Rogue Wave is the second book in The Water Keepers Series, written by Christie Anderson. I gave Deep Blue Secret, the first book in the series, a five-star rating, and I also give this book a five-star.

Out of the three books I’ve read in this series, this one has the most romance. There’s still plenty of action and another main plot to this story. However, the two main characters explore and decide what to do with their feelings for each other. All of our questions about their relationship gets answered in this book.

The story is very creative and original. The teenage characters act true to themselves, and I enjoy Sadie’s relationship with her mother and Rayne. There’s just enough action and romance to balance this series out.

The only negative for me was how easy it was for her to believe the worst of Rayne immediately after he disclosed his feelings for her. I have a similar moment in one of my own novels, and as a writer I know why it was done. I just didn’t think he looked guilty enough. However, that did not take away from the story at all, and I still love it.

As for my conservative clean rating for this being a young adult novel, I give this my squeaky clean seal of approval. There are no curse words, the action and violence are not filled with blood and gore, and the romance is very sweet. I’m highly impressed with a certain scene within this book, as the writer had to make a decision on how far the young couple would go. I read many young adult fantasy novels, and I’m often turned off by authors thinking teenagers can’t control their hormones or make good decisions. I’ve even read a book where the young couple got into a heated argument over a trivial thing as a way to keep them from succumbing to temptation during a night alone. I applaud Christie Anderson for how this was handled in the book. It was believable and well done.

I highly recommend this series, as it keeps getting better. My favorite one is Ambrosia Shore, and I’ll have a review on it soon. It is very different from the first two, and I’m looking forward to the release of the fourth book in the series.

Welcome to the Clean Indie Reads March Madness Blog Hop! If you’re new to my work, I write passionate, fantasy romance without the guilt. My Alissia Roswell Series includes a feisty heroine pulled into an alternate reality, and you can meet her for free in Unexpected Metamorphosis. Unexpected Entrapment is the second book in the series, and Unexpected Peril is scheduled to be released in May, so this is the perfect time to begin the series.

Our Clean Indie Reads group is made up of a wide variety of genres, with all authors agreeing to higher standards when it comes to sex, cursing, and violence. I do hope you’ll check them out. There’s a chance to win over 40 digital books, and you can enter by clicking on the March Madness banner at the top of this post. Along with this hop, there is a sale you should definitely check out.

If you’ve never visited my site, I hope you’ll scan through the above menu to get to know me. I do book reviews, have Pinterest boards, an Amazon clean bookstore, and much more. I’m glad you stopped by, and I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Good luck on the many prizes, and enjoy the rest of the hop!

I’d like to thank the Augusta Richmond County Public Library for having me as one of their authors for the 4th Annual Augusta Literary Festival. It was an honor and pleasure to be a part of the festival, and the staff and volunteers went above and beyond. The library itself is large and spacious and is filled with activities run by the staff and volunteers. It’s quite impressive!

Don’t look for me in the group photo above, as I was busy listening to another author explain how she started writing a young adult fantasy series while her son was in the hospital for cancer. I was completely enthralled in the story of her writing journey and did not step away for the photo session. I hope to share her series with you soon, as it’s on the top of my read list.

While there, I got to meet some authors I already network with through Clean Indie Reads. I also found some future reads I can’t wait to download and read on my Kindle. I’ll definitely be posting reviews and sharing them with you.

Meet William L. Stuart and Charmain Z. Brackett. They’re both Clean Indie Reads authors from Georgia.

William was at the festival with his wife, and he’s the author of The Gemstone Chronicles, a young adult fantasy series. And, yes, it’s on my read list, also 🙂

Charmaine is the author of a young adult fantasy novella series, a mystery series, and a children’s book titled Little Pearl’s Circus World–which I fell completely in love with. It has a beautiful cover and is filled with amazing illustrations.

Charmaine’s grandmother was in the circus, and she did a lot of research to write this book. At the back, it includes beautiful pictures of her grandmother, and this book is not just a cute children’s book. It truly is an amazing work of art! I highly recommend you contact her for a signed copy to give as a gift.

I didn’t get to talk to Natalie Wilson much, as I didn’t find her until the end of the festival. I was checking out a few author tables when I recognized her books from Clean Indie Reads. She’s the author of the Children of Angels Series, which is currently getting a new cover design.

All these fantasy authors! I have a lot to read 🙂

I hope to attend the festival again next year, and I met many other authors outside of the fantasy genre and Clean Indie Reads group. I just don’t have the time to highlight all of them, but I do hope to see them again at future signings.

Finally! Unexpected Peril is ready to leave my hands and go to the editor and beta readers. Although I finished the first draft back in November and was hoping for an early release, the past three months have been a struggle with sickness, lots of travel, and children’s activities. I’m finally at a point where I can relax again–no more travel, hopefully no more sickness, and I’m finally finished with my first round of edits.

Now I can focus on a cover design, do some marketing, and get back to writing. I also need to get back to exercising, reading, and baking. Even my personal life has suffered in the past three months with the chaos in my house. My back went out, and I was forced to stop working out. However, my dark chocolate addiction refused to take a break, and now my clothes are getting tight.

Today is a beautiful day, and I’m actually typing this from my back porch while listening to some loud birds, and it’s exactly what I needed when stepping out of my editing dungeon. I call it that, because editing is the opposite of writing. Where writing is all about creativity and freedom, editing is filled with rules and structure. I stare at the computer screen and read out loud to hear each punctuation and word. If something doesn’t sound right, I  have to stop and fix it–find the right wording, look up punctuation rules I question, and such. It’s a very slow and tedious process, and because I read out loud, I can’t drink much hot tea or eat dark chocolate without taking an official break 🙂

Hope you’re ready for the third book in the Alissia Roswell Series, as it is set to be released in May. This one is quite different from the first two. You can expect a variety of creatures and more of the fantasy realm coming to life.

As for what’s next, at this point I’m thinking it will take two more books to finish Alissia’s story. I’ll know in a few months, as there is a slight chance I can fit it all into one. However, there are a lot of creatures, action, and adventure as we near the end of her journey, and I refuse to skimp on the details to rush through things. That’s why I believe it will need to be told in two novels. They will be fast paced, and things will get intense. I hope you stick around for it!

Thank you for keeping up with me as an author. My writing continues to improve with each novel I write, and I’m often overwhelmed by the feedback I’ve gotten on this series. I have much planned for this series, along with others. My goal is to give you books filled with intriguing mystery, fantasy, and romance. The other series I’ve started on is completely different from this one, and I can’t wait to share it with you one day.

If you haven’t already, I ask that you consider leaving an honest review on Amazon for Unexpected Metamorphosis and Unexpected Entrapment. The reviews truly help, and it doesn’t have to be a long one. It can be a quick, one sentence review.

Thanks again for your feedback and support. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter if you haven’t already so that you don’t miss out on any release information.

Grab your copy now for just .99 cents!

FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy with Mercedes LackeyFor a limited time only!

Join epic fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey and fifteen additional New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors on the adventure of a lifetime!

Over one million words and sixteen realms of fantasy brought together for your reading pleasure. Discover courageous characters fighting for justice and order. Journey between kingdoms of dragons and lands of anarchy as tales of magic and mayhem unfold.

Grab it today, before it’s gone!

AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iBooks

Find out more information about the bundle on novelbundles.com!

About the Authors and Titles:

Mercedes Lackey – Moving Targets

Stuck watching over four Herald trainees on circuit, Elyn is at her wits’ end—and that’s before a town asks for help with a ghostly infestation.

Michael G. Manning – The Blacksmith’s Son

A journey to discover the secrets of his past reveals a magical heritage and embroils Mordecai in a deadly battle for the future of mankind.

K.F. Breene – Chosen

Prophecy has foretold that when war threatens the world, the Chosen will appear to help the Shadow Warriors reclaim their stolen freedom and lead them out of the Land of Mist.

Morgan Rice – A Quest of Heroes

Thorgin, an outsider and a dreamer, fights to become a warrior in an epic quest that finds him at the center of a maelstrom of royal plots and counterplots that threaten him and everyone he loves.

Michael James Ploof – Whill of Agora

When Whill learns the truth of his lineage, he sets out to face his father’s murderer, but what he learns along the way will change his life—and the realm—forever.

Daniel Arenson – Requiem’s Song

Weredragons, men call them. Monsters. Cursed ones. People who can turn into beastly reptiles. Together they will forge a nation.

Kate Sparkes – Bound

When a young woman accidentally saves the life of an enemy Sorcerer, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

David Adams – The Pariahs

Two sellswords—a half-elf and a half-orc—find their war over before it even begins. But trouble is stirring on the home front, conflict which threatens more than just their lives.

Amy Raby – The Fire Seer
Taya must use her fire visions to investigate a series of murders, but the Coalition of Mages has partnered her with her old nemesis, the man who used to bully her when they were young.

C. Greenwood – Magic of Thieves & Betrayal of Thieves

In a province where magic is forbidden, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival—concealment.

David Dalglish – The Weight of Blood

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to a death prophet, they only sought escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.

K.J. Colt – Bear Heart

In the savage lands of Ruxdor, young Klawdia must fight the champions of four rival clans to defend her future as the first female chieftain.

Shae Ford – Poison

A bandit girl is taken from her home and thrust into a complex world of lords and ladies, where she learns that she must kill to survive.

Endi Webb – The Maskmaker’s Apprentice

Masks of legend. Masks of power. Those who dare to wear them trifle with the old powers and risk ruin and mayhem. But a young apprentice maskmaker cannot contain his curiosity, and accidentally unleashes a deadly terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Michael Wallace – The Dark Citadel

A slave boy and a young queen lead an alliance of spies, servants, and merchants to stave off the encroaching armies of a dark wizard.

Terah Edun – Blades of Magic

As an unstoppable war breaks out, a young girl enlists in the military to unravel the secrets surrounding her father’s execution.

Grab it today, before it’s gone!

AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iBooks

Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/15/15

Open only to those 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 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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Devon’s Choice

Life holds no surprises for Devon Murphy. Her life consists of keeping tabs on her aging Irish father, working part time at a coffee shop, and building her online graphics design business. Devon’s only tricky situation is a shallow relationship with the pampered and affluent Michael Turner, who sees her as just another woman to conquer.

Following his father’s death, Brandon’s only goal is to expand the family business and live life on his own terms. That is, until he walks into the coffee shop one snowy evening and meets the enchanting, red-haired barista behind the counter. But can Devon and Brandon’s attraction for each other be strong enough to help erase their deepest disappointments and renew their faith in God?

Excerpt:

He looked up at the menu board. “I’ll take a Grande. Black, please.”
Chuckling, she thought about how impressed her dad would be with this guy. He considered anyone who drank coffee black in the same category as his favorite actor, John Wayne. She poured the coffee, and rang up his order.
“That’s two-dollars and fifty cents.” He handed her his debit card, which she swiped.
He took the cup. “Thanks. Have a good one.”
“Yeah, you too.”
He walked over to one of the upholstered chairs and sank down into its well-used seat. The shop owner had talked of replacing the pair of relics with some sturdy, leather ones. Leather would flatter this guy much better than the faded paisley print on the old ones. Devon glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Yes, leather was definitely his style, but not the biker stuff. No, he’d look best in a rugged, mahogany leather jacket instead of the puffy, gray parka he wore.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Smashwords

Praise for Devon’s Choice
5 Star Review on Amazon
“Devon’s Choice is an enjoyable Christian Romance. I was hooked from the first chapter. Devon is a strong, independent young woman who is not afraid to stand by her beliefs. The characters are very believable, and the story contains some surprise twists and turns. I would recommend this book to all readers who like Christian Romance. It is an excellent read.” ~ Review by Sharon B.

4 Star Review on Amazon
“This book is an enjoyable read. Moving along with Devon and her choices opens oneself to feeling with her the good and bad consequences of those choices. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Devon and her dad. How she handles herself and all life throws at her makes for a good read.” ~ Review by Robin

5 Star Review on Amazon
This is a very emotional story of friendship, relationships and loss. Devon Murphy is a woman with strong morals. She loves and cares for her aging widowed father, works a part time job at a coffee shop with her friend Megan, and is putting her graphics art degree to work building a business. She is dating Michael Turner, who is egotistical, self-centered and treats her like a business deal. Brandon Forrester seems to have the same strong characteristics as Devon, family devotion, business ethics, healthier lifestyle and respecting other people. Devon knows that Michael is wrong for her and when she meets Brandon, they seem to have a connection. This story is about taking a hard look at your life and goals and making plans and changes. About dealing with the loss of a parent and knowing how to move on and putting your faith and trust in God and allowing Him to lead in your life.~ Review by RedRabbitt

5 Star Review on Amazon
I really enjoyed this romance, the characters and their journey. It was very moving, endearing and engaging.
I appreciate the writing style, the emotional pull, the way the story unfolds.
I love to feel satisfied after reading a book, and this one does just that!
Very enjoyable read.  Highly recommend! ~ Review by Kimberly

Author Catherine Bennett

I grew up in Ohio where I currently live with my husband and our two rescue Labradors. Some of my favorite things include reading, shopping, pepperoni pizza, Hershey bars and hanging out with my two grown sons. I also love dogs; so going to the dog park is cheap entertainment for my husband and I!

Growing up an only child, I had many imaginary friends. I believe this – and a love of books – fueled my desire to write. It was many years later that my dream of becoming a published author came true.

I’m grateful to God for always keeping a story in my heart and hope you are blessed and entertained by my book.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/30/15

Open only to those 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 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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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The 4th Annual Augusta Literary Festival will be held this Saturday, March 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you live near Augusta, Georgia, I’d love to meet you. It’s free to the public, and a diverse group of authors will be there. If you’re interested in becoming a writer, there will be many workshops available. It will be held at the Augusta Public Library, 823 Telfair Street, Augusta, Georgia.

Hope to see you there!