Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles by Elizabeth Crowens Virtual Book Tour!

February 26 - March 22, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

“Sherlock Holmes has lost his dog? We have bigger crimes to solve. Go find him yourself!” That’s what the Los Angeles Police Department told Basil Rathbone. The City Pound ridiculed him as well.

Asta, the dog from the popular Thin Man series, has also vanished, and production for his next film is pending. MGM Studios offers a huge reward, and that’s exactly what young private detectives Babs Norman and Guy Brandt need for their struggling business to survive. Celebrity dognapping now a growing trend, Basil also hires them to find his missing Cocker Spaniel.

The three concoct a plan for Basil to assume his on-screen persona and round up possible suspects, including Myrna Loy and William Powell; Dashiell Hammett, creator of The Thin Man; Nigel Bruce, Basil’s on-screen Doctor Watson; Hollywood-newcomer, German philanthropist and film financier Countess Velma von Rache, and the top animal trainers in Tinseltown. Yet everyone will be in for a shock when the real reason behind the canine disappearances is even more sinister than imagined.

Jump into Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, Book One of the Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series, Finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore Awards for Comedy and First Prize winner in the Chanticleer Review’s Mark Twain Awards for Comedy and Satire.

Get ready for its sequel, Bye, Bye, Blackbird, featuring Humphrey Bogart and the cast of The Maltese Falcon.

Praise for Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles:

"I heartily enjoyed Elizabeth Crowens latest book HOUNDS OF THE HOLLYWOOD BASKERVILLES. This comedy-mystery is set during the golden age of Hollywood. Crowens’ detectives, Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, believe the case (involving dognapping and other nefarious doings) could put them on the map—especially with a star client like Basil Rathbone and suspects such as Myrna Loy, William Powell, Nigel Bruce, Dashiell Hammett, Lillian Hellman—and more. A nice look behind the scenes of the dream factory known as MGM and Hollywood in its glory days with a delicious whodunit with witty repartee to boot. This book is a real winner."
~ Charles Tranberg, author of MURDER OVER COCKTAILS: THE THIN MAN FILMS

"Move over, Holmes and Watson. Stand aside, Nick and Nora Charles. Make room for PI Babs Norman and her Guy Friday, Guy Brandt! Author Elizabeth Crowens deftly combines humor, excitement, and epic name-dropping in this entertaining adventure set in Hollywood’s Golden Age."
~ Carla Coupe, editor of Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, member of the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes and The Baker Street Irregulars

"Elizabeth Crowens’ Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles is a thrilling and hilarious romp through the days of Old Hollywood. If you ever wanted to jump into the screen and spend time with Nick Charles and Sherlock Holmes, this is the next best thing. I, for one, can’t wait for more adventures with Babs and Guy! Delightful!"
~ Phoef Sutton, Emmy Award-winning producer of Cheers, author of the Crush novels, and co-host of the Film Freaks Forever podcast

Book Details:

Genre: Golden Age of Hollywood Humorous Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: March 2024
Number of Pages: 299
Series: A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Goodreads

Chapter 1

Flea Circus Hollywood, 1940

Babs bundled Miss Marple in a beach towel. Otherwise, she would get clawed. Her disgruntled partner flinched from fleabites while holding a box of kittens. She looked around the vet’s waiting room to see if she recognized anyone, but all she noticed were an unknown house frau with a French-cut Miniature Poodle, a uniformed nurse with a Cocker Spaniel, and a frumpy elder with a Shirley Temple hopeful hugging her Saint Bernard.

The front door flew open, revealing a tall, thin, but athletic gentleman with his chestnut hair slicked back. His striking profile rivaled classic sculptures, except for the sweat which dripped down his forehead. Under one arm were photostat flyers. Under the other, a folded-up copy of Daily Variety. Both featured photos of dogs.

Guy poked Babs in the ribs to get her attention. “Recognize him?”

She observed the newcomer, who explained his dilemma in haste to the assistant, but most of what Babs could see was from behind. “Who?”

“Rathbone…Basil Rathbone.”

“The actor who plays Sherlock Holmes?”

“Shush. Don’t advertise it to everyone on Sunset Boulevard.”

In a whisper, he disclosed the highlights of the actor’s resume. “That, and Captain Blood, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and more, not to mention quite a bit of theater. If we keep it discreet, maybe we can find out why he’s here.”

Basil approached the lady with the cocker and asked if he could scratch him under his chin. “Such a handsome boy. My Leo looks a lot like him, except his coat is a deep red rather than brown.”

He pointed to the bulletin board with listings for lost pets and adoptions and handed the front desk assistant his entire stack. “I’ll have more printed. Please give them to all of your clients. If I can’t find my poor Leo, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Babs saw this as an opportunity to get acquainted. She sprang from her seat, clutching the hissing fuzzball wrapped like a jellyroll. “Maybe I can help in your search.”

Basil narrowed his eyes. “Do I know you?”

“Babs Norman.” She attempted to extend her hand for a proper introduction, but struggled with the snarling feline. “Cast as an extra in The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

“Ah…with Errol Flynn, in the days when the studios always had me play the villain.”

She gleaned from the subtle shift on his face he didn’t care for his co-star.

He eyed her with sudden skepticism. “Refresh my memory. What scene were you in? Almost all parts were male.”

“When Sir Robin of Locksley revealed to Maid Marion that he saved the lives of desperate villagers. I played a peasant wife, but my back was toward the camera.”

“What a shame,” Basil said.

Babs blushed. “I used to be an actress, but not anymore.”

“What do you consider yourself now?” Basil asked.

The vet’s assistant came between them. “Miss, maybe he desires privacy.” He ignored Babs and asked Basil. “Sir, have you filed a report with the pound?”

“I tried, but I have little faith they can help. Everyone laughed and said, ‘Sherlock Holmes has lost his dog!’”

Babs cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. First, she addressed the rude assistant. “Excuse me, but you interrupted us before I could answer his question.” Then she turned to Basil. “The reason I’m no longer an actress is now I’m a private investigator. The gentleman next to me is my associate, Guy Brandt.”

Basil dismissed the employee’s well-meaning intervention. “Such an odd transition from acting. What compelled you to get into that business?”

She lowered her head. “It’s a long story.” He didn’t need to know the truth about her father’s murder. “I also have an acute talent for finding things, whether they are people…or pets.”

“You have an actual private investigator’s license?” Basil asked.

“In my purse.” She tried to fish it out while wrestling with the cat, who broke free from her grasp. Between Guy and another staff member, they corralled the anxious tabby into a handheld cage.

“I’m so sorry.” Babs looked around at the bedlam of barking dogs. “This stray doesn’t want to nurse her kits, and I think she has—”

“Fleas.” Basil scratched his arms. “Looks like we’re both having kittens.”

She also felt an oncoming rash. “Come again?”

“Ha! It’s a peculiar old English expression. People believed a witch’s curse caused painful pregnancies, but instead of a child, they thought the woman had kittens inside her, clawing to get out. Since I’m not expectant, it shows my uncomfortable position in more ways than one.”

Babs flushed; aware this was an awkward introduction for a potential client. Meanwhile, staff members brought the kittens into the back for examination.

She plucked her ID and her business card out of her purse. “B. Norman, Investigations. In case you need proof.”

He put down his copy of Daily Variety to accept her card. Babs swiped his tabloid, attracted by a photo of another dog on its cover.

“Someone else’s dog is missing.” Babs read the article out loud. “Skippy, the wire-haired Fox Terrier known as Asta in the Thin Man movies, has vanished. Production is supposed to start on the next film featuring the lovable detectives Nick and Nora Charles. A one-thousand-dollar reward. No questions asked.”

Guy whistled. “That’s one hefty jackpot.”

Basil looked at her business card one more time. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ll match that for the return of my red cocker. My wife will think I’m insane. I was offering one hundred.” He showed them his flyers. “For you, as professionals, I guess I’ll make an exception, since now it looks like I have serious competition from producers with studio funds. Is that enough of an incentive?”

“Our agency is on Hollywood Boulevard, close to La Brea,” she said with a confident smile.

“Let’s say I stop over tomorrow on the way to the studio. Perhaps I should trust your expertise if you say you’re so good with animals.”

Babs nodded and forced herself to contain her excitement. “Sir, do you mind if I borrow your newspaper?”

“Keep it,” Basil said. He handed her both his copy of Daily Variety and several of his flyers.

After he left, she turned to her partner. “Who says we can’t go after both Asta or Skippy and Leo?”

The vet returned with the verdict. “There’s no doubt your adult cat has a case of fleas, which might have also infested your furniture. The kittens are another matter. They’re too young to eat food on their own. The obvious issue you overlooked is the adult is not their mama, because she’s a he. Not so obvious with his long and thick matted fur. That’s why he wouldn’t nurse the little ones.”

Babs turned red. “I can’t believe I was so caught up in the moment that I overlooked something that simple.”

“A coincidence, I’m afraid. You must’ve put two and two together when you found this fellow near a box of abandoned kittens,” the vet explained. “The newborns will need around-the-clock attention, and Old Tom will need a few flea baths before he’s ready to go back to anyone’s home.”

Babs grimaced. She looked at Guy and then back toward the vet. “Can’t play nursemaid while running a business.”

“Don’t worry.” The vet reassured her. “Leave them here. My staff will handle it. We’ll find good homes for all of them.”

***

Excerpt from Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles by Elizabeth Crowens. Copyright 2023 by Elizabeth Crowens. Reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Crowens. All rights reserved.

 

Elizabeth Crowens has worn many hats in the entertainment industry and has a popular Caption Contest on Facebook. She has three award-winning alternate history novels. 

Awards include 2020 Leo B. Burstein Scholarship from the MWA-NY Chapter, New York Foundation of the Arts grant, an Eric Hoffer Award, Honorable Mention in the Glimmer Train Awards, and two grand prize and five first prize Chanticleer Awards, including Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, the first in her Babs Norman Hollywood series, which is also a Killer Nashville Claymore Awards finalist and part of her three-book publishing deal with Level Best Books

Catch Up With Elizabeth Crowens:

www.ElizabethCrowens.com

Goodreads

BookBub - @ECrowens

Instagram - @crowens_author

Twitter/X - @ECrowens

Facebook - @thereel.elizabeth.crowens

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

 

Don't Miss Out! Enter Now for Your Chance to Win!

Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles by Elizabeth Crowens (5 - $5 Amazon.com)

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elizabeth Crowens. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light Judith Arnopp Blog Tour! @JudithArnopp @cathiedunn @tudor_juditharnopp @thecoffeepotbookclub @jarnopp.bsky.social @cathiedunn.bsky.social

 

Book Title: A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light (Book Three)

Series: The Henrician Chronicle

Author: Judith Arnopp

Publication Date: 2nd February 2024

Publisher: independently published

Page Length: 302

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction

With youth now far behind him, King Henry VIII has only produced one infant son and two bastard daughters. More sons are essential to secure the Tudor line and with his third wife, Jane Seymour dead, Henry hunts for a suitable replacement.

After the break from Rome, trouble is brewing with France and Scotland. Thomas Cromwell arranges a diplomatic marriage with the sister of the Duke of Cleves but when it comes to women, Henry is fastidious, and the new bride does not please him. The increasingly unpredictable king sets his sights instead upon Katherine Howard and instructs Cromwell to free him from the match with Cleves.

Failure to rid the king of his unloved wife could cost Cromwell his head.

Henry, now ailing and ageing, is invigorated by his flighty new bride but despite the favours he heaps upon her, he cannot win Katherine’s heart. A little over a year later, broken by her infidelity, she becomes the second of his wives to die on the scaffold, leaving Henry friendless and alone.

But his stout heart will not surrender and leaving his sixth wife, Katheryn Parr, installed as regent over England, Henry embarks on a final war to win back territories lost to the French more than a century before. Hungry for glory, the king is determined that the name Henry VIII will shine brighter and longer than that of his hero, Henry V.

Told from the king’s perspective, A Matter of Time: Henry VIII: the Dying of the Light shines a torch into the heart and mind of England’s most tyrannical king.

Universal Buy Links to the three titles in the series:

A Matter of Conscience: https://mybook.to/amoc 

A Matter of Faith: https://mybook.to/amofaith  

A Matter of Time: https://mybook.to/amot

A Matter of Time

May day 1540 Henry preparing for the May Day celebration

The morning of the annual May Day celebrations dawns bright and the whole court is merry. Culpepper arrives early, a little after dawn, to change my bandages before the gentlemen of the bedchamber arrive to help me dress. Already garbed in their finest, we will make a fine splash of colour when we enter the competition grounds. I am not competing today, since my leg continues to plague me, but Thomas Seymour and Richard Cromwell will be riding in my stead.

Before I have finished dressing, Will Somer appears, clad as usual in goose turd green with a jolly feather in his cap.

“I am ready,” he announces grandly. “Are you wearing that, sweet king, are you sure that is wise?”

He regards my finery with a curled lip, which makes the gentlemen gasp, but I am confident I am looking my best. Somer is doing what he is paid to do. It is a shame more of my servants don’t do the same. My companions may have missed the cheeky sparkle in his eye, but nothing evades me. I content myself with clouting the fool around the head and, when he ducks away laughing, I throw a jug at him.

It crashes at the feet of Culpepper who is just bringing my hat for approval. He stops in surprise, looks wide-eyed around the chamber.

“Is it safe to come in?” he asks with a grin before approaching and arranging my cap at a jaunty angle, and fluffing the wisps of feathers so that they float fetchingly about my head. 

 

A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English/Creative writing and an MA in Medieval Studies. She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novels set in the Medieval and Tudor period, focusing on the perspective of historical women but recently she has been writing from the perspective of Henry VIII himself.

Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria which is when she began to experiment with sewing historical garments. She now makes clothes and accessories both for the group and others. She is not a professionally trained sewer but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly historically accurate clothing. Her non-fiction book, How to Dress like a Tudor was published by Pen and Sword in 2023.

Her novels include:

A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York

The Beaufort Chronicle: the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three book series)

A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years (Book One of The Henrician Chronicle)

A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the Days of the Phoenix (Book Two of The Henrician chronicle)

A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light (Book Three, Coming soon)

The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn

The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII

Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr

Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace

The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England

Peaceweaver

The Forest Dwellers

The Song of Heledd

Previously published under the pen name – J M Ruddock.

The Book of Thornhold

A Daughter of Warwick: the story of Anne Neville, Queen of Richard III

Website:

www.judithmarnopp.com 

Blog:

http://www.juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JudithArnopp 

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

LinkedIn:

www.linkedin.com/in/judith-arnopp-ba999025 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tudor_juditharnopp/ 

tudor_juditharnopp@threads.net 

Bluesky:

https://bsky.app/profile/jarnopp.bsky.social 

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jarnopp/ 

Book Bub:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judith-arnopp 

Amazon Author Page:

https://author.to/juditharnoppbooks 

Goodreads:

https://www.goodrea

ds.com/author/show/4088659.Judith_Arnopp

Threads

 https://www.threads.net/@tudor_juditharnopp 

Tour Schedule Page:

Sky Watcher Series Book 4 by Heather Lynn Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours @SkyWatcher.HL @skywatcher_hl #SkyWatcherSeries

 I had been there, waiting, between the shadows, every Samhain for the past eight years—she hadn’t come.

Empty Shadows

Sky Watcher Series Book 4

by Heather Lynn

Genre: Historical Fantasy Time Travel Romance

Every year, Charlotte faithfully performs her Samhain ritual, anxiously awaiting her visit with Jessica. But Jessica has not appeared for the past eight years. What could possibly have happened to prevent her from being there?

 

As a stormy night sets in, Charlotte’s friends arrive entangled in a web of theft and murder. When an old adversary resurfaces with plans of their own, the situation becomes more complicated, and secrets begin to unravel.

 

In the aftermath, Charlotte and Ben establish the “Doctor’s House”, offering comfort to the ailing. An obscure summons leads them to a stranger being held in the gaol—his presence in the schoolhouse a mystery, the turpentine and striker in his possession leading to more questions. Who is this man? What secrets does he hold? And what does he seek from Charlotte?

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

With only a few weeks of school remaining, the students were more than ready for summer. The warmer temperatures often made for disagreeable, sweaty children, but not this day—this day was altogether different. 

“What do you think this is about, Ben? Why do you think this guy would want to talk to me?” Charlotte asked as they walked toward the grist mill.

“I have no idea. We just have to wait and see.”

Larry met them at the door, looking very serious. “I won’t beat around the bush. Lenny and Greg caught this man coming out of the schoolhouse this morning. Long story short, when they approached him, he was holding a tin of turpentine and a striker. It looked as if he was trying to start a fire.”

“What? With the children inside?”

“Yes. They each grabbed an arm and held him while they sent one of the children to find me.” He looked at Charlotte now. “Calls himself Carl. He was asking for you, Charlotte, you and Ben. Don’t know why. Would you care to speak to him?”

She looked at Ben; they’d never know what it was about if they didn’t see him. As far as she knew, neither of them knew a Carl, but Charlotte was curious to learn his interest in them. “Yes,” Ben said. He began walking toward the door of the gaol. Larry reminded them he was just outside if needed.

Charlotte followed her husband into the cell and heard the door close behind them. Inside was a man sitting on the edge of the thin pallet—elbows on knees, chin in hands—who glanced up as the door locked. He appeared to be of medium height and build, with short, tousled light-brown hair, and looked to be about forty years old.

“Carl, is it? We were told you wanted to see us?” Ben began.

Carl nodded and offered a nervous smile. “I was not trying to burn down the schoolhouse, not at all. In fact, I was trying to stop what would have become a fire. I tried to tell them, but they didn’t want to listen.”

“I don’t follow,” Ben responded.

Charlotte had been looking at this man’s face, feeling as if she should know who he was, and yet she did not. “I’m sorry,” she started, “but have we met?”

He looked from Ben to her and smiled. “Many years ago.” Her mind was searching, trying to remember. “And not for many years to come.”

Between the Shadows

Sky Watcher Series Book 3

She didn’t see this coming . . .

After glimpsing Jessica’s grief-stricken face reflected in the window, Charlotte Williams—along with her husband, Ben—is pulled back to the future she left behind to help her friend. What Charlotte and Jessica share connects them irreversibly, their lives now intertwined forever. Confident their bond can transcend time, Charlotte returns “home” to her life in the past.

Following a risky time jump, Charlotte and Ben are reunited with their friends and family in 1819 and she resumes her mission to pass on a dear departed friend’s heirloom ring. As they begin to grow their own family, they face a series of challenges, including a surprising opportunity for Ben. The ensuing adventure leads to an inevitable encounter that tests their marriage absolutely.

The love between Charlotte and her friends spans time and space, helping her to define family and what home is. And yet, illusion and betrayal threaten to obscure her reality. Will she come through this with her family intact? How will Charlotte move forward?

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

. . . After lighting the white Goddess candle and the red God candle, I quietly welcomed them into my sacred Samhain circle where I would work my will between the human and the spirit world. “So mote it be.” Then I lit the candle in the jack-o-lantern, which was sitting in the West beside a picture of my mother and one of Jessica. I did not intend to call my mum, she told me that it was too difficult for her to come to me here; I simply put her picture there as a reminder of her. “Jessica and Wiccans past, the veil between our worlds is thin, please join me and celebrate.” I picked up the last candle, the white one used to call Jess, and I anointed it with oil, as I spoke. This is the part I’d been waiting for. I lit the candle, sat in front of the altar and relaxed in order to allow our thoughts and feelings to mingle. 

I remembered the morning of my twelfth birthday. Mum and I had driven up to the cottage with Jess the night before, singing together with the stereo most of the way. The two of us had stayed up, talking and giggling well into the night. In the morning Mum had made us triple chocolate pancakes, drizzled in syrup and we were talking about what we would do for the day, it was my choice; canoeing, swimming, and tanning were high on the list. Now, I sat in the candlelight smiling as I remembered those happy, carefree feelings. The image changed then as Mum stood up from the table and looked deep into my eyes, she put her hands over her heart and smiled at me with wet eyes, unable, it appeared, to speak. I thought, I love you too, Mum. From the darkness, I began to hear Jessica’s voice. “I called Sarah this evening, Charlotte, you and Sarah,” she said. Mum put her arm around Jessica and the two stood smiling at me, and then it was Gracie who stood beside Jess. I looked at Gracie and thought-asked, It’s true isn’t it? They looked at one another before Jess turned toward me. “Yes, it’s true Charlie, it’s true.” She seemed to be the only one able to speak. I watched her as she turned her head to her right, I followed her line of sight and what did I see? It was Gifted Hands; she was sitting in her chair nursing Mitenah. She looked up as she became aware that we were in the room with her. Her smile, as always, was beautiful. Jess looked back at me now. “I brought us all together. Charlotte, you look . . . Charlie?” She sucked in her breath and tears began to trickle from her eyes. “You’re going to have a baby? I can see its glow within you. Oh my God, Charlotte, how wonderful! And Gracie—” she didn’t finish her sentence, instead she glanced at me—I understood. To Gifted Hands she said, “I thank you for being such a good friend to my Charlotte and for helping to save her. She told me so much about you; I almost feel that I know you. I wish you much happiness, Gifted Hands.” Looking back to Gracie, she said, “Gracie, you must have the soul of Sarah Gray within you, for I have seen it . . . You have been with Charlotte in two lives and you have loved one another so very much in both. I thank you as well, Gracie, and wish you every happiness.” She came back to me, as the others disappeared. “Please, Charlie, while we can, show me what I’ve missed since you returned.” 

Déjà-Vu

Sky Watcher Series Book 2

Charlotte Harper’s best friend Jessica is shocked to receive a letter detailing Charlotte’s journey back in time to save her possible ancestor Elizabeth. The letter, written in 1819, speaks of the consequences of Charlotte’s actions and asks for Jessica’s help.

Charlotte’s adventure begins with a Wiccan ritual and spell that takes her back to 1818. After arriving at a small town on the shore of Owasco Lake, New York, she settles in, finding work at the general store to earn her keep. While awaiting Elizabeth’s arrival, she forms strong bonds with those around her, finding herself part of a tight-knit circle of friends and deeply in love.

Charlotte knows that walking through one door often closes many others, so when she dreams of warnings from the future she left behind, she wants to understand. Is Jessica reaching out to her? What is she trying to tell her? Knowing that one single choice can change who is your friend, your lover, who lives and who dies, Charlotte must choose her path wisely so as not to make the same mistakes.

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

Prologue

She tucked her purse under her arm and stepped out of the car, ready to make a run for it. The rain was pouring down as she dashed toward the front door. As she turned the key in the lock, she heard a horn beep twice and looked over her shoulder to see a white delivery van pulling into the driveway.

The driver jumped out and walked briskly up the driveway. “Good afternoon. Package for Miss Jessica Miller?” he said, stepping under the overhang.

“Thank you,” she answered as a plastic envelope was placed into her hand. Curious, she stepped inside the house, setting her bag on the kitchen table and tossing her jacket over the back of a chair. Jessica stood at the counter, envelope in hand, and flicked on the kettle; a nice cup of tea would take the chill out of her. She tore open the top of the plastic envelope and then the plain cardboard envelope within it. What she pulled out next was a manila envelope, labelled with her name and address. This contained yet another envelope. What the? She blew a loose bit of hair off her face. 

This last envelope was slightly yellowed with faded but still legible handwriting. On the front in pale black ink was her name, Jessica Miller, and the address of this house, Charlotte’s house, followed by the line, Please deliver after April 1st, 2012. Turning the envelope over she saw a red wax seal and a somewhat faded black stamp, that read “Bank of New York.”

She wondered what this could be. It certainly looked old. As far as Jessica knew, she had no business with anyone in New York. She set the envelope on the table and returned to making her tea. Her impulse was to call Charlotte and tell her about this. Had Charlotte been there, she probably would have waited for her to open and read it, but she wasn’t. It was now the second week of May; Charlotte had been gone for seven weeks. It had been a long seven weeks without her best friend to talk to, to laugh with. Jessica missed her so much. 

While her tea steeped, she ran upstairs to change out of her office scrubs and into some sweats, slinging her hair up into a ponytail. Now she was ready.

Tea in one hand, envelope in the other, Jessica went to the family room and sat by the window in her favourite chair. Gingerly, she lifted the wax seal and carefully pulled out and unfolded a delicate letter.                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                            FFebruary 1819

Dear Jessica,

You do not know me, so please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ben Williams. I know of you because when your friend Charlotte left you, she came to live with us, and she told us about her dearest and oldest friend. This letter will surely seem strange, but please read on and I will do my best to explain.

Charlotte came to us last March, a stranger to our town and our time. She left you without telling you where she was going or why, for fear that you would think her “crazy.” We will try to help you understand the where, the why, and the result. 

There was a side to Charlotte that she shared with no one, not even you. She told us that one of her courses in school was called The History of Witchcraft. Her curiosity led her to delve deeper into the subject and she found herself interested in Wicca. Her interest led her to practice certain rituals and celebrate certain days of the year, as she found her own beliefs to be very much represented in Wicca. 

During this time, she learned of a woman she thought might be an ancestor. Her name was Elizabeth Gray Bruce. She was charged with murder by witchcraft and hunted as she tried to escape the country, eventually being found in our town in February of 1819. She was hanged one month later. Our Charlotte, thinking this woman an ancestor and obviously not guilty, decided to use her knowledge and belief in Wicca and try to come to our town, to our time, with the hope of saving Elizabeth.

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Jessica set the letter on the table beside her and stood, hand to forehead. Charlotte, is all this true? She paced once around the room, stopping to look out the front window and watch the rain fall as her mind tried to understand this information. With a deep breath, she returned to the chair, picking up the letter once again.

Your best friend, Charlotte Gray Harper, left you in March 2012 and came to us on the same date at Owasco Lake, New York, in March 1818. When you receive this letter, Charlotte will have been gone from here a matter of weeks; but at the time that this note is written, we will have known her for just over ten months. I understand that this will come as a shock to you; it did to us as well. 

Jessica sat for a few moments before realizing she’d zoned out. What the hell? She went back in time? Back in time?! What the hell made her think that would even be possible? 

I say “us” and “we” because, though this letter is written in my hand, four friends are helping me compose these words, friends who have grown to love Charlotte. It is our hope that by telling you what happened here, you can try to help us from there. Again, I know that this will sound odd, but please bear with me and I will do my best to explain. 

A Shadow in Time

Sky Watcher Series Book 1

Charlotte Harper’s life isn’t going as she expected. She had to change her course of studies, her ex-boyfriend has hooked up with her best friend, and she misses her mother desperately since her passing.

Searching for meaning and direction, she pours herself into her family history, researching her roots. When she learns of a possible ancestor named Elizabeth from the early nineteenth century, who was hung for the crime of witchcraft, she is determined to try to save her fate. Charlotte explores the strength of her Wiccan beliefs and the powers within her stones, preparing a spell to transport herself back in time nearly two centuries.

She arrives at a small, sleepy town on the shore of Owasco Lake, New York. Intending to stay just long enough to save her ancestor, she creates a cover story and attempts to fit in, but after waiting for weeks with no word of Elizabeth, she immerses herself in the community. She works in the General Store to earn her keep and uses her knowledge of herbs and medicine to help those in need. She soon forms strong bonds with those around her, finding herself drawn into the simple and fulfilling life of a bygone era, and even falls in love—more deeply than she ever thought possible.

As the deadline of the execution nears, visions of the future begin to plague her and those around her. Can she truly save Elizabeth and undo what happened almost two centuries ago? With two lives on the line, she knows she must face the consequences of meddling with time, even if it costs her everything.

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

Prologue

Time is always. It is now, it is then;

it cannot be stopped, and it waits for no one.

I asked myself once again: Charlotte, have you lost your mind? Have you gone completely off the deep end? My saner inner voice was becoming repetitive. In fact, it was getting on my nerves! Not for the first time, I tried to reassure myself that, yes, while even thinking about doing something like this would be considered crazy, attempting it was absurd—yet, here I was. I was on my way to Owasco Lake, New York, on what could prove to be the greatest, and quite possibly last, adventure of my life.

As the bus travelled East on the thruway, my mind was racing. My thoughts turned unexpectedly to the conversation I’d had with Jessica yesterday morning. She’d called about dropping some boxes off at the house. Given that I had some running around to do, I told her I’d leave the side door unlocked for her or Michael. She reminded me of a letter that had come for me, which she’d left on the table by the phone. As I told her I’d be in touch tomorrow, I scanned the table and the floor at its base, but saw nothing.

After speaking to Jessica, I’d gone to see my lawyer to review the handling of my affairs if I hadn’t come back within two years. Chances were, if I hadn’t come back by then, I wasn’t coming back. That’s assuming, of course, that I made it there at all.

I expected to be gone for a year or so, and had suggested that Jessica and Michael live in my house during that time. It was a win-win situation—my house would be lived in and looked after, and they would have somewhere to stay together while they saved for a house of their own.

Upon returning home, I was struck by how empty the house felt. The butterflies in my stomach started fluttering. This is not an ending, I reminded myself. It’s the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime! I went upstairs and released the staircase from the attic, climbing up with the last of my boxes. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around the large open space. This attic wasn’t a gloomy, confined room; it was properly floored and insulated, with two high, half-circle windows letting in the sunlight. Though it had a low ceiling, I could walk through the middle without having to duck my head. When I was little, it had been my playroom. We’d painted a wall pink, hung a large blackboard, and taken up a little table, chairs, and tea set. I still remembered sitting at the table with my biggest teddy, Super Fluffy, and my bunny, Alice, sharing tea and cookies. When I was a little bigger, I’d come up here with Jessica and we’d shared our secrets. Now the floor space was occupied by a rolling rack hung with off-season clothing, boxes of Christmas decorations, books, and keepsakes. I put the last boxes onto the floor and, after one last look around, closed up the attic. It was now midafternoon and all that remained for me to do was write my letter to Jess.

The weather this March had been remarkably warm, and I was hot! First things first: let’s get out of these sweaty clothes and freshen up. I dropped my clothes to the floor, reached in behind the glass shower door, and turned on the water. I took down my ponytail and brushed out my hair and when the temperature was just right, stepped in. Mm-mm, this, I will miss! Questions rushed through my mind. Would I succeed in making this journey? Could it even be done? I had seen Elizabeth’s name on that list on my computer and made up my mind to try to save her, but would I even be able to find her? Is it possible to change things that have already happened? Would there be consequences? Completely engrossed in my thoughts as I was, it came as a shock when Michael’s face came into view in the open shower door. As I looked at him, confused, he smiled and stepped in, pulling the door closed behind him. “Michael, what the—” He cut me off.

“Charlie, when I realized you were in here, I had to come. I just want to be with you one last time, to say goodbye.” His hand ran up my arm, before his fingers lifted my chin, his touch was familiar.

I put up a valiant fight, I did, but he knew me too well.

When he left some time later, I felt only emptiness. I sat on the edge of the bed, turning to avoid my reflection in the mirror. That door had closed some time ago. I thought back to the evening we’d called it quits. We had both known that breaking up was the right thing to do, that it just wasn’t to be. I’d come up to bed after he’d left and cried until I had no tears left. A soft, unfamiliar voice whispered to me in my dreams that night: “Every ending is a new beginning, Charlotte.” These wise words had stayed with me.

It was about a year later when he and Jess got together, and they were perfect for each other. I hoped that they would have a good life together, I truly did. I felt no jealousy, no hard feelings, though now I did feel a small amount of guilt. I suppose that my fear and uncertainty about what lay ahead of me had caused me to grab hold of the feeling of love and protection he’d offered, fleeting as it was. Without question, it would be easier to move forward when I was no longer in the here and now. Tomorrow would change everything.

Heather Lynn, born in Toronto, Ontario, lives with her family just north of the city. Her education in biology and health sciences has supported an ongoing interest in physiology and the potential of herbal healing. In addition, she has been intrigued by the possibility and impossibility of time travel since childhood. When she's not writing, Heather enjoys family time, working in her garden, and learning more about the 'power' of stones.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

#HistoricalFiction #Fantasy #TimeTravel #Romancebooks #ParanormalRomance #books #readers #reading #booklovers #bookbuzz #bookboost #BookPromo #AuthorPromo #BookBlogger #Bookstagram #bookish #bookclub #MustRead #Writersofinstagram #AmReading #BookTour #Giveaway #writingcommunity #readerscommunity 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway