Blog Tour/Spotlight: Change of Heart by Jennifer Moore

Change of Heart by Jennifer Moore

This summer, Nathaniel Cavanaugh vacations in Lobster Cove to spend quality time with his kids after his estranged wife’s tragic death. Successful and well-connected, he is on the fast-track to the highest legal positions in the country, but his family life suffers. After an accident throws Val nearly into his lap and costs her a job opportunity, Nathaniel surprises himself by overlooking her outlandish appearance and lack of qualifications to offer her a job as his nanny for the summer.

Valdosta McKinley wishes for an internship at a Paris Art Institute to use her newly acquired art-history skills. She knows Nathaniel could never develop feelings for a girl from a trailer in a rural West Virginia holler—a lesson she learned the hard way years earlier.

Will pursuit of their professional goals require Nathaniel and Val to give up the dream of being a family?

Excerpt:

Val clung to him, feeling utterly ridiculous, and at the same time completely content in his arms. “I’m sorry,” she said, once she trusted her voice.

“The summer’s been good, hasn’t it?” Nathaniel laid his cheek on the top of her head and held her tighter. “I’ll miss this porch most of all.”

“Me, too.” She pressed her face against his chest, a fresh wave of tears rushing into her eyes. She’d sat in this very place, unloading her darkest secrets, her greatest fears, been comforted and listened, and even... The memory of Nathaniel’s kiss was nearly more than she could take. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, and she gasped for air. She took a step back, releasing her grip.

“Val?”

Swallowing against her tight throat, she raised her gaze to his.

He lifted a wet strand of hair from her face, and his gaze dropped to her lips before returning to hers.

If only she could look into those blue eyes every day, be held by him every time she cried, if only...

“Daddy! Val!”

The sound of Ruby’s voice broke Val’s blissful bubble. She must have gotten impatient and unbuckled her carseat.

“We’re on the porch, Ruby.” Nathaniel’s gaze didn’t leave Val’s face.

Val rubbed her fingers over her cheeks one more time before hurrying to meet Ruby. She glanced back and saw Nathaniel still watching her until she rounded the side of the house.

Author Jennifer Moore
Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world that includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that is anything but romantic. She suffers from an unhealthy addiction to 18th and 19th century military history and literature. Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family, but most of the time wishes she was on board a frigate during the Age of Sail.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/1/16

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Blog Tour Schedule

April 18th
I Am A Reader - Spotlight
Julie Coulter Bellon - Review
Literary Time Out - Review
Cuzinlogic - Spotlight
Literary Chanteuse - Spotlight
Susan Heim on Writing - Spotlight

April 19th
Getting Your Read On - Review
Tifferz and her Sisterz - Review
Heidi Reads... - Spotlight
Why Not? Because I Said So! - Spotlight
beck valley books - Spotlight
Coffee Books & Art - Spotlight

April 20th
My Book a Day - Review
Reading List - Review
Katie's Clean Book Collection - Review
Bunny's Review - Spotlight
LeahSay's Views - Spotlight

April 21st
Wishful Endings - Review
Simple Wyrdings - Review
Kindle and Me - Spotlight
My Creatively Random Life - Spotlight
Queen Of All She Reads - Spotlight

April 22nd
Books Are Sanity!!! - Review
Bookworm Lisa - Spotlight
Hearts & Scribbles - Spotlight
Mel's Shelves - Spotlight
BookHounds - Spotlight

April 26th
Singing Librarian Books - Review
Rockin' Book Reviews - Spotlight
Min Reads and Reviews - Spotlight
Rebecca Belliston - Spotlight
Diana's Book Reviews - Spotlight

Blog Tour/Review: The Buckskin Trail by Joann Arnold

Tour Schedule

The Buckskin Trail, by Joann Arnold
2016, 240p, Clean Mystery/Suspense
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



A miracle saved Kelzi’s life when she was younger. Now it’s her turn to save others. Discovering the truth about her parents’ deaths places Kelzi on a dangerous path, one where she must avenge those who have died and protect the land of her Cherokee people—at all costs. Old traditions battle against modern values in this thrilling mystery!

When Kelzi was young, her parents were killed in front of her and then their house was set on fire. She survived and went to live with her grandparents. Years later, she learns why they were killed and her role in protecting the land of the Cherokee people.

This was an interesting story! We get a little bit of Kelzi's life when she was young and then we briefly learn what happened until she became an adult. When she's asked to help protect the land of the Cherokee people, she immediately drops everything to do what she can. There are powerful and dangerous men that don't want her to succeed and will do whatever they can to stop her. We get insight into who they are and what they want.

Kelzi gets some unexpected help. A friend from the past reconnects with her and offers his help. There's also a paranormal aspect which was interesting and helped her accomplish what she needed to. There were parts that seemed kind of slow to me but then it would pick up again and I especially enjoyed the courtroom drama at the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! There were some pretty amazing things that happened and the story wraps up nicely in the end. If you enjoy clean mystery/suspense with a touch of romance, you'll want to give this one a chance!

 Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books & Things

About the author:

“The Buckskin Trail” is the sixth book in JoAnn’s library of authorship. Writing it invited her into yet another realm, one that charts a higher path. “Miracles for Michael,” “Journey of the Promise,” “Pages From the Past,” “The Silent Patriots” and her first fantasy, “Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient,” have taken JoAnn on some amazing imaginative journeys. “The Buckskin Trail” is no exception. JoAnn lives in Santa Clara, Utah, with her husband, Brent.

Website

Blog Tour/Review: A Pattern of Lies by Charles Todd

About A Pattern of Lies

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (April 12, 2016)

My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



A horrific explosion at a gunpowder mill sends Bess Crawford to war-torn France to keep a deadly pattern of lies from leading to more deaths, in this compelling and atmospheric mystery from the New York Timesbestselling author of A Question of Honor and An Unwilling Accomplice.

An explosion and fire at the Ashton Gunpowder Mill in Kent has killed over a hundred men. It’s called an appalling tragedy—until suspicion and rumor raise the specter of murder. While visiting the Ashton family, Bess Crawford finds herself caught up in a venomous show of hostility that doesn’t stop with Philip Ashton’s arrest. Indeed, someone is out for blood, and the household is all but under siege.

The only known witness to the tragedy is now at the Front in France. Bess is asked to find him. When she does, he refuses to tell her anything that will help the Ashtons. Realizing that he believes the tissue of lies that has nearly destroyed a family, Bess must convince him to tell her what really happened that terrible Sunday morning. But now someone else is also searching for this man.

To end the vicious persecution of the Ashtons, Bess must risk her own life to protect her reluctant witness from a clever killer intent on preventing either of them from ever reaching England.

This book takes place during WWI. Bess Crawford is a nurse. While she's in England, waiting for a train that's been delayed, she runs into a former patient, Mark Ashton, who takes her home until she can catch another train. While there, she learns about an explosion at his family's gunpowder mill that happened two years ago and how it's still affecting his family today. She becomes involved in helping the family figure out what really happened and clear their names for good.

This is the seventh book in this series and the first one I've read, so I'm not sure if this is the typical setup. There were parts that were confusing and characters that I felt I should know and didn't. However, the mystery itself was compelling. Bess was determined to help, even when her safety was at risk. She had a network of people that were able to help her when she needed information.

I kept wondering if she had a love interest and there are two men that seem to like her but she doesn't encourage either of them. I didn't feel like I got to know who Bess was personally, since the book focused more on what she was doing to help the Ashton's. I enjoyed the beginning, as we were getting to know Bess and the Ashton's. The story slowed down toward the middle and then picked up again at the end. I would love to read the entire series one day to get a better feel for Bess and her friends!

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Charles Todd

Charles Todd is the author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother and son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina.

Visit their website at Charlestodd.com and like CharlesToddNovels on Facebook.

Charles Todd’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, April 12th: FictionZeal
Wednesday, April 13th: A Book Geek
Thursday, April 14th: #redhead.with.book
Monday, April 18th: Jayne’s Books
Wednesday, April 20th: Reading is My Super Power
Wednesday, April 20th: Mel’s Shelves
Thursday, April 21st: Tina Says…
Monday, April 25th: Mama Vicky Says
Tuesday, April 26th: Staircase Wit
Wednesday, April 27th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
TBD: I’m Shelf-ish

Blog Tour/Review: Treasure at Lure Lake by Shari L. Schwarz

Blog Schedule

Treasure at Lure Lake, by Shari L. Schwarz
2016, 192p, Middle-Grade Action/Adventure
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



An epic adventure—that’s all Bryce wants this summer. So when he stumbles upon a treasure map connected to an old family secret, Bryce is determined to follow the clues to unearth both, even it means hiking in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere. Bryce must work with his bickering brother, Jack, or they may never see the light of day again!

This is the story of two brothers, Bryce and his older brother Jack. Their parents have been fighting a lot and they are getting ready to go spend some time with their grandfather in his cabin at Lure Lake. Before they leave, Bryce heads out to his grandfather's barn and finds a treasure map, which he stuffs in his backpack to investigate later.

This story is told from both Bryce and Jack's point of view. Jack is older and is into technology and girls and is not excited about this trip at all. The cabin takes hours to hike to and there's no cell service. He doesn't take it easy on Bryce, either, by finding the toughest paths to follow and letting him know he's annoyed with him.

Bryce has his secret treasure map and he knows the treasure is connected to the cabin. He has to be sneaky to figure out where it is, though, since he doesn't want to let Jack in on it. He feels bad for keeping it from his grandfather but he knows he needs to find the treasure on his own. We also learn how each boy feels about their parent's rocky marriage and what they feel they need to do to help.

They move along in their adventure until something happens that changes everything. The boys must work together and they each learn what is truly important to them. There are some secrets revealed which can either tear their family apart or bring it together.

I loved this book! Jack and Bryce are very different from each other but they are both likable, especially as we learn more about them. Their relationship is realistic, both before and after "the event." This story is so much more than just a wilderness adventure and is a book that middle schoolers (and adults) will certainly enjoy!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books & Things

Guest Post: 

Inspiration Behind Treasure at Lure Lake

When you sit down to write a book, usually the idea doesn’t just pop into your mind, fully formed, for the first time. The inspiration behind Treasure at Lure Lake came from several different sources. Immediately, I knew I wanted to write a book that my preteen/teenage sons would hopefully love. I wanted to write a fun adventure that would be friendly to reluctant readers like they were. So, I set out to write something that would capture their imagination and sense of adventure and maybe a bit of each of their hearts along the way.

I was also inspired by survival adventure books I’d enjoyed reading such as Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and Peak by Roland Smith. As a school librarian, I had also seen students flock toward certain adventure books. I wanted to write something along those lines that would be exciting and fun to read.

However, I’m not sure I would have been attracted to writing an adventure book in the first place if I hadn’t been raised on family vacations in the Rocky Mountains. My family, led by my fearless father, enjoyed creating our own adventures in the mountains. We could often be found traversing rocky cliffs along mountain rivers, exploring abandoned mines and old mine shafts, bush-whacking our way to the next great picnic spot and wading through raging rivers—well, they seemed raging to us as children, at least! I wanted to share this sense of adventure when I set out to write Treasure at Lure Lake.

Shari Schwarz lives in Colorado with her husband and their four boys. TREASURE AT LURE LAKE is her debut and reflects her love for a good adventure story and for hiking in the Northern Colorado Rockies.

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Book Blast: Gratitude Journals by MK McClintock

Gratitude Journals by MK McClintock

WHAT TALENTS HAVE YOU BEEN blessed with? What challenges have you faced and overcome? Who has impacted your life in a positive way, no matter how large or small the good deed? How did you feel when someone gave you a helping hand?

When we focus on the positive things in our lives, we are replacing negative energy with positive affirmations. To put it simply, gratitude means being grateful for everything you have and are, every single day.

This journal is a powerful instrument that provides a simple, yet effective foundation for your personal declarations of gratitude and thanksgiving. Discover your voice, your dreams, and the profound moments of your life with daily expressions of appreciation.

100% of all author royalties from the Africa Collection gratitude journals goes to the Africa Heartwood Project. Learn more about them at www.africaheartwoodproject.org.

Author MK McClintock

MK McClintock, an award-winning author and life-long seeker and adventurer, is inspired by the good works of mankind and believes that within every person is a better version of themselves waiting to be discovered. She lives a quiet life in the Rocky Mountains.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/2/16

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Never Mind My Thigh Gap by Sarah Newton with Bronte Huskinson

Never Mind My Thigh Gap, by Sarah Newton with Bronte Huskinson
2016, 198p, YA Contemporary
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy for an honest review



"One ordinary girl, one extraordinary moment" There are three things everyone notices about Alice. 1. Her super-hot rugby boyfriend. 2. Her sophisticated, totally gorgeous best friend. 3. Her very noticeable 38-inch long legs.

Alice is tall - just under six feet to be exact - but her self-esteem couldn't be smaller. When her relationship starts wavering, Alice's perfectly beautiful best friend somehow convinces her to join a modelling competition, "for a confidence boost." But Alice is just a normal girl; she loves ice cream too much, has an unhealthy addiction to American TV and lusts after the elusive thigh gap. She can't even walk in heels, let alone in a bikini, but she finds herself joining Runway Models anyway.

The finale is only a few months away.

Will Alice catwalk her way to self-confidence or fail, proving everyone right? People can surprise you.

This book starts in September, as school is starting. Alice's current obsession is getting the perfect thigh gap and she's reading an article in a magazine on it. (She clues us in at the beginning of each chapter as to what her current obsession is and that is the focus of each chapter.) Her boyfriend, Julian, a hot rugby player, insists she doesn't need it. The other characters we meet are Sam, a boy who enjoys annoying her; Isabelle, her best friend who is beautiful but too short to be a model; Oscar, the new boy in school who has "potential" according to Isabelle; Maddie, who is goth and used to be friends with Alice; and James, a rugby player and Julian's best friend.

After an argument with Julian, which leaves Alice feeling insecure about her looks, her best friend Isabelle encourages her to enter a modeling competition. Alice didn't want to, but after more words with Julian, she decides to give it a shot. As she continues down this path, she makes new friends, learns who her true friends are, and gains a lot more confidence in herself.

I liked the growth in Alice as the book progressed. The majority of the story is told from her POV but about halfway through, we get the POV of some of the other characters. That seemed odd to me at first, but worked to help move the story along and helped us understand where the characters were coming from. At the beginning, she was coasting along and by the end, she's much more in charge of her life and stands up for herself more. I also liked the way her relationships with other characters developed and some of them turned out to be very different from what they first appeared to be.

I like some teenage drama now and then and this was a quick, fun book to read! This is based on a true story which you can read more about here. This book is a good reminder that even skinny girls and women suffer with body issues and it highlights what is actually important!

Content: A few swear words and a couple of instances of sexual innuendo.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

About Sarah Newton

I guess this is the part where I should tell you about my TV appearances, my books (“Help! My Teenager is a Alien” –Penguin and “The Teen Years don’t get mad get through it”) and my TV show that went around the world, the thousands of teens that I have helped and while I am proud of all that, I feel much more compelled to talk to you about cats and my kids – is that wrong?

I am a film addict, cake-loving, Disney-obsessed whirlwind (here one minute gone the next). I spend my day stalking teens, thinking about the future, stalking more teens, speaking, writing, coaching, and thinking about the future some more and getting geekily obsessed with new technology or a new breakthrough concept. All my life I have been different; my first job was at Disney World and my last as a police officer in the Met. My days are now spent making sure young people reach for “infinity and beyond”.  I do this by speaking (sometimes in superhero outfits), modelling great shoes, coaching like a ninja and genuinely feeding cake to anyone who sits within reaching distance.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

About Bronte Huskinson

Unlike my mother, I do not have any impressive TV appearances or other novels behind me (apart from a never ending novel I wrote throughout my childhood--but let's not get into that), but I do have an impressive amount of sarcasm and wittiness to get me through any situation (including writing about myself, which I hate more than anything) and enough boots to suit any occasion. Therefore, I am catwalking into the lion's den that is the writing world with my shoulders back and head held high knowing that my characters and I are going to take on the world in a series of pink confetti explosions. There will also probably be a few cheesy songs to go with it.

First of all, you should know I am the worse excuse for an 18 year old you will ever come across. I have never been within a mile of a nightclub, in fact the wildest Saturday night I've ever had is staying up until 6 am watching films. I have no regrets. I glide through life looking like a fairy (as I've been told), creating new pinterest boards and consuming an awful lot of toast, something without even getting out of my Pyjamas!

Website

Book Review: Spring in Snow Valley Anthology

Spring in Snow Valley Anthology
2016, 647p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy for an honest review



Operation—Kiss the Girl, Cindy Roland Anderson

Ivy Baker is doomed to marry a man she only pretends to be in love with to save the family ranch. Since she isn’t marrying for love, Ivy secretly creates a kissing wish list composed of scenes from the romance books she loves to read. She hopes to experience at least one kiss from her list before she becomes officially engaged and seals her fate. When she travels to Snow Valley to help her aunt recover from knee surgery, Ivy finds herself falling for Kellen Thomas, an irresistible cowboy she should avoid. By chance Kellen finds Ivy’s list, and decides to make it his mission to help her fulfill her bucket list, turning her world upside down and making Ivy want to choose her heart over duty.

Love Coming Late, Jeanette Lewis

Cynthia Eddington never thought she'd return to Snow Valley after a string of bad luck forced the sale of her beloved farm there. But here she is, about to start a new life with her children, Jackson and Anoria. Cynthia plans to focus on her career and her family; she's not looking for romance and she's definitely not looking for sexy cowboy, Colby Schroder.

Running from the Cowboy, Cami Checketts

Missy Horman escaped an abusive marriage and returns to Snow Valley to help her father deal with her emotionally disturbed mother. Volunteering to teach a youth Sunday school class seems like a good way to get out of her comfort zone—until she ends up kissing Porter Wilson in front of a bunch of teenagers. Embarrassed, and secretly thrilled, by the kiss, she writes Porter off as a playboy. But, Missy wasn't the only one affected and Porter's new mission in life is to prove that there's more to him than flirting and world-tilting kisses. He wants to show her that a true cowboy knows how to treat a lady and, if Missy can't keep her wits about her, she might just let him.

The Bet, Taylor Hart

When Destiny Morningstar gets blackmailed into spending her spring break in Snow Valley, the last thing she’s looking for is a date, especially not with Adam and Chase Moon—two attractive and athletic brothers. But soon she finds herself tangled up in a dating spree that includes a flag football game, swinging around the barn dance, and hiking to Snow Valley's romantic hot springs with the town's most eligible bachelors. At every turn she's within kissing distance of one of the delectable Moon men. When she discovers she’s been part of some bet fueled by sibling rivalry and overactive egos she has to make a decision—forgive them both or miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kimberley Montpetit

Jessica Mason and Pastor James are struggling to make their long-distance relationship work between Snow Valley and New Orleans where Jessica dances with the local ballet company. When April Murphy, a war widow with a child, shows up in Snow Valley, James reluctantly begins to wonder if he and Jessica are really meant to be. April would make the perfect pastor’s wife and he’d have an instant family and the stability he craves. But he can’t get the spitfire Jessica out of his mind and when she returns to Snow Valley to accept an inheritance, her male ballet partner in tow, the love triangle takes on a new edge. Can Jessica and James figure out how to create a family while living in two different states—or do they allow their hearts to move on and forget the passion they once shared?

Romancing a Husband, Lucy McConnell

Natalie Lawson is at a crossroads. Her husband is down on his luck and some days he’s just plain down while Natalie is moving forward, gaining promotions and starting new adventures. In some ways, they’ve grown apart and Natalie can’t help but wonder if her path through life will always include Eli. When tragedy throws them together, Natalie learns a profound lesson that may save her marriage and provide the key to romancing a husband.

Snow Valley is a fun place to visit and I enjoyed going back! I liked that there was some variety in this book. There's still young love, but there are also some stories where the characters are a little older and have been through tougher times in life. I enjoyed reading how each of them were able to find happiness. I liked that in Sealed With a Kiss, we got more of James and Jessica's story. I felt like it was left up in the air after the last book and just assumed they got a happy ending somehow, so I was glad that their story got resolved. 

I love that, even though this is a long book, it doesn't take too long to read each story so it goes by quickly. I also love that the stories are clean! I do forget who some of the characters are so I'm glad when the authors take a paragraph to remind me of their previous story so I can place them better. Since this is the third book, many characters return and we are getting stories of siblings and friends. These books always put a smile on my face and I hope these authors will continue to give us more!

Amazon