Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Swoony Awards Monthly Round-up: February


February was a great month for the Swoony's! Lots of fun new nominations and participation. I always love to see the nominations come in and see people voting for the books they've read and loved.


Total Overall Stats

Books Nominated: 101

Total Voters: 295

We realized that not everyone uses Goodreads, so Kathy Jo came up with a great way for people to vote without having to join Goodreads. Simply click on this link, and you'll be taken to a page where you can submit your votes. Because this form isn't hooked up with the Goodreads list, the rankings won't always reflect what's going on behind the scenes. 

I love that there are so many great books on the list already, 100! Wow, I have a lot of reading to catch up on. Below are the Swoony eligible books I read in February...


Can't Wait Wendesday

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.

This is the fourth book in the Brothers Maldetti series, they could probably stand on their own, but I'd recommend reading them in order. I recently read the first three books and was bummed when I finished the third book and realized the next one wasn't out yet. Just a few days later I found out book four will be released in April! I'm so looking forward to it!

A Madness Most Discreet by Nichole Van
Brothers Maldetti, Book Four
Urban Fantasy Romance
Publication Date: April 19, 2018

Tennyson D’Angelo . . .
Darkness lives within each of us. Shadows. We are each capable of great goodness and unbelievable evil. It is the duality of being human. I want to live in the light. I don’t enjoy the shadows. But I’m not sure I’ve been given a choice in the matter. The shadows own me. They dance at my edges and tangle in my light. They torment my days and make my nights an anguished hell. I simply want to be free. One way . . . or another.

The call him the Prophet.
Tennyson D’Angelo, the man who can foretell the future. A modern-day oracle.
And Olivia D’screte desperately needs his help. She tracks him down in Italy, begging for his assistance. She has a life-or-death problem that only a bonafide psychic can solve. But Tennyson is slowly fracturing from within, the weight of the D’Angelo curse destroying him.
Olivia and Tennyson join forces, each searching for answers. But their understanding of the D’Angelo curse keeps changing, and Time is not on their side.

Even as they fall in love, Tennyson and Olivia realize they are in a race against the clock. Will they find answers in time to save themselves?

Swoon Worthy Spotlights - February


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!

I wasn't able to read as much as I wanted in February, but the books I did read were all good. I'm hoping in March I can really buckle down and read a lot, especially from the 2018 Swoony list, there are a lot of great books on there just begging me to read them. So, my picks for February are...

Lightning Struck by Nichole Van
Brothers Maledetti, Book Three
Urban Fantasy

Wroth the Risk by Heather B Moore
Pine Valley, Book One
Contemporary Romance

**********************************************************************************

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

Monday, February 26, 2018

Romance is in the Air

I hope you have enjoyed the Romance is in the Air Promotion! There are $500 in Giveaways as part of this event. Be sure you have entered all 17 giveaways! Be on the lookout for our next clean author event "Love in Bloom" which will take place in April.
Links to ALL GIVEAWAYS
  Giveaway Details $25 in Paypal Cash or a $25 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 3/13/18 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. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, February 23, 2018

Romance is in the Air - Kimberley Montpetit

A feisty ballerina with a broken heart. A minister-in-training whose faith can work miracles. Can two strong-willed people find true love and a match made in heaven? JESSICA & JAMES: A Love Story is a boxed collection of two romances set in Snow Valley, Montana—the saga of rising star ballerina Jessica and the sparks that fly between her and gorgeous James Douglas, the new pastor in town. This collection includes new chapters, and a Brand New Bonus Wedding novella! Suffering with a broken heart, Jessica has struggled to forgive herself for that fateful night when her childhood love was killed in a car accident. After staying away from home for years, she finally returns for Christmas and meets James Douglas who is unlike any minister-in-training she’s ever known. James can not only dish back Jessica’s finely tuned sarcasm but understands grief all too well, turning Jessica’s world and her faith upside down. Is she ready to take another risk on love? Living 2,000 miles apart proves difficult and Jessica and James' love is tested in a myriad of ways, but James can’t get the spitfire Jessica out of his mind. When she comes home to Snow Valley to accept an inheritance with her male ballet partner in tow, James and Jessica's passion for each other takes on a new edge. Clean romance with heart, and a surprise wedding you won't see coming.
A Great Love Story for everyone! This was a very moving romance about loss and moving forward with life and forgiveness. It shows how much we can inhibit our growth after a devastating event. Recommend this collection for teens to adults, along with a few Kleenex. Have liked the Snow Valley Series. Wish it was a real place to go and visit for Christmas! I absolutely loved this book! It is a touching & emotional story about family, friendship, love, and faith. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story of Jessica & James. A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!!! All those Happily Ever After lovers out there, this is a story for you to grab, snuggle up with a comfy blanket and get lost in the love story of two characters who are not perfect but growing, healing and learning to love and be loved. Be warned that you might just be sucked into it and not want to set it down or to say goodbye to these characters once the final page has been read. I can't recommend this one enough.  
  #1 Pastor James Douglas saw the girl sitting in the snow when he glanced up from his computer screen in his church office. Papers and research books were strewn across the oak surface of the old desk, including two different translations of the Bible–open and underlined in red pencil where he was marking various lines for this week’s Sunday School class he was teaching. James ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes. When he glanced at the clock on the wall, he blinked in surprise. It was already one o’clock. No wonder he was starving. Leaning forward, he glanced through the window again, curious. It wasn’t often he saw such a striking woman around Snow Valley, which was more known for mud-splattered cowboy boots, wind-blown hair, and chapped cheeks—all definitely had their small-town charm. But this girl—she— She hadn’t moved an inch in five minutes. James jumped up from his chair, knocking the back of it into the wall. His heart crept into his throat, worry tugging at him. It was only ten degrees out in the church cemetery. Piles of snow lay drifted about the bleak shrubs, turning to slush across the parking lot. Who came to visit the church cemetery just after a snowstorm—in the middle of December? Of course, people came to lay flowers and Christmas wreaths, but they never stayed longer than two minutes before hurrying back to their cars. She was truly beautiful. Blonde hair flying away from her face in clouds, porcelain skin, a perfectly sculpted body. As a pastor, he wasn’t supposed to notice that, he supposed, but to him she was the picture of perfection. Yet she looked so tragically sad, so lost, so very fragile sitting there, her eyes glued to the headstone. Who was she mourning? His nose hit the window pane as his eyes glued to her crouched figure. The young woman didn’t look well. He had a sudden irrational fear that she’d actually frozen into place. Should he call the police, or an ambulance? Two seconds later, he was slamming through the door of his office, grabbing his coat and stuffing his hands into gloves. Then he was sprinting through the graveyard gates, hoping he wasn’t too late to save her. #2. Jessica saw him the first time at Snow Valley’s cemetery striding fast across the dead, snow-covered grass. He wore a black wool coat and leather gloves. Not a ski jacket, a man’s long overcoat. His head was uncovered, hair cut just below his ears, a thatch of dark brown tossed across his forehead. Her breath caught like a thorn in her throat, and her palms grew clammy despite the fact that she’d forgotten her own gloves and the tips of her fingers were turning into icicles. Was it—no, it couldn’t be. Dread dropped to the pit of Jessica’s stomach. Because if the figure coming toward her was Michael, she was seeing things. Not things—dead people. Which would mean that the séance at Madame LeBlanc’s parlor back in New Orleans was for real. Narrowing her eyes, Jessica burrowed her chin into her zipped-up coat so it didn’t look like she was staring bug-eyed at the guy. Picking up his pace, the man grew closer. Should she ignore him? Pretend not to see him? Or run away before he reached her. Perhaps the angle of his body was merely an optical illusion in the whiteness of the snowy scene, the skeletal trees, and the dreary gray sky? Jessica’s heart went into overdrive, hammering painfully against her ribs. The possible specter looked so much like Michael, come back from the dead; she swore she was having palpitations, maybe even a heart attack. It couldn’t be him. That was crazy. It meant she was truly losing her mind. #3. It was only a small-town Christmas talent show, but Jessica tried to become the Sugar Plum Fairy and dance as well as she did for her job at the New Orleans ballet company. Lighter, lighter, float through the air, she repeated in her mind when the final leaps and spinning began. She was almost finished. The performance had been flawless. Jessica could go home knowing she’d done her best for her old ballet teacher and the people of Snow Valley. Then she spotted him, and her heart stopped inside her chest. He was sitting in the audience. Right in front of her parents, sister, and younger brother, Sam. The man. From the cemetery. James Douglas. A tiny whimper sounded in Jessica’s throat. Second row, stage right, crisp white shirt, suit coat, red tie, one leg crossed over his knee while the other stuck out into the aisle seat due to their long length. No, it couldn’t be that same guy. He was too uptight, too perfect and suave and—and crisp in his starched white shirt. He wasn’t the type to come to a ballet, was he? In Snow Valley of all places. Maybe it was someone who just looked like him. But this dude was staring at Jessica. Intensely staring. She stared back, shocked, wondering if she was seeing things, but the stage lights were too bright, blinding her. The Sugar Plum Fairy crown began to slide off her head. Her left leg that was supposed to bow in the concluding move of the dance stiffened up from the raw Montana December day. It probably hadn’t been the wisest decision to sit in a snowy cemetery earlier that afternoon. That man watching her leaned forward in his chair and gazed at her in such a mesmerized stance, that the auditorium whirled around her in a frenzy of faces and self-consciousness. Jessica crashed to the stage, falling into an ungraceful heap, her ankle burning as if she’d broken it. There went her ballet career. All because of some guy’s gorgeous crystal blue eyes. #4. At last, she was in the sanctity of her own bedroom – a tousle of strewn clothes, unopened mail, and dishes from late night snacks sitting on the nightstand. Unfortunately, with the grueling Swan Lake ballet schedule, she hadn’t had time to properly clean her apartment in a month. Fifteen minutes later she was dressed in jeans, a cute yellow sweater and brown suede boots with her hair pulled off her face, tendrils of curls popping out along the sides. “You will have to take me as I am, James Douglas,” Jessica said out loud, searching for her handbag under the couch pillows. “And that’s just how I like you,” a deep, male voice said at the door. “Every which way you are every, single day.” It was James, standing tall, fresh and perfect in her foyer, although overdressed in a gray woolen overcoat like the Pastor Dude he was. At least that’s what Jessica’s eighteen-year-old brother, Sam, called him. Jessica sucked in a breath, trying not to swoon at how good James—her James—looked. “How’d you get in the door?” “I knocked,” he confessed. “But I spotted your car outside and then discovered the front door wasn’t locked, so I took the liberty of coming in.” He smiled and his beautiful crystal blue eyes knocked Jessica over like they always did. Her stomach shot into her throat at the sight of him and her heart began to race. Every single time. “I probably didn’t hear you from the sanctity of the shower.” He came closer, closing the front door behind him. “I didn’t try the handle on your bedroom door. I do have discipline even if it was a temptation. But one of these days, Jessica,” he added with a murmur. “I didn’t think pastors of God ever got tempted,” she teased, a delicious shiver running down her neck when he ran his warm hands along her bare arms. “We just pray a lot.” Jessica’s mouth quirked up and they grinned at each other before he gave her a long, slow kiss.   Author Kimberly Montpetit When she was in Paris, Kimberley Montpetit spent most of her souvenir money at the La Patisserie shops with their beautiful and delicious pastries. She grew up in the fabulous city of San Francisco, loves all things chocolate, and now lives in a small town along the Rio Grande with her engineer husband and three sons. She once stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland and didn't sleep a wink, sailed the Seine in Paris, rode a camel in the ancient world wonder of Petra, shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria. Kimberley also writes Award-winning Middle-Grade novels with Scholastic and epic Young Adult novels with Harpercollins under the name, Kimberley Griffiths Little.  
  Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/13/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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 author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Romance is in the Air - Donna Weaver

 
 
Against the Magic by Donna K Weaver Reese Hamilton has big plans to help make the world a better place and a new job lined up to help her do it. Before starting work, she heads to England for a Regency immersive experience. She doesn’t expect her best friend to invite her heart-destroying brother to join them. Two years hasn’t been long enough for Reese to forget him. Then fae magic rips them back to 1850. It’s a time when women have few rights. It’s also a time when a determined woman could make a difference, with the right man at her side. Reese finds she will have to choose between two men and two times. Jem Taylor messed up big when he walked away from Reese to pursue his dream job. He hasn’t been able to forget her and jumps at his sister’s invitation. Suddenly hurtled into Victorian England, he has the chance to woo Reese again. But to do it, he’ll have to fight the magic that brought her to 1850 and an Earl with the means to keep her there.
  "I don't usually like time travel novels but the humor, banter and the attraction kept me enthralled. A great love story with a little history lesson, a happy ending and a hook." ~K.B. "A magical read" ~ Jennifer Soppe
“And where might you be going, Miss Hamilton?” The Earl surveyed the items stacked behind her. “To your tenant village, my lord.” When his gaze darted to hers, she arched a brow, daring him to stop her. “My tenants are none of your business.” His voice had turned hard, unrelenting. “One visit there showed me they have been none of your business either,” she said sharply before remembering he could stop her efforts right now. “My lord.” The Earl shot her another of his hard glances. “I shall accompany you then.” He waved to the groom. “In the back.” When the young man had vacated the seat beside her, Gareth took his place. He snapped the whip and the horse surged forward. “I have not visited there in years.” “That was obvious,” Reese muttered. “Do you have someone handle the management of your estate for you?” “Yes.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “My man of business.” “You might want to consider hiring a new one then,” she said, “because I’m underwhelmed.” “Underwhelmed,” the Earl repeated. “I don’t believe I have heard that word before. Is it something you Americans invented?” “Yankee ingenuity,” she said. “Yankee arrogance, I would say.” “Americans don’t have a monopoly on arrogance.” Reese kept her face forward.     Author Donna K. Weaver Award-winning author, wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Army veteran, karate black belt, and online gamer girl.  
  Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/12/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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 author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway