Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels #2)

Marrying Winterborne, The Ravenels #2 by Lisa Kleypas is my favorite book in The Ravenels series.

Lisa Kleypas sets up the perfect opposing protagonists when hard-hearted business tycoon, Rhys Winterborne sets out to seduce and then win the notoriously shy, Helen Ravenel.


This romantic historical story is guaranteed to make readers cheer for both sides.


More than reforming a rake: this tale is about redeeming a man who has lived a necessary hard life, who makes no apologies for his tough attitude, and who secretly adores the sweetest of women, Helen Ravenel.

Captured on the pages of Marrying Winterborne, NY Times best-selling author, Lisa Kleypas takes readers on a journey that proves the loving touch of a good woman can indeed smooth off the rough edges of a world-weary man.

Additional Book Reviews:

YOUNG ADULT - FANTASY . . . Magic Harvest by Mary Karlik

FANTASY . . . Michael's Blood by SS Bazinet

SUSPENSE . . . Bluebonnet Ballerina by Carol Kilgore

Additional resources for authors:

How to Entice Readers . . . 5 Writing Tips to Building Book Teasers!

Secrets to Writing THE PERFECT PHRASE

Bluebonnet Ballerina by Carol Kilgore -- book review

Bluebonnet Ballerina is not your average cops and robbers’ type of suspense.

Readers can expect characters, both live and the ‘gently deceased’, to appear on the pages of Bluebonnet Ballerina. The cast includes ex-CIA, cops – active to reassigned, a best friend complete with her guiding spirit, a couple of love interests, and even a few decades-old ghosts thrown into the mix. The hard hitting world of human trafficking, guns for hire, and genuine bad guys are counterbalanced by a healthy – and much appreciated – dose of the ‘woo-woo’ factor.

Bluebonnet Ballerina is filled with: a plot that MAKES sense – always a pleasant surprise in a suspense novel; characters that are intelligent; and enough Texas scenery to bring the favored destination spot, San Antonio, to life. Through the eyes and exploits of Agent Gracie Hofner, readers can enjoy the city street-by-street. In addition, author Carol Kilgore’s veracity of law-enforcement and criminal investigation research guarantees realism on every page.

As Bluebonnet Ballerina winds down the roads of South Texas, readers will be shocked by a murder or two and the harsh reality of the dark web, but they will enjoy vivid scenes deep with sultry evening air, condensation on long-neck bottles, and breathing a little fire from spicy tacos.

Bluebonnet Ballerina is the second feature in The Amazing Gracie Trilogy. Author, Carol Kilgore, allows frighteningly accurate criminal situations to fully develop, and just like investigations in the real world, readers shouldn’t expect easy answers or for the varied plot lines to wrap up by story’s end.

Other K.M. Saint James book reviews:

A Warlock Under The Mistletoe by S.S. Bazinet

Tempting Mr. Townsend by Anna Campbell

Grey's Lady by Natasha Blackthorne

Giving a Heart of Lace: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance

A Warlock Under The Mistletoe by S.S. Bazinet - book review

Are fantasies and fairy tales required for a happy ending? Or is true love the only necessary magic?


In S.S. Bazinet’s Christmas release, A WARLOCK UNDER THE MISTLETOE, heroine, Pippa sets out to prove to co-worker and friend, Adeline that real heroes are more than just a fantasy.

Readers, world-wide, will identify with Pippa, a heroine who believes in romance of the heart and has her very own true love: Chester.

Chester . . . Chester???? Can you really make a HERO out of a ‘Chester’?

If you’re author, S.S. Bazinet you can.

For doubting-Thomas readers, who believe there’s no conflict if the heroine and hero are already a matched pair, S.S. Bazinet proves that trite theory wrong.


By interjecting a sometimes cranky and always cynical co-worker into the mix, readers are treated to a full dose of the misguided friend and her attempts to prove to our heroine that: ‘People want believable stories, not some gibberish that’s all sweetness and fairy tale nonsense.’ (excerpt from A Warlock Under The Mistletoe, Chapter One.)


A bet, a dead-line, and a woman’s heart are all on the line as Pippa must confront her own questions about her fiancé, their relationship, and romantic disillusionment.


Don’t be fooled by Chester’s steady-Eddy personality. Or Pippa’s ever-sunny take on life. There are bumps for these characters along this Christmas path. Change, even inside the most stable relationship, is bound to cause a bit of world tilting.


No spoiler here: I’ll not reveal how Pippa finds a warlock in her fiancé, Chester, but I will remind all – and especially those who have truly loved another – that magical heroes come in all shapes and sizes and appear in the most amazing places: like under one’s own nose or mistletoe.


A WARLOCK UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a true sweet romance; closed bedroom doors only in this book.

Do today’s readers demand the edgy, steeped in reality, border-line harsh styled romance?
Or is there room on the shelf for a sweet read that’s just a really great story?

My holiday heart projects that readers will embrace A WARLOCK UNDER THE MISTLETOE.


Discover the magic of Christmas, as Pippa finds love in the strong arms of her Warlock under the mistletoe.

AUTHOR'S PAGE

Grey's Lady by Natasha Blackthorne - Book Review

Grey’s Lady (Wild, Wicked and Wanton – Book 1) by Natasha Blackthorne

1st Spoiler Alert – this novel is Book 1 in a series. While there is a Resolution, there is NOT a conclusion to the story or with these characters. But no grousing! Author Natasha Blackthorne has this as a current KindleUnlimited download, and has the book marked as a ‘Prequel’.

While historical, author Natasha Blackthorne offers readers a more unique setting as this story line takes place in Philadelphia, PA, spring 1812, where the Port of Philadelphia is blooming.

Attic-borne, Elizabeth (Beth) McConnell and wealthy merchant and shipping owner, Grey Sexton set the sheets on fire with their torrid meetings. If readers are searching for hot and heavy on page, then Grey’s Lady feeds that desire.

Beth, deserted by her first Gentlemen lover – and in her belief, her true love – finds herself trapped in a traditional woman’s role, and stifled under society’s expectations. Wanting, needing release, Beth embarks on a series of dangerous one-time encounters with other Gentlemen. To Beth it is about selectively choosing risks that will curb her sexual needs, then leaving those men after only ONE encounter. The men are left craving more, and Beth can never be ‘truly’ deserted, if she is the one who starts, ends, and controls the assignations.

Author, Natasha Blackthorne, deals with what is seldom considered during historical stories: were ‘ye olden women’ simply free of rampant sexual desire? Natasha Blackthorne takes on the task of answering that question as she weaves Beth’s character.

Grey, in his youth married a society belle, only to discover that name and rank were all that interested his wife. While a son is the result of their union, Grey finds himself in a cold, solitary bed. When his wife dies, Grey swears to keep his relationships to straight sex – a mistress – and not become entangled again.

Beth’s choice of Grey as her newest sexual conquest opens the story, and readers don’t wait long for the first carriage-bump-and-grind between these characters. Instead of Beth’s normal ONE AND DONE excursions, the two are drawn together again and again. Rather like the moth to the flame, but which is the moth and which is the flame is what keeps these sexual rendezvouses hot.

If wanton is a reader’s taste, then Grey’s Lady will satisfy the palate.

However – 2nd Spoiler Alert - readers need to be aware that these characters spend a great deal of their time ‘angry’ on page. Beth and Grey seemed trapped in this one predominate emotion and the characters miss an opportunity to develop more 3-dimensional attributes that could deepen the storyline.

Giving a Heart of Lace: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance - book review

Giving a Heart of Lace: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance is a lovely, sweet read.

How many times has a novel left you wanting to ‘thunk’ the historical heroine in the head, and say, “Take control of your life, girl. Stop waiting for the inevitable.”? Too many times for me. Giving a Heart of Lace: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance is a great change of pace from that normal historical and often, hysterical female character. While staying true to the period, Ms. Richmond has linked two characters—one confined to rank by constraints of birth and one a true victim of circumstances beyond financial control—who find themselves on the outside of the TON plate-glass window looking in. If the protagonists are guilty of a bit of bemoaning their fates, they don’t dwell on it, but rather find ways to survive and then thrive.

These are my favorite types of characters: the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootlaces characters.

Ms. Richmond also does a wonderful job of setting the scene for subsequent stories. Not to the degree where the reader is lamenting the fact that characters are introduced and then left hanging. No, it’s much more handily accomplished. Just a tease to know there’s more to come from this time period and this delightful author.

While some novels are meant to be deep and dark, full of plot twists, and crammed with villains, others are meant to provide a gentle respite from the world where heroes are obvious and the happy ending is guaranteed. Arietta Richmond has provided just such a delicate escape in Giving a Heart of Lace: Sweet and Clean Regency Romance.

Book Review - Tempting Mr. Townsend by Anna Campbell

Suffering from historical fever? Burning to read about past-times filled with heroes & heroines?

Then an Anna Campbell romance is the perfect cure.

In TEMPTING MR. TOWNSEND, author, Anna Campbell once again captures the incurable romantic heart. In this dashing widow selection, Lady Deerham has known and lost true love. Comfortable in her widow’s shell, Fenella’s resolved to raise her son alone and spend her remaining years without the comfort of a man’s presence. That is . . . until a bear of a man burst into her quite proper drawing room, and conveys her cross country to find her son.

Anthony Townsend has never wanted a woman as he does Fenella, and he’s determined to storm her carefully shielded heart. Mr. Townsend will use all his remarkable negotiating tactics to convince, cajole, and even seduce the proper Lady Deerham into his life – forever.

Author: Anna Campbell

Book Review - Michael's Blood by SS Bazinet

Michael’s Blood by SS Bazinet, is a unique exploration of angels – amongst us – and re-incarnation.

Have you ever turned your head just right, cut your glance quickly to the side . . . and believed that there was another presence over your shoulder? Surrounding you? Then you have already stepped across the threshold of guardian angels.

How about those tingles along your spine when you simply knew something – no true explanation for that insight, that glimpse of fact or feelings, but in your deepest soul, you knew them to be accurate?

Author, SS Bazinet takes readers on a journey into the concept that past-lives are more than New Age language, and might easily explain the fabric of our everyday world. Carefully woven into Michael’s Blood is the presence – warm and comforting – that none of us are truly alone as guardian angels stand the test of our stubbornness and never forsake their ‘keeps’ through the ages.

Michael’s Blood – the Vampire Reclamation Project – is so much more than another simple fantasy story.

When vampire protagonist, Arel, is given the gift of angel’s blood, his troubled past filled with tortures, old fears, and years of horrific abuse must be cleansed. In the process of Arel’s journey, which takes him from present to past to present again, he begins to build a new family. SS Bazinet breathes life into hero, Arel, as a complicated, scarred, stubborn, and needy soul: all identifiable characteristics in today’s world.

If you are searching for a story that crosses genres and dimensions, then Michael’s Blood is a read for you.

Author: SS Bazinet

Book Review - Magic Harvest by Mary Karlik

Magic Harvest (Fairy Trafficking) by Mary Karlik

Want to push aside the FAIRYTALE veil,

and see what really happens between the pages of Once Upon A Time and Happily Ever-After?

Then Magic Harvest is a definite read for you.

Author, Mary Karlik, has woven a wonderful tale that intertwines magical creatures with the human world. The story is filled with elves, trolls, dragons, a band of law enforcement Investigators, and a host of fey people. And just like real-life, some of these folks are good, and some, not so much.

Magic Harvest is a dedication to a sister’s love, and the sheer determination of sibling to let nothing keep her from affecting a dangerous and dimension-spanning rescue.

Mary Karlik has breathed life into these fantasy beings until the pages flutter like so many faerie wings.

Think you have read the best of ‘quest’ books? Then think again, because Magic Harvest reminds readers that each of us is filled with self-doubt when facing our enemies, fear is universal, and bravery can be found no matter what your size.

This story kept me up until the ‘wee’ hours of the morning, and will bring me back to Mary Karlik’s author’s page again and again.

Fairytales do exists and sometimes the ending is even better than Happily Ever-After.

3-2-1 Book Launch

3-2-1 Book Launch

Book releases have changed over the past ten years or so. What was once the primary responsibility of the publisher’s marketing team has morphed into the author’s responsibility. What was once covered with editors/agents emails and flyers to brick-n-mortar shops is now vibrantly alive through social media.

To keep myself on track, I’ve compiled a list of what-to-do’s for my upcoming book launch. Am I arrogant enough to think I’ve covered it all? Nope, not even close. But I work better with a list, and as I reminisce of Bloggers’ Thirteen Thursday, I decided to start with that number.

1) Complete final editing & formating review of manuscript – check and recheck.
a. Visit with establish authors for last minute insight.

2) Format through

Sigil & check all formatting through

Calibre – underway.
a. Visit with technical support staff.

3) Compile list of teasers from manuscript for social media releases – check and recheck. (More may be added at future date.)
a. Read, review, & assess current teasers used in social media.

4) Decide on title – check and recheck.

5) Class on tagline; complete tagline – check and recheck.
a. Finding valuable resources on taglines is the first step to #5.

6) Work with graphic artist on book cover, tweak, analyze, confirm pixel requirements, file specifications, generally make myself crazy and then decide on the final version – check and recheck.
a. Select a brilliant graphic artist. I was incredibly lucky as one of my nearest & dearest friends is said graphic artist.

7) Resize final book cover to several sizes for social media release. Add release date – check and recheck.
a. All on my own & invested the due diligence in Paint.

8) Begin primary release of book cover with release date – underway.

9) Write book dedication – still in process.

10) List book reviewers and design spread sheets for monitoring – underway.
a. Research a viable resource list that is consistently updated and then visit each potential reviewer’s site to find those that are the best fit. Thanks Melanie Rockett

11) Complete all necessary documents, dates, & pricing structure for release with Amazon – underway.
a. Going through the specifics for a 3rd time. Comes from having an attorney in the family.

12) Determine possible author interviews, set dates, schedule return favors as needed – underway.

13) Update all Romance Writers of America

information to reflect current release – pending.
a. Spoke with Houston office and followed their specific advice on how to update member profile.

Finally – The reality is that there’s more to cover. So, brainstorm on all the things that I’ve forgotten to do; try not to hyperventilate; make the next list; and get on with the release.

New Read . . .

Have you been reading this summer? Keeping up with the reading challenge? Thought I had forgotten, didn't you? Just because I haven't listed all my reads? Well, fooled you.

I've had a great time delving into and digging through my TBR stack this summer. I just finished A PIECE OF HEAVEN by Barbara Samuel.

This is no typical lovestory. As a matter of fact, I wasn't totally sure Ms. Samuel intended to pull off a lovestory by book's end. HINT: it was a lovely surprise to find that she not only satisfied her hero/heroine but readers as well. That said, Ms. Samuel delivers a novel of a truly broken heroine. Luna McGraw doesn't believe she deserves a second (actually more like fifth or sixth) chance. She feels her sins were bad enough that she should be condemned to live without her teenage daughter. The hero Thomas Coyote is anything but perfect, yet somehow he's the perfect foil for Luna McGraw -- shame Luna is convinced that he's everything on her 'can't have list'. Through any number of personal obstacles, these two preserve and find a happy ending of the mature kind. I love reading about older heroes and heroines -- especially the ones who are certain their turn for happy endings has already come and gone. The imagery in A PIECE OF HEAVEN is dynamic and I'll admit to being more than a tad jealous of Ms. Samuel's ability to turn the perfect phrase.

Interesting note, while looking for the book cover for my blog, I found two other covers for this same book. Why? Who knows. Perhaps multiple printings have been released of A PIECE OF HEAVEN. Whatever the cover, if you encounter A PIECE OF HEAVEN snatch it up. It's well worth your time . . . and then some.

Happy reading and writing.

Stop by my porch again.
~Sandra

What's this? Another Harm's Way review? Wahoo!

Scrolling through the Wild Rose Press marketing information I found a brand-new review for HARM'S WAY.
Okay, any review is great, but the book has been out for a year and it's still drawing attention so in MHO that's pretty over the top great.

Thanks Tammy at Fallen Angel for reading HARM'S WAY and finding it worth your time to review.

Read the whole 4 ANGEL review -- it only take a few minutes, -- just click here: HARM'S WAY FALLEN ANGEL REVIEW.

Reading on . . .

The last two weeks I've been hooked on Jim Butcher's series, The Dresden Files. I've read:

SUMMER KNIGHTS, a book about the mythical Queen of Summer Faeries and the Queen of Winter Faeries -- sorta like the folks who live in the clouds and control weather,



and


DEATH MASKS, which pits wizard, Harry Dresden, up against the Denarians -- demons who have been seduced by one of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas was paid to betray Jesus. These terribly powerful creatures who have become evil incarnate, started out as normal mortals who were seduced by the lust for power and are now imprisoned inside the Denarians, trapped in their own personal Hell. Yep, there are Catholic Priests, the Knights of Christ, and the Shroud of Christ all rolled into this book. It deals with the 'what-if' theory behind the Shroud and the pieces of silver.

As usual, both SUMMER KNIGHTS and DEATH MASKS are incredibly fast, can't-put-it-down reads, with loads of unexpected twists and turns. Butcher puts more action in one chapter than James Bond movies manage in two hours.

Also, if you're looking to see how to 'hook' a chapter, you need to read this series. Using a dark sense of humor, a realistic approach, and never quite wrapping things up, Butcher consistently leaves his character in a tough situation. As always, readers are willing to turn the next page in order to find out if Harry Dresden manages to draw his next breath.

So, what are you reading?

Do share.

Drop by my back porch anytime.
~Sandra

Reading on . . .

My Reading Challenge continues.

This past week, I finished Geralyn Dawson's newest HQN release, THE LONER. This novel is another powerful love story that features a number of the characters from her Bad Luck Brides series. If you've grown attached to this cast and crew then you'll not be disappointed with her latest entry into larger-than-life Texas history. Ms. Dawson always takes some tidbit of historical past (this time one of the earliest flash floods in Texas history and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) to add that wonderful touch of realism to her stories. It is as though she takes that one snippet of the past and weaves a tale around it -- reminds me of Paul Harvey's 'And the rest of the story . . .' (for those of you who listen to talk-radio).

As a writer, I'm always impressed by Ms. Dawson's ability to motivate her characters -- not with just a single event but by the collective experience of their lives. These are real people, with real problems, and as a reader, I root for them from page one.

Ms. Dawson revealed during a writing seminar, which she taught, that she doesn't plot out every last detail and sometimes the characters manage to write themselves into a corner that's tough to get out of. Perhaps, she sprinkles a little magic pixie dust over her characters, because she never fails to conjure up the perfect blend of goal, conflict and motivation. However, she does it -- I'm in awe.

Thanks, Ms. Dawson, for another great read.

What are you reading this week? Still on track?
Want to see why I started this reading challenge? Check this out!

Don't forget to drop by my back porch anytime. I always have a glass of sweet tea cooling in the fridge.

~Sandra

READING CHALLENGE . . . on it goes

While I've been away from the computer I've still be reading.

I've finished THE WILD CHILD by Mary Jo Putney and THE FIREBRAND by Susan Wiggs. I know I've read both of these authors before, but I had forgotten how much I enjoyed their works.

THE WILD CHILD by Mary Jo Putney brings to life mental illness in the 18th century and how wives of that era were completely at the mercy of their husbands or guardians. Women could be locked away simply on the word of their supposedly 'better' halves. The novel not only deals with a women's rights issue, but I really liked the unlikely hero in this story.

THE FIREBRAND by Susan Wiggs deals with the great Chicago Fire of the early 1800s, and a woman who was a true suffragist of that era. I loved this heroine's spirit and determination, and her unfailing love for a child. Add a tortured hero and a dog, and what's not to love.

Two lovely reads that kept me totally enthralled. Yep, I'm whittling down my TBR stack one book at a time.

What have you been reading while I was away?

See you next time on the backporch
~Sandra

Reading challenge continues . . .

Just finished this one.

All right, it is an old title, copyright 1996. Found it buried in my TBR (to be read) stack, and that bright red cover leaped out.

If you've read my earlier post, you'll know I have a reading challenge going on for any who want to join.

Simple: read a book a week for a year. At the end I'll have enjoyed 52 new authors and adventures.

For as disappointing as last week was (see previous post), this week's read of BRIDE OF FORTUNE by Shirl Henke was excellent. I was, actually, surprised to see that it only had a 3 1/2 stars on Amazon.

If you love actual history folded into a story, then this is a great tale for you. If you like heroes who fill up the page, then this is the novel for you. Not only does our hero save the heroine, he saves her dog and an orphan. Okay, that makes him pretty great. And if you believe in great love stories, then this is one you'll want to read.

Thanks, Ms. Henke for a read well worth my time.

Now, I'll need to dive back in and see if I have another of her treasures buried in my hiding spot.

What did you read this week?

Remember, busy isn't an excuse to NOT read . . . it's a cop-out!

Until next time,
~Sandra

Harm's Way review

Judy Thomas, a reviewer for The Long & Short of It said . . .

Harm's Way reminded this reader of Nora Robert's suspense books. It was so good, I had a hard time putting it down. I'm looking forward to the next offering by this talented writer. I predict, and truly hope, we'll see much more of Ms. Ferguson. I'm her latest fan.

Whew, did you just see my socks roll up and down, then right off my feet? That review blew me away. Okay to be likened to Nora Roberts, is just pretty darned good, but that this reviewer, as a reader, found HARM'S WAY enthralling enough to not put down -- that's worth a serious happy dance.


Thanks to the Wild Rose Press loop who opened my eyes to this particular reviewer's site.

Want to read the review in its entirety? Click on: The Long & Short of It

Harm's Way review

Just received a new Review for Harm's Way, but I have to work out the link -- sorry!

I'll post this tomorrow, gals and guys. It's been a really, really -- with a start around 4am this morning -- day.

Happy writing.

My Book Cravings review for Harm's Way

Another review for HARM'S WAY . . .

...Ms. Ferguson has written a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat with spine-tingling suspense. The mystery unfolds as Alex and Tori discover who the stalker is and why he wants to take her to Paradise. As you read this book you will be spellbound until the final pages as the villain is revealed. The excitement builds to a final climax that will show you that lovers will do anything to protect each other and keep their lover out of harm’s way, even if you lose focus on matters at hand. Love can conquer all, and bring happiness forever. This book has a sweet romance that builds slowly to everlasting love, while surviving many obstacles along the way.

Reviewed by: Sherry at My Book Cravings

Another Harm's Way review

Okay, I'm a double poster today . . . try not to hold that against me.

BUT, I just got another review from a fellow Wild Rose Press Author who said . . .

Yay, Sandra!

I agree with the reviewer. I just finished Harm’s Way on the weekend and
loved it! Rom Suspense is my favorite read so there was no question I'd buy
it after I read the blurb.

And your descriptions of the forest in Portofino were dead on. I've
walked through it before, and I felt as if I was there again.

Looking forward to more from the Donavans. I love series.

By . . . Elle Fredrix
Spinning Wildly - Sweetheart Rosette – On Sale Now!

Harm's Way Book Review

Okay, so this made my day. The upfront information is just the lingo that must be listed for any book review. Also, if you want to visit Coffee Time Romance for more reviews and book listings, click on the highlighted title of Harm's Way Book Review and the link will go directly to Coffee Time Romance.


HARM’S WAY
SANDRA FERGUSON
ISBN# 1-60154-047-7
March 2007
The Wild Rose Press
www.thewildrosepress.com
E-Book
$5.00
290 Pages
Romantic Suspense
Rating: 4 Cups

Victoria Donavan was once married to a man who valued his career as a DEA agent more than either Tori or his marriage. Now a widow, she vows never to get involved with another risk taker.

Alex Harmon is hired by Tori’s overprotective family when a stalker targets her. An old family friend, Alex has been in love with her for years.

A stalker will stop at nothing to capture and keep architect Victoria Donavan as his own. He has invaded every aspect of her life and it is up to security expert Alex Harmon to keep her safe.

This is a great romantic suspense story. Alex and Tori have a great deal of chemistry and enough bad experiences in the past to keep the tension high. The villain is a particularly crafty one and you never know where he will turn up. The Donovan family seems to feel an unusual responsibility towards Tori. It is almost as if they are trying to make up for the problems caused by the dead Blaine’s selfishness. He sounded like a real prize, and Tori is much better off without him. The author is very adept at describing both Texas and Vancouver Island and has a real gift for bringing all of the characters to life. Each and every one of them is very vivid and real. I hope there are more Donavan stories coming, from the little I read of Boston and Jared, I would like to read more about them.

Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance