#NewRelease from Linda Carroll-Bradd: SWEET INSPIRATION

Linda Carroll-Bradd is in the spotlight today! Her new release, SWEET INSPIRATION, released June 28, 2021 from The Wild Rose Press. At 16,506 words, this sweet romance promises to be a short, sweet, very fulfilling read. Thanks for being here, Linda!

He’s the adventure she’s never had, and she’s the home he’s always wanted.

Blurb:

Dependable Cadence Wills yearns for excitement. The owner of a yarn business, she is pulled in every direction by her demanding family. Haunting dulcimer notes draw her to a practice session where she spies an intriguing stranger. 

Musician Rafe Frasco is a rover, bouncing between musical competitions. Interest ignites at his first glance at a woman enthralled by his music, who he learns has a heart big enough to encompass everyone within her reach.

A fantastic opportunity for Rafe presents Cadence with a dilemma—is she strong enough to negotiate the business deal that will take him away…maybe forever?

Excerpt:

“Is this the line for the Festival dinner?”

The husky voice sounding from behind sent a shiver down her spine. With a gasp, she spun and met the twinkling dark gaze of the exact man she’d wanted to impress tonight. Did he know she’d just been primping? “No line. I was, um, gathering my thoughts before entering.” That sounded totally lame.

“I dislike walking into these events alone. May I be your escort?” With a smile, he extended his right arm and waited.

Her gaze dropped to his crooked elbow, and her heart beat faster at the gentlemanly gesture. She stole a peek at what he wore. How did the man make a crisp, white tailored shirt and black jeans look like evening wear? “Sure, I’d like that.” She slipped her hand around his biceps and almost jumped when he tucked it against his ribs. Tingles ran up her arm.

For just a moment, she worried about what impression their entrance would make. Then a spark of rebellion ignited deep inside. How many times in life did a mysterious stranger appear? She tossed her head and stepped through the archway. “But you don’t need to worry—everyone here is real friendly. In no time, you’ll be pulled into a conversation about instruments or songs.”

“Is that what you’ll be discussing?” Rafe leaned close and spoke in a low, rumbling tone.

Warm breath tickled her neck, and the scent of herbs mixed with musk teased her nostrils. Her steps faltered and her hip bumped a chair. He wanted to stick close?

“Careful.” His arm slipped around her waist, supporting her back. “Must be an uneven spot on the floor.”

At the intimate gesture, she stiffened. What was wrong with her? Trustworthy Cadence didn’t jump without thinking through decisions. All she knew about this man was that he was a competitor in the festival. And that his dulcimer playing melted her heart. Through her clothes, she felt the strength of firm muscles in his lean frame. Not the body type of most musicians she’d known. Intriguing, but he was still a stranger in town…and a musician.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/B094JZ9DH7

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-inspiration-linda-carroll-bradd/1125862328?ean=2940162456421 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sweet-inspiration-7

Apple: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781509237456

Author Bio:

As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda now writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

Linda’s Links:

Blog    Facebook     Twitter      Goodreads     BookBub      BingeBooks

Newsletter signup: http://eepurl.com/bjKueH

It's Amazon Prime Day!

 In honour of Amazon Prime Day, I've put LIES AND SOLACE, book 1 of my Love at Solace Lake series, on sale for .99 cents June 21 and 22. Get your ecopy at the Kindle Store! 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079TDDSY4

She can’t live with one more lie. He can’t tell the truth.

Harper Lindquist is convinced she’s found the answer to her financial prayers. Unless she pours cash into crumbling Solace Lake Lodge, she’ll lose her family’s legacy. Her would-be savior arrives in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard and she’s determined to prove to her reluctant, and trapped, financier the lodge is a sound investment. But Harper isn’t completely honest with him. And she has no idea the lake is hiding secrets of its own. 

Ethan James is a liar, but his money is very real. He isn’t convinced a broken-down inn is a smart investment opportunity. But the more he understands Harper’s dreams and desires, the more he wants to be the man to make them come true. The trauma in both their pasts means neither can fully trust the other. They must find the courage to love, to trust, and to accept, or yesterday’s sorrows will keep them apart.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079TDDSY4

Reviews: SPIRIT SIGHT and WATER SIGHT by Marie Powell

My Review of "Spirit Sight" by Marie Powell

“Spirit Sight” is book one in Marie Powell’s Last of the Gifted series. Hyw and Catrin are a teenaged brother and sister living in Wales in the thirteenth century. Their time was not an easy one; England has just invaded and declared war on the Welsh. Hyw and Catrin’s family is loyal to Llewelyn, the Prince of Wales, and all their lives are danger.

But Hyw and Catrin are no ordinary teenagers. They are the last of the gifted, their special gifts handed down to them through their mother’s family from the ancients. Hyw has a special affinity with animals. He can meld his mind with a bird and see through its eyes as it flies over the land. He can calm a frightened horse, and bend it to his will. Cat didn’t believe she was given any gifts until she looks into a drop of water and suddenly see the future. Her gift of second sight saves her family as they flee from the English invaders.

Hyw’s ability to see a battlefield from overhead makes him invaluable as a scout for Llewelyn. But when Llewelyn is killed in a surprise attack, his soul merges with Hyw’s at the moment of his death and Hyw’s life is no longer his own.

Though based on actual historical events and people, “Spirit Sight” is also an adventure story and a fantasy novel. And it’s an absolutely fabulous, fun read. You’ll cheer for Hyw and Cat just as I did!

Blurb, "Spirit Sight", book one:

Warrior-in-training Hyw can control the minds of animals. His sister Catrin can see the future in a drop of water. Hyw’s gift—seeing through the eyes of birds and animals—could win him a place in the Prince of Wales’ bodyguard. But ambush and murder force Hyw to stretch his gift in unexpected ways. The slain prince’s spirit melds with Hyw’s psyche to help guide him in fighting back against the English. Catrin sees visions of disaster and death. She must convince the young nobleman she’s pledged to marry to help prevent the genocide she foresees. When Hyw and Catrin reunite, they are all that stand between their people and the invading English army.

This award-winning medieval fantasy combines magic, mythology, and historical legends with the realities of 13th Century Wales.

Buy link: Spirit Sight: https://books2read.com/u/3n8A95 

 

My Review of "Water Sight" by Marie Powell

In “Water Sight”, book 2 in the Last of the Gifted series, Hyw and his younger sister Catrin struggle to help their people in their fight against the English. Things are not going well for the Welsh. King Edward I of England has put a price on Welsh heads, their warriors are dying in battle and food is scarce. Can they survive?

But the tougher things become, the greater Hyw and Catrin’s gifts grow. And love blossoms for both of them. But in times of war, nothing is easy. Hyw must decide where his loyalties lie—with his people, the Welsh, or with his love on the English side. Cat was promised in marriage to Rhys at the age of five and has always loved him. But he questions their future marriage, afraid that her gift means she is destined for greater things than to be his wife. Cat’s love and loyalty is put to the test when she must decide whether to rescue the man she loves or to save her brother.

“Water Sight” is based on actual historical events and people with an element of fantasy that feels absolutely right for the times. I highly recommend this series for readers of all ages!

Blurb, "Water Sight", book two:

The Prince of Wales needs three magical relics to rally the straggling Welsh forces. Catrin’s gift of Second Sight may be the only hope for success—if she can outwit the English lord who wants to use her gift to capture the prince. Her brother Hyw is on the run with the prince and the dwindling Welsh army. To escape the betrayal dogging their heels, Hyw takes refuge in his evolving gift—until shifting shapes puts his humanity in jeopardy. With Hyw trapped in his magic and her betrothed in an English jail, Catrin faces an impossible choice: save her brother, or save the man she loves.

Buy Link: Water Sight: https://books2read.com/u/4A701d

Excerpt from opening of "Spirit Sight":

December 1282, Gwynedd, Cymru (North Wales)

He raised his arms, feeling bone and feather flatten against the wind, and knew himself tethered to air currents that smelled of salt and fish, somewhere off the horizon.

He ran below the bird, yet his mind and the hawk’s mind moved as one. He could feel the dry December grasses beneath his bare feet, but he saw as the hawk saw: a flash of grey fur in the stubble, the swaying pattern of a tree branch.

He tried to turn the hawk’s mind—his mind—to his will, and for a moment he succeeded. In the distance he could see the stone watchtower of his home at Garth Celyn, seat of the royal court of Wales. But the hawk’s need was powerful, turning him back to scan the ground they circled. If he squinted—just so—at the yellow and russet clumps, he could make out the leaves of each tree. A shadow flitted from branch to branch.

Prey!

His talons ached for the soft flesh and his beak thrust forward—

No, not his. It was the hawk’s beak that longed to rip the flesh from bone and feather. Hyw grasped the bird’s thoughts again and turned its head toward Prince Llywelyn’s tower. There! A streak of movement across the grass. Was it some grotesque beast from the past? He urged the hawk to circle until he could see it more clearly. A single horse and rider galloped toward Garth Celyn.

A messenger! Fast horses in wartime never bring good news. Had the English broken the peace again? Hyw gasped, and his connection to the bird faltered.

The hawk gave a piercing shriek. Hyw felt himself falling, as if he’d dropped from its talons rather than its mind. His feet—the same feet that had seemed to barely skim the ground a moment ago—thudded against the earth. He stumbled and the momentum of his running threw him, over and down until he braced his hands against the mountainside…

Author bio:

Marie Powell in North Wales

Marie Powell’s castle-hopping adventures across North Wales to explore her family roots resulted in her award-winning historical fantasy series Last of the Gifted. The series includes two books to date, Spirit Sight and Water Sight (participation made possible through Creative Saskatchewan’s Book Publishing Production Grant Program). Marie is the author of more than 40 children’s books with such publishers as Scholastic Education and Amicus, along with award-winning short stories and poetry appearing in such literary magazines as Room, subTerrain, and Sunlight Press. Among other degrees, she holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing from UBC. Marie lives on Treaty 4 land in Regina, Saskatchewan. Find her at mariepowell.ca

Social media links:

Website: www.mariepowell.ca

Last of the Gifted - https://mariepowell.ca/young-adult/last-of-the-gifted/

Follow @mepowell   https://twitter.com/mepowell

Facebook: Marie Powell  https://www.facebook.com/mariepowellauthor

Instagram: MariePowellAuthor https://www.instagram.com/mariepowellauthor/

YouTube: Last of the Gifted https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiJ3JY8YIleqD6W-cJHgSwWKlz3JV_sL3

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiJ3JY8YIleqD6W-cJHgSwWKlz3JV_sL3

BookSweeps Small-Town Romance Giveaway!

 I'm participating in a BookSweeps Giveaway! Enter for your chance to win an ereader and 50 small-town romance novels including my book TO HEAL A HEART. Contest runs until June 23.

 https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/june-2021/small-town-contemporary-romances/

Win Amazon Gift Cards!

 You can win Amazon Gift Cards by Liking/Following Authors! Enter Today!

https://bit.ly/3pLewgy

FLAWLESS #onsale for #99cents Until June 18!

 

France, 1942.  The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice; help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.

Resistance fighter Madeleine Bertrand’s husband died when he was betrayed by Hunter Smith. How can she now pretend to be married to the arrogant American? How can she betray Jean Philippe’s memory by her passionate response to Hunter’s kisses? Neither is prepared for the maelstrom of attraction that erupts between them. To survive they must uncover the mysteries of the past and conquer the dangers of the present. But first Madeleine must decide if her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life. 

Buy Your E-copy Today at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flawless-Jewel-Night-ebook/dp/B004I438QW

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/flawless/id858285111

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flawless-jana-richards/1103570092?ean=2940012972682

June is Audiobook Month!

 

Are you an audiobook addict? June is audiobook month and there’s a huge event going on at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Celebrate Audiobook Month. 34 audiobooks featured plus a chance to win one of the following:

 

One lucky reader will win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

One lucky reader will win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

One lucky reader will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card

One lucky reader will win a $15 Amazon Gift Card

One lucky reader will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card

 

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My audiobook, CHILD OF MINE, will be featured on June 18, 2021. Wait until you listen to my audiobook clip. My narrator nails the characters and I’m so proud of it. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this festival and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/celebrate-audiobook-month

COVER REVEAL! A Pride of Brothers: Aiden by Peggy Jaeger

Peggy Jaeger's newest release in her Pride of Brothers series is coming soon. Today I'm revealing the brand-spanking-new cover for PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN. Look very closely at the cover and see if you can find the chocolate Lab. Enjoy! 

Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister's death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn't believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn't know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered.

Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client.

When their investigation puts Lexi's life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.

Excerpt:

"Were you close with your sister?” Aiden asked.

Not the way we should have been. Not at the end.

“We had a sizable age difference between us. Almost ten years. I was the big sis. The oldest.” Her lips trembled when she pulled them into a sad line. Rolling her eyes she added, “The bossy one, according to her. She was the baby and took full advantage of her status from the moment she realized it.”

“And rightly so.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m the youngest of my brothers and I can tell you with one hundred percent honesty, my oldest brother is the bossiest one of us. I think it comes with birth order. Although he takes his so called right uber-seriously. Especially at work.”

This time her grin was steadier.  “What kind of business do you all own together?”

“We a run a private security company.”

“Security?”

“Personal bodyguards, if a client needs protection from something. Background checks for employers. Mostly we do investigations.”

“What, like private eyes? Like on television?”

He laughed. “Nothing so glamorous. The fast cars and hot babes are all fantasy. It’s a lot of boring research, computer work, and surveillance, but yeah, you could say I’m a private eye.”

Lexi’s entire mood turned on his words. The sorrow flew, the hurt dissolved. Even her nervous trivia-speak went dormant. She sat bolt upright, her knees bumping against the tabletop when she shifted. Excitement shot from her system as she turned her body, placed a hand across his forearm and declared, “Oh, my God. You’re the answer to my prayers.”

A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK is available now across all digital media and in print: https://books2read.com/u/38RV7O