Fairly Certain by Deborah Ann Davis (Excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Fairly Certain
 by Deborah Ann Davis

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GENRE:  Young Adult Fiction

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BLURB:

Petir takes a rough tumble in the Connecticut woods, but awakens in the middle of old England. His instinct to freak out is tempered by the arrival of a fair maiden wearing a bow...and arrow. Throwing caution to the wind, Petir decides he has nothing to lose by pursuing Maid Rianne. But when she is captured by the enemy, a geek with no ability to defend himself must find a way to rescue the fair maiden.

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Exclusive EXCERPT

Despite the summer heat, she felt chilled to her very bones.

“I warned you not to cross me, Rianne. A true winner does not let anything interfere with his goal. You will come to thank me for this.” Lord Robert pulled her along.

“Thank you for this?” I have had enough.

Rianne shoved her shoulder into Robert’s ribs. He staggered to the side at the unexpected blow. She leaned over, raised a tucked leg, and slammed her heel into his chest. As he tumbled backward, she dropped to the ground to slip her bound hands underneath her and over her feet so they would be in front. Unfortunately, the simple maneuver was hampered by her skirts.

She was up and running, trying to reach the sanctuary of the forest, but untangling skirts from bonds had shortened her lead. Lord Robert was on her heels. Within moments, he seized her around the waist and grappled her to the ground.

He stood up, breathing heavily. Lord Robert was built for smashing, not running. He dusted his hands off with distaste. Rianne lay on the ground, glaring at him, ignoring the pain in her hip. He brushed off his clothing, ignoring her.

“You are trying my patience, Maid Rianne.” He reached down to grab her by the arms, but she rolled out reach.

Scuttling after her, he effectively halted her by stomping on her skirt. Puling her to her feet, he shook her by her shoulders. “Nice try, but I am taking you to the sheriff, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I’m DEBORAH ANN DAVIS, and I write Quirky New/Young Adult Fiction with a Twist. I began writing when searching for inspiration for my 5th grade English Journal. Lo and behold, my world was full of funny tales just waiting to be told. It never occurred to me to pursue writing, not even when I discovered my flare for telling stories at college parties.

After a string of undergrad majors, I realized I could reach a captive audience EVERY DAY in the public school system. As you probably know, teenagers love to laugh, and what could be more entertaining than Biology, Earth Science, and Environmental Science? I jumped into teaching with both feet and loved it for 27 years. It came with an added bonus: Once teens know you like to laugh, they want to make you laugh. Go figure.

Twelve years after our first kiss, I reunited with, and married my childhood sweetheart. Together we coached our daughter's AAU Basketball Team, which swept States two years in a row. (Yay!) Then, for several years, our daughter and our money went to college.

During a particularly nasty bout of Lyme disease, I turned to Fitness to boost my Health, and to Writing to boost my Happiness. Currently, I am a healthy and happy Educational Speaker and a Certified Personal Trainer who loves to write.

We presently reside on a lovely lake in Connecticut. When I’m not writing novels for my Love of Fairs series, I enjoy dabbling with living a sustainable life, dancing, playing outside, and laughing really hard every day. I also promote increasing movement throughout your day as Wiggle Writer in my Merry Meddling blog.

You can track my meddling on https://twitter.com/DeborahAnnDavis  or https://twitter.com/WiggleWriter 

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Sky Garden by Jenny Schwartz (VBT, guest post, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I have the pleasure of having a guest post by author Jenny Schwartz, who shares one of her passions.

Museums

Jenny Schwartz 

I love museums, especially the small ones that are often quirky, reflecting the passions of those who work in them. Lanie Briers, the heroine of Sky Garden, is curator for the very individualistic Horry Museum that celebrates the Edwardian era (think Downton Abbey, though not so grand). Being fictional, I could site the Horry Museum anywhere I wanted, so I put it in Bloomsbury, rubbing shoulders with the British Library and British Museum, both of which have absolutely gorgeous websites for those of us who can’t visit in person.

The Horry Museum is a unique museum, possibly only viable in fiction. It lets visitors touch the objects! It’s a house furnished as an Edwardian home and visitors are invited to wonder through and imagine life a century ago. [Going off on a slight tangent, the BBC has a wonderful program on the dangers of an Edwardian home, and the associated webpage is fascinating.]

As for smaller or quirkier museums in real life…I’d love to visit the Hershey Museum—and yes, that’s because I’m a chocaholic! I’d also like to see the grand Met Museum, especially its Costume Institute.

Museums are a fabulous way to encounter amazing things. I recently visited the “Treasure Ships. Art in the Age of Spices” exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (the link will probably stop working when the exhibition ends, but it’s here), and it was fabulous! So many varied cultures and responses to encountering one another, and some of the objects were 400 years old, yet still vivid with imagination and passion.

Museums and their exhibitions are storytelling in another form, so it’s no wonder that as an avid reader and author, I love them. Do you have a favourite museum or one you dream of visiting?

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Sky Garden
by Jenny Schwartz

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GENRE: Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

On the rooftops of London, you can be anyone.

A year ago, Lanie Briers escaped a serial killer. She grew up in a theatre family and her act was mediumship, but not anymore. Life, now, is a hidden retreat above a quirky Bloomsbury museum, where she waits and watches.

Nick Tawes is an unexpected intrusion. He's a landscape architect filming a television series on roof gardens, and he intends to build one in Lanie's aerial territory. He has his own demons, old family troubles, that lure Lanie out of her refuge and into living again.

But as summer progresses and the sky garden grows, Lanie's enemy is closing in--because some secrets must go to the grave.


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EXCERPT

Head down, he forced his feet up the endless, dizzying stairs.

Abruptly, the wall of the house ended. He swayed, blinking at the transition from shadowed darkness to light. He’d reached the roof. His jetlagged brain bounced between explanations of neon light or moonlight as the source of illumination. Tokyo roofs were seldom dark; London skies seldom cloudless in his memory.

Concentrating on his feet, he negotiated the awkward step up and over a concrete wall edge, and down onto the roof. He looked up.

A woman looked back at him.

Soundless, he watched her mouth open and the plate she held drop. Water and soapsuds fountained up.

The light came from a kitchen window.

His brain kicked into gear. “It’s all right. I’m from the solicitor’s. I have a key.” Ridiculous words, but the fear in her expression demanded reassurance.

She held a phone up, soap suds running down her bare forearm to the pushed-up sleeve of an apple-green pullover. The phone was brandished as a weapon.

“A key,” he mouthed exaggeratedly. “I have a key.”

A stand-off. He didn’t dare move. He must have frightened her when she’d felt safe and alone on this rooftop. He couldn’t understand how she and her kitchen were here at all.


Amazon link

Sky Garden will be $0.99 during this tour

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Bio: Jenny Schwartz is a hopeful romantic with a degree in Sociology and History — people watching and digging into the past. She lives in Western Australia and is working towards her dream of living by the sea. Jenny writes romantic suspense, as well as contemporary and paranormal romance.


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Oldenglen by Robin Mason and Michael Mason (spotlight, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Oldenglen

by Robin Mason and Michael Mason

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GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy

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BLURB:

The last thing twelve-year-old Jax wanted was to leave his city life in England for a remote and rugged corner of Oregon―but he hasn’t had any say in the matter.

Although Jax hates it there, he is drawn by the deep woods, as if something or someone is pulling him in. The more he explores, the more he senses the presence of a hidden magic. Joined by Sarah, the granddaughter of the land’s owner, he begins to unravel the secrets of the glen.

But when invaders threaten the wildwood and its inhabitants, Jax and Sarah―and a most unusual army―must prepare for war.

Great peril has come to Oldenglen, but who and what must Jax and Sarah confront in the battle to save it?

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EXCERPT

“All woodfolk, be still!” called a voice. Even Acorn was now seated and, unusually for her, quiet.

“That’s old Gaffer Grayowl, Keeper of the Green Glade,” Squiffle explained to Jackson in a whisper. “Dear me, he says the same thing every time, but sometimes he forgets bits and has to go back. Hooter will take his place one day soon.” Jackson spied the round-faced owl off to one side.

“The tradition of the Gathering of the Woodfolk is a long one, going back for countless ages,” boomed Gaffer. “Our broodfathers and broodmothers, and theirs before them, and theirs before them, and still more before them, have gathered in this place in times of great peril. I bid you remember that the Green Glade and the way here and home are the only places where, by agreement from long ago, a creature is safe from any other. Some of you represent your own kindred, but any woodfolk are welcome.” Jackson looked around. This night the glade was full. The glen would be unnaturally quiet tonight. Sarah squeezed his hand.

“Who calls this Gathering?” asked Gaffer.

“I, Pondlefoot Badger, cub of Grey-Muzzle Badger and Growler Badger of Badger Tree, and Friend of all Woodfolk, call this Gathering,” said Pondlefoot, standing up.

“Take the Gladestone,” commanded the Keeper. “And say what you have come to say.”

Pondlefoot emerged from the press of woodfolk, moving heavily to the center to stand by the Gladestone. He turned slowly, looking carefully at the assembly.

“Fellow woodfolk,” the old badger began, “the glen is in grave peril, a danger greater than any faced by those who came before us.”


Buy on:
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AUTHOR Bio and Links: 



Robin Mason

Robin is the younger son of Michael Mason, co-author of Oldenglen. He was born in England and has lived in Zimbabwe (which was called Rhodesia then) and Canada.

The story behind Oldenglen came from the time the family was renting a large estate in British Columbia, Canada, many years ago. As a young boy, Robin grew up with the written word. Michael, a professor of English, would read to him every night, including such works as the Narnia books, the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Oldenglen is the result of that beginning, and the first book in the series known as "The Oldenglen Chronicles". LONE WOLF will be published in early 2016.

Robin is an attorney. He has been married to his wife, Angelina, for nearly twenty-five years and they are blessed with three children. The glen dwells deep in Robin; their home is in a twelve-acre forest, which they share with many four-legged and winged inhabitants.

Michael Mason

Michael was born in 1924 in England, which makes him 91-years-old. The son of an employee of a grand estate in England, as a boy Michael had room to roam.

Graduating from the University of London, and after completing a stint in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, he began his lifelong career of teaching, in schools and universities in England, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Canada. He holds an MA and PhD in English Literature. Oldenglen is Michael’s first novel. He is also a published poet and playwright and contributor of articles to quarterly publications.

Michael is married to Muriel and they will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in March, 2016. He is blessed with two sons, four granddaughters, three grandsons and one newly-arrived great granddaughter.


Authors and Book Website


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My review:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Oldenglen by Robin Mason and Michael Mason is the initial story in the ‘Oldenglen Chronicles’ series.  It introduces a twelve-year-old boy named Jackson (Jax) who has been relocated to Oregon from England, to his dismay.  There are no peers around to play with, so Jax begins to explore the woods around his new home, and finds there is a wealth of new experiences available. His growing connection to his new home becomes threatened, and he will have to muster his newfound allies, including a girl named Sarah, to defend the special glen that is home to so many creatures, great and small, and that still may not be enough.

This charming children’s story blends many of the commonplace issues that can challenge a youngster--such as a new home (albeit with the added complication of being in an entirely different country), lack of friends, and an uncertain future with a slowly expanding appreciation of nature and a mystical connection.  I love that the animals gradually reveal their hierarchy and true natures, the names they share with Jax are wonderfully appropriate, and the inclusion of the unique names for the group of a particular animal species provides a great resource for discussing new vocabulary words, as does the slang that peppers Jax's language.  The climax was a little awkward for me, as the reason behind the major conflict and the resolution didn’t quite gel for me, but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. 

There is a wealth of information about nature presented in a very readable and entertaining manner and this book is sure to become a favorite to those who enjoy animal stories such as the ‘Redwall’ series.  I think this is a great start to the series and that the tale will appeal to adults and children alike.  It is my hope that this will be a long-running series and I will enjoy sharing it with young readers.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review

Unwanted Girl by M.K. Schiller (Excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Unwanted Girl

by M.K. Schiller

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

When a man loves a woman

Recovering addict Nick Dorsey finds solace in his regimented life. That is until he meets Shyla Metha.  Something about the shy Indian beauty who delivers take-out to his Greenwich Village loft inspires the reclusive writer. And when Shyla reveals her desire to write a book of her own, he agrees to help her. The tale of a young Indian girl growing up against a landscape of brutal choices isn’t Nick’s usual territory, but something about the story, and the beautiful storyteller, draws him in deep.

Shyla is drawn to Nick, but she never imagines falling for him. Like Nick, Shyla hails from a village, too…a rural village in India. They have nothing in common, yet he makes her feel alive for the first time in her life. She is not ready for their journey to end, but the plans she’s made cannot be broken…not even by him. Can they find a way to rewrite the next chapter?

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EXCERPT

She shrugged. “The writing’s good, but I didn’t care for the characters.”

“Why not?”

“They felt one-dimensional. He comes across as a womanizing, self-indulgent fool.”

Nick arched his brow, his lips quirking into a grin. “He’s got his faults, but I wouldn’t describe him that way.”

“As bad as he was, though, the heroine was even worse. She seemed stupid and fake…almost vapid. She was always getting herself into trouble and falling into hot water.” Encouraged by his amused smile, she continued, “And I refer to hot water in the literal sense. The one I read, the girl was suspended from the ceiling over a pot of boiling water until Max Montero swooped in at the last minute.”

“It was acid, and he likes saving beautiful women from danger. What’s wrong with that?”

“She could have saved herself, or better yet, not gotten into the situation. And he…well, he could have been nicer to her in general.”

“Not every hero comes in a one-size-fits-all package, Shyla. Don’t hold back, though. Tell me what you really think.”

“Okay, I will. I can appreciate a different kind of hero, but I’d like one with a functioning set of scruples. In the scheme of things, these books don’t deserve shelf space with the others. They definitely fall into the dime store drivel category.”

“Ouch,” Nick said, pouring himself another drink. “I don’t think you understand the concept of sarcasm.”

She opened and shut her mouth as the realization hit her. “You were joking when you asked me to tell you what I really thought?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it.”

“So, what do you do for a living?” she asked, anxious to change the subject. It was possible she’d accidently insulted one of his favorite novelists.

“I’m an author.”

“Have you written anything I might have read?”

“The dime store drivel you’re holding.”

Uh oh.

Buy Links:

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I am a hopeless romantic in a hopelessly pragmatic world. I have a full time life and two busy teenagers, but in the dark of night, I sit by the warm glow of my computer monitor, reading or writing, usually with some tasty Italian…the food that is!

I started imagining stories in my head at a very young age. In fact, I got so good at it that friends asked me to create plots featuring them as the heroine and the object of their affection as the hero. You’ve heard of fan fiction… this was friend fiction.

I hope you enjoy my stories and always find The Happily Ever After in every endeavor.

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My review:

4 out of 5 stars

Unwanted Girl by M.K. Schiller is a contemporary romance and women’s fiction story that explores cultural mores and the contrasting challenges faced by two people who have to learn how to overcome the vast differences in their lives in order to find common ground. The shy reserved student, Shyla Metha, and the author who is a recovering meth addict, Nick Dorsey, embark on a project that will expose a tragic reality even as they each travel on a journey of personal discovery that unfortunately, may not have the same endpoint.

This compelling multicultural tale provides a dismaying picture of the horrors of discrimination even as it tells a gentle story of attraction and romance. The glimpses of the frustration of being categorized based on one’s appearance is contrasted with the concept of discrimination against one’s gender in an eye-opening story. Certain elements were easy to guess but there are several nice twists that give this story a unique flair and keep one invested in it. The characters evolve from almost stereotypical caricatures to complex and textured individuals and I found myself impressed by their ability to work past their issues and reach for happiness. I enjoyed the insights into a culture that I am not very familiar with, even as I mourn the revelations of how misguided that culture can be, a pattern that has been repeated over and over around the world. There is an enjoyable combination of romance and emotion, with the added flair of the exotic, and it was lovely to watch the progression as two individuals dealt with their respective dragons and found a way to overcome the scars from their pasts.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review

Finding Lyla by Cate Beauman (spotlight, excerpt and GIVEAWAY)

 

Ethan Cooke Security and their bodyguard team return to action in Finding Lyla – book ten in Cate Beauman’s Bodyguards of L.A. County series.

With over 4700 reviews and a 4.3 rating for the entire series, see why the Bodyguards of L.A. County is a multi-award winning series.

Buy It Now!

Amazon | Kobo | Nook | iBooks

New to the series? No problem! Each book in the “Bodyguards” series is a stand-alone title. Although reading the books in order is preferred, it is not necessary.  Each title features brand new primary characters and limited overlapping secondary characters.  Don’t hesitate to jump right in!

Principal Dancer Lyla Markovik-Avery is always on the go. Grueling practices and endless performances rule her busy days—and things are about to get more hectic. Russia is rolling out the red carpet for their beloved star, despite the string of violent terrorist attacks that have rocked the nation.

Bodyguard Collin Michaels’ life is falling apart. His long-time relationship recently ended. He’s trying to start over, but that’s easier said than done. Luckily, Collin has a new assignment on the horizon: keeping a beautiful ballerina safe for the next three weeks.

Collin finds comfort in Lyla’s easy friendship, but that all changes after a night out on the town. Simple feelings become complicated—something Collin can’t afford, especially when tragedy strikes and Collin realizes Lyla’s caught in the middle of a dangerous plot for revenge.

Collin and Lyla are forced to flee. They need to reach the border before it’s too late, but the odds are stacked against them in a country that wants them dead. With time running out, Collin formulates a risky plan that might be their only chance of making it out alive.

The Inspiration Behind Finding Lyla:

Typically I get my story ideas from crime documentaries or some sort of crime television program, but I can’t say that is the case for Finding Lyla. When I was coming up with ideas for this novel, I knew I wanted to tell a story about a hero that had struggled through some rough times and a heroine that had some unresolved issues of her own, but was soft, strong, and gentle all at the same time. During the summer months, I started paying close attention to the ongoing Russia/US conflict and Lyla and Collin assured me they wanted their story to revolve around an adventure that combined all of these elements together.

Read an excerpt from Finding Lyla:

Collin settled beneath the covers on his temporary bed as the dim glow of city lights radiated through the windows. He reached out, grabbing the remote off the coffee table he’d pushed off to the side, and flipped through several channels, stopping on SportsCenter. Scores and updates ticked by on the bottom of the screen, and he moved on, not all that interested in hockey stats.

He stopped again when the live footage from Saint Petersburg, Russia caught his attention. With the volume on mute, he searched for the closed caption button and sat up, reading the news report while the station switched back and forth between the newscaster and images of the police surrounding a trolleybus in the middle of a downtown street. The reporter spoke of a bomb discovered during the busy morning rush hour, mere miles from the plaza where dozens had been killed on New Year’s Eve. Luckily a citizen had been paying attention, and the explosive device had been deactivated, stopping another disaster. 

Early reports were suggesting that the same rebel group responsible for the December thirty-first bombing, Chechen Freedom, had attempted to strike again. The news segment switched to snippets of the video released weeks ago, shortly after the slaughter of innocent civilians, where the masked men promised more violence in retaliation for The Federation killing one of their leaders. The man pointed at the camera, vowing to continue with his plans to destroy Russia until the regime relented and gave the Chechens back their country.

Sighing, Collin rubbed at his jaw. Why did he feel like he was walking into a losing situation? Everyday there was something new going on over there. If it wasn’t bomb threats and anti-American rallies, it was anti-Putin demonstrations outside the Kremlin walls, which often ended with tear gas and riot gear. And he and Lyla were only hours away from their late-afternoon flight.

The issues in Saint Petersburg weren’t necessarily one of his concerns. The city was a good nine hours away from their destination. It was the possibility of terrorist attacks in Moscow and Russia’s discord with the United States in general that had him on edge. The fact that Lyla was a dual citizen of two countries at odds had the potential to work for her…or very much against her. Only time would tell which way things were going to go, and they would be along for the ride while they waited to figure it out.

Did you enjoy the excerpt?  You can read the first chapter on my website, or you can finish the whole book with the links below!

Amazon | Kobo | Nook | iBooks

The Unofficial Finding Lyla Soundtrack

Music plays a HUGE part in my writing process. I typically listen to Pandora or YouTube while I create my stories and compile a collection of songs that I feel represent my characters or the situations they face as each novel unfolds. It’s a rare occasion that my creativity demands silence (And that’s a good thing. I’m a mother of two boys. Quiet doesn’t exist in my house.). I thought it would be fun to create a list of songs that ‘spoke’ to me while I wrote the Bodyguards of L.A. County series. You can listen to the “soundtrack” for each book on my website www.catebeauman.com.

The soundtrack, of sorts, for Finding Lyla:

·      Today by Steve Moakler

·      Beautiful Things by Gungor

·      Teneferie Sea by Ed Sheeran

·      Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon

·      Anywhere but Here by Safety Suit

·      Never Gonna Be Alone by Nickelback

·      Nirvana by Sam Smith

·      Don’t Deserve You by Plumb 

·      Unconditionally by Katy Perry

·      You’re in Love by Taylor Swift

·      Fight Song by Rachel Platton

About the author:

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, Justice For Abby was selected as the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while Saving Sophie took the Silver Medal. Saving Sophie was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and Falling For Sarah received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular Bodyguards series.

For information on Cate's new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter

Cate can be reached at her website and on Facebook.

You can follow Cate on Twitter @CateBeauman

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