Spotlight & Giveaway: Safe House by Shannon Symonds

About the book

Synopsis

As a victim’s advocate, Grace James is used to rushing into trouble to save her victims from abuse or assault. And with a handsome officer like Joe Hart at her side, Grace is sure there’s nothing she can’t do. But an ominous storm brewing on the Oregon horizon is about to change everything—and bring with it dangers and revelations Grace and Joe never expected.

About the Author

Shannon Symonds worked for 15 years as an Advocate. Shannon lives in a small seaside town where she works, writes, runs and paints. She believes the word can be changed one heart at a time and then even small acts can make a difference.

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Top Ten Vacation Locations (If money and time were no object)

Disneyland, by way of Utah. Every year I save every penny to go where my kids and grandkids are. Right now my oldest daughter lives in Farmington Utah and my son lives in Bakersfield California. Historically, I have gone as far as Heidelberg, Germany to get to a kid. There isn’t any distance too far for this mom. I would road trip to Salt Lake City for kids, General Conference, and Deseret Book’s visiting Authors. Then I would drive my car to California and meet my son’s family at Disneyland.  

A Vespa Scooter Road Trip around the British Isles. I would ride on the wrong side of the road all over England, Ireland, and Scotland. I would stop at every single castle, museum, quaint restaurant, island, and church. I would likely starve to death as I am gluten free and I am certain nothing on their menu is on mine. But I would love every minute of it. 
 
Yellowstone by way of Jackson Hole Wyoming. I love to do anything that totally wears me out. I like to kayak, hike, ride my old bike, walk, and slowly run. I would go back to Jackson Hole and white water raft. I would hike the area and then head to the Grand Teton Lodge. I would Kayak,  swim, and probably be eaten by a bear. At the end of it all, I would be totally happy and the bear would have serious indigestion.   

Hawaii because I have never been and it is WARM. I just want warm water. The ocean in Oregon is an average temperature of just over 50 degrees. I learned to swim in 50 degree water. Please, someone get me to warm waves! I would get in the water and you would have to drag me out.  

Sweden, by way of Georgetown. Family is my favorite! My aunt Joann and Cousin Kristi are world travelers. Kristi speaks French fluently. You can’t spend ten minutes with my Kristi and Joann without laughing. Their happiness is contagious. I would meet them for lunch in Georgetown and then we would jet off to Sweden and France.  

Deep sea fishing and treasure hunting any place warm. Deep sea fishing  is one of my all-time favorite local things to do. In Oregon, even in July you bring a coat or 3 onboard when you fish. I would love to go out on the ocean, watch whales, dive for treasure, and fish in the sun, in a t-shirt, and once again anyplace warm.  

The Holy Lands with Gerald Lund and my entire family. Gerald Lund is not only one of my favorite authors, his wife was one of my favorite young women leaders when I lived in Utah. I would love to listen to him share the history of the entire middle east. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to be surrounded by family, history, and in the place the Savior walked.  

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando with my entire family. That’s right my ENTIRE family. If dreams were real and money was no object I would take them all. I would take my kids, their spouses and kids, my parents, the 8 aunts and uncles and the 19 nieces and nephews and their spouses and kids, the 13 cousins and their spouses and kids and all the people we have managed to love into our family along the way. Why Harry Potter? Duh.  

Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) Volunteer team member. I don’t care when or where. I want to train with the team at OUR and then work a sex trafficking sting with Tim Ballard. This is something I seriously want to make happen. Of everything on the list, after kids and cousins, I secretly haven’t given up hope for this little dream. I am donating a small portion of the proceeds of Safe House to OUR and volunteer any way I can. 

Take Doctor Who’s Tardis to Lassie Hame Summer of 1972. I love Dr. Who. I love him so much, the door to my mother’s apartment in my house looks like the Tardis. If there were no limits, I would call the Doctor and invite him to time travel to Lassie Hame. I would spend one more precious day in our family beach house with my Grandmother and Great Aunts. Judy Collins would be on the record player, chocolate chip cookies would be baking in the oven, All the doors and windows would be open, and my 12 cousins, would be building a fort in the sand dunes or learning to swim with my dad and Uncle Joel. Sandy kids would be laughing and running everywhere. When the sun begins to set, a bonfire would be lit and we kids would stay on the beach with Uncle Joel, knowing the women of Lassie Hame were watching from their rockers at the house. I would feel safe. All would be well in my world again, for just a moment in time.

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Giveaway

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Tour Schedule

February 12-cherylbbookblog​
February 13-All-of-a-kind Mom
February 14-Singing Librarian Books
February 15-Red Headed Book Lady | Heidi Reads…
February 16-amandainpa​
February 17-Soulfully Romantic | Reading for the Stars and Moon

GIVEAWAY & Nominate A Pirate at Pembroke for the Kindle Scout Contest!

 

A Pirate at Pembroke by Danielle Thorne  

A Jane Austen-inspired Pirate Romance 

Sophie Crestwood is never going to catch a husband, and she isn’t even sure she wants one. Her father is a gossip, her mother always has her nose in a book, and little Jack has shamefully been dismissed from boarding school. Worst of all, a pirate moves next door into Pembroke Hall! When Sophie’s sent to a matchmaking party at a neighboring estate, the pirate from Pembroke arrives and distracts everyone from the summer festivities. Unguarded, her feelings about the mysterious Captain Murdock bloom into a trusted friendship that Sophie fears may come to mean much more than anyone would ever suspect. Keeping company with a reputed pirate is one thing but falling in love with him could ruin the eccentric Crestwood family for good.

 

Danielle Thorne's book A Pirate at Pembroke is up for nomination in the Kindle Scout Contest.  

Please vote for her book!  

If Kindle Scout selects A Pirate at Pembroke for publication you'll get a copy of the book for free!   

 Excerpt

The sad sonata continued its siren’s call. It echoed a passionate and haunting melody, just like the dark halls of Pembroke with its soiled paintings of aristocrats from long ago. Sophie examined the chamber doors through the gloom and decided the door to the second room on the left was slightly ajar with a dim light shimmering around it. She moved in silence to the small gap and caught her breath.

Captain Murdock stood in front of a languid fire burning beneath a marble mantel. One bare foot was balanced on a low, milking stool nestled up against a heavy, velvet-covered chair. The other kept time on the floor. With his cane leaning against the fireplace, Murdock stood balanced on his own. In his hands, a violin tucked underneath his chin swayed. It moved in time with his body as he performed a strange dance to the music. His profile in the firelight was sharp and clear. He stood slender and tall. In these private bedchambers, half-dressed in loose buckskin breeches and an untucked shirt open at the neck, he did not seem as rigid and menacing as before. From his dreamy stare, his thoughts were somewhere inside the flickering blue and orange flames. The reflection of the firelight made his pale eyes glow.

Sophie noticed his hair was undone. It hung far past his neck, with slight waves resting on his broad upper back on either side of his shoulders. She put a hand to her mouth realizing it had fallen open, and at the same time, that it was scandalous to spy on her host. She swallowed and stepped away. The music stopped in mid-cry. Her heart jumped in her chest, and for a brief pause, the only sound to be heard was her own loud breathing. She stepped back and pivoted on her heel.
Horrified he might have felt her examination, she strode down the rug-lined hallway as quietly as she could, but each footfall sounded like muffled thunder as she hurried back to the stairs. She reached the banister and slipped down the first step, but her shift snagged on something, and she spun about to free it.

Captain Murdock stood behind her, silent. He held a handful of her shift in his fist. She had not snagged it after all. Rather, he had snagged her. She jerked in surprise, but his hold kept her from falling backward and tumbling down the stairs. His other hand trembled as it balanced precariously on a carved dragon head at the top of his cane.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“I… I heard music and followed it.”

His eyes blazed with accusation, and it unnerved her.

“I’m so sorry,” she said in a choking voice. Her nose tingled again. She touched it with her fingers to make it stop.

“It’s not possible you heard music from all the way down in your room.”

Sophie took a nervous breath. He stood there, one step above her like a giant, her bedclothes gripped in his hand so tight it shook. She hadn’t heard him shuffle down the hall after her. He moved as silent as a ghost when he wanted — even with a cane. She found the courage to meet his penetrating gaze.

“I did hear something from my room. Then I was in the hall.”

Captain Murdock waited for a long pause, while the dust they had stirred up in the rugs pirouetted in the air and into Sophie’s eyes and nose. “You should not be out of bed,” he said.

Sophie swallowed down her frightened apprehension. She tried to beg his pardon, but her lungs failed her, and she coughed in reflex. She covered her mouth with her fingers. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated between them, her cheeks hot with humiliation. She stared at the fistful of her garments he’d snatched, aware his eyes examined her from her straight, waist-length hair down to her naked ankles. With a jerk, he dropped her shift like it burned his hand.

 “Go to bed,” he said in a quiet voice.

Sophie’s nose had not quit tingling and itching. “Yes, sir,” she said at once, but not soon enough to keep a sneeze from erupting. It came so fast and without warning, she had no chance to catch it before it doused him with all her rejection.

Horrified, she stumbled down the next step, thankful the old handrail held fast. When she glanced back, he was wiping off his shirt with a look of disgust.

      

Author Danielle Thorne 

Danielle Thorne is the author of classic romance and adventure in several genres. She loves Jane Austen, pirates, beaches, cookies, antiques, cats, dogs, and long naps. She does not like phone calls or sushi. A graduate of Ricks College and BYU-Idaho, Danielle saw early work published by Every Day Fiction, Arts and Prose Magazine, Mississippi Crow, The Nantahala Review, StorySouth, and… you get the idea. Besides writing, she’s edited for both Solstice and Desert Breeze Publishing. Her growing blog, The Balanced Writer, focuses on writing, life, and the pursuit of peace and happiness. Currently, Danielle freelances as a non-fiction author while waiting to hear from readers like you through her website. During free time, which means when Netflix is down, she combs through feedback and offers virtual hugs for reviews. A Pirate at Pembroke is her newest release. Her non-fiction book, The Story of Queen Victoria 200 Years After Her Birth, is coming fall 2018. 

Website * Blog * Twitter * Instagram

 

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 PayPal Cash Ends 3/15/18 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 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.   

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Romance is in the Air: Author Stacy Claflin & Giveaway!

     

Bayside Wishes by Stacy Claflin 

She’s guarding a family secret. He’s investigating a murder. Will a second homecoming lead to true love? Freya Hunter is living the fabulous life. The west-coast girl rakes it in as a fashion model in New York City, but everything changes after she returns home for a quick visit. The reunion with friends and family in Enchantment Bay is sweet, especially when she hits it off with Nico Valentin, a ruggedly handsome police sergeant. As Nico investigates the death, Freya learns a family secret big enough to turn her world upside down. Freya is torn between her new life and her hometown — the life she loves vs. the brother who needs her and the sergeant who wants her. When her decision doesn’t go nearly as well as she planned, she wonders if she can help her brother and keep her growing feelings for Nico at bay before they consume her. 

 

Nico put the tickets in his wallet for safekeeping. “Sounds good to me.”
She took his hand and pulled him toward the stores. His pulse raced, but she didn’t seem to think anything of holding his hand.
A few people glanced at them, seeming surprised. Being on the force, he was well-known and he hadn’t been on a single date since moving to Enchantment Bay. And he’d definitely never been out with someone as attractive as Freya.
She stopped in front of a candle place. “You ever been in there?”
Nico held in a snort. “No. The only candle I own is for when the power goes out.”
Freya stared at him for a moment. “Seriously?”
“Just for emergencies.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. Come on.” She yanked on his arm—she was stronger than she looked—and dragged him inside. An array of aromas hit him all at once. He couldn’t tell one from the other, but he liked the way they blended together.
Almost like the unexpected pairing of him and Freya.

   

Bayside Destines by Stacy Claflin 

 What do a fifteen-year-old pact, a fake engagement, and a stalker have in common? Audrey Hughes. Audrey’s ex-boyfriend won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. A master manipulator and a violently selfish man, he’s decided Audrey is his property. And he’s determined to get her back. Forcibly, if necessary. She flees to the one place she ever found ‘family’—to Enchantment Bay. More precisely, to Logan Hunter. Logan is a successful attorney and consummate bachelor. His work is his wife, and that’s the only long-term relationship he sees for himself. Until a childhood sweetheart shows up and reminds him of the pact they made years earlier—to get married. It surprises him that she remembered, stuns him that he’s intrigued, and shocks him to discover her reason for returning. He uses all his influence and connections to protect her, only to be the one who causes her unbearable pain and drives her away. Can Logan find a way to keep Audrey safe, make things right, and mend both their broken hearts? 

   

Shale glanced around and spoke in a low voice. “You sure your engagement is fake?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Logan frowned.
“I saw the way you two kept looking at each other during dinner.”
Logan stood taller. “We have to be convincing.”
“You kissed her twice when I was the only one in here. Twice, and I know it’s fake. Or at least that it’s supposed to be.”
Logan glared at him. “It is.”
“I was looking for signs that it is, but I didn’t see any. I just saw two people acting like they think the other was the best thing ever.”
“We are friends—we genuinely like each other. You’re reading too much into it.”
“Whatever you have to tell yourself.”

  

"Awesome storyline! Each book in the series gets better and better!" -Amazon Reviewer 

"The combination of mild suspense, sweet romantic moments, and dramatic situations really engages the reader, as the flow of the story is steady and captivating. The characters are portrayed in ways that make them seem real--like true friends, with real strengths and weaknesses. I'm already looking forward to the rest of the series!" -Amazon Reviewer 

     

Author Stacy Claflin 

USA Today bestselling author Stacy Claflin writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone trilogy of psychological thrillers, her ongoing Transformed paranormal saga, or her Seaside Hunters sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional heroines shine through. Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author. When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Haven, and Once Upon a Time. 

       

Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/8/18 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 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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

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COVER REVEAL: Long Journey Home by Sarah M. Eden

Long Journey Home

A Hope Springs Novel

by Sarah M. Eden

Coming September 4, 2018

Synopsis

Widowed by war, Maura O’Connor has raised her son alone under the weight of poverty in the unforgiving slums of New York City. That harsh and difficult life has taken a toll on them both. Desperate to save her son from the misery around them, she moves them both to the tiny western town of Hope Springs, where her late husband’s family lives, hoping that the decade of silence between them does not mean she and Aidan will be rejected outright. Her son needs family, and she would endure anything to see him happy.

Ryan Callaghan has worked the land belonging to the late Granny Claire for years, dreaming of one day claiming it as his own. Living in his brother’s home affords him no freedom, no stability, no joy. The arrangement is even harder on his mother, whose health is quickly deteriorating. A risky investment in the land has finally begun to pay off, and he is at last in a position to secure a better future for them both. When use of the home is, without warning, offered to a newly arrived widow and her son, that future is entirely uncertain.

Both Maura and Ryan desperately need the Claire farm, for their own futures as well as those of the loved ones who depend on them. Neither can remain in Hope Springs without the house and land, but only one can claim it in the end.

About the Author

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today Bestselling author of witty and charming historical romances, including AML's "2013 Novel of the Year" and Foreword Review’s 2013 “IndieFab Book of the Year” gold medal winner for Best Romance, Longing for Home, as well as 2014 Whitney Award winner for "Best Romance" and "Best Novel of the Year," Longing for Home: Hope Springs. Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a Bachelor's degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah lives with her husband, kids, and mischievous dog in the shadow of a snow-capped mountain she has never attempted to ski.

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Don't miss the previous books in the Hope Springs series!

Prequel Novella

Read my 5 star review here

Synopsis

Ian O’Connor spends his days in the purgatory of a New York textile factory, enduring the dangerous conditions to keep his family afloat. Somewhere in the vast, dark corridors of his daily prison is an angel. He has seen her only once but is determined to find her again.

Biddy Dillon has lost her home and her family. Loneliness chips away at her fragile hopes until she meets Ian, whose soft-spoken kindness touches her heart. For the first time in years, she begins to believe in the possibility of good things to come.

When tragedy conspires to pull the couple apart, they must decide if theirs is a future meant to be built together, or if fate has other plans.

Book One

Synopsis

Twenty-six-year-old Katie Macauley has placed all her hope in Hope Springs, a small town in the 1870 Wyoming Territory. But if she wants to return home to Ireland to make amends with her estranged family, she'll need to convince the influential Joseph Archer to hold true to his word and keep her on his payroll as his housekeeper despite her Irish roots. The town is caught in an ongoing feud between the Irish and the "Reds" the frontiersmen who would rather see all the Irish run out of town and the Irish immigrants who are fighting to make a home for themselves in the New World. When Joseph agrees to keep Katie on as his housekeeper, the feud erupts anew, and Katie becomes the reluctant figurehead for the Irish townsfolk. As the violence escalates throughout the town, Katie must choose between the two men who have been vying for her love though only one might be able to restore hope to her heart.

Book Two

Synopsis

All is not well in Wyoming. Katie Macauley gave up her life-long dream of returning to Ireland in order to make a home for herself in Hope Springs, but her future has never been so uncertain. The town is more divided than ever, with both the Irish and the Reds stealing property, burning buildings, and endangering lives.

Katie’s heart remains sharply divided between her love for playful Tavish and steady Joseph, a decision she feels ill-prepared to make. In the midst of the growing unrest, temperatures drop quickly, too quickly, and Irish nightmares of famine and cold resurface as the little Wyoming town struggles to beat the harsh winter.

Katie makes one sacrifice after another to keep the peace and help see her loved ones through the difficult days ahead, but will it be enough? Can the town make amends before their hatred consumes them all? And will Katie find the love she has been searching for as well as a home to call her own?

Book Three

Read my 5 star review here

Synopsis

From the USA Today Bestselling author of the Longing for Home series, LOVE REMAINS is a new romance novel set in the beloved world of Hope Springs.
 

For nearly a year, Tavish O’Connor has carried the crushing weight of his family’s future on his shoulders. He has taken on the care of his youngest brother, Finbarr, who lost his eyesight in a terrible accident. But the lad needs more than Tavish can provide. Finbarr needs hope.

Cecily Attwater specializes in hope. As a tutor to the newly blind, she has dedicated her life to helping others overcome the obstacles she herself has conquered. Her new assignment in a remote corner of Wyoming proves trickier than usual: Finbarr refuses to learn. To make matters worse, his family—and the other Irish townspeople—are less than thrilled to discover an Englishwoman in their haven.

Cecily’s only hope lies in securing the cooperation of her pupil’s brother, Tavish, who happens to be her harshest critic and quite possibly the most frustrating man she’s ever known.

For Finbarr’s sake, Tavish and Cecily forge an uneasy alliance that, as the weeks pass, tiptoes toward something deeper than either dares admit or face, and toward a future they know to be impossible. There can be no hope of a happy outcome for an Irish man and an English woman amongst a people reeling from violence and centuries of hatred between their two homelands.