Tuesday, February 28, 2017

BOOK BLAST: Beauty's Thief by Konstanz Silverbow - SPOTLIGHT + GIVEAWAY!

  Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining fellow bloggers round the world for a BOOK BLAST via I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.  It highlights a curious read with a title that plays on the fairytales we know, but twists it just so to give it new life...and what a life that is!  Ready or not, here comes today's title in the spotlight....


Beauty's Thief
by
Konstanz Silverbow


Not every monster has claws—not every beauty is kind. Born a princess, raised to be queen, but living as a servant, Avalyn never realized she would pay the price for her father’s mistakes. Now Avalyn is living in a castle not her own, a slave to an evil witch who wants revenge on the man who betrayed her trust and ruined her. For Avalyn, her real punishment has yet to begin. She will be cursed to work for the witch for the next one hundred years unless true love can find its way into the castle and into her heart. Now the princess’s freedom rests in the hands of a lowly thief who cares only for himself.



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Author the author...


Konstanz Silverbow has always been a dreamer . . . but not a writer. Being an author was something she was dragged into. But since that day, she hasn't stopped. It has become more than a hobby, it is a passion. During the day Konstanz works, making jewelry, playing the violin, collecting dragons, and learning all she can about medieval weapons. But at night she creates made up worlds and places where those dragons come to life and the weapons are used in battle." Proud Creator of magical worlds, fictional creatures, ideal super heroes and sarcasm since 2007!
 




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 *** Blast Giveaway ***

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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/19/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.






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Special thanks to Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for the chance to participate in this promotion.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the title, author, or those blasts on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Monday, February 27, 2017

BLOG TOUR: Abby's Journey by Steena Holmes + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're playing host to a stop along the TLC Book Tours promotion for the latest release from author Steena Holmes.  Name ring a bell?  Well, it should....if not for her growing body of works, than for the exuberant review I gave the previous book, right here on the site!  Seriously, it doesn't seem like nine months (approximately) have gone by since my last venture into her work, and yet...it has.  Hmm...nine months.  Funny that should be the timeframe...just about the right length of time for a new person to be created too.  Anywho, speaking of new people...

Last time around, we were reading Saving Abby, which was a WONDERFUL READ through and through.  Despite knowing from page one the eventual outcome, the experience wasn't dampened in the least...really, it was just that good.  Needless to say, there were some big shoes to fill, and expectations to satisfy, right from the start.  Were they met?  Ah, well...you're about to find out!  Ladies and gents, today's blog tour guest is on deck...



by
Steena Holmes
9781503940321
Lake Union Publishing

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About the book...
Twenty-year-old Abigail Turner has only known her mother, Claire—who died shortly after she was born—through letters, videos, postcards, and journals. Abby’s father, Josh, has raised his precious daughter himself, but his overprotectiveness has become stifling. Abby longs to forge out on her own and see the world after a childhood trapped indoors: she suffers from bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which means a case of the sniffles can rapidly escalate into life-threatening pneumonia.

But when Abby’s doctor declares her healthy—for now—her grandmother Millie whisks her away to Europe to visit the Christmas markets that her mother cherished and chronicled in her travel journals. Despite her father’s objections, Abby and Millie embark on a journey of discovery in which Abby will learn secrets that force her to reevaluate her image of her mother and come to a more mature understanding of a parent-child bond that transcends death.

Amazon   |   Books-A-Million   |   Barnes & Noble



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When the first work you read by a new-to-you author leaves you as touched and emotionally charged as Ms. Holmes' did, you're excited to venture into her territory again, and yet a teeny tad scared.  What if the next book isn't as good?  What if something about it changes your perspective on the first one and forever alters that "perfect memory" you had of your time between the pages?  What if...you simply stop worrying about "what ifs" and just give it a shot?  Yeah, so that's what I did because A) I was excited to try another title from this author and B) when I found out it wasn't JUST a new title but a continuation of the story we left in Saving Abby, I knew I couldn't pass it up.  You know what?  I wasn't disappointed either.

Abby is trying to stretch her wings and fly.  She is twenty years old, after all...had to happen some time, but the problem is her dad isn't quite ready to let her go.  Some of the reasons are purely selfish (but in the BEST way possible) and others are health related.  You see, Abby may have been "saved" thanks to her adoring mother Claire but due to complications, she has health risks of her own to deal with...and dealing is what her and dear old dad have been doing for the better part of her life.  Does that dampen her spirits?  Some, yes...but for the most part, she still keeps dreaming, and reaching for a better, less-health-influenced tomorrow...which just might be within her grasp.  Some surprise news of the best-case-scenario sort and TADA...it seems her wishes may be coming true.  Couldn't be more happy for her, honest, but is the worst over or yet to come?  Will this be the chance of a lifetime, or the end of one?  So much is uncertain, so much up in the air, but there are a few things she can count on:  her father will always be there for her through thick and thin, many sides make up even the most perfect person...not all of which are as bright and shiny as the next...and a mother's love can transcend even the barriers of place and time.

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In the end, it was a great follow up to the original with enough story of its own to make it worthwhile. I truly enjoyed getting to know Abby while still "visiting" with Claire.  Their connection was authentic and the continued letters could easily move you to tears. The only thing I wished for when reading was for more time (aka pages and detail) between the trip and the finale because it there was room for it to be fleshed out...and I simply wasn't ready to say goodbye.  Good thing I can revisit these wonderful characters any time I want with a simple turn of the page, and who knows...perhaps there will be another story down the line (*hint hint to the author...*).  In any case, if you're looking for a heart warming read that really reminds us of the important things in life, you can't go wrong with this book.





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About the author...


After writing her first novel while working as a receptionist, Steena Holmes made her dream of being a full-time writer a reality. She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma. Now both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Steena continues to write stories that touch every parent’s heart in one way or another. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys over on Instagram @steenaholmes.





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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to participate in this promotion as well as to the Lake Union Publishing team for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, or those tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so seek thee out a copy in your favorite bookstore or online retailer.  In the mean time....how'd you like to WIN A COPY?  ^-^

Thanks to the generosity of TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Publishing, I have the pleasure of giving you a CHANCE TO WIN a copy of this very title!  Interested?  All you have to do to be entered is fill in the Rafflecopter below.
Easy-peasy.

*Entries accepted today through 03/05/17 at midnight CST.  Open to US residents only; no P.O. Boxes please.  Winner will be drawn and emailed for prize send out information.  If not response is received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes.




Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Sunday, February 26, 2017

STORYBOOK SUNDAY: The Road Home by Katie Cotton

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


We're celebrating another day of bookish fun with Storybook Sunday!  For those not up to speed on the post, I read a lot of great storybooks and thought, why not give them their own day in the sun.  Hence, Storybook Sunday!  Feel free to join the fun and create a post on your own site with the same name.  I'd love to see any linked up in the comments!  Anywho...back to the matter at hand.

Today, we're peeking between the pages of a surprise arrival in my mailbox from Abrams Books for Young Readers.  It's a beautiful book with a story that has more reality at its heart than most.  It actually lends it a darker quality, but also one of hope, and belief in the completeness of the circle of life.  Ladies, gents, and kiddos, time to pull up a chair.  Today's Storybook Sunday title is on deck...Image result for the road home by katie cotton and sarah jacoby

by
Katie Cotton
Illustrated by
Sarah Jacoby
9781419723742
Abrams Books for Young Readers


This is the story of several animal families making their way through the wilds to survive, thrive, and eventually come back home.  It shares the often dangerous journeys that they have to make simply to find a meal, secure a dwelling, build their family, and just enjoy life.  Along the way, little ones pop up that must learn these lessons and more if they are to carry on in this world...but just because the road isn't all sunshine and roses, it doesn't mean they must always be afraid.  It's that fine line between wary and fear that the parents must teach, and while the story focuses on animals, it doesn't mean a real life application is a stretch in the least.  These are not the best times we live in, what with all the upsets, uprisings, and unsettled communities out there, but it doesn't mean they can't be, or eventually be, if we only persevere and make it happen.  In the mean time, we carry on for the next generation and show them that home is where the heart is no matter how rough the road may get.

A timely story for a generation in transition with beautiful illustrations to touch the heart and capture the eye, this is a great addition to any home or school library.



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Special thanks to the Abrams Books for Young Readers publicity team for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title ,the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Saturday, February 25, 2017

BOOK BLAST: Sprinkled with Love by Jennifer Faye - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!


Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

Today, we're celebrating THE MONTH OF LOVE with a BOOK BLAST that's a perfect fit...with sprinkles to spare!  It's a Contemporary Romance title that sounds like it will have things heating up in the kitchen as well as "other places", if you know what I mean.  Ladies and gents, please join me as we welcome to the spotlight....



Sprinkled with Love
 by
Jennifer Faye

  

About the book...
What does one do with a matchmaking cat named Romeo? Spirited and beautiful, Jillian Parker is one of Marietta’s newest business owners. Still, her mother worries about Jillian’s bare ring finger. So in order to give her mother something else to fuss over, Jillian adopts a cat named Romeo. He turns out to be anything but a docile lap cat. One snowy night, Romeo makes a break for it. With Jillian right on his heels, they have a near miss with a passing pickup driven by Avery Wainwright, one of Jillian’s closest friends. A rodeo accident has the sexy cowboy returning home to recuperate, and he’s not happy about it. So when Avery finds himself lassoed into the Bachelor Bake-Off, he turns to the one person who has always helped him out—Jillian. But will teaching him to take chances outside of the show ring have them both discovering that their feelings for each other run much deeper than they ever imagined?




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~~~  EXCERPT  ~~~

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What in the world? There was something in the road. Avery tramped on the brakes. He squinted. Between the falling snow and the long shadows of evening, he was pretty certain it was a person. The pickup hit a patch of black ice. Though he hadn’t been going very fast, the vehicle refused to stop. Avery’s heart slammed into his ribs. “Move!” It wasn’t like the person could hear him, but he felt as though he had to do something to gain their attention. The distance between them was shrinking with every beat of his heart. Five feet. Four…Three…Two… And then the truck slid to a stop. The breath that had been trapped in Avery’s straining lungs rushed out. The surprise, worry, and fright all ganged up on him. In turn, anger pumped in his veins. What had this person been thinking to run out in front of a moving vehicle? He threw the pickup into Park. Ignoring the pain from his injured leg, he alighted from the truck. “What do you think you’re doing? I almost hit you—”

“You almost hit my cat.”

He immediately recognized the female voice. It was Jillian. What in the world was she doing in the middle of the road in the dark? With his heart still pounding, Avery stepped around the front of the idling vehicle. A cold breeze rushed past him, but it wasn’t enough to cool his temper. “Do you know how close you came to getting hit?”

“I had to save Romeo.”

Avery shifted his weight to his good leg. “Who? I thought we were talking about a cat.”

“Romeo is a cat.”

Jillian stepped in front of the pickup’s headlights and then she lowered her hood. His next words stuck in his throat. He hadn’t seen Jillian since his brother and sister graduated high school eight or so months ago. Since then he’d been in Marietta infrequently, spending all of his time going from one rodeo to the next. How was it possible that Jillian had grown even more beautiful? Her long hair was like spun gold and her ivory complexion was flawless. One of the things he admired about her was how she didn’t hide her beauty behind a bunch of makeup. Sure, she wore a little, but not too much. And this was the first time he’d been alone with her since she’d worked for him. Normally, he had no problem speaking to her, but suddenly things felt awkward. What was up with that?



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About the author...

 
Author Jennifer Faye Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards. Now living her dream, she resides with her very patient husband, amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats. When she's not plotting out her next romance, you can find her curled up with a mug of tea and a book.





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Blast Giveaway

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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/12/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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Image result for i am a reader not a writer logo

Special thanks to Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for the chance to participate in this promotion.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or those tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Friday, February 24, 2017

LIVE THE DREAM! Write and Win with Inkitt - CONTEST!

Hi guys and gals!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
 
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So, it's Friday!
You made it through another long week of the daily grind.  Stumbled off to work bright and early, put in your hours, and came home diligently each night to get a few hours sleep...only to start over again tomorrow.  Such is life, right? 
 
But what if it didn't HAVE to be?  What if instead of the daily grind, it was a PLEASURE to go to work?  What if you were able to do something you've always wanted to do because you FINALLY got your foot in the door, your moment in the limelight, and the pieces just fell into place?  Of course, it wouldn't JUST HAPPEN or anything, you'd have to put some elbow grease in of your own...blood, sweat, tears, words, and all that.  What's that?  Ah yes...the mention of words.  Well, you see, it comes into play considering the avenue of "the dream" we're talking about right now...that of a WRITER. 
 

Enter stage left...
THE CONTEST!



 The folks at Inkitt believe one of YOU in the reading audience have what it takes to take your dream and turn it into reality.  To help you do just that, they're running a WRITING CONTEST where the prize is YOUR NOVEL BEING PUBLISHED and a good lot more!

http://www.inkitt.com/novelcontest?utm_source=affiliate1023

The Prize:
 * Inkitt runs a marketing campaign to get you into the Top 100 on Amazon
* Inkitt invests a minimum of $6000 into your book launch
* They provide you with professional cover design and editing
* You receive 25% royalties
 
 The Rules:
* You must enter the contest with a work of Fiction at least 20k words in length
* You must not have any works on Inkitt before
* Language must be English
* No Fanfiction
* No short-story collections
* ALL GENRES welcome!
 

If you're ready to take the next step, just CLICK HERE to be taken to the official website and get your entry in to win!







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 About Inkitt....

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Inkitt is a new boutique publishing house. Our first novel launched mid 2016, and since then we’ve published ten books, nine of which became Amazon Bestsellers in their categories and ranked Top 100 among the four million books on Amazon.  


SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER




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Special thanks to Marvin at Inkitt for the chance to bring this contest to the spotlight.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the publisher or the contest itself, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time...GOOD LUCK...and happy WRITING!