Congratulations to Deevena for winning Mary Moore’s Beauty in Disguise, to Abi for winning Georgiana Daniels’ A Daughter’s Redemption, and to Angela for winning Margaret Daley’s Countdown to First Night.
This week I’m hosting Lillian Duncan with The Christmas Stalking (ebook), Irene Hannon with Vanished (no giveaway), Nicole O’Dell with The Shadowed Onyx and Murray Pura with Ashton Park. If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (January 13th) evening.
Bio for Lil Duncan:
Lillian Duncan lives in Ohio with her husband, four parrots, one Jack Russell, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that she’s thinking about renaming Clifford since he keeps growing and growing and….
Her website (www.lillianduncan.net)describes her books as Stories of Faith mingled with…murder and mayhem. She writes the type of books she loves to read–suspense with a touch of romance. Depending on her mood, some books have more romance than others.
She’s been a Speech Pathologist for over thirty years. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.
Country music superstar Destiny appears to have it all. Beauty, money, and fame. But it’s not all glitz and glamour. Being a celebrity comes with a price—loneliness, and now threats from an unknown stalker.
With Christmas approaching, and as the danger escalates in Nashville, Destiny has no choice but to disappear. She escapes to her grandparents’ cabin in the Adirondack Mountains near the tiny Village of Serenity & Peace. It seems to be the perfect choice for a hideout. Longing for the serenity and peace she experienced there as a child, Destiny sheds her celebrity persona and resumes her long-forgotten identity as Holly Stone.
Unfortunately, fame follows her to the tiny village—along with her stalker.
Country music superstar Destiny appears to have it all. Beauty, money, and fame. But it’s not all glitz and glamour. Being a celebrity comes with a price–loneliness, and now threats from an unknown stalker.
Longing for the serenity and peace, Destiny sheds her celebrity persona and resumes her long-forgotten identity as Holly Stone during the Christmas holidays.
Unfortunately, fame follows her to the tiny village—along with her stalker.
Bio for Irene Hannon:
Irene Hannon, who writes both romance and romantic suspense, is the bestselling author of more than 40 novels, including the Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice suspense series. Irene has twice won the RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), as well as two Reviewers’ Choice awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Daphne du Maurier award, a HOLT medallion, a Retailers’ Choice Award and a National Readers Choice Award. Booklist also included one of her novels in its “Top 10 Inspirational Fiction” list for 2011. Just last week, Amazon named her newest book, Vanished, one of the top 10 January romance releases, along with books by Danielle Steel and Janet Evanovich.
Blurb for Vanished by Irene Hannon:
Reporter Moira Harrison is new on the job in St. Louis, but she’s no rookie to investigative reporting. She knows how to dig for answers and get results. But when she hits a pedestrian on a rainy night in a wooded area—only to have both the victim and the good Samaritan who stopped to assist disappear—she turns to P.I. Cal Burke, an ex-homicide detective, to help her sort out the puzzle. Cal is more than a little skeptical of her story, especially since the police have dismissed it. But as clues begin to surface, bringing them closer to answers, the danger mounts. Because someone doesn’t want this mystery solved—and will stop at nothing to protect a shocking secret that will destroy a life built on lies.
Bio for Nicole O’Dell:
Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, is a youth culture expert who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents on preparing for life’s tough choices. The mother of six, including toddler triplets, she’s author of YA fiction, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk, 2/1/12, based on the popular advice column she writes with her two daughters. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents, pre-empts peer pressure by tackling tough issues and was recently endorsed by Focus on the Family. Visit www.nicoleodell.com for access to her bustling blog network and other resources.
Blurb for The Shadowed Onyx by Nicole O’Dell:
At age seventeen, Joy Christianson is the life of the party. That is, until her best friend commits suicide. Joy’s already wavering faith slips completely out of her reach; darkness sets in, and her smile fades. Her “friends” lead her to the Onxy, meant to help her let go of the past and bring her into harmony with reality. Joy embarks on a dark journey of witchcraft. Eventually, afraid of letting the depression and evil take root, Joy decides to seek help in the haven of Diamond Estates—and try to reclaim the Joy she once knew.
Series Description for Diamond Estates by Nicole O’Dell:
Diamond Estates. Three girls are on a journey to find hope and healing. Each coming to Diamond Estates seeking solace… Each with her own unique set of struggles… And each capturing hearts and challenging the faith of teen girls.
Bio for Murray Pura:
Murray Pura earned his Master of Divinity degree from Acadian University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and his Th.M. degree from Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to his writing, Murray has pastored churches in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Alberta. His novels include /The Wings of Morning/ and /The Face of Heaven./ Pura writes from his home in southern Alberta, near the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about Pura online at www.murraypura.com.
Blurb for Ashton Park by Murray Pura:
For fans of the hugely popular Downton Abbey series, comes this equally enthralling story of the Danforth family of Ashton Park.
Among the green hills and trees of Lancashire, only a few miles from the sea, lies the beautiful and ancient estate of Ashton Park.
The year is 1916. The First World War has engulfed Europe and Sir William’s and Lady Elizabeth’s three sons are all in uniform–and their four daughters are involved in various pursuits of the heart and soul.
As the head of a strong Church of England family for generations, Sir William insists the Danforth estate hold morning devotions that include both family and staff. However, he is also an MP and away at Westminster in London whenever Parliament is sitting. During his long absences, Lady Elizabeth discreetly spends time in the company of the head cook of the manor, Mrs. Longstaff, who is her best friend and confidante. This friendship includes visits to a small Baptist church in Liverpool that exposes Lady Elizabeth to a less formal approach to Christian worship and preaching than she is used to and which she comes to enjoy.
Readers will follow Ashton Park’s charming upstairs/downstairs characters through the perils of war and the affairs of the heart with relish–and with an eye to the sequel coming in Fall 2013.
Book One in The Danforths of Lancashire series