Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop

Are any of you spring cleaning yet?  I had a couple days of spring cleaning weather last week and then we got more snow yesterday and today.  :(  I did manage to get outside and clean out my flower beds.  I have tulips starting to emerge.  That's happy.  So, in the spirit of spring cleaning, I'm offering you some of the books I have piling up around here.  Here are the ones you can choose from:

1.  A Creed in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller (this is a romance, not "clean" or "sweet")
2.  Night Road by Kristin Hannah
3.  Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
4.  Breath of Angel by Karyn Henely
5.  Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann
6.  The Princetta by Anne-Laure Bondoux

Because I will be mailing out these books to winners, this giveaway will be for US residents only. I will pick two winners and let them pick the book of their choice.

Endure by Carrie Jones

From Goodreads:  Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .
Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.

I've been following this series from the start.  How completely AWESOME that I got to read this, the final book in the Need series, early thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley!  Yipee!


Have you been reading these books?  They just keep getting better and better.  I think this last book was seriously my favorite.  Why?  I think it was good to finally have resolution.  I'm a girl who like resolution.  I got bits and pieces of resolution all the way through the book.  Oh, and the very satisfying ending really helped.  I was VERY satisfied.  


I feel like Zara really grew up in this last book.  She finally found her place and was able to balance and reconcile all the different parts that make up Zara.  I like Zara's spunk and especially her loyalty.  Time and experiences can change people; their perceptions, their ideas, their feelings.  Not in a bad way, just in a real life sort of way.  This was true for Zara and everyone around her too.


The action was super built up by the end.  It got my adrenaline pumping and made the final climactic build-up really good.  Such a romantic ending.  <sigh>  

I read through this book so quickly.  It was good.  Endure will be released in May 2012.  If you haven't started reading this series yet, now is a good time to start!  You can get through all the books right away and not have to wait forever in between like I did.  :)

Bourne by Lisa T. Bergren

BOURNE, a novella (1/3 the length of a normal novel), picks up right where TORRENT left off...Find out what has happened to men returning from the battle, gravely wounded, to the Betarrinis, fighting for the men they love, and just who is hunting them next...

The River of Time Series--a Top 10 Pick for over 20 YA book bloggers in 2011! If you like romance, adventure and a dose of medieval Italian culture, you'll love WATERFALL (book 1), CASCADE (book 2) and TORRENT (book 3). Hint: They’re not just for teenagers.

I picked this novella up the day it was released.  (Yes, all other books were shoved off to the side.  No matter how good they were.)  Of course I polished it off in no time flat. It is a novella after all.  Plus, it was just so good to be back with all my favorite characters from this series.  River of Time is one of my very favorite series of books.  I love them.  If you haven't read any of these books yet, you really should give them a shot.  They are full of awesome-ness.  

And Luca?  Come on.  Does that guy deserve some awesome himself or what?!  I love Luca.  I was so glad to see him again in this novella.  The only trouble with Novellas is that they leave you wanting MORE.  <sigh>  I want more.

Olivia by Julie Wright (The Newport Ladies Book Club series)

From Goodreads:  The Robbins household looks perfect from the outside: no dust, no stains, no wrinkles. Yet a glimpse into its heart reveals no laughter, no closeness, no joy. Olivia thinks that if she keeps everything tidy and serves delicious meals on time, family life is bound to get better. But when her husband, Nick, misses their anniversary, she realizes no amount of domestic success will compensate for failure in their marriage, or for her own failure to develop her identity, always busy as a mother, wife, and neighbor, she has forgotten how to be a unique and vibrant individual. Determined to make a change, Olivia joins a local book club, where she nurtures new friendships and explores new ideas. But her growing confidence falters when Nick declares his independence, and while her new friends lovingly encircle her with support, only Olivia can reach into the depths of her fledgling self to find the faith, hope, and love her troubled family needs.

I am so intrigued by the concept behind this series of books.  It's one of the main reasons I signed on to take part in reviewing The Newport Ladies Book Club series.  The genre here can best be described as Women's Fiction.  The idea is that these four authors have joined together to write about different women in a book club.  The stories happen simultaneously but we get to focus on one lady at a time in each book.


Olivia is the first book and the first character we really get to know.  I love the cover of this book.  It really fits the Newport feel and well, I can't help but be attracted to blue.  It's my color.  :)  Plus the beach is my favorite place.  I love the sounds and smells of the ocean side.


I really loved following Olivia through the process of self awareness.  She has become so wrapped up in making her home and family the ideal that she has forgotten that her own soul is equally important in that whole "ideal" scenario.  The book seemed to be made of very real life type stuff.  It was easy to relate to and it was easy to find a bit of myself in there too.  Olivia begins to discover herself again but I like that it wasn't entirely selfish.  She finds bits of herself by helping other people and by allowing others into her heart.  Change always takes courage and Olivia finds that courage.  It was satisfying. 


We get a glimpse of the other ladies in the book club who will be coming up in future installments of The Newport Ladies Book Club and I'm really excited to read their stories in depth.  


You can find out more about this series by clicking HERE.  This is the official website and explains in greater detail the ideas and inspiration behind The Newport Ladies Book Club.  You can also find out more about the authors there.


Here is the trailer for the book:

Nice trailer, huh?  I'm so excited to follow this series.  It's going to be great, I think.  My thanks to these ladies for letting me be a part of sharing their books with you.

You can find Olivia for purchase at Amazon in print or for the kindle, Deseret Book, Seagull Book, and Barnes and Noble.

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

I think this blog hop theme is so fun.  I'm over the moon about it.  tee hee.  Okay, so both of the books I am giving away have a picture of the moon on them.  These are both books I enjoyed reading and I hope you will too.  

First up is The Light of the Lover's Moon by Marcia McClure.  She is one of my all time favorite romance authors.  Man, does she know how to write a kiss.  This romance is clean, which is how I prefer to read them.  :)


Next up is How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon.  This is more like a romantic comedy with an out of this world twist.  Lots of fun to read.  (There is some language content in this book)  You can read my review of this book here if you are interested.

I am giving away one copy of each book.  So, TWO winners!  Both books will be given as an ebook because I want to keep the giveaway open to all INT followers too.  If you don't have an e-reader, you can download the books and read them on your computer.  While you are here, check out my other giveaways located on the right of your screen.  :)

Review: Caller ID by Rachelle J Christensen PLUS enter to win a camcorder!

From Goodreads:  When twenty-three-year-old Courtney Beckham is abducted near her home, the search turns up more than just a kidnapping crime. FBI agent Jason Edwards investigates the ten-million-dollar ransom and stumbles upon something he wasn't meant to find. When Courtney catches a glimpse of the caller ID in her kidnapper's home, what she sees turns her world upside down.

I totally knew I was in for a good ride when I signed on to be a part of this blog tour for Caller ID.  I read Wrong Number, also by Rachelle Christensen, and enjoyed it so I knew this would be good.


The story starts off by telling us how someone had been murdered in the woods the previous year.  Courtney's dad is always telling her to stay out of the woods so when she decides to take a ride into the woods on her horse, my heart started anticipating.  I tried to tell Courtney, "Do NOT go into those woods."  "Oh, do NOT follow that little dog into the woods."  "DO NOT DO IT!!!"  Seriously?  Nobody listens to me.  


I was fully invested from the beginning to the end of this book.   Courtney was very resourceful and um, flexible.  If I had been where Courtney was I would have totally died because I cannot contort my body in those ways.  Wait a minute, this is fiction, so never mind.  I totally could have been just as resourceful and flexible.  In fact, I probably could have done it 20 minutes earlier than her because in fiction, I'm way smart too.


The story moved right along.  It was interesting and kept my mind wondering how all the pieces fit together and it kept my heart beating just a bit faster than necessary.  Which was good because I totally counted that for my workout for that day.  Who knew reading could also be a workout, right?  And yes, I totally did read this book in one day.  It was that good.  :)  Check out this book trailer and let me know how you liked it.  I thought it was perfect for the book.










I'm so glad I got to read this book and be a part of this blog tour.  My thanks to Cedar Fort for providing the opportunity.  You can check out all the blogs participating in this hop here.


Find out more about Rachelle J. Christensen at the following places:
Author Website: http://www.rachellejchristensen.com/
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachellechristensenauthor

"To celebrate the release of CALLER ID, Rachelle is hosting a contest for a new Ultra Flip Video Camcorder (4GB memory, Records 120 minutes Value $149.99) and other great prizes. You can enter to win between now and April 14, 2012. Winners will be announced and notified April 16, 2012.

For how to enter, click here.

Join the Book Bomb effort taking place Thursday, March 22nd. Click here for details."

Emerald City by Alicia Leppert + GIVEAWAY!

Olivia Tate is a broken shell of a girl haunted by the tragic events that fill her past. She has closed herself off from the world, each day grasping at something—anything—to live for. Convinced there will never be a way out, she seeks solace in the depths of her medicine cabinet. When she wakes up days later in the hospital she is introduced to Jude, the quiet stranger responsible for saving her life. She never could have guessed then that her mysterious rescuer would end up saving her life a second time, while simultaneously turning her world upside down. A modern-day romance with a twist, Emerald City has a little bit of something for everyone!

I'm so happy to be a part of the blog tour for Emerald City!  My thanks to Cedar Fort for allowing me to participate and for providing for the giveaway.  Cedar Fort is an awesome publisher to work with.  

Doesn't Emerald City have a pretty cover?  I really like it.  The line on the front is so true, too.  I think that one line is perfect for the story of Emerald City.

I think I forgot what this book was about in the time between when I signed up for the blog tour and the day I actually read the book.  I was a bit surprised when I started reading it.  It wasn't what I was expecting.  That's not a bad thing.  I kinda like good book surprises.  :)  

I would call this book "real life drama with a paranormal twist".  Olivia has been dealt a sad and difficult hand in life.  Her story is really heart breaking.  I felt so much sympathy for her.  She was so sad and lonely.  Her life had become almost no life at all as she was wasting away to nothing.  Which leads me to my favorite thing about this book.  In her darkest, worst moment, someone steps in with some light.  A small kindness, followed by another, followed by another that ends up making all the difference in the world to Olivia.  Isn't that what can make all the difference to any of us on any given hard day?  A small kindness can change everything.

Olivia goes from a shell of a person to someone who believes she can maybe survive.  Then when she is surviving, she starts to believe that maybe she can find some happiness somewhere.  It starts a chain of events that move Olivia to a better place.  A place where love is found.

I loved the transformation for Olivia.  I love that she found hope and light and love of life again.  Of course Jude, the rescuer and friend, is at the center of Olivia's transformation.  He ultimately shows us how showing kindness and love can change a person's whole life.  What a good, good man.  <sigh>  Jude.  (that was my romantic heart sighing)  At first I was like, "what's up with Jude?!"  And then a bit later I said, "Oh, that's what's up with Jude."  Just wait until you find out what's up with Jude.  :)

So, if you'd like to read Emerald City, enter the giveaway!  Cedar Fort will be giving away a copy of Emerald City ~ ebook to INT readers, print or ebook to US readers.  To enter just leave a comment with your email address.  Giveaway ends March 15th.

Here is a link that will take you to the author, Alicia Leppert's, website.  You should pop over there and check her out.  She tells a very funny story there about bidding for her new book on ebay.  It is classic.  You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.