Reviews!

To any authors/publishers/ tour companies that are looking for the reviews that I signed up for please know this is very hard to do. I will be stopping reviews temporarily. My husband passed away February 1st and my new normal is a bit scary right now and I am unable to concentrate on a book to do justice to the book and authors. I will still do spotlight posts if you wish it is just the reviews at this time. I apologize for this, but it isn't fair to you if I signed up to do a review and haven't been able to because I can't concentrate on any books. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. I appreciate all of you. Kathleen Kelly April 2nd 2024

23 March 2019

Dangerous Indenture - A Colonial Romance/Mystery By Kelli A. Wilkins Book Spotlight! @KWilkinsauthor

Spotlight on… Dangerous Indenture - A Colonial Romance/Mystery

By Kelli A. Wilkins
Hi everyone,
Today I’m sharing a look at the making of my historical romance, Dangerous Indenture. I’ll discuss how the book came about, the research involved, and how I created these unique characters.
As most readers know, I write romances in nearly every genre: contemporary, historical, fantasy, gay, and paranormal. When I write historical romances I never know where (or when) my story will take me. Redemption from a Dark Past is set in the kingdom of Hungary, Loving a Wild Stranger is a pioneer romance set in 1823, and Dangerous Indenture is a sensual historical/mystery set in Pennsylvania Colony in the early 1700s.
Here’s the book summary and links:
Dangerous Indenture
Indentured for five years… how long can Shauna resist her master’s son?
Desperate to escape her past in Ireland, Shauna Farrow signs on to become an indentured servant to Joshua Stewart, a wealthy man in Pennsylvania Colony. But a life of servitude quickly turns to drudgery, and Shauna’s hopes for starting over and creating a better life for herself are waning—until she meets her master’s roguish son, Ashton.
Ashton needs to redeem himself in his father’s eyes and earn the respect he has always longed for. Meeting Shauna turns his life around, and he sets out to win her heart. Torn between propriety and passion, Shauna struggles against her growing attraction to Ashton as long as she can.
But amidst their flirting, something dark stirs. Shauna soon discovers why no other servants wanted to work for the strange Stewart family.
Stewart House has an unsavory reputation: a previous servant died there under mysterious circumstances. When another servant goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced that a member of the family is responsible.
Shauna’s investigation leads her close to the truth, and yet, she’s not sure who she can trust. Events take a deadly turn when she confronts the murderer and discovers the mystery of the Stewart family. 

Will Shauna be rescued before time runs out, or will she meet with the same fate as the other servants? 
You can order Dangerous Indenture here:
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP

***
So, how did the novel come about? Dangerous Indenture is one of those books that just jumped into my head. (Yes, every so often that happens to writers.) One day, I overheard the name Shawna Farrell, but I thought I’d heard Shauna Farrow. The name stuck with me and I wrote it down.
A few minutes later, I knew all about her: she was an Irish indentured servant who came to Pennsylvania Colony and worked at a house where a previous servant was murdered. Once I knew that, I started outlining the book.
Before I wrote a word, I did a lot of research. I was starting from a good place with the book—I knew where I wanted to set the story and in approximately what timeframe it should take place.
From there, I spent time in the library going through history books, reading up on Colonial times (What life was like, what people wore, ate, etc.) and indentured servants (Where did they come from? Why did they leave their home country?).
As I wrote, I incorporated my research as background information. This gives the book a rich, historical feel without going overboard with details that slow down a scene or are of no interest to readers.
When I’m writing historical romances, I include details and descriptions that are integral to the story. I don’t bog down the plot with a step-by-step procedure for churning butter or how to saddle a horse, and I don’t go into an endless description of how to unfasten a corset (unless it’s befuddling a hero who is eager to remove it!)
And just because historical romances are set in time periods before cars, the Internet, and cell phones, that doesn’t (or shouldn’t) make them boring. My historicals include plenty of action, adventure, intrigue, danger, comedy, and sensual love scenes.
When I wrote Dangerous Indenture, I especially enjoyed creating the characters and setting the stage for the drama that’s about to unfold. Right from the start, we’re told that Stewart House is a place to be wary of, and then we (and Shauna) meet the master of the house, Joshua Stewart, and his strange family.
Our hero, Ashton Bailey, is flawed and has a lot of problems to overcome. For starters, he’s known as the black sheep of the family and has been sent home in disgrace. He has a reputation as a drunkard and a womanizer, and tends to get himself into troubling situations. By giving Ashton all this “baggage” I made him vulnerable and provided him with lofty goals to reach.
Shauna has come to the Colonies to start over and make a new life for herself. The last thing she wants is to fall in love with anyone—and then she meets Ashton. Shauna is headstrong and independent, and not your typical heroine. She’s brash and opinionated and falls in love with Ashton despite all of his socially unacceptable flaws. Ashton gives her the strength and encouragement she needs to keep going when things look bleak, and he stands up for her at a critical plot point in the story.
When I developed the secondary characters, I made sure to give them all interesting backstories and unusual quirks. Joshua comes off as a mean bear of a man, Minerva just might be crazy (and a murderer), Colin is… a villain in many senses of the word, and Lila thought she had everything going for her—for a while. Not everyone in Stewart House is as they seem, however, and this adds another level of mystery and intrigue to the book.
I love the characters and the fact that Dangerous Indenture is a romance blended with mystery. I had never written a romance set in Colonial times before, and combining all these elements into this Gothic-type story was a lot of fun.
I hope you enjoyed this inside look at the making of Dangerous Indenture. I welcome comments and questions from readers. Be sure to follow my blog for the latest updates and visit me on social media.
Happy Reading,
Kelli A. Wilkins


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, 5 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers with her horror stories.
Her historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, was released in March 2019. This full-length novel is set in Pennsylvania Colony and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.

She published the second half of her flash fiction series, Cupid’s Schemes, in early 2019. These two volumes of lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.
Kelli released her latest Teachable mini-course, Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas in February 2019. She authored Fiction Writing for Beginners through Teachable in 2018. These courses are perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details.
If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her latest novella, Nightmare in the North.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com and blog http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ to learn more about all of her writings.

 CATCH UP WITH KELLI
Here’s a full list of where you can find Kelli on the web.
Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb

Teachable Online Writing Courses: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/

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Checking the Traps by Joan Livingston Spotlight! @joanlivingston @rararesources



Checking the Traps
Isabel Long is a bit banged up from her last case with a broken collarbone and her arm in a sling. But that doesn’t stop her from pouring beer at the Rooster Bar or taking her third case with Gary Beaumont, a local drug dealer who once terrorized her. Gary is convinced his brother didn’t jump off a bridge known for suicides. Somebody pushed him.
Gary’s brother was a boozer who drove for a highway crew. But what interests Isabel and her ‘Watson’ — her 93-year-old mother who lives with her — is that the man wrote poetry.
The chief suspects are one of Gary’s business associates and a famous poet who plagiarized his brother’s poetry for an award-winning book. Yes, he was that good.
As a journalist, Isabel did regular meetups with her sources for stories. She called it checking the traps. She does the same as a private investigator, and this time, she’ll make sure she doesn’t get caught in one.
Purchase Links:
Read an Excerpt
Checking the Traps: Excerpt By Joan Livingston
This is how Checking the Traps starts: Isabel Long is banged up from her second case, but she’s not about to let a broken collarbone stop her from working part-time at the Rooster, the only bar in this one-stoplight town. And it surely won’t prevent Isabel from taking her third case. In this excerpt, I try to bring readers up to speed on what happened to my amateur P.I. without spoiling it for those who haven’t read the second book, Redneck’s Revenge. Since the mystery is written in first-person, present tense, I believe readers can easily get a sense of Isabel’s personality.

It’s Friday night at the Rooster Bar and Grille, and I’m behind the bar taking care of business with my one good arm. The other is in a sling. A broken collarbone and a few badly bruised ribs are souvenirs from my second case, that and the satisfaction I nailed the bastard who ran my car off the road. I’m right-handed, and luckily, my injuries are on my left side, so it’s a piece of cake, really, snapping the caps off Buds with the opener mounted on the back of the counter. I only need one arm to reach for beers in the cooler and drop empties into the carton below. I’m not able to deliver food or clean tables, but then again, I have a very understanding boss. You remember Jack Smith, don’t you?
Besides, my getup is a conversation starter here at the town of Conwell’s only drinking establishment. The Rooster’s True Blue Regulars, of course, are all aware of what happened two weeks ago, but being nosy New Englanders, they prod me for details. They can’t get enough of the story. I gladly accommodate them. They’re friendly guys and good tippers.
“Isabel, how fast were you goin’ when Pete hit the back of your mother’s car?” one guy asks when I hand him his beer.
“Last I looked it was eighty.”
“Damn. On that road? You and Barbie were lucky you didn’t get yourselves killed.”
Uh, that might have been Pete Woodrell’s intention when he tailed us in his pickup. His wife, Barbie, was terrified and screaming beside me in the front seat. I didn’t blame her. I felt like screaming, too, but I had to pay attention to the road.
Hold on a minute. I have a line of customers stacking up. The dinner crowd has come and gone, or come and stayed if they’re making a night of it. The kitchen is closed, and I hear Carole, the cook, cleaning inside. The Back Door Men, tonight’s band, are hauling their instruments and speakers through the side door. There’s a full house tonight, which makes Jack, who owns the joint, one happy man.
Being the start of April, the snowmobiles are gone because the snow is pretty much gone. We are in the thick of mud season, at least on the back roads, so the Rooster’s floor is getting awfully gritty. That’s okay. The Rooster is almost a shack in the woods, no frills, except for the large-screen TVs for sports games mostly, the jukebox, and thankfully, a clean women’s room. Jack told me he’s getting ready to spruce up the bar’s interior with some fresh paint and a new toilet in the men’s room. He couldn’t recall the last time the Rooster was painted, oh, maybe when he first bought the place. As for the men’s room toilet, it’s probably an original.
“What’ll it be tonight, Luke?” I ask the guy in front of me as if I don’t know what he’ll order.
“Make it a Bud.”
I reach inside the cooler.
“You sure? We do have a fine selection of beers on tap.”
He smiles to himself as he reaches into his back pocket for his wallet. Most folks here pay cash for their drinks and meals although Jack started taking credit cards years ago.
“You think the murder charges will stick?” he asks.
I smile to myself, too.
“I sure as hell hope so.”
Jack raises his tray of empties while he maneuvers through the crowd. His eyes meet mine as he steps closer. Yeah, he’s grinning.
Sometimes I forget what a good-looking guy Jack is. He’s got a square jaw and brown eyes on the large size. He’s a big bear of a guy who jokes about his weight. His hair is mostly dark even though he’s in his sixties, and it’s not dyed, I know for certain. That’s not Jack’s style.
“You sure you’re okay, Isabel?” he asks when he drops the tray on the counter.
“I’m doing just fine, boss. Right, boys?” I ask the men sitting at the bar.
The drinkers bob their heads.
“Yeah, Isabel is putting on quite a show for us,” one of them says.

Author Bio
Joan Livingston is the author of novels for adult and young readers. Checking the Traps, published by Crooked Cat Books, is the third in the mystery series featuring Isabel Long, a longtime journalist who becomes an amateur P.I. The first two are Chasing the Case and Redneck’s Revenge.
An award-winning journalist, she started as a reporter covering the hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. She was an editor, columnist, and the managing editor of The Taos News, which won numerous state and national awards during her tenure.
After eleven years in Northern New Mexico, she returned to rural Western Massachusetts, which is the setting of much of her adult fiction, including the Isabel Long mystery series.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: @joanlivingston 

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22 March 2019

The Girl from Oto by Amy Maroney Book Tour and Giveaway! #TheGirlfromOto #AmyMaroney #HFVBTBlogTours @wilaroney @hfvbt

The Girl from Oto by Amy Maroney

Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Artelan Press
eBook & Paperback; 532 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Series: The Miramonde Series, Book 1
A Renaissance-era woman artist and an American scholar. Linked by a 500-year-old mystery… The secrets of the past are irresistible—and dangerous. 1500: Born during a time wracked by war and plague, Renaissance-era artist Mira grows up in a Pyrenees convent believing she is an orphan. When tragedy strikes, Mira learns the devastating truth about her own origins. But does she have the strength to face those who would destroy her? 2015: Centuries later, art scholar Zari unearths traces of a mysterious young woman named Mira in two 16th-century portraits. Obsessed, Zari tracks Mira through the great cities of Europe to the pilgrim’s route of Camino de Santiago—and is stunned by what she finds. Will her discovery be enough to bring Mira’s story to life?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Praise for The Girl from Oto

"I loved the lush descriptions and the hard-nosed female characters who find a way to get what they want in a man's world. An exquisite novel." -Martha Conway, winner of the North American Book Award for Thieving Forest "An absorbing debut novel. I couldn't put it down." -Deborah Swift, author of The Gilded Lily "A rich and intriguing evocation of the fifteenth century is interwoven with an emotionally satisfying mystery in the present day." -Emma Darwin, author of A Secret Alchemy "A powerful story and an intriguing mystery. A Red Ribbon winner and highly recommended." -The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, U.K. "From the very beginning, I was enthralled with Mira, Zari, and their entwined journeys through history and the world of art. As a curator and art historian, it's a rare treat for me to find a novel that so lovingly reflects our joys and challenges. The Girl from Oto delivers--and I can't wait to spend more time with Mira." -Jennifer Dasal, host of the ArtCurious podcast

About the Author

Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She studied English literature at Boston University and public policy at Portland State University, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, painting, drawing, dancing and reading. The Girl from Oto and Mira's Way are books 1 & 2 in The Miramonde Series. For a free prelude to The Girl from Oto, for the full scoop on the research behind the book, and for news about the sequel, please visit www.amymaroney.com.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, March 11
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, March 12
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages
Thursday, March 14
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Friday, March 15
Feature at What Is That Book About
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots
Saturday, March 16
Feature at Broken Teepee
Sunday, March 17
Interview at T’s Stuff
Monday, March 18
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Tuesday, March 19
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, March 20
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective
Thursday, March 21
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Friday, March 22
Review at Coffee and Ink
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away 10 eBooks of The Girl from Oto by Amy Maroney! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to the US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

   The Girl from Oto

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