I bought, borrowed from the library, or got books free in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Hidden Treasures

  

 

HIDDEN TREASURES

Kathleen Buckley

 


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GENRE:  Sweet Historical Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Allan Everard, an earl's illegitimate son, is dismissed from his employment at his father’s death but inherits a former coaching inn. Needing to make a new life in London, he begins by leasing the inn to a charity.

 

Unexpectedly orphaned, Rosabel Stanbury and her younger sister are made wards of a distant, unknown cousin. Fearing his secretive ways and his intentions for them, Rosabel and Oriana flee to London where they are taken in by a women’s charity.

 

Drawn into Rosabel's problems, with his inn under surveillance by criminals, Allan has only a handful of unlikely allies, including an elderly general, a burglar, and an old lady who knows criminal slang. A traditional romance.

 

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Excerpt:

 

Despite his active night, Higgs came in with hot water as Allan opened his eyes.

 

“Eight o’ the clock and a fine summer’s day,” his rascal announced, “if you happen to like the country, which I do. I’d move back to the fields and hedgerows of my youth if it wasn’t so pestilent hard to make a living there. If you’re meaning to stay more than another day, I’ll see about having your shirts and neckcloths washed,” he added inconsequentially. 

 

“I need to speak to one of the Stanburys’ neighbors. With luck, we’ll leave tomorrow. How will you occupy yourself today?” 

 

“I’ll have a quiet talk with Phelps. He spent yesterday listening to the folk around here. Grooms and stable-hands mostly, but a few others as well. I’ll write down what he learned. Don’t forget to lock what you don’t want to lose in your portmanteau. Countryside’s not as wicked as town, but there’s ding-boys everywhere.”

 

“Says the Ding-boy General.” 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kathleen Buckley writes traditional historical romance (i.e. no explicit sex). There are fewer ballrooms and aristocratic courting rituals in her books and more problems than does-he-love-me/does-he-not. Sometimes there’s humor. Kathleen wanted to write from the time she learned to read and pursued this passion through a Master’s Degree in English, followed by the kind of jobs one might expect: light bookkeeping, security officer, paralegal. She did sell two stories to the late Robert Bloch, author of Psycho. And no, he wasn’t late at the time.

 

After moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, she wrote her first historical romance, striving for Georgette Heyer’s style, followed by nine more.    

 

In Kathleen’s gentle romances, the characters tend to slide into love rather than fall in lust. Their stories are often set against the background of family relationships, crime, and legal issues, probably because of her work in a law firm. 

 

When she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys cooking dishes from eighteenth century cookbooks. Those dishes and more appear in her stories. Udder and root vegetables, anyone? 

 

Kathleen Buckley’s current work in progress is her first historical mystery, tentatively titled A Murder of Convenience. 

 

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/kathleen_buckley

Website: https://18thcenturyromance.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/18thcenturyromance/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kathleen-Buckley/author/B072J2GPZ3

 

 

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Topic: Pros and cons of writing in your genre

 

I set out to write historical romance, as Georgette Heyer’s Georgian and Regency novels are my gold standard. However, the romance genre requires that the love interest be the overriding element of the story. To me, that feels a bit confining. My books have always had much more going on (as Georgette Heyer’s also did). This may mean they’re actually historical fiction with a romance subplot. 

Historical fiction’s genre expectations are lengthier than those of romance. They boil down to this: a feeling of authenticity of time, place, the way the characters act, speak, think, and the problems they face. At the same time the characters must be understandable to modern readers. 

The plus side of writing historical romance or historical fiction is that the setting is exotic: another time with a different way of life at the very least, interesting background, and different problems. The genre is also reliably popular.  

For some writers, the necessity of doing research (intensive research in the case of historical fiction) is a drawback. For me it’s a positive: I was the nerdy student who prayed for a juicy term paper assignment. For my stories I’ve read up on legal issues, watched hours of flintlock pistols being fired and have dozens of 18th century books on my Google Play. These include cookbooks, parliamentary history, an English/French dictionary, a manual used by magistrates, the Gentleman’s Magazine, and books on English dialects, among others. Sometimes I have to buy an old book that’s not available otherwise (like a book on riding sidesaddle or on flintlock firearms). The last two were essential for my ninth book, By Sword and Fan, in which the female character might need to dismount and remount. An unusual pistol also featured in the story.

For me, the drawback comes at the writing of romance in historical fiction. What works in a contemporary romance can be jarringly anachronistic in earlier periods. Ladies in the eighteenth century (my period) usually had far less freedom than they do now, unless they were widows. Even easy companionship in public with a man could be censured. The kind of conversation we would consider normal and necessary for an unmarried man and a woman to get to know each other would paint a female as too free and easy.  As one conduct book for a lady’s instruction pointed out, men would take any lack of reserve as an invitation. Privacy with a man, except one’s husband or a close relative would be rare. 

Love—and sex—were far freer in the lower classes.The girls were less chaperoned and thus less protected both from predatory men and their own inclinations. Among agricultural workers in rural England, both premarital sex and pregnancy carried little stigma, as young people could seldom marry until they had saved enough money to set up their own household. But historical fiction seldom deals with the working classes: their lives were too limited and often too grim to be appealing to modern readers. But working twelve hours or more a day, six days a week, leaves little time for the sort of activities that make an entertaining story, so my novels are set among people who are at least gentlefolk, and occasionally titled.

Sometimes in historical romance novels the characters are assisted in gaining some acquaintance by   having them fall in lust at first sight. I’ve never encountered this phenomenon, myself. Men may first be attracted by a woman’s appearance but lust alone seems unlikely to lead to the required “happily ever after”. My characters generally meet in circumstances appropriate to the period. Their love grows slowly and with decent reserve, and without explicit sex. 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Kathleen Buckley will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

Enter here: 

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4922


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Friday, November 1, 2024

The Cat Who Chased Ghosts review

 



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In a sleepy little town, an ordinary-looking cat hides an extraordinary secret that will transform his owners' lives forever.

When the Thompson family inherits a dilapidated old house, their overprotected son Timmy forms a strong bond with Whiskers—a chronically lazy tabby who's not what he seems.

As Timmy explores the house's mysteries, a chilling discovery puts his courage to the test. With the help of Whiskers and some newfound friends, he must face supernatural forces beyond his imagination and rescue a soul in peril.

The Cat Who Chased Ghosts is a spine-tingling tale about bravery, loyalty, and the magical power of friendship (human and feline) that will thrill readers of all ages, reminding us that sometimes the most extraordinary heroes come in the most unlikely packages.


Read an Excerpt

He stood at the foot of the stairs for a good minute before summoning the courage to climb them. Pausing on the landing, he looked up. The light in the attic had gone off.

But the lightbulb was broken, he remembered. Someone left it on, and now it’s flickering, he told himself.

He knew he could not go to sleep until he saw for himself that he was right, so with a deep breath, he pushed himself to keep climbing. By the time he reached the top, the light was on again.

A cold sweat broke out along his hairline.

He walked inside. The room was large and monstrously cluttered, full of old furniture belonging to Aunt Willie, and scores of boxes the Thompsons had not had time to unpack yet. He glanced around the place, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

He stood still for a bit, listening intently. Finally, he heard something; soft, yet insistent tapping.

Bats, he remembered. But bats don’t tap. Do they?

“Is someone here?” he asked. He meant to sound calm, but his voice trembled.

At that very moment, to his horror, he heard it; a low, drawn-out whisper.

“Welcome.” A faint echo lingered in the air.

“Mom! Dad!” Timmy tried calling; all he could produce was a hoarse murmur.

“Come to me,” the breathy voice sighed, closer to his ear. He spun around, expecting to see someone, but only his own reflection stared back at him from the window. 

Review:  

This is a charming tale about a boy and his cat and a mystery. We start out the story when Timmy and his parents move into an old house in bad need of repairs. The family seems like your typical family. 

 

Timmy takes to the cat right away, but his parents give the feline away. This does not deter Timmy. As the boy goes about things concerning the cat, Whiskers, he runs into unusual occurrences. Timmy has his hands full with what happens next.

 

The Cat Who Chased Ghosts touches upon several themes, and the characters are written in a way to make us connect with them. There is a fair amount of suspense in this story with real danger ahead, and it is an easy and quick read, fun to read.


About the Author: Nic Minnella has worked in journalism for twenty-plus years. She's also a part-time translator and a full-time cat enthusiast. When she's not occupied with any of the above activities, she's often traveling to faraway places or daydreaming about them.

"The Cat Who Chased Ghosts" is her first published work of fiction, a middle grade supernatural mystery tale where a boy and his cat must confront ghosts and spirits to save their loved ones from the clutches of darkness.

Twitter: https://x.com/nicminnella
FREE TO READ ON KINDLE UNLIMITED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7PS7Y4W

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 28, 2024

review of FORWARD TO CAMELOT

  

 

FORWARD TO CAMELOT

Susan Sloate & Kevin Finn

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GENRE:  Time Travel Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

RETURN TO A VANISHED WORLD, in this new edition of the beloved time-travel thriller:

 

Extensively researched, filled with real but still unknown tales of history, FORWARD TO CAMELOT takes readers on a grand adventure, filled with danger, deceit and real-life heroes.

 

October 2000

 

Soap-opera actress Cady Cuyler knows she is not brave, adventurous or accomplished; that's Sheila, the glamorous EMT she plays on TV. But too many other people think she's Sheila, which Cady doesn't understand: Recently divorced from her agent, Cady's life consists of playing Sheila and providing a safety net to her mother Sandra, who has hardly noticed her since her birth; she's still lost in grief over the disappearance of her husband years before in Dallas. Cady's deepest wish is to somehow earn her mother's love and attention.

 

When a profound tragedy alters her own life and her job abruptly ends, Cady is offered the chance of a great adventure: She agrees to recover the Bible owned by JFK, which was used to swear in LBJ as president, on November 22, 1963, the same day her father, whom she idolized, disappeared forever. To do this, she must travel back in time to the Dallas of 1963, a dangerous world filled with dangerous secrets, and meet the man with the most dangerous secret of all--he plans to assassinate President Kennedy during his upcoming visit to Dallas.

 

For the first time in her life, Cady, the armchair adventurer, can live an adventure more exciting than anything Sheila ever did. She might even change her own destiny... if she dares.

 

Time can be altered. Lives can be altered.

 

History can be altered...

 

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Excerpt:

 

John gazed around the room. “I don’t believe history is written in stone. I think if you add or take away certain elements—well—you’d have to be looking at a whole different outcome. Not the big events,” he said hastily. “I don’t mean you could stop a war or anything, but if your father hadn’t disappeared, your mother would have been a lot happier, wouldn’t she? I mean, that’s why she—why things happened the way they did.” He seemed to be having trouble presenting the idea, and it made me like him. “If you could prevent your father’s disappearance, then your own life could be—” He gave me a quick glance, and I felt as though he knew every heartache I’d felt in the last 20 years. It was exhilarating, it was extraordinary… it was frightening.

 

I thought of Mel telling me I could fly on my own.

 

I thought of the lack of opportunities that awaited me elsewhere.

 

I thought of this man who had dropped into my life, the first one in years who had aroused any feelings in me that could be called passionate.

 

I looked at him, and I could feel a warm, inviting smile stretching across my face. I had a direction. I had a plan. I had a chance—which is all we can ever ask. “All right,” I said. “Where do I sign?”

 

John’s face lit with relief, and Mel, seeing that smile, began to sing “Fly Me to the Moon”.

 

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 Review: This story is a fun vintage read. Cady Cuyler is an actress living in the year 2000. When she loses her job, she is presented with an intriguing mission: to visit the year 1963 and retrieve President Kennedy’s lost bible.

 

The thing is, Cady’s father went missing that year, when her mother was pregnant with her. Cady sees the chance to solve a family mystery while she is hanging out in the 1960s. 

 

The story starts out a little slow with quite a lead-up before Cady hits the ‘60s. Once she is there though, the action really gets rolling. Her primary mission gets put on the backburner as Cady is trying to solve her family mystery. 

 

She gets a job working at her father’s company, so that she can get an inside view of what is happening. Also, she rents a room in her parents’ house. 

 

Cady is a well-developed character who is smart and easy to like. The world of the 1960s is rich with time details, immersing us in the era. As Cady digs deeper into things, danger picks up, and the suspense grows. 

 

This is quite an enjoyable read, and the execution of it is just right.



AUTHOR Bio and Links:


 

 

SUSAN SLOATE is the author or co-author of 24 published books, including 2 previous editions of Forward to Camelot, the #2 Amazon bestseller and Hot New Release Stealing Fire and Realizing You (with Ron Doades), for which she invented a new genre: the self-help novel. The original 2003 edition of Forward to Camelot went to #6 on Amazon, was honored in 3 literary competitions and was optioned by a Hollywood company for film production. 

 

Susan has also written young-adult fiction and non-fiction, including the children’s biography Ray Charles: Find Another Way, which won the silver medal in the 2007 Children’s Moonbeam Awards. Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz led to her 2009 appearance on the TV series MysteryQuest for The History Channel. She has also been a sportswriter and a screenwriter, edited the popular Kyle & Corey young-adult book series, managed two political campaigns and founded an author’s festival in her hometown outside Charleston, SC. Visit her at https://susansloate.com.

 

A Bronx native, KEVIN FINN began his professional writing career as a television news- and sportswriter just six months out of high school, moving on to produce & report for daily news shows, features, documentaries and live sports events. Over the past thirty years, he's established himself as a screenwriter and has mentored young writers for the American Film Institute's Writer's Workshop Program, as well as being a noted freelance script consultant and a novelist. 

     

Equally adept as a cameraman and editor, he currently produces and films local media content in the Princeton, NJ, area, while continuing to mentor new and younger writers, including the heralded web series The News Kids. His first Young Adult novel, 200 METERS, will be published later in 2016, and the long-awaited novel BANNERS OVER BROOKLYN is scheduled for release early in 2017. 

     

Follow Kevin on Twitter @finnkv.

 

     

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.


Enter here:


 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4998


Follow the tour:


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Friday, October 11, 2024

CHOICE Dora Farkas



 

CHOICE

Dora Farkas

 

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GENRE:  Women's Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Val is a young Mexican-American quantum physicist and single mother struggling with an anxiety disorder and financial challenges. Her world is turned upside down when her ex-husband files for full custody of their three-year-old daughter to take her across the country where he was offered a job. The story unfolds as she decides either to stay put in Boston and meet job related deadlines or go on a holiday and visit her parents in Mexico.

 

Encouraged by her father, Val flies to Mexico with Maya, her service dog, and Daisy, her daughter, and she discovers a world of magic that will change her outlook on life forever. She also reconnects with her childhood friend, Mercedes, who gives her a glimmer of hope. Things, however, are not what they seem to be. As all areas of her life begin to fall apart, Val must explore the power of her intuition and make different choices to change the course of her and her daughter’s futures.

 

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Excerpt:

 

It was magic that led me to Val. The day her mother, la señora María, came into our house, I felt something I had never felt before. This woman and her family needed me. I couldn’t explain why. But as soon as she stepped into the house, I ran up to her and started pawing at her shiny shoes. La señora Luz always wore sandals, but this lady had the most interesting shoes ever, with high heels and colors I didn’t even know existed. She petted all my siblings, but I kept pawing at her shoes until she lifted me and didn’t put me down until she got back to her own house.

 

Is it a coincidence that la señora María got me right before Val got sick? Not a chance. Like all of us, la señora María was guided by her intuition to get a puppy for her daughter just when Val needed someone the most. Val and I had only been together for a few weeks when Val got so ill that she couldn’t get out of bed except to walk me. If I hadn’t been there, who knows what would have happened? My being there helped her to get through the day until her doctor told her to train me as a psychiatric service dog. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to have a job!

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 


 

 

 

Although Dora was born in Budapest, Hungary, she lived in Mexico for five years during her early childhood. Her connection to the Mexican language, history, and cooking inspired the cultural setting for her debut novel, “Choice.” 

 

After getting her doctorate from MIT, she published her first book, “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.” which paved the way for a six-figure consulting business while she was a stay-at-home mom with two daughters. She has given workshops about writing at MIT, Tufts, Boston University, the University of Connecticut, Ohio State University, the Scripps Research Institute, the University of Calgary, and the University of British Columbia. 

 

 

 

Author website: https://dorafarkas.com/

Buy link: https://dorafarkas.com/Choice

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dora.farkas

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

 

Enter here:


 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4984


follow the tour:


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Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Review of Crossing Day

  

 

CROSSING DAY


William A. Glass

 

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GENRE:  Young Adult/Alternate History

 

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BLURB:

 

It's been one hundred and sixty years since the Confederacy won its independence at the Battle of Altamaha Crossing. Slaves of African descent still perform most of the work in the South. This seems normal to Ryan Walters and his friends who attend high school in Huntsville, Alabama. Like teens everywhere, they enjoy sharing videos, playing sports, and hanging out with friends. Jaybird's drive-in is their favorite gathering place. There, they befriend Mish, a slave girl who works as a car hop. When the drive-in’s owner sells Mish to a dirty old man, Ryan and his friends awaken to the injustice around them. Despite the danger, they decide to help Mish escape. Will they succeed?

 

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Excerpt:

 

Melanie wanders into the dining room and finds her parents already seated at the table with their personal slaves standing behind them. Her mother, Dorothy, takes a sip of orange juice and replaces the glass on the lace tablecloth. Her servant, Natty, immediately gets a pitcher from the sideboard and refills the glass. Meanwhile, James is smiling at Melanie. “Morning, Miss,” he says. The white-haired Black man pulls out her chair. Once she’s seated, he spreads a cloth napkin over her lap. 

 

“What was all the ruckus at Jaybird’s last night?” Dan Montgomery asks. He’s the mayor of Huntsville and knows everything. 

 

“A German boy started it,” Melanie says defensively.

 

“Yes, and his father already called me to complain. He’s a big wheel at The Space Flight Complex.”

 

“Sorry!”

 

Montgomery points to the syrup. His slave, Parker, reaches for it and then pours. “Enough,” Montgomery snaps. He turns back to Melanie. “You and all the others will have a week of detention.” 

 

Melanie gasps. “What about cheerleading practice?”

 

“You should have thought of that before you went to the drive-in. That’s where all the delinquents hang out and you with them.”

 

“I won’t go anymore. Please.” Melanie bats her baby blues at her father. His expression melts. “Go to detention after school today, and maybe we’ll see about tomorrow.” 

 

“Thanks, Dad.” 

 

Montgomery cuts off a bite of pancake and pops it into his mouth. That reminds Melanie to eat as well. It’s almost time for the bus.

 

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Review:

Crossing Day is an entertaining read, but it is also a novel to ponder. There are things that people may not think much about nowadays, but this story will have readers thinking of the past, in this case, an alternative past that is blended with the present.

 

The story is told through the experiences of some teenagers used to a way of life much different than we know it, one where African Americans are still under the horrible bondage of slavery in this country. The author has given even that a twist though: If America had been on the losing side during World War II, and Germany had won, what would happen in the States? What could life be like? The combination is intriguing. 

 

The characters are well-developed, and so is the world building of this fictitious setting. Through dialogue and sense details, we get a real feel for this imaginary time and place. There is plenty of tension to create suspense and a lot to think about here.


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:


 

 

Bill is a retired business executive who now lives in a small southern town with his wife, Bettina. She’s a retired high school German teacher. Bill coaches soccer at a small college. Often, Bettina, who has a commercial driver’s license, pilots the soccer team bus to away games. 

 

Bettina and Bill have three sons, Alex, Robert, and Gordon who have all graduated from college and moved away to pursue careers. Instead of having an empty nest, Bettina and Bill now host three rescue dogs. They enjoy finding promising hiking trails to explore with their dogs.

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.glass.50767

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WilliamAGlass3 

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-glass-1281609/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20170818.William_A_Glass 

LibraryThing:  https://www.librarything.com/profile/Glaswa4611

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Day-William-Glass-ebook/dp/B0CW8HBGV4/ref=sr_1_1

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

 

 

William A. Glass will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.

 

Enter here:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4954


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Monday, September 30, 2024

Falling from the Nest


 FALLING FROM THE NEST

Bobbie Candas
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GENRE: Historical Fiction

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BLURB:

Spring 1946--Following four years of war on the heels of the decade-long Great Depression,
Americans are finally feeling a sense of hope that begins sweeping the nation…
Jo-Jo Anderson feels that optimism too. Slipping the reins of her Iowa farming town, Jo leaves
to make her mark on the entertainment scene in Manhattan. Audiences are clamoring for new
musicals on Broadway, nightclubs are flourishing, and NYC is the beating heart of the radio
networks. After arriving, Jo-Jo quickly realizes that thousands of would-be stars are following
her same ambitions, making opportunities scarce, but her luck begins to turn when she hears
about Talent Jackpot.
Her twin, Sarah, finds success with her studies as a scholarship student at the University of
Iowa. But Sarah is adrift socially, finding it difficult to forge friendships. Her perfectly planned life
is upended when her hometown boyfriend announces he’s suddenly joined the navy. Sarah’s
top grades draw the attention of a crusty biology professor and after accepting his offer of a lab
position, her rigid lifestyle gets a lot more complicated.
This novel tells a story of unexpected change. The twins make their way through multiple
challenges with humor, ambition, and heartbreak but remain tied together by the bonds of
sisterhood, winding their way through the seedier backdoors of the entertainment business, and
into college dorm life and love nest apartments.
With the historical backdrop of the post WW2 era, Falling From The Nest, reads as a stand-
alone story but also serves as a sequel to author Bobbie Candas’ previous novel, The Lost and
Found of Green Tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Excerpt:
The last of the audition line moved forward and I was suddenly thrust up on the stage of the
Imperial Theater. There were three lines of ten on stage, filled with nervous male and female
hopefuls auditioning for chorus line spots for a new Irving Berlin musical, Annie Get Your Gun. I
could smell my fear as it branched out within me in tingling connections from my frozen face
down to my feet. Feet that now felt like dead weights attached to heeled dance shoes whose
soles were glued to the floor. I’d arrived late and was in the last group of an open-call audition
and purposely nudged myself into the center of the middle line, hoping for a hiding spot. But
hiding is hard when you’re a leggy, five-foot-nine, pale blonde female in a string of short,
muscular dancers. Kinda like a spotted giraffe among the lions.
After lining up, our executioner and choreographer took about sixty seconds to show us a dozen
linking steps to an opening dance sequence. His arrogant face, slim body, and searching eyes
leaned back appraising the lines. “OK, boys and girls, this one’s simple. Think you got it?”
Everyone around me anxiously nodded yes.
No, I wanted to shout. Repeat please!
The orchestra in the pit began cranking out a tune, as the choreographer yelled out…”And a
one, and a two--knee up, kick left, circle back, hop, hop, knee up, kick right…” Then he
motioned for the music to stop.
An exasperated expression covered his face. “Ladies and gentlemen, these are the basics, the
easy connections. Let’s start again on three. And a one, and a two--knee up, kick left, circle
back, hop, hop…” He stuck his arm out, motioning again for the music to stop.
“Alright, first cuts.” His long arm and dismissive finger pointed to the guilty dancers. “Tall blonde,
center middle row, thank you. You…guy on the end, first row, that will be all. Back row, green
sweater, left side, you may leave.”
He sighed deeply, clapped his hands, and said. “Let’s go again, cue music…repeat.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:


I'm a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my
degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats.
My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised who, but I'm a sucker
for a robust discussion.
For years I was involved in retail management, but in 2014 I refocused on my writing, taking
deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I
enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on
the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the
opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night
stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready
for a good recommendation.

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Bobbie-
Candas/s?3A283155%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABobbie+Candas
Website: http://www.bobbiecandas@gmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

Enter here: 

Monday, September 23, 2024

Review of BRIGHT MIDNIGHTS

  

 

BRIGHT MIDNIGHTS


LS Delorme

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GENRE:  New Adult Paranormal Romance Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

Amelie has always been different.

 

Most high school students find life challenging, but 17-year old Amelie has a lot more to contend with than typical teenage angst. Ever since she turned 11, others have been irresistibly drawn to her—with tragic consequences. Her only escape is at night when she flies to different times and places through her “dreams”. Her life begins to change when, on one of her flights, she meets Clovis, an alluring and mysterious young man who hides a secret.

 

As Amelie finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she learns his story, how it intertwines with her own and finally discovers how to live her life in the real world. Until her own secrets are revealed to the wrong people and that world turns upside down.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


 

Excerpt:

 

Amelie was startled out of this reverie by the sound of a twig snapping. Starting, she found herself not ten feet from a stag, staring back at her with wide black eyes. She heard a splash, and the stag was gone. When she turned, so was the boy. 

 

A cloud covered the sun, and the wind came up. The air around her crackled with energy. Something felt wrong. She scrambled to her feet and was beginning to back away when the boy leaped from the water and onto the bank just a few feet in front of her. He was crouched and “when his black eyes met hers, she felt her blood run cold. His form was human, but there was nothing human about his movements, or what was behind those eyes. He smiled and uttered a low growl.

 

Her body had her running before her brain—which was trying to tell her all this was unreal—could stop her. She sprinted toward the manor house, pulling up her wretched skirts as she forced her way through the long grass. Behind her she could hear the sounds of pursuit, but it sounded wrong. The cadence of the running didn’t sound like someone on two feet, but on four. She couldn’t see anyone, but she could see the grass being bent as something came at her. The manicured grounds of the manor house were only a few feet away. 

 

She had just thought she might make it, and be seen by someone, when she was hit hard from behind.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review:

Bright Midnights is a dark paranormal romance story. From the beginning of this suspenseful tale, questions are created. Amelie is different. She has a mysterious gift/curse that does strange things to other people. Still, this high school student does her best to manage. 

 

Amelie becomes more likeable as we get to know her. When she goes on spiritual adventures at night in her sleep, she meets the fascinating Clovis. Who is he? Over time, his secrets are revealed, and they do not always put him in a positive light. Amelie does not seem to care though because she is falling for him. Will she change due to her developing love for him? What will she become?

 

There are confusing moments in the book, but these do not detract from the enjoyment of reading it. Perhaps, if I had read the first in the series, this would not have been an issue.

 

The other worlds that Amelie and Clovis inhabit when together are quite interesting to read about. Also, when Clovis finds a way to be in Amelie’s world, serious trouble could happen. These two characters are well developed and are surrounded by secondary characters who help us to understand the protagonists. 

 

This is an emotion-provoking story that is fast-paced and unpredictable. Readers will have to decide if Amelie can trust Clovis. The suspense and action are interspersed with profound questions. This book touches upon love of different sorts and is a real page turner. I was glad to hear that the author is going to continue this story in another book. Bright Midnights has an ending that readers won’t be able to predict. 


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:


 

Lexy is the author of the “Limerent” novel series. She has also been a travel writer and author of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Hong Kong and An Expat Mom’s unofficial Guide to Disneyland Paris. She is an ex rock musician, ex science grad, recovering attorney and now an expat writer. Her love of writing stems from an eclectic life. As a navy “brat,” she grew up in various states across the US until her father retired to North Carolina when she was a teenager. As an adult, she has continued this “tumbleweed” life, having since lived in 3 countries, 9 US states, and 21 cities around the world. But, through all this change, her love of writing has been the one constant. Writing the Limerent Series allows her to use her unusual past to help create new worlds. Lexy now lives in Paris with her husband and two very cool sons.

 

Website:  https://www.lsdelorme.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lexyshawdelorme

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexyshawdelorme

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexy-shaw-delorme-357830/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsdelormeauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexy.delorme

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

Enter here:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4963


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