Friday, January 31, 2014

January ~ February Sponsor Giveaway

I am so excited to be having this great sponsor giveaway!  Dara, Janine and I gathered up $15 for YOU to win!  All you need to do it follow us a few ways, tweet about this great giveaway and have a PayPal account!  Easy-peasy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Samadhi Book Tour

Samadhirelease

Samadhi – Book Three in the Love and Light Series is available NOW
BUY IT AT:

Wolf and Loti are learning the hard way that karma will not be denied. In their quest for the truth, they've been forced into a blood bond with a powerful witch who isn't so sure she wants to be tied down. But there's one thing they can agree on: it’s time to eliminate the ancient vampire who set off this deadly chain of events--Modore.

Using any means necessary--torture, murder, and even death magic--Modore lures the triumvirate into the show down of their lives. And the consequences will far exceed even Modore's imagination.
In this final installment of the Love and Light Series, the boundaries of love, lust, and even life itself will be tested and the universe as they know it will never be the same.

Join the Facebook Party. Starts at 8pm EST


About the Author
Melissa Lummis considers herself a truth seeker, a peaceful warrior, a paranormal and fantasy writer, an avid reader, a thru-hiker GAàME ’98, a Penn Stater, a wife, a mother, and a free thinker. She believes the universe conspires to help an adventurer. And if we live our lives as if it is a daring adventure (and it is!), then everything we need will find its way to us.
Her books have been described as new age suspense in a fantasy setting, but they are also straight up, steamy Paranormal Romance. The Love and Light Series is currently available at most ebook retailers and soon to come is the Little Flame Series, a spin off focusing on the character Fiamette from the Love and Light world.
Melissa lives in rural Virginia with her husband, two children, an Alaskan Malamute, and a myriad of forest creatures. The nature of her mind dictates that she write to stay sane. Otherwise, her fertile imagination takes off on tangents of its own accord, creating scenarios and worlds that confuse the space-time continuum.
Namaste, dear friends.
Melissa’s Social Links:
Check out www.melissalummis.com for more about her and her books.
Follow @melissalummis on Twitter.
Tumble with Melissa on tumblr.
And watch her and co-host Buddy Gott on the Sunday Night Fiction Club on YouTube.
 
Get unique content, early access to publications, and exclusive giveaways by subscribing to her newsletter.


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Justice Perverted Book Tour

Justice Perverted by Dee Wilbur


Virtual Book Tour Dates: 1/13/14 - 2/10/14
Series: The Richmond Saga
Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Medical Mystery, Beach Read

Blurb:
Sandy dozed intermittently with her head on Jon’s shoulder as they headed west on IH10. She thought about the changes that had just occurred in her life: her father’s death, quitting her teaching job in New Orleans, and packing all her belongings into the moving truck she was riding in. Her mind raced to the changes that were to come: her marriage to Jon, moving to the town of Richmond, Texas, and the effect that the community would have on her—and she would have on the community. She could not have foreseen the arrest of Jon’s partner for murder, the teenage marijuana ring, or the complete perversion of justice about to take place.

Author Interview:
Dee Pipes and Charlie Yates write together as Dee Wilbur, a combination of their middle names. Using first names, Beatrice Charles, sounded too much like a blues singer. Last names, Yates Pipes sounded like either a plumbing store or a tobacconist.

When we speak before groups, we always leave time for questions. It seems like the same questions always reoccur, so we thought that would be the best way to introduce ourselves.  We don’t have some burning issue that we want to blog about, because we are mostly about writing and reading mysteries. 

1.       Are you married?
A.      Yes, we are, but not to each other.

2.       How did you get together to start writing?
A.      We, Dee, her husband Bryan, Charlie and his wife Sally, all sat close to each other for about fifteen years at Rice University basketball games. Rice has some wonderful student athletes and some winning athletic programs (think baseball and the Liberty Bowl Owl football team)—but not basketball.  Lots of suffering and lots of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory bonded our friendships.   All four graduated from Rice.

3.       What motivated you to start writing?
A.      Charlie had retired from thirty years as a practicing radiologist (interpreting X-rays and nuclear medicine studies). We were out eating dinner together, and Dee innocently asked, “What are you going to do now that you are retired?” Charlie innocently answered, “I’m going to work in my garden and keep my swimming pool clean. And maybe write a book.” A week later Charlie got an e-mail from Dee saying, “I have decided that I am the one to help you write your book.” Being smarter than the average bear, Charlie realized that arguing with Dee was futile. He did get her to agree that they would write together, equally, rather than that she would be helping him.

4.       How did you decide to write mystery novels?
A.      We both read mysteries and enjoy them.  It seemed like a good place to start. 

Dee and her mother-in-law left for a two-week vacation immediately after she and Charlie decided to write together. Her final instructions were, “Have an outline of the book ready when I get back.” She claims that she thought it would be a book on cognitive psychology. When she returned, Charlie dutifully presented her with a seventy-page condensation of their first novel, A Jealous God. He had been working on the twists that make the surprise ending for a while. 

5.       How did you get an agent?
A.      We sent out more than one hundred query letters to agents found in the Writer’s Guide. We rapidly got over ninety rejection replies, many of them on pre-printed post cards. The final ones didn’t arrive until about nine months later, but it was still a rejection. Undaunted, we changed the first part of their query letter to read something like this: “This book is the one you have been waiting for; it will make your career as an agent. There is so much sex in this novel that it will get a strong R rating when it is made into a movie; when made into a TV show it will be listed as TVMA14 with strict parental discretion urged.” We sent out ten copies of this letter. Within two weeks we had received five requests for the first three chapters. Within two more weeks, we had received four requests for the entire book, within two more weeks, we had two offers for people wanting to be our agents.

6.       What has been the reaction of your friends and those that know you?
A.      Dee was so frightened about a negative response that she hoped the pseudonym would serve as a good disguise and that no one would recognize the authors. In fact Dee Wilbur is a limited liability partnership with a limited liability corporation as the general partner because she thought they would be sued. For the most part reaction has been very favorable. Only two or three people serve as models for characters in the book. They are aware of this and seem to derive pleasure from it. More people who are not models for characters seem to think they are and seem to derive much pleasure out of their misconceptions.

My Review:
A successful attorney named Jon is the main character of Justice Perverted.  He is from a small town in Texas and knows the "ins and outs" of his town.  Sandy is his girlfriend, and she lives New Orleans.  Her father dies and she moves from a big city to a small town.  It is a hard adjustment for anyone to make, especially for two people who are learning to stride together.


This mystery novel keeps you on your toes.  It has a plot went in logical progression, so it make this an easy novel to read.  I would recommend Justice Perverted to anyone who likes a good mystery or who would like to ease into the genre.  

Excerpts:
“And why doesn’t he want to handle divorces? It’s not like he has to do the investigation?” Daphne asked. I’m still not getting all of it, she thought. “I know he does pre-nups. He did one for someone last week, and I’m billing for it today.”
       “Two things. Don’t send out the bill for the pre-nup for another week or two. Doesn’t seem exactly polite to go sticking your hand out right away. And if that old coot actually does marry little miss smiley tight britches . . .”
       Daphne laughed at the description. Maureen certainly remembered the couple correctly. And she had been as nice as anything when they were in the office.
       “If they have the lack of taste to send Jon an invitation to the wedding, we send them a fifty dollar gift certificate to Yastremski’s Meat Market in East Bernard and sign the card Jon Miller, Esq.”
       “The meat market? For all the wedding invitations Jon gets?” Daphne asked with a shocked expression on her face.
       “Lord, no. Just the ones where he does the pre-nup. It’s his little joke,” Maureen explained with a grin.
       “Back to the pre-nups and divorces, which of course go hand in hand. If the couple divorces, at least one or maybe both, will continue to reside in Richmond,” Maureen continued, “and Jon, of course, wants both of their business.”  Daphne laughed as the light finally came on.
       “Yes, indeed. And no one remembers their divorce lawyer positively.”
       “I sure don’t!  He took my money, didn’t get me enough money from that lazy bastard ex of mine, and took his own sweet time doing it,” Daphne said with feeling as her voice broke.
       The older woman looked at her and asked, “It’s been about a year since you started proceedings?”
       “It’s been a year and one month since I threw his lazy cheating ass out of my house. How did you know?”
       “These things seem to go in stages, and you are at about the one year mark, give or take a couple of months.”
       Maybe this woman does know something. I’m gonna try to keep an open mind and listen and learn, Daphne told herself silently.

Buy Link:      Amazon

About the Authors:



Beatrice Dee Pipes and Charles Wilbur Yates, Jr. write under the pen name Dee Wilbur, a combination of their middle names. This is their second work of fiction. A Texas native, Dee Pipes grew up in a small Texas town. Her degree from Rice University is a B.A. in English. She currently runs a company that helps other companies with marketing, project management, and other tasks. She has been married to her husband Bryan for thirty years. Also a native Texan, Charles Yates, Jr., was also reared in a small Texas town. He graduated from Rice University in Houston with a B.A. and Ph.D. in Biology. He received the M.D. degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He has been married to his wife Sally for forty-five years. They have four adult sons and six grandchildren. He now tends his garden in Richmond, Texas.

Author Links:  Website    Goodreads


Giveaway:
The authors are giving away two print copies and two ebook copies of Justice Perverted! Entry is restricted to USA residents only, please. Enter through Rafflecopter.




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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Thirty-One

Who hasn't heard of the great bag company, Thirty-One?  I have heard of it, but I have never bought anything from them.  When I was contacted by Lilly, to host a virtual party!  Have you ever heard of that before?  Well, I had not.  Generally, I don't live with my head in the sand, but I really feel like I did now.

Lilly helped me by securing a time frame for my party and made sure I was happy with the way things were happening.

While we were figuring out when to have my online party, she offered a free item to try out.  I received the Hang-Up Activity Organizer to try and review.  I picked the coral mini gingham and LOVE it.  I was nervous about the color, as I am not always a fan of coral.


It is the perfect help to organize my blog-mind!  The top left pocket, I have some pens in and the top right sleeve I put my mini calendar.  Obviously, I have some mail in the lower pocket.  Do you think it will help discombobulate my brain?


Have you thought of hosting a Thirty-One party?  Call Lilly!  She will hook you up.  Be sure to check out her Facebook page, to be updated on her offers and giveaways.  She also has a newsletter, sign up to receive information about specials and hosting a party of your own!

Coincidence?  Maybe, but I sure do have a friend who knows me well.  I LOVE big bags.  She found this one at a Thirty-One party she just had and bought it for me.  Too bad Little Baby took over it already {she fits perfectly, in case you were wondering, her legs stretch out and everything}!



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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Twitter Hop 2.42

Twitter Hop

Welcome to Twitter Hop 2.42!
The only "rule" here is to follow as many people on the hop as possible!  I'd love it if you would grab a button and put it on your sidebar or "where hop/party" page.  Alright, let's get this party started!

Your Hosts:
Dawn~from Dawn's Disaster
Natasha~from Serenity You

Welcome Cathy {from A Peek Into My Paradise} as our newest permanent host!  She will be sending out our email reminders, so be sure to stop by and tell her HI today :)

Your Co-Hosts this month:
Organized Chaos
MaMadeCreations

Don't forget to share and Tweet about this link up!



We would love to have you as a Co-Host!  Great special for February co-hosts, please email me: dawnsdisaster {at} gmail {dot} com to get the special price.

Join our mailing list to receive email reminders about our hop!



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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Organized Chaos~Sponsor Spotlight and Giveaway

Shana from Organized Chaos has been a wonderful sponsor this month!  She has participated in our Twitter Hop and included US in HER monthly giveaway!  How awesome is that?

Organized Chaos

1)       Who inspires you while blogging? 
My children! I love a lot of other blogs, but most of what I blog about is my boys. Everything from my marriage, our Christian Lifestyle and what were doing on a regular basis comes back to my boys! It all focuses on the life and lifestyle we are trying to provide for them! I get so much joy out of reminiscing their moments, their little sayings and how they are interacting with the world around them!



2)     What is your favorite sport?   
Oh, this is a hard one! I love watching rugby! It is so intense and exciting. However, I love playing soccer and running. I dont find these to be interesting sports to watch but amazing to participate in! Thing to eat? Cheese! Does that count? Cheese anything! Cheese on pizza or sandwiches...in my pasta or just a cheesy pasta! We eat crackers and cheese as snacks and who can deny a good cheesecake?

3)     When did you start blogging? 
October 2012! So I just had my one year anniversary! lol

4)     Where is your favorite place? 
Thats also a hard question. My first reaction would be to say the beach. I love the tranquility and peace it brings being by the ocean. However, after just having spent a week in Durban....I couldnt believe how amazing home felt! It was like that was all I was seeking was to be in my home!



5)     Why did you start blogging? 
I started blogging as a way to release some creative energy. I was reading lots of blogs by that point and just thought to myself...I need that. I need an outlet! I work full time (7am-5pm) with an average of 45 minutes travel a day. I come home after 5:15 pm....have two boys to entertain, bath, and feed (plus the Hubby Dearest!). We are raising our children to be disciples of Christ while still enjoying life. Sometimes it all just gets to hectic...too busy. Blogging gives me a sense of grounding. Something that is mine. Time that is spent just being...Shana!

6)    Do you have kids?  What age(s)? 
I do have two little monkeys! No, seriously theyre boys....but by the looks of my house most evenings you would believe it was monkeys! Lil Mister will be three in January and we are preparing for LJs first birthday next week! And NO....if it was strictly up to me...wed be perfectly fine with just these two. However, we are prepared for whatever might be Gods will for our family!

Since Shana is such an awesome gal, she is giving away a fantastic ad spot!  "You're A Star" is valued at $10.00 and is her in-post ad.  It is a great 600x100 spot.  She posts about 7 times per week {that's every day folks}, offers random Social Media shout outs and lets you take over her blog for a weekend!  Enter below!


Be sure to stop by and say HI to Shana!

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Monday, January 27, 2014

Shane, Sponsor Spotlight

Have you visited Shane from Whispering Sweet Nothings?  She is in college and has a totally different view on life than I.  It is refreshing to read her posts and think back to "those days".


1)       Who inspires you while blogging?
My family is a huge source of inspiration, they only just recently began reading my blog however!



2)     What is your favorite sport?  Thing to eat?
Tennis- I played all through high school. Chocolate and anything pumpkin flavored!
3)     When did you start blogging?
January 2011
4)     Where is your favorite place?
Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic


5)     Why did you start blogging?

I began as a part of a 30 day challenge and mainly did it for myself. Never could have imagined how big of a hobby it would become for me :)


So, Shane, I need to ask, what is it with cousins making us do the 30 day challenge?  My cousin hasn't even finished hers yet {hint, hint, Kate}!

Thanks for sharing some insight with us, Shane!  Everyone, be sure to go over and say HEY to Shane!

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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Super Sunday Sync #71

Welcome to Super Sunday Sync #71!

Thank you for joining the Super Sunday Syn this week.  We are so glad that you have stopped by!  After you link up, be sure to enter to win a Guest Host space for next week :)

Tweet, share, promote!


Stop by and say hi to your hosts!

Rosey ~ Mail 4 Rosey

and our Guest Hosts today:

We start this week on a saddened note, as Rosey will be leaving us as Co-Host after today.  We will greatly miss her.  Please be sure to stop by and say HI to her today!  Hopefully Rosey will continue to link up as a participant.  We love when she drops by!

Rules for the "Super-est" hop ever:

1)  Link up a family-friendly post {or your homepage if it will always be decent} that you think is SUPER! Please do not link up another hop or giveaway.

2)  Follow your hosts and Guest-Hosts {the first 5 links}, via Bloglovin and/or GFC. We also appreciate {and return} any Facebook Likes and Twitter Follows. Be sure to leave a comment telling us how you follow, we'll follow you back!

3)  Visit the blog before you, and a few others {the more, the merrier} and follow them. We're all looking to have more followers, that's why we're hopping, right?

4)  Grab a button and put it somewhere people will see. We'd love for this hop to continue to be a big success!

Super Sunday Sync

If you're interested being a Guest Host, please  to reserve your weekend now!



Join the mailing list HERE and receive notifications about the #SSSHOP!
AND
Now that you've entered our hop, sign up to WIN a Guest Host spot!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Friday, January 24, 2014

Dragon Defender Book Tour

Dragon Defender - Blog Tour Button  J.A. Blackburn

About the Book

Title: Dragon Defender (Dragon Defense League, Book #1)
Author: J.A. Blackburn
Publication Date: October 19, 2013
Publisher: Pip & Grey
Number of pages: 242
Recommended age: 10+

Summary (Amazon):

For over a thousand years dragons have existed in secret . . . Peter Clark can build a robot from scratch and pick a lock in two minutes or less. But he can't figure out why his mother left or why his grandma refuses to talk about her. When Uncle Dominick shows up on Peter's twelfth birthday with a letter that hints at answers and an incredible story about dragons, Peter follows him, determined to find out the truth about his mother's disappearance. What he finds is a reality far different from what he ever could have imagined - where dragons live in hiding, hunted by poachers for their magical parts, and a small group of men and women work tirelessly to protect them. These are the Dragon Defenders. Peter's uncle is one. So was his mother. Now it's Peter's turn.
* Finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2013 Literary Contest *
 

My Review:

When I began this book, it grabbed my attention right away.  I was hooked from the first pages.

Dragon Defender is a great adventure book, aimed at the preteen male {or female}.  Peter, the main character, discovers he is part of a unique group {the DDL}.  The book takes you with Peter while he discovers his family legacy.  Not only will you read about Peter's adventure, but how he discovers who HE is.  You can almost see him transforming throughout the book.  It was a great read and I could hardly put it down.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a little science fiction and enjoys a middle school reading level.  It is easy to get into and has a gripping plot.

More Buzz About the Book

"We read an advance copy of this book on kindle earlier this year and our 5th grade son read it twice and is anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. Great adventure, really kept our interest reading it together at night. This was one of the kids books I most enjoyed reading myself as well. The characters and the plot are well developed, and appealing to a wide range of kids (both genders). The writing is sophisticated but easy to understand, not 'dumbed down' like many kids books. The subject of dragons was so well crafted that it's easy believe that dragons just might exist, after all." ~ 5 Star Review, Leigh A., Amazon
"Reminiscent of the Fablehaven series (with just the right touch of Harry P.) this middle grade book is both an adventure and a pleasure...Fast-paced and full of wonder, this book takes middle grade readers on a vivid journey from the southwestern U.S. to Mexico; where jungles, ancient ruins and local folklore add to the enchantment that Peter finds when he discovers that dragons are in fact, real. As a former elementary school teacher, my strong feeling is that kids will eat this book whole, and then turn to searching for dragon eggs in their own backyards!" ~ 5 Star Review, Grace W., Amazon
"Dragon Defender was an absorbing action packed read! The author pulls you in from the first page and I'm not sorry to say I read it all in the first day. I'm 33 but still! This is a fun book for a chapter a night with your 5 year old (my son is loving it so far) or for yourself. The characters are well developed so you feel like you're really there, and the dragon is so believable. I'd venture so far as to say I had to remind myself that dragons don't really exist.... or do they?" ~ 5 Star Review, MGC, Amazon
 

Purchase

Dragon Defender by J.A. Blackburn

Amazon (Print) | Amazon (Kindle)

 

About the Author: J.A. Blackburn

J.A. Blackburn, Author 
J. A. Blackburn lives in Seattle, Washington in a small white house overlooking the sea with her husband, Jason, her son, Camden, and their dog, Bella. Dragon Defender is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

     

Dragon Defender Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

January 6
January 7
January 8
January 9
January 10
January 11
January 12
January 13
January 14
January 15
January 16
January 17
January 18
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 26
 

* $50 Blog Tour Giveaway *

Amazon $50 Gift Card 
  Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest runs: January 6th to January 31, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, J.A. Blackburn and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.


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