To Entice a Spy (Virtual Tour & Giveaway)

October 14, 2021October 13, 20211 Comment

To Entice a Spy

by Diane Scott Lewis

GENRE: Historical Romantic Suspense

BLURB

In 1794, Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne seeks revenge for the brutal death of her female companion during a Paris riot. On her return to England, Eseld delves into espionage to defeat the French rebels.

Baron Robert Penhale, Eseld’s childhood love, rejoins the Secret Services after his wife’s death. He’s determined to protect England from the revolution terrorizing France.

A ruthless French spy fights for the common man while disguised as an English aristocrat. He’s intent on revenge against those who oppose him.

With the spy stalking them and Robert in fear for Eseld’s life, the fate of the couple verges on disaster.

BookCover_ToEnticeaSpy_w15339_4_850

Read an Excerpt

Eseld finished her punch and looked away.

“I was being friendly with the viscount, on a purely decent level, on my part.”

“I’m worried about you. Men can take advantage. As in being purely mercenary.” Robert’s emotion rose to the surface, rawer than he wished. “I want you to be very cautious.”

“I’m aware of greedy men. And I’m not romantically involved, if that’s what concerns you.” She didn’t sound angry, more a question. A yearning?

“Are you collecting friends or inquiring where you should not?” He toned down his rhetoric, not wishing to upset her.

“That again. You think me foolish, or incapable.”

Her reply was soft despite what she stated. She didn’t deny her motives.

He moved closer. His heartbeat thudded; was she investigating a possible spy as he first surmised?

“You are one of the most capable women I know. Please, confide in me.”

They appeared to still dance around one another—this time with words.

She turned and faced him. “I don’t want us to be at odds.”

She paused for a moment and lightly touched his stock. “Is that all you seek, me to confide? Am I but a contrary girl who must be guided by you?”

“Truthfully, as we were always truthful in our youth, I want to kiss you.”

He cupped her upper arms and couldn’t believe he’d said that aloud. Her jasmine perfume invaded his senses.

“Pardon my boldness. I’m not of your station anymore, am I?”

“That doesn’t matter to me,” she whispered. “But aren’t you still in mourning?”

Diane Scott Lewis will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter the giveaway!

Meet Diane Scott Lewis

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up near San Francisco, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Author Image Diane Scott Lewis Greece and raised two sons in Puerto Rico, California, and Guam. She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society and wrote book reviews for their magazine. She’s always loved travel and history and has had several historical novels published. Her most recent is the Oyster War Novel set in the 1950s: GHOST POINT.

Her spy novella, TO ENTICE A SPY, set in England during the French Revolution—two former lovers chase a ruthless spy; will love rekindle as murder stalks them?—will be released on October 11, 2021.

Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dog in western Pennsylvania.

For more on her books visit her website: www.dianescottlewis.org

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Diane-Scott-Lewis/e/B003NTK2GM?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1632593463&sr=1-1

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/diane-scott-lewis-999d8de3-fdae-46d4-8758-665f9362c2ae

FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Diane-Scott-Lewis-277223019312535/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3999998.Diane_Scott_Lewis

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DSLewisHF

Buy Links

https://www.bookdepository.com/Entice-Spy-Diane-Scott-Lewis/9781509238255

https://www.target.com/p/to-entice-a-spy-by-diane-scott-lewis-paperback/-/A-84316523

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-entice-a-spy-diane-scott-lewis/1140125718

https://www.amazon.com/Entice-Spy-Diane-Scott-Lewis/dp/1509238255/ref=sr_1_2

Never Say Chai (Virtual Tour & Giveaway)

September 1, 2021August 31, 20212 Comments

Never Say Chai

by Kirsten Weiss

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

BLURB

It’s Halloween season in small town San Borromeo, and Abigail and Hyperion are determined to make Beanblossom’s Tea & Tarot spooktacular. But when Hyperion’s boyfriend, Detective Tony Chase, is arrested at Beanblossom’s for murder, the duo is certain someone’s playing a nasty trick. And when the official investigation turns into a witch hunt, the stakes to unearth the truth are raised…

But a clever killer has plans to squash their investigation… and the two amateur detectives. If they don’t solve this puzzle—and fast—it will be out of the cauldron and into the fire for them both.

Never Say Chai is the fourth book in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. A fast-paced and funny cozy mystery, packed with quirky characters, pets, and murder! Perfect for fans of Jana DeLeon, Janet Evanovich, and Donna Andrews. Buy the book and start this hilarious caper!

Tearoom recipes in the back of the book!

BookCover_ Never-Say-Chai-web

Read an Excerpt

Never panic-shop.

Also, never drink and shop. And especially never panic, drink, and shop.

I’d done all of the above.

The tearoom’s oven broke last month while I was baking quiches. The estimate for its repair had been nearly as much as a new oven. In a fit of panick and piña coladas, I’d bought a new one.

The thought still made my insides curdle like over-whipped clotted cream. Industrial ovens ain’t cheap.

I hated budget pandemonium, especially when I was its cause. There was a certain joy in watching numbers fall into place, especially on the profit side of the ledger. And I’d just messed with my carefully balanced tearoom universe.

So I was more than a little anxious as I studied our tearoom. Miniature pumpkins lined its broad windows. Paper bats dangled from hanging lamps and sprouted from tiered tea trays.

Even the costumed Tarot readers had gotten into the Halloween groove. The scent of baking sugar and pumpkin hung in the air. Women chatted at their tables, teacups clinking.

It was October first, day one of the Halloween season, and San Borromeo (saint of heartburn) was becoming a Halloween town. This was a good thing for those of us dependent on tourism. Tourists don’t flock to the Pacific beach quite as often in October, despite the occasional day of spectacular weather. The Halloween festivities meant more customers.

Beanblossom’s Tea and Tarot needed those customers, especially after that new oven. It was a really awesome oven, though.

Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter!

Meet Kirsten Weiss

Amazon bestselling author Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop. Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

Website: https://kirstenweiss.com

Email: kweiss2001@kirstenweiss.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss/

Instagram: @KirstenWeissAuthor

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss

Buy Links for Never Say Chai:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094WHQFTV

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/never-say-chai/id1567422675

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162513759

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kirsten_Weiss_Never_Say_Chai?id=JhQuEAAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/never-say-chai

Seventeen Butterflies (Book Blast Virtual Tour & Giveaway)

August 24, 2021August 19, 20213 Comments

Seventeen Butterflies

by Anna Katmore

GENRE: Contemporary YA Romance

BLURB

The embarrassment of being the only “un-kissed” girl in senior high is something Sandy Cardington refuses to accept. The first kiss project is her foolproof plan to finally get rid of the status at her birthday party while her parents are out of town.

With several kissable boys on her guest list, this should be a walk in the park. But she didn’t reckon on her older brother returning from college days before her 17th birthday, putting a spoke in her plans. To make matters even more complicated, he has a friend in tow, and the cute hockey player stirs unexpected butterflies in her stomach every time their paths cross.

While Sandy moves heaven and earth to make her party and project come true, she doesn’t know that Thane Griffyn is making his own plans to teach her the real meaning of a first kiss.

BookCover_SeventeenButterflies

Read an Excerpt

“You know what?” I follow him around the kitchen island with my breakfast and take a seat beside him. “Since you’re going to live here for the next few days, I guess it’s okay that you feel at home. So when you’re hungry, just come down and grab whatever you want.”

His black eyebrows knit in my direction. “Without asking?”

I bite the corner of one toast. “Mm-hmm.”

“Really? You mean everything?”

“Yes, I mean everything,” I assure him, laughing now while I chew. “Except my Oreos. If you want to live, don’t touch them.” This is a warning he should take very seriously. I’m addicted to the cookies.

As his gaze drops to my body and rises within a millisecond, I roll my eyes because I realize I ran right into that one. To his credit, he holds back his gamy smirk ninety percent. “Got it. Can eat everything. No Oreos.” Leaving his mug on the counter, he slides from the stool and gets the sugar bowl from where I pointed him. After he comes back, standing beside me now instead of taking a seat again, and adds a careful spoonful of sugar to his brew, he reaches over and snags the untouched second slice of toast from my plate.

My eyes widen in sharp protest. “Hey!”

“What? You said everything.” With a shower of mischief in his star-blue eyes, he arches his brows once as he takes a bite from the toast. Then he leans in really close, keeping our gazes locked with his intense stare, and adds in a drawl that makes shivers zoom down my body, “Be thankful that I didn’t eat the Milky Way.”

Anna Katmore will be awarding her entire GROVER BEACH PLAYERS series as ebooks, or alternatively any of her own novels in ebook format the winner likes, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter the giveaway!

Meet Anna Katmore

I’ve been a storyteller all my life, building bridges into different worlds. Already in kindergarten, I’ve seen the most fantastical things and wanted to share them with everyone. My teacher called me a liar back then. Today, I call it the first real flash of my spiritual gift and the cornerstone of my writing career. Author Photo

When I got older, I’ve had many visions of a perfect career, while writing has always been more of a hobby and kind of a therapy for me when the longing for more magic in this world once again caught up with me in a crushing way. When my first book was finished, I couldn’t even imagine sharing one of my stories with others, ever. In fact, I only got used to the idea while I wrote my second book and learned in a very miraculous way where the many stories in this world really come from.

It’s funny how, at that point, everyone told me I can’t possibly make a living with writing. They even warned me not to quit my job. But after my debut novella PLAY WITH ME came out and sales skyrocketed within the first week, I knew I could do anything I wanted if only I never stopped dreaming.

That’s also part of what I teach my students in writing and spiritual workshops today. Always dream big! If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.

Some personal stuff:

“I’m writing stories because I can’t breathe without.”

Disney is my attitude to life, and if I could I’d save the world from itself. My Patronus is a wolf, my wand the broken twig of an apple tree, 13 ¾ inches with a unicorn hair core. I can’t deny that on some days, I prefer my book characters over real people, but there’s not a single day going by where I wouldn’t try to find magic in reality. And when I’m alone, I love to listen to the many stories of the wind in a mystic mid-summer night.

So you see, I’m lucky enough to live in an enchanting world of my own. It’s peaceful there and full of magical things, fairies and wonders. You’re welcome to follow me there – if you’re ready to open up your mind and leave everything you learned about reality behind. But beware, if you dare to step through this door, you may never want to leave again…

Website: www.annakatmore.com

Facebook:

German: www.facebook.com/annakatmore

English (brand new): www.facebook.com/annakatmorebooks

Buy link for Amazon and Kindle Unlimited:

The Secret of Drulea Cottage (Book Blast Blog Tour & Giveaway)

August 18, 2021August 17, 20212 Comments

The Secret of Drulea Cottage

by Claire Kohler

GENRE: Historical Fantasy

BLURB

Briony Fairborn, a midwife in eighteenth-century Scotland, comes from a family shrouded in scandal. Left with only one friend after her mother’s death, she has little hope of gaining any others, let alone finding a husband. Instead, Briony tries to live a quiet life and avoid her neighbors’ ridicule as much as possible.

But things in Everton take a drastic turn when a storm brings foreigners to the village docks.

On the night Santiago Mendes arrives, he comes with a broken ship, a broken leg, and a broken spirit that Briony finds herself profoundly drawn to. Her scarred heart slowly starts to open, and although Briony suspects he may be hiding something, she cannot help but dream of the possibility of love.

That is, until another stranger appears in town, intent on repaying a childhood debt. A dangerously handsome stranger who shows Briony that she’s even more different than she could have imagined. And that her past is far darker than she realized.

Magic, romance, and political intrigue collide as the secrets surrounding one Scottish woman begin to unravel. Secrets that she may not be ready to face.

BookCover_The Secret of Drulea Cottage

Read an Excerpt

“Open the door! By order of His Majesty the King!” The harsh shout from the street below wrenched Santiago out of his reverie.

The sounds of merriment abruptly ended within the house, and nervous whispers took their place. Santiago peered down from the balcony at the ten quadrilheiros standing right outside the door. He’d never seen that many gathered in one place, since they typically stayed in Lisbon near the king. What could be so important for them to show up here?

“Santiago!”

The man turned to find his sister standing before him, a nervous Andreas at her side. Her entire body was trembling as though she would fall apart at a moment’s notice, and Santiago observed the way she gripped Andreas’s arm with such intensity that her knuckles had turned white.

“Are they going to arrest us? Why are the quadrilheiros here?” Lucia whimpered in a low voice, her breaths so shallow she could barely get the words out.

Santiago reached out and patted her shoulder. “Calm down, sister. We’ve done nothing wrong. I’m sure they just need information for something—”

The door creaked open below them, and Santiago motioned for Lucia to be silent.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Tomas Cabral, head servant for the Mendes family, demanded. Santiago smirked at the older gentleman’s steady voice; it was difficult for anyone to intimidate Tomas.

“Are Senhor and Senhorita Mendes in?”

Rather than answering, the man said, “Why have you come?”

The leading officer growled and said, “Senhor Mendes is to be taken into custody and his sister brought in for questioning.”

Lucia gasped. “What!”

“Shh!” Santiago insisted.

“You’re arresting Senhor Mendes? On what grounds?” Tomas didn’t sound nearly as confident anymore, but Santiago was proud of the man for not allowing the quadrilheiros into the house yet.

“Treason! Now, stand aside!”

Claire Kohler will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter the giveaway!

Meet Claire Kohler

Claire Kohler grew up in Mooresville, NC, as the eldest of four daughters. Her love of stories began at an early age, and as a child, she could often be found borrowing way too many books from the library and scribbling away in a journal. Author Image

In 2016, Claire became a full-time middle school English teacher in a public school. In her second year of teaching, she also taught social studies. After becoming pregnant in 2018, Claire decided to shift careers and become an online ESL teacher so that she could also take care of her newborn at home.

She now lives in Statesville, NC, with her husband, two children, and three cats. She is also an active member of Christ Community Church Mooresville, where she often serves as a Bible study and small group leader.

Claire plans to continue creating exciting historical fantasy novels and potentially branching out into other genres as well.

Website Link: https://secretdruleacottage.wixsite.com/clairekohlerbooks

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/Claire-Kohler-Books-100151582291586

Yes – These Are Your Grandma’s Romances (Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway)

May 18, 2021May 17, 20218 Comments

Yes—These Are Your Grandma’s Romances

by Nancy Fraser

GENRE: Historical Romance Anthology (Vintage (1950s)

Blurb

Ah … the Fifties!

A time of innocence, and the not so innocent. From “I Love Lucy” and “Willy” to “Private Secretary”, “Father Knows Best” and “Bachelor Father”, television and music from the fifties gave us inspiration. Come take a trip down memory lane with these five vintage reads!

Get your romance on, and make grandma proud!

Ed Loves Marnie ~ 1955 – Can this handsome military man convince the single mother to take another chance at love? Or, will their shared memory put a wall between them?

Willa Thomas, Attorney-in-Love ~ 1956 – Will these co-workers be able to tow the company line and forego a chance at love? Or, will they risk everything for love?

Professor Knows Best ~ 1957 – Will this freaky trip back in time to 1957 give her the answers she seeks? Or, only more confusion? How difficult will she find it to navigate being best friends with the college-age version of her own mother?

His Private Secretary ~ 1958 – Can she run interference between her handsome boss, his needy family, and the scores of women trying to bed him and wed him and still remain unaffected by his many charms?

The Bachelor Father ~ 1959 – Will Nanny #5 be the one to finally ace the job, and coax him out of his shell and back into life? And, will a family vacation to Paris fulfill their wildest dreams?

Read an Excerpt

Day 3: Professor Knows Best ~ 1957

Susan took a seat on a bench in the campus courtyard. “Come on, think,” she scolded herself. What could have caused this to happen? And, what happens if you don’t wake up back in your own time, and the familiar surroundings of the university or your own apartment?

“Hi there.”

Susan looked up to see a young woman standing in front of her. Dressed in a long pencil-straight plaid skirt, sweater set, bobby socks and saddle shoes, she personified the 1950s.

“Hello,” Susan answered back, something very familiar in the girl’s smile.

“Are you new this semester? I haven’t seen you around before.”

“Actually,” Susan told her honestly, “I’ve just recently arrived in, uh, Chicago.”

“Really, how exciting. I’ve never traveled anywhere, except to Joliet with my mom and Aunt Sissie.”

Not waiting for an invitation, the girl plunked herself down on the bench next to Susan. “My name’s Debbie.”

“Debbie?” Susan repeated. Old family photos came back to her in a rush.

The young woman nodded, her blonde curls bouncing around her cheeks. “Debbie Phillips. What’s yours?”

Susan’s breath caught in her throat, and it was a moment before she could answer. “Susan,” she said simply.

“I absolutely adore the name Susan.” Shifting her books in her lap, Debbie shared her thoughts, “If I ever get married and have a daughter, I’m going to name her Susan. Or Susie. You know, like that new song on the charts by those two brothers.”

“Wake Up Little Susie,” Susan supplied. “The Everly Brothers.”

“Yes, that’s the one. I absolutely adore that song.”

At that very moment, Susan realized two things. First, no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she’d fallen into a time warp. This wasn’t a dream, but a stranger reality than any she could have ever imagined.

And, second, she was sitting face-to-face with her own mother.

J. Lynn’s Review

The stories in this collection are lighthearted romances that are just the right length for people like me who, sadly, don’t have a lot of extra time these days to get invested in a full-length romance novel. Even though you don’t have a lot of time to get to know the characters, they are all well-written, fully developed people with believeable storylines (the time-travel tale is a bit far-fetched, only because of the “Back to the Future” vibe) and from the moment of the meet-cute, you’ll find yourself not only rooting for the hero and heroine, but wondering how each romance will play out to its Happy Ever After.

Each story takes you back to a different year in the second half of the 1950s, and Ms. Fraser did a great job not only telling five succinct, satisfying romance tales, but immersing the reader into the historical era without relying on info-dumps. I also liked that she ended each story with a page of interesting facts about life in America in each given year.

Be aware that the stories do get a touch steamy (admittedly a little steamier than I’d expected, especially given the length of each story). Fans of sweeter romances may not appreciate the intimate scenes, but they are brief enough that a hesitant reader could skim or skip those bits without losing the heart and soul of the story.

Four out of five stars from me!

BookCover_YesTheseAreYourGrandmasRomances

Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter the contest.

Meet Nancy Fraser

Jumping Across Romance Genres with Gleeful Abandon—is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

Like most authors, Nancy began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

Nancy has published over forty books in full-length, novella, and short format. When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Website: www.nancyfraser.ca

Facebook: http://facebook.com/nancyfraserauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nfraserauthor

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/profile/nancy-fraser

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Fraser/e/B004AOL61Y/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7206382.Nancy_Fraser

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gC68iMStwKCr4v_S6fMIA

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/bxkKvD

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/-U12J3KXdb0

Jigsaw puzzle link: https://bit.ly/3tbK6oN

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091HXWJPD