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Monday, September 30, 2013

Replacing Gentry by Julie N. Ford Spotlight and Giveaway







Replacing Gentry Julie N. Ford Genre: Women’s Fiction/Suspense

Publisher: WiDo Publishing Date of Publication: April 2013 ISBN: 1937178315

Number of pages: 286 Word Count: 88,000

Cover Artist: Steve Novak Amazon BN


Book Description: When Marlie agrees to attend a cadaver ball at Vanderbilt Medical School, she did not expect to actually see any cadavers. Or, that a strange apparition would issue her a chilling message. Despite the cadaver's warning, Marlie is married a year later to Tennessee State Senator, Daniel Cannon, and living in a plantation-style mansion with two step-sons. Add to the mix her growing suspicion that something is amiss with the death of Daniel’s first wife, Gentry, and newlywed Marlie is definitely in over her pretty Yankee head. What begins as an innocent inquiry into her new husband’s clouded past ends with Marlie in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy. A modern twist on the classic Gothic romance novels of Rebecca and Jane Eyre, Replacing Gentry follows Marlie’s precarious journey as she learns the truth about the man she married.

Excerpt;

The loud clank of the door fastening shut behind me gave me a start. My steps skidded to a stop in the sudden darkness, and I pulled a breath deep into my chest. The air was heavy like icy needles probing my throat. I rubbed the chill bumps on my arms with the heat of my moist palms. Where am I? Squinting against the hazy glow of a single bulb, I scanned one way, then the other, unable to determine the end of the passageway in either direction. From the other side of the door, the steady drumming of the bass from the Cadaver Ball sounded miles away. The perceived distance was a welcome relief. I needed some time to think, to center, and to get a grip. What had just happened between Daniel and me? One minute he’d been leading me around the dance floor, the next I’d lost track of how many dances we’d shared and found myself kissing him. Sure, I’d considered the possibility, but fantasizing about kissing a total stranger and actually going through with it were two very different things. I’d only known one man before who’d been able to draw me in so quickly. Finn. I’d also met Finn at a ritzy Nashville party I had attended with my best friend Anna-Beth. Only that had been years ago, back when she and I were still in college. Like Daniel, Finn had been handsome and wealthy. My time with him had ended in heartbreak and loss. Tonight, being back in Nashville, it was like I could feel him all around me—a cagey presence deft at staying just beyond my line of sight. And then I’d met Daniel. Paul leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. “Next question.” His eyes took a discerning turn around our fellow dinner guests as if he were about to say something profound. “Do you believe in love at first sight? And if so, if you met the man of your dreams and he asked you to marry him right then and there, would you say yes?” As had been the case the entire night, my thoughts rushed to Finn, how I’d fallen for him the first time we’d met. And how two weeks later I had boarded a plane to Vegas where I’d become his wife. Obviously, my true answer would be yes.
“I’d like to send the dilemma to the social worker,” Paul’s voice sailed across the table, bringing everyone’s focus to me.
“Marlie is a therapist for the California Department of Corrections,” Anna-Beth corrected.
Her reproach was polite, as always, with a touch of perkiness. She slanted another salacious look to the dark-haired, fair-eyed plastic surgery intern she’d introduced earlier as Steven. A far cry from the teary-eyed socialite who had picked me up at the airport the day before after insisting twenty-four hours earlier that she couldn’t possibly go on living without the support of her “dearest friend.” Yesterday she’d been practically suicidal after the loss of her latest “future hus- band.” Tonight she’d evidently discovered that there was at least one more potential spouse left to explore. “Psychiatric social worker,” I clarified. “And, my training and experience has taught me that a man willing to jump quickly into marriage is more than likely hiding some unfortunate character flaw, something he’s afraid he can’t keep hidden for long,” I answered, feigning a professional confidence. I was looking into the black hole of my thirty-first birthday, doubting with every day that slithered by I’d ever again meet a man I could pledge my heart to. Besides, what woman, over thirty or otherwise, doesn’t secretly fantasize about a chance meeting with the man of her dreams? Paul considered my answer with a shrewd stare. “I don’t believe you. I think you, like all women, would jump at the chance to be married,” he said, his drawl stained with a hint of headiness. Despite the fact he was clearly wearing a platinum band on his left ring finger, Paul had been ogling me all evening, and I could sense a growing affinity. But I was one hundred percent sure I wanted no part of it. I inwardly groaned. This impromptu game of Scruples was get- ting on my last nerve. It ticked me off that Paul had accurately called my bluff, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of yielding to the fact. I fixed him with a cold stare. “I’m wondering why you bothered to ask me the question when you’d already made up your mind as to my answer?” Paul’s smirk, downright creepy now, tugged at his lips again. “Fair enough,” he conceded. “Your boss congratulates you for a brilliant suggestion and hints at a promotion. One of your subordinates gave you the idea. Do you mention this to your boss?” Clearing my throat, I offered up an answer. “Of course I would give my subordinate his or her due credit.” Paul leaned forward. “Even if it meant you’d get passed up for the promotion?” I squared my shoulders. “How could I feel good about a promotion I hadn’t earned?” Shaking his head, Paul grunted out a snort. “I’m sorry, Marlie, but no one subscribes to such outdated, bogus ideals of integrity anymore.” He sent his gaze around the table for confirmation. “I say she’s bluffing.” I rolled my eyes in return. “So, outdated stereotypes regarding women are perfectly alive and well but showing a little integrity ... that’s old fashioned?” I retorted, though an announcement had every- one shifting toward the front. From the stage, the emcee was lamenting about a doctor—Dr. Peter Daschle—a pioneer in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery who’d been strides ahead of his time when he’d met with tragic death and how his expertise would be sorely missed ... Then, after a minute of silence, the emcee introduced the band and invited everyone to the dance floor. The buzz of attendees taking one last drink, or bite of dessert, before pushing back their chairs was quickly overpowered by the band’s version of Hip to My Heart as everyone paired up and filed out to the dance floor. Glancing across the table, I could see Paul fighting the flow of bodies, cutting a path straight for me. A look of cool, self-assuredness seemed to be driving him against the fray. My gaze flitted quickly around the room as I considered my options. I had two choices: run for the safety of the service exit and spend the rest of the night hiding, or turn, face him, and let him know exactly what I thought of his presumptions. Given that I had a general dislike for cowardice, option number two was my obvious choice. I’d just started in his direction when I heard a voice asking, “Would you like to dance?” “No, not right now,” I said through tight lips. “I’ve got something I need to take care of first.” The voice came back along with the light touch of fingertips on my elbow. “I think what you’re fixin’ to do can, and should, wait for a more appropriate settin’.” I hesitated. It wasn’t like I was planning to make a scene, and who was this man that thought he knew what I had in my mind to do? Whirling around, I shot a bothered stare into the face behind the voice. Gazing down at me, the hint of a smile on his lips, was a man Anna- Beth had introduced as her cousin, Daniel something-or-other. In his early forties, he had thick dark hair tapered neatly around his neck and ears but longer on the top and combed back. His nose was slightly crooked, his chin distinctive. A trace of gray at the temples gave him the look of striking maturity, a man accustomed to the finer things in life. His dark blue eyes conveyed a subtle insistence as he stepped to the side and motioned to the dance floor. “After you,” he said with all the graciousness of a Southern-born gentleman. Swallowing back a portion of my resolve, I found myself at a sud- den loss for words. Unnerving since I rarely, if ever, found myself with nothing whatsoever to say. After a final glance back at Paul—I would deal with him later—I adjusted my course and headed for the dance floor. Daniel pulled me in close and proceeded to lead in a smooth cowboy cha-cha. After a few silent turns around the parquet floor, I glanced up to see that his eyes, dark blue like a moonless night, were searching mine as if looking for a truth that eluded him. “Back at the table ... your answers, were they sincere, or were you playin’ devil’s advocate?” My head spun under the heat of his gaze. At the moment I couldn’t recall each and every response, there had been so many, but thinking back, I was fairly certain I’d meant them all. “As hard as it may be to believe, they were all my true opinions.” Pulling me closer still, his mouth was just a kiss away as he whispered, “Just so you know, I don’t think integrity is outdated.” Why am I so inanely attracted to all the things I’m not? I mused as I began to pace the tight circle of light that fanned out into the darkness. Even more puzzling, why had Daniel been attracted to me? I wasn’t particularly tall, and while my face and figure were not unfortunate, I tended to blend easily into a crowd. But then, he had said that I reminded him of a slightly older Emma Stone, which I modestly denied, while secretly I’d kind of thought so too. And then there was always the possibility that because I was from out of town he’d considered me an easy mark for a torrid one-night- stand. Except from what I could see, he seemed to be a perfect gentle- man—not at all the womanizing type. I stopped pacing and started chewing my thumbnail while the toe of my sandal tapped the floor. Why was I so cold? I should go back in. Only now I felt like an idiot for running out the way I had. It was too frigid out here to spend any more time second- guessing my reaction. How should I play it when I see Daniel? Act casual? Ignore him? I was mentally pounding my head when another sound joined the echo of my tapping foot. Slamming my shoe to the floor, I held it still and listened to the darkness. I couldn’t hear a thing, not even the muffled drumming of the band. Turning in a circle, my eyes searched the shadows, unable to see anything beyond the thick blanket of blackness surrounding my solitary swath of light. An unsettling feeling began a slow crawl up my spine. Was it the sudden quiet or the complete darkness that had me feeling on edge? I couldn’t be sure at first, but then there was noise, or maybe just a feeling as the presence of something unseen crept over me, and I realized I wasn’t alone. “Hello,” I called, my voice echoing down the dark passageway. “Who’s there?” The only reply was the hiss of my own breath, the rush of my blood as it beat against my ears. “I know you’re there,” I said. I thought I heard something—a sigh or a brush against the far wall. “Hello?” I tried again. Nothing. Maybe my imagination was getting away from me? I mean, who wouldn’t be creeped out in a dark, frigid hallway? Nothing to worry about. In case something feral was indeed lurking out there, I retraced my steps, one foot behind the other, my eyes sweeping the abyss in both directions until I bumped up against the steel of the door. Reaching back, I pushed down on the handle and then pulled while keeping a close eye on a predator I wasn’t sure existed. The door didn’t budge. I turned to face the door, pushed down with both hands this time and pulled. Then I lifted and yanked again. The door stayed put. I was locked out. The fear of being trapped squeezed my chest with a ruthless grip. Droplets of perspiration rolled from my temples and down to my neck, burning a steamy trail over my cold skin. The air grew more frigid. The darkness pressed closer. My heart began to race, my breath grew more shallow as panic pushed hard at my need to stay calm. “I’m locked out here!” I pounded my fists on the door as the music started up again. “Can someone—anyone—hear me?” I yelled until my throat was raw, the shrieks shooting from my lips in puffs of white smoke. Pressing my cheek against the door, I listened to the muffled sounds of a rousing party. The cool metal did little to relieve the heat of my exertion. There was no indication that anyone had heard my screams—at least no one on the other side of the door. A thump, followed by a drag was the first undeniable conformation that someone—something—was there. I slowly turned. “Who’s there?” my voice rasped out again. I heard no audible answer, just another thump and a drag. “Can you help me?” I asked. “The door seems to be stuck.” I waited. The dragging grew closer, the darkness slowly consuming what little light was there in the dark hallway. “Please, say something.” My voice crackled against the black walls, my eyes focused toward the sounds as the silhouette of a body materialized out of the haze. At first, all I could make out the bareness of a man’s feet and legs against the grey floor, one foot taking feeble steps forward while the other dragged along in its wake. His flesh was white like a thin sheet of paper stretched over iridescent blue veins. “Are you all right?” I called out, thinking maybe he wasn’t an attacker at all but someone in desperate need of help. “Do you need medical assistance?” Another thump and a drag brought him closer. The dim light turned blinding as it reflected off the whiteness of his skin. He was completely naked. His shoulders were slumped over. His arms hung long and limp at the sides of his torso. A stitching in the shape of a Y marked across his chest. His hair was disheveled and receding from a long forehead above sunken cheeks and lifeless, gray-rimmed eyes. He looked like a walking corpse. My hand flew to cover the scream that exploded from my chest. “Oh my gosh!” I pressed my back harder against the door, feebly edging myself away. My ankles gave way beneath me.
The man took a few more steps and stopped.“Marlie Evans,” he said, the words booming over stiff lips.
The breath solidified in my throat. Absolute silence filled the flickering shadows cast by the light of a dying bulb. A flash of steel running down to a wheeled box on the floor behind him caught my attention. Then the squeak of a pulley had my mind leaping back to the dark- humored skits that had opened the medical school ball, but I was unable to recall this particular prop. “Is this some sort of joke?” I called out through quivering lips. “You don’t belong here,” he said, raising a shaking arm to point a crooked finger in my direction. “You should go back, go back to where you belong.” I cranked the door handle down again. Again, the latch didn’t release. “Yeah, no kidding,” I said, forcing a weak chuckle. “I would go back in but like I said before, the door seems to be stuck.” “Marlie Evans,” he repeated with more insistence.
I shrank farther back, my eyes darting about the space, waiting for the prankster to reveal himself. “If this is meant to scare me for some twisted amusement you’ve done a good job . . . I’m officially freaked out!” I screamed then waited, my gaze unwittingly locked with the unfathomable site before me. “Enough is enough already!” His face was like that of a ventriloquist’s dummy. “You are weak and will lose all that is precious to you, and still, you will not change what has already been decided.” Each syllable pressed down on me like a heavy weight. I sucked in a ragged breath. Why was I trapped in the cold, the darkness, with death standing before me? Suddenly, this didn’t feel like a joke. Supporting my weakening body against the exit, my nails bent and cracked as my fingers dug into the hard surface. “Change what?” I pled, tears blurring my focus. “I don’t understand.” He blinked once, slowly. “The end has already been written,” he said with what sounded like considerable effort. Terror pushed the blood hard through my veins. “What are you talking about?” I cried. “What end?” A sneer pulled across his sullen face, his features contorting into a look so vile I felt as though something evil had reached inside me and taken hold of my soul. “Your end.”
                                                      

                                                                      Schedule;

September 23 Interview

The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom




September 24 Spotlight

Author Leah DW




September 24 Spotlight

Rose & Beps Blog -

http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/

September 24 Spotlight
A Night's Dream of Books


September 25 Interview

Pembroke Sinclair.  





September 26 Guest blog

Sun Mountain Reviews




September 27 Guest blog

Mama Knows Books




September 30 Interview




October 1 Spotlight

3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!    http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com



October 2 Interview and review

Storm Goddess Book Reviews




October 3 Interview

Dalene’s Book Reviews




October 3 Spotlight (review)

Share My Destiny




October 4 Guest blog

Cloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuff




October 4 Spotlight

Mythical Books




October 7 Interview and review

Sharing Links and Wisdom, 




October 7 Spotlight

Ramblings of a Book Lunatic




October 7 review

The Indigo Quill – 














About the Author: Julie N. Ford graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in English Literature. In addition, she has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a Marriage & Family Counselor. In addition to Replacing Gentry, she is the author of two women’s fiction novels, The Woman He Married and No Holly for Christmas, published in 2011. She also wrote a romance/chick-lit novel, Count Down to Love, published in 2011. Count Down to Love was a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. Currently, she lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters and one baby hedgehog. For more information or see what Julie is working on now, you can visit her at JulieNFord.com https://www.facebook.com/JulieNFord.Author
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4718785.Julie_N_Ford
http://JulieNFord.com
https://twitter.com/JulieNFord 


$25 Amazon gift card giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Anything But Love by Beth Ciotta Book Blast and Giveaway




Anything But Love By: Beth Ciotta St. Martin’s Press Releasing Oct 1st, 2013



Blurb;

For Reagan Deveraux, Sugar Creek, Vermont, and the Cupcake Lovers are a dream come true: A cozy little town where family and friends come before everything else. She’s never experienced anything like it—especially not growing up with her mother, a fickle, fame-hungry heiress. But Rae’s plan to hide out in anonymity for a year until she can claim her inheritance—and her independence—changes with one kiss from gorgeous pub owner Luke Monroe. Luke’s charm is legendary, but he’s never been a one-woman man. Until Rae captures his attention, that is, and then disappears. With a little help from a friend, Luke tracks her down—and unearths secrets almost too wild to be true, as well as the fact that Rae lied to him, and to all of Sugar Creek. Luke’s not sure if he can forgive her, but he definitely can’t forget her, and when she returns to save the Cupcake Lovers from disaster, he knows it’s his chance to get the truth—and get the girl, this time for good…

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/08/now-booking-release-day-tasty-book_17.html



  Buy Links;


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Anything-But-Love-Cupcake-Lovers/dp/125000134X
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anything-but-love-beth-ciotta/1114205440?ean=97812500013

44 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/anything-but-love/id665701852?mt=11


                                                                                

  Author Bio


Storytelling comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Dubbed "fun and sexy" by Publisher's Weekly, Beth specializes in contemporary, historical, steampunk, and paranormal romantic fiction.  Beth lives in NJ with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat. A retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her website at www.bethciotta.com

  Author Links
http://www.bethciotta.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BethCiottaBooks

  https://twitter.com/BethCiotta
  http://bethciotta.blogspot.com/



Rafflecopter Giveaway (Cupcake Tote including FOOL FOR LOVE, TROUBLE WITH LOVE and Signed Cover Flat of ANYTHING BUT LOVE)



a Rafflecopter giveaway



  Excerpt

“I’m looking for a woman who just came in. Gorgeous redhead in a green dress?” The man raised a brow and Luke realized he probably sounded like a stalker. “Reagan Deveraux,” Luke added. “I was supposed to meet her in the lobby.” “I believe the woman you’re looking for went into the lounge.” Luke thanked the man and headed toward where he pointed. He found Rae sitting at the bar throwing back a shot of tequila. He had no idea she did shots. He’d only ever seen her sip beer. Now she was licking salt from her hand like a pro. He watched, transfixed, as her red lips closed over a wedge of lime and sucked.   He wasn’t the only man watching. Luke felt a jab of jealously when a designer-suited dude eased in and offered to buy her a drink.  Then a surge of relief when Rae turned the man away. Luke cursed his whacked-out emotions.  He shouldn’t be feeling anything for Rae aside from betrayal and confusion. He joined her at the bar. “What are you doing?” “Treating myself to a birthday drink.” She barely cast him a glance while attacking her second shot.  Luke clenched his jaw as she repeated the ritual. Salt, tequila, lime. Lick, drink, suck. Not overtly sexy, but sexy all the same. He gestured to the bartender. “Two Coronas, please.” Then he looked back to Rae. “Drinking alone on your birthday is sort of pathetic.” “I’m not alone.” She met his gaze.  “Unfortunately.” Luke searched her eyes, his gut clenching when he caught a glimpse of Rachel Lacey, the same vulnerability that had intrigued him all those months ago. He had a weakness for women in need. Hell, he had a weakness for women period.  The bartender served two longnecks. Luke waved off the glasses.   “Put it on my tab,” Rae said. “It’s on me.” Luke paid cash for two of the most expensive beers he’d ever bought in his life.  “As for the cab,” he said to Rae, “thank you, but I can manage.” He pulled five twenties from his wallet and when she refused, he shoved the money in her purse. “Three months ago you were desperate for money. Or so you said. Jayce called you a trust fund baby. You might not have inherited your fortune until today, but you must have had access to a monthly allowance.” “I didn’t want to touch that money.” “Why not?” “I can’t believe you had me investigated.” She sounded somewhere between hurt and outraged. Luke knew the feeling. “I had you tracked, which I wouldn’t have done if you had had the decency to say good-bye.” Gaze averted, she sipped her beer then ordered another shot. “I felt awful about hurting Sam.  Plus I was compromising the success of the Cupcake Lover’s recipe book by refusing to participate in any publicity.”  “So you ran away?” “I didn’t think I’d be missed.” What the freaking hell? “Are you that insecure or that oblivious?” “People come and go all the time, Luke.” “You’re missing the point, Rae.” He nabbed her wrist as she reached for the salt shaker. Her pulse raced beneath his thumb.  His own heart bucked. He’d always had a talent for reading and finessing women. He had no clue how to handle Rae. Did she have the tolerance to withstand a third shot? He didn’t want to take the chance. He grabbed her shooter and downed the Cuervo himself.  “Why don’t we sit at one of those tables and talk?” “Why aren’t you on your way to the airport?” “Why won’t you tell me why you paid for a false identity? She glanced away, picked at the label on the beer bottle. “I needed to be someone else for a while.” “Why?” “It’s personal.” One thing hadn’t changed. Reagan Devereaux was every bit as aloof as Rachel Lacey. Luke wanted to shake the crap out of her. Kissing her came to mind, too.  He’d never been so angry and turned on at the same time. He told himself it was because she was smoking hot and he’d been celibate for weeks. Aching to jump her bones was natural. It wasn’t because he was jonesing to re-create the magic he’d felt the one and only time they’d locked lips. Who needed that kind of misery? Having a thing for a woman beyond his reach. A woman of privileged birth. A woman who’d earned a master’s degree. A woman worth a freaking million! Hit the road, Monroe. He wasn’t getting the answers he wanted so why was he wasting his time? As it was he’d be lucky if he got home before Christmas morning.  Part of him had been desperate to see for himself that Rae was okay. She was more than okay.  Except for her obsessive lying and the tension between her and her mom and that dickhead Geoffrey Stein. Every family had drama, right? The Monroes certainly had their fair share. More often than not, Luke played mediator. He should be home making peace, not here waging war. Besides, reasoning with this woman was a losing battle.      Luke reached down for his backpack and when he straightened the infuriating enigma was finishing off another shot.  For the love of. . . He couldn’t leave Rae in this bar.  What if she drank herself under the table? What if one of the several men watching took advantage?  “Do you think your mom and Stein left the house yet?” “I’m sure of it. God forbid they miss a moment of the party.” “Then come on. I’ll drop you home before I head to the airport.” “I’m not going home.” She flashed a key card. “I’m staying here tonight.”  “Then I’ll walk you to your room.”

Trucker's Friend A Rugged Car Tool Review!!!!


                                                             What a Great Tool!!!!!
 
 
 
 


 
Product Description
Amongst it's many features, the TF has a curved axe,pry bar and lever. It can hammer and pull nails and scrape ice as well as featuring a spanner, tire chain hook, and wire twist. This really is the ultimate tool to fix issues with the car, camp site and more.


These are sold on Amazon and they have a great facebook page.


Visitors who are interested on learning more can visit  this link http://innovationfactory.com/products/truckers-friend/
My review; 
Wow! Is the only word I can think of to describe this Car tool. It has so many functions and uses that I had fun just checking them all out.   My son and sons-in-law all thought of excuses so that they could borrow it. We had been trying to cut down some overgrown trees and brush in our yard and this
tool cut right through without any problems at all. We have a lot of friend who like to camp and they said that they would love one of these, These would make wonderful Christmas presents. It is amazing that not only does it have a curved axe and a hammer, it can even scrape ice!





 
 
 

 
 
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Teas' Tea Review and Giveaway!


 
 


Product Description
TEAS’ TEA® is an all natural ready-to-drink tea, named from the Japanese expression Ocha no Naka No Ocha, which means “The Tea of ALL Teas!” With thoughtful sourcing and meticulous brewing methods, TEAS’ TEA® proprietary filtration method reduces sediment creating a clean finish. The company has been a pioneer and leader in the unsweetened tea market for over 10 years. TEAS’ TEA is sold nationwide in conventional, natural & specialty stores and online at www.amazon.com and www.itoen.com for $1.99 per bottle.

TEAS’ TEA Cares
1.    New re-design of Teas’ Tea® bottles reduce carbon footprint and is now the lightest bottle in the 'ready-to-drink' beverage industry weighing only 18.7 grams, compared to standard plastic bottles in the industry of 24 grams.
2.    Reducing packaging is a company goal. By choosing recyclable plastic bottles (PET 1) over glass, the company has been able to save in fuel expenses and reducing the carbon footprint.
3.    Recognized for their recycling tea leaf program, ITO EN has been awarded the Grand Prize by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan and the Environment Minister’s Prize for developing eco-friendly products made from used tea leaves. A variety of products ranging from vending machines and public benches have been a part of the company’s recycling CSR activities.

TEAS' TEA Unsweetened
-   Brewed using the finest green tea leaves and unsweetened
-   0 Calories
-   Great source of natural antioxidants
-   100% or more of daily value of Vitamin C
-   7 Flavors: Pure Green tea, Jasmine Green, Green White, Lemongrass Green, Rose Green, Mint Green, Golden Oolong tea.
-   SRP $1.99 per bottle for 16.9 FL OZ (500 ml).

TEAS’ TEA PLUS half&HALF
-   Brewed using the finest green tea leaves and slightly sweetened
-   only 50 calories per serving.
-   5 flavors: green tea & lemon, green tea & green apple (which came in second place at the North American Tea Championships 2012), green tea & peach, green tea & coconut, green tea & grape.
-   SRP $1.99 per bottle for 16.9 FL OZ (500 ml).










A Few Interesting Facts
- After water tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. On any given day, over 160 million Americans are drinking tea. (Source: The Tea Association of the USA).
- ITO EN pioneered the first bottled green tea in the world – the Oi Ocha.






In the spirit of Summer Fun, TEAS' TEA is giving away thousands of great prizes. The GRAND prize is a trip for 2 to Australia – all included and an experience of a lifetime!

Prizes:
1. Trip for 2 to Australia incl. flights, 10 nights hotel, excursions, transportation, VIP Tour of ITO EN's Australian green tea farm, Sydney Opera House tour, Private helicopter tour over the Great Barrier Reef.
2. Mini Tablet
3. Waterproof Digital Cameras
4. Beach packs
5. Teas' Tea tees
6. Teas’ Tea products



Enter the contest on Teas’ Tea Facebook  PARTICIPATE
TEAS’ TEA® #TEAFRESHING Summer Sweepstakes is going on now! Simply register on Facebook, enjoy an amazing line-up of teas, and share your experience on Instagram for a chance to page: https://www.facebook.com/itoen.teastea/app_153867274787229 


 WEBSITE                  www.TeasTea.com
FACEBOOK               www.Facebook.com/itoen.teastea
INSTAGRAM             use #Teafreshing hashtag
TWITTER                  @TEASTEA_
PINTEREST               www.pinterest.com/ITOEN

ONLINE STORE        https://www.itoen.com/teas-tea.html






My review;

I really like to drink tea all kinds of tea, as a matter of fact. I have to say that these are my favorites. I really loved the taste and I especially was excited to try all of the different kinds. They are also very much involved in recycling, something I really was excited to read about. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin Blog Tour & Giveaway







Blog Tour: American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin

           
Title: American Girl on Saturn
Author: Nikki Godwin
Date of Publication: August 29, 2013
Genre: contemporary YA

The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to earth.

Schedule

September 30

Stay Bookish - Review
Reader Rising - Review
The Sarcastic Palmtree - Review
The Daydreamer's Obsession - Review
Fastidious Reader - Review
Classy Cat Books - Review
Cu's Ebook Giveaways - Excerpt
whYAnot Reviews - Review
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! - Excerpt

October 1

Sab The Book Eater - Review
The YA Book Fever - Review
Amaterasu Reads - Review
Home Of A Book Lover - Review
Butterfly Feet Walking on Life - Review
Please Another Book - Review
Books and Cake - Review
Simply Infatuated - Guest Post
alwaysjoart - Excerpt

October 2

Lovin' Los Libros - Review
Lisa Likes Books - Review
The Bookish Confections - Review
Paradise of Pages - Review
The Selkie Reads Stories - Review
Fathomless Reveries - Review
Been There, Read That, Reviewed The Book - Review
The Rest Is Still Unwritten - Review + Guest Post
deal sharing aunt - Excerpt
Rose & Beps Blog - Excerpt

October 3

Defiantly Deviant - Review
Read-A-holicZ - Review
Imagine a World - Review
The Escapist - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review
Read Books and Live Green - Review
Divergent Gryffindor - Review
Lost in Literature - Review
Mythical Books - Guest Post

October 4

Bookworm in Boots - Review
Read, Breathe, Read - Review
YA Book Addict - Review
Confessions of a Book Addict - Review
Fragments of Life - Review
The Soul Sisters - Review
My Book Empire - Review
Because reading is better than real life - Guest Post

 
 
 
 
 
If you get the side with the cream, I’ll give you my honest male opinion about your checkout line drama today,” he says. “But if I get the cream side, you have to tell me, honestly, who you think the best looking guy is in Spaceships Around Saturn.”

Oh God. He’s for real. Does he know? He totally knows. He knows I’m lusting for him from behind this glass of milk and tattoo magazine. He knows that his eyes make me melt and that I clearly watch him on Twitter because I know all about amazzzzzing. Now he wants to make me ‘fess up.

Deal.” I say it before I can chicken out.

I can always lie and say Benji’s name. He’s the fan favorite anyway. Benji Baccarini is Spaceships Around Saturn for so many girls.
Excerpt;
He leans forward, positions himself over the table, and holds up that fated Oreo. I push my glass of milk aside because the last thing I want is to knock it over with my quivering nerves. Then I lean toward him, grip the cookie with my fingers, and inhale every scent of his body wash that I can while I twist my half of the Oreo away from his half.

He reaches toward the tray and grabs the lone Oreo. “Okay, this is my last one for the night,” he says. “Half it with me?”

Seriously? If I wasn’t the envy of every Saturnite in the world just by sitting across the table from him, I’m definitely the envy of them now because the Milo Grayson wants to half his precious Oreo with me. And the thing that sucks the most is that no one knows about it to be jealous of me!

He holds the cookie up and waits for a response.

Yeah, we can half it,” I say.

I reach across the table for it, but he jerks his arm back. The sleeve of his T-shirt hugs his bicep tightly, and oh how I wish to be that fabric.

Not so fast,” he says. “Let’s make it interesting.”

Could this be any more interesting? Hello – you’re gorgeous and famous and sharing cookies with me! Any more ‘interest’ and I might burst like  fireworks.


The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.


Purchase links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


About Nikki Godwin   

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult/New Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She may or may not completely love One Direction.


 
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Little Red Writing by Joan Holub

  Little Red Reading Little Red Writing by Joan Holub Acclaimed writer Joan Holub and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet team up in this hilarious and exuberant retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, in which a brave, little red pencil finds her way through the many perils of writing a story, faces a ravenous pencil sharpener (the Wolf 3000)... and saves the day. Joan Holub has hundreds of pencils. Some are red. Others are glittery, sporty, or full of holiday cheer. They are all super sharp and good at writing books. They’ve helped Joan write more than 130 books, including Zero the Hero and Knuckleheads. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Melissa Sweet has illustrated nearly 100 children’s books, including the Caldecott Honor–winning River of Words and the Sibert Medal–winning Balloons Over Broadway. When not in her studio, Melissa loves to ride her bicycle and hike with her two dogs, Rufus and Nellie. She lives in Rockport, Maine.  
  Praise "A very funny picture book that, I guarantee you, lots of savvy teachers will be eagerly sharing with students as part of the process of teaching creative writing." -- Richie Partington MLIS, Richie's Picks "What a CLEVER, CLEVER story!" -- I Love to Read and Write Reviews "This clever adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood has so many levels of creativity and learning... Every elementary teacher should have this book to begin their writing units." -- Play on Words "Style, humor, and solid writing advice." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "So rich in words and wry humor-written and visual-that one reading just isn't enough." --School Library Journal, starred review "Every writers' group should start with this story." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Every elementary teacher should have this book to begin their writing units." -- Play on Words "An easy, winning prompt for beginning writers to abandon their fears and take up pencils of their own." --Booklist    
Author Joan Holub I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children’s books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job. I illustrated my first published children’s book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts — Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee! Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children’s books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.  
 
  BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/15/13   Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Inspired Kathy~ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Book Blasts & Blog Tours

The Courier of Caswell Hall by Melanie Dobson Book Review and Giveaway

Melanie Dobson's latest release, The Courier of Caswell Hall, is a riveting story you won't want to miss. The newest offering in the American Tapestries™ series, it follows an unlikely spy who discovers freedom and love in the midst of the American Revolution.

Enter to win 1 of 5 copies of the book!

{More about The Courier of Caswell Hall}

An unlikely spy discovers freedom and love in the midst of the American Revolution.
As the British and Continental armies wage war in 1781, the daughter of a wealthy Virginia plantation owner feels conflict raging in her own heart. Lydia Caswell comes from a family of staunch Loyalists, but she cares only about peace. Her friend Sarah Hammond, however, longs to join the fight. Both women’s families have already been divided by a costly war that sets father against son and neighbor against neighbor; a war that makes it impossible to guess who can be trusted.
One snowy night Lydia discovers a wounded man on the riverbank near Caswell Hall, and her decision to save him will change her life. Nathan introduces her to a secret network of spies, couriers, disguises, and coded messages—a network that may be the Patriots’ only hope for winning the war. When British officers take over Caswell Hall and wreak havoc on neighboring plantations, Lydia will have to choose between loyalty and freedom; between her family’s protection and her own heart’s desires.
As both armies gather near Williamsburg for a pivotal battle, both Lydia and Sarah must decide how high a price they are willing to pay to help the men they love.
Part of the American Tapestries™ series: Each standalone novel in this line sets a heart-stirring love story against the backdrop of an epic moment in American history. This is the fifth book in the series.
Purchase a copy here.
Learn more at Melanie’s website.

Melanie Dobson

{More About Melanie Dobson}

Melanie Dobson is the author of twelve novels; her writing has received numerous accolades including two Carol Awards. Melanie worked in public relations for fifteen years before she began writing fiction full-time. Born and raised in the Midwest, she now resides with her husband and two daughters in Oregon.
Find out more about Melanie at http://www.melaniedobson.com.






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  Five winners will receive:
  • The Courier of Caswell Hall by Melanie Dobson
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 5th. All winners will be announced October 7th at the Litfuse blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit the Litfuse blog on the 7th to see if you won one of the books!

 

 

My Review;

 

This is a wonderful story about 2 young women during a very scary time in our history. Although Lydia Caswell is following her heart is she indeed a traitor to her family and friends? The author brings the American Revolution to life with stories of love, family loyalty, while danger around them is a constant threat. I am always amazed when I read about how many women really had a lot to do with a country's winning or losing a war. I enjoyed both of their stories and I couldn't wait to read the ending. Melanie Dobson has written a love story woven throughout with suspense. I give this book a 5/5. I was given this book by Litfuse Publicity Group for a review and all opinions are my own.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Accidental Cowgirl by Maggie McGinnis Book Tour









Guest Post;
Pick Me! Pick Me!



Thanks so much for hosting me today! I’m thrilled to be here!



Before I started writing seriously, I used to listen to authors talk about how their characters would take over their books. I was mystified. You’re the author, I’d think. How in the world did you not know what this character was going to do? She’s a figment of your imagination! You created her! You OWN her, for goodness sake!

Ha.

In every single book I’ve written, I have a slate of characters I plan to work into the mix. Some have starring roles, some are the JV players, and some are barely supposed to appear. However, there’s always at least one character who was on that JV-B team, but something happens along the way and that plan goes out the window. I never know who’s going to “play up” until I’m well into the book.

In this book, Ma and Roscoe were those characters. Originally, I figured Roscoe would pull Kyla over in Chapter 1 and we’d never see him again. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. Ma, on the other hand, was going to be the strong, capable, quiet-ish woman-in-the-background while everyone else took center stage.

Again, ha. I completely fell in love with this woman once she started talking to her boys. She’s tough as sun-baked leather, but her love for her sons is squishy, bone-deep and powerful. If I needed a second mom, she’d totally be in the running. However, I’d never ever want to get on her bad side. (Hot sauce, anyone?)

Yes, I felt pretty smug way back then, sitting at my first RWA meeting, wondering how these seemingly-perfectly normal women had lost complete and utter control of their own books to characters of their own imaginations. That would never happen to me, I vowed.

On the other hand, I can see a certain advantage to it. If someone ends up not caring for one of my characters someday, now I can shrug and say, “Not my fault! He just appeared! Took right over, I tell ya!”

How about you? What’s your favorite kind of secondary character?





ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL By Maggie McGinnis



On Sale October 8, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-345-54875-7

Published by Loveswept

Blurb
In her Loveswept debut, Maggie McGinnis tells the tale of a city girl who’s running on fumes—and the cowboy who shows her all the good things she’s been missing. After being betrayed by her con man ex-fiancé, Kyla Bennett nurses a broken heart. But Kyla's friends have other ideas and when they whisk her off to Whisper Creek, a dude ranch staffed by cowboys so hot they dim the Montana sunset, all Kyla wants to do is hide under a quilt. Then in rides Decker Driscoll. He’s hauling about as much emotional baggage as Kyla, but when he stands close by, both of them want to stay close—and begin to succumb to an undeniable attraction. After experiencing personal tragedy, Decker never thought he’d see Big Sky country again. But now that his family's Whisper Creek property is in deep with a Vegas gambler, Decker’s back for the summer—and spending all his time running from “cowgirls” who come to the dude ranch to score some dudes. Then he meets Kyla, a kindred spirit who brings on a stampede of protective feelings . . . and a powerful hankering to sear her with a new brand of love.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore | Google Play | Kobo | Other retailers

Maggie McGinnis is the author of Driving Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award. A former high school English teacher, an accomplished musician, and a certified black belt, she lives in New England with her family.


Tour Schedule
Sept 23rd- Flirting with Romance- Interview
(Stop 2) Reading Bliss- Review
Sept 24th- Ramblings From This Chick- Guest Post
Sept 25th- A Tasty Read Book Reviews- Review/Guest Post
Sept 26th- Busy Moms Book Reviews- Guest Post/Review
Sept 27th- Romancing the Book- Review/Interview

Sept 30th- 3 Partners in Shopping- Guest Post
Oct 1st-
Oct 2nd- Crazy Four Books- Review
Oct 3rd- Stories About Love- Guest Post/Review
Oct 4th- For the Love of Reading- Guest Post

Oct 7th- A Passion for Romance- Interview/Review
Oct 8th- Storm Goddess Book Reviews and More- Character Interview/Review
Oct 9th- Harlequin Junkie- Guest Post
Oct 10th- Faerie Tale Books- Review
Oct 11th- Racing to Read-Review
(Stop 2) I am a Book Addict...and Proud of it- Review

Oct 14th- Escaping Reality One Book at a Time- Review
Oct 15th- Craves the Angst- Review
Oct 16th- Paws and Print- Review
Oct 17th- What's Beyond Forks?- Review/Guest Post
Oct 18th- For the Love of Bookends- Review


Happy Touring,

Lisa Filipe
Tasty Book Tours
Tasteful Book Promotions
Tastybooktours@live.com
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http://Tastybooktours.blogspot.com

Please be my fan on facebook, https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tasty-Book-Tours/117036921803279
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Become a Tasty Tour Host and Get 20% Off Tour Services
Connect with Maggie: Facebook | Twitter | Website


Rafflecopter Giveaway -GRAND PRIZE winner - $50 e-giftcard to BootBarn.com and a NetGalley review copy of ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL -3 First Prize winners - Loveswept Coffee Mug -5

Second Prize winners - ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL NetGalley review copy

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