0 The Rim of the Grand Canyon by Catherine Brophy

The Rim of the Grand Canyon

I’m puzzled by people who put limitations on their lives.   And more puzzled when they boast about it.

“I’ve never been outside  X (insert town/county/ state)” they say proudly as though people who travel are denying their roots.  

“I’ve never read a book in my life.” They boast as though that makes them salt-of-the earth.

“Pop music is rubbish.”  They sniff as though that means their musical taste is impeccable.

I’d have thought that life flings us enough limitations without inventing more

            They remind me a woman I met on the rim of the Grand Canyon.     We were travelling in the western U.S.   We’d been to Yosemite, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley and our eyes were sated with beauty.   Next stop the Grand Canyon.   But we hadn’t booked a room and as it was the start of the tourist season we feared that the hotels would be full and we’d have to keep driving.   

We drove all day and at last began to see signs saying “Viewing Area.”  We must be close but the sun started slipping out of the sky and still we weren’t there.  We stopped at the next viewing point so that if we couldn’t get a room at least we’d have seen the Grand Canyon.  

            Creaky from the drive we climbed to the viewing platform and…. I feel breathless remembering… we burst into tears.   The Canyon was so staggeringly awesome, so shockingly beautiful, such a furnace of reds and purples and oranges and golds… that we could not speak… we just let the tears stream down our faces.   “If I have to sleep in a ditch,” I vowed, “I am staying.”

            We did get a room and next morning made for the rim of the canyon.  There are no words to describe it.   No music, no pictures, no photos no film can do it justice.  It’s something you just have to experience.   I sat on a bench at the edge just staring, filling my soul with the wonder.   A woman sat beside me. She faced away from the view.  

“You have to turn round.” I said.

“No,” she replied, “I’m not going to look.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t want to come here. My husband forced me to come so I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of looking.”

“But it’s one of the most spectacular sights on the planet! “

“I don’t care, I’m not looking.”

And she didn’t!    I hope it made her happy.

            Reading’s like that, when there’s all this fabulous stuff available why limit yourself to one or two types of writing?   There are so many treasures out there.  Until I got married I was a book snob, I limited myself to “good” literature and who-dun-its.   One night I went to bed to find my new husband reading a comic.  Gasp!  Shock! Horror! But he opened my head to graphic novels, sci-fi, fantasy, vampires and horror as well as science, biography, philosophy and travel -  anything in fact that’s well written.   And that wealth informs my own writing.   I don’t write philosophy or science I write comedy and some fantasy.    My latest novel BURNING BRIGHT is a comedy inspired by trash T.V.!   It’s about celebrity and money and it will make you laugh.   Give it a try.

A COMEDY ABOUT MONEY, FAME AND THE CELTIC TIGER

The Celtic Tiger is in his prime and the Kerrigans are splashing the cash.  They have made it big time, so eat your heart out you small town snobs!  But Daddy’s-girl Kirsty wants International Celebrity and devotes herself to this dream. She crashes Madonna’s Christmas party but that doesn’t help.  She goes on Big Brother and causes a stir but doesn’t help either,  However, when a You Tube video of Kirsty goes viral, fame arrives with a bang.   But Tracey O’Hagan, a blast from a shady patch in the Kerrigan past, has appeared on the scene. She’s mad. She’s bad. And she’s definitely dangerous to know. 

                Burning Bright is told in the voices of Kerrigan family members and friends.   It’s funny. It’s believable. And it will definitely make you laugh. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   Catherine Brophy is a writer, story-teller and broadcaster.   She writes film, T.V. and radio scripts and she also writes short stories. Her previous novels are The Liberation of Margaret Mc Cabe and Dark Paradise.   She lives a blameless life in Ireland but escapes whenever she can.   She’s been rescued by a circus troupe in Serbia, had breakfast with a Zambian chief, ate camel stew in the Sahara, and was kicked by a horse on the Mexican plain. 

Twitter: @catherinewrites

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/11djUJ2

Website: http://www.catherinebrophy.ie

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

KINDLE: http://authl.it/f9            PAPERBACK:   http://amzn.to/10NUCwO

2 Review: Call the Midwife

Title: Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times
Author: Jennifer Worth
Publisher: Penguin
Published: August 29, 2012
Paperback, 340 pages
ISBN: 978-0-14-312325-5
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Source: Publisher







Goodreads Summary: 
Jennifer Worth was just twenty-two when she volunteered to spend her early years of midwifery training in London's East End in the 1950s. Coming from a sheltered background there were tough lessons to be learned. The conditions in which many women gave birth just half a century ago were horrifying.

My thoughts:
One night a few months ago, I had insomnia. I was awake at some ungodly hour of the morning searching for something to watch on television besides infomercials. I came across a show on PBS called Call the Midwife. This isn't a show I normally watched, and I've never really been interested in midwifery before. However the episode I watched was really interesting. The next day I found myself trying to find out more information about this television series which led me to this book: Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth. The television series is based off the memoirs of Jennifer Worth and her time as a midwife during the 1950s. 
I've since caught up on the entire show thus far and have read book 1 of the trilogy. I am impressed. Jennifer Worth is an excellent story teller. This memoir reads like a novel. I enjoyed learning more about the people she worked with during this time. The most fascinating thing to me is how much medicine has changed since the 1950s. I have to say I've taken for granted modern technology after reading this book. So many things that we think or rather don't think of because it's so common. For example: running water in our homes. It's more shocking today if someone were to say they didn't have indoor plumbing. However that was the case in London's East End during this time period. Jennifer and the other midwives had to work in hard and unsanitary conditions. 
If you haven't watched the series yet it's available on Netflix streaming. Since I already watched the series, I was familiar with the characters/people in this book. I so admire the work that they did. I am definitely going to read the next two books in this series!

My rating:

0 Review: Double Click

Title: Double Click
Author: Lisa Becker
Publisher: Ebookit.com
Published: March 29, 2013
E-book
ISBN13: 9781456614492
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Author






Goodreads Summary:
Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later. Are Renee and Ethan soul mates? Does Mark ever go on a date? Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles? Will Ashley's judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship? Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.

My thoughts:
Double Click is the sequel to Click: An Online Love Story. These two books are told through a series of emails between four characters: Ashley, Renee, Shelley and Mark. However in this book a few names have been added to the email list as the characters embark on new relationships. I really liked the first book, but this book didn't quite measure up. For example, the beginning of the book starts out with a wedding, and I was confused as to who exactly was getting married. At first I thought it was Renee. After how the last book ended, I thought it was possible. It took a couple of pages before I realized it was Ashley who was getting married. It was a little confusing to say the least. However there are some positive and negative developments that happen in this book. Mark finally meets a woman who he really likes, but the gang isn't too keen on her. Renee and Ethan are having relationship troubles due to Ethan working all the time. Lots of relationship drama. 
Although I didn't like this book as much as Click, I still thought it was good. It almost reads as if you'd been bcc'd and are reading emails that you shouldn't be. Some of the emails are funny while some are boring. However, overall, the story is entertaining. I would recommend reading Click first otherwise some things will be lost on the reader. 

My rating:

0 Q&A with Carly Duncan

1. Please tell our readers about your book, Marcie.

 Marcie is the story of Kate, a teenage girl who loses her mother, Marcie, unexpectedly and mysteriously. Kate didn’t have a healthy relationship with her mother before she died, so Marcie’s death causes her not only to investigate the bonds of motherhood, but the curious nature of her mother’s accident as well. The book spans the course of several years and includes flashbacks, which help to release family secrets and shed light on what really happened to Marcie.

 

2. The story is based on your own mother's experience. Why did you feel the need to tell this story?

My middle name is Marcella. When I was old enough, I learned it was my grandmother’s name. I grew up being shown photos of this woman who felt so close to me, but who I never met (and I somehow got the sense that my mom didn’t have a very loving opinion of her.) Throughout the years of learning my family history and the epic story of Marcie’s death, I learned various theories revolving around the accident and began to develop my own version of her story. This is my family’s one true mystery and I wanted to give it an ending. I’ve longed for a real answer for as long as I can remember and, since that can’t be produced, I thought I’d create my own.

  

3. As a Marcie, I love the title of your book. Why did you decide to use the name Marcie?

 I had a few other titles that I toyed with using throughout the process of writing, but when it was time to choose the final name there was no doubt that Marcie would be my title. Her name alone is the only thing that could give the story justice. In comparison, everything else seemed trivial.

 

4. What was the biggest challenge while writing this book?

 The biggest challenge while writing this book was detaching from the base that was reality in order to create the fictional world where Marcie’s tale takes place. I didn’t want to injure or disrupt anyone’s memory of my grandmother, so it was important for me to build a different reality that could be separate from real life.

 

5. This is a fictional story, but how much of it is true?

 Only the base of the story is true. That is, Marcie died mysteriously and my mother did not have a loving relationship with her. Oh, and the letters; the letters that Charlie writes to Kate are closely based on love letters my father sent to my mom while she lived on Guam. The rest is fiction.

 

This or that

6. Coffee or Tea?

Coffee (Tea only when I’m sick.)

7. Beach or Mountains?

Beach (Can’t beat the relaxing sound of the waves.)

8. Romance or Mystery?

Mystery (I’m a sucker for Agatha Christie.)

9. Vanilla or Chocolate?

Vanilla (With chocolate sauce.)

10. Hot or Cold?

Cold (Cuddling up is so much better than feeling hot.)

Purchase Marcie here:

Amazon

BarnesandNoble

Connect with Carly here:

Facebook

Leave your reviews here:

Goodreads

0 Unicorns of the Mist by R.R. Russell

My book, Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist takes place on a mist-shrouded island off the coast of Washington State. My family loves to explore the Northwest coast, and our trips to Deception Pass State Park inspired me to write Wonder Light. Here’s a quick guide to some of my favorite parks in the Pacific Northwest. I hope they spark your interest in our beautiful wildlife and unique history, and maybe ignite your imagination too!

·         Deception Pass State Park, Whidbey Island, WA

With rocky shores shrouded in mist and crashing waves that threaten my main character, Twig not to come any nearer, the fictional Lonehorn Island hides powerful secrets—secrets that, if discovered, will change the island and everyone on it forever. There, jagged rocks and cliffs rise from the beaches. Red-barked Manzanita trees and juniper cling to the rocks along the edge of the island, but the foliage quickly transitions to thick evergreen woods. All this was inspired by the landscape at Deception Pass.

My family enjoys camping under the canopy of those evergreens, and venturing out to play at Cranberry Lake, separated from the ocean by a sand bar. We hike over the rocks, moving from the sandy beach to tide pools and pebbly beaches where we watch the treacherous whirlpools churning in the pass. Or we take a breathtaking—and heart-pounding—hike above those waters and across the bridge connecting Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island. We look at the many small islands beyond Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, often encircled by mist, and wonder. What sorts of things could be hidden there? Mysterious creatures? Even unicorns?

·         Beverly Beach State Park, Newport, OR

Beverly Beach is truly a magical place for our family. One moment we’re in the deep woods, and the next we’re on a dune-bordered beach. In just a short walk, the wooded campground opens up to sand and ocean views. A creek bubbles through the campground, and my kids love to follow it to the beach, where it creates warm, shallow pools before meeting the ocean.

The woods at Beverly beach are populated by towering trees that seem to float above the earth, their roots reaching down over our heads like fingers grasping at the ground. The area was once a logging camp, and seedlings grew on top of massive tree stumps. By the time the dead stumps decomposed and disappeared, those seedlings were huge, mature trees. The stumps are gone, and the roots of the new trees form caves, topped with floating “octopus” trees. You have to see it to believe it!

·         Cape Disappointment (Formerly Fort Canby State Park), Long Beach Peninsula, WA

Don’t groan, guys. Cape disappointment is so NOT disappointing, I promise. It might not have been what explorer John Meares, who named it in 1792, was looking for, but how can you beat witnessing an otter—just an arms-length away—dipping in and out of the grasses and popping up to peek at you like a marshland super-spy as you walk down the road to your yurt? Be sure to visit the oldest functioning lighthouse on the West Coast, built to guard “The Graveyard of the Pacific,” and hike up the same hill the Lewis and Clark Expedition climbed to look over the mouth of the Columbia River.

·         Fort Stevens, Hammond, OR

A shipwreck, still on the beach! Guided tours through secret underground military facilities! Fort Stevens was built during the Civil War to guard the mouth of the Columbia from Confederates and the British navy. Did you know there were mines in the Columbia River and that huge guns were mounted above it? The Japanese probably didn’t know that when one of their submarines fired on Fort Stevens during World War Two. Find out what happened, or just explore lakes, beaches, woodlands, and wetlands.

All these parks are open to campers or day-trippers. If you have the chance to visit one of them, I’d love to hear about your adventure!

Author Website

http://www.rrrussellauthor.com

Series Website

http://www.unicornsofthemist.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/rrrussellauthor

Twitter

https://twitter.com/Word_Wrestler

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6508919.R_R_Russell

About the book: Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.

Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for "troubled" girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible — someone who needs her.
Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.

A baby unicorn.

Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island's mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig's to care for. That she needs Twig's love and protection. Because there's something out there in the deep, dense shadows that's hunting for them...
Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist  e-book will be on sale for $1.99, while the hardcover is discounted to $11.54 from i’s original list price of $15.99. 

1 Who are your favorite frenemies?

Frenemies

By Patty Blount

What are my favorite frenemy pairings? This is such a tough question.

The Sherlock Holmes stories present the bizarre Holmes/Moriarty relationship. Holmes is brilliant but Moriarty may be even more so and if it weren’t for his determination to control, to destroy, I think Holmes would dump Watson in a New York minute, sign Moriarty on as his partner and open a business together.

In The X-Files, the Cigarette Smoking Man was evil and cold and deadly yet moved behind the scenes to not only manipulate Mulder but protect him when he could, even going so far as to save Scully from the cancer that was killing her. Mulder, so dedicated to pursuing the truth, can’t exist without the Smoking Man, one who knows the real truth. And the Smoking Man needs Mulder to help him spread the version of it he creates. It’s all about balance.

The X-Men movies show a complicated relationship between Professor Xavier and Magneto or Eric. The two had been dear friends before Eric’s corruption, if seen from Xavier’s point of view. Of course, Eric believes the reverse is true. Perhaps this is the greatest frenemy pairing – when both members are ‘right.’

In Harry Potter, I’d call the Harry/Malfoy relationship a frenemy pairing. Despite Malfoy’s malice throughout the series, such as crushing Harry’s face in book 6, Harry needed him if only to serve as the example of what he most wants to avoid becoming. Harry exhibits this repeatedly; he feels horrible regret after a spell slashes Malfoy in book 6, he saves Malfoy from the fire in the Room of Requirement in the final book so while the two are never going to share a brew together, it’s clear each needed the other.

Visit Patti at www.pattyblount.com
Like the Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/PattyBlountNovels

What frenemy pairings can you think of in literature? Tell me in the comments. 

1 Guest Post: Characters Behaving Badly by Samantha Durante, author of the Stitch Trilogy

Characters Behaving Badly by Samantha Durante, author of the Stitch Trilogy

Sometimes… characters just won’t do what you want them to do. I guess this is the problem with a well-developed character – she is no longer an object under your control, she’s a living, breathing person with motivations and thoughts and feelings all her own. And sometimes, even when she’s supposed to be the big, tough heroine of your story, she just doesn’t want to be. And we – as the readers – just have to deal with it.

I know, I know. I’m the author – I’m supposed to make my characters do what I and the readers want them to do. But unfortunately, that’s just not the way the world works. Wouldn’t we all love it if everyone did what we wanted them to do? I certainly would. But to be true to my characters, sometimes I have to let them dictate where the story goes, even if makes my readers boil over with frustration.

I ran into this problem in Shudder. There’s a point in the story where the main character, Alessa, has come *thisclose* to achieving everything she set out to do, and she just freaks out. She can’t go through with it. The fact of the matter is, she’s scared – and understandably so – and much to the chagrin of everyone rooting for her from outside the pages of the book, she hatches a plan to pack up her bags and run.

My beta readers, needless to say, were not happy. “Why did you make Alessa flip out like this?” “What is she so scared of?” “You really shouldn’t make her try to run away, it’s really annoying at such an exciting time in story.” I heard endless litanies of this from my beta readers, and sure enough, I’m now seeing the same sentiments crop up in many reviews. I’m sorry everyone! I would love for Alessa to just suck it up and be awesome and brave and fierce 100% of the time. But that’s simply not who she is. Sure, she puts on a brave face, and she always does what needs to be done (eventually), but that doesn’t mean she’s happy about it. She’s not invulnerable, after all. She’s human. And she’s afraid – with good reason.

In the end, I just couldn’t cut this part of the story while respecting Alessa’s character, even though I knew how much it would piss some readers off. We all love a perfect hero. We want her to have endless reserves of strength and courage and tenacity and passion, and we want her to always act with integrity. This is what we want from everyone we care about – how much easier would the world be if we could all count on the people we look up to always do the right thing? How much easier would things be if we could always count on ourselves to do the right thing? But in reality, this just doesn’t happen – people are flawed. That’s what makes them people.

So Alessa struggles with the responsibilities that are laid out before her. She never asked to be a hero. But as Isaac reassures her in her moment of crisis, “Sometimes we don’t get to choose our path. Sometimes we just have to do something because we’re the only ones who can.” And Alessa can do it. She just needs to muster up the courage to try.

Haven’t read the first book in the series? Check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.  Just $0.99! To read an excerpt from Shudder visit A Dream Within a Dream.  

Enter the Giveaway HERE!!!

0 Review: I Dream of Danger by Lisa Marie Rice

Title: I Dream of Danger (Ghost Ops #2)
Author: Lisa Marie Rice
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Published: July 2, 2013
E-book
ISBN: 13: 9780062121837
Genre: Romance
Source: Edelweiss






Goodreads Summary:
When Nick Ross disappears from Elle Thomason's life, she is certain she'll never see the man she loves again—except in her dreams.

Ten years later, as a respected researcher breaking new ground in psychic phenomena, she sends a desperate call for Nick's help. One by one, her colleagues have started disappearing . . . and Elle knows she's next. An elite soldier, Nick never meant to hurt Elle, duty kept him away—and then she vanished. Now troubled by unusually vivid, disturbing dreams of Elle in danger, Nick will rescue the only woman he's ever wanted and bring her back with him to Haven. Though powerful men are after Elle and her special abilities, Nick will die before leaving her side again.

My thoughts:
I Dream of Danger is the second book in the Ghost Ops series. First off I would like to say that if you haven't read the first book yet, don't worry about it. I didn't either, and I was able to follow the story. I love it when authors write books like this! 
Elle Thomason had a great life. She had a father who adored her, and a loyal friend in Nick Ross. However Nick disappears mysteriously from her life when she's a teenager. Shortly after her father is diagnosed with Dementia. Elle dreams of Nick and that they'll meet again. She's stunned when he shows up for her father's funeral. Nick has a secret of his own. He has been gone from Elle's life for so long, but he's never forgotten her. They have an unbridled attraction for each other. However after their reunion, Nick has to suddenly leave. Elle is heartbroken, but decides she needs a change.
Ten years later, Elle discovers she has a supernatural ability of sorts. Her scientific findings put her in danger and the only one who can save her is Nick. Elle and Nick have great chemistry together. The story is told from different perspectives, Nick and Elle being the main ones. I love that you get both characters' point of view. However their characters are typical of this genre. Nick is an alpha-male, and Elle is the only one that can soften him. He's fiercely protective of her, but Elle, though a girly-girl, is very much able to take care of herself. Overall the story is good. It's a great book to read when you want to relax after a hard day's work. This is a series I wouldn't mind reading more of.

My rating:

0 S.S.O. with Kiki Hamilton

Summer is my favorite season!  I grew up swimming in a local lake and it still doesn’t feel like summer until I’ve gone swimming in that lake. J It is a small, but very deep, spring-fed lake so the water is really clear and the top twelve inches gets really warm in the middles of the summer. Heaven!  But we also go to another (bigger) lake and jet ski and wake board too, and I love that! J

Kiki Hamilton is the author of The Faerie Ring series.  Book Three: THE SEVEN YEAR KING  - Coming September 17^th  You can find out more about her and her books by visiting: http://www.kikihamilton.blogspot.com/ and http://www.thefaeriering.com/

0 The Small Town Superhero Giveaway

Book One:

Small Town Superhero is about a boy whose life is turned upside down after a horrible accident tears apart his family and forces him to live with his relatives. Kelson struggles with the move to a small farming town where he becomes the target of the town’s gang. When circumstances turn dangerous, Kelson is forced to risk everything to save the town and the girl who changed his life and captured his heart.

Small Town Superhero has a fresh voice and frank point of view that draws you into Kelson’s life and helps you understand the boy who is fighting to overcome challenges made by both his decisions and the circumstances of a town struggling to face its past.

Book Two:

Book two in the series, The Small Town Superheroes follows Kelson and his new partner as they fight to protect their town under the guise of the Black Rider. Kelson struggles against the demons of his past and the pain of new heartache as he fights to hold onto the simple life he has come to treasure. But when his school and the town he bled for are endangered, Kelson is forced to race against time and put his life on the line to protect his partner and those he cares about.

Social Media Links:

website: www.chereealsop.com

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorchereealsop 

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

Amazon for paperback & ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Cheree-Alsop/e/B006NPWD2Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1372913544&sr=8-2-ent

Barnes&Noble for ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cheree-alsop?store=allproducts&keyword=cheree+alsop 

Smashwords for all ebook formats: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=cheree+alsop 



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0 Guest Post and Giveaway from Dulaney-Glen

Guest Post and Giveaway from Dulaney-Glen

Authors of Unexpected

We are Dulaney-Glen (K. Dulaney and J. Glen). We are sisters that have just self-published our debut novel, Unexpected.

We have spent the last year bringing our book to life and we are so proud that we accomplished something that has always been a dream of ours. We are excited to share our work with others, and have them share in our love for the characters.

Although we are sisters, we are as different as night and day. We both share in the passion of writing and creating a story, but our vision for the story differs at times. Dulaney is very “happy ending” and “lovey-dovey”, while Glen is “emotional” and “raw”. While difficult at times, we feel that our differences and challenges help us create a well-rounded, realistic story.

So for this post, we wanted to let everyone see the difference in our tastes and personalities. Glen chose to pick her top 5 romantic movies and Dulaney chose her top 5 romantic books.

Top 5 Romantic Books:

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (My all-time favorite book)

2. The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred (I think I cried through this entire book)

3. Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward (I loved how the main character progressed through this story and finally let himself be open to love)

4. Law Man by Kristen Ashley (This is just a heart-warming, romantic, sweet story)

5. Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson (This book literally made my heart hurt. The emotions in this book were amazing)

When I think of “romance”, I think of passion, heartbreak, love, hate, and strong emotions. I think romance is a combination of all these things and I love it when a book can pull multiple emotions out of me. My top five picks have all done this.

When deciding my top 5…I struggled. I had to pick 5 out of hundreds! While I am a supporter and fan of all types of authors, I truly feel like I hit the literary jackpot when I discovered what Indie authors were. I have been transformed by their amazing stories and talent.

~Dulaney

There's a fine line in Romance that divides too much and just enough. If it be movies, books, or television, there's rarely a grey area. It's either, or. Too much sap, or just enough sap. Too much mush, or just enough mush. It makes for a difficult time in trying to find a romantic movie just to my liking. I like just enough. Nothing overdone. A little sap and a little mush go further with me. 

With that being said, here are my top five most romantic movies that do just enough. 

Top 5 Romantic Movies:

1. Serendipity

2. A Walk To Remember

3. Sweet Home Alabama

4. Hope Floats 

5. Crazy, Stupid, Love

Did I say I liked 'just enough'? I lied...I like a whole lot of sap and mush :)

~Glen

Book: Unexpected

Author: Dulaney-Glen

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/dulaneyglenfan?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/dulaney.glen.5?ref=tn_tnmn

Website: www.Dulaney-Glen.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dulaney_Glen

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-ebook/dp/B00CTPQ544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368816280&sr=8-1&keywords=Unexpected+Dulaney-Glen

Link to Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unexpected-dulaney-glen/1115381480?ean=2940044537996

Link to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17728607-unexpected

* Synopsis/blurb:

Ian wasn't ready to meet Grace Holtsen. In no way was he prepared for her. But can you ever be ready for fate to step in? Can you ever be ready to meet the one person who will change your entire existence? Ian knew that Grace would change everything he was used to, but something about her made it worth it. For the first time somebody seemed worth the risk. Will Ian jump and let fate wait for him at the bottom? Hoping that it can somehow save him...hoping that Grace can somehow save him.

I don't think Grace is like most girls.
Maybe that's the thing that I can't put my finger on.
Maybe for the first time, I've met a girl that's unlike
anyone that I've ever known.

Grace, a single mother and owner of a Nashville recording company, met Ian Paul, a recent college grad and her new employee. The moment he entered her world, it turned upside down. She knew better than anyone that a relationship with Ian would never work. He was never supposed to fit into her life, and she was never supposed to show up in his. But what happened between them was something more than either of them ever anticipated. Grace was unprepared for how bad it would hurt when they were faced with something far more unexpected.

He stole the rest of my heart tonight. I
know that no matter what happens tomorrow, or days from
now, I’ll never want it back.
I could never give it to someone else.

*Giveaway*

Duleney-Glen are giving away a $25 gift card to amazon, and an ebook copy of Unexpected, and a swag pack to some of our lucky readers on To Read or Not To Read. There will be three winners. The first winner will get the gift card. The second winner will get the ebook. The third winner will get the swag pack. You must be at least 13 years old to enter. To enter, fill out the rafflecopter form below. Don't forget to add Unforgettable to your Goodreads shelf!  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17728607-unexpected

a Rafflecopter giveaway