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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Guest Post by Rachael Anderson and Giveaway Links

On Writing Humor

Whether a drama or a suspense or a romance, I'm the type who requires comedic relief in a story. Otherwise I come away more stressed than before, and books and movies are supposed to relieve stress (at least in my mind), not add to it. But when it comes to writing, injecting humor takes work. Your characters have to think humorous thoughts, say humorous things, and put themselves in humorous situations. And when you're not a natural-born comedian (like me), this isn't as easy as it sounds.

My books aren't slapstick humor. Nor are they the laugh out loud from start to finish type books either. They're just fun. They have funny moments, sad moments, tender moments, frustrating moments, and romantic moments. But I try to write so that the happy/funny moments outweigh all else. It all comes back to that comedic relief I mentioned before. Here's hoping I pulled it off.

Rachael
www.rachaelreneeanderson.com



About the Author:

Rachael Anderson is the author of four contemporary romances: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four, can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Links:
FB fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Anderson/174521852685105
Website:
http://rachaelreneeanderson.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/rachaelreneeand
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3229576.Rachael_Renee_Anderson
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Renee-Anderson/e/B003357K70/

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/blog-tour.htm

Giveaway Details:
Tour Giveaway (shared rafflecopter for entry) - October 1st to 31st:
-Grand Prize
    Print copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette (Ebook for International winner)
    $15 Amazon Gift Card
    Copy of the DVD Sneakers (US only)
-Print copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette
-3 Kindle Ebook Copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette


Don't forget the Book Blast Giveaway too - see the post here.
$50 Amazon Gift Code compliments of Author Rachael Renee Anderson
OPEN WORLDWIDE.  Ends 10/31/12

You can see more guest posts and reviews along the full blog tour found here.

Book Review: The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson

This is a lovely, lively, clean romance.
The Reluctant Bachelorette
by Rachel Anderson


  • File Size: 690 KB
  • Print Length: 316 pages
  • Publisher: HEA Publishing, LLC (September 5, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0096T6IQQ
Genre: Romantic Comedy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: September 5, 2012
Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go. Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge.


Review:
Taycee has been struggling with dating as there are many good men but none have helped her overcome the crush she had, at age 14, on her older brother’s best friend, Luke. But Luke broke her heart when he left town without looking back and without staying in touch. Then her brother went away to college and moved away and her parents retired to Florida.  Taycee feels she has been abandoned and she is determined to make a success of the flower business she has opened in her home town.

Taycee lives in a community of small family farms who are struggling to remain alive in a slow economy.  Taycee's best friend, Jessa, calls in an undisclosed favor.  Jessa has cast Taycee as the bachelorette in an online program to raise funds to help the farmers. Taycee isn’t comfortable with the whole idea but once announced she has no way out without letting down the whole town.

To add to Taycee’s dismay, her old crush, Luke, has just moved back to town. Before realizing she is the Bachelorette, Taycee nominates Luke to participate in the bachelor pool. The audience will get to vote on the 21 bachelors, not Taycee. Once she gets Luke included Taycee then schemes to get him voted off before she realizes there may be hope for them after all. She becomes even more conflicted as Jessa insists that the dates “step up the romance.”

The bachelors include some characters that make for fun problems. Among the men are an arrogant, self centered but handsome guy that the audience really likes; a likeable rodeo, good ‘ole boy who is lots of fun; a nice guy who spits when he talks; and a  sweet, warm business man who really clicks with Taycee and the audience. (I really liked Jake and hope that there may be a story for him.) The dates are sometimes awkward but mostly fun. But do any of these eager beaus have a chance with Luke in town?

I loved the fun, clean romance. The characters are nicely developed with very real reactions. Ms. Anderson does a great job of keeping the reader engaged with plenty of romantic conflict and tension without any need for spicy sexual content. There are ethical and emotional dilemmas, joyful moments and heartache.  Jessa uses guilt to get Taycee into the program and to keep her going beyond what is comfortable or fair. I was intrigued to see how everyone would react when the mess was exposed.

The writing flows really well with lots of natural dialogue and humor. Several times I thought how life-like the story was with the misunderstandings, disappointments, ethical and emotion conflicts.  This is a very enjoyable romance that is sure to get you chuckling. Don’t miss it, especially at the current bargain price of $.99!

Word thoughts:
                     Funny, easy read, sweet, conflicted and HEA!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taycee’s dismay:
For six weeks, Taycee would be forced to turn her life upside down, and to prance in front of cameras, acting happy about being made to date guys she had no interest in dating. Location 541.
Taycee’s disappointment:
But no matter how much she wished it, that didn’t mean it would come true. Because that was how life worked. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And when you lose, you have to get over it and move on. Location 2518.
Thank you to the author and Kathy at BookBlast Tours for providing this eBook for an honest Review. Check out the Guest Post to learn a little about Rachael and for Giveaway links!
This is set in Shelter, Springs, Colorado for my Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to my ARC and New Author challenge lists.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Mailbox Monday October 22, 2012

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
FOR OCTOBER: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is (updated) Mailbox Monday!

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 


I added more review books this week. How are your mailbox and TBR piles doing?

Review Titles

I think I had received one or two of these last week but forgot to add them to the post.
These are for November and December; specific dates as noted:

I received three books from Audiogo for review through AudioBook Jukebox:
 

Emily Goes to Exeter: The Traveling Matchmaker, Book One
by Marion Chesney (M.C.Beaton)






 The Magician's Apprentice
by Kate Banks


by Cleo Coyle

Plus two eBooks for review:

Bewitching Blog Tour
Interview and Review December 1


All I Want For Christmas is You
by Lisa Monello




Book Blast 12/6
Review and Guest Post December 14

 All I Want
by Rachael Anderson, Jolene Perry & Kaylee Baldwin





Wins

No wins in this week.



Purchased
Two titles from my Audible subscription:
 
Extremes: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
and
A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book I by George R. R. Martin

Free

I picked up some free titles on Kindle again.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? October 22, 2012

This meme starts at Book Journey!


What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This was a another good reading week with lots of "fun" reading. (Note five of the summaries below include "fun!")  I finished five books and posted five reviews trying to keep up.  I had an author interview with Giveaway, a special 'Chat' Giveaway, and a print ARC giveaway.  Plus, I posted the regular Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

I got to visit a little last Sunday night, some on Monday and then finished visiting Saturday.
Thanks again to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:
  • Book Review: Angels Landing by Rochelle Alers; Contemporary Romance; my rating 4.0. 
  • Book Review: Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins; Contemporary Romance, Comedy, Sweet; my rating 4.5.
  • Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett; Contemporary Romance; my rating 4.5.  Ends 10/26.
Finished Reading:
1. Audio



Scarifyers: o8 The Thirteen Hallows
Author: Simon Barnard, Paul Morris
Narrator: Gareth David-Lloyd, Full Cast
This was great fun. The review is linked above. 






2. Print
 


Sultry with a Twist (Sultry Springs) 
by Macy Beckett
A fun read! 
The Review and ARC Giveaway are linked above.




3. eBook/Kindle
 

The Mine (Northwest Passage)
by John Heldt
Cannon Colegrove (Illustrator)
This is old fashioned and warm enjoyment.
I will be posting a review this week.
Reviewing for the Author.




4. eBook/Kindle
 

The Reluctant Bachelorette
by Rachel Anderson
This is another fun, wonderful read.

Review to post 10/23 for BookBlast Tour
Book Description
Publication Date: September 5, 2012
Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go. Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge.



5. eBook/Kindle
 

The Jupiter Chronicles: The Secret of the Great Red Spot
by Leonardo Ramierz
This is a fun middle grade story.
Reviewing for the Author.






Line Edits: I am working on two print formats this week.



Currently reading:
1. Print
 

Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight
by Grace Burrowes
And Another really fun read!
I am 2/3rds complete.
I will post a review and ARC Giveaway soon.
Reviewing for Sourcebooks.
Book Description;
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Praise for RITA-nominated Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish: "An extraordinary, precious, unforgettable holiday story."—RT Book Reviews, 4½ stars, Top Pick of the Month, Best Historical Romance, RT Book Reviews 2011 Reviewers' Choice Awards 'Tis the Season for Scandal... Years ago Lady Louisa Windham acted rashly on a dare from her brother, and that indiscretion is about to come to light. She knows her reputation will never survive exposure. Just as she's nearly overwhelmed by her dilemma, Sir Joseph Carrington offers himself to her as a solution... But Sir Joseph has secrets as well, and as he and Louisa become entangled with each other, their deceptions begin to close in on them both...



2. Audio
 

The Magician's Apprentice
Author: Kate Banks; Narrator: Charlie Thurston
I am enjoying this adventure.
Reviewing for AudioGo through AudioBook Jukebox.


Book Description
Publication Date: August 7, 2012 | Age Level: 10 and up
Baz has always dreamed about leaving his dusty little town, so when a stranger comes to his family's home and asks him to be a weaver's apprentice, Baz is eager to start his journey. He and the stranger travel for several sunrises and sunsets until they reach the land of Kallah, where Baz starts his apprenticeship—and soon learns that his master is very cruel. Baz is disheartened, and when the master trades Baz for a sword to a magician, Baz expects no better from his new owner. But as Baz travels further into the depths of the desert with this kind-hearted and wise magician, he learns to re-examine his beliefs about people, the world, and himself, discovering that everything is connected in a continuous journey toward destiny and that no person or thing can ever really be owned.


3. eBook/Kindle
 

Loving Luke
by Suzanne Barrett
I will start this for a Review 
and Giveaway Post this week.
Reviewing for the Author.
Book Description
Publication Date: July 1, 2012
Jo McGuigan’s job is on the line. She needs a photographer to teach her rehab class, but the only one available is an angry recluse who wants nothing to do with the hospital or its outreach program.
Luke Falconer’s photo career ends in a fiery auto crash that leaves him badly burned and crippled. Hating the world, he retreats to his cabin. But when an encounter with the intriguing social worker ends in a night of passion, their lives are changed forever. Jo is a spark to Luke’s flame, and where there’s smoke, there is often a raging inferno.



4. eBook/Kindle


The Trouble with Cowboys
by Denise Hunter
I am looking forward to this one too.
I will be doing a Review and hosting a Giveaway for Thomas Nelson.
Book Description
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Only one pair of boots—and the cowboy wearing them—can get Annie out of the mess she’s in.

Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek’s premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for Montana Living. Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew. When Annie’s column is cancelled, she’s given first shot at a new lovelorn column—and she can’t afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie’s never been in love.

Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town’s smooth-talking ladies’ man Dylan Taylor: She’ll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he’ll help her answer the reader letters.

Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has kept her heart safe for years. And she can’t risk getting hurt now.

The more Annie tries to control things, the more they fall apart. Her feelings are spinning out of control, and her sister’s antics are making life increasingly more difficult. Annie knows she needs to turn the reins over to God, but surrender has never come easily.

When Dylan reveals his feelings for her, Annie doesn’t know what to trust—her head or her heart. The trouble with this cowboy is that he might just be exactly what she needs.

“. . . a story filled with romantic tension . . . Hunter’s well-developed characters and plot twists make for a delightful and inspirational journey.” —Publishers Weekly



I will probably start the Halloween title and another audio before the week is out. :-)

I am again listening to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on my new MP3.]
Instead of studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year I am studying with Through the Bible in One Year by Alan B. Stringfellow. It is a Study that I used for teaching back in around 1989 so I will enjoy it again. This week the reading is 1 Timothy.

Line Edits: I am working on more formatting this week.


Hmmm- I have 22 books listed for October so they may not all make it, even at five a week.  I finished another five this week and there are only 8 to go. :-)

Scheduled for October
10/23 The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachel Anderson, Review for BookBlast Tour

UnScheduled for October:
Sourcebooks
Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight by Grace Burrowes

Harlequin
A Tangled Affair by Fiona Brand

Thomas Nelson
The Trouble with Cowboys by Denise Hunter (Review with Giveaway)

NetGalley
Uninvited by Heather Graham
Forged In Death, Book 1 of The Death Wizard Chronicles by Jim Melvin

Audiobook Jukebox
Added: The Magician's Apprentice

Authors:
Loving Luke by Suzanne Barrett
Shards of Ashley (Book 5 of Family Heirloom Series) by Karen Weisner

From the TBR shelves
A Halloween Title - TBD
I'd like to read at least one "Won"/TBR books and one free Kindle book.:-)
1 Free Kindle -TBD;
Won TBR: The Shifters of 2040, a Shifter Dystopia by Ami Rebecca Blackwelder

[To be posted - I am setting these up for interview/feature days.
These were read and ready for reviews for Authors.
Quest for Magic by Jean Hart Stewart - Read; review to be posted with interview.
Seeing for the First Time (What You See is What You Get) and To See (What You See is What You Get) by Nicole Zoltack - Both Read; setting up author interview with reviews.]

Sunday Words of Encouragement October 21, 2012

We had a sweet service this morning. Pastor is continuing his series on the Holy Spirit and this morning's message was entitled "Power for Living."
(Reminder - I add my own expansion and interpretation to our Pastor's messages.)

We can be infilled with the Spirit so that we can have power beyond our own abilities; power to do God's Will and be His witnesses to others. The key is that we must be willing to yield to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. Think about it, when we are asked to pray, do we yawn? When we are asked to give, do we say "later"? When we are asked to get up, do we roll over and go back to sleep? These are all areas where the Spirit speaks to us and we must decide if we will yield and be obedient. (Throughout the Bible God is really looking for obedience, not sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22.)

The Holy Spirit will give gifts to each. Some might ask which gift is best? The answer is: the one that is needed. The next question is will we be open, yielded and obedient?

Listen to these nice words as you watch this gorgeous video.


A Verse for Today:
Luke 11:13 (NIV)
13 "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

My Prayer: Lord, Spirit, help me to be yielding; help me to use Your gifts wisely and allow me to be a witness for you.

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