About the Book: 
On Sale: January 13, 2015
Pages: 266
Published by : Alibi

A crime that rocked a city. A case that stunned a nation. Based on the United States’ first recorded murder trial, Eve Karlin’s spellbinding debut novel re-creates early nineteenth-century New York City, where a love affair ends in a brutal murder and a conspiracy involving Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr erupts in shattering violence.

It is high time to tell the truth. Time for justice. . . . How she was murdered and why she haunts me. It is not only Elma’s story, it’s mine.

On the bustling docks of the Hudson River, Catherine Ring waits with her husband and children for the ship carrying her cousin, Elma Sands. Their Greenwich Street boardinghouse becomes a haven for Elma, who has at last escaped the stifling confines of her small hometown and the shameful circumstances of her birth. But in the summer of 1799, Manhattan remains a teeming cesspool of stagnant swamps and polluted rivers. The city is desperate for clean water as fires wreak devastation and the death toll from yellow fever surges.

Political tensions are rising, too. It’s an election year, and Alexander Hamilton is hungry for power. So is his rival, Aaron Burr, who has announced the formation of the Manhattan Water Company. But their private struggle becomes very public when the body of Elma Sands is found at the bottom of a city well built by Burr’s company.

Resolved to see justice done, Catherine becomes both witness and avenger. She soon finds, however, that the shocking truth behind this trial has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.


Review: 
Catherine Ring and her husband Elias move their family to New York City in 1799 to open a store and boarding house. Something is missing from Caty's life though, and she soon asks for her cousin Elma to join her and help with the boarding house.  Caty and Elma grew up together, almost as sisters.  Elma's childhood was not easy as the daughter of an unwed mother and Caty wants to give her a second chance in a new place.  One of the boarders that finds their way to the Ring's boarding house is Levi Weeks, brother to Ezra Weeks.  Ezra Weeks is working on Manhattan's water problem with Aaron Burr who created to Manhattan Water Company.  Levi and Elma begin to spend time together and confide in one another and on the day Elma believes that she is going to be married to Levi, she disappears.  Caty will stop at nothing to find out what happened to her cousin.  As she digs deeper, Caty learns that Elma's disappearance has less to do with her relationship and more to do with politics.

An interesting story of a real trial that took place at the end of the 18th century in New York City.  Using the real transcript from the trial, Eve Karlin re-created the events leading up to and surrounding the death of Guilelma Sands.  The story starts a little slow building the setting and the relationships of everyone involved. However, in the details of everyday life for Caty, Elma and their borders, the scene is set for a buildup of tension.  The story began to move faster after Elma's disappearance and during the start of the trial.  From Caty's point of view, the facts are unraveled as she learns about them. Secrets, lies and dirty politics soon become apparent as Caty relentlessly searches for the truth.  The most intriguing aspect for me was the truth to this story and I love that many of the facts from the trial were present in the book.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author: 
Eve Karlin was born and raised in New York City. She is a graduate of Colgate University, where she studied literature and creative writing with Frederick Busch. Karlin worked in publishing for more than a decade in marketing, at Random House, Newsweek, and, later, as a foreign book scout with clients in the United Kingdom, Italy, Holland, Brazil, and Japan. She has had several short stories published in The East Hampton Star and has been a contributing writer for Patch.com. She lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband and their sixteen-year-old triplets. City of Liars and Thieves is her first book.


Links: 
Amazon.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22747345-city-of-liars-and-thieves?from_search=true

Author's website:  http://www.evekarlin.com

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

About The Book

Title: Shadow on the Highway

Author: Deborah Swift

Genre: Historical Romance

May 1651. 

England has been in the midst of a civil war for nearly ten years. 

The country has been torn in two, and the King is getting ready to make his last stand against Cromwell’s New Model Army. 

Abigail Chaplin, a young deaf girl, has lost her father to the parliamentarian cause. 

But with her family now in reduced circumstances, she is forced to work as a servant at a royalist household - the estate of Lady Katherine Fanshawe. 

Abi is soon caught up in a web of sinister secrets which surround the Fanshawe estate. 

The most curious of which is the disappearance of Lady Katherine late at night. 

Why are her husband’s clothes worn and muddy even though he hasn’t been home for weeks? 

How is she stealing out of the house late at night when her room is being guarded? 

And what is her involvement with the robberies being committed by the mysterious Silent Highwayman? 

‘Shadow On The Highway’ is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as ‘The Wicked Lady’. It is the first book in ‘The Highway Trilogy’. 

Review:
Abigail Chaplin was deafened at the age of nine by the measles. Now, at fourteen Abigail must make her own way in the world. She has found a placement at Markyate Manor as maid to the young Lady Katherine Fanshawe.  Abi can read lips and speak clearly enough, but she still feels disadvantaged, especially around the harsh master, Mr. Grice.  Abi and Katherine form a bond.  Katherine has talked Abi into letting her dress up in maid's clothing and accompany Abi to her brother Ralph's Digger meetings.  Katherine and Ralph begin to fall for one another and tension's rise as Mr. Grice leads the Fanshawe household in one direction for the War and Ralph leads the Digger community in the other.  Also, as Mr. Grice begins to sell items off in the Fanshawe household, some of the items begin to reappear after Abi notices that Lady Katherine disappears in the middle of the night. 

Set during the turbulent English Civil War, the legend of the 'Wicked Lady' or the 'Highwaywoman' Katherine Ferrers is brought to light.  I didn't know a lot about this time period and I knew nothing of the legends of the HIghwaywoman.  I was glad to learn that Katherine Fanshawe and Ralph Chaplin were both real people that the legend bloomed from.  Told through the eyes of Ralph's fictional sister, Abigail, a different picture was painted of the young woman who would be later known as the 'Wicked Lady.' Abigail's character was wonderful, given her disability she was still a strong character, although not without faults.  I could feel her pain when she misunderstood directions.  Through Abi, Lady Katherine is not always seen as the best or brightest person, but as their relationship grows, Katherine's true spirit shows. Towards the end, the action picks up and a lot of events happen.  It is very exciting, but I felt like some continuity details were missing in regards to bigger events, such as how the events at Markyate fit in the Civil War? and what ended up happening to the Diggers?  As the first book in the trilogy, these questions might be answered later.  


About the Author: 

Deborah Swift lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District. She teaches classes and courses in writing, and is the author of three other historical novels: ‘The Lady’s Slipper’, ‘The Gilded Lily’ and ‘A Divided Inheritance’. You can find out more about her on her website, www.deborahswift.co.uk. 

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

Links

UK link Amazon

 US link Amazon

Publisher: www.endeavourpress.com 

Author Website: www.deborahswift.com

Read an Excerpt: 
Lady Katherine arrived after I had lit the fire and the rush-lights, and just as I was smoothing out the bed. I was proud of the way I had the jug of hot water already standing by.

‘Unlace me.’ She stood in front of me and turned, obviously expecting me to undress her, but my mouth was dry at such a prospect. I did not dare to touch her with my rough, chapped hands. Her hair fell in soft coppery tendrils over the eyelets of her bodice.

I unlaced her as she fidgeted. I helped her out of the bodice and the skirt, noticing how she shivered with the cold. She pointed at the basin and I fetched it over with the linen cloth, but I stood there, not knowing how to wash her. Which parts should I wash?

She turned and snatched the cloth from my hand. ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake.’ She rubbed vigorously at her neck and her face, then her arms. As she scrubbed, the back of her chemise gaped open and I saw faint criss-crosses of white scars. That was shocking enough, but down below there was a big purpleish bruise across her back. I gasped. I had done that. To Lady Katherine Fanshawe. I was horrified.

She swung round. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Nothing m’lady.’

 

About the Book: 
Bestselling and award-winning author Allen Paul has created an endearing character in Honey, a swamp dog who gets rescued at the moment she's about to get shot. Taken to live at Banbury Cross Farm with other rescued Dixie Dingos, her quick cuts and darting turns soon draw notice; she's then trained for agility championships, the most popular of all canine sports. From the start, Honey forms a deep bond with Miss Jane, who saved her in the nick of time. Her trainer is Ace, a worldly wise black man who manages the farm's kennel. Honey forms another deep bond with Miss Jane's partner, Mr. Billy, a skilled horseman who delights Honey by quoting famous rhymes. 

The story is told by Honey in a charming southern voice. She's just turned one (equal to a 10-year-old girl or boy) when the story begins. At its center is a haunting mystery: Why are swamp critters turning up dead with a wild look in the eye? Many believe a big coyote named Geronimo scares them to death. When two dead dingo pups are found, Honey becomes convinced that her pack, which is still in the swamp, could be next. Somehow she has to get them out. The plot thickens when several small pets get killed in the nearby town. Rewards are posted and a group led by the trapper Topper Guy, who nearly shot Honey, head for the swamp. Twelve innocent dingos mistaken for coyotes get shot. Miss Jane confronts Topper Guy and demands that the killings stop. The upshot is a high stakes bet: Topper Guy wagers his guns against Miss Jane's favorite horse that Honey won't win at the Sportsman's Championship. How Honey fares in that contest, and how the mystery killer gets caught, make for a thrilling read that kids at heart of all ages will love. 

In the end, Honey learns an unforgettable lesson that her pack, which now includes humans, comes first. Based on a true story, this book will appeal to middle grade readers and adults. On July 17, 2013 a front-page article in the New York Times cited new genetic evidence suggesting that the Dixie Dingo (registered as the Carolina Dog) is the oldest breed in North America, predating European settlement by many centuries. They were Native American camp dogs but are not related to the Australian dingos. Many Dixie Dingos still live in southern swamps. With their antenna-like ears and muscular build, their look is quite distinctive. Dixie Dingos are excellent pets who form deep bonds with humans.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Review:

Honey is a one year old, feral Dixie Dingo dog living in the southern swamps with her pack.  Honey spends her time playing with her family and finding food, she has to watch out for the gators and other swamp dangers.  While chasing a skunk, Honey slips up and gets her foot caught in a trap.  When the trappers find her, they mistake her for a coyote and want to shoot Honey for her hide.  Just when she is about to be shot, Miss Jane shows up.  Miss Jane is a dog rescuer, breeder and advocate for the Dixie Dingos.  Honey is taken in my Miss Jane and treated like a queen at Banbury Cross Farm. Honey also begins training in agility with Ace, and she learns that she is really good at it!  Miss Jane and Honey learn of strange things going on in the swamp, animals are being poisoned.  Honey wants to stop the animals from being poisoned and hopefully save her own family.

A fun book for middle grade readers.  Narrated by Honey herself, the story is sweet, charming and unique.  As a one year old dog, Honey is given the personality of about a 10 year old human and is anthropomorphasized to make decisions and view the world as a child would at that age. Through Honey's eyes I learned about the  environment of the southern swamps including some different creatures that lived there, how they lived and the different plants.  I also learned about the origins of the Dixie Dingo itself; as a dog lover, this was great information to know.  Also incorporated into Honey's past is good information about U.S. history, the treatment of Native Americans and the Trail of Tears.  The danger in the book comes in the form of two trappers who were treating animals poorly.  I was glad to see that Honey was able to help solve the problem along with her human companions using the skills that she had.  

A great read for any dog lover!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author: 
Allen began his career as a reporter with the Associated Press in Raleigh, NC. Later, he wrote speeches in Washington for a congressional committee chairman, a member of the president’s cabinet and the chairman of one presidential campaign. He was in Poland gathering material for his first book when the Berlin Wall fell. That book – Katyn: Stalin’s Massacre and the Triumph of Truth – became a bestseller in Eastern Europe. It earned warm praised from the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Review of Books and many other media outlets.

He was a Fulbright Fellow in Poland in 2010-11 and collected material there for a novel based on a daring mission of the Polish underground at the end of World War Two. It will be published in 2015. 

His first book for younger readers (middle grade) was inspired by his own dog, Honey, whose breed – the Dixie Dingo – is probably the oldest in North America.

Allen holds a B.A. degree in English with a minor in History from Guilford College, and a Masters of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University. He and his wife, Betsy, live in Raleigh and have two grown children.

WEBSITE: http://www.allenpaulbooks.com/honey/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8285333.Allen_Paul
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/honeythedixiedingodog

A Guest Post: 

Recommended YA Reads

By Georgia Clark

 

Having to select your favorite books is like having to select your favourite cake: impossible! They’re all so good! But I bit the bullet and tried to whittle them down. Best enjoyed over a slice of salted caramel something…

 

For when you’re feeling… brave

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

 

Vicious and beautiful, thrilling and quiet, The Scorpio Races is my favourite of the faves. On the windswept island of Thisby, locals risk their lives riding the capaill uisce (CAP-ul ISH-kuh); flesh-eating water horses borne from mythology and spun into snorting, stomping real life. Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick both have pressing reasons to win the annual race: the stakes are as high as the race is dangerous, satisfyingly claiming victims in the lead-up to race day. While life-threatening games are not a new idea (retold once again in Lauren Oliver’s Panic), everything else about this novel feels unique and extraordinary, thanks to Maggie’s master plotting and lovely lyrical style. I could feel the horses breathing on my neck, I was riding bareback with Sean, I loved Thisby as much as Puck did, even while I felt its limitations. Oh, and the ending is PERFECT. You better believe I was weeping; not just tearing up: bawling. Great stuff. And best of all, they’re making it into a MOVIE!!

 

 

For when you’re feeling…. arty

Notes from the Teenage Underground, by Simmone Howell

 

‘Me, Lo and Mira were like the good things that come in threes: wishes, kings, backup singers.’ Great coming-of-age contemporary by a fellow Aussie. Narrator Gem (named after Germaine Greer) and her best friends Lo and Mira decide to spend their summer making an underground film. Over the course of learning about Andy Warhol and weird underground happenings, they also learn about (shock!) themselves. What kicks this up the coming-of-age totem pole is Simone’s writing style and Gem’s world. This is sharp, alternative, clever YA that feels real and cool. I can relate to this so much more than tales of pretty blondes with bubblegum walks – excuse me while I break into the Australian anthem…

 

 

For when you’re feeling… old school

The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper

 

This series fanned the flame of my love for fantasy and adventure. I still remember inhaling these books when I was 12, 13, 14… I grew up without the internet or TV, so books were my everything. When I finished the fifth book in the series, I immediately started re-reading it again. Set in Cornwall, England, in the 1950s (when it was first published) this is a story about a group of plucky young kids, Barney, Simon, and Jane, who embark an ancient quest in an underworld that exists alongside out own. It’s ambitious, exciting, and original, I was riveted the entire time. Think Narnia meets Harry Potter. Yes, that good.

 

 

 

For when you’re feeling… imaginative

Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, by Laini Taylor

 

When it comes to contemporary fantasy adventure, I’m Team Laini. While I’ll always root for Katniss, I prefer my heroines with some spunk, so naturally, I fell in love with the artistic blue-haired Karou (I also went through a blue-haired phase BTW, but unfortunately it was not wish-induced). From the opening lines, you know you’re in for a treat: Laini wields a pen much like Akiva wields his sword. “The falling snow and the early hour conspired to paint Prague ghostly, like a tintype photograph, all silver and haze.” That’s right: this book whisks you away to Prague with the breathless excitement of whirlwind romance. Angels and demons, mysterious portals and high stakes battles, this is more literary than City of Bones, more exotic than Fallen. Fantastic world-building, great details, sprawling, epic and all round lustrous. HASHTAG SIGH!!

 

 

For when you’re feeling… queer

Boy Meets Boy David Leviathan 

 

Hard to pick a fave David Leviathan tome, but I’ll go with Boy Meets Boy. Why? I believe in the power of utopias to change realities. In Boy Meets Boy cheerleaders ride Harleys and the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback). It’s a big ol’ gay paradise, and while the world isn’t like that right now; it could be. These books are like handbooks of how to react and embrace difference. As a queer girl myself I want more well-written gay love stories that don’t end in tragedy. More gay rom-coms! More David Leviathan!

 

 

Honorable Mentions (We’ve All Already Read)

 

The Hunger Games, by Susan Cooper: My handbook for dystopic action-adventure. Sometimes I’d read a small section before working on the action sequences in Parched to remind myself how the master does it.

 

Eleanor & Park/Fan Girl, by Rainbow Rowell: Lovely, closely observed realism that does for quiet girls what Pippi Longstocking did for redheads.

 

Shiver series, by Maggie Stiefvater: I know I’ve already raved about Maggie, but I can’t help it: I’m in love with a werewolf and I’m not afraid to say it! Soooo romantic and lovely, and so refreshing to have a real love story between two people who admire and respect each other. Sam and Grace are so well-drawn I feel like I know them.

 

And Matched and Delirium and Seven Reasons Why and Cinder, and, and, and….

 

About the Book: 
In this enchanting and darkly imaginative debut novel full of myth, magic, romance, and mystery, a Princeton freshman is drawn into a love triangle with two enigmatic brothers, and discovers terrifying secrets about her family and herself—a bewitching blend of Twilight, The Secret History, Jane Eyre, and A Discovery of Witches.

Arriving at Princeton for her freshman year, Thea Slavin finds herself alone, a stranger in a strange land. Away from her family and her Eastern European homeland for the first time, she struggles to adapt to unfamiliar American ways and the challenges of college life—including an enigmatic young man whose brooding good looks and murky past intrigue her. Falling into a romantic entanglement with Rhys and his equally handsome and mysterious brother, Jake, soon draws Thea into a sensual mythic underworld as irresistible as it is dangerous.

In this shadow world that seems to mimic Greek mythology and the Bulgarian legends of the Samodivi or “wildalones”—forest witches who beguile and entrap men—she will discover a shocking secret that threatens everything she holds dear. And when the terrifying truth about her own family is revealed, it will transform her forever . . . if she falls under its spell.

Mesmerizing and addictive, The Wildalone is a thrilling blend of the modern and the fantastic. Krassi Zourkova creates an atmospheric world filled with rich characters as fascinating and compelling as those of Diana Gabaldon, Deborah Harkness, and Stephenie Meyer.



Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble



Review:
Theodora Slavin grows up in Bulgaria under the watchful eye of her parents.  At an early age she finds a piano locked away in her house, drawn to it's mystery and beauty Thea seems to already know how to play.  Thea is allowed to continue to play, under certain conditions.  Before leaving for college, a music scholarship to Princeton in the United States, Thea learns of several family secrets- a missing child and a link to the Bulgarian myth of the samodivi.  These stories will affect Thea as she enters schools and tries to solve the mysteries on her own, but two alluring brothers, Rhys and Jake ensnare Thea into their own world.

Intriguing and addicting, I felt like I raced through Wildalone.  The seamless blending of mythologies into everyday life brought out a magical quality.  I just had to know what happened to Elza, the missing girl, and what the connection was to the samodivi.  I enjoyed learning about this Bulgarian folktale as well as the other mythologies that blended into it, such as Orpheus and Eurydice.  Through beautiful prose, the writing brought out an ominous but beautiful setting, the Princeton campus, large empty houses and even Carnegie Hall. Everywhere Thea goes doesn't seem quite safe, but may hold the key to solving the mystery of Elza.  Of course, the brothers presented a problem.  Creepy and controlling, Rhys is the one Elza falls for, while Jake, kindhearted and mysterious is pushed to the background.  As much as I hate love triangles, the brother's world still drew me in and created a way for Thea to find out more about the mysteries she is trying to solve.

About the Author:
Krassi Zourkova grew up in Bulgaria and came to the United States to study art history at Princeton. After college, she graduated from Harvard Law School, and she has practiced finance law in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where she currently lives. Her poems have appeared in various literary journals. Wildalone is her first novel.

Follow Krassi on Twitter, @zourkova.

About the Book: 
Raven 
Pauline Creeden 
(Chronicles of Steele #1) 
Publication date: October 2014 28th
Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk, Young Adult

Goodreads B&N Amazon

This is the complete Steampunk Fantasy novel – all four parts of the serial in one volume! Also includes bonus features not found in the episodes ~

Human life has value.
The poor living in the gutter are as valuable as the rich living in a manor.
The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint.
Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.

Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in.

Review: 


Raven is trained as a reaper; one who assassinates people, but must save a life for every one taken. She lives in a world with steam-powered horses and other devices. Raven is on her way into town to fulfill her debt and ask the man she loves to marry her. When out-of-control steam horses fly by her carrying a young boy, Raven springs to action saving his life. The young boy ends up being a baron, Darius, but one that is cursed. Now Raven will have to protect the Darius and find a way to lift the curse with the help of the Woods Witch. 

Chronicles of Steele: Raven is exciting and fast-paced, filled with suspense and danger. Raven's character is awesome, her training as a reaper makes her fierce and independent. I loved that a lot of her skill is showcased as she is running from the Guard and protecting Darius. It was sweet to see the relationship between Raven and Darius grow and to see Raven's softer side. I am also intrigued by Darius' condition. It will be interesting to see if it is a gift or a curse. Suspense builds as Raven is just always one step ahead of the Guard. I liked learning more about Raven's back story and her skills. Another mystery is introduced with the appearance of life-like automatons in the southern part of the country and danger as everyone discovers just how the Wood's Witch plans to eradicate the curse from Darius. The ending had the perfect touch of romance, but still leaves some questions to be answered; hopefully with Chronicles of Steele: Darius!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author: 
In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie’s Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Reader’s Choice Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel.


WEBSITE                        GOODREADS                          FACEBOOK                             TWITTER

Buy the Book: 

Amazon: 
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About the Book: 
Publication Date: December 16, 2014
Lake Union Publishing
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 366
Genre: Historical Fiction

Sofia is trained in secret as a painter in her father’s workshop during a time when women did not paint openly. She loves her work, but her restless spirit leads her to betray her extraordinary gifts to marry a man who comes to despise her for not producing a son.

After Sofia’s father is crushed by his own fresco during an attack motivated by a vendetta, Sofia realizes she must escape her loveless marriage. She flees to Siena, where, disguised as a boy, she paints again. When her work attracts the notice of a nobleman who discovers the woman under the dirty smock, Sofia is faced with a choice that nearly destroys her.

Meticulously researched settings and compelling characters are united with a strong heroine in this rich portrait of medieval Italy.




Review: 
Sofia grew up learning and mastering her father's trade, painting.  As the daughter of Antonio Barducci in 14th century Tuscany, Sofia now paints panels in secret for her father's business.  Sofia has fallen into a loveless marriage at a young age to Giorgio, a man who has become upset that Sofia has not produced any sons for him.  As Sofia's father dies in a tragic uprising, he tells her to take her latest panel and seek out  Maestro Manzini in Siena.  Sofia takes the chance to flee her unfulfilling life and husband, she ends up in Siena disguised as a boy, but having the chance to do the one thing she loves.

The Towers of Tuscany is a rollercoaster of a historical fiction novel that quite literally paints an image of medieval Tuscany through the eyes of a young woman.  The painting process and subject matter was rich in detail and well researched.  Some of my favorite scenes from the book were when Sofia was reminiscing about the past as her father was giving her lessons in painting.  Sofia is an interesting heroine.  She makes many brave decisions, continuing to paint under her husbands nose, fleeing to Siena, dressing as a boy, and then revealing herself.  While her journey is fascinating, a lot of the writing is Sofia's inner monologue where we learn that while her choices are daring, her reasoning seems very selfish or arrogant at times.  Luckily, Sofia grows throughout the story and when the plague enters the scene, Sofia will make have to make life or death decisions.  Overall, a lavishly done historical fiction novel about a female medieval painter who had to make very difficult decisions throughout her life. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author:
Carol M. Cram is the author of The Towers of Tuscany, an historical novel about a woman painter in fourteenth century Italy. In addition to writing fiction, Carol has enjoyed a great career as an educator, teaching at Capilano University in North Vancouver for over twenty years and authoring forty-plus bestselling textbooks on business communications and software applications for Cengage Learning. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carol is currently focusing as much of her attention as she can spare between walks in the woods on writing historical novels with an arts twist. She and her husband, painter Gregg Simpson, share a life on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada. Visit her at www.carolcram.com.


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About the Book: 
Title: Evil Imminent

Author: Maryann Weston

Genre: Horror / Paranormal Short Story Collection

A horror/paranormal anthology that lures, grips and exhilarates, leaving the reader demanding more.

‘Normal’ will never be the same after reading Evil Imminent.

In Maryann Weston’s exciting new anthology, mundane becomes extraordinary.

·         Nate is unable to cast off his past;

 
·         Gabby is devastated by grief;

 
·         Sal will do whatever it takes;


·         Sybilla’s arrogance leads her to a deadly risk;

 
·         Dutton’s yearnings become an obsession;

 
·         Bella is consumed by her disrespect for culture;

 
         Michael searches for redemption.

Unresolved dysfunction can have terrifying consequences.

“She fled back through the house and out the front door into the comfort of the suburban street. She gulped in the cool air and focused on one thought. Something had gone wrong. It had gone horribly wrong.”


Review: 
In this horror/paranormal anthology of seven short stories Maryann Weston plays on childhood fears-the dark mists, big empty houses, loneliness, space, ghosts, and the deep ocean.  The stories are set in Australia and Great Britain, so some of the language tripped me up, but some of the landscapes offered settings that offered up settings that provoked the possibilities of trepidation.

My favorite story was the very first, Monsters in the Mist.  Nate has just gotten his life under control; found a home away from his overbearing mother and advanced in his career.  When Nate's work project hits a gruesome bump in the road, horror, parts of Nate's past come back to haunt him. For a short story, the suspense was high and there was a good mystery, 

I also love a good haunted house story.  In The Bonding Sally moves into her dream home, a large, older home in Highbrow.  Only, she doesn't know the full extent of it's past.  When Sally moves in, she quickly finds out and becomes an important part of the house itself.

Another good haunting is in Trinity of Terror. Sybillia, an amateur ghost hunter takes on more than she can handle when she decides to investigate the Mason House herself.  She tries to seek help with the rest of her paranormal investigative crew, but it is far too late.  

The closing story, From the Book of Redemption, places Mermaids in a sinister light while exploring their origins and inter-species battles.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 
 

About the Author: 
Maryann Weston is a professional writer and communicator, working in private enterprise and for government. She lives in the rural town of Goulburn, Australia.

She has been writing all her life across many mediums and for many purposes.

Maryann has written for newspapers including feature, news and legal stories, and for government, niche magazines, websites and social media campaigns. She has developed, led and implemented countless public relations strategies for corporate and government clients, including for major national events.

She has successfully edited newspapers and magazines and online publications.

 

For the past 25 years Maryann has put words together in various ways, for a diverse audience and a variety of reasons, through her professional work and as an author. She has published three books, Belonging Places, Shadowscape and Dawn of the Shadowcasters. Evil Imminent is her first collection of horror and paranormal short stories.

 

Maryann has also just finished her first horror novel, Blood Visions.

You can follow her blog at https://extrasensitiveperson.wordpress.com/

on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/shadowscape.stevievegas

and on Twitter @MaryannWeston. Visit her website at

http://westonfamily1.wix.com/maryannwestonauthor.

 

You can find her books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Maryann-Weston/e/B00HSH0OXQ

 

Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QRE42J8

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00QRE42J8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Amazon Aust: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00QRE42J8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/l/QkWF

Read an Excerpt: 
TRINITY OF TERROR

The cold breath of death was close to her; almost on top of her but still she moved forward. She had nearly reached the dining room. If she could just get in there, she would be able to tune into Anna Mason’s spirit which had fought so bravely all these years to contain the evil that was in her brother’s psyche. Anna was only twelve when her brother Marcus raped and ritualistically tortured her while their parents were at the theatre. They had come home to find her entrails hanging from the rafters in the dining room and Marcus writing in her blood on the wall: “Azazel”. An hour later, Marcus shot himself. The coward’s way out. His spirit had haunted the house ever since – cowardly and brazen at the same time, and clever. No matter what the psychic investigators tried, they came off second best – an exorcism or even trying to capture a ‘haunting’ on film – but not Syb. She would win this one because she was the best.

She reached out with her shaking hand to open the door, but withdrew it instantly. The handle was red hot and a large welt began to form on her palm. She glanced behind her and could just make out a dark presence closing in on her; tiny glittering eyes that were mocking her, and laughing at her physical weakness. Marcus. She knew if she didn’t strengthen the protective white light she always envisioned around her before ghost hunting, he would invade her body. She cried out her prayers, this time the Hail Mary. It was a potent prayer because its archetypal connotations were that of the mother. Syb thought of her own mother, long since a victim of the brain tumour. Steeling her mind, she wound her scarf around her hand and tried the handle once more; quickly turning it and putting her shoulder into the door. She almost fell into the room and breathed in sharply, shocked. Hanging from the ceiling fan were what looked to be bloody intestines. The blood was pooling on the floor; the colour of her childhood nightmares. She almost threw up, but fought for control. She drew on her arrogance.

“You will not win Marcus. I know you are here. In the name of all that is good in this world and beyond. You will be gone.” She shouted into the thick evil which shrouded the room, emphasising her last words with anger and outrage. For a moment the macabre dining room was silent. The entrails disappeared and Syb no longer felt a knife-like threat from behind. She called softly. “Anna? Anna? Are you there? Please, show yourself. Marcus is gone. In the name of the Holy Trinity, you are safe to enter this room. Show yourself now.”

She felt a gentle movement around her. The energy changed from a violent maelstrom to the softness of a forest breeze. Syb breathed out and relaxed, the tension easing in her shoulders. “Anna?” she asked tentatively.

“I’m here,” came the voice from behind, subdued, uncertain.

 

 

About the Book:
General Fiction / Women's Fiction
Date Published: March 1, 2012

   
 In the summer of 1962, at a high school graduation party, Bessie Day Hardy is victim to a brutal crime. Fifty years later, the consequences of that horrific night will transition into unforeseen events that will shatter her serene and uncomplicated life.









Review:
Bessie Day Hardy is a woman in her 60's living in a small, picturesque town along the Seneca river in central New York. Everything in Bessie's life seems to be going well at this point.  She has friends, she is helpful, she's doing well financially.  However, a tragic event from her past comes back to haunt her when truths are revealed to Bessie about her brutal rape that took place her during high school.  

Well, I do like dual-time stories and Lies a River Deep jumps back and forth between the present and the 1960's as Bessie recounts her high school days leading up to her rape and the consequences afterwords.  I really enjoyed the scenes set in the 1960's better than the present, the cars, the style of dress and the attitudes really brought that time to life.  As I read about Bessie's high school days, when she dated Roland, her rape and even afterwords, it was like a smack in the face to be reminded of the attitudes towards women and their bodies at the time.  The mystery surrounding Bessie's rape also drew me in, what really happened on that night?  What are her friends keeping from her to this day? These secrets created suspense within the second half of the book and brought in a thriller feel.  The writing in the book is very full and rich in simile and metaphor, which is great if you like to know what the river is as cold as and what the air is as cold as, but this writing style got a little bogged down for me.  I also live near where the book takes place, but I'm pretty sure the actual setting is a fictional town, although real town names and landmarks are used throughout the book also.  I don't know why this bothered me, but it did.  Overall, Lies a River Deep is a good story about a women's journey about coming to terms with the past.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author: 
Vera Jane Cook

Pharaoh's Star is Vera Jane Cook's most recent release. The Story of Sassy Sweetwater was Vera Jane’s second southern fiction novel and was a finalist in the ForeWord book of the Year Awards for 2012 and received a five star ForeWord Clarion review, as well as an Eric Hoffer honorable mention award for ebook fiction in 2013. Dancing Backward in Paradise also received a 5 Star Clarion ForeWord review and an Eric Hoffer notable new fiction award in 2006, as well as the Indie Excellence Award in 2006. Also by Vera Jane Cook: Lies a River Deep, Where the Wildflowers Grow, Marybeth, Hollister & Jane and Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem. Her next novel, Pleasant Day will be published in 2015 by Moonshine Cove Press.




Website: http://www.verajanecook.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/verajanecook    

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/verajanecook



Blog: http://www.verajanecook.com/blog



BUY LINKS
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lies-River-Deep-Vera-Jane-ebook/dp/B007G4KHT2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413383989&sr=8-1&keywords=Lies+a+River+Deep

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lies-a-river-deep-vera-jane-cook/1107228163?ean=2940149245758

Read an Excerpt: 
It was a day like any other. Days have a sameness, even new, they offer little beyond weather changes and sudden deaths.

 

“And how are you today?” Bessie asked, showing a smile that age had not yet dulled. She’d always been cute because of it. Sixty years ago, or more, she was the little girl whose cheeks you pinched, and though she was old now, she still wore her hair in curls; silver grey undulations that framed her face and brought out a blithe desire in others to pinch where her dimples dipped, even to kiss her there unabashedly.

 

Grey looked up and nodded. “Same,” he said.

 

The air was damp with April moisture as Bessie Day Hardy wrapped her scarf closer to her neck and shivered. Air that hung heavy like wet clothes caught flapping in the rain made it hard to breathe. The scarf had been a gift in a white torn box, under red Santa Claus wrapping, from the Episcopal Church of Saint John the Apostle Christmas party, just last year. The lime green and

caramel colored wool that she loved to feel against her lips, an anonymous kindness from someone who had written: Bless you and have a very Merry Christmas. Someone, she imagined with fresh white skin, pearl teeth and eyes that sparkled blue in daylight, light as the sea, but darkened with the night, turning cenereal behind the shadows of dusk.

 

“We ever going to see the sun again?” She sighed. A wind kicked around the corner and her body felt the chill, enemy winds that carried the threat of sodden attacks to bones too brittle to fight. Later, she would feel the ache and she would rub her muscles more for the distraction than the release of pain.

 

“If we live long enough,” Grey said.

 

Bessie chuckled. Living long wasn’t the blessing it used to be. Aging was in the way. Couldn’t leave a person alone, had to show up and make her breath short, expose every damn vein in her body and give her the unsightly imprint of impending death. Nobody wants to look at mortality too closely and aging people carry its threat, vulnerably apparent; the weight of its nearness is a

monster in the wings where heaven is a nebulous and cracked mirror; don’t look into it, the young whisper: don’t look yet.

 

But the old were once young. Bessie Day Hardy still carried the traces of adolescent giddiness in the creases of her lips and her middle-aged ardor for Chauncey Hardy still glinted in her eyes at the memory of his smooth hands in hers, and his fine soft hair against her breast. His step was lively. She could hear it, sometimes, when the house was quiet. Chauncey’s step on the stairs, in the kitchen, on the bedroom floor.

 

Damn house was quiet now, even her cat walked too softly to hear.