The Inventor's Secret

I was first introduced to Mr. Morris's writing when I read the third book in this wonderful trilogy. Naturally, I wanted to go back to the beginning to see where and how this marvelous tale started and get to know the characters from the start.

I adore Abby. So many of us are Abbys in a sea of Dericks and Jacquelines. We all feel left out, not good enough, not smart enough, not fast enough, etc. But, as Abby's grandfather (another adorable character) points out, Abby has heart and that often proves more valuable than genius and many other desirable qualities found in the student body at Cragbridge Hall. Her character arc is the greatest.

The adventure/mystery is quite thrilling. Set in the future, it's reminiscent of X-men to me. The Bridge, the avatars, The Chair, all help to create a different reality. There is inventive technology, secrets, and the importance of going through trials on behalf of the ones we love. There are excellent lessons here for children, tweens, teens, and adults. Don't miss them or the excellent retelling of history and portrayal of historical figures.

In fact, I have my own children reading them. Hopefully the lessons sink in along with the adventure. They are tearing through them at rapid speed and thankfully I have all three books at the ready. They can't put them down!

Some violence and use of guns for the parents out there. Nothing they haven't seen in a live action Disney film or Star Wars.

On to the next one!

Amazon

Abby and Derick have been accepted to the most prestigious secondary school in the world Cragbridge Hall. Due to the inventions of their grandfather, Oscar Cragbridge, they will be able to experience history in 3D, use their minds to literally project visual interpretations of classic literature, and become animal avatars for zoology. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, Abby and Derick must follow clues Oscar left for them that will reveal a dangerous secret. Along the way, they discover there is much more to one of their grandfather s inventions than anyone has ever dreamed. Saving their family will take all of Derick s mind and Abby s heart as they come face to face with a crazed scientist who desperately seeks to change the past. If they fail, the world past and future will never be the same. This book is a page-turning, time-travel adventure that teaches powerful lessons about choice and consequence, believing you can do hard things, and valuing your history.

Diamond Rings are Deadly Things

This book is the first in the Wedding Planner Mystery Series by Rachelle Christensen.

Overall, I liked the book. Adri, Lorea, Luke, and all the cast are well designed, well crafted, and well executed. Sylvia is a pill and a half, intentionally so. Love characters like that.

Everyone loves a wedding planner, so that aspect brings lots of fun to this suspense. I appreciated the inclusion of the DIY crafts, though I would never attempt them as I'm not a crafty girl.

My only wish was that Adri had figured out who was behind what before I did.

Looking forward to reading the next book and seeing how things turn out.

Amazon

Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she's especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri's world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri's impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success—until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. Adri must race to uncover the secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before she becomes the next victim. 
With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things will keep you turning pages long into the night. 

On the Corner of Heartache & Love Cover Reveal!

On the Corner of Heartache & Love

Cover Reveal!

Coming September 2016!

About the Book

After three years, Maren Summers is elated to finally have her dream wedding to her dream man, Kevin Bryant. In her sights is the promotion to Weddings she’s worked so hard for at the newspaper. Happily ever after is within her grasp…

Until Kevin jilts her at the altar, elopes with another woman, and becomes her boss. Devastated by the twisted turn of events Maren moves in with her best friend and notices the not-so-homeless guy on the corner, Zane Whitfield. As his heart-wrenching tale unfolds—his vow to wait a year on the corner for his lost love—Maren sees his compassionate human-interest story as her ticket away from 

Kevin, weddings, and her heartache.

But as the New Year approaches, is Maren headed for heartache again when Zane's lost love returns or has time changed more than one heart?

About the Author

Lisa Swinton caught the romance buy early by way of fairy tales and hasn’t been able to cure it yet. She feeds her addiction with romance novels, films, and chocolate. A doctor’s wife and busy mom of two, she enjoys putting her musical theater degree to use at church and in community theater. She enjoys researching her family tree, painting her house, and baking. She loves to travel and all things Jane Austen. In her next life she’d like to be a professional organizer.

You can visit her at:

http://www.lisaswinton.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaSwinton

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HXNXDCO

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7796962.Lisa_Swinton

Cupcakes & Cowboys

With a novella format the romance must move at a faster pace while maintaining believability.

Well done, Ms. Armstrong!

The characters are fully developed, the conflicts and stakes set, and the emotions come pouring off the page. I rooted for both MC's from page one and enjoyed reading the story from both their perspectives. A delightful sweet and clean romance. 

One on page villain, one off page. A loving family. Great scenery. Makes me want to learn to ride a horse and go visit Oklahoma.

Cowboy hat off to Ms. Armstrong. And now I need a cupcake!

The first link is for the available anthology including this tale.
Amazon

The second link is to preorder the novella as a standalone book.
Amazon

Lights, Cowboy, Action by Cindi Madsen: Kaia Bardot is determined to move out from under her famous father’s shadow and prove she deserves her own director title, but when her lead actor needs cowboy lessons, she hires the cowboy who owns the ranch to help. Grady Langston wants nothing to do with the movie, but despite being opposites, there’s definitely a spark between him and Kaia. But how do a Hollywood director and small town cowboy manage a real life happy ending? 

Southern Kicks by Cassie Mae: Daisha’s determined to be the good country wife after a sudden passing of her father-in-law leaves her with a ranch to manage with her husband. Every day Austin’s worried he’s letting his wife down by taking her away from all the things she’s loved. When nothing on the new ranch goes quite right, the newly married couple struggles to remember all that they’ve promised each other. But with the help of a temperamental horse, fabulous shoes, and a pile of manure… anything’s possible. 

Holden's Heart by Kelli Ann Morgan: Olivia Blake arrives at Silver Springs ready to escape a failed relationship and an unwanted admirer, so when an innocent kiss puts those around her in jeopardy, she must decide what’s more dangerous--face the threat alone or take another chance on love. Kane doesn’t want to see his homestead turned into a retreat destination for romance reading fangirls, so he devises a plan to get rid of the city-slicking novelist coming to tour, but after one glimpse at love’s possibilities, he must decide if his pride is worth losing the woman who’s opened his heart. 

Ranch Hand for Auction by Kimberly Krey: Meg has left her Montana home, earned her bachelor’s degree, and lived out her dream of selling her art. But now her life is in limbo. Stay in Colorado with a man who won’t commit, or call it quits and move back to her home state. Her answer comes in the form of Jake Billings, a woman-courting, dimple-sporting cowboy her father bids on at the county fair. The auctioned ranch hand is meant to help Meg process grapes on her father’s land, but along the way he steals her heart. Can Meg trust this sudden shift in direction, or will she be drawn back to the man she left behind? 

Cupcakes and Cowboys by Lindzee Armstrong: Cassidy wants two things—to make her cupcake shop a success, and to forget that her fiancé who traded her for the lights of Hollywood. When Jase—best friend of her ex and A-list actor—shows up at the ranch to research an upcoming role, forgetting is the last thing she can do. Can Jase convince her he’s really a country boy at heart? 

Chasing Kisses by Jolene Betty Perry: With graduate school starting in the fall, Chelsea Noble is finally spending some much needed relaxing time on her dad’s ranch. She can’t wait to see her good friend, Bradley, and maybe finally get a shot at his older brother, Clayton. But when Clayton isn’t quite as great as she remembered, and Bradley’s more grown up than she realized…Chelsea’s relaxing summer is suddenly much more interesting than she bargained for. 

Sixth Street Love Affair by Liz Isaacson: After losing his wife a few years back, Garth Ahlstrom thinks he's ready for a second chance at love. But Juliette Thompson has a secret that could destroy their budding relationship. Can they find the strength, patience, and faith to make things work? 

Chronicles of the Half-Emrys Book #3 Master of Time

This is the perfect ending to the excellent high fantasy trilogy by Lisa Rector.

She knows her world, her characters, their motivations, and how to deliver description and emotion to a masterful degree. I cannot give enough high praise for this set of books.

The characters flaws and hearts are revealed layer by layer drawing you to them and through the storyline. I equally rooted for Meuric and Catrin. Not to mention how much I wanted them to be together by the end!

Look for fun side characters and humorous moments to break up the tension.

All loose ends are tied in a pleasing way. No spoilers here.

I loathe when authors don't take the time to wrap up properly! It makes me want to throw the book at the wall!

At the conclusion of this novel, I wanted to start the series over again!

Amazon

Time is only one enemy. 

A malicious shadow trails Catrin and Meuric after they find themselves shoved backwards through time. As a wielder of darkness, only Meuric knows the enormity of the evil that wants to claim Catrin, a pure Daughter of Light. Though they are two immortal enemies thrown together, Meuric and Catrin band together, searching for the way home. 

As time forces Meuric to relive a tortured past and face his fears, Catrin’s health rapidly declines from a prior injury. Meuric confronts reality—his long-ignored light could save her but using it will diminish his dark power, hindering his ability to pass through the ether to their own time. Returning home has just become the least of his problems . . . if there’s a way home at all. 

Master of Time, a paranormal romantic fantasy, is the third book in the Chronicles of the Half-Emrys. This novel is best enjoyed after reading the second book because it picks up with Meuric's story-line, right before the final conflict in book two, The Two Masters.

Red Rain Blog Tour

Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005K21VU6

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/qIRzWBzeDQw

Good morning, Ladies and Gents! Welcome aboard Flight 74 heading for the Red Planet, Mars. Please strap on your seat belts because this promises to be one wild ride. We've got free books galore, three fun giveaways, author interviews, and more. Let's get this adventure started!

About the Book

17-year-old Philadelphia has been imprisoned most of her life because of her Christian beliefs. When her father is sent to Mars against his will to work on a mysterious science project and a benevolent official allows her to accompany him, Philadelphia knows she must keep her head down or be sent back to prison on Earth. But when she stumbles into the wrong hallway and accidentally learns too much, Philadelphia is faced with a question she doesn’t want to answer: the choice between returning to Earth—or destroying it.

Free Offers

Aubrey is such a generous gal. She's not only offering Red Rain for free this week, but if you sign up for her newsletter, you can also get the prequel short story for free! What are you waiting for?

About the Author

Aubrey Hansen is a pink-haired, caffeine-fueled twenty-something. She's a writer (obviously), barista, dog trainer, and the co-founder of Penoaks Publishing. She shares her house in Kansas City with three cats, a pit bull, a snake, a ferret, and a husband.

What Reviewers are Saying

“ One day while I was busy mindlessly entering data into the computer at work, I put on my head phones and started listening to the book. I was hooked from the first few sentences. In fact, I stayed up late when I got home (even though I had to get up early the next morning) to finish the book.” -Amazon Reviewer “ With solid craft and poignant world building, Aubrey Hansen has outlined a future both horrifying and realistic. I appreciated Hansen's character building skills.” -Amazon Reviewer “ I loved this book! I didn't realize it was a short novella, and I wished it would have been longer.” -Goodreads Reviewer “ The story was fascinating. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but everything came together in the end and it made sense.” -Goodreads Reviewer

Giveaway

Aubrey is offering three paperback copies of her book, Red Rain. This book will have the new cover on it. And the grand prize offering will also have the paperback of
Faith Blum's book, Heaven's Jubilee, a Christian futuristic collection of short stories. To enter the giveaway, please fill out this Google form (you do not need a Google account to enter). The only required entries are your name and email address, but the more you do, the more chances you have to win.

Excerpt

 

Tour Schedule

June 2
Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Introduction and Excerpt
Laurel’s Leaves-Author Interview
Frances Hoelsema-Excerpt
Aubrey Hansen, Author and Screenwriter-Excerpt
Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-Book Spotlight
The Overactive imagination-Book Spotlight

June 3
Grace Pennington-Excerpt
Gabriellyn-Excerpt and Author Interview
Joyful Peacock-Author Interview

June 4
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima-Excerpt
Another OtherWorld-Character Interview with Philadelphia
Jaye L. Knight-Excerpt

June 5 Mary’s Writing World-Book Spotlight
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae-Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano’s Words-Excerpt and Author Interview
June 6
Tale Weaver-Author Interview
Lisa Swinton Queen of Random-Book Spotlight
Irly Scribblings of David J Hartung-Excerpt

June 7
Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Wrap-up and Giveaway Announcement

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

This is the second time I've read this book. Thank you book clubs.

I reread it so I could remember what I'd forgotten, which pretty much turned out to be everything from the first time. All I remember was that I'd enjoyed the read.

Second time around is a charm.

I love the way the story is told through letters and revolves around Juliet. She is my kind of gal. I enjoy watching her fall in love with this society, the island, and, ultimately, the love of her life.

It brings to light an overlooked part of the world that suffered during WWII. While bringing the tragedies to heartfelt life, the story perpetually offers hope.

A thoroughly delightful read. Well researched. Well told. The characters are fully developed. The writing clean. The themes it explores could take a book club weeks to discuss.

If it comes up in book club again, I'll gladly read it a third time.

Amazon

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.