1 Year Anniversary Giveaway

March 22nd is the one year anniversary of The Booklover's Tranquility! To celebrate you can enter in a giveaway for the kindle book series, Lassoed in Texas by Mary Connealy.

Giveaway starts (12:00 am) March 1st and ends (12:00 am) March 22nd. The one winner will be announced between March 22nd and March 24th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More about the books:

Book 1 Petticoat Ranch

Sophie Edwards is doing just fine alone, until a strange-yet oddly familiar-man rides into her life, insisting on rescuing her and her four daughters. Can she find a way to love a headstrong mountain man? When Clay McClellan discovers his brother has been murdered, he's bent on finding the killers and seeing them properly hung. But first his Christian duty demands that he marry his sister-in-law. After all, Sophie needs someone to protect her - right? Faith and love help unruly wed newlyweds find common ground and a chance at love on the Texas frontier.

Book 2 Calico Canyon

Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutches of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R's - widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair - two people who couldn't dislike each other more - an avalanche isn't the only potential danger lurking amid the shadows of Calico Canyon. Will they make it out alive? Or end up killing each other in the process?

Book 3 Gingham Mountain

All aboard for a delightful, suspense-filled romance, where a Texan is torn between his attraction to a meddlesome schoolmarm and the charms of a designing dressmaker. When Hannah Cartwright meets Grant, she's determined to keep him from committing her orphans to hard labor on his ranch. How far will she go to ensure their welfare? Grant is determined to provide a home for the two kids brought in by the orphan train. Can he keep his ragtag family together while steering clear of love and marriage?

Just a note:
I've read these books and loved them all. Mary Connealy's sense of humor in her writing makes for a really enjoyable read.

Hope you all will enjoy this giveaway. Thank you to all you readers. You've made the last year fun. :) Good luck!

 

New Releases: Dauntless

Book Title: Dauntless

Publication Date: February 24, 2015 (that's today :D)
Publisher: Bethany House

Description:
Where Legend and History Collide,
One Young Woman Will Fight for the Innocent

Born a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now an enemy of the throne after her father's failed assassination attempt upon the king. Bold and uniquely skilled, she is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village--a group that becomes known as "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest." Merry finds her charge more difficult as their growing notoriety brings increasing trouble their way.

Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, he's forced to reexamine everything he's known.

My Review:
I was excited to read this book because the story sounded so interesting; a female outlaw with her band of merry men (children) in a role much like that of Robin Hood. Unfortunately, it didn't really meet up to my expectations. I liked Merry, the main character. She was brave, strong, courageous, and yet with a feminine side. Timothy, the other main character, I didn't care for as much. I tried to like him but he didn't have that many likable qualities in my opinion. He was constantly being outsmarted by both Merry and the "bad guy" John. If he had been just a bit different and more manly the book would have been great.

Besides that, Dauntless, was exciting, filled with adventure, and contained a good Christian message of God's presence in our lives.

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐ 
Note: I received this book through NetGalley. http://netgalley.com

New Releases: My Heart Stood Still

Book Title: My Heart Stood Still

Publication Date: March 1, 2015

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Description:
From bestselling author Lori Copeland (more than 3 million books in print) comes the inspiring sequel to Sisters of Mercy Flats.

The three wily and beautiful McDougal sisters can swindle a man faster than it takes to lasso a calf. But their luck is running out, and they're about to be hauled off to jail. When the wagon carrying them falls under attack, each sister is picked up by a different man.

Anne-Marie, the middle sister, is saved by Creed Walker, a Crow warrior. It's loathing at first sight, but with bandits on their tail and a cache of gold to hide, Creed and Anne-Marie need each other. Will they learn to put aside their differences and trust each other--and God? And can their growing faith turn their lives around?
 
My Review:
My Heart Stood Still is a fun story about a young woman who, with her two sisters, had vowed never to fall in love. Then through a series of wild events she becomes "partnered" with a man who has many hidden identities and worst of all she begins to like him. :D

There is a Christian message throughout the book that I enjoyed. As the characters learn to rely on God, they also learn about his unfailing forgiveness.

Although the book could have been written better it was still funny, adventurous, and captivating. I now want to read the other books in this series. :) 

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐ 
Note: I received this book through NetGalley. http://netgalley.com 

Fairy Tales / The Captive Maiden

Wouldn't it be fun to wear a dress like Gisela in the book cover below? I know it would be highly impractical on a day to day occasion; dishes, housekeeping, and other stuff would be hard to do in such a pretty dress. But just once in a while it would be awesome to be able to pull something this gorgeous out of the your closet. Oh well, I guess that's what a Pinterest board is for; my imaginary and dream closet that I'll probably never have.

Anyway... Hope you all have a great week.

Book Title: The Captive Maiden
Series: Book 4 of the Hagenheim / Fairy Tale Romance
Author: Melanie Dickerson

Description:
Happily Ever After... Or Happily Nevermore?

Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke's son, Valten--the boy she has daydreamed about for years--is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

My Review:
The Captive Maiden is a Christian Cinderella story with different twists in the plot then that of Disney's Cinderella. Gisela was a perfect match for Valtan, whom we've met in the previous books. I think Valtan is one of my most favorite guy character in this series. He's tough but yet sensitive. I liked that only Gisela could make him light up. This book was full of adventure and intrigue, and of course, a fun romance.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Interview With Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson is one of my most favorite authors. Not only do I love her books but she's an inspiration to me in my writing. Here's an interview with the writer behind the books...

What made you decide to become an author?

I always loved to write stories and poems, almost as far back as I can remember, but I stopped writing when I started college. I started writing again when my children were preschool age, at first because I was trying to think of how I could work and make money and still be able to be home with my kids. As soon as I started writing again, I was hooked and I knew it was what I wanted to do, and what I was meant to do.

Is there someone whose writing inspired you to write?

I was inspired most, I think, by Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell. When I was a kid dreaming of being a published novelist, I thought a lot about Harper Lee, who grew up about 40 miles from where I grew up. She made my dream seem possible, since she was also from a middle-of-nowhere kind of place in the poor rural South. And Margaret Mitchell inspired me also because she wrote about the South, and Gone With the Wind was just so wildly entertaining. I wanted to entertain people like that too.

Out of all the female characters in your books which one is your favorite?

That is a really hard question. I really don’t think I can pick a favorite. I identify with all my heroines, and they all embody traits from my own personality and reactions that I’ve had in the past, so it’s almost like asking me which part of myself is my favorite! ☺

Out of all the male characters in your books which one is your favorite?

This one is not much easier. Ha! I really like my tortured heroes, though, like Ranulf from The Merchant’s Daughter and Sir Gerek from The Golden Braid, which comes out in November. They are all pretty appealing. Handsome, noble hearted, some of them are romantic and the others are just hopelessly in love. And they all have a strong love for God. What’s not to like?

Why did you decide to retell fairy tales?

I’ve always loved fairy tales, and I love Medieval history, so it’s almost as if I was meant to retell fairy tales. But I never actually sat down and said, Oh, I think I’ll be an author who writes fairy tale retellings. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I got the idea to write The Healer’s Apprentice when I was watching Sleeping Beauty with my daughters. Of course, I’d already seen it many times, but for some reason I started thinking about how unrealistic it was that the prince would fall in love with a peasant girl after only seeing her once in the forest, even though he was betrothed to someone else. I started thinking how to make it realistic, how to flesh out the plot and the characters in a way that was historically accurate, as it might have actually happened. It seemed like a fun challenge, so I started writing. Then I started thinking how fun it would be to write a whole series of books based on popular fairy tales. And that’s how it happened.

What are two things that people might be surprised to know about you?

I won an award at my community college for being the outstanding sign language student one year, and I beat up a boy in my kindergarten class once because he jumped on my back.

What's your favorite books & favorite movie?

Another tough question. I have so many favorites. My favorite book is the Bible, which I have lost count of how many times I have read. I guess my favorite novel is Pride and Prejudice. Jane Eyre is probably my second favorite. As for favorite movie, again, it’s Pride and Prejudice, the long version with Colin Firth, who is just such a wonderful Mr. Darcy. I also love a lot of other movies based on Jane Austen’s books—Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abbey. And I love Penelope. If you haven’t seen that movie, you should, because it’s a great twist on Beauty and the Beast!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was six, I wanted to be a ballerina. For a while after that, I wanted to be a reporter, and in high school I wanted to be a novelist and a missionary. But I went to college to teach deaf and hard of hearing kids instead. So I was a teacher for a while, then I quit to be a missionary. Then I got married and finally ended up being a novelist. But the ballerina thing . . . ain’t gonna happen.

What three adjectives would your family/friends use to describe you?

Hmm . . . I think my family and friends would say that I am loving and affectionate; my husband and kids would say I am uptight, especially when it comes to technology problems; and thirdly, easy-going my daughter says, “but only sometimes.”

How does your faith influence your books?

I really don’t know how to write a book in which the characters change and grow without God. My faith is such a big part of my daily life and my thoughts, and I write my main characters that way. I am also writing a Regency series, and God and faith seemed to be much more in the background of people’s lives in Regency times. But it’s still hard to think about showing change in a character’s life without faith. Just as in Medieval times, in Regency England, nearly everyone went to church and at least believed in God and heaven and hell. I guess the bottom line is, I like exploring spiritual issues, and that’s what I do in my novels. It feels very natural to me.

What's the next book you're writing?

I have just been doing edits on my Rapunzel story, The Golden Braid, and I’ve been writing the second book in my new series. It’s tentatively called The Margrave of Thornbeck Castle and is kind of a cross between Princess and the Pea and Beauty and Beast. Can’t wait for everyone to read it! I’m having a lot of fun with it.

Thanks so much Melanie Dickerson! Looking forward to reading your next books.

-Hope you all will read her books if you haven't already!-

Fairy Tales / The Fairest Beauty

Welcome to the first week of February! Valentine's Day is just around the corner (ten days to be exact). I wrote a book for Valentine's Day once. (I was eleven) It was called Valentine's Day Fun - Games, Recipes, Crafts, Stories, and More! My first book, and to make it all professional I had it spiraled bound at Staples. I spent weeks writing the story, designing the games, and illustrating pictures. I was very excited and decided I was going to make a whole series. One for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter,... all those special occasions. I never finished. :(

 

 

Do you have any special Valentine's Day memories? I'd love to hear about them, just leave me a comment down below.

Have a great day!

 

Book Title: The Fairest Beauty

Series: Book 3 of the Hagenheim / Fairy Tale Romance

Author: Melanie Dickerson

 

Description:

A daring rescue. A difficult choice.

 

Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom--but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

 

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible--she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else--he promises himself that he will see the mission through, no matter what. When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help--but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them--they must also protect their hearts.

 

 

My Review:

The Fairest Beauty is based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but you can probably tell by the front cover and name. (love the front cover by the way) The book itself was a lot like Snow White's but with a Christian point of view. As good as the book was, I would have liked it better if the step-mother wasn't quite so wicked as the book made her to be. Maybe it's just me, because evil villains in the Disney fairy tales always creeped me out as a kid and even know I still don't like them. It would have been fine except for the part where the step-mother wants Sophie's heart brought to her and then ponders what to do with it. Kinda yucky. Also, I didn't feel like there was as much depth to Sophie and Gabe's relationship as the other characters in the series.

 

On the plus side, Sophie's (Snow White) personality was very sweet and I liked her a lot. I admired how, even in the most difficult situations, she always strove to be kind and to do what was right. All in all, another good book in Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale series.

 

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐

Coming Soon: An interview with the author,

Melanie Dickerson!