It's Midsummer! Time for the Clean Indie Reads Christmas in July eBook Sale & Giveaway July 21-28

Summer is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, and a few Clean Indie Reads authors are keeping cool by thinking of Christmas. Reads, that is. There's something sweet and sentimental about Christmas stories, don't you think? And in the heat of summer, reading about Christmas, winter, snow, ice, and sleigh rides might cool you off. So we're happy to present the 2018 Clean Indie Reads Christmas in July eBook Sale.

Starting today we're offering 21 titles in a variety of genres - novels, novelettes, short stories, Christian, historical, mystery, YA, and sweet and paranormal romance - sale-priced from FREE to 2.99. As always, all titles are "flinch free," meaning they're free of graphic sexuality and violence, and objectionable language. Stock up to read on your summer vacation, or save them for the holiday season. You'll definitely cool down with one (or two, or more!) of these reads. Sale ends July 28.

Note: please check all prices before clicking the "BUY" button. Each individual author is responsible for ensuring the correct sale price for her book(s).

Christmas at Blue Hydrangeas

By Marianne Sciucco

Novella; contemporary and women's fiction

Download for free

(This book is not yet published.)

It’s Christmas Eve, and as Sara waits for her husband and son to arrive home to Blue Hydrangeas, their Cape Cod bed and breakfast, a blizzard threatens to close the bridges, leaving all Cape-bound travelers stranded. As she prepares for the holiday, unexpected visitors arrive, and Sara is determined the storm will not spoil Christmas, and that Santa will find his way to two fatherless children far from home. Prequel to Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story.

The River Girl's Christmas

By Angela Castillo

Christian Historical Fiction

Buy now for .99 ( reg. price 2.99)

Christmas on the Texas frontier can be exciting . . . maybe even dangerous.

The Little White Christmas Lie

By Kristy Tate

Holiday, sweet romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Neither Carson or Millie know that their lives are about to spin out of control thanks to a patch of black ice, a cow, and a little white Christmas lie.

Truth or Dare

By Julie Coulter Bellon

Contempoary Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Wounded war veteran Jonah Harrison comes home for Christmas and ends up stranded with Kami Jackson, the girl who once knew him best. Kami has a wounded heart of her own, though, and it might take a miracle---or at least two matchmaking dogs---for them to find the healing they both long for and the courage to reach for a chance at love.

Baby Blue Christmas

By Kristy Tate
Holiday, sweet romance
Buy now for .99, (reg. price 2.99)

As Christmas nears, Sophie and Luke’s love for Baby Jamison draws them together, causing them to rethink their plans for the future and redefine their ideas family.

The Christmas Switch

By Laura L. Walker

Western Historical Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price .99)

The rancher takes a wife - When two school boys decide to switch places on a local schoolmarm and rancher, they don't plan on a severe winter storm stranding them during Christmas. But love and a new family might just be the best Christmas gift ever!

The More the Merrier

By Li Wen Ho

Contemporary

Download for free through 7/25, then .99 (reg. price .99)

Two best friends must convince everyone they're in love, an act which may (or may not) be easy to pull off, thanks to the magic of some mistletoe.

The Redemption of Evalisa Trooge: A Christmas Carol Story

By Lauren M. Flauding

Inspirational Romance

Download for free through 7/25, then .99 (reg. price .99)

Evalisa Trooge is the 33-year-old embittered and stingy owner of Victorian Village, a Christmas-themed park which she inherited from her parents. But on Christmas Eve, when she's on the verge of selling the park, she endures a long night of visits, memories, romantic revelations and bizarre events, and discovers the courage to save the park, find love, and change her life.

Christmas Morning

By Roma Brooks

Women's Fiction

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Feel good romance of second chances that will get you in the holiday spirit.

Christmas with the Franks

By Leena Clover

Cozy Mystery

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Christmas dinner turns deadly when the millionaire host is shot dead.

Snowdrift

By Debra Erfert

Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

A woman crashes off a deserted highway during a Wyoming blizzard while driving to reach her dying mother. A handsome sheriff rescues her, leaving her trapped at his ranch for the week leading up to Christmas, along with his two young daughters, a protective mother-in-law, and a bitter memory of his dead wife. Can she protect her heart from falling in love with him?

Christmas at Dumpster Corral

By Irene Onorato

Holiday Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

When Noel Dupree’s estranged father undermines her recently-deceased mother’s will, he takes away her childhood home and the florist shop her mother left to her. An unforgettable Christmas experience ensues when fate steps in and leads her to an unlikely place, an uncertain destiny, and the love of a lifetime.

Red Boots

By Kate Willis

Contemporary, Short Story

Download for free

A pair of shiny red boots bring unexpected Christmas joy to a shopkeeper and a little girl.

Ino's Love 

By Marianne Sciucco
Contemporary, Short Story
Download for free

Elderly Ino prepares a delicious Italian Christmas Eve feast for her successful CEO son, but when he's too busy to spend the holiday with his mother she shares her dinner and gifts with her home health aid. A heartwarming story about giving and forgiveness.

First Christmas

By Heather Karn

Paranormal Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Life at the North Pole is never dull with Ice Dragon Shifters around, especially when Vixen meets her mate. He knows nothing about Christmas, so it's up to her to teach him all she knows.

Cookie Christmas

By Heather Karn

Paranormal Romance

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

When Holly is asked to head up the new bakery in NYC, she's unsure about her ability to lead such a daunting project, at least not until she meets her handsome assistant. Can a group of bakery elves use their skills to spread Christmas Spirit, and a little romance, around the world in time for Christmas?

An All-Consuming Fire, book 5 The Monastery Murders

By Donna Fletcher Crow

Mystery

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

A Christmas wedding in a monastery—idyllic. If the bride can escape the murderer stalking the Yorkshire moors.

Glastonbury, the Novel of Christian England

By Donna Fletcher Crow

History

Free through 7/27 then .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Experience a Medieval Christmas in the midst of a 1500-year quest for the Holy Grail.

Where Love Restores, Where There is Love 4

By Donna Fletcher Crow

Historical Romance

Free through 7/27 then .99 (reg. price 2.99)

Can the delights of Christmas in an English stately home overcome the scars of the past? A true story of love and faith.

Misty Winter

By Linda Rawlins

Cozy Mystery

Buy now for .99 (reg. price 2.99)

The police search for Megan Stanford when the local veterinarian is shot right before Christmas.

Christmas Party: A Short Story (Avery Barks Cozy Dog Mysteries)

By Mary Hiker

Mystery

Download for free

Avery Barks is excited about the search and rescue team's annual Christmas party. The holiday event is packed full of friends and fun for both the SAR dogs and their humans. Everyone is having a ball... That is, until a stranger crashes the party in the most surprising way.

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New Release Spotlight: Lia London's " A Bid for Love," a Romantic Comedy

 He got way more than he bid for ...

Ladies' man and mid-tier model, Crawford Andrews has a hunkalicous reputation to uphold. That means working out and making out but making no commitments.

Philanthropic (and very chaste) heiress Maris Conway would rather be passing out warm rolls and words of encouragement than working in her father's swanky real estate development company, but it's hard to be generous without a lot of money and connections.

When Crawford and Maris meet during a publicity photo shoot, they decide to attend a charity auction together. Crawford bids on a romantic getaway using both of their names, hoping to score points with Maris for helping to drive up the auction prices for her pet fundraiser. When they accidentally win, he gets much more than he ever imagined.

Self-absorbed meets selfless sweetness, and both find room to grow in this romantic comedy set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Thoughts on the 5th Birthday of My First Novel

Today I’m celebrating the 5th birthday of my first novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story. These past five years have been full of opportunity, joy, and sadness as I learned how to be an independent author, an advocate for Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness, and a daughter of dementia.

Blue Hydrangeas is a story very precious to me as it’s a testament to the hundreds of families I helped navigate through the dementia journey during my nursing career. Little did I know, that three years after publication, I would start living my own story and become the medical, legal, and financial representative of my stepfather, who was diagnosed with three types of dementia. 

When I wrote the book, I thought I knew a lot about the caregiver's role in dementia care. Wrong! I was humbled by my new responsibilities and frustrated by the process of managing his care and business. I don't think anyone is ever ready to step into those shoes, and in spite of my years as a nurse and case manager, as well as the years of research that went into my book, I was still ill-prepared. Without the support and understanding of the fine people at AlzAuthors I would not have come through it intact.

New Release Spotlight: You Can Lead a Horse to Murder, Cozy Mystery by Tara Meyers

There’s a killer in Sanctuary, and the prime suspect is a horse.

When spirited Ember Burns is led back home to open her own veterinary practice, her first client lands her in the middle of a mystery. It starts as a desire for Ember to clear her name, and turns into a personal entanglement in a rapidly unfolding story of lies and deceit.

The small mountain town of Sanctuary has always had its secrets. Who can be trusted? It’s been ten years since Ember lived there but roots run deep. Discerning friend from foe isn’t an easy task. Relying on her intelligence and instinct, Ember tries to piece the clues together as the town gears up for its centennial celebration.

New Release Spotlight: Primordium by Mario Loomis

My guest today is Dr. Mario Loomis, whom I had the privilege to work with during my years as a hospital nurse and case manager. Dr. Loomis has written two young adult sci-fi novels, and I'm pleased to feature his latest release on my blog. Welcome to my adventures in publishing, Mario! 

If you’ve had trouble finding “clean reads” that were thrilling enough to hold your attention or your teenager’s, try Primordium, one of Dr. Loomis’s debut novels.

Cover Reveal! The Time Rift, by Liwen Y. Ho and David H. Ho

Today's Guest Blogger is fellow Clean Indie Reads author Liwen Y. Ho, who has co-written a book with her husband, David H. Ho. This is what happens when a sci-fi enthusiast and a romance author merge their talents.

By Liwen Y. Ho

There were many things I looked forward to when I married my hubby nearly 17 years ago. I had hoped we’d have lots of fun together (check!), travel to warm destinations together (check!), start a family together (check!), and grow up through all of life’s ups and downs together (double check!). What I never expected us to do though was write a book—together. Yep, that’s a lot of togetherness in case you couldn’t tell. But that’s what marriage is all about, right? (Haha, gulp!)

So, the story goes (our story, not his story, which we’ll get to soon), hubby enjoys sci-fi movies, and about five years ago, he came up with his own idea for one. And since he doesn’t like to read or write (did I tell you we’re opposites?), he asked me to write it. Now, this is where I double checked the vows I made on our wedding day. Even though I hadn’t promised “to have and to hold and to write a book together”, I agreed to do so because I love my hubby.

Blog Tour: The Caselli Family Series by Ta'Mara Hanscom

Ta'Mara has published her Caselli Family series before, but she is now relaunching the series starting with The Pretender and Pit of Ambition!  Join this super fun blog tour and find out more about the first two books (of five). Also, make sure you check out the great giveaway!

About the Books

The Pretender: A Blackguard in Disguise is the first volume of 5 in the family epic series The Caselli Family Series. 

It begins in South Dakota in 1975 where eighteen-year-olds could order 3.2 beers in a bar and loaded guns were kept under the counter. Frankie Valli sang My Eyes Adored You, and American soldiers returning from Vietnam struggled with their new reality.

​It’s within this tumultuous season of American history that Tillie Caselli meets Noah Hansen, and they are never the same again. Their lives were mysteriously intertwined – and had been for many years – yet they had no idea. 

​From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart – and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride’s deception.

​These compelling stories are interwoven with Biblical truths and light-hearted, real life events from the author’s own past. Easy to understand and relate to, as well as encouraging.

The Clean Indie Reads 12 Days of Christmas Book Event!

Kicking back with that new Kindle? Got some Amazon gift cards to cash in? The Clean Indie Reads 12 Days of Fiction Book Event has just what you need: 40 titles - multiple genres - sure to keep you reading through the winter. All books are discounted, some are FREE. The theme is family drama because, hey, we've all got some, especially through the holidays. Choose from romance, mystery, YA, paranormal, fantasy, historical fiction, and more. And you can count on our assurance that all titles are flinch-free, meaning free of overt sexuality, graphic violence, and questionable language. Please check all prices before hitting the buy button. It's the individual author's responsibility to confirm her discounts with Amazon and other sellers. This blog and Amazon are not responsible for prices. Don't delay! Sale runs from December 26 through January 6. 

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Ino's Love, a short story, by Marianne Sciucco, FREE via Instafreebie

Sometimes the people who love us best are not family.

Elderly Ino prepares a delicious Italian Christmas feast for her successful CEO son, but when he's too busy to spend the holiday with his mother she shares her dinner and gifts with her home health aid. A heartwarming story about giving and forgiveness.

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New Release Spotlight:The 25 Days of Christmas Devotional

Many of us get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. One way to prevent that is to focus on the reason for the season. Taking a few minutes each day with this different kind of devotional book will help your family think of others. Each day focuses on one word and includes a story from Daniel and Holly's family, a Scripture reading with the devotional, the YouTube link to a Christmas Carol, and an activity that the entire family can be involved in.

New Release Spotlight & Giveaway: "Mice & Marriage" by Sophie Dawson

What do mice and marriage have in common? I don't know, but now I'm curious to read Sophie Dawson's new book, Mice and Marriage!

About the Book

Noelle Copeland has no intention of ever letting another man break her heart. She’s content to take care of her two boys and help her brother around the church. That is until a mouse sends her onto a table screaming like she’s being murdered, and a handsome, heroic man comes to her rescue. Now, she finds her heart longing for Turner Metcalf, but he’s keeping things from her. She wonders if she can trust him not only with her heart but her sons’ hearts as well.

Turner Metcalf is a man on a mission. He’s in town for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season for one reason only: to protect his sister and her new husband. He has a secret life he isn’t willing to give up. That is until he comes to the rescue of Noelle Copeland. Now, his heart is drawn to the one thing he never thought he could have: a future. He finds himself falling for the divorced mother of two and her sons.

Can he survive his secret mission long enough to let her know? Or will his frequent travel and hidden agenda end things before they really get started? Will he live through his mission and be able to consider a future with this ready-made family? What about Noelle’s ex-husband and his new girlfriend? Will they mess things up for Noelle and Turner? Can love find a way to overcome the doubts of a woman afraid of Mice and Marriage?

Love and marriage come to us inspired by many things. Who would have thought that mold, spots, and mice would bring love and marriage? Well, they have. The Love's Infestation Series continues with Mice and Marriage.

You can find the book on Amazon!

Happy 1st Book Birthday Swim Season!

 

It's the first book birthday for my young adult novel Swim Season, which was born October 24th, 2016, and all of my readers get a present: a free download on Amazon October 24-26.

Have you ever celebrated a book's birthday? It's pretty cool! After working on this for FIVE years (that's right!) it was close to a miracle that I saw it in print. And Kindle. And not long after audiobook. Each part of this process took much longer than it should have because of my repetitive strain injuries. I literally wrecked my shoulder putting the final touches on it just days before it came out. But the pain was worth it because I wanted to finish it during my daughter's very last varsity swim season. Her 10-year career inspired the story, so it's very special to me. In spite of my RSI's I managed to pull it off, and I'm proud of that. Here's the blurb:

Swim Season is the fast-paced, drama driven story of Olympic hopeful Aerin Keane, starting senior year in her third high school and trying NOT to win. But can she hide her natural talent and competitive streak? Especially with a 50,000-dollar scholarship on the line?

 

There's drama in AND out of the pool!

Here's the book trailer:


And my readers seem to like it:

"This is a great story of growing up and overcoming obstacles. The characters are delightful and the swim meets engaging. You'll rally behind Aerin as she tackles her senior year and all that comes with it." - Jessica Elliott

"Excellent characters and story. Brings back lots of memories of swim teams, competition, friendships and rivalries." - Amazon customer

"This entire story was epic: competition, friendship, hiding your talents, finding yourself, facing bullies...it has it all." - ReaderGirl16

"I loved your book and I will definitely read it again, and, after that, again." Ava, age 10

So Happy 1st Book Birthday Swim Season! Don't delay! Claim your gift now!

Can we have cake?

 

Clean Indie Reads Back to School eBook Sale September 1-8

Here we go again! Another school year is about to begin. After you get the kids ready for reading, writing and 'rithmetic, treat yourself to some new eBooks to keep you entertained through fall. Here are 21 discounted titles from Clean Indie Reads authors, all with a high school or college theme. Many genres: romance, sports, new adult, YA, coming of age, fantasy, paranormal. Priced FREE through 2.99. Sale ends September 8. Note: please check all prices before clicking the "BUY" button. Each individual author is responsible for ensuring the correct sale price for her book(s).

Happy 90th Birthday Mom! And a Free EBook in Your Honor

I'm getting ready for a BIG party on Saturday - my mom's 90th birthday celebration! All birthdays are reasons to celebrate, but reaching 90? Becoming a nonagenarian? Now that's something special, isn't it? Everyone is super-excited, but no one more than Mom, because she never dreamed she'd live this long. We are all blessed.

Here's Mom and me playing our favorite game.

To share this special day with my readers, I'm offering a free Kindle copy of my latest release Birthday Party, 2nd in my Daisy Hunter Series. 

Blurb: It's Suzanne's 13th birthday, and Daisy is shocked and saddened to learn that she's never had a birthday party. So she sets out to give her one, complete with a cake, ice cream, soda, and balloons. But when Suzanne's mother shows up, the party's over. A poignant coming of age story where good will and alcoholism collide.

Christmas in July! Clean Indie Reads Summer eBook Sale! July 17-21

It's mid-summer and most people are thinking of the beach, baseball, barbecues, and family fun. Christmas, most likely, is not a high priority. Unless you're a reader who melts at the end of  a romantic Christmas story or a heartwarming holiday tale. If that's you, any time's a great time to pick up a stack of Christmas reads, and I've got a bunch of them right here. Clean Indie Reads Christmas in July eBook Sale offers 15 titles in a variety of genres - novels, novelettes, short stories, mysteries, and sweet and paranormal romance - sale-priced from FREE to 2.99. Stock up to read on vacation or save them for the holiday season. Sale ends July 21. Note: please check all prices before clicking the "BUY" button. Each individual author is responsible for ensuring the correct sale price for her book(s).

New Release Spotlight: Awakened Light, Celestial Guardians Book 2 by J.J. Nite

Blurb: All Edie Malakim wanted was to be a regular teenager, but she never had an abundance of luck. Discovering you’re the answer to an ancient prophecy, the one destined to lock Lucifer in Hell, definitely doesn’t qualify as normal either.

As Edie struggles to control her fire-throwing power and not burn everything in her path, she must also be ready for danger appearing around every corner. With the help of Kiah, a fellow Timoreo, and her coyote friend Atlas, she begins to learn a measure of control and a little more of her history.

When an unexpected visitor appears, Edie’s world becomes even more complicated as secrets are revealed and old wounds are opened. As her eighteenth birthday and the possibility of new abilities being bestowed on her approaches, Edie must try to decipher fact from fiction and friend from foe. 

Excerpt