{Bleeding Heart by Amber Stokes: COVER REVEAL + A GIVEAWAY!}

It's with great enthusiasm that I present the cover of Bleeding Heart by Amber Stokes!  I met Amber years ago in the blogging world at her blog Seasons of Humility.  Perhaps you've met her there as well!  I've always enjoyed her sweet, kind-hearted spirit, as well as her awesome book reviews and devotionals.  Last summer, she gave me the opportunity to be an early reader of the beginning of her upcoming novel, Bleeding Heart, and I jumped at the chance!  Let me say, it was amazing, and I was left wanting to read the entire novel.  Thankfully, I won't have to wait much longer . . . and neither will you!  Bleeding Heart is tentatively scheduled to be published in August 2013!  Please take a moment to find out more about the book, the author, and the book's cover designer.  And be sure not to miss the beautiful, themed giveaway!
 
About the Book:
Five bleeding hearts. One profound journey. Summer 1886

Sally Clay’s livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others – and hers isn’t the only heart that’s broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.

Inspirational Historical Romance

The Book’s Blog:
In conjunction with the cover reveal, Amber’s doing a “blog reveal,” as well! You can find all the latest news about Bleeding Heart, along with book extras, at the Bleeding Heart blog.

About the Author:
Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passion for the written word - from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in Oregon, she is now back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing her debut novel, Bleeding Heart. You can connect with Amber on her blog, Seasons of Humility.

About the Cover Designer:
Lena Goldfinch lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her online at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com

Teaser from Bleeding Heart:
 
Prologue

Breaking hearts should be considered a crime. That would make Elizabeth Lawson an outlaw and Joe Clifton the victim. And that wasn’t a far stretch in Joe’s mind. She had rounded up his heart, branded her name across it when it should never have belonged to her, and then left him high and dry. Still, he was getting sick of hanging around the scene of the crime. He just didn’t know where else to go.
Lake Tahoe had once been his favorite get-away destination, a place where he could go to just sit back and enjoy the view of water as clear as a shined-up mirror. Now those crystal depths and the unmoving boulders along the water’s edge taunted him, bringing back memories of a happy proposal and a less-than-happy scene where his heart was handed back to him on a silver platter – bruised, broken, and bleeding.
He didn’t want to make any more memories like that. So he made a promise to himself: He would never let anyone break his heart again.

In addition to this amazing cover reveal and book preview, Amber is including a great giveaway!  Check out the beautiful prizes purchased from Cindy Lindgrin and Belle on a Budget!  Be sure to enter using the Rafflecopter form below!

Noted Cards designed by Cindy Lindgren

Teardrop Earrings designed by Belle on a Budget

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Duck Commander Phil Robertson - Deciding to Follow Jesus} + Book Preview

Raise your hand if you're a Duck Dynasty fan!  Me, me, me! ::Jumping up and down, waving hands wildly:::

I watched Duck Dynasty on A&E on February 24th for the first time, thanks to my hubby's channel surfing.  I wasn't actually watching the show, but probably playing Candy Crush on my iPad, when I heard some VERY funny things being said.  My interest was piqued, and I looked up to see what he was watching.  I continue to crack up for the remainder of the show . . . and I was hooked!  Thankfully, they were running several episodes in a row, so we watched some more.  Come to find out, they're a Christian family, that incorporates their faith into their show.  No words are being bleeped out, and it's a great show that the entire family can watch together.  Amazing!  Sign me up for more of this, I say!  :D

Over the past few weeks, I've gotten to know the Robertson family even more, by reading their book, The Duck Commander Family.  It's a great book, by the way!  I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the show (or even if you haven't watched it yet)!

In addition, I stumbled across this LifeWay Christian video on my Facebook newsfeed, and I must say, I'm loving this family more everyday!  Their show has more than 4 million fans on facebook, and it just appears to be growing daily.  I don't know about you, but I think this is HUGE.  I'm so happy to see that this family is using their platform to bring glory to God, and that they appear to be staying grounded.  I just can't help but think, how many will be lead to Christ through this family and the example they set?  They have a huge platform, and a tremendous influence for Christ.  I pray they continue to use it well.

The patriarch of the family, Phil Robertson, has a book coming out on May 7, 2013, titled Happy, Happy, Happy.  Here's a little bit about the book . . .

In Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the DUCK COMMANDER, author Phil Robertson, the founder of Duck Commander, shares his inspiring stories of creating the first duck call, beginning the Duck Commander business, becoming a Christian, and living his faith.

A Book Preview: {Love's Awakening} by Laura Frantz (September 2013 Release)

From beloved Christian author, Laura Frantz, comes Love's Awakening.  This is Book 2 in the Ballantyne Legacy Series, scheduled for release in September 2013, and if you've read any books by Laura Frantz, you know we're in for a real treat.  I can't wait for this one!  And look at that beautiful cover . . . WOW!  It's stunning, to say the least.

About the Book:

Ellie Ballantyne, youngest child of Silas and Eden, has quit finishing school. Missing her family, Ellie leaves Philadelphia determined to never return. But at her family home in up-and-coming Pittsburgh, Ellie finds her parents are away on a long trip and her siblings don’t seem to want her to stay. When she opens a day school for young ladies, she begins tutoring the incorrigible daughter of the enemy Turlock clan. The Turlocks, slaveholders and whiskey magnates, are envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly tangled with the Turlocks, she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future—and Jack Turlock, a young man striving to free himself from his family’s violent legacy. How can she betray her family and side with the enemy? And will Jack ever allow her into his world?

Love's Awakening is available for preorder at amazon.com.

A Book Preview: {Love at Any Cost} by Julie Lessman (April 2013 Release)

From beloved Christian author, Julie Lessman, comes the long awaited first book in The Heart of San Francisco series.  Love at Any Cost is Julie's eighth novel, and is scheduled for release on April 15, 2013.  As a fan of Julie's work, and the rich history of San Francisco, I can't wait to read this one!  Thankfully, Julie's eager reader friends won't have to wait much longer!  It's hard to believe the wait is almost over!

About the Book/Series:

From the glitter and glamour of San Francisco’s Nob Hill and Napa wine country, to the seedy dance halls and gambling dens of the Barbary Coast, “The Heart of San Francisco” series is a study in contrasts between the haves and have-nots, and barriers between rich and poor that only faith can transcend. 

The story of the McClares, a wealthy political family in 1902 San Francisco, not only highlights the struggles of faith and heart of three cousins, but of the matriarch of the family as well, Caitlyn McClare. A widow of strong faith and beauty, Caitlyn butts heads and hearts with her handsome brother-in-law Logan McClare, the fiancé who betrayed her before she married his brother. In a breathtaking city where the Irish were predominant in the early 1900s and wielding power in both politics and wealth, the story of the McClares is a glimpse into beauty and degradation, poverty and promise during a riveting time in our nation’s history.

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself bucked by love a second time. Will Jamie discover that money can't buy love after all? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?

With delectable descriptions and a romantic sensibility, bestselling author Julie Lessman brings the Gilded Age to life in this sumptuous new series. Readers will faithfully follow Lessman to the West Coast for more romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in Love at Any Cost.

Love at Any Cost is currently available for preorder at amazon.com.

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A Book Preview: {Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions} by Lysa TerKeurst

Today is release day for Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions.  Boy, oh boy, is this a book that I need!  I just started it last night, and it's very good!  I can tell that the book is going to be such an encouragement.  Be watching for a review in the coming month!

 

Lysa TerKeurst admits that she, like most women, has experiences where others bump into her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. We stuff, we explode, or react somewhere in between.
What do we do with these raw emotions? Is it really possible to make emotions work for us instead of against us? Yes, and in her usual inspiring and practical way, Lysa will show you how.
Filled with personal examples and Biblical teaching,
Unglued will equip you to:

• Know with confidence how to resolve conflict in your
  important relationships.
• Find peace in your most difficult relationships as you learn to be
  honest but kind when offended.
• Identify what type of reactor you are and how to significantly
  improve your communication.
• Respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff,
  explode, or react somewhere in between.
• Gain a deep sense of calm by responding to situations out of your control without acting out of control.

ABOUT LYSA:

Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author, National Speaker, and President of Proverbs 31 Ministries. You can read her daily blog at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or hear her encouragement through the Proverbs 31 Ministries’ radio program played on over 1200 outlets. She loves that the first four letters of Messiah spell a “mess.” All of the messages Lysa speaks and writes about come from her awareness of what a mess she can be. Most days you can find her writing from her sticky farm table in North Carolina where she lives with her husband Art, her five priority blessings named Jackson, Mark, Hope, Ashley, and Brooke, 3 dogs and a mouse that refuses to leave her kitchen.

Book Preview & Book Trailer: {To Whisper Her Name} by Tamera Alexander

I'm really looking forward to this one!  Tamera Alexander is an amazing author, with incredible talent.  If you haven't read any of her books yet, you'll want to add her to the top of your list!  

To Whisper Her Name is scheduled to release October 23, 2012, and is available for PRE-order now at a discounted price of $4.99 for Kindle, and $8.38 for print. But only for pre-orders.

About the Book:  Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a murdered carpetbagger, gratefully accepts an invitation from 'Aunt' Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation and the dearest friend of Olivia's late mother. Expecting to be the Harding's housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned once again when she learns the real reason why Elizabeth's husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Caring for an ill Aunt Elizabeth, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a southern-born son who---unbeknownst to her and everyone else---fought for the Union. Determined to learn 'the gift' that Belle Meade's head horse trainer, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him while harboring secrets that threaten his life. As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for 'betraying' the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again... Set within the remarkable history of Nashville's historic Belle Meade Plantation, comes a story about enslavement and freedom, arrogance and humility, and the power of love to heal even the deepest of wounds.

Book Preview: {A Love Surrendered} by Julie Lessman/October 2012

A Love Surrendered by Julie Lessman

Book 3 in the Winds of Change Series 

The final book in the O'Connor Family Saga

Scheduled to release October 2012

About the Book:

Orphaned in Iowa, Annie Kennedy moves to Boston to stay with her spinster aunt. She longs for romance to fill the void left by her parents' death. But when she falls hard for Steven O'Connor, the man who broke an engagement to her sister, Annie is worried. Will he break her heart too when he discovers who she really is?

With heart-pounding romance, intense family drama, and emotional twists and turns, A Love Surrendered is everything Julie Lessman's many fans have been waiting for.

About the Author:

 Julie Lessman is the popular author of A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied, as well as A Hope Undaunted, which was one of 2010's Booklist Top Ten Inspirational Fiction winners, and A Heart Revealed. Lessman has garnered several writing awards, including ten Romance Writers of America awards.

If you haven't read Julie Lessman's books, be sure to start with the Daughters of Boston Series before moving on to the Winds of Change series.  These books are at the TOP of my FAVORITES list, and many others will agree -- with 513 five-star reviews on amazon.com, you don't want to miss out on these books!  The writing is amazing, and each and every book is filled with faith, family, romance and a passion for God that will knock your socks off!  Do yourself a favor . . . get these books!  You'll be so glad you did.  : ) 

The order to read Julie's books:  A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, A Passion Denied, A Hope Undaunted, A Heart Revealed, and finally A Love Surrendered.  

 

 

Book Preview: {Love's Reckoning} by Laura Frantz/September 2012

It's no secret, Laura Frantz is one of my favorite authors!  Her new cover has just been released, and it is gorgeous!  And as captivating as this cover is, I have no doubt that the story within will be just as captivating and breathtaking!  I can hardly wait for the September 2012 release!  It's going to be a sweet treat, indeed!
 

About Love's Reckoning:

On a bitter December day in 1785, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of master blacksmith Liege Lee in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Just months from becoming a master blacksmith himself, Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship and move west. But Liege soon discovers that Silas is a prodigious worker and craftsman and endeavors to keep him in Lancaster. Silas becomes interested in both of Liege's daughters, the gentle and faith-filled Eden and the clever and high-spirited Elspeth. When he chooses one, will the other's jealousy destroy their love?

In this sweeping family saga set in western Pennsylvania, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come. Love's Reckoning is the first entry in The Ballantyne Legacy, a rich, multi-layered historical quartet from talented writer Laura Frantz, beginning in the late 1700s and following the Ballantyne family through the end of the Civil War.


Laura is the author of three other books:  The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and The Colonel's Lady.  If you haven't read them yet, I highly recommend adding them to the top of your list of must reads!

Upcoming Book Reviews & a Giveaway!

I never thought that I would be reviewing books for a publisher on my blog, but now that I am, it's so much fun!  I review for Revell Books, a Division of Baker Publishing Group.  Over the next several weeks, I have many reviews scheduled, so I wanted to give you all a heads up.

Review Coming August 27th

Review Coming September 3rd

Review Coming September 17th

Review Coming September 24th

Review Coming October 1st

  

Also, stay tuned for a fun giveaway that will be coming your way on August 29, 2011!

 

The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz - Book Trailer and Preview

                                      
                                    About Laura Frantz:
Laura Frantz credits her grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history. Frantz's family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in the late eighteenth century and settled in Madison County, where her family still resides. Frantz is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons (from the Revell website).

About The Colonel's Lady:
In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own—some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?
Readers will be enchanted by this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness from reader favorite Laura Frantz. Her solid research and deft writing immerse readers in the world of the early frontier while her realistic characters become intimate friends (from www.goodreads.com).


The Colonel's Lady is scheduled to release August 1, 2011.  You can find more information about Laura and her books by visiting Laura's Blog.

I've read Laura's other books, and they are without a doubt, two of the best books I have ever read!  I highly recommend both of them!  You can read my reviews here . . . The Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little.