Sydney Winward's Blog, page 24
March 17, 2020
Book Review of For This Knight Only by Barbara Bettis
I loved the way the author opened the book with Chauvere getting attacked. I was immediately drawn into the story, and itching to learn more. Alyss’s character intrigued me from the beginning. She has a strong mind, and even when everything is falling apart around her, literally, she remains strong and takes charge. I only wish we could have seen the rest of the scene with Sir Jasper rather than it cut off abruptly, only for the reader to not know or understand what happened until a flashback in the middle of the book. I had to go back to the beginning and read it all over again to see if I missed something.
All in all, the interactions between Sir Roark and Alyss were entertaining, especially in the beginning when they first met. The book was well-written with beautiful and descriptive imagery. I recommend this read!
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Favorite Quote
Her head tilted back and she glared into his eyes. “Were you, perhaps, wounded in the head during a fight? Have you lost your senses as well as your hearing? How do you propose to force me to the altar? With your army?”
With an exaggerated look around, she nodded toward Alain. “Ah, yes. There it is. Impressive to be sure.”
Book Blurb
Sir Roark will do anything to gain land, even beguile an unwilling lady into marriage. He knows she’s much better off with a man to take control of her besieged castle, to say nothing of her desirable person. But it isn’t long before he discovers that, although her eyes sparkle like sunlight on sea waves, her stubbornness alone could have defeated Saladin.
Lady Alyss is determined to hold her family’s castle, protect her people, and preserve her freedom— until her brother’s dying wish binds her to a stranger. Still, she’ll allow no rugged, over-confident, appealing knight to usurp her authority, even if she must wed him. Especially since he thinks a lady’s duties begin and end with directing servants. Alyss has a few surprises for her new all-too-tempting lord.
But when a common enemy threatens everything, Roark and Alyss face a startling revelation: Without love, neither land nor freedom matters.
March 16, 2020
Book Cover Crush Monday: Fire Queen by Jovee Winters
This week’s cover crush reminds me of Allie Condie’s books in the Matched Series, but 100x better. There are 9 (or maybe even 18 from the looks of it) books in this series, and they all have similarly awesome covers. I love that my attention is immediately drawn to the orb first, and then the title, and then the fire. Those three elements keeps the cover simple yet engaging, not too overwhelming for the eye.
March 13, 2020
Tune In for the Official Cover Reveal!
I am absolutely in love with my cover for Root Brew Float, a novel part of the One Scoop or Two series with the Wild Rose Press. It’s so ME! The cover artist, Abigail Owen, did an incredible job! Tune in next week on March 20th for the official cover reveal!
March 11, 2020
One Skill I Wish I Had But Don’t
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Have you ever looked at your handwriting and winced? I know I have! I am embarrassed of my handwriting, and no matter how much I practice, it still looks awful. I’ve always been envious of those who can write in beautiful calligraphy style script.
This week’s blogging challenge has inspired me to take a calligraphy class! I don’t know how it’s going to go, or if it will give me any sort of beautiful handwriting skills, but at the very least, it can be a great research opportunity for my books!
One Skill I Wish I Had But Don't
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Have you ever looked at your handwriting and winced? I know I have! I am embarrassed of my handwriting, and no matter how much I practice, it still looks awful. I’ve always been envious of those who can write in beautiful calligraphy style script.
This week’s blogging challenge has inspired me to take a calligraphy class! I don’t know how it’s going to go, or if it will give me any sort of beautiful handwriting skills, but at the very least, it can be a great research opportunity for my books!
March 10, 2020
Download Free Romance Titles!
Looking for some great romance books to add to your to-read list this year? Check out these awesome books that you can download for free here!
March 8, 2020
Book Review of Night of the Owl by Judith Sterling
This is definitely my kind of book! I love medieval romance, and this story was one of a kind. The mystery the author weaves throughout the story left me guessing until the very end. The romance was perfectly paced, the banter enjoyable. I really liked the matching bold personalities of both Ardyth and Hugh. They don’t play games. They confront people outright and they say what’s on their mind. That approach to their characters was refreshing.
I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an incredible medieval romance!
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Favorite Quote
His shoulders—richly clad in a teal tunic—looked even broader from behind. His shoulder-length black hair glistened in the sun.
Too handsome for your own good, she thought. Just like Henri. And Robert, for that matter, though he seemed to have found his bliss with Constance. Their brother William she hadn’t met, but if the family genes ran true to form, Lord Ravenwood must be drop dead gorgeous.
Book Blurb
PhD student Ardyth Nightshade has renounced men and pursues her twentieth-century career with single-minded focus. When fate whisks her to medieval England, she meets her match in a man whose passions mirror her own. Can she sacrifice ambition for a love she never sought?
Hugh, Lord Seacrest confounds all who know him. He refuses to marry without a meeting of minds and hearts, and no lady has even approached his ideal…until Ardyth. But she’s an odd one, with unique skills, shocking habits, and total conviction she needs no man. She also harbors secrets, and in the midst of rumors, plots, and murder, trust is fragile.
A woman outside of her time. A man ahead of his. They must take a leap of faith to forge a bond that will shape history.
March 1, 2020
AllAuthor Cover Contest
Please vote! My book, Bloodborn, is in this month’s cover contest at AllAuthor. Let’s keep it in the top 100!
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/
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February 26, 2020
My Favorite Memory and Why
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Giving birth is quite the ordeal, from the misery of contractions, to the uncertainty of adding a new member to the family, to the excruciating agony of giving birth (yes, my epidural didn’t work!). But when you hold your new baby in your arms, that moment is when everything in the world seems to align.
I didn’t get to hold my first baby boy after birth because of complications with his breathing, but I did for my second. My favorite memory is holding my baby girl in my arms and looking down at her face, knowing that she was mine and I went through something great to bring her here.
Would I do it again? Eh… Ask me in a couple years. But there is no greater joy than that love of mother and child!
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February 24, 2020
Book Cover Crush: A Time of Dread
Who doesn’t love a flaming sword? And I’m curious about the mysterious letters engraved in the metal. Does the sword have a name? Is magic involved? Is there going to be a great battle? I love books that entice me to read them by the cover art alone!
