Category: February-2019

Prism Book Tours - A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden + Review & Giveaway

3/1/2019

Eloise Drake's prim demeanor hides the turbulent past she believes is finally behind her. A mathematical genius, she's now a successful accountant for the largest engineering project in 1908 New York. But to her dismay, her new position puts her back in the path of the man responsible for her deepest heartbreak.

Alex Duval is the mayor of a town about to be wiped off the map. The state plans to flood the entire valley where his town sits in order to build a new reservoir, and Alex is stunned to discover the woman he once loved on the team charged with the demolition. With his world crumbling around him, Alex devises a risky plan to save his town--but he needs Eloise's help to succeed.

Alex is determined to win back the woman he thought he'd lost forever, but even their combined ingenuity may not be enough to overcome the odds against them.

Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 352 Pages
February 5th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│ChristianBook│iBooks│Kobo

Other Books in the Series

My Review

Can their differences bring them back together...?

It's been awhile since I've read one of Elizabeth Camden's books. Too long, as A Desperate Hope is the third book in her Empire State series, which, is actually her first ever series.

Maybe it was kind of dumb to start with the third book in a series but that's just how it turned out. Each book appears to be connected but can be read standalone.

While I found myself time and again annoyed by Alex, the hero, I did find myself genuinely liking the heroine, Eloise. The real draw for me was the storyline. I have personal connection as I, too, live near an area where several towns were inundated by water when the dam was built. And I even know people who lost land and homes when the decision was made to flood the landscape.

While probably not my favorite Elizabeth Camden novel I did find A Desperate Hope to be quite interesting. And the suspense angle was a good addition.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden a 4 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is the author of twelve historical novels and two historical novellas and has been honored with both the RITA Award and the Christy Award. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. She lives with her husband in Florida.

You can connect with Elizabeth Website│Goodreads│Facebook

Tour Giveaway

- One Grand Prize winner will receive print copies of all three books in the Empire State series: A Dangerous Legacy, A Daring Venture, and A Desperate Hope
- Two additional winners will receive a print copy of A Desperate Hope

US only
Ends March 1, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow The Tours

Check out the Bookstagram Tour on @prismbooktours

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2019 Birthday Celebration - 3 Things You Didn't Know About. . .Far Side Of The Sea by Kate Breslin + Giveaway

2/27/2019

15 Comments

â€‹In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.

â€‹ISBN-13: 978-0764217821

#1. â€‹Shortly after finishing the manuscript for Far Side of the Sea, I searched for information about my great-uncle George, who fought in WWI in 1917-1918 and received a Purple Heart (once they were issued in 1932.) In my quest, I found his fatherâ€™s (my great-grandfatherâ€™s) genealogy that took me back to the year 1634, when my maternal ancestors lived in St. Eustache, Paris, Franceâ€”just blocks away from where my new novel takes place! My great uncle, I also learned, fought with the fearless American 32nd infantry division in France and they were awarded the French Croix de Guerre, which my hero, Colin Mabry, also received. It was such a thrill to know that unbeknownst to me, my own family had walked the same paths as my fictional story!
â€‹

#2. â€‹I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, while writing Far Side of the Sea and visited the famous 1000-year-old monastery at Montserrat, where a bit of my story takes place. It was so much fun reliving my vacation as I created story scenes, and there were many sights I included in my novel. Though my story takes place 100 years ago, itâ€™s fortunate that in Europe a century can go by and things pretty much remain the same.

Montserrat Monastery

#3. â€‹One of my writing habits is that before I begin typing a new story on my computer, I change the photograph on the monitor screen to a place that Iâ€™m writing about. I find that like Pinterest, visuals inspire me. For Far Side of the Sea, my screen saver is a picture of a beautiful French chÃ¢teau, just outside of Paris where Colinâ€™s adventure begins!

-Kate Breslin-

Kate Breslin

â€‹Former bookseller-turned-author Kate Breslin enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. A writer of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate received Christian Retailing's 2015 Best Award for First Time Author and her novel, For Such A Time, won the 2015 Carol award for Debut Novel. Kate's third novel, High As The Heavens released in June 2017. When she's not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington's beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas.

Contact info
Website â– Facebook â– Twitter â– Pinterest â– Instagram

â€‹It's Time For A Giveaway!

Kate is generously giving away a
print copy of Far Side Of The Sea

USA Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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2019 Birthday Celebration - Guest Post from author Lynnette Bonner + Giveaway

2/26/2019

10 Comments

Hello Dear Readers of Jasmine’s blog!
I’m so honored to be here sharing my brand-new book, Beauty from Ashes, with you all today.

Do you ever feel the weight of your past mistakes?
Wonder if you’ll ever be able to get past them?

That’s exactly how Liora, the heroine in my story feels. She lived a sinful life, right up until God rescued her from herself. But she wonders if she’ll forever be stuck with the ashes she’s made of things.
Thankfully we all serve a God who can make beauty from ashes! (Isaiah 61: 1-3)

About the book:
Take the next stagecoach to Wyldhaven,
where the coffee's perked hot,
the sheriff likes his apple pie fresh from the oven,
and adventure invariably waits just around the next river bend.

Liora Fontaine wants nothing more than to help mistreated women escape from brothel owner, John Hunt. She understands the desperation and manipulation that force many women into his employ. But when she rescues a young girl, she is shocked by Hunt’s ruthless reprisal. Now as she cowers in her cabin, hiding from Hunt’s men, who are determined to kill her, she can’t help but think how much this day is a picture of her whole life. Ashes. Nothing but ashes.
Deputy Joseph Rodante can’t believe Liora took on a mission so dangerous without asking for his help! He arrives at her cabin to make sure she’s safe just as Hunt’s men start shooting up the place. Now they are stuck together inside with a long night looming. The Wyldhaven gossips are going to have a heyday over that! The only way to fix this is to make Liora his wife. But the stubborn woman turns him down flat.
Despite her protests, Joe vows to protect her—no matter the cost.
And it just might cost both of them everything!

I’m happy to give away an eBook copy to one commenter today.

So, to be entered, leave a comment sharing one way that God
has given either you, or someone you know, beauty for ashes.

Lynnette Bonner

Born and raised in Malawi, Africa. Lynnette Bonner spent the first years of her life reveling in warm equatorial sunshine and the late evening duets of cicadas and hyenas. The year she turned eight she was off to Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school in Kenya where she spent many joy-filled years, and graduated in 1990.

That fall, she traded to a new duet—one of traffic and rain—when she
moved to Kirkland, Washington to attend Northwest University.

It was there that she met her husband and a few years later they moved to the small town of Pierce, Idaho.

During the time they lived in Idaho, while studying the history of their little town, Lynnette was inspired to begin the Shepherd’s Heart Series with Rocky Mountain Oasis.

Marty and Lynnette have four children, and currently live in Washington where Marty pastors a church.

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2019 Birthday Celebration - Interview with the Island Aunties from Anna's Tower in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection

2/23/2019

1 Comment

Lighthouses have long been the symbol of salvation,
warning sailors away from dangerous rocks and shallow waters.

Along the Great Lakes, America’s inland seas, lighthouses played a vital role in the growth of the nation. They shepherded settlers traveling by water to places that had no roads. These beacons of light required constant tending even in remote and often dangerous places. Brave men and women battled the elements and loneliness to keep the lights shining. Their sacrifice kept goods and immigrants moving. Seven romances set between 1883 and 1911 bring hope to these lonely keepers and love to weary hearts

ISBN-13: 978-1683227694

Interview

We’re welcoming the Island Aunties from Anna’s Tower, part of
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection.
They have agreed to sit down and answer a few of our questions today.

Auntie Laurie and Auntie Gretchen, tell us a little about yourselves, your family, and friends.
Auntie Gretchen: That’s easy; we’ve outlived all our family and friends.
Auntie Laurie: Now, sister, that’s not true. Jim Wilson has been a dear friend who took us in to live at the lighthouse. And you know we have some nieces and nephews, oh goodness, no doubt great nieces and nephews by now. Our brother, he was much younger than us you know, had a couple of boys and a girl the last time we heard from him back in … was it 1863, sister?
Auntie Gretchen: Not that we’ll ever see a one of them. Packed off to greener pastures the way all young people do these days. Gone. Just like that.
Auntie Laurie: Well, dear, there was a war going on.
Auntie Gretchen: Pffft.

Let’s move on. What is the one thing you just can’t do without?
Auntie Laurie: Fresh air and sunshine. Doesn’t that just pick your spirits up? I so look forward to spring when everything comes into bloom again.
Auntie Gretchen: Something for my hands to do. Nothing worse than sitting in a chair with idle hands.
Auntie Laurie: Unless you’re napping.
Auntie Gretchen: I don’t nap in my chair.
Auntie Laurie: Well, dear, then you snore while awake.
Auntie Gretchen: I don’t snore. Never have. Never will.

Ladies, why don’t you tell us what you fear the most?
Auntie Laurie: *shudders visibly* Spiders. I know I shouldn’t let them worry me, but just the thought--
Auntie Gretchen: She’s always been afraid of spiders. What’s much more worrisome is a nasty shipwreck off our island.
Auntie Laurie: She’s right, I should have said that.
Auntie Gretchen: Pulling sailors out of the water, some alive, some not. Trying to patch up the ones that are still breathing. Wondering if any are still out there.
Auntie Laurie: Yes, that is always frightening. Sometimes, if the storm isn’t too loud, you can hear the cries of the men in the water. It’s awful. Just awful.

That does sound dreadful so let’s move on. Tell us, what are your greatest strengths and your greatest flaws?
*The two women look at each other briefly*
Auntie Laurie: I think it might be a good idea to just skip that question.
Auntie Gretchen: Pffft.

That’s fine, then let me ask this, if you could change one thing in your life, past or present, what would it be?
Auntie Gretchen: I’d like to have traveled to Russian and seen the land our parents came from.
Auntie Laurie: But you get seasick just sailing to the mainland, how would you have crossed the ocean?
Auntie Gretchen: She asked what I’d like to change.
Auntie Laurie: Then you should have said you’d like to not get seasick.
Auntie Gretchen: *opens her mouth*
Auntie Laurie: But I’ll answer now, I would have liked to get married.
Auntie Gretchen: WHAT?!
Auntie Laurie: It would have been nice to have children and grandchildren.
Auntie Gretchen: Pffft.

Okay, ladies, what do you hope that people will learn from your story?
Auntie Laurie: That people shouldn’t be judged by where they come from.
Auntie Gretchen: And young people ought to listen to their elders. If Anna would have listened to me in the first place we could have avoided--
Auntie Laurie: Sister, don’t give away the ending.
Auntie Gretchen: Oh. Right.

What is the most important thing to you?
Auntie Laurie: My sister.
Auntie Gretchen: I suppose I better say by my sister too.

Thank you, ladies, for talking to us today. If people want to learn more about you and Anna’s Tower,
they can find The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection at bookstores and on Amazon.

Pegg Thomas

Pegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. They raise sheep and chickens, keep a few barn cats, and Murphy the spoiled rotten dog. A life-long history geek, she writes “History with a Touch of Humor.” Pegg is published in the Barbour historical romance collections. Pegg also works as Managing Editor of Smitten Historical Romance, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. When not working or writing, Pegg can be found in her barn, her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at her spinning wheel creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.

Website ■ Facebook ■ Twitter ■ Goodreads

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Brunch At Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano + Review & Guest Post & Giveaway

2/21/2019

3 Comments

Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around.
Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he’s already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country—an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.
Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-café in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she’s faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she’s come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves.

Genre: Christian Romance
Release date: February 5, 2019
Publisher: Tyndale

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review

A scrumptious story!

I've heard really good things about Carla Laureano's books in recent years but for some reason I haven't read any of them until now. Maybe it was silly of me to start with book two in a series but Brunch At Bittersweet Cafe had such name and the storyline sounded interesting.

Reading Brunch At Bittersweet Cafe couldn't have come at a better time. I had a cold and I was stuck home on the couch. Reading beats watching TV any day in my opinion so I dove right in. I'll tell you this, reader beware, your mouth will be watering throughout the entire book and you will find yourself dreaming about things to eat with exotic sounding words such as croquembouche and kolache.

While I really had nothing in common with the characters I found their story to be engaging and hard to put down. Melody and Justin are both searching and they ask some really good questions, questions about faith, that I think we've all probably asked at one point or another.

Carla Laureano has a good thing going in her Supper Club Series. Now that I've read book two I definitely want to go back and read the first book as well as looking forward to the next one.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Brunch At Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano a 4 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Guest Post

from Carla Laureano

“Confessions of An Erstwhile Baker”

Like most females, baking is encoded somewhere deep down in my DNA. Call it nature or call it nurture, but at the earliest age, I figured out that the cute boy in my English class would talk to me if it involved chocolate chip cookies. Got my heart broken or had a friend betray me? I grabbed the mixing bowl and went for the brownies (even better if they’re served à la mode.) My friend was having a birthday? I made a cake drowned in pounds of buttercream.

I quickly graduated from the boxed mixes to the real thing when I got married and had a kitchen large enough to roll out dough. I would comb magazines for the best recipes and spend my weekends trying them out. I quickly became known for bringing beautifully iced Christmas cookies and delicious homemade cakes to work.

Then my husband and I moved our young family from Los Angeles to Denver, a relocation that was about 1000 miles northeast and 5000 feet up. Suddenly, every recipe I’d perfected in the previous eight years failed. Cookies burned to crisps, cakes fell, and don’t get me started on candy making. Gradually, I adapted my recipes (my beloved never-fail Toll House recipe took eight tries to get right) and even became an avid artisan bread-baker.

Then disaster. Or at least, what a baker would consider a disaster. After developing chronic health problems, I discovered that among other things, I was sensitive to gluten. The horror! In order to heal, I turned to the paleo diet, which eliminates all grains (there goes most gluten free recipes) and all processed sugars (there goes everything else). I’ve tried baking paleo-style, and while I can now make cakes that even my gluten-fiend family enjoy, it’s just not the same.

So what’s a once-obsessive baker do when she can’t eat her creations? She bakes for other people and goes on faith that they actually taste good… considering she can’t taste them herself.

It struck me that there was a spiritual lesson in that, and an obvious tie to Brunch at Bittersweet Café, which deals in large part with Melody’s faith journey. There are times when we have no idea if things are working out the way they’re supposed to, in which case we just have to trust the “recipe” and the input of friends and family who love us. Sometimes our instincts tell us when we’re off track, and sometimes we need that outside nudge from our “taste-testers” to put us back on course.

In any case, what Melody and I have in common is that we both bake to show our love for the people around us. And the process of baking my favorites, even knowing that I can’t enjoy them myself, can still be a selfless way to show people they’re important to me.

Fortunately, macarons, which happen to be made with almond flour, are still on the menu.

-Carla Laureano-

Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away a grand prize package of a macaron
baking mat, a macaron book, and a paperback copy of Brunch at Bittersweet Café!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

https://promosimple.com/ps/db0f/brunch-at-bittersweet-cafe-celebration-tour-giveaway

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2019 Birthday Celebration - Meet the characters from For Such A Time As This by Heather L.L. FitzGerald + Giveaway

2/21/2019

6 Comments

Queen Vashti the Fair is not only the wife of King Xerxes, she is also—secretly—an enchantress. But thanks to Haman’s flirting she now has a new distinction: deposed. While Vashti loses perks like her holographic trousseau, Haman continues to enjoy his position as second in command, much to Vashti’s vexation.

Mordecai was once a soldier in the king’s private guard, but has since carved out a self-sufficient life for himself and niece Esther. Although citizens are required to have an identity chip for governmental transactions, he and Esther live off the grid and out of big-government’s greedy reach.

Or so he thought.

When Mordecai’s old nemesis, Haman, turns up demanding Esther’s participation in the king’s upcoming beauty pageant, Mordecai arranges to have her transported to the Vale of Seven Dragons for protection. But not before Esther’s charm makes her a target on Vashti’s radar, as Vashti seeks to undermine the outcome of Xerxes’ hunt for a new queen.

Esther is caught between loyalty to her uncle and fear for her future—whether in the care of dragons or in the palace of the king. Will she be brave enough to embrace her destiny, wherever that may be?

You can get a free copy of For Such A Time As This by signing up for Heather's newsletter.
You can also gain entries in the giveaway by signing up for Heather's newsletter.

Character Profiles from
For Such A Time As This

We've got all the fun and fascinating details about the good, the bad, and the
fearsome, characters in For Such A Time As This, Heather L.L. FitzGerald's
futuristic fantasy mashup of Snow White and Esther...with dragons!

Esther has no memory of her parents. She only knows they died protecting her. Knows that they were heroes. In the basement of the local synagogue, her father and mother, a doctor and nurse, had set up a triage center for wounded soldiers. They brought Esther to work with them, believing the synagogue to be one of the safest places during a war. After all, a house of worship was a refuge that even the enemy respected.

But when the synagogue takes a direct hit, both parents lose their life. If not for her father’s body protecting her own, Esther would have perished as well.

Although she wishes things had turned out differently, she could not imagine loving her parents any more fiercely than she loved her Uncle Mordecai. He had given everything up to provide Esther with a loving, secure home—including his eligible years as a bachelor.

Now soldiers have come to their obscure little farm, learning from locals that her beauty must be included in the upcoming pageant to find King Xerxes a new wife. Though Mordecai has raised Esther to mistrust the government, would it be so terrible to be queen? Mightn’t she help the people of the realm of Susa—especially those in her hometown of Parthia—and be an influence for good?

But what about Mordecai’s wishes? Of course she trusts her uncle, but why--why—would he send her into the fearsome clutches of dragons? There doesn’t seem to be an easy answer or an easy choice. One thing is certain, her faith must extend beyond that of her uncle and find its rest in the hands of a sovereign God.

Mordecai has fought hard for the private, self sufficient life he lives with his orphaned niece Esther. Fighting, in one way or another, has always been a part of his life—even before the Wizard’s War took Esther’s parents.

Trained as a soldier, Mordecai rose through the military ranks thanks to his agility and strength, both of body and mind. Eventually, he became one of the elite royal guards, assigned to protect Prince Xerxes years before he became king. In the course of Mordecai’s exemplary military career, he managed to make one enemy in his time as a soldier: Haman.

Mordecai loathed the way Haman exploited his power in every situation. Yet he did it in such a way to get rewarded, rather than punished. When the war came to an end, Mordecai was more than happy to leave his position at the palace with no need to further interact with Haman.

The years that followed were spent raising his darling, beautiful niece Esther. Thanks to his respected reputation, Mordecai was eventually able to erase his identity from the governmental data base, as well as removing his identity chip—required for all government transactions. Refusing to allow Esther to be chipped as well, he had create a self-sustaining homestead, far out of the reach of the government.

When news of Esther’s mandatory participation in Xerxes’ beauty pageant reaches Mordecai’s doorstep, he realizes they’re not nearly as insulated as he thought. Now he must get Esther somewhere safe, and quickly. With the help of a friend, he hopes to place Esther with seven guardians in wilds of the Hinterlands.

Easier said than done, however. These fearsome protectors are none other than The Seven Dragons of the Vale.

King Xerxes the Valiant is a fake. Everyone close to him knows his title is nothing more than ruse. His soldiers do his dirty work, his advisors make the big decisions, and even his former queen—Vashti—often wielded more influence in matters of state. But he’s sick of the charade.

Sick of himself.

Maybe it’s time to live up to his title. Stop relying on his second in command, Haman, for the running of the day-to-day goings on. Stop deferring to his advisors when faced with diplomatic decisions. Stop drinking so much wine which tends to sully his ability to perform any of the above.

Getting rid of the manipulative Vashti was a good first step. It doesn’t hurt that those outside the palace walls believe him to be valiant. Perhaps his new marriage will provide a fresh start as he lives up to the image he has carefully cultivated to his subjects.

He’ll need help, of course, to turn things inside the palace to his favor. Good thing he has Haman to help him.

There are seven dragons that guard the vale from the greedy humans and wizards that wish to encroach on their magical Hinterlands. These winged reptiles take to the air, patrolling the borders, searching the roads, and readily destroying those that dare to cross into their territory.
United in purpose, there is one magnificent dragon that rules over the other six.

Nautilus—Warrior of the Hinterlands, descendant of Rispian the Resplendent, Grand-dragon of Aakadian of Eneglaam, Protector of the Vale—is a chilling creature to behold. From his pearly white scales to his crimson eyes, this dragon with its serpentine neck and unicorn horn, may only be approached with special permission.

Thankfully, Mordecai has connections that have connections. Without the help of Mordecai’s elderly friend Caleb, there would be no hope for Esther to enter into the protection of this magnificent beast and his six companions.

Haman, second in command in the realm of Susa, may serve King Xerxes with a bit too much zeal. Zeal that has extended to the king’s queen, Vashti. Well…former queen, that is. And Haman may have had a little something to do with the loss of her title, truth be told.

No matter. With Vashti conveniently out of Xerxes’ favor, it’s much easier for Haman to pay her visits ad well as plot the king’s demise. If he can persuade Vashti to forgive him for getting her into this less-than-ideal situation, the two will become a power to be reckoned with—one that cunningly dethrones the impotent King Xerxes. Once Haman and Vashti unite with one another, they can move on to uniting their country with the Wizards Cabal and making Susa one of the most powerful countries in New Persia.

Maybe then they will finally rid the Hinterlands of those pesky dragons that protect the vale, keeping Susa’s borders from expanding as they should.

Queen Vashti the Fair and King Xerxes the Valiant make an ideal couple…if one was to judge them strictly by appearance. But, alas, a marriage cannot survive on pouty lips and chiseled jaws alone.

Besides, Vashti has recently lost her royal standing. No longer queen, the platinum blonde now seethes in her downsized quarters, plotting how best to return to Xerxes’ favor. Promise him an heir? Disrupt his upcoming search for a new queen? Resort to using her secret skills as an enchantress to make him love her again?

One thing is certain, this power-lusting woman will not step demurely out of the way and allow someone else to take her place. She may be the Fairest but she most certainly doesn’t play fair!

Caleb is a man who looks as worn and weathered as the ancient buildings of Parthia—the town where his modest shop, Caleb’s Cornucopia, displays rare treasures from the world over. Affectionately called Abba by the locals, Caleb knows everyone and everyone knows, and loves, him.

He has always held a special fondness for Mordecai and his niece. The three share a distinct connection that he’s kept to himself for many years. With recent tumultuous events in greater Susa trickling into Parthia, he’s beginning to wonder if the time has come to reveal more details about Esther’s miraculous recovery and the words God once whispered to him about the orphaned girl.

Heather L.L. FitzGerald

Award winning author Heather L.L. FitzGerald writes from her home in Texas, while dreaming of being back in the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. She is drawn to stories that become good friends—friends you want to revisit—the kind you wish to keep close. Those are the type of books Heather aspires to write, ones worthy of delicious coffee and a lingering relationship.
The Tethered World was a finalist and The Flaming Sword won the 2017 OCW Cascade Award for Speculative Fiction. The Genesis Tree was a finalist for a Realm Award, Alliance Award, Selah Award, and an OCW Cascade Award.
Heather’s a member of ACFW, and Manent Writers.

You can connect with Heather on her
website/blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

Heather is generously giving away a
print copy of For Such A Time As This

USA Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wish Upon A Christmas Star by Kit Morgan, Danielle Thorne, Allie Pleiter, K.D. Garcia, Rachel A. Andersen, Jessica L. Elliott

2/20/2019

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Genre:
Romance / Holiday / Fairytale Retelling

Wish Upon A Christmas Star
by Kit Morgan, Danielle Thorne, Allie Pleiter,
K.D. Garcia, Rachel A. Andersen, Jessica L. Elliott

-From Amazon-

To help you celebrate this holiday season, six authors have joined together to bring you a box set of stories filled with the Christmas spirit. Each story is a clean, contemporary romance, inspired by a beloved fairy tale.

This box set, new for the 2018 Christmas season, includes stories from best-selling, long-time favorite, and new authors: Kit Morgan, Danielle Thorne, Allie Pleiter, K.D. Garcia, Rachel A. Andersen, and Jessica L. Elliott.

Snuggle up next to a warm fire, grab a mug of cocoa, and enjoy:

The Way You Look at Me (A Sweet City Hearts Novella):
When Anna learns the identity of Charleston’s infamous food critic, they both discover about how love reveals true beauty–inside and out. Inspired by The Ugly Duckling

A Mermaid Under the Mistletoe:
When Leilani Hale’s morning workout is interrupted by an attempted burglary, it’s going to take all of her faith and a few Christmas miracles to get her life back on track. Inspired by the Little Mermaid

Giant Love:
Best-selling author Kit Morgan's Jack and the Beanstalk inspired romance.

The Leprechaun of Christmas:
A leprechaun gives a young man lessons about business and love just in time for Christmas. Inspired by A Christmas Carol.

A Little Christmas Pretense:
Cindy Ashby thinks her life is as good as it’s going to get until a handsome stranger comes and turns her world upside down. Inspired by Cinderella

Henry’s Holiday Charade:
Henry must find a girlfriend in time for his family’s company Christmas party, so the cute but chatty and accident-prone, Amanda Hill, will have to do. Inspired by A Frog Prince.

ASIN: B07KFWXRQB

This Book received a 4 Bark rating.

Kit Morgan

Allie Pleiter

Rachel A. Andersen

Danielle Thorne

K.D. Garcia

Jessica Elliott

Perfect for fans of fairytales and Christmas!

The Way You Look at Me (A Sweet City Hearts Novella)
Oh, what a fun Christmas romance novella! I absolutely loved this Sweet City Hearts novella. A definite feel-good story with just the right amount of humor to complement the wonderfully sweet romance.

A Mermaid Under The Mistletoe
I think this one was easily one of my favorites from this boxed set. I loved how there were elements of the original fairytale but the story was entirely its own. This story was the perfect mix of sweet romance and suspense.

Giant Love
This story was the most different take on Jack And The Beanstalk that I've ever read. I mean, what happens when you mix a rich city girl, her controlling father, her egotistical fiance, and a Montana cowboy?

The Leprechaun of Christmas
A really neat premise, an amazing setting in small-town Ireland, and a cast of interesting characters. But there is some language and it's a little too descriptive in a couple of scenes for my personal tastes.

A Little Christmas Pretense
Another story that reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie in the best of ways. I really enjoyed this Cinderella retelling in that it had all of the elements of the original but was a completely fresh and delightful tale.

Henry’s Holiday Charade
What a sweet story and totally perfect for the holidays! It was just like reading a Hallmark movie and I really enjoyed myself while doing so. A really great take on The Frog Prince fairytale and a definite plus for this boxed set.

Overall
Wish Upon A Christmas Star is a pretty cool boxed set with some fun and unique fairytale retellings. This set is a great way to check out some new authors. Perfect for spending some time inside out of the winter's cold.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Wish Upon A Christmas Star by Kit Morgan, Danielle Thorne, Allie Pleiter, K.D. Garcia, Rachel A. Andersen, and Jessica L. Elliott a 4 Bark rating.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

2/14/2019

3 Comments

from

3 Comments

2019 Birthday Celebration - This Or That Interview with Dana Mentink + Giveaway

2/13/2019

3 Comments

Protecting and serving in the Big Apple
An exciting prequel to the True Blue K-9 Unit series

Her uncle’s business practices have put a target on April Reed’s back. He’s gone into hiding, and April’s the only link the drug runners have to him. NYPD K-9 Unit officer Declan Maxwell and his dog, Storm, will do anything to keep her safe. With danger stalking them, they’ll race to save her uncle without losing their lives in the process.

ASIN: B07FKQN2JS

This Or That Interview
with author Dana Mentink

#1. Cats or dogs? It’s dogs for this family. Those of you who follow me on social media have already met Junie the Wonder Dog. She’s eleven pounds of trouble in a fur coat, but we love the little pencil eating stinker! She’s rescued through a local shelter.

#2. Print or E-reader? Print. I will confess here that I brutalize my books, dog eared, folded pages, scribbling, you just can’t get that hands on experience with an ebook!

#3. Cake or Cookies? Why discriminate? I am happy to eat either one. Feel free to send dessert offerings along to my P.O. Box. Ha!

Junie the Wonder Dog

#4. Early Bird or Night Owl? I am embarrassed to say I go to bed as early as I possibly can get away with, and then I’m up at the crack of dawn. Since I haven’t slept through the night since roughly 1989, I am always ready for bed before the sun sets. Seriously. Party girl right here, huh? I teach third grade as well, so you have to be awake, alert and enthusiastic when those little feet cross the threshold! (See below to experience my pillow obsession problem.)

#5. Introvert or Extrovert? I am basically an introvert, but I can choose to be an extrovert when the occasion demands.

#6. Historical or Suspense? Suspense. I find that my attention span has gotten smaller and smaller as I age, so I need a good, fast paced suspense to keep my turning pages. Throw a ton of description at me and I’m struggling, so suspense fits me right now.

#7. Green or Pink? Green. Kermit the Frog is one of my biggest role models, so...

Bonus. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
I’m thinking about this one...

It pains me, really pains me, the way we judge each other and jump so quickly to being offended. Sadly, I have noticed that we Christians can be crushingly judgmental, even of our brothers and sisters in the faith. I repeat this scripture often to remind myself that I’m forgiven, marred and scuffed as I am, and I need to extend that forgiveness to others as much as I can. We’re in this together!

-Dana Mentink-

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over thirty five titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Barbour Books, and Harvest House. Dana was thrilled to be a semi-finalist in the Jeanne Robertson Comedy With Class Competition. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle.

You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com,
on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authordanamentink/ and Instagram (dana_mentink

It's Time For A Giveaway!

Giveaway: Dana’s next release, Shield of Protection, is a prequel novella to kick off
the upcoming Love Inspired Suspense continuity True Blue K-9 Unit.
She will be giving away a digital copy of that novella, as well as a “readers choice” ebook.
The winner can hop onto Dana’s website or her Amazon author page and select a book of their choosing.
https://www.amazon.com/Dana-Mentink/e/B001JRXHXK/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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2019 Birthday Celebration - Chapter Excerpt from Sold Into Freedom by Carole Towriss + Giveaway

2/10/2019

1 Comment

She will kill to escape.
He has killed for the Empire.
What will they give for a freedom like no other?

Taught to hear messages from the goddess from a young age, Elantia’s life is shattered when she is captured from her home in southwest Britannia and sold as a slave in Macedonia. She wants nothing more than to escape and return home—after she kills the man who took the only good thing left in her life.

Tossed aside by the Empire, wounded tribune Quintus Valerius ends up in sleepy Philippi to retire. Manipulated into becoming the prison keeper, he vows to return to Rome as soon as possible to reclaim his reputation and his life. He is intrigued by the quiet Jewish teacher who speaks of truth and peace, but is convinced he can never have neither.

When Elantia’s shocking actions shake up the town and her life is threatened, Quintus risks what little he has left to save her—only to put Paulos and his friends in even greater danger.

ASIN: B07K7YFGXL

Available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook
Amazon
Goodreads

Sold Into Freedom is book 1 of “The Planting Faith Series.” This series follows
the Apostle Paul though his second missionary journey. Each book will focus on
two or more little-known biblical characters who came to faith through his ministry.

Chapter Excerpt from Sold Into Freedom

Chapter One

“There are . . . things which the Lord hates,
. . . that are detestable to him: . . .
a heart that devises wicked schemes, [and]
feet that are quick to rush into evil.”
--Proverbs 6:16,18

Late summer, 49 A.D.
Southwestern coast of Britannia
It was the screaming that woke her up.
Elantia rubbed the sleep from her eyes and scrambled from her straw-covered cottage in the tiny village by the sea. In the grim light of early morning, nail-studded leather pounded the ground as soldiers dragged horrified families out of their roundhouses. Blood-red cloaks whipped in the ocean breeze as the invaders set fire to anything they could burn, tearing apart what they could not.
Screeches and wails intertwined with the clang of metal against metal, the crackle of flames eating up thatch, and the soldiers’ horrible, dreadful words. Thank the gods their chieftain father had insisted they learn Latin when the Roumani defeated their neighbors years ago, but she hated the sound of it.
Muscles tightened, ready to fight, Elantia fought through the throng of townspeople surrounding her father.
The Roumani leader, a centurion judging by his uniform, stood face-to-face with him. “Give us your best quietly or we will take them by force.”
Shoulders back, Tatos stood his ground. “You have no right. We are at peace with Rome. After months of bloody battles with our neighbors, Commander Vespasian decided conquering us was not worth the losses to his legion. He vowed the Roumani would never attack us.”
“What makes you think we answer to Vespasian?” He leaned nearer. “Now stand aside.”
“I will not.” Tatos pulled himself as tall as his aging body allowed. “We’ve done nothing to you to warrant such violence. I must protect my people.”
Her heart swelled at her tatos’s vow, even in the face of almost certain defeat.
The centurion shoved him aside. “Rome needs strong backs. When we’re done, you’ll have nothing left to protect.”
In the six years since the Roumani had invaded their land, they had brought nothing but pain.
He beckoned to another, whispered to him. The younger man grabbed Tatos and Mamma and dragged them away.
“Mamma!” Elantia rushed to follow her parents, but a rough hand jerked her by the arm and shoved her into a sheep pen, where most of the other young adults of the tribe already waited. She ran to Tancorix.
Her brother wrapped his arms around her, held her close.
The second soldier grabbed Tancorix and pulled him from Elantia, lining them up in a loose row.
The centurion strode over. Eyeing each of them from head to toe, he hesitated when he came to their cousin. He grabbed her thin arm and turned it over once, twice.
Elantia’s breath caught. The girl was weak. She’d been sick most of the winter. What would he do to her?
He yanked her out of line, thrust her toward his second in command, and then continued his inspection, nodding in satisfaction. Stopping before Elantia’s brother, he fingered the thick, braided gold torque around Tancorix’s neck. He yanked at it, but the opening at the neck was but a finger’s breadth wide. He pulled harder, twisting.
Tancorix put his hands to his neck, wincing in pain as the stiff metal cut into his skin and cut off his air. He grasped the man’s forearms, sinking to the ground, his breath coming fast.
Tia’s heart pounded as she tried to pull the Roumanos’s hands away. “This is the chief’s son! That torque was put around his neck as a child, and he grew into it. It’s not coming off!”
Tancorix struggled for air, his face turning as red as the centurion’s cloak.
The Roumanos let go of the necklace to backhand her.
She stumbled but managed to stay upright. Stinging pain radiated from her cheek to her whole head. The metallic taste of blood lingered on her lip.
With a smile that sent a shiver down her back, he neared her. He ran his fingers down her face, her neck, then along the front of the sleeveless cloak she wore, the one Mamma had spent the winter months making for her. He moved behind her and wrenched it off her arms. His hot breath on her neck sent her stomach roiling. “It’s a shame we are in such a hurry.”
He tossed the garment to his aide, and the younger man left.
Tia’s hands trembled as she reached for Tancorix. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.
The soldier returned with a long rope. Her skin burned as he wrapped it around her wrists and knotted it, far too tightly. It went from her to Tancorix to all the others in turn.
She searched for Tatos and Mamma. What had the soldiers done to them? She’d never trusted the Roumani, and today had proved her instinct right. Her father had made sure they’d been loyal, kept every provision of the truce, and then today . . .
The centurion yanked the end of the rope. Her knees hit the ground. Her face smashed against her fists. He tugged again, pulling her up, shouting some command at her. Tancorix’s gentle hands steadied her as she stood.
They followed the chief soldier. At the edge of the seaside village, all that remained of her people—the old ones and the youngest—huddled together. She quickly searched for familiar clothing. Her eyes rested on the colorful tunic Mamma wore. And Tatos? He waited behind her mother, his cheek swollen, his lip cut and bleeding.
Then she saw the bodies at their feet.
Her heart sank as realization dawned. The Roumani intended to make her father watch as they slaughtered what was left of his village.
One by one the legionaries dragged a villager from the crowd, rammed a sword through, and let the body drop.
Her father still stood, battered. Bound. Silent.
Elantia’s legs gave way, but Tancorix held her up. A moan escaped.
The villagers gone, the centurion neared Tatos.
Her father looked at her and mouthed the familiar command, “No tears.” His moist eyes reflected the raging flames. “Carami te.”
I love you too. Her blood pounded. Her breath came fast and shallow.
Another legionary blocked her view. His elbow shot back, and a body crumbled to the ground. The bloody sword came to rest at his side.
Elantia turned and buried her face in Tancorix’s chest. She longed to grab him, wrap his arms around her, feel safe, but since they were bound, he could only whisper in her ear.
“Don’t look,” her brother whispered. “You don’t want to remember them that way.”
After a few moments, a crimson-cloaked soldier grabbed at her again, pulling her away. She glanced toward the dwindling crowd.
Tancorix shook his head. “Don’t.” He placed his body between her and the pile of executed villagers.
The group stumbled forward as the legionary pulled on the rope.
“Keep looking ahead,” Tancorix whispered from behind.
She focused her gaze on the cloak of the man leading them. It took everything she had to put one foot in front of the other, to keep from looking back.
The best her village had to offer marched, and marched, and marched. More soldiers added young people from other villages at various points along the way, the train of captives growing longer.
Tancorix was right. She needed to cherish the memory of her mother and father in her heart, a memory of them as wonderful parents and strong leaders.
She’d need their toughness, their love to face what was to come.
Because warriors don’t cry.

Battlefield, western coast of Britannia
The darkness evaporated, but the agony remained. Quintus Valerius stretched his left hand across his chest, biting back a groan as he pressed his fingers against his shoulder. He brought his hand away dipped in blood. Any attempt at movement brought excruciating pain, and he let his arm fall against the damp grass. He tried to sit up but his body screamed in protest. The iron scent of blood filled his nostrils.
Wolves hovered at the edges of the battlefield, eager to attack the decaying flesh of fallen legionaries. Slaves tended fires, keeping the animals at bay as well as bringing light to the battlefield while the Romans buried their dead.
The Britanni would have to wait to take care of their bodies.
How did he end up flat on his back, on this field, blood running down his arm? And where was his horse? He closed his eyes, tried to make sense of the images swirling in his mind. What was the last thing he could remember? Flashes of careening chariots and braying horses. Men shouting orders. Ground rushing toward him, slamming into him.
And pain. Overwhelming, all-encompassing anguish.
But why?
Because Flavius, that childish, arrogant tribune, had issued an order so ridiculously deadly it sent a quarter of a legion into the path of Britanni chariots. Or under them.
Rolling to his left side, he drew his left knee to his chest. Fighting through the pain, he pushed up onto his elbow. He breathed deeply, scanning the field, until the nausea subsided. So many bodies.
How many battles had he fought in his six years in Britannia as a tribune? Almost every day, during campaigning season at least. But this had to be the worst. These Britanni warriors were like none they had ever fought. Never had so many Roman lives been lost.
Noise and chatter sounded behind him. Groaning, he twisted to look over his shoulder at slaves digging out an enormous hole—yet another mass grave.
He struggled to stand, or even sit up, but his right leg refused to obey him. He tried again. His leg would bear no weight.
“Tribune.” A medicus hurried to him. “Do you need help?”
“I-I can’t stand. My leg won’t move.”
The young orderly, a mop of dark, curly hair falling in his eyes, glanced at Quin’s leg, and his face paled.
Quin straightened his arm to push himself higher. At first, he saw no open wounds, no cuts from a blade nor punctures from a spear. Then he realized the damage, the reason he couldn’t stand. His right leg was bent inward at a grotesquely unnatural angle.
Something was drastically wrong.
The youth beckoned to another, who appeared with a litter. One knelt to slip his arm under Quin’s shoulders. The other lifted his legs.
He clenched his jaw until he could no longer contain a cry. They placed him on the stretcher and rushed him to the medical tent.
The chief medicus approached him, reaching for his leg. He shook his head. “You’ve made quite a mess of this, Tribune.”
Quin winced. “How badly am I injured, Davos?” He sucked in a breath as the Greek physician drew his fingers over Quin’s skin, poking and prodding.
“Your arm or your leg?”
“Either. Both.”
“I’ll start with your arm.” The medic held out his hand and another assistant placed a knife in it. Davos cut a slit in Quin’s tunic from elbow to neck and let the fabric fall away. He gently pressed one finger after another in different places, making faces as he did so.
“Well? What?”
“Your arm seems fine. A few stitches. Now for your leg . . .” He gently touched the deformity in Quin’s leg.
Quin released a loud groan.
“I’m sorry. I know that must hurt.” The medic poked again closer to the knee. “And that?”
“Actually, I can’t feel it.”
“You can’t?” Davos frowned.
“No. I can’t feel anything from just above my knee down.” He shrugged, but the look on Davos’s face stopped him. “That’s bad?”
“Yes. You’ve broken a bone, and that must have injured a nerve.”
“And that means . . . ?” He searched the older man’s weathered face for a clue as to how bad his situation really was. Davos had been the legion’s physician for as long as Quin had served the Second Augusta, and Quin trusted him with his life.
“I’m not sure. I’ll need to perform surgery to reset the bone. Hopefully I can see what happened then.”
“Will I get the feeling back?”
He frowned and shook his gray head. “I don’t know.”
“Will I walk again?”
“Yes, but you may still have problems with your leg.”
“Problems?”
“It may . . . end up slightly shorter than the other.”
The physician’s words slammed into him harder than the chariot. That couldn’t be true. “Can’t you do something?”
“Not when it’s damaged this badly. I’m going to get you something for the pain, and one of my assistants will get you ready for surgery.” Davos grasped his left shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you. As always.”
A slave—Greek by the look of him—entered with a bowl of liquid and offered it to Quin.
“What’s this?”
“Opium. For the pain and for the surgery.” The slave held the bowl to his lips while Quin downed the painkiller. He mumbled his thanks and lay back on the wooden bench.
The pain wasn’t nearly as devastating as the physician’s words. If he couldn’t walk properly, he couldn’t be a soldier. And if he couldn’t be a soldier . . .
The poppy’s juice began to cloud his thinking. As soon as he closed his eyes, images of screaming Britanni filled his head. Barefoot, half-naked, spear-wielding warriors charging across the terrain. Iron chariots rolling over Roman bodies.
He opened his eyes and shook his head, trying to dislodge the memories.
His thoughts became jumbled and his breathing slowed. His eyes drifted closed again.
As he slipped into welcome unconsciousness, he prayed to Jupiter he would wake up to a world without war.

Pushed hard by the Roumani, the captives had marched for five days. Tia’s feet bled where sharp rocks sliced into her bare soles. Her back ached from sleeping on the hard ground. Dirt and sweat stained her tunic, and rope cut into her wrists.
She looked north. Less than a half-day’s walk would bring them to the fort Vespasian and his men had built on their rampage along the southern coast. It loomed large, sitting high atop a knoll, controlling everything—and everyone—in its field of vision. The burned remains of a Britanni hillfort lay nearby.
The Roumani destroyed everything they touched.
A shouted command from the centurion interrupted her thoughts, and she turned again to the sea. A colossal ship, as wide as her roundhouse and ten times longer, pulled into the natural harbor before them. Huge cloth sails drooped from towering masts. Only a few pairs of oars dangled from the rear, not the hundreds as on a Roumani warship.
A wide wooden plank was laid against the side of the ship. Shoulders and elbows jammed into her back and sides as the soldiers shoved and pushed the crowd onto the deck and then down a rickety set of wooden steps. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she was propelled toward the wall while the hold filled with the captured Britanni.
The door at the top of the stairs slammed shut. Her breath stuck in her throat. Her vision blurred. She dug her nails into her brother’s arm. The closed space and utter blackness recalled memories of the time she nearly drowned as a child. She’d hated the dark ever since.
“Just breathe. Slowly.” The soft, even tone of his voice calmed her fears.
They began to sit, most with their backs to the long walls.
The door above them opened again and a throng of Roumani darted down the stairs. Working in pairs, one added an iron ring to the right foot of each captive. The other untied the ropes.
Tia studied her wrists. A raw crimson ring encircled each one, too tender to touch. She tried to lift her foot, now connected to Tancorix on one side and a young girl on the other.
Just as the last manacles were connected with thick iron bolts, oars dipped and pushed against the water. The ship jerked forward in spurts until it achieved a slow but steady pace. The sailors tramped back up the stairs, and again the door crashed closed.
After a few moments, the sails could be heard snapping tight as wind surged into them. The ship lunged forward and picked up speed.
The journey had begun. Where would it end?

Carole Towriss

An unapologetic Californian, Carole Towriss now lives just north of Washington, DC. She loves her husband, her four children, the beach, and tacos, though not always in that order. In addition to writing, she binge watches British crime dramas and does the dishes four times in one day.

Website ■ Blog ■ Twitter ■ Facebook
Pinterest ■ Instagram ■ Amazon Author Page
Email: [email protected]

It's Time For A Giveaway!

Carole Towriss is generously giving away
an e-book copy of Sold Into Freedom

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once sworn enemies, they now they now must stand together.
When Tia’s shocking actions shake up the town and threaten her life,
Quin risks what little he has left to save her.
Together, can they find freedom?

1 Comment

2019 Birthday Celebration - Chapter Excerpt from The Curse Of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright + Giveaway

2/7/2019

12 Comments

Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in 1908. When clues lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a post-mortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.

A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother—who is battling dementia—compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns—and with it, Heidi's fear for her own life.

As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?

ISBN-13: 978-0764230301

Chapter Excerpt from The Curse Of Misty Wayfair

Chapter 1

Thea Reed

Pleasant Valley
Northwoods of Wisconsin, 1908
Melancholy was a condition of the spirit and the soul, but also of the mind. Still, she’d never seen melancholy claim a life and be the cause of a body laid to rest in permanent sleep. At peace? One hoped. Prayed, if they were of that bent. Regardless, as she positioned herself beside the corpse, boxlike camera clutched to her chest, Thea Reed found melancholy fascinating. For its persistent grip and the power it held even unto death. That it could claim a life was a
horrifying mystery.
Memento mori was becoming less prominent in the photographer’s world, but the tradition still gripped those of sentimental pandering. Rose Coyle was one of those. A photograph to hold tight to as she posed beside her deceased sister, frozen in time as if they both still lived. Though tears welled in Rose’s eyes, her shoulders remained stalwart.
Thea tucked away the ever-present nudge of guilt. The idea she benefited monetarily from others’ grief. It was a morbid

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

career she’d fallen into as a girl. A traveling photographer and his wife needed a helper, the orphanage mistress had told Thea. A decade later, she was now the photographer while her benefactors were dead. But what choice did she have? Only a leftover letter with miniscule clues gave Thea any hint of her past. While the enticements of who Thea Reed might really be had brought her here, to this town, Thea knew dreams of a future were something women with roots and ancestry concocted. Orphans played the hand they were dealt, even if that hand was ghastly at its best.
Thea cast Rose a glance from the corner of her eye as she carefully collected her photographic equipment. Rose was not far in age from Thea, perhaps only a few years older. Well, if one surmised merely by the porcelain complexion, the unlined corners of the brilliant blue eyes, and the crow black hair that swooped into a lustrous silken crown on Rose’s head. Thea shifted her gaze toward the other model, giving Rose her distance and allowing her the privacy to dab her eyes with a handkerchief bordered by purple tatting.
Thea flipped open the lid of the velvet-lined case that housed her camera. She paused before lowering her precious camera into its box. The deceased woman—Mary Coyle—was nowhere near as striking as her older sister. Mary was simple by comparison, and even in death, one could see that in life she’d been pasty next to Rose. Ash blond hair, dull due to the lack of life. Her lips a muted pink, her nose dotted with freckles that now had no hope of ever disappearing. Her body lay limp, propped into an upright position by the aid of Thea’s metal hanger that cuffed to the corpse’s arms and neck and helped her to stand like a mannequin one might see in Miss Flannahan’s Boutique four towns over.
A sniffle jerked Thea’s attention back to the living and squelched the thoughts that made her mind spin like five children’s metal tops whirling across a wooden floor.
“I’m so sorry.” Rose blinked quickly, yet the moisture on

JAIME JO WRIGHT

her lashes only made her blue eyes larger and more iridescent. Thea engaged in a twinge of inadequacy herself, but then she ignored it like the little devil it was. Her brown eyes and honey brown hair might be uninspiring next to Rose, but she had life, whereas—Thea finally rested her camera in the box—whereas Rose had grief.
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Thea had no struggle infusing empathy into her voice. The entire afternoon had been dreadful for Rose Coyle.
“But the photograph . . .” Rose’s voice dwindled in a muted whimper.
Thea buckled the camera case. “The photograph will be fine, I promise.”
She hoped. Rose had been so fidgety that keeping her expression stoic for the time it took for the lens to expose to light and capture the image made it almost definite the photograph would turn out blurry. But, compared to a corpse, any live human being would seem fidgety.
Thea swallowed her observation. She was used to the morbid, the dead, but then the strange questions would come during heightened times of distress and mostly when she was disturbed. When ghosts lingered in the air, their skeletal-like fingers stroking the back of Thea’s neck. A taunt, mingling with a subtle dare to find them. Catch them. If only Thea could. Ghosts were never captured, or they would be entrapped in tombs with their bodies. No, their spirits roamed free, Thea had been taught. Some good, some desperate, and some—the worst sort—wicked and evil.
“Tea?”
“Pardon?” Thea’s head snapped up from her frozen state over her camera case. But her eyes didn’t meet with Rose’s. Instead, her gaze settled again on Mary Coyle, knowing she would need to detach her from the frame.
“I wondered if you would stay for tea?” Rose had summoned strength from deep within herself, it appeared. Tears

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

had dissipated, though every ounce of composure could not hide the shadows that lingered under her eyes.
Thea nodded before she could consider, sympathy gaining the better hand over sound judgment.
“Yes. Please.” She bit her tongue. No. Thank you. Never mingle with a customer. It had been her benefactor, Mr. Mendelsohn’s instruction, and his wife’s sternly supported conviction. Thea usually heeded it.
Rose had already exited the parlor with a murmur. It was too late and too rude to decline now. Thea should have finished here, laid the burdensome body back on its temporary cot before the undertaker came to prepare Mary Coyle for her final rest and position her in a coffin. But now, tea it would be, Thea supposed, which only meant squelching the curiosity of Mary, her life, and subsequently her death, would be more difficult.
It took time, but eventually Thea had freed Mary from the trap of the photographic frame that held her prisoner. Laid and covered, Thea stepped back.
“I’m sorry life was such despair,” Thea whispered.
Mary did not answer.
Drawing in a deep breath and then expelling it slowly between her lips, Thea gathered her equipment. She moved to the parlor door, but that niggling sense—that feeling—gave her pause. She looked over her shoulder. Mary hadn’t moved. Of course she hadn’t. Nor had she spoken.
But oddly the black crepe shroud that covered a photograph of Mary when she was very much alive had slipped down the piano, onto its bench, and gathered in a filmy pile on the floor. Thea stared at the photograph. Not one sibling but two flanked Mary Coyle. All three of them smiling. All three children in adolescence.
Thea nodded. She understood now.
Mary had been happy once.
Before death had come to play.

JAIME JO WRIGHT

Rose was kind—and chatty. Likely to avoid the suffocating weight of grief. Thea tried to be vague in her answers.
Yes, she was new to town. Yes, traveling photographers sometimes knocked on doors to inquire if a service was needed. No, she wasn’t here to visit any family. No, she’d never been this far north in Wisconsin before.
Thea cringed inwardly. It wasn’t particularly true. She may have been. As a youngster, before memories became firm images in a person’s mind. Just vague shadows. It was why she’d come north, wasn’t it? To clear the fog away from those blurred recollections?
Of course, she’d not tell Rose that. Thea preferred anonymity. For no other reason than that she was used to it, it was comfortable, and if asked to define who she was, she really had nothing substantial to offer.
Thea dabbed the cloth napkin against her lips. Rose met her curious gaze over the rim of her teacup. Sadness still lingered there, but Rose’s dark brow winged upward in question. Inviting and warm.
Thea accepted the unspoken invite. It was time to divert Rose’s polite curiosity with some of her own.
“I couldn’t help but wonder, I noticed you had a brother.” She didn’t reference the photograph she had re-shrouded before leaving the parlor.
Rose lowered her teacup. “We still have a brother.”
We. Poor Rose. Like Mary were still alive. There was no past tense.
“Simeon.” The name caressed from Rose’s lips gently, with a deep fondness that Thea couldn’t relate to.
Rose smiled one of those bittersweet smiles as she ran her fingertip around the edge of her teacup. “Simeon is my younger brother, between Mary and I. He is . . . special.”

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

Her interest more than piqued; Thea was also equally as anticipatory of escaping the gloomy atmosphere and driving
away on her horse-led box wagon. She shifted on the hard wooden chair. The lace tablecloth caught under her leg and
drew taut, making the china rattle. Thea made it her excuse for escape.
“Thank you so much for the tea.” Thea summoned every manner Mrs. Mendelsohn had taught her in their short years together.
Rose drew a breath, shuddering only a tad. “And the photograph?”
Oh yes. Business. Thea gave Rose an approximate date. She would need to find a satisfactory place to develop the plates. Her wagon was equipped, but barely. Finding an established portrait studio she could partner with was a better option. She wasn’t certain if that was normal, but it had been Mr. Mendelsohn’s way of doing business, and Thea was well versed in it.
Rose led Thea to the front door, the wool carpet runner beneath her feet silencing the footsteps that would have otherwise echoed on the scuffed walnut floors. Always observant, Thea noted the wallpaper was more faded by the entryway than in the hall, which made sense considering the windows that flanked the front door. Sunlight was sure to drain color from the paper roses. Thea drew her attention back to her client.
Life had drained color from Rose Coyle. Only the sapphire of her eyes and the coal black of her hair and lashes saved her
from being ghostly.
“My brother will give you your partial payment.” Rose hesitated, and her voice dropped into a wispy tone. “He’s good
with numbers.”
“And I shall find him where?” Thea ventured.
Rose’s fingers flew to her neckline, fidgeting with the lace at her throat. The only bit of adornment on her otherwise black silk mourning dress. She seemed taken aback by the question.
“Your brother—Simeon?” Thea pressed.

JAIME JO WRIGHT

“Yes.” Rose gave her head a little shake, but her eyes grew dull and vacant. She dropped her hand from her throat. “Simeon will be in his workshop.”
An uneasy sensation coursed through Thea. Not unlike the one in the parlor. As if they were being watched—as if Mary watched them. A common superstition but one Thea found immensely hard to shake.
She nodded, grappling for the doorknob. She wished to leave now. She had no more courage left to cast a final glance into the parlor, where Mary Coyle lay, and no bravery to investigate Rose’s sorrowing face again.
Thea’s fingers brushed Rose’s as they’d already turned the knob and opened the door. She snatched her hand away and edged past Rose, catching a whiff of perfume. Thea turned to bid Rose farewell, but Rose was already closing the front door, her face slowly disappearing as the crack between the door and frame shut.
Tiny bumps raised on Thea’s arms. She observed her horse and wagon. She could just leave. Avoid the special Simeon Coyle—whatever that inferred—and be rid of this creepy house and its inhabitants. There had been a tiny glimpse of fear in Rose’s eyes just as the door closed. Fear of her brother perhaps? Or something greater and more threatening than the melancholy that had wasted away Mary Coyle?
She needed the money. With that determination, Thea made her way over a stone path through flower gardens of summer growth. Chives with bristly purple blossoms, lavender bushes lending a distinct scent in the air, both calming and pungent, and a mishmash of wildflowers waving in the slight breeze. The path passed through a gate and then it was gone. Only dirt and patchy grass led Thea to the door of the shed, Simeon Coyle’s workshop.
Thea knocked firmly on the door. A sparrow fluttered above her and landed on the peak of the roof. It cocked its head to the right and danced a fidgety little waltz across the ridgepole.

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

Thea met the beady eyes and didn’t miss the sparrow’s quick nod before it fluttered away.
Mr. Mendelsohn had believed spirits sometimes took the form of other creatures. Perhaps it was Mary Coyle giving her
approval to stand before her brother’s place of work. Or, Thea blinked as the door began to open, superstitions shouldn’t be taken so far. Thea knew little of God, but Mrs. Mendelsohn had argued with her husband many times that a human simply did not return as an animal. It was ungodly and sacrilegious.
Much as Rose had closed the door, Simeon Coyle opened his. With a nervous suspicion in squinting gray eyes. Brown hair the color of tree bark straggled over his forehead in straight strands parted down the middle. He eyed Thea. Perhaps he’d not seen a stranger in his entire life? His eyes looked her up and down, until finally he opened the door enough for her to see his whole body.
Simeon Coyle did not step from his shed. Nor did he speak. His jaw was square, his shoulders lean with suspenders spanning over them, and he was only slightly taller than she. There was nothing remarkable about him. Nothing at all.
They stared at each other.
Simeon, waiting.
Thea, tongue-tied.
There was something about Simeon Coyle. His sharp, observant gaze conflicted with the hollow expression on his face.
She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice.
He blinked.
Thea stumbled back a step. She was losing her senses, surely! Yet she would vow there was an instant tugging of souls between her and Simeon Coyle, with inexplicable reason other than an innate comprehension that they shared something unspoken. Something yet to be defined—if they gave it opportunity.
“I’ve come only for money.” Thea’s words bridged the space between them. Words that eliminated the invisible thread between them that made no logical sense.

JAIME JO WRIGHT

Simeon blinked, his face pulled into a scowl, making his one eye close like he was winking. But Thea was certain he wasn’t. Just as quickly, his muscles relaxed, and his expression returned to a quiet study of her. A movement caught her attention, and Simeon’s hand stretched forward. In his grip, a coin in half payment for the photograph. Thea reached for it, and he released the money.
Without another word, Simeon Coyle closed the door. The latch clicked quietly as he reentered his shed. But, Thea could not chase away the feeling that a door had also opened into the secret places inside of her, and Simeon Coyle had unassumingly walked right in.

Jaime Jo Wright, The Curse of Misty Wayfair
Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2019. Used by permission

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Jaime Jo Wright

Professional coffee drinker & Daphne du Maurier and Christy Award Winning author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited romantic suspense stained with the shadows of history. Coffee fuels her snarky personality. She lives in Neverland with her Cap’n Hook who stole her heart and will not give it back, their little fairy Tinkerbell, and a very mischievous Peter Pan. The foursome embark on scores of adventure that only make her fall more wildly in love with romance and intrigue. Jaime lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimejowright.com

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It's Time For A Giveaway!

Jaime Jo Wright is generously giving
away a print copy of The Curse Of Misty Wayfair

USA Only

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2018 Birthday Celebration - Guest Post with Margaret Daley

2/4/2019

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Second Chances. Cornered. Murder.

Sadie Williams receives a cryptic and terrifying call from her scared sister. But when Sadie arrives at her identical twin’s home, there's no sign of Katie, only evidence of a quick flight. The puzzling situation turns potentially deadly when intruders storm the house. With help from Brock Carrington, her ex-fiancé and an ex-Marine, Sadie narrowly escapes.

Brock is an injured veteran dealing with PTSD. He's finally piecing his life back together when his ex-fiancée needs his help. Can Brock reignite their relationship and find her missing twin before they're both killed?

ASIN: B07L3G48VT

Buy links: Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo and Google Play

My Newest Book
by Margaret Daley

Trapped is my most recent book and my third story in my Everyday Heroes Series. It was released on January 15th. This story is placed in Colorado in a fictional town called Butte City surrounded by mountains. My hero, Brock Carrington, is a veteran who lost his leg from his knee down in firefight. His life changed after that. He retreated from the world and most of the people he knew. But he was given a service dog, Bella, to help him deal with PTSD. His life changes again when his ex-fiancée’s twin sister disappears. Sadie turns to Brock, who is her sister’s neighbor living on a mountain near Butte City.

I had fun writing about Bella. My son’s dog is named Bella, and I pictured her while I wrote the story. I stayed on a mountain years ago between Denver and Boulder. I used my memories of that time as I wrote the story—about the bear, a place off the road before you lose cell reception.

-Margaret-

Margaret Daley

Margaret Daley is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Contest. Recently she has won the Golden Quill Contest, FHL’s Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, Holt Medallion and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines, romantic suspense for Abingdon Press and historical romance for Summerside Press. She has sold ninety-two books to date.

Margaret was the President for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization of over 2600 members. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.
Until she retired a few years ago, she was a teacher of students with special needs for twenty-seven years and volunteered with Special Olympics as a coach. She currently is on the Outreach committee at her church, working on several projects in her community as well as serving on her church’s vestry.
On a more personal note, she has been married for over forty years to Mike and has one son and four granddaughters. She treasures her time with her family and friends.

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E-Book Review - The Coffee Club Mysteries by Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig, Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, Janice Thompson

2/2/2019

1 Comment

Genre:
Mystery

The Coffee Club Mysteries
by Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig,
Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, Janice Thompson

-From Amazon-

Six Mysteries Are Brewing in Small-Town Kansas

The coffee shop on the corner of First and Main in Oak Grove, Kansas, seems to attract a series of mysterious events. Or perhaps it is the six women who frequent the shop for book club who are magnets for trouble. . . .

Morgan Butler, owner of the Coffee Perk, finds a project worker hanged at her shop.

Penny Parson finds a gun in one of her beehives.

Evelyn Kliff discovers a dead church meal organizer.

Jo Anderson shares hazelnut coffee creamer, sending a woman into anaphylactic shock.

Harper Daggett is being stalked for an antique jade owl she bought.

Baker Jeanine Gransbury’s charity event money goes missing.

Join them as they unravel six unexplained events that have the potential to ruin business and spoil friendships if not handled with care.

ASIN: B07HYTLBS8

6 determined women, 6 mysteries to solve...

When I saw that The Coffee Club Mysteries had a lineup of six such amazing authors I knew it was a book I seriously wanted to read. Years ago I would have probably bypassed this book because it is a novella collection but a classic children's author changed my mind about short stories and novellas and I've read some pretty great stuff since.

This Book received a 4.5 Bark rating.

Darlene Franklin

Elizabeth Ludwig

Candice Prentice

Cynthia Hickey

Dana Mentink

Janice Thompson

The Coffee Club Mysteries was great! Kind of like reading a mini Hallmark mystery movie series it had all of the elements of a good whodunit. Murder, theft, betrayal, frame-ups, and even a dash of romance in some of them. The stories segued almost seamlessly, showing the true talent of the six very different authors, Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig, Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, and Janice Thompson. Another really cool thing about the book is that main characters are a wide variety of ages, from late twenties to mid seventies, so there is bound to be at least one for every reader to relate to.

While this collection can be read in several sittings, each novella took me about an hour or so to read, I found myself reading it in larger bites. Hey, there's nothing better than a good a mystery on a cold winter day when you'd much rather be inside. I loved The Coffee Club Mysteries and I would definitely recommend it to fans of any or all of these authors.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Coffee Club Mysteries by Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig, Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, Janice Thompson a 4.5 Bark rating.

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2019 Birthday Celebration - Flights Of Fancy Q&A with Jen Turano + Giveaway

2/1/2019

27 Comments

Miss Isadora Delafield may be an heiress, but her life is far from carefree. When her mother begins pressuring her to marry an elderly and uncouth duke, she escapes from the high society world she's always known and finds herself to be an unlikely candidate for a housekeeper position in rural Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ian MacKenzie is known for his savvy business sense and has built his reputation and fortune completely on his own merits. But when his adopted parents are in need of a new housekeeper and Isadora is thrown into his path, he's unexpectedly charmed by her unconventional manner.

Neither Isadora nor Ian expected to find the other so intriguing, but when mysterious incidents on the farm and the truth of Isadora's secret threaten those they love, they'll have to set aside everything they thought they wanted for a chance at happy-ever-after.

ISBN-13: 978-0764231674

Q&A with Jen Turano about her
new book Flights Of Fancy

What was the inspiration for this book?
I got the idea for the whole series after reading “ The Glitter and the Gold” by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balson. Consuelo was the daughter of Alva Vanderbilt – Alva’s ball being the inspiration behind my book, “Behind the Scenes,” and after I was finished with Consuelo’s book, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened to her if she’d balked when her mother insisted she marry the Duke of Marlborough in 1895. Consuelo and the duke were hardly suited to each other, and in fact, both of them were in love with other people, but they married anyway and lived a less than pleasant life with each other until they finally divorced. That got me to thinking about all sorts of ‘What if’ scenarios, and before I knew it, the American Heiress series was born with Miss Isadora Delafield getting the first story in the series.

Consuelo Vanderbilt Balson

How did you name your characters?
I found Isadora in an obituary notice from the 1800’s, while getting Delafield from one of my books about the New York Four Hundred. Ian was a little trickier. At first, he was going to be a Duncan, but he apparently didn’t want to be Duncan, so after trying at least thirty different names (and by trying, I mean I write the name into the scenes, and then write for about a chapter before they let me know whether it’s a go or not) Ian finally seemed to work, and then I got MacKenzie from an obscure research paper – “Memoirs of Allegany County.” The character Birdie was one that really gave me trouble. I knew who she was, but all of my attempts at naming her weren’t working until…I ran across this woman on the trail while I was walking. She was walking her dog, a darling beast of a mutt that certainly seemed as if he wanted to bite me since he was growling and showing his teeth. The woman was convinced her dog simply adored me, and while she was trying to get me to pet her little killer, she told me her name was Birdie, and even though I was not, as in ever, going to give in to her wishes and pet her dog, I had my name for my character and…I got away from Birdie with all of my limbs intact.

For the Heroine – Miss Isadora Delafield
What one piece of advice would you like to give readers?
Never trust a chicken no matter how adorable they may appear.
They can be tricky creatures and one never knows when they may decide to attack.

For the Hero – Mr. Ian MacKenzie
What is your greatest strength and greatest flaw?
I would think my greatest strength would be my ability to spot a great investment. As for my greatest flaw, well, according to my Aunt Birdie, that would be looking for a wife who can improve my social connections which will
increase my standing in the business world. She thinks I need to find a lady who understands me and will want to
be with me for me and not for the fortune I’ve managed to obtain, but I’m convinced my aunt is wrong about that.

Tell us something interesting that happened involving this book.
Hmmm…that’s a tricky one – but…okay, I have it now. I decided to set part of this book in Pittsburgh because my mom was born around Pittsburgh but she didn’t grow up there because her dad, my grandfather, died when she was only four. He was a prominent attorney but I never really knew much about him because, again, he died before my mom really had a chance to know him and then her mom remarried and life goes on. Anyway, as I was looking for some research material, I stumbled on this “Memoirs Of Allegany County” and get this – I found a piece written about my great-grandfather, Fred Gerdts. I had no idea he’d originally owned a grocery store before his store burned down and he went into real estate, or that, besides my grandfather and great-aunt, my great-grandparents had another son – one I’d never heard about because he apparently died relatively young. Fascinating glimpse into my family tree that I certainly wasn’t expecting to find while doing book research.

What is the craziest things you’ve done in the name of research?
Most of my research involves me and the research librarians at my local library, although I have traveled to all of the places I’ve set my stories in. This summer was somewhat amusing as pertains to research. I’d gone back to my hometown for a high school reunion – stayed with one of my oldest friends, and while we were out and about, I had her stop at this old one-room schoolhouse – I’ve passed that school thousands of times over the years and never thought to stop – it was great – and get this, as I hiked over this dirt road, I found another ramshackle building, plants growing all over it, but I found a plaque with a faded picture on it, showing that this building had been a big draw on route 40 for people driving across the country and had been some sort of tavern/inn. I had no idea – My girlfriend was slightly taken aback about how enthusiastic I was about finding that crumbling building – and if I’m recalling correctly, after I badgered her into going to The Frick museum with me when she took me back to Pittsburgh to catch a flight to my next destination, she might have asked me when it was that I turned into such a history nerd. I can understand why she’d be so curious about that since I do tend to go a bit crazy with the research these days, a habit I certainly didn’t have in my younger years. However, I have to say that this friend of mine might be turning a bit nerdy as well since she decided that the museum wasn’t so bad after all and she did ask me a few questions about that tavern I found.

What’s coming up next for you?
Coming out later in 2019 will be the second book in the American Heiress Series, “Diamond in the Rough.” It’s Miss Poppy Garrison’s story and I do believe it’s rather amusing. I’ll also be in a novella collection about the Harvey Girls, coming out in Fall 2019, and then the last book in the American Heiress series will release in 2020, but it’s currently untitled as well as…not written.

Thanks for stopping in to visit. Happy Reading Everyone!!!!

-Jen-

Jen Turano

A USA Today Best-Selling Author, Jen Turano has written the critically acclaimed Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers. Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013. Her seventh book, Playing the Part, released in the spring of 2016, and will be followed by a new four-book series, Apart from the Crowd. When she’s not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

Jen Turano is generously giving
away a print copy of Flights Of Fancy.

USA Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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2019 Birthday Celebration - How It Works

2/1/2019

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2019 Birthday Celebration

How It Works

During the month of February we will be featuring some wonderful content from some great authors!
To find a celebration post just look or the phrase
"2019 Birthday Celebration"
at the beginning of the blog post title and the

symbol at the top of the post.
If there is a giveaway associated with that post you will see the word
"Giveaway" at the end of the blog post title.

So, come on over and check out the fun all month long!

You can get started HERE

Don't forget to enjoy our regular reviews and posts during the month as well!

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My Review

Tour Giveaway

Follow The Tours

-Kate Breslin-

â€‹It's Time For A Giveaway!

Do you ever feel the weight of your past mistakes? Wonder if you’ll ever be able to get past them?

So, to be entered, leave a comment sharing one way that God​has given either you, or someone you know, beauty for ashes.

Interview

Guest Post

-Carla Laureano-

It's Time For A Giveaway!

Blog Stops

Character Profiles from ​For Such A Time As This

It's Time For A Giveaway!

Wish Upon A Christmas Star by Kit Morgan, Danielle Thorne, Allie Pleiter, ​K.D. Garcia, Rachel A. Andersen, Jessica L. Elliott

from

This Or That Interview ​with author Dana Mentink

-Dana Mentink-

It's Time For A Giveaway!

She will kill to escape. He has killed for the Empire. ​ What will they give for a freedom like no other?

Chapter Excerpt from Sold Into Freedom

It's Time For A Giveaway!

​Once sworn enemies, they now they now must stand together. When Tia’s shocking actions shake up the town and threaten her life, ​Quin risks what little he has left to save her. ​Together, can they find freedom?

Chapter Excerpt from The Curse Of Misty Wayfair

​Thea Reed

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

JAIME JO WRIGHT

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

JAIME JO WRIGHT

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

JAIME JO WRIGHT

​The Curse of Misty Wayfair

JAIME JO WRIGHT

It's Time For A Giveaway!

​My Newest Book ​​by Margaret Daley

-Margaret-

The Coffee Club Mysteriesby Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig,​Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, Janice Thompson

Q&A with Jen Turano about her ​new book Flights Of Fancy

-Jen-

It's Time For A Giveaway!

2019 Birthday Celebration

So, come on over and check out the fun all month long!

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Do you ever feel the weight of your past mistakes?
Wonder if you’ll ever be able to get past them?

So, to be entered, leave a comment sharing one way that God
has given either you, or someone you know, beauty for ashes.

Character Profiles from
For Such A Time As This

Wish Upon A Christmas Star
by Kit Morgan, Danielle Thorne, Allie Pleiter,
K.D. Garcia, Rachel A. Andersen, Jessica L. Elliott

This Or That Interview
with author Dana Mentink

She will kill to escape.
He has killed for the Empire.
What will they give for a freedom like no other?

Once sworn enemies, they now they now must stand together.
When Tia’s shocking actions shake up the town and threaten her life,
Quin risks what little he has left to save her.
Together, can they find freedom?

Thea Reed

The Curse of Misty Wayfair

My Newest Book
by Margaret Daley

The Coffee Club Mysteries
by Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig,
Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, Janice Thompson

Q&A with Jen Turano about her
new book Flights Of Fancy