Friday Finds: Time Travel Love

Somewhere in Time
By Barbara Bretton


Genre: Paranormal Romance
FREE ( for a limited time!)

The CROSSE HARBOR TIME TRAVEL TRILOGY

Book 1 - SOMEWHERE IN TIME
Book 2 - TOMORROW & ALWAYS
Book 3 - DESTINY'S CHILD

Reviewers Choice Award - Best Historical Time Travel
--Romantic Times

Historian Emilie Crosse dreamed of a love that would last forever
Who knew she'd have to sail across two centuries to find it?

When her ex-husband Zane Grey Rutledge showed up at her door with a Revolutionary War uniform that was part of his grandmother's estate, neither one suspected that their lives were about to change in ways they couldn't possibly imagine.

Swept back in time to 1776 where a nation is struggling to be born, Emilie finds herself torn between two men: Zane, her ex who still holds the key to her heart, and Andrew McVie, the Patriot hero of her long-ago dreams . . . .

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Crosse-Harbor-Travel-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B008ELA6VK

Smashwords:   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/238286

Friday Finds: Paranormally Delicious Reads

On this week's Friday Finds, I'm featuring a new to me author who I think you'll enjoy, also a classic paranormal romance from one of my all time favorite authors, Eugenia Riley. It's one of my favorite books by her as well and is one of my top 100 books of all time you should read, and for only .99¢ now, grab it before the sale ends. 


THE STORM AND THE DARKNESS
By Sarah M. Cradit

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Only .99¢ (Sale ends August 30!)

Ana Deschanel has made a terrible mistake. The only chance of protecting the other people involved is to flee New Orleans, the only home she has ever known, for the quiet solitude of Summer Island.

Summer Island, Maine (population 202) is not the tranquil escape Ana imagined. The locals are distant and cold, especially her neighbor, the reclusive veterinarian Jonathan St. Andrews. Her only lifeline is the kind but odd caretaker Alex Whitman. Showing up at all the right moments, he warns her she is completely unprepared for a Maine winter. As the first winter storm approaches to whispers of an island shutdown- Ana realizes that she may soon be cut off from the rest of the world.

After a surprising encounter with Jonathan’s brother, Finn, Ana finds herself braving the storm to return something to him. Unprepared for the Maine storm, she slips and falls onto the jagged rocks along the shore. The St. Andrews brothers find her in the nick of time, but she remains unconscious. As the storm worsens, the St. Andrews brothers learn there are other, more sinister forces at work closer than they ever imagined.

With no help from the outside world, they must find a way to protect themselves from both the storm, and the growing darkness that looms across the island.

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/VPSXvF
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-storm-and-the-darkness-sarah-m-cradit/1115922678
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-storm-and-the-darkness/id832897889
KOBO: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-storm-and-the-darkness

You can find Sarah on Twitter: @thewritersarah

Phantom in Time
By Eugenia Riley

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Only .99¢ (Sale ends Sept. 3!)

SEDUCED ACROSS TIME . . . BY THE PHANTOM!!

Murdered in his prime in 1896, the sexy, mysterious ghost of renowned tenor Jacques LeFevre haunts the spooky old St. Charles Opera House in New Orleans. Jacques’s lusty spirit still searches for the woman of his dreams, the diva with whom he can share life and the opera. When lovely Bella De La Rosa joins the modern-day theater troupe as a chorus girl, the phantom knows he has found his mate, and soon Jacques’s ghost lures beautiful Bella back in time to meet him as a real man . . .

Bella De La Rosa is destined to become a world-class singer, but devastating stage fright has consigned her to the chorus line. Then the phantom’s haunting voice calls to her . . . and she is seduced back in time to meet the real Jacques! Even as Bella reels at her apparent journey through time, the amorous rogue shamelessly pursues her—and, it seems, everything else in a skirt! Though equally intrigued by him, Bella is dismayed to find Jacques on a self-destructive path, inciting numerous jealousies among the theater troupe. In order to reform Jacques and save him from certain death, Bella must overcome all her fears and give herself to him in passion and in song . . . or he will forever become her phantom in time.

PHANTOM IN TIME is must a read for Eugenia Riley fans, a fun, sexy, and intriguing treatment of the “Phantom of the Opera” theme. PHANTOM IN TIME is a full-length time-travel romance of approximately 105,000 words.


AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1q8cAuV
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phantom-in-time-eugenia-riley/1000413087
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/380563

Ms. Riley's website: http://www.eugeniariley.com/

Friday Finds: Books To Add To Your Summer Reading List

Check out the great Friday Finds I've found for ya'll this week and add them to your summer TBR list. :)

Timeswept Bride
By Eugenia Riley
Genre:  Historical Romance | Time Travel Romance
.99¢ (Sale ends June 30, 2014)

For a limited time, read Eugenia Riley’s sensational, full-length time time travel romance, Timeswept Bride, for a bargain price!!

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

In 1880’s Galveston, dairy farmer Jake Blarney is left devastated when his wife betrays and leaves him, drowning in the seas, leaving Jake with twin baby daughters to raise. Angry and forlorn, Jake pens a message in a bottle beseeching the Fates to bring him a new bride, and hurls the bottle into the sea. But never does he dream that Destiny will summon him a new bride from across the vast gulf of time!

BRIDE ACROSS TIME

In modern-day Galveston, college professor Priscilla Pemberton is a forsaken bride, hurt and furious after her prominent fiancé betrayed then dumped her. She is wandering the beach aimlessly, thinking of hurling herself into the tide, when an ancient-looking bottle washes up at her feet. No sooner does Priscilla retrieve the bottle and read the strange message it contains, then a huge wave crashes over her, sweeping her back in time to meet the groom who has summoned her!

As soon as Jake Blarney lays eyes upon the miracle the seas have swept to his doorstep, he is ready to hitch up the buggy and fetch his new bride to the priest! Priscilla is left reeling and disoriented. Where is she? And who is this strange though sexy Irishman who keeps insisting that she is his bride from the seas?

Even as Priscilla struggles to become acclimated to her fantastical voyage through time, Jake and his adorable baby daughters go to work stealing her heart, and she is left feeling terribly torn. Beaten down by a horrible childhood, Priscilla has struggled all her life to regain her self-esteem and prestige. Is she really meant to become the bride of a brash Irish dairy farmer in 1880’s Galveston, even if her sexier than sin host fires her blood in more ways than one? Or are the Fates having a really good laugh at her expense?

TIMESWEPT BRIDE is another all time winner from Eugenia Riley, a full-length, fun, sexy and touching story of two unforgettable lovers bridging the vast chasm of time. Author Eugenia Riley is the renowned, bestselling author of dozens of historical, contemporary and time-travel romances, including the classics A TRYST IN TIME and BUSHWHACKED BRIDE.

Also available from Eugenia Riley: A CHRISTMAS IN TIME; BUSHWHACKED BRIDE; BUSHWHACKED GROOM; PHANTOM IN TIME; EMBERS OF TIME; LOVERS AND OTHER LUNATICS; A CHRISTMAS IN TIME; TIMESWEPT BABY; THE PHANTOM OF THE BATHTUB; TEMPEST IN TIME; and TWO HEARTS IN TIME. 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/TIMESWEPT-BRIDE-Eugenia-Riley-ebook/dp/B005GFI2W2
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/timeswept-bride-eugenia-riley/1000154023
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/278474

Her Dakota Man
Lisa Mondello

Genre: Contemporary Romance
FREE (Sale ends July 31, 2014)

She needed to risk the truth to get a second chance...

Poppy Erickson had spent the year wondering how all their lives might have been different after hearing the deathbed confession of her childhood friend. She'd left South Dakota years ago because she couldn't bear to watch the man she loved loving another woman. But now she knows the truth. She'll keep the promise she made to a friend, but will Logan understand when he learns the truth? More important, can they again recapture the passion that had been between them all those years ago?

He needed to face the past to get the love of a woman he thought he'd lost..

Everyone knows that the Dakotas didn't get the name Badlands for nothing. Harsh weather and rough living are a way of life. But single dad, Logan McKinnon, had seen more than his share of bad times after the death of his wife a year ago. The last thing he needs is Poppy Erickson, an old flame and his late wife's best friend, showing up unannounced to help after devastating floods nearly washed away their hometown. With no place to stay in town, he has no choice but to offer her a bed at his house. But can he live under the same roof with a woman he'd once loved passionately without feeling he's betraying his late wife?


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Dakota-Man-Book-Hearts-ebook/dp/B00FRSX700

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/her-dakota-man/id734693537


DISSENSION

By Katie Salidas




Genre: Fantasy | Urban Fantasy | Paranormal
.99¢ (Sale ends June 30, 2014)
 
The great cataclysm wiped almost all life from the face of planet Earth, but tiny pockets of survivors crawled from the ashes, with only one thought: survival, at any cost.

But not all survivors were human.

In the dark, militant society that has risen in the aftermath, vampires, once thought to be mythical, have been assimilated and enslaved. Used for blood sport their lives are allowed to continue only for the entertainment of the masses. Reviled as savages, they are destined to serve out their immortal lives in the arena, as gladiators.

And there is no greater gladiator than Mira: undefeated, uncompromising...and seemingly unbreakable. When an escape attempt leads Mira into the path of Lucian Stavros, the city’s Regent, her destiny is changed forever.
 
Lucian, raised in a culture which both reviles and celebrates the savagery and inhumanity of vampires, finds Mira as intriguing as she is brash. An impulsive decision - to become Mira’s patron – changes more than just Lucian’s perception about vampire kind. The course of his life is altered in ways he could never have predicted – a life that is suddenly as expendable as hers.

Can Mira prove to Lucian that all is not as it seems? Can Lucian escape centuries of lies, bloodshed, and propaganda to see the truth? Or will the supreme power of the human overlords destroy them both? 


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dissension-Chronicles-Uprising-K-Salidas-ebook/dp/B00I8PMB10

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/405032

Tuesday Blue Plate Special: Outlander

Quite a while back, I was browsing in a bookshop, waiting for my car to be repaired, and spied something intriguing. I've always loved time travel romances and anything set during the WW2 era, so when I saw this book that seemed to combine the two, I wanted to see if anyone else had read it. The girl working behind the counter said it was a truly amazing novel, and I should try it. Good enough for me.

So I bought this oddly named book, Outlander, and rubbed my fingers over the slightly embossed thistle and crown on the cover. Since I'm also part Scots on my mum's side, I thought it might be fun to read something of the history of Scotland set to fiction.

I had no real expectations, despite the girl at the bookshop saying it was amazing. I'd been told that before, only to realize my taste in reading and other readers tastes can vastly differ.

To say I was floored by this epic story was an understatement. Only three times in my life have I read something that affected me so profoundly (Stranger In A Strange Land, and The Power of One). This work of fiction touched my soul, and I knew I would read the book again and again, in some special kind of literary pilgrimage. My old copy is so beat up, dog-earred, and the spine so cracked, anyone could tell at a glance it was a well read and loved up book.

A few years ago, I bought Outlander in ebook format to reread. It's just as great a story, but I admit something was lost in the feel of a real book in my hands, so I bought it again in paperback.

In celebration of one of my favorite books of all time (and the ever delicious Jaime Fraser) plus the new Starz mini series coming this month, I'm sharing some Scottish recipes today, both old and new.

Enjoy!

Grandda's Scottish Shortbread

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup pure cane sugar
pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In mixing bowl, place butter, salt, and sugar then mix on medium speed until well blended. Add flour and change setting to slow, mixing thoroughly.

Press thickened dough batter into a rectangular pan/jelly roll size. Prick cookie dough repeatedly (close together) with a fork making sure the fork hits bottom.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 300º degrees and continue to bake for 40 additional minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut shortbread into two inch long bars. Let cool to room temperature, then place on decorative tray or in treat bags or cookie jar. Servings 12.


For more Scotland-inspired tasty recipes, check out these links:

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_index.html
http://www.scotland.org/celebrate-scotland/recipes/
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/burns-night


Do you have a favorite book? The Tuesday Blue Plate Special honors those books with themed recipes, like the one I posted here. Anyone can submit a recipe to be featured as part of The Tuesday Blue Plate Special.  Are you an author? Promote your own book here by sending in a recipe themed around your book or books setting. It's free and it's fun.

By submitted your recipe and short article (why you chose that particular book to feature) you are giving casscandracurtis.com and Ms. Curtis, the right to electronically reprint your submission. Payment is byline only. Please remember to provide a link to the book's cover art. Thank you.

Friday Finds: Rainy Day Reading

I remember stomping my booted little foot in mud puddles as a child, splashing dirty water everywhere and squealing in sheer delight, closing my eyes and feeling the rain in every pore of my being. Take in a deep breath and you can smell the fresh ozone scented air after a good rain. My mum would scowl at the mess I made, my dad laughing and shaking his head at my antics. I've always loved a rainy day, and even though I don't stomp in puddles anymore (okay, maybe one more), I still enjoy the sensation of standing with my arms spread wide, as if to embrace the heavens, and feel so alive and connected to nature while droplets of rain roll down my face. Mum would say April showers bring May flowers. And oh boy, did I love flowers! Of course, too much of a good thing can turn bad fast, thus the 'saying' Rain Rain Go Away and Come Back Another Day.

I'm more likely to curl up on the sofa when it rains these days and grab my Nook. Whether it's raining where you are, or even if it's not, here are some ebooks and authors you might enjoy.

If you like sexy and rugged alpha heroes, and adore a man in (or out of) uniform, this boxed set of contemporary romances may just be the thing to whet your appetite.

Ultimate SEAL Collection
By Sharon Hamilton

Genre: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

Only .99¢ (sale ends 4/12/14)

Four full-length award-winning novels and two novellas by NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling author Sharon Hamilton. Boxed set includes the first four of the SEAL Brotherhood Series and the two accompanying prequels, as follows (listed in order): SEAL Encounter (prequel to Accidental SEAL), Accidental SEAL Book 1, SEAL Endeavor (prequel to Fallen SEAL Legacy), Fallen SEAL Legacy Book 2, SEAL Under Covers, SEAL The Deal.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-SEAL-Collection-Hamiltons-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B00J6GU2AC

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultimate-seal-collection-sharon-hamilton/1118954119


Are your favorite heroes at home in a kilt? In the mood to be swept back in time? This ebook may be your ticket to ride.

Love Beyond Time 
By Bethany Claire


Genre: Historical/Time-Travel Romance

Only .99¢ for a limited time—so hurry now!

Book 1 of Morna's Legacy Series

It began nearly four hundred years ago.

The Conall clan and all their people were murdered in a surprise attack, their beloved castle and all evidence of who destroyed them burned to the ground with their bodies. In the centuries following, archaeologists searched through the ruins looking for any evidence of what or who had caused the untimely demise of such a powerful Scottish clan. All efforts were fruitless, until a spell put in place by an ancient Conall ancestor finally began to work its magic...

Texas Kindergarten teacher, Brielle Montgomery finds comfort in the mundane routines of her life but when her archaeologist mother asks her to accompany her on a dig in Scotland, she decides to step out of her comfort zone. Once in Scotland, they discover a secret spell room below the castle ruins and Bri finds herself transported back in time and suddenly married to the castle's ill-fated Laird. Now, she must work to change the fate of his people, all while trying to find a way to return to her home and century. But with each passing day, Bri finds herself falling more deeply in love with her new husband. If she can find a spell to bring her home, will she use it? And if she stays, will it ultimately mean her own death as well?


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GQDIJZS

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-beyond-time-bethany-claire/1117473619

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-beyond-time/id834927925?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4