Fabulous and Brunette: February 2018

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Marquis and I by Ella Quinn - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Ella Quinn and her new book, “The Marquis and I”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Ella and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

The Marquis and I

by Ella Quinn

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

Trouble is no match for a lady of the extended Worthington family—except when it comes in the form of a most irresistible gentleman…

Lady Charlotte Carpenter’s brother-in-law has put an infamous brothel owner out of business—yet it is Charlotte who suffers the consequences. Abducted by thugs and held at an inn, she is plotting her escape when she’s suddenly rescued by a dashing gentleman. Only afterward does she realize she’s seen him before—with two courtesans! Unwilling to tarry with such a man, Charlotte makes her second escape. But it is too late to repair her reputation…

A known gossip has spied Charlotte’s movements, and his report is speeding through the rumor mill. Soon, everyone knows that Charlotte spent the night with Constantine, Marquis of Kenilworth. And everyone agrees the only answer is marriage—including Constantine himself, his overjoyed mother—and his mistress! But Charlotte’s abductors aren’t finished with her yet. Now Constantine will do anything to protect the spirited woman he loves and win her heart…

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EXCERPT TWO:

Wife? Wed? No, no, no! Being betrothed was bad enough. But she could get out of that. But married! Lord Kenilworth was the last man in the world she would wed. Just the idea that he would touch her with the same hands he used to mistreat other women made her stomach lurch.

Charlotte quickly shoved the memory of his kiss aside. If she had known who he was, she would never have kissed him.

Taking a deep breath, she said with as firm a voice as she could muster, “Despite what his lordship said, I do not wish to marry him. There must be a way to—”

“That is neither here nor there, my dear.” Lady Bellamny waved away Charlotte’s complaint in a voice so composed it made her want to slaughter someone. Preferably Lord Kenilworth. “I stopped by Stanwood House to inform your sister I intended to be out of Town for a few days. Instead, I found your cousin Jane, Mrs. Addison. Knowing that I am a trustworthy friend of the family, she told me what had occurred. Unless I am mistaken, you were with Lord Kenilworth at least overnight, and you were seen entering the inn with him.” She raised a brow. “In a rather disheveled state.”

Charlotte decided to ignore her creased, dusty gown, and address the most important issue. “I did not exactly spend the night with him.” Not all night and, technically, she had entered the inn first. “He followed me into the inn. I—”

“Close enough, my lady.” His tone was as dry as sand. “We were seen together walking toward this place, and I held the door open for you.”

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AUTHOR BIO:

Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!

She loves having readers connect with her.

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CONNECT WITH ELLA:

Website:

www.ellaquinnauthor.com

Blog:

http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35267161-the-marquis-and-i

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/2Hv5my2

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle:

http://amzn.to/2FeQray

Amazon Paperback:

http://amzn.to/2EC4dah

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-marquis-and-i-ella-quinn/1126477606#/

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-marquis-and-i

Apple iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-marquis-and-i/id1241697341?mt=11

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ella_Quinn_The_Marquis_and_I?id=3pclDwAAQBAJ

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Ella will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Interwoven by Michelle Montebello - Book Tour - Book Sale - Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Michelle Montebello and her new book, “Interwoven”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Michelle and to increase your chances of winning!

This book is on SALE during the tour for ONLY $0.99!!! See below for more details.

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Interwoven

by Michelle Montebello

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Belle Hamilton is a romantic at heart. She's engaged to the love of her life and dreams of marriage, children and a happily ever after. Belle’s world is close to perfect until one afternoon she makes a decision she can't take back.

In the blink of an eye, Belle’s life spirals out of control. She loses everything that is dear to her and is forced to flee to the other side of the world where she meets Andrea, a local bartender from Rome, and develops an unexpected connection with him.

Can they break through the complications of past hurts and a long-distance relationship to make it work or will one terrifying night in Paris end it before it had a chance to begin?

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EXCERPT TWO:

They’d met at Hunters Hill High School when they were sixteen. He’d asked for her help with his English and History assignments, subjects that he wasn’t terribly natural at, and she’d agreed.

After study each afternoon, he would walk her to the local milk bar for a strawberry ice cream cone. They would sit in the park by the water, licking their ice creams and talking for hours. It was during those lovely picturesque afternoons lying on the soft grass, beneath the trees that a delightful appreciation for each other’s company had ensued.

Belle wasn’t like the other girls in Ben’s class. She wasn’t loud or a show-off. She was shy, sweet and quietly curious. She was creative, loved books and was a whizz with a spoon in home economics.

He was handsome and spoke with an intensity and passion that had secured him a spot as captain of the school debate team. He was smart in science and mathematics, cleverly conversational, and popular with the girls. A beautiful young relationship had blossomed, for opposites surely did attract.

They’d graduated from Hunters Hill High School together at eighteen. He’d gravitated immediately toward a Bachelor of Law at university. Belle hadn’t felt the same pull, inclined more so towards a job in the food industry. Her father had balked, of course. After many arguments, ones in which she never did seem to get her point across, she’d reluctantly agreed to study a Bachelor of Communications in Journalism. She hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of going to university. It wasn’t at all what she wanted to do but it temporarily appeased her father and that made everyone’s life a little easier.

Ben’s career after university had taken off; exploded, more like it. He was ambitious, focused and brilliant in the courtroom. He regarded his career with the same kind of intensity and passion that Belle had come to love him for. He balanced her; completed her.

One night when they were twenty-six, Ben proposed. It was over dinner on a Wednesday evening at Tetsuya’s on Kent Street. He’d just been offered a position with the prestigious law firm, Richardson & Fields, as a junior criminal barrister. They took only one new recruit a year. It was a culmination of hard work and dedication that had finally paid off. He’d landed his dream job.

Ben had been animated that night, a number of scotches already under his belt. His happiness had been infectious, she remembered, as they’d laughed and celebrated his success. He’d gotten down on one knee and produced a small box: robin egg blue. Unmistakably Tiffany’s.

When he’d opened it, Belle’s breath had caught in her throat. A stunning engagement ring twinkled up at her, a thousand white diamonds, it seemed, set in an elegant round cut and sitting upon a diamond-encrusted platinum band. It was worth more than her car and tiny flat above Darling Street put together, she was sure.

Belle had shivered when he’d placed the ring on her finger and she’d whispered yes before he’d even asked the question. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, the proposal or the dizzying thrill of being in love, but she’d had a feeling that night at Tetsuya’s that, like all good fairy tales, theirs was destined for a happily ever after.

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REVIEW:

Wow! Wow! Wow!

I am still in awe after finishing this book!

First off, I have to commend the author on her style of writing. I really enjoyed the flowing sentences with extreme detail that made most scenes very easy to picture. It was like almost watching the book come to life.

Second, I really liked the main characters, especially Belle. They were genuine and realistic. But with Belle, she was just so easy to relate to and I could even see a little of myself in the character. I am all about fairytales and happy-endings, so I knew right away we were going to be BFFs lol.

Rome has always been on my travel bucket list, but after reading and listening to how it was beautifully described it has definitely moved up on my bucket list and I feel quite the urgency to go lol.

I love that this book really has so many underlying messages about faith, hope, love, moving on, second chances, friendship, respect, and so much more!

This book is beautifully written and truly shows that choices we make today can affect the results of tomorrow and that those choices don’t just affect us, they affect those around us. Such an important message as I don't think many of us think about that before we act on impulses.

This book is book one in the Belle Hamilton Book Series.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend this book to all readers!!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/ROMYHHLXUHTUS

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AUTHOR BIO:

Michelle Montebello was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and two young children. She has always had a passion for reading, writing and the dramatic arts and she spent most of her childhood immersed in books, writing stories and performing in plays.

She has worked full-time in the corporate sector since 1998. It wasn't until she completed a writing course with James Patterson that she was inspired to write and publish her first novel, Interwoven, in 2017.

In addition to her writing, she also has a passion for travel and loves to combine her two favourite things - creative writing and travelling - to create vibrant worlds for her characters to explore.

When this busy mum is not working, chasing little ones or searching under beds for monsters, she can be found reading, writing or plotting her next story.

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CONNECT WITH MICHELLE:

Website:

https://michellemontebello.com.au

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/michellemontebelloauthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/michelle_monteb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/michellemontebelloauthor

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17208833.Michelle_Montebello

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36365432-interwoven

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/2Hsa7sd

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

**Interwoven is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!**

Amazon US Kindle:

http://amzn.to/2CuRKzq

Amazon AU:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Interwoven-Belle-Hamilton-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B07652HFM5

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/interwoven-1

Apple US iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/book/interwoven/id1292483837

Apple AU iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/interwoven/id1292483837

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Michelle_Montebello_Interwoven?id=RU84DwAAQBAJ

Google Books:

https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9780648088004

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Michelle will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nadia’s Heart, Part One by Wendy Altshuler - Book Tour - Exclusive Excerpt - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Wendy Altshuler and her new book, “Nadia’s Heart, Part One”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Wendy and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Nadia’s Heart, Part One

by Wendy Altshuler

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GENRE: YA Fantasy Horror

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BLURB:

When an amnesiac girl who thinks she has been born without a heart utters a prayer, she is met by a mysterious angelic stranger from her forgotten past. Together they embark on a journey to recover her removed heart, but enter into battle with an Evil Voice on a rampage to remove the hearts of an entire generation of children - and replace them with stones.

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

“But you can’t just. . .You have no right to. . How can you possibly. . .”

“It’s magick I tell you. And it is laid out. Now. I’ve done enough educating for one day. But, what is it we’re going to do with you? Hmm.”

“I don’t care what you do to me, but you can’t take them.” Nadia was haunted by their faces, their pale grey skin, the hanging rags. They had so much less than she had, and she felt responsible for them somehow. She thought she might buy time by stalling, and trying to get more information out of the Voice, until she could make a plan to free the men. “Take me. I’ll work for you. I’m stronger. I’ll. . .”

“You? You?” the Voice said. And then there was a horrid, chilling laugh which caused Nadia’s teeth to chatter. Even the Metal-Wearer had shifted his weight, and beautiful snowflakes began to fall, silently, fluffy, as if they were out of doors, and Nadia wondered if there were a ceiling way up there. Some snowflakes landed on her forehead, some on her arms, others settled into her hair. The Voice laughed on, and Nadia felt an overwhelming sadness. The laughter was at her. It knew about her, somehow.

Standing there, watching the clumps of crystalline visitors melt on her forearm, until their memory was blurred by her tears, Nadia felt exposed as never before. She had never heard anything like that laughter. It was pure evil. She looked at the beautiful little snow fallings, as if nature were trying to comfort her, each unique, eternal, vanishing and short-lived. She wondered how such things of beauty could come from the Voice.

The laughter stopped, and the temperature dropped noticeably. “What am I going to do with you? I’ll tell you what I’m not going to do, and that’s keep you here. Do you hear that? You are free to go. Anytime. Leave. And if you don’t leave, I’ll have you removed from the premises.”

“But. . .” Nadia tried to speak, but it was only a whisper.

“Holofernes,” the Voice called, and he was at Nadia’s side, taking her arm. He pushed her along, but not as before. The laughter came again, brief. They passed through the double doors into the next hallway. She heard the Voice, distant, continuing, as if speaking to itself.

“What am I going to do with you? Of all the. . .” More laughter.

They had entered the next room with another endless corridor. It was darker, quieter. Nadia felt this laughter echo inside of her. Though fading, still the echo came—the voice of many, vibrating her bones. She searched the dark walls around them.

“What am I not going to do with you. What am I going to do with someone who doesn’t even have a heart?”

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AUTHOR BIO:

Wendy Altshuler is a writer-producer who explores myth in new media. She writes fantasy novels and creates works in stop motion animation. Her credits include award-winning screenwriting and WGA-accredited representation. With a degree in psychology and a Master of Arts from Columbia University, Altshuler documented the work of international choreographers and wrote and produced regional programming. Her short plays have been performed at Boston Playwrights' Theatre, at regional schools and most recently, Puppet Showplace Theatre. Altshuler's young adult book series has been hailed as "emotionally moving, uplifting and wholesome," and "spirited and haunting. . .with much symbolism and beauty."

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CONNECT WITH WENDY:

Website:

http://arborgate.net

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/sirtwosays

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/waltshuler

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5824189.Wendy_Altshuler

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13618437-nadia-s-heart-part-one

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/2CsOqEJ

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

http://amzn.to/2EETZ9n

Amazon Paperback:

http://amzn.to/2EMZXUR

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nadias-heart-part-one-wendy-altshuler/1122532884

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/nadia-s-heart-part-one-1

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Wendy will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Don't Let Him Go by Kay Harris - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Kay Harris and her new book, “Don’t Let Him Go”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Kay and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Don't Let Him Go

by Kay Harris

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Candace Gleason passed the bar, landed a great job, and is making a killer salary--basically, all of her dreams are coming true. Until she’s assigned to keep the boss’s petulant son out of trouble.

Jack Morrison is the rebellious black sheep of a mighty real estate family. He runs a nonprofit whose mission is to save poor people from evil corporations, like the one his own family owns. He is obnoxious, ridiculously charming, and insanely hot. He is the bane of Candace’s very existence.

Sparks fly from the moment they meet. Candace suddenly has more to worry about than keeping Jack out of jail. She has to keep him out of her heart.

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EXCERPT TWO:

He held his hand out to me. When I didn’t immediately take it, he wiggled his fingers. I relented and put my hand in his as I followed him onto the trail.

“Why are your hands calloused?” I asked.

“I use them a lot,” he explained. “I do projects at the apartment complex, help out some buddies working to renovate other buildings, stuff like that.”

“Figures.”

“Some women find a man that works with his hands to be sexy,” he said, rubbing his thumb along the inside of my wrist.

“And some women find a man in a suit sexy,” I retorted.

“Hmm. I bet I can guess which one you are, Candie.”

“Why do you call me Candie?”

“I like it. It suits you. And I like that I’m the only one who calls you that.”

“You’re not.”

He stopped on the path and cocked his head at me. “I’m not?”

“No. My dad calls me that. When you first did it, I thought maybe you knew him.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should stop then.”

For reasons I would probably never comprehend, I didn’t want him to. “Why?”

Suddenly, Jack pulled me into his arms and moved us both off the trail until my back was up against a giant tree. My head spun as I looked up at him, my breath shallow, my eyes wide.

“I don’t want you to think about your dad when you’re with me,” he said, lowering his head.

I put my hands on either side of his face. He was freshly shaven today, and his skin was deliciously smooth. “I don’t,” I told him.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Kay Harris has had a diverse career with jobs ranging from college professor to park ranger. Now she adds author to her repertoire. Kay writes romance novels that contain a little bit of sweet, a dash of sexy, a touch of heartbreak, and a whole lot of fun!

Kay grew up in the Midwest and has since lived all over the western United States including Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. She loves to hike, is obsessed with museums, and enjoys taking her extremely tall and very handsome husband on adventures.

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CONNECT WITH KAY:

Website:

http://www.kayharrisauthor.com

Blog:

https://www.kayharrisauthor.com/blog

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKayHarris

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/KayHarrisAuthor

BookBub:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kay-harris