Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Read an exclusive excerpt from She's the One Who Gets in Fights by S.R. Cronin

 


The third book in the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters series by S.R. Cronin is here! Read an exclusive excerpt from She's the One That Who Gets in Fights and then download your own copy. Be sure to visit the rest of the tour for even more sneak peeks. Remember to leave your comments and questions along the way. Best of luck in the giveaway!



Do you know what your problem is?

Sulphur knows hers. This 13th-century woman has trained as a fighter all her life in hopes of joining the army. Then, within days, both of her older sisters announce plans and suddenly Sulphur is expected to find a man to marry instead.

Is it her good fortune her homeland is gripped by fear of a pending invasion and the army now goes door to door encouraging recruits? Sulphur thinks it is. But once she’s forced to kill in a small skirmish, she’s ready to rethink her career decision. Too bad it’s too late. The invasion is coming, and Ilari needs every good soldier it has.

Once Sulphur learns Ilari’s army has made the strategic decision to not defend certain parts of the realm, including the one where her family lives, she has to re-evaluate her loyalty. Is it with the military she’s always admired? Or is it with her sisters, who are hatching a plan to defend their homeland with magic?

The problem with being a woman who fights for what’s right is that now, she has to figure out what is.

(The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters consists of seven short companion novels. Each tells the personal story and perspective of one of seven radically different sisters in the 1200s as they prepare for an invasion of their realm. While these historical fantasy/alternate history books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, together they tell the full story of how Ilari survived.)

Read an exclusive excerpt:
(trigger warning – suicidal thoughts)

All four of my younger sisters busied themselves adjusting to the new family order and wondering what would happen next. Our youngest two returned to school two days after the wedding, while the twins settled back into the lives they created as unmarried young women with artistic pursuits. I guessed they both had lovers they’d kept hidden to spare my feelings in much the same way Coral had kept her relationship with Davor quiet until Ryalgar left.

If I could do nothing else, I had to stop this nonsense. Unlike Ryalgar, I had no desire to marry, and I didn’t think I ever would. Marriage didn’t seem compatible with the life of a soldier, I found most domestic chores boring beyond belief, and I had no desire to raise a child. So, my younger sisters needed to get on with their lives, and I had to find a way to make a graceful exit from a world that didn’t appear to have a place for a woman like me.

The not-having-a-place-for-me thing stung, to be honest, and after an ank or two it became all I could focus on. As the days shortened, the feeling grew until it crowded out everything else. I didn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and I considered ending my life. I’m not proud of the fact, but it was easy enough to conclude the whole family would be better off without the problem of what to do with Sulphur.

But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even get myself to focus on a way of doing it. Oddly enough, I had Ryalgar and the Mongols to thank for it.

When I’d been in the forest, Ryalgar and I discussed these thieves from the east. I’d confided in her about my dreams of joining the Svadlu and discovered she knew more about the dangers our realm faced than I’d have guessed. She didn’t want to hide in the forest while others raided our homeland, and she sought her own way to help protect Ilari.

She and I agreed our realm would need all the fighters it could get. So, the idea of having potential soldiers, good soldiers, die by their own hand before the battle began made no sense to me, even amid my despondency. For all that I wanted to force everyone, especially Davor, to feel guilty about my lack of choices, I also didn’t want my life to end stupidly. I wanted my life to end in glory, dying for those I loved. Or perhaps not dying at all, at least not for a long while

So I held on tight to the idea that Ilari might need me, despite everything, and that bit of light got me thru the darkest of those times.


Buy Links:

Amazon US * Amazon UK * Smashwords

(affiliate links included) 



Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how eccentric she is.

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01

Facebook: www.facebook.com/46Ascending

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.r.cronin/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q

Author Blog: https://sherriecronin.xyz/

Book Series Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/



S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Review of The Truth About Unspeakable Things by Emily A. Myers

On Tour with Prism Book Tours


Welcome to the book tour for The Truth About Unspeakable Things by Emily A. Myers. It's an intense story. And trigger warning: sexual assault and fallout. But I was intrigued by this story and am sharing my thoughts below. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour as well for excerpts and other people's thoughts. Best of luck entering the giveaway!


The Truth About Unspeakable Things
By Emily A. Myers
Women's Fiction
Paperback & ebook, 284 Pages
April 2, 2021

“He did more than break your heart, didn’t he?”

Emma Marshall is haunted by memories of a horrific attack she can’t bury deep enough. Most of all, Emma is haunted by fear — fear that she will never be free of her abusive ex’s control, fear she will never be able to trust another man again.

No one knows the unspeakable truth of what happened between Emma and her ex-fiancé Beaux. It’s a secret Emma plans to carry to the grave, until Julian Cole, a music executive with a dark past of his own, moves in next door and opens Emma’s mind and heart to the possibility of love after a violent betrayal. As the reporter and music executive grow closer in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, Emma realizes she must face her past in order to heal and move forward with Julian. But Emma soon learns Beaux will do anything to keep his sins a secret.

Emma must risk everything to protect her newfound happiness and Julian from Beaux’s threats. Putting her investigative skills to good use, Emma embarks on a dangerous journey to gather evidence and bring Beaux to justice. But the deeper Emma gets into Beaux’s wicked world, the more complicated things become. How far will Beaux go to keep his secrets? How far will Emma go to protect the ones she loves? Find out in this women’s empowerment thriller about life and love after abuse.



(Affiliate links included.)

**My thoughts**
This story is intense. Emma endures horrific abuse from her ex-fiance, which is slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel. If you're sensitive to sexual abuse, then this will not be the book for you. To me, what is almost as horrifying is the fact that Emma never reported it and holds this secret deep within her. She's suffering terribly from the after-effects, and has actually forgotten some of the details. As often happens, they do later bubble up, making it all worse. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

Thank goodness for her new neighbor, Julian. He has plenty of his own secrets and problems, but gets her on a level that no one else does. While there are moments where he is her knight in shining armor, more importantly, he inspires her to take charge of her life and take it back.

There's plenty of action and drama to keep you glued to the pages. I can see this one playing out on the screen, most likely in a miniseries format. It's jam-packed with emotion as well. And I think it has some lessons for readers and could provide some great conversations. Not everyone is going to be able to take matters in their own hands in the same way that Emma does, of course, but in general, she is inspiring.

I received a requested review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


About the Author


Emily A. Myers is a Women’s Fiction author based in Louisiana. Her debut novel, The Truth About Unspeakable Things, sets the tone for Emily’s future works as it follows a young woman’s journey through the dangerous pitfalls of adult relationships and the complexities of growing up. In addition to writing fiction, Emily also dedicates time to her blog, which helps other aspiring authors turn their passion into their profession, and her Facebook community for women in which she posts exclusive interviews with inspiring women from all areas of life. Learn more about Emily at emilyamyers.com Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @emilymyersauthor for real-time updates.


Tour Schedule


Tour Giveaway


Three winners will each receive a print copy of The Truth About Unspeakable Things (US only)

Ends June 30, 2021

Grab Our Button!

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Review of Blue Twilight (Blue Mountain #5) by Tess Thompson



Death came between them in high school. Will solving a painful cold case bring them together at last?

Carlie Webster remains haunted by the past. After a messy failed marriage sends her packing for her small hometown, she relives the memories of her sister’s thirty-year-old unsolved murder. But when rekindled sparks fly with the suspected killer’s brother, Carlie must clear his sibling’s name if she wants a shot at second-chance love.

Cole Paisley has never shaken his family’s dark reputation. Finally returning after merciless rumors forced them out three decades ago, the recent divorcé is stunned to discover the girl who stole his heart is also back home and available. And when she finds a secret diary in the walls of her childhood house, he’s determined to help her catch the killer and prove his brother’s innocence.

Desperate for closure in her sister’s tragic story, the amateur sleuth feels growing comfort in the man she always believed was her destiny. And when the journal reveals a shocking detail, Cole and Carlie must uncover the town’s shameful secret to finally understand what really happened.

Will Carlie and Cole finally get to the truth and find the happiness they deserve?

Blue Twilight is the fifth book in the page-turning Blue Mountain: Logan Bend contemporary romance series. If you like relatable characters, small-town drama, and a juicy mystery, then you’ll adore Tess Thompson’s exciting tale.



Book Links
(affiliate link included)


**My thoughts**
Blue Twilight is the fifth story in the series, but is completely a standalone as it introduces a new cast of characters to the area. This coming group of stories take place in a nearby town called Logan Bend, at the base of Logan Mountain. But you’ll have some visits from some recognizable faces in this one.

Blue Twilight reminds me of why I fell in love with this series at the start and why it is my favorite. We start off with the prologue from when the characters are all teenagers. (And you can read this whole prologue for free in a separate download.)

Carlie and Cole are just starting to discover their young teenage love for each other when an unthinkable tragedy pulls them apart.

Move forward 30 years and Cole has moved back to Logan Bend. Carlie is back to help her mom clean out the house so it can be sold. The two have not seen each other in those 30 years until they run into each other at the store. Their meeting brings up all kinds of feelings – the pain of what happened 30 years ago, further self-examination following failed marriages, and most importantly, a realization that they never stopped loving each other. There is so much introspection and emotion, which for me is the magic within this series.

They do become embroiled in the mystery around the tragedy, especially as new evidence has come to light. The truth is proving to be quite dangerous, but especially Carlie is determined to solve it. I did feel that the big reveal where all of our questions are finally answered was a little clunky. But the overall story was quite enjoyable and fulfilled me emotionally. I am looking forward to more in Logan Bend.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Review of On the Edge by Claire Gillies

 


Welcome to the book tour for On the Edge by Claire Gillies! Today I'm sharing with you an excerpt as well as a few thoughts on the book. Then the author tells us about what she would do if she had a time machine. It's interesting! Let her know your thoughts in the comments section. And then be sure to follow the tour for even more. Best of luck in the giveaway!



Catherine MacGregor spends life daydreaming her way out of the perils of a dead-end job, and a dwindling love-life. Rather than face imminent redundancy, Cat finds herself giving up her life in the city, and moving to a remote Scottish island for a fresh start.

Unlocking her passion for art, things have never looked better, until the handsome but elusive musician Patrick Flannagan takes to the stage, complicating her best-laid plans.

Cat’s past could be catching up with her at last. Can she unlock her own secrets, and learn to love again, in time to save her brave new beginnings?

Read an excerpt:
Before Cat could grasp her drink, she was approached by a younger man who looked a little nervous.

“Would you like to dance?” With his open, earnest baby-face, Cat put him at about eighteen, and was flattered.

“Yes, why not!” She fanned her face, trying to recover from the previous dance, ready to launch into another. This one was different, still with a deal of twirling, but with variations involving kicks and a burst of graceful hopping. Cat laughed as she missed a few steps, trying to keep up both with the music and her partner. She loved the movement and the strength of the steps; they made her feel so alive, like her stint swimming in the sea earlier that month. Her partner spun her around one last time, and the music stopped suddenly, and everyone clapped again. The fiddler started playing on his own, a much slower waltz to which Cat was about to start gliding with her partner, until a cough came from behind them.

“May I interrupt?” Patrick smiled, and looked down at them both.

“We’re just about to dance!” the boy said “Go find your own partner Paddy!”

“Come on now, Archie!” laughed Patrick, “you know I’m only good at the slow dances and there’s lots of girls lined up by the wall over there just waiting for you to ask them!”

The boy looked at Cat, then at Patrick, considering his prospects for a few moments. “OK then,” he finished reluctantly, handing his partner over without any more complaint, heading quickly in the direction of the waiting girls.

(Affiliate link)
On sale for just $0.99!


**My thoughts**
Cat really seems like a lost soul. She has lost touch with what she really loves in life and is completely stuck in a rut. I admire her for taking charge and deciding to start all over. I know from personal experience that it is difficult to pack up and move to somewhere completely brand new. 

She slowly makes relationships around the island and over time not only learns how to love again, but learns how to love herself again. It's something that I think a lot of us need to do, even though most of us are not going to move to a new island to do so.

She also seems a bit naive, but is able to figure things out. I also felt total empathy with her loss of her mother.

The story moved a little slow for me, but I enjoyed learning a lot of new Scottish terminology and about some Scottish culture along the way. I don't think I've ever read a book that takes place in Scotland before and I have always wanted to visit. (I have some Scottish heritage.) I'd really like to visit this island and have an extended stay there, I think.

And of course, one always loves a good-looking musician.

I received a requested review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.



You discover a time machine. Where and when would you go to and why?

This is a fun question, although it took me some time to mull it over. History fascinates me, particularly Scottish history. I am from the highlands of Scotland and my local area is steeped in history - Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived on our shores at the start of the Jacobite uprising in 1745. He then continued his journey to Glenfinnan, where he declared his intension and rallied the clans. All these points in history happened in our landscape. We still have seven old beech trees at the end of a nearby field overlooking the water, which were planted long ago in tribute to the first seven men of Moidart, who were with the Bonnie Prince. As interesting as I find this, it's not a time I think I'd want to visit. Being a woman in the highlands around then would have been dangerous, especially just after Culloden. However, I like that period of time, but perhaps a little later on in that century....

Robert Burns is a national treasure, he was a poet who wrote hundreds of works. We celebrate him every year in Scotland - more than our national St Andrews Day! Around the world at New Year, Auld Lang Syne is sung, a song by Robert Burns (or Rabbie, as we call him). He was known as a ladies' man and would fall in love easily, even though he was married! He belonged to the lowlands, but romanticised the highlands. I would love to meet him; he was born to humble beginnings in a farming family but later he would be greatly sought after by the upper classes. I can imagine him in some recital room in Edinburgh, being fussed over by the wealthy, while his eye scanned the ladies. I would be quite content in my 18th century garb, fanning myself on a summer evening, listening to the bard himself recite poetry in an echoey hall.



Born and raised in the Highlands of Scotland, Claire’s homeland continues to be a stream of inspiration for her. A clothing designer too, Claire (Lorna) creates one-off bespoke garments using Scottish tweeds and tartans.

Claire currently splits her time between Scotland and Australia with her lovely Irish husband. She is a cat lover (without the cat) and can be found either drinking coffee, researching the best cake haunts, or watching yet another costume drama!

www.clairegillies.com

https://twitter.com/ClaireGillies13

https://www.facebook.com/ClaireGilliesAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/clairegillies_/


Claire Gillies will be awarding a signed copy of the book. (International) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Critical Hit (A Gaming Mystery) by W.M. Akers

 


You have an opportunity to help Critical Hit (A Gaming Mystery) by W.M. Akers get off the ground by participating in its Kickstarter program! More info below. And then check out the rest of the tour and the giveaway!



How do you win a game that’s trying to kill you?

A twenty-nine year-old clerk at a games store in the Appalachian hamlet of Jett Creek, Tennessee, Callie Myles lives for the weekly RPG sessions run by her beloved brother and gamesmaster, LB. Under his watchful eye, she and her friends wage war, harness magic, and battle evil. When the dice are rolling, they are heroes, and all of Callie’s anxieties slip away. The fun stops the night LB burns to death in a bizarre fire.

Asked by her friends to keep the weekly game alive, Callie does her best to set her grief aside. She puts on the monocle LB wore during sessions and finds herself sucked into a life-sized recreation of her brother’s game. Inhabiting the body of her beloved character, the legendary Arabeth, she thinks she has found the ultimate escape. Her paradise is spoiled when she discovers that something inside the game killed LB—and one of her fellow players was in on it.

To save herself, to avenge her brother, Callie Myles must pull on her armor and beat LB’s game from the inside out. If she gets killed along the way, well, at least she’s having a great time.

A fast-paced hybrid of mystery and adventure, CRITICAL HIT captures the breakneck joy of tabletop gaming, where life and death depend on the whims of a plastic die. It will be on Kickstarter from May 25 to June 25, and available on DriveThruFiction and Amazon after that.

Read an excerpt:
A Depression-era mechanic’s shop, LB’s studio was at the back of a sloping lot covered with garbage and twisted iron. It was just two rooms: an old forge on the first floor and a rat’s nest of papers and art supplies on the second. It was where he went, he said, when he needed to make art that was too personal to make at the college, or when he just wanted the world to leave him be.

All of it was on fire.

It was hard to see where the building had been. It was curling in on itself, like a paper bag in a campfire. The fire truck was halfway up the hill, spraying water on the house next door. The studio, they’d quit trying to save.

Doc’s car sat at the bottom of the hill, front doors open, engine running. I saw her, gray ponytail silhouetted by the flame, manning one of the jets. With what little strength I had left, I ran up the driveway. Matty leapt out of the truck’s cab, fireman’s coat still unbuttoned, and grabbed me by the shoulder.

“Is he inside?” I said.

“Get out of here.”

“God damn it, if he’s in there, we have to get him out!”

“It’s too hot. Nobody’s going near it.”

Matty rested his hand on my shoulder, and I tried to keep still. I wanted to push him, to charge inside, to look for LB, but that would have been against the rules.

We were watching together when my brother’s massive body exploded out of the window, wrapped in a cloak of flame.

LB screamed something. Maybe it was words, maybe it was just pain.

It stopped quick.

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t run to him. Even from behind the barricade, it was obvious he was dead.

Check out the Kickstarter!


W.M. Akers is a novelist, playwright, and game designer. He is the author of the mystery novels Westside and Westside Lights; the creator of the bestselling games Deadball: Baseball With Dice and Comrades: A Revolutionary RPG; and the curator of the history newsletter Strange Times. Born in Nashville, he spent a lucky thirteen years in New York before moving to Philadelphia in 2019. Learn more about his work at wmakers.net.

Personal: wmakers.net

Newsletter: strangetimes.substack.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ouijum

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wmakers?fan_landing=true

FB: http://facebook.com/ouijum



W.M. Akers will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 21, 2021

Review of Blue Twilight Short: The Prologue, 1989 by Tess Thompson


The prequel of Blue Twilight begins on a summer evening in 1989. Sixteen-year-old Carlie Webster is flying high when Cole Paisley confesses his love and seals the moment with a kiss on top of the Ferris wheel. But later that night Carlie and Cole come crashing to the ground when tragedy strikes.

This is the introduction to Blue Twilight, the fifth book in the page-turning Blue Mountain: Logan Bend contemporary romance series. If you like relatable characters, small-town drama, and a juicy mystery, then you’ll adore Tess Thompson’s exciting tale.


Download for FREE!
(affiliate link included)


**My thoughts**

This is just the prologue to the fifth book in the Blue Mountain series by Tess Thompson. It is also the first book featuring a new family in the area, who live in a neighboring town. Note that it ends on sort of a cliffhanger, but is designed to whet your appetite to find out what really happened after Beth left the fair and what secret she was hiding. I know I am ready to devour the new book!

Review of Christmas Sisters (Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge) by Various Authors


Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family.

When a terrible accident takes Madeline Kirby’s husband and only child, the school guidance counselor is sure she can’t go on. Left behind with nothing but her work and an empty heart, she vows to survive Christmas by reaching out to comfort someone else who knows similar pain.

Fostering four motherless children for the holidays is supposed to be temporary, but as Maddie tends to defensive Stevie, distrustful Jo, delicate Alissa, and frightened little Hailey, the ache in her own heart slowly becomes bearable. And before the season of giving comes to an end, it becomes clear that life intended for them to find each other.

Enjoy these soul sisters’ first Christmas together in Christmas Sisters, a free prologue novella - then catch up with each of them individually, fifteen years later.

Don’t miss a Soul Sisters book!
Book 1: Christmas Sisters – perma-FREE prologue book
Book 2: Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Book 3: Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Book 4: Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Book 5: Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Book 6: Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson



Book Links
Goodreads * Amazon
(affiliate link included)


**My thoughts**
This collection is basically a prequel to the Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge series, written by a powerhouse of sweet romance authors. I was drawn to it as a fan of both Tess Thompson and Violet Howe, whose characters’ stories come later in the series.

Madeline Kirby has been devastated since a car accident ripped her husband and daughter away from her. In her role as a school counselor, she is able to still care for other children, though it does quite fill the void in her heart.

Then one of her girls needs an emergency foster care placement. Maddie steps up. Next thing she knows, she has four young girls joining her household, becoming a Christmas gift that none of them could have expected. And of course, she wants the girls to become a permanent part of her family.

Each one’s story is shared by her respective author, who will also pen her full book later in the series.

I admit that I am not well-versed in how the foster care system really works. I had a hard time believing that four girls could be so rapidly placed with Maddie. But once I let that go, I was able to immerse myself in the stories of these five formerly lost souls finally finding their forever family. It’s definitely the kind of heartwarming story that you want to read during the Christmas season. I look forward to reading each installment.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Hotel by Pamela Kelley

On Tour with Prism Book Tours


A contemporary romance set in a waterfront hotel sounds absolutely perfect for this time of year, right? Get lost in the bliss when you read this exclusive excerpt! Follow the tour for even more fun. Best of luck in the giveaway!



The Hotel
By Pamela Kelley
Women's Fiction, Romance
Paperback & ebook, 270  Pages
June 8, 2021 by Piping Plover Press

Secrets and lies...at Nantucket's most exclusive and glamorous, family-owned hotel.

The Whitley is Nantucket's most exclusive waterfront hotel--a sprawling collection of pristine white cottages and an elegant main building on a long stretch of private, white sandy beach.

It's a family owned business--brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, all work there in various capacities.

Paula is happy in her back office accounting position. But changes are in store when her grandfather promotes her and fires her cousin--who then blames Paula.

Meanwhile, a blond romantic comedy superstar is hiding out at The Hotel for a few months. She meets Paula's brother, a chef--who has no idea who she is--and she likes it that way.

Paula's grandfather also hires a consultant to help her settle into her new role. But she isn't sure what to think of David, who grew up on Nantucket but now lives in Manhattan.

He's a brilliant consultant and will be assessing Paula's suitability for the role. He's also home for another reason, a difficult family issue that makes Manhattan seem very far away.

A new family saga from the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller author of The Nantucket Inn and The Restaurant.



(Affiliate links included.)



About the Author


Pamela M. Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women's fiction, family sagas, and suspense. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you'd want as friends.

She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There's also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.


Tour Schedule


Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a gorgeous Kate Spade totebag with two signed paperbacks, one of The Hotel and one of The Nantucket Inn (US only)

Ends June 23, 2021


Grab Our Button!

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Review of Making Christmas by Nancy Fraser and Santa Baby by Peggy Jaeger

 


Welcome to the Dickens Holiday Romance Celebration! Today I'm sharing with you my thoughts on both prequels to last year's Christmas Comes to Dickens multiauthor series. Plus you get a sneak peek inside. Follow the tour for even more. And best of luck entering the giveaway!



Welcome to our 1980’s Dickens Christmas stories!

Two sweet vintage romances set in the New England town of Dickens where small town charm is on full, holiday display.

Both stories are prequels to stories found in last year’s holiday anthology, Christmas Comes to Dickens. Beginning October 18th, the Ladies of Dickens will release six brand-new, full-length Dickens holiday romances (one per week) to celebrate the season.

In the meantime, we hope you’ll enjoy Making Christmas by Author Nancy Fraser and Santa Baby by Author Peggy Jaeger. Both are guaranteed to whet your holiday appetites for what’s to come!


A 1980s Vintage Romance ...

It’s been five years since William Barrett returned to Dickens to take over as CEO of Wil-Bar Toys. He’s spent these past years helping build Wil-Bar into a leader in creative, handmade toys. His work ethic and drive has left him little time for a personal life. Or, perhaps he’s still pining for the one who got away.

Catherine Gates moved away from Dickens six years earlier. Now a staff reporter for a woman’s magazine, she’s returning to Dickens to do a story on Wil-Bar Toys new production methods and get the scoop on their upcoming holiday line.

When Will and Cat meet up again for the first time in years, it’s as if they’ve never been apart. Rekindling their friendship, and attraction, becomes more important than Cat’s article, or even the secrecy of the new toy lines.

Can these two childhood friends make up for lost time and pursue the romance they missed out on years earlier? Or, will Cat’s story expose too much and put them at odds with one another?



Buy at your favorite retailer!

Making Christmas Jigsaw Puzzle Link: https://bit.ly/33wkGqI

**My thoughts**
This is a sweet second chances romance where former friends finally acknowledge their feelings for each other after not seeing each other for several years. Christmas magic is added because the hero's family owns a toy factory.

It's a sweet story that takes place in the 1980s, though you could also seeing it play out in present times. There's only one minor detail that comes up in passing that throws off the 1980s timeline. Otherwise, it is a universal and enjoyable early Christmas story that whets the appetite for the stories to come in the lives of these characters. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to the author and Goddess Fish for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

NANCY FRASER—Jumping Across Romance Genres with Gleeful Abandon—is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

Like most authors, Nancy began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

Published in multiple genres, Nancy has published over thirty-five books in full-length, novella, and short format.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Media:

Website: www.nancyfraser.ca 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/nancyfraserauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nfraserauthor  @nfraserauthor 

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/profile/nancy-fraser

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Fraser/e/B004AOL61Y/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7206382.Nancy_Fraser

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/fraser425/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gC68iMStwKCr4v_S6fMIA 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romauthor_nancyfraser/

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/bxkKvD



It’s Christmas Eve morning in the tiny New England town of Dickens.

Santa’s arrival is imminent, and a hint of snow is in the air.

Amy Dorrit is just about to open her popular diner for the breakfast rush when she discovers an abandoned baby on her back doorstep.

Amy knows she should call the authorities and turn the infant over to them, but she just can’t. Thoughts of her own abandonment as a baby flood through her and she wants to keep the little one out of the hands of the authorities until the mother – hopefully –returns.

But will the mom come back? And if she doesn’t, what is Amy prepared to do about the baby who has, already, claimed her heart?


Read an excerpt:
As she moved through the breezeway connecting the diner to her apartment, Amy heard a mewling sound at the back alley door. Her cook, Willie, often left scraps out for strays, especially in winter, and sometimes when she took the trash out at the end of the day, Amy would find a mamma cat searching for something to feed her kittens.

Amy opened the door, expecting to see a hungry animal looking for a handout, and got the shock of the century when she found a baby carrier, complete with a crying infant nestled in it.

She gasped, her head flicking right, then left, to find the person responsible for leaving a baby out in the frigid night air.

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

The still sleeping and silent town surrounded her as shoe impressions in the fresh snow indicated the baby hadn’t been there for long.

The infant’s howl echoed in the quiet.

“Oh, you poor thing. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

Buy at your favorite retailer!

Santa Baby Jigsaw Puzzle Link: https://bit.ly/2RaZBzj

**My thoughts**
You have to love a Christmas story where a lost baby finds a home and gets a second chance at life. Those are always heartwarming. And the town is full of a bunch of loving and caring people that just make you feel good as you read how they help out Amy. There's also a touch of romance.

I enjoyed this story, though I felt like it ended up a bit abruptly. Without the author explanation follow-up, you have to kind of guess what happens next. I felt like it could have been expanded just a little bit more to give a clearer picture of the story as an actual part of the story. I do look forward to reading the next part in present times when the baby is grown up.

Thank you to the author and Goddess Fish for providing me a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.



Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!"

Social Media links:

Website: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger_author/

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-jaeger-296ab878/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Authors database: https://authorsdb.com/community/15814-peggy-jaeger

Triberr: https://triberr.com/tribe/strong-women--loving-men

 


Nancy Fraser and Peggy Jaeger will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dutybound (Light Wings Epic Volume 1) by Mark A. Alvarez II

 


A little bit of faith and morality with a lot of fantasy. Enjoy this excerpt from DutyBound by Mark A. Alvarez II before you download your copy. And then follow the rest of the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!



The world was their creation until they sought to destroy it.

Dutybound is the story of Terestria and its Virtues, heirs of nobility forced to face the Sins of their forefathers and bring their world from the brink of Darkness. Among them is Lucia Sanoon, High Maiden to the province of Moz and chosen of the Light Wings. The ancient relic, bestowed upon a long-forgotten civilization by the Light itself, was forged to harbor the Light's essence if ever Terestria's balance were threatened by the Darkness' desire to corrupt the Light's most-prized creation, Life. If successful and the long-standing covenant between the Light and its Protectors were ever to be broken, the Darkness would be free to roam Terestria and reclaim the land it had a hand in creating, bringing death and destruction to every corner of the world.

But as long as there is Light, there is hope. With the help of the Light Wings and its power, Lucia must heed its call to assemble the Light's Virtues and lead them into battle against the very Sins that seek to destroy their world. But finding the four will not be easy, for much of the knowledge is lost and the understanding of one's own morality is the only key to unlocking the power each of them holds within.

A story of faith and morality, Dutybound will lead you through a journey of self-discovery as our heroes face conflict from outside and within themselves. Duty, desire, envy, hope, hate, love, pride, and temperance all are challenged within this series in an epic tale that is sure to have you pondering your own true nature.

Read an excerpt:

Today was a day of tragedy, although most did not know it. It was a dark, cloudless night. Not one sound broke throughout the grand-white city of Moz, sparkling like a diamond within the valley of a vast mountain range. Not a single ray of light could shed an ounce of joy upon the city, for it was already condemned by the haze that shrouded it. The mist hovered in the silence of the night, stagnant with the suffering of the land that lay below it. All the while, the people of Moz rested, unaware that all they held most dear teetered on the brink of ruin.

“Oh.” Ara sighed as she sat alone in a muddled study. Her face flushed as her eyes scanned over a piece of parchment at the base of a broad window. Her irises, like embers, were so round and passionate, glistening almost red as she eagerly inspected the letter her beloved had left her. But in that moment, as she realized what had happened, her eyes began to quiver, becoming trapped within garnet walls of fear. After everything they had faced, Stello had abandoned her, leaving their family broken.


(affiliate link)


About the author:

Mark A. Alvarez II is a Hispanic-American born in Houston, Texas. He’s a graduate of Texas State University, where he studied public relations and mass communication. He was an apprentice at the NEW Apprenticeship where he was certified in digital marketing. He is the CEO of Light Wings Promotions LLC, a digital marketing and creative branding agency in San Antonio, Texas, where Mark currently resides.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Aaron-Alvarez-II/e/B08ZJZCR83

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21271472.Mark_Aaron_Alvarez_II

Website: https://maalvarezii.com/mark-alvarez-ii/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maalvarezii

Mark Aaron Alvarez II will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 14, 2021

The Romanov Legacy by Marilyn Baron

 


The mystery of the Romanov family is still a favorite today. Author Marilyn Baron imagines a life for a descendant of the family and a New Russia in her thriller, The Romanov Legacy. Enjoy an excerpt and then follow the tour for more. Be sure to download a copy! And best of luck in the giveaway.



Two women, centuries apart, and the secrets that bind them

Melody, a young single mother, discovers she’s descended from the last Tsar, Nicholas II. She becomes the best hope of a secret global society, Guardians of the Romanov Legacy, dedicated to restoring a Romanov to the throne of a New Russia. A diary and an heirloom necklace inherited from her murdered grandmother hold the key to her identity and to the location of the Tsar’s lost shipment of gold.

She must accept the sacrifices her birth demands and trust the machinations of the estranged father of her child. To refuse means turning her back on her heritage, her daughter’s legacy, and the long line of her family’s women who were keepers of the secret. Will her longing for true love have world-changing consequences?

Read an excerpt:
A tiny tear slipped down her cheek. But that was as far as she would display her emotions. She held her head up regally. After all, she was an Empress. She was determined to die with dignity. She wondered if Marie Antoinette had held her head high before it was unceremoniously severed and dropped into a basket.

“There won’t be a last-minute reprieve if that’s what you’re thinking,” warned Miss Cormier.

Would they actually go through with it? Would they really execute her in cold blood like they did the Tsar and his family? She was terrified they would. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat amplified. She was having a full-blown panic attack. She couldn’t breathe. She feared she would die of fright before they had the chance to cut her down in a hail of bullets.

Miss Cormier lifted her hand to give the command. Hatred flared in her eyes. What had she done to deserve the woman’s anger? Fallen in love? Then the guards raised their rifles in unison to open fire. She closed her eyes tightly so they couldn’t see the hope fade from her face. She couldn’t bear to confront her own mortality. She held her breath.

Then she heard the bullets ping. Where was she hit? How long would it take to die? She hoped it would be over soon. She sagged in her chair, mercifully blacking out.


Buy links:
(affiliate link included)


Marilyn decided to become a writer when she read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her first short story was The Gold Lace Dress. She wrote her first book, East West Island, in grade school. It featured all of the children in her third-grade class and her teacher read it to the students in installments during class every day. She wrote and directed her first play at age 13, starring her brother and sisters and some of the neighborhood kids. The show raised money for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.

Marilyn is a public relations consultant in Atlanta, a PAN member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) and winner of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award. She is also a member of Atlanta Writers Club. Marilyn was past chair of the Roswell Reads steering committee and serves on the Atlanta Authors committee. She writes in a variety of genres from humorous women’s fiction, historical romantic thrillers, romantic suspense and paranormal/fantasy. She loves to travel and often sets books in places she’s visited.

She was born in Miami, Florida, and graduated from The University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism (Public Relations) and a Minor in English (Creative Writing). Go Gators! She lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband, and she spends a lot of time hovering over her two wonderful daughters.

http://www.marilynbaron.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Marilyn-Baron-286807714666748/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-baron

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Marilyn-Baron/e/B008PJFQPC



Marilyn Baron will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway