with Books
Jorie Loves A Story​




Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse #FantasyforChristmas!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Morgan L. Busse for
Days of Fantasy for Christmas

https://amzn.to/2Q4JUb7Mark of the Raven
(The Ravenwood Saga #1)
By Morgan L. Busse
Christian Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 352 Pages
November 6th 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person’s dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.

As she discovers her family’s dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family’s legacy–a legacy that supports her people–or seeking the true reason behind her family’s gift.

Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.

One path holds glory and power, and will solidify her position as Lady of Ravenwood. The other path holds shame and execution. Which will she choose? And is she willing to pay the price for the path chosen?


Character Interview

1. Who are you?

I am Lady Selene of House Ravenwood, first daughter and heir.

2. What is your family’s gift?

That’s a secret. But since you seem to already know, we are known as the House of Dreamers. We can walk inside people’s dreams. How do we do that? By touch. When I touch a person while they are sleeping, I slip into their mind, into their subconscious, into their deepest memories. Seems like a pretty awesome gift, right? Until you find out that your job is to search out secrets within a person’s mind or…or find their worst nightmares and make them relive it over and over again until their heart gives out. *shudders

3. What is your greatest wish?

Greatest…wish? Well, um, I wish that I might rule together with my sisters, and maybe find a better way to use our gift of dreaming. The problem is Amara and I don’t get along very well. Mother is always praising me and hardly ever speaks to Amara. Amara resents me for that. The thing is, I never wanted Mother’s praise or attention. I wish Amara could see that.

4. What is your greatest fear?

Aren’t these questions a little personal? All right, fine. My fear is becoming just like my mother. When I dreamwalk, I create an emotion connection to the sleeper. But in order to make them relive their nightmares, I must bury my emotions or else they will overtake me. I think at some point, my mother’s heart died. How else can she be so callous about hurting others?

5. What do you hope for your future?

I want to have the freedom to pursue why we were really given the gift of dreamwalking. I can’t believe it’s only to hurt others. There has to be a better, nobler reason. But I can’t do that under my mother’s control. So I will need to escape someday. But I don’t know when I’ll have the chance.

Coming Soon in the Series

https://amzn.to/2SjJyKzFlight of the Raven
(The Ravenwood Saga #2)
By Morgan L. Busse
Christian Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 352 Pages
April 30th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers

Selene Ravenwood, once the heir to House Ravenwood, is now an exile. On the run and free of her family's destiny, Selene hopes to find the real reason her family was given the gift of dreamwalking. But first she must adapt to her new life as wife to Lord Damien Maris, the man she was originally assigned to kill. 

While adjusting to her marriage and her home in the north, her power over dreams begins to grow. As the strongest dreamwalker to exist in ages, her expanding power attracts not only nightmares but the attention of the Dark Lady herself.

With a war looming on the horizon and a wicked being after her gift, Selene is faced with a choice: embrace the Dark Lady's offer, or search out the one who gave her the gift of dreamwalking. One path offers power, the other offers freedom. But time is running out, and soon her choice will be made for her.


About the Author


Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of the Follower of the Word series, the Carol Award-winning steampunk series, Soul Chronicles, and the Ravenwood Saga, a new fantasy series from Bethany House coming November 2018. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.


Tour Schedule
(Links won't work until the posts go live.)

December 1st: Launch
December 2nd: Gillian Bronte Adams - The Songkeeper Chronicles
December 3rd: Morgan L. Busse - Mark of the Raven
December 4thEvangeline Denmark - Curio
December 5th: Kate Avery Ellison - A Gift of Poison
December 6th: J.M. Hackman - Spark
December 7th: Ronie Kendig - Embers
December 8th: C.E. Laureano - Oath of the Brotherhood
December 9th: Belle Malory - The Twelfth Keeper
December 10th: Melissa McShane - Voyager of the Crown
December 11th: J. Ellen Ross - The Remembered Queen
December 12th: Jennifer Silverwood - Silver Hollow
December 13th: Melissa Wright - Blood & Brute & Ginger Root
December 14th: Morgan Wylie - The Age of Alandria Series
December 15th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway


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
- SILENT ORCHIDS by Morgan Wylie

Ends December 19, 2018





Sunday, December 2, 2018

Review: Timeless Victorian Collection: The Queen's Ball by Anthea Lawson, Rebecca Connolly, Jennifer Moore


Heidi Reads... Timeless Victorian Collection: The Queen's Ball by Anthea Lawson, Rebecca Connolly, Jennifer Moore

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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

Synopsis

THE QUEEN'S BALL: Three brand new Victorian Romance novellas by Anthea Lawson, Rebecca Connolly, and Jennifer Moore.

WALTZED by Anthea Lawson
Eleanor Tremont never expected her father to pass away unexpectedly – leaving her with a horrible stepmother, two grasping step-sisters, and no dowry whatsoever. Relegated to a servant in her own home, she struggles to come to terms with her bleak new life. Summoned to Queen Victoria’s Stuart Ball, can Ellie find her happily-ever-after despite impossible odds? Add an absent-minded Godmother, an orange carriage, and a dancing-slipper mishap, and prepare to be swept away into this fairytale romance…

A LOVE TO CLAIM by Rebecca Connolly
Abigail Sterling is not at all pleased to see that the man who broke her heart is in London, and even less pleased that he wants to renew their friendship. But, against her better judgment, she finds herself drawn to him, just as she always had been. Letters from a secret admirer keep her from completely giving into Matthew again, and soon her heart is torn between a familiar love and a mysterious one.

COMING HOME by Jennifer Moore
After the sudden death of her father, Clara Brightly is sent far from her home in India to live with relatives on the Isle of Wight. The islanders are suspicious of newcomers, and none more so than a local landowner, Grant Mason who, at first meeting, considers Clara to be arrogant and disdainful of the island he loves. When the two are appointed to lead the church choir in an island-wide competition, Clara discovers that she may have a place on the island after all. Grant comes to realize that what he took as haughtiness was merely shyness, and Queen Victoria’s ball at Osborne house seems the perfect place to tell her. But when Clara is offered a chance to return to India, she must decide once and for all what “home” really means.


My Review

I can always count on the stories in these collections to be unique, creative, and very different from each other despite a common theme! I liked getting to know the writing style of a new-to-me author, Anthea Lawson, and her Cinderella retelling. Rebecca Connolly and Jennifer Moore are favorites, and I really felt they shined with bringing the emotions of the characters to life and making me hope for a happily ever after. Each story felt fully formed and took me through the obstacles the couples had to overcome in order to find their true love.

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

Books in the Timeless Victorian Collections:
SUMMER HOLIDAY
A GRAND TOUR
THE ORIENT EXPRESS
THE QUEEN'S BALL

Books in the Timeless Regency Collections:
AUTUMN MASQUERADE
A MIDWINTER BALL
SPRING IN HYDE PARK
SUMMER HOUSE PARTY
A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
A SEASON IN LONDON
FALLING FOR A DUKE
A NIGHT IN GROSVENOR SQUARE
ROAD TO GRETNA GREEN
WEDDING WAGERS

Double Review: Starstruck and Jilted by Carla Laureano


Heidi Reads... Starstruck by Carla Laureano

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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

Synopsis

Novelist Christine Lind has achieved her lifelong dream—a string of best-selling books and a cable-TV adaptation about to go into production. But on her way to London FanFest for the cast reveal, disaster strikes: their leading man is injured in a motorcycle accident… and his replacement is the one person she hoped she’d never seen again.

Nick Cleary has clawed his way to recognition as a Hollywood actor, but it’s long past time he get the chance to show he’s more than a pretty face and a chiseled set of abs. His big break comes in the form of a juicy lead role in a new steampunk fantasy series. There’s just one catch—casting has to be approved by the author… a woman he once devastated through his own youthful stupidity.

Christine is the last person to be starstruck by the handsome heartthrob, but as the clock ticks down to the cast announcement and Nick races to show that he’s really changed, she begins to wonder if there’s more to her ex than his Hollywood persona. Except now the consequences of being wrong no longer apply only to her career… but also to her carefully guarded heart.

My Review

I liked how Christine created an alter ego for her appearances before her fans, and that Nick was able to see past that to the real person inside. They definitely have a rocky past, and I appreciated that they both were able to eventually come to terms with their mistakes and own contributions to what went wrong. They are both more mature now and this is a great second-chance romance that explores  forgiveness and moving forward... after a little revenge, all in good humor ;)

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



My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Exclusive e-book, free to Carla's newsletter subscribers!
More details on author's web site.

http://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Three days. Two jaded hearts. One unexpected love.

Bethany Hall is hiding out on a remote private island off the coast of Belize, creating romantic meals for the rich and the privileged. But when her client Derek Moretti’s bride jilts him at the altar, he’s left with a bitter view on love, a $30,000 a week bungalow, and for the first time in his life, nowhere else to be.

After Derek overhears his beautiful personal chef talking about how he dodged a bullet when his bridezilla left him, he begins to think that maybe she’s right. He convinces Bethany to act as his personal tour guide for the remainder of his trip, but neither expect that their purely platonic arrangement could shake their preconceptions about love.

Could Derek have been in the right place at the right time…just with the wrong woman?


My Review

This is a fun story complete with a narrow escape, beautiful travel excursions, and amazing food. I thought it was interesting how Bethany has created her own little world on the island, and yet has connections that allow her to give Derek glimpses into the tropical paradise. There's some attraction, some angst, and some great romantic chemistry as Derek and Bethany figure out what they really want in their lives and their relationship.

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