BooK Review: All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon

My Take:

 

 All Fall Down  by Julie Coulter Bellon is incredible. It literally grabs you on the first page and never lets you go. You are immediately  thrown into the action and along with Rafe Kelly,   Navy SEAL who is recovering from an injury before returning to active duty.  You discover  that things  seem odd and a little off when he goes to visit his brother and the company he runs. Then suspicions flare up in Rafe he tries to shake  them off but his training tells him other wise. At that point the action in the story skyrockets and are thrown  into  non stop high adventure and a great thrill ride. Especially when you  are introduced to another strong willed and his perfect complement as things spark  when Claire Michael's enters into the hostage situation as negotiator  and she is smart and competent.  But  she and Rafe don't always see eye to eye, but they sure do feel those sparks I talked about.  As they try to out maneuver the terrorist and get back Rafe's brother from al-Queda you are left biting your nails on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next as both Rafe and Claire's attraction for each other grows as they try to out strategize the terrorist. 

 

All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon is one book I didn't want to end but loved reading it every page of the way. The characters were dynamic and the story moved flawlessly. I recommend All Fall Down to anyone looking for a great action adventure story with a splash or three of romance thrown into the mix.

 

 

Giveaway:

Julie is generously offering 7, yes 7 awesome giveaways for the tour!! (I want to win them myself!) That means you have 7 chances at winning! (Pretty good odds, huh?!)

The prizes include:

• (2) "Book Lovers'" baskets which include a copy of All Fall Down, a hand tied lap blanket, Julie's favorite hot chocolate mix, and a copy of Janice Sperry's Christmas novella, The Candy Cane Queen
• (3) Print copies of All Fall Down
• (2) Ebook copies of All Fall Down

To enter to win these prizes, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form provided. (Each tour stop will have the same Rafflecopter form).

• Open from November 12 to December 7.
• Must be 13+ years of age to enter
• US mailing addresses only

Earn entries by doing any/all of the following:

• Leaving a blog post comment
• Liking Julie’s Facebook page
• Following Julie on Twitter
• Becoming a fan of Julie on Goodreads
• Tweeting about the giveaway (once per day)
• Subscribing to Julie’s blog

 

 

-0240cd28" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0240cd28/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Schedule

November 12: The Book Bug - Kickoff + Giveaway

November 13: I Love to Read and Review Books :) - Review and Giveaway

November 14: Getting Your Read On - Review and Giveaway

November 15: Literary Time Out - Review and Giveaway

November 16: The Book Bug - Author Guest Post and Giveaway

November 19: Geo Librarian - Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway

November 19: LDS & Lovin' It - Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway

November 19: Jinky Is Reading - Review and Giveaway

November 20: Inksplasher - Review and Giveaway

November 22: Happy Thanksgiving!

November 23: Gamila's Reviews - Review and Giveaway

November 26: Brooklyn Berry Designs - Review and Giveaway

November 27: Books Are Sanity - Review and Giveaway

November 28: Debbie's Inkspectations - Review and Giveaway

November 29: The Book Bug - Review and Giveaway

December 3: Bloggin' Bout Books - Review and Giveaway

 

About the Book

Author: Julie Coulter Bellon

Release Date: September 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book Description:

Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down . . . That simple rhyme turns negotiator Claire Michaels’ current hostage situation into an international incident. Claire just wants to help get everyone out safely, but as the crisis escalates she realizes she’s dealing with an al-Qaeda operative who has the means to become another bin Laden---with the potential to attack America.

Claire has her own personal reasons for wanting to stop al-Qaeda, but time is slipping away as negotiations break down. Can she overcome her scars of the past in order to get the hostage out alive and possibly stop an assault on U.S. national security? Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan and he doesn’t expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. But when he is taken hostage and his brother is kidnapped, Rafe teams up with a hostage negotiator in order to stay alive and get his brother back. The terrorist is always one step ahead of them, however, and the situation quickly turns from desperate to deadly. Will Rafe be able to save himself and his country without anyone he loves getting caught in the crossfire?

Author Bio:

Julie Coulter Bellon is the author of seven international romantic suspense novels. She loves her work partly because she gets to travel to distant lands to research and add an authentic feel to all of her books. Her favorite cities so far are Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She taught journalism at BYU for fourteen years and that kept her on the cutting edge of current events and world news---which is where she gets her story ideas. Julie offers writing and publishing tips as well as her take on life on her blog ldswritermom.blogspot.com.

First Chapter: http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-first-chapter-of-all-fall-down.html

Tour Page: http://thebookbug-hogan.blogspot.com/p/all-fall-down-blog-tour.html

Social Networking Links:

• Website: http://juliebellon.com/
• Blog: http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Coulter-Bellon/106497519842
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/juliebellon
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/457898.Julie_Coulter_Bellon

Purchase Links:

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Down-Julie-Coulter-Bellon/dp/1479264857/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351577733&sr=8-1&keywords=julie+coulter+bellon
• Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-fall-down-julie-coulter-bellon/1113045660?ean=9781479264858&r=1%2c+1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10%3a1&

Book Review:Secrets of the Red Box by Vickie Hall

In the beginning of Secrets of the Red Box  Bonnie seems very mean spirited and harsh. But as the story develops you begin to understand why. There is so much in this story to keep you pulling forward with its authentic historic feel  but once you start reading you are pulled into the story where romance and intrigue and twist and turns keep you wondering until the very end how does it all really turn out.
  



Secrets of the Red BoxBonnie has secrets to keep - secrets with the potential to destroy lives, including her own. Running from her destructive and pain filled past, she recreates herself, believing she has escaped the damning evidence hidden in the red box. When her former life is revealed by a cruel twist of fate, Bonnie faces losing everything, including Glen, the only man she’s ever loved. But is Bonnie the woman he thinks she is? Set against the backdrop of the 1940s, Secrets of the Red Box is filled with intrigue and suspense - sure to keep you guessing to the very end!

Purchase Link:

Amazon

 

Links:

Blog * Website
Facebook * Goodreads

 

Be sure to visit & enter the

Secrets of the Red Box Book Blast $50 Giveaway

$50 Book Blast

 

Praise for Secrets of the Red Box:

"Amazing book! Wow, it caught me from the first paragraph. What detail, mystery and suspense. Loved the main character, Bonnie, so relatable. Vicki is an amazing writer. I wish she would write more books!!!"
~Amazon Review

"Secrets of the Red Box is a great read! Whether you're looking for a book with an intriguing and unusual plot, or a story of how life's choices effect the rest of your life, you will love this book!"
~Amazon Review

Blog Tour Giveaway

• $25 Amazon Gift Card or $25 Pay Pal Cash from Author Vickie Hall + copy of Secrets of the Red Box (US - Paperback, Kindle ebook - International)
• Paperback copy of Secrets of the Red Box (US only)
• Kindle Ebook copy of Secrets of the Red Box (International)

Ends 11/25/12

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 

 

Book Review: Caribbean Crossroads by Connie E Sokol

What a fun light hearted book! It swept you right in and kept you turning pages throughout the story. I really enjoyed reading Caribbean Crossroads. It's about a girl named Megan trying to recover from a broken heart with the added layers of betrayal, deceit and manipulation. As a result she can't trust any guy who might try  to get near her without wondering what their motive is.  So her best friend Jillian convinces her that the best thing to do for healing is to go on a cruise ship with her as a dancer and singer for the summer.

After a bit of convincing she is in, and excited about the chance to get away from the pain and heal once and for all. But she nor her heart are prepared for Bryant. Sweet, outgoing, handsome... amazing. Then starts her battle. The battle to find a way back to being whole, and a battle to let Bryant into her life and the battle to find a way back to her old carefree self and learn how to trust again.  Caribbean Crossroads is about learning to let go of past hurts, and how to trust again. It's about finding a way back to self, and growing in the process and finding how to overcome and be stronger.

I love Bryant's patient gentle demeanor and how he works to understand what is holding Megan back. He has his own trials that he has to face and the cruise ship is his last hurrah. He finds himself pulled into Megan's life and finds she is worth all the hurtles she throws in his way.

Despite some editing issues that can trip the reader up in a few places this story is wonderful and one of my favorites. The chemistry between Megan and Bryant is written beautifully and through the book you are left to wonder what the ultimate decision will be. It is easy to root for these characters as they face life's tough challenges, and find their way to each other while overcoming huge obstacles.

An added bonus to Caribbean Crossroads is that it is a clean read, yet sparks still fly. I was drawn into the story and loved every minute reading it especially the unexpected twists and turns! .

 Here is the book blurb:
New college grad Megan McCormick just got dumped. Hard.

Swearing off men and relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them.

Urged to find a wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad.

Just when Megan begins to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her former fiance returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.

Here’s some advance praise for this great summer read:

"Caribbean Crossroads is an entertaining read with a great plot and characters. I loved it! I got hooked from the very beginning...I highly recommend this book to all those looking for a very enjoyable and clean romance novel." Christina Tarbet, Book Reviewer

"Caribbean Crossroads is the perfect summer read. It's a story of love, forgiveness, and following one's heart. There is a lot of humor in the storytelling, and reality in the way relationships work. Connie Sokol captures this perfectly with a great cast of relateable characters who will make you want to keep reading late into the night."

Emily Cushing, Author of One Heart, Many Voices

Don't wait to get your copy of Caribbean Crossroads, so you can be swept away too. You can get your copy by clicking here for Barnes and Noble. 

Amazon Purchase Link here

You can learn more about Connie's by clicking on her website: here.

Connie is also on FaceBook  find her by clicking  here.

Romance Blogfest, Love At First Sight...Or Not So Much

Yay! I am so excited, this is my very first blogfest. What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a romantic scene. The theme is Love at First Sight . . . Or Not So Much hosted by Jordan McCollum, be sure to check out the other bloggers participating by clicking HERE I am going to take it from part of a scene from my WIP when Kieryn and Aric just as bit after they meet for the first time. It's in Aric's point of view. I hope you like it!

~*~*~*~

Aric could no longer resist her and took a step forward, closer to Kieryn, holding her trusting gaze with his. The warmth of her body radiated off her as he drew nearer to her. He relished it, allowing it to warm him. It had been a very long time since he last felt anything close to it.

There wasn't a need for his heightened powers of persuasion. As he lowered his head slowly keeping her eyes locked with his, fascinated by their ever shifting change of colors, he came closer still. Gently, carefully, he pressed his lips to hers, and closed his eyes.

An electric shock coursed through him. Never in his entire existence as a mortal or immortal had he ever experienced anything like it. It filled him with life and light renewing him. The taste of her lips was more than he could ever have imagined. Sweeter, more delicious than he had anticipated. The kiss was just as enticing as the blood racing through her veins. He was instantly addicted. He wanted more. He deepened the kiss, pressing his lips more firmly on hers and held her body close to his. Her warmth radiated out to him, penetrating his clothes, alleviating the emptiness inside him as nothing else had in over a century of imprisonment, or even before that. He knew the minute she responded, melting into his arms. The echo of her surrender flooded his thoughts through the link they now shared.

He was confused by the immediate and violent possessive reaction surging through him with regard to the girl in his arms. No one but me will ever have her! He emphatically determined. It was an unbreakable vow that with an unexpected eagerness he covenanted with himself. It was imperative that he keep her safeguarded at all costs. He assigned himself as her sentinel and would always watch over her, protect her. In order to ensure her safety he would move heaven and earth if he needed to.

The sweet ambrosia that was her kiss swirled in endless delight inside him, every sense filled to overload with its pure enticement. It was hard to believe how she threatened to overwhelm him with her essence, to be his complete undoing. Nothing, no experience in his life had prepared him for her.