What Do You Prefer and a Chance to Win! by Christine DePetrillo

A few fall this-or-that questions for you today. Answer them and I'll randomly select someone to receive one $10 Amazon gift e-card to celebrate Autumn. (If you are the winner, a valid email address will need to be provided so prize can be sent. Random winner selected by Thursday, November 8th, 11:59 PM EST.)

Do you prefer:

1. Leaf peeping or a hay ride?

2. Apple picking or a fall craft show?

3. Pumpkin pie or apple pie?

4. Cider or beer?

5. Chillin' by a firepit or bike riding?

6. Christmas music before Thanksgiving or after Thanksgiving?

7. Decorating with real pumpkins or fake ones?

8. Scare crows away or let 'em stay?

9. Hot chocolate or tea?

10. Autumn-themed books or movies?

Just post your preferences in the comments and be entered to win. Feel free to share this post with your friends so they can join in on the fun!

Be sure to check back here after Thanksgiving and into December for The Roses of Prose Annual Holiday stories! Free holiday cheer! Also join the Facebook reader group I co-host with author Amanda Torrey - Small Town Hearts. We have a blast over there!

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

#Contest Central #Giveaways Galore

Good morning readers and authors. I've just returned from a two week plus road trip vacation, opened my laptop, and realized I have three contests going on. Yes, I knew...but I'm not sure how I forgot and scheduled multiple ones. Too much on my plate, I suppose. But how great for you. Enter all three (they're all easy) and you could win gift cards, books, Kindles, and I forget what all else there is. Good luck!!

For the month of July, Coffeetime Romance:
http://coffeetimeromance.com/contests/

Also until the end of the month:
https://www.booksandmore.club/bookbub-hop

And there's only six more days to enter this one. Hurry! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Judging the Golden Heart by Barbara Edwards

I agreed to judge the RWA Golden Heart contest this year.

Judging contests has dropped off my radar for a couple years. My RWA chapter stopped running our contest and I didn’t feel motivated to help other contests. 

Judging a contest is work. And an ability to distance yourself. You can’t judge a story over using an old plot line. Or an era you don’t care for. Or a hero who isn’t your idea of heroic.

I volunteered because I’ve been in a rut. I wanted to see what others were doing, if one or more had found that certain style or idea. I wanted to be enchanted.

So maybe i haven’t found that one, but I am pleased by the quality of the entries. Nice plots, love story, good characters and enjoyable to read. So different from past entries that lacked formatting, spell-check or an engrossing story.

I don’t know how others will judge these, but I’m glad I volunteered.

Have you judged recently? What did you find?

Check out my Historical Romance, Another Love

Link: http://a.co/1a33tKq

Some promises are made to be broken.

Caught in a web of political intrigue, graft and threats to a beloved child, Meg Warren and Drew Larkin hunt the men threatening the downfall of President Cleveland and the economic fabric of America. From a poor farm to the ostentatious world of New York’s elite, they sift lies, discover trust and an attraction they cannot resist. The last thing they expect to find is a love worth more than gold.

Check www.barbaraedwards.net for more excerpts

Excerpt:

Meg quivered like a trapped bird in his arms. Her slender bones were as fragile and delicate as the lace edging her collar. Alarm widened her eyes.

"How can you prove your innocence? I can think of a way.”

 His mouth locked over hers, smothering her protest. His tongue probed the seam between her lips and she moved head back. He instantly slipped his hand to the back of her head to hold her still. His tongue coaxed.

Her thick hair loosened from its knot. The heavy length cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Drew groaned when the silken tresses brushed his hands. His fingers twined in the softly scented curls. He tugged gently. Upon her gasp, his tongue surged between her lips.

Her hands stilled, then she caught his lower lip with her teeth and bit down, hard. She whirled away to face him from the other side of the small room. If he thought she looked regal before, now she looked magnificent. A Greek goddess, breasts uplifted with pride and rage, her hair flowing like dark water over her slim shoulders.

She pointed an accusing finger at him and he fully expected a bolt of lightening to char him to a cinder.

"I will not prove anything by going to bed with you," she cried.

"Quote." – Pat Potter, award winning author calls Another Love…“A real page turner with wonderful characters and a unique plot. You can’t miss with this one.”

Review from Romantic Times Magazine **** 1/2 (four and one-half stars)

Please follow, friend or like me. I love to hear from my readers.

Blog http://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.com/

Website http://barbaraedwards.net

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraEdwards.Author

Twitter  https://www.twitter.com/Barb_ed

Amazon Author’s Page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003F6ZK1A

GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/496095.Barbara_Edwards

Wyne/Wine and a Giveaway by Donna Michaels

**My Winners are...

Debby  and Jannine!

Congratulations! Sorry for the delay! Wine and Dine is on its way!

Thank you all for commenting. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

*******

Hello everyone, I’m excited! In eight days the third book in my Citizen Soldier Series, WYNE AND SONG releases, and a month later the fourth book in the series WINE AND HER NEW YEAR COWBOY releases in the RING IN A COWBOY boxed set!

This series is special to me because it features National Guard heroes and heroines, and as you know, my husband has been in the National Guard for over 30 years. It’s my honor to portray these brave men and women, and their support on the home front.

I’d like to share some Wyne and Wine and offer a giveaway at the end.

Book 3/Ethan features my single father who surprised me. I usually have pretty much alpha heroes, but Ethan has a little beta going on, too, and I enjoyed every bit of that aspect of him.

WYNE AND SONGCitizen Soldier Series
Book 3/ Ethan
Releasing 11/24/15 Available NOW for Pre-Order!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016UV023W

 Single father Ethan Wyne’s trust in women stopped when his cheating wife died while he was deployed. Dating and relationships are in the past. His son is his life now and he’s proud of the stable home he’s created through hard work, determination, and support. But when a family celebration in NYC leads to a moment of weakness with a vivacious beauty, he’s tempted to rethink his reasoning. Especially when she turns up in the Poconos. Can he take a chance again when more than his heart is at stake?

Phoebe Weston’s temporary gig in a summer production in the Poconos is just what the Broadway star needs to keep busy while awaiting a Hollywood screen test. The magic of the show reawakens her passion for the basics, and her frequent encounters with the handsome, single father of a young friend awakens something more.

But Ethan’s made it clear he’s not looking for permanent, and for the first time in her life, Phoebe’s not looking for temporary. Maybe what the jaded father’s locked up, guarded heart needs is a little song.

***********************

When I was asked to be in the RING IN A COWBOY boxed set featuring cowboys set around New Years, I knew I wanted to bring a cowboy from my Harland County Series up to the Poconos and create a Citizen Soldier/Harland County Crossover for the set. I immediately thought of Harper, one of my Texas cowboys, then I chuckled gleefully and rubbed my hands together imagining some fun for the displaced cowboy stuck in the snowy north.

WINE AND A NEW YEAR COWBOY
Citizen Soldier/Harland County Series
Crossover Novella
Book 4/ Lucas

Texas cowboy, Lucas Harper relocates to the Poconos when he’s named guardian of a teenager in the will of a father he didn’t know existed. With a new job, new Guard unit, new house, and a new sister, he’s reached his ‘new’ limit, until he meets his sister’s new boss.

A magnet for Mr. Wrong, pizza shop owner, Evie Martelli makes an early New Year’s resolution to go ‘no male’, but the sexy older brother of her employee puts that resolution to the test. Good thing her brother has a ‘no dating rule’ concerning the guys from his unit.

But, everybody knows rules are meant to be broken, and resolutions rarely last more than a few days…

WINE AND HER NEW YEAR COWBOY is part of the
RING IN A COWBOY Boxed Set
Rel. 12/28/15
Available NOW for PRE-ORDER for .99cents at:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016SIV2T0
iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1047805946
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ring-in-a-cowboy…/1122768892
KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/ring-in-a-cowboy

Authors:

Kathleen Ball
Rhonda Lee Carver
Amanda McIntrye
Hildie McQueen
Donna Michaels
Lexi Post
Tori Scott
Gem Sivad
Victoria Vane

***GIVEAWAY***
In honor of my upcoming Citizen Soldier releases, I’m giving away 2 eBooks of the first book in the series WYNE AND DINE! Just answer the following question:

What is your favorite wine?

Two random names will be drawn from the comments tomorrow. Good luck!

Each book is a standalone, but as with any series, I think you get more out of the books if you read each hero’s story.

**Citizen Soldier Series**
Book 1/ Ben – Wyne and Dine
Book 2/Mason – Wyne and Chocolate
Book 3/Ethan – Wyne and Song
Book 4/ Harper – Wine and Her New Year Cowboy (Harland County/Citizen Soldier Crossover Novella/Part of the Ring in a Cowboy Boxed Set)

Thanks for reading,

~Donna

www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

Why Oh Why Did I Do It by Brenda Whiteside.

Have you ever done something and wished you hadn't; wished you could have a total do-over. I don't normally enter contests, but I did. My publisher sent me an email about a contest, and it seemed like a good idea. A contest based on readers' votes. But...the main problem with this kind of contest is getting the word out, and that turns it into a shout and beg kind of thing. So, why did I do it? No idea. Southwest of Love and Murder placed second in a contest before it was published. It was the typical contest judged by a panel of judges and editors. My mother-in-law used to say "there is first place and no place." I guess I felt the need to try once more for first place since my second place really doesn't mean much.

That main problem I stated before is now making me cringe. Asking for votes...just feels wrong. So this will be the last time I mention it. One more stab, publicly, not aimed at anyone in particular. That's it. And since I'm up against some more well-known authors than yours truly, I have no expectations, and can forget about it.

The Romance Reviews is where you go to vote. You have to register, but it's free and safe. Your email address will be confidential. It's the only way for them to monitor that you vote only once for a book. There are several categories. Southwest of Love and Murder is in the Romantic Suspense category. Below is the direct link to my book's page. Click on the blue box that says "Action-Adventure/Romantic Suspense/Mystery. Vote Now." I'm up against some tough competition. Thanks!

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=16654

That's it. Now I'm retiring back into my isolationist stance of ignoring contests...I think.

Spring Cleaning and A Giveaway! Win a Signed Paperback from Laura Breck

Laura Breck

Instead of catching up on my writing as I should be, I've been spring cleaning. Impulsively. It started with the car, getting everything clean and shiny for summer, then it grew to encompass the closets, cabinets, drawers, and even those dark, creepy places underneath footed cabinets - ewww!

Not Laura Breck's husband.

The worst was my husband's personal foundation-wear drawer. He doesn't like to throw away socks or underwear, so the old ones migrate to the back of the drawer and keep the darn thing from closing right. The local Goodwill is going to be shocked when they open a whole garbage bag full of boxer briefs! 

Although I have nearly half the house in amazingly tidy order, I do need to get back to what I do all day. Strange, isn't it, when the job I love gets so overwhelming that cleaning is like a vacation? Oh well, that's just a sign that I should get out and walk more, take advantage of the beautiful Minnesota spring we're enjoying.

And to get me out of the house and into town to mail a package, I'm giving away a signed paperback copy of Dancing in a Hurricane. All you need to do to win is to tell me which place in your house or garage is most in need of a good spring cleaning!

Win This Book in Paperback!

Have a wonderful day!

Laura

~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance

LauraBreck.com

~Dancing in a Hurricane is available in digital formats at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace

~Love in the Land of Lakes is available in digital format at Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace