Makilien Trilogy eBook Available

Finally, after talking about it last fall, the entire Makilien Trilogy set is now available in eBook form! I had all these grand plans of making a new trilogy cover and releasing it as a paperback as well, but between my Etsy shop and editing Resistance, I just had no time to do any of that. I still would like to try to make it a paperback, which would require a new cover, but for now I just wanted to make the trilogy available in eBook. Buying it this way is $2.00 cheaper than purchasing each book separate. It’s available on Amazon for Kindle and on Smashwords in all other eBook formats. In a few weeks, it should start to show up on other retailer sites like Barnes & Noble and iTunes. It just takes a bit to get into their system. So, if anyone has been thinking about getting the trilogy, just follow the links below. And if you’ve read it and have any spare time to leave a quick review on the trilogy set, that would be fantastic. :)

Kindle
Smashwords

Book Review—A Match Made in Texas

In the small town of Dry Gulch, Texas, a good-hearted busybody just can't keep herself from surreptitiously trying to match up women in dire straits with men of good character she hopes can help them. How is she to know she's also giving each couple a little nudge toward love?

A Cowboy Unmatched
Neill isn't sure who hired him to repair Clara's roof--he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?

An Unforeseen Match
Hoping to earn an honest wage on his way to the land rush, Clayton ends up on Grace's doorstep, lured by a classified ad. He may have signed on for more than he expected though--and he may have found the one woman who can keep him from moving on.

No Match for Love
Andrew can't fathom how refined Lucy ended up as the caretaker to his dotty aunt, and somehow her arrival has prompted even more bizarre occurrences around the ranch. When they join forces to unearth the truth, will the attraction between Andrew and Lucy develop into more?

Meeting Her Match
When the tables are turned and a tenderhearted meddler becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme, her world is turned upside down. As her entire life changes, will she finally be able to tell the banker's son how much she cares for him?

* * * *

I was delighted to discover I could get this book to review because I pretty much devour anything that has Karen Witemeyer’s name on it. A Match Made in Texas is a wonderful collection of romantic novellas all linked to a town in Texas and a particular matchmaker. Of course, I especially enjoyed A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer. She is one of my favorite authors, and I just loved her books about the Archer brothers. So I was very anxious to read about Neill, the last of the Archer brothers to find a girl. It had me giggling plenty of times, and then getting nervous near the end. I would have loved to have it novel length, but it still felt very complete. Each story was very cute and enjoyable, and I highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys a good historical, Texas romance. And, might I add, it has an absolutely gorgeous cover!

I received this book free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Morning Glory Cover Reveal

Today is another special blog post—a cover reveal! And isn’t it gorgeous? This is Morning Glory by Amber Stokes, book three of The Heart’s Spring series. And if you haven’t read her debut novel, Bleeding Heart, yet, you should. It’s really good. It was a little different from your typical historical romance, but that’s what I liked about it. It felt more real than a lot of books I’ve read. Definitely check it out and look for the release of Morning Glory later this year. Here is all the information, and make sure to enter the fun giveaway at the bottom of the post! It includes a pair of my handmade earrings. :)

About the Book
The depths of fear. The dawning of hope.

Myghal’s story continues… Summer 2014

 

The Book’s and Series’ Blogs
In conjunction with the cover reveal, Amber’s doing a double “blog reveal,” as well! You can check out the book extras for Morning Glory (more coming soon!) on the Morning Glory blog, and you can keep up with all the exciting news for the series on The Heart’s Spring blog, the new home site for all three of the main books and the companion short stories!

About the Author
Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passion for the written word – from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in Oregon, she is now back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing. You can connect with Amber on her blog, Seasons of Humility.

 

About the Cover Designer
Lena lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her online at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com.

 

 

Giveaway!

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win morning glory note cards (set of four) from Cindy Lindgren and lavender & copper flower earrings from Jaye L. Knight! Giveaway limited to U.S. residents only.

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Excerpt from A Mighty Fortress by Faith Blum

Today is a special blog post. It’s the first blog tour I’ve ever taken part in! I’m excited to share with you a excerpt from A Mighty Fortress by fellow indie author Faith Blum. A Mighty Fortress is the first book of Hymns of the West, a series of Christian Westerns. Doesn’t it have a lovely cover? :) Make sure you check it out and visit Faith’s blog to see the rest of the posts on the tour: http://faithblum.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/introducing-my-first-blog-tour/ 

Enjoy the excerpt!

* * *

     Joshua left the coroner's office and trudged to the Leland residence.  He hesitated before knocking on the door.
     The door opened and Mrs. Leland stared at Joshua.  “You look exhausted, Joshua!”  She looked behind Joshua.  “Where’s Neil?”
     Joshua held up a hand to stop her question.  “May I come in and sit down, ma'am?” 
     “Of course.”  Her voice was more hesitant and Joshua knew she was figuring things out.  “Come on in.  I'll get you a cup of coffee.”
     “No, thank you, ma'am.  I'll just say what needs saying and leave.”  Joshua sank into a kitchen chair and stared at his boots.  “Your husband...”
     “He's dead, isn't he?” Mrs. Leland whispered.  Her eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembled.  “I had a feeling...I had a feeling something would happen.”
     “Yes, Ma'am.  We were ambushed.  He was in the lead and took a bullet right in the heart.”
     Mrs. Leland swallowed her tears.  “And the prisoners?”
     “In Helena under the Marshall's custody.”
     Mrs. Leland lips turned up a slight smile.  “You've done my husband proud, Joshua.  Thank you.”
     Joshua nodded.  “You're welcome, ma'am.  I wish...”
     “God has a reason for this.”  She laughed hoarsely.  “I don't know what, but I know He does.”
     Joshua looked down at the floor again.  “Yes, Ma'am.  I'm sure He does.  I'd best be going.  I'll see you tomorrow at the funeral, ‘less you want me to stay?”
     Mrs. Leland shook her head.  “No, but perhaps you could send Ruth or your mother here?”  She gave Joshua a forced smile.  “I don’t want to be here alone right now.”
     Joshua tried to interrupt her, but she held up a hand.  “Joshua, you are exhausted and need some rest.  The best way you can help me right now is to get home, send your mother or sister over here, and then get some rest.”
     Joshua closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  “Thank you, Ma’am.”  He turned slowly and found his way to the front door letting himself out of the house.
Joshua allowed his horse, Poseidon, to choose his own pace on the way home.  Home.  That had a nice ring to it.  If only he could go home and sleep for two or three days.  But, no.  He had a funeral to attend the next morning and he would be filling in as sheriff until a new sheriff was appointed or elected.
     “Joshua!”
     The voice seemed to float somewhere in his brain.  Who had said it?  He tried to look around, but his eyes and head would not cooperate.
     “Is he hurt?” A male voice this time.  Then someone touched him and he jerked awake.  Ruth stood by his horse, William and his parents nearby. 
     William was the first to speak.  “I'll take care of Poseidon, Joshua.  You look beat.”
     “Thanks.”  Joshua tried to smile, but all he could do was slide his exhausted body off his horse and try to stay steady as he stood.  “I am beat.  I drove pretty much straight from Helena here.”
     Joshua looked up and saw concern on his father's face. 
     “Only you?” Daniel asked.
     Joshua closed his eyes against the pain in his chest.  Why did his new best friend have to die like that?  “Yes.  We were ambushed and the sheriff was killed.  His funeral is first thing in the morning.”
     “Oh, poor Mrs. Leland.  Mother?”  Ruth breathed and turned to Harriet.
     “Yes, Ruth, if your father is agreeable, you may go do your best to comfort the woman.”
     The words rang a bell in Joshua’s head.  “Oh, yeah, Mrs. Leland did ask if Ruth or Mother could go stay with her for a little while.”
     Daniel nodded his consent.  As Ruth walked to the stable to saddle her horse, Joshua realized that William seemed to want to ask him something.
     “What is it, William?”
     “What happened?  You don't seem to be hurt, and yet the sheriff is dead.”
     Joshua sighed.  “Sheriff Leland was in the lead and I was in the rear.  He took the first bullet and I shot the rest of the men.”  He laughed bitterly as he recalled the day.  “They weren't very smart about their choices.  The sun was directly overhead and glinted off their rifle barrels.  After shooting 'em all, I got the prisoners to Helena.”
     William nodded before walking Poseidon to the barn.
     “Good for you, Son.”  Daniel's voice was husky with emotion.  “You did the right thing.  Now go in and get some rest.  We'll wake you in time for the funeral.”
     Joshua nodded his thanks and dragged himself into the house and to the bed that had been beckoning his name all day.

Book Review--Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

In 1763 Massachusetts, Susanna Smith has grown up with everything she's ever wanted, except one thing: an education. Because she's a female, higher learning has been closed to her, but her quick mind and quicker tongue never back down from a challenge. She's determined to put her status to good use, reaching out to the poor and deprived. And she knows when she marries well, she will be able to continue her work with the less fortunate.

Ben Ross grew up a farmer's son and has nothing to his name but his Harvard education. A poor country lawyer, he doesn't see how he'll be able to fulfill his promise to make his father proud of him. When family friends introduce him to the Smith family, he's drawn to quick-witted Susanna but knows her family expects her to marry well. When Susanna's decision to help an innocent woman no matter the cost crosses with Ben's growing disillusionment with their British rulers, the two find themselves bound together in what quickly becomes a very dangerous fight for justice.

I was very anxious to read Rebellious Heart when I saw I could get it from Bethany House free for a review. It took quite a bit longer to receive the book than I expected and then I was sick and not able to read for a while, but it was worth the wait. Since I reenact the colonial period, I just love reading about the 1700s to 1770s. Most books of this time period seem to be set during the Revolutionary War, but this one takes place shortly before and gives a good look at what life was like at that time. It took a little bit for me to like Ben and Susanna. I’m used to liking the guy right away, but he did grow on me quickly. A fantastic historical read. I look forward to checking out other books by Jody Hedlund and recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially ones set in colonial times.

I received this book free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Extended Holiday Sales

I went on to remove my sales buttons for my 20% autographed books this morning and then thought, why not just leave them until Christmas? :) So if anyone’s been contemplating getting them as gifts, you have more time now to consider it.

And if you didn’t get any jewelry during my Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, don’t worry! From now until Christmas, you can get free shipping on any order over $10 using the code HOLIDAYSHIP at checkout.

Also, all of my ebooks are still 99 cents until December 31st. To see the details of all my current holiday sales, visit my sales page.

Handmade Necklace Giveaway

I've decided to hold my first giveaway just in time for Christmas! Two winners will be drawn to receive their choice of one of my handmade necklaces. The giveaway will run through December 11th. Winners will choose from the list of necklaces below. Enter now for your chance to win one!

Ship Charm Necklace
Copper Flower Lariat Necklace
"Create" (or "Imagine") Charm Necklace
Copper Bow and Arrow Necklace
Compass Lariat Necklace
Aqua (or Purple) Lariat Necklace
Lavender and Copper Lariat Necklace
Writer Pen Nib Necklace with "Imagine" (or "Create) Charm
Aqua (or Purple) Ship's Wheel Lariat Necklace

Congratulations to Aubrey and Marion!

Note: Most of the entries involve following "Jaye L. Knight." For anyone who missed the announcement, that is my new pen name that I will be using from here on out. :)

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