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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 161 - The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger by Victoria Alexander, Dangerously Divine by Deborah Blake, The Rule of Luck by Catherine Cerveny

The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger (The Lady Travelers Society, #2)The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger by Victoria Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fun romp that is a travelog as well as a romance. The book takes place in various locations in Europe and the info about each adds to the feel of the story. The relationship between Lady Wilhelmina Bascombe and Dante Augustus Montague' is a train wreck just waiting to happen so when it does it is no surprise. However how they still work together helps and in the end both realize what is the most important thing and what is not as important as it seemed at first. A nice addition to the series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Dangerously Divine (Broken Riders, #2)Dangerously Divine by Deborah Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book two in the Broken Riders series. That series is a spin off from the Baba Yaga series. I have not read any of the previous books and at times I did feel like I was missing some background. Even so I had no trouble keep up with the characters and the story line. I liked the two main characters. Gregory Sun is the ultimate strong and silent type. In his case that is not a strength. Ciera Evans has a very big secret in her past and she keeps to herself to protect that secret. The two keep trying to protect themselves by keeping apart. Does not work that well. I enjoyed the world building, backstory and plot. A very interesting romance mixed with a lot of danger and tension.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


The Rule of LuckThe Rule of Luck by Catherine Cerveny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Felicia Savigny can read the future using her cards. Alexei Petriv plans to bring change to the world. Oh! This is the world of 2950 - a world left over and made over after sweeping changes to the planet. The world building here is top rate, the back story well covered and believable, and the plot tension filled and exciting. Cerveny has created a future and story line that starts off with a bang and does not let up on the tension until the last page. A cannot put down story.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The Christmas Carriage and Other Writing of the Holiday Season - Blurb Blitz and Giveaway


The Christmas Carriage and Other Writings of the Holiday Season
by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

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GENRE:   Collection of short stories, memoirs, essays, and poetry

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BLURB:

​To celebrate holiday reading, author Alice Jane-Marie Massa invites you to join her on a snowy, imaginary carriage ride featuring her holiday memoirs, short stories, essays, and poetry from her book, THE CHRISTMAS CARRIAGE AND OTHER WRITINGS OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

​Spanning from Thanksgiving through the new year, this collection includes her remembrances of Hoosier holidays in the 1950s and 1960s.  "The Christmas Carriage" (set in Milwaukee) and "The Puppies of New Year's Eve," along with stories about a military family, two holiday weddings, and a homeless person will warm your heart this winter.  From "Zoe's Christmas Eve" to "Snow Dancers," Alice's poetry provides merry and memorable reading for both adults and children.

​With a beautifully festive cover, this book is one you will want to wrap as a holiday gift, as well as a book that you will want to keep beside your chair while you settle into the sparkle and joy of this holiday season.

​For additional information about ordering this 101-page book in either print, electronic, audio, or braille versions, please visit the author's web page:
http://www.dldbooks.com/alicemassa/

​Alice also invites you to visit her weekly blog:
http://alice13wordwalk.wordpress.com


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EXCERPT

For at least three decades, Mrs. Nevando's Christmas wish was to have a carriage ride through the city on Christmas Eve.  She never mentioned this wish to her husband:  the idea seemed all too frivolous.  Twelve years ago, when she sat beside  his hospital bed, Mrs. Nevando dozed periodically and dreamed of a Christmas carriage ride.  Each of the past twelve Christmases that she endured with the memories of her deceased, beloved husband, the 74-year-old woman still entertained the thought of  a carriage ride, but then routinely dismissed the notion.  "An old woman riding in a carriage alone on Christmas Eve!  What would people think?" she often found herself wondering aloud--well, in an audible whisper.

In mid-December, Mrs. Nevando was in her usual mode of declining all holiday invitations although she was not receiving as many as she had in earlier years.  One son was somewhere in Europe, and the other son was on the East Coast.  Of course, they knew their mother was a Midwestern girl--old girl--who did not care to join the masses at airports during any holiday season.  After she wrote e-mails to both sons and a few other family members, Mrs. Nevando found herself exploring the website for the city carriage rides.  Although she read that carriage rides were available on Christmas Eve, the cost was too expensive for her taste.  Nevertheless, she reasoned that one carriage ride was certainly way less money than an airline ticket to Italy or even to Boston. 


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Although Alice Jane-Marie Massa has lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for over 25 years, growing up in the rural Indiana town of Blanford (with a population of approximately 400) influenced the subject matter and style of her writing. After earning master's degrees from Indiana State University and Western Michigan University, Alice, still a Hoosier at heart, taught for 25 years, including 14 years of teaching writing and public speaking at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Having retired from teaching English and grading stacks of student papers, she now focuses on her own writing.

Alice invites you to visit her blog
where, since January of 2013, she has posted weekly her poetry, essays, memoirs, or short stories. Her writings on Wordwalk frequently focus on her Indiana hometown of Blanford, her four guide dogs, her Italian ancestors, and writing. Additionally, some of her writing pieces have been published in Indiana Voice Journal, Magnets and Ladders, Dialogue, Newsreel, and The ACB Braille Forum, as well as in the anthology Behind Our Eyes: A Second Look.
Away from her desk, Alice enjoys reading, container gardening, and the television program Jeopardy. Since March 21, 1990, Alice's guide dogs have added sparkle, spirit, and independence to her life. Currently, most of all, she is grateful for her long walks with her fourth Leader Dog, Willow (a black Labrador), who is following very well in the amazing pawprints of Alice's beloved first three Leader Dogs—Keller (a Golden Retriever), Heather (a Yellow Labrador), and Zoe (a Black Lab/Golden Retriever mix).

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Alice Jane-Marie Massa will be awarding a $20.00 Panera Gift Card (US only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other Blogs on the tour.

November 20Christine Young
November 21Queen of All She Reads
November 22Books, Dreams,Life
November 22Straight From the Library
November 24Sharing Links and Wisdom
November 27Mello and June, It's a Book Thang!
November 28Fabulous and Brunette
November 29Mixed Book Bag
November 30This and That Book Blog
December 1Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
December 4Readeropolis
December 5Locks, Hooks and Books
December 6Independent Authors
December 7Musings From An Addicted Reader
December 8Welcome to My World of Dreams

Monday, November 27, 2017

The White Lady by Beth Trissel - Blurb Blast and Giveaway




The White Lady
by Beth Trissel

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GENRE:   Ghostly Holiday Time Travel Romance

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BLURB:

Avery Dunham has always been ready to follow her friend, time-traveling wizard, Ignus Burke, on incredible adventures. This time, though, she has serious misgivings. It's just one week before Christmas, but she cannot get him to change his mind. The usually cool and collected magic-wielding leader is wholly obsessed by the portrait of the White Lady whom he is bent on rescuing.

Almost as soon as they begin their journey, it becomes clear their mission is a trap.

Avery was right: this adventure is not going to be like any other.


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EXCERPT

Avery had a few queries on the tip of her tongue, like, “Are you out of your freaking skull?”

If she didn’t ask, Stan probably would. They’d graduated from high school this past June and worked part-time ‘nothing’ jobs, taking a break before college while finding their way, as Avery’s mother put it. Mostly, they were drawn to Ignus like moths to a flame, especially Avery. Not that he noticed.

If only he’d look at her the way he did the white lady. More and more, the portrait seemed to dominate his thoughts. How could a petite, okay short, girl in a sparkly pink sweater and unicorn leggings compete with this tantalizing beauty?

Avery wasn’t plain, some even referred to her as cute, but exotic didn’t describe her. Quirky, sure. She wouldn’t term her brown eyes deeply affecting, and her face wouldn’t compel men through centuries to her side. The best she could do was plead with him.

“Ignus, be reasonable. Please.”

No reply. He wore his stubborn look. Crossing his arms over a lean chest, he tilted his head to better view the femme fatale on the wall above them.

The tousled brown hair covering his ears and forehead needed a trim. In his red Zombie Preparedness hoodie with a white rescue logo, gray dress pants, and white high-topped sneakers, he was the quintessential nerd. Most importantly, he was a wizard and time traveler with a passion for rescuing lost souls. His fervor for this particular lady was alarming.


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my people and furbabies. An avid gardener, I grow herbs and heirloom flowers and use them in my stories. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the Scots-Irish are at the heart of my inspiration. My English/Scots-Irish ancestors were among the earliest settlers in America. I write historical romance set in the colonial frontier (The Native American Warrior Series), and the American Revolution (The Traitor's Legacy Series), colonial American Christmas romance (A Warrior for Christmas) Georgian England romance (Into the Lion's Heart, the time and place of Poldark). Some of my historicals have ghosts and paranormal in them. I also write Young Adult shapeshifter, fantasy romance (The Secret Warrior Series), and New Adult paranormal time travel, time slip romance to the Scottish Highlands, the American Revolution, the Civil War, WW1.. (My Somewhere in Time and Ladies in Time Series.)


And in eBook from all major online booksellers.

Author Beth Trissel’s Social Links:

Blog--One Writer’s Way: https://bethtrissel.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page where all my books reside:


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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Beth Trissel will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other blogs on the tour:

November 13Romance Novel Giveaways
November 14Christine Young
November 15Punya Reviews...
November 16Sharing Links and Wisdom
November 17Fabulous and Brunette
November 20BooksChatter
November 21Mello and June, It's a Book Thang!
November 22Up 'Til Dawn Book Blog
November 22Long and Short Reviews
November 24Straight From the Library
November 27Mixed Book Bag
November 28Rachel Brimble Romance
November 29The Avid Reader
November 29Just Books
November 30Locks, Hooks and Books - review
December 1Readeropolis
December 4Harlie's Books
December 5Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews - review
December 6Kit 'N Kabookle
December 6Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
December 7Jazzy Book Reviews
December 8It's Raining Books

Friday, November 24, 2017

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 160 - The Bad Girl and the Baby by Nina Croft, Cowboy's Legacy by B.J. Daniels, A Very Merry Princess by Susan Mallery

The Bad Girl and the Baby (Cutting Loose)The Bad Girl and the Baby by Nina Croft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have not read the first two books in this series but that did not matter. The Bad Girl and the Baby had no problem as a stand-alone. I loved Darcy Butler. She knew who and what she was and understood that people had a very different picture because of the three years she spent in prison. Her one regret - that prison time is keeping her from seeing her niece LuLu. Captain Matt Peterson is raising his and her niece and is determined to keep Darcy away. I liked how Matt slowly came to terms with what happened LuLu's parents and to accept that Darcy was very different from the picture he was carrying around. There is a great mix of family drama and romance that kept me reading. A interesting twist as usually it is the male who has the bad person role. It was fun seeing the switch with a bad girl and not a bad boy.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Cowboy's Legacy (Cahill Ranch #3)Cowboy's Legacy by B.J. Daniels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Maggie disappears everyone thinks they know who took her. Seems they should have been looking in another direction. Sheriff Flint Cahill is looking forward to asking Maggie to marry him when she disappears. The story goes in several direction and we get to visit again with Frank and Lottie. They are now PI's and help unravel the complex story line. Even as I suspected from the first that someone unknown had kidnapped Maggie I did not see the connection to another mystery. As always there is a look at another pair who have been a part of this series. There are still three unmarried Cahill bothers so time will tell if that pair make it. As always from B.J. Daniels the mystery in interesting, the romance good and the characters well developed. All wrapped up in a very complex plot.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

  A Very Merry PrincessA Very Merry Princess by Susan Mallery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beth Archer is not who she says she is and that is going to cause a lot of trouble for her and for Cade Saunders. Seems the have a lot in common as long as she is plain Beth and not Princess Bethany. Beth is a horse person and is Cade and the horse has a big role as does the barn cat. The two humans flirt a lot, try to take it easy, and in the end almost come to a complete split over something that turns out to be very unimportant. A nice addition to the series and a chance to visit with character from previous novels in the series.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Creating Places by Randy Ellefson - Blurb Biltz and Giveaway




Creating Places
by Randy Ellefson

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GENRE:   Non-fiction

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BLURB:

Creating a unique, immersive setting one place at a time.

CREATING PLACES (THE ART OF WORLD BUILDING, #2) is a detailed how-to guide on inventing the heart of every imaginary world - places. It includes chapters on inventing planets, moons, continents, mountains, forests, deserts, bodies of water, sovereign powers, settlements, and interesting locales. Extensive, culled research on each is provided to inform your world building decisions and understand the impact on craft, story, and audience. You’ll also learn how and when to create history and maps. Experts and beginners alike will benefit from the free templates that make building worlds easier, quicker, and more fun.

Learn the difference between types of monarchies, democracies, dictatorships and more for realistic variety and believable conflict. Understand how latitude, prevailing winds, and mountains affect climate, rainfall, and what types of forests and deserts will exist in each location. Consistently calculate how long it takes to travel by horse, wagon, sailing vessels, or even dragon over different terrain types and conditions.

CREATING PLACES is the second volume in THE ART OF WORLD BUILDING, the only multi-volume series of its kind. Three times the length, depth, and breadth of other guides, the series can help fantasy and science fiction creators determine how much to build and why, how to use world building in your work, and whether the effort to create places will reap rewards for you and your audience.


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EXCERPT

Our invented planet is unlikely to be the only one orbiting its sun. This section discusses others within a solar system.

In SF, interstellar travel is virtually a given, whether that’s within a solar system or between systems and galaxies. In fantasy, other planets are seldom mentioned unless there’s an event of some significance like a conjunction of moons, stars, the sun, and planets. This might be an oversight, for magic or other supernatural means could allow characters to move between worlds (and moons). If a magic portal can get people from one place to another, the difference between traversing two sides of a planet and between two planets with magic might be negligible for all we know. It could take tremendous power from a wizard or we can decide the ability has become commonplace. Perhaps magical doorways have been created, the magic imbued within them so that ordinary people can use them, just like a technology. We could similarly have magic-powered spacecraft.

When inventing other planets in a system, we should have rocky planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars closer to the sun, and gas giants farther away; temperatures are too high for gas planets to form close to the sun. Saturn isn’t the only planet in our system that has rings; they are just more pronounced, so don’t be afraid to do this.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Randy Ellefson has written fantasy fiction since his teens and is an avid world builder, having spent three decades creating Llurien, which has its own website. He has a Bachelor’s of Music in classical guitar but has always been more of a rocker, having released several albums and earned endorsements from music companies. He’s a professional software developer and runs a consulting firm in the Washington D.C. suburbs. He loves spending time with his son and daughter when not writing, making music, or playing golf.
Creating Places universal buy link: http://www.books2read.com/creatingplaces 
The Art of World Building Podcast http://www.artofworldbuilding.com/podcast (launching a week before the tour)
The Art of World Building Website: http://www.ArtofWorldBuilding.com
NOTE: The book series has a new podcast where even more details are discussed. This podcast is free to listen! Follow along here: http://www.artofworldbuilding.com/podcast

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Randy Ellefson will be awarding an ultimate world builder's package to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter for a chance to win an ultimate world builder's giveaway






Be sure to visit the other blogs on the tour:

November 13The Reading Addict
November 14This and That Book Blog
November 15Edgar's Books
November 15Rogue's Angels 
November 16The Avid Reader
November 17Author C.A.Milson
November 20T's Stuff
November 20Lily Iona MacKenzie's Blog for Writers and Readers
November 21Fabulous and Brunette
November 22Mixed Book Bag
November 22Welcome to My World of Dreams
November 24Locks, Hooks and Books
November 27Independent Authors
November 28Readeropolis
November 29Kit 'N Kabookle
November 29Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
November 30Mello and June, It's a Book Thang!
December 1It's Raining Books