Monthly Giveaway for July: $10 Amazon Gift Card

It's July! I can't believe how fast the summer is going! I've got a $10 Amazon gift card up for grabs this month, which everyone should be able to use - so open to international followers.

Good luck!

Must be able to enter and receive winnings by law. You must be at least 13 years old to enter and have parental permission if under 18. Please ensure that you correctly enter your email (and check your junk mail folder if I'm not on your contact list) so that I have a way to contact you. You can read my giveaway policy on my policies page. Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey & A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I have two YA picks today both mostly in the fantasy genre. They have awesome covers (I think) and sound fabulous! They're also both from one of my favorite YA publishers, Disney. Check them out:

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Sheik's Ruby by Jennifer Moore

The Sheik's Ruby

by Jennifer Moore

Adult Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 248 Pages
May 8th 2015 by The Wild Rose Press, Inc

Summary

Shelby wants to break away from the mold of her small town and make a name for herself in the big-city journalism world. While skiing, she meets mysterious stranger Hakim who is actually the prince of the Middle Eastern kingdom of Khali-dar.

When his enemies learn of Hakim’s connection to an American girl, they target Shelby. Fleeing to the safety of Khali-dar, Shelby falls deeper in love not only with the prince, but with his country. As she struggles to survive terrorist attacks, withstand the Sheik’s prejudice, and find her place in a world she doesn’t understand, she must choose which life she is willing to sacrifice—the comfortable one she has worked so hard to create, or the one with the man she loves.

You can read an excerpt and see the full tour schedule HERE.

  

Praise for the Book

“What a fun read! THE SHEIK’S RUBY is a fabulous Cinderella story with both ancient and modern tones you don’t want to miss.”
~Josi Kilpack

“THE SHEIK’S RUBY is a perfect blend of romance and adventure, set in locales both familiar and exotic. When I finished, I wanted to start over and enjoy it again.
~Nancy Allen

Teaser Tuesdays & Silver in the Blood Read-Along

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

I'm doing a combo post today because I'm gearing up for the Silver in the Blood Read-Along that Dena over at Batch of Books and I are hosting that begins in just over a week. I can't believe it's almost here!!!

The book releases on July 7th, so anyone who'd like to join can hopefully grab a copy from the bookstore or their local library to read with us (or if you already have an ARC, feel free to join us as well). You don't have to be a blogger to participate (we'll take all readers), you can sign up using the linky or just get ready to participate beginning July 10th. You also have some time to join, through July 20th, in case you can't participate until then or don't get your book by the 10th. We'll basically be reading a chapter (~26 pages) a day. Jessica will be stopping by to chat and there will be a giveaway as well. So just fun all around!! :D

I've included the linky below my teaser for anyone who is interested in joining. And to hopefully peak your interest, here is the book info and a teaser for Silver in the Blood...

Blog Tour Review: Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant

Love Arrives in Pieces 

by Betsy St. Amant
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 320 pages
June 9th 2015 by Zondervan

Summary

For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.

Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn't trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to her brokenness so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but always falls short. So she keeps her passion for her secret art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn't get another job soon, she ll be stuck living with her parents.

Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancee in a car crash. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town s old theater, and is shocked to learn former flame Stella is the designer for the project.

Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and their pasts as they struggle to compromise and come together on a vision for the theater. Chase doesn't understand why Stella is such a subdued version of herself, while Stella doesn't get Chase s constant need for productivity and speed. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness and their unresolved feelings for each other until Chase breaks through Stella s walls and convinces her to enter her mosaic tile art in a contest.

A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force both Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from the broken.

  

Weekly Update #121

Welcome to my Weekly Update where I post my blog's schedule for the week. I'm linking up to The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, as well as to Tynga's Reviews and Talk Supe for showcasing the books I added to my shelves or Kindle this week.

I've been enjoying spending time with the kids this week. I really love summer. :D Friday and Saturday we'll be gone celebrating Independence Day with family. Should be a great time.

It's a more laid-back week for me coming up on the blog. I have lots of books I'd like to catch up on reading, so I'm just going to enjoy reading whatever I feel like and post reviews when I'm ready. Here's what I know you'll see for sure:

Series Review & Giveaway: Everstone Chronicles by Dawn Crandall - an ACFW 2015 Carol Award Finalist

I'm excited to be sharing an historical romance series with you. The first book, The Hesitant Heiress, has a slight inspirational element perfect for historical AND inspirational romance readers alike. It's also an ACFW 2015 Carol Award Finalist in the debut category, which it definitely deserves! The other two books in the series are definitely more inspirational, so keep that in mind. I was sad that they're only available in ebook right now, but just found out that they'll be in print this fall (find more info and dates here). Check out all the usual info, my reviews, and a giveaway below...

The Hesitant Heiress

(Everstone Chronicles #1)
by Dawn Crandall

Adult Historical Romance, Inspirational
ebook, 315 Pages
August 1st 2014 by Whitaker House Books

Summary

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.

 

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Cupcakery by Toni Miller

Welcome to my tour stop for Cupcakery! I was hoping to actually get to make some of these sweet-looking things, but I didn't actually get my copy in time. There was a shipping mix-up and so I just received an electronic copy yesterday, which did allow me to read through everything and look at all the tips and recipes, thank goodness, but not get to bake anything. I will have to own a copy soon because I loved what I saw. Moving on... I have all the usual info below, as well as a review, and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway...

Cupcakery

Party-Perfect Cupcakes in a Flash
by Toni Miller

Cookbook
Paperback & ebook, 239 Pages
June 9th 2015 by Cedar Fort, Inc.

Summary

There is nothing quite like a row of pretty little cupcakes lined up in a bakery display case. Who can resist so many fun flavors and adorable sprinkles?

Now you can skip the trip and the cost of bakery-style cupcakes and learn how to make them right in your own home, starting from a cake mix! Anybody can follow these easy recipes and create these adorable designs. And with so many unique flavors, you’ll want to try them all.

• Blueberry-Stuffed French Toast
• Monster Cookie Dough
• Root Beer Float
• Chocolate Caramel Irish Cream
• Blue Velvet Coconut
• Mocha Peppermint Crunch

These delectable and delightfully adorable cupcakes look and taste so amazing your friends and family won t believe you made them yourself and from a mix!

  

Cover & Chapter Reveal: Into the Dark by Carline T. Patti

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover AND Chapter One of

Into the Dark
by Caroline T. Patti!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Blog Tour Review: The Six by Mark Alpert

On tour with Sourcebooks.

Welcome to my tour stop for The Six by Mark Alpert. I posted the trailer reveal and an excerpt last week HERE if you want to check those out. My review is below...

The Six

by Mark Alpert

YA SciFi, Thriller

Hardcover & ebook, 368 Pages

July 7th 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary

Avatar meets The Terminator in this thrilling cyber-tech adventure…

Adam’s muscular dystrophy has taken his motility, his friends, and in a few short years, it will take his life. He takes solace in playing video games he’s programmed to reflect the life that he used to have. Virtual reality is the one realm where he can be the hero, and it’s where he chooses to spend his time, until an entity called Sigma tries to kill him.

A dangerously advanced artificial intelligence program created by Adam’s computer-genius father, Sigma has escaped its cyber prison and is threatening global destruction and domination. But Adam’s father has a plan. He will stop Sigma by using the technology he developed to digitally preserve the mind of his dying son.

Adam’s consciousness is uploaded into the body of a weaponized robot, along with a group of five other gifted teens who are terminally ill. Together, they must learn how to manipulate their new mechanical forms and prepare for combat before Sigma destroys humanity. Adam can finally play the hero for real, but will his new body be worth the sacrifice of his human existence?

This innovative and thought-provoking young adult debut, from the critically acclaimed author of adult thrillers Final Theory and The Omega Theory, questions what it means to be human and whether we are destined to be defined by our physical bodies or our intellect.

      

Advance Praise for Mark Alpert

“Adam is an unusual hero—and he faces a frightening question: Computers can’t kill—CAN they? I’m still shaken by the answer. Will the near-future really be this terrifying?” —R.L. Stine, bestselling author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series

“An exciting action story chock-full of characters you’ll love. The Six is full of big ideas, big questions, real science, and things that will make you think and wonder and lie awake late at night.” —Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series

“The Six are introduced as terminally-ill teens, but there’s plenty of high-speed action in which they engage. Their physical disabilities and limitations through disease are forgotten as the teens’ hearts, minds, and personalities shine through...questions of principle, power, and possibility keep this look at our modern, hardwired existence fresh and fascinating.” STARRED Booklist

“Alpert's exploration of neuromorphic electronics raises interesting questions about ethics, technology, and human nature…a haunting ending scene will leave readers pondering the line between progress and loss. A thought-provoking clash between humanity and machinery.”- Kirkus Reviews

“A well-researched, hardcore science-fiction joyride, great for fans of first-person shooter video games like Halo and Destiny. Highly recommended” –School Library Journal

“Do not just read The Six; make your friends read it too.” –VOYA Magazine

Waiting on Wednesday: Drift & Dagger by Kendall Kulper and Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I have two intriguing (at least I think they are) YA books I'm highly anticipating. Drift & Dagger is this author's second release and I'm looking forward to it after liking her first one. The other book, Lock & Mori, sounds fabulous, especially since I rather love anything Sherlock Holmes related. So here they are...

Blog Tour Review: Summer's List by Anita Higman

Summer's List

by Anita Higman

Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 288 Pages
June 1st 2015 by River North

Summary

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life.

Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness-caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore-she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something-or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

  

New eBook Deals Site & Giveaway for FOREWORDZ

Win a $25 B&N.com Gift Card from Forewordz!

Like BookBub? Then you’ll absolutely and irrevocably fall madly in love with Forewordz­ (coming soon)! Let us tell you what it’s all about…

We are in the process of creating a book lover’s community that connects authors and readers through daily eBook deals (via email and on the site) and special promotions. Unlike similar services which compile deals based on what they think is worthy, we let authors take the reins and tell readers why they should download their books. After all, who knows the storyline, the characters, the helpful tips… the awesomeness of a book better than the person who wrote it? To add a little spice, we’ll throw in a few additional reasons why we think you should download a particular book. On Forewordz, you’ll also have a chance to follow your favorite authors and join their personal communities.

We’ve put together a special VIP Author program that includes some well-known USA Today and NYT bestselling authors including the incredible Bella Andre, Melissa Foster, Shelly Crane, Ben Woodard, Toby Neal, and Douglas E. Richards, among others. You don’t want to miss this!  

If you’d like to get a sneak peek and be one of our very first users feel free to SIGN UP 
(There is limited room for the beta launch, so don’t delay!). 

See you soon!

Crystal Ponti, Founder of Forewordz

@babeofbusines

Now for the giveaway!

Open Worldwide

Ending on 7th July 2015 at 11.59pm EST

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Review: The Keys of the Watchmen by Kathleen C. Perrin

The Keys of the Watchmen

(Watchmen Saga #1)
by Kathleen C. Perrin

NA Historical, Paranormal, Christian
Paperback & ebook, 394 Pages
December 12th 2014 by Langon House

Summary

Katelyn Michaels plans on hating every moment of her visit to Mont Saint Michel with her father’s new French wife. Once there, she is confused when she experiences sensations of déjà vu as she and her younger brother explore the medieval village and abbey. She is even more disturbed when she is confronted by two unusual young men, one who insists she has a sacred mission, and the other who will stop at nothing, even murder, to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny.

When the oddly-dressed but alluring Nicolas slips Katelyn a strange medallion, she is whisked back through time where her Watchmen hosts tell her she is the only hope to save Mont Saint Michel. Even worse, she learns that those trying to destroy the mount are led by a fallen angel intent on learning the mount's closely-guarded secret.

Katelyn is torn by feelings of anger at being taken back in time, inadequacy at finding a modern solution for a medieval problem, and responsibility for the mount’s starving inhabitants. She is also perturbed by her surprising attraction to the ill-tempered Nicolas. Will she stay to learn why she was chosen by the Archangel Michael and find a way to save his mount?