Petticoat Detective by Margaret Brownley

Pinkerton detective Jennifer Layne is no stranger to undercover work. But posing as a lady companion named Amy at Miss Lillian’s Parlor House and Boots is a first for her. She’s finally landed a high-profile case and is on the trail of the notorious Gunnysack Bandit, when one of Miss Lillian’s girls essential to her investigation meets an untimely demise. Only a handful of people are in the house at the time of her death, including handsome Tom Colton, a former Texas Ranger determined to clear his brother’s name. Amy has many reasons to suspect Tom of murder—and one very personal reason to hope that she’s wrong about him.

I really enjoy Ms. Brownley's Westerns. She is always able to weave in a fun western setting with humor and romance.

Even after reading the synopsis I didn't realize the story takes place at a bordello, our heroine Amy has to pose as a prostitute in order to track down the Gunnysack Bandit. Even though the story takes place at a bordello and the mystery around two murders, it was an uplifting and pretty lighthearted read, never felt too heavy even though the subject matter was pretty serious.

Amy works for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, I remembered studying them a little while in college and it's always fun to see them references in my historical novels. Anyway, Amy has a hard time with this assignment, but it was interesting to get a "behind the scenes" look into a bordello and your heart can't help but hurt for ladies forced into this profession. One of the girls Rose is killed the day Amy arrives, she was also supposed to be Amy's contact so she's having to start from scratch. A mysterious stranger in town, Tom Colton is also investigating the case and the two pair up to try and solve the mystery. Tom doesn't realize Amy's true identity and purpose and is turn when he starts to have feelings for who he thinks is a prostitute. There are some funny situations that arise from Amy's deception and I was impressed that the author was able to keep things light. I also liked how things wrapped up at the end.

Overall, a fun western romance.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild
Religious: Moderate
Other: Mild (details about life at a bordello)

Source: Received ARC from publisher for honest review.

A Cliche Christmas by Nicole Deese

This was so, so good! I loved it!

Finding a good Christmas story can be hard to do, but this book was perfect. It balanced all the Christmassy stuff, romance and was well written. Georgia is a successful screenwriter, her specialty Christmas movies. She spends her whole year working and writing Christmas movies and usually takes the month of December off to go on some exotic vacation. This year, her grandmother ropes her into returning home to work on the towns Christmas pageant. When she returns she comes face to face with Weston James, the very person who made her flee home seven years before.

I loved the relationship between Georgia and her Nan, very sweet. I also liked Georgia, she was easy to root for. It was nice to see her find peace and love. Speaking of love, wow I really liked Weston! I thought they had a nice relationship, it progressed nicely. It wasn't insta-love or insta-forgiveness. They had great chemistry and banter, but I liked the underlying of respect they had for each other. I liked that it wasn't completely conflict-free, they had to work through some issues, but it made their relationship that much stronger.

I loved the setting of Oregon and the Christmas feel. I half expected to find snow when I walked outside! I'm so glad I found this gem and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Deese's books! Go grab a copy!

Content: CLEAN

Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited

Nominated for a 2014 Swoony Award (read it and then come vote for it!).

Saving Grace by Michele Paige Holmes

After the death of her grandfather, the Duke of Salisbury, Grace Thatcher wants nothing more than to live quietly in the country with her younger siblings. Her father’s debts thwart those plans, and to protect her sister, Helen, Grace must marry a man of her father’s choosing. As each suitor proves less than desirable, Grace comes up with clever schemes, causing each to reject her. While staying at the mysterious Sutherland Hall, a middle-of-the-night mishap sends Grace into the arms of a stranger, Nicholas Sutherland—and provides inspiration for her grandest plan yet—one that will leave her reputation in tatters yet free both her and Helen from all possibility of marriage. Too late Grace regrets her rash actions when her father’s last choice, Mr. Samuel Preston, proves to be a gentleman and a friend. But Samuel is the sworn enemy of Nicholas Sutherland, the man responsible for her “ruin.” Now instead of being free, Grace is caught between two men—each with his own agenda.

I love picking up a book and falling into the story right from the start. I knew early on that I was going to enjoy this one, and I did. Grace Thatcher finds herself in a tricky spot, her father is trying to marry her off to any wealthy man that he can find to cover his extensive gambling debts. Grace has no desire to marry and simply wants to take her siblings and hide away in the country. Her plans run amok when her carriage breaks down and she finds herself in the home of Lord Sutherland. Through a series of unfortunate events the two find themselves engaged.

I loved the evolution of their relationship, from hating one another to eventually caring rather deeply for each other. I though this had a strong start, I did feel at times it was a tad slow, but I enjoyed it. Grace was a likable heroine, she was kind and honest. I liked that she always attempted to make the right choice, even if it didn't always turn out the best. Nicholas was pretty broody and full of revenge when the book starts, but Grace brings out his softer side. They were a good couple and it was fun seeing them together. There was a bit of a love triangle, but was well done. I actually came to like Samuel Preston quite a bit. I would have liked a scene where Nicholas and Samuel really come to an understanding of what happened with Elizabeth. But, I was happy with how everything turned out.

Overall, a fun regency story and one I'd recommend!

Content: Clean
Nominated for a 2014 Swoony Award.

Swoony Awards

I've been wanting to do an award for a long time. I think it'll be a fun way to recognize the awesome books we read each year and to help share those books with others. I also wanted to let these amazing authors know how much we appreciate their books and all the hard work that goes into it. I'm a sucker for romance and love reading books that have a sweet, swoony romance involved. Hence "Swoony Awards" for books that make you believe in love and happily every afters.

The Swoony Awards is brought to you by Happily Ever After Book Club and my good friends Katie from Katie's Clean Book Collection and Kathy Jo from KJ's Book Nook have helped develop the Swoonys and I couldn't have done it without them, this is our baby! I also want to give a BIG thanks to Tiana at The Blog Decorator for designing our logo, which I think turned out amazing!

So, if you've read an awesome book this year (or more) come officially nominate it for a Swoony, here. And be sure to vote for any of the other books already listed (no limit on votes). We’ll be accepting entries until the end of the year; winners will be announced January 2015. The only thing was ask is that nomination be for books published in 2014 and are clean (no sex (closed door), mild/no language and mild/no violence).

Have fun voting!

Sponsors: Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook

The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

Luke Granger is about to get more than he bargained for… As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt. Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.

I loved the setting and time period of this one. Based on the real town of Hardman, Oregon (which is now a ghost town) it was easy to step back in time and imagine what life would have been like back then. I liked that it took place around the early 1890’s and I liked how the author worked in their “modern” inventions into the story. It’s fun to think about how things we take for granted now used to be a nifty invention back then. I liked the mix of the old west with a touch of the modern, at least modern for them. I also love marriage of convenience stories and liked how that plot was used here. Luke is a successful banker and in a moment of weakness agrees to take a wife in order to cover the debt. Philamena Booth once had a happy childhood, but that all changed when her mother passed away and her father turned to drinking to try and forget how good he once had it. She has spent the last thirteen years in isolation and being abused by her father. While she had a really hard time, I’m glad the ugliness of what she went through wasn’t dwelled on. The story picks up right when Luke takes Philamena away and for the most part the story is lighthearted and conflict-free. I thought Philamena and Luke had a sweet relationship and were good for each other.

Overall, this is a pleasant step back in time to when life seemed so much simpler. I loved the story takes place over Christmas and thought it added a nice festive feel to the story. A nice, cozy read.

Welcome to the

Cowboys & Christmas

Blog Tour!

A kickoff of two new holiday romances by Shanna Hatfield

and a fundraiser for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund

An Interview with Shanna Hatfield

Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

What inspired you to write the Hardman Holidays Series? I chose the town of Hardman as the setting because it was fun to imagine what the town as like back when it was booming. Today, Hardman is a ghost town. I wrote this particular series because I enjoy creating strong female characters and men brave enough to walk beside them.

What's the series about? Hope. Faith. Love. It’s about never giving up, finding inner strength, and giving love a chance. Filly faces a dismal future until Luke opens a new door for her. Ginny is running away from her past, trying to find a future. Alex thinks her nomadic lifestyle will keep her from ever experiencing true love. Despite everything, each of them hold onto the hope that tomorrow will be a new, better day.

What made you decide to make this a holiday series? I love historical romances, especially those set during the holiday season. Tying in a holiday theme to each story seemed like a perfect fit for the setting and the characters.

Tell us a little about your main characters. Filly is the heroine from The Christmas Bargain, the first book in the series. Much braver than she thinks, she’s endured her father’s abuse and imprisonment on their farm for thirteen years. Luke Granger accepts her in lieu of payment on a loan just to get her away from the cruel man she used to call Papa. She needs all the courage, strength, and humor she can find when the pastor insists Luke take her as his bride. Ginny is the feisty lead character in The Christmas Token, the second book in the series. She grew up in Hardman and fell in love with Blake Stratton. Since he came from a poor family, her mother decided to whisk her away before the two teens could wed. Relocated to New York City, Ginny enjoys life there until she arrives back in Hardman quite unexpectedly and realizes she never stopped loving Blake. In The Christmas Calamity, the newly-released third book in the series, Alexandra Janowski is a prestidigitator on the run from her past, from men out to do her harm, and the opportunity to fall in love. Forced to stay in Hardman while the blacksmith repairs her wagon, she finds her heart and thoughts drawn to banker Arlan Guthry.

Where do you get the inspiration to write? My inspiration for sitting down every day and writing comes from the fact that I love doing it and there is nothing else I’d rather be doing. I left my day job a year ago to write full time, so this truly is my chosen career and source of employment.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers? Thank you for hosting me today. I’m so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to connect with your readers. I hope those who enjoy historical fiction, sweet romances, or a good western, will consider reading  

The Christmas Bargain

The Christmas Token

The Christmas Calamity

 

Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund®

Now through Dec. 24, Shanna will donate 10 percent of the net proceeds from all her book sales to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The JCCF is a non-profit organization that assists rodeo athletes who’ve sustained catastrophic injuries and are unable to work for an extended period.  

You’re Invited to PARTY!

You’re invited to join in the online Cowboys & Christmas Facebook Party Thursday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (PST). Drop in anytime during those four hours to enter to win great prizes, chat with guest authors, and more! Here’s the link to the party: http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasparty The third book in the Hardman Holidays sweet Victorian romance series releases that day! The Christmas Calamity takes readers back to Hardman just in time for the holiday season. Preorders are available now for just $1.99 on Kindle. You can reserve your copy here: http://amzn.com/B00OGOO994 In addition, the first book in the Hardman Holidays series, The Christmas Bargain, will be available free that day, as well!

Enter to Win Prizes!

To enter the drawing for an Amazon gift card, autographed books, chocolates, original western artwork, and more fun goodies, fill out this form. http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasprizes

About Shanna Hatfield

A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.” She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America. Find Shanna’s books at: Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online: ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter

Now Accepting Nominations for 2014 Swoony Awards

The Swoony Awards is live and now accepting nominations. The Swoony Awards is brought to you by Happily Ever After Book Club. We want to recognize all the great books we’ve read throughout the year. In order to be eligible any books added must have been published during 2014 (if it has previously been published and was re-released in 2014 that counts too!). It also has to be clean (no sex/closed door, no/low language, no/low violence). Nominations can be full length novels, novellas or short stories. We’ll be accepting entries until the end of the year. The winners will be announced January 2015. It is our first year hosting the Swoony Awards so hopefully it’ll go smoothly and we can get all the kinks out and most importantly we want to make sure everyone has fun!

Please feel free to add any books you’ve read and enjoyed this year and be sure to tell your friends! And Authors, feel free to vote for your books too!

Sponsors: Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook

Winners & Final Poll

I can’t believe Swoon Fest is over! This month has flown by and reading all these awesome McClure books made it so much more fun! I am so grateful for everyone who participated! We had over 850 entries throughout the month! That is awesome! Now I’m sure all of you are wondering who our final winners are, so here you go:

 

1st Place: Autographed Hardcopy McClure Book

(signed and provided for by Marcia)

Heidi Jensen

 

2nd Place: $15 Amazon Gift Card

Tiffany Odell

 

3rd Place: $10 Amazon Gift Card

Jennifer H

I'll send the prizes to the email addresses provided, let me know if you don't receive it. Heidi, I'll be contacting you in regard to which book you'd like, etc. Thanks again to everyone who participated, you all made it so much more fun!

Poll

Happy Halloween! Which paranormal hero would you like Marcia to write about...

Vampire Werewolf

comments and details · show results · invite friends

Top Ten Favorite McClure Books

I thought it’d be fun to compile a list of everyone’s favorite McClure books. It was actually a little harder than I thought it would be. I ended up with four different versions and used those to make a master list. The first version is based on Amazon reviews (average customer review), the next based on Goodreads (average ratings), next is based on the Goodreads Listopia and lastly one based on all the different lists that were submitted to me directly. So, I give you the master list of favorites (I’ll post the other lists in the comments, if you’re curious like me). And I should add, this is probably always changing, the more votes that come in can tweak things a bit.

Top Ten Favorite McClure Books

Visions of Ransom Lake

Kissing Cousins

Highwayman of Tanglewood

A Crimson Frost

Dusty Britches

Weathered Too Young

Saphyre Snow

Shackles of Honor

Heavenly Surrender

Touch of Sage

 

“Falling in love is an adventure--the breathless, goose-bump-rendering voyage of a real-life hero and heroine. Falling in love is simultaneously wonderful and painful -- a mingling of uncertainty and euphoria. Love stories are, after all, like people -- as individual as snowflakes. Each love story is entirely unique -- each love story should be admired, cherished, and valued!”

-Marcia Lynn McClure

 

*These results are from October 30, 2014

Character Casting Reveals

When I woke up this morning I realized I didn't have anything to post today. But, then I realized I still had a few character reveals that I forgot to put up. Personally, I think these are better than the originals. What do you think?

Untethered
Kathy and Heathro

Kissing Counsins
Kathy Jo and Swaggart

The Crimson Frost
Katie and Broderick

The Pirate Ruse
Tori and Trevon

Poll

I LOVE fairytales and I've enjoyed the few MLM retellings she's done. Which fairytale would you love for Marcia to write?

Swan Princess Cinderella

2 comments · show results · invite friends

Fall Yummies Week 5

Surprise! It's Friday! Hehe. Just kidding. I know y'all are probably thinking what in the world is KJ doing posting her recipe on Wednesday instead of Friday?! Well... the answer is simple! We wanted to go out with a BANG and decided to do the Winners on Friday instead of today. So keep those reviews coming all you Swoony Participants! We LOVE hearing from you guys and reading your reviews!

And before I post the recipe I personally want to give Kathy a HUGE THANK YOU for putting this all together for us and making it SO much fun!! Not everyone got a chance to see how much work she actually put into this and I was blown away by how much she accomplished and did for Swoon Fest all the while taking care of her family! She is definitely Wonder Woman!! I have absolutely LOVED working with her on this and can't wait for the next one!! Kath... you are an AMAZING person who went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure our First Swoon Fest was such a HUGE success!! I am so very grateful that you were willing to not only host it BUT agree to do another one... or two... or five!! ;) Hehe. You completely and totally ROCK my friend!! Can't wait to work with you again on the next ones!! :)

Ok... and now for our amazing recipe for this week. Kathy found this one and shared it with me and I knew I just HAD to share it with you guys!! It looks and sounds absolutely DECADENT!! I REALLY want to hear from you guys if you try this out!! So... without further adieu I give you... 

Marshmallow Pumpkin Bars!! Don't they look AMAZING?! *swoony sigh*

Ingredients:

4 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 15-oz can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips
1 10-oz bag mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugars, oil, and pumpkin until completely combined.
3. In a separate, small bowl - mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, and then the chocolate chips.
5. Pour the mixture into a baking sheet (15x10x1) and bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let them cool completely.
7. Top with marshmallows, and broil in the oven for 1 minute or until golden brown. (Be sure to watch them closely so they don't burn).
8. Let them cool completely and then serve.

Enjoy! And don't forget to share with us if you try them! ;) 

MLM Favorites Voting

Okay, so I know I asked everyone to submit their top ten favorite lists to me, I've gotten a great response and will still post those results. But, Katie had a great idea about hosting a vote through Goodreads. I thought this would be a great and easy way for everyone to vote. I went ahead and added all of Marcia's books to the list, now you just have to go and vote for your top TEN favorites. I know doing it this way will be tempting to vote for more than ten, but try and stick with ten. :)

To vote, visit my Listopia page on Goodreads HERE. Voting is easy, if you haven't done it before you can see in the picture below. Under the title of the book there is a "vote for this book" button. Just click on that. On the right there is a My Votes field and you will be able to see your list of ten books. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll announce the final winners in a couple days.