Hi, everyone! If you don’t know me, I’m Lori Soard. I mainly write romance novels, and am also a nonfiction writer/editor. Welcome to my site. I’m thrilled to participate in Rave Reviews Book Club’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY. Thank you for checking out this first stop on the block party. Let’s kick things off with a bang!
My Location: Southern Indiana, USA (we have black bears here again and it is all anyone is talking about!)
Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today:
UPDATE: Congratulations to Miranda L., winner of the bundle prize. Congrats to the winners of the autographed book and $10 gift card for Amazon: JoAnn W., Janelle J., Stacey D., Linda M. I have emailed everyone and once you send me your addresses will get the prizes out to you this week. If you did not win, you can still get free copies of THE ELIXIR and “DANCING LESSONS” by clicking on the links below.
- 1 Bundle Prize of a new Kindle Fire Tablet, 7″ Display, 8 GB; autographed copy of Cupid’s Quest, and $10 Amazon Gift Card
- 4 additional prizes each to include an autographed copy of Cupid’s Quest and a $10 Amazon Gift Card
Number of Winners for this stop: 5
To enter for a chance to win one of these prizes, you need to comment on this page. RRBC Block Party organizers will gather the names of those who comment and will randomly choose winners of the prizes.
A Few Important Notes from Lori
I’m so thrilled you’ve stopped by and I’d love for you to check out my books and let me know what you think. If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll get a free short story right now. The free short story you’ll receive just for signing up for my mailing list is titled “Auction Block”. It is a sort of comedic mystery. I think you’ll like it. I’d love to hear from you and know what you think.
You can also download The Elixir and Dancing Lessons for FREE on Amazon (links below). This will give you a chance to check out my books. I hope you love them and will want to read more.
Read Free Stories and News
Sign Up for My Newsletter Here and Get “Auction Block” for FREE
FREE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE!
The Elixir
by Lori Soard
The dark parking garage with the dead body of his friend and mentor only begins Jake Walker’s problems. Soon, he is the prime suspect in Benjamin Monroe’s murder and worried that his best friend, Ben’s daughter, will believe the worst.
Celeste doesn’t know who killed her father but she does know one thing—it wasn’t Jake. As she and Jake set out to find the killer, they discover that her father unlocked the code to a fountain of youth formula. Anyone who wanted the formula could have killed him, and it was worth millions.
During their investigation, they uncover more facts and more bodies. Because they show up at every crime scene, the detectives investigating the case suspect Celeste and Jake of murder. The two go on the run until they can clear their names. But, there are more sinister forces at work than either realizes, and the deception runs as deep as the national government…
Read The Elixir for free. Download now, read later.
FREE SHORT STORY
“Dancing Lessons”
by Lori Soard
A heartwarming short story about the power of lasting love. A golden years romance tale of love that lasts forever.
“An incredibly beautiful story in such a few pages. I cried through the whole story. The story especially touched me because my late husband had Alzheimer’s.” – Lillian Ammann (5 stars)
“A sweet romance reminiscent of The Notebook without all the back story. Lori Soard gave us the important part – the eternal love between a man and wife. I have to wonder if Lori is feeling us out before taking this to a larger format. While I enjoyed this read, I hope there are more like this to come.” – Angela (5 stars)
Read “Dancing Lessons for free. Download now, read later.
About Cupid’s Quest
Cupid’s Quest is the first in my Cupid’s Crossing series. It is an inspirational romantic comedy and starts with the story of Gracie, who runs a small nursing home in town that is about to go under.
Romance stories are in my blood. I read my first romance novel at the age of nine and simply absorbed them since them. Needless to say, while the story centers around the romance between Gracie and Brandt, the heart of this story is in the nursing home residents. They are wise, cranky, funny, and just know how to live life in a way that only those who have spent many years testing out different adventures can live.
This is the story of my heart and I hope it will become the story of your heart as well. I am currently working on Book # 2 in this series, which will be called Change of Heart.
If you get a chance to read this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts or have you review it. I hope you enjoy this story and these characters.
Order Your Copy of Cupid’s Quest
Once again, thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to share your thoughts and comments below for a chance to win one of the great prizes listed at the top of this page. You must comment today, August 1st, 2016 to be entered into the drawing. Best of luck on winning my giveaways! Be sure to check out the next stop for BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY! I’ll be stopping in at future party stops as well. Enjoy!
Love,
Lori
excellent first stop on the block party express 😛
Hi Tracey,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. This block party is going to be a lot of fun.
Wonderful start to what promises to be a great blog party! I like your post. The prizes on offer are great, and I’ve happily signed up for your newsletter as well. Well done, Lori.
Thanks so much, Suzanne.
Great post! Your books sounds great! They’re going on my TBR list.
Thanks, Beth. Hope you enjoy. Drop me a note and let me know what you think.
This is my first block party and stop. I’m impressed! Your prizes are more than I expected, and I also signed up for your newsletter. Can’t wait to read your books! Thanks, Lori
Thanks, D.L. It’s my first block party, too.
Thanks Lori, I loved getting familiar with some of your books and look forward to reading your free short story. You set a high standard – something worthwhile to aspire to! All the best for today🤓
Hi Maretha,
You are too kind. Have a blessed day.
Thanks Lori, I hope you have a fabulous turn-out today. 🙂
Great start to the block party. I’ll stop by again later and read your short story.
Thanks, Michelle. Happy to kick things off.
What a great start to the block party, Lori! I have signed up for you newsletter, and will be adding your books to my TBR; they look great! 🙂 Thank you so much for the freebies and the chance at some awesome prizes. Very best of luck with everything 🙂
Thanks, Harmony. Let me know what you think when you get a chance to read them. Would love your feedback.
Hi Lori. Thanks for joining the party this year. You have a great site, & I enjoyed learning a little bit about you & your books. 😀
Hi Rhani, thanks for stopping by. 🙂
WOW, Lori, what an amazing start to the Blog Party! I’m intrigued by your books and your prizes. Have fun today!
Thanks, Gwen. It’s going to be a fun party. I’m looking forward to visiting all the other stops, too.
Wow, Lori, sensational prizes and giveaways, you are certainly setting the pace for this thrill ride of a blog party.
I like how you’ve presented your website, it’s crisp and uncluttered, a joy to scroll through.
Best wishes with your books and I hope you connect with lots of new readers.
Thanks so much, Wendy. I design sites, so that makes my heart happy to hear you liked the design.
Yes, an awesome way to begin the Block Party…
Wish you success Lori!
Thanks so much, Robert.
Wow Lori! This is starting with a BANG! Last year was great, this year is going to be something else. This is good! i like the spirit. If you know me, I always go for the free books, so I have already snagged Elixir, Thank you. I will get the short stories too. :D. Ha!
Thanks, Joy. Hope you enjoy the book and the rest of the block party.
The first Book & Blog Party stop is a great one! Your books sound wonderful so I will definitely check them out. I signed up for your newsletter but have not received a confirmation on my email. Will continue to check on that.
Happy to connect with you.
Hi Karen,
It is a double opt-in, so if you don’t get it let me know by emailing me. I can add you manually too.
It’s my first Block Party also. Fun to see your author page and the mind of material you write. Good luck with all your projects!
Thanks so much, Susan. Hope you have a fun month visiting all these wonderful sites.
I plan on it. Fun getting to know other writers. Brave you to go first.
Nice site. I checked out your other pages while I was here. You have a lot to offer. 🙂
I downloaded and read “Dancing Lessons.” What a touching short story. So much emotion in so few words. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the feedback.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks so much. I appreciate that you took the time to look around. Have a blessed day.
Wonderful prizes and a terrific first stop for the RRBC book-blog-block party. I signed up for your newsletter. Look forward to reading your offerings.
Hi Jo Ann,
Thanks so much. I usually release news sound the first week of the month and have a drawing each month.
The books sound awesome! It’s sweet to kick off this tour like this, and I’ll definitely have to check out more stuff by you! Thanks so much for welcoming us all here today!
Hi Lincoln, thanks so much. I love being able to kick the party off.
Amazing post, Lori. Your books sound like they should be on everyone’s TBR. Your newsletter sign up is an awesome way to get new readers. Congratulations on a great kick-off post.
Hi John,
Thank you very much. I really enjoy the newsletter, too. I’ve had one since 1997. Hard to imagine. It’s changed a bit, of course. Lol
I think it’s safe to say you are a busy writer! Great start to the Block Party!
Hi Neil,
Ha ha. Yes, I do stay busy. I get bored easily.
Wow, what a great way to kick off the block party, Lori. You really rolled out the red carpet for everyone! I’ve signed up for your newsletter and look forward to reading your titles!
Hi Mae,
Thank you so much. Red is my favorite color, so I couldn’t resist. 🙂
What a awesome way to start this great party and you have made this extra fun by giving away your short story. I bought your book from the link above. I’ve signed up for your newsletter and can’t wait to your posts and content! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for your support. I’d love to hear your thoughts when you finish the book.
Great kickoff to the block party and so nice to get introduced to you Lori! I have family in Indiana and loved visiting the lakes there on summer vacations when I was a child. I’m looking forward to reading Cupids Quest!
Hi Tara,
I am a born and bred Hoosier. I love it here. Which part of Indiana is your family in? It is such a big state.
La Grange. My Uncle was sheriff there.
Wow, Lori, I’m so impressed! As a nervous blog block party newbie this year, it’s great to see right off the bat “how it’s really done”! This is a great post ~ fun and informative. As a fellow lover of romance, I look forward to checking out your books! Take care, enjoy the spotlight today, have a wonderful week, and watch out for those black bears!!! 🙂 ~Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much. I’ll be sure to check out your stop on the party bus, too. We are kind of hoping we’ll see the one in our area but not from too close. I have a zoom lens. Ha ha
Great prizes and book deals, Lori! 😀 Way to go to kick off this wonderful month-long party! 😉
Hi Jan,
Thank you and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Great way to kick off the festivities, Lori! A most excellent post here. Best wishes to you!
Hi Beem, thank you so very much. Hope your day is blessed.
Hi Lori! I’m excited for you. Today will be an awesome boost for your books and your confidence. I know that last year certainly was for me. I signed up for your newsletter and I’m excited to read your books. Lots of LUCK!
Hi Linda,
Thank you. It is wonderful to chat with others this way. We have such a wonderful group of followers at #RRBC. They are very supportive.
Your books look great. I’ll be downloading. Wonderful kickoff.
Hi Sandra,
Thank you. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
What a great way to kick off the book-and-blog tour. I, too, am a romance lover. It was nice getting to know more about you.
Hi Staci,
Thank you for stopping by. I just finished re-reading Pride and Prejudice. Do you like Jane Austen?
Great kick off to our party month. Those are some serious prizes too. Hope you get a ton of traffic.
Hi Craig,
Thank you so much. I am thrilled with all the visitors. Hope everyone enjoys the freebies and good luck to all the contest entrants.
Very well done, Lori – I’m so impressed with your Block Party post today! Your books look very intriguing and I’ll look forward to checking them out! Thanks for kicking off this year’s Block Party in great style!
Hi John,
Thank you. I am enjoying kicking things off. Hope you enjoy the books. the free one above is a suspense with romance so men tend to like that one best.
Great start and impressive gifts. Hope this helps you sell more books too!
Hi Helena,
Thanks so much. I am enjoying all the visitors. Have a blessed day.
Great post and HAPPY Back to school blog. I wish you the best of luck with your books.
Thanks so much, KJ! 🙂
Hi, Lori–great site! I downloaded “Dancing Lessons” and look forward to reading it. I’m a fan of meaningful romance with a sweet message, so it looks right up my alley!
Best,
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the story.
Hi Lori
What a great way to kick off this years party. Amazing prizes AND free reads… you are spoiling us 🙂
Hi Dawn,
You’re so sweet. I hope you enjoy the free reads and good luck with the contest drawing.
Signed up for your newsletter. Thank you!
Hi Linda,
Thanks so much. Let me know what you think of the short story you’ll be sent in your confirmation.
Just saw your information on FB and thought I’d stop by. I’m interested in reading a new-to-me author, so I’ve downloaded your free stories. Thanks, Lori.
Thanks so much, Derinda. Good luck with the contest. Let me know what you think about the stories. I love to hear from my readers.
What a great way to start a party! It’s good to learn more about you Lori. I can’t wait to read some of your work. Your books look fantastic.
Hi Lizzie,
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you love the book.
GREAT prizes Lori and thanks for starting the Block Party!
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Such an awesome kick-off for the Block Party, Lori! I really love the design of your website too! I’ve signed up for your newsletter and look forward to reading and reviewing your work. Thank you kindly! 🙂
Thanks, Natalie. I appreciate your kind words.
Hi, Lori!
Nice to meet you here. I love the way you did your blog and introduced yourself and your books! I love the sound of your books, though romance isn’t really my interest, I do find myself reading those good ones. Yours got my attention here.
Wishing you great success! Keep writing!
Cheers!
S.J. Francis
Hi S.J.,
I’m glad you enjoyed my blog. I think you’d like The Elixir. It is suspense with a romance in the side. And it is free. 🙂
Thank you, Lori I shall check it out.
Keep writing!
Cheers!
S.J. Francis
Lori,
I had never visited your blog before. It’s very good, I enjoyed reading about you and your adventures.
Hi Christine,
Thanks so much. 🙂
Hi Lori~
It take some extra guts to be the first on your block to blog on the Block Party.
Great job. You have peaked my interest.
Best of luck~
Richie Gerber
Thanks, Richie. I had a sample page to look at for ideas. That helped a lot.
Hi Lori, I’ve signed up for your newsletter and I’m looking forward to reading Cupid’s Quest in the future. I spent some time working as a live-in carer for a lovely 97-year-old lady in Surrey about 10 years ago. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience so I’m sure I’ll really relate to this story. By the way, what great prizes!
Hi Renae,
You’ll have to let me know if any of my nursing home characters remind you of your friend you cared for.
I certainly will Lori! Molly (her real name was Constance but she wanted everyone to call her Molly) was a fascinating lady. I just read your very short story Auction Block and you have a great writing style. I liked the twist at the end. It made me laugh 🙂
Hi Lori
Your blog site looks great. Thanks so much for promoting “#RRBC BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY!” and the authors they represent. I am quite partial to Indie authors as my wife Jo Ann Wentzel is one. We look forward to reading some of your work. Once again thanks for all your efforts.
Hi Dan,
Thanks so much. I appreciate it. Is your wife doing the block party this year?
Love reading your books
Thanks. I appreciate that so much.
Awesome! I hope this brings you some new readers. 🙂
Blessings!
Thanks, Kimberli. Have a blessed day.
Hi Lori – great way to kick off the #RRBC BTSBB Party with a bang! BTSBB R2.0 seems to be even better and bigger than the first one and I very much enjoyed reading thru your blog!
Best of success with your writing – ! MikeL
Hi Mike,
Thanks so much. I’m looking forward to visiting the other blogs on the tour as well. Today has been a lot of fun.
Wow! I’m a little bit late getting over here. I just got a free copy of your book The Elixir and can’t wait to read it. Thanks for having us over today.
Hi Shirley,
Thanks so much. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Hope you enjoy.
What a great giveaway and a fun idea! I’ve always loved getting and giving signed books. It’s a personal touch that not everyone will get
Hi Amy,
I’m so glad you liked it. I love to read as well as write and I enjoy signed books, too.
I enjoyed The Elixir on my Kindle last month. As I read it, I couldn’t help thinking, “I KNOW HER!” I don’t know if I ever actually told you this, but you were a real encouragement and inspiration in my junior high years, Lori. I’m glad we can still be in touch via Facebook!
Hi Rachel,
This makes my heart so happy. I love that I was able to inspire you. It’s such fun to watch my young students grow into adults and discover their own talents and gifts.
Loved how you kicked off the month long party! Looking forward to reading “Dancing Stories” as I love stories that go again the typical twenty-something dreading being love-less by the OMG 30 mark (yes, I’m being totally tongue and cheek there even if that’s the norm for the genre.) I’m glad I had a chance to learn about you.
Hi Janelle,
Love is for all ages. Two of the nursing home residents in my Cupid’s Crossing series are starting a romance. I hope my readers will enjoy that side story as they read through the series.
Nice website! And your books look like something I would enjoy too.
Hi Joe,
I think you’d really enjoy The Elixir. And, it’s free, so that’s always a bonus.
Hi Lori,
What a great kickoff for the tour!! I’m signing up for your newsletter and downloading what sounds like a great short story. I am partial to them as a short story writer myself. Your books are all tempting and will be sure to be checked out. Good luck with the rest of the tour!!
Hi Micki,
Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy the short story. You’ll get a short one with your welcome letter to the newsletter as well. It’s a quick read and something a little different for me.
Awesome! Way to get the party started!
Hi A.M.!
Thanks so much. It’s been a lot of fun.
Hey Lori! I think I own most of your books. I especially enjoyed “Dear Viking” and wondered if you have any plans to republish it. Great start. Have lots of fun on the tour, Lori!
Hi Kim,
Thanks for always being such a supportive reader and friend. Yes, I do have plans to re-release DEAR VIKING later this year along with some boxed sets and a short story set. I’m also finishing up the second in Cupid’s Crossing series. However, since DEAR VIKING and the boxed sets are already written, most of the work is in the formatting, allowing me to get the work out there quickly. I’ll post when it is available. I have the cover but waiting on editing.
I also meant to say, Cupid’s Quest is coming up soon on my TBR list. I’m looking forward to it.
Oh, yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think about it.
Lori, you are brave to volunteer to be the first person to start the block party, and you set the bar high for the rest of us! 😉 After reading the blurb about The Elixir, I was so excited to download it only to realize that I already have it downloaded. Lol! I’ve also downloaded your short story. Thank you for sharing your books with us, and I look forward to sharing them with others. 🙂
Yvette,
That’s hilarious. Sounds like something I’d do. Hope you enjoy both The Elixir and “Dancing Lessons”.
Wow! A Kindle Fire! Great way to start off the RRBC Back to School Block Party! And a nice post too, by the way!
Hi Bruce,
Thanks so much. Looking forward to finding out who the drawing winners are and hope everyone else enjoys the free downloads.
A very warm thank you to everyone who stopped by site today for the #RRBC Back-To-School Blog Block Party. I had so much fun interacting with you all. My free short story went from #15 to #3 on Amazon in its category. That’s amazing. What a powerful group of readers we all are.
I’m looking forward to visiting with others throughout the rest of this month and becoming introduced to authors I haven’t read before as well as revisiting a few favorites.
Everyone have a great August!
Great blog post! Very nice read!!
Thanks, Miranda. 🙂
Miranda, I just got word and emailed you that you are the winner of the grand prize from yesterday. Congrats!
Well, Lori, looks as if you had a grand time partying today! You had tons of guests (Was there food? Did I miss it?) Nevertheless, so happy to see that you had a great time and so did your guests. Thanks for kicking off the block party and you have definitely set the bar high. Let’s see what tomorrow brings…with Harmony Kent and Christy Nicholas!
Good luck, everyone!
Way to go, RRBC!
Thanks, Nonnie. It WAS a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to visiting other stops on the block party now.
Thanks for a great blog post. Best of luck with your books!
Thanks so much, Christy!
Love the books I’ve read so far. Just downloaded the short story. Can’t wait to read it.
Aww. Thank you! Let me know what you think about “Dancing Lessons”.
Lovely to meet you, Lori! 🙂
Thanks, Nikolaos. It was nice to chat with you and so many new people through this block party. Lots of fun. Be sure to check out the other stops this month, too.
Congratulations to Miranda L., winner of the bundle prize. Congrats to the winners of the autographed book and $10 gift card for Amazon: JoAnn W., Janelle J., Stacey D., Linda M. I have emailed everyone and once you send me your addresses will get the prizes out to you this week. If you did not win, you can still get free copies of THE ELIXIR and “DANCING LESSONS” by clicking on the links below. https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Lessons-short-Lori-Soard-ebook/dp/B007AXBJ28 and https://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Lori-Soard-ebook/dp/B0166MSOUI
I’m new to this line of authors and I have found all of you to be a wonderful addition to my normal line of authors!
Hi Michelle,
Thanks so much. I love discovering new authors, too. It’s such fun. Have a blessed day.
I’m late due to a family death but I wanted to stop by and tell you that your blog is nice and would love to connect with you online. 🙂
Hi Mary,
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to stay in touch here, or on social media, too. May God comfort you and your family during this difficult time.
Thanks for the free download. Looking forward to reading that on a beach. Beautiful book covers on your romances. Thanks for sponsoring this stop on the blog tour.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you! My daughter, Caitlin, does most of my book cover designs. I love having more control over them now that I self-publish my books.
nice to meet you! great stop too! love your books!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much 🙂
I am very late getting here, but better late than never!! Your books look great. Will check them out.
Hi Karen,
Thanks so much. I appreciate you taking the time to visit. Would love to hear your thoughts on one of my books.