Cinder's Bride - Spotlight, Giveaway and Review

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Cinders' Bride

SERIES – Mail Order Brides of Texas book one

AUTHOR – Kathleen Ball

GENRE – Historical Western Romance

PUBLICATION DATE – 7/2/15

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 50,000 words152 pages

PUBLISHER – me

COVER ARTIST – Aria Tan

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Mail Order Brides of Texas Book One
Shannon McMurphy travels to Asherville, Texas as a mail order bride expecting to marry a rancher. Instead, her intended is a saloonkeeper. Her refusal to marry enrages John Hardy and he slices her cheek with a knife so no other man would want her. She runs into the street and no one helps her until Cinders comes along.

Sexy, Rancher Cinders saves Shannon and offers her a job. To protect her reputation he marries her. They both agree it's a marriage of convenience. He admires her spunk and willingness to learn everything about surviving the Texas frontier. He waits for her to ask to go home but she never does.

They learn a lot about each other through, stolen horses, Indian troubles, a cattle drive and the busybodies of the town. Their attraction for each other grows, but can they learn to trust enough to love?

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US –http://amzn.com/B010MH9DQ2

AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010MH9DQ2

EXCERPT

The world seemed eerily quiet as she pushed herself up from the hard packed dirt, only to fall back down. Her ankle hurt. Tears filled her eyes, as she glanced around. There stood the women from the mercantile, staring, and their eyes full of terror. She’d get no assistance from them.

John Hardy strutted into the street and laughed while he gestured for two of his men to pick her up. “Come on, honey, it’s time for our honeymoon.”

She heard the clomping of hooves and the turn of wagon wheels behind her but the wagon didn’t stop to help her either. By this time, a crowd had gathered and now there were men standing with the group of women. She tried to plead for help with her eyes but they glanced away.

Two men grabbed at her to haul her back into the saloon when a loud cocking of a gun erupted from behind.

“Put her down.” A man's voice threatened.

John stepped forward, thrusting out his chest. “Listen, Cinders, this is none of your business. It’d be in your best interest to leave things be.”

The world began to dim and spin, the smell of blood was the last straw. She fainted.

MY REVIEW

 Shannon's introduction to her new husband to be is not what she expected, and the rowdy saloon is certainly not what she envisaged when she answered the advert for a 'mail order bride'. Shocked that her prospective husband is not the rancher she was led to believe was waiting for her, she refuses to go have anything to do with John Hardly who slashes her face in rage and spite, taunting her that no other man would want her now.

A man called Cinders comes to her rescue. He gets her face sewn up and realises that he will have to take her back to her ranch as there is nowhere in the town for her to stay.  The townswomen are singularly unsympathetic. In order to protect her reputation they are obliged to get married. Now Shannon has the rancher husband she wanted, and throws herself into being a hardworking wife, even if they are man and wife in name only, and quickly earns the respect and liking of the ranch hands. She is very naive and innocent in some ways and has to lean on the ranch cook for support and advice when she is too shy to ask her husband.

There is plenty of action and suspense in this story, and a little humour too, as Cinders refuses to reveal his first name to his bride, and she tries unsuccessfully to guess it. The reason for his reluctance is not revealed until the end. Both Shannon and Cinders are well drawn, likable characters, and have to endure a lot of dangerous encounters and some misunderstandings before they achieve their happy ever after. The supporting characters are also well portrayed and easy to relate to. The women of the town are not very likable, and make little attempt to hide their prejudice and misinformed opinions of Shannon. There is plenty of action and suspense, and I found this a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable short novel. I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a romantic historical western with a strong but gentle hero and a feisty, but sweet natured heroine.

 Rating: Five comets
 *****

AUTHOR BIO

Sexy Cowboys and the women who love them...

Finalist in the 2012 RONE Awards.

Top Pick, Five Star Series from the Romance Review.

Kathleen Ball writes contemporary western romance with great emotion and memorable
characters. Her books are award winners and have appeared on best sellers lists including
Amazon's Best Sellers List, All Romance Ebooks, Bookstrand, Desert Breeze Publishing and
Secret Cravings Publishing Best Sellers list. She is the recipient of eight Editor's Choice
Awards, and The Readers' Choice Award for Ryelee's Cowboy. 

There's something about a cowboy....

***Order of my Books***
Lasso Spring Series

Callie's Heart
Lone Star Joy
Stetson's Storm

Dawson Ranch Series

Texas Haven- FREE
Ryelee's Cowboy
*Alice's Story- free prequel on my website

Cowboy Seasons Series

Summer's Desire
Autumn's Hope
Winter's Embrace
Spring's Delight

Mail Order Brides of Texas

FOLLOW LINKS

WEBSITE / BLOG – http://www.kathleenballromance.com

FACEBOOK –  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathleen-Ball-Western-Romance/121300767916947

TWITTER – http://www.twitter.com/kballauthor

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

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treat your skin to these pampering products that will have you looking and feeling your very best.

• Skinvigorate™ Cleansing Brush
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This is the link of what it is http://www.marykay.com/kball8164/en-US/Gifts/Occasion/Bridal/Before-the-Big-Day-Set/10091930.partId?eCatId=10743

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Gamma Rift - New Adult SF Romance spotlight and Giveaway

Gamma Rift
Kalli Lanford

Release Date: August 18

Genre: New Adult

Publisher: Entangled Embrace Imprint

Book Description:

His secret (alien) crush...

I may be a Prince, but there are things that trouble me about my father's royal rule-the forced abduction, experimentation, and torture of alien creatures. The king has a new prisoner who's a carefully kept secret...

There's a young female who belongs to a little-known civilization I have been studying extensively. They are human, belonging to a small, undeveloped planet called Earth. She is pretty in a way I find unusual and compelling. Sometimes I sneak into the adjoining cell and we talk about everything and nothing, even as I find myself yearning to touch her strange, soft skin.

Skin that is being subjected to invasive tests and experiments. A body that's scheduled for a live dissection in fifteen days. And a life that will be terminated unless I risk my future and life to help her escape...


Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/H9zKmFGVy9U

Add it to your Goodreads Shelf

Available at Amazon


About the Author:

Kalli Lanford, a native of San Diego, California, grew up hanging out at the beach and playing sports.  When she’s not nerding out at San Diego Comic-Con, she can be seen doing normal-people stuff like teaching high-school English, cooking delicious meals for her family, and attending her son’s football games.  In her spare time, she writes new adult fiction and loves listening to hard rock.  She hopes to live long and prosper, and that you will, too.

Author Website: www.authorkallilanford.com


Author Twitter: @kallilanford

Author Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorkallilanford

Newsletter: http://www.authorkallilanford.com/#!contact/c24ju




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The Protector, by Diane Burton - Book Tour and Giveaway

The Protector (An Outer Rim Novel)
By Diane Burton
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords
Genre: Romantic Adventure/Science Fiction
Release Date: July 24, 2015
Length: 370 Pages

 BLURB
After tavern owner Rissa Dix rescues two girls from a slave ship, she must rally the townsfolk to prevent traffickers from raiding the frontier colony. She’s met with apathy and disbelief. Because she lost her own baby to traffickers, she’s determined that no other mother will suffer the same heartache.
Industrialist heir Dillan Rusteran aids her in rescuing more children. Little do they know they’re about to tangle with a trafficking ring that puts Rissa in danger. Dillan’s loved her for years despite her claim she’s too old for him. As they fight the traffickers, will she finally see him in a new light?


EXCERPT
When she heard the rustle, Rissa stopped in the middle of the sanitary.
“Whoever you are, come out. Right now.”

Another rustle then the sound of feet lightly hitting the floor. The lock slid open then slowly the door moved.

“Please,” a soft voice whispered. “Don’t hurt us.”

That sounded like a young girl.

“Come out where I can see you.” Rissa, too, whispered.

A tall, dark-haired teen stepped out, followed by a smaller girl with light brown hair. They both looked terrified. Their hair was matted and dirt smudged their faces. Their clothes were filthy. The smells emanating from them contributed to the general san-fac odors. Rissa did her best not to react.
Holding the other girl behind her, the tall one stepped forward, jutting out her chin. “We are not going back.”

“O-kay. Back where?”

“You can’t make us. We’ll escape again.”

Rissa had to admire her bravado. “You escaped? From where?”

“Did they send you in here to get us?”

Since the taller one seemed to be the spokesperson, Rissa kept her eyes on her. Something about her was compelling. Rissa could be looking at herself at the same age. Then it hit her hard, like a blow to the stomach. That was what Miri would have looked like at that age. Same strong Traishan features—olive skin, dark hair and eyes. Same strong will.

Rissa took a deep breath to steady herself before locking the outer door. “Nobody sent me. You asked for help. What can I do?”

“Get us out of here before they discover we’re gone.” Despite the strength in the tall girl’s voice, she worked hard to keep her chin from wobbling.

“Who?” Rissa was afraid she knew.

“Those men. The Chellians. We can’t go back. We won’t.”

By the Matriarch, traffickers.

Her lungs seized, her heart hurt so badly Rissa clutched her chest. Be strong, she told herself. Pull yourself together. No traffickers had ever come to Astron Colony before. Or even to Galeriana. She had to help the girls get away.

She glanced at the window on the far wall.

“We couldn’t open it,” the smaller girl sobbed. “We were trying when you came in. We thought you were them.”

Since Rissa was taller, she could easily reach the window. With a shove, she got it open. “Come.” She motioned to the tall girl. “You first. You can catch your friend. She’s too small to catch you.”
She cupped her hands for the girl’s foot. “Hide outside. I’ll come around and take you somewhere safe.” At the girls’ wary looks, she added, “I promise. Now go before someone comes looking for us.”

Rissa boosted her up to the open window. The tall girl hoisted herself through, disappeared for a moment then stuck her head inside.

“The ground is higher out here. Come, Anaris.” She held out her arms.

The small girl, Anaris, gave Rissa a panicked look. “You’ll come for us?”

The door rattled. “Hey,” a male yelled. “Open up.”

Anaris gave her a panicked look.

“Gimme a min,” Rissa yelled back.

“I promise to come for you,” Rissa whispered then gave her a boost. Like the tall girl, Anaris disappeared through the window.

As Rissa reached to close it, the tall girl was there about to do the same. “Thank you.” She shut the window and ducked out of sight.

Hoping they would wait for her, Rissa walked out of the san-fac. A mech glared at her. “Whadda mean by locking the door?”

“Didn’t want you walking in on me.” She glanced over at a commotion near the freighter where she’d delivered the supplies. “What’s going?”

The pilot was yelling and his two crewmen were darting between ships, searching.
“Damn offworlder.” The mech brushed past her into the san-fac.

When the pilot saw her, he yelled, “What did you do with them?”

Rissa looked around to see who he was shouting at.

“You there.” He stormed up to her. “Where are those two girls?”

She affected a confused expression. “What girls?”

“My cargo, I mean passengers. Damn you to Lexol’s Fire. How did you get them out?”
The pilot’s slip confirmed what Rissa feared. The girls she helped escape had been cargo. The pilot and crew were slavers, bastards who trafficked in children. A primal urge swept through her. Kill them. Kill them now.

I grew up in the Detroit-area and have lived in Portage (MI), Sedalia (MO) as well as a brief stint in Chicago-land.  I've been a Parks & Recreation supervisor, an inventory clerk for a flute store, and a long-time volunteer for Girl Scouts. My last job was for an oil and gas exploration company where I discovered the cure for insomnia—reading oil and gas leases.  My longest-running gig was as a teacher where I taught elementary kids for over 10 years.  I am a member of Romance Writers of America and the Mid-Michigan and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapters of RWA. I met my own hero on a blind date. It was love at first sight--for me. It took him a little longer. We currently reside in West Michigan and have two grown children and three delightful grandchildren.

I’ve been a reader all my life, and I love movies, especially action adventure, mysteries, science fiction, and romantic comedy. Castle, Firefly, and NCIS are my favorite TV shows. So is it any wonder that I write science fiction romance and romantic suspense, both with comedic elements??

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Novel Assistance  |  Novel by Design  |  Novel Book Tours

The Bridge of Deaths, by M C V Egan

Where Wolves Talk - spotlight and Giveaway

WHERE WOLVES TALK
by D.L. Lewis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Kitten, an American tabby residing in England, is a frustrated cat. He knows his place in the world:

he was born to kill. Killing, after all, is what felines are supposed to do. Confined within his Lady's house, however, the young fellow is deprived of the opportunity to hunt live prey. The mansion is a sterile playground for a predator; offering nothing more than furniture which allows itself to be brutalized far too easily. The ambitious cat is bored and hungry for a challenge.

Kitten learns of a passage hidden in his Lady's library: the Door, which leads to an unknown world. The cat has been told that the source of all evil dwells openly in this place. The feline is eager to fight the sinister personage and goes through the Door with no hesitation.

The tabby finds himself in what appears to be a forest like any other in England. It doesn't take long for him to learn that this is a very different place.

Written in the basic style of classic stories like THE LORD OF THE RINGS, WATERSHIP DOWN, and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, this novel can be appreciated on different levels. To some readers, it's an allegorical tale: thought-provoking and filled with symbolism. To others, it's an adventure-filled page-turner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

First Horse, snorting and puffing, began to prance in place before her general and the tabby. Sinewy legs of solid muscle kicked high to break sharply at the knee and then dropped, like slow springs, only to bounce back into the break again after the first contact with the ground; as though the equine’s alabaster hooves feared the gentle kiss of the earth, yet couldn’t resist seeking it, over and over again. Erupting out of the controlled prance and into wild self-expression, the filly turned and kicked up her back feet in celebration of giddy feel-good happiness. One big jump-kick, two big jump-kicks, one near-somersault, and she dashed forward into an abrupt gallop that halted as soon as it had begun; chunks of disturbed earth flying into the air as hooves dug into terra firma for a flashy halt. In a final explosion of showing off, the quadruped kicked her hind feet up so high that Kitten feared the equine might tumble forward into a spine-shattering roll. First Horse wasn’t so foolish as to perform such a self-destructive feat, however, and brought her heels back to earth a millisecond before her equilibrium reached the endangered point. Standing suddenly quiet, she bowed her head to her superior.

Wolf’s tail drummed against the ground in an expression of appreciation for the athletic show. “What’s got into my girl today? Did you find a field of oats and stuff yourself into this tizzy of excess energy?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

D. L. Lewis lives in northern California with a cello, four cats, and a crow named Harold. Where Wolves Talk is her first published novel; followed by Something in the House—California Gothic, Doppelgänger, and Fighting Back.

Where Wolves Talk is on sale at 99 cents (for a limited time) at Kindle and iBooks.

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Wolves-Talk-D-Lewis/dp/1497514738

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/where-wolves-talk/id931662653?mt=11

Author Blog: http://dllewisauthor.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

D.L. Lewis is awarding one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN GC.


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Into The Mist - spotlight and Giveaway

Into the Mist

Moonseed Trilogy

Book 3

Judith Ingram

Genre:  paranormal romance

Publisher: Vinspire Publishing, LLC

Date of Publication: July 30, 2015

Number of pages: 

Word Count:  91,500

Cover Artist:  Elaina Lee/

For the Muse Designs

Book Description: 

For the past six months, time-traveler Victoria Ashton has been living life as Katherine Kamarov on a ranch in rural California, circa 1890. A contrast to Katherine’s brash personality, shy and gentle Victoria has won the hearts of Katherine’s family and particularly her cousin Michael. Despite her deepening love for Michael, she has rejected his offer of marriage and sent him away, knowing that she must return to her own time on the night of the new spring moon.

In this third and final book of the series, sinister forces threaten Victoria’s new family, her property, and even her life, testing her for courage and ingenuity. A confident new self emerges, and when Michael unexpectedly walks back into her life, she questions whether she must remain a victim of fate or can find a way to determine her own future.

Meanwhile, Katherine has been living a parallel year of exchange in Victoria’s modern-day life, married to the handsome but remote Ryan Ashton. Hardened by her past, Katherine nevertheless falls for Ryan and, like Victoria, begins to search for a way to defy fate and keep the life she has come to cherish.

As the night of the new spring moon approaches, both women must search their hearts to discover how to hold onto what matters most, even if they should be forced back through the barrier of time.

Excerpt:

He didn’t hear her slide the door open and step out behind him. Her arms circled his waist, and the faint scent of ginger spice shot twin arrows of joy and pain through his body. Wordlessly, he turned and brought his mouth down on hers. Enveloped in the soft twilight hush, they shared a kiss that was deep and long and achingly sweet. When they pulled reluctantly apart, Ryan let his eyes linger over her, already naming the vision being etched in his memory. This is how my love looked in twilight.

She was wearing her white robe, and her blond hair curled softly, just brushing her shoulders. It’s gotten longer, Ryan thought. He suddenly wanted her to cut it again, as if keeping her hair short would somehow help her to keep her claim on this body—on this life—and prevent Vicki from coming back.

Tori moved to the rail and stared out over the city deepening into dusk. “It’s started, Ryan,” she said quietly.

He moved to stand beside her. “What’s started?”

She turned and leaned an elbow on the rail, holding him with a steady gaze. “What we’ve dreaded. I dreamed about the bridge.” She lifted a shoulder. “It’s only a week away. I should have expected it.” She drew in a breath that trembled. “She was already there, standing on the bridge. Waiting for me.”

At his look, she put out her hand and covered his. “Don’t hate her, Ryan. She didn’t ask for this to happen any more than I did.” She smiled faintly. “I would have, though, if I’d known you would be here. I wouldn’t have missed this time with you for anything. No matter what happens, I’ll carry you in my heart until the day I die.”

Ryan couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. He could do nothing but stare at her in mute despair.

She turned her back on the glittering city and leaned both elbows on the rail, staring through the glass doors into their living room. The soft light of the table lamps was growing imperceptibly brighter as the dusk surrendered to night.

“Do you ever wonder, Ryan, what Victoria will be like when she comes back?”

“She’s not coming back.” His voice cracked.

“She’s had a whole year, Ryan, just like me. A lot can happen in a year. She may surprise you.”

“She won’t get the chance.” His jaw tightened. “I’m not letting you go, Tori. I can’t. Vicki doesn’t belong here anymore. This is your home, with Christina and me.” He covered the crack in his voice with harshness. “How can you stand there and calmly talk about Vicki coming back while you just up and vanish from our lives? Like it’s already decided, like it’s so easy for you—”

About the Author:

Judith Ingram weaves together her love of romance and mystery as well as her training as a counselor to create stories and characters for her novels. She is also the author of a Christian guide to forgiving and posts weekly devotionals on the role of forgiveness in healing relationships. She lives with her husband in the San Francisco East Bay and makes frequent trips to beautiful Sonoma County, where many of her fiction characters reside. She confesses a love for chocolate, cheesecake, romantic suspense novels, movies that require three hankies, and all things feline.

Website, blog and free weekly devotional: http://JudithIngram.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudithIngramAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@judithingram20

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/judith-ingram/a/122/62

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5356538.Judith_Ingram

Tour giveaway July 27- August 24

2 ebook (.pdf or .epub) bundles of trilogy Books 1 & 2

2 signed paperback copies of trilogy bundle Books 1 & 2 with bookmarks

2 ebook copies (.pdf or .epub) of Into the Mist

2 signed paperback copies of Into the Mist with bookmarks

4 $25 Amazon gift cards

4 purse charms featuring book cover and story theme charms

Direct link to entry form

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