Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Swoony Award Monthly Round-up!


We're two months into the Swoony Awards, although it officially kicked off in January we're accepting nominations for books published in December. I thought it'd be fun at the end of each month to do a little "round up" and see how many books have been nominated and how many voters we've had. January was a great month, lots of fun participation and interactions. 


Here's the stats for January:

Books Nominated: 53

Number of Voters: 122

There are a TON of great books on the list so far, I was able to read and nominate seven books! I look forward to reading many more. 2018 is going to be a great year for secular romance!



So, what about you? Have you voted? If not, vote here

Swoon Worthy Spotlight - January


Welcome to Swoony Worthy Spotlights, hosted by Bookworm NationKatie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Swoon Worthy Spotlights features 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

The end of the year is always a busy time, I read a lot of Christmas books and may have gotten a little burned out. Took some time off from reading so I could actually get through the holidays, which was nice because now that I'm back at it, I have a ton of great books to look forward to. January really started out great as far as books go. I may not have read as much as I would like, but I was able to read some fantastic books, but my very favorite was...


#Starstruck by Sariah Wilson
#Lovestruck, Book One
Contemporary Romance

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back
By Sariah Wilson
YA Contemporary Romance

Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt
Contemporary Romance - Mystery

So, a couple of those are re-reads, but they were just as good the second time around. 

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Be sure to stop by 
and

Grab the graphic and join in the fun!
Don't have a blog? Post in the comments
which books made you swoon




Can't Wait Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which spotlights books we're looking forward to reading. Typically its books that have yet to be released, but can be any book you've been wanting to read.

That cover. Wow. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, and was excited when I found out it was going to be a series. Sounds like this book will be a Sleeping Beauty retelling. I can't wait! 

Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen
Steampunk Proper Romance, Book Two
Regency Urban Fantasy - Steampunk
Publication Date: July 3, 2018

Doctor Isla Cooper is cursed. Literally. Each night, at the stroke of midnight she falls into a death-like sleep from which she cannot be awakened for six hours. To make it worse, the curse has an expiration date—after a year, it becomes permanent. And the year is almost up.

In a desperate attempt to find Malette—the witch who cursed her—Isla blackmails her way onto Daniel Pickett's private airship bound for the Caribbean, only to discover she's traveling with three illegal shapeshifters and the despicable Nigel Crowe, a government official determined to hunt down and exterminate every shapeshifter in England. Isla and Daniel must work together to keep the identities of the shapeshifters hidden while coming to terms with their own hidden secrets, and their blossoming attraction to each other.

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and plenty of romance, Kiss of the Spindle is steampunk Sleeping Beauty story. It is a race against the clock as Isla and Daniel try to hunt down the elusive Malette before Isla's death-like sleep becomes permanent.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a fun weekly meme, simply grab the book you're currently reading and open to a random page. Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. Try and avoid spoilers. Share the Title, Author and page number. Leave your teaser/link in the comments section below.

My Teaser:


"Love no matter the hurt, else any chance you have at being loved -- regardless how small or seemingly hopeless -- will be lost."

The Awakening by Tamara Leigh
Age of Faith, Book Seven
Location 3828
Medieval Historical

Romance is in the Air


– Romance is in the Air –

A Month-Long Celebration of Clean Romance

– February 2018 –




Starting February 1st and running through the entire month of February we will be showcasing 14 fabulous authors. There will be 15 different giveaways, free ebooks and lots of great deals on books.
We’re starting off with a $100 Kick-Off Giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Code or $100 in Paypal Cash.
Check out this great list of authors we will be spotlighting!








Kimberley Montpetit



Be sure to stop by each week during February to learn about these amazing authors. You definitely don’t want to miss out on all the giveaways! To be sure you never miss a post subscribe to I Am A Reader’s Mailing List.









Giveaway Details

$100 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card

Ends 2/28/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via PayPal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Monday, January 29, 2018

Book Blitz: Misstress Grim by Jane Redd

On tour with Prism Book Tours

Mistress Grim
by Jane Redd
Upper YA Gothic Romance
Paperback & ebook, 180 pages
December 30th 2017 by Mirror Press
GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & Noble

From USA Today bestselling author Jane Redd, comes MISTRESS GRIM:

The Grim Reaper has been collecting souls of the dead for hundreds of years, but even the Master of Death has to pass on his reign. Unfortunately, his progeny is not quite ready to replace him.

Cora Grim, daughter of the Grim Reaper, is suddenly thrust into her father’s role. Leaving the Underworld on her own to bring back the dead souls, she discovers that the Master of Death neglected to tell her one thing. She can still fall in love.

Excerpt

Chapter One

I have known from the day of my seventh birthday that I was in training as the harbinger of death. For you see, my father is the Grim Reaper.

“Cora,” he told me when I was but a child of seven. “One day, you will rule the Underworld. One day, you will replace me.”

I stared up at him, my giant of a father with his broad shoulders, powerful arms, and elegant fingers with their black nails. He wore his long, dark hair tied back from his angular face so that his black, black eyes seemed like hollow things against his pale face.

How could I replace my father? In any task? He ruled the Underworld as king. He held the lives of all mortals in his grasp. He could take away the breath of the living with a single touch.

He was called Lord of Death, God of the Underworld, Hades, the Grim Reaper . . .

But to me, he was Father.

About the Author


Writing under Jane Redd, Heather B. Moore is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels set in ancient Arabia and Mesoamerica. She attended the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican International School in Jerusalem and received her Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University. She writes historical thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore, and romance and women’s fiction under the name Heather B. Moore. It can be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom.


Book Blitz Giveaway


1 winner will receive a copy of SOLSTICE by Jane Redd (ebook or print - print to US only)
Open internationally
Ends February 2nd

Book Series Giveaway!


You guys, one of my favorite authors, Bria Quinlan, is hosting a giveaway! You can enter to win all four books in her fabulous Brew Ha Ha series. This is one of my very favorite contemporaries series, I even own a Brew Ha Ha mug (that I won from the author awhile back). 

Quirky Girls, Hot Guys, and tons of Shennanigans all in the Beststelling, RITA nominated Brew Ha Ha series box set!
THE LAST SINGLE GIRL
The internet gave Sarah her Kate Spade bag and that apartment outside Washington Square. Now maybe it can find her Mr. Right. Internet dating....What could possibly go wrong?

WORTH THE FALL
When Kasey loses her job, her apartment, and her guy in one day she just wants to start a new life and be a guy-free-zone. But, when one thing after another goes wrong, Mr. Right might be the one good thing worth taking a chance on.

THE CATCHING KIND
Hailey thought she was worth more than a straight flush until her agent loses her in a bet. Now she’s stuck being the fake girl-next-door beard for America’s Sexiest Athlete. Are arrogance and good looks a match for this stubborn Quirky Girl?

THE PROPOSING KIND 

Connor may have proposed. Or maybe not.
Now it's up to Hailey and her Brew Crew girls figure it all out. Ridiculousness, shenanigans, arguments, and reconciliations ensue…because, Quirky Girl Power! But at the end of it all, is Hailey ready to marry America’s Most Eligible Athlete or is time to call a delay on that particular play?



ABOUT BRIA


RITA finalist Bria Quinlan writes sweet & sassy Contemporary Romances and Issue books for teens that take hard topics and make you laugh through your tears. Her stories remind you that life is an adventure not to be ignored. Hangout here or on her Facebook page… or join the ridiculousness on twitter @briaquinlan. She’s repped by the awesomely amazing Laird Lauren Macleod of the Clan…. Oh, wait. Of Strothman Agency. Curious what others are saying? Check out her books and join the conversations at Goodreads HERE.

HOW TO WIN

To enter, just fill out this simple rafflecopter, you can earn points by following my blog (if you're already a follower you can still get the points), sign up for Bria's newsletter or leave a comment. Do all three to earn extra points! Winner will be announced Friday and I'll send over your fantastic box set. Perfect timing for a little weekend reading!




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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Can't Wait Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which spotlights books we're looking forward to reading. Typically its books that have yet to be released, but can be any book you've been wanting to read.

Isn't this cover gorgeous?? I can't stop staring at it. So yeah, regencies are definitely my favorite. I just love that setting. So you take an amazing cover, charming setting, fun plot and written by one my favorite authors and yeah, I can't wait to read this one!


My Sister's Intended by Rachael Anderson
Traditional Regency Romance
HEA Publishing - March 2018

For as long as Prudence can remember, it has been understood that her sister will one day wed the eldest son of their nearest neighbor. Such an alliance will benefit both families and bring a great deal of joy to all parents involved.

Unfortunately, Prudence has never been able to feel as joyful. She believes her sister is mad to consider marrying a man she hardly knows, even if he will one day make her a countess. Titles and wealth shouldn't factor into matters of the heart, and as an aspiring romance novelist, Prudence cannot fathom how anyone could even think of settling for less than love. She certainly wouldn’t, and she doesn't want her sister to either.

Unable to stand by and do nothing, Prudence sets out to help the awkward couple discover the best in each other with the hope that they will eventually find love. What she neglected to foresee, however, was the possibility that she might fall in love with Lord Knave herself.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a fun weekly meme, simply grab the book you're currently reading and open to a random page. Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. Try and avoid spoilers. Share the Title, Author and page number. Leave your teaser/link in the comments section below.

My Teaser:


"When she grinned, she looked more like herself in this moment, just like the girl he'd loved."

The Second Chance Groom by Taylor Hart
Texas Titan Romances, Book Five
Location 1019
Contemporary Romance

Saturday, January 20, 2018

The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel

The Sidelined Wife (More Than a Wife Series Book 1)The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great read by Ms. Peel!

I admit, I stayed up way too late finishing this one. I kept thinking "just one more chapter" and it was totally worth it. This was a fun one to read all in one sitting, really get into the story and characters.

Recently divorced, Samantha Decker doesn't quite know what to do with herself. Still reeling from the shock of her husband cheating and getting his mistress pregnant, she starts writing in her blog again and is surprised when her posts become so popular. Writing helps not only heal the pain she is feeling, but helps others as well. Finding a new purpose she is able to slowly start moving on with her life. I could relate to Samantha in a lot of way (thankfully not the bad stuff), we're close in age, both mothers and so it was easy to relate to what she was going through and admire how she handled everything. She's a strong and vulnerable character. Ah, and Reed Cassidy was a nice little surprise for Samantha!

I thought this was a great story and kept me glued to the pages. The characters are well-developed and felt like there was a lot of substance to the story. It's easy to root for Samantha and really want to see her get a new HEA. I look forward to more from this new series, More Than a Wife.

Content
Romance: Clean. Kissing, talk of infidelity and mild talk of sex-not graphic
Language: Mild
Violence: None
Religious: None
Series: More Than a Wife, Book One

Source: Kindle Unlimited

View all my reviews

Bargaining with the Boss by Jennifer Shirk

Bargaining with the Boss (Accidentally Yours)Bargaining with the Boss by Jennifer Shirk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun, lighthearted read.

Waking up in a strangers bed would be quite the shock. Finding out he is your new boss...yeah, not fun. Well, it's definitely fun for readers! Kinsley and Damon had great chemistry right from the start. Kind of an unconventional way to start a working relationship, but it did add some fun tension. I actually really enjoyed how their relationship unfolded. Kinsley and Damon were both likable characters. I loved the setting and thought the plot was fun. Overall, this was a fun escape. I look forward to more in this series!

Content
Romance: Clean, mild innuendo and kissing
Language: Mild
Violence: None
Religious: None
Series: Accidentally Yours, Book One

Source: Netgalley

View all my reviews

Friday, January 19, 2018

First Line Friday


Welcome to First Line Friday! This fun meme is easy to do, simply pick up the book you're currently reading and share the very first line! There are some really good first lines out there, they grab you and suck you right into the story.


Bargaining with the Boss by Jennifer Shirk
Accidently Yours, Book One 
Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: March 15, 2018 

"Kinsley was on her second piece of wedding cake, still mulling over her friend's idea of walking up and introducing herself to a total stranger."

Monday, January 15, 2018

#Starstruck Blog Tour and Giveaway



“You’ve done better.”

With one uncharacteristically sassy tweet to her longtime celebrity crush, Zoe Miller’s life turns upside down. Ultra hot A-lister Chase Covington doesn’t just respond to Zoe’s tweet, he does the unthinkable: he messages Zoe directly. Now she must decide between walking away or meeting her crush in person.

Chase knows better than to trust anyone from the Internet, but Zoe’s saucy challenge has totally caught his interest—and her girl-next-door personality is keeping it. He’s been burned enough to know he needs to keep his heart close. But his feelings for Zoe might be a lot more than just an online flirtation. He just has to convince her…

When the press gets wind of Zoe and Chase’s secret relationship, their romance turns into tabloid headlines. Will they be able to hold on to their Hollywood love story?

Click here to read my review!

Book Links:

#Starstruck Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35995497-starstruck
#Starstruck Amazon buy link: http://a.co/hiB5NbL

Author Bio:


Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt. Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. She grew up in southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children. She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along with three tiger barb fish, a cat named Tiger, and a recently departed hamster that is buried in the backyard (and has nothing at all to do with tigers).

Sariah's book ROYAL DATE was selected as one of the first winners in Amazon's Kindle Scout program and is Kindle Press's most successful author to date. She has sold five books to Montlake Romance, three to Kindle Press and helped launch Amazon Publishing's Kindle In Motion technology with her latest release, ROYAL DESIGN. She was given her own Kindle World for THE ROYALS OF MONTERRA. Sariah has repeatedly hit Amazon's overall Top 100 (both in and outside the U.S.) and been a #1 bestseller on Amazon category lists multiple times. Her books have been featured in USA TODAY and GLAMOUR UK.


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Saturday, January 13, 2018

2018 Swoony Awards

What are the Swoony Awards?
The Swoony Awards are a reader’s choice award recognizing excellence in clean secular romance fiction. We wanted a way to show our appreciation to these awesome authors who write the kind of books that we love. It’s also a great way to find new books and a good go-to when looking for something fun to read.

What books are eligible for a Swoony Award?
-ONLY books PUBLISHED December 1, 2017 – November 30, 2018 are eligible. Please DOUBLE check publication dates before nominating books!

-Books must be published or have arc reviews before nomination. Since the award is based on readers having actually read and enjoyed the book(s) they are voting for, the book has to have been published or arcs read in order to receive votes.

-Intimacy: No sex, no/low closed door/fade-to-black, no/low innuendo, nothing crude or crass.

-Language: None/mild (No F words or other explicit language) nothing overly crude.

-Violence: Mild/low.

-Page Count: Novellas or Novels only, 100 pages or higher, no short stories this year.

-Age: Only Young Adult, New Adult and Adult, NO children’s or middle grade.

-Other: No Christian fiction, where religion is the main focus of the story. 

Where do you vote for the Swoony Awards? 
On Goodreads! If you don't have an account it is really easy to sign up for one! And it's an AMAZING place to keep track of which books you have read, which books you want to read and of course see all kinds of reviews on books! 

We are SO excited for this year's Swoony Awards! You can click here and go straight to our list! Head on over, check out the list and if there are any books on there that you have read and LOVED then make sure you VOTE! If you have read a book that is eligible but has not been added yet then make sure you VOTE to add it to the list for everyone to see! But make sure you check the entire list before voting. Again, please make sure to DOUBLE check the eligibility before voting! 

How to vote or nominate a book?
Voting is easy, once you're on the 2018 Swoony Award list, you'll see just below the title of the book a tab "Vote For This Book", simply click on that and you're all set. Remember- You can vote for up to 100 books!
If you've read a great book and its not on the list, its easy to add. Just click on the tab - Add Books To This List. It will bring you to this page...


You can add book directly from one of your Goodreads shelves, or you can click on search and add books by title or author. Once you've found the right book, just click Vote for This Book and it will get added to the list. Just make sure it meets the above criteria.

If you want to return to the main list, just click on the All Votes tab and you'll be returned to the main list.

One last thing...

Note to Authors: If you’ve written a book that matches the above criteria fill free to nominate it for a Swoony. Help bring awareness to your nomination. We are doing some promoting, but sometimes a newsletter, Facebook, Twitter or blog post directly from the author is the best way to let your fan base know your book has been nominated and help it get all the votes it can get.

Note to Voters: This is a great way to let authors know you appreciate all their hard work. You can vote for up to 100 books on the list. Yes, you read that right, you can vote for 100 books! If you're like me, you'll probably read a lot of great books this year, so no worries about having to vote for just one. Be sure and check back throughout the year and keep the votes coming. I know the authors appreciate it and we do too! We’ve also learned that the order you rank the books you vote on does affect the overall score of the book. So take a minute and make sure you have your books in the order you want them.

Invite your friends to vote! Voting ends December 31, 2018. So what are you waiting for?! Let's show all these AMAZING authors how much we love them AND their books! Ready?! GO VOTE!


Author's Corner - Laura Beers

Welcome to Author's Corner hosted by Bookworm NationKatie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month we will feature either a favorite author or new to us author. We will share the author's bio, one of our favorite books of theirs and a review. Each of us will be featuring a different author each month so there will also be links to each of our posts.

For this month's Author's Corner I am going to choose...

 

Laura Beers spent most of her childhood with a nose stuck in a book, dreaming of becoming an author. She attended Brigham Young University, eventually earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management.
Many years later, and with loving encouragement from her family, Laura decided to start writing again. Besides being a full-time homemaker to her three kids, she loves waterskiing, hiking, and drinking Dr. Pepper. Currently, Laura Beers resides in South Carolina.

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Laura released her first book last year! She's started writing a fun Regency Suspense series. Regencies is one of my very favorite genres, and I love it when you get some mystery thrown in to keep things interesting. Her first book, Saving Shadow is a great start to a fun new regency series. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Beers comes up with next!



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Which authors do you love? Who are some of your favorites?


Be sure to check out 


KJ's Book Nook

and
Katie's Clean Book Collection

to see their author picks for January!