Book Talk

Mrs Murray’s Home by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

 

There is a hidden treasure in the grand old mansion on Piccadilly Street, in a place called London, but not the real London of English fame. There’s also a lot of mystery and a murder that’s been unsolved for decades. But it’s the treasure that captures Mary’s interest. 

 
 
Mary lives in this house along with her family, her Brownie friends and a ghost. When the ghost reveals her secret about the hidden treasure, there’s no stopping Mary, her Brownie friends, or her enemies from searching for this treasure. 
 
 

Why the intrigue? Apparently there’s a little bit of magic connected to this treasure. And so the adventure begins. Who will find the treasure first?

 

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Emily-Jane Hills Orford is an award-winning author of several books, including Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. 


She writes about the extra-ordinary in life and her books, short stories, and articles are receiving considerable attention. For more information on the author, check out her website at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca

 

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Top Ten List

10 Favorite Things:

  1. My family – my husband and two adult children are my life and my stories weave around family times past, present, and future.
  2. My dog, Duke – my muse; he helps me plot out a story and listens intently when I need an attentive ear.
  3. Chocolate – must have some every day, or life wouldn’t be the same.
  4. Books – can’t go a day without reading, especially the real books, the smell and feel of paper adding to the aura of the act of reading.
  5. My garden – Sadly, I can only enjoy this in the spring, summer and fall; but I spend most of the winter planning the next gardening season.
  6. Needlework/art – I love to cross-stitch and create collage fabric art.
  7. Music – I’m a retired music teacher, so I love to play the piano (for myself only) and I enjoy composing for the piano.
  8. Writing – Of course, I love to write. Perhaps this should be at the top of the list. I can’t go a day without writing. That’s my storytelling heritage.
  9. Mail – Now, this may seem strange, but I love to receive mail. Not email. Not texts. Not those short blurbs on social media that really say nothing. I have a few writer friends with whom I exchange regular letters. Written in cursive writing. Sent via snail mail. There’s nothing so rewarding as walking to the mailbox and returning with something more interesting to read than a bill.
  10. Time – Now this is a really illusive thing, but a quantity of which we are all in short supply. I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want to do. More time. Less time. It doesn’t matter. It still passes at the same speed. And then another day is over and another day about to begin.

 

 

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Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer by Michaela James

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer by Michaela James was a great listen and I enjoyed this book more than the first one that I listened to. I enjoyed the plot of this one more than the first book. I also loved all of the crazy things that the characters did in this book just like I did in the first book. If you want to see my thoughts on the first book you can click here and read it here. Like I said in my review of the first book I really enjoy this narrator’s voice and the author of this book as well. I spent the entire book waiting to see what crazy things that characters were going to do next. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book more than I did the mystery aspect of the first book. This book didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat as I was listening to it but that didn’t bother because this story was a great escape and I loved listening to it while I was working. If you are looking for a mystery book to listen to I would check this one out.

About The Book

Author: Michaela James

Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherell

Length: 12 hours 30 minutes

Publisher: LW Media Group Ltd.⎮2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scarlet Oaks Cozy Mystery Series, Book 2

Release date: Feb. 6, 2020

Something sinister is going on at Bay Radio. Is it possible there’s a connection between the mafia-type men who show up after dark, the terrified young women they have in tow, and the ominous commune Scarlet’s sister calls home?

A troubled caller’s cryptic clues point to a man from Scarlet’s past. Could he be the key to breaking her sister Violet out of a seemingly impenetrable commune? 

Scarlet’s new boyfriend gets a crash course on the life and times of Violet, as they enter a world of shadows, sex, and secrets. With more than her own life on the line, Scarlet fights to save her sister.

Can Scarlet and friends, armed with only a harebrained scheme and spy store gadgets, solve this mystery? All roads lead back to the cryptic caller. Expose the photographer from Scarlet’s past, and the thick, scandalous web starts to unravel.

Jump on this speeding cable car with Scarlet and hold on for dear life. This fast-paced, clever mystery will have you laughing one minute and gasping the next. Spend time with the characters you’ve grown to love and make room in your heart for more. 

If you grew up reading or listening to Nancy Drew, you’ll love Scarlet Oaks. This is the second book in the Scarlet Oaks series. Continue the adventure – buy Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer today!

About The Author

Michaela lives near Reno, Nevada, where there are lovely walking trails and lots of sun. She was born and grew up in Hampshire, England, where there is less sun, but better chocolate! A professional voice over artist and the voice of a local radio station, Michaela enjoys watching great movies with her husband and grown sons, playing tennis and  and drinking lots of tea.

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About The Narrator

A bright, versatile, broad-next-door type, Kimberly M. Wetherell is rapidly becoming a sought-after talent in the voiceover market, specializing in audiobooks, commercials, and animation.

Kimberly has worn multiple hats in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. A graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Kimberly has been an actor, a singer of musical theatre, director of both opera and film, and producer of opera, film, and most recently, commercials.

She speaks French, Italian, and German (all thanks to her 15-year career in opera), and, as a lifelong lover of language, has a large catalogue of dialects and accents from around the world at the tip of her tongue.

Equally active in the literary world, Kimberly is a published essayist and contributing editor of The Nervous Breakdown. She founded and hosted DISH, a monthly food & drink reading series at SoHo’s Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, as well as having hosted other reading series around NYC, such as NPR’s Dime Stories at Brooklyn’s Barbès and TNB’s Literary Experience at Chinatown’s Happy Endings.

Voiceover artistry is the perfect marriage of her life’s two passions, and she couldn’t be happier with this new career pursuit.

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Cover Reveal: Modern Princess Collection

 

With our noses in books and our heads in the clouds, who doesn’t love a good, romantic twist on a fairy-tale? We are super excited to share the covers for the upcoming Modern Princess Collection. From some of your favorite authors, we’ve got seven amazingly written princess retellings just waiting for you to fall in love with. Plus, don’t miss this enchanting pre-order price and get each novel for only $.99!


 

Once upon a kiss, a modern romance becomes a fairytale.

 

The prestigious Camelot University comes fully equipped with elitist guys, a castle, and a Glass Ball, but these self-proclaimed princesses don’t need crowns to prove their worth. They’ve taken love and life into their own hands and written their own fairytale. 

 

Follow seven of your favorite fairytale heroines as they find their happily ever after, in these standalone, contemporary romance novels. The ladies of Cam U are a dangerous combination of cute and badass, full of attitude and imperfections, and an innocence only fairytales can convey.

 

The Collection includes: 

 

Sonya Jesus’s emotional, contemporary romance about an imperfect girl and her scars will chill you in this modern version of The Snow Queen. Imperfect Princess, a coming of age, bully romance releases on May 13th. 

 

♛ Pre-order on Amazon
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Lauren Helms’s straight-laced girl meets a bad boy in this Rapunzel retelling, full of innocent first love, music, and just a little illegal hacking. Innocent Princess, an opposites-attract romance releases on May 18th. 

 

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Autumn Archer’s modern Princess and the Pea retelling follows Ada in her search for the right guy. Right Princess, a friends to lovers romance release on May 20th. 

 

♛ Pre-order on Amazon
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Lynn Steven’s version of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” combines military romance, sweet love, and a rebel heart. Rebel Princess, a coming of age romance releases on May 25th.

 

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Clare Lesbirel’s bookish Roma princess is torn between the perfect guy and the boxer in this contemporary Beauty and the Beast retelling. Bookish Princess, an enemies to lovers romance releases May 27th. 

 

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Tasha Lewis’s story, based on the history of Pocahontas, revolves around an ousted outdoors girl, in love with her best friend. Ousted Princess, a second chance romance releases on June 1st. 

 

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Cam Johns’s suspenseful, modern version of Cinderella has twists at midnight and love on every page. Midnight Princess, a TROPE romance releases on June 3rd. 

 

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Don’t miss out on the special pre-order price of $.99! Get each one of these enchanting retellings at the discounted rate for a limited time! 

 

 

Want to keep up with all the Modern Princess Collection news?
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Love By Design by Katy Ames

With her ugly past behind her, Annika is back to prove she’s still as brilliant as ever. Grayson has the makings for ultimate sucess, as long as his new co-star is everything they say she is. Annika stole his heart years ago and never looked back, but will the past be able to stay in the past? Readers are going to love this reunited love romance from Katy Ames. The 425 Madison series is back with season two and LOVE BY DESIGN is now live!
 
Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited



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ANNIKA
Cheating husband. On-air meltdown. Public humiliation.
Lucky me, I’ve experienced them all. 
Oh, and the implosion of my career as an up-and-coming designer and renovation television darling.
That was then.


Now, I’m in the TV studio, more determined than ever to prove to myself (and the few fans I have left), that I’m back for good. Nothing from my past—no man, no mistake—is going to knock me down again.
If only fate—and Grayson Hesse—had gotten the memo.
GRAYSON
Woodworker. Stone house restoration guru. And the new host of Hesse and a Hard Place
This is what I know: 
If this show’s a success, I’ll finally be able to give my family the financial stability they need. My chances of success go way up if I have the best designer in the business working by my side. And the best in the business (despite the lingering rumors) is Annika Hale.


She’s the triple threat: brilliant designer, restoration maven, and the woman who stole my heart six years ago…and hasn’t looked back since.


But that was then.


Now… Well, what is it they say? After all, 425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.
 

 

Excerpt 
Copyright @ 2020 Katy Ames

I watch my best friend chew a hole in her lower lip. “Explain, Abby. Before you make yourself bleed.”
Abby opens her mouth. I brace myself for whatever she’s going to say and don’t hear a single word. I don’t hear anything at all, except the deep, rumbling laugh that rolls through the soundstage.
My stomach does cartwheels and every single hair on the back of my neck stands pin-straight. My anxiety before? It’s got nothing on the nerves that are about to knock my knees right out from under me.
That laugh—his laugh… It’s as potent today as it was the first time I heard it.
My eyelids flutter shut. All worries about first-day nerves and my shitty ex-husband and career recovery vanish. Into that mental void rushes a series of images, ones I’d mistakenly sworn, hoped, prayed, I’d forgotten.
A sweltering summer night. Low whispers and lurid words.
Large calloused hands finding the secret, most sensitive parts of my skin.
Lips made for sinning and promises whispered in a voice that sounded like salvation. A voice that belongs to a man who vanished without a word.
A man who, if I’m reading my friend’s—no, strike that, former friend’s expression correctly, has just claimed a starring role in the horrifically-timed comedy that is my life.
Abby’s eyes dart between my face and the person behind me. Plastering on a smile, she swivels her finger in what I’m assuming she thinks is the “turn around now” sign. “Annika, this is Mr. Hesse.”
I pivot, thrust out my hand, but can’t unglue my eyes from the ground.
M. G. Hesse.
G. As in Grayson, the quiet, kind, insanely hot carpenter I met on my first network design job.
As in the only man I’ve ever fallen for so hard, so fast, I didn’t stop to ask his last name before tumbling into his bed. Hell, I didn’t even care.
As in the guy I thought, against all the odds, would disprove my mother’s lessons about how untrustworthy men are—only to become the poster child by morning.
A broad palm slides against mine, fingers curling into a warm grasp. A jolt of awareness lights up my nerves, and my eyes finally lift to a face I haven’t seen in six years. Since the day I woke up in his bed, naked, in love, and alone.

Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited

About Katy

Katy writes contemporary romances about heroines who aren’t afraid to kick ass, heroes brave enough to love them, and stories that get a little messy before ending happily ever after.
She’s mom to two boys whom she loves to bits but wishes would sleep a lot more than they do, and wife to a man whose reading habits are far too serious. Katy and her family reside in Washington, D.C., a city in which she never planned to live and loves so much she’d be happy to talk about it for hours. Just ask.  
Katy is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Washington Romance Writers.

About the 425 Madison Series
 
 
Welcome to 425 Madison Ave the perfect place to fall in love. Nine delicious romances set in fast-paced & sexy NYC just waiting for you to read.
 
This season will feature some new authors as well as some of season one’s favs. Back for season two is Allie York, Leigh Lennon, MK Moore, Aubree Valentine, Lauren Helms, and Katy Ames. Plus a warm welcome to KC Enders, and Marcie Shumway! 
 
Not only do we have a sexy mix of new and returning authors, prepare for pages packed with new romances, characters, and tropes all from the same well-loved high-rise apartment building in NYC. 
 
Make sure to follow the 425 Madison Avenue Facebook page for more on release dates, cover reveals and author spotlights. For exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and news subscribe to our 425 Madison newsletter!
 
 
Check out the Season One and get caught up today! You can read all nine books for FREE with Kindle Unlimited ➝ https://rebrand.ly/425MadisonAmz

 

This series and all promotional events are brought to you by Forever Write PR – Forever your source for all your writing needs. https://www.facebook.com/ForeverWritePR/
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Diver’s Paradise by Davin Goodwin

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Diver’s Paradise by Davin Goodwin was an interesting book.  It was super suspenseful but I did enjoy the characters and this author’s writing.  I was able to read this book in a few days which I always enjoy because it means that I don’t have to spend a ton of time invested in a book.  I did wish that there had been more suspense in this book but this book is perfect for people who aren’t into books that have a ton of suspense in them.  I was able to figure out what was going to happen before it ended but for me, that isn’t a deal-breaker because I am almost always able to figure out what is going to happen before it does.  If you are looking for a book to read to hide from what is going on in the world right now I would recommend this one to you all.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 1608093832 (ISBN13: 9781608093830)

After 25 years on the job, Detective Roscoe Conklin trades his badge for a pair of shorts and sandals and moves to Bonaire, a small island nestled in the southern Caribbean. But the warm water, palm trees, and sunsets are derailed when his long-time police-buddy friend back home, is murdered.

Conklin dusts off a few markers and calls his old department, trolling for information. It’s slow going. No surprise, there. After all, it’s an active investigation, and his compadres back home aren’t saying a damn thing.

He’s 2,000 miles away, living in paradise. Does he really think he can help? They suggest he go to the beach and catch some rays.

For Conklin, it’s not that simple. Outside looking in? Not him. Never has been. Never will be.

When a suspicious mishap lands his significant other, Arabella, in the hospital, the island police conduct, at best, a sluggish investigation, stonewalling progress. Conklin questions the evidence and challenges the department’s methods. Something isn’t right.

Arabella wasn’t the intended target.

About The Author

My family members have always been epic storytellers. I regularly wrote short stories in high school and college and, later in life, freelanced several articles for trade and industry publications. For years, the idea of writing a novel bounced around in the back of my mind, but never found its way out of the darkness. My wife, Leslie (Double L), and I have visited the island of Bonaire nearly 30 times over the past 20 years, many of those trips for extended periods. The island is a perfect setting for the style of novel I wanted to write. Yes, the book would be a murder mystery, but I needed a laid-back, slightly exotic setting. And I wanted the book to partially center around scuba diving, an activity Les and I enjoy together as often as possible. During the Spring of 2010, with mild coaxing from friends and family, the concept of Diver’s Paradise came to fruition. However, after close to a year of writing, I gave up, not touching the story for almost six years. In the Spring of 2017, I pulled out the tattered manuscript, rewrote and edited till blue in the face, then endured daily heart palpitations, waiting for submission responses from agents and publishers. Nine months after my first submission, and after agonizing through a boatload of rejections, Oceanview Publishing—to my good luck—offered a contract. I would be a published author. Diver’s Paradise launches on April 7, 2020 in Hard Cover and eBook, followed later in paperback. I enjoy being outdoors when the weather is nice. I don’t particularly like snow and cold weather, which can be problematic dwelling in the frigid, midwestern state of Wisconsin. Exercise is a passion of mine, although I don’t do it as intensely as in past years. Running, biking, and swimming are my favorites. As of several years ago, golf and I decided that we can no longer be friends. Through high school and college, I played violin in the orchestras and community ensembles. Much to the chagrin of those close to me, around the age of sixteen I was struck with an uncontrollable desire to play the 5-string banjo. And play I did. Hours and hours a day. Everyday. In 1992, the band I played with at the time, travelled to the Ukraine and performed in the International Kiev Music Festival. I’ve also performed on radio, TV, and recorded on several albums. I’m 58 years old and live in Madison, WI. Originally from Rockford, IL, I went to college at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR., graduating with a degree in Computer Science. I’m married and have one daughter and one stepson, both grown. Professionally, I have roughly 30 years’ experience in the technology industry and currently manage a group of software developers for a local, mid-sized company. In the past, I’ve owned several small businesses, worked as an aerial photographer, a semi-professional banjo player, a flight instructor, and a real estate investor. Future Plans: Continue the Roscoe Conklin series, hopefully, for a long time.

Catch Up With Davin Goodwin On: DavinGoodwinAuthor.com Goodreads BookBub – @dgoodwin7757 Facebook – @authordavingoodwin Instagram – davin_goodwin_author

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Chubbs: A Blind Cat learns to Trust by Sandra Sorenson-Kindt

Sandra Kindt is always up for a good story, written or verbal, although there is that cookbook she won in elementary school that hasn’t seen the light of day. But the times she’s been caught reading historical novels with a highlighter—because there’s always something to learn—should make up for that. 


After earning an MA in communication, she taught Organizational Behavior at several universities and Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in the corporate world. Her love of writing goes back to the journals she started in the fifth grade, when she fancied herself Nancy Drew. She loves to hang out with her four grown-up kids and six grandchildren. It’s like visiting the best parts of herself. 

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A mangy alley cat isn’t at the top of anybody’s adoption list. Nevertheless, when Grandma Sandy scoops it up into her arms, her heart nudges her to take it home, and she listens. Grandma always trusts her feelings. 
 
Lots of tender care soon transforms the mangy cat into beautiful, round Chubbs. But when she loses her sight, will she listen to her feelings like Grandma and learn to trust the one who loves her most? 

 

Universal Amazon Link ~ 
   
Interview With the Author:
What is your book about?
 
Chubbs: A Blind Cat learns to Trust is a faith-based, inspirational story about a cat who learns to trust her rescuer.  The relationship between Chubbs and Grandma Sandy is a comparison to the relationship we each have with God. Literally blind, Chubbs must learn how to navigate her world just like figuratively blind, we must learn to depend on God’s Spirit to help us navigate our  lives.
 
Why did you write a children’s book?
 
I wrote this story to share with my grandchildren and to introduce ideas that could be helpful in our noisy, confused world.
 
Have you always loved cats?
 
Definitely. When I was in the first grade, I came home from school and found my cat Calico wildly yowling. She was pregnant, but I didn’t connect the dots between her pain and her condition. I did what made me feel better when I had a stomachache. I took her inside and laid her on a heating pad in my bed. When she began howling again, my dad came in my room and scooped her up in his huge hands and took her to her own bed in the outside storage room.  I followed them and watched with wonder as she birthed three kittens.
 
What things do you enjoy the most?
 
I love reading, writing, exploring family history, quilting, and photography. I used to take pictures of  my children all the time when they were young. I also love matinee movies as long as there’s a lounger chair, Diet Coke, and popcorn.
How do you choose what to read or write?
 
True stories inspire me. Imagining myself in the story offers an experience I may never have otherwise. Chubbs’s story is true. Writing about life’s experiences from a spiritual perspective is important to me because I believe that spiritual life and daily life aren’t separate.
 
What are you good at? 
 
Sewing and Quilting are in my bones. I began learning those skills when I was ten. Sitting on my Grandmother’s bed, I watched how she effortlessly completed a project that seemed too hard for me. I don’t have her patience. Quilting her way, by hand, did not work for me so I had to find a way to quilt with a sewing machine. My quilting style today is very therapeutic. It helps me focus. I’ve learned to follow directions, and I’ve learned much about life by painstakingly “ripping out” my mistakes and starting over.
 
That’s another thing I good at—being resilient. If I don’t succeed the first, or second, or seventh time, I rally the courage to try again.
 
I can do hard things. Life isn’t always comfortable or fun. But I know I am resourceful and determined when circumstances require me to be. And most of all, I know that I don’t have to do hard things by myself. God watches over me when things are hard, and I don’t know what to do.
 
How do you like to spend your time?
 
When I need something magical, I visit my darkroom where I can watch images emerge from a tray of chemicals.
 
To rediscover hope, I play with my grandchildren.
 
To deepen my faith, I study, pray, meditate, and serve. When I’m serving or studying, I’m reminded that my Heavenly Father is always with me.
 
If I feel cynical or lack trust, I resolve to be more trustworthy.
 
To escape, I read. I can transport myself into another time and place and imagine how I might carry on in another world.

 

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