SPOTLIGHT & EXCERPT: A Bluestocking's Christmas & Other Historical Romances by Lindsay Downs

Historical romances aren't my usual read but I know some of you are fans and the author of the books I'm spotlighting today is using some of his book proceeds to help a couple of authors who are battling cancer. Since fighting cancer is something I'm always help to with, I offered to host him and his books on the Nook. I met Lindsay through Astraea Press when I was an editor there and worked on one of his contemporary novels, "Emily Dahill CID Part Two".

Two AP authors are dealing with cancer currently. To assist them and their families during this difficult time Lindsay will give one of them the royalties for November from the sale of his Christmas regency, "A Bluestocking’s Christmas". The other will be given the royalties from his three self-published books; "The Masked Lady and The Murder", "The Guilty Countess" and "The Earl’s Spitfire".  He will be giving them the money, not donating it to a fund they might have set up.

SPOTLIGHT & EXCERPT: Redemption by Heather Gray

Heather Gray is back again today with an excerpt from her new book, "Redemption", a historical romance. Heather is the author of the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series, including Mail Order Man, Just Dessert, and Redemption. Other titles include Ten Million Reasons, His Saving Grace, and Nowhere for Christmas – everything from Regency England to modern-day America. Aside from a long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys are her relationships with her Savior and family. She decided years ago that she'd rather laugh than yell. This theme is prevalent in her writing where, through the highs and lows of life, her characters find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.

DISCLOSURE: This book is an Astraea Press title; I work for Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for this post. ~ Bea


Find Heather Online:

My Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com
My Blog – http://www.heathergraywriting.com/blog
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+Heathergraywritingnow
Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/LaughDreamWrite

Spotlight & Scavenger Hunt: Love And Diamonds, A Valentine's Anthology

Today I'm sharing a new Valentine's anthology put out by my employer, Astraea Press. "Love And Diamonds" is a collection of romantic short stories written by some of the best Astraea Press authors. So sit back, relax and fall in love all over again.

Contributing authors in alphabetical order are: Kathy Bosman, Liz Botts, Kristine Cheney, Sherry Gloag, Jennifer Gravely, Heather Gray, Patricia Kiyono, Zanna MacKenzie, Kelly Martin, Brenda Maxfield, Amy Mullen, Vivian Roycraft, J. L. Salter, E. A. West and Nicole Zoltack.

Since it's Astraea Press, the stories are clean - no on page sex and no swearing; just good, clean romances.

Disclosure: I am an employee of Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post. 

"Warm Your Heart" Christmas Blog Hop from Astraea Press

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Astraea Press! We love this time of year and our catalog reflects it. We have lots of Christmas/holiday/winter books we'd love for you guys to check out.

Is it the cooler weather? The fires in the fireplace? Family gatherings? Or our sweethearts under the mistletoe (yeah, I'm guessing mistletoe too ;) ) Whatever the cause, we want to celebrate Christmas and this holiday season with you. This is the third stop on a two week tour. Check out the rafflecopter for a chance to win a free Astraea Press Christmas book of YOUR choice (eep!). There is also a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

I want to thank Bea and all the other blogs who have offered to help. All of their facebook pages and/or twitter are on the rafflecopter. I hope you get a chance to visit them all.

So... MERRY CHRISTMAS from Astraea Press and our authors. We love our readers! Thanks for a great year.

~Kelly from AP

Disclaimer:  I am an employee of Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post or participating in the blog hop. ~ Bea

Giveaway & Spotlight - Fighting for the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux

I 'met' Jennifer Comeaux when I did the line edits on "Edge of the Past", book two in her Edge series. I enjoyed it and am delighted to be part of the release celebration for the new book,
"Fighting for the Edge".

DISCLOSURE: I am an employee of Astraea Press. I am not being compensated by Astraea Press or Jennifer Comeaux for putting up this post.  

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Blurb from the author ~

Two friends. Two dreams. One night that changes everything… 

 Ice dancer Aubrey London scoffs at romance. She’s focused on winning a medal at the upcoming Olympics and uses that as her excuse to avoid serious relationships. But when she and longtime friend Chris Grayden are thrown together by unforeseen circumstances, Aubrey finds herself questioning everything she's ever known about love, complicating her life both on and off the ice. 

Pairs skater Emily Petrov embraces romance. She and her husband Sergei still act like honeymooners two years after their wedding. As Emily’s coach, Sergei provides constant support while she prepares to challenge for gold at the Olympics. But Sergei’s support might not be enough to help Emily overcome the one challenge she never saw coming. 

With the Games only weeks away, Emily and Aubrey are on the verge of realizing their dreams. But one snowy, stormy night sets in motion a series of events that will test them in ways they never imagined, giving them more to fight for than Olympic medals.  

Excerpt from Spell Fire by Ariella Moon

Happy Halloween!

No tricks today but I do have a treat for you - an excerpt from a new release, "Spell Fire" by Ariella Moon. It's a clean YA paranormal and the third book in the Teen Wytche Saga.

Ariella Moon writes about magic, friendship, and love in Spell Check and Spell Struck, Books One & Two in The Teen Wytche Saga from Astraea Press. After a childhood spent searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia (I did the same thing. :D ~ Bea), Ariella grew up to become an author and shaman. Extreme math anxiety, and taller students who mistook her for a leaning post, marred Ariella’s teen years. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. She now lives a nearly normal life with her extraordinary daughter, shamelessly spoiled dog, and an enormous dragon. (I want my own dragon! ~ Bea)

Find Ariella Online:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ariellamoon.author

Website: http://www.ariellamoon.com/

Blog: http://ariellamoon.blogspot.com/

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomAriellaMoon

DISCLOSURE: I am not being compensated by Astraea Press or Ariella Moon for putting up this post. I am an employee of Astraea Press.

Interview with Author Kimberly Rae

Amazon bestselling author Kimberly Rae usually writes suspense about human trafficking. Her brand new book, "Blue Ridge Setup", published by Astraea Press, however, is a fun, lighthearted read set in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.

About Kimberly ~

Amazon Bestselling author Kimberly Rae loves to help people fight human trafficking and live joyfully despite chronic illness. She has been published over 250 times and has work in 5 languages.

Rae has lived in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kosovo and Indonesia. She now lives in North Carolina at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two young children.

Some Writing Advice from author Sara Olds and A Giveaway

Today's guest is Sara Olds. Sara has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. A busy mom with kids, and full time teaching Jr. High, she presently lives in Utah. She's published several historical novels - for adults and children, short stories, written, produced and directed plays all for children, and written science fiction -- both short story and novel length. It was her life long love affair with music that opened the path for her research project on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Playing the violin since the 4th grade and with her 130 year old violin in hand, she knew the banks of Missouri called to hear those songs of old once more. (No she didn't actually take that violin on the river, because she knew that Sacagawea wouldn't be there to rescue it if the canoe flipped.)  

Find Sara Online:

Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Disclosure: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post. 

 

Excerpt & Interview: Just Dessert by Heather Gray

Today I'm delighted to have author Heather Gray for a quick interview and an excerpt from her recently released novel, "Just Dessert". I was part of the editing team on this book and enjoyed it. I don't read very many historical romances so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Apparently, I'm not the only one. Last Thursday, HEA at USA Today compiled a list of new releases in inspirational fiction and womens fiction and included "Just Dessert". I think Heather just about fainted when she found out. :D

When she's not fainting :P she has a long-standing love affair with coffee. Besides coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing. Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell. Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.

Where to Find Heather Online:

Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com

Blog – http://www.heathergraywriting.com/blog

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting

Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite

Goodreads –  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051662.Heather_Gray

Disclosure: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post. 

 

Excerpt from The Love Programme by Zanna Mackenzie

Another day, another Astraea Press author! :D Today Zanna Mackenzie is here sharing an excerpt from her reality show romance, "The Love Programme".

Zanna Mackenzie lives in the UK with her husband, 4 dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read. 

Being a freelance writer and editor of business publications is her ‘day job’ but, at every opportunity, she can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel she’s working on. She loves it when the characters in her novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!

Formerly a travel agent and therapist (she has qualifications in clinical aromatherapy, crystal healing, naturopathic nutrition and herbalism) she loves walking the dogs and gardening – that’s when she’s not writing or reading!

Zanna has written two novels, The Love Programme (Astraea Press) and How Do You Spell Love? (Crooked Cat Publishing) and both were published in early 2013.

Find Zanna online:

www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk

www.zannamackenzie.co.uk

Twitter: @ZannaMacKenzie

Facebook: www.facebook.com/zanna. mackenzie
 

Disclosure: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post.

Excerpt from Romance at the Royal Menagerie by Ruth J. Hartman

Today's excerpt has cats! Wild, big cats. I like cats. :D I don't read a lot of historical romance but this one had cats, humor and was put out by my publisher, Astraea Press, so I picked up and read it. I enjoyed it, and I hope you'll enjoy the excerpt that Ruth is sharing with us today.

A former dental hygienist, Ruth recently quit to write full-time. She and her husband and the cats who own them live in Indiana where she is busy writing books. Her newest book, "Love Birds of Regency Park" just came out this week and is set in the same world as "Romance at the Royal Menagerie".

Find Ruth online:

Blog: www.ruthjhartman.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruth.j.Hartman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthjHartman

disclosure: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post. 

Excerpt from Someday You'll Laugh by Brenda Maxfield

Please welcome author Brenda Maxfield to the Nook. I 'met' Brenda when I did line edits on her YA novel, "The Lance Temptation". When I was looking for guests for the blog for the start of school, Brenda, who is also a teacher, volunteered.

About Brenda ~

My passion is writing! What could be more delicious than inventing new characters and seeing where they take you?

I'm a teacher so I spend most of my waking hours with young people. I love chatting with them and hearing their views on love and life. My students are magical, and I am honored to be part of their lives.

I've lived in Honduras, Grand Cayman, and Costa Rica. Presently, I live in Indiana with my husband, Paul. We have two grown children and a precious grandbaby, special delivery from Africa.

When not teaching, I love to hole up in our lake cabin and write — often with a batch of popcorn nearby. (Oh, and did I mention dark chocolate?)

I enjoy getting to know my readers, so feel free to write me at: contact@brendamaxfield.com . Visit me to learn about all my books and some good, clean teen reads:  www.brendamaxfield.com  Happy Reading!

You can also find Brenda at ~

Website:  http://www.brendamaxfield.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TheEdgemontCollection

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BrendaMaxfield

Blog:  http://www.brendamaxfield.wordpress.com 

  

disclosure: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post.  

Excerpt & Giveaway of Feudlings in Flames by Wendy Knight

Please welcome back fantasy author Wendy Knight. She was here in July with an excerpt from and giveaway of her novella, "Feudlings in Sight". The next book in her series, "Fedulings in Flames" is out now and she's again sharing an excerpt and giving away a copy.

Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, etcetera, etcetera). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.

You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion may be. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

Find Wendy Onine:

Twitter: @wjk8099

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorWendyKnight

Blog: www.writethroughthenoise.blogspot.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7009940.Wendy_Knight

DISCLOSURE: I am not being compensated by Astraea Press or Wendy Knight for putting up this post. I am an employee of Astraea Press. 

Excerpt from Along the Way Home by Christi Corbett

Today I have another Astraea Press author, Christi Corbett here, sharing an excerpt from her recently released debut novel, "Along the Way Home." It's a clean inspirational historical romance set in the western part of the USA. 

About Christi ~ 

I’m addicted to coffee, sticky notes, and the Oxford Comma. I live in a small town in Oregon with my husband and our twins. Our home’s location was especially inspiring as I wrote Along the Way Home because the view from the back door is a hill travelers looked upon years ago as they explored the Oregon Territory and beyond.

Find Christi Online:

When I’m not writing I love chatting with readers and writers alike. You can find me in one of the following locations:

Email: christicorbett@gmail.com

Blog: http://christicorbett.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristiCorbett

Facebook: Christi Corbett—Author

disclosure: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post.  

Astraea Press Submissions Call!

Hello authors, published and not yet published. My employer, Astraea Press, has several new submission calls right now. We specialize in clean, non-erotic titles. Currently we are looking for the following:

Regency: Must be set during the Regency time period, any genre.


Paranormal: VERY interested in stories featuring vampires and werewolves (my personal fave), especially YA and NA.

Valentine's: Valentine's themed stories, any genre, any word length.

Sports: Have a story that involves athletes? Football, soccer, horse racing (another personal fave!)...All genres and word lengths with particular interest in high school sports and NA.

See here for more info or drop me an email.

Excerpt from Ten Million Reasons & Guest Post by Heather Gray

Have you ever wished that you could win the lottery or have someone give you millions? It's a nice dream, isn't it? Most of us have to earn our money and we aren't likely to see a million dollars in a year, much less ten million. But today's book excerpt is from a book, "Ten Million Reasons" by Heather Gray where a woman is handed, yep, ten million dollars.

Heather talks about how she arrived at her ideas for the book and then shares an excerpt with us.

And my standard disclaimer: I am employed by Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for  putting up this post.

Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather Gray’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing.  Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell.  Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.

Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway: Feudlings in Sight by Wendy Knight

Please help my publisher, Astraea Press, celebrate our first cover reveal; Wendy Knight's Fate on Fire novella, Feudlings in Sight! Available Thursday on Astraea Press, Amazon, and all other major ebook retailers!

DISCLOSURE: I am not being compensated by Astraea Press or Wendy Knight for putting up this post. I am an employee of Astraea Press. 

 Blurb from the author ~

Boys of war suck at romance. Charity Delyle has lived in the shadow of her Prodigy cousin and his powerful Guard since the day she was born. And she doesn’t mind—really. Except that being in Hunter’s shadow means that he can’t see her. And she’d like that to change. Hunter has one purpose in life: Protect the Prodigy, or die trying. That means a social life, school, and even Charity come last until the war is over. For the most part, he’s okay with that—he can lose everything if he has to…except his seer. Starting at a new school should be much safer than living in a war-ravaged Carules headquarters. But this new school is different than the others. Friendships are forged and destinies are questioned, and Hunter’s decision could cost them all everything they’ve been hoping for.

Publisher: Astraea Press
Format: ebook
Release Date: August 1, 2013

Excerpt from Spell Struck by Ariella Moon

I have an excerpt from an exciting paranormal YA that released last week, "Spell Struck" by Ariella Moon. It is released by my employer, Astraea Press, so you know it's a clean read.

DISCLOSURE: I am not being compensated by Astraea Press or Ariella Moon for putting up this post. I am an employee of Astraea Press. 

Excerpt from TinselTown by Stephanie Taylor

Today it's my pleasure to have an excerpt from "TinselTown", releasing today from Stephanie Taylor, my boss and the owner of Astraea Press.

DISCLOSURE: I am not being compensated by Astraea Press or Stephanie Taylor for putting up this post. I am an employee of Astraea Press.

Excerpt From Love Flourishes by Lynn Spangler

Can he show her the world like she’d never seen it before? Melinda ‘Mindy’ Caldwell had everything she could want. Nice house, high-end clothes. The only thing she doesn’t have is a life…outside her house that is. An incident when she was four left her an agoraphobic-a prisoner within the sanctuary of her home. Besides her sister, she finds companionship in the form of handsome delivery man Jack Eberley. Jack Eberley’s woman of his dreams won’t even leave her house. That does little to tamper his feelings toward her. He finds himself wanting to deliver more packages to her house and help her breakdown the walls she’s built around herself. One night will change each of their lives. Will they find love in the first blooms of spring or will they let their love slip away?