Beautiful Evil Winter

The Mystery, Moxie, and Suspense #1

by Kelly K. Lavender

Is a desperate mother one of the most dangerous creatures on planet earth? Yes.

Armed only with a homespun plan, an American couple travels to corrupt crime-infested Russia to adopt a baby boy. What can wrong? Honestly, what won’t go wrong?

Based on a true story of locked-up abroad.

“Sofia and Ethan are apprehensive as they begin their adoption adventure…What they encounter in Russia is worse than they could have feared and pushes them beyond what they thought they could endure. The author does a wonderful job of creating a cast of complex characters who are understandable, if not always likable. The book is difficult to put down, enticing you to read a few more chapters before bed. In the end, the book leaves the reader satisfied, but the story never fully leaves your mind.”
Eric Hoffer Book Award

"...The characters are of opposing values, fiery Sophia, hesitant Ethan, cruel mafia ponytail and his misfits, scheming Victoria and cruel possessive Natasha. It took the readers breath away due to the truth of the story, and humans being treated as fodder for violence and money. We are so used to freedom that the reader kept behind Sophia, pushing her to get up and fight for that freedom and Zack. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book, and gladly give it five stars and recommend it for reading by everyone. Opens the eyes." Top 500 Amazon Reviewer R. Hansen

"...What a great read! It was an emotional roller coaster of feelings and events. I cried and felt for Sophia. Sophia's character is a strong one and I love that even though she had been through a lot she didn't give up" - 5* Review The Literary Vixen

After the USSR collapses, a time reminiscent of the unforgiving gun-slinging days of the frontier west, mild-mannered Ethan and fiery Sophia board a plane bound for Russia. They hope to prevail with their homespun plan to secure their son's safe passage to America. What can go wrong? Maybe, an innocent ill-fated encounter with the Mafia or maybe, being marked as a target for mob revenge. Perhaps, having to rely on a first-time adoption coordinator to complete the process and shelter them from harm. Honestly, what won't go wrong?

Inspired by a true story, Beautiful Evil Winter resonates as epic Historical Fiction about the human capacity for hope, the traumas that shape our lives and the hardships we'll endure for love.

Beautiful Evil Winter has earned a list of accolades including an Eric Hoffer Award for "...writing of significant merit" and a Readers' Favorite International Book Award. Beautiful Evil Winter holds special appeal for resilient, smart, resourceful women who rescue themselves and the proud, grateful, unburdened men who love them.

Genres: Thriller, Russia, Suspense, Adoption

254 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2013

About the author

READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS named my debut novel,Beautiful Evil Winter, as a Finalist in THREE GENRES-Fiction SUSPENSE, Fiction THRILLER General and ROMANCE Sizzle. Beautiful Evil Winter scores again with READERS FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS by earning a spot in the Winners' Circle for Fiction Suspense.

The ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARDS honored Beautiful Evil Winter by shortlisting it for the the Grand Prize and eventually placed it in the Winners' Circle. The Hoffer Awards honors "...writing of significant merit."

The NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS named Beautiful Evil Winter, as the New Fiction Finalist.

DAN POYTNER'S GLOBAL EBOOK AWARDS placed Beautiful Evil Winter in the Fiction Suspense Winners' Circle!!

book lover, author, wife, life-long equestrian and horse owner, love fast cars, love drifting, adore action thrillers, adventure and suspense stories, foodie

Reviews

[Kimberly Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a Russian suspense story before, so I was intrigued from the beginning. Adoption, in general, has always been a process that I have found interesting so to see the process that goes on in Russia was also a new experience for me.

The book itself is certainly stressful in a good way due to the mafia and the corruption that’s going on with the police in Russia. The book will hook you as you walk through the struggles that the characters go through as well as what a mother will do to protect her child. The author is great at describing scenes; I genuinely felt the bitter cold of the Russian winters as well as the brutality in some of the scenes could easily turn a weak stomach.

The book, however, could have used a final edit as I found grammatical errors throughout the book. It made certain areas of the book confusing and forced me to re-read them.

[Lilian Flesher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This story has you turned inside out and upside down with emotional turmoil. It is about a couple from the US who travel to Russia to complete an adoption, the husband Ethan seems a bit of a wimp type of guy where his wife Sophia is like a tigress fighting hard to win her son!!

This was a totally great read, the descriptive elements in relation to the Russian winter had me almost put a wooly jumper on, I felt cold. There was sadness, terror when the Russian Mafia got on their backs. It was a great plot and enlightens us into the stress and procedures families have to go through when dealing with adoption, and even more so when it is from a foreign country. It tells of the determination Sophia has to have a family, her happy ever after. Believe me you will be up and down with this book, it is one of those that grip you and will not allow you to put it down, you want to read on you want to find out what happens, well I will not tell you as you have to read this amazing story yourself in order to find out.

http://lilianflesher.blogspot.co.uk/2...

[The Literary Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Sophia’s last chance was Russia. She had read about adoption there and thought it was the best way for her and her husband Ethan to go. There were dangers in Russia. Some include corrupt police and Mafia. Knowing the dangers, Sophia and Ethan travel to Russia. When they arrive they are greeted by Natasha, the woman that has been helping them through the process. She advises them to listen to her so they don’t cause unwanted attention from the Mafia. They travel to different places and end up in a hotel waiting to go see the baby. Natasha makes it clear they are to stay in the room and wait to hear from her. After many days of waiting, they decide to go down to the bar for a drink. Being cooped up in that room was taking it’s toll. What was supposed to be a night to unwind turned into a terrifying night that neither would forget.

What a great read! It was an emotional roller coaster of feelings and events. I cried and felt for Sophia. Sophia’s character is a strong one and I love that even though she had been through a lot she didn’t give up. I give this 5 stars

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Evil Winter is a pretty good suspense filled novel set in Russia. Sophie and Ethan go on quite of an adventure that they did not expect. I thought those two were a great pair. There were a few twists and turns I did not see coming. There are a few scenes that will cause a reader to think about the situations.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars and would like to read more by this author in the future.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100 percent my own honest opinion.

[Janice perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I volunteered to read an ARC copy of this book. It was a suspenseful, dramatic, and hopeful story of a couple trying to adopt. There was even a very cringe worthy bar scene. This book definitely kept my attention

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adopting a child is so very frightening in and of itself. Hoping you have done the right thing and traveled all the way to Russia to claim that child, even more so. This book seems so real. I have no real idea what adopting a Russian baby is like. I did a little online research because this book seemed so alive; like someone’s true experience. Even the suspense was written well enough to make you think you were reading someone’s true story. A definite compliment to the author. This is however, a fiction story of a couple wanting a child so badly that they will do almost anything they are told to be able to adopt this child and take it home to the States. There are many bumps in the road along the way. With no surprise, the experience has an effect on their relationship.

There were some characters in Lavendar’s book I liked and some I didn’t but then I think that is the sign of an author being very good at character description and development. When Natasha, their caretaker, insists they must stay in the apartment for their safety, the author’s description of their time and the discomfort even had me feeling the same anxiety. I had decided that I was going to describe this as a long book but I don’t think that is a correct description. I realized that the tense and suspenseful moments were written so well that the book was not long but rather I was uncomfortable wanting to solve those problems the family had to endure. Another sign of good writing. Definitely a book to read or put on your wish list.

[Sue Kiick- Harre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this novel to be a nail biter.
The harrowing and exploitative of another country for a young couple trying to adopt . I felt like I was living their nightmare with them.
I received this book for an honest review.

[BP34 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turning and emotional story about Sophie and Ethan whose only goal is to adopt a baby boy. Their quest takes them to Russia where they become targets of the Russian mob. Full of suspense and drama and no shortage of surprises. A must read for anyone who is considering adoption. I read an advance copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.

[Melody Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a page turner

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Evil Winter is a book that intrigued me, because the story line of a US couple wanting to adopt an orphan from Russia is something that I've never encountered, and the premise sounded promising. At first, I disliked Ethan, because as Sophia's husband, he seemed way too passive, and there was one scene in particular (which makes the 18+ recommended age reasonable) where I found myself a little annoyed at him. I didn't feel he was as well developed as he could have been either, and I found it hard to connect to him on any emotional level. That might be why the story, at least in the beginning, didn't draw me in as much as it could have, but it did pick up in the last third or so. Something else that I loved was the description of the brutal Russian winters. There were times I could almost feel the cold as I read.

In contrast to that, I'll state that Sophia proved to be quite the lioness, and I actually admired the strength and determination she displayed in protecting her adoptive son Zack and herself when it was necessary. By the end of the book, I found that I had warmed up to her as a character more than at the beginning. Natasha, their contact in Russia and their guide through the adoption process was someone that intrigued me from the beginning, and I liked her a lot. I could almost hear her heavily accented English as I read her dialogue. She, by far, was my favorite character out of everyone. I also loved little Zack, and enjoyed reading about him.

Now, for the things I picked up on that could be improved. I did catch several grammatical errors which threw me out of the story from time to time, which caused me to lose the flow of the novel a little. I was fluctuating a little on my rating, but in the end, I decided based on the character strength of Natasha and the way Sophia proved to be formidable, I'll give Beautiful Evil Winter a 4/5 Platypire rating.

[Maribel Platypire Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

I liked the overall concept of the story. I've always wondered about the adoption process of other countries, and the fact that this one was about Russia certainly piqued my interest. There were some good parts and bad parts.

I'll start with the parts I disliked. There were some grammatical errors I encountered while reading that made me have to stop and reread a passage to understand what was going on.

I also couldn't connect very much with some of the characters. I tried very hard to like them, but some of them, like Ethan, exasperated me with their passive nature. He improved later on, but at the beginning he irritated me.

I do have some good parts I want to congratulate the author on. There is one scene in this book that absolutely disgusted me. It literally makes me queasy everytime I read it because it is so graphic and such a scary situation is being described. Kudos to the author for making me want to hit those men in the face with a shovel.

There is one character that I did connect with in the story. Her name is Natasha. Something about the way she acts and certain situations intrigued me as to what was her story. Why is she the way she is? What is going on in her home life? I wish we had gotten a bit more of her story, as it really did pique my interest.

I have to say Sophia, the main character of this story, was a strong female character, all things considered. She always came out fighting when the situation called for it, which is a great quality to have if you are trying to protect yourself and your loved ones. I admired her quick thinking throughout the book, especially with her cleverness in turning everyday household items into weapons.

All things considered, I did like the book, but I didn't love it. It gets 3 Platypires.

[Kelly Lavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend the 2nd Edition of this novel. I deeply regret the money spent and choices made with the original version of this novel. At that time, even though I paid a fair market rate for editing, it didn't happen. Simply put, with my debut novel, I trusted the partner on this project. The publisher of the original edition now states on their site re: editing services, "We assume that the file you send us has been edited and corrected." Damage control? Yes, that statement didn't appear on the site in 2014. It's possible to find a Better Business Bureau link - Sarasota Florida office - tied to the company involved. Not my formal complaint, but I unpublished with them.
"Actions speak louder than words," as someone said.

As the saying goes, a top-notch copyeditor can make a book sparkle. Many thanks to David Aretha, editor extraordinaire, for making a Multi-Award-Winning novel better. David has edited books and written books for 20 publishers over the course of his career including Random House, HarperCollins and St. Martins. One book he edited earned a letter of commendation from then-Vice President Al Gore and sold more than 300,000 copies.

I wrote a book that I would personally like to read given my preference for strong, tough, resourceful female characters who struggle with dangerous circumstances. I love books that keep me bleary-eyed because I had to read one more chapter. So thrilled that this suspenseful allegorical book is a Multi-Award-Winning Novel, both nationally and internationally. Very excited that my Russian-based book has been well-received and that I am able to draw from a wellspring of firsthand information-via my experience in Russia and the enduring long-term ties that I have to that country.

[Sassy Southern Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book you won't want to put down until the very last page is read! Full of unexpected plot twists! Sophia and her husband Ethan have hopes for an easy adoption of their baby boy in Russia, With her fathers reluctant help, only to find themselves innocent targets of the Russian mafia. Never knowing who to trust.
Ethan is mild mannered and prefers to settle things quietly and diplomatically. Sophia, on the other hand. loses her temper easily and doesn't mind who gets in the way. In a country that is as harsh as it's winters, that in not wise. Can he be the voice of reason and keep her calm until the very slow and confusing adoption process slugs its way through? All he wants is to have a baby, a son, and to go home to be a family. Sophia wants that too, but she has limited patience.
They are forced to endure many days alone in their hotel room alone. This gives them a chance to evaluate their own relationship, and to rekindle the love that has grown stale as they have led their lives on separate tracks for so long.
It keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see if all goes well. If they will get their baby, if he is the one they chose, is he healthy, and most of all, will they make it out alive? My only complaint, it ended anti-climatically to me. I waited for the ax to drop at the end, but it ended on rather a mild note after the harrowing journey into Russia's Beautiful Evil Winter.

[W. Neilsen Neilsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Evil Winter

Hard to put this book down. Knowing it was based on true events made it even more compelling. To think that a country could have such wicked freedom to punish and literally torture outsiders is completely a mind blowing idea.
When someone is willing to risk large amounts of money, literally their lives, while never knowing whom to trust, to save a child and give it a home where they are safe, you have to admire those people. This book gave me the idea of researching Russian adoptions, not for myself, but to learn long-term results, and also discover other's plights. It was well written, descriptive, left little for the imagination. Highly recommend.

[mary ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story

This is a beautiful story of how hard some people will work and what they will do to become parents. This was a great depiction of what is asked of some to just begin the journey of parenthood.
The characters were strong and fully developed. The adopting mother became a mama bear right out of the gate. She was quite resourceful in their times of need.
The story was interesting as well as entertaining.
Thank you

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to get in to this book. I loved the plot and there were a few good twists but for me it was just ok .

[Kim Bamber]

Thank you NetGalley and Kelly K Lavender Press for the electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

BEAUTIFUL EVIL WINTER is an addicting read. Full of twists and turns.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

the author's writing is easy and beautiful. This story of how things are done in Russia reminds us how truly fortunate we are in the U.S. couldn't put it down

[Ellen M. Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!

I couldn't stop reading this book....I had to know what was happening as if I were right there with them!!!!

[Country Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Evil Winter is a book about Sophia and her husband Ethan who are headed to Russia to adopt a child. Sophia and Ethan are on an airplane in the very first chapter and they are flying to Russia for their adopted child. Sophia is sitting next to the worst passenger for a intercontinental flight and her husband doesn't fight for her, she starts to wonder how their new child will be raised by him. They have a fight but make up as the plane lands in Russia.
There is a tragic flashback and then several other flashbacks to Sophia's life before Ethan and we get to learn more about Sophia as a character and what makes her tick, and what has brought her to the point of Russia. The author has done quite a bit of research on various options for having a child through adoption or surrogacy in the US and other places in the world, in this book. She did an excellent job in describing life in Russia also for those like myself who have never traveled to the country.
Overall I think the author wrote an engaging story about a couple who will do anything to have a reasonably priced adoption of a child, even go to another country in order to do so. She also mentions how the Russian Mafia controls a lot of what happens in Russia and how Americans are not safe outside their hotels or places of stay. That I could very much see in a lot of other countries, we are not always welcome everywhere as Americans, great point! I really liked the realism that the author put into this story especially that other places in the world not so nice things can happen to women or men.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tense and thrilling story, with moments that will make your heart race, and enough twists and tension you won’t want to put it down until you know what happens next. I’m giving this four stars because I had trouble really connecting with the characters - although I think they’re well written, I just couldn’t click with them and I can’t quite put my finger on why. It took away from my enjoyment of the story, but I can’t say I have any complaints otherwise, so don’t let that deter you from checking this out. I wasn’t sure how a story about adoption could turn into a thriller, but Lavender has done an excellent job doing so. The descriptions are fairly vivid, although at times I wish they’d been a little less so (like on the plane early on). The story has good pacing and a lot of tension, there’s so much uncertainty and danger that only ramps up the moment they set foot in Russia. If you’re looking for a thriller that’s a bit off the beaten path, you’ll want to grab this!

[Books Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the riveting, first person account of one couple's attempt to have a child...no matter what it costs. They take a perilous journey to Moscow in an adoption attempt that leads them into more danger and adventure they had imagined.

This couple is nothing if not resilient - with Sophia being the driving force. There were times I wondered what she saw in Ethan, but at the end he was definitely the ying to her yang. The storyline was riveting and made me keep turning the page to see what was coming next.

My only quibble with the story (and this is just a personal thing... I know a lot of readers don't have this issue) is that I struggle with first person writing. I wanted to hear more from Ethan and what he was going through and thinking. But, that said, I got used to the flow and enjoyed the read. I recommend you check it out for yourself.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beuatiful Evil Winter not so beautful to read. I was given an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was very disappointed in this super short novel. The story felt highly unbelievable, very disjointed and overall not suspenseful at all. The relationships were ill defined at all levels. The motivations for character actions equally undefined and the action of the characters both good and bad highly inconsistent and made no sense. There was little emotion to connect with just a series of horrible things that happen often highly unbelievable horrible things.

I almost did not finish it and only did because I had been given an ARC and felt compelled to complete it. A disappointment all around. 1.5 stars

[Christine Woinich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dark thriller with possible triggers for some people. Sophia and Ethan traveled to Russia to adopt a child. There were plenty of secrets, double dealings, violence, and more. Sophia tried to be strong throughout her struggles, her love for her husband was strong, and the love she felt for her adopted son gave her more determination to keep going. Ethan was shown to be a little weak of will, but he showed strength in his fight to stay alive for his family. I felt that the story was a bit drawn out, definitely showing the dark side of Russia with corruption and violence, but overall, the happy ending made up for it.

I received a copy through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful

I chose this one based on the synopsis. I thought it might be an espionage thriller or a mystery. It was neither. I'm not sure what it was. To slow, repetitive, boring, the majority of the story took place in an apartment, where two people did nothing. Many unanswered questions and areas that made no sense. I stuck with it out of sheer stubbornness. I wish I hadn't. Two days I'll never get back.

[Catherine M Rutan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review

I always read to the end each book I read,regardless if I like it or not, I always say it was not War and Peace,I did not like this book at all,but I did finish reading it.

[Karen Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. My only complaint was poor editing. There were grammatical errors that normally I can get over. The errors were beginning to aggravate me. But I finished the book.

[donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

suspenseful

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the summary for Beautiful Evil Winter, I wasn’t sure what I was going to find between its covers, but what I found was not what I expected. It was way more intense than anything I could have imagined.

An American couple wants to adopt a baby or child. After extensive research, they decided their best option would be to adopt a child from Russia. The woman who agrees to help them in Russia gives them the runaround for weeks/months, but finally, the big day comes.

Ethan and his wife Sophia board a plane bound for Russia. I don’t know what they expected when they arrived, but I am sure what they found was nowhere near what they were thinking. As Ethan and Sophia soon learned, adopting a child in Russia was not as easy as they thought it might be.

When they arrived they were told to stay in their room. It would be very dangerous for them if they went out and caught the attention of the Russian mafia. But after weeks of being held up in a hotel room with no connection to the outside world, they decided to go to the bar downstairs.

A very bad group of men arrived at the bar while Ethan and Sophia were there. The were some very bad awful scenes in the bar some very sad, heartbreaking, tragic scenes. The descriptions were so well done you could feel the tension that was floating around the room. I felt as if I was standing against that wall with everyone else with tears rolling down my face.

Beautiful Evil Winter is a sad, scary, heartfelt story that held my attention from the first page until the last. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I couldn’t stop reading. Beautiful Evil Winter had me racing to the end as I tore through each page as if the devil was on my tail. The suspense kept me hanging on every word wanting to know what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to read more in the Fifty Shades of Mystery, Moxie and Suspense series.

I highly recommend Beautiful Evil Winter to all mystery/suspenseful fans! Grab a copy of Beautiful Evil Winter today!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author through the Goodreads Giveaways.
***This review may include minor spoilers.

Heads up: I critique first, then compliment.

I did enjoy the book but have a few criticisms regarding its flow and content. The book was a bit slow starting and embellished with lavish prose which seemed to be filler rather than a necessity to proceed the plot and maintain interest.

I would have liked to have heard more about the event that caused the main character to lose her ability to have her own children and the the emotional feelings that came across her as a result (i.e. how the doctors told her, how she responded, how she came to grips with it, how her future husband responded to the fact and idea of adoption).

Furthermore, when she first takes the baby home, I would liked to have found out more about the baby's emotional response; at first, due to the lack of such description, I thought the child had institutional autism.

I found that the main characters actions after being shot in the stomach to be unrealistic. Such a critical wound would have impaired her more greatly, unless she had a disorder that caused to have a reduced feeling for pain, which may have been the reason she felt little pain in her initial infertility-causing injury.

Furthermore, while I realize that the whole point of the book is the main character's endeavor to adopt a child from Russia, she does come across as a bit of an over-privileged rich girl, where money is no issue who lacks the insight of how adoption in the U.S. might benefit our society. She seems to lack a knowledge of the underprivileged in the U.S. and take a lot for granted.

All that said, I DID ENJOY THE BOOK. It was gripping and kept me guessing. It was a page turner and I would indeed recommend it to others.