Tuesday, December 19, 2023

The Gilded Curse by Marilyn Turk (A Suspicious Shores Novel Book 1)

About the Book

Book: The Gilded Curse

Author: Marilyn Turk

Genre: Historical Suspense

Release Date: July 31, 2023

In early 1942, a mysterious telegram draws Lexie Smithfield back to the island her mother thought was cursed. Now the only heir to the dwindling family fortune, Lexie plans to sell the family’s vacation “cottage” in the Millionaire’s Village on Jekyll Island. But someone else is interested in the cottage and is getting more desperate to find what they’re looking for, even to the point of murder.

Lexie’s childhood friend, Russell Thompson, is now the Jekyll Island Club’s superintendent and the keeper of members’ secrets, especially one that would shatter Lexie. When he learns Lexie is in danger, he stays close to protect her, but soon discovers an attraction to Lexie he didn’t expect.

Could the danger be from someone they know or is it possible that the threat of Nazi invasion on their coast is a reality? Or is the island really cursed?

Russell and Lexie must work together to discover the real danger and keep from getting hurt or killed in the process.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

To start with, I love this cover, the mansion in the moonlight. It just screams read me to me. Jekyll Island has been the setting for a few books I've read of late, and this one didn't disappoint me in that aspect. Lexie is sure some of the secrets of this island have to do with her. It's WWII and she just wanted to sell this cottage, but are some of the secrets tied to the war? Is this place not just cursed, as her mother believes, or is there also a ghost? Furniture doesn't just break like this on its own. I just love a good mystery and this was exactly what I was hoping for in most regards and it's a great read for a warm fire, a cup of hot liquid to drink, a warm blanket and seeing if you can see the twists before they arrive. The villain was a bit lackluster, but it didn't harm my happy reading experience. It's lighter on faith elements, but they are there and the gothic feeling is just delightful.

4 Stars

About the Author

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk writes historical and contemporary fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts, Walking in Grace, and contributes to other Guideposts publications. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over 100 lighthouses and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine.

When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys reading, walking, boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, and playing with her golden retriever. She also sings in the choir at her church and leads a women’s Bible study group. Marilyn and her husband have a combined family of four sons, one daughter, and four grandsons. She’s still hoping for a granddaughter someday.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Word Weavers International, and the United States Lighthouse Society.

Marilyn is also the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference.

More from Marilyn

When my agent told me a certain publisher was looking for Southern Gothic novels I wondered what those were. What I found out was that they were gothic-style novels set in the South, usually an old antebellum mansion, for example, “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.” Think “Jane Eyre” or “Wuthering Heights” set in the southern United States. I had just visited Jekyll Island, Georgia and toured the Millionaires’ Village there, so those mansions came to mind. These homes, which were actually vacation “cottages” of the rich and famous, were built in the Gilded Age of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is said that the 100 members of the club represented most of the wealth in America at that time. However, the members aged and passed away, leaving their wealth or debt to their descendants, the Great Depression caused many to lose their fortunes, then two world wars wreaked havoc on the country, so most of those homes were abandoned. Thanks to ongoing renovation efforts by the state of Georgia, many have been rebuilt. My main character in The Gilded Curse, Alexandra Smithfield (Lexie), inherits one of those abandoned mansions right at the start of World War II. The family fortune gone, she intends to renovate and sell the mansion she hasn’t seen since childhood since her mother believed the island cursed, due to some tragedies that happened to their family while there. So Lexie is “cursed” in two ways – by inheriting something she can no longer afford to keep and by the imagined curse her mother believes. When suspicious events happen around her cottage, she wonders if her mother was right.

Today, you can take tours of the Millionaires’ Village and see the former “cottages” of Pulitzer, Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, etc. You can also stay at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, renovated and now part of the Jekyll Island Club Resort. Some of the characters in my book were real people who lived in 1942, particularly the Maurice sisters, two single sisters who loved the island and never wanted to leave it, even when the President of the United States wanted the island vacated during the war. One interesting thing about the Maurice house: efforts to renovate it have met one obstacle after another, leading some people to believe the sisters’ spirits are still there and very particular about what they want done to their house.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 11

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 11

Pause for Tales, December 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 13

Mary Hake, December 13

Betti Mace, December 14

Texas Book-aholic, December 15

Min Reads and Reviews, December 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 18

Holly’s Book Corner, December 18

Blogging With Carol, December 19

Cover Lover Book Review, December 20

For Him and My Family, December 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 22 (Author Interview)

Little Homeschool on the prairie, December 22

Connie’s History Classroom, December 23

Lily’s Corner, December 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marilyn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/293d1/the-gilded-curse-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Resurgence of Dawn by Brett Armstrong (Quest of Fire Book #5)

About the Book

Book: Quest of Fire: Resurgence of Dawn

Author: Brett Armstrong

Genre: Christian, Epic Fantasy

Release Date: December 19, 2023

Hope returns with the dawn…

Haunted by tragedies and failures, Anargen and Jason each struggle to find their way. Night has fallen in the Lowlands and neither teen has an easy road ahead. In Anargen’s Era, Monarch Ilyron’s powers and influence grow, forcing Anargen and his dwindling list of allies to travel the length of the Lowlands in a desperate attempt to keep the Quest and all they hold dear from falling into ruin.

Jason meanwhile must find Aria and her grandfather to help unite the Knights of Light from across the Lowlands against his brother, Dorian. But agents of darkness and painful vestiges of his past mix with vindictive new enemies to make the hope of seeing the dawn of the longed-for King’s Day ever so faint. If either teen gives in and surrenders, doom will come swiftly on their world.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

First, this is a rather epic-sounding title. I couldn't resist it, and I'm rapidly becoming quite drawn to all this author's books. They are so well done. You can read this book as a stand-alone, but I can't imagine why because they are even stronger as a series. In these pages, God's love is shown and expounded on, and it's full of so many allegories and Biblical parallels. It's a delight to read. Sadly, this is the end of the series, and yet, that just means I can start saving up for print copies because it's that good! While many books and stories are said to be epic, only a few really are, if you ask me. This series qualifies. The battles our dear characters go through are amazing, horrifying, and often realistic and easy to relate to. This series is great for adults, but it is also perfect for teens.

5 HUGE Stars.

About the Author

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Day Moon and Veiled Sun), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope. Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 5

Artistic Nobody, December 6 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 7

Simple Harvest Reads, December 8 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, December 8

Texas Book-aholic, December 9

Through the Fire Blogs, December 10 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 12

For the Love of Literature, December 13 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, December 14

Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 15 (Author Interview)

Splashes of Joy, December 16 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, December 16

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, December 17 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, December 18

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Brett is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of Resurgence of Dawn, and digital extras (exclusive map and music)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/29247/resurgence-of-dawn-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Knowing You By Tracie Peterson (Pictures of the Heart #3)

About the Book

Book: Knowing You

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: November 7, 2023

Could a captivating art exhibit hold the key to truth—and love?

Budding artist May Parker is captivated by the Japanese exhibits at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and longs to know more about her mother’s heritage—which her mother refuses to speak of because of the heartache she left behind in Japan. Wanting to experience more of the exhibits, May works as a Camera Girl–but her curiosity leads her into danger when a suit of samurai armor becomes the target of an elusive art forger.

After ten years apart, May is reunited with her childhood friend Lee Munro, a police detective assigned to keep a watchful eye on the exposition. Their friendship immediately begins to blossom with hints of something more, but when they become entangled in a dangerous heist involving the samurai armor and their love is threatened, can they overcome the odds against them?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

It's been a long time since I read a book by this author and I managed to jump into the third book in a series. I wasn't lost and while I would have rather read the prior books, this one stands alone well. May is part Asian and this book dives into what it was like for her to be of mixed decent in the time frame when it was not as accepted to be like that. May is a fantastic photographer and I loved that about her. Her childhood friend has now rescued her as an adult, and he just wants his family to accept her. Lee is now a police officer and something is happening, a mystery and a plot, and it makes for a wonderful read. I loved how the author shows God in so many ways and covers so many areas of how people reject those who aren't "just like them."

5 Stars

About the Author

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling author of more than 100 novels, both historical and contemporary, with more than 6 million copies sold. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

More from Tracie

Knowing You is book three in the Pictures of the Heart series. This series has proven to be a lot of fun for readers, as well as for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the research and chance to share this tidbit of history.

In the summer of 1909, Seattle was finally able to debut The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition – often affectionately called the AYP. The AYP was set up with amusement park rides, vendors, concerts, and all things typical of a fair. It was also designed to showcase various details about life in Alaska, the Yukon, and a variety of Pacific Islands. The latter included Hawaii, the Philippines, and Japan as well as others. When I started looking into the various displays, I came across the building they put together for the Japan Building. They spoke of the various displays that the building held and how photographs and other pieces of memorabilia told of Japan’s history. It was a fascinating set up and I couldn’t help but think it might be fun to have a heroine who was part Japanese.

I mapped out the story studying various aspects of Japanese history, talking to folks who knew more than I did on the topic and reading (a lot) on things like the Samurai and their armor, the Satsuma Rebellion, and the language and Kanji. I learned so much and tried to weave some of the most interesting bits into the storyline. I kept thinking about the fact that most people in the United States in 1909 probably didn’t even know where Japan was, much less anything about their history. There was, after all, no Internet.

Another fascinating thing about the AYP was the fact that it was set on the campus of the University of Washington. The AYP groomed the grounds and put in beautiful fountains and over 50,000 flowering plants. They built several permanent buildings for the University of Washington and strictly adhered to their policy of no-liquor on campus. This was unusual because all the other fairs and expositions had allowed alcohol. Nevertheless, from June until October the fair saw nearly four million visitors, and from all reports, they had an amazing time.

I hope you’ll enjoy your journey with me to the AYP!

Tracie Peterson

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid reader, December 4

Book Looks by Lisa, December 4

lakesidelivingsite, December 5

Lighthouse Academy Blog, December 6 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 6

Texas Book-aholic, December 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 8

Exploring the Written Word, December 8

Cover Lover Book Review, December 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 10

Blossoms and Blessings, December 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 11

Blogging With Carol, December 12

For Him and My Family, December 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 13 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, December 13

Holly’s Book Corner, December 14

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, December 14

Splashes of Joy, December 15

Min Reads and Reviews, December 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 16

Pause for Tales, December 16

Lily’s Corner, December 17

Lights in a Dark World, December 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Amazon gift card and one paperback set of the Pictures of the Heart series (Remember Me, Finding Us, Knowing You)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/29246/knowing-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Of Sea and Smoke by Gillian Bronte Adams (The Fireborn Epic #2)

About the Book

Book: Of Sea and Smoke

Author: Gillian Bronte Adams

Genre: YA Epic Fantasy

Release Date: November 21, 2023

He rides a seablood, a steed of salt and spray, born to challenge the tides.

Six years ago, the wrong brother survived, and nothing will ever convince Rafi Tetrani otherwise. But he is done running from his past, and from the truth. As civil war threatens Ceridwen’s tenuous rule in Soldonia, Rafi vows to fight the usurper sitting on the imperial throne of Nadaar, even if it means shouldering his brother’s responsibilities as the empire’s lost heir.

The stolen shipload of magical warhorses offers just the edge he needs. But the steeds have been demanded in ransom by the emperor’s ruthless assassin, and if Rafi hopes to raise a band of riders, he must first outwit his brother’s murderer.

Yet when his best efforts end in disaster, and an audacious raid sparks an empire-wide manhunt, even forging an unexpected alliance might not be enough to help Rafi turn the tides, let alone outrace the wave of destruction intent on sweeping them all away.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Face it, the steed alone just pulled me in. I spent my childhood in awe and "drooling" if you will, over horses. I could not resist a story with such a horse, and as a bonus, I have read book one. You need to read book one first, as this picks up right where it left off. I missed these book friends! Ceridwen is amazing, astonishing, and just perfect for her role in this story. It has all the emotions, the feels, from heartache to job, loss to healing, and everything else you can think to list. With three POVs, there wasn't anything dull about this book, and it doesn't sag like some middle-of-the-series books do. I can't wait to read the next book, though this one is so well done that the ending is amazing, and that's saying something because I HATE cliffhangers. There's plenty of war and fights for the action and the male readers, and there's love and romance, hope and more for us all. I'll be watching for the next book in this series.

5 BIG Stars

About the Author

Gillian Bronte Adams writes epic fantasy novels, including the award- winning Of Fire and Ash and The Songkeeper Chronicles. She loves strong coffee, desert hikes, and trying out new soup recipes on crisp fall nights. Her favorite books are the ones that make your heart ache and soar in turn. When she’s not creating vibrant new worlds or dreaming up stories that ring with the echoes of eternity, she can be found off chasing sunsets with her horse, or her dog, Took.

More from Gillian

One of my favorite things about writing epic fantasy is not actually what you might expect. It’s not the fantastical elements, although I absolutely love creating worlds filled with magical warhorses, sosswyrm tangles, and stone-eye tigers who can paralyze their prey with a glance. It’s not the intensity of the action or the world altering stakes, although there’s nothing quite so thrilling as throwing your characters into a do-or-die situation, and the pulse-pounding, breathtaking, heart-aching battle sequences that follow.

Instead, one of my favorite things about writing such wild and epic stories is the opportunity to ground them in very real, very human characters, with very real, very human emotions, and in the complexity of those characters’ relationships with others. Mentor relationships, deeply loyal friendships, and especially sibling relationships.

I am the second-born of five siblings, and I love and admire each of my siblings. Each one encourages and inspires and awes me in his or her own unique way. But growing up, if you had told me that my older sister had hung the moon, I would have believed you. She was two and a half years older than me—and yes, that half year mattered to both of us, though for opposite reasons; she because it meant she was that much older, me because it meant we were that much closer. Somehow, everything she touched seemed golden, and I wanted to be a part of it too.

She was a force of nature—a foaming ocean tide—and I was caught up in her wake.

She took up horseback riding, and so did I. She picked up books, and I had to read them too, even if it meant sitting beside her in the car with my own book open on my lap, surreptitiously reading hers over her shoulder. (Needless to say, that drove her crazy, and older siblings everywhere can probably commiserate.)

She dove into creative writing, and out of nowhere, I developed a passion for the written word. But always, within her, there was this spark of imagination and creativity that I felt I could only ever aspire to. Whatever I did, she had done first and better.

And I could only hope to one day achieve her level of greatness.

Rafi, one of the main characters in Of Sea and Smoke, also has an older sibling, a brother he has always looked up to. While Rafi and his relationship with his brother is not based on my relationship with my older sister—we’re all four of us wildly different people—there were some aspects of my experience as a second-born that I was able to draw upon. Rafi admires his brother’s strength and confidence. His assurance and rightness. His nobility and leadership. By the time we enter the story, his older brother is no longer around, but Rafi has spent his whole life setting his brother up on a pedestal and then trying to measure up to that ideal.

Is it any wonder, then, that he has always found himself wanting?

Now, Rafi finds himself having to step into the role that should have been his brother’s, and the only way he can contemplate facing that challenge is by stamping out the things he looks down upon in himself—many of them, the things that make him himself—and trying to be his brother instead.

Growing up, I can’t tell you how many times I looked at my older sister and wished that I could be more like her and less like myself. More confident. More brilliant. More vibrant. More her. But it wasn’t until my older sister’s interests began to drift into new additional avenues, while mine stayed mostly the same (horses, books, writing), that I finally began to grow into myself. To recognize my strengths, my unique skills, the things that only I bring to the table, and to acknowledge that even when they are different from hers, they are still good.

These days, my older sister and I are best friends. She was the first person I trusted to read Of Sea and Smoke before it went out into the world. I still look up to her in so many ways, and yes, I think I’ll always feel a bit like she hung the moon. But I have grown to appreciate the beauty of what I can learn from my sister’s strengths, while also recognizing the value of my own. And without revealing any spoilers, I think I can safely say that part of Rafi’s journey in Of Sea and Smoke wraps around learning that too, all while he’s raising a band of rebel fighters, trying to outwit an infamous assassin, and plotting to overthrow the empire’s oppressive rule.

Wild, epic stories, grounded in real, human experiences, and honestly, can reading get any more fun than that?

I hope you enjoy the ride!

Gillian Bronte Adams