Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Meet Me in Barcelona by Mary Carter ~Tour Stop & Giveaway~




Title: Meet Me in Barcelona

AuthorMary Carter
PublisherKensington
Pages352
Genre: Mainstream fiction
FormatPaperback/Kindle/MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audo, Unabridged

Purchase at AMAZON
A surprise trip to Barcelona with her boyfriend, Jake, seems like the perfect antidote to Grace Sawyer's current woes. The city is dazzling and unpredictable, but the biggest surprise for Grace is discovering who arranged and paid for the vacation.

Carrie Ann wasn't just Grace's foster sister. Clever, pretty, and mercurial, she was her best friend—until everything went terribly wrong. Now, as she flees an abusive marriage, Carrie Ann has turned to the one person she hopes will come through for her. Despite her initial misgivings, Grace wants to help. But then Carrie Ann and Jake both go missing. Stunned and confused, Grace begins to realize how much of herself she's kept from Jake—and how much of Carrie Ann she never understood. Soon Grace is baited into following a trail of scant clues across Spain, determined to find the truth, even if she must revisit her troubled past to do it.

Mary Carter's intriguing novel delves into the complexities of childhood bonds, the corrosive weight of guilt and blame, and all the ways we try—and often fail—to truly know the ones we love.





Ooooooo Author GUEST POST

THE IDEA TREE
By Mary Carter



“Where do you get your ideas?”
It’s the question I am asked most often. It’s typically accompanied with furled eyebrows and the asker leaning forward slightly in case I’m about to divulge an ancient, Chinese secret. As if there is an idea tree out there, and I alone was chosen to pluck from it. As if ideas were UFOs and I had been granted exclusive access to my own personal Area 51. Here’s what’s really behind that question. I would be a writer too, if I just knew how to come up with an idea. Maybe instead of writing novels, I should open a chain store: IDEAS R US

In the writing workshop I teach, we say that “Good Ideas” take a back seat to Experience. Bringing an experience to life on the page is what it’s all about, and experience is everywhere, happening to everyone, everyday. In my most recent release, MEET ME IN BARCELONA, I bring the experience of Barcelona to life. There’s more to it, of course. Complex female relationships. Love versus lust. Dealing with loss. People disappearing. All against the background of beautiful Barcelona. My observations were made over a decade ago when I had the chance to visit Spain for seventeen days. One of the electric aspects of La Rambla, both the name of a pedestrian-only street, and a reference to the neighborhood itself, is the street performers. Rafael, in the novel, is one such street performer. I also describe a “tin man” riding a bicycle with two child-sized skeletons riding beside him. Here’s the picture of the actual performer that I was able to use in my fiction over ten years later. It still feels like ten days ago in a lot of ways. I didn’t take this picture, one of the girls I was with did. You’ll see that the performer is holding his hand in front of his face, she must have snapped this picture without tipping him. I was fascinated with the variety and talent of the performers. I wondered what they looked like beneath their make-up, outfits, and props. I wondered if they were fun to have at dinner parties. I wondered if they ever got tired of dressing up to go to work. I wondered how they could stand so still. I wondered what they thought about since most of them were completely silent. I wondered if they loved or hated the people they posed with. I wondered if there was good money in it. I wondered how they came up with their outfits. I wondered what they did in their free time and what their flats looked like. I wondered if they changed right away when they arrived home or if they sat hunched around a tiny table smoking a cigarette first, leaking flakes of silver spray paint onto the top of the table. So if you want to know the secret to getting ideas, here it: Observe something and wonder about it. It can make wondrous things happen.




 About the Author

Mary Carter is a freelance writer and novelist.  Meet Me in Barcelona is her eighth novel. Her other works include:  Three Months in FlorenceThe Things I Do For You, The Pub Across the Pond, My Sister’s Voice, Sunnyside BluesShe’ll Take It, and Accidentally Engaged.  In addition to her novels she has written six novellas: Return to Hampton Beach in the anthology, Summer DaysA Southern Christmas in the upcoming 2014 anthology Our First ChristmasA Kiss Before Midnight in the anthology, You’re Still the OneA Very Maui Christmas in the New York Times best selling anthology Holiday Magic, and The Honeymoon House in the New York Times best selling anthology Almost Home. Mary currently lives in ChicagoIL with a demanding labradoodle. She wishes she could thank her gorgeous husband, but she doesn’t have one. In addition to writing she leads writing workshops.
For More Information

More books by Mary Carter.



Giveaway

Mary Carter is giving away 3 books including My Sister's Voice, Three Months in Venice and Sunnyside Blues!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one set of three books by Mary Carter.
  • This giveaway begins August 4 and ends on October 31.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, November 3.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!





Monday, August 11, 2014

Love’s Sacrifice (The Billionaire Banker Series – Book 5) by Georgia Le Carre

Love’s Sacrifice
(The Billionaire Banker Series – Book 5)
 AN EROTIC ROMANCE
(18+ due to mature themes and sexual content)


 


Blurb/Synopsis:

Some secrets won’t stay silent...

An evening out at the theatre for Lana and Blake ends prematurely with shocking news.

Frantic, the couple rush home to discover their worst fears. And Blake is forced to confront the realization that his new family is on a collision course with his past — caught in the crossfire of adversaries who won’t hesitate to hurt them.

Once again Lana shows the strength that underpins her character to keep her family together, but with Blake already weakened by the revelation of devastating secrets, will they be strong enough to face down such menacing adversaries?

Lana and Blake know that time is running out and difficult decisions must be made, ones that will irrevocably and forever alter their lives. 

And that ultimately, Blake will be called upon to make the greatest sacrifice of all








                                     Georgia Le Carre







Author Bio

Georgia Le Carre lives in England, in an old 19th century romantic cottage surrounded by a magical garden filled with fruit and walnut trees. 
When she is not feeding words into her laptop, she is either curled up in bed with a box of chocolates and a good read, or lost in a long walk in the woods. Especially on moonlit nights.  And often with the man of her dreams.

Links








Amazon link : Amazon-usa
                                   Amazon-UK

ISBN kindle:


GIVEAWAY





Love’s Sacrifice

Excerpt:


My feet are soundless on the carpet. My throat stings with unshed tears. I want to scream and howl. It will be some kind of a release, but how can I? At this time of the night? I wish I could drive out to some lonely location and scream and scream and scream. But the moment I leave the front door, Brian or one of the men will start trailing me.
I pause at the entrance to our bedroom and stand gazing at Blake. He looks very pale sleeping among shadows. I feel as if I have lost everything. I am so incredibly scared. I need to hear him call out my name in that snarling voice again. Without thinking I drift, like a flower crowned Orphelia, towards him, towards the warmth of his body. At the edge of the bed I look down on him, my eyes exploring the tousled hair, relaxed muscles, and the smooth and gleaming skin. He is so incredibly sexy. But I’m not wet with desire. I want to be wet with desire again.
Carefully, I lift the duvet and crawl onto the bed next to the magnificent body. His scent is sun ripened and heady. I take his soft penis into my mouth.  Slowly, gently, I suck it. He tastes delicious.
The juices begin to gather between my legs.
He moans in his sleep, his throat moves, and I increase the pressure of my mouth. The shaft grows thicker and bigger.  Blake’s hands come up to hold my shoulders.  I don’t look up.  I just keep on sucking. His hands grip harder, suddenly they are under my armpits, and pulling me up, and over his body.
‘Let me finish,’ I say, but already I am straddling his hips.
I move my body encouragingly, and my sex, wet and willing, rubs against the short silky hairs on his thighs. He lifts me up silently and holds my body over the head of his cock. I hold on to the shaft and position it over the core of my heat. Slowly, my sex is stretched and fitted around that aroused throbbing shaft.  He spreads my thighs even further and flattens them against his hips. The action makes my clit touch bone. He grinds that bone against me. Then tension transfers to my belly, my thighs, my sex. My nerves overload, and soon I am lost in a red mist of forgetfulness. It explodes in my brain.
He holds me by the waist and rolls me under him. I close my eyes and let my body be a vessel for his satisfaction. For a while I am simply a body, a body that is being fucked by another body. I am nothing but a biological reaction. When I feel the first drop of water on my cheek, I think it is Blake’s sweat, but when the next drop splashes onto my forehead, I know.  They are tears. And then it is impossible for me to even be a biological reaction. He feels the change in me, and stops moving.
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispers. The words are strange in his mouth.



Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Waiting for Heaven: Finding Beauty in the Pain and the Struggle by Heather Gillis *Book Blast & Giveaway*


Waiting For Heaven Banner 2
Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Heather Gillis' Waiting for Heaven Book Blast August 1- 29!
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PUYB Inside the Book
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Waiting For Heaven 2
  Title: Waiting for Heaven: Finding Beauty in the Pain and the Struggle 
Author: Heather Gillis 
Genre: Religion / Memoir / Spirituality 
Publisher: WestBow Press
  Publication Date: March 20, 2014 ISBN: 978-1-4908-2786-5 

   Life can sometimes lead us to unexpected places, to only leave us broken, desperate, and hurting. Heather Gillis and her husband, Mac, waited in anticipation for the birth of their third child. Like many Christian couples, their dreams and expectations in marriage, parenthood, and daily life developed differently than they’d planned, and left them grieving a life that would never be. Their journey gives insight into a new normal and uncovers the stepping stones of the healing process. In their process, they re- discovered God’s abounding love through their experiences of joy, heartbreak, and purpose. Heather reaches out to parents around the globe to speak openly about being a wife, mother, friend, relative, or stranger during life-changing trials and devastating struggles. In God’s love, she has found beauty in the midst of pain and struggle, as well as peace in His presence on Earth while waiting for Heaven.  

  Book Excerpt: Life is not about how comfortable I can be; to expect life to be comfortable is unrealistic. I’m not exempt from the harshness or pain of this world. I have realized since Bowen’s passing that there are no guarantees in life; to think otherwise leads to disappointment. When I was pregnant, I assumed Bowen would be healthy. I assumed that when I left the house, I would return, unharmed. I assumed for some reason I would make it through life unscathed; I never thought I would be writing these words. We can do all the right things in life, but that doesn’t guarantee us rewards or benefits in this life. We did not choose the path we are walking, but God willing, we will endure what comes our way and to where God wants us to go. We can have all the plans in the world but God is in the driver’s seat, and God knows what he is doing; we just have to trust him. Uncomfortable situations have taught me to trust in God, and I have learned more than I ever thought I would; and still am.  

  Purchase Book at:
Barnes & Noble      
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View More: http://shannonallenphotography.pass.us/2014 
   Meet Heather Gillis. In her book, Waiting for Heaven, Heather recalls the story of her infant son, Bowen, and her family's journey with polycystic kidney disease. Through Bowen's short life and death, she and her husband, Mac, discovered the true meaning of God’s love and grace. By telling her poignant story in the book and speaking to groups, Heather hopes she can help others through the challenges of loss and devastation; giving hope that their can be joy and happiness again. After Bowen's death, Heather founded Bowen's Hope, a ministry serving kidney disease kids and their families, especially those getting dialysis treatments at Phoenix Children's Hospital. She's also involved with Camp Maska for dialysis patients in Arizona, and has raised over $50,000 for the PKD Foundation. In addition, Heather volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House, an organization serving meals and providing temporary housing to families with children in the hospital. Heather works part time as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She and Mac have two living children, Brooklyn and Blake. With a serving heart, Heather’s passions are her family and helping others. 
 Visit Heather Online at www.bowenshope.com 
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Pump Up Your Book and Author Heather Gillis are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive the prize.
  • This giveaway begins August 1 and ends on August 29, 2014.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on September 1, 2014.
  • Winner has 72 hours to reply.
  • VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway