6.17.2020

The Nutcracker Conspiracy ~ Review with Giveaway

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6.15.2020

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey ~ Review with Interview and Giveaway

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
By Abigail Wilson

Elizabeth Cantrell is on her way to an obscure life as a housekeeper, due to her disgrace as the unwed mother of an infant son. But when her carriage is waylaid by a highwayman her life takes a most unexpected turn when Lord Torrington proposes marriage to her. He needs to protect his identity and offer Elizabeth the protection of his name.

Elizabeth never expected to marry, considering her abandonment and shame she never thought any man would offer her his name. But for her son Elizabeth accepts Adrian's proposal. There is just one catch she has to convince Lord Torrington's daughters and his mother-in-law that she is in love with him. Can they pull off this masquerade and find the traitor in their midst?

When a guest at Middlecrest is murdered Adrian and Elizabeth know that danger has followed them. Worse someone has taken a personal interest in Elizabeth? Was bringing Issac to Middlecrest a mistake? Or can her new husband indeed keep him safe? And can Elizabeth keep the secret of Issac's identity? Or will she admit the truth to the man who is threatening to win her heart?

Now this book is not listed as being part of a series, but several of the characters in this book made appearances in Abigail Wilson's previous books In the Shadow of Croft Towers and Midnight on the River Grey. So you can read this book as a standalone title or enjoy them in the order they were written. As this book is set within the Regency Period of English history there is plenty of cloak-and-dagger action. And is often the case there is a French threat to English interests so plenty of secrets abound. Altogether a delightful read to while away a few hours of downtime. If you have not yet read Abigail Wilson's work give it a try with this newest offering you won't regret it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart
from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however,
prepared to protect her life.
When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.
Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile, she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.
Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.
Author Interview:

  1. What do you most like about the Regency era? 

What a great question, but equally difficult to narrow down an answer. The Regency era balanced such an intriguing mix of women constrained by society, gentlemen boasting of codes of honor, and the constant threat of danger brought about by the Napoleonic Wars. But if I have to choose one aspect, I believe my favorite part of Regency life would be the immense country estates and the grand manor houses that loomed large during the period. 

These stoic structures continually provide my imagination with the perfect backdrop for strange happenings or even murder. When I feature houses in my books, I strive to create living, breathing characters, each with unique secrets and stories of their own.

“For an instant the house lay motionless as if holding its breath to appraise me, so still and hollow I thought that if I called out, I would receive an echo back.” –Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey 
Here is the house in England that inspired Middlecrest Abbey:

C:\Users\travi\Desktop\Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey\Facebook Party Images\Middlecrest.jpg

This is Chettle House, which was built1710 in North Dorset, England for a man named George Chafin. It was sold in 2015 for £3.95m and is being restored as a private residence.

Wouldn’t you love to take a stroll through those doors?


  1. What one author past or present would you like to mentor you? 

I would have to say, Mary Stewart, one of my favorite mystery writers of all time. She wrote brilliantly in a tight, first-person point of view and created compelling suspense. I admire not only her hard-to-put-down mysteries but her intelligent style of story-telling. An opportunity to learn from her would be life-changing.

  1. If you could share a cup of tea (or coffee) with anyone who would it be? 

I can only dream of sharing a cup of tea with Jane Austen. Not only could I pepper her with questions about the Regency era and the depths of her writing, I’m fairly certain I would find her wit and imagination just as appealing.

  1. Which character/characters in Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey would you like to spend the day with? 

I would love to spend some time with Torrington’s youngest daughter Phoebe. She’s got such a wonderful passion for life, a unique perspective on the ever-evolving role of women, and the gumption to follow her dreams. She’s an artist, who chooses to see the best in people. She’s the one person that welcomes Elizabeth to Middlecrest Abbey with open arms.

            I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind a late night billiards session with Lord Torrington either.

  1. What one question do you wish you would be asked and how would you answer it?

            What should a reader expect from Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey?

            As a huge fan of marriage of convenience stories, I was so excited to get the chance to
            write one of my own. The Regency era lends itself so nicely to this well-loved trope, and
            Elizabeth Cantrell was the perfect character with which to present just such a situation.

            Marriages in the early 1800’s were agreed upon for many reasons, especially for 
           women—safety, security, status, and of course, love. Considering what a predicament the
           fiercely independent, Elizabeth was in at the end of Croft Towers, she would certainly
            consider all her options. And when Lord Torrington, the self-proclaimed bachelor we met
            in Midnight on the River Grey, makes a terrible mistake in his spy work, his own integrity
            is put to the test.

            If their marriage holds any chance of love, they have to find perfect the balance of trust
            and redemption. After reading Elizabeth and Torrington’s journey, I hope readers are
            filled with a sense of hope, the relief of restoration, and the freedom that’s only found in
            truth.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Abigail

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Abigail Wilson’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, May 26th: Reading Reality
Tuesday, May 26th: Run Wright
Friday, May 29th: Pacific Northwest Bookworm and @pnwbookworm
Monday, June 1st: Christian Bookshelf Reviews
Tuesday, June 2nd: @angelareadsbooks
Wednesday, June 3rd: @meetmeinthestacks
Thursday, June 4th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, June 8th: Into the Hall of Books
Wednesday, June 10th: Read Eat Repeat
Thursday, June 11th: Kahakai Kitchen
Friday, June 12th: Moonlight Rendezvous
Monday, June 15th: Blooming with Books
Tuesday, June 16th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Wednesday, June 17th: Books Cooks Looks
Monday, June 22nd: @megsbookclub
Giveaway:
US and Canadian mailing addresses
may enter for a chance to win
1 copy of Abigail Wilson's
Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
Ends at June 22, 2020 at 11:59 pm
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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6.12.2020

Heaven Came Down ~ Review



Heaven Came Down
The Oculus Gate #1
By Bryan Davis

Their arrival brought hope to a world in pain. But before long those who looked beyond the beautiful facade presented to the world saw something else. The heavenly visitors who came to earth were heralded by many as angels sent by God. But those who refused to worship the angels were soon destroyed.

Rebellion has arisen but they are in danger of falling to these beings who demand everything - even the human soul. The Garrisons - Ben, Jack, and Trudy - have joined the rebellion, seeking to save humanity and the world they call home from these insidious beings who are enslaving everyone.

Word has come to the last bastion of rebels that they are about to be targeted by the angels by a toxin that will kill all who are within the dispersal zone. With a desperate plan to save their people from this latest attack the Garrisons target the enemy's headquarters. But all is not as it seems and soon Ben, Trudy, Jack find themselves facing a situation they never expected - becoming hosts for their enemy.

With little time to act and even less support, the battle for humanity and the human soul has entered a critical juncture - one that once begun there is no chance of going back. Sometimes saving the world calls for the ultimate sacrifice - a sacrifice that few have the strength to carry through. But has such a time come? Only time will tell...
Heaven Came Down is the first book in The Oculus Gate series, and if this book is any indication it will be a stellar reading experience. The fate of many depends upon the actions of a few and as a reader one just can't help wondering at times who can be trusted. The book has a steady pace with periods of action that kept this reader turning the page. This is different from Bryan Davis's previous works but still written with the same quality and attention to detail that one has come to expect from him. The book ends so that the reader is left with questions but not hanging from a cliff until book 2 is released which is on the author's part an incredible kindness.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

Heavenly messengers, or deadly parasites?

In the chaotic aftermath of the apocalyptic war, the strange lights in the sky heralding the coming of unearthly beings seemed like an answer to prayer. When the heavenly visitors entered selected people and transformed them into angels who demanded obedience in exchange for the restoration of order, the majority accepted their new rulers.

But Ben Garrison and his siblings, Jack and Trudy, have seen a dark side to these so-called angels. They join a rebel faction with one goal: destroy the invaders and free the world from their tyranny.

When the rebels catch wind of an angel plot to invade the resistance region and spread a deadly contagion, the Garrisons embark on a crucial mission to swap the angel troops’ vaccine with a fake injection, stealing the real vaccine to save the rebels. The catch: Ben and Trudy, in disguise as doctors, must volunteer to become implanted by angels and fake their implantation.

The rebels’ plan, however, is soon exposed, jeopardizing the mission and their lives. Their only hope for rescue lies in an odd bounty hunter, a young angel priestess, and a mysterious spy embedded among the angels—a woman whose identity the rebels have yet to discover.
You can now pre-order this book in

eBook/Kindle edition at Amazon
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6.09.2020

Closer Than She Knows ~ Review

Closer Than She Knows
By Kelly Irvin

Since losing her mother as a child, Teagan O'Rourke fears the thought of losing the people closest to her. With her father, step-sister, and step-brother all police officers, it is a possibility. Opting for a safer career, Teagan works as a court reporter, but soon she finds herself and those she loves targetted by a killer.

Now she is getting an up-close look at death as the killer taunts her using her love of mysteries to communicate his intentions with each murder he commits. Can Teagan, her family, and closest friends discover the killer's identity before he kills one of her family?

Max Kennedy will do anything he can to keep Teagan safe. Max knows Teagan sees him as one of her best friends. He wants something more that involves a lifelong commitment but doesn't want to lose the friendship that they have. With a killer targeting her, he needs to work with Teagan's family to keep the killer from exacting his revenge. But Max has a secret that he fears will alter Teagan's opinion of him, a secret that he's not ready to share.

Closer Than She Knows is not a book to read before bed if you have an early morning because you won't be able to put it down. The identity of the killer is well hidden so that the reader is wondering, is this him? The taunting letters have a unique signature that only has significance to Teagan, and the contents reveal just how close the killer has gotten to her. And he is getting closer to his end goal, making Teagan and her family feel the full force of his revenge. This is the perfect read if you are looking for suspense that keeps the pages turning.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion ~ all thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book:

A serial killer bent on revenge . . . 

and striking too close to home. 


Teagan O'Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She's slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She's listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she's never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be a victim.

Until now.

A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels.

Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she'll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God's "tough love" he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he'll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out.

As Teagan, Max, and Teagan's police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .
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6.08.2020

The Earl's Winning Wager ~ Review with Giveaway and Interview

Welcome to Day One of 
The Earl's Winning Wager 
Blog Tour
The Earl's Winning Wager
Lords for the Sisters of Sussex #2
By Jen Geigle Johnson

 This is the second book in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex and the Duke of Granbury in an underhanded manner, at least in Lord Morley's opinion, hands off his responsibilities of the Standish sisters. Gerald knows his best friend lost them and the estates and holdings on purpose in an attempt to help him find a wife. Miss Standish caught his eye before but not in any meaningful way, now he finds himself charmed by her and her sisters. 

 Miss June Standish is determined to see her sisters all married and happy and she finds the attentions of Lord Morley just a bit confusing. One moment he seems to show an interest in her and in the next speaks of helping her and her sisters find suitable gentlemen to whom they might form an attachment. Having never expecting to have her own heart touched June is at a loss as to what to make of this situation. A situation in which she is not fully aware of all the particulars - like that she and her sisters were stakes in a card game. June wants her independence and the chance to decide her own future but as the poor offspring of a once noble house, her choices and options are few.

 Can these two find love and happiness together or will the truth of their situations be the very thing that keeps them apart? 

 This is a sweet, clean enjoyable read that won't spoil your day or your mood. Not too long it is perfect for a long Saturday afternoon or for a chapter here or there during the week. If you are a fan of gentle reads, clean fiction, and the Regency period you have found the newest book in your summer TBR list.

 I was provided a copy of this book with no expectations but my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
Lord Morley's life will change forever when he wins a game of cards and a family of sisters to go along with it.

Miss Standish in none too pleased to have become the responsibility of yet another Lord, even if he is full of charm and goodness. Her responsibilities are to her sisters first.

With the repairs on the castle moving forward nicely and concerted efforts in a season in Bath made to find suitors for them all, Miss Standish and Lord Morley must determine where duty stops and matters of the heart take over.

Read this warm tale of family, sisters, loyalty, and love to get a huge dose of the best part of a regency romance fans of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer would enjoy.


Author Interview:

1) What do you most like about this era?


I love gentlemen. I love ladies who are passionate and work within the constraints society has given. I love pretty dresses.



2) What one author past or present would you like to mentor you?

I’d love to talk to Jane Austen. How did she capture so many in such a way that people are imitating her style for so many years later?

3) What one book would you recommend that everyone read?

Everyone should read …. One book? One single book? Read your scriptures. Read God’s Word. Then, cheat and read another book too, read a book that captures you so completely you feel like you are living in that world, with characters that are as real as your neighbors, more so, and that when you put it down, you are better for having experienced the story.

4) Do you have a favorite author that you would recommend?

I love Heather B. Moore and Rebecca Connolly. I love to read the authors in the Regency House Party Series. They each have their own style and their stories really pull me in. 

5) What one question do you wish you would be asked and how would you answer it?

My main hope when I write stories is that the readers will leave feeling better than they did when they started. My love for the person reading the words is far greater than any story I write. 


About the Author
An award-winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, Jen Geigle Johnson discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. 

She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She knows all about the sound a water-ski makes on glassy water and how to fall down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep's roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love. 

Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure.



Giveaway
*******************

Enter the giveaway here.
Giveaway ends June 14 at 11:59 pm Mountain Time.
Giveaway subject to policies here.

Tour Schedule

Follow along with the tour schedule here.

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