Heiress Giveaway!

 

 

Congrats to Leticia for winning a copy of Duchess. I'm doing this out of order, but this week, I'm giving away the first book in the series, Heiress.

(I do recommend reading this series in order.)

 

In the book, the main characters are heiress daughters of a newspaper magnate. To enter to win, leave a comment about what kind of fortune you would like to be an heiress of. I would love to be the heiress of a cupcake business. That would be fun....

 

Be sure to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win. I can only ship to the US.

 

I'll pick a winner next Sunday. Have a great week!

 

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What's in a name?

 

 Last family picture with my dad

 

 

 

Names are so important. In the Bible, they often symbolize the person's nature. We learn about God through His different names. I'm known by different names: Ms. Jackson, Laura, daughter, sister, friend, Jackson, Jacko, Ms. Library Lady, and probably my favorite Library Girl. I was titled Library Girl by some kindergarten boys, and I love it.

 

So, as a writer, names are important to me. I want them to capture the character's personality. The problem is this--after eleven years in public education, I am running out of names. Even when it's a name I love, I try to avoid naming characters after former students because in my mind that name is that person.

 

So, I'm off to babynames.com. I love that website, and some old co-workers used to tease me about visiting it and even rating names. I need some new names that aren't associated with people I know.

 

 

Ellie Lansing is the main character in my first book (releasing 2-4-14). I picked her name because I love it. If I ever have a girl, I'll name her Jeanelle, which is a family name, and call her Elle for short. I wanted this character to have a short, fun, perky name to fit her character, and Ellie fit.

 

 

What's your favorite name? Do you think your name fits your personality?

 

 

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Release Date!

 

 

Coming to you February 4, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Duchess: A Review

 

 

 

The final book in the Daughters of Fortune series follows Rosie as she leaves everything behind to follow her dream of being a movie star. Will the price of fame be more than she's willing to pay?

While I liked the way the first two books alternated between story lines, I liked that this book focused solely on Rosie, now called Roxie, since Lily was settled and happy at the end of book two. Roxie is a character that is so headstrong that she messes things up for herself time after time. Even when I grew frustrated with her actions, I still loved her character, who had lost so much and kept going with a fierce determination.

As with the other books in the series, the author does a great job capturing the culture and time of the book. From movies to rescuing Jews from the Nazis, the time period enhances the story so much by adding realistic circumstances.

Finally, I didn't want this book to end. After following this family for two generations, I wanted to read about the next generation, particularly Coco, who has a story to tell for sure.

Fans of historical Christian fiction will love this series. It's true to the time periods and full of twists and turns.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

 

Baroness: A Review

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Baroness continues the emotional roller coaster ride started in Heiress. In book two, Lily and Rosie are coming of age and both determined to leave their parents behind to chase their own dreams. In Paris, they both fall in love, and that loves takes them through more heartaches than happiness.

 

There were times I wanted to strangle both girls. Didn't they learn anything from their parents' drama? The author does a superb job capturing the time period where women were gaining independence and standing on their own. I love the culture in the book, ranging from airplane tricks to baseball.

 

As with the last book, just when you thought nothing else could happen to destroy the character, something else happened. Yet, Lily's journey is one of hope.

 

Fans of historical Christian fiction will enjoy this series.

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway: Duchess

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Congrats to Michelle for winning Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales.

Today, I'm giving away Duchess by Susan May Warren. I'm currently reading the second book in this series and am looking forward to Duchess. It's the perfect book for a giveaway as hopefully the Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, will finally have her baby this week! I've never been one to follow British royalty. I've never been interested in British history or culture, but I think Kate is fantastic. She just seems so classy and elegant. Plus, she and William seem to genuinely care about each other.

So to enter to win, leave a comment about whether or not you're interested in the royal baby or British culture/history/royalty. Be sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win. I can only ship to the US. I'll pick a winner next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seaside Harmony: A Review

Can I book a room at Misty Harbor Inn? The scenery in this book is as good as the story in my opinion. When three sisters come to Nantucket to vacation and to remember their mother, who loved the island, they follow a whim and decide to remodel a inn into a bed and breakfast despite their unresolved issues from the past.

I love that four authors came together to write one cohesive book that flows from chapter to chapter and character to character. Each sister has a unique past that affects the buying of the inn. Will free spirit Caroline be able to settle down in one place? Can Gracie leave her kids and grandkids to follow her own dream? And Can Sam balance them long enough to make the inn a success?

While I liked all the sisters, my favorite part was the mystery surrounding the house and its former owners. There's something special about houses that hold history, and I like how the clues were held in surprising places (don't want to give away too much).

Fans of Christian fiction, especially those who like to read about characters who are a little more seasoned than in most Christian fiction books, will enjoy this book.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunflower Summer: A Review

 

 

Three sisters come together to run an inn on Nantucket's coast. What could happen? Sibling rivalry, romance, quirky guests, and a secret room.

 

When I first picked up the book, I figured Evangeline Kelley was just an author I had never heard of, so when I learned it was really three authors writing as one, I was impressed because the book flows as though it's written by one person.

 

Although sometimes slow, I enjoyed this book. I liked meeting the different guests, especially the eccentric older actress and the honeymooners who were the guinea pig guests. I love how the guests come and go but leave lasting impacts on the sisters.

 

Most Christian fiction books focus on younger heroines, but having older (not old) characters added a dimension to the book that sets it apart from others in its genre.

 

Most of all, the book has renewed my desire to visit Nantucket. I hope when I go, I can stay at a little inn like Misty Harbor Inn.

 

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

Fans of Christian fiction will enjoy this sweet novel.

 

 

 

Heiress: A Review

 

This book kept me reading way too late last night. I just kept thinking how it couldn't get any worse for the two main characters, sisters Esme and Jinx, and then it would. The Gilded Age is often romanticized, but the author does a fantastic job of sharing what went on behind the façade of parties and the cost of keeping up appearances.

Esme and Jinx live a life of luxury. As heirs to their father's publication, they lack nothing. Except love. They take drastically different paths looking for love. While I liked both characters, I felt horrible for them. Their realities were often harsh, and their lives were full of unhappiness.

I loved the way the author captured that time period---the good and the bad. Because the books spans several years, you could see the way society was changing in regards to women and the effects of war.

Fans of Christian historical fiction will enjoy this book.  It's more proof that Susan May Warren is one of the best and can write in multiple genres with success.

 

 

 

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Giveaway!

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Congrats to Linda for winning Undeniably Yours.

 

This week, I'm giving away Dead Lawyers Tell no Tales, which is a great book! To enter to win, leave a comment telling me something unique or quirky about yourself. I usually pick a topic based on the books but lawyers, dead, and lies/tales didn't give me many fun thoughts. :) No offense to any lawyers.

 

Something quirky about me is that potato eyes FREAK me out. I can manage the little red ones if I have to, but the big on with the eyes freak me out. I'm grossed out just typing about it.

 

To get a second entry, follow the blog and leave a second comment letting me know you follow.

I can only ship to the US. I'll pick a winner next week.

 

 

Author Pictures: Help Please

My talented cousin Michelle came into town and took some pictures of me for the back of my book and other marketing.

I'm super happy with them, but I can't decide which one to use for the back of the book.

Here are a few of my favorite. What do you think?

 

One

 

Two

 

 

Three

 

 

Four

 

 

Five

 

 

Six

(I love this one, but since it's supposed to be a headshot, I don't know if I can use this.)

 

 

Seven

 

 

Eight

 

 

Nine

 

 

Ten

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your help! There are a lot of other variations of the same thing, so I may add some more!

 

Here's a sweet one of me, my sister Jeanelle, and my mom.

 

 

 

And last one, one of me, my sister, and my cousin Michelle, the photographer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosemary Cottage: A Review

 

 

The title Rosemary Cottage makes you think of a cozy love story or perhaps a cozy mystery surrounding a family secret. But readers can expect a slow start as the story builds but then an exciting middle and surprising ending as the mystery unravels.

 

Amy comes to the cottage still reeling from the unsettling death of her brother Ben. Curtis is also recovering from the death of a sibling--his sister, who happened to be connected to Ben. When they begin to talk about the deaths, they realize there's more to the story than meets the eye.

 

Although I didn't like Amy and Curtis as much as I liked the characters from the first book in this series (Tidewater Inn), I did enjoy the story, mainly because while I figured out a little bit of the story, the ending threw me for a loop. The ending was exciting and makes me hope the author has another book in the series so that we can se how Amy and Curtis are dealing with the final twist.

 

Fans of Christian suspense will enjoy this book. Although you don't have to read Tidewater Inn first to follow this story, it may be nice since several characters are in both books.

 

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales: A Review

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This book is a fantastic blend of well-developed interesting characters, suspense, legal drama, and an ending I didn't see coming.

 

Landon Reed served two years in jail for fixing games during his time as a college quarterback. Now he's out and ready to make a difference as a defense attorney at McNaughton & Clay, the only law office interested in hiring him. When he becomes entangled in a high profile case and members of the law firm are killed, Landon has to find out who is after him before he's next.

 

I loved the parallel storyline with Landon's wife Kerri. She was just as much a main character as Landon, and I loved the "realness" of their relationship and its development throughout the book. All of the characters were great---unique, flawed and real.

 

The end surprised me. I was so focused on who was killing the members of the firm and whether or not Elias was guilty that I missed any clues about the twist, which  made it a great ending.

 

I hope Singer considers writing a sequel because these characters are strong enough to tell another story.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway!

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Congrats to Linda for winning The House that Love Built. Sorry it took me two weeks. Last Saturday was the start of one of my dog sitting jobs, and it was 107 degrees. I didn't do much thinking that day.

 

Today, I'm giving away Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade. I LOVE the cover. I know for a while, the covers haven't been showing actual faces. To enter to win, leave a comment about what you like or don't like to see in book covers. This is a little thing, but it always stands out when I see it--historical fiction where the girl has highlights. I doubt girls trying to save the farm were worried about their hair.

 

Be sure to leave your email address. I'll pick a winner next week....unless it's another scorcher. I can only ship to the US.