Celebrate Lit Presents: A Mountain Too Steep Author: Robin Patchen

 

About the Book

Book: A Mountain Too Steep

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Suspense

Release Date: July 18, 2023

A car accident that might not be an accident at all. A murderer bent on revenge. And a woman desperate to keep her family together. 

She’s already lost her soul mate. She’ll do anything to protect her children.

For the sake of her kids, Camilla Wright managed to survive after her husband’s murder. When she’s awakened in the night with the news that her teenage son and nephew have been in a horrific car accident, she rushes to the hospital in a haze of shock and panic.

The boys were supposed to be skiing in the mountains east of Salt Lake City. What were they doing so far west? More alarming, the wreck might not have been an accident at all.

While Jeremy fights for his life, Camilla is running out of time to discover who lured her son and her nephew into the desert. With each new clue, the terrifying truth becomes clearer.

Her husband’s killers are closing in…

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. After college, working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.

 

More from Robin

It was Monday, July 16, 2018, at about nine-thirty at night.

I was home with my husband and daughter, watching TV, when my sister called. Since my son was visiting her family in Utah, I rushed to pick up.

“Robin,” my sister said. “The boys have been in a terrible accident. They’re being life-flighted to Salt Lake City. They’re both alive. That’s all I know.”

My knees hit the floor. Then I was lying prone on my kitchen tile. Ninety-nine percent of me was thinking, Oh, God. Please, please…

Nine-tenths of one percent was thinking, Why am I on the floor?

And I’ll be honest. About one-tenth of a percent was thinking, When was the last time I mopped?

Such are the inner workings of a human mind in the midst of tragedy.

The next twelve hours were chaos. We needed to get from our Oklahoma home to Salt Lake as soon as possible. We found a flight that left at eight a.m. and booked it.

And then we waited.

While the minutes ticked past in slow motion, we got occasional updates on the boys’ condition. Joshua, my nephew, had a head injury and trauma to his gut.

Jacob, my son, had severe lung damage. Severe enough that, as soon as he arrived at the ER, they intubated him.

Both boys were transferred to the ICU and pronounced stable.

When my husband and I arrived the following morning, we saw Jacob. A tube down his throat. Tape across his face. Scrapes and cuts and bruises all over his upper body. One arm in a plaster cast from his biceps to his fingertips. Unconscious.

And then the hard part began.

The boys’ accident was such a unique and life-altering event in our lives. Watching a cherished child battle for his life, not knowing if he’ll win or lose, is like nothing you can imagine.

Or maybe you can. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. People are in car accidents every single day. And motorcycle accidents. And other accidents.

And there are illness and addictions and mental health struggles. The list goes on and on.

If you’ve dealt with any of those, then your trauma was probably very different from ours. And yet, you and I could probably find a lot in common. The fear. The surreal moments. The pendulum swinging between hope and helplessness.

The constant litany of prayers.

We were fortunate. Our son and our nephew both survived and recovered. When we were on the other side, I knew I’d write about the experience someday.

And so…I did.

A Mountain Too Steep tells the story of two boys in a car accident in the middle of the Utah desert. The physical trauma the boys experienced is almost exactly what our boys endured.

The rest of the story is purely fictional, thank God. I like a little danger in my life—safe danger. Let’s leave the vengeful gang members in the realm of fiction, shall we?

I cried throughout the writing. And the editing. And the rereading. Even though five years have passed, the memories are still fresh.

Tears aside, I love this story. It’s about a woman whose husband was murdered, a widow who’s endured her own nightmare and who’ll do anything, anything, to protect her children.

I think you’re going to like it.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 25

Betti Mace, July 26

Texas Book-aholic, July 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 29

Blossoms and Blessings, July 29

The Book Club Network, July 30

Christina’s Corner, July 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31

The Lit Lady, August 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 2

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 3

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Books Less Travelled, August 5

Holly’s Book Corner, August 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of Vengeance in the Mist and a $75 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/26d50/a-mountain-too-steep-celebration-tour-giveaway

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery) by Leslie Karst

 

A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery)
by Leslie Karst

About A Sense for Murder

A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Severn House (August 1, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448309050
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448309054
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BXPY61Q1

Chef Sally Solari has – to her own bewilderment – built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps tripping over dead bodies. But getting mixed up in the curious case of a cookbook killer threatens to be the final chapter in not just her investigating career . . . but her life.

It’s the height of the tourist season in Santa Cruz, California, and Sally Solari has her hands full, both juggling crowds of hungry diners at her French-Polynesian restaurant Gauguin, as well as appeasing her father, who’s distressed at the number of homeless people camped out in front of Solari’s, the family’s Italian seafood restaurant out on the historic fisherman’s wharf.

Nevertheless, when Sally gets the opportunity to volunteer at a farm-to-table dinner taking place at the hip new restaurant and culinary bookshop Pages and Plums, she seizes the chance. Not only is it a fundraiser for an organization aiding the homeless and seniors, but up for auction at the event is a signed boxset of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Sally’s hero, the renowned chef Julia Child.

But then the Pages and Plums dining room manager turns up dead – the locked cabinet containing the precious books now empty – and the irrepressible Sally once again finds herself up to her neck in a criminal investigation. She may have a sense for murder, but can Sally outwit a devious killer with a taste for French cooking before the villain makes mincemeat of her, too?

A Sense for Murder is a fast-paced, super fun culinary cozy mystery that will have your brain working and your mouth watering. And if you haven’t met sleuthing chef Sally yet, it’s safe to jump right in.

EXCERPT

If not for the clatter of my bicycle bouncing down the wooden planks of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, I felt certain that every tourist I whizzed past would have been startled by the loud rumblings emanating from my empty stomach.

I’d set off on my morning ride with only a cup of coffee for sustenance, and the effects of the initial caffeine buzz had now been replaced by a severe case of low blood sugar. As a result (notwithstanding the million-dollar view of the historic fisherman’s wharf stretching out from the sparkling beach and the iconic roller coaster rising up behind), the only thing on my mind at that moment was the prospect of biting into one of my father’s famous ricotta-and-mascarpone-filled cannoli.

I spotted Dad’s tall, stocky figure standing in front of Solari’s Restaurant as soon as I rounded the bend near the end of the wharf. He was turned toward me, waving, so I waved back, then quickly grabbed hold of my handlebars as I hit a nasty bump in the road. Once closer, however, I realized he wasn’t waving at me. He hadn’t even noticed my arrival. Rather, he was shouting and gesticulating at a form sprawled on the sidewalk at the corner of the building.

‘Why the hell do you insist on camping out here?’ I heard him yell as I approached. ‘You and your kind are driving away my business!’

Wheeling up to the front entrance, I clipped out of my pedals and leaned my red-and-white road bike against the restaurant’s whitewashed wood siding. Through the neon Budweiser and Amstel Light signs hanging in the window above, I could see a table of early lunchers chowing down on plates of crab salads and linguine.

‘Hey, Dad. What’s going on?’

‘Sally.’ He turned to me with a frown. ‘I didn’t hear you ride up.’

‘Probably because you were making quite a bit of racket yourself.’

The person at his feet – a thin, gray-haired man wrapped in a dark green sleeping bag – pushed himself to an upright position and regarded the two of us with dull eyes. A fat seagull pecked at a discarded French fry not three feet from where he sat.

Dad returned the man’s gaze with an angry stare. ‘I’ve been trying for five full minutes to get this guy to move his sorry ass away from my restaurant, but he pretends like he doesn’t even hear me. Maybe I should just call the cops on you,’ he said to the cocooned man, ‘and let them deal with it.’

‘Maybe if you tried treating him like a human being, your powers of persuasion would be a little more effective,’ I responded. ‘I mean, really: “you and your kind”?’ But my father merely shook his head and turned to walk back inside Solari’s, clearly now annoyed not only with the guy in the sleeping bag but also his only daughter.

 

About Leslie Karst

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife split their time between Santa Cruz, California, and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Author Links

Website http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lesliekarstauthor/

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leslie-karst

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14220589.Leslie_Karst

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesliekarst/

Twitter https://twitter.com/LeslieKarst

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 25 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 26 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 26 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

July 27 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 29 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

July 30 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 1 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

August 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE

August 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Sheltering Angel: A Novel Based on a True Story of the Titanic by Louella Bryant

 

 

"Sheltering Angel tells the true story of several lesser-known individuals whose lives were impacted by the Titanic disaster. The stories of Cumings, Cunningham, Siebert and the others are engrossing, and Bryant's passion for the source material shines through on every page." –Tad Fitch, author of Recreating Titanic & Her Sisters: A Visual History

From a working-class family, Scotsman Andrew Cunningham stewards for wealthy travelers aboard elegant cruise ships of the early 20th century, but he resents those who flaunt their inherited wealth.

New Yorkers Florence and Bradley Cumings, first-class passengers traveling aboard Titanic, are the exception, and the three discover an ancestral connection.

As the ship sinks on the fateful morning of April 15, 1912, Florence watches in horror from her lifeboat. In the darkness of night, she searches the water for her husband and recognizes the man swimming through the frigid water toward her is Andrew.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 Louella Bryant was born in Bethesda, MD, and grew up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. A GWU grad, she migrated to Vermont to see what this nature thing was all about. She has not been disappointed.

 

My Review

 What a great job the author does to put faces of people who were on this fateful ship, and it became a page tuner read for me.
These are real people that we get to meet and become part of their lives before they start their voyage on the Titanic, from the Stewards, to the passengers, both first class and steerage, and how they were not equal on that fateful night in 1912.
Filled with true facts, and real people, from Andrew Cunningham, a steward to Florence Cumings, one of the wealthy travelers. With theses two we meet their families, and become invested in their lives!
Yes, the facts of this voyage are out there, but you will feel like your on this ship, from the opulence to putting on your life jacket. I could almost feel that water, so cold with ice chunks, and then the will to survive.
I'll be look for future reads by Louella Bryant!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Black Rose Writing, and was not required to give a positive review.

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Murder Under A Western Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery by Abigail Keam

 

Murder Under A Western Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery
by Abigail Keam

About Murder Under A Western Moon

Murder Under A Western Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Setting – Montana
Worker Bee Press (July 24, 2023)
Digital Number of Pages: 280
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTWBFCV5

Mona is the American Phyrne Fisher!

Mona Moon and her new husband, Robert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth are about to board an ocean liner to Merry Old England for their honeymoon when Mona receives an urgent telegram from Rupert Hunt, her eyes and ears in the Moon copper mines.

POTENTIAL RIOT AT MONTANA MINE STOP DEAD MINER STOP POSSIBLE MURDER STOP COME AT ONCE STOP RUPERT HUNT

Since the copper mines are the financial backbone of Moon Enterprises, Mona has no choice but to drop her plans and travel to Montana on the next train. She and Robert descend into a world of seething resentments, bitter accusations against Moon Enterprises, and bad decisions that pose a threat to Mona’s world. She travels incognito to search out the truth of Rupert’s allegations against the mining management. She must decide if Rupert is trying to prevent an innocent man from being hung for murder or if he is part of a grandiose plot against her. After all, Mona had been kidnapped by Rupert while searching for the Swift silver mine a year ago. Rupert is a scoundrel, but Mona hired him to be her scoundrel. Is this another of Rupert’s games? Regardless of the threat, Mona must get to the bottom of it. Thank goodness Robert is by her side . . . or could Robert have his own agenda?

About Abigail Keam

Award-winning author Abigail Keam writes the Mona Moon Mystery Series—a rags-to-riches 1930s mystery series which includes real people and events into the story. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way—well, then we are both happy.”  She has won many awards for her mysteries, and Murder Under A Western Moon is her 40th novel.  Miss Abigail lives on the cliffs above the Kentucky River with her husband and various critters.  In her spare time, Miss Abigail is a beekeeper.

Author Links

Official Site http://www.abigailkeam.com/

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/author.abigailkeam/

Instagram    https://www.instagram.com/abigailkeamauthor/

Pinterest      https://www.pinterest.com/abigailkeam/

Amazon      https://www.amazon.com/Abigail-Keam/e/B0045PEGUQ

TikTok         https://www.tiktok.com/@abigailkeam

Purchase Links
Amazon    Apple Books   Nook    Amazon UK    Amazon AU    Amazon CA

EXCERPT 

As Mona and Robert compared notes while riding back to the hotel, both of them heard a loud cracking noise that traveled through the car.

    “What was that?” Mona asked.  “It sounded like the snap of a bullwhip.”

    Robert ordered the driver, “Slow down, please.”  He rolled down his window and listened. 

    “There it is again,” Mona said.  “Driver, stop.”  She got out of the car and looked about, but it was dark with a moonless sky.  Mona couldn’t see anything.

    Another crack sounded. 

    The Pinkertons in the car following them also got out and looked about. 

    A fourth crack pierced the air.

    “It’s gunfire!  Take cover,” one of the Pinkertons shouted. 

    Mona ducked down by the side of the car as Robert joined her.  “Turn the car lights off!” she yelled.

    Robert threw Mona on the ground and shielded her with his body, but they both lifted their heads upon hearing a rumble. “AVALANCHE!   AVALANCHE!” Robert yelled, as he dragged Mona to the side of the mountain and frantically covered both their heads with his arms.  Their driver huddled with them.  Since darkness prevented them from seeing which direction the snow was headed, there was no use in running.  Some of the Pinkertons realized they were in the path of the descending wall of snow and ran.  Their shrieks could be heard above the roar of the torrent as they got caught in the avalanche and were hurled down the mountainside.   

    “Oh, God!” Mona murmured upon hearing the men scream. 

    Robert whispered into her ear, “Don’t listen.  Don’t listen.”  He put his hands over her ears.

    The rumbling abruptly stopped and was replaced by a haunting silence.  Robert and Mona waited a few minutes before climbing out of the snowbank which had fallen about them.  Luckily, they had not been hit with any of the displaced rocks and boulders propelled by the tumbling snow.  Robert cleared snow from their driver who also was unharmed.

    Shouts came from the Pinkertons who had been in a car ahead of them.  They had not been involved in the avalanche.  “Anyone hurt?” one guard shouted.

    Robert yelled, “Second car is fine except we are bound by snow, but the third car got the brunt of the slide.  We think there are casualties, but we can’t see and no one is answering our calls.”

    “We are digging you out now.  Can you get into your car?”

    Robert replied, “Negative.  The doors are blocked by snow.”

    “Stay where you are.  We are coming.”

    Mona, Robert, and the driver helped each other get the snow from around their collars, inside their gloves, and tops of their boots.  Each gave a vigorous shake to remove snow from their coats.  Both the driver and Robert dug snow away with their hands from the trunk of the car to access a shovel, emergency blankets, and a first-aid kit.  Mona moved to the back passenger door and pulled snow away from the car with her hands.  The work kept them all warm.

As the Pinkertons in the first car were making headway with the fallen snow, Mona and Robert saw car lights in the distance behind them, curving the bend in the road.  They heard the roar of the car engine and saw beams of flashlights.

    “HELLO?  HELLO?”

    Robert shouted, “WE’RE HERE!”

    Mona grabbed Robert’s arm.  “Robert, be careful.  These could be the men who caused the avalanche.”

    “WE’LL HELP YOUR MEN.  THE CAR’S GONE OVER THE SIDE.”

    Robert yelled back, “YES, DO THAT!  WE’LL FREE OUR CAR AND THEN START DIGGING TOWARD YOU.”  Turning, Robert asked, “Do you have your gun on you, Mona?”

    “It’s in my purse which is in the car.  What about your six-shooter?”

    “Under the snow somewhere.”

    “I’ve got one in my shoulder holster, and there’s another gun in the glove compartment if we can get to it,” the Pinkerton driver announced. 

    “Good man,” Robert said.  “Put your gun where you can use it in a hurry.”

    Mona, Robert, and the driver dug around their car finally clearing the snow away from the trunk.  The driver took the shovel and shoveled the road while Robert put several blankets around Mona, whose hands had frozen so badly that she lost the feeling in them.

    After an hour, the Pinkertons from the first car cleared away the snow and reached Mona and Robert.  They put Mona in their vehicle which was still warm.  She was grateful for the warmth and rubbed her numb hands in front of the car’s heater. 

Robert worked with the Pinkertons to reach the third car, but once they broke through a wall of snow, there was no third car.  It had careened down the mountain.  Its blinking tail lights were faintly visible beneath the snow. 

They found four men hoisting bodies through a series of ropes tied to a truck.  A man wearing a Stetson and standing near the road’s edge, watched them bring the bodies up.  Upon seeing his milky eye, Robert recognized the man, who worked for Margaret Daly.

    Robert walked up to the man.  “Is everyone dead?”

    “No.  I have two men in the truck.  They are banged up a bit, but otherwise fine.  They told me that someone repeatedly fired a gun, which caused the avalanche.”

    “How did you happen upon us?” Robert asked.

    “Miss Margaret gave orders to follow.  She felt you were in danger although we never expected anything like this.  You’ve got to admit it was devilishly clever.”

    Not sure the Stetson man was speaking the truth, Robert gave him a long stare before stating, “Thank you.  Our other two cars are working, so we’ll take the injured men into town and send help back.”

    “We’ll stay and clear the road.  If the law doesn’t come soon enough, we’ll bring in the bodies and leave them at the funeral home.”  The Stetson man tried to peek around Robert.  “I trust Miss Moon is fine.”

    “Fit as a fiddle,” Robert replied, coldly.  “I’ll collect those injured men and be off.”  He nodded to the Pinkertons to gather their associates.  “Thank you again, and chin chin.

    The Stetson man tipped the brim of his hat. 

    Robert walked back with the Pinkerton men, all the while wondering if he was going to be shot in the back.  Once safely ensconced in the first car with Mona, he turned to her.  “You’ll never guess who turned out to be our savior.”

    Mona pulled her blanket over Robert.  “Who?”

    “Margaret Daly.  She ordered the Stetson man to follow us.”

    “She could have ordered him to start the avalanche.”

    “I thought it odd myself that her man happened to arrive a short time after the avalanche.  I’ll guess we’ll never know the real truth, but she did warn you of danger, Mona.”  Robert lit a cigarette as his nerves were frayed.  “What do you want to do now?”

    Mona didn’t chide Robert about smoking as she knew he was upset.  She was disturbed as well.  “We’ve got three managers to deal with.  We need to stay in Montana until this mess is cleared up.” 

    “We got out by the skin of our teeth tonight, Mona, and two of our men didn’t make it.  We need to make changes fast, and then get the heck out of here.”

    “I don’t like putting our men and ourselves in danger, but we’ve got to see this through, Robert.”

    A Pinkerton knocked on the car window.

    Mona rolled it down.  

    “Sorry, folks, but we need to put one of the injured men in this car.  It’s pretty tight in the other vehicle.”

    “Assuredly, bring him here,” Robert said, before turning to his wife.  “I’ll drive and we’ll put two men in the back.”

    Mona got out and stood aside as Pinkertons carried their injured comrade.  They eased him into the back of the car.  Mona took off her blanket, wrapping it around the injured man.  She said to the non-injured Pinkerton, “You’ll stay with him?”

    “Ma’am, he can use my lap as his pillow.  We’ll get him to a hospital all right.” 

    Mona replied, “We shall fly to the nearest hospital like the fastest hawk.”

    “Better make it a night owl.”

    Mona gave a ghost of a smile at the Pinkerton’s jest.  She slid into the front seat and turned to Robert.  “We’re ready.  Let’s get back to Butte.”

    Robert took off the emergency brake and depressed on the clutch, putting the car in first gear.  The car began to roll downward and Robert put the car in second gear. “Here we go, ready or not.”

    But Mona didn’t hear Robert.  She was deep in thought planning her next move.

    Someone was going to pay for the death of those two men as well as Piotr Wojcik and Dr. Driscoll.  Someone indeed!

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 24 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

July 24 – Reading Is My SuperPower – RECIPE, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

July 24 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

July 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

July 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 26 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE

July 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 28 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

 

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Celebrate Lit Presents: Managing Millie Author: Susan Pope Sloan

 

About the Book

Book: Managing Millie

Author: Susan Pope Sloan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 11, 2023

In a time of war, love has to fight for a happily-ever-after.

Millie Gibson has loved Troy McNeil for years. So when he suddenly confesses his attraction to her, she’s ecstatic, even if their time together is limited as Troy must stay on the move to avoid the Confederate army. When Troy rescues her from an attacker, Millie begs him to replace the awful memory with one of love. But will that love last when he learns their time together produced lasting consequences?

Dodging the Rebel army has kept Troy apart from Millie for months, but he can’t forget their last hours together. The last thing he expects upon his return is to find her surrounded by Union soldiers, and now he’s been apprehended as a possible spy and sent to a Union prison. With his fate in the hands of others, only God can orchestrate hope from the chaos of war.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Born into a family of storytellers, Susan Pope Sloan published her first articles in high school and continued writing sporadically for decades. Retirement provided the time to focus on writing and indulge her avid interest in history. Her Civil War series begins (and ultimately ends) in her home state of Georgia with references to lesser-known events of that period. She and husband Ricky live near Columbus where she participates in Word Weavers, ACFW, and Toastmasters.

 

More from Susan

Millie and Troy captured my heart while writing *Rescuing Rose*, and I knew their story had to be told. It was inspired by people close to me—but generations apart–who had a similar experience. *Managing Millie* is loosely based on those.

The challenging part for me was remembering that these characters are very young (16 and 19) and thus plagued by a wide range of volatile emotions and hormones. The decisions they make seem to defy logic at times. Like many young women, Millie tries to grasp control of her life amid difficult situations. Troy is more easy-going, merely trying to stay one step ahead of the Confederate Army until he ends up in a Union prison. Suddenly forced to face his responsibilities, he learns to “man-up” and take charge. His
greatest task, of course, is learning to “manage” Millie without destroying their love for each other.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 17

Texas Book-aholic, July 18

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 19

Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 20 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Connie’s History Classroom, July 21

The Book Club Network, July 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 23

Christina’s Corner, July 23

Blossoms and Blessings, July 24

Cover Lover Book Review, July 25

annette_reads_daily, July 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 27

For Him and My Family, July 28

Holly’s Book Corner, July 29

Splashes of Joy, July 29

Pause for Tales, July 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/26b9a/managing-millie-celebration-tour-giveaway

Finding Us (Pictures of the Heart, #2) by Tracie Peterson

 

One candid photograph will change the lives of four people forever.

While taking photographs at an exposition in Seattle in 1909, Camera Girl Eleanor Bennett snaps an image of a woman in widow's clothes with deep sorrow etched in her expression and a young infant in her arms.

Eleanor longs to study botany at the University of Washington and soon becomes fast friends with botanist Bill Reed, but she can't stop thinking about the widow in the photograph. She is stunned to learn Bill recognizes the woman as the sister-in-law he believed lost in a shipwreck.

As Eleanor and Bill hunt for Amelia Reed to reunite her with her grief-stricken husband, they must stand together to face the danger that follows and learn to trust that God will direct their paths. 

Amazon  

 

About The Author

 

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie's web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com

 

My Review

 I really loved this story, as I did the first book in this series, and this can be read alone with some recurring characters.

The author gives us a character that truly embraces the face of evil, and goes to great ends to inflict the most emotional pain he can possibly cause on another. Then there are those who give their love and support to those who are unfortunate and in need, and they live their faith.

What a page turner this book became, and just when you think things are finally going to work out, something else happens!

Now I can't wait for the next read in this series!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Hidden Away at Promise Lodge (Promise Lodge #7) by Charlotte Hubbard

 

When Karen Mercer and Andi Swann come to Promise Lodge for a week’s stay, the Kuhn sisters quickly detect the guests are not Plain folk, despite their kapps and homemade dresses. Entranced by the idyllic Amish lifestyle they’ve read about in romance novels, the visitors have gone undercover to revisit the place that was once the church camp where they spent happy summers. They mean no harm—but when the truth is uncovered, their deception has an intriguing impact on the faithful, hard-working
community . . .
 
Meanwhile, amid bustling preparations for a spring wedding, a shy horse trainer is encouraged to share his colorful world with a newcomer awaiting a miracle . . . while the widowed baker of luscious Promise Lodge Pies sees a long-time friendship in a romantic new light. And in the wake of a destructive storm, Karen and Andi’s insider knowledge of the grounds may offer the safe passage they all need to renew and rebuild—stronger than eve.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 

Charlotte Hubbard sold her first historical romance in 1990, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. As she writes, her stories invariably take on a life of their own, different from the way she proposed them: unforeseen characters and plot twists come along, and they keep her guessing right along with her readers!

Charlotte has lived in the Midwest most of her life. When she’s not writing, she loves touring historic homes, trying new recipes, crocheting, and playing with her Border Collie, Ramona. She’s a Presbyterian deacon, sings in her church choir, and plays in the percussion ensemble. She’s married to a fine man who—bless him—has never once suggested she get a real job!

 

My Review

 Yes, I loved this read, could almost picture myself doing what the young women who opened the book did, and yes, I was chuckling!

This read was like a warm hug, and I didn't want to leave! There is some sweet romance, along with some danger, but the love these folks show to each other is awesome!

The author gives us a woman who has not had an easy life, and now has been give a death sentence, and just as she feels her life is over is given a fleeting chance at love! We also have a never married seasoned citizen, Mennonite, and someone has caught his eye.

We witness the power of prayer in this read, and I adored Mose, he was such an inspiration!

When the last page was turned I had a sense of loss, but there is a preview of the next book in this series, now I can't wait!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Dame Alice Hits Hollywood: A Cozy 1930s Mystery Featuring Author-Turned-Sleuth Dame Alice Cartwright (Dame Alice Mysteries) by Allie Mahoney

 

Dame Alice Hits Hollywood:
A Cozy 1930s Mystery Featuring Author-Turned-Sleuth Dame Alice Cartwright
(Dame Alice Mysteries)
by Allie Mahoney

About Dame Alice Hits Hollywood 

Dame Alice Hits Hollywood (Dame Alice Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Old Hollywood and Beverly Hills, circa 1937.
‎Wrenfield Books (May 23, 2023)
Digital Print length ‏ : ‎ 139 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C666Z731

April 1937: When Penelope Greenleigh, assistant at Ten Spot Press, learns she’ll be heading to Hollywood to supervise script changes on the set of Lady Irwin’s Diamonds, she should be thrilled. Who wouldn’t want to mingle with movie stars in sunny California?

But there’s a catch: Penelope, 29 and from Cape May, New Jersey, has been asked to impersonate Dame Alice Cartwright, the world’s bestselling mystery author, who’s 47 and lives in Copley-on-the-Wold, England.

On the night Penelope arrives in L.A., Lady Irwin‘s lead actress disappears and a Harry Winston necklace goes missing. Soon, gossip columnist Hattie Holiday threatens to expose Penelope’s deception, mobsters are coming after the film’s boozy director, and worst of all, Dame Alice’s script has gone from murder mystery to Fred and Ginger-style musical!

The action unfolds at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Trocadero, and hotspot Chasen’s as Penelope works to solve the crimes alongside a handsome detective and a hapless studio flunky. Can she find the diamonds, the actress, and survive a wild week in Hollywood?

Excerpt on Amazon

 

About Allie Mahoney

A longtime magazine journalist, Allie Mahoney has written for Town & Country, Time Out New York, and Cosmo. A lifelong Agatha Christie fan, her shelves are also filled with the books of P.G. Wodehouse, Dave Barry, Sophie Kinsella, and Carl Hiaasen. Additional guilty pleasures: Classic Hollywood movies, fashion, dogs, Bravo tv, BritBox, Phillies baseball, and the beach.

Visit  Dame Alice Mysteries

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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July 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

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