Author’s name:
What dangers should we avoid in Fairy Falls?
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
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About the Book
About the Author
Double Sale
Giveaway
Tour Schedule
We are taking 10% of the proceeds from the Slippery Rock series to provide Sweet Cases from TogetherWeRise to foster children in our area. In ‘Famous’, Savannah was a foster child who was adopted at the age of 7 by the Walters family; she was dirty, had ill-fitting clothes and nothing else. The trauma in her early life causes her to act out, even into her adult years…right up until the moment she decides to come home. The trauma she faced in the book is so similar to the trauma that foster children face every day, all over the United States.
“Such a good read!
It takes a while to figure out what exactly Savannah’s deal is–which is a bit frustrating at first, but once we have the whole story? It finally makes sense, and from that point on–all the feels.”
Home is where the heart is. I’ve seen about a million samplers, pillows, cross-stitch pieces, coffee mugs, mousepads…you name it, I’ve probably seen that phrase on it. I’ve always loved that phrase, but not because it brings up memories of the house where I grew up.
Because it brings up memories of my best friend and I cruising around our small town on Friday nights, just looking for something to do.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Savannah marched back into the barn and knocked on the door. No answer. Just like a man to not be around when a woman wanted him to see how not-hung-up-on-him she was.
Probably for the best, anyway. Chances were she’d say something she would regret later. Or find it impossible to not kiss him again.
The thing is, I don’t think there is anything wrong with enjoying a little taste of the glamorous life – I mean, when do we as normal people have the chance to wear designer gowns or vacation in a private villa on a private island? That’s what these magazines bring to the table, along with a juicy scandal – because, let’s face it, knowing that Bob in Accounting bites his nails isn’t that big a secret. . .but knowing that our favorite celebrity does the same thing? It makes them a little more human. A little more like us – warts and all!
“And watching apple trees grow is hard work?” Savannah knew there was more to Collin’s family orchard than watching trees grow, but she couldn’t just stand there while he insulted her car. She might know it was decrepit, but allowing someone to disparage it just felt wrong. They’d been down a lot of roads together.
“If you love a good small town romance, then this one’s for you. Even though there are some adult situations in the book, I would recommend reading it with a box of tissues. You won’t be disappointed.”
(From Collin’s POV) Dating a country singer is work, guys. Not as hard as, say, picking an orchard full of apples on a 90-degree day, but work all the same. These women are self-centered, high maintenance. . . and worth every second. So, if you’ve got the chance to date a Nashville beauty? Take it – but keep in mind, the road is going to be bumpy.
Collin drew his hand away from Savannah’s. “That isn’t a good idea.”
She tilted her head to the left and widened her eyes a little, but he knew she wasn’t confused. “Why not?”
Because the last thing he wanted to do with Savannah Walters was dance. An image of their bodies moving in time to some beat he couldn’t place formed in his mind. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the last thing he wanted.
(from Savannah’s POV) I’m not sure when y’all last did something. . .well, bad. The last time I did – last week. And we won’t go into the gory details (you’ll read all about them in my book, anyway). I’ll just say this: scandal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Scandal hurts, not just me, but it could hurt my family. It could even hurt a person I don’t like all that much (my former tour-mate, Genevieve). How do I deal?
Savannah chuckled. “Sounds like some of the stuff you guys did back in high school.” Pranks and raids she’d never been invited into, not that she was bitter. Even if Levi had asked, she would never have gone.
“Totally different.”
“Because you were boys and she’s a girl?”
“Utterly romantic, swoon-worthy and lovely with amazing characters, intriguing and captivating plot and a knack for engaging the reader. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone.”
Savannah Walters can’t remember a time when she didn’t love Collin Tyler – of course, she doesn’t think of it as love in the beginning. She first ‘met’ Collin when her brother, Levi, brought Collin home after school. She was nine years old, and had been living with the Walters family for two years. To that point, Levi had been ‘hers’ – her friend, her confidant (although she didn’t share any of her past with him), her brother. Once Collin came to Walters Ranch, though, Levi was no longer Savannah’s.
“Good read. Liked the characters and story flow. Entertaining and fun to read.”
“A sweet story of finding a sense of belonging even when life doesn’t go the way you want. The characters are enjoyable and carry the story to a happy fruition. A little slow in places, but overall a deep and meaningful read!”
Famous in a Small TownKristina Knight
Paperback & ebook, 306 pages
May 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
Lifestyles of the small-town famous
Forced to leave Nashville after a scandal, Savannah Walters has come home to Slippery Rock, Missouri, with a bruised ego and her singing career in jeopardy. As if that isn’t humiliating enough, on her way into town she’s rescued by her swoon-worthy childhood crush, Collin Tyler.
His hands are full running the family orchard and dealing with his delinquent teen sister, so Collin doesn’t need to get involved with someone as fiery and unpredictable as Savannah. But the intense attraction between them can’t be denied. And when disaster strikes, they’ll both be surprised by who’s still standing when the dust settles.
– Prize pack for US residents only, if international winner is pulled then they will receive a $25 gift card instead
The Fireman’s Son is a story particularly close to my heart. I can tell you from firsthand knowledge that women suffer as Faye did more often than you’d ever expect. I can also say, unequivocally, that with love, kindness, and the right man, women like Faye do find pure joy again. Abuse is horrible. But that doesn’t mean the other side of abuse has to be. The world is filled with survivors. Women who know and value their strengths. Who reach out to other women who’ve been where they’ve been and are struggling to get where they are. Women who care.
Please, come on in to The Lemonade Stand. Join us. As a collective group, we’re going to make the world a beautiful, safe place. One heart at a time.
CHAPTER ONE, Part 1
REESE BRISTOW WOULD not normally race to the scene of a small fire on the beach in the middle of the night. He was the newly appointed Santa Raquel Fire Chief. One truck of junior firefighters could handle the call half asleep.
Still, there he was, in jeans and a T-shirt, racing up the beach behind men in full gear carrying hoses he hoped they wouldn’t need to use.
In The Fireman’s Son, one particular part came from a very particular place. Faye Walker is a paramedic. I’ve never been a paramedic. I couldn’t just become one. So I married one. Ha, ha, not really. I mean, I really did marry one, but not to write Faye’s story.
“Emotionally raw and gut wrenching! You feel sorry for the child for what he’s been through, and as secrets and questions unravel, you find yourself feeling so sad that such little things caused such a monumental life change for all of them. Really connectible characters who we hope can find the peace they all need.”
Love is the most powerful force. I’ve always known this. I believe it still. Love will be the final victor – no matter what. It’s the best part of us. The deepest and strongest part of us. If we could all just let love work its magic, trust that which we can’t see, and be able to mute the world’s interferences and cerebral messages, mute the greed and jealousy and insecurities, love would deliver us to the happiness we all crave.
“This story was far by more the most intriguing story I have read, it deals with so much of what is going on in our society then normaly does in a book.Reese Bristow is in a conundrum now, the woman who broke his heart in college is now back and is his new EMT. There are more surprises in the book that, leave you speculating how this will unfold…”
Faye and Reese have to stay in shape to do their jobs. They have to pass physical fitness tests. And when they’re at the station, on call, they can’t get what they need by skating around the trucks. With them, I had to go back to the treadmill, the weights – the dreaded gym. It’s at the firehouse. So…I did what I had to do…I mentioned that they went there – and I left them at the door – skating off and coming back to get them when we were both done. That’s why you won’t find any scenes in this book written inside that gym. I apologize ahead of time…
CHAPTER ONE, Part 2
“I thought you’d at least call,” she was saying. Making no sense at all. “I wouldn’t take the job until Brandt assured me that you’d seen my file and approved the employment…”
Last he’d heard, Faye Browning had been in her second year of a four-year nursing program at UC Berkeley.
He’d been at Southern Cal in LA.
“You did know, didn’t you?” Her voice trailed off.
His horror must have been showing.
We just passed tax time and my preparer once told me, everything in my life is deductible because it all goes into my books. She reads my books. And while I don’t deduct even close to ‘everything’, her statement stuck with me because she’s right. My life goes into my books.
“All three of the main characters here–Faye, Reese, and Elliott, Faye’s eight-year-old son–have been through so much before the story even begins. Watching them deal with the implications of the past, not to mention the new tension and drama that their present brings them, makes for a truly engrossing read. I literally couldn’t put this one down until I’d seen them get to their HEA!”
Book Excerpt – CHAPTER ONE, Part 3
SO…THAT WENT WELL. Faye’s sarcasm rang loud and clear in her mind as she trekked across the beach with her brand-new coworkers.
She was on a mission. Had a very clear plan. She’d considered every step in-depth prior to implementation. She’d allowed for every eventuality. Taken measures to ensure that nothing went wrong.
“This story just breaks my heart! And I wanted a happily ever after for all of them! If you like real stories of families with abuse issues and children of those abused, shelters, fires, firemen, great counselors, second chances then this might be for you!”
In The Fireman’s Son, in a particularly difficult scene, Reese can’t take Faye inside. He has to head out to his own little paradise in his backyard. His piece of nature includes the beach and the ocean, but the physical effects to him are the same. It could be that as the author of the book, I took him out there because it was where I’d need to be. One could be a practical thinker and insist that that was the case. One might even be right. I don’t believe it, though. I think that nature is a natural healer, purposely there for all of us to draw upon.
“Overall, Ms. Quinn tackles a hard subject and hits it head on. She doesn’t sugarcoat it with her characters but let’s her characters speak for themselves. This series is fast becoming one of my all time favorites. Her stories in this series just keep getting better and better. I can’t wait to see in future books how Elliot is doing and how the Lemonade Stand is and the characters that surround it. Bravo, Ms. Quinn. You did it again.”
After she broke his heart in college, Faye Walker is the last person fire chief Reese Bristow ever expected to see again, especially as his new EMT. But that’s not Reese’s only surprise. Faye has an eight-year-old son, Elliott, whose counseling at The Lemonade Stand shelter is her first priority.
(Books released as of March 2017. Each can be read as a standalone.)
1ST RAFFLECOPTER:
1 winner will receive ebooks of Where Secrets are Safe series books 1 – 13 (open internationally)
1 winner (per the four tour segments) will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
2ND RAFFLECOPTER:
1 winner will receive 25,000 Harelquin My Rewards Points, equivalent to 5 books (US and CAN only)
1 winner will receive 5,000 Harelquin My Rewards Points, equivalent to 1 book (US and CAN only)
Ever After
Aya Ling
(Unfinished Fairy Tale Series, #3)
Publication date: May 20th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Kat has survived. She returns to Athelia as herself, Katherine Wilson. Edward, elated at learning she is alive, vows to bring her back to the palace. The obstacles, however, seem impossible to overcome. Marriage between a royal and a commoner is not recognized, not to mention that he is already legally bound to Katriona Bradshaw, who will do anything to keep her position as princess.
And there’s even more to worry about. Due to an uncommonly harsh winter, the people of Athelia have been suffering from inflated food prices, and are getting irritated at supporting the small, elite group of aristocrats. An uprising in a neighboring country only adds fuel to the fire.
Can Kat and Edward finally get a happily-ever-after?
Author Bio:
Aya is from Taiwan, where she struggles daily to contain her obsession with mouthwatering and unhealthy foods. Often she will devour a good book instead. Her favorite books include martial arts romances, fairy tale retellings, high fantasy, cozy mysteries, and manga.
She is currently working on Ever After, Book 3 in the Unfinished Fairy Tales series, to be released in 2017. For exclusive bonus scenes, giveaways, and new release info, visit ayaling.com
Launch – Note from the Author
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Excerpt
Nicole’s Book Musings – Excerpt
Hearts & Scribbles – Excerpt
Deal Sharing Aunt – Interview
It’s All About the Romance – Excerpt
Rainy Day Reviews – Spotlight
Falling Leaves – Excerpt
Brooke Blogs – Excerpt
Cinnamon Cindy’s Book Blog – Excerpt
Sylv.net – Excerpt
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Excerpt
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already…
Sweet Tea Tuesdays
Paperback & ebook, 306 pages
May 3rd 2017
Three friends met every Tuesday for twenty-six years. And then they stopped.
From the author of the bestselling Sweeney Sisters Series comes a novel of friendship, family and hope….
When new next-door neighbors Georgia, Midge, and Lula first assembled on Georgia’s porch in Charleston for sweet tea, they couldn’t have known their gathering was the beginning of a treasured tradition. For twenty-six years they have met on Tuesdays at four o’clock, watching the seasons change and their children grow up, supporting each other in good times and in bad. With their ambitions as different as their personalities, these best friends anticipate many more years of tea time. And then, one Tuesday, Georgia shares news that brings their long-standing social hour to an abrupt halt. And that’s only the beginning as unraveling secrets threaten to alter their friendship forever.
Ashley Farley is the author of the bestselling series, the Sweeney Sisters Series. Ashley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her goal is to keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. If her story stays with you long after you’ve read the last word, then she’s done her job.
Welcome lovely Readers! I’m tickled to be able to introduce everyone to the “Searching For Sarah” tour. I’ve been writing Sarah’s journey for some time, and it is with great pleasure that I can now curl back a page and present her story to you.
I looked at the imposing house and took a deep breath. I felt as if I were going on a job interview. It sort of was, I guess. However, this was a little more serious. If Sam Turner didn’t like me well enough to live in his house and pick up his daughter from preschool, I’d be looking for the nearest bridge to live under. Or I’d make nice and live the next two months in Robena’s room with catnip in my pockets.
I stared out the window, trying not to focus on his cologne that seemed to be drifting by me with every gesture he made. It was hypnotizing to say the least. I’m such an aromatherapy connoisseur. His was warm, woodsy, and aromatic. It made me want to get drunk off it and swim around in it like a lazy river.
“Searching for Sarah is a compelling start to this new series from Julieann Dove. Readers will be engaged from the beginning and – while they may question some of Sarah’s (and Sam’s) choices – they will be invested in finding out what happens between them. Well written with touches of humor and the right amount of sizzle, Sarah’s story is a great way to spend a weekend!”
Hearts & Scribbles – ExcerptHe turned off the car and parked where he usually did. I opened the door and bent forward, running against the rain falling on my head. Suddenly, I felt Sam’s hand touch my back, guiding me toward the back door. I stopped, looked up, and closed my eyes. The rain felt like BB pellets smashing against my face as they picked up speed and weight. I let it pelt my head; water crawled through my scalp until it was soaked. My red gown grew heavy, and I loved every minute of it. It’d been a long time since I danced in the rain.
“I also love a good romance. An undeniable attraction begins to smolder between Sarah and Sam and she has to come to terms with sacrificing some life-long romance dreams or choosing another potential suitor. . . . The characters feel refreshingly unique and the strands of emotion floating through the pages snagged different pieces of my heart.”
Funny, love sick, and a little unsure of herself when it comes to men, Sarah still searches to find Mr. Right, while living with Mr. Sam Turner. Crazy how you can share the same house with someone and never see them as anything but ‘not the one’!
Sam texted me his address and told me to come by after lunch. Maybe he waited for me at breakfast, and figured he’d bait me out of my room one way or another. Who knows—maybe he wanted to fire me for not getting back to him on the whole “can we try this thing out.” And the workplace was neutral enough to do it here.
“I liked Sarah as a main character, she was relatable and real. The story on the whole was very enjoyable. . . . I hope to read the next book whenever it releases, hopefully it’ll be soon.”
Brooke Blogs – Guest Post: Online Dating
Did you know that the reported busiest season for online dating is January 5th? Me, either. I guess it would be right up there with gym memberships. Everyone wanting to take their current situation to another level. And did you know that one third of all marriages have online dating sprinkled on them? Crazy, huh?
“You know, no matter how many times I’ve put myself out there and gotten rejected, I’m still scared of falling.” I stared out my window and continued to talk. “I used to put all myself into each relationship, and the more I did, the harder I fell. So I began reserving myself a little bit more each time I got with someone new. I would hold back the butterflies, try to ignore the heart palpitations. Because it seemed the second I became invested, that was the moment I’d get the text, email, or note on my car windshield.” I wiped my eyes.
Must Love Dogs…okay, I admit, this is one of my go-to movies for writing bills, organizing my desk, and just to hear it play. I have a few movies that fit this category. But this one I like because of its easy flow.
Reason number forty-three why I could possibly still be single at the age of thirty-one. Sharing a wardrobe with Mable Watkins. She was four foot nine and seventy-eight years old, and for my entire middle school career, I got all her hand-me-downs. What can I say? I was raised by a single dad who had zero fashion sense, and a keen eye for a bargain. Cable-knit sweaters, solid-colored turtlenecks, and slacks—all in the color scheme of browns and grays.
Sarah Keller, the heroine in “Searching For Sarah” wanted to find Mr. Right as quickly as possible. She’s like my cousin…interested in getting out of town, and on with life at a pretty quick rate. There was no time for dating. But you know what they say about looking for something? You’ll find it the minute you’re not searching! Sort of what happens for Sarah. She bounced from one dead beat guy to another one. Then as fate would have it, she gets introduced to Sam. Disguised as nothing on Sarah’s radar as Mr. Right material, it’s easy for her to overlook this guy. But only for so long!
Searching for Sarah
Julieann Dove
Paperback & ebook, 333 pages
April 27th 2017
The first in a three book series called Searching for Sarah. Come meet Sarah and begin her journey….
Sarah Keller is convinced that her Mr. Right is stuck in traffic…in another country…on another planet. ‘Thirty-one and still single’ isn’t how she wants to be introduced by her dad. That’s why she’s on five dating websites, posing as anything from an avid gardener to a crazed thrill seeker.
Sam Turner is a single dad, workaholic, who owns his own company. Long-term relationships have never worked out for him. That’s why he needs a nanny.
When a mutual friend suggests Sarah take the job temporarily, everything changes for them both. Sarah begins falling for the man who meets almost none of her online criteria. And when strange things start happening—things that jeopardize the safety of Sarah, Sam is the last person she would imagine is hiding something.
Julieann Dove lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!
Other Books by the Author
Tour Giveaway
– 1 winner will receive a signed copy of Waking Amy (US only)