A Tapestry of Light ~ Review with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Tapestry of Light 
by Kimberly Duffy, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

A Tapestry of Light

By Kimberly Duffy

Ottilie Russell is caught between two worlds accepted by neither and rejected by both. Her mixed heritage is held in contempt and viewed with suspicion - the British reject her due to her clearly Indian heritage and the Indians disdaining her British ties as a betrayal of who she could have been. She is clearly Indian but too British to be accepted by those she calls neighbors.

She has lost the joy and peace that life once offered. Losing her parents, brother, and sister has left her in fear and doubt. Fear that she will lose what little family she has left and in doubt that God is indeed loving and concerned for her.

Using her skills as a beetle-wing embroiderer she manages to eke out a living that provides for the barest needs of her little brother Thaddeus and her grandmother. But life is anything but easy as she pushes herself to fulfill the work in the attempt to gain more. 

But she is adrift - when Everett Scott shows up claiming that he has been sent to bring Thaddeus back to England. But Ottilie cannot give up her brother her last reminder of her parents and their love. But Thaddeus has inherited a title and though he is only 6 he has a duty to fulfill. In the process of trying to convince Ottilie that Thaddeus's life will vastly improve if he is permitted to leave, Everett and Ottilie form a friendship of sorts. A friendship that has the potential becoming something more. 

When yet another tragedy strikes Ottilie agrees to Thaddeus's removal from India on the condition that she goes with him. As Ottilie faces the prospect of a new world so different from the one she's always known she finds herself adrift. The family that she prayed would accept her is shocked at her foreign appearance and ways. She is expected to reject the ties that bind her to England so as to not upset societal expectations and ruin her brother's future. Worse she faces betrayal once again from a man in whom she has placed her truth. Can she ever find a place to belong and find the answers she so desperately seeks?

A Tapestry of Light is a journey of faith and discovery. Who is God? Throughout Ottilie and various other characters find themselves in doubt as to who God truly is and what role, if any, His plays in their life? Is He loving? A cruel tyrant? An indifferent deity who demands everything? These are the answers that drive the story as much as the prejudices that drive Ottilie to make choices that set her life on an altogether different path she never anticipated following. These are truths that all readers can take to heart as something to ponder. This book takes the reader on a journey through heartbreak, sorrow, desolation, and joy. It is also a look at the world under British rule and it is disheartening that the prejudices that were are still such a very real part of life today. Ethnic and class snobbery is not unique to any particular era or people and yet it is equally painful and destructive. Kimberly Duffy brings Ottilie Russell life with all her complexities, fears, hopes, and dreams. This is the first work of Kimberly Duffy that I have had the pleasure of reading and I can assure you that it will not be the last and I highly recommend her work if you are looking for something that entertains while providing a multifaceted depth.

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

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: A Tapestry of Light
Author: Kimberly Duffy
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release date: March 16, 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Calcutta, 1886. 

Ottilie Russell is adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, belonging to both and neither. In order to support her little brother, Thaddeus, and her grandmother, she relies upon her skills in beetle-wing embroidery that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women. 

When a stranger appears with the news that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman, Ottilie is shattered by the secrets that come to light. Despite her growing friendship with Everett Scott, friend to Ottilie's English grandmother and aunt, she refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes, and she is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home. 

But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn't forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

ALSO AVAILABLE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Kimberly Duffy is a Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio, via six months in India. When she's not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes her readers back in time and across oceans. She loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. He doesn't mind.

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY: Website | Facebook | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Tapestry of Light, A Mosaic of Wings, and Recipes from an Indian Kitchen!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway began at midnight March 22, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 29, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

The London House ~ Cover Reveal

Today is the Cover Reveal for The London House by Katherine Reay which is releasing on November 30, 2021, from Harper Muse Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus.

Learn more about the book and enjoy the cover reveal. 

Now available to preorder at your favorite online retailer.

About the Book:

An uncovered family secret sets one woman on the journey of a lifetime through the history of Britain’s WWII spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris in an effort to understand her past, save her family, and claim her future.

One call could bring ruin to her family name.

Caroline Payne thinks it is just another day at work when she receives a call from Mat Hammond, a doctoral candidate, who has uncovered a dark and scandalous family secret: her British great-aunt defected to the Nazis to marry her German lover.

The letters tell a different story.

In search of answers, Caroline flies to London to search her grandmother’s diaries and her aunt’s letters. In them, she discovers the “Waite girls” and a time of peace and luxury in the interwar years that is beyond anything she ever imagined. But the buoyant tone quickly changes as the sisters grow older, fall in love with the same man, and one leaves home to join the glamorous art scene of 1930s Paris—all amid the rumblings of war.

But history won’t let its secrets go so easily.

The more Caroline learns, the more questions she has. Together Caroline and Mat work to dig out answers, uncovering stories of spies and love, of family rifts, and of one fateful evening in 1941. Will the truth they uncover heal the decades-old family wounds, or will they tear the family even further apart?

Coming November 30, 2021!

Love & Joy ~ Review

Love & Joy

Holidays in Hallbrook #8

By Elsie Davis

He said it was just a birthday kiss but when her high school crush kisses her on her thirtieth birthday it seems like something more to Zoe. And her nine-year-old son Scott is less than thrilled especially after his dad dumped them. Zoe knows the kiss means nothing to Blake Peterson who left Hallbrook and the family business behind years ago. And she knows he's probably on his way out of town again just a matter of days.

Zoe has been hoping that she will soon be promoted to manager of Peterson's Ice Creamery, after all, she's already been doing most of the work of a manager already. But Old Man Peterson has other plans - the manager position will be filled by whoever comes up with the best remodel plan for the Creamery. Unfortunately, Zoe knows exactly what is going to happen especially since she is competing for the job she not only wants but needs against Blake Peterson.

But when Blake starts working in the Creamery to get a feel for the place, he and Zoe start to see something more to one another. But misunderstandings could stand in the way of love. But when misunderstandings lead to feelings of betrayal can anything fix what has been broken?

Love and Joy is a sweet read. Apparently, this is the eighth book in the Holidays in Hallbrook series, but this was my first introduction to both the series and the author. But in no way did I feel as if I was missing something vital to the series but not reading the previous books. This book can easily be read as a standalone title and one can definitely connect with the characters and enjoy the story.  I wouldn't say this is a meet-cute book but maybe a remeet-cute book as Zoe and Blake have a bit of a history between them thanks to Sarah - Zoe's BFF and Blake's sister.                                                                                     

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:

Let the battle begin…

A thirtieth birthday is a landmark, but Zoe is crushed when everyone - including her nine-year-old son - seems to forget it. Of course, she has no idea about the surprise party, or the even more surprising birthday kiss from her best friend’s brother and secret high school crush, Blake Peterson.

Zoe doesn’t have time to dwell on it, though. She’s worked hard to rebuild her life after a divorce, and she fully expects the promotion dangled in front of her. Her boss has other ideas, however: A contest to renovate Peterson’s Ice Creamery, and may the best man--or woman--win.  What’s worse, her competition is none other than Blake himself, Old Man Peterson’s grandson.

Blake’s ready to join the family business, but his grandfather says he has to prove himself first. Now, he has to work side-by-side with the beautiful Zoe, and the two butt heads right away. It’s a battle between Zoe’s nostalgic style and Blake’s beliefs that high-tech modernization is crucial to the bottom line of a company.

They’re both stubbornly sure that they’re right, but the more time they spend together, the more difficult it is to deny there’s something growing between them that has nothing to do with business. Can these two put their differences aside long enough to discover what’s really important?

Can't Buy Me Love ~ Review with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Can't Buy Me Love by Andrea Christenson presented by Susan May Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Can't Buy Me Love

Deep Haven Collection #2

Susan May Warren presents

Andrea Christenson

Ella Bradley's life has been anything but easy. She went from being the daughter of "The King of Clean" to housecleaner, a housekeeper, though one with big dreams of her own business. When she decides to act on her dreams her luck holds out and the long waited chance slips away thanks to an elevator fiasco. An elevator fiasco that traps her with a very handsome stranger.

Adrian Vassos is determined to shed his "irresponsible playboy" image. This proves more challenging an endeavor than he was hoping for as his past mistakes keep coming up. But when he meets Ella he finds someone totally different than he is used to. First, she is determined to save the world. And his name is not doing him any favors in Ella's estimation. She's heard all the gossip and she has no time for a rich heir who thinks nothing of destroying the place she has come to call home. But there is something about him that draws her to him.

Misunderstandings galore stand in Adrian's way, and the biggest misunderstanding of all finds him extending his stay in Deep Haven and getting a chance to get to know Ella. Could this be a chance to find true love? Or just another disaster waiting to happen?

This is the second book in the Deep Haven Collection which brings fans of Susan May Warren back to Deep Haven. This book is a modern twist on Cinderella that will leave the reader wondering if there will be a happily ever after for Adrian and Ella? If you love contemporary romance take a trip back to Deep Haven and enjoy getting to know some new friends while reconnecting with some old ones too. So sit back and take a quick trip to your favorite Minnesota town.

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

Title: Can't Buy Me Love
Series: Deep Haven Collection #2
Author: Andrea Christenson presented by Susan May Warren
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing 
Release Date: March 16, 2021
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

He can’t buy his way out of trouble this time...

Housekeeper-slash-entrepreneur Ella Bradley prides herself on being ready for anything. After all, with a father who died—and lied to her—and a stepmom and stepsister who despise her, she has no one else to depend on. But on the biggest night of her life, she’s unprepared to be trapped in an elevator with the man of her dreams. 

Wealthy prince-to-a-fortune Adrian Vassos wants nothing more than to shed his reputation as a party boy and prove that he is a savvy businessman. Even, a gentleman. But when he’s trapped with a woman who knows his reputation but not his face, he gives into the temptation to be someone else—and lies. 

When serendipity brings them together again—this time to work off community service—can their combined sentences spark a new ending? Maybe...if Adrian’s lies don’t find him out. Again. 

The magic of Deep Haven enchants in this modern-day Cinderella story.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub

BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

 

Susan May Warren is the USA Today best-selling novelist of 80 books. With more than 1.5 million books in print, she is beloved by reviewers and readers around the world. Visit Susan at www.susanmaywarren.com.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Andrea Christenson lives in a Minneapolis, MN suburb with her husband and two daughters. When she is not busy homeschooling her girls, she loves to read anything she can get her hands on. She believes that a great loaf of artistic bread can turn a meal into a masterpiece. Andrea’s prayer is to write stories revealing God’s love.

CONNECT WITH ANDREA: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter 

 Merging the creative energies of best-selling authors Susan May Warren and Lindsay Harrel, Sunrise Publishing is the matchmaker for established authors who want to build on their current success for future growth and aspiring authors looking to break out, build an audience, and hone their writing skills.

CONNECT WITH SUNRISE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | admin@sunrisepublishing.com

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card + 3 Can't Buy Me Love ebooks (one ebook for the winner and two to give to friends)!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 16, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 23, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Invading Hell ~ Cover Reveal

 Cover reveal!

Last year Bryan Davis gave us Heaven Came Down.

This year he is giving us Invading Hell, book #2 in the Oculus Gate series.

Welcome to a post-apocalyptic version of Earth, in which aliens, posing as angels, restored order to the world but at a terrible cost—tyranny.

The enemy must be faced...even in the pit of hell.

The fake angels have been vanquished, but the devastation they caused remains-a world in fear of anarchy and a deadly contagion that might soon sweep across every continent. The angels also opened the Oculus Gate, allowing entry of a new breed of aliens. These "Refectors" are taking over human bodies that were purged of their souls by the angels' toxic vaccine.

Ben Garrison's highly skilled team, with the recent addition of Leo the huntsman and Iona, a sharpshooting teenager, must figure out why these possessed humans are traveling to remote locations near the Arctic Circle. Satellite images indicating the presence of yet another alien race make the team's quest to Alaska and Siberia to learn the truth even more dangerous.

A message from Ben's departed commander provides a cryptic clue to the existence of the root of all the alien evils, a self-styled sorceress who seems able to calculate every move her opponents make.

Ben and company must invade hell itself to find this ancient evil and conquer her in hopes of ending the plagues on mankind once and for all.

Here is the Amazon link to pre-order the ebook. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YYBT7S1/ Coming May 15.

Here is the Amazon link to pre-order the print book - https://www.amazon.com/Invading-Hell-Bryan-Davis/dp/1953957021 Coming April 16.

Murder on Pointe ~ Review with Giveaway

Murder on Pointe

A Fiona Quinn Mystery #1 

By C.S. McDonald

Narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg

Fiona Quinn is thrilled her BFF Silja Ramsay is back in town and about to dance the principal role in Coppelia. But before she has time to even enjoy a visit with Silja murder has taken out one of the dancers. Having discovered the body Fiona and Silja are the police's best chance at witnessing anything of importance. 

Homicide Detective Nathan Landry is going to do his best to solve the case and if that means recruiting Fiona Quinn to go undercover for him so be it. It's been more than ten years since Fiona last danced, thanks to a career-ending skiing injury, but with pleas from Detective Landry and Silja Fiona agrees. But she won't skip out on her kindergarten class so the ballet will just have to work around her schedule. Can Fiona find a clue to help catch a killer before they strike again? Or will she become the next target? And even more important is Detective Landry interested in her as Silja suggested or is it just wishful thinking? And then there is Fiona's house, not saying more but it definitely has a few interesting attributes that Fiona is not wanting to explain.

Not that murder is fun or enjoyable, but overall this was an enjoyable read (or listen in my case). And I learned more about ballet than I had previously known so the glimpse behind the scenes was more than a little interesting. This is the first book in the Fiona Quinn Mystery series and this is definitely a series I can see myself enjoying books of. The pacing was good and at just 4 hours and 30 minutes not too long of a read (or listen) and it was perfect for commuting to work. The narration by Maren Swenson Waxenberg was done well and most of the character voices were distinct enough to tell them apart easily. 

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.

Book Details:

Book Title:  Murder on Pointe:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #1
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 219 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Jul 19, 2016
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

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Book Description:

Fiona can't wait to attend the performance of Coppelia at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh. Her old friend, Silja Ramsay, is dancing the principal role. They have dinner after the show, but when they return Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is down one dancer! Ballerina, Alexis Cartwright, has been found dead in the dressing room. Is this murder a result of hot tempers among the cast members? Or is it a random act of violence? Will there be more murders? Homicide Detective Nathan Landry isn't taking any chances. After finding out Fiona has a strong background in ballet, he recruits her to go undercover among the cast of Coppelia. Can Fiona help catch a killer, or will she be the next victim? 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Merry Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #2
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 219 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 51 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Sep 16, 2016
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

The cookies are baked. The tree is trimmed. The shopping? Well, it's almost done, and Fiona's parents have finally returned home for a holiday visit - along with some unexpected unruly friends. Yep, Fiona's perfectly planned Christmas is coming together, but how could've she planned for her favorite uncle's murder? Who could possibly kill a sweet old man who's played Santa at the local mall every year without fail? Fiona's boyfriend, Detective Nathan Landry, is determined to find out - before Christmas day arrives. There's only one problem: Nancy Quinn. Fiona's mom is just as determined as the detective to catch the murderer, and she isn't shy about getting the job done - even if it includes breaking a few pesky laws! Will Fiona and her mother find the killer first or will the killer find them? 

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Waves of Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #3
Author:  C.S. McDonald​

Category:  YA Fiction, 190 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 6 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Apr 11, 2017Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

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

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Tastes Like Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #4
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 202 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 46 minutesGenre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Nov 23, 2017
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

The bridesmaid dresses are ruffles and ruffles of ugly, one bridesmaid is trying to micro-manage…well, pretty much everything, and the bride-to-be is a total bridezilla! Wedding bells will soon be ringing, but as usual, Fiona is a bridesmaid and not a bride. As the maid of honor, how can Fiona keep the volatile pre-wedding festivities running smoothly? 

The problem is abruptly solved when the bride drops over dead at the elegant wine-tasting wedding rehearsal. Yikes! Who poisoned the wine? The suspects are lining up, and Fiona finds herself at the top of the list! Double yikes! It’s a vintage murder case for Fiona, Detective Landry, and the gang. Cheers!

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Good Luck to Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #5
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 148 pages
Run Time: 3 hours, 49 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  June 1, 2018
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

Dreams, wishes, fantasies, and... murder?

Fiona's good friend and fellow teacher, Lucky Maguire leads everyone to believe he has won a huge jackpot! Only Lucky turns out not to be so lucky - he winds up dead and his supposed winning lottery ticket missing! 
Yikes!
Did Lucky really win the lottery and if so, where is the ticket hidden? 
Who knew for sure if he truly was Pittsburgh's newest millionaire? 
Double yikes!
Join Fiona and the gang for this winning cozy mystery that's sure to keep you betting on the suspects!

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Mambo and Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #6
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 160 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 9 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

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Book Description:

Three ballroom dancers were murdered over 40 years ago. Wow, that’s one old cold case. What’s more, the murderer, who was thought to have been killed during a police chase, has resurfaced in Pittsburgh. Yikes! How can that be? 
Worse, ballroom dancing simply isn’t Detective Nathan Landry’s forte. After weeks of practice, Nathan still has two left feet. Can Fiona step in to guide Nathan through this dancing debacle or will it take 40 years for the detective to find his footing? 
Double yikes! Join Fiona and detective Landry in this high-stepping whodunit!

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon

 

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Saddle Up for Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #7
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 178 pages
Run Time: 4 hours, 47 minutes
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  May 14, 2019
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

Fiona is in total shock when her mother arrives unannounced on her doorstep. What’s going on? Why, she’s left Fiona’s father, that’s what. Yikes! Worse, a horse trainer is murdered outside his ex-wife’s home in Pittsburgh, and the trail leads directly to a Thoroughbred racetrack in the neighboring state of West Virginia. Get ready, because the suspects are mounting up and heading down the stretch. Whoa! Fiona and Detective Landry aren’t horsing around with this homicide!

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon

 

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Bon Voyage to Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #8
Author:  C.S. McDonald
​Category:  YA Fiction, 198 pages
Run Time: 6 hours, 52 minutes
Genre:  Cozy MysteryPublisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Nov 5, 2019
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

Hooray! Fiona has finally convinced her boyfriend detective Nathan Landry to go on a romantic Caribbean cruise. Unfortunately, their fun on the high seas is interrupted by murder. It isn’t long before they discover a boatload of suspects, who have motives deeper than the ocean for wanting the victim out of their lives.

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Taking Notes on Murder:  A Fiona Quinn Mystery #9
Author:  C.S. McDonald

Category:  YA Fiction, 184 pages
Run Time: 5 hours
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  May 19, 2020
Content Rating:  G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

Mysterious notes are showing up in Fiona’s kindergarten classroom, claiming a suicide from 2005 was actually a homicide. Detective Landry maintains the messages are too vague, possess no integrity, and do not warrant a review of the old case.

Fiona’s not convinced. She’s determined to find the author of the enigmatic notes and uncover the truth about a man who had many secrets and countless enemies, including Fiona’s mother and former suspect Nancy Quinn!
Can Fiona crack this cold case, and what will it take to get Detective Landry involved? Don’t miss taking notes on this murder! 

 

    BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon

 

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 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. The female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Next 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

 

Tour Schedule
Mar 1 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 1 - She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 2 - Laura's Interests – audiobook review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 3 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 4 – Gina Rae Mitchell – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 4 - Laura's Interests – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 5 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Good Like to Murder / giveaway
Mar 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 9 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 9 - Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 10 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 10 - Wickedly Romance – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 11 - Wickedly Romance – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 11 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 12 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 12 - Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 15 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Murder on Pointe
Mar 15 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 15 - Chit Chat with Charity - audiobook review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 16 - My Reading Journeys – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 17 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 17 - My Reading Journeys – book review of Saddle Up for Murder / giveaway
Mar 18 – Musing of Souls – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 18 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe
Mar 19 – Books Lattes & Tiaras – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 22 – Westveil Publishing – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 22 - Musing of Souls – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder
Mar 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of Tastes Like Murder / giveaway
Mar 23 - Lisa's Reading – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 24 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – audiobook review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 24 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond
Mar 25 – BookishKelly2020 – book review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 25 - Chit Chat with Charity - audiobook review of Back to the Burgh and Beyond / giveaway
Mar 26 - BookishKelly2020 – book review of Murder on Pointe / giveaway
Mar 26 - Lisa's Reading – book review Tastes Like Murder / giveaway

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The Dress Shop on King Street ~ Review

The Dress Shop on King Street

Heirloom Secrets #1

By Ashley Clark

Harper Dupree's dreams never seem to come to fruition and she is constantly disappointed. But when she joins her dream with Millie it seems that finally, both women will see a long-held dream come true.

Millie Middleton has a secret, a secret that could cost her everything if the truth came out. A secret that made her choose who she would be. And it cost her the family she dearly loved. To deny part of oneself was not something she did lightly, but the world refused to accept her for who she was. 

For more than 50 years Millie has had to deny the truth but as her long-held dream comes closer to reality she has a chance to reveal the truth. But revealing a long-held truth isn't as easy as it seems. 

The Dress Shop on King Street takes the reader on a journey through history with a pivotal moment occurring in the prologue which is set in 1860's Charleston, South Carolina. The story offers a back-and-forth in which Millie's story is presented (starting in 1946) and Harper's which is present day. This back-and-forth slowly unfolds a story that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. And then there is Peter Perkins who could very well hold the key to what both Millie and Harper want. But sometimes what we think we want is so different from what we need and this is a truth that needs to be discovered personally.

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

About the Book:

Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie's past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton--the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman--boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they've both dreamed of. But it's not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.