Saturday, August 31, 2013

Book Blast: The Silver Strand by L.J. Clarkson


The Silver Strand
 
Ever since twelve year old Isabelle Tresdon’s silver strand of hair sprouted, it’s been nothing but trouble: bleeding pink dust and sparking like a firecracker. Refusing to be known as the girl with the freaky, grandma hair, she wishes it never grew and the hair withers and tarnishes.

The only problem is, the strand is Isabelle’s source of magic, and she can transform particles of energy into matter. It’s also her ticket into Mastermind Academy, a secret school inside the earth’s core. Five days remain before the strand drains her magic and life, forcing Isabelle to enter into a deal with two trickster Masterminds to save it. But what she doesn’t count on is there is more at stake than just her life.

The Silver Strand, a MG Fantasy Adventure for 9-12 year olds, is book 1 in the Mastermind Academy Series.



Author L.J. Clarkson
 
One thing you need to know about LJ Clarkson is that she tells BIG lies. She tells everyone that she gave up her career as an Environmental Engineer and Project Manager to write full time. But that’s not entirely true. Ten percent of the time she sleeps in. Fifteen percent of her day, she spends surfing the internet, researching for new books and her business. Ok, fine. Two percent is for research. But she’s only admitting it so she doesn’t end up like Boldrick. For eighteen point seven five percent of her day, she runs her promotional and support site for authors, called Indicated (www.indicated.com.au). The rest of her time involves writing, reading, watching movies and TV, walking her dogs and falling asleep whenever her boyfriend talks technical computer lingo. Truthfully, she hates early mornings, mondays, grammar (yuck! just ask her poor editor!), broccoli and cleaning. If you would like to drop her and line and let her know what you think of the book, she would love to hear from you. Just not before 8:30am in the morning.


Excerpt

“Did you know Isabelle has a silver, alien antenna?” Bimouth’s voice sang out over the shouts and chatter of the school bus, capturing everyone’s attention. “In science class, a magnet flew out of Mr. Higgins’ hand and stuck to her antenna. How freaky is that?”
Isabelle’s back pressed against her seat.
Bianca leapt up like a jack-in-a-box. Her voice came out as a hiss. “Shut your face horse mite or I’ll shut it for you.”
Looked like the bus ride might end in death.
Bigmouth turned to face Bianca. “What if Isabelle’s antenna, like, turns us into alien zombies?”
A chorus of whispers broke out.
Catching the bus was a very bad idea. Isabelle prayed again for that black hole to open up and suck her in. Better yet, she wished it would gobble up the bigmouth. Isabelle tugged on Bianca’s arm and said in a low voice, “Just cut it off.”
Her friend’s eyes softened. “You sure, Boof?”
“The hair’s caused nothing but trouble since it sprouted.” The little voice inside Isabelle’s mind begged her not to, but she didn’t listen.
“Ok.” Something in Bianca’s school bag rattled as she riffled through it. She yanked a pair of scissors free.
Isabelle’s gut clenched as her friend laid the strand between the blades. “Wait!” She suddenly felt unsure about whether to get rid of it. What if it were special and magical like Bianca had said? A magnetic hair, although cool, was hardly magical. Isabelle decided to test it. Closing her eyes, she willed her strand to turn Bigmouth into a toad.
But Bigmouth’s voice still carried throughout the bus. “And in gym class, like, she bled this weird, pink dust.”
“Definitely an alien,” someone nearby agreed.
So much for Isabelle’s strand being magical. “Cut it,” she said, exchanging a sideways look with Bianca.
Her friend squeezed the handles together. Fuchsia-colored sparks shot out and scalded Isabelle’s right cheek. The strand sizzled and hissed like a firecracker, drawing the attention of Bigmouth.
She shrieked like a real girl. “Look! Isabelle’s antenna’s on fire.”



BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/15/13

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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: Disemblance by Shanae Branham


DiSemblance

Jason Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you.

Detective Bruce Durante has been handed the case of the Comfort Killer, a serial killer so named because he appears to abduct terminally ill patients before returning their corpses to their families in refrigerated coffins. When he picks up the trail, it leads straight to the home of Lloyd Tanner.

Jason has been living life through the world of Lloyd’s invention and wishing he could carry on a relationship with Boston, the beautiful girl next door. When his father is murdered and framed as the Comfort Killer, he is brought back to reality in a hurry. He is forced to destroy all of the planted evidence—and finds he is being targeted as the killer’s new fall guy. But the secrets of his father’s invention run deep and Jason, his brother Isaac,Boston, the Comfort Killer, and Detective Durante hurtle towards one another on a deadly collision course that leaves everyone’s life hanging in the balance.




Author Shanae Branham

I am a professional writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a minor in grammar. I have also attended several years of classes and workshops in screenplay writing at the Los Angeles Screenplay writer’s Expo.

I love suspense thrillers and am a master at plot and character development. I enjoy stories with happy endings. I promise all my readers that when they put one of my books down or walk away from one of my movies, they will be enthused with excitement and joy. This does not mean there will not be some sad parts, because you have to feel the bitter in order to understand the sweet. In fact, I have struggled with Dyslexia my whole life, so you can imagine how overjoyed I was when DiSemblance won a Silver metal in the fantasy/science fiction category at the eLit awards in 2012.



BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/13/13

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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, August 30, 2013

Grand Finale: Emergence by Rachel E. Fisher




Emergence (Eden's Root Trilogy #3)

Emergence 

Eden's Root Trilogy #3

by Rachel E Fisher

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 30, 2013

"I promise you, Sean. We're going to stop them."

The pieces on the board are in motion and with both sides gathering strength, each move will be critical. When the Truthers make a play for checkmate, the Seeders are forced to respond. Fi and her companions will face greater challenges and higher stakes than ever before, because this time if they fail, it's for keeps.



Seeds of War (Eden's Root trilogy #2)

Seeds of War


The mission of Eden must be fulfilled and Eden’s best Seekers are needed. Forming a new group they dub the Seeders, Fi, Asher, and Sean are joined by a new addition as they set out to bring hope and support to the Topsiders in the form of radios and heirloom seeds. Their experiences Topside prepare them for the threat from marauding gangs they call Lobos, but it is a different, less obvious sort of threat that takes them by surprise. As radio broadcasts begin to reconnect Eden and the Topsiders, the Seeders stumble upon mysterious broadcasts from unknown stations. When two of their own new radio stations go silent within days of each other, Fi and her companions realize that something is terribly wrong. Eden finds itself pitted against a growing and unknown force as their very mission lights the flames of war.

Eden's Root
Eden's Root 


It is 2033, and the world hovers on the edge of explosion as unexplained crop deaths lead to severe global food shortages. In the United States, the Sickness is taking lives slowly, creeping its way into every family. Fi Kelly has already faced the Sickness in her own family, toughening her beyond her years. But a shocking confession from her dying father will push her toughness to its absolute limits. Saddled with an impossible secret and the mission of saving her little sister, Fi sets out to transform herself into the warrior that she must become to survive the coming collapse. Along the way, she will discover that evil can be accidental and that love can be intentional.






Rachel Fisher

Rachel E Fisher

I am a wife and entrepreneur living and working in Florida. I am also a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where I majored in Biology. It was always my assumption that I would end up making research my life. Though it did not work out that way in the end, my passion for Biology remains intact.

I have always loved biology-based science-fiction and the young adult genre. It is in this vein that I offer my work.


In Rachel Fisher's dystopian world, natural grown food has turned to poison or died before it can produce fruit. This idea was partly inspired by her own life and the necessity of creating vegan and gluten-free meals.


Find your apron and roll up your sleeves... it's time to celebrate Emergence with...

The Emergence Recipe Tour

12 – Launch
13  - Howling Books and Design - Review

I’ve never thought I would be looking forward to the ending to a series as much as this one. This dystopian novel drew me in from the start with it’s believable story of how a world changed by just having a few changes done to food we grow.
-      
tHe crooKed WorD - Review & Recipe


No one is safe in this book. Everyone suffers something, and since I love these characters as my own friends, it's hard.
Vegan, Gluten-Free Alfredo Sauce

Navy Bean "Alfredo Sauce"

14 – Livinga Goddess Life - Recipe

Here's a fantastically healthy and tasty recipe using Farro...
 

-      
Mel’s Shelves - Recipe for Quinoa & Black Beans 


I enjoy eating healthy and have immersed myself into it slowly.


15 – Buried Under Books - Review

 Ah, it’s so  nice to re-connect in real life with the people we learn to love and appreciate and the same is true with the book series we read. Fi and Asher, Sara and Sean, and many of their friends have stuck in my mind and it was a real pleasure to see them again...  
For my earlier reviews of the first two books, Eden’s Root and Seeds of War, go here.
Cinnamon Sticks - Healthy, Sweet Savory Crossover

Recipe for Cinnamon & Chesnuts

16 –
Indiscriminate Writes


For those of you who are not familiar with Rachel E. Fisher's 'Eden's Root' trilogy, well, what have you been doing? ;)
Review:

Fisher doesn’t hold back. She never has. That’s what makes the ‘Eden’s Root’ series great. But I will admit... I did have a rewarding smile on my lips as I read the final pages. 
18 –
Tiffyfit’s Reading Corner  - Recipes


Summer Chili * Sesame Nut Cookies

  

-      
Mortal Moments
19 – MySeryniti  Emergence Review & Recipe

Peanut Butter Chocolate No Bake Cookies!

What a fabulous end to an Apocalyptic trilogy. This story is just so intense, it drags the emotion from you whether you like it or not!
-      
Rose & Beps Blog 
20 – Fundinmental
Eden's Root Review



tomato photo: Green Tomato DSCF0036_zpscad65374.jpg

The storyline seems so real to me... I always wonder what is happening to us right now. How many times have we been told something is good, only to be told ten years later it causes cancer, or something else.
22 –
Christy’s Cozy Corner - Recipe


 

Fancy Ants on a Log

24 – Markedby Books – Review of Eden's Root

I also really enjoyed how Rachel Fisher looked at the way people can change when they really aren't given another choice if they want to survive, no matter who they started out as.
25 – LeeannaMe –  Review of Eden's Root

The thought that messing too much with our food, trying to feed more people with less, and that we’re using too much technology without thinking about it is kind of scary. The author develops this idea pretty well, giving easily understandable scientific explanations
-      
Marked by Books – Review of Seeds of War


Man, this book was deep. It explored a lot of very prominent philosophical issues, like the nature of humanity, in a way that made it applicable not only to the events in Seeds of War, but also to our own world.
-         
Diary of a Book Addict - Review of Emergence


First off I have to give a huge I mean HUGE Thank You to Rachel Fisher for giving us a great series. I have been reading this series since day one and this is a bitter sweet goodbye...
26 – LeeannaMe - Review of Seeds of War

In SEEDS OF WAR, we learn a bit more about how the Famine was engineered. Yeah, I said engineered. I won’t spoil the details for you, but I could see something like it happening in real life someday, which is also scary.
- Fundinmental Review of Seeds of War

 I read this slower than usual, devouring every word. It reads more like a history book than fiction, and my mind keeps reaching, trying to figure out what I would do in a situation like that or like that. These books will stick with me for a very long time.
-      
Marked by Books - thoughts on cooking


My personal favorite recipe is actually not one of her copycat recipes, but something she came up with on her own. It's a deep-dish cookie pie. So what's the catch? IT'S MADE OUT OF CHICKPEAS!
27 – LeeannaMe Review of Emergence

The other thing I really liked about EMERGENCE was Fi’s character development. Fi has come a very long way from the girl she was in EDEN’S ROOT. Though she’s been kick ass throughout the trilogy, I did have trouble believing adults would listen to a fourteen-year-old. InEMERGENCE, Fi questions that herself, something I appreciated it. But even better was watching her crack, the strain of losing Eden and her family too much to bear after all the other hardships she’s suffered. Fi emerged from the “nothingness” (her term for depression) an even stronger character, and I liked seeing her vulnerable, because that made her even more kick ass and realistic to me.
edensroot-recipe

Chocolate Protein Mousse

28 – TheBookish Daydreamer - Review of Eden's Root

The whole time while reading this novel, I worried. This extreme realism was terrifying and made me question everything.
Get Skinny / 2 large old bananas   1 cup of quick oats. You can add in choc chips, coconut, or nuts if you'd like. Then 350ยบ for 15 mins. THAT'S IT!29 – GreenMountain Couple

I also believe that this book hits home with me and our lifestyle because my husband and I are preppers. We prepare for the worst case senario, we have stored canned goods and even a bucket of food. We are working on saving heirloom seeds to plant again in garden next year.
I found this recipe on Pinterest. 



Ingredients

2 Large Bananas 

1 Cup of Quick Oats

Then add in things like Chocolate Chips, Shredded Coconut, Nuts, Dried Fruit... Anything you Heart Desires really. 


Bake @ 350 for 15 min! And your DONE!


30 – Grand
Finale


Tour-Wide Giveaway:

August 12 - September 6

2 Winners each (international):

  - eBook of Eden's Root

  - eBook of Seeds of War

  - eBook of Emergence


2 Winners (international):

  - eBook of the trilogy - Eden's Root, Seeds of War & Emergence


1 Winner (US, Canada, UK)

  - signed print copy of Emergence

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Blog Tour: Shudder by Samantha Durante


The Highlight Tour with Prism Book Tours

& Samantha's Summer Tour

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.


Shudder (Stitch Trilogy #2)

Shudder

348 pages

Published June 15, 2013

-- Book 2 in the Stitch Trilogy --

It's only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling...

Oh, my! Dystopia at its finest! A quick word on Stitch (book 1): It had been a while since I'd read what it was about so I just started reading. It seemed like a nice time travel romance with a hint of something else and then BAM!, in came the dystopia element. At that point, I couldn't put it down. And when I got to the end, I was glad I had book 2, Shudder, ready to start.

Shudder takes off right out of the gate and doesn't stop. We get the perspective of different people. First up are the Engineers who are running Paragon. We find out more about their motives and what they are hoping to accomplish (scary!). Then we are taken to one of the rebels who is being punished for her part in the rebellion. We're not sure who she is for a while, though. Next up is Alessa and Isaac, newly reunited, who leave Paragon to try to find a new headquarters for the rebellion. It's not an easy task and there are lots of struggles along the way. And finally, we hear again from a character in Stitch that we haven't heard from in a while who is back in prison. He starts communicating with his neighbor through notes and it's someone we know but don't find out her identity for a while, either.

I loved all the back and forth and it wasn't confusing at all. I had a hard time getting anything done since I just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. Hearing lots of different perspectives moved the book along at a fast pace and I was engrossed in this story. The interesting part of dystopia is that the people in charge seem to start out with good intentions but in their quest for control, they forget that most people desire freedom and the chance to live life the way they want so it never turns out well. I enjoy reading about those willing to fight back. 

Alessa goes through quite a bit as she struggles with wanting to no longer be involved with the rebellion to her feelings for Isaac as she can't seem to stop thinking about Joe. She also has some physical issues to deal with as she tries to figure out what's happening to her. And then the ending--I was not happy that I didn't have book 3, Stuck, ready to start (there is a sneak peek at the end of Shudder, and I think I will love this one, too). If you are looking for a fantastic dystopian series, this is one I would highly recommend!!

My Rating=5 stars
Content: Some sex (without any details) and mild swearing

Here's what others are saying about this book:

Praise for Pacing

The tale moved at an even clip until the final chapters where I found myself turning the pages at a frantic pace as all of the threads came together and we moved to the climatic ending. We as the reader are now privy to things the Rebels do not know and the set up for book three created suspense and anticipation. With its powerful world-building this tale has me excited to read the conclusion of this trilogy.


I'm totally captivated by the intense storyline and how the story slowly unravel and explains some lingering questions from Stitch. I love how the author did that and even maintaining the smooth flow of story.

Review at Little Hyuts

Despite how popular dystopian YA has become, Samantha Durante was able to bring something fresh to the genre. This series is in no way cookie cutter dystopian. Shudder jumps right back into the story, taking place only days after book one ended. Fast paced with not a single dull moment, this book will have you turning pages until the end. And believe me you are going to be upset Stuck isn't here yet. I highly recommend this series!


This dystopian/post-apocalyptic sci-fi world still manages to surprise and shock. The pacing is faster and the action scenes had me on the edge of my seat! With plenty of suspense and a downright scary future world, this is a sequel you don’t want to miss!

Review at The Minding Spot

The action, suspense, compelling characters and deftly built world mesh together to create a stunning installment that has me waiting, somewhat impatiently, for the next one!

Also available in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!


Samantha Durante, Author of the Stitch Trilogy

As an avid lifelong reader of fiction of all sorts, there’s nothing I find more engrossing than an epic sci-fi/fantasy/romance series. I’ve whiled away countless weekends of my life immersed in richly-woven worlds that someone else was kind enough to put on paper... about the author

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.



Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, #1)
Stitch
314 pages
Published August 1st, 2012

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence... Goodreads






Tour-Wide Giveaway:

5 Winners. August 24 - September 16, 2013. See Rafflecopter for restrictions.

* Signed print copy of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (USA only)

* Signed (via Authorgraph) e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (Int'l)

* Signed Stitch & Shudder bookmarks + e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder (Int'l)

* $10 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)

* $5 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The Highlight Tour
Sharing Top Highlights from the Summer-Long Tour!

August dates:


24 - The Reading Diaries - Review

The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl

Rose & Beps Blog

25 - Chapter Break - Review

Wonderings of One Person - Review

Mortal Moments

26 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review

- Kindred Dreamhart


27 - YA Book Addict - Review

The Bookish Daydreamer

Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf


28 - Library of a Book Witch

Mommasez... - Review


29 - Mel's Shelves - Review

Fundinmental


30 - Green Mountain Couple

Literary Meanderings


31 - Donnie Darko Girl - Review

My Devotional Thoughts


Sept. 1 - The Book Rogue


GRAND FINALE

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Blog Tour: Working it Out by Rachael Anderson


Tour Schedule

Working It Out
 
A chance encounter . . . 
Grace Warren’s life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . . 
Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace’s rehab clinic post surgery, she immediately recognizes him. Unfortunately, he’s every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there’s something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he’s everything she’s sure she doesn’t want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she’s willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.


What a fun, quick read!! I love Rachael Anderson's books so I'm glad to say that this one doesn't disappoint! Grace and Seth had an interesting first meeting which ended with her storming off and him shrugging it off. Grace was at a bachelor auction to bid on her co-worker, Cameron, since his fiance couldn't make it. Seth showed up and bid a large amount of money on him to help his friend, Lanna. Her charity was holding the fundraiser and she refused to allow him to help her financially so he figured this was a way she couldn't turn down his money. Grace was upset with him for outbidding her and she questioned why he would be there bidding on a bachelor so he kissed her to prove he wasn't gay.

Seth is into extreme sports and gets hurt a couple of weeks later and ends up with Grace as his physical therapist. You can read the excerpt from their next meeting below. Needless to say, Grace is not thrilled with him being her patient. Seth is persistent when he sees something he likes and he decides he likes Grace!

Their relationship was fun to read and made me laugh a lot. Seth is pretty laid back and helps to loosen Grace up. He's wealthy and likes to play hard. She's more serious and part of that has to do with her brother. She feels some guilt for something that happened with him years ago and she has to learn to accept the situation and how to handle her brother. Seth helps her with that. He's good for her but she has some major concerns with the choices he makes with his extreme sports addiction. I could relate to how Grace felt and, in her position, think I would have felt the same way. They do a good job of balancing each other out--he brings out the playful side of her and she brings out the serious side of him. I wasn't sure how or even if they would be able to work through the issues that came up. This is a fun book with a serious side as well and I highly recommend it!

My Rating=4.5 stars

Excerpt:


Seth flipped through a magazine, completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to get reacquainted with the woman he’d outbid and kissed.
Grace suddenly wanted to duck back through the door and tell her receptionist that Seth Tuttle would have to reschedule with a different therapist in a different office, and—if possible—a different state. Grace didn’t want to be anywhere near the aftermath of the chaos he was bound to cause.
As if sensing her presence, Seth lifted his head and met her gaze with striking blue eyes. She stiffened, waiting for the recognition to come.
“Are you Grace?” he said, all innocence, as though he’d never seen her before.
Grace blinked as realization struck. He didn’t recognize her. She should be thrilled by that knowledge—elated, even. Not only did it give her the opportunity for a fresh start, but it gave her the upper hand, in a way. Yet her annoyance won out. All this time, she’d stewed about that night, relived it over and over in her mind, trying to figure out where she went wrong and how she could have handled things differently. While Seth, on the other hand, had apparently forgotten all about her the moment she’d walked away.
She forced her feet forward and lifted her chin. “I take it you’re Seth Tuttle?”
“I am.” He grabbed the crutches at his side and hoisted himself up easily. Shooting the receptionist a look, he said, “Hey, my friend’s parking the car right now. When he comes in, would you mind telling him I’ve already gone in?”
“Of course. I can send him back if you’d like.”
“No, I’m sure he’d rather wait here.” Seth turned his attention to Grace and smiled. “So, you’re Grace Warren. Dr. Ross tells me you’re the best PT in the Seattle area, which I’m hoping is true. I want my knee back as soon as possible and need a PT who can bring it.”
Whether it was because he didn’t recognize her, or because he questioned her professional skills, Grace bristled. “Dr. Ross is wrong.”
Seth raised his eyebrows in question.
“I’m the best physical therapist anywhere, including Seattle.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked back through the self-closing door, not bothering to hold it open for him like she usually did for patients with crutches or wheelchairs. When the sounds of Seth struggling to get through the door reached her ears, a smile tugged at the corner of Grace’s mouth. He did say to bring it.


Author Rachael Renee Anderson

Rachael Anderson is the author of five novels (Working It Out, The Reluctant Bachelorette, Minor Adjustments, Luck of the Draw, and Divinely Designed) and two novellas (Twist of Fate, from the All I Want anthology and The Meltdown Match from The Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection). She’s the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.


Blog Tour Special Price Drop!

Grab a copy of Working it Out for just $2.99!


Please note that this giveaway is separate from the Book Blast giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Book Blitz: His Saving Grace by Heather Gray





Title: His Saving Grace

Author: Heather Gray

Published: Astraea Press, July 30th, 2013

Word Count: approx. 32,400

Genre: Regency Inspirational Romance


Synopsis: Will she be able to save him from himself?

Grace finds herself wed to a man who loathes her. She is shunned and exiled to the farthest corner of the land. It wouldn't hurt so much if he hadn't once been her best friend.

Thomas became a duke long before he was ready. Now he can't go anywhere without women trying to entrap him into marriage. He expected better from his childhood friend.

How can friendship, let alone marriage, thrive in the face of bitterness, suspicion, and misunderstanding? 

What's to be done when the hurtful choices made in anger have lasting consequences?

It takes a special kind of person to see past the pain to the beauty that lies beyond…


Excerpt:

Grace soaked in Thomas's warmth. She sighed into his waistcoat and said, "I appreciate the kind words, Thomas, but you shouldn't be in here alone with me. We both know that."

Thomas, his voice light, said, "It was in here with you or out there with the barracudas. I think I'm safer right where I am."

Grace didn't pull out of his comforting hug as she knew she ought to. Instead she said, "I've spent my whole life in Stafford Shire and have never even been to London before. All I'm asking for is one season. If I wait much longer, I'll be completely on the shelf, and no decent man will even consider marrying me. My father has doomed me to the life of being some man's courtesan!"

"You've been reading the newspaper again, haven't you?" She felt the warm rumble of his chuckle against her cheek. "You shouldn't even know words like that. If your parents knew you were reading those rags, they'd have your hide."

Grace's tears had quieted and were slowly being replaced by hiccups. Just as Thomas began to release her from his friendly hold, the library door opened with a loud bang.

"What the devil is going on in here?" demanded Lady Appleton.

Grace jumped out of Thomas's arms and said, "It's not what you th—ink." The hiccups were gaining momentum. "I was up—set. Thomas found me, and I was—crying. He was simply be—ing kind."

The skin on Lady Appleton's florid face jiggled as she shouted, "Not only are you in a room with a man unchaperoned, but you were in an embrace!" Her gown truly was the most awful color. It was somewhere between green and brown, like a plant that had withered and died. To make the ensemble worse, she looked as if she were wearing an entire peacock atop her piled hair.

Seeming to thrive on spectacle, Lady Appleton continued to bombast them with accusation, her voice growing toward a crescendo. "You've been ruined, young lady! There will have to be a wedding at once!" If volume were the stick by which such things were measured, Lady Appleton's screeching voice ensured that Grace would feel maximum shame.

"Th—at wasn't an embrace!"

By this time, several people had gathered in the hallway outside the library door. When Grace's father came on the scene, Thomas spoke directly to him, ignoring Lady Appleton. "I apologize for any misunderstanding. Gracie was crying. She was upset, might I add, by the cruel things you said to her. I'm nothing more than a childhood friend offering a bit of encouragement and reassuring her that her father is not the ogre he appears to be at present."

Grace had never heard Thomas's voice quite like this. The sharp edge of strong metal in it was unmistakable. This voice belonged to the Duke of Stafford, not her childhood friend Thomas.



About the Author:

Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing.  Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell. Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.