Yearly Archives: 2015

Spreading Some Holiday Cheer!! (CONTEST)

With a world full of anger, heartache and loss of faith in ‘good will towards man’, I ponder each day wondering how I can make a small difference in someone’s life. 

 
My family believes in Paying It Forward and, as a bookworm, I can’t think of a better way to improve a fellow book lover’s day than through books. 🙂

 
So ladies and gents, I am taking three holiday stories by Debbie Macomber off my shelf and offering them to three lucky winners.
 
 

 

To enter for your chance to win: share your favorite christmas memory, a gift given or received, a tradition, food/recipe you make, favorite movie/book and so on. 
 
I’ll be accepting entries until 12-13, midnight (central time). 
 
On the 14th, I will announce the winners on a comment and attempt to message you all. So, please follow the comment thread and/or make sure your account accepts messages.
 
We wouldn’t want a winner to miss their chance of receiving one fabulous prize!! 
 
I look forward to reading all your entries and good luck!! 
 
(Disclaimer: contest only available to those in the continental United States)

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The Ornament by P.A. Estelle (Book Showcase)


Twelve years ago Jim Rustle packed up and left his home in Idaho and hasn’t looked back. He gets quite an awakening when Lisa Parker, whom he hadn’t seen in all those years, breaks into a business meeting and uses some colorful adjectives to tell him just what she thinks of him.

Sparks fly between the two when he decides to follow Lisa home and sees what has happened in his absence. Is the anger stemming from the present, or from the past?

It’s Christmas time. Can an ornament from years past help heal betrayals that have festered for years?

 

GET YOUR KINDLE COPY TODAY!!

The elevator pinged and the door opened to the sixteenth floor of the Manchester building in Las Vegas, Nevada. If she wasn’t hell bent on choking the life out of him, she would have noticed the massive wall of glass that showcased the famous Las Vegas Strip. All heads did a double take as she marched down the hall.

An open black, mid-calf duster swung from side to side giving viewers a peek at long shapely legs in black Levis and black boots that seemed to shimmer with every step.

A black cowboy hat sat low on her head, shadowing her face. Light brown straight hair with white blonde streaks throughout swayed almost to her waist.

The sign, Wagner, INC, was in large block letters above a double door that was opened. The receptionist at the desk, Dani according to the name plate, was on the phone, taking a message. Her hair was black and cut in a perfect short bob. Dani looked up to see the woman standing in front of her. She sat back in her chair, staring at the visitor, and finished the call with “I’ll have Jim call you as soon as he is done with his meeting, John.” The receptionist’s eyes never left the face of the woman standing in front of her.

Dani took her time hanging up the phone and finishing writing the message. “May I help you?”

“Jim Rustle,” was all the woman said.

The corner of Dani’s mouth rose. “I’m afraid he is in a meeting and will be busy most of the afternoon. I can take your name and ask him to call.”

The woman was looking behind Dani at the closed door that said James Rustle on it. “No need.” She walked past Dani and headed to the door.

“Wait! You can’t go in there!” The composed Dani was anything but.

The woman threw the door open. The office had a large desk made of rich cherry wood. Opposite it stood two small padded chairs of deep brown leather. On the other side of the room stood a small conference table with blue prints spread out all over it.

The woman, once again, saw none of it. Her eyes were trained on the man sitting behind the desk. For a split second, the words caught in her throat. She hadn’t seen Jim Rustle for twelve years. His dark brown hair was clipped short. His smoky gray eyes were as hypnotic as she remembered. He wore a pair of navy suit trousers, a navy vest, and a white long sleeved shirt, with the top two buttons undone. The suit jacket was draped over his chair. The man was more handsome than when he walked out of her life, if that was possible.

“Jim, I’m sorry but this…this woman just went right by me when I told her you were busy and couldn’t be disturbed.” Dani was clearly distraught.

Before he had a chance to answer, the woman walked to the desk and leaned her hands on it. “You selfish, arrogant, self-absorbed, SOB. Are you so important you can’t find time, yet again, to spend Christmas with the one person in this world that thinks the sun rises and sets in you, no matter how many times you have chosen to put everything and everybody else above her? Not to mention the woman who raised you and made it possible for you to go to college so you could sit in this office and be the overblown ass that you have become?”

Fire was shooting out of her hazel eyes and her chest was heaving with anger. The two men that were sitting in the meeting and Dani, standing at the door, were watching with their mouths hanging open. They had never seen someone talk to their boss like that and walk away without limping.

Something flickered in his eyes – anger, guilt, or maybe appreciation in what he was seeing. “Men,” he said, never taking his eyes off the woman, “we’ll finish this meeting later. Dani –“

“Don’t bother. I know how important your time is.” Sarcasm dripped with every word. She turned to leave.

“Lisa,” he said stopping her. “I see you still aren’t married.”

Lisa closed her eyes as if praying for restraint. Her words didn’t have the disdain in them when she said, tiredly, “Annie doesn’t have much time, Jim. Give her a break.”

 

 
 

Penny Estelle is a best-selling writer for all ages, from the early reader to adults. Her books range from pictures books for the little ones, to fantasy and time-travel adventures for ages 9 to 13. She also, under P. A. Estelle, has written adult stories including a family drama and contemporary, paranormal and historical westerns romances.

Penny was a school secretary for 21 years. She and her husband moved to their retirement home in Kingman, AZ, on very rural 54 acres, living on solar and wind only.

Penny and her books can be found in the following links:

www.pennystales.com

www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Estelle/e/B006S62XBY

https://twitter.com/Pennystales

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Marry Me at Christmas by Susan Mallery (Book Review)

 
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To bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug, organizing a Christmas wedding sounds like a joy—until she finds out she’ll be working closely with the gorgeous brother of the bride, movie star Jonny Blaze. How will a small-town girl like her keep from falling for the world’s sexiest guy? Especially with mistletoe lurking around every corner!
 
Jonny came to Fool’s Gold looking for normal, not for love. Happily-ever-after only happens in the movies. Still, nothing about this quirky town is quite what he expected, and “ordinary” Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he’s ever met. Refreshingly honest, disarmingly sweet. Achingly beautiful.
 
Planning the perfect wedding leads to candlelit dinners and strolls through snow-covered streets. And Madeline finds Jonny in real life even more captivating than her celebrity crush. But will the action star be brave enough to risk his heart and step into the role of a lifetime?
 
 
 
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REVIEW 
 
 
Jonny and Madeline both have hearts of gold. Sweet, caring people who put others before themselves. Ex: Jonny paid and helped organize his only sister’s wedding. He donated toys he carved with his own two hands to the holiday toy drive. He also adopted an 8 year old dog, Raven. A dog everyone thought would be hard to place. Not so hard when bighearted Jonny was asked to take care of her and the two of them bonded. And Madeline? She put the happiness of her client’s over a quick, easy buck. Plus, she helped organize Ginger’s (Jonny’s sister) wedding for free. Well, actually she asked Jonny to donate the money he was going to give her to a charity. See, a heart of gold!! 
 
As loving and sweet as these two were, they weren’t my two favorite characters from the story. Oh no, that prize goes out to my two feisty gals — Gladys and Eddie. These two women, of a more mature age, run a public access tv show where they actually got viewers to vote on whose naked butt they were featuring. And through some teasing about a butt double on one of Blaze’s movies, they had managed to get the actor to drop trou. Man, these women are a total hoot and I can see myself behaving like them when I reach my golden years. LOOOOOOOVE THEM!! 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
 
 AMAZON PURCHASE LINKS:
 Hardcover – Kindle – 
 

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A Bad Boy for Christmas by Jessica Lemmon (Book Review)

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Connor McClain knows what he wants. And after four harrowing years in Afghanistan, that’s a quiet life in the lakeside town of Evergreen Cove. But coming home has land mines of its own-the most dangerous of them being long-legged bombshell Faith Garrett. Now getting her into his arms this holiday is going to require more than mistletoe . . .
 
With a cheating ex behind her, all Faith wants is a relaxing holiday free from man drama. And even though every moment with gorgeous Connor is a sweet temptation, Faith is determined not to give in. But Jack Frost has other plans, and soon Faith and Connor are snowbound in a winter wonderland with only the sparks flying between them to keep them warm. As one hot kiss leads to another, they’ll have to decide if they’re ready to give each other the best gift of all-love.
 
 
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 REVIEW
 
Who doesn’t adore romantic, sexy, and sweet leading men…. Connor was the ultimate dream man and Faith happened to be the woman who captured his heart. 
 
Unlike most romance stories where the man is gun shy on love, in A Bad Boy for Christmas, it was the heroine who was scared about falling in love; timid about being in a relationship.
 
Connor broke through her walls and Faith learned she wasn’t cursed in the love department after all. 
 
My only complaint with the love story was the lack of clarification on the age difference. Several times, it was mentioned. Even the word “cougar” was thrown out there. I know Faith hadn’t reached menopausal age yet and Connor was at least of drinking age so how big of an age gap are we looking at.
 
I hate unanswered questions so I am curious how many years separate these two lovebirds. The years between them meant nothing to them in the scheme of things, but still, Jessica kept mentioning it so it bugged me. 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤
 
BUY NOW @ AMAZON:  Paperback / Kindle

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Review of “Krewe of Souls (Southern Ghosts Series Book 3) – Elaine Calloway

 

Tristan Pleasance is a ghost whisperer extraordinaire, but talking to his living father is another story. Family conflict prompts Tristan to bolt from his lifelong home in St. Francisville, Louisiana, to make a new life in New Orleans. But six months later, a family tragedy forces him to return home and he is thrust into a murder investigation where his past and future will collide.

Grace Lansing is a New Orleans columnist who yearns to write feature articles rather than puff pieces. To prove herself to her editor, she travels to the quaint town of St. Francisville to research their big Mardi Gras Krewe competition. But what seems an innocent cultural practice quickly turns into a web of intrigue—and getting too close to the handsome Tristan puts her in danger of becoming collateral damage.

Together, Tristan and Grace must find out who is responsible for the murders—before the Krewe of Souls is trapped forever.

Krewe of Souls is the third book in the Southern Ghosts Series by Elaine Calloway. The setting is in New Orleans and St. Francisville, Louisiana, a quaint town with a haunted reputation. The book is a romantic suspense for adults.

 
 
GET YOUR COPY NOW AT AMAZON:  KINDLE / PAPERBACK
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
I, myself, have never had my palm/tarot cards read or visited a psychic. I’m not sure if the gift really exists or if it’s a scam to pray on people’s hope and wallets. However, if the ability to see the dead exists, I think using it to help solve murders should be utilized every chance we can get. 
 
In this story, Tristan uses his gift with the aid of a reporter to uncover the truth behind five murders (six if you count the beloved family dog). 
 
As mysteries go, Elaine pretty much spelled it out who orchestrated the murders and why. However, I don’t think the murders were the main plot of this story. For me, I thought Elaine was showing us the reconnection of father and son. Maybe I’m wrong but their failed relationship was the bigger focal point for me. The death of Tristan’s mom was the reason why Tristan came home, why his father and him faced their differences, and why their severed bond mended — stronger than ever. 
 
HEA
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤
 
GET YOUR COPY NOW AT AMAZON: 

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