Category Archives: Contemporary Fiction

Giveaway Whiskey

Book Review and Giveaway: Whiskey On Our Shoes, by Tonya Preece

by

BNR Whiskey on Our Shoes

 

About the Book, Whiskey on Our Shoes Cover Whiskey On Our Shoes

  • Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult
  • Publisher: Champagne Book Group
  • Page Count: 238 pages
  • Publication Date: February 12, 2023
  • Scroll down for a giveaway!

Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.

Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.

Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon Paperback │ Amazon eBook | Goodreads

Author Photo PreeceAbout the Author, Tonya Preece

Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another.

She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm.

She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.

Connect with Tonya:

Website | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | Twitter | Facebook

My Thoughts MissMeliss - 2023

Tonya Preece’s novel, Whiskey On Our Shoes, is an upbeat, fast-tempo novel that explores the different relationships people have with the truth. Eva’s truth is wrapped up in her identity, as the daughter of a famous model and sister of a rockstar. Alex’s truth is tied into an act from his past (something he, as a college sophomore, is barely old enough to have). The greater truth, once the two meet, is in how they will live their lives going forward.

Author Preece incorporates music into all her work, and in this case, she’s given us Lor (short for DeLorean) – Eva’s rockstar brother – as an obvious insertion. Lor is essentially the third lead character in this story, as he is both catalyst to Eva and Alex’s relationship and serves as a chorus to both young people as the story goes on. As well, the author’s use of dialogue felt a lot like improvisational riffing between the characters, the way all good conversations do. I really enjoyed the way the rhythms of each character’s speech wove in and out of the greater whole. It’s this, as much as the story, that made the novel for me.

The story itself was well-written, and felt like it could easily be a television show (multicamera, no laugh track) with organic moments of humor that helped to break the mood when tension got too high. Even though some of the situations felt a bit heightened, Preece kept everything grounded in emotional truth. As well, the three core characters were genuinely likable despite their flaws.

Overall, Whiskey On Our Shoes is a fast read, fresh enough for the new adult market, but suitable for adult readers also.

Goes well with: Asian stir fry and iced green tea.

XTRA Ad Whiskey on Our Shoes

Giveaway

THREE WINNERS

Grand Prize: autographed paperback & $10 Amazon gift card;

2nd Prize: autographed paperback;

3rd Prize: eBook

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 7/14/23)

Giveaway Whiskey

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page for participating blogs, added as they pop up.

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LSBBT BOOK REVIEW

The French Chateau Dream

Book Review: The French Chateau Dream, by Julie Caplin

by

The French Chateau Dream

 

About the Book, The French Chateau Dream The French Chateau Dream

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HARPER COLLINS (July 1, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English

When wedding planner Hattie signs up for her dream job, organising her cousin’s wedding in France, it offers the perfect escape from a relationship that’s been going south for a while.

Unfortunately when she arrives at the idyllic Chateau St Martin, not everyone is as enthusiastic about the forthcoming wedding, including Luc Bremont, son of the owner of the chateau.

Luc has finally been given the chance to make his own champagne at the family vineyard and everything rests on making it a success, the last thing he wants is the distraction of a big wedding at the chateau.

Will Hattie be able to build bridges between the inhabitants of the chateau in order to allow the wedding to go ahead?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads

About the Author, Julie Caplin Julie Caplin Bookshelf

Julie caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold a million copies worldwide.

The first book in the nine strong series, The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Connect with Julie:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

My Thoughts MissMeliss - 2023

Just in time for the heat of summer is Julie Caplin’s latest novel, the bubbly (but not too fluffy) romance, The French Chateau Dream.

In this installment of her Romantic Escapes series, author Caplin follows Hattie to an estate in France where she’ll be taking over as her cousin’s wedding planner. There she meets the owner’s son Luc, and hijinks ensue. Except it isn’t all hijinks. There’s some very real family drama which has French history, especially where champagne and World War Two are concerned, cleverly woven into a plausible story where secrets abound but love is also strong.

I loved Hattie’s no-nonsense English style and the way it brushed against Luc’s thoughtful French aesthetic. I liked that each of these lead characters was strong enough to have an independent storyline, but that they meshed well, and worked together well to further a plot that had just the right pacing. Like the perfect champagne, the dialogue in this novel was crisp, with just a hint of saltiness at times – but that only added character.

I appreciated the character of Marthe, the doyenne of Luc’s family, as well. It can be challenging to write older women as both fragile and strong – the contradiction is hard to capture – but Caplin has done so very deftly, and she quickly became one of my favorite supporting characters.

I also liked that the chateau itself was a non-speaking character in this story. Old houses hold more than secret rooms, they absorb the energy of those who dwelt within them, and this house was the ultimate backdrop for Caplin’s blend of secrets, romance, and history.

Overall, this novel was a delightful read, light enough for beach reading, but not so frothy it felt saccharine.

Goes well with: chilled champagne and fresh strawberries still warm from the sun.

The French Chateau Dream Full Tour Banner

Giveaway Dreams of Arcadia

#Book #Review and #Giveaway: Dreams of Arcadia, by Brian Porter

by

BNR Dreams of Arcadia

 

About the Book, Dreams of Arcadia Cover Dreams of Arcadia

  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Publisher: Legacy Book Press
  • Date of Publication: June 27, 2023
  • Number of Pages: 222 pages
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Veterinarian Nate Holub takes a job in his father’s Texas hometown, wondering if a city boy has what it takes to be a country vet. As he struggles to adapt, Nate reconnects with his family and discovers that his father’s accidental death thirty years earlier was much more complicated than he realized.

Nate delves into the past, afraid of what he might find. He encounters a resentful cousin, a wary town patriarch, a reclusive uncle, a beguiling hidden garden, and a mysterious illness. Nate is drawn to the Holub family farm, where he seeks refuge in nature and tries desperately to reach Viola, his inscrutable grandmother. The farm is a place that haunts his memory, a place where dark secrets dwell.

Dreams of Arcadia is a touching portrait of an American family. It explores the enduring ties that hold us together and bind us to the land.

Buy, read and discuss this book:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org│ Kobo | Goodreads

 

 

About the Author, Brian Porter Author Photo Porter

Brian Porter lives in College Station, Texas, where he works as a veterinary pathologist.

He previously worked in private veterinary practice and once taught high school chemistry.

Dreams of Arcadia is his first novel.

Connect with Brian:

Instagram | Facebook | Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

My Thoughts MissMeliss - 2023

On the surface, Brian Porter’s debut novel Dreams of Arcadia is a simple story of a man returning to his rural roots. But in the deft hands of this virtuoso storyteller, Nate Holub’s story is more than merely simple. Rather, it explores the complex relationships we all have with the places where we grew up, the people who raised us, and the dreams that were dear to us, some of which never came true, and some of which evolved into unexpected choices. In this case, we have a “big city” veterinarian who has returned to his rural Texas hometown to discover new facets of himself, and the father who died thirty years before. Nate is a father himself, which adds depth to the story. In addition to discovering truths about his family, he must also provide a strong foundation for his girls – one that is tied to the land he came from,
but not necessarily beholden to it.

I’ve worked in pet rescue, so I’m a sucker for an animal story, even when it’s really a people story, as Dreams of Arcadia is.  In this case, I felt making Nate a veterinarian was a wise choice. Moments with the animals and vet staff interjected light and humor when they were needed, but also provided poignant counterpoint at times. I got a kick out of Nate limiting a local farmer on the amount of medicine he’d provide, so he wouldn’t treat the entire rural community. I also think Nate’s rapport with animals also softened some aspects of the story, like his relationship with his cousin Wink – who seems to have an issue with him – and with his aging grandmother Viola and his aunt Ruthie and her family.

I appreciated the pacing of this novel. Nothing was rushed, but neither did the story feel like it was too slow. Rather, this was the literary equivalent of a balmy summer day. You know crisper weather is lurking behind the sunny skies but you have time to savor the light and heat. I also loved the vivid descriptions of the land, especially the gardens  – including one that’s essentially secret – where Nate finds himself. The land in this novel is truly a character in its own right. Part family drama, part “All Creatures Great and Small – Texas edition,” and part mystery, this book has elements to please any reader, and what’s better is that they form a cohesive whole and satisfying story.

Goes well with a summer salad with garden fresh greens, nuts and berries, and a glass of sweet tea.

XTRA Ad Dreams of Arcadia

Giveaway

THREE WINNERS:

Signed copy of Dreams of Arcadia.

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 7/7/23)

Giveaway Dreams of Arcadia

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE for direct links to each blog on this tour, updated daily, or visit each blog directly:

06/27/23 Shelf Life Blog Excerpt
06/27/23 Hall Ways Blog BONUS Stop
06/28/23 Reading by Moonlight Review
06/28/23 LSBBT Blog BONUS Stop
06/29/23 Chapter Break Book Blog Notable Quotables
06/30/23 Bibliotica Review
07/01/23 Jennie Reads Review
07/02/23 Forgotten Winds Author Interview
07/03/23 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review
07/04/23 StoreyBook Reviews Deleted Scene
07/05/23 The Book’s Delight Review
07/06/23 Rox Burkey Blog Review

 

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LSBBT BOOK REVIEW

New Moon Giveaway Collage

#Book #Review & #Giveaway: The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane by Laura Briggs

by

The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane

About the Book, The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane

  • The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane CoverPublication date ‏ : ‎ April 27, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1213 KB
  • Scroll down for Giveaway

Young and quiet, Lucy Granger leads an introverted life in Reading, living in a flat and working in design at a graphics company—
until it is upended when she both sells her idea for a mobile game and suffers an unexpected medical diagnosis shortly afterwards.

Facing a mandated medical rest period, she decides to use her windfall earnings to take a year’s holiday, renting a farm on New Moon Lane in a country village in Yorkshire.
As Lucy settles into her holiday home for some tranquility, she soon learns that she is not the only tenant, when a llama named Llarry strolls out of the farm’s supposedly-derelict barn.
He is shortly followed by others in a menagerie of abandoned animals left behind—from a sickly donkey who likes eating crisps to a flirtatious cockerel sleeping in the back garden.

To Lucy’s consternation, no one is willing or able to take them on, leaving her with a strange mix of furry and feathered friends to find homes for.
Reluctantly adapting to her circumstances in order to deal with this problem, Lucy will discover other surprises about the animals in her care,
and the place she is temporarily calling home. About herself, as well.

Will her ordinary life ever be the same after her experience on New Moon Lane? More importantly, should she really want it to be?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the Author, Laura Briggs

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’.

She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Connect with Laura:

Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts

The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane is a delightful read, light enough for a summer weekend, and definitely a feel-good story, but not terribly fluffy or frothy.

I love that the protagonist, Lucy, is a woman with a job in a STEM field. She codes for one company as her day job, but also designs video games. One, in particular,
which follows the life of a hedgehog, ought to be real, because I think every reader would want to play it. As well, her submission of that game to a contest by a game
publisher is what gives Lucy her second career, and provides the funds for her medical break to the titular Llama Farm .

As someone who is always telling her husband whenever there’s a donkey, llama or (because we live in Florida), sugar glider, in need of rescue, I understood
Lucy’s initial trepidation at caring for the unexpected animals that came with her new, rural, home, and the way she grew to love them. (My husband has limited
our livestock acquisitions to dogs).

I also loved her interactions with her neighbor, Fran, and with Liam, an apparently autistic boy for whom visits to the animals are a form of unofficial
therapy.

Author Laura Briggs has given us a vivid story replete with charming animals, and a lovely landscape. (I’ve only ever been to London, never Yorkshire, and this
book has reminded me how much I’d love to visit there). All of the characters – human and animal – felt very real, and I enjoyed this escape into a quieter,
gentler live very much.

Goes well with hot tea and cucumber sandwiches.

Giveaway

New Moon Giveaway Collage

Giveaway – Win an e-copy of The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.
The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email.
If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.
Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.
Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties,
with the exception of the winners’ information.
This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.
I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane

One Summer Cover 9781803284521

Book #Review: One Summer in Sicily by Nancy Barone

by

One Summer in Sicily Full Tour Banner

About the book, One Summer in Sicily One Summer Cover 9781803284521

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aria; 1st edition (June 8, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 8, 2023
  • Print length: 347 pages

A new fun and fresh rom-com set in Sicily by Canadian-Italian author Nancy Barone.

In an attempt to resuscitate her twenty-five-year-old marriage, aerophobic Gillian Dobson knocks down a few tranquilisers and takes a dreaded flight to the Sicilian Island of Lipari to surprise her husband, away on a business trip. But her troubles are just about to begin…

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Aria Publishing | Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the author, Nancy Barone One Summer Barone_Nancy

Nancy Barone grew up in Canada, but at the age of 12 her family moved to Italy. Catapulted into a world where her only contact with the English language was her old Judy Blume books, Nancy became an avid reader and a die-hard romantic. Nancy stayed in Italy and, despite being surrounded by handsome Italian men, she married an even more handsome Brit. They now live in Sicily where she teaches English.

Nancy is a member of the RWA and a keen supporter of the Women’s Fiction Festival at Matera where she meets up once a year with writing friends from all over the globe.

Connect with Nancy:

Twitter

Connect with Lorella Belli Literary Agency

Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts MissMeliss - 2023

I always love a novel where the protagonist isn’t a twenty-something girl with very little life experience. In Gillian Dobson, the lead character of One Summer in Sicily, author Nancy Barone has given us a brilliantly flawed, mature (but not old) woman. Married for twenty years, she visits Sicily to surprise her husband only to find that the surprise is on her, and it’s not a happy one.

Subsequently we get to see Gillian, who already conquered aerophobia to get to Sicily in the first place, deal with all the issues women deal with when they are in transition: self-esteem, body image, loneliness. While she challenges herself to conquer these issues, it’s the journey that makes the story, and author Barone has crafted an excellent plot.

I enjoyed the language choices the author used, and the way Sicily seemed like a character in the novel. rather than merely a setting. I liked Gillian, and rooted for her. But, speaking as someone who is about to turn 53, forty is not old, especially in today’s world, and the younger woman (the surprise she finds her husband with) is only a few years younger – in her mid thirties. Making Gillian truly middle-aged – mid forties to mid fifties – and/or making the younger woman significantly younger would have given the story more impact and made Gillian even more sympathetic.

Over all, though, this was a satisfying read, and I will happily read more of Barone’s work.

Goes well with: espresso and a cannoli with citron.

 

Giveaway Blue Running

Review and Giveaway: Blue Running, by Lori Ann Stephens

by

BNR Blue Running

 

About the book, Blue Running

  • Genre: Dystopian Fiction / Coming of Age / Suspense
  • Publisher: Moonflower Publishing
  • Date of Publication: November, 2022
  • Number of Pages: 334 pages
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Cover Blue RunningIn the new Republic of Texas, guns are compulsory and nothing is forgiven. Blue Running is a gripping coming-of-age thriller set in post-secessionist Texas. A fast-paced, page-turning book, it looks unflinchingly at what the future could hold, and finds hope there.

Fourteen-year-old Bluebonnet Andrews is on the run across the Republic of Texas. An accident with a gun killed her best friend but everyone in the town of Blessing thinks it was murder. Even her father – the town’s drunken deputy – believes she did it. Now, she has no choice but to run. In Texas, murder is punishable by death.

On the road she meets Jet, a pregnant young woman of Latin American heritage. Jet is secretive about her past but she’s just as determined as Blue to get out of Texas before she’s caught and arrested. Together, the two form an unlikely kinship as they make their way past marauding motorcycle gangs, the ever-watchful Texas Rangers, and armed strangers intent on abducting them – or worse. When Blue and Jet finally reach the wall, will they be able to cross the border, or will they be shot down in cold blood like the thousands who have gone before them?

Some things are worth dying for.

Praise for this book:

  • “Brilliant.”  —Heat Magazine
  • “A fast-paced story that races along, and stays with you long after you’ve finished it.” — The American
  • “An important and unforgettable read.” — Armadillo Magazine

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon │ Blackwell’s | Other Moonflower Publishing Affiliates | Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for Blue Running

 

About the author, Lori Ann Stephens Author Photo Stephens

Novelist, librettist, lecturer Lori Ann Stephens grew up in North Texas, where she developed an addiction to the arts. Her novels for children and adults include Novalee and the Spider Secret, Some Act of Vision, and Song of the Orange Moons, and her award-winning work has been noted by Glimmer Train Stories, The Chicago Tribune, and the English National Opera. She teaches Writing and Critical Reasoning undergraduate courses, as well as creative writing graduate courses, at Southern Methodist University. She lives in Texas and is a bit mad about her cat.

Connect with Lori Ann

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Instagram

My Thoughts

MissMeliss

MissMeliss

I’ve often found that the New Adult / Young Adult genre includes some of the most thought-provoking work in contemporary fiction, and Lori Ann Stephens’s latest novel, a dystopian thriller set in a near-future (or alternate reality – the distinction is unclear), frighteningly plausible version of Texas. Blue Running is so well crafted, it’s nearly unputdownable.

In this novel, Blue (Bluebonnet) Andrews, is running away from her hometown of Blessing because an accident with a gun killed her best friend, and even her father the town’s deputy (usually drunk) thinks she did it.

But the version of Texas this young woman must navigate is one that has seceded from the Union. Open-carry of guns isn’t just legal, it’s required, the state has become the very Christian Republic of Texas, replete with a wall to keep Texans in (and “scalers” out), and where undocumented immigrants are shot on sight by the Border Patrol, and death is the typical punishment for abortion. With the entirety of the Republic declared a no-fly zone, trains are the only way to cross the state without having to drive yourself.

Fortunately, Blue runs into Jet, a young Latina woman who is pregnant, and equally desperate to escape into the country beyond the wall: America. Along the way, the two encounter green-bandanna-wearing motorcycle gangs who are more ruthless than the Border Patrol, communities of convenience, including one called The Neighborhood, where they find temporary respite and new challenges, and even some artists who encourage Blue’s drawing talents. They also try to avoid the lethal Texas Rangers.

Both Blue and Jet feel like real young women caught in a horrible situation. Throughout the story they keep parts of themselves hidden from each other, but still aid and support each other. Jet has the better street smarts while Blue is better at blending in. They make a great team, and while it’s never made explicit, it’s likely that they will remain friends – or more – long after the story ends.

Author Stephens has written this book in a way only a native (or long-time resident) of Texas can. You can feel her love for the Lone Star State in the descriptions of the land and people, but you can also sense her dissatisfaction with the current political climate, and how it might expand in a worst-case scenario. This includes reproductive freedom as well as gun laws. Both issues were handled with delicacy, but sensitive readers should be prepared.

My review is based on the audiobook version of this story, which is read by Ashley Rose Kaplan who uses the perfect drawl – just enough Texas in her voice but not so much that her accent becomes a caricature. She changes her accent when Jet is speaking, adding to differentiate the characters, and alters her tone well for other characters, including the various men the young women run into.. It’s a perfect combination of story and narrator, and I felt her voice enhanced the experience of the novel.

Overall, this is a gripping story – part road trip, part flight for life – with a healthy dose of coming-of-age. I would not want to live in the version of Texas depicted in Blue Running, but I will happily read any future novels in this series.

XTRA Ad Blue Running

Giveaway

ONE WINNER:

Paperback of Blue Running

with autographed bookplate mailed separately

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 5/19/23)

Giveaway Blue Running

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the Other Great Blogs on this Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life tour page for this book, or visit each blog directly.

05/09/23 Hall Ways Blog Audio Review
05/09/23 LSBBT Blog BONUS Stop
05/10/23 Forgotten Winds Excerpt
05/10/23 Bibliotica Audio Review
05/11/23 Book Fidelity Audio Review
05/12/23 StoreyBook Reviews Playlist
05/12/23 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review
05/13/23 The Real World According to Sam Review
05/13/23 Boys’ Mom Reads Guest Post
05/14/23 Shelf Life Blog Author Interview
05/15/23 All the Ups and Downs Scrapbook Page
05/15/23 It’s Not All Gravy Review
05/16/23 Reading by Moonlight Review
05/17/23 Sybrina’s Book Blog Guest Post
05/17/23 Librariel Book Adventures Audio Review
05/18/23 The Clueless Gent Review
05/18/23 Rox Burkey Blog Audio Review
     

 

 

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LoneStarBookBlogTours sm

The Cruise Cover

Book Review: The Cruise, by Caroline James

by

The Cruise Full Tour Banner

 

The Cruise CoverAbout the book, The Cruise

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ One More Chapter (April 20, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 20, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English

Three women.
One widowed.
One unmarried.
One almost divorced.
All aged 63, but not ready to give up on life!

Leaving behind the heartache, guilt and disappointment of their real lives, three friends decide that now they’re in their sixties, it’s time they finally did something for themselves!

Swapping Christmas turkeys and BBC reruns for crystal waters, white sandy beaches and smooth golden rum, Anne, Jane and Kath throw caution (and tradition) to the wind as they set sail on a luxury two-week Christmas cruise around the Caribbean.

Will the three friends find the comfort and joy they seek aboard the Diamond Star?

 

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

Caroline James

About the Author, Caroline James

Best-selling author of women’s fiction, Caroline James, has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that often features in her novels. She is based in the UK but escapes whenever lockdown allows. A public speaker, which has included talks and lectures on cruise ships worldwide, Caroline is also a consultant and food writer. Caroline writes articles and runs writing workshops, is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association, the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists and the Society of Authors. In her spare time, Caroline can be found walking with Fred, her Westie and in summer, wild water swimming. In winter, when not working, she relaxes with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

Connect with Caroline:

Website |  Amazon | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

My Thoughts

MissMeliss

In Caroline James’s fabulous new novel, The Cruise, Jane, Kath, and Anne are three single women in their sixties who decide to ditch the winter weather in the UK and go on a Caribbean cruise for singles over fifty.

While I am not single (I’ve been married forever), I fit the over-fifty demographic, and I really appreciated this fun, feisty, sometimes flirtatious story. Fifty may not quite be the new thirty, but contemporary fifty- and sixty-year-olds are definitely healthier, more energetic, and ‘feel’ younger than they did when our grandparents were that age. It was so refreshing to read a story that really understands that, that I was hooked just from the concept.

More than that, though, I loved the premise. Cruise ships are the perfect microcosms of society, and time aboard one is like living in a heightened reality for a week or two. (Having come off a cruise in March, I’m still wistful for morning coffee on my balcony and free mimosas at brunch.)

I liked that the author gave each of these women her own story, though Jane’s arc was the most dramatic, and I appreciated that she was able to truly find herself on her voyage. I also liked the way the friendship between all three women was depicted. Too often women in novels are catty to each other. These women tease each other but are also supportive, which is how the best friendships should be.

The male characters aboard ship are vivid and interesting as well. Setwyn, traveling with his deceased wife’s ashes (and leaving them in the various ports he visits) had such a poignant story. I’d read a whole novel just about him. And Dicky, the ultimate lounge lizard-type cruise entertainer was deliciously smarmy.

Despite being set at Christmas, this novel is the perfect beach read. (After all, it’s always summer in the Caribbean!) It’s substantive enough to be satisfying, and light enough to zip through in a weekend. Great read!

Goes well with: any rum-based cocktail that comes with a paper umbrella.

 

Giveaway Copper Waters

Review and Giveaway: Copper Waters by Marlene M. Bell

by

BNR Copper Waters

 

About the book, Copper Waters Cover COPPER WATERS

  • Series: Annalisse, Book 4
  • Genre: International Mystery / Crime / Romantic Suspense
  • Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
  • Date of Publication: October 7, 2022
  • Number of Pages: 340
  • Scroll down for the giveaway!

A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Click to Purchase | Add to Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for Copper Waters

 

About the author, Marlene M. Bell

Marlene M. BellMarlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series — mysteries with a touch of romance — has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity) and FAPA (Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award) for two other installments, Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy. She also penned the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

Connect with Marlene:

Website║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║ LinkedIn ║ BookBub ║ Instagram ║ Amazon || Goodreads ║ Blog ║ YouTube

My Thoughts

MissMelissWhile Copper Waters is the first in this series that I’ve read, I had the honor of sharing a guest post from the author five years ago, when the first book in the Annalisse series was being launched. I made a note to read it, but time got away from me, as sometimes happens, so this book, number four, is my first. Before I go any further, let me assure you that it functions just fine as a stand-alone. There’s enough backstory to make the recurring characters (most notably Annalisse herself) feel familiar without overburdening the reader with too much information.

This novel begins with the heroine, antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury, accepts an invitation to visit a friend’s sheep farm in New Zealand and escape her complicated relationship with Alex Zavros for a while. Of course her break is cut short when murder ensues, and her sleuthing skills must be put to use. What follows is a fast-paced crime solving story with touches of relationship drama and great scenery that only begins with rural New Zealand and expands to Christchurch and beyond.

While I loved the characters, and wouldn’t mind if Annalisse was my new best friend (her tendency to attract dead bodies notwithstanding), I thought the character of Bill Drake balanced her well, and if these two aren’t already a recurring crime-fighting duo, they should be.

What really sold me on this book, though, is the author’s writing style. Bell’s prose is crisp and precise, her dialogue is always on point, and she blends vivid descriptions with just enough character work to leave you with a mental image that still has room for your own imagination to overlay details. The pacing (as I mentioned before) of Copper Waters was also excellent. Time was spent where it was needed, and sped up where that would have the best effect. It’s this willingness to let the reader breathe, as much as the actual story, that made reading this book such a great experience.

I also really loved the New Zealand setting. It’s a rare location for a novel, but a great choice for anyone who loves sheep, and I enjoyed that this book wasn’t centered in Sydney or somewhere in Europe.

Now that I’ve read book four, I’ve gone back and downloaded books one through three, and am looking forward to immersing myself in them at my earliest opportunity.

Overall, this is a well-crafted, compelling story with believable characters.

Goes well with: Shepherd’s pie – the authentic version, made with lamb. And hard cider.

Giveaway

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

$50 VISA Card, 100% New Zealand gray wool throw, leather bucket bag, signed ARC paperback of Copper Waters, Hagestad hammered copper water bottle, Lucy Pittaway notebook

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 3/3/2023)

Giveaway Copper Waters

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check Out the Other Great Stops on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page for direct links to each blog on this tour, updated daily, or visit each blog directly.

VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

02/21/23 Review Bibliotica
02/21/23 Review Hall Ways Blog
02/22/23 Review Julia Picks 1
02/22/23 BONUS Promo LSBBT Blog
02/23/23 Review It’s Not All Gravy
02/23/23 Review The Real World According to Sam
02/24/23 Review Forgotten Winds
02/24/23 Review Book Fidelity
02/25/23 Review Librariel Book Adventures
02/26/23 Review The Plain-Spoken Pen
02/27/23 Review StoreyBook Reviews
02/28/23 Review Boys’ Mom Reads
02/28/23 Review Jennie Reads
03/01/23 Review The Book’s Delight
03/02/23 Review Rox Burkey Blog
03/02/23 Review Chapter Break Book Blog

 

 

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LoneStarBookBlogTours sm

Giveaway Survival

Book Review and Giveaway: Survival, by Lisa Harris

by

BNR Survival

 

Cover Book 1 SurvivalAbout the Book, Survival

  • Series: Fallout (Book 1)
  • Dystopian / Science Fiction / Mystery / Christian
  • Publisher: Adrenaline-Fueled Fiction
  • Pages: 236 pages
  • Publication Date: October 19, 2021

In today’s world, law enforcement agencies across the country rely on forensic tools, DNA testing, and crime labs. But what if that technology was suddenly no longer available? No one in the small, west Texas town of Shadow Ridge knows what took down the power grid, or when it’s going to be back up, but everyone knows exactly where they were the moment it went down. And now, with no electricity, no internet, and no modern technology, the men and women responsible for keeping the town safe are going to have to learn how to fight crime all over again.

When one of the men in charge of storing food for the town of Shadow Ridge is found murdered execution style, it’s up to Jace McQuaid to find the killer. What he discovers is a group of organized raiders who are stealing supplies and selling them on the black market—and the survival of the town depends on stopping them.

Morgan Addison’s estranged brother, Ricky, shows up at her house demanding weapons and confirming her fears that he’s a part of the outlaws. Tensions are raised further when Ricky kidnaps her son to ensure his safe passage out of town. Jace must find a way to save Noah and ensure the survival of Shadow Ridge.

Praise for this book:

  • “An adrenaline rush of a read! Summed up in one word: Unputdownable!” ~Kav, Amazon reviewer
  • “Once again Lisa Harris has created a creative world full of intrigue, suspense, and action! This book is irresistible! I can’t wait to finish with the rest of the series!” ~Dawn, Amazon reviewer
  • “Excellent. Lisa Harris at her best.” ~Chipchucker, Amazon reviewer
  • “The book starts with a bang and does not slow down.” ~Grandaddy A, Amazon reviewer
  • “This is an absolute must read!!” ~Carlien, Amazon reviewer

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for this Book:

 

 

View on YouTube

Author Photo HarrisAbout the Author, Lisa Harris

LISA HARRIS is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom, Vendetta, and Port of Origin, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has fifty plus novels and novellas in print. She and her husband currently live in Texas.

Connect with Lisa:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

XTRA Ad Fallout Series

MissMelissMy Thoughts

The first book in Lisa Harris’s Fallout Series, about life in a small Texas town after an EMP event knocks out the power grid is a fascinating combination of mystery, science fiction, and good old hometown drama. Her take on the common post-apocalyptic trope is a fresh one – the blending of police work and a touch of romance really add depth to the concept. More importantly, this novel is as much character-based as plot-based.

The lead characters of Jace McQuaid, the reluctant lawman, and Morgan Addison, the sister of one of the villains of the piece, are both well drawn and interesting. I liked that Jace questioned his unintended role in the town’s law enforcement, and I also liked that the relationship between Morgan and Jace was formed from a strong friendship, and that romance was secondary to the main plot, adding color, but never overshadowing the mystery. The supporting characters were also well-drawn, but I think my favorite was Hope, the town doctor, who reminded me very much of Doc Baker from the Little House on the Prairie series, but female. Her description of her newly acquire4d extra goat and chickens as payment for her services was both amusing and poignant. I confess to an audible “awww’ during a crucial scene between Jace and Morgan’s young son.

I want to applaud the author’s choice NOT to make solving the EMP problem or reestablishing electricity a core plot point. As this is the first book in a series, and there are several titles listed as coming in the future, doing so would have ruined her setup, first of all, but would also have taken us out of the bubble that a single, small town can be. Having a finite area and a limited number of characters makes for tighter storytelling, and Harris is an amazing storyteller.  Details like the fact that the library had become a local meeting place and an information exchange really made this version of Texas feel real, and I loved that she had townspeople researching and growing medicinal herbs.

While this book is very entertaining as a piece of fiction, I also found it extremely thought-provoking. Our world where HOAs dictate what we can grow in our own yards has moved far away from the practice of kitchen gardens, but such gardens can be literal lifesavers in the event of a real emergency. (This is not an endorsement of people becoming urban or suburban chicken farmers because of a temporary spike in the price of eggs.) I’m not the type to become a prepper, but I feel like I should plant the zucchini and tomatoes I’ve been contemplating sooner rather than later. After all, we cannot survive on basil alone.

Overall, this novel is a very promising opening to what I hope will be a successful series. It was well-paced and perfectly crafted, and I will happily read more in this world.

Goes well with: hot tea and homemade blueberry pie.

Giveaway

THREE WINNERS!

1st: Spa Basket; 2nd: Shower Steamers; 3rd” Facial Masks

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 2/24/23)

What would you miss most if the grid went down? While not as essential as toilet paper or air-conditioning during a Texas summer, I think the McQuaid heroines from this series would love a bit of self-care—and so would I. – Author Lisa Harris

 

Giveaway Survival

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, OR VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

02/14/23 Review It’s Not All Gravy
02/14/23 Review Forgotten Winds
02/14/23 Bonus Series Spotlight Hall Ways Blog
02/15/23 Review Book Fidelity
02/15/23 Review Bibliotica
02/16/23 Review Reading by Moonlight
02/16/23 Bonus Promo LSBBT Blog
02/17/23 Audio Review Chapter Break Book Blog
02/17/23 Review The Clueless Gent
02/18/23 Review Jennie Reads
02/19/23 Review The Plain-Spoken Pen
02/20/23 Review StoreyBook Reviews
02/21/23 Review Boys’ Mom Reads
02/21/23 Review Writing and Music
02/22/23 Review Shelf Life Blog
02/22/23 Bonus Sneak Peek All the Ups and Downs
02/23/23 Review The Book’s Delight
02/23/23 Audio Review Rox Burkey Blog

 

 

 

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LoneStarBookBlogTours sm

Giveaway ML Blitz

Book Spotlight: Cover Reveal and Pre-Order for Murder’s Legacy, by Anita Dickason

by

BNR Murder's Legacy Blitz

 

Cover Murder's Legacy 1-20-23About the book, Murder’s Legacy

  • Now available for pre-order
  • Series: Tori Winters Mysteries, book 2
  • Mystery / Women Sleuths
  • Publisher: Mystic Circle Books
  • Coming February 16, 2023
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Secrets that defy time!

An inconceivable disaster brings Tori Winters’ plans for the historic house she inherited to a traumatic standstill. A section of the escape tunnel built by her great-grandfather, a notorious Dallas gangster, has collapsed. Within the rubble, there is a gruesome discovery. A skeleton with a bullet hole in the skull.

The shocking cave-in triggers an ominous scheme to condemn her property as accusations arise that the tunnel is dangerous.

Embattled, Tori soon discovers that more than the destruction of the house is on the line. It seems she can’t escape the past. It keeps clawing its way into her life with deadly consequences.

Who hides in the shadows with a motive for murder?
And … is Tori the target?

Pre-order this book here:

Murder’s Legacy Pre-Order

Watch the Trailer for this book:

About the Author, Anita Dickason

Author Photo Anita DickasonAward-winning Author Anita Dickason is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics detective, advanced accident investigator, tactical officer, and first female sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.

Anita writes about what she knows, cops and crime. Her police background provides an unending source of inspiration for her plots and characters. Many incidents and characters portrayed in her books are based on personal experience. For her, the characters are the fun part of writing as she never knows where they will take her. There is always something out of the ordinary in her stories.

In Anita’s debut novel, Sentinels of the Night, she created an elite FBI Unit, the Trackers. Since then, she has added three more Tracker crime thrillers, Going Gone!, A u 7 9, and Operation Navajo, which are not a series and can be read in any order, and Deadly Business, a crime thriller.

As a Texas author, many of Anita’s books are based in Texas, or there is a link to Texas. When she stepped outside of the Tracker novels and wrote Not Dead and the Tori Winters Mysteries series, she set them in the small Texas communities of Meridian and Granbury, respectively.

Connect with Anita:

 WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  AMAZON  |  GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | PINTEREST | LINKEDIN

YouTube: AN AUTHOR’S WORLD | BOOK CINEMA

 

XTRA Pre-Order Ad Murder's Legacy

Giveaway

ONE WINNER

Tori Winters Series tote bag + personalized coffee mug
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 2/9/2023)

Giveaway ML Blitz

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH BLOG PARTICIPATING IN THIS BOOK BLITZ!

 

 

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LoneStarBookBlogTours sm