Synopsis

 

Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

Jacqueline “Jax” Simon knows how to expose secrets: she’s a skilled operative with MacBain Security and Solutions. When Jax hears her parents are divorcing, she races to London to find out why. She’s determined to learn the truth, especially when her investigation uncovers why her parents sent her to Richter, the German military school that made her a fighter.

Andrew Craig collects Jax at Heathrow Airport as a favor. He’s heard she’s a handful, but he didn’t know she’s dangerously gorgeous too. His instant attraction could change his life…or end it.

Jax doesn’t want to fall for Andrew, but soon he’s worming his way into her life. Together, they infiltrate Richter to discover if it has returned to its covert purpose: training children to be spies and assassins and blackmailing parents to look the other way. As the attraction between the two intensifies, so do the secrets exploding all around them. How deadly are those secrets—and who will survive?

 

 

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Excerpt

 

She placed a finger to her lips, a silent signal to stay quiet, and nodded toward the bathrooms. Without checking to see if he would follow, she turned away so that all Harry or her dad would see was her back if they looked.

“Good to see you again,” Jax heard him say before she turned to look at him.

“Imagine my surprise to see the cabbie drinking with my family.”

His eyes widened along with his smile. “That was your assumption.”

“That you didn’t correct.”

He rolled his eyes. “Technicality.”

“Who are you?”

He opened his mouth and she stopped him. “I’d avoid any technical lies this time around.” She glanced at her watch. “In about thirty minutes I’ll know just about everything there is to know about you down to your last credit card transaction. Choose your words wisely.”

“My credit card?”

“I’m waiting.”

Andrew shifted from one foot to the other, arms folded over his chest. “Harry, my friend, asked me to pick up his handful baby sister at the airport and then watch over her to make sure she didn’t show up unexpectedly at his flat and stumble on her father before he could talk to her.”

She tried to find a weakness in his story. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh!” He moved aside so someone could walk past to the toilets. “Now, what are you doing here?”

“Confronting my father.”

“In a pub.”

“I went to Harry’s, but you guys were leaving.”

He took her elbow and moved her to the side as more people shoved past them. “Your confrontation will have to wait.”

“Why?”

“Gregory doesn’t know I know what’s going on.”

“What? Why?”

“He thinks I showed up to ask my friend to join me here.”

“Is that all you’re up to?”

Andrew looked at the ceiling. “A harmless beer or two.”

There was more to his story than that. “I’ll be sure and keep up the ruse.” She moved toward the bar.

“You’re staying?”

“I’m going to find out what’s going on with my parents, with or without them telling me.”

He grinned. “Like their credit card transactions?”

“Exactly.” She turned away. “And I’m not a handful.”

Her comment was met with a short laugh. “You passed out.”

“And woke up without pants on.” They made their way to her brother and dad, dodging other patrons en route.

“I thought you’d sleep better. I didn’t do any—”

“I didn’t say you did.” She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “Just don’t expect another peep show.”

 

 

 

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 8 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.

 

 

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Click Here for the Giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slayed by Souvlaki (A Callie’s Kitchen Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Independently published (October 30, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 267 page

 

Synopsis

 

Greek vacations can be murder! Recipes are included in this cozy mystery set in the Greek Islands.

 

Callie Costas can’t believe she is finally traveling to Greece with her significant other, Detective Ian Sands. However, this isn’t your average voyage: Callie’s father has invited a slew of colorful family members to his beautiful childhood village to celebrate his recent marriage. Callie is especially delighted to be reunited with her Greek “Aunt Sweetie” aka Glykeria.

The Costas family’s Greek getaway turns to Greek tragedy when murder turns up on the menu at the seaside restaurant of her father’s friend, Dimitrios. A restaurant employee has been killed and Dimitrios is a prime suspect.

With a hodge-podge group of tourists and villagers to round out the suspect list, can Callie help her father clear his friend’s name, before the killer skewers her?

 

 

Amazon

 

 

About the Author

 

Jenny Kales is the author of The Callie’s Kitchen Mystery Series, featuring Greek-American Calliope Costas, feisty food business owner and amateur sleuth, who lives in a scenic Wisconsin town with colorful characters — and a high murder rate! Each book contains several delicious recipes, both Greek and American. Callie’s latest adventure, SLAYED BY SOUVLAKI is the 5^th Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series and was released in October 2021.

Jenny is an avid reader, cook, and baker and she’s addicted to reading and British TV mysteries. She lives just outside of Chicago with her husband and is the mom of two daughters and one cute but demanding Yorkshire terrier. She’s hard at work on additional writing projects including more Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries and a new series releasing in 2022.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Book Title: Finding My Sunshine (A Memoir)

Author: Shannon Leith McGuire.

​Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 198 pages

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Sunshine Street Press

 

Synopsis

 

“What if that someone was you?” Shannon had been so quick to blame others for her anger. She knew she was drowning in darkness and pain; being born with a learning disability made her feel defeated by life. She tried drinking heavily in order to quiet the demons. After being kicked out of college, Shannon took a leap of faith and started working in a nursing home. That’s when her angels appeared and the miracle began. The insight and wisdom she gained from those elderly new friends led her on an inspiring journey of discovery and self-acceptance. Each of us has our own path. Some of us just need angels to help us find it. This is her story.

 

 

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Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Interview with Shannon

 

Who was your favorite teacher?

 

I have had a lot of favorite teachers.

Most of them I would say were my Special Education teachers. The ones I had in middle/high school.  Ms. Gillen, Ms. Jones, Mr. Stedman. But the one who really helped me was an older retired teacher who lived across the street from us when I was growing up. Her name was Mrs. Ortner. She is the one who suspected I had a learning disability and encouraged my parents to have me tested. She was right. She helped me every day after school, going over the day’s lessons.

I would cry often in class during school, it was a safe place for me to let out my frustrations and no one would judge me, because they knew I was trying. Even if my grades were still straight D’s.

 

What have you done that you never thought you would do?

 

I never thought in a million years I would be a nurse.  I just wanted to be a mom when I was younger. But God had other plans for me.  I never saw myself as smart enough to become one, because I hated everything that dealt with school/studying.  I always had to have tutors, have my tests read out loud, have my books on tape when the chapters assigned were long.  I always had a hard time keeping up with the rest of the class because I was a slow learner.  Then I had a dream, three nights in a row, that I was to become a nurse.

 

Who do you wish you could see again?

 

I wish I could see my residents again, the ones who have passed on.  I wish I could hug them. Thank them for all they have done for me.  I believe the funny thing about death is it is an “invite-only homecoming party to heaven.” I believe friends/family members from long past will be in Heaven welcoming them, I picture them dancing and laughing with God. I just must believe they arrived safely to their next adventure. I hope they are laughing and dancing.

 

What was your first job?

 

My very first job was a lifeguard at the community swimming pool during the summers; I liked doing it. I remember when we took the written exam, I did not have a reader (someone to read the test for me) because I did not want anyone to know I had a learning disability. I failed the written test but passed on the other parts. They had a group meeting and determined I was still safe to lifeguard. I did that every summer until college.  I even saved a little girl from drowning. It was just like what they taught us when we did possible scenarios.  I knew exactly what to do; and everyone came together.

 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

 

I wanted to be a news journalist, just like Dan Rather.  I wanted to know everything about people and tell their stories. Also, because they get to have their hair and makeup done by professionals. I was never good at applying makeup or doing my hair.  But my reading was terribly slow; and because of that, I was told I would never be able to become a news journalist.

 

 

About the Author

 

Shannon was raised in a small town in Eastern Montana, where you leave your car keys in the ignition and your front door unlocked all the time. The kind of place where sunsets and sunrises can be seen for miles on the horizon. Where the spring crickets and frogs resting in the irrigation ditches helped transition the days into a calm resting night. Where the winters can get so cold, air can freeze.

It was only after she was academically suspended by the college she was attending, that she became a Certified Nurses Aide (CNA). She did her training in Billings, Montana and it was there she learned how to take care of others and bonded with the geriatric population.

​For over five years, Shannon worked in the same nursing home where she received her training. The work was hard, but it grounded her and helped her find balance in what had become a deeply unbalanced life. It was not until she was a CNA, at one of the hospitals that she had a dream three nights in a row that she was going to become a nurse.

She currently resides in Tampa, Florida, where you may hear her laughing with her husband of over 10 years, scuba diving in the ocean, taking walks with their rescued pit-bull dog- Darby, or dancing together to life’s music.

 

Website

 

 

Giveaway

 

Signed copy of FINDING MY SUNSHINE (a memoir) by Shannon Leith McGuire (one winner) (USA only) (ends Dec 10)

 

FINDING MY SUNSHINE Book Tour Giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

In her follow-up cookbook to Salad for President, cook, writer, and artist Julia Sherman shows us how to apply an artist’s touch to our own home gatherings.

Artists throw superior parties, and we can learn from their willingness to draw outside the lines, choose character over perfection, and find boundless joy in feeding family and friends. Cook, live, and host like an artist with inspired, easy recipes and playful hands-on experiments in the kitchen.

Sherman shows you how to be the architect of your own uniquely memorable bash, whether that means a special breakfast for two, or a “choose your own adventure” meal that’s flexible enough to feed a crowd. Forget the codified markers of good taste—Arty Parties instead reveals that modern gatherings are less about “getting it right” and more about getting your hands dirty, building community, and taking risks in the kitchen and beyond. Featuring colorful food that is confident in its simplicity, Sherman shares easy-to-follow, healthy recipes that value imaginative flavor combinations over complexity: dishes like an avocado-lemongrass panna cotta, saffron tomato soup, coconut rice cakes with smashed avocado and soy-marinated eggs, and roasted broccolini and blood oranges with a creamy pepita sauce.

This book also invites readers into the idiosyncratic gatherings of internationally acclaimed artists, from a chic office party in a Parisian art book publisher’s atelier to an underground earth oven pizza party on a secluded hillside in Los Angeles. Woven throughout are Sherman’s own homegrown events that are relatable yet wonderfully experimental in tone.

Utterly unique and beautifully designed, Arty Parties is a guide to creating meaningful experiences that nourish both the host and their guests in body, mind, and soul.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Abrams * IndieBound

 

 

Review

 

One of the best parts of being a member of the Abrams Dinner Party is receiving the new books that are coming out; trying all sorts of fantastic recipes; and learning so much more about food, beverages, and entertaining. This book is no different and is filled with colorful photos, menus plans, dinner themes, and delectable recipes.

When I receive books such as this, I like to quickly flip through them just to get a feel for what is included inside. Then I will take it more slowly to digest what the author is trying to impart to the reader. At first glance, this book is colorful and will capture your attention – from brightly colored pages to photos of the dishes.

I loved the introduction because a lot of what she said is so true when it comes to hosting dinner parties. Don’t critique what you make, if it is edible that is all that matters!  Your friends and family are there for the interaction, the food is just a bonus. Live in a small space? That is ok because then everyone is closer together (maybe not ideal every time in this pandemic) and the interaction is more organic. Make extra because who doesn’t love leftovers?

Each chapter is more than just a meal suggestion and recipes, it is also a concept and how to engage those that attend. Stretch your mind and keep your next dinner party low-key and don’t stress over the small stuff. I know that I tend to worry about small things but reading this book reminds me that it is about the people and not how perfect everything looks.

I have made several recipes from this book and everything turned out delicious, even with some modifications. Don’t be afraid to tweak recipes if you don’t have something or can’t find it. The recipe will turn out just fine. For example, I made the Chicken and Jeweled Rice and swapped dried cherries for the golden raisins, black cardamon pods for green, and I didn’t have pomegranate molasses or cinnamon sticks so just left that out. Everything still turned out delicious even with the substitutions. Sometimes recipes call for items that are not easy to find or are expensive, just look at what you do have and play around with your dish.

I also made the Perennial Saffron Tomato Soup. Oh my, this is VERY easy and oh so good especially as we are going into colder weather and makes the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich at lunchtime. The saffron gives that little something extra. I didn’t have Aleppo peppers so left it out but can imagine the pop in flavor if I had them on hand. Oh and of course I added more than 1 clove of garlic, who adds just 1 when cooking? Not me that is for sure.

 

 

I have other recipes earmarked including a parmesan broth. I have always thrown away the rinds from my parmesan but not anymore! I have a bag in the freezer and as soon as I have enough I will be giving this one a whirl.

This book can be the starting point for any dinner party you want to throw and don’t be afraid to put your own twist on the event or the recipe.

 

 

About the Author

 

Julia Sherman is a Los Angeles based artist, writer, cook, and photographer who runs Salad for President, an evolving publishing project that draws a meaningful connection between food, art, and everyday obsessions. Each of Sherman’s blog entries contains a salad recipe made in collaboration with an artist, musician, writer, or creative professional, living their lives artfully.

This online platform serves as a springboard for events, collaborations, and public programming. In the summer of 2014, Salad For President created the first ever MoMA PS1 Salad Garden, reimagining the previously unused rooftop of the museum as a public space for heirloom vegetables, performances, and dinners. The second Salad Garden was installed at the Los Angeles Getty Museum in 2015. Sherman has been the Creative Director at Chopt Creative Salad Company since 2015. Sherman, and her writing, have been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, T Mag, Domino, Art in America, Modern Painter’s, Triple Canopy, Cherry Bombe, The Paris Review, Martha Stewart, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, amongst others.

Sherman’s Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists was published by Abrams Books in the Spring of 2017, and is available for sale. Her second cookbook will be published Fall 2021, and is a treatise on the messy art of entertaining.

Sherman is also the founder and creator of Jus Jus Verjus, a low ABV sparkling wine made in collaboration with natural winemaker Martha Stoumen.

 

Instagram * Twitter

 

 

Synopsis

 

Director Steven Spielberg is more of an auteur than given recognition for. “The Films of Steven Spielberg” examines the maturation of a filmmaker through movies that reflect the director’s own life, fascinations, and obsessions. Spielberg’s upbringing and foray into the 1970s Hollywood business structure show us the origin of themes that are constantly present in Spielberg’s films such as fatherhood, World War II, and his collaboration with composer John Williams. Although mainstream cinema has become dominated by franchises – Spielberg has proven to be routinely ahead of his time in the post-9/11 era.

 

 

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Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

This book may be small but it is filled with information you never knew (or maybe you did) about Steven Spielberg. I will admit that I don’t know much about the man other than he directed many films that I have enjoyed and some that I have not seen but you have heard of like Jaws.

I was impressed with the depth of the research into this man, his life, and the films he produced. It is an entertaining story and I’m sure a lot more could have been written about this legend in the film world.

There are footnotes, but since I read the eBook, I wasn’t able to reference the footnote while reading along. I didn’t mind but sometimes it is interesting to find out the sources of information at that moment.

This is a book I might never have picked up if someone hadn’t shared it with me. I’m glad that they did as I enjoyed learning more about Spielberg and how he ended up with a fascinating career.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Michael Jolls is the author of the books, “The Films of Steven Spielberg” (2018), “Rev. William Netstraeter: A Life in Three Parts” (2019) and “Make Hollywood Great Again” (2020). He also worked as assistant editor on “David Fincher: Interviews” (2014) for the University Press of Mississippi.

Jolls is a producer to over a hundred various films, videos, shorts including “6 Rules” (2011), “Cathedral of the North Shore” (2013), “The Great Chicago Filmmaker” (2015), “#SelfieGuy: A Very Merry Christmas Special” (2015) and “Sell Me This Pen” (2018) and “A Sad State of Affairs” (2020).

 

 

Synopsis

 

In this new book, McKee takes readers on a journey through his childhood, adolescence, and teenage years from the mid-40s to the mid-60s, in the small, then industrially-polluted town of Elmira, Ontario, Canada—one of the centers of production for Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

McKee’s vivid descriptions, dialog, and self-drawn illustrations are a study of how a young boy learned to play and work, fish and hunt, avoid dangers, cope with death, deal with bullies, and to build or restore “escape” vehicles. You may laugh out loud as the author recalls his exploding hormones, attraction to girls, rebellion against authority, and survival of 1960s’ “rock & roll” culture—emerging on the other side as a youth leader.

After leaving Elmira, McKee describes his intensely searching university years, trying to decide which career path to follow. Except for a revealing postscript, the story ends when he accepts a volunteer teaching position on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia.

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Excerpt from Chapter 15, Existential Leaps

 

The pilot shouted over the din of the airplane engine, “It’s time. Get ready!”

I mouthed weakly, “Okay.” He seemed to have a smirk on his face, daring me. I don’t think he could hear me but he could probably read my dry lips.

Then I tilted my head downwards and to the right. Because the door had been removed, I could see the wheel and the small step, the two places where I had to put my feet, as instructed. In addition, at St. Thomas Parachuting Club near London, Ontario, the trainers taught me how to push off into the air, wait for the chute to fully open, steer toward the target, and roll when I hit the ground. That’s what I had practiced on the ground during the previous three Saturdays, and it all seemed kind of theoretical, until now….

 

 

 

I blanked out all other thoughts and swung out, grabbing the wing brace and placing my feet firmly. I glanced past my running shoes to the ground, a half mile (805 meters) below. The wind whipped me as I waited for the command to push off. Time seemed to slow down, almost stop.

Then the pilot, holding my small camera, shouted, “Get set… go!”

For a few seconds, black and white checkered patterns passed before my eyes, no time, no space. Images of me as a child, our house, my family, friends, warm blue water, mountains and sun. I floated in infinity—then snap!—as my parachute opened. Perched like a king on a tall tower, I inspected my realm. I remember feeling quite pleased with myself. My whole body vibrated with excitement. Late October’s brown fields came into focus below. I breathed in cool pure air.

I saw the buildings of the airport and remembered how I should pull the strings of the chute to steer toward the red and white target my instructor had placed in a nearby field. It reminded me I had a date with the Earth. But I found it difficult to concentrate on something so specific. I continued to float a little too freely and the wind took me about 100 yards (30.5 meters) off course, right above the tarmac. In the last 15 seconds, I tried to maneuver toward a grassy area, but suddenly my knees buckled and then, “bump!” I forgot to roll onto one leg and side to absorb the shock. A rude welcome back, landing squarely on my ass. Pain shot up my spine….

 

 

About the Author

 

Neill McKee is a creative nonfiction writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has written and published three books in this genre since 2015. His latest work is Kid on the Go! Memoir of My Childhood and Youth, a humorous and poignant account of his growing up in an industrially-polluted town in Ontario, Canada, and his university years. This memoir is a stand-alone prequel to his first travel memoir Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah (2019) on his first overseas adventures in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo), where he served as a Canadian volunteer teacher and program administrator during 1968-70 and 1973-74. This book won the 2019 New Mexico/Arizona Book Award for Biography–(other than a New Mexico/Arizona subject) and a Bronze Medal in the 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards (Ippy Awards).

In late 2020, McKee also released Guns and Gods in my Genes: A 15,000-mile North American search through four centuries of history, to the Mayflower—an entertaining account of how he searched for his roots in Canada and the US, in which he employs vivid descriptions, dialog, poetic prose, analytical opinion, photos, and illustrations. In this work, McKee slowly uncovers his American grandmother’s lineage—ancestors who were involved in almost every major war on North American soil and others, including a passenger on the Mayflower, as well as heroes, villains, rascals, and ordinary godly folk. Through his search, McKee exposes myths and uncovers facts about the true founding of America.

McKee, who holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Calgary and a Masters in Communication from Florida State University, lived and worked in Asia, Africa, Russia and traveled to over 80 countries on assignments during his 45-year international career. He became an expert in communication and directed/produced a number of award-winning documentary films/videos, and wrote many articles and books in the field. McKee is now busy writing another travel memoir on his career. He does readings/book signings and presentations with or without photos. He prefers lively interactive sessions.

 

Website * Kid on the Go! book page * Author’s digital library

 

LinkedIn * Facebook * Twitter * NBFS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel by award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

 

 

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Praise

 

“Carefully researched, emotionally hewn, and written with a sure hand, The London House is a tantalizing tale of deeply held secrets, heartbreak, redemption, and the enduring way that family can both hurt and heal us. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”— Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost Names

“An expertly researched and marvelously paced treatise on the many variants of courage and loyalty . . . Arresting historical fiction destined to thrill fans of Erica Roebuck and Pam Jenoff.”— Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration and The Mozart Code

“Reay’s fast-paced foray into the past cleverly reveals a family’s secrets and how a pivotal moment shaped future generations. Readers who enjoy engrossing family mystery should take note.”— Publisher’s Weekly  

 

 

Review

 

Family history may not always be what you expected.

Caroline is approached by her college friend, Mat, who believes that her great-aunt was a Nazi collaborator during WWII. He discovered some information while researching another person from that time and stumbled across some potentially damaging information. Determined to get to the truth, Caroline takes off for London to read through letters and diaries left by her grandmother. What they find is something altogether different and sheds new light on what they thought they knew as the truth.

I enjoy stories that go back and forth in time because it gives us a broader picture of what might have happened to cause certain events to occur. While the past is primarily told through letters and diary entries, the words transported me and I could envision the Waite sisters, Caro and Margo (short for Caroline and Margaret), and the situations they found themselves in as young girls, teenagers, and young women. There is also the mystery of who Caroline was and what did she do during WWII? Was she in bed with the Germans or was there something more to the story?

I haven’t read anything else from this author, but I found the story to be well written and the pacing just right. There is family drama when it comes to Caroline’s parents and family and perhaps this truth will set things right. But you’ll have to read the book to find out the ending!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL.

 

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From lauded cheesemonger and creator of the popular blog Cheese Sex Death, a bible for everything you need to know about cheese

For many people, the world of artisan cheese is an intriguing but intimidating place. There are so many strange smells, unusual textures, exotic names, and rules for serving. Where should a neophyte begin?

From evangelist cheesemonger Erika Kubick, this comprehensive book guides readers to become confident connoisseurs and worshippers of Cheesus. A preacher of the curd word, Kubick provides the Ten Commandments of Cheese, which breaks down this complex world into simplified bites. A welcoming sanctuary devoted to making cheese a daily part of life and gatherings, this book explores the many different styles of cheese by type, profiling commonly found and affordable wedges as well as the more rare and refined of rinds. Kubick offers divine recipes that cover everything from everyday crowd pleasers (think mac and cheese and baked brie) to festive feasts fit for holidays and gatherings. This cheese devotee outlines the perfect cheese plate formula and offers inventive yet easy-to-execute beverage pairings, including wine, beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks. These heavenly spreads and recipes wring maximum indulgence out of minimal effort and expense. Filled with seductive photography and audacious prose, Cheese Sex Death is a delightfully approachable guide to artisan cheese that will make just about anyone worship at the altar of Cheesus.

 

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Abrams

 

 

Review

 

The great thing about being a part of Abrams Books Dinner Party Club is being able to see all the new releases. For a foodie, this is heaven! I don’t claim to be a foodie like some, but I do enjoy cookbooks and other books related to food. You can learn so much and this book is the perfect example. I love cheese and I think many do too unless they have a cheese allergy or something like that.  Consider it your Cheese bible for all things cheesy. There is so much going on in this book! An explanation of cheese, how it is made, what to look for, what to avoid, tastes, etc.

I flipped through this book and there are sections that I will go back and read more fully, but I am fascinated to learn what cheese is best used for what type of dish, pairings, how to set up a cheese plate (the right proportions of tastes), some recipes at the end, and so much more. There is even a timeline that reflects how cheese came about through the centuries.

The book is chock full of useful information that I would never have thought to find all in one place. I can’t wait to learn more about proper cheese handling and storage. The book will blow your mind!

Disclaimer – This book contains religious satire.

 

We give this book 5 paws up

 

 

 

About the Author

 

My name is Erika Kubick and I really love cheese. I’m a former cheesemonger, which means I used to work in a shop caring for and selling cheese. I believe cheese is the sexiest, holiest food in the world and that we should all pleasure ourselves with it every day. I created Cheese Sex Death to inspire people to indulge their funky fromage fantasies: it’s your guide to buying, plating, pairing, cooking with, and tasting cheese.

Even though the world of artisan cheese seems intimidating, all you really need to know is that you like eating it. I’ll help you learn the rest.

 

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Synopsis

 

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission?

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

 

 

The book releases on December 7, 2021, pre-order it today

 

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Read an excerpt of the book here

 

 

Review

 

This is an engaging mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I love to try and solve the crimes but will admit that I didn’t even come close to guessing who was behind the desire to unearth those working for the crown. I had a few suspicions but I wasn’t correct, but that is ok because that is the fun in trying to decipher a mystery!

I’m not sure which character I liked the most, they all had redeeming qualities and added depth to the story. Juliette is a debutante that is pulled into the spy world, but at what potential cost? Is it something she wishes to pursue? She does dive headfirst into learning some of the tricks of the trade from Uncle Bertie since her parents are away. She definitely takes to this world like a duck to water and proves to be adept at cyphering codes, pickpocketing (those piano lessons help with nimble fingers), and with a few lessons, she learned how to transform herself and even protect herself from nefarious criminals. However, her aversion to blood could be her downfall but only time will tell.

Juliette has a best friend, Agatha, but I don’t feel like we got to know her as well as we could have but mostly because she was a cover for Juliette whether she knew it or not. I hope that if this becomes a series that we see their friendship continue and perhaps she becomes involved in some capers, but unwittingly. Of course, Agatha does have a penchant for saying too much and it is her revelations that caused me to look in other directions for the guilty party.

Uncle Bertie is a hoot, he might be my favorite character…but I’m not 100% sure. Detective Daniel Swann is a morally upstanding man and I know he has to wrap his head around the situation when all is revealed. Plus there is a bit of chemistry between Juliette and Daniel even if they haven’t given in to it…yet.

Overall, this was a different twist in the mysteries I normally read but I loved it all the same and look forward to another book in this series and it looks like one will be out next year. yeah!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award-winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.

Vetsch is the author of many novellas and novels, including the popular Serendipity & Secrets Regency series and the new Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

 

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Giveaway

 

Click on the image below to enter the Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perils in Yorkshire (British Book Tour Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Camel Press (October 12, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 294 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Claire Barclays tourists are exploring the cobbled streets of York. Her American ladies from Tucson, the couple from Bristol, and the couple from London appear fascinated by Claire’s explanations of the unique architecture. All except Philip, a younger, single man who disappears—again. Claire spots him entering the chocolate Factory and races down the stairs, suspecting Phillip has headed for the kitchens and trips over the body of a security guard. She doesn’t see any connection between the body and tourists until Mark, her loving partner, and a detective inspector with the Major Crimes Investigation Team tells her Philip is an undercover Scotland Yard detective and on a job. Claire removes the group from the city of York quickly and drives them north to the Yorkshire Moors, a vast land of almost bleak wilderness and the setting of many mystery novels. She stops for a picnic at the famous Ralph’s Cross where moorland, green with springtime heather, stretches for miles. Her bucolic plans are interrupted when her American ladies report the sudden death of Philip in the surrounding bog. Mark tells her Philip was on the trail of a drug distribution team. But will Claire be able to keep these ladies who are intelligent, determined, and expert mystery readers out of a messy situation with a murderer? Claire has high hopes that she will be able to do so without endangering them all.

 

 

Amazon – B&N  – IndieBound – Kobo – Google Play

 

 

Character Guest Post

 

Today we welcome Evelyn Roberts to StoreyBook Reviews and she gives us some insight into herself and her friends. Welcome!

 

Character Evelyn Roberts

 

I am a realtor from Tucson Arizona, not retired yet, although my son who works for me probably wishes I would. I came with my two friends Norma and Geraldine to join Claire Barclay’s Mystery Book Tour of Britain. We chose the Yorkshire area so we could see the moors and the dales. So far, it has been both interesting in terms of tour guiding and fascinating in terms of mystery. We didn’t expect to stumble across a body on our tour. At first, when I saw the body, I thought that it was a staged event but when the emergency vehicles and police came it was all too evident that this was a crime—well, murder, actually. I’d rather read about it than have it quite so close to me. But since it was in our purview, Geraldine, Norma, and I thought we could put our minds to it and see if we could help the police solve the murder. We are intelligent women of great collective experience and vast knowledge of mystery plots, after all.

You wouldn’t think Norma would be much help. She’s been my friend for almost fifty years—all of us are getting on a bit. She’s flaky and appears to be distracted most of the time. She’s is a retired kindergarten teacher but she’s intuitive about people’s feelings—something that goes past me without recognition. I depend on Norma to tell me how others are feeling. She’s also entertaining. Geraldine is a retired high school teacher and there isn’t much she doesn’t know about people. She’s more reliable than Norma. We constantly lose Norma who couldn’t find her way down a city block without help.

All of us like Claire and her detective inspector friend. They’re lovely pair and deserve to have some time alone and away from troubles. They both seem the type that is committed to a higher ideal justice which is very inconvenient for a relaxed life. I haven’t been troubled by that very much, but I find myself being pulled by Geraldine and Norma into trying to help Claire and Mark. I was willing to report what I observed, to talk things over with Geraldine and Norma in order to find out who was behind the murder, and to let Claire and Mark know everything we found out. I didn’t anticipate I’d put myself in danger.

 

I quite like Evelyn and her biting observations. Her friends are intelligent and intrepid and they kept me entertained through the writing of Perils in Yorkshire.

If you would like to know more about this series, go to my website and click on the Join My Newsletter button. I send out information once a month. If everything is working properly, and the gremlins that haunt computers are latent, you should get a free chapter of a book when you join.

 

 

About the Author

 

Emma Dakin lives in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. She has over twenty-five trade published books of mystery and adventure for teens and middle-grade children and non-fiction for teens and adults. Her love of the British countryside and villages and her addiction to cozy mysteries now keep her writing about characters who live and work in those villages. She introduces readers to the problems that disturb that idyllic setting.

 

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Giveaway

 

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