If I Loved You - Teaser Tuesday

I recently read IF I LOVED YOU by Jean C. Joachim, and what a fun, sexy story it was! I loved the characters, and Jean's writing style kept me entertained from start to finish. This is the first book in her Hollywood Hearts series, and I'm looking forward to reading all the rest.

NEWS FLASH: Jean has graciously offered to give away two free books! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below, along with your email address so we can contact you if you're a winner.


Here's my TEASER - a little internal dialogue from Megan, the main character, during a business dinner with drop-dead-gorgeous movie star Chaz:
Focus. Stop drooling. Remember, he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. Stop thinking about his pants!
(at 7% on my Kindle)

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Link: IF I LOVED YOU
More Books by Jean Joachim: Jean's Books

Synopsis from the Secret Cravings Publishing website:

Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight was one way for Megan Davis to keep her family secret. The press intruded on her life when her twin brother, Mark, became the star quarterback for the Delaware Demons. A smart, successful financial advisor, disrespectful of tabloid superstars, Meg was shocked when she was selected to launch a celebrity division in the prestigious investment firm, Dillon & Weed, and overwhelmed by the charisma of her first client.

Gorgeous, magnetic movie star, Chaz Duncan, wary of women who wanted to bask in his fame or sell his secrets to the media, valued privacy above all else. Would attractive Megan Davis, his new financial advisor charm the truth from him or would he continue his high profile but lonely existence to keep his secret safe? Jealousy, deceit and scandal threaten two careers and the quest for true love and trust in this roller-coaster-ride contemporary romance.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's the link to join in: Teaser Tuesday

The Whiskey Bottle in the Wall (Vol. 1) - Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

I've just started reading The Whiskey Bottle in the Wall (Vol. 1) and I'm already enthralled by the characters. This collection of short stories by Kathleen Valentine brings to life the inhabitants of small-town Marienstadt, Pennsylvania, and paints a vivid picture of the quirky characters' lives.

Just the names of the tales are enough to intrigue me!

*  Peeper Baumgratz and the Sister's
    Snowplow
*  The Great Dumpling War and Dance
    Competition
*  The Whiskey Bottle in the Wall

It’s no surprise that “The Whiskey Bottle in the Wall” was named Best Short Story in the 2013 eFestival of Words. Kathleen's stories are told with wit and warmth, and I'm looking forward to reading all three volumes in the series. FYI: The series can be purchased in one omnibus edition here: Whiskey Bottle Omnibus

Here's the BOOK BEGINNING from the first story:
      Henry Werner knew that being the Chief of Police in Marienstadt, Pennsylvania, was an easy job but any day that started out with a visit from Sister Adelaide, the Prioress of St. Joseph's Convent, and which was followed by a call from the State Police, was off to an unpromising start. Despite the fact that he was close to forty and had been a policeman ever since he left the Marines, one withering stare from Sister Adelaid could reduce him to a single throbbing nerve. The worst part was, she knew it.

And here are a couple of sentences from 56% on my Kindle:
      "You have a good idea there, Padre, and God forbid that any of these old gals should get hit by a bus and their recipes die with them, so we have to be sneaky. Luckily, you came to the right guy for that. The way you go about this, y'see, is to appeal to their vanity."

Genre: Fiction / Folklore / Humor
Number of Pages: 156
Amazon Link: The Whiskey Bottle in the Wall (Vol. 1)
Other Books by Kathleen Valentine: Amazon Author Link

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Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 

   Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings posts  

   (sponsored by Rose City Reader.)

   Find other Friday 56 bloggers here 
   (sponsored by Freda's Voice). 

                           

Maggie's Turn - Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56

“Wouldn’t it be fun, just for a little while, to drive a different direction and take a few snapshots?” Those words from Chapter 1 made me ask: who hasn’t wanted to run away for a little while? If you can relate, then you'll definitely enjoy MAGGIE'S TURN. 

FRIDAY 56 (56% on my Kindle):
     Cassie stopped short when she saw the red Mustang sitting in the driveway instead of the minivan, and no one else in sight. She turned and stared at Maggie, her expression reflecting confusion.
     "You have a Mustang? A red Mustang? Where's the van? Where are the kids?"


BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY:
It had not been a good morning at the Harrison household. At least not for Maggie. Her nineteen-year-old son, Kyle, had slept in late, which meant he was late showering and would be late to one of the four college courses he was intent upon failing. Because he was running behind, her fourteen-year-old daughter, Kaia, was late getting ready for school, which meant Maggie's husband, Andrew, had to rush to shower for work. And, of course, Maggie had to rush too since she was always the last person to use the bathroom.

Genre: Women's Fiction
Number of Pages: 247
Amazon Link: Maggie's Turn

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Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 

   Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings posts 

   (sponsored by Rose City Reader.)

   Find other Friday 56 bloggers here 
   (sponsored by Freda's Voice). 

                           

Christmas Calling - Teaser Tuesday

Does this cover look familiar? Maybe that's because last week I featured a teaser from the first of two novellas that make up CHRISTMAS CALLING. This week I've selected my Teaser from the second story, Christmas Snow by Birdie L. Etchison. This sweet contemporary romance will put you in the Christmas spirit!

TEASER (from about Page 6):
Her mother decorated anything that stood still. The bathroom had snowflake toilet tissue; snowmen filled every corner of the house. 

Genre: Christian Romance / Fiction
Number of Pages: 156 (both novellas)
Amazon Link: Christmas Calling
More books and stories by Birdie L. Etchison: Birdie's Books

Synopsis:
Janie Montgomery leaves Seattle to escape sad memories and spend Christmas with her aunt in Spokane. On the way her car is stranded in a ditch, surrounded by a mountain of snow. EMT Greg Kincaid comes to her rescue in an SUV, like a knight in snowy armor. It is the beginning of a love story as mystifying as a white-out, as gentle as falling snow, as colorful as Christmas decorations, and as sweet as homemade cookies. Only by the grace of God can Janie and Greg weather the storms and find true love.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Christmas Calling - Teaser Tuesday

With Christmas only a few weeks away, it seems like the right time to feature CHRISTMAS CALLING on Teaser Tuesday. Two novellas make up this charming book. Colleen Reece's story (Christmas Challenge) is set in Montana during the 1880s. Birdie Etchison's (Christmas Snow) is contemporary and takes place in the Spokane, Washington, area. Both are Christian romances.  

My Teaser is from Christmas Challenge.

TEASER:
Forty-five minutes later Valerie stared into the steely gray eyes of the man who held her future in his ink-stained hands. She swallowed the flutter in her throat and gave him back glance for glance. Danny O'Shea's daughter bowed to no man.
(I stretched the Teaser to three sentences this time. It's from 5% on my Kindle)

Genre: Christian Romance / Fiction
Number of Pages: 156
Amazon Link: Christmas Calling
More books by Colleen L. Reece: Colleen's Books

Amazon Synopsis:
      After the death of her guardian, Valerie Shannon O’Shea feels as adrift as a boat torn free of its moorings on Lake Michigan. She prays about her future and finds a challenge in the newspaper. IS THE PIONEER SPIRIT STILL ALIVE AND WELL? A skeptical financier doubts women in the late 1880s can live the hard life of their ancestors. He is offering train fare to Montana and a substantial cash prize to a young woman courageous enough to live in an abandoned one-room schoolhouse for a full year without help from anyone. 
      The schoolhouse is near Whitewind, where Valerie and her father lived ten years earlier. Danny O’Shea was then convicted of a crime he swore he did not commit. There is little to connect Valerie Shannon, as she signs her paintings, with the gawky fourteen-year-old known as Shannon O’Shea. What if she can meet the newspaper challenge, paint the Montana landscape, and carry out her long held vow to clear her father’s name? 
      The long train trip across country brings back bittersweet memories. Many are of eighteen-year-old Locke Stuart, son of the judge who sent Valerie’s father to prison. Locke had stolen Valerie’s heart but never answered her letters. She wonders if he ever thinks of the girl he fiercely championed in spite of his father’s opposition.    
      Valerie and Locke must ride tangled trails and learn to heed the everlasting whisper, Trust Me, before they can find happiness. 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's the link to join in: Teaser Tuesday