The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen was a great story but hard at times for me to get through. I really enjoyed this story and the authors writing but for some reason it was hard for me to finish and I am not sure why. I have read several others books by her and I loved them but this one for me was a little slow. At times I did get pissed at Julia for how she acted and things that she did but I always had to tell myself that this was different time and place. All it all if you love historical fiction books you should check this out.
About The Book
Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.
Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch’s daughter. Though he’s initially wary of Julia Midwinter’s reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul—and hidden sorrows of her own.Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master—a man her mother would never approve of—but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec’s help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village . . . and to her mother’s tattered heart?Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyreand Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She is a three-time Christy Award winner and a 2010 Midwest Book Award winner for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Sliding Into Black by T. L. Kitae was an intriguing book to read. I am still not sure what about this book made me keep reading but I didn’t want to put it down after I started reading it. The author writing and characters caught me from the very start and kept my attention right through until the end. I am glad that this is only book one because I can’t wait to read the other books in the series. I also can’t wait to check out the other books by this author!
During the cultural revolution of the 1960’s and ’70’s, the war in Vietnam continued, daily casualties calmly reported on the evening news. Shaw, a brilliant ex-Navy Seal, has managed to come home alive after two tours in Vietnam and is now involved in black ops with Naval Intelligence, stationed in the exotic Hawaiian Islands.
The revolution had evolved into social and anti-war protests, rock ‘n roll, drugs, feminism, burn-your-bras, and casual sex, arriving in Hawaii as tradewinds of change.
An unorthodox romance springs up between Shaw and Marie, his boss’s daughter. From the moment they meet, sparks fly and the erotic heat between them runs as hot as the lava streaming from Hawaii’s volcano, Kilauea.
Thus, the first installment of the Sliding into Black trilogy begins.
“I go back to the wind blowing my long, blonde hair around me, the delicious feeling of speed, top down on our GTO.
Young, with no sense of mortality – after all, we have everything that life has to offer in front of us.
Spring break and we’re heading to my best friend, Jen’s family condo at Myrtle Beach. Yes, yes, yes – an hour away from a needed break from the university, lectures and oh, god, the research papers! Chris and I have been going out together for over a year, exclusively for a few months. We enjoy the same things, are study buddies, come from the same small town – basically we’re best friends with benefits. We agree, it’s not love, but damn, the sex is fantastic! There doesn’t seem to be any end to the white-hot sexual attraction we have. We can’t keep our hands and lips off each other. We’re like moths to a flame.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Tough question! I am an avid, maybe even rabid book reader! So here goes, not in any particular order, and not any favorite over the other.
1) The Bone Bed, Patricia Cornwell. I love her characters, how they seem to stand in front of you, and the intricate details that she weaves into every book.
2) Bonnie, Iris Johansen. Ms. Johansen’s work fascinates me and Eve is an irrestible character.
3) Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb. Love, love, love everything that Norah Roberts aka J.D. Robb writes. All of her characters are ultra-cool and the plots well defined.
4) Feastday of Fools, James Lee Burke. Mr. Burke has a unique writing style that is amazing in it’s descriptiveness and detail. Every word leaps off the page and a picture starts forming immediately of each character, location, and each action.
5) A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin (all 4 books). Epic story telling, like watching a movie in your head.
These are just newer books, there are many, many other authors and classics that beguile me.
How do you approach cover design?
This is a great question because personally, the cover of a book will attract me first as I am a visual person and learner. First the cover needs to pull me in and second, I like interesting pictures or drawings and hope that they give me a hint of what’s inside. For Sliding into Black, it was imperative to show a Hawaiian beach, then hopefully a Shaw and Maria. It came together well!
What do you read for pleasure?
Fantasies, Science Fiction, Mysteries and Erotic Romances.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Right now, a Kindle Fire. Love it!
Describe your desk
My desk is a mess. But don’t touch it! Each stack means something and only I know what it is!
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was a semi-military brat, lived all over the U.S. and Hawaii. So far, there is nowhere that has beat Hawaii for overall climate, beaches, things to do and see, and wonderful warm people! Hawaii has influenced my life more than anyplace I lived, except for twenty years on a horse and cattle farm. I loved writing the first book of the Sliding into Black trilogy with Hawaii as the setting – so romantic!
When did you first start writing?
I started writing as a child, mostly diaries and journals. As I progressed through school, several teachers told me that I should consider writing as a profession. But life happens. Now I have the chance to write books and am loving every minute of it.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Sharing thoughts, ideas and introducing people to new places or bringing back memories for them. Of course, there is always a release. Writing can be cathartic.
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans are why I write. They let you know what they like and what they don’t pretty quick and I love the feedback – take every bit to heart and apply to the next book. You can’t grow without praise and constructive criticism. I appreciate every fan!
What are you working on next?
Book 2 of the Sliding into Black trilogy. What’s going on with Shaw? What will Marie do? So much fun!
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
My family, my cat and my horses!
Three couples, all friends from college on a road trip for that much needed spring break. Somehow Chris and I have gotten ahead of the rest of the kids, so we take advantage of the moment. I slide my tongue into Chris’s ear, down his neck, under his long blonde hair and down to his nipple.
Lightly I bite his nipple and circle it with my tongue, lovingly tasting the salt from his sweat.”
T.L. Kitae is a retired journalist and magazine publisher residing in Asheville, N.C. Unable to sit still for long, she writes and attends school full time to obtain her long awaited Registered Nursing degree and license.
She is married to her long time sweetheart, enjoys riding her two horses, has a silly cat, and loves spending time with her daughter and son-in-law.
Currently she is working on Book 2 of the Sliding into Black Trilogy.
This book made me feel so many different emotions that I am not even sure what to write for the review. This book takes you in so many different directions and makes you feel so many different things that it was at times hard to read but at the same time I didn’t want to put the book down. I was amazed that the author could make me feel the way I did at times. The story never once got boring or made me want to stop reading. This is an amazing story for someone who has or knows people who have a mental illness.
About The Book
A beautiful heirloom ingrained with family memory has become a totem of a life Saffee would rather forget—a childhood disrupted by her mother’s mental illness.
Saffee does not want the table. By the time she inherits the object of her mother’s obsession, the surface is thick with haphazard layers of paint, and heavy with unsettling memories.
After a childhood spent watching her mother slide steadily into insanity, painting and re-painting the ancient table, Saffee has come to fear that seeds of psychosis may lie dormant within her. But as an adult with a family of her own, Saffee must confront her mother’s torment if she wants to defend herself against it.
Traversing four generations over the course of a century, The Painted Table is an epic portrait of inherited memory, proclivity, and guilt. It is a sprawling narrative affirmation that a family artifact—like a family member—can bear the marks of one’s entire past . . . as well as intimations of one’s
About The Author
Suzanne Field, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, has taught English as a Second Language in China, Ukraine, and Hawaii. She has also been a magazine editor and home-school teacher. She and her husband have five children and divide their time between Kansas and Hawaii where she is a tutor and mentor.
I loved that the main character in this book was a women and that she was fighting through the whole book to prove to men that she could do everything they were doing. I loved how no matter how bad things got she kept on fighting and trying to find a way to make things work and not lose her land. This is the first book I have read that takes place right after the Civil War ends and I was almost shocked at how people acted after it all ended. I love how it all worked out in the end even though it wasn’t the way she thought it was going to work out.
The war is over, but her struggle is just beginning.
Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father’s once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.
To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick’s quest to prove his ownership of Willowood sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that reveals an old family mystery—and threatens all that she holds dear.
Inspired by the life of a 19th century woman rice planter,Carolina Gold continues Dorothy Love’s winning tradition of weaving together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.
About The Author
A former journalist, free-lance writer and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee.
After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South.
When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.
“Don’t be someone who defines her life by someone else’s death.”
Dee Dee DeMarco’s brother, Alex, was funny, free-spirited and creative. He was also gay. Tormented by bullies, Alex killed himself on his 15th birthday.
Two years later, and now in college, Dee Dee believes getting a summer job working with a college-prep program for disadvantaged high school students is a stroke of luck, until she discovers that the guy assigned to co-lead her group is Cameron Connelly, a star basketball player and one of the bullies who tormented her brother to death. How can Dee Dee possibly spend the entire summer working so closely with one of the boys she blames for her brother’s death?
EXCERPT
I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I entered the auditorium. The kids were talking and messing around as they waited for the class to begin. The other counselors, with the exception of Cameron, were also seated in the audience with the kids. Cameron was standing at the podium with Dr. Jones.
When Cameron saw me walk in, he winked at me. I didn’t know whether to slap him or hug him. Therein was the problem.
Dr. Jones waved her arms to get everyone’s attention. “Quiet everyone. We have a special presentation today. Cameron is going to talk to you about bullying and how it impacted his life.”
“Who would bully him?” one of the kids cracked and the other kids laughed.
“Enough,” Dr. Jones reprimanded. “I expect you to give Cameron your attention and utmost respect.”
Cameron took the podium. “Thank you, Dr. Jones. I’m here today to talk about bullying. Not because I was bullied when I was your age but because I was a bully. And it ruined my life.”
When I looked out over the sea of faces, all eyes were trained on Cameron.
“I thought I had everything. I was one of the school’s first string basketball players. We were all-state champions. I already had a full basketball scholarship to Penn State. I was popular. I had tons of friends. I could get a date with any girl in the school. And I lost it all.”
The Quarryman’s Bride by Tracie Peterson was a super cute book! I read this book in a day and a half. I loved the main character Emmalyne and I hoped through the whole book that she would end up with Tavin. From the start of the book I didn’t like her father at all but I hoped that by the end of the book he would see how much he family loves him and let Emmalyne marry Tavin. I felt like I was there with the characters and I understood how Emmalyne felt a lot of the time. I love Tracie Peterson’s writing and this book didn’t let me down. If you love her writing and I know you will love this book as well.
About The Book
The latest book in theLand of Shining Waters series.
Peterson Hits theBestseller Lists Again and Again!
Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan were destined to be together . . . until the tragic deaths of Emmalyne’s youngest sisters. Family tradition mandates that the youngest daughter should remain single to care for her parents in their old age, and now that daughter is Emmalyne. Her father unyielding, Emmalyne surrenders to her duty, heartbroken. Tavin leaves town, equally devastated.
Years later, Emmalyne’s family moves, and she and Tavin meet again. Their feelings for each other are as strong as ever, but their painful past and Emmalyne’s father still stand between them. Soon both families are in the midst of the growing conflict rising between theworkers at the granite quarry that Tavin’s father owns and operates. When a series of near-fatal accidents occur, Tavin must figure out who is behind the attacks before someone gets killed.
Bound by obligation, yet yearning for a future together, can Emmalyne and Tavin dare to dream that God could heal a decade-long wound and change the hearts of those who would stand in the way of true love?
About The Author
Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over eighty novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.
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T.L. Kitae is a retired journalist and magazine publisher residing in Asheville, N.C. Unable to sit still for long, she writes and attends school full time to obtain her long awaited Registered Nursing degree and license.
