Saturday, May 17, 2014

Book Spotlight and a Giveaway! Blossom Street Brides by Debbie Macomber


Blossom Street Brides


Blossom Street Brides by Debbie Macomber
Series: Blossom Street #10
Published March 25th 2014 by Ballantine Books 

Debbie Macomber has won the hearts of millions of readers with her moving and inspiring stories. Now wedding bells are ringing in the tight-knit community that gathers around A Good Yarn, a store in a pretty Seattle neighborhood. Knitters come to the store to buy yarn and patterns but somehow they leave richer in friendship and love.

Lauren Elliott has waited years for her long-term boyfriend, Todd, to propose, yet he seems more focused on his career than their relationship. When Lauren learns that her younger sister is pregnant before she herself even has an engagement ring, she feels overjoyed yet disheartened. Knowing she can’t put her future on hold, Lauren prepares to make a bold choice—one that leads her to a man she never dreamed she’d meet.

Newly married to her second husband, Max, Bethanne Scranton is blissfully in love. But with Max’s job in California and Bethanne’s in Seattle, their long-distance marriage is becoming difficult to maintain. To complicate matters, Bethanne’s cunning ex will do anything to win her back.

Lydia Goetz, too, is wonderfully happy with her husband, Brad, though lately she worries about the future of A Good Yarn. As she considers how to bring in business, she discovers that someone has beaten her to the punch. Baskets of yarn are mysteriously popping up all over town, with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and bring it into Lydia’s store. Never before has her shop received so much attention, but who hatched this brilliant plan?

As three women’s lives intersect in unexpected ways, Lydia, Lauren, and Bethanne realize that love heals every heart, and the best surprises still lay ahead.


My thoughts about Blossom Street Brides ~~ 
(orginally posted January 23, 2014)

Blossom Street Brides is the 10th book in the Blossom Street series. I want to know how I have missed the other 9 books?? Seriously, I just read my very first Debbie Macomber book in October. It was a Christmas story, Starry Night: a Christmas Novel. I fell in love with the characters and the story-line, and loved how easy it was to read and get lost in it all.

Even though this is book #10, and the first in the series that I have read, I didn't feel like I was missing something. Debbie wrote such a beautiful, flowing story that I immediately felt right at home with the place and the characters. I have no idea if the characters in this story are regulars in her series or not. I am thinking they probably are, but it didn't really matter. There was enough depth to the character development to keep me satisfied.

Debbie's stories have such a gentle feel to them. It's hard for me to explain what I mean by that but I found myself just wanting to stay in that world and hoping that Lydia, Lauren, and Bethanne would want to be my friend too. I am definitely going to be talking another stroll down Blossom Street and I am excited to meet the other people that call that street home.

About the author


Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Macomber brings to life the compelling relationships that embrace family, community and enduring friendships, filling her readers with a sense of love and hope.

Macomber is the author of more than 100 novels, most recently the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Starting Now, and The Inn at Rose Harbor; two bestselling cookbooks; numerous inspirational and nonfiction works; two acclaimed children’s books and the Mrs. Miracle Christmas novels. She is also the author of beloved and bestselling series of novels set in Cedar Cove, Washington (such as 16 Lighthouse Road, 204 Rosewood Lane, 311 Pelican Court) on which Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove, Hallmark Channel’s first dramatic scripted television series, is based. She is the recipient of a RITA® award; an RT Book Reviews Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a multiple winner of both the Holt Medallion and the B. Dalton Award. In 2010, the Romance Writers of America presented Macomber with their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Her next novel to be published will be ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM (August 13, 2013).

In addition to her bestselling novels, Macomber owns her own tea room, Victorian Rose Tea Room & yarn store, A Good Yarn, named after the shop featured in her popular Blossom Street novels. She and her husband, Wayne, serve on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, and she was recently named World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative.

A devoted grandmother, Debbie and her husband Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington State (the town on which her Cedar Cove novels are based) and winter in Florida.

Connect with Debbie




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Friday, May 16, 2014

Cover Reveals: Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle by Taylor Dean and a Giveaway!

COVER REVEAL!

Brand new covers for 
Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle!

~A paranormal romance series by Taylor Dean~


I love my OLD covers. I really do. They're different from the norm and that's why they captured my attention.

For Lancaster House, I liked the idea of a hand reaching out from the grave. It seemed appropriate to the story; Andre reaches out to Zoe from beyond the grave. It was Carrie-like and kind of creepy.

There's just one problem.

This is not a horror novel. Not at all. This is a paranormal romance. People who like horror are drawn to the cover and are sadly disappointed when they realize it's a romance. People who love paranormal romance are turned off by the cover because it looks too creepy.

In other words, the cover just wasn't working.


I love The Middle Aisle cover because it matched Lancaster House so perfectly. And part of the story takes place in Monterey, California. Monterey is known for its Cypress trees. The tree on the cover of The Middle Aisle reminded me of a Cypress tree and seemed perfect.

But, if the right people aren't reading the first book, no one will ever read the second one no matter what the cover looks like!

Bam! Decision made!

It was time for new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle! I love the new covers because they speak so perfectly as to what's on the inside.

Without further ado, here they are, the new covers!



Add Lancaster House to


Lancaster House on Amazon


Add The Middle Aisle to


The Middle Aisle on Amazon

Author Taylor Dean


Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.




Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/8/14
Open Internationally




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Thursday, May 15, 2014

On Tour: A Bridge Unbroken by Cathy Bryant, a Launch Party, the Trailer, and a Couple of Giveaways!

Welcome to the BlitzKat blog tour for 
Cathy Bryant's A Bridge Unbroken

Miller's Creek Novels

Another Miller's Creek Novel set in the heart of Texas, A Bridge Unbroken brings two new characters to the forefront while still giving fans a glimpse of their favorite characters from the past, including the old geezers and Mama Beth.

About the book, A Bridge Unbroken

Letting go to build a bridge…

Dakota Kelly wants her painful past to disappear. A plan to start afresh is derailed when she co-inherits her late grandfather’s farm with the man responsible for the scars on her heart. But Chance Johnson isn’t the only ghost from the past. Someone else is out to get her and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Will Chance and Dakota lay aside their grudges to restore the old farmhouse and bridge, or will evil forces sabotage their attempt at forgiveness?

Click here to read a sample chapter of A Bridge Unbroken

Purchase print version | Purchase eBook version

Trailer


The Other Miller's Creek Novels 


"Miller's Creek, Texas...where folks are friendly, the iced tea is sweet, and Mama Beth's front porch beckons..."

About Cathy

Main headshot

A native daughter of the Lone Star State, Cathy loves spinning tales about life in small town Texas. When she's not weaving stories about the fine folks in Miller's Creek, you'll find her rummaging through thrift stores, feeding her reality TV addiction, or up to her elbows in yet another home improvement project in the mountain cabin she shares with her minister husband of over thirty years. You can find out more about Cathy and her books at www.CatBryant.com.

Here are a few other places to meet up with Cathy in cyberspace


And reader friends on Facebook may want to visit the following groups, the first for book bargains and the second to discuss all things Miller's Creek.


About the Blog Tour and Launch Party

Cathy is celebrating the new addition to the Miller's Creek family by making several prizes available to reader friends, including a $100 Visa Card Giveaway. Winners will be announced at the interactive Facebook Launch Party on May 22, 2014.

100 Visa Card Giveaway

Other prizes include: t-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, bookmarks, eBooks, print books and Amazon Gift cards.

Enter the grand prize drawing for the $100 Visa Card now by clicking one of the links below. But hurry, because the contest ends May 22, 2014. (NOTE: Some contest tasks can be completed daily for extra chances to win.) 

The grand prize winner will be announced at the
A Bridge Unbroken Facebook launch party on May 22



Don't miss the fun! See you at the party!


Cathy has genrously offered an e-book of A Bridge Unbroken for someone here at The Book Bag! Enter using the rafflecopter below. 

Thank you so much, Cathy. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Release Day: The Luthier's Apprentice by Mayra Calvani

$3.99 (2)
    
The Luthier's Apprentice 
by Mayra Calvani


Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), one of the greatest violinists who ever lived and rumored to have made a pact with the devil, has somehow transferred unique powers to another…

When violinists around the world mysteriously vanish, 16-year-old Emma Braun takes notice. But when her beloved violin teacher disappears… Emma takes charge. With Sherlock Holmes fanatic, not to mention gorgeous Corey Fletcher, Emma discovers a parallel world ruled by an ex-violinist turned evil sorceress who wants to rule the music world on her own terms.

But why are only men violinists captured and not women? What is the connection between Emma's family, the sorceress, and the infamous Niccolò Paganini?

Emma must unravel the mystery in order to save her teacher from the fatal destiny that awaits him. And undo the curse that torments her family—before evil wins and she becomes the next luthier's apprentice…

976da-addtogoodreads

Purchase for $3.99 

BarnesNoble
Amazon

About The Author


Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications such as The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Multicultural Review, and Bloomsbury Review, among many others. When she’s not writing, reading, editing or reviewing, she enjoys walking her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family. Represented by Serendipity Literary.

 Connect with Mayra

Website Blog | Facebook | Twitter |  Goodreads


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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

WWW Wednesdays May 14, 2014


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Goodreads for more information about the books listed below.

What are you currently reading?

Pulled Beneath by Marni Mann
My stop on the Pulled Beneath book tour is May 19th. 

The Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn (audiobook)
I've read a few of the episodes and I love listening to it. The narrator is perfect! 

Texasville by Larry McMurtry
Hoping to get back to this one soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

Unwell by Marie Chow
My thoughts are here

Bending the Rules by L.K. Lewis
My thoughts are here.  

What do you think you will read next?

Right Click (Click, #3) by Lisa Becker 
I loved Click and Double Click. I will be posting my thoughts about Right Click on May 20th.


What's on your WWW this week?

Leave me a comment and
I'll stop by to check out your reads.



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