Friday, December 18, 2020

Book Tour: GRACE BY CONTRACT by Rachel Rossano

 


  Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.







After her father uproots the family to the northern duchy of Brackenhurst, Grace Eldon and her four younger sisters struggle with a new life of hardship. Desperate to keep a roof over their heads amid mounting debts, she and her youngest sister seek employment in the Duke of Brackenhurst’s household despite fearsome rumors.

Scarred and maimed from a terrible fire Silas Isling, Duke of Brackenhurst, buries himself in his work to avoid the stares of pity and fear. When one of the new maids shows no fear at his appearance, he is intrigued. That is until his meddling steward gives her the task of cleaning Silas’ bookroom. It is a most unwelcome disruption since he prefers to be alone.

While a thief plagues his castle, an old nemesis reappears, and enemies invade in the guise of guests. Amidst the distractions and chaos, Grace brings some unexpected order. Once convinced his scars had stolen all hope for love, Silas finds his life forever changed by the quiet maid. Could she love a scarred Duke?

  
  




This fantasy with its medieval feel to it, Grace Under Contract is an interesting romance full of intrigue and suspense.

Grace’s father, after pulling some shenanigans that put his family in a bad situation, moves his five daughters in the hovel of a home with their grandmother. Instead of working the farm to provide for his family and pay the taxes on the grandmother’s property, he spends most of his income at the local pub. He befriends and becomes beholden to Sir Webb who is after one of the daughters named Beauty. She is beautiful, but not overly intelligent. To cover the tax shortfall, Grace convinces Duke Silas’s steward to agree to a contract of indenture for both her and Beauty—her to cover the debt; Beauty to keep her out of the clutches of Sir Webb.

I enjoyed the growing relationship between Grace and Silas with his scars and disability. Never a dull moment with the vindictive housekeeper, the neighboring duke with political ambitions who wishes to cement a treaty with Silas through marriage with one of his daughters, and the spy who somehow breeches the castle’s defenses to steal food and weaken the duchy from within.

The tension was high, the action was engaging, the romance was sweet, and there were some surprises at the end that made this a must-read story.



Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Cover Reveal: NOT A FINE GENTLEMAN by Donna Hatch



Donna Hatch is the author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The Golden Quill and the International Digital Award. A hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her husband). A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.


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Margaret, the eldest of the misbegotten Amesbury family, is accused of murdering her jerk of a husband and then fleeing. Conner Jackson, a Bow Stree Runner, is hunting her down to bring her to justice. Or so he thinks.

This romantic story of loss and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption, and strangers marrying, will leave you laughing, crying, and swooning. Sprinkled liberally with suspense, mystery, and heart-melting kisses, this is not your ordinary historical tale of an arranged marriage nor of redeeming the rakes. Fans of Victorian and Regency Eras as well as those seeking clean and wholesome romance with plenty of chemistry will love this story!


The Rogue Hearts Series:
The Stranger She Married 
The Guise of a Gentleman
A Perfect Secret
The Suspect's Daughter
Not a Fine Gentleman

Praise for Donna Hatch:
“Donna Hatch is one of the masters of clean romance with electric tension and smokin’ hot kisses.” ~ Reading is My Super Power Reviews


“Written with heart and depth, Donna Hatch’s books are absolute must-reads for any fan of swoon-worthy historical romance.”  ~ Sarah M. Eden, USA Today best-selling historical romance author


And now for the Cover
  
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Official Book Tour: MERCY by Rachel Rossano





Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the children are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. 

Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.




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The royal wedding approaches and the country is alive with anticipation. 


 Among the craftsmen traveling to the capital is Constance Rendare and her family. An artist, a widow of an unhappy marriage, and the mother of a young son, she dreams of escaping the cruel servitude of her father’s household. 

 Wilard Naron serves the Earl of Dentin. He returns to the capital, his childhood home, to collect his earnings and finally free himself from his father’s reputation. 

 Kidnappings, bandits, and a plot against the king complicate the journey. The conflicts throw Constance and Wilard together as their circumstances grow steadily worse. The more the pair uncovers, the direr the future looks for the country and for them.

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The following are my book reviews of the three Novels of Rhynan:

Duty
          This book reads like a medieval romance although it has a hypothetical setting, and the names for the kings, castles, and deity are not historical. It starts with a conquered land and the ruling general, Lord Irvaine, being required to marry the noblewoman of the defeated landholding, Lady Brielle. With the men dead, the marriageable women are require to marry soldiers who will stay and work the land as well as provide a defensive force from foreign invaders. Lady Brielle’s cousin offered her up as guarantee for his change in loyalty to the new king, but she knows he cares nothing for her or her people. Although this union formed as a matter of duty to the new king, the question is whether or not it grows into a true romance, especially as this couple face challenges from inside and outside their rule.
          The author did an excellent job of world-building. She also created relatable characters. Written in first person, I found it easy to identify with Brielle—her concerns and her feelings for her family and her people. Plenty of conflict in this plot kept the story interesting and moving at a good pace. It was hard to put down and I hated to see this sweet romance end.

Honor
          Although written as a stand-alone, Honor seamlessly follows Duty as a fantasy set in a medieval-style world. Lord Dentin is mentioned briefly during the end of the first novel as a person who is driven and not given to feeling. He plays the starring role in this story as the reader discovers the reasons why he has developed the outward persona of being ruthless and uncaring. That gradually begins to change as he meets and interacts with Elsa, the last unmarried daughter of Lord Reeve. With an irresponsible brother pushing her family to ruin and an overbearing, demanding mother insisting she marry well to save them, she fights back to keep from being the forced pawn of others.
          The story is full of conflicts, dangers to be overcome, and enough action to keep the story interesting and moving at a good pace. I enjoyed the characters, especially seeing them exhibit their negative traits along with their strengths. Written in first person, the point of view alternated between Lord Dentin and Elsa. I enjoyed this story and can recommend it. Although not necessary in order to follow this story without feeling like gaps are missing, I do suggest reading the three stories in the Rhynan series in order.

Mercy
          This story follows Honor, although it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. I recognized Lord Dentin and his wife Elsa, minor characters in this book, from the previous book. I also eventually recognized the hero of this book, Wilard, as one of the minor characters in Honor.
          Unlike the primary characters in the first two books, Wilard and Constance are not nobility. They are craftspeople, both with difficult families that add to the conflict of the story. They start out working together to discover what happened to Constance’s father after he was abducted, which led to them helping Lord Dentin discover a plot against the king. Written in first person, the point of view alternates between Constance and Wilard. This story, along with plenty of action, involved an interesting cast of characters that added depth and interest to this sweet romance. I can recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading either fantasy or historical romances.





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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Book Tour: CORPORATE CHRISTMAS by Bernadette Marie




Chloe Richardson had just landed the biggest client of her career. A promotion was in her future, or so she thought until the handsome Jason Mitchell walked into her office with his gorgeous smile and searing blue eyesand took her job.


Losing her job so close to Christmas, Chloes only choice was to go back home to Aubrey Heights, where the Christmas spirit is celebrated in a tourist loving, wonderland. Perhaps she can pull herself together before the new yearbefore her new career search.

However, Jason follows her to Aubrey Heightswith a mission of his own. First he stole her jobnow he wants to steal her heart.

Is the spirit of Christmas alive enough in her to let that happen?


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Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty-five books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After alwaysand says she can write it because she lives it.

When not immersed in the writing/publishing world, Bernadette Marie and her husband are shuffling their five hockey playing boys around town to practices and games as well as running their family business. She is a lover of a good stout craft beer and might be slightly addicted to chocolate.


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Author Interview

Book: Corporate Christmas
Author: Bernadette Marie

1- When did you start writing, and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become an author? My writing journey, like many authors, began at the age of 12-13. I had been asked to write a second story for an essay exam, because mine had ranked highly. Then, that same year, I fell in love with the mini-series. Thorn Birds had replayed that year, and suddenly I was swept away by it. As was If Tomorrow Comes, by Sidney Sheldon, and that one sucked me in! I decided I wanted to be an actress in a mini-series, but locked in Colorado, the only way I could do that was to write it. But, I could write the book and theyd turn it into a mini-series. As you can see, I fell in love with that book process. 
2- How many books do you have out, and do you have a favorite? I currently have out 36 titles. My favorite has always been A Second Chance. The story revolves around a mother and her children, and I resonate with that as I have five children. But I do have to say that my paranormals are inching their way as my favorites too. The Last Goodbye helped me deal with my fathers death, and that was very healing for me.
3- How do you come up with character names? Sometimes I use name generators until I come up with one. Other times Ill scroll through Facebook and take this first name and this last name. Names dont just come to me, which I think is pretty funny.
4- Do you have a favorite author? Nora Roberts has always been my go to, but I do like her contemporary more than the suspense. 
5- What is some of your favorite or memorable books that youve read? In recent years, it has been Karen Whites Tradd Street Series. I love them all!!! But If Tomorrow Comes will always be my favorite, I think because it was the book that made me fall in love with reading after years of struggling but wanting to be that girl with my nose in a book.
6- What is one piece of advice you could give to a new author that you wish someone had passed to you? There is no one right path to publication, so keep writing while you find it. The thing that sells a book is another book, so you have to always be writing no matter what process of publishing youre at.
7- Do you have any pets? We inherited a guinea pig named Princess Peach when my son, who was told he couldnt have a pet, bought one with his girlfriend and then she was allergic. We convinced him, when my husband began working from home, that shed be more comfortable up with the family than in his teenage room. When he moved out, we refused to let Princess Peach go. She lives with us now, but he pays for her stay :)
8- What do you do in your spare time when youre not writing? I own other businesses, aside from my writing and my publishing business, so I tend to those. Im a Beach Body Coach, so I enjoy working out, doing yoga, and walking with friends. Youll very often find me at a hockey rink as all my boys play hockey. Only in the last year, Ive learned the art of vegging on the couch with my husband. We each have our own section on the couch, and I think we look like Archie and Edith after 7pm.
9- What is the best vacation you ever went on? This one is sooo hard! Disneyland is my go to vacation spot! My birthday is July 4th and I found that Disneyland is the best place in the world to celebrate your birthday. (And its not as busy as youd think it would be on the 4th.) My twins birthday is the 5th, so theyre pretty spoiled too. Weve celebrated there for years. This year my mom and sister joined us. Ive also been to Ireland and Italy with my boys high school music department. Seeing your kids marching in Saint Patricks Day parades in Ireland or signing at the Vatican in Rome make for some amazing vacations.
10- Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us anything about it `? In the works is book ten of the Walker Family series, and then there will be one more to finish up that series. Before that one is done, Im sure Ill have a slew of others in the works. I plan to do more Christmas story releases next year, and I begin writing those in January.



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