The Earl's New Bride by Frances Fowlkes - Spotlight

  Title: The Earl's New Bride 

Author: Frances Fowlkes 

Publisher: Entangled Scandalous 

Genre: Historical Romance 

Format: Kindle

England, 1819

The Earl of Amhurst has returned to his estate in search of a wife and, more importantly, an heir. Simon Devere isn't interested in some comely, simpering creature. A beautiful woman only brings heartbreak and ruin, and Simon's disfigured visage is proof enough of that. No, he wants a wife who is unattractive and undesirable—and the homelier, the better.

But nothing about Lady Henrietta Beauchamp is homely. She is lovely and sweet...and struggles to mix with polite society when she would so much rather have plants for company. And yet Simon is her only hope for keeping Plumburn Castle in her family's possession. Even if it means marrying a man she doesn't love.

It's an impossible and unlikely match...unless this awkward beauty can bring hope back into a solitary beast's life.

 

 

 After viewing her all-time favorite love story, “Anne of Green Gables”, at the impressionable age of ten, Frances Fowlkes has been obsessed with affable boy-next door heroes, red-heads, and romance stories with lots of “highfaluting mumbo jumbo” written within their pages. It only seems natural then that she married the boy who used to pull on her curls in her high school English class, had not one, but THREE red-headed boys, and penned multiple love stories with bits of flowery prose. When not writing, Frances loves spending time with her family, fangirling, and planning her next vacation. Frances Fowlkes, originally a northern mid-westerner, now lives in the southeast with her ardent hero of a husband, three playful and rambunctious boys, and one spoiled standard poodle. A self-professed Anglophile and summa cum laude graduate of LeTourneau University, Frances Fowlkes combines her passion for happily-ever-afters with her interests in both American and English histories.

For More Information

Visit Frances' website.
   

 September 7

Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping

Book reviewed at What is That Book About

September 8

Book reviewed at Griperang's Bookmark

September 9

Book reviewed at Books and Warpaint

September 10

Interviewed at Review From Here

September 11

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September 14

Book review and Interviewed at Bambi Unbridled

September 15

Guest blogging at Lisa Loves Books

September 16

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September 17

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September 18

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September 21

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Book reviewed at Book Nerd

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September 24

Guest blogging at Around the World in Books

September 25

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September 28

Book reviewed at Addicted to Romance

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The Seakeeper's Daughter by Lisa Wingate - Spotlight and Review

Published: September 8, 2015

Number of pages: 448

Genre: Fiction

Series: Carolina Heirlooms #3

Synopsis:

From modern-day Roanoke Island to the sweeping backdrop of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and Roosevelt’s WPA folklore writers, past and present intertwine to create an unexpected destiny.

Restaurant owner Whitney Monroe is desperate to save her business from a hostile takeover. The inheritance of a decaying Gilded Age hotel on North Carolina’s Outer Banks may provide just the ray of hope she needs. But things at the Excelsior are more complicated than they seem. Whitney’s estranged stepfather is entrenched on the third floor, and the downstairs tenants are determined to save the historic building. Searching through years of stored family heirlooms may be Whitney’s only hope of quick cash, but will the discovery of an old necklace and a Depression-era love story change everything?

What did I think about the the story?

All I can say is WOW. Ok I can say more than that. I loved this book. I am so happy I got picked to again be a part of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book (more about this later) so I could read this book before it is published. Lisa has a way of drawing you right into the book and not letting you go. The characters just pull at you and you can't wait to find out more about them. I could not put this down because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. The only thing that I have to say is bad about this book is that I did not it to end. I wanted more. Without spoiling the story I felt as if just when one mystery is solved the book ends and you want to know what happens next in the characters life. By the end of this book you felt as if the characters are a part of your family. You do not have to read the books in order but I would recommend that you do. All three books are great and you will get to see a little bit of the former characters in this book.

Carolina Heirloom Series

#1 The Prayer Box

What I thought of the book:

I can not say enough good things about this book. In all the books I have read in my life I can't say that one has touched me as much as this one. There was something about this book and the story that just pulls you in. Not only is this book have a great story but there is a message behind the story. To me that message was to stop and think about life and remember to be grateful for what you have. I found myself wanting to know more about Tandi's past and learning more about Iola. You find yourself wanting to help Tandi make things better and hoping she finds happiness. Not only does Tandi grow in this book but so does her daughter Zoey, it is hard for them to learn to live a good life after what they have been through. When Tandi's sister Gina shows up I want to throw her out immediately, I did not care for her or Tandi's boyfriend Ross. When Tandi ends up at Sandy's Seashell Shop there may just be a light at the end of the tunnel for her. I enjoyed reading about the sisterhood of the seashell shop. I am starting the next book in this series tonight and can't wait to see what happens next.

#2 The Story Keeper

What I thought about this book:

This book was every bit as good as the first book that I read by her (The Prayer Box). The fact that there was a story within a story in this book is an added bonus in my opinion. Jen is such a strong character in this book, she new she needed to leave home at a young age to get away from her past but with the drop of manuscript on her desk she finds the past is not as far away as it seemed. I enjoyed meeting some other characters along the way like sweet Hannanh - I found myself feeling sorry for her and Evan - who is not who he seems at the beginning. I did not care for Jen's dad or sister Mirah as they just did not seem nice to me but then again it is a whole different world where they live and how they choose to survive. There is a mystery in this book and some twists that kept me turning the pages long into the night. I must admit that I read a little over half of this book in one day and I don't do that often. I give this book 5 stars and would recommend it to everyone.

The Tomb by Sholes and Moore - Spotlight

Book Three In The Maxine Decker Thriller Series

Thriller / Suspense

Date Published: 8/1/2015

From International Best Selling Authors Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore

Retired OSI special agent Maxine Decker returns in THE TOMB, her most dangerous mission to date: prevent the assassination of a Supreme Court justice.

After capturing the world’s most wanted drug lord, Maxine comes across a photo of an object recently found in the Colorado River, an object tied to a WWII plot to send a submarine up the Colorado and destroy the Hoover Dam. Identifying the object as an earthquake machine based on the turn-of-the-century design of Nikola Tesla, Max soon becomes the target of two groups: the designer of a modern version of the device and the Mexican cartel bent on revenge for the killing of their leader. Her mission becomes critical when she discovers that the lives of all nine justices, and perhaps millions of others, are at risk.

Excerpt

Chapter 1 – Most Wanted

Acapulco, Mexico

 sat in the backseat of the unmarked SUV and watched the armor-plated Mercedes limo pull up in front of La Pampa, an Argentinean steakhouse a block away. “Is that his car?”

“Yes, Agent Decker,” said Colonel Marquez from the front seat as he studied the limousine through binoculars.

Marquez headed a special unit of the Mexican Federal Police whose mission was to capture Pablo Garcia, the man at the top of the most wanted list and ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the richest men in the world. Besides being responsible for the lion’s share of all drug trafficking in North America, Garcia collected priceless art objects, most of which were stolen and moved through the black market. That’s why I was involved—a former OSI agent and now a consultant for the FBI, I was often requested by foreign governments to help in the recovery of missing antiquities—my specialty.

Marquez turned to the driver. “Tell all units to stand by.” The officer relayed the message into a hand-held radio to the police commandos positioned throughout the surrounding business district.

“Agent Decker,” Colonel Marquez said, “just a reminder that once I give the order to move in, you are to stay here and wait until the all-clear. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Colonel.”

“You are here to identify the stolen art objects at Garcia’s home—not to get involved in this capture operation.” He looked at me using the mirror on the back of the sun visor.

I nodded. He’d already reminded me of my role several times earlier, and his constant recaps irked me.

“There,” the driver said and pointed.

Marquez raised the binoculars. “That’s Ernesto Cesar, Director of Banco de Nacional. Most of the cartel’s money is laundered through Cesar.”

“Can I see?” I asked. Marquez turned toward me, paused and frowned, but he handed me spare binoculars. We both watched the two men, obviously bodyguards, who had already exited the limo and stood curbside. The one Marquez identified as Cesar was a slim, well-dressed man who strolled into the restaurant. A moment later, a second man, short, pudgy, dressed in jeans and open collar shirt, stepped from the limo. He held a cell phone to his ear that partially blocked his profile, and wore a pulled-down baseball cap. Unlike the banker, he moved briskly into the restaurant.

“That’s our mark,” Marquez said.

“Are you sure the second guy is Pablo Garcia?” I put the binoculars down. “Seems his face was too obstructed. What if he’s a decoy?”

Marquez didn’t answer but kept his focus on the entrance to La Pampa. Finally, he said to his driver, “Tell all units I’m going in for a positive identification.” Again his eyes met mine in the visor mirror. “Stay here, Agent Decker.”

Dressed in civilian clothes, the colonel and the driver got out and casually crossed the busy city street, heading for the restaurant. I knew I had placed enough doubt in the colonel’s mind that he had to confirm it was Garcia before giving the order to begin the takedown.

I grabbed the binoculars again. Marquez and the driver moved as if they were tourists, pausing to glance in the storefronts. There was serious doubt back at the FBI Task Force in Dallas that the Mexicans were on the up-and-up when it came to corruption, payoffs, and taking down a man as powerful as Garcia. So far, they appeared to be as tight and focused as any law enforcement organization I’d dealt with. But they hadn’t captured the drug kingpin yet.

I rested the binoculars on the seat and glanced in several directions to see if I could spot any sign of the commandos. Nothing. Only tourists and others moving along the sidewalks. That’s when I spotted the Cadillac Escalade pulling to the curb thirty meters behind our SUV. A dark-skinned man got out, opened the side door, and retrieved a slender object about a meter long, wrapped in what looked like brown butcher paper. Too big for a gun. He moved across the sidewalk, opened the door of a building and disappeared inside.

A second man stepped from the Escalade and surveyed the sidewalk in both directions. As he turned in my direction, I saw the thick curly head of hair, the round, boyish face with a bushy mustache, and small black eyes set too close—those distinctive features I had memorized from a photo of him during the flight down to Mexico. I watched as Pablo Garcia followed his friend through the door and into the building.

I put the binoculars to my eyes and searched in the other direction for Marquez and his driver. They were standing a block away in front of La Pampa Restaurant with their backs to me, the colonel talking on his phone. If I called him, he’d see my caller ID and no doubt ignore me. For all I knew he was giving the command to start the assault. I thought of blowing the car horn to attract his attention, but that would also draw the attention of the two targets in the restaurant—the same problem if I got out and started yelling for the colonel’s attention. With no other choice, I pulled up the right leg of my jeans and removed the Walther PPK strapped to my calf. Slipping out of the SUV, I moved at a swift pace to the door on the side of the building Garcia had entered. I reached for the knob, determined to follow the most wanted man on the planet.

About the Author

Lynn Sholes & Joe Moore are the #1 Amazon and international bestselling authors of THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY and THE PHOENIX APOSTLES. Their thrillers have been translated into 24 languages.

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Assassian's Creed: Brotherhood by Oliver Bowden

Published: November 30, 2010

Number of pages: 528

Genre: Fiction

Series: Assassin's Creed

Synopsis:

I will journey to the black heart of a corrupt empire to root out my foes. But Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't be restored by a lone assassin. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This is my Brotherhood...

Rome, once mighty, lies in ruins. The city swarms with suffering and degradation, her citizens living in the shadow of the ruthless Borgia family. Only one man can free the people from the Borgia tyranny- Ezio Auditore, the Master Assassin.

Ezio's quest will test him to his limits. Cesare Borgia, a man more villainous and dangerous than his father, the Pope, will not rest until he has conquered Italy. And in such treacherous times, conspiracy is everywhere, even within the ranks of the Brotherhood itself...

What did I think of this book:

I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the first one. There is plenty of action, adventure and a little history thrown in. There are many battles and just when you thing Ezio has gotten rid of Cesare think again. The battles kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how Ezio's sister played a bigger role in this book. Of course I really liked Leonardo and his part in the whole story. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. 

About the author:

Anton Gill (aka Oliver Bowden) has been a full-time professional writer since 1984, and in the course of the last 27 years he has published 35 books. Gill was born in Ilford, Essex, the son of a German father and an English mother, and grew up in London. He is an acclaimed novelist and Renaissance historian currently living in Paris, France. Bowden has written novelizations of several of the Assassin's Creed console games.

Oliver Bowden is a pen-name (a pseudonym adopted by the author) in order to hide his true identity. However, his profession and location are accurate.
According to Bowden's interview with UbiWorkshop, he is an avid gamer and gains much of his inspiration for character development throughout the writing process from playing the Assassin's Creed series.

Assassin's Creed Series:

#1 Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

#2 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

#3 Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade

#4 Assassin's Creed: Revelations

#5 Assassin's Creed: Foresaken

#6 Assassin's Creed: Black Flag

#7 Assassin's Creed: Unity

Kill and Run by Lauren Carr - Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

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

Published: September 4, 2015

Number of pages: 422

Genre: Mystery

Series: Thorny Rose Mystery Series

Synopsis:

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

What did I think about this book:

I thought this was a good start to a new mystery series. This was the first book that I have read by this author. The author did a good job of catching your interest from the first page. She kept me guessing throughout the entire book. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the story moving right along and there is even a little romance thrown in for an added bonus. The charcters were well developed and very real. I also like how the author used animals in the story. You can tell she is an animal lover. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more by this author.

About the author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Open Season for Murder is the tenth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduced Lauren Carr’s latest series detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Look for Kill and Run, the first installment in this series, to be released September 1, 2015.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. Visit Acorn Book Services’ website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Guest Post:

Since When Do Best-Selling Authors Wash Dishes?
By Lauren Carr

Ever since I was a little girl rewriting the Bobbsey Twins (I’d change the mystery of the missing sea shell to finding a dead body), I dreamed of being a best-selling mystery author.

I envisioned it this way—I would be standing on the balcony of my Manhattan penthouse gazing out across the skyline—drinking an obscenely expensive champagne from a crystal champagne flute. Of course, I’d have a perfect figure and hair and family and quirky friends dropping into my home on a regular basis like the writers you see in Neil Simon plays.

So then, after decades of hard work, my books have broken through. I am now an Amazon All-Star with my book sales ranking in their top-100. My books have reached the top-100 in police procedurals and cozies both here on Amazon and in their overseas markets.

Not only am I a best-selling author—I am an international best-selling author.

And … here I stand at the kitchen sink in my West Virginia mountain home gazing out at a tree full of birds glaring at me because their feeders are empty. A broken dishwasher rests at me side. As for the champagne—I don’t drink. But I do have a very nice domestic vanilla ice cream in my freezer. We won’t talk about the perfect figure and hair.

Yes, I do have quirky friends, but they don’t drop in very much because of Gnarly, my one-hundred pound German shepherd (chief of security), won’t let anyone in with being patted down. Most of my friends feel violated after going through that procedure. (Hey, there are a lot of nuts out there! You can never be too safe!)

So what happened?

It all started when my eight month old dishwasher broke during the first week of June …

Oh, sorry, I thought you were asking why an international best-selling author is up to her eyeballs in dirty dishes when she has an expensive dishwasher that doesn’t work?!

Truth is—life as an international best-selling author is grand … except for the broken dishwasher … and the angry birds.

Big city life—been there-done that. After ten years of living and working in Washington DC, my husband and I left the city for a mountaintop home in West Virginia where the trees are green and the people are real. As for the gorgeous skyline—my view of the Blue Ridge Mountains is to die for.

I prefer ice cream to champagne--though my waistline does complain.

So my quirky friends don’t like my chief of security. Hey, if life was perfect, then it’d be boring. That’s why God likes to keep us on our toes.

Which is what I will tell the angry birds while filling their feeders as soon as I finish washing these dirty dishes.

So, as I look down into Gnarly’s adoring brown eyes before handing him a dog biscuit, to answer your question, “What is life like being a best-selling author?”

Life is grand indeed.

Giveaway: ​ 

1. Win an ebook copy of Kill and Run with a $15 Amazon gift card (open internationally - 5 winners)
2. Win a print copy of Kill and Run (USA only - 4 winners)
3. Win a print copy of both Three Days to Forever and Kill and Run with a $25 Amazon gift card (USA only)

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Tour Schedule:

Aug 31 - Book Stop Corner - review of Three Days to Forever/author interview /giveaway

Aug 31 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Aug 31 - The Travelogue of a Book Addict - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Aug 31 - The Booksnake Etc. - review of Three Days to Forever

Aug 31 - Coffee, Books & Art - book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 31 - Manic Mommy of Two - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Aug 31 - readalot - review of Kill and Run

Sept 1 - Book Stop Corner - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 1 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Sept 1 - My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - review of Three Days to Forever

Sept 2 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 2 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - review of Three Days to Forever

Sept 3 - Bound 2 Escape - books spotlighted / giveaway

Sept 3 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Sept 3 - Library of Clean Reads - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Sept 4 - Griperang's Bookmarks - review of Three Days to Forever/ guest post / giveaway

Sept 4 - Manic Mommy of Two - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Sept 7 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - guest post

Sept 7 - 3 Partners in Shopping - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 8 - My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - review of Kill and Run

Sept 8 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Three Days to Forever/interview/ giveaway

Sept 9 - T's Stuff - review of Three Days to Forever / guest post / giveaway

Sept 9 - Vic's Media Room - review of Three Days to Forever

Sept 10 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 10 - fundinmental - review of Three Days to Forever / author interview / giveaway

Sept 11 -Vic's Media Room - review of Kill and Run / author interview / giveaway

Sept 11 - Cassidy Salem Reads and Writes - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 13 - Writers and Authors - book spotlight / giveaway

Sept 14 - The Autistic Gamer - review of Three Days to Forever

Sept 14 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - review of Kill and Run

Sept 15 - The Booksnake Etc. - review of Kill and Run

Sept 15 - Life as Leels - review of Three Days to Forever

Sept 16 - Readers' Muse - review of Three Days to Forever

Sept 16 - T's Stuff - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 17 - fundinmental - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 17 - Library of Clean Reads - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 18 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 21 - The Autistic Gamer - review of Kill and Run

Sept 21 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 22 - Celestial Reviews - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Sept 22 - Griperang's Bookmarks - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 23 - fuonlyknew - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Sept 23 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review of Kill and Run

Sept 24 - fuonlyknew - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 24 - Readers' Muse - review of Kill and Run

Sept 25 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - guest post

Sept 28 - Celestial Reviews - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 28 - Christa Reads and Writes - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Sept 29 - A Blue Million Books - book spotlight / author interview

Sept 29 - Life as Leels - review of Kill and Run

Sept 30 - Olio by Marilyn - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Oct 1 - The Travelogue of a Book Addict - review of Kill and Run / giveaway

Oct 1 - Writers and Authors - guest post

Oct 2 - Book and Ink - review of Kill and Run / guest post / giveaway

Oct 5 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Kill and Run

Oct 6 - Jessica Cassidy - review of Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Oct 7 - Room with Books - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Oct 7 - Pause for Tales - review of Kill and Run

Oct 8 - Olio by Marilyn - review of Kill and Run / author interview / giveaway

Oct 9 - Jessica Cassidy - review of Kill and Run / author interview / giveaway

Oct 9 - Book and Ink - book spotlight for Three Days to Forever / giveaway

Trick or Deceit by Shelley Freydont - Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Published: September 1, 2015

Number of pages: 304

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Celebration Bay Mystery #4

Synopsis:

This October in Celebration Bay, you can’t swing a black cat without hitting a haunted house. There are three finalists in the contest for the town’s official Haunted House, and ten thousand dollars will go to the winner, with the rest of the contributions and proceeds funding a new community center. Event coordinator Liv Montgomery has invited her friend Jonathan Preston, the debonair CEO of a philanthropic organization, hoping he will award a grant to the center.

But after the Museum of Yankee Horrors wins first place, the transformed Victorian boarding house is vandalized … and among scattered mannequins of Hester Prynne, Lizzie Borden, and the Headless Horseman, a real dead body is found—one of the contest judges. Now in addition to playing host to Jon, Liv has to play detective and coordinate the clues to unmask a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.

What did I think of this book:

I loved the Halloween theme of this book and what better time of year to start reading books like this. I hated that the Museum of Yankee Horror was vandalized and then a dead body was found in there as well how creepy. It is fun to go along with Liv as she is trying to find out who would kill one of the contest judges. It was enjoyable to visit this quaint little town again and hear what is going on with the characters. In my opinion the author did a good job of keeping you guessing on who was the person who did the killing. The author did a good job with descriptions and I felt as if I was visiting this town while walking along with Liv. Another good addition to a fun series. 

About the author:

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery Celebration Bay Mysteries, Foul Play at the Fair, Silent Knife,Independence Slay as well as the Kate MacDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mysteries, and the upcoming Newport Gilded Age Mysteries, beginning with A Gilded Grave (6/15)

As Shelley Noble, she is the NYTimes Best selling author of women’s fiction (Beach Colors, Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, and Whisper Beach as well as several novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves puzzles, light houses and antique carousels. She also loves to hear from readers.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.

For more about Shelley, please visit her website www.shelleyfreydont.com.

* Author Links
Website www.shelleyfreydont.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyFreydont
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Freydont/e/B001HCUVP4
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ShelleyFreydont

* Purchase Links
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Guest Post:

A Murder For the Holidays

When I was a kid we used to spend a week each summer in the Smoky Mountains. There was a little town there that was one big Christmas celebration. All year long. I thought it was the best place in the world.

I’ve had a fascination for holiday towns ever since. So when I started this new series I decided I would write about a town that celebrated every holiday. From the biggest ones like Halloween and the Fourth of July to the smaller ones like Arbor Day and St Patrick’s Day, to the little known ones. Have you heard of Wiggle Your Toes Day or Just Because Day?

A destination holiday town.

Holidays are a great time for fictional murders. So many fun things to do and see. No many festive murder weapons.

But murder is a serious business. And killing people isn’t nice at all. I don’t like to make light of murder but I do like to juxtapose them with a time and place of celebration.

In Celebration Bay, murders have occurred at a Harvest Festival, A Pilgrim Dinner, Christmas, the Fourth of July and during fishing season.

Hmm. Halloween seems like a perfect holiday for a murder mystery. Plenty of red herrings with all the ghoulish costumes: headless horsemen, Freddie Kruegers, grim reapers. And places and events. Haunted houses, haunted hayrides, carnivals and parties.

That’s a lot of competing venues. So for Trick or Deceit, I decided that I was going to set the investigation against a haunted house contest. The most outstanding entrant would receive ten thousand dollars and would be declared the Official Haunted House of Celebration Bay. But is it a motive for murder?

I decided to throw in a Zombie parade just because I like Zombies.

Suddenly I had many great places to commit a murder. So great I was tempted to have more than one. But I stifled myself and chose the one place I liked better than the rest.

Where would you commit a fictional murder on Halloween?

Giveaway:

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Tour Participants:

September 1 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review, Guest Post

September 2 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – Interview

September 3 – Laura’s Interests – Review

September 4 – A Chick Who Reads – Review

September 5 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review

September 6 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post

September 7 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too ! – Review

September 8 – View from the Birdhouse – Review

September 9 – Brooke Blogs – Review

September 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview

The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie - Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

 Published: September 1, 2015 

Number of pages: 432 pages 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: The Mistresses of Versailles #1

 Website | Goodreads

Synopsis:

A sumptuous and sensual tale of power, romance, family, and betrayal centered around four sisters and one King. Carefully researched and ornately detailed, The Sisters of Versailles is the first book in an exciting new historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV, 

France’s most “well-beloved” monarch, and the women who shared his heart and his bed. Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, 

The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters—Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne—four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail. Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed as various factions put their best feet—and women—forward. The King’s scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, she and her sisters—ambitious Pauline; complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne—will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power. 

The Sisters of Versailles is a treat through and through – the characters are witty and engaging and come together to create an undeniable page-turner. Sally Christie has a wonderful sense of pace and the book unfolds in front of you like a delicious gift. Even as the scandals pile up and the intrigue mounts, you can’t help but fall in love with these sisters and their competing infatuations with the King. 

In the tradition of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Sisters of Versailles is a clever, intelligent, and absorbing novel that historical fiction fans will devour. 

Based on meticulous research on a group of women never before written about in English, Sally Christie’s stunning debut is a complex exploration of power and sisterhood—of the admiration, competition, and even hatred that can coexist within a family when the stakes are high enough. 

What did I think of this book:

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I have to say that I did enjoy this book. The author did a good job with her writing and made a real story come to life on the pages for me. You can really tell that the author did her research as it shows in the details of the story. One of my favorite parts was the letters that the sisters wrote to each other.  They made you feel as if you were one of them and were waiting for your next letter. You have five sisters and each of them have a different personality. There is Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense and Marie-Anne. Louise is in love with the queen but is niave about many thing, Pauline is not nice at all, Diane who seems to not be very smart, Hortense who was the only sister to not be a mistress to the King. Marie-Anne who is stuck on herself. I am not sure which sister I liked the best. This was a good start to a new series and I am looking forward to book 2. 

About the author:

Sally Christie was born in England of British parents and grew up around the world, attending eight schools in three languages. She spent most of her career working in international development and is currently settled in Toronto. A life-long history buff who wishes time travel were a real possibility —she’d be off to the eighteenth century in a flash! The Sisters of Versailles is her first novel. Learn more about the sisters and the mistresses in the Versailles trilogy on her website Become a fan to hear about her next novels! Check her Pinterest page

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Guest Post:

Infidelity in 18th century France

In 18th century France, morality and customs differed greatly depending on social class and marital status. For the high nobles at Versailles that I write about in my book The Sisters of Versailles, affairs after marriage were very common and little remarked upon.

One anecdote has a duke finding his wife with her lover. He is reputed to have said: “Madame, is this prudent? Supposing someone else had found you?” Another noble told his wife on their wedding day: “Madame, I allow you every latitude except footmen and Princes of the Blood.” (I’m not sure why he singled out footmen and those Princes as off limits!).

For most members of the high nobility, their marriages were always arranged by families and personal feelings played little to no part in the selection of the spouse. Perhaps the rampant infidelity amongst the nobles of Versailles was compensation for the lack of love within their marriages. Further down the social scale, where people had more choice in whom they married, affairs were generally frowned upon and fidelity was expected (at least from the women).

The situation for unmarried girls was very different. Most aristocratic girls were educated at convents and were very sheltered and strictly guarded; remaining chaste before marriage was an absolute must. Occasionally – though only very occasionally, and certainly not as often as novels might have us believe – a suitor was able to (figuratively) scale the convent walls and carry off his bride, but the dangers were immense. During the time period of my novel The Sisters of Versailles (early 18th century), there was a great scandal when a young noble girl, the Demoiselle de Moras, eloped with a certain Monsieur de Rochecourbon. The couple left France and fled to Belgium and even though they married, Rochecourbon was tried in absentia and sentenced to death! Heed that, ye would be abductors.

Eventually the marriage was annulled and Mademoiselle de Moras returned and despite her notoriety married again. M de Rochecourbon very prudently stayed out of France for the remainder of his life.  

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