Midsummer’s Eve Blog Hop Announcement
Thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway! I enjoyed reading all the comments. 
The winner of the giveaway is “starryblue”. Congratulations! And thanks again!
Midsummer’s Eve Giveaway Hop
June 19, 2012
Filed under Hop
Tags: all we see or seem, Astraea Press, blog hop, clones, giveaway, leah sanders, science fiction
The giveaway on this leg of the blog hop is an author signed paperback copy of All We See or Seem by Leah Sanders (if the winner prefers an ebook, that can be arranged). This is a sweet sci-fi romance with is a fast-paced and enjoyable storyline. It will keep you engaged from page 1!
COVER BLURB:
Gryff’s orders lay unopened on the table.
The silent tension caused Gem to bite her lip. She tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and shifted uneasily in the chair. Wide-eyed, Gryff sat stiffly beside her, regarding the envelope. He was like a statue—hands on his knees—staring interminably at the table.
Finally, Gem cleared her throat. Gryff jolted as if in a daze and turned to look at her. A look of uncertainty hung in his eyes. She swallowed the dry, sticky taste in her mouth and reached for his hand. It felt cold…clammy. Gem could feel the faint tremor of his fear radiating through his fingers. She took Gryff’s hand between her own and squeezed, trying to infuse heat and reassurance at the same time.
“Sometimes they come back,” Gem’s voice was barely a whisper. It was a feeble attempt, but she was grasping at straws here.
Everyone knows.
They don’t come back. Never whole, anyway.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment with your contact email below. I would also love it if you would “follow”! Thanks for participating!
*This book is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. It is available on Barnes & Noble in Nook format.*
Review: Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert
June 15, 2012
Filed under Book Review, Romance
Tags: book review, Christian fiction, clean fiction, faith, Five Quills, inspirational, Katie Ganshert, Multnomah Books, Reading, sweet romance, waterbrook press
Title: Wildflowers from Winter
Author: Katie Ganshert
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Format: Paperback (ARC) $9.99
Length: 314 pages
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Genre: Christian romance, Inspirational
Available at: Amazon, Christianbooks, WaterBrook, Barnes & Noble
Summary: Bethany Quinn finally has the life she always wanted. A relationship with a successful lawyer which seemed to be moving forward. A good job with a prestigious architectural firm in Chicago, nice car, expensive clothes, fabulous apartment. A far cry from the broken down trailer and second-hand clothes she knew as a girl. Far away from the small town life she hated. Far away from the memories of her childhood tragedy. Everything is perfect. Just the way she always wanted it to be.
Then everything starts to fall apart, and the small town she was certain she had left behind for good starts to reel her back in, kicking and screaming.
Evan Price knows Bethany’s grandfather better than she does, so when she shows up to care for him after the heart attack, he is understandably resistant to the intrusion. After all, she hadn’t been to visit the man in the entire five years Evan had lived and worked with him. Now she waltzes in with her designer clothes and fancy car, thinking she can make up for years of silence. He is certain she has no concern for anyone but herself. Anyone who can leave her family and best friends without so much as a word has to be a horrible person. So why does he find himself mysteriously drawn to her?
Review: I love the way the author wove this story from start to finish, including powerful and inspirational themes that carry a message of freedom and renewal. Even though it seemed like tragedy was following tragedy for each of the three main characters, the way every one of those tragedies came together to draw each of the characters to where God wanted them to be demonstrated how God can work everything out for his perfect purpose. What was awesome was that it didn’t seem overly preachy, but more as a natural proof of how He draws us to himself, even in the midst of pain we think will never end. Like the way abundant wildflowers follow the harshest winter. Love that.
The characters were true-to-life in the way they reacted and handled themselves when faced with all their personal trials, which made the development of the relationships among them progress in a way that made perfect sense. Bethany’s buried anger and bitterness over her father’s death and the way her mother handled it, Evan’s loss of his brother and the impending loss of his dream life as a farmer, and the sudden death of Robin Price’s husband, leaving her to deal with life and a new pregnancy all alone.
Recommendation: This is a clean and inspirational story that deals with death, grief, faith, renewal, and love. It’s a well developed plot with real conflicts that deal with the human condition. If you’re in the mood for a light read, this wouldn’t be a good choice for you. But if you are looking for something meaningful and moving, Wildflowers from Winter is definitely worthy of a good look. In fact, it’s worthy of five quills in my book.
I was given a free advanced reading copy of this book for my honest review by Blogging for Books.
For more information about the author, the book, or to read an excerpt check out the links below:
Author’s Bio More Info @ Book Read an excerpt Author’s Site
Review: Upon a Midnight Dream by Rachel Van Dyken
June 7, 2012
Filed under Book Review, Romance
Tags: Astraea Press, book review, clean fiction, ebook, fairy tales, four-quills, London Fairy Tales series, Rachel Van Dyken, Regency romance, Romance novels, sleeping beauty
Title: Upon a Midnight Dream
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Astraea Press
Format: E-book ($3.99)
Pages: 223 pages
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Genre: Regency Romance, Fairy Tale
Available at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Astraea Press
Summary: Rosalind Hartwell’s family has fallen under a curse, and it is all her fault… Well, it’s half her fault.
The other portion of culpability falls on Stefan Hudson, the recently returned prodigal, the Marquess of Whitmore and soon to be Duke of Montmouth. It was their responsibility to marry and join the two families in order to avoid bringing the full fury of the family curse crashing down around them.
When Stefan and Rosalind call off their engagement, members of both families start dropping like flies, starting with the fathers of both houses. It seems as though Stefan and Rosalind have no choice but to follow through with marriage after all. But Rosalind insists on being wooed, and Stefan had been stranded on a deserted island for so long, he has all but forgotten most of the social graces.
In their quest to reverse the family curse, they find out there is much more to all the strange sickness and death than meets the superstitious eye. But will they figure out the secret in time to save the rest of their families?
Review: A much-loved favorite fairy tale re-mixed in a new and intriguing story. Rachel Van Dyken was able to weave a brand new story out of the old, which is not easy to do. Between the heroine’s narcolepsy and the over-protective, cane-wielding godmother there is a wonderful mix of the original fairy tale with Van Dyken’s own inventions.
The hero, who suddenly re-appears after having been presumed dead, is an interesting mix of knight in shining armor and unbearable shipwrecked savage returning to polite society.
The heroine, who is convinced she is dying, is a strong female lead holding out for love even in the midst of the threat of a curse befalling her family. She is a worthy opponent of the stubborn, arrogant Stefan, and often gives him a taste of his own medicine in more ways than one.
Recommendation: This is an enjoyable read, a bit steamy in some places, but clean overall. It was written for an adult audience, and I probably wouldn’t recommend it for readers under fifteen. It has mystery, betrayal, romance and suspense all rolled in, so there is a little something for everyone. It is an excellent start for the new series, and I am looking forward to the next installment about Beauty and the Beast. I give Upon a Midnight Dream four quills.
For those of you who haven’t yet read the House of Renwick trilogy, the characters in this book do make an appearance in The Redemption of Lord Rawlings. It’s definitely worth picking up. You can check out the review here.
