Hey everyone – just a short message to let you know that we’re celebrating spring with a “subscribe and win” contest…

Actually, it’s more like a giveaway than a contest. Every subscriber during the month of May will receive a short story free read from one of our affiliate authors… Simply locate the “Subscribe 2″ block in the sidebar, enter your email address and click send and your free read will be sent to you by email.

Not only that, I decided to throw in an ARC of The Look just for fun. A CRR reviewer gave it 5 wings (read the review here) and I’m putting all subscribers into a contest to win. There will be weekly draws, so there’s more than one chance to win! Here’s the blurb and cover to give you a preview…








Blurb:
With a secret that makes her pretty much a walking time-bomb with the potential to turn her own life and a whole lot of others inside-out, Morgan Slater’s plans definitely don’t include the suspicions of the determined and dynamic Blake Thornton.
She heads out to the back of beyond on a simple Quest for the Truth, but her first meeting with Blake draws the battle lines for a persistent confrontation that makes focusing on her real reason for being there extremely difficult. Worse, he has this uncanny instinct and a way of seeing beyond her sassy, street-wise confidence that makes their ongoing conflict more than simply a battle of wills.
But Morgan has also not anticipated a lot of other complications and, as she struggles to keep her secret and protect herself and others in a world of shifting boundaries and increasingly difficult emotional situations, The Look rapidly becomes…

Author Spotlight:
“I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, because it explores the layers – in people, in situations, and in our assumptions about life and about truth and how they all fit together. Morgan’s courage lies in allowing the process stripping-away to become a process of adding-to, an intriguing journey that I think almost all of us can relate to.” ~ Judah

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html

So don’t waste time – get out there and subscribe NOW!

Jude

Book Title : The Look
Author : Judah Raine
Publisher : Bookstrand
Genre : Mainstream Contemporary
Publication Date : 24 March 2009
ISBN : 1-60601-275-4
Pages : 291
Series : N/A
Category : Sweet
Type : E-book
Reviewer : Lindsay Townsend

Rating : 5 Wings

Twenty-seven-year-old Morgan Slater comes to the rural KwaZulu-Natal midlands in search of the truth and a family she has never known and finds herself drawn to a strange house. This is an immediate, engaging opening to The Look, especially when Morgan encounters the brutally handsome, suspicious Blake Thornton. Their explosive meeting resonates with both, as each sense they can really ‘see’ each other and ‘look’ into each other’s hearts and minds. The conflict between Morgan and Blake is nicely played, giving the writer lots of opportunities to develop the theme of looking – and watching.

The pace of the novel is nicely judged, as the mystery of why Morgan has come to this quiet backwater is gradually revealed. It allows the reader to savour the country community that Judah Raine vividly draws and enjoy the developing relationship between the sparring Morgan and Blake.

The emotions in the novel are subtle and powerful, shown rather than told so the reader can feel with the heroine. Morgan is a perky, sympathetic character and Blake a good foil to her. Morgan’s a lovely tease and Blake certainly needs taking down a bit so I enjoyed their back-and-forths. Beneath their banter is a far more serious issue, the reason why Morgan has come to Thornleigh, and that is handled with great delicacy.

The cat is adorable – if you read the book you’ll see why and how – and the whole easy-going way of country life in South Africa is very appealing. Clearly Judah Raine knows the country and knows what she is talking about: the rhythms of life and people and their speech are perfectly caught. Fishing can be romantic, too – if you read The Look, you’ll understand!

The Look by Judah Raine is a sweet romance with lots of romantic tension and a glorious Happily Ever After. This reviewer read it on a rainy afternoon in one sitting and was transported to South Africa and the strong, protective arms of Blake Thornton.