Posts By: Heather

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10 Blind Dates Blog Tour and Giveaway

24 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Title: 10 BLIND DATES

Author: Ashley Elston

Pub. Date: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever . . . or is it?

“This piece-by-piece romance doesn’t need its Christmas theme to sell, but it makes it glitter all the more.”—Booklist

“In a funny holiday romance that has Sophie dog-sitting in a hockey rink, watching porn at a drive-in theater, and playing the Virgin Mary in a middle school Nativity, Elston cleverly reflects the family members’ personalities through their choices of dates for Sophie.”—Publishers Weekly

Review

The cover is perfect. Festive, beautiful photography and design. I enjoyed 10 Blind Dates because of the bond Sophie has with her family. They are a large Italian bunch jammed into one home for Christmas, and taking bets on Sophie’s dating life. There were so many healthy dynamics illustrated, including post partum recovery, cousin love and close bonds with parents, grandparents and extended relatives.

Her neighbor Wes is kind, considerate, and takes good care of the main character as she braves a break up as well as a few sketchy blind date situations. A well rounded plot and endearing characters make this a heart warming, light read. I didn’t enjoy her evil cousins or their date activity. I wish the love interest hadn’t been all but settled until a little further into the book, to build suspense. My only two small complaints. Overall, a fun read!

Parental content: underage drinking, mention of pornography and nudity.

I received a copy from the publisher free as part of a blog tour.

About Ashley:

Ashley Elston is the author of several novels, including THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING (a finalist in the Best Young Adult Novel category of the International Thriller Awards) and THIS IS OUR STORY. She graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Ashley worked for many years as a wedding photographer before turning her hand to writing. Ashley lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons.

Ashley is represented by Sarah Davies at The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of 10 BLIND DATES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2019- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

10/2/2019- Odd and Bookish– Review

10/3/2019- Fictitiouswonderland– Review

10/4/2019- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

Week Two:

10/7/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads– Excerpt

10/8/2019- Read. Eat. Love.– Review

10/9/2019- Paper Reader– Review

10/10/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

10/11/2019- Savings in Seconds– Review

Week Three:

10/14/2019- book briefs– Review

10/15/2019- Shelf-Rated– Review

10/16/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Review

10/17/2019- Do You Dog-ear?– Review

10/18/2019- Wishful Endings– Review

Week Four:

10/21/2019- Southern Girl Bookaholic– Review

10/22/2019- Eli to the nth– Review

10/23/2019- fictitious.fox– Review

10/24/2019-  Fire and Ice– Review

10/25/2019- Two points of interest– Review

Week Five:

10/28/2019- Riddle’s Reviews– Review

10/29/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

10/30/2019- Moonlight Rendezvous– Review

10/31/2019- Novel Novice– Review

Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me Blog Tour

24 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me

by Julie Wright

Publication Date: 10/21/19

Paperback

ISBN: 9781629726076

Retail Price: $16.99

Page Count: 336

Fiction / Romance / Contemporary

Cover Design: © Shadow Mountain

Art Direction: Richard Erickson

Design: Kimberly Kay

Amazon (ad) * Goodreads

Can the fairy tale bring Charlotte the happiness she’s looking for, or was he always there to begin with?
 
A modern, reimagined Cinderella story.
 
When aspiring author Charlotte Kingsley finally gets published, she thinks all her dreams have come true. But the trouble begins when her publicity firm reinvents her quirky online presence into a perfectly curated dream life. Gone are the days of sweatpant posts and ice cream binges with her best friend, Anders, replaced instead with beautiful clothes, orchestrated selfies, and no boyfriend. Only, that carefully curated fairy tale life is ruining her self-esteem and making her feel like a fraud.

When a bestselling author takes Charlotte under her wing—almost like a fairy godmother—she helps Charlotte see the beautiful person she already is and the worth of being authentic. But is it too late to save her relationship with Anders? The clock is quickly ticking towards midnight, and Charlotte must decide between her fairy tale life and the man she loves, before he’s gone forever.

About the Author

Julie Wright is the author of more than twenty novels, including the Proper Romance® novels Lies Jane Austen Told Me and Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She is a Whitney Award winner and a Crown Heart recipient. She is represented by agent Sara Crowe. She loves reading and writing, playing on the beach or hiking with her husband and kids, and watching her husband make dinner.

Advance Praise/Endorsements:

“This sweet, heartfelt tale of authentic characters facing intriguing challenges is at once very romantic and charmingly chaste.”

-Booklist, starred review

“Wright spins a modern-day and very meta Cinderella tale. This fast-paced, lighthearted romance also carries a moral lesson about falsehoods getting in the way of the quest for true happiness.”

-Publishers Weekly

“Aspiring author Charlotte ‘Lettie’ Kingsley writes fairy tales and hopes to be published. When she gets one more rejection, her feelings of pique lead her to an inspired idea: She’ll write a self-help book called The Cinderella Fiction that will encourage readers to live their best lives. Lettie’s agent has big plans for the book and has created a team to make it a bestseller, including a PR firm that demands a complete makeover for Lettie. From wardrobe to apartment to a new nickname, ‘Char,’ every detail is changed to create an image that inspires admiration and a legion of followers. However, it also means that her real-life relationships are affected, and the new Char is so different from the old Lettie that she’ll have to sift through what she wanted, and what she’s gained, so she can live her own best life, authentically. Wright updates ‘Cinderella’ with a modern twist and smart, satisfying details.”

-Kirkus

The Last True Poets of the Sea Blog Tour and Giveaway

15 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Title: THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA

Author: Julia Drake

Pub. Date: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

The Larkin family isn’t just lucky—they persevere. At least that’s what Violet and her younger brother, Sam, were always told. When the Lyric sank off the coast of Maine, their great-great-great-grandmother didn’t drown like the rest of the passengers. No, Fidelia swam to shore, fell in love, and founded Lyric, Maine, the town Violet and Sam returned to every summer.

But wrecks seem to run in the family: Tall, funny, musical Violet can’t stop partying with the wrong people. And, one beautiful summer day, brilliant, sensitive Sam attempts to take his own life.

Shipped back to Lyric while Sam is in treatment, Violet is haunted by her family’s missing piece-the lost shipwreck she and Sam dreamed of discovering when they were children. Desperate to make amends, Violet embarks on a wildly ambitious mission: locate the Lyric, lain hidden in a watery grave for over a century.

She finds a fellow wreck hunter in Liv Stone, an amateur local historian whose sparkling intelligence and guarded gray eyes make Violet ache in an exhilarating new way. Whether or not they find the Lyric, the journey Violet takes-and the bridges she builds along the way-may be the start of something like survival.

Epic, funny, and sweepingly romantic, The Last True Poets of the Sea is an astonishing debut about the strength it takes to swim up from a wreck.

About Julia:

Julia Drake grew up outside Philadelphia. As a teenager, she played some of Shakespeare’s best heroines in her high school theater program and their stories would stay with her forever. She received her BA in Spanish from Williams College, and her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, where she also taught writing to first-year students. She currently works as a book coach for aspiring writers and teaches creative writing classes for Writopia Lab, a nonprofit that fosters love of writing in young adults. She lives in San Francisco with her partner and their rescue rabbit, Ned.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours!

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2019- Twirling Book Princess– Excerpt

10/2/2019- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

10/3/2019- Wonder Struck– Review

10/4/2019- Dazzled by Books– Review

Week Two:

10/7/2019- The Layaway Dragon– Review

10/8/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads– Review

10/9/2019- Novel Novice– Excerpt

10/10/2019- Southern Girl Bookaholic– Review

10/11/2019- Fyrekatz Blog– Review

Week Three:

10/14/2019- Jena Brown Writes – Review

10/15/2019- Fire and Ice– Review

10/16/2019- Moonlight Rendezvous– Review

10/17/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

10/18/2019- Portrait of a Book– Review

Week Four:

10/21/2019- The Pages In-Between– Review

10/22/2019- Lisa Loves Literature– Excerpt

10/23/2019- Two points of interest– Review        

10/24/2019- Do You Dog-ear?– Review

10/25/2019- Nerdophiles– Review

Week Five:

10/28/2019- Novel Nerd Faction– Review

10/29/2019- Book-Keeping– Review

10/30/2019- Eli to the nth– Review

10/31/2019- That Georgia Gypsy– Review

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The Candy Cane Caper by Josi S. Kilpack Blog Tour

11 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

The Candy Cane Caper

by Josi S. Kilpack

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Paperback

ISBN: 9781629726014

Retail Price: $15.99

Page Count: 320

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Culinary

This Christmas, Sadie Hoffmiller Cunningham is making a list and checking it twice. For the first time since she and Pete married five years ago, their combined families are gathering for the holidays in Fort Collins, Colorado, for a party that would make Santa and Mrs. Claus proud.

She just has to bake the famous Cunningham Candy Cane Cake, make sure the looming snowstorm doesn’t derail everyone’s travel plans, and oh, yes, solve one teensy-tiny mystery before the big day.

At ninety-four and nearly blind, Mary, Sadie’s friend and neighbor, knows this will be her last Christmas. When Sadie learns that someone has stolen antique Christmas ornaments from Mary’s tree, she vows to find the thief, no matter what. The ornaments had been appraised at more than $40,000, but they were worth even more to Mary, who had intended to bequeath them to her great-granddaughter, Joy, as a final gift.

With Pete in Arizona wrapping up a case of his own, it’s up to Sadie to question the residents of Nicholas House, where Mary lives, and deduce who had the means and the motive to steal heirloom ornaments during what should be the most wonderful time of the year.

When stories of other thefts surface, Sadie feels like she’s creating a “naughty” list that could rival Santa’s. Identifying the thief, recovering the ornaments, and restoring them to Mary’s tree in time will take a Christmas miracle—and maybe a few extra-special cookies.

www.shadowmountain.com

We have read all of the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mysteries, and are always thrilled when Josi comes out with another one. Pull up some hot cocoa and cookies to join Sadie as she tries to uncover who has nabbed Mary’s antique heirloom ornaments off the tree in her care center room. With holiday names for each character–Joy, Carol, Ivy plus recipes at the end of each chapter, The Candy Cane Caper will put you in the Christmas mood.

Sadie is a bit meddling and unconventional in her methods, but she cares for each person she encounters. There are some tender moments with Mary as she prepares to wrap up a full life. A bit lighter than the other installments, it is a clean holiday mystery all can enjoy. It will warm your heart!


About the Author

Josi S. Kilpack is an accomplished and prolific author of nearly two dozen novels including the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. She has won multiple Whitney Awards for Mystery/Suspense, Romance, and Novel of the Year as well as the Utah Best of State Fiction Winner. She lives with her family in Utah.

Follow the author on Instagram @authorjosiskilpack

Advance Praise/Endorsements:

“A warmhearted mystery.” -Kirkus

“Sadie Hoffmiller dishes up a fresh serving of Christmas cheer. An inspirational cozy whose feel-good vibe will be perfect for fans of Julie Hyzy’s and Nancy J. Parra. Readers with a sweet tooth will be sure to enjoy Sadie’s family recipes, sprinked throughout the book.” -Booklist

“Kilpack represents a nice range of ages in this story, and the relationships feel both real and aspirational. The clues and solution are complex enough to keep readers guessing. Recipes are included, making this a fun choice for cookbook discussion groups as well as general readers. Twelve previous “Culinary Mystery” titles precede this entry, which can be read on its own.” -Library Journal

The Last Man at the Inn: One Man’s Quest to Believe Blog Tour

08 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

The Last Man at the Inn: One Man’s Quest to Believe

by R. William Bennett

Publication Date: 10/8/19

Hardcover

ISBN: 9781629726038

Page Count: 208

Fiction / Christian / Historical

Amazon

Synopsis:

Simon considers himself fortunate after securing the final room at the inn in Bethlehem. While eating his supper, he sees a younger man and his pregnant wife denied lodging at the door of the inn. Simon momentarily considers giving up his space, but he is weary from his travels as a spice merchant and turns away from the thought.

Over the ensuing years, Simon traverses the popular trade routes, and each time he passes Bethlehem, he is reminded of that evening and plagued by guilt.

In time, the Savior begins his ministry, and Simon begins the life-changing process of trying to understand and believe the teachings and miracles of this man called Jesus—said to be the promised Messiah.

The Last Man at the Inn is the story of a journey of conversion we all take in one form or another, told through the eyes and heart of a common man. It is written to affirm the believer, to lovingly beckon to the undecided, and to call out to those who may not even know they are looking for something—only that there is a space in their soul that somehow needs to be filled.

About the Author:

R. William Bennett grew up on the Jersey shore and in Connecticut. He is the author of the best-selling Christmas novella Jacob T. Marley and the award-winning book The Christmas Gift. He works as a division president of Franklin Covey. He and his wife are the parents of four children, and they live in the Southwest.

Advance Praise/Endorsements:

“Bennett (Jacob T. Marley) recreates the life of the cross-carrying Simon of Cyrene in this enchanting historical…Simon struggles to accept this new faith—until he is visited by the words of the Holy Spirit. Now preaching Jesus’s message, he follows his family toward Jerusalem. Fans of Mesu Andrews will love this earnest exploration of Simon of Cyrene’s struggle with faith.”

-Publishers Weekly

“Not just a Christmas book, The Last Man at the Inn is the story of a man who is experiencing a crisis of faith and his path to conversion. Beautifully told with a surprise ending.” ­

-Jason F. Wright, New York Times best-selling author of Christmas Jars

“Both riveting and poignant, this book gives the reader a glimpse into what it might have been like to live as one of the first Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. The story left me pondering the path of discipleship and gave me a deeper desire to stand more firmly as a witness of Christ in my own life.” 

-Emily Belle Freeman, author of A Christ-
Centered Christmas and A Christ-Centered Easter

“The Last Man at the Inn is a wonderful invitation to look at Christ’s birth, life, and death through new eyes. I appreciate William Bennett’s timely reminder that true disciples come to Christ and stay.” 

-Brad Wilcox, author of The 7-Day Christian

Scars Like Wings Blog Tour and Giveaway

07 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Title: SCARS LIKE WINGS

Author: Erin Stewart

Pub. Date: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Relatable, heartbreaking, and real, this is a story of resilience–the perfect novel for readers of powerful contemporary fiction like Girl in Pieces and Every Last Word.

Before, I was a million things. Now I’m only one. The Burned Girl.

Ava Lee has lost everything there is to lose: Her parents. Her best friend. Her home. Even her face. She doesn’t need a mirror to know what she looks like–she can see her reflection in the eyes of everyone around her.

A year after the fire that destroyed her world, her aunt and uncle have decided she should go back to high school. Be “normal” again. Whatever that is. Ava knows better. There is no normal for someone like her. And forget making friends–no one wants to be seen with the Burned Girl, now or ever.

But when Ava meets a fellow survivor named Piper, she begins to feel like maybe she doesn’t have to face the nightmare alone. Sarcastic and blunt, Piper isn’t afraid to push Ava out of her comfort zone. Piper introduces Ava to Asad, a boy who loves theater just as much as she does, and slowly, Ava tries to create a life again. Yet Piper is fighting her own battle, and soon Ava must decide if she’s going to fade back into her scars . . . or let the people by her side help her fly.

“A heartfelt and unflinching look at the reality of being a burn survivor and at the scars we all carry. This book is for everyone, burned or not, who has ever searched for a light in the darkness.” –Stephanie Nielson, New York Times bestselling author of Heaven Is Here and a burn survivor

Review

Scars Like Wings explores the life of a teen who has lost her family and 60% of her body to fire. Ava is at a particularly difficult time of life to be transitioning to a new school and family situation, her aunt and uncle as new guardians. Peers can be cruel and petty, until she meets both a boy and a girl who see beneath her skin to what really matters. I loved seeing the transformation which occurs with friendship and fun. Piper is just the right medicine, taking healing head on and laughing when she could be suffering. This book addresses grief, trauma and coming to be comfortable in one’s own space. Ava has a long road to travel and is bitter at first, but the author shows how one or two people can make a huge difference in each others’ lives.

Content: the first chapter has the most content for parents pre-reading. Some mentions of adults sexual relations and tension. Bullying triggers.

About the Author

Erin Stewart is the author of SCARS LIKE WINGS, her debut novel. Erin is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a BYU undergraduate who works as a freelance writer and editor, as well as a weekly columnist in Salt Lake City.

Erin lives in Utah with her husband and three children. She is represented by the amazing Brianne Johnson of Writers House.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of SCARS LIKE WINGS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2019- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review

10/2/2019- BookHounds YA– Review

10/3/2019- Lifestyle of Me– Review

10/4/2019- Fictitious Fox– Review

Week Two:

10/7/2019-  Fire and Ice – Review

10/8/2019- Moonlight Rendezvous– Review

10/9/2019- Fictitiouswonderland– Review

10/10/2019- Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers– Review

10/11/2019- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

Week Three:

10/14/2019- Treestand Book Reviews– Review

10/15/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Review

10/16/2019- Riddle’s Reviews– Review

10/17/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

10/18/2019- Book-Keeping– Review

Week Four:

10/21/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

10/22/2019- Life Within The Pages– Review

10/23/2019- Portrait of a Book- Review

10/24/2019- The Pages In-Between– Review

10/25/2019- Paper Reader– Review

Week Five:

10/28/2019- Southern Girl Bookaholic– Review

10/29/2019- Do You Dog-ear?– Review

10/30/2019- Novel Novice– Excerpt

10/31/2019- Two points of interest– Review

Academy of the Elites Blog Tour and Giveaway

03 Oct, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment


Title: ACADEMY OF THE ELITES (Untamed Magic #1)
Author: Alexis Calder
Pub. Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Alexis Calder
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 139
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

Upcoming Release Dates for Academy of Elites:
Untamed Magic: October 1, 2019
Broken Magic: November 2019
Fated Magic: December 2019

About Alexis:

Alexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.
Facebook | Amazon Author Page | BookBub |  Goodreads

Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/30/2019- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

9/30/2019- Wonder Struck– Review

10/1/2019- Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers– Excerpt

10/1/2019- Lifestyle of Me– Review

10/2/2019- A Gingerly Review– Review

10/2/2019- Polish & Paperbacks– Review

10/3/2019- Fire and Ice– Review

10/3/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

10/4/2019- Read. Eat. Love.– Review

10/4/2019- Bookriot– Review

Week Two:

10/7/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Review

10/7/2019- book briefs– Review

10/8/2019- Sophie Reads YA– Review

10/8/2019- Shelf-Rated– Review

10/9/2019- Novel Novice– Excerpt

10/9/2019- Fyrekatz Blog– Review

10/10/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews– Review

10/10/2019- EatingbetweenthelinesINC– Review

10/11/2019- Writer of Wrongs– Review

10/11/2019- Books_andPoetrii– Excerpt 

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Harbor for the Nightingale Blog Tour and Giveaway

27 Sep, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

About the Book

Title: HARBOR FOR THE NIGHTINGALE (Stranje House #4)

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Pub. Date: September 26, 2019

Publisher: Ink Lion Books 

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo

Harbor for the Nightingale is the highly anticipated fourth installment in the popular award-winning Stranje House YA series! #1 New York Times best-selling author Meg Cabot calls this romantic Regency adventure series “completely original and totally engrossing.”

“Enticing from the first sentence.” —New York Times Sunday Book Review on A School for Unusual Girls

“Baldwin has a winning series here: her characters are intriguing and fully rendered.” —Booklist, on Refuge for Masterminds

It’s 1814. In this alternate history, Napoleon has forced Europe to its knees, and now he plots to seize control of Britain.

Maya brings the mystery of India with her…

With her friends’ lives in deadly peril, Miss Maya Barrington, one of Miss Stranje’s unusual girls, must serve as a double agent. To do so, she gains entry into Napoleon’s duplicitous game on the arm of the enigmatic Lord Kinsworth. She can read almost everyone; not so with this young rascal. Quick with a jest and armed with lethal charm, Kinsworth remains just beyond her reach. Can she trust him?

With Britain’s future at risk and those she loves in deadly peril, Maya questions everything she thought she understood about life, love, and loyalty.

Fans of genre-blending, romance, and action will love this speculative history Regency-era novel filled with spunky heroines, handsome young lords, and dastardly villains–fourth in the Stranje House series. Don’t miss the first three books: A School for Unusual Girls, Exile for Dreamers, and Refuge for Masterminds

“An outstanding alternative history series entry and a must-have for teen libraries.” —School Library Journal on Refuge for Masterminds

“This alternative history series will appeal to fans of Gail Carriger’s works and The Cecelia and Kate novels by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer.” —School Library Journal on A School for Unusual Girls

I’ve never read any other books in this series and I must say I am intrigued after picking up book 4! The world is at war and the Strange House girls are called in to help with their unique abilities. From page one, the plot move along at an active pace, the characters vibrant. Maya and Ben have a Romeo, Juliet duet which showcases their ability to push and pull the best from each other. They navigate the stormy relationship between London and the rest of the world, as other look down on their match. Clean, historic romance with a touch of the supernatural. Can not wait to read the rest of these!

Title: REFUGE FOR MASTERMINDS (Stranje House #3)

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Pub. Date: May 23, 2017

Publisher: Tor Teen

Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,  Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

It’s 1814. Napoleon has escaped his imprisonment on Elba. Britain is at war on four fronts. And at Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, five young ladies are secretly being trained for a world of spies, diplomacy, and war…

Napoleon’s invasion of England is underway and someone at Stranje House is sneaking information to his spies. Lady Jane Moore is determined to find out who it is. If anyone can discover the traitor, it is Jane—for, according to headmistress Emma Stranje, Lady Jane is a mastermind.

Jane doesn’t consider herself a mastermind. It’s just that she tends to grasp the facts of a situation quickly, and by doing so, she’s able to devise and implement a sensible course of action. Is Jane enough of a mastermind to save the brash young American inventor Alexander Sinclair, her friends at Stranje House, and possibly England itself?

Title: EXILE FOR DREAMERS (Stranje House #2)

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Pub. Date: May 24, 2016

Publisher: Tor Teen

Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,  Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

A School for Unusual Girls is the first captivating installment in the Stranje House series for young adults by award-winning author Kathleen Baldwin. #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls this romantic Regency adventure “completely original and totally engrossing.”


Tess can’t run far enough or fast enough to escape the prophetic dreams that haunt her. Dreams bring nothing but death and grief, and Tess refuses to accept that she may be destined for the same madness that destroyed her mother. Until her disturbing dreams become the only means of saving Lord Ravencross, the man she loves, and her friends at Stranje House from Lady Daneska and her lover, the Ghost-agent of Napoleon, who has escaped from Elba. Can the young ladies of Stranje House prevail once more? Or is England destined to fall into the hands of the power-mad dictator?


“Enticing from the first sentence.” –New York Times Book Review


A School for Unusual Girls is a great next read for fans of Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series and Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassin series. 

Title: A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS (Stranje House #1)

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Pub. Date: May 19, 2015

Publisher: Tor Teen

Pages: 352

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don’t fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.


After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts… 

About Kathleen:

Award-winning author, Kathleen Baldwin, loves adventure in books and in real life. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert, was stalked by a mountain lion, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, enjoyed way too many classes in college, fell in love at least a dozen times, and married her very own hero. Together they’ve raised four free-spirited adventurous children.

SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS is her first historical romance for Young Adults. Awarded 2016 Spirit of Texas, it is also a Junior Library Guild selection. Publisher’s Lunch listed it in 2015 YA BookBuzz. Scholastic licensed it for book fairs. Ian Bryce, producer of Spiderman, Saving Private Ryan, and other notable films optioned the series for film.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls Kathleen’s romantic Regency adventure, “completely original and totally engrossing.”

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of HARBOR FOR THE NIGHTINGALE. US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Week One:

9/23/2019- Caffeine & Composition– Excerpt

9/24/2019- Dazzled by Books– Excerpt

9/25/2019- Two Chicks on Books– Excerpt

9/26/2019- Wishful Endings– Review

9/27/2019- Fire and Ice– Review 

Week Two:

9/30/2019- Don’t Judge, Read– Interview

10/1/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Review

10/2/2019- Lisa Loves Literature– Review

10/3/2019- Book Briefs– Review

10/4/2019- BookHounds YA– Interview

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Six Ingredients with Six Sisters’ Stuff: 100+ Fast and Easy Family Meals Blog Tour

11 Sep, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Six Ingredients with Six Sisters’ Stuff: 100+ Fast and Easy Family Meals

by Six Sisters’ Stuff

Published September 3, 2019

by Shadow Mountain

Amazon

With only six ingredients or less per recipe, making dinner has never been easier.

Six Sisters’ Stuff is one of the most popular blogs for quick and easy cooking and entertaining at home for families. In their eighth cookbook, they tackle how to master meals for any cook with any skill level with more than 100 easy recipes made with incredible flavor combinations from just six ingredients or less.

From beginning cooks learning the basics to busy parents looking to save time in the kitchen, this cookbook is loaded with entrees, side dishes, and desserts. Whether it’s a one-pot wings dish or a no-bake peanut butter bar this cookbook is a fool-proof solution to meal planning and features “Kid Favorites” recipes.

This cookbook has user friendly easy recipes! I typically shy away from cookbooks or recipes which are complicated, so this was right up our ally. There are slow cooker dinners which have little prep and few steps but still look mouthwatering. We are going to try the Fall- Apart Slow Cooker Roast and Slow Cooker Ritz Chicken. Comfort foods for Fall.

My daughter and a friend attended the Six Sisters’ launch party last week. She is a fan! The contributors are down to earth and personable. Our only wish? More desserts!!

Contributor Bios

The Six Sisters—Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra—started their blog in 2011 as a way to keep in touch after they moved out of their house and started lives and families on their own. In just a few years, their blog has become one of the top blog sites for women, with millions of visitors each month enjoying the Sisters’ family stories, recipes, and tips for running a home. The sisters live in California, Texas, and Utah.

The Lady and the Highwayman Blog Tour

09 Sep, 2019 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

The Lady and the Highwayman

by Sarah M. Eden

A Proper Romance

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school in 1865 Victorian London. She is also a well-respected author of “silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories—the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Mr. King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats, intelligent detectives solving grisly murders, and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.
 
Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Mr. King started taking all of his readers. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of  authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the social and political causes of their working-class readers. The group knows King could be an asset with his obvious monetary success, or he could be the group’s undoing as King’s readership continues to cut into their profits.
 
Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered. What neither author anticipated was the instant attraction, even though their social positions dictate the impossibility of a relationship.
 
For the first time Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.

About the Author

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today Bestselling author of witty and charming historical romances, including Foreword Review’s 2013 “IndieFab Book of the Year” gold medal winner for Best Romance, Longing for Home, as well as 2014 Whitney Award winner for “Best Novel of the Year,” Longing for Home: Hope Springs. Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah lives with her husband, kids, and mischievous dog in the shadow of a snow-capped mountain she has never attempted to ski. 

Sarah is represented by Pam Victorio at D4EO Literary Agency.​

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