Readers, Check out Literary Book Gifts

Readers, I have a treat for you today--especially since you'll probably be shopping for holiday presents soon.

Literary Book Gifts is a website you'll want to check out. Shop there for tee shirts (sized for men and women) and tote bags with designs inspired by the classic literature we all know and love.

At the end of this post you'll find Promotion Codes created for SlingWords readers. These codes will give you 20% off anything you buy at Literary Book Gifts from now until Dec. 31, 2018. Use them as often as you wish and tell your friends about them too.
Pride and Prejudice Tote Bag

About Literary Book Gifts

Melissa Chan started Literary Book Gifts earlier this year. She does the design-work, and the items are all exclusive to her online store.

Literary Book Gifts grew from Melissa's love of books and literature, especially the classics.

Melissa has a background in design and likes art history which influences each and every one of her designs.

Literary Book Gifts specializes in gifts for book lovers with designs ranging from Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe.

Each and every item is unique to the store, and there's a wide range of shirts and tote bags to choose from.

The tote bags come in three different sizes, so whether you want a lunch tote, a book bag, or a tote bag big enough for the beach, there is a size for you.
Edgar Allan Poe T-Shirt

The shirts come in women's sizes XS - 3XL and men's sizes S - 5XL in a wide range of color choices to choose from.

Melissa has made these promotion codes just for you:

SLINGWORDS20 and JOANREEVES20

Both discount codes are good for 20% off anything in the store. No minimum purchase required. Codes expire 12/31/18.

Takeaway Truth

Stop by the store today to find the perfect literary gift for a reader.

Ready to Party? Lots of Prizes!

Love, Christmas 2: Holiday Movies You Love
I just returned home from an extended trip to visit family.

This trip was to welcome my sister-in-law home after a month in the hospital, preceded by emergency surgery.

Even though it is going to be a long road to recovery--and there will be another surgery in the spring--I'm pleased to report she's doing well and is in good spirits. My brother is trying to catch up on his sleep.

A lot happened while I was gone which means I'm woefully behind on just about everything. Is your life like that? Go away for a week or two and spend the next month trying to catch up?

I'm proud to have one of my romances in Love, Christmas 2: Holiday Movies You Love which published today. This collection is only 99cents for 26 ebooks--all new, never-before-published romances.

Watch the Video

Enjoy the video for this sequel to our immensely popular Love, Christmas 1, published in 2016. Please share it with your friends.



My book in this collection is Brianna's Season for Miracles.

Like all of the books in Love, Christmas 2, my story is a homage to a Christmas movie I particularly like.

I make it a point to watch A Season for Miracles starring Carla Gugino every Christmas. It's on my must-see list along with It's a Wonderful Life and The Ultimate Gift.

My daughter and I watch these movies together and cry together--always at the same scenes,

Here's a short blurb for Brianna's Season for Miracles

Brianna hides behind a seductive persona and avoids men like Daniel, afraid her secret might get discovered and fearful that she might end up wanting forever out of a relationship. But that doesn't stop her from falling in love with him.

Daniel already knows the secret she hides. He has a secret too. What will happen when Brianna discovers Daniel's secret?

Come join the fun!
Come to Our Facebook Party

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, and Wednesday, Oct. 17, we're celebrating with a Facebook Party.

Come and join the fun. We're giving away some really nice prizes--gift cards, jewelry, writing journals, books, and a lot more.

I'll be hosting the party from 2:20 (central time) until 2:40.

Takeaway Truth

Polish up your tiara and come join the fun. Let's get this party started!


FOLLOW or VISIT JOAN ONLINE

Joan Reeves lives her Happily Ever After with her Hero, her husband, in a book-cluttered home in Texas.

Visit Joan online at any of these locations: Amazon Author Page * BookBub Author Page * Facebook Fan Page * Twitter * YouTube * Joan's Website.

Be the first to know about Giveaways, Bargains, and New Books, sign up for Joan's Mailing List.

Just for Halloween: A World of Gothic

Good morning, Readers. I have a treat for you today: a big sale on gothic mysteries!

A World of Gothic

10 Gothic Mystery Novellas ON SALE for ONLY 99 cents each through Halloween!

A group of authors from countries all over the world were drawn together by our love of the classic gothic mysteries by authors such as Daphne du Maurier, Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney.

While the stories are stand-alone, they each share a recurring thread of a Spinel stone, which can play a small or large part in the plot.

We have stories set in Scotland, Greece, Oklahoma, Florida, France, Ireland, and more. We hope readers have as much fun reading these stories (we recommend you do so with the lights on) as we had writing them.

Dark Hunt ~ A World of Gothic: Florida by Tamrie Foxtail
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Hunt-Florida-World-Gothic-ebook/dp/B078MPBXVT/

Ghost in the Rain ~ A World of Gothic: Scotland by Marie Treanor
https://amzn.com/B01ES21KZE

House at the Edge ~ A World of Gothic: Greece by MM Jaye:
https://amzn.com/B01G7B1FI6

Haunting at Spook Light Inn ~ A World of Gothic: Oklahoma by Alicia Dean
https://amzn.com/B01GNGTU96

Haunting in the Pines ~ A World of Gothic: East Texas by Janis Susan May
https://www.amazon.com/House-Pines-World-Gothic-Texas-ebook/dp/B01JSYOHFC/

Raven of Blackthorn Manor ~ A World of Gothic: Ireland by Gemma Juliana
https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Blackthorn-Manor-Gothic-Ireland-ebook/dp/B01LRXCILW/

Blood-Stained Memories ~ A World of Gothic: Florida by Kathy L Wheeler
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Stained-Memories-Gothic-United-ebook/dp/B01K82OKJG/

Sea of Darkness ~ A World of Gothic: France by Amanda McCabe
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Darkness-World-Gothic-France-ebook/dp/B01LWKXVO6/

Shadows and Lies ~ A World of Gothic: Louisiana by Raine English
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Lies-Gothic-United-States-ebook/dp/B01M9BY010/

Sinister Ceremony ~ A World of Gothic: Maine by Stacey Coverstone ~ Available for pre-order https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRZ2KZ2/

Takeaway Truth

Most romance readers love Gothic novels. I know I do. Can't wait to dive into these. Grab some for your weekend reading entertainment.

Free Holiday Cookbook

Besides Songs, What Else Do We Love About the Holidays?

Movies, of course. Everything from the classic It's a Wonderful Life to Love to Love, Actually and everything in between.

So my friends and I decided to create Love, Christmas 2: Holiday Movies You Love.

To promote this wonderful romance collection of 26 never-before-published romance stories, we have 2 free ebooks to offer.

Sampler Book

The first free ebook is Book Bites 11, a Sampler Book of all the first chapters in Love, Christmas 2. That way you can try each book in advance.

(In the case of my book in the collection, Brianna's Season for Miracles, the first chapter was written before I actually wrote the book so the first chapter in the actual book is a bit different.)

Here's the link to Book Bites 11 from Amazon. This Love, Christmas 2 Sampler Book is free at other retailers too.

Just Published, Another Free Ebook

To make this collection even more special, we created Favorite Holiday Recipes.

This Cookbook from the authors of Love, Christmas 2, is free. I hope you'll love it.

In each of the 26 ebooks, a recipe is mentioned. From Appetizers to Desserts, those recipes are collected in Favorite Holiday Recipes.

The recipe I contributed was an appetizer, Ham and Cheese Cups. That appetizer is mentioned in Brianna's Season for Miracles.

Edited by Rebecca York, this free cookbook is one you'll love, and it's available now.

Takeaway Truth

Get Favorite Holiday Recipes from Amazon. Also available at other retailers.


FOLLOW or VISIT JOAN ONLINE

Joan ReevesKeeping Romance Alive…One Sexy Book at a Time—is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. All of her stories have the same premise: “It’s never too late to live happily ever after.”

Visit Joan online at any of these locations: Amazon Author Page * BookBub Author Page * Facebook Fan Page * Twitter * YouTube * Joan's Website.

Be the first to know about Giveaways, Bargains, and New Books, sign up for Joan's Mailing List.

Great Words from a Great Mystery Author

I discovered the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout long ago, and I loved them all. Years before I wrote for publication, I'd scribble down sentences I liked from the books I read.

In case you haven't read the Nero Wolfe books, Wolfe was a brilliant crime solver and Archie Goodwin, was his brilliant assistant. (In a TV series several years ago, Timothy Hutton played Archie Goodwin.)

Stout began writing his Nero Wolfe books in the 1930's. In 1937, his novel, The Hand in the Glove, introduced Theodolinda "Dol" Bonner, a female private detective who appeared in other Wolfe stories. She was one of the first, if not the first, woman PI as a protagonist in a book.

But, I digress. I wanted to give you this quotation I wrote down years ago because it struck me as being memorable.

The words were spoken by the character, Archie Goodwin. He said: "No man was ever taken to hell by a woman unless he already had a ticket in his pocket, or at least had been fooling around with timetables."

Takeaway Truth

Now that's a memorable sentence!

Xpresso Book Tour: Love, Christmas 2


Love, Christmas – Movies You Love
(The Holiday Series, #2)
Publication date: October 16th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance
Sprinkle a little Christmas magic into your life with 25 ALL-NEW, never before released romances. Each title – exclusive to this set – is inspired by a favorite holiday movie, spun into a fantastic love story by a NY Times, USA Today, and/or award-winning, bestselling author and delivered to you in this wonderful collection full of cheer for the coming season.
Mimi Barbour – A Wonderful Life – Though Rylee works with troubled teens, can she and an angel help a man living a nightmare?

Leanne Banks – A Royal White Christmas – Can a secret prince be a Christmas wish-come-true for a small-town girl?

Joan Reeves – Brianna’s Season For Miracles – Her seductive persona hides what she’s ashamed of… What will happen if the man she’s fallen for discovers her secret?

Mona Risk – Jingle With My Princess – The doc and the princess… He saves lives, but she may save his heart.

Rebecca York – Can She Get Home for Christmas? – Will a killer stop her from getting home for Christmas?

Jacquie Biggar – Mistletoe Inn – A grieving man finds the greatest gift is love.

Alicia Street – Miracle on Christmas Tree Street – A single mom discovers her business partner is more than he seems.

Nancy Radke – The Holiday (Christmas) – Jodi’s house-swap to Maui came with a small dog and a shipwrecked sailor.

Katy Walters –Letters from the Snowman – The snow revealed a precious love.

Stephanie Queen – Holiday Affair – Melissa goes from riches to rags but will she find gold in a holiday affair?

Aileen Fish – Christmas in Connecticut – Can a wounded warrior learn to trust her celebrity chef crush after discovering his secret?

Rachelle Ayala – A Christmas Creek Carol – A reclusive writer is given a one-star review on her life by characters from her past, present, and future.

Dani Haviland – The Polar Xpress – She prefers dogs to men…until she rescues the doctor.

Traci Hall – Love, Actually (By the Sea) – Two strangers. One intimate night. Reunited a year later, can it actually be love?

Taylor Lee – The Ref-er-ee – With a family this discombobulated, it will take a referee to save their Christmas.

Donna Fasano – Her Mr. Miracle – It’s Christmas Eve and Veronica is stuck in a nearly deserted seaside town… She needs a miracle.

Cynthia Cooke – A Christmas to Remember – A Christmas storm. Wedding plans in peril. Has a lost love been found?

Susan Jean Ricci – A Joyous Holiday Inn – Can Twigg restore the joy of Christmas to Chloe’s indifferent heart?

Tamara Ferguson – Two Hearts Home for Christmas – Can a long ago promise of love bring two lonely wounded warriors home for Christmas?

Suzanne Jenkins – Christmas with the Clouds – Tracy isn’t interested in love until an unexpected Christmas visitor changes her heart.

Natalie Ann – How Gavin Stole Christmas – Can Jolene help Gavin find the Christmas spirit when he’s the epitome of Mr. Bah Humbug?

Ev Bishop – A Sharla Brown Christmas – For single parents Sharla and Jake, Christmas is the loneliest time of the year…until it’s not.

Alyssa Bailey – In the Spirit of Christmas – Chase can protect Tara from danger, but can he protect his heart?

Stacy Eaton – Finding Love on Christmas Vacation – Christmas isn’t the same for Lucy without her father…until she meets his friend Maverick.

Jen Talty – The Christmas Getaway – A mix-up in reservations leaves a mother and her son to share a cabin with a broken-hearted stranger.

Melinda De Ross – Boyfriend Wanted for Christmas – A thirty-something singleton’s desperate yet humorous quest to find a boyfriend in the seven days before Christmas.
SNEAK PEEKS:
A Wonderful Life by Mimi Barbour
Prologue
“Clarence, you haven’t stopped watching Noel Bradford for days. What in the world is happening to that young man?”
“I’m glad you noticed my preoccupation, Sir. I’m afraid he’s not doing too well. Do you remember a man called George Bailey?”
“Certainly, I do. Wasn’t he the reason you got your wings?”
“Yes, that’s him. Well poor Noel Bradford is heading in the same direction; he’s on the bridge right now, ready to jump. I’m thinking it’ll take the same interference to stop him from killing himself that it took to prevent George from doing the same thing many years ago.”
“I see. Then what are you waiting for, Clarence? You must go and save him.”
“I suppose you’re right. I just hate the thought of that icy water. It took me forever to warm up the last time.”
“Clarence, if you stop that poor fellow from ruining all the lives of the people who will one day love him, I’ll send you the wherewithal to get warm, now off with you. There’s no time to waste.”
Chapter One
Noel Bradford never believed himself to be a coward, a weakling who gave up in troubled times, a man whose shoulders were so narrow they couldn’t bear misfortune.
He was wrong.
Four days ago, when the police had knocked on his door to give him the horrifying news that his parents and their driver, his only brother, had all been killed in a car accident, he’d thought nothing could get worse.
They were heading to their favorite resort in Aspen when their car careened over the bank of the mountainous road, dropping into a lake probably 400 feet below. The back end of the car, where the license plate could be seen through binoculars, proved it was their vehicle and the chance of any survivors was nil.
A Royal White Christmas by Leanne Banks
Chapter One
A baying howl cut through the early December night, even through the walls of the cottage Brice rented. He glanced up from the material he was studying and the baying howl echoed again. The fireplace crackled, and Brice knew the snow was still falling.
Again, the baying howl broke through the quiet.
Sighing, Brice rose from his laptop and peered out the window. The floodlights revealed nothing. He was going to have to brave the cold, he supposed.
Tugging on his boots, jacket and gloves, he opened the door and trudged outside. “Talk to me beagle or hound,” he muttered.
Another howl cut the air. Several moments later, Brice found the beagle wagging its tail, its leash wrapped around a tree trunk. The beagle whined and barked. He immediately noted that the dog was female. “Well, good evening to you, Miss. A fine mess you’re in. Let me help you out.” He unwound the leash and waited for the beagle to run for freedom. Instead the dog came at him and licked his hand.
“I know you have an owner,” he said. “That’s a nice leash.”
The beagle continued to nuzzle at him and whine.
“I guess you can stay the night. It’s a nasty one,” he said and looked at a tag. “Brandi,” he read. “I’ll give your owner a call, but you can stay the night.”
Brice pulled off some chicken and rice from his leftovers and offered it to the dog. She gobbled it up quickly. “You have a good appetite,” he said and dialed the number on the dog tag. The number rang and rang then disconnected. Brice frowned. “That’s not good,” he muttered to himself and punched in the number again.


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