Book Blast: Luna's Lost Ball by R.A. Milnes II

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the picture book "Luna's Lost Ball" by R.A. Milnes II (June 18 to 20, 2015).

About the Book

Title: Luna's Lost Ball (Shiloh and Friends | Author: R.A. Milnes II | Publication Date: April 30, 2015 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 36 | Recommended Ages: 3 to 8

Summary: Luna is a Labrador retriever and she has lost her most favorite ball. Follow Shiloh and her friends in a tale of friendship, teamwork, sharing, and reward as they help Luna find her lost ball.

Amazon Goodreads

The Buzz About the Book

"Wonderful book for small children! My twins are 4 years old and loved the story and colorful backgrounds! We are anxiously waiting the next in the collection!" ~ Marianne H., Amazon

About the Author: R.A. Milnes II

I am a business professional working in the healthcare industry. Luna's Lost Ball began as a gift to my niece and nephew. I have such love for them that I wanted to give them something that they can hold on to. The beauty of this work is that I am able to incorporate my dogs, Shiloh and Luna, into telling a story of friendship, teamwork, sharing, and reward.

I hope that you enjoy this story and it brings your family joy each time you read it. My goal is to continue to write more stories under the Shiloh and Friends brand.

Website Goodreads

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Giveaway ends: July 2, 11:59 pm, 2015

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, R.A. Milnes II and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Book Review: Seaside Surprises by Stacy Claflin

Seaside Surprises, by Stacy Claflin
2015,  250p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy from eBooks for Review for an  honest review



Tiffany Saunders is on the run. When she winds up stranded in a seaside town, she wants nothing more than to forget her horrific past and kept moving. But a chance meeting with a handsome local changes everything.

Jake Hunter has some deep emotional scars and is trying to cope with running the family business. The last thing he wants is a relationship—until a mysterious brunette walks into his store and complicates it all.

Tiffany prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong—in her rear view mirror. But dark secrets cannot stay hidden forever. Just as the walls around Tiffany’s heart start to come down, the past catches up with her. Will true love be able to conquer all?

This is a fun, quick read! With her grandfather's help, Tiffany is running away from an abusive husband. She makes a stop in Kittle Falls and meets Jake when she shops at his family's convenience store. Jake was close to his sister who recently died and he is working double shifts while his parents grieve. He feels drawn to Tiffany, who introduces herself to him as Elena, but she is determined to leave town as quickly as possible. She finds herself stranded there and decides to give Jake a chance.

Both Jake and Tiffany/Elena were likable and it was easy to see them as a couple. Jake wasn't looking for a relationship. Tiffany was broken and didn't feel like she deserved a guy like Jake. There were external factors at work to keep them apart as well. It wasn't difficult to imagine the obstacles they had to overcome in order to give their relationship a chance. It was fun to see how their relationship evolved and they had great  interactions with each other.

There were some great side characters in this book. Tiffany's husband was easy to dislike since he was such a jerk and it was a good thing she had a grandfather who was willing to help her. Jake had four brothers who all came to town and they are all so different. They are also all single so it looks like there will be more about the Hunter brothers in the future! 

Since this book deals with abuse, there is some mild violence. The romance is clean; however, the main characters become involved with each other before her divorce is finalized. 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Stacy Claflin is a lifelong storyteller. When she was a child, she would get into trouble for trying to convince others that her stories were real. She thinks she scarred her cousin for life with her cavity monster story. Another time she convinced her friends that she had a robotic unicorn.

Now she saves her stories for novels. Whether Stacy's writing paranormal romance or thrillers, she always has suspense, twists, and turns.  You can count on surprises and an enjoyable escape. She  also likes to keep her stories blush-free.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Book Review: Frankie DuPont and the Lemon Festival Fiasco by Julie Anne Grasso

Frankie DuPont and the Lemon Festival Fiasco, by Julie Anne Grasso
2015, 135p, Middle-Grade Mystery
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy for an honest review



Hot off cracking his first official case, Frankie Dupont is on the scene when his new teacher takes ill. The pint-sized detective suspects a classic case of sour grapes, but the evidence leads him to the one place he wouldn’t mind avoiding for the rest of his natural life.

Enderby Manor has a few more secrets up her sleeve, and as Frankie begins to unravel them, he uncovers a plot stinkier than a sardine sandwich.

In Book 2 of the Frankie Dupont Mysteries, Frankie will make some new friends, upset some old ones, and of course, there will be lemon meringue pie.

This is the second book in this series and it was as fun to read as the first one was! (You can read more about the first book and my review here). When Mr. Mulberry is poisoned shortly after eating a piece of pie, Frankie is on the case to figure out why. It seems like an open and shut case since Miss Chestnut admitted to baking the pie herself, but when Frankie interrogates her, he learns that there is more to uncover. 

The clues take him back to Enderby Manor and the Lemon Festival, where he meets some new people and runs into others he met on his first case. His cousin Kat and a new friend, Amy, help him out. Frankie follows the clues and is able to solve the mystery in the end!

These first two books would be fun to read back to back so the second book will flow better. I had forgotten who some of the characters were but that didn't take away any of the fun of reading it. I love that the plot moves quickly and it's short so it will hold the attention span of the age group it's intended for (8-12). I like the illustrations and think they add life to the story. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series, Frankie DuPont and the Science Fair Sabotage!  

Amazon  * Barnes & Noble

With a background in pediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories to encourage and inspire them.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Danny and their little elf, Giselle.

Blog * Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour/Review: Kisses in the Rain by Krista Lynne Jensen

Kisses in the Rain, by Krista Lynne Jensen
2015, 319p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



Georgie Tate is a survivor. She's survived an abusive relationship. She's survived the car accident that took the life of her controlling fiance. Now she just needs to survive the memories that haunt her. Escaping to her aunts' cozy home on a tiny island outside of Seattle, Georgie finds just the change of pace she needs to pick up the pieces of her life. Taking a job at a local seafood restaurant is the first step in reclaiming her sense of self, but she is completely unprepared for the battle that awaits her there.

Jace Lowe has loved and lost, and he's determined that it will never happen again. Hardened by heartbreak, he stays focused on his work as sous chef at one of the island's top seafood restaurants. When beautiful Georgie takes her place on the restaurant staff, Jace is resolved to keep her at arm's length, and his downright rudeness her first week goes a long way in achieving that goal. Georgie, on the other hand, doesn't want anything to do with Jace anyway and prickles against his abrasive behavior. As the combative pair comes together on a joint project for the restaurant, they find their distaste for one another dwindling. The connection is undeniable--and it terrifies them both. Can two people jaded by the past be softened by the promise of a once-in-a-lifetime love, or is this just another recipe for disaster?

Georgie has moved to Camano Island, near Seattle, to live with her aunts while she is recovering from an automobile accident. She's broken and keeps to herself at first. All we know for a while is that she had a finance (Ian) that was controlling and she broke off her engagement to him. He died in the accident and she feels guilty for what happened, even though she doesn't remember details from that night.

Jace's girlfriend recently got engaged to another man while they were dating so he was in a bit of a mood when they first met. Georgie started working in his restaurant and, being somewhat terrified of men, she avoided him at first. He's a sous chef that enlisted Georgie's help on an assignment he was given so they started cooking together. 

I loved their interactions with each other and how their relationship slowly grew.  Their shopping trips were incredible and their recipes sounded amazing. Some of the cooking scenes were intense and their chemistry was definitely sizzling. They were both afraid of taking the next step, though, since they each had reasons not to trust the opposite sex. 

I liked how Georgie was able to work with a therapist to get through the guilt she felt about the accident and how she was able to cope with Ian's death in the end. Something happened that threatened to undo those feelings and take her back to square one and it was interesting to see how she dealt with that as well.  

Jace and Georgie had some challenges to overcome from external forces and I was hoping they would be able to figure it all out in the end. I loved their story and had a hard time putting it down! There are some mild religious references in this book (mostly church attendance). It's a clean romance that anyone will enjoy! This is the first book I've read by this author but I've had my eye on some of her other books, so I'm looking forward to reading more of her work!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

Nearly every one of Krista Lynne Jensen’s elementary school teachers noted on her report card that she was a “day-dreamer”. It was not a compliment. So, when Krista grew up, she put those daydreams down on paper for others to enjoy. When she’s not writing she enjoys reading, hiking, her family, and sunshine. But not laundry. She never day-dreams about laundry.
 
Krista writes LDS romance, and fantasy. She is the author of OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE (2012 Whitney Award Finalist) and THE ORCHARD (2013), through Covenant Communications. She is a member of ANWA, Author’s Incognito, and LDStorymakers. 

Website  * Blog * Facebook

Grand Finale Blitz: The Good Father by Tara Taylor Quinn

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Check out all of Tara's events HERE.

We're blitzing the Grand Finale for:

The Good Father

By Tara Taylor Quinn

If you missed any part of this tour, including any of the excellent guest posts (some of the best we've had the chance to promote) go back and check them out now, along with some excellent reviews...

Launch - Intro to The Good Father

This is the story I sat down to write. What happened on the page was, as usual, a total surprise to me.

Colorimetry - Excerpt

His father had failed first.

And then, according to his mother, she’d failed, too.

Brett didn’t agree with her assessment, knowing that when she’d lashed out at him the afternoon of Livia’s funeral, beating him on the chest with blows that didn’t even leave bruises, she’d been railing at life, distraught with grief, and clinging to him as much as pounding her fists against the wall he presented between her and her need to die…

Undercover Book Reviews - Review

"The characters are so realistic and lovable, I mean how can you not love them with everything that they have been through."

underneath the covers - The Dark Night of the Soul

In every good story there has to be ‘that’ moment. The one in which the reader can’t see how the characters are going to get past their hurdles. The one that keeps the reader turning the page to find out…

Mel's Shelves - Promo

Pieces of Whimsy - Excerpt

Still in the navy blue suit he’d worn to attend the morning board meeting, he’d loosened the knot of the red tie a bit. His one concession to relaxation. His wing tips were shined. His smart watch in place.

Brett’s life was a mission—and all pieces were accounted for.

deal sharing aunt - Promo

Bookworm Lisa - Promo

Brooke Blogs - I Am A Survivor

When my story went public, my editor gave me another purpose. She wanted me to write a series of books revolving around a domestic violence shelter. I’d never felt more in commune with a project in my life. And so The Lemonade Stand was born. The Lemonade Stand, Where Secrets Are Safe. It’s a very unique women’s shelter. One that I wish so badly had been there for me to run to all those years ago. One that I wish existed today.

Copywrite1985 - Review

"Tara Taylor Quinn weaves a story here that grabs you and doesn’t let go until well after you turn the last page. The characters are compelling and realistic, their motives clear, and the conflict is high stakes and seems insurmountable. Ms. Quinn doesn’t shortchange the reader by giving us a pat ending that doesn’t take into account all that has gone on before, but gives the reader both a satisfying and realistic ending that makes the ride worth it–just like she promised."

Paranormal Books - Excerpt

He’d been celebrating. Ten years since he’d sold the dot-com he’d started his junior year in college. A decade of his life had passed, and here he was. Standing alone in the walk-in shower in his elegant, historical, two-story walk-up across a quiet street from a flowered lot that led to the ocean beyond.

Beck Valley Books - The First Five Books

The books revolving around The Lemonade Stand are not all interrelated. Many of them don’t even feature characters who lived and breathed in previous books. The books are connected by a place. The Lemonade Stand. The series started out with ideas for three books. I am currently working on an eighth one and number nine is on its way, too. So for anyone who is new to the series, and for those of you who want a reminder, I’ll give you a one liner look at the first five books.

Diana's Book Reviews - Review

"I really loved this story, I loved that it shows there are help for women out there and there is also love out there, even when it is hard to realize."

My Devotional Thoughts - The Food of it All

It was right then that Brett told me about his favorite meal. He told me, not to fill in background noise, but because it showed me the conflicted man he was. His favorite meal was a peanut butter and bacon sandwich. He loved them. And as he scarfed one down, he was angry with himself, too. Because his father had introduced him to the delicacy when Brett was a young boy. And Brett, the adult, hates his father with every dark crevice in his being.

Wishful Endings - Flowers

I sat down to write the first book in the Where Secrets Are Safe series, Wife By Design, and the hero shows up at The Lemonade Stand – the unique women’s shelter around which the series is revolving – as a landscaper. Kind of threw me for a loop. I know very little about landscaping. I tried to convince him he was something else. He kept coming back as a landscaper. So I did some research.

The Good Father

(Where Secrets Are Safe #6)
by Tara Taylor Quinn

Adult Romance

Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
June 1st 2015 by Harlequin

Starting over…again

It seems a lifetime ago that Brett Ackerman wanted to share his life with Ella Wales. He really believed he could put his abusive family history behind him…until he realized it would always be part of him. Then he pushed her away. Hard.

Now Ella's back as part of the High Risk Team at The Lemonade Stand, the unique women's shelter Brett founded. And she needs his help with a family crisis. But even now, Brett can't admit he still loves her. Until one night of passion with Ella turns Brett into the one thing he fears the most—a father.

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Harlequin

Also in the Series

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Harlequin

Tara Taylor Quinn

The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. She is known for delivering deeply emotional and psychologically astute novels of suspense and romance. Tara is a recipient of the Reader’s Choice Award, a five time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award and appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists. Tara is the past-president of Romance Writers of America and served eight years on that board of directors. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning and is a frequent guest speaker. In her spare time Tara likes to travel, climb Arizona mountains, and inline skate.

Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233. 

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Instagram

Click on the banner to take you to Tara's landing page for all her tour events.

As part of Spend the Summer with Tara Taylor Quinn, Tara is holding a contest for those who share on social media about how they love life during the summer! Each day you can share an image, picture, or quote, linking to her events' landing page (http://www.tarataylorquinn.com/Summer%20With%20ttq.html) to enter to win ONE BIG SUMMER BASKET!!! We'll be pulling the best submissions and voting for the top one during her Facebook Party on July 16th. Pull out your creative juices and share your joy of summer, be it with friends, family, or the love of your life!


Beach-themed basket will include: shell wind chime, shell choker and matching bracelet, beach/flip flop note cards, picture frame, 4x6 picture album, plus some surprise print copies of Tara's books (including Once Upon a Friendship).


Share must be public to be eligible. Can enter once each day. US only. Giveaway ends July 16th.

ENTER HERE

Tour Giveaways

$10 VISA Gift Card & ebook of The Good Father (INT)

Print copy of The Good Father & a Spend the Summer with TTQ T-shirt (US only)

ebook of The Good Father (INT)

Ends June 18th

(All to one winner - US only.)

$10 VISA Gift Card

Copies of all five books on Tara's Summer Tour

Spend the Summer with TTQ T-Shirt

Ends July 16th

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Blog Tour/Review: The Charity Chip by Brock Booher

Tour Schedule

The Charity Chip, by Brock Booher
2015, 288p, Clean YA Suspense
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



Life on the streets of Lima is already difficult for Julio, but now that digital money has replaced hard currency, survival is virtually impossible. Isak comes to his rescue and offers him a chance at a better life through a hi-tech humanitarian program. The only catch is a microchip implanted between the thumb and forefinger of the hand. At first life improves dramatically, but when another participant dies mysteriously, Julio suspects that the chip does more than just dispense charity. Now he must uncover the truth behind the charity chip before someone else suffers the same fate.

Julio's mother's dying wish was for him to take care of his twin brother, Raul. Raul, however, got involved with a gang and wasn't interested in helping Julio keep that promise. When Julio was caught stealing food, a man named Isak came to his rescue and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. All he needed to do was pass a physical and allow a chip to be implanted in his hand. Julio would keep food in his belly and be able to purchase other items he needed. He also had the freedom to live where he wanted so he was able to return to Raul each night and feed him, too, even though Isak didn't know he had a twin brother.

Things went well for a while and it was interesting to read how different life was for Julio between when he was going hungry and scrounging around for food and clothes and how he felt when he had food in his belly and the means to purchase whatever he needed. It didn't take long, though, for him to suspect that something else was going on and he quickly needed to figure out the truth behind the chip before it was too late.

Julio was easy to cheer for since he was likable and did the right thing no matter what it cost him personally. He was loyal to his brother, even when his brother made some not so great choices. This book is full of action and suspense and was hard to put down. It was also thought-provoking and pointed out the issues that arise when money is thrown at a problem but the people who need it aren't the ones that benefit from it. There were some twists and turns so it didn't turn out exactly like I thought it would, but I did enjoy the ending.

I loved this author's debut novel, Healing Stone (you can read more about it here), so I was excited to learn he had published another book. This book did not disappoint so he is officially on my list of favorite authors and I'm looking forward to reading what he comes up with next!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books & Things

Brock Booher grew up on a farm in rural Kentucky, the fourth of ten children, where he learned to work hard, use his imagination, and believe in himself. He left the farm to pursue the friendly skies as a pilot, and currently flies for a major US carrier. A dedicated husband and father of six children, he began writing out of sheer arrogance, but the writing craft quickly humbled him. During that process, he discovered that he enjoyed writing because it is an endeavor that can never quite be mastered. He still gladly struggles everyday to improve his writing and storytelling skills.

Website * Facebook

Blog Tour/Review: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Royal Wedding, by Meg Cabot
2015, 448p, Contemporary Fiction
My Rating=3 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review

 

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia’s gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn’t need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother’s leaked “fake” wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia’s father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch.  Can Mia prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

I haven't read the other Princess Diaries books but saw the movies many years ago and thought they were great! I was excited to read more about Mia and am sad to say that I was disappointed. Mia is 26 years old in this book and is pretty shallow. She speaks of helping others but in a vague way and didn't share any interactions with those she was helping. The first half of the book she was obsessed with sex, her boyfriend Michael, and her "Rate the Royals Rating." I do understand that this is Mia's diary so the focus will be on her more than others, but I found it hard to pick up and read at times because it felt like a neverending cycle.

Once the scandal hit, though, the story got more interesting to me. There was high drama and lots of funny moments! At that point, she did have someone else to focus on and was interested in so I started to like her more. I don't want to say too much about the scandal, but it does introduce the character in Ms. Cabot's new middle grade series, and sounds like it will be a hit!

Mia has kept in touch with all her friends from high school so updates are given on them and what they are currently doing. Due to some language and lots of sexual innuendo and references, I wouldn't recommend this book to teens. While this missed the mark for me personally, women who have read the series from the beginning will probably enjoy reading more about Mia and Michael. 

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. More than 25 million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.

Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Meg’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, June 2nd: Seaside Book Nook
Friday, June 5th: booknerd
Monday, June 8th: Bibliophilia, Please
Tuesday, June 9th: Read-Love-Blog
Wednesday, June 10th: Mom in Love With Fiction
Thursday, June 11th: Mel’s Shelves
Monday, June 15th: Bibliotica
Tuesday, June 16th: Book Loving Hippo
Wednesday, June 17th: A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, June 18th: 100 Pages a Day … Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Monday, June 22nd: Walking With Nora
Tuesday, June 23rd: View from the Birdhouse
Wednesday, June 24th: Spices Latte Reads
Thursday, June 25th: Ms.Bookish.com
Monday, June 29th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Tuesday, June 30th: A Bookish Way of Life
Wednesday, July 1st: Book Him Danno!
Thursday, July 2nd: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot
Monday, July 6th: A Reader of Fictions
Tuesday, July 7th: A Dream Within a Dream
Wednesday, July 8th: In Bed with Books
Thursday, July 9th: Literary Lindsey
Monday, July 13th: Wall-to-Wall Books
TBD: Novel Escapes