Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Healed By Love Tour and Giveaway


NEW BOOK RELEASE........
Book #1 The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor, Book #13 The Bradens series, Love in Bloom #25

Meet the Bradens of Peaceful Harbor and fall in love with Nate Braden & Jewel Fisher in Healed by Love.

Nate Braden has loved his best friend’s younger sister Jewel for as long as he can remember, but between their age difference and his respect for Rick, he’s always kept his feelings at bay. Now he’s back in Peaceful Harbor, and Jewel is no longer sixteen years old—but there’s an even bigger obstacle standing in his way. Nate and Rick joined the military together eight years earlier. Nate came home a hero, but Rick didn’t make it out alive.

THE BRADENS AT PEACEFUL HARBOR are one of the newest additions to the Braden series and the LOVE IN BLOOM family.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**


Book available to buy from ...


Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.



Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.



Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa at The World Literary Cafe or her personal website.Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.

Find the author on the following sites....



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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF Healed by Love***

After their father dies, Rick and Jewel Foster take over responsibility for their mother and younger siblings. Rick later decides to join the service, along with his best friend Nate Braden, leaving Jewel to bear the family responsibility on her own. After Rick is killed by a sniper, Nate feels that it was his fault. Jewel and Nate have secretly crushed on one another forever it seems, but now guilt is a new obstacle between them and one that seems impossible to overcome.


This was such a tearjerker. I would have to put the book down, finish crying, start reading again, and then start crying again. Jewel and Nate’s story was about inner turmoil and guilt, but I think, above all else it was about growth. It took getting past the raw emotions for them to move ahead. I loved how they were finally able to voice their concerns to each other without knowing where it would lead them. 

My review can also be found at:
    AMAZON     BARNES & NOBLE     AMAZON.UK
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Follow the Book Tour

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.




ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES... 


NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!



Five lucky winners will each receive the Taken by Love ebook
Ending on Sunday 26th July at 11.59pm EST
Open Worldwide

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

Monday, June 29, 2015

Bloodline Gypsy Review

Bloodline Gypsy: Jook and Gypsies vol. 1

By Shirley A. Martin


"A supernatural thriller of chilling carnage and haunting beauty, Bloodline Gypsy unearths the origin of a mythical creature that has plagued history since the dark ages. Tracing an inherent line of magic back to Egypt in 981 AD, this dark fantasy reveals the mysterious link between gypsies and werewolves. A yoke that, twelve hundred years later, reveals itself in the form of a birthmark stamped on children born of Louvari descent. 



When Susannah Henika loses her mother in a tragic accident, she moves to a mountain resort town to live with a father she has never known. She soon falls victim to night terrors and an impending sense of dread. She meets a woman in the woods, Madalina Sadrinovic, whose uncanny ways set Susannah ill at ease. Strange and foreboding events follow the arrival of Madalina’s twin brother Luca. A local boy goes missing. The American teenager begins to suspect that somehow - linked to the strange markings on her hand - she may be one of the last remaining humans, genetically predestined to bear the offspring of an altered species her ancestor forged into the world." 

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF BLOODLINE GYPSY***

When Susannah’s mother and grandparents die in a car accident, she goes to live with the father she never knew growing up. She forges a close relationship with her father, as well as her two young brothers. But her new life becomes barely tolerable because of her conniving stepmother who doesn’t approve of her. When she makes friends with Madalina her life starts getting complicated. After she meets Madalina’s brother Luca, her life will never be the same again.


This was full of mystery, conspiracy, secrets, and had all the ingredients needed for an interesting and entertaining read. It had my emotions all over the place. I could relate to Susannah’s strong character. And her scene with Connie had me crying all the way through it. I think the author did a great job conveying the sharpness of the wolves, as well as their soft side. I actually felt fear along with Susannah, and you can bet I’ll think twice now before walking through the woods alone.

My review can also be found at:
    AMAZON     BARNES & NOBLE     GOODREADS
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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.


Buy the book from...

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About the Author

Shirley Martin has lived in the beautiful mountain resort town of Big Bear Lake, California most of her life. She received several local scholarships for her writing endeavors in high school and college.



As far back as Shirley can remember she has been in love with the genre...Scary.



She was as young as five when she was lured out of bed by the misty moors, howlings in the dark, and propheices fortold by ancient gypsy women, wisened to the monsters that lurk just outside the realm of the campfires.


Saturday, June 27, 2015

adidas End of Season Sale


"This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links."







There's still time for you to take advantage of adidas' End of Season Sale! You have until Tuesday, June 30th to take an additional 20% off of sale prices with code EXTRA20 on adidas' products for Men, Women, and Kids. You can find huge savings galore. 





$75.00
$37.99
$25.00
$11.99
$200.00
$161.99
Remember, sale ends June 30th. So, take advantage of this deal while you can.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Personalize Your Wedding With Cricut



**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. 
Want the ability to easily make a personalized wedding gift or perhaps some unique home décor? Then you might find Cricut electronic cutting machines to be the best DIY crafting tool since the sewing machine. 

There are two machines that Cricut currently offers on their site:
Cricut Explore One™ 

Cricut Explore One™ is a simple design-and-cut system. It’s versatile, easy to use, cuts very precisely, and is also incredibly affordable. With its irresistibly low price and limitless cutting potential, the Explore One is perfect for a new or beginning crafter. Here are a few notable features of the Explore One: 

Materials – All Cricut machines can cut an unbelievable variety of materials, for example:

  • Paper
  • Vinyl
  • Iron-on
  • Craft materials
  • Upcycled materials
  • Fabric
  • Plastic
  • Thick materials
Precision - Features Cut Smart™ technology, which allows you to cut a wide range of shapes and sizes with exceptional precision, from ¼" tall up to 11½" wide x 23½" tall. 

Smart Set® Dial - Each machine features a Smart Set® dial, which sets your settings (e.g. speed, pressure, etc.) for you so you don’t have to keep track of them. You just select the material that you're using on the Smart Set® dial and the machine's Cut Smart® technology will deliver a clean, professional cut. 

Images and Fonts - You can upload your own images and fonts for free on all three Cricut cutting machines.

Cartridges - Both machines work with any Cricut cartridge and have the capability to hold all of your cartridges “virtually” in the cloud within your Cricut Design Space online software. So once you’ve loaded a cartridge, you’ll have it everywhere you go. 

Cricut’s Design Space™ and iPad® app - All Cricut Explore machines work hand-in-hand with Cricut’s Design Space™ (for PC, Mac®, iPad®, and iPhone®) that you get access to for free. 




Cricut Explore Air™

The Explore Air is the whole kit ‘n caboodle. It offers all the impressive features mentioned for the Explore One, but two key things set it apart:

  1. It has a dual carriage for cutting and writing or cutting and scoring in one step. If you do a lot of paper crafting, this is the machine for you!
  2. It has built-in Bluetooth® capability. You just use Cricut’s free iPad app and design anything you want from your iPad, just like you would on your home computer, but with the convenience of being able to take your projects with you anywhere. Then, you can just wirelessly send your project from your iPad to your Explore Air to bring it to life.
Now that you know a lot more about how Cricut Explore® machines work, I’ll focus next week’s post on how you can design here, there and everywhere with Cricut Design Space. You’ll be blown away by how easy it is.

Until then … Happy crafting! 

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Seriously by Dale Andrew White

Seriously

By Dale Andrew White


* "Seriously," an excerpt from the short story collection "Return of the Dittos"

- A young man's ambition and his determination to escape his family history take a turn for the hilarious when his past catches up with him...



"White has a wonderful talent for engaging the unexpected, and his quick turns are wild and fun... 'Return of the Dittos' strikes a balance between contemporary and fine-aged humor that can't be found anywhere else and is as refreshing as it is funny." BookReview..com

"... raw, in-your-face humor worthy of Comedy Central." ReaderViews.com

"If you have the type of humor that appreciates the bizarre ad offbeat, and count me in, then you will enjoy 'Return of the Dittos.'" Feathered Quill Book Reviews

PLUS A BONUS SHORT STORY:
* "Lunacy Grounded," an excerpt from the short story collection "Moe Howard Died For Our Sins"
- When Jack Ayers lightened up, he knew he wasn't normal...

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF SERIOUSLY***

B.B. Motley grew up around his family’s unusual career, and it always embarrassed, and humiliated him. So, he knew he had to distance himself, and as an adult he left that life behind. Now as a well-respected lawyer, he is being reviewed for senior partnership. But as his family tracks him down and shows up during the interview, mayhem ensues.


A family of “clowns” is fun and games for a while, but it sounds like it could be overkill pretty fast. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed meeting B.B.’s family, I could see where he would want to hide from them in the real world. It was genius of the author making B.B. stand for Bobo. I thought that was hilarious. This could be a fun and successful theater production. I loved the ending, and I can even see the story continuing with B.B. in the courtroom presenting cases, dressed like Bobo. 

My review can also be found at:
    AMAZON     GOODREADS
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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

More of my Dale Andrew White book reviews:



Buy the book from...

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About the Author


Dale Andrew White

Dale Andrew White is the author of the interview collection "Encounters with Authors" and the short story collections "Moe Howard Died For Our Sins" and "Return of the Dittos," which are available in paperback and on Amazon Kindle. His Kindle books also include "Disaster on the Sunshine Skyway," "'Psycho' Analysis: an interpretation of Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic masterpiece," "A Field Guide to Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds," "Tales of Old Florida" and "A Florida Anthology." White's humorous short stories have appeared in Modern Short Stories, Comic Relief, The MacGuffin, Nuthouse, Beyond Science Fiction & Fantasy and numerous other magazines and journals.




Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Fall Wedding Must Haves


**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Pianist in a Bordello Review

Pianist in a Bordello

By Mike C. Erickson


What would happen if a politician decided to tell the truth—the whole truth? 

Richard Youngblood, aspiring Congressman, is about to find out. He’s running on a platform of honesty and transparency—and against the advice of his friends and advisers he’s decided to start with himself. His autobiography will lay his entire life bare before voters just days before the election. 



And what a life he’s had. Born in a commune and named Richard Milhous Nixon Youngblood as an angry shot at his absent father, Richard grows up in the spotlight, the son of an enigmatic fugitive and the grandson of a Republican senator. He’s kidnapped and rescued, kicked out of college for a prank involving turkeys, arrested in Hawaii while trying to deliver secrets to the CIA…Dick Nixon Youngblood’s ready to tell all. 



He’ll even tell his readers about the Amandas—three women who share a name but not much else, and who each have helped shape and define the man he’s become. 



Are voters really ready for the whole truth? 

Are you? 

Pianist in a Bordello is a hilarious political romp through the last four decades of American history, from a narrator who is full of surprises. 
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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF PIANIST IN A BORDELLO***

Richard Milhous Nixon Youngblood was named after the infamous former President of the United States. He sometimes even used the trademark two hand peace sign. Dickie’s father was always on the run from “the G-man”, but continuously came through at various times when Dickie needed him. When Dickie decides to run for state senator, he wants to show his total honesty to the public by releasing his autobiography that spells out everything he has done, good and bad, legal and illegal. But will it get him elected, or have the opposite effect? There’s only one way to find out.


The hilarity in this book is endless. Dickie’s entire life seems to be a comedy of errors. I loved getting to know these characters and how they filtered through his life. From the seemingly magical appearances of Tri-Y to the stalking Amanda, I laughed the entire way through the book. I would love to read a sequel to this.

My review can also be found at:
    AMAZON     BARNES & NOBLE     GOODREADS
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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.


Buy the book from...

Follow the Author

About the Author

Mike C. Erickson grew up in the idyllic college town of Logan, Utah, but because of a twist of fate he graduated from high school in Honolulu. He left Hawaii brimming with aloha and enrolled at Utah State, where he was awarded two degrees and self-proclaimed minor intellectual status, which was of dubious value when the US Army invited him to vacation in South-East Asia. Ten days after leaving Vietnam, he began decades of dispensing pearls of wisdom as a high school history teacher, academic decathlon coach, and on occasion, as a community college instructor in the Sacramento area. Mike and his wife Trudy, have two grown sons and a grandson to be born soon after this novel is published. When not in Hawaii or another exotic locale, they live in Gold River, California. This is his first novel.