Book Recommendation - Snowy Summer by Patricia Weerakoon

Book Description:

Annie Samarasinghe has it all together.

Beautiful and brilliant, she has a medical career in Sydney and a fiancé in Sri Lanka.

But on the week of her wedding to childhood-sweetheart Sunil, Annie uncovers the shattering truth behind the façade of his business.

Forced to hide out in the Snowy Mountains, Annie changes her name and her story. When she meets the brusque and arrogant Roy Broughton-Knight, she discovers she’s not the only one hiding secrets. But the more she gets to know Roy, the closer Sunil comes to finding her.

Against the stunning backdrops of Sri Lanka and the Snowy Mountains, Annie and Roy learn to face the betrayals in their pasts and fight their fears. But how will they embrace the possibilities of a future?

Narelle's Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading Snowy Summer, and I loved the cross-cultural aspects of the story. The story opens in the sleepy Snowy Mountains town of Jindabyne, Australia, where Annie meets Roy at a masquerade party.

Annie is attracted to Roy, despite being betrothed in an arranged marriage to Sunil. Sunil is her childhood best friend in Sri Lanka who she hasn't seen for many years. We journey with Annie back to her home country, and experience her angst when her dream of a life married to Sunil in Sri Lanka is shattered.

Annie's world is turned upside down and her life is in danger. She escapes Sri Lanka and returns to Australia to start over as Dr. Sheva, the new doctor at a small Jindabyne medical centre.

Roy is a carefree playboy from Sydney, Australia, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He's now hiding from the world on his family's alpaca farm near Jindabyne, and he has a few secrets of his own. The women in his life have let him down. He's slow to trust and wary of love.

Roy meets Sheva at the medical centre, and she reminds him of Annie. He can't forget Annie and their chance encounter at the masquerade party. He's attracted to Sheva, but he's respectful of her cultural background and her faith that underpins her desire to wait for marriage. Sheva's close friendship with the park ranger, Dan, ignites Roy's jealousy and curiosity about Sheva's past.

Snowy Summer is an action-packed contemporary Christian romantic adventure story with medical themes. It's a more edgy read than the typical Christian romance, and possibly too edgy for more conservative readers.

Annie has trained as a surgeon, and she thinks about the human body in a more clinical way than the average person. Anatomical terminology that's not usually mentioned in Christian romances is included the story.

The author is a retired Sexologist. She portrays the attraction between Sheva and Roy, and their thoughts about each other, in a realistic rather than euphemistic manner. There are situations in the story that definitely push the Christian romance genre boundaries.

I recommend Snowy Summer to romance readers who appreciate cultural diversity and are looking for a contemporary Christian romance that deals with real life issues. The blend of Aussie and Sri Lankan culture, and the stunning settings, was a highlight for me. I enjoyed visiting familiar places in Australia and learning more about Sri Lanka.

In April I attended Patricia's book launch for Snowy Summer at the visitor centre in Jindabyne. It was fun to visit the real life setting and hear more about the evolution of the story. Snowy Summer was the contemporary Christian romance manuscript that won our ACW opening chapter contest a few years ago. It was great to see the story published and read the final version.

Book Review: Falling for You, by Becky Wade

Review by @CarolynMAuthor

Famously beautiful model Willow Bradford is taking a temporary break from her hectic schedule to work as the innkeeper at her family's small-town bed-and-breakfast. She was enjoying the peace of her hometown, Merryweather, Washington, right up until she came face-to-face with Corbin Stewart, the man she loves to hate. A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin--and suffered the consequences when it all fell apart.

Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow Bradford is concerned. Unable to forget her, he's never stopped regretting what happened between them. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, he's determined to make her give him a second chance.
When a decades-old missing persons case finds Corbin and Willow working together, they're forced to confront their past and who they've become--and whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

Okay, full disclosure here: I’m a Becky Wade fan. Ever since reading My Stubborn Heart she’s an auto-buy for me, so I was fully expecting to enjoy her latest novel. So it took me by surprise to take a while to engage in Falling For You. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate to being extremely beautiful or extremely rich. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate to the culture surrounding NFL players. It took almost a third of the book before I could start to care, then wow, a revelation about Willow’s past that demanded attention, as it’s a topic not often discussed in books released by major US Christian publishers.

I do like that about Becky Wade’s books; they feel real, and she’s not afraid to touch on issues that give a grittier substance to both the character’s faith and subsequently the romance portrayed. This is the second novel in the Bradford sisters series, and we see the interweaving of her sister's stories giving hints as to what those novels may be about. (But I’d love to see her write something that doesn’t involve anyone rich!)

If you enjoy books with clever narrative prose and touches of humour, with characters that ultimately experience relatable challenges, then check out Becky Wade’s contemporary romances. As for me, I can’t wait to see what happens in Britt’s story!

Available at Koorong, Amazon, etc

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, and Winning Miss Winthrop, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:        website | facebook | pinterest | twitter | instagram

Celebrating June Book Birthdays

Congratulations to Kara Isaac and Carolyn Miller who are celebrating Book Birthdays in June!

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac (independent release, June 2017) 

Paige McAllister needs to do something drastic. Her boyfriend can’t even commit to living in the same country, her promised promotion is dead on arrival and the simultaneous loss of her brother and her dream of being a concert violinist has kept her playing life safe and predictable for six years. Things need to change. A moment of temporary insanity finds her leaving her life in Chicago to move to Sydney, Australia. There she finds herself, against many of her convictions, as a logistics planner for one of Australia’s biggest churches, and on a collision course with her boss’s son.

Josh Tyler fronts a top-selling worship band and is in demand all over the world. But, in the past, his failed romantic relationships almost destroyed both his reputation and his family. He's determined to never risk it happening again. The last thing he needs is some American girl tipping his ordered life upside down. Especially one who despises everything he’s ever worked for and manages to push every button he has.

When Josh and Paige are thrown together to organize his band’s next tour, the sparks fly. But can they find a way to bridge the differences that pull them apart? Or will they choose the safety and security of what they know over taking a chance on something that will require them to risk everything?

Amazon link

The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller (Kregel, June 2017) 

Her heart is her own--but her hand in marriage is another matter

Lady Charlotte Featherington is destined for great things on the marriage market. After all, as the beautiful daughter of a marquess, she should have her pick of the eligible nobility when she debuts. She, however, has love at the top of her list of marriageable attributes. And her romantic heart falls hard for one particularly dashing, attentive suitor. Sadly for Charlotte, her noble father intends her betrothed to be someone far more dull.

William Hartwell may be a duke, but he knows he was Charlotte's father's pick, not the young lady's own choice. And the captivating Lady Charlotte does not strike him as a woman who will be wooed by his wealth or title. While she has captured his heart, he has no idea how to win hers in return--and the betrayal and scandal his first wife put him through makes it difficult for him to believe that love can ever be trusted. His only hope is that Charlotte's sense of responsibility will win out over her romantic notions.

Can a widowed duke and a romantically inclined lady negotiate a future and discover love beyond duty? Will they be able to find healing and hope from the legacy of grace?

Poignant and charming, this is another beautifully written, clean and wholesome Regency romance from Carolyn Miller in the tradition of Georgette Heyer and Julie Klassen. Fans of The Elusive Miss Ellison will meet compelling new characters--and a few old friends.

Amazon link

Print Book Giveaways for Australasian Readers | Narelle Atkins

By Narelle Atkins  @NarelleAtkins

Do you read the fine print before getting excited about print book giveaways? 

If you're an international reader who lives outside the USA, you'll know to check the giveaway rules to see if you're eligible to enter. You'll also know to check the sale prices on ebooks before buying due to potential territory limitations on ebook deals.

At Australasian Christian Writers (ACW) we don't do a lot of giveaways, but when we do a giveaway here we try to make sure there's an option for readers who don't live in Aust and/or NZ to at least win an ebook, if not a print book.

There is a reason why print book giveaways from US-based authors are often limited to US mailing addresses: postage costs. The same logic applies for Aussie authors limiting print giveaways to Aussie mailing addresses.

For US authors who are sent print books from their publisher to give away, it's only around $3 US to mail the books within the US. It's significantly more expensive to mail that same book to an international mailing address.

The Book Depository has traditionally been our go-to place at ACW to buy and send print books to winners of our giveaways who live overseas. They offer competitive prices and free worldwide shipping.

I also blog with Inspy Romance and we're celebrating our 4th birthday by offering 10 giveaway bundles - 4 print book bundles (US only) - 4 ebook bundles (international) - a Grand Prize (US only) - PLUS a print book bundle for an international reader to win.

Yes, Inspy Romance is offering a print book giveaway containing 6 books specifically for readers who live outside the US.

If you like reading contemporary Christian romance, stop by the Inspy Romance blog and enter the Birthday Bash giveaway.

Have you discovered many print book giveaways that are open to readers who live outside the US? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

      

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest