The Bluebird Bet(Welcome to Tall Pines #2)
Cheryl Harper
Adult Contemporary Romance
March 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming
Winning isn’t everything…
To other people Dr. Elaine Watson never loses. Period. So she won’t miss out on a chance to restore the Bluebird Bed-and-Breakfast. The owner’s son, Dean Collins, seems just as determined as she is. A famous photojournalist, he hasn’t been home in years, so why does he want to turn the Bluebird, a charming old B and B, into a fishing camp?
With just a few weeks to create the winning plan, Elaine has no choice but to spend time with the guy. She’s drawn to the handsome, wounded man, but being with Dean would mean giving up the future she’s been dreaming of… And Dr. Elaine Watson never gives up.
Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Harlequin
You Don’t Have to Choose, The Bluebird Bet
Elaine Watson had handled a lot of disapproval from her parents for being too serious, too driven, too scientific growing up. Now, she has a job she loves because of all that study. What’s surprising is that she can do more with that passion than prescribe antibiotics. She can encourage other girls like herself.
When you were a girl, what career did you dream of?
Excerpt
“I really like your tights, Hailey. Did you wear those to impress me?” They were striped with all the colors of the rainbow. Elaine looked at her pale green scrubs and wished for more color of her own.
“I like rainbows. Did you know you can only see a rainbow if you’re standing with your back to the sun?” Hailey nodded her head to add extra weight to her delivery. “It’s true.”
“Of course. Did you know that rainbows are made from light bouncing off raindrops?” Elaine answered.
Hailey rolled her eyes again, and Elaine knew she had to up her game.
“Uh, yeah. Did you know double rainbows are caused when light is reflected twice? And you can have even three or four rainbows together, although I’ve never seen one of those.” Hailey looked a little brokenhearted at the confession.
Elaine glanced at her mother and then back to Hailey. Obviously, the girl loved science. Hailey might be Elaine a couple of decades ago.
Her mother waved a hand, a slightly rueful smile on her face. “Unless you want to do this all day, I’d move on, Dr. Watson. I keep hoping she’ll grow out of it, start asking for makeup and pop music.”
That was another reminder of the young Elaine—a mother who wanted her to be something she wasn’t.
“Maybe she’ll be a doctor someday,” Elaine said.
Hailey straightened her shoulders and smoothed down her skirt again. “I’m going to be the president someday.”
Elaine studied her face. “Maybe you could be both.”
Hailey brightened as if the idea of choosing had been a real problem.
Back Cover Copy
Winning isn’t everything…to other people
Dr. Elaine Watson never loses. Period. So she won’t miss out on a chance to restore the Bluebird Bed-and-Breakfast. The owner’s son, Dean Collins, seems just as determined as she is. A famous photojournalist, he hasn’t been home in years, so why does he want to turn the Bluebird, a charming old B and B, into a fishing camp?
With just a few weeks to create the winning plan, Elaine has no choice but to spend time with the guy. She’s drawn to the handsome, wounded man, but being with Dean would mean giving up the future she’s been dreaming of… And Dr. Elaine Watson never gives up.
Buy Links
Bio
Cheryl Harper discovered her love for books and words as a little girl, thanks to a mother who made countless library trips and an introduction to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House stories. Cheryl enjoys strong characters that make her laugh. Now she spends her days searching for the right words while she stares out the window and her dog snoozes beside her. Visit her website to find out more.
Links
Website: http://cherylharperbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherylHarperRomance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherylHarperBks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583365.Cheryl_Harper
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cherylharperbks/
Tour-Wide Giveaway
– $25 Amazon gift card (open internationally)
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– 5 ebooks of The Bluebird Bet (to be gifted through Amazon or B&N)
Ends March 24th
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Sarah Anne’s Expedient MarriageBy Cathy Lynn Bryant & Jessica M. Dorman
About the Book:
Knowing he was about to die, Sarah Anne’s beloved father had arranged for her to marry Alexander Swyndhurst II. Alexander, a recent widower, had no intention of taking another wife; but after learning the young woman’s situation—that she had been the object of at least one man’s unwanted attentions, and that she would soon be left alone and unprotected—he had agreed to the marriage. He had one stipulation, however: He and Sarah Anne would live separately—he in Bristol, England, and she in Amesbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Sarah Anne had agreed wholeheartedly with this arrangement. Will Alexander have a change of heart? What of the dangerous man from her past? What will happen while her husband is away—leaving her alone with only the servants? Even though there are connections, each novel in the series may be read as a stand-alone.
Cathy Lynn Bryant & Jessica M. DormanInspired by interesting characters and events uncovered while doing genealogical research, mother and daughter writing team, Cathy Lynn Bryant and Jessica Marie Dorman, who live in beautiful New England, have masterfully woven the stories of real people and fictional characters from the 17th and 18th centuries to develop inspirational, romantic, works of historical fiction. The Unshakable Faith series includes the following titles: Book 1 Lost Love and Shipwrecked–Madeline Pike Finds Hope in the New Land; Book 2 Grandmother’s Namesake; Book 3 Sarah Anne’s Expedient Marriage.
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Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Sarah Jennings
Title of book and/or series:
The Cloak
Brief summary of the story:
The Cloak follows the story of Kellan McKensie, Princess of Errigal, who has spent her entire life hidden from her own people, unknown and unseen. Now, as she comes of age and makes plans to be free, she finds that leaving and staying gone are nearly impossible. The pressure to lead a floundering county fused with a quick temper, sometimes sparks doubt in a young woman destined by God for greatness. How Kellan handles the challenges of her own doing and those of her evil brother brings together a story about trust, forgiveness, and finding forever love.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
In The Cloak, characters are essentially living in the past while also living in the present. Walk past Errigal’s borders and the modern world exists in every manner. Stay within, and a society steeped in Medieval traditions and methods still exists. The landscape is characteristic of Ireland with green, rolling hills, villages and marketplaces dotting the countryside, and hot, soothing mineral springs.
If we were to visit Errigal as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Unless someone was keen on slushing through heavy snow, only to be warmed by a fireplace, then it would be best to postpone all trips until the full arrival of spring. Tourists should expect to step back in time by wearing local garb and limiting their technology to cameras. Errigalians aren’t reenactors and are living as they always have, so you would find genuinely friendly faces at the marketplace and welcoming smiles at the few inns. While there are no official tour guides, visitors are encouraged to rent a horse or carriage to take day trips to the hot springs and to ride by the great, stone McKensie castle.
What dangers should we avoid in Errigal?
Generally, there are not any major dangers to be concerned about. In fact, the closeness of the villagers and their desire to look out for one another, makes Errigal one of the safest countries on Earth to visit. As in most places, feeding wildlife would be discouraged, as well as going beyond the borders of Errigal into other countries’ restricted areas without their permission.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Errigal?
The early settlers of Errigal brought their Irish recipes with them, and you may find yourself served hearty stews, fresh baked bread, and occasional sweets.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Errigal?
All males of Errigal are required to serve time in a local regiment and learn specific skills that would include swordfighting, knife throwing, and archery. It would not be unusual for the women to learn these things from their fathers or brothers as well. Kellan, the lead female character in The Cloak, is forced into training beginning in early adolescence. As a leader of Errigal, she would be expected to know as much about weaponry as her warriors, and even more so in the strategy of leading a war campaign to victory.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Errigal?
Travel is limited to animal-drawn transportation and of course, walking. Vehicles of any kind are not allowed across the border. In The Cloak, an exception is made for Uncle Hahn. His frequent jaunts back and forth from Germany to Errigal make it necessary for his private jet to make visits.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Errigal.
As might would be expected, games and activities normally attributed to a Medieval time period may be seen at village or valley-wide gatherings. These could include: jousting tournaments, wrestling, falconry, archery, horseshoes, and hunting. Games such as chess, cards, and dice would also be enjoyed. And not to be forgotten, traditional dances to Celtic tunes would be very popular. The Cloak opens with a castle ball invitation to welcome the returning prince.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Errigal as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
The calendar would be the same and traditional holidays observed.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Errigal? Please describe what it involves.
Celtic Christianity is what Errigalians would identify with, having left Ireland initially with the intent of spreading the movement. The McKensie family and others are also Spirit-filled, believing in the miraculous possibilities as attested to in Acts 2 and other parts of the Bible.
What is the political or government structure in Errigal? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
From the beginning, Errigal was a matrilineal society, consisting of beautiful, wise, and kind queens who passed down their name and position to their daughters. After being conquered within the last couple of generations by an outside Germanic tribe, a kingship was put in place. The desire to right this wrong is a thread woven throughout the book.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
My own ancestry can be traced to Ireland on one side and Germany on another. While it wasn’t intentional to write the book with that in mind, it’s funny how it worked out. And while I am certainly not royalty, nor do I declare to have great physical strength as the book’s heroine, I will admit that my propensity to make a smart remark has gotten me into trouble more than once!
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
Some people find the Spirit-filled aspect of Christianity to be a point of contention for them. It’s mentioned once and then alluded to another time in the book.
Author Autobiography:
Sarah Jennings is an American storyteller living in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, four children, and escape artist hound dog. Her stories often revolve around strong willed heroines who find their way with God’s help during their adventures and in the process find their soulmate too.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
The Cloak can be purchased at Amazonin Kindle or paperback format, Smashwordsin a variety of ebook formats, and in Nook format at Barnes& Noble. Just select the name to be taken to the order page.
Where can readers connect with you online?
Please visit my website at sarahjennings.netto find my social network links, view The Cloak’s book trailer, and to acquire my contact email address.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card – Open Internationally
Celtic Prize Pack: Paperback of The Cloak and Celtic Music CDs – US Only
2 Paperbacks of The Cloak – US Only
2 ebooks of The Cloak – Open Internationally
Ends March 22nd
Click here to enter the giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the Tour in March:
2nd: Launch
3rd: My Love for Reading Keeps Growing & I Am A Reader
4th: Mythical Books & Classy Cat Books
5th: Mary Terrani & My Life Loves and Passion
6th: Katie’s Clean Book Collection & Zerina Blossom’s Books
8th: Welcome to Book City & Christy’s Cozy Corners
9th: Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima & Once Upon a YA Book
10th: Mel’s Shelves & Books and Ashes
11th: Addicted Readers & Paranormal Books
12th: Mommabears Book Blog & Pieces of Whimsey
13th: Fictionally
15th: Grand Finale
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Errigal. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Alasia, in Realm Explorers Part XXXX!
-Annie Douglass Lima
One Perfect Year(Harmony Valley #4)
Melinda Curtis
Adult Contemporary Romance
March 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming
He’s coming up on her blind side
How can Shelby Hawkley forgive Gage Jamero for bailing on her when she needed him most? He and her husband, Nick, were the best part of her life. Now her former best friend is back, shaking up the widowed wine harvester’s world. The safest bet is to protect herself. Except Gage is awakening feelings that are decidedly unfriend-like.
Shelby is the woman Gage has secretly loved since high school. Starting over together could be the best dream he’s ever had. If only he can find the courage to say what he should have said all those years ago.
Amazon – Barnes & Noble – iTunes – Kobo – Google Play – Harlequin
Excerpt:
The truce they’d come to was fragile and hung heavily in the air.
After Shelby did the dinner dishes, she rounded a corner in the hallway and bumped into Gage coming out of the bathroom in only a towel.
Apologies were quickly exchanged and they gave each other a wide berth.
With a hand on her bedroom doorknob, Shelby glanced over her shoulder at a retreating Gage, and gasped. “What happened to you?”
The lower half of his back was like an impressionistic painting in purplish red and black. It wasn’t normal. She’d seen Gage’s bare torso many times before. Their raft had drifted into brambles once. Gage got the worst of it. Shelby had removed the thorns and cleaned out his wounds.
Shelby rushed toward him. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d been injured? You shouldn’t have been harvesting last night.”
Gage put his discolored back to the wall. Clutching the towel with one hand, he held her off with the other. “It’s nothing. I got a little love tap from a mare.”
“Let me see.” She reached out.
He drew back. “Don’t worry, Shelby. It happened days ago. It’s just a hazard of the job.”
Disaster seemed to be lurking everywhere. “This isn’t like a mosquito biting a gardener.” Shelby’s voice was near hysteria. And yet, she felt as if the world was spinning downward. “A kick like that could paralyze you.” Fear gripped her throat, making further speech impossible.
What if she lost Gage, too?
Her vision blurred around the edges, tunneling to Gage’s bare, muscular chest.
“Shelby!” Gage’s voice sounded far away.
And in that faraway place, Shelby dreamed of Gage’s lips pressed to her forehead, of him tenderly whispering her name.
Award winning, USA Today bestseller
Melinda Curtis writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet and emotional romances for Harlequin Heartwarming, and the indie pubbed Bridesmaid series. Brenda Novak says: ì
Season of Change has found a place on my keeper shelfî. Melinda also writes independently published, hotter romances as Mel Curtis. Jayne Ann Krentz says of
Blue Rules: ìSharp, sassy, modern version of a screwball comedy from Hollywood’s Golden Age except a lot hotter.î
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Grand Prize: An Autographed Set of the first 3 Harmony Valley Books
(Dandelion Wishes, Summer Kisses, and Season of Change) (US only or ebooks to an international)
Additional Prizes:
– Happy Bee Day Mug with candy and Sweet and Heartwarming Bracelet (US
only – if international winner pulled then a single ebook from author’s back list)
– Bee Salt and Pepper Shaker and Sweet and Heartwarming Bracelet (US
only – if international winner pulled then a single ebook from author’s back list)
Ends March 15th
Maria Branson, the protagonist of my latest novel, Robbed of Soul, sees ghosts. No, she’s not psychic. She suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after being in solitary confinement for eight months in Tehran.
Before doing research about solitary confinement and PTSD, I worried the whole “seeing ghosts” thing was too crazy to belive. Would my readers believe my protagonist was really that far gone? But after researching the subject, and learning how truly awful solitary confinement is to the human psyche, I knew that my character’s internal struggles were similar to many challenges real people with PTSD face.
Take, for instance, the true story of Sarah Shourds, a 32-year-old hiker arrested by Iranian troops after straying onto the Iran border. Two months into her incarceration, she began hearing phantom footsteps and seeing flashing lights. She spent most of her day crouched on all fours, listening through a gap in the door. The experience left her with horrible PTSD.
Studies show 30 to 40% of veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome report auditory and/or visual hallucinations. And you don’t have to be a veteran. There are stories of journalists and television reporters who have PTSD as well, many of whom also experience hallucinations. Months after it happened, one Pulitzer Prize winning journalist kept hearing the voice of an American soldier whose dead body he had photographed.
In Robbed of Soul, the CIA has put Maria Branson “out to pasture.” She becomes the police chief of a small Southern Utah town called Kanab. (A wonderful place to visit. See your chance to win a vacation there below.) A week after Maria arrives in Kanab, the mayor is murdered and she has the task of finding the killer. Doing so, makes her face fears she had hoped to forget. But things get worse when her ghosts turn real.
Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really is.
Do you like books? Do you like Zion National Park? Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway and you may win 3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah
(thirty minutes from Zion). A $450 value! (Or a $100 Amazon gift card if preferred.)
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We’re Launching THE CELTIC TOUR for
The Cloak
By Sarah Jennings
A Celtic princess learns to accept her destiny as the leader of her people.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBzOndY2_AE?rel=0]
More About The Cloak and Author Sarah Jennings
1. What is your motivation behind this book? Why did you want to write it?
My motivation for writing The Cloak was really a combination of things. I’m a huge fan of smart and determined heroines, and I’d like to see more faith-based ones represented in the genres I’ve chosen, especially for young adults. It seemed time to share some of the adventures for Kellan, the lead character, that I’ve had running through my head for a number of years. Also, I specifically wanted to write the book in a way that would allow a reader to finish it in over a few hours’ time, just enough for a quick getaway read or for those on the run with a busy schedule.
2. What do you hope readers take with them when they read your book?
Of course, I hope they want to hear more stories, but as for a takeaway it’s my desire that readers are able to connect with Kellan and close the book feeling encouraged. Kellan’s trials, while not always her fault, often are due to self-doubt, stubbornness, and a quick temper. God uses it all for His greater purpose, and Kellan is happier in the end for it. I wholeheartedly believe He is able to do that with us as well.
3. Do you have a favorite scene?
If I have to pick one scene, I will say the moment when Kellan comes home for the last time. To me, it signals that she has finally come full circle. She rids herself of a false identity and has decided that she won’t be chased away from what she loves because of her own insecurities.
4. Share something about you that is unique – maybe about how/where you write… or favorite snack foods?
Some of my ideas for stories come while listening to music in the car. I think all of us should have background music following us around all the time.
The CloakSarah Jennings
Inspirational YA Romantic Suspense
Paperback and ebook, 194 pages
November 2014
Kellan McKensie, Princess of Errigal, is set on leaving for another world before being thrust into a plan of God’s choosing that includes learning of her past, embracing her future, and finding her forever love.
Among a lost line of beautiful, wise queens and a conquered country still clinging to medieval traditions in today’s world, can Kellan be convinced that now is her time to act? Why should she? To the entire country, she doesn’t even exist. Ever the reluctant leader, Kellan is pressured to use her incredible God-given abilities to bring back the glory of her homeland. To do so, she must fight her own will, overcome fears, and control her temper. It’s a lot to ask of a girl hidden under a cloak her whole life.
Sarah Jennings is an American storyteller living in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, four children, and escape artist hound dog. Her stories often revolve around strong willed heroines who find their way with Godís help during their adventures and in the process find their soulmate too. The Cloak is one such story now available in print and ebook format.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card – Open Internationally
Celtic Prize Pack: Paperback of The Cloak and Celtic Music CDs – US Only
2 Paperbacks of The Cloak – US Only
2 ebooks of The Cloak – Open Internationally
Ends March 22nd
