#romance – Page 4 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Green Pastures by Patricia Johns

Book Description

Tabitha Schrock’s return to Lancaster County shakes the foundations of her family and community. After her departure during rumspringa and a recent divorce, Tabitha faces the challenge of reintegrating into Amish society while pursuing her dream of working as a veterinarian. Meanwhile, her sister Amanda, whose own prospects were dimmed by Tabitha’s leaving Shepherd’s Hill, decides to seize her chance at love by pursuing a man with a shadowed past. And their youngest sister, Rose, despite her beauty and romantic hopes, faces the harsh realities of matrimony, grappling with the weight of vows made before Gott and her community.

As the sisters navigate the intricacies of love, faith, and tradition, they are bound by their commitment to uphold their Amish way of life. But as they strive to keep their promises, how much are they willing to sacrifice to remain true to themselves and their community?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Green Pastures by Patricia Johns focuses on the relationship and bond between three Amish sisters: Tabitha, Amanda, and Rose. They are compelled to uphold the commitment they made to the Amish traditions but realize life can get in the way. Each sister must navigate through different aspects of being Amish yet rely on each other, their father, and their community to help them through.

Tabitha, the oldest, left the community during rumspringa, but has now returned after a ten-year absence. During that time, she became a veterinarian, married an Englisher, and got a divorce. Because of her circumstances the bishop allows her to continue her work as a vet. She now faces the challenge of being accepted back into the community and reintegrating into Amish society.

Amanda, the middle sister, is considered a spinster, and has become an outcast of sorts since she defended Tabitha. She now wishes for a husband and a home. She is a rebel of sorts, deciding to go against the Amish custom of waiting for a man to pursue her. She does just that with Menno Weaver after she hears he is looking for a wife even though he has a checkered and troubled past.

Rose, the youngest sister, seems to have it all, beauty and romance. Yet, her marriage to Aaron becomes complicated and they struggle to stay together.

This story is about resilience as the three sisters join forces to support each other. It is obvious the author writes character-based stories that allow readers into their hearts and minds. As the plot unfolds readers fall in love with each sister.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Patricia Johns: I submitted a WWII historical to the publisher. They wanted me to do something completely different. They wanted a straight Amish romance that has some women’s fiction. I suggested the featured female character would be a veterinarian, and they loved it.

EC: What about community?

PJ: In this story there is a close-knit community. The good part is that during hard times someone is never alone. The bad side is that everyone has an opinion that they are willing to share. One of the female leads is Tabitha and she is having a hard time getting back into the community. The middle sister, Amanda, wants to marry, ignoring all the expectations from the community that says the man needs to be the pursuer. The youngest sister, Rose, is trying to hide her marriage situation from the nosy community because she wants to keep up appearances.

EC: Does a lot about the community and relationships center around marriage?

PJ: I have this quote from the sisters’ father about marriage. “You both must bend. And both are better for it… When leaving is not an option, the only other choice is to grow. Marriage is like that. It forces two people to mature in ways they never would if they were apart.” He emphasizes that when married or in a relationship problems need to be talked out with truth. They must be more practical, making the best of it and making it better. It is always going to be perfect, no. Spouses can grow together in the marriage if there is faithfulness and no abuse.

EC: But the quote above does not apply in Tabitha’s situation?

PJ: Correct. I hope I made it clear in the book that Tabitha could not save her marriage. She was in a situation where her husband was blatantly cheating on her and not giving up the other woman. There was no scenario where she could remain in the marriage. It is not just a one size fits all for marriage. She is bitter toward her ex-husband Michael. He was very negative about her and her former Amish community.

EC: How would you describe Tabitha?

PJ: She was in the “English” world for ten years but now wants to come back to the Amish community. She does not have a lot in common with the other women since she has a career, an education, has been divorced, and not a housewife. She is naïve in some ways, calm, humble, a rebel, determined, resilient, direct, bold, trustworthy, and honest. She feels like an outcast, is scared, but with a very good heart.

EC: How would you describe Amanda?

PJ: She feels, because of Tabitha, no one courted her and feels hopeless about marriage. She is hardworking, prickly, sensitive, levelheaded, and loyal. She was also outcasted because she defended Tabitha within the Amish community. She is not meek like most Amish girls, very brave. She does not fit into the stereotype of what an Amish woman is supposed to be. Amanda is more like Tabitha than she likes to think.

EC: How would you describe Rose?

PJ: She is the opposite of Amanda and Tabitha. She is meek and pretty where the system works for her.

EC: What about the father, Abram?

PJ: A worrier who raised the three daughters basically on his own. He can be stubborn, stoic, goodhearted, a family man, responsible, and protective. He is a frustration to his daughters because of his personality. He is determined to protect his girls even when they don’t want his interference. I had a big soft spot for him because his intentions are so pure, to keep his girls safe.

EC: How would you describe Menno?

PJ: A former alcoholic. Cordial, a loner, antisocial, not trusting, kind, and standoffish. His dad and brothers are not very nice. They are horrible people. He desperately wants to make a better life for himself but does not know how to go about doing it. The Amish community tried to be his family, showing him how things are done and help him.

EC: What about the relationship between Amanda and Menno?

PJ: Amanda understands him. As children he stood up for her and stopped others from teasing her. Both want to look past their families and are wary of their family history. They must contend with the community. They must prove themselves as individuals and then as a couple. At first, they are coming together without the community support.

EC: Next books?

PJ: Throughout this miniseries readers will follow Tabitha’s story including her relationship with Jonas. Book 2 of the series is titled Still Waters and comes out in November. The story has new characters. Beth comes back to the community to help her grandmother who had dementia. Beth wants to understand her late father more, but the grandmother is keeping secrets. It is about family secrets and making peace with them.

An Amish Baby in Her Arms will be released soon. Miriam Yoder thought she’d never feel happy again after the loss of her husband and unborn child until a baby is abandoned outside her workplace during a huge storm. Seeing this as an opportunity for her heart to heal, she cares for the helpless infant during a fierce storm with her late husband’s brother. He has always cared for her and is trying to keep his emotions under control.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Only the Dead Within, The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise & Personal Security by Lisa Childs

Only The Dead Within, The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise, and Personal Security by Lisa Childs shows her ability to write in multiple genres. These three recent books show how diverse Childs is with her writing style because she writes thrillers, mysteries, and family-oriented stories. Only the Dead Within is the thriller, The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise is the family story, and Personal Security is the mystery.

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Only The Dead Within

Grave Diggers Book 2

Kensington Pub

Book Description

Between mysterious missing persons cases, unsolved murders, and the menacing specter of an eternally blood-thirsty grave digger’s ghost, the town of Gold Creek, Michigan, has a grim reputation, and so does the wealthy, ruthless Gold family, who run the local funeral home and cemetery—and may be behind it all . . .

Yet another teen has gone missing from the Gold Memorial Gardens, and Child Protective Services Investigator Claire Underwood isn’t giving up until she finds him. For Claire, solving the case is more than business. Years ago, she lost a friend in that cemetery.

Over time, the authorities deemed all the disappeared teens runaways, while local legend blamed the ghost of the murderous grave digger—much to the satisfaction of the Golds, also known as the “Ghouls.” Claire has always suspected the Golds were involved, including in some recent murders among their own. She went to high school with Noah Gold. He was very quiet, and very intense. Like someone with something to hide.

Noah is sick of being cast in the same light as his conniving, money-hungry family. He’s still a bit anti-social, but he’s just as determined as Clare to unearth the truth—and finally bury the legend of the grave digger. With a common goal, he and Claire join forces, but it’s a quest that puts them in mortal danger. Only with the help of the local sheriff—whose own brother vanished years ago—do they have a chance of surviving. Yet, the truth that awaits them is more terrifying than any ghost . . .

Elise’s Thoughts

Only The Dead Within tells the story of Child Protective Services Investigator Claire Underwood looking for a missing teen last seen in the cemetery. Over time, the authorities deemed that there were multiple teenage disappearances there, but it was determined that the teens were runaways since no bodies were found. But this time it is different because Tyler Hicks’ body was found by the grave digger Noah Gold who becomes a person of interest. Now he wants to join forces with Claire to find out who is behind the murder and the missing teens.

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The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise

Bachelor Cowboy’s Romance Book 1

Harlequin Pub

Book Description

A baby found in the barn means…

An instant cowboy dad!

When a baby is abandoned on the Four Corners Ranch, CPS investigator Elise Shaw drops everything to find the parents. She can’t understand why Liam Lemmon, the bachelor cowboy who found the child, first denies being her father, then claims her as his own! Elise visits the Wyoming ranch regularly to check up on them and soon starts to feel like part of the family. But her heart is getting too involved with the case…and with Liam. And when she learns the cowboy’s secret, will she be forced to take away the child they’ve both come to love?

Elise’s Thoughts

The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise opens with rancher Liam Lemmon finding an abandoned baby in his barn. Child Protective Services investigator Elise Shaw is called in to help find the parents. Elise visits the Wyoming ranch regularly to check up on Liam and baby Lucy. Elise grows closer to both, yet knows her duty is to find the missing parents.

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Personal Security

Bachelor Bodyguard Book 15

Harlequin Pub

Book Description

He’ll risk anything to protect her…

Even his heart.

Watching over Blair Etheridge as she reopens her family’s art gallery is Ivan Chekov’s first chance to prove himself as a bodyguard. He hopes it’s also a chance to start over. But this job brings up bad memories, and Blair doesn’t want him anywhere near her. Ivan overcomes her stubborn streak after an attack on her life proves she’s in danger. The undeniable attraction sizzling between them makes posing as her boyfriend easy, while the thought of losing her frightens him more than he’s willing to admit.

Elise’s Thoughts

Personal Security has Ivan Chekov hired as a bodyguard for Blair Etheridge as she reopens her family’s art gallery. At first reluctant to have a bodyguard, Blair overcomes her stubborn streak and relents after multiple attempts on her life. The undeniable attraction sizzles between them since he poses as her boyfriend.

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All three books will keep readers furiously turning the pages to find out what happens.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for story?

Lisa Childs: Only The Dead Within is a thriller based on my daughter’s profession, a child protective service investigator, which is a difficult job. I wanted to use her field because I

like writing more than law enforcement professionals. I was able to speak with her to make sure I got everything correct because the heroine in two of my books works as a child protective services investigator.

The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise is a more lighthearted book after writing Only the Dead Within. It is part of my Bachelor Cowboy series. The main character, Elise Shaw, is very near and dear to my heart because of my daughter.

Personal Security is a series that has been going on for many years. This is a redemption storyline where the hero was forced to do things in his past that he is not proud of but was able to turn his life around.

EC: How would you describe your heroines?

LC: Claire is the heroine in Only the Dead Within. She is a survivor, skeptic, felt numb and sometimes dead inside, was abused, and is untrusting. Yet she is also independent, caring, strong, and can connect the dots.

Elise is the heroine in The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise. She is mistrusting, direct, kind, strong, capable, and determined.

Blair is the heroine of Personal Security. She is naïve, strong, stubborn, independent, determined, intense, and a loner.

EC: How would you describe your heroes?

LC: Noah is the hero in Only the Dead Within. He is rich and influential but has the job as the grave digger. He can be a loner, resilient, protective, antisocial, and determined.

Liam is the hero in The Cowboy’s Baby Surprise. He is caring, has integrity, tender, sociable, gentle, responsible, and lonely. He assumes responsibility for a baby left in his barn. He steps up.

Ivan is the hero in Personal Security. He has become a protector while being someone’s bodyguard. He is cautious, charming, and a survivor.

EC: How about each relationship?

LC: At first in Only the Dead Within Claire suspects Noah of murder. Yet they have in common a loved one who is missing. He sees her as vulnerable with a hardened heart and a sharp tongue and worries about her safety. After they get over their first impressions they realize the attraction.

Elise wants love and stability. She is vulnerable and I had her forward in this story. They are both avoiding their attractiveness. The baby left in Liam’s barn brings them together and shows Elise a different side of him.

Both Blaire and Ivan are attracted to each other. They have in common that because of their last name people frown upon them. Ivan teases her a lot. Blaire is very vulnerable and has built walls where she is trying to avoid a relationship.

EC: Next books?

LC: The Unknown Colton is written with multiple authors and a setting of Alaska. It will be released in October. It features Lakin and Troy. She is pursuing her dream of creating a boutique hotel without Troy until it is discovered someone is stalking her. Troy sets aside his own personal problems to help her find out who is after her.

Christmas Security is the story of Blade and comes out in November. The plot has biophysicist Dr. Priscilla Pell fearing for her life, and the life of her unborn child. Living in the mansion where she’s still unwelcome among her late husband’s family, she doesn’t know whether the threats are coming from inside or outside. That’s why she hires professional security. She’s grateful for Blade Sparks’s around-the-clock protection.

The Cowboy’s Claim comes out in December. It is Blake’s story. The story features lawyer Maci Bluff who is under a lot of pressure to win a lawsuit for the Lemmon brothers so they can stay on their beloved ranch. Yet, as the legal battle escalates, so do her feelings for cowboy Blake Lemmon.

THANK YOU!!

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Feature Post and Book Review: No More Yesterdays by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Taking over her late father’s company was never part of Alex Stone’s life plan.

But now, sitting in the CEO chair at Stone Enterprises, she’s resigned to living her life alone. Being a high-powered, billionaire woman tends to narrow one’s romantic prospects. As Alex works relentlessly to reshape her inherited hotel empire, she’s acquired a target on her back complete with death threats.

Alex turns to Hawk Bronson, a man who is equal parts bodyguard, sexy, and completely infuriating. Especially when it comes to protecting her.

As the danger escalates, Hawk comes to terms with the fact that their connection goes way beyond bodyguard and assignment. He knows he should keep his distance—his own dark past and nightmares put her at greater risk—but he can’t walk away. Protecting Alex means everything. Putting her life in someone else’s care isn’t an option once he’s tasted their passion and depth of his feelings.

As they navigate a minefield of family secrets, past pain, and unexpected hope, Alex and Hawk must face their deepest fears and fight for a future together. But first, they’ll need to unmask whoever is behind the threats—before Alex becomes their next victim.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219578195-no-more-yesterdays?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=8nM737JA0K&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NO MORE YESTERDAYS (The Heirs Book #3) by Catherine Bybee is a wonderful finale to The Heirs trilogy with this story featuring Alexandrea “Alex” Stone. These books can be read as standalone contemporary romances, but the overall story ARC of the siblings inheriting their father’s company and the problems it involves makes me feel the trilogy is best read in order.

With the death of their father, the Stone siblings have had to adapt to new lives with massive wealth. Alex has taken over as CEO at Stone Enterprises with her experience in the hotel business. Taking on the role has also left her feeling she is now limited in her romantic prospects. When Alex receives a death threat, she asks for the help of a security specialist who helped her out previously. He takes on the role of her private bodyguard.

Hawk Bronson is a security specialist who is determined to protect the independent and infuriating Alex. As the danger escalates, so does the personal heat between them.

As they try to discover where the threat against Alex is coming from, they uncover corporate secrets that are far from legal and could put Stone Enterprises at risk. Is this the source of the threat or is there another reason that Alex is in danger from someone close who wants her dead?

This is such an extremely emotionally satisfying ending to The Heirs contemporary romance trilogy! The romance has fun dialogue as Alex and Hawk butt heads, but it also gets serious with Hawk describing the threat and serious circumstances when Alex does not listen. The sexual chemistry builds believably, and the sex scenes are not gratuitous, but feel natural. The suspense subplot had me turning the pages and continually built to a surprise climax I did not see coming.

I highly recommend this book and the entire trilogy! Ms. Bybee always satisfies, and I look forward to every new book.

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About the Author

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban
emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.catherinebybee.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinebybee/?hl=en

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/no-more-yesterdays-by-catherine-bybee

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Side Project by Laurel Osterkamp

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE SIDE PROJECT by Laurel Osterkamp on this Book Amplifier Tour.

Below you will find an author Q&A, introduction and synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Author Q&A

Writing Process & Creativity

How did you research your book?

There wasn’t a huge amount of research involved, but I did need to read up on the type of brain tumors teenagers are most likely to get. I’d already spent a lot of time in Bemidji, but I convinced my family that I should take a road trip up to Bemidji on my own, just for the night, so I could walk around taking pictures and imagining my characters’ lives there.

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?

The last scene between Rylee and her mother, Summer, was difficult to write because finally, they were being honest with each other and dealing with their grief. It was a challenge to find the right level of emotion and to give each of them their own unique voice.

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?

That’s so hard, because I often forget the compliments I receive, unlike the criticism, which is always tattooed on my brain. But last night I received this message from a huge BookTok influencer, after she finished reading The Side Project: “I just finished! Man, I’m crying happy tears. This was so different… and it was SO good.” I can’t overstate how happy that compliment made me!

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?

Sometimes, if there’s a lot of laundry or grocery shopping to do, I skip writing on Sundays. Otherwise, I write every day, in the afternoon and/or early evening.

Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?

My favorite writing quirk is when my cat, Toffee, snuggles up next to me while I sit on the couch with my laptop. When I get stuck, I’ll pet her and ask for her advice. She always has great ideas!

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic?

I’ve always felt that northern settings where they wear a lot of flannel are romantic. When I began writing The Side Project, I’d just finished an MFA program in Creative Writing. I liked the idea of exploring how writers can be sort of snobby toward each other when it comes to writing genre fiction, especially romance. And there’s definitely a stigma when it comes to self-publishing. The Side Project is not self-published, but Rylee is a secret self-published romance author and afraid to let the people in her life know this. So The Side Project is a combination of several topics and settings that are close to my heart.

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?

Winona Ryder (at 23) as Rylee

Andrew Garfield (at 27) as Carson

Jessica Chastain (at 27) as Dana

James Van Der Beek (at 27) as Jack

Which author(s) most inspired you?

This answer is specific to romance writing, but Emily Henry and Carley Fortune inspired me in a huge way. After reading their novels, I was ready to transition from writing women’s fiction to

contemporary romance. I love how they use the expected romance tropes that readers love, but they also write layered stories with complex characters and lyrical prose.

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Introduction and Synopsis

Some stories are never really over. Laurel Osterkamp’s The Side Project explores what happens when unfinished business from the past collides with the emotional messiness of the present—through the lens of two former lovers forced to collaborate creatively.

Ten years after their breakup, Rylee and Carson are thrown back into each other’s orbit—not by chance, but by enrollment in the same graduate fiction workshop. Rylee is still rooted in their hometown, juggling caretaking duties and trying to hold onto the memory of her late father, a novelist who left behind an incomplete manuscript. Carson, now a single dad, is determined to keep things tidy and focused. But when their class assignment turns into a writing partnership—and then a secret “side project”—long-buried feelings begin to surface. Their story becomes as tangled as the fiction they’re writing, and soon they’re forced to ask: is it possible to rewrite a past that never got its ending?

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4dUmpJJ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218561154-the-side-project

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE SIDE PROJECT by Laurel Osterkamp is a contemporary romance/rom-com that brings realistic characters to the page with all their imperfections and puts them through an emotional upheaval of twists, secrets, and lies interspersed with heartwarming moments of friendship and familial love. This new-to-me author kept me turning the pages.

Rylee dreams of writing a literary novel that her late father would have loved, but her secret is that she loves and writes Regency romances in secret. She was prepared to move to California, but her younger brother is diagnosed with cancer, and she stays to help her mother and brother in her small hometown of Bemidji, MN.

Carson’s plans to attend Harvard and become a doctor came to an end when his girlfriend told him she was pregnant. He has stayed in Bemidji and married, discovered he loves his son and being a father, but he dreams of more.

Rylee is surprised when she attends her first MFA course and Carson is in the classroom. They become writing partners even with Rylee and Carson’s unresolved high school past and start a no-strings fling side project. As their chemistry heats up, so do the complications. Secrets, lies, and hard truths will all come out and difficult decisions must be made.

Rylee and Carson have both lived through life-altering loss and disappointments and when they come together there are still so many secrets and lies between them which become exposed throughout the story and as each one drops, it causes emotional upheaval. I felt the characters in this story were fully developed and the story flowed well and was entertaining as a character driven romance. There are a few sex scenes, but they were not gratuitous, but believable to the story. This novel stretches a few romance genre rules but brings relatable characters to life and still delivers a romance lovers ending.

I recommend this mash-up for a heartwarming weekend read and am looking forward to checking other works by this author.

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Excerpt

I steel myself and step out of my car, determined to keep things businesslike today. The sight of Carson outside raking leaves, ruggedly adorable with Ferris running circles around his feet, does nothing to break my resolve. I tell myself: You’re here to work. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Hey, Rylee.” He grins, pushing up his sleeves. “You’re right in time to hold the leaf bag.”

I don’t have time to respond before a happy splash of black fur races past us, yipping and barking. I laugh, and Carson shakes his head, smiling as well.

“Ferris loves chasing leaves,” Carson says.

Ferris circles us. Running in the autumn wind, his mouth is full of fluttering colors and twigs.

I contemplate Carson’s leaf bag. “The hardest part is always getting in the first few handfuls of leaves. Did you know they have these cardboard insert thingies that keep the bag open?”

Carson holds his rake with one hand. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. My dad was excited when he discovered them at the hardware store. It used to be our thing, my dad and I, bagging leaves together.”

“Oh.” Carson’s mouth goes slack, and his eyes pool with sympathy. It’s like he backed over a bunny rabbit by accident. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up old memories.”

I wave off the awkwardness as if I’m shooing away bugs. “No worries. It won’t break me to hold the bag open, and I’ll even push down the leaves as you put them in.” My words come out in a rush. “Where should I put my computer?”

“I’ll put it inside. Do you also want me to take your purse?”

“Sure, thanks.” I hand him both.

He takes them through his front door as a gust of wind threatens to upend Carson’s carefully constructed leaf pile. I snatch up the rake, ready for battle. “You won’t escape me, bitches!” I yell at the flying leaves.

I look over to see Carson on his front stoop, watching my wild efforts like I’m a vaudeville spectacle he can’t quite believe. Embarrassed, I kick at the ground. “I didn’t want all your hard work ruined.”

His expression is serious. “Have you tried positive reinforcement? I’ve found that fallen leaves don’t respond well to punitive measures.”

“Right,” I reply, “because they have nothing to lose. Their fate is inside a garbage bag or being trapped by an uncaring tire. Snow will cover the lucky ones until after the thaw.” I run the rake through the grass at my feet. “Then they’ll get scooped up—along with all the dog poop and candy wrappers the trick-or-treaters leave behind.”

Using his index finger to rub his chin, Carson considers this. “Trick-or-treaters leave behind dog poop?”

“Some of the angry ones do.”

He laughs—and darn if he isn’t cute when he smiles—before saying, “Guess I’d better buy good candy this year.”

“No black licorice or breath mints.” I let out a low groan. “But the worst are those peanut butter-flavored taffies wrapped in orange or black wrappers.”

“Those are the worst. I never ate them.”

“Me neither.”

I hold open the bag, and Carson bends down, scoops up the leaves, and stands very close as he shoves them inside. I’m painfully aware of how his Levis-clad butt looks oh-so-good when he bends over. After the bag is full, he glances up at his tree and down at his yard, thanking me for my help. Then he sort of stands there, gazing at me, and I can’t help but ask. “What?”

“Nothing. Sorry. You’d lose all respect for me if I told you,” he mumbles.

“Now you have to tell me.”

He brushes a leaf from his sleeve. “No, really,” he stammers, “it’s ridiculous.”

I nudge his ankle with my sneaker’s rubber toe. “Try me.”

Rolling his eyes skyward, he asks, “Did you ever read The Majestic Seven? That fantasy about the seven heroes who must save their kingdom?”

“No,” I reply. “But I’ve heard of it. Why?”

Carson’s cheeks turn the slightest bit pink. “I was thinking how you’re like Lady Seraphina.”

My hands fly to either side of my face. “It’s because of my pointy ears, right?”

“What? No.” He blinks in confusion. “Why would you make that connection?”

“Because I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation, and the only female character is an elf. The tips of her ears are like razors.”

“No!” Carson swallows a laugh. “God, no, that’s not what I meant.”

I look him up and down. “Well, what did you mean?”

His voice sounds like a worn vinyl record, smooth in the center but scratched at the edges. “You’re the type of girl who could save the world.”

“You mean ‘woman’ and not ‘girl,’ right?”

“Of course. Sorry.” He releases a self-conscious chuckle. “You’re the kind of woman who could save the world. One hundred percent.”

“Thank you.” Then, feeling that magnetic pull, I drop my gaze to the ground.

He hits his forehead. “God. I’m such an idiot. I promised I’d be professional today, and I’ve already blown it, haven’t I?”

I search for a response. Thankfully, Ferris runs up to me, and I busy myself with petting him. “It’s fine. But I don’t understand. Why would I lose all respect for you?”

“Because you’ll realize I like fantasy novels.”

Kneeling down, I let Ferris nuzzle my shoulder. “Please. As if I didn’t already know? Remember how in high school, you’d check out The Prince of Saturn and slide it into your backpack before anyone could see?”

Carson raises an eyebrow. “Except for you.”

I notice a renegade leaf on my shoulder and brush it off. “That’s right. Because I was also always in the media center after lunch, most likely checking out some gothic romance, which is way more looked down upon than science fiction or fantasy.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t on the hockey team.” He smirks. “If the other players knew about my reading habits, they’d have kicked my ass.”

“So, you tried to pretend you weren’t smart? How’d that work out for you, college boy?”

He opens his mouth to respond but laughs instead. “Hey, you mentioned gothic romance, and that reminds me. I dug your story. A contemporary Charlotte Brontë! It was so original. I don’t have very many revision notes for you, because the story flowed. And I’m worried that if you rework it a lot, you’ll lose that.”

“Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I liked your story too, and not just because you liked mine.” Shifting my weight, I say, “Should we go inside and get to work?”

He nods. “Yeah. Let’s do that. Follow me.”

At this moment, I’d be happy to follow him anywhere.

***

Author Bio

Laurel Osterkamp is a Minneapolis-based author whose work explores the emotional complexities of love, loss, and personal reinvention. With novels like Beautiful Little Furies (an Amazon #1 bestseller) and Favorite Daughters, she’s become known for creating characters who are flawed, thoughtful, and deeply human. Osterkamp writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that blends wit with wisdom, heart with humor. Outside of writing, she teaches adult ESL and middle school enrichment, re-watches iconic ’90s television, and contends with a household full of opinionated pets.

Social Media Links

Website: https://laurellit.com/

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurelosterkamp.bsky.social

Instagram: @laurel_osterkamp

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-side-project-by-laurel-osterkamp

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford

Book Description

An unsolved mystery…

Seeking the truth could be fatal.

Reopening the investigation of her mother’s disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford features a police chief dealing with an Amish cold case where Amish girls have disappeared. Readers will try to solve the case along with the characters as they second guess the clues.

The plot opens when Diana Fisher decides to return to her childhood town in Rachel’s Crossing Kentucky, to become police chief. She is following in her father William’s footsteps who once was police chief there. Fifteen years ago, Diana’s mother disappeared, and William decided they needed a fresh start, so he moved them to Louisville.

Even though her dad is dead set against it, Diana decides to move there and accept the police chief job. She is determined to try to find out why her mother left them. But once there, she finds trouble is waiting for her. Shortly after arriving she hears a young Amish girl screaming and when trying to rescue her she gets hit over the head and her dog Kit also gets injured. They are rescued by Micah Nissley, once Amish and now living in the English world. He has been coming back to his family’s old home whenever he could to do repairs in thoughts of using it as vacation home. He was shunned by his family, friends and community who blamed him for the disappearance of his fiancé, Tessa, the girl he loved.

He is now working as a detective for the Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigations. He offers to help but before Diana will accept it, she investigates why he was considered a person of interest. After he comes clean and tells her she accepts his help and realizes that he also wants to solve the case to overcome the stigma of being falsely accused of killing the missing Amish girls. The investigation leads them to a serial killer who is elusive and extremely intelligent, since he has been killing women for many years without being caught.

If readers enjoy the Linda Castillo series with Police Chief Kate Burkholder they will enjoy this story. It is an intense read that is intriguing, captivating, powerful and full of suspense with a twist of an ending that is shocking.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Mary Alford: I have been fascinated by the simple life of the Amish. I thought about what would happen in this quiet setting if there was still danger lurking and secrets hidden. I took an old cold case and have a new police chief who must face her own dark past.

EC: Were you influenced by Kate Burkholder from the Linda Castillo series?

MA: I had not thought of it. Maybe in a way. Diana does have a quest and wants to find out what happened to her mother, which is why she took the job as police chief. She wants to do some research as to why her mom disappeared. This police department needs rebuilding after the corruption within it.

EC: How would you describe Diana?

MA: She is strong, resilient, and faces danger head on. She is always on the front line and refuses to let fear stop her. I think she is also guarded and cautious.

EC: How would you describe the hero, Micah?

MA: He has ties to the cold case since his fiancé, Tessa, disappeared and he was the last to see her alive. He is former Amish and is bitter because he was a person of interest a long time ago during the Amish girl’s disappearance. He also feels guilty. When he saw Tessa with this other guy, he left her and felt guilty for making the choice to leave.

EC: What role does Kit the canine dog play?

MA: Diana considers her a friend, protector, and loyal. She is trained in search and rescue plus police work. She stands between Diana and danger. She loves to play with her favorite stuffed animal.

EC: What about the relationship?

MA: It was hampered by suspicion, and she is not trusting. He did have ties to the past case of the disappearance of Amish women. He wants it to have resolution and to come to light about what happened to Tessa. He is stuck with the past hanging over him.

EC: What about the corrupt cops?

MA: They stole, bribed, blackmailed, and harassed. People do not trust the police department.

EC: Why Kentucky?

MA: There are a few Amish communities in Kentucky. I like having a remote mountain setting that creates its own danger and suspense.

EC: Next books?

MA: In July a book will be published, Framed in Amish Country. It is about a DA who is being framed for murdering her best friend. An Amish man helps her find evidence to prove her innocence. In October Shattered Amish Identity comes out. The heroine has a buggy accident where she does not remember her past. Someone is trying to kill her, and a CIA Agent comes to help her.

THANK YOU!!

***

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Irish Daughter by Daisy O’Shea

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea on this Bookoututre Books-On-Tour blog tour.

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

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Book Description

Standing on the cliff above the wild Irish sea, Hannah wipes a tear from her eye and thinks about the man she called ‘Da’. She was never his daughter. Hannah has been lied to her whole life by everyone she loved. Will she ever find where she truly belongs?

When warm-hearted Hannah Barry’s father passes away, her life is turned upside down when she discovers he wasn’t her biological father, and the only family she’s ever known are not related to her at all. Now their tiny farmhouse overlooking Roone Bay feels unfamiliar and cold. So when a handsome, dark-haired stranger turns up on her doorstep, his kind eyes and shy smile are a welcome escape.

Justin Sanders is searching for clues about his long-lost grandfather, whose last letter home came addressed from the area. Justin is certain Hannah’s own grandfather is connected to the story somehow, and that the men knew each other years ago. Hannah can’t help but be drawn to Justin and his mystery – they both have a painful past to solve. Will helping Justin lead to the answers about her real family that she desperately longs for?

But Hannah is shocked when nobody in the village will speak of Justin’s grandad. What secret could be so terrible that a whole community turns their back?

Justin’s caring nature makes Hannah feel so safe, and she can’t ignore the way he makes her stomach flip. But when they discover the truth about the events of a tragic evening decades ago, it threatens to tear them apart for good… Can Hannah and Justin find a way to forgive and move forward together? Or will Hannah lose the only real love she’s ever known for good?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/226019442-the-irish-daughter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kESgIC4UJr&rank=1

Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0DVTCML7Ssocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea is an emotional dual timeline mash-up of romance, mystery, and history that pulled me into the story and kept me turning the pages. This book is easily read as a standalone with a few carryover secondary characters, but the real connection between the stories is that they are all set in Roone Bay, Ireland on the southern coast.

Hannah Barry has dutifully taken care of her alcoholic and dismissive father until his death as she promised her mam on her death bed believing she would inherit their hard-scrabble farm. While the home and farm are not worth much it has been her home since she returned from the hospital at three years of age after recovering from polio. Then her brother returns from America with a will to claim it all.

Justin Sanders is an English doctor who has come to Roone Bay to find where his granddad, Jack, who was stationed there as a Black and Tan in 1920, was buried during the Troubles. Hannah is surprised that no one is willing to talk, so she offers to help.

They work together as both have family secrets and history to be uncovered.

This is an enchanting story of family, love, forgiveness, and discovery. The tissues came out at a time or two. Hannah was such a strong protagonist and Justin was the perfect hero for her. The historical dual timeline tells Jack, Justin’s granddad’s story, in 1920 while he was in Roone Bay and the present-day timeline with Hannah and Justin is set in their present day, but our late 1960’s. The author’s story telling and descriptions made me feel as if I was experiencing each timeline right along with each character.

I have read all the Emerald Isles books, and they are all moving and engrossing. I highly recommend this one, also!

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Author Bio

Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.

Social Media Links

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/evelynturner0990.bsky.social

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