I wrote reviews for Kinzie Monroe’s book and Stephanie Burkhart’s book. Their publisher is Rebecca J. Vickery, a fantastic lady. She’s one of my favorite publishers and wonderful to work with. My contemporary romance, THE PROPOSAL, is Published by Rebecca J. Vickery as well as my highly sensual romance, YOUR PLACE OR MINE.

Here are my reviews for both books and their gorgeous book covers!

Review for Stephanie’s CHRISTMAS IN BAYEUX

I enjoyed reading Stephanie Burkhart’s “Christmas in Bayeux, an international contemporary romance. Reading about France’s culture and people was wonderful. Burkhart has a gift for giving authentic descriptions so that the reader feels the excitement and romance of the setting. The French phrases added to the story also make it obvious that the author is familiar with the language.

After a lapse of nine years, the two characters, Aiden Seward and Noel Rousseau, get a chance to see each other again. They met the first time when Noel stayed with his family as a foreign exchange student. Aiden was only sixteen at the time but never forgot Noel. After he’s discharged from the military, he’s at loose ends because his parents died while he was in Iraq. He goes to Bayeux because he wants to resolve his loss by visiting the cemetery which is near the small town. There is a poignant scene when he and Noel visit the American World War II cemetery. I loved this bit of history because Burkhart skillfully portrays Aiden’s feelings at remembering his grandfather’s sacrifice during the war.

While reading this romance, I wondered what the two would do about being from two different countries, I was not disappointed at the conclusion. The sensual scenes are tastefully written and add to the richness of the story.

“Christmas in Bayeux” is the perfect short romance to enjoy during the holiday season or any time during the year, and I highly recommend it.

Christmas in Bayeux sells for only 99 cents!
Click here to buy from Amazon.
For Barnes & Noble, click here.

My Review for NO GREATER LOVE

Kinzie Monroe did an excellent job of tackling serious issues in her inspirational, NO GREATER LOVE. When I read the blurb about Leah Dalton, a wealthy young woman who wants to pay someone to end her life, I knew it would be an intriguing story. I wasn’t prepared how much this book would touch me in a personal way. The emotions are raw and realistic when each character realizes what their friend, Leah wants one of them to do. She is terminally ill with cancer and can’t bear to experience the suffering she knows will happen in the final stages of her life.

Leah is a complex character with five close friends. She’s helped each one with financial assistance so their lives could be improved. For example, Jonas is a recovering alcoholic and a successful architect because of Leah’s influence. Jessica is a registered nurse and business woman Annie has known Leah since college days. Leah’s fortune is from her successful software company. Her kind deeds made her feel good and it wasn’t like she had family to spend her money on. Her parents had died while she was in high school. She invites them to her mansion so they can give scenarios of how she should die, and the lawyer, Kirby Shelton, will pick the best way from their submissions.

Leah goes to Kirby because she has her investigated and knows she needs the money. Also Kirby took care of her own father while he died a painful death from cancer. I found this disturbing that Leah would be willing to pay $300 million dollars to the friend who ends her life. Of course, Leah wants it to look like an accident and not murder. Some of her close friends are Christians so they reach out to her in hopes she will change her mind.

Leah loved Jonas for years but when she realized he didn’t love her the same way, she broke up with him. It does hurt Leah some when she sees how he’s interested in Kirby. The romance between Kirby and Jonas is refreshing. Kirby’s direct and honest with Jonas about her feelings in getting serious with a non-Christian. Her ex wasn’t a Christian so she doesn’t want to be with someone again who doesn’t share her faith. Leah and Jonas are not Christians, but I loved how Kinzie Monroe weaved the salvation message into the story.

NO GREATER LOVE is a page-turner filled with inspiration and hope. I knew it would be a great read but it exceeded my high expectations. The characters are well-developed, and each could have a book written about them. They are that interesting.

I highly recommend this absorbing and beautifully written book, NO GREATER LOVE.

Click to buy NO GREATER LOVE from Amazon. NO GREATER LOVE is available in both ebook and paperback!
To buy from Barnes & Noble, click here.
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I better get back to writing my synopsis - I’m halfway done. It’s nice my romance is finished but wish the synopsis was done.

In a 1789 proclamation, President George Washington called on the people of the United States to acknowledge God for affording them “an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness” by observing a day of thanksgiving. Devoting a day to “public thanksgiving and prayer,” as Washington called it, became a yearly tradition in many communities.

Thanksgiving in the U.S. became a national holiday in 1863. In that year, during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln made his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. He asked his fellow citizens to “to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise . . . .”

It was not until 1941 that Congress designated the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day, thus creating a federal holiday. However official, the idea of a special day for giving thanks was not born of presidential proclamations. Native American harvest festivals had been celebrated for centuries, and services dated back to colonial times.

However official, the idea of a special day for giving thanks was not born of presidential proclamations. Native American harvest festivals had been celebrated for centuries, and colonial services dated back to the late 16th century. Thanksgiving Day, as we know it today, began in the early 1600s when settlers in both Massachusetts and Virginia came together to give thanks for their survival, for the fertility of their fields, and for their faith. The most widely known early Thanksgiving is that of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, who feasted for 3 days with the Wampanoag people in 1621.

Turkey has become the traditional Thanksgiving fare because at one time it was a rare treat. During the 1830s, an eight- to ten-pound bird cost a day’s wages. Even though turkeys are affordable today, they still remain a celebratory symbol of bounty. In fact, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets for their first meal on the Moon.

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Over the river, and through the wood,
Now grandmother’s cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!
–Lydia Maria Child (1802–80)
(from “The New England Boy’s Thanksgiving Poem”)
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I had a short scoring project which is the first time I had one in November. It only lasted 3 1/2 days but that’s okay. I was glad it ended yesterday because it was my b-day. Now I’m getting ready for Thanksgiving. I’m making my usual pumpkin pie and cheesecake. Tom and I enjoy having our children home for Thanksgiving.

Hope everyone has a SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

My husband and I had our first date on Nov. 18, 1972. We went to the movie, “Butterflies Are Free” after dinner. We met at an orphanage where we were both teachers. Today when I got home from my scoring job, he had fixed a terrific dinner for us. He also bought roses for me and candy. Oh, I have to mention that he got pumpkin ice cream for me too. My b-day happens to be on Monday so he does some years get me pumpkin ice cream…another favorite. He had our daughter Emily get “Butterflies Are Free” and we watched it tonight. It’s a sensitive touching comedy about a blind young man, Don Baker, played by Edward Albert and an eccentric aspiring actress, Jill Tanner. Goldie Hawn is wonderful portraying Jill.
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I finished my wip so now I need to do a cover letter and synopsis and get both off to agents and maybe editors.

If you haven’t visited Jennifer Wilck’s blog to read my guest post, it’s not too late. I will draw this weekend and the winner will receive a signed copy of A CHRISTMAS GIFT. If outside of the U.S., I’ll substitute a download of my book!

I’m giving away a signed copy of A CHRISTMAS GIFT. All you have to do is leave a comment on Jennifer Wilck’s lovely blog. I’ll draw a winner in a few days from the comments. If winner should live outside of the U.S., a download of A Christmas Gift will be substituted!

Off to do my scoring project in Cincinnati. I hope I don’t have to drive in the pouring rain. Have a great day, everyone!

I hosted a baby shower for daughter-in-law, Lea, on Saturday with her mom and sister. We all had a great time. My niece, Cheryl, was able to come so it was so nice to visit with her. Lea and Bart’s baby is due in January so it won’t be much longer. We are all anxious to see the new addition to the Craver family. His name will be Dillon Anthony!

This weekend I received a thoughtful and detailed review from LASR reviewer Fennel for my sweet contemporary romance, THE PROPOSAL. I appreciate the time she spent in reading and writing the review. I’ll post the entire review here. Btw, The Proposal is only 99 cents on Amazon and Smashwords. It’s also in the Christmas Anthology published by Victory Tales Press in both ebook and paperback.

Jacqueline Andrews hopes her boyfriend Brad’s surprise is an engagement ring for her twenty-sixth birthday. Her best friend, Tyler Jordan, wants Jacqueline to be happy, but not with Brad, her current boyfriend.

Tyler regrets blowing off Jacqueline’s confession of love for him before he left for college. When he returns to their small town as a physician’s assistant, he falls in love with her. He needs to win her love back. Will his hot kisses sway her? Or is she going to marry Brad?

This charming tale of second chances holds few surprises, but don’t let that put you off. Ms. Craver packs plenty of anticipation and emotional swings and round-a-bouts into this sweet romance that would give credit to a full length novel.

Discovering you’ve made a bad judgement that has your dreams crashing and burning is not an easy discovery to handle; but with the help and support of her long-time friend, and once hoped for future, Tyler Jordan, Jacqueline Andrews has some hard decisions to make and a lot of soul searching to work through.

This is not a simple story of friends to lovers to happy ever after; there is a need to forgive, understand past actions and come to terms with their consequences. Ms. Craver does not offer her readers a perfect heroine. Indeed, Jacqueline is a heroine most women can relate to. So full of future dreams she misses plenty of signals out there for her to spot is she only removed her rose coloured spectacles.

When Brad, the man she hopes to marry, fails to fulfill Jacqueline’s hopes and dreams she discovers his agenda is so far off beam from hers, her faith in her own judgement is once again sorely tested. Tyler, her friend let her down many years ago and now she’s back to square one, or is she…?

The hero, Tyler, has a mammoth task ahead of him if he’s going to persuade Jacqueline to believe in his feelings for her now. It is the way the author takes all her characters through the multi-faceted emotions in this story that make it such a charming read, and yes, I will use the word ‘cute’ to describe The Proposal.

The characters are believable, the plot may appear simple but is not, and the conclusion, though not unexpected, still creates a sigh of satisfaction at the end.