Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Alice's Portrait by Juliette Harper
I'm excited to share the cover reveal of Alice's Portrait by Juliette Harper, the third book in the Lockwood Legacy series. This is an adult contemporary mystery that is also very focused on family, small town and ranch life as well as some clean romance.
About the Book:
A year after Kate, Jenny, and Mandy Lockwood inherit The Rocking L, the sisters try to concentrate on their collective and individual futures. In the previous book in The Lockwood Legacy series, Baxter’s Draw, the women made startling discoveries about their father’s secrets, but are mistaken in their belief that everything has now come to light. In Alice’s Portrait, the ghosts of Langston Lockwood’s past once again confront his daughters, forcing them to re-evaluate their understanding of their father and of what it means to be a Lockwood.
Excerpt:
Instead of fighting back, Langston took off his hat and ran a tired hand through his graying hair. “Don’t talk about Alice,” he said. “You don’t know enough to talk about her. As for your Mama, there won’t be any peace for me over what I did to her, but she’s at peace, Jenny. I can at least tell you that.”
“That’s supposed to make me feel better, Daddy? Really? I know Mama is at peace because she was a kind, gentle woman. As for you, I hope you walk the earth for eternity and enjoy your own tailor-made brand of hell.”
“I reckon I probably will,” he said, the words filled with tired regret. “I always thought if there was an afterlife I’d find my Alice, but she isn’t here. I probably deserve that, but it’s bitter gall, little girl. It’s bitter gall all the same.”
“I’ll ask you again. What do you want, Daddy?” Jenny said, her voice ice cold.
“What I want is for you to make your peace with it, Jenny,” he said. “You got my temper and my gifts. Those things come from me and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it. You’ve got real talent. Only thing I could draw was my Alice, but you see the world with clear eyes. My art came from anger and pain, but yours comes from your soul. Let that out, daughter. That’s what I want.”
“You don’t know a damned thing about my soul,” she snapped.
“The hell I don’t,” he said mildly. “I was like you once, before I let life drive me over the edge. Fiery, passionate, idealistic. Being like me won’t hurt you, Jenny. You’re too strong. Katie, she’s tough and capable; she’s a thinker and her heart is as big as Texas when she opens it. But you, daughter? You’d spit the devil in the eye and dare him to cart you to hell. God knows you spit me in the eye.”
“You drove me away from my home! I was 17. I was alone and scared but I had to get the hell away from you. Do you have any idea what that was like for me, Daddy?”
“You should thank God I drove you away, girl,” Langston said. “Everything you went through out there is why you can be here now. Lead your life, Jenny. You and that Baxter boy, you got a future. There’s no coincidence him being a Baxter, you just don’t realize it yet.”
“Damn you,” she said. “Josh is right. You are haunting us. Dead or not, tend to your own business.”
“The dead always haunt the living, girl,” he said, standing up. “You got a hell of a lot more ghosts to worry about than me. Deal with them.”
As he started for the door, Jenny said to his back, “Daddy, did you ever love me?”
Langston turned, his hat in his hand. “I loved all my girls,” he said. “Problem was, I hated myself too much to show it. Look under the bridge, Jenny. You’ll find what you need to know there.”
Don’t miss out on the first book, Langston’s Daughters, only .99 cents in ebook!
Baxter's Draw, book two in the Lockwood Legacy is out now!
About the Author:
Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. Like the characters of their debut series, The Lockwood Legacy, Juliette is a merging of their creative energies.
Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan from a long line of hardheaded Scots, knows the world of the Lockwoods like the back of her hand.“We decided to write under a pen name because neither one of us by ourselves could have created Kate, Jenny, Mandy, and their world,” says Pauletti. “Juliette is a little bit of us both. We want to be her when we grow up.”
Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan from a long line of hardheaded Scots, knows the world of the Lockwoods like the back of her hand.“We decided to write under a pen name because neither one of us by ourselves could have created Kate, Jenny, Mandy, and their world,” says Pauletti. “Juliette is a little bit of us both. We want to be her when we grow up.”
“Patti teases me that I just don’t want to own up to writing a book with romance in it,” Williamson adds, “but that’s not true. I like the Lockwood women and the way they tackle everything life throws at them. And before we’re done, they’ll be ducking a lot. I imagine coming into the office every day and saying, ‘Okay Juliette, what’s going to happen now?’ She tells us, and we get it down on paper.”
Giveaway:
$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends 4/14
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Book Blitz with Two Giveaways: Royal Date by Sariah Wilson
Book & Author Details:
Royal Date by Sariah Wilson
Publication date: March 3rd 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Publication date: March 3rd 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
This Cinderella didn’t plan on a prince
. . .
Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin.
HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.
Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?
Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin.
HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.
Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO:
Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt.
Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however,
been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in
happily ever afters--which is why she writes romance. She has published
five happily ever after stories. She grew up in southern California, graduated
from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree
in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children. She currently lives
with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along
with three tiger barb fish, a cat named Tiger, and a recently departed hamster
that is buried in the backyard (and has nothing at all to do with tigers).
Author links:
Win an eBook of Royal Date by Sariah Wilson.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
GIVEAWAY #2
Win a $50 Amazon gift card. (Blitz-wide giveaway).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
GIVEAWAY #2
Win a $50 Amazon gift card. (Blitz-wide giveaway).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, March 23, 2015
My 10 All Time Favorite TV Shows
What are your favorite TV shows - past, present, comedy, drama? What shows will you always stop to see if you spot them as an unexpected rerun?
My list is more or less chronological, but the first show happens to also be my all-time favorite. I love I Love Lucy. When I was a little girl, I watched this in reruns with my mother, who also loves the show. Lucille Ball was such a gifted comedienne, and the cast is absolutely perfect. I love everything about this show. As well as being so funny and so well written, the 1950's NYC period details are fabulous!
If I had to spend a month in a TV show, it would be The Andy Griffith Show. There is something so sweet and appealing about Mayberry. I love the Taylor family with Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee. Barney Fife is one of my all time favorite tv characters (I even named my late, beloved dachshund after him!).
The Dick Van Dyke Show is another show that so perfectly captures a time and place. From early 1960's suburbia to work as comedy writers on a sketch comedy show ... what a fun show! Rob and Laura Petrie (Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore) are my favorite TV couple.
The Brady Bunch is the ultimate show of my childhood. I grew up with this show. The house, the clothes, school life, friends all remind me so much of my childhood. This is tv "comfort food" for me.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a great favorite in my family. My parents loved all the MTM produced shows, so I have happy memories of watching these with my family when I was growing up. I think Mary Richards was a great role model as a single career woman ... but this whole cast was perfect. I love the newsroom scenes and also Mary's interactions at home with friends Rhoda and Phyllis.
The Bob Newhart Show was my father's favorite show. It is such a smartly written show, and another great cast. Bob and Emily Hartley (Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette) are another of my favorite TV couples. The juxtaposition of Bob's work life as a psychiatrist and his home life is also fun, with another strong cast.
Rhoda was one of my favorite shows as a young teenager. I remember thinking that Rhoda's life as a NYC window dresser was very exciting ... and of course there was also her romance with handsome Joe Girard. I also loved her family. (Any scene with Nancy Walker is great.)
I was young to watch Upstairs Downstairs, but I watched it anyway! It was my first period piece drama, my first Masterpiece Theatre obsession, and I love it to this day. As a young girl I remember looking for books inspired by the show and reading about Edwardian England. It really captured my imagination.
The Vicar of Dibley is my favorite Britcom. I did not see it in first run, but my best friend gave me the series on DVD because he said it was the ultimate "Trish show." He was absolutely right. Dawn French plays a vicar in a small town in England. The tone of the show is gentle and heartwarming (with occasional earthiness). I love the way Geraldine Granger (played by Dawn French) is written, as a character of faith, kindness, and good humor. This show was created by Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary).
If you read my blog often, you will know that Downton Abbey is my favorite current show. (I recap it weekly on the blog.) It reminds me a lot of Upstairs Downstairs. I love everything about this show - life upstairs, life downstairs, the relationships, the social mores, the costumes and sets. It is absolute perfection!
And a few runner up shows!
It was hard to make a list of just 10 shows. The following shows just barely missed the list:
That Girl - I loved the story of a single woman pursuing an acting career in NYC in the 1960's. Donald Hollinger (played by Ted Bessell) is my favorite tv boyfriend ever - handsome, smart, and funny!
Columbo - Columbo (Peter Falk) is my favorite detective, with his rumpled raincoat, Basset Hound, and VW Beetle. A TV world with Columbo solving mysteries is a very good place.
Felicity - Felicity's college years in the 1990's remind me so much of my life in the 1980's. I related to Felicity's romances, friendships, and debate about career (in her case, art vs. medicine). This is my favorite J.J. Abrams show.
Veronica Mars - Veronica Mars is a modern day Nancy Drew meets young adult fiction. I loved the mysteries, her relationship with her father (who is a detective), the high school, the little town of Neptune ...
Sex and the City - I go back and forth on this show. I absolutely loved the stories of friendship and romance. However, I was not a fan of the consumerism presented in this show. (I have never waxed rhapsodic over designer shoes!)
So there you have it ... my list of favorites, plus a few runner ups. What are YOUR favorite tv shows? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
My list is more or less chronological, but the first show happens to also be my all-time favorite. I love I Love Lucy. When I was a little girl, I watched this in reruns with my mother, who also loves the show. Lucille Ball was such a gifted comedienne, and the cast is absolutely perfect. I love everything about this show. As well as being so funny and so well written, the 1950's NYC period details are fabulous!
If I had to spend a month in a TV show, it would be The Andy Griffith Show. There is something so sweet and appealing about Mayberry. I love the Taylor family with Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee. Barney Fife is one of my all time favorite tv characters (I even named my late, beloved dachshund after him!).
The Dick Van Dyke Show is another show that so perfectly captures a time and place. From early 1960's suburbia to work as comedy writers on a sketch comedy show ... what a fun show! Rob and Laura Petrie (Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore) are my favorite TV couple.
The Brady Bunch is the ultimate show of my childhood. I grew up with this show. The house, the clothes, school life, friends all remind me so much of my childhood. This is tv "comfort food" for me.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a great favorite in my family. My parents loved all the MTM produced shows, so I have happy memories of watching these with my family when I was growing up. I think Mary Richards was a great role model as a single career woman ... but this whole cast was perfect. I love the newsroom scenes and also Mary's interactions at home with friends Rhoda and Phyllis.
The Bob Newhart Show was my father's favorite show. It is such a smartly written show, and another great cast. Bob and Emily Hartley (Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette) are another of my favorite TV couples. The juxtaposition of Bob's work life as a psychiatrist and his home life is also fun, with another strong cast.
Rhoda was one of my favorite shows as a young teenager. I remember thinking that Rhoda's life as a NYC window dresser was very exciting ... and of course there was also her romance with handsome Joe Girard. I also loved her family. (Any scene with Nancy Walker is great.)
I was young to watch Upstairs Downstairs, but I watched it anyway! It was my first period piece drama, my first Masterpiece Theatre obsession, and I love it to this day. As a young girl I remember looking for books inspired by the show and reading about Edwardian England. It really captured my imagination.
The Vicar of Dibley is my favorite Britcom. I did not see it in first run, but my best friend gave me the series on DVD because he said it was the ultimate "Trish show." He was absolutely right. Dawn French plays a vicar in a small town in England. The tone of the show is gentle and heartwarming (with occasional earthiness). I love the way Geraldine Granger (played by Dawn French) is written, as a character of faith, kindness, and good humor. This show was created by Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary).
If you read my blog often, you will know that Downton Abbey is my favorite current show. (I recap it weekly on the blog.) It reminds me a lot of Upstairs Downstairs. I love everything about this show - life upstairs, life downstairs, the relationships, the social mores, the costumes and sets. It is absolute perfection!
And a few runner up shows!
It was hard to make a list of just 10 shows. The following shows just barely missed the list:
That Girl - I loved the story of a single woman pursuing an acting career in NYC in the 1960's. Donald Hollinger (played by Ted Bessell) is my favorite tv boyfriend ever - handsome, smart, and funny!
Columbo - Columbo (Peter Falk) is my favorite detective, with his rumpled raincoat, Basset Hound, and VW Beetle. A TV world with Columbo solving mysteries is a very good place.
Felicity - Felicity's college years in the 1990's remind me so much of my life in the 1980's. I related to Felicity's romances, friendships, and debate about career (in her case, art vs. medicine). This is my favorite J.J. Abrams show.
Veronica Mars - Veronica Mars is a modern day Nancy Drew meets young adult fiction. I loved the mysteries, her relationship with her father (who is a detective), the high school, the little town of Neptune ...
Sex and the City - I go back and forth on this show. I absolutely loved the stories of friendship and romance. However, I was not a fan of the consumerism presented in this show. (I have never waxed rhapsodic over designer shoes!)
So there you have it ... my list of favorites, plus a few runner ups. What are YOUR favorite tv shows? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
Music Monday - "Here Comes the Sun" (The Beatles)
"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right"
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