Tuesday, November 30, 2021

"The Debutante's Code" by Erica Vetsch -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love.But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission?

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

My Thoughts

Spycraft in the Regency period intrigues me and having read Erica Vetsch's Serendipity & Secrets series, I was eager to read this new series of hers. I was excited when I discovered that there is carryover of characters between the two serieses. I found the book to be well written and I wanted to just read it in one sitting. I enjoyed the twists and turns to the story and trying to decode who was behind everything. I had some different theories, but mostly they turned out to be wrong. I did find the fact that it was pointed out three times that the truncheon was the badge of a Bow Street officer a little redundant. Once would have been enough. There was a biblical faith thread in the story which I liked. I was a little disappointed that the romance didn't find a complete ending. I am assuming that it will continue on throughout the rest of the series. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series and other books by Erica Vetsch.

About the Author

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

The Serendipity & Secrets trilogy, her first Regency series, launched in 2020 to rave reader reviews. Her latest release, The Debutante's Code is the first of the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries.

Learn more about Erica at www.ericavetsch.com or find her on Facebook.

Book Giveaway

Enter giveaway here

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Saturday, November 27, 2021

"Enamored" by Jody Hedlund -- Book Review

About the Book

During a time when legends were born . . .

ENAMORED

A princess in need of a husband, a young Sage who cannot have her, and a web of deceit that threatens their love.

Having been raised by her childless aunt and uncle, the king and queen, Princess Elinor finds herself the only heir to the throne of Norvegia. As she comes of age, she must choose a husband to rule beside her, but she struggles to make her selection from among a dozen noblemen during a weeklong courtship.

With aspirations to become the wisest man in the land, Maxim is summoned home by his father Rasmus, a Royal Sage. Reunited with Elinor, once his closest friend, Maxim is quickly enamored with her even though he can never be considered a prospect for her husband.

Elinor’s feelings for Maxim are rekindled too . . . until she learns he has been unwillingly drawn into Rasmus’s scheme to take control of the throne. With the kingdom under attack both from within and without, can Elinor and Maxim overcome the deceit spinning around them? Or will it destroy their love once and for all?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked Elinor and Maxim and their struggles to do the right thing. I found the book to be well written and with a nice flow. I wanted to just keep reading and ignore all the other duties around me. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over twenty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

"Enamored" is available in paperback:

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Northern Lights Press (November 9, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1733753486
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1733753487
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.74 x 8.5 inches

and in Kindle edition:

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09B31Y1CY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Northern Lights Press (November 9, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1533 KB

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Thursday, November 25, 2021

"Behind Love's Wall" by Carrie Fancett Pagels -- Book Reivew, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Behind Love’s Wall

Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels

Genre: FICTION/ Christian/Romance

Release date: November 1, 2021

Two successful women, a hundred-and-twenty-years apart, build walls to protect their hearts. Modern-day Willa, a successful interior decorator, is chosen to consult for the Grand Hotel’s possible redesign. She discovers a journal detailing the struggles of a young woman, Lily—which reveals dark secrets. The renowned singer wasn’t who she pretended to be. As Willa reaches out to Lily’s descendant, a charismatic and prominent landscape artist, she lets down her guard. Should she share the journal with him, or once again erect a wall as she struggles to redesign both the Grand and her life?

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading this story. It was fun to have the cross over of characters from some of Carrie Fancett Pagels's other stories. It did get a little confusing to keep track of who was who with so many characters having the same or similar names between the past and present portions. There were twists I didn't expect. I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going on and what had happened in the past. I look forward to reading more books by Carrie Fancett Pagels in the future.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

ECPA-bestselling author Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is the award-winning author of over a dozen Christian historical romances. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination! A self-professed “history geek,” she resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia but grew up as a “Yooper” in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time! You can connect with her at www.CarrieFancettPagels.com.

More from Carrie

Why I Wrote This Novel

I got a chance to write another novel set on Mackinac Island!!!

I’m the author of over twenty published stories. I have many books, both novel and novella length, set at the Straits of Mackinac including Maggie Award winner and Romantic Times Top Pick My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island. In the summer, I go up to the area and I’m blessed to sign books at the Island Bookstore—sometimes hundreds of books which is such an amazing thing I can’t tell you! Now that MHBoMI is out of print, Barbour has been helping by doing limited print runs for while I am up there.

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island was originally part of a full series that I pitched but it didn’t get picked up for all three stories. MHBoMI got picked up as part of the My Heart Belongs series that Barbour put out a few years ago. The second book in my original Brides of Mackinac series was heroine Sadie’s story, which was published as a novella “His Anchor” in First Love Forever collection. So I had two of my book babies delivered out into the world and Lily’s story sat there for a while.

In the Covid summer of 2020, I arrived in my home state of Michigan and over dinner with a close friend I learned that the folks at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island were having legal trouble with their previous long-time designed Carlton Varney suing them. I’d been disappointed that the Mussers, who’d owned the Grand for generations, had sold the hotel but this new development really bugged me. While I was in the Upper Peninsula, I finished an Indy book, Dogwood Plantation, which only figures since I often write my Michigan stories while I am in Virginia and vice versa! I knew the only other book I wanted to work on was to complete my Brides of Mackinac trilogy (not exactly since they aren’t all in one series!) with Lily’s story. I also had a manuscript about 70% done that was my very first contemporary Women’s Fiction novel. When my agent encouraged me to submit a Mackinac Island story set at the Grand Hotel to Barbour’s Doors to the Past series, I knew immediately that the only story for historical I wanted to write was Lily’s. That meant that I needed, for this dual-timeline series, a contemporary story. That wasn’t just a chance sharing at dinner—I believe the info about the lawsuit was meant to be passed on to me one of those God-incidences. My modern-day heroine then became an established resort designer who had a trunkful of issues just like Lily did.

Was I ever glad that I had finally written my first contemporary Women’s Fiction (Butterfly Cottage) because that skill set came in very handy in writing the modern-day 2020 story of Willa in Behind Love’s Wall! This was the most difficult novel to write that I have done so far as I write in character and going back and forth between the 1895 and 2020 timelines could be draining. I tried to write each character and setting on separate days but that couldn’t always be managed.

I pray that this story will touch readers’ hearts. I pray that someone, like the young waitress I meant on Mackinac Island who had been spiritually moved by My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island (she read her grandmother’s copy after her grandma passed away!), will read this book and feel that connection to our Maker. That’s what Christian Fiction is all about!

Blog Stops

Life of Literature, November 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 18

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 19

Cats in the Cradle Blog, November 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 19

Inklings and notions, November 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 20

For Him and My Family, November 21

Mary Hake, November 21

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 22

Texas Book-aholic, November 22

For the Love of Literature, November 22

deb’s Book Review, November 23

Betti Mace, November 23

Genesis 5020, November 23

Older & Smarter?, November 24

Remembrancy, November 24

Blossoms and Blessings, November 25

Stephanie’s life of determination, November 25

Connect in Fiction, November 25

Rebecca Tews, November 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 26

Through the fire blogs, November 27

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 27

Pause for Tales, November 27

Bigreadersite, November 28

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 28

Connie’s History Classroom, November 29

Bizwings Blog, November 29

Labor Not in Vain, November 29

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 30

To Everything There Is A Season, November 30

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 1

Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen, December 1

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/137e9/behind-love-s-wall-celebration-tour-giveaway

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

"Silencing the Siren" by Denise L. Barela -- Silencing the Siren Epic Book Launch

About the Book

Book: Silencing the Siren

Author: Denise L. Barela

Genre: Christian Historical Mystery, Fairytale

Release date: January 4, 2022

Andrew Grayson thought he had everything… until he met her.

The indulged son of wealthy parents, Andrew has always gotten whatever he wanted almost before he knew he wanted it—clothes, gadgets… even a car!

What more could a young man desire?

Enter Annabel Thompson. Freakshow mermaid extraordinaire… in a wheelchair!

Of course, her beauty attracts him. How could it not? Add to that a kind heart, and Andrew can’t help but fall for her.

Annabel’s connection with the freakshow repels his parents and their society friends. They want him to sever all ties with her and his new friends. Oh, and marry the “right” girl with the “right connections.” But he won’t do it. He’ll defy them and marry his little mermaid.

When Annabel turns up missing, declared dead, things don’t add up, Andrew

begins asking some difficult questions, the most important being, “What

happened to the little mermaid of the Coney Island freak show?”

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy

tales and mysteries. Silencing the Siren offers a retelling of “The Little

Mermaid” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch the

story unfold.

BOOK EXCERPT

Silencing the Siren Excerpt One

Andrew paced back and forth, tugging at his blond hair. She couldn’t be dead. Impossible! He’d just seen Annabel earlier that week! How could she be gone so suddenly?

They’d gone around the island and spent time just sitting on the beach. She had spent the whole time smiling, and seemed so happy. It had been one of his favorite days spent with her. No worries, no interference, and nothing but the love they shared. Even more, it had been the first day for some time that Andrew felt truly carefree. His future had just disintegrated overnight.

Andrew thought back on their final conversation. Her eyes had been bright when she kissed him goodbye and said she couldn’t wait for his next visit. But there had been that fidgeting nervousness that had consumed her for those few minutes.

She’d said she had a surprise for him.

What surprise had she been talking about? Surely, this wasn’t it.

Something was wrong about the whole situation, but Andrew couldn’t imagine what it could be. How she could be there one day and gone the next. Nothing made sense.

Thoughts rushed through his head, drowning him in grief and misery. But one question forced its way into every thought: how could this have happened?

MISSED ANY EXCERPTS, GO HERE:

Come back after Dec 15th to find a list of all the excerpts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise Barela’s passion for fiction, her faith, and general creativity define her

life. In all things, she strives to glorify God, though especially in and through

her writing. She has spent the past six years working for a publicity company

and five years working as the head editor for a publishing company. With an

MFA in Creative Writing and a Professional Writing certificate, Denise enjoys

using her education and work experiences to help authors achieve their own

writing dreams. When she’s not working away at her desk, you might find her

reading a good book or following Alice down the rabbit hole…

Monday, November 22, 2021

"My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island" by Carrie Fancett Pagels -- Book Review

About the Book

Journey now to Mackinac Island where...
A Tangled Gilded Age Love Story Unfolds.

Although the Winds of Mackinac Inn has been in her mother’s family for generations, Maude Welling’s father refuses to let her run it without the guidance of a husband. So she seeks to prove her worth and independence by working incognito as a maid at the Grand Hotel.

Undercover journalist Ben Steffan, posing as a wealthy industrialist, pursues a story about impoverished men chasing heiresses at the famed hotel. While undercover, he becomes attracted to an intriguing maid. By an act of heroism Ben endears himself to the closed-mouthed islanders—including Maude—and he digs deep for his story.

But when scandal threatens, will the growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed?

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading this book. It had some twists I didn't expect that surprised me. I loved the setting for the story on Mackinac Island. Being from Michigan, I've been to the Island a few times and could imagine Maude being there. My great-great-great-great-something grandfather was born on Mackinac Island and told stories of the Native Americans walking by on their way to trade, so I also have a family connection to the Island. I found the book to be well written and easy to read. There was a biblical faith thread that was nice and the characters grew. I look forward to reading more books by Carrie Fancett Pagels.

About the Author

Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., writes stories about overcoming with God's help (including a Romantic Times Top Pick inspirational novel). She has eighteen published romances. Carrie is an ECPA-bestselling award-winning author of Christian historical romance. She won the Maggie Award for Excellence medallion in 2018 for her novel, "My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island". Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination.

"My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island" is available in paperback:

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1683220889
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barbour Books (July 1, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781683220886
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1683220886
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.68 x 8.38 inches

and in Kindle edition:

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MYEQV49
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barbour Books (July 1, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4125 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Saturday, November 20, 2021

"Honor in the Mountain Refuge" by Misty M. Beller -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Honor in the Mountain Refuge

Author: Misty Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 9, 2021

This epic journey is his last chance to start a new life.

After being cast out of his Blackfoot village for his kindness to the Nez Perce captives, Chogan travels west in search of meaning for his life. Meaning that doesn’t require killing or torturing innocent people. Though the lovely face of Telípe, a Nez Perce woman, is imprinted on his heart, he avoids her village. She deserves a happy life with her husband and coming child.

With her husband dead and the birth of her babe imminent, Telípe’s reality looks nothing like she planned. She’s been forced to return to the village where she grew up and the chaos of her family’s lodge—with all her boisterous younger brothers. She desperately desires to start a new life for herself and the babe growing within her, but she can’t seem to climb above the mire of her past. When she stumbles into the brave who’d shown her kindness during her captivity, something ignites within her—a new hope.

Chogan’s determination to stay and help Telípe is thwarted by her people’s fear and hatred for his tribe—especially since he was among last winter’s kidnappers. It doesn’t matter that he did everything he could to keep her and her unborn child safe and comfortable during that awful event. But as a new predator threatens the safety of the village, Chogan determines to take down the massive wildcat that’s already injured several children—including one of Telípe’s younger brothers. When the danger escalates, Chogan is faced with an impossible choice. No matter which option he chooses, his life will never be the same—nor that of the woman he’s come to love.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading this book. It was great to see Beaver Tail, Susanna, Joel, Elan, Meksam, and the others that I've met in the other books in the series. I think it would be best to read them in order. I liked Chogan and Telipe and watching their interactions. There is a good biblical faith thread throughout the story. It was a nice change to have them stay in one place for the adventures in this book and not be on a journey of some kind. I look forward to reading more books by Misty M. Beller.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M Beller_headshot Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

When minor characters get their own story!

One of the things I love about writing in series is the chance for minor characters to become major characters, with fascinating lives and personalities of their own! The heroine in Honor in the Mountain Refuge, Telipe, first appeared in Light in the Mountain Sky as Meksem’s little sister who was kidnapped by a band of Blackfoot warriors. Even when I’m the writer, characters often surprise me by doing things very differently than what I expected!

Telipe did exactly that in one of the final scenes of that previous book. When Meksem and her friends showed up to rescue Telipe and the other captives, Telipe actually braced herself in front of one of one of her Blackfoot captors, stopping anyone from injuring him. Why would she do that?

In that book, Telipe only says that the man had been kind to her when the other warriors were not. I knew there HAD to be more though.

I pray you enjoy learning Telipe’s story as much as I did, including how that Blackfoot brave she protected shows up again in the most unexpected of places!