It's My Birthday!

 

That's right, folks. Today I celebrate another journey around the sun. If you've been following me for a while you know that I love birthday presents...and that it brings me much more joy to give those presents than to receive. Also, that the very best present for a book lover to get - or give - is books, am I right? So, in honor of my spending another birthday on this side of the grass (giving thanks for that!), I'm going to spend today sending books from my home stash to new homes across the country. Check back throughout the day for new giveaway posts and help me celebrate!

 

Birthday Giveaway

 

Today is my birthday! 

Some people may look at me and think, "Aren't you a little...um...seasoned to still be celebrating birthdays?" To that I say, "No! Any birthday spent on this side of the grass is worth celebrating." So, since I'm still on the right side of the grass, let's celebrate!

Gifts from my neighbor (she knows me well) and my out-of-state bestie. I'll open those during our FaceTime call today.

I kicked off my birthday weekend yesterday with a lovely, cool day that allowed me to open my windows and embrace the crisp freshness that fall air brings. It's my favorite season of the year.

A trip to the new bakery in the neighborhood elicited sighs of delight and a box of goodies to bring home. One should always have cake on their birthday. This year, I chose two gluten-free cupcakes: carrot and toasted coconut. Plus, a few macarons for a yummy bonus. ;-)

With treats in hand, I then stopped by the grocery for my weekly bouquet of flowers, a small kindness I began giving myself in May that I've continued through the summer and now, into the fall. They add a burst of color to my days and bring me so much joy. 

I was saving the bakery goodies for today but I needed something sweet for football watching Saturday, right? I mean, it is my birthday weekend. What's better for a crisp fall afternoon than fresh from the oven Apple Crisp with my favorite organic vanilla ice cream? Nothing! It was mmmm....mmmm...good.

This morning, I awoke to full-on fall: bright blue sky, 48 degree temperature, and the return of Canadian Geese. They're gathered right outside my patio, squawking (singing?) as if they had returned just to help me celebrate. ;-) 

Now, I'm back from a brisk, rejuvenating walk - honestly, I feel so much better when I walk in the morning - and ready to whip up a birthday breakfast. Have you noticed that my birthday tends to be centered around food? 😂 I'm thinking a ham and cheese omelet with sliced avocado and roasted tomatoes. That, plus a steaming mug of coffee, should keep my tummy happy and set the tone for the day.

That's how I'm celebrating in these weird times. Not exactly the norm but I'm finding the joy and grateful for the opportunity to greet another new year. 

How do you celebrate your birthday?

Do you have to have cake or is another dessert your go-to? 

Are you ready to embrace fall or hanging on to summer for all you're worth?

Are you looking forward to hot chocolate, snuggly blankets, and a good book? I am!

Because I believe birthday joy should be shared, two randomly chosen people who leave a comment on this post before 11:00 PM, September 21, will each receive a birthday box of books and swag from me. 

*Must be 18

*U.S. addresses only

Winners - - PJ's Italy - Part 1

The randomly chosen winners from Italy - Part 1 are:

catslady

and

Pamela Devereux

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review & Giveaway - - On the Chase

On the Chase
By Katie Ruggle
Rocky Mountain K9 Unit - Book 2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: September 5, 2017
Reviewed by PJ

Injured in the line of duty,
His orders are simple:
Stay alive.
But when a frightened woman bursts into his life, Hugh and his K9 companion have no choice but to risk everything to keep her safe.

The sole witness to a horrific crime, Kaylee Ramay flees to the Colorado Rockies to start a new life. There she becomes Grace, a dog kennel employee desperately trying to avoid attention-especially from dangerously attractive K9 Officer Hugh Murdoch.

Because Hugh is tall, dark...and nothing but trouble.

Hugh is anxious to get back in the field after an act of heroism left him warming the bench. Until then, he and his K9 partner Lexi spend their hours teasing the town's mysterious newcomer. But when their simmering attraction is nearly cut short by a sniper's bullet, Hugh's mystery woman must come clean about the secrets she keeps...

Or both of them will pay the price.

Kaylee Ramay is living her dream life in California: great job, good friends, beautiful condo, gorgeous clothes...until the evening she accompanies her new boyfriend to his uncle's home for dinner, takes a wrong turn on her way to the bathroom, and finds herself running for her life...with the mob on her heels. Now she's in a remote Colorado mountain town, with an assumed name (Grace), wearing decidedly non-designer clothing from the local thrift shop, sharing a rundown house with people she's just met, and shoveling dog poop at the local animal shelter. If she can keep a low profile, make sure nobody looks too closely into her fictitious background, and steer clear of the annoying - and way too sexy - nosy police officer who has her in his sights, she just may get out of this predicament alive. 

Hugh Murdoch is not a man prone to relaxation. On medical leave after being shot, he's driving everyone around him crazy with his attempts to convince them to let him come back to work before he's fully healed. With all that restless energy threatening to explode it's no wonder he latches onto the mystery of the new woman in town. Hugh knows when someone is lying and when someone has trouble on their tail. He's sure Grace (or whatever her real name is) hasn't given him a straight answer to a single question. She's living with his friends and Hugh is determined to make sure she isn't bringing trouble to their door. He's going to stick to her like glue. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she's intelligent, beautiful, and full of sass...and doesn't that get his engine revving! Gradually, as they spend together, they begin to become friends...then more...but then trouble finally arrives. Is it someone from Grace's past or Hugh's that has them in the crosshairs? Their only hope of a happy ending is to figure out who it is and stop them...before they both pay with their lives. 

As with her previous books, On the Chase grabbed my attention from the first pages, gradually increasing the suspense throughout and keeping me riveted to the story until the very end. It's well-paced and packed with action but also has plenty of humor and heart to balance it.

Ruggle has a talent for creating a sense of place - her small mountain town is one I'd recognize on sight - and filling it with characters that are well-formed and relatable. Her villains are ordinary enough to be chilling in their evil and the good guys, while flawed, are people in whom I'm invested and for whom I cheer. Grace and Hugh are two of those people. I appreciated Grace's strength, her refusal to give up or give in, and enjoyed watching her grow into the person she is meant to be. There are facets of Hugh's personality that would drive me crazy in real life but he's a good guy, loyal friend, and determined to protect those about whom he cares. One of those being his K9 partner, Lexi. She, Grace, and Hugh all cemented their places in my affections during one pivotal, heart-in-my-throat, scene that about sent me over the edge. 

While the main romance in this book is between Hugh and Grace/Kaylee, key characters from the first book in the series, Run to Ground, play substantial roles. We see growth in the relationship between Jules and Theo (heroine and hero of the first book), and learn more about Otto (hero of the third book, Survive the Night, due out in February 2018). We also see more of Jules' siblings with additional hints dropped about the events that brought them to Colorado. I'm hopeful that we'll have full disclosure of their story before the end of the series. 

While On the Chase can stand on its own, for maximum enjoyment, I strongly encourage readers to read Run to Ground first. I've already marked my 2018 calendar for the February release of Survive the Night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you enjoy animals in your romances?

Are you a dog or cat person? Or something else?

If you had to go on the run, which of your possessions would be most difficult to give up? What new name/job would you choose?

PJ's Birthday Month Giveaway!

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment before 11:00 PM, September 7, 2017 will receive a print set of the four books in Katie Ruggle's Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue series. (U.S. only)