The Mesilla (The Two Valleys Saga, Book 1) By Mary Armstrong Blog Tour! @authornotarthur @maryanneyarde @contrarymaryauthor @coffeepotbookclub #HistoricalFiction #WildWest #WesternHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub

 

Book Title: The Mesilla

Series: The Two Valleys Saga, Book 1

Author: Mary Armstrong

Publication Date: 22nd April 2021

Publisher: Enchanted Writing Company

Page Length: 391 Pages

Genre: Western Historical Fiction

At 14 years old, Jesus ‘Chuy’ Perez Contreras Verazzi Messi is too small and frail to work the land on the family farm near the Rio Bravo in Mexico. The local padre’s tutoring reveals Jesus’s unending curiosity and fertile mind. Noted Las Cruces, New Mexico attorney, and politician Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain, agrees to take his nephew under his wing. Jesus ‘reads law’ with his uncle and shares adventures and adversity with the Fountain family and other historic Mesilla and Tularosa Valley citizens. His coming-of-age story will take you into the wild southwest, a brewing range war, a territory struggling toward statehood, courtroom dramas, and the adventures and adversities of a boy’s quest for manhood. 

*A fictional memoir by Jesus about the ten years leading to the notorious and unsolved Fountain murders.

Universal Links for the series:

When the Doves Coo (A Prequel to The Two Valleys Saga): https://books2read.com/u/mKpegv

The Mesilla (The Two Valleys Saga, Book 1): https://books2read.com/u/3yKn8J

The San Augustin (The Two Valleys Saga, Book 2): https://books2read.com/u/menJWR

The Mesilla Buy Links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mesilla-Two-Valleys-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B093CPZ71B

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Mesilla-Two-Valleys-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B093CPZ71B

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Mesilla-Two-Valleys-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B093CPZ71B

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Mesilla-Two-Valleys-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B093CPZ71B

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mesilla-mary-armstrong/1140770711?ean=9781737154549

COAS Books: https://bookshop.org/books/the-mesilla/9781737154501

Mary lives in the heart of one of the ‘Two Valleys’ in Las Cruces New Mexico, with her husband Norman ‘Skip’ Bailey, Jr. and their Cavachon child-dog, Java. In 2017 she wrote the one-act play, “It is Blood,” which was selected for a performance by the Las Cruces Community Theatre. Whereas the Two Valleys series is a prequel to the notorious and unsolved murders of Albert J. Fountain and his eight-year-old son, “It is Blood,” is a sequel to those events. 

After winning an award for her debut historic fiction novel “The Mesilla,” Mary has decided to focus on that genre — at least for the foreseeable future. Her writing is fast-moving, thought-provoking and with just enough wordsmithing to satisfy your artistic hankerings. While her writing has literary merit, she strives to capture the moment — the time and the place — and help you live in that moment.

Before releasing her debut novel, Mary dabbled in creative writing, including a weekly column in the Las Cruces Sun-News. Since retiring from a diverse career in various planning and design fields, she has devoted herself more fully to her writing, being a good spouse, serving her dog Java, and slipping away to the golf course when left unchained to the desk. 

 

Social Media Links:

Website: https://maryarmstrongauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authornotarthur

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-armstrong-590ab9211/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contrarymaryauthor/?hl=en

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mary-armstrong

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B093CZQNZS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21456893.Mary_Armstrong

Tour Schedule Page: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/03/blog-tour-mesilla-two-valleys-saga-book.html

The Professor's Lady by Holly Bush Blog Tour and Giveaway! #TheProfessorsLady #HollyBush #HFVBT @HollyBushBooks @hfvbt

 

The Professor's Lady by Holly Bush

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

Series: The Thompsons of Locust Street, Book 3

Genre: Historical Romance/Victorian

Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…

1870 Kirsty Thompson is determined to begin her own business bringing beloved Scottish fabrics and yarns to Philadelphia but first she must meet the men and women who weave the plaids and spin the wool. How will she ever escape her protective older siblings and sail to Scotland?

Albert Watson is a medical doctor focusing on research, especially that of Joseph Lister and his sterilization techniques. He speaks at universities in America and in England while visiting his London relatives. As he prepares to sail for just such an engagement, Kirsty Thompson boards his ship to beg him to take her with him. What’s a gentleman to do? Albert cancels his trip across the ocean to escort Miss Thompson back to Philadelphia and finds there is danger afoot for her and her family.

Soon he comes to realize there is also danger for his heart, even for a man who rarely pulls his nose from a medical journal. He finds himself unable to put Miss Kirsty Thompson out of his thoughts, where they belonged, because certainly a beautiful, ambitious, and charming young woman could have no interest in him. Or could she?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

“Love always has something to say. Sometimes it shouts from the highest hill, and sometimes it whispers so softly one must listen closely to hear. Do not turn away. It is a rare and precious commodity. Treasure it.” The Gentrys of Paradise

Holly Bush's historical romances are set during the turbulent and transformative years of the late 1800’s. The first two books in her newest series, The Gentrys of Paradise, released in the spring of 2017 and began with the novella Into the Evermore where readers meet Virginia horse breeders, Eleanor and Beauregard Gentry. The following books feature their children, Adam, Matthew, and Olivia. For the Brave is Matthew’s story and is the first full length book of the series. Olivia's book, For This Moment, released in the spring of 2018. The final book, For Her Honor, is now available.

The Crawford Family Series following the fortunes of the three Boston born Crawford sisters and includes Train Station Bride, Contract to Wed, Her Safe Harbor, and companion novella, The Maid’s Quarters. Cross the Ocean and Charming the Duke are both British set Victorian romances. Fan favorites stand-alone historical romance novels include Romancing Olive and Reconstructing Jackson. Holly's books are described as ‘emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance.’

She also writes General Fiction under the name of Hollis Bush.

Holly makes her home with her husband, one happy Labrador Retriever and a clever Jack Russell rescued from the pound, and two difficult cats in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com, on Twitter @hollybushbooks, on Instagram, and on Facebook at Holly Bush. Follow Holly on her Amazon author page to receive new release updates and on BookBub to check out her reviews and get sale information.

Read an Excerpt

She turned back to him, wide-eyed. “I wish I had a knife.”

“Excuse me?”

“A knife, Mr. Watson. Muireall gave Elspeth a knife before she went to the Pendergast ball, and she hid it in a little pocket on the side seam of her dress. She stabbed a man and killed him.”

“You look particularly cheerful about that, Miss Thompson.”

“Oh, I am. I wish I’d been there to stick a knife in his eye while she stabbed him in the stomach, where Muireall had told her to.”

“A bit bloodthirsty?”

She shook her head. “No. Anyone who attacks our family will face consequences.”

There was no shading her view of the world. No gray area in her morality or her heart. There was right and there was wrong, and her decisions did not appear to lay heavy on her conscience. He let himself think about the aftermath if he had to pull out the pistol laying in the bag at his feet and wondered how it would feel to take a life or injure another person. Would he feel guilty? He thought he might. Kirsty Thompson, however, would have no second thoughts. 

“Whatever are we to do if they confront us here on the train?” Kirsty whispered.

“I highly doubt they will. And Mr. Clawson has settled himself on the bench just ahead. And as you mentioned, Mr. Clawson did not see any of your attackers, only having the descriptions we gave him, so perhaps he is mistaken.”

She smiled up at him and thought about how much better she felt hearing his sensible words and conclusions. But then it occurred to her. “Mr. Watson, you are not stuttering anymore.”

He swallowed and turned his head, facing front. “Just so.”

“What does that mean, ‘just so’?” she asked, more than a little exasperated. 

“It means I d-do . . . do not wish to discuss it.”

“Oh.” She stared out the train window, watching the fields and trees go by. “But sometimes when we talk about something that bothers us, it can make us feel better.”

The passing landscape was hypnotic, but Kirsty was not sleepy. She wanted to be alert in case Plowman’s men showed their faces, and she wanted to know more about Albert Watson. She wanted to know what sort of activity he did to make his chest so muscular and his stomach so flat. How wonderfully it narrowed to lean hips barely holding up his drawstring drawers. But what was more vivid in her mind’s eye was his face as he’d kissed her, the way he’d stared at her mouth, and that moment when he’d seemed to lose all control and pushed her against the door letting her feel the length of him against her belly. She groaned.

“Miss Thompson?” 

“I—I didn’t eat much yesterday. I’m just hungry, Mr. Watson. I’ll be fine.”

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 9
Review & Excerpt at Elodie’s Reading Corner

Tuesday, May 10
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Wednesday, May 11
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, May 12
Review at Booked on Lattes

Friday, May 13
Excerpt at Lisa Everyday Reads

Monday, May 16
Review & Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance

Tuesday, May 17
Review at Michelle the PA Loves to Read

Wednesday, May 18
Excerpt at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Thursday, May 19
Review at A Girl Reads Bookss

Friday, May 20
Excerpt at CelticLady's Reviews

Giveaway

Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 20th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Professor's Lady Tour

Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky Book Tour and Giveaway!

 

Finding Light in a Lost Year

by Carin Fahr Shulusky

May 16 – June 10, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Roni Wright thought she had everything; huge home, successful husband, kids, and a brilliant career. That is until the worse pandemic in 100 years swept away the shallow façade of her life and she nearly lost it all.   This is the story of how a broken family navigated the most difficult year of their lives and found hope in the middle of so much loss. You will recognize many of the things that nearly broke us all as we struggled with pandemic restrictions and the new normal. But you will cheer as they work their way out of darkness into a better world.

 

Book Details

Genre: Family & Relationship, Biographical Fiction 

Published by: Fossil Creek Press 

Publication Date: May 2022 

Number of Pages: 170 

ISBN: 978-1-7362417-2-1 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Read an excerpt:

April 2020 – When It Rains, It Pours

On April 1, I picked up my calendar, as I did at the beginning of every month—usually to see what we had coming up and to schedule more—and started crossing off everything. I had already crossed off the March trip to Paris. Now I crossed off this month’s planned trip to the banking conference in San Francisco. I slashed through the conference in New York. And with a little more pain, I crossed off the two Broadway shows to which I had tickets. An old college girlfriend was going to go with me to one and Dan the other. Broadway closed. New York closed. All crossed off, as was the St. Louis Symphony concert to which we had tickets. Canceled. Hockey, canceled. Three birthday parties, canceled. My appointment at the nail salon, canceled. Hairdresser, canceled. Canceled, canceled, canceled. April was looking so gloomy. The only exercise I was getting was walking through one of our beautiful parks with the kids. Sometimes, we took bikes and rode a trail. But with April came gloom and rain and even that little bit of escape became impossible. Then the St. Louis County Executive closed all county parks. We were now required to wear a mask if we were out in public, especially indoors, and to stay six feet apart wherever we were. The gloom was growing daily. My life had no order. We were in free fall. On April 9, we got a big shot in the arm, as it were, when $2,400 appeared in our checking account—a gift from the U.S. government. Officially the money was part of the Economic Impact Payment, but the payments were more often called stimulus checks. We just called it salvation. Like many families, we weren’t sure how we would make ends meet. This money was a gift from heaven—or the government, depending on your point of view. By the second week of April, our school district was making an effort at learning. They asked parents to pick up “home learning packets” from the school. When I drove up to the school, someone handed me the packet for our kids’ grade levels. But when I got home, there was little explanation about the work. It was terribly disorganized and made little sense to me. Katlin wanted to learn more, and Oliver wanted to learn less. I just wanted more alcohol. Lots more. I decided hard times called for hard alcohol. Wine was OK now with lunch, but by dinner time, I needed a cocktail. I set up a place in the basement family room for the kids to study. I tried hard to make Oliver work on letters and sight words. He would work with me for maybe thirty minutes, then he’d start disrupting everything I did. He’d rip papers and run away. Meanwhile, Katlin was trying to figure out her lessons with great frustration. She didn’t know what was wanted of her, and I couldn’t figure it out either. Oliver did everything in his considerable ability to disrupt our efforts. Most sessions ended with all three of us crying. Not only was I failing at trying to teach my kids, I was failing at keeping them out of Nathan’s living room office. Every time Oliver ran away from me, he ran right into one of Nathan’s meetings. No order. No peace. No joy. --- Excerpt from Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky. Copyright 2022 by Carin Fahr Shulusky. Reproduced with permission from Carin Fahr Shulusky. All rights reserved.

  

Carin Fahr Shulusky was born and raised in west St. Louis County. She attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, where she received a B.J (Bachelor of Journalism). After college she worked in advertising for GE and Monsanto. She was the first professional woman in her division of each. After 25 years in Marketing, she created her own firm, Marketing Alliance. She was president of Marketing Alliance, from 2002 – 2014. She is a past-president of the Business Marketing Association of St. Louis. Carin Fahr is married to Richard Shulusky. They have two grown children and one marvelous granddaughter. Grandma Carin has a life long love of cooking, even writing her own cookbook. In 2014 Carin retired to devote full time to writing. Her first book, In the Middle was inspired by her own battle to care for her beloved mother, Dorothy Fahr. Many of the stories Carrie Young’s mother tells her in In the Middle came from Carin’s mother. Carin is a lifelong member of Pathfinder Church in Ellisville, Missouri, where she volunteers in early childhood.

Find Carin Online:

carinshulusky.com Goodreads Instagram - @cshulusky Twitter - @shulusky Facebook

 

Tour Host Participants:

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

This is a giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

Find Your Next Great Read at Providence Book Promotions!

Love You Again by Julia Kent Book Reveal! #JuliaKent #LoveYouAgain #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 

Love You Again
Julia Kent

(Love You, Maine, #2)
Publication date: July 19th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Set in the woodsy small town of Luview, “Love You,” Maine – a tourist favorite where every day is Valentine’s Day – local police officer and single dad Luke Luview has spent the last two years making his young daughter his priority after his wife’s death. When first-love Kylie Hood comes back into town under bizarre circumstances, he learns that nothing’s a coincidence – and maybe second chances are possible after all.

If you’re looking for a fun read about first kisses, second chances, featuring a hot single dad small town police officer and his accidental nanny, set in a small town in New England, with a golden retriever named Jester, a heroine whose dream in life is to run a fairy camp, and a hero who wants to build a place where everyone belongs – then this is your book.

Grab a cup of coffee, tea, and maybe some edible glitter, and get your happy meter ready as you read the second book in the Love You, Maine series – where love isn’t just a feeling – it’s a way of life.

✓Single Dad
✓Second chance
✓Small town romance
✓Local police officer and his last-minute nanny
…and a Golden Retriever named Jester

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Bookbub / Amazon / Newsletter / Instagram

Hosted by:

Once Upon a Mistake by Shilpa Suraj Book Release Blitz!

 

 

There are no second chances, only missed ones...

Five years ago, an accident changed Maya's life forever. From an engaged, MBA graduate with her entire life in front of her, she'd ended up dumped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.
Five years ago, Yash had been looking forward to marrying the woman of his dreams. Then his father died, he lost his job and his fiancee dumped him over a text.
Neither have forgiven each other and neither has forgotten the other. When their paths cross at Il Couer, a vineyard owned by common friends, sparks fly, past hurts are stoked and present dreams are destroyed.
And that is just the beginning. As their lives get entangled, both professionally and personally, they find themselves fighting familial disapproval, professional jealousy, and a mutual attraction that threatens to burn them down.
Can Maya and Yash ever unravel their tangled past? And will the truth of their past define or destroy them? Can you build a future on a poisoned past? They're about to find out...

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com

Read an Excerpt from Once Upon A Mistake

The door slammed behind her and he heaved a sigh of relief. Peace and quiet at last. He put on his reading glasses, opened up the book and started to read.

And then he heard her laugh. He shouldn’t, he told himself. He really shouldn’t stand up and try to see where she was or what she was doing. Maya Patgaonkar was not someone he should be looking at or looking for or any other type of looking. 

He got to his feet and walked to the balcony railing, peering out through the dusky light of early evening. He was definitely looking.

She was walking down the endlessly sloping green lawn with the guy she’d arrived with and another guy and girl. All four of them seemed to be talking at the same time, practically talking over each other. 

Her hair was loose and hung in waves down her back. She wore a loose, floral skirt with a billowing white shirt that gave her a distinctly free, bohemian look. And she still limped. 

Not a temporary thing then, this limp. Had she gotten it in the accident that had killed Vikram? Aakash’s bitter recounting of their wild night of debauchery that had ended in his brother’s death had been both sordid and distasteful. 

It had also been deeply disturbing. That had not been the girl he’d thought he was marrying. Maybe her dumping him for being a penniless loser had been a true blessing in disguise. And yet, Yash continued to stand and watch her and her friends meander along in what was clearly an aimless walk. 

Maya. The name resonated in his head. Almost as if she heard him, she turned, her gaze drawn to the house. He saw her scanning the side of the house facing them and was about to step back and out of sight when her gaze snagged on him. 

The guy who’d arrived with her, Ved, said something to her and she responded but she didn’t look away. 

The moment between them stretched into an eternity that should never have existed. His heart was thudding, a drumbeat that he didn’t want to hear but one that thrummed through his veins nevertheless. 

She took a step toward him, a miniscule movement that nobody caught but him. It broke the spell. Yash stepped back and away from the railing, consciously turning away from her. 

The few months they’d known each other had been a lasting lesson. Maya wouldn’t get another chance to play him for a fool again. 

Shilpa Suraj wears many hats - corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.

An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.

Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter

Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran Book Tour and Giveaway!

Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

About MSW: Killer on the Court

 

Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court 

Cozy Mystery 55th in Series Berkley (May 17, 2022) 

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages 

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593333659 

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593333655 

Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CYHPQ54

Jessica Fletcher’s sunny beach vacation with her nephew’s family takes a dark turn in this new installment in the USA Today bestselling series.

 

Jessica is delighted when her nephew Grady invites her to spend a few days with his family in an oceanside New York bungalow. She packs her bags and heads down to the city, ready to spend some quality time with Grady, his wife, Donna, and their young son, Frank.

 

But the morning after Jessica’s arrival, Donna finds her boss dead on a tennis court, and Jessica’s dreams of a relaxing visit are quashed. Everyone in the small beachside community is a suspect, and the local authorities—headed by an old colleague of Cabot Cove sheriff Mort Metzger—have asked that no one leave town. Will Jessica be able find a killer and salvage the rest of her trip?

About the Authors

Along with Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read 'Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.

Author Links 

Webpage Facebook 

Purchase Links 

Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound - Bookshop.org - PenguinRandomHouse -    

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 16 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 16 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 17 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

May 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

May 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 19 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 19 – Nellie’s Book Nook – REVIEW

May 20 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

May 20 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

May 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 23 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

May 24 – Books Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 25 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

May 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

May 26 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

May 27 – Just Another Teen Reading Books – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 27 – Books to the Ceiling – REVIEW

May 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

May 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

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