Fiber and Brimstone by Laura Childs (A Scrapbooking Mystery #8)

Title: Fiber and Brimstone

Author: Laura Childs

ISBN: 9780425244029

Type: Paperback

Genre: Fiction/Cozy Mystery

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Source: Bought
Synopsis: It's Halloween in New Orleans and the festivities are going to be killer.
With the help of her best friend Ave, Carmela Bertrand is building a giant monster puppet for the Halloween Monsters & Mayhem parade. Things get terrifying earlier than expected when they overhear an argument between Jekyl Hardy and Brett Fowler - and just minutes later they find Fowler's dead body. Carmela has known Jekyl for years and can't believe he'd ever resort to murder, despite the fact that Carmela has known Jekyl for years and can't believe he'd ever resort to murder, despite the fact that Fowler owed him money. But when another victim is discovered - who also had an unfriendly relationship with Jekyl - Carmela is convinced someone is framing her friend and now must find a way to unmask the real killer.
Review: Laura Childs was the first author that I picked up and read when I first started reading cozy mysteries. She did not disappoint me with this installment of her scrapbooking mysteries. Carmela and Ava yet again stumble onto a dead body while trying to get ready for a celebration in New Orleans, well not one body this time but two this time around. Their friend Jekyl is one of the main suspects this time around and the girls do not think he had anything to do with it and are out to prove his innocence. Follow the girls to see if you can find the real killer before the police do. I enjoy reading these book as they are fun and quick to read. Don't forget the scrapbooking tips and recipes at the end of the book. 4 stars

Laura Childs has a total of three cozy mystery series out. They are the Tea Shop Mysteries, The Scrapbooking Mysteries and The Cackleberry Club Mysteries. I invite you to read all of her books. Here is the link to her website where you can read more about her and her books.

Laura Childs' Website

Book vs. Movies

vs.

As I read a book I have a picture in my head of what I think the characters look like, what the setting looks like and so on. Do you do the same thing?

I often read posts on blogs where people as what star do you think would be good in this role? I have a hard time with this as I never see a star in the role of the characters I am reading about. What are your thoughts? Do you pick someone famous as the characters or do you have your own vision?

Another thing about books being made into movies, do you read the book first and then watch the movie or vice versa? Personally, I think I would almost prefer to watch the movie first. My reason is because some of the movies I have seen have been disappointing to me as they don't follow the book, they change things or the feel of the movie is not what I got from the book. There have been a few exceptions for me and that is Gone with the Wind, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Help. So how about you? Do you have a book that was turned into a movie and the movie was just as satisfying as the book to you? What is the book and movie?

Have you seen the new fad with books? They now have trailers for books just as they have trailers for movies. I must confess that I have not watch any yet. The reason being as I said before I like to have my own vision in my head of who the characters are, what they look like and where the story takes place. Also I don't see how you do a live trailer on something in print that does not have a visual to it only what you visualize in your head. I guess I am still old school on this point. How about you? Do you watch the trailers? What are some of the good ones you have come across?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. 

Thwarted Queen by Cynthia Haggard

Click here to follow book tour

Synopsis: THWARTED QUEEN is a portrait of a woman trapped by power, a marriage undone by betrayal, and a King brought down by fear.

Cecylee is the apple of her mother’s eye. The seventh daughter, she is the only one left unmarried by 1424, the year she turns nine. In her father’s eyes, however, she is merely a valuable pawn in the game of marriage. The Earl of Westmorland plans to marry his youngest daughter to 13-year-old Richard, Duke of York, who is close to the throne. He wants this splendid match to take place so badly, he locks his daughter up.
The event that fuels the narrative is Cecylee’s encounter with Blaybourne, a handsome archer, when she is twenty-six years old. This love affair produces a child (the “One Seed” of Book II), who becomes King Edward IV. But how does a public figure like Cecylee, whose position depends upon the goodwill of her husband, carry off such an affair? The duke could have locked her up, or disposed of this illegitimate son.
But Richard does neither, keeping her firmly by his side as he tries to make his voice heard in the tumultuous years that encompass the end of the Hundred Years War - during which England loses all of her possessions in France - and the opening phase of the Wars of the Roses. He inherits the political mantle of his mentor Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, and become’s the people’s champion. The rambunctious Londoners are unhappy that their country has become mired in misrule due to the ineptitude of a King prone to fits of madness. Nor are they better pleased by the attempts of the King’s French wife to maneuver herself into power, especially as she was responsible for England’s losses in France. But can Richard and Cecylee prevail? Everywhere, their enemies lurk in the shadows.
This book is filled with many voices, not least those of the Londoners, who forged their political destiny by engaging in public debate with the powerful aristocrats of the time. By their courageous acts, these fifteenth-century Londoners set the stage for American Democracy.

My thoughts: I enjoyed reading this book as I love reading historical fiction. I have not read much about the Hundred Years War or Richard and Cecylee before so for me it was like learning about a new time for me.  The way the author wrote this book - being narrated by Cecylee kept me turning the pages, I enjoy this writing style. The research that the author had to go through to write this book must have been a lot as she did a great job at keeping things as they should have been in history and how they happened. Cecylee is a strong woman but with the choices she made in life I think she was also sad.  One last thing that helped to know who was being talked about in the book was that the author included a family tree and short bios of the characters, to me that is something I like and helps in reading a book. I give this book 4 stars. 

Here is a little about the author for you: 

Born and raised in Surrey, England, CYNTHIA SALLY HAGGARD has lived in the United States for twenty-nine years. She has had four careers: violinist, cognitive scientist, medical writer and novelist. Why does she write historical novels? Because she has been reading them with great enjoyment since she was a child. Because she has a great imagination and a love of history that won't go away. And because she has an annoying tendency to remember trivial details of the past and to treat long-dead people as if they were more real than those around her.

Cynthia's biggest influence was her grandmother, Stephanie Treffry, who had a natural story-telling ability. As a widow in 1970s Britain, Grandma Stephanie didn't drive a car, so would spend time waiting for buses. Her stories were about various encounters she had at those bus-stops. Nothing extraordinary, except that she made them so funny, everyone was in fits of laughter. A born entertainer, Cynthia tries to emulate her when she writes her novels.

In case you were wondering, she is related to H. Rider Haggard, the author of SHE and KING SOLOMONS'S MINES. (H. Rider Haggard was a younger brother of her great-grandfather.) Cynthia Sally Haggard is a member of the Historical Novel Society. You can visit her website at www.spunstories.com.

French Twist Series by Sandra Byrd - Plus Free E-Book & Giveaway

Welcome to the launch of Sandra Byrd's French Twist series on e-book. I am happy to be a part of this and to let you know about the books and giveaway. Book 1 - Let Them Eat Cake will be free from February 10-14 and Books 2 & 3 - Bon Appetite and Piece de Resistance will both be just 99 cents for that time period. I hope you take advantage of this special deal. Now on to the books. 

 

Let Them East Cake Link

Synopsis: Book One in the French Twist Series. 

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. 
When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!
So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed–she loses her compulsion to please. Something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting herself and her God with her future–très bon!

My thoughts: I think Lexi is an easy character for a lot of people to relate to and a person we all want to be friends with. This book was a light fun read that I needed at this time. Another thing I liked about this book was how the author taught us a little bit about bakeries and French culture in a fun way. Christian chick lit seems to be becoming another favorite genre of mine to read. At the beginning of the chapters there are little quotes in French and English and I enjoyed reading them. One unique thing the author did that I enjoyed as well was the little notes and such that went along with the story. This book will have you craving lots of sweet treats so be sure to have some handy. I enjoyed reading this book 4 stars.

Bon Appetit - Link

Synopsis: Book 2 in the French Twist Series

Pastries, Paris and romance–Lexi’s adventure has just begun!

Lexi Stuart is risking it all. Saying au revoir to the security of home, her job, and could-be boyfriend Dan, Lexi embarks on a culinary adventure in France to fulfill her life dream of becoming a pastry chef. 
As she settles into her new home in the village of Presque le Chateau to study and work in a local bakery, her twenty-something optimism meets resistance in the seemingly crusty nature of the people and culture around her. Determined to gain her footing, she finds a church, meets a new friend, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine–as well as Celine’s attractive, widowed father, Philippe. Even Patricia, the gruff pastry cook, shows a softer side as she mentors Lexi in the art of baking.
As Lexi lives her dream, the only thing she has to do is choose from the array in life’s patisserie display window: her familiar home, friends, and family in Seattle or her new life in France. Lexi discovers that as she leans more on God the choices become a little clearer– and making them, well, c’est la vie!

My Thoughts: Another great book in a fun series. I am glad that I continued on with this series and hope you will be too, if you do. I lived thru Lexi getting to go to France and taking culinary classes, what fun. As we continue on in Lexi's life you will see her faith grow as she does. This book is every bit as fun to read as the first one. Don't forget to try out the recipes in the books. I think another thing I liked about both books is how "real" Lexi is. I actually liked this book a little better than the first one - I am sure it is the traveling to Franch that has me hooked. Five stars for me on this book. 

Piece de Resistance - Link

Synopsis: Book 3 in the French Twist Series

Having earned her chef’s hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship outside of Paris and returns to her hometown of Seattle, Washington. There, she finds life unexpectedly complicated.
She’s put in charge of a high-end catering bakery called Bijoux, which should be her dream job, but there’s a catch: She has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months, which will require more than her ability to make an amazing wedding cake. In over her head and at a loss for creative marketing ideas, Lexi isn’t sure what the recipe for success needs to be. 
Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau Philippe and his daughter, Celine, then add a dash of romance with down-to-earth lawyer Dan, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle. 
With the fate of her career and her love life hanging by a thread, the phrase “piece of cake” has never been more daunting. Lexi learns that she must trust the dreams in her heart and the God who put them there.

My Thoughts: Another hit as we see Lexi grow even more. Lexi is back after having earned her place as a chef. Now Lexi has her "dream" job but she is still torn between Philippe and Dan. What more can I say about this book that I have not already said about the first two. I loved this one as well. I suggest having all three book ready so you will not have to wait to find out what is next in Lexi's ventures. I don't know how Sandra did it but she has made Lexi so real you feel like you are reading about your best friend. If you love food, travel and chick lit like I do then you will fall in love with these books. I am sorry this series is over and won't know more about Lexi's life. Another 5 stars for this one. 

Now for the fun stuff. How about a giveaway - Sandra is giving away one box of Divine Delights petits fours on her website! Each time you post about the promo or share it with friends via social media you have the chance for extra entries into the contest! GO HERE starting February 10th to enter. Contest will close at midnight on February 15. Sorry, the giveaway is open to US residents only. Click here for Sandra's website

How would you like to know a little more about Sandra? After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I, will publish in April, 2013.

 

Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens.

 

A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has also published many nonfiction articles and books. She is also passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more, or to invite Sandra to your bookclub via Skype.

Connect with Sandra on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandrabyrd

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdwrites

I hope you enjoyed the books as much as I did. 

Coming Soon - Forsaken Dreams by MaryLu Tyndall

I know I am repeating myself but I just wanted this post to be on my blog this week to help MaryLu get the word out about her new book. It is not often that I have two book reviews to post in the same week as a book launch so please bear with me on the repeating.

Check out Forsaken Dreams, book one in the exciting new Escape to Paradise fiction series by MaryLu Tyndall!

Embark on a seafaring adventure as a disillusioned colonel and a hopeful widow seek a fresh start on the shores of Brazil. Colonel Grant Wallace cannot leave his once precious Southern homeland fast enough. After witnessing the death and destruction of the Civil War, he charters a ship and sets sail for the pristine shores of Brazil, eager to start afresh in a new land. Widow Eliza Crawford boards the ship NewHope harboring a dirty secret and a blossoming hope within her heart for a new life away from old memories. But once at sea, troubles abound. Will Grant overcome his demons of bitterness and rage? Can Eliza find the peace she longs for?

ISBN 978-1-61626-596-0

$12.99

5.5" x 8.375" / 320 pages / Paperback

Pre-Order Forsaken Dreams Here

Get to Know the Author!
MaryLu Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but open people's eyes to their God-given potential. MaryLu is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

Author Q & A:

1. How would you describe your new series Escape to Paradise?

An adventurous, romantic tale about a group of Confederates, wounded in both body and soul, who flee the destruction of the South after the Civil War for greener pastures in Brazil, but who find much more than they bargained for, both on the trip there and once they arrive.

2. What inspired the storyline for your new series?

History. Nearly three million Southerners migrated from the devastation of the South following the Civil War. Close to twenty thousand of them went to Brazil where the Emperor welcomed them with open arms, the farm land was plentiful, and the temperate climate mimicked their own weather back home. Though most ended up returning home, several thousand remained, and their descendants still live there today. Their struggles to create a new Southern Utopia in the heart of Brazil make for a fascinating story!

3. How is this series different from your previous series?

Escape to Paradise is like nothing I’ve ever written before. The six main characters, the hero and heroine in each book, have a huge presence in each of the three books, so by the end of the series, the reader will know them all really well, as well as several of the secondary characters. Secondly, and more importantly, this series contains a lot of supernatural elements—curses, angels, visions, demonic battles—which I have not put in any of my other books.

4. What type of research did you have to do for Forsaken Dreams?

Surprisingly, not much has been written about this particular historic event. I did find a couple of great books on Amazon. I was also able to locate some original source material, which is a researcher’s dream: three journals written by actual Confederates who traveled to Brazil. Then of course I studied the flora, fauna, cuisine, customs, religion, climate, topography, and history of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. I tried to talk my  husband into funding a trip to Rio (For purely research purposes, of course) but he wasn’t buying it! J I also studied the Civil War, clothing and customs of the time period, and, in particular, of the South.

5. What are the most interesting facts that you learned while researching and writing Forsaken Dreams?

There is a city in Brazil called Americana, which was founded by migrant confederates in the late 19^th century.  To this day, the inhabitants still speak a mixture of English and Portuguese and celebrate American holidays by playing “Dixie”, while some of the local women dress in big-bustled skirts for dancing.  President Carter visited the city in 1972, after discovering its little known history, and he was reportedly brought to tears by the American influences he found there.

6. What surprises do your fans have to look forward to in your new series?

An exotic locale, powerful secrets held by each character, a strong spiritual theme that runs through all three books, cannibals, evil temples, visions, angels, demons, prophecies, and a supernatural battle. Doesn’t sound like romance novels, does it? Yet, readers can still expect to find all the adventure and romance they normally enjoy from one of my books.

7. Do you have a favorite character Forsaken Dreams? Why?
Yes. The heroine, Eliza Crawford. She’s all the things so many of us want to be: Strong, Independent, Smart, Caring, Selfless. But she has a fatal flaw—one which I can relate to very much, and one I’m hoping others will relate to as well. She wants to live life on her own terms. She wants to do things her way and follow her own heart and will. She doesn’t want to be told what to do by anyone, especially God. Consequently, she disobeyed her father and ran off to marry a man who was all wrong for her, an action that cost her and others dearly. Still, she struggles with an independent spirit that refuses to submit to God, even when she knows His will is best.  Sound familiar? It does to me!

8. What message would you like your readers to take from reading Forsaken Dreams?

There are several messages woven into Forsaken Dreams. Forgiveness, letting go of bitterness, running away from God, but I would say the main message is that submission to God and His will is the only thing that brings true happiness.

9. Most of your stories revolve around swashbuckling pirates and sea captains.  What draws you to write about them?

Actually I only have one pirate series, but a good majority of my books have several scenes set at sea. Ever since I was a child growing up on the shores of South Florida, I have loved the sea and especially the tall ships of old. To me, there’s something very romantic and adventurous about those magnificent sailing ships and the men and women who journeyed on them in search of new lands.
   

10, What are some of the challenges you face as an author?

Meeting deadlines! I never feel like I can take a break and just relax when there’s a deadline shouting at me from my computer.  Other challenges come in the form of negative reviews and harsh comments, most of which I’ve learned over the years to ignore.  However, the occasional one slips through and stabs my heart. Then there’s the marketing aspect of being an author, which is most definitely my weakest skill. I’ve never been very good at selling myself, or in fact, selling anything, to anyone.  

11. What aspects of being a writer do you enjoy the most?

The writing! Coming up with new stories and settings, and especially great characters. But my favorite part is putting those characters into impossible situations that I would never survive personally, but ones in which they must survive!  Those hours I spend at my computer with my head and my heart in a distant land, living life through my characters, are the happiest moments of my day. What a great job I have!! I get to live in a fantasy world of my own making. God is good!

12. What clubs or organizations are you involved with helping with your writing?

American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. However I receive most of the help I need from other writers who I’ve grown close to over the years. It’s so wonderful to have an online support group of people who understand what I’m going through and who can offer suggestions and help and who can lift me up in prayer when needed.

13. What new projects are on the horizon?

Forsaken Dreams is the first in a trilogy entitled Escape to Paradise, so I’m currently working on the last two books in the series. After that, I’ll be in God’s good favor as to what He wants me to write next. 

14. What was your favorite book as a child?

Can I have three?  The Last of the Mohicans,  The Count of Monte Cristo, and Pride and Prejudice.

15. What is your greatest achievement?
My children. Although I really can’t take credit for them turning out as well as they have. That was God. But they are my life and my true loves, and I can’t imagine my world without them.

16. What do you do to get away from it all?
Go to the beach. Although it’s not as warm here in California as it was in Florida where I grew up, I love sitting in the sand and gazing out over the foamy waves and smelling the salty air and feeling the wind on my face. It makes me realize how big God is and how small I am, yet how much He truly loves me.

17. And, finally, where can your readers find you online?

You can sign up for my e-newsletter on my website at www.marylutyndall.com, and my blog is http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com where I post all sorts of things from book giveaways and book information to articles and devotional thoughts. I have a Facebook group called MaryLu Tyndall Swashbuckling Romance, and I’m on Twitter: @MaryLuTyndall. Hope to connect with you all!

Check out MaryLu's blog Friday, February 8th, to learn more about the hero from Forsaken Dreams, Blake Wallace, and comment for a chance to win a copy of the book!" 

Look for my review in the near future. 

Coming Out by Danielle Steel

TITLE: Coming Out

AUTHOR: Danielle Steel

ISBN: 0385338325

TYPE: Hardback

GENRE: Romance

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

SOURCE: Paperback Swap

SYNOPSIS: Olympia Crawford Rubinstein has a busy legal career, a solid marriage, and a way of managing her thriving family with grace, humor, and boundless energy. With twin daughters finishing high school, a son at Dartmouth, and a kindergartner from her second marriage, there seems to be no challenge to which Olympia cannot rise. Until one sunny day in May, when she opens an invitation for her daughters to attend the most exclusive coming-out ball in New York–and chaos erupts all around her. One twin’s excitement is balanced by the other’s outrage; her previous husband’s profound snobbism is in sharp contrast to her current husband’s flat refusal to attend.

For Olympia’s husband, Harry, whose parents survived the Holocaust, the idea of a blue-blood debutante ball is abhorrent. Her daughter Veronica, a natural-born rebel, agrees– while Veronica’s identical twin, Virginia, is already shopping for the perfect dress. Then there’s Olympia’s ex, an insufferable snob, who sees the ball as the perfect opportunity for a family feud. And amid all the hubbub, Olympia’s college-age son, Charlie, is facing a turning point in his life–and may need his mother more than ever. But despite it all, Olympia is determined to steer her family through the event until, just days before the cotillion, things begin to unravel with alarming speed.
From a son’s crisis to a daughter’s heartbreak, from a case of the chicken pox to a political debate raging in her household, Olympia is on the verge of surrender. And that is when, in a series of startling choices and changes of heart, family, friends, and even a blue-haired teenager all find a way to turn a night of calamity into an evening of magic. As old wounds are healed, barriers are shattered and new traditions are born, and a debutante ball becomes a catalyst for change, revelation, acceptance, and love.
In a novel that is by turns profound, poignant, moving, and warmly funny, Danielle Steel tells the story of an extraordinary family–finding new ways of letting go, stepping up, and coming out...in the ways that matter most.

REVIEW: I was a little disappointed in this book. I was expecting a little more from it. It was not a bad book but it was predictable in some parts. I am happy that I read it and will read more books by Danielle, I just think this one was not as good as some of her books. There were a few things I liked - I liked how close Harry and Olympia and how well her kids from her first marriage liked their stepdad. I loved Frieda - for some reason I think she was a hoot. I am giving this book 3 stars. 

The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

TITLE: The Girl in the Glass

AUTHOR: Susan Meissner

ISBN: 9780307730428

TYPE: Trade Paperback

GENRE: Fiction

PUBLISHER: Waterbrook Press - September 18, 2012

SOURCE: Received from Blogging for Books for a fair and honest review.

SYNOPSIS: Renaissance is a word with hope infused in every letter.

Since she was a child, Meg has dreamed of taking a promised trip to Florence, Italy, and being able to finally step into the place captured in a picture at her grandmother’s house. But after her grandmother passes away and it falls to her less-than-reliable father to take her instead, Meg’s long-anticipated travel plans seem permanently on hold.
When her dad finally tells Meg to book the trip, she prays that the experience will heal the fissures left on her life by her parents’ divorce. But when Meg arrives in Florence, her father is nowhere to be found, leaving aspiring memoir-writer Sophia Borelli to introduce Meg to the rich beauty of the ancient city. Sofia claims to be one of the last surviving members of the Medici family and that a long-ago Medici princess, Nora Orsini, communicates with her from within the great masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.
When Sophia, Meg, and Nora’s stories intersect, their lives will be indelibly changed as they each answer the question: What if renaissance isn’t just a word? What if that’s what happens when you dare to believe that what is isn’t what has to be?

REVIEW: When I first saw this book I was not sure what it was about so I looked it up and saw it was about a girl and her dream of going to Italy. I too am a girl who dreams of going to Italy so I thought what a great book to read. I fell in love with the book from page one. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I took my time reading it as I did not want it to end. Meg has been waiting for her dad to take her to Italy since she was a young lady, her dad made her many promises to go and they always fell through, well finally her dream is coming true and she will be going to Florence, Italy. She has had made some friends through her work with a brother and sister writing team Lorenzo and Reneta) and she was also looking forward to meeting them when she gets there and let's not forget her new contact Sophia who is sending her copies of the chapters to a book she is writing and would like published. When Meg gets to Italy she finds herself alone with nowhere to go so she makes her was to Lorenzo's flat only to find him not home but much to her surprise Sophia is home. Sophia then invites her to stay with and a close friendship is quickly formed. Starting the next morning Sophia takes Meg on a tour each day of Florence where she not only learns some history she learns about life. I love the way the author wrote this book, I too learned some things and felt like I was right there with Meg all the way. There is something that just draws you to Italy. I will say the ending surprised me a little as it was not what I was expecting - I can't say a whole lot more without ruining it. I also liked how the author summed things up at the end of the book. This is the first book I have read by this author and now I will be heading out now to find more books by this author. I absolutely give this book 5 stars. 

To learn more about Susan check out her website here

Susan's other books include:  The Shape of Mercy - Lady in Waiting - A Sound Among the Trees as well as others

*"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

Forsaken Dreams by MaryLu Tyndale - Coming Soon

Check out Forsaken Dreams, book one in the exciting new Escape to Paradise fiction series by MaryLu Tyndall!

Embark on a seafaring adventure as a disillusioned colonel and a hopeful widow seek a fresh start on the shores of Brazil. Colonel Grant Wallace cannot leave his once precious Southern homeland fast enough. After witnessing the death and destruction of the Civil War, he charters a ship and sets sail for the pristine shores of Brazil, eager to start afresh in a new land. Widow Eliza Crawford boards the ship NewHope harboring a dirty secret and a blossoming hope within her heart for a new life away from old memories. But once at sea, troubles abound. Will Grant overcome his demons of bitterness and rage? Can Eliza find the peace she longs for?

ISBN 978-1-61626-596-0

$12.99

5.5" x 8.375" / 320 pages / Paperback

Pre-Order Forsaken Dreams Here

Get to Know the Author!
MaryLu Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but open people's eyes to their God-given potential. MaryLu is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

Author Q & A:

1. How would you describe your new series Escape to Paradise?

An adventurous, romantic tale about a group of Confederates, wounded in both body and soul, who flee the destruction of the South after the Civil War for greener pastures in Brazil, but who find much more than they bargained for, both on the trip there and once they arrive.

2. What inspired the storyline for your new series?

History. Nearly three million Southerners migrated from the devastation of the South following the Civil War. Close to twenty thousand of them went to Brazil where the Emperor welcomed them with open arms, the farm land was plentiful, and the temperate climate mimicked their own weather back home. Though most ended up returning home, several thousand remained, and their descendants still live there today. Their struggles to create a new Southern Utopia in the heart of Brazil make for a fascinating story!

3. How is this series different from your previous series?

Escape to Paradise is like nothing I’ve ever written before. The six main characters, the hero and heroine in each book, have a huge presence in each of the three books, so by the end of the series, the reader will know them all really well, as well as several of the secondary characters. Secondly, and more importantly, this series contains a lot of supernatural elements—curses, angels, visions, demonic battles—which I have not put in any of my other books.

4. What type of research did you have to do for Forsaken Dreams?

Surprisingly, not much has been written about this particular historic event. I did find a couple of great books on Amazon. I was also able to locate some original source material, which is a researcher’s dream: three journals written by actual Confederates who traveled to Brazil. Then of course I studied the flora, fauna, cuisine, customs, religion, climate, topography, and history of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. I tried to talk my  husband into funding a trip to Rio (For purely research purposes, of course) but he wasn’t buying it! J I also studied the Civil War, clothing and customs of the time period, and, in particular, of the South.

5. What are the most interesting facts that you learned while researching and writing Forsaken Dreams?

There is a city in Brazil called Americana, which was founded by migrant confederates in the late 19^th century.  To this day, the inhabitants still speak a mixture of English and Portuguese and celebrate American holidays by playing “Dixie”, while some of the local women dress in big-bustled skirts for dancing.  President Carter visited the city in 1972, after discovering its little known history, and he was reportedly brought to tears by the American influences he found there.

6. What surprises do your fans have to look forward to in your new series?

An exotic locale, powerful secrets held by each character, a strong spiritual theme that runs through all three books, cannibals, evil temples, visions, angels, demons, prophecies, and a supernatural battle. Doesn’t sound like romance novels, does it? Yet, readers can still expect to find all the adventure and romance they normally enjoy from one of my books.

7. Do you have a favorite character Forsaken Dreams? Why?
Yes. The heroine, Eliza Crawford. She’s all the things so many of us want to be: Strong, Independent, Smart, Caring, Selfless. But she has a fatal flaw—one which I can relate to very much, and one I’m hoping others will relate to as well. She wants to live life on her own terms. She wants to do things her way and follow her own heart and will. She doesn’t want to be told what to do by anyone, especially God. Consequently, she disobeyed her father and ran off to marry a man who was all wrong for her, an action that cost her and others dearly. Still, she struggles with an independent spirit that refuses to submit to God, even when she knows His will is best.  Sound familiar? It does to me!

8. What message would you like your readers to take from reading Forsaken Dreams?

There are several messages woven into Forsaken Dreams. Forgiveness, letting go of bitterness, running away from God, but I would say the main message is that submission to God and His will is the only thing that brings true happiness.

9. Most of your stories revolve around swashbuckling pirates and sea captains.  What draws you to write about them?

Actually I only have one pirate series, but a good majority of my books have several scenes set at sea. Ever since I was a child growing up on the shores of South Florida, I have loved the sea and especially the tall ships of old. To me, there’s something very romantic and adventurous about those magnificent sailing ships and the men and women who journeyed on them in search of new lands.
   

10, What are some of the challenges you face as an author?

Meeting deadlines! I never feel like I can take a break and just relax when there’s a deadline shouting at me from my computer.  Other challenges come in the form of negative reviews and harsh comments, most of which I’ve learned over the years to ignore.  However, the occasional one slips through and stabs my heart. Then there’s the marketing aspect of being an author, which is most definitely my weakest skill. I’ve never been very good at selling myself, or in fact, selling anything, to anyone.  

11. What aspects of being a writer do you enjoy the most?

The writing! Coming up with new stories and settings, and especially great characters. But my favorite part is putting those characters into impossible situations that I would never survive personally, but ones in which they must survive!  Those hours I spend at my computer with my head and my heart in a distant land, living life through my characters, are the happiest moments of my day. What a great job I have!! I get to live in a fantasy world of my own making. God is good!

12. What clubs or organizations are you involved with helping with your writing?

American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. However I receive most of the help I need from other writers who I’ve grown close to over the years. It’s so wonderful to have an online support group of people who understand what I’m going through and who can offer suggestions and help and who can lift me up in prayer when needed.

13. What new projects are on the horizon?

Forsaken Dreams is the first in a trilogy entitled Escape to Paradise, so I’m currently working on the last two books in the series. After that, I’ll be in God’s good favor as to what He wants me to write next. 

14. What was your favorite book as a child?

Can I have three?  The Last of the Mohicans,  The Count of Monte Cristo, and Pride and Prejudice.

15. What is your greatest achievement?
My children. Although I really can’t take credit for them turning out as well as they have. That was God. But they are my life and my true loves, and I can’t imagine my world without them.

16. What do you do to get away from it all?
Go to the beach. Although it’s not as warm here in California as it was in Florida where I grew up, I love sitting in the sand and gazing out over the foamy waves and smelling the salty air and feeling the wind on my face. It makes me realize how big God is and how small I am, yet how much He truly loves me.

17. And, finally, where can your readers find you online?

You can sign up for my e-newsletter on my website at www.marylutyndall.com, and my blog is http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com where I post all sorts of things from book giveaways and book information to articles and devotional thoughts. I have a Facebook group called MaryLu Tyndall Swashbuckling Romance, and I’m on Twitter: @MaryLuTyndall. Hope to connect with you all!

Check out MaryLu's blog Friday, February 8th, to learn more about the hero from Forsaken Dreams, Blake Wallace, and comment for a chance to win a copy of the book!" 

Look for my review in the near future.