Wednesday, September 4, 2019

"What Happened to Hannah"--a novel of love, hate, loss, and redemption; of a life full of unfinished business. New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay McComas weaves an unforgettable tale of a loner who is called back by tragedy to the home she ran away from years earlier, and finds herself the sole responsible party for a troubled teenage niece.(see my review)

 What Happened to Hannah



As a teenager, Hannah Benson ran away from home in order to save herself. Now, twenty years later, the past comes calling and delivers life-changing news: her mother and sister have passed away, leaving Hannah the guardian of her fifteen-year-old niece.

Returning home to bitter memories and devastating secrets, Hannah must overcome her painful past to pave a future with her niece, the last best chance at a family for both of them. She begins to create a new, happier life with her niece and rekindles a relationship with Grady Steadman, one of the few people she's ever called a friend.

But she can't forget what she cannot forgive, or lay to rest those ghosts that will not die. Will love and trust--and the truth--give her the strength to stand her ground and fight for what she deserves?


MY REVIEW:  When we are growing up, and viewing life through young eyes, we often don't see the true reality of the world around us. Hurtful things may cause us to make our own reality. We may be looking and listening, but still not comprehending. Sometimes, it takes maturity and similar experiences in our later years to really grasp the full meaning of what we have seen and experienced. Life is a continual learning process, full of starts, stops, and restarts. The truth is always there, waiting. We just have to find it. It already knows exactly where to find us. In "What Happened to Hannah", by Mary Kay McComas, the truth comes home to Hannah Benson in a startling manner, and one phone call forever changes the path of her life. To escape the cycle of abuse, Hannah had left home at age sixteen and never looked back. In high school, Grady Steadman was Hannah's sweetheart. Years later when he calls her, he is the sheriff of their hometown, informing her that her mother has just passed away. He also tells her that her sister had died some time ago and left behind a young daughter. Hannah's return to her home place is bittersweet, and she is forced to deal with painful memories and haunting ghosts from her past. She must also find a way to make a new life for herself and for her niece, Anna. With Grady now again a visible presence, Hannah's heart remembers how they once felt about each other, and feelings long denied flicker back into flame. In order to grasp a chance at true happiness, Hannah must let go of the weight of the past and grab on to the future with all of her heart.

Abuse has long -lasting, widespread effects-not just on the victim, but on those who care for the victim. All of us, whether we realize it or not, know someone who has been abused at some point in their life. The first reaction to abuse is denial. It's a subject which makes people uncomfortable, and the victims often linger in a very painful silence. Writing about it may encourage someone who is a victim to seek help. Acknowledgement is not only a first step, it's a giant leap!

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REVIEWS

“Blending poignancy with humor, crafting characters as real and recognizable as your next-door neighbor, Mary Kay McComas weaves stories that brighten the heart.” (Nora Roberts)

“I love Mary Kay McComas. Her books are honest and real, and transport you to a place that feels like home.” (Patricia Gaffney)

“It is hard not to be moved by the tender love story that emerges from the depths of violence in this haunting and touching novel. You will never forget What Happened To Hannah.” (Jessica Anya Blau)

“a touching tale of trauma, healing, and family...McComas builds the relationship between Hannah and Anna deftly, showing how hard it can be for strangers who happen to be family to know each other.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Hannah Benson is a memorable character of uncommon strength. From the unthinkable horror of the past to the glimmering possibility of love in the present, What Happened to Hannah is a stirring novel of family and redemption.” (Kristina Riggle, author of Keepsake)

“[an] inventive contribution…that steals the show. McComas focuses on the most important relationship of all―the relationship one has with oneself―and spins an introspective and irresistible story that, for some readers, may make this collection worthwhile.” (Publishers Weekly on "Melon Lemon Yellow" in Bump in the Night)

“McComas...writes a bittersweet tale of homecoming. (Booklist)
“...a vibrant, haunting tale of a woman trying to discard the past once and for all in order to begin again. A powerful story with a beautiful plot that will have readers routing for peace, romance, and second chances.” (Feathered Quill)

“Mary Kay McComas has written a poignant tale of the prolonged effects of domestic abuse.” (Iron Mountain Daily News) 


 
Mary Kay McComas

Mary Kay McComas 

Mary Kay McComas is an acclaimed romance novelist and the author of twenty-one short contemporary romances, five novellas, and two novels. McComas has received numerous honors and prizes for her work, including the Washington Romance Writers’ Outstanding Achievement Award and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times (one for Best New Novel and another for Most Innovative Romance Series). She has recently contributed to Nora Roberts’s J. D. Robb fantasy anthologies, with highly praised paranormal romance stories. McComas and her family live in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

"The Missing Place"--from author Sophie Littlefield--Set against the backdrop of North Dakota’s oil boom, two very different mothers form an uneasy alliance to find their missing sons in this heartrending and suspenseful novel from the Edgar Award–nominated author of Garden of Stones.

The Missing Place



Twenty-year-old Taylor Capparelli and Paul Mitchell go missing in Lawton, North Dakota, where they have been working on rigs owned by Hunter-Cole Energy. The boys stayed in Black Creek Lodge, a "man camp" providing room and board. The mothers of the two boys come to Lawton to find out what happened to their sons and form an uneasy alliance. Shay Capparelli, a 41-year-old single grandmother, has more grit than resources; for wealthy suburban housewife Colleen Mitchell, the opposite is true. Overtaxed by worry, exhaustion, and fear, they question each others' methods and motivations - but there is no one else to help, and they must learn to work together if they are to have any chance of breaking through the barriers put up by their sons employer, the indifference of an overtaxed police department, and a town of strangers with their own secrets against a backdrop of a modern day gold rush.

MY REVIEW:  Two young men with polar opposite backgrounds both choose the oil-boom promise of rural North Dakota as the path for their futures. Despite their differences, Paul and Taylor become friends. When they both disappear during their first year on the job, their mothers are the ones who continue to search and seek, not settling for the vague answers from law enforcement and the oil company itself. Two women will travel to "The Missing Place" in Sophie Littlefield's atmospheric character study. Shay Capparelli is used to the raw, rough edges of life, and she raised her son Taylor to be like her--a survivor. Leaving California behind with little resources and a lot of determination, she heads for North Dakota to find her son. Colleen Mitchell follows her own mother's instincts and travels from her privileged life in Massachusetts to the comparative wilderness of Lawton, North Dakota to locate her son, Paul. With housing and lodging in the area already inadequate due to the influx of workers, Colleen must share a generator-run motor home with Shay. The women have a mutual concern for their sons, but their personalities and life experiences are sharply contrasted--as sharp as the underlying fear that drives each of them to find the truth--to find their boys. The rugged landscape, the unrelenting cold, and the daily reality of life as an oil rigger, all add to the moody bleakness of the story line. As the two mothers form a difficult but inescapable alliance, they learn as much about themselves as they learn about each other. They are not friends, yet they must depend upon each other in ways they never expected. Will they ever learn the real truth about their sons, and will they be able to bring their boys home again? Nothing is as fierce as a mother's love of her child, and these two women will not stop in their quest to be reunited with their sons.

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Reviews


"With two strong. complicated women at its center, Sophie Littlefield’s The Missing Place seizes you with its emotional fervor from its first pages and never lets you go. With intelligence and keen sensitivity, Littlefield draws us into a story, and a world—the North Dakota oil fields— that feels both utterly original and yet also so deeply our own. A remarkable novel." Author: Megan Abbott Source: bestselling author of THE FEVER and DARE ME

“A powerful portrait of grief, fear, and courage as two mothers fight for truth.” Author: C.J. Lyons Source: New York Times bestselling author of FAREWELL TO DREAMS

“Taut and suspenseful, fierce and compelling—The Missing Place traces two mothers’ descents into the hell of searching for their lost children, and doesn’t let up until the last page is, breathtakingly, turned." Author: Jennie Shortridge, author of LOVE WATER MEMORY

"A remarkable story of the unlikely friendship between two women desperately searching for their missing sons, told as only Sophie Littlefield can, with depth, humor, and honesty. Colleen and Shay are women I know; they are whom I see reflected in the mirror. And as they push forward, confronting the demons of their pasts and the horror of their present, I couldn’t help wanting to hold them back just as I urged them onward. THE MISSING PLACE is a compelling and perceptive examination of just how far a mother will go to save her child." Author: Carla Buckley, author of THE DEEPEST SECRET and THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE

“A novel steeped in secrets and unspoken truths.” Author: --Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

"I read this in one sitting, unable to leave the fray with the boys' lives at stake." Author: Mark P. Sadler Source: Suspense Magazine



Sophie Littlefield

Sophie Littlefield 
Called a “writing machine” by the New York Times and a “master storyteller” by the Midwest Book Review, Sophie Littlefield has written dozens of novels for adults and teens. She has won Anthony and RT Book Awards and been shortlisted for Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, Macavity, and Goodreads Choice Awards.

Sophie also writes under the pen name Sofia Grant.
 


 

Sunday, September 1, 2019

"FALLING FOR THE SECRET PRINCESS"--The rules of royal romance may just have to be broken for the sake of LOVE!

Falling for the Secret Princess by [Shepherd, Kandy]































Falling for the Secret Princess

A reunion…

…fit for a princess in disguise!

At his friend’s wedding, millionaire Finn couldn’t take his eyes off the gorgeous stranger whose naivety intrigued his cynical heart…until she suddenly fled! So, while on business in Montovia, he’s shocked to come face-to-face with her — as Princess Natalia! Finn’s once again compelled by their instant connection, but Natalia’s duty makes a future impossible. Unless he can convince her their love is worth breaking a few royal rules for…


MY REVIEW: Author Kandy Shepherd brings forward some of the characters and story lines from her delightful "Sydney Brides" series to create the sweetly sparkling contemporary romance "Falling for the Secret Princess". We met the royal family of the small European principality of Montovia in "Crown Prince's Chosen Bride", when Prince Tristan chose to marry Gemma Harper, the non-royal love of his life. Now, it's Tristan's sister, Princess Natalia, who will have a date with Fate. In disguise as non-royal "Natalie Gardner" in order to attend a friend's wedding without causing a paparazzi storm, Natalia meets Finn O'Neill, a wealthy wedding guest. An immediate spark of attraction flares between the two, but Natalia must keep her secret. At age twenty-seven, she had rejected a number of hand-picked royally-suitable suitors, but she wanted the same type of true love and happiness that her brother had found. Regretfully, she leaves Finn behind without an explanation, and without him knowing her true identity. Three months later, they will meet again when tycoon Finn arrives in Montovia for a lucrative business deal. Their surprise at seeing each other again is complicated even further by both Finn's anger at her deceit and by her longing for her romantic dreams to come true. Is it possible that their attraction will become much, much more--perhaps the love of a lifetime? Can the magic that worked so well for Tristan and Gemma strike twice and weave a happy spell for Natalia and Finn? Kandy Shepherd has a magic touch herself when it comes to enchanting her readers with appealing characters and involving story lines. Highly recommended for romance lovers!

Book Copy Gratis Author


Crown Prince's Chosen Bride (Sydney Brides #2) 



The people's princess!

Chef Gemma Harper is on a dating break, so the last thing she needs is gorgeous stranger Tristan tempting her into a fling…especially when he's revealed as the crown prince of Montavia!

Gemma knows forever isn't possible with duty-bound Tristan, but swept off her feet by this charismatic prince, she's determined to make every moment count. And when Tristan throws out the royal rule book, a happy-ever-after could be within Gemma's grasp…if only she's brave enough to say "I do!"


MY REVIEW:  Author Kandy Shepherd continues her delightful “Sydney Brides” contemporary romance series with Book 2, “Crown Prince’s Chosen Bride”. Gemma Harper is a talented chef and a partner in the successful party-planning business, “Party Queens”. Nearing the age of thirty, she is coming out of her self-imposed six months break from dating. Leaving behind the heartbreak of broken romance and moving forward into a happy, prosperous future is her new plan of action. Just as she is confident of keeping her rules for romance, a mysterious, very attractive new client makes use of the Party Queens superlative service to plan a business reception. Tristan Marco is not what Gemma expected, and he is equally taken by the beautiful auburn-haired chef. After their first meeting, Tristan arranges a surprise date. During the course of their time together, Gemma is stunned to learn that Tristan Marco is actually Tristan, Crown Prince of Montavia. Gemma already had trust issues, and now she has broken her own rules and fallen for someone whose handsome charms easily deceived her heart. Tristan never expected to meet someone as captivating as Gemma, but he has royal duties he cannot ignore—or can he? Is it possible that a royal can choose his own commoner bride and live a life of true and lasting happiness? Those who believe in “happily ever after” will enjoy this charming modern-day fairy tale from wonderful storyteller Kandy Shepherd.

Book Copy Gratis Author



Kandy Shepherd


Image result for Kandy Shepherd


Kandy Shepherd is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. She swapped a fast-paced career as a magazine editor for a life writing fun, feel-good fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of four-legged friends. Kandy believes in love-at-first-sight and real-life romance--they worked for her!

She won the hotly contested RUBY award from RWA for best short romance novel of the year with Conveniently Wed to the Greek (her May 2017 release from Harlequin Mills & Boon).

Kandy's holiday story from Harlequin Romance is the Christmas-themed GREEK TYCOON'S MISTLETOE PROPOSAL (November 2016).

Also published in 2016 books two and three in the Sydney Brides mini-series from Harlequin Romance, CROWN PRINCE'S CHOSEN BRIDE (March 2016) and THE BRIDESMAID'S BABY BUMP (July 2016). Book one GIFT WRAPPED IN HER WEDDING DRESS was published in November 2015.

Two stand-alone romances from Harlequin Romance were published in 2015--HIRED BY THE BROODING BILLIONAIRE (August 2015) and FROM PARADISE TO...PREGNANT! (June 2015.)

Kandy's Dolphin Bay trilogy for Harlequin Romance is now complete--each book can be enjoyed separately but continuing characters all link to the Morgan family. THE SUMMER THEY NEVER FORGOT is the first (February 2014). It is followed by THE TYCOON AND THE WEDDING PLANNER (July 2014) and A DIAMOND IN HER STOCKING (December 2014).

As well as her titles published by both Harlequin and Berkley Sensation, Kandy is the author of the e-book romances THE CASTAWAY BRIDE (an Amazon best-seller) and SOMETHING ABOUT JOE; and the contemporary women's fiction title, REINVENTING ROSE.

REINVENTING ROSE, was inspired by her Kandy's years working as an editor in women's magazines, in particular the reader makeovers she enjoyed so much. REINVENTING ROSE is about love, friendship and the magic of a makeover.

SOMETHING ABOUT JOE is a heartwarming love story. The hero is hot, smart, great with kids, and he can cook--what's not to love about Joe Martin? But stressed-out executive and single mom, Allison Bradley, fights it all the way when she finds herself falling in love with her little boy's new nanny. Joe is one of Kandy's favorite heroes--he actually came to her in a dream!

Kandy's Amazon bestseller, THE CASTAWAY BRIDE, is a sexy, unashamedly escapist romance about a runaway bride who is shipwrecked on a tropical island with a mysterious stranger.

LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD, Kandy's debut novel for Berkley Sensation, is a romantic comedy set in San Francisco about a little dog who inherits a big fortune and the people he brings together.

Kandy's second book for Berkley Sensation, HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS, is a tale of romance, mystery and dogs. It's a follow-on book from LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD, and tells the story of Serena, the heroine's best friend in the first book. HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS is a stand-alone story that can be enjoyed without reading the first book.

Visit Kandy at her website
http://www.kandyshepherd.com 
 

"The Home Place"--author Carrie La Seur's debut work--is an atmospheric, involving tale of a woman's involuntary return to her past

The Home Place



Carrie La Seur made her remarkable debut with The Home Place, a mesmerizing, emotionally evocative, and atmospheric literary novel in the vein of The House Girl and A Land More Kind Than Home, in which a successful lawyer is pulled back into her troubled family's life in rural Montana in the wake of her sister's death.

The only Terrebonne who made it out, Alma thought she was done with Montana, with its bleak winters and stifling ways. But an unexpected call from the local police takes the successful lawyer back to her provincial hometown and pulls her into the family trouble she thought she'd left far behind: Her lying, party-loving sister, Vicky, is dead. Alma is told that a very drunk Vicky had wandered away from a party and died of exposure after a night in the brutal cold. But when Alma returns home to bury Vicky and see to her orphaned niece, she discovers that the death may not have been an accident.

The Home Place is a story of secrets that will not lie still, human bonds that will not break, and crippling memories that will not be silenced. It is a story of rural towns and runaways, of tensions corporate and racial, of childhood trauma and adolescent betrayal, and of the guilt that even forgiveness cannot ease. Most of all, this is a story of the place we carry in us always: home.


MY REVIEW:  Author Carrie La Seur's debut work, "The Home Place", is an atmospheric, involving tale of a woman's involuntary return to her past. Attorney Alma Terrebonne has created a tightly-scheduled, neatly-ordered life for herself with a successful career in Seattle. With everything in its proper place, she can immerse herself in her work, pushing herself hard enough to keep haunting memories of her Montana youth at bay. A phone call changes all that when she is informed that her troubled younger sister, Vicky, has been found dead from exposure after a fall and a serious head wound. Flooded by regrets and guilt over her broken relationship with her sister, Alma heads back home to bring order to the chaos Vicky has left behind, and that includes finding a suitable place for Vicky's daughter, Brittany. As Alma reconnects with family and friends, and the home place itself, she begins to sense that her sister's death may not have been an accident. Caught between two worlds, Alma's heart is further confused by her feelings for Chance Murphy--the first love who never really let go. Drawn by the inescapable lure of the land and the legacy of her family's history, Alma must choose where her future lies. Can she let go of her life in Seattle and make a life in Montana, the very place from which she has run for so many years? Can she embrace her heritage as a Terrebonne and truly find peace at the home place?

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Reviews

 

“The Home Place is one of the year’s strongest debuts.” (Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers)

“A love story of the land and its people...captivating.” (Charleston Post & Courier)

“Walloping in suspense, drama, rage, and remorse, this debut is an accomplished literary novel of the new West.” (Library Journal)

“La Seur makes a very assured debut. Her characters are rich and believable; the plot is perfectly paced with mystery and romance enough to keep the reader hooked. And it’s all played against a beautifully drawn Montana backdrop.” (Booklist)

“La Seur entices readers with impeccable prose imbued with a blend of romance, nostalgia and suspense.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Powerfully evocative and page-turning.” (Rosamund Lupton, New York Times-bestselling author of SISTER and AFTERWARDS)

“Carrie La Seur’s debut is a gripping story of family, love and murder. Set against an indelibly drawn Montana landscape, The Home Place explores the intangible ways we are both defined by and in opposition to the people and places we call home.” (Tara Conklin, New York Times-bestselling author of The House Girl)

“It is always a treat when a talented writer chooses to write about her home, particularly when she does so with authority, clarity and imagination...The Home Place gives readers a stunning but frank look at what it means to be from Billings, Montana.” (BookPage)


Carrie La Seur

Carrie La Seur

Carrie La Seur’s critically acclaimed debut novel The Home Place (William Morrow 2014) won the High Plains Book Award, was short-listed for the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel, and was an IndieNext pick, a Library Journal pick, one of the Great Falls Tribune’s Top 10 Montana Books for 2014, and a Florida SunSentinel Best Crime Fiction pick for 2014. Carrie has completed the Iowa Writers’ Workshop Summer Session and the 2019 Tin House Novel Writing Workshop, and was a Susannah McCorkle Scholar at the 2016 Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Her writing appears in such diverse media as Daily Beast; Eyes on the International Criminal Court; Grist; the Guardian; Harvard Law and Policy Review; High Country News; Huffington Post; Iowa Farmer Today; Kenyon Review Online; Mother Jones; and Yale Journal of International Law. New poetry, a book review, and short fiction appeared recently in Inscape, Kenyon Review, Rappahannock Review, and more.
 
In 2017, La Seur published two short stories in anthologies. The first, “Bad Blood”, tells of unsettled business between white and Northern Cheyenne Montanans in Montana Noir. The second, “Colt the Bull-Riding Hasid”, is the story of an Orthodox Jew from Brooklyn who was born to be a cowboy, published in Sandstone, local writing in support of This House of Books, the Billings (MT) Bookstore Cooperative, of which La Seur is a co-founder. On 2018, William Morrow released La Seur’s second novel The Weight of An Infinite Sky, a family drama set in southern Montana and loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet and a finalist for the Reading the West award from the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association.

Carrie’s résumé includes a degree in English and French magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College, a Rhodes Scholarship, a doctorate in modern languages from Oxford University, and a Yale law degree. She has always been a writer. “The writing comes easily,” she says. “It’s what I’m always doing in the background, whatever else is going on. It’s my resting pulse rate to be scribbling what’s happening in my head. If I didn’t, I’d be wandering the streets talking to myself. Sometimes I do that anyway.”

In 2006, Carrie founded the legal nonprofit Plains Justice, which provides public interest energy and environmental legal services in the northern plains states and played a key role in halting several new coal plants, enacting clean energy reforms, and launching the Keystone XL pipeline campaign. “I’m still involved in Plains Justice, but I went back to private practice in 2012. Running a nonprofit takes a unique blend of selflessness and enough raging narcissism to think you really can change the world. The burnout rate is similar to that of telemarketers.”
Carrie lives in Montana, where her ancestors settled in 1864 and she hikes, skis, and fishes with her family.

http://carrielaseur.com/

"The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners: A 14-day Weight Loss Meal Plan With 50 Easy Recipes"--delicious diet focused around plant-based meals―with a side of sustainably sourced eggs, fish, or meat--vibrant flavors of fresh foods that will satisfy your hunger and leave you feeling more energized

Image result for The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners: A 14-day Weight Loss Meal Plan With 50 Easy Recipes
   
The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners: A 14-day Weight Loss Meal Plan With 50 Easy Recipes

Going Pegan―it’s good for you and good for the planet.

Do you love healthy dishes that feature organic whole foods? Looking to drop pounds and feel better while still loving mealtime? Then The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners is the perfect introduction to a new way of eating.

Ditch the refined and processed ingredients and reawaken your taste buds to the vibrant flavors of fresh foods that will satisfy your hunger and leave you feeling more energized. This total guide to Pegan dining makes it easy with a collection of great-tasting recipes, plus a handy meal plan to make sure you’re starting out on the right path.

The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners includes:
  • Pegan diet 101―Get the lowdown on this delicious diet focused around plant-based meals―with a side of sustainably sourced eggs, fish, or meat.
  • Starting made simple―A 14-day Pegan diet jump-start plan lets you dive right into a healthier lifestyle that will curb your cravings, regulate your appetite, and help you start losing weight.
  • 50 tasty recipes―Discover dishes for every meal, including naturally sweet desserts and snacks to satisfy late afternoon hunger pangs.
Eating for a better you and a better world―The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners shows you how.

MY REVIEW: "The Complete Pegan Diet for Beginners: A 14-day Weight Loss Meal Plan With 50 Easy Recipes" is an introduction to a new way of eating. What does the term "Pegan" mean? According to author Amelia Levin, "Pegan" stands for "Paleo + Vegan"--combining the best of both worlds to offer a diet much more balanced in flavor and nutrition. Eating the best possible foods for optimal health can also have a positive impact on emotional well-being, mental clarity and cognitive focus. Before making any major changes in dietary lifestyle, always check with your primary medical care provider to see what will work best for you. Included in the book are: "Pegan Diet Basics"; "Health Benefits of the Pegan Diet"; and "The 14-Day Pegan Jumpstart Plan". Here's a sampler of the delicious recipes: "Berry Power Smoothie"; "Veggie-Eggy Muffins"; "Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Bisque"; "Broccoli Salad with Red Onion and Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette"; "Brined Pork Chops with Caramelized Apple-Onion Relish"; "Cashew Chicken and Stir-Fried Vegetables"; "Shrimp Fried Rice"; "Crab Cakes with Creamy Citrus Slaw"; "Garlicky Green Beans"; "Garden Ratatouille"; "Coconut-Banana Ice Cream"; and "Lemon Tart with Nut Crust and Raspberry Sauce".

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers


Amelia Levin

Amelia Levin Food Writer

AMELIA LEVIN is an award-winning cookbook author, food industry writer, certified chef, recipe developer, and former news reporter and magazine editor. She is the author of multiple cookbooks, including Paleo for Every Day, and contributes regularly to a variety of food and restaurant industry magazines.
https://amelialevin.com/

"A Secret, A Safari, A Second Chance"--from author Liz Fielding--Single mom Eve Bliss wins a dream holiday on safari at a luxury resort built on the land her childhood home--Will the secret she carries lead to a second chance for love and happiness?

A Secret, a Safari, a Second Chance (Destination Brides Book 4)



A luxury escape…

A chance to reveal her baby bombshell!

In this Destination Brides story, a bid at a charity auction wins Eve Bliss a dream holiday on safari! As a penniless single mom, she’d be mad not to go, but she’s not expecting Kit Merchant to be there on business. She and Kit once shared a passionate moment. Now, together in beautiful Africa, how long can she keep her four-year-old secret… Kit has a daughter!

Destination Brides quartet

Book 1 — Summer Romance with the Tycoon

Book 2 — Swept Away by the Venetian Millionaire

Book 3 — One Night in Provence

Book 4 — A Secret, A Safari, A Second Chance

MY REVIEW: Readers can't help falling in love with the wonderful contemporary tales written by longtime fan-favorite author Liz Fielding. The characters are captivating--with a unique charm all their own. The story lines are involving, and the settings are detailed and atmospheric. "
A Secret, A Safari, A Second Chance" is an engaging reunion romance where the consequences of a single night's encounter will shape the destinies of a woman, a man, and a precious little girl. Years ago, Eve Bliss and Kit Merchant shared a brief moment pf passion, after which she had vanished. He had not known who she was, but, for more than one reason, she will never forget their night together. Life sent them on different paths, but Fate brings them back together in a most unexpected way. Struggling single mom Eve, wins a dream prize: an African safari which will take her from Nantucket back to the beloved land of her childhood. The unwanted complication: Kit, a dashing former yachtsman now working for his father's company, will also be on the journey. Kit sees through Eve's attempt to disguise herself, realizing she is the girl he knew only as "Red", and he allows her time to reveal her true identity. However, he is in for the shock of his life when he learns that he is the father of Eve's daughter, Hannah. Angry over being deprived of the first four years of his daughter's life, Kit is determined to make up for lost time. With only a brief acquaintance as a beginning, can he and Eve find happiness together with their child and build a happy life together as a family? Romance lovers will be charmed by this sweetly surprising romance by talented storyteller Liz Fielding.

Book Copy Gratis Author



“The most important thing I can tell you about this story is that it will grab your heart, squeeze it tightly, and then never let go. From the start, I fell in love.... I read this story in one sitting and it was just the entertainment I wanted….”

Goodreads on The Billionaire’s Convenient Bride

“I was deeply moved by the sincere characters and thought about them even after I closed the book. What really kept me turning the pages though were the deep emotions the author layered into the story. Overall, this is a wonderful and touching story. It is fast-paced, engaging and the perfect treat….”

Goodreads on Her Pregnancy Bombshell




Liz Fielding

 An image posted by the author.

Bestselling author Liz Fielding worked as a secretary in Africa and the Middle East before writing full time. Her books are published worldwide in multiple languages, she is two times winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award, winner of the UK's RoNA Rose and has more than 15 million books in print. Liz, an empty nester, lives in Wiltshire with her husband.

She is also one of the few British authors to listed on the RWA Honor Roll.


LIZ FIELDING SAYS:

"Hi, I'm Liz Fielding, and I'm a best selling contemporary romance author with more than 15 million books in print and Katie Fforde wrote, when honouring me with the Romantic Novelists' Association's Outstanding Achievement Award in 2019 said - "Liz Fielding's books, with their warmth, humour and emotion, have charmed millions of readers. She is a true star of the romantic fiction genre..."

Reading is a big part of my life. I love witty, contemporary romances, not too much sex,, Women's fiction by the likes of Fiona Harper, Julie Cohen, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie and Barbara O'Neal. And I love crime fiction that isn't too gory, or focussed on clue hunting, but is big on character.

My best loved series at the moment is The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch."

For news and excerpts of new releases, visit http://www.lizfielding.com


For a chance to win a signed book each month (plus other stuff) sign up for  newsletter at http://www.lizfielding.com 

"HEROES OF SHELTER CREEK"--author Claire McEwen's captivating contemporary western romance series--cowboys and their ladies dealing with life's unexpected twists and turns and finding new hopes for promising futures

After the Rodeo

After the Rodeo

 Her passion for her job…

…could cost him everything

Former rodeo champion Jace Hendricks has six weeks to turn his run-down ranch around or he could lose custody of his nieces and nephew. But biologist Vivian Reed has to survey his land first—and she won’t be rushed. Vivian’s optimism and wonder start to win over the kids…and even Jace. But with all that’s at stake, can he risk getting any more involved with Vivian?

MY REVIEW:  Author Claire McEwen returns readers to beautiful Northern California with "After the Rodeo", Book 2 in her contemporary western romance series, "Heroes of Shelter Creek". Jace Hendricks had spent a decade building a career on the rodeo circuit, and a winning streak had raised his hopes for a championship. His dreams were shattered by a phone call from Social Services advising him that his sister Brenda had been convicted of felony charges and was facing twenty years in prison. Jace's memories of a turbulent childhood and guilt over not staying in touch with his sister spurred him to give up the rodeo in order to take custody of Brenda's three children. With just enough money to buy a run-down ranch to make a home for himself and the children, he planned to raise cattle as a means of income to keep them all together. As if becoming an instant father--an unsettling occurrence for him and the children--was not enough, he also had to deal with a persistent social worker and a group of citizens devoted to wildlife protection. He had unknowingly bought land that was a prime elk habitat, and the fence he had built to keep cattle in would keep the elk out. Complicating matters even further is the arrival of biologist Vivian Reed, who must survey the property and assess the wildlife situation. Vivian, who is dealing with personal health issues and a heartache of her own, nonetheless has a caring persona which touches the heart of Jace and the children. With only a short time to make all matters right, can Jace and Vivian find a way to keep home and family together and look forward to a bright and happy future filled with love? "After the Rodeo" is a wonderfully-written story for lovers of contemporary western romance.

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Reunited with the Cowboy (Heroes of Shelter Creek #1)



She can save his ranch…

But can he forgive her?

Maya Burton knows she’s the last person rancher Caleb Dunne wants to see. After all, she survived the crash that killed his sister, and then left town. Now she has to convince the stubborn cowboy that she can help him save his ranch. But once she earns his trust—and his heart—will she be able to walk away?

MY REVIEW:  I have always loved westerns--when I was a little girl, my whole family watched the great TV westerns together--we were all fans. As I got older, I realized how appealing and romantic cowboys are--if you win the heart of a cowboy, you're a lucky woman indeed! Author Claire McEwen begins her "Heroes of Shelter Creek series: with "Reunited with the Cowboy"--a richly- detailed story with a beautiful setting and very appealing characters. After years spent in service in the Marines, Caleb Dunne returned home to the family ranch in Shelter Creek, California. Working hard to preserve the heritage of the ranch and secure its future, he must accept help from a an unexpected and unwanted source. Years ago. Maya Burton and Caleb Dunne were high-school sweethearts--very much in love--until the aftermath of a tragic accident drove them apart. Maya left the area after graduation and became a wildlife biologist. Coming home to Shelter Creek to visit her grandmother means coming face-to-face with Caleb--and facing the heartbreak of the past. Maya has the knowledge and training to help Caleb and other ranchers in the area, but will he open his heart, and his mind, and trust her to help him hold on to his family's legacy? After spending time again with Caleb, will Maya be able to walk away and return to the life she has created outside Shelter Creek? "Reunited with the Cowboy" is highly recommended for lovers of heartfelt contemporary western romance.

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Claire McEwen

Claire McEwen

Claire McEwen lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy, mischievous terrier. When not dreaming up new stories, she can be found digging in her garden with a lot of enthusiasm but, unfortunately, no green thumb. She loves discovering flea-market treasures, walking on the beach, dancing, traveling and reading, of course!