COTT: Vote for Favorite August Release!

September is here and Clash of the Titles is ready with five more awesome releases ready to vie for top spot in our August Releases Clash!  This month's offering is a unique blend of books from several genres where you're sure to find something that peaks your interest.

We have harrowing missions and a parent's legacy, princely heroes, the dangerous love of a baron, healing for a widow's heartache, and fledgling love in Lancaster. Whew!  

Remember…vote for the book you’d most like to add to your favorite reads pile, and share the news with your friends and family! Vote today through next Tuesday when the polls close at Midnight EST; then come back on THURSDAY to find out which book received the most votes. The winner will tour with our Clash of the Titles blog alliance, so have fun being a roadie without all the heavy lifting if you want to go along. 

And now…Peruse, Ponder, Press the button of your choice.

A Sense of a Mission by Ann Gaylia O'Barr

Kaitlin is driven to succeed in the mission denied her mother. Can she redeem that mission if she discovers another calling?

The Fire Starter by Gloria Clover

Amaryllis Filippopoulos was raised to rule the island of Celosia.  Alone.  So what's she to do with an off-island prince who tempts her to surrender her life's purpose for him?

Her Good Name by Ruth Axtell

In the 1890 thriving coastal town of Holliston, Maine, the leading lumber baron's son, Warren Brentwood, fights his attraction for Esperanza Estrada, daughter of an immigrant fisherman. Espy discovers that catching Warren’s eye is a far cry from capturing his heart because when rumors circulate about her, Warren believes the worst, forcing Espy to flee

Living in Harmony by Mary Ellis

Amy King--young, engaged, and Amish--faces difficult challenges in her life when she suddenly loses both of her parents in a house fire. Her fiancé, John Detweiler, persuades her and her sister Nora to leave Lancaster County and make a new beginning with him in Harmony, Maine, where the ultra-conservative district becomes more than either bargained for.

Rodeo Ashes by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Lacie Gentry, a young widow and mom, is struggling with the aftermath of her husband’s tragic death. Quinn Remington, her former classmate always had eyes for her, but will his involvement in her husband’s demise keep them apart?

CSFF Introduction: The Telling by Mike Duran

Today I'd like to take a minute to introduce you to a very intriguing new release. Mike Duran has written a speculative fiction book about a man who is visited by detectives. The detectives take this man to a local morgue to help identify a body. He is not expecting to recognize this person but finds out he is identifying himself. What is going on in the town of Endurance? What is The Telling? 

I have just started this book so I do not have a full review ready as of yet. This book is very intriguing and I look forward to finishing it up (hopefully this weekend!) In the meantime, please visit these other fantastic readers who are sure to have a full review of this book available for you to check out!

 Jim Armstrong
Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Brenda Castro
Jeff Chapman
Christine
Theresa Dunlap
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Emileigh Latham
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Anna Mittower
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Dona Watson
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler


 After you finish visiting these fabulous blogs, take a minute and view the author's Facebook page, The Cerebral Grump!

       

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

COTT: Another Great July Release for Lovers of Ficton!

*by COTT Sr. Editor, April W Gardner

THE SEEKERS is Book 2 in the Wainwright Trilogy. 

It was recently featured on Clash of the Titles, as a July New Release.

About being chosen for the clash the sister-authors, Sadie and Sophie, said,

 “Thank you for including our book. It was wicked fun!”

Here’s what COTT’s readers had to say about The Seekers:

Love this book, S & S!!!

Go Sadie and Sophie! Blessings! Linda C.

Love love love you guys!

Well done Sadie & Sophie

The Seekers Purchase Links:

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

When asked if book 1 in the series needs to be read first to make sense of the story, Sadie and Sophie, said, “No, each book is a stand-alone novel. Of course we hope you'll love the characters so much you'll want to read all three books, and to that end we'll give you a quick introduction to the Wainwright family. Widowed mother Lydia, eldest daughter Alice, and son Lawrence live on a New England farm and raise sheep for the woolen mill. Alice carries the conflict of a birth-marked face and a quick mind.”

In Book One (FAITH IN THE SHADOWS), Alice is rescued from her conniving fiancé by blinded war veteran, Hawk. She uses her warm humor and intelligence to break through Hawk's bitter pride, but will she find the courage to face the truth before Hawk regains his sight? Or has she already betrayed their fragile relationship by keeping her secret from him?
Lawrence adores his mother and sister (and his horse), but for all his easy-going charm, he's a rock solid man's man with a heart as tender as a spring leaf.

In THE SEEKERS (Book Two), a reluctant Lawrence trades places with a mentally challenged look-a-like and goes undercover as President Lincoln's spy. He's instantly tangled up in the innocent lives of those around him, and becomes their self-appointed protector. Through double-cross and betrayal, Lawrence searches for a way to get everyone safely across enemy lines. But the toughest battle he faces is fighting to protect the woman he loves without revealing his true identity, because to do so would mean a death sentence for both of them.

Book Three (THE HEART KNOWS) is due out in March 2013 and features matriarch Lydia Wainwright. At 49 (over the hill for a woman in the 1860's), Lydia refuses to be confined to social mores when her adult kids leave the nest. She travels west to begin a new life as a frontier schoolmarm, but a train wreck derails her plans and leaves her with a head injury. Before she recovers her memory, Lydia is mistaken for Minnie, a woman contracted to care for two love-starved children. By the time their father, an ex-Pinkerton man, discovers the truth, he selfishly chooses not to reveal it so Lydia will stay with them. When Lydia remembers her former life, she struggles to make the right choice. Can she respect a man she loves who allowed her to live a lie? Or must she leave him and the two children, as dear to her as life itself?

Cuffe Sisters

There aren't many successful sister writing teams out there. When asked how their collaboration works, they responded,“In terms of "success," our books haven't quite made it to the NY Times bestseller list yet (but two girls can hope!). More importantly, we do have a successful partnership, not just because we're sisters, but because we're friends. It also doesn't hurt that Sophie is a type-A detail-oriented writer and planner, and Sadie never seems to know what's going to happen her in sock drawer or in the next sentence. Put it together and you get the mostly-perfect blend of ninja name stickler/grammarian/editor (Sophie prefers the title Queen) and "what-if" creative spark (Sadie does NOT prefer the title Fillilubird!). In terms of how we actually write a book together -- we're sworn by the sisterhood not to divulge family secrets, but we can say we don't really know how it works, but it always works out for us.”


If you love historical fiction (specifically Civil War tales!), don't miss this great e-book deal. Currently only $5.99 through Amazon!

--April W Gardner is the author of the award-winning children's historical novel, 

Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang and the senior editor at Clash of the Titles

COTT: July Clash Winner!!

Congratulations to Naomi Dawn Musch, winner of the

July New Releases Clash, with her novel, The Black Rose,

third book of the Empire in Pine Series.

Thank you so much to our competitors. This competition was amazing!

LoRee Peery, Found in the Woods
Sadie and Sophie Cuff, The Seekers
Maureen Lang, Bees in the Butterfly Garden
Marcia Gruver, Hunter's Prize

About the Book:
Despite the panic of 1893, logging reaches its golden era in the growing state of Wisconsin, and twins Jesilyn and Corianne Beaumont enjoy a comfortable life with family in the bursting Great Lake city of Superior. But when jealousy incites Jesi to seduce Cori's fiance, a flight and fall from grace lands her in a boom town brothel, where a fresh start is denied her.

Camp preacher Paul Winter longs to offer hope in the logging and mining towns of northern Wisconsin, but not in the way he expects when he meets a redhead he calls Pie Girl. He's never had to battle his own longings quite this way before.

Meanwhile, stung by Jesilyn's betrayal, Corianne's bitterness might separate her from a second chance at happiness and peace. Only by Grace can both women begin new lives, and budding love can bloom in places neither of them expect.

Read an excerpt & find out more:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-319/Empire-in-Pines-Book/Detail.bok



About the Series:

Empire in Pine Series

Historic, romantic, women's fiction -- a multi-generational family saga of love and deception, hope and turmoil, and the rise of a wilderness empire.

Purchase Links:

AMAZON: http://tinyurl.com/7m5a5ah

BARNES &NOBLE: http://tinyurl.com/3gelmzp

DESERT BREEZE: http://tinyurl.com/43jbuvd

Thank you as always to our loyal readers. Enjoy a tiny sample of the comments:

• So tough to choose one book based on a paragraph-they all sound fabulous!
• I love, love all the titles.
• It was hard to choose!
• Tough call! I'd read them all, I think.
• My choice is based on both the blurb and the cover. But, again, it was a hard choice. Great work, authors!
• I have read every book by this Author and I have to say I am more and more impressed by all of it!

About the author:

Naomi Dawn Musch was born and raised in central Wisconsin and now makes her home in Wisconsin's vast northwoods where the vistas are ripe to feed the imagination of anyone interested in history. She and husband Jeff have three grown children and two under wing on their150 acre farm where they dabble at raising a menagerie of animals.

Naomi has been publishing a regional newsletter for home educators for the past thirteen years entitled Apples of Gold. See the page "Apples of Gold for Home Educators" for more information. She is also a staff writer for Living Stones News, a regional Christian newpaper; and a regular contributor to Home School Enrichment magazine. www.livingstonesnews.com www.homeschoolenrichment.com www.applesofgoldnews.com

Besides writing, Naomi enjoys homeschooling her children, gardening, taking walks in the woods, a little basketball, and fellowshipping with friends.


Your hostess for this clash was Lisa Lickel. Visit her at http://www.lisalickel.com

COTT: Clash of the July Releases!

It's August and the cusp of changing seasons, but here at Clash of the Titles we never vary our quest for perfect fiction. Here are five more titles hot off the press for your contemplation.

A governess, a spy for Abraham Lincoln, a spoiled rich girl, a hideaway, and a thief…what could be more enticing?

Remember…vote for the book you’d most like to add to your favorite reads pile, and share the news with your friends and family! Vote today through next Tuesday when the polls close at Midnight EST; then come back on THURSDAY to find out which book received the most votes. The winner will tour with our Clash of the Titles blog alliance, so have fun being a roadie without all the heavy lifting if you want to go along. And now…Peruse, Ponder, Press the button of your choice.

Hunter’s Prize, by Marcia Gruver

When Addie left her sheltered Mississippi life to become governess to Ceddy Whitfield, she never dreamed she’d be undertaking her most challenging role yet. But after a brutal attack on her peculiar charge and a break-in that threatens the serenity of Whitfield Manor, Addie’s coveted new life is set on a dangerous course.

The Seekers, by Sadie and Sophie Cuffe

Union Cavalry Captain Lawrence Wainwright has one goal: to make sure his horse survives the war. But when he becomes President Lincoln’s spy, Lawrence assumes the identity of a slow-witted boy/man and suddenly he’s undercover protector to an aging slave and his two young grandchildren, and to Rachel, a stubborn Yankee woman on a mission of her own.

The Black Rose, by Naomi Musch

Desert Breeze Despite the panic of 1893, logging reaches its golden era in the growing state of Wisconsin, and twins Jesilyn and Corianne Beaumont enjoy a comfortable life with family in the bursting Great Lake city of Superior. But when jealousy incites Jesi to seduce Cori's fiance, a flight and fall from grace lands her in a boom town brothel, where a fresh start is denied her.

Found in the Woods, by LoRee Peery

Beth Phillips returns to Platteville, Nebraska in order to begin a new life and to hide from her abusive ex-husband, but finds a displaced wolf as well as field biologist, Aiden Holt, who is following up on reported wolf sightings. Two souls, each lost in their own way, are brought together by one of God's beautiful creations to hopefully find their destiny in the woods.

Bees in the Butterfly Garden, by Maureen Lang

Raised in an exclusive boarding school among Fifth Avenue’s finest, Meg Davenport learns her late father wasn’t the wealthy businessman she thought, but one of the Gilded Age’s most talented thieves. Throwing etiquette aside, Meg is determined to help his friend Ian pull off his biggest heist yet, but are they both in over their heads?

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