So today I’m sharing some news: authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have released a second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression! You may have heard of this book, or even own a copy, but it’s quite possible that you didn’t realize it had a second edition. Up until a month ago, I didn’t either! It was all kept a secret by the authors who were determined to “show, not tell” their next new book through a mystery reveal. I
This second edition is more than a new cover. It’s been been enhanced and expanded to include 55 new entries and double the teaching material. Now we can go even deeper when showing our characters’ emotions!
Anyway, if you want to look into it further, you can read some of the reviews on Goodreads or find more information here. Also, one more thing I want to share…a MEGA-OPPORTUNITY to win something amazing!
GIVEAWAY ALERT:
To celebrate the new book & its dedicated readers, Angela and Becca have an unbelievable giveaway on right now: one person will win a free writing retreat, conference, workshop, or professional membership to a writing organization, winner’s choice (up to $500 US, with some other conditions which are listed on the WHW site). What conference would you attend if the fee was already paid for…or would you choose a retreat? Something else? Decisions, decisions! This giveaway ends on February 26th, so hurry over and enter!
will find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, and the giveaway below:
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Courtside Crush
By Kayla Tirrell
February 12th 2019
So much for senior year being the best part of high school.
It all started when I caught my boyfriend cheating on me.
I did what any girl would do—I got revenge. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Thanks to a condemning video, I also got eight weeks of community service and athletic probation right before basketball season is supposed to start. (There goes my spot as captain!)
Thankfully, there’s a guy at Marlowe Junction’s Helping Hands who makes passing the time more enjoyable. He’s gorgeous, funny, and a huge basketball fan.
Too bad he’s also my brother’s biggest enemy…
Courtside Crush is a modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, perfect for anyone who likes their sweet romance with a dash of drama. It is the first book in the Varsity Girlfriends series.
Kayla has loved to read as long as she can remember. While she started out reading spooky stories that had her hiding under her covers, she now prefers stories with a bit more kissing.
When she gets a chance to watch TV, she enjoys cheesy sci-fi and superhero shows.
Most days, you’ll catch her burning dinner in an attempt to cook while reading just one more chapter.
Kayla lives in the sunshine state with her husband and three boys.
February 12th: Maggie Dallen – Love at First Fight
February 13th: Robin Daniels – Perfectly You
February 14th: Bria Quinlan – Secret Girlfriend & Secret Life
February 15th: Kayla Tirrell – Courtside Crush
Perfectly You
By Robin Daniels
September 1, 2017
Ivy Nixon is the student body Vice President at Franklin High School. Each year, the school holds a date auction to raise funds for the senior class graduation party, and this year, Ivy’s in charge. Planning the event is a huge task and Ivy is determined to prove she can get the job done right. Unfortunately, she’s still one participant short and her deadline is looming.
Andy Walker, her cute but socially reclusive art class table mate, is her last resort. He may not be popular, but he’s funny, talented, and full of surprises. With a makeover and some major social marketing, Ivy is sure he could fetch a decent price at the auction.
Andy reluctantly agrees to help, but the more time Ivy spends with him, the more her feelings shift from professional to romantic in nature. To top it off, she’s done her marketing so well, that other girls are starting to notice Andy too. Come auction time, will Ivy be able to let him go to the highest bidder? Or will she find a way to keep him for herself…
February 12th: Maggie Dallen – Love at First Fight
February 13th: Robin Daniels – Perfectly You
February 14th: Bria Quinlan – Secret Girlfriend & Secret Life
February 15th: Kayla Tirrell – Courtside Crush
Love at First Fight
By Maggie Dallen
January 13th 2019
Band Geek vs Quarterback…
One humiliating photo, a stupid prank, and a hashtag that goes viral. That’s how my senior year goes from predictable to absurd in a heartbeat. This year is supposed to be easy. I’ve finally scored first chair in band, my college applications are done, and all my friends and I have to do is survive one more year of high school before our real lives can begin. Instead, I find myself in trouble with the principal, humiliated in front of the entire school, and fighting with my neighbor—AKA star quarterback, Prince Charming, and nicest guy on the planet.
And that’s just on the first day back at school. Trust me, it only gets worse from there. As #GeeksGoneWild trends on social media, my friends and I are the targets of an online witch hunt. But they’ve picked on the wrong people and retaliation is severe. As the tension escalates, it soon becomes clear that someone needs to step up and put an end to this nonsense. If that means playing nice with the quarterback, I guess that’s what I have to do. Now if someone could please tell my heart that this new friendship is just for show. And the kisses…oh, the kisses. Someone please remind me that they don’t mean a thing.
February 12th: Maggie Dallen – Love at First Fight
February 13th: Robin Daniels – Perfectly You
February 14th: Bria Quinlan – Secret Girlfriend & Secret Life
February 15th: Kayla Tirrell – Courtside Crush
Thank you for stopping by my book release tour for THE MARINE’S RETURN, the sixth and final book in my ‘From Kenya, With Love’ series for Harlequin Heartwarming. I’ve loved everything about writing this series, from the romance and characters, including the endearing orphaned baby elephants, to ‘traveling’ to the breathtaking setting of Kenya’s Serengeti ecosystem and Masai Mara regions every time I sat down to type. You can read my Dear Reader letter from the Prism Release Blitz that took place the first week of January and find out more about the series as a whole HERE…
“The Marine’s Return is so well written. I love the characters, and reading about the familiar characters from the other two books I read was so enjoyable. Chad and Lexi’s interactions are so much fun to read. In fact, you’re going to love how two other characters come together too! . . . I highly recommend The Marine’s Return because of the amazing characters, descriptive setting, exciting story line, and sweet romance.”
A single, lonely acacia tree graced the top of it like one of those paper umbrellas used for decorating fancy drinks. Only there was nothing fancy about this place. He hadn’t seen the hill from the camp. The view would have been blocked by the trees flanking the exam tent, but he did recall seeing a hill and some outcroppings from the chopper. The rest of the area spread into farmland and savannah prairies, with the occasional tree dappling the landscape. He had to admit, Lexi was smart. She knew exactly where he’d want to go.
“A vantage point,” he called out over the engine noise in acknowledgment of her plan.
“A sensible starting point. Some people get so obsessed with the details that they lose sight of the big picture.” She pressed her lips together and gave him a quick side glance.
No comment.
“This novel addresses some of the many sacrifices made by those in armed forces and their families. Additionally it address, illegal poaching, and the inner strength individuals fin within themselves. . . The characters feel very real and the background scenes are vividly portrayed in script. The reader will, truly, feel herself/himself connected to the characters and the African terrain.”
A thorny acacia-branch fence formed a protective thicket around each of the homestead villages. The Masai women, men and children, dressed in their famously vibrant colors, dotted the earthy hues of the drought-stricken landscape like precious gems. The stark opposite, it occurred to him, of the camouflage he’d been accustomed to in the war-ravaged regions of Afghanistan.
His sister, Maddie, who used her position as a lawyer to fight for the human rights of Kenya’s indigenous tribes, had used that word. Precious. She’d said that the Masai and other tribes were precious, and the beauty of their culture and the people were in danger of being lost to the greedy. His mother had devoted her life to helping the Masai, too. As was Lexi. And here he was, ready to get in the way. Who was the enemy here? He’d grown up in this place and everything—from the people to the surroundings—was a part of him. But whose side was he on now? Protecting Lexi would mean taking critical care away from others. She was right.
“I really did enjoy this story. This is the first book in the series that I have read and I hope to read more from this author. I enjoyed the creative characters and the way they seem so realistic. I have not read very many books set in Kenya, so this part of the book was very interesting to me. I enjoyed the scenes at the clinic as well as the surrounding areas. The talk about the wildlife, and especially how they could he at the sounds of the wild.”
“Kenya is a country on my list of places I would love to visit. And I enjoyed being able to do that vicariously through The Marine’s Return.”
“Compelling and emotionally gripping, The Marine’s Return concludes the epic six-book series that will live on in my memory and that I highly recommend. . . . Romance fans will be delighted with Chad and Lexi’s story, but The Marine’s Return is so much more than a typical romance. Sinara’s writing flows easily across the page, conveys rich and vivid characters and scenes, and captured me emotionally from the first page.”
“This is a book that everyone should read. . . . This was a fun book to read, and I liked there was a lot of family in it. Even though it is part of a series, I did not feel as though I was missing any information, and was a great stand alone for me. . . . The ending was a great fit, and I enjoyed it”
“The Marine’s Return by Rula Sinara is fabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, the setting, and family. Lexi and Chad are such beautiful characters, their story adds splendidly to the others in the From Kenya, With Love Series. I haven’t read the first five books but if I find the time I will be reading them. We are given a glimpse of the others throughout the story, and I fell in love with all of them.”
Lexi’s footsteps stopped suddenly. He turned and caught her wincing and touching her side. For a moment he was in Kabul, on one of his early missions, not far from the embassy. A car bomb had detonated and shots were being fired. Screams pierced the air. A woman was running down the street, trying to find shelter. He saw the bullet hit her. She grabbed her side and crumpled to the ground.
In less than five seconds he was at Lexi’s side with his arm around her back, helping her to ease down onto a small boulder.
“What’s wrong? Are you in labor?” He quickly dried his forehead against his shoulder.
“What? No! I’m okay. I just need to sit a minute.”
“I enjoyed reading about the culture and way of life and the different struggles and dangers they face there. . . . Good story line and characters! Clean romance. I enjoyed reading it!”
“Another winner! . . . I love each story in the From Kenya…with Love series–not only do the characters feel like old friends (a feat that they manage even if you haven’t read all–or any–of the other series books) but the setting is absolutely amazing. Even though I’ve never been to Kenya, I almost feel as if I have once I finish one of these books. The Marine’s Return is no exception to this rule! . . . I really enjoyed Chad and Lexi’s story. It’s a solid blend of relationship drama (past and present romantic relationships, as well as family ones) and situational.”
“The first book that I have read by this author; last book in the series; the setting is in Africa, and I really didn’t know what to expect. Well, let me tell you this book surprised me in ways that I never saw coming. Seriously. I read a lot of Heartwarming books but this one just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. . . . I tell you this every time I read a Harlequin Heartwarming story, please read this line. Its character heavy, sweet/slow building romance that anyone can read and in the end finish with a smile on their face. I do every time and this time, I’m still thinking about it.”
She was too aggravating and stone-headed.
And she thinks you’re good-looking.
Why did that matter? It didn’t. It shouldn’t. It was just that she’d never mentioned the scars on his face, his limp or his missing arm. She seemed to look right past all of it, and that got to him. Did he want her to notice? Did he need her to acknowledge what he’d been through and how he was suffering? He abhorred pity yet, at the same time, did he want it? Expect it?
He closed his eyes and exhaled. She wasn’t like everyone else. Something about her unsettled him. Perplexed him.
“With a touch of mystery, a second romance thread, and appearances from characters from the other books, Rula Sinara brings her series full circle while displaying the beauty and dangers of life in Africa.”
“Chad and Lexi were great characters that I enjoyed getting to know. The story is one that was sweet, clean and heartwarming. It did tug at my heart at times, too. . . . Great read!”
“A great ending to the From Kenya, With Love series! . . . The story line was quickly entrenched in emotions and intrigue, and watching Chad and Lexi connect was rewarding. Getting to catch up with so many of the past members of the series was a wonderfully fitting ending. Absolutely loved it and sorry to see the series end!”
“If you haven’t read this series yet, you simply must. Start at the beginning for full effect, though each book can be read as a standalone. The Marine’s Return engages readers from start to finish, and Chad and Lexi’s multi-dimensional stories tug at the heart.”
“Take a trip to Kenya with Rula Sinara’s final From Kenya, With Love book, The Marine’s Return. It’s an adventure, full of romance and danger, that contemporary-romance readers shouldn’t want to miss.”
“THE MARINE’S RETURN takes readers to remote Africa as a woman tries to bring medical help to indigenous tribes and as a man tries to come to terms with his new reality after losing a limb serving in the military. The story is full of heart, conviction, friendship, family, and sweet romance. Recommended to fans of the series and of sweet romance. . . . This was a sweet story that tugged on my heart. An excellent ending to the series. I’m looking forward to more from this author!”
The Marine’s Return
(From Kenya, with Love #6)
By Rula Sinara
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
January 1st 2019 by Harlequin Heartwarming
He can’t be her hero…
But he made a promise to keep her safe
Wounded marine Chad Corallis just wants to be left alone. Until he discovers his best friend’s very pregnant widow is in danger. A dedicated nurse, she refuses to leave her Serengeti medical clinic when it’s threatened by poachers. Chad is honor-bound to protect her, but who will save him from falling for his best friend’s wife?
Other Books in the Series
National and USA Today Bestselling author Rula Sinara lives in rural Virginia with her family and crazy but endearing pets. She loves organic gardening, attracting wildlife to her yard, planting trees, raising backyard chickens and drinking more coffee than she’ll ever admit to. Rula’s writing has earned her a National Readers Choice Award and HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, among other honors. You can discover more about Rula at her blog A Writer’s Rush, on Twitter, on Facebook as RulaSinaraAuthor or on her website www.RulaSinara.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
