The F.I.G. Mysteries ~ Series Spotlight

Series Details:

Book Title:  The F.I.G. Mysteries by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17)
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release dates:   The Cadence of Gypsies (2011); The Wish Rider (2016); The Clock Flower (2018); The Nightjar's Promise (2020)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Details:

Book Title: The Cadence of Gypsies (The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 200 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   The Cadence of Gypsies (2011)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:
Three high-spirited 17 year-olds, with intelligent quotients in the genius range, accompany their teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel, to Frascati, Italy, a few weeks before they are to graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. Carolina's purpose in planning the trip is to remove her gifted, creative students from the Wood Rose campus located in Raleigh, North Carolina, so they can't cause any more problems ("expressions of creativity") for the headmaster, faculty, and other students – which they do with regularity. Carolina also wants to visit the Villa Mondragone where the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world was first discovered and search how it is related to a paper written in the same script she received on her 18th birthday when she was told that she was adopted – a search that will fill in all of the missing pieces of her past and help each of her students to discover something meaningful within themselves.

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Book Details:

Book Title: The Wish Rider (The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 220 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   The Wish Rider (2016)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Dara Roux and her two best friends, Mackenzie Yarborough and Jennifer Torres, the three collectively referred to as the FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) because each has an intelligence quotient in the genius range, have just returned from Frascati, Italy. It was there that their much-loved teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel discovered that her birth parents were gypsies and that she had a connection to the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world. Now, with graduation from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women behind them, Dara asks Mackenzie, Jennifer, and Carolina to help her locate her birth mother when she learns that she might be living in New York City. All the young women have to work with are five addresses, and when Mackenzie prepares a grid showing the location of all five addresses, four of the locations form a square with the fifth in the middle—which is also Grand Central Terminal. Relying on Dara’s gift for speaking and understanding foreign languages, the black and white images that stir musical cadences in Jennifer’s mind, and Mackenzie’s mathematical calculations that normally provide numerical solutions and answers to life’s most difficult questions but now keep showing the number “61”, the determined young women tirelessly go from one address to another in search of Dara’s mother. Their determination turns to desperation, however, and they ignore caution and the dissonant chords Jennifer frantically scribbles on her eight-stave musical paper as they pursue one final address—the one located in the middle of Mackenzie’s grid. Encountering a dark hidden society and sub culture more dangerous and terrifying than they could have imagined, it is there that Dara learns why she was abandoned as a seven-year-old in a candy store all those years ago.

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Book Details:

Book Title: The Clock Flower (The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 180 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   The Clock Flower (2018)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again. Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Juilliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

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Book Details:

Book Title:  The Nightjar's Promise (Book 4 of The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  130 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   April, 2020
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:

Jennifer Torres, one of the three FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) who is a genius in both music and art, is the last to leave the closed rehearsal for her upcoming performance over Thanksgiving break at Carnegie Hall when she hears something in the darkened Hall. Recognizing the tilt of the woman’s head and the slight limp of the man as they hurry out an exit door, she realizes it is her parents who were supposedly killed in a terrible car accident when she was 15 years old. Devastated and feeling betrayed, she sends a text to Carolina and the other two FIGs—THURGOOD. It is the code word they all agreed to use if ever one of them got into trouble or something happened that was too difficult to handle. They would all meet back at Carolina’s bungalow at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women to figure it out.

As soon as they receive the text, because of their genius, Dara starts thinking of words in ancient Hebrew, German, and Yiddish, while Mackenzie’s visions of unique math formulae keep bringing up the date October 11, 1943. That is the date during World War II when the Nazis—the Kunstschutz—looted the paintings of targeted wealthy Jewish families and hid them away under Hitler’s orders. And as Carolina waits for the FIGs to return to Wood Rose, she hears warnings from Lyuba, her gypsy mother, to watch for the nightjar, the ancient name for the whip-poor-will.

As they search for “The Nightjar’s Promise” and the truth surrounding it, Carolina and the FIGs come face to face with evil that threatens to destroy not only their genius, but their very lives.

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Coming Soon to Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Bookstores Everywhere! 

 

Meet the Author:

Originally from Carrollton, Illinois, author/agent/publisher Barbara Casey attended the University of North Carolina, N.C. State University, and N.C. Wesleyan College where she received a BA degree, summa cum laude, with a double major in English and history. In 1978 she left her position as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of Development at North Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and develop her own manuscript evaluation and editorial service. In 1995 she established the Barbara Casey Agency and since that time has represented authors from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2014, she became a partner with Strategic Media Books, an independent nonfiction publisher of true crime, where she oversees acquisitions, day-to-day operations, and book production.

Ms. Casey has written over a dozen award-winning books of fiction and nonfiction for both young adults and adults. The awards include the National Association of University Women Literary Award, the Sir Walter Raleigh Literary Award, the Independent Publisher Book Award, the Dana Award for Outstanding Novel, the IP Best Book for Regional Fiction, among others. Two of her nonfiction books have been optioned for major films, one of which is under contract.

Her award-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have appeared in both national and international publications including the North Carolina Christian Advocate Magazine, The New East Magazine, the Raleigh (N.C.) News and Observer, the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Sunday Telegram, Dog Fancy, ByLine, The Christian Record, Skirt! Magazine, and True Story. A thirty-minute television special which Ms. Casey wrote and coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also received special recognition for her editorial work on the English translations of Albanian children’s stories. Her award-winning science fiction short stories for adults are featured in The Cosmic Unicorn and CrossTime science fiction anthologies. Ms. Casey's essays and other works appear in The Chrysalis Reader, the international literary journal of the Swedenborg Foundation, 221 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and Kraus Publishers), and A Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation).

Ms. Casey is a former director of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida, where she served as a guest author and panelist. She has served as a judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003. In 2018 Ms. Casey received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas. She makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest Georgia with her husband and three cats who adopted her, Homer, Reese, and Earl Gray - Reese’s best friend.

Connect with the author:  Website~ Goodreads ~ Facebook

Tour Schedule:

May 25 – KC Beanie Boos Collection – series spotlight
May 26 – Nighttime Reading Center – series spotlight / giveaway
May 26 - Sefina Hawke's Books – series spotlight
May 27 – T's Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 27 - Book Corner News and Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
May 28 – Locks, Hooks and Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 28 - Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
May 29 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
May 29 - La libreria di Beppe – series spotlight / giveaway
June 1 – My Reading Journeys – series spotlight / giveaway
June 2 – Bookworm for Kids – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 2 - @momfluenster – series spotlight / giveaway
June 2 - Stephanie Jane – series spotlight / giveaway
June 3 – Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 4 – Celticlady's Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
June 4 - Blooming with Books – series spotlight / giveaway
June 5 – Writer with Wanderlust – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 5 - Books for Books – series spotlight

Enter the Giveaway:

Win 1 of 3 print or 1 of 3 ebooks of 

THE F.I.G. MYSTERY series,

or a $25 Amazon Gift Card

(open USA & Canada) 

(7 winners) 

(ends 06/12/2020)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Counterblow ~ Review

Counterblow
Javin Pierce Spy Thriller #7
By Ethan Jones

Javin Pierce is determined to see justice done. But what he calls justice some might call revenge. In his last op everything went wrong - they were betrayed and it resulted in the death of one of his team members. Javin won't forget what Mossad did to one of their own and he is going to make them pay for Yael's death.

But for his off-the-books-unsanctioned mission Javin will have to turn to those not with CIS. It helps to have if not friends at least acquaintances with assets but this is going to cost Javin. And if he doesn't survive it may cost him his standing with CIS, as in permanently out of the agency.

This book really needs to be read as part of the series and at the very least read after book 6 Deception as both are very closely tied together with their story-line. One without the other will be a serious lack of needed information for full enjoyment. And a word of warning never betray a former Corrector of the CIS you may not live to regret it.

This is yet another action-packed thriller from Ethan Jones which is refreshingly (like his other titles) free of profanity-laced language, graphic depictions of violence, and sexual situations. Highly recommended reading for fans of international intrigue who want a few hours of escape.

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


About the Book:

There’s no such thing as friendly fire…

Set-up and wounded, CIS spymaster Javin Pierce is determined to send a message to the Mossad agents who betrayed him and tried to destroy his team. They escaped justice, but CIS has moved on…

Javin hasn’t.

Short on official options, Javin partners with a Russian SVR agent to ensure Mossad pays. The deal might cost him his life, but he cannot rest until he has made his enemies pay. But can he fight a single-handed war with Mossad? And is revenge something worth losing everything?

Now more than ever, Javin has to complete this unsanctioned mission … all without leaving a trace.

Counterblow is the bombshell conclusion to Javin’s jaw-dropping, adrenaline-drenched mission that will keep you compulsively turning the pages for a satisfying finale…

The Heart of a Hero ~ Review

The Heart of a Hero
Global Search and Rescue #2
By Susan May Warren

Dr. Aria Sinclair and Jake Silver just want to put Alaska behind them and forget about the biggest mistake they almost made. There is only one problem their hearts don't agree, and what's worse when they were together, it was as if they could be themselves not hiding behind a facade.

Aria has thrown herself back into her work, not giving herself time to heal from the trauma of Denali, and she is burning both ends of her candle. As a pediatric surgeon, Aria needs to be at her best, and those around her know she needs a break. Aria's break is a 2-day conference in Key West with time off for a little R and R; unfortunately, it is the height of hurricane season, and Aria's luck is holding.

Jake knows that Aria is the one for him, but he doesn't know how to convince her of this. The last time he saw her ruined everything, and she left without a word. She brings calm to his turbulent thought, helping him deal with the pain and mistakes of the past. But she's made it perfectly clear that Alaska is in the past and she wants to leave it there.

But when a hurricane bears down on Florida, Jake can't wait around, doing nothing, not when he knows Aria needs him. But running towards danger is the very reason that Aria wants Jake in the past. He takes chances, and she doesn't want to be responsible for the death of someone else she cares for. But Jake needs to rescue Aria, it is the only way he can make up for the biggest mistake of his life - the day he lost his little sister, the day he broke his family.

Ham is back, as the head of Jones, Inc., has to be in the book and the storyline that began at the end of the first book in the Global Search and Rescue series is fleshed out as we meet his daughter Aggie and learn about his wife. Yup, a good bit of drama that takes him to Europe and reveals something of significance is at work - something that could have a bearing on the upcoming Presidential election.

Fans of Susan May Warren's previous series will enjoy little hints at crossovers with the current cast of characters. This series can be read without reading the last series first. I would, however, highly recommend reading the first book in this series as there are many references to what occurred previously. The action is sequential, so reading this series in order is essential to fully grasp what is happening in the current book. So before you crack open the cover of this book, you have to first read The Way of the Brave. (This is an absolute must, in my opinion, to fully enjoy The Heart of a Hero.

If you love dramatic situations with danger and challenges lurking around every corner, you'll love this newest romantic suspense from Susan May Warren. And the conclusion lets the reader know that they will be counting down the days to book 3.

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


About the Book:
Jake Silver may not be able to put the memories of his time as a sniper and Navy SEAL behind him, but at least he can put his skills to use as a part of the Jones Inc. rescue team. Saving the life of pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Aria Sinclair on Denali helped too. Now he can't get her out of his head, and when he hears she is in the path of a hurricane down in Key West, he can't help but jump on a plane to rescue her.

Aria has dedicated her life to helping children born with defective hearts. After all, she was one of those children. Now driven to succeed, she lives a lonely, stressful life. One she would have lost on Denali if it hadn't been for Jake. Jake is handsome and exciting, but he's also dangerous, and she's already lost one person she loves. She can't bear it again.

It's not until she finds herself trapped in the middle of a category 4 hurricane that she can admit she needs Jake desperately. With their very survival in the balance, can they hope for a second chance at life . . . and love?

The Way of the Brave ~ Review

The Way of the Brave
Global Search and Rescue #1
By Susan May Warren

Orion Starr is angry and he lays the blame squarely on God - everyone he's ever cared about has been taken from him. And his last mission ended his career and left members of his team damaged or lost. He's hidden himself away in Alaska in the shadow of Denali. But Hamilton (Ham) Jones is determined to recruit him to rescue team and he is in Alaska to pitch his company one more time.

Jenny Calhoun has been living with guilt about how the mission in Afghanistan went so wrong and she squarely puts the blame on herself and her faulty assessment of their asset. Orion and his team paid the price for her mistake. She wants to forget her past but she just can't. And when she and her friends Aria and Sasha set out to conquer Denali she had no idea just how quickly everything would go wrong.

Orion is convinced that Jenny is the woman he fell in love with in Afghanistan just before everything went wrong. She disappeared from his life and he hasn't seen her since. But this woman doesn't seem to know him but he can't get her out of his mind and when she and her climbing group go missing Orion has to search for her. But Denali is an unpredictable presence that can turn deadly in mere moments and time is against them.

The Way of the Brave is the first book in a new series and it brings the action to the reader in a most impressive way. All the main characters are hurting and dealing with it in different ways - for some their secret pains are revealed but not all (this is after all this is the first book in the series). There is a political thread that runs through this story that those who have read the author's previous series (Montana Marshalls) will be familiar with. Senator Isaac White is running for President and he has connections that Orion and Ham need to learn about a missing former teammate, They have a man who may be in trouble and they need White's help to be on the QT as there are concerns about a rogue government element being involved. So if you like an edge of your seat quality to your reading with a double dose of romance, some intrigue and a whole mess of secrets you will most likely be in anxious wait for what happens next.

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:

Former pararescue jumper Orion Starr is haunted by the memory of a rescue gone wrong. He may be living alone in Alaska now, but the pain of his failure–and his injuries–has followed him there from Afghanistan. He has no desire to join Hamilton Jones’s elite rescue team, but he also can’t shirk his duty when the call comes in to rescue three lost climbers on Denali.

Former CIA profiler and psychiatrist Jenny Calhoun’s yearly extreme challenge with her best friends is her only escape from the guilt that has sunk its claws into her. As a consultant during a top-secret mission to root out the Taliban, she green-lighted an operation that ended in ambush and lives lost. When her cathartic climb on Denali turns deadly, she’ll be forced to trust her life and the lives of her friends to the most dangerous of heroes–the man she nearly killed.

Orion and Jenny will have to put their wounds behind them to save their friends...and their hearts.

Kaya: The Journey Begins

The Journey Begins
Kaya #1
By Janet Shaw

Kaya is constantly being told boasting is wrong, but she can't help it if the truths she tells sound like boasting. After all her Appaloosa mare is the most beautiful and the fastest horse in the herd. But when Kaya's boasting leads her to neglect her assigned task of watching her younger brothers all the children suffer as a result of her boasting and disobedience.  Worse her actions have earned her a nickname she would rather not have.

When her sister Brown Deer is hurt, Kaya's quick thinking and Steps High speed are the only things that prevent a tragedy from occurring. But Kaya still bears the nickname that she despises.

When enemies raid their camp during the night Kaya fears that Steps High will be stolen away and she leads her sister Speaking Rain into danger. Worse both girls are captured and taken for from their family and friends. When they arrive in the raiders camp Kaya and Speaking Rain are put to work as slaves - is there any hope of rescue or escape? And with Speaking Rain's blindness is there any way the two girls could escape together? Or will Kaya be forced to leave her sister behind?

This book is set in 1764 and focuses on Kaya's way of life with the Nimiipuu, today we know them as the Nez Perce. The importance of following instructions is stressed as is the need to avoid boasting (which as Kaya proved leads to actions one later regrets). The story is well-paced and the characters well developed. The illustrations work well to help bring the story to life. There are 6 pages after the story portion of the book that focuses on what Kaya's world was like giving historical facts that will help the reader further understand the context of the story.

I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.




About the Book:

Kaya and her horse are in the lead...

Kaya knows in her heart that her beautiful Appaloosa mare, Steps High, is the fastest horse in the herd. But when boasting leads to a daring bareback race, Kaya pushes Steps High too hard. She puts herself and the horse in danger and earns a terrible nickname for being untrustworthy. Kaya vows to be a girl her horse and her people can trust. When enemy raiders storm Kaya's village, she tries to save Steps High but gets taken captive herself, along with her sister. All Kaya can think of is escape, but how?

Always ~ Review

Always
The Lost Princesses: Prequel
By Jody Hedlund

King Ethelwulf of Warwick has determined that the Kingdom Mercia is rightfully his and nothing will stand in his way. And King Ethelwulf will show no mercy having employed the fierce and fearsome Saracens to fight against the Mercian troops.

As Ethelwulf lays siege to the castle Queen Aurora accepts Lady Felicia's vow to save the lives of her children - 3-year-old crown princess Constance, and the twin daughters that she has just birthed. At just 17 years Felicia is unsure how she will accomplish such a task but she has pledged everything to fulfill her promise to the dying queen.

King Francis of Mercia has entrusted the safety of his family and the future of Mercia into the hands of his most trusted member of the Elite Guard - Lance. Lance has been entrusted with the princesses and the means of proving their heritage when the time to reclaim what has been lost is upon them. Equipped to battle the enemy Lance has no skills with caring for children much less just born babes. And the noble young woman who has the princesses isn't about to hand them over.

With the enemy just behind them, Lance and Felicia must make their escape from the castle and reach a place of safety to protect their charges. But Ethelwulf wants none left alive who may make a claim to the throne of Mercia and so escape may be more challenging than they are prepared for. And are they willing to give up all that they have known for three princesses who may never reclaim their heritage?

Just a warning the ending will leave you wanting more - fortunately, the first book of the series releases just a few days later so there won't be a long wait. This is yet another lovely read for the YA audience who wants clean reading. Those familiar with Jody Hedlund's previous YA series Noble Knights will love this new world that is opening with this novella. With a nod to medieval history as the setting this is a unique story that will keep the reader's attention. This is one of those just one more chapter books that one just can't put down until the last word.

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



About the Book:

A fierce elite guard. 

A loyal lady in waiting. 

They must work together to save 

three princesses from certain death.

On the verge of dying after giving birth to twins, the queen of Mercia pleads with Lady Felicia to save her infant daughters. With the castle overrun by King Ethelwulf’s invading army, Lady Felicia vows to do whatever she can to take the newborn princesses and their three-year old sister to safety, even though it means sacrificing everything she holds dear, possibly her own life.

Gravely wounded in battle and knowing all is lost to his enemy, the king of Mercia tasks Lance, one of his fiercest elite guards, to protect his family along with keys to an ancient treasure. As Lance makes plans to sneak the princesses out of the capital city, he doesn’t need or want Lady Felicia’s help.

With the dark enemy in pursuit, Lance and Felicia must put aside their differences to outrun King Ethelwulf and prevent him from killing the princesses. In a desperate attempt to hide the young girls, Lance and Felicia agree to a marriage of convenience, a decision that will change their lives—and hearts—forever.

Over the Line ~ Review

Over the Line
By Kelly Irvin

Gabriella Benoit is determined to never let Eli Cavazos break her heart again - there's just one problem her heart doesn't agree with her decision. Eli broke her trust and she just can't find it in herself to forgive him. But when a total stranger calls out to her and with his last breath gasps out the name of her brother as he dies of a gunshot wound she knows she needs Eli's help.

With Jake not responding to her attempts to contact him she has to get to Laredo to find him before it is too late. Eli isn't about to let Gabby head off on her own especially with their victim having ties to Laredo. Insisting on accompanying her he connects with local law enforcement for clues to his case which has links to gun smugglers.

But Laredo just unearths more questions than answers. Jake is the main suspect in a local murder case. Convinced that her brother is being framed Gabby isn't about to trust the local PD to give Jake a fair chance or to do all they can to find him before it is too late. The information they do uncover reveals secrets that Jake has been keeping but was it part of his cover? Or was he truly hiding something from his sisters?

Over the Line is an ever-building story that keeps the reader wondering who can be trusted.  If you like suspense that comes seemingly from the headlines you will love this new offering from Kelly Irvin. And a word of warning be careful who you trust your life could depend on it...


About the Book:

You have something we want. We have something you want.”

Gabriella has never forgiven her former fiancé, homicide detective Eli Cavazos, for breaking her heart. Then a man she’s never met shows up at her restaurant, a bullet in his chest and her brother’s name on his lips. Gabby soon realizes this man is connected to a powerful ring of criminals who know far too much about her.

Against her better judgment, Gabby turns to Eli for help in finding her brother. When she receives a cryptic text from her brother’s cell phone, she realizes she is in deep and may be dragging Eli down with her. With her brother nowhere to be found and pain from her past threatening to overwhelm her, Gabby wonders how she will make it through this unexpected quest unscathed—or alive.

Taking us into the heat of Laredo, Texas, the secrets of a gun-smuggling ring and the tensions on both sides of the border, Over the Line will keep you guessing until the last page.

The Unexpected Champion ~ Review with Giveaway

The Unexpected Champion
High Sierra Sweethearts #3
By Mary Connealy

When Pinkerton agent John McCall and Penny Scott escort the body of Raddo into Dismal, Nevada, they never expected to be kidnapped and find themselves on the wrong side of the law and forced into a marriage at gunpoint. John and Penny are determined to get on the trail of those who put them into this situation but 

Worse they find that their kidnappers are determined to stop them from revealing what they don't know. But working together John and Penny are about to put their unique skills to the test as they hunt for the man responsible for the mess that they are in.

Meanwhile, the Chiltons aren't content to just wait for John McCall to return with their grandson Ronnie, whom the Scotts refuse to give up. And they are going to make their presence known in a most interesting way in this third installment of the High Sierra Sweethearts series. Now I highly recommend reading all three books in order as it is vital to understanding the story and just who is who and what has happened.

Penny is a personality that can't be ignored and she has an interest in learning more about what catches her attention. John has been a detective for years and his skills of subterfuge are about to catch Penny's interest. This unlikely pair is about to discover that sometimes the most unexpected thing is just what you've always wanted.

A cute read that will appeal to fans of historical romance fiction. If you lean towards a cozy read over high suspense you'll want to give this series a go. And the town of Dismal may be one to avoid passing through especially if you don't want to get on the wrong side of gossip (you'll just have to read the book to know what I mean).

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

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Unexpected Champion
Series: High Sierra Sweethearts, Book 3
Author: Mary Connealy
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Genre: Historical Romance / Western

They’re as Different as Could Be.

But They’ll Need to Trust Each Other to Survive

the Wilderness . . . and the Dangers Chasing Them.

City dweller John McCall never expected to be out in the High Sierras of 1868 on a wild-goose chase to find the Chiltons’ supposedly lost grandson. But now that he’s out here, things have gotten even more complicated, mostly due to wildcat Penny Scott. She’s not like any woman he’s ever met–comfortable in the woods, with a horse, and with a gun.

When Penny and John are taken against their will by a shadowy figure looking for evidence they don’t have, both realize they’ve stumbled into something dangerous. With their friends and family desperately searching for them, Penny and John must make a daring escape.

When they emerge back into the real world, they discover their kidnapper just won’t stop. This city man and country woman must bring a powerful, ruthless man to justice, all while fighting a very inconvenient attraction to each other.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | BN.com | Book Depository | Christian Book |

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo courtesy of
Ginger Murray Photography

Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

CONNECT WITH MARY: website,  facebook,  twitter,  instagram

You can also find Mary at these sites:                   Seekerville and Petticoats and Pistols

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will win

A complete set of all three High Sierra Sweethearts books
(print, US only)
and a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight April 8, 2019, and last through 11:59 pm April 15, 2019. US only. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Learn more and visit all The Unexpected Champion by Mary Connealy tour stops by visiting  JustRead Publicity Tours!

Everything She Didn't Say ~ Review

Everything She Didn't Say
By Jane Kirkpatrick

Carrie Adell Green married Robert Strahorn in September of 1877 and began the adventure of a lifetime. Following her husband into the wilderness of America's West at her own insistence she became a trailblazer embarking on one adventure after another. Roughing it with the men who were tasked with taming the West.

Robert was known for his articles and books about the West. His work was funded by the Union Pacific Railroad - a PR man if you will, tasked with convincing the average citizen to move West and bring civilization with them. Creating a market for what the railroad would be offering transportation of people to the West and goods to the East.

Carrie was not about to sit around waiting as Robert explored the West and insisted that he convince the UP officials that her presence would add to the appeal - a lady of family and standing who was able to traverse the unknown regions and dangers of the West, sharing her experiences, offering a woman's perspective.

Through her experiences, Carrie has to deal with disappointments - want of a permanent home, children, and a husband who was not quite what she wished. But Carrie persevered handling what came her way each and every time. And she recorded her experiences in a journal which she hoped to one day share with the world in a memoir.

Like all of Jane Kirkpatrick's books she once again draws on a person who helped shape our country and our way of thinking. Carrie Strahorn is a person of whom I had not been previously aware of and found her story to be a wonderful glimpse into the past. It is interesting how depending on the state/territory that they were visiting just what rights women had. I also found the attitudes of some of the men interesting when Carrie asserted her opinion and went along on excursions that they deemed too dangerous for a lady. I would highly recommend Everything She Didn't Say for a book club setting (in fact this will be one that I'll be using in my own book club next year). For teens looking for a historical fiction for a book report, this one is worth considering.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell with no expectation except that I give my honest opinion.


About the Book:

There is more than one way to tell a story . . . 

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In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a memoir sharing some of the most exciting events of twenty-five years of shaping the American West with her husband, railroad promoter and writer Robert Strahorn. Nearly ten years later, she's finally ready to reveal the secrets she hadn't told anyone--even herself.

Certain that her writings will be found only after her death, Carrie confronts the pain and disappointment of the pioneering life with startling honesty. She explores the danger a woman faces of losing herself within a relationship with a strong-willed man. She reaches for the courage to accept her own worth. Most of all she wonders, Can she ever feel truly at home in this rootless life?

New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick draws out the emotions of living--the laughter and pain, the love and loss--to give us a window not only into the past but into our own conflicted hearts. Based on a true story.

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The Crescent Stone ~ Review

The Crescent Stone
The Sunlit Lands #1
By Matt Mikalatos

Madeline Oliver is dying - each breath is a struggle, each minute takes that much closer to the end. At seventeen she is not ready to die but there is nothing more that can be done. A year ago she had everything until her lungs stopped working. Still, she struggles to have as normal a life as she can, going to school when she is able - though making it to graduation is unlikely.

On that fateful day when she collapses in chemistry, it seems her life has come to an end but her lab partner Jason Wu along with her ex-boyfriend Darius Walker rushes her to the hospital. Madeline is dying she knows it but in the midst of everything something happens and she is given a chance. A year of service in an unknown land in exchange for her life healed from her disease.

Madeline makes the decision and soon she and Jason are making their way to the Sunlit Lands and the Elenil and one year of service. The Sunlit Lands upon first appearance seem idyllic but looks are but the surface and soon Madeline and Jason are peering beyond. The Elenil are at war with the Scim, a beastly warlike people bent upon the destruction of all. Madeline with her new health has a few concerns but the Elenil have been so good to her offering her the chance at life. Jason being Jason isn't content to just be told what is what and has to poke and prod and look beneath everything. And soon he is wondering just how the Elenil magic works.

Every action has a price and when the truth of the cost is revealed, Madeline and Jason have a choice before them. A choice that will bring life and death...

The Crescent Stone is the first book in the Sunlit Lands series and a most intriguing start it is. A world that once was whole and now torn by war. Treachery, betrayals, deceit or truth, kindness, loyalty? Can they determine the truth before it is too late?  Madeline and Jason are an interesting pair. Madeline is lost in her own pain and fears while Jason is hurting from a decision made out of love that cost him dearly - for both the Sunlit Lands is chance at a new beginning to right what is wrong in their lives. And those who call the Sunlit Lands home are a mix of humans who have come in service and the various peoples who come from this world. I think the following quote can sum up this book quite nicely "To change the world, change first a heart." This is my takeaway from this book.

And as a fun added bonus there is an appendix that shares "history" of this world through their stories which adds an interesting thread. And bonus there is an excerpt from the second book (DON'T READ AHEAD - you will totally ruin what is this book if you do!!!)

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers with no expectations of a positive review - all opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:
A girl with a deadly lung disease . . .
A boy with a tragic past . . .
A land where the sun never sets but darkness still creeps in . . . 

Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger name Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don’t know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.

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Get a peek at the first chapter here