Welcome to Jana's Birthday Book Giveaway!

Hello and welcome to Jana's Birthday Book Giveaway! It's my birthday (I'm not saying which one) but you get the gifts!

Here's how it's going to work. Every hour between 9 am and 7 pm CST today I'm going to put up a post and introduce you to some ebooks and authors. I've got romantic suspense, historical romance, contemporary romance and science fiction/paranormal/fantasy. There's different lengths and heat levels from sweet to sizzling hot, so everyone will find something to their taste. A Rafflecopter will be attached to the post and you'll be able to put in your name to win one of the ebooks by commenting, liking and following. Winners will be chosen November 6 by 6 pm CST. It's that simple!

So without further ado, here's our first group of ebooks up for grabs. We're going to start with three contemporary novels.

Woman of Substance by Annette Bower


Robbie Smith walks in another woman’s body shape to validate her master's degree research. Even though her professor doesn’t approve, Robbie disguises herself and moves in the world as a large woman, because the women in her research group declare, “You will never know what it’s like to be fat.”

All Jake Proctor wants to do is to spend as much time as he can with his dying grandfather Frank, the only father he's ever known.

While in and out of disguise, Robbie sees Frank and Jake. Robbie is drawn to the tall, dark, kind man in her neighborhood, but she can’t divulge the truth about her about her oversized self and jeopardize all the hard work she's put into her research. She has to see her thesis through to the bitter end. Even if it means deceiving the man she's grown to care about.

Amazon Buy Link                               Length: Full-length

Annette Bower's Website                     Heat level: Sweet

The Girl Most Likely by Jana Richards

Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own
words, “fat, frumpy, and over forty.” The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?

Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he's eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?

The Wild Rose Press Buy Link        Length: Novella

Jana Richards' Website                     Heat Level: Spicy



Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley
She was made for sin. Sin was something he knew intimately.

John Murphy is tormented by nightmares. A bestselling young-adult author, he writes the ultimate fantasy: stories where good always triumphs. He knows better. His past has shown him the worst in people—and in himself. When he moves next door to the sexy, vibrant Livvy—a woman completely unlike his usual one-night stands—he's driven to explore every curve of her delicious body.

Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won't lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she's as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his secrets. But what will happen when she uncovers them all?

Amazon Buy Link                       Length: Full-length

Inez Kelley's Website                  Heat level: Sizzling hot



Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win one of these three ebooks. I'll be back in an hour with a post about the Lobster Cove Series from The Wild Rose Press. Stay tuned!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jana's Birthday Book Giveaway!

Happy Birthday to Me!

November 5th is my birthday, but you get the gifts! Several of my author friends are helping me to celebrate my birthday by offering to give away their ebooks. We'll have over 30 ebooks up for grabs!

Right here on this blog, starting at 9 am and continuing every hour until about 7 pm CST on November 5, a new post describing the ebooks on offer will go up. Each post will have a Rafflecopter attached that will allow you to enter the draw for the ebooks. Simply like or follow the authors, or comment on the post for your chance to win one of the ebooks. It's as simple as that. Easy peasy!

On offer will be a variety of romance genres, including everything from romantic suspense to contemporary romance, and Historical romance to fantasy/paranormal. Every heat level from sweet to sizzling hot will be featured. There's sure to be an ebook for every taste!

As a special surprise treat, Mary Balogh, Regency romance writer extraordinaire, has graciously offered to give away an autographed print copy of her new November release, ONLY ENCHANTING! How exciting!

All Rafflecopter draws will be made after 6 pm CST on November 6 to give readers outside of North America (unless stated otherwise) the chance to enter the fun. 

So join us for the fun! In no particular order, here's a list of authors helping me to celebrate:

A.J. Nuest - http://ajnuest.com

Andrea Downing - http://andreadowning.com

Heather McCollum - http://www.heathermccollum.com

Ilona Fridl - http://www.ilonafridl.com

Inez Kelley - http://inezkelley.com

Christy Effinger - www.christyeffinger.com

J.C. McKenzie - http://www.jcmckenzie.ca

Kayelle Allen - http://kayelleallen.com

 Lesley Anne McLeod - http://www.lesleyannemcleod.com

Mary Balogh - http://www.marybalogh.com

Ashley Ladd - http://ashleyladd.blogspot.ca


Annette Bower - www.annettebower.com/blog


Debra Doggett - www.facebook.com/pages/Debra-Doggett/205566736172548?fref=ts


Elizabeth Lang - www.elizabeth-lang.com


Karyn Good - http://www.karyngood.com


KyAnn Waters - http://kyannwaters.com

Judith B. Glad - http://www.judithbglad.com


Barbara Bettis - www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com


And of course me!

Jana Richards - http://www.janarichards.com 

Join me on November 5 here on this blog!

Release Date & Trailer Reveal! BEAST COAST by J.C. McKenzie

I'm very pleased to have J.C. McKenzie on my blog today as she reveals the release date and the new trailer for her upcoming book BEAST COAST, Book 2 in her Carus series. So without further ado, here's the cover for BEAST COAST!

Here's the blurb:

Sometimes the greatest danger comes from within…

When Master Vampire Lucien Delgatto threatens her potential mate Wick’s life, Shape Shifter Andrea “Andy” McNeilly will employ a den of witches, a bedazzled thong, and her ability to shift into multiple animals to meet his demands. She plans to keep Wick safe—even if she’s not speaking to him. Lucien’s unwelcomed control over Wick's life has thrown Andy into a whirlwind of emotions. Though Wick vows to do whatever it takes to earn Andy’s forgiveness and win back her trust, it may be too late.

This recent conflict awakens something within Andy, an animal she’s never learned to control. For hidden beneath all her forms is a beast whose anger and brutality rivals none. And she’s pissed.

And an excerpt:

Letting my falcon drift close to the surface, my eyesight sharpened. A dark figure moved in the brambles near the deer path ahead of me. About to step closer, something tugged at my senses.

Come to me, a voice echoed in my head. I froze.

An overwhelming urge to walk into the forest on my right consumed my body. I hadn’t felt anything like this since…

Since I was fourteen, and walked into the forest to meet three feras.

Sweat beaded on my brow and the bridge of my nose. I wiped it away, while fighting the compulsion to move.

Come to me, Carus.

Leaning forward, I tried to locate the animal. A branch snapped, and my attention darted to where the sound originated from. The forest hummed with the sound of summer insects. My heart beat loud and heavy in my chest.

Underbrush rustled. There!

A flash of orange.

Pop! A sharp sting, much like a rubber band on bare skin, radiated across my right butt cheek. I yipped and jumped three feet in the air.

Whirling around, I found Wick with an ear-to-ear grin and his paintball gun resting over one of his shoulders. If he had a leg propped up on a recently deceased moose, he’d look like a hunter from a photo.

“Tagged you,” his whiskey voice crooned.

For your watching pleasure, here's the brand new book trailer for BEAST COAST. Watch for the release date to be revealed at the end of the trailer:

About the author:

Born and raised on the Haida Gwaii, off the West Coast of Canada, J.C. McKenzie grew up in a pristine wilderness that inspired her to dream. She writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.You can find her on the web in the following places:

Website: www.jcmckenzie.ca

Blog: www.jcmckenzie.blogspot.ca

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/j.c.mckenzie.author

Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/JC_McKenzie

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/jcmckenzie

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JCMcKenzie

The Haunted Hotel

The Fort Garry Hotel was built in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway as a posh stopover for train travellers. The architects took their inspiration from the Park Plaza Hotel in New York City. Over a hundred years later, this twelve story, 340-room hotel is still a symbol of opulence with its marble floors, bronze railings, panelled ceilings, and crystal chandeliers. It’s a place guests truly enjoy staying.

In fact, some guests enjoy it so much they never leave.

Ghost sightings, unexplained noises and strange flickering lights have been reported for years at the hotel. One guest room in particular is said to be haunted: room 202. The story goes that a young woman hung herself in the closet of the room upon learning her husband had been killed in a car accident. Guests have described a woman in a cloak or a robe hovering at the end of the bed, or being awakened by the sensation of someone climbing into their bed. Hotel maids claim to have seen blood seeping through the walls of the room.

But the haunting isn't limited to room 202. The same woman who haunts the guest room is said to have been seen crying in a corner of the lounge after asking an employee for a glass of water. In 1989, two staff members were cleaning the kitchen overnight. At about 4 a.m. they heard noises coming from the locked dining room. When they went to investigate they saw a man eating dinner. By the time they brought someone from the front desk, the man had disappeared, even though the dining room doors remained locked.

Other employees have had strange experiences as well. Here’s testimony from an employee who worked as a front desk clerk and night manager, courtesy of the website PSI-Can -- Paranormal Studied & Investigations Canada

One occasion I had an airline attendant check out early in the morning almost hysterical. She said she woke up and there was an elderly man dressed in old fashion style clothing with a black bowler hat and handlebar moustache, he had been standing at the foot of her bed watching her sleep. On a number of occasions I had upset women tell me they woke up to the sensation of someone stroking their cheek while they slept, other times to their bedside lamp being turned on and off.

Guests calling down with noise complaints about the room next to them…of course the room wasn't occupied. Coming back to the room after being away to find the room window left open….in Winnipeg in the winter…trust me no housekeeper would do this.

As for myself…where do I begin?? The bellman and I working one night and heard a crash of dishes…not one or two….but dozens and dozens…crash, crash crash….no broken dish to be found and us being the only two to hear it.

 For about 1 year I was the evening duty manager. Part of my job was to walk every floor of the hotel 2-3 times a night ensuring cleanliness and order.

I could walk the floors night after night day after day with no problem. Then every so often I would have the distinct sensation that A. I was being followed or B. I was being watched.

For whatever the reason I always felt it was a man….and that I wouldn't be harmed….if anything he was curious or even amused by what I was doing……..don’t ask me why I felt this way. I just did.

Do I believe the hotel is haunted? I honestly don’t know. But to paraphrase Shakespeare, there’s more things in heaven and earth then exist in the philosophy of mere mortals. So when it comes to ghosts, I'm keeping an open mind.

Thanks for reading my post! I'm offering an ecopy of my humorous paranormal novella BURNING LOVE to one lucky commenter. No ghosts, but it does have a couple of angels! Tell me if you believe in ghosts or if you've ever seen a ghost. Or just tell me your plans for Halloween. I'll make a random draw from all comments on November 1.

And don't forget about the HOP wide prize being offered. You can enter in the Rafflecopter below!

After causing three cooking fires in her apartment, Iris Jensen finds herself evicted and homeless. She lands on Riley Benson's doorstep, looking to rent a room in the beautiful old home he's restoring. It's only for six weeks until Iris leaves Portland, Oregon for her new job on a cruise ship. Firefighter Riley knows firsthand what a bad tenant she can be. But he needs money to finish the work on the house he loves. And something about Iris pulls at his heart…

Meanwhile, in Heaven, two angels watch over the young lovers. Angelica and Hildegard work in Heaven's Relationship Division, where angels match mortals with their soul mates. The angels believe so strongly in Iris and Riley’s love that they break Heaven's rules to help them. Can the angels convince them their love will last a lifetime?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SEEING THINGS on sale at Untreed Reads!

SEEING THINGS, my paranormal contemporary romance, is a Treat of the Week at UnTreed Reads. And that means it's 50% off. Whoo-hoo! Here's a blurb to whet your appetite:

When psychic Leah McKenna “sees” the abduction of a small boy, she knows she must help find him, no matter the danger to herself. David Logan, the boy’s uncle, doesn’t believe in psychic phenomenon. He believes Leah knows who kidnapped his nephew, and plans to stick close to her to discover the truth. As they search for Jeremy they uncover truths about themselves and the way they feel about each other. Can Leah convince him her visions, and her love for him, are real before time runs out for all of them?

Hurry! SEEING THINGS is only on sale from October 12 to 18th. Click here to get your copy  from Untreed Reads.

I hope you enjoy it!

Uncial Press Books Featured at UnTreed Reads!

Throughout October, Untreed Reads is promoting some Uncial Press ebooks as part of their Treat of the Week promotion. Titles will be 50% off the normal price during the week they're featured.

A Glimmer of Guile, by Mary Patterson Thornburg, is the first Uncial title featured, from 5th October to 11th October.  

http://store.untreedreads.com

Untreed Reads is a great site for authors, readers and friends to check out and buy the latest books, and read and post reviews. Ebooks are available in various formats to suit most devices, and they also publish paper versions of some books.  Well worth adding to the avid reader’s browsing list.

A Sneak Peek Sunday Look at ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE

Great to be back at Sneak Peek Sunday! Today I want to share a short scene from my soon to be released contemporary romance from The Wild Rose Press, set in the fictional town of Lobster Cove, Maine. ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE is part of a multi-author, multi-romance genre series to take place in the quaint Maine island town. Here's my blurb:

Dr. Alex Campbell has an agenda —finish his contract to provide medical services in Maine, pay off his medical school debt, and head back to his real life in San Diego. But when he meets Julia Stewart, all his carefully laid plans are put in jeopardy.

Julia Stewart, Lobster Cove’s high school principal, swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and the Cove is where she wants to raise her daughter. When her mother’s illness brings her and the big city doctor closer together, panic sets in. Her marriage taught her that men don’t stay. Can she put aside the heartaches of the past and trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever?

In this scene, Julia and Alex meet when she rushes her five-year-old daughter Ava to the emergency room. Alex questions whether Ava's injuries are the result of a simple fall. Here's my six paragraph sneak peek:

Julia sucked in a breath and stared into Dr. Campbell’s dark, accusing eyes. The idea that her mother would hurt Ava was ridiculous. She adored Ava, would do anything for her… 

She blinked and looked away, remembering an incident the other day. She’d heard her yelling at Ava about the milk she’d spilled on the kitchen floor, making such a huge deal of it that Ava had cried. It had struck her as strange, since she couldn’t remember her mother yelling at anyone, ever. She wasn’t as patient as she used to be. And how did she explain her strange phone call telling her Ava had been hurt? Of course she’d been upset, but her mother had been nearly incoherent with distress. Was something going on she wasn’t aware of? She was seventy-one now. Maybe looking after a rambunctious five-year-old was too much for her. 

No. She shook her head to reject the disloyal thought. Dr. Campbell was the one who was wrong. 

Julia turned on him, the anger and despair she’d been holding inside spilling out. “Do you enjoy upsetting five-year-olds and turning families’ lives upside down? Does it make you feel powerful to sic the authorities on us?”

“Look, Mrs. Stewart, I take no pleasure in bringing in the authorities. But I’ve seen child abuse, up close and personal, and I can tell you it’s damn ugly. The things parents and caregivers are capable of doing to defenseless children…” 

He stopped abruptly, his chest heaving. Closing his eyes, he averted his face and took a deep breath. When he turned back to her, his steely control was back in place. “So yeah, if I have even the smallest suspicion that a child has been abused, I’m going to ask questions. And I’m not going to apologize for it.” 

I'll let you know when I have cover art and a release date for ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE. Happy Sunday!

Check out more great sneak peeks http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.ca