Sunday, December 30, 2012

Book Review: This Time Forever by Patricia Paris

Hi all,

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.

Buy This Time Forever:

Amazon Kindle - $2.99


My 5 Star Review


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.
 
Cheers,
Deanna

Saturday, December 29, 2012

MEMORIES is Now Available in Audio Book!

Hi all,
Audio Book Cover by Deborah at Tugboat Design

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!

Buy MEMORIES Audio Book:

Amazon

Audible.com

iTunes Store

More Good News!

You can try a FREE membership at Audible.com and download Memories for FREE. Check out the offer on the Amazon page for more information.

Cheers,
Deanna

Monday, December 24, 2012

New Cover Reveal for Widow, Virgin, Whore & My Upcoming Projects


Cover Created by Tugboat Design
Hi all,

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.

Cheers,

Deanna

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sara's Promise Book Release Tour Wrap-up!

Hi all,

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:

 An Angell's Life 

Stephanie Hurt  






Jan's Blog    

Janna Shay

Janna Shay (blog 2!)    


Ann's Afterthoughts         


Lynelle Clark Aspired Writer 

Prize Winners!

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:
 
 
 
Thanks again for following the tour. I appreciate everyone's support.
 
Have a wonderful holiday season!
 
Cheers,
Deanna
 
 
  

Friday, December 14, 2012

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop & Giveaway

Hi all,

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?  

Buy Sara's Promise on
Amazon Kindle $3.99
Paperback $9.99


***

Giveaway – My Gift to You

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!


Sunday, December 9, 2012

Sara's Promise Book Blog Tour & Giveaway!


Hi all,

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?

**

 Where to buy Sara's Promise

Amazon Kindle – $3.99





Book Release Blog Tour & Giveaway!

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!


Sara's Promise Book Release Tour Schedule

December 10thAn Angell's Life – Promo & Excerpt 1

December 10thStephanie Hurt – Promo & Excerpt 2 

December 11thRenata F. Barcelos' Fiction – Promo & Excerpt 3 

December 11thGina's Library – Promo & Excerpt 4

December 12thSusan's Magical Musings – Promo & Excerpt 5 

December 13thDean Mayes – Promo & Excerpt 6 

December 13thTugboat Design – Promo & Excerpt 7

December 14thJan's Blog – Promo & Excerpt 8   

December 14thJanna Shay – Promo & Excerpt 9

December 14th - Janna Shay (blog 2!) Promo & Excerpt 9   

December 15thHave You Heard My Book Review – Promo & Excerpt 10

December 16thAnn's Afterthoughts – Promo & Excerpt 11        

December 17thLynette Endicott – Promo & Excerpt 12 

December 17thLynelle Clark Aspired Writer – Promo & Excerpt 13   

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 Design for 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.

Lynnette Labelle of Labelle's Writing on the Wall Editorial Services. Lynnette is a talented editor who helped me turn Sara's Promise into the best novel it can be! 

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you will follow along with the book blog tour.

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address included in order to enter the Giveaway!

Cheers,

Deanna

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop & Giveaway



Hi everyone,

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!










Good luck and happy hopping!
Deanna