Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 28
January 2, 2023
Any Fin for Love by Petie McCarty – read an excerpt and enter the giveaway
This post is par of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Petie McCarty will be awarding an Autographed paperback copy of Cinderella Busted (US only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on a tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
She could almost hear the fish laughing at her . . .
Cody Ryan’s father never missed fishing the annual Loon Lake tournament until his unexpected passing. So this year, Cody packs up her how-to fishing videos and her dad’s old johnboat and gives him one final entry.
Gage Connor needs some R&R away from his coast guard deployment catching drug smugglers along the Louisiana coast, so he borrows a bass boat from his buddy and heads to Loon, Alabama to do some fishing.
When Gage and Cody meet at Loon Lake, their attraction is immediate and intense—until the two discover there is only one boat slip left on the lake and they both need it, and there’s only one vacant hotel room left in Loon and they both want it. Thus, their competition begins. Both vow to keep their distance from the other to fight the temptation, but fate has other plans. The tournament pairing party picks the two-man teams and chooses Gage as Cody’s partner.
For two days.
Alone on a boat.
Working as a team.
Good things come to those who bait . . .
Read an Excerpt
Double damn!
Gage looked over Lila’s head and saw Cody stomping toward the dock, a big Igloo cooler in her arms, fire in her eyes, and steam escaping from her ears. Okay, no steam, but she looked mad enough for some. He swallowed hard and tried to pry Lila’s arms free, but she was having none of that.
“Now you just hold still, cutie patootie,” she drawled, “and let little ole Lila give you my special good-luck hug.” She crushed her barely-covered breasts against his abdomen, causing the neckline on her tank top to droop almost to her navel.
Cody had reached the dock and stomped so hard he could feel the vibration in the boards. Her glare could singe the fins off an alligator gar, and Gage had Lila stuck to him like a tick. He was a sitting duck.
Cody looked even madder now than when she left to get the rest of her gear, which could only mean . . .
Wait a minute! She’s jealous.
Of Lila.
Cody’s glare deepened upon final approach.
And Gage grinned for real.
Zeke Tumson, my ass. She likes me.
He stopped trying to struggle free of Lila and waited for Cody to get to the boat and the fireworks to begin. Lila felt his struggle cease and snuggled in closer, rubbing every inch of her breasts against his gut, then laying her cheek on his chest. A week ago, Lila’s antics might have elicited a very pronounced and noticeable reaction. Today—he glanced down to check—nothing. His gaze shot to Cody steaming down the dock. Had she done this to him?
“Mmmm,” Lila cooed and squiggled her body again, “good luuuuck.”
Cody marched mere steps away. When Lila purred, Cody hesitated for a heartbeat, made a sharp left, stepped down into the johnboat, and proceeded to hook up her livewell.
Gage waited a five-count, but Cody kept her head down and fooled with the tubing attached to the cooler. He knew he had to move. If he didn’t, Lila would be in his shorts any second.
Maybe he should let . . .
Nope, bad idea.
Cody would push him overboard later, then drive off and leave him. Heck, she may already be planning that.
He cleared his throat to be sure Cody heard. “Thanks for seeing us off, Lila,” he said politely.
No reaction from Cody.
“I didn’t come to see her off,” Lila sniped. “Just yooouu,” she cooed and rubbed her breasts against his gut again.
Cody missed it. She never looked up.
“All right, you get on back to your registration table, and let me get to my fishing.” Gage took Lila’s shoulders and physically set her back.
Still ignoring him, Cody finished with the livewell and picked up a fishing rod.
Lila batted her eyelashes. “I’ll be waiting when you get back, sugar. What say we have dinner tonight?”
No way would he answer that question. He just smiled and stuck a foot out to step down in the johnboat at the same instant Lila hooked her finger in his belt loop to tug him back.
Too late, Gage saw the butt end of Cody’s rod push off on the dock cleat, and the johnboat shot back the full three feet of loose bow and stern line.
His sneaker stepped into thin air, and he dropped like a rock.
Gage hit the water at an angle, and Lila followed him in, her finger still hooked in his belt loop.
About the Author:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.
Website
Goodreads
BookBub
Amazon Author Page
Amazon
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December 21, 2022
Elyse Hoffman’s Fracture
Welcome to the book tour for Elyse Hoffman’s Fracture, a heart-wrenching WW2 story of forbidden love and torn allegiances. Read on for more details!
Fracture
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Forbidden Romance/ LGBTQ2+
Franz Keidel is a monsterous SS soldier: loyal, hateful, and devoted to Hitler. With a cold heart, he hunts down his Führer’s enemies, but one fateful mission will fracture his shield of ice.
While hunting for Jews, Franz stumbles across a familiar face: Amos Auman, his childhood friend. Amos is the only source of joy in Franz’s life, but he is also a Jew. Unable to bring himself to kill his friend, Franz vows to protect Amos from his fellow Nazis.
As Franz spends more time with Amos, bringing him food and books, he falls in love with his kind-hearted friend. How could he fall in love with a man, a Jew? How can he continue to hate Jews when a Jew has thawed his icy heart?
And what will Franz do if he has to choose between Amos and his loyalty to Hitler? What choices does he have when he is already beyond redemption?
Add to Goodreads
This book will grab your heart, make a fist, and squeeze until there is nothing but a dried up husk left. It’s awful. You have to read it! No, seriously. There are so many feels going on here. The author lifts you up then smashes you down, over and over again and I guarantee you’ll ask for more. Plus, that ending! Oh, my. This is a story that will not leak from my brain any time soon. – A Voracious Reader
Available on Amazon and free for KU
About the Author
Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: The Barracks of the Holocaust five-book series and The Book of Uriel. Elyse’s books are the way to go if you love history and want to read some unique stories. Elyse Hoffman
Book Tour Schedule
December 19th R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com
Bunny’s Reviews (Spotlight) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/
December 20th Books Blog (Spotlight) https://www.booksblog.co.uk/
Book Reviews by Taylor (Review) https://www.bookreviewsbytaylor.com/
@read.em.of.you.got.em (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/read.em.if.you.got.em/
December 21st Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Timeless Romance (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
Lady Hawkeye (Spotlight) https://www.ladyhawkeye.com
@kellyatx (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/kellyatx/
@calmstitchread (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/calmstitchread/
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com
December 22nd Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
@adlynsreadingcorner (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/adlynsreadingcorner/
@witchinglybookish (Review) https://www.instagram.com/witchinglybookish/
December 23rd @ashe_and_ink (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ashe_and_ink/
The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review Out of Tour/ Spotlight) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/
@sadiesspotlight (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/sadiesspotlight/
Book Tour Organized By:
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December 20, 2022
Guiding the Grouch by Shanna Hatfield – read an excerpt and enter the giftcard giveaway
Guiding the Grouch
Shanna Hatfield
(Summer Creek, #5)
Publication date: December 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
He’s a billionaire set on escaping the holidays and his demanding family.
She’s a single mom with a sunny smile who keeps her heart safely hidden.
When she makes him her personal Christmas project, what could possibly go wrong?
Gabe Gatlin would do anything to evade the obligatory family holiday hobnobbing that is nothing more than one horrible business event after another, all wrapped up with a gaudy Christmas ribbon. Then the opportunity arises to explore a property in the small town of Summer Creek, Oregon, and gives him the idea to run away for the holidays. This year, he’s skipping Christmas. All he has to do is hide out until January in the quirky little town where the residents have dubbed him Grinchy Gabe. But when a delightful woman starts making his sleigh bells jingle, he might find it impossible to avoid losing his three-sizes-too-small heart.
Single mom and waitress, Dani Latham, has two priorities: give her son the stable life she never had, and spread joy to her friends and neighbors in Summer Creek. When a stranger with a grinchy attitude sits at her table, she makes it her personal mission to make him smile. As she guides him into a flurry of Christmas festivities, she starts to wonder if this grounch’s heart will ever return to normal size. And even worse. . . if it does, who is going to save hers from breaking when he leaves?
Will a little Christmas magic and wonder bring these two lonesome people together?
Discover the joys of the season mixed with humor, holiday fun, and moments that tug at your heartstrings in this sweet contemporary Christmas romance.
—
EXCERPT:
As he listened to three more calls from Monique, they got progressively more annoying. The call from just an hour earlier ended with her making threats to “have Daddy fire you” if he didn’t come home and fulfill his holiday obligations.
“Maybe I don’t want to be there,” Gabe said, unaware of his dark glower or that he spoke aloud as he scrolled through a dozen of Monique’s infuriating text messages. “Maybe I’ll skip every holiday from now until the end of time. Maybe I actually despise Christmas and all the hoopla of the stupid, stupid season!”
“Well, aren’t you a grouchy one,” a teasing voice spoke from beside him, “I believe you could use a dose of Christmas cheer before you whip out the phone book and begin alphabetically listing all the people you hate. Or is it loathe?”
Gabe had no idea about her reference to the phone book, and he didn’t care. Irritated at being interrupted, he glanced up and stared at the server.
The stunning woman smiling at him could have been an angel as the overhead lights created a halo around her golden hair. Hers was a rare beauty. The kind that didn’t need makeup to enhance it, although she wore a light coat of mascara and lip gloss. She was of medium height and willowy, with high cheekbones, a generous mouth, and hazel eyes that twinkled with mirth. If she lived in New York City, he had no doubt she’d be in high demand as a fashion model. What was a woman with her looks and seductive voice doing in such a backwater place taking food and drink orders?
He envisioned her in a ruby-red velvet evening gown, strolling on his arm to a symphony performance. The picture in his mind was so real, so clear, he felt the oddest sense of knowing this woman deep in his soul.
Dumbfounded by his thoughts, Gabe felt like someone had sucked the air right out of his lungs.
The woman slid the menu closer to him “Chef Owen is one of the best in the Pacific Northwest. You can choose anything and know it’s going to be wonderful. Take a look at the menu. I’ll be right back.”
The angel strode across the room, walked behind the bar, and disappeared through a doorway before he could engage enough brain cells to utter a single word to her.
Gabe picked up the menu, but it might as well have been written in hieroglyphics based on his sudden inability to read. It was like his brain had just decided to take a vacation and left him in the lurch.
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Bookbub / Newsletter
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
December 19, 2022
Read an excerpt from A Home for Christmas by Katie Eagan Schenck and enter the giveaway
A Home for Christmas
Katie Eagan Schenck
Publication date: October 11th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Brad has just one wish this Christmas: to find a real home. Having lost his parents before joining the Marines, he misses that sense of belonging and family. When he meets an introverted flight attendant on his journey to start his civilian life, he wonders if this might be his chance.
After a messy divorce, Shelly has decided the only person allowed within the brittle walls of her broken heart is her daughter, Lilly. At least, until she meets a friendly man who hails from her hometown while working a routine flight. When she learns he needs a place to stay, she offers the apartment over her garage out of the kindness of her heart – and her desperate need for extra cash.
Even as Brad endears himself to Shelly by saving the town’s Christmas pageant, she attempts to keep her distance to protect the fragile stability she’s built since her divorce. But Brad’s willingness to walk the fine line between what Shelly’s heart wants and what her head allows slowly wears down her resolve. And when Brad receives a job offer near the only family he has left, Shelly must decide whether she’s willing to risk her heart again before he leaves her home, and her life, for good.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
—
EXCERPT:
Lilly’s phone was still connected to the speaker and “I’ll be Home for Christmas” played. “I love this song, though it’s bittersweet.”
“Because you haven’t had a home for Christmas?”
“Well, yes,” he said, staring at the tree. “However, the lyrics aren’t really promising the singer will be home for Christmas. He mentions at the end how he’ll only be home in his dreams. For me, home isn’t about a specific place, but more about the people who make it a home.” He turned toward her. “My parents are gone and, as I told you before, my sister and I aren’t close. So my home for Christmas is truly in my dreams, because it doesn’t exist anymore.”
Shelly’s eyes softened, and she took his hand. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“It’s not your fault, and I’m not surprised.” He gave her a half smile and patted her hand before letting go. “Leave it to me to turn a lovely Christmas song into something depressing.”
“But you’re right, it is kind of a sad song.”
“Perhaps we can make it happier.” He stood, then performed a slight bow and offered her his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
She raised her eyebrows dubiously, but she accepted his hand and he pulled her to her feet. They faced each other, both unmoving, until Brad brought her closer to him and placed his free hand on her waist. Her hand rested on his shoulder as they swayed together to the beat.
She was soft and warm in his arms and he detected the faint scent of cinnamon and something floral. As they turned in the limited space of the room, he was reminded of earlier that morning when he helped her into her coat. The way his fingers tingled when they touched her skin. He recalled how the look in her eyes made his heart stop. Now, his heart was pounding, and the air seemed to hum with electricity, just like that morning.
He directed her to twirl, then caught her at the waist. This time, she was close enough to rest her head on his chest as they continued to sway. He tightened his arm around her and wished this could last forever. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, it felt like they had known each other for years, instead of only one day.
The song’s last notes played, and they stopped swaying in the sudden silence. When she gazed up at him, her emerald eyes were sparkling. She was absolutely radiant, the happiest he had seen her since they met. He released her waist, but he held onto her hand.
With a smile, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it in what he hoped was a gentleman-like way.
“Thank you for the dance.”
Shelly averted her gaze. “You’re a wonderful dancer.”
Author Bio:
Debut author, Katie Eagan Schenck, writes sweet romance that warms the heart and gives all the feels. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s either working on regulations for the federal government or binging Hallmark movies. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their three cats.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
December 17, 2022
Cover Reveal and Preorder for Rakes & Reticules – with a story by Aubrey Wynne!
I’m so excited to have a story in this anthology! Preorder now –
Rakes and Reticules
A collection of six new exclusive novellas by your favorite historical romance authors all featuring Rakes and Reticules.
They say…
A lady should never leave the house without her reticule
Six rakes…
Discover why.
Grab your copy of Rakes and Reticules today and discover the fabulous titles below:
Book 3: Rakes and Reticules
Never Dupe a Scottish Earl by USA Today Bestselling Author, Dawn Brower
Kiss a Rake at Midnight by USA Today Bestselling Author, Collette Cameron
A Love Letter in Amelia’s Reticule by USA Today Bestselling Author, Meara Platt
Pads, Purses, and Plum Pudding by USA Today Bestselling Author, Aubrey Wynne
Tilly and the Unreformed Rake by USA Today Bestselling Author, Sofie Darling
Banking on a Bluestocking by Rachel Ann Smith
Preorder on Amazon $2.99 https://amzn.to/3WqtnMn or Shop Now at your favorite vendor https://books2read.com/rakes-reticules
Like this:Like Loading...December 16, 2022
I Sang That by Sally Stevens
We don’t share memoirs often but sometimes we make an exception for someone as accomplished as Sally Stevens.
I Sang That: A Memoir from Hollywood
Publication Date: October 25, 2022
Genre: Memoir/ Autobiography/ Entertainment
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
I Sang That is a personal journey behind the scenes into the world of music-makers who created the film scores, television music, sound recordings, commercials and concert evenings over the last sixty years. It’s about a long singing career that began in 1960 with concert tours – Ray Conniff, Nat King Cole, and later, solo work in concert with Burt Bacharach – to thirty years of vocals and main titles for The Simpsons, vocals for Family Guy…vocals on hundreds of film & television scores & sound recordings, plus twenty-two years as Choral Director for the Oscars. It’s also the personal story of growing up in a “his, hers and theirs” family in the forties and fifties, and how a shy little girl became a second generation singer in the ever-evolving music business of Hollywood.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
About the Author
Sally Stevens is a singer/lyricist/choral director who has worked in film, television, concert, commercials and sound recording in Hollywood since 1960. She sings the main titles for The Simpsons and Family Guy and her voice can be heard on hundreds of film and television scores. She has put together choirs for John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, and many others for film scores, and was choral director for The Oscars for 22 years. In the earlier years she toured with Ray Conniff, Nat King Cole and Burt Bachrach, and she has also written lyrics for Burt Bacharach, Don Ellis, Dominic Frontiere, Dave Grusin, and others.
Her short fiction, poetry and essays have been included in Mockingheart Review, The OffBeat, Raven’s Perch, Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal, Los Angeles Press, The Voices Project, and Between the Lines Anthology: Fairy Tales & Folklore Re-imagined.
Along with singing and writing, her other passion is photography, and her black & white photographs of film composers have been included in exhibitions at the Association of Motion Picture & Television Producers headquarters in Los Angeles, and at Cite de la Musique in Paris, France.
Deborah Brosseau Communications
Book Blitz Organized By:
For the Love of Brigid by Nanette Littlestone – read an excerpt and enter the giveaway
For the Love of Brigid
Nanette Littlestone
Publication date: December 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Discover an ancient legend, powerful magic, and heartwarming romance in the gentle hills of western Ireland.
Tongue-tied around men, the only place shy librarian Brigid Cleary finds love is in the books she reads. Certainly not in the novel she’s writing—as appealing as a dusty desert. Then a famous mystery writer enters her life to research an Irish legend related to her family. As their easy conversation grows, Brigid develops feelings. There’s just one large problem—he’s engaged.
With two failed books behind him, Andrew Connally is desperate for success. The Irish legend has to pull him through. When Brigid invites him to Ireland for a family celebration, in exchange for his help with writing, he jumps at the chance. But surprises emerge in this enchanted land. The flames of attraction climb, and the legend pulls them both on a powerful journey.
As the secrets of the legend come to light, Brigid and Andrew discover an unexpected path to love and the dreams they both desire.
—
EXCERPT:
Chelton, New York
Walking up the path to my house, I think about Annemarie’s love and encouragement. The best of friends, she’s always buoyed my spirit and helped me through crisis after crisis. Setting up the library after Gran’s death was a major undertaking, one I’d felt incapable of handling. There were thousands of books. Whole rooms to remodel. Furniture and lighting and wallpaper to choose. So many times I thought I’d go insane. But with Annemarie’s help, we met every obstacle with determined positivity. And now here I am with a gorgeous mansion that feels more like a home with enormous playrooms.
Smiling, I climb the stone steps to my door and reach into my pocket for the key.
“Excuse me, are you Brigid Cleary?”
My heart stutters and I whirl with a gasp. A pleasant looking man stands by the steps, slightly hunched in his winter coat. “By all the gods!” I yell. “Ye startled the crap out of me.” I wince at the hint of Irish in my voice.
“Beautiful and Irish.”
“Of course I’m Irish.”
He steps closer. “They said you were, but—”
“They? They who?”
“My publisher. Well, his assistant. So you are Brigid Cleary.”
I lean against the door to my house, my heartbeat beginning to slow. He doesn’t look like he’s going to attack. “Who wants to know?”
“Andrew. Andrew Connally.”
Not the Andrew Connally. No, it can’t be. I shiver as a gust of wind bites through my clothes. “Well, Mr. Connally, why are you here?”
“Do you suppose we can continue the Inquisition inside? It’s freezing.”
So he’s not immune to the cold. “I’m not in the habit of inviting strangers into my home.”
“That’s understandable, and certainly fair, but . . .”
“But it’s freezing.” And five more seconds might turn us both into icebergs. “Go around to the library entrance.” I point to the right. “I’ll meet you there.”
When he leaves, I unlock the door and walk inside, my toes stiff and painful. What I really want is a hot drink and a warm fire, but somehow I’ve picked up a stray man. Wouldn’t it be interesting if he were the famous mystery writer? What a story I’d have for Annemarie.
With that, I hang up my coat and scarf and make my way through the library, turning on lights as I go.
Cold gusts of air follow when I let him in. He stamps his feet loudly, the heels of his shoes thudding against the thick carpet. “This is the last time I’m coming here in the winter.”
“I’ve been imagining the tropics all day. Care to go with me?” I can’t believe I’ve issued an invitation. To a complete stranger.
“I just might do that,” he says with a smile that looks so honest, so pure, and so familiar.
I stare and he matches my stare. Open. Inquisitive. And a little mischievous. I have to ask. “Are you the Andrew Connally?”
“The Andrew Connally? Well, now, I’m not sure.”
He’s playing with me. “You know, the mystery writer.”
“Ah, that Andrew Connally.”
“Yes, that one. Because you look like him. I mean, I’ve never seen him up close, just on the back of book jackets. And his smile is so . . . well, professional yet engaging. As if he’s inviting you to come closer, to get to know him better, to have a conversation. And your smile just then, it was . . .” I’m rambling. To a stranger. I never ramble. I never talk to strangers either. But now, with Andrew, my mouth is literally a fountain of words.
I shake my head to clear whatever unfortunate clutter has collected and realize we’re still standing by the entrance. Where are my manners? “I’m so sorry. Would you like to sit down?” I move through the lobby and into Hush Hush, the cozy area for adults with long couches and a wide fireplace just perfect on this frosty night. Crouching before the fake logs, I turn on the gas and watch the flames come to life.
For long moments my guest gazes into the fire. He seems softer in person than on his back cover photos, if he even is the Andrew Connally. He still hasn’t answered that question. And his wavy hair, chestnut brown with flecks of gold, hangs longer, brushing his shirt collar. Much more youthful than that stern, suit jacket look he projects. And more dashing. But does his personality match his profile? Is he staid and somber or casual and easy-going? And, more importantly, what is he doing here?
Author Bio:
Get ready for a journey of the heart! Award-winning novelist Nanette Littlestone believes in happily ever after. But most people don’t live fairy tale lives, so her stories explore the struggles and heart-wrenching decisions we make, as well as the joy, delight, and happiness when we embrace our dreams. It’s all about the love.
Her books include “The Sacred Flame” (a historical novel in ancient Rome), “Bella Toscana” (the contemporary sequel), “The Heart of Everything” (an underwater fantasy), and “For the Love of Brigid” (the Irish romance coming out Dec 2022).
She lives in Atlanta, GA but still calls California home, loves making origami butterflies, and watching romantic movies that make her cry. Her favorite quote: “Flattery will get you nowhere. Chocolate, everywhere.”
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
December 15, 2022
Where David Threw Stones by Elyse Hoffman
Welcome to the tour for Where David Threw Stones by Elyse Hoffman. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief.
Where David Threw Stones
Publication Date: September 27th, 2022
Genre: Historical Fantasy/ Historical Fiction/ WW2
“Welcome to the Brennenbach of Midnight! The Curse Hours have begun.”
West Germany, 1968
When ten-year-old David Saidel’s parents are murdered, he is sent to live with his grandfather in the anti-Semitic village of Brennenbach. Miserable and lonely, David finds solace in his kindly Grandpa Ernst, who has one strict rule: never go out after midnight.
When David breaks curfew to search for his missing dog, he discovers why Ernst is so serious about his curfew: Brennenbach is cursed. When midnight strikes, the town is thrown back to 1943, the height of Hitler’s reign.
The Nazi ghosts that infest Brennenbach are just as dangerous as they were in life. They’re hunting for David, thinking he is the last member of a family they’ve been ordered to destroy.
Through the help of a little girl named Maria Rahm, David sets out to end the Curse before it claims more victims.
Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman has crafted an expertly woven tale of World War II’s horrors – perfect for readers of Marcus Zusak’s “The Book Thief,” or Michael Reit’s “Beyond the Tracks.”
Check out the wonderful reviews on Goodreads and grab a copy today!
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: The Barracks of the Holocaust five-book series and The Book of Uriel. Elyse’s books are the way to go if you love history and want to read some unique stories.
Book Tour Organized By:
December 14, 2022
THE LIFE AND TIME OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, VOL 4 by Liese A Sherwood-Fabre with an excerpt and giveaway PLUS Where to find Sherlock Holmes in London
The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 4
by Liese A Sherwood-Fabre
GENRE: Non-Fiction
BLURB:
Be as smart as Sherlock Holmes!
Arthur Conan Doyle’s original tales include many references to everyday Victorian life that are no longer part of current readers’ world. What Holmes would have eaten from a can while searching for the hound of the Baskervilles, Watson’s enjoyment of a yellow-back novel, or the proper use of a gasogene would have been common knowledge to the Victorian contemporary but compels modern readers to run to the nearest reference book. These twenty-five short essays pull such items from the past and expand on their significance in the story. As an additional bonus, this book contains an essay on the role of scandal in Holmes; cases, originally appearing in a collected volume of essays on feminism and agency. After enjoying these concise treatises on Holmes’ world, readers will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of both the times and the life of the world’s greatest consulting detective.
Excerpt One:
The Intercontinental Reach of the Law
In two of Holmes’ cases, he meets Pinkerton agents: Edwards in The Valley of Fear and Leverton, who trailed Giuseppe Gorgiano from America in “The Adventure of the Red Circle.” By 1888, during the first encounter, the reputation of the Pinkerton Agency had been firmly established for almost 50 years and had already lost its founder, Allan Pinkerton. The Edwards character is said to have been based on James McFarland, who had garnered fame in the 1870s for infiltrating and testifying against the Molly Maguires, a secret Irish mining society. Leverton’s fame also preceded him as “the hero of the Long Island cave mystery.”
Allan Pinkerton was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1819 and worked as a barrel maker there until immigrating to the US in 1842. He settled outside of Chicago and continued his trade. In 1847, he fell into his new profession when he was out collecting materials for his barrels. A particular island not far from where he lived had a plentiful supply of poles, and while gathering them one summer day, he came across evidence of someone else using the island. He informed the sheriff, and the officer investigated, capturing a large gang of counterfeiters. Later, local shopkeepers asked Pinkerton to help capture yet another counterfeiter. Based on these efforts, he was appointed as Chicago’s first—and, in the beginning, only—police detective. Shortly, he had five detectives working under him, and his reputation continued to grow.
Beyond his detective work, he was also an abolitionist. He had been involved in radical politics in Scotland, which was why he was forced to emigrate. His shop served as a station along the under‐ ground railroad, and he raised funds to help transport eleven slaves freed by John Brown. In 1850 he left public services to form his agency. Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency advertised “We Never Sleep” with an unblinking eye as its logo. This image lies behind the term “private eye.” The company included Allan’s brother Robert, who was a railroad contractor. The organization specialized in the capture of counterfeiters and train robbers, but also provided private military contractors and security guards. By 1853, Pinkerton Agencies existed in all the major Union cities. The company hired the first female detective (Kate Warne) in 1856, and during an investigation of a railway case, uncovered a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Warned of the threat, Lincoln changed his itinerary and, under a disguise, passed through the area at night unharmed.
Where to Find Sherlock Holmes in LondonAs you can imagine, Sherlock Holmes tributes can be found in several places in and around London (and further afield in Edinburg where Arthur Conan Doyle grew up), but the heart of it is Baker Street, home of his famous address: 221B Baker Street. If you arrive by the underground (or “the tube”), you will enjoy the walls decorated with tiles in the form of a Holmes silhouette. Upon emerging, you can snap a shot with his statue on Marylebone Road (no room for it on Baker Street) and then visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
In 1990, John Aidiniantz purchased a Georgian townhouse at 239 Baker Street and opened the museum. For the next twelve years, he fought with the Abbey National Building Society at 221 Baker Street over who should receive the mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes (Abbey National had been answering the letters since the 1930s). Finally, Abbey National moved, and the Royal Mail agreed to deliver correspondence there. A penknife holds the letters in place on the mantle—the same as Sherlock did.
Another famous street is The Strand. Extending from Trafalgar Square, this is the street where Watson originally stayed when he first returned to London, and not far from The Strand Magazine, which originally published Conan Doyle’s pieces.
You can also check out some commemorative plaques marking “historic” places from the Holmes tales. There is one on St. Bartholomew’s Hospital (St. Bart’s) to mark where Holmes and Watson met for the first time. And on the Criterion Restaurant (now permanently closed) where Watson met a friend named Stamford who introduced him to Holmes.
After visiting all these places, you can end at the Sherlock Holmes pub for a pint of Sherlock Holmes House Ale or Dr. Watson’s London Porter. While there, you can tour the display of Holmes memorabilia collected for the Festival of Britain in 1951 that includes one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s desk and chair.
If you wish to travel further afar, there’s a commemorative plaque in East Dean (where Sherlock Holmes retired), not to mention Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, where Holmes and Moriarty had their last fight (and Moriarty lost).
Other places holding plaques marking visits by Sherlock’s creator, Conan Doyle, stretch literally across the globe as he traveled widely. From Indianapolis to Australia. As Mycroft Holmes observed in “The Greek Interpreter,” “I hear of Sherlock everywhere.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Liese Sherwood-Fabre knew she was destined to write when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her PhD, she joined the federal government and worked and lived abroad for more than fifteen years. Returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career, garnering such awards as a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest and a Pushcart Prize nomination. A recognized Sherlockian scholar, her essays have appeared in scion newsletters, the Baker Street Journal, and Canadian Holmes. These have been gathered into The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes essay collection series. She has recently turned this passion into an origin story series on Sherlock Holmes. The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife, the first book in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes series, was the CIBA Mystery and Mayhem 2020 winner.
Writer links:
Website: www.liesesherwoodfabre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsfabre
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Liese-Sherwood-Fabre/e/B00810INE6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758587.Liese_Sherwood_Fabre
Book Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Times-Sherlock-Holmes-Enlightening-ebook/dp/B0BJ7P1BH8
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-life-and-times-of-sherlock-holmes-6
iBook: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6443588533
Other: https://books2read.com/u/bOnezW
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Check out Harlequin Hartwarming title THE DOC’S HOLIDAY HOMECOMING by Virginia McCullough with a giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Virginia McCullough will be awarding a $50 Etsy Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Could her closed heart…
Still have room for him?
Olivia Donoghue’s life has turned a corner. The radiologist’s eleven-year-old daughter is finally healthy, and she just moved to her best friend’s dreamy hometown of Adelaide Creek, Wyoming. If only her friend’s prodigal brother, Jeff Stanhope, wasn’t complicating matters. It’s clear Jeff’s kindness knows no bounds, having taken in his late roommate’s teenage son and also offering her a cabin to stay in, but Olivia’s heart is already full…and safe. Is the former rancher worth the risk?
Read an Excerpt
TALK ABOUT A first impression gone wrong. Please, give her the previous five minutes back and Olivia would start over and do much, much better. As she watched Jeff walk away, she resolved that from now on she’d watch her tongue when it came to his relationship with Heather. As was only right, she’d leave that to the two of them. At the same time, she might have known Jillian would plunge right into a conversation with Jeff about horses. In her daughter’s mind, Heather’s legendary horse-loving brother was a kindred spirit. Maybe it was inevitable that Jillian end up a girl devoted to horses and riding, but not when her body was still recovering from the effects of chemotherapy. Even if the assault to her body wasn’t obvious to the untrained eye, Olivia had absorbed almost too much information about what chemo could do to a child.
Then there was Jeff himself. Olivia had seen photos and even his mother’s paintings of him done over a period of years. No way had those images prepared Olivia for the real guy. They hadn’t done him justice, not even close. He had a presence about him that went beyond his thick dark hair and deep-set eyes that brought to mind luscious dark chocolate. With his wide shoulders and muscular arms, he had a body sculpted by the physical work of ranching or more recently, crewing on trawlers and freighters.
Olivia had expected him to be more as Heather described him, still hardened and bitter about losing his family’s legacy, this very ranch. If those old feelings were still a part of Jeff, he wasn’t showing them at the moment. At least not today, and not with Carson nearby. Whatever. It wasn’t her job to analyze any of this. His feelings about this ranch and his former home were completely irrelevant. She had formed an opinion that would guide all her dealings with the man. No matter how friendly, even charming Jeff Stanhope might be, he was a runner. A man who ran away from anything that smacked of responsibility. Like her dad. And Jillian’s father. She didn’t need a third runner messing up her life.
About the Author:
Virginia McCullough is thrilled to share her eighth Harlequin Heartwarming release with readers. The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming, available November 29th, is the second book in her Back to Adelaide Creek series. Like all of Virginia’s romances, this holiday story comes straight from the heart and features characters who could be your neighbors and friends struggling with everyday life issues.Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia spent years as a ghostwriter, producing more than one hundred books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell. She’s moved around a lot, and a few years ago she landed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she enjoys hanging out with other romance writers, walking on trails, and downing mugs of dark roast at local coffeehouses. Her other award-winning romance and women’s fiction titles include The Jacks of Her Heart, Amber Light, and The Chapels on the Hill. Virginia is always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.
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