I just finished reading This Time Forever by Patricia Paris and I wanted to share my review with you. This novel has been out since 2011, and the second one in the series is already available. A while back, I had downloaded This Time Forever during one of its free days on Amazon, and it took me awhile to get to reading it, but I am happy that I did. After finishing it, I immediately purchased the second book,Letters to Gabriella. While these are two books in a series, the can definitely be stand-alone books as well.
Here is a description of This Time Forever and my 5 star review.
This Time Forever
Patricia Paris
Book Description:
Delaney Brannigan and Blake Morrisson meet at the Glebe Point annual costume dance, known only to each other as the leopard and the cowboy---but, as Delaney soon discovers, the cowboy she'd thought had ridden off into the sunset never to tempt her again, is none other than the man she came from New York to find and discredit. Against her will, Delaney is drawn deeper and deeper into an overwhelming attraction to Blake---an attraction she can't give in to if she wants to keep the one thing she values more than anything else.
Blake has spent months trying to find the son he never knew he had until a chance encounter with an old friend. Finding the boy has been the only thing he cared about---that is until Delaney Brannigan came to town. Now the bewitching woman has him thinking he might have finally found the one woman who could make him want to settle down. When the private investigator hired to find Blake's son shows up to tell Blake he's located the boy, Delaney's hopes and dreams are shattered and Blake discovers she's not at all what she seemed. Will these two lovers lose one another in a web of deception, or will the small town boy and the girl from New York find a way to trust their hearts and find a once in a lifetime happiness.
Delaney Brannigan goes off in search of the man who is the
father of the young boy, Ben, in her care to determine if he is the monster her
cousin claimed to be or if he deserves to have custody of his son. What she
doesn't expect is to fall in love with Blake Morrisson. She is caught between
explaining her true reason for finding him, and risk losing him and Ben, or
walking away and never telling Blake about his son.
This Time Forever is a lovely romance with a unique story. The
characters may start on the pages of a novel, but lift themselves up out of the
story to become as real as your own friends and family. You connect to Delaney,
Blake and Ben easily, and wish the very best for them. Patricia Paris created a
lovely group of characters, a beautiful backdrop, and an amazing story that you
will enjoy from the first page to the last. I enjoyed this novel so much, I
have already downloaded book two in the series, Letters to Gabriella.
I hope you will try this wonderful romance novel. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
I am so happy to announce that my romance novel MEMORIES is now available on Audio Book through Amazon, Audible.com and the iTunes store.
I started the project a few months ago when Amazon offered the opportunity through their site Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX). Through ACX, authors can partner with producers to create an audio book. You can have actors/producers audition to read and produce your book or you can go through the list of people available and choose someone to help you create your audio book. Through ACX, I found Andrew Troth to partner with me to produce the audio book. He had the perfect voice for this story and did an excellent job.
Andrew Troth's Bio:
"Narrator Andrew Troth is an actor and
entrepreneur who has been active in theatre for 25 years, performing with
companies such as The Chameleon Theatre Circle, Theatre in the Round, The
Guthrie Theater, and Park Square Theatre. He currently serves on the boards of
The Chameleon Theatre Circle and the Minnesota Theater Alliance. Born in
Williamsburg, Virginia, Andrew is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and
also resided in Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Florida, Michigan,
and Belgium before settling in Minnesota. In 1998, he opened Mind's Eye Comics,
a comic book store in Eagan, Minnesota, which he continues to own and
operate."
Be sure to drop by the Amazon page to hear a sample of MEMORIES on audio book and enjoy Andrew's fantastic work. And if you enjoy audio books - be sure to download MEMORIES!
I am so excited to announce that Widow, Virgin, Whore now has a new cover! It is lighter and much
more beautiful than the older cover, and I believe it gives a better sense of
the type of story Widow is as compared to the old cover. You'll be seeing it on
all of the sites as well as any advertising that I do, so don't be confused. It
is the same great story – just a fresher, newer cover.
Why a new cover?
A year ago when I decided to self-publish Widow,
Virgin, Whore, I was new to the process of self-publishing. I searched
and searched for a cover photo that would relay the essence of the story, but
never did find one that I was completely satisfied with. So, I just bought the one
that I used and asked Deborah at Tugboat
Design to make it into a cover and I was good to go. But I've never really
been satisfied with my choice.
Recently, I decided that I wanted to put Widow out as a
paperback, but before I did that, I wanted a whole new look to the book cover.
So, I told Deborah all of the high points in the story and what I wanted the
cover to portray, and she went to work putting together the perfect cover for
Widow. It was a tall order – I am not the easiest client she has. But when she
found the photo of the woman with the white background, I thought it made the
perfect statement for Widow. Then, she added the view of Puget Sound and that
completed the cover. I just love the new cover and I hope that it expresses the
tone of the book to readers that I feel it expresses.
I am working on getting the file ready to turn into a
paperback and hope to have that out in January 2013. Then, all of my books will
be in paperback and eBook formats. The next step – possibly turning them all
into audio books as well!
Coming soon in Audio Book
Memories in Audio
Book
The other good news is that Memories should be available in audio book form very soon and can
be purchased on Amazon, Audible.com and iTunes. I found a wonderful actor,
Andrew Troth, who partnered with me to produce the audio book. He has the
perfect voice for this story, and I'm so excited that it will be out soon to
buy. If all goes well with this project, then I plan on creating an audio book
for Sara's Promise next. I see the
market for audio books increasing, especially with the slew of new e-readers that
now have sound capability, so it will be an interesting market to try out.
A Very Interesting
First Year
This past year has been quite a learning experience for me
as well as a very interesting and rewarding one. I now have four books
available for sale, and am working on my fifth one. I will have an audio book
out as well. I've spent a lot of hours writing and promoting, as to be
expected. And I've met many new friends via Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads –
other self-published writers who have been supportive and helpful throughout
the year. I've had such a wonderful 2012, and I'm looking forward to an even
better 2013. I hope, in the upcoming year, that I will be able to publish two
more books and also increase the number of readers who enjoy my books. Most of
all, I am enjoying doing what I love – writing.
I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a healthy, happy
& successful new year.
Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by or followed the book release blog tour for my new novel Sara's Promise. It was so much fun seeing all the great posts put up by the participating bloggers and reading your comments. It takes a lot of work to organize a blog tour, so it is fun when it has such a nice response.
I also want to thank all the bloggers who participated in the blog tour. All 13 of them took time out of their busy schedules to share my book information and excerpts with their readers, and I just can't thank them enough. The author and blogger community is such a generous and giving community of people - I am so pleased to be a part of such a great group of people. Even though the tour is over, be sure to check out each of the blogs on a regular basis. Many of them are authors too, and have wonderful books that you would enjoy. Once again, here is the list of bloggers who participated:
Now to the fun stuff! I collected all the names of the people who commented on the tour at each site and, using Random.org, I selected four winners of the prizes. Here are the winners:
$25 Amazon Gift Card – Tima
$25 Amazon Gift Card – Paul
Sara’s Promise Paperback – Shannon
Sara’s Promise Paperback – Cynthia
Congratulations to the winners! I have already contacted everyone who has won a prize.
If you liked the excerpts from Sara's Promise, I hope you will consider buying it and reading it. It is a beautiful romance novel that I am sure you will enjoy. Sara's Promise is currently available on:
The blog hop and giveaway is now over. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment. The winner of the $10 Amazon Gift Card was Kym. Visit Carrie Ann's blog hop site to see the winners of the Grand Prizes.
Thanks for hopping and be sure to join us for the New Year's Blog Hop January 1-6th!
When you think of the holidays, images of sleigh rides under the full moon, hot cocoa in front of a crackling fire, and exchanging gifts from the heart come to mind. Cuddling in front of the TV under a warm blanket watching "White Christmas" or "A Charlie Brown Christmas" may also be your idea of a magical holiday season. In most places, the snow is falling, houses are brightly lit with decorations, and trees are decorated and proudly displayed in living room windows. The holidays are a magical time which makes it the perfect time to fall in love.
Finding the right gift, a gift from the heart for your loved one, is not always easy. Maybe it's something shiny and sparkly, or perhaps the latest electronic gizmo. Or maybe it's spending a day together spreading joy, food, and gifts with the less fortunate. Spending time together during the holidays is truly the greatest gift of all, whether you do so alone or with family and friends.
What do you think the greatest gift you can give or receive is?
***
In my latest novel, SARA'S PROMISE, William finds the greatest gift is the love of his wife, even long after she has passed away. Her promise to him was to find a way to take care of him and the children even if she died, and he believes she is keeping her promise by sending Annie to him. But can he give up the memory of Sara and let this new woman into his heart?
In honor of this holiday blog hop, I am giving you a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card just in time for Christmas. All you have to do is leave a comment below to enter. Be sure to add your email address so I can contact you if you win. The giveaway will start on December 14th and end at midnight on the 17th. I will notify the winner after noon on the 18th. Good luck and thanks for dropping by.
Grand Prize Giveaway
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Be sure to also visit and comment on all the sites below to enter into their giveaways and the Grand Prize Giveaway mentioned above.
Don't forget to leave a comment in order to be entered into the giveaways!
I'm so happy to announce the publication of my new romance novel,Sara's Promise! After months of preparation it is finally here and I'm so excited! Sara's Promise is a romance, but it has a few twists that you won't expect and hopefully will enjoy. Here is a description of Sara's Promise:
Do you believe in soul mates?
William Grafton had the perfect life with his lovely wife, Sara, and two teenaged children. But one day his perfect forever was shattered when Sara died suddenly, leaving him alone to raise his children and wonder how he would ever get through life without his soul mate. Five years later, he finds himself looking into a familiar pair of blue-green eyes that remind him of Sara. The woman is the exact opposite of his late wife, yet he finds he is drawn to her. But after a few strange occurrences, he begins to wonder–are these just coincidences or has his Sara come back to him as she once promised in the form of this new woman?
Annie Paxton doesn't believe in soul mates or fate. She had watched her father die of a broken heart after her mother passed away and has since cast away any fairy tale ideas of love. Then she meets the man who has been haunting her dreams and she begins to see love in a whole new light. But her dream man is still tied to his deceased wife, and Annie doesn't know if he will ever be able to break away from his past. As strange occurrences unfold, Annie wonders if William could ever truly love her for herself and not for the traits that remind him of Sara.
Were William and Annie brought together by fate, coincidence or by Sara keeping her promise?
To celebrate the release of Sara's Promise, I am having a book release blog tour and giveaway! All of the following people have so generously offered to be a part of this blog tour and I am so grateful to every one of them. Each day there will be one or more blogs promoting Sara's Promise and each blog will have a unique excerpt from the novel. Follow in the order of the schedule and you will be able to read the excerpts in order. What a fun way to learn more about this novel!
In addition, I am giving away four great prizes! Leave a comment on this site (and any of the participating blogs) to have your name entered in the drawing for one of four prizes: Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards and 2 paperback copies of Sara's Promise. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you. You can enter at each site of the blog tour for more chances to win! That's 13 chances to win! Giveaway starts December 10th and ends December 17th at midnight. Winners will be contacted December 18th after noon.
Now – here is the blog tour schedule. I hope you will follow along!
I want to give another big thank you to all the participating blogs – everyone is so encouraging and supportive and I am thrilled to call each of these bloggers my friend.
I'd also like to thank the following people for their help in publishing Sara's Promise:
Deborah at Tugboat Designfor the beautiful book cover she created and the help in formatting the paperback version.Also for creating all my banners, bookmarks, and the blog tour button.
I just wanted to tell you about the children's book blog hop we have going on this weekend. The Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop & Giveaway is going on December 7th - 10th. Many wonderful children's and middle-grade authors are participating, giving away some great prizes. There is also going to be a Grand Prize of a $30 Amazon Gift Card - and all you have to do to win is leave a comment on the participating blogs.
I will be giving away two paperback copies of my children's/MG action/adventure novel, Outlaw Heroes. These would make a fun Christmas gift to kids ages 10 and up. Be sure to stop by my blog and leave a comment to enter the contest.
Follow the list below to visit all the sites. Have fun hopping!
World AIDS Day is December 1st and is a day to
promote AIDS awareness. People are planning events all over the world to
promote awareness and raise money for this devastating disease in the hope of
one day eliminating it from existence.According
to WorldAIDSDay.org, "Globally, an
estimated 33.3 million people have HIV. More than 25 million people between
1981 and 2007 have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive
pandemics in history." These numbers are unacceptable and it's up to
all of us to do our part in wiping out AIDS.
In support of World AIDS Day, I will be donating $1.00 from every Kindle sale of my novel WIDOW,VIRGIN, WHORE in the U.K.
and in the U.S.
for the entire month of December to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Ninety-six
percent of all donations to the EJA Foundation goes towards AIDS education,
prevention and support world-wide.
I thought it was only fitting to use my novel WIDOW, VIRGIN,
WHORE to help raise money to fight AIDS. It is a fiction story of one woman who
contracts AIDS and how she and her family and friends deal with this devastating
disease. The story follows her and other AIDS victims and their experiences and
captures the essence of what AIDS patients, as well as those who love them,
experience. It is a heartwarming story of sisters, friendship and family.
What a wonderful way to enjoy a heartfelt novel and help
others in need at the same time!
Today I am hosting a character interview with Lionel of those wonderful children's books by Paul R. Hewlett. Lionel has a new Christmas book out that I'm sure your children will enjoy. There is also a Giveaway at the end - so be sure to enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! So, on to the interview...
Recently I sat down with Lionel Snodgrass ofLionel's Christmas Adventure for an interview. I wanted to talk to Lionel about himself. I wanted to get him to open up and tell some real personal things, things we don't already know about him. If you're not familiar with the book please watch the trailer below.
Now for the interview. Let me start by saying that I had to not only go to Larrystown, but also back in time a bit. You see, Lionel's Christmas Adventure is set in the late 1960's. I met Lionel at Jardean's Mercantile & Confectionery. I'm sitting in an old fashioned booth directly across from Lionel. Mr. Jardean brings Lionel a cherry coke (his favorite) and me a green river soda (my favorite).
Hey Lionel, it's good to see you again. Lets' get started, tell me one thing that most folks don't know about you.
Hmmm, let's see. I bet most people don't know that I'm afraid of the boogie man. He looks around nervously and swears me to secrecy. One time, before we moved to Larrystown, my Mom took me trick-or-treating. It was a blast, I had a great time. It was hard for me to fall asleep, I had eaten too much candy and was still pretty excited. Besides that I kept hearing a noise coming from my closet. I tried not to let it bother me, 'cause Feeney always calls me a scardy cat. Finally, I had to see what it was. I peeked in and a monster jumped out at me!
A monster?
Well, no, it turned out to be Feeney dressed up like a ghoul. Scared me to death though. I still need a light on. I can't help it, I'm still scared. You're not gonna tell anyone about this are you?
No, no, I won't. What else don't we know about Lionel Snodgrass?
I figure nobody knows I have a magical Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot. No sir, that I have always made sure to keep a secret and I plan to keep it that way.
Can you tell us what exactly that is? This, this Walbaun foot?
Sure. I found it in my room when I first moved here. Just sitting on the closet shelf, plain as day. It wasn't 'til one day I was sitting right here, in this very spot, that I knew what it was I had found. Lionel leans in to whisper. Mr. Jardean, he's like the town know-it-all. He knows everything that ever happened around here. I overheard him that day talking to himself and I thought it sounded a lot like my Walbaun foot. So I asked him about it.
So Mr. Jardean knows about it?
No, no. I didn't tell I found one. I just asked him and then once he explained, I knew I had found one. It's invisible except to those that are mistreated. I figure that's why I could see it and nobody else did. Lots of times, I get treated real bad. It's supposed to make what I wish for come true. It was lazy though and it never gets things quite right. When I use it, look out. You never know what might happen!
Is there anything else that you'd like to share? A secret, something no one knows about you?
Just one thing. My buddy Skip knows this, but nobody else does. I have a gigantic crush on Carrie! Wow, I never told anybody that. Skip, he just kind of figured it out. I guess that happens when you're buddies like we are. It feels kind of good to get that off of my chest. I don't think she knows I exist though.
What do you mean?
Every time I'm around her, I kind of freeze up. I'm always thinking of something cool or funny to say to her when I get the chance and then POW! My mouth feels like it's glued shut when she's around. Hard as I try, no words come out. Oh well, I'm gonna keep trying.
Well, I suppose that about wraps things up. Thanks Lionel. Hey, do mind if I put the part about the boogie man in the interview. I won't if you don't want me to, but I think it's something people might want to know. I also think maybe, you should think about getting Carrie a Christmas present this year. Maybe that would break the ice.
Yeah, I guess. Go ahead. I don't mind if you put it in. A Christmas present huh? That's not a bad idea. Thanks, thanks a lot, oh and Merry Christmas!
I hope you enjoyed the interview and learned a few things about Lionel to get to know him better. He's really a great kid. Lionel's Christmas Adventure (in paperback or ebook) is the third book in the Lionel's Grand Adventure series. If you want more Lionel check out Lionel and the Golden RuleandLionel Turns the Other Cheek. Now for Lionel's Christmas Adventure blurb:
Have you ever wanted something you couldn't have? Lionel desperately
wants a new sled and will do anything to get it.This fun Christmas book
follows Lionel from Larrystown to the North Pole. His magical
Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot is back and is as unpredictable as
ever. Whether Lionel's sledding, ice skating, or in a life-sized
gingerbread village, it takes him on some grand adventures. Filled with
great Christmas imagery, this book is perfect for young readers
and family story time. This 2012 holiday, be careful what you wish for,
you never know what might happen!
I'd like to give a great big Thank You to Deanna for hosting me! My next stop is Thursday at This Kid Erik's blog. Now on to the giveaway. As a thank you to the reader's, I'm giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and 3-pack of my ebooks.
On December 7th - 10th I am hosting a blog hop for children's and middle-grade books and I'd love it if you all join me. If you are a children's or middle-grade book author or blogger, I invite you to sign up and participate. Each of the authors or bloggers will be giving away a prize on their blogs and we will also be having a grand prize (depending upon how much money is donated) that followers can enter to win. It should be a lot of fun and it's a great way to get your children's book noticed.
If you are interested in joining the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop, you can go over to my Outlaw Heroes blog to read the rules and sign up on the Linky or you can do so here. Here is he information about the blog hop and the Linky sign-up below:
Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop &
Giveaway!
I'm inviting all children
& middle-grade book authors to join in on the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop which will run December 7th – 10th. This blog hop is for any
author promoting a book for kids ages
birth to 12 years old. All types of children's & middle-grade books are
welcome as long as they are suitable for this age range.
What you need to do:
Add your blog's name and your blog URL
address to the Linky at the bottom of the page to join in on the Blog
Hop. You don't have to have a post link yet – just use your blog's URL.
Plan to give away some type of prize –
a copy of the book you are promoting, gift card, bookmarks or anything
that is appropriate for a kid's blog hop. It doesn't have to be expensive;
it is an incentive to get hoppers to visit your blog. You are in charge of
your giveaway and selecting a winner. (For the Grand Prize, see below,
I'll be sending out information to you before the hop to let you know what
it is so you can include it in your post.)
Write a short post that is somehow
related to kids and the holidays. It can be about how you and your
family celebrate, a cute family story (Rated PG), a favorite holiday
tradition – whatever you like as long as it is suitable for all ages. Please include the Blog Hop Button at
the top of your post so hoppers identify your post right away. And don't forget to promote your book
after the post or somehow tie it into the post. (Short promos for your
book are best – if it's too long then people may ignore it completely.)
Keep in mind that parents will probably be following this blog hop in
order to find books for their kids as holiday gifts.
Add the Linky Code to the bottom of
your blog post so people can continue to follow the list of authors in the
hop. Blogger/blogspot sites can add it right to the bottom under HTML.
**WordPress blogs are unable to add the Linky code so youcan link back
to my site page here:http://www.outlawheroes.com **
Make sure your post is up by 10:00 AM
Central Timeon Dec. 7th.
I will be going down the list and visiting each blog to make sure a post
is up. If it isn't, I'll be deleting that blog from the Linky List so blog
hoppers won't get discouraged.
Promote your post & giveaway on
all the social media sites. The Twitter hash tag we will be using for
this blog hop is #KidsBlogHop.Promotion is key in getting as many
people to your site as possible.
Be sure to have your post visible
in some way for the entire four days of the hop. Link it to the blog hop
button or some other way so hoppers can find it.
Grand Prize Giveaway
I would love to have Grand
Prize Giveaway if possible – it helps to draw in more followers to the blog
hop. I'm thinking some type of Kindle or Nook – depending upon how much money I
can raise. If not, then whatever money I receive will go toward an Amazon Gift
Card. All comments left on all the blogs
in the hop will be entered in to win the Grand Prize.
If you'd like to
donate money toward the main Grand Prize, please send $5 or $10 to my
PayPal account and I'll use it to buy the prize. ALL MONEY WILL BE USED FOR THE
PRIZE. Use the email address: sletten@paulbunyan.netto send money – be sure to mark it as a
"GIFT" so no money is deducted as a fee. Also, mention in the
comment section that the money is for the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop and
include your name. Thanks so much!
A week before the blog I will send out an email to everyone
reminding them of the blog hop and telling you what the Grand Prize will be and
how the hoppers can win it.
Thanks everyone – I hope we get a big turnout of authors and
hoppers for this blog hop!
Be sure to comment at the end to enter into both Giveaways!
The Giveaway is now over - Thank you to everyone who participated.
Congrats to Delphina for winning the $10 Amazon Gift Card from my site!
To view the list of Grand Prize Winners, Click here.
Welcome to the Autumn's Harvest Blog Hop!
I love, love, love autumn. I love going for long walks in the woods along the lakeshore, enjoying the beautiful colors of red, orange and yellow leaves on the trees and hearing the crunch of dry, fallen leaves under my feet. It's a time for sunny days with cooler air and crisp nights. Autumn is about swapping your tank tops for big comfy sweaters and your shorts for soft, faded jeans. It is also a time for winding down and snuggling up in front of a fire with your favorite loved one. Sure, autumn means that the dreaded winter is coming, but even winter can be a welcome change with short days and long nights when you can curl up with hot cocoa under a snuggly blanket with your sweetheart and watch the new season of your favorite TV show. Or, whatever other activity you come up with! What is your favorite part of autumn?
In my romance novel, MEMORIES, autumn comes to Minnesota in the form of a roaring storm on Labor Day weekend, leaving Dani and Michael stranded together in her apartment – much to Dani's dismay. But being cooped up unexpectedly with someone you once loved and then have hated for years can have amazing results. Pick up a copy of MEMORIES to find out what happens between Michael & Dani!
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
My GIVEAWAY! Giveaway now over - thanks for participating!
In appreciation of your stopping by, I'm having a giveaway! If you leave a comment below, I'll put your name in the drawing for a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Be sure to put an email address in the comment so I can contact you if you are the winner. The giveaway starts today, November 9th and ends November 12th at midnight. I will notify the winner after noon on Nov. 13th.
Be sure to visit the other sites listed below for their posts and many more giveaways!
