These are hard times. COVID 19 had meant the closing of many libraries and bookstores and I know many of you are home with nothing to do and feeling the loss of income
 
Here are some ideas that might help. If you don’t have an e-reader, and can’t afford one, Amazon has a free app that allows you to read books on your smartphone or tablet.

Another alternative is Overdrive.
I use this app in conjunction with my library membership. You can download ebooks and audiobooks from your local library onto your device. This service has always been free for me, and I highly recommend it.

It's Valentines Day, a time when we celebrate all things romantic. I thought it would be cool to do another free promotion so from today until the 16th February Sun Storm with be free at Amazon.

"Sun Storm is a fast-paced and exciting read that was impossible to put down." Readers' Favorite.
Hunted by a gunman and a corrupt police force... in a blizzard.

In Montana to prove her portable solar panel can solve the world's energy problems, naïve scientist, Dr. Marie Wilson must first fight to survive and then expose the powerful businessman intent on destroying her life's work.

Ex-special forces soldier, David Quinn is haunted by the horrors of combat, and yearns to be left alone with his beehives, but agrees to do one last job for his old mentor.

When the scariest man she's ever met becomes her savior, Marie discovers a heart of gold beats beneath his surly demeanor.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
​
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap. 

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash. 

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of midday to objects below, when, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. 

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called them by name: 

"Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen! 

To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" 

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky so up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. 

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. 

His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, 

and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. 

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. 

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. 
​
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight, 
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" 

I’m very excited about this Black Friday giveaway. You can pick up a copy of Disturbance FREE anytime from 28th November until 2nd December.

This is a fantastic giveaway. They’re giving away a Kindle Fire 7 to one lucky winner each day of the sale! Browse the sale and play the Scavenger Hunt game for your chance to take a Fire home. 

​EVERY BOOK in our sale is either discounted or free for the four days of this event ONLY. You can score some awesome reads right now in our Black Friday Book Sale. Contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, erotic romance, mystery, NA/YA, science fiction, fantasy, They have it all! 

Look for Books from Your Favorite Authors!
Anna Durand • Bethany-Kris • Chloe Flowers • Christine Myers • DB McNicol • Debbie White • Diane Benefiel • Donna Schlachter • E.B. Black • Em Petrova • Erica Monroe • Heidi Vanlandingham • Jacki Delecki • Jacqueline Diamond • Jami Klein • Jamie K. Schmidt • Jana Richards • Jenna Barwin • Jerri Corgiat • Josie Riviera • Karen Michelle Nutt • Karina Kantas • Kerry Blaisdell • Kim Hornsby • Laine Watson • Laura Ashwood • Lia Davis • Lucy Lakestone • Margaret Tanner • Marlow Kelly • Megan Ryder • Melissa McClone • Michelle Dalton • Mimi Barbour • Nina Beaumont • Penelope Wylde • Quinn • Ravyn Wilde • Renee Carr • Rhondi Ann • Rose Pearson • Soraya Naomi • Stephanie Queen • Stormy Legend • Sydney Aaliyah Michelle • Theresa Beachman • Aileen Harkwood
​

​I want to share another powerful poem that speaks to me in a very personal way. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas, is a call to battle.
It conveys the sense that we shouldn’t give up and should be prepared to fight, even if we lose everything. I don’t know if that’s what Thomas intended because it’s a poem about death, specifically the death of his father.
Someone way more intellectually minded will probably have a much more highbrow opinion. Whatever Thomas’ intent, I connect with it and that’s enough for me to put in on my list as one of my favorites.

​Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day; 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

Do you have any favorite poems or books that inspire you? I’d love to hear about them. If I like them then I’ll share them on this blog :)

​Are you a member of Kindle Unlimited? Shop our book fair for a massive shelf’s worth of page-turning books to download for free in contemporary romance, paranormal romance, historical romance, mysteries and thrillers, fantasy and science fiction, women’s fiction, romantic suspense, and more.
Each day of the fair we’re giving away a $25 Amazon gift card or other prize!

Don't have a KU subscription? You can still shop our fair for binge-worthy books. Many books, including Sun Storm, are on sale. 
​Plus you can vote for your favorite authors and books in the fair for yet another chance to win!

As a reader I love this book fair because there are so many chances to win by doing what we love...reading books
​Good luck and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Look for Books from Your Favorite Authors!
Alexa Aston • Alexia Adams • Allison Temple • Angela Christina Archer • Ariel Marie • Bernadette Rowley • Brooke Warren • Carrie Whitethorne • Catty Diva • Cherry Christensen • Clairissa SinClair • Crystal Dawn • DB McNicol • Donna R. Mercer • Eichin Chang-Lim • Eliza Watson • Elizabeth Rose • Ellen Mint • Em Petrova • Erin Cawood • G.K. Brady • Heidi Vanlandingham • Isabella Thorne • Jacqueline Diamond • Jade Waltz • Jami Denise • Jeanne St. James • Joanne Dannon • Judith Starkston • Karen D. Bradley • Kiara Cawood • Kristen Kelly • Leilani Love • Linda Nightingale • LM Preston • Lucy Lakestone • Margaret Tanner • Marlow Kelly • Marsha A. Moore • Melissa McClone • Miranda Jameson • ML Preston • Pepper Swan • Peyton Banks • Rhondi Ann • Rissa Blakeley • Rose Pearson • S.L. Sterling • Samantha Holt • Sandra Owens • Shaylin Gandhi • Sierra Kay • Soraya Naomi • Stephanie Queen • Suzanne Jenkins • Teddy Cat Hester • Theresa Hodge • Tracey Alvarez
​

Ray Bradbury said, "Poetry expands the senses and keeps them in prime condition."
I wish I could write poetry to find the perfect turn of phrase, which would evoke a deep and lasting emotion for my readers but unfortunately, I can't. But I can read and enjoy the work of others. With that in mind, I thought I would share a poem that speaks to me - Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. 
There is no doubt that it was written for African American women but I believe it speaks to any woman who feels beaten down by life. Ms. Angelou tells us we can overcome and rise above the hardships and pain.
I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do.

​Hubby and I have just returned from a wonderful road trip. This time we decided to travel from our home in Edmonton, Alberta to Prince Rupert on the north coast of British Columbia. 
This was an ambitious trip for us given our time constraints. It’s 1456 km, or nearly 905 miles, one way and according to Google maps takes almost 16 hours.  
For us, the journey is always the best part of the trip and the chance to drive through the Rockies and across beautiful Northern British Columbia was too good to pass up.

The weather was gray and rainy but the mountains are always beautiful.

At a pit stop in the Rockies, I discovered that Highway 16 otherwise known as the Yellowhead Trail was named for a fur trapper known as tete jeune, which translates to yellow head. 
As a history buff, I find these details fascinating. According to George Siamandas on his Winnipeg Time Machine site:
 “The name Yellowhead came from an Iroquois Metis guide named Pierre Bostonais who worked for the Hudson Bay Company. The French voyageurs called him tete jeune which translated into yellow head because of his blonde streaked hair. Bostonais came west from Quebec to work for one of the fur trade companies at about 1800. He is first mentioned as "yellow head" in the Hudson Bay Company's 1819 records as working in the area of the Rocky Mountains.”

I also discovered that not only does Fort St. James have “World Class Chicken Racing” it also has the best advertising people.

After driving for about eight hours we stopped in Prince George. The city’s origins can be traced to a fur trading post founded in 1807 by Simon Fraser on traditional Lheidli T'enneh territory.
Sometime in the future, we will go back and explore the city known as the capital of Northern British Columbia.
For more information, you can visit the Get To Know Prince George site

Prince Rupert B.C. is probably one of the most remote cities I have ever visited. Despite its isolation, it is a bustling port city. According to the Port Authority, Prince Rupert has the deepest natural harbor in North America. It was fun to watch the cruise ships and smaller vessels from our hotel room window and realize that there are communities along the northern coast that are connected to the outside world by boat. They have no road or rail access and need to sail to Prince Rupert to buy groceries.
As well as exploring the harbor we also visited the Museum of Northern BC. This was a beautiful museum. I loved discovering the archeological evidence and learning about the First Nation peoples who have inhabited the region for millennia.

I can’t wait to go back to British Columbia for another visit.
 Do you have a favorite road trip? I'd love to hear about it :)
 

Pick up your FREE copy of Disturbance
Offer valid from
10th June – 14th June
only on
​Amazon.com 

​Held captive by violent bank robbers, they must put the betrayals of the past aside and learn to trust each other again.
 
Sophie Reed is the top criminal defense attorney in Granite City. She champions the wrongly accused and ensures the justice system works for everyone. 
 
Detective Mateo Ramirez can’t believe he used to love Sophie. Everything she does is a betrayal of his work as a cop, but when she’s near his body reminds him of just how close they used to be.
 
When they are held hostage in a bank robberythey realize their attraction for each other has never diminished, but can they overcome their conflicting viewpoints and work together. 

Check out the June FREE for All & Giveaway 06/10 - 06/14 
Romance Authors are offering a whole lot of books... Most of them are FREE for a limited time.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card just for subscribing to our newsletters or following us on social media.
Here's the link to the June FREE for All & Giveaway: http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/2019/06/08/june-free-for-all-giveaway-2/
​