Romance Under the Moonlight

Friday, May 22, 2015

Book Review Friday: Big Ten Ones by Janet Evanovich

Book Review for: Big Ten Ones

Written by: Janet Evanovich

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 0-312-28972-3

Available in print and as an ebook

4 Stars

Full of Nail-Biting Suspense!

Stephanie Plum is wanted by a gang in “Big Ten Ones.” When Stephanie and Lula witness a robbery, Stephanie gets a good look at the suspect. He’s a “Slayer,” a gang member from the wrong side of town. When she goes into Slayerland looking for him, she causes more trouble for herself. The gang imports a hit man named “Junkman” to go after her.

Stephanie doesn’t feel safe – even at Morelli’s. With Ranger out of town, she hides out in his apartment, but it’s only a matter of time before the gang catches up to her – at her sister’s wedding shower. Can Stephanie outwit the Slayers with Ranger and Morelli’s help?

Evanovich’s writing is crisp and witty. She finds a good balance between the adventure of Stephanie’s run-ins with the Slayer gang and her family life as Valerie, her sister, plans to get married.

The supporting cast is as strong as ever. Lula tags along with Stephanie and Sally Sweet is back driving a school bus. There were several occasions that made me laugh and bite my nails.

“Big Ten Ones” is a cozy mystery infused with a little bit of everything – humor, suspense, family, friends and anxiety. There are several unexpected turns and the ending is heart pounding. This story is a great installment in the Stephanie Plum series and I highly recommend it.

Question for you: What's your favorite Stephanie Plum character?

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Snippet Sunday: 99 cent contemporary summer romance: Arrow Through the Heart #snippetsunday

Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my sweet contemporary romance, Arrow Through The Heart. You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:

This snippet: Ella meets Logan.

*****

He walked around to her side so she could see him. "I'm Logan Donovan."

Ella's breath jammed in her throat. Logan's wide smile and kind sky-blue eyes sparkled in the sun. Tall, broad-chested, and well muscled, his stance radiated confidence. Men rarely snuck up on her, only Logan had.

"Are you all right?"

Ella cleared her throat, "Sorry, I'm Ella Perchekov."

****
BLURB:

Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is an innkeeper's son who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together, but each has their own plans for their life. Then disaster strikes Ella. Can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship?

****

Reviews for Arrow Through The Heart:

"A sweet novella about falling in love." 5 Stars, Maggie Toussaint, Amazon Reader

"A well written, face paced novella." 5 Stars, Reader Forever, Amazon Reader

BUY LINKS:
AMAZON: http://amzn.com/B00TJH0UT6

BARNES & NOBLE:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arrow-through-the-heart-stephanie-burkhart/1121218765?ean=2940046574821

SMASHWORDS:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/518986

KOBO:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/arrow-through-the-heart-1

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Snippet Sunday: 99 cent contemporary romance: Arrow Through the Heart #snippetsunday

This snippet: Ella is startled.

*****

Ella gnawed on her lower lip. Could she steady herself enough on water skis to allow the parachute to lift her? She stared at the parasailing brochure. The man on the front made it look easy, but if it was one thing she learned about life, it was that nothing came easy.

"Hey, you want to try it?" The deep, masculine voice startled Ella. She placed her hand over her chest to steady her heart.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

****
BLURB:

****

Reviews for Arrow Through The Heart:

"A sweet novella about falling in love." 5 Stars, Maggie Toussaint, Amazon Reader

"A well written, face paced novella." 5 Stars, Reader Forever, Amazon Reader

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Monday, May 4, 2015

Goddess Fish Super Book Blast: Way to Go by Mandy Colton #goddessfishtours

WAY TO GO

by Mandy Colton

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

BLURB:

Veronica Lane works in the travel industry in her dream job when she experiences a hellish travel day ending in the loss of her job and stranded far from home. To make the situation even worse, she drowns her sorrows in the hotel bar, and wakes the next morning to a big surprise.

Gathering up the remains of her dignity along with her travel bags, she returns to her hometown in Peachtree City, Georgia. A community similar to a progressive Mayberry, except with golf cart paths and carts. A lot of them. Her family is kooky. The parents are sexually free and liberal, her brother is a golf cart cop with more good looks and brawn than brains. Her grandparents, one from each side, live in the same retirement community and maintain a constant battle while entertaining the other senior citizens. The Grandmother on her dad's side is stuck in the 1960’s, and the Grandfather on her mother's side served in WWII and thinks that the Japanese are still trying to kill him.

She calls inquiring about a job in the newspaper, a group escort for a small tour company in Atlanta. She is hired immediately and leaves the next day with her first group to Jamaica. First, she meets a handsome pilot with the charter airline they use, and then there is one unusual group participant that doesn’t seem to belong. He leaves the group for periods of time and when things happen, he uses MacGyver like skills to get them out of the situations. She is aggravated and knows something is fishy and the bad thing is, the man is very charismatic and she’s not just a little attracted to him.

Upon their return, she finds out that the man is friends with her rather unconventional boss and after a second unusual group excursion to Puerto Rico; she knows for sure that the little tour company in Atlanta is not really what it seems on the outside. When the truth is revealed, she finds herself unintentionally dropped into a new career that she can't exactly add to her resume.

Veronica finds herself in uncomfortable and hilarious situations, surrounded by crazy tour participants, family, friends, neighbors, and pets. After a long dry spell, she finds that there is suddenly an overabundance of romance, drama, and intrigue in her life. Her life is now a sometimes very bumpy, yet exciting ride.

ENJOY THIS EXCERPT:

“Hey, guys. What’s up? Is the bar not open?”

The two elderly ladies in the group walked up next to me. The one named Zelda said, “Well, ain’t that a peculiar-lookin’ bathin’ suit on that man. Looks almost nude.”

Then the man turned around, and I gasped.

Zelda’s travel companion, Ruby, craned her neck, blinked a couple of times, and said, “Zelda, is that what I think it is?”

“Yup, I’m bettin’ my tummy tuck it is. From here, it don’t hardly look like one. Wouldn’t think he’d want the whole world to know God gave him a dinky one like that.”

O-mi-god! He wasn’t the only one like…that at the beach bar. And they were mostly middle-aged or older. Oh, my poor eyes.

When I was finally able to speak, I squeaked out, “Excuse me, folks. I have to go check something out. Be right back.”

I heard a snigger behind me, and I didn’t have to guess who it came from. I ran past Chuckles to the front desk and asked for the manager again. I had a little trouble getting my breath and was beginning to hyperventilate, so I reached down, grabbed my knees, and stuck my head between my legs. At least blue would be a new color for my face today. Shit!

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Mandy Colton is from Louisville, KY, and lives a very quiet life with her husband and teenage son. She’s a fan of romance, fun adventure stories, and some occasional sci-fi or paranormal thrown in. Veronica Lane and the idea for her adventures came from her own experiences and career working in the travel industry.

She claims that working in the travel business could be horribly stressful but was equally laugh-out-loud funny at times. She enjoyed many priceless and comical experiences with groups, friends, and peers. Even her clients shared humorous adventures of their own. Her opinion is that there just are no better stories than those that involve true life.

Subscribe for notifications on future new releases! http://www.mandycoltonfiction.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008867070100

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mandycoltonfic

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mandycoltonfict/mandy-colton-fiction/

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

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

Snippet Sunday: 2.99 steampunk romance: Victorian Scoundrel #snippetsunday

Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my steampunk romance, Victorian Scoundrel. You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:

This snippet: Alice Windsor, a Princess of York in 2011, time travels back to Victorian England, 1851, to follow her cousin, Edmund of Wales. Edmund however, has left Alice to her own devices, so she's made her way to Buckingham Palace in the hopes of finding him. On the way, confronts two gentleman near the palace. This snippet picks up where last week left off.

*****

"And you may call me Prime Minister."

A look of befuddlement crossed Alice's face. "Prime Minister?"

Grayson's companion, Sir John Russell, crossed his arms. He was just as tall as Grayson with salt and pepper hair around the temples and weary brown eyes, made so by the exertion of day-to-day politics.
"Yes, I'm the prime minister and this is Earl Swinton. Why are you here at the palace?"

Alice paused, pursing her lips, and tried to quickly think of an explanation.

****

This snippet has been modified to fit the 8 sentence limit.

"Victorian Scoundrel" is the first book in the Windsor Diaries series. It's 2011 and compressed natural gas has taken over from the coal producing steam machines of the Victorian Age. Alice Windsor, Princess of York, follows her mischief-making cousin, Edmund of Wales, back to 1851 where Prince Albert is hosting Britain's Great Exhibition.

Alice soon finds herself over her head in trouble. Edmund is determined to help Prince Albert build a dirigible and the prime minister appears intent in preventing her from stopping Edmund. Alice knows it's too early for the massive flying machine to take to the air. Complicating matters is the passionate Grayson Kentfield, Earl of Swinton. Alice can't stop her pulse from pounding when she's near him.

Can Alice give her heart to a man from the past while working to stop Edmund from changing history?

****

Reviews for Victorian Scoundrel:

Winner: BRONZE 2012 Reader's Favorite Contest, Romance: History

2011 Hope Chest Reviews Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance Series

2012 Romance of the Year, Deep in the Heart of Romance

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IUYj2d7ZeY

5 Stars, Reader's Favorites, Molly E.
"I highly recommend this book."

4 Stars, Long & Short Reviews, Larkspur
It’s the perfect romance if you love the proper etiquette of the Victorian era mixed with the fantasy of time travel. This is the first in this new series and I’m excited to read the next episode."

4.5 Stars, Hope Chest Reviews

Victorian Scoundrel was a nice easy read, but sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.

BUY LINKS:
AMAZON: http://amzn.com/B0058UG9Q6

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-windsor-diaries-book-one-stephanie-burkhart/1104099940?ean=2940012813824&itm=1&usri=victorian%2bscoundrel

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewindsordiariesbookonevictorianscoundrel-571272-141.html

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-183/Stephanie-Burkhart-Victorian-Scoundrel/Detail.bok

KOBO:

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Windsor-Diaries-Book-One/book-QYpbdTFmHEm64JwO_p9T1w/page1.html?s=-6Oq9Moeg0STYnHLUVccWQ&r=7

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Snippet Sunday: 2.99 steampunk romance: Victorian Scoundrel #snippetsunday

This snippet: Alice Windsor, a Princess of York in 2011, time travels back to Victorian England, 1851, to follow her cousin, Edmund of Wales. Edmund however, has left Alice to her own devices, so she's made her way to Buckingham Palace in the hopes of finding him. On the way, confronts two gentleman near the palace.

*****
The men looked at each other, at her, then back at themselves. She wasn't sure if they were befuddled, confused, or wanted to laugh. Finally, the older gentleman spoke. "Princess Alice is seven years old."

Alice bit the inside of her lip, realizing she had totally forgotten where she was due to the younger gentleman's attention. She slid her glasses back on. "Simply call me Alice -- Alice Windsor."

****

This snippet has been modified to fit the 8 sentence limit.

Can Alice give her heart to a man from the past while working to stop Edmund from changing history?

****

Reviews for Victorian Scoundrel:

Winner: BRONZE 2012 Reader's Favorite Contest, Romance: History

Victorian Scoundrel was a nice easy read, but sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewindsordiariesbookonevictorianscoundrel-571272-141.html

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-183/Stephanie-Burkhart-Victorian-Scoundrel/Detail.bok

KOBO:

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Windsor-Diaries-Book-One/book-QYpbdTFmHEm64JwO_p9T1w/page1.html?s=-6Oq9Moeg0STYnHLUVccWQ&r=7

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Friday, April 17, 2015

New Release: Brady's Lost Blanket, childrens book #newrelease

Welcome my new release: Brady's Lost Blanket from 4RV Publishing. Illustrator Bridget McKenna's drawing are whimiscal and heartfelt and a perfect compliment for the story.

BLURB:Brady is a sensitive young boy who takes his blankie wherever he goes. After traveling with his parents to visit his new cousin, Brady accidently leaves his blanket behind. Can Brady learn to get by without his blankie?

5 SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR STEPHANIE:

#1: What inspired you to write the story?

STEPHANIE: One of my husband's relatives mentioned their grandchild had a blankie and was having a hard time without it. I drew on my own childhood memories of having a blankie. I think letting go of the blankie is the first step in growing up.

#2: How long did it take?

STEPHANIE: It took about a week to write the story. I have to thank 4RV Publishing for publishing Brady's Lost Blanket. It took about 2 weeks back and forth with the editing.

#3: Did you pick the illustrator?

STEPHANIE: No, I did not. 4RV Publishing selected the illustrator. I think Bridget McKenna did a great job with the illustrations. They have a very whimsical feel and compliment the story well.

#4: What makes this book special?

STEPHANIE: Brady's Lost Blanket has a message for all young children who become attached to "something" (be it a blanket or something else) because they want to feel secure. It's okay to let go of our "security" nets and move forward. It maybe a little scary at first, but once you go without it, you learn you can live without it.

#5: How long have you been writing children's books?

STEPHANIE: About 5 years now. My first children's book, "The Giving Meadow" was published with 4RV Publishing in 2010. It has a great message about sharing and caring for young children as well as telling about Caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly. It's perfect for Easter as it helps young children understand Jesus' story.

Author Bio:

Stephanie Burkhart was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, but now calls California her home. She currently works for LAPD as a 911 Dispatcher. Stephanie has been writing since she was five, when she crafted homemade comic books on the kitchen table. Her previous books with 4RV Publishing include: The Giving Meadow, and First Flag of New Hampshire. Stephanie enjoys coffee, adores chocolate and is currently the Den Leader for her son's Cub Scout Den.

BRADY'S LOST BLANKET is available in print from 4RV Publishing.

BUY LINKS:

4RV PUBLISHING BOOKSTORE: http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/burkhart.php

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Bradys-Lost-Blanket-Stephanie-Burkhart/dp/1940310040/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1423445945&sr=8-8&keywords=stephanie+burkhart

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bradys-lost-blanket-stephanie-burkhart/1121138037?ean=9781940310046

******If you are interested in reviewing the book, please send me an email at: Botrina_Buchanan@yahoo.com and I'll make arrangements with you to send you a review copy.****