Daily Archives: August 26, 2019

Giveaway – Knowing Nichelle by Tinsley Sellers @TinsleySellers @XpressoTours

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Book details:
Knowing Nichelle 
by Tinsley Sellers 
Publication date: August 16th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

SYNOPSIS

She’s just met the man of her dreams…but he’s not who he said he was. Neither is she. Until they get a second chance to make a first impression.

Is he a sophisticated big-city lawyer, or an easygoing small-town woodworker? And if she’s not a career-driven high-powered attorney, then who is she? Hiding behind their masks is second nature until circumstances force them to see beneath the surface and realize just how alike—and in love—they really are.

He’s only got one rule: no lawyers. She’s a lawyer.

Burned by experience, Buck’s got a rule for a reason. After walking away from a lucrative legal position, he found his peace in Beckley. Life on the farm is simple, and his woodworking business is thriving. He’s not interested in trading his work boots for wingtips and rejoining the rat race. So what if she’s the most compelling woman he’s ever met?

She’s only got one requirement: no a**holes. He’s an a**hole.

After a disastrous encounter in a trendy bar, Nichelle’s convinced that he’s an over-muscled a**hole. She’s got a sleek car, luxurious condo, and elegant designer clothes. Family comes first, and her legal career is on the fastest track. She’s never met a problem she couldn’t solve on her own. So what if he can see beneath her carefully constructed façade?

They’re perfect together. They just don’t know it yet.

Welcome back to Beckley, Michigan! Autumn is in the air and as the days get shorter, the air gets cooler and the calm lakes reflect the blue skies and red-gold trees for a double-dose of fall color. The people are just as warm, friendly, smart, funny, and real as you remember. When you need a place to call home, Beckley welcomes you—and sometimes the family you choose is as strong as the bonds you’re born with.

If you like small-town romance, you’ll like Beckley. If you like smart heroines who balance demanding professional careers with a commitment to family, friends, and finding love, then you’ll definitely like it here. If you like strong, sexy, hard-working heroes who have not-so-secret soft spots for kids, dogs, and classic cars, you may find that you never want to leave!

Knowing Nichelle is the third in the Beckley’s Daughters Romance series. It can be read as a stand-alone story, but continuing readers will recognize many of the characters and locations. This series is recommended for adult readers and contains explicit language and intimate situations.

EXCERPT

Buck

“Welcome to the Alpha Quadrant!” the bartender shouted as he poured two whiskies and set them on the bar before us. I finally took a good look around the space; it had been decorated by someone with a serious Star Trek fixa…oh. Got it. This was definitely her home turf.

Nichelle spun on her stool and waved to the karaoke DJ, set up next to a small stage on the wall opposite the bar. His face lit up and he punched the air enthusiastically. When the couple on stage finished their duet, the DJ spoke into his microphone.

“It’s been awhile, Starfleet cadets, but Uhura is in the house!” Someone whooped, and heads began turning towards Nichelle. “Get your fine ass up on this stage, Lieutenant!”

She grinned and shouted over the crowd, “Pick me a song, Harcourt Fenton Mudd!” I stared with disbelief as she picked her way to the stage. Harry Mudd typed a few keystrokes on his laptop as she stepped onstage and took up her mic. I recognized the No Doubt song; Jess had listened to it compulsively—without headphones—when it was first released.

“Funny how I…find myself…in love with you,” Nichelle’s silken voice stopped most of the conversation in the room. Bones poured me another drink without asking.

“I ask myself, how much do you…commit yourself?”

Thank god I was already sitting. Thank god the place was poorly lit and all eyes were on the stage. The bar was suddenly too hot; I pulled off my suit jacket and draped it over the back of my stool. I yanked my tie loose and popped the collar button that threatened to cut off my airway.

“Funny how I…blind myself…I never knew,” she sang more softly, and I caught the wave of pain that rolled off her. I flinched, but she raised her gaze, finding my eyes in the dim light. Her voice grew stronger, and bam! she was playing the crowd like a pro.

It’s just a song, I repeated to myself. Swallowed some whisky. Just a song. She didn’t pick it. Goddamn it, it’s not a message. Maybe it was. This thing between us… Why was she blinding herself to the possibility? Why was she focusing all her effort on proving that it couldn’t work? I didn’t know how to convince her to give it a shot, but I had to try. She deserved so much. I had to give her this.

“It’s my life,” she belted out. “Don’t you forget.”

It was her life, but I wasn’t about to let her shut me out of it. Not without a fight.

The bartender nudged my elbow, and I swiveled away from the stage to face him. “You got a response to that?” He jutted his chin towards the stage.

He stepped away, set up a round of tequila shots on a tray for the waitress, and returned as the song was ending. “You got a response to that?” he asked again with a knowing look.

“I might,” I admitted.

ABOUT TINSELY SELLERS

Tinsley Sellers grew up in Chicago, spending her summers with her grandparents in a tiny town a lot like Beckley, Michigan. Life took her to Arizona, Washington, and Idaho before she finally found her home in Arkansas. She is married to an amazing, supportive (and handsome!) man, with whom she has rescued three dogs and two cats. When she’s not writing, she teaches physics and engineering at the local university. When she’s not writing or teaching, she’s probably trying new recipes. She enjoys fast cars, loud music, fine whisky, and big books. In no particular order.


Author links:https://tinsleysellers.com/https://www.instagram.com/tinsleysellers/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18212378.Tinsley_Sellershttps://www.facebook.com/TinsleySellers/https://twitter.com/TinsleySellers

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Giveaway, Book Trailer & Review – April In The Back Of Beyond @pmterrell @GoddessFish

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P M Terrell writes some fabulous stories and just looking at the cover makes me want to enter those dilapidated gates and find out if Hayley will be the next victim or not.

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April in the Back of Beyond by p.m.terrell

GENRE: Romantic Suspense/Ghost Story

MY REVIEW

P M Terrell writes some amazing stories and her historical fiction makes me feel as if I can see the ruins, hear the cattle, smell the crisp air, and feel the fear of Hayley as she tries to figure out what the ghost wants from her. I love to anticipate the adventure, a ghost or two, and a bit of an education.

Hayley had been researching her lineage online for a historical novel, and now it was time to make the journey to discover it for herself.

Ireland has a complex history and I have always been confused by it. P M Terrell explains things in a way that I can begin to understand. Religion is a touchy subject no matter where you live, pitting brother against brother.

P M Terrell has a marvelous ability to bring to life the characters surroundings with vivid descriptions. I can see the stone fences and the patchwork quilt of the countryside. I felt like I was walking the meadows and the ruins. Desolate, burnt to the ground, making me want to know what happened to the people that lived there.

Hauntings seem to fit right in with a rainy, misty, foggy Ireland that is steeped in a confusing, at times brutal history. Violence continues to this day.

At the end, wrapped in a pretty bow for a sometimes ugly story, Fergal put a tear in my eye and a smile on my face.

P M Terrell has history in Ireland and weaves fact and fiction seamlessly. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will want to check out her work. I love the personal touches she adds to her stories. It May have you questioning what’s real and who are the restless spirits.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of April in the Back of Beyond by P M Terrell.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Writer Hayley Hunter has arrived in Ireland to complete a book on Irish history. When she discovers the old carriage house she is renting is haunted, she is determined to uncover the truth behind the burned ruins of a nearby manor house and the abandoned British barracks it overlooks. With the assistance of Shay Macgregor, an Irish historian, her quest will take her to 1919 and the Irish War for Independence, exposing the murders of two young men and why their mother, April Crutchley, refuses to leave the back of beyond even in death. With a budding romance and the opportunity to begin life anew, Hayley finds her own life is now in jeopardy as she gets closer to a truth the villagers have long sought to bury.

EXCERPTS

When I heard the soft sobs, I realized I had drifted off once more and in my half-awakened state, I thought the cries were connected to my discordant dreams. I lay there with a groan on my lips not quite ready to spill out and wishing I could simply sleep peacefully before it was too late and I would be forced to arise for the long day ahead. I felt the bedcovers slip away from my bare shoulders and I fought to open my eyes.

When they finally did open, I discovered that I was completely uncovered. The bedcovers had been pulled to the foot of the bed and were shivering inches from my feet as they lay heaped into an unkempt triangle about three feet in height. I blinked once and then twice, my mind not grasping what my eyes were witnessing, for surely it must be a trick of the eyes to think the covers were still moving.

It was then that I realized the soft sobs had continued even after I had fully awakened and they were not part and parcel of my overactive dream state but they were real and they were coming from the direction of the blanket.

“You don’t understand,” came the sound of a woman’s voice, wracked with anguished sobs. “They are still here.”

“No, sweet darling,” returned a weary man’s voice that sounded so close I nearly jumped out of my skin. “They are with God now.”

“I’m telling you they are not,” the woman answered, her weeping growing more tormented. “They’ve never left. They’re still here.”

Within the space of a single heartbeat, I saw myself just a few nights ago, convinced the voices came from outside my window. Then I was pulled into the present to fight the horrifying realization that I was sharing my bed with two apparitions.

I slid my feet away from the covers in excruciatingly slow progress, afraid at any moment my movements would alert the phantoms of my presence. I tucked my feet and knees close to my torso as I came to an uneasy seated position, almost fetal in an attempt to occupy as little space as possible.

The room had become an icebox despite the radiators and I found myself shivering almost in tandem with the blanket. I had no idea how long I sat there, curled against the headboard and pillows, watching the foot of the bed and listening to the disembodied voices that filled the air. But then something seemed to snap inside me, fully awakening me to the present time and despite my fear, despite my trepidation, I grew impatient with myself. I reached a trembling hand toward the bedcovers, intent on pulling them over me to fight the chill as well as reassure me that they were not wet.

But at the precise moment I felt the dampness under my fingers, the sobbing stopped, replaced by a gasp that was not my own. I yanked the covers to the side, determined to discover what mechanical device lay beneath. The material jerked away from me as though I was engaged in a tug-of-war and the gasp was replaced with a woman’s blood-curdling scream and a man’s shouts.

ABOUT P M TERRELL

p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 23 books in multiple genres, including contemporary suspense, historical suspense, computer instructional, non-fiction and children’s books.

Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area: McClelland Enterprises, Inc. and Continental Software Development Corporation. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in the detection of white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence.

A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries was her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22, released in 2008. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. Her second series, Ryan O’Clery Suspense, is also award-winning. The Tempest Murders (Book 1) was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category. Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. Songbirds are Free is her bestselling book to date; it is inspired by the true story of Mary Neely, who was captured in 1780 by Shawnee warriors near Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN).

She was the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She was the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime and served as its chairperson and organizer for its first four years. She also served on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County (NC) Public Library, the Robeson County (NC) Arts Council, Virginia Crime Stoppers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.

For more information, book trailers, excerpts and more, visit the author’s website at www.pmterrell.com.

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Giveaway & Review – Ambush in the Everglades by Petie McCarty @authorpetie @GoddessFish

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Ambush in the Everglades by Petie McCarty

GENRE: Romantic Suspense

MY REVIEW

Girl meets boy, sparks fly, he pushes the throttle of the airboat forward and we are off on an Everglades adventure. So far, things are what I expected them to be and I am loving it. I am sure the danger is around one of these corners, just got to find it. lol

The Everglades is something on my bucket list, so I was very excited to ‘read all about it.’ I can imagine the vibrations from the airboat under my feet, the sounds and smells that surround me, the wind blowing my hair and the sun on my face. Kayli is a photographer, so that is another thing about the book I can relate to, wanting to get those perfect shots. I can hardly wait to walk in her footsteps with my own Mr Wonderful.

Okay, Kayli, either smack him or kiss him. I foresee some hot action, and it’s not just of the romantic kind. I love all the sexual innuendo and flirtation in the dialogue. I do, sometimes, get frustrated with the back and forth of romantic suspense, but, when I really think about it, isn’t miscommunication a popular problem in real life?

I love the ecological slant to the story. I know some people don’t like real life events and concerns in their fictional reading, but to me it makes the story more real. Gives me an extra something to see how it plays out.

Oh yeah, gotta have those *#%$& spiders and giant cockroaches that we know so well here in Florida.

I love Sky’s friend, Jimmy, messing with him about Kayli. Plenty of grins and laughs.

I never thought I would be such a hopeless romantic, but if the writing is good and the characters engrossing, my heart pounds with heat and fear right along with them. I know it’s hard to find a love story that hasn’t been told before, but I sure do like reading new books in my search.

Romance, danger, some Indian lore and mysticism in a tropical paradise? Loved it!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ambush by Petie McCarty.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Plenty of action-adventure in this romantic-suspense tale. Photographer Kayli Heddon is given the biggest assignment of her career—a photo essay on the Everglades Restoration—and a special airboat safari is arranged, so Kayli can get her pictures. What she doesn’t count on is being stranded alone in the Everglades with her handsome and unpredictable airboat guide. Kayli is forced to learn some tough lessons. Trust means everything in the dangerous River of Grass, and a skilled partner makes all the difference in your survival.

Skye Landers takes the airboat safari gig as a favor to his cousin who is called out of town. Skye doesn’t expect the governor’s photographer to catch his eye, but Kayli Heddon is unlike any woman he has ever met. He knows he should keep his distance, but common sense flies out the window whenever she gets near.

Unfortunately, Kayli thinks honesty is the most important thing in a relationship—any relationship—and Skye Landers is a fraud. When secrets surface from his past, Kayli and Skye are soon on the run from more than just alligators.

EXCERPT

Leaping over palmettos and tree roots and dodging half-buried cypress knees, they raced for their boat as the whine in the distance grew louder. Kayli recognized the whine as a second airboat. She couldn’t stop running if she wanted to, Skye had a death grip on her hand.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” she shouted, “and why are we running?”

Twenty more yards, and they reached the airboat. The approaching craft sounded closer by the second.

He dropped her hand to grab the bow line. “Get in the boat,” he ordered.

She stopped dead. “No.”

He whipped around with a fearsome glare.

“Not until you tell me why we’re running.”

This was so unlike the man she’d come to know over the last two days at close quarters. He looked . . . well, scared.

“Crane Tennapin is on his way here with drug runners to make a pick up.”

She felt the blood drain from her face. “Who is Crane Tennapin?”

“Another cousin, now let’s go.” He pushed on the bow of the airboat. “I’ve got to get you out of here. I’ll leave you at Sally’s.”

“I’m staying with you.”

“You can’t. I have to come back to help Crane.”

The whine grew louder and closer.

She froze. “You’re coming back to help a drug dealer?”

“Hell no!” he roared and softened his voice when she flinched. “Crane’s in over his head. He got mixed up with the Colombians before he knew about the drugs. Now they’re threatening to turn him in if he doesn’t help them with this drop.”

He motioned her over and held out a hand. “Come on, come on.”

“What if you don’t get back in time?” She couldn’t believe she wasn’t scrambling into the airboat.

He had her by the shoulders in two steps and stared hard in her eyes. “I can’t let anything happen to you.”

The emotion in his voice wrapped around her heart like long tentacles, and she couldn’t pull free. She didn’t want to.

Her arms flew around his neck, and Skye crushed her to his chest, his mouth hard against hers. A flood of emotion rifled through her unlike anything she’d ever felt in her life. She wanted to fold her soul into his and never let him go. She had wanted this can’t-let-you-go kiss from the moment she laid eyes on Skye. She wanted the kiss to last forever.

Precious seconds were squandered. The airboat whine grew louder, and his head jerked up.

“Damn.”

“There’s no time to get me out.”

No way would she leave him, not with drug runners coming. She might never see him again.

He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. “You have to trust me.”

She nodded. “What’re you going to do?”

“Sink the airboat.”

AUTHOR Bio and Link

Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The  Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.

Visit Petie’s web site online at http://www.petiemccarty.com or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty.

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  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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