Simply Dead by Eleanor Kuhns

Genre:  Adult, Historical Mystery
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Hortense a young midwife fails to return home after delivering a baby. Her mother and uncle seek out help from Will Rees. Will finds Hortense with no shoes and no cloak.  As the snow comes down heavier it is decided to leave the unconscious Hortense overnight at Will and Lydia’s house.  Will and his family attend to chores around the farm. Will hears his daughter Jerusha yelling for him. She has been frightened but he doesn’t know what scared her.  The next morning Jerusha is attacked by two young boys.  Will is sure Hortense knows something she isn’t telling them.  When a Shaker woman is killed Will is determined to do everything he can to find the person responsible for the attacks on women in the area.

Once again this book was so well written I didn’t expect the killer to be who it was. I have only read one other book in this series. I have definitely got to catch up on them. This author brings you in to the time period and into the setting.  The characters are well crafted. Will Rees has become one of my favorite characters. He is a weaver by trade and yet he has become a wonderful detective. This is a book I would read more than once.

Guest Post - Tracy Richardson

Dania Voss Guest Post

When I decided to try my hand at writing a short story, the origin story of Luke Stryker and Abbey Jayne from my debut novel On the Ropes, I didn’t realize what a challenge it would be. I was both excited and nervous to write Off the Hook, When Luke met Abbey.

I was excited because I wanted to offer Off the Hook as a free read to readers, to introduce them to my Windy City Nights series. I was nervous because I had never written a short story before and Luke and Abbey’s origin story took place when they were 18 and 20 years old. They were young adults, not older adults like in the debut novel, which took place ten years later.

I had quite a bit of research to do, as I do for every book I write. For writers, research is one thing we can get mired in that delays us from starting to write. Since Off the Hook was supposed to be short story, I didn’t want to and couldn’t spend too much time doing research, I had to get the story written!

But since the timeline placed their origin story in June of 2007, I had to be historically accurate on several critical things.

The World Series - Luke is a pitcher for his family’s team the Chicago Cobras so I had to research what teams played in the World Series in 2007 and make adjustments for the Cobras to play in the story.

Technology - I researched what the popular laptop models were in 2007, as well as the popular cell phones. The first iPhone came out in 2007, I didn’t know that until I researched it for the story.

Movies – I found out which comedies were out in the summer of 2007 and chose one for Luke and Abbey to watch in the story.

Online Universities – Since Luke was travelling with the team, I had to research which universities were offering online degrees at that time. He couldn’t attend regular classes like everyone else.

Since Abbey was 18 and Luke was 20, it was a challenge trying to get into the mindset of younger adults. Luke was Abbey’s first boyfriend. She hadn’t done much dating before she met him. Luke’s family is wealthy in addition to owning the Chicago Cobras. He’d led a fairly charmed life, even though he’d lost his parents at a young age.

I’m a plotter, not a pantser so as I’ve done with my full length novels, I created an outline for Off the Hook with word count limits for each chapter. In the end, I went over about 2500 words and ended the story with over 18,000 words, but I’m proud with the result of my first short story.

Author Bio

Born in Rome, Italy and settled in the Chicagoland area, Dania Voss is a lover of all things pink and a huge fan of 80's hair bands. She became a romance junkie in her teens. After decades of voracious reading, she published her first romance novel On the Ropes, the prequel in her Windy City Nights series in March of 2018. It was nominated as best Contemporary Romance in the 2018 Evernight Publishing Reader's Choice Awards. 

The Warrior's Whisper was released in September of 2018 and her current romance Hannah's Bliss, with Italian int'l model Luca Pantini on the cover, is the third installment in the series.

Website URL:  www.daniavoss.com

Blog URL:  www.daniavoss.com/blog

Facebook URL:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaniaVoss

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/dania_voss

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

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/daniavoss/

Skype:  Rose Hudson (r.mancinelli@outlook.com)

Buy links:

Hannah’s Bliss https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q7H5LZQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Hannah%27s+Bliss&qid=1553813861&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr

The Warrior’s Whisper https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Whisper-Windy-City-Nights-ebook/dp/B07H9BVJY3/ref=pd_sim_b2b_1/143-1717913-4733730?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07H9BVJY3&pd_rd_r=abd7c4dd-51ac-11e9-8938-1f91196fa3b4&pd_rd_w=EL91V&pd_rd_wg=BjUOa&pf_rd_p=fe71e35f-78d1-4380-b98e-0549c62f60eb&pf_rd_r=1HCBR895EZBH7KV9D06S&psc=1&refRID=1HCBR895EZBH7KV9D06S

On the Ropes https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BQN46XJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Jacqueline by Jackie Minniti

Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

For me it is important to provide quality books for my students. My students will have a better grip on life during World War II from reading this book. The story brings the reader in and lets them walk in her shoes. Most of our students have never had to go through anything like this and so it is hard to imagine what life would be like or how they would handle the situation. The book is based on a story the author’s father told her. She was actually named after the Jacqueline in her father’s story. The reader is able to see how Jacqueline and her mother survived after losing her father to the war. This is another resource for students to read to help them understand what it was like for non-Jewish people who had friendships with their Jewish neighbors. This was a time that was dangerous for both Jews and non-Jews alike. Because this is historical fiction, students will be enticed to learn more to distinguish what was fact and what was fiction.  Since I teach a unit with readings about the Holocaust, this is a welcome edition. Well done in writing a book that kids can relate to and adults will enjoy reading.

After You’ve Gone by Kay Kendall

Genre: Adult, Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense

Source: I purchased a copy.

This was a fun book to read. We start with a twenty-three-year-old character named Walter MacGregor, Wallie for short. Walter was named after her father who is a judge in Gunmetal, Texas.  Wallie, whose mother is deceased has been raised by her father with the help of her two aunts. Her favorite thing to do is read Sherlock Holmes books. That is as close as she figures she will ever get to an adventure. When her uncle Rory shows up she is very intrigued. He claims his life is in danger and he needs his brother’s help. There is definitely some contention between Rory and his older brother. It is obvious that Rory, a rum-runner is nothing like her father, the well-spoken judge. However, his lifestyle intrigues her, even if she doesn’t agree with it. There are family secrets, and a stranger watching the house. No one will talk to her about her uncle or why he left so suddenly twenty years before. When Rory is found dead, it is ruled an accident by the sheriff. Wallie doesn’t believe this was an accident. Her perceptive Aunt Ida, knowing her niece won’t let this go, proposes a trip so Wallie’s father can grieve, while secretly helping Wallie find the information she wants. But things are worse than Wallie could imagine. She and her aunt find themselves knee-deep in gangsters and women they would not usually associate with. Throw into this mix two young men who are after Wallie’s heart and you have a charming yet mysterious story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I loved this for several reasons. We start off with Wallie writing to her sixteen-year-old granddaughter about Rory. It seems that her granddaughter, Austin Starr is as curious as her grandmother was as a young lady. The time period was one I am not familiar with in books. There seems to have been a lot of research that went into this story to make it accurate. The roaring twenties was a time of prohibition and rum-runners, as well as gangsters. We get an idea through this book what life for a young woman would have been like during that time. Anytime Wallie tries to step out of the acceptable role for women she is treated like she has no brain. She holds out hope for women as they have just won the right to vote. I loved that Wallie assumes she will never marry since she doesn’t want to be reigned in by a man. The story is a remembrance of a time in Wallie’s life that provided the adventure she longed for.

The author does such a wonderful job of putting twists and turns in that I had to sit and read it from cover to cover. I could not go to bed until I had finished it. I truly had no idea who the murderer was or why until near the very end. Well done. I definitely want to read other books in this series as this was a prequel to the Austin Star Mystery series. This is a book for adults, but I would recommend it to young adults because it is a clean read with the occasional swear word.

Kay Kendall is an award-winning author of two historical mysteries. Her second book, RAINY DAY WOMEN (2015), won for best mystery and best book at Killer Nashville in August 2016. It is the second in her Austin Starr mystery series, published by Stairway Press. The first was DESOLATION ROW (2013).

In her previous career, Kay was an award-winning international PR executive, working in the US, Canada, Russia, and Europe. She has graduate degrees in Russian history and was a Woodrow Wilson Scholar at Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 

Kay and her Canadian husband lives in Houston, Texas. They’ve rescued abandoned pet bunnies for twenty years and currently have three rabbits and a bemused spaniel, Wills.

Forged Lines by J.T. Bishop

Genre: Adult, Science Fiction, Thriller, Romance
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own

This is the next fantastic book in the Red-Line: Fletcher Family Saga.  When I started the book, I was a little confused. You have a police officer watching the skies for  UFOs. They make fun of her at the station and call her VT.  Then we switch to a dinner party. It was at this point I started having trouble remembering who is who. I had read and reviewed the last book back in January.  Then we have the event that sets everything into motion. The house where the dinner party is taking place is blown up. From that point on, I was oriented and hooked once again by this author.  The officer known as Vee has been tasked with looking for any other victims or survivors at this house fire. She comes across injured Jasper, who is babbling about his pills and his ship. A part of Vee wants to believe him but knows he has to be delusional. 
You have an alien race that has been fighting a battle within their own ranks. Within their culture, you have the Reds and the Greys. They have blended in and even married into the human race.  This has created some very unique problems. Hiding among them is the "High Child." He needs to go back to Eudora and take his place as leader. There are those who want him stopped and will stop at nothing to make that happen. You need to read this book to see what role Vee will play in this story. That was a great little twist I enjoyed immensely.
The book is jam-packed with action. You aren't sure who they should trust. Every time I thought I had figured out who was good and who was evil, something else was thrown at me, and I realized again, I didn't know. Once I got to the third or fourth chapter, I had to finish the book. My husband kept telling me to sit back in my chair. I get so into a book I scoot to the edge of my chair.  If you have not started or heard of this series, you must. It was wonderful. You won't be disappointed.  

About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, TX, J. T. Bishop began writing in 2012. Inspired by a video that theorized the meaning of the end of the Mayan calendar, J. T. began the Red-Line trilogy. The video surmised that the earth was the central hub of activity for extraterrestrials thousands of years ago. J.T. didn’t know whether that was true or not, but it did spawn an idea. What if those extraterrestrials were still here? Two years and a lot of work later, the first three Red-Line books were complete, but she’s not done. The Red-Line saga develops as she continues to write new books.

J. T. loves stories that explore a character’s unique abilities and origins. It’s the thrill of the unknown that continues to inspire her stories. What if extraterrestrials did walk among us? It’s a theme she finds intriguing and provides a wealth of inspiration for her books.  Drama, angst, passion, and humor all add to the fun. A little bit of romance doesn’t hurt either.

J.T. graduated from Southern Methodist University with a major in Marketing. She’s worked in the corporate world as a project manager as well as a Customer Service Manager. She tried teaching for a while and took a course in teaching children how to write. That course reignited her passion that began in high school when she and her best friend would write stories featuring themselves as the main characters. It was fun to do, but it took years before she got serious. But, when the right idea came along, and inspiration hit, she was ready to run with it.

J. T. enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling whenever she can, and spending time in nature (despite the heat in Texas). Getting up in the morning with a cup of coffee, ready to write is the start of a perfect day. www.jtbishopauthor.com 

Only Charlotte by Rosemary Poole-Carter

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Romance

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This story takes place after the Civil War. Lenore James is a woman who has out-lived three husbands. Financially she is in a great place. She is wll aware of what is going on in society around her. When her brother Gilbert, a doctor loses his wife and child he loses a large part of himslef. Lenore invites him to come live with her and open a practice in New Orleans. Gilbert is willing to take those cases where the main doctor in town feels he won't profit much. This doesn't bother Gilbert since he is more about taking care of the patient and not worrying about the money. 

Gilbert is called to a house to care for a young child who has a terrible cough. He is immediately drawn to the child's mother, Charlotte Eden. Charlotte is married to awealthy architect. Gilbert's sister remembers her when she worked making hats. It is obvious to Lenore that her brother has fallen for Charlotte. The Mystery comes in when Gilbert is asked to remove Charlotte's dead body. I won't say anything more since I don't want to give anything away.

We see a society where those who are in power and have lots of money rule. Women have no rights and if some people had their way there would be slavery again. The author has told a story in the flowery and flowing way it would have been spoken in that time period. For some this may be a hindrance. It took me a couple of chapters before I was comfortable with this aspect. However, it actually put me in the time period. This author has a way of helping the reader visualize everything around them. I love a book that draws me in and carries me around twists and turns to the point I don’t see the ending coming. I love the historical aspect of this book. For me the emotional factor was a plus. I could feel how much Lenore felt she needed to protect her brother’s heart. I could see how Gilbert fell hard for Charlotte from the beginning. I agreed to read this book because there was the mystery aspect and it was historical fiction. I got so much more than I bargained for from reading this book. I highly recommend anything by this author.

About the Author

Rosemary Poole-Carter explores aspects of an uneasy past in her novels Only Charlotte, Women of Magdalene, What Remains, and Juliette Ascending, all set in the post-Civil War South. Her plays include The Familiar, a ghost story, andThe Little Death, a Southern gothic drama. Fascinated by history, mystery, and the performing and visual arts, she is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Mystery Writers of America, and the Dramatists Guild of America. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, she was a long-time resident of Houston, where she practiced her devotion to reading and writing with students of the Lone Star College System. She now lives and writes by the Eno River in Durham, North Carolina

The Field by Tracy Richardson

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, paranormal
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book starts out with Eric and his best friend Will trying out for the soccer team. Eric has an uncanny ability as the goalie of knowing just where the ball is going to go. He doesn’t understand why he gets these feelings, he just accepts them. He and his best friend are both taking an AP science class. This is where he meets Rene, the new student and learns that her father, a French scientist is going to guest teach some classes and offer an internship. After his first guest class he has forms for students to fill out if they want to be considered for lab experiments. Naturally Will and Eric are pulled in to this.  Eric and Will have some issues. Eric must use his new found abilities to help get things back on track with his friends. I was hooked on the premise of this book the minute I first read it. If you are a science nerd and really like science fiction then you will really like this book. However, you don’t have to be a fan of science or paranormal to like this book. Those things just make it really enjoyable. It is a quick easy read because it grabs you, pulls you in and you don’t want to stop reading.  I really enjoyed this one and will definitely be adding it to the science fiction section in my classroom. This is one I will recommend to our school librarian.

About the Author

Tracy wasn’t always a writer, but she was always a reader. Her favorite book growing up was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. In a weird way her life reflects the book through odd synchronicities. She has a degree in Biology like Mrs. Murry and without realizing it she named her children Alex and Katie after Meg’s parents. (Really, it was not intentional, because that would be weird)!

Tracy uses her science background in her writing through her emphasis on environment issues and metaphysics. Growing up, Tracy’s younger brothers called her ‘sarge’ and once when she took a personality test for a job, the evaluator said she could give a Drill Sargent a run for his money. If you need someone to boss you around, Tracy’s your gal! Tracy lives in Indianapolis.

Midheaven by Ken Kuhlken Review and Guest Post

Genre: Christian Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own. 

My Review:

Midheaven was one of those books that I had to keep reading to find out the why. Jodi is a young teen who has a very dysfunctional family. About the time she feels she has everything under control she makes a decision that changes her. Dating the rich and popular kid has its perks and expectations. Unfortunately, his expectations are different than Jodi's. She gave herself physically to this young man only to find betrayal. It doesn't help that as a new Christian her actions become very confusing to her. I could see her spiraling out of control when she made a forbidden connection to one of her teachers. We know from the beginning of the book that Charley, her childhood best friend is who she has loved for a long time. he was much older than her. However, no matter what she does he remains a true friend to her.

I won't say much more about the plot. I do want to respond to some of the other elements in the book. Charley's good friend Geoff is passionate about his new-found faith. He is the one who leads Jodi to become a Christian. A lot of the other characters in the book reacted differently to the Christian faith. Some became holier-than-thou and had no problem judging others. Some stumbled around with no real idea of what it means to be a Christian. They have no real guidance. As I read this, different people in my life popped into my mind. I have seen them all. Most of all it is a book of hope. No matter how much we mess up, God always leads us back.

Guest Post

What I Do After Midnight

Folks dedicated or obsessive enough to read all my dozen or sixteen novels (depending upon whether the latest, five novella-length books packaged together, counts as one book or five), may remember Cynthia Jones. She evolved from a woman I knew who frequently bemoaned the condition of the world by quoting from "The Night They Burned Shanghai".

Last night, my cat woke me yowling in misery. According to our vet, his kidney is failing, and he's also epileptic. And after I petted him for a while and brought him food and water, I lay awake wrestling with the reality of death, which appears to be stalking our dear cat, while that poem's final lines echoed in my mind:

"For some men die by shrapnel,

And some go down in flames,

But most men perish inch by inch

In play at little games."

I suspect the poem, published in 1938, was meant as a call for Americans to respond to the world's horrors. Last night, more than ever, I took that poem's message to heart and lamented that I haven't done more to relieve suffering or to battle the perpetrators and promoters of death and other miseries.

I reproached myself for failing to more actively work for healing and justice. Except for a few spells of volunteer work and some donating, all I have done is raise three good kids and written lots of books and stories that, aside from entertaining, attempt to advocate compassion and condemn the hunger for revenge and the lust for power. Maybe my books should allow me to forgive myself for not doing other, more helpful things like becoming a doctor or an honest politician. Maybe.

So it goes.  

My books are nine Hickey Family crime novels; Midheaven, a Hickey Family companion; Newport Ave, a noir tribute to my cousin Virgie; Cars, a short story collection; Reading Brother Lawrence, a memoir; Writing and the Spirit, reflections on finding and using inspiration; and For America, an epic story of the post WWII years in five small books, coming later this year. To get clued about their release, please subscribe to less is more, a more or less monthly publication.

My stories most always begin with an experience or observation. Here's how Midheaven got conceived:

When I was eighteen, I attended a Billy Graham crusade and came away with a sense that the Christian faith was far different than I had previously thought. So I started reading the Bible and tried attending churches. The Bible reading continued, the churchgoing did not, at the time.

Over the next few years, I started earnestly writing, and in King's Beach, on the shore of Lake Tahoe, I attended a party where, on one side of a large room, a group of kids held a Bible study, while across the room other kids drank, smoked stuff, and laughed a lot. 

A girl stood between those groups, gazing left and right, looking bewildered, before she dashed out of the house. I followed and watched her run down the road and plunge into the lake.

I saw myself in that girl, often torn between what appeared to offer pleasure and what felt good and beautiful but required sacrifice. Together, the girl and I became Jodi, the narrator of Midheaven.

That's a benefit of being a writer: we get to become other people.

About the Author

Some of Ken’s favorites are early mornings, the desert in spring, kind and honest people, baseball and other sports played by those who don’t take themselves too seriously, most kids, and films he and his Zoe can enjoy together.

He reads classic novels, philosophy, theology, and all sorts of mysteries. On his blog, he offers some hard truths and encouragement about living as a writer.

He has long been the author of novels, stories, articles, poems, and essays. Lots of honors have come his way, including a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship; Poets, Essayists and Novelist’s Ernest Hemingway Award; Private Eye Writers of America Best First Novel and Shamus Best Novel; and several San Diego and Los Angeles Book Awards.

Though he advocates beer in a video, he actually prefers Scotch.

He also posts regularly on his own blog, and sort of preaches for Perelandra College.

The Write Honor by Anna Dynowski

Genres:  Adult, Romance

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The first thing I have to say is that I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning. I was pulled in emotionally right from the start. A book that can grab me emotionally and hold me all the way through is a winner in my book.  Krysia Barciniak is hurting. At the age of sixteen she has a child that she gives up for adoption. There isn’t a day that she doesn’t feel that empty hole in her heart. It is one thing to know that God forgives you for something and another to forgive yourself. As a romance writer she has decided to leave the romance to her books. She was betrayed once and wants no part of love.

 Connor Tierney had the best of life. He had a loving wife, a beautiful daughter until he lost his wife in an accident. A year has gone by since his wife’s death. He feel’s his daughter’s pain of loss. He knows that his daughter needs a mother, but he doesn’t want a wife. He decides to compromise. He takes a job in Harmony Village. This is where his daughter Brenna’s biological mother lives. He can’t give Brenna her mother back so maybe he can let her biological mother into her life as a sort of substitute. However, the townspeople and a certain cat named “Cupid Cat” have other ideas.

I loved this. You rode the emotional rollercoaster with the characters, yet felt the strength in their faith that whatever happened in their lives was because God wanted it.  I have to be honest and say I don’t usually read romance. However, there are a few authors who write romance in a manner I love to read.  This author is one of them.