tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91788834419326016272024-03-18T21:53:35.889-06:00Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews and Author Interviews. Sheila: Book Reviewer,writer and great lover of books...sharing her wonderful finds of fantastic authors,their books, writing tips, and also other things of interest to her and those following the blog. Thanks for visiting! Follow today and don't miss out on news of great new books and giveaways!Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.comBlogger2232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-39403708345227219192024-03-17T18:54:00.000-06:002024-03-17T18:54:32.381-06:00An Inconvenient Letter: A Proper Romance By Julie Wright-A Regency Romance Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDXSIVfwbEjLh_z4e93Ni_PB-qY9Iqs0iYqzX2Xl-uPDvkK5J3KKz22pBWXIiDmnDvSvsMnaaRV121D2zi5hlgC2CZzh98RK-hrWUU2eUemN6vV6oQUf8M9h7z33xo6Ym5eM5mUzvhyphenhyphen1zzH7YxoCaGECi8uSARNYkEqJG2Dls6lhQrLWHyWO-VCgMREc/s1545/An%20Inconveniant%20Letter%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDXSIVfwbEjLh_z4e93Ni_PB-qY9Iqs0iYqzX2Xl-uPDvkK5J3KKz22pBWXIiDmnDvSvsMnaaRV121D2zi5hlgC2CZzh98RK-hrWUU2eUemN6vV6oQUf8M9h7z33xo6Ym5eM5mUzvhyphenhyphen1zzH7YxoCaGECi8uSARNYkEqJG2Dls6lhQrLWHyWO-VCgMREc/w414-h640/An%20Inconveniant%20Letter%20cover.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Synopsis</span></u></b><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>1828, the London countryside.</b></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Poppins;">For years, Marietta Stone has harbored a secret infatuation for the handsome Frederick Finch and has poured out her deepest feelings in a series of passionate love letters that she keeps in a locked drawer. But when Marietta’s private letters are accidentally delivered to Frederick’s house, she must retrieve them immediately before they fall into the wrong hands. If the letters were read by anyone else, the resulting scandal could jeopardize her reputation.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Poppins;">Gerard Hartwell has no time for infatuations, courtship, or even love. He must find a wife with a substantial inheritance if he wishes to save his late father’s bankrupt estate. When he accidentally discovers Marietta’s love letters at his cousin Frederick’s estate, he strikes a bargain with her. If she helps him court her older sister, Anne, he will return the letters and help Marietta win Frederick’s heart.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Poppins;">Marietta agrees, and the two quickly pretend to be courting in order to spend time with their individual love interests. Yet, what appeared to be a straightforward bargain becomes complicated when Gerard realizes that the more time he spends with Marietta, the more he wishes he could court her for real. But can he persuade Marietta to give him a chance when her heart might belong to another man?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details</span></u></b></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shadow Mountain (March 5, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b>Series: </b>Proper Romance Regency</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b>Genre: </b>Clean Regency Romance</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">256 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1639932305</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1jRzcFzt1jMwefBnglKgiA7RaPTyqX_iOgzhAMjvLmI6kL9DIvWf_jRYT0Dj5u9IUFHqrFT7pwEK4jWE44sMgv3Uv9Qm_Tzx3ByJro17Tb40sUUfSTaI0OAfsoyH1mEp-nSKSv5NHAiCYEuZtzJR814hhnyG7yzxDqKniDLxYL9BX5Uwwcijm1K9m7c/s1080/An%20Inconvenient%20Letter.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1jRzcFzt1jMwefBnglKgiA7RaPTyqX_iOgzhAMjvLmI6kL9DIvWf_jRYT0Dj5u9IUFHqrFT7pwEK4jWE44sMgv3Uv9Qm_Tzx3ByJro17Tb40sUUfSTaI0OAfsoyH1mEp-nSKSv5NHAiCYEuZtzJR814hhnyG7yzxDqKniDLxYL9BX5Uwwcijm1K9m7c/w640-h640/An%20Inconvenient%20Letter.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></u></b></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">A naive young woman, besotted and writing secret love letters, finds those letters in the wrong hands. The beginning of this wholesome love story promised to be filled with emotion and a touch of humor. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Childhood friends Marietta and Gerard have a long history. Etta's crush on her friend Lucy's brother, Frederick, leads her to write secret love letters that never reach their intended recipient. Gerard stumbles upon the mistakenly sent letters, giving him leverage over Etta. He uses this to manipulate her into aiding him in a scheme to court her sister Anne. Once successful, he agrees to return the letters. The situation resembles a Comedy of Errors. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;">Meanwhile, facing financial trouble due to his late father's past mistakes, Gerard aims to save the family estate by marrying for money. This Proper Romance unfolds, leading to blackmail, a fake courtship, jealousy, and a minor love triangle. </span><span style="color: #252528; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">The slow-burn romance holds surprises as a cast of colorful characters adds mirth and humor. </span><span style="color: #222222;">The feuding families reconcile, and true love blossoms, all stemming from one inconvenient letter. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Julie Wright's latest novel promises an enjoyable read worth adding to your book collection.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Julie Wright****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRL6qn7_5WtHE2EMHLKyzgzHrJKMNeZpV-2Js0ERY0Go6ESBMV440QGJNnHlTtB1d6zOg-Akf_JYXyLMngWHOzcC-COIlaY6RpiQC4hFFovjekrood7yLafQ2JZ4SVQZKk2yBq9UTsNl8xShhA87G5lBzfljOZnT4KB5_0qe1ijq_tWF4PQ43QFRkBAs/s315/JUlie%20Wright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="209" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRL6qn7_5WtHE2EMHLKyzgzHrJKMNeZpV-2Js0ERY0Go6ESBMV440QGJNnHlTtB1d6zOg-Akf_JYXyLMngWHOzcC-COIlaY6RpiQC4hFFovjekrood7yLafQ2JZ4SVQZKk2yBq9UTsNl8xShhA87G5lBzfljOZnT4KB5_0qe1ijq_tWF4PQ43QFRkBAs/s1600/JUlie%20Wright.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Julie Wright (1972-still breathing) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She's lived in LA, Boston, and the literal middle of nowhere (don't ask). She wrote her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, she's written twenty-three novels and coauthored three. Julie is a two-time winner of the Whitney award for best romance with her books "Cross My Heart" and "Lies Jane Austen Told Me." The America Library Association listed “Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me” in their 2020 top ten best romances and "A Captain for Caroline Gray" in their 2021 top ten best romances. Her book "Death Thieves" was a Whitney finalist.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>She has one husband, five kids, two grandbabies, one dog, and a varying amount of houseplants (depending on attrition).</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>She loves writing, reading, traveling, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner. </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>She used to speak fluent Swedish, but now speaks only well enough to cuss out her children in public.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>She hates mayonnaise.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Learn more about Julie and her books </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>HERE:<a href="https://juliewright.com/" target="_blank">https://juliewright.com/</a></b></span></p></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jWT-Rzs6Taqn7t0MuJ181f27rHeLD1DA7p-c181GuGGL5Z3j_Lpw2umT-qmvE3nLJWr4rP8k2pknQY0_3YwHymMBP8fp0Bp62ampPFtQ4gwGjrT21YkV_SEhnvjxkfH1neZZEoYhLJBKEksk_mK3if4QdS5ibpTfShYNKqV78xu5GjUQ-wfxiuQI59Q/s1938/Julie%20blue%20box.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="1253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jWT-Rzs6Taqn7t0MuJ181f27rHeLD1DA7p-c181GuGGL5Z3j_Lpw2umT-qmvE3nLJWr4rP8k2pknQY0_3YwHymMBP8fp0Bp62ampPFtQ4gwGjrT21YkV_SEhnvjxkfH1neZZEoYhLJBKEksk_mK3if4QdS5ibpTfShYNKqV78xu5GjUQ-wfxiuQI59Q/w259-h400/Julie%20blue%20box.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase</u><u style="background-color: #fcff01;"> </u></b></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>An Inconvenient Letter</u></b></span></span><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><u style="background-color: #fcff01;"> ~*~*~*~*</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/48Tqh9K" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/48Tqh9K</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3IGxH5t" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3IGxH5t</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-1260206211562827672024-03-16T08:00:00.079-06:002024-03-16T08:00:00.134-06:00Never Fall Again {Gossamer Falls #1} by Lynn H. Blackburn-Romantic Suspense Book Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuUfOHM8kgWjswuk6_Pf9rBAmlVIPaiA5tB9rbO32td8pMn5P_Yllkhv2gByPvocIFmqnTzx4NBKeaeyHPH-UI7LNKqSzBQ9VV9pRncF5Evb9sSFXKi-a3YIh3fmMg7ZW6LrfzvaP4XnMHqDyJc9QAkv6Zr7RBTX4d_EuWFFgzyu1t7RG4q4zk14dYTs/s2560/never-fall-again-by-lynn-h-blackburn--cover-mock.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuUfOHM8kgWjswuk6_Pf9rBAmlVIPaiA5tB9rbO32td8pMn5P_Yllkhv2gByPvocIFmqnTzx4NBKeaeyHPH-UI7LNKqSzBQ9VV9pRncF5Evb9sSFXKi-a3YIh3fmMg7ZW6LrfzvaP4XnMHqDyJc9QAkv6Zr7RBTX4d_EuWFFgzyu1t7RG4q4zk14dYTs/w640-h360/never-fall-again-by-lynn-h-blackburn--cover-mock.png" width="640" /></a></div></i></h2><h2><i><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;">Never Fall Again</span></i></h2>
<h3><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;">by Lynn H Blackburn</span></h3>
<h4><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;">March 4-29, 2024 Virtual Book Tour</span></h4>
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<h2><u><span style="font-size: large;">Synopsis:</span></u></h2>
<div style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; width: 225px;"><img alt="Never Fall Again by Lynn H Blackburn" border="0" height="300" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/9UxKIvPqe343-Never-Fall-Again.png" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
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<p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Landry Hutton has spent three years rebuilding her life behind the secure gates of The Haven, an exclusive resort on the outskirts of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. As the artist-in-residence, and with her pottery prized by The Haven's guests, Landry is finally ready to settle in permanently. She wants to give her daughter, Eliza, a safe home to grow up in and hires former Marine Callum Shaw to handle the construction.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Cal grew up in Gossamer Falls and always knew he would someday join his family's business. He longs for a family of his own but has almost given up on that ever happening. Landry is funny, gifted, and everything Cal could ever want in a partner, but he vows to keep his distance. Landry has a daughter and a past. Cal has been down that road before and barely survived when the woman he loved left, taking her two sons with her. He can't bear to lose like that again.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Before construction on the house can begin, Landry's pottery is destroyed in a suspicious fire. It soon becomes clear that Landry and Eliza are in grave danger--but because of whom? But, after losing one relationship, he is hesitant to try again.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><u>My Review</u></span></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">I read my first book by Author Lynn H. Blackburn, and it was fantastic! It had just the right balance of suspense and romance. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The main characters, Landry and Cal, had tragic pasts they were trying to heal from, which added depth to their slow-burn relationship. The progression from friendship to romance was </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">so sweet as the two vulnerable people learned to take chances opening their hearts again. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">The supporting characters were numerous and enriched the narrative. Landry's daughter Eliza and her friend Abby were charming, while Cal's quirky family members were lovable. Maisy, Cal's loyal dog, was a delightful addition to the family dynamic.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> The mystery surrounding the threatening troublemaker provided thrilling moments and a surprising resolution. Overall, the character-driven story of courage, love, and redemption concluded satisfyingly, leaving me eager to dive into book two of the series.</span></span></p>
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<h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Praise for <i>Never Fall Again</i>:</span></u></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">"What a fabulous story with characters who will live in your head--and heart--long after the last word." <br /><span style="color: #c3ba2a; margin-left: 40px;">~ Lynette Eason, award-winning, bestselling author of the Lake City Heroes series</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">"Lynn Blackburn's voice is unrivaled! A must-read." <br /><span style="color: #c3ba2a; margin-left: 40px;">~ Elizabeth Goddard, bestselling author of <em><a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/cold-light-of-day-by-elizabeth-goddard/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Cold Light of Day</a></em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">"This book had it all--a delicious romance, obsession, found family, redemption and reconciliation, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and the kind of ending we all root for!" <br /><span style="color: #c3ba2a; margin-left: 40px;">~ Susan May Warren, USA Today bestselling and RITA Award-winning author</span></span></p>
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<h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details:</span></u></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Romantic Suspense <br />
<b>Published by:</b> Revell<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> March 12, 2024 <br />
<b>Number of Pages:</b> 352<br />
<b>ISBN:</b> 9780800745363 (ISBN10: 0800745361)<br />
<b>Series:</b> Gossamer Falls, Book 1 <br />
<b>Book Links:</b> <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/gO2ZH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/gAmk9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/eItIx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookShop.org</a> | <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/2WFci" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/Bz2j2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Baker Book House</a></span></p>
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<h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Read an Excerpt:</span></u></h3>
<div class="excerpt" style="border-color: 800000; border-style: groove; border-width: 3px; height: 250px; overflow: auto;">
<p>They passed several offices before they reached an open door. </p>
<p>“Maisy. Stay.” That same deep voice from the intercom floated to the hallway. </p>
<p>“Oooh! A dog!” Eliza dashed into the room. </p>
<p>Her little sprite was fast and already halfway across the office before Landry realized what was happening. “Eliza, wait!” Fortunately, she stopped at Landry’s words. </p>
<p>“I know, Mommy. Never touch a dog without permission. I just want to see.” </p>
<p>Eliza turned her big brown eyes toward the man who had come around his desk and knelt beside a dog now quivering with excitement. </p>
<p>The man—Callum Shaw, she assumed—met her daughter’s eyes and said, “Your mom’s right. You can’t ever rush at a dog, even dogs as gentle as this big baby. But if it’s okay with your mom . . .” </p>
<p>His eyes, which were as blue as the Carolina sky, now met hers. There was humor and gentleness. And shadows. Something dark flitted across his gaze. But then he blinked and it was gone. </p>
<p>Landry nodded her permission, and he turned all his attention back to her daughter. “This is Maisy. She’s a golden retriever. She’s three years old. She loves long walks in the woods, sunbathing, peanut butter, and belly rubs.” He demonstrated the belly rub. Maisy melted under his touch, and Eliza crept closer. “You can pet her. Maisy doesn’t bite my friends.” </p>
<p>Eliza dropped to her knees beside Callum and held out her hand toward Maisy’s nose. </p>
<p>Maisy took a quick sniff and rewarded Eliza’s good behavior with a lick. Callum stayed where he was until it was clear to everyone that Eliza and Maisy were set, then he rose to his feet and extended a hand. “Ms. Hutton.” </p>
<p>“Landry. Please.” </p>
<p>“Landry. A pleasure.”</p>
<p>Landry kept the contact brief. “Sorry, my hands are rough.” She turned them palms up. “Hazards of the job.” </p>
<p>Why had she said that? What did it matter if her hands were a bit on the crispy side? She didn’t have to prove anything to this man. Embarrassment crept across her and burst through her pores, heating her neck and face, and now she had no idea what to do with her hands. Should she put them down? Tuck them behind her back?</p>
<p>Callum glanced at her hands and turned his own up. “Same here.” He heaved a dramatic sigh. “It’s to my eternal despair that I’ll never land that hand modeling contract I’ve always hoped for.” </p>
<p>His easy humor made it automatic to tease him back. “Well, there’s always ditch digging.” </p>
<p>“Good point. If this construction gig doesn’t work out, I’ll have something to fall back on.” Callum turned his attention to Eliza. “And I gather your name is Eliza?” </p>
<p>She giggled with the abandon unique to happy children. “That’s right, but sometimes Mommy calls me Liza or ZaZa, but never Lizzy because that’s too close to Landry, and it gets confusing.” </p>
<p>Landry tried to keep a straight face as Eliza parroted what she’d heard Landry say too many times to count. </p>
<p>“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Eliza.” Callum pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m Cal Shaw. I’ll answer to Callum, but not LumLum because”— he dropped his voice to a stage whisper—“that’s just not dignified.”</p>
<p>Eliza’s laughter filled the room. Bronwyn hadn’t been wrong about Cal Shaw. He was very good with children. Even now, he kept his attention on Eliza. “Are you good here with Maisy while your mom and I talk?” </p>
<p>“Yes, sir.” </p>
<p>Cal grabbed a legal pad and pen from his desk and took the chair opposite the one he directed Landry to sit in. From their seats, they could both see Eliza and Maisy. </p>
<p>She waited for him to start the conversation, but maybe she was supposed to go first? </p>
<p>“She’s a beau—” </p>
<p>“Land—” </p>
<p>They both stopped talking, and his smile seemed genuine as he nodded to her. “Please. Go ahead.”</p>
<p>“I was going to say your dog is beautiful.” She willed her body to stop flushing scarlet, but it refused to cooperate. She didn’t have to see herself to know that her face, neck, chest, and even her feet were on fire. This was why she did best behind the walls of The Haven. She could interact with the patrons there with minimal difficulty. But put her out in public, and she became a tongue-tied, socially inept disaster. </p>
<p>Cal’s grin held mischief, and he leaned toward her. “If all goes as planned, she’ll be pregnant soon. I bet Eliza would love a puppy for Christmas.” His voice was cajoling and teasing, but at least he had the good sense to keep it too low for Eliza to hear. </p>
<p>He winked in a way that was friendly and not flirtatious, and Landry understood why Bronwyn liked him so much. He leaned back and in a normal voice said, “I gathered from your conversation with Carla that you’re going to build nearby.” </p>
<p>“Yes. I have three acres on the edge of Pierce land.” She watched him carefully as she spoke and was unsurprised when his grip tightened on the pen at her words. </p>
<p>“How long have you lived in Gossamer Falls?” </p>
<p>“Long enough to know the Pierce and Quinn families don’t get along.”</p>
<p>
</p><p>***</p>
<p>Excerpt from <i>Never Fall Again</i> by Lynn H Blackburn. Copyright 2024 by Lynn H Blackburn. Reproduced with permission from Lynn H Blackburn. All rights reserved.</p>
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<h2><u><span style="font-size: large;">Author Bio:</span></u></h2>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 15px; width: 230px;"><img align="left" alt="Lynn H Blackburn" border="0" height="250" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/UbprwAL7EctK-Lynn-H-Blackburn-scaled.jpg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
<p><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Lynn H. Blackburn is the award-winning author of <em>Unknown Threat</em>, <em>Malicious Intent</em>, and <em>Under Fire</em>, as well as the Dive Team Investigations series. She loves writing swoon-worthy Southern suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she's a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters by putting them into terrifying situations while she sits at home in her pajamas. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.</b></span></p>
<h3><u>Catch Up With Our Author:</u><br />
<a href="https://pictbooks.tours/3iccr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.LynnHBlackburn.com</a><br />
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<a href="https://pictbooks.tours/u2iux" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub - @LynnHBlackburn</a><br />
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Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-85491068747354153492024-03-13T19:32:00.002-06:002024-03-13T19:32:44.489-06:00After the Crescent Strike: The Balkan Legends By A.L. Sowards-Historical Fiction Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRQf60tfONsD2qQVr-jMjMJUWRMkKnqKy7PJr8hgKyjJqa2UyyZrOwjnRNPLYh32JXAhECQ_rNhqf5RnTodqNTA_qbRo3rzQc9Gjc3dyPbxbdjGD0KKnt6hK2Ofa8GdxsOsfpeNclR_2Fvar1in9q7cMXYZvj0Co-EXW_0ssQcAxK3B5qvrVi6wnyMxg/s2700/Crescent%20Strike%20cover.jpeg" 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/AVvXsEiuRQf60tfONsD2qQVr-jMjMJUWRMkKnqKy7PJr8hgKyjJqa2UyyZrOwjnRNPLYh32JXAhECQ_rNhqf5RnTodqNTA_qbRo3rzQc9Gjc3dyPbxbdjGD0KKnt6hK2Ofa8GdxsOsfpeNclR_2Fvar1in9q7cMXYZvj0Co-EXW_0ssQcAxK3B5qvrVi6wnyMxg/w426-h640/Crescent%20Strike%20cover.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Synopsis</span></u></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;">In the aftermath of military defeat, Magdalena and Miladin fight for their lives—and for another chance at a love once doomed by age and circumstance.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">The Balkans, 1371</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">After conquering the Serbian army in battle, bands of Ottoman warriors terrorize the land, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. As one of the few survivors of a deadly attack on her village, Magdalena is determined to protect her newly orphaned niece. When a group of battle-weary Serb warriors offers to lead Magdalena and her charge to safety, a flame of hope flickers to life for the desperate woman, burning brighter when she spots a familiar face among the group: Miladin, the man she once loved—and lost.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Following a devastating defeat on the battlefield, Miladin resolves to return home to Rivak and pledge his loyalty to the new župan, Konstantin, the young son of the slain leader who led Miladin to war. As Miladin travels back from the Maritsa River Valley to offer aid and allegiance to the inexperienced youth, he expects the way will be fraught with danger, but he never dreams that the journey will reunite him with his first love.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Even as Magdalena and Miladin rekindle a romance once doomed by youth and circumstance, hidden threats draw ever closer. Before they can truly be safe, they must face a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to seize power.</span></span></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details</span></u></b></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B0CVC7WHGB</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Historical Fiction</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shadow Mountain Publishing (March 5, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publication date : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">March 5, 2024</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KSAGTywv2JgzHLDikKxIkYy9cWLWFiJDAEDKIieQrFZLaOtYHnCf_tG4TUoapLkJcucyOhxpaNiiOYuvddEfAX_ERxVA9pP_zPVwTad7tEuR2k-z0a2oRqLfFGRtpvrMMH_o0Lp7ndcPWCLNyL2GQoDRFsJe29XJAWJmlXndniYMtfyfy9ncpvBkIZ4/s1080/Crescent%20Strike%20review%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KSAGTywv2JgzHLDikKxIkYy9cWLWFiJDAEDKIieQrFZLaOtYHnCf_tG4TUoapLkJcucyOhxpaNiiOYuvddEfAX_ERxVA9pP_zPVwTad7tEuR2k-z0a2oRqLfFGRtpvrMMH_o0Lp7ndcPWCLNyL2GQoDRFsJe29XJAWJmlXndniYMtfyfy9ncpvBkIZ4/w640-h640/Crescent%20Strike%20review%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></u></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> After t<span style="color: #222222;">he Crescent Strike, written by one of my favorite historical fiction authors, A.L. Sowards, skillfully weaves a compelling tale. Even with it being a novella, it reads like a full-length novel, immersing readers in the conflict between the Turks and Serbians during a crucial time in history. The plot explores the themes of land acquisition, leadership struggles, and the rise of the Ottoman Empire. While portraying diverse aspects of war, the story offers a delicate balance without becoming overly graphic. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;">The reunion of Magdalena and Miladen's love after a decade apart is an emotional highlight, boosted by many amazing characters. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;">The conclusion makes me look forward to discovering who will be featured in the next installment of the Balkan Legend series. This story is filled with characters manifesting bravery, loyalty, and selflessness. The novella draws inspiration from true events that unfolded in 1371. The addition of Christian themes adds depth to the overall story. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;">After the Crescent Strike proves to be a gripping read that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned. I highly recommend jumping into this engaging novella, which has produced an excellent introduction to what promises to be an enthralling new series.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author A.L. Sowards****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9iWtg3SCHaB3jY_OADXOVhkN8zLsyztSTI29wQIyg_TBXFO3YXQhB3d9tOh6jmlZJA4NLMTO-_w-S0tb7MkJ6l_VMu6nLXbRmdP29OqLc3-XV8a7Cq-cvJoGEXCyWLD1fsdhYMVI5p7jCC8wgGS4Kh3BvEOF6P7MxM90BVLJZ1TfiWjFyQ7gaHotF8w/s266/A.L.%20Sowards.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="177" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9iWtg3SCHaB3jY_OADXOVhkN8zLsyztSTI29wQIyg_TBXFO3YXQhB3d9tOh6jmlZJA4NLMTO-_w-S0tb7MkJ6l_VMu6nLXbRmdP29OqLc3-XV8a7Cq-cvJoGEXCyWLD1fsdhYMVI5p7jCC8wgGS4Kh3BvEOF6P7MxM90BVLJZ1TfiWjFyQ7gaHotF8w/s1600/A.L.%20Sowards.jpeg" width="177" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>A. L. Sowards is the author of multiple historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned a Whitney Award, several Whitney Finalists positions, and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal. She enjoys hiking and swimming, usually manages to keep up with the laundry, and loves it when someone else cooks dinner. She lives in Alaska with her husband, three children, and an ever-growing library.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>For more information, please visit her website, <a href="http://ALSowards.com">ALSowards.com</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cqD5H3xHbjbAa_xVTQoqBdbRkq2WmJ-p8D8Aj3NvWkplKWCLdzxhngpehfSVV5Y1ZsfEhqWDULllXmr240AbM2B8EtyPWSd-VC_77UohNLpDoVHeVDPZezoUggctOD3OJVWC_Bq7BXezjAs1o6H9p9Lmrg3Z_EeJGuLJrhd649JikHm1zeMcbJ8COfQ/s1080/balkin%20series%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cqD5H3xHbjbAa_xVTQoqBdbRkq2WmJ-p8D8Aj3NvWkplKWCLdzxhngpehfSVV5Y1ZsfEhqWDULllXmr240AbM2B8EtyPWSd-VC_77UohNLpDoVHeVDPZezoUggctOD3OJVWC_Bq7BXezjAs1o6H9p9Lmrg3Z_EeJGuLJrhd649JikHm1zeMcbJ8COfQ/w640-h640/balkin%20series%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase After The Crescent Strike~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="https://amzn.to/49QWU9f" style="background-color: #fcff01;" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/49QWU9f</a><br /></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-30210368661734347222024-03-10T09:00:00.001-06:002024-03-10T09:00:00.131-06:00The Witch in the Woods (Grimmworld, Book 1) by Michaelbrent Collings-Middle Grade Fantasy Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyh1TsDk-3-3QICmIHHw3AlFVArR4ubBESnoKAUoCNteJM5TstDGj98NbcjH3FTqfbRGSYdFDrhHlYAdu4MgGfySRd8sOKrqp0RxaFkjiodYpaweHhPgSkcHX5ub6RYtT0IrI3X8IFInx6qnxUVqDGywsDNqAW09G75uUd1chfDeZHO1Dkkhtz5hunBY/s466/The%20Witch%20in%20the%20Woods%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="308" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyh1TsDk-3-3QICmIHHw3AlFVArR4ubBESnoKAUoCNteJM5TstDGj98NbcjH3FTqfbRGSYdFDrhHlYAdu4MgGfySRd8sOKrqp0RxaFkjiodYpaweHhPgSkcHX5ub6RYtT0IrI3X8IFInx6qnxUVqDGywsDNqAW09G75uUd1chfDeZHO1Dkkhtz5hunBY/w424-h640/The%20Witch%20in%20the%20Woods%20cover.jpeg" width="424" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;">Strange and terrifying things are suddenly happening in a mysterious town where people are disappearing and changing into characters from the Grimm fairy tales.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Twins Willow and Jake Grimm are not prepared for the bizarre gadgets and scary changes in their new home of New Marburg, the location of the top-secret Think Tank where their parents now have jobs as scientists. In this town, people jetpack to work, robots direct traffic, and senior citizens duel with laser swords.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Yet nothing compares to what happens the day after lightning strikes the twins’ house. Their school building transforms around them, becoming a medieval castle—complete with moat, drawbridge, and a dangerous giant who looks strangely like the school’s overly aggressive hall monitor.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Barely managing to escape before a massive beanstalk lifts the castle above the clouds, Willow and Jake learn that their ancestors, the original Brothers Grimm, were more than storytellers. They were Grimmwalkers, able to travel from our universe to Grimmworld: the universe where all fairy tales are born.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Somehow, Willow and Jake have been transported to Grimmworld as well. But before the twins can figure out how to get back to their own universe, they discover that their best friends, Hank and Pearl, have morphed into the fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel and been captured by a candy-obsessed witch deep in the Cursed Forest.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Now, aided by a mysterious wizard with shimmering golden eyes and a befuddled, talking naked mole-rat named Chet, the twins must trust in each other, believe in themselves, and find the courage to face their darkest fears in order to save their friends, return to their family, and maybe—just maybe—save the world.</span></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shadow Mountain (March 5, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Children's Fantasy and Magic</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Hardcover : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">320 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1639932321</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">978-1639932320</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Reading age : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">9 - 11 years</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Grade level : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">3 - 9</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The gorgeous cover of this novel immediately caught my eye, which will draw readers into the enchanting world of Grimmworld. Twins Willow and Jake Grimm, both 11 years old, are forced to relocate to a new state due to their parents' new job opportunities. As soon as they enter New Marburg</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">, strange things begin to happen. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This fast-paced middle-grade story follows their journey as they discover new friends, terrifying monsters, and various magical beings. Their school undergoes an astonishing shift into a castle, all while they fend off creatures pursuing them. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The twins are descendants of the original Brothers Grimm. Willow and Jake are transported to Grimmworld, where fairy tales come to life. The siblings clash with sinister figures and need to work as a team to keep them safe, protect their friends, and possibly save the world. Through physical and mental challenges, they develop confidence, and bravery to help them overcome past struggles in their lives. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Filled with action, strange things, and suspense, the story keeps readers on edge, and excited to uncover what unfolds next. Ending with a cliffhanger, the story leaves you craving the sequel immediately. Middle-grade audiences will enjoy the fantastic blend of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Fairy Tales wonderfully crafted by Author Michaelbrent Collings in "The Witch in the Woods."</span></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">****Meet Author Michaelbrent Collings****</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00Oo80BpAu136MLw41IJmg5HiEN4IN5oSEtLto0hvjz2jqwtYSJcSyfb6-bTfGDzt1CnMgMLaMgZ305kwNQhDGatgGugSDm6-C1mPMZm0jdRi6cAhnhJv8Gj2N5Kz54oRCfFymQtMQ3M2TK3IZbvkFRs4pF1iq4R6kIcpXvjfgOgct7tMgSIcxxshb2I/s300/Michael%20Brent%20Collings.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEi00Oo80BpAu136MLw41IJmg5HiEN4IN5oSEtLto0hvjz2jqwtYSJcSyfb6-bTfGDzt1CnMgMLaMgZ305kwNQhDGatgGugSDm6-C1mPMZm0jdRi6cAhnhJv8Gj2N5Kz54oRCfFymQtMQ3M2TK3IZbvkFRs4pF1iq4R6kIcpXvjfgOgct7tMgSIcxxshb2I/s1600/Michael%20Brent%20Collings.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and speaker. Best known for horror (and voted one of the top 20 All-Time Greatest Horror Writers in a Ranker vote of nearly 20,000 readers), Collings has written bestselling thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi and fantasy titles, and even humor and non-fiction.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In addition to popular success, Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award (twice), a Dragon Award (twice), and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed and/or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to Scream Magazine to NPR. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;">An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like Six Figure Authors, The Creative Penn, Writing Excuses, and others; and is a mental health advocate and TEDx speaker.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Michaelbrent is also the owner of Bestseller Life, a comprehensive writing and self-publishing course that transforms storytellers into storysellers, and teaches authors how to become their own best story. Find out more at <a href="http://BestsellerLife.com">BestsellerLife.com</a>.</p></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">~*~*~*~*Purchase The Witch in~*~*~*~* </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;"> The Woods</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">HERE:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ib0izt" style="background-color: #fcff01;" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3Ib0izt</a><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-9631281117004768432024-03-08T07:00:00.002-07:002024-03-08T18:20:29.062-07:00Black & White by Justin M. Kiska-Mystery Book Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2><i><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;">Black & White</span></i></h2>
<h3><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;">by Justin M. Kiska</span></h3>
<h4><span style="font-size: medium;">February 19 - March 15, 2024 Virtual Book Tour</span></h4>
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</span><h2>Synopsis:</h2>
<div style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; width: 225px;"><img alt="Black & White by Justin M. Kiska" border="0" height="300" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/GRZdprSnqSuD-BW-Cover.jpg" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
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<p><strong><i><span style="font-size: large;">Parker City, 1985 . . .</span></i></strong></p>
<p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A picturesque spring morning takes a disturbing turn when the frozen body of a young woman is discovered in a field on the outskirts of the city. As Detectives Ben Winters and Tommy Mason arrive on the scene, they have no idea upon what type of an investigation they are about to embark. With no identification, no breadcrumbs to lead them to the girl’s origins, or even a cause of death, they face a daunting task ahead as they take on their latest case.</span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="font-size: large;">As the investigation lingers in limbo, a surprise revelation connects it to a mysterious chapter from Parker City’s past. One that Tommy's own uncle was a part of four decades early as a debonair private investigator working for the venerable Stride Detective Agency, tenaciously searching for the missing daughter of a former diplomat. It's a connection that binds two generations of detectives in an intricate web of intrigue.</span></i></p><h5><i><span style="font-size: large;">In this captivating new installment of Parker City Mysteries, both investigations unravel simultaneously, forging an unbreakable link between the past and the present. As Ben and Tommy navigate their way through the case, they must confront the truth to a secret that has remained concealed for far too long.</span></i></h5>
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</span></i><blockquote class="details" style="margin: 20px; padding: 20px;">
<h3><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details:</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Police Procedural<br />
<b>Published by:</b> Level Best Books<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> February 2024<br />
<b>Number of Pages:</b> 300<br />
<b>ISBN:</b> Coming Soon!<br />
<b>Series:</b> <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/MMlBh" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Parker City Mysteries</a>, Book 4<br />
<b>Book Links:</b> <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/8YHc7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://pictbooks.tours/zmZyj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodread</a></span> </p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><i><b>****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</b> </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Black and White: A Parker City Mystery is the Fourth book in the series. Despite not having read the previous books, I did not feel lost. The novel follows an old-style mystery with a detective reminiscent of Philip Marlowe - tough, hard-drinking, womanizing, and resembling Humphrey Bogart. The main character, Fitz Mason, had served at the embassy in Rome at the start of World War II. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This novel features a dual timeline that transitions smoothly between 1985 and 1945. I particularly appreciated the two detectives from 1985, all of whom were capable, intelligent, and smart. I enjoyed uncovering clues alongside the detectives and the surprises that linked the two storylines. The story kept me engaged, and the resolution of the mysteries tied everything together neatly. Black and White was a uniquely crafted and enjoyable read.</span></p>
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<h3><span style="font-size: large;">Read an excerpt:</span></h3>
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<p>Stepping out of the car, the weather was so nice, Ben left his suit jacket laying on the backseat where he’d tossed it before leaving the station. But, as he always did when he was about to enter a new crime scene, he placed his hand on the Smith & Wesson on his hip. The weight of the cool metal helped to center him so he could focus on whatever he was about to be confronted by. It reminded him how important his work was and the duty he believed so much in. It was thinking like that that earned Ben a reputation of being a Boy Scout. An idealist who truly wanted to protect and defend the people of Parker City. He always wondered how some people could make that sound like a bad thing. </p>
<p>Some of the older members of the department liked to live in a gray area of the law, while Ben tried his very best to always do what was right. It’s when what was right fell into those gray areas that Ben needed to rely on his partner to help make sense of what needed to be done.</p>
<p>Trying to imagine what they’d been called out for he knew no two crime scenes were ever the same. Sure, elements could be similar. There was always a tragedy overshadowing them, but each was unique. Which is why Ben walked into each with a completely open mind and a keen pair of eyes trying to take in every single detail. It was always the details that cracked a case. Which meant one never knew how important the smallest piece of evidence could really be. If something was out of place, it was important until it wasn’t. That’s how he thought. And sometimes-and this was often the more confusing part-the absence of something was just as important. If not more. </p>
<p>“Not putting your jacket on?” The voice of Ben’s partner, Tommy Mason, came from the other side of the car. “I didn’t realize this was a casual crime scene.” </p>
<p>Ben raised an eyebrow and shook his head.</p>
<p>The two were always picking on one another. It’s what they did. It’s what made their friendship so strong. When it came to what to wear as police detectives, there was a continuing debate between the two. Ben felt a suit and tie was most appropriate. Not only did it look more professional and attract a certain level of respect but, with his clean-cut babyface, it helped him look a little older than his thirty years. Though not much. Tommy, on the other hand, saw nothing wrong with wearing jeans and a T-shirt under a leather jacket. While he looked like a cop on one of the popular crime shows on television, Ben always pointed out that that was Hollywood’s version of a police detective. Since Ben technically was his supervisor and commanding officer, Tommy begrudgingly put a tie on every morning. Most days though, he usually left it loose with his collar wide open. Ben still took it as a victory.</p>
<p>Blowing a cloud of smoke into the air, Tommy dropped what little remained of his cigarette on the ground and stamped it out before taking his corduroy jacket off and tossing it back into the car. If Ben didn’t have to wear his jacket at the crime scene, he sure as hell wasn’t going to wear one.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t this feel much less constricting,” he asked with a grin. “And it’s so much easier to get to our guns in the event we’re in danger.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Ben said as he started toward the cluster of men in the field.</p>
<p>“I’m just saying. If your life was in danger, it would be so much easier for me to shoot someone to save you–which you know I would do–if I didn’t have to worry about my jacket getting in the way. Those few precious seconds could save your life one day. Natalie would agree.”</p>
<p>Stopping and turning to look at his partner a few steps behind him, Ben asked, “Why exactly do you think it would have to be <em>you</em> saving <em>me</em> and not the other way around?” </p>
<p>“Because that’s just the way it is,” Tommy answered very matter-of-factly. “Think about how many times I’ve saved your life?”</p>
<p>Ben’s forehead wrinkled, a puzzled expression appearing on his face. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m the one that saved <em>you</em> at least two times that I can think of in the last year alone.”</p>
<p>“Clearly we remember things very differently.”</p>
<p>“You’re a pain in my ass. You know that, right?”</p>
<p>Smiling the thousand watt smile for which he was known, Tommy answered, “I like to think that I keep you grounded.”</p>
<p>So was the way of Detectives Ben Winters and Tommy Mason. More often than not, they sounded like an old married couple bickering about one thing or another. Completely devoted to one another, they were closer than brothers. They’d grown up together, gone to school together, joined the academy together, and when the order was given for a new Detective Squad to be created within the Parker City Police Department, they were tapped for the job. </p>
<p>As it was, for the last four years, they were the <em>only</em> two members of the department’s official criminal investigation team. Though Parker City was by no means a hotbed of criminal activity, they’d been involved in several major investigations which rocked the city. Two of which even attracted the national spotlight, making the pair famous for a few minutes. Most police officers could go their entire careers without being involved in the types of cases which had kept them up at night, but the two young men had earned their detective shields through trial by fire.</p>
<p>Catching his foot in a clump of thick weeds, Ben knew if he tripped and landed in the dirt, Tommy would never let him hear the end of it. Thankfully, he was able to quickly regain his balance and keep himself upright.</p>
<p>His hope that Tommy didn’t see the awkward contortion the lower half of his body performed to avoid hitting the ground was dashed when from behind him he heard the sarcasm-laced comment, “As graceful as a gazelle.” Which was then followed almost immediately by the unmistakable sound of something hitting the dirt. Hard.</p>
<p>“Sonofa…”</p>
<p>Ben turned in just enough time to see Tommy jumping to his feet and dusting off his pants.</p>
<p>“Not a single word,” Tommy admonished, vigorously shaking his head. “I’m well aware Karma’s a bitch.”</p>
<p>Deciding to take the highroad, Ben valiantly stifled the laugh fighting to burst free.</p>
<p>“You’ve got a little bit of something there on your…” Ben started, pointing to his partner’s pant leg.</p>
<p>“Shut it!” Tommy said. At which point Ben couldn’t contain himself. The laughter won and overpowered him. </p>
<p>As the two detectives reached the other men standing in the field, they recognized one of the patrolmen as a new officer who’d just recently joined the department and the other was one of Tommy’s least favorite people on the planet, Buck LuCoco. An overweight, lazy throw-back to the days when the police in the city did as little as they needed to. Neither Ben nor Tommy understood how he was still on the force. Or why he wanted to be with his attitude.</p>
<p>“LuCoco, Brown,” Ben said giving the uniformed officers each a quick nod of his head.</p>
<p>“How is it, Buck,” Tommy began, “whenever a body drops in this town, you’re the first man on the scene?”</p>
<p>“Just lucky, I guess,” LuCoco said, mopping his sweaty brow with a wrinkled handkerchief from his pocket. “It could also be that the scumbags in this city do their dirty work at night and since I’m the first one outta the door in the morning, I get the call. Either way, it’s crap. I tell ya!”</p>
<p>“Being that it’s after lunchtime already–,” Tommy began to say before Ben placed a hand on his arm, giving him the signal to let it go.</p>
<p>Then, turning to the younger officer who appeared quite eager to give his report to the department’s chief detective, Ben asked, “What have we got?” </p>
<p>“This is Sam Ruppert,” Brown introduced the man, referring to his notebook. “He’s one of the city’s engineers. He was doing some routine work out here this morning when he found the body of a young female. D.O.A.”</p>
<p>Turning to Ruppert, a tall, beefy guy in a flannel shirt, jeans, and work boots, Ben took his own notebook from his shirt pocket. “Morning, Mr. Ruppert. I’m Detective Ben Winters. You’re with the city?”</p>
<p>“Public Works Department,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Almost fifteen years now.”</p>
<p>“What brought you out here today?”</p>
<p>“The city’s getting ready to do some work in this field and I needed to take a few quick measurements. We’ve been out here every day for the last week. I thought I’d be here and gone in a few minutes. Then I found…” His voice trailed off as he looked away toward something another twenty or so feet away.</p>
<p>“What did you find?”</p>
<p>“A body. She wasn’t there yesterday. I know that for a fact because I was here all day with a couple other guys. We were all over this place. We’d have seen her for sure.”</p>
<p>Pointing at the mound the engineer was staring at, Tommy asked, “Is that the body?”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“Did one of you cover her up or did you find her like that?” Ben asked, referring to the tattered, green checked blanket.</p>
<p>“She was like that,” Ruppert said taking a deep breath. “At first, I thought it was someone in a sleeping bag or something. Thought maybe they’d slept out here last night. Sky was clear. They could see the stars. But when I got close and hollered, there was no… She didn’t move. When I got up close I saw... Geez. I’ve never seen anything like it. This isn’t how I thought my day was gonna go.”</p>
<p>Other than the occasional funeral, it was true, the average person didn’t have much exposure to dead bodies. But there was something in the way the man was acting that made Ben think there was more to the story. He was too shaken up. If one could be too shaken up after finding a dead body on the job. </p>
<p>“What is it you’ve never seen before?” Ben inquired, interested to hear the conclusion to Ruppert’s story. </p>
<p>“Oh, I think you should just see for yourself, Detective” LuCoco said interrupting, a twisted smirk on his fat face.</p>
<p>“What is it, LuCoco? Just tell us.” Tommy had no patience for the man. There was a time he used to hide his contempt, now he didn’t even try. Not that LuCoco was very observant. Or he just didn’t give a damn.</p>
<p>“Sirs,” Officer Brown interrupted, “let me show you.”</p>
<p>Walking the group over to the covered body, Brown knelt down and, using a handkerchief he’d had in his pocket, pulled the blanket back revealing the naked body of a beautiful young woman with dark wavey hair. But something wasn’t right. Not that the naked body of a woman in the middle of a field was right. But in this instance, it was her skin.</p>
<p>“What the hell?” Tommy’s reaction matched what Ben was thinking. “She’s blue.”</p>
<p>Blue wasn’t entirely accurate, but it was pretty close. The skin was a pale hue, almost white. And there was a frosty sheen to it, with small ice crystals visible around her eyes and mouth. Little droplets glistened on her eyelashes.</p>
<p>“She’s frozen,” Brown said, looking up at the detectives. </p>
<p>“It was cool last night,” Tommy said, kneeling down himself to get a better look, “but not cold enough to freeze to death.”</p>
<p>“No. I mean, she’s frozen like a block of ice.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Excerpt from <i>Black & White</i> by Justin M. Kiska. Copyright 2024 by Justin M. Kiska. Reproduced with permission from Justin M. Kiska. All rights reserved.</p>
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<h2><span style="font-size: large;">Author Bio:</span></h2>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 15px; width: 230px;"><img align="left" alt="Justin M. Kiska" border="0" height="280" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/jnYpEcjWh8sx-KiskaJustin.jpg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
<p>When not sitting in his library devising new and clever ways to kill people (for his mysteries), Justin can usually be found at The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, outside of Washington, DC, where he is one of the owners and producers. In addition to writing the Parker City Mysteries Series, which includes <strong><em>Now & Then</em></strong> (Finalist for the 2022 Silver Falchion Award for Best Investigator), <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/vice-virtue-by-justin-m-kiska/"><strong><em>Vice & Virtue</em></strong></a>, and <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/fact-fiction-by-justin-m-kiska/"><strong><em>Fact & Fiction</em></strong></a>, he is also the mastermind behind <strong><em>Marquee Mysteries</em></strong>, a series of interactive mystery events he has been writing and producing for over fifteen years. Justin and his wife, Jessica, live along Lake Linganore outside of Frederick, Maryland.</p>
<h3>Catch Up With Justin M. Kiska:<br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/46OTkKJ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JustinKiska.com</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/46E8XnY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/3SVg1tf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub - @JMKiska</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/40XHAUC" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram - @JMKiska</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/3GoqPZa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter/X - @JustinKiska</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/30ZpvuY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook - @JMKiska</a></h3>
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<h2><a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/">Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours</a></h2>
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Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-41858977670398882302024-03-06T07:00:00.174-07:002024-03-06T07:00:00.251-07:008 Down {Alaskan Cyber Hunters #2 } by Kimberley Woodhouse-Christian Romantic Suspense Book Review<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="8 Down JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz" class="alignnone wp-image-28755 size-full" height="237" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Banner_8Down_TakeoverReview_JR.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for <strong><em><span style="color: #6d4492;"><i>8 Down</i></span></em></strong> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">by Kimberley Woodhouse hosted by <a href="https://justreadtours.com/2024/03/06/welcome-to-the-8-down-takeover-review-blitz-giveaway">JustRead Publicity Tours</a>!</span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d4492; font-size: large;"><strong><u>About the Book</u></strong></span></h3>
<strong style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="8 Down" class="alignleft wp-image-29158 size-large" height="400" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/8-Down-259x400.webp" width="259" /></strong>
<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong>Title:</strong> 8 Down </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong>Series:</strong> Alaskan Cyber Hunters #2 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong>Author:</strong> Kimberley Woodhouse </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Kregel Publications </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong>Release Date:</strong> February 20, 2024 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong>Genre:</strong> Christian Romantic Suspense</span></div><div><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">
</span><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><strong><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>8 bodies down.</i></span></strong></p>
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i><strong>8 more lives at stake.</strong> </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>Investigator Carrie Kintz is new blood with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Anchorage. But with a serial killer on the loose, there's no easing into the job. It's sink or swim. The only clues to help law enforcement stop this madman are the taunts he drops into crossword puzzles across the country--always in the same 8 DOWN position.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>Carrie is desperate to prove her worth to the force and the community by catching the killer. But when she discovers signs that these deaths are just the tip of the iceberg in a frighteningly elaborate cyberattack, it's time to admit she needs help.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>Calling in security specialist Scott Patteson for his expertise seems like the right move--until Carrie realizes that he may be a dangerous distraction for her heart. With her faith fading in the face of horror and uncertainty and her career in danger of ending, this is no time for flirtation.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>But with a killer who is determined to prove that he's smarter than everyone else, it may be impossible to fight both the madman and their feelings for each other...</i></span></div><div><em><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></em></div><div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>Put on your parkas as we head into a cold world of cybercrime, and hang on for the ride! Kimberley Woodhouse once again takes us on a nail-biter of a ride, and you won't want to quit until you've read the last page!" --Jaime Jo Wright, author of The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater
</i></span><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><i>"An amazing, breath-stealing, knuckle-biting thrill of a ride!" --Lynette Eason, award-winning, best-selling suspense author</i></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NIidVWyVM3TJgq9uDflmxqvxMMloBajdUx8EpX1PzKaBdB5pO87QAhgHv5YKzMUSWwWGe0HhNPte4Qr-AaAOf_TYzTEDQXIFlloVA86Xhx3giCqvr3NCI8Qg9qfOfJcOz8wC2_Ny1K2teglJyO5grk_uI7yXGXaUd6Pj3T3zdxvPgzzbJUBV_fPILoM/s1080/8%20down%20meme.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NIidVWyVM3TJgq9uDflmxqvxMMloBajdUx8EpX1PzKaBdB5pO87QAhgHv5YKzMUSWwWGe0HhNPte4Qr-AaAOf_TYzTEDQXIFlloVA86Xhx3giCqvr3NCI8Qg9qfOfJcOz8wC2_Ny1K2teglJyO5grk_uI7yXGXaUd6Pj3T3zdxvPgzzbJUBV_fPILoM/w640-h640/8%20down%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: medium;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p>
<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d4492; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>My Review</u></strong></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">The Serial Killer in 8 Down is ruthless, obtaining pleasure from each kill and delighting in breaking others down. The corrupt antagonist remains a mystery, as he strikes unpredictably. Investigator Carrie Kintz leads her team in a frantic race to catch the killer before the next attack. Surrounded by chaos, Carrie finds love with Scott Patteson, a security expert assisting in the investigation. As they work against time to stop the killer, a romance blooms. Together, they decipher clues, including those hidden in the daily crossword puzzle at 8 Down, where the killer leaves his mark through cyber attacks that claim lives. </span></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana;">8 Down is an engaging tale powerfully told by Carrie, Scott, and the cryptic killer </span></span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">whose mind is a frightening place to be.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana;"> Readers will be on edge trying to piece together the puzzle clues. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana;">The clues were running through my mind as I tried to fall asleep.</span></span></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Even with 8 Down being part of a series, this standalone novel seamlessly blends in past events. The Alaskan backdrop, intense suspense, and captivating characters make for a riveting read that will keep readers enthralled until the final page.</span></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;"><strong style="color: #6d4492; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><u>PURCHASE LINKS: </u></strong></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197113219-8-down" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825447739" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/8-down-kimberley-woodhouse/1143946700" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/8-down-2/9780825447730/pd/5447730" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Christianbook| </a><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/8-down-kimberley-woodhouse/20506878" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bookshop</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/8-down-by-kimberley-woodhouse" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BookBub</a></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d4492; font-size: large;"><u>More Books in Series</u></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825447720" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img alt="26 Below" class="alignnone wp-image-25634" height="200" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/26-Below-194x300.jpg" width="129" /></a></p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d4492; font-size: large;"><strong><u>****Meet Author Kimberley Woodhouse****</u></strong></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Kimberley Woodhouse" class="alignnone wp-image-29155 size-medium" height="300" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Woodhouse-Kimberley-2-updated-224x300.webp" width="224" /></p>
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<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><i><strong>Kimberley Woodhouse</strong> is the best-selling author of more than thirty books and novellas, including A Deep Divide, Bridge of Gold, and The Mayflower Bride, as well as the coauthor of the Heart of Alaska series with Tracie Peterson. Kimberley’s writing has earned a Carol Award, the Christian Market Novel of the Year, the Holt Medallion, and many others. A proud former resident of Alaska, she now lives and writes in Colorado where she's traded in her hat of "Craziest Mom" for "Nana the Great."</i></span></p>
<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><i>Connect with Kimberley by visiting <a href="https://kimberleywoodhouse.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">kimberleywoodhouse.com</a> to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.</i></span></p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d4492; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Tour Giveaway</u></strong></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;"><b><i>(1) winner will receive signed copies of 26 Below and 8 Down, bookmarks, and other book-related goodies!</i></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="8 Down JustRead Giveaway" class="aligncenter wp-image-29156 size-large" height="400" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Giveaway_8Down_TBlogReview_JR-400x400.webp" width="400" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 6, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on March 13, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.</i></b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Giveaway is subject to the policies found <a href="https://justreadtours.com/disclosures-giveaway-policies/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></b></span></p>
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Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-8145099242517993972024-02-29T20:37:00.000-07:002024-02-29T20:37:16.215-07:00Once Upon a Murder: A Lady Librarian Mystery By Samantha Larsen-Romantic Suspense Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4zdTaRbdf-KAGnAeZj9JP4tqBSuxmp3iLV0EiZjr03rbpHFcDdK-i4RAwyZy4M2EQzCiaBnu6ET6usFpWjFacY2mv-cFi1l3z21wbDIZOnbDvGNEqpcvoUmhQAxGHiSjNW0ldCO3jYfExEsR3G7XS4fFoU_A3qBZM1S0ZSoa-KQad7mz_iNLa7wW5Cg/s450/Once%20Upon%20a%20Murder%20cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="297" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4zdTaRbdf-KAGnAeZj9JP4tqBSuxmp3iLV0EiZjr03rbpHFcDdK-i4RAwyZy4M2EQzCiaBnu6ET6usFpWjFacY2mv-cFi1l3z21wbDIZOnbDvGNEqpcvoUmhQAxGHiSjNW0ldCO3jYfExEsR3G7XS4fFoU_A3qBZM1S0ZSoa-KQad7mz_iNLa7wW5Cg/w422-h640/Once%20Upon%20a%20Murder%20cover.jpeg" width="422" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved's name in the second Lady Librarian mystery, in the vein of Deanna Raybourn and perfect for fans of Bridgerton.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death–but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir’s life.</span></span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Crooked Lane Books (February 20, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Mystery Suspense, Romantic Suspense, </span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Hardcover : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">304 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1639106219</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV-IkmMWiEUxVqWdR97yIF9NUP0IxKqXw4meSZRGDGHQCx1vQWJu-S9DS4ARmuqWyCLgH9LilE3NMhvQABlHoQCo4ak3t87NVF5U7bMJeTtuNYKtdO-8pCwpXYP11dRiAf-xpghg5Lob7iibC7iyhcoPagCGhy696Ma3APdhosy-N1phbSZiDlhOmaPA/s1080/Once%20Upon%20a%20Murder%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV-IkmMWiEUxVqWdR97yIF9NUP0IxKqXw4meSZRGDGHQCx1vQWJu-S9DS4ARmuqWyCLgH9LilE3NMhvQABlHoQCo4ak3t87NVF5U7bMJeTtuNYKtdO-8pCwpXYP11dRiAf-xpghg5Lob7iibC7iyhcoPagCGhy696Ma3APdhosy-N1phbSZiDlhOmaPA/w640-h640/Once%20Upon%20a%20Murder%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">I was filled with excitement and anticipated the release of Book two in the 'A Lady Librarian Mystery Series'. Librarian Miss Tiffany Woodall returns with her books, inquisitive nature, and affection for bookseller, Samir. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The story opens as Tiffany, who's rushing to work, stumbles over a corpse hidden in the snow. She begins a quest to uncover the murderer and the reason behind the body's appearance at her doorstep. Tiffany finds herself accused of the crime, alongside Samir and several others in the village. A skilled sleuth, Tiffany meticulously gathers clues around the village, keeping readers </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">thoroughly</span><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> engaged as they piece clues together along with the Lady Librarian. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">A remarkable character I loved is the Duchess of Beaufort, whose strength, wisdom, and kindness deeply impressed Tiffany with the Duchess offering invaluable support and true friendship. Tiffany's own intelligence, resilience, and determination are admirable traits shown throughout the novel. The relationship between Tiffany and Samir is tested by uncertainties, making them question trust and loyalty. The novel has serious themes including murder, abuse, racism, extramarital affairs, and a past sexual assault that is linked to the murder, also there are mildly descriptive scenes of childbirth. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">I caution you to read book one in the series first to fully grasp the characters' motivations in the second book. So readers, brace yourself for unexpected twists, interesting personalities, themes of family bonds, and of course a touch of romance.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Samantha Larsen****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtPCruYlkpDN0UYW7fnxtQ55sFg2D8bXkTCXqwRQ1fOoUPh23Qj7iKrYsmPiGy4xwexM9EiAl4QEAnriofYIi_8YGNDSLDLaDe3VWGC09wKg0EBDTr_0-PpeuwF6f43r-3th0YAILNLUTWqKrIAlUoRSulN-kzdpUEqFMg07KUou5OyLfulJlHAfEEB4/s320/samantha-hastings-orig-orig-orig_orig.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtPCruYlkpDN0UYW7fnxtQ55sFg2D8bXkTCXqwRQ1fOoUPh23Qj7iKrYsmPiGy4xwexM9EiAl4QEAnriofYIi_8YGNDSLDLaDe3VWGC09wKg0EBDTr_0-PpeuwF6f43r-3th0YAILNLUTWqKrIAlUoRSulN-kzdpUEqFMg07KUou5OyLfulJlHAfEEB4/s1600/samantha-hastings-orig-orig-orig_orig.jpeg" width="236" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She's the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. Learn more at: <a href="http://www.SamanthaHastings.com">www.SamanthaHastings.com</a></b></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEDUntQtxWJUBHNiUOA61Ce6ytlpYo1qsZeyajfwEitRzzSeDeJKdWUumVMi3GJLLV8Lq0UjRrGB3xE1sa8AyrYfVPxuMTE4huZw_GoceaJdcYf7AuC_PRFoCB4ockHqP4iO2EJEiRwU6iDDAIHQI7X-SUxtySWjpgRLHFL8cFHzeuTnF-ZipC_YCFUQ/s1080/Once%20murder3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEDUntQtxWJUBHNiUOA61Ce6ytlpYo1qsZeyajfwEitRzzSeDeJKdWUumVMi3GJLLV8Lq0UjRrGB3xE1sa8AyrYfVPxuMTE4huZw_GoceaJdcYf7AuC_PRFoCB4ockHqP4iO2EJEiRwU6iDDAIHQI7X-SUxtySWjpgRLHFL8cFHzeuTnF-ZipC_YCFUQ/w640-h640/Once%20murder3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Once Upon a Mystery~*~*~*~*</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ii7aev" style="background-color: #fcff01;" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3Ii7aev</a><br /></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-37422041290539528862024-02-26T19:27:00.002-07:002024-02-26T19:27:31.244-07:00While the City Sleeps: Book One in the Women of Midtown series By Elizabeth Camden-Historical Romance Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYipusZF0UFL3u-qNLFaD8C5HhU36DgDmNWZ1oH1On1jxUn0i3BkDa63_sxyu0f3ZIE1wL8laloMtYA5UGFbGNJbzdbwoSV6u0CRufEgaa1iXbqNhXwtuz46WKzRB4zFYgMXf6gOL4BpiaCxw0feXir_-fuDFqW-Q9XW6GQAWNoRhmtmkMGgWxsNHHhc/s970/Amid%20the%20City.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYipusZF0UFL3u-qNLFaD8C5HhU36DgDmNWZ1oH1On1jxUn0i3BkDa63_sxyu0f3ZIE1wL8laloMtYA5UGFbGNJbzdbwoSV6u0CRufEgaa1iXbqNhXwtuz46WKzRB4zFYgMXf6gOL4BpiaCxw0feXir_-fuDFqW-Q9XW6GQAWNoRhmtmkMGgWxsNHHhc/w675-h264/Amid%20the%20City.jpeg" width="675" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGHZc57bVwAd-XuDrNSGpUGk0hKRO6ZmAgsYwyh-o0MtV7y0pBoDf7Wa5nnuhChhyphenhyphenGgdKHqljqg7za5GUYTQGllEW6uNBGhkVh_mm3lJHtDHwYcdTMqsFQJoEDebMBu9_HqjxtghIJQnh7drrEb6SUzFe4ShzsopmImrU9uqaEk0bkzsPtJf6Vs8hGRU/s500/While%20the%20City%20Sleeps%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGHZc57bVwAd-XuDrNSGpUGk0hKRO6ZmAgsYwyh-o0MtV7y0pBoDf7Wa5nnuhChhyphenhyphenGgdKHqljqg7za5GUYTQGllEW6uNBGhkVh_mm3lJHtDHwYcdTMqsFQJoEDebMBu9_HqjxtghIJQnh7drrEb6SUzFe4ShzsopmImrU9uqaEk0bkzsPtJf6Vs8hGRU/w414-h640/While%20the%20City%20Sleeps%20cover.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Katherine Schneider's workaday life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her. And throughout it all, Jonathan fears what will happen should Katherine ever learn his deepest secrets.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Join award-winning author Elizabeth Camden for a sweeping and romantic adventure of dangerous secrets and wounded hearts fighting to overcome the darkness while the rest of the city sleeps.</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></div></div><p></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bethany House Publishers (February 13, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Christian Historical Romance</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Series: </b>The Women of Midtown Series</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">352 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">0764241710</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><b></b><br /></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">'While The City Sleeps' is s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">et in 1913 New York City. Katherine is a female dentist which is uncommon for this time. Jonathan, a police officer trying to escape his past, faithfully accompanies Katherine home after her late shifts, always bringing home-baked delicious Italian treats for them to enjoy together. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Katherine becomes tangled up in a dangerous police investigation involving </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">an anarchist group called the Sons of Cauos. Jonathan faces the challenge of protecting her while concealing his own feelings. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">The narrative is full of suspense as the mystery of the radical group behind the city's bombings deepens with each chapter. Elizabeth Camden's descriptions </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">vividly</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> show the ambiance of 1913 New York City. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">The tension escalates as Jonathan competes with his colleague Sean Gallagher while navigating their strained professional relationship. Amidst the looming threat of the Italian Mafia, the constantly changing romance between Katherine and Jonathan unfolds with</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> the first kiss which is fulfilling for them and the readers. Theirs was such a realistic romance. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">I so loved how the women at the Martha Washington Hotel handled things as a group</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Despite the cantankerous landlady, Katherine and her fellow women unite to rescue the darling owls residing near her apartment. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While the City Sleeps is the first book in the new series 'The Women of Midtown', which explores the nightlife of New York City's working class. I look forward to reading the next book in the series which will take place in the years before World War 1. Elizabeth Camden has become an instant-read author for me. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Elizabeth Camden****</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZMnQ5oX6TvIjtufH1-eWrm3ns_2F_3UpOdiKyGFbpNVDqX89DmurSnMidE6PZpLWA9Xhk_XQhRqY2H70Jsn8qnb4oG91Bmcw4vPcraW-y84MpmY2WLmA6IB6fKbkkYpMT0ALfrddAh3lCsmyn6IG8ZI47EiN0wTPn5kFUaQOkjbdLi2sg_36JfbVLjo/s300/Elizabeth%20Camden.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEj8ZMnQ5oX6TvIjtufH1-eWrm3ns_2F_3UpOdiKyGFbpNVDqX89DmurSnMidE6PZpLWA9Xhk_XQhRqY2H70Jsn8qnb4oG91Bmcw4vPcraW-y84MpmY2WLmA6IB6fKbkkYpMT0ALfrddAh3lCsmyn6IG8ZI47EiN0wTPn5kFUaQOkjbdLi2sg_36JfbVLjo/s1600/Elizabeth%20Camden.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.</i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEiq6Z_KS8MqpCMFD6fSzwKkzrwFAn6QboFUR2_D7eUq3aI3CZx76yi713pa8Galuz0p1zy54vKSEAQFOJ6fBYLw3W8KlZpgrqMe7IW9SQyjn38vOXhlxz3jh6jku-dMKkfB7dWX1i3SGFoiLh4Fbec0tN-ITrNqdUPsahN3IMnSK3_T8paK_Ro9oT9U/s970/While%20city%20sleeps%20quotes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEiq6Z_KS8MqpCMFD6fSzwKkzrwFAn6QboFUR2_D7eUq3aI3CZx76yi713pa8Galuz0p1zy54vKSEAQFOJ6fBYLw3W8KlZpgrqMe7IW9SQyjn38vOXhlxz3jh6jku-dMKkfB7dWX1i3SGFoiLh4Fbec0tN-ITrNqdUPsahN3IMnSK3_T8paK_Ro9oT9U/w640-h198/While%20city%20sleeps%20quotes.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase While the City Sleeps~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3SZq2nM" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SZq2nM</a></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3Ta4OEJ" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3Ta4OEJ</a></span></u></b></span></div></div>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-26619601337033637162024-02-23T19:42:00.002-07:002024-02-23T19:42:32.666-07:00Keep Grizzly Bears Protected! Contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Director Martha Williams. Read How You Can Help!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlLSSUepaScVgV9TdSfkvFoB497fbguwJFoAsnM821yY1RyIQ5qn-Y3F4kiZKyfRxNE1m-9ClXvFUVKxWnqWfK8BKLauLbRZUo4gZRymkrle0hnbPypqAMCuniQgonbi_liFAxyuakca-fDEi09QLcfW9Z0PbGK_BfyuIhQtiNUhIJTBJpJSecF2UvV0/s300/mom%20and%20cub%20for%20blog.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlLSSUepaScVgV9TdSfkvFoB497fbguwJFoAsnM821yY1RyIQ5qn-Y3F4kiZKyfRxNE1m-9ClXvFUVKxWnqWfK8BKLauLbRZUo4gZRymkrle0hnbPypqAMCuniQgonbi_liFAxyuakca-fDEi09QLcfW9Z0PbGK_BfyuIhQtiNUhIJTBJpJSecF2UvV0/w640-h358/mom%20and%20cub%20for%20blog.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><h1 style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #00358e; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 2.5em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.05; margin: -0.3125rem 0px 1rem; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></h1><h1 style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #00358e; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.05; margin: -0.3125rem 0px 1rem; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Keep grizzly bears protected!</span></h1><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The federal government is currently deciding whether it will remove Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears living in the Northern Continental Divide and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems. </p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3GhnnVkYaEhWheLaIWMr0I5_uyWEn7_J0SxZGD-btT3i7mX3U_KjbMgUXjbuqhrhHxjCPYqj3LY5sfod5JY07LWs5nyF02eKGBujZpRB_4H3buyzY1c9VPcoYLB-qRFybeS_1q05jzt_4ElPX0ukDgyZrsupNABQRTKcoxgRkTiI1S1Y4cRfeETU9CA/s894/wolf%20pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="894" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3GhnnVkYaEhWheLaIWMr0I5_uyWEn7_J0SxZGD-btT3i7mX3U_KjbMgUXjbuqhrhHxjCPYqj3LY5sfod5JY07LWs5nyF02eKGBujZpRB_4H3buyzY1c9VPcoYLB-qRFybeS_1q05jzt_4ElPX0ukDgyZrsupNABQRTKcoxgRkTiI1S1Y4cRfeETU9CA/w640-h426/wolf%20pack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Yellowstone National Park’s iconic wolves have already been slaughtered by trophy hunters—entire packs have even been wiped out—and Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Park and grizzly bears could be next.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnTPAc7m_Vd18inriS8OCMoTKjapwZmMqm47Rnbp995I7C1JutMmj7Fb72Fd4GxoAjsp-IsATQjKmA0KmKJlkbJOI65I8-GoctXRHKJbm4nUqqEEZqPB54ERqq6u6Bq42KYIC4BPE-DYvNZ_-s086LPlBE4V8WHCQ27Ne0C7TdvbEQs6MtqipJcA7rEU/s1200/Grizzly-bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnTPAc7m_Vd18inriS8OCMoTKjapwZmMqm47Rnbp995I7C1JutMmj7Fb72Fd4GxoAjsp-IsATQjKmA0KmKJlkbJOI65I8-GoctXRHKJbm4nUqqEEZqPB54ERqq6u6Bq42KYIC4BPE-DYvNZ_-s086LPlBE4V8WHCQ27Ne0C7TdvbEQs6MtqipJcA7rEU/w640-h360/Grizzly-bear.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Thanks to their ESA protections, grizzly bears have slowly begun to recover their numbers. <span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Yet with fewer than 2,000 individuals in the lower 48 states, it’s critical that they retain these protections if they are to survive.</span> If grizzly bears lose those protections, those three states will undoubtedly allow trophy hunting and the bears cannot survive the inevitable carnage.<br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;" />We don’t have a moment to lose if we want to save this iconic species from extinction.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkYfkRs4JNphNM1XIpawp7JGkRhPiBbhailNTGy6uBs5TXKn9Do4oba_cxDH0nOATcKZB2O-fCdD7ysBcZDfDhNFt-9GiIbEKIr6hjfTtzjfZ5pFHVPYTKjUbPNEJ0b-upoPzFIwyZsuAxtRidxac7dpQW2cgWDsF0Ua-mts3C_zEx7yYoIrCuyFXk5Q/s1200/R.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1200" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkYfkRs4JNphNM1XIpawp7JGkRhPiBbhailNTGy6uBs5TXKn9Do4oba_cxDH0nOATcKZB2O-fCdD7ysBcZDfDhNFt-9GiIbEKIr6hjfTtzjfZ5pFHVPYTKjUbPNEJ0b-upoPzFIwyZsuAxtRidxac7dpQW2cgWDsF0Ua-mts3C_zEx7yYoIrCuyFXk5Q/w640-h406/R.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;" /><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">TAKE ACTION</span><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;" />Please take a moment to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and urge them to keep grizzly bears protected under the Endangered Species Act.</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Please email Director Martha Williams HERE: martha_williams@fws.gov</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-size: 1.25em; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Call her at 1-800-344-9453</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Dear Director Williams, </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">I am writing to urge you and keep grizzly bears living in the Northern Continental Divide and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystems protected under the Endangered Species Act. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Grizzly bears once ranged from northern Mexico to Alaska, but by the 1930s, grizzly bears had been nearly wiped out. The remaining ~135 bears were saved by the Endangered Species Act in 1975. With these protections, grizzly bears have slowly begun to recover their number, but with fewer than 2,000 individuals in the lower 48 states, it’s critical that they retain their Endangered Species Act protections if they are to survive. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">If grizzly bears lose ESA protections, states will undoubtedly allow trophy hunting. We know this because when the FWS delisted GYE bears in 2017, both Idaho and Wyoming rushed to set up trophy hunts, and grizzly bears simply cannot endure the inevitable carnage that would occur under these hunts. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">In addition, surveys find that grizzly bear biologists and the American public don’t support delisting grizzly bears. A 2018 study found that 74% of grizzly bear biologists surveyed do not believe that GYE grizzly bears are recovered. And a January 2022 Remington Research Group poll found 73% of Americans oppose the trophy hunting of grizzly bears. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Finally, grizzly bears have significant economic value. While trophy hunters are subsidized by us all, the travel tourism industry in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming is worth billions of dollars annually. Millions of visitor contributions were worth $4.4 billion to Montana in 2020, $4 billion to Wyoming in 2021, and $3.7 billion to Idaho in 2021. Wildlife tourists contribute significantly to local economies and fund jobs. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Grizzly bears have just started their slow recovery but are hampered by lethal humans, loss of habitat and corridors and the harms from the climate crisis. If we remove their Endangered Species protections now, we may lose them forever. I urge you to please keep grizzly bears protected under the Endangered Species Act.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Sincerely,</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">_____________</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">name</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">____________</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="color: #293941; font-family: freight-sans-pro, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">phone number</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">________________________________</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: "lnum", "lnum"; font-variant-numeric: lining-nums !important; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: large;">email address</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeGVwQfE6vEnx7vNz9nzWRzNXVn9JX8iRKIIsw2ix21zbnS_Jy9k4ZJP_PT35T2cfQhlauBpO07nvjvqvkg-jZ2hMzREjwv-k-trMIeiqmEMZK8x70sd1oJcoYWf_173oBPjTCc2GoL0sXcWhvdFbfO62EcAMei2_3j2r0-kMBfj_K5XoD6P9SdGSlqs/s251/boar2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeGVwQfE6vEnx7vNz9nzWRzNXVn9JX8iRKIIsw2ix21zbnS_Jy9k4ZJP_PT35T2cfQhlauBpO07nvjvqvkg-jZ2hMzREjwv-k-trMIeiqmEMZK8x70sd1oJcoYWf_173oBPjTCc2GoL0sXcWhvdFbfO62EcAMei2_3j2r0-kMBfj_K5XoD6P9SdGSlqs/w513-h640/boar2.jpeg" width="513" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ul data-hveid="CAYQCg" data-ved="2ahUKEwjdso6l9sKEAxXbJ0QIHblcC7sQm_YKegQIBhAK" jsaction="jZtoLb:SaHfyb" jscontroller="M2ABbc" style="background-color: white; color: #410007; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 20px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 24px; text-align: start;"><li class="K3KsMc" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px;"><div class="zMgcWd dSKvsb" data-il="" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--mc17); margin-left: -28px; padding-bottom: 16px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="GmFi7 PZPZlf" data-attrid="SGEEntityListItem" data-crb-p="" data-entityname="Contact Interior Secretary Deb Haaland" style="display: flex;"><div class="xFTqob" jsname="Bs3gIe" style="flex: 1 1 0%; min-width: 0px;"><div class="Gur8Ad" jsname="K8SI3e" style="line-height: 20px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 4px; transition: transform 200ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1) 0s;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also, Contact Interior Secretary Deb Haaland</span></div><div aria-hidden="false" class="vM0jzc" data-ved="2ahUKEwjdso6l9sKEAxXbJ0QIHblcC7sQrfULegQIBhAM" jsname="KMIebf" style="color: var(--mc6); letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Express your opposition to the delisting of Yellowstone grizzly bears using the same information found above.</span></div></div></div></div></li><li class="K3KsMc" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px;"><div aria-hidden="false" class="vM0jzc" data-ved="2ahUKEwjdso6l9sKEAxXbJ0QIHblcC7sQrfULegQIBhAM" jsname="KMIebf" style="color: var(--mc6); letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div data-hveid="CA4QAQ" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal;"><div aria-controls="_RlTZZe7BNpnckPIPn6GF8Ao_29" aria-expanded="true" class="dnXCYb" jsaction="AWEk5c" jsname="tJHJj" role="button" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: flex; max-height: none; outline: 0px; position: relative; width: 652px;" tabindex="0"><div class="aj35ze" jsname="Q8Kwad" style="background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,<svg focusable=\"false\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"%2370757a\" d=\"M16.59 8.59L12 13.17 7.41 8.59 6 10l6 6 6-6z\"></path></svg>"); display: inline-block; height: 24px; transform: rotateZ(180deg); width: 24px;"></div><div class="L3Ezfd" data-ved="2ahUKEwju_Nrx9sKEAxUZLkQIHZ9QAa4Quk56BAgOEAI" jsname="pcRaIe" style="height: 48px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 652px;"></div></div></div><div class="bCOlv" data-ved="2ahUKEwju_Nrx9sKEAxUZLkQIHZ9QAa4Q7NUEegQIDhAE" id="_RlTZZe7BNpnckPIPn6GF8Ao_29" jsname="NRdf4c" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; opacity: inherit; position: absolute; width: 652px;"><div class="IZE3Td" jsslot="" style="position: relative;"><div class="r2fjmd t0bRye" data-hveid="CA4QBQ" data-ved="2ahUKEwju_Nrx9sKEAxUZLkQIHZ9QAa4Qu04oAHoECA4QBQ" jsname="oQYOj" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div id="RlTZZe7BNpnckPIPn6GF8Ao__13"><div class="wDYxhc" data-md="83" style="clear: none;"><div class="di3YZe" style="font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.375; margin-bottom: 20px;"><div aria-level="3" class="co8aDb" role="heading" style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><br /></div><div class="RqBzHd" style="padding: 0px 20px;"><ol class="X5LH0c" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;">Address: 1849 C St., NW, MS-4106. Washington, DC 20240.</li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;">Phone: 202-208-5308.</li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;">Fax: 202-208-3574.</li></ol></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></li></ul></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-15680386673110602672024-02-19T07:00:00.001-07:002024-02-19T07:00:00.253-07:00One Wrong Move: Jeopardy Falls Book 1-By Dani Pettrey- Romantic Suspense Book Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBxYUH36a0w37C5O-U2gCWeWoCcE43fSGcEV6A6zh8dziLVKHKQyhdEj17hp1r1h2mzLVUf29FWmea_nk9bxV5WSjH_mMqjGxouqDE2HxniGL2IkmduDf0sWLSgRk1Z1jFmoHPN_zIqP4RpsCC6SAo34_Fba4-ojxGEJSmPotfzyhsCn5-qIUaGplA2c/s970/Bestselling.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBxYUH36a0w37C5O-U2gCWeWoCcE43fSGcEV6A6zh8dziLVKHKQyhdEj17hp1r1h2mzLVUf29FWmea_nk9bxV5WSjH_mMqjGxouqDE2HxniGL2IkmduDf0sWLSgRk1Z1jFmoHPN_zIqP4RpsCC6SAo34_Fba4-ojxGEJSmPotfzyhsCn5-qIUaGplA2c/w724-h224/Bestselling.jpeg" width="724" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i></h2><h2><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">One Wrong Move</span></i></h2>
<h3><span style="font-size: x-large;">by Dani Pettrey</span></h3>
<h4><span style="font-size: x-large;">February 2 - March 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour</span></h4>
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<h2><u>Book Synopsis:</u></h2>
<div style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; width: 225px;"><img alt="One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey" border="0" height="309" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/RksNkMhSeqnL-9780764238482.jpg" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
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<h4><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Taunting riddles.<br />
A deadly string of heists.<br />
Two broken hearts trapped in a killer's game.</i></span></h4>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Christian O'Brady was pulled into a life of crime at a young age by his con artist parents. Now making amends for his corrupt past, he has become one of the country's foremost security experts. When a string of Southwestern art heists targets one of the galleries Christian secured, he is paired up with a gifted insurance investigator who has her own checkered past.</i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Andi Forester was a brilliant FBI forensic analyst until one of her colleagues destroyed her career, blaming her for mishandling evidence. She now puts those skills to work investigating insurance fraud, and this latest high-stakes case will test her gift to the limit. Drawn deep into a dangerous game with an opponent bent on revenge, Christian and Andi are in a race against the clock to catch him, but the perpetrator's game is far from finished, and one wrong move could be the death of them both.</i></span></p>
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</i></span><h3><span style="font-size: large;">Dani Pettrey captivates with...</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">"An intense blend of suspense, love, and faith." <br /><span style="color: #c3ba2a; margin-left: 40px;">~ <em>Booklist</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">"Wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likeable characters." <br /><span style="color: #c3ba2a; margin-left: 40px;">~ <em>Publishers Weekly</em></span></span></p>
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</span><blockquote class="details" style="margin: 20px; padding: 20px;">
<h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details:</span></u></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Romantic Suspense <br />
<b>Published by:</b> Bethany House Publishers<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> February 6, 2024<br />
<b>Number of Pages:</b> 400<br />
<b>ISBN:</b> 9780764238482 (ISBN10: 0764238485)<br />
<b>Series:</b> Jeopardy Falls, Book 1<br />
<b>Book Links:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/3QS9sFj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/47KsHXU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/47Dogih" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookShop.org</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/47K4Fw6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/3GaLSP2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Baker Book House</a></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: medium;"><b>****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxvfjWL4xxGWDvosiIvusSLViaeW4LgymLsLiZwTjSEiCELsZBJn7s7bmsHdkbhPmR7yvnvEdyzXU0zhQIdFtO9Z8tRf7F1985M3hrEbgYtJO-TLgeONTxVGj_MbKe8MtaWgwVQcI1RfObHtFDTXCy16_G_6AGVkSRpvjjm0NkCovrJwL11RITQypy3U/s970/andi.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxvfjWL4xxGWDvosiIvusSLViaeW4LgymLsLiZwTjSEiCELsZBJn7s7bmsHdkbhPmR7yvnvEdyzXU0zhQIdFtO9Z8tRf7F1985M3hrEbgYtJO-TLgeONTxVGj_MbKe8MtaWgwVQcI1RfObHtFDTXCy16_G_6AGVkSRpvjjm0NkCovrJwL11RITQypy3U/w640-h198/andi.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One Wrong Move </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #222222;">is a blend of adventure, mystery, faith, and romance, featuring action-packed scenes and unexpected twists.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">The story is split into two interconnected cases, with the primary focus on Andi and Christian unraveling the mystery behind art gallery robberies. The plot thickens with messy legwork, dangerous attacks, and a vivid southwestern backdrop, all tied together with a developing romance between Andi and Christian. I loved how Christian was the ideal hero who offered strength and compassion, which is exactly what Andi needed after being betrayed by her former Ex-Fiance. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">A second storyline explores clearing Andi's name and uncovering who is behind her tarnished reputation and lost FBI career. The combined efforts of Christian's brother, Deckard, and Andi's friend, Harper, added more meaning and depth which also piqued my curiosity about many of the mysteries in the novel. They also worked together beautifully as a team. Maybe the next book will be focused on them as a couple.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Another thing I loved was how throughout the book, t</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #222222;">he author skillfully wove in moments showing the characters' reliance on faith, and this theme was consistent throughout the novel.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;">Dani Pettrey's latest book is a definite must-read w</span><span style="color: #222222;">ith its dual mystery design, surprising plot twists, and well-developed characters. You are always assured of a compelling read by this author. </span></span></span></p><p><br /></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/AVvXsEjGFjM36vnjLy3nbJcSAzLh-F1rM70lTeQ3r7kPbX1M1V7hi9iIKRv98l4pz1yq8iPC-Wzrsik0IkVG1TTcQE5hFIqZ6FehnDn6Ey_Zppvi2qioEUrHyejSIApeFTI5E4c0R0EZ2oHS9UzWunsubiaRZtPXD15cLxi_3sgX9UP9dMMtXVVPv6WlrB0tMOc/s970/Riddles.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFjM36vnjLy3nbJcSAzLh-F1rM70lTeQ3r7kPbX1M1V7hi9iIKRv98l4pz1yq8iPC-Wzrsik0IkVG1TTcQE5hFIqZ6FehnDn6Ey_Zppvi2qioEUrHyejSIApeFTI5E4c0R0EZ2oHS9UzWunsubiaRZtPXD15cLxi_3sgX9UP9dMMtXVVPv6WlrB0tMOc/w640-h198/Riddles.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p>
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<h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Read an Excerpt:</span></u></h3>
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<h4>PROLOGUE</h4>
<p>He inhaled the stiff resolution of her death. She’d seen Cyrus. Remembered him. Now he’d need to silence her before she could mention Cyrus to anyone at the gallery. The imbecile should have been more careful, but that’s why he was in play. To assure things went according to plan, to remove anyone who stood in their way, and when it was done, to take out Cyrus and Casey. That he would delight in. Cyrus had been a pain in his rear as far back as he could recall. Casey. He was just a lamb to the slaughter, unfortunate fool.</p>
<p>Enrique released a smooth exhale, then inhaled the spicy scent of the girl’s perfume wafting on the stiff October breeze—whistling through the wind tunnel the long row of downtown businesses made.</p>
<p>Killing her would alert Cyrus to his presence in the States, but, perhaps it would keep him on his toes. Someone needed to.</p>
<p>Maintaining a good distance from his prey, Enrique followed as she meandered through the shops, wearing one of those recyclable grocery bags slung over her shoulder. A baguette and fresh flowers peeked out of the top. She made another stop, this time popping into a coffee shop. He kept walking, stopping a handful of stores down on the opposite side of the street, and waited, letting the other shoppers meld him into the crowd.</p>
<p>A cup of coffee in hand, the girl emerged.</p>
<p>He turned back to look in the storefront before him, waiting until she was far enough ahead for him to resume following. Nearly a fifteen-minute walk out of town, in an isolated patch of wind-stirred mesa, sat a two-story adobe building. Four exterior doors, each with a letter on it. Apartments.</p>
<p>Watching from behind a copse of trees, he waited while she retrieved her keys from her pocket, opened the bottom exterior door on the right, and disappeared inside. He held back, awaiting nightfall. He glanced at his watch. Not long. He surveyed the building, using binoculars to peer through the sheer curtains of her unit. A light in the bedroom shone, and slips of it spilled from what he could only assume was the adjacent bathroom.</p>
<p>He smiled.</p>
<p>The sun dipped below the horizon, and soon darkness shrouded the land. Time to move. Heading around to the back of the building, he found a sliding door to her unit. Easy enough. He jimmied the lock and eased inside.</p>
<p>Water ran in the bathroom, but a voice carried in song from the other side of the apartment. “Carry on Wayward Son.” Interesting choice.</p>
<p>He moved with stealth, approaching what he discerned was the kitchen. A teakettle whistled as steam from the open bathroom door filled the space. The girl turned the corner, dressed in a robe, a teacup in her hand. Her eyes locked on his, and panic flashed across her face as the teacup fell and shattered on the floor.</p>
<p>He smiled. Time to have some fun.</p>
<h4>ONE</h4>
<p>“Wait here,” Cyrus ordered.</p>
<p>“Why?” Casey asked—though pawn suited him better. As much as it galled him, Cyrus needed the insipid man. Needed his skills. For now. But when they were done, so was he. “Why?” he asked again.</p>
<p>Cyrus gritted his teeth. So incessant. He shook out his fists. Only a handful of locations to go and the questions would cease. <i>He</i> would cease. “It doesn’t take two of us to get what we came for,” he said, hoping Casey would accept the answer and let it drop, but he doubted it. “I’ve got this. Two of us will only draw more attention.”</p>
<p>“Fine.” Casey slumped back against the van’s passenger seat.</p>
<p>The imbecile was pouting like a girl. And, that knee. Cyrus wanted to break it. Always bouncing in that annoying, jittery way. The seat squeaked with the rapid, persistent motion. He shook his head on a grunted exhale. If Casey didn’t settle . . . if he blew their plans. Cyrus squeezed his fists tight, blood throbbing through his fingers. Too much was at stake. His own neck was on the line.</p>
<p>He turned his attention to the task at hand. “I won’t be long,” he said, surveying the space one last time before opening the van door. The lot behind them was dead, the building still. He climbed out, his breath a vapor in the cold night air. He glanced back at their van, barely visible in the pitch-black alley.</p>
<p>Shockingly, Casey remained in the passenger seat, his knee still bouncing high.</p>
<p>He shut the van door as eagerness coursed through him. The thrill and rush of the score mere minutes away. Just one quick job and then it was finally time.</p>
<p>He slipped his gloved hands into his pockets. A deeper rush nestled hot inside him, adrenaline searing his limbs. His fervency was for the kill.</p>
<p>He moved toward the rear of the restaurant, where the rental rooms’ entrance sat. His gloved fingers brushed the garrote in his right pocket, and he shifted his other hand to rest on the hilt of his gun. Which way would it go? Garrote or gun? Anticipation shot through him. Rounding the back of the building, he hung in the shadows and then stepped to the door and picked the lock—so simple a child could have done it. But what had he expected of a rent-by-the-hour-or-day establishment?</p>
<p>Opening the door, he stepped inside the minuscule foyer and studied the two doors on the ground level. Nothing but silence. He found the light switch and flipped off the ceiling bulb illuminating the stairwell, then crept up the stairs, pausing as one creaked. He held still, his back flush with the wall, once again shadowed in darkness. Nothing stirred.</p>
<p>Reaching her room, he picked the lock, stepped inside, and shut the door, locking it behind him.</p>
<p>She was asleep on the shoddy sofa, a ratty blanket draped across her. Getting rid of her now might be easier, but what fun was it killing someone while they slept? And he needed to make sure she had the items.</p>
<p>He stood a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with what would be her final breaths, then he knocked her feet with his elbow.</p>
<p>Her eyes flashed open as she lurched to a seated position. She rubbed her eyes. “You’re late.”</p>
<p><i>Less chance of witnesses.</i></p>
<p>“You have the items?”</p>
<p>She nodded.</p>
<p>“Get them. We’re in a hurry.”</p>
<p>She got to her feet and headed for the bedroom.</p>
<p>He followed.</p>
<p>To his surprise, she climbed up on the dresser and reached for the heating vent.</p>
<p><i>Huh.</i> She was smarter than he’d expected, yet not bright enough to know what was coming.</p>
<p>Pulling the dingy grate back, she retrieved a black velvet pouch and a bundle of letters held in place by a thick rubber band.</p>
<p>“Hand them over,” he said.</p>
<p>She hopped down and hesitated. “I get my cut, right?” She clutched the items to her pale chest.</p>
<p>“You’ll get your cut,” he said, wrapping his hands around the garrote.</p>
<p>She released her hold. Taking the bag first, he slid it into his upper jacket pocket, then slipped the letters into his pant pocket. “Good job.”</p>
<p>She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her creamy neck. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Restless energy pulsed through him.</p>
<p>“Are we done here?” she asked, shifting her stance, her arms wrapped around her slender waist.</p>
<p>“Just about.”</p>
<p>“What’s left to do?” she asked, her head cocked, and then she stilled. She took a step back. So she’d finally figured it out.</p>
<p>“No.” She shook her head, backing into the paneled wall. In one movement, left hand to right shoulder, he spun her around and slipped the garrote over her head.</p>
<p>He’d intended to give her the option—the easy way with a gunshot to the head or the hard way with the garrote. But the hard way was far more pleasurable, giving him the best elated high.</p>
<p>It really was a shame. She was a pretty thing.</p>
<p>Five minutes later, he was back in the van, leaving the body behind.</p>
<p>“You got everything?” Casey asked as they pulled onto the street, their headlights off.</p>
<p>Cyrus smiled and handed both items to him. They were a go. The appetite for what was to come gnawed at Cyrus’s gut, but in a good way. It was time to feed the anticipation that had been growing in him for nigh on a year. It was time to scratch that itch.</p>
<h4>TWO</h4>
<p>Christian’s hands gripped the rock face. Granules abraded the tender flesh beneath his nails, leaving them raw. Pushing up on the ball of his foot, he strained, his fingers searching for the crag. Finally, his hand landed on the cold surface—only three inches deep. On a sharp inhale and slow exhale, he lunged upward—only the slightest hold kept him from the hundred-foot drop to the forest below. His foot landed on the next hold, and he settled, his muscles hot in the brisk dawn air. Blood throbbing through his fingers, he shifted the weight onto the balls of his feet.</p>
<p>Mapping the next route in his head, he leaped for the next hold. Air replaced the solid rock for the breath of a second, and searing adrenaline crashed through him as the hold slipped away. His pulse whooshing in his ears, he slid down, finally grabbing hold of a crag on his rapid descent. His fingers gripped hard—the only thing holding his body weight and keeping him from the ground far below.</p>
<p>He examined the cliff, looking for a foothold. Something. Anything. Adrenaline raked through him, quivering his arms. <i>Not good.</i> Time held motionless until he anchored his foot on a narrow ledge, small rocks shifting under the soles of his climbing shoes. He kept his weight on the ball of his foot while scanning for a new route up. He exhaled as he found it, but it was going to require another leap of faith.</p>
<p>Releasing his hold, he lunged for a more solid handhold. Gripping it, he worked his way up to another ledge—this one deep enough to settle comfortably onto.</p>
<p>His breathing quickened by the climb, he turned and pressed his back against the volcanic rock—cool against his heated and perspiring skin—and exhaled in a whoosh. Talk about a close one. He smiled. One more adventure down.</p>
<p>He held for a moment, taking in the morning light spreading across what seemed an endless sky. Man, he loved this view. Narrow shafts of sunlight streamed down through the early morning fog, lighting the yellow-and-orange foliage ablaze. Everyone talked about the beautiful fall colors in New England, but for him nothing beat fall in New Mexico, and it was peak season.</p>
<p>He sank into the silence. Only the occasional chirping of birds in the trees below rushed by his ears on the stiff, mounting breeze.</p>
<p>The brilliant orange sun rose higher above the horizon, its rays glinting off the rushing water of the swift creek at the bottom of the valley—chasing away the fading chill of night and replacing it with renewed warmth of the coming day.</p>
<p>“Ain’t Worried About It” broke the silence with its melody. Who on earth was calling so early? He prayed nothing was wrong. It was the only reason he kept his cell on him while climbing—in case there was an emergency and his family needed him.</p>
<p>He shimmied the phone from the Velcro pocket on his right thigh and maneuvered it to his ear without bothering to look at who was calling. “O’Brady.”</p>
<p>“I need you here now!” Tad Gaiman’s voice shook with rage.</p>
<p>Why on earth was Tad calling him so early? Why was he calling him, period?</p>
<p>Tad’s heated words tumbled out. “My gallery’s been robbed!”</p>
<p>“What?” Christian blinked. There was no way. The security system upgrades he’d installed made it impenetrable, or so he’d thought.</p>
<p>“Do you hear me? My gallery has been robbed!”</p>
<p>“I do.” He kept his voice level. Tad was frantic enough for the both of them. “Which gallery?” The man owned three.</p>
<p>“Jeopardy Falls.”</p>
<p>The one in their hometown? Crime was nearly nonexistent in their small ranching, lately turned tourist, town of five hundred. “Take a deep breath and calm down so you can focus.”</p>
<p>“Calm down?” Tad shrieked, and Christian held the phone away from his ear. Even his sister Riley couldn’t hit that high of a pitch. “Did you not hear me? My gallery’s been robbed.”</p>
<p>“I hear you. Let me call you back.”</p>
<p>“Call me back? You cannot be serious!”</p>
<p>“I’m balanced on a ledge on Manzano.”</p>
<p>“Of course you are.” Tad scoffed.</p>
<p>“I’ll call you when I’m on the road.”</p>
<p>“And how long will it take you to get here? This is a DEFCON 5 situation.”</p>
<p>Christian shook his head. Clearly, Tad had no idea what he was talking about. DEFCON 5 meant peacetime.</p>
<p>“Christian! How soon?”</p>
<p>“I need to climb down and make the drive back to town. I’ll see you in an hour.”</p>
<p>“An hour!”</p>
<p>“We’ll talk through it on my way in.”</p>
<p>Scaling down the rock face as fast as he could, Christian reached his vintage Bronco.</p>
<p>Climbing inside, he clicked on the Bluetooth he’d installed. It’d cost a lot, but in his line of work, he needed to be able to talk while on the road chasing down a case. He shook his head, still baffled that anyone had beat the security system.</p>
<p>He dialed Tad.</p>
<p>Normally his drive along the winding dirt roads through the mountains was calming, but not today.</p>
<p>Tad picked up on the third ring.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Christian said, swiping the chalk from his hands onto his pants—the climbing towel too far to reach. “Walk me through it. Did the alarm go off?”</p>
<p>“The one on the security system you said couldn’t be beat? No!”</p>
<p>Christian took a stiff inhale. How on earth had someone gotten through the door without the key fob? The fob . . . “Tad, do you have your key fob?”</p>
<p>Silence hung thick in the air as Christian’s Bronco bumped over the ruts in the dirt road, the drop-off only inches from his tires. He rounded the bend, and the road—if it could be deemed one—widened. “Tad?” he pressed.</p>
<p>“Okay, fine. I don’t have it.”</p>
<p>“Where is it?” Christian asked as he headed for the main road that led back to Jeopardy Falls.</p>
<p>Tad swallowed, the slippery, gulping sound echoing over the line. “I think the woman I spent last night with after the gala took it.”</p>
<p>“Riley mentioned she might attend the gala, but she couldn’t make it.”</p>
<p>“It was well attended.”</p>
<p>“And the woman you mentioned?”</p>
<p>“I met her at the gala.”</p>
<p>“She’s not local?”</p>
<p>“I’ve never seen her before last night.”</p>
<p>“So she just strolled into the gala?”</p>
<p>“Yes. It was a semiprivate affair. I sent out invites but welcomed anyone, given it was Friday Night on the Town.”</p>
<p>Their small town had instituted the night on the town for one Friday a month about a year ago, and it had really drummed up business for the eclectic downtown shops.</p>
<p>“Let’s shift back to the gallery,” Christian said. “I’m assuming you used Alex’s fob to get into the building?”</p>
<p>“No. I can’t get in.”</p>
<p>“Why not?” Christian pulled out onto the paved road.</p>
<p>“I can’t reach Alex, despite the fact she’s supposed to open this morning.”</p>
<p>“Okay . . . so walk me through what happened with the fob.”</p>
<p>“I woke up and that . . . woman was gone, and the fob wasn’t where I’d left it. I searched my place, but it’s not there, so I rushed to the gallery. I stopped at Alex’s place on the way, but no answer. She is so—”</p>
<p>“Settle down, Tad. Let’s think this through. Do you think Martha would let you into Alex’s place if you explained the situation?” Maybe the landlady would understand. Jeopardy Falls was a small enough town where everyone knew everyone, which was still taking time for him to get used to. To be known. Well, known at what he was willing to show, which wasn’t much.</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving my gallery. Not until I get inside and see what damage is done. You get the fob from Martha.”</p>
<p>Christian furrowed his brows. “If you can’t get in the gallery and the alarm didn’t go off, how do you know it’s been robbed?”</p>
<p>“Because I can see the three front cases through the porthole windows in the door. They’re open and empty.” A sob escaped Tad’s throat, though he tried to cover it with a cough.</p>
<p>Christian exhaled. “All right. I’ll call Martha, but she might not feel comfortable letting us in.” It was a lot to ask. “Actually, I think in this case, it’s best to have Sheriff Brunswick to reach out to Martha.”</p>
<p>“That’s a good idea,” Tad said. “Give him a call.”</p>
<p>“Wait?” Christian tapped the wheel. “He’s not there yet?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Did he give you an ETA?” Maybe Joel was on another call. Their county was large, and with only him and one undersheriff, they had a lot of ground to cover.</p>
<p>“I haven’t called him yet.”</p>
<p>Christian’s brows hiked. “You called me before the sheriff?” Where was the sense in that?</p>
<p>“You put the supposedly impenetrable system in. I want to know what went wrong. And I need you to get me inside if we can’t get Alex’s fob.”</p>
<p>“Me?” Christian tapped the wheel.</p>
<p>“You installed the system, so surely you know how to beat it. And, regardless, you’re the one the sheriff calls when they need a locksmith or safecracker on a case. Though you’re quite more than a simple locksmith, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Christian stiffened. “Meaning?”</p>
<p>“Whoever did this obviously had knowledge of the system.”</p>
<p>“And . . . ?” Christian tightened his grip on the wheel, his knuckles turning white.</p>
<p>“As far as I’m concerned, you’re to blame.”</p>
<p>Christian swallowed the sharp retort ready to fly and took a settling breath instead. “I’ll be there in twenty.”</p>
<p>He disconnected the call before Tad could throw another barb in his direction. He knew all too well how those stinging barbs felt, but this time he was innocent.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Excerpt from <i>One Wrong Move</i> by Dani Pettrey. Copyright 2024 by Dani Pettrey. Reproduced with permission from Bethany House Publishers. All rights reserved.</p>
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<h2><u>****Meet Author Dani Pettrey****</u></h2>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 15px; width: 330px;"><img align="left" alt="Dani Pettrey" border="0" height="200" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/cedhJe9poOGh-Pettrey_Dani.jpg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px;" width="300" /></div>
<p><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;">Dani Pettrey is the bestselling author of the Coastal Guardians, Chesapeake Valor, and Alaskan Courage series. A two-time Christy Award finalist, Dani has won the National Readers' Choice Award, Daphne du Maurier Award, HOLT Medallion, and Christian Retailing's Best Award for Suspense. She plots murder and mayhem from her home in the Washington, DC, metro area.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><u>Catch Up With Dani Pettrey:</u><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/46jXwle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DaniPettrey.com</a><br />
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Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-24638363607270677282024-02-16T22:06:00.001-07:002024-02-16T22:06:23.639-07:00Murderous Means: A Southern California Mystery By Lida Sideris-Mystery Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKITv3iRtktkYETBDU0xNnTO9XWTyxltlYI0T38qGuYFC19bURZx_IYJnvdQZHqeCxQbD9eYzfJVrzAo6zIJrivwbq_pRkerTtC8Zkf9D0r4ibiUryn_GFClzRz4NAD3BvnEu5HtPMPPEKncl4tldYDa2E6DhB4zNfvfPB57rnwiGUu6DPcoYeSN6uoZo/s2000/Murderous%20Means%20Cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKITv3iRtktkYETBDU0xNnTO9XWTyxltlYI0T38qGuYFC19bURZx_IYJnvdQZHqeCxQbD9eYzfJVrzAo6zIJrivwbq_pRkerTtC8Zkf9D0r4ibiUryn_GFClzRz4NAD3BvnEu5HtPMPPEKncl4tldYDa2E6DhB4zNfvfPB57rnwiGUu6DPcoYeSN6uoZo/w426-h640/Murderous%20Means%20Cover.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Corrie Locke may not be the best rookie lawyer in town, but when it comes to catching a killer, let’s just say, she’s got enough skills to bring a band of shifty-eyed suspects to their knees.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">When the wealthy matriarch of the dysfunctional Means family dies in her sleep, Corrie’s hired to prove the death was anything but peaceful. Problem is, the only evidence she has to go on is a half-baked psychic vision that the matriarch was murdered. To put the matter to rest, Corrie sets her sights on proving the psychic's a fraud. After all, everyone knows psychics are crack-pots. But what should be a simple investigation morphs into something deadly.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The deeper Corrie digs, the more bizarre truths are revealed. Tempers rise as she trails a cunning killer who will do whatever it takes to shut the investigation down before the real truth comes to light. It's up to Corrie to catch a killer… who's about to strike again.</span></span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Level Best Books (December 5, 2023)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Murder Mystery</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">272 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">168512500X</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d5GKZLbsGxaYwLc37TCXaFIJfIqmWHH5OEViN8iETC41a0t-McpYhhCczvuVngg32z33EC0mtfg8jktHBBmEcUoHGK939Pmd5TEO5nhZVLHiv9d2Ciruy3owRjPlHJZqofrNJTN95b25wYixJXVS_XQ7300lTmsptku2LIpPpULb42-zdIZ0EkubTWo/s1080/Murderous%20Means%20meme.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d5GKZLbsGxaYwLc37TCXaFIJfIqmWHH5OEViN8iETC41a0t-McpYhhCczvuVngg32z33EC0mtfg8jktHBBmEcUoHGK939Pmd5TEO5nhZVLHiv9d2Ciruy3owRjPlHJZqofrNJTN95b25wYixJXVS_XQ7300lTmsptku2LIpPpULb42-zdIZ0EkubTWo/w640-h640/Murderous%20Means%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">Everyone enjoys a good murder mystery, and "Murderous Means" offers exactly that. The story follows Corrie Locke, who is hired to investigate the murder of Jojo Means by investigating her dysfunctional family. Alongside her team including boyfriend Michael, teammate Verra, and her humorous mother, Corrie delves into a web of secrets that are challenging to unravel. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">The plot twists keep readers engrossed as they meet quirky small-town characters and examine various family members as potential suspects. At one point all of them are considered potential murderers. You will enjoy this aspect of the novel as you laugh at the absurd accusations that at times are put out there. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Corrie emerges as a bold, intelligent investigator with a very unique approach to solving mysteries. Her tenacity, coupled with her team's investigative style, keeps the story </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">fascinating</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">, humorous, and difficult to set aside. The revelation of the murderer's identity and motive at the end is truly surprising, adding to the book's appeal. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Author Lida Sideris impresses with her storytelling, ensuring there is never a dull moment in "Murderous Means." This novel is recommended for those seeking an engaging mystery that hooks you </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">from start to finish.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Lida Sideris****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4VRvv5Dhjc7nP-Dz4yBZMJvCbZ5Zo9VjGNRkjA0mrm5GAUg6NcHiHoM-pX4omV_Zet67yFhlGe7hFcOR8WNWyBV7MliCTBfKxngM8eSUXVSbW2wLcQ2DWXuI_fEP1DCqqWBDqIxvzRDqeDYoUuIctBXIOWB5d4lHAYKJZmAXejZL01rFMNHRxgKoj2c/s300/Lida%20Sideris.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEiK4VRvv5Dhjc7nP-Dz4yBZMJvCbZ5Zo9VjGNRkjA0mrm5GAUg6NcHiHoM-pX4omV_Zet67yFhlGe7hFcOR8WNWyBV7MliCTBfKxngM8eSUXVSbW2wLcQ2DWXuI_fEP1DCqqWBDqIxvzRDqeDYoUuIctBXIOWB5d4lHAYKJZmAXejZL01rFMNHRxgKoj2c/s1600/Lida%20Sideris.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Lida Sideris’ first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer’s dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke, except without the homicides. Lida is a recipient of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship award and a Killer Nashville, Silver Falchion Award Finalist for her last two books, which were both selected top mysteries of the year by Kings River Life Magazine. She lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs, and a flock of uppity chickens.</i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">"A smart caper with a heroine to match." - Kirkus Recommended Review</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">"The characters are hilarious and this series is a must-read for fans of Stephanie Plum." ~ Kings River Life Magazine</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">“…An excellent read. It has everything needed for a cozy afternoon curled up on the sofa – murder, mystery, humor, and plenty of action. The plot is extremely detailed and so well written that I found myself hooked on page one.” - Readers’ Favorite</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Murderous Means~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3SUrqJr" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SUrqJr</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3SUfc3i" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SUfc3i</a></span></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-37890655947620200012024-02-11T09:00:00.000-07:002024-02-11T09:00:00.136-07:00Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales By Wendy S. Swore-Middle-Grade Fiction Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWf1upNnHEF3-yrOMLdjjFs4V739c_fHOqz7JSbzHMIEBKvbCemz8ei4EV0uJNjrfNoYejPgTvmqVq_f-ECDdgMUwzvlwk26XksIhW2IkbHiEyeNG3TveKp9IojG4WMDm4k0KadzRd2aX0arRCy5jhcMG305zc1mi6QfLUD7vwTCw-upCuA9ClQPcpUA/s1478/Sleeping%20Spells%20and%20Dragon%20Scales%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWf1upNnHEF3-yrOMLdjjFs4V739c_fHOqz7JSbzHMIEBKvbCemz8ei4EV0uJNjrfNoYejPgTvmqVq_f-ECDdgMUwzvlwk26XksIhW2IkbHiEyeNG3TveKp9IojG4WMDm4k0KadzRd2aX0arRCy5jhcMG305zc1mi6QfLUD7vwTCw-upCuA9ClQPcpUA/w434-h640/Sleeping%20Spells%20and%20Dragon%20Scales%20cover.jpeg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><u> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Book Summary</b></span></u><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span class="a-text-bold" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">From the award-winning author Wendy S. Swore, a contemporary middle-grade novel in the tradition of </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">A Monster Like Me</span><span class="a-text-bold" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">, in which two friends must solve the mystery of Liam's illness using their knowledge of fairy tales.</span></i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Something is wrong with Liam. He collapses during soccer practice, he can't stay awake in class, and he's starting to see a ghostly white fox that disappears into smoke. His parents and teachers accuse him of being lazy and staying up too late, but he knows it's something worse. He feels like he's disappearing bit by bit: his strength, his skills, his mind.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>No one believes him except for Alaina, a friend and self-proclaimed expert in fantasy and fairy tales. She's seen this sort of thing before and believes Liam has been cursed with a powerful sleeping spell. Her journal is full of possible ways to break a curse--stand in a circle of salt, trick a troll, or wish on a falling star. Liam is skeptical, but with his normal life slipping farther away, he agrees to try her potential cures.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>As they search for answers in stories, Alaina shares that she also is dealing with something no one else can see: type 1 diabetes. It rears its head like an invisible dragon, and she carries her medical equipment as a knight's lance and dragon-scale shield to battle it.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>As Liam's mystery illness worsens, he will need Alaina's friendship--and perhaps a bit of fairy magic--to find a way to understand the truth of what is happening and regain the pieces of himself that are lost.</i></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> is a story about finding courage in friendship with empathy, and how a powerful imagination can help someone get through hard times.</span></i></span></p><p><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Book Details</b></span></u></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shadow Mountain (April 2, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Middle-Grade Fiction</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Hardcover : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">304 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1639932313</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">978-1639932313</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Reading age : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">8 - 11 years</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8SxLJhoCU4-gCY4B1CDPdYw7X3qXn8FgmFjylx_rhvuk6INCmlA5IU7aD0o7kWJwVi4DJvX9hyw6Cihcqsi2Hjp-6r-14izo2vEfJSqxafyWBAG5WFfw5dkXK0APlUMBjbOI-LcC6MZ1sLMn0k02YAnd42RL7_ytRvpEt59ZgvZC_ZsL2A5RI9T1zwE/s1080/Sleeping%20Spells%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8SxLJhoCU4-gCY4B1CDPdYw7X3qXn8FgmFjylx_rhvuk6INCmlA5IU7aD0o7kWJwVi4DJvX9hyw6Cihcqsi2Hjp-6r-14izo2vEfJSqxafyWBAG5WFfw5dkXK0APlUMBjbOI-LcC6MZ1sLMn0k02YAnd42RL7_ytRvpEt59ZgvZC_ZsL2A5RI9T1zwE/w640-h640/Sleeping%20Spells%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>My Review</b></span></u></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales offers a unique blend of fairy tales and reality.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> The story follows two friends, Liam and Alaina, who both face health challenges, Liam's unknown at first. Using a school project on Fairy Tales, they explore possible solutions to Liam's issues. Alaina thinks that the idea of fairy tales and magic might hold real-life remedies for Liam's condition. Buried in books and stories, they have hope that maybe this could be the key to his recovery. Reflecting on her firsthand and courageous experience with Type 1 Diabetes, Alaina believes she can support Liam during this tough period. Many moments of heartache are spread throughout the book on their quest and their friendship goes through tremendous ups and downs. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Through its heartwarming narrative, this middle-grade novel teaches a valuable lesson on finding strength while dealing with adversity. Wendy S. Swore once again delivers a charming and thoughtful read for young audiences.</span></span></p><p><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></u></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>****Meet Author Wendy S. Swore****</b></span></u></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoIWnOFVys5k2g3v03PglOsifS0yLR4NCJpEWB0VrvWxQiFY-Lmbi3jRw77OvO9LGLmv4BuRWvdxt6hHVeDHDnYpVymGuqebjomrhvZGteCO7Jm-m7mKsxuug013WUhJoW7ul31jeRvH3Nv-eWJ25_kAkyZDPpannTTW-ZgQDZskq0UGvU__rlK0flpo/s300/Wendy%20S%20Swore%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEiHoIWnOFVys5k2g3v03PglOsifS0yLR4NCJpEWB0VrvWxQiFY-Lmbi3jRw77OvO9LGLmv4BuRWvdxt6hHVeDHDnYpVymGuqebjomrhvZGteCO7Jm-m7mKsxuug013WUhJoW7ul31jeRvH3Nv-eWJ25_kAkyZDPpannTTW-ZgQDZskq0UGvU__rlK0flpo/s1600/Wendy%20S%20Swore%20photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></u></div><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Wendy S. Swore farms on the Sho-Ban reservation with a corn maze and pumpkin patch that is home to her five kids, two dogs, seven peacocks, eleven ducks, nineteen cats, and two hundred thirty seven chickens. She farms in the summers & writes in the winters.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Kids can write Wendy via the contact form at <a href="http://www.wendyswore.com">www.wendyswore.com</a> or via social media:</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>@WendySwore on Twitter</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>@WendySwore on Instagram</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>@AuthorWendySwore on Facebook</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Rep'd by Stacey Glick, Member SCBWI, Author of A Monster Like Me (March 2019) & The Wish And The Peacock (February 2020)</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></u></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Spelling Spells~*~*~*~*</b></span></u></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01;">and Dragon Spells</b></span></u></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE: </b></span></u></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49jrDLs" style="background-color: #fcff01;" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/49jrDLs</a><br /></b></span></u></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-55264490416538763952024-02-10T08:00:00.001-07:002024-02-10T08:00:00.137-07:00A Spark from Embers (Tears of Flame Book 1) By Kaylea Prime-Fantasy Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1S6rKI4S_XMYN6bX5LnmUF78Y5cSsY_vk1SBmyNx5xs6NQ3oryBbGsVXFBeRRPoRkBosnlY9mmDKJWsIcn9AnfqinLIpJIraUir7OdA_-kZcKoPkw8lCGNw3u9XtX4iYtrx-MoXRn-sSDoksk-HFEvMvaIzSS05xeOXm8YWFSTp5J-FXiegd1LLpZiM/s1360/A%20Spark%20from%20Embers%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1S6rKI4S_XMYN6bX5LnmUF78Y5cSsY_vk1SBmyNx5xs6NQ3oryBbGsVXFBeRRPoRkBosnlY9mmDKJWsIcn9AnfqinLIpJIraUir7OdA_-kZcKoPkw8lCGNw3u9XtX4iYtrx-MoXRn-sSDoksk-HFEvMvaIzSS05xeOXm8YWFSTp5J-FXiegd1LLpZiM/w426-h640/A%20Spark%20from%20Embers%20cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span><p></p><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700 !important;">A spark smolders within every fading ember. Awaiting the right moment to reignite. To blaze into an inferno.</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Eighteen-year-old Sadie’s fiery ambitions have faded to embers. Her dreams of escaping the shackles of her conventional life and seeking heroic adventures have been doused by an arranged marriage. Women in 1914 were expected to be Helen of Troy, not Achilles. Doomed to the life of obscurity she always feared, Sadie takes a chance on an anonymous note—and finds a mirror portal to Arwé, the parallel world featured in her shunned great-grandfather’s book.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />But when she steps through, the portal closes behind her.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Cut off from her brother Connor and stuck with Tristan, the enigmatic man sent to guide her to Arwé, Sadie learns it will take more than trading the mundane for the magical to reignite the embers of her heart. Controversial fire and forbidden celestial magics threaten to consume her, layered secrets mask friend from foe, and she’s caught in a civil war she inadvertently accelerated. Walking through that portal should have been freeing. Empowering. So why did she feel more trapped?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Convinced his sister is gone forever, Connor enlists in a war he doesn’t believe in. Before long, he uncovers a dark conspiracy rooted in emerging electrical science.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />When her enemies offer her the chance to return home, Sadie discovers not even her wild imagination has prepared her for the sobering reality of what happens when you play with fire.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />A SPARK FROM EMBERS is </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">The Ten Thousand Doors of January</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"> meets the </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">Narnia</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"> series, except if Lucy had gone through the wardrobe alone, leaving Edmund to enlist and battle the demons of his inner Witch.</span></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></div><div><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Storms & Starscapes Publishing (February 3, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Genre: Fantasy</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">476 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1738088537</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Spark From Embers is a fantasy novel that explores a unique magical realm. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #464650; letter-spacing: 0.1px;">The novel's world-building is so detailed and vivid that the reader feels like they are actually there.</span><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"> The story</span></span><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> follows the journey of a young woman seeking her purpose in the world.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> The story is set in Canada during World War I, a setting that adds a fresh perspective to this novel. Sadie and her brother Connor share a close bond, coming from a wealthy family with specific expectations for their future. However, Sadie desires more than a conventional path of marriage and motherhood. Determined to break free from societal norms, she seeks a mystical mirror that serves as a gateway to another world. Transported to a magical realm visited by her great-grandfather long ago, the story reflects a structure similar to the enchanted wardrobe in Narnia.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Without revealing too much, readers can expect to encounter a diverse cast of characters, epic battles, and witness significant growth in Sadie. While the story may have a slow start, the narrative gains momentum once Sadie enters the magical realm, leading to a thrilling adventure filled with mysteries.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Kaylea Prime****</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKcTp1as_TQKA7ajujMdApj3AkBuc_kVpWBxQNdKGfCWe3PxmGhSZ21V1gWwPjCw5BtdcGVqSKwv7d3N3-u2z0QoIzvXLsQrni_ZetU4PY3ojZQS0GmAPxXOMhSyCLqTTfuTwSIbplEcW0zDik2AHWiKC_QZS9yT9D1gRf_vd4JAd16VM-Wira7jxBog/s300/Kaylea%20Prime%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEjPKcTp1as_TQKA7ajujMdApj3AkBuc_kVpWBxQNdKGfCWe3PxmGhSZ21V1gWwPjCw5BtdcGVqSKwv7d3N3-u2z0QoIzvXLsQrni_ZetU4PY3ojZQS0GmAPxXOMhSyCLqTTfuTwSIbplEcW0zDik2AHWiKC_QZS9yT9D1gRf_vd4JAd16VM-Wira7jxBog/s1600/Kaylea%20Prime%20photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Kaylea Prime is the author of the fantasy series, Tears of Flame. She is also a librarian with a passion for planning epic programs that immerse kids and teens into their favourite literary worlds. When she’s not writing or working as a librarian, she can be found exploring the beautiful wilderness around her home in Clearwater, British Columbia, with her two kids, husband, and two golden retrievers. </b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><u style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase A Spark of Embers~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3Ox6gys" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3Ox6gys</a></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3w7J1Vn" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3w7J1Vn</a></span></u></b></span></div>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-21614301018934853422024-02-09T08:00:00.103-07:002024-02-09T08:00:00.135-07:00Just Add Friendship: Everly Falls #3 By Heather B. Moore-Romance Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2PS5eatjWTC9qWKOsNxkUiCRZWEi9jYKn3wsbB5lVzWHUBN9szkml0xuhBs1ZPkWjlQ2rgjEZqKm9-HQe1fb_a1x-vRgr0NZCw9aPVOVI92bs5pS968-FUCxxu4zzKvFLXdGT6oEv7dcJ6Jqge2oNOkUL3SKJ8GE6gZYFRPxwJogM4tk0eslKM332Jk/s2565/Just%20Add%20Friendship%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="1651" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2PS5eatjWTC9qWKOsNxkUiCRZWEi9jYKn3wsbB5lVzWHUBN9szkml0xuhBs1ZPkWjlQ2rgjEZqKm9-HQe1fb_a1x-vRgr0NZCw9aPVOVI92bs5pS968-FUCxxu4zzKvFLXdGT6oEv7dcJ6Jqge2oNOkUL3SKJ8GE6gZYFRPxwJogM4tk0eslKM332Jk/w412-h640/Just%20Add%20Friendship%20cover.jpeg" width="412" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">Ten years of dating since he left. Ten years of nothing working out. Is it her, or is it him? Or can no one else measure up?</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Stephenie Grady can’t figure out why every man she dates turns into a troll, well, not an actual troll with green skin and warts, or the kind of troll who stalks the internet with negative comments, but the kind of troll who dumps her. Yes, she’s been dumped every time, by every guy she’s dated. She’d blame it on the male population, but her girlfriends have amazing men in their lives.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Steph could also tell herself she hasn’t met the right man yet, and that could be true, but what if she already has? What if the right man was in her life ten years ago, and what if he comes to their ten-year high school reunion? And what if her memories of a past relationship don’t measure up to the realities of the boy-turned-man, Cal Conner?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mirror Press (November 1, 2023)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Contemporary Romance</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">233 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1952611385</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs2a2HUUWcWoVCrbMfIPAk_Py7H3gEqi3aruRhlJsVh4Kz-47ykZJ57HU11iZveXZaNGrV6yTMUY3NagT8c7_X0UeFy4sghQfKbOOpvY1nRmI3hfZe4_uWdkqNIAcQJCyb-RSZiRWLt6al8AZSx2PmghuyLEnkP3LdXl2gyF1FicCURZ_1ciRs71omr4/s1080/Just%20Add%20Friendship%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs2a2HUUWcWoVCrbMfIPAk_Py7H3gEqi3aruRhlJsVh4Kz-47ykZJ57HU11iZveXZaNGrV6yTMUY3NagT8c7_X0UeFy4sghQfKbOOpvY1nRmI3hfZe4_uWdkqNIAcQJCyb-RSZiRWLt6al8AZSx2PmghuyLEnkP3LdXl2gyF1FicCURZ_1ciRs71omr4/w640-h640/Just%20Add%20Friendship%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Stephanie always found herself in the role of the bridesmaid, never the bride. Her relationships seemed to end in disappointment, leading her to be cautious about any new romantic prospects When her former high school flame, Cal, unexpectedly reappears at the reunion after a decade, the lingering spark between them is evident. Cal seeks to make amends for departing suddenly years ago, leaving Steph guarded and hesitant to let him back into her heart. Despite Cal's genuine efforts to win her over by assisting with tasks, bonding with her grandfather, and showering her with attention, Stephanie struggles to fully open up to him. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The residents of Everly Falls begin to notice the deep connection between Stephanie and Cal, and this challenges her to acknowledge her growing feelings for him. After rushing into a romantic relationship, they agree to remain friends, causing Cal to be disappointed. Nevertheless, he continues to pursue Steph, eager to prove his intentions and dedication to her. As they navigate the tangled web of their growing bond, Stephanie and Cal face numerous challenges and revelations that shape their understanding of love and life. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Heather B. Moore skillfully crafts a wonderful romance that resonates with readers seeking a fulfilling and authentic love story. For those hoping for a happy ending, 'J</span><span style="background-color: #f7f8f9; color: #222222;">ust Add Friendship' offers a tale of love, growth, and the enduring power of friendship.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Heather B. Moore****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThmaZ9J-R6Yps19Lr7eZIUpCijxcefGo2DqAkW6FlhyphenhyphenL2lVLdHg-2_X8GqEVnO-aibejD4vOcJinDg9HSQphlwQvk2BHalUfhEIbUiDUom_KlMDu-CIcRhKx4T9yYFsWr3wc7xWxz27F6QXXCm0j9BLK4tBUM8Tq2LuxJeg0dW6RJZ-8mxlR__UWtEks/s300/Heather%20B.%20Moore%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEgThmaZ9J-R6Yps19Lr7eZIUpCijxcefGo2DqAkW6FlhyphenhyphenL2lVLdHg-2_X8GqEVnO-aibejD4vOcJinDg9HSQphlwQvk2BHalUfhEIbUiDUom_KlMDu-CIcRhKx4T9yYFsWr3wc7xWxz27F6QXXCm0j9BLK4tBUM8Tq2LuxJeg0dW6RJZ-8mxlR__UWtEks/s1600/Heather%20B.%20Moore%20photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English. </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Please join Heather's email list at: <a href="http://HBMoore.com/contact/">HBMoore.com/contact/</a></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Website: <a href="http://HBMoore.com">HBMoore.com</a></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Twitter: @heatherbmoore</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Instagram: @authorhbmoore</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Facebook: Fans of Heather B. Moore</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>And yes, the Blog still lives: <a href="http://MyWritersLair.blogspot.com">MyWritersLair.blogspot.com</a></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Literary honors: 2020 Goodreads Choice Award Semi-Finalist, Foreword 2020 INDIES Finalist, ALA Best New Books - September 2020, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.</b></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>~~~~Books in the </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">EVERLY FALLS SERIES<b>~~~~</b></span></span></u><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Book 1: </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Just Add Romance</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1wkY2Kv35xrN90Lyy5yfQVur_OK_oiw9Oo0MQA25JXr8Y_pGKyQDtBADm_s2NLaCaaXAfU_BotFHlNL7G1Ef3fvu9uenu8glgqYO_E5MPcIayfwo0Pcoqwl6lCP7gS3Fm90wm01PVwgfvZPGmW_j_b9e0yxmWKE0-kbJ5eYAfmBoegyjAXnTiPttqiA/s2550/Just%20Add%20Romance.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1654" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1wkY2Kv35xrN90Lyy5yfQVur_OK_oiw9Oo0MQA25JXr8Y_pGKyQDtBADm_s2NLaCaaXAfU_BotFHlNL7G1Ef3fvu9uenu8glgqYO_E5MPcIayfwo0Pcoqwl6lCP7gS3Fm90wm01PVwgfvZPGmW_j_b9e0yxmWKE0-kbJ5eYAfmBoegyjAXnTiPttqiA/s320/Just%20Add%20Romance.jpeg" width="208" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Book 2:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Just Add Mischief</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivv4gsupvEtMLquQ4sxKEean1AeinHjs5mEpi0w7zdSNAlN-3JopyNWM5S6xiq9FD4wV8yFHdscCv49RYfzt_c0e64HwbbIeCkhCuuSZuEFOkPhYJspgOlSitB345HZZsg0ZPQ3x6lugDJ6cOani1xQ_B7XGpjGxmEt1uMeCZQQB_7K4Fpo2-gAGjEQM/s2551/Just%20Add%20Mischief.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2551" data-original-width="1655" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivv4gsupvEtMLquQ4sxKEean1AeinHjs5mEpi0w7zdSNAlN-3JopyNWM5S6xiq9FD4wV8yFHdscCv49RYfzt_c0e64HwbbIeCkhCuuSZuEFOkPhYJspgOlSitB345HZZsg0ZPQ3x6lugDJ6cOani1xQ_B7XGpjGxmEt1uMeCZQQB_7K4Fpo2-gAGjEQM/s320/Just%20Add%20Mischief.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Book 3:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Just Add Friendship</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPxZpp0cree4iKWcIRqHNG0_iffKD4_kU0EA61WeX1EivFrCn3f70cCCv2Vu8wXBi6wCxezfQGJUsCgjtISjWiD-ALCAQ3DyxFk1oMT8PIEAkNQhtMIWYu-PB8PnwBsnjUMwoOIWpJtJGZG9iRxe3qydAC5udIlYKPO8lwQmK7SyTi8Dg41Oj9PERB-M/s2565/Just%20Add%20Friendship%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="1651" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPxZpp0cree4iKWcIRqHNG0_iffKD4_kU0EA61WeX1EivFrCn3f70cCCv2Vu8wXBi6wCxezfQGJUsCgjtISjWiD-ALCAQ3DyxFk1oMT8PIEAkNQhtMIWYu-PB8PnwBsnjUMwoOIWpJtJGZG9iRxe3qydAC5udIlYKPO8lwQmK7SyTi8Dg41Oj9PERB-M/s320/Just%20Add%20Friendship%20cover.jpeg" width="206" /></a></div><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u style="font-family: times;"><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Just Add Friendship~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3wcS4nK" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3wcS4nK</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/42w2fzP" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/42w2fzP</a></span></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-38997996121964315902024-02-08T08:00:00.001-07:002024-02-08T08:00:00.142-07:00Time or Tide: By Ali Benson Moulton-Historical Fiction Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xyROLLc95-4_Fd2RYMXo32Vsc6OBsuQarIUHcFrEGm4xPR82w06eHm1pTcC2zKVg_gHgEZXcc-vehZ6WTpr3os_2NNyTxTUcMcouL_AqShcLGRxWZJvunjKLe45IZMvnRyHfkXOpLucql2rOmBnsyaJ0dxwZ5ylAUXN_rvfPEiFoC5n_r9BYgLRr-OY/s2560/Tiume%20or%20Tide%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xyROLLc95-4_Fd2RYMXo32Vsc6OBsuQarIUHcFrEGm4xPR82w06eHm1pTcC2zKVg_gHgEZXcc-vehZ6WTpr3os_2NNyTxTUcMcouL_AqShcLGRxWZJvunjKLe45IZMvnRyHfkXOpLucql2rOmBnsyaJ0dxwZ5ylAUXN_rvfPEiFoC5n_r9BYgLRr-OY/w400-h640/Tiume%20or%20Tide%20cover.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> Book Summary</span></u></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><b>Dundee, Scotland, 1842</b></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Nae man can tether time or tide…</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">–Robert Burns</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Midwife Deborah Hasley finds happiness delivering other women's babies, swooning over the poetry of Robbie Burns, and stealing an occasional kiss or two from a handsome sailor. But when her beloved sister Rebecca makes an impossible request, Deborah must decide if she dares follow her heart to unexpected places and find room for unexpected love. Based on a true story, Time or Tide follows passionate Deborah from Ireland to Scotland, where loyalty and love collide.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The Time or Tide Book Club Edition includes discussion questions, Scottish recipes, and tips for a great reading group.</span></span></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details</span></u></b></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B0C1JCSSDQ</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Historical Fiction/Historical Romance</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mountain Treehouse Press (April 12, 2023)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">269 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">979-8987947906</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">***I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HbFwQjwt0EzIkPPg5Bj4fOaXCE1vdYl4LFggNFnQtKsUm5Q9S4qBY_0s_uLXG73qLlBRhpCjuRz5hmYAR2lTFfBxFoD0GJ_eRpo5om_4YOTmy2baL99cgmbzJYP3WI12-azWTU3mybK7PStup-NWXrTgFZOceYmshrZLX4Ec5RORVlaZ3gVe0I_bmTs/s1080/Time%20and%20Tide%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HbFwQjwt0EzIkPPg5Bj4fOaXCE1vdYl4LFggNFnQtKsUm5Q9S4qBY_0s_uLXG73qLlBRhpCjuRz5hmYAR2lTFfBxFoD0GJ_eRpo5om_4YOTmy2baL99cgmbzJYP3WI12-azWTU3mybK7PStup-NWXrTgFZOceYmshrZLX4Ec5RORVlaZ3gVe0I_bmTs/w640-h640/Time%20and%20Tide%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></u></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large;">Time or Tide depicts a heartwarming tale of sisterly love and the bravery to do what is right. It articulates the importance of staying authentic to oneself while honoring commitments. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large;">Deborah, a resilient woman devoted to her loved ones, puts their needs above her own happiness. When her sister makes a request that puts her heart and mind at odds, Deborah, known for her selfless nature, faces a dilemma. Will she sacrifice her shot at happiness, or will she find fulfillment in unexpected love? Set in 1842 Dundee, Scotland, this novel, based on true events, will inspire, arouse strong emotions, and make you contemplate the lengths one can go to find inner peace; even at the cost of abandoning personal hopes and dreams.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large;"> Unlike traditional romances, this unique story will keep readers emotionally invested in Deborah's journey and her relationships with those she loves.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet the Author Ali Benson Moulton****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MUw9glAF8_lcspYvQYxFj6y7Lz_VIu_G6EbWEOzIAwrZ2Q3mvPSi04EJjxgFm6LtjZMrk-7xN5viSHbTPOgn-mk7hnoow13TIenHlOeWjWxHbzkfNMPWtgyBeAadUHwtc3Tp8neTma6Cgec6QETfVhZ9rUwzkxvH50Zb1twNqEXo01oEWTdlHwIg4Qg/s450/Ali%20Benson%20Moulton.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEh9MUw9glAF8_lcspYvQYxFj6y7Lz_VIu_G6EbWEOzIAwrZ2Q3mvPSi04EJjxgFm6LtjZMrk-7xN5viSHbTPOgn-mk7hnoow13TIenHlOeWjWxHbzkfNMPWtgyBeAadUHwtc3Tp8neTma6Cgec6QETfVhZ9rUwzkxvH50Zb1twNqEXo01oEWTdlHwIg4Qg/s320/Ali%20Benson%20Moulton.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span face="Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Ali loves words. Her favorite word is lollygag. Her least favorite word is laundry. She likes spending time wrangling stray words into stories, songs, plays and poems. Ali works as a storyteller at her local library and runs a nonprofit arts organization, but her favorite job has always been mothering. She loves being at home with her husband and 5 children, their spouses, and her grandchildren. Ali studied Human Development and English at Brigham Young University and Brigham Young University-Idaho.</i></b></span></span></div><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><u><br /></u></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Time and Tide~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/42xD9AB" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/42xD9AB</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3Uw9dmr" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3Uw9dmr</a></span></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-32054089955682376072024-02-04T08:00:00.001-07:002024-02-04T08:00:00.143-07:00Millie (Best Friends Dog Tales, 3) By McCall Hoyle-Middle Grade Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg0HLvJ-ptewuy1BGhe2h9gEMIBSTazvVecMzz6nZWcmEhCs6LJlKvaD-0H4m-fT02Krih5-hQlioIv-WcBlIY53by8norGwoINeAetIjX6zOEdps2Ti90p_2IuAxlzk05u_fGA6Q9qauTl1jIeK9CrnfXcC_iPB1_URclUdF75idhR07QVQ3ATjGFmg/s1513/Millie%20Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1513" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg0HLvJ-ptewuy1BGhe2h9gEMIBSTazvVecMzz6nZWcmEhCs6LJlKvaD-0H4m-fT02Krih5-hQlioIv-WcBlIY53by8norGwoINeAetIjX6zOEdps2Ti90p_2IuAxlzk05u_fGA6Q9qauTl1jIeK9CrnfXcC_iPB1_URclUdF75idhR07QVQ3ATjGFmg/w424-h640/Millie%20Cover.jpeg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Book Summary</span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 600;">From the author of Stella—nominated for fourteen Best Book of the Year state awards—this heartwarming story is about a street dog named Millie and a young girl who are both dealing with abandonment issues and must give trust and belonging a second chance.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">Millie is a feisty border terrier who lives on the streets and has a keen sense for finding scraps of food, usually in the shadows or the cover of darkness. She protects herself with a shield of what is perceived by many as aggression—barking and snarling—when in reality, Millie is just plain scared.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">Turned over to animal control after a recent run-in with the dogcatcher, Millie is rescued by a special education teacher who also rehabilitates and rehomes dogs. It’s a win-win. Together, the dogs and her students learn emotional resilience, anger management, and other coping skills.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">When one of the students, a struggling reader named Tori, shows a natural gift for dog training and working with fearful dogs, Millie is temporarily placed in her care. Tori may be young, but she knows a thing or two about anger, fear, and abandonment after her mother could no longer care for her and she was placed in kinship care with her grandfather. Millie wonders if she’s finally found her person and begins to let down her emotional guard. But when trust and belonging are challenged, Millie reverts to old habits—fleeing, hiding, and growling. Will she end up back on the streets? Or can Millie and Tori embrace their training, trust in each other, and find a forever home together?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;">Mille is an empathy-building novel for young readers who love dogs and is a tender portrayal of the importance of emotional safety and what it means to truly belong.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Book Details</span></b></u></div><p></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shadow Mountain (March 5, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Middle-Grade Fiction</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Hardcover : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">208 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">163993233X</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">978-1639932337</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Reading age : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">8 - 11 years</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li><li></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOOgpUCcIDAbYzUkxavtYPN1Q5Pi6z5JXwv0Qx8UXijTUw9fYMa0a_mo27w_iU7u_VUQHipQ1V5sVONL06xEL7jUSlVwMhYXN0G8SSyeBV7F9zaAqGDFOXr3jQ6LsD_eSkLVwWlu5BQydfv08k0gkDjCCFBXT7qYn63a7qjbnpqy6qc1bVOS5NUQ8hQI/s1080/Millie%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOOgpUCcIDAbYzUkxavtYPN1Q5Pi6z5JXwv0Qx8UXijTUw9fYMa0a_mo27w_iU7u_VUQHipQ1V5sVONL06xEL7jUSlVwMhYXN0G8SSyeBV7F9zaAqGDFOXr3jQ6LsD_eSkLVwWlu5BQydfv08k0gkDjCCFBXT7qYn63a7qjbnpqy6qc1bVOS5NUQ8hQI/w640-h640/Millie%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">I have been enchanted by the Best Friends Dog Tales series starting with the first book, Stella, and the second book, Gus. Millie, a spirited Border Terrier left by her family to fend for herself on the streets, has also captured my heart. Millie becomes a caregiver to Little Pup, but their bond is shattered when she is snatched by a man in a van and sent to the pound. Fortunately, dog trainer Lee recognizes Millie's potential and takes her in. Under Lee's guidance and alongside another dog, Belle, Millie learns about obedience, trust, and overcoming her difficult past. When Millie crosses paths with Tori, a young girl struggling with her own challenges, a special bond forms. Tori is allowed to train Millie, leading to a transformative journey for both. This aspect of the story showcases how they help each other heal and regain trust. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">The Best Friends Dog Tales not only entertain but also impart valuable lessons to children about responsibility, kindness to all beings, and the importance of friendship. As an educator, I have enjoyed sharing these stories with my students and am eager to introduce them to Millie's tale. Through Millie's narrative, children will be engrossed in her journey of finding her human companion.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">****Meet Author McCall Hoyle****</span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj80S0VfuqxOlCB762nJ_43cZDxddiwTSyZKjiJ3GmU9To2djCZ94e1oMfl6GkbepFEG-_xAWxaD-GCNST7aSFn6pAv7Dlkehv5aVDjUMuLGM-0ncQhH6t8VNbej2-rMatF-jJOZMHK4VpZguH-QlRKNCjHZHkY2iR5koPRe1QOCgIYdeJNrbt6Hheuo/s1080/McCall%20Hoyle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj80S0VfuqxOlCB762nJ_43cZDxddiwTSyZKjiJ3GmU9To2djCZ94e1oMfl6GkbepFEG-_xAWxaD-GCNST7aSFn6pAv7Dlkehv5aVDjUMuLGM-0ncQhH6t8VNbej2-rMatF-jJOZMHK4VpZguH-QlRKNCjHZHkY2iR5koPRe1QOCgIYdeJNrbt6Hheuo/s320/McCall%20Hoyle.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></b></u><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>McCall Hoyle lives in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains with her husband, children, and an odd assortment of pets. She is a middle school teacher and librarian. When she's not reading, writing, or teaching, she's probably playing with or training one of many dogs. You can learn more about her at <a href="McCall Hoyle lives in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains with her husband, children, and an odd assortment of pets. She is a middle school teacher and librarian. When she's not reading, writing, or teaching, she's probably playing with or training one of many dogs. You can learn more about her at mccallhoyle.com. " target="_blank">mccallhoyle.com. </a></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>~~~Books in the Best Friends Dog Tales Series~~~</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9qCd9QYTQpzb7jAD1wSt0yBMWxeW9mLkgdw9Nt9QntEkNGoO9OiO9Dxn5yCgCG12QRz6phltlEOWTopgv4trL-hLrsVBcU1mPrNQFV3a8nlkgnUKD5LPFsKyxtCutadMBMSpZhLNBx-BqJzQGxyDndHEL3glUVj6JCeiX2G0qcon1k3aKaNRm-A7cvU/s1100/best-friend-dog-tales-twitter-100523_orig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1100" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9qCd9QYTQpzb7jAD1wSt0yBMWxeW9mLkgdw9Nt9QntEkNGoO9OiO9Dxn5yCgCG12QRz6phltlEOWTopgv4trL-hLrsVBcU1mPrNQFV3a8nlkgnUKD5LPFsKyxtCutadMBMSpZhLNBx-BqJzQGxyDndHEL3glUVj6JCeiX2G0qcon1k3aKaNRm-A7cvU/w640-h360/best-friend-dog-tales-twitter-100523_orig.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: large;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Millie~*~*~*~*</span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: large;">HERE:</span></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/47XhT8N" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/47XhT8N</a><br /></span></b></u></div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><br /> </span><p></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-78289786128090953062024-02-03T10:09:00.000-07:002024-02-03T10:09:07.369-07:00To Bluff a Bride: Bridger Brothers Book Two By Kate Condie-Sweet Historical Western Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvp8s2GpulWEIIcITUVCxoJTb9cWCzdX7T8bq4A345NqMKuM3V3P4FMgiiw4eEKniGqvt5APbZhxe5Cs_DTxARnFSvby-XSwtmzPfn0TKTCRzaSpdjbkC05yqLd39Sg5hBIJQbVLkZ7U9JhcTQ-_GQxtiJ7CaMkOs8GKZW7uwCWJCsH64TXrLxdg95wc/s445/To%20Bluff%20a%20Bride%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvp8s2GpulWEIIcITUVCxoJTb9cWCzdX7T8bq4A345NqMKuM3V3P4FMgiiw4eEKniGqvt5APbZhxe5Cs_DTxARnFSvby-XSwtmzPfn0TKTCRzaSpdjbkC05yqLd39Sg5hBIJQbVLkZ7U9JhcTQ-_GQxtiJ7CaMkOs8GKZW7uwCWJCsH64TXrLxdg95wc/w426-h640/To%20Bluff%20a%20Bride%20cover.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Summary</span></u></b><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Life isn’t a game, but perhaps a bluff can save them both.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She’s desperate for freedom.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When her ex brother-in-law insists she belongs to him, Ellen Moren must flee the town that never felt like home. Determined to break free from his suffocating grasp, she devises a daring plan and proposes a sham marriage to the kind bachelor whose family is heading west.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He’s determined to protect his siblings.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ben Bridger learned long ago that women are not to be trusted with his heart. Rather than fulfill his mother’s dying wish and seek a wife, he is determined to spend his efforts ensuring the safety of his remaining family. However, when Ellen tells him her plan, it's the persistent echo of his mother's voice in his head that persuades him. After all, it's just a ruse.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eventually a bluff demands to be called.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">When danger arrives, forcing Ben and Ellen into closer quarters than expected, Ben faces the delicate task of balancing duty, passion, and protecting his family. In this heart-stirring tale, desire ignites amidst the harsh challenges of the Oregon Trail, putting everything Ben holds dear on the line.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Join the Bridger family on the Oregon Trail with </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">To Bluff a Bride</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">, a tale of determination, subterfuge, and love. This is a clean romance and the second book in the </span><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Bridger Brothers</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> series.</span></span></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details</span></u></b></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B0CTGLWWC3</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Genre: Western/Historical/Romance</span></b></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Independently published (January 27, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">276 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">979-8876399731</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh-8lw_X8Oz3ZMRpf0lKPolQFKJ33Qw6CW92LzupmYPH3lCGfnPjgdMvsiK3EpRAaiD8PR_ZnQhh7cTuDr-aJ2z7HlFltXwFx1PK4txHr31Hi6EpPk6FJYc-PDvAuNcLiEy5j6sf1wdd6FOdVZD6xfB_MvMFa1fn-koGYcQarwzn-rff5ziS09doyFDw/s1080/To%20Bluff%20a%20Bride%20meme.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh-8lw_X8Oz3ZMRpf0lKPolQFKJ33Qw6CW92LzupmYPH3lCGfnPjgdMvsiK3EpRAaiD8PR_ZnQhh7cTuDr-aJ2z7HlFltXwFx1PK4txHr31Hi6EpPk6FJYc-PDvAuNcLiEy5j6sf1wdd6FOdVZD6xfB_MvMFa1fn-koGYcQarwzn-rff5ziS09doyFDw/w640-h640/To%20Bluff%20a%20Bride%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></u></b><p></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></u></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">To Bluff a Bride is the second book in the Bridger Brothers series. Although I hadn't read book one, I found that 'To Bluff a Bride' can be read as a standalone. However, I plan to go back and read the first book before continuing with the series</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">This sweet historical romance takes place in a fierce and dangerous time when people <span aria-label="open issue for the following text were traveling" class="issue-underline underline decoration-2 underline-offset-4 transition decoration-border-brand-default [.long-form-editing-active_&]:decoration-border-brand-default/50 hover:bg-bg-brand-light-default" data-issueid="9fadd805-7238-4b04-b148-653a6cd7f4b7" data-testid="issue-underline:undefined">were traveling</span> along the Oregon Trail. Ellen has already been widowed twice when Ben Bridger <span aria-label="open issue for the following text comes to her rescue." class="issue-underline underline decoration-2 underline-offset-4 transition decoration-border-brand-default [.long-form-editing-active_&]:decoration-border-brand-default/50 hover:bg-bg-brand-light-default" data-issueid="75f52017-f265-4631-a45a-667f9b458cd0" data-testid="issue-underline:undefined">comes to her rescue.</span> Ben is the oldest brother<span aria-label="open issue for the following text is in charge of" class="issue-underline underline decoration-2 underline-offset-4 transition decoration-border-brand-default [.long-form-editing-active_&]:decoration-border-brand-default/50 hover:bg-bg-brand-light-default" data-issueid="4b1de62f-a06d-4eb0-adc2-c42eb1662c9b" data-testid="issue-underline:undefined"> in charge of</span> his brothers now that his parents are deceased. Before his mother passed, she asked Ben to make sure <span aria-label="open issue for the following text that all of the" class="issue-underline underline decoration-2 underline-offset-4 transition decoration-border-brand-default [.long-form-editing-active_&]:decoration-border-brand-default/50 hover:bg-bg-brand-light-default" data-issueid="8804a439-ba71-4a87-a578-d2b30eec4109" data-testid="issue-underline:undefined">that all of the</span> brothers found a bride. H<span aria-label="open issue for the following text he" class="issue-underline underline decoration-2 underline-offset-4 transition decoration-border-danger-default [.long-form-editing-active_&]:decoration-border-danger-default/50 hover:bg-bg-danger-light-default" data-issueid="b880f516-3669-4370-8b09-516e5fbf48fb" data-testid="issue-underline:He">e's</span> not interested in finding a bride for himself until he can be more established and settled down in Oregon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">The author skillfully portrays the challenging journey along the Oregon Trail, vividly describing the treacherous terrain, extreme weather conditions, and constant threat of attacks from Native Americans or outlaws. From the start, it is evident that Cyrus, Ellen's overpowering ex-brother-in-law, is the villain who will create trouble for both Ben and Ellen. Ben helps Ellen escape Cyrus by pretending to marry her and sweep her away from the violent man.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> The heated chemistry between Ellen and Ben intensifies as they resist their feelings for each other, fueling their desire. As the story unfolds with many gripping moments, readers will develop a fondness for Ben. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Ellen's bravery and perseverance draw in readers, keeping them eager to uncover the plot's direction.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">There are many surprising things in the novel. The slow-burn romance is written very well and you come to realize how they make the perfect match. Readers who enjoy well-crafted slow-burn romances set against the backdrop of the Oregon Trail will find 'To Bluff a Bride' a captivating addition to their reading list. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">****Meet Author Kate Condie****</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsw8LMISrPhhy6McHV3bqB4G5uj-uLqwvte8pKyk5XYhZkUZgyNNhBTM8dbPzZxosFig0FRdCRhTtmPScevQIm-N07QOq2G7RxJuNoBdMqUy0ARNomitB-tIlJCm6aiRE0xe8BW7s2_kwOJjsP-QtP7kJCdd2-PgekRvxBxdTJZok9Jgf_wauIa9ouNs/s300/Kate%20Condie.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEjRsw8LMISrPhhy6McHV3bqB4G5uj-uLqwvte8pKyk5XYhZkUZgyNNhBTM8dbPzZxosFig0FRdCRhTtmPScevQIm-N07QOq2G7RxJuNoBdMqUy0ARNomitB-tIlJCm6aiRE0xe8BW7s2_kwOJjsP-QtP7kJCdd2-PgekRvxBxdTJZok9Jgf_wauIa9ouNs/s1600/Kate%20Condie.jpg" width="300" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /></u></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Kate Condie is a speed talker from Oregon. Reading has been part of her life since childhood, where she devoured everything from mysteries, to classics, to autobiographies—and of course, romance. At first, her writing was purely in journal format as she thought writing novels was for the lucky ones. She lives in Utah and spends her days surrounded by mountains with her favorite hunk, their four children and her laptop. In her free time she reads, tries to learn a host of new instruments, binge watches anything by BBC or tries to keep up with Lafayette as she sings the Hamilton soundtrack.</b></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">~*~*~*~*Purchase To Bluff a Bride~*~*~*~*</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">HERE:</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/480zBYP" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/480zBYP</a></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/49fGoyX" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/49fGoyX</a></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-76082926956079272572024-02-02T07:00:00.002-07:002024-02-02T07:00:00.147-07:00Pages of Promise by Jessica Ashley-Christian Romantic Suspense Book Review<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Pages of Promise JustRead Blog Tour" class="alignnone wp-image-27551" height="237" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Banner_PagesofPromise_Blog_JR-1.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: x-large;">Welcome to the Blog Tour for <span style="color: red;"><i><b>Pages of Promise</b></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Lobster;"> by Jessica Ashley, hosted by <a href="https://justreadtours.com/2024/01/29/welcome-to-the-pages-of-promise-blog-tour-giveaway" rel="noopener" target="_blank">JustRead Publicity Tours</a></span>!</span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><u>About the Book</u></b></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pages of Promise" class="alignleft wp-image-28771 size-large" height="400" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pages-of-Promise-267x400.jpg" width="267" /></b></p>
<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Title:</b> Pages of Promise
<b><br />Series: </b>Coastal Hope #1
<b><br />Author:</b> Jessica Ashley
<br /><b>Publisher:</b> B.A.D. Publishing, LLC
<b><br />Release Date:</b> February 5, 2024
<b><br />Genre:</b> Christian/Clean Romantic Suspense</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p><p>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>When Eliza's life is threatened, she turns to a handsome veteran for help.</i> </b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold">I left everything I'd ever known behind. And that decision may cost me my life.</span> </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The moving truck hadn't even been unpacked when my fresh start went up in flames. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A frightening letter left in my mailbox and signed Always Yours sends me running to the only man in town who can help me. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Driven by his protective nature and a mission he believes comes from God, ex-Army Ranger Lance Knight agrees, despite the fact that I've made it no secret I want nothing to do with him--or anyone for that matter. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The longer we're together, the more I begin to realize that Lance is more than I gave him credit for. Something that troubles me nearly as much as the fact that an unknown man seems to have already claimed me as his. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Trouble is, my admirer has a jealous side, and it's not long before Lance is pulled into the crosshairs right alongside me…
</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Get your copy now and be ready to stay up all night!
<i> </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Pages of Promise is a swoon-worthy, faith-based, suspenseful romance between a jaded woman and the hero determined to protect not just her body…but her heart.</i>
</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttUNy_AA-_edxG1TeUvipjIINU1dOMXjzsC0U48xW54wlRYiVQuy2l09yoyifeLdj62wsti6b6MrU2XLxapE9KWrITYI795faEg4eKkUTefxFbPuDqOjXBmwthRSpVp1VDC_JuugywDw0UwDJnmA05uULIJ5yv6yiOW90ZQokyff2PgsCaFigB345yzM/s1080/Pages%20of%20Promise%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttUNy_AA-_edxG1TeUvipjIINU1dOMXjzsC0U48xW54wlRYiVQuy2l09yoyifeLdj62wsti6b6MrU2XLxapE9KWrITYI795faEg4eKkUTefxFbPuDqOjXBmwthRSpVp1VDC_JuugywDw0UwDJnmA05uULIJ5yv6yiOW90ZQokyff2PgsCaFigB345yzM/w640-h640/Pages%20of%20Promise%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><b><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><u>My Review</u></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Pages of Promise by Jessica Ashley is book one in the Coastal Hope series. Recently divorced Eliza has moved to the small town of Hope Springs wishing for a new start. Little does she know what awaits her there. On her own after a marriage of dominion and abuse, Eliza is taken aback by the friendliness of the townspeople, especially Lance Knight whose kindness is rejected by her. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A threatening letter arrives in the mail and a new nightmare starts for Eliza.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As she tries to settle into her new home, she is unaware of the danger that lurks within. Soon, a "stalker" begins wandering through her home, his advances quickly turning violent. Thankfully, Lance and his Army Ranger buddies are there to protect her and make her home safe. However, Eliza's past experiences with men have left her angry and bitter, causing her to direct her pent-up emotions towards Lance. Despite this, the small-town community does its best to welcome Eliza with open arms. But as she spends more time with Lance - who believes it is God's will for him to watch over her - the stalker becomes increasingly jealous and resorts to violence once again. With the help of her new Ranger friends, Eliza must navigate the dangerous situation and stay safe from her relentless stalker's deadly intentions.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: rgb(67 67 67/var(--tw-text-opacity));"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The characters in this novel are well-written and relatable, adding depth to the story as we see how each one copes with their own individual struggles while trying to solve this mystery.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(67 67 67/var(--tw-text-opacity)); font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> A simmering romance, heart-stopping action scenes, </span><span style="color: rgb(67 67 67/var(--tw-text-opacity));"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and a powerful faith journey for Eliza make this a must-read novel. With an exciting reveal at the end, the reading experience will keep you attentive and satisfied with the outcome. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>PURCHASE LINKS</b>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197493820-pages-of-promise" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CG79PT2M" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pages-of-promise-jessica-ashley/1143967467" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/pages-of-promise-by-jessica-ashley" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BookBub</a>
</span></p><hr style="text-align: center;" />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><u>About the Author</u></b></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Jessica Ashley" class="alignnone wp-image-28772 size-medium" height="300" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Jessica-Ashley-214x300.jpg" width="214" /></p>
<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>After spending seven years in the Army, Jessica Ashley set out to write novels that would transport readers to new worlds and help them escape reality with messages of underdogs and swoon-worthy romance. After eight years of a successful writing career underneath two pen names, she felt her faith pulling her in a new direction.</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>
Now, she writes sweet romance with messages of faith, hope, and the importance of trusting our hearts and the word of God. Her debut novel, Pages of Promise, is set to release in February 2024. </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She resides in Texas with her husband of twelve years, their three kids, a flock of chickens, an orange cat who thinks he runs the house, and three dogs who don't realize just how big they are. </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Connect with Jessica by visiting <a href="https://www.authorjessicaashley.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">authorjessicaashley.com</a> to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
</i></b></span></p><hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><u>Tour Giveaway</u></b></span></h3>
<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">(1) winner will win a $25 Amazon gift card!</span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Pages of Promise JustRead Tours giveaway" class="aligncenter wp-image-28773 size-large" height="400" src="https://justreadtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Giveaway_PagesofPromise_Blog_JR-400x400.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 29, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 5, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Giveaway is subject to <a href="https://justreadtours.com/disclosures-giveaway-policies/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies</a>.</b></span></i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/c3m1y/pages-of-promise-blog-tour-giveaway" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;">Enter Giveaway</span></b></a>
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<p style="text-align: center;">Follow along at <a href="https://justreadtours.com/2024/01/29/welcome-to-the-pages-of-promise-blog-tour-giveaway" rel="noopener" target="_blank">JustRead Tours</a> for a full list of stops!</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="JustRead Publicity Tours" class="wp-image-13204 size-thumbnail aligncenter" height="150" src="https://justreadtours.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/justread-logo-final.png?w=150" width="150" /></div>
Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-9036658105786764682024-01-29T08:00:00.128-07:002024-01-29T17:43:36.586-07:00Cold Threat By Nancy Mehl-Christian/Suspense Book Review<div class="separator"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 225px;"><img alt="Cold Threat by Nancy Mehl" border="0" height="400" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/WUreOA4NWECX-9780764240461.jpg" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="259" /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<h2><i><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">Cold Threat</span></i></h2>
<h3><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">by Nancy Mehl</span></h3>
<h4><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large;">January 22 - February 2, 2024 Virtual Book Tour</span></h4>
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<h2><u>Book Synopsis:</u></h2>
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<p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Twenty years ago, several people were murdered in Des Moines, and the only evidence left behind was a snowman ornament hanging ominously on a tree in the victims' front lawns. With a suspect behind bars, the killings have come to an end--or so everyone thought. But now crimes with a similar MO are happening in a small Iowa town, and a local detective believes the killer is back and ready to strike again.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>With little time left on the clock before they have another murder on their hands, private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair must work alongside Tony's detective father to find evidence that will uncover an evil that has survived far too long. As the danger mounts and the suspect closes in, it will take all they have to catch a killer--before he catches one of them.</b></span></p>
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<h3><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Book Details:</u></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Christian/Suspense<br />
<b>Published by:</b> Bethany House Publishers<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> January 2024<br />
<b>Number of Pages:</b> 336<br />
<b>ISBN:</b> 978-0764240461 (ISBN10: 0764240463)<br />
<b>Series:</b> Ryland & St. Clair, 2<br />
<b>Book Links:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/45MWmi3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/3tV7pYU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/45PbbjU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookShop.org</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/40bR4LD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/3QFBCVb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Baker Book House</a><b>****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</b></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><pre class="font-sans font-normal text-sm text-[#434343] whitespace-pre-wrap" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(46 0 95 / .5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-text-opacity: 1; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: rgb(229, 231, 235); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(67 67 67/var(--tw-text-opacity)); line-height: 1.25rem; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-wrap: wrap;"><p class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Being on edge never had more meaning than while reading Cold Threat by Nancy Mehl. With three different points of view, readers are taken on a chilling journey through the minds of River Ryland, Tony St. Clair, and the serial killer known as the Snowman. The horrific murders of innocent victims will send shivers down your spine and</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span color="rgb(67 67 67/var(--tw-text-opacity))"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. </span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Former FBI profilers River and Tony team up to help solve a 20-year-old crime assisting Tony's father who heads the investigation. The setting of a small town in Iowa adds an extra layer of fear and urgency as the snowstorm looms and they race against time to catch the killer before he strikes again.</span></p><p class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Despite being the second book in a series, Cold Threat can stand alone and provide enough background information for new readers to fully immerse themselves in the story. The novel perfectly blends elements of suspense and Christian fiction, creating a thrilling yet thought-provoking read.</span></p><p class="p2" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>As secrets are slowly revealed and relationships develop between characters, readers will find themselves fully invested in every aspect of Cold Threat. Themes of forgiveness and healing add depth to this already gripping plotline.</span><span>While avoiding excessive gore, Cold Threat still manages to captivate with its intense intrigue and ever-mounting danger. As each clue is uncovered, we get closer to catching the elusive serial killer. The well-written characters add an extra layer of enjoyment to this gripping adventure that will leave you wanting more by the end.</span></span></p></pre>
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</span><h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Read an excerpt:</span></u></h3>
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<h4>PROLOGUE</h4>
<h6>DECEMBER, TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO</h6>
<p>I watched as fire devoured the house as if it were a living, breathing monster, ravenous for death and destruction. It took effort not to smile as I observed the fire department desperately trying to quench the ferocious flames, the firefighters slipping and sliding on the snow and ice. But winter is no match for me. They would lose this fight. The nightmare has just begun. Inside they will find my Christmas offering. Those whom I’d judged and executed. The beast was at my command and would destroy any evidence that could lead to me.</p>
<p>“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “I love it.”</p>
<p>I smiled at her. “It was a long time coming.”</p>
<p>“But you did it. I’m so proud of you.”</p>
<p>I had to blink away the sudden tears that filled my eyes.</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t we leave?”</p>
<p>I nodded. She was right. At some point, the police would arrive and would most certainly look through the people gathered across the street since many times those who set fires like to watch their creations dance and light up the night. They might even take pictures. This was the only time I felt comfortable hanging around for a few minutes—before anyone had time to scan the crowd. This was important. The first. My debut performance.</p>
<p>I’d just turned to leave when a couple of police cars pulled up, lights flashing, their blue-and-red beams cutting through the night and the falling snow. I walked down the street, hidden behind a curtain of white. I stopped to watch as they exited their vehicles. The sight only added to my excitement. Two officers approached the fire department chief. As they talked, another officer stood on the sidewalk, staring at the structure that was being consumed. Suddenly, he shouted and pointed up toward the second floor. I had to walk back to see why. I stood behind a tree, trying not to look suspicious. That was when I saw it. A face peering through one of the windows.</p>
<p>“Oh no,” she said, her voice breaking. “How did you miss her?”</p>
<p>The officer who’d spotted the unthinkable began to run toward the front door, but two firefighters grabbed him and held him back while another one grabbed a ladder and put it up against the house. It was clearly a child staring at them, her eyes wide with fear. They tried to climb toward her, but it was impossible. The flames from the first floor blocked their way. I felt a wave of anger. She had defiled my righteous mission. I fought to push back my rage. I had no desire to hurt a child. She shouldn’t have hidden from me. I would have kept her safe. I sighed in frustration. This was her fault. Now all of us would have to watch as she died. There wasn’t anything I could do. I felt the urge to leave, but the police were concentrating on her. No one was focused on the crowd, so I risked staying a minute or two longer.</p>
<p>Suddenly I heard a shout and saw the police officer who’d tried to enter earlier suddenly run toward the compromised house and through the front door before anyone could stop him. What a fool. The monster I’d created was too strong. Now there would be two additional lives sacrificed. This wasn’t my mission. Only the guilty were supposed to die. I consoled myself with the knowledge that the blame was theirs. Not mine.</p>
<p>“Maybe he’ll get her out,” she said quietly.</p>
<p>I didn’t respond. I knew she was upset. I couldn’t find the words to tell her that it was too late for both of them.</p>
<p>Part of the house collapsed on the other side, away from the window where the child still stood. Everyone watched in horror. Two firefighters started to follow the officer into the house, but their chief called them back. It was clear they were frustrated, yet the chief obviously thought it was too dangerous for them to enter. He’d probably already written off the officer and the child.</p>
<p>“It’s not your fault.”</p>
<p>“I know,” I said.</p>
<p>I waited for the rest of the structure to fall, but as we all watched, the unbelievable happened. The police officer ran out of the house, something in his arms wrapped up in a blanket. A firefighter ran over to take the bundle from him as the rest of the building collapsed. The officer fell to the ground. I could see his burns from here. It looked as if the cloth from his shirt had melted to his skin and part of his dark hair had burned away. Now he would always remember this night. I felt no anger toward him. Truthfully, I was relieved that the child had a chance. I’d still accomplished my mission. This was a lesson learned. I had checked out the couple carefully, and I’d watched the house. Hadn’t seen any evidence of a child. Still, I’d missed something important. I would never make this mistake again.</p>
<p>She sighed with relief. “I’m so glad she’s okay.”</p>
<p>A thought suddenly struck me. I hadn’t seen the child, but had she seen me? Was she now a liability to my mission? As soon as the thought came, I dismissed it. She’d been hiding. Trying to make sure I couldn’t find her. She would have been too afraid to look at me knowing I might see her too. Besides, she was so young no one would take her seriously anyway. Even if she had caught a glimpse of me, soon I would look very different. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. I was safe.</p>
<p>The firefighters began treating the girl and the officer until an ambulance roared up. It was time to leave. I pulled my jacket tighter and let the darkness and the dancing flakes shroud me as I slipped away, but not before I glanced at the snowman ornament hanging on the tree planted near the sidewalk.</p>
<p>As I walked away, I couldn’t help but sing softly, “Frosty the snowman . . .”</p>
<h4>CHAPTER ONE</h4>
<h6>DECEMBER, PRESENT DAY</h6>
<p>River Ryland stared at her phone, willing it to ring. Unfortunately, it seemed it didn’t respond well to mental telepathy. The pastor at the church she’d started attending with Tony had taught on faith yesterday. He’d brought up Mark 11:24 and Philippians 4:6. From what she could understand, faith was something you needed before your prayers were answered. As a child, she’d listened to her father preach, but he’d never mentioned anything like that. His sermons had been about sin and judgment. How to stay pure. Which was laughable since he ran off with the church’s secretary and left his daughter, son, and wife behind, humiliated and without any way to survive financially.</p>
<p>As she continued to eye her phone, she wondered if she should start believing that God would bring more clients to Watson Investigations. Was it okay to have faith for something like that? It was clear that faith was important to God, but she didn’t want to treat Him like some kind of genie in a lamp who would bring her whatever she asked for. What was His will, and what was selfishness? She sighed quietly. Life with God was proving to be interesting.</p>
<p>She glanced over at her partner, Tony St. Clair, and asked herself the question she’d posed so many times. What was he doing here? She’d had to leave the FBI. Severe PTSD had made it impossible for her to continue working as a behavioral analyst. Tony had been shot by the Salt River Strangler, the serial killer who’d tried to kill her, and was still dealing with some of the aftereffects. Even so, he could have gone back to work. Instead, he talked her into starting this detective agency. They’d only had two cases so far. The results had been positive. One case had to do with teachers at a local high school selling drugs—something they stumbled across. The teachers were arrested, and the drug trade shut down. No paying client with that one. The other case had been pro bono. They’d solved that too. Thankfully, someone connected with the case—not their client—had given them a generous stipend. But how long would that last without some new cases? Was asking herself that question a lack of faith? She really didn’t know the answer.</p>
<p>Tony’s long legs were crossed, his feet up on his desk. He was leaning back in his chair, writing in a notebook. He reminded her of Benedict Cumberbatch. His curly dark hair was longer than most FBI agents had worn their hair. His long eyelashes sheltered eyes that sometimes looked blue and other times appeared to be gray. Tony was an enigma. A handsome man who never dated. He used to. Before the shooting. There were definitely some women at church who had him in their sights, but he clearly wasn’t interested. Of course, she wasn’t dating either. Didn’t want to. Right now, she just wanted to figure out who God wanted her to be. It was hard to believe He needed a private investigator. She didn’t see that among the gifts listed in the Bible.</p>
<p>“Okay, God,” River whispered. “I’m asking You to make this agency successful. I thank You for hearing me. And . . .” She gulped. “And I thank You for our new cases.” There. She shook her head. Weird, but Pastor Mason would be proud of her. She jumped when Tony’s phone rang.</p>
<p>River listened closely. If this was a case . . . Well, Pastor Mason also said something about patience. Surely answers to prayer didn’t happen this quickly. If so, she should have started praying this way a long time ago.</p>
<p>“Slow down, Dad,” Tony said. “I’m not sure I understand.”</p>
<p>River was almost relieved that it was Tony’s father. If it actually had been a new case . . . well, it would have freaked her out a little. She began to straighten her desk again, only slightly listening to Tony’s conversation. It seemed to be a little one-sided.</p>
<p>Finally, Tony said, “I’ve got to call you back, Dad. Let me talk to River and see what she thinks. You know her mother is ill.” Pause. “All in all, doing pretty good. She has full-time help now.” Another pause. “Okay. I’ll phone you in a bit.”</p>
<p>After he hung up, he pulled his feet off his desk and sat up straight in his chair. His blue sweater was the same color as his eyes . . . when they were blue. Why was she paying attention to his eyes? She gave herself a virtual kick in the pants and realized that Tony looked upset.</p>
<p>“Everything okay?” she asked.</p>
<p>“No, not really.”</p>
<p>“Is your dad all right? Your mom?”</p>
<p>“No,” he said, cutting her off. “They’re fine. And before you ask, my sister’s good too.” He looked away and cleared his throat. Something he did when he was troubled or thinking. Finally, his eyes met hers. “I told you that when my dad was a rookie police officer, before he was promoted to detective, he was badly burned in a fire?”</p>
<p>She nodded. She remembered the story. It was hard to forget. “He saved a little girl’s life.”</p>
<p>“Yes. Well, they found two bodies in the house after the fire was put out. The little girl was the granddaughter of the couple. Thank God, Dad got her out in time.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Your father’s a hero.”</p>
<p>Tony smiled. “Don’t say that to him. He won’t put up with it. I also told you that they never found the person responsible?”</p>
<p>She nodded again, then waited for him to finish. It was obvious what was coming next. She swallowed. Was this just coincidence? Of course, this was Tony’s dad. They couldn’t charge him anything for their services. River should have mentioned in her prayer that they needed <i>a paying case</i>. She didn’t realize God was so literal.</p>
<p><i>Trust Me.</i></p>
<p>Although she hadn’t heard an audible voice, it was so clear it made her jump.</p>
<p><i>Trust Me.</i></p>
<p>She swallowed hard. “Uh, he wants us to help him solve a twenty-year-old crime?” she said. Why was her voice squeaky? “Why now? I mean, I assume he tried to close this case himself. From what you told me, he’s an excellent detective.”</p>
<p>“He is, but he’s retiring.”</p>
<p>“And he wants this solved before he leaves?”</p>
<p>Tony nodded. “In a way. You see, there were two other similar murders with the same MOs in Des Moines not long after that one. The police arrested someone. Charged him with all three. Dad was never sure they got the right person.”</p>
<p>“You never told me that.”</p>
<p>“I never went into details because I thought it was a closed case.”</p>
<p>“So, your father wants to make certain the case is truly closed before he leaves? It’s still a really cold case. You know how tough they are to solve after so long.”</p>
<p>“Well, except he says it’s happened again.”</p>
<p>“In Des Moines?”</p>
<p>Tony shook his head. “No, up in Burlington, Iowa, where they are now. They moved there years ago because Dad felt it was a better place to live. He was convinced that Des Moines was getting too big. Too dangerous. He wanted a slower-paced life. A safer place for Mom. Truthfully, I think he had a tough time working in Des Moines. He couldn’t get anyone he worked with to believe they’d arrested the wrong person for those murders.”</p>
<p>“Wait a minute. So, your dad thinks the killer followed him?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “He doesn’t know, although I agree that it seems strange. Look, I know you have questions. I do too. Can you come to Burlington with me so we can write a profile? He wants to see if we can add something to what he has so far.”</p>
<p>River hesitated a moment.</p>
<p>“I know you’re thinking about your mom. Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. I can go alone. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot.”</p>
<p>River shook her head. “You’re not. Now that we have Mrs. Weyland, I may be able to come with you.”</p>
<p>Hannah, the young woman who had come in to help River’s mother during the day, had quit after finding out she was pregnant. She’d recommended her aunt, who had recently lost her husband. Agatha Weyland was sixty-three years old and had nursed her husband through Alzheimer’s. When Hannah told her she was pregnant and had to leave her job, Mrs. Weyland had begged her to set up an interview with River. At first, she wasn’t sure if it would work since Mrs. Weyland wanted to move in.</p>
<p>“I just can’t stay in my house anymore,” she’d told River when they talked. “Too many ghosts. Hannah and her husband love the house and they’ve offered to buy it. I was goin’ to move into an apartment, but if you have a spare room . . .” Her hazel eyes had filled with tears, and River had been touched by her. But would she change her mind and quit once she was stronger? She didn’t want Rose to get used to someone and then have her leave. River’s mother was still dealing with Hannah’s quitting. She had loved and trusted the young woman.</p>
<p>“I’m not lookin’ for anything temporary,” Mrs. Weyland had said as if reading River’s mind. “I intend to take care of your mother until . . . well, until she no longer needs me.”</p>
<p>This time it was River’s turn for tears.</p>
<p>“Oh, honey,” the older woman had said, taking River’s hand. “I know what Alzheimer’s is like. I know how to take care of your precious mama. My Harold was a happy man until the day he died. I learned how to go with him wherever he was . . . and how to be whoever he needed me to be. We were happy, and your mother will be happy too. You have my word.”</p>
<p>River had really wanted to hire Mrs. Weyland, but she was certain Rose wouldn’t give up another one of her rooms. She’d gotten upset when River and Tony had moved her original sewing space to another room even though they set it up exactly the same. They’d moved things around so River could be closer to her mother in case she needed help during the night. Now she’d have to give up her sewing room completely, even though she never used it. River was prepared for a meltdown. But after spending a couple of hours getting to know Mrs. Weyland, Rose had said, “Can’t we just move the things in the sewing room down to the basement, River? Either Agatha could move in there, or you could move into that room, and Agatha could be right next to me.”</p>
<p>Although she was more than surprised by her mother’s request, she quickly agreed. River moved into the old sewing room, and Mrs. Weyland set herself up next to Rose.</p>
<p>“Let me talk to Mrs. Weyland,” she told Tony. “She’s barely had time to get to know my mother. She might feel uncomfortable with me leaving town so soon. How long do you think we’ll be gone?”</p>
<p>“Why don’t we say the rest of the week?” he said. “I think that’s enough time to create a profile. My father’s already put together a murder book, although I’m not sure how much information he’s been able to get his hands on. Hopefully, we’ll at least have some pictures and reports.”</p>
<p>“Okay, but if Mrs. Weyland or my mother is uncomfortable . . .”</p>
<p>“I’ll go alone and bring everything back with me.” He frowned. “I’d really like you to talk to my dad. See if he can convince you the cases are related. I know that’s not what we do when we write a profile, so we’ll be using our ace deductive skills as well.”</p>
<p>River laughed. “I’ll call Mom now, but you might as well plan on going alone. My mother will probably have a conniption fit.”</p>
<p>“A conniption fit? Where do you get these expressions? I truly think an old lady lives somewhere down deep inside you.”</p>
<p>River picked up her phone, stuck her tongue out at Tony, and dialed Mrs. Weyland.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Excerpt from <i>Cold Threat</i> by Nancy Mehl. Copyright 2024 by Nancy Mehl. Reproduced with permission from Bethany House Publishers. All rights reserved.</p>
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<h2>Author Bio:</h2>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 15px; width: 230px;"><img align="left" alt="Nancy Mehl" border="0" height="300" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/40ubxn3ZC0ms-Nancy-Mehl.jpg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
<p>Nancy Mehl is the author of more than fifty books, a Parable and ECPA bestseller, and the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year Award, a Carol Award, and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She has also been a finalist for the Christy Award. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.</p>
<h3>Catch Up With Nancy Mehl:<br />
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<h3> </h3>
Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-65253263069364030452024-01-27T08:00:00.001-07:002024-01-27T08:00:00.141-07:00Embers in the London Sky By Sarah Sundin- Historical Suspense Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQAVKvGbzHQcrxG3nEVUtkuY4GLZZsWRW3zWiyEetgraSkp8S1AfDTP7QO6KnWBVd2TEVL4Nwj9o7dmldPo3-PL8UV0Stww8qvjnPVV3W_LPpMYsX6u6woQWMTevdHxM73OLVe7KRHs3YpWuoB3T4tf-2woZ7_U9qnAF6O17FUqUnqHSiHTTVh6XX0nY/s300/Embers%20in%20the%20sky%20banner.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQAVKvGbzHQcrxG3nEVUtkuY4GLZZsWRW3zWiyEetgraSkp8S1AfDTP7QO6KnWBVd2TEVL4Nwj9o7dmldPo3-PL8UV0Stww8qvjnPVV3W_LPpMYsX6u6woQWMTevdHxM73OLVe7KRHs3YpWuoB3T4tf-2woZ7_U9qnAF6O17FUqUnqHSiHTTVh6XX0nY/w464-h260/Embers%20in%20the%20sky%20banner.jpeg" width="464" /></a></div> <p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLtN-dAFOKrftUzlcvfQzo5j7J0ggLZv0A4qX7D1HthtN7qOqxj2twEJV2wVIRcGALujw1OfEjwRY8XsVS7WfM5ftpeJ1NzywUl-ba6lVGYTauHgNHI67ga1WfJe0v557hwMq9cJ0iVXwxLojEr7IFx9F1KkhfmJ-JrNhAw13WwGsY2qJph9PMOaNlUI/s1024/Embers%20in%20the%20London%20Sky%20cover.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="663" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLtN-dAFOKrftUzlcvfQzo5j7J0ggLZv0A4qX7D1HthtN7qOqxj2twEJV2wVIRcGALujw1OfEjwRY8XsVS7WfM5ftpeJ1NzywUl-ba6lVGYTauHgNHI67ga1WfJe0v557hwMq9cJ0iVXwxLojEr7IFx9F1KkhfmJ-JrNhAw13WwGsY2qJph9PMOaNlUI/w414-h640/Embers%20in%20the%20London%20Sky%20cover.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Revell (February 6, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Genre: </span></b></span></span><h1 class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-extra-large celwidget" data-cel-widget="productTitle" data-csa-c-id="f6d39a-ueteha-q6irkc-ty9ygf" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">WWII Historical Fiction with Mystery, Suspense, and Clean Romance</span></span></h1></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">400 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">0800741854</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</b></p></span></span></span></li></ul><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Embers in the London Sky is a heartrending tale of sacrifice, war, murder, a mother's heartache, and family acceptance. This unique historical fiction is s</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">et in 1940 London during the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blitz as the German bombing campaign devastates the country.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The story begins in the Netherlands with an abusive husband fleeing with his wife and son trying to stay ahead of the invading Germans.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aleida van der Zee Martens becomes separated from her young son. In Britain, she desperately searches for Theo with few clues driving her search. Her job as an agent looking out for refugee children aids in her hunt.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">BBC </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: verdana;">radio correspondent aristocratic Hugh Collingwood works hard reporting from the center of the bombings. Alongside the massive hits from the Germans, there are murders taking place with no clear answers. Hugh and Aleida meet and form an instant friendship. They set forth to not only search for Aleida's son but also figure out who is behind the murders. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">There were many mystifying aspects with both plotlines along with some</span> </span><a data-href="/psychological" href="https://relatedwords.io/mystery#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">psychological</span></a> <span style="font-family: verdana;">mayhem</span> <span style="font-family: verdana;">at play. New to Me author Sarah Sundin writes this era magnificently along with Strong character arcs. Readers become fully immersed as Hugh and Aleida struggle and grow through their trials finding something wonderful at the end of the road. This multi-faceted novel is a must-read for those who love well-written historical fiction. </span><a class="kJDOl0PkCieROgWADccb" href="https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/magnificently" style="--background-color-active: var(--aard-color-bkgd-synonym-secondary-active); --background-color-default: #fff; --background-color-hover: var(--aard-color-bkgd-synonym-secondary-hovered); --border-color: var(--aard-color-ink-line-synonym-secondary-default); border-bottom: 4px solid var(--border-color); border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; font-family: "LFT Etica", sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.3px; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-right: 16px; padding: 2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black;">This will be one of the most heart-wrenching stories you'll read this year.</span></span></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Sarah Sundin****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_lxUpuV6rn9BJGrHTj_CdHa4ceQMtFL-uHt750WqUvJ8YLNu3PxtTmFtsdxEpOs6GlJ2pOpqxIlXwk8n8o4MtLMWW-aY6OFd0csL4_0GnzLwWWyyimSPOA5M1Pbb7NM5tzxW-Hiq-g1lWhNUZJvAYXiwTsyx9HHD5rN0mEj1O2LMcyXT341I0_vdCRQ/s235/Sarah%20Sundin.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="214" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_lxUpuV6rn9BJGrHTj_CdHa4ceQMtFL-uHt750WqUvJ8YLNu3PxtTmFtsdxEpOs6GlJ2pOpqxIlXwk8n8o4MtLMWW-aY6OFd0csL4_0GnzLwWWyyimSPOA5M1Pbb7NM5tzxW-Hiq-g1lWhNUZJvAYXiwTsyx9HHD5rN0mEj1O2LMcyXT341I0_vdCRQ/s1600/Sarah%20Sundin.jpeg" width="214" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of Embers in the London Sky (coming February 2024), The Sound of Light (2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series. </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Sarah's novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award and was a semi-finalist for the 2023 Carol Award, The Sound of Light, When Twilight Breaks, and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award, and The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award. </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups. Sarah serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Embers in the London Sky~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Hardcover-<a href="https://amzn.to/42aFaCS" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/42aFaCS</a></u></b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3u53klE" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3u53klE</a></u></b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3SzPm4M" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SzPm4M</a></span></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This will be one of the most heart-wrenching stories you'll read this year.<br /></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-62998827297472196002024-01-26T07:30:00.004-07:002024-01-27T16:44:52.806-07:00Wedded to His Enemy Debutante By Samantha Hastings-Regency Romance Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCqBV-PZs3EiJRi4s6kBDxFhPcX0l7jkNoEqiiIbLEI0GKhX3ZGlYkn-NnWVDTbz4A1CPbBYY1bBcaMrwaAtLs_4DRsEPK3_Wet8P9d4Iz0sQkbiOiFDF1RlJbsgJO3xQFB4uhzRxzrfvx05z-DEjqpoaxdfBnzdzeXFYOew0EPEYzmpwcrmOpXxIkgk/s404/Wedded%20to%20His%20Enemy%20Debutante%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="256" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCqBV-PZs3EiJRi4s6kBDxFhPcX0l7jkNoEqiiIbLEI0GKhX3ZGlYkn-NnWVDTbz4A1CPbBYY1bBcaMrwaAtLs_4DRsEPK3_Wet8P9d4Iz0sQkbiOiFDF1RlJbsgJO3xQFB4uhzRxzrfvx05z-DEjqpoaxdfBnzdzeXFYOew0EPEYzmpwcrmOpXxIkgk/w406-h640/Wedded%20to%20His%20Enemy%20Debutante%20cover.jpeg" width="406" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Enjoy this enemies-to-lovers Regency romance </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Signed, sealed… </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Seduced! </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Lady Frederica is the last person Samuel, the new Duke of Pelford, wants to marry! His childhood nemesis might have grown into a beautiful woman, but she’s as bold, outspoken and badly behaved as ever! Except marrying her is the only solution to the debts he’s inherited. As memories of their tense years growing up make way for a surprising desire, Samuel realizes the walls he put in place between him and his convenient wife are quickly crumbling!</span></i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Harlequin Historical; Original edition (January 23, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Regency Romance</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Mass Market Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">288 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1335595961</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBFjQiKSKk23IZC33WVRPXM39aG-1KaPCWwIM1ujZUGoNzCw1MpgqIR3wmwnbwHUV-daEoEBiycTJ6bt3u5-J1jUV-l7uKngIsdDdvuQfEwl8rq9rLLygOqHqL-t7d8JFI8eh9Ta9VvSohgCIaZW7QzIFOZbAUIEXX0ip9LmweVhstt8KK9_Vjgclckk/s1080/Wedded%20to%20his%20enemy%20meme.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBFjQiKSKk23IZC33WVRPXM39aG-1KaPCWwIM1ujZUGoNzCw1MpgqIR3wmwnbwHUV-daEoEBiycTJ6bt3u5-J1jUV-l7uKngIsdDdvuQfEwl8rq9rLLygOqHqL-t7d8JFI8eh9Ta9VvSohgCIaZW7QzIFOZbAUIEXX0ip9LmweVhstt8KK9_Vjgclckk/w640-h640/Wedded%20to%20his%20enemy%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Can childhood frenemies grow into love as adults? Lady Frederica and Samuel, the new Duke of Pelford, always knew their past life as joking children could turn into an arranged marriage. From their shared upbringing filled with amusing incidents (the bear cub left in Samuel's room was my favorite) to the witty banter between the couple, many of their experiences made for engaging reading. I found this take on the 'Enemies to Lovers' trope particularly riveting. Initially, neither Frederica nor Samuel preferred fulfilling their mothers' wishes. Despite their playful exchanges, there was always an underlying sense of intimacy resulting from their long-standing friendship.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgyQ798WL67pZtyGUSFvnFKIcTManUWpwig36MX4l34e_pizOk-EIg5XkQPZlFiD6OFrsn3KwFf6XWgeCZfPXjSPJ-ocluScDt2k06fFf0_u5kWKS6ngMQLdREyfxKeKiITtq1OwSUCmx-EPyfk95anh5YJoE_NG7YAVijQjjq6VdLZEJM2-G6ZhaAUE/s1080/bear%20wedded.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgyQ798WL67pZtyGUSFvnFKIcTManUWpwig36MX4l34e_pizOk-EIg5XkQPZlFiD6OFrsn3KwFf6XWgeCZfPXjSPJ-ocluScDt2k06fFf0_u5kWKS6ngMQLdREyfxKeKiITtq1OwSUCmx-EPyfk95anh5YJoE_NG7YAVijQjjq6VdLZEJM2-G6ZhaAUE/w640-h640/bear%20wedded.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></li></ul><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Samuel serves in the military and as an aide to General Wellington during the Napoleonic wars. Samuel's life as an intelligence agent not only exposes him to danger but also puts Frederica in grave peril. This was such an intriguing aspect that a great Lady in society would spy with her betrothed. After hastily marrying, the story turns serious as the French army is knocking at their door. The horrors of war are shown as well as the devastating loss that accompanies it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">"Wedded to his His Enemy Debutante" is an intriguing tale of two strong-willed individuals who find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. The book takes readers on a thrilling journey as Frederica and Samuel struggle to deny their intense chemistry, while also trying to let go of their guarded hearts and allow themselves to fall in love. The romance in this novel is nothing short of perfect, with fiery kisses that are sure to make the pages sizzle. Author Hastings expertly weaves together an enthralling story that keeps readers on their toes until the very end. All of her Stringham Family novels guarantee an exciting read with charming romances that leave readers enchanted and wanting more.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><p></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/AVvXsEg4olM1APQkWW4DGCb-d_ISIG3x0O_yr_-iSF9xk_Lv4Qr5M3KY80iJdo8XwLu8lzUseOK6G_3D00HIdFcx1Ofiavd2bOP0XMxQqXw5XbwmaanfVlcL_5_C5MJpVdtee085h7PvkqXQePQ55FSZs_IgUZo339nS8AQqEDjjpZZuPeZab51kE9Yjoz0k0lQ/s1080/Stringham%20family.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4olM1APQkWW4DGCb-d_ISIG3x0O_yr_-iSF9xk_Lv4Qr5M3KY80iJdo8XwLu8lzUseOK6G_3D00HIdFcx1Ofiavd2bOP0XMxQqXw5XbwmaanfVlcL_5_C5MJpVdtee085h7PvkqXQePQ55FSZs_IgUZo339nS8AQqEDjjpZZuPeZab51kE9Yjoz0k0lQ/w640-h640/Stringham%20family.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Samantha Hastings****</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrcabRUy0BlzFQLmnYx73-tu3OsgdbIeUwnCjU-AotvW5OjqjV8rFeBGNgQWvTrFelsC0O5nH3Art3QnD4iDnvlp1IY1UCjaHicIS83A3DHGZYwCWExNofumK_Lr9xrcVSo5LSJL7rc86A595SyRHVVnmAzDKtvKrzZ255h4Ze05d6HHo3d88eCpTf38/s320/samantha-hastings-orig-orig-orig_orig.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrcabRUy0BlzFQLmnYx73-tu3OsgdbIeUwnCjU-AotvW5OjqjV8rFeBGNgQWvTrFelsC0O5nH3Art3QnD4iDnvlp1IY1UCjaHicIS83A3DHGZYwCWExNofumK_Lr9xrcVSo5LSJL7rc86A595SyRHVVnmAzDKtvKrzZ255h4Ze05d6HHo3d88eCpTf38/w295-h400/samantha-hastings-orig-orig-orig_orig.jpeg" width="295" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She writes cozy murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen. </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Learn more at <a href="http://www.SamanthaHastings.com">www.SamanthaHastings.com</a> or connect with her on social media: Twitter @HastingSamantha, Instagram @SamanthaHastingsAuthor, and Facebook @AuthorSamanthaHastings</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRY5slXbz_IUy9ITYcV_FrYvxGv6_nJHUXubmsjMgjY25VnUBz_pWd_zPjz3JbQM4_fzvxSXjaIcndERiHbZaZ4X3Bjfkgb6hRjmd591jVFWFV6Hmnfjpua0P5CJI92Auhfr-jdXR28LOiwCDAukYdUDmrVyzNZqEGvCYv1Wy1dWzmlGOJ_lsqIUe8jQ/s1080/marry.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRY5slXbz_IUy9ITYcV_FrYvxGv6_nJHUXubmsjMgjY25VnUBz_pWd_zPjz3JbQM4_fzvxSXjaIcndERiHbZaZ4X3Bjfkgb6hRjmd591jVFWFV6Hmnfjpua0P5CJI92Auhfr-jdXR28LOiwCDAukYdUDmrVyzNZqEGvCYv1Wy1dWzmlGOJ_lsqIUe8jQ/w640-h640/marry.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Enter the Giveaway to Win</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>1 of 3 copies being Given Away!!!</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="3109171a10" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3109171a10/" id="rcwidget_uq4hyqtv" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;"><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">
~*~*~*~*Purchase Wedded to His Enemy Debutante~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/423Xhu8" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/423Xhu8</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Mass Market Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/4b1gDEh" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/4b1gDEh</a></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/4bhNll5" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/4bhNll5</a></span></u></b></span></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-71520243202104980772024-01-23T21:00:00.000-07:002024-01-23T21:00:55.837-07:00Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) By Rebecca Yarros-Fantasy Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HSVj0zQM1kEm5GxrtJz4AfiCFBa_471_ywGaT2eXoOfGei6KGFY9o58CvkPESmgmygEbr6aXTk2HTtJy6aPIyUe2j2p_iWmiK4Ua0ao56g-jjtqNaMFfSEUU5sNzV6wr3JHTI1e0oulpFmwFHC9Sg_XzcIVr5_glXXnnsuf4wuMVgaq-GPJUjqrfx_I/s1080/Iron%20Flame%20meme.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HSVj0zQM1kEm5GxrtJz4AfiCFBa_471_ywGaT2eXoOfGei6KGFY9o58CvkPESmgmygEbr6aXTk2HTtJy6aPIyUe2j2p_iWmiK4Ua0ao56g-jjtqNaMFfSEUU5sNzV6wr3JHTI1e0oulpFmwFHC9Sg_XzcIVr5_glXXnnsuf4wuMVgaq-GPJUjqrfx_I/w640-h640/Iron%20Flame%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-weight: 600;">“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Book Details</span></b></u></span></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Entangled: Red Tower Books (November 7, 2023)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Genre: Fantasy</span></b></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Hardcover : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">640 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1649374178</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I bought my own copy with the sprayed edges! Of course, I had to have this.</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="cb2f4377-0c30-4835-be49-369f19bc0e8a"><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4">Wow! </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="66805350-8957-4b91-9f04-b4cb7e7031dc">I rarely begin my review with such passion, but Iron Flame was simply so enthralling, I just couldn't help myself.</wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4"> I finished Iron Flame last night and I wanted to scream but I knew other people in the house were fast asleep. This review will be spoiler-free so there won't be many specific details.</wt-ignore></p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="fa621892-c786-4f46-adfd-d04fedd49995"><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4">The number one thing I wanted to say is that Iron Flame didn't have the "Second Book Curse". </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="d835a3ea-0129-4c93-881a-749b99e49221">The main difference between Fourth Wing and Iron Flame lies in their purposes.</wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4"> Book one introduced the world, its characters, and the dragons. Iron Flame expands the world and the history and politics were fascinating. I loved them both but differently; like a parent does with their children. </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="c8b9b391-dd1f-4175-9f95-2b312454b57b">Also, this book was packed with a lot of action and I seemed to be </wt-ignore><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">on pins and needles with</span> each chapter. The final few chapters were particularly intense and left me in a state of apprehension and breathlessness.</p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="f646995b-c25f-46a8-97ae-9c7f79458515"><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4">Let's talk Dragons. </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="ef451ac2-419b-4050-bb82-4d1d553b3839">I hadn't anticipated loving Tairn and Andarna any more than I did in Fourth Wing, yet, boy was I mistaken.</wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4"> </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="bf6e80be-0ab8-4bb6-b1c8-6d012840d937">Tairn's steadfast loyalty to Violet, and his unwavering devotion to the dragons, were awe-inspiring.</wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4"> </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="63b78789-5717-4c47-b98a-517624e3e1be">Andarna, now a teenager, is lively and full of attitude. The witty banter between the dragons and Violet is nothing short of hilarious.</wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4"> </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="93d897cd-c4ec-49a0-8fc2-ac024ae20e67">Both characters were standouts in this novel.</wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="7ed17e3b-7aea-4c38-99f0-b57bb2dc8bd4"> </wt-ignore><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="d3e43790-f0f5-468d-9c26-46477640e113">Some intriguing twists involving Andarna await in Book Three."</wt-ignore></p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="f646995b-c25f-46a8-97ae-9c7f79458515">The supporting characters in Iron Flame were truly outstanding and underwent extensive character development, particularly Ridoc, Sawyer, Imogen, and Rhi, who provided unwavering support to Violet and Xaden. Speaking of the main characters, the beginning of the book is laden with tension between Violet and Xaden. I must confess my love for Xaden only grew stronger as the plot progressed. The plot is complex and filled with intricate secrets, epic battles, and growing romance. The novel ends with an intense cliffhanger that is sure to leave readers in shock. If you enjoyed Fourth Wing, Iron Flame is a must-read that will not disappoint.</p></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>****Meet Author Rebecca Yarros****</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrl5l-292URKj1YBJ2xIi0vtKrlBlA3tzR5XHgJ7hwMIkOiFp7bGHJ0M4P0VphW5J0RRM1MSVdNbg6CEXDZ7qGX4TVv0d1y0c1bb3_s1fOf9c_wLSiuSGYeVcxqNN9yvzOnIvz7-SBfdRruGXsnsNuEH0wdstqqLHBGRwiTtnHzL0OnfjAs8edGwBhbY/s260/Rebecca%20Yarros%20photo.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="200" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrl5l-292URKj1YBJ2xIi0vtKrlBlA3tzR5XHgJ7hwMIkOiFp7bGHJ0M4P0VphW5J0RRM1MSVdNbg6CEXDZ7qGX4TVv0d1y0c1bb3_s1fOf9c_wLSiuSGYeVcxqNN9yvzOnIvz7-SBfdRruGXsnsNuEH0wdstqqLHBGRwiTtnHzL0OnfjAs8edGwBhbY/s1600/Rebecca%20Yarros%20photo.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Rebecca is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifteen novels, including FOURTH WING, and is always ready to bring on the emotions. She's also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence in New Adult for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for twenty-one years. She’s the mother of six children and lives in Colorado with her family, their stubborn English bulldog, feisty chinchillas, and Maine Coon cat who rules them all. Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Visit her website at<a href=" www.RebeccaYarros.com" target="_blank"> www.RebeccaYarros.com</a> for more!</b></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Iron Flame~*~*~*~*</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">HERE:</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Hardcover-<a href="https://amzn.to/3Sh4Qt4" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3Sh4Qt4</a></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u style="background-color: #fcff01;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3ScHFzZ" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3ScHFzZ</a></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/427BaD8" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/427BaD8</a></span></u></b></span></div>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-77981259076908980592024-01-20T08:00:00.002-07:002024-01-20T08:00:00.132-07:00Fatal Witness: A Pearl River Novel #2 by Patricia Bradley-Romantic Suspense Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAbNiGCVlcorhWLiSQIuzxK90KmW9xp9KYAqX0euB6uAPFHSZai7t-UNinKijBVsvzHqX02CM9X5i4E1x6dSC8YY6CHyG_1YjRfNN_QznWH-Vft5UVCfnO5RTDchqhN2b6cJUiAEnTlQG38al1qD1Lgif_NDr0fnuiFp06EOGyF_sWfoSHk_X_e2iF5s/s2000/Fatal%20Witness%20cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1294" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAbNiGCVlcorhWLiSQIuzxK90KmW9xp9KYAqX0euB6uAPFHSZai7t-UNinKijBVsvzHqX02CM9X5i4E1x6dSC8YY6CHyG_1YjRfNN_QznWH-Vft5UVCfnO5RTDchqhN2b6cJUiAEnTlQG38al1qD1Lgif_NDr0fnuiFp06EOGyF_sWfoSHk_X_e2iF5s/w414-h640/Fatal%20Witness%20cover.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div></div><p></p><h1 class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 28px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-extra-large celwidget" data-cel-widget="productTitle" data-csa-c-id="nidqi4-n74i9e-iklldi-i01k82" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: Righteous;">Fatal Witness (Pearl River Book #2): (Romantic Suspense K-9 Thriller Cold Case)</span></span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Summary</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">As a child, artist and potter Dani Bennett witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. With no memory of the incident or her true identity, she was forced to take on a new name and a new life, hidden away in Montana for the past 25 years.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Mae Richmond has spent the same stretch of time searching for her granddaughter, who went missing the night her daughter and son-in-law were murdered. Convinced the woman she saw in a pottery magazine feature is the woman she's been searching for, she enlists the help of K-9 officer Mark Lassiter of Pearl Springs, Tennessee, who tracks Dani down.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Skeptical but curious, Dani sets out on a journey to uncover the secrets of her past and reclaim her true identity. But someone close to her is determined to keep the truth of what happened all those years ago hidden.</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span></p><div id="detailBullets_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Revell (February 6, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Romantic Suspense, Christian Mystery Suspense,</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">400 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">0800741633</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAY7jAebHCSKQJ7DhpZQUtYRXbD0nm_3f4yp8P89JrvGex7LOH4QoPqEeRBY7zhIrvMy4quo5EOg4r8UyuYqUi6fGG9dSQtSdCO7mC0K1It7z5CA1MOuU5RiFFBrMg0Iy0zrjTTlVkHdrotuL5FXjJWhsIZbqZLs5tXRm6VIocjCQg4GCPQZA2Ia7hDc/s1080/Fatal%20Witness%20meme.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAY7jAebHCSKQJ7DhpZQUtYRXbD0nm_3f4yp8P89JrvGex7LOH4QoPqEeRBY7zhIrvMy4quo5EOg4r8UyuYqUi6fGG9dSQtSdCO7mC0K1It7z5CA1MOuU5RiFFBrMg0Iy0zrjTTlVkHdrotuL5FXjJWhsIZbqZLs5tXRm6VIocjCQg4GCPQZA2Ia7hDc/w640-h640/Fatal%20Witness%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">This Romantic Suspense was full of nailbiting and spellbinding action. This novel is a story of unresolved murders, traumatic memory loss, and tragedy. Dani Bennett's life has been one on the run. The memories of her first 8 years disappeared after witnessing the horrendous murders of her parents. Years later, she is back in the town where the tragedy took place. Reaquainted with her grandmother and long-lost friends, she also meets K-9 officer Mark Lassiter. They form a bond and vow to work together to figure out the mystery that can be found in Pearl Springs, Tennessee. </span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fatal Witness is a story of unexpected romance, forgiveness, and healing. The unknown evil is still in town trying to eliminate Dani, her grandmother, and anyone else who knows things about the past murders. The long list of suspects makes this mystery even more intriguing. As Dani's memory returns piece by piece, the intrigue wrenches up. Within the short time frame, the whirlwind romance heats up as they try to stay alive. When the truth comes out will the romance be able to survive? </span></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fatal Witness was a spine-tingling, action-packed, suspense with a sweet dose of romance. This novel is one that all mystery suspense readers will love.</span></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">****Meet Author Patricia Bradley****</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdgBClKSvZYsy_Uo1eMjoWwV1IWL7UrNyjH_YwY-7c7tG6DbZIbOB4BQ-nmVpABxc9x6q6bsgZe9RIJ2CIJKNnfHHd8b769FZbtCGVRkywYOtyKYhD0luQIJg0mjirUpv2iOuyxRkJU3bGBVdYe6dQU04U4yyy7mh1Zfb_bktaDcrrzIO0hlb9eUw3zk/s300/Patricia%20Bradley.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEjFdgBClKSvZYsy_Uo1eMjoWwV1IWL7UrNyjH_YwY-7c7tG6DbZIbOB4BQ-nmVpABxc9x6q6bsgZe9RIJ2CIJKNnfHHd8b769FZbtCGVRkywYOtyKYhD0luQIJg0mjirUpv2iOuyxRkJU3bGBVdYe6dQU04U4yyy7mh1Zfb_bktaDcrrzIO0hlb9eUw3zk/s1600/Patricia%20Bradley.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>USA Today best-selling author, Patricia Bradley is the recipient numerous awards, including an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in suspense, a Selah winner, was a Carol and a Daphne du Maurier finalist. Her romantic suspense novels include the Logan Point series, the Memphis Cold Case Novels, and the Natchez Trace Park Rangers. She is now hard at work on the second book in her new Pearl River series set in the Cumberland Plateau area above Chattanooga. The first book in the series, Counter Attack will release in mid-2023.</i></b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She has conducted writing workshops for American Christian Fiction Writers, the Mid-South Christian Writer’s Conference, the KenTen and Scrivener retreats (where she was the keynote), the Memphis American Christian Fiction Writer group, and the Bartlett Christian Writers group. </i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She and her two cats call Northeast Mississippi home--the South is also where she sets most of her books, and when she has time, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens.</i></b></span></p></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Fatal Witness~*~*~*~*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">HERE:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-family: times; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;">Hardback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3SmJZFU" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SmJZFU</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Papaerback-</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3SstYyk" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SstYyk</a></span></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3SstYyk" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3SstYyk</a></span></u></b></div><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;"> </span><p></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-92148231974361204282024-01-19T08:00:00.079-07:002024-01-19T08:00:00.132-07:00Hunted By Proxy: Proxy Legal Thriller Series Book 2 By Manning Wolfe-Suspense Book Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2><i><span style="font-family: Righteous; font-size: large;">Hunted By Proxy</span></i></h2>
<h3><span style="font-family: Righteous; font-size: large;">by Manning Wolfe</span></h3>
<h4><span style="font-family: Righteous; font-size: large;">January 15-February 2, 2024 Virtual Book Tour</span></h4>
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<h2><u>Book Synopsis:</u></h2>
<div style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; width: 225px;"><img alt="Hunted By Proxy by Manning Wolfe" border="0" height="300" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/hHhuHwxI5TG7-HuntedbyProxy_eBook_NEW-scaled.jpg" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
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<h4><span style="font-family: Poppins;"><i>In this lawyer on the run action suspense, can attorney Quinton Bell hang on to his new life as he hides in plain sight?</i></span></h4>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins;"><i>Hunted By Proxy takes you on a heart-pounding journey through the life of a criminal defense attorney, whose world, as he knew it, was wiped out by the very client he tried to save.</i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins;"><i>Quinton establishes a new life and law practice in Houston and thinks he’s outrun the dangerous adversaries who chased him there. Just as he begins to relax, he receives a mysterious note that proves to him that he’s still in danger and running from a powerful and relentless adversary. But who?</i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins;"><i>With each passing moment, the noose tightens, and he must draw on every ounce of wit to outsmart those who still want him exposed, or worse, dead.</i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Poppins;"><i>Will Quinton Bell find a way out, or will he forever be a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse?</i></span></p>
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<blockquote class="details" style="margin: 20px; padding: 20px;">
<h3><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details:</span></u></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Legal Thriller <br />
<b>Published by:</b> Starpath Books, LLC<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> January 2024 <br />
<b>Number of Pages:</b> 300<br />
<b>ISBN:</b> B0CFWWCX7F<br />
<b>Series:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/450n46x" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Proxy Legal Thriller Series</a>, Book 2<br />
<b>Book Links:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/3Nzl52N" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/4716bJG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> <b>****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</b> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69sHgWwD22LG2qy9S4-fWYtCdiWYrAYJj8u0dZ1OwlFf5Ad7KgNOvwXhUjys65XxDQGAVbUkLT7d6_eFY6ihyphenhyphen2WJcSwmF4in_XjthVpeLzOWbS24-_DX6vQfZW-xKUy2oL2xpJC-zKjeyDDdxCON54_jVIMwK8qMiP-zrUKJFiJihvfsOdJRpnInJOqw/s1080/Hunted%20by%20Proxy%20meme.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69sHgWwD22LG2qy9S4-fWYtCdiWYrAYJj8u0dZ1OwlFf5Ad7KgNOvwXhUjys65XxDQGAVbUkLT7d6_eFY6ihyphenhyphen2WJcSwmF4in_XjthVpeLzOWbS24-_DX6vQfZW-xKUy2oL2xpJC-zKjeyDDdxCON54_jVIMwK8qMiP-zrUKJFiJihvfsOdJRpnInJOqw/w640-h640/Hunted%20by%20Proxy%20meme.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span> </p><p><wt-ignore data-pm-slice="0 0 []" source="wt-feature-result" uuid="cbae5bb1-834f-4d92-97bf-aab6d42bcb4d"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">The second book in Manning Wolfe's Proxy Legal Thriller Series, Hunted By Proxy, is the second in the series. I had no idea what to expect as I hadn't read book one. New readers get enough information to keep them engaged. I will read book one to learn why Quinton Bell ran.</span></wt-ignore></p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="fb0fc57b-ec89-4313-82dd-57ba191c8cbe"></p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="a030e38f-5d80-4d17-8664-c3fa9eab0a30"><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="6baf0828-b4c1-4bc9-944e-7b308a0395ae"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">In this thrilling and fast-paced novel, the reader is transported to a world where murder, blackmail, and arson intertwine with a man's desperate search for safety. The story unfolds in a fast-paced narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. You won't be putting this book down once it is in your hands. Sleep is not needed when you are thrown into the courtroom drama and watching as Quinton Bell's life is on the line.</span></wt-ignore></p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="a030e38f-5d80-4d17-8664-c3fa9eab0a30"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Author Manning Wolfe has written a book with a likable, very smart, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and unlucky at times</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> character. The side characters add so much to the overall enjoyment of the novel.</span></span></p><p class="pb-2 min-w-[1px]" data-private="redact" data-wt-guid="a030e38f-5d80-4d17-8664-c3fa9eab0a30"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><wt-ignore source="wt-feature-result" uuid="6baf0828-b4c1-4bc9-944e-7b308a0395ae"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overall, this book is a captivating blend of action, suspense, courtroom drama, and a shocking vehicular collision. It successfully combines different genres to create a thrilling and immersive experience for the reader. If you're looking for a book that will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat, this is a perfect choice for </span></wt-ignore><span style="font-family: verdana;">readers who love thrillers.</span></span></p>
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</span><h3>Read an excerpt:</h3>
<div class="excerpt" style="border-color: 800000; border-style: groove; border-width: 3px; height: 250px; overflow: auto;">
<p>Quinton heaved a box of thick books onto the conference room table in the new Law Office of Quinton Lamar Bell in Houston, Texas. He’d recently moved to The Galleria area around Westheimer and Post Oak and opened a solo practice. Quinton was now what they called a loop lawyer, one who offices around and outside the 610 Loop. It circled the city from Interstate 10 to Highway 45 to Highway 59 surrounding the downtown high-rises poking out of the ground in the middle of the ring. He had been working downtown for the last year but, seeking distance and maybe a little safety from the legal community, found his perfect new office and began to make it his own.</p>
<p>Clients were not hard to come by as Quinton had created a reputation on his last big case, a murder involving the defense of his friend and lover, Joanne Wyatt. That seemed a lifetime ago, and he had become a loop lawyer in part to get a fresh start, but also to protect his former firm, Jamail, Powers & Kent, from his past life in New York City. That’s another story, for another day, but it involved Quinton’s pseudocide off the Staten Island Ferry.</p>
<p>Quinton Lamar Bell was not his real name, it was Byron Douglas, but only he knew that and one other person. A potentially dangerous person. When Quinton had opened his new office, he thought he was the only one on earth who knew he had faked his own death in New York and come to Houston to hide in plain sight. He looked different with a little plastic surgery, and had assumed not only the face, name, and demeanor, but the entire life of a childhood friend. He did so, not because he hated his prior life but because it was too dangerous to live it anymore. Besides, Q, as he’d dubbed his friend and benefactor, no longer needed his name or his face as he had been cremated and sprinkled in the Gulf of Mexico. So, in essence, Quinton had been killed twice, and he wasn’t even dead.</p>
<p>The new Quinton had worked for a downtown Houston firm at the insistence of his faux father, Judge Sirus Bell, who was also now deceased, in order to establish himself as Quinton. When he’d left the downtown firm, on good terms, he’d agreed to split any profits fifty-fifty on the files that were open prior to his departure. Any new cases were all his, even if they were referred by the old firm. It was generous to Quinton. He’d been supported a great deal by the three women partners in his prior office and would not forget their kindness. It was one of the reasons for the separation and move, to protect them, and to get out of their hair. </p>
<p>The women’s firm didn’t really want criminal cases running through their office and Quinton didn’t want the firm to get caught in the crossfire, in the event that his past came back to haunt him. And his past did haunt him. He could never go back. He’d broken the law, lied, cheated, stole, and taken Quinton’s legacy as his own. Now, he went through each day hiding in plain sight and living the life of a dead man.</p>
<p>After Judge Bell’s death, he’d found that he, as Quinton, was the sole heir of the Bell estate. He’d put most of the inheritance into a charitable trust, but had kept one asset, and only one asset. He loved the Bell house in Galveston, a beautiful Victorian home near the beach, that he could not bear to part with. It was the source of many childhood memories with both his friend, Q, and mentor, Judge Bell. </p>
<p>Giving the bulk of the estate to charity was the right thing to do, but if the authorities found out about his true identity, his altruism would not stop them from charging him with crimes from fraud to murder. Yes, murder. That’s the aforementioned part of the long story for another day.</p>
<p>With the help of Judge Bell, Byron had stolen Quinton Bell’s persona, deliberately adapted to his new life in Houston, and felt that he had truly escaped the danger he’d left behind. After a while, it felt to the new Quinton like he’d learned another language and was now immersed in it. He actually became the new Quinton Bell, a fusion of his former self and new persona speaking the acquired language as if he’d been born to it. Still, he’d walked on proverbial eggshells every day for months, finally settling in, to what he thought was a fairly safe place.</p>
<p>That is, until a strange card arrived in the mail at his new office. It revealed his former name, Byron Douglas, shook him to the core, and left him wondering who knew about his past and what they wanted from him. It had been several weeks since the card had been delivered. One side was adorned with a photo of the New York skyline and the Staten Island Ferry. The other side had a cryptic note: “Hello, Byron. I know who you are, and I know what you’ve done. Be seeing you.” </p>
<p>No demands, no further contact, and no requests of any nature. It was like waiting for the proverbial ‘other shoe’ to drop. Was he going to be blackmailed? If so, why send the card? The sender wanted something, but what? Would Quinton one day be arrested without further notice? Law enforcement wouldn’t send a warning. Who was the sender, and what did they have planned for him? </p>
<p>“Be seeing you.” It gave him a chill. Waiting to find out was worse than the many scenarios he imagined would flow from his discovery.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Excerpt from <i>Hunted By Proxy</i> by Manning Wolfe. Copyright 2024 by Manning Wolfe. Reproduced with permission from Manning Wolfe. All rights reserved.</p>
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<h2>Author Bio:</h2>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 15px; width: 230px;"><img align="left" alt="Manning Wolfe" border="0" height="200" src="https://partnersincrimetours.com/wp-content/uploads/forminator/13997_115b15d08b2c7bb7da2712949e71a2f7/uploads/fPlWGU4IvRuW-Collar-headshot-cropped-copy.jpeg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /></div>
<p>MANNING WOLFE, an award-winning author and attorney residing in Austin, Texas, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder.<br />
* Manning's legal thriller series features Austin attorney Merit Bridges, including <em>Dollar Signs</em>, <em>Music Notes</em>, <em>Green Fees</em>, and <em>Chinese Wall</em>.<br />
* Manning's new Proxy Legal Thriller Series features Houston attorney Quinton Bell and includes: <em>Dead By Proxy</em>, <em>Hunted By Proxy</em>, and <em>Alive By Proxy</em>.<br />
* Manning is co-author of <em>Killer Set: Drop the Mic</em>, and twelve additional Bullet Book Speed Reads.<br />
As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.</p>
<h3>Catch Up With Manning Wolfe:<br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/3RNg7lJ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">manningwolfe.com</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/41tMQzE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/3GR3gsw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub - @ManningWolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/3v7yvga" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram - @manningwolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/41CeLxy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter/X - @ManningWolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://bit.ly/3GQPypj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook - @manning.wolfe</a></h3>
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Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178883441932601627.post-54472181896746757112024-01-16T21:34:00.001-07:002024-01-16T21:58:31.826-07:00Cry Wolf: Marshals of Montana Series by Kathi Oram Peterson-Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64Gw2cfElCisQheoi5G6W6Jpr6KsVYQqWLrTkgjaLtm4Oy3xHEU_IwA72uWvaZhnMH2ZLdYPhNx9zqy98dULw6NYjA5UHDBJI8LsZsXApXp1U6emGROEnNpGh5YaYIFC9Hr2yzRV8WFZM1-YJ1_dAqXf3yghSBy5ixSCWtl5zn_T6NbTHzQtTzXARWDk/s2700/Cry%20WEolf%20Cover.jpeg" 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/AVvXsEj64Gw2cfElCisQheoi5G6W6Jpr6KsVYQqWLrTkgjaLtm4Oy3xHEU_IwA72uWvaZhnMH2ZLdYPhNx9zqy98dULw6NYjA5UHDBJI8LsZsXApXp1U6emGROEnNpGh5YaYIFC9Hr2yzRV8WFZM1-YJ1_dAqXf3yghSBy5ixSCWtl5zn_T6NbTHzQtTzXARWDk/w426-h640/Cry%20WEolf%20Cover.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"> Book Summary</span></u></b><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>Dania Blackwolf is bursting with excitement: after years of disappointment, she’s just learned she and her husband are one step closer to having their dreams come true. Eager to tell her husband, Matthew, about her findings, she returns home from her nightshift at the hospital—but what awaits her there is no dream. It’s a nightmare. Matthew has been murdered, and Dyani is the only witness to the masked intruder. With no one to corroborate her story, she is the prime suspect.</b></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Poppins; font-size: medium;"><b>When U.S. Marshal Brett Rollins’s best friend, Matthew, was murdered, Dania, was convicted of the crime. But it’s never added up for Brett. Now, three years later when Dyani escapes prison and Brett finds her, he is faced with a life-altering choice: send a woman he believes to be innocent back to prison or help her find his friend’s killer. Determined to see justice done, Brett goes rogue. The unlikely allies embark on a dangerous quest to uncover the truth. But what they discover is a plot more far-reaching than they ever imagined and a truth that will test everything they thought they knew. </b></span></span></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Book Details</span></u></b></p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Covenant Communications (January 2, 2024)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Romantic Suspense</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><u>Series: </u></b></span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"> Marshals of Montana</span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">248 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1524424099</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****</span></b></p></span></span></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u></u></b></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaB54pwORA3WCZmo6tWGUIP_Q9XzU_k_YFSZNYxyhyVN-KuvlYazEVMDTmo2Cd7u9uIQSSiwH6TZBXKpwSKWr6bnWIOqBufQZtMtE2GQk6sRZDh_raE_rJaT4Daa9Rri5UOAm0RVFyQ_W-dPHIar0wIHaL1QFbtnUb_Ay5poekKT4oKcQhEFScjHKhkXw/s1080/Cry%20Wolf%20Meme%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaB54pwORA3WCZmo6tWGUIP_Q9XzU_k_YFSZNYxyhyVN-KuvlYazEVMDTmo2Cd7u9uIQSSiwH6TZBXKpwSKWr6bnWIOqBufQZtMtE2GQk6sRZDh_raE_rJaT4Daa9Rri5UOAm0RVFyQ_W-dPHIar0wIHaL1QFbtnUb_Ay5poekKT4oKcQhEFScjHKhkXw/w640-h640/Cry%20Wolf%20Meme%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></u></b><p></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></u></b></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What if you were convicted of a murder you didn't commit? This is why the main character Dania finds herself in prison accused of killing her own husband but she is innocent. Readers know this from the beginning and you're on pins and needles as Dania escapes and tries to prove she wasn't the killer. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a suspense thriller that you can't put down. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I loved how Dania got the help of her late husband's best friend Brett, a US Marshall. As the pieces start unfolding as to who was truly behind all of the schemes and murders, the suspense and intrigue build. Author Kathi Oram Peterson does a great job of leaving tiny clues along the way to help you piece everything together. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The romance is more subtle in this novel and has a small role. This was OK for me as life and death seemed a lot more important than romance. It was nice though, how Dania and Brett grew closer as they learned more about each other and how tragic both of their lives had been. Animals also play a nice part in this story with Jasper, Brett's adorable police dog, and the lone wolf that kept showing up. There is a significant meaning behind the wolf but you'll need to read this novel to find out why. Cry Wolf is a fantastic start to this new series of Marshals of Montana.</span></span></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">****Meet Author Kathi Oram Peterson****</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrINEdr-UQX37CcgbIGjGiti0Ol9OvdYozLB2oH-TByeCbxzEyl15X_31VhTWUKqxtVFIoomwaGEVx0rdDf2zt9jQbJgQDXydOTCxoMMG9BKnFVSiZvttd0TNl2-vORZRD9GBGuXJcuNkdxpHImknIk8OhN5eUT3dLEd5mf_TUxSz1B3IR1VBFXT74DQ/s300/Kathi%20OP.jpg" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEiJrINEdr-UQX37CcgbIGjGiti0Ol9OvdYozLB2oH-TByeCbxzEyl15X_31VhTWUKqxtVFIoomwaGEVx0rdDf2zt9jQbJgQDXydOTCxoMMG9BKnFVSiZvttd0TNl2-vORZRD9GBGuXJcuNkdxpHImknIk8OhN5eUT3dLEd5mf_TUxSz1B3IR1VBFXT74DQ/s1600/Kathi%20OP.jpg" width="300" /></a></u></b></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: medium;"><b>Three-time Whitney Award winner, Kathi Oram Peterson was born in a small town in Idaho. Since childhood, she has loved reading and writing stories. After raising her family, she put her writing on hold to earn a BA in English and a minor in Sociology. Upon graduation, she worked for a curriculum publisher writing and editing concept and biography books for children. She now devotes her time to writing romantic suspense and young adult novels. </b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Young Adult titles:</span></u></b></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The Forgotten Warrior </span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">An Angel on Main Street </span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The Stone Traveler </span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Reluctant Warrior</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Stripling Warrior</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Guardian of the Stone</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Ten Stripling Warrior Character Traits to Apply to Your Life</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><u><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Romantic suspense titles:</span></u></b></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">River Whispers</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Cold Justice</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Wanted </span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Deceived</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Star Struck</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Breach of Trust</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">A Familiar Fear</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Bloodline</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">A Stranger Watches</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Treacherous Legacy</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Danger Unknown</span></i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #373e3e; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Ember, amazon_ember, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Shifting Sands</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">~*~*~*~*Purchase Cry Wolf~*~*~*~*</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">HERE:</span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">Paperback-<a href="https://amzn.to/3U3D1XI" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3U3D1XI</a></span></u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Kindle-<a href="https://amzn.to/3HGwFWR" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3HGwFWR</a></span></span></u></b></p>Why Not? Because I Said So!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12875366296917497497noreply@blogger.com0