Only You ~ Review and Free eBook

Only You

A Deep Haven Collection Novella #0.5

By Susan May Warren

Ree Zimmerman has always been in love with Seth Turnquist - well since he saved her from the playground bullies when she was seven years old. But he's never seen her - instead he was in love with her BFF Amelia Christensen. When Seth left Deen Haven behind Ree never thought she'd have a chance to win Seth's heart. 

Seth has decided to cut all ties with Deep Haven - sell the house he built, celebrate his grandfather's 80th birthday, and leave the dreams he had behind. It was time to start over - he never expected to reconnect with Ree. But Ree was Amelia's best friend and there could never be anything between them...Or could there? 

If you love books that are about second chances Only You is one you will want to enjoy. But second chances can never happen if you don't take risks. Are Ree and Seth willing to take a chance on love? Can one only have one true love and how do you know who is the one for you? As Ree and Seth try to answer this question all of Deep Haven is watching, after all in a small town everyone knows your name and your secrets.

This book is the prequel from the all-new Deep Haven Collection series that is from Sunrise Publishing.

I got this book free with no expectations - All thoughts expressed are my own.

Want to enjoy this prequel too? 

Well, it is free from Sunrise Publishing and available here for download.

About the Book:

He ran from his broken heart…

Seth Turnquist never thought his heart would mend after being shattered by his former love, Amelia Christiansen. But three years away from Deep Haven fighting fires as a smokejumper have burned her away, leaving fresh soil for a new love. Still, he’s ready to put Deep Haven in his rearview mirror for good, which means selling the custom log home he built for Amelia and walking away from the family business. But what he doesn’t realize is that the seeds for a second chance have already been planted…

She loved him from the sidelines…

Ree Zimmerman couldn’t let herself love Seth—not when he was her best friend’s boyfriend. And after Amelia broke his heart, there simply wasn’t anything left in him for Ree except friendship. But that never stopped Ree from dreaming of a happily ever after with the lumberjack from Deep Haven. When he returns home for his grandfather’s birthday, she’s not about to let him walk away, again…

Return to Deep Haven in this charming homecoming story about the second chances that await us when we let the past go.

Whose Waves These Are ~ Review

Whose Waves These Are
By Amanda Dykes

Whose Waves These Are is a story that is split between times as the reader is introduced to the Bliss family and the complexities of their relationship with each other. Bob and Roy were twins who called Ansel-by-the-Sea, Maine, home - they were as close as two brothers could be until the war drew them apart forever. In the wake of this sorrow, Bob has to come to terms with the grief he feels. But how do you honor the life of someone so dear to you? Bob writes a poem that expresses all that he feels and finds that it touches the hearts around him much like a stone tossed into a pond with ripples that went farther than he had imagined possible.

Nearly 60 years have passed when Ann Bliss receives word that a return to Ansel and the home she knew for a few short months is needed. Worried about what has happened to her Uncle Bob whom she has always lovingly called GrandBob Ann is about to once again become Bob's Annie. 

But while Annie waits to see if her uncle recovers she stumbles over something that has her wondering about her uncle and just why he has boxes of rocks hidden away in his house. There is a mystery here and she is determined to learn the truth behind it. But how do you learn about a past that you should be all rights be aware of? Annie is going to put her skills to the test to uncover the past of her own family a past that has been marred by pain, grief, and misunderstanding. But to overcome her own misgivings about her abilities she'll need the help of those who not only call Ansel home but have best known GrandBob over the years.

This is a lovely read that takes the reader on a journey that goes from 1944 to 2002. The story mainly takes place in Maine and slowly reveals story by story the lives of the Bliss family. I think the first line of the book sets the stage for what is to come - "Every wave in that big old sea is a story." And as these waves break the stories unfold around those who are willing and able to hear the breaking.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper asking readers to send rocks in honor of loved ones to create something life-giving—but the building halts when tragedy strikes. Decades later, Annie returns to the coastal Maine town where stone ruins spark her curiosity and her search for answers faces a battle against time... 

 Free e-Novella
Up From the Sea, a free ebook novella, set in 1920s-era Maine. 


Deep in a New England forest, an ancient tree stands at the center of a tale passed down through generations. So much so, that the residents of Ansel-by-the-Sea, Maine, no longer know what is truth and what is fable. A woman fleeing in the night, rumors of treason, revolution, retribution . . .


When Savannah Mae Thorpe, born and raised near the golden sands of the South, arrives with a version of the story unlike any heard before, she finds herself the unlikely leader of an expedition into the woods to discover the truth. With help from local lumberjack Alastair Bliss, who holds a shadowed past of his own, her search to discover the truth of the Atonement Tree may have unexpected ramifications on her life—and the lives of those around her.

A tale of origins, this novella is a complete story but also tells of the legacy inherited by Robert Bliss, the fisherman-poet hero of the full-length novel, Whose Waves These Are.

Up from the Sea by Amanda Dykes

The Darkest Summer ~ Review with Giveaway and Free E-Book

The Darkest Summer
By Rebecca J. Greenwood

Lady Cora Winfield is expected to marry well and of a man on her mother's approved list of eligible suitors. Unfortunately, most who meet her mother's criteria aren't men who appeal to Cora. When the Duke of Blackdale, Adam Douglas first sees Cora he is drawn to her. But meeting Lady Cora is nigh on impossible with her pre-approved suitors and the constraints of proper society.

But Cora's delight in nature, even when dictates of society suggested other activities would be preferable, could not be doused. And this very passion provides the duke with a means of connecting with the lady who has made such an impression upon him. But can he win the heart of such a lady - one who

When his suit is rejected in a most cruel manner, the Duke of Blakedale determines to capture the lady of his heart. But will Cora agree to be his bride when her desires are not taken into consideration? And her mother is not about to allow her only child to be whisked away against her wishes.

With the weather against them and the certainty of pursuers, Lady Cora is about to go on a journey she never expected and one that will forever alter her. After all, can a lady's reputation remain unblemished when she is soon to become the talk of London society?

This is a summer that no one involved in this dash to Scotland and Gretna Green will ever forget...

This is a delightful story that will enamor fans of Regency fiction. Cora is a character with whom the reader will wish to form a friendship with. And the Duke of Blakedale is one who earns the reader's empathy as he deals with his past. And Cora's mother the Dowager Countess of Winfield, well, what can I say, other than she wants her only child to be very close once she is wed and a Scottish Duke is not to her liking at all.

Sit back with a cup of tea, a cookie or two and enjoy a Regency escape with The Darkest Summer!

I was proovided a review copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.


About The Darkest Summer:

In this riveting retelling of the classic myth of Hades and Persephone, Lady Cora Winfield is captivated when she first meets Adam Douglas, Duke of Blackdale. Despite their attraction, Cora’s mother refuses to allow the duke to marry her. Taking matters into his own hands, the duke abducts his chosen bride and Cora is swept into the adventure of her lifetime. Amidst danger and thrilling uncertainty, Cora must face the reality that she is falling in love with her captor.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Darkest Summer

by Rebecca J. Greenwood

Giveaway ends November 27, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Added bonus prequel is FREE!

The Darkest Hour

A Darkest Season Novella

Rebecca J. Greenwood

Available for free on Instafreebie in exchange for signing up for the author’s mailing list.

https://instafreebie.com/free/5jaYZ

About the Book:

When dutiful Lady Hester Douglas, over thirty and long on the shelf, receives word that her brother Adam, the Duke of Blackdale, has survived the Battle of Waterloo, she abandons propriety and heads to Brussels to be by his side. Her widowed minister, Mr. Alasdair Gilchrist, escorts her on the journey from Scotland into a Europe recovering from years of war.

Once she reaches her injured brother, Hester must fight to keep Adam alive and tightly guard her heart’s deepest secret—she’s been in love with Mr. Gilchrist for years.

Will the pain of being with the minister, the man she loves and can never have, distract her from her purpose? Or will she overcome the barriers of age, rank, and station, and seize the love she’s dreamt of?

The Darkest Hour is a standalone inspirational Regency romance novella and a prequel to The Darkest Summer.

Author bio:

Rebecca J. Greenwood is an author, artist, and designer with a love of stories, especially Regency romances. She grew up in Texas as the oldest of six and studied visual art with a music minor at Brigham Young University. Rebecca lives in Utah with her husband, where she listens to audiobooks, cooks experimentally, has an interest in alternative health, and constantly has a new project in mind. Visit rebeccajgreenwood.com to experience more of her art, writing, and upcoming projects.

Author’s links:

rebeccajgreenwood.com

facebook.com/rebeccajgreenwood

instagram.com/rebeccajgreenwood

pinterest.com/purplerebecca

twitter.com/purplerebecca

Emissary ~ Review

Emissary
Legends of the Realm
By Thomas Locke

Hyam is a young man who has lost everything when his mother dies.  But the truth of what he has lost will not be revealed immediately.  And there is something more - a truth about Hyam that has been kept hidden from him.  A truth that may very well determine whether or not his world will survive or be lost to a powerful enemy that thrives on death.

Called upon by an ancient race to be their voice, Hyam is about to discover all too soon just how powerful this enemy is.  As a result of this encounter Hyam is about to discover new friends and allies in his quest to turn back the evil that has entered the land.

But through it all Hyam is determined to discover who he truly is, but discovery comes with a cost...

But Hyam's is not the only life whose story is brought to light.  For hidden away from the world is Joelle - a young woman whose life is about to intersect with Hyam's destiny.  Joelle is a young woman with an incredible destiny before her if only she can find a way to seize it.  Her chance is coming...

Fans of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis should delight in this new world that is given birth with Emissary. This is a world in which one will want to get lost within the pages.   What has been forgotten must be rediscovered, legends and myths are truths that have been hidden by time.  This is fantasy fiction that is not geared toward the teen/young adult, but rather the adult reader.  That is not to say that the teen/young adult reader won't enjoy this book, because they will.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell through their blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoy Emissary be sure to get the free (at this posting) Legends of the Realm short ~ The Captive from Amazon!


About the Book:
With his twenty-first birthday, Hyam begins a journey that will lead him to his destiny--or his doom.
Hyam has always shown a remarkable ability to master languages, even those left unspoken for a thousand years. But now the shadow of suspicion that was cast upon him as a child prodigy at Long Hall is lengthening, and he must keep his identity hidden--or face annihilation.

As Hyam's mother slips toward death, she implores him to return to Long Hall before he settles down to farm his land. This journey born from duty becomes an impassioned quest for the truth. War is coming swiftly, and Hyam must rely upon his new found powers and the friends he meets along the way in order to unravel the puzzling past and ensure that he--and the realm--will have a future.

In a world where magic has been outlawed for centuries, one young man discovers that he possesses powers beyond his wildest dreams.

But he does not realize how pivotal this gift will be in the days to come.

Except for the healing arts, magicking is a punishable offense in the realm. The only places it is still practiced are the Long Halls scattered throughout the land--isolated haunts of wizards called mages and their long-suffering students.

But hidden rivers of power course deep beneath theearth, and not everyone has obeyed the edict banning magic. Vixens lie in wait on the Galwyn road. A mysterious race of telepaths comes and goes invisibly. It is even rumored that Elves still hide among the wizened trees. And somewhere beyond the badlands, a growing menace threatens the hard-won peace of the realm.

This young man could stem the ominous tide . . . but only by turning away from everyone and everything he has ever known. And facing dangers he cannot fathom.


Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, the award-winning novelist with total worldwide sales of seven million copies. His work has been published in twenty languages, and critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. He divides his time between Oxford and Florida and holds a lifelong passion for speculative stories. Davis's screenplay adaptation of Emissary is currently under development as a feature film with a British production company. Learn more at www.tlocke.com.

The Christmas Cake ~ Review

The Christmas Cake 
The Holiday Collection Book 2
by Joyce Swann 

The Christmas Cake is a moving story.  And there is a lot of story in the 43 pages.  Michelle has been making a special cake for Christmas for the past 10 years.  But this is an unremarkable looking cake.  It's not the kind that win awards, at least not until you take a bite of it.

This year the Christmas Cake allows Michelle and her mother to connect in a meaningful way.  And for some reason Michelle feels the need to share an important truth about this cake with her mother.  Because of the Christmas Cake Michelle finds peace, peace that she has sought for years.

And as an added treat the recipe for Christmas Cake is included at the end of this book!

And you can get it free through Amazon (Kindle) until December 1, 2014.

The Colony ~ Book Blast with Giveaway

The Colony
 by Cami Checketts

To protect her sons from the mistakes of her past, Brinlee Trapper escapes to a secluded mountain home. But there are dangers lurking in the mountains she has never encountered. The little family is saved from injury by Jed, a mysterious hunter. Brinlee is drawn to him, but she worries about his involvement with a peaceful commune hidden deep in the mountains behind her property. Lance, Brinlee’s attentive neighbor, has his own troubled history. Between his obvious attraction to Brinlee and his developing love for her children, Brinlee finds it more than difficult to guard her heart against this tender intrusion. While Jed offers a life of excitement and freedom, Lance holds the key to the family Brinlee always wanted. When it comes time to choose, she learns that both men have secrets that could shatter her fledgling trust in men and the wrong decision could leave more than her heart exposed to danger.  

Praise "Cami Checketts is a genius! She writes about topics that aren't widely discussed, in and out of books, and she does such a brilliant job of crafting these things into wonderful stories that touch your heart and remain with you for days afterwards." ~Myra, Reviewer, Pieces of Whimsy

Grab your copy for just $2.99!

Tour Schedule

Download a FREE copy of The Broken Path by Cami Checketts!

From January 7th to 11th The Broken Path is available for FREE on Amazon.

Download your FREE Kindle copy of The Broken Path today!

Author Cami Checketts
Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of four future WWF champions. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and reading Bernstein Bears, she gets the chance to write fiction. Cami graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Exercise Science. Cami teaches strength training classes at her local rec and shares healthy living tips on her fitness blog: http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com. Cami and her family live in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah. During the two months of the year it isn’t snowing, she enjoys swimming, biking, running, and water-skiing.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Fitness Blog

   

  BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

Ends 1/31/14 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, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

CSFF August Blog Tour ~ A Cast of Stones Day 1

A Cast of Stones
The Staff and The Sword Book 1
By Patrick W. Carr

A Cast of Stones is Errol Stone's story.  It opens with a young man who is a drunk and has been since he was 14 years old.  A tragic lost destroyed him and his image of himself and he turned to ale.  But when a simple task of delivering a message turns into a life and death struggle Errol's life is about to change forever.

In a series of events that threaten to end his life early Errol manages to survive.  But the question top-most on the minds of those most closely related to this lost young man is why would anyone be targeting him. Of what importance is Errol Stone an orphan with no skills but drinking ale?

But each experience strengthens Errol and allows him to grow as a person.  But this is how all experiences in our lives should be - moments of trial should allow us to grow, to be refined.  A Cast of Stones actually brought to mind two songs The Refiner's Fire and the following lines:

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from my sin

Deep within

The second song is Find Us Faithful and the following lines:

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

A Cast of Stones is a fantastic series debut and it left me wanting to read book 2 The Hero's Lot which I can happily say I am doing.  Come back tomorrow for more CSFF Blog Tour insights.


I was provided a copy of A Cast of Stones in exchange for my honest review and for this blog tour.

Get a free eBook of A Cast of Stones here until August 31st!

Be sure to check out all the tour participants who will be posting throughout the 3 day (Aug 26-28) CSFF Blog Tour!

Julie Bihn   Jennifer Bogart   Keanan Brand   Beckie Burnham 

Jeff Chapman   Laure Covert   Pauline Creeden   Emma or Audrey Engel 

April Erwin   Nikole Hahn   Jason Joyner   Carol Keen 

Krystine Kercher   Shannon McDermott   Meagan @ Blooming with Books 

Rebecca LuElla Miller   Writer Rani   Nathan Reimer   Chawna Schroeder 

Jojo Sutis   Steve Trower   Phyllis Wheeler   Rachel Wyant

You can buy the first 2 books of The Staff and The Sword series at the following 

A Cast of Stones    The Hero’s Lot 

Be sure to check-out author Patrick Carr's Website 

Free eBook Opportunity until 7.14.12

 International intrigue sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Free eBook through July 14, 2012.
Arctic Wargame by Ethan Jones a thriller to capture your attention on a HOT summer afternoon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084FH6M8