The Christmas Tree Keeper by Tamara Passey {Review}

The Christmas Tree Keeper by Tamara Passey

Paperback, 170 pages

Published November 20th 2014 by Winter Street Press 

My Rating: 4 Stars

 

 

Though Angela Donovan is out of work and needs money for rent, she yearns for her eight-year-old daughter to have a carefree holiday. The last thing she wants is the pressure of her daughter expecting a miracle. But when they pick out a Christmas tree at a cozy Massachusetts tree farm that’s exactly what happens when they learn the trees might be miracle trees.

Mark Shafer is soon to be the new keeper of the Christmas trees as owner of the family tree farm. He’d like to run it with a family of his own, but his girlfriend wants nothing to do with farm life. He makes plans to sell so he can propose to his girlfriend and pursue a career in music. Then he meets an unforgettable customer and her daughter, and an anonymous gift compels them to learn the truth about the trees.

With a buyer willing to pay top dollar for the land, Mark has the fate of the trees in his hand. Will he be able to see what and who is most important? And will Angela give the miracle of love a chance?

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Angela is down on her luck and is doing everything she can to make ends meet. Determined to keep a promise to her daughter, Caroline, she goes to a tree lot to purchase a Christmas tree and something magical happens. The salesman tells her the tree is a miracle tree. Mark, the future owner of the tree farm and grandson of the current owner, doesn't want the responsibility and wants to sell to buy his dream home, follow his musical dreams, and keep his soon-to-be fiancee happy. Miracles happen all around in this enchanting holiday story.

Two words describe Angela best--obstinate and proud. I've never seen such stubborn pride! She is beyond determined not to receive a handout, no matter how badly she needs one. Despite her pride, she grew on me and I found myself liking her. Little Caroline is so sweet, blunt, and adorable!

Mark has a lot to learn about life and I loved the way events occurred to help him along his journey. I love the way he found his faith in life, love, and dreams.

The way the pieces to the puzzle of this story fit together really is magical and so much fun. There is a vague mystery woven in, along with a sweet, very gentle romance. I enjoyed this one but would have loved an epilogue.

Content: a moment of peril; very mild romance. Clean!  

 

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Buy Links:

 

 

About the Author:

Tamara Passey, author of the The Christmas Tree Keeper: A Novel, was born and raised in Massachusetts around a large family, one that has served as inspiration for most of her writing. She was named Arizona Young Mother of the Year in 2013 and contributes marriage and family articles to FamilyShare.com. Mothering through the Whirlwind is her fist work of non-fiction. She loves most creative endeavors and when she isn't writing or re-writing, you can find her baking or cross-stitching or walking--though not all at the same time. She lives with her husband and three children in Arizona.

You can find her online and read her speech given at the AMI Convention at TamaraPassey.com

She also blogs at WhyIGetUp.blogspot.com and FivePagesOfSomething.blogspot.com 

 

Warming Hearts at Walmart Tour -- with author Catherine Lanigan {Spotlight and Giveaway}

On tour with Prism Book Tours.

I'm so lucky to be able to host Catherine Lanigan on this
Heartwarming New Year tour. I love these books and these
authors and know that many of my followers will too.
I'm so excited to be able to buy these clean books at Walmart!

Heartwarming Being in Walmart

To say I’m over the moon excited about our Heartwarming books being in Walmarts is an understatement. Thirty-five years ago, when I was living in big city, Houston, Walmarts were only found in small towns in the “Big Thicket” between Texas and Louisiana, my first books came out. I had no idea about how to sell a book, but my husband’s family at-the-time helped me arrange for a signing/giveaway in a Louisiana Walmart. The staff didn’t know what to do with me, so I stood near the door trying to talk to anyone who would listen about the book I’d just written. Over the years, there have been many Walmart participations and I’ve loved them all. The best part about our Heartwarming stories is that they are “safe” to recommend and buy for any family member, from granddaughter to great-grandmother. Our stories have depth, heart, emotion and the characters are so real, as a reader you feel you would “know” these people on sight. They are approachable enough to invite them over for a cup of coffee. Hang with. Share with. And that’s what ALL of Heartwarming is to me. We are a group of editors and authors who are already or are becoming friends. We share our lives, loves, frustrations and sorrows as well as joys. I believe in “happily ever after” and through Heartwarming and Walmart, we’re able to bring more of these moving stories to the people who have been searching for something touching and magical. 

— Catherine

Catherine Lanigan is the bestselling author of over thirty published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, as well as over half a dozen anthologies, including “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your Dream”, “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”, “Chocolate for a Woman’s Heart”, Chocolate for a Woman’s Spirit”. Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese. Ms. Lanigan’s novels are also available on audio-cassette, CD and on electronic format. A prolific writer, she is always writing wonderful stories. She has several titles only available in ebook format on Amazon.com Several of her titles have been chosen for The Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Her novel, The Christmas Star, won the Gold Medal Award Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine for December, 2002, and has also won Book of the Year Romance Gold Award from ForeWord Magazine as well as Book of the Year Romance from Reader’s Preference. In March, 2006 Divine Nudges: Tales of Angelic Intervention and the second in Lanigan’s Angel Watch series of books, was published by HCI, the Chicken Soup for the Soul publisher.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Pinterest

   

Tour Schedule

Check out these Heartwarming authors' own selfies...

January 3rd: Launch

January 4th: I Am A Reader - Amy Vastine

January 5th: Mel's Shelves - Anna J. Stewart

January 6th: deal sharing aunt - Cari Lynn Webb

January 7th: Reading Is My SuperPower - Carol Ross

January 8th: Katie's Clean Book Collection - Catherine Lanigan

January 10th: Babs Book Bistro - Leigh Riker

January 11th: Love, Laughter, Friendship - Melinda Curtis

January 12th: Heidi Reads... - Pamela Tracy

January 13th: Christian Chick's Thoughts - Rula Sinara

January 14th: Bookworm Lisa - Tara Taylor Quinn

January 15th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

15 - $10 Walmart Gift Cards

- Rules: To enter, take a selfie at a local Walmart with a Heartwarming book and post publicly on social media (can be your hands, your face, etc. with a Heartwarming book). Can enter once each day with a different picture each time. Those who post the same picture multiple times will be disqualified. Those who only post privately (so that it can't be viewed publicly) will also be disqualified.

- US Only

- Ends January 20th

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Release Celebration for Dark Deeds by Michelle Diener with Giveaway {Day 3}

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Welcome to the Release Celebration for

Dark Deeds

By Michelle Diener

Dark Deeds is book two in the Class 5 Series. If you missed Michelle's release­day message, go read it HERE and don't forget to grab your copy of Dark Horse, book one, while it's on SALE for 99¢! Come back on Friday, January 8th, HERE to read an excerpt. There's a fabulous Amazon eGift Card giveaway as well. Enjoy!

Inspiring Characters

A while ago, I was interviewed on whether I was more character focused or plot focused in my novels, and I said fifty­fifty, because while my books do tend to have big plots, the characters are always my inspiration for my stories.

In Dark Horse, which is the first book in my Class 5 series, Rose McKenzie, the heroine, jumped into my imagination and started the whole ball rolling. I couldn't get her or her adventures out of my head.

I think the idea of alien abduction fascinates us because we would be thrown into a completely new paradigm. While that would obviously not be easy, it also holds the promise of exploring an unknown world, and as humans, curiosity and a thirst for knowledge is what makes us tick, and the idea of every day being a new adventure is seductive.

Both Rose and Fiona, the heroine of the second book in the Class 5 series, which has just been released, are curious, intelligent and resilient, and those characteristics serve them well in the imaginary trouble I land them in. It wouldn't have worked if the characters had come to me a little whiny or too rigid in their ideas of the world.

However ambitious my plot, the characters have to be realistic and their reactions and emotions honest.

Sometimes that's a challenge, but one that I love.

To celebrate the release of Fiona's story, Dark Deeds, on January 4th, Dark Horse is on sale for 99c until January 9th, so you can get to know Rose McKenzie at a bargain price :)

— Michelle Diener

Dark Deeds

(Class 5 #2)

by Michelle Diener

Adult Sci­Fi

Paperback & ebook, 340 Pages

June 4th 2016

Far from home . . . 

Fiona Russell has been snatched from Earth, imprisoned and used as slave labor, but nothing about her abduction makes sense. When she's rescued by the Grih, she realizes there's a much bigger game in play than she could ever have imagined, and she's right in the middle of it.

Far from safe . . . 

Battleship captain Hal Vakeri is chasing down pirates when he stumbles across a woman abducted from Earth. She's the second one the Grih have found in two months, and her presence is potentially explosive in the Grih's ongoing negotiations with their enemies, the Tecran. The Tecran and the Grih are on the cusp of war, and Fiona might just tip the balance.

Far from done . . . 

Fiona has had to bide her time while she's been a prisoner, pretending to be less than she is, but when the chance comes for her to forge her own destiny in this new world she grabs it with both hands. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Amazon

Dark Horse

(Class 5 #1)
by Michelle Diener
Adult Sci­Fi

Paperback & ebook, 381 Pages
June 15th 2015

Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally­­a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse.

Amazon

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. Having worked in publishing and IT, she’s now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters and wondering which part of the world she can travel to next.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings. or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook.

Website ­ Goodreads ­ Facebook ­ Twitter

Release Celebration Giveaway

$50 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally
Ends January 10th

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Three Little Words by Jennie Hansen, K.C. Grant & Aubrey Mace {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

Three Little Words by Jennie Hansen, K.C. Grant, & Aubrey Mace

Paperback, 227 pages

Published January 1st 2016 by Covenant Communications Inc. 

Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4 Stars

The road to true love never did run smooth, but a few bumps along the way make it all the more thrilling. This timeless truth is showcased in Three Little Words, a charming compilation of short stories written by a trio of popular LDS romance novelists. Readers are invited to follow the journeys of three young women as they encounter love where they least expect it.

Rescuing Bailey by Jennie Hansen

For as long as she can remember, Bailey has loved the boy next door. But despite her feelings, his schedule and his little brother keep getting in the way. Will her childhood crush finally blossom into something real, or will she discover that true love is waiting just around the corner?

Three Little Words by K.C. Grant

The bet is simple: Elizabeth, a speech therapist, has three days to teach a country bumpkin with a drawl as thick as molasses how to speak like a gentleman. But as she gets to know her charming student, it soon becomes clear that there may be more to him than meets the ear.

A Crying Shame by Aubrey Mace

Cassidy is in love with the idea of love, though after her most recent breakup, the possibility of finding Mr. Right seems hopeless. But when she meets a handsome classmate in her painting class, she may end up learning more about chemistry than about art.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I love a good, clean romance and three novellas in one book is always a bonus! Novellas seem to be quite popular right now and they are a great way to get a quick fix in a short amount of time. Each story is unique with a common thread--love.  

With Rescuing Bailey, the reader is given a sweet "boy next door" kind of romance, with the story of an unrequited childhood love. Bailey has a knack for being so in love with the idea of being in love, that she sells herself short time and again. She's a girl with her head in the clouds, but is determined to prove herself as being the opposite.

Three Little Words is a fun story. Elizabeth's friends give her three days to prove that her speech skills can be taught to anyone and they've decided that Matt, a Texas hick, is her student. She tries hard to change him to help him be more successful in society, the workplace, etc. They're both fun characters and their encounters are entertaining.

In A Crying Shame, Cassidy is almost desperate at first. She wants love, but feels it's a hopeless cause for her. And the *surprise*! What a fun first meet! I loved this one and absolutely adored the characters. Cassidy has a great relationship with her best friend and the romance in this one is so swoony and sweet.

These are all great stories and a great way to start off the new year. I recommend this book to readers who love good, clean, romantic fun!

Content: mild romance (kissing); mild religious elements in the second story. Clean!

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Buy Links:

  

About the Authors:

Jennie Hansen graduated from Ricks College in Idaho, then Westminster College in Utah. She has been a freelance magazine writer, newspaper reporter, editor, and librarian.
Her published novels fall in several genre categories including romantic suspense, historical, and westerns.

She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and has lived in Idaho, Montana, and Utah. She has received numerous first and second place writing awards from the Utah and National Federation of Press Women and was the 1997 third place winner of the URWA Heart of the West Writers Contest. She also was a recipient of the Whitney Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for 2008. She currently writes a weeky review column for Meridian Magazine.

Jennie has been active in community affairs. In addition to ward and stake responsibilities in the LDS church, she served a term on the Kearns Town Council, two terms on the Salt Palace Advisory Board, was a page for the Utah State Legislature for two sessions, and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services.

Jennie and her husband live in Utah. Their five children are all married and have provided them with thirteen grandchildren. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, gardening, and camping.

Goodreads - Amazon

Kim [K.C. Grant] was born in rural Idaho, but has made Utah her home for most of her life. After serving an LDS Spanish-speaking mission to Anaheim, California, USA, she returned and continued her studies at Weber State University, participating in a study abroad program that allowed her to study at the Centro Mexicano Internacional in Michoacan, Mexico. She has been a freelance writer for eight years. Much of her work appears in family-oriented magazines such as LDSLiving, the Washington Family, Back Home, Parents & Kids, and Natural Life. She was the president of the Bountiful chapter of the League of Utah Writers for three years and is a member of the Association for Mormon Letters and LDSStorymakers. Though raising her children is still her most important task, she combines it with the demanding job of working out the numerous plots she has for future novels. She and her husband of twenty-one years love to travel and scout out new settings for books. While ancient Mexico was the setting for her first published novel, "Abish: Daughter of God," which was released by Covenant in 2010 and its sequel, "Abish: Mother of Faith," released March 2011--modern Mexico was perfect for her suspense novel titled, "Venom," which was released January 2012. Other publications include two short stories published in Covenant's seasonal compilations. and a future romance compilation titled, Three Little Words, to be released in 2015.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter

Aubrey Mace lives in Sandy, Utah. She attended LDS Business College and Utah State University. When she is not writing, she enjoys cooking, traveling, gardening, playing the cello (badly), and spending time with her family and psychotic cat.

Website - Goodreads

- See more at: http://www.wishfulendings.com/2016/01/three-little-words-by-jennie-hansen-kc.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TressasWishfulEndings+%28Wishful+Endings%29#sthash.asRPqti6.dpuf

Jennie Hansen graduated from Ricks College in Idaho, then Westminster College in Utah. She has been a freelance magazine writer, newspaper reporter, editor, and librarian.
Her published novels fall in several genre categories including romantic suspense, historical, and westerns.

She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and has lived in Idaho, Montana, and Utah. She has received numerous first and second place writing awards from the Utah and National Federation of Press Women and was the 1997 third place winner of the URWA Heart of the West Writers Contest. She also was a recipient of the Whitney Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for 2008. She currently writes a weeky review column for Meridian Magazine.

Jennie has been active in community affairs. In addition to ward and stake responsibilities in the LDS church, she served a term on the Kearns Town Council, two terms on the Salt Palace Advisory Board, was a page for the Utah State Legislature for two sessions, and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services.

Jennie and her husband live in Utah. Their five children are all married and have provided them with thirteen grandchildren. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, gardening, and camping.

Goodreads - Amazon

- See more at: http://www.wishfulendings.com/2016/01/three-little-words-by-jennie-hansen-kc.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TressasWishfulEndings+%28Wishful+Endings%29#sthash.asRPqti6.dpuf

Jennie Hansen graduated from Ricks College in Idaho, then Westminster College in Utah. She has been a freelance magazine writer, newspaper reporter, editor, and librarian.
Her published novels fall in several genre categories including romantic suspense, historical, and westerns.

She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and has lived in Idaho, Montana, and Utah. She has received numerous first and second place writing awards from the Utah and National Federation of Press Women and was the 1997 third place winner of the URWA Heart of the West Writers Contest. She also was a recipient of the Whitney Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for 2008. She currently writes a weeky review column for Meridian Magazine.

Jennie has been active in community affairs. In addition to ward and stake responsibilities in the LDS church, she served a term on the Kearns Town Council, two terms on the Salt Palace Advisory Board, was a page for the Utah State Legislature for two sessions, and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services.

Jennie and her husband live in Utah. Their five children are all married and have provided them with thirteen grandchildren. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, gardening, and camping.

Goodreads - Amazon

Kim [K.C. Grant] was born in rural Idaho, but has made Utah her home for most of her life. After serving an LDS Spanish-speaking mission to Anaheim, California, USA, she returned and continued her studies at Weber State University, participating in a study abroad program that allowed her to study at the Centro Mexicano Internacional in Michoacan, Mexico. She has been a freelance writer for eight years. Much of her work appears in family-oriented magazines such as LDSLiving, the Washington Family, Back Home, Parents & Kids, and Natural Life. She was the president of the Bountiful chapter of the League of Utah Writers for three years and is a member of the Association for Mormon Letters and LDSStorymakers. Though raising her children is still her most important task, she combines it with the demanding job of working out the numerous plots she has for future novels. She and her husband of twenty-one years love to travel and scout out new settings for books. While ancient Mexico was the setting for her first published novel, "Abish: Daughter of God," which was released by Covenant in 2010 and its sequel, "Abish: Mother of Faith," released March 2011--modern Mexico was perfect for her suspense novel titled, "Venom," which was released January 2012. Other publications include two short stories published in Covenant's seasonal compilations. and a future romance compilation titled, Three Little Words, to be released in 2015.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter

Aubrey Mace lives in Sandy, Utah. She attended LDS Business College and Utah State University. When she is not writing, she enjoys cooking, traveling, gardening, playing the cello (badly), and spending time with her family and psychotic cat.

Website - Goodreads

Giveaway:

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Follow the Tour:

Jan. 4th: 

http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/,  

http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/,  

https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, 

http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/ 

Jan. 5th: 

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/,  

http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, 

http://www.iamareader.com/, 

http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/

Jan. 6th: 

http://mybookaday.blogspot.com, 

http://fireandicereads.com/, 

http://www.wishfulendings.com/

Jan. 7th:  

http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/,  

http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/,  

http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/

Jan. 8th:  

http://littlelightdesigncollective.com/, 

http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html,  

http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/,  

http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/,  

http://thethingsilovemost.com/,  

http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/

  

Santa Fe Sunrise by Tanya Stowe {Review and Giveaway}

 

Brett Fraser has quit his job, loaded his earthly possessions into his black sports car and headed out to find himself in the great Southwest. Somewhere on his successful climb up the corporate ladder, he lost sight of the man God intended him to be. But Brett intends to find himself again. Rafaela De Silva has an art gallery to run, a sprawling piece of family property with back taxes due, and a younger sister to care for who suffers from anorexia. She doesn't have time for broken shoe laces, sprained ankles or tumbling into the arms of a handsome stranger, especially one whose past involves scandal. Brett's determined to help the beautiful runner he rescues from a fall. After examining the smooth edges of her broken shoelace, he's convinced her accident wasn't accidental. But if he's going to help her, he'll have to convince her to trust him--a difficult task given his past. Under the sun-kissed skies of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Brett must rediscover his purpose in life before he loses Rafaela forever. Who is trying to harm Rafaela? Will she live long enough for Brett to win her heart?

 

Novelist Tanya Stowe has had eclectic career. Working as a freelance writer, her profiles have featured celebrities such as Fabio and New York Times Bestselling authors LaVyrle Spencer, Shirlee Busbee, and Heather Graham. Tanya wrote grants, participated in a collection of women’s survival stories and collaborated on a full length Christmas musical.  She also worked as a marketing assistant, and an event coordinator doing a stint with the American Cancer Society. Website, Facebook, Blog

 

Ms. Stowe has a very good descriptive voice, especially of the settings. I could vividly picture the scenes in my mind and loved the imagery. Rafaela has a heavy load on her shoulders. Running an art gallery, caring for her family, and trying to keep the bills paid isn't easy. Her younger sister has an eating disorder, which adds to the burden. An accident leads to a chance meeting with stranger, Brett--a man who has left his job in order to find himself again.

Rafaela is a very responsible character, as is Brett, and their connection is fun, but at times a little stilted. Rafaela quickly develops strong feelings for Brett, but after only two weeks, is able to read him quite well, which felt unnatural. In fact, Brett has similar feelings, but they both come across to each other as being uncommitted. I wanted there to be more to the relationship and wanted to see it develop, rather than be told. Reactions were very impulsive and shallow, compared to the supposed depth of their feelings.

The suspenseful angle is interesting. Someone is trying to ruin Rafaela and her business and I enjoyed seeing things play out, while trying to guess who and why. Another interesting twist was to see God and religion play such an important role in this romantic suspense, but for these characters and their situations, it worked.

Content: moderate religious elements; mild violence/suspense; mild romance. Clean.

*I was given a copy through Singing Librarian Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January 4--Puddletown Reviews

January 5--Toni Shiloh Prayerfully-Lifted Romance
January 6--Mel's Shelves | Singing Librarian Books
January 7--Katie's Clean Book Collection
January 8--The Power of Words | Captive Dreams Window
​January 9--Crystal's Chaotic Confessions | Just Commonly

If you are interested in becoming a Singing Librarian Books tour participant, apply HERE.

  

The Perfect Kiss (Kissed by the Bay #2) by Susan Hatler {Review}

The Perfect Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 2) by Susan Hatler

Kindle Edition, 145 pages

Published November 27th 2015 by Hatco Publishing 

Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 5 Stars

 

 

Olivia Lane wants to become the premiere event planner for Blue Moon Bay’s rich and famous. But first she has to impress Greta von Strand—millionaire and bestselling author of Men: Who Needs Them?—by pulling off a two-week luxury getaway for women. The retreat’s all about getting women to embrace their independence by nurturing themselves and each other, and Olivia, who’s never been lucky-in-love herself, is looking forward to it.

The retreat and Olivia’s goals hit a roadblock, however, when sweet-talking firefighter, Brody Mitchell, and his smoking hot friends take up residence at the mansion next door. Now, she must successfully keep Greta and the other women away from their male neighbors, fight her attraction to Brody, and pull off the retreat of a lifetime in one fell swoop.

It’s a battle of the sexes she’s determined to win, otherwise she could lose everything—including her heart.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

I honestly couldn't read this one fast enough. Olivia is trying to branch out and become an event planner and has her chance to prove herself with a two week getaway for women. After a terrible breakup, Olivia read bestseller Men: Who Needs Them? and has convinced the author, Greta, to do a retreat for women in similar situations to learn to become independent of men. Things start off rocky when Brody and his friends are found staying in the mansion next door and seem to be everywhere the women are. Olivia will do whatever it takes to make a name for herself and get her business off the ground...even if it means losing a chance on love.

 

Olivia has struggled with making decisions in the past, but is now ready to move forward with her future and is making chances to get herself to where she wants to be. I like how determined and motivated she is. I really like her as a character, as well. She's fun, organized, creative, and human. Brody is a great guy! He's persistent and patience. I love their interactions, misunderstandings, and flirty banter. There are some great secondary characters too, some of which we've met before. The successes and mishaps really added to the fun.

 

I really look forward to each new book, wondering which characters will pop up and how their stories will be told. This is a fun addition and I loved the way it all played out. I love the legend associated with this town. This one is a fun, clean, contemporary romance!

 

Content: mild romance (kissing); mild language. Clean!

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Buy Links:

 

 

About the Author:

SUSAN HATLER is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan's books have been translated into German, Spanish, French, and Italian. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.

You can reach Susan here:

Facebook: facebook.com/authorsusanhatler
Twitter: twitter.com/susanhatler
Website: http://www.susanhatler.com
Blog: susanhatler.com/category/susans-blog   

 

Release Celebration for Dark Deeds by Michelle Diener with Giveaway {Day 2}

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Welcome to the Release Celebration for

Dark Deeds

By Michelle Diener

Dark Deeds is book two in the Class 5 Series. If you missed Michelle's release-day message, go read it HERE and don't forget to grab your copy of Dark Horse, book one, while it's on SALE for 99¢! Come back on Friday, January 8th, HERE to read an excerpt. There's a fabulous Amazon eGift Card giveaway as well. Enjoy!

Inspiring Characters

A while ago, I was interviewed on whether I was more character focused or plot focused in my novels, and I said fifty-fifty, because while my books do tend to have big plots, the characters are always my inspiration for my stories.

In Dark Horse, which is the first book in my Class 5 series, Rose McKenzie, the heroine, jumped into my imagination and started the whole ball rolling. I couldn't get her or her adventures out of my head.

I think the idea of alien abduction fascinates us because we would be thrown into a completely new paradigm. While that would obviously not be easy, it also holds the promise of exploring an unknown world, and as humans, curiosity and a thirst for knowledge is what makes us tick, and the idea of every day being a new adventure is seductive.

Both Rose and Fiona, the heroine of the second book in the Class 5 series, which has just been released, are curious, intelligent and resilient, and those characteristics serve them well in the imaginary trouble I land them in. It wouldn't have worked if the characters had come to me a little whiny or too rigid in their ideas of the world.

However ambitious my plot, the characters have to be realistic and their reactions and emotions honest.

Sometimes that's a challenge, but one that I love.

To celebrate the release of Fiona's story, Dark Deeds, on January 4th, Dark Horse is on sale for 99c until January 9th, so you can get to know Rose McKenzie at a bargain price :)

— Michelle Diener

Dark Deeds

(Class 5 #2)

by Michelle Diener

Adult Sci-Fi

Paperback & ebook, 340 Pages

June 4th 2016

Far from home . . . 

Fiona Russell has been snatched from Earth, imprisoned and used as slave labor, but nothing about her abduction makes sense. When she's rescued by the Grih, she realizes there's a much bigger game in play than she could ever have imagined, and she's right in the middle of it.

Far from safe . . . 

Battleship captain Hal Vakeri is chasing down pirates when he stumbles across a woman abducted from Earth. She's the second one the Grih have found in two months, and her presence is potentially explosive in the Grih's ongoing negotiations with their enemies, the Tecran. The Tecran and the Grih are on the cusp of war, and Fiona might just tip the balance.

Far from done . . . 

Fiona has had to bide her time while she's been a prisoner, pretending to be less than she is, but when the chance comes for her to forge her own destiny in this new world she grabs it with both hands. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Amazon

Dark Horse

(Class 5 #1)
by Michelle Diener
Adult Sci-Fi

Paperback & ebook, 381 Pages
June 15th 2015

Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally--a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse.

Amazon

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. Having worked in publishing and IT, she’s now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters and wondering which part of the world she can travel to next.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings. or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter

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