Hiding in the Pages

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Cover Reveal for Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

Cover Reveal for VEINS OF GOLD by Charlie N. Holmberg

Release date: July 17, 2018

A new historical fantasy novel from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg:

VEINS OF GOLD

Desperate to save her siblings from poverty, a young woman discovers magic fueled by gold . . . and a love for the man who wields it.

Abandoned by their father for the gold rush, Gentry and her siblings labor to survive alone in the inhospitable west. When bizarre natural disasters begin wreaking havoc on the land, Gentry discovers a world of magic. Desperate for help, she accepts aid from a mysterious stranger.

Winn not only sees the magic, but controls its hunger by feeding it gold—the very thing Gentry’s father left to acquire. But the earth’s unrest only grows worse, and Gentry’s fear leads her to a terrible choice: marry a wealthy man she does not love, or trust in Winn’s unpredictable power to save her family.

Other Books by Charlie N. Holmberg:

The Paper Magician
The Glass Magician
The Master Magician
The Plastic Magician
Followed by Frost
Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet
The Fifth Doll

About the Author:

Charlie Nicholes Holmberg was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to two parents who sacrificed a great deal to give their very lazy daughter a good education. As a result, Charlie learned to hate uniforms, memorized all English prepositions in alphabetical order, and mastered the art of Reed-Kellogg diagramming a sentence at age seven. She entered several writing contests in her elementary years and never placed.

Being a nerd, Charlie started writing fan-fiction as a teenager in between episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She became a full-fledged band geek with mediocre talent in high school, where she met her husband Jordan Holmberg. While she strove to win his attention by baking him cookies and throwing ramen noodles at his house, he didn't actually ask her out until six years later.

Charlie began taking writing seriously during her undergrad at Brigham Young University, where she majored in English and minored in editing. She finally won a few writing contests. She graduated with her BA in 2010 and got hitched three months later. Shortly afterwards, her darling husband dragged her to Moscow, Idaho, where he subsequently impregnated her.

In summer 2013, after collecting many rejection letters and making a quilt out of them, Charlie sold her ninth novel, The Paper Magician, and its sequel to 47North with the help of her wonderful agent, Marlene Stringer. Someday she will own a dog.

(Did she mention her third book, The Master Magician, totally made the WSJ bestseller list? Because it totally made the WSJ bestseller list.)

Charlie is also a board member for the Deep Magic ezine of science fiction and fantasy. Learn more at deepmagic.co.

Monday, January 15, 2018

The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel {Review}

The Sidelined Wife (More Than a Wife #1)
by Jennifer Peel

She’s getting back in the game, one blog post at a time.
Samantha Higgins never thought driving her husband’s car would forever change her life. But one conversation later, heard through his Bluetooth, and Samantha is changing her last name. While trying to figure out who Samantha Decker is, she writes what she thinks is one final post on her blog, announcing her divorce. When the post goes viral, she finds herself with a new title, The Sidelined Wife, and an unbelievable following.

To make matters more interesting, her younger brother’s best friend, Reed Cassidy, who was a thorn in Samantha’s adolescent side, moves back to town as the new head football coach for her son’s high school team. Unbeknownst to Samantha, Reed has harbored a crush for his old babysitter all these years. But, Samantha isn’t keen on dating anyone, much less a younger man that used to booby trap her bedroom with firecrackers.

While Samantha is doing her best to learn and even make up some of the rules of single life and being a semi-celebrity, Reed comes in and changes the game. Now Samantha must decide if she should get back on the field or if she prefers the sidelines.

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My Review: 5 Stars

I'm in love and I don't care who knows it! I absolutely LOVED Sam and her story! I adore the way Sam is able to use a bit of humor and words to soften her pain and in doing so, support a lot of other women who have gone through something similar. She is a character who isn't going to back down from her choices, even when it might be easier to do so, but is going to stay strong and create a new path for herself and her son. There were some situations that Sam found herself in that would have made me wither and die, but no. She rises up in the face of pain. I love how she finds who she really is.

Sam's relationships are truly what captured my heart in this book. She is so close with those who mean the world to her, even when the ties could be cut, and they're not all selfish relationships. She gives as much as she takes and I honestly felt like I was one of her closest friends. I want to be her best friend! Her family is hilarious and her Mimsy had me rolling on the floor.

As for the romance? This one is a slow burn and that right there, grabbed me. She has a lot of doubts and insecurities, but the chemistry is present and smoldering. There's no rebound relationships for her and I fell for another book boyfriend, right along with Sam. Who could resist the charm and sweetness of Reed?! He is perfection and his ideas of showing her how he feels, especially in the grocery store, set the butterflies a-fluttering.

I could NOT put this book down and had a lump in my throat when all was said and done. Although I was completely satisfied, I need more; I'm not ready to let go of these people yet and it sounds like I won't have to (hint: Book 1). I'm seriously wondering if Jennifer Peel is magic because I feel this way about every single book she writes--I emotionally connect and I do NOT want to let go.

Content: mild language; mild-moderate romance (kissing; talk of infidelity; innuendo; sex talk, but nothing at all graphic).

*I received a copy, which had no influence on my thoughts. All opinions are my own.*

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Buy Link:

Bargaining with the Boss by Jennifer Shirk {Review}

Bargaining with the Boss by Jennifer Shirk

Kindle Edition, 172 pages

Publication: January 15th 2018 by Entangled: Bliss

Kinsley just wanted to have some fun for a change. Then she wakes up in a stranger's bed, with her bridesmaid dress on backward and a hazy memory of what happened at her friend's wedding. With a quick escape, she can get back to her predictable life. But then she meets her new boss—the same guy she'd woken up next to—and seeing him with a clear head doesn't make him any less attractive.

Mixing business with pleasure has never been Damon's style, and easily avoided, but the hotel he just bought comes with an unexpected perk—its manager. "Sensible" Kinsley today is as alluring as "impulsive" Kinsley was the night before, and she talks him into a deal. If she can turn around the hotel by the end of summer, he won't tear it down to put up more profitable condominiums.

Their plan is simple…until falling for each other becomes more than they bargained for.

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My Review: 4 Stars

I know I'm probably in the minority, but this is exactly one reason why I don't drink--I don't want to wake up, not knowing if I did something dumb or not, haha. Kinsley throws caution to the wind at a friend's wedding, trying to get over her ex fiance, and finds herself in that situation--what a nightmare, but sooo hilarious.

I don't think people should change to fit the ideal mold of someone else and that's what caused Kinsley's breakup. And it leaves her with a lack of self confidence. I loved watching her work to regain her identity and become who she truly is--a kind and genuine person. Of course, Damon is a part of that journey and he has his own demons to overcome and stand up to.

There is some snappy chemistry going on in this small, charming, old-fashioned town and it really makes me want to visit a place like this, where magic seems to drift through the air.

For my squeaky clean reading friends, you can obviously tell from the description that it isn't squeaky, but it is still clean and so much fun. I was laughing at times, blushing at others, and swooning throughout.

Content: mild-moderate romance (kissing, innuendo, talk of sex--nothing graphic at all); a handful of scattered mild-moderate language

*I received a copy through Netgalley, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions*

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Buy Link:

About the Author:

Jennifer Shirk is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Montlake Romance and Entangled Publishing. Her novel, FIANCE BY FATE—a 2015 Readers' Crown Finalist—became an Amazon #1 best seller for Series Romance. And recently, Wrong Brother, Right Match, WON the
Sweet Traditional category of the 2017 Golden Quill Contest and became a #1 Amazon bestseller for Holiday Romance.
She resides in a beach resort in NJ, so when she's not writing or working on her tan, she's taking care of her most treasured possessions: her husband, daughter and puppy (Sox).

Check out her website for News and Links: www.jennifershirk.com

Feel free to friend her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferShirkBooks

And don't forget to join her mailing list for a chance to win monthly giveaways and free ARCs: eepurl.com/Q6TH1

Happily Ever After: A Timeless Romance Anthology {Review}

Happily Ever After (A Timeless Romance Anthology)

Kindle Edition

Published October 24th 2017 by Mirror Press

Six brand new fairy tale romance novellas by New York Times bestseller Jessica Day George, and bestselling authors Julie Wright, Sarah M. Eden, Julie Daines, Heather B. Moore, and Annette Lyon.

MAIL-ORDER PRINCESS by Jessica Day George: Elise flees her small kingdom and arrives in the New World with only her two trunks and seven swans—her seven brothers to be exact. But Elise will do anything to get her brothers away from their cruel stepmother’s curse, even if it means accepting the long-distance marriage proposal to a former count turned farmer.

THE MILLER’S DAUGHTER by Julie Wright: When Isa meets Thomas Rumple, she is quickly infatuated with his good looks and natural charm, until she learns his true identity. Due to a wild claim by her insufferable father, Isa’s life is threatened by the king if she can’t spin a room full of straw into gold, and Thomas may be the only one who can save her.

THE PEBBLED PATH by Sarah M. Eden: Deep in the heart of a mysterious forest, Gretel trades her freedom to save her beloved father from the spell of an evil enchantress. Even attempting to escape would cost her father his life. Gretel’s determination to fulfill her promise wavers when she meets Hansel, a young man who captures her heart. For, she loves him too dearly to put his life in danger, and he loves her too much to simply leave her to her fate.

BLACK FERN by Julie Daines: Rós is desperate to find work in order to care for her ailing father and younger sisters. She applies to the mysterious owner of a crumbling castle and is soon swept up in dark secrets. Unsure if the owner of the castle is man or beast, Rós determines to help him at all cost. She soon discovers that the cost may be too great, even for her.

SCARLET by Heather B. Moore: When Scarlet needs to fetch a healing tonic on the night when the wolves are at their most dangerous, she has no choice but to apply to her nemesis, August, for help. He agrees to help her, but they encounter a pack of wolves that put up a fierce fight, marking Scarlet as their newly targeted prey.

SO RARE A POWER by Annette Lyon: Stella knows she’s taking a risk each time she meets Patrick in the rose garden that they’ve cultivated together. And no matter how much her mother will disapprove of their relationship, Stella can’t deny her feelings for him. When the Snow Queen steals away Patrick to drain him of his powers of creating beauty and life, Stella must decide what she’s willing to risk to rescue him.

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My Review: 4 Stars

I love a good fairy tale and this collection really delivered some fun twists on favorite classics. I also love to see what spins will add a little something new and it's interesting to see how those twists were cleverly woven into the tale. This collection gives variations on: The Wild Swans, Rumplestiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Snow Queen.

A fairy tale doesn't have to be really long to feel complete, which is what really makes this a good fit for the Timeless Romance Anthologies. I thought each story was a perfect length and each can be read in a sitting here and there, to be savored over time.

I really enjoyed them all, but I especially loved Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood), as it was very creepy, yet very romantic, and Black Fern (Beauty and the Beast). Don't miss this collection if you love fairy tales as much as I do!

Content: mild violence; mild romance

*I received a copy, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions, which are my own.*

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Buy Link:

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Author's Corner #13

Welcome to Author's Corner hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month we will feature either a favorite author or new to us author. We will share the author's bio, one of our favorite books of theirs and a review. Each of us will be featuring a different author each month so there will also be links to each of our posts.

For this month's Author's Corner I am going to choose...

Robin Daniels

I'm not one of those people who always dreamed of being a novelist. I'm a reader. Sometimes to the extent that nothing else gets accomplished while I'm in the middle of a book. Not cleaning, not making dinner, not even bathing...

But this past year I decided to write a book, and it turns out, I really enjoy writing. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that I'd have multiple published books. But I can now count myself among the population of people that say they write books for a living. MIND. BLOWN!

I'm basically a sixteen year old trapped in an adult's body, which is why I still enjoy reading teen and young adult novels. That's also why it seems fitting that I write in the teen and young adult genre and probably always will. I have an awesome husband, five cute kids, an amazing extended family and lots of blessings. I love to read, redecorate my house, coach and play volleyball and drink Diet Coke by the bucket.

If you'd like to connect with me on social media you can find me on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/robindanielsbooks/
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/RobinDanielsWriter/
Twitter at https://twitter.com/RobinD_writer
My Website at https://www.robinsbooksandblogs.com/

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Robin Daniels is a newer-to-me author,

but I adore the way she tells a YA story

and really throws me back to my past.

Check out her first book

and then be sure to read the others!

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Be sure to stop by

KJ's Book Nook

and

Bookworm Nation

to see one of their favorite authors.

Who do you enjoy reading books by?

Friday, January 12, 2018

The Earl's Honorable Intentions by Deborah Hale {Spotlight}

The Earl's Honorable Intentions

by Deborah Hale

ebook 210 pages

Published: January 12, 2018

Left wounded in body and spirit after the Battle of Waterloo, Colonel Gavin Romney vows he will return to arms and make certain Napoleon Bonaparte never wages war again. The only thing standing in his way is Hannah Fletcher, his children’s formidable governess. Clever, capable Hannah cannot bear the thought of her three motherless charges being orphaned entirely, as she once was. She wants Gavin to give up his military career, the only thing he’s ever been good at, and focus instead on the daunting task of becoming a devoted father.

Though the earl and the governess have never much liked one another, Hannah nurses Gavin back to health and supports his first tentative efforts to bond with his children. As they become better acquainted, her feelings for him begin to change in ways that threaten her heart and her conscience. Meanwhile Gavin fears his growing affection for his children, and their governess, could lead him to forget his duty. When he offers an impulsive proposal, will it only be a marriage of convenience for the sake of his children, as Hannah fears? Or can a wounded warrior become her knight in shining armor?

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Heart of the West by Carolyn Twede Frank {Blog Tour Review + Giveaway}

Heart of the West by Carolyn Twede Frank

Kindle Edition, 224 pages

Published January 1st 2018 by Covenant Communications

Independent-minded women are considered highly unsuitable in Kate Donahue’s wealthy Long Island society. Yes, Kate would lead a proper life should she marry, but her dream of practicing medicine would surely be thwarted by her domineering fiancé. To follow her dream, she must take dramatic measures. So when she reads a newspaper ad seeking a qualified small-town physician, Kate embarks on a new life in the Wild West.

Upon her arrival in the rugged settlement of Craig, Colorado, Kate is disappointed to discover that even in the West, no one wants a woman doctor. As she struggles to establish her practice, she is kept busy fending off the unwanted attentions of a local rancher, a man unnervingly reminiscent of the ex-fiancé she left behind in New York. Romantic entanglements are the last thing on Kate’s mind. That is, until she meets Lucas McCurdy, an Irish immigrant with whom she feels an undeniable connection. But when their relationship inflames a dangerous land battle, Kate and Lucas find themselves defenseless in a lawless town—a perilous position that may cost them everything.

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My Review: 4 Stars

I love reading a story about a woman paving the way for others in history. Kate is passionate about practicing as a doctor, even if it means leaving her family to do so and heading out west to a tiny little Western town in Colorado.

Kate's fortitude and determination really brought her to life, especially through the events she had to endure. and it's no secret--she's a big advocate for the underdog, which delivered a whole slew of trouble to her doorstep. I admired her character, wondering if I would have possessed her qualities if I were in a similar situation. I'm a scaredy cat, so I don't know, but I would like to think that I could step up as she did.

One of the things that endeared me to this book the most was the unlikely friendships that formed. I love it when people can rally together in tough times and when others can overlook preconceived notions and judgments to find the heart of a person.

Of course, I'm always a huge fan of romance and this one is gentle and sweet--a perfect contrast to the wild roughness of the setting of the book--and I love what a little love can do to hopeless situations.

Content: mild romance (mild kissing); mild violence

*I received a copy, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions.*

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