Thursday, July 6, 2017

Link-up: Free / Bargain Books



Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Leels Loves Books | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | Traci Hayden
Tuesday
Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Jude Ouvrard
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Heidi Reads...
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance |
Colorimetry | J.C. Clarke
Saturday
3 Partners in Shopping | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings 
Sunday

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author
For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author
For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 
For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here


Come back and check out the new selection every week!







Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Family of His Own by Catherine Lanigan


On Tour with Prism Book Tours.



Family of His Own
(Shores of Indian Lake #8)
Catherine Lanigan
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
July 1st 2017 by Harlequin Heartwarming

He's ready to settle down…with or without her

Scott Abbott has always loved Isabelle Hawks. And he's always been her rock. Patient, dependable, strong. But lately, she's been acting like that rock is weighing her down. With her art career taking off, Isabelle has been spending less and less time in Indian Lake…and with him. Scott isn't even sure what they are to each other anymore. They might be friends with a history, but it sure doesn't feel like a future. Maybe it's time for Scott to set her free and focus on his own dreams. A real home. A family. All the things he had hoped to share with her…

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleHarlequin



Excerpt

     Scott leaned toward her, gazing at her with a force of longing and desire she couldn’t remember seeing before. “Isabelle, I came here tonight...” He placed his hand on hers. “To ask you something.”
     A sense of foreboding settled over her. “Scott, I don’t think...”
     “Hear me out. We’ve always been best friends. You’re the first person I think about when I wake up. We spend so much time together. We know each other inside and out. I want us to move forward with our lives.” He squeezed her hand earnestly.
    “We are moving forward,” she said reflexively.
    “I mean together. I’ve thought a lot about where my life is going, and I realize now that writing articles for the local paper is not going to make a difference in this world. I saw that tonight, in that apartment. But I can change the future for these kids. I can take something horrible and make it happy. It’s my hope that you’d do that with me.”
     All Isabelle could do was stare at him. “You just got through saying we were best friends, but you don’t know me at all. You of all people know that I just won the chance of my lifetime. A shot at a gallery show! The one thing I’ve worked for since high school.” Her voice cracked. “It might be selfish, but it’s my chance, Scott. The one I dreamed about while I was raising my siblings.” Her palms were sweating and her heart rammed against her chest like a caged animal. She shot to her feet. “You are not asking me this right now.”
    “Oh, but I am,” he replied quietly.
    “I don’t believe this,” she said, raking her hand through her hair and turning from him.
    “You don’t want to be together?”
    “I don’t want children,” she said in a rush.
   “You never told me that before.”
   “Not in so many words.” How could he have missed this obvious fact about her? She’d often confided how heavily the responsibility for her brothers and sisters had fallen on her. How she valued her independence above all.
   “Why?”
    “I’ve told you, Scott. My whole childhood was cooking, cleaning, doing my siblings’ laundry while they played on the swing set or went to football practice or piano lessons. I was sweeping and changing diapers. I walked Violet in the middle of the night when she had bronchitis, so my mother could sleep and go to work.”
     Isabelle’s voice rose and tears streamed down her cheeks. She could feel resentment in every teardrop. She hated that she felt that way, but she did. “I rarely had time to draw. I desperately wanted to be in the art club in high school. You remember. But most of the time I had to drive one of the other kids to their lessons or the library or whatever when they were supposed to meet. There was never any time for me.” Her cheeks were blazing hot.
     “I knew you resented the responsibilities...”
     “Resented?” She snorted. “All I dreamed about was drawing and painting. No one ever asked me what I wanted. What kind of lessons I wanted.”
     Her tears were coming in torrents and as she dropped her face to her hands, Scott enfolded her in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Isabelle. I didn’t realize how deep this went. There’s so much emotion in your paintings... I should have understood.”
     She sniffed and pulled back. She placed her palms on his chest and felt his thundering heart.
     She was hurting him, but she didn’t know what course to take other than escape. “Don’t you see, Scott? This is my chance to be free. My art has always meant freedom to me. I can explore the entire universe if I make this sale. With the Lodges closed for the winter, I have time to paint what Malcolm wants. I can do this. It will be my grand adventure.”
    “Your new life,” he said huskily.
     “Yes.”
     He smoothed her hair back from her face and traced the edge of her cheek with his thumb. “You go for it, Isabelle. Be the best you can be.”
   “I intend to.”
    Then he kissed her with so much longing and passion, she felt weak.
    He pulled her closer, and she melted into him, catching the faint scent of the spicy cologne he always wore.
   “Isabelle,” he whispered, as he released her. “I have to go.”
    She lowered her head. “I understand. Bye, Scott,” she said, her voice quaking.

Other Books in the Series


About the Author

Catherine Lanigan is the international bestselling and award-winning author of forty published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, as well as over half a dozen anthologies, including “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your Dream”, “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”, and more. Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into dozens of languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese. Ms. Lanigan’s novels are also available in E-books on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, Apple Store, Mobi and Kobo. Several of her titles have been chosen for The Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Her Vietnam war-based novel, The Christmas Star, won the Gold Medal Award Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine and has also won Book of the Year Romance Gold Award from ForeWord Magazine as well as Book of the Year Romance from Reader’s Preference.

Lanigan is the author of a trilogy of non- fiction books regarding angelic intervention in human life: Angel Watch, Divine Nudges and Angel Tales published by HCI and Cedar Fort. Skyhorse published Lanigan’s “how-to” book on writing: Writing the Great American Romance Novel. Lanigan was tasked by the NotMYkid Foundation to write a non-fiction book addressing teen addictions. Ms. Lanigan’s first Young Adult adventure novel, The Adventures of Lillie and Zane: The Golden Flute, was published by Cedar Fort.

Currently, she has published eight novels in the Shores of Indian Lake series for Harlequin Heartwarming: Love ShadowsHeart’s DesireA Fine Year for LoveKatia’s Promise, Fear of Falling, Sophie’s Path and Protecting the Single Mom. Family of His Own pubs July, 2016. She has recently contracted for one more in the series: His Baby Dilemma.

As a cancer survivor, Ms. Lanigan is a frequent speaker at literary functions and book conventions as well as inspiring audiences with her real stories of angelic intervention from her Angel Tales series of books. She is an outspoken advocate for domestic violence and abuse and was honored by The National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington, D.C. (THE EVOLVING WOMAN). She has been a guest on numerous radio programs including “Coast to Coast” and on television interview and talk show programs as well as blogs, podcasts and online radio interview programs.

Tour Giveaway


- 1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
- 1 winner will receive a tote bag and three Shores of Indian Lake books: Katia's Promise, Fear of Falling and Sophie's Path (US only)
- Ends July 11th

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Sunday, July 2, 2017

Review & Giveaway: The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere


Heidi Reads... The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

When a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater which is presenting the most popular show in London. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.

An injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he’s glad he can help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is anxious to escape. But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate can’t wait to leave behind.


My Review

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! I was looking forward to reading a new-to-me author, but wasn't sure how I felt about the Victorian time period and theater setting since I haven't read much in either. I think the characters were so likeable and the conflict mostly came from exterior sources so I was really rooting for them to overcome and persevere. I appreciated the positive and compassionate attitude of Jessie especially, the singer who took Rosalyn under her wing and helped her find employment in the theater backstage. Nate is such a good guy, protective of Rosalyn, even from himself. The details of the stage performances and play from Gilbert and Sullivan were fascinating and added a whimsical charm to the working class of London. Rosalyn definitely had her eyes opened to the seedy underbelly of the city, but manages to still be naive when it comes to the men she works with. I liked Nate's family and Rosalyn's sisters, and the girls of the chorus that Rosalyn assisted. There is a great balance to the dynamics of all the characters, and they were portrayed in a way that I felt like I was able to get to know them quickly. I hope to read more in this series!

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

About the author:

Jennifer Delamere's debut Victorian romance, "An Heiress at Heart," was a 2013 RITA award finalist in the inspirational category. Her follow-up novel, "A Lady Most Lovely," received a starred review from "Publishers Weekly" and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. Jennifer earned a BA in English from McGill University in Montreal, where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She's been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for nearly two decades, and lives in North Carolina with her husband.
Find out more about Jennifer at jenniferdelamere.com.

Giveaway
Enter to win a copy of The Captain’s Daughter. Five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced July 10th on the Litfuse blog!

https://promosimple.com/ps/bc01

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Review & Giveaway: So Pure a Heart by Amber Lynn Perry


Heidi Reads... So Pure a Heart by Amber Lynn Perry

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

Since the night her dear uncle gave his life for hers, Hannah Young is determined to risk everything by spying for the Patriots in order to seek retribution against the British soldier who killed him. But when her former love, Joseph Wythe, insists on ensuring her safety, she must decide if the vengeance she seeks is worth the danger of his nearness. For the love she once felt is liable to grow deeper and more threatening to her heart than it ever was before.

Leaving his young ward to join the fight for liberty is the hardest thing Joseph Wythe has ever done. Nearly. The most difficult happened ten years past, which he tries his best forget. Seeing Hannah Young again after all this time does something frightening and wonderful to his soul. Though her determination to spy for the Patriots is honorable and brave, he will never allow her to take such a risk without him to protect her, no matter how she protests—and no matter how he knows he will ache all the more for the thing he always wanted and still could never have.


My Review

I've loved the Daughters in His Kingdom series, and this book is a perfect addition as the memorable characters become involved in the Revolutionary War and fight for liberty and independence. The tension and suspense is seriously ramped up in this book since the two main characters, Hannah and Joseph, are involved in espionage and the risks are greater than ever. I absolutely loved the setting and era, and reading this story made me want more- to find some real life accounts of Patriots to study. The language the author uses for her characters and narration reflects the era while still remaining easy to understand. I believe that plays a large part in feeling transported to the time and place of the story, and I felt an instant connection to the characters and their strong emotions during such a turbulent time. The romantic tension between Hannah and Joseph is off the hook and while their bittersweet past brings plenty of angst, there are also  moments and scenes of sweetness and happiness from their relationship. I feel like the message of patriotism and taking a stand for what we believe is more pertinent than ever in our day, and I appreciate the profound thoughts of the characters as they discover what the cause means to them and what they are willing to risk for it.

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

About the Author

A Pacific Northwest native, Amber Lynn Perry lives in Washington state with her husband and two daughters. She studied humanities at Portland State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree focused on art history. As a homeschooling mom, Amber spends much of her time teaching everything from Shakespeare to science.

When she isn’t crafting with her kids, making dinner or driving to dance classes, Amber is either reading or writing about her favorite time in American history. The Revolutionary era has captured her imagination from the time she was in middle school. Through her books, Amber hopes to not only give readers a glimpse into the past, but to instill in them a lasting love of liberty.



Giveaway

Happy Independence Day! Amber is generously providing a print copy of So Pure a Heart to give away to one of our commenters! Be sure to enter using the Giveaway Tools widget and increase your chances of winning by following and sharing the giveaway on social media!