Book Details:
 Dirty Trickster, Corporate Spy by Martin D. Kelly
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction, 410 pages | Genre:  Memoir
Publisher:  Strategic Media Books | Release date:  August 2018
Tour dates: Jan 14 to 25, 2019
Content Rating: PG-13 (One sex scene but humorous rather than explicit; some 4-letter words)
Book Description: 
    Not until Dirty Trickster, Corporate Spy does a memoir exist by one of the principal Watergate saboteurs-provocateurs that exposes the full extent of the insalubrious side of politics and negative campaigning. And that is not all: After Watergate, Kelly became a corporate security consultant that provided undercover agents for client companies to spy on their employees. Kelly also specialized in eavesdropping detection, which took him around the world searching for clandestine listening devices for clients such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Ferdinand Marcos, the Miami Dolphins, Eastern Airlines and even suspected drug dealers. He secretly provided debugging training for entities such as IBM, Revlon, the U.S. Navy and dozens of others.
    During President Nixon's second term when the Watergate scandal erupted, Kelly teamed with Donald Segretti in a wild series of underhanded capers that created havoc in the Democratic presidential primaries. Kelly and Segretti turned a fundraising dinner for front-runner Senator Ed Muskie at the Washington Hilton into absolute chaos; hired a University of Miami coed to strip naked and parade before Muskie's hotel; released two mice and a bird that threw a Muskie press conference into total confusion; organized fake luncheons, fake press releases, and other unscrupulous acts. The aim of the Nixon White House and Committee to Reelect the President was for the dirty tricksters to sow discontent among the Democratic primary candidates so they would blame each other for the dirty tricks, making it more difficult for them to unite in the general election against Nixon. The author was one of only three witnesses who testified specifically about dirty tricks before the Senate Watergate Committee.

Initial chapters reveal how dirty tricks were covertly planned and executed, how Kelly dealt with special prosecutors, investigators, Karl Rove, Watergate Judge John Sirica, the FBI, an inebriated Senator Ted Kennedy, the seven U.S. Senators on the Senate Watergate Committee, Bernstein and Woodward, Lesley Stahl and others in the media. Mid chapters expose inside secrets on successful tactics for public-office seekers or those climbing the rough-and-tumble steps of internal party politics.

In final chapters, Kelly unveils the widespread corporate spying that is going on in America to this day, with amazing examples from his security consulting career as a covert industrial undercover agent and secret mystery shopper who spied on all levels of employees. Kelly also fully discloses his role as a polygraph examiner and interrogator with hilarious anecdotes as well as how polygraph can be beaten. Even more controversial examples are revealed from Kelly's specialized international work as a detector of clandestine listening devices, complete with the tools and tricks of the trade.

With an intriguing yet amusing style, Kelly names names and holds back nothing in Dirty Trickster, Corporate Spy.

MY REVIEW: (LAWonder10)
​       This memoir is totally interesting and somewhat enlightening.
    In his own words, Martin Kelly relates how he became in involved in the Watergate Conspiracy, what he did, his entire hearing, why he did not go to jail, and the negative impact it had on the rest of his life.
    It, also, tells of how he tried to learn from this major mistake and make something worthwhile of his remaining years. 
   He explains much about Watergate I was unclear on, and I have always been quite involved in politics. It is amazing of how "dirty" politics has always been a part of political power, not excluding the U.S.A.I I question, how many individuals in today's society really know what Watergate was all about.
     I am further amazed that what President Trump has been forced to endure, is worse than Nixon ever thought of doing, yet nobody is held accountable! 
    In the past, once a candidate won, the other party accepted it and worked at supporting the administration. There was still integrity, which is greatly missing in most of today's Politicians.
Martin Kelly humbly admits he deserved everything he got sand more, and is very regrettable he allowed himself to be persuaded into setting aside his values to be a part of this despicable
plot.
   The main problem I had with this book is there was quite a bit of repetition. (Plus, personally, I disliked the crude sexual comments and profanity,
   The Book Title was chosen well and the Cover image depicted the two sides of all, very well. It would be eye-catching to "the browser:>
     I offer a Four Stars rating for this book.
*This was gifted me with no stipulation of a positive review. This is my honest review.

Guest Post by Martin D. Kelly, author of Dirty Trickster, Corporate Spy
    The first commitment one must make in writing a memoir is being honest. There's a huge incentive to make yourself the hero of every anecdote and to minimize damaging your self- image. However, I vowed to take the "brutal honesty" route for two reasons: Readers realize -- and even empathize -- with the notion that to err is human, and the accuracy of events recounted throughout the entire book will more likely be trusted.
    For example, you'll be shaking your head in disgust at the end of Chapter Three. I'd traveled from Miami to Palm Beach to address a Republican Club about a candidate I was supporting at an upcoming convention. With some time on my hands before that meeting, I visited a swank Palm Beach resort and by accident met Senator Ted Kennedy. We swapped stories amid downing a few cocktails. After arriving at the club meeting, I imbibed yet more alcoholic beverages. The depiction of my unsavory drive home that evening involved a rather pathetic array of experiences, but to leave them out of the chapter would not have framed the ordeal honestly.
    Another such example involved my acquiescing to a vengeance-seeking young wife. She'd just learned that her husband had broken their wedding vow of faithfulness, and it was payback time. Unfortunately -- and perhaps fortunately for the hubby -- my performance with her was anything but stellar. In fact, it turned out to be so embarrassingly pathetic that I promise you'll be gasping with laughter. As I say in the book about that incident, I like to think I saved a marriage that night.
      And so, gentle reader, I decided to expose the thorns as well as the roses in Dirty Trickster, Corporate Spy.

About the Author:
Martin D. "Doug" Kelly is a successful author and freelance writer who resides in Clearwater, Florida. A rising Republican activist in college, his role in Watergate dashed any political ambitions. He thereafter engaged in a security-consulting career that included spying on the workforces of corporate America, during which time he also become renowned internationally as a locator of clandestine listening devices. When not fishing and playing golf, Kelly contributes travel- and outdoors-related articles for a variety of publications and co-hosts a weekly syndicated radio talk show. ​
Connect with Martin:  Twitter ​​

Here is the tour schedule.

Giveaway:
Prizes: Win one of 3 books (Dirty Trickster, Corporate Spy by Martin D. Kelly) or a $50 Amazon Gift Card  (open to USA and Canada / 4 winner total)
(ends Feb 2, 2019)

The House of Stone and Ivy by Anita Stansfield280 pages | Published January 1st 2019 by Covenant Communication
SYNOPSIS:     
Orphaned as children, Hennie and Lottie share an unbreakable friendship. Together, they suffered the horrors of orphanages and the workhouse, and now grown, they continue to rely on each another. When Lottie approaches Hennie about a possible position at a manor house, Hennie is eager to work alongside her dear friend. However, to secure the positions as stable hands, they will have to undergo a bold act of deception: the women must disguise themselves as men.
    Upon arriving at the manor, Hennie is stunned. Her new position is at Ivy Manor—the beautiful estate where her mother was employed long ago and where Hennie was raised until her mother’s death. Hennie has wonderful memories of her friendship with the son of the house, Jack, and is shocked and dismayed to learn he has vanished. Living in disguise at the manor allows her to gradually uncover the truth of Jack’s disappearance and eventually find him. Both Hennie and Jack are thrilled to be reunited, and their friendship is renewed. Soon, their relationship blossoms . . . and threatens their determination to remain concealed. With so much at stake, will they be prepared to risk everything for love

My Review: (LAWonder10)
The House of Stone & Ivy is a fantastic "Rags to Riches" tale and slightly an unusual deviation from Anita Stansfield's usual style.
This is about Hennie, who was raised for the first eleven years of her life in a large estate, where she was loved by most all and enjoyed friendship with the siblings whose father owned the estate. Their mother had died shortly before Hennie's mother, also, died. Hennie was an orphan but a couple of the servants wanted to take responsibility of her and teach her service skills. The Lord of the manor refused and Hennie was sent to live in one of the better but despicable orphanages. While in the orphanage, she made an everlasting friend in Lottie. They were the salvation of each other.
After the two girls left the orphanage for the workhouse, life became even harder. One day an elderly woman took compassion on them and arranged for the girls to receive employment in a hotel restaurant.
Lottie refused to go with Hennie, because she was sure her new boyfriend was coming back for her, although Hennies tried to convince her otherwise.
Hennie worked in loathsome living quarters, with a brutish boss, but it was better than she had experienced for the pat several years.
Five years after she began her new job, she was pleasantly surprised when Lottie came to eat at the place she worked. Hennie was then offered a job where she would have a much better living situation, earn a decent wage, and even have a day off each week. The only problem, she would have to go against her principles of appearing as a man, and cut her long blond curls. 
After much contemplation, she decided it would be worth it, nor could she bear the thought of not being with her dear, and only, friend. Little did she realize what an impact on her life it would be.
The diverse characters are very well describes, as are the scenes, enabling the reader to feel he/she is a part of the story. The Book Cover and Title are both colorful and very fitting. 
The novel is one the reader will not want to put down!
I offer a Five Stars rating.
+This was gifted me with no urging for a positive review. This is my honest review.

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
​Anita Stansfield, the LDS market's #1 best-selling romance novelist, is an imaginative and prolific writer whose romantic stories have captivated her readers.
"With sales approaching a half million, Anita Stansfield has clearly found a niche in this market," said Nicole Martin, Publicist for Covenant Communications. "Her popularity stems from her ability to empathize with and write about the issues that LDS women deal with on a daily basis."
"I always write for women like me. It's through my interaction with other women that I've found there are some personal and emotional struggles that are typical," said Anita Stansfield. "I hope my writing makes women feel better about themselves and shows them these real problems can be solved through gospel principles.
Website |

      Presented by Covenant Communications Publishing

Book Details:
Book Title:  Accessible Fine Dining - The Art of Creating Exciting Food in Your Everyday Kitchen by Noam Kostucki, with Chef Quentin Villers
Category: Adult Non-fiction ,  128 pages | Content Rating: G
Genre:  Creative Cookbook / Fine Dining | Publisher:  Amazon
Release date: Dec 10, 2018 | Tour dates: Jan 7 to 31, 2019
Book Description: 
      Six months after opening my first restaurant, one of my dishes was selected as "25 dishes to travel around the world", featuring me next to culinary legend Heston Blumenthal.
      Exciting and healthy food doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Over the years, I have seen some of the most exciting dishes come from the simplest kitchens and the most modest ingredients. The purpose of this book is to focus our attention away from the distractions of fancy kitchen equipment and luxury produce and instead focus our attention towards ingenuity in the kitchen and culinary innovation.
      For some strange reason, cooking is taught in books as a series of mechanical steps to follow and repeat with precision. I see cooking as a creative art like painting or playing music: it is the freedom of expression that is most interesting to me. When we create from an artistic perspective, we give birth to something new and potentially magical.
      The purpose of this book is not to teach you specific recipes, because the ingredients you will find in your local organic food market will likely not be the same as the ones we see here. Nor is the purpose to show you how to imitate us.The purpose of this book is to guide you into thinking about your dishes in a way that elevates them to a fine dining level, from ingredients which are easily accessible to you. Naturally, you will find a few recipes, but most importantly you will find a new way to look at food.
      We will share how we think about food shopping, searching for unusual ingredients, the combinations of flavors, techniques, textures, nutritional value, and of course, plating. The purpose of this book is to guide you to become a more exciting, creative and adventurous version of yourself in the kitchen. What separates a craft from an art form is the story behind it; cooking is a craft, while fine dining is an art form.
      If you want to create fine dining dishes, start to focus your attention on the different stories a dish can tell. Some stories can be told through your cooking, and others are told through words. Taking the time to present your dishes before people eat is crucial to creating anticipation for the food they will eat.

PRESERVING INGREDIENTS (an excerpt from Accessible Fine Dining by Noam Kostucki)

      While cooking for myself, I was always aware of food waste. To reduce the amount of food thrown away, I’m always looking for ways to transform “crap into gold”. One day, I ended up with a massive watermelon. Cutting it, I was horrified to throw away so much of the peel, and I looked up different ways of using it. After several attempts, I created a beer-pickled watermelon peel. The result is magical. Other chefs who try it in my dishes are blown away because they can’t ever guess what it is. Using the so called waste makes it outside of their frame of reference.  
      In the above dish, the mahi-mahi was rolled in roasted papaya seeds. I grated avocado seeds and roasted them lightly until crunchy. I use them as flakes on top of salads and sauces. When eating at HiR Fine Dining, guests don’t mention as often the lobsters, scallops, shrimp and other delicacies, as they are in awe with pickled watermelon peels, dried papaya seeds, and roasted avocado seeds.
      I used to hate the idea of having food in jars or cans. Thanks to learning about Magnus Nilsson, from the restaurant Favikan, I changed my perspective. Some things don’t last and aren’t available all year long. When using natural and local produce, you can’t always have everything you want when you want it. Now I understand there is an art to preserving food in a way that enhances it so that you can continue using these amazing produce even when they’re no longer available.
      Bananas are everywhere in Costa Rica, and they tend to all come at the same time. So suddenly, we have more bananas than we can eat. However, they don’t last long enough to keep them until the next batch of bananas are ready. One of the things we’ve made with bananas that are too ripe to eat is to turn them into a banana ice cream with chocolate swirls and roasted pecans. We first cooked this for ourselves because we had too many bananas, and shared it with friends because we loved it so much. We ran out before we knew it, and made more. We eventually offered it to guests as a small extra taster, and they loved it, so it became a desert.
      Freezing mixtures rolled in breadcrumbs can make it easy to store, and convenient to cook as you can throw them in the deep fry from frozen. Food can be pickled. It can be fermented like with Korean kimchi. You can keep ingredients by drying them. Learning to preserve food in a way that enhances it will expand your pantry with exciting components that you have made yourself.

About the Authors:
Noam Kostucki
    MY NAME IS NOAM KOSTUCKI AND I CREATE SPACES FOR MAGIC TO HAPPEN.
    I was an awkward child, so I changed school 5 times. I spent most of my life trying to please others, and be the kind of person I believed everyone else wanted me to be. I wasn't happy and I struggled to get what I want. Everything changed when I started changing.
    I spent the last 12 years creating the life I dream of. I've had the privilege to be homeless twice, and to speak at Harvard about entrepreneurship. I have grown to be myself more fearlessly than ever before. I am now surrounded by people I love, and who love me.
    I traveled over 40 countries, and I've helped over 25,000 people create magic. For example Patryk Wezowski who raised $500,000 in 8 weeks and Esther Perel who gave the 30th most viewed TED talk. Some less public successes include a blind eyed student who experienced his blind eye for the first time and a journalist who left an abusive relationship.
    As a university drop out, I was surprised when my first book (personal branding) became required reading at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, as well as receiving the UK Business Speaker of the Year runner up award, and a honorary degree in Business from Hofstra University. As an artist, I was honored to exhibit my photography at the European Union's Innovation Conference.
    My most recent venture is HiR Fine Dining, a jungle culinary adventure. I create a discovery menu of 7 plates per person for groups of up to 12 people. HiR Fine Dining became #1 fine dining on TripAdvisor in Tamarindo within the first month. Within 6 months one of my plates was selected out of 40,000 restaurants by OpenTable as one of "25 dishes to travel around the world for". I was invited to speak at Chateau 1525, Costa Rica's most reputable cooking school and our guest chefs include a blind chef who traveled all the way the United Kingdom.

Quentin Villers

Quentin has been cooking in restaurant since the age of 18. He helped his brother build a restaurant for which they received a Michelin Star. Quentin moved to Costa Rica to consult for hotels and restaurants. He managed 3 of the 4 restaurants at Hotel Nayara in La Fortuna, for which he lead a team of over 20 people to be selected to enter Relais & Chateaux, a prestigious network of unique luxury hotels with exquisite cuisine. Quentin is a regular guest chef at HiR Fine Dining and consults for a number of fine dining restaurants in Costa Rica.
Connect with the Authors: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ​​​

Here is the tour schedule

Giveaway:
     Grand Prize: Win a 4-seat dinner at HiR Fine Dining in Costa Rica (value $580) or win a paperback or ebook copy of Accessible Fine Dining (20 Kindle copies and 10 paperbacks) open int’l to wherever Amazon delivers
​(ends Feb 7, 2019)

No Safe Place By Sherri Shackelford
Christian Romantic Suspense | January 1st 2019 by Love Inspired Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 224 Pages
He lives by the law.
She’s running for her life.
    After forensic accountant Beth Greenwood uncovers a money-laundering scheme tying her company to the organization that murdered her mentor, she knows she needs to go into hiding. With ruthless killers in pursuit, she’s forced to rely on homeland security agent Corbin Ross’s protection—even as his investigation suggests Beth is complicit in embezzlement. Can their uneasy alliance develop into something deeper—and keep them alive?

Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│Harlequin│iBooks│Kobo

MY REVIEW:(LAWonder10)
Beth Greenwood discovered her suspicions of this company she was working for is well founded. Now she must do what she can to expose them, then disappear. However, just as often happens, her plans don't work out.
Corbin Ross, Homeland Security Agent, is working undercover. His efforts are thwarted when his assignment tries to disappear. 
Neither individual feel she/he can trust the other. Are they at an impasse?
Will one or both get killed before they can ""move on"?
This is an action packed, suspenseful, romance novel you will not want to miss!
Each chapter leaves the reader anxious to discover, "What happens next?"
It is somewhat predictable but keeps the reader unsure and has enough "twists" he/she will not lose interest.
The characters seemed very real, and the scenes were well described so the reader felt he/she was a part of them.
The Book Title was a great "Fit",  and  the Cover image was okay but not an impressive "eye-catcher.
 It still earns a Four and a Half  Stars rating.
*This book was gifted me with no request for a positive review. This is my honest review.

About the Author

​A former naval reservist with a top-secret security clearance, Sherri writes rapid-fire suspense featuring captivating characters and heart-pounding romance. She's authored more than a dozen novels for Harper Collins publishing, including both historical and contemporary suspense.


Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│BookBub│Pinterest│Instagram

​Tour Schedule
January 7th:
Launch
The Power of Words
Splashes of Joy
January 8th:
Hearts & Scribbles
Jorie Loves A Story
January 9th:
Colorimetry
Rockin' Book Reviews
January 10th:
Simply Kelina
Labor Not in Vain
By The Book
January 11th:
The Barefoot Reader
Heidi Reads...
January 14th:
Faithfully Bookish
Locks, Hooks and Books
Among the Reads
January 15th:
Book by Book
The Becca Files
January 16th:
EmpowerMoms
Wishful Endings
Author Loraine D. Nunley
January 17th:
Tell Tale Book Reviews
Harlie's Books
Two Girls and a Book
January 18th:
Min Reads and Reviews
Remembrancy
January 19th:
Grand Finale

​1 winner will win "A Little Bit More Romance Box," which includes the following items in a Decorative Box (pictured):
- Romance Bubble Bath
- Classic Cover Harlequin Notebook
- Collectible Addition Book of Romance Poems
- Romance Bath Bomb
- Scented Candle
- Fuzzy Socks
- Books: No Safe Place and His Substitute Mail-Order Bride by Sherri Shackelford, and Undercover Memories by Lenora Worth

US only
Ends January 23, 2019

Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis by Patti Callahan Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 2, 2018) :416 pages

• ISBN-10: 9780785224501 : ISBN-13: 978-0785224501
• ASIN: 0785224505

SYNOPSIS:
    In a most improbable friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her voice.
   From New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy.
     In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had.
      At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all. 

​About the Author
    Patti Callahan (who also writes as Patti Callahan Henry) is a New York Times bestselling author. Patti was a finalist in the Townsend Prize for Fiction, has been an Indie Next Pick, twice an OKRA pick, and a multiple nominee for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Novel of the Year. Her work has also been included in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, and blogs. Patti attended Auburn University for her undergraduate work and Georgia State University for her graduate degree. Once a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, she now writes full time. The mother of three children, she lives in both Mountain Brook, Alabama, and Bluffton, South Carolina, with her husband.
Visit her online at: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |

A Thousand Eyes by Junior Burke
Published: May 25, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78535-715-2
"... with the smell and smoke and taste still harsh in his nostrils, eyes and throat, he needed to warn others, not just his own kind but all other non-humans. Death was in the air." When Todd Wendt, recovering from the tragic death of his wife, is sent to oversee operations at a regional cement plant in Colorado, news reaches him of a series of vicious animal attacks. Over time, it becomes clear that the attacks taking place in this small mountain town are far from random: Todd, and his company are being targeted... 

Junior Burke

Junior Burke is a novelist, dramatist and songwriter. In 2004, he founded the ezine not enough night www.notenoughnight.org which for a decade published work by some of the most compelling writers of today. His novel Something Gorgeous appeared in 2005. This work of speculative fiction explored the historical background of the era that spawned The Great Gatsby and was lauded for its invention by the UK's Historical Novels Review.

From 2005 to 2010, Burke served as Chair of Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics and was a literary source for such publications as Le Monde and The London Observer when they presented features on the 50th anniversary of Kerouac’s On the Road. Burke was one of the chief organizers of the first-of-its-kind Poetic Film Symposium held in Boulder in June, 2011, a collaboration between Naropa University and the University of Colorado. His account of the event, "Notice What You Notice" appeared in Bomb Magazine.

In 2013, he co-authored One October Midnight, a musical theatre work, contributing book and lyrics. The musical, based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe, received its world premier at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival in Hamilton, New York. This year, he will release Spot of Time, a song cycle inspired by classic works by such writers as W.B. Yeats, Arthur Rimbaud and Gertrude Stein.  

    In the still of a cool Colorado evening, the Circle J Ranch house burns to the ground, leaving Susannah Jones and her two brothers orphaned and homeless. Embittered by the tragedy, Susannah's older brother grows increasingly cruel, leading Susannah to make the difficult choice to leave the last of her family behind to forge a new life for herself. It is the kindness of Dr. Kate, the woman physician in town, as well as a chance meeting with a rugged homesteader that give Susannah the strength she needs to escape.
    When Joseph Iverson encounters the harassed young woman on his land one day, he has no thought but to provide the assistance she so clearly needs. Overcoming his shyness, he takes Susannah under his wing and agrees to a marriage of convenience to liberate her from her brother. As the pair works side by side, their mutual admiration deepens. But their happy existence is threatened all too soon by a series of "accidents" on the farm. With danger looming ever closer, Susannah and Joseph must discover who is bent on their destruction before the life and marriage they've built together goes up in flames.

MY REVIEW:
    How could Susannah's eldest brother and heir to their family's ranch be so cold and cruel during ad after the tragic events of their home burning down. She knew she could not endure her younger brother's treatment of her, now that he was in charge. She made he difficult choice of fleeing her home. She had a small "stash" of cash. She would find refuge with Dr. Kate until she could escape the town. 
    When things did not go as planned, she escaped to an abandoned shack, only to discover it was on someone's property. With no where to turn, a bargain was made.
     Saving Susannah Jones is a very entertaining tale of "old western" days, when times were tough, yet women began to "take a stance" and became doctors, teachers, and began to be a part of the "business world", while still not truly accepted by most men.
     This is a story of one woman's perseverance and courage to have some control of her own destiny, without succumbing to the will and conniving of her kinsman.
      Although very well-written, there were a couple of parts that did not "flow" smoothly. The story line, also, needed a little more depth, with a stronger ending.
       Still, the characters and scenes were easily visualized, allowing the reader to feel connected and a part of the story.
    The Title and Cover were a good "fit". For the "browser", the Cover was not overly "eye-catching".
       I offer a Four and a Half Stars rating.
      *This book was gifted me by the publisher, with no urging to post a positive review. This is my honest review.
          

About Carolyn Twede FrankCarolyn lives in Kaysvile, Utah with her husband and teenage daughter, her other four children having fled the nest, but still live close by (thank heavens). When she's not writing, she loves to read, garden, sew, and play with her grandson. 
In 1994, she incorporated her basement sewing business, eventually moving it into a warehouse, hiring more people, and developing her unique line of puppets and educational curriculums into a full-fledged, international business. She sold the main arm of her business in 2009, retaining a small portion to bring in income while she pursued her writing career. She has been writing seriously since 2006. 
Learn more about Carolyn and her books one her website, ​www.carolyntwedefrank.com

To enter the Giveaway, complete the Rafflecopter below!

            PRESENTED BY COVENANT COMMUNICATIONS PUBLISHING

​Chance Blackwell’s return--

Could cost her everything!

Ten years after he eloped with Katie Montgomery’s sister, Chance Blackwell is back in Montana to sell his family ranch. Katie could lose her job and the only home she’s known. But the loyal cowgirl is keeping a secret that could shatter trust and jeopardize her future with the widowed musician and her toddler niece. Unless Chance’s growing affection for her and all things Blackwell can earn Katie his forgiveness—and his love.

MY REVIEW:
I feel 'The Return of the Blackwell Brothers' Series are an outstanding series by very talented writers! 
The Rancher's Homecoming is the culminating story of the series. 
The author has done an incredible job in "bringing back" the last brother to decide on the final outcome of Blackwell Ranch, in the absence of their missing granddaddy.
Although it is quite predictable, the author is able to connect with the reader in a way, causing emotions to surface and enabling the reader to feel he/she is a part of the scenes.
Chance has lost the love of his life, his wife, and the success of his music career is waning. His twin brother, plus his agent, are able to persuade him to briefly return home...a thing he swore he would never do. He will do what he has to do and get back out of the country!
This is an entertaining final accounting of a brother. with an unexpected ending.
I am determined to go back to the original Blackwell brother series, to get the full experience of the Blackwell sagas!
*This was gifted me with no request for a positive review. This is my honest reveiw.
I offer a Four Stars rating.

A geek at heart, USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes "refreshingly unique, quietly humorous, and profoundly moving romance." (RT Book Reviews) Her books include The Tremayne Family Romances, The Butterfly Harbor series for Harlequin Heartwarming, and the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. 

NYTimes bestselling author Brenda Novak says "The talented Anna J Stewart delivers every time!" Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it's Snickers who tolerates her). 
http://authorannastewart.com/

Twitter
ajstewartwriterhttp://authorannastewart.com/

Twitter
ajstewartwriter
http://authorannastewart.com/

Twitter
ajstewartwriter

Book Details:
 Shopping for an Heir (Shopping for a Billionaire #10)  by Julia Kent 
Publication date: September 20th 2016
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance
Synopsis:
Gerald Wright works for billionaires. He never imagined he’d become one.
The former Navy Seal is a chauffeur by day, artist by night, so when hotter-than-ever ex-fiancée Suzanne Dayton interrupts his nude model sculpting class to serve him with inheritance paperwork from a man he’s never heard of, he assumes it’s a joke.
Turns out the joke’s on him. There’s just one catch. A big one.
And it might be Suzanne — in more ways than he ever dreamed.
Shopping for an Heir is the 10th book in the New York Times bestselling Shopping for a Billionaire series by Julia Kent.
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: Amazon |B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | 
~ Audiobook links:  Amazon Audio  | Audible | iTunes | Kobo Audio | Authors-Direct |

​AUTHOR BIO:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
Social Media Links:
Website: | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Instagram |  Bookbub | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $25 Gyft.com gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Dec 20th:

I am so excited that TWO THOUSAND YEARS by M. Dalto is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author M. Dalto, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $15 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of M., The Parliament House Press, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

​Title: TWO THOUSAND YEARS
Author: M. Dalto
Pub. Date: December 11, 2018 | Formats: Paperback, eBook
Publisher: Parliament House Publishing | Pages: 310
​READER BEWARE: Contains Strong Language
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks
 SYNOPSIS:
    Two thousand years ago, the Prophecy of Fire and Light foretold the coming of the Queen Empress who would lead the Empire into a time of peace and tranquility. But instead of the coming of a prosperous world, a forbidden love for the Empress waged a war that ravaged the land, creating a chasm between the factions, raising the death toll of innocent lives until the final, bloody battle.
    Centuries later, Alexandra, a twenty-two-year-old barista living in Boston, is taken to an unfamiliar realm of mystery and magic where her life is threatened by Reylor, its banished Lord Steward. She crosses paths with Treyan, the arrogant and seductive Crown Prince of the Empire, and together they discover how their lives, and their love, are so intricately intertwined by a Prophecy set in motion so many years ago.
    Alex, now the predestined Queen Empress Alexstrayna, whose arrival was foretold by the Annals of the Empire, controls the fate of her new home as war rages between the Crown Prince and Lord Steward. Either choice could tear her world apart as she attempts to keep the Empire's torrid history from repeating itself. In a realm where betrayal and revenge will be as crucial to her survival as love and honor, Alex must discover whether it is her choice - or her fate - that determines how she survives the Empire's rising conflicts.

                                         EXCERPT:

                                                              CHAPTER 1 (partial)
      The streets were quiet for a Friday night in the city. Alexandra Ross clenched her collar tighter around her neck as the wind began to pick up, unseasonably cool for so early in Boston’s September. Her heels clicked along the damp cobblestones of the old sidewalks as she headed towards her apartment. She had to take extra care while walking in her four-inch heels.
        Especially when she knew she was being followed.
      The city had been her home for three years now, so the late-night trek home remained familiar, almost a comfort. In the now twenty-two years of her life, maintaining her independence was as much of a priority as the switchblade in her jacket pocket was a security. There was a part of her that truly enjoyed the peaceful solitude these walks could bring, but she wasn’t stupid enough to do it without protection.
       She was aware he remained a short distance behind her ever since she left Faneuil Hall.
     This evening was no different, except that she was celebrating her twenty-second birthday, which also may have involved too much alcohol. Perhaps it was the intoxicated appreciation of her city within the quiet of the early morning hours that distracted her from her surroundings.
      Even the reflections in the familiar storefront windows she passed by reminded her of the fact she that wasn’t alone.
      Either way, her attention was focused anywhere but where it belonged. It wasn’t until her heel caught in the sidewalk, and a hand grabbed her arm to keep her upright, that she realized she tripped and started to fall.
      And that the one she believed to be a stalker turned out to actually be a rescuer.
      His grip remained firm as his other arm wrapped around her waist to steady her on her feet. As she composed herself, trying to clear her head, her hand went towards the knife in her pocket while she glanced towards the individual who just saved her from needing a nose job.
      The stranger’s hair was dark under the streetlights, side swept and held loosely in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was dressed casually: wearing a dark, button-down shirt over clean denim jeans and sensible dress shoes as if he, too, had just emerged from the bustling social atmosphere that brought so many to Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
       His features were thin with chiseled cheekbones beneath skin too tanned to be local, but then she looked into his eyes. They were the most piercing blue she had ever seen—almost too blue, especially without the sunlight’s shining assistance. They radiated with their own luminescence; which was odd at first, but the color was as though they were refractions off of the ocean’s waves. As she continued to stare, the more familiar they seemed. Looking up and into his eyes felt as if she had stared into those eyes before—been lost within them too many times to count.
      The feeling was almost nostalgic, though she was certain she’d never met him before. She would have remembered those eyes, regardless of how many cosmopolitans she may have drank.
       By the time she realized she was staring, he had already released her from his grasp.
       “I—” She blinked, struggling for words as her grip tightened around her knife.
      “A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.” His words purred with a foreign accent—familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Irish? Scottish? Perhaps Welsh, she thought to herself, though she wasn’t even certain if it was European at all.
      “Oh,” she spoke, clearing her throat. “Thank you.” She moved to smooth out the short, black dress she wore, awkwardly running her hands over her legs, her ass—anything she could do to avoid his gaze. “I didn’t even hear you behind me.”
      “I know.” He smirked. Again, that sense of nostalgia clenched at her chest, her stomach, lower. Before she could inquire further, or at least find out where he came from, he had already moved past her, continuing on his way down the street.
      “Happy birthday, Alex.” He waved back to her without another glance.
       How did he know?
      “Hey, wait!” she called after him, her voice laced with panic, but he disappeared out of sight as quickly as he arrived.
     Deciding she had had enough excitement for one birthday, Alex slowly, and far more cautiously, finished her walk home. Occasionally, she would chance a glance behind her to ensure she wasn’t followed again. He was just some creep who must have been too close for comfort while they were drinking the bar, she convinced herself as she turned the corner onto the street that led to her apartment. Or merely a lonely someone who overheard her saying her goodbyes to her friends on the way out and thought he’d get lucky.
       She came to the gate that barred the walkway leading to her apartment, the skin on her neck prickled and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Something was off. The familiarity of home felt wrong, like a lost memory, just within reach moments ago, now nowhere to be found. Her hand had been stuffed into her jacket pocket ever since her encounter with the dark-haired stranger, and she continued to grip the knife tightly as she opened the gate and she headed down the final stretch.
    Her apartment was situated in one of the older colonial row houses within Boston’s North End that later converted into apartments and condominiums as the years went on and the economy grew. She rented out the bottom floor of the building, with her ground-level entrance beneath the building’s main stairway barred behind a wrought-iron gate. Taking another look around her surroundings, she approached her door as her other hand managed to find her keys, but nearly dropped them as she stopped to survey the scene before her.
      The light from a nearby street lamp shone on the damage that had been done. The gate was bent in a fashion that looked as though a gorilla took a bar in each hand and spread them apart. Through the warped iron, she could see the lock to her apartment had been destroyed, the surrounding door blown apart with it, shattered beyond easy repair.

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
​     M. Dalto is a Young Adult / New Adult fiction writer of adventurous romantic fantasy stories, and her debut, TWO THOUSAND YEARS, won one of Wattpad.com’s coveted Watty Awards in 2016. She continues to volunteer her time as a Wattpad Ambassador, where she engages and hopes to inspire new writers, and also mentors authors through the #WriteMentor program.
       As a mentor, MB is on the lookout for YA and NA novels heavy in plot with the ability to make her fall in love with its characters. Her favorite tropes include love triangles of all kinds, enemies to lovers, dream sequences, and prophecies. She always wants villains you can’t help but be attracted to, redemption arcs or otherwise. She loves novels with deep character development, a setting where she can get lost, and plot twists that make her want to throw the book across the room. Give her main characters you love to hate, but can’t help but hate to love.
      She spends her days as a full-time residential real estate paralegal, using her evenings to hone her craft. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, playing video games, and drinking coffee. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband, their daughter, and their corgi named Loki.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Group | Goodreads | Wattpad | Instagram

Giveaway Details:
1 winner will win a $15 Amazon Gift Card, INTERNATIONAL.

Book Details:
 False Hope (False, #2) by Meli Raine 

Publication date: December 11th 2018 | Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Recommended reader be 18 years if age or older
Synopsis:
      She thinks she’s fooled me. But I’ve known all along.
      Almost.
      Lily is hiding something, a secret so big, she came out of a year-long coma and her first instinct was to lie.
      Who does that? Someone who is afraid. No—not afraid.
       Terrified. And it’s my job to take that fear away.
      My partner and I have spent countless man-hours hunting down the cold-blooded killer who did this to her. Meanwhile, Lily’s spent her waking hours recovering. Getting stronger. Getting smarter.
      Staying beautiful.
      Never get involved emotionally. That’s my dictate. Never get attached.
      When you realize you’re caught in a triangle, it turns out there is no exit.
      Crossing a line is easy. Holding a line takes strength.
      Lily’s shooter knows that she’s my weakness.
      One I have to get back.
      No matter what it takes.
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: iBooks exclusive |

​AUTHOR BIO:
Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes — and the women who love them. Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.
Author links: Website |  Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | 
Goodreads | Newsletter | 

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $25 Gyft.com gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Dec 20th:

Cambria gave this year’s TV Bachelor the face-slap seen & heard across America.
Can she offer him redemption too?

Canyon Byer, pharmaceutical rep turned famous model, is the new eligible bachelor on Find My Fiancé. Weeks into filming the reality TV show, Canyon earns the title of America’s Shallow Bachelor, as he seems to eliminate women with substance. As the finale draws near, he needs a shot at redemption, but in order to get it, America’s favorite bachelorette—the same woman Canyon wishes he hadn’t wronged—will have to give him a second chance.

While Cambria Wilson sits among family and friends during finale night, mixed feelings fight for a place in her heart. Sure, she and Canyon shared a very memorable kiss and she’d even been falling for him until she realized what a jerk he was, but that doesn’t explain the strange sadness that looms as she waits to see which of the finalists he’ll propose to. 
In an unexpected twist during the final episode, Cambria learns that Canyon’s not going to propose to either of the bachelorettes left on the show. In fact, he’s about to appear on the doorstep of a woman he hopes to win back—all on live TV.
The bachelorette will be asked to join Canyon on a two-week winter wonderland getaway. Cambria would bet her Soap and Body Shop that she’s the last woman he’d choose; that is, until the chime of her doorbell proves her wrong.

Haven Lockwood’s Christmas takes a nosedive when she discovers that her mother and identical twin sister, Brynn, ditched her, leaving her to spend Christmas alone in their New York City apartment. To make matters worse, Brynn’s boyfriend Wyatt shows up, ready to take Brynn on a road trip to Atlanta to meet his family. 

Haven is fully prepared to tell Wyatt the hard news—that her flighty twin sister jetted off to Ireland with a movie star, leaving him high and dry—however, when she finds herself staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes, all explanations fly out the window. Not only is Wyatt devastatingly handsome, but also charming and witty with an adorable Southern accent that rolls like a ballad off his tongue. 

Haven knows that when Wyatt looks at her with adoring eyes it’s only because he has mistaken her for her glamorous clothing designer sister. She wants to tell Wyatt the truth, but she can’t stand the thought of spending Christmas alone. As one thing leads to another and Haven and Wyatt share a near-kiss, Haven makes a split-second decision to accompany Wyatt to Atlanta—as Brynn! 

When the sizzling attraction deepens to something real, Haven faces an internal dilemma—should she come clean now, before Christmas, or wait until afterwards? Will the truth destroy Haven’s chance for happiness … or will it be the very thing that brings two searching hearts together? 

A famous movie star and the drama teacher who calls him a hack! Will they get their Christmas Miracle?
Grant Kent, movie star extraordinaire, doesn't like the fact he has to have a fake 'media' relationship with his co-star to keep his movie producer's happy. And he really doesn't like the fact his brothers' give him grief about it. So when he's asked to help out at an acting camp for inner city kids, he jumps at the chance to do something real. Too bad the woman in charge tells him outright she thinks he's a hack.
The talented Jewel Olympia only wants to help inner city kids by giving them an opportunity to learn acting skills. When she's notified the week before Christmas that the P.I. she's hired to track down her birth mother has a solid lead on her whereabouts, she decides it's time to finally meet the woman that abandoned her in a hospital emergency room twenty-five years ago. Too bad an amazing looking movie star keeps bugging her to go on a date--bug off, she's unavailable.
But when her parents show up on her doorstep asking where she's going, she tries to distract them with Grant's star power to avoid hurting their feelings. When he blurts out he's her fiance, everything gets derailed and she finds herself on a jet to Jackson--this is not her life!
When a simple trip turns into a media frenzy, they're left with a choice--trust in Christmas angels or lose everything.
​

​Farm girl sass takes on America’s Most Eligible Bachelor in this fun fake fiance romance.
Callum Hawk has it all—fame, money, and a family that loves him. He doesn’t have time for romance but that’s all right, his head of marketing does a great job scheduling dates with models and actresses for the necessary social events. When he almost hits Alexia Hall with his motorcycle, he’s intrigued by the feisty blonde and offers to hire her to be his fake fiancé for his brother’s wedding. When she not only turns him down but tells him to never come near her again, he has no clue what went wrong.
Lexi Hall almost kills her billionaire boss--ripping his Brioni suit, and scarring his motorcycle. Her errant tongue offends him and she storms away from the job opportunity of a lifetime. Hours later, she finds out her mom has finally been matched to a kidney donor, if Lexi can help pay for the surgery and medications. Her options are to swallow her pride and beg Callum Hawk to take her back as his fake fiancé or jeopardize her mother’s health and let her entire family down.

Christmas Cash Giveaway Details 
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/16/18
​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 may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, 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 & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.