Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

Friday, 13 January 2017

Guest Blog - Norah Bennett gives you everything you ever dreamed of

Say hello to Norah Bennett! She's here to day with the second in her Love in Lakes Crossing series, EVERYTHING I'VE EVER DREAMED OF. And there's a giveaway! Be sure to check out the link under the buy links for details. In the meantime, let's see what's going on in Lakes Crossing...



Everything I’ve Dreamed Of
By Norah Bennett

​Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR3847R/
Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/everything-ive-dreamed-of-by-norah-bennett/

Giveaway: 
http://gvwy.io/0fg2991

Kate Willowbrook dreams of a life filled with beauty –– a man who loves her, friends, and a home. At eighteen, Kate's dreams are replaced by nightmares when she witnesses a crime. Kate runs, never settling down or trusting anyone. Ten years later Kate discovers the small town of Lakes Crossing and Noah Reed. 

When Noah’s wife is killed in an accident, he buries himself in work and family obligations, believing he will never find love again until he meets Kate. The more he learns about her, the more he is drawn to her and his protective instincts kick into overdrive.​

Noah is everything Kate has ever dreamed of, but his take-charge attitude is scaring up old demons she fought hard to bury. If they can’t find a way to strike a balance that satisfies both their deepest needs, they could lose their second chance at love.





Excerpt

Kate pierced him with her green eyes. “I’m certain there’s no shortage of women who would be happy to go out with you. Why me?”

Noah’s cocky grin faded into a soft smile that stole her breath. His eyes darkened as he focused on her. She could feel the heat creeping up her cheeks again, and she couldn’t believe she asked him that question. She didn’t even know why she did, except that she wanted to hear his answer. If she let herself fall for this beautiful man, with a killer smile and the softest brown eyes in the world, she’d fall hard and fast. If she were just a toy to him, one that he got bored of and discarded after a while, she’d be devastated. She had lost so much already and survived, but Kate wasn’t sure she could survive his games. If she allowed herself to hope and dream of a life with Noah but then lost it all, she’d crumble, and no amount of superglue would put her back together.

 Kate waited for his answer, her eyes locked with his and he didn’t let her down. 

“Yes, I won’t deny that I’ve dated other women and there are those who wouldn’t turn me down for a date, but they’re not you.”

Noah reached for her hand, and she let him feel the tremble that ran through her as he engulfed her small hand in his. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers, never taking his gaze off her. 

“You say you’re not special to anyone, but that’s not true. see something special, someone special. I know we don’t know each other very well, but if you give us a chance to change that, together, we may be something special. We won’t know unless we try.”

Kate’s breath hitched, and her heart squeezed. Jesus, the man had a way with words. How did he know what she needed to hear? Now she understood what Roberta Flack meant when she sang, Killing me Softly. He was clawing at the door to her heart, and she didn’t think she was strong enough to resist him, even knowing that she may get shredded if she let him in.

Kate dropped her gaze again as they began to fill. Her breathing was ragged, and her heart broke its confines and was on the run. Whether it wanted to be caught by Noah or not, Kate wasn’t certain. 

Special. 

Kate had waited thirty-one years to hear someone call her special. She struggled to rein in her emotions and push back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. She wanted to go out with Noah so badly it hurt. She wanted to get to know him and to be a part of his world, but she was terrified. Good visited her very few times in her life. The instant it arrived, she began preparing for its departure. Good was a temporary visitor and a fickle one at that. 

“Come on, Kate. I can sense you’re afraid. I swear I’m a nice guy. I’ll do my damnedest not to disappoint or hurt you. Take a chance. Take a chance on me.”

Kate heard the vulnerability in Noah’s voice. She explored his handsome face, a face she was sure she would never tire of admiring. All traces of his earlier cockiness vanished. Instead, it was replaced by a rawness, an earnestness, a tenderness she’d never seen before. That was the look Kate would remember for a lifetime. Years from now, she would say that was the exact moment she knew, if Noah Reed asked her, she would be his for a lifetime. 

Kate let out a slow breath and with a soft smile, she whispered, “Okay, Noah Reed. I’ll take a chance … a chance on you. I’ll go out with you.”



About the Author

Norah lives a double life. By day she is a suit-wearing, prim and proper, professor, administrator, researcher, and lecturer. By night she is a PJ wearing dreamer and writer of books that make people sigh, smile, cry, laugh, fall in love and believe in second chances.

Norah lives in Andover, New Jersey with her husband of thirty years, a cranky geriatric maltipoo, and an obnoxious cockatoo who runs the house and terrifies all its inhabitants. 

Norah discovered the joy and escapism that comes from reading at the age of twelve and swears books saved her life and her sanity. Through reading, she has travelled the globe and learned all kinds of equally useful and useless skills such as the proper way to eat a pomegranate, carve a watermelon, or bathe an elephant. These are skills she has passed down to her two daughters who are incredibly supportive, but often wish she had a wider scope of hobbies. 

Norah has a long publishing history in academia, but she started writing fiction recently. In July 2016 she published her first work of fiction, R.I.L.Y. Forever with Evernight Publishing and in January 2017 her second book, Everything I’ve Dreamed Of, was also published by Evernight Publishing. Currently, she is working on her third novel, Six Months. Digital and print copies of her books can be purchased at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/R-I-L-Y-Forever-Norah-Bennett-ebook/dp/B01IFH66CK/


Social Media Links
Website: http://www.norahbennett.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealNorahB?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norahbennettbooks/
Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15291745.Norah_Bennett?
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Norah-Bennett/e/B01IFN2V46/

Tuesday, 18 October 2016

The Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween!


It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler and the nights are getting spookier. Yes, it's time for tricks and treats, goblins and ghouls, chills and thrills and huge amounts of sugary sweets. But at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog it's also time for the 5th annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway. Join Laughing Vixen Lounge and our bewitching co-hosts The Kids Did It, The Mommy Island, Herding Cats and Burning Soup, The Hopping Bloggers, Mama Smith's Reviews and Women and Their Pretties for a spooktacular Halloween event.


Enter to win a $250 Prize Pack filled with goodies from 10 wickedly fabulous shops. All shops are offering Gift Cards or your choice of item(s) so there will be something for everyone. Many of the shops have items perfect for any book lover along with lots of unique, handcrafted and custom designs to choose from.


Visit the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog daily during the giveaway for the Halloween Movie Marathon. Test your movie knowledge with the Guess the Movie Game. Then try to solve the Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt, if you dare! Each event will get you daily entries in the giveaway plus a special giveaway for the Scavenger Hunt. Find full details for these events HERE.


You can start by entering the Rafflecopter widget below. To experience all the games, movies, shop features, giveaway info and all around awesome fun make sure to stop by the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog HERE


The giveaway runs October 18th - November 1st and is open worldwide to anyone 18+. 1 winner will win the Prize Pack and 1 winner will win the Scavenger Hunt Prize Pack. Laughing Vixen Lounge is responsible for all giveaway details. Click HERE for full details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And feel free to comment and let me know your favourite scary movie or book! One of my favourite horror films is Event Horizon - I never get sick of watching it and it always makes me jump no matter how many times I see it! Space/cosmic horror is something I absolutely love. Throw in Pandorum and Pitch Black, and there's the perfect Halloween movie marathon!

 

Friday, 14 October 2016

Fall Into Romance Hop!








Fall Into Romance! Share the romances that had you falling in love with the genre!
Or the ones that keep you smitten! Stop by each blog for new recommendations and giveaways!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I love Autumn, and I love romance, so what better way to celebrate the two than with a Fall-Romance themed blog hop? Not to mention a giveaway!

The book that made me fall in love with romance was...well, probably not a romance by my standards now. Goodreads tells me it's a historical romance, but I think it's probably more accurately a "saga." I'm talking about The Girl, by Catherine Cookson.




My grandparents used to live in a farmhouse and whenever we'd go to visit them, I'd sleep in what had been my uncle's room. He was a voracious reader and the room was stuffed with floor to ceiling bookcases, and those bookcases were stuffed with books of every genre. I used to spend hours searching the shelves for something new to read, and some of those books would become treasured favourites. I found The Girl when I was around fourteen or fifteen, and I must have read it dozens of times over the next five or six years. I loved it. I still love it. The story of Hannah, her unhappy childhood, her awful marriage, and her constant, unwavering love for the man she truly belonged with was captivating for me. Parts of the book are harrowing, parts were wonderfully tender, and it all felt so real. Looking back now, I can see that some elements of the plot were a bit questionable (Hannah's one true love had been obsessed with her since meeting her when she was six, which...yeah, is questionable), but the passion and raw emotion of The Girl hooked me as a teenager and made me seek out more romance novels. Without The Girl, I think it would have taken me a lot longer to discover the genre.

So that's how I fell in love with romance! Now tell me how you did - what was your first love in the romance genre?

To get you talking, I'm offering an e-copy of my first published romance, SHADOW CURSED!



Released from Ottevar Asylum after eight hard years, Lady Emmeline returns to Nachtholm Manor to reclaim her birthright. But she has a battle on her hands - Rainart Eckhard refuses to give up his position as lord of manor, and whilst his cold attitude enrages Emmeline, his smouldering kisses leave her weak at the knees. Who is this dangerous, enticing stranger, and what secrets does he hide? Caught in a web of desire, curses, and self-doubt, Emmeline is not only fighting Rainart for Nachtholm Manor, but for her own heart as well.

To be in with a chance of winning, just leave a comment telling me which romance novel you first fell in love with! And don't forget to visit the other blogs on the hop for more fun and prizes!

 

Monday, 14 March 2016

The Great (Late) Dark Days Giveaway!

I originally planned to run this giveaway when DARK DAYS came out. Well, that was over a month ago now, so as you can see...I failed. Luckily this is the kind of failure that doesn't really matter, since DARK DAYS is still out, and I can still run the giveaway. So let's do it!

What am I giving away, you ask?





One absolutely beautiful, handmade algiz rune pendant, carved in hornbeam, from the equally beautiful Urd Handicrafts. If you've read DARK DAYS, you know this rune plays a role in the story.


One 5ml bottle of Lola-inspired perfume from my perfume shop, Common Brimstone. (Actually this isn't available in the shop yet, so it's extra specially special!). Lola's scent is Earl Grey tea, vanilla, dragon's blood, warm spices, peach, apricot and clementine.





One 5ml bottle of Tristesse-inspired perfume, Demon Duchess (also a yet-to-be released exclusive!). Tristesse's scent is enticing artemisia, Russian rose, plum, cranberry, strawberry and clove.

And rounding things up, your choice of either BLOOD WITCH or DARK DAYS in ebook.


That's what's on offer, so why not enter yourself? Go on!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, 7 January 2016

Welcome to 2016! It's the Hello Hop!


We’re ringing in the New Year with lots of giveaways! And by sharing some fun and wacky facts about ourselves. There’s a new giveaway at each stop so be sure to visit them all!



So the New Year is upon us, and hopefully it's going to bring loads of new, awesome things into our lives...like new people, right? And there's no better way to break the ice when meeting new people than to share weird facts about yourself, so let's get right to it. I'm going to share five quirky facts about me, and I'm going to ask you to share some of your own to enter my giveaway. So without further ado...

1. I'm really scared of robots. Like, genuinely scared. I'm genuinely worried that Skynet is a future possibility (and apparently I'm right to worry). This all stems back to seeing Superman III at an impressionable age, and being horrified by Vera being transformed into a cyborg at the end. Ever since then, I've harboured a deep distrust of anything robotic, cyborg-ish, or even vaguely mechanical.

2. I collect tarot cards. I know how to read 'em too, although these days I very rarely do readings. I'm happy just to pull a deck out every now and then and admire the gorgeous artwork. My very first deck was the Tarot of the Moon Garden. I bought it from an indie bookstore in Liverpool while I was at university and taught myself to read the cards in my spare time. Since then I've collected all kinds of decks, from the Quantum tarot to the Santa Fe tarot.

3. I have five tattoos. I have a kanji symbol for "mind, body, and spirit" at the small of my back, which I got on my 18th birthday. A second kanji for "witch" at the top of my spine, which I got for my 21st birthday. A black and red tribal design at the small of my back, which I got on my last day of university. I have an elder sign beneath the witch kanji, which my fiance paid for as an anniversary present. And finally, I have the words "hope begins in the dark" on my left inner forearm, which I got last February as a Valetine's gift from my fiance. I'm trying to decide where to have number six...

4. I'm obsessed with perfume. Actually, this won't be news to people who know me, but if you're new here...I am obsessed. I have boxes upon boxes of perfumes. I make my own as well as buying from beautiful indie shops, so I also have boxes upon boxes of essential and fragrance oils. I never, ever wear the same perfume two days in a row.

5. I love true crime stories. I don't know if this is particularly weird, but I guess it's probably something not many people know. I'm addicted to the podcast Sword and Scale, and I especially love historical crime stories, the weirder the better!

Now, the giveaway! I'm giving away a copy of my urban fantasy, BLOOD WITCH, book one of the Blood Canticles series (it's definitely got some weird crime going on). 



To be in with a chance of winning, just tell me something not many people know about you! And don't forget to visit the other blogs on the hop. Happy hopping!

 

Saturday, 19 December 2015

Christmas Treats Blog Hop!



What are our favorite Christmas Treats? Books, of course! Stop by each blog for a chance to win fabulous books & gifties for the Holidays!

I've been reading a mixed bag lately - my favourite recent read was Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport, which is an account of the final days of the last Tsar of Russia. It's an amazing, but heavy-going book, and I'd love to get some more of Rappaport's books under the tree this year! At the other end of the scale, I've just started Libby Bishop's Ghosts of Kingston Cottage, which is a paranormal romance full of psychic investigators, ghosts, and skeptics, which is right up my street! I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it. I know there are two more books coming up in the series, so that would make another great Christmas present for me.

Giveaway!

Since it's the season of presents (and good will, obviously), I'm giving away two of my favourite things - a book and some perfume! First, an e-copy of my Christmassy werewolf story, COLD NIGHT MOON.


After a difficult year, Ayla Hammond wants to give her girlfriend Shannon a dream Christmas. A cosy, romantic cabin in the woods seems like the perfect way to put their troubles behind them and start the New Year right. And at first, everything is going according to Ayla's plan...Until night falls.
There's something in the woods. And it's after Shannon.
 
*An Editor's Pick*

And to go with that, a 10ml bottle of Wolf Moon from my Etsy shop, Common Brimstone.




Top notes of musk, blue tansy and dogwood make for a dusky floral opening that fades down into an earthy base of violet leaf, pine and cedar. A trickle of patchouli gives this scent a wild edge.

To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment letting me know what your ideal Christmas gift would be!

And remember to visit the other blogs on the tour: