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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Loving the Book Presents: Archangel by Alaina Stanford; #BookBlitz & #Giveaway


We are so excited to spotlight book 3 of the Archangel series today! Let's take a look at this great book.

Synopsis

Ariel has proven her prowess on the battlefield. Still since the Great
War she has maintained a low profile allowing her fellow archangels to
take a leading role. Just as she finally strikes out on her own she
meets a stubborn Texas cattle rancher named Orson Anderson. His steely
blue eyes and bold Texan attitude immediately set her on the defense.
Yet it's her job to save Texas from a wicked drought, but it's not going
to be that easy. While gently urging nature to move moisture into
Texas, she discovers demons at work in the oil fields.

Her small task quickly escalates. Suddenly the entire nation is at risk and it's up to her to save it.

Snippet:
“What the hell are you doing out here?” A deep voice with a Texas twang said from behind her.
Her eyes flashed with annoyance as she turned to find a man in a cowboy hat with a scruffy beard sitting on a horse staring down at her with steely gray eyes. “I’m minding my own business doing nothing that should concern you,” She squinted at him in the harsh daylight.
“You got a death wish?” He snapped and glanced around, “Where’s your man? Sleeping one off in his air conditioned dune buggy while you try to get some warped version of a California tan?”
Ariel sighed and glared at him. He was one of those archaic cowboy types who chewed tobacco and slept under his horse. “Relax Haas, I’m just doing my job. So why don’t you get on with yours. I wouldn’t want to keep you from burning the flesh off a cow or shooting at something.”
He turned back to gaze at her. His eyes narrowed suspiciously then he chuckled. “You’re a cocky minx, but those pretty brown eyes aren’t going to stop a wild hog from ripping your head off. This country is full of them you know.”
“How fascinating,” She muttered. She turned and began following the dry stream bed hoping he’d ride off.
“Look lady,” He called moving his horse toward her, “You don’t seem to understand. We are in the middle of a drought, you don’t appear to have any water on you and that stream bed you’re following isn’t going to lead you to any. Now I’m not partial to riding double, it’s hard on the horse, but I don’t see any option at this point. So give me your hand and I’ll pull you up.”
She stopped and turned to stare at him. The fight had gone out of his face, replaced with a sincerity she couldn’t ignore, but somehow found annoying. “So let me get this straight. You want to be my knight in shining armor and save me from certain death?”
He smiled. He had a nice smile full of perfect white teeth. He pulled off his hat and smoothed back his thick brown hair. Ariel’s attention was drawn to his bicepts. They were the size of a mountain. “Lady, I don’t know how you got out here or what you think you’re doing. Frankly, I don’t care. But I’m not leaving any woman, crazy or not, in the middle of the range with no horse and no water. Now I’d like to get out of this heat. Contrary to what you may believe Texans are tough, but we are human. I’ve got some water in my saddle bag which I am happy to share. It’s a bit of a ride back to the stables. So if you want to climb up on my horse voluntarily that’s great. I’d prefer it.” His smile vanished, “However, if you are going to stand there arguing with me like an empty headed princess and I have to get off of my horse to fetch your skinny ass…”
“Are you threatening me?” Ariel locked eyes with him. Her hands went to her hips.
He sighed and said quietly, “Yes, I guess I am. Ma’am, I’m not leaving you behind.” His eyes softened and their color deepened to warm cobalt blue, “You’ll die.”
“What the hell are you doing out here?” A deep voice with a Texas twang said from behind her.
Her eyes flashed with annoyance as she turned to find a man in a cowboy hat with a scruffy beard sitting on a horse staring down at her with steely gray eyes. “I’m minding my own business doing nothing that should concern you,” She squinted at him in the harsh daylight.
“You got a death wish?” He snapped and glanced around, “Where’s your man? Sleeping one off in his air conditioned dune buggy while you try to get some warped version of a California tan?”
Ariel sighed and glared at him. He was one of those archaic cowboy types who chewed tobacco and slept under his horse. “Relax Haas, I’m just doing my job. So why don’t you get on with yours. I wouldn’t want to keep you from burning the flesh off a cow or shooting at something.”
He turned back to gaze at her. His eyes narrowed suspiciously then he chuckled. “You’re a cocky minx, but those pretty brown eyes aren’t going to stop a wild hog from ripping your head off. This country is full of them you know.”
“How fascinating,” She muttered. She turned and began following the dry stream bed hoping he’d ride off.



Author Bio

I have one of those brains that won't turn off at night. Many nights I would distract my intellect by revamping a movie, book or TV show in my mind. I would twist and turn the plots and characters to achieve the ending I preferred. That developed into side stories about my favorite minor characters. Each night I fell asleep in the middle of a grand adventure. It wasn't long before I began to create
stories of my own and put pen to paper.

I love a good adventure. I love a good romance. As the mother of seven children, I also learned to love to play video games. One day it occurred to me to write an adventure that flowed like a video game and I added a touch of romance. Thus, Hypnotic Journey was born. The HJ characters are like a family to me. They are foolish, daring, resourceful, passionate and dedicated to their friends.  My love for Science Fiction gave birth to the Treborel Series. It’s a paranormal Sci-Fi romance featuring a psychotic villain and a multiple layer of hero's fighting to survive the chaos.  I write about how friendship and love can carry you through situations that you might not otherwise survive. You will find my stories exciting and steamy, but I am not an erotic writer. My stories fade to dark when the steam begins to rise, but take it from me, the steam does rise and emotions do soar.

Links to social media sites for the author

Make Sure you check out the Authors pages as well
• Website: www.authoralainastanford.com

And the link to Pre-Order your copy of the book


I know you are all excited to read a little more about this book and the author. Follow along with the blitz here.


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Now go check out all these other blogs that are spotlighting The Echo of Her Presence today!





Friday, January 30, 2015

Pump Up Your Book Presents: Colorado Hope by Charlene Whitman; #Review


Title: Colorado Hope
Author: Charlene Whitman
Publisher: Ubiquitous Press
Pages: 412
Genre: Sweet Western Historical Romance
Format: Kindle
Rating:  4 Stars

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for review from Pump Up Your Book and the author.  I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".

1875 ~ Beset by a sudden spring storm on the Front Range, newlywed Grace Cunningham watches in horror as her husband, Monty, is swept downriver. Pregnant and despairing, she stumbles into Fort Collins and tries to make a life for herself, praying that one day the man she loves will walk into town and back into her life.
A year after Grace’s tragic loss, Monty enters the dress shop where she works—with a beautiful woman on his arm. Shocked that he has no recollection of her, Grace is determined to win back his heart. Somehow she must help him regain his memories and his buried love for her—and not just for her sake but for the sake of their infant son, Ben.
Monty, miserable in his marriage to a woman he hardly knows, is inexplicably drawn to Grace. Every time he’s near her, memories surface, but they are hazy and troubling. He’s torn between his vows and the desires of his heart, for he cannot stay away from Grace.
Grace’s hope is sparked when Monty starts recalling glimpses of his past. But when murderous outlaws come to town, she is thrust into grave danger. Monty risks his life to rescue her, only to face even greater perils in the treacherous mountains. Can she truly hang on to hope when she is about to lose all she loves?

For More Information:

My Thoughts:
Grace Ann Cunningham is on a trip out West with her husband.  The author reminds the reader that the trip out West, during that period in time, was not as easy as it is today.  Lenora is a woman of questionable morals.  She also likes to use current circumstances to her advantage.  One great reason to keep turning the page is to see if she gets what’s coming to her.  The other is you will want to make sure that Grace finds happiness.  But there’s a mystery that needs solving for her to be truly happy.

This story shows how resourceful people had to be in those days – and remember that means no modern technology either.  But one thing that will never change, in any point in history, is the love a mother has for her child.  It’s a story that made me glad that I was born when I was – I’ve seen a lot of history and I wouldn’t change that for anything.    You hear about those people that are in their hundreds – can you imagine the types of things they’ve seen in the century that they have been on this planet. 

Our author reminds the reader how much time it has taken for the perceptions of women to change.  I think if we switched places with Grace, we’d both be a fish out of water.  It also shows that some things never change – assumptions and gossip can be very hurtful.  Ms. Whitman also knows how to grab her reader’s attention with all these twists and turns – something that makes it difficult to put down.  She has to be a pretty good writer because when reading some of Grace’s scenes I would smile and when I read Lenora’s I would scowl.  It’s a series that I look forward to continue reading.



Charlene Whitman spent many years living on Colorado’s Front Range. She grew up riding and raising horses, and loves to read, write, and hike the mountains. She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins as an English major. She has two daughters and is married to George “Dix” Whitman, her love of thirty years. Colorado Hope is the second sweet Historical Western Romance novel in her Front Range series.
Connect with the author: