COTT Spotlight and FREE Historical Romance!

The first three books in April W Gardner's Creek Country Saga have just hit the Amazon shelves! They are now available for purchase, but every subscriber to her newsletter gets the first in the series for
FREE!

Scroll to nab your copy!

Beneath the Blackberry Moon will sweep you away to another time, then make you sigh and wish you could stay just a little longer.

I cannot put this book down! April Gardner crafts the scenes and character interactions so well, you are there! What a powerful story. 

~Amazon reviewer

SUBSCRIBE HERE--FREE BOOK

This newsletter goes out only a handful of times each year to announce new releases, so no worries--your inbox won't be bombarded. April is generous to her email subscribers. Next month, each will receive another novel, absolutely free! See below to learn more about Better Than Fiction.

PURCHASE EBOOK (Kindle)

PURCHASE PAPERBACK

About the book:
War, captivity, hunger that will not be denied. And a blackberry moon with enough pull to endure the test of time.

Frontierswoman Adela McGirth has never feared her neighbors, the Creek Indians, but a suspicious encounter with a steely-eyed warrior shakes her confidence. As dreaded, a skirmish with the natives sends her family fleeing into a hastily constructed fort. But no picket is strong enough to hold off a party of warriors who fear nothing but the loss of their ancient ways.

Totka Lawe, a Red Stick bound by honor to preserve his heritage, will do what he must to expel the whites from Muscogee soil. But in the midst of battle, he is assigned to protect those he’s expected to hate and kill. One of whom is the copper-haired woman who has haunted his thoughts since that strange night under the blackberry moon. The war was simpler before his enemy became a beautiful face with a gentle warrior’s spirit he cannot resist.

But what woman would have a warrior whose blood-soaked hands destroyed her life?

Then again...does she have a choice?

PREVIEW BOOK BY CLICKING IMAGE

Learn more about this saga at 

AprilGardner.com

and Like her on 

Facebook!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coming soon...

To get your FREE copy of Better Than Fiction, 

SUBSCRIBE HERE

(releases April 2016)

Better than Fiction

by 

April W Gardner and Michelle Massaro

Romance novelist Meghan Townsend’s marriage is slipping, and no amount of prayer seems to help. She aims to recapture her husband’s waning attention by getting in shape and finds escape by crafting her own fictional love story. Taking inspiration for the hero from a new friend—the attractive, spiritual, and attentive Curtis Jameson—she pours her yearnings onto the page, and craves the kind of pulse-pounding romance found in her book, Racing Hearts…

In 1916 Corona, California, motorcars are all the rage, and racing them is what Meghan’s hero, Russell Keegan, does best. But when his competition vandalizes his car, the only mechanic available is a greasy woman in a man’s overalls.

After a racing accident claimed her father’s life, Winifred became the sole breadwinner for her family. She is disdained as a female mechanic, but her daddy's trade is all she has left. Can she swallow her hatred of the races and take up Russell's offer of big bucks to fix his car, or will she lose everything to mounting debt?

Under Meghan's skillful pen, these two embark on a thrilling, adventurous romance. But she finds that writing those love scenes with Curtis’s face in mind takes her heart places it shouldn’t go. Will she realize in time that real life can be better than fiction?

COTT's Sizzling Summer Reading Clash!

Looking for some awesome take-me-away Summer Reading?

Check out these new releases and I dare you to tell me which one you'd put on the top of your reading list. We offer contemporary and historical romance, a little fantasy, danger, mystery, suspense!

Vote for your next most likely read, and leave the author a word of encouragement, then share with your friends. 

Scroll down, vote in the survey box, and come back next week for the Reveal!

*******************************

Fantasy

The Last Princess of Meigen

Rachel A. James

To unite the kingdoms and bring peace, Princess Alena must enter into a royal marital alliance, but when the handsome physician, Sherwin, befalls her, matters become complicated. Torn between obligations to her young son and country, she faces a difficult decision, will Alena obey the king’s orders, or choose to follow her heart?

*****

Romance

Blue Columbine 

Jennifer Rodewald

Friendship, love, and then betrayal...for Jamie Carson one thing becomes clear: Andrew needs a savior, and she cannot be it. Will Andrew allow the hand of grace to redeem his legacy of addiction, or will he and Jamie remain the casualties of heartbreak?

*****

Suspense

Trial by Twelve

Heather Day Gilbert 

Tess Spencer loves her low-key job at the Crystal Mountain Spa, which allows her plenty of down-time with her one-year old daughter and lawyer husband, Thomas. But when a pool installation turns up eight skeletons in the spa's back yard, Tess becomes entangled in a sleuthing job destined to go awry...even as she sifts through layers of deceit, Tess realizes too late that a serial killer's sights have zeroed in on her.

*****

Contemporary Romance

In Firefly Valley

Amanda Cabot 

Marisa St. George has lost her dream job and come home to manage the struggling Rainbow’s End resort in the small Texas town where she grew up. The only silver lining is Blake Kendall, a new guest who is making her believe in love at first sight. But is he really who she thinks he is? 

*****

Historical Romance

Until the Harvest

Sarah Loudin Thomas 

When family tragedy derails Henry Phillips’s college studies, he consoles himself with his fiddle and the family farm. His grandmother’s helper, Margaret Hoffman, is always around, ready to push his buttons, and it seems she doesn’t care about his troubles. But Margaret has her own problems. Henry and Margaret soon find themselves relying on each other as they face potential loss and find healing in the most surprising places. 

*****

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COTT Presents "The Hesitant Heiress"

by Michelle Massaro

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to debut author Dawn Crandall and her new release The Hesitant Heiress. The first thing I'd like to point out is the absolutely gorgeous cover! I adore the soft pink gown, and the mysterious manor in the background.

{About The Hesitant Heiress} 

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.

Ooooh! Sounds good, right? This is a debut title and the first in a trilogy called The Everstone Chronicles. The great news is, if you purchase this now, you only have to wait a few weeks for the next installment. Perfect for that Fall Fix you need when you want to curl up on the couch with a throw blanket on your lap and a cup of coffee/tea/cocoa beside you.

The Everstone Chronicles from Whitaker House:

Book 1, The Hesitant Heiress releases August 2014 -- Read chapter one!
Book 2, The Bound Heart releases November 2014
Book 3, The Captive Imposter releases February 2015

The Hesitant Heiress (August 1, 2014), The Bound Heart (November 3, 2014) and the third in the series, The Captive Imposter (February 2015) are full length historical romantic suspense novels written from first person POV in the Gothic style of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

And now, let's meet Dawn!

{About Dawn Crandall}

Dawn Crandall writes long inspirational historical romantic suspense. She has a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University and lives in northeast Indiana with her ever-supportive husband, her three cats [Lilly, Pumpkin and Clover] and their newest addition, a little baby boy named Rhett (March 2014).

A former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn didn't begin writing until her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. It didn't take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.

Connect with her at:

www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com
www.apassionforpages.blogspot.com

Twitter (@dawnwritesfirst)
Pinterest

Now go check out that sneak peek chapter! ;)

HAPPY READING!!

***

Do you like hearing about new Christian Fiction titles? Enjoy friendly sparring matches between your favorite authors? Be sure to "like" Clash of the Titles on Facebook to keep yourself "in the know" -- and have some fun, too!

Lacy Williams's Return of the Cowboy Doctor

It's February, the month of romance! So here's a book to make your heart go pitter-patter.

Lacy Williams's Return of the Cowboy Doctor was one of our January runner-ups. Today I am thrilled to give you a closer look!

~~~

PURCHASE BOOK

About the Book
Two years shy of his medical degree, cowboy Maxwell White is out of money. So, he's back in Bear Creek, Wyoming, working part-time for the local physician. Though he is immediately drawn to the doctor's lovely, whip-smart daughter, she seems to be irritated by Maxwell's very existence.

Hattie Powell can't quash her feelings for the town's new would-be doctor. But that's exactly why she must keep him at a distance. Hattie is closer than ever to fulfilling her lifelong wish of becoming a doctor. Now, the only thing standing in her way is the man of her dreams.

The Wyoming Legacy series: United by family, destined for love

What COTT Readers Had to Say
*I just finished reading Return of the Cowboy Doctor, and Lacy Williams did a fabulous job bringing her shy, a bit insecure hero to life.
*What a great story! Fun to read. The author's use of descriptions really sucks you in to the story!

Editorial Reviews

* Publisher's Weekly says, "Williams delivers a smart, gentle, and uplifting fourth novel set in 1890s Wyoming...sweet, poetic Max is a lovable hero, and Hattie’s desire to have both career and family will resonate strongly with readers." (October 2013)
* Return of the Cowboy Doctor was an RT Book Reviews TOP PICK! with a 4.5 star review and also received a nomination for the December Seal of Excellence. They say, "I picked up Return of the Cowboy Doctor by Lacy Williams feeling nostalgic for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and was soon transported to an even wilder West for an aspiring lady doctor."
* The USA Today HEA blog says, "If you enjoy Western romance series with fresh characters in each book... you'll enjoy this Love Inspired Historical series from author Lacy Williams."

About the Author
Lacy Williams is a wife and mom from Oklahoma. She grew up on a farm, which is where her love of

cowboys was born. In reality, she's married to a right-brained banker (happily with three little ones!). She gets to express her love of western men by writing historical romance. Her books have finaled in the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards (2012, 2013 & 2014), the Golden Quill and the Booksellers Best Award. Her latest release, Kissed by a Cowboy is part of the First Kisses anthology, available March 15, 2014.

Connect with Lacy
http://www.lacywilliams.net
http://www.facebook.com/lacywilliamsbooks

Congratulations on your latest release, Lacey! COTT wishes you the best in your writing career.

Our next clash starts February 19th. Be sure to come back then and cast your vote!

Love Unexpected -- May New Releases

Summer is here, and we've got some great new releases to fill up those camping trips, car rides, and lazy days on the beach.  Our May suggestions are intriguing and ready to pull you into stories of faith, love, and adventure.

It will be hard to choose between these five wonderful romances.These books are sure to captivate your imagination, from overcoming great odds together, to chance meetings with a dashing earl, switchboard encounters of the handsome kind, a mysterious vanishing, and a prince's choice.

Vote for the one most likely to make your summer To Be Read pile by voting below. Don't forget to send some love and encouragement to our authors via the comments section.

Happy Voting!

Their lives are worlds apart; he's a royal prince and she's an ordinary girl, but everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice: His kingdom or her heart…God's will or their own?

When Mitchell's wife, Jill, kisses him goodbye, he has no idea that he may never see her again. When the police can't find her, Mitch asks his neighbor, Shelley, for help, but as weeks turn into months and Mitch and Shelley grow ever closer, he wonders how he can honor his vows to a woman who seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Switchboard operators, otherwise known as "hello girls," must conduct themselves according to strict--and often bewildering--rules, which include absolutely no consorting with gentlemen while in training. Hannah Gregory has never been good at following rules, but she doubts it will be difficult to keep that particular rule--until a handsome young lawyer starts getting under her skin.

A chance meeting and a bullet wound change everything, and Madeline St. James must trust that the Good Shepherd has led her to the altar to marry a dashing stranger, Lord Devonshire. Madeline's unwavering faith intrigues and exasperates the stubborn earl, but can the compromised couple forge a true bond before the next disaster strikes?

After their professional athletic careers are sidelined, Tara and Ryan must find purpose and fulfillment in their new lives. With the help of the Junkyard King and a mechanical bull, can Tara and Ryan find the courage to climb Heartbreak Hill together?

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A Bride For All Seasons

 A Bride for All Seasons is a group of four novellas. Each centers around a "hiccup" that occurs with a mail-order bride company, due to the owner's habit of "editing" the correspondence between potential partners.


Historical romance isn't my meat and potatoes when it comes to  fiction, but there's always room for...you guessed it. The fun and often poignant stories in this book served my literary taste buds with some sweet, refreshing cherry jello topped with whipped cream. (Substitute your favorite ice cream if you aren't a jello person.) What more can you ask for in a summer read?

Surprisingly, the character development in this book was quite strong despite the lower word-count and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself caring for the people in the town and hoping for their wedding days to arrive. Along the way there were spiritual lessons tucked between the pages as well, like trusting in Providence rather than luck, and seeing the heart of a person instead of their outward appearance.

AND...each novella was penned by a different author, giving each story a unique flavor and a chance for the reader to test-taste a sample from the four talented writers: Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher. So if you're in the market for some summer reads, check this one out!

*I was priveleged to receive an advanced copy of A Bride for All Seasons from the publisher. The opinions stated here are my own. :-)

Another Great July Release for Lovers of Fiction!

*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