WELCOME BACK SUSAN MALLERY

SUSAN MALLERY

With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” Susan grew up in southern California and currently lives in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived.
Connect with Susan at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery invites you to taste the local cuisine of her beloved fictional town and share in a year’s worth of deliciously seasonal recipes.

Fool’s Gold is known as the Land of Happy Endings, but it’s also the land of hearty appetites. Throughout the series, the residents of Fool’s Gold have found joy, comfort and good times through food. Now two local Fool’s Gold chefs will also find love through food! Join them as they flirt, fight and fall in love, one season at a time.

You’ll also find favorite recipes from popular characters in the series, such as:

Heidi’s Arugula, Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese.

Liz’s Spaghetti for the Girls.

Denise’s Summer Berry Pie.

With chapters for summer, spring, fall and winter, you can find the perfect recipe for everything from holiday get-togethers to cozy date nights, always using the freshest ingredients. And the heartwarming love story that is woven throughout is Susan Mallery at her finest.

The more than 150 recipes and dozens of gorgeous photographs in this book will inspire you to find perfection in the simple and the seasonal. And with all of Fool’s Gold with you in the kitchen, your every celebration will have a happy ending!

Watch the video for Susan’s recipe:   

Flank Steak and Balsalmic Spinach Salad

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: romance, cookbook
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication date: 8/27/2013
ISBN-13: 9780373892815

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO AMY AT McALLISTER PR,
I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. and CANADA RESIDENTS

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS SEPTEMBER 19th AT 6PM EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

WELCOME BACK SUSAN MALLERY

SUSAN MALLERY

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author SUSAN MALLERY is known for emotionally complex stories told with charm and wit. With a keen eye for human nature, she breathes life into characters on the page and was recently honored with a prestigious National Readers’ Choice Award. Susan has lived all over the United States, including a childhood in the suburbs of Los Angeles, graduate school in the hills of Pennsylvania and several years in Texas. These days, she makes her home in Seattle, Washington. She’s there for the coffee, not the weather.
Connect with Susan at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

To keep his mother off his back, Ford convinces Isabel to pretend to be his girlfriend until she leaves for New York. Even though it’s hard for him to keep his hands off the formerly scrawny kid who’s grown up in all the right ways, Ford is determined to protect the emotionally fragile girl whose treasured letters kept him sane during his service.

Every kiss and touch, however, has Ford and Isabel wondering how pretend this fake relationship actually is. She’s stirring up emotions in Ford that no one ever has before, while Ford is making Isabel think twice about her plans to leave town. Despite their doubts, Ford and Isabel believe nothing can sway them—not even three little words….

BOOK DETAILS:

Published by: Harlequin
Publication Date: August 2013
Number of Pages: 384 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-77778-5

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO ALISSA AT MEDIA MUSCLE/THE BOOK TRIB,
I HAVE ONE (1) FOOLPROOF BRIDAL KIT TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS AUGUST 22nd AT 6PM EST

The Susan Mallery Foolproof Bridal Kit includes, valued @ $40.00+:

• A wedding-themed bottle of OPI nail polish
• Not Your Mother’s® Rise & Shine™ Silky Smooth Shine Mist
• Manicure set (includes emery board, small and large nail clippers, tweezers, cuticle stick and nail polish remover pad)
• Heart-shaped compact mirror
• 12-piece E.L.F. eye shadow kit
• Travel makeup brush set
• Makeup remover wipes
• Lip gloss
• Travel sewing kit
• Kleenex®
• Secret® deodorant
• Razor and Gillette® Shave Gel
• Nivea Creme
• Wisps toothbrushes
• TRESemmé® hairspray

Follow Susan’s Tour on The Book Trib, HERE, for more chances to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

Book Blast

WELCOME MERRY JONES

MERRY JONES

Merry Jones is the author of the Harper Jennings thrillers (SUMMER SESSION, WINTER BREAK, BEHIND THE WALLS, OUTSIDE EDEN), the Elle Harrison suspense novel THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE, the Zoe Hayes mysteries (THE NANNY MURDER, THE RIVER KILLINGS, DEADLY NEIGHBORS, THE BORROWED AND BLUE MURDERS). She has also written humor (including I LOVE HIM, BUT…) and non-fiction (including BIRTHMOTHERS: Women who relinquished babies for adoption tell their stories.) Jones’ work has been translated into eight languages and she has been published in GLAMOUR, LADIES HOME JOURNAL, CHILD, NEW WOMAN and PHILADELPHIA MAGAZINE. A teacher of writing at Temple University for twelve years, Jones has promoted her work on local and national radio and television. She is a member of The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and The Philadelphia Liars Club. An avid sculler, Jones lives with her family outside Philadelphia.
Connect with Merry at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Evil can dig in its roots anywhere and can take on many forms. Smart people know that. Kenahara.”

July. Israel. Iraq War vet and graduate archeologist Harper Jennings doesn’t believe in the Evil Eye. So when Hagit—the woman assigned to show her and her fourteen-month-old baby around Jerusalem—drags the pair of them into a market to buy charms to ward off evil, it isn’t the bad luck Harper fears but the market itself. Close, dark and crowded, the place worries Harper, and when an American mand seems to be in trouble, it is only the presence of the baby that stops Harper from wading in to help.

Later, to Harper’s dismay, she leans that the man she’d seen has been murdered. So when she’s invited to take part in a dig fifty miles away, while her geologist husband Hank takes part in the international symposium on water shortages that has brought them to Israel, she accepts. It will be safer away from the city and the market, she thinks. But Hagit, who’s coming along to look after the baby, disagrees. She is convinced that the Evil Eye has caught sight of Harper, and that it will follow her wherever she goes…

READ AN EXCERPT

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: July 1, 2013
Number of Pages: 216
ISBN: 9780727882646

PURCHASE LINKS:

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card & a different winner will receive a copy of Merry’s book, OUTSIDE EDEN.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’d like to join in on an upcoming tour just stop by our sites and sign up today!

Tour Participants:

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

WELCOME MICHELLE MUCKLEY

MICHELLE MUCKLEY

I was born in the town of Warwick in 1981. It is a small historical town in the heart of England, and Ι was the fifth child born into a family of boys. I developed a huge interest in the written world from a young age, and with more than a little help from Roald Dahl found quite the taste for anything gross and gory. Book club at primary school only proved to increase my love of escaping into the world of a book.

Whilst six years at secondary school did little to quell the romantic notion of one day sitting in my mountain cabin and smoking a celebratory cigarette as the first novel was born, somewhere within those six years the dream of becoming a writer got put on hold. The question of who actually manages to make a living out of being writer was persistently posed in my over-active mind. Who manages to pull that off? Not many, according to most people. Perhaps it was because science was deemed a safer career path, or perhaps it was because they let me chop up hearts, but I found myself spending more and more time in the biology lab and eventually the university applications were completed and the next twelve years employment were set; science, hearts, but yet sadly no more dissections.  Still, resting quietly in the background were those long and lingering desires to once again rediscover the old aspirations to write.

About six years ago, with the smouldering embers of a childhood dream sparking uncomfortably underfoot there was what can only be called an epiphany. Who is it that actually becomes a writer? Is it the people who live in New York? Is it the girl whose aunt works for Harper Collins or S&S, or another beast of a publishing house? It is those people, yes. But it’s not just those people. It’s the people who write.  And I wasn’t doing any of that, with the exception of a few dogeared post-it notes hanging around in pockets and drawes with half baked ideas scribbled on them.  Whilst this may sound simplistic, it was the revelation I needed to sit down and type Chapter One. The first book, The Loss of Deference was no
longer just a fantasy and slowly became a workable manuscript. It was then sent out in eagerness before it was properly edited and therefore it was duly returned, and rightly so I collected a nice set of rejection letters.  At this point I had never even heard the concept of a self published author, or indie author.

Six years later, having uprooted from England to settle on the southern Mediterranean shores of Cyprus, the dream to be a writer and to publish thriller books that were once deemed nothing more than pipe dreams are now a reality. I am still working as a part time scientist, but I am also writing daily. When I am not sat at the computer typing about the darker side of life, you will find me hiking in the mountains, drinking frappe at the beach, or talking to myself in the kitchen in the style of an American celebrity chef. Just think Ina Garten.
Connect with Michelle at these sites:

Q&A WITH MICHELLE

On Writing and Reading:

-Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
I would say that every book is a combination of both.  Invariably the things that happen around me on a daily basis are a significant influence on the work that I produce, but every book that I have written has at least some reference to personal events.  Perhaps this is not quite in a literal sense, but there is a big part of ‘Michelle’ in my characters, even to the point of some of the characters mannerisms.

-Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
I always start from the beginning.  For Escaping Life, I wasn’t even sure exactly how it was going to end whilst I was writing the penultimate chapter.  I couldn’t decide if people lived or died, and in the end I just kept writing and went with whatever seemed right at the time.  I can’t imagine coming up with a conclusion and then trying to decide what needed to happen in the past in order for it to seem realistic.

The only time I work backwards is during the second draft, once I have established the themes I want to highlight, and need to make sure that the timeline is consistent

-Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
Generally no.  But there are a few things I like.  I like a good cup of tea, milk and one sugar, and preferably PG tips!  But as long as it’s quiet, I’m happy.  I have tried many times to listen to music whilst I write, but so far I haven’t succeeded.

-Is writing your full time job? If not, may I ask what you do by day?
Writing is my half time job.  By profession and qualification I am a scientist.  I worked for many years in the UK health service in a hospital.  I loved it.  But now I live in Cyprus and my husband and I have a cardiology clinic.  In the mornings I write and in the afternoons I see patients.

-Who are some of your favourite authors?
Stephen King was my favourite author growing up.  I can still remember the first time I picked up one of his books and saw his photograph on the back.  The owner of the book told me he was a crazy guy, that he wrote about scary things, and that the book probably wasn’t for me.  I had read Gerald’s Game within a week and had decided that one day I hope people said the same things about me.  I was nine.  It was the first time I decided that I would be a writer.  I admire Louis de Bernieres, and love how easy it is to get lost in the world that he creates.  Khaled Hosseini is also remarkable and a fantastic story teller.  I enjoy many authors, but recently discovered Gillian Flynn and am hooked.  I am anxious to read Dark Places!

-What are you reading now?
I just finished reading Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.  Currently Paul Pilkington’s The One You Love.  I have had it on my Kindle for a while, but had got into a ‘real book’ habit so it has been waiting for me to read it.  I am enjoying it.

-Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
No, I am in the middle of the weird weeks when I am not writing.  My attentions are with the next release, Identity X, which is coming out in September and all of my efforts are focussed on getting the release right.  So I am working on blog posts and marketing.  It feels strange not to be working on something and I am keen to get started.  There is an idea in my head, that I know is not quite resolved yet, but I am nearly there.

Fun questions:

-Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
OK, let’s say that Paramount pick up Identity X and we are looking for a cast.  A great actor for Ben Stone would be Bradley Cooper.  He’s a looker, I admit that, but he is also a big talent. He looks like a good guy, and he is, but there is something that simmers underneath the surface in his roles that just make you think that there is something a little bit darker lurking there.  That’s what I want on screen for Ben Stone.

-Would you rather read or watch TV/movie?
Depends.  I’d always rather read than watch TV (the only exception The food channel or a Friends rerun – they just never get old).  I would trade a movie for a good book, but I would wonder if I missed out and end up staying up to watch it once I had finished reading.

-Favourite food?
I’ll eat any food except mushrooms, but my favourite is Italian.  I am married to a Greek, and I am thankful that he isn’t Italian because I would be at least 15 kilo’s heavier by now.

-Favourite beverage?
In the day, tea.  At night, Amaretto over lots of crushed ice.  Or a Mojito.

Thank you for stopping by CMash Reads and spending time with us.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After arriving at his laboratory to find that it has disappeared, he is sucked into a world of conspiracy and betrayal. The Agency wants NEMREC and will do anything to get it, believing it to be the most powerful scientific discovery in decades. But it wasn’t just NEMREC that they wanted. The Agency wanted Ben dead, but somehow he survived. His best friend, his wife, and Ami, the beautiful scientist who he has fallen for at work all offer to help him, but each has a different version of the truth. They all have their own agenda, only one of them wants what he wants, and in a world where you are already dead, how is it that you are supposed to survive?

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

…of a signed copy of Steve Berry’s novels, winner’s choice

CONGRATULATIONS!!

10  Stephanie Parry   Be a Public Follower of ‘ CMash Reads’

An email has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

We have met some incredible female authors through WOW!.  And Jodi is back today to introduce us to another awesome writer.  Welcome Ms. Sharon Simons!!

SHARON SIMONS

Sharon had a dream to become a mother which she was determined to follow. Her path was difficult but ultimately successful. Born in New Jersey and living in Delaware, she is married to her soul mate Rick and the very proud Mom to her two sons Dylan and Hunter.

Sharon struggled to become a Mom, dealing with the uncertain world of infertility including three In Vitro Fertilizations, Tubal Pregnancy, and the Loss of a Pregnancy with twin boys at 19 weeks. That loss only made her more determined to become a Mom. Thankfully that dream became a reality through the use of International Adoption.

Sharon Simons took her experiences and created Mom at Last, a community of women who struggled through their journey towards becoming a Mom, at Last! She also also written Mom at Last: How I Never Gave Up On Becoming a Mother, to inspire other women who are having a difficult time becoming a Mother. In addition to creating the Mom at Last Community & writing her Memoir, Sharon Simons has created theAdoptionApp, a Domestic and International Adoption Process Mobile App for iPhone and Android, and TheAdoptionKit, an Adoption Survival Kit to help you through the Adoption Process.

Connect with Sharon at these sites:

GUEST POST

My Proudest Moment

It took me quite a while to become one, through many trials, tribulations, and heartaches, but motherhood happened. My husband and I adopted two beautiful little boys. My proudest moment. I decided to share my story to give “mom’s to be” hope and strength to persevere.

The “Mom at Last” website is both a celebration of the various journeys leading to and through motherhood. I want to help other women with their struggles to understand that many women share the same struggles, emotion, pain and joy through the formation of a community and documentation of individual stories — as well as a resource for those starting on their path.

Through most of my life career came first, being a mom on the back burner, but eventually the urge grew to be irresistible. My husband and I met later in life when he was unable to conceive naturally. After agreeing to have children we went through the “in vitro” process several times, only to be met with tragedy. Our first attempt resulted in a twin pregnancy with two boys. The pregnancy went well for 19 weeks when I unexpectedly contracted amniocentesis. I became extremely ill with sepsis and lost both boys. After recovering as best I could both physically and emotionally, we decided to try again. Much to our surprise our next attempt also seemed successful, with a positive pregnancy test one week after embryo implantation. Unfortunately, to our chagrin the pregnancy was ectopic and had to be terminated. We again had to deal with pain and loss. After a short break, despite the cost and uncertainty we went ahead with our third try. Unfortunately, the third time was not a charm, no luck.

We then faced a major decision, a turning point in our journey. We decided to adopt. With time in short supply considering my husband’s age and the restrictions many country’s have regarding adoption, I plunged headfirst into the process. Fortunately my adoption process went quickly. I contacted the agency right before Memorial Day 2007 and was on my first trip to Russia July 4th, 2007 to meet the boys. I pushed full steam ahead with all the paperwork and was given a court date of Labor Day 2007.  My husband and I made our second trip to Russia and thankfully the judge approved us and we were awarded our children.  We are now the proud parents of the most beautiful and brightest boys in the world.

Along the journey I did not understand why we had so many disappointments.  I do now…if I did not follow my exact path I would not have my wonderful boys.

Adoption was my destination. These boys were not born to me physically but they were born in my heart.  They are my everything!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

From Amazon:
Her biological clock ticking louder each day, Sharon Simon felt her heart sink as yet another “Mr. Wonderful” turned out to be a frog—not the prince she was waiting for. But when the right man did come along, their journey toward parenthood seemed more like a machete trail through a jungle than the smooth path of her dreams. Enduring multiple failed IVFs and the loss of their unborn twins, Sharon and her husband decided to adopt—taking a whirlwind trip to Russia and navigating the rough waters of international adoption red tape. Their journey ended, or rather began, when two baby boys were placed in their arms for the long trip home.
Part love story, part adoption memoir, and all heart, Mom at Last is the story of one woman’s fierce determination to become a mother. Full of setbacks and emotionally devastating pitfalls, ultimately the journey leads her to true love and pure joy. Mom at Last will inspire women who find themselves on that sometimes difficult journey to motherhood, giving hope that motherhood is possible and encouraging women to never give up on their dreams. While every journey to motherhood is different, Mom at Last lets women know they are not alone in the struggle toward motherhood.

WATCH THE VIDEO

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing (August 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614484422
ISBN-13: 978-1614484424

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO JODI AT WOW!,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
PRINT OPEN TO U.S. and CANADA RESIDENTS or EBOOK OPEN TO ALL

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS JUNE 7th AT 6PM EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

…of The Sixth Station by Linda Stassi

36 Kari Flores Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

29 Jason D Nickolay Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  THank you to all that entered.

Knowing by Laurel Dewey
Published by The Story Plant
Publication Date: Dec. 12, 2012
ISBN-10: 1611880491
ISBN-13: 978-1611880496
Pages: 394
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 4

Synopsis:
After the life-altering ending in the third Jane Perry thriller, REVELATIONS, Jane Perry takes time off from the job to find the missing part of herself she never knew existed. But her journey is quickly hijacked when a wanted criminal, Harlan Kipple, steals her car. Kipple—accused of the heinous murder of a prostitute in a seedy motel—is on the run and desperate to stay that way. Jane’s personal plans take a back seat as she tracks down her stolen ride and discovers through an unusual source that Kipple may be innocent and is being framed by a nefarious group. When she trails Kipple and confronts him, every belief she ever had about this world and the next is put to the test.

Kipple, who by his own admission is not the “brightest bulb in the box,” received a heart transplant seventeen months ago. His life changed from the moment he woke up in the recovery room. In fact, he’s not so sure where he ends and his heart takes over. As strange as that sounds to her, Jane cannot deny what she witnesses after spending just two days with Kipple. It becomes clear that nothing is what it appears as Jane is drawn into a deep rabbit hole with dark webs and darker crevices that force her to operate on the other side of the law. With the police hot on Kipple’s tail and a devious faction intent on finding him first, Jane is caught in the middle and realizes that solving this crime could have fatal consequences.

With themes as diverse as immortality, regeneration, resurrection, transformation and death, author Laurel Dewey tackles this latest Jane Perry novel with originality and plenty of suspense. “Finding yourself” takes on a whole new meaning in KNOWING.

My Thoughts and Opinion: Brilliant!! This was the first full length novel featuring Det. Jane Perry that I read. I had previously read two (2) novellas, Unrevealed and Promissory Payback where Jane Perry was first introduced to me, and enjoyed the story line and the main character. So I was looking forward to reading this novel. I also read another novel by this author, Betty’s (Little Basement) Garden, which I also enjoyed.

In Knowing, Jane Perry has taken some time off to investigate a lead, but this is different, it’s personal.  However, trouble finds her before she can even make it out of state to begin her journey.  Instead she gets thrown into the middle of a murder investigation, one that will take it down many different roads, including harboring and assisting the murder suspect to clear his name. However, what she learns is a conspiracy, laid out in post cards, left behind by an organ donor.

The plot is ingenious and inventive touching upon many subplots including the murder investigation, organ transplants, a bit of paranormal and spiritual, altered states and the power of heart and mind, which keeps the reader turning the pages to find out all the answers. The action was non stop. The story line is profound, whereas the reader will ask the questions, do you believe in reincarnation, life after death and the capacity of the mind. A thought provoking murder mystery. Definitely recommend to adults only, due to the excessive language.  A read that will keep you on the edge of your seat!!

(2013 Challenges: Ebook, Count The Ways, A-Z, Where Are You, Mystery/Suspense, FreeReads, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, Read-A-Latte)

REVIEW DISCLAIMER
This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the
best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book
was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.