Support Your Local Sheriff by Melinda Curtis + Giveaway

  

   Will he pass the daddy test? With his job in jeopardy, it couldn't be a worse time for Sheriff Nate Landry's recent past to come back to haunt him. But it would take an army to stop SWAT team leader Julie Smith. The fellow cop—and sister of his ex-fiancée—wants one thing from the beleaguered lawman: custody of the toddler son that Nate didn't know he had. He may not be natural daddy material, but he quickly takes a shine to little Duke. And then there are the feelings Nate's been hiding for years. Only now Julie's running for sheriff of Harmony Valley—against him. Time to retreat? Not if he wants a future with the woman he loves.

“Hello, Nate.” Julie Smith put nearly three years of disdain and disappointment in those two words. “Julie.” Nate shot to his feet, steady as always, guarded as always. If Nate was the sheriff, he was off-duty. He wore a brown-checkered shirt and blue jeans, not a service uniform. Duke was balanced on her thighs, his small hard-soled sneakers digging in for purchase as he reached for Nate once more. Couldn’t Duke loathe Nate as much as Julie did? Couldn’t Nate look as if the past few years had been one big heartbreak? No on both counts. Duke’s fingers flexed as he reached for Nate. And Nate? It was annoying how good he looked. His black hair might have been in need of a trim and his chin shadowed with stubble, but his teeth hadn’t fallen out, his broad shoulders weren’t bullet-ridden, and worst of all, he didn’t look sleep-deprived. The mayor and town council were still on the pulpit surrounded by animated residents with loud voices. Chaos had arrived in Harmony Valley, just not the way Julie had envisioned it. The man next to Nate came to his feet. He wore a wedding ring, held a swaddled newborn, had spit-up on the shoulder of his yellow polo, and New Dad bags under his eyes. Julie gave him a sympathetic smile. Duke reviled naps and could be a restless sleeper at night. Not as restless as Julie lately, but still… The man with the baby cleared his throat, shaking Nate out of tall, dark and stunned mode. “Flynn,” Nate said. “This is Julie, my…” And there it was. That awkwardness Julie had been waiting years for. She pounced. “I’m the sister of Nate’s ex-fiancée.” Flynn slid a questioning look Nate’s way. Her moment had arrived. Julie stood, scooping Duke to her hip with her left arm. “Didn’t Nate tell you he was engaged? He left my sister at the altar.” That wasn’t all he’d left, but Julie didn’t want to waste all her ammunition on the first volley. Flynn didn’t look as shocked as she’d hoped. She blamed Nate. He inspired loyalty wherever he went. Even after being dumped, April had forbidden Julie to confront him. But that ban had been lifted. It was open season on the sheriff. Duke toppled forward, letting his full weight drop between Julie and Nate, unexpectedly shifting Julie’s center of gravity. She slurped in air like it came through a clogged milkshake straw. The stitches beneath her right collarbone pulled sharply, tugging at nerves that quivered up and down her neck and shoulder. Mom was right. The doctor was right. It was too soon. And too late to back out now.  

 “Ms. Curtis has created complex characters in Vince and Harley as well as creating fantastic secondary characters in the elderly residents of Harmony Valley. In each installment of this series, this reader enjoys “checking in” with them.” MarcieR, Amazon review  

  Author Melinda Curtis Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today Bestseller of over 40 romances. She writes sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, sweet romantic comedies and sexy sports contemporary romances. When not working on DIY projects around their home, Melinda and her college sweetheart enjoy watching Duke mens basketball and visiting their three kids and one grandchild. Sign up for her mailing list to receive two free reads.    

 

     

  Giveaway Details Ends 5/1/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. 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. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Wedding for the Widower by Liz Isaacson + Giveaway

   A widower with a son, a widow with breast cancer, and their path toward true love... Former rodeo champion and cowboy Walker Thompson trains horses at Brush Creek Horse Ranch, where he lives a simple life in his cabin with his ten-year-old son, Michael. A widower of six years, he's just trying to provide a life for Michael that his late wife would've approved of. He's worked with Tess Wagner, a widow who came to Brush Creek to escape the turmoil of her life to give her seven-year-old son, Graham, a slower pace of life. Together, they run a cotton candy stand at the town's Heritage Festival every fall, donating the money they raise to the National Widows & Widowers Foundation to help those who've suffered the way they have. Walker's boss and best friend, ranch owner Landon Edmunds, has encouraged him to start dating, and Walker looks no further than Tess. She's interested in him too, but neither of them wants to inflict more sorrow and suffering on the other than they've already endured. So when Tess confesses that her breast cancer has flared up again, Walker backs off. Way off. In the end, he'll have to decide if he'd rather spend even a short time with Tess and Graham than not have them in his life at all. Tess wants to feel God's love and power, but she'll have to discover and accept God's will in order to find her happy ending.

 

One Week Only

The books in the Brush Creek Brides Series are on sale for just 99 cents each!

April 5th to 11th

An hour later, he pulled his truck into the parking lot at Oxbow Park. The place was already bustling with activity as vendors and volunteers set up booths, hung signs, and cleared pathways. “I’ll grab the machine,” Walker said as he opened his door. “You grab the sacks and twist ties, all right?” “All right.” Walker took a moment to appreciate his son. He had Walker’s shock of black hair and his skin that seemed to soak up the sun’s rays. But he looked back at Walker with eyes the exact color of Libby’s—hazel, with more brown than green—and the shape of his nose mirrored hers as well. More rounded and flat, whereas Walker sported a long, straight nose. “Will Tess have the sugar?” Michael asked as Walker lowered the tailgate. “Supposed to.” For some reason, his heart kicked out an extra beat at the thought of Tess Wagner. He’d been friends with Tess since the day she moved to Brush Creek, four years ago. She’d shown up with a two-year-old son and a tragic story about her husband dying in a sheet metal accident, at the very salvage center that he owned. They’d been selling cotton candy and donating the proceeds to the National Widow and Widowers Foundation for the past four summers. Walker had never known Tess to be late, and she wasn’t today either. He found her in their usual location—right across from the lemonade stand—setting up the awning that would protect them from the worst of the sun. His feet slowed when he saw her, allowing Michael to get ahead of him. Tess had a small flower pinned in her super short blonde hair. She wore a pair of dark blue shorts and a tank top that boasted her slender shoulders and the length of her neck. Walker’s face heated, something that had decidedly never happened when he’d encountered Tess before. He wasn’t sure why he was reacting this way to a woman he’d been friends with for years. Stupid Megan and her stupid insistence about dating, Walker thought as he finally got his feet moving again. Although, if Walker were really being honest with himself, if he had to start dating again, Tess would be his first choice. He swallowed hard and hefted the cotton candy machine onto the table the town provided. “Morning,” he said and turned his back on Tess so he could get control of himself. At thirty-six years old, he shouldn’t have to deal with raging hormones. “Morning,” she chirped. “Michael, Graham’s over on the playground. You can go on over, if you want.” Walker glanced up, because he knew his son would look to him for permission before running off. Sure enough, Michael was watching him. “Go on,” Walker said with a smile, thinking Tess’s seven-year-old son was the perfect friend for Michael. Maybe he should just ask Tess out. He was grown-up. So was she. She’d been married before. They both had sons. They had a lot in common. Why shouldn’t he go out with her? Why shouldn’t I? He tilted his head back and glanced into the sky, pleading with the Lord to give him a single reason to stay away from Tess Wagner. Nothing came. Only the richest, bluest sky stared back. At the very least, it would get Megan Edmunds off his back about “putting himself out there.” Determined in his plan to leave the festival that evening with a date on the horizon, he was finally able to relax in Tess’s presence.

"Isaacson artfully combines disparate threads in her contemporary Western Christian romance." ~BookLife, Publisher's Weekly   Author Liz Isaacson USA Today bestselling author, Liz Isaacson, writes inspirational cowboy romances. Her Three Rivers Ranch Romance series has multiple #1 bestsellers in half a dozen categories. She loves all things to do with contemporary cowboys, and will write romance in Texas, Montana, and anywhere else she can find horses and mountains.      

 

  Giveaway Details Ends 5/2/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. 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. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love In Bloom + Giveaway

 

Love in Bloom

Hosted by I Am A Reader

April 2018

Throughout the month of April, we will be featuring 10 fabulous authors who write clean romance. There will be a dozen giveaways, free ebooks and lots of great deals on books. We’re starting off with a $100 Kick-Off Giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Code or $100 in Paypal Cash. Check out this great list of authors we will be spotlighting!    

Participating Authors

Melinda Curtis

Liz Isaacson

Melanie D. Snitker

Carol Ross

Laurie (L.C.) Lewis

Rachael Anderson

Delaney Cameron

Donna Hatch

Brooke St. James

Becky Monson

   

  Giveaway Details $100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 4/30/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via PayPal or gift codes via Amazon.com. 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. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Sister’s Intended by Rachael Anderson

My Sister's Intended by Rachael Anderson

For as long as Prudence can remember, it has been understood that her sister will one day wed the eldest son of their nearest neighbor. Such an alliance will benefit both families and bring a great deal of joy to all parents involved.
Unfortunately, Prudence has never been able to feel as joyful. She believes her sister is mad to consider marrying a man she hardly knows, even if he will one day make her a countess. Titles and wealth shouldn't factor into matters of the heart, and as an aspiring romance novelist, Prudence cannot fathom how anyone could even think of settling for less than love. She certainly wouldn’t, and she doesn't want her sister to either.
Unable to stand by and do nothing, Prudence sets out to help the awkward couple discover the best in each other with the hope that they will eventually find love. What she neglected to foresee, however, was the possibility that she might fall in love with Lord Knave herself.

I recently read this book for the "a book set somewhere you've never been" category of the Extreme Book Nerd Challenge. It was a fantastic read and Prudence was a character after my own heart. I loved reading about her desire to find love and do the best for her family. What a sweet sweet story. This is a must read for sure!
 

Excerpt

When Prudence lifted her eyes to his again, they sparkled with a challenge. “I was going to save this question until later so as not to shock you from the get-go, but I really do need to know . . . What does it feel like to kiss a woman?”

A large lump formed in Brand’s throat, and his mouth went dry. What the deuce? She had promised not to ask questions that would make him uncomfortable, but already he wanted to flee like a frightened kitten. How could he possibly explain how it felt to kiss a woman?

Brand searched his mind for a way to avoid answering until he heard a snicker escape her lips. She was laughing at him. Him! Hildebrand Ethan Cannon, Viscount Knave—a man at least eight years her senior and a great deal higher in social standing.

Unbelievable.

“You are teasing me,” he said, hoping it was true. If she’d posed the question to make him squirm—and perhaps make him more inclined to answer her other questions—then she wouldn’t be expecting an answer.

She shook her head, still smiling. “I’m afraid not, my lord, although I did find the look of terror on your face vastly amusing.”

“I’m glad I could entertain you.”

“I hope you will be equally glad to instruct me on a few things as well. The first scene in my book will include a kiss, and I have no idea how to describe the experience. Do a woman’s lips feel warm or soft or even moist? Would your pulse quicken? Aside from touch, what other senses are engaged? How would it make you feel and what would you notice when you held a woman in your arms?”

If she thought he’d appeared terror-stricken before, there would be no word for how he looked now. Did she earnestly expect him to answer such questions? Surely even she knew how inappropriate it would be to discuss such things, her being an innocent.

“I cannot say,” he finally muttered.

Her brow puckered in confusion. “Have you never kissed a woman, my lord?”

Brand was sorely tempted to lie and say he had not, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Any man of six-and-
twenty who had never experienced a kiss would be laughed out of his manhood. Women were expected to remain innocent until married. Men were not.

“Yes, I have kissed a woman,” he finally admitted, “but I have no intention of discussing any of the details with you.”

“Why not?” she asked, her large brown eyes blinking at him curiously. “Would you rather I invent the information?”

“Yes.”

She obviously didn’t appreciate his retort because she scowled. “Can you not tell me at least a little?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because a kiss could never be described with any sort of accuracy, at least not by me. It involves too many feelings and sensations and complexities of thought. If you wish to know what a kiss feels like, you’ll have to experience it for yourself.”

Too late, Brand realized his mistake. Her expression became contemplative, as though she was actually considering doing just that. Good gads, had he really just encouraged an innocent young woman to go hunting for a kiss? Who would she ask? A groom? Stablehand? The next peddler that came to town?

“I think you are right,” she said at last. “I really must experience a kiss for myself if I am to describe it with any sort of accuracy.” She blinked up at him with that innocent expression again. “Will you kiss me Lord Knave? No, how silly of me. You are to marry my sister, so that would never do.” She pursed her lips for a moment before musing, “Perhaps one of the footmen would be kind enough to show me how it’s done.”

Kind enough? Brand could think of a great many reasons a footman would comply with such a request, and kindness did not factor into any of them. Brand would kiss her himself before he allowed a footman near her.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. “Perhaps I can try to explain what it feels like after all.” Better that than having her chase after a footman.

“But you only just said you couldn’t do it justice,” she pointed out. “I realize I sound dreadfully forward, but I really must know, and experience is the best teacher, is it not?”

“No, it isn’t,” he lied. “And you are not going to kiss a footman.”

“Then who? Felix or Lionel, perhaps? I’m fairly certain I can convince one of them to do it, if given the opportunity. The question is how to go about it?”

It was plain to see by the firm set of her jaw that she would not rest until she had experienced a kiss of her own. She didn’t seem to care who did the deed, only that the man did a thorough job of it. A quick peck on the lips wouldn’t satisfy her curiosities.

“Perhaps I could send a note to Felix and ask him to call on me,” she continued to muse. “We could take a stroll through the maze in the gardens. There is a hidden alcove on the south side, which could be quite perfect. We would have to evade Ruth, obviously, but—”

“Devil take it,” Brand growled as he pulled her to him. Her quick intake of breath was the only sound she made before his mouth covered hers.

 
Author Rachael Anderson
A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
 

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in Paypal Cash
Ends 4/22/18
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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
 
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Testing the Soil

First, I have to say is SORRY. This post is way late and I am sorry. Now, on to the reason for this post. I received a new soil tester in the mail some time in February and had the chance to finally use it at my work where I have the ability to grow things in a controlled greenhouse. I have to say the tester put a huge smile on my face. Watching the readings for moisture and pH bounce and differ between the pots of straw flower was awesome. I didn’t use the light portion of the tester because of the massive amount of light in the greenhouse at noon even greenhouse I am taking a greenhouse operations class to hone my skills in my backyard greenhouse. One of the assignments we have is to grow a crop of flowers from seed to flower in 12 weeks. I have not been completely dedicated to watering so some plants have suffered. The picture to the left is in a container which had not been watered for a week. It was a container in which I had previously moved the plants into larger pots but I was still curious what the tester would do. As you can see the black switch at the bottom of the tester is set to moist. (Sorry the picture is a little blurry). If you look at the readings you can see the dry marked with the red line the green line in the middle and the wet marked with the blue line. On the other side of the tester, the plants that I had watered before inserting the tester you can see the needle is on the border of wet. Watching the difference when I inserted the testing rods into the different containers sent the horticulture geek in me jumping “look, look, check this thing out!” With my experience in a retail greenhouse for 7 years I learned the soil here in East Idaho is pretty alkaline. With most of it being a clay base. As you can see in the readings on the tester our greenhouse soil is borderline 7 leaning to the alkaline side of the tester. The readings hadn’t been what I thought they might be, more to the middle of the 5-6 range on the tester. It made sense that changing the pH between the soil in the container and in the soil outside could possibly shock the flowers causing them to not be as large and captivating during the summer.

I was very happy playing with the Three-Way Tester. I cannot wait for the weather to warm up a bit and be able to take the tester outside into the beds. The other really useful thing this tester would be great for is indoor plants. I have an orange tree that I am growing which this tester would be great to check the moisture level on a regular basis. I can think of a few different, very useful, ways that the THREE-WAY TESTER would be very helpful in managing plants around a home, garden and greenhouse. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up.

A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot

Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the town doctor's excessive bleeding treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek's dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life without love or family, a life where dreams rarely come true.

Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He's managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.

With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.

I recently had the chance to read A Borrowed Dream as part of the Extreme Book Nerd Challenge (a book with a character you intensely dislike). I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Catherine however I cannot say the same for all of her suitors. This was a wonderfully sweet story that I very much enjoyed. I love Amanda Cabot and look forward to reading the rest of the Cimarron Creek Trilogy.

The Firefighter's Perfect Plan by Sonya Weiss

Josie Moore is in big trouble. After a few too many glasses of wine and tired of her mother’s constant disappointment, Josie tells what she thinks is a harmless lie—that she is sort of in a relationship with her childhood crush, firefighter Lincoln Bradford. The lie comes back to bite her when her mother moves back to town, and now Josie has to make the fantasy a reality.

Lincoln has a perfect plan to protect his heart—and rule number one is: don’t fall in love. There’s no such thing as happily ever after, especially when it comes to love. But he didn’t factor in Josie, his sister’s quirky, gorgeous best friend. He agrees to help her, with the understanding that they’re definitely not going to be anything more.

But every time they try to break up, they only end up tangled deeper together. Lincoln’s carefully laid plans are about to come crashing down...

I recently read The Firefighter's Perfect Plan for the love story category of the extreme book nerd challenge. This story was funny, sweet, and left me crying tears of joy more than once. Josie was the sweetest character and Lincoln kept making me want to reach out and smack him because of his stubborn ways. If you're looking for a great read that will leave you smiling than this is a great choice!