Saturday, March 31, 2018

#Giveaway The Redemption of Lillie Rourke

The Redemption of Lillie Rourke Tour Graphic

THE REDEMPTION OF LILLIE ROURKE

Bestselling Author Loree Lough

The Redemption of Lillie Rourke

Series: By Way of the Lighthouse Series Book 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Publication Date: April 1, 2018

She'd worked for that second chance, but will he believe she has changed?

When she fled Baltimore after a near-fatal accident that left her dependent on painkillers, Lillie Rourke lost everything. Now, physically and emotionally healed, she’s ready to make amends and start over. But Jase Yeager has moved on, and who can blame him? Yet Lillie isn’t giving up—on her--or them. Earning back Jase’s trust won’t be easy, but Lillie’s no stranger to challenges…




Book Excerpt



The kid who’d offered to help him earlier now pecked keys on the register. “This sheet music is on sale,” he said, running the book across the scanner screen. “Are you a kindergarten teacher or something?”

Lillie grinned. “No, nothing like that. I volunteer at Hopkins Children’s Oncology every couple of weeks, and my material is getting stale. Those kids are going through enough without me, adding boredom to their list of complaints. Not that they complain. They’re the bravest little souls I’ve ever met.”

Lillie tended to ramble when nervous, and he felt bad that his nearness made her feel that way.

“My cousin was in there a few years ago,” the kid said, sliding another songbook over the screen. “Leukemia won.”

Jase watched as Lillie, ever the caring comforter, lay a hand atop his.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “How old was he?”

“Fourteen.”

Her shoulders rose, then fell with a sympathetic sigh. How many times had he told her that her heart was bigger than her head? Too many times to count.

The cashier bagged her music, hit the register button to ring up her total. “It’s really nice, what you’re doing,” he said, handing her the receipt. “The thing Lance hated most about that place was how long the days were with nothing to do but watch TV and listen to his monitor beep.”

Jase had to agree…it was a nice thing she’d been doing.

She thanked the kid and turned to face Jase. “Well, it was a nice surprise, seeing you again.”

“Can you hang around a minute, just until I pay for this stuff?”

She looked surprised by his invitation. In truth, he’d surprised himself, extending it. But he couldn’t just let her leave.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll wait for you over by the door.”

There was a time when, as she looked up at him that way, his heart had beat doubletime. But who was he kidding? It was happening, right now.

The kid made smalltalk with him, too, but Jase barely heard a word as he watched her from the corner of his eye. Silhouetted against the bright sunshine on the other side of the window, he couldn’t help but notice the way her chin-length hair curved and curled above her shoulders. She used to dress like a tomboy. Sneakers and jeans with comfy t-shirts, like she’d worn to plant flowers that day in her parents’ yard. But that little dress—

“All set,” the kid said, holding up Jase’s bag.

He thanked the boy and wasted no time, joining Lillie.

“You want to grab a cup of coffee?” He held open the door, hoping that slight frown didn’t mean she’d say no. “It’s only a short walk to Café Latte’da…”

“On Aliceanna Street. I remember.”

Of course she did, because before her addiction destroyed them they used to go there at least once a week to decide the order of the songs they’d sing at Three-Eyed Joe’s.

“So what do you say? I’ll treat you to a sandwich. Or pie. Or both.” Recalling her penchant for eating small portions, he added, “We could share…”

Her sweet, sad smile told him she, too, remembered all the meals they’d shared. And again, it made his heart beat a bit harder.

“I don’t have to be at work until six, so okay, pie and coffee it is.”

They were waiting for the light to change at Fleet and Aliceanna when she said, “This won’t upset Whitney, will it?”

“Why would it upset her?”

“I, well, that day at The Flower Basket, I got the impression she knows that we were a couple.”

“I haven’t been seeing her long, so I doubt she cares enough to be jealous.”

The image of that candlelit table flashed in his mind, proof that she cared. Clamping his jaw against a twinge of guilt, Jase said, “So how long have you had this Hopkins gig?”

“Couple months now.”

The light changed, and he pressed a hand to her back to guide her across the street. Not that she needed his assistance. Lillie had been walking to and from her folks’ inn to the restaurant and hotel for months. Still, it felt good, felt right, being this close to her again.

Inside Café Latte Da, Jase admitted that he’d skipped breakfast.

“The guy who’s forever reminding people it’s the most important meal of the day?” Lillie laughed. “Why!”

“Just got back from Florida, and didn’t have time to make a grocery run. My cupboards are as bare as Mother Hubbard’s.”

“I caught the last few minutes of the casserole demonstration. You were born to be a TV host.”

“Yeah, well… So I think I’ll get the chicken wrap. What about you? In the mood for something more substantial than pie?”

“Coffee’s plenty.”

“Thought I heard your belly growl earlier…”

Instinct made her press a palm to her stomach. “An espresso is plenty for now. I’ll whip up a sandwich or something before I clock in at the hotel.”

When she’d paid for the sheet music, Jase saw a lone ten dollar bill in her wallet. He knew her well enough to explain why she’d said no: Lillie had decided that until he could deposit every dime she’d borrowed, she wouldn’t take anything more from him. Unnecessary as that was, Jase respected her decision.

The sat at an empty table near the door—a rare occurrence on a Saturday afternoon—and settled in.

“Tell me about this volunteer work. When did you sign on for that?”

“A week or so after I got home, I gave in to a moment of self-pity.” She stared out the window. “It was time to stop focusing on me, and start focusing on others.” Eyes locked to his, she added, “Best—and worst—thing I have ever done.”

He didn’t get it, and said so.

“Life has put those kids through the wringer. Some of them are barely hanging on, but they’re hanging on. A person can’t help but admire the fight in them.” She sipped her espresso. “Hard to feel sorry for yourself after spending time with them.”

It made sense, considering how she’d always said that self-pity was the most dangerous of all human emotions.

“Must be tough, though, working that closely with them.”

“Only during the drive home.”

“Why?”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Because I never know which of them won’t be there when I go back.”

And not because they’d gone home, healthy, he surmised.

She started talking about individual kids, the conditions that put them into Hopkins, the parents and siblings that supported them, and the staff that cared for and comforted them. Hands folded on the table, Lillie said, “And then there’s Jason, the sweetest, cutest ten year old boy you’ll ever meet. He told me the other day that he wants to marry one of the girls—Sally—because his mom’s biggest regret is that she’ll never see him walk down the aisle with the girl of his dreams.”

Wiping away a wayward tear, she added, “Then he asked me if I’d sing at their wedding, and help him make arrangements. Flowers. Streamers. Punch and a cake.”

And he knew that she’d agreed to everything. Jase wanted nothing more at that moment than to take her in his arms, tell her what a terrific person she was. But he sat back, instead, and said, “How can I help?”

“Help? You?”

“Hey. Quit looking so shocked. I do nice stuff once in a while, you know.”

“I know that better than almost anyone,” was her quiet reply.

“Maybe we can work up a couple of tunes, two or three of the things we’d sing at Three-Eyed Joe’s when people were celebrating anniversaries…”

It meant spending time with her, alone, and Jase hoped the offer hadn’t been a big mistake.

“I think the kids might like that.”

She thought the kids might like it? Why the hesitation? And then it hit him: She was as afraid of being so close, of reliving warm and wonderful moments as he was.

“Then let’s put our heads together, figure out… When is this ceremony, anyway?”

“In two weeks.” There wasn’t a trace of a smile on her face when she added, “If he makes it that long.”

“Keep a good thought, Lill. If the kid is half as determined to do this for his mom, he’ll make it. And who knows? Maybe it’s just what he needs to push him closer to a cure.”

She brought the espresso cup to her lips and, nodding, met his eyes.

His high school Lit teacher had made the class memorize what she’d termed “love poems.” It surprised him that, after all this time, he was able to zero in on a line from Sir Walter Scott’s “Lochinvar”: She’d look’d down to blush, and she’d look’d up to sigh, with a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye…”

Yet again, Jase had to fight the urge to draw her into a comforting hug.

He cleared his throat. Sat up straighter. Downed a gulp of his iced tea. “So where do you think we should get together? My place? We’d have plenty of quiet and privacy there.”

Too much, too soon, he realized when her eyes grew big and round.

“The acoustics are great in the inn’s turret. I’m sure Mom and Dad won’t mind. In fact, they were just asking about you the other day. I’m sure they’d love seeing you.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be home for a month, so my schedule is pretty flexible. You’re the one who’s clocking a hundred hours a week, so…”

“I’m happy to see you haven’t changed much,” she said, laughing. “Still exaggerating like crazy…one of the things that made me crazy about you.”

She gasped a little when that last line came out and, hands over her mouth, Lillie said, “Good grief. I’m sorry, Jase. That was really inappropriate. And bad timing.”

“It’s neither, and it’s okay. Nothing wrong with concentrating on the good times. We had plenty of those before…”

If he’d been standing, Jase might have kicked himself, because things had been going really well until he put his big foot in his mouth. Lillie shoved the espresso cup into the center of the table, her way of saying their meeting was over. She’d gathered her things and stood, and he did, too.

“So should I call you? Or would you rather call me? About a time when we can get together. To rehearse, I mean.”

Rambling again. And again, he felt bad for raising her stress level. “Do you have a pen?”

Like magic, she produced one from her purse.

Leaning over the table, he scribbled three phone numbers on a napkin. “Home, cell, and office,” he said, “in that order. You can always get me on my cell. Call any time.” Call soon, he thought. As he pressed the napkin into her hand, their fingers touched. Not for long—a blink in time, if that—but long enough to send a current of longing straight to his heart.

He’d been behaving like some guilt-ridden goofball who’d dumped his best girl, when in reality, Lillie had ended them by choosing booze and pills over their relationship.

It hit him like a punch to the gut: Suggesting that they get together, for any reason, had been a bad idea. But maybe luck was on his side, and she’d hesitated earlier because she felt the same way. Jase hoped she wouldn’t call. And he hoped she would. Why had she come back, just when he’d gotten himself back on track, and turn order into chaos again?

Feeling miserable and confused, Jase held open the café door.

A tiny frown furrowed her brow. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just remembered something I forgot to do.” Like…staying the heck away from her.

“Oh. Because you look…different.”

“Don’t mind me,” he said, leading the way across the street. “I’m a little annoyed with myself, is all, for forgetting…” He let his sentence trail off.

“I remember what a perfectionist you are, and how frustrated you get with yourself when you let something, no matter how trivial, slip through the cracks.”

Yeah, she knew him, all right. Their closeness is what allowed her to use him, time and again, to suit her I love drugs more than you needs.

About Loree Lough


Loree Lough
Bestselling author LOREE LOUGH once sang for her supper, performing across the U.S. and Canada. Now and then, she blows the dust from her 6-string to croon a tune or two, but mostly, she writes novels that have earned hundreds of industry and "Readers' Choice" awards, 4- and 5-star reviews, and 7 book-to-movie options. Her 115th book, 50 Hours, is her most personal to date, and released in June. More recently, The Man She Knew, book #1 in her “By Way of the Lighthouse” series (Harlequin Heartwarming) and Bringing Rosie Home. Next, #3 in the series, The Redemption of Lillie Rourke…and additional surprises for 2018, 2019, and beyond….

Official website: http://www.loreelough.com

Connect with Loree Lough on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest


Giveaway


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Five (5) eBook Copies of The Redemption of Lillie Rourke

Contest runs from March 29 - April 4, 2018.




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Thursday, March 29, 2018

In Her Skin by Kim Savage **Review to come**



IN HER SKIN Blog Tour Assets
About The Book:
Title: IN HER SKIN
Author: Kim Savage
Pub. Date: April 17, 2018
Publisher: FSG
Pages: 304
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: AmazonAudibleB&NiBooksTBDGoodreads

Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine. 

When Jo takes on Vivi's identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late. 


Review:
Coming soon!

About Kim:
I was born and raised in Massachusetts, on the South Shore, which sounds beachy, even luxe. Think Winnebagos and chicken coops. My three brothers, 16, 10, and 8 years older, were teens by the time I became a person. Happiest around adults, who often forgot I was there, I spent days eavesdropping on gossipy moms in lawn chairs and nights listening under the table during tipsy Scrabble parties.

My dad read to me nightly. Eventually and early, I read to myself, everywhere. On top of an enormous freezer chest stuffed with meat. On drives until I grew nauseous. In bed until my eyes gave out. I read anything I could get my hands on. V.C. Andrews and Dickens. Black Beauty and the Bible. The Economist. Madeline L’Engle and Margaret Atwood. National Geographic.

I got a bachelor’s degree in English from Stonehill College and a Master’s in Journalism from Northeastern University. For a while, I worked as a business journalist. Instead of waiting for the Federal Reserve to release the Beige Book, I pitched story ideas along the lines of “Stigmatized Properties: When Murder Kills Property Values”. You see where things were headed.

Today, I live with my family northwest of Boston in a town a lot like Shiverton, near the real Fells reservation of AFTER THE WOODS. Born with dysgeographica—I’m directionally challenged—the fear of getting lost in that lovely, dark forest lives close to my skin.


Tour Schedule:
Week One:
3/19/2018- Bookhounds YAInterview
3/19/2018- Hauntedbybooks13Review

3/20/2018- Falling For YAExcerpt
3/20/2018- A Gingerly ReviewReview

3/21/2018- Dani Reviews ThingsInterview
3/21/2018- Book-KeepingReview

3/22/2018- NerdophilesReview
3/22/2018- JustAddAWordReview

3/23/2018- Literary MeanderingsInterview
3/23/2018- The Desert BibliophileReview

Week Two:
3/26/2018- Pretty Deadly ReviewsExcerpt
3/26/2018- Riddle’s ReviewsReview

3/27/2018- Feed Your Fiction AddictionReview
3/27/2018- Smada's Book SmackReview

3/28/2018- Storybook slayersExcerpt
3/28/2018- Twinning for BooksReview

3/29/2018- Rainy Day ReviewsReview
3/29/2018- Here's to Happy EndingsReview

3/30/2018- Bibliobibuli YAInterview
3/30/2018- FICTION FAREReview

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

**Giveaway** The Clock Flower by Barbara Casey **Review**








Book Details:

Book Title:  The Clock Flower by Barbara Casey (Book 3 of The F.I.G. Mysteries)
Category:  YA Fiction,  208 pages
Genre:   Mystery / Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications, The Hungry Goat Press Imprint
Release date:  February 2018
Tour dates: Feb 26 to March 30, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (There is light profanity and some threat of violence.)

Book Description:

Dara Roux, abandoned when she was seven years old by her mother. Exceptionally gifted in foreign languages. Orphan. Accepted to Yale University.

Mackenzie Yarborough, no record of her parents or where she was born. Exceptionally gifted in math and problem-solving. Orphan. Accepted to MIT.

Jennifer Torres, both parents killed in an automobile accident when she was sixteen. Exceptionally gifted in music and art. Orphan. Accepted to Juilliard.

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again.

Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Juilliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

Review: 
This is the third installment of Casey's F.I.G. Mysteries series. They have ajusted and learned how to live and survive outside of their school, Wood Rose. In this last installment, we see the girls grow and blossom into their own. They're all already intellectual geniouses who havehad their share of challenges and hard times in their lives. We have watched them grow and navigate the challenges that were put in front of them. In this last book, Mackenzie is the highlighted girl, she is gifted in problem solving and math. She is sent on a special mission to find a particular ingredient in China that has gone missing..."easy", right? Perhaps for Mackenzie but, then there is a huge twist and she finds herself in a big mess. From there the story keeps adding twists and rollercoaster dips that kept me trying to figure out what was going on and how it was going to turn out until the last few pages! Casey did such a great job weaving this story together while keeping the reader pulled in with a piqued interest.


To read reviews, please visit Barbara Casey's page on iRead Book Tours.



Buy the Book:




About the Author:

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction true crime and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. Barbara is also a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in cutting-edge adult nonfiction. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband, and three dogs who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix; Fitz, a miniature dachshund; and Gert, a Jack Russel terrier of sorts.

Connect with the author:  Website





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