Take Your Pick Book Tour: Mountains or Sea with Lin Stepp

Welcome to the Blog & Review Tour, plus Giveaway, for two books by Lin Stepp - The Interlude and Claire at Edisto, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

With Spring Break upon us, author Lin Stepp wants to know: Where do you love to go on vacation - the mountains or the sea? Don't worry - she's got a book for you, no matter what you decide! Both books release on April 2, 2019, so pack your virtual bags and head to the destination of your choice. And the beauty of travel-by-novel is... you can easily visit both!

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Title: The Interlude
Series: Smoky Mountains #12
Author: Lin Stepp
Publisher: Mountain Hill Press
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2019

In this gentle, inspirational romance, Lin Stepp reveals the healing touch and deep peace the beauty of the Smoky Mountains can bring to a hurt and troubled heart.

Too much work, too much pressure, and too much heartache can lead even a strong young woman like Mallory Wingate to the edge of a nervous breakdown. Now her doctor and employer have insisted she take a space to heal and rest—so like it or not, she’s heading to her grandparents’ resort in the Smoky Mountains. Hoping to sleep and rest on the flight home, Mallory is entertained instead by an unexpectedly charismatic stranger, making her forget many of her problems and even making her feel deliciously female again.

Lucas James, flying home from a pro golfing event, hadn’t expected to enjoy an interlude of flirting with a pretty stranger on the plane. A stranger he never expected to see again but who turns out to be the granddaughter of his boss at The Millhouse Resort. Worse, he quickly learns she’s passed through a recent history of emotional problems that remind him all too painfully of his past wife. The last thing Lucas wants is to get involved with anyone like Cecily again. Surely it won’t be too hard to keep his distance while Mallory is at the resort.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Title: Claire at Edisto
Series: Edisto Trilogy #1
Author: Lin Stepp
Publisher: Mountain Hill Press
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2019

Set against the alluring backdrop of coastal South Carolina, CLAIRE AT EDISTO takes the reader on a sweet and gentle journey showing that love and new beginnings can often bloom from the deepest sorrows.

Standing in grief and shock at the grave of her young husband, Claire Avery wonders what she and her young daughters will do now. They live in the church parsonage they need to vacate. She hasn’t worked since her marriage twelve years ago. Old issues and complications hinder relationships with her family. Struggling for answers, Claire accepts her brother-in-law’s offer to stay at his beach house at Edisto to give her a season to heal and think. But even the peace and beauty of the coastal island bring new problems along with unexpected joys as Claire seeks to find her way.

Parker Avery always promised his brother Charles he would look after Claire if anything happened to him. Charles stood by him three years ago when his wife Ann died and Parker is determined now to be a help to Claire and the girls. As time passes, instead of feeling like a hero, he feels like a heel instead as he realizes he’s developing feelings for his own brother’s widow. To make things worse, he watches with pain and jealousy as Miles Lawrence waltzes into Claire’s life. What can he expect though? It hardly seems right that Claire, even after a season of mourning, would ever fall in love with her own brother-in-law.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lin Stepp is a native Tennessean, businesswoman and educator. A New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon best-selling international author, Lin now has sixteen published books, including her twelve beloved Smoky Mountain novels set in different locations of the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains, as well as a Smoky Mountain novella in one of Kensington’s Christmas anthologies. In addition, Lin’s first novel in a new Edisto Trilogy recently released, set on the South Carolina coast. Lin and her husband also write regional guidebooks, including a Smoky Mountain hiking guide and a Tennessee state parks book.  Stepp’s latest 2019 releases are The Interlude, set in the Greenbrier and Pittman Center of the Great Smoky Mountains and Claire at Edisto set at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Lin enjoys keeping up with her readers on Facebook, Twitter, and through her monthly blog on her website at: www.linstepp.com 

CONNECT WITH LIN: website | Facebook | Twitter

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will win:

• your choice of The Interlude OR Claire at Edisto (print, US only)
• $10 Amazon gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight March 24, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm March 31, 2019. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Which do you like best - the mountains or the sea?

Review: Timeless Western Collection: Big Sky by Kimberly Krey, Annette Lyon, Cindy Roland Anderson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

THE COWBOY’S CATCH by Kimberly Krey
When Jason Keller bids on a date with Marlee at the town’s annual fundraising event, she’s quick to turn him down. First of all, an evening with Marlee was never on the table; just dates with each of her younger sisters. Beyond that, Jason Keller—a man with Hollywood ties—is the last cowboy in town she’d go on a date with. Being abandoned because of her own mother’s Hollywood pursuits taught her well. But when the Keller Cowboy offers a hefty sum for the charities in question, in front of half the town no less, Marlee’s compelled to accept. It’s just one date after all, and it’s not like she’d ever fall for a man like him. Or so she thinks.

SELLING HER RANCH, STEALING HIS HEART by Annette Lyon
Teresa adores her job as manager of the J-Bar-D Ranch, which boards horses and offers riding lessons. The owner, Dorothy, has become like a grandmother to Teresa. But when Dorothy passes away unexpectedly, the ranch is put up for sale by none other than Dorothy’s only grandson, Derek. Even with the obvious chemistry between them, Teresa refuses to consider dating the guy who’s going to turn her beloved ranch into a strip mall. Derek wishes more than anything that he didn’t have to sell, but Grandma Dorothy ran the ranch into deep debt, and Derek’s own mother has ongoing medical bills. Without selling the ranch, he can’t pay off the debts or take care of his mother. If only he’d met Teresa had met at in a different time and place, they might have a future.

THE COWBOY’S SECOND GO by Cindy Roland Anderson
When recently divorced Callie Stewart, an aspiring country music artist, confronts the dishonest talent agent who stole her new song, he turns the tables on her, and her world spins out of control. Without proof she composed the hit song, Callie is forced to take her twin boys with her, move out of Nashville and live with her aunt in Montana. Having her dreams shattered leaves her trying to figure out how she will support her little family. Reconnecting with Ty Carter, her long-ago crush from high school and the guy who broke her heart, has her questioning her resolve to leave romance out of her new life. Ty isn’t just a good-looking cowboy, he’s sweet to her boys and makes Callie feel beautiful and alive. As her feelings for Ty grow stronger, the music reawakens inside her, inspiring her creativity and the desire to sing. Giving love a second chance might be the key to a forever love, and the start of a new music career…but can it be both?

My Review

I really enjoy cowboy stories, both historical and contemporary, I think because of the Louis L'Amour books I read as a teen from my dad's collection. All three of these stories embody what's special about the cowboy ideal- tough yet vulnerable, hard working and hard playing.

In The Cowboy's Catch, I liked seeing Marlee try to keep Jason at arm's length, only to discover that her prejudices about him weren't accurate. They had great chemistry, but the author's choice of verbs in a few instances threw me- she used "crooned" and "purred" and "mumbled" to describe the ways Jason spoke to Marlee, supposedly romantically... and it came off very odd to me. I would use "crooned" to describe the way someone sings, "purred" for a sound someone makes while getting a massage, and "mumbled" for something you say under your breath that you don't want the other person to necessarily hear. "Murmured" might have been a better choice in that last case. Other than my verb issues, it was a fun story ;)

The next story by Annette Lyon also has the female lead making unfair assumptions about the male lead. Teresa feels so strongly about the ranch she works at that she doesn't do a good job of listening to Derek, opting to storm off instead of face the situation. It was nice to see Derek prove her wrong as his time reconnecting with the ranch helps him get in touch with his love for the countryside.

My favorite of the three was The Cowboy's Second Go, seeing the journey Callie goes through as she returns to her hometown, faces her unrequited love and finally overcomes the awkward moment of young heartbreak she never forgave Ty for. He is such a sweetheart (now) and I enjoyed the wonderful scenes as he endears himself to her again and her two young boys.

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

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Beauty in Flight by Robin Patchen

Welcome to the Blog Blitz & Giveaway for the Beauty In Flight series by Robin Patchen, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Her beauty once opened doors, but the felony conviction now slams them shut. 
 
Harper Cloud used to love the gilded glamour of Las Vegas, but on the far side of prison, she sees the cracks in the veneer. These days, she keeps her head down and focuses on the elderly patients in her care. Even her new wealthy east-coast boyfriend, Derrick, can't entice her away. She's trusted men before, and look where that got her.

She tries to brush off the feeling that she's being watched. She won't allow a baseless paranoia to derail her life. But when she's followed home one night, her pursuer gets within a hair's breadth of grabbing her. She knows it's time to get away from Las Vegas.

Maybe Derrick can be trusted. Maybe his job offer—to care for his aging grandfather in Maryland—will be the second chance she needs.

But Derrick has secrets of his own, secrets that could take him down--and take Harper with him.
 
Can there be a second chance for someone like her?
 

PURCHASE: Amazon | Kindle | Goodreads | B&N

EXCERPT

What about Derrick? He’d sworn he didn’t have expectations for their relationship, but she’d never met a man who didn’t give without expecting something in return. What would he expect from her?

Right now, he acted as if she were his lifeline. He called her every night before bed and again on his way to work every morning. Flew to Vegas to visit her every chance he got.

“You’re my anchor,” he’d told her. “My salvation.”

The words worried her. She could barely take care of herself. How could she be another person’s salvation?

And what did he need to be saved from?

  

 

BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

Goodreads | Amazon

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aside from her family and her Savior, Robin Patchen has two loves—writing and traveling. If she could combine them, she’d spend a lot of time sitting in front of her laptop at sidewalk cafes and ski lodges and beachside burger joints. She’d visit every place in the entire world—twice, if possible—and craft stories and tell people about her Savior. Alas, time is too short and money is too scarce for Patchen to traipse all over the globe, even if her husband and kids wanted to go with her. So she stays in Oklahoma, shares the Good News when she can, and writes to illustrate the unending grace of God through the power and magic of story.

 CONNECT WITH ROBIN: website | Facebook | Twitter
 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will win

• a set of all 3 books in the Beauty series (print for US winner; ebook for Int. winner)
• $25 Amazon gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight March 11, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm March 24, 2019. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Review: Love Far from Home: Romance Box Set of Novellas by Annette Lyon

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

* FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers! *

Synopsis

Journey to to California, Yellowstone, and Las Vegas on three romantic trips in this boxed set of novellas by USA Today bestselling author Annette Lyon:

THE PIER CHANGES EVERYTHING
Alexandria has one last task to perform for her late husband, who died much too young: scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. She goes to the Santa Monica Pier to do just that, but her plans get sidetracked after meeting Michael and feeling an immediate connection to him. They grab lunch, and the more time they spend together, the more they discover that they have in common—including past romantic hardships. As the day wears on, Alexandria begins learn that her heart just might be able to find love again.
(originally published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: California Dreamin' Collection)
 
OUR SONG
Cassie and Matt have been dating in the Yellowstone area for two years, and things are, well, average. When Cassie meets up with two college friends who are visiting, their love lives like sound like fairy tales: rose petals, chocolates, candles on the beach… Cassie goes home feeling like she’s missing out. After all, repeatedly watching Old Faithful erupt and walking through sulfur-smelling gases at Fountain Paint Pot don’t exactly say “romance.” Maybe things with Matt aren’t going anywhere, and it’s time to move on. Then she discovers that perception and reality are completely different things. Now she can only hope it isn’t too late to show Matt how much she really cares.
(originally published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Annette Lyon Collection)
 
HEAD OVER HEELS
Tristan is proud to be an entrepreneur, running a popular singles’ lifestyle blog. So when she gets an offer to cover a singles convention in Las Vegas, she needs to find a way to get there from another freelance job in Salt Lake without breaking into her personal savings. Her friend sets her up with a co-worker who happens to be driving that way, and Tristan is more than surprised to come face-to-face with a man she has a lot in common with, not to mention seems to click with right away. The two decide to play a prank on Tristan’s friend, and pretend that they are smitten with each other, but soon, the lines between pretend and reality start to fade. 
(originally published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Road Trip Collection)

My Review

This is a fabulous collection of three of my favorite novellas by Annette Lyon! It was a pleasure to read all of them again and I loved visiting the various settings with the characters.

The Pier Changes Everything is a lovely blend of fading grief and budding hope as childhood summer sweethearts serendipitously reconnect after several years apart. I loved how they were each at a turning point in their lives, attempting to leave heartache behind them and move on. It was sweet how they felt that instant connection and sense of rightness, being together again. I think this would make a great longer story as well, I would have liked to learn more about their experiences together at camp and how it shaped their lives leading up to present day, as well as more of the secondary characters like Michael's friend Nate. I feel like it's a well-written novella because I quickly got a good sense of their personalities, circumstances, and felt the depth of their emotions during their interactions. It wrapped up with a feeling of excitement for what the future holds for this wonderful couple.

Our Song is a great example of perception versus reality, and I appreciated the message of the true characteristics of love and what contributes to a successful and lasting relationship. The status quo between Cassie and Matt gets shaken up, but it wakes them both up to digging deep and getting out of their comfort zones to realize what they really want. It was fun to see what Matt cooked up to catch Cassie's attention! I'm a big fan of camping and the national parks, so I loved the setting and Cassie and Matt's jobs.

Head Over Heels is an entertaining story! The way Tristan's friend Alyssa connects her with the hot guy she met briefly at ComicCon is great, and even though Mac seems charming and cool, we soon see the more approachable and goofy side of him that is endearing. They have awesome chemistry and it's fun to see the beginnings of a relationship with two people that match together so well. They are the kind of people I like to be friends with :) This is one of my top 10 novellas that I love to re-read!

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