tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57981621926047026042024-03-14T01:13:25.452-05:00Deanna Lynn SlettenAuthorDeanna Lynn Slettenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100075772877115586noreply@blogger.comBlogger389125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-89446885678556073082024-02-20T00:00:00.001-06:002024-02-20T00:00:00.271-06:00Book Review: The Earl's Match by Holly Bush<p>Book Review + New Release!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Earl’s Match</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhhz3nqurofwCDQ9aGIl2bJAtOQT6UIyUvCg1ZDy-GHgVYdEfRoTC-caAwtG24kJot4aKReWaevNORk-HVk4ZYZBAfxP2ztddRPE80db0PqwJU5yeIJK9Kvd-W664Qlk_7nLOuJw7g8feLyv-WlA3yHfZkC4rUVRmg1FDleK51uC36Swn7VGeoqbtoeA/s466/The%20Earl's%20Match.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhhz3nqurofwCDQ9aGIl2bJAtOQT6UIyUvCg1ZDy-GHgVYdEfRoTC-caAwtG24kJot4aKReWaevNORk-HVk4ZYZBAfxP2ztddRPE80db0PqwJU5yeIJK9Kvd-W664Qlk_7nLOuJw7g8feLyv-WlA3yHfZkC4rUVRmg1FDleK51uC36Swn7VGeoqbtoeA/w268-h400/The%20Earl's%20Match.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">(The Thompsons of Locust Street, Book Five)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Holly Bush</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family
taking Philadelphia high society by storm…</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Payden Thompson’s pursuit of the man threatening his family
and his clan proves to be far from a straightforward confrontation. His hunt to
kill the illegitimate relative and the man’s followers is brutal and he is
imprisoned and beaten after a daring rescue attempt goes awry. Overwhelmed by
the violence and loss in Scotland, Payden finds himself unable to shed his
fears and trauma after his heroic return to America.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Clarice Endicott finds Philadelphia society boring and chafes
at her mother’s schemes to find her a husband amongst the wealthiest of the
young men on the hunt for a well-connected wife. A chance meeting introduces
her to a handsome and sullen Payden Thompson, who captures her interest, and
who has just returned from Scotland after five long and dangerous years. Will
Clarice be the woman to help Payden lift himself from the dogged effects of
tragedy and violence?</span></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy Now:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/48l9iN8">Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Thompsons of Locust Street are back with this latest
novel by the talented Holly Bush. This time, it’s the youngest Thompson’s turn
to have an adventure and possibly fall in love. I’ve read all the books in this
series—as well as everything Holly has written—and have enjoyed them all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Paydon Thompson returns from a long, dangerous trip to
his homeland to save his title and land, he is a broken man. The memories of
what he experienced during battle haunt him, as does the loss of someone he
loved so much. All he wants is to settle back into his life and feel safe
again. Then, he meets the strong, willful, beautiful, Clarice Endicott, and she
will not only bring more adventure into his life, but also be his true match of
character in love.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Earl’s Match</i> has everything you want in a
historical romance novel. Adventure, drama, and romance. Holly has a beautiful
way of writing that keeps you on the edge of your seat while warming your
heart. I highly recommend this novel – as well as the entire series.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wKT4IKUCXeuG3_EcF0kbzbeJlWXCYfLoN0ztqIO4c9tLO3xxkPWxHAuRGaSbodVDZsu2PhiLWnTZc9lf6efBPznXw-EGLJyGX6oqBGw-O02XV4-GDi20aiPpC_5F5izXrTU-LZmkMoQqKkaDRIyYqBrP89jfCDMfUAO6ax8y1GGtUlpE9hVfPw3kfsg/s300/Holly%20Bush%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wKT4IKUCXeuG3_EcF0kbzbeJlWXCYfLoN0ztqIO4c9tLO3xxkPWxHAuRGaSbodVDZsu2PhiLWnTZc9lf6efBPznXw-EGLJyGX6oqBGw-O02XV4-GDi20aiPpC_5F5izXrTU-LZmkMoQqKkaDRIyYqBrP89jfCDMfUAO6ax8y1GGtUlpE9hVfPw3kfsg/s1600/Holly%20Bush%202.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></div><b>About the Author:<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“I love you. With every bit of myself, until we are old and
infirm. Until the only thing left is love.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Thompsons of Locust Street, Philadelphia, features five
siblings from Scotland with some family secrets that could place them in
danger. The first book is The Bachelor's Bride, Elspeth's story. The
Bareknuckle Groom, James Thompson, is the second book, and The Professor's
Lady, Kirsty Thompson, is the third. Muireall Thompson's book, The Captain's
Woman, releases in January 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Gentrys of Paradise begins with the novella Into the
Evermore where readers meet Virginia horse breeders, Eleanor and Beauregard
Gentry. The following books feature their children, Adam, Matthew, and Olivia.
For the Brave is Matthew’s story and is the first full length book of the
series. Olivia's book is For This Moment and Adam's story, For Her Honor, is
the final book in the series.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Crawford Family Series following the fortunes of the three
Boston born Crawford sisters and includes Train Station Bride, Contract to Wed,
Her Safe Harbor, and companion novella, The Maid’s Quarters. Cross the Ocean is
a British set Victorian romance. Fan favorites stand-alones include Romancing
Olive and Reconstructing Jackson. Holly's books are described as ‘emotional,
with heartfelt, sexy romance.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Holly Bush books are set during the turbulent and transformative
years of the late 1800’s. She makes her home with her husband, one happy
Labrador Retriever, a clever Jack Russell rescued from the pound, and two
difficult cats in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Connect with Holly at
www.hollybushbooks.com, on Twitter @hollybushbooks, on Facebook at Holly Bush,
on BookBub at Holly Bush, and on Instagram at Holly Bush Books. Follow Holly on
her Amazon author page to receive new release updates and sale information.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-60831970098052030462024-01-18T22:48:00.000-06:002024-01-18T22:48:05.530-06:00Book Review: The Healing Train by Kim Cano<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Healing Train</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaagcqyrDfQbAOzzYaoSp4K0Hq-hRAs2_bsE-HhOrchoQ-r3yq56XgpUW8M8EtJhpJsq0I1is3Xsabdt_EfZ2Z6YSVg9gvrJsuKoczv5mH7C9yuQqzF6esefEhE_poQdWPaIrIVXZnHhfSlaggqpStGxg0T9ziQowo6adLeHFZm6rjpv_7sInkb900gU/s466/The%20Healing%20Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaagcqyrDfQbAOzzYaoSp4K0Hq-hRAs2_bsE-HhOrchoQ-r3yq56XgpUW8M8EtJhpJsq0I1is3Xsabdt_EfZ2Z6YSVg9gvrJsuKoczv5mH7C9yuQqzF6esefEhE_poQdWPaIrIVXZnHhfSlaggqpStGxg0T9ziQowo6adLeHFZm6rjpv_7sInkb900gU/w268-h400/The%20Healing%20Train.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Kim Cano</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">A
devastating diagnosis. A family with a broken past. Embark on an uplifting
journey of love, hope, and the ultimate second chance.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">When health-conscious Sarah gets diagnosed with breast
cancer, her world spins out of control. She's supposed to grow old with her
husband and see her daughter graduate college. Her future is all planned out.
Getting sick wasn't part of her plan.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Friends and family rally around Sarah as she battles the
disease. Her best friend offers inspirational advice while her mother takes her
to treatment, her daughter makes green juice, and her older brother provides
emotional support and makes her laugh with his ever-present potty mouth.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then Sarah's estranged father returns. She gave up on him
long ago and doesn't want to reconnect, but he won't go away, so she's stuck
dealing with him at the worst possible time. His presence forces her to face a
past she'd rather forget as she uses all her strength to fight for her life.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy now on Amazon</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3HozhIw">Amazon Kindle</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vQgdAg">Paperback</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My Five-Star Review:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When health-conscious Sarah is hit with a life-changing
diagnosis, her world caves in around her. She tries to stay positive during her
treatment with the help of her husband, daughter, and mother. Each week, as she
takes the train into Chicago for treatment, Sarah looks ahead to her future,
hoping she will be there for those she loves. But then her estranged father
enters the picture, and it takes all the energy Sarah has left to deal with the
family issues that have lain dormant for years.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Healing Train </i>by Kim Cano is a heartfelt story of
a woman on a journey of healing and repairing old family wounds. This realistic
story of a woman dealing with breast cancer will open your eyes to what a cancer
patient endures and give you empathy for all the character goes through. The
family that surrounds her reminds you of your own loving family members, each
with their own unique personalities. This incredible story will certainly touch
your heart.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3esGf2ZRqCzRHC0ChNCEsOs-t7RSdS5i8amwAKtRfn9oFzB5wTWj9HzlmbEfX29QiFd3nibwWIP7mWKKVxPoLDJSDkACDvKGwyY9sC-loY056l_msKzO2rrIAPjPDs21UIup9AWFzzgK5VghwDGpYPAnLseAZAziVGi0UTxOH-UNyOpdrDUlFKkNhd2c/s300/Kim%20cano%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3esGf2ZRqCzRHC0ChNCEsOs-t7RSdS5i8amwAKtRfn9oFzB5wTWj9HzlmbEfX29QiFd3nibwWIP7mWKKVxPoLDJSDkACDvKGwyY9sC-loY056l_msKzO2rrIAPjPDs21UIup9AWFzzgK5VghwDGpYPAnLseAZAziVGi0UTxOH-UNyOpdrDUlFKkNhd2c/s1600/Kim%20cano%202.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Kim Cano is the author of six women's fiction novels: A Widow
Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is
Right, and The Healing Train. She writes emotionally charged book club reads
about second chances, family life, and friendship.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Learn more about Kim at: </span><a href="http://www.kimcano.com/">www.kimcano.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-490667972062166072023-11-03T00:10:00.004-05:002023-11-03T00:10:51.998-05:00Book Review – The Herbalist’s Secret by Annabelle Marx<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Herbalist's Secret</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9FM-QTeu3RisH_QBk898XrXBw2zApGvPnYHSDXSVQJao4omRYhsm_yDngaNlgKiZWDBn3PB-nJA4q4rWibtjOefGsn6CDtJQdH7tkxKYp1WkU_i_MWJqtj1igTrNyx3LkMoLUHNamJL9E_2Xu0X5RIKnvzyxZkOkH4oyCfquWJSFtT9ZU9y-Wyhwzas/s425/The%20Herbalist's%20Secret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="270" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9FM-QTeu3RisH_QBk898XrXBw2zApGvPnYHSDXSVQJao4omRYhsm_yDngaNlgKiZWDBn3PB-nJA4q4rWibtjOefGsn6CDtJQdH7tkxKYp1WkU_i_MWJqtj1igTrNyx3LkMoLUHNamJL9E_2Xu0X5RIKnvzyxZkOkH4oyCfquWJSFtT9ZU9y-Wyhwzas/w226-h357/The%20Herbalist's%20Secret.jpg" width="226" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Annabelle Marx</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Book Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Two small lifeless bodies lay on the sand, arms carefully placed by
their sides. On the other side of the loch stands an imposing house. It's
almost as if it gives a silent howl of distress, echoing over the hills, making
the birds turn their gaze down to the beach where the two bodies lie, awaiting
discovery.</span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span class="a-text-bold"></span><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1889:</span></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> Kitty Gray dreams of attending university and becoming
a doctor, but when she is married off to Charles Maclean, one of Glasgow's
richest and most eligible bachelors, her aspiration suddenly slips far from
reach.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Exiled to her new remote home in the Scottish Highlands, with its gargoyles,
gothic arches and turrets, Kitty seeks solace in creating a restorative herb
garden. Combining her medical knowledge and new-found fascination with
herbalism, Kitty spends her days absorbed in a world of herbs and their healing
properties until a devastating tragedy strikes...<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span class="a-text-bold"></span><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">2003</span></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">: Caitlin Black arrives at Ardbray House determined to
restore the crumbling mansion and Kitty's walled garden to their former glory,
enlisting the help of long-time housekeeper Greer Mackenzie. But as Caitlin
delves deeper into the history of this once magnificent home, she uncovers a
past haunted by misfortune and grief. And beneath the blood-red roses that
climb beside the bay window of the drawing room, a human skull is about to be
unearthed.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
The truth that has held Ardbray House captive for so long is surfacing, and
with it, the heart-breaking secret of the herbalist who once lived there.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Buy Now:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tWmD06" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My Five-Star Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1889 - Kitty’s dreams do not come true after her
marriage. Eventually, sent to Ardbray House in the Scottish Highlands, Kitty
begins to find her true passion through growing and working with herbs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2003 – Caitlin Black wants to buy Ardbray House to turn
it into a spa – a refuge from society. Greer, the caretaker of the house for decades,
is not sure about Caitlin’s ideas for the place. Greer has been protecting the
house and caring for the spirits that haunt it since Kitty’s death.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Herbalist’s Secret is an interesting story that
draws you in and keeps you interested. I will definitely look for more books in
the future by author Annabelle Marx.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHULc20NEZIfKysMojQUgltCvlh-n8p17xuVqQ2QoL61AVfjJ0kx7D45oC8RPRCTObfFwK2AVuMcq4CekN9tPTkH5ezWhp4czQNZn1w-HAlC232tspgMCVl5FU7cnxIsnPNhPKNzmutSLq2S-HDslPQ-EJx2lWUPxTw-jTP0Qlk6W_LEggA-2TFlO9l9U/s300/Annabelle%20Marx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHULc20NEZIfKysMojQUgltCvlh-n8p17xuVqQ2QoL61AVfjJ0kx7D45oC8RPRCTObfFwK2AVuMcq4CekN9tPTkH5ezWhp4czQNZn1w-HAlC232tspgMCVl5FU7cnxIsnPNhPKNzmutSLq2S-HDslPQ-EJx2lWUPxTw-jTP0Qlk6W_LEggA-2TFlO9l9U/s1600/Annabelle%20Marx.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:</b><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #373e3e;">Annabelle Marx has worked in
marketing and event production as well as running her own food business,
winning two Great Taste awards. She’s an alumna of the Faber Academy and in the
process of completing an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Annabelle
finds inspiration in the places she spends time in, most often the Highlands of
Scotland. Her debut novel, The Herbalist’s Secret is published on 27th October
2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #373e3e;">Connect with Annabelle, she’d love to hear from you: </span><span style="color: #373e3e;">Website: </span><span style="color: #373e3e;">www.annabellemarx.com </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #373e3e;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-8183645133582726622023-10-03T09:00:00.002-05:002023-10-03T19:46:07.503-05:00Release Day! Mrs. Winchester's Biographer<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>It's Release Day!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Mrs. Winchester's Biographer</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_2xSsVQX9NWqE1Sh2Q-EwZsNMV7x98ANYtNP8cm625Gtu5yqWdh31FRcgne8vUX9BMnN030s0AM2iOfYxubMx14Ky3PthzhtZOZXEGD2Is1KvN0uH1JUy-vFH92tb1shU_gHE4HPELLd-JnuMjSaBEZjVXhRPTV3cv5FL4wqlFTnUqwiVlwsXhIEwxk/s2700/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1802" height="583" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_2xSsVQX9NWqE1Sh2Q-EwZsNMV7x98ANYtNP8cm625Gtu5yqWdh31FRcgne8vUX9BMnN030s0AM2iOfYxubMx14Ky3PthzhtZOZXEGD2Is1KvN0uH1JUy-vFH92tb1shU_gHE4HPELLd-JnuMjSaBEZjVXhRPTV3cv5FL4wqlFTnUqwiVlwsXhIEwxk/w390-h583/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" width="390" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so excited that my newest novel, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mrs. Winchester's Biographer, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;">is finally out in the world!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can buy it on Amazon at the following links:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45qZ0Kh " target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46g7fK7" target="_blank">Paperback</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/45geXCL " target="_blank">Audiobook </a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And of course it will be available on</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kindle Unlimited</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Book Description:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Was Sarah Winchester a woman of mystery or simply a
strong woman who lived her life on her own terms? It will take another strong
woman to ensure her story is told.<o:p></o:p></b></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1918 – Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle
fortune, has read and heard all the newspaper stories written about her. Snob.
Crazy. Insane. Spiritualist. Ghosts. Séances.
The list goes on and on. At the age of seventy-nine, she’s lived an incredible
life, and her wealth has allowed her to live as she pleased. Sarah loves
projects, and now she has one last project she wishes to complete. It’s time
she compiled her life story so friends and family will know the truth once
she’s gone. But with her crippling arthritis, she needs someone to help her.
She hopes the young woman her lawyer, Frank Lieb, has sent to the house will
fit in with her staff and work well as her typist. Sarah knows she doesn’t have
many years left, and this is a project she is determined to finish.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1918 – Olivia Collins is a young single woman who has found
herself in a precarious predicament. Through a mutual friend, lawyer Frank
Lieb, she’s been offered a chance to work with the infamous Sarah Winchester.
Olivia is nervous about meeting the elderly woman she has heard stories about
all her life. But she desperately needs this job. Without it, Olivia has no
idea what her future will hold.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today – Morgan Connors is helping her mother go through her
recently deceased grandmother’s possessions when she comes upon an old manuscript.
The title states it is Sarah Winchester’s Autobiography. Morgan works as an
acquisition editor at a publisher in San Francisco and knows that no such book
has ever been published. When her mother explains that Morgan’s
great-great-grandmother, Olivia Collins, once worked for Mrs. Winchester, she’s
intrigued. Who was Olivia Collins, and why did she have a manuscript of Sarah
Winchester’s life story? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer</i> tells the captivating
story of Sarah Winchester’s life and how she became one of the most
talked-about women of her time despite her attempts to protect her privacy.<o:p></o:p></b></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;">I hope you enjoy this story. Be sure to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads to let me know if you liked it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-41573165731689976592023-08-22T00:08:00.002-05:002023-10-08T14:48:14.981-05:00First Chapter Reveal – Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer by Deanna Lynn Sletten<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">First Chapter Reveal </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope you enjoy this first chapter of my upcoming biographical
historical fiction novel, <b>Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Release Date: October 3, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Buy Now:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45qZ0Kh" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46g7fK7" target="_blank">Paperback</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45geXCL" target="_blank">Audiobook</a></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zr2Oekxfc1ct3LafyATg5YeLu09QoBfDwRiKWF_6SrNgMrU3qsa-nkIpyd1v-TDbQFw9SyXVvz0SuAWhDNRnmUBRblw_fwRQsdn2W63JRa_XwG99L3eVaVdqAJrJ6PrPmrS0c4Us26xbAB6TO6pBxZ0K-xTpKOvQS_FQQBX_fsYw-vSJs8Btil4RxKw/s2700/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1802" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zr2Oekxfc1ct3LafyATg5YeLu09QoBfDwRiKWF_6SrNgMrU3qsa-nkIpyd1v-TDbQFw9SyXVvz0SuAWhDNRnmUBRblw_fwRQsdn2W63JRa_XwG99L3eVaVdqAJrJ6PrPmrS0c4Us26xbAB6TO6pBxZ0K-xTpKOvQS_FQQBX_fsYw-vSJs8Btil4RxKw/s320/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" width="214" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Deanna Lynn Sletten</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;">Chapter One<o:p></o:p></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">May 1918<o:p></o:p></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia Anne Collins tried not to wring her gloved hands as
the black automobile pulled up to the front door of the beautiful Atherton,
California home. Peering out the window, she was immediately impressed by the
landscape around the entrance. A lush green lawn spread out around the home
with giant shade trees spreading cooling shadows over it. Gardens of colorful
flowers were artfully placed around the yard, and purple wisteria draped beautifully
over the walls of the pristine white house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia stared at the home with both admiration and
trepidation. This was the home of the grand lady. She was excited to meet Mrs.
Sarah Winchester but also frightened of what the esteemed lady would think of
her.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Taking a breath, Olivia ran her hand over her striped skirt
to press away a stray wrinkle, then raised it to the nape of her neck,
smoothing her already perfect auburn chignon. Her slender fingers touched the
small hat tentatively, ensuring it still sat securely on her head. As she did
this, the uniformed driver came around to her side of the motorcar, opened the
door, and graciously offered his own gloved hand to help her out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Ready, Miss?” he asked, smiling down at her.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia nodded and accepted his help. She stepped onto the
cement patio and ensured she was steady before letting go of the driver’s hand.
He nodded and smiled again, then returned to the driver’s seat.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia turned toward the stairs that led to the front door. Smoothing
her skirt once again, she thought she caught movement from a large window on
the right. The draperies swayed. Had someone been watching her, or was she just
imagining it?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite the day’s comfortable temperature and the gentle
cooling breeze, Olivia suddenly grew warm. Her hand went instinctively to her
stomach as it knotted within. She needed all the strength she could muster to
get through this interview and, hopefully, secure a place for herself.
Otherwise, she wasn’t sure what would become of her.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Steeling herself, Olivia stood straighter and walked up the four
steps to the front door. Before she even touched the brass knocker, it opened.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Miss Collins?” a woman asked, smiling. “We’ve been
expecting you. Please come inside.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you.” Olivia followed her into the polished tile
entryway. The woman wore an outfit similar to Olivia’s—a sensible striped skirt
falling nearly to the ankles with a billowy crape blouse and waist sash. It was
the perfect working woman’s outfit, easy to wear and move in. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m Miss Sivera,” the woman said. “Mrs. Winchester’s
secretary. She has asked to see you right away, so please follow me.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia nodded, and the heels of her oxford shoes clicked on the
tile floor as she walked across it. They took a right at an open archway that
led into a large living room. A left turn took them through another doorway into
an office. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Mrs. Winchester. Miss Collins is here,” Miss Sivera said softly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia had been waiting days for this meeting and had tried
to imagine what Mrs. Winchester would be like. Of course, she’d heard the
stories but had also heard only good things about her from Sarah’s lawyer, Samuel
Franklin Lieb. Yet, nothing had prepared her for the sight of the diminutive
woman who turned from the front window and gazed at her with bright eyes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you, Henrietta,” Mrs. Winchester’s soft voice said. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Miss Sivera nodded, turned, and left them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia stood still, unsure if she should approach Mrs.
Winchester or wait to be approached. Despite her small stature, the older woman
looked formative. She wore an outdated long, dark dress with a high collar and full
sleeves. Her round face was wrinkled yet pixie-like, and her gray hair was
pulled up in a loose bun. After a moment of studying Olivia, Mrs. Winchester
gave her a small smile and walked slowly toward her. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Mrs. Winchester said,
offering her hand with effort. Even though she was in the house, Mrs.
Winchester wore gloves just as Olivia was wearing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia was not tall by any means at five feet, two inches,
but she felt as if she towered over the elderly woman as she reached for her
hand and held it gently. She’d been told Mrs. Winchester had painful arthritis,
which was one reason she needed assistance. So, Olivia shook her hand with care
before letting it go.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you for seeing me,” Olivia said. “I’m very honored to
meet you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Her statement caused another impish grin on the older lady’s
face. “I’m not so scary in person, am I?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia startled.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s fine, dear. I know what people say about me. Please,
let’s sit,” Mrs. Winchester said. She walked to a set of white and black
striped settees that faced each other with a beautifully carved Asian-inspired
table between them. As both ladies sat, Miss Sivera entered the room with a tea
tray and set it on the table. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you, Henrietta,” Mrs. Winchester said. She turned to
Olivia. “Would you mind serving? I’m afraid I’d spill if I did.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Of course.” Olivia was thankful to keep her hands busy. She
removed her gloves, setting them aside with her small bag, then began to pour
the tea. “You have a lovely home, Mrs. Winchester. And such beautiful
landscaping.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you, dear. That’s very kind. I have the most
wonderful people who work for me and keep my gardens and house exactly as I
like it.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia set a teacup closer to Mrs. Winchester and poured one
for herself. There were cookies on the tray as well, but she thought it best to
not eat while they were speaking. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I prefer coffee, to tell the truth,” Mrs. Winchester said,
then sighed. “But it doesn’t agree with me, I’m afraid. There is so much we start
to deny ourselves as we age.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I can understand that,” Olivia said, thinking of how she’d
felt over the last few months and the foods that suddenly made her ill.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mrs. Winchester nodded. “Frank Lieb tells me he and your
family have been acquainted for many years.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The interview had begun. Olivia nodded. “Yes. Long before I
was born. My parents moved from Ohio to California at the same time Mr. Lieb
did. They were from the same county and were farmers. Although by then, Mr.
Lieb had earned his law degree. My father had great respect for him, and as the
group traveled west, they spoke often.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How interesting,” Mrs. Winchester said, her face lighting
up. “I met Mr. Lieb after moving here, and he’s been a great help to me over
the years. But I hadn’t known of his Ohio roots until recently. Where are your
parents now, if you don’t mind me asking.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia didn’t mind. She knew Mrs. Winchester would want as
many details as possible before deciding her fate. “They live north of San
Francisco on their original orchard farm. I come from a large family—eleven
children—and was the second youngest. After years on the farm, I craved to do
more. My parents encouraged me about leaving home and learning a new skill to
support myself.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Ah, a woman with spirit,” Mrs. Winchester said. “I commend
you for taking your fate into your own hands.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This surprised and pleased Olivia. “Thank you. My parents
were a bit wary, though, and consulted Mr. Lieb on where I could find a
suitable school and boarding house. He and his lovely wife, Lida, invited me
into their home until a proper place could be found.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“That doesn’t surprise me,” Mrs. Winchester said. “They are
very kind people.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia lifted her teacup to her lips and quietly sipped. The
tea was delicious and helped to calm her nerves. She noticed that Mrs.
Winchester’s cup was still untouched. “I attended school for a year to learn
Gregg Shorthand and typing,” Olivia continued. “After I successfully completed the
course, Mr. Lieb recommended me to a colleague’s law firm as part of their new
secretarial staff. That was in 1916. I was employed there until recently.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mrs. Winchester folded her gloved hands in her lap. “And
that is precisely why I was very interested when Mr. Lieb recommended you to
me. I’d been looking for someone to help me with my new project, and here you
are.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia’s brows rose. “Project?” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, dear. Henrietta is my personal secretary and companion,
but I already have her working too much to add another project to her list. So,
I need someone who can take dictation and type for me. Does that sound
interesting to you?” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Why, yes,” Olivia said, her heart fluttering with
excitement. “That would be perfect for me.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mrs. Winchester’s face grew solemn. “I understand you are in
a delicate predicament. Mr. Lieb, however, holds your character in the utmost
regard, and I trust his judgment.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia’s excitement faded. She’d known they’d have to
discuss this, and embarrassment deepened the shade of her creamy cheeks as her
blue eyes dropped to the floor. “I’m afraid I put myself in an untoward
position and am deeply embarrassed by my actions,” she said sadly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“My dear,” Mrs. Winchester said gently. “I’m not here to
judge you. I, of all people, know how it feels to be judged by others who know
nothing about me. I merely wish to bring this out in the open—just between
us—so we can come up with a workable solution.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia dared to raise her eyes and saw the kind look on the
older woman’s face. Her compassion propelled her to explain. “I allowed a
dishonest man to coax me into an awkward position by professing his love and
admiration of me,” Olivia said. “I thought he was being honest and true, but he
was not. We both worked at the firm—he was a lawyer’s assistant, and I was a
typist—and I truly believed he wanted to marry me. Now I am left to pick up the
pieces alone.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The cad,” Mrs. Winchester said with disgust. “Mr. Lieb
assured me that he was fired without anyone’s knowledge of why, so there is at
least that.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia nodded. It still hadn’t helped her predicament. She’d
gone to Mr. Lieb when she had no one else to turn to and had asked his advice
on what she should do. He’d been professional and kind and thought he might
have a solution. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How far along are you, my dear?” Mrs. Winchester asked.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not wanting to appear weak, Olivia looked her in the eye.
“Four months. The baby should be due sometime in October.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How old are you, Olivia?” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia swallowed hard. She was no longer sure how the
interview was progressing. “Twenty-two, ma’am.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Twenty-two,” Mrs. Winchester said dreamily. “I was still
keeping company with my sweet William at that age, and we married a year
later.” Her face softened. “No one should be judged harshly for a mistake made
so young. And a baby is the greatest gift of all.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia was stunned by her understanding. Most women her age
would have judged her harshly, but Mrs. Winchester was full of gentle kindness.
“I promise you I will act with the utmost propriety if I come to work for you,”
Olivia said. “If you can find it in your heart to trust me.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mrs. Winchester smiled. Olivia noticed all her smiles were
closed-mouthed, yet they still held warmth and kindness. “I believe you, dear.
I think you and I will get along just fine.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Feeling elated again, Olivia dared to ask. “Are you saying
you are hiring me?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The elderly lady nodded. “Yes. I am. And I believe you and I
will have such a wonderful time working on my project. Granted—it will be
work—but I can tell you are up to the task.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, thank you very much, Mrs. Winchester. I won’t let you
down,” Olivia said, feeling near tears. She had worried about what would become
of her and her baby. Despite the circumstances, she’d known she couldn’t have
given her baby up for adoption because it was a part of her. And she hadn’t wanted
to bring shame on her family, who thought so highly of her accomplishments.
Mrs. Winchester had saved her.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Now,” Mrs. Winchester said, all business again. “We must
come up with a story so as not to raise any question about you or your baby’s
legitimacy. I am not one to lie in general, but a little white lie will protect
you. How would you like to kill off your husband?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Excuse me?” Olivia asked. “My husband?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, dear. In this day and age, with the war in Europe and
that dreaded Spanish Flu starting to circulate around the globe, it’s easy to
make a pretend husband disappear.” She grinned mischievously.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And you’re willing to lie for me?” Olivia asked, stunned by
her candor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“To protect you and the baby, yes. Mr. Lieb and I discussed
the possibility, and he agreed. We will tell the staff and everyone else we
were mistaken and you are Mrs. Collins, not Miss, and that your husband passed
away recently.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia pondered this. The man who’d seduced her had no idea
she was expecting because he’d been dismissed and left town soon afterward. In
fact, only Mr. Lieb and Mrs. Winchester were privy to her indiscretion. So,
there’d be no one to discredit the fact that she had been married and her
husband died. Glancing up at Mrs. Winchester, she saw she was waiting patiently
for her reply. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Perhaps he came home injured from the war recently and then,
after a time, passed?” Olivia suggested. “Then I wouldn’t have to make up too
many details.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes,” Mrs. Winchester said, seeming to ponder the story. “A
white lie shouldn’t be complicated. She smiled warmly. “From this moment on,
you are the young widow, Mrs. Collins. I will let Mr. Lieb know our plan.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you,” Olivia said softly. “You are too kind to help
me, and I promise I will not disappoint you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I believe you won’t,” Mrs. Winchester said, slowly
standing. “We will have a room ready for you here tomorrow. I’ll have the
driver take you home so you can pack your things. Shall we start work the day
after tomorrow?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Olivia stood. “Yes, ma’am. That will be fine.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Wonderful.” Mrs. Winchester rang a bell that sat on the end
table, and Henrietta arrived a moment later. “Henrietta. It seems I was in
error. Mrs. Collins, not Miss, will be joining our staff beginning tomorrow. It
seems her husband has recently passed. Will you be so kind as to show her
around tomorrow when she returns?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Miss Sivera’s expression remained neutral as she nodded. “Of
course, Madame,” she said, then turned to Olivia. “I’m pleased you will be
joining us.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you.” Olivia wondered if Miss Sivera believed the
story. She guessed it didn’t matter one way or the other. If Mrs. Winchester
said it was true, then it was. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As she followed the secretary out of the room, Olivia was
elated that she was now employed and had a place to live. She desperately hoped
that she and Mrs. Winchester would get along nicely as she already felt a
personal connection with her and was thankful for her understanding.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the first time in weeks, Olivia felt safe to plan a
future.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Buy Now:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45qZ0Kh" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46g7fK7" target="_blank">Paperback</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45geXCL" target="_blank">Audiobook</a></span></b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-88434666108773279652023-08-15T14:40:00.000-05:002023-08-15T14:40:22.512-05:00Book Review: The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman<p> Book Review</p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Invisible Hour </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTnBYuSnb1EnocWHeoIA-fjSitBJqPSEiOMH91nsQNpVtog_0Tp-_yB4HHdAcA-dVEGWHJoY5uOlh13UmEowHU7SSeaQu4znPbOafdU0m6edZPSA2QihZw8n-b_cqV6qzKDjEmiYnvjVv1xcgtQk5Yp17uK2f6a5zpW-96RJyZ3MhhtZoTmkpiRx1R5k/s500/The%20Invisible%20Hour%20Alice%20Hoffman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTnBYuSnb1EnocWHeoIA-fjSitBJqPSEiOMH91nsQNpVtog_0Tp-_yB4HHdAcA-dVEGWHJoY5uOlh13UmEowHU7SSeaQu4znPbOafdU0m6edZPSA2QihZw8n-b_cqV6qzKDjEmiYnvjVv1xcgtQk5Yp17uK2f6a5zpW-96RJyZ3MhhtZoTmkpiRx1R5k/w266-h401/The%20Invisible%20Hour%20Alice%20Hoffman.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> Alice Hoffman</o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b>Book Description:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way
to survive, the power of words saves her. </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Scarlet Letter</span></span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it
seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the
Community—an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the
outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this
be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss
that Mia carries inside her?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she
was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can
transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and
writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more
fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind
you.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love
with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if
Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote </span></span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Scarlet Letter</span></span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned
to die?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote: “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand
realities.”<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
This is the story of one woman’s dream. For a little while it came true.</span></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I will preface this by stating that I love everything Alice
Hoffman writes – so therefore I am biased. She has such a beautiful writing
style and writes stories so vivid, you can see them playing out like a movie in
your mind. <b>The Invisible Hour</b> is no exception.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A young woman, Ivy, finds herself pregnant and escapes her
parents’ home and joins a cult in western Massachusetts. At first, she enjoys
the simpler way of life. One of the rules is that no one can own books or teach
the children to read, something that Ivy has trouble following. The cult’s
leader, Joel, falls in love with Ivy and they marry. He accepts her child, Mia,
as his own. But as time goes by, Ivy finds the rules of the cult stifling and breaks
them by teaching Mia to read and allowing her to hide away books so she can
read them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As she grows up, Mia begins to sneak into town to go to the
library so she can read books. She comes upon an old copy of Nathanial
Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and is shocked to see an inscription in it
written to “Mia.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mia finally escapes the cult and goes to live with the
librarian she’s befriended and makes a new life for herself. But she continues
to be obsessed with The Scarlet Letter, and its writer, Hawthorne. She is also
fearful of Joel, because he continues to track her down no matter where she
goes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is so much more to this imaginative story and I don’t
want to ruin the entire plot by giving it away. It is a truly unique story with
well-rounded characters and a beautifully written storyline. A must read for
those who love the imagination of Alice Hoffman.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy now on <a href="https://amzn.to/3sj4Cbd">Amazon</a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurkcdYNyfelIy00f4391EEmMwhcXHxl5ZI_x8oLKJIALgmWrQq0tmiW_4PaEL4GtWcRWutst1dMIEHtWmgx5WV_aFsuRv-yH76t-RsRQE1ZO5l7ZZMrZMpPEOhvXHV5TH7gXTiPcXuCMqUzFEG-y6dqWHWXD6d4j4qlONXwajnjRFaYEukwUCndVz7Hw/s230/Alice%20Hoffman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="230" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurkcdYNyfelIy00f4391EEmMwhcXHxl5ZI_x8oLKJIALgmWrQq0tmiW_4PaEL4GtWcRWutst1dMIEHtWmgx5WV_aFsuRv-yH76t-RsRQE1ZO5l7ZZMrZMpPEOhvXHV5TH7gXTiPcXuCMqUzFEG-y6dqWHWXD6d4j4qlONXwajnjRFaYEukwUCndVz7Hw/s1600/Alice%20Hoffman.jpg" width="230" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Alice Hoffman is the author of thirty works of fiction,
including Practical Magic, The Dovekeepers, Magic Lessons, and, most recently,
The Book of Magic. She lives in Boston. Her new novel, The Invisible Hour, is
forthcoming in August 2023. Visit her website: </span><a href="http://www.alicehoffman.com/">www.alicehoffman.com</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-26813065700271554392023-08-15T00:07:00.001-05:002023-10-09T14:42:13.621-05:00The Year the Newspapers Killed Sarah Winchester<p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">The Year the Newspapers Killed Sarah Winchester</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4LOkGPSLo7V25Gi65y9TtL9IPJP7JariHAjlkfuA5k1gl_MAWQ5_jhnCGeneuNRSLZhzSk6vjyND046iOEt46jwQB5eY54poB7a-WvSiQ6ku9Vs6x2_7xMhTb6Q4zr2C6fMkcCVHiW_nmXgeMVJ-c5JTTPZv63KzhtUFZbWyT8t6tq0IqXmT-XYosv0/s5584/Examiner%20June%209%20-%20Mrs.%20W%20dying.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5584" data-original-width="771" height="1752" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4LOkGPSLo7V25Gi65y9TtL9IPJP7JariHAjlkfuA5k1gl_MAWQ5_jhnCGeneuNRSLZhzSk6vjyND046iOEt46jwQB5eY54poB7a-WvSiQ6ku9Vs6x2_7xMhTb6Q4zr2C6fMkcCVHiW_nmXgeMVJ-c5JTTPZv63KzhtUFZbWyT8t6tq0IqXmT-XYosv0/w241-h1752/Examiner%20June%209%20-%20Mrs.%20W%20dying.jpg" width="241" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah (Pardee) Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle
fortune, became fodder for the local newspapers a few years after she moved to San
Jose, California, and began building her mansion. In the winter of 1885, four
years after her husband, William, had passed away, Sarah moved to California to
start a new life. Her sister and brother-in-law, Nettie and Homer Sprague, had
recently moved there because Homer had been hired as the president of Mills College
in Oakland. Sarah lived with them for a while as she searched for the perfect
spot where she could build her home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finding a beautiful piece of property in the Santa Clara
Valley with the help of a Winchester Repeating Rifle Company employee, Ned
Rambo, Sarah immediately purchased the property in 1886. It already had an eight-room
farmhouse on the property, but Sarah planned to add more space because her two
other sisters, Belle and Estelle, and their families, planned to move to California
and live with Sarah. With the help of an architect, twenty-six rooms were added
to the house over the next six months. After that, Sarah decided she’d prefer
to design the new additions herself, and that was when the mansion began to expand
by leaps and bounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah loved her privacy. She didn’t invite neighbors to her
house nor accept invitations. She was not a hermit—she just enjoyed building her
home, visiting with her relatives, and minding her own business. But as word
spread about her supposedly snobbish behavior and the building continued on her
mansion, the area residents began making up stories about the widow. It didn’t
help that she always wore black and still wore Victorian dresses long after
they were out of style. She also wore a veil over her face when she was out in public.
There was no mystery about that—she simply had bad teeth that she was embarrassed
about and didn’t want anyone to see. But the newspaper reporters took all of
this into account to make poor Sarah sound crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">While Sarah had been described as insane and communing with
spirits, among other terrible things, one of the worst stories was when newspapers
from San Jose to New York City reported on June 11, 1911, that she was dying. In
fact, Sarah had been enjoying exceptionally good health at the time, but that
didn’t stop the newspapers from making up stories. And while they reported the
widow was dying, they made sure to add a few jabs at her saying she had
suffered from a nervous breakdown after the 1906 earthquake and had become
mentally ill. The newspapers also perpetuated the myth of Sarah talking to
spirits by saying she had received a message from spirits telling her all would
be well if she continued to build on her home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, none of this was true. Sarah wasn’t even living
in the San Jose mansion in 1911—and hadn’t since the 1906 earthquake. She was
living in her home in Atherton (she had three properties there) and had written
recently to her lawyer of many years, Frank Lieb, that she was enjoying good
health. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, the report upset many who did know Sarah
well. Her employees at the San Jose mansion—even though she didn’t live there,
it was still being run as an orchard and had several full-time employees—had
seen the report and called her house in Atherton to inquire about Sarah’s
health. They were relieved to hear she was fine. Sarah also had to contact her
Winchester and Pardee relatives in New Haven, Connecticut, to let them know she
was alive and well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78nnWQZNUKiBVDkyya6Sd4Lx_bOfViTuafCYByedOclcFBOEP2ZZbclmrCxWXe-1OiV-aKeJaU0tlDIgJsbW6khelsQJYNQWmfzo3l57a-LbEcs3YO2WfmBkV94htN47rXvp72En75nKVJhwshhdOgcvqQOqaSxDQ9rLWSHpGlhWZOE7ZOZUVt9blj1I/s562/Newspaper%20article.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="352" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78nnWQZNUKiBVDkyya6Sd4Lx_bOfViTuafCYByedOclcFBOEP2ZZbclmrCxWXe-1OiV-aKeJaU0tlDIgJsbW6khelsQJYNQWmfzo3l57a-LbEcs3YO2WfmBkV94htN47rXvp72En75nKVJhwshhdOgcvqQOqaSxDQ9rLWSHpGlhWZOE7ZOZUVt9blj1I/w244-h390/Newspaper%20article.jpg" width="244" /></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah Winchester was maligned by the local press for years,
and long after she died in 1922, the stories became even more exaggerated, to the point where most people today only know her as the crazy woman who built the haunted mystery house. The truth is, Sarah lived an extraordinary life for a woman of her time and she deserves to be remembered for how she really lived, not for what the public read in the press.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can learn more about Sarah Winchester’s life in my
historical fiction novel, <b><i>Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer</i></b><i>, </i>now
available for preorder on Amazon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Release Date: October 3, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Buy now: <a href="https://amzn.to/45qZ0Kh">Amazon
Kindle</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46g7fK7" target="_blank">Paperback</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/mwcyue5a " target="_blank">Audiobook </a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/45qZ0Kh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1802" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JSShEgkM8DJGaHpUVuCwO2ViLQhMQ1vv_gXpQXKRACuhw5-sErDIwTeAbkaQ0Rc4WmxMMBiuaJhEnvC8azOqDQmZR18NQFi6eIBgezS6P9L-xJuMmhlAIkp9BiRjIHsz2Ue1SQ_vgSWEh9N1d8Z9AA-jm128H_uCGOq3A_vGPJHG-bqjzKctted2oI4/s320/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-77446163303304533402023-08-09T00:36:00.003-05:002023-08-10T19:40:56.742-05:00Mrs. Winchester's Biographer - Cover Reveal & Preorder Links<p> Preorder now on Amazon Kindle</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so excited to share with you the cover of my upcoming </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">historical biographical fiction novel</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mrs. Winchester's Biographer</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGdZ_GIx8n6gdPuHGfbv6bre4IZXWolT77oeYzFZPxDcmjgb_l9L5UD8nBTjwAi3mU0BLd0d9bf5fWP1O8R5rlXjJk7RzpWhUZyS4XD682cHVFNvNvlI8gpeHi3fNFBvxVRd2G3A_YRLcMC3WaIwFMY_9suJaQtM5WHKyMPWF7dDyKEvf60QgkBQbxUc/s2700/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1802" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGdZ_GIx8n6gdPuHGfbv6bre4IZXWolT77oeYzFZPxDcmjgb_l9L5UD8nBTjwAi3mU0BLd0d9bf5fWP1O8R5rlXjJk7RzpWhUZyS4XD682cHVFNvNvlI8gpeHi3fNFBvxVRd2G3A_YRLcMC3WaIwFMY_9suJaQtM5WHKyMPWF7dDyKEvf60QgkBQbxUc/w392-h586/Mrs.%20Winchester's%20Biographer%20Amazon%20(002).jpg" width="392" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />This incredible cover was designed by</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dbcoverdesign.com" target="_blank">Deborah Bradseth Book Cover Design</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I just love how it turned out!!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And I'm equally excited to let you know that I'll be releasing this book </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">October 3, 2023.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can preorder now on <a href="https://amzn.to/3Orrhd4" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Or wait to read with Kindle Unlimited.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Paperback and Audiobook will be available upon release also.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Book Description:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Was Sarah Winchester a woman of mystery or simply a strong
woman who lived her life on her own terms? It will take another strong woman to
ensure her story is told.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">1918 – Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle
fortune, has read and heard all the newspaper stories written about her. Snob.
Crazy. Insane. Spiritualist. Ghosts. Séances.
The list goes on and on. At the age of seventy-nine, she’s lived an incredible
life and her wealth has allowed her to live as she pleased. Sarah loves
projects, and now she has one last project she wishes to complete. It’s time she
compiled her life story so friends and family will know the truth once she’s
gone. But with her crippling arthritis, she needs someone to help her. She
hopes the young woman her lawyer, Frank Lieb, has sent to the house will fit in
with her staff and work well as her typist. Sarah knows she doesn’t have many
years left, and this is a project she is determined to finish.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">1918 – Olivia Collins is a young single woman who has found
herself in a precarious predicament. Through a mutual friend, lawyer Frank
Lieb, she’s been offered a chance to work with the infamous Sarah Winchester.
Olivia is nervous about meeting the elderly woman she has heard stories about
all her life. But she desperately needs this job. Without it, Olivia has no
idea what her future will hold.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today – Morgan Connors is helping her mother go through her recently
deceased grandmother’s possessions when she comes upon an old manuscript. The
title states it is Sarah Winchester’s Autobiography. Morgan works as an acquisition
editor at a publisher in San Francisco and knows that no such book has ever
been published. When her mother explains that Morgan’s great-great-grandmother,
Olivia Collins, once worked for Mrs. Winchester, she’s intrigued. Who was Olivia
Collins, and why did she have a manuscript of Sarah Winchester’s life story? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mrs. Winchester’s Biographer</i> tells the captivating
story of Sarah Winchester’s life and how she became one of the most
talked-about women of her time despite her attempts to protect her privacy.</span><o:p></o:p></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Historical Fiction/Historical Biographical Fiction/Women's Fiction</p><p style="text-align: left;">Publish Date: October 3, 2023</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Preorder on <a href="https://amzn.to/3Orrhd4" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paperback and Audiobook Links to come.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I'm very excited about this story. I hope you are too!</b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-85788706204121966332023-06-04T15:15:00.001-05:002023-06-04T15:16:18.008-05:00Kiss A Cowboy Series Deal - Grab it Now!<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kiss a Cowboy Series Summer Deal!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33eALBQdkH0Xwu7Nc0qHzo_gePzKdo89ZlPUkd87B8sNaMYyavsTFE7tSgWth9Z7KIKWyFf0EQUrkP9xPXbdQap5fl74aaeremIUQss-ylgsOrsx1nguYslcK4K7zuey7etLmN7dl2H3Hvf7pDdV26J7WQT_56rSqKQ1mZR1uXeIK-Lcu5ZCZXOOk/s1080/Kiss%20A%20Cowboy%20Series%20Sale.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33eALBQdkH0Xwu7Nc0qHzo_gePzKdo89ZlPUkd87B8sNaMYyavsTFE7tSgWth9Z7KIKWyFf0EQUrkP9xPXbdQap5fl74aaeremIUQss-ylgsOrsx1nguYslcK4K7zuey7etLmN7dl2H3Hvf7pDdV26J7WQT_56rSqKQ1mZR1uXeIK-Lcu5ZCZXOOk/w468-h468/Kiss%20A%20Cowboy%20Series%20Sale.jpg" width="468" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>If you haven't read this heartwarming romance series yet - now is the time to try it!</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white;">First book is $0.99! Second and third only $1.99 each! Binge
this heartwarming romance series where cowboy kisses fill your nights and the
men of the Brennan Ranch in Montana find true love.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white;">Luke isn’t looking for love – he’s been burned before – but when
Andi shows up at his door, his life is never the same.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Colt fell fast and hard for Carly but is she really his
forever love? Or will another woman steal his heart?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white;">Randy has enough problems in his life without having to worry
about that spoiled city girl, Carly. But he’ll soon find out that she isn’t exactly
the person he thought she was.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;">GRAB IT HERE</span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/43mSyDG " target="_blank">Kiss A Cowboy Series Amazon Page</a></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-15861446198212874242023-01-18T15:27:00.001-06:002023-01-18T15:27:21.450-06:00Cover Reveal & Preorder! All the Pretty Girls - A Rachel Emery Novel #3<p> Cover Reveal & Preorder!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so excited to share the new cover of my next novel,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a126bd; font-size: x-large;"><b>All The Pretty Girls</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Rachel Emery Novel, Book Three</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cover created by the amazing Deborah Bradseth of</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dbcoverdesign.com" target="_blank">DB Cover Design</a> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">(Formerly Tugboat Designs).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcMK1fzlD-lv3D-L-8Owv_nlFs1zRv2X4f3tPlvhnuIbtIvMmO7i4nu7R4vY0T9mCNMueXEcPMtlEJQdOkwoEYRDHQgx8fWo4U7JeGZ61Ljt-O-1Ga44ahpW3zR915u-StHMiw3I8pTUbj8MyrJU1VYncFlfuYQDwjphFs0dDecES9Ps0n6lV802a/s2700/All%20the%20Pretty%20Girls%20Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcMK1fzlD-lv3D-L-8Owv_nlFs1zRv2X4f3tPlvhnuIbtIvMmO7i4nu7R4vY0T9mCNMueXEcPMtlEJQdOkwoEYRDHQgx8fWo4U7JeGZ61Ljt-O-1Ga44ahpW3zR915u-StHMiw3I8pTUbj8MyrJU1VYncFlfuYQDwjphFs0dDecES9Ps0n6lV802a/w426-h640/All%20the%20Pretty%20Girls%20Amazon.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Book Description:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal">There’s a serial killer on the loose around Florida State
University, or at least that’s what everyone believes. Young women go missing
for several days and then are found dead a few miles from where they were
abducted. The local police and an FBI task force are working to find the
culprit but with no success. Meanwhile, all the women around Tallahassee are
afraid they may be next. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Amber Johnston, Rachel’s daughter’s roommate and best
friend, is discovered missing on the first day of spring break, Rachel becomes
involved. Unfortunately, her boyfriend, FBI Agent Avery Turley, is in Idaho as
part of a task force searching for a different serial killer. So, Rachel turns
to Lieutenant Jack Meyers of the Panama Beach City Police Department for help.
Together they search for Amber, leading them on the trail for the culprit
killing all the pretty girls.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Release date is March 14, 2023. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You can preorder the book now on:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">U.S. <a href="https://amzn.to/3XyoUrE " target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BSLC7YPL" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle - UK </a><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BSLC7YPL" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle - CA</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BSLC7YPL" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle - AU</a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Or the Amazon site you shop at.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The paperback and audiobook will be available on or around the release date.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm excited about this new book in the Rachel Emery Series and hope you will be too!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-83321087770777754362022-12-31T14:31:00.004-06:002022-12-31T14:35:55.081-06:00Book Review: The Captain's Woman by Holly Bush<p>Book Review</p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Captain’s Woman</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cnYZXmzJFDAMlHZcs0SHr35RdGKAUXewkIXs321ZiqkwHCW0lOd4sS7mOmh1kQ9uij0hjFgAc-8RC0zmQE803aJYoqBQsNxw8xQtcpPZZsZ8dH12DG6-u2NSA1a_OIyAvpvg0GXSF0QG2xaAMT1k5G0mfHXst2_k85EBKK0hVSW6KG_mCFSp-vg2/s2453/Captain's%20Woman%20eBook%20Cover%20Amazon%20XL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="1635" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cnYZXmzJFDAMlHZcs0SHr35RdGKAUXewkIXs321ZiqkwHCW0lOd4sS7mOmh1kQ9uij0hjFgAc-8RC0zmQE803aJYoqBQsNxw8xQtcpPZZsZ8dH12DG6-u2NSA1a_OIyAvpvg0GXSF0QG2xaAMT1k5G0mfHXst2_k85EBKK0hVSW6KG_mCFSp-vg2/w266-h400/Captain's%20Woman%20eBook%20Cover%20Amazon%20XL.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>(The Thompsons of Locust Street, Book 4)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b><b>Holly Bush</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family
taking Philadelphia high society by storm…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">1870 ~
Muireall Thompson has taken her duties seriously since her parents died on the
family’s crossing from Scotland to America in 1854. As the eldest sibling,
their death made her responsible for her family and left little time for a life
of her own. But now her brothers and sisters are adults; even the youngest is
nearly ready to face the world on his own. What will she do when she is alone,
other than care for an elderly aunt and volunteer at the Sisters of Charity
orphanage? Has the chance for a husband and children of her own passed her by?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Widower
Anthony Marcus, formerly a captain in the Union Army, is a man scraping the
bottom of his dignity and hanging on to his honor by the barest thread. Reduced
to doing odd jobs to keep a roof over his dear daughter Ann’s head, he often
leaves her with the Sisters of Charity while he is out seeking steady work with
a decent salary that will allow him to move from their single-room living
quarters.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">After an
initial meeting that finds Muireall and Anthony at odds, a tentative friendship
forms as they bond over their mutual affection for Ann. As friendship leads to
passion, can a wealthy spinster and a poor soldier overcome their differences
in station to forge a future together? Just as Muireall finds the courage to
reach for her own happiness, Anthony’s past rises up between them and an old
enemy reemerges to bring the Thompson family down once and for all. Will the
divide between them be insurmountable, or can they put aside pride and doubt
for a love worth fighting for?</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white;">Release Date: January 10, 2023</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white;">Preorder on </span></b><a href="https://amzn.to/3V8H5mk"><b><span style="background: white;">Amazon</span></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white;">My 5-Star Review:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Muireall Thompson has always put her family first and never
thought of herself throughout the years. Each of her siblings have found love
and marriage, but she felt it would never happen to her. Instead, she put her
energy into the family’s business and her volunteer work at the orphanage. But
when she collides with Anthony Marcus, a former captain in the Union Army, she
thinks that maybe she might find her chance at love.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">The Captain’s Woman by Holly Bush is the fourth book in The
Thompsons of Locust Street Series. I’ve enjoyed each of the first three books,
but I have to admit, this fourth book has been my favorite. Muireall is a
strong female character who stands up for herself, but she finds a connection
with Anthony because he, too, has a strong personality. This is no simpering
love story – these two lovers have to survive many difficulties on their way to
happiness. A wonderful story written by a talented author that I am sure you
will enjoy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOZ9TIJXpP2VgBEFEHlMI-LxGZTscrUUV3QlPgVfVbGN7nLdppPabwm1gY4BONBgnQzOnRKES4BCbiHvNiDK-V7yGSowgQdBkaIRFYH7OSJ2n9zJpM9m-W_3SRz16wZIypcohKm3a-hlw_HSf81i2fS2rjKucCc1lOa7xbDb38JmbZ-MOmgL2Iqvr/s550/HollyBush.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOZ9TIJXpP2VgBEFEHlMI-LxGZTscrUUV3QlPgVfVbGN7nLdppPabwm1gY4BONBgnQzOnRKES4BCbiHvNiDK-V7yGSowgQdBkaIRFYH7OSJ2n9zJpM9m-W_3SRz16wZIypcohKm3a-hlw_HSf81i2fS2rjKucCc1lOa7xbDb38JmbZ-MOmgL2Iqvr/s320/HollyBush.jpg" width="279" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">“I love you. With every bit of myself, until we are old and
infirm. Until the only thing left is love.”</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Thompsons of Locust Street, Philadelphia, features five
siblings from Scotland with some family secrets that could place them in
danger. The first book is The Bachelor's Bride, Elspeth's story. The
Bareknuckle Groom, James Thompson, is the second book, and The Professor's
Lady, Kirsty Thompson, is the third. Muireall Thompson's book, The Captain's
Woman, releases in January 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Gentrys of Paradise begins with the novella Into the
Evermore where readers meet Virginia horse breeders, Eleanor and Beauregard
Gentry. The following books feature their children, Adam, Matthew, and Olivia.
For the Brave is Matthew’s story and is the first full length book of the
series. Olivia's book is For This Moment and Adam's story, For Her Honor, is
the final book in the series.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Crawford Family Series following the fortunes of the three
Boston born Crawford sisters and includes Train Station Bride, Contract to Wed,
Her Safe Harbor, and companion novella, The Maid’s Quarters. Cross the Ocean is
a British set Victorian romance. Fan favorites stand-alones include Romancing
Olive and Reconstructing Jackson. Holly's books are described as ‘emotional,
with heartfelt, sexy romance.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">Holly Bush books are set during
the turbulent and transformative years of the late 1800’s. She makes her home
with her husband, one happy Labrador Retriever, a clever Jack Russell rescued
from the pound, and two difficult cats in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com, on Twitter @hollybushbooks, on
Facebook at Holly Bush, on BookBub at Holly Bush, and on Instagram at Holly
Bush Books. Follow Holly on her Amazon author page to receive new release
updates and sale information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-69779556988546897172022-12-04T23:41:00.001-06:002022-12-04T23:41:00.169-06:00Book Review: The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVtxpK1gD8dX2MVUVu21bYGwFz6Ra2yNzUbDnz8NgRtkgOOJIiqGQJ_pPf1zVcuVdpt3HmqtEp-ivzcHQHWsrknlazPSnE-2F__tJ7ZwESheNbr32zDX8P1ZsFNN9pJ6l5MA9gCNKDwzfgmNhh3Y1wRsUSq9bTqQzk1uK8g3DPum_TXwlZ_3ky8Jx/s500/The%20Jeweler%20of%20Stolen%20Dreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVtxpK1gD8dX2MVUVu21bYGwFz6Ra2yNzUbDnz8NgRtkgOOJIiqGQJ_pPf1zVcuVdpt3HmqtEp-ivzcHQHWsrknlazPSnE-2F__tJ7ZwESheNbr32zDX8P1ZsFNN9pJ6l5MA9gCNKDwzfgmNhh3Y1wRsUSq9bTqQzk1uK8g3DPum_TXwlZ_3ky8Jx/w265-h400/The%20Jeweler%20of%20Stolen%20Dreams.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">M.J. Rose</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">A captivating tale of two passionate women separated by decades but
united by a shared vision. One, the famous jeweler Suzanne Belperron, fighting
to protect her company and rescue the man she loves. The other, a young
auctioneer whose exceptional gifts reveal a secret that endangers her very life.</span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">“Only one thing saves you, and that is not losing sight of
beauty.”<br />
<br />
Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers
of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her
many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear
friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds
of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come
to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and
longtime lover, Bernard Herz.<br />
<br />
New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is
summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political
candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased
father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the
eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a
vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but
undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to
her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan.<br />
<br />
Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn
the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her
psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now?<br />
<br />
While inspecting the trunk, she senses it holds a hidden treasure and finds a
hoard of precious jewels that provoke nightmarish visions and raise a multitude
of questions. Who owned these pieces? Why were they hidden inside the trunk? Were
they stolen? Could their discovery derail Paul’s campaign and their burgeoning
attraction to each other?<br />
<br />
So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society,
a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen
antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. There, Violine will
discover both her and Paul’s surprising connections to the trunk—and to Suzanne
Belperron, who silently and heroically hid an amazing truth in plain sight.<br />
<br />
Told through Violine’s first-person account and Suzanne’s diary entries, The
Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a riveting story of magick, mystery, romance,
and revenge. Inspired by the real-life legend Suzanne Belperron, it marks yet
another masterpiece by New York Times and Wall Street
Journal bestselling author M.J. Rose.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Release Date: February 7, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Preorder:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3AO9tmn">Amazon Kindle</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I fell in love with M.J. Rose’s books when I first read The
Last Tiara, and I was so happy to have a chance to read an early copy of The
Jeweler of Stolen Dreams.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A dual-timeline novel set in 1942 and 1986, The Jeweler of
Stolen Dreams is a beautifully written story of two women with special gifts
who are both connected through time by their love of beautiful things. A mixture
of magic, romance, and mystery, this story has it all. The historical story is
very well researched and draws your interest immediately as does the
contemporary side of the story. And if you love jewelry – well, there’s no
question you’ll enjoy the descriptions of lovely jewels in this book. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I highly recommend this novel to those who love a historical
story steeped in magic and fantastic writing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6RUjWmC8spr7phVzWzoLNZM0mGred5tvRk2y1Df7QWzv8TOgV3m0mtgVXiA0bTkZeZuUmxa_8QRFFizzz-Gb0uQuiIPuu9AEXvX1Py7Qhg1C6P8eCQFhXh0rvGfs7_sizALOoge14uIiH5uObPylS-0j0J370--enthb0e3eBQGjBWs3_JaT87A5/s600/M.J.%20Rose2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="462" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6RUjWmC8spr7phVzWzoLNZM0mGred5tvRk2y1Df7QWzv8TOgV3m0mtgVXiA0bTkZeZuUmxa_8QRFFizzz-Gb0uQuiIPuu9AEXvX1Py7Qhg1C6P8eCQFhXh0rvGfs7_sizALOoge14uIiH5uObPylS-0j0J370--enthb0e3eBQGjBWs3_JaT87A5/s320/M.J.%20Rose2.jpg" width="246" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><b>About the Author:</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New York Times, USA Today, and Wall St. Journal bestseller,
M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the
Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and
reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes
mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice...
books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to
look for it and revel in it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Rose's work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah
Magazine and The Adventurine and she has been featured in the New York Times,
Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Rose graduated from Syracuse University, has a commercial in
the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing
company for authors - Authorbuzz.com. Rose is also the co-founder of
1001DarkNights.com and TheBlueBoxPress.com<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels
in the Reincarnationist series.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-72591547468861189092022-12-02T14:58:00.007-06:002022-12-02T14:58:00.171-06:00Book Review: The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Lindbergh Nanny</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBdOFdzNq8MlxBubydBnXyb_rf7iJjKkdiGtG1dy8Y4K5O4Szizvje5uKmFqoIDGszNBNT9GYoqON56Gz5cLK6e-8ee5zu5dNyQXFnOL5rqFewu5ssF21f1Hn63gKleA7gK0Qi20Oz6DVQ2sU_KVgf9nxYXV_NEvj95GCYFT6QNhmPC5T3xPmkbRF/s500/The%20Lindbergh%20Nanny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBdOFdzNq8MlxBubydBnXyb_rf7iJjKkdiGtG1dy8Y4K5O4Szizvje5uKmFqoIDGszNBNT9GYoqON56Gz5cLK6e-8ee5zu5dNyQXFnOL5rqFewu5ssF21f1Hn63gKleA7gK0Qi20Oz6DVQ2sU_KVgf9nxYXV_NEvj95GCYFT6QNhmPC5T3xPmkbRF/w265-h400/The%20Lindbergh%20Nanny.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mariah Fredericks<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Mariah
Fredericks's </span><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Lindbergh Nanny</span></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> is powerful, propulsive novel about America’s most notorious
kidnapping through the eyes of the woman who found herself at the heart of this
deadly crime.</span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="a-text-bold"></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"A masterful blending of fact and fiction that is as
compelling as it is entertaining."—Nelson DeMille</span></span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped
from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international
headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father,
Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne
Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their
household—Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, now known around the world
by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
A Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland and its East
Coast elite, Betty finds Colonel Lindbergh eccentric and often odd, Mrs.
Lindbergh kind yet nervous, and Charlie simply a darling. Far from home and
bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring
for the child, and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, sometimes
known as Red. Then, Charlie disappears.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must
find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own
name—and to find justice for the child she loves.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b>Buy Now:</b></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tYtbrv">Amazon Kindle, Audiobook, or
Hardcover</a></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My 5-Star Review:</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">When Scottish immigrant Betty Gow is hired as a nanny for
little Charlie – the child of the famous Charles Lindbergh – she feels
fortunate to land such a prized position. She grows quite fond of little
Charlie, although she doesn’t always see eye to eye with Mr. Lindbergh’s style
of parenting. Betty also feels a bit of a kinship with Mrs. Lindbergh, who she feels
gives in to her husband even when she doesn’t agree. Working in a household for
a family alongside other servants isn’t always easy. You hear things, people gossip,
and all Betty can do is try to stay neutral. Then, tragedy strikes and suddenly
not only is Betty suspected of wrongdoing, but she begins to suspect everyone
around her as well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">THE LINDBERGH NANNY by Mariah Fredericks is a masterfully
written novel that will keep you up late into the night. The historical detail
is spot on and her representation of the characters is perfect. Written through
the eyes of the nanny, Betty Gow, you see and feel everything she does. How
horrible it must have been to be suspected of such a terrible crime when in
reality she adored little Charlie – possibly more than his own parents. You really
do feel transported back to that moment in time and see it all as it plays out.
</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I highly recommend this novel – if you love biographical
fiction, you will enjoy this novel.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNqCu8hZfDz_ziUkLj9VPpLjCFkCdIhG9G5YJ57bHF5d8Rqs1H15x3ra5K9x95L31-Sh6pCQ5fcY47SQ00SXlQucCX5z3vEWxCXElKbrUp_8DQA20qSYw7gQis2xcPqKB1icUwyjBSjNDar0ulomJJ9r1_Pprud73bgDruH_f2qNAAglI8j2I2s4e/s600/Mariah%20Fredericks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNqCu8hZfDz_ziUkLj9VPpLjCFkCdIhG9G5YJ57bHF5d8Rqs1H15x3ra5K9x95L31-Sh6pCQ5fcY47SQ00SXlQucCX5z3vEWxCXElKbrUp_8DQA20qSYw7gQis2xcPqKB1icUwyjBSjNDar0ulomJJ9r1_Pprud73bgDruH_f2qNAAglI8j2I2s4e/s320/Mariah%20Fredericks.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Mariah Fredericks was born and raised in New York City. She
graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She enjoys reading and
writing about dead people and how they got that way. She is the author of the
Jane Prescott mystery series.</span></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-90834104483991261452022-11-28T23:35:00.000-06:002022-11-28T23:35:09.712-06:00Book Review: Without a Trace by Danielle Steel<p> Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Without a Trace</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGqQmKNjR0Fd0DrkVe5XgwF83xOIJKCvvXzTcE1z6tgjZAVa0BMVtLUlgYA6AqsMJyO8b_YH0ShDfyfu_VqPhtLNTVNG-a7fN1UiIDmgd4kb_jcKfxzrx5NwF6CxuFRV1KruqOzVlGQkt5L1dehHmvqUW6BhV7c75BzfTgsiSwCR7mBFRdP8T55qs/s346/Without%20a%20Trace%20by%20Danielle%20Steel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="231" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGqQmKNjR0Fd0DrkVe5XgwF83xOIJKCvvXzTcE1z6tgjZAVa0BMVtLUlgYA6AqsMJyO8b_YH0ShDfyfu_VqPhtLNTVNG-a7fN1UiIDmgd4kb_jcKfxzrx5NwF6CxuFRV1KruqOzVlGQkt5L1dehHmvqUW6BhV7c75BzfTgsiSwCR7mBFRdP8T55qs/w268-h400/Without%20a%20Trace%20by%20Danielle%20Steel.jpg" width="268" /></a></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Danielle Steel<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Charles Vincent seems to have it all—a beautiful wife, two
successful children, and a well-paying career. Yet happiness remains out of
reach. He is trapped in a loveless marriage and his job is simply a paycheck.
But his life changes forever one night as he drives along the Normandy coast,
heading to their lavish château for the weekend. In one terrifying moment,
Charles falls asleep at the wheel and veers off the road, plunging thirty feet
down the face of a rocky cliff.<br />
<br />
Miraculously, Charles survives. After gathering the courage to climb to safety,
he starts to walk—bruised, bloody, and desperate for help. In the dark of
night, he happens upon a cabin where he meets the kind and beautiful Aude
Saint-Martin. They have an instant connection, and as she nurses him back to
health, Charles begins to discover the passion he’s been missing for so many
years.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the crash, Charles has a startling realization: He doesn’t
have to go back. He could simply choose to disappear, to walk away from his old
life. When his car is discovered, he’ll be presumed dead, washed away at sea.
If he stays with Aude, he has a chance at a fuller, happier life that he didn’t
know was possible. It all seems too good to resist. But Aude has secrets of her
own, and before long their pasts catch up to them, threatening everything they
have fought to build.<br />
<br />
What would happen if you were given a chance to walk away from everything in
your life and start over with a blank slate, and you had a split second to
decide? In </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Without a Trace,</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Danielle Steel tells an
irresistible story of the risks two people are willing to take in exchange for
a chance at the life they’ve always wanted.</span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Release Date: January 3, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Preorder Now:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3O11uYn"><b>Amazon Kindle</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What would you do if your life was unhappy and you had a
chance to disappear and start your life all over again? Charles Vincent learns
the answer to that question when his car slides over an ocean cliff into the
water. He survives, and finds his way to a country house where a lovely woman
takes him in and helps him heal. Charles hates his job, is unhappy in his cold
marriage, and wants nothing more than to move on in his life. Could this be his
chance to just disappear?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">WITHOUT A TRACE by Danielle Steel is a page-turning story of
a man struggling to let go of his past life so he can finally be happy again
and move forward. As Charles and the new woman he’s fallen madly in love with
face devastating complications, the only truth is their love and devotion to
each other. And after all, isn’t that what everyone wants?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I highly recommend this exciting tale by the queen of
women’s fiction. This is one Danielle Steel story you won’t want to miss.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fkV368c2C2dUU8y5ttTWRzfsFFyoNKxigiRNuH0QP-rlEvL4tmNTn2MLRVnWP9Ux-HW3SAV4eAycZez_pts3o-21XmVnxGhYll6dn-9TXacuavueUOSbG6NfUxk7ubPCiX5P24fQU4tgUkrXnR7ZWPvQpdue6YubrkJP3e2UZlDjzoZFSOLpbbV2/s639/Danielle%20Steel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fkV368c2C2dUU8y5ttTWRzfsFFyoNKxigiRNuH0QP-rlEvL4tmNTn2MLRVnWP9Ux-HW3SAV4eAycZez_pts3o-21XmVnxGhYll6dn-9TXacuavueUOSbG6NfUxk7ubPCiX5P24fQU4tgUkrXnR7ZWPvQpdue6YubrkJP3e2UZlDjzoZFSOLpbbV2/s320/Danielle%20Steel.jpg" width="225" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Danielle
Steel</span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling
authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international
bestsellers include </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">High Stakes, Invisible, Flying Angels, The
Butler, Complications</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and other highly acclaimed novels. She is
also the author of </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">His Bright Light,</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> the story
of her son Nick Traina's life and death; </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">A Gift of Hope,</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> a memoir of
her work with the homeless; </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Expect a Miracle,</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> a book of
her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Pure Joy,</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> about the
dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Pretty Minnie in
Paris</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.</span></i></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-7362098124367623892022-11-23T19:12:00.000-06:002022-11-23T19:12:11.225-06:00Book Review: On The Inside by Kim Cano<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">On The Inside</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurlMxoiQcqOwytz4u00_Tcr3oKhiW8amPVxaFrYHERL5NuqpuHIEcikh4VbCXotdCfT1llZXLwDOf1_QZrmgIAhqNtYV8jVZ97qQt2w7NDH1rVqRUxkoqazFIkXm1rEnAToDWhh5fIxWW7CkwKBLKgSmHnOtXYTTKXeqIobGWFbjOQqfwlzJ1NXT6/s500/On%20the%20Inside%20by%20Kim%20Cano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurlMxoiQcqOwytz4u00_Tcr3oKhiW8amPVxaFrYHERL5NuqpuHIEcikh4VbCXotdCfT1llZXLwDOf1_QZrmgIAhqNtYV8jVZ97qQt2w7NDH1rVqRUxkoqazFIkXm1rEnAToDWhh5fIxWW7CkwKBLKgSmHnOtXYTTKXeqIobGWFbjOQqfwlzJ1NXT6/w259-h400/On%20the%20Inside%20by%20Kim%20Cano.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Kim Cano</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">She didn't know what she stood to lose - until hope was all
she had left.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Kristen was living the dream - a loving husband, adorable
children, a successful career. Why hadn't it been enough? She's had a lot of
time to ponder the answer - behind bars.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">It was a little fudging of the numbers, just once to cover
some unpaid bills. Somehow, she wound up a convicted white-collar criminal,
sentenced to a women's prison full of drug dealers and murderers, enduring days
of mind-numbing tedium punctuated by moments of harrowing violence. A place
where respect is earned with one's fists.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Yet within these walls, random acts of kindness occur,
friendships form, and people fall in love. Letters from her sister-in-law keep
Kristen connected to the family she's lost. They give her hope that someday she
might be given a second chance. But first, she must face the personal demons
lurking in the shadows of her soul - and find a way to forgive herself.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy now on:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3A2qubT">Amazon Kindle<o:p></o:p></a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3A2qubT">Paperback<o:p></o:p></a></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3A2qubT">Audiobook</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kristen goes to prison for stealing from her employer and
soon learns that life on the inside is a complicated combination of boredom, loneliness,
stress, and fear. She’s lost everything—her husband won’t speak to her and her
children are being kept away from her, too. Without the kindness of her
sister-in-law who writes to her regularly, she would be completely lost.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the years go by, Kristen makes friends and enemies. She
finds her own path in the prison system with the goal to get out someday and
hopefully be a part of her family’s life again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On The Inside by Kim Cano is a thought-provoking story
filled with interesting characters and the lives they lead inside prison. Peppered
with strong emotions and heartfelt connections, you will find yourself
intrigued by the women who live behind bars and their many stories. I highly recommend
this novel to those who enjoy a realistic telling of what it takes to live on
the inside.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Jhqev8tjPtfw0IHE1sDPkCGVX3l4ZYlDJCBGjzIFrdAPoUHdyiSVVvGjnmfA6nXowpUV6b3ubt8X0BfFneSTLmOdXsvZUgMZI2P4qMQei3lVTdPj3x1mD99cZCKayYm3POqlxbn9KWPJQoOX9ZszDK023LNMqBQJqju4CE3691-vHnO8v0vaL7DH/s450/Kim%20Cano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="450" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Jhqev8tjPtfw0IHE1sDPkCGVX3l4ZYlDJCBGjzIFrdAPoUHdyiSVVvGjnmfA6nXowpUV6b3ubt8X0BfFneSTLmOdXsvZUgMZI2P4qMQei3lVTdPj3x1mD99cZCKayYm3POqlxbn9KWPJQoOX9ZszDK023LNMqBQJqju4CE3691-vHnO8v0vaL7DH/s320/Kim%20Cano.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>About the Author:<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kim Cano is the author of five women's fiction novels: A
Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, and When the
Time Is Right. Readers say her books are about strong women who struggle but
survive, hard-won second chances, family life, and friendship.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kim has also written a
short story collection called For Animal Lovers. 10% of the sale price of that
book is donated to the ASPCA® to help homeless pets.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Visit Kim's website to
receive a free copy of The Rescue: www.kimcano.com</span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-20877079415293505392022-11-01T00:00:00.010-05:002022-11-27T14:47:26.094-06:00The Christmas Charm Holiday Giveaway!<p> Giveaway!</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">UPDATE: I can finally name the winners - they have all gotten back to me. Rachel B. won $50; Missy H. won $50, and the grand prize winner was Lori S. who won the necklace and $25. Thank you all for entering!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Giveaway is now over - Thank you to everyone who entered. I've contacted the winners and will announce them soon. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">The Christmas Charm Holiday Giveaway!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnX_v3lhd4Zekiyg0jXOLaWY09GWgaCW_YUblJRocmvJBUuJE0iZgyiVQbcehOECxV8dFeBhcA5N58RVcMZS0WpO00MxggRG4UOmJsXz6kR08KfqyxG8KQWXaeck9NMSKDLIJWl2T0rUvrkkUZdW-GqHxtM1i4vNti0lWJDiD_brwTLyU-0gNgDJOm/s1080/The%20Christmas%20Charm%20Giveaway%20Advertisement.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnX_v3lhd4Zekiyg0jXOLaWY09GWgaCW_YUblJRocmvJBUuJE0iZgyiVQbcehOECxV8dFeBhcA5N58RVcMZS0WpO00MxggRG4UOmJsXz6kR08KfqyxG8KQWXaeck9NMSKDLIJWl2T0rUvrkkUZdW-GqHxtM1i4vNti0lWJDiD_brwTLyU-0gNgDJOm/w400-h400/The%20Christmas%20Charm%20Giveaway%20Advertisement.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">It's release day for my Christmas novel,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3MGjeb7" target="_blank">The Christmas Charm</a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">and to celebrate, I'm having a giveaway!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">The giveaway starts today and ends on November 23rd. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>First Prize</b>: The ACTUAL Sterling Silver Charm Necklace that appears on the cover of The Christmas Charm (a $70 value), plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Second and Third Prizes</b>: One $50 Amazon Gift Card to each winner.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>To Enter</b> - <b>Use the Rafflecopter below. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">If you don't wish to enter that way, you can leave a comment on this blog post and I'll add you into the giveaway. Make sure I know your name so I can add you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Good Luck!</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(Only use the first Rafflecopter - not sure why they added a second one but we'll ignore it.)</b></span></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="7646af3229" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7646af3229/" id="rcwidget_jk6hpyo1" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="7646af3229" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7646af3229/" id="rcwidget_jk6hpyo1" rel="nofollow"><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-83470190096926311822022-10-03T15:19:00.002-05:002022-10-03T15:19:27.826-05:00Book Review: It's Alive by Julian David Stone<p><b>Book Review</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">It’s Alive </span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2agAO9kS-fYIxQToyVk259iGoMR2j_ZKgjCitrNHco5sCNGeJYOv9sn-UOvw8-2bsReCsEEtjWIVrfUkWuykfbfyn6Ijdobi9Dk-FdOfCnTg3dmn6PGc8pHO4zArlIyThbpvoWdpXrZUGOpAbuLFakyceVo99UvWXlHiXx7C0pEebIeF_qYTxLgj/s500/It's%20Alive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2agAO9kS-fYIxQToyVk259iGoMR2j_ZKgjCitrNHco5sCNGeJYOv9sn-UOvw8-2bsReCsEEtjWIVrfUkWuykfbfyn6Ijdobi9Dk-FdOfCnTg3dmn6PGc8pHO4zArlIyThbpvoWdpXrZUGOpAbuLFakyceVo99UvWXlHiXx7C0pEebIeF_qYTxLgj/w253-h400/It's%20Alive.jpg" width="253" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>A Novel<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Julian David Stone</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b>Book Description:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">For readers of
F.Scott Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon and Budd Schulberg's What Makes Sammy Run.</span></b></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="a-text-bold"></span><b><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The only thing harder than raising the dead, is making a
movie about raising the dead.</span></span></i></b></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
In the summer of 1931, life was good for Junior Laemmle. Though only
twenty-three years old, he was the head of all movie production for Universal
Pictures, and under his reign, the studio flourished. So much so, he was about
to be bestowed with the greatest honor a young executive can receive in
Hollywood: a promotion to vice president of the entire company. What’s more,
Carl Laemmle, his father and founder of the studio, was returning to California
for the first time in years to personally present the honor to his son.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Or so Junior thought.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
When his father arrives, Junior discovers that instead of being grateful for
transforming and catapulting the out-of-date studio into the future, his father
is obsessed with Junior’s next production: </span></span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Frankenstein</span></span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">. Like the year before, Carl is fervently against making another grisly
and gothic film, despite </span></span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Dracula </span></span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">becoming a huge hit—a project which Junior fought for and personally
oversaw through production. Also not helping Junior’s cause, though the film is
just days away from beginning production, the final choice between Bela Lugosi
and Boris Karloff to play the role of the Monster, has yet to be made.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span><span class="a-text-italic"></span><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">It’s Alive!</span></span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> is a thrilling and vibrant portrait of 1930s Hollywood centered
around the chaotic and exciting days just before the filming of the beloved
cult-classic film, </span></span><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Frankenstein</span></span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">. Woven with hopeful passion, emotional vulnerability, staunch
determination, and creative fulfillment, readers will be swept along with
breathless cinematic pace through events that will not only change the lives of
everyone involved, but Hollywood itself.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Genre: Biographical Fiction</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Imagine - if it hadn’t been for the persistence of young
Junior Laemmle—the son of the owner of Universal Pictures but not yet able to
make decisions for the company—Frankenstein the movie would never have existed.
For those of us who grew up loving these old classic horror movies, that would
be hard to believe. But it’s true, and author Julian David Stone shares with us,
in his fictional recreation, the days leading up to the making of Frankenstein.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even with the success of Dracula behind him, Junior still must
fight tooth and nail to produce Frankenstein. Success for many hangs in the
balance as Junior pushes through his project despite not getting the go-ahead.
Boris Karloff waits with bated breath, and only pennies in his pocket, for the
okay to play the monster while Bela Lugosi cringes at the thought of being
forced to play the monster. The author shows through several real-life
characters the angst they felt up until the final decision, which makes the
reader turn pages in anticipation. A wonderful story for those who enjoy the
old horror flicks and great background on a beloved old film. If you are an
old-movie buff or just a lover of Hollywood sagas – you will enjoy this novel.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy Now:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3rpH1BY">Amazon Kindle or Paperback</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OGPvDRyvQo_vu5CP5jD1iiNiqMDGb0B8onD0XhAu4fpIDWGJXznno5H-7yTFcqK3mfwQfI_5VgiV5o5mZR7bi-k_dFZcpd80ceJBKkVmOoO-3VD1TZgT2EWHKybAxkKy5iSxq_ooHcpH_1jmHBRTgsK2bJ_J4DJXbple7uje_FTJ6o7cE8UIiGcY/s450/Julian%20David%20Stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OGPvDRyvQo_vu5CP5jD1iiNiqMDGb0B8onD0XhAu4fpIDWGJXznno5H-7yTFcqK3mfwQfI_5VgiV5o5mZR7bi-k_dFZcpd80ceJBKkVmOoO-3VD1TZgT2EWHKybAxkKy5iSxq_ooHcpH_1jmHBRTgsK2bJ_J4DJXbple7uje_FTJ6o7cE8UIiGcY/s320/Julian%20David%20Stone.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Julian David Stone has always been a creative at heart. When
he realized in the ’80s that being in a band wasn’t in his cards, he began
smuggling his camera into concerts – adventures he later chronicled in his
best-selling coffee table book No Cameras Allowed: My Career As An Outlaw Rock
& Roll Photographer. He moved to Los Angeles in his 20s to study filmmaking
and wrote screenplays for Disney, Paramount, Sony and MGM, as well as a
full-length play (The Elvis Test) and several short-form documentaries on Frank
Sinatra for Warner Bros. He is also the writer and director of the cult comedy
feature film Follow the Bitch. His award-winning debut novel, The Strange
Birth, Short Life, and Sudden Death of Justice Girl, centers on the world of
’50s live television and is currently being turned into a TV series. His latest
work, the historical fiction novel It’s Alive, is a vibrant portrait of 1930s
Hollywood centered around the chaotic and exciting days just before the filming
of the beloved classic film Frankenstein.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-63944688938637343692022-09-19T23:23:00.003-05:002022-09-19T23:23:45.994-05:00Book Review: A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion<p>Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A Limited Run</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfEhlnXcCI979LhoowDPUASgMJPZMKOXUYrmplc1EPAo5PUNazBSfm88IHzYpeq1SAtCobW2vPSQFJ45cTde1LNe6hycgqakBxuZudJsnC5T2LBk40cnmdZ3t6bS2I6Pkha5KM4ZF8idUKXKPfGmdO7SY94x7ZJv0PEOgBWpEFuB0SOfH2k4WmgMH/s500/A%20lImited%20Run%20by%20karen%20McQuestion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfEhlnXcCI979LhoowDPUASgMJPZMKOXUYrmplc1EPAo5PUNazBSfm88IHzYpeq1SAtCobW2vPSQFJ45cTde1LNe6hycgqakBxuZudJsnC5T2LBk40cnmdZ3t6bS2I6Pkha5KM4ZF8idUKXKPfGmdO7SY94x7ZJv0PEOgBWpEFuB0SOfH2k4WmgMH/w266-h400/A%20lImited%20Run%20by%20karen%20McQuestion.jpg" width="266" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p>Karen McQuestion</p><p><b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Book Description:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When billionaire Felix Worthington invites the five cast
members of the TV show A Little Slice of Haven to recreate their roles
twenty-five years later, they’re initially skeptical. It’s an unusual request,
even for a self-professed superfan like Felix.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box;">For several of them, playing a member of the Barlow family
in the small town of Haven in the 1940s was an experience best forgotten. Meri
Wetzel, who played a loving wife and mother, has spent the last two decades
avoiding her TV husband, Jeff. And the actors who played their children each
have lingering resentments of their own.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box;">But living in a recreated version of the town in a warehouse
in Montana has its appeal, even knowing they’ll be filmed with hidden cameras
as they improvise with other actors playing the townspeople. And the clincher?
Two million dollars for each of them, provided they stay all ten days and
remain in character the entire time. One by one, they set aside their
hesitations and agree to the terms.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box;">After all, with two million dollars they’d be set for life,
and really, what could go wrong?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy now:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3QSS01b">Amazon Kindle</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3QSS01b">Paperback</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3QSS01b">Audiobook</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b>My 5-Star Review</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Imagine your favorite television show returning after two
decades with all the same characters. How much fun would that be? Except in
this scenario, the actors are still playing their same ages as before and they
aren’t even sure if it will ever appear on screen. Hey, but for the money they
are being paid, who cares, right? What they don’t know is there is trouble
lurking in their quiet little television land town which may turn their happy homecoming
into a nightmare.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I really enjoyed A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion. It was
so unique from the average story and in tune to today's society. A cross
between a reality show and renewing an old favorite decades later. It takes a
very interesting plot to keep me turning pages and this one was truly hard to
put down. I highly recommend this novel!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JoAGleT5_uczas0Sb1Qd2kCsRoyLRK4ECevSd-5MUMJIazYiMHgV8Fr4TBTcxnBZwqfZgGvP6fauc2zMAxUPgzKJ6Ru-mG5CYY3lYn7QQEc97lS-xShGqB40nJnqKPNk-zvlB2f0Xja6082dmzzjFfcf6tOJSad7kd32M_NSRGUgloVKQU02La1h/s450/Karen%20McQuestion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="450" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JoAGleT5_uczas0Sb1Qd2kCsRoyLRK4ECevSd-5MUMJIazYiMHgV8Fr4TBTcxnBZwqfZgGvP6fauc2zMAxUPgzKJ6Ru-mG5CYY3lYn7QQEc97lS-xShGqB40nJnqKPNk-zvlB2f0Xja6082dmzzjFfcf6tOJSad7kd32M_NSRGUgloVKQU02La1h/s320/Karen%20McQuestion.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>About the Author:<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Karen McQuestion is an Amazon Charts bestselling author
who's written more than twenty novels and has sold over two million books
worldwide. She's also the co-host, (along with USA Today bestselling author
Tess Thompson), of the popular podcast, BEHIND THE BOOK.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Her publishing story has
been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR and she
has appeared on ABC's World News Now and America This Morning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>McQuestion’s books share common themes of connection and
kindness. She lives in Hartland, Wisconsin.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><o:p> </o:p>From Karen: To be notified of giveaways and book news,
please sign up for my email newsletter at www.karenmcquestion.com </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-20353443808769302052022-09-06T14:56:00.003-05:002022-09-06T14:57:11.322-05:00Cover Reveal and Preorder - The Christmas Charm by Deanna Lynn Sletten<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm so excited to share the beautiful cover and information for my upcoming novel,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Christmas Charm</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySOnH0bRPlY69nSQA42LTsC5yFA1Hrc-cOg1W1lNtU4NVvEpsx4asvGvmlNfCquwlcnwQp-fUpZ8Q57ZQGdsjMajI0MOqX2arSxfyUKA-JHUFYxR5DyzZEeo2DTRxVEXSuRm03RnYHD9bUUrdl5WAFX8itCNNIhBLu-64I5L0fGTiSFlZ7N79NuZV/s2700/The%20Christmas%20Charm%20Amazon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySOnH0bRPlY69nSQA42LTsC5yFA1Hrc-cOg1W1lNtU4NVvEpsx4asvGvmlNfCquwlcnwQp-fUpZ8Q57ZQGdsjMajI0MOqX2arSxfyUKA-JHUFYxR5DyzZEeo2DTRxVEXSuRm03RnYHD9bUUrdl5WAFX8itCNNIhBLu-64I5L0fGTiSFlZ7N79NuZV/w426-h640/The%20Christmas%20Charm%20Amazon.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This lovely cover was made exclusively for me by</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.dbcoverdesign.com" target="_blank">Deborah Bradseth Book Cover Designs</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is a one of a kind cover because she took the photo that created the cover!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Book Description:</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Small-town charm and a family on the brink of disaster as
Christmas brings its much-needed magic to those who need it most.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1959 – June and Patrick Elden spend their very first
Christmas together in their tiny downtown apartment in the rural town of
Redmond. As newlyweds, they have their entire lives ahead of them, and their
dreams of a home and family loom large. Despite not having much money, Patrick
surprises June with a beautiful Christmas star necklace as a symbol of all the
years to come. And as their life grows and changes, the story of that little
necklace becomes a family tradition that their children and grandchildren
cherish throughout the years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2022 – Jessica Paxton hasn’t returned home for Christmas
since the passing of her beloved Grandma June. Despite being an accomplished
divorce lawyer in Minneapolis, she still cowers at the thought of spending time
in her childhood home with her mother without her grandmother as a buffer. Her
mother hasn’t forgiven her for a long-ago tragedy, and frankly, Jess hasn’t
forgiven herself either. But her younger sister has begged her to come home, so
she does. What awaits her is a family full of problems and tension between her
and her mother at its worst. Should Jess turn tail and run for home, or will
the Christmas traditions of the past prove strong enough to hold this family
together?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This beautiful story releases on November 1, 2022</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And is now up for <b>preorder on Amazon</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the paperback will be available on the publication date</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and the audiobook will be available too.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Preorder now on <a href="https://amzn.to/3DaHxuG " target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></span></p><b></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-58385065668684613592022-07-19T09:00:00.002-05:002022-08-17T23:09:09.445-05:00Release Day! The Secrets We Carry<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Release day for</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE SECRETS WE CARRY</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">is finally here!! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD3WgZua_GZ53PCZ6ENm00rCCURK-Ug8KQx6Ne8K1wDfj8ENL91_vgUWMpaWhFqpqzGqMRuMsA3RtKeiBFTqSRpFVZQkVItwDs59mXPAwBsDhBoiTcvo7xbdvr2qDehtSIxxqXPPuErdmLGpFJsqwqUfEv2xUV_JyEPfsiQzBK4TiL4YaTP3Qfkwr/s2700/The%20Secrets%20We%20Carry%20Amazon%20final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD3WgZua_GZ53PCZ6ENm00rCCURK-Ug8KQx6Ne8K1wDfj8ENL91_vgUWMpaWhFqpqzGqMRuMsA3RtKeiBFTqSRpFVZQkVItwDs59mXPAwBsDhBoiTcvo7xbdvr2qDehtSIxxqXPPuErdmLGpFJsqwqUfEv2xUV_JyEPfsiQzBK4TiL4YaTP3Qfkwr/w306-h459/The%20Secrets%20We%20Carry%20Amazon%20final.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so excited to share this dual-timeline historical novel with readers. I know you will fall in love with Sofiya, Alina, and Addie as much as I did. This novel took me the longest to write of all of my books (well, except for Miss Etta which was 20 years in the making, LOL). I honestly felt I'd never finish this one. But now, it's absolutely one of my favorites.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy it now on Amazon:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3FpUKPE " target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PcI2rF " target="_blank">Paperback</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3AW01OO " target="_blank">Hardcover</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ow.ly/2kRI50Kmvcq" target="_blank">Audiobook</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book Description:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">1917 - Sofiya and her
friend Alina are forced to flee Russia as Tsar Nicholas II abdicates, and the
Bolsheviks take control of St. Petersburg. Their parents send them to America,
where Alina's distant cousin lives, but soon the girls learn they have traded
one danger for another. They are forced to earn a living in the most terrible
way, and once again, both girls flee for their lives in
separate directions. Years later, trapped in a bitter marriage, Sofiya
once again finds herself running away to protect her son and the secret she's
been hiding since leaving Russia. She wonders if she will ever feel safe again.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">2022 - Addison Cameron
loves antiques and old homes and has made a career, alongside her boyfriend
Zach, of flipping old houses and making them new again. Having lived a life of
terror as a young teen, bringing new life to old homes has been her therapy.
When Zach finds a cigar box of old letters in an antique shop and buys them for
Addie, she is intrigued. Who was the young girl Sofiya, and what was her life
like? Soon Addie becomes immersed in Sofiya's past and is drawn to the very
house in Portland that Sofiya had fled all those years ago. As she brings the
house back to life, Addie relives her own nightmarish past and that of
Sofiya's. Can she heal her old wounds by restoring the house where Sofiya had
once lived?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you all for your patience. I know it seemed as if I wouldn't release another book - but it's finally here!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-76503646246037474652022-05-08T21:15:00.001-05:002022-07-16T19:34:44.504-05:00Cover Reveal: THE SECRETS WE CARRY by Deanna Lynn Sletten<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Coming July 19, 2022 </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have finally completed the manuscript for my upcoming historical dual-timeline novel and I'm excited to share with you the beautiful cover and the preorder details!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE SECRETS WE CARRY</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWddecVVgT34m-b0_41KczS56By8h-eaqR5Ckk8-8ApZS_RYwNZ8UZUyP1QSg94dqOnOMthTwk9bqfnCA74XXZWBIJOFb_yIGr2OY2InxPYW6Kw8izb01wh3aE67pKjkNQZqyAO-yJHqvDx9h8iA_gg1nN6LLtB_gBKmfxKbQQvthniqxfeiUw_4s/s2700/The%20Secrets%20We%20Carry%20Amazon%20final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWddecVVgT34m-b0_41KczS56By8h-eaqR5Ckk8-8ApZS_RYwNZ8UZUyP1QSg94dqOnOMthTwk9bqfnCA74XXZWBIJOFb_yIGr2OY2InxPYW6Kw8izb01wh3aE67pKjkNQZqyAO-yJHqvDx9h8iA_gg1nN6LLtB_gBKmfxKbQQvthniqxfeiUw_4s/w371-h557/The%20Secrets%20We%20Carry%20Amazon%20final.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My amazing cover designer, </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Deborah at <a href="http://www.tugboatdesign.net" target="_blank">Tugboat Design</a>, </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">has once again created the perfect cover for my new novel.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Book Description:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1917 - Sofiya and her
friend Alina are forced to flee Russia as Tsar Nicholas II abdicates, and the
Bolsheviks take control of St. Petersburg. Their parents send them to America,
where Alina's distant cousin lives, but soon the girls learn they have traded
one danger for another. They are forced to earn a living in the most awful way,
and once again, both girls flee for their lives in separate directions.
Years later, trapped in a bitter marriage, Sofiya once again finds herself
running away to protect her son and the secret she's been hiding since leaving
Russia. She wonders if she will ever feel safe again.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2022 - Addison Cameron loves
antiques and old homes and has made a career, alongside her boyfriend Zach, of
flipping old houses and making them new again. Having lived a life of terror as
a young teen, bringing new life to old homes has been her therapy. When Zach
finds a cigar box of old letters in an antique shop and buys them for Addie,
she is intrigued. Who was the young girl Sofiya, and what was her life like?
Soon Addie becomes immersed in Sofiya's past and is drawn to the very house in
Portland that Sofiya had fled all those years ago. As she brings the house back
to life, Addie relives her own nightmare past and that of Sofiya's. Can she
heal her old wounds by restoring the house where Sofiya had once lived?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Release Date: July 19, 2022</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: Women's Historical Fiction/Women's Sagas</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Preorder Now:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3FpUKPE " target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PcI2rF " target="_blank"><b>Paperback</b></a> Available Now: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3AW01OO" target="_blank"><b>Hardcover</b></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Audiobook coming soon.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Add to your <a href="http://ow.ly/Tg5430sjfmJ" target="_blank">To Read List</a> on Goodreads</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can also read the First Two Chapters <a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/p/the-secrets-we-carry-first-two-chapters.html " target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-72148183181001690212022-04-08T14:23:00.000-05:002022-04-08T14:23:10.851-05:00Book Review: The Witch's Knight by Paula and Trevor Brackston<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Witch’s Knight</span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcqTqYFr38dWHBLX7r6E1V_EDSb2EbwSIO9SaB6HgBPP6GeBJGodxovQZNXTd4lftSatBlwB0mv-pgOF58SEIACc8PbdX8YbyU3yKy6n1P5nJdNoClPTZDIQRu91d8mOHi65tHD8keCzdReULYAMAU-xG3D0YWZ3v5DkwGfD8v8SZk2-Z7NuoAUv2/s500/The%20Witch's%20Knight%20Paula%20and%20Trevor%20Brackston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="368" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcqTqYFr38dWHBLX7r6E1V_EDSb2EbwSIO9SaB6HgBPP6GeBJGodxovQZNXTd4lftSatBlwB0mv-pgOF58SEIACc8PbdX8YbyU3yKy6n1P5nJdNoClPTZDIQRu91d8mOHi65tHD8keCzdReULYAMAU-xG3D0YWZ3v5DkwGfD8v8SZk2-Z7NuoAUv2/w295-h400/The%20Witch's%20Knight%20Paula%20and%20Trevor%20Brackston.jpg" width="295" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The White Shadow Trilogy, Book One<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paula and Trevor Brackston<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Book Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="a-text-italic"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">New York Times</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> bestselling author of </span><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">'The Witch's Daughter'</span></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Paula Brackston</span></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, in collaboration with her brother </span><span class="a-text-bold"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Trevor</span></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, presents an epic tale of magic, courage and a love that spans a thousand
years.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
A girl destined to become Queen Witch.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
A knight sworn to protect her throughout time.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
A supernatural battle between good and evil.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
In Book One of the White Shadow Trilogy, the story moves between 11th century
Wales and present day London. Gwen is born to a noble family in the Welsh mountains,
unaware of her true magical identity. When her village is attacked by Norman
soldiers her life is forever changed and she must accept her new role to save
those she loves. It is as she embraces her place among the witches of the White
Shadow that she meets the man who will risk everything to protect her.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In dangerous modern
times, Tudor's life is threatened when his own destiny unfolds. It is only as
the world shifts towards darkness that the true extent of his purpose, and his
connection to the past, is revealed.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a love story that
survives the centuries, the two must put duty first. The Shifting would see
evil take hold, and all that is good will be lost. The witch and her knight
stand on the tipping point of that balance.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Historical Fantasy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Release Date: April 19,
2022<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Preorder now on Amazon:</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://amzn.to/35RuoZn">Kindle</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paperback releasing on
April 19<sup>th</sup>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My Five-Star Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Young Gwen lives in 11<sup>th</sup> century Wales, the
only daughter in a noble family. Her life has always been safe, although she yearns
for more than to be a fine lady and marry well. Her village is suddenly
attacked by Norman soldiers and she and a small group of people flee to the
mountains for their lives. While hiding out, she learns the truth of her magical
heritage and is trained to become the leader she is destined to be. It is then
that she meets the man who swears to protect her, and she must make a decision
that will follow her throughout time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This novel is an exceptional dual-timeline story. We
meet the lovely Gwen who falls in love with a knight—a man who swears to
protect her until the end of time. In modern days, we meet Tudor, a man who
protects people for a living, constantly placing his own life in danger. Gwen
has waited centuries to be with her one true love again while Tudor, having lived
many lives, has yet to know his true destiny. Magic, witches, forever love, and
protecting the world. What more does a fantasy novel need? Paula and her
brother, Trevor, have woven an amazing story that keeps you enthralled to the
very last page. And the best part—this is a trilogy!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you’ve enjoyed Paula’s magical books, or if you
just love stories about witches and everlasting love, with a lot of action
included, you’re going to enjoy this novel. I have enjoyed everything Paula has
written, and this novel is no exception. I highly recommend.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">About the Authors:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSB6OZDSTghRqnBDFoyoeZqdF1Lu9cpk55d-RW1ctNwsoDz9DRD4t7GKBqXpabdcTl49RyHinNMLQueUsaP3a2wV7U-JaSsE6mE91_5vneZ3HD5wyGcKJwAE9KL4coY0yhn_Pq6WPIRICqc0dpHuyIKB_w72NzOAZLr1o0a0H0nLJvLpAXrmrwBUID/s960/Paula%20Brackston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSB6OZDSTghRqnBDFoyoeZqdF1Lu9cpk55d-RW1ctNwsoDz9DRD4t7GKBqXpabdcTl49RyHinNMLQueUsaP3a2wV7U-JaSsE6mE91_5vneZ3HD5wyGcKJwAE9KL4coY0yhn_Pq6WPIRICqc0dpHuyIKB_w72NzOAZLr1o0a0H0nLJvLpAXrmrwBUID/s320/Paula%20Brackston.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Paula Brackston</b> lives in the
historic city of Hereford on the Welsh border. She has an MA in Creative
Writing from Lancaster University, and has been a Visiting Lecturer for the
University of Wales, Newport. Before becoming a writer, Paula tried her hand at
various career paths, with mixed success. These included working as a groom on
a racing yard, a travel agent, a secretary, an English teacher, a script
reader, and a goat herd. Everyone involved (particularly the goats) is very
relieved that she has now found a job she is actually able to do properly.<p></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">In
2007 Paula was shortlisted in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In
2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was shortlisted for the Mind Book
Award. The following year she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh
Writers scheme. 'The Witch's Daughter' became a New York Times bestseller. Her
books are translated into five languages and sold around the world.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Trevor Brackston</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">grew up in the Black Mountains
of Wales above the village of Cwmdu. It was the perfect environment to spark a
wild imagination. After retiring from a career as a pilot, Trevor retrained to
become a Police Officer and later worked as a Private Investigator. He also
fulfilled an ambition to live on a sailboat and it was during this time that he
worked together with Paula on ‘The Witch’s Knight’.</span></p><br /><p></p><p><b>Read More Reviews of Paula's Books</b></p><p><a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2013/02/book-review-witchs-daughter-by-paula.html" target="_blank">The Witch's Daughter</a></p><p><a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2016/02/book-review-return-of-witch-by-paula.html" target="_blank">The Return of the Witch</a></p><p><a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2018/09/book-review-little-shop-of-found-things.html" target="_blank">The Little Shop of Found Things</a></p><p><a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2019/07/book-review-secrets-of-chocolate-house.html" target="_blank">Secrets of the Chocolate House</a></p><p><a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2020/12/book-review-garden-of-promises-and-lies.html" target="_blank">The Garden of Promises and Lies</a></p><p><a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2021/11/book-review-city-of-time-and-magic-by.html" target="_blank">City of Time and Magic</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-57187310956972453662022-04-01T23:48:00.003-05:002022-04-01T23:48:49.007-05:00Book Review: Scarlet Carnation by Laila Ibrahim<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Scarlet Carnation</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ENtHVHe0ap-u3c9t0QUEFJephVcAGwIsiTjYjgs3TEi4dc2-XR894094z3sDZz8QVeBolMKbDszHY8le3x-nqwY0RP9eBK_g-sRjbHku88DDjInUjZ_YpWysGH92IlhGJyf51y5--CgQAc2dEPkO8Fa0egWXgMqkh4lTwVWvnbiSshHYKC8lLiew/s500/Scarelt%20Carnation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ENtHVHe0ap-u3c9t0QUEFJephVcAGwIsiTjYjgs3TEi4dc2-XR894094z3sDZz8QVeBolMKbDszHY8le3x-nqwY0RP9eBK_g-sRjbHku88DDjInUjZ_YpWysGH92IlhGJyf51y5--CgQAc2dEPkO8Fa0egWXgMqkh4lTwVWvnbiSshHYKC8lLiew/w266-h400/Scarelt%20Carnation.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Laila Ibrahim</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In an early twentieth-century America roiling with racial
injustice, class divides, and WWI, two women fight for their dreams in a
galvanizing novel by the bestselling author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Golden
Poppies</i>.</span></b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">1915. May and Naomi are extended family, their grandmothers’
lives inseparably entwined on a Virginia plantation in the volatile time
leading up to the Civil War. For both women, the twentieth century promises
social transformation and equal opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">May, a young white woman, is on the brink of achieving the
independent life she’s dreamed of since childhood. Naomi, a nurse, mother, and
leader of the NAACP, has fulfilled her own dearest desire: buying a home for
her family. But they both are about to learn that dreams can be destroyed in an
instant. May’s future is upended, and she is forced to rely once again on her
mother. Meanwhile, the white-majority neighborhood into which Naomi has moved
is organizing against her while her sons are away fighting for their country.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In the tumult of a changing nation, these two women—whose
grandmothers survived the Civil War—support each other’s quest for liberation
and dignity. Both find the strength to confront injustice and the faith to
thrive on their chosen paths.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Lake Union Publishing<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Publish Date: April 1, 2022<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buy Now on <a href="https://amzn.to/3u2zUBU">Amazon</a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1915, two women of different racial backgrounds are striving
to fulfil their dreams of a successful life. May, a young white woman, dreams
of independence and finding an honorable man while Naomi, a middle-aged black
woman, strives to create a better life for her family. These two women, bonded
together by the past relationship of their grandmothers, wish for equality and
opportunity. But both are derailed by forces beyond their control and must
fight for what is right.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Scarlet Carnation</i> by Laila Ibrahim is a powerful
story about oppression, injustice, and working toward a better future. But most
of all, it is a story about the power of family, and the bonds a family shares
over the generations. I’ve read several of Laila’s novels and they are always
powerfully written and well-researched, and this novel is no exception. She’s
an amazing storyteller who can keep you reading long into the night. I highly
recommend this novel, as well as all of her novels.<b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rP_zyagcWWbqTZez4y4k36w5eN4XWSUt9l--NSpuDdkjamZ5AgDH5_JxJa5-_3iwrHD33XIlNZcrBI1KLIQLKn3jA-yMUTDln2r7qjQCL3wmgfNyyEYSc76nV-yX3TmAqQRECDIDFHixmYLk4F3eB8-5TzkaCgi1Ej9emc4-Zw1jWCURDVZtsJsz/s450/Laila%20Ibrahim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="450" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rP_zyagcWWbqTZez4y4k36w5eN4XWSUt9l--NSpuDdkjamZ5AgDH5_JxJa5-_3iwrHD33XIlNZcrBI1KLIQLKn3jA-yMUTDln2r7qjQCL3wmgfNyyEYSc76nV-yX3TmAqQRECDIDFHixmYLk4F3eB8-5TzkaCgi1Ej9emc4-Zw1jWCURDVZtsJsz/s320/Laila%20Ibrahim.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><b>About the Author:</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Laila Ibrahim is the bestselling author of </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Golden Poppies</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Paper
Wife</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mustard Seed</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">, and </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Yellow Crocus</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">. She spent much of her career
as a preschool director, a birth doula, and a religious educator. That work,
coupled with her education in developmental psychology and attachment theory,
provided ample fodder for her novels.</span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">She’s a devout Unitarian Universalist, determined to do her part
to add a little more love and justice to our beautiful and painful world. She
lives with her wonderful wife, Rinda, and two other families in a small
cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Her young adult children are her
pride and joy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Laila is blessed to be working full-time as a novelist. When she
isn’t writing, she likes to take walks with friends, do jigsaw puzzles, play
games, work in the garden, travel, cook, and eat all kinds of delicious food.
Visit the author at <a href="http://www.lailaibrahim.com/">www.lailaibrahim.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Read my review of Laila Ibrahim’s novel, <a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/2012/05/book-review-yellow-crocus-by-laila.html">YELLOW
CROCUS</a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-88231408449745063612022-03-16T20:39:00.004-05:002022-03-16T20:39:57.254-05:00Book Review: Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey<p> Book Review</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Watch Out for Her</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbIeAZkykRv3_mvtdFZNcj_xWYPjCK2ZIc_YFZvSquS_jdUJmfaEAPorI_X1fQXYcCIL9e8Vl82NUUGnCuqpBZLJz2ugiKE5Lqv4IJsubOmCJlnITKT9nc8O18GK0qkj8ERYFxW23QcSjQThDChb4NUdNBAL79ZU-DqZMWWJUG3pNWZ_PA1pyy7ew=s500" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbIeAZkykRv3_mvtdFZNcj_xWYPjCK2ZIc_YFZvSquS_jdUJmfaEAPorI_X1fQXYcCIL9e8Vl82NUUGnCuqpBZLJz2ugiKE5Lqv4IJsubOmCJlnITKT9nc8O18GK0qkj8ERYFxW23QcSjQThDChb4NUdNBAL79ZU-DqZMWWJUG3pNWZ_PA1pyy7ew=w257-h388" width="257" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Samantha M. Bailey<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to
move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially
Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband,
Daniel, hired to take care of their young son last summer. It started out as a
perfect arrangement—Sarah had a childminder her son adored, and Holly found the
mother figure she’d always wanted. But Sarah’s never been one to trust very
easily, so she kept a close eye on Holly, maybe too close at times. What she
saw raised some questions, not only about who Holly really was but what she was
hiding. The more Sarah watched, the more she learned—until one day, she saw
something she couldn’t unsee, something so shocking that all she could do was
flee.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Sarah has put it all behind her and is starting over in a
different city with her husband and son. They’ve settled into a friendly suburb
where the neighbors, a tight clique of good citizens, are always on the lookout
for danger. But when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home, she has to
wonder: has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A spine-tingling, page-turning novel from </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">USA TODAY </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">and #1 national bestselling author Samantha M.
Bailey, </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Watch Out for Her</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> is psychological suspense at its very best—a
chilling look at trust, voyeurism, and obsession in the modern age, and how far
we will go to watch out for those we love.</span></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Release Date: April 19, 2022</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Psychological Suspense<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Preorder:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3MVOulW">Amazon Kindle</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sarah Goldman wants to leave all the bad memories behind
when she and her family move across country to Toronto. Living with her husband
and six-year-old son, Jacob, in a quiet little suburb, she still can’t shake
the feeling that someone is watching her. Still watching her. Has she really
left the past behind, or has it followed her there?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Watch Out for Her</i> by Samantha M. Bailey is an intense
suspense novel that will keep you reading long into the night. It will have you
questioning who the real predator is, and who is the prey. And how far will
this person go to get exactly what they want? Don’t turn out the lights because
someone may be watching. I highly recommend this amazing suspense novel the the
talented Ms. Bailey.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis8KETJ3mXifuR3gfNfRaf2YYu0pxOZDgGqjOsMNk8S_mwRky003bLZ5o-2ZmIoSmAChfZD_gxDbyTrrl4OAsZfT454eEyNnl1WoEt8frj9_gQHZGmXXMR3f9gV5HPaYjDtbOTToUq6ytFZJvWdnkB4ucmCF_nwAK1fdiDojoRaRGzgsLpSFZIqCIL=s638" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis8KETJ3mXifuR3gfNfRaf2YYu0pxOZDgGqjOsMNk8S_mwRky003bLZ5o-2ZmIoSmAChfZD_gxDbyTrrl4OAsZfT454eEyNnl1WoEt8frj9_gQHZGmXXMR3f9gV5HPaYjDtbOTToUq6ytFZJvWdnkB4ucmCF_nwAK1fdiDojoRaRGzgsLpSFZIqCIL=s320" width="226" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Samantha M. Bailey is the USA Today and #1 national
bestselling author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE, which has sold in eleven countries.
She is also a journalist and freelance editor; her work has appeared in NOW
MAGAZINE, THE VILLAGE POST, and OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, among other publications.
She lives in Toronto. Connect with her on Twitter @SBaileyBooks and on her
website at SamanthaMBailey.com.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798162192604702604.post-23912059067000569822021-12-10T14:54:00.000-06:002021-12-10T14:54:18.432-06:00Book Review: The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki<p> <b>Book Review</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg47ppTa_8iKMk1KwPfdKOJ6x6EGL_wuRhtUzZMN4az-1cIRDF7fLqVXAygEMu_x30CaPtrZyA8f6norf4HD3KRfvmsWSE9e27JbloI49h9nDG8RzMflxjZgaB6v_PJ_J2DfltOJiEi_06CkQKMwVQcbQD7HsRCkouhdf9Z03Vn2RZ-vdG5J6TDe2qT=s240" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg47ppTa_8iKMk1KwPfdKOJ6x6EGL_wuRhtUzZMN4az-1cIRDF7fLqVXAygEMu_x30CaPtrZyA8f6norf4HD3KRfvmsWSE9e27JbloI49h9nDG8RzMflxjZgaB6v_PJ_J2DfltOJiEi_06CkQKMwVQcbQD7HsRCkouhdf9Z03Vn2RZ-vdG5J6TDe2qT=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Allison Pataki<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Book Description:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="background: white;">Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you.</span></i><span style="background: white;"> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">. . .</i> So begins another average evening for
Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">she</i> has hosted them all. Growing up in the
modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by
a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for
granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in
imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to
give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to
rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the
homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and
Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few
could imagine.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Marjorie’s journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father’s
barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post’s Cereal
Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way
of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in
her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared
to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she
amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it
was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her
stunning legacy.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">And yet Marjorie’s story, though full of beauty and grandeur,
set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by
challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her
happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his
demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the
international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking
secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a
grand scale, especially when it came to love.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Bestselling and acclaimed author Allison Pataki has crafted
an intimate portrait of a larger-than-life woman, a powerful story of one woman
falling in love with her own voice and embracing her own power while shaping
history in the process.</span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;">Random House Publishing</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Publishing Date: February 15, 2022</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Biographical Historical Fiction</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Preorder Now:</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GqGlSC">Amazon Kindle</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>My 5-Star Review:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This amazing story grabbed me from the first paragraph. I
had never heard of Marjorie Post before, but now I’m obsessed. She had an incredible
life and also contributed so much to society. Author Allison Pataki weaves a
strong story about Marjorie’s life, with such intimate details and descriptions
that you feel you are right there. Every step of the way, I was surprised to
learn something new about history. Marjorie was the daughter of Who? Marjorie’s
daughter is her? Marjorie bought what from Russia? The details continued to fascinate
me. Loved this story!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you enjoy historical biographical fiction, this is the
novel for you! I’m even planning a trip to see Marjorie’s house-turned-museum
now because of the amazing things she owned. I won’t say what they are and ruin
the story – but it sounds incredible.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgonvHavpBH37eCuCJpXVfKE_UoaWnu6-tA7c-huYdCO1vR0XMhO-OJhzAz8Mpju_Y5RZpmx1wLnY562NaWCowfiCLFWtPA-X8yZD2tAhekmxhu39kUFaZ5mqk7WfO4AX-oF8rsa8hXFKAqV2rSLfFd4MA7pCWUEyfsOWowYMX0LLz7bydrDUmJYxdH=s450" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgonvHavpBH37eCuCJpXVfKE_UoaWnu6-tA7c-huYdCO1vR0XMhO-OJhzAz8Mpju_Y5RZpmx1wLnY562NaWCowfiCLFWtPA-X8yZD2tAhekmxhu39kUFaZ5mqk7WfO4AX-oF8rsa8hXFKAqV2rSLfFd4MA7pCWUEyfsOWowYMX0LLz7bydrDUmJYxdH=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />About the Author:</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of
THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE, THE TRAITOR'S WIFE, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS, SISI: EMPRESS
ON HER OWN, WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS, as well as the nonfiction memoir BEAUTY IN
THE BROKEN PLACES and two children's books, NELLY TAKES NEW YORK and POPPY
TAKES PARIS. Allison’s novels have been translated into more than twenty
languages. A former news writer and producer, Allison has written for The New
York Times, ABC News, The Huffington Post, USA Today, Fox News and other
outlets. She has appeared on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Fox &
Friends, Good Day New York, Good Day Chicago and MSNBC’s Morning Joe.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Allison graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with a
major in English and spent several years in journalism before switching to
fiction writing. A member of The Historical Novel Society, Allison lives in New
York with her husband and family. To learn more and connect with Allison,
please visit www.AllisonPataki.com <o:p></o:p></p><b></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0