Book Tour Grand Finale for Heaven's Edge Box Set By Jennifer Silverwood @JennSilverwood #HeavensEdgeTour

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for

Heaven's Edge Box Set

By Jennifer Silverwood

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops

you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Note from the Author

. . . Over the years and between releasing my “big” books, I worked with editor and friend, Jessica Augustsson to breathe back life into this mini series. It’s been one epic steam-clunking ride, reinventing this world from my childhood. I hope you’re ready to take a tour to the Rim with me.

Enjoy the adventure!

—Jennifer

Caffeine Addled Ramblings - Excerpt

Book One: Qeya

My childhood lullaby was the metallic blend of grinding gears, of hissing hydro fans and the growl of plasma engines burning. It had been so long since our feet had trodden the soft soils of Datura that we would have tripped on solid ground. No other mining vessel had spent as long in the heavens as us. Explorers were few and far between, so deep on the rim of the universe, that when we chanced upon each other, our visits turned into one long party.

Mother and Father, who led because they had been born to lead and couldn’t function any other way, asked the usual questions. “Have you been to the Center of late? What changes have come to the core worlds?” And their answers were always the same. No change, no reassurance that our home world was free from tyranny and the royal family could return at last. We were cursed to float eternally on this hunk of scrap metal, doomed to never set foot off of it.

Colorimetry - Excerpt

QEYA

Moments pass through life that are impossible to take back, stepping stones that may lead you on a path you were meant to take. And sometimes a stepping stone breaks loose and you plunge into the river instead. This was one of those moments.

Glancing at the keypad fastened to the inner lift wall, I hesitated only a moment before pressing the wrong button. Shutting my eyes, I wondered what my punishment for this would be and then squashed the idea out of my head. Though I would never admit it to them, the twins had a point about taking risks. What else was life worth living in the end?

Andi's Young Adult Books - Excerpt

QEYA

There are moments in time when the axis of the universe shifts, when life as you knew it is irrevocably altered. When the hiss and grind of the gears fell silent, some deeply rooted instinctive part of me knew this was one of those moments.

The constant dull clanging and press of our engine faded into an oppressive silence, where I could hear the beat of our hearts and shaky breaths. I wondered if I was losing my water because I knew the idea of Datura 3shutting down was impossible. Even though we were still orbiting above the hostile world while Pioneer explored, our ship had not ceased in motion since we stepped on it seven years before. I counted the quiet by the beats of my heart. What took an instant to process in my mind was not much longer than the wait. The ship echoed a pained groan and then the floor beneath our feet began to shift. Ohre’s hand was on my arm instantly, steadying me before I could tip into the pipework lain against the wall.

Wishful Endings - Excerpt

OHRE

The first time I saw Qeya was the moment my life began. I wasn’t supposed to be on third deck that day, when she came to watch the miners cook and avoid the Royals. I learned after this that she often did that, came to sit with her mealtime bowl and watched us work. It seemed strange to see so much wisdom and sorrow on a face so young.

Living in the eternal darkness of the lower decks I had heard rumors about the Royal family. We all knew it was because of them we were stuck on Datura 3, forever sailing the stars without a port of call. Yes, there was plenty to mine and every pirate ship we came across paid us thousands for our goods. For some below it was the dream life, far better than scrapping it in the deep cave wastes on home world. But I hadn’t spent all my days on a miner ship. I still remembered the smell of salty sea air and the glow of the undersea palaces at night. As a boy I slipped out of the slums, past the guard and into that sea to catch a glimpse of it. Something the Royals didn’t know—or had chosen to forget—was that we all came from the sea.

Adventures Thru Wonderland - Review

"A quick and interesting read. . . . I liked the unique way this world is set up, and the ‘humans’ and other characters I met. . ."

everywhere and nowhere - Excerpt

Adi stalked off to the camp and the ruined ship to continue her search after throwing the scanner onto the sand at my feet. I was satisfied she would take her fire out on tearing the deck apart. Meanwhile, I readied Qeya for our journey.

The best defense in alien waters was not our biosuits, which were designed for heaven and hostile environments. But her eyes grew to new depths when I told her to strip down. She subconsciously covered her chest. “I’m not taking this off. And I need my tool belt anyway.”

Bri's Book Nook - Review

"I loved the characters and I loved the romance in this novella! . . . I can’t wait to read the next books in the box set and figure out what happens to the characters after this story ends!

I would definitely recommend this novella to anyone looking for a new YA fantasy/Scifi/romance novel."

We Write Fantasy - Excerpt

I glanced at Qeya while keeping my eyes on the cave we had called home for too short a time.

Now we were alone, I wanted to ask her more questions, about this valley, and especially why the Nuki stayed in the interior. I squashed the harder questions that insisted on rising to the surface, like why she chose to stay in her village instead of coming with us. Not that I didn’t agree with her choice. But maybe I was regretting leaving without asking her first.

Hallie Reads - Review

". . . the Heaven’s Edge series is a quick, enjoyable read.

With unique “world”-building, characters in plenty of danger, and some unexpected turns, these stories kept me entertained from start to finish."

Hearts & Scribbles - Excerpt

TAMN

My life both began and ended with a crash.

“Strap in! Shields are down!” Captain shouted over the alarm blaring throughout the shuttle.

I barely had time to make sure the rest of my crew was strapped in before the second shudder hit their outer hull. “Qori, hang onto our chole packs!” I shouted, the same moment Adi, the miner swung in front of me, wrapping an arm around my waist.

“Hang on to your scythe, Royal,” she said with a cheeky grin. Her arm was the only thing that kept me from colliding with the pipes and gears overhead. For a moment, we hung together suspended midair, legs flailing, as the lights flickered inside the compartment.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post, if you haven't already...

Heaven's Edge Box Set
(Heaven's Edge #1-#3)
By Jennifer Silverwood
YA SciFi, Steampunk
ebook, 290 Pages
July 10, 2018 by JayHenge Publishing

Only by working together will they survive...

A group of refugees from a powerful, sophisticated Core World planet have been on the run for seven years. The mission was to get away and give their children some time to grow up and help them carry on the cause. The cause was to help the rebellion, win the war and go home. But things didn’t quite turn out the way they planned.

QEYA #1

Qeya, the future Queen of Datura, can't do much about her red hair, but she knows how to wield a scythe blade and suck the life out of her enemy, literally. Life seems great, if a little boring on heaven's edge. Until her ship is attacked and nearly everyone on board is murdered. Now, the miner who saved her is the only thing standing between her and the hungry beasts hunting them.

OHRE #2

All Ohre wants is the kind of freedom a life in the sea can give. But he doesn't want to live it alone anymore. He wants the princess and if Qeya won’t come willingly, he’ll make her.

TAMN #3

Tamn has always lived by a code. He doesn't question his duty. Until his crew is stranded on a hostile alien world and he's forced to watch the girl he loves burn in the sky. Stripped of his reason for living, the voices from his past haunt and guide him in a path of endless retribution. Only the strongest will survive the trials ahead and Tamn is determined to keep the family he has left alive.

MEET THE CREW HERE

**Box Set includes first three Heaven's Edge Novellas**

Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│iBooks│Kobo│SCRIBD│Smashwords│Mondadori│A&R

About the Author


Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time, she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it's the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador, or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of three series--Heaven's Edge, Wylder Tales and the Borderlands Saga--and the stand-alone titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight. She recently released her first serialized Urban Fantasy, Angel Blue in August 2018.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Tumblr│BookBub
│Instagram

Tour Giveaway

- 1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card

- 3 winners will receive a digital/print copy (print to US only) of any book of their choosing in Jennifer's backlist

- Open internationally

- Ends May 8, 2019

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Welcome to the Zaureth Awakened Book Blast!

Welcome to the Zaureth Awakened Book Blast! 

Title: Zaureth Awakened

Author: Ditter Kellen

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Print Length: 252 pages

Publisher: DK Media, LLC; 1 edition (April 3, 2019)

Publication Date: April 3, 2019

Hosted by: Book Pandas Publicity

Synopsis:

Life can change in the blink of an eye, even for a powerful Bracadyte healer. Zaureth finds out the hard way when the northern band of Bracadytes storm Aukrabah, demanding blood and vengeance. With his home, his mate and his life suddenly thrust into danger, Zaureth has no choice but to resort to the one thing he hates the most: violence. But this enemy is more powerful than any the Bracadytes have faced before; leaving Zaureth no choice but to awaken the beast within, or risk losing everything he's come to love... including his bonded mate, Amy. 

About the Author:

Ditter Kellen is the USA Today bestselling author of the Enigma Series. Her love of suspense and outrageous imagination have conspired to bring her where she is today...sitting in front of her computer allowing them free rein. Writing is her passion, what she was born to do. I hope you will enjoy reading her stories as much as she loves spinning them. Ditter resides in Alabama with her husband and many unique farm animals. She adores French fries and her phone is permanently attached to her ear. 

You can contact Ditter by email: author@ditterkellen.com 

Follow Ditter on BookBub!  

Follow Ditter on Goodreads 

Subscribe to Ditter's Newsletter for free books, new release alerts and contest opportunities!

The Naming Game by Gabriel Valjan Book Tour and Giveaway! @partnersincr1me @GValjan

The Company Files: 2.

The Naming Game

by Gabriel Valjan

on Tour April 22 - June 22, 2019

Synopsis:

Whether it's Hollywood or DC, life and death, success or failure hinge on saying a name.

The right name.

When Charlie Loew is found murdered in a seedy flophouse with a cryptic list inside the dead script-fixer's handkerchief, Jack Marshall sends Walker undercover as a screenwriter at a major studio and Leslie as a secretary to Dr. Phillip Ernest, shrink to the stars. J. Edgar Hoover has his own list. Blacklisted writers and studio politics. Ruthless gangsters and Chief Parker's LAPD. Paranoia, suspicions, and divided loyalties begin to blur when the House Un-American Activities Committee insists that everyone play the naming game.

Praise for The Naming Game:

"With crackling dialogue and a page turning plot shot-through with authentic period detail, Gabriel Valjan pulls the reader into the hidden world of the 1950's Hollywood studio scene, involving murder, McCarthyism and mayhem."
~ James L'Etoile, author of At What Cost and Bury the Past

"Terrific historical noir as Gabriel Valjan takes us on a trip through post-war Hollywood involving scandal, McCarthyism, blacklisting, J. Edgar Hoover and, of course, murder. Compelling story, compelling characters - and all the famous name dropping is great fun. Highly recommended!"
~ R.G. Belsky, author of the Clare Carlson Mystery Series

"Brilliantly written, Gabriel Valjan's The Naming Game whisks the reader back in time to postwar Los Angeles. Spies, Communism, and Hollywood converge in a first-rate thriller."
~ Bruce Robert Coffin, Agatha Award nominated author of Beyond the Truth

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery, Crime Fiction
Published by: Winter Goose Publishing
Publication Date: May 4, 2019
Number of Pages: 210
ISBN: 978-1-941058-86-2
Series: The Company Files: 2
Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

At seven minutes past the hour while reviewing the classified documents at his desk, one of the two colored phones, the beige one, rang. He placed the receiver next to his ear, closed the folder, and waited for the caller's voice to speak first.
"Is this Jack Marshall?"
"It is."
"This is William Parker. Is the line secure?"
"It is," Jack replied, his hand opening a desk cabinet and flipping the ON switch to start recording the conversation.
"I don't know you Mr. Marshall and I presume you don't know me."
A pause.
"I know of you, Chief Parker."
"Were you expecting my call?"
"No and it doesn't matter." Jack lied.
"Fact of the matter, Mr. Marshall, is an individual, whom I need not name, has suggested I contact you about a sensitive matter. He said matter of security so I listened."
"Of course. I'm listening."
"I was instructed to give you an address and have my man at the scene allow you to do whatever it is that you need to do when you arrive there."
"Pencil and paper are ready. The address, please."
Jack wrote out the address; it was in town, low rent section with the usual rooming houses, cheap bars, about a fifteen-minute drive on Highway 1 without traffic.
"Ask for Detective Brown. You won't miss him. Don't like it that someone steps in and tells me how to mind my own city, but I have no choice in the matter."
Jack ignored the man's defensive tone. He knew Detective Brown was a dummy name, like Jones or Smith on a hotel ledger. Plain, unimaginative, but it would do. Most policemen, he conceded, were neither bright nor fully screwed into the socket. A chief was no different except he had more current in him. The chief of police who ruled Los Angeles by day with his cop-syndicate the way Mickey Cohen owned the night must've swallowed his pride when he dropped that nickel to make this call.
"Thank you, Chief Parker."
Jack hung up and flipped the switch to OFF.
Whatever it was at the scene waiting for Jack was sufficient cause to pull back a man like Bill Parker and his boys for twelve hours. Whoever gave this order had enough juice to rein in the LAPD.
Jack took the folder he was reviewing and walked it across the room. He opened the folder once more and reread the phrases 'malicious international spy' and, in Ronald Reagan's own choice of words, 'Asia's Mata Hari', before closing the cover and placing it inside the safe. His review will have to wait. He put on his holster and grabbed a jacket.
Betty came out on the porch as he was putting the key into the car door.
"I won't be long. Please kiss the children good night for me."
"Can't this wait, Jack? The children were expecting you to read to them tonight. Jack Junior set aside the book and you know Elizabeth will be crushed."
"It can't wait. I'm sorry. Tell them I'll make it up to them."
"You need to look them in the face when you tell them sorry."
He opened the door as his decision. She understood she dealt him the low card. "Want something for the road?"
"No thanks. I'll see you soon."
He closed the door with finesse. He couldn't help it if the children heard the car. He checked the mirror and saw her on the porch, still standing there, still disappointed and patient, as he drove off.
Detective Brown, sole man on the scene, walked him over to the body without introducing himself. Jack didn't give his name.
At six-fifteen the vet renting a room down the hall discovered the body. Detective Brown said the veteran was probably a hired hound doing a bag job - break-ins, surveillance, and the like. Recent veterans made the best candidates for that kind of work for Hoover, Jack thought. Worked cheap and they went the extra mile without Hoover's agents having to worry about technicalities like a citizen's rights going to law.
"What makes you think he was hired out?" Jack asked.
Brown, a man of few words, handed Jack his notebook, flipped over to the open page he marked Witness Statement and said politely, "Please read it. Words and writing are from the witness himself."
"The man was a no good 'commonist'."
"Nice spelling. A suspect?"
"No, sir. The coroner places the death around early afternoon, about 2ish. Our patriot was across the street drinking his lunch. I verified it."
Jack viewed the body. The man was fully dressed wearing a light weave gabardine suit costing at least twenty-five. The hardly scuffed oxfords had to cost as much as the suit, and the shirt and tie, both silk, put the entire ensemble near a hundred. Hardly class consciousness for an alleged Communist, Jack thought.
The corpse lying on his side reminded Jack of the children sleeping, minus the red pool seeping into the rug under the right ear. The dead man wore a small sapphire ring on his small finger, left hand. No wedding band. Nice watch on the wrist, face turned in. An odd way to read time. Breast pocket contained a cigarette case with expensive cigarettes, Egyptian. Jack recognized the brand from his work in the Far East. Ten cents a cigarette is nice discretionary income. Wallet in other breast pocket held fifty dollars, various denominations. Ruled out robbery or staging it. Identification card said Charles Loew, Warner Brothers. Another card: Screen Writers Guild, signed by Mary McCall, Jr. President. Back of card presented a pencil scrawl.
"Find a lighter or book of matches?"
Detective Brown shook his head. Jack patted the breast pockets again and the man's jacket's side-pockets. Some loose change, but nothing else. The man was unarmed, except for a nice pen. Much as he disliked the idea Jack put his hands into the man's front pockets. Nothing. He found a book of matches in the left rear pocket, black with gold telltale lettering, Trocadero on Sunset. Jack flipped the matchbook open and as he suspected, found a telephone number written in silver ink; different ink than the man's own pen. Other back pocket contained a handkerchief square Jack found interesting, as did Detective Brown.
"What's that?" he asked, head peering over for a better look.
"Not sure," answered Jack, unfolding the several-times folded piece of paper hidden inside the hanky. The unfolded paper revealed a bunch of typewritten names that had bled out onto other parts of the paper. It must have been folded while the ink was still wet. It didn't help someone spilt something on the paper. Smelled faintly of recent whiskey. Jack reviewed what he thought were names when he realized the letters were nonsense words.
"Might be a Commie membership list. Looks like code." But Brown zipped it when Jack folded the paper back up and put it into his pocket.
"The paper and the matches stay with me. We clear?"
"Uh, yes sir. The Chief told me himself to do whatever you said and not ask questions."
"Good. Other than the coroner - who else was here? Photographers, fingerprints?"
"Nobody else. Medical pronounced him dead, but nothing more. Chief had them called off to another scene - a multiple homicide, few blocks away. We're short-staffed tonight. The Chief said he'd send Homicide after you leave. They'll process the scene however you leave it. They won't know about the matches or the paper. Chief's orders."
Jack checked his watch. Man down, found at six fifteen. Chief called a little after seven. He arrived not much later than seven forty. The busy bodies would get the stiff by eight or eight thirty, the latest. Perfectly reasonable Jack thought. He squatted down to see the man's watch, noticing light bruising on the wrist and the throw rug bunched into a small hill near the man's time hand. Intriguing.
"Thank you, Detective. I'll be going now. If I speak to the chief I'll let him know you've done your job to the letter."
"You're welcome. Night."
Jack knew he and the chief would be speaking again.
Outside on the street, Jack pulled out his handkerchief and wiped both hands for any traces of dead man as he headed for the parked car. Compulsive habit. He pulled up the collar on his jacket. It was cold for late May.
The street sign said he was not far from Broadway. In this part of town thousands lived crowded in on themselves as lodgers in dilapidated Gothic mansions or residence hotels, working the downtown stores, factories, and offices, riding public transit and the other funicular railway in the area, Court Flight, a two-track railway climb towards Hill Street.
Los Angeles changed with the world. The war was over and there was a new war, possibly domestic, definitely foreign. Court Flight is gone, ceased operations. Its owner and his faithful cat had passed on. His good widow tried. In '43 a careless brush fire destroyed the tracks and the Board of Public Utilities signed the death warrant; and now Jack was hearing whispers Mayor Bowron planned to revitalize the area International Style, which meant dotting the desert city with skyscrapers.
Jack opened the door and sat behind the wheel a moment. He took the family once to nearby Angels Flight. Junior wondered why there was no apostrophe on the sign. Betty tolerated the excursion, indifferent to Los Angeles because she preferred their home in DC. He released the clutch. Betty disliked LA because it changed too much without reason. She might have had a point. He shifted gear. Pueblo city would level whole blocks of thriving masses just to create a parking lot. He pulled the car from the curb.
***
Excerpt from The Naming Game by Gabriel Valjan. Copyright 2019 by Gabriel Valjan. Reproduced with permission from Gabriel Valjan. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:
Gabriel Valjan is the author of two series, The Roma Series and The Company Files, available from Winter Goose Publishing. His short stories have appeared in Level Best anthologies and other publications. Twice shortlisted for the Fish Prize in Ireland, once for the Bridport Prize in England, and an Honorable Mention for the Nero Wolfe Black Orchid Novella Contest, he is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime National, a local member of Sisters in Crime New England, and an attendee of Bouchercon, Crime Bake, and Malice Domestic conferences.

Catch Up With Gabriel On:
gabrielvaljan.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!



Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Gabriel Valjan. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on April 22, 2019 and runs through June 24, 2019. Void where prohibited.

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The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop Spotlight/Guest Review and Giveaway! @kathieshoop

NEW RELEASE....
2019 Donora, Pennsylvania 

Ninety-one-year-old Patryk Rusek hides in his attic, hoping the searchers think he’s escaped. When Lucy finally bursts in, she discovers her beloved grandfather clutching a fat, hand-illustrated, antique book. In it is the story of Donora, the town that shaped America, its people and Patryk himself. Before long, Lucy and her son Owen lose track of their goal to get Grandpa Patryk somewhere “safe” as they’re drawn into the book, back in time, into stories that read like real-life fairytales born of purpose, hard-work, and chance.

1910 Donora, Pennsylvania 

In the early dawn of Donora, Pennsylvania, the mills make and shape the steel that builds America. Mary Lancos lives in a home on the hill overlooking town and its mighty Monongahela River. That tiny house bursts with her siblings and boarders. Wind whipping through the walls and windows makes Mary determined to marry well and create a better life.

Shy Pole, Lukasz Musial, arrives in Donora seeking the clear blue skies, green lawns, and better life he’d seen pictured on a postcard. Settled in Donora’s Polish community, Lukasz secures a coveted job in the wire mill. Life is set on course to achieve the American Dream. All he needs is a wife who believes in him, in his mighty, quiet, strength.

After a series of casual, friendly meetings, fate brings Mary and Lukasz to the river under a snowy, pink moonlit sky and everything changes. Their attraction is sudden and consuming, turning the pair onto an unexpected path. With mounting disapproval from Mary’s parents she and Lukasz must decide if love is enough to risk losing everything else that matters.

Available to buy from the following sites...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback

"Kathleen Shoop has bejeweled this book with her magnificent imagination and impeccable writing. The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop is a romance that goes beyond looks and settles deep into the souls of readers. Every so often, a love story comes that your heart can't let go. One of those love stories, for me, has been Mr. Darcy and Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice. Now Mary and Lukasz in The Strongman and the Mermaid will stay with me for a long time to come."  
— Ankita Shukla for Readers’ Favorite

"The Strongman and the Mermaid by Kathleen Shoop is a gorgeous story, a gripping romance with a strong setting. The plot structure is unusual and it has beautiful twists. I love stories with great characters and a well-developed conflict and I always want to see characters evolve through the conflict. It is something that this author does impeccably well. The narrative is emotionally rich…The writing is cinematic, punctuated by exciting dialogue. The Strongman and the Mermaid will keep you awake through the night."
— Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite

"I was hooked from the very start...The Strong Man and the Mermaid is skillfully plotted and written in beautiful prose. The reader is pulled into a fairytale-like world with strong and memorable characters. The love adventure between Mary and Lukasz is one of the key elements that add to the entertaining potential of this narrative. Kathleen Shoop keeps it real and human, succeeding in creating an emotional connection between the reader and the characters."
— Ruffina Oserio for Readers’ Favorite

The Donora Story Collection Book 1 - After the Fog

Historic, environmental drama wrapped in a love story... 

It's 1948 in the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous “killing smog.” Public health nurse, Rose Pavlesic, has risen above her orphaned upbringing and created a life that reflects everything she missed as a child. She’s even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her doting husband, loving children, and large extended family. 

When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life, making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin?

***2013 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist*** 

***Independent Publisher Awards: 2012 Silver, Best Regional Fiction–Mid-Atlantic*** 

***National Indie Excellence Awards: 2012 WINNER-- Literary Fiction***

“Shoop masterfully details familial struggles, secrets, and consequences that keep the reader riveted til the end.” - Melissa Foster

 “A great and satisfying read. Rose’s triumph over adversity touched me deeply. Ms. Shoop truly knows how to tug the heartstrings. S. K. McClafferty, author of The Ghost and Devlin Muir.” - S. K. McClafferty, author of The Ghost and Devlin Muir

 “This is a well-written story set authentically in a historic place and time, around an intricate plot which includes most of the elements that provide for a good “soap opera,” or a book that would be accepted by Oprah Winfrey.” - Historical Novel Society

Available to buy from the following sites...

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble   Apple Books   Kobo   Paperback

Guest Review

The Strong Man and the Mermaid: (The Donora Story Collection Book 2)

By Rachel Quaill

5 Stars

From the onset of this book, Kathleen Shoop sets the stage for a magical tale that weaves you in and out of each character’s story. I am a huge historical fiction fan and this book has everything I crave. Rich with history and honest characters, The Strong Man and the Mermaid: (The Donora Story Collection Book 2), is a delight and I highly recommend it.

The quickness in which the reader is enveloped and invested in each character’s story was surprising. Within just the first few chapters I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. With so many everyday normal twists and turns the main characters in each chapter draws you into their lives and in some way they each are so relatable. You want the main character, Luckasz and Mary to reach their dreams and are so much rooting for them. With each disappointment and win you are completely there with them.

Shoop pleasantly weaves through a bit of historic background as well as does a great job describing the scenery and their dwellings which I always hope a book will do. I find those small details really help get the reader to feel a deeper sense of what is actually going on during that time period and creates more of a connection with each character.

Shoop writes in such a way that you feel their emotions. Very beautifully written with so much heart and life. I am truly a fan and will definitely be reading her other books and cannot wait to see what she writes in the future.

About Kathleen Shoop

Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. Kathleen coordinates Mindful Writing Retreats and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.

I adore writing historical fiction (The Letter series, After the Fog and Donora Stories) but am having a blast writing romance like Home Again, Return to Love and Tending Her Heart (Endless Love series). Thank you so much for the time you take to read.

Follow the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads   Amazon   Bookbub

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New Release - Brushed by Fate by Laura DeLuca! @authorldeluca

New Release - Brushed by Fate by Laura DeLuca

Elisa Manna gave up on romance after a string of abusive relationships. She comes off as a brusque biker, but beneath her rough exterior she longs for something more. Scott Heron is a Marine veteran trying to cope with the residual effects of war. His art is his only refuge from the dark memories that haunt him. When fate nudges them together, they can't deny there's chemistry, but Elisa is terrified of commitment and Scott's physical and emotional scars make him abrasive and unpredictable. Can these two wounded warriors overcome their damaged past and paint a new future together?   Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her four children and multiple cats. Her works include romantic thrillers, paranormal fiction, contemporary romance, and young adult. 

 Follow Laura - Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Goodreads

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Dear Jane by Allie Cresswell Book Tour, Extract and Giveaway!

Book Synopsis:

The final instalment of the Highbury trilogy, Dear Jane narrates the history of Jane Fairfax,
recounting the events hinted at but never actually described in Jane Austen’s Emma.

Orphaned Jane seems likely to be brought up in parochial Highbury until adoption by her papa’s
old friend Colonel Campbell opens to her all the excitement and opportunities of London. The
velvet path of her early years is finite, however and tarnished by the knowledge that she must
earn her own independence one day.

Frank Weston is also transplanted from Highbury, adopted as heir to the wealthy Churchills and
taken to their drear and inhospitable Yorkshire estate. The glimmer of the prize which will one
day be his is all but obliterated by the stony path he must walk to claim it.

Their paths meet at Weymouth, and readers of Emma will be familiar with the finale of Jane and
Frank’s story. Dear Jane pulls back the veil which Jane Austen drew over their early lives, their
meeting in Weymouth and the agony of their secret engagement.

Read an Extract

We know from Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ that Miss Woodhouse and Miss Fairfax had known each other from being infants and had been expected to be very great friends. That they had never achieved the level of intimacy which might have been beneficial to both is manifest in Miss Austen’s novel, and I set out, in mine, to explore the obstacles which divided them.

Here, Jane and Emma are aged about eight, and we find them in conversation in the Hartfield nursery.

‘And so, Jane,’ said Emma Woodhouse, ‘you will come no more to Hartfield to play with my dolls. You are going to the Campbells’ to stay always, and will not come back to Highbury. I suppose Rowena Campbell has not so many toys and books as me? Nor half so many dolls?’

Jane Fairfax looked up from where she sat on the nursery floor. Emma occupied the only chair in the room and looked down from it at her little visitor with some considerable air of superiority.  It was always so when Jane was sent to play at Hartfield. Although the girls were of an age – almost nine – Jane was always made to feel younger, inferior and certainly poorer. She was poorer – there was no denying it – thirty thousand pounds poorer than Miss Woodhouse. But she was not younger and decidedly she was not inferior by any meaningful measure, being brighter, more accomplished and arguably prettier than Miss Woodhouse of Hartfield. Jane did not reply at once, unsure as to which of Emma’s inaccurate statements she ought to contradict. Or whether she ought to contradict any – Miss Emma Woodhouse disliked being told she was wrong.

At last she said, ‘Miss Rowena has some very nice dolls, but you are right, they are not so numerous as yours. Of books she has a great many, and,’ because she felt she ought to defend her little friend Rowena, and Miss Woodhouse should not be allowed to have things all her own way, ‘most of hers she has read.’

‘I thought not,’ Emma said, disregarding Jane’s second comment, ‘not so numerous as mine, and not so nice, I expect. But still,’ she smiled very sweetly, ‘more than you have at home, and so I suppose you will be pleased to go, and leave your grandmamma and aunt?’

Jane considered. ‘I am not unhappy to go to the Campbells. I have been going there since I was five or six, and feel very at home at their house. They treat me very kindly. But as for being happy to leave Grandmamma and Aunt Hetty, no, of course, I shall miss them very much.’

‘Naturally the Campbells treat you kindly,’ Emma replied. ‘Papa says a young lady in your situation should always be treated kindly. The Bible says we must be kind to orphans. I suppose you will stay in the attic and wear all Miss Campbell’s hand-me-down clothes and be required to clean the fire-grates and do all their mending.’

‘That does not sound very kind,’ Jane said. ‘It sounds more like Cendrillon to me. Rowena is not an ugly step-sister!’

Miss Woodhouse settled an unruly flounce on her dress. ‘Perhaps she is not absolutely ugly, but she is not pretty. I have heard that her nose is decidedly snub and her hair is only a very dowdy brown. My nose is aquiline – Miss Taylor says that artists throughout the ages have idealised the aquiline nose in their paintings. But if I had a snub nose and a plain face I would not like someone with nicer features coming to live with me, and yours are quite nice, Jane. If I were Rowena Campbell I might well shut you up in the attic.’

Jane could easily believe it.

About the Author:

Allie Cresswell was born in Stockport, UK and began writing fiction as soon as she could hold a
pencil.

She did a BA in English Literature at Birmingham University and an MA at Queen Mary College,
London.

She has been a print-buyer, a pub landlady, a book-keeper, run a B & B and a group of boutique
holiday cottages. Nowadays Allie writes full time having retired from teaching literature to
lifelong learners. Most recently she has been working on her Highbury trilogy, books inspired by
Jane Austen’s Emma.

She has two grown-up children, two granddaughters and two grandsons, is married to Tim and
lives in Cumbria, NW England.

You can contact her via her website at www.allie-cresswell.com or find her on Facebook.

Enter Giveaway! 

The giveaway is for 1 copy of Dear Jane by Allie Cresswell.

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