The Painter's Daughter ~ Review

The Painter's Daughter
By Julie Klassen

She thought she had found the man she would marry, until he left her behind to follow his dream. When Wesley Overtree left a brief hurried message saying he was traveling to Italy, Sophie Dupont found herself in an impossible position.

And Wesley's younger brother may be her only way to escape scandal and ruination. But can she tie her future to Captain Stephen Overtree, a man she has only just met, when her heart belongs to his brother?  And is the promise of a marriage that is "in name only" enough to bind her to this brooding man known for his black moods?

Time is short and Sophie's choices are few when a woman's reputation is everything.  A scandal, a period of isolation, or a loveless marriage ~ she has hours to decide the future she will call her own. But can she live with the decision she is about to make?

Julie Klassen's books always have this undercurrent of someone having a secret with which they have to come to terms with.  The Painter's Daughter is no different and in fact there are several characters who seem to be guarding secrets - some of which will be revealed in a most shocking turn of events.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction set in the Regency period will love delving into this book.  Fans of Jane Austen will be thrilled at the references to her work in this book.  And if you want to know which one you'll have to read the book for yourself.  An enjoyable book that will fill a long afternoon or week-end with page-turning diversion.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.


About the book:

Sophie Dupont, daughter of a portrait painter, assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight. She often walks the cliffside path along the north Devon coast, popular with artists and poets. It's where she met the handsome Wesley Overtree, the first man to tell her she's beautiful. 

Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother's neglected duties. Home on leave, he's sent to find Wesley. Knowing his brother rented a cottage from a fellow painter, he travels to Devonshire and meets Miss Dupont, the painter's daughter. He's startled to recognize her from a miniature portrait he carries with him--one of Wesley's discarded works. But his happiness plummets when he realizes Wesley has left her with child and sailed away to Italy in search of a new muse. 

Wanting to do something worthwhile with his life, Stephen proposes to Sophie. He does not offer love, or even a future together, but he can save her from scandal. If he dies in battle, as he believes he will, she'll be a respectable widow with the protection of his family.

Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie agrees to marry a stranger and travel to his family's estate. But at Overtree Hall, her problems are just beginning. Will she regret marrying Captain Overtree when a repentant Wesley returns? Or will she find herself torn between the father of her child and her growing affection for the husband she barely knows?

About the Author:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Her book, The Silent Governess, was also a finalist in the Minnesota Book Awards, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, and Romance Writers of America's RITA Awards. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit www.julieklassen.com for more information.

The Witnesses ~ Review

The Witnesses
By Robert Whitlow

Time doesn't dim the horrors of war, occasionally the memories can be pushed away and ignored but they are there waiting to be reopened.  And the time has come for Franz Haus to relive his past - which the reader is shown through alternating scenes set in both America present day and Germany of the 1920's through the 1940's.  The present day scenes alternate between Parker House and his grandfather Frank.

Parker House's future as a lawyer is on the rise.  His job may not pay as much as his friends but he finds satisfaction in what he is learning and achieving. Parker finds that he has an uncanny intuition that allows him to see things differently than others. His unique perspective is an asset in the courtroom, though he is only a background player at this early stage in his career.

With his grandfather's secret and painful past coming to light Parker finds himself caught up in something that he never expected. And the inheritance that he has come into from his grandfather may be the only thing that will save them from the danger they find themselves facing.

Those who are familiar with the writing of Robert Whitlow won't be disappointed with his newest work.  If you have never read any of Whitlow's works in the past this is an excellent book with which to start.  This is, simply put, a reading experience not to be missed.  This is a book that crosses the genre lines so that one can't pin it down, limiting it.  Law, family, romance, friendship, mystery and self-discovery this book offers all this and more without feeling forced or contrived.  Sit back and escape to North Carolina with a new friend or two.

I was provided a copy of this book through BookLook bloggers in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

Young lawyer Parker House is on the rise—until his grandfather’s mysterious past puts both of their lives in danger.

Parker House’s secret inheritance is either his greatest blessing . . . or his deadliest curse. The fresh-faced North Carolina attorney shares his German grandfather’s uncanny ability to see future events in his mind’s eye—a gift that has haunted 82-year-old Frank House through decades of trying to erase a murderous wartime past.

While Parker navigates the intrigue and politics of small-town courtroom law, Frank is forced to face his darkest regrets. Then, a big career break for Parker collides with a new love he longs to nurture and the nightmares his grandfather can no longer escape. Sudden peril threatens to shatter not only Parker’s legal prospects but also his life and the lives of those dearest to him.

Two witnesses, two paths, an uncertain future.

Deadly Encounter ~ Review

Deadly Encounter
FBI Task Force 1
By DiAnn Mills

It was a normal Saturday morning when Stacy Broussard came across a murder scene. A scene which demands the attention of the FBI.  Unfortunately for Stacy the lead agent is Alex LeBlanc, a somewhat brusque and suspicious person, who immediately annoys her with his line of questioning.  

Alex has reasons for his approach and he isn't about to repeat the mistakes of the past. But the facts in this case just don't seem to be adding up to what evidence they have. Is this a case of domestic terrorism interrupted or some thing far more sinister?

The clock is ticking in more ways than one and time is of the essence if they hope to stop what is coming.  Trust is a premium that they can't afford to misplace as they work their way through the various and intertwining layers that have them looking at everyone twice.

The basic overall story is excellent.  At times the lead characters Stacy and Alex can feel flat in their talking, but I'm assuming they are meant to come across this way as they both are weighing everything they say and do.  Whitt adds an additional dimension as he struggles to deal with his ever absent parents and accept the love and comfort Stacy offers him.  He is truly a person caught in the middle.  And his care of Xena, an injured dog from the crime scene, is touching.

Fans of Dee Henderson's newest books, who have never read DiAnn Mills previously, would likely enjoy this book. This is a story of broken people seeking healing, who have to face what has been broken and find hope in the tomorrow that is coming. And something about Stacy reminds me of Ann.

I was provided a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.



About the Book:
Airport Ranger volunteer Stacy Broussard expected a peaceful Saturday morning ride around the perimeter of Houston’s airport. What she encounters instead is a brutal homicide and a baffling mystery. Next to the body is an injured dog, the dead man’s motorcycle, and a drone armed with a laser capable of taking down a 747.

Though FBI Special Agent Alex LeBlanc sees a clear-cut case of terrorism, his past has taught him to be suspicious of everyone, even witnesses. Even bleeding-heart veterinarians like Stacy. But when her gruesome discovery is only the first in a string of incidences that throw her life into a tailspin, Alex begins to wonder if Stacy was targeted. As a health emergency endangers Stacy’s community, and the task force pulls in leads from all directions, Alex and Stacy must work together to prevent another deadly encounter.

Take a sneak peak of Chapter 1.

About the Author:

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne du Maurier, Inspirational Reader's Choice, and Carol Award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is the co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She also speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own beans. She's an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers online.

Want to connect with DiAnn Mills online?  Check-out this links:

-          Author’s Official Blog/Newsletter:     http://www.diannmills.com/articles/

-          Facebook:              https://www.facebook.com/diannmills        

-          Twitter:                   https://twitter.com/diannmills    

-          Pinterest:               http://pinterest.com/diannmills/

-          Goodreads:            http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81639.DiAnn_Mills

-          YouTube:                http://www.youtube.com/user/diannmills

-          LinkedIn:                http://www.linkedin.com/in/diannmills/

Honor Redeemed ~ Review

Honor Redeemed
Keys of Promise #2
By Christine Johnson

Two years ago Prosperity Jones said goodbye to her fiance Lieutenant David Latham.  She had his promise of marriage upon his return.  But with her parents both dead Prosperity determines that she will join him in Key West.  She was sure of David's love and that they soon would marry and start their life together.

But David has had a dramatic change in circumstances, one which Prosperity had no idea was coming.  Can the betrayal to her heart ever be overcome?  And with limited means how can she ever hope to survive this newest loss.  Relying on the charity of strangers is something she is unwilling to do.

But a chance encounter with Elizabeth O'Malley (whom was introduced in Love's Rescue) gives Prosperity a new friend and a place to call home if only temporarily. As Prosperity deals with the loss of her hopes and dreams she finds some small comfort in working at the local hospital in the laundry and learning about local plants and their medicinal value from Doctor Goodenow.  Can Prosperity find happiness with a man of science rather than the man that has held her heart for so many years?

Honor Redeemed is the second delightful book in the Key of Promise series and is as emotionally charged as the first. The characters are identifiable and can be empathized with as one can see the story from each character's viewpoint. One can't help admiring Elizabeth even more in this book her kindness and level-headed approach offer the stability that the others need during this time of trial and turbulence.  Take a step back in time to 1852 Key West you won't regret it.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

Her future--and her heart--hang in the balance.

Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life.

But when Prosperity arrives penniless in the South, she is dismayed to find David has not been eagerly awaiting their reunion. In fact, he is married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, Prosperity gains the friendship--and the affection--of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

With a deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them ~ Book Blast with Excerpt

Baseball’s Dynasties 
          and the 
Players Who Built Them

By Jonathan Weeks

About the Book:

Title: Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them

Author: Jonathan Weeks

Publisher: Rowan and Littlefield

Pages: 408

Genre: Sports History

Baseball has had its fair share of one-and-out champions, but few clubs have dominated the sport for any great length of time. Given the level of competition and the expansive length of the season, it is a remarkable accomplishment for a team to make multiple World Series appearances in a short timespan. From the Baltimore Orioles of the 1800s who would go to any length to win—including physically accosting opponents—to the 1934 Cardinals known as the “Gashouse Gang” for their rough tactics and determination, and on to George Steinbrenner’s dominant Yankees of the late twentieth century, baseball’s greatest teams somehow found a way to win year after year.

Spanning three centuries of the game, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them examines twenty-two of baseball’s most iconic teams. Each chapter not only chronicles the club’s era of supremacy, but also provides an in-depth look at the players who helped make their teams great. Nearly two hundred player profiles are included, featuring such well-known stars as Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Pete Rose, as well as players who were perhaps overshadowed by their teammates but were nonetheless vital to their team’s reign, such as Pepper Martin, Allie Reynolds, and George Foster.

With a concluding chapter that profiles the clubs that were on the cusp of greatness, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is a fascinating survey of what makes some teams dominate year after year while others get only a small taste of glory before falling to the wayside. Written in a lively style with amusing anecdotes and colorful quotes, this comprehensive book will be of interest to all fans and historians of baseball.

For More Information:

• Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District area of New York. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany. In 2004, he migrated to Malone, NY. He continues to gripe about the frigid winter temperatures to the present day. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research, he writes about the game because he lacked the skill to play it professionally. He still can't hit a curve ball or lay off the high heat. Baseball’s Dynasties is his fourth nonfiction work.

For More Information

• Visit Jonathan Weeks’ website.
• Connect with Jonathan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

With a roster full of superstars, the Orioles captured three straight pennants from 1894–1896. They followed with a pair of near misses, placing second in 1897 and 1898. Along the way, they developed a reputation as one of the nastiest teams in baseball. John Heydler, an umpire who would later ascend to the NL presidency, described the Orioles of the 1890s as “mean, vicious, ready at any time to maim a rival player or an umpire.” Infielder John McGraw was proud of that distinction. “We’d go tearing into a bag with flying spikes as though with murderous intent,” he boasted. “We were a cocky, swashbuckling crew and wanted everybody to know it.”

Pirates great Honus Wagner manufactured a tall tale about a harrowing trip around the bases against the Orioles. After driving a ball deep into the outfield, he claimed to have been tripped at first base by Jack Doyle and then knocked flat by Hughie Jennings at second. Climbing to his feet, he lumbered toward third, only to find John McGraw holding a shotgun on him. “You stop right there!” McGraw allegedly bellowed. Although Wagner’s story is obviously apocryphal, numerous reliable accounts confirm the fact that the Orioles resorted to underhanded tactics regularly. When they weren’t physically accosting opponents, they were treating them to streams of verbal abuse. Baltimore players were so free in their use of profanity that a resolution was adopted in 1898, imposing mandatory expulsions upon anyone using “villainously foul” language.

Even the groundskeepers at Baltimore were deceitful. Soap flakes were mixed with the soil around the pitcher’s mound to make the hands of opposing hurlers slippery when they reached into the dirt.  Orioles moundsmen knew to keep untainted soil in their pockets. The infield was mixed with clay and rarely watered, creating a surface not unlike cement. Baltimore players chopped down on the ball, creating dramatically high hops that gave them a head start to first base (hence, the origin of the term Baltimore chop). The outfield was ruddy and riddled with weeds. Outfielders allegedly kept extra balls hidden out there in the event that the ones in play eluded them.

What Matters Most ~ Review

What Matters Most
Texas Gold Collection #4
By Kellie Coated Gilbert

Leta Breckenridge gave up her dreams for the future to care for her mother. Unfortunately even though she has the skills needed to perform any number of jobs, without a degree that she couldn't afford Leta's future looks bleak.  With money tight, Leta has no hope of holding even much less getting ahead where her finances are concerned.  So a temporary position at local PR firm seems like a gift.

An unexpected friendship with up-and-coming Nathan Emerson is a pleasant surprise in Leta's life. With her personal life taking a back-seat to real life, he could be the one. Just one problem, everyone expects Nate to run for governor of Texas and a life in the political spotlight has never been on Leta's to-do list. And then there is the highly professional lawyer he's been dating for the last couple years.

But when Leta unexpectedly gets caught up in the other side of the political world she is about to experience a world few have or ever would want to experience.

Of all the books in the Texas Gold Collection I really think that this one is my favorite.  Leta is someone I could identify with - her struggles to make ends meet, her love and care of her mother, and her inner struggle to do what was right.  Nate was the kind of politician I think we would all like to see run.

Fans of Kelly Coates Gilbert will enjoy this newest offering from her. If you haven't read her work before don't worry this series is stand-alone, the only common factor in this series is the setting - Texas.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Just when she can't take it anymore, Leta finally catches a break. 

But when things seem too good to be true, 

they often are.

Finding her dream job went right out the window when Leta Breckenridge had to quit school to help care for her mother suffering from dementia. When a delinquent account may force her mother into a less desirable facility, Leta is thrilled to land a high-paying job at an Austin public relations firm. But her seemingly ideal job turns into a nightmare when she learns the firm is a front for a political opposition organization--and that the research she's been collecting will be used against Nathan Emerson, the handsome senator she's swiftly falling in love with.

Nathan is a rising political star being pressured to run a bid to unseat the current governor of Texas. He's already in a relationship with a woman much better suited to be a politician's wife, but he's never met anyone like Leta. Could this feisty woman hold the key to his heart--and his future?

With emotional depth and keen insight into what drives us, Kellie Coates Gilbert offers a salient story that calls us to consider what we value most in this life.

God Bless America ~ Reveiw

God Bless America
A Patriotic Coloring Book

This is a truly interesting coloring book with its patriotic theme.  There are quotes from well-known Americans and statements of nationalistic significance incorporated within the assorted pictures.  And in my opinion an even greater attribute is the back of the coloring page explains the importance of this statement or quote and credits the artist who created the scene.

Adult coloring has become an almost instant hobby, but this book can be even more than just another title on the list of to-color-books.  This would be an excellent addition to the American History class that is looking for a new way to garner student attention.

The level of coloring skill needed varies as there are pages perfect for almost any age while others would demand a greater attention to detail with the fineness of detail portrayed.  The statements are taken from the Bible, the Founding Fathers, and persons of more recent history (such as Neil Armstrong and  Rosa Parks).

This would be a delightful peak of American history to give as a gift or explore yourself.  Enjoy a quiet afternoon reveling in the joys of coloring.  This paper is a heavier quality that should take most coloring mediums and the pages are perforated so removing them is not an impossible chore.

I was provided a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.



About the Book:
Return to simple pleasures and simpler times.
Enter the pages of this coloring book for adults, and you will find a peaceful way to reflect on what makes America a truly amazing country: our values of equality, opportunity, faith,family, character, generosity, justice, and perseverance. Each coloring page features an original design from one of nine different artists, illustrating an inspirational quote from one of the Founding Fathers, an historic document, a patriotic hymn, or another of America’s heroes.

Slow down, quiet the noise, and express creativity as you color your way through history.

So grab your colored pencils or markers, find a comfortable spot to relax, and spend some time celebrating America. To help set the perfect patriotic mood, a link to the “Coloring America” playlist is included inside.

#COLORINGAMERICA