in this new duology, coming September 20th 2018…
Bryce has liked Paige since they were little but has never had the guts to act on his feelings. Paige is devastated over being dumped by her long-time boyfriend and can’t seem to move on. They’re stuck in a rut, until fate decides to pull them out.
Both Paige and Bryce are talked into seeing a fortune teller at the annual Summer’s End Carnival. Neither of them buys into the mysticism, until the psychic’s predictions start coming true. Now, the most bizarre things are happening and there isn’t a clear explanation. Each of them must figure out if they’re the subject of an elaborate hoax or a bigger plan forged by destiny.
*This book is part one of two. Books should be read sequentially.
About the Author
The most important thing to know about me is that I’m basically a sixteen-year-old trapped in an adult’s body. It’s why I feel such a great connection to all of my characters and why I love to write romantic comedy. The kid in me just wants to be goofy. Besides being a writer; I’m a wife, mother of five, volleyball enthusiast and home decorating guru. My list of favorites includes: reading, Christmas, pedicures, dessert, steak, Arizona winters and most importantly, Diet Coke.
Cover Reveal Giveaway
1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally
Ends September 5th
Author Autobiography:
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!
Other Books in the Series
King of Ash and Bone (Shattered Realms #1) By Melissa Wright YA, NA Urban Fantasy, SciFi Paperback & ebook, 216 Pages February 2nd 2015
When flying monsters break through the veil into her world, Mackenzie Scott has nothing left to lose. Her brother has been taken, her future has vanished, and all that remains is a desperate need for revenge. After discovering the breach the creatures used as a gateway, Mackenzie devises a plan to stop them, whatever the cost.
When she finds an injured stranger in the street, he just might be the key she needs to succeed. What Mackenzie doesn’t know is that this stranger isn’t the helpless boy he appears to be. He’s one of the monsters. And he’s got plans of his own.
Thrown into a dying city in another realm, Mackenzie is powerless to get back. With the gateway closing, time is not on her side. But the stranger is, and if they can escape execution, this girl and her monster might be able to save both their worlds.
It’s All About the Romance
SilverWoodSketches
An Indie Adventure
Mythical Books
August 21st:
Declarations of a Fangirl
My Life, Loves and Passion
Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima
August 22nd:
Andi’s Young Adult Books
Wishful Endings
Angel’s Guilty Pleasures
August 23rd:
Reading On The Edge
Getting Your Read On
Colorimetry
August 24th:
Stacking My Book Shelves!
Nicole’s Book Musings
August 25th:
Grand Finale
Tour Giveaway
1 winner will receive an awesome prize pack with “survival” gear: print copies of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, Angelfall by Susan Ee, and King of Ash and Bone by Melissa Wright, plus Be Your Own Hero bracelet, lip balm, compass, playing cards, emergency blanket, and other fun stuff
US only
Ends August 29th
you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:
Launch – Note from the Author
The Lawman’s Secret Vow
To have and to hold—
until the case is solved?
When an undercover assignment pairs laid-back Florida detective Dante Matthews with by-the-book cop Eloise Archer, he knows it won’t be easy. And not just because they’re competing for the same promotion. Now they’re living together under the same roof, and it’s getting harder to ignore his deepening feelings for his “wife.” Can he convince Eloise to partner up—for life?
Prize #1: Beach/pool tote and water bottle, signed print copies of The Bridal Bouquet and His One and Only Bride, $25 Amazon Gift Card. (Open to US only)
Prize #2: $25 Amazon e-Gift Card (Open Internationally)
The Blood Race
By K.A. Emmons
YA SciFi, Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 321 Pages
July 27th 2017
All Ion Jacobs ever wanted was to be normal. But when you’re capable of killing with your very thoughts, it’s hard to blend in with the crowd.
Running from his past and living in fear of being discovered, Ion knows he will never be an average college student. But when Hawk, the beautiful, mysterious girl next door unearths his darkest secret, Ion’s life is flipped upside-down. He’s shocked to discover a whole world of people just like him — a world in another dimension, where things like levitation, shape-shifting, and immortality are not only possible… they’re normal.
Forced to keep more secrets than ever before, Ion struggles to control his powers in the real world while commuting between realms — until his arch enemy starts a fight he can’t escape. Now he has sealed the fate of the Dimension, severing their connection to the real world, and locking himself inside forever. But a deadly threat hidden in plain sight may cost Ion more than just his freedom — it may cost him his life.
The Blood Race is the first book in K.A. Emmons’ riveting new sci-fi/fantasy thriller series. If you like epic urban fantasy, fresh takes on super powers, deep allegories, raw emotions and intricate plots that surprise you at every turn, you’ll love the first novel in Emmons’ page-turning series. Grab your copy of The Blood Race and delve into a new dimension today!
Worlds Beneath
(The Blood Race #2)
If the characters of The Blood Race trilogy could jump into any other fictional world, where would they go? Oh, hands down Narnia. Because that’s where I’m trying to “jump into” every day of the week, yo. I’m still checking those closets.
#5 JUST DO IT. so many of us spend a heck of a lot of time, debating about whether we should write a book, thinking about how we would write it, wondering if we’re good enough, or psychoanalyzing every single detail.
“Worlds Beneath is a captivating novel that pulls the reader in from the first page.”
CAN I JUST GUSH ABOUT THIS GORGEOUS COVER??? I MEAN. LOOK AT IT.
“What made the second installment in The Blood Race series so incredibly amazing was THE CHARACTERS.”
Kate: “…we are NOT the things that have happened to us. We are not our pasts. Letting go is hard, but one of the most important things you will ever do.”
I’m also a surfer, karate enthusiast, and military wife.
Each time I sit down at the desk in the morning with my cup of coffee, I don’t have a map or a plan, or a binder full of notes…
“The ending, in typical Kate style, KILLED ME, and I am already counting down the days until Book 3 comes into the world.”
“It’s deep. It’s full of powerful themes, breathtakingly complex characters, and intense twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat. If you want something emotional, gritty, fantastical, fast-paced, and theme-focused, I highly recommend The Blood Race!”
Be the lighthouse on the cold and craggy isle, flickering vanilla beams into the billows of the storm.
“Kate has a way with describing scenes that makes one feel like they’re in it without being too wordy.”
Write about the things that make your soul hum.
“The plot is brilliantly woven and full of vibrant, real characters with wonderful depth and raw emotion. Amid the tense action, thought-provoking dialogue and text often had me slowing down to savor the book.”
The sheer joy I get when I sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee to write is immeasurable. And that’s my favorite part of writing.
My writing zone at the moment is being lost in my head in my cozy, colorfully painted office, with coffee and a soundtrack of Vermont rainfall pattering against my window.
“There were so many unique and such fierce characters. I especially loved Icarus, Hawk, and Fin. They had so much depth! I loved watching the growth and maturity that happens in this novel…”
“The character development, the fascinating originality of the Dimension, the Christian allegory woven through, it was really good.”
“The concept is completely original and you’re immediately drawn in and enthralled by the story. I started reading it and I just could not put it down!”
About the Author
When she’s not hermiting away in her colorfully-painted home office writing her next science fiction, passionate story-teller and adventurer Kate Emmons is probably on the road for a surf or hiking trip, listening to vinyls, or going for a power run. Emmons’ debut novel The Blood Race is the first book in her YA science fiction/fantasy thriller series. Get connected with Kate on your favorite social platform, and be sure to check out http://kaemmons.com/.
– 3 winners will win an ebook of THE BLOOD RACE
– Ends August 19th
Thank you so much for joining me on the debut ride for Nice To Come Home To. It’s the third book in a mini-series from Lake Miniagua, and Cass and Luke’s story was such a satisfying one to tell. I have to admit I got a little selfish in the writing of it…
I hope you enjoy the trip with me this week. There will be giveaways, excerpts, some blog posts where I hope you join in the conversations, and…did I mention giveaways?
— Liz
“I really enjoyed this book. It’s a make you feel good book. The story was great and had me eagerly gobbling up this book. It had it’s funny carefree moments, but also serious hit you right in the heart moments. . . . All the characters are well written and makes you want to be part of this little town.”
Thank you so much for having me here today!
Cass Gentry writes a cozy mystery series and has spent most of her adult life in California. Although she played volleyball in high school, that was twenty years ago. She’s not a country girl—much less an outdoorsy one, but when her mother dies, Cass inherits half of an apple orchard on Lake Miniagua, Indiana…
“Another great contemporary (clean!) romance from Liz Flaherty, set in the quaint Indiana town of Lake Miniagua. I loved watching Cass and Luke’s relationship move from business colleagues to a sweet friendship to something even sweeter. Great characters, a beautiful setting, and humor as well as heart abound – not to mention the gentle message of accepting yourself, flaws and all, and accepting the painful parts of your story with grace and self-forgiveness.”
“Mr. Rossiter?”
The voice came as he was locking the door of the apple barn behind him. He turned, squinting into the setting sun. “Yes? We’re closed, but can I get you something quick?”
“I’m Cass Gentry.”
“Oh.” The sun moved enough that she became less of a silhouette and more of the tall, slender person he remembered from Marynell’s funeral. She wasn’t as slim now, and the cap of light brown hair was almost certainly her own, but he’d have recognized her anywhere. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. I expected you earlier today.”
“Liz Flaherty brings this series full circle. Don’t worry, if you haven’t read the other two books, you won’t be lost, but if you have, Nice to Come Home To is that much sweeter. As Cass learns that some friendships survivor tragedy, that family is what you make it,and that accepting herself—flaws and all—is the only way to live fully. And maybe, just maybe, falling in love isn’t something to fear.”
Thank you for having me here today.
The only teenagers I raised were the ones I’d known since birth, whose diapers I’d changed and whose personalities I’d had something to do with and who I loved more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone…
“Nice to Come Home To by Liz Flaherty is a wonderful read. . . . This book touches so many emotions and heartfelt situations. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Royce, Cass, Zoey, Lucas, and Seth. These characters are all absolutely wonderful and each have their own story to tell.”
When Luke gets his first clue that Cass isn’t going to be a silent partner…
Cass beamed, her eyes lighting. The expression opened a place in him he’d thought was permanently closed. Oh, boy. “I love the orchard, and I love everything you’ve done to it.”
Encouraged, he asked the question that had lingered uppermost in his mind since they’d toured the orchard earlier in the day. “Do you know what you’d like to do? Stay a silent partner like your mother was? Sell out? I don’t have the money, but having a financially savvy brother-in-law has ensured I have good credit.”
It was as if he’d slapped her. The light left her eyes and her beam faded to a polite smile. She started to speak, then stopped, turning her head to gaze out at the lake. Spangled with moonlight, starshine and colored lights on boats cruising the calm water, it was a good thing to look at. Calming and exhilarating at the same time.
What had he said? Whatever it was, she was neither acknowledging nor answering.
“Cass and Luke’s story is a beautiful and heartwarming one. I enjoyed watching the two work closely together, attractions were noticeable, but they were so determined to not fall in love. . . . I appreciate so much that this is a good clean, fun, and enjoyable book to read!”
When Luke is still being a pain in the neck about the coffee shop…
“Tell me again why we can’t just have the coffee shop in the center corridor of the barn. It’s plenty big enough and access is right there from both entrances. That leaves the side areas for offices or even other little shops if this thing takes off.” Luke looked both tired and impatient. And on the edge of angry.
Cass wasn’t good at standing her ground—it wasn’t something that had ever worked particularly well for her. But… “Because the coziness factor would be gone. It would never be quiet or intimate or conducive to working.” She had said all this. She knew she had. Who knew that under that straight, silky hair of his, Luke Rossiter had such a thick head?
“I really enjoyed this sweet story. There are other stories related to this one, all set in this quaint community. However, the author did a really good job of making this book readable as a stand alone. I had not read the other stories and had no trouble diving into this one.”
I’m not much for having ideas. I mean, I like the idea if having them, but I think when the Lord was wiring my brain, He gave me frizzy hair instead of ideas—that’s all I can figure. Naturally enough, one of the most frequent questions a writer is asked is, “Where do you come up with your ideas?”
Er…what ideas would those be?
But with Nice to Come Home To, released this month from Harlequin Heartwarming (squealing and jumping up and down here—aren’t you glad you can’t see the frizzy hair?), I can pinpoint the idea trail. Want to come along?…
“So, if you’re in need of a heartfelt contemporary romance to read, check out Nice to Come Home To. I enjoyed experiencing the ups and downs with Flaherty’s immensely likeable characters and smalltown community, and I’m sure you will, too.”
Thanks for having me here today!
Characters, and the development thereof, are my favorite parts of writing books. They usually come to me pretty fully developed, scars and all, long before I know their stories. This is fun.
But then the characters do exactly what everyone else does—they change…
“An emotional rollercoaster that will leave you smiling! This story was quick to draw my attention with it’s in depth details of what each character is feeling as the setting is laid out. We get not only the potential romance of Cass and Luke, but also several feel good moments between the older characters and with the teens. It’s a complex story with many pieces pulling at our hearts, but it comes together well. Memorable, sweet and very enjoyable. Loved it!”
A kissing kind of day…
Luke’s distinctive rap came on the door at that moment, and the women laughed as Cass went to open it. He called, “Evening, Zoey,” and pulled Cass onto the porch, wrapping his arms around her. “This is probably wrong on so many different levels, but I can’t care right now. It’s a kissing kind of day.” The last words were murmured against her lips, and all she could do was swallow a sigh.
They’d avoided physical contact beyond the occasional one-armed hug, even though they’d talked all around the subject. The conversation always ended with the assertion that neither of them was interested in dating anyone, much less someone they were in business with. If they got a little hormonal, well, that was just the way it was. They were adults, after all—they could handle themselves. Besides everything else, they were in charge of two teenagers whose hormones made their own look like rank amateurs.
“I did enjoy and connect with the two main characters–Cass and Luke. Both are a little bit older and have been married before. That already made them more interesting and relatable to me. The story was sweet with a little conflict here and there, but never more than what the reader would want.
…I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a solid romance with heart, soul, and lightheartedness.”
Thank you so much for having me to visit!
Breast cancer has affected my life. I lost my mother to it, my friends Dottie and Inge, and others. I have friends who are fighting it now. When you read Nice to Come Home To, you won’t see their names in the dedication—that happened years ago when I wrote One More Summer—but the disease still attacks. All too often, it still wins…
When Cass finds out where the music is…
Later that day, walking through the orchard with Misty keeping her company, Cass looked through the branches of a pear tree, loving the picture the nearly leafless limbs made against the pale blue sky.
She eyed the tree trunk where it divided. It made her wish she had one of the orchard’s ladders out here. It had been a while since she climbed a tree just for the sake of climbing it. The last time had probably been when the volleyball team camped near the creek at the back of the Worths’ farm.
There weren’t enough leaves left on the tall Bartlett pear tree to offer the whispering accompaniment to her thoughts she remembered from those days, but still…it had been a while.
Nice to Come Home ToWill an apple a day…
Keep love at bay?
For Cass Gentry, coming home to Lake Miniagua, teenage half sister in tow, is bittersweet. But her half of the orchard she inherited awaits, and so does a fresh face—Luke Rossiter, her new business partner. Even though they butt heads in business, they share one key piece of common ground: refusing to ever fall in love again. But as their lives get bigger, that stance doesn’t feel like enough…
Other Books in the Series
5 PRIZE PACK WINNERS WILL RECEIVE: a backlist book, dish towel, magnet, and notepad (picture includes an example – not a complete prize)
excerpt from this first book, sign up to review them all, and enter the giveaway below…
Funny how the waning twilight of life shines so brightly on one’s mistakes. Nearing his eightieth birthday, family patriarch Elias Blackwell can only hope it’s not too late to rectify a few of his. Namely, his relationships with his five grandsons, Jonathon, Ethan, Ben, Tyler, and Chance. With both the operation of the Blackwell Family Ranch and the boys’ upbringing entrusted to him after the tragic death of his son and daughter-in-law, he made a mess of both. Now the boys are scattered to the winds and the family legacy is in jeopardy. Bringing his family back together is going to take every bit of the ingenuity, shrewdness, and tenacity Elias is known for. And, yes, maybe it’ll even take a bit of deception to instigate the Return of the Blackwell Brothers.
The Rancher’s Rescue by Cari Lynn Webb, September 1st
By Carol Ross
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
August 1st 2018 by Harlequin Heartwarming
She’s not the country nanny he advertised for
But she could be perfect for him…
Jon Blackwell needs a woman ready to tackle the duties of a cattle ranch and two lively, take-no-prisoners twin girls. But ever since Lydia Newbury showed up at his six-generation Montana spread, the frazzled single father is rethinking, well, everything. The Philadelphia dazzler is a marvel. What he doesn’t know is the secret that has Lydia on the run…
“But…how is that possible?”
“What do you mean?”
“Stuck out here in the middle of nowhere taking care of someone else’s kids? This is the life you want?”
Lydia stared back at him, hoping her heart wasn’t showing in her eyes. “Um…” She turned and held her arms out in front of her. “This isn’t exactly nowhere. Pretty sure it’s the most beautiful place on earth.”
“I’m not trying to put you on the spot here, it’s just that I’m wondering why.”
In that moment, she wished she could tell him everything. But what would he think of her? There wasn’t a situation in the world that would cause Jon Blackwell to run from his problems the way she’d always run from hers. Maybe, she could tell him a little, though. Tanner’s warnings surfaced but she brushed them away. She’d keep things vague.
“Well, Jon, I’ve made some mistakes. I haven’t had great luck with relationships.” With a little grimace, she went on, “There’s no luck involved. It’s more that I get involved with the wrong guys. The last one was a real piece of work. I had a difficult time getting out of the relationship.” Gripping the rock she’d gathered, she continued, “That’s part of the reason that I took this job, to get away from him. I needed to get out of Philadelphia.”
Jon’s eyes homed in on her like a laser beam. “Lydia, did some guy…? What are you talking about? If someone hurt you, I’d like to know about it.”
Lydia’s heart fluttered helplessly in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to have a man protect her for once, or at least to not want to hurt her. And not just any man, but this man, who was strong and smart and good. Too good, maybe, because he ended up with a woman who took advantage of that goodness. She ignored the little voice that reminded her that she was currently doing the same.
But she didn’t want to be. She wanted to protect him, too, from the wiles of Ava and Marilee. She wanted to help him in every way that she could—take care of his girls, support him on the ranch and keep him from working too hard. She wanted to be his partner. And love them all in the way they deserved.
“Um…he didn’t hurt me physically.” Lydia had often thought he wanted to. She suspected he’d been abusive in other relationships. “But he could be rough and the threat of more was always there. Verbal abuse, yes. I worked for him so that made it all worse.” She sighed. It was so difficult to explain without explaining. “At the end, I lived in constant fear.”
Lydia watched his mouth flatten out to a thin, angry line. “You deserve so much better.”
“Thank you. I know I want better.”
“What do you want?” His voice was low and deep and somehow made her want to cry a little.
You, her heart answered immediately. It hurt that she couldn’t say it, so she looked out at the view again. Doing her best to lighten the moment, she tossed the rock from the cliff and answered in a teasing tone, “Oh, I don’t know. Not much really. Just love, safety, security… And someday…maybe my own horse.”
Her attempt at levity didn’t work.
Jon looked out toward the horizon. He was still and appeared calm. But Lydia knew him better now. Tension radiated from him and she knew it wasn’t anger. Her breath stalled as her pulse began to pound fast and hard. His expression was pure Rancher Blackwell—grave and solemn and almost unreadable. Almost, because she could see the vulnerability there. She knew he had feelings for her, too. The attraction between them had been simmering hotly since he’d kissed her on Easter. What she hadn’t known was what those feelings entailed or how strong they were. But now she did. And at that moment, all of the reasons why they couldn’t be together flew out of her head. Which left only her heart, aching and craving his love. Just say it, she silently pleaded. Because no matter what happened long-term she wanted to hear the words at least once in her life from a person she wanted to hear them from.
He faced her again, his gray-blue gaze ensnaring hers. Her heart jumped into her throat. “What if I told you that I want those things, too? And what if I told you that I didn’t ever want to let you go, not even when the girls leave for college?”
Review Opportunities
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Carol Ross grew up in small town America right between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains, in a place where you can go deep sea fishing in the morning and then hit the ski slopes the same afternoon. The daughter of what is now known as free range parents, she developed a love of the outdoors at a very early age. As a writer, Carol loves to breathe the life she has lived into the characters she creates, grateful for the “research material” that every questionable decision, adrenaline-charged misstep, and near-death experience has provided.
Blitz Giveaway
– 1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card and a copy of THE RANCHER’S TWINS (print to US/CAN and ebook to international)
– 3 winners will each receive a copy of THE RANCHER’S TWINS (print to US/CAN and ebook to international)