Suburban Dangers from Megan Whitson Lee!

Hi, friends! Help me welcome Megan Whitson Lee to the blog!

Kick back with a cuppa and enjoy while I shine the blog-light on her new release, 

SUBURBAN DANGERS from Pelican Book Group.

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Megan Whitson Lee

Megan Whitson Lee is a wife, a mom of two greyhounds, an editor for Pelican Book Group, and a high school English teacher. Her novel, Captives, won the 2016 Director's Choice Award and was a finalist for a Selah Award in the women's contemporary fiction category at Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference.

Megan writes inspirational women's contemporary and historical fiction featuring characters standing at the crossroads of major life decisions, crises of faith, and moral dilemmas. Her novels depict real-life problems, address universal spiritual and moral struggles, and offer messages of hope, recovery, and redemption through God’s saving grace.

You can connect with Megan at the following hot-spots:

Web: www.meganwhitsonlee.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganwhitsonlee/

Twitter: @MeganWhitsonLee

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/megan_whitson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganwlee1/

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Excerpt

At home that night while Kaki checked her social media sites, she was surprised to see that Sydney had followed her. @HotSydGirl was Sydney’s handle, but Kaki immediately recognized Sydney’s picture—a close-up shot of her posing for the camera with puckered lips. Later, Sydney’s picture and name popped up on another one of Kaki’s accounts. Sydney Diaz has just followed you.

Kaki was excited. She’d figured Sydney would think she was a total loser after their conversation on the track. “Maybe I’m just one of the only people she knows at school,” she said out loud as she clicked to confirm. She scanned Sydney’s page for her statuses, pictures, and people she knew. Sydney had over 2,000 followers on one account and over a thousand on her other accounts. 

Inferiority crept over Kaki. She only had around 160 followers, and most of those were family members, distant cousins, and a few friends. Her other social networking accounts were just as pathetic, and she wondered how it felt to be someone like Sydney Diaz—obviously popular, especially with the guys. Most of the posts to her page were messages from them:

hey syd. where u been girl?

heard you moved schools. Ill still c u this weekend rite?

got some peeps for u to meet.

There were a lot of posted selfies from guys and a few girls dressed up in short-short skirts, high-high heels, and tight-tight tops. Sydney definitely moved in different social circles.

Pictures on Kaki’s page were of friends making faces in the camera, a few family photos, and a lot of shared dorky sayings: Only you can make it happen and Just because someone doesn’t like you doesn’t mean you’re not likeable. Kaki felt too intimated to even send Sydney a private message. And she resolved not to be clingy at school either.

The quickest way to drive a cool girl away from you was to be too needy.

Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Kaki Jones lives a normal life in suburbia. She makes good grades, runs on the cross-country team, and helps care for her younger brothers and sisters. Her younger brother, Brandon is the troubled child. He parties, fights at school, keeps photos of girls on his cell phone, and runs into trouble with the police.

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But Kaki harbors a secret. After meeting cool girl Sydney Diaz, Kaki’s life is forever changed.  Now, she’s a sophomore by day and a commodity sold at the hands of gang members by night. Living a double life and controlled by threats of violence against her family, Kaki sees no chance of escape.

When parents look the other way and strangers offer more affection than a father, God’s deliverance is the only answer.

E-book available May 12. In print June 1.

Purchase Links (e-book available now, print edition available June 1st):

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Pelican Book Group ~ Christian Book.com

Giveaway!!

This generous lady has offered a giveaway in conjunction with her visit to the blog! Comment below and you'll be entered to win an e-copy of Suburban Dangers! Winner announced here at the blog on Friday, May 26th! Good luck, and get busy with that comment love, friends!!

Join Author Mary Manners at Honeysuckle Cove & A Giveaway!

I'm on a kick to share info/reviews on some of my latest reads and couldn't let this space go by without shining a spotlight on Mary Manner's latest series of novella-length romances: Honeysuckle Cove! First, here's a bit about Mary so you can get to know her better.

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Mary Manners

Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing her joy of writing. She has two sons and a daughter, as well as three beautiful grandchildren. She currently lives along the sunny shores of Jacksonville Beach with her husband Tim. 

A former teacher as well an intermediate school principal, Mary spent three decades teaching math and English to students from kindergarten through middle grades. While growing up in Chicago and as a student at the University of Illinois, Mary worked her way through a variety of jobs including paper girl, figure skating instructor, pizza chef, and nanny. Many of these experiences led to adventures that may be found between the pages of her stories. Mary loves long sunrise runs—she’s completed three marathons—ocean sunsets and flavored coffee.

Find out more about Mary on her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com. “Like” her author page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

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Now, let's take journey to Honeysuckle Cove and savor a peek at this romance-packed series!


SUNRISE AT HONEYSUCKLE COVE (Book 1)

Blurb

Honeysuckle Cove Inn has been in the Brennan family for three generations. When Maggie Brennan’s parents retire, they call her home to Honeysuckle Cove and hand over the reins of the historical inn. If Maggie successfully maintains the business over the course of a year, the inn is hers forever. Maggie considers the timing perfect, with one exception—she finds her path entangled once again with that of Dylan O’Connor.

Dylan has made a name for himself as the go-to guy when it comes to renovations and repairs in Honeysuckle Cove, and he’s waited nearly a decade for high school sweetheart Maggie Brennan to return home. But his handyman skills will be put to the test when it comes to rebuilding the bridge between Maggie’s heart and his, and designing a future…together.

Amazon Purchase Link


BEYOND THE STORM (Book 2)

Blurb

Recreational Therapist Ava Kennedy is in charge of Valentine’s Day festivities for shut-in patients at Honeysuckle Cove Children’s Hospital. When a winter storm threatens to derail planned events and steal the children’s joy, Ava calls on longtime friend and firefighter Nick Jones for rescue. The two have been close, platonic friends since kindergarten, but Ava soon finds her heart whirling like the drifting snowflakes outside her office window.

Nick Jones is skilled at extinguishing fires, so he doesn’t count on kindling a flame with lifelong friend Ava Kennedy. But he’s got a sweet spot for kids and women…especially when one particular woman—Ava—possesses a soft heart and laughter that draws like an electron magnet. Despite Nick’s valiant efforts to resist, he finds himself caught up in the attraction.

Will these friends’ new feelings weather the shifting tempest…or is this simply a passing storm?

Amazon Purchase Link


HONEYSUCKLE COVE SECRETS (Book 3)

Blurb

Peyton Foster harbors a secret…from the day he first stepped into her life she’s loved Luke Maddox. Though she thought they’d developed a lasting friendship, events surrounding her mother’s death chased him away. It’s all for the best, since Peyton’s passion as proprietor of A Whisper in Time proves the perfect complement to her shyness—a much better fit than her former misguided schoolgirl attraction to Luke.

Luke Maddox feels a connection with Peyton Foster from the first moment their paths cross. But when he settles in Honeysuckle Cove, a past riddled by years traversing the foster care system leaves him longing to fit in, leading him to take part in a foolish school dare that costs him Peyton’s friendship. Haunted by the mistake, he searches for a way to mend the past and find a way back to Peyton’s heart. When a break-in at A Whisper in Time causes their paths to once again cross, Luke must make a choice—bare his heart and face the consequences, or allow the only woman he’s ever loved to slip away.

Amazon Purchase Link

SHOWERED BY LOVE (Book 4)

Blurb

Jessica Marlin comes to Honeysuckle Cove carrying a secret–she’s pregnant. Shamed by her indiscretion and the circumstances of a former way of life, she’s determined to make a home for her child in the quaint community—even if it means going it alone forever. But when her secret becomes too big to keep, she fears she’ll be forced to abandon her new role as kitchen manager at Honeysuckle Cove Inn. Will friendship—and God’s grace—prevail, or will Jessica be forced to uproot and move on once again?

Rogan Brooks has convinced both himself and his hometown of Honeysuckle Cove that he’ll never settle down long enough to embrace marriage, let alone fatherhood…until he sees the glow of pregnancy, along with the promise of a future, radiate from Jessica Marlin’s eyes. Can Rogan assure Jessica that his heart is true and he’s committed to being a daddy—complete with a happily ever after—for keeps?

Amazon Purchase Link


MARIANNE'S SERIES REVIEW

I count on Mary Manners to deliver romances that have it all: love, chemistry, joy, tears, and humor. Her stories are tender but always pack a punch. Honeysuckle Cove is a series that hits all of those high notes with  her trademark finesse. Mary is a gifted author and in this quartet of books, her talent shines beautifully. My recommendation? Go forth and enjoy!


THE GIVEAWAY!

Now that you've got the deets, I'm dying to know: Which book sounds best to you so far (and keep in mind, there's more to come from Honeysuckle Cove!!)? Sorry, the answer can't be "all of them!" because even though that's probably a very true statement, I've got one kindle copy to gift to a lucky commenter who let's me know which one they'd like! 

Fire away, friends, and Happy Reading!

Welsh Wildfire and Clare Revell

Clare Revell

It's always such a treat to welcome Clare Revell to the blog! She's a wonderful author and friend and her latest release, Welsh Wildfire is part of Pelican Book Group's popular Passport to Romance series. I couldn't wait to tell you more about it, and share my review!

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To start things off, let's meet Clare Revell:

Clare is a British author. She lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from a early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, crocheting or doing the many piles of laundry the occupants of her house manage to make.

Her books are based in the UK, with a couple of exceptions, thus, although the spelling may be American, the books contain British language and terminology. The first draft of every novel is hand written. She has been a Christian for more than half her life. She goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of four registrars.

Clare can be found at:
http://www.revell124.plus.com/clarerevell/

https://www.facebook.com/ClareRevellAuthor
https://twitter.com/ClareRevell
http://telscha.blogspot.co.uk/

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Welsh Wildfire Blurb:

Pastor Josh Wilson is running from his past and from God. He takes a construction job and volunteers as a retained firefighter in hopes that the small Welsh town of Betws-y-Coed will be a refuge and hiding place...but God has other plans. GP Jess Thomas fights the instant attraction when an injured construction worker comes into her surgery. A native Scot with a U.S. passport is a mystery, but there is something else about the man that keeps drawing her to him. As summer heats up, and the wildfires draw closer, can Josh overcome the past and move on? Or will he lose everything before his new life has begun?

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Welsh Wildfire Teaser:

Quaint wasn’t the word to describe the small Welsh villages Josh passed as he drove in the heat of the day. Tiny was a better word, and if this were the main road that—combined with the lack of air conditioning in his rental car—was almost enough to make him turn around, head back to the airport, and catch the first plane he could find to Oklahoma City.

Almost—but not quite. Because anywhere in the United States was the last place he wanted to be right now. He didn’t need comfort. He didn’t need caring family. He needed to be alone. And Wales, with its odd and unpronounceable towns, seemed a good place to find solitude.

Josh drove around yet another bend in the road, desperately hoping he wasn’t going to meet an oncoming tractor. The last encounter had been scary enough, and he’d been fortunate to find a passing zone just in time to avoid embedding his rental car in the hedgerow.

He glared at the GPS app on his phone. Did the thing even know where Betws-y-Coed was? All the sign posts were in Welsh, with what he sincerely hoped was the correct English translation underneath, and according to the map on the front seat, the town was somewhere along the A5, on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. He intended to climb Mount Snowdon whilst he was here. It was the highest mountain in Wales and the third highest in the UK. His self-imposed exile had to have some perks.

The countryside was a far cry from the huge city he left twenty hours ago. He’d somehow managed to find a job in Wales before he left the US—assuming he ever made the meeting on time. He’d done a telephone interview, but his prospective boss, the governor of the local firehouse, wanted to meet him face to face before he signed the contract.

He would be a retained or volunteer firefighter, not a full-time one, but that didn’t matter. The job was the same whether he was stuck in a firehouse for the duration of his shift, or on the other end of a pager— and he’d only ever been a retained firefighter, doing it along with his day job. That had been enough of a battle with his employers and his father, but one that he’d won. His father had since said how proud he was of him serving in that capacity. And this was just a temporary position to cover a leave of absence—only six weeks. But that suited him fine. While he needed solitude, he also wanted to keep busy and this job would help him do that. Too much time on his hands would lead to him thinking, and that wouldn’t be a good thing. Maybe after six weeks here, he’d know what direction he wanted to take the rest of his life.

Finally, Josh drove past the town boundary and followed the signs that read canol y drefor or town center. He pulled into the first parking lot he found and assumed by the lack of meters that he didn’t have to pay. Just as well as he didn’t have change. The ATM at the airport had only given him bills. And no meter reader or parking attendant was ever going to believe the line he had to go and buy a paper to get change.

Josh eased his long frame from the car and rolled his shoulders in the sunshine. Birds sang in the trees, a cool breeze ruffled his hair, and he closed his eyes, taking in the fresh air. No city smog here. Just clean, fresh mountain air.

He pulled the backpack containing all his paperwork from the car and locked it. Sliding the keys into his pocket, he consulted the map in his other hand. The firehouse should be just off the High Street, wherever that was. He began walking. Maybe there’d be a coffee shop somewhere. Thirsty didn’t even begin to describe how he felt. Josh turned a corner. Ahead a building was covered in scaffolding. The signs read Morgan Construction. It could almost be a total rebuild they were undertaking.

Josh allowed himself a small smile. He hadn’t done construction in years. He paused, admiring the stone work along the top of the bricks. He nodded to a guy in a hard hat. “Nice work.”

The man studied him. “Thank you. You know about this stuff?”

“Aye.” As usual, Josh managed to speak in a combination of Scottish and American, a throwback to his mixed heritage—although his Scots accent only came out when he was tired, stressed, or having trouble keeping his emotions in check.

MARIANNE'S REVIEW

Clare’s books are always spine-tingling, always romantic, and always satisfying. I’m in awe of her imagination and her talent for bringing those imaginings to life in the pages of her books. Welsh Wildfire does not disappoint. There’s the intriguing ‘man on the run,’ and the compelling (and worthy) heroine who steals his heart amidst danger, developing emotion, and a setting that I now cannot wait to see and experience for myself made this a late-into-the-night type of read. Kudos, Clare!

Check it out - here's where you can find it:

Amazon      Barnes & Noble     Christian Book.Com     Pelican Book Group

Happy reading, friends!!