Santa’s Dog – Blog Hop

Posted on October 9, 2018October 4, 2018 by Cathy

Santa's Dog Blog Hop (4)

About the Book

Santa's Dog Cover Page_07-24-2018

In this rhyming picture book for dog lovers of all ages, readers follow the adventures of Santa’s best dog, Lance, when he falls out of the sleigh one Christmas Eve. He’s taken in by the animal shelter and then brought home by a military family who needs some help as Dad is called to serve his country. When Christmas Eve comes ‘round the next year, Lance must decide whether to return to the North Pole with his friend Santa or stay with his new family. Kirkus Reviews describes SANTA’S DOGS as “a sweet, powerful Christmas story.”

SANTA’S DOG would be a great addition to any library or classroom reading program! To accompany this book, we have developed full teacher resources, including a Teacher Lesson Plans packet as well as an Activity Packet, both of which are available for FREE download from the Dogs & Books website. JoAnn also offers FREE virtual author visits to schools. Additional information about all of these resources can be found here.

GOODREADS

About the Author

JoAnn Sky has written for years as part of her job (business and marketing plans and the like). One day she tried her hand at writing for fun—and liked it. Now she authors adult contemporary romance and young adult romance with a magical twist as well as children’s books. She is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist and a member of Romance Writers of America. Originally from the Midwest, JoAnn currently lives in northern Nevada with her husband a.k.a. love of her life, three teenage children, and three crazy rescue dogs.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM| BOOKBUB | WEBSITE

Behind the Scenes Facts About the Book

1. Lance in the story is a combination of two rescues we’ve been lucky to have as part of our family over the years: Sampson and Lance. Sampson was our first rescue, and I adopted him from a kill-shelter while my husband was deployed to Iraq about 15 years ago. Lance was a wonderful older dog who spent about five years with us. Lance crossed the Rainbow Bridge earlier this year.

2. This story didn’t start out intending to be a children’s book. I began writing this as a short story that I thought I’d give to readers to encourage them to sign up for my author newsletter. As I wrote it out, it would only come out in rhyme—it just didn’t seem to work any other way. Then once I was done, I had a huge desire to add illustrations. The whole thing just snowballed after that!

3. The illustration of Santa going to pick up Lance and finding the shelter closed initially didn’t have the cardinal or the cat. I thought it needed “a little something,” so Ed Koehler (the most awesome illustrator in the world) added the cardinal. But it still seemed to need something! I asked Ed if he would add an animal peeking through the window. He wasn’t convinced it was necessary but added a cat. We both loved it, so that cat got to stay!

4. For the illustration of when Lance packs his things and waits for Santa, I had this vision with his dish on his head. I’m pretty sure Ed thought I was nuts when I first described it. But then he added the photo of the kids, and it was absolutely perfect!

5. SANTA’S DOG would not exist in its final form as a beautiful hardcover with dust jacket if I had not purchased Bobbie Hinman’s book, “How to Create a Successful Children’s Picture Book.” Bobbie is a successful author and editor. Her book is the bible for writing and publishing a children’s book. Seriously.

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Giveaway

Santa's Dog Blog Hop Giveaway

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Blog Hop Schedule

October 8-Life Is What Its Called
October 9-Emily Yager| My Book a Day | Cafinated Reads
October 10-Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | Remembrancy
October 11-Why Not? Because I Said So!
October 12-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
October 13-Maiden of the Pages | Paulette’s Papers | Blooming with Book

$100 Amazon or PayPal Giveaway

Posted on October 5, 2018October 1, 2018 by Cathy

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

I’m excited to bring you this $100 giveaway sponsored by a FABULOUS group of authors.

We are giving away $100!

Just think how many books you could buy with $100! Or maybe you need a new Kindle! Or maybe you want to try Kindle Unlimited! So many possibilities!!

Each of these sponsoring authors writes clean wholesome romance.

Please show these amazing authors some love! Visit their sites. Sign up for their newsletters. Download their books. Review their books. Follow them on Social Media. There are so many ways you can support them!

Giveaway Details

One winner will be awarded $100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon Gift Code!

Winning entry will be verified! Make sure you actually subscribe and confirm your entries so you don’t get disqualified. Please give these authors a chance. I personally subscribe to all these newsletters and have read books by many of these authors. Their newsletters aren’t spammy and often contain great ebook freebies, deals, and new releases. Most authors email out at most once a week so your inbox isn’t going to be overflowing if you subscribe to all of them!

If you already subscribe to an author’s newsletter you can, of course, claim the entry!

Ends 11/2/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter, Amazon, Paypal or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. The giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader/Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Enter the $100 Giveaway via the rafflecopter below.

$10 BONUS Giveaway #1 – Visit this Facebook Post & tag 2 friends to enter to win.

$10 BONUS Giveaway #2 – Visit this Instagram Post & tag 2 friends to enter to win.

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The Songs that Brought Me Back – Cover Reveal

Posted on September 20, 2018September 18, 2018 by Cathy

Coming December 4, 2018

The Songs That Brought Me Back by Mylissa Demeyere

Have you ever made a mistake? One so monumental you lost everything? I did, and I hate myself for it! All I want to do is close my eyes, and let the darkness consume me. Make it all go away. The end.

Ainsley is drowning in the depth of her despair. One wrong decision left her alone, with only regret as her constant companion. To escape it all, she makes another choice. One she hopes will end everything. Instead, she’s thrown into a whole new world filled with opportunities she doesn’t believe she deserves.

Ethan gives the appearance of breezing through life. But underneath his bright facade, he’s scarred by loss. When fate leads him into Ainsley’s world at the exact moment she needs someone the most, he can’t ignore the chance to right the wrongs of his past.

Ainsley and Ethan will struggle to help each other heal and start anew.

They’ll learn that the secret to conquering their pain lies within their power, if only they can do it together.

Always together.

Sometimes the ending is really the beginning.

What Readers are Saying:

A heartfelt romance with a powerful message about the sanctity of human life. If you’ve ever simply needed a friend, The Songs That Brought Me Back will resonate–and leave you thankful for the people in your life. -Taylor Dean, author of I’m With You and Chasing Fireflies.

Another remarkable read by Mylissa Demeyere. Ethan and Ainsley had me laughing and crying as they face their own demons and fall in love while doing it. This book adds even more depth as it confronts suicide head on. Suicide has become an epidemic that some are afraid to address; Demeyere brings it to light from both the victims and the survivors giving us insight on the struggles of so many. It does not disappoint and I, again, am excited to see what comes next from this talented writer. – Amazon Reviewer

A beautiful sequel to The Songs of You and Me that cleverly illustrates that there are always two sides to every story and that it is never too late for love to overcome any challenge. – Amazon Reviewer

“This poignant redemption story about second chances and forgiveness yanked my emotions all over the place. I cried, I yearned, I hoped. A beautiful story about what true love is and does.” – Charissa Stastny, author of Between Hope and the Highway and The Ruled Out Romance Series

Author Mylissa Demeyere

Mylissa Demeyere was born in Belgium, and resides in the beautiful city of Ghent. She lives in a somewhat organized home with her four beautiful children and the love of her life. If she isn’t working, she’s writing, running, reading, or enjoying time with her kids, who are growing up way too fast.

The Songs That Brought Me Back is her second novel in The Songs Series, with a third book releasing in the middle of 2019.

Website * BookBub * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter

Amazon * Goodreads * Pinterest

$25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash

Ends 10/9/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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#FallingInLove – Author Jo Noelle – $25 Giveaway

Posted on September 5, 2018September 3, 2018 by Cathy

Secondhand Hearts by Jo Noelle

As a member of a top country-western band, Chase has the money and fame he’s always wanted. When he meets the beautiful woman who owns Treasure Mountain Pawn, he has to hide both of those things from the one person he wants to know everything about him.

When Elena sees Chase for the first time, his turquoise eyes and tousled brown hair convince her that she might believe in insta-love. Just in time, her brain takes over, reminding her that her business is in trouble, making her future uncertain—not a good time for love.

But being with Chase is as easy as following her heart, until she finds he has a secret big enough to break it.

Amazon

Elena looked around the business her dad had built—a thirty-six-hundred-square-foot legacy with iron bars on the windows called Treasure Mountain Pawn, that had passed on to her.

“Elena, I got ya something I think ya need.” Tug walked toward the back of the store.

“We agreed. No presents,” she called over her shoulder, but he continued toward the storage room as if he hadn’t heard her. Something I need? I need a huge inheritance from a long-lost relative. Or a millionaire business partner. Or to win a lottery as soon as possible.

The bell on the front door jingled again, drawing Elena out of her wishes. Tug had turned the sign to “Closed” when Lucas left, but apparently, he’d forgotten to lock it. Glancing up, she found herself looking into turquoise eyes. Not blue, not green, but somehow both. His brown hair was perfectly tousled, and there was a shadow across his jaw, not like he forgot to comb or shave, but like he knew he rocked that look—complete with rolling a guitar pick between his fingers. His sleeves were pushed up, revealing muscular arms ribbed with veins. He walked toward her in a black button up—tight across his broad shoulders and obviously muscular chest, and then tucked into slim blue jeans behind a large belt buckle. He wore western boots, expensive but not flashy. She couldn’t help taking him in. Oh, my gosh! She could hardly breathe. Everything she found attractive in a man was wrapped up in one neat package.

Author Jo Noelle

Jo Noelle is a Colorado native but lived in several mountain states–Idaho, Utah, and California. She has two adult children and three small kids.

She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking (especially desserts,) builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains.

Oh, and by the way, she’s two people–a mother/daughter writing team. We write dessert romances–satisfyingly sweet, and you’ll want more.

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or $25 in Paypal Cash

Ends 10/1/18

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#FallingInLove – Author Julie Wright – $25 Giveaway

Posted on September 4, 2018September 3, 2018 by Cathy

Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright

Ever since Emma read Pride and Prejudice, she’s been in love with Mr. Darcy and has regarded Jane Austen as the expert on all things romantic. So naturally when Emma falls for Blake Hampton and he invites her home to meet his parents, she is positive an engagement is in her future. After all, Blake is a single man in possession of a good fortune, and thus must be in want of a wife.

But when it turns out that what Blake actually wants is more of a hook-up than a honeymoon, Emma is hurt, betrayed, and furious. She throws herself deeper into her work as CMO of Kinetics, the fastest growing gym franchise in the nation. She loves her work, and she’s good at it, which is why she bristles when her boss brings in a consultant to help her spearhead the new facilities on the East Coast. Her frustration turns to shock when that consultant turns out to be Blake’s younger brother, Lucas.

Emma is determined not to fall for Lucas, but as she gets to know him, she realizes that Lucas is nothing like his brother. He is kind and attentive and spends his time and money caring for the less fortunate.

What she can’t understand is why Lucas continues to try to push her back into Blake’s arms when he so clearly has fallen as hard for her as she has fallen for him.

Realizing that her love life is as complicated as anything Jane Austen could have dreamed up, Emma must find a way to let Blake know that it’s time for him to let her go and to let Lucas know it’s time for him to love her back.

AMAZON * Deseret Book

“Wright does contemporary romance right in this diverting novel with just enough heft.”-Publishers Weekly

“Employing her own deliciously dry sense of wit, Wright deftly pays homage to the inherent romantic wisdom found in Austen’s classic novels in this delightfully fun and refreshingly sweet contemporary romance.”-Booklist

“Modern, clever, and funny, Wright’s novel is a smart remix of tropes from Austen’s work. Lies Jane Austen Told Me is a satisfying and sweet contemporary romance that knits together romantic classics with modern manners.”-Foreword Reviews

Author Julie Wright

Julie Wright (1972-still breathing) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s lived in LA, Boston, and the literal middle of nowhere (don’t ask). She wrote her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, she’s written twenty three novels and coauthored three. Julie is a two-time winner of the Whitney award for best romance with her books “Cross My Heart” and “Lies Jane Austen Told Me” and has also won the Crown Heart award. Her book “Death Thieves” was a Whitney finalist for 2016. She is agented by Sara Crowe.

She has one husband, three kids, two salamanders, one dog, and a varying amount of fish (depending on attrition).

She loves writing, reading, traveling, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.