A Novel Tea Evening with Authors ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors including Lynn Austin, Susie Finkbeiner, Jocelyn Green, Laura Frantz, Kate Breslin, Amanda Barratt, and Joanna Davidson Politano, sponsored by JustRead Publicity Tours!

You are Invited

A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors
September 2, 2023 at 7 p.m. 
Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago

Join us at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, at Chicago’s historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel for a tasteful evening with tea and talk of books, writing, history, and the power of story. Emceed by Chris Jager of Baker Book House, seven novelists will share what inspires them, tales from the research files, what they’ve learned on the journey, and their hope for readers.

Learn More about A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

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About the Authors

LYNN AUSTIN, whose titles include Long Way Home, Chasing Shadows, and If I Were You. 

Connect with her at LynnAustin.org.

AMANDA BARRATT, whose titles include Within These Walls of Sorrow, The White Rose Resists, and My Dearest Dietrich. 

Connect with her at AmandaBarratt.net.

KATE BRESLIN, whose titles include In Love’s Time, As Dawn Breaks, and Far Side of the Sea. 

Connect with her at KateBreslin.com.

SUSIE FINKBEINER, whose titles include The All-American, The Nature of Small Birds, and All Manner of Things. 

Connect with her at SusieFinkbeiner.com.

LAURA FRANTZ, whose titles include The Rose and the Thistle, A Heart Adrift, and Tidewater Bride. 

Connect with her at LauraFrantz.net.

JOCELYN GREEN, whose titles include The Metropolitan Affair, The Windy City Saga series, and The Mark of the King. 

Connect with her at JocelynGreen.com.

JOANNA DAVIDSON POLITANO, whose titles include The Lost Melody, A Midnight Dance, and The Love Note. 

Connect with her at JDPStories.com.

Purchase Tickets to Attend A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

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The Lost Melody

A Midnight Dance #2

By Joanna Davidson Politano

Vivienne Mourdant is finally free of her father. But his death has forced her into a time of mourning, preventing her from performing as she wants; no, she needs to. When she receives word that she now has a ward in Hurstwell Asylum, she makes inquiries. But the woman she seeks is not there, nor has she ever been there. Her curiosity piqued, Vivienne decides to find the answers she seeks herself. 

Working at the asylum under a false name, Vivienne soon finds herself getting lost in the darkness that has taken hold of Hurstwell. And unless she guards herself well, she may never leave the place alive.

The Lost Melody is a true Gothic novel. It will drag you into it as a willing victim to its haunting call. Who are all these people trapped within its walls? You, like Vivienne, will be unable to pull yourself away. I have always enjoyed books with a Gothic thread throughout them. An unexplained abandoned tower. Unexplained music in the night. Whispers. And treacherous people undermining your very sanity. There is something to be said for reading these books late into the night as the night closes in around you. And Joanna Davidson Politano does an excellent job setting the mood and feel to create just such a story that one cannot help to be drawn to the plight that Vivienne finds herself in. I highly recommend this book and would say it would make for an intriguing Book Club discussion. 

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:

"Haunting. Riveting. Filled with hope."--Michelle Griep, author of Lost in Darkness

When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. Vivienne had no idea the woman existed, and yet her portrait is shockingly familiar. When the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.


The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know.

But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?

Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women's independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era--and now.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository |Bookshop.org | Christianbook | BookBub

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About the Author:

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, The Love Note, and A Midnight Dance. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. 

Connect with Joanna by visiting jdpstories.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

                                                         JustRead Tours

Waves of Murder ~ Review

Waves of Murder
A Fiona Quinn Mystery #3

By C.S. McDonald

Summer is here, and kindergarten teacher Fiona Quinn has her summer all planned out. Until her mother, Nancy Quinn volunteers her to edit a series of books for famous romance author Wyla Parkes! Yikes!!! And she has to spend 6 weeks at Presque Isle, Pennsylvania, to do the editing. Double Yikes!!!

Romance isn't Fiona's genre of choice, but she can't very say "No," when her mother promised six weeks of her summer for this project. Fiona is stuck, but at least the location is nice - and it comes with access to a private beach.

Unfortunately, it comes with access to a private beach where dead bodies start turning up, including her Summertime boss Wyla Parkes. What's she going to tell her mother???? 

Soon Fiona and her detective boyfriend are working on finding a killer. There's a steak dinner at stake. As Fiona and Nathan put everything together, they have to wonder if the cases are related or if someone is taking advantage of the situation.

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was excellent, and the various suspects make for an exciting who-did-what-to-whom to the very end. And, yes, it was a well-played game up to the very end, and only the smallest of clues will offer the answers that they seek. 

And then there are some amusing scenes at Fiona's home when Nathan checks it out while she is gone. Let's just say that the late Grandma Evelyn is up to some shenanigans that will leave Nathan scratching his head and wondering just what is going on in Fiona's house while she's away.

I listened to the audio version of this, and the narration was excellent. The book was narrated by 

• Maren Swenson Waxenberg and well presented. At just over 4 hours, this was the perfect quick listen as I was able to enjoy it over a week of commute time. 

This was most definitely a cozy mystery, and I would have no qualms recommending it to any reader over twelve years of age. I love Fiona's takes whenever anyone refers to her as a ""Kindergarten teacher." This is played out several times throughout the book and always elicits at least a smile, if not a laugh. This is one to add to your Summer TBR list though maybe not at the beach.

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

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Waves of Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #3
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 190 pages
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Apr 11, 2017
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books, and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

About the Book:

School's out for the summer!

Kindergarten teacher Fiona Quinn is looking forward to spending some quality time in her yard and with her boyfriend, Detective Nathan Landry. However, Fiona's plans get squelched when her mother volunteers her to edit a manuscript for famous romance author Wyla Parkes.

What's so bad about that? The author insists Fiona must work on the manuscript at her beach cottage on Presque Isle - three hours away from her yard and Nathan. Spending six weeks in an adorable cottage on a private beach doesn't really seem all that bad until people start turning up dead - beginning with the author! Fiona's summer of sun and sand is instantly transformed into a murder investigation. Can Fiona and Nathan crack the case, or will the murderer get away on a wave of deceit?

Join Fiona and the gang for a hot whodunit on the sandy beaches of Presque Isle, Pennsylvania!

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BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.

Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!

Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister. 

Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook ~ Instagram

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Windswept Way ~ Review

Windswept Way

Hope Harbor #9

By Irene Hannon

Ashley Scott's life took a major hit both personally and professionally, but rather than let it rule her life, she's embraced the opportunity it presented her. Reaching out, she makes an offer on a house that years before captured her imagination. A house she wishes to return joy and happiness to. But first, she has to get Rose Fitzgerald to accept her proposal. 

Jonathan Gray has been hiding away in Hope Harbor since he moved there. It has been a refuge of sorts keeping his wounds hidden and avoiding any close connections with people. His landscaping company has been tending Edgecliff, and with Ashley's proposed changes, this could be the contract that takes his company to the next level.

Ashley, Rose, and Jonathan are all hurting. Betrayal has made trust a precious commodity that all three are closely protecting. But their plans for Edgecliff could change everything. All they have to do is risk their hearts.

Windswept Way is a book about second chances and healing. There is also a bit of a mystery surrounding Rose, which will definitely hold your interest. As always, with Hope Harbor, my favorite character is Charley, who is a fount of wisdom, making everyone think or rethink decisions that have shaped their present. As Ashley, Rose, and Jonathan work together to make something new of their lives, one is rooting for them to all succeed. I love books with second chances.

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:
Buying a haunted house was never in Ashley Scott's plans, but when an intriguing opportunity drops into her lap after a major setback, she finds herself trekking cross-country to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast to launch a new life.

Wounded warrior Jonathan Gray isn't sure what to make of the attractive woman on his reclusive older neighbor's isolated property, but her presence is none of his business--until she enlists his help with an ambitious project. When Jonathan finds his interest in the new arrival becoming more personal than professional, however, his defenses go up. There's no room in his life--or his heart--for romance.

Yet, as these three hurting people join forces to restore life, laughter, and love to a historic estate that has known too much sadness, they may also find healing, hope, and happiness for themselves.

Bestselling author Irene Hannon invites you back to Hope Harbor, where hearts heal and love blooms.

Under the Cover of Mercy ~ Review

Under the Cover of Mercy

By Rebecca Connolly

Under the Cover of Mercy is one of those hidden gems. It is a book that, while interesting to look at, is so much more than its cover appears. Much like its main character Edith Cavell, there is a depth that is the heart of the story. Or, as Edith's second-in-command observes, Edith's Christianity defined her every action. It wasn't a trait of her character but the center of her existence.

Edith Cavell wasn't about to let anyone dictate who she could treat. Nor was she going to be a guard over those the Germans have deemed to be "enemies" to prevent their escape. As a nurse and as the Head Nurse of the Berkendael Medical Institute, she had a duty not only to the wounded but to her own conscience. How could she heal these men only to subject them to further abuses at the hand of the Germans who had taken control of her beloved Brussels? 

With her faith and convictions to guide her, Edith put her life on the line to help those who were injured recover and escape the Germans who would have been captured or succumbed to their injuries. This action placed both her and her hospital in danger, but she couldn't say no when God lay a mission both her very path.

This book is based on the true-life story of Edith Cavell, who dedicated her life to the cause that she felt God had called her to. One has to wonder, after reading Under the Cover of Mercy, just how strong one's own convictions would be in the face of such opposition and risk. Could I do as Edith knowing what discovery would cost if I failed?

This is an excellent book and one I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone who is looking for historical or biographical fiction. The setting of war-torn Brussels would appeal to those who want to learn more about WWI. And anyone who likes to learn about little-known and unsung heroes will appreciate this new offering from Rebecca Connolly.

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:

Can one nurse on a mission of mercy and rebellion turn the tide of WWI?

November 1914

The Great War has come to Brussels, and Edith Cavell, Head Nurse at Berkendael Medical Institute, faces an impossible situation. She has sworn an oath to help any who are wounded, under whatever flag they are found. But Governor von Lüttwitz, the ranking German officer, has ordered her and her nurses to also stand guard over the wounded Allied prisoners of war and prevent them from escaping.

Edith feels that God called her to be a healer, not a jailer. How can she heal these broken boys, only to see them returned to the hands of their oppressors to be beaten again?

So when members of the Belgian resistance, desperate for help, bring two wounded British soldiers to her hospital in secret, she decides she will heal the soldiers, and then help smuggle them out of the hospital to freedom.

With her loyal friend and fellow nurse, Lizzie, by her side, Edith establishes her hospital as a safe house for the resistance, laboring tirelessly to save as many soldiers as she can. Working under the watchful eyes of the German army, Edith faces challenging odds as she fights to bring hope to her small corner of a war-torn world.

Based on a true story, Under the Cover of Mercy is the remarkable account of one woman who defied an entire nation in order to heal those who needed her help the most.

About the Author:

REBECCA CONNOLLY is the author of more than two dozen novels. She calls herself a Midwest girl, having lived in Ohio and Indiana. She’s always been a bookworm, and her grandma would send her books almost every month so she would never run out.

Bookfairs were her carnival, and libraries are her happy place. She received a master’s degree from West Virginia University.

Learn more about Rebecca and her books at rebeccaconnolly.com

Other Books by Rebecca Connolly:

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice

Advance Praise:

“Remarkable tale based on the real-life of Edith Cavell, head nurse at Berkendael Medical Institute in Brussels in 1914. The war is raging, and British Edith, along with her nurses, tend to patients on both sides of the divide, even the German ones. The one thing she won't do, though, is detain soldiers for the Germans. She is strict in her decision that she and her nurses will care for patients but will not work as prison guards. Members of the Belgian Resistance come to Edith to ask her aid in hiding beaten-down soldiers until they can be treated and then helped to escape. Edith feels compelled to help these men. Soon [the Germans] arrest her, put her on trial, and order the death penalty. Edith draws on her faith and belief in God as her fate is drawn out. Christian and historical fiction readers alike will devour this fast-paced novel of faith and bravery.”

—Booklist

Available at these retailers 

     

Rise Today ~ Review

Rise Today: Trusting God and His Promise

By Jason F. Wright

This book offers hope. The first page opens with three words, words of promise. What are those words, you ask? 

HE.

IS. 

RISEN.

Words that you can take inspiration from, Words that will inspire you to rise above the problems and doubts of today.

This small book looks like a perfect gift, but it is more as it offers the reader encouragement in the face of day-to-day struggles we all face. But we can overcome the mindset that we have allowed to control and dictate our daily path. According to the author, we have a choice to allow Christ more fully into our life or not. If we decide to align our lives with the risen Lord, we need to pray, read God's Word (the Bible), listen to sacred music, worship with others, and serve others.

This book is short, sweet, and to the point. The illustrations are mainly soft, soothing colors that complement the thoughts being portrayed. In my opinion, this book is appropriate for all ages because everyone needs encouragement at some point in life.

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:

Almost everyone gets the doldrums at some level, whether from heartache, despair, or simply feeling that life isn’t what they had planned. Author Jason F. Wright invites readers to rise above life’s challenges with a message of hope, offering specific counsel and advice he’s learned through personally striving to live a Christ-centered life and through worshipping with many different congregations across the United States.

About the Author:

Jason F. Wright is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of eighteen books. He lives with his wife, Kodi, and their children in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Other Books by Jason F. Wright:

The James Miracle                             Christmas Jars
Christmas Jars Reunion                     Christmas Jars Journey
Penny’s Christmas Jar Miracle          Recovering Charles
The Cross Gardener                           The Seventeen-Second Miracle
The 13th Day of Christmas                The Wednesday Letters
The Wedding Letters                           Picturing Christmas
The Christmas Jukebox                      Even the Dog Knows
Until You Find Strength

Available at these retailers (and more!)

     

All the Lost Places ~ Review

All the Lost Places

By Amanda Dykes

Daniel Goodman made mistakes and paid the price society deemed he owed. But he knows he owes more to those he wronged, and he is determined to pay it in full. But when he learns that his mother is in need he takes on a job that will make use of his skills with language and sketching. His journey will take him from San Francisco to Venice, where he must search out a long-held secret. A secret that will mean more to him than he could have ever anticipated. What Daniel must discover is the conclusion to Sebastien Trovato's story. A story that Sebastien himself has long wondered about himself. 

This is a story of discovery. Two men, one in the nineteenth century and the other at the dawn of the twentieth, both seeking answers. Sebastien seeks to learn who he is - as a child adrift upon the waters, he doesn't know where he came from, though his early years were filled with the caring of those who took him in and raised him. But this is so much more; this is a story of redemption. No life is too far gone if the heart is willing to change. But one must choose to change. It takes time, effort, and dedication, yet it is given to those who will accept it.

This is a work of Historical Fiction, but there is a thread of mystery that runs through it. The story alternates between Daniel's and Sebastien's, with more devoted to Daniel's at the beginning of the book.

I loved the prologue. I know there are those who skip it, viewing it as unnecessary. But this one is beautiful - the language is music to the soul as it introduces the reader to Venice.

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:

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown: Adapted for Young Readers ~ Review

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown

Adapted for Young Readers

By Heather B. Moore

 and Allison Hong Merrill

This is a story of survival and even triumph. Tai Choi was supposed to live a life of privilege, but instead, she was treated little better than an unwanted piece of livestock to be bartered off to the highest bidder when no longer needed. For all intents, she was a slave in a land that had abolished slavery. But for Tai Choi, and hundreds if not thousands, slavery was very much alive in America. 

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown is written for young readers, so more graphic content is removed but eluded to. This is based on true-life events and is handled sensitively in an age-appropriate manner. Yet the underlying feeling is left intact - helplessness and being at the mercy of those who care little for you beyond the work required. 

Tai Choi was sold by her father for gambling debts and forced to assume a new identity - Tien Fu Wu, and, worse, warned away from the very people who sought to help her. When she escaped this life she had to learn to trust those who had aided her. With time, she and Dolly Cameron would forge a friendship and take on the work together of helping to rescue others caught in the life that had stolen so much from Tien Fu Wu. It wasn't an easy life, but it was a worthy one born from experience and caring, and on the friendship forged between two very different women.

This is a look at American history that is little known to most. A dirty little secret that has been swept away like a pile of dust hidden beneath a rug. The author expertly crafted this story for children to experience this travesty while only alluding to the darker parts. Historical fact-based fiction isn't always pretty, but this is a story of triumph and overcoming evil. I would recommend this for those looking for a historical fiction title for a book report. This is a title for middle-grade readers and up.

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:

Based on the true story of two friends who unite to help rescue immigrant 

women and girls in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1890s.

When Tai Choi leaves her home in the Zhejiang province of China, she believes it’s to visit her grandmother. But despite her mother’s opposition, her father has sold her to pay his gambling debts. Alone and afraid, Tai Choi is put on a ship headed for “Gold Mountain” (San Francisco). When she arrives, she’s forced to go by the name on her forged papers: Tien Fu Wu.

Her new life as a servant is hard. She is told to stay hidden, stay silent, and perform an endless list of chores, or she will be punished or sold again. If she is to survive, Tien Fu must persevere, and learn who to trust. Her life changes when she’s rescued by the women at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls.

When Dolly Cameron arrives in San Francisco to teach sewing at the mission home, she meets Tien Fu, who is willful, defiant, and unwilling to trust anyone. Dolly quickly learns that all the girls at the home were freed from servitude and maltreatment, and enthusiastically accepts a role in rescuing more.

Despite challenges, Dolly and Tien Fu forge a powerful friendship as they mentor and help those in the mission home and work to win the freedom of enslaved immigrant women and girls.