Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review for A WINGMAN FOR CHRISTMAS: A Sweet Water Novella by Barbara Barth on this WOW (Women on Writing) Blog Tour.
Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Summary
The annual Sweet Water, Georgia, Christmas parade is nearing but relationships are fractured on Wild Rose Lane. Antique dealer Cheryl Calloway’s holiday spirit has tanked. It’s been a horrible year with her divorce, her ex marrying younger and perkier Miriam across the street, and Mama moving into Cheryl’s Victorian cottage with her Amazon parrot right before Thanksgiving. A party girl in her eighties, Mama smokes up a storm, likes her nightly vodka, has a hankering for men, and now a wingman named Nigel. If that isn’t enough, the Historical Society wants Cheryl to clean up all the projects on her porch waiting to go to Spivey’s Antique Mall for their Christmas Open House. Her desire to work her booth is as dead as her marriage. Miriam, President of the Historical Society, chastises her, “If it ain’t pretty don’t put it on the porch.” Then there’s Alice, her strange neighbor with the six-foot fluorescent light bulb cross nailed to the huge Magnolia tree in the middle of her rose garden. Alice watches all the neighbors too closely. Just when Cheryl thinks things can’t get worse, an incident shakes her to the core, and a mystery follows revealing family secrets long forgotten. Cheryl wants to believe in miracles and love again, and Dr. James may just be the man of her dreams as he helps her and Mama sort things out.
Filled with quirky characters, mystery, family secrets, and sweet love, all set in a hot Georgia small town.
A WINGMAN FOR CHRISTMAS: A Sweet Water Novella by Barbara Barth is a perfect holiday quick read novella from a new to me author. I almost never give a novella five stars, but this story is a heartfelt, charming, quirky, and funny mash-up of small-town holiday fiction/Southern women’s fiction/cozy mystery and romance with memorable characters all packed beautifully into a small package.
Cheryl has had a very rough year and is in no mood for Christmas. She caught her husband having phone sex with the younger woman across the street, divorced him and he immediately married the neighbor, and she must see them every day. Her elderly mother is having problems, so Mama moves in with Cheryl rather than her brothers of sister because Mama has become the proud owner of an Amazon parrot named Nigel and they do not want that bird in their homes.
When Mama’s boyfriend, Franklin passes out in Cheryl’s family room, the ambulance is called. When Cheryl and Mama rush to the Emergency Room, Cheryl is introduced to the handsome Dr. James. The holiday may be looking up for Cheryl, but then her home is broken into and Nigel is stolen.
With help from unlikely sources, a suspicious neighbor next door, and a handsome doctor, Cheryl just might find the holiday spirit and Nigel.
This is such a fun holiday novella, and I did not put it down until the end. The characters are believable and lovable. Cheryl is full of love even as she is exasperated with Mama and depressed about her failed marriage, but she learns forgiveness leads to unexpected friendships and romance. The small-town setting is perfect for all these quirky characters and the short, but sweet cozy mystery plot thread of Nigel’s theft.
This is a must read holiday mash-up novella that I highly recommend!
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About the Author
Barbara Barth turned to writing and adopting dogs to heal after her husband died fourteen years ago. Known as ‘Writer With Dogs’, Barth currently lives with four Chihuahuas in a charming town forty miles outside of Atlanta. She is Literary Arts Chair at a small art center where she promotes writing activities, author events, book launches, and hosts an online group Walton Writers. Inspired by the wonderful artists around her, Barth started painting and has won several awards with her whimsical art.
Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review for SHAT BRANCHES GROW by T.S. Beier on this Black Phoenix Book Tour.
Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Summary
A boldly imagined, exhilarating quest through post-apocalyptic America, where human nature is torn between the violent desperation to survive and the desire to forge connection.
Thirty-five years ago, the world was ravaged by war. Delia, a tough-as-nails survivalist, travels north in search of a future. Gennero is tortured by his violent past and devotion to his hometown. Ordered to apprehend Delia, he follows her into the post-apocalyptic landscape. The wasteland is rife with dangers for those seeking to traverse it: homicidal raiders, dictatorial leaders, mutated humans, and increasingly violent and hungry wildlife.
What Branches Grow is an unflinching depiction of life after civilization, where, above all else, trust is the hardest thing to achieve and give. The survivors have an audacious dream of a better life, but their quest may end up being a fruitless endeavour in a world openly hostile to hope.
For fans of Fallout, Mad Max, and The Road. Action and adventure rounded off with a slow-burn romance, dark comedy, and a dog companion.
WHAT BRANCHES GROW by T.S. Beier is a post-apocalyptic dystopian character driven journey of two young protagonists through the wastelands of the United States thirty-five years after the Red War. This is a unique standalone novel which gives you action, adventure, quirky characters, humor, a slow burn romance and monsters.
Delia is hardened and trusts no one after surviving on her own in the wastelands. When she wonders into the wrong town for supplies and the leader of the town sends his second in command, Gennero to bring her to him. When his attempt to enslave her fails, Gennero follows her to not only join her on her search for the mythical city in the North, but to free himself from his past in his hometown.
This story is a hero’s journey through an apocalyptic landscape and all the emotional growth and changes that occur to Delia and Gennero. From hard, untrusting, and scarred, the main characters learn from other characters and trials and tribulations about trust, sacrifice and love. Their traveling companion for part of the story was an old Chinese hipster they called Perth, who lived through the war and with his pug companion was a great source of humor and flashes from the past in his irritating way of interacting with Delia and Gennero. The monsters were the usual post-apocalyptic genetic mutated animals and a few zombie-like creatures, but the real monsters were the humans who had lost their humanity just surviving without ethics or morals.
I highly recommend this dystopian story with action, adventure, and romance that is an engaging and entertaining read from start to finish.
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About the Author
T. S. (Tina) Beier is a science fiction aficionado. Her first novel, the award-winning post-apocalyptic What Branches Grow, is her love letter to the genre. Her space opera The Burnt Ship trilogy takes influence from classic sci-fi but adds a modern twist.
She has a B.A. in English, a graduate certificate in creative writing, a certificate in publishing, and a certificate in interior decorating. She’s an entrepreneur, a book reviewer, and a writer for PostApocalypticMedia.com. Tina lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, shepherd-mastiff, cat, and two feral children.
Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review for THE WHISPERING TONGUES by Beth Andrews for this Books ‘n’ All Promotions. This series is promoted as a Regency romance series, but to me they are more Regency cozy mysteries featuring a young married couple who love to solve murders.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Anthea Halliwell’s life was ruined by scandal. Her once-bright future was cruelly taken from her the moment she was accused of theft. For seven long years she has been shunned by society, her reputation in tatters.
To make matters worse, her father loses their fortune to gambling, and Anthea is forced to ask the handsome Gideon Rodrigo for help.
But instead of giving her money, he asks for her hand. What may be a marriage of convenience for Anthea is a life-long dream for Gideon. He’s admired and loved her for years.
Now he will do anything to clear his beloved wife’s name. Gideon enlists the help of John and Lydia Savage, a couple known for their sleuthing skills, to clear Anthea’s name.
While tongues wag and suspicions mount, John and Lydia suspect more than theft and slander are at play. Someone is killing to keep their secrets hidden.
If Anthea is to have any chance at happiness, she must catch a killer, clear her name and restore her reputation.
ALSO BY BETH ANDREWS SUSSEX REGENCY ROMANCE SERIES Book 1: HIDDEN IN THE HEART Book 2: THE UNFORGIVING EYE Book 3: THE WHISPERING TONGUES
STANDALONES LOVE AND FREINDSHIP (SIC) AND OTHER DELUSIONS
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE WHISPERING TONGUES (Sussex Regency Romance Book #3) by Beth Andrews is another entertaining addition to this series featuring a young Regency couple who love to solve murder mysteries. This series is promoted as Regency romance books, but I feel the entire series are cozy Regency mysteries. This book is easily read as a standalone, but the couple’s personal lives evolve throughout the series.
For seven years, Anthea Halliwell has been shunned and in hiding due to accusations of theft. When her father has lost all his money to gambling, Anthea sees no other solution than asking Gideon Rodrigo for help setting up a small business, but Gideon has other plans. He has loved Anthea in secret for years and offers her marriage and safety instead.
Gideon and Anthea elope and then he sets his mind to clearing his wife’s name once and for all. He enlists the help of John and Lydia Savage, a couple known for their sleuthing skills. John and Lydia suspect more is involved than a simple theft and solving murder after all seems to be their specialty. John and Lydia are not in Bath for the waters, but to clear the new Mrs. Rodrigo’s name and reputation, which may be more dangerous than they believed.
I enjoyed this book as well as the entire series. They are solidly written cozy mysteries with an engaging young couple, the Savages, that we follow throughout the series. The plot moves at a steady pace and is filled with red herrings. While lighter reads, the author did illustrate the prejudice against the Jewish population in this time period. This is another intriguing investigation with the Savages and I hope there are more to come.
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About the Author
Beth Andrews (a.k.a. Paul Bethel) was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. At the age of about seven, ‘Beth’ was reading lurid and completely inappropriate tales of murder in True Detective magazine — which may explain her somewhat twisted sense of humour. Writing soon followed. Graduating to Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, Regency romance and mystery was a natural progression — though Paul still indulges in scribbling occasional contemporary stories and song lyrics just for fun, as well as non-fiction articles and essays for Jane Austen’s Regency World. Paul also enjoys music, gardening, travel (pre-pandemic, of course) and the beach.
CHRISTMAS AT THE AMISH MARKET by Shelley Shepard Gray is a charming Christmas Amish romance which has a young Amish couple who have been courting for years finding love where they least expect it. This is a standalone sweet holiday story and women’s fiction with believable life twists that while predictable is an enjoyable read.
Wesley Raber’s father has had a heart attack and with his mother go to their eldest son’s home to rest and recuperate. Wesley has been running the family Amish market under his father’s watchful eye, but now at the busiest time of the year, he is in charge. He has always put the family market first in his life and now with the added time necessary to run the market his longtime girlfriend, Liesl feels abandoned. Liesl decides to help Wesley by asking her aunt to come to stay and help at the market during December.
Jenny Kurtz is nothing that Wesley was expecting. She is only twenty-six years old and attractive, but Jenny is recovering from a broken heart. Wesley soon discovers Jenny is hard working and very attentive to the customers who all adore her. With long hours working together, they both begin to be attracted to each other, but Wesley is supposed to be Liesl’s boyfriend and Jenny would never hurt her favorite niece for the world, but Liesl has been finding happiness and attention from another and has some major life decisions to make of her own.
I found this Christmas story to be part romance and part women’s fiction due to the realistic problems all the main characters face in this Amish setting. It is not a straight-line romance plot, but has plenty of romance, family traditions, love, and surprises that still leave you with a warm holiday feeling.
I really enjoyed this Amish holiday book!
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About the Author
Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She’s published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.
Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.
She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for A KELLY SOCIETY CHRISTMAS (The Kelly Society Book #2) by S.K. Andrews for this Black Tide Book Tour.
Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Summary
Vivien Kelly’s Christmas list: Pick up Christmas tree—check, buy Christmas gifts—check, order pumpkin pies—check, save my friend Josh from Krampus the Christmas demon—check!
After killing a demon and saving the modern world, paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly only has three days till Christmas. She scrambles to buy gifts, grocery shop for holiday feasts, and get a Christmas tree. She’s on track when suddenly, her young friend Josh calls the wrath of Krampus, the Christmas demon.
Can Vivien buy gifts, cook Christmas dinner, decorate the tree, and also save Josh before Krampus drags him to an eternal hell? Vivien must call upon the most frightening goddess of all for help—Hel, goddess of the underworld.
A KELLY SOCIETY CHRISTMAS (A Kelly Society Book #2) by S.K. Andrews is a fun holiday novella addition to this new paranormal/urban fantasy series featuring paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly. This novella picks up almost immediately after Bay of Darkness, the first book in the series leaves off. This book can be easily read as a standalone, but you get more of an understanding of Vivien’s past and powers if you read book one first.
After paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly saved our world from a dystopian disaster, she only has three days left until Christmas. As she rushes to buy gifts, she suddenly has a vision of one of the young men who works at her local coffee shop facing Krampus’ wrath. Vivien and her friend’s do everything in their power to keep Josh safe, but Vivien realizes Krampus will not relent and she must deal with his frightening mother, Hel, the goddess of the underworld.
This is a fun paranormal alternative to a traditional Christmas story. Vivien is a is wonderful protagonist who has her everyday normal problems and then must deal with Celtic mythical creatures come to life at the same time. The Kelly Society personnel are not present in this novella, it is focused on Vivien, her boy friend Neal, and the coffee shop employees. The descriptions of Half Moon Bay decorated for Christmas and Vivien and Neal preparing for Christmas all bring the holiday to life even as Vivien faces down Krampus and Hel. The worldbuilding is just as strong in this novella as in the first book of the series and I hope there will be more Kelly Society books to come.
I really enjoyed this holiday paranormal novella.
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About the Author
When S.K. Andrews wasn’t swimming in the Pacific Ocean in her hometown of Laguna Beach, California, she busied herself by writing fantasy stories and acting on stage. Having grown up watching Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone and Night Gallery shows on TV, S.K. quickly fell in love with paranormal tales with a message of wisdom and love. Also, being a fan of romance novels and non-fiction ghost stories, she decided to marry the two and write paranormal novels of suspense, adventure, and intrigue with a strong romantic foundation. The sense of adventure inside her came from summers of camping with her family in Mexico (Baja California) and walking along beaches with no other footprints but hers, as her family members unpacked the camper and got ready to collect clams right off the shoreline for dinner.
After attaining a B.A. degree in Theatre from University of California, Irvine, and a Professional Acting Certificate from LACC Acting Academy, an idea sparked for interviewing actors to help student actors entering the theatre arena. Her non-fiction book The Pursuit of Acting; Working Actors Share Their Experience and Advice was published by Praeger Publishers. In The Kelly Society book series, S.K.’s heroine, paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly and her team are in a race to rid the modern world of deadly Celtic creatures. Bay of Darkness and A Kelly Society Christmas (July 2022) are the first two books in the series. Bay of Darkness won the Finalist prize in 2019 from N.N. Light’s Book Heaven and also placed Finalist with Readers Favorite in 2020. The beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York is where S.K. calls home.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on this blog tour for COMING HOME (A Woodland Park Firefighters Romance Book #1) by Shelley Shepard Gray. This is one of my favorite inspirational/Amish series authors, but this book series is a sweet contemporary romance series and yet just as wonderful as all her other inspirational/Amish books.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
When three army veterans become volunteer firefighters in small-town Colorado, one’s high school romance is rekindled in this sweet romance by bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray
In Woodland Park, a small town nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, Anderson Kelly and Chelsea Davis were once the high school “it” couple—the star quarterback & prom king and the valedictorian & cheerleader. They broke up when Anderson joined the army and one poor decision at a fraternity party changed Chelsea’s life. Now, she works long shifts in a senior center to support her eight-year-old son, Jack.
After multiple tours in Afghanistan, Anderson has changed, too—he is physically scarred but mentally strong and eager to remain of service, he decides to move back to Woodland Park and become a firefighter.
Anderson and Chelsea steer clear of each other to avoid reopening old wounds, until they are forced to reconnect through the senior center and the embers of their love start to flare once more.
When Chelsea and Jack are involved in a dangerous collision on Ute Pass, Anderson realizes that he’s ready to risk everything—even his heart—for one more chance with Chelsea.
COMING HOME (A Woodland Park Firefighters Romance Book #1) by Shelley Shepard Gray is the first book in a wonderful new sweet contemporary romance series featuring a heartwarming second chance romance. Ms. Gray is one of my favorite inspirational/Amish authors, but this series is straight sweet contemporary romance, and I loved this story as much as all her other books.
Chelsea Davis is a small-town single mom and works at the local senior center as an assistant activities’ director. She attended college after high school after a bad break-up with her high school sweetheart who left for the service. Young, inexperienced, and trying to fit in she made a drunken mistake at a frat party, but she would never call what came from that night a mistake, but a blessing, her son, Jack. Now, nine years later, Jack is getting older, and her friends want her to start dating again.
Anderson Kelly left for the service right after high school and wanted to fit in, so he listened to male friends and broke it off with Chelsea before he left. After several tours in Afghanistan, he is back as a firefighter/paramedic working for Woodland Park’s fire department, but he is scarred inside and out.
Chelsea and Anderson have steered clear of each other since Anderson’s return, but when they begin to bump into each other around town, they both realize those old feelings at not as dead as they believed or wished. With the help of a little boy, some meddling seniors and family, Anderson and Chelsea begin to see they future they are now ready for this second time around.
I loved these characters! They are portrayed realistically with all the fears and mistakes many of us make and Ms. Gray takes the reader through their emotional journey of maturing, understanding, forgiveness, and reuniting. This romance is what I call a cozy romance because there are no sex scenes, just plenty of emotion. The story not only has the H/h going through emotional upheaval, but the elderly neighbor’s problems with her adult children is a believable subplot also. Every character in this small town was fully fleshed and could walk right off the page.
This is a lovely second chance romance and I am happy that the author plans to return to the Firefighters of Woodland Park for more stories.
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Excerpt
Chelsea’s back was to the main entrance of Granger’s but it didn’t stop the fresh burst of cold air from sinking into her skin. She was starting to wish she’d chosen a thicker sweater for her night out with Mallory and Kaylee.
Granger’s Last Stand wasn’t the only option in Woodland Park for burgers, wings, and beer, but it was hands down everyone’s favorite spot. Located on the main drag through town, the restaurant had been expanded multiple times over the last twenty years. Now it boasted indoor, patio, and rooftop dining. Local bands played all summer and from time to time in the winter high school and college kids played acoustic guitar near the fireplace.
Tonight, since there was still a chill in the air, most everyone was inside. A couple of people were keeping the old jukebox playing and the buzz from the crowd provided the rest of the noise.
After eight hours of working at the Woodland Park Senior Center, Chelsea was ready to relax and catch up with her two best friends. “Mal, you never finished telling us about the couple who came into the boutique today,” she said.
The petite brunette shrugged. “It wasn’t all that notable . . . beyond the fact that the husband sat on the pink velvet chair by the door while his wife spent almost a thousand dollars on end-of-season fleece!”
“To be fair, that stuff adds up,” Kaylee said. “Last time I bought a Patagonia jacket, I paid three hundred.”
“Are you still wearing it, Kay?”
Kaylee picked up the sleeve of her jacket that was draped over her chair. “Obviously.”
“Well, there you go.”
Chelsea hid her smile by taking another sip of wine. The conversation was nothing new. Kaylee liked to carp about the prices at Mallory’s store but always managed to stop by to drool over every new shipment of high-end ski, apres-ski, and mountain gear. Since Chelsea couldn’t afford any of it, she enjoyed simply listening and being supportive. “Well, that’s great. I’m glad they stopped in.”
“Me, too,” Mallory said with a smile. “They were on their way to Cripple Creek to gamble. I hope they come in again before they head back to Kansas City.”
“I’m really happy for you. Congrats.” Chelsea knew that sales like that kept Mallory’s spirits up, especially in the spring. A lot of folks were still paying off Christmas bills in March, so the shop suffered a lot of slow days until the weather warmed up and she began selling biking and hiking gear.
“Thanks.” Mallory smiled again, but she kept glancing past Chelsea’s shoulder.
“What’s going on behind me? Am I boring you?” she teased.
“I think she’s having a hard time concentrating because the hotties from the fire station just blew in,” Kaylee said. “Who can blame her though? It’s hardly fair that five guys can look so good.”
Chelsea’s stomach sank. Of course the firefighters had to show up. It was the first night in ages that she’d gone out instead of hurrying home to Jack.
Not even pretending to look anywhere else, Mallory murmured, “That Mark Oldum is dreamy.”
“So is Chip,” Kaylee said. “I met him at the gas station a couple of weeks ago.”
Oh brother. “How do you know those guys’ names?” Chelsea asked her friends. “I didn’t know you hung out with firefighters.”
“I don’t, which is the problem,” Kaylee joked. “And, just for the record, I don’t know all of their names. Just one or two. And I know because I asked Wendy up at the bar.” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she asked, “Why all the questions? I didn’t think you were interested in dating. Or have you finally changed your mind?”
“It would be great if you did start going out,” Mallory said. “All you do is work and go home.”
“No, that’s not all I do. I have Jack, remember? He keeps me plenty busy.”
“I get that, but I think it’s time you started doing more for yourself. Jack’s almost nine, you know,” Mallory added.
“Ha-ha, I know.”
“Then you also know that he’s going to want to start doing more things with his friends instead of just his mom, right?”
“I know that, too.” But she also hated to think about it. When had he gotten so big, anyway?
Kaylee sighed. “If you know all that . . . isn’t it time you started dating?”
“I’ve dated,” she protested. Though, to be fair, she hadn’t dated very much. She’d promised herself years ago to always put her little boy’s needs ahead of her own. And, though he probably wouldn’t mind if she dated occasionally, she never wanted to risk hurting him.
Or maybe she was simply afraid to risk hurting her heart again.
Anxious to push the attention elsewhere, she smiled at Mallory. “Who are you looking at now?”
“I’m trying to find where Mark went. I lost him in the crowd. I tell you what, half the station must be here.”
Chelsea tried not to tense but it was next to impossible. Whenever she was someplace there was a chance of seeing Anderson Kelly, she couldn’t help it. “What do the other guys look like?”
Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She’s published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.
Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.
She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.
