Robin E. Mason's Blog: Robin's Book Shelf, page 106
May 15, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 15 May 2019 – SPECIAL EDITION – REMMAYWRIMO 2019
SPECIAL EDITION – REMMAYWRIMO 2019
“I’ve always had voices—er, stories in my head. I once said I should write them all down so someone could write them someday. I had no idea at the time that someone was me!”
I have designated May as my personal writing challenge to get this new series off and running. After months of malaise and brain fog, I’m ready to tackle this and share my newest set of stories with you!
HERE BEGINNETH THE CHALLENGE.
FINALLY!!!
The Robin is BACK!!!
“What.Did.You.Do?” Mere jabbed her own finger in Bethy’s chest.
“Nothing you didn’t do first.” Bethy smiled sweetly and shrugged… summarily dismissing her sister.
My new series, FourSquare, is a change-up for me—RomCom. The first story, One for the Price of Two, has been tumbling around in my mind for several years, and I can’t wait to move the story forward, and get to know Elizabeth and Meredith—and share their story with you.
BLURB
Twin sisters Elizabeth and Meredith Elliott are so identical their own parents can’t even tell them apart. Two halves of a whole.
Elizabeth, the more cautious of the two, reining in her sister’s impetuous side. Meredith, the more daring, urging Elizabeth to step beyond her comfort zone.
They lived and breathed on pranking their family and friends. All in good fun, of course.
Until love waltzed in and turned their game on end. And Bethy and Mere—masters of the prank—get pranked.
“the battle for identity, one story at a time”
#Blogwords, Special Edition, #RemMayWriMo, One for the Price of Two, FourSquare
May 14, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 15 May 2019 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK– HOPE DEFERRED by ELIZABETH MADDREY
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WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK – HOPE DEFERRED by ELIZABETH MADDREY
NOTE: I read and reviewed this book in June of 2015. Ms. Maddrey has given the series new covers (aren’t they lovely!) and they are on sale today and tomorrow. (Faith Departed is free, Hope Deferred and Love Defined are $0.99)
https://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/review-blitz-week-hope-deferred/
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
THE BLURB
Can pursuit of a blessing become a curse?
June and July and their husbands have spent the last year trying to start a family and now they’re desperate for answers. As one couple works with specialists to see how medicine can help them conceive, the other must fight to save their marriage.
Will their deferred hope leave them heart sick, or start them on the path to the fulfillment of their dreams?
Book two in the Christian Women’s Fiction series, Hope Deferred continues the journey begun in Faith Departed. Get your copy today to walk along side these sisters and their husbands as they struggle to find a way to joy.
THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.
MY REVIEW
Sisters June and July grew up like most little girls, anticipating the day they would become mommies. And like most little girls, they never thought about infertility.
Cold, hard reality is harsh, however, as both sisters face the unthinkable and strive to make the impossible happen. And as the cold, harsh reality sinks in, they both look at the options available to them. Though each of their journeys have been vastly different, the net result it the same: no babies. But can pursuit of a blessing become a curse?
One sister faces decisions that challenge her faith and her pro-life stand, while the other sister’s marriage is crumbling.
Ms. Maddrey addresses a topic that is not typical for fiction, at least in this reviewer’s experience. Infertility is not commonly accepted in conversation, let alone reading material. And yet, Ms. Maddrey has told a compelling story with compassion, her characters are real and genuine, their hearts splayed on every page. As I read the words of the story, I could feel the angst and the sense of defeat—and failure; does society not expect, as “most little girls” do, that women produce offspring?
This story ends neatly, with a happy resolution for both sisters, if not their first choice. It is a journey in faith, trusting Father’s will for our lives and being willing to see things differently, outside the proverbial box.
Hope Deferred is the second in Ms. Maddrey’s ‘Remnants’ series. I look forward to reading the others in this series, and any others Ms. Maddrey has or will write.
#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday, Featured Book, Hope Deferred, Elizabeth Maddrey, Remnants, Faith Departed, Love Defined
#elizabethmaddrey, #hopedeferred, #infertility, #adoption, #longingfulfilled
BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 14 May 2019 – SPECIAL EDITION – REMMAYWRIMO 2019
SPECIAL EDITION – REMMAYWRIMO 2019
“I’ve always had voices—er, stories in my head. I once said I should write them all down so someone could write them someday. I had no idea at the time that someone was me!”
FINALLY!!! Making some real progress, not just spits and spurts. In my defense, the fridge debacle invaded my time—shopping for, and mostly, arranging a way to pick it up once I found one I wanted. Mission accomplished. New fridge in place—nice and cold, and I’m loving it!
Blog posts are mostly caught up, and my energy level has returned after months of lethargy and malaise.
Here’s to MAKING WORDS! Let the writing begin!
I have designated May as my personal writing challenge to get this new series off and running. After months of malaise and brain fog, I’m ready to tackle this and share my newest set of stories with you!
“What.Did.You.Do?” Mere jabbed her own finger in Bethy’s chest.
“Nothing you didn’t do first.” Bethy smiled sweetly and shrugged… summarily dismissing her sister.
My new series, FourSquare, is a change-up for me—RomCom. The first story, One for the Price of Two, has been tumbling around in my mind for several years, and I can’t wait to move the story forward, and get to know Elizabeth and Meredith—and share their story with you.
BLURB
Twin sisters Elizabeth and Meredith Elliott are so identical their own parents can’t even tell them apart. Two halves of a whole.
Elizabeth, the more cautious of the two, reining in her sister’s impetuous side. Meredith, the more daring, urging Elizabeth to step beyond her comfort zone.
They lived and breathed on pranking their family and friends. All in good fun, of course.
Until love waltzed in and turned their game on end. And Bethy and Mere—masters of the prank—get pranked.
“the battle for identity, one story at a time”
#Blogwords, Special Edition, #RemMayWriMo, One for the Price of Two, FourSquare
May 13, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 14 May 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – BELINDA BLAKE AND THE SNAKE IN THE GRASS by HEATHER DAY GILBERT
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TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – BELINDA BLAKE AND THE SNAKE IN THE GRASS by HEATHER DAY GILBERT
THE BLURB
When exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake moves into a carriage house in tony Greenwich, Connecticut, she’s hoping to find some new clients. Instead she discovers a corpse in the garden—and a knack for solving murders . . .
Pet-sitter Belinda Blake doesn’t rattle easily, but move-in day has been eventful, to say the least. The python in her care tried to slither to freedom—just as she met Stone Carrington V, her landlords’ disarmingly handsome son. With the constrictor back in its cage, she heads out to the garden, only to discover a designer shoe poking out of the boxwood hedge—attached to a woman’s dead body.
The victim, Margo Fenton, was a Carrington family friend, and no one in their circle seems above suspicion. Between client trips to Manhattan and visits to her family in upstate New York, Belinda begins to put the pieces together. But though she’s falling for Stone’s numerous charms, Belinda wonders if she’s cozying up to a killer. And soon, daily contact with a deadly reptile might be the least dangerous part of her life . . .
THE AUTHOR
Heather Day Gilbert, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Publisher’s Weekly gave Heather’s Viking historical Forest Child a starred review, saying it is “an engaging story depicting timeless human struggles with faith, love, loyalty, and leadership.”
Find Heather on Pinterest (heatherdgilbert), Instagram (@heatherdaygilbert), Twitter (@heatherdgilbert), and Facebook (heatherdaygilbert). You can find all her books at heatherdaygilbert.com.
MY REVIEW
This reviewer quickly fell in love with Belinda. Her quirkiness, her dedication to be independent and pursue her own path quickly endeared her to me.
Stone Carrington V quickly dissolved the image his name conjures—wealthy and arrogant and self-absorbed—turning instead, to Belinda as a friend and cohort in his pursuit of a murderer.
A la Father Brown, Murder She Wrote, and Miss Marple, Belinda Blake stumbles into the middle of a murder mystery. And like Father Brown and Jessica Fletcher and Jane Marple, Belinda goes after the murderer like a dog with a bone.
Or a snake with a rat…
Ms. Gilbert has created an authentic character in Belinda, quirky and insecure, determined and resourceful. As the tension between Belinda and Stone builds, so too, does suspense around the murder. Especially when a second body is found.
The story is crisp and tight, never a dull moment, with nail biting scenes, even.
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
[image error]ALL | THE | FEATHERS!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass, Heather Day Gilbert
BLOGWORDS – Thursday Monday 13 May 2019 – CHAT THURSDAY MONDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – RUTH LOGAN HERNE – GIVEAWAY WINNER
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CHAT THURSDAY MONDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – RUTH LOGAN HERNE – GIVEAWAY WINNER
“Romancing the West… One lonely cowboy at a time.”
“Endearing and enduring, fiction that talks to the heart… and soul.”
WINNER! WINNER!
Congratulations to
LES M
Ruth will be in touch with you to send your gift!
Thanks to everyone who entered!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Best-selling, multi-published, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne is the author of nearly fifty novels and novellas through traditional publishers and her own independent works. She loves God, her family, country, coffee, chocolate and dogs, and wishes possums would leave the cat food on the side porch alone. And yet… they don’t. With over a million books in print, Ruthy is living her dream of touching hearts and souls by writing the kind of books she likes to read.
She lives on a pumpkin farm in Western New York where they grow all kinds of cool things for fall from sumptuous squashes and veggies to gorgeous stacking pumpkins. Ruthy’s farm is quickly becoming the place to be every September and October!
She loves chatting with readers through her website blog http://ruthloganherne.com and hanging with readers and writers in Seekerville… http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com where coffee is always hot, fresh and good! She loves playing in the kitchen, too, with a wonderful group of regionally-inspired inspirational authors at the Yankee Belle Cafe http://www.yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com. On Goodreads, she’s (yes, you guessed it!) Ruth Logan Herne, and that’s how to find this prolific author on facebook, too!
https://facebook.com/ruthloganherne.3
https://twitter.com/ruthloganherne
https://www.pinterest.com/ruthyloganherne/
https://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Logan-Herne/e/B004KQJKW4
“The one thing we can probably all agree on is that things change… and our survival, that of any animal, depends on adaptation and adjustment. And God gave us amazing brains and abilities, so I believe we’ve got this… eventually… and we’ll adjust and adapt as needed.”
GIVEAWAY
Ruth is offering a Kindle OR print copy of Refuge of the Heart.
#Blogwords, Chat Thursday Monday, Author Interview, Ruth Logan Herne, Giveaway Winner, #WINNER
May 12, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Monday 13 May 2019 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – SUZANNE WILLIAMS
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NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – SUZANNE WILLIAMS
Book Cover Design
Part 1 – Should I Design?
The book cover is the first visual impact your book will make on potential readers, so its importance must not be understated. However, before you decide to do it yourself, I offer a word of caution. You are an author. Chances are, you are NOT a graphic designer.
Therefore, know what you’re getting into, and if you have no background in graphic design, have never worked with Photoshop, and have no idea what layers and vector graphics are, then perhaps, it is better to hire a professional. Trust me when I say it is worth your peace of mind to spare a few dollars and use an experienced designer.
With that said, if you choose to create your cover, please view yourself at the level of your abilities. If you have only begun to work with graphic designs, then know it takes time and experience to develop a creative eye. If you want the best for your book, then set your goals high, and strive for perfection. Excellence in anything only comes through the amount of determination you pour into it.
If you still choose to self-design, then below are three key features.
Composition
Layering and Graphics
Color and Fonts
If I haven’t frightened you off, then the rest of this article is for you. But if you feel swamped, then no one will think less of you for hiring someone.
Still decided on it? Then keep reading.
Part 2 – The Basics of Design: Composition
Book cover design is all about composition. Composition is the arrangement, or the placement, of all the elements on the page. These elements, when viewed together, should answer one important question. What do you want to draw the viewer’s eye?
There are a few basic rules of composition that answer this – shapes, lines, and “the rule of thirds.” Shapes and lines draw the eye in a particular direction, whether that’s a strong vertical element, elongating the page or a more curving one, softening the scene. The strongest lines are often diagonals. The strongest shapes are “S” curves. In either of these, the viewer’s eye is drawn from one corner of the scene to the focus point, which could be your title or a particular graphic.
“The rule of thirds” divides the scene into three parts horizontally and vertically. In the rule of thirds, nothing is cut in half. Instead, you divide all your elements into three’s, placing them in a “third” location and NOT down the middle. This is always more visually stimulating to a viewer. Think of a vase of flowers. If you place two flowers in the vase, then one will lean to the right and one will lean to the left, and you will have a hole down the middle. Odd numbers – 3,5,7,9 – are always preferable, so three flowers present a much better composition.
[image error] Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels
In our case, the number of “elements” I refer to are the number of objects on your cover. One photo of a lovely woman spanning the entire front is good. Two side-by-side is bad. Yet take those two and set them atop a rolling landscape scene and you have three elements. However, take your two women and the rolling landscape, and throw in a vase of flowers, and now you have four elements. Three was better, or if you have the space on your cover, then increase to five. You must also count any text as an element, so one graphic, your title text, and the author’s name counts as three elements.
Watch your amount of negative space, though. Negative space is the area where there is nothing. Too little negative space and your cover will become crowded. Also, pay attention to where your elements cross each other. If the telephone pole in the landscape is now coming out from the woman’s head that is bad. You want each element to accent the other without the scene being busy. Simple is always better in graphic design.
Part 3 – The Basics of Design: Layering and Graphics
Graphics
THE MOST important rule of book cover design is using GOOD graphics. If you aren’t a photographer, then buy your images. If you haven’t created vector graphics, if you have no idea what a vector graphic is, then buy them. There are always people who are better than you at some particular form of design. There is nothing wrong with using their talent.
Think of your book as an investment. You want to reap a reward from it, so you must put money into it. Look for quality, and don’t settle for second best.
Another important rule: Your graphics should fit your story and fit with each other. In other words, do NOT use a collection of random objects. So what if your story has a cat, a jar, a girl, and a train in it. Don’t use them all on the cover. Pick a scene from the book that most illustrates your story and choose an image that fits. Look at other professional designs in your genre for what readers expect on a book cover. You are trying to make sales, after all.
The technicality: All graphics should be 300 dpi (dots per inch) for printing. This is an industry standard. The correct pixel size to purchase is generally Large or X -Large on any stock photography site, especially if you will eventually use it for printing. If you buy a vector graphic, make sure it is a format you can use. Even Photoshop has format limitations.
Layering
All book cover designs are the result of layering and masking. Layering is exactly what it sounds like. If you have five elements on your front cover – three graphics, the title text, and the author’s name text – each of these are a layer. Your background color is also a layer. Obviously, your title text and author’s name text should be as the top two layers, so your decision then becomes in what order to layer the rest.
Masking is hiding parts of images from view. Most often, this is the edges of photographs, but it can also be lettering and an infinite number of other objects. In my example below, I “masked” the girl’s actual hair and substituted someone else’s.
Always keep in mind the rules of composition when layering your elements and consider opacity and blending. Opacity is the transparency of an object. Perhaps you want the landscape scene to fade into the woman’s face. Then the edges of the scene should be less opaque than the center.
Think of it as applying makeup. Foundation should be smoothed over the chin and cheekbones, so that it looks natural. This same idea applies to layered graphics. Look at the edges of the objects; pay attention to which one is on top of the other and notice how they blend together. Sometimes, one item will layer better over or under another.
Be sure to anchor your objects with your text. You do NOT want floating heads that seem to hover in midair. Give them an object to hang onto visually.
Part 4 – The Basics of Design: Color and Fonts
Color
Color imparts a mood to your cover. Look at books of horror stories. What colors do you typically see? Similarly, what colors are used for westerns? Different colors affect viewers in different ways. Think about your story in deciding on your final scheme.
And stick with that color theme. Too much contrast might blind your viewer. Too little might make it boring. Sometimes, if you are unsure, mocking-up several choices will help you decide.
Fonts
Fonts are the style of your text. Your choice of font should reflect the subject of the book. One word of caution – when selecting fonts, don’t overdo it. The general rule is to use two or at the most, three types of fonts. A simple print font is often better for smaller text. You want the letters to be readable at a thumbnail size.
Layers are important when working with fonts. I prefer to place each word in the title on its own layer and sometimes I also place capital letters on their own layer. This enables me to adjust letter and word spacing. Don’t be afraid to overlap for the most consistent look.
Choose your font color wisely. The color should work well with the graphics to make it readable. Avoid outlining. Most of the time this looks amateurish. A better way to make difficult text stand out is to use a layer beneath it and fade in a gradual color, sampled from the image. Then adjust the opacity so that it looks natural to the design.
Finally
I hate to see books with subpar covers get praised by people who have no idea of graphic design. Know this – your friends are not always the best opinions. Constructive criticism from a professional is a must. As a beginning designer, know that you must be mature enough to accept you could have done something better and be willing to change it.
There is a reason good designers charge big bucks, so before you leap in with both feet, stop and think if perhaps it is better to hire someone until your skills reach the level where you feel comfortable enough to go it alone. Graphic design is great fun, but when you are working with your own book, ultimately you want the best result.
[image error]Suzanne Williams writes stories to entertain, encourage, and inspire readers toward a better understanding of our amazing God and how He sees us. She enjoys finding the lesser known pockets of history and bringing them to life through the joys and struggles of her characters.
Sunny southern California, a favorite setting in her stories, is also her home. She lives there with her loving husband, four young children, two cats, and too many fish to count. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories.
http://www.feelgoodromance.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Suzanne-D-Williams/e/B004U5OIOA
#Blogwords, New Week New Face, #NWNF, Guest Post, Suzanne Williams, Book Cover Design
May 11, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Sunday 12 May 2019 – FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THE BLESSING OF MOTHERHOOD
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FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THE BLESSING OF MOTHERHOOD
CONFESSION: The past week has been total upheaval. Well, okay, maybe not total upheaval. But the loss of a major appliance, especially the refrigerator, turned my world topsy-turvy for eight days.
And drained me. Thus, no devotion post last week.
The new fridge, Tallulah (yes, I named her) is in place, happily purring and keeping things wonderfully cold.
CONFESSION #2: I often write my Sunday posts on Saturday. YEEPS! And this week was no exception.
Well, it would have been no exception.
But then the topic leapt off the page—and surprised me with an early Mother’s Day dinner. A delightful surprise to be sure. But it ate up my day and zapped my energy.
So the post I was mentally planning to write got changed up on me.
Because of the very blessing I planned to write about. (technically, one of my three blessings)
So as I bask in my full belly and my overflowing heart, I give you a poignant poem from Steven James.
In a mother’s purse, in a mother’s purse,
You’ll find so many things!
A cell phone that used to work
But now no longer rings.
A shopping list of all the stuff
You were supposed to get last week.
A bottle filled with formula
That seems to have sprung a leak….
Band-aids, diapers, Cheerios,
Kleenex for a runny nose,
I think someone’s been using those…
Go on and take a peek!
In a mother’s purse, in a mother’s purse,
It’s amazing what you see!
A checkbook that hasn’t been balanced
Since the year two thousand three!
A schedule of little league baseball games,
To stay one step ahead.
A Slim-fast bar you thought about
But chose a Milky Way instead.
Crayons, a bib, some coins and cash,
Some lotion for the baby’s rash,
A flashlight that has lost its flash,
And some aspirin for your head!
In a mother’s purse, in a mother’s purse,
You’ll find a mother’s heart.
Down beside the car keys,
To the van that doesn’t start.
Somewhere near the pacifier,
Below the old receipts…
There, you’ll find a mother’s heart.
By crumpled homework sheets–
The tears, the dreams, the whispered prayers,
The scars, the screams, the sudden scares,
That every single mother bears,
And love, lived out, completes.
#Blogwords, Front Porch Fellowship, #FPF, Sunday Devotion, The Blessing of Motherhood
May 10, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Saturday 11 May 2019 – WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN YOUR KITCHEN – RANDOM RECIPES – CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD
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WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN YOUR KITCHEN – RANDOM RECIPES – CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD
I like to cook. And I like to invent my own recipes. And I like to try other people’s recipes. And now I’m going to share them with you.
CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD
It’s spring! Bring on the salads!!!
INGREDIENTS
1 package fresh spinach
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup pecan or walnut halves
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup raspberry vinaigrette
VINAIGRETTE
1 cup fresh raspberries, pureed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
Combine ingredients and blend well.
DIRECTIONS
Place spinach, chicken, and raspberries in large serving bowl.
Drizzle vinaigrette over and toss to coat.
Top with pecans and feta cheese.
ADDITIONS / SUBSTITUTES
Add ½ cup fresh blueberries
Add ¼ cup diced celery
Add ½ diced red onion
Substitute strawberries for raspberries
Substitute cranberries for raspberries
If you’ve a recipe you’d like to share leave a comment below or email me at robinemason212@gmail.com
NOTE: All recipes must be original or used with permission.
#Blogwords, What’s Cookin’ in Your Kitchen, Chicken Spinach Salad, #RandomRecipes, #AuthorsEat #AuthorsCook
BLOGWORDS – Saturday 11 May 2019 – WREADING WEDNESDAY-on-SATURDAY – FEATURED BOOK and GIVEAWAY – THE HUNTRESS OF THORNBECK FOREST by MELANIE DICKERSON
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WREADING WEDNESDAY-on-SATURDAY – FEATURED BOOK and GIVEAWAY – THE HUNTRESS OF THORNBECK FOREST by MELANIE DICKERSON
In honor of the Seekerville Blog Blitz Author interviews, and in Melanie’s absence, I give you The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, the first of her books I read—and loved.
“ The “True” Stories Behind the Fairy Tales … Fairy Tale Retellings set in Medieval Europe.”
THE BLURB
A beautiful maiden who poaches to feed the poor.
A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.
Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.
The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.
For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.
When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.
The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?
THE AUTHOR
Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author who combines her love for all things Medieval with her love of romance and fairy tales. She also loves Regency Romance and has drawn on her Southern heritage to write a romance set in the late 1800s called Magnolia Summer.
Her books have won the Christy Award, two Maggie Awards, The National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama and has taught children and adults in America, Germany, and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing stories of love and adventure near Huntsville, Alabama.
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. ~ Psalm 42:11
Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.MelanieDickerson.com
https://www.facebook.com/MelanieDickersonBooks/
https://twitter.com/melanieauthor
https://www.pinterest.com/dickerson3046/
https://www.instagram.com/melaniedickerson123/
http://seekerville.blogspot.com/
GIVEAWAY
Robin is gifting an e-copy of The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest to one winner.
Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway will begin at midnight on Saturday 11 May and end at 11:59 on Saturday 18 May. Giveaway is subject to the policies found on Robin’s Nest.
RAFFLECOPTER
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b485f64b22/?
“ From the first time I watched Disney’s Cinderella as a starry-eyed three-year-old (who watched it in an old theater with sweeping staircases… and became Cinderella as much as any one little girl can), I have loved fairy tales.”
#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday-on-Saturday, Featured Book and Giveaway, The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, Melanie Dickerson
May 9, 2019
BLOGWORDS – Friday 10 May 2019 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – DEATH ON THE NILE by AGATHA CHRISTIE
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FIRST LINE FRIDAY – DEATH ON THE NILE by AGATHA CHRISTIE
Welcome to First Line Fridays, hosted by Hoarding Books!!!
Tell us your first line in the comments & then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!
THE BLURB
Beloved detective Hercule Poirot embarks on a journey to Egypt in one of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries, Death on the Nile.
The tranquility of a cruise along the Nile was shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway had been shot through the head. She was young, stylish, and beautiful. A girl who had everything . . . until she lost her life.
Hercule Poirot recalled an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: “I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger.” Yet in this exotic setting nothing is ever quite what it seems.
THE AUTHOR
Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades.
THE FIRST LINE
“Linnet Ridgeway!”
“That’s her,” said Mr. Burnaby, the landlord of the Three Crowns.
MY THOUGHTS
Another of Dame Christie’s stories that I am partial to—it was in reading this mystery that I recognized the process—Ms. Christie had to write the story “inside-out.” That is, she had to know the crime, then lay the clues and suspects, including a sufficient number of red herrings to throw the reader off track. What I hadn’t remembered was that it was a Hercule Poirot story.
#Blogwords, First Line Friday, #FLF, Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie
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