Tag: #aboutauthor

Feature Post and Book Review: A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge

Book Description

Postwar Paris is surging back to life, and its citizens are seizing every opportunity to raise a glass or share a delicious meal. But as American ex-pat Tabitha Knight and chef-in-training Julia Child discover, celebrations can quickly go awry when someone has murder in mind . . .

The graceful domes of Sacré Coeur, the imposing cathedral of Notre Dame, the breathtaking Tour Eiffel . . . Paris is overflowing with stunning architecture. Yet for Tabitha Knight, the humble building that houses the Cordon Bleu cooking school, where her friend Julia studies, is just as notable. Tabitha is always happy to sample Julia’s latest creation and try to recreate dishes for her Grand-père and Oncle Rafe.

The legendary school also holds open demonstrations, where the public can see its master chefs at work. It’s a treat for any aspiring cook—until one of the chefs pours himself a glass of wine from a rare vintage bottle—and promptly drops dead in front of Julia, Tabitha, and other assembled guests. It’s the first in a frightening string of poisonings that turns grimly personal when cyanide-laced wine is sent to someone very close to Tabitha. 

What kind of killer chooses such a means of murder, and why? Tabitha and Julia hope to find answers in order to save innocent lives—not to mention a few exquisite vintages—even as their investigation takes them through some of the darkest corners of France’s wartime past . . .

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194477948-a-murder-most-french?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SrIRFriUrm&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A MURDER MOST FRENCH (American in Paris Mystery Book #2) by Colleen Cambridge is an entertaining amateur sleuth historical mystery featuring an American woman in Paris living and befriended by the not yet famous Julia Child in 1950 postwar Paris. This second book in the series is easily read as a standalone.

Tabitha Knight is trying to decide what she wants to do with her life. She has travelled from her home in Detroit to live in Paris with her Parisian grand-pere and his longtime friend who she refers to as oncle. She also becomes friends with Julia Child and her husband who lives nearby. Julia is attending The Cordon Bleu cooking school and helps Tabitha with her cooking as well as being a sounding board for the murder investigations Tabitha seems to continually fall into.

When Julia and Tabitha attend a cooking demonstration at the Cordon Bleu, the instructing chef falls dead of poison after tasting a rare vintage wine he has been gifted. The very next day at a wine gathering the same thing happens to another famed French chef. Tabitha is once again in the middle of one of Inspector Mervielle’s murder investigations and while she promises to not interfere, when her grand-pere and oncle are almost poisoned in the same way, she cannot help but get involved, but it may be the last investigation she ever attempts to solve.

I love the characters in this series and the murder mystery is well paced and plotted. Tabitha is a wonderful protagonist who has led an interesting life to date but is still deciding on her future. With her curiosity, varied interests, and tidbits she learned from her detective father in America, how could she not become involved? Adding Julia Child and her cooking to the story, not only makes my mouth water, but acts at times as a very effective red herring. I also enjoy the growing personal interest between Tabitha and the Inspector. With discussions of fine wines, French cooking, the Parisian catacombs, the German Occupation, which is only a few years past, and more clues about Tabitha’s grand-pere and oncle’s pasts in the Resistance, this story is captivating as a cozy amateur sleuth historical mystery. I am anxiously waiting for the next.

I highly recommend this historical murder mystery, both books in the series to date, and this author’s other mystery series as well.

***

About the Author

Colleen Cambridge is the pen name for an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From a young age, Colleen has loved reading mysteries and now she couldn’t be happier that she is able to write them.

Under several pseudonyms, she has written more than 36 books in a variety of genres and is always plotting her next murder—er, book.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.colleengleason.com/colleen-cambridge/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenGleason.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleengleason

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-gleason

Blog Tour/ Feature Post and Book Review: Holliday by Matthew Di Paoli

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review of HOLLIDAY by Matthew Di Paoli on this AME Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book synopsis, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Synopsis

Holliday follows the infamous 1880s gambler, dentist, and gunslinger, Doc Holliday. From the outset, Doc has been diagnosed with tuberculosis and is told to head to drier climates and imbibe to prolong his life. He has also heard of a spring located somewhere along the frontier that could cure him—what he believes to be the mythical Fountain of Youth. 

The novel portrays Holliday as a rock star, a living legend, increasingly hounded by paparazzi, enamored by death, cards, booze, and women. Doc is a mixture of Clint Eastwood and Jim Morrison, and though he is able to help his friend, Wyatt Earp, exact revenge, his condition worsens, traveling from Arizona to Denver, and finally dying in a sanatorium in Colorado with his boots off. A slow and unfitting end for such a bombastic outlaw.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184163597-holliday?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2ybY3HPYGE&rank=5

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

Holliday by Matthew Di Paoli is a dark and gritty realistic look at an often-mythologized gambler, gunslinger, and outlaw from the Old West. This book follows his life as he travels from town to town in the West looking for a mythical body of water to cure his tuberculosis, help his friend exact revenge in Tombstone, and ultimately die in Colorado.

Born in Georgia, John Henry Holliday became a dentist, but was soon diagnosed with tuberculosis which claimed his mother when he was younger. The doctor told him to head to the southwest for the drier climate which should help his breathing. He soon developed a fatalism which led him to drink continually, gamble for a living and cohabitate off and on with a barroom prostitute.

The papers build up his reputation as the number of men he kills increases. His Southern charm and education are opposite to his ruthlessness and hair-triggered temper when he is drunk, which is most of the time. When his friend, Wyatt Earp needs his help to avenge his brothers, he uses his skills to assist. The tuberculosis cannot be stopped though and he ends up spending his few remaining years in Colorado.

This is an engaging and complex look behind the myth of Doc Holliday that pulled me into the story even as parts were difficult to read. Mr. Di Paoli’s writing is atmospheric and made me feel as if I was in the dirt, grit, stink, and heat of the Old West where everything was handled with a gun. Doc’s story is complicated by his own knowledge of his inevitable death, his wish to be loved and yet his inability to live a normal life he once believed in for himself. There are graphic scenes of gunfights, knife fights, action and blood which add to the realism. This is a clear-eyed look at a complicated man from a violent time who is romanticized in other books and on screen.

I highly recommend this enthralling western historical fiction.

***

About the Author

Matthew Di Paoli has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize three times including 2020. He has won the Wilbur & Niso Smith Adventure Writing Prize, the Prism Review, two Elizabeth’s, and Momaya Review Short Story Contests. Matthew earned his MFA in Fiction at Columbia University. He has been published in Boulevard, Fjords, Post Road, and Cleaver, among others. He is also the author of Killstanbul with El Balazo Press.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.matthewdipaoli.com/about

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDiPaoli

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruggedemu/

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Twisted Road by A.B. Michaels

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE TWISTED ROAD (Barrister Perris Mysteries Book #1) by A.B. Michaels on this Black Coffee Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Description

Jonathan Perris Can’t Save His Clients
…Until He Saves Himself

1907

Rising from the devastation of a massive earthquake and fire, San Francisco is once again on the move. But a strike by streetcar drivers threatens to halt the Golden City in its tracks. Protests turn to violence and violence leads to death. Soon a young guard is convicted of willfully killing a protester and the public is out for blood.

Jonathan Perris, an immigrant attorney from England, has opened a law firm with an eye toward righting wrongs, and the guard’s conviction may fall into that category. But the talented barrister soon finds his newfound career shaken by a tragic event: the gruesome murder of the beautiful and mysterious Lena Mendelssohn—a woman he’s been squiring around town. It’s difficult to run a law firm when you’ve been arrested for murder.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209238607-the-twisted-road?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=aLGoCRv4bF&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE TWISTED ROAD (Barrister Perris Mysteries Book #1) by A.G. Michaels is a new intricately plotted historical mystery set in a devastated and rebuilding 1906 San Francisco, California and featuring a compelling cadre of main characters that immediately pulled me into the story.

Jonathan Perris was a talented barrister who has immigrated from England and set up his fledgling law firm in San Francisco. He has a strong sense of justice for all, but a mysterious past that even his associates know nothing about. Jonathan learns that the paramour he has been squiring around town is not who he believes her to be, and he ends their affair.  She is found murdered in a brothel the very next day and Jonathan is arrested.

With the help of his assistant attorneys, Cordelia and Oliver, his private investigator, Dove, and the office manager and mother hen, Althea, Jonathan is determined to discover the real killer when his associates prove his alibi and get him out of jail. As Jonathan and Dove investigate the murder, Cordelia is working another case of a security guard who convicted of killing a worker on strike in the cable car strike. They soon discover both cases may be tied together and while they follow not only the clues, but the dead bodies, members of their own team may be next.

This is an engaging story that I am very excited about being a series. The characters are all fully drawn and believable to the period. Jonathan has so many past secrets we are left wondering about and his love-hate relationship with his inheritance of the “cadou” or knowing from his mysteriously missing mother has so many possibilities. He has a strong moral core and yet the snippets from his past lead you to believe he also has done things that may not be considered legal. This is also a great character juxtaposition to his associate, Cordelia who is very idealistic and inquisitive. She is determined to discover his true self.

The Twisted Road is an apt title for this historical mystery and an apt description of the plot. There are many twists and surprise connections that left me guessing all the way to the end. Ms. Michaels has used the history of 1906 San Francisco; capitalism vs. socialism, the unions vs. corporations, the opulence of the rich vs. the financial instability of the average person, and the lack of housing due to the earthquake to enrich this fascinating story. I have read other titles by this author and really enjoyed them, but this one has memorable characters that have me eagerly waiting for the next in the series to see what they do next.

I highly recommend this extraordinary historical mystery!

***

About the Author

A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’ degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University). After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she turned to writing the kind of page-turning fiction she loves to read. She writes historical fiction (“The Golden City” series) as well as contemporary romantic suspense (“Sinner’s Grove Suspense.”). “Barrister Perris Mysteries” is her latest endeavor, based on characters introduced in “The Golden City.” All of her books are stand-alone reads.

Michaels currently lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two elderly, four-legged “sons” (16 and 17!) who don’t seem to know they’re just dogs. She is an avid reader, traveler, quilter and bocce player, as well as a mediocre but enthusiastic golfer.

Social Media Links

https://abmichaels.com/
https://abmichaels.com/the-curious-peach-blog-2/
https://www.facebook.com/abmichaelsauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8189786.A_B_Michaels
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/a-b-michaels

Feature Post and Book Review: Mated to the Gargoyle: Mated to the Monster by Lisa Carlisle

Book Description

When the statue awakens…

I love working in a private university library with its special collection of antiquarian books and works of art. My favorite sculpture is one of the massive gargoyle statues, one that’s perched near my desk. Visitors often remark how lifelike it is, and I’ll tease, “Maybe it is.”

A frantic woman asks me to hide a book, one that’s fascinating with intricate details on the cover and spells inside. When I shelve it after hours, I hear movement in the library.

Has someone broken in?

What I discover is far more shocking…

Mated to the Gargoyle is a fated mates, protector romance.

This book is part of the Mated to the Monster multi-author monster romance series. All books can be read as standalones.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205447013-mated-to-the-gargoyle?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Gfk1xQlI9D&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MATED TO THE GARGOYLE: Mated to the Monster by Lisa Carlisle is a steamy and fast paced gargoyle paranormal romance in the Mated to the Monster series. All the books in this series can be read as standalones, but this book will be followed by a book featuring two secondary characters from this story.

Anya is a librarian in a university library in Montreal. What she does not know is that it holds many magical secrets. She enjoys reading in the library after hours and talking to the stone gargoyle by her desk. While getting ready to close for the night, Anya finds a woman trying to unlock the door to the special collections room. When confronted she shoves an old book into Anya hands, tells her not to give it to him, and runs from the library.

When two men break in and attack Anya, demanding the book, she is rescued by the stone gargoyle when it comes to life. Hugo has been infatuated with Anya even though he and the other gargoyles have been tasked with watching over the library. She is terrified and runs towards her apartment, but Hugo must still follow her even if she does not accept him, which he is afraid may never happen.

Anya becomes more curious than afraid and learns about Hugo and the gargoyles and uncovers secrets in the ancient book and enchanted room Hugo shows her. They will need everything Anya can learn to fight the evil that has been trying to find her for years.

I enjoy all of Ms. Carlisle’s gargoyle stories and was happy to read this new one. Like the others, this is a quick read with protective gargoyles and a heroine who discovers they exist and is a destined mate for one. The romance plotline between Anya and Hugo was quick and very steamy with explicit sex in this story, but it is not gratuitous or forced. All these paranormal romances end with a HEA, but this one also has a surprise twist at the end that has me anxiously waiting for the next book, Fated to the Gargoyle, due out in October.

I enjoy reading these steamy paranormal romances for a fun change of pace and Ms. Carlisle always delivers.

***

About the Author

Lisa Carlisle is a USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance and suspense. She loves to write about wounded, cursed, or misunderstood heroes finding their happily ever afters. They may be shifters, vampires, witches, gargoyles, or even military, first responders, and rockstars! She especially loves stories with fated mates and forbidden love, second chances, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

Her travels have provided her with inspiration for various settings in her novels. She deployed to Okinawa, Japan, while in the Marines, backpacked alone through Europe, lived in Paris, and now lives in New England with her husband, two kids, two crazy cats, and too many fish.

Become a VIP reader and receive free bonus reads! >> http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com/subscribe/

Social Media Links

Website: https://lisacarlislebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarlisleauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacarlislebooks/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-carlisle

Purchase Links

Universal link

https://books2read.com/matedgargoyle

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/books/mated-to-the-gargoyle-mated-to-the-monster-by-lisa-carlisle

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205447013-mated-to-the-gargoyle

Feature Post and Book Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Book Description

The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127305853-the-women?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9tY0LQNvgw&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah is an absolute tour de force women’s fiction story that gives the reader an immersive look into the lives of military nurses during the Vietnam War and their various struggles on the front and on their return stateside. While the story features three women, the focus is on the coming-of-age story of one young nurse from Southern California.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath has led an idyllic middle class conservative life growing up and running free with her older brother on Coronado Island. Her brother goes to Vietnam after graduating from the Naval Academy, while Frankie is graduated from nursing school, but she wants more. She enlists in the Army Nurse Corps to be overseas with her brother.

Completely unprepared for the chaos, she is trained and helped by both her roommates. Every day brings new horror and terror, but also moments of hope and friendships that will last well past the war. Frankie soon becomes a vital member of the surgical trauma team.

When she returns home, she finds an America in upheaval and a family unable to help her cope or even understand her trauma. Her friends always come to help when called, but Frankie has psychological wounds that must be faced on her own before she can really find peace.

This story elicits every emotion, and I was immersed in every scene from the horrors of war to emotional breakdowns and PTSD to redemption. The research is evident with the major conflicts of the times being as present in the story as the personal reactions of the main characters. Being from a family with many males who have served in every war, it pained me deeply when Frankie had so much trouble being recognized by the VA and other male combat soldiers, unless they had received care from the nurses overseas. I watched this war every night on the news while in junior high and high school and while my family wanted peace, I never hated the soldiers for serving, but I know now that many did, and it only added to their trauma returning home. Ms. Hannah brought these characters to life on the page as well as every location and time period.

I highly recommend this gripping and memorable women’s fiction!

***

About the Author

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her newest novel, The Women, about the nurses who served in the Vietnam war, will be released on February 6, 2024.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore’s bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.

In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

In 2015, The Nightingale became an international blockbuster and was Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.

The Nightingale is currently in pre-production at Tri Star. Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Social Media Links

Website: https://kristinhannah.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristinHannah/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinhannahauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristin-hannah

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Adiel and the Fuhrer by Elyse Hoffman

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for ADIEL AND THE FUHRER (Project 613 Series Book #4) by Elyse Hoffman on this Black Coffee Book Tour.

Below you will find a book summary, book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Summary

Adiel Goldstein has a good life. Despite the anti-Semitism he faces as a German Jew, he has everything he wants. A dream job as an art professor, good friends, a loving father, and a precious nine-year-old daughter, Kaia. But his life is about to be upended. An old comrade from his time fighting in the Great War is gaining power: a man named Hitler. Adiel’s father insists that they need to leave the country before Hitler becomes the leader of Germany.

Adiel and his family plan to move to America, but before they can even pack their bags, he and Kaia make a shocking discovery. Adiel’s father, Natan Goldstein, is from the future. A Holocaust survivor who lost his family to unspeakable tragedy, Natan was given the chance to go back in time and take the life of Adolf Hitler. But when he failed to kill the future Führer, he devoted himself to his new family and awaited the inevitable.

Natan can’t face the Holocaust again, but Adiel’s unique connection to Hitler means he might be able to succeed where his father failed. Adiel now has a choice: escape as planned and let history repeat itself, or sacrifice everything to stop the Holocaust before it can begin.

Award winning author Elyse Hoffman has crafted a thought-provoking and daring work of historical fiction which will tug at your heartstrings.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195794644-adiel-and-the-f-hrer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vAHG18yrBj&rank=1

***

Check the book on Amazon here.

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ADIEL AND THE FUHRER (Project 613 Book #4) by Elyse Hoffman is another fascinating addition to the Project 613 series of historical fiction books set during WWII. They are not only historical fiction though, because they also contain folklore, spiritualism, time travel, alternate history and a cast of memorable characters either caught up in the horrors of the war or seeking redemption for their part in it. While you do not need to read all the previous books, some characters are carried over from the third book in the series, The Black Fox.

Adiel Goldstein has been raised in a loving Jewish home in Germany, but with the rise of the Nazi Party, his father has been helping friends and family to immigrate to the United States. When Adiel’s daughter, Kaia stumbles across an old chest, he learns his father and mother are from the future and they have been keeping a secret that could change the course of the Holocaust.

This alternate history story has so many twists and turns in an intricate plot of “what if”. It begins with the main characters planning their immigration from Germany as the Nazis make life unbearable for its Jewish citizens. Then the story takes a huge turn when the chest is discovered with things from the future, but it is not a surprise to Natan, Adiel’s father. This is when every decision from this point on is calculated to change the future that Natan and his wife came back to the past to change; to kill Hitler.

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The life changing choices that are made in all the main characters lives and the death of a character I came to love had me pulling out the tissues. I was very impressed with how Ms. Hoffman was able to intertwine real historical facts with the alternative history and make it all appear seamless. This story had me captivated from beginning to end, but I also cannot share too much without giving spoilers, which I will not do.

I highly recommend this thought-provoking alternate history/historical fiction addition to the Project 613 series. The entire series is at times hard to read but also fascinating in its worldbuilding!

***

About the Author

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Social Media Links:

Home Page

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20851312.Elyse_Hoffman

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elyse-hoffman