Thursday, December 30, 2021

Havenlight Art Review & Discount Code



Welcome to my feature for Havenlight, a family of art companies "with the sole purpose of providing you access to the finest inspirational artists, experiences, and fine art products."

I love the quality and selection found on their website. I have ordered pictures of the temple through them before, and am thrilled to share with you two artists who depict Christ through their artwork. I chose to have "Look to God and Live" by Dan Wilson stretched on a canvas to display in my front living room. It's on a stand right now until I can find just the right frame for it. 

Most artwork on Havenlight's website can be ordered in a variety of sizes, prints or canvas, framed or unframed. The flexible options make it easy to find artwork to represent your voice and bring a special spirit to your home.

Use my special discount code COLORVIBRANT for 20% off your purchase! 

 


ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Dan Wilson 
“I want to paint images that speak to and uplift the viewer, pieces that remind them of the beauties of life, the reasons for living and loving existence. Vibrant colors and brush strokes working together with the disciplines of art to create beauty and emotion you can’t achieve in any other way.” -- Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson is an award-winning fine artist from Lehi, Utah. As a young boy Dan dove deep into art, always known as “that kid that doodles on everything”. After serving an LDS mission those artistic passions grew as he painted full time for his Major at UVU. After graduation he was taken under the wing of his mentor William Whitaker, who pushed him hard to improve his skills.

Dan Wilson paints and teaches out of his home art studio where he is supported by his beautiful wife and six children. 


Jenedy Paige
I am a realist in every sense of the word. I paint things as they exist, in the representational tradition, but also in the concepts behind my work. I am a truth teller. I love the classical approach to painting and its ability to so easily invite the viewer in. However, I also know the value abstraction, and the power it has to express things that realism cannot, and so I try to include both in my paintings. There is nothing I love more than a delicate and detailed figure on an expressive background.

My paintings begin in a journal. I record my frustrations, sorrows, joys, ambitions, hopes and then I transform those words into images. I guess you could say I very literally draw from life experience. I try to be as honest as I can in the telling, I don’t mince words. I then release the story to the canvas, and as I paint I am enabled to process the experience in a new way and to learn from it. I’m not fast, I take my time with the painting, and the lesson in it. Layer by layer I work, carefully revealing the wisdom inside.

When it comes to creating images I believe that simplicity is key. The more concise you can say something, the more powerful it is. So although my writing is usually lengthy, I look for symbols I can use, and try to condense my thoughts into a concise visual statement. I strive to find a shortcut right to the heart of the viewer, something that will strike them at first glance.

When I have taken the painting as far as I can, I return to writing. And just when I think I have dissected a particular idea, when I have learned all I could, writing usually takes it one step further. Words then become the final layer to the piece. The work and the text are then offered up together to others. I then find my experiences are not all that original, as the work strikes a familiar cord in the viewer. People often place themselves inside my work, and add their story to mine, and thus my heart and the heart of my audience connect over the canvas. 

 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Clean Romance for Christmas Grand Finale! #CleanRomanceforXmas21 #Giveaway

On tour with Prism Book Tours
 
We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops, you can
see snippets and the link to each full post, as well as the giveaway below . . .
 
December 7th: Launch

December 8th: Nancy Campbell Allen - The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target 

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
Et voila! A new Victorian series was born, featuring three cousins who live in London and are determined to become modern Women of Independent Means. My books almost always feature a healthy dose of mystery along with the romance, and I believe people who have enjoyed my work in the past will not be disappointed here!
 
 December 9th: Rachael Anderson - Five Kisses


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bookbub
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
The dark-haired man pushed away from the bookcase and pointed to the shelf above her head. “I’m guessing you used the stack of bibles as a stool to reach this shelf here.” He patted the place where Frankenstein once stood. “Is there a book I can get for you so you can climb down from your perch? People are beginning to stare, and I doubt the proprietress would appreciate seeing any book, especially a bible, being used as a stool.” 
 
December 10th: Sarah M. Eden - The Merchant and the Rogue


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target 

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
I set this story, a mystery filled with creepy scenery and disconcerting characters, in the real-life Museum of Natural History in Dublin, Ireland. This museum was opened in 1856 in a stately Dublin building, and very little about it has changed since. It is often described as “a museum of a museum.” Walking through this piece of Dublin history is like stepping back in time. And it is one of the most wonderfully creepy places I have ever had the joy of visiting.
 
December 11th: Arlem Hawks - Georgana's Secret


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bookbub
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target 

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
She wiped the moisture from her eyes and watched the bright moon above them. He
ignored the moon and the way it tripped across the waves. Tonight he forgot the ocean. He
watched her.
 
His heart pounded between his ribs, and he nearly let it push him forward to kiss that
contented smile. How would it feel to have Georgana Woodall’s soft lips caressing his own? To
be wanted by someone like her would be a wondrous thing.

December 12th: Jess Heileman - The Nabob's Daughter


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
My palms were clammy within my gloves, and I mindlessly rubbed them against my middle. Did I truly have the tenacity to enact such a preposterous scheme? It wasn’t too late to simply comply with Papa’s demands and marry Lord Denhurst’s son. I wavered between two seemingly detestable options. Then an image of India filled my mind’s eye. If I abandoned my plan now, I would likely never see my home again. Once Papa was in England, he would see me married, just as he said he would. That would not do. No, I needed to convince Lord Denhurst to revoke his offer, thus adhering to Papa’s admonition that I would not make him break his word, and to be on my way home before Papa arrived.  

December 13th: Krista Jensen - Miracle Creek Christmas


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
Miracle Creek Christmas was originally titled, "Hold on Forever" after the song by Rob Thomas, who I adore. The song so perfectly expresses the way Riley and Mark come to feel about each other--"Lay down all your troubles end to end, they could reach up to the stars. So many roads, you don't know where you've been, but you still know who you are . . . Just fall apart if you need to. I'm here and I won't leave you now. Don't look down. Hold on forever..." Such a great song for these two.  

December 14th: Jen Geigle Johnson - A Christmas Kiss


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
Evaline carefully wrapped a black band around her arm. “Remy, could you help me tie it tight enough that it will stay?”
“Certainly, my lady.” Her loyal lady’s maid cinched it and applied a pin at the back for good measure.
“Excellent. Mother deserves longer than the small three hundred and sixty five days of mourning no matter what Father or Aunt say.”
 
December 15th: Josi S. Kilpack - Love and Lavender


Follow the Author: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
Josi's Top 10 Christmas list, in very particular order:

10. The Christmas Season
9. Singing Christmas songs at church
8. Wrapping presents
7. October 15th, when I buy all the presents online . . .
 
December 16th: Carla Laureano - Discovered by Love series


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
Romance novellas are short and sweet, and they focus exclusively on the falling-in-love butterflies between the main couple, without much distraction from outside plot or secondary characters. Setting adds a necessary texture and interest to an otherwise straightforward story, and it can either act as a main feature in the couple’s burgeoning romance or as a source of conflict that threaten their happiness. So with that kind of importance in the story, why not make it a great one? 
 
December 17th: Sarah L. McConkie - Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub | LinkTree

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
This book is a retelling of A Christmas Carol. Most of the character's names are some kind of spin-off of the original, or found somewhere in the book. It was fun figuring out a way to make past, present, and future work through letters and not ghosts!
 
December 18th: Carol Ross - His Hometown Yuletide Vow


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | BookBub

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
“I didn’t even know you were participating in the auction until I saw the program tonight. Before I could find you myself, a friend introduced me to Todd, and Todd asked if I’d be willing to meet you...” Derrick’s mouth pulled up on one side like he was trying not to smile. He was all boyish innocence and every bit as appealing as Anne remembered as he added, “He, uh, he actually asked me if I’d flirt with you a little.”

Anne choked out a surprised laugh. “Thank you for sparing us both that awkwardness.”

Grinning, he assured her, “It wouldn’t be awkward for me.”
 
December 19th: Nichole Van - Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub | Pinterest

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
“Dinnae mock a fine kilt, Peter. The kilt swish is no’ tae be underestimated.”
“The kilt swish?” Lady Jane’s tone dripped with scorn.
“It’s a well-known fact that the lasses appreciate watching a man’s passion pleats swish as he walks.”
“Particularly from the backside,” Kieran helpfully clarified.
 
December 20th: Anneka R. Walker - Brides and Brothers


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub | Pinterest

Snippet from the Excerpt (find the full post here):
 
It didn’t bode well if thoughts of dating again had distracted him to the point of nearly burning down his house. While he loved living in a bachelor pad with his brothers, a guy could only live off frozen food for so many years before he cracked. If getting married could change this, dating might be worth it. With a sigh of disgust, he rinsed the charred hot pad under water. He let it drip dry before he opened the drawer next to the oven and threw it in. 
 
December 21st: Camron Wright - Christmas by Accident


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bookbub
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
In the story I pay subtle homage to many Christmas classics, perhaps borrowing a line of dialogue from one or including an obscure quotation from another. While some references are obvious, others are subtle. A fun game as you read is to see how many you can find.
 
December 22nd: Julie Wright - A Captain for Caroline Gray


Follow the Author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub | Amazon
Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target 

Snippet from the Guest Post (find the full post here):
 
Women really did cross oceans to finds husbands. They were called the Fishing Fleet women. The Fishing Fleet began at the end of the seventeenth century when the East India Company began shipping women from England to India to marry their officers. The title of “Fishing Fleet women” is used as an insult as it was used to refer to women who had to go out “fishing” for husbands.

Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $75 (USD) Amazon E-Gift Card

Open internationally
Ends December 29, 2021


Grab Our Button!






Wednesday, December 22, 2021

A Captain for Caroline Gray by Julie Wright #CleanRomanceforXmas21 #Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

A Captain for Caroline Gray
By Julie Wright
Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 291 Pages
March 2, 2021 by Shadow Mountain

Caroline Gray would rather be daring and intelligent than demure and insipid, which is why she is still unmatched after her third season in London. Her family’s threadbare finances leave Caroline with only one choice to secure her future: sail with the Fishing Fleet to India, where the son of a family friend is willing to consider an engagement to her.

Captain Thomas Scott loves the open sea as much as he despises the three-month, twice-yearly trip his ship makes as he ferries young English girls across the ocean. He can’t imagine what family would allow an innocent young woman to be matched up with the Englishmen of questionable reputation who work and live in India.

But when Miss Gray boards the HMS Persistence, all of Captain Scott’s plans are upended. Miss Gray’s fiery spirit can’t be contained, and he is shocked and secretly delighted at her boldness—and her beauty. But the rest of his passengers aren’t so kind.

Caroline finds herself an outcast among her peers, but Captain Scott becomes an unlikely ally. They share the same passions and interests, creating an undeniable attraction. But they both know any relationship between them is impossible. After all, Caroline has obligations to fulfill in India.

Caroline has until the end of the voyage to decide if she is going to marry a man she has never met or be brave enough to love a sea captain who just might break her heart.

(Affiliate links included.)

Guest Post
7 Random Facts on Research, Characters, Plot and Author: A Captain for Caroline Gray


1. Women really did cross oceans to finds husbands. They were called the Fishing Fleet women. The Fishing Fleet began at the end of the seventeenth century when the East India Company began shipping women from England to India to marry their officers. The title of “Fishing Fleet women” is used as an insult as it was used to refer to women who had to go out “fishing” for husbands. By the time of this fictional setting of 1820, the East India Company had removed itself from the business of finding husbands for their officers, but women still made the journey when their prospects at home were slim. There is a lot to admire about a woman with the courage to leave home and country to find her future in a distant land.

2. Working on this book required a lot of nautical know-how. My naval-captain-father, Walter Peterson (who plays the character of Lieutenant Peterson), was only too happy to impart his knowledge on a grateful daughter. Anything that might be wrong in regards to the ship is not the fault of the captain, but of the author.

3. There is a hidden Nathan and a hidden Alison in every book I write. Sometimes they get big characters to play and sometimes they only get a single mention. It’s always fun to hide the Nathan and Alison and to get feedback from readers when they find them.

4. A Captain for Caroline Gray is the first regency novel I’ve ever written, but I have been an avid fan of the genre for many years. I loved being able to move into the time and language in a setting that is not often used in the regency genre!

5. Living on a ship makes for tight quarters, but they sure do utilize every inch of space they are given! They even have a carpentry shop and a doctor’s cabin for when repairs of ship and crew were necessary.

6. Caroline’s ability with art allows her to get into spaces a lady would not normally be allowed which gave her opportunities to become friends with members of the crew and allows the reader little glimpses into those lives that are sometimes not thought about in the regency time.

7. Captain Scott might seem gruff and unrelenting when it comes to a person’s word by modern day standards, but this is at a time when one’s word was their honor and one could be challenged to a life-threatening duel over something as “trifling” as a man’s word. Not saying that deceptions didn’t occur, because of course they did. These are people we’re talking about here, but there is something admirable about a person who values the honor of their word.

About the Author


Julie Wright has written 25 novels, is a two-time Whitney Award winner for best romance, and is a Crown Heart recipient. The American Library Association listed “Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me” in their 2020 top ten best romances and A Captain for Caroline Gray in their 2021 top ten best romances. She loves writing, reading, traveling, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.


Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 7th: Launch
December 8th: Nancy Campbell Allen - The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart
December 9th: Rachael Anderson - Five Kisses
December 10th: Sarah M. Eden - The Merchant and the Rogue
December 11th: Arlem Hawks - Georgana's Secret
December 12th: Jess Heileman - The Nabob's Daughter 
December 13th: Krista Jensen - Miracle Creek Christmas
December 14th: Jen Geigle Johnson - A Christmas Kiss
December 15th: Josi S. Kilpack - Love and Lavender
December 16th: Carla Laureano - Discovered by Love series
December 17th: Sarah L. McConkie - Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
December 18th: Carol Ross - His Hometown Yuletide Vow
December 19th: Nichole Van - Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series
December 20th: Anneka R. Walker - Brides and Brothers
December 21st: Camron Wright - Christmas by Accident
December 22nd: Julie Wright - A Captain for Caroline Gray
December 23rd: Grand Finale
 
Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $75 (USD) Amazon E-Gift Card

Open internationally
Ends December 29, 2021


Grab Our Button!







Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Christmas by Accident by Camron Wright #CleanRomanceforXmas21 #Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Christmas by Accident
By Camron Wright
Holiday Fiction
Paperback, E-book & Audiobook, 240 Pages
September 26, 2018 by Shadow Mountain

Carter is an insurance adjuster whose longing for creative expression spills over sometimes into his accident reports. 
 
Abby works for her adoptive father, Uncle Mannie, in the family bookstore, the ReadMore Cafe. 
 
Carter can barely tolerate Christmas; Abby loves it. She can’t wait past October to build her favorite display, the annual Christmas book tree stack, which Carter despises. 
 
When an automobile accident throws Carter and Abby together, Uncle Mannie, who is harboring secrets of his own, sees a chance for lasting happiness for his little girl. But there are so many hurdles, and not much time left. Will this Christmas deliver the miracles everyone is hoping for?

(Affiliate links included.)

Guest Post
Amazing Top Ten Facts from Christmas by Accident

1. If you’ve read any of my previous books—specifically The Rent Collector or The Orphan Keeper, both serious works—and are expecting the same tone in Christmas by Accident, you will be disappointed. Christmas by Accident is a tongue-in-cheek tale that makes light-hearted fun of the many sentimental Christmas stories published every year. In essence, I make fun of sappy Christmas stories by telling a slightly sappy Christmas story.

2. The original working title was The Christmas Carol Angel Box Wish, because all the best nouns are taken. The publisher deemed it too long and changed the name to Christmas by Accident—which makes it sound like a bad Hallmark movie, but I think that’s the point. Know that it’s a fun Christmas read and yes, like all Hallmark movies, there is romance in the story. :)

3. My path to becoming a published author is closely reflected in the main character, Carter Cross. With no experience, but a thought stuck in my head that wouldn’t go away, I decided I could write a book. I’m saying that if someone wants to understand what I’m like as a person, the thoughts that roll through my head, my writing journey, read Christmas by Accident.

4. In the story I pay subtle homage to many Christmas classics, perhaps borrowing a line of dialogue from one or including an obscure quotation from another. While some references are obvious, others are subtle. A fun game as you read is to see how many you can find.

5. I have funny children (funny ha-ha, not funny peculiar), who married witty spouses. When I needed a clever line, I often turned to family. I’d send off a group email spelling out the scene and then let them each take their best shot to fill in what was needed—and I was never disappointed.

6. As a marketer at heart, I enrolled the help of my two-year-old granddaughter to make an egglessnog video (explained below), because who doesn’t love watching a chatty two-year old cook in the kitchen? Check out this link. It’s worth watching. 
 


7. Now to egglessnog. As a kid I loved eggnog, until I realized it’s made with raw eggs—Ew, gross!—and I haven’t been able to drink it since. That changed when I discovered egglessnog (eggnog made without eggs). I spent days perfecting the recipe (which I included at the back of the book, since it plays a part in the story) and you won’t want to miss it. It’s even more delicious than real eggnog!

8. André the chef is based on a real person I met serendipitously in Denmark. He creates some of the most amazing desserts on the planet—seriously.

9. The self-written obituary at the end of the story is heartfelt and close to what I’d like to have as my own.

10. There are no accidents—especially at Christmas.

About the Author


Camron Wright was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has a master’s degree in Writing and Public Relations from Westminster College.

He has owned several successful retail stores in addition to working with his wife in the fashion industry, designing for the McCall Pattern Company in New York.

Camron began writing to get out of attending MBA school at the time, and it proved the better decision. His first book, Letters for Emily, was a Readers Choice Award winner, as well as a selection of the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. Letters for Emily has been published in North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Korea, the Netherlands, and China.

His next book, The Rent Collector, won Best Novel of the Year from the Whitney Awards and was a nominee for the prestigious International DUBLIN Literary Award. The Orphan Keeper won Book of the Year, Gold accolades in Multicultural Fiction from Foreword Reviews, and was winner of Best General Fiction from the Whitney Awards.

His latest book, In Times of Rain and War (and the one he calls his most ambitious), released in April, 2021.

Camron lives with his wife, Alicyn, just south of Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. He is the proud father of four children, all girls but three.
 

Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 7th: Launch
December 8th: Nancy Campbell Allen - The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart
December 9th: Rachael Anderson - Five Kisses
December 10th: Sarah M. Eden - The Merchant and the Rogue
December 11th: Arlem Hawks - Georgana's Secret
December 12th: Jess Heileman - The Nabob's Daughter 
December 13th: Krista Jensen - Miracle Creek Christmas
December 14th: Jen Geigle Johnson - A Christmas Kiss
December 15th: Josi S. Kilpack - Love and Lavender
December 16th: Carla Laureano - Discovered by Love series
December 17th: Sarah L. McConkie - Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
December 18th: Carol Ross - His Hometown Yuletide Vow
December 19th: Nichole Van - Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series
December 20th: Anneka R. Walker - Brides and Brothers
December 21st: Camron Wright - Christmas by Accident
December 22nd: Julie Wright - A Captain for Caroline Gray
December 23rd: Grand Finale
 
Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $75 (USD) Amazon E-Gift Card

Open internationally
Ends December 29, 2021

ENTER HERE

Grab Our Button!







Monday, December 20, 2021

Brides & Brothers by Anneka R. Walker #CleanRomanceforXmas21 #Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Brides & Brothers
By Anneka R. Walker
Contemporary Romance
Paperback, E-book & Audiobook, 270 Pages
September 1, 2021 by Covenant Communications

A modern retelling of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Camille Kelly is in real danger of becoming an old maid—at least by Cherish, Montana, standards. She has all but given up on finding Mr. Right—until her broken laptop leads her to Aiden Peterson, a tall, dark, and handsome computer genius. Camille would never have believed her magic moment was right around the corner, but after two whirlwind weeks, she has a ring on her finger and has happily ever after in sight. However, she soon discovers Aiden is part of a daunting package deal . . .

As the eldest of seven brothers, Aiden has never had a problem living under the same roof as his rambunctious siblings. When he falls for Camille, he is confident she’ll fit right into his family’s already bursting home. He thought wrong. Aiden and Camille’s storybook romance comes to a screeching halt when she discovers her new living situation. Not willing to submit to a life mothering a bunch of grown men, Camille has only one option: she embarks on a campaign to improve her new brothers-in-law and marry them off. And what better candidates for wives than her own best friends?

(Affiliate links included.)

Excerpt

No one should underestimate the influence of a woman. If Aiden Peterson had realized this a few years ago, it would’ve saved him a lot of grief in his efforts to parent his six younger brothers. Lost in his thoughts, Aiden leaned against the marble countertop in his kitchen while he waited for his dinner to finish cooking. It had been a week since he’d said goodbye at the airport to his baby brother, Grant, who had deployed to Iraq. Watching Grant hug his girlfriend, the woman who’d turned him into a well-behaved man almost overnight, had reminded Aiden of a promise he’d made ten years ago at his parents’ graveside—one he intended to keep.

The timer went off, and Aiden pulled the pan of fish sticks and fries out of the oven. He grimaced when he accidentally dropped the hot pad onto the heating element. Instantly, a corner of fabric disappeared in a small flame. He grabbed a spatula, scooped the burning hot pad onto the floor, and deftly pounded out the flames.

It didn’t bode well if thoughts of dating again had distracted him to the point of nearly burning down his house. While he loved living in a bachelor pad with his brothers, a guy could only live off frozen food for so many years before he cracked. If getting married could change this, dating might be worth it. With a sigh of disgust, he rinsed the charred hot pad under water. He let it drip dry before he opened the drawer next to the oven and threw it in.

“I saw that.” Benson drawled from the other side of the room. Aiden glanced at his brother just thirteen months younger than him, sitting in the family room just off the kitchen. He wished Benson didn’t have an inch on him in height and a broader chest. It had been so much easier to tell his brothers to mind their own business when they were smaller. “When are you going to learn how to cook?” Benson asked him.

“No need when I have you around,” Aiden said. Benson was the only one of the Peterson brothers who knew how to cook, and his meals consisted of potatoes and potatoes.

“What if I get married and leave?”

Aiden’s brow rose. It was ironic how casually Benson had brought up marriage, the topic that kept ringing in his own mind. “You have to learn how to talk to girls before you can get married.”

Benson had a lot going for him, but he was reserved and antisocial. He needed a woman to pull him out of his shell. In fact, all his brothers could benefit from the influence of a woman—a person who could bring light back into their lives, like Amy had done for Grant.

Benson picked at his teeth with a toothpick. “There isn’t a need to talk to girls. They talk enough for everyone.”

Benson’s hang-up with dating was part of the Peterson plague. They’d had to be independent and emotionally guarded for so long, but it didn’t have to be like that anymore. Once Aiden married, the pattern would cycle right down the alphabet. Next would be Benson, then the twins, Cade and Daegan, then Flynn, Easton, and Grant. In fact, Aiden didn’t see why he couldn’t get the older five married before Grant’s deployment ended in a year’s time.

No one else was home, so this was Aiden’s opening to confess his thoughts and gauge Benson’s reaction. “We can work on the talking-to-girls thing. I want you to start dating.” He had Benson’s full attention now. Aiden juggled a hot fish stick back and forth between his hands before setting it back down in the pan with resolve. “Seeing Grant and Amy together got me thinking about Mom and Dad. After the crash, I vowed I’d get us all married and settled down. More than anything, they wanted us to find happiness with our own families. It’s been ten years. It’s time.”

Excerpted from Brides & Brothers by Anneka R. Walker, Copyright © 2021 by
Anneka R. Walker. Published by Covenant Communications.

About the Author


Anneka Walker is an award-winning author raised by a librarian and an English teacher turned judge. After being fed a steady diet of books, she decided to learn about writing. The result was a bachelor's degree in English and history. When she isn't dreaming up a happy ending for a story, she is busy living her own with her husband and adorable children.


Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 7th: Launch
December 8th: Nancy Campbell Allen - The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart
December 9th: Rachael Anderson - Five Kisses
December 10th: Sarah M. Eden - The Merchant and the Rogue
December 11th: Arlem Hawks - Georgana's Secret
December 12th: Jess Heileman - The Nabob's Daughter 
December 13th: Krista Jensen - Miracle Creek Christmas
December 14th: Jen Geigle Johnson - A Christmas Kiss
December 15th: Josi S. Kilpack - Love and Lavender
December 16th: Carla Laureano - Discovered by Love series
December 17th: Sarah L. McConkie - Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
December 18th: Carol Ross - His Hometown Yuletide Vow
December 19th: Nichole Van - Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series
December 20th: Anneka R. Walker - Brides and Brothers
December 21st: Camron Wright - Christmas by Accident
December 22nd: Julie Wright - A Captain for Caroline Gray
December 23rd: Grand Finale
 
Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $75 (USD) Amazon E-Gift Card

Open internationally
Ends December 29, 2021


Grab Our Button!







Sunday, December 19, 2021

Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series by Nichole Van #CleanRomanceforXmas21 #Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series
By Nichole Van
Historical Romance
Paperback, E-book, & Audiobook
Apr 26, 2019 - Sept 8, 2021 by ‎ Fiorenza Publishing
 
From book 1, Suffering the Scot:
 
Lady Jane Everard cannot abide the new Earl of Hadley. The unmannered Scot is a menace to genteel ladies everywhere, what with his booming laugh and swishing kilt and endless supply of ‘ochs’ and ‘ayes.’ Jane wishes Lord Hadley would behave as an earl should and adhere to English rules of polite conduct. 
 
Andrew Langston, the new Earl of Hadley, knows that the English aristocracy think poorly of his lowly Scottish upbringing. This is hardly new. History is littered with the English assuming the worst about Scotland. By living up to their lowest expectations, he is simply fulfilling his civic duty as a Scotsman. 
 
Jane sees Andrew as an unmannered eejit. Andrew considers Jane to be a haughty English lady. But, as the saying goes, . . . opposites attract. 
 
And what if beneath his boisterous behavior and her chilly reserve, Andrew and Jane are not nearly as different as they suppose? Can Scotland and England reach a harmonious union at last?

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Excerpt

From Suffering the Scot, Brotherhood of the Black Tartan, book 1

Andrew spread his hands wide. “It’s a problem for all us Scottish men, tae be honest. Our cross tae bear.”

Lady Jane opened her mouth. Shut it. And then shook her head. “I am sure you are both quite delusional.”

“Nae, the lasses cannae help themselves,” Andrew said.

“Aye. A man strolls by in a kilt, and the lasses go all shoogly in the legs.” Kieran sagged in his chair, mimicking the motion of a lady swooning.

“That is simply ridiculous.” Lady Jane shook her head.

“’Tis the Lord’s own truth, Lady Jane.” Andrew pressed a hand over his heart.

“Aye,” Kieran chimed in. “They dinnae call a kilt the passion pleats for nothing.”

“Passion pleats?!” Peter hooted, slapping his knee.

“Dinnae mock a fine kilt, Peter. The kilt swish is no’ tae be underestimated.”

“The kilt swish?” Lady Jane’s tone dripped with scorn.

“It’s a well-known fact that the lasses appreciate watching a man’s passion pleats swish as he walks.”

“Particularly from the backside,” Kieran helpfully clarified.

“Aye, allow me to show ye.” Andrew stepped away from the table, walked to the door with extra swagger in his step, turned, and strode back to the table. His kilt swinging like a bell back and forth with every step.

He spread his hands wide. See what I mean.

She shook her head. I’m not convinced.

Andrew motioned to Kieran. He stood with a grin.

“Watch carefully,” Andrew said.

Side-by-side, he and Kieran walked to the door, shoulders back, head high. Andrew’s kilt bumped his knees as it swung. He could practically feel the intensity of Lady Jane’s eyes drilling him between the shoulder blades.

Turning around, Andrew held Lady Jane’s gaze as he walked back. She tried to maintain a demur posture, but Andrew knew she had been looking.

Rare was the woman who could resist a braw Scot in a kilt.

Lady Jane pressed her lips together, clearly not wishing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Andrew was having none of it.

He wanted Fiery Jane.

Folding his arms across his chest, he angled forward. “Now, I dinnae want to argue with ye, Lady Jane, but I have noticed ye eyeing the kilt swish a time or two. Not just tonight.”

“I have done no such thing, Lord Hadley.” Lady Jane’s brows drew down, while a hot flush crept up her neck, challenging her denial. “Precisely how much whisky have you imbibed this evening?”

“I willnae allow you tae change the subject, Lady Jane.”

“I am hardly changing the subject.” Lady Jane surged to her feet. “I am merely pointing out that you are wrong, my lord—”

“I’m no’ wrong.”

“—and furthermore, calling a kilt the passion pleats is the most absurd phrase—”

“Accurate. Ye mean the most accurate phrase.”

“I most certainly do not!” Lady Jane hurled the words at him.

As they spoke, Andrew found himself leaning toward her, fists pressed against the tabletop, his entire body angled. For her part, Lady Jane motioned widely, all pretense of decorum forgotten—gray eyes flashing, chest heaving, auburn curls framing her fine-boned face.

Fiery Jane, at last! Utterly freed and snapping with life.

She was magnificent.

It had taken nearly ten days of constant harassment, but Andrew had finally broken through her reserve.

He felt like crowing from the rooftops.

Right after he throttled her.

Excerpted from Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van, Copyright © 2021 by
Nichole Van. Published by Fiorenza Publishing.


A Scot Reads an excerpt from Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van




A Scot Reads an Excerpt from Romancing the Rake by Nichole Van
 


About the Author

 
Nichole Van is a writer, photographer, designer and generally disorganized crazy person. Though originally from Utah, she currently lives on the coast of Scotland with three similarly crazy children and one sane, very patient husband who puts up with all of them. In her free time, she enjoys long walks along the Scottish lochs and braes. She does not, however, enjoy haggis.


Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 7th: Launch
December 8th: Nancy Campbell Allen - The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart
December 9th: Rachael Anderson - Five Kisses
December 10th: Sarah M. Eden - The Merchant and the Rogue
December 11th: Arlem Hawks - Georgana's Secret
December 12th: Jess Heileman - The Nabob's Daughter 
December 13th: Krista Jensen - Miracle Creek Christmas
December 14th: Jen Geigle Johnson - A Christmas Kiss
December 15th: Josi S. Kilpack - Love and Lavender
December 16th: Carla Laureano - Discovered by Love series
December 17th: Sarah L. McConkie - Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
December 18th: Carol Ross - His Hometown Yuletide Vow
December 19th: Nichole Van - Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series
December 20th: Anneka R. Walker - Brides and Brothers
December 21st: Camron Wright - Christmas by Accident
December 22nd: Julie Wright - A Captain for Caroline Gray
December 23rd: Grand Finale
 
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