New Release and Review: Christmas Grace, Signing Seeds by Lynn Donovan

Grace Avery's husband was her rock, the foundation to her faith and her life. Now a young, grieving widow, she longs to have his baby, but artificial insemination fails her again and again. How far will she go to have his baby? She cries out to God, but He isn't listening. When the Worship Team Leader asks her to come back and bless the congregation with her gift of sign language during the Christmas Eve Program, her stifling grief holds her back. Can sharing her gift be the seed needed to reap the harvest she so desperately wants? Is God's grace sufficient? Is there Christmas Grace?
Published by Astraea Press Cover by Cora Graphics 




About this author:  Lynn Donovan spends her days chasing after her muses, trying to get them to settle down and behave long enough to dictate their words and actions. The results have produced The Clockwork Dragon, a collection of nine short stories in which she wrote half (4.5 stories), The Wishing Well Curse, and Thorns of Betrayal, Rocking Horse Shadows, and Christmas Grace, Signing Seeds. A speculative fiction called Fertility Pirates is hovering out there somewhere. Lynn enjoys reading and writing Christian fiction, paranormal, and speculative fiction. But you never know what her muses will come up with for a story, so you could see a novel under any given genre. All we can tell you is keep your eyes open, cause these muses are not sitting still for long! Oops, there they go again…

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My thoughts: 

Christmas Grace, Signing Seeds is a gentle story about a widow’s journey in coming to terms with her husband’s death. Grace and Chris had planned to have children and raise them together, but God has other plans. Just as Grace is ready to slow concentrate less on her career and more on her husband’s wish to have a child, he is taken from her. She is overcome with grief, but her mother and sister are there to support her, as well as the people in her church.

It seemed that much of the first half of the story is told through inner dialogue, even though it’s written in third person. The action picks up more in the second half, when Faith and Liz, Grace’s sister and mother, begin to help her dig her way out of the crippling grief. She finds her support group is even wider when she goes back to the church where she and Chris worshipped.

The happily-ever-after was definitely not what I expected, although it’s a nice pleasant one. Grace learns to trust in God’s timing and His plan for her life, and when she does that, everything else falls into place. It’s a great reminder.

Christmas Grace can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes andNoble, and other ebook outlets.

Remembered by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon: Guest Post and Giveaway

I am so pleased to welcome multi-published, mega-talented Nancy Gideon to Creative Hodgepodge! Nancy is an active member of my local RWA chapter, and she’s gearing up for the release of Remembered by Moonlight, the latest in her Moonlight/Shadows series. I happily signed on for her blog tour.

Remembered by Moonlight, like the rest of the series, is a paranormal romance. Here’s what Nancy has to say about her new book:

Ever have characters that just won’t leave once you’ve put the book away? You wonder what they’re doing, if they’re still together, if they had kids, boys or girls. Now imagine that you’re not just the reader but also the writer of that book and the creator of those characters.

That was the problem I had back in 2008.  One book just wasn’t enough to say all that needed saying.  So at the end of book one, I didn’t stop. I kept writing- book two, book three, book four about the same hero and heroine: deliciously dangerous shape-shifter Max Savoie and tough-as-nails New Orleans detective Charlotte Caissie.  Even then, their story and their intricate, intriguing “By Moonlight” world wouldn’t  leave me alone.  So I moved next  door, into the “Shadows” where my hero and heroine could visit while different heroes and heroines had the spotlight and their world could continue to spin on.

But that STILL wasn’t enough.  Not for me as the writer and not for the rather rabid fans who insisted that Max and Cee Cee have the happily-ever-after they deserved.

So, because the road to happily-ever-after is never smooth, I invited Max and Charlotte back in REMEMBERED BY MOONLIGHT  and writing it was like coming home again where everyone knows your name (or is that a TV show?).

For readers who’ve never visited the “By Moonlight” world, don’t despair.  REMEMBERED BY MOONLIGHT is the perfect starting point—if you can believe that of book nine!  Because our hero Max has had his memories erased, the reader can learn about his past, his friends, the dangers he faces as Max does, through his eyes.  And won’t want to look away.

Welcome to my “By Moonlight” world with REMEMBERED BY MOONLIGHT available October 13, 2014!

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Does this sound delicious? Here's the blurb for the book:

Because the road to . . .

Clever, cool and preternaturally lethal, Max Savoie is leader of a secretive shape-shifter clan, heir to a mobster’s legacy, and the love of New Orleans’  top cop . . . but he can’t remember any of them.  The only way to recover his past, and his rightful place in the arms of the woman who risked all to save him, is to surrender to a mysterious visitor who could use him as a weapon against all he’d loved.

Happily-Ever-After . . .

After rescuing her mate from his ruthless captors in the North, hard-hitting Detective Charlotte Caissie is now painfully vulnerable—a stranger in his eyes . . . and in his bed.  The key to his memories is locked in a tortuous past.  To reclaim the strength of their passionate bond, Max must learn to trust her enough to face that darkness at her side before the threat it hides exposes the secret Cee Cee carries.

Is never smooth.

When an investigation into grisly deaths in an underground Shifter fight club points to more than just dangerous clan rivalries, Cee Cee enlists Max’s help to find a traitor in their midst while there’s still time to turn a deadly invading tide. But the cost of saving their treasured future may mean sacrificing his past. Especially when the enemy they pursue  . . . might be Max, himself.

Like that? Here’s an excerpt:

The bare wall of windows let in the lights of the city against an ink-black sky, silhouetting a solitary figure. Her throat clutched as she recalled the first time she’d seen him there when the building was still a metal skeleton, toeing the edge of the beam, his dark coat billowing behind him like the wings of a fallen angel. His pose was no less dramatic now, sleek, dark and solitary as he stared out into the night.

Cee Cee bit down on her initial impulse to demand where he’d been, knowing her panic would shine through. No pressure. Don’t push. Give him space. Her restraint was rewarded by the quiet murmur of his voice.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. Giles and I were going through the books at LEI, and time got away from us. There’s so much I need to learn if I’m to maintain the masquerade of knowing who I am. I apologize if you were worried.”

He’d been with Giles at Legere Enterprises International tending his inherited ill-gotten and now nearly legal gains. All anxieties addressed and answered. She relaxed.

She could tell by his hesitation that there was more he wanted to say, so she remained silent and let him work up to it. Still, his question took her by surprise.

“What was that this morning?”

“I had a very busy morning. Be more specific.”

“Between us.”

Specific as a heart attack. No use tiptoeing around it.

“We’ve had a sort of psychic connection since we bonded.” Thankfully, he didn’t ask her to explain thatprocess. “We can get inside each other’s heads.”

He had yet to look toward her. She didn’t need a psychic bond to feel him locking down tight to prevent her unauthorized entry.

“How does it work?” How can I stop it? That’s what he really wanted to know.

“I’m not sure. We share thoughts, feelings, dreams.”

“All the time?” Oh, such wariness in that simple question. So Max.

“No. Of course not. It’s not something we’ve explored. It happens rarely, in times of stress or when we . . .”

Have sex. That dropped between them like a ticking bomb.

“Don’t worry,” she concluded, tone brittle. “I knock before I come in, and wait for permission.”

He turned slowly to face her.

The past months of anxiety and fear fell away as she stared at him, heart seizing. Here was the Max Savoie she’d fallen helplessly in love with against all her best intentions. Impeccably dressed, the lines of a designer suit skimming his long, lean and lethal frame, the toes of his athletic shoes peeping from beneath tailored slacks in sassy juxtaposition.

Darkness and shadow carved out features too rough and bold to be handsome, yet too compelling to be ignored. Unblinking eyes, as pale and green as the still waters of the bayou, shone with an eerie intensity from beneath an uncompromising line of heavy brows and unruly black hair nearly tamed by a stylishly short cut. Faint stubble shaded the set of his rugged jaw, lending a harshly dangerous air to his outward sophistication.

He was thuggishly elegant, graceful yet seething with raw power, aloof and still undeniably fascinating. Legere’s enigmatic enforcer turned influential businessman and philanthropist. Traumatized orphan child who’d polarized a group of frightened misfits into a tight community family. Everything she’d ever wanted.

She’d worried over him, missed him, needed him but until this moment, when the unexpected mention of sex reared its wicked head, Cee Cee hadn’t realized just how long she’d gone without the physical side of their relationship. Seeing him standing there fit and fine, wreathed in stillness and mystery, so tempting, so inviting, a fever hot dream personified, her body burned until only a fire extinguisher could cool her intention of coaxing him back into an intimate bed.

Until he spoke.

“How is this possible, you being a human?”

It was her turn to hold back behind silence.

His eyes narrowed into long cautious slits. “What are you, Detective? What makes you different?” What makes you dangerous to me? was tacitly implied.

“I’m like you. I’m more.”

Remembered by Moonlight will be available on October 13, 2014 at your favorite ebook outlet. In the meantime, there's a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Release: Without Mercy by Alicia Dean

Even though my latest release, Without Mercy, is a fairly graphic, violent suspense thriller, at the heart of the novel is a story about a mother’s love.  Motherhood is a powerful motivator, and if you are a mother, it’s the most important job you’ll ever have. My three children are grown, but I still feel an overwhelming protectiveness toward them, I worry for them when they are ill or when I think they’ve possibly been injured (you know, when you can’t reach them for long periods of time, when you’re certain you should be able to, or when they are an hour late to your house and they WON’T ANSWER THEIR PHONE..) Anyway…I can’t say I would do anything in the world for them, because sometimes a parent can do too much. (And I have been guilty of that very thing) But, I can say I would sacrifice anything for them and I would give my life for them.

I had a very good friend for many years, a single mother with a young son. She adored him. He was her world. My friend moved to Texas, and she and I lost touch for several years. A few months back, I decided to look her up on Facebook. I was shocked and saddened to discover she died February of this year. I learned that she lost her life in a house fire, saving her son, who survived. Although devastating and heartbreaking, it was also tragically fitting. A mother who loved her child as fiercely as she did would not think twice about giving her life for him.

In Without Mercy, I know I didn’t quite do justice in conveying how a mother would feel in the situation China Beckett finds herself in, but I did my best. The only way to truly do justice would be to have been in her place, to know what it felt like for your child to be threatened in this way. But, I will gladly forego the ability to truly empathize with the character, in exchange for not ever having had to go through something like this with my children. Fortunately, this is fiction, so we can read it and hopefully be on the edge of our seats, but deep down, be grateful it’s China and not us.

Blurb

How far will a mother go to protect her child?

When an apparently random bank robbery turns out to be a sinister plan, single mother China Beckett is thrust into a nightmare.

A group of mercenaries take over her life, threatening her young daughter and everyone they love. Each time China makes a mistake, someone dies. She’ll fight to the last breath to protect her child, but with no idea what move will be the wrong one, that might not be enough. 

As the lives of China’s loved ones are jeopardized, she must take action, although she has no idea where to turn—and time is running out. But then, a startling truth is revealed and China discovers that the only person who can save them might be a ghost from the past.

Excerpt

This time, China didn’t flinch, tried not to show her fear. Layla’s cloying perfume washed over her and still, she managed to hold her ground.

Layla finally moved away, and China let out a long breath. “I’m tired,” she said. “I’m going to bed.”

“I believe I’ll go upstairs also.” Layla bent and slid something from her boot. A small, black-handled dagger appeared in her hand. She smiled, running a finger slowly along the side of the blade.

Panic bubbled to China’s throat. “What are you doing?”

“Emma didn't seem to get the message earlier about eating slaughtered animals. I thought I might pay her a visit. Kids like show and tell, right? I can show her what I mean.”

China’s heartbeat stalled, and the blood in her veins froze. “You can't...you won't...”

“Oh, don't worry. It won’t be anything fatal. I'll just give her a little sample of what the animals feel. Royce said we couldn't kill either of you unless he orders us to. Didn't say we couldn't play.” She shot China a vicious glare and strolled toward the stairs.

“Stop!” China screamed. “Don't touch her.”

A chuckle issued from Layla’s blood red lips, but she didn’t pause.

Looking around frantically for a weapon, China closed her hand around the cross. With a strangled cry, she lunged toward Layla’s retreating back.

Bio

Alicia Dean lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Find Alicia at her website and blog, or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Cover Reveal: Unlovable by Sherry Gammon

Unlovable is now an audiobook!! If you click here you can get the audiobook for free with a 30 day free trial of Audible on Amazon!! You can't beat free!!
Along with the release of the audiobook, I've redesigned the covers of the first two books in the Port Fare series. ( I'm designing covers now. Click here and check them out!) To celebrate the new look, I am giving away paperback copies of the entire series. 

Here is the new cover for Unlovable. I didn't change it to much because I really loved the original one. (Thank you, Paul Beeley), but another author came out with almost the exact same cover, including the coloring :'(
I kept the girl on the swing because she fits Maggie's story perfectly, though I did add flowers to the swing. The rest has been changed completely. I love the blues and pinks, and I've always wanted a moon on the cover. I also added Maggie's trailer in the background!

                                                         
                                                             Here is the eBook cover:

And this is the Paperback

     This is the audio book cover.

 This is the new cover for Unbelievable! It's a real change. I feel this cover fits the story so much better. Lilah feels trapped by her domineering father and his demands. She desperately wants to break free...can't tell you anymore or I'll spoil the story ;) I feel this new cover portrays Lilah and what she is going through in a much stronger way, and it seems to fit in better with the other covers. While I loved the old cover, and had a huge say in its design, (Thank you again, Paul) it seemed out of place with book one & three's covers. This one holds the same "feel," if you will.

Here is the Ebook cover:

And this is the paperback

Unbearable's cover didn't really change, only the back was updated.

So, what do you think??

Purchase links:

      

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Thanks for stopping by!
Sherry Gammon

Cover Reveal: The Test of Time by Nicole Zoltack

         Today’s guest is author Nicole Zoltack. Nicole is a fellow Astraea Press author, but if you look at her Amazon author page you’ll see that she is a prolific writer at several outlets and a terribly busy woman! She’s here today to share the cover of her brand new book, The Test of Time. I’ll turn the blog over to her and let her tell you about it:

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Hi, everyone! This is Nicole Zoltack. I've written a bunch of romances, a lot in the speculative realm, and finally wrote a time travel romance: THE TEST OF TIME. And I adore the cover. It's beautiful. Wanna see it? Sure you do!

I could not be happier with it. What do you think of it?

BLURB: Katia jumps at the chance to go to England with her best friend after Rose ditches her deadbeat boyfriend. While walking through the market, she spies a large mansion and recognizes the guy out front as her high school friend Tony. Just as they start to reconnect, Katia passes through times and lands in the arms of Lord Landon, who looks like Tony but certainly doesn’t act like him.

Soon, Katia learns that this 1815 is different from the one in history books. Trapped in a parallel world, Katia struggles to not fall for Landon but his charm proves too much for her. Just when she is about to confess her love for him, Katia travels through time yet again.

The course of love never did run smooth and if Katia can’t figure out and master the test of time, she’ll never see or friends again, or worse, never be reunited with Landon.

So I'm sure you're dying to know the release date and luckily it's not that far away! THE TEST OF TIME releases September 9th! Be sure to grab it on the 9th! :D

Add it on Goodreads! 

BIO: Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead. To learn more about Nicole and her writing, visit http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.