Winter Song by Jennifer McMurrain

Winter Song is a great read that you will love! I really enjoyed this fast paced story that Jennifer McMurrain has created. Her books are well written and she keeps her readers turning the pages until the end. I would definitely recommend Winter Song to anyone looking for a good romance with a ghostly element. You are sure to enjoy the haunting love story of Sage McKennan.

Overcoming a loss is always hard to endure, but fresh opportunities and love tend to bring a sense of newfound hope back into your life. And this beautiful story is no different, join Sage on her journey of moving on.

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Book Description:

 

Sage McKennan never expected she’d have to go at it alone. Cooper Davis had always been by her side as they worked to fulfill their dream of owning a bed and breakfast named, Winter Song. One cold Wyoming night, Sage is brought to her knees by the news of Cooper’s death. She has never felt so alone. Little does she know Cooper hasn’t gone anywhere. His spirit is determined to stay with Sage, so she’s never alone again.

Noah Finnley is down on his luck. He can’t find work and now he’s being evicted. Things start looking up when the beautiful Sage offers him a partnership at Winter Song. Just one problem, she has a ghost attached to her and Noah’s no Ghost Whisperer. He knows taking the job at Winter Song is a bad idea, but with his landlord threatening to confiscated his belongings and throw him out on the street; he feels he has no other choice, ghost or no ghost.

The two men must work together when Sage stumbles upon a mad man's secret. If Noah and Cooper don't find a way to settle their differences, Sage could join Cooper on the other side, permanently.

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About the author:

Having a great deal of wanderlust, Jennifer McMurrain traveled the countryside working odd jobs before giving into her muse and becoming a full time writer. She's been everything from a "Potty Princess" in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park to a Bear Researcher in the mountains of New Mexico. After finally settling down, she received a Bachelor's degree in Applied Arts and Science from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX. She has won numerous awards for her short stories and novels. She lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with her husband, daughter, two spoiled cats, and two goofy dogs. You can read more of her work at www.jennifermcmurrain.com.

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Jennifer is an extremely dedicated and talented author from Oklahoma. She works hard at making her way around every corner of the writing community. Below are links to all of the places that you can find her and see what she currently has going on in her world. Feel free to go follow her, she encourages stalkers (the healthy kind, anyways.)

Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
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Only the Beginning!

I have finally got a little taste of what being a published author feels like. I now have three short stories published within this anthology that was put together by an amazing group of WordWeavers. I love it!! My soul is truly intoxicated! I'm definitely thanking God for making this possible for me.

The release of Seasons of Life has been an experience that has fueled the fire deep in my soul. The desire to write more short stories as well as finish my book is more prominent than it has ever been. I am so thankful for the opportunity and have learned so much through these wonderful writers. I'm looking forward to learning even more and being able to share my writing journey with them. A huge thank you to them!

So, be sure to grab a copy of Seasons of Life and enjoy a lazy weekend of reading. :)

Goodreads
Smashwords
Amazon

Join us in letting the imagination run free in these stories of lifetime moments ranging from both fleeting and profound, humorous and heart wrenching to healing and shattering.

The Seasons of Life shares varied tales of a time in the summer where the sun both blesses and blisters, of a time in the spring where rains help us grow, but sometimes washes away. Where fall is beautiful and poignant but also dying as it prepares for the inevitable winter of equal amounts of cozy fires and bitter cold.
Bartlesville, OK has many talented authors and we are honored to share their work with you in a WordWeavers fundraiser.

In Need of Some R&R

I've been trying to give myself as much 'alone' time as I can muster up these past few days. As any working single parent knows this is always as easy as it sounds, especially now that school is out and Boys & Girls Club isn't open yet. This past week and a half has been extremely long for our household. I'm now counting down the days not only for a bit of normality and structure to return to our lives, but the highly anticipated day that we load up and head for the beach. I am in dire need for the healing that will come from the salty air. Until then I will try to my best to stop focusing on the impending stresses that seem to keep nagging at my sanity and focus on everything that IS good in my life right now.

In any case, here is my miserable and very unedited attempt to get some words out. I can't seem to find the energy to concentrate on fixing anything right now. Don't judge me too harshly. I'm just glad that I was able to muster this much up at this time. And just FYI, I really do love my boys very much.

My brain seems so muddled with so much nonsense lately that I can’t ever manage to sort through the lot of it. Whenever I attempt to break through it all I get overwhelmed and throw in the towel. There is so much stress from daily life piled up on top of anything that could possibly be story material that I can’t seem to get rid of it. It’s like not only am I drowning in it, but my characters are also thrashing around the mess of my mind reaching for my hands to pull them out of the dark abyss. Every now and then I manage to barely feel their fingertips against mine. Excitement begins to spread through me. I think to myself that I’m finally going to be able to free them after all of this time that has been wasted away to matters that are beyond my repair as of late. What is that I hear? Not just the voices ahead of me, but behind me as well. They’re coming. For reasons that I cannot understand in this desperate moment a sense of urgency starts to run rapid in my veins. I must hurry before it’s too late. The voices are getting louder. They’re getting closer to discovering our attempt of freedom. Careful not to fall into the horrid depths of my mind I stretch my arms further. I feel the palm of a hand against mine. Victory is just moments away. I’ve almost managed to make it away with one of my characters. It won’t be long and we will be able to make a run for it. I look behind me as I begin to pull on the hand that I’ve grasped a hold of. I hear the voices right behind me now, but still can’t see who they belong to. Turning back around I look down into Emberly’s pleading stare. The despair that I find in her emerald eyes makes me fight harder. I tighten my grip and pull harder. We’re getting closer. I’ve almost got her out and then my body begins to convulse violently. I can feel her hand slip against mine and holler out in despair. Our fingers slide apart and I can see the hopefulness shatter in her eyes as she falls back down. I turn in the direction of the voices much louder now and see that their hands are on my shoulders shaking me vigorously as they continue their ranting.

“Mom, he won’t let me play his video game!”

“I don’t want him in my room!”

I sigh in defeat as I look at my two boys. And this is only a part of the reason I can’t ever manage to get anything written these days. Maybe someday, I tell myself as I shut my laptop.

Oh the Shame

I keep trying at this whole blogging thing thinking that maybe I will get the hang of it soon. I refuse to give up, because I have faith that I will eventually get it together. Just like with my many good starts to several books, I will conquer the many raging battles within! I can do this, at least that is what I will keep telling myself until I make a true believer out of me. I need more self-discipline and I plan to find every bit of it soon. In January, I said that 2014 and I still fully intend to make it happen.

I have been avoiding my laptop like it's the plague and out to kill me lately because the thought of sitting down to write scares the hell out of me. I want so bad for my dreams to come true. I struggle daily with the many urges to write, but I have managed to talk myself into the shadows of my mind. I find just about anything and everything to do besides put words out. No matter how hard I try, I manage to confuse myself with the plot lines to the point of no return. I am determined to quit discouraging myself and I believe that blogging will be a great start for me to get out the rut that I've been buried in.

So that being said, here I sit again at my desk typing away. I've always been a strong individual and refuse to let a little bit of self loathing get in the way of my future. It's time for me to get a serious game plan together and start making it happen again. This is me shouting from a mountain top that I will overcome and achieve the goals that I have set for myself. I NEED this to happen just like I need the air that I breathe.

Morning Glory by Sarah Jio

Anyone who knows me well enough, knows my love for Sarah Jio's books and Morning Glory is definitely my new favorite of hers. I now want a house of my own on Boat Street!

Sarah Jio's writing always lures me into the pages of every one of her stories. I always manage to get lost in her books. She's one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great story read. I also loved getting a glimpse of Jack and Emily's life since the book, Violets of March. That was my favorite book of hers and now I have another one to put up on the shelf next to it. I'm not one to read books over and over, because there are so many out there that I want to read and not enough time in my days. So far, I've read and listened to these two books several times. Her books are such an inspiration to me. I can only dream about writing such amazing stories for my readers to get lost in the pages with. 

I'm so ready to see her newest book on my kindle in a couple of weeks. I said that I was going to save it for my trip in June, but I'm just not sure that I will be able to stand it. I can't wait to see if it can top these two gems.

Sarah Addison Allen is Amazing!

This is an old post that I did back in June for the Book End Babes blog that is shutting down.

June has finally made it! It’s time for swimming, barbecues, family fun, and vacations. I personally enjoy a little reading under the sun and in the evening air. I would love nothing more than to be sitting on a beach listening to the waves hit the sand while I’m devouring a book this summer. I suppose this year sitting by the pool in my backyard while the kids splash the water around will have to suffice.

Anywho…back to the book that I’m trying to tell you about.

A little over a year ago, I was fortunate enough to stumble across this amazing author. I was browsing the online library one evening for an audiobook to listen to while I was trying to fall asleep. (I love having someone else read me a bedtime story now and then.) The title of this one particular book sounded like it would be perfect for bedtime. I always hope for the best when I start a new book but I seriously felt like I had found a piece of treasure with this one. It wasn’t long after I had started listening to the book that I absolutely fell in love with it.

 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen was simply amazing. After reading that one, I absolutely had to read more from her. She has three other books available. Needless to say, I have devoured them all and am anxiously waiting for the next one to come out. February 2014 cannot get here soon enough for me. I’ve read many great books and hers are definitely at the top of my favorites list. The way that she writes really brings the story to life.

 I highly recommend her books to anyone who is looking for a story that will leave you with a smile long after they’ve turned the last page. The Girl Who Chased the Moon would be the perfect book to start the Summer off with. Sarah Addison Allen describes her books as ‘southern fried magical realism.’ This description couldn’t be more fitting.

Sarah Jio's Books are so Refreshing

Last week I finished Sarah Jio’s latest release The Last Camellia. She has such an amazing way of grasping your attention and pulling you in from the very first page. Her books are a perfect blend of mystery, drama, and romance. I love the way that she weaves history in with the present to craft together intriguing stories that will leave you breathless in the end. This is one of those books that you want to sit outside in the early mornings and late evenings to enjoy with a nice cup of coffee.
In The Last Camellia, Addison attempts to run from her past by moving to England with her husband for the summer. Their stay there is spent in a country manor that his parents have bought. While there they discover that the manor holds a mysterious past of its own that Addison is determined to piece together. Only the maid isn’t as forthcoming with any details as she would like which leaves Addison to her own disposal. In the midst of unveiling the lives of past occupants, she realizes that her past has followed her to England. Forced to come clean about her own past, she manages to shed light to what happened all those years ago. In the end, the closure that is finally brought to the surviving family members that once occupied the manor will leave a smile on your face after turning the last page.
I highly recommend Sarah Jio’s books to anybody that loves a good mystery that will keep them so intrigued that they can’t stop turning the pages until there are no more left. I anticipate the release dates for all of her books because I know that I’m guaranteed an enthralling adventure through the lives of her characters. I seriously do not think that it’s possible for her to write a book that is anything less than breathtaking.
The Goodreads Description:
A romantic and suspenseful tale about two women whose destiny is bound across the years
On the eve of World War II, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.
More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?