My Big Fat Wedding (Italian-style!) meets Modern Family #Giveaway

Please welcome Beth Carter who is giving away three ecopies of her latest entry in her wonderful Coconuts series.

Babies At Coconuts

For Fans of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Italian-style!)

A clash of cultures.
A chaotic wedding.
A surprise baby.
Just another day at Coconuts.

Coordinating the most joyous day of her son’s life should be easy. After all, Suzy is a wedding planner. But a meddling future mother-in-law wasn't on the checklist. A wacky rehearsal dinner, beach wedding, and a baby—not necessarily in that order—ensures bedlam, if not hilarity, among the two head-butting moms. The show must go on, with or without the wedding party.

Hope is adept at counseling students but has given up on dieting and having sleek hair. She has even gotten used to the fact that her adopted father no longer remembers her—until a surprise engagement and a newspaper article leave her in shambles.

Sexy banker Alex conveys totally in control while ignoring the simmering boil of her disastrous relationship. Her marketing rival is her kryptonite, but a disastrous bank event may spell her downfall.

Socialite Cheri Van Buren seems to have the perfect life. The New Yorker deftly juggles celebrity events but is growing concerned about her jet-setting parents’ strained marriage. After competing in a cake-decorating contest, another chef leaves her speechless.

More than a Happy Hour haven, Coconuts is the unknowing guardian of shared secrets, bombshell revelations, a few tears, and joy. Will the best friends ever find happiness? It doesn’t look good.

Note from author: even though Babies at Coconuts is part of a series  it can be read as a stand-alone.

Note from Susan. Babies at Coconuts had been out for five weeks and it's already got 34 reviews with an average of 4.5 Stars. You go, Beth.

Review:5 stars - "...a fantastic read. I haven't read the first two in the series but I did find it an easy read as a standalone. It has just about everything you could want - romance,tears, laughter, ups and downs, hilarity, everything. I was hooked, from the first page to the last. Character development was second to none and each one of them is likable, if not loveable. Loved the story,loved the plot, a great, easy read. Highly recommended
Link to Amazon: https://www.tinyurl.com/BabiesatCoconuts

~~~

About Beth Carter:
After being a bank vice president and a hospital public relations director, Beth Carter shed her suits and heels to reinvent herself at a certain mid-life age.
While drinking copious amounts of coffee, she has penned: THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, CHAOS AT COCONUTS, BABIES AT COCONUTS, SLEEPING WITH ELVIS, MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO, and SANTA BABY, a novelette.
Carter is a multi-award winning author of a 2015 RONE Award, named Best Debut Author in 2015, and a 2017 & 2018 RAVEN Award runner-up for Favorite Contemporary.
The author also writes children’s picture books including WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?, SOUR POWER, THE MISSING KEY, and SANTA'S SECRET. Additionally, her work appears in four six-word memoir collections and numerous anthologies.

Splitting her time between Missouri and Florida, Beth Carter is often found writing at Starbucks—if she isn’t shopping at T.J. Maxx, boating, or watching deer in her backyard. 

Connect with Beth Carter here:

Website: http://bethcarter.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethcarter007

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/bethcarter

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/beth-carter

Beth’s Book Babes – Request an invitation to this online private reader group through the author’s website, www.bethcarter.com
Happy reading, my friends. I wish you a joyful week.

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Free Audiobook Codes

Maybe This Time is a 2019 RONE finalist in Audiobooks General.

ACX has generated audio codes for me to give away in return for reviews.

If any of you are interested in getting the audiobook please email me,
sueberger3 at gmail dot com.

TIME TRAVEL?

Worst birthday present ever!  
London stage star Jennifer Knight’s  life goes haywire when her genius niece sends her tumbling back in time from London in 2001 to 1988, bringing her face to face with her worst nightmare—her first husband. Now the only hope of righting the universe is to change a past they have yet to experience.

“Charming, funny, a nice twist”

“A great read written with originality and humor!
 “It's a little bit women's fiction, and a whole lot of romance.”

“Two things about this book that are delicious: the idea of having a second chance with the love of your life AND the fact that the main character gets that chance in middle age.”

I also have audio codes for Time and Forever.

Two women in their sixties time travel to 1969 - London and Los Angeles. One finds an old love. One finds a new. But time travel has rules.  And that's a problem. 

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Forever-Susan-B-James-ebook/dp/B00I3PFF40 

Couldn't put it down. James's handling of the possible pitfalls of changing the past -- or not changing it -- was deft and, to me, unexpected. I cried a little, laughed a lot -- and wondered if the author would use a sequel to follow the time-traveling grandparents...

Enjoyable. Strong story line. Well developed characters. I liked reading book. It was nothing like any other time travel book I've read.👍 👍👍 I will be looking for more books by this author. I loved this book!

In Susan B. James' delightful novel, two sixty-something ladies, lamenting their long lost loves, decide to enter a Virtual Reality simulator to relive the golden age of their youth, if only for a few short days. But the simulator is actually a time machine and both women soon discover that they can not only relive the past, they can change it in order to correct the mistakes that cost them their true loves so many years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Forever-Susan-B-James-ebook/dp/B00I3PFF40

This lovely novel was a fun and quick read with lot of humour and witty ...

30 June 2018

Verified Purchase

Time and Forever is a delightful romance with light sci-fi elements. Sixty-year-old Sherry and Lorena decide to try a virtual reality game, only to end up in London in 1969 and find themselves twenty years old again.
This lovely novel was a fun and quick read with lot of humour and witty characters, and we follow two love stories: Sherry & Jeremy, and Lorena & Dave. You can’t ask for more

I am in Michigan helping my son get his house ready to list. My time is filled with to-do lists. But visiting my son and granddaughter is always a joy,

How are you doing? What made you happy this week?

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Lovely Digits. Jeanine Englert and her Award Winning Victorian Romantic Suspense #Giveaway

Please welcome debut author, Jeanine Englert who was a Daphne Du Maurier Award Winner befor her book was even published. How's that for a recommendation? She is not only gving away a copy of her own book, Lovely Digits, but a the latest book of one of her favorite authors. Anna Lee Huber's new release An Artless Demise (in Kindle or Paperback version.) 

Hi Sue! Thank you so much for having me today. I am thrilled to be here!

My debut novel, Lovely Digits, will be released tomorrow on June 12th. It is a sweet Victorian romantic suspense set in the small town of Clun, England. It was a 2018 Golden Heart ® Finalist for best unpublished romantic suspense at this time last year, and it was at the Romance Writers of America conference in Denver last July that I met my now editor, Char Chaffin from Soul Mate Publishing, at a mixer event. She read the first few chapters of my book and offered to publish it, and after so many, many years of seeking publication, it was hard for me to believe it was really happening, but here I am. It is happening. So, if you’re out there writing, my best advice is to never, never ever give up. A “yes” may be right around the corner.

I have been a longtime fan of romance and mysteries. My favorite mystery series right now is the Lady Darby series. My giveaway today will be her latest book TheArtless Demise (Kindle or Paperback version) PLUS my new release, Lovely Digits (Kindle version only), so be sure to enter below. I also just started the C.S. Harris Sebastian St. Cyr series, so I have a feeling that might be my next mystery obsession. I am always on the hunt for another great mystery series, so if you have a recommendation for me, please add it to the comments below!

I also love to watch BBC and Masterpiece Mystery shows and love music, so both serve as guilty pleasures as well as ways to get me “unstuck” if I ever get bogged down in a story. My beloved rescue pups also help me relax and a good walk with them helps me unwind and come up with new story ideas. And, since I just finished up my twentieth year of teaching (I know, I shudder at the thought of how quickly those decades have gone), I have more writing and television time on my hands. If you have a great television mystery series to recommend, please also let me know. Some of my favorites have been Ripper Street, Hinterland, and Shetland. And of course, Poirot, Endeavor, and Grantchester, many of which I’ll get to enjoy new episodes of later this summer.

 In case, you’d like a peek into my new book, here is a blurb about Lovely Digits below:

 When two murders strike the sleepy Victorian town of Clun, England, an unlikely partnership forms. But can the killer be found before there is a third?

Lovely Digits is the town oddity…

 But quirky spinster Lucy Wycliffe prefers to ignore gossip and embrace her position as the town’s layer out of the dead, despite how her parents’ deaths thrust her into such unlikely work. Lovely Digits, as she’s known to the local townspeople, no longer dreams of marriage, but takes pride in providing dignity to the dead. Desperate to hold on to her family’s cottage and support her widowed sister and young niece, an unexpected offer of employment as assistant to the constable arrives at the perfect time.

 Former sailor John Brodie is the mysterious new constable…

  But John Brodie is far from a stranger to Clun or the events of its past. Accepting the position as constable in the small town is a double edged sword meant to heal his past and redeem his future, but falling for the beautiful and intelligent Lucy Wycliffe was never part of his plan. As the killer closes in, will John reveal his secret and risk losing everything to save Lucy’s life?

And, an excerpt from the book for you to enjoy:

Clun, England

1849

A knocking on the cottage door above stairs startled Lucy, and she poked her finger with the thick sewing needle she held.

“Thistles,” she cursed, pressing her apron to her bleeding thumb. Evidently, repairing the tear at the hem of Becca’s dress would have to wait.

Who would be calling at such an early hour? It was hardly half past nine.

“Enter,” she called up from her root cellar.

She shuddered as the door squeaked open above her. She should oil the blasted hinges on the ancient door, but who had time for such nonsense? Her finger throbbed, but the blood had stopped. Shaking it in the air, she caught sight of the pale female form on her prepping table.

What am I complaining of?

Poor Becca. Lucy swallowed hard. Covering and repairing the girl’s wounds would prove difficult, but she’d try. Becca was her friend. Had been her friend.

“I hear if I need a body prepped, you are the person to see.” A deep rich baritone boomed against the cottage rafters.

The man’s neatly clipped tones screamed city. Londoner, most likely. What would he want here in Shropshire? Nothing of much import ever happened here.

“I suppose,” she offered. “Depends on who’s asking.” Lucy tiptoed over to the base of the root cellar staircase and peeked upstairs. The high shine of the man’s black leather boots caught her eye. Lord above. A person could see their reflection in such a glimmer.

The fine, close cut of dark trousers and a gray waistcoat hugged the man’s rigid frame, his white cravat starched and tied in precise lines as if it dared not be out of place. He was a gentleman. The man had means to be sure, so she supposed she was the person to see after all. She wiped her hands on her stained apron and ascended the stairs to the main floor.

The stranger stepped forward but stilled at her approach. His eyes widened as her face heated. Did the sight of her frighten him? She patted the side of her hair and cringed. Blast. It was as tangled as straw in a bird’s nest. Perhaps a brush would have been in order this morning to tame her unruly locks. She’d try to remember such details in future.

Want to read more? Here is my Amazon Buy Link: 

https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Digits-Jeanine-Englert-ebook/dp/B07SB6HJMW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=jeanine+englert&qid=1558810547&s=gateway&sr=8-1

 A bit more about me:

Jeanine Englert is a Golden Heart ® Finalist and Daphne du Maurier Award winner in historical romantic suspense. After years of writing in secret (despite having a master’s degree in writing), she joined Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers in 2013 and has been an active member ever since. She writes Scottish Highland historicals and historical romantic suspense novels. When she isn’t wrangling with her characters on the page, she can be found trying to convince her husband to watch her latest Masterpiece or BBC show obsession. She loves to talk about books, writing, her beloved pups, and of course mysteries with other readers on Twitter @JeanineWrites, Facebook, or at her website www.jeaninewrites.com.

 Her debut novel, Lovely Digits, will be released on June 12^th of 2019 by Soul Mate Publishing. It is a Victorian romantic suspense that won the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award and was named a 2018 Golden Heart ® Finalist for best unpublished romantic suspense.

Where you can find me:

Website: www.jeaninewrites.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JeanineWrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanineWrites

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy reading, everyone! 

Jeanine

After reading the blurb, Lovely Digits is joining my TBR list. I love your writing, Jeanine. Thanks for being here and introducing us to your book.

Coincidentally, the book I am currently working on is also Victorian. Lord Byron’s Daughter begins in 1840. The protagonists travel to 1940 and back to their own time in Victorian England.  And I will get back to it as soon as I review the final edit for Irish Magic which arrived in my mailbox last week.

As a fellow bookaholic I join your salutation. Happy reading everyone. 

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Sally Brandle's Clean Edgy Romantic Suspense #giveaway

Sally Brandle describes herself as an author of clean, edgy, romantic adventures. I just finished reading The Hitman's Mistake and I would say that is a very accurate description. The action never stopped and I didn't want to take time out to sleep.
Sally is giving away an eBook of either The Hitman's Mistake or Torn By Vengeance - Reader's Choice. See the Rafflecopter at the end.
My Review:
A courageous heroine racing from a determined killer while battling nightmares of her past.
A swoon-worthy hero determined to protect her and equally determined not to fall in love. The action races from Seattle to the idyllic town of Emma Springs, in snowy Montana, and back to Seattle. The love story is punctuated with gunfire, explosions, and hair curling cliffhangers. But make no mistake, At heart, it's a love story. And I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Torn by Vengeance which came out May 20th.

Sally, please tell us a little about yourself.

I’ve briefly taught special education to emotionally impaired youth, created and implemented a training program to teach commercial scale pastry baking, and now launched my third career— writing. Ten years ago, one of my delightful, uber-intelligent sons struggled in high school in a ‘will he graduate’ scenario. In order to calm my brain while lying in bed, The Hitman’s Mistake emerged. 

My son’s a successful IT technician now, and after implementing tools from umpteen classes, workshops, critiques, and rewrites of Hitman, Soul Mate Publishing acquired the manuscript. Six more books complete the Love Thrives in Emma Springs series. I’ve written a book and a half in a new romantic suspense, science-fiction series I hope to complete and release soon. On those pages, you’ll find out what happens when good science ends up in really, really, bad hands. Anyone interested?  Yes,

 I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you they wanted to publish your book.

My sister-in-law, Susan Wachtman, teaches high school English and has been self-publishing science fiction/fantasy stories for years. She’s mentored and guided me. Over Christmas break of 2017, the extended family members drove to the ocean and stayed in a huge home. Susan and I were sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace when the email appeared from the acquiring editor. I’d barely read aloud the first incredible sentence about contracting the book, when Susan slid my laptop onto her lap and shouted, “A publisher wants your book!” Needless to say, the duration of the trip took on an extremely happy tone.

Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers) in your genre? I’d be willing to read pages of terms and conditions if they were written by Jayne Ann Krentz. She’s a Seattle author who supports aspiring writers. I’ve been reading Mary Balogh for years. Her Bedwyn Family series is one of my all-time favorites. Her characters spring to life on the page and the banter’s fun. My other favorite romance author is Beatriz Williams. Jayne Ann Krentz in all her guises occupies three shelves on one of my bookcases. I love her, too.!

Any advice for new writers just starting out?

Please acknowledge and embrace the story banging about in your brain. Jot down ideas, no matter how random they appear. I’ve scribbled scenes and dialogue on notecards, in my phone, and on grocery store receipts. And used them later! Take those ideas and learn how to shape them into a story from experts. RWA provides wonderful classes and lists of local chapters who will help with the craft aspect. The writing community welcomes all, teaches, and supports one another. Thanks to writers like you, Susan, well-written romance thrives. Oh, that is so sweet of you.

Tell us about the second book,

Torn by Vengeance

Hot off the press is Torn by Vengeance, Book 2 in the Love Thrives in Emma Springs series. Corrin and Kyle are introduced in Hitman, and their story brings the reader into the motivation and determination of a stalker. Corrin’s fortitude and plucky attitude are challenged, but she’s allied with her friend, Miranda, from The Hitman’s Mistake, a miniature horse, and of course her hero, Kyle. He’s the town doctor and my favorite hero to date. Can’t beat blond and buff with a dose of compassion. Here’s the teaser:

BLURB:

Look over your shoulder. He’s watching.

Corrin Patten is solidly on a path to make partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm when an ominous threat from her past turns deadly. She can handle circumstances necessitating a temporary move to the backwater town of Emma Springs, but its charming physician is another matter, as she’s issued a permanent moratorium on men.

Dr. Kyle Werner revels in trust from patients he regularly treats in a community he's never wished to leave. Yet, Emma Springs lacks one thing, a woman to share his perfectly bucolic life. He's read about pheromone attraction, but never experienced desire until meeting Corrin. They make an unbeatable team, but convincing her that his interest is sincere while they dissect layers of deceit requires the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Can they defeat the wealthy stalker bent on mistaken revenge against Corrin and destruction of the peaceful Montana setting?

If you thrive on tenacious heroines, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, you’ll love this prescription for thrills.

What’s your current WIP?

Soul Mate Publishing contracted Book 3, The Targeted Pawn. I’m busy editing the manuscript for a March 2020 release. Elon and Rane make appearances in Vengeance. They’re close to forty years old and fit your ‘second chance’ romance appeal. This book has two suspense aspects. Elon’s going through a divorce and her ex plays dirty. Rane’s battling builders scheming to place a for-profit prison on Native American burial grounds abutting his Montana ranch. Throw in her rusty welding skills, a rescued dog, a rehabilitated Quarter Horse, and a continuing cast of Emma Springs residents, and another clean (no intimate scenes), romantic suspense appears scene by scene on my screen. Hooray!

And finally, where can we find you?

In real life, over at the barn with Lance, out in my garden, watching movies with my family, or creating rubber-stamped and watercolored greeting cards. On the web:

Website: http://www.sallybrandle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012840931763

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybrandle/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallybrandle

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116238.Sally_Brandle

Monthly writing tips column: www.writer-writer.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallybrandle/

Sally’s Blog link: https://smpauthors.wordpress.com/author/sallygfrog/

Thank you for being here, Sally. Friends, don't miss this one. It's really good. Happy reading.

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