About The Book: Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero–he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn’t think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.
Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn’t have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there’s something he can’t quite remember. It’s important, dangerous–and if he doesn’t recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone’s very life.
Readers who enjoy Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, and Kristi Ann Hunter will love diving into this brand-new Regency series filled with suspense, aristocratic struggles, and a firm foundation of faith.
He’s doing what he can to save the Prince Regent’s life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?
About Erica: Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.
Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.
A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.
My Rating: 5 Stars! ‘He was a fraud in a society of frauds.’
Erica Vetsch begins a new series with this book and it is absolutely exceptional! A most excellent Regency. Evan Eldridge has suddenly been conferred an earldom by the prince regent and must learn how to conduct himself properly in the ton. He’s also been given a wife the prince regent and one just does not say no to the prince regent. Diana Seaton, daughter of the Duke of Seaton, is the one Evan must marry, but even though she jumps at the chance to leave her abusive father’s home, she is afraid there she must stay.
I have read many of Vetsch’s books before, but she totally shines here! Brightly shines, I may add. She has created wonderful characters and even the bad guy characters are well done. The plot is perfect and her hero is swoon worthy to the absolute max! The secondary characters were also well done and two will have their own story soon. At least, I hope it’s soon. I stayed up into the wee hours reading this book until I could stay awake no longer. I rushed through chores to get back to it and finish. I love feeling this good about a book. I highly recommend this book!
*My thanks to Kregel Publishing for a copy of this book. The opinions stated here in this review are entirely my own.
When tragedy follows Katie to college, she’ll face the test of a lifetime. Katie Parker never dreamed she’d make it to college. But here she is, a freshman, ready to take on cafeteria food, play auditions, and pretending she’s read that ancient novel for English Lit. Already filled with angst over saying goodbye to her family, Katie is so not okay to learn an unexpected housing change lands her in the honors dorm. Especially when one of Katie’s nerdy new roommates decides to major in making Katie’s life completely miserable. To escape the dorm room drama, Katie needs her boyfriend Tate more than ever. But when he gives all his attention to his fraternity, their relationship begins to quickly unravel. She wonders if they’re going to survive this first year of college. Or if she even wants them to. As tragedy rocks her family, Katie finds herself drowning in grief and losing her grip on academic life. When ex-boyfriend Charlie Benson unexpectedly calls, Katie will cling to an old trusted friendship…that might become something more. As her life implodes, will Katie walk away from college and step back into the arms of the one who got away?
A KATIE PARKER PRODUCTION SERIES Book One: In Between Book Two: On the Loose Book Three: The Big Picture Book Four: Something to Believe In Book Five: Can’t Let You Go Book Six: Forever Your Girl (Coming Soon)
About Jenny: Jenny was born and raised in Arkansas, growing up with a love to read and create stories. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English, a Masters in Teaching, and a Masters of Library and Information Studies. She sold her first book, In Between, in 2005, and has gone on to write young adult, new adult, romance, and YA. She’s been a RITA finalist, a Christy finalist, an RT Top Pick, RT Reviewer’s Choice nominee, and has won four Carol Awards. Jenny has spent nearly twenty years in the education field, teaching English, drama, creative writing, and speech. She previously served as a library media specialist where she pushed books like a dealer all day. When she’s not writing, Jenny loves to travel, watch movies, spend time with her family, and obsessively decorate and redecorate her house. She’s currently working on the Enchanted Events series, romantic comedy cozy mystery set in a fictional town near Bentonville, Arkansas. Just like Bentonville, Sugar Creek is a little bit Mayberry and a little bit Los Angeles, where you can spend a Friday night on the hometown square listening to some Bluegrass then spot a Hollywood actor at your favorite restaurant the following day. Jenny loves connecting with her readers. Visit her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or send her an email.
My Rating: 5 Stars! ‘All my life, I’ve been the recipient of people’s pity.’
Jenny B. Jones takes us back to her Katie Parker series with this addition. I read this series years ago and loved it. Although it’s designated as Young Adult, it’s really good and totally interesting to this old lady. (smile) Jones’ trademark humor and ability to delve into serious life situations are more than evident here and this one packs a huge emotional wallop.
‘Some of the best things are on the other side of fear.’
Katie Parker is a newly minted freshman at college an hour away from In Between, where she lives with her adoptive parents, James and Millie Scott, whom she dearly loves. She soon finds out that her dorm is not available and she’s been assigned to the honors dorm with two roommates she doesn’t much care for and one that is really iffy as far as getting along is concerned. I mean, the gal is totally unable to relate to a human being at all. Then there’s Katie’s relationship with Tate, her boyfriend, or maybe her non-relationship with him, as she barely sees him, despite the fact they go to the same college. Then a situation arises that throws her totally into disarray mentally and Katie worries she can’t cope or even want to cope. And there is Maxine! Boy, do I love that woman! She makes every book she is in just totally pop! What a character.
‘Shame is a nasty foe, and it wants nothing more for you to shove it in the back of your closet.’
Jones never disappoints me when I read her books. Never. One I’ve read three times. And will read yet another time. And another. If I live long enough. Her ability to charm us with her wit, then turn around and delve into our hearts is one thing I love about her writing. I can’t wait for the next one in this series. I recommend this book!
*My thanks to the author for a preview copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Publisher: Sweet Pea Productions Publication Date: April 22, 2020 Buy it here: https://amzn.to/3aspePN
About The Book: Asking for forgiveness is the hardest part…
She once trusted him with her heart…
but will she ever trust him with the truth?
With only two weeks to renovate her family’s Colorado B and B, struggling single mom Addie Ricci can’t turn away help. Especially not when it’s her handsome high school sweetheart, Evan Hawke, who’s offering to pitch in. As they repair the B and B, Addie and Evan also begin rebuilding their relationship…until a secret from their past threatens to bring it all crashing down.
About Jill Lynn Welcome! I’m Jill. Award-winning author, hot mess, loud laugher and coffee addict. I write small-town stories filled with grace, humor and happily ever after. I also co-authored Just Show Up with Kara Tippetts–a book about how to support one another during hardships.
My books: Texas Series (Prequel) The Start of Us 1. Falling for Texas 2. Her Texas Family 3. Her Texas Cowboy
Colorado Grooms Series 1. The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter 2. The Rancher’s Unexpected Baby (releases 1-15-19) 3. Mackenzie & Jace’s story is to-be-titled (releases September 2019)
Non-fiction: Just Show Up with Kara Tippetts
Find out more at Jill-Lynn.com or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest: @JillLynnAuthor
My Rating: 4 Stars! ‘Addie would have to move to a different country in order to outrun the black marks on her soul.’ Jill Lynn brings us the fourth book in her Colorado Grooms series with this book and gives us the story of Addie Ricci and Evan Hawke. Evan Hawke returns to the Colorado town where his late mother lived to get her house ready to sell. He is completely knocked for a loop when he sees Addie Ricci, with whom he shared a lot one year in their teens. Addie is grown up now, divorced and with a two year old son. But she is holding onto a desperate secret. Does she still trust Evan enough to reveal this secret? Even if it costs her everything? And can Evan bear it even if she does? Jill Lynn explores what happens when the truth is withheld and the forgiveness God can bring when a heart is determined to trust Him with the outcome. Such a sweet story that will move your heart. Plus there is a cute kid involved! And a dog! Recommended. *My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is entirely my own.Publisher: Love Inspired Publication Date: April 21, 2020 (paperback) May 1, 2020 (kindle) buy it here: https://amzn.to/2yydFZY
About The Book Grace-by-the-Sea: Where romance and adventure come home.
The magistrate over a little Regency coastal village, James Howland, takes pride in protecting Grace-by-the-Sea from ne’er-do-wells, including his distant cousin, the Earl of Howland. So, when he discovers a young lady hiding in the family’s castle, his heart cannot decide which comes first—her rescue or his duty.
Outspoken Eva Faraday has been exiled to the castle for refusing to marry the man the earl picked for her. Her late father appointed the earl trustee over her considerable inheritance, which she cannot access until she turns twenty-five or marries. And if she marries, her husband controls the money. She’s not about to trust any Howland, but James seems ripe for rebellion. To thwart the earl’s power, the two agree to a marriage of convenience, only to discover there are others intent on using the earl’s castle for nefarious purposes. Eva and James must work together to solve the mystery and stop the earl once and for all so they can make a marriage that is far more than convenient.
This sweet, clean Regency romance
About Regina Scott Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t actually sell her first novel until she had learned a bit more about writing such as vocabulary, sentence structure, and plot. After numerous short stories and articles in magazines and trade journals, she got serious about her novel writing. The Unflappable Miss Fairchild was her first novel to be published (March 1998).
Besides her novels, Regina Scott has had published three Regency novellas (“The June Bride Conspiracy” in His Blushing Bride, “Sweeter Than Candy” in A Match for Mother, and “A Place by the Fire” in Mistletoe Kittens). Two of her novels, A Dangerous Dalliance and The Twelve Days of Christmas, have been translated into German. A Dangerous Dalliance and The Incomparable Miss Compton have been translated into Italian. Starstruck and Perfection have been translated into Dutch.
Regina Scott and her husband are the parents of two sons. They reside in the Tri-Cities of southeast Washington State and are members of the Church of the Nazarene. Born in 1959 and raised in the Seattle area, Regina Scott is a graduate of the University of Washington. She comes by her writing talent naturally–both her parents are excellent writers in their vocations as teacher and electrical technician. Her mother envisioned the plot for “Sweeter Than Candy,” the novella which was written as a tribute to her.
Regina Scott is a devout Christian and a decent fencer; owns a historical, fantasy, and science fiction costume collection that currently takes up over a third of her large closet; and has been known to impersonate an independent consultant specializing in risk communication.
My Rating: 5 Stars! Regina Scott takes us back to the lovely little village of Grace-by-the-Sea for book two in this delightful series. We met the cast of villagers and fell in love with (most) of them in book one. I confess I didn’t much like Magistrate James Howland in the first book, but oh boy, did he ever jump out in this book! When Eva Farraday is sent to the Earl of Howland’s castle in the village as a punishment, James decides to take up her case. Then they end up married! And all the while, the French are headed toward them during this dratted war. And we have Maudie who is full of the fairies and trolls only she knows. (SMILE) This was such a good book on many fronts: a Regency to be proud of, a great plot, and full of perfect characters. I love it when a book makes me all excited inside. I loved it so much. Every. Single. Minute. Highly recommended. Now I can’t wait for the next one!
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.
While widower Tug Moyer isn’t looking for a new wife, his eight-year-old daughter is convinced he needs one—and that her social media plea will bring his perfect match. The response is high, but nobody seems quite right for the sheriff…except her teacher, Christa Alero, who insists she isn’t interested. Now their little matchmaker must convince them both to give love a chance.
About Ruth Logan Herne USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. She loves God, her family, country, coffee, chocolate and dogs, and wishes possums would leave the cat food on the side porch alone. And yet… they don’t. With over two million books in print, Ruthy is living her dream of touching hearts and souls by writing the kind of books she likes to read.
She lives on a pumpkin farm in Western New York where they grow all kinds of cool things for fall from sumptuous squashes and veggies to gorgeous stacking pumpkins. Ruthy’s farm is quickly becoming the place to be every September and October. Ruthy herself is in charge of the kitchen and her very own baked goods, jams and jellies are for sale. The farm gives Ruthy a chance to chat with real people… then turn them into fictional characters during the quiet of mid-winter, so be careful what you say!
She loves chatting with readers through her website blog http://ruthloganherne.com and hanging with readers and writers in Seekerville… http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com where coffee is always hot, fresh and good! She loves playing in the kitchen, too, with a wonderful group of regionally-inspired inspirational authors at the Yankee Belle Cafe http://www.yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com. On Goodreads, she’s (yes, you guessed it!) Ruth Logan Herne, and that’s how to find this prolific author on facebook, too!
My Rating: 4 Stars! Why yearn for riches when good enough is a feast?’
Ruth Logan Herne totally writes from her heart and that heart is surely huge. This book is no exception to her wonderful and precious storytelling ability. When a teacher who moves into this small town in Washington state meets the widowed deputy sheriff with two kids, one in her class, she must remind herself that she has decided to never have a relationship. Past hurts well up in her and she struggles with that decision, especially when said deputy sheriff has a heart that doesn’t give up. Even if he struggles with the past as well, he trusts God to lead him in the right direction.
Ruth Logan Herne is so great at creating the sweetest characters and she does kid characters that make you just want to squeeze their little cheeks! I love them so much. Recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is my own.
About The Book Everyone has a secret… When forensic photographer Ainsley Duncan’s brother is wrongly convicted of murder, she works hard to exonerate him through her contacts, but nothing clears his name until she happens upon a long-buried secret involving Grady Houston—the Veritas Center’s ballistics, firearms, and explosives expert. Grady’s worked hard to keep this secret buried for years and doesn’t want it coming out, so he balks at her request to help find the real killer and free her brother. But not all secrets lead to murder. But when someone takes a dead center shot at Ainsley, Grady has no choice but to expose his past and let the consequences fall where they may. Even if he loses the job he loves and even if the woman who is capturing his heart wants nothing to do with him after she learns his secret. He won’t back down from helping Ainsley free her brother, and they find themselves in a race for their lives to solve the murder before the deadly killer strikes again.
SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over thirty-five novels with more than one million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson. To learn more about Susan’s books sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/
My Rating: 5 Stars! ‘The guns came out of nowhere. Big men. Tall men. Assault rifles. Bursting through the front door, their bodies cloaked by darkness. The gun barrels creeping out of shadows like fingers. All pointing at Ainslee. Just a woman at home minding her own business.’
When a book opens with this paragraph, boy howdy, you know it’s going to be good! And it was! Supremely good. Suspense that is unrivaled by a master of suspense. Susan Sleeman is my go-to for inspirational romantic suspense and this book just cements that designation. She creates believable characters that jump right off the page, plots that are second to none and action that will have your heart racing, Especially during the finale in this book. Boy, was it ever great! I highly recommend not only this book but every book by this author.
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I am just absolutely thrilled and honored to have as my guest today Ann B. Ross, the New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Miss Julia series of books. I have loved Miss Julia since the very first book and with the publication of the current book, ‘Miss Julia Knows a Thing or Two’, and the books in the series number 22! I first met Ann many years ago at a book signing in Forest City, NC, and we have kept in touch all these years. Ann insists she is not the least bit funny, yet her Miss Julia books will have you falling off your chair laughing! Miss Julia has brought me many hours of wonderful entertainment and I highly recommend this series of books. So, let’s get started. Ann, I am so happy you agreed to join us today and I know my readers are going to enjoy hearing your answers to my questions.
1. When you wrote the first Miss Julia book, did you have any idea how popular she would turn out to be?
Not at all! I could hardly believe it when a literary agency agreed to represent that first book and even more thrilled when it was accepted for publication by a major publishing house. But I quickly came down to earth when I learned that not only did they want the first book, they wanted three more Miss Julia books. And I wasn’t sure that I could write even one more. I thought I had said all I had to say in the first book which just goes to show how little I knew my own character. That woman started talking and she hasn’t stopped yet.
2. How did you come to write the books?
I always thought that I would write some day after, that is, I had found a class or a book that would tell me how to do it. Well, I never found either one, but I did find a lot of books and a lot of classes that told me how others had written. So if I may offer a little advice to those who’re thinking of writing, it is this: Read! Read and see how it’s been done and is being done. Looking back now, I can see that the hardest part for me was finding Miss Julia’s voice. Not that I was looking specifically for her, but I had dallied with the voice of a nurse, of a young girl of the 19th century, of a detective, of a damsel in distress, and none of them had worked very well. So when I began to ‘see’ a mental image of an older woman who was fired up over something as she walked down a sidewalk, holding the hand of a little boy, I wondered who they were, where they were going, and, most of all, how they were related. Then, Miss Julia began to tell me.
3. Can you share with my readers how you get ideas for the books?
I get ideas from any and everywhere! From overheard conversations, from memories that go back to my own childhood, from television news, from chit-chat at the hairdressers, from local gossip, and from taking a mental stroll along the streets of Abbotsville. The easiest books to write are those for which I have a clear picture of the ending—I can write ‘toward’ that. But I’ve often started a book with absolutely no idea at all as to what it will be about. But each time that’s happened, one or more of the characters comes up with a problem (because, of course, a novel has to have a problem to solve), and then the book is off and running.
4. Do you have more Miss Julia books planned?
I rarely think beyond whatever book I happen to be working on. In fact, I finished the current new book, MISS JULIA KNOWS A THING OR TWO, last summer. Since then I’ve been working on the next Miss Julia book, due to be released in April, 2021, title not yet confirmed.
5.How old is Miss Julia now?
She won’t tell me, and I don’t have the courage to ask. All I know is that she thinks it is rude beyond belief that some twit of a secretary or receptionist asks her date of birth. Let us just say that she is the age that each reader thinks she is.
6.And one last thought: I sure do wish Lillian would write a cookbook. Her dishes make me hungry, especially her chicken salad.
Ha! I think it might be her making and serving it that makes it so good. But, you know, I made a stab at a cookbook of sorts in MISS JULIA STIRS UP TROUBLE which included recipes from many of the characters. I was quite proud of it until a newspaper reporter made the remark that all authors wrote a cookbook when they’d run out of other ideas. There have been seven additional books since that one, so he was wrong.
There you have it, folks. I’m sure we all loved hearing Ann’s answers to these questions regarding her Miss Julia books. If you’d like more information about the books, including tour events, contest winners, etc., I encourage you to visit the MissJulia.com website. It’s full of great information.
Thanks so very much for visiting with us today, Ann. It was my great pleasure to have you as my guest today. We all look forward to hearing more from Miss Julia.
About The Book: The delightful new installment of the beloved and New York Times bestselling Miss Julia series
Miss Julia has decided to turn over a new leaf — it’s time to stop meddling in other peoples’ lives. But her hands are full before long! Mildred is sent into a tizzy when a grandchild she’s never met shows up on her doorstop. With her husband fighting a mysterious illness, she’s all on her own. Meanwhile, Etta Mae is worried about losing her job now that the retirement care center is closing. Luckily Miss Julia has experience dealing with children dropped on doorsteps, and sweeps in to lend a hand. But there’s something just a bit strange about the child, and Miss Julia can’t quite put her finger on what it is.
As always, hijinks ensue as Ann B. Ross delivers this delightful and entertaining installment in her bestselling Miss Julia series. About Ann B. Ross Ann is the mother of two daughters and one son, and the grandmother of four grandsons (including twin boys) and two granddaughters, both of whom are her namesakes. When her children were in college, she decided to complete her own education, enrolling in the University of North Carolina at Asheville where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Literature. Reluctant to return to an empty nest, she continued her education by enrolling in the English Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned both the Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Afterwards, she taught Literature and the Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
Ann’s writing career began in the early eighties when two mysteries were published as original paperbacks: THE MURDER CURE and THE MURDER STROKE. A few years later, her first hardcover book was published: THE PILGRIMAGE, an adventure story set in the nineteenth century. All three books are now out of print, but occasionally a used copy of THE PILGRIMAGE appears on Amazon.com for sale.
The publication of the first Miss Julia book, MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND in 1999, set Ann on a full-time writing career. This book went through six reprintings in less than a year, and was ranked #9 on the Independent Booksellers’ seventy-six most highly recommended books for 1999. In addition, the book was named to the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers list. The paperback edition of the same book was listed in The Best Books of the First Five Years by BookSense, as one of the titles independent booksellers most enjoyed handselling. The book was also published by Readers Digest Condensed Books, appearing in twelve foreign languages.
MISS JULIA TAKES OVER was one of seven nominees for the Book of the Year Award (2001) by the Southeastern Booksellers Association.
All of the books in the series are available on audiotape and in large-print editions, and are also available through The Literary Guild/Doubleday Book Club. All of the books, except the newest one each year, can be found in paperback editions.
MISS JULIA THROWS A WEDDING, MISS JULIA HITS THE ROAD, MISS JULIA MEETS HER MATCH, and MISS JULIA’S SCHOOL OF BEAUTY have all appeared on the New York Times Extended Bestseller List.
All of the books in the series will be published in German, Japanese, and Croatian editions, as well as on audiotape (in English) and in large print editions.
Inspiration for the escapades of Ann’s much-loved character, Miss Julia, comes in all manner of ways — a chance remark by a friend or family member, an incident she happens to see, in a dream, or by being reminded of something in her past experiences. It is always deeply satisfying to her when scenes in the book she is working on suddenly seem to fit together to make a good story. She does not outline or make detailed plans before starting a story. She does, however, have a general plot in mind before beginning to write, but this usually entails only the conflict and the final resolution, with few ideas of how they will be worked out. So, with just the beginning and the end of a book decided on, Ann relies on the characters themselves to fill in the middle with first one subplot after another. This, she says, is the joy of writing — when a character suddenly does or says something unexpectedly, leading her to funny and surprising ‘mini-scenes’ that seem to delight readers.
Ann was once asked by an interviewer how she knew when something she’d written was good. She replied, “I know it’s good when I fall off my chair laughing.” From that response, we can be sure that she enjoys writing about her characters as much as we enjoy reading about them. My Rating: 5 Stars! ‘There is such a thing as outsmarting your own self and I certainly did not want to do that.’
Miss Julia is starring in her twenty-second book! I love Miss Julia and will never tire of reading what all she’s up to in Abbotsville, NC. She and her family and the cast of characters populating each book are so entertaining and I always find myself laughing right out loud every so often. This go round, Miss Julia has promised herself she is going to turn over a new leaf and stop meddling in everybody’s business. Of course, we all knew that wasn’t going to last very long. And sure enough, Miss Julia is soon embroiled in several situations that she soon wishes she’d left alone. But, in her defense, they are good causes. As they always are. (smile) Miss Julia must decide what to do about Etta Mae’s suddenly precarious job situation because Etta Mae has always been such a help to her. And Miss Julia’s neighbor and best friend, Mildred Allen, has just found herself in two quite unsettling situations.
I have loved the Miss Julia books from the start and eager await each new offering in the series. Miss Julia is the most outspoken resident in Abbotsville and is never afraid to speak her mind on any subject, all the while being a quite mannerly southern lady. Ann B. Ross has once again given me a book that will have pride of place on my shelves as I enjoy another delightful and hilarious romp with dear Miss Julia. And of course, it’s so wonderful to see Lillian, Sam, and all the other wonderful characters Ross has created. Highly recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher for an early copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Publisher: Viking (Penguin) Publication Date: April 14, 2020 Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2VlyG1K
A few years ago, someone recommended to me the very first Lady Darby Mystery book, The Anatomist’s Wife. The cover intrigued me a lot, so I bought it. And was hooked! I love discovering a new author and love even more that they have a back log of books I can binge on. So I set out to read everyone and I have! Each year I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.
I am absolutely thrilled to have the author of the Lady Darby series, Anna Lee Huber, as a guest on my blog today! She has graciously consented to answer a few questions for us. So, settle in and visit with us a while. Hopefully, you’ll decide to begin the series. (I will say that these books need to be read in order.)
1. Can you tell us how the Lady Darby books were birthed? Lady Darby actually began as a voice inside my head. I was working on another book at the time, but this ‘person’ kept prodding at me in my subconscious, demanding I tell her story. The first chapter of THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE is essentially me just letter her talk to me. Then I had to stop and figure out who she was before I could go on. I wanted to write a 19th century female sleuth who had skills to bear, in particular, medical know- ledge, and I had to figure out a way for her to have acquired that expertise. Which is how her backstory with her horrid first husband–a great anatomist—was born, as well as her skill as a portrait artist.
2. Tell us what a writing day looks like for you. Pre-pandemic, my optimal average day starts with getting my kindergartner up and off to school, a short walk or run, and then diving into writing and other work. I’m at my desk from around 8 am until 2:30 pm, with my husband and our babysitter taking care of our 3 year old all morning until nap time. Then I get my 6 year old off the bus and spend the afternoon with my girls. Mid-pandemic, I’m squeezing in writing time however and whenever I can.
3. Are you a plotter or a by the seat of your pants writer? I’m a bit of a mixture. I definitely plot. I can’t get past a few chapters without figuring out where I’m going. But I do a relatively rough outline, hitting all the major points, and a few minor ones between, as well as clues and red herrings. I figure out all of my characters’ psychologies and their goals, motives and conflicts. Then I dive in and let the story take me where it will. I’ve learned not to be afraid of letting things slide in a different direction than I’d initially planned. Often those turn out to be the best parts of the book.
4. How long does it take you to write a book? It takes me approximately 5-6 months, including research time. Then the rounds of edits from my publisher come in later. And I’m often working on multiple projects at once. Not writing the first drafts, but researching, plotting, editing, etc
5. A lot of authors have a picture in their minds how their characters look. Do you? I do. Well, I have a very clear view of everyone except my heroines. I think because I write in first person, so I’m writing from ‘inside their heads.’ They don’t often stand in front of a mirror staring at themselves for me. So I know more what they feel like. But I definitely have a clear view of the heroes and other characters. However, they rarely, if ever, fit a known person’s appearance exactly. They’re largely made-up whole cloth in my imagination. So I can say that Gage looks like a cross between Rupert Penry-Jones and Simon Baker, and Sidney looks a bit like Aidan Turner, but that’s about as close as I can get.
6. Will there be more Lady Darby books? Because I’m an addict. Yes, Book 9–A WICKED CONCEIT- will release next spring. I’m working on it now. It takes Kiera and Gage back to Edinburgh, and Bonnie Brock plays a major role. And I’m contracted to write Books 10m and 11 for the following years. So there will be more Lady Darby at least through 2023. My story in the DEADLY HOURS anthology releasing on September 1st is also a Lady Darby novella, so readers will get more Kiera and Gage (and Bonnie Brock) this autumn.
Oh thank goodness! And I loved Bonnie Brock’s character, so that’s great to hear. Thank you so much, Anna Lee, for joing us today and letting us into your head for a little bit. I can’t wait for September.
About A Stroke of Malice:
Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are looking forward to celebrating with new friends at an exciting yearly soiree, but they soon learn that murder never takes a holiday in the latest riveting installment in this national bestselling series.
January 1832. After enjoying a delightful few weeks with her family, expectant mother Kiera and Sebastian Gage have been invited to the Duchess of Bowmontʼs Twelfth Night party in Traquair, Scotland. Though she normally avoids such fashionable, rambunctious events, Kiera is ready to join in the festive merrymaking. But upon their arrival at the opulent estate, it becomes obvious that all is not merry in their hostess’s home. The family appears to be under a great strain, and someone seems determined to cause mayhem among the guests with a series of forged notes.
Matters swiftly turn from irksome to downright deadly when the partygoers stumble upon a decomposing body in the castle’s crypt. The corpse is thought to be the duchess’s son-in-law who had purportedly traveled to Paris more than a month earlier. It is evident the man met with foul play, and Kiera and Gage soon realize that a ruthless murderer walks among them—and may well be a member of the duchessʼs own family. And when the investigation takes a treacherous turn, Kiera discovers just how deep the killer is willing to dig to keep their secrets from ever seeing the light of day.
About Anna Lee Huber Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, the Gothic Myths series, and the forthcoming anthology The Deadly Hours. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her online at http://www.annaleehuber.com.
My Rating: 4 Stars! When I read Anna Lee Huber’s very first Lady Darby mystery, I was hooked, and I eagerly await each next book in the series. I have never been disappointed. In this eighth book in the series, Sebastian and Kiera Gage are happy to be celebrating the new year with friends in 1832. But, as always happens when they are around, a dead body turns up. Which means no relaxing holiday for them. So, together with Gage’s faithful valet, Anderly, and Kiera’s loyal maid, Bree, the inquiry agents make it their business to solve yet another gruesome murder. Only now, Kiera is six month’s pregnant and must take it easy, as she learns to her detriment in this sprawling castle in which they’ve been invited to and must now investigate the murder. And there are a host of suspects at the Duchess of Bowmont’s Twelfth Night Party!
Huber is very skillful at engaging her readers in each crime she invents for these wonderful books. I particularly enjoy being invited inside Lady Darby’s (Kiera’s) mind as she delves into the murders she and Gage solves. And then Huber takes us deeper and deeper into the lives of those invited to the party and we soon find out that nearly everyone had a motive for being the perpetrator of the deadly crime. And, of course, each book ends on a note that makes us eager to read the next book. If only it weren’t so long between them! Recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion expressed here is entirely my own.
A Series for Lovers of History, Adventure, Romance, and AncestryBarbour Publishing offers a series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees. Stubborn Hearts Clash on a Cattle DriveEliza Gentry’s pursuit of marriage to the son of her family’s sworn enemy has cost her greatly. Furious at his daughter’s choices, her father sends her off with the cattle drive heading toward Fort Worth and the Barnhart ranch, but under the watchful eye of Wyatt Creed, a Pinkerton man he has hired to see to her safety. With danger at every turn—not the least of which to his heart—can Wyatt Creed keep his focus with Eliza Gentry around? Is the Chisholm Trail a place for falling in love or a place to die at the hands of cattle thieves?
Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo.
More in the Daughters of the Mayflower series: The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (February 2018) The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (April 2018) The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (June 2018) The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia (August 2018) The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (October 2018) The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (December 2018) The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1836 Texas (February 2019) The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1849 San Francisco (April 2019) The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1860 Utah (July 2019) The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1863 Tennessee (December 2019) The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze – set 1888 Nebraska (February 2020) About Kathleen Y’Barbo KATHLEEN Y’BARBO is a Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author with more than one hundred books have sold two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Student and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the American Republic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once.
When she’s not spinning modern day tales about her wacky Southern relatives, Kathleen inserts an ancestor or two into her historical and mystery novels as well. Recent book releases include bestselling The Pirate Bride set in 1700s New Orleans and Galveston, its sequel The Alamo Bride set in 1836 Texas, which feature a few well-placed folks from history and a family tale of adventure on the high seas and on the coast of Texas. She also writes (mostly) relative-free cozy mystery novels for Guideposts Books.
Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and one very adorable Londoner.
To find out more about Kathleen or connect with her through social media, check out her website at http://www.kathleenybarbo.com.My Rating: 4 Stars! ‘He’d have to work on that whole praying-for-your-enemies thing.’
This series has had some outstanding additions and this one is just so good. I’ve long been a fan of Kathleen Y’Barbo and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The characters were well fleshed out and the plot was very believable, as was the history. I loved every minute. I really recommend this one.
This epic journey is not at all what she expected. Joel Vargas can’t believe he’s lost his older brother in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains after surviving their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. And he can’t shake the feeling that Adam—his only living relative—is in dire trouble. No matter what the cost, he and his band of friends won’t stop until Adam is found. He’s not sure if two Indian women they meet on the way will be a help or hindrance. After the devastating loss of her daughter and husband to a grizzly attack, Elan is desperate to find an escape from her grief. As she and her friend journey from their Nez Perce camp, through the mountains and toward the great river, a band of white men is the last thing she expects to find, especially as winter blows in full force. When the dangers increase, accomplishing Joel’s mission becomes the only hope for all their survival. If the elements don’t consume them, Elan has a feeling life will never be the same for any of them. From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and intense adventure.
About Misty M. Beller
Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. For a limited time, you can get one of her bestselling novels FREE here: https://www.subscribepage.com/s8n2o1
She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.
Writing is a dream come true for Misty. Her family–both immediate and extended–is the foundation that holds her secure in that dream.
‘She longed for a God she could live for. A purpose for her life.’
Misty Beller just keeps getting better and better. With each book of hers I read, I love her writing more. This time she brings us book two in her Call of the Rockies series. It is full and rich, wonderful characters, plenty to keep any reader captivated and with a wonderful ending. Yet that ending teases of more to come in this series and this reader can’t wait!
Simply Susan 