Genre: LDS, Christian, clean romance
Publisher: Indie Publication date: December 8, 2016 Number of pages: 212 Writer Laura Nelson can’t believe her luck. Since staying in a beach house on the Oregon coast, she’s had two run-ins with the police. The upside is that handsome Officer David Harrington handled both situations. Laura, still stinging from years of making poor choices, has come to Oregon to take control of her life. She recently renewed her relationship with God and the church, and she’s in the process of writing her next mystery. But is she ready for romance? David has a rule: don’t get close to women. He is ashamed of his unlawful past, a father in jail and an alcoholic mother. His triple date dare is a sure-fire way to keep women at bay. Who would love him with all his baggage anyway? When he asks Laura out, David figures she will crash and burn as planned. He had no idea she would not only change the rules of his famous dating dare, but sneak her way into his heart.
I recently moved back to Oregon with my husband of 31 years, where we’ve built a house on 68 acres about 40 miles outside of Portland. After growing up in Oregon, we’ve lived in Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. We have three children, two girls and a boy, all grown and all writers themselves. We also have a dog (Golden Retriever) and a cat (Black). I love to write inspirational romance and hope my readers will be both entertained and uplifted by my stories. When I’m not writing, I love to paint (watercolors, oils, and acrylics), sew, knit, crochet, and read (of course)! My second novel will be published in 2017.
Check out the interview HERE.
Laura Melemanu Nelson
Laura spent the first fourteen years of her life in Oregon, and then moved to Hawaii. Her parents always had a great affinity to Hawaii and gave each of their children Hawaiian middle names. While they lived in Oregon, they had a vacation home in Sunset Bay, on the Oregon coast, where they spent several weeks during the summer. Laura went to high school and college on the Big Island of Hawaii where she studied English with a Creative Writing emphasis. Her English professor introduced her to a publisher and she was able to publish her first novel. While in high school, Laura became rebellious of her moral and religious upbringing. She made numerous poor choices which lead her to living with her boyfriend and being involved with drug dealers. When she was caught by the police, she was tried and convicted as an accessory to drug trafficking and served one month in jail and five hundred hours of community service. After being beat up by her boyfriend when he was released from jail, Laura went back to her parents for help. Sitting in a stake conference, she discovered a desire to return to church and put herself back on the straight and narrow. She’s run away to the Oregon coast to finish her second novel and get away from her recent past. Laura is a slender 5’7”, with short cropped, bleached blond hair. She has a sweet, pretty face with crystal blue eyes. She’s quick witted and feisty, and is trying very hard to made positive choices in her life and hear the whispers of the Holy Ghost. She’s pretty game for any activity and sees through deception easily. She loves her family, is closest to her father, but struggles with her relationship with her older sister, Suzanne. She is not a deep thinker nor terribly far sighted, focusing on the here and now to get her life on track, but she wants to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ better. She’s humble and honest about her emotions, but doesn’t share her feelings and life story easily. David Ezekiel Harrington David grew up in Portland with his parents and his older sister, Margaret. Their life was fairly ordinary until his father became involved in illegal activities. His mother turned to alcohol to hide from his father’s choices. When Margaret moved out at eighteen, David was left alone with his mother and father, where he witnessed his mom’s alcoholic binges and never knew what his dad was up to. When he was in high school, he became friends with the wrong crowd and participated in an armed robbery of a convenience store. He was arrested and served a five-year sentence. He finished high school in jail where he also met a member of the church who reached out and taught him the gospel. When he was released from jail, he was baptized and vowed to turn his life around. He worked with his uncle, a policeman in Sunset Bay, to have his father arrested for second degree murder and decided to become a police officer. After attending the police academy, he was hired by the Sunset Police Department, where his uncle still worked. David is tall, well built, with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. He has a strong jaw and captivating smile. He loves to be outdoors, hanging out with his friends, and has a knack for turning driftwood into artistic sculptures. He loves the church and works in the nursery where he has a devoted following of four two-year olds. He was recently able to buy a house near the beach from a ward member who was moving into a retirement home. He is close to his sister, who is married and works as a para-legal. Although ashamed of his mother, who is often arrested for drunken and disorderly behavior, David always bails her out, and frequently tries to help her find a way out of her alcoholic pit, thus far without success. He is extremely embarrassed by his parents’ behavior and can’t imagine any good LDS girl wanting to be associated with such a family. He’s fun and spunky, but reserved with his emotions. He’s kind to rookie officers and respectful of all authority figures.
But her image wouldn’t be erased so easily. Every time he closed his eyes, her face, the feel of her lips on his, and the way she fit him so well permeated his dreams. Was this love? Was this the way it felt when you were in love? Movies demonstrated it; books expounded it; songs romanticized it. But somewhere in all of that it was real, right? And yet it was the feeling of peace that gave him confidence, the feeling that the world was exactly where it was supposed to be, with everything in perfect order. When it’s right, it’s right.
~David Harrington
From page one, debut author Lauraine Henderson will steal the hearts of readers with this delightfully funny and sweet romantic story. Main themes in this novel include overcoming past mistakes, coming to accept oneself, and falling in love. Readers will adore the cast of characters, as well as the humorous situations the characters find themselves in and of course the romance! I was greatly impressed by this well-written and thought out debut novel. Readers will truly be inspired by this beautiful read.
Genre: contemporary, romance, humor, LDS Publisher: Indie Publication date: December 8, 2016 Number of pages: 212 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by the author via SLB Tours. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
February 20--Wishful Endings
February 21--Mel's Shelves February 22--Heidi Reads... February 23-- February 24--cherylbbookblog | Katie's Clean Book Collection February 25--Reading Is My SuperPower February 27--Toni Shiloh Soulfully Romantic February 28--Zerina Blossom's Books March 1--Book Stalking PR March 2--Bookworm Lisa March 3--Singing Librarian Books Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line! Today I am going to post a line from The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller Can I just say I LOVE this book! Regency and romance?!?!?!? What more can a girl ask for? And don't you just love this cover. I love the purple and the elegant text. Watch for my review coming soon... Pride, prejudice and forgiveness... Hampton Hall's new owner has the villagers of St. Hampton Heath all aflutter--all except Lavinia Ellison. The reverend's daughter cares for those who are poor and sick, and the seventh Earl of Hawkesbury definitely does not meet that criteria. His refusal to take his responsibilities seriously, or even darken the door of the church, leave her convinced he is as arrogant and reckless as his brother--his brother who stole the most important person in Lavinia's world. Nicholas Stamford is shadowed by guilt: his own, his brother's, the legacy of war. A perfunctory visit to this dreary part of Gloucestershire wasn't supposed to engage his heart, or his mind. Challenged by Miss Ellison's fascinating blend of Bluestocking opinions, hoydenish behavior, and angelic voice, he finds the impossible becoming possible--he begins to care. But Lavinia's aloof manner, society's opposition and his ancestral obligations prove most frustrating, until scandal forces them to get along. Can Lavinia and Nicholas look beyond painful pasts and present prejudice to see their future? And what will happen when Lavinia learns a family secret that alters everything she's ever known? My first line: St. Hampton Heath Gloucestershire, England June 1813 "Why, Livvie! Whatever are you doing?" Lavinia Ellison placed down her gardening trowel, swiped perspiration from her brow, and smiled up at her friend. " Good morning, Sophy."
What are you reading? What is your first line? Open the book nearest you and post the first line in the comments below... Now head on over and join these lovely ladies in First Line Fridays on their blogs too: Reading is My SuperPower | Bookworm Mama | Faithfully Bookish Radiant Light | Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | All the Book Blog Names are Taken Robin's Nest | Fiction Aficionado | Bibliophile Reviews Kathleen Denly | Lauraine's Notes | With a Joyful Noise (If you’d like to join us on your blog for First Line Fridays, shoot me a message and let me know!)
Keeping Kinley by Annette K. Larsen He's noble. She's common. It's complicated. Kinley is content with her common life until a chance meeting with an old friend—a noble—brings the possibility of love. Though Rylan pursues her with a charming carelessness, she doesn’t dare hope that their relationship will be accepted. When Kinley’s livelihood is threatened, she is thrust into his world as a servant, but the Rylan she encounters there isn’t the quirky friend she thought she knew. Can she trust him, or will she be forced to accept that her dreams are only that—dreams? Excerpt My breath caught as soon as he said the name and my eyes searched his features, looking for the little boy I had known in the man that stood before me. “Rylan?” I breathed and he nodded, still with that familiar grin in place. “Oh…my,” was all my idiot brain could say as I took in his fine horse and his fine clothes and his fine eyes. I probably still had pear juice on my face. “How are you, Miss Kinley?” he asked with the same light in his eyes that he used to have whenever he would tell me about his favorite part of a lesson. “I am…well,” I answered in a breathless sort of stuttering. “Very well, thank you. I hope all is well with you and your family. How are Lord and Lady Baylor?” “My father runs his business affairs with an iron fist and my mother coddles the staff, so everything is as it should be.” He grinned. “Good.” I had to ignore the grin so that I could speak. “And Master Welsley and Tayana?” “Welsley takes life too seriously, but is ready to take over for father at a moment’s notice. Tayana is soon to be married.” “Good, good. That’s very good.” It was so very awkward to be standing in front of this man who had befriended me as a child. How was I supposed to act? “And what of your family?” he asked eagerly. “It was your brother, was it not? That married…” “Princess Ariella, yes.” No one seemed to be able to say it out loud, worried that if they were wrong, I’d somehow be offended. I was used to finishing the thought. He gave a crooked smile. “That must have been an interesting adjustment.” I laughed, surprised at how succinct that description was. “It was a surprise and an adventure, and I really do adore her.” “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her, but everyone seems to have an opinion one way or the other.” “I can only imagine.” While most of the common folk had accepted Ella and Gavin, I knew that the nobility had not been so easily convinced when she’d stooped to marry a commoner. He smiled, so casual, so comfortable. I felt the need to fill the silence. His horse bobbed its head, trying to get Rylan’s attention. I pointed to him. “And who is this?” He reached up, stroking the horse behind its ear. “This is Apollo. Say ‘Good day,’ old man.” The horse actually nodded its head up and down. I was reminded of Herman, who I had abandoned. “I should go.” I gestured awkwardly down the lane. “It was a pleasure seeing you.” “Wait, can I see you tomorrow?” My confusion made the corner of my mouth quirk up. “Why would you do that?” “Because I’d like to speak with you again,” he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Oh, um.” He was nobility, and I was decidedly not. “I have to get Herman. My pony, he’s—” I pointed behind me as if that would explain my inability to speak coherently, then turned to walk back the way I had come.
Giveaway$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 3/9/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveawayAbout the Book
You can be happy—solidly, genuinely happy—no matter what's going on around you, no matter what happens to you, no matter what storm comes along to batter and bruise you.
Keep reading, and I'll show you how . . . Face it: it's not always easy to feel happy. With all of the worries and trials of day-to-day life, the cares of the world can seem overwhelming. But as popular speaker and author Hank Smith demonstrates, no matter your circumstances, you can be happy—the kind of happy that illuminates you from the inside out, a joy that does not depend on what happens to you but on what you do with what happens. With his characteristic humor, Hank offers readers a fresh perspective on finding joy in the journey with a collection of tools and strategies designed to inspire genuine happiness, such as: • Learning to develop an optimistic outlook • Understanding how to deal with feelings of depression< • Mastering ten simple tricks to jump-start your joy each day Featuring an inspiring collection of real-life examples, enlightening doctrinal direction, and motivating goals, Be Happy is the guide you need to start living a happier life, today! About the Author
Hank Smith teaching in the Religious Education Department at BYU and is a favorite speaker for Especially for Youth, Best of Especially for Youth, and BYU Education Week. Hank and his wife, Sara, were both born and raised in St. George, Utah. They are the parents of one daughter and two sons. Brother Smith enjoys running marathons and eating lots and lots of ice cream (which is why he runs marathons). More than anything else, he loves being at home spending all day with his wife and children.
For more information visit Hank Smith's Fan Page on Facebook. Review
Happiness. We all want happiness in our lives and Hank Smith has written an inspiring book with “secrets” of finding ways to be happy. Smith writes in a way that is easy for readers to relate to and understand, applying details from the book to their own lives. It is not always easy to be happy, especially when life is hard and tearing you down. But life is always better when you are happy. I would recommend this inspirational book to readers looking for ways to change their life and become happier.
Genre: nonfiction, Christian Publisher: Covenant Communications Publication date: February 1, 2017 Number of pages: 272 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
GiveawayTour Schedule
Feb. 27th
http://rockinbookreviews.com/ http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/ Feb. 28th http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/ http://thethingsilovemost.com/, March 1st http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://rachellewrites.blogspot.com/ March 2nd: http://empowermoms.net/, http://empowermoms.net/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/ March 3rd: http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/ About the BookIn a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible tragedy reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. But Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart and she begins to wonder if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident. When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son Nathaniel, who is Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend. Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will their search for the truth about her parents’ death draw them closer or will it leave them both with broken hearts? About the AuthorCARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She has been the winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott. They have five adult children and four grandchildren. Guest Post: Hats, Glorious Hats! By Carrie TuranskyOne fun part of my research for Shine Like the Dawn was learning about hat making in the early 1900s. My heroine, Maggie Lounsbury is a milliner who designs women’s hats. She learned this skill from her grandmother who owns a small shop in the village of Heatherton. Maggie has an artistic eye and she enjoys making stylish hats, but she doesn’t like the overdone designs some of their customers request, so that creates some humorous conflict in the story. Hats in the Edwardian era were large and often covered with feathers, flowers, lace, netting, berries and bows. The “bird nests,” as Coco Chanel called them, were held on with large hat pins stuck through piles of hair on the crown. These hats were called Gainsborough or Picture hats because of the way they framed a lady’s face. They often featured huge dried flower arrangements and sometimes included real leaves and twigs! No doubt the Garden hat was a fitting name. 1907 The Merry Window hat became very popular after the leading lady in the play by that same name wore a hat that was even taller and wider than usual. Some people complained these hats were too big and obtrusive in public places like the theater or picture shows. But English women loved them and wore them to all kinds of events. The popularity of using large feathers and stuffed birds on hats caused concern for the welfare of birds. Many protective laws took effect and milliners had to use more ribbon and tulle and only large ostrich feathers to decorate hats. Those ostrich feathers came from birds that were raised on farms and their feathers were collected as they fell out naturally. The movement toward smaller hats began around 1913 when hats still had high crowns but smaller brims. Straw boaters, small top hats, and mini versions of picture hats were very common. Motion pictures had the greatest influence on Edwardian hat fashion. After the release of The Three Musketeers many ladies wanted to wear tricorne and bicorne shaped hats. They were still very large but now had shapes other than just round. Hat brims were folded up on the side, at an angle, or all around to create drama. Veils disappeared in the early 1900s only to come back again as a long scarf that wrapped over the hat and under the chin for the new sport called motoring. I’ve had fun dressing Edwardian style for book launch tea parties and other book events. It made me feel very special to wear these lovely hats. What do you think of Edwardian Hats? Would you like to wear one? Thanks to friends at the Vintage Dancer website for some of this information. Stop by Carrie’s Facebook author page and view her live videos February 21 – 25, 3:00 pm Eastern. She’ll be talking about the story behind Shine Like the Dawn and giving away a fun prize each day to one person who leaves a comment. Even if you can’t catch the live video you can still enter for 24 hours after it’s posted. She is also hosting a book launch celebration and giveaway on her blog February 25 – March 6. Like to my Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarrieturansky/ Link to my Book Launch Blog Post: http://carrieturansky.com/index.php/blog/ ReviewCarrie Turansky has once again written a delightfully charming historical romance that readers will not want to miss. With historical romance novels being one of my favorite genres and Turansky being one of my favorite authors, I was thrilled to read Shine Like the Dawn. From page one, readers will be drawn to the magnificent story and cast of characters. This novel will touch the heart of readers with its tragedy, sadness, and difficulty, as well as happiness and love. Readers continually return to Turansky’s stories as they are beautifully written and enjoyable to read. Historical romance readers will be captivated with this book. Genre: historical, romance, Christian Publisher: Multnomah Books Publication date: February 21, 2017 Number of pages: 320 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via CelebrateLit. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. GiveawayTo celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away all 4 books: Shine Like the Dawn, The Governess of Highland Hall, The Daughter of Highland Hall, and A Refuge at Highland Hall.! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! Enter HERE! Tour ScheduleBlog StopsFebruary 21: New Horizon Reviews
February 21: Bookworm Mama February 21: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses February 22: Tell Tale Book Reviews February 22: Book by Book February 22: History, Mystery and Faith February 23: Bibliophile Reviews February 23: Smiling Book Reviews February 23: A Readers Brain February 23: Faithfully Bookish February 23: Lane Hill House February 24: Back Porch Reads February 24: The Scribbler February 24: I Hope You Dance February 25: Stuff & Nonsense February 25: The Power of Words February 25: A Greater Yes February 26: cherylbbookblog February 26: Moments Dipped in Ink February 26: Splashes of Joy February 27: Genesis 5020 February 27: inklings and notions February 27: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS February 28: Karen Sue Hadley February 28: A Simple Life, really?! February 28: Neverending Stories March 1: Daysong Reflections March 1: Connie’s History Classroom March 1: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations March 2: These Splendid Sentences March 2: Singing Librarian Books March 2: Blossoms and Blessings March 3: Pause for Tales March 3: blogging With Carol March 3: Mary Hake March 4: Radiant Light March 4: For The Love of Books March 5: Christian Bookaholic March 5: Rachel Scott McDaniel March 6: History, Hope, Laughter & Happily-ever-after March 6: Baker Kella Month in Review -- February 2017
3/1/2017
February ReadsClick the graphics below to add the books to your GoodReads TBR list. February ReviewsClick the images below to be taken to my reviews. First Line Friday PostsClick the images below to be taken to my FLF posts. How am I doing on my reading goals and challenges??Bethany House Reading Challenge--n/a
Goodreads Challenge--18/100 books read so far this year NetGalley Challenge--1 Personal Reading Challenges--Read 1 YA book See HERE for further details on my reading challenges. What have you been reading? What are your current reading goals? |
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