CONGRATULATIONS

TO THE 2020 LSBBT

BLOGGERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

WINNERS & FINALISTS! 

Because it’s better late than never!

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THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD   MOST ENGAGED AUTHOR   BEST COVER

MOST CREATIVE PREMISE / BEST HOOK  BEST SERIES   BEST NONFICTION 

BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS   BEST ROMANCE

BEST CHRISTIAN / INSPIRATIONAL / SPIRITUAL   BEST HISTORICAL FICTION

BEST MYSTERY / SUSPENSE / THRILLER   BEST HUMOR

BEST PARANORMAL / FANTASY / MAGICAL REALISM

BEST WESTERN   BEST LITERARY FICTION   BEST TEXAS BOOK

THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD

(click covers to visit the Lone Star Lit Tour Page)

These eleven of the sixty-five titles reviewed by Lone Star Lit’s Blogger Team in 2020 were awarded a perfect five stars by every reviewer on tour.

Rio Ruidoso by Preston Lewis, Blue Skies by Anne Bustard, Execution in E by Alexia Gordon, Destiny’s Way by Ben English, Full Circle by Pamela Lombana, Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays, *Nacho’s Nachos by Sandra Nickel, The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox, A Dog’s Day: I Am Jax by Catherine Stier, The Diary of Asser Levy by Daniela Weil, *The Kissing Tree by Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese

* Most tours include five to seven reviews; Nacho’s Nachos had eight and The Kissing Tree had ten.

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MOST ENGAGED AUTHOR

WINNER: Tui Snider

RUNNERS-UP: TIE: Linda Broday & Marlene Bell

HONORABLE MENTION: 

Stephanie Raffelock, DiAnn Mills, Preston Lewis

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BEST COVER

(click covers to visit the Lone Star Lit Tour Page)

WINNERS: TIE:

Thank You, Garden by Liz Scanlon

Yeah, But I Didn’t by Ann Swann

RUNNERS-UP: TIE:

For Spacious Skies by Nancy Churnin

Enemies of Doves by Shanessa Gluhm

HONORABLE MENTION: Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays; The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell

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BEST SERIES

WINNER: The Gethsamane Brown Mysteries series by Alexia Gordon

RUNNER-UP:  A Dog’s Day series by Catherine Stier

HONORABLE MENTION: 

Conquest of the Veil series by Michael Scott Clifton; Sulfer Gap series by Dana Glossbrenner; The Sisters, Texas series by Becki Willis; The Annalisse Series by Marlene M. Bell; American Wonders Collection by Regina Scott; The H.H. Lomax Western series by Preston Lewis; The Talia Inger series by James R. Hannibal

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MOST CREATIVE PREMISE / BEST HOOK

(click covers to visit the Lone Star Lit Tour Page)

WINNER: 6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider

RUNNER-UP: Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays

HONORABLE MENTION: Airborne by DiAnn Mills, Storms of Malhado by Maria Elena Sandovici; The First Emma by Camille DiMaio

Synopsis

From the author of the critically acclaimed Time Box series comes the dramatic conclusion of a story that spans a century.

Two years after stealing portable time machines, the Lanes, a family from the present day, stop running and start living. They settle in the seaside town of Coronado, California, in 1963.

For Jordan, Laura, and Jeremy, the oldest children, the respite is a chance to nurture relationships, start families, and explore the country. It is an opportunity to put down roots.

For Ashley, the youngest, it is a chance to thrive. Now fourteen, she is ready to start high school, make friends, and make up for lost time. She finds popularity and more after a classmate nominates her for freshman homecoming princess.

Robert Devereaux could not care less. The deranged billionaire wants his time machines back and is willing to do anything to get them. He sends a hitman to the past, setting into motion a final confrontation between a hunter and his prey.

In CROWN CITY, the suspenseful finale of the Time Box saga, a defiant family finds romance, friendship, and danger as it navigates the final months of the Kennedy presidency.

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Review

I love reading time travel novels and this author knows how to research his material and provide a twisting tale that will engage and enlighten the reader.

This is the fifth and final book in the Time Box Series featuring the Lane family. This series really should be read in order to understand what happened in the past and how they ended up where they are in each novel.

The Lane family starts in the year 2020 in the first book and goes back in time to escape a maniacal boss and to protect the time travel boxes from being used in a devious way to change history. This band of five encounters many historical events and while the desire to change history is strong, they resist and let history play out the way it happened. Each book goes back and forth in time between the present and the current year the Lane’s are inhabiting. In this last book, they are in 1963 and they are hoping this is the last time they will have to jump in time and hope to make a few minor changes to Robert Deveraux’s life as a young boy that might change who he becomes in the present.

Each book that I have read in this series has been educational, as well as entertaining. I became invested in the Lane family and their desire to outrun Robert and the contract killer that was sent to take them out. What that killer didn’t realize is that he was dealing with people from the past with no fear to protect what is theirs, and in this case, he has faced Jessie in several books and lost every time to her gun skills and the ability to recognize that she is only protecting her family.

I also watched the Lane children grow, mature, and fall in love. It was interesting to see how the people they met in the past adapted to the news that they were from the future. I also enjoyed watching Mary slowly “lose” her children to spouses. It has been an intense few years on the run and watching your children find love and want to establish roots has to be hard because that means she will soon be an “empty nester.” Her last daughter, Ashley, is 14 and is definitely hitting those teenage years and wanting to spread her wings. That gives Mary something to focus on to keep her from doing anything she might regret.

The story wraps up this novel but there are a few questions that weren’t answered for me regarding Robert and if some changes to his past affected him in the future. But of course, if it did, the Lane’s wouldn’t have gone on the run and had the experiences that they did in the past. Or would they have had this adventure?

Either way, this is a fantastic series and I highly recommend this series or any other book from this author especially if you like time travel novels. Oh, and I liked the nod to another series with the location mention! We give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life on his blog.

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Fortune Favors the Duke

by Kristin Vayden

Publication Date: 12/28/2021

Synopsis

For fans of Ella Quinn, Amelia Grey, and Bridgerton comes the first in a new historical romance series with all your favorite tropes:

• Friends to lovers romance
• Forbidden romance
• Reluctant dukes
• Tight-knit family saga

The new Duke has a proper scandal brewing.

Quinton Errington is perfectly happy teaching at Cambridge, with his elder brother carrying the duties of being the Duke of Wesley. But when a trip to celebrate Wesley’s last week of bachelorhood ends in tragedy, Quinton, who becomes the Duke, would give anything to have his brother back.

Wesley’s would-be bride, Catherine Greatheart, is left heartbroken and alone. Her grandmother has fallen ill, and Catherine has nowhere left to turn but to the family, she was so close to being part of. The new Duke is kind, and she could use a friend.

Between learning how to be the head of his family, mourning his brother, and trying not to fall in love with his late brother’s fiancée, Quinton will need some help—and it’s a good thing he’s not alone.

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Review

What a delightful historical romance that brings together aristocracy, love, intrigue, and humor.

Catherine Greatheart was dealt a blow where her fiance was killed in a fire before their wedding. She doesn’t expect to find love again because she was well-matched with Avery, but cupid shot the arrow at her and Quin, Avery’s younger brother and now the Duke of Wesley. Quin enjoyed being the younger brother without the expectations of taking over the family legacy and was quite well suited as a professor in Cambridge. However, tragedy struck and he had to learn to balance what he wanted and what was expected of him. What he never expected (and fought internally) was to fall in love with Catherine. But when he finally admitted it to himself, sparks flew between the two.

There was so much to like about this book – the slow romance between Quin and Catherine; the mystery regarding Lord Bircham; and Catherine’s desire to be independent and treated as more than a fragile woman. Probably the character I liked the most after Quin and Catherine is Joan. She is the younger sister of Quin’s friend Morgan. She may be but 14 but she is shaping up to be an independent woman fighting for their rights. I hope that there will be a book featuring her in the future.

I think one reason I don’t read a lot of regency or historical romance is how women were treated at that time as if they were not intelligent and were to be coddled. I really liked how Catherine stood up for herself and it didn’t offend Quin at all; in fact, I think he liked how she was able to hold her own when it came to business and other business affairs. She also did not let Lord Bircham run over her. He might have been the appointed trustee while her grandmother was incapacitated, but I don’t think he took the time to get to know Catherine and her capabilities. But this is not uncommon for that time. I think by the end of the book he had been set straight!

There was a bit of intrigue surrounding Mrs. Burke, the chaperone for Catherine while her grandmother was ill. It really brought an interesting twist to the story and it wasn’t one that I expected and I think the revelation surprised a lot of people.

The story moves along at a slower pace until about the last 30% and then the twists in the story are interjected. I think that last bit of the story was my favorite part.

I enjoyed this book and we give it 4 paws up.

Excerpt

Catherine could not sleep. In fact, when she closed her eyes, it was as if she became more awake.

She rose from bed and padded over to her chair by the low-­burning fire. There hadn’t been much change to her grandmother’s condition, and if she didn’t improve, the solicitor would likely recommend that Lord Bircham be contacted.

How she hated that he could hold any power over her future! Someone she didn’t know, who hadn’t any understanding of her or her grandmother, was to be given power over an estate he didn’t earn or inherit, all because he was a male relative.

It was bloody well infuriating.

And she wasn’t going to sit back and let it happen.

No.

She’d fought through too much pain, survived too much to allow her future to be dictated to her. This was her family, her estate, her future, and she was going to have a say in it, come what may.
But she needed information.

Who was this Lord Bircham? She had only met him once, and it was so long ago. The fire burned lower in the grate as she watched the embers stir and flare, her thoughts swirling. Who would be the best informant? She could have—­should have—­asked Quin, but he had done so much already. She didn’t want to rely on him, not for this, though she did have the sneaking suspicion he wasn’t asking for permission, simply going and finding information regardless.

If so, all the better. But she wasn’t going to wait for him.

She wished there was some random gossip she could uncover—­it would be the easiest way to find out information—­and as soon as she thought of that, a plan formed in her mind.
Who else knew everything except for the ladies of the ton? If there was a scandal, or rumor of one, they would know.

What she needed was someone she could trust, who wouldn’t turn her situation into new gossip, someone who would just give information, not take it. Lord Penderdale—­Morgan—­had mentioned his younger sister was debuting this season; Joan was her name. Perhaps she would know something? Yet as she considered it, Catherine disregarded the idea.

She needed someone who had listened to the gossip for years, who would know the older scandals, or lack thereof.

Relief flowed through her and she smiled as she thought of a name.

Yes, it was perfect.

And trustworthy.

A sense of peace eased her anxious mind as she started to work out the details. The desk was a short walk from her place near the fire, and with a few steps, she was sitting before a leaf of paper and writing a quick note.

Your Grace,
It would be my sincerest honor to have you over for tea. Would today be acceptable?
Yours,
Catherine Greatheart

Catherine sealed the message and set it just to the side of her desk, awaiting dawn. With a plan formed, she returned to bed, hope filling her heart, and finally fell asleep.

When she awoke, the sunlight was already brightly streaming through her bedroom window. It took only a moment for her to remember her plans from earlier, and with a determination she hadn’t felt in some time, she rose from bed and slipped the letter from her desk. Ringing for her maid, she swept her hair to the side and over her shoulder, pondering the other aspects of her plan that she would need to put into motion today.

As she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she paused. Her grandmother would be proud of her progress, taking control—­and doing it regardless of the fear that could easily consume her.
Fear of the unknown.

She nodded to her reflection, determination patching all the leftover cracks that hadn’t been filled before. The door opened, and Millard entered, offering a quick curtsy.

“Good morning. Please have this dispatched to the Duchess of Wesley’s residence.”

Millard took the note. “Shall I have the messenger wait for a reply?”

Catherine thought for a moment. “No.” She was quite certain the Duchess of Wesley would accept the invitation; Quin had already implied she was planning to visit anyway.

“Right away, my lady.” Millard left to give the message to the servant who would deliver it, leaving Catherine with her thoughts once more.

She looked at the clock on the mantel over the fireplace and noted she had a lot of time before she could expect the duchess.

Perfect.

When Millard returned, Catherine put on a lovely day dress. She was going shopping—­and not just for clothes, but for everything else that could land her the most important piece of her plan.

A husband.

The season would start soon, and she needed the dresses they’d already ordered to be ready, but with a few changes. She wasn’t a debutante anymore. But neither was she a widow. However, there was a thin line between the two that allowed for some freedom in her choices in clothing. She wasn’t going to sit by idly, waiting for someone to win her heart. No. She had done that and lost nearly everything.

The morning light illuminated her desk as she approached, her need to write a list burning inside her. Something to keep her focused. Something to keep her from settling for less. She inked the pen and hovered over the paper.

Husband requirements:

Rich—­no fortune hunters
Not belittling of women in business ventures
Interested in supporting the arts
Established
No gambling history
Kind to his mother/sisters

She studied the list and frowned. That was pretty much every other lady’s list; there wasn’t anything unique about it. She doubted anyone wanted a gambling and abusive man—­but she needed, wanted something more than she could articulate.

Love?

Of course, but she wasn’t going to hold out for it. She’d had it once, or close enough. She wanted…

The word hit her with a solid thump in her chest, setting her heart to pounding. A partnership. Not a legal obligation. Not a man to officiate her life. Someone to walk beside her, to listen to her. Heavens, was that asking too much? To have a husband who could take advice from a woman? She grimaced. It shouldn’t be asking too much, but she wondered if maybe it was still difficult to find in a London ballroom. Perhaps she needed more from the Duchess of Wesley than merely information on her cousin. Maybe she needed information on other things too. Other people.
Could she do it? Take that step? Did she dare ask her almost-­mother-­in-­law about other men? Did she have anyone else to ask? No. She didn’t. So, with a bit of a hysterical chuckle, she realized she was going to do the unthinkable. Ask the woman who was going to be her mother-­in-­law for help on finding a husband.

Good Lord.

She was either making a brilliant plan or a fatal error. And the worst part was that she wouldn’t know till later. She’d need to wrestle with the decision for hours yet, if not days.

But if it worked…

The hope of that echoed through her, filling her and pushing back the fear. The risk was far outweighed by the reward. And right now she needed an ally. She only hoped she’d made the right decision in who.

About the Author

Kristin Vayden has published over a dozen titles with Blue Tulip Publishing, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken’s publishing company. Kristin’s inspiration for writing romance comes from her tall, dark, and handsome husband with killer blue eyes. With five children to chase, she is never at a loss for someone to kiss, something to cook, or some mess to clean but she loves every moment of it! Kristin lives with her family in Washington state.

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Giveaway

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Synopsis

This inspiring and encouraging book from respected consultant Robert L. Dilenschneider provides 25 fascinating and diverse profiles of iconic men and women that show where they were at or near age 25—and how they built their legacies across a range of careers, including the arts, business, science, and government.

With a foreword from U.S. Ambassador Donald Blinken.

Do you think Albert Einstein had his act together by his mid-20s? Think again. Would you assume style icon and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn’s life was always as beautiful as she was? Far from it. At the other end of the spectrum is the revolutionary Steve Jobs, who was at the top of his game by age 25. But Jobs’s beginnings were marked by his adoption, displacement, bullying, and then a rocky personal life. This absorbing book examines the trajectories of 25 iconic figures—from Toni Morrison to Albert Einstein and Golda Meir to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—to reveal where they were in their lives in their mid-twenties and the choices that enabled them to make their historic marks. For those who are coming of age now, and for those who care about them and their futures, these captivating profiles provide inspiration, instruction, and encouragement. The profiles in Path to Greatness will be real-life examples of the fact that the turning points that lead to success and happiness come at different times and as a result of different conditions. Some people create their own turning points, other people build on what happens to them.

Many people who seemed to “have their act together” at age 25, had already weathered difficult beginnings to their lives; their turning points came early. And other people who didn’t even have an act at age 25, went on to make profound contributions to the world; their turning points came with maturity.

This book will remind readers that it is never too late to make an impact.

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Excerpt

SALLY RIDE AND CHRISTA MCAULIFFE (United States)

Two young women sought to make history for the most positive of reasons. One lived doing so. One died.

They each claimed a “first” in the annals of space travel, in the ongoing exploration of the universe beyond the limits of the earth’s atmosphere. Astronaut Sally Ride was the first American woman to fly into space. Teacher Christa McAuliffe was the first “ordinary citizen” to fly into space.

Though their time at NASA overlapped only briefly, they are forever bound together in our imaginations, along with the space shuttle Challenger, the vessel on which they traveled, on separate missions.

Sally Ride went into space twice during her nine-year NASA career: in 1983 (when she was 32 years old and happened to be NASA’s youngest astronaut, another first) and 1984. For each voyage, she was a crew member on the Challenger. As 1986 began, she was training for her third mission, scheduled to take place after Challenger’s then-current mission, Christa McAuliffe’s mission. One of the goals of NASA’s shuttle program was to emulate the near-continuous use of commercial aircraft, which fly, arrive, are serviced, and fly again.

Another one of NASA’s goals was, frankly, good public relations. The agency wanted to increase excitement about, and support for, space flight and the science behind it. Opening up possibilities to a broader audience was a key strategy. That’s why Christa McAuliffe, a teacher, and a civilian, was on the Challenger that day that we all remember, January 28, 1986. All seven crew aboard were killed when the shuttle launched, soared into the sky, and exploded after a seventy-three-second flight. McAuliffe was 38 years old.

The shuttle program was immediately suspended, resuming after two years. Dr. Ride was chosen to serve on the board that investigated the Challenger disaster. (Almost twenty years later, when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into earth’s atmosphere, again killing an entire crew of seven, she was part of that investigation as well.)

Sally Ride the scientist. Christa McAuliffe the teacher. Both these two young thirty-something women had prepared themselves well for their careers—neither of which was to include traveling to what used to be called, quaintly, “outer space.” What brought them to NASA and to the “firsts” that were turning points in their lives?

I can find no evidence that Sally and Christa ever met, even though their time at NASA overlapped. If they did not know each other, though, they must have known of each other. If they ever talked, do you think they focused on the identity of being “first,” which is often more important to onlookers than to the people involved, or to the joy they found in space exploration. Or other, more mundane topics?

Sally Ride was 26 years old in 1977, about to receive her PhD in astrophysics from Stanford University; only her thesis remained to be written. With three other degrees from Stanford (BA in English with a concentration in Shakespeare, BS in physics, MS in physics), she clearly was oriented toward a life in academia. Soon she would be applying for teaching positions.

One morning, drinking coffee and getting ready for the day, she read an article in the daily student newspaper with the headline “NASA to Recruit Women”—and not just women for any old NASA job, but for the first time as pilots and mission specialists—as astronauts. And it was not just women who were being newly recruited, there was a focus on minorities as well. And on scientists. The NASA era of astronauts being exclusively White-men-with-military-flying-experience was ending.

Ride decided—almost instantaneously—to apply. As Lynn Sherr, journalist and friend, subsequently reported: “‘I just had this Wow! feeling,’ Sally later said. ‘I read through the list of requirements for mission specialist and said to myself, I could do that.’”

Dr. Ride would be part of the new NASA era. Out of eight thousand applicants, she was one of thirty-five people to be chosen for the first new class, which included six White women, three Black men, and one Asian-American man. In early 1978, she entered NASA training as a mission specialist. (Sadly, one sister-member of her class of astronauts, Dr. Judith Resnik, was a crewmate on the Challenger with Christa McAuliffe.)

The “space race” was one of the defining elements of the post-WWII Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. With the successful launch of the (unmanned) satellite Sputnik 1 in 1957, the Soviets were ahead in the race, and it was imperative that the United States not only catch up but exceed. Citizens were nervous about Soviets “flying around up there.” National security was at stake. What’s called the “Pearl Harbor effect” came urgently into play, with new funding, new agencies, new coordination among existing agencies, new R&D efforts.

Early in 1958 the United States launched its first satellite, the Explorer, and, later in the year, the NASA organization was formalized. Its official goal was “to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside Earth’s atmosphere, and for other purposes.” “Other purposes” indeed; defense of the country was never far from anyone’s mind.

Within three years, the space race was neck and neck. The Soviets sent the first man into space in April 1961, the Americans in May 1961. The missions met their objectives; cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and astronaut Alan Shepard returned safely to Earth.

In July 1970, the space race ended when American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to step onto the moon; in July 1975, joint American–Soviet/Russian space missions commenced and continue to this day. (The Cold War officially ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved.)

American-manned space travel was centered around the Mercury program (1961–63), Project Gemini (1965–66), and Project Apollo (1968–72), augmented by unmanned satellite exploration. Each successive program built on the previous one in all ways, but a characteristic of each spacecraft was that it was single use, burning up (with the obvious exception of the astronaut’s “pod”) in Earth’s atmosphere as it returned from space. And each astronaut—a man with military experience—reflected NASA’s role in American national security apparatus.

The goal of diversifying the NASA astronaut cadre had been bandied about since the early 1960s, but it was impetus from President Nixon in 1972 that had formalized the effort. PostApollo, the next generation of spacecraft was emerging. The new Space Transport System—a “shuttle fleet for low Earth orbit”—would be made up of reusable vessels capable of frequent and long-lasting flights, whose crews did lots of experiments.

From NAILING IT by Robert L. Dilenschneider, excerpted with permission from Kensington Books. Copyright 2022.

About the Author

Robert L. Dilenschneider is the author of Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together.

He is the founder of The Dilenschneider Group. Headquartered in New York and Chicago, the firm provides strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies and leading families and individuals around the world, with experience in fields ranging from mergers and acquisitions and crisis communications to marketing, government affairs, and international media.

Mr. Dilenschneider has been called the “Dean of American Public Relations Executives” and is widely published, having authored 14 books, including Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World; A Briefing for Leaders; On Power, The Critical 14 Years of Your Professional Life; 50 Plus!—Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life, and Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed.

Website

Synopsis

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

This book releases January 4th, pre-order now!

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Review

What a debut book for this author! I always love a good mystery and this takes it to another level since the protagonist, Molly, is a maid in the hotel where the body is found and appears to have Asperger’s. However, this makes her a very efficient maid because of her attention to detail and following the rules, even though others do not. Molly is the kind of woman you would want as a friend because she is loyal, perhaps to a fault, and looks for the good in everyone.

Molly stumbles across the body of Mr. Black and at first, thinks he is just sleeping until she gets closer and realizes he is dead. The way her mind works, she takes in the scene around here which proves to be an attribute and a detriment especially when the police think Molly is the killer. I have to admit, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that points her way because it is arranged that way by the killer. But Molly doesn’t let that slow her down and with the help of a few new friends, seeks to clear her name and get her job back.

I enjoyed the twists that this book takes the reader and I was quite surprised by a few turns of events. While I suspected some characters of being up to no good, I had no idea the depths of their deception.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and how some proved their merit to be a part of Molly’s world. I loved Mr. Preston and how he did his best to watch out for Molly per her Grandmother’s request. There is more to that story that is revealed and it was a suspicion I had that proved me right.

This book is to be made into a movie and I’ll be curious to see who is cast in these roles. It could be quite an interesting movie.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean.

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Wishing all of my family, friends, and followers a very Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of the year.

From award-winning chef Gabriel Kreuther, the definitive cookbook on rustic French cooking from Alsace

Gabriel Kreuther is the cookbook fans of the James Beard Award-winning chef have long been waiting for. From one of the most respected chefs in the United States, this cookbook showcases the recipes inspired by Kreuther’s French-Swiss-German training and refined global style, one that embraces the spirits of both Alsace, his homeland, and of New York City, his adopted home. Sharing his restaurant creations and interpretations of traditional Alsatian dishes, Kreuther will teach the proper techniques for making every dish, whether simple or complex, a success. Recipes include everything from the chef’s take on classic Alsatian food like the delicious Flammekueche(or Tarte Flambée) and hearty Baeckeoffe (a type of casserole stew) to modern dishes like the flavorful Roasted Button Mushroom Soup served with Toasted Chorizo Raviolis and the decadent Salmon Roe Beggar’s Purse garnished with Gold Leaf.

Featuring personal stories from the chef’s childhood in France and career in New York as well as stunning photography, Gabriel Kreuther is the definitive resource for Alsatian cooking worthy of fine dining.

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Review

I have loved being a part of the Abrams Dinner Party the last few years. I have always loved to cook (and my mom isn’t sure where I got that gene) and receiving all of these wonderful cookbooks has opened up a new world for me. I was especially intrigued by this book because of my French and German background. When I think of German food, I think of heavy meals. French brings up thoughts of rich decadent foods. In this book, I see the best of all worlds and even learned a new recipe or two.

When you open this book, you will find glorious photos of the dishes, countryside, and it might just leave you dreaming about a trip to this beautiful countryside. I love that there are photos of every recipe. Sometimes you will find books that only share some images, but I think it is a benefit to those cooking to see what the dish might should look like when complete. This helps me in case I am way off when cooking. It happens to all of us.

I enjoyed how the chef wove in his personal tale to the book. I’ve noticed that more with cookbooks as of late and I think it adds that personal touch. We all like to see authors as other humans and how we might relate to them.

I have bookmarked many recipes but decided to try one of the cookie recipes for my book club cookie exchange. I decided to try the Cinnamon Stars recipes but used a heart cookie cutter since I didn’t have a star. I was a bit concerned when I first assembled the dough because the only “wet” ingredient was room-temperature butter. After the dough chilled and I tried rolling it out, the dough was too crumbly. However, I added a little bit of water to the dough and it came together nicely. I suspect you might want to add a little water to the dough before chilling, much like you would with a pie crust. But adding it once it has come back to room temperature works too.

If you are looking for a gorgeous cookbook that brings together multiple types of cuisine, definitely take a look at this book. You might find a new favorite recipe or two.

Cinnamon Stars

Ingredients

1 3/4 c All-purpose flour

2/3 c butter at room temperature

1/2 c granulated sugar

3/4 c almond flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Glacage or an icing made from powdered sugar and water (which is what I used)

Combine the flour, butter, sugar, almond flour, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and bring it all together by hand as you would a pastry dough. (hint – wear gloves to make it easier to clean your hands!) Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for at least an hour and as long as a day.

Preheat the over to 350°

Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into stars (or whatever cutter you have). Place them onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheet pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. (I baked for 10 minutes and did rotate the pan)

Let them cool and then, finish with the icing. (I used about 8T of powdered sugar with 1T water and then used a pastry brush to ice the cookies). If you want to add some color, add a drop or two of food coloring to the powdered sugar.

Synopsis

Bree Thompson has suffered a tragic loss, one from which she’s afraid she won’t recover. Bree needs a drastic change; so that every time she turns around it doesn’t remind her of what she once had.

She drives to the east coast, determined to find what she thinks she needs in the sun and the sand.

Bree starts to believe it’s possible; she finds the perfect house on the water, and a construction crew for her fixer-upper. One of them might even be able to mend her broken heart.

But that’s when the trouble starts…

Watching, waiting, someone’s lurking in the shadows to take it all.

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Excerpt

He sat and stared out into the darkness, seething with anger. The moon was barely visible in the window next to him. A glass of whiskey in his hand, and a pistol in his lap. How did this happen? How could he have been denied? The one thing he wanted, the one thing he coveted more than anything, taken from him with the tip of a pen pressed to paper? With the swift movement of a hand, a name was signed and his life was altered, all because of a woman.

He glanced around the room disgusted and saw his pathetic existence contained within it. There were photos, discarded clothes, and empty bottles. The only thing of value to him in the room was his beloved collection of action figures from his favorite sci-fi thriller The Black Shadow.

Reaching for his favorite action figure, Kage Xyon, the main character of the movie, he examined it in the dim light. Kage’s hair was golden and his battle uniform was black with the moon emblem on his broad chest. He was a prince, a warrior, and the chosen one. He had everything and was everything he, himself, wanted to be, and just like Kage, he had it all taken from him by a woman.

Setting Kage back in his place, he decided right there and then he would not stand for it. Justice would be his.

He picked up a photo of her and scrutinized it. She was pretty but he saw past that to what she really was . . . cunning and manipulative. Bree Thompson . . . her name alone made him writhe with anger.

She thought she could get away with what was rightfully his but she was wrong. He felt a dark power well up inside of him. He would watch, he would wait, and when the time was right, he would take her and make her pay.

He propped the photo of her back up on the table, picked up the pistol that lay in his lap, put his finger on the trigger, looked down the barrel, and aimed it straight at her face.

***

She sat wrapped up in a blanket, knees tucked up to her chest. The air was cold. The wind was brisk. The early hour was still dark. Her eyes were heavy, so she let them drift closed. She let herself be lulled by the ocean’s melody. The night sounds of the ocean kept the nightmares at bay. When inside, she woke, drenched in sweat, heart racing, with the clash of metal ringing in her ears and the smell of gasoline and smoke burning in her nostrils.

Here, on top of the lifeguard stand, Bree relaxed and let the waves’ methodical rhythm carry away the devastating images. She half dozed, trying not to completely surrender to sleep, as she knew sunrise was coming soon. Bree tried to stay awake thinking of how wonderful yesterday had turned out.

After her breakdown, she had gathered her things, took out her camera, and wandered down the beach. Noticing a sailboat in the distance she had zoomed in. Its crisp, white sails were brilliantly set off against the bright cerulean of the sky and indigo ocean. Then she readjusted the lens as the water at her feet pulled away, tumbling a cornucopia of pebbles and shells. Her camera clicked off a dozen rounds as the sea foamed and rolled the debris. A few paces further, she caught a hermit crab in her lens as he quickly buried himself into a hole.

Through her camera, Bree had watched a couple of children holding hands charge into the surf only to scamper back giggling and squealing as the freezing water swept in. She captured them with sea spray showering down around them like a thousand diamonds as the setting sun behind them caught every droplet.

The day had been relaxing, and exactly what she needed.

She had her camera with her now in hopes of capturing her first east coast sunrise. She touched it in the darkness, to make sure it was close. Satisfied, she leaned back and tuned into the sigh of the waves, making her mind focus only on that, and nothing else.

About the Author

Melissa Roos was born and raised in Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family. Melissa published her first book, a cozy mystery/romantic suspense in 2020, titled You Can Hide. Her second novel, In the Shadow of the Black Moon, is also in the same genre and was released in September of 2021.

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This cover is original art by Mali Fischer

Synopsis

A missing book is about to write the story of her life — before she even gets one.

Recent high school grad Anya doesn’t just want to write the great American novel — She wants to publish it, too. So she has faked her way into a summer internship at a major New York City publishing house thousands of miles from home in order to pursue her dream career at an accelerated pace. But her shaky, clandestine plan — which includes camping out in the office and surviving on leftovers from the pantry refrigerator — is completely upended when she loses track of a coveted manuscript by one of the biggest authors in the world. Off she has to race into the late night streets of New York City to track down the manuscript — to save her internship and preserve her cover story, not to mention her best-laid career plan — before the sun rises and her boss is back in the office.

Come along on the madcap quest in this standalone YA novella filled with secret door venues, abandoned subway stations, concealed backrooms and crash pads, mysterious missed connections on old school rotary phones, electric alleyway kisses, and revelatory poetry hiding in plain sight.

Amazon

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Review

I didn’t realize this was a novella when I started, but it is not to be overlooked. I enjoyed the storyline of a high school graduate that somehow scores an internship with a publishing house in NYC and what she goes through keeping her true identity a secret. But she does this for good reason, because she is a poet and wants to be published someday, or perhaps even work in a publishing house.

I’m not sure if the expectations are accurate or not for this industry but I found the story amusing and fast-paced.

I am normally not a poetry kind of person, but the poetry within the book was outstanding. It really brought together Anya’s hopes, dreams, and desires.

Oh, and I had figured out where the manuscript was and was surprised no one thought to look there first.

I give this novella 4 paws up.

About the Author

Jeffrey Yamaguchi is the author of 52 Projects, Working for the Man, Anya Chases Down the End, and Body of Water. His stories, poems, and photographs have been published in Okay Donkey, Kissing Dynamite, Back Patio Press, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, Vamp Cat Magazine, Nightingale & Sparrow, and Black Bough Poetry, among other literary journals. His short films include Unsettled, which premiered at Atticus Review, and Body of Water. Jeffrey has held leadership roles at major publishing houses, including Penguin Random House, Harpercollins, and Abrams Books, and has taught publishing courses at NYU and Mediabistro. He is currently working to build a new publishing venture at Blackstone Audio, and serves on the Digital Committee at Poets & Writers.

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Synopsis

When Waties Waring left his wife of 30 years for a “Yankee spitfire” he dropped a turd in the local teacup. Charleston (S.C.) society banished him forever. He, in turn, became the first federal judge in U.S. history to rule that separate but equal is not equal, the hallmark of civil rights in America. Yet his opinion only marked the start of another little war in Charleston, reducing historical impact to an act of revenge. No footnotes survive the judge or his feud with his former society. He is remembered in polite circles there as vindictive and not as a heartfelt liberal.

Robert Wintner’s tale begins at Judge Waties Waring’s funeral, the day Arthur Covingdale, an up-and-coming attorney, must come to terms with his own vengeful role as a stalwart of the Old South. Mr. Covingdale burned a cross at the judge’s house and threw a brick through his window back in ’52. His contrition at the funeral in ’68 marks his first step out from town to the barrier sea islands, as he agrees to drive Jim Cohen home to the marshlands. So begins his journey of redemption.

Or maybe he’s led by the nose, as Jim Cohen, with a fisherman’s patience, dangles his niece, recently single and returned from Guadeloupe, as bait. Jim Cohen and his niece derive from slave stock. The narrator, Covingdale, is a blueblood, landed gentry, hoi paloi. Just as two rivers converge to form Charleston Harbor, so too the bloodlines flow from humble tributaries, from doilies and lace, mudflats and slavery, to their current mix. Within that mix, Arthur Covingdale faces the contradictions in his life and discovers what is of real value.

Review

I rarely rate books this low, but there is something about this book that did not engage me as a reader and I found myself skimming large chunks of the text. I think this could have been an outstanding story based on the premise, but it fell flat for me. I felt like the author was going for literary fiction with his wordy prose but it left me wondering if the book was written for his own enjoyment or for the readers.

This book may appeal to another type of reader, it just didn’t work for me.

I would give it 2 1/2 paws