GEARING UP FOR THE "AWAKENING AVERY" LAUNCH with a RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!!!

I'm gearing up for the "AWAKENING AVERY" launch on July 24th by offering a Rafflecopter giveaway! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F246SJT 

I'm offering participants 14 prizes, including an ALEX and ANI bracelet, free books, and a KINDLE FIRE 7! http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f2bdac0f30/ …? Enter up to seven ways! The giveaway runs through August 24!

PRE-ORDER "AWAKENING AVERY" for $0.99!!!

"AWAKENING AVERY" Launches July 24th. Here's a brief  excerpt.  Pre-order your copy for $0.99.

When Gabriel returned to the lobby of the building, Mrs. Thompson was nowhere in sight. One box was missing but one still remained. He told himself it had been only a few minutes since they parted, but he strolled outside anyway to look for her, anxious to settle the details and be done with the arrangements. 

He scanned the parking garage with no luck, but on the way back he saw the woman huddled on the asphalt by a large, green recycling bin, rubbing her shin and crying. This time he overruled the selfish inner voice that told him not to get involved and hurried to where she was crumpled. 

Avery heard his approach and lifted her head. As she saw him, she seemed to shrink farther inside herself and sob that much louder.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She raised a hand to symbolically push him away as she leaned across the crushed cardboard box she had carried there.

“What happened?” he asked as he knelt beside her, touching the tear in the leg of her pants and then glancing at his hand. “You’re bleeding.”

Avery Thompson drew her hand across her eyes, smearing her mascara. “I haven’t always been this way,” she said with flailing hands as she struggled to a stand and wiped her runny nose on her sleeve. “I’m a successful professional woman, an author, well respected in my genre. The truth is, Mr. Carson, my husband died recently, just a few months ago, and I’m still a little shaken by it all, you know?”

Gabriel admired her emerging pluck, and from the look on her face, her show of fortitude had surprised her as well. “I do understand, Mrs. Thompson. What can I do to help?”

Avery bit her lip and sniffed loudly before grabbing hold of the bin for support to stand. “I was trying to toss this box in, but I was too short to lift the lid. I climbed on top of the box to reach the lid, and it collapsed under me. I must have scraped my leg against the metal bar.”

“How long has it been since you’ve had a tetanus shot?” He pointed to the protruding bar the garbage trucks hooked on to for dumping. “That’s a pretty dirty piece of metal.”

Avery tensed, looking thoughtful. “I’m current.” She slumped against the dumpster, and the pitiful voice returned again. “This shouldn’t have happened, you know.”

“It could have happened to anyone.”

“No.” She groaned the word more than spoke it. Her body shuddered for a moment and then her heartbroken eyes met Gabriel’s. “I don’t just mean the fall. I mean all of it. I’m not supposed to be here in the first place. Taking out the garbage was always his job, but even if it weren’t, I am certainly not supposed to be here, anguishing over the chore of tossing the memories out of my condo, because my husband is not supposed to be dead. Do you understand?”

Gabriel offered her a hand to raise her from her resting place against the dumpster. “Yes, I do. Better than you could know.” He stared into her eyes, trying to summon the brave portion of her to the forefront again. “I know what it’s like to have to decide what to do with the clothes they didn’t like in the first place or bottles of cologne that make you cry when you smell them and cry when their scent fades from the house. And then there are the trivial dilemmas like deciding what to do with the tins of buttons they collected off every article of clothing before it was tossed out, and what to do with the cards you sent them.” His eyes seemed weary and older somehow. “Oh, yes, Mrs. Thompson, I most certainly know.”

(If you enjoyed this excerpt, click here to buy the book.)

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FREE ONE DAY ONLY! Christian Women's Fiction Romance !!!

Christian author Traci Wooden-Carlisle has placed "MY BEAUTY FOR YOUR ASHES" on sale for FREE today only--JUNE 28th. 

Download a copy. 

Here's the Amazon link.

It's summer, so it's reading season, and there are new releases galore, and promos everywhere with great deals on books. Here's a mega book bonanza and prize package.

I’ve teamed up with 35+ fantastic authors to give away a collection of Inspirational Contemporary Romance ebooks, and there will be TWO lucky winners! 

The Grand Prize winners will receive 35+ ebooks, plus a brand new eReader!

Oh, and did I mention you'll receive a collection of FREE ebooks just for entering? ;D

You can win my novel LOVE ON A LIMB, plus books from authors like Susan May Warren and Leah Atwood. 

Enter the giveaway by clicking here: http://bit.ly/inspirationalromance-jun18

Good luck and enjoy! Contest runs through July 4th.

Laurie

LAST WEEK TO GET IN ON I'M A READER'S MEGA "UNFORGETTABLE LOVE" GIVEAWAY!

I'm A READER NOT A WRITER features HUGE Promos, and the "UNFORGETTABLE LOVE Promo is packed with free books and gift cards. My drawing for free copies of "SWEET WATER" id already over, but Elizabeth Johns' and Shanna Hatfields' days are coming this week.

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$100 Giveaway-Anytime until June 30!!!!

ELIZABETH JOHN'S 5-BOOK BOXED SET and $25 GIVEAWAY-  June 25-30

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I'M EXTENDING THE SALE ON FREE MEN AND DREAMERS THRU LABOR DAY!

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For the first time ever, and with a big thank you to the original publisher, every e-volume of my award-winning American historical fiction series, FREE MEN and DREAMERS, is discounted.

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This eight-year labor of love takes six families--three American, two British, and one slave--through 40 years of tumultuous American history. Witness the second war of independence, the War of 1812, the war most historians credit with forging a loose confederation of states into one nation under God. Experience the Chesapeake campaign, the burning of Washington, the Battle of Baltimore, the Star- Spangled Banner story, and the first major test of the Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom.

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SWEET WATER is FREE and FEATURED on I'm A READER TODAY!!!!

  Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis College life could not heal the wounds an unstable home life inflicted upon programmer Olivia Morgan, until scholar Hudson Bauer welcomed her, introducing her to his friend, Jeff McAllister, with whom he was developing a college business.

Olivia joined the project, and while she and Hudson dreamed of using their success to improve the world, Jeff set his sights on fortunes and on Olivia. On the most important night of Hudson’s life, Olivia and Jeff eloped, and upon hearing the news, Hudson leaves town, along with the company's first big contract and Olivia and Jeff's dreams.

Olivia McAllister now holds billionaire entrepreneur Hudson Bauer responsible for all her losses, including her anemic marriage and the tragic accident that leaves her body battered, and her dreams of a family shattered. In desperate straits, she is forced to accept Hudson’s offer to recuperate at his parents’ empty house on Oregon’s Cannon Beach, but her return to the place where the three friends once summered casts new light on her hasty marriage, and on the enemy she once called friend.

When Hudson offers Olivia a job doing humanitarian work, hope reawakens in her, along with memories of what she and Hudson almost had. But guilt over Jeff’s death leaves Olivia stuck between grief and the possibility of new love, forcing her to decide if she can embrace a future with a man she’s learned to hate, before Hudson walks away for the final time. 

AMAZON

He stood and tucked the blanket roll under one arm while extending the other to Olivia. She accepted his offer, fitting into his support as if it was meant for her all along. She leaned on Hudson more heavily the further they went until he was bearing the majority of her weight by the time they reached the ancient cave. Two surfers in wetsuits were exiting the cavern and gathering up their boards as Hudson and Olivia arrived. They, too, had their eyes on the darkening sky, but they shifted their attention to the couple and down to Olivia’s legs.

“Sprain?” the taller of the two asked.

“More likely just muscle strain,” replied Hudson when Olivia failed to reply.

“After we get our boards loaded, we can head back down and help carry her out.”

Olivia stiffened at the thought of being hauled out by strangers like a sack of potatoes. Hudson made brief eye contact with her, evidently catching her mortification, and replied to their offer. “Thanks, but we’ve got it.”

The shorter surfer glanced back at the dark cave and offered Hudson a knowing chuckle. “Gotcha.”

In reply, Hudson shot him a look that ended his smirk, following up with a pseudo salute, effectually sending the dudes on their way.

Alone now on the beach, Hudson led Olivia to the cave, which bore the signs of frequent use. The sandy floor was clean and cleared of debris, except for the pile of rounded rocks in the rear, smoothed and carried in by the tides. Kindling and small branches were stacked near the cave’s mouth, a few feet from where the remnants of someone’s fire still sat in a charred circle.

Hudson untied the bedroll and several items fell onto the sand. Another good snap, and the blanket spread across the cave’s entrance. Hudson lowered her gently to the soft fabric. Relief filled her, and she leaned back and nestled into the soft sand. Her sigh brought the hint of a smile to Hudson’s beard-framed lips. It was short-lived. His face slackened as his dark, penetrating eyes fixed on her. His breathing seemed to stop, as did hers. Heat rose deep within her torso, spreading like fire through her face and neck from the intensity of his stare. A sheen of sweat broke out on her skin, and yet she shivered. She touched her face, expecting to feel the fire radiating there, but the motion seemed to break the moment. Without a word, Hudson took her empty water bottle and left, leaving her shaky and confused.

As he departed, she shifted to watch him pick his way through the primitive beauty of the area, around scrub brush, through the teeming tidal pools, to a glorious waterfall spilling from the rock wall.

Robinson Crusoe-esque with his rumpled clothes, his beard, and wild mop of tangled hair, Olivia was unable to tear her eyes from him. Gone was the shyness and gangly motions of his youth. The business titan who could buy or sell his own barrier reef or string of creature-filled islands now moved with confidence and care, as protective of a single mollusk or anemone as he had been as a beach-combing science student a decade ago. She wondered what made him that way. Clearly, the young man who had been everything to her back then was an even more splendid person now.

The all-too-frequent burn of tears hit her again. Pepper had been on the money. Olivia had loved Hudson in college. If only he had been the one to propose instead of… Guilt tore at her over the thought.

I am totally stunned at how much I loved this book. I pondered over the story for days--which I don't often do with this genre, and immediately started over to make sure I didn't miss anything and to enjoy the amazingly honorable Hudson. (Are there REALLY men like Hudson out there? One hopes, but ...) It is so refreshing to find a swoon-worthy clean romance! The mystery and characters gripped me from the very first page and held me captive till I devoured the book in one day. There were many levels of happy reading it! This is not the first book that I've read from this author( also known as L.C. Lewis), and let me say, she is a master at delivering powerful messages and pulling on the heart strings! Everything I've read of hers is AMAZING! Sweet Water touched me on so many levels, I really hope you’ll give it a read soon. I would not hesitate to recommend this story to any Romance reader. It’s deep, it’s touching and in many ways it’s real life.
 

Author Laurie Lewis

Laurie (L.C.) Lewis is Marylander—a weather-whining lover of crabs, American history, and the sea. Her women’s fiction novels, written as Laurie Lewis, include Unspoken (2004), The Dragons of Alsace Farm (2016) and Sweet Water (2017), books one and two in her SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE SERIES, and Love on a Limb (2017), book one in her new GREAT EXPECTATIONS LOVE STORIES SERIES.
   Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, she wrote the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical fiction series: Dark Sky at Dawn (2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).
   Please watch for her upcoming release, a remake of Awakening Avery, book three in her SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE SERIES, scheduled for a July 2018 release.

 
   

  Giveaway Details Ends 7/4/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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JUNE IS THE UNFORGETTABLE LOVE PROMO

  Earl of Sunderland by Aubrey Wynne He’s inherited the title of rake. She hides behind her independence... Fate accepts the challenge. Grace Beaumont has seen what love can do to a woman. Her mother sacrificed her life to produce the coveted son and heir. A devastated father and newborn brother force her to take on the role of Lady Boldon at the age of fifteen. But Grace finds solace in the freedom and power of her new status. Christopher Roker made a name for himself in the military. The rigor and pragmatism of the army suits him. When a tragic accident heaves Kit into a role he never wanted or expected, his world collides with another type of duty. Returning to England and his newfound responsibilities, the Wicked Earls’ Club becomes a refuge from the glitter and malice of London society but cannot ease his emptiness. Needing an escape from his late brother’s memory and reputation, Kit visits the family estate for the summer. Lady Grace, a beauty visiting from a neighboring estate, becomes a welcome distraction. When the chance to return to the military becomes a valid possibility, the earl finds himself wavering between his old life and the lure of an exceptional—and unwilling—woman.

AMAZON

 
  Excerpt #1: Chapter One   “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility   Early May 1814 London, England Lord Christopher Roker slapped his twin brother, the Earl of Sunderland, on the back. “A fit of the blue devils on your wedding day, eh? Come now, the bride seems a prime article to me.” “She’s not the woman of my choice. I’m more than an unwilling groom. I’m downright defiant.” Carson tucked his white linen tails into the pale gray pantaloons, gave his matching waistcoat a tug, and adjusted his neckcloth again. “Yet our parents are deliriously happy over the match because she is the daughter of the Marquess of Landonshire.” “You made your own name.” Christopher shook his head and gave his brother’s shoulder a hard squeeze. “Gambling and womanizing has its place when you’re more boy than man. By Christ, we’ve passed thirty.” “How did I know I’d fall in love and my reputation would haunt me?” Carson walked over to a polished oak side table and poured two glasses of brandy from the crystal decanter. He handed one to Christopher. “Or that the woman who stole my heart would have a self-righteous father who despises me?” “How many times did I warn you to pull back on the reins? There are always consequences to one’s actions. You will be the Marquess of Falsbury in your own right someday. It’s time you accepted some responsibility.” He took a sip of the amber liquid as Carson downed his in one gulp and poured another. “It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it? You might want to pace yourself.” Sunderland sank heavily into a chair, pushing his fingers through a tangle of black waves. “Kit, trade places with me. Marry the chit and take the title. You should have been the heir anyway. You’re better suited to this type of life than I am.” “We had this conversation when we were twelve, and you wanted to be a sheik and live in the desert. And then again at sixteen, when you wanted to run away and join the Royal Navy.” He smirked and sat down opposite Carson. “Besides, Mother would know at once.” “She’d stay quiet for her darling Christopher. You’ve always been her favorite.” He tipped back his head and gulped the second glass of brandy. “A little courage for the ceremony.” “There will be plenty of time for that afterwards.” “I’ve missed you, brother. I’m jealous of the army and your long absences.” He gave Kit a crooked grin. “It’s always been you and me against the world. I don’t like having my other half missing.” “Well, I’m here now! Bonaparte is no longer a threat, and we can enjoy a summer in the country this year.” A knot tightened in Kit’s stomach. He had a bad feeling about this union but knew better than to admit it. It wasn’t the wedding itself. Lady Eliza was a beauty and came with a generous dowry. And he didn’t believe for a moment Carson loved another woman. Infatuation was more likely. He fell for one chit, and before he hit the ground, another had taken his fancy. While Kit loved his brother, he also accepted his faults. His abilities did not include accountability or dependability. No, it was the girl’s father, Landonshire. His breeding was beyond reproach but his vile reputation behind closed doors was not well known. He kept his wife and daughter isolated on their estate and rarely entertained or brought them to London. Some of the whispers he’d heard from another officer could make a seasoned soldier grimace. Kit had mentioned it to his father but the man had waved it away as gossip. “You’re dipping too deep, brother,” Kit said as he took the third glass of liquor from his twin, recognizing the slight glaze in those familiar chestnut eyes. “Let’s get you to the church, shall we? At this rate, you’ll be foxed before the end of the wedding breakfast.” “That’s the plan, sir. I won’t feel those leg shackles I’ve acquired.”

  Excerpt #2: “Aye, it’s a fine wedding. It gives me ideas for other weddings yet to come.” Her father nudged her gently with his elbow, his mouth set in a firm line. “It’s time we started thinking about your future. I’ve been deficient in my duties. Your mother would be mortified to know I’ve kept you hidden in the country, and you almost twenty.” “I have not been hidden. It was my choice to skip the Season.” Grace had become adept at sidestepping this issue. “Two seasons, Gracie.” “My home is far more important than socializing with those shallow, silly girls.” The thought of standing against a wall, hoping a man would fill her card and not step on her feet during a cotillion, seemed more like a punishment. Making inane conversation while remembering dance steps, and drinking punch fetched by a bored or overeager suitor, was also not a rite of passage that appealed to her. “I’m quite content with my station, Papa. There’s no reason to upset our lives over marriage or romance.” Lord Boldon rolled his light brown eyes. “We’ll see, daughter. There may come a time you’ll eat those fine words.” Then he smiled over her head at someone. “Isn’t it a grand day for a wedding? Is that music I hear?” “Indeed, Lord Boldon. I’ve come to ask Lady Grace for the honor of a dance.” A deep baritone sent a warm flush through her belly. “With your permission?” Her father stood, grasped her hand, and pulled Grace to her feet as she opened her mouth to decline. “My daughter would love to dance.” She looked at her fingers now placed in the man’s palm. The heat in her belly began to pirouette and leap toward her throat. When her eyes moved to his face, the dark gaze pinned her to the spot. The air pushed from her lungs, and she found herself unable to speak. A chuckle from her father spurred her to action. With a slight curtsey, she acknowledged her partner, and they joined the others already gathering to the first notes of a country dance. Grace focused on the gold epaulettes adorning his broad shoulders, as she placed a gloved hand on his wrist. The material did little to diminish the intensity of his touch as they followed the other couples in a circle. “I understand you are a cousin to the bride. Are you pleased with the match?” His tone was conversational, but she sensed there was purpose to his question. The group of four came together and separated. “They make a lovely couple and both families are pleased. Does our opinion matter, my lord?” She risked a peek at her very masculine dance partner as he moved around her. On close inspection, she realized the brothers were not identical as they first appeared. True, their features were the same but their countenances were utterly different. No light-hearted, fanciful expression would ever grace this man’s face. She doubted such a proud military officer would overindulge in anything, let alone lose his temper. Control emanated from him. “No, I suppose not. Forgive my lame attempt at conversation with the second loveliest woman here.” It took a moment for his words to reach her brain as they turned and joined a new set of dancers. They separated again, and when she returned to him, he smiled. Her breath quickened as he spun her around. “You tease me, sir. It is not gallant of you.” “I do not tease, Lady Grace. It is not in my nature.”   Best Regency Romance I’ve read in a long time and highly recommend! ~N.N. Light’s Book Heaven Reviews OMG….she did it again. For me a page turner, I fell in love with the book and characters so easily. ~Magic of Books review Wow! The Earl Of Sunderland will suck you in and make the care about the characters like family. I found myself near tears for Grace several times and for the Earl's family. Well worth the price. ~Madame Readsalot Author Aubrey Wynne Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trail riding, and all things Christmas. A Chicago Christmas series and her short stories have won multiple Reader's Choice and professional awards including the Golden Quill, Aspen Gold, and Heart of Excellence. Her upcoming Regency series, "Once Upon a Widow" begins with A Wicked Earl's Widow. It continues the story of Eliza, a character from Aubrey's first Regency, The Earl of Sunderland (The Wicked Earls' Club). Wynne's medieval fantasy series "Medieval Encounters" begins with Rolf's Quest, 2016 NTRWA Great Expectations winner.
  Giveaway Details Ends 7/2/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway