Friday 56 #149 – Yesterday’s Sun by Amanda Brooke @AmandaBrookeAB

Posted on December 22, 2017 by fundinmental

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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Yesterday’s Sun by Amanda Brooke is a lovely paranormal/supernatural romance story that I gave a 4 star rating on Goodreads. Holly has a choice to make, herself or her child.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY 56

Libby started to wriggle in his arms so Tom pulled the half-finished bottle from her mouth. His face softened slightly as he looked at his daughter and he smiled at her before lifting her onto his shoulder and patting her back. The painted smile disappeared and a look of pain returned to his eyes. “I’m not ready for you to leave me, Hol. I’m not ready to accept that you’re never going to walk back into the room. All your things are exactly as you left them; everything is there, ready for you to come home. Come home, Holly, please just come home.”

(Pages 56 in paperback published in 2013)

GOODREADS BLURB

How could you ever choose between your own life and the life of your child?

Newly-weds Holly and Tom have just moved into an old manor house in the picturesque English countryside. When Holly discovers a moondial in the overgrown garden and its strange crystal mechanism, little does she suspect that it will change her life forever. For the moondial has a curse.

Each full moon, Holly can see into the future – a future which holds Tom cradling their baby daughter, Libby, and mourning Holly’s death in childbirth…

Holly realises the moondial is offering her a desperate choice: give Tom the baby he has always wanted and sacrifice her own life; or save herself and erase the life of the daughter she has fallen in love with.

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One Sentence Review – Eclipse Lake by Mae Clair @maeclair1

Posted on November 18, 2017 by fundinmental

.Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Eclipse Lake is a fully developed story with complex characters and detailed descriptions of a small town called Onyx, that is character driven, with romance the spotlight and suspense being the dot on the I, making me believe in second chances.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Small towns hold the darkest secrets.

Fifteen years after leaving his criminal past and estranged brother behind, widower Dane Carlisle returns to his hometown on the banks of sleepy Eclipse Lake. Now, a successful businessman, he has kept his troubled past a secret from most everyone, including his seventeen-year-old son.

But memories in small towns are bitter and long.

Ellie Sullivan, a nature photographer for a national magazine, has a habit of ping-ponging across the map. Her latest assignment leads her to Eclipse Lake where she becomes caught up in the enmity between Dane, his brother Jonah, and a vengeful town sheriff. When freshly-discovered skeletal remains are linked to an unsolved murder and Dane’s past, Ellie is left questioning her growing attraction for a man who harbors long-buried secrets.

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An Island Mystery – The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West @karilynnwest

Posted on November 9, 2017 by fundinmental

An island, a mystery, and the beautiful and intriguing cover of The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West drew me in. I had to know what the story was.

Cover design by Ebook Launch

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

Ronan is an iluminator. That’s all he desires in his life. He’s no slacker, though his boss at the book store may have another opinion. He’s a diligent student, loves the training, pouring his heart and soul into his studies. He has his apprenticeship, graduating near the top of his class, until…

Luminators are endowed with the power to see and restore memories. The rich used to dominate the luminators, until hard times forced them to sell some of their land. The power comes from the land itself. Now, even families and second class citizens, a common islander, like Ronan, may have the power. The rich think it’s wrong. Sound familiar to present day circumstances? The rich and empowered want it all to themselves.

Cassie is a long time friend, along with Eli. She’s bold, daring, maybe a bit headstrong, (lol, very understated description of her) a daredevil. Eli’s family was wealthy. Somewhat of a surprise that he is friends with Ronan and his snooty parents hates it. They felt only the wealthy should have the power. The same goes for Cassie. She is not a luminator, but her father is.

Eli and Ronan met at the Academy. Cassie met them there, when they befriended her. She needs to think twice about her playful suggestions of entertainment, which can be dangerous and foolhardy.

They believed all they did was good, but everything can be misused and abused. Power can be a seductive thing and abuse of power can be easy to fall victim to for some of our characters. Some danger is hidden and some is in your face.

Some things had a ring of familiarity and I had to see if check I’d read it before. Once I got into the book, it didn’t take long to realize that I hadn’t. I have read thousands of books, so maybe that’s why some things rang familiar.

When everything Ronan has strived for is at risk, when his friends memories are on the line, I wonder if Ronan will do the right thing. What do you think? Well….I’m not telling. Find out for yourself by reading the book.

The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West is filled with fabulous characters and I loved each and every one of them, even the bad ones. It was great watching the gang grow and rise to the occasion. The world on the Island of Islayne was filled with action, intrigue and danger that I would definitely recommend.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A powerful island. A dangerous mystery. An impossible choice.

For centuries, the island of Islayne has given certain residents the ability to revive other people’s memories. These gifted individuals are known as luminators, and sixteen-year-old Ronan Saunders desperately desires to join their illustrious ranks. As he struggles against the prejudice of the old, powerful families who have an iron grip on the trade, Ronan falls under the tutelage of a reclusive luminator, rumored to be insane.

kari . As they delve deeper into the mystery, what they find forces them to question their loyalties, doubt long-held beliefs, and wrestle with the dire consequences of revealing the truth. Ronan finds himself torn between everything he loves and the only future he’s ever wanted. The entire fate of the lumination trade hangs in the balance of his decision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Lynn West writes contemporary YA fantasy—normally while drinking far too much coffee. She likes to create character-driven stories that are set in the real world with a twist, weaving fantastical elements into everyday life. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters

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Giveaway – Chosen by R S Broadhead @RSBroadhead @IndieSagePR

Posted on October 24, 2017 by fundinmental

Chosen

by R.S. Broadhead
Genre: Contemporary, Supernatural, Thriller, Horror
Publication Date: October 24, 2017

Read for FREE in KindleUnlimited: Amazon

Black eyes. No emotion. No sympathy. Only emptiness.

Piper McAdams’s life was normal. Career? Check. Boyfriend? Check. Friends? Check. One unsettling run in with a homeless man turns everything from normal to terrifying. She begins seeing…things.

Things she can’t seem to explain or make any sense.

As if things aren’t already getting out of hand, Piper receives news that the only family member she has is dead. She thinks maybe a trip across the country to her hometown will get her away from all the strange events happening.

After a late night accident, Piper isn’t in her hometown burying her loved one. She’s in a town called Hell. All she wants to do is leave, but the people seem to be holding her there for some reason.

A reason she feels threatens her life. Around every corner things become darker and scarier.

Can she escape what is coming for her?

About R.S. Broadhead

I was born and raised in the small town of Jackson, AL, which was chosen as the back drop for my story. Growing up with very little recreational activities I had to do something to help the time pass and make things in my life sound more exciting than what they actually were. That’s when it all started….a scrapbook that held a countless number of photos of my friends and me. Of course these were normal photos, but I would take these photos and create an array of different stories that lead into one blossoming fictional world.

I have been married for nine years to a wonderful and very supporting man and have been blessed with two spunky, prissy girls. However, our family wouldn’t be complete without our whizzy, gassy Pug. I graduated from Troy University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Giveaway – This Baby Business by Heatherly Bell @HeatherlyBelle @XpressoReads

Posted on October 6, 2017 by fundinmental

This Baby Business
Heatherly Bell
(Heroes of Fortune Valley)
Published by: Harlequin
Publication date: October 1st 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Strictly business…or is it?

Air force pilot Levi Lambert has seen plenty of danger—but his infant daughter might be the death of him. Fortunately, Levi’s found the answer to his sleep-deprived prayers: his next-door neighbor! Carly Gilmore is willing to be his nanny…until a small white lie turns their arrangement from business to very personal. The fake engagement was intended to keep Levi from losing custody of his baby girl, but is causing all sorts of new problems. Not only does Carly attract trouble like bees to honey, but there’s the little matter of Levi’s smokin’-hot attraction to her. The last thing he needs is to fall in love…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

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EXCERPT:

How exactly did he manage to look like sex on a stick at the end of a long day? He had this whole badass look going on, late-afternoon scruffiness over his jawline, making her want to rub against him like a cat.

Bad, bad Carly. “I wanted to talk to you about something anyway.”

“Oh, yeah. I haven’t had a whole lot of luck finding another sitter. I’ll make a few calls tonight.” He followed her into the family room.

“That’s not it. I need a favor.”

“Done.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet.”

He gave her an easy smile. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Be careful, Levi Lambert. You never know what I might ask.”

“Bring it on.” His eyes filled with obvious male appreciation.

She was reminded of her bare legs. The look he slid her was so full of heat that she thought her panties might spontaneously burst into flames. Focus, Carly, focus.

“I want to put photos of Grace on my website. I took some cute ones today.” She took her phone out and showed them to him. Shots of Grace staring with delight at a tree as if she’d just discovered them. Smiling as she watched a child playing ball, staring wide-eyed at a woman walking her poodle down the street.

“You took her to the park. She loves it there.” Levi didn’t take the phone from her, but instead held her wrist and brought the phone up closer.

Her stupid wrist tingled as if it thought it might be about to have a good time. She cleared her throat. “I know. Just look at this one. I think she noticed a cloud for the first time.”

He grinned, still holding her wrist. “Nah, she saw one last week.”

“Right. So…is it okay if I put her photos up? She’s an adorable baby.”

“Fine with me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll never share her real name with my readers. And no one has any idea that the company is based in Fortune. My mother took great precautions to protect our privacy.”

“I trust you.” His big, rough hand slid from her wrist to her elbow, and the tingle traveled.

“Thank you.” She stared at his lips, willing him to kiss her. “The trust is…important.”

“Extremely.”

That talented hand now settled on her waist and pulled her closer. And somehow her hands were squeezing his biceps and she went up on the balls of her feet to get closer still. He kissed her long and deep, his hot, wet tongue insistent. It got wild and crazy as her hands fisted his shirt and his hands palmed her ass.

“Levi.” She broke off from the kiss, breathless. “We probably shouldn’t do this. It’s not…a good idea.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re right.”

Great. He agreed with her. “It’s stupid.”

“Yeah.” He tugged her in tighter and kissed her again. And again.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and moaned into his mouth.

And they continued to be crazy stupid for the next hour.

Author Bio:

Heatherly Bell drinks copious amounts of coffee, craves cupcakes, and occasionally wears real pants.

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Giveaway – Perfect Ten by Kelley R Martin @kelleyrmartin @XpressoReads

Posted on October 5, 2017 by fundinmental

Perfect Ten
Kelley R. Martin
Publication date: October 3rd 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

First comes marriage. Then comes love.

His band’s record went platinum ten times.
I’ve known him for nine hours.
Our wedding ceremony lasted eight minutes.
Last night I must’ve had seven shots.
When our nuptials are accidentally live-streamed, I wake up to six voicemails.
He gave me five toe-curling orgasms.
His tour lasts for another four weeks.
He says he can’t wait to turn us into a family of three.
He’s only in Vegas for two more days.
His name is Tennessee King, and I’m absolutely terrified he might be the one.

This is a standalone novella with an HEA and no cheating. If you’re looking for a quick read with scorching heat and lots of heart, dive right in!

Goodreads / Amazon

—

Author Bio:

Kelley lives in Texas, but she swears it’s not all country music and cowboy boots… Okay, some of it is, but not all of it. She’s got an amazing husband, who continues to inspire her every day, even after twelve years and two ridiculously cute little girls.

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Giveaway – Brash by J C Valentine @AuthorJCV @IndieSagePR

Posted on September 28, 2017 by fundinmental

BRASH

by J.C. Valentine
Spartan Riders, #4
Cover Designed by: Sara Eirew
Publication Date: October 19, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, MC Romance, Bikers, Standalone

#PREORDER YOUR COPY NOW!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xxzxA5

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2hxeB8N

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2wi7EL7

Amazon AUS: http://amzn.to/2fnOsEZ

SYNOPSIS:

USA Today and International bestselling author J.C. Valentine is back with the latest in her captivating, enigmatic, and rousing world of the Spartan Riders MC…

She has a secret she’s desperate to keep…

j Taking refuge in a nearby town, she builds a new and comfortable life under the radar, but when trouble comes knocking on her door, she finds that the one thing she’s worked so hard to protect is about to be exposed.

He has a desire that won’t be denied.

Curtis “Taco” Nash, the Spartan’s road captain, has always marched to the beat of his own drum, his only loyalty to that of his brothers and the club. Only one person has ever successfully clawed their way under Curtis Nash’s skin, and when she disappeared from his life without so much as a goodbye, he wrote her off—at least, he tried to. One mention of the one who got away, and he’s consumed with desire—and anger. He wants answers. He wants her. He’s about to get a lot more than he bargained for.

As the war between the cartel and the Spartans heats up, Taco has to decide if he’s going to protect his brothers or the new life that’s waiting for him. When everything hangs in the balance, one thing is clear: No one is safe. Will Bambi and Taco be able to come together and find the strength to take a leap of faith before time runs out?

EXCERPT

She’d witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly of club life, and she’d gotten close enough to the flame to get burned. She should know better by now not to put her heart on the line, but it was already too late for that.

Hips flexing involuntarily—or maybe completely on purpose—Curtis didn’t even try to hold back his pained moan. “I want to fuck you so goddamn hard.”

“Then do it,” Bambi urged, surprised at herself for encouraging him when there was no way this could end well. They had so much water under the bridge, broken trust being among the biggest of their problems. But she wanted him. God help her, she wanted him so bad. It was as if all of those nights she’d tossed and turned, dreaming of this moment had finally come true. How could she turn him away now, when it was within her grasp?

“I don’t think you understand,” he said darkly. “I want to ram my cock in you so hard, you see stars. I want you to scream in pleasure and in pain. I want to hurt you, dollface, just like you hurt me.” He squeezed her breast again, releasing a warm rush of milk that soaked his hand and her shirt. “I want to see your pretty face stained with tears while you beg for more.”

Yes! God yes, she wanted it. She wanted his rough hands on her body, his harsh words in her ears. She wanted this man and all his brutality. She welcomed the punishment, needed it.

“Is that what you want? Because if it’s not, say so now, and I’ll walk back out that door.”

Her eyes widened in panic, remembering when he’d left early and how much that had hurt. She didn’t want that to happen ever again.

ABOUT J.C. VALENTINE

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

Living in the Northwest, she has three amazing children and far too many pets. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest • Google+ • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

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Giveaway – Seeds of Intention by Andrea Thome @AndreaThome @SDSXXTours

Posted on September 7, 2017 by fundinmental

Seeds of Intention

Hesse Creek Series Book 2

by Andrea Thome

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Is it more important to have roots, or wings?

Garrett Oliver has
just settled into his job as heir apparent to one of the most
renowned master gardeners in the country. After a difficult few
years, he’s found a home and a renewed purpose at a famed resort in
the secluded Smoky Mountains. The stars seem to be aligning for
Garrett as he plans a future with his college sweetheart and
envisions a simple life with her in the mountains of East
Tennessee.

Willow Armstrong, fresh off a painful breakup, is
coming home to Knoxville to care for her ailing father. She finds
herself in the right place at the right time, landing a dream job
alongside Garrett—as his boss. As they are thrown together by their
work, an undeniable magnetism grows between them, despite the fact
that Garrett is ready to start a future with someone
else.

Circumstances persist in drawing them closer, and
an unexpected opportunity in Colorado prompts Willow and Garrett to
wonder if a life together out west might be beyond anything either of
them had dared to imagine.

Goodreads * Amazon

I’m a former broadcast journalist, having covered both sports and news
during my career. (That’s how I met my husband; I interviewed him on
MLB opening day in 1995, and the rest is history.) I temporarily
retired when we had our children, so I could be home with them
full-time while they’re young. We have a fourteen-year-old daughter,
a nine-year-old son, and two cats that we spoil rotten.

This seemed like the perfect time in my life to jump back into doing
something I love; writing and telling stories. No one was more
surprised than me when I ended up with 65,000 words in my lap last
spring! I called it Walland, and it was published in August of 2016.
My second book, Seeds of Intention will be published on September 5,
2017, and as we speak, I’ve started to write a new book, the third in
the Hesse Creek Series.

In my spare time, I love photography and travel, preferably at the same
time. My novels are inspired by favorite places I’ve traveled, each
of which have left vivid footprints on my imagination. I believe a
book can be steamy and sexy, while still keeping it classy. I also
love to infuse my characters with great senses of humor.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram
* Pinterest * Amazon * Goodreads

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Giveaway – What I Wasn’t Looking For by Olivia Hardin @oliviah_writer @PromoBookTours

Posted on August 30, 2017 by fundinmental

Don’t miss the AWESOME giveaway at the bottom of this post!

iBooks | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Boy meets girl. It’s the way romances usually begin . . . and while we all love a happy ending, it’s the #MeetCute that wins our hearts.
How did you two meet?
The #MeetCute Books each have a unique answer to that query. Some might make you swoon, others might make you giggle . . . and some may make you blush.
Twelve authors. Twelve stand-alone contemporary romance novels. Twelve stories that will make your heart beat a little faster.
Because it’s all about the #MeetCute.

Ever heard that if you really want something, stop looking, and it will find you?

Austin: For as long as I can remember, my dad has wanted to find his biological father. I’ve been searching for three long years, but now I’ve reached the end of the line. It’s time to call it quits, admit defeat and go home . . . and then I met her.
Mary: Times have been hard at Simoneaux Bayou since the hurricane came in and swallowed things up. But the community’s beginning to rebuild, and I’ve started to think maybe we’ll find a little bit of normal again soon. Tourists are coming back to Louisiana. Things have been so busy, I can barely stop to catch my breath . . . and then I met him.

The spark of our chance encounter ignites a passion that might burn into the kind of love neither of us knew we were looking for…

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Don’t miss the giveaway below!

About the Author

When Olivia Hardin began having strange movie-like dreams in her teens, she had no choice but to begin putting them to paper. Before long the writing bug had her and she knew she wanted to be a published author. Several rejections plus a little bit of life later, and she was temporarily “cured” of the urge to write. That is until she met a group of talented and fabulous writers who gave her the direction and encouragement she needed to get lost in the words again.
Olivia’s attended three different universities over the years and toyed with majors in Computer Technology, English, History, and Geology. Then one day she heard the term road scholar and she knew that was what she wanted to be. Now she “studies” anything and everything just for the joy of learning. She’s also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and she’s sometimes accused of being artistic.
A native Texas girl, Olivia lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband, Danny and their puppy, Bonnie.
Get a free gift just for signing up for Olivia’s Newsletter!
Follow Olivia:
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And if you love her books, join Team OH!

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Giveaway & Excerpt – I Stop Somewhere by T E Carter @TECarter7 @XpressoReads

Posted on August 10, 2017 by fundinmental

I Stop Somewhere
T.E. Carter
Published by: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: February 27th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

THE LOVELY BONES meets ALL THE RAGE in a searing, heartbreaking contemporary story of a lost teenager, and the town she leaves behind.

Ellie Frias disappeared long before she vanished.

Tormented throughout middle school, Ellie begins her freshman year with a new look: she doesn’t need to be popular; she just needs to blend in with the wallpaper.

But then the unthinkable happens and Ellie is trapped after a brutal assault. She wasn’t the first victim and now she watches it happen again and again. She tries to hold on to her happier memories in order to get past the cold days, waiting for someone to find her.

The problem is, no one searches for a girl they never noticed in the first place.

TE Carter’s stirring and visceral debut not only discusses and dismantles rape culture but also makes you slow down and think about what it is to be human.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Later, I remember how my dad would stand in my doorway, watching me. Trying to reach me across so little space, yet so much. He stared at me like you look at a museum display or a creature in the zoo. I was the coelacanth and he was awed by my strangeness.

“I brought you something,” he said, holding a bag out across the threshold to my bedroom.

My room was an experiment. Posters and magazine pages and images covered the walls and the vanity and my dresser. All the people I wanted to be, wanted to look like. They were the people who mattered. I stared at myself in the mirror, hating how I looked. I hated how the curves made the boys poke me through the back of my chair in class, and how they made the girls call me fat. I hated how far the people in the magazines were from me. I thought I would never count, because I wasn’t them.

“What is it?” I asked my dad, gesturing toward the bag he was holding.

“I thought you might like it.”

It happened every few nights. He’d show up, presenting an offering in a plastic bag. Makeup. Clothes. Hair bands. He tried. He tried and so I tried, but the discount stickers said it all.

They were marked down, because the lipstick was too orange. The tank top wasn’t cut right. The hair pins would have been perfect for a girl my age – ten years ago. But I wore them for him and he smiled, because he didn’t know the difference.

“Thanks, Dad. I love it,” I lied.

“You’re beautiful, Ellie.”

I was a markdown girl.

I did know the difference.

Author Bio:

TE Carter was born in New England and has lived in New England for pretty much her entire life. Throughout her career, she’s done a lot of things, although her passion has always been writing. When she’s not writing, she can generally be found reading classic literature, obsessing over Game of Thrones (she’s one hundred percent Team Lannister), playing Xbox, organizing her comic collection, or binge watching baking competitions. She continues to live in New England with her husband and their two cats.

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