Book of the Day: All Summer Long

I love all the characters that I write, but there are a few who find a special place in my heart. Firefighter Charlie Dixon is one of those special few. I adore Charlie. Her crabbiness makes me laugh, and her big, generous, vulnerable heart makes me want to be her friend. I don’t know if I’ve ever been happier to write a happily ever after.

Charlie is determined to get over her painful past so that she can move toward the bright future her best friends Annabelle and Heidi found earlier this summer. Could Clay Stryker, of all people, be the man to help her heal Clay made his fortune as an underwear model and a Hollywood butt double. He could very well be the most handsome man in the world. By all rights, this small town firefighter should be wildly intimidated by the man’s classic good looks. And yet…  Charlie just might be the only woman in the world more dazzled by Clay’s heart than by his world-famous…  assets. Can she trust Clay enough to approach him with an indecent proposal?

ALL SUMMER LONG – In stores now!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373776942?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0373776942

All Summer Long… Can a summer fling turn into love that lasts a lifetime?

Click here to read an excerpt!

http://www.susanmallery.com/excerpt_aug2012.php

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2012 Reader's Olympic Celebration Giveaway & Free E-Book!

With the upcoming release of Dianne Venetta's new novel, WHISPER PRIVILEGES - set for release August 8th, comes a new and fantastic giveaway!  5 authors will be coordinating their giveaways with chosen Olympic Events, giving you a chance to win too!  Stay tuned to this site for more information and reminders!  The first giveaway is posted and starts tomorrow!!  Check out the post below and visit www.diannevenetta.com to enter.

Miami,Florida is the venue for the Special Olympics National Games and Clay Rutledge’s son is competing in swimming. A sure bet to win the gold, father and son plan to ride their tropical victory to the World Games—until an unexpected turn of events jeopardizes their plans for fortune and fame.

Tasked with managing the games,Sydney quickly learns that Clay’s quiet, sexy confidence demands special attention, something she’s more than willing to oblige.  But a jealous ex-lover of a boss has other plans, as does her office nemesis.

Trapped between a desire to mix business with pleasure and a boy who reminds her of a life she swore to move beyond, Sydney is at a personal crossroads.  She can have career or love—but to attain both requires a consent she yearns to give but fears impossible…

And to celebrate the release, I’m giving away a copy of my book (ebook or print) along with a set of Malibu Wellness Swimmers Hair Care shampoo and conditioner. It’s the perfect shampoo for swimmers as it removes chlorine, minerals and salts from the hair and restores shine and manageability.  I love mine because it keeps my blonde color clear and bright between salon visits—despite the fact that I live and shower with well water. 

But the giveaways don’t stop here!  Shirley Hailstock will host a gymnastics-themed giveaway on July 31^stfollowed by Barbara Phinney on August 9^th hosting a football, Cheryl Malandrinos will be offering up some hockey fun August 10^th and Shari Brady will be serving up volleyball August 11^th  for our grand finale. 

So while you’re enjoying the competition of the Summer Olympics in London, be sure to stop by these author sites for your chance to win!

Also, in light of the fact that I’ve chosen the Special Olympics as the setting for my current novel, WHISPER PRIVILEGES, I’m donating $1 for every comment made during the entire two-week giveaway. 

For those who have yet to read JENNIFER’S GARDEN, the first in this series, I’m setting the ebook version FREE for the duration of the Summer Olympics.  For your free copy, visit Smashwords.com and use code VP55P for a variety of versions compatible with most ereaders on the market today.

The Chocolate Diaries

Ready to Make Some Sweet Changes?
Karen Linamen dishes up a satisfying blend of moxie and mocha, sharing stories from dozens of women who reveal savvy strategies for embracing a sweeter life—even while traveling rocky roads. If you’re hungry for more joy, reasons to laugh again, ideas to help you heal, and reliable hope leading to a sweeter future, this journey will leave you satisfied.

Funny, transparent, and uplifting, The Chocolate Diaries is like taking a road trip with good friends who are wise about life. And while you’re at it, indulge (just a little) in the quirky recipes for concocting chocolate delights out of whatever ingredients you can round up in your kitch. The road may still be bumpy, but you’ll be having too much fun to care.

My Thoughts:

First, I love chocolate!  My best friends love chocolate and we have been on many road trips together so this book sparked my interest from the get-go!  We all have rocky times in our life where we may find more of a need for chocolate than others, however, laughter helps you heal, friends are great listeners and wonderful advise givers and God is always there for us!  This book is a sweet reminder of all of that, with helpful tips and reasons to keep you laughing on the journey of life.  It's a little bit of fun in a life that is full of responsiblity and difficulty.  It really is a journey with friends because you'll want to share this with them!

An Amish Wedding

Three best-selling authors. Three possible brides. Three separate tales. They come together for an Amish wedding.

Priscilla King has dreamed of being married to Chester Lapp since she was sixteen. With the help of her sister Naomi's matchmaking skills, Chester proposes to Priscilla on her nineteenth birthday. As the wedding day approaches, problems emerge: an attendant with poison ivy, a failed celery crop, and a torn wedding dress.

At the same time, Priscilla's best friend Rose is convinced her fiance is hiding something and she is intent on discovering the truth at any cost.

Naomi remains hopeful that she, too, will soon find her perfect match. When Chester's cousin shows up, there's an immediate attraction between him and Naomi-as well as an obstacle that may just as immediately derail their blossoming love.

Is God sending a message to stop the wedding? What is certain is that the hearts of these three women will be forever transformed by this touching Amish wedding.

My Thoughts:
Three different authors, three different stories and three young women. all of them are friends living in the same community and all have something in common, they are  preparing for their weddings and dealing with the challenges that come with it.

Rose, who was recently engaged to her best friend Luke, begins to wonder if she's made the right choice. Luke seems distant, and not like the man of her dreams.

Naomi is a successful matchmaker for everyone except herself. Naomi thinks she is destined to live life alone, but her sister's approaching wedding makes her question her decision.

Priscilla is preparing for the perfect wedding she's dreamed of since she was sixteen. She is completely in love with Chester, but as things go wrong with the wedding preparations, they begin to doubt...

I loved this book. The authors did a skillful job using the same setting to tell the interwoven stories. The plots are interesting, but it's the characters that keep you reading. The characters are genuinely likeable. Their problems are relatable and the resolutions are satisfying. Everyone knows weddings cause large levels of stress for most everyone involved and things simply go wrong, but this book puts a spin on that common factor with a focus on what marriage is and how the wedding is not the marriage.If you're a fan of Amish stories, or love romance, you'll likely enjoy this book!

A Night Like This

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Author: Julia Quinn
ISBN:
Publisher:
Source: TLC Blog Tours
Rating: Must Read

About the Book:

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is . . .

But she’s managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge—in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy—no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he’s the first man who has truly tempted her, and it’s getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith Might be in mortal danger . . .

But that’s not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family’s annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she’s a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending .. .

My Thoughts:

Who doesn't love Julia Quinn's books?  She is an amazing writer, which is why her books are bestsellers.  However, A Night Like This takes her writing to a whole new level.  The romance is intriguing, mysterious, funny, multi-layered and full of unique characters. In fact, I fell in love with the characters instantly. I loved how the book opens and instantly Daniels enemy is revealed, keeping you on your toes about those he comes in contact with. The twist is Anne's secret and the root of her fears.  While reading this book you're given a little bit of everything.  From romance to suspense, from laughter to fear and uncertainty, this title has quite the story to tell with romance in-between.  I loved it.

About Julia Quinn

Perennial bestseller Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance, and in 2001 she did so in grand style, competing on the game show The Weakest Link and walking away with the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a da Vinci long before there was a code.
Her most recent novel, The Lost Duke of Wyndham, reached #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.
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Keepsake

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Author: Kristina Riggle
ISBN: 978-0062003072
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: TLC Book Tour
Rating: Highly Recommended

 About the Book:

What happens when the things we own become more important than the people we love?

Trish isn’t perfect. She’s divorced and raising two kids—so of course her house isn’t pristine. But she’s got all the important things right and she’s convinced herself that she has it all under control. That is, until the day her youngest son gets hurt and Child Protective Services comes calling. It’s at that moment when Trish is forced to consider the one thing she’s always hoped wasn’t true: that she’s living out her mother’s life as a compulsive hoarder.

The last person Trish ever wanted to turn to for help is her sister, Mary—meticulous, perfect Mary, whose house is always spotless . . . and who moved away from their mother to live somewhere else, just like Trish’s oldest child has. But now, working together to get Trish’s disaster of a home into livable shape, two very different sisters are about to uncover more than just piles of junk, as years of secrets, resentments, obsessions, and pain are finally brought into the light.

Thoughts:

I loved this book!  It was like discovering a diary and finding treasure in the attic all at the same time.  Like most siblings, Trish and her sister, Mary, are very different yet very alike.  When Trish needs her sister the most, she is there to help sort through the mess of life, both figuratively and emotionally. The ordeal ends up being a life changing, emotional and bonding experience for the sisters as they navigate through the clutter and uncover the things they've needed to be whole again.  For anyone who, has a sibling, collects and, yes, may horde items, loves uncovering family secrets or simply likes to read interesting, layered and dynamic stories, this is for you.  You may not always like the characters, you may connect with one over the other, but it's very likely you'll bond with them as they bond and be enlightened into the loving dynamic of family in the midst of good and bad times. 

About the Author

Kristina Riggle lives and writes in West Michigan. Her debut novel, Real Life & Liars, was a Target “Breakout” pick and a “Great Lakes, Great Reads” selection by the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association. The Life You’ve Imagined was honored by independent booksellers as an IndieNext “Notable” book. Things We Didn’t Say was named a Midwest Connections pick of the Midwest Booksellers Association.
Kristina has published short stories in the Cimarron Review, Literary Mama, Espresso Fiction, and elsewhere, and she works as co-editor for fiction at Literary Mama. Kristina was a full-time newspaper reporter before turning her attention to creative writing. As well as writing, she enjoys reading, yoga, dabbling in (very) amateur musical theatre, and spending lots of time with her husband, two kids and dog.
Her latest novel, Keepsake, is about a compulsive hoarder and her estranged sister reluctantly joining forces to clean out the hoarded home when Child Protective Services comes calling, and much more than junk is uncovered.

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Kristina will discuss Keepsake on Book Club Girl on Air on Wednesday, July 25th at 7 pm ET.