Secrets of Sloane House by Shelley Gray

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Secrets of Sloane House by Shelley Gray

Chicago's World Fair Mystery Series #1

ISBN: 9780310338529

Trade Paperback

Synopsis: One woman's search for the truth of her sister's disappearance leads her to deceit and danger in 1893 Chicago.

Rosalind Perry has left her family's rural farm in Wisconsin to work as a housemaid at Sloane House, one of the most elegant mansions in Gilded Age Chicago. However, Rosalind is not there just to earn a living and support her family-she's at Sloane House determined to discover the truth about her sister's mysterious disappearance.

Reid Armstrong is the handsome heir to a silver fortune. However, his family is on the periphery of Chicago's elite because their wealth comes from "new money" obtained from successful mining. Marriage to Veronica Sloane would secure his family's position in society-the lifelong dream of his ailing father.

When Reid begins to realize that Rosalind's life may be in danger, he stops thinking of marriage prospects and concentrates on helping Rosalind. Dark things are afoot in Chicago and, he fears, in Sloane House. If he's not vigilant, Rosalind could pay the price.

Set against the backdrop of Chicago's Gilded Age and the 1893 World's Fair, Secrets of Sloane House takes us on a whirlwind journey of romance and mystery.

My review: I have to say this was a good book. The 1800s is one of my favorite time periods to read about and to include the World's Fair intrigues me.  Shelley did a good job with the character development and the descriptions of where the book took place so you feel as if you are a part of the book. Rosalind was a strong woman in my opinion. Once she set her mind to something she got it. There were a few twists and turns in this book that kept me turning the pages long into the night. Another thing I enjoyed was the upstairs/downstairs aspect of the book - I enjoy books like this. I am looking forward to the rest of this series. 

Seven Letters from Paris by Samantha Verant - Giveaway and Guest Post

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Seven Letters from Paris by Samantha Verant

ISBN: 978-1402297229

Trade Paperback

Synopsis: Twenty years, seven letters, and one long-lost love of a lifetime

At age 40, Samantha Vérant’s life is falling apart-she’s jobless, in debt, and feeling stuck… until she stumbles upon seven old love letters from Jean-Luc, the sexy Frenchman she’d met in Paris when she was 19. With a quick Google search, she finds him, and both are quick to realize that the passion they felt 20 years prior hasn’t faded with time and distance.
Samantha knows that jetting off to France to reconnect with a man that she only knew for one sun-drenched, passion-filled day is crazy-but it’s the kind of crazy she’s been waiting for her whole life. [provided by the publisher]

WATCH THIS GREAT BOOK TRAILER

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYzRGRlEmNY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Vérant is a travel addict,
a self-professed oenophile,
and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, French chef.
Over the years, she’s visited many different countries,
lived in many places, and worked many jobs
— always on the search for the one thing that truly excited her.
Then, one day, she found everything she’s been looking for:
a passion for the written word and true love.
Writing not only enabled her to open her heart, it led her to southwestern France,
where she’s now married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989, but ignored for 20 years.
Visit her website. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter , Pinterest
Buy the book:  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indiebound  | Book Depositery  |  Powells  |  BAM

Be sure to check out France Book Tours (click here) to see all the stops on the tour. 

Guest Post by Samantha Verant

“It would be a disaster if we stop this passion between us. And I am a man who cannot live without passion. It’s the nerve of my being, the best we can do. I felt it that evening at the restaurant– an unspoken connection. I had to communicate with you, or I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t know the outcome. So, for this passion, I’m going to try my best to save it. I really want to live something exceptional with you. “

~ LETTER ONE, Paris, July 28th, 1989

Five years ago, I was on the cusp of turning forty...and a woman on the verge of a potential breakdown. The recent victim of a company wide lay-off, I owed over twenty thousand dollars on three different Visas with no hopes to pay it off. Anger and resentment had taken its toll on what started out as a happy marriage. For eight years, I’d been sharing the guest bedroom with my black Labrador retriever, Ike. I didn’t have actual kids, save for my furry replacement child. More importantly, I’d fallen out of love with myself.
Instead of spinning my wheels on the corner of misery and despair all alone, I met up with my best friend of twenty-something years, Tracey. Over a bottle of pinot noir, our conversation changed from my imminent divorce to happier times, specifically our 1989 trip to Paris. Tracey pitched me an idea: we were going to create a love blog using the seven old love letters I’d received from Jean-Luc, the sexy French rocket scientist I’d met at a café when I was nineteen.
Intrigued (and looking for an ounce of hope), I pulled Jean-Luc’s letters out of their plastic storage container that very same night. By the time I reached the sixth letter, regret set in. I began questioning things like: why didn’t I have children? Did I really have issues with men because my biological father deserted my mother and me? If Jean-Luc was so special, why did I dump him at a train platform and never answer even one of his seven heartfelt letters? And, more importantly, why did I hang on to his letters?
A realization hit: I’d been so afraid of falling in love I’d never truly done it.

I knew, in order for me to move on and live out the happy life I desperately wanted, I needed to deal with these questions from my past — one regret/problem at a time, starting with the easiest one first. Thanks to Google, it was easy to find Jean-Luc and I got off to a quick start.

When I sent off my two-decade-delayed apology, I thought I was only looking for forgiveness. I wound up getting a lot more than that. One email led to another, and I was able to do something I hadn’t been able to do in the past: I opened up my heart— online. I also found the courage to change everything in my life.

SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS is the true “second chance” story of how I restarted my life and rebooted my heart. And I’m thrilled to share it with you. 

Giveaway

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A Crafty Christmas by Mollie Cox Bryan - Review and Giveaway

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Crafty Christmas by Mollie Cox Bryan

ISBN: 978058293565

Mass Market Paperback

Synopsis: Christmas is just around the corner, and the ladies of the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop are thrilled when Sheila wins the first place prize in a scrapbooking design contest: a ten-day scrapbook-themed cruise in the Caribbean. Vera and Paige decide to tag along, which should pose the perfect opportunity to learn some new techniques, mingle with fellow croppers, and get in some rest and relaxation before the chaos of Christmas. But when Sheila finds a famous crafter dead, and investigators determine she was poisoned, the luxury cruise veers toward disaster as Sheila becomes the number one suspect – or was she really the intended victim? Just as the croppers begin un-wrapping the truth, a storm strands them at sea, and they’ll find it’s harder than ever to survive the holidays with a killer on deck…

My review: This is a fun cozy mystery series to read and I was not disappointed with this latest installment. I enjoy Mollie's writing style and how she puts twists and turns throughout the entire book. She keeps me guessing all the way to the end. I think if I would trip over a dead body I would die right along with it. I love each of the characters in this series. I recommend this book to all who like mysteries or like books with scrapbooking as the subject. 

About This Author

Mollie Cox Bryan writes the Cumberland Creek Mysteries, published by Kensington. The first book, Scrapbook of Secrets, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2012; the next one Scrapped, was published in January 2013. Death of an Irish Diva is the third in the series. Plans for the series include two more novels and two novellas—the first one Scrappy Summer will be available in summer 2014. She writes, gardens, runs, and scrapbooks in Waynesboro, Va. with her husband and two daughters.

Author Links

http://www.molliecoxbryan.com

Twitter: @molliecoxbryan

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

Pinterest  http://pinterest.com/molliecoxbryan/boards/

Be sure to stop by Escape with Dollycas (click here) to see the rest of the stops on the tour

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Music for My Soul by Lauren Linwood - Book Spotlight

Publication Date: May 15, 2013
Soul Mate Publishing
Formats: eBook, Paperback
# of Pages: 282

Genre: Historical Romance



 
As the third wife of an abusive French vineyard owner, Madeleine Bouchard hasn’t produced the expected heir after three years of marriage. Fearing he plans to kill her, she flees during a trip to England. Unable to make her way home, she joins a troupe of traveling mummers and reinvents herself as the only woman troubadour in the land, captivating audiences with both song and story.

Nobleman Garrett Montayne’s fascination with Madeleine causes him to pay the troupe to bypass their next stop in order to journey to his estate. Though he suspects Madeleine of being a thief with dark secrets, love blossoms between them under the magical moon of summer solstice.

But Madeleine’s past is about to catch up with her, as her husband is set to arrive to conduct business with Garrett. Madeleine determines to free herself from her loveless marriage and make a new life with Garrett, no matter what the cost.

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

Praise for Music For My Soul

"Told with humor, heartache, loveable characters and plenty of adventure, this is a story that grabs your attention from the first page and holds you captive until the very end. Much like real life, MUSIC FOR MY SOUL is a mixture of ups and downs along with a few surprises thrown in just to keep you on your toes." -Romance Junkies, Reviewer Chrissy Dionne

"This story takes a wonderful turn into the seldom explored topic of the life of traveling mummers and musicians. Placing the heroine between the line of aristocracy and commonality is also a stroke of creative genius that makes for a delightful breath of fresh reading air! The characters are created and developed with a fine touch, making the story both believable and enjoyable." -InD’tale Magazine, Reviewer Ruth Lynn Ritter

"This is a marvelous and intricate story of desperation, escape, finding love…also of forgiveness,mystery, danger, and righting old wrongs! The tale is incredibly well told with some humor as well as a building romance. The characters are loveable, some you can hate, and some are comic…a little bit of everything! Lauren Linwood is a wonderful writer with a fantastic imagination. I hope this is only the beginning of many wonderful tales. Believe me, it’s hard to put this one down. I found myself awake until the wee hours of the morning because I just had to know what was going to happen!" -The Reading Café, Reviewer Georgianna S

About the Author

Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

For more information please visit Lauren's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Music for My Soul Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 6
Interview at Mythical Books

Tuesday, October 7
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, October 8
Review at Book Nerd
Spotlight & Giveaway at Susan Heim on Writing

Thursday, October 9
Spotlight at Griperang's Bookmarks

Friday, October 10
Review at Tea and Inspiration

Tuesday, October 14
Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Thursday, October 16
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Friday, October 17
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Saturday, October 18
Review at A Cup of Tea & A Big Book

Thursday, October 23
Review at The Lit Bitch
Spotlight at Just One More Chapter

Friday, October 24
Review at Devilishly Delicious Book Blog
Guest Post at Historical Romantic Lovers

Buried Beneath the Words by Betal Arnold - Review plus a Kindle giveaway from Litefuse

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Buried Beneath the Words by Betal Arnold

ISBN: 9780986074400

Trade Paperback

Synopsis:Words! Words! Words!

Words all over the place. Accusing, blaming, and degrading words are the worst of all. After hearing those words over and over again, we begin to feel the weight of them threatening to crush the very life out of us.

Buried Beneath the Words cleverly shares a true life story about the different ways someone can end up buried beneath the weight of negative words. Then it shares a Christian course for how God's word can revive us. By putting the advice given within these pages into practice, you will experience an awakening of the real you---the you that has been buried way too long.

My Review: This was a good and interesting book to read. I like how the author wrote it and makes you feel as if you do matter. The way she uses stories, scriptures and other things to let you know that what others think should not matter to you. You need to remember that what you and God think are all that matters in life. Yes words do hurt but by reading this book you will learn they don't have to. If you have not had words hurt you this book will still work for you, because it will make you think about how you talk to others so your words don't hurt someone else. Betal's questions that she uses at the end of chapter makes you stop and think, they are very thought provoking. I think this would be a good book for women of all ages to read over and over again. 

About the author: Betel Arnold is a Certified Christian Life Coach, her passion is to reach out to women with compassion, empathy and encouragement. She is the creator, co-producer, and co-host of Simply Talking, a local public television show addressing issues drawn from our daily lives to deeper questions that come from our personal tragedies. Betel has learned to integrate her roles as wife, mother, inspirational speaker and family advocate. It is Betel's personal life experiences of overcoming adversity where she was able to find the inspiration and inner strength to do the impossible. She inspires others to overcome the challenges that keep us from moving forward in our lives and achieving our goals. Betel Arnold has embraced her life's conviction to help women become all that God has called them to be.

Find Betel online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Be sure to check out Litefuse (click here) to see the rest of the stops on the book tour. 

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BCxmQ 

Welcome to the blog tour and giveaway for Betel Arnold's debut book, Buried Beneath the Words.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Buried Beneath the Words by Betel Arnold

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 12th. Winner will be announced October 13th at Betel's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Betel's blog on the 13th to see if you won!

Treasury of Bible Stories by Kelly Pulley - Review and Kindle Giveaway by Litefuse

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Treasury of Bible Stories by Kelly Pulley

ISBN: 9780781409179

Hardcover

Synopsis: Children ages 4-8 will be delighted by these rhyming Bible stories pairing spiritual truths with playful illustrations.

Featuring lyrical stories full of lighthearted moments, this colorful collection of Magnificent Tales is perfect for reading out loud. As families read these stories night after night, they will make memories together while learning about the Bible.

My Review: This was a fun book to read and look at. I liked how the pictures were inviting to little kids. The way the stories were written were also written for kids to enjoy. Since these are written so well it is easier to read aloud to little ones. I mailed my copy to my four year old nephew and he was so excited to get it. What a great gift this would make for the little ones in your life. 

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BotGV

About the author: Kelly Pulley works from his middle Tennessee home writing and illustrating children's picture books, most recentlyTen Unusual Features of Lulu McDunn and The Cycling Wangdoos. He is best known for illustrating dozens of books in the Beginner's Bible series, including The Beginner's Bible (over 1.25 million copies sold).

Find Kelly online: website, Facebook

Be sure to check out Litefuse (click here) to see the other stops on the tour. 

Part of the Magnificent Tales series, Treasury of Bible Stories: Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times will delight children ages 4–8 with rhyming Bible stories pairing spiritual truths with playful illustrations.

Enter the Rhythmical Rhymes Kindle Giveaway 9/15 – 10/12.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle HDX
• Treasury of Bible Stories by Kelly Pulley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 12th. Winner will be announced October 13th at Kelly's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Kelly's blog on the 13th to see if you won!

The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau

ISBN: 9780385348834

Hardback

Synopsis: A remarkable book that will both guide and inspire, The Happiness of Pursuit reveals how anyone can bring meaning into their life by undertaking a quest.

 
When he set out to visit all of the planet’s countries by age thirty-five, compulsive goal seeker Chris Guillebeau never imagined that his journey’s biggest revelation would be how many people like himself exist – each pursuing a challenging quest.  And, interestingly, these quests aren’t just travel-oriented.  On the contrary, they’re as diverse as humanity itself.  Some involve exploration; others the pursuit of athletic or artistic excellence; still others a battle against injustice or poverty or threats to the environment.
 
Everywhere that Chris visited he found ordinary people working toward extraordinary goals, making daily down payments on their dream.  These “questers” included a suburban mom pursuing a wildly ambitious culinary project, a DJ producing the world’s largest symphony, a young widower completing the tasks his wife would never accomplish, and a teenager crossing an entire ocean alone - as well as a do-it-yourselfer tackling M.I.T.’s computer-science course, a nerd turning himself into real-life James Bond, and scores of others writing themselves into the record books. 
 
The more Chris spoke with these strivers, the more he began to appreciate the direct link between questing and long-term happiness -- how going after something in a methodical way enriches our lives -- and he was compelled to complete a comprehensive study of the phenomenon and extract the best advice.  In The Happiness of Pursuit he draws on interviews with hundreds of questers, revealing their secret motivations, their selection criteria, the role played by friends and family, their tricks for solving logistics, and the importance of documentation.
 
Equally fascinating is Chris’ examination of questing’s other side, including questers’ acute awareness of mortality, their struggle against monotony, and their wistful feelings once a quest has succeeded. What happens after the summit is climbed, the painting hung, the endurance record broken, the “at risk” community saved?  
 
A book that challenges each of us to take control – to make our lives be about something while at the same time remaining clear-eyed about the commitment -- The Happiness of Pursuit will inspire readers of every age and aspiration.  It’s a playbook for making your life count.

My review: I enjoyed reading this book. Each story in it is helpful and inspiring in its own way. It makes you want to strive even hard to reach your own goals. Chris did a good job with the naming of the chapters, the names really fit what was talked about in each of them. I also enjoyed Chris's writing style. After reading this book, which was my first by this author, I am going to look for his other books. I think if you have a goal you are trying to meet and need some motivation then this book will be right up your alley. 

CHRIS GUILLEBEAU is a writer, entrepreneur, and traveler. During a lifetime of self-employment and ventures ranging from online publishing to volunteer work in West Africa, he has visited nearly every country on earth before the age of 35. Host of the World Domination Summit, an international gathering of creative people, Chris is focused on encouraging individual quests while also “giving back.” His main website, ChrisGuillebeau.com, is visited by more than 300,000 people a month.