Wednesday, November 23, 2016

#Holiday Gift Guide: Romance, Romance, #Romance


For dozens of books in many genres, visit N. N. Light’s Holiday Gift Guide.

Romantic Adventures for Adults

Are you buying a gift for a romance lover? Or would you like a quick vacation in the pages of a book, to get you through the busy holiday season? Try one of these Kris Bock titles.

The Mad Monk’s Treasure – a romantic adventure

When a quiet history professor uncovers a clue to the legendary lost Victorio Peak treasure, she prepares for adventure. But she’s not the only one interested. Is the handsome pilot who rescued her a hero or the enemy? “The story has it all—action, romance, danger, intrigue….”

The Dead Man’s Treasure  – Rebecca Westin’s grandfather left her a buried treasure – if she can decipher a complex series of clues leading to it. Her half-siblings are determined to reach the treasure first. Good thing Rebecca has help, in the form of a green-eyed charmer determined to make their desert adventure sexy and fun. But a treacherous enemy will do anything to get that treasure – and revenge.

Action and romance combine in this lively Southwestern adventure, complete with riddles the reader is invited to solve. The Dead Man’s Treasure is book 2 in the New Mexico treasure hunters series. In book 3, The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle. (Each book features a different hero and heroine, and stands alone.)

Counterfeits  – Jenny returns to her grandparents’ art camp in a remote New Mexico town after her grandmother’s sudden death. That night, staying alone in the empty house, she wakes to the noise of intruders. What do the strangers want? As more bizarre events unfold, Jenny starts to realize the people she thought she knew are not what they seem – least of all Rob, an old friend and the camp cook, whose past may be coming back to haunt them all.

What We Found  –  When Audra stumbles on a murdered woman in the woods, more than one person isn’t happy about her bringing the crime to light. She’ll have to stand up for herself in order to stand up for the murder victim. It’s a risk, and so is reaching out to the mysterious young man who works with deadly birds of prey. But with danger all around, some risks are worth taking.

Whispers in the Dark  – Kylie Hafford craves adventure when she heads to the remote Puebloan ruins of Lost Valley, Colorado, to excavate. Romance isn’t in her plans, but she soon meets two sexy men: Danesh looks like a warrior from the Pueblo’s ancient past, and Sean is a charming, playful tourist. The summer heats up as Kylie uncovers mysteries, secrets, and terrors in the night. She’ll need all her strength and wits to survive—and to save the man she’s come to love.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit the Kris Bock Amazon pageSign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Inspirational

If you prefer an inspirational title, try Alone, a romantic suspense, by SM Ford:

Ready for adventure in the snowy Colorado mountains, Cecelia Gage is thrilled to be employed as the live-in housekeeper for her favorite bestselling author. The twenty-five-year-old doesn’t count on Mark Andrews being so prickly, nor becoming part of the small town gossip centering on the celebrity. Neither does she expect to become involved in Andrews family drama and a relationship with Simon Lindley, Mark’s oh so good-looking best friend. And certainly, Cecelia has no idea she’ll be mixed up in a murder investigation because of this job.
Will Cecelia’s faith in God get her through all the trouble that lies ahead?

Visit SM Ford’s website or find her on Amazon.

Historical

If you’d like to journey to the past, try one of the historical romance novels from Mariana Gabrielle. You can check out her writing with the free prequel novella Shipmate:

The heavy hands and sharp tongues of Bella Smithson’s family have left her almost too timid to converse with a gentleman, much less conduct a husband hunt. Unfortunately, her overbearing aunt and managing cousin are determined to help her escape her black-hearted father and brothers.

Thanks to the Prince of Wales, retiring shipping magnate Myron Clewes has an ever-growing fortune, a fresh-minted peerage, a brand-new flagship, and an impossible set of requirements for a bride. Not least, she must be willing to leave England and everything she knows, possibly for good, in less than two months’ time.

Or for something different, try La Déesse Noire: The Black Goddess:

Kali Matai, London’s most famed Indian dancer and courtesan, harbors a lifetime of secrets, as more lives than hers depend on it.

Sired by a British peer, born of a paramour to Indian royalty, she has been destined from birth to enthrall England’s most powerful noblemen—though she hadn’t counted on becoming their pawn. Finding herself under the control of ruthless men, who will not be moved by her legendary allure, she has no choice but to use her beauty toward their malicious and clandestine ends.

When those she holds most dear are placed in peril by backroom political dealings, she enlists some of the most formidable lords in England to thwart her enemies. But even with the help of the prominent gentlemen she has captivated, securing Kali’s freedom, her family, and the man she loves, will require her protectors stop at nothing to fulfill her desires.

check out her Amazon page.

If you prefer contemporary romances, check out Deanna Roy’s Forever Innocent series:

Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.

Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.

When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.

A New Adult Contemporary Romance

Visit Deanna’s website or Amazon page.

Prefer a bit of paranormal in your Romance? Check out Marion Croslydon’s titles.

Oxford Whispers 

Madison LeBon is dead set against the dead. 

Her fresh start at Oxford University is a brand new beginning. She finally has a chance to turn the page on her psychic powers and cumbersome voodoo heritage. Snakes, dolls, ghosts, and spirits: Farewell…
Not quite.
When the tragic lovers in a painting—the subject of her first history class—begin to haunt her, she must accept her gift before life imitates art. The lovers warn her against their own nemesis, a Puritan from the English Civil War. Unfortunately, said nemesis is now going all homicidal on Madison.
College becomes more complicated when she falls hard for Rupert Vance, a troubled aristocrat and descendant of one of the characters in the painting. With the spirit of a murderer after her, Madison realizes that her own first love may also be doomed…


To learn about this and her other books, visit Marion’s website or Amazon page.

 You can see my earlier posts for Great Books for Middle Grade and Teen ReadersPicture Books for Children, and Nonfiction – Writing, Cooking and More!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

#Holiday Gift Guide: Picture Books for Children #KidLit

Picture Books for Young Children

If you have young readers – or pre-readers – on your shopping list, consider some of these adorable picture books from Lori Mortensen:

Cindy Moo
One night on the farm, the cows overhear a fantastic tale. “Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon!” Inspired by this classic rhyme, a plucky cow named Cindy Moo sets out to prove that cows really can leap over the moon. The other cows laugh, but that doesn’t stop Cindy Moo from trying night after night. Could a cow really jump over the moon? This delightfully silly picture book will have readers of all ages cheering for its determined heroine.

Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg
What’s Cowpoke Clyde to do with Dawg, covered in mud and not smellin’ so sweet? Pop him in the tub of course! But Dawg will have none of it, setting off a commotion that has all the critters on the ranch dashing every which way to stay out of range. It’s not till Clyde is ready to throw in the towel, that he discovers the secret to bathing Dawg. Rollicking verse with page-turn surprises makes this uproarious tall tale a rootin’ tootin’ read-aloud.

Cowpoke Clyde Rides the Range
Cowpoke Clyde learns to ride a bike in a story of perseverance and friendship, with plenty of Western flair and a big dollop of humor.

Mousequerade Ball
Counting up to ten and back again, dancing all the while, this delightful story invites readers--and dancers--to the event of the season: The Mousequerade Ball!

Chicken Lily
Chicken Lily may be a lot of things--a careful colorer, a patient puzzler, and a quiet hide-and-seeker (she never makes a peep!)--but brave is not one of them. When her teacher, Mrs. Lop, plans a school-wide poetry jam, Lily is terrified. She doesn’t want to stand in front of everyone and sound like a bird brain! With encouragement from her friends  Baabette and Pigsley, Lily decides to hatch a plan. Can she put her best claw forward and prove that even chickens aren’t chicken all the time?

Check out all her titles on Amazon.

Or here’s a fun picture book from Amy Houts:

What Do Moms Do?
In this picture book, charming illustrations by award-winning artist, Lisa Thiesing, tell the story of a newly-hatched duckling who asks her friends, “What do moms do?” Using humor in everyday situations, animals describe how mothers show their love. Perfect for bedtime or anytime a soothing story is desired. Available in paper book or as an ebook for $2.99.

See all of Amy Hout’s books at her website or on Amazon.

Do you want to share some nature nonfiction instead? Here’s another title from Lori Mortensen:

In the Trees, Honey Bees!
Peek inside this tree and see a wild colony of honey bees. It hums with life. Look at the thousands of worker bees--each one doing her job. Some are making wax. Some are feeding the hungry brood. Some are storing sweet honey. Look at all the combs, filled with honey and pollen! And there’s the queen, laying eggs. It’s all very organized, like a  smoothly running town. A honey bee colony is a remarkable place, and you will never look at bees in the same way again

Find it on Amazon.

Or try this one from Cindy Trumbore:

Prairie Dog Song, co-written with and illustrated by collage artist Susan L. Roth, has received three starred reviews and was a Junior Library Guild selection. Aimed at children in grades 1-4, it tells the history of the prairie dog and its role as a key species in the North American grasslands ecosystem. The text is a combination of a song to the tune of “The Green Grass Grew All Around,” with fact boxes giving more information about each spread. The music is at the back of the book and is available as a free download from the publisher’s website.  

Find this title at Amazon or learn more about Cindy’s books at her website.

Finally, the following is Fun for All Ages!

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Starring The Chickens

Chickens peck. Chickens peep. Chickens do not take over Halloween. Or do they? In this world upside-down story for all chicken lovers, silliness and a clucking good time leads to a surprise. (The Chickens previously starred in Chickens Do Not Take Over Halloween.)

Visit Molly’s website or her see all her books at Amazon.