Welcome to my Book Review Blog. My goal is to connect readers with the wonderful and amazing books I am blessed to reveiw. And to introduce you to the talented and wonderful authors responsible for writing these books. May my love for books show through my reviews on this site.
Book Title: Grey Dawn of Dharaven Bk.1: Katz Island by Katherine E. Soto Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 417 pages Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Rhetoric Askew Publication Date: February 24, 2022. Tour dates: March 28 to April 15 Content Rating: PG
Book Description:
A fantasy adventure book about an archeology expedition that heads off into uncharted areas on Katz Island on the planet Dharaven. Earth Dragon Clan born archaeologist Grey Dawn Fields leads to a team of explorers and archaeologists into the wilds of Katz Island looking for a human underground settlement. She’s seen it on an ancient map found in an antiquarian store. That’s when the problems start, and they’re not only coming from the island. When they arrive on Katz Island the expedition is forced to wonder why they are even there when they find little in the first valley the team ground searches. The second valley is more promising as it shows signs of old habitation in its cliff caverns. It’s still not what Grey is looking for.
When an Earth Dragon attacks the second camp looking for food, then dies leaving a baby Earth dragon behind; Grey realizes she has trouble on her hands. Between training a baby Earth Dragon and her archaeology expedition duties Grey is required to stretch her problem solving capabilities and is forced to rely on her friends, colleagues and even her Earth Dragon Clan for help.
Is there an ancient human underground settlement on Katz Island or is Grey on a crazy quest to find something that does not exist? Grey’s archaeology career rests on her ability to solve every problem that stands in her way of success. Readers of fantasy adventure books will be captivated by this book.
Katherine E. Soto is a writer of fantasy novels. Her passion for writing started in high school with free form poetry writing, although she does remember creative story writing at an early age. Katherine enjoys composing short stories, flash fiction, poetry, sci-fi/fantasy novels, and nonfiction. She wrote her first fantasy novel in 2019 and it was published in 2022.
In this new coastal series, Lin Stepp transports her readers into the rich, colorful lives of Burke and her sisters, Lila, Gwen, and Celeste, who grew up at the Deveaux Inn and Lighthouse on a windswept island, accessible only by boat. Get ready to be introduced to the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, challenges and adventures of a Lighthouse Keeper.
Life had grown hard for Burke Deveaux at the family inn and lighthouse since her father died. She missed his warmth and still expected to see him walking into a room, his big laugh booming. Burke and her mother were gradually adjusting to the change, and Lila had come home this winter to help, but the workload was heavy. With spring coming and tourism picking up in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Burke welcomed Hal Jenkins’ request for his son Waylon to work for them. Waylon, retiring early from the Navy, knew the island and the lighthouse, having grown up nearby. Burke also knew Waylon well since they’d grown up together. He’d always been older, and she wondered how he’d see her now.
Waylon had been away from Edisto Island for over twelve years now, traveling around the world in the military, but it felt good to be home. He’d hated learning Lloyd Deveaux was gone, the warm-hearted Lighthouse Keeper he’d followed around as a boy. But he liked the idea of coming to stay at the lodge at Watch Island to help the Deveaux family with the inn, lighthouse, and nearly five-hundred acres of land the Lighthouse Station occupied. He knew Burke had picked up many of her father’s old tasks and he looked forward to seeing her again. He’d kept feelings for her clamped down for years but one look at her brought them surging back. How would he handle that with them working together?
I so much enjoyed Burke and her story in this beautiful story. Author Lin Stepp created characters readers will learn to love and enjoy their journey. I loved visiting Edisto Island in this first book in The Lighthouse Sisters and Burke and her entire family quickly became my favorite characters. Well I have to include Waylon. I found the chemistry between he and Burke was so sweet and believable, It was like the story of real friends.
The historical scenes were so vivid the way Stepp wrote them, and I loved the lighthouse and the historical family inn that’s been in their family a long time, it makes everything more enjoyable. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series. Light the Way by Lin Stepp is for those who love a sweet historical family read with a little bit of romance added in. I encourage you to check it out.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
PRAISE FOR LIN STEPP AND HER RICH SOUTHERN NOVELS:
“This book feels just as tranquil as Edisto and has a wonderful, laid back flow, like beautiful ocean waves lapping up on the shore … you can’t help but fall in love with every facet of this novel.” – Christ F. JUST READS Review
“From the stunning backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry … this book was like going home.” – Kim Standridge Boykin, Bestselling Author of Palmetto Moon
“Each book showcases Lin Stepp’s natural gift as a novelist for originality and narrative driven storytelling.” – MIDWEST REVIEW
About the Author
Lin Stepp is a native Tennessean, businesswoman and educator. A New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon best-selling international author, Lin has twenty published novels out now, including her twelve beloved Smoky Mountain novels, all set in different Tennessee and North Carolina locations, three Mountain Home books, a novella in one of Kensington’s Christmas anthologies, and four South Carolina coastal novels, including her three Edisto Trilogy books and her first release in the new Lighthouse Sisters series. Lin and her husband J.L. also write regional guidebooks, including a published Smoky Mountain hiking guide and a TN and a SC state parks guidebook, all filled with hundreds of color photos. Stepp’s latest 2022 releases are Eight at the Lake, set in Dandridge near the Smoky Mountains, and Light the Way, set at the SC coast. Writing and adventuring are her joys and more novels set in the Smokies and at the beach are on the way, as well as more colorful regional guidebooks. Lin’s title Claire At Edisto was the 2019 Best Book Award Winner in Fiction: Romance, sponsored by American Book Fest and her novel Welcome Back a finalist in the 2017 Selah Awards. Lin enjoys speaking for events, festivals, libraries, and book clubs. And she loves reading, hiking, exploring out of doors, and keeping up with her readers. Look for her pages on Facebook and Twitter and follow her monthly blog and newsletter, too, that you will find on her website at: http://www.linstepp.com
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The Literary Lobbyist will be awarding one $25 and one $50 Amazon or B/N GC to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Award-winning freelance journalist Javacia Harris Bowser is convinced that writing is a superpower. She sees her life as proof of it since writing has helped her navigate marriage, crisis of faith and body image issues. It also helped her to beat cancer.
As a Black woman from the South, Javacia has used the written word to explore issues of gender and race as well as religion. Find Your Way Back is a collection of essays that demonstrate how Javacia has used writing to achieve some of her wildest dreams such as being a public speaker, having her own column, and being her own boss. The book also explores how writing, self-love, and faith helped her overcome her worst nightmare: a cancer diagnosis in 2020. Javacia’s goal is to show readers how writing can transform their lives as well. The book includes prompts throughout to help readers start their own writing journey.
This book is for the woman who has wanted to write since she was a girl but struggles to find the time or the courage to put her words on paper. Find Your Way Back, shows that instead of putting writing on the back burner when life gets turned upside down, we should turn to it to help life make sense again.
Read an Excerpt
– from I’m Feeling Lucky – and Enraged
When it comes to health care, I’ve always been lucky. My lupus diagnosis in 2008 didn’t come after spending years visiting doctor after doctor, searching for answers to questions of chronic pain. I mentioned my fatigue, achy joints, vitiligo spots, and bouts of Raynaud’s disease to my primary care physician at the time as casually as someone rattling off a grocery list. She looked at me and said, “We need to test you for lupus.”
Years later, in a new state with a new doctor, I once again had a proactive primary care doc who urged me to get a mammogram, even though I was in my thirties. Breast cancer is often diagnosed in its later stages for women under forty, which means the survival rate is lower and the recurrence rate is higher. And while Black women and white women get breast cancer at about the same rate, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed before age 45 and, regardless of age, Black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than white women.
Even when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age thirty-eight, I still felt lucky. I felt lucky that I had insurance that covered my treatment. I felt lucky that whenever I said I was in pain, my doctors and nurses believed me and scrambled to do something about it.
I felt lucky because in 2020, thirty million people were uninsured, and about half of those were people of color, according to The Brookings Institution, a research and public policy organization in Washington, DC. I felt lucky because both anecdotal evidence and published studies reveal that many medical professionals don’t take Black people’s pain seriously. According to a 2016 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, half the medical students surveyed had false beliefs such as “black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s.” And trainees who believed that Black people are not as sensitive to pain as white people were less likely to treat Black people’s pain appropriately.
The staggering Black maternal mortality rates show that this type of implicit bias can be deadly. According to the CDC, each year about seven hundred people in the United States die during pregnancy or the year after. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. I feel lucky, and I feel angry because I shouldn’t feel lucky! Affordable health care and being listened to and taken seriously by your doctors should be the norm for everyone.
I will use my privilege and my platform to try to do something about this. I’ve written stories about the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which seeks to use legislation to address every aspect of the maternal health crisis in America. And I’ve written about the CDC’s Hear Her campaign, which seeks to improve communication between patients and their doctors and help to make healthcare providers, patients, and their families more aware of the warning signs of potentially life-threatening complications. I’ve had the chance to be a voice for other breast cancer patients of color in sessions with healthcare providers thanks to the work of organizations like the Tigerlily Foundation, which provides breast cancer education, awareness, advocacy and support for women ages 15 to 45, with a focus on women of color.
Even though I’m a writer, sometimes words aren’t enough. So, I will keep writing, but I also will keep fighting.
About the Author
Javacia Harris Bowser is an award-winning essayist and journalist and the founder of See Jane Write. A proud graduate of the journalism programs at the University of Alabama and the University of California at Berkeley, Javacia has written for USA Today, HerMoney.com, and Good Grit magazine. Named one of Birmingham’s Top 40 Under 40, she believes we can all write our way to the life of our dreams.
Genre: Cozy Mystery Published by: Finngirl, LLC Publication Date: December 2021 Number of Pages: 206 ISBN: 978-1-7335675-7-2 Series: A Julia Fairchild Mystery, #4 || Each is a stand Alone Novel Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ABOUT THE BOOK
A wealthy banker with a long list of secrets dies.
The bizarre crime scene stumps the local police…
… but a young doctor could be the key to solving the case.
Internist Julia Fairchild encounters banker Jay moments too late – the poor man is near death in his own dining room. At first no one can figure out what killed him, but the coroner soon confirms that it was homicide: Jay died of methanol poisoning, and now a murderer is on the loose. Julia knows how to catch a killer and she can cut through the noise like a scalpel through skin. She agrees to help the understaffed police force solve the case, but each clue only complicates her investigation further.
Can Julia dissect the deadly riddle and nail the perp, or will this be the first time a monster succeeds in giving her the slip?
If you love Louise Penny, Kelly Oliver, and PC James, you need this medical mystery! Find out why fans say, “I love the character Julia Fairchild!”
This is the fourth book of Julia Fairchild Mystery Series and the first book I’ve read in this series. For me it reads on as a standalone. I really like Julia and enjoyed following her journey trying to find whodunit! I found that all of the unique characters created by the author and the vivid details of each of the scenes in the book to be quite realistic. Sometimes it was like reading the newspaper, except for Julia and her sleuthing. It was rather interesting that she seems to be a step ahead of the police.
If you enjoy a good cozy mystery with many twists and turns, you will love One Will Too Many by PJ Peterson. I will say that guess who the culprit is will not be as easy as you think. Just when I thought I may know the answer, another twist, another turn in the story happens. But I did like that the story was so difficult to know what would happen. It kept me on my toes, and turning the pages until the end. I’m giving One Will Too Many Four Stars. I hope you will check this Cozy Mystery out for your own enjoyment!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery Published by: Finngirl, LLC Publication Date: December 2021 Number of Pages: 206 ISBN: 978-1-7335675-7-2 Series: A Julia Fairchild Mystery, #4 || Each is a stand Alone Novel Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Julia arrived at the Hotel Montpelier just as Drake drove up. She took advantage of his simultaneous presence to make a proper entrance to the celebration in the Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. It had recently been refurbished to its original grandeur from the early 1920’s. She admired the beauty of the ceilings with their Art Deco design, recently uncovered by the removal of a false ceiling from a previous “upgrade.” The beautiful wood floor with exquisite inlaid mosaics shone from a recent floor polishing. The cherry and mahogany woodwork glistened in the light from the elegant crystal chandeliers which had also been hidden until now.
Julia and Drake were greeted by some of the other members of the restoration committee. Drake was the designated master of ceremonies while Julia’s primary duty was to personally welcome as many of the potential donors as possible and say a few words in support of the project. He certainly looked the part tonight in a well-cut black velvet tuxedo. His dark hair was touched with silver—just enough to give him a classy look. He stood tall and proud as he walked through the crowd, nodding to some and saying a word or two to other attendees.
Julia searched the assembled festival attendees for familiar faces as Drake gently guided her to an older man and woman. He placed his hand at the small of her back as he addressed the wealthy couple. “Julia, I’d like to introduce Mr. And Mrs. George Oglethorpe. They have been long-time supporters of the theatre.”
Julia stepped forward a half-step and extended her hand. “I’m Julia Fairchild. I’m honored to meet you. I love our theatre, too.”
The woman’s face brightened as she recognized the name. “Of course! Dr. Fairchild. Call me Anna. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.” She took Julia’s hand in both of hers. “You’re so young and pretty for a doctor.”
Julia reddened. She actually felt a little mousey most days, but conceded to herself that she did ‘clean up’ nicely for such events. “Thank you. I was blessed with good genes. How long have you and your husband lived in Parkview?”
“My goodness. Forever. Right out of college anyway. George heard about the paper mill here looking for mechanical engineers and applied right away.” She smiled proudly at him. “We love the town and were never inclined to leave once we settled in. Isn’t that right, dear?” Her husband nodded between sips of his drink. “Are you from here?”
“Not from Parkview. I grew up down the highway on a small farm. My grandma persuaded me to come home and here I am.” Julia felt her eyes well up as she recalled warm memories of time spent with her grandparents. “Thank you for your support of our lovely theatre. The restoration committee will be sharing the plans for the renovation during the program.”
Julia felt Drake’s arm around her waist as he interceded. “Thank you for coming this evening. Please excuse us. I see someone who is clamoring to talk with Dr. Fairchild before the dinner starts.”
Drake took Julia’s arm and as they turned around, they found Gregory Lantz and his wife Sandy who had been standing right behind them. “Greg! So good to see you here tonight. Thanks for coming.” They exchanged nods and handshakes. “Julia is standing in for Karen tonight. She’s also supporting the project.” Julia smiled and nodded. Aside from the perfunctory smiles, Julia sensed a tension between the men, and she moved a step away from Drake to better observe them both.
Greg stirred his gin and tonic vigorously. “I’ve talked with some of the members of the board at the bank, but I don’t have a definite commitment yet for a donation. I think we can come through for $50,000. But nothing close to the million dollars that everyone seems to think the bank can donate.”
“Greg, any amount would be great. I understand it’s been a little tough with the new bank still getting started.” Drake Ashford was the president of the older, long-established Parkview National Bank. He was aware that despite heavy advertising and promotions, the new River City Community Bank was not yet meeting expectations. He was also acutely sensitive to the loss of some of his own banking clients to the new bank, where Greg was Vice President.
Greg bristled. “Actually, we’re meeting our numbers and seeing new business every day. I would think you would have noticed already.” He smirked.
“We’ve noticed a little change, but we’re prepared to handle it.” Drake took a large swallow of his scotch. “Please excuse us. I have some other people to greet. Talk to you later, Greg.” Drake and Julia moved away.
“That man really annoys me,” Drake said under his breath. “He’s so naive. He doesn’t see how Jay is using him. He’s just a ‘yes’ man. But I guess it makes him feel important.”
“What do you mean?” Julia asked, nodding and smiling at some of the faces she recognized. She knew he referred to Jay Morrison, recently divorced and head of the new bank. She felt Drake’s hand shaking as he maneuvered her through the crowd.
“I’ll tell you later. Too many ears here.” He surveyed the guests nearby. “Let’s see…there’s Warren Pontell and his lovely wife Sarah. He’s talked about making a major contribution. His wife was a theatre actress in her younger days. And they have money to burn.” He turned to Julia and wiggled his eyebrows, à la Groucho Marx.
Drake and Julia chatted with the Pontells for a few minutes, using the time to emphasize the benefits of the smaller venue of the “little theatre.” It was designed to be an intimate stage setting with seating for about one hundred fifty people. Until recently, the area had been used for storage and was marginally functional for stage events in its current state.
Julia had found herself daydreaming but tuned back in when she heard Mr. Pontell say, “We’d like to donate $50,000 for the little theatre. Perhaps you can find a way to let us have something to say about naming it.” He grinned broadly as his wife beamed.
“Warren, that’s wonderful!” said Drake. “I’ll talk with the board of directors about naming opportunities. Let me get back to you on details for your donation. Thank you.”
Now grinning, Drake gently guided Julia toward Adam Johns, an influential man in the local union hierarchy, and his wife. He had started working at ESCO Paper Company right out of high school and had worked his way up from the labor pool to an electrician apprenticeship and then to a journeyman electrician. His constituents considered him to be fair and honest. He had an unofficial status in the union as a leader, although he didn’t have an elected or paid position as such.
Adam tugged at the neck of his dress shirt and pulled at the bottom of his dark blue waistcoat. The jacket gaped over his generous girth. He looked uncomfortable in his tuxedo. Julia was sure her mother would have said something like “putting perfume on a goat,” but most likely his wife had insisted he dress up for this occasion. He certainly looked impressive at his height of six foot three inches.
“Mr. and Mrs. Johns, good evening,” said Drake as he offered his hand. “Do you know Dr. Julia Fairchild? She’s helping to support the Theatre Restoration project as we all are.”
“We sure do,” said Adam, returning the handshake. “Dr. Fairchild, you took care of my mom several years back. She was real sick but you got her well and she’s fine now. Thanks to you. In fact, she’s going on a cruise through the Panama Canal with her church group this coming week. She’s always wanted to go on that trip.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Johns. I do remember your mom—Violette, I believe? She’s a lovely lady with a lot of spunk.” Julia shook his hand before turning to his wife. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Johns.”
Mr. Johns turned back to Drake. “Mr. Ashford, some of the guys at the mill want to know if you had talked with our union officials yet about the stock trading going on with our pension funds. And if you know anything, they hope you can tell them. And call me Adam. My wife is Linda.”
“Yes, Adam. I talked with a Scott Sowders in Portland. He’s looking into whether those trading fees can be traced back to any individuals. May I call you when I know something more?”
“Sure. You can call me at ESCO. The operator knows how to reach me. Thanks a lot, Mr. Ashford.”
“You can call me Drake, please. I’ll call you soon and we’ll go from there. Thanks again for being here tonight.”
“Hey. It’s an alright party. My wife is always trying to get me to gussy up. It’s more fun than I thought it would be.” He grinned and saluted with his cocktail.
Julia saw the auctioneer heading their way and alerted Drake. “I’ll check my lipstick while you talk with him. Where are we sitting?”
“Main table,” he said, pointing to the center of the long side of the room. He scowled. “Unfortunately, it appears we’re seated next to Jay Morrison, of all people.”
***
Excerpt from One Will Too Many by PJ Peterson. Copyright 2022 by PJ Peterson. Reproduced with permission from PJ Peterson. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
PJ is a retired internist who enjoyed the diagnostic part of practicing medicine as well as creating long-lasting relationships with her patients. As a child she wanted to be a doctor so she could “help people.” She now volunteers at the local Free Medical Clinic to satisfy that need to help. She loved to read from a young age and read all the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew books she could find. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she wrote anything longer than short stories for English classes and term papers in others. Writing mysteries only makes sense given her early exposure to that genre. Sprinkling in a little medical mystique makes it all the more fun.
When Julie Wagner’s identical twin Jade goes missing, Julie travels to New York intent on pretending to be her sister so she can unravel the truth. There, she meets the the only person who has ever been able to tell them apart. Together, can she and her sister’s neighbor unravel a shady restaurant owner’s mysteries and find Jade?
A Fractured Family Healed…
Matt Callahan has lived across the hall from Jade Wagner for a year, but never understood the pain behind her eyes. When her sister appears in his apartment building, he is amazed at the differences he sees in the twins. As he helps Julie find her twin, he discovers that she just might be the answer to helping his own fractured family.
Karen Malley lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full-time as a scientist but fits writing in her spare time whenever possible. This usually means writing in her pajamas on weekend mornings while the rest of the family is asleep. When not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, playing board games, and especially reading! She loves reading faith-based stories because we can all use a happy ending.
Karen loves to hear from her readers. You can connect with her on her website:
http://www.KarenMalley.com. Sign up for her newsletter and you’ll receive a free short story in your mailbox each week.
More from Karen
Sunflowers and Suspicions is the third full book in the Pine Springs series. While you may discover some spoilers from the previous books, this book can be read as a standalone. I wrote Sunflowers in Suspicions because I loved the characters so much, I wanted their stories to continue!
This was a fun book to write. Julie was a minor character in the previous books in the series, and her story needed to be told. Living in the shadow of a glamorous twin sister hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm for life, but her self-esteem suffered a hit, making it difficult to believe a guy could be interested in her instead of her sister. Most of us have been there! God promises He’s given gifts to all His children, but if our gifts don’t seem to measure up to those we perceive others have, we lose our joy.
Granted, Julie has a lot more than that to deal with – her twin sister goes missing, and her former boss may know more than he’s letting on. Couple that with feelings of inadequacy since all her friends have special guys and the fact the guy Julie starts to fall for seems more interested in her sister, and it’s easy for her to feel second rate. God never wants that for us. While Sunflowers and Suspicions is a tale of suspense and romance, it also taught me a thing or two about accepting myself for who God made me to be. I hope it does the same for you!
To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of e-copy of Sunflowers and Suspicions, an 11 x 14 canvas print of a sunflower, and some jewelry: two beaded bracelets, one bangle bracelet, a heart necklace, and a keychain!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Book Title: Grace Among Thieves (A Grace Michelle Mystery) by Kari Bovee Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 315 Genre: Historical Mystery Publisher: Bosque Publishing Release date: Feb 15, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA and Canada Content Rating: PG. Some Mild Language
Book Description:
A priceless heirloom worth its weight in lives. Can she crack the case before she becomes a killer’s trophy?
Hollywood, 1924. Grace Michelle’s professional star has risen. Now a successful costumier for a major studio, the ambitious woman has just about everything she wants. But when the father she thought was dead reaches out to reconnect, the talented designer doesn’t know what to think… especially after his new wife is kidnapped.
Discovering her dad is mixed up with a stolen Russian artifact, Grace puts her sleuthing skills to work to rescue the abducted lady. But with a famous actress murdered in connection with the missing valuable and a man she put away stalking her for revenge, the frazzled amateur detective fears getting to the bottom of this crime will leave her six feet under.
Can she hunt down the treasure before it bankrupts the lives of everyone she loves?
Grace Among Thieves is the nail-biting third book in the Grace Michelle Mystery historical series. If you like bright-but-beset heroines, breathtaking twists and turns, and the glamor of a lost age, then you’ll adore Kari Bovée’s riveting tale.
I was happy to join Grace again in this third book in A Grace Michelle Mystery. I have enjoyed this series so much. This time, Grace is in the middle of stolen artifacts with her dad guilty of having something to do with it. Her dad, who she thought was dead, but he shows up after all these years, married. But with his wife kidnapped, this story takes on a new adventure as Grace takes on this case, hoping to get to the bottom of it before she is in the killers view as well.
Another amazing and fun Grace story. I love meeting the new characters in this story, along with settling back with the characters I love so much from this series. I enjoyed Grace’s sleuthing skills as she goes after her dad’s wife, trying to find who has her. The journey is not an easy one at all. With all of the twists and turns popping up everywhere throughout the story, it is impossible to figure out what is really going on. Author Kari Bovee does a fantastic job writing this one. I’m giving Grace Among Thieves Five Stars! I encourage you to check this book out for your own enjoyment.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Also on Tour:
Book Details:Book Title:
Grace in the Wings – A Grace Michelle Mystery by Kari Bovee Category:
Book has mature themes; adultery, murder, bigamy, but there is no bad language.
Book Description:A ghost from her past. Her sister murdered. Can Grace slay her demons and find the killer before she ends up dead?
New York City, 1920. Grace Michelle has everything she wants: a home, a family, and a future career as a costume designer for famed showman Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.’s Ziegfeld Follies. Pretty good for a girl who once lived on the streets of New York City. But when her sister, Sophia, the star of the show, is murdered, Grace’s safe and protected life is shattered.
Battle-scarred by the war and emotionally scarred by his past, Chet Riker has made it a practice to keep his distance from others; love, after all, leads only to pain. But Chet has a problem—a big one: he’s become indebted to mob-boss Joe Marciano in an attempt to save his estranged mother’s life, and Marciano wants him to pay up or else. Desperate to get the money, he contacts former client Florenz Ziegfeld for work.
Soon, Chet finds himself playing bodyguard for introverted Grace, who has reluctantly agreed to be Ziegfeld’s new leading lady—on the condition that Ziegfeld promises to find Sophia’s killer. Upon meeting Grace, Chet quickly finds his hardened theory that love equals pain tested. Grace, meanwhile, is swept up in a life she never wanted as the Follies’ star, and as the pawn in a series of publicity stunts during a transcontinental train trip to California that puts her life at risk. Who would want her and Sophia dead? Together, she and Chet must confront publicity-hungry Florenz Ziegfeld, power-driven Joe Marciano, and their own pasts to find Sophia’s killer—and let themselves love once again.
Book has mature themes; adultery, murder, bigamy, but there is no bad language.
Book Description:
All that glitters… is sometimes blood. With her golden ticket buried in the ground, can she save a wrongly accused teen from the gallows?
Hollywood, 1924. Promoted to lead costume designer of a star-studded film, Grace Michelle should be on top of the world. But between her husband’s debt, her sister’s recent death, and the troubled teenaged girl she’s fostering, she’s struggling to please everyone and still keep a smile on her face. And when a Tinseltown shindig turns deadly, Grace is horrified to discover her young charge unconscious alongside the director’s grisly corpse.
Determined to prove the girl’s innocence, Grace’s own haunted past fills her sleep with prophetic nightmares. And no sooner has she sought clarity from a medium than a second body lands the scared teenager in the slammer.
Can Grace turn the camera on the real culprit before another victim ends up on the cutting room floor?
Grace in Hollywood is the second book in the riveting A Grace Michelle Mystery historical series. If you like fiercely loyal heroines, thrilling whodunits, and the magic of old cinema, then you’ll love Kari Bovee’s enthralling tale.
When she’s not on a horse riding along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovée is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined in her historical mystery novels.
Kari Bovée writes the award-winning Annie Oakley mystery series and the Grace Michelle mystery series. In 2020, she was honored with First Place in category for the Chanticleer International Clue Awards for her book Folly at the Fair. In 2019 she was awarded the NM/AZ Book Awards Hillerman Award for her novel Girl with a Gun. The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the Mystery/Crime category, and won First in Category in the International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards. It was also a finalist in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel Grace in the Wings won First in Category for the 2019 International Chanticleer Chatelaine Awards. Peccadillo at the Palace won Grand Prize in the 2019 Goethe Awards, and was a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical Fiction category.
Kari Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kate S. Martin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
“You keep it on the inside because that’s the safest way to hide.”
Fifteen-year-old Elliot ‘Matchstick’ Hart spends his days caring for his mum and hiding from the school bully.
Fifteen-year-old Josh McBride spends his days tormenting Elliot and avoiding his abusive stepdad.
Hoping to save his mum, Elliot embarks on an adventure inspired by a picture in an old newspaper. Little does he know that Josh has decided to join him.
On their journey, strangers and surprises force them to look at each other in a different light. As secrets are revealed, will they reconcile their differences or will the secrets tear them further apart?
Read an Excerpt
I’m walking faster than usual, not only because it’s raining heavily, and I am soaked through, but I’m angry. I’m not sure if I am angry at my mum or the whole damn situation. I want to get home, get out of these stupid clothes, and hide under a duvet with my book. I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird now. Mr. Marshall recommended it to me, so Sydney found a copy at the library and put it aside. I’m up to the part where Miss Maudie’s house has burnt down, and I’m eager to know what will happen next.
Marching past the terraced houses, I can’t help but sneak another look in. I see one house where two boys are running around their living rooms with lightsabers; I see dads working on computers in their offices and mums coming home from work being greeted with hugs and laughter. I see lives upon lives that I don’t have and what I want, so very, very much. I want a home with noise and chaos and giggles. I want younger brothers that annoy the hell out of me and a dad that lifts me up onto his shoulders and ducks down, so I don’t hit my head on the door frame. I want family dinners around a kitchen table, where someone shouts at you if you leave without asking permission. I want. I want. I want. I once heard Tom say I want, doesn’t get but it’s not like I’m asking for lots of money or a new house. I want a normal family.
About the Author:
Kate grew up in a small town in Lancashire, England with her mum, dad, and two older brothers. A bit of a tomboy, she loved nothing more than going out for adventures with her brothers, as long as she was back before dark.
She studied English at Reading University and gained a teaching qualification at Manchester. Nowadays, Kate spends her days teaching English at a local high school in Cheshire and her evenings are spent writing stories close to her heart.
She believes teenage years can be particularly difficult and wants to create stories that show empathy and hope for her readers. She lives with her husband, two children, and Jessie, the miniature schnauzer.
Book has mature themes; adultery, murder, bigamy, but there is no bad language.
Book Description:A ghost from her past. Her sister murdered. Can Grace slay her demons and find the killer before she ends up dead?
New York City, 1920. Grace Michelle has everything she wants: a home, a family, and a future career as a costume designer for famed showman Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.’s Ziegfeld Follies. Pretty good for a girl who once lived on the streets of New York City. But when her sister, Sophia, the star of the show, is murdered, Grace’s safe and protected life is shattered.
Battle-scarred by the war and emotionally scarred by his past, Chet Riker has made it a practice to keep his distance from others; love, after all, leads only to pain. But Chet has a problem—a big one: he’s become indebted to mob-boss Joe Marciano in an attempt to save his estranged mother’s life, and Marciano wants him to pay up or else. Desperate to get the money, he contacts former client Florenz Ziegfeld for work.
Soon, Chet finds himself playing bodyguard for introverted Grace, who has reluctantly agreed to be Ziegfeld’s new leading lady—on the condition that Ziegfeld promises to find Sophia’s killer. Upon meeting Grace, Chet quickly finds his hardened theory that love equals pain tested. Grace, meanwhile, is swept up in a life she never wanted as the Follies’ star, and as the pawn in a series of publicity stunts during a transcontinental train trip to California that puts her life at risk. Who would want her and Sophia dead? Together, she and Chet must confront publicity-hungry Florenz Ziegfeld, power-driven Joe Marciano, and their own pasts to find Sophia’s killer—and let themselves love once again.
I really loved this book! Sophia and Grace Mitchell were living on the streets as young girls because their parents were both killed in an accident. They were taken in by movie producer Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. When he found the two living on the streets near his theater. He gave them both a job and paid for everything for them growing up. In the meantime, Chet Riker finds himself in need of some work, so he asks Ziegfeld for work. That’s where he met Grace, but she was too endebted to Ziegfeld to pursue anything with anyone. But then those circumstances change after some horrific happenings that leave one murdered and someone responsible. Join Grace and the gang in this awesome read by Kara Bovée.
This is one good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Most of the characters were amazing, and I loved getting to know them as the story unfolds. Grace was my favorite of all, she had the sweetest caring personality. But on thr other hand, I could hardly read about mob-boss Joe Marciano and his goonies, but the bad guys have to be there to create some action and irritate people to make the book better, don’t they? There is so much much to this story, involving Marciano and some of the others I can’t touch on it without giving part of the plot away, so you need to just read for yourself.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Meet the Author:
When she’s not on a horse riding along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovée is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined in her historical mystery novels.
Kari Bovée writes the award-winning Annie Oakley mystery series and the Grace Michelle mystery series. In 2020, she was honored with First Place in category for the Chanticleer International Clue Awards for her book Folly at the Fair. In 2019 she was awarded the NM/AZ Book Awards Hillerman Award for her novel Girl with a Gun. The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the Mystery/Crime category, and won First in Category in the International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards. It was also a finalist in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel Grace in the Wings won First in Category for the 2019 International Chanticleer Chatelaine Awards. Peccadillo at the Palace won Grand Prize in the 2019 Goethe Awards, and was a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical Fiction category.
Kari Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant.
Helping the orphan children in Richmond just might overturn everything Gracie thought she knew, including the value of love.
Gracie Williams has always had an adventurous streak, which led her from her home in the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, Virginia, where she can devote her life to the orphan children. Though her beauty has brought on the advances of many men, she has no plans to marry, and finds suitors an unfortunate irritation she doesn’t have time for—much to her parents’ chagrin.
When she befriends Matthew Weston, the mature and serious orphanage superintendent, she confides in him and believes he shares her goals. Neither are prepared for the sparks that fly. Tension grows as Matthew falls in love with her, yet realizes he is just another man in the long line of would-be suitors.
A family crisis, an orphan train, and the plight of a sweet orphan named Emma throw the couple together in deep and meaningful ways. But will this be enough for Gracie to embrace a new way of thinking, and the gift of love that only true soul mates can share?
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Shenandoah Brides series by Blossom Turner. In the first three books, three sisters have had their amazing stories told, now this fourth book in the series focuses on the life of Gracie. After visiting an orphanage in Florida, Gracie feels God calling her to help the wonderful children in this orphanage. She is determined that this work will fulfill her life, and she has no need for a husband. The trouble is that Gracie is the beauty of the family, and even before she was old enough to date, she had all the guys after her. She just pleasantly turns them down. Gracie is overjoyed when she reaches the clinic and starts working, but the director of the clinic is another story. Matthew’s attraction to Gracie is so strong that there is no way he can work closely with her every day. Join Gracie, her family, and friends as she follows her heart and determines to do the work God has called her to do.
I have loved Blossom Turner book from the time I started reading the first book. I can feel the love and passion on each page of her books. I adore Gracie, and this is her story. She is such a sweet person and wants to be nice to everyone, but that doesn’t always turn out so good because men just don’t understand. All Gracie wants is to volunteer at the orphanage and help the children. I loved Matthews reaction when Gracie showed up at the orphanage to work. I love their interactions together even though Gracie doesn’t have a clue that she is driving Matthew crazy. But could God be teaching Matthew patience and to wait on His timing? And she does end up being just what the orphanage needed after all.
Another thing I love and appreciate about Gracie’s Surrender is the way Ms. Turner writes the Christian life into the lives of her characters. That doesn’t mean their lives are perfect, as you will see. There is much more to this book than I have room for her. You need to read this book for yourself to get every little nugget of excitement there is in this fabulous read. I love the sweet ending and the way Ms. Turner weaves all of the bits and pieces together and come up with a wonderful ending that will stay with me until the next book! I’m giving Gracie’s Surrender Five Stars and would give it more if I could.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review; the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
About the Author
Blossom Turner is a freelance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, an avid blogger and published novelist of the Word Guild semi-finalist Anna’s Secret. However, she has found her home in the writing of historical fiction. The power of love and romance is authentically woven into the Shenandoah Bride Series about five sisters and their love stories. She and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Read more at blossomturner.com.
More from Blossom
Do You Enjoy Romance That Keeps You Thinking Days Later?
Long before I knew I could write, I loved to read. Being a hopeless romantic, I gravitated to all romance stories either contemporary or historical. I soon realized that finding clean fiction, but still written with the passion God created us to experience, was hard to find. (Song of Solomon is a good example of the expression of passion and love between a man and woman without being explicit.)
Given the gift of a writing career later in life, one thing was for sure…I wanted to write what I like to read. Clean romance does not need to be boring. As each story pours out, I realize that writing historical fiction is my passion. I finally know what I was born to do. My favorite theme was an arranged marriage…so birthed the first book of the Shenandoah Brides that has now morphed into a series of five sisters and their five love stories. March 8, 2022 is launch day for book four called Gracie’s Surrender.
Where-as book one was set in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, post-civil war, the second book Amelia’s Heartsong took place in the big city of Richmond, Virginia where balls, debutants, pomp and circumstance matter. The third book, Lucinda’s Defender unfolded back in the valley, and this fourth one takes place once again in Richmond. However, you will find a very different Richmond than in book two, for Gracie has a life mission to help the underprivileged orphans.
The backdrop for this fourth book includes the historical orphan train, street urchins, and the love for children in the orphanage to which Gracie and Matthew devote their life. Gracie, who feels men are just a distraction, is in for a grand surprise. Much to Gracie’s vexation, awareness, attraction, and alas, even love grow for her serious but well-meaning superintendent, Matthew. I promise this read will be a romantic page turner with grit and impact that will keep you awake into the wee hours of the morning.
Although this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, enjoying the whole series as the family saga unfolds will deepen the experience.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed the write. I love to hear from my readers.
When the daughter of a high-profile businessman disappears from an exclusive girls’ boarding school, police detective Cate Reilly is tapped for an undercover assignment. It doesn’t take her long to realize that beneath its veneer of polish and wealth, Ivy Hill Academy harbors dark—and deadly—secrets. But the biggest shock of all? The only man she ever loved is also working at the school. Zeke Sloan has never forgotten Cate, but now isn’t the best time for their paths to cross again. When their two seemingly disparate agendas begin to intertwine—and startling connections emerge among the players—the danger escalates significantly. But who is the mastermind behind the elaborate ruse? And how far will they go to protect their house of cards?
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MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Cate Reilly, St. Louis County detective cannot believe she is going undercover again since she vowed after her first undercover job was finished, it was her last. But here she is again, because she is the only one who fits the job description. A high profile businessman’s daughter is missing from Ivy Hill Academy, an exclusive girls’ boarding school, and he wants his daughter found. So Cate is there as a student to get information, but why is her ex-boyfriend Zeke there as undercover as well? There must be more going on at the Academy than they knew about.
As always, Irene Hannon writes another romantic suspense that will have you on the edge of your seats, biting your nails with every detailed scene in this book. I could not put this book down, I finished it in the middle of the night. The suspense is so intense you find yourself so planted into the story, it feels as if you are there living among the characters. Hannon does an amazing job creating the cast of characters for this book, they are so realistic, and develop well as the story unfolds. I love and appreciate the element of faith in God running throughout the story and in such a subtle way. There is so much in this story, you need to read the book for the full effect. If you love a good, clean, Christian romantic suspense story, this is the one for you. I encourage you to check out Labyrinth of Lies by Irene Hannon. This is the second book in the Triple Threat Series by Ms. Hannon. I also encourage you to check out the other books as well. I’m giving Labyrinth of Lies Five Stars. I really love this story.
“This book was provided courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut!
Since then, she has written more than 60 romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels. She is a seven-time finalist for and three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—and a member of the Romance Writers of America elite Hall of Fame. She has also received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Her many other awards include Daphne du Maurier, Carol, HOLT Medallion, National Readers’ Choice, Retailers Choice, Booksellers’ Best, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist.
Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. She is happy to say she has no regrets!
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and singing. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She is also a soloist at her church.When not otherwise occupied, Irene and her husband enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiance is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
It wasn’t until after I read Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill that I found it was her debut novel. And wow, I am impressed! This story reads as someone who is well seasoned in writing books. I love that Caudill immediately hits on several genre’s with a historical background and lots of mystery and flowing through the pages. And I can’t forget the oh so sweet romance!!
Actually when I saw this cover I was so intrigued! It’s beautifully stunning and the colors are outstanding. I knew I had to read this one, even before I knew what it was about. I loved every minute it was in my hands!! The characters are masterfully created and I love how they grow so much as the story unfolds. I think Teresa is my favorite, and maybe Broderick coming in for a close second? I really like Teresa’s spunk and feisty spirit because she won’t back down from anyone. And that’s what I like. I did feel for both characters as they dug deeper and deeper into Teresa’s grandfather’s secrets. That was a tough blow.
I also love that Caudill wasn’t afraid to weave the Christian life into the lives of her characters. And it’d done in such a beautiful and subtle way. I am so intrigued about this book. And I can’t wait for the second book in this series to release. Yes! A second book, what fun! If you are interested in any of these genre’s here, you will surely love this book. I encourage you to check out Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mline alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance,” with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW.
She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.
Join Us For This Tour From: February 21 to March 11
Book Details:
Book Title:
Nova’s Blade: A Young Adult Dystopian Cyberpunk by Will Scifi
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 346 pages
Genre: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17) Publisher: Will Scifi Publication Date: February 1st 2022. Tour dates: February 21 to March 11
Book Description:
THIRTY-TWO WOMEN. ONE ARENA. A BATTLE TO THE DEATH.
After a long war, corporations have replaced countries. Sports are fought to the death. The most popular game is Last Valkyrie, a live tournament where women kill each other for marriage into a powerful family.
For Nova, living in poverty with her mother and sister is a harsh reality that she cannot escape. But when she is kidnapped and forced to fight on the show, her world changes. If she refuses to fight, the bomb in her head goes off. Now winning means her freedom.
With death lurking at every moment, Nova has no idea if her next fight will be her last. But one thing she knows for certain: only one is making it out alive.
Perfect for fans of Hunger Games, The Selection, and The Princess Trials. You won’t want to put down this exciting page-turner!
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Guest Post From Author
Write about a trend or genre Dystopian is a wonderful genre. I know at times it can be redundant and many of it can seem generic. But if someone actually looks at dystopian they will see how it mirrors our current world, but also shows it in a new and fantastic way. In my opinion dystopians reflect the world they were written in, while presenting the world as something new to the reader. It gets readers to think about the possibility of that dystopian world being a reality, while seeing how parts of it is current. Of course in the extreme view of the reader, the worry could be that the world will become 100 percent like the world in the book. For example if Hunger Games will become true and everyone has to fight on live tv to the death. Those kind of thoughts are also used for humorous perspectives and allow people to have fun. But another aspect is to see the hidden meanings behind dystopians like that, and think about how aspects of that may be true currently or will be true. That way when something happens in real life that slightly mirrors a work of dystopian fiction, a person can point to it as a reference to what is happening in real life. It’s always interesting when people reference 1984 as what we’re living in today. It gets people to talk, and see how trends a century ago can still be present today. With dystopian we see that our world isn’t too far off from the fictional one.
Meet the Author:
Will Scifi is a pen name for an author from California. He loves reading and writing mainly science fiction that touches on themes surrounding American culture. He draws inspiration from the over 500 movies he has watched in the last 5 years, books, tv shows, and real life. When he is not writing, he can be found in the gym or watching movies at home or in the theaters. He thanks all of his fans for their support and highly encourages anyone who has read his work to always leave a review.connect with the author
Helping the orphan children in Richmond just might overturn everything Gracie thought she knew, including the value of love.
Gracie Williams has always had an adventurous streak, which led her from her home in the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, Virginia, where she can devote her life to the orphan children. Though her beauty has brought on the advances of many men, she has no plans to marry, and finds suitors an unfortunate irritation she doesn’t have time for—much to her parents’ chagrin.
When she befriends Matthew Weston, the mature and serious orphanage superintendent, she confides in him and believes he shares her goals. Neither are prepared for the sparks that fly. Tension grows as Matthew falls in love with her, yet realizes he is just another man in the long line of would-be suitors.
A family crisis, an orphan train, and the plight of a sweet orphan named Emma throw the couple together in deep and meaningful ways. But will this be enough for Gracie to embrace a new way of thinking, and the gift of love that only true soul mates can share?
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Shenandoah Brides series by Blossom Turner. In the first three books, three sisters have had their amazing stories told, now this fourth book in the series focuses on the life of Gracie. After visiting an orphanage in Richmond Virginia that Gracie feels God calling her to help the wonderful children in this orphanage. She is determined that this work will fulfill her life, and she has no need for a husband. The trouble is that Gracie is the beauty of the family, and even before she was old enough to date, she had all the guys after her. She just pleasantly turns them down. Gracie is overjoyed when she reaches the clinic and starts working, but the director of the clinic is another story. Matthew’s attraction to Gracie is so strong that there is no way he can work closely with her every day. Join Gracie, her family, and friends as she follows her heart and determines to do the work God has called her to do.
I have loved Blossom Turner book from the time I started reading the first book. I can feel the love and passion on each page of her books. I adore Gracie, and this is her story. She is such a sweet person and wants to be nice to everyone, but that doesn’t always turn out so good because men just don’t understand. All Gracie wants is to volunteer at the orphanage and help the children. I loved Matthews reaction when Gracie showed up at the orphanage to work. I love their interactions together even though Gracie doesn’t have a clue that she is driving Matthew crazy. But could God be teaching Matthew patience and to wait on His timing? And she does end up being just what the orphanage needed after all.
Another thing I love and appreciate about Gracie’s Surrender is the way Ms. Turner writes the Christian life into the lives of her characters. That doesn’t mean their lives are perfect, as you will see. There is much more to this book than I have room for her. You need to read this book for yourself to get every little nugget of excitement there is in this fabulous read. I love the sweet ending and the way Ms. Turner weaves all of the bits and pieces together and come up with a wonderful ending that will stay with me until the next book! I’m giving Gracie’s Surrender Five Stars and would give it more if I could.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review; the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
About The Author
Blossom Turner is a free-lance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, and an avid blogger. She lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband, David, of thirty-six years. A former business woman, personal trainer, and mother of two grown children she is now pursuing her lifelong dream of writing full-time.
A hopeless romantic at heart, she believes all story should give the reader significant entertainment value. However, her writing embodies the struggles of real life. She infuses the reality of suffering with the hope of Christ to give a healthy dose of relatable encouragement to her reader. Her desire is to leave the reader with a yearning to live for Christ on a deeper level, or at the very least, create a hunger to seek for more.
She is an avid blogger who has contributed to the Mount Hermon Blog, Christian Devotions blog, and writes a weekly devotional blog on the names of God. Read more at blossomturner.com.
Her authenticity comes from the crucible of suffering having undergone years of child abuse, infidelity in her marriage and brokenness of spirit. Through understanding the restorative power of God’s forgiveness when humanity fails, she could write Anna’s Secret in a way that grips the reader on a profound level. A strong thread of hope is woven through this compelling novel where failure, love and romance collide. Release date, May 1st 2019
Book three in the Shenandoah Brides Series Lucinda’s Defender
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Get your copy now:
(Released September 7th, 2021)
Life hasn’t turned out at all like Lucinda expected, but neither is the depth of love one man has for her.
The young and impetuous Lucinda Williams, through a series of bad decisions, is now in a situation she never dreamed conceivable—an unplanned baby and marriage to a man who proves to be far darker than she ever imagined. Pain is a cruel teacher but brings instant maturity.
Joseph Manning, a childhood friend who watched the love of his life leave, is heartbroken to find the bruised waif of a girl he rescues less than a year later. What atrocities did she experience to change the vivacious, bubbly soul into this shell of hopelessness? Broken. Bruised. Beaten. Does love really have the power to heal all wounds?
Lucinda marvels at how Joseph effortlessly whittles his way back into her heart and that of her child with kindness and respect. But she has a secret far too dark to allow the kind Joseph into her life. He deserves so much better than the likes of her. Is love strong enough to break down the barriers of bad choices? Can a second chance at happiness really be possible?
What Readers are saying…
“…I finished this book in two reads. Literally could not put it down. I’ve read the previous books in the series and loved them both, but this one is the best yet. There is nothing shallow in Lucinda and Joseph’s story or their characters.”
“…Wow, oh wow! Blossom Turner created a superb, heartfelt and emotional story for Lucinda’s and Joseph’s story.”
“…I love the way this author handles difficult subjects! Just because it’s a historical romance in the 1800’s, doesn’t mean that issues that happen today didn’t happen then.”
Book two in the Shenandoah Brides Series Amelia’s Heartsong
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(Released February 4th 2021)
Richmond high society isn’t at all what she expected, neither is the man who’s captured her heart.
Amelia Williams is only a humble farmer’s daughter, so her move from the Shenandoah Valley to stay with her grandparents in the big city of Richmond, Virginia opens a host of new opportunities. 1868 is shaping up to be her best year ever, especially when her new friendship with the genteel Bryon Preston grows into more. But when his mother catches wind of their courtship, Amelia learns the hard lesson that her humble roots will never be enough for the future Preston heir. Love might not see boundaries between the aristocrat and the pauper, but the high society of Richmond surely do.
Reeling from the pain of half-truths and broken promises, Amelia packs her heart away. Life will be much safer if she pours her focus into nursing. Yet, like a beautiful tapestry, God weaves Bryon back into her life. When her nursing duties bring her face to face with the pain of her past, is it too late to stitch the threads of trust and love back together?
What Readers are saying…
“…Wow! Another amazing read from author Blossom Turner. She is quickly easing her way to my very favorite authors list.”
“…Fans of post Civil War historical fiction will not want to miss reading The Shenandoah Brides series by Blossom Turner. The struggles of her characters are realistic and captivating where you become lost in their story.”
“…This author tends to have a knack for writing romance stories that deal with heavy issues that draws you into the story.”
Book One in the Shenandoah Brides Series Katherine’s Arrangement
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Where it all begins…
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Marrying him is her only choice to save her family, but Josiah Richardson isn’t at all the man she expected.
Katherine William’s family was left destitute when their home was burned to the ground by Yankee soldiers, so the ready solution presented by the prominent Mr. Josiah Richardson seems almost too good to believe. He’ll provide a home, work for her pa, and a new beginning for her family…if only Katherine will accept his proposal. A marriage of convenience is the last thing she wants, but there doesn’t seem to be a better option for her family or herself. Setting aside her dreams of love, Katherine agrees to the arrangement.
The gentleman in Josiah Richardson can no more force his frightened bride into his bed, than he can force her into loving him, so he sets out to gently woo her. He works hard to befriend her, to earn her trust and win her love. Katherine is pleasantly surprised to find herself drawn to the man she thought she would never love, until an unexpected friendship tears apart all they’ve worked for. Where once the promise of love had budded between Josiah and Katherine, now they wonder what to do with their so-called marriage. Is love strong enough to weave its healing power through two broken hearts?
What readers are saying…
“…This story is so laden with characters that will forever be part of my life.”
“…Great read. Couldn’t put it down. Read in a day! Great historical novel well written and a joy to read.”
“…I didn’t want to put it down. It’s real, it’s alive, it’s realistic. The characters captured my attention and the romance isn’t dead. I’m so thankful for a book with real issues and a real romance.”
When Mallory Barrows finds an old diary in a box of books, the story she finds within sends her on the hunt for the owner–and maybe more.
Theirs is a story ripped from a country song. A wedding, a former love presumed dead, her new love stepping aside. And over forty years later, their story is one few remember.
With Mallory determined to find the people in the pages of that diary, one couple is offered the second chance of a lifetime.
This “second-chance / seasoned romance” novel introduces the next island in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.
The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.
Finding a Memory by Chautona Havig is the first book in the Sparrow Island Series, another series added to the Independence Islands series from Celebration Lit Publishers. An old diary ends up bringing two people together that never dreamed of even seeing each other again, let alone have a second chance at love.
Chautona Havig writes a beautiful story of love and second chances. Everything is not exactly perfect, but two special souls are brought together in a unique way and it ended up a sweet romance. Benjamin and Mallory are two characters that will stay with me a while. I love their development until the last page and their supporting characters were hanging in their as well. Everything about a beach read is wonderful, even though this can really be read anytime. If you haven’t read any of the beach reads, you are truly missing a real treat. If you enjoy a good old clean romance, you will love Mallory and Benjamin’s story. This one is Five Stars for me!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
About the Author
Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
More from Chautona
I was a weird child. While my friends were listening to… whatever 80s kids listened to, the enormous console in my bedroom played The Brothers Four, The Kingston Trio, Roger Miller, Billy Vaughn, Patsy Cline, and Patti Paige. One minute I was a “Rovin’ Gambler” and the next I was “Chug-a-lugging.” Hmmm… In hindsight, one could say I listened to some dubious music. Drinking, gambling… Oh, that reminds me of another one. The Sons of the Pioneers. “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild, Wild Women. (Hint: they’ll drive you crazy. They’ll drive you insane. The song says so).
But there were other songs—beautiful ones. “Greenfields.” “Little Green Apples.” “You Belong to Me.” And of course… “Go on with the Wedding.”
If you’ve never heard it, you should listen. HERE.
That one used to tear me apart. I never could decide which man she should have chosen. I’m a sucker for the underdog—for a hero. So, I always said Fred. And I meant it. Right up to the moment I thought about Jim being away, fighting, finally making it home to his girl only to see her marry someone else. How horrible is that?
Well, one of the tropes I chose for my books in the Independence Islands was going to be a “second chance romance.” I also wanted a “seasoned romance,” so this song came to mind. And then I had my story. It’s not the one my twelve-year-old self would have wanted. Truthfully, it’s not the story I wanted to write today, but it’s the right one. It’s probably my favorite of all of the ones I’ve done in this series. I hope you’ll love Frank and Patti as much as I do.
All that’s left now is for me to write one more story—the one that has been forming through each book. It’s time for Mallory and Benjamin to both learn and write their story’s end (which of course, is only a beginning).
Nana believed the superstition that the color blue kept haints away. She didn’t hold with Mama and Daddy’s theory that all she needed was Jesus. Of course, the fact they both died young didn’t give much credence to their beliefs.
A mourning dove lamented from high in the cottonwood that loomed over the house as I took a deep breath and unlocked the door. It seemed every step I took of late led me into deeper despair. Would Nana’s house be an exception?
The dog pushed his way in ahead of me. The house had been vacant since Nana died, but I didn’t have the time or inclination to check it. I knew there was work needing to be done, which is the reason I gave Nicky for not selling it, as he’d wanted to do. I’d hired some teen boys to store the furniture in the basement, too heartbroken to face the chore myself.
Dog and I moved through the foyer where the hardwood floors were covered in dust and scratches, and interestingly, the impression of shoe tread. A flashback of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears flitted through my memory. Who’s been walking through my house, said Mama bear.
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. The first chapter book I remember reading was A Room for Cathy by Catherine Woolly. I recently googled it to see if it’s still available, and it is. For a steep price. It was published in 1956. Just so you know, it wasn’t a new book when I read it, so don’t use that as a gauge for my age. But there was something magical about getting lost in story that has stayed with me ever since. It was only natural that my love of reading eventually transitioned into a love of writing. I have had a yearning in my heart to write stories and the characters who live them for as long as I remember.William Faulkner said it this way—“It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.”That was certainly true of the main character in my first contracted novel. Her name is Tess O’Shay and she was born as a very minor character in the first draft of my first finished novel, Providence (which was published third in the Apple Hill series.) She didn’t survive the rewrites, but she was such a powerful entity, I had to give her a book of her own. Now, I’m hoping you will grow to love her as much as I do.A little background on me. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area but moved to the valley when I married at a much-too-young age. I have two beautiful children—Nikki and Christopher—who were by far the best thing that came out of my marriage. I am a romantic at heart and always thought one day I’d become a romance novelist. Instead of following that dream, I decided on a more practical path and became a teacher. I taught middle school for several years—and yes, I loved it. But the dream of becoming a writer wouldn’t be put to rest. Then my “season” began—my daughter nearly died in a car accident and had to go through months of rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury; my husband of nearly 23 years abandoned our marriage; my beloved mother lost her fight with leukemia and went home to the Lord—all in less than two years. A few years later, my brother, who was a Christian, committed suicide.I have been contracted with Celebrate Lit Publishing since 2018. My first series (Apple Hill) is set in Northern California. Two of the three novels in this series were inspired by the tragedies God allowed in my life—my daughter’s TBI (Illusions) and my brother’s suicide (Providence). The second series (Bedford County) is set in middle Tennessee. Both are contemporary women’s fiction with a strong element of romance—because what is life without it? Women’s fiction was my calling for a long time. However, I’m transitioning into romantic suspense once the Bedford County Series is complete.God is so incredibly good. He has taken every loss and tear and used it as a way for me to write with emotion. Even better, he brought to me my own real-life hero. My husband, Chris, and I have been married since 2006. Although both of us were California born and raised, in 2018 we took a huge step of faith and moved across the country. We now reside in Lewisburg, Tennessee and love it!I look forward to you being a part of this writing journey. Truly, I am writing for an audience of One, but I pray He will put my work into the hands of those who need it.– Jennifer
The bruise on the young goalie’s cheek got girls high school soccer coach Brooke Burrell’s attention. Brooke tries to keep her advantage as the most decorated woman agent ever in government service at bay while dealing with the suspected abusive father – although she’d love to punch his lights out. Her digging reveals the reason for his abusiveness and it connects to a massive international terrorist attack.
When the father is found dead, Brooke is accused of the murder. Suddenly, she is forced to defend herself in court, and in the court of public opinion – while trying to stop the insidious plot to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people across the globe in one terrifying instant and bring the western world to its knees.
Filled with the nonstop thrills, all-too-real scenarios, and remarkable attention to detail that has made Tom Avitabile a consistent #1 bestseller, Forgive Us Our Trespasses is edge-of-your-seat storytelling of the first order.
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781611883220
Series: A Brooke Burrell Thriller || Each is a Stand Alone Novel
This is my first read by Tom Avitabile, and I am impressed. It’s my kind of thriller, with the good guys chasing the bad guys and downing them before they strike and do unthinkable damage. Agent Brooke Burrell is in the middle of an investigation for the death of one of her girl’s soccer team student’s dad. Brooke is more concerned about the bruises on her student’s body.
Avitabile writes a striking and intensive story that will have you on the edge of your seats throughout the book. The development of the characters throughout the story is perfect. Brooke is simply amazing. My head was spinning as I was reading and thinking how in the world did Avitabile think of this stuff. I sure hope we have plenty of military thinking like this, as I’m sure we do. If you enjoy a good nail biting thriller, this one is for you. I can’t wait to see what else Tom Avitabile has for readers.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Read an excerpt:
Brooke was escorted to the lobby of a government building where a tall man, wearing a sharp-cut suit and perfect tan, extended his hand as he introduced himself. “Mrs. Morton? Kyle Simms, head of 5-0.”
“Pleasure, Simms. Let’s get to it,” Brooke said as if she had been the one to call this meeting. It made him raise an eyebrow.
He extended his arm in the direction of the elevator. “Please.” The well-mannered Simms let her enter first. He pressed the button for the top floor. She noticed the manicured hand.Buffed, not polished. She detected the faint smell of cigars. Must have caught him coming back from a smoke break, she imagined.
“To the right,” he said as the elevator door opened. He pointed to the glass doors of a sunlit corner office. When they entered, he gestured to a small conference table opposite his very impressive desk. She noticed his “Love Me Wall.” It was de rigueur for military officers. His was filled with photos and newspaper headlines in wood frames. There was a plaque on the wall: Operation Desert Storm. A framed picture showed a platoon of Rangers. From across the room, she couldn’t make out which one of the younger men was Simms. A Ranger beret with a silver bar pinned to it was resting on the credenza. It told Brooke he had been a first lieutenant. Brooke took a seat.
“Coffee?” Simms said. Brooke considered it, then her overactive bladder of late. “No thanks. Is Jenny Kupalli alright?”
“The daughter? Yes, she’s with child services right now.”
“Thank God. I was so worried when she didn’t show for the game this morning.”
“Mrs. Morton, you are here as a courtesy. I have an inkling of your former service to our country. So I wanted to give you every chance to tell me your side of the story.”
“Courtesy? You send a unit, a cage unit? To my school! You could have just called me. I would have driven right over.”
“I’m sorry, you know how this goes. I ask them to drive you over as a courtesy, and somehow they assign an RMP, not a detective’s car. Sorry. Wasn’t intentional.” Brooke wasn’t buying it. She had used this technique to soften persons of interest the
same way by putting a little police procedural fear into them before their conversation. “Are you considering me as a suspect?”
“Again, right now you are a POI. Nothing more.”
“Let me ask you, are you recording, transcribing or in any way preserving our conversation today, Saturday at 2:03 p.m. at 5-0 headquarters?” Simms smiled. If they were, and they weren’t, she just made the whole practice inadmissible in court. “No. Kyle Simms, Deputy Director of Law Enforcement, HPD state police department,” he said, clarifying his rank just to match her pseudo-official disclaimer.
His official response told Brooke that she didn’t need a lawyer. Over the next ten minutes she read him in on her total encounter with Mr. Kupalli and her suspicions about Jenny’s abuse.
He listened intently, scratching notes. When she paused, he waited. But she was not falling for the “fill-the-silence” ploy. So, he sat back, looked at her for a few seconds. She just looked back. It was a standoff.
He broke the stalemate. “And you had never met him before?”
“I don’t believe he ever came to a game. Seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t cheer on an equipment manager.”
Simms nodded. Then, as if he made a hard left turn, said, “Do you own a 9-mm handgun?”
Brooke sighed. Simms was going to go strictly by the book. “Yes. Glock 26.”
“Do you know where it is now?”
“In the fingerprint safe by my bed.”
“Would you be willing to voluntarily surrender the weapon for ballistic elimination?”
“For my protection, and yours, you’ll need a warrant, hopefully limited in scope, Deputy Director. As I’m sure you’re aware, my husband is a high-ranking naval officer. Poking around our home might violate his Fourth Amendment rights and no less than three national security protocols.”
“Fair enough. Off record?”
Brooke shot him a look. Her defenses reared up. “Wasn’t this all off record?”
“True, but this is more personal than professional.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“That’s what I’m asking you. Did you shoot this model citizen?”
That was an odd question to ask off the record, Brooke thought. “Nope. In fact, just the opposite. I had hoped that I put the fear of God into him. I believed he’d have second thoughts about smacking around his daughter now that he knew I had eyes on him. But a Skel like him, he must’ve pissed in someone’s Cheerios somewhere along the way, and that’s what probably contributed to him achieving room temperature last night.”
***
Excerpt from Forgive Us Our Trespasses by Tom Avitabile. Copyright 2022 by Tom Avitabile. Reproduced with permission from The Story Plant. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Tom Avitabile is a writer, director, and producer with numerous film and television credits, a professional musician, and an amateur woodworker. He has an extensive background in engineering and computers, including work on projects for the House Committee on Science and Technology. His novel The Devil’s Quota became a Barnes and Noble #1 bestseller, as did The Eighth Day, the first installment of his Bill Hiccock “thrillogy” that includes the novels The Hammer of God and The God Particle, and the first Brooke Burrell novel, Give Us This Day.
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Tom Avitabile and The Story Plant. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
Book Title: The Mirabal Sisters: From Caterpillars to Butterflies by Raynelda A. Calderon Category: Children’s Non-Fiction (Ages 8-12) Genre: Children’s Book Publisher: Cayena Press, Inc., 48 pages Release date: March 2022 Formats Available for Review: print-softback USA, e-book (PDF) Tour dates: March 1 to March 21, 2022 Content Rating: G. Suitable for all readers.
Book Description:
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I have never heard of The Mirabal sisters until I read this book. They were born in the Dominican Republic when the country was under rule of a dictatorship. On November 25, 1960 the sisters lost their life, and their death has gotten international coverage. In their honor, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed annually on November 25. Though this book is for eight to ten year old children, there are issues here that I’m not sure I would want that age reading. I would suggest you read this for yourself before letting a child read it. Maybe you can read it to your children and ask any questions they may have. The Mirabal Sisters: From Caterpillars to Butterflies by Raynelda A. Calderon is a very sad story. I think Calderon does a really nice job writing this story simple enough for children to understand yet she adds what needs to be added to the story to make it accurate. Maria Ocampo does a fantastic job with the beautiful illustrations inside and outside of the book. A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Raynelda A. Calderón, a Dominican native who lives in Queens, NY, is a children’s book author who has worked in public libraries for more than 15 years. She holds a doctorate in leadership in higher education, and she has taught Information Literacy at various colleges, most recently at Bronx Community College. As a librarian, working with children inspires Raynelda to write about the accomplishments of Hispanic women in history. She hopes to inspire young readers to follow their passions and never take no for an answer. Raynelda is the creator of the first Hispanic Heritage wall calendar that honors the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans in the United States. She lives with an untamed Shih Tzu, Toby, and a much attached Chihuahua, Maya. She spends her free time thinking (and drafting) about books to write, or painting, crocheting, or crying over abused dogs.
Join Us for this Tour from February 15 to Mar 7, 2022
Book Details:
Book Title: The Art of Traveling Strangers by Zoe Disigny Category: Adult Fiction 18+, 272 pages Genre: Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction Publisher: Subplot Publishing Release date: February 2022 Formats Available for Review: print-hardback (USA), e-book (gifted Kindle, mobi file for Kindle, EPUB, PDF, NetGalley download) Tour dates: Feb 15 to Mar 7 Content Rating: PG13 + M for cursing (from a side character), reference to adultery, and discussion of AIDS.
Book Description:
It’s the 1980s, and art historian Claire Markham reels from a series of heartbreaking losses. Desperate to escape her shattered reality, she becomes an art guide in Europe for quirky stranger Viv Chancey and embarks on a life-changing journey through the art-filled cities of Milan, Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Siena, Rome, and Paris.
Once abroad, Claire tries to hide her woes by focusing on Viv’s art education, but Viv—who is not who she seems—has a different learning experience in mind. Frustrated and wanting to reimagine her life, Claire embraces the idea of reality as illusion and finds herself slipping into the tales of art and history.
When threatened with one more crushing loss, Claire must learn from the spirit of her eccentric companion and the lessons from the art they encounter to take charge of her life or lose the most precious thing in it.
The Art of Traveling Strangers is a journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment inspired by the great art masterpieces of Italy and France. It’s a tale of female bonding and the amazing powers of perception. After all, reality, like art, is just an illusion.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I have never been interested in art, as in wanting to purchase, but I love looking at different art of all kinds. I have several art books and this one I will keep as well because I love the story. Claire Markham sure found her niche as she was trying to find a way to get over the horrific losses she’s had lately. She embarks on a life-changing journey through the art-filled cities of Milan, Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Siena, Rome, and Paris. And what took her on that journey was when she becomes an art guide in Europe for stranger Viv Chancey.
I enjoyed the journey with Viv and Claire and I enjoyed these interesting and intriguing characters. Disigny does a awesome and unique job as she writes this story in a way that will be exciting for for readers to learn about the different arts. Disigny also writes Viv and Claire’s characters into the story to cause readers to engage more into the interesting art as their journey unfolds. Not a genre I usually read but I am glad I was able to read it for this tour. This is a beautiful book inside and out and I think it is worthy of Five Stars!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Zoe Disigny holds a master’s degree in art history and has taught at the college level throughout her career. She has led numerous art tours in Europe and established a business in Paris offering art history adventures for American tourists.
splashesofjoy 