Synopsis

 

A talented genetic analyst and a detective who’s haunted by an elusive cold case team up in the new standalone romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Forensic genealogist Rowan Healy has made a name for herself by helping investigators trace the family trees of violent criminals who have eluded justice for years. But the pressure of police cases left her burned out, and she’s shifted her focus to helping adoptees find their biological parents.

Austin detective Jack Bruner has spent his career successfully tracking down vicious criminals—with the notable exception of the West Campus Rapist, a meticulous offender in Texas who has never been identified. When the latest two victims come to light, Jack sees his target is escalating his violent behavior—and only with Rowan’s help does he stand a chance of cracking this case.

Moved by Jack’s dedication and the brutal details of the attacks he lays out, Rowan agrees to help. When her ground-breaking DNA research sheds new light on the criminal’s background and helps them zero in on a search radius, Rowan and Jack must race against the clock to find a ruthless killer who’s growing bolder the longer he evades the law.

 

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

A chime emanated from Rowan’s purse. She pulled out her phone and read a text from the Austin lawyer whose client Rowan had been working for all week.

Got your email. Omg TY!!

The words were followed by three halo emojis, and Rowan felt a swell of pride.

Anytime, she texted back. So glad I could help.

This attorney had sent her three referrals over the past six months, and now there would likely be more on the way. Rowan’s anemic bank account was finally getting a boost. It couldn’t come soon enough. Her December credit card bill had just come in, and she hadn’t even wanted to look at it.

“Rowan Healy?”

She jerked her head up as a man stepped over. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark hair. He wore a black leather jacket with droplets of rain clinging to it. Rowan darted a glance at Lila. Her friend didn’t look up, but she lifted an eyebrow in a way that told Rowan she’d sent this guy over here.

“Who’s asking?” Rowan responded, even though she had a sneaking suspicion she knew, based on his deep voice. Not to mention the super-direct look in his brown eyes.

“Jack Bruner, Austin PD.” He smiled slightly. “Mind if I sit?”

She sighed and nodded at the empty seat across from her.

He slid into the booth and rested his elbows on the table. He looked her over, and she managed not to squirm.

“You’re a hard woman to reach.”

Ha. He had no idea how true that was.

“How’d you know to find me here?” she asked.

“Ric Santos told me you hang out here.”

She couldn’t hide her surprise at the mention of Ric. She hadn’t known they were friends. But she probably should have guessed. Law enforcement was a tight-knit group.

She gave him what she hoped was a confident smile. “Look, Detective, I appreciate you coming all the way out here, but I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time.”

“Just listen.”

Two words.

A command, but not. When combined with that slight smile, it was more like a statement. Something she was going to do, even if she didn’t realize it yet.

Rowan felt a surge of annoyance. But again, she gave him a nod.

Sasha appeared at the table and rested her cocktail tray on her hip. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked the detective.

“A Coke, please.”

She nodded. “Rowan?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

She walked off, her cascade of blond hair swinging behind her.

Rowan settled her attention on the detective.

“I’m with APD’s violent crimes unit, as I mentioned on the phone,” he said.

With every call, he’d politely identified himself and given a callback number. Rowan had called the number once and-equally politely-left a message with her response. But he’d stubbornly ignored it.

“I’m working on a case,” he said, “and I could use your help.”

Rowan nodded. “Like I told you before-”

He held up his hand and gave her a sharp look. Listen.

“It’s a serial offender,” he continued. “Eight sexual assaults.” His dark brows furrowed. “This guy’s careful. We’ve only recovered one DNA profile, the second attack in the series.”

“If you’ve only got one profile, how do you know it’s the same guy?”

“Because-”

Sasha was back already with a flirty smile. She placed the detective’s soft drink in front of him, and he nodded his thanks.

“Because we know,” he said after she left.

Rowan looked the man over. He had an athletic build, but not the steroid-infused look she was used to seeing with young cops. Then again, he wasn’t that young. The touch of gray at his temples told her he was maybe ten years older than she was, probably late thirties. Or maybe it was the wise look in his eyes that told her that.

She sipped her drink and waited for more.

“A while ago we had the sample analyzed by a genetic genealogist,” he said. “Spent a lot of money and time on that. They ran into some kind of wall, and the results were inconclusive, they said.”

“What’s ‘a while’?”

“Come again?”

“How long ago did you have it analyzed?”

He hesitated a beat.

“Four years.”

Rowan’s breath caught. In terms of DNA technology, four years was like four decades. A lot had changed in that time-new techniques, new tools, new profiles in the databases.

But she tried to keep her face impassive as she folded her hands in front of her.

“I appreciate your effort to track me down,” she said. It told her a lot about what kind of detective he was-precisely the kind that had prompted her to shift careers. “But unfortunately, I don’t do police work anymore. You could say I’m retired.”

“That’s not what Ric told me.”

She gritted her teeth. Damn it, she’d known doing him a favor would come back to bite her.

“Ric said you’re selective, not retired.” He paused, watching her. “He told me you gave him an assist recently and that your help was invaluable.”

“I know what you’re doing,” Rowan said. She was immune to flattery, even from smooth-talking detectives who liked to play head games. “And I can appreciate the pressure you guys must be under with a serial case. But I’m not in that line of work anymore.”

He leaned forward, and she eased back slightly.

“Let me be straight, Rowan.” His eyes bored into hers. “I need your help right now. Not next month or next year. Not whenever you get bored with what you’re doing and decide to come out of retirement. I don’t care if I sound desperate. I’m on a ticking clock here.”

Her stomach tightened at his words. And his prediction that she would backtrack on her career change irked her.

But he held her gaze across the table, and she felt that inexorable pull that had turned her life upside down too many times to count.

 

Excerpted from The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin Copyright © 2023 by Laura Griffin. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. 
 

 

 

About the Author

 

Laura Griffin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books and novellas. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages. Laura is a two-time RITA® Award winner (for Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Her book Desperate Girls was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by Publishers Weekly. Laura lives in Austin, Texas, where she is working on her next novel.

 

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Synopsis

 

Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead.

When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, friend Vell Jackson, and local news reporter Lia Katsaros take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.

 

 

 

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Review

 

Mess is one big mess, but a lovable one with a huge heart.

This book is a combination of a mystery/suspense novel with heart. Mess runs his family’s motel but tends to rent rooms to those who need a hand up in life. This doesn’t make a few people happy, primarily the manager and his Uncle Phillip. His parents are traveling the world, and we don’t see them, but his Uncle has inserted himself into the motel and Mess’ life. Let’s just say the uncle is a busybody, and while he might have good intentions, he certainly doesn’t know how to insert himself into Mess’ life so that he is appreciated versus scorned.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I liked Mess’ desire to help those who needed help, the characters that were developed and had some depth to them, and the potential for future installments in a series. I think with time, Mess could be a really good social worker, but he needs to work on some of his skills, like creating rapport with teenagers. He forges a relationship with Kevin, but it takes the whole book for it to finally click for these two. Of course, Kevin is your typical teenager (15) and makes some decisions that are not wise for him or those around him.

Mess’ friend Vell and his grandmother, Mama, are adorable. I wanted to join them at Mama’s house for lunch and conversation. She is the one that sends many of those that Mess helps his way. I’m not sure who has the bigger heart! I don’t think Mess could have worked things out in the end without their help. Or help from Lia, a reporter doing a story on the motel. Mess and Lia are attracted to one another, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. There is more to come for these two.

The mystery/suspense portion of the book is very light. I would almost consider this general fiction, but there are some portions of the book that are filled with action and a bit of mystery about where a certain item disappeared.

There are multiple facets to this story, and they all blend well together. I am looking forward to more from this author and this series…or at least hoping there is another story because there are some unanswered questions, at least for me.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Alan Orloff has published ten novels and more than forty short stories. His work has won an Anthony, an Agatha, a Derringer, and two ITW Thriller Awards. He’s also been a finalist for the Shamus Award and has had a story selected for THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology. His novel, SANCTUARY MOTEL, will be released in October from Level Best Books. He’s past president of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. He loves cake and arugula, but not together. Never together.

 

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Spectral Revelations: A Karina Cardinal Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Williamsburg, Virginia
Power to the Pen (October 5, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 285 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Is Karina’s missing aunt on vacation…or on the lam?

Karina is trying to keep her mind on getting a cosponsor for a bill, but it’s tough with her Mom blowing up her phone. By the time Karina finally stops hitting “ignore”, Mom is frantic. It appears Karina’s Aunt Vera has disappeared, fibbed to her employer about the reason for her absence, even abandoned her beloved cat, Nightshade—which is completely out of character. Karina would bet her favorite pair of designer shoes that Vera is in some kind of trouble.

However, when Karina hauls her cookies from D.C. to historic Williamsburg to search Vera’s house, she finds nothing suspicious. Except for a mischievous Civil War ghost who scares the bejesus out of her and keeps trashing Vera’s office. Until Karina realizes his seemingly random ectoplasmic tantrums have a purpose—revealing key evidence.

Something is definitely fishy, but the clues aren’t adding up. And as the spirit’s visitations become more urgent, Karina calls on reinforcements for help—her latest squeeze Rick Donovan and her sister Jillian. Because the cops are following faulty leads, which could put Vera on the wrong end of an arrest warrant … if she’s found alive.

International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book six in the Karina Cardinal mystery series! Fans of Elizabeth Peters and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

 

 

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About the Author

 

Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C., inspired the mystery-action series. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Butler also writes historical spy fiction. Her WWII spy novel, The Brass Compass, recently won a 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award for historical fiction. The second book in the duology, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, is Butler’s latest historical fiction. The novel is inspired by true events and won a Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal for historical fiction. Reviewers are calling it “riveting” and “a thrilling adventure.”

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

They can save their families. But will it cost them their hearts?

Louisa Silverton is the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, brought up to believe a healthy profit is the only route to happiness. With the family company over-leveraged and in need of a capital injection, she travels to England to find a rich husband.

The Honourable Miss Sarah Davenport has no time for romance. The family estate of Kenilborough is mired in debt, and only she can save it. Unconventional and outspoken, Sarah is dismayed that somebody as intelligent and attractive as Louisa is willing to sacrifice herself for financial gain.

As Louisa pursues her campaign, Sarah realises her objections to the project run deeper than mere principles. At the same time, Louisa finds herself captivated by Sarah’s independent spirit. Yet to indulge their unexpected passion would surely mean the ruin of both their families. Bound by duty, will they ever be free to follow their hearts?

 

 

 

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Review

 

This story has a lot going for it: victorian setting, typical male treatment of women, finding a suitable partner to save a family fortune, and so much more. Many of the things that you would expect to find in a story set in this timeframe. You will also discover that there is compassion and acceptance.

I really liked Sarah’s character. She is a no-nonsense woman and, at 16, has the weight of the family estate on her shoulders. Her father is no help, and her step-brother is squandering any income they derive from the estate. He is sleazy and not to be trusted. His mother, Sarah’s stepmother, is not a lot better. She tends to spend money like it is going out of style.

Louisa arrives to find a husband to help bail out her father, but she discovers a friendship and love that transcends family responsibility. I enjoyed the friendships she developed, her smarts in helping Sarah manage her estate, and realizing that life is too short to end up in a dead-end relationship.

While this may be a romance, this didn’t happen until near the end of the book. Yes, we see Sarah’s interest in Louisa about midway through the book, but there is no action on her part to capture Louisa’s heart. I thought this was more of a drama that reflects the times and women’s values, or lack thereof, based on the men’s thought processes of the time. The book does hold true to the time period, which I appreciated.

I did enjoy the book and the HEA ending. We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Marianne Ratcliffe grew up in Lincolnshire. A biochemist by training, she has always found creating new worlds and interesting characters every bit as rewarding as discoveries at a laboratory bench. She has had short stories published in literary magazines and was runner-up in the Guildford Book Festival short story competition in 2010. In 2017, redundancy spurred her to focus on creative writing, the result being The Secret of Matterdale Hall, a sapphic romance/mystery set in the Victorian era. Marianne lives in Cheshire with her wife and two dogs.

 

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Synopsis

 

Ex-hotshot trader Dylan Cash returns to Wall Street, to investigate a possible cyber-crime with financial ties to a huge defense contractor. But what he thought was a simple case of insider trading is soon revealed to be much more dangerous.

When Detective Charles Sleetch investigates the murder of a wealthy Wall Street banker and his girlfriend, it seems like your average, routine robbery homicide. Then a second woman dies and a third goes missing.

Two completely unrelated crimes, or is it all connected? Follow the money – find the murderer.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

“It could not have been easy. I had a daughter of my own…” Sleetch felt a surge of emotion. “Have you heard from your daughter?”

“Kat is fine. She disappears for weeks at a time. Who knows where she goes?”

“I understand, Anna. But how much do you know about your daughter’s place of work: The Body Shop?”

“My daughter works in banking, at an office in Midtown.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“My daughter was studying for her Series 7 license. She told me that the exam was next month.”

“I understand that. But that is not what we’ve learned over the last twenty-four hours. Mrs. Anjelska—”

“Please, call me Anna.”

“Anna, your daughter worked at a place called ‘The Body Shop.’ Are you aware of the type of business that is?”

“I don’t know.”

Sleetch shook his head vigorously back and forth, as he slid a copy of a print ad from the strip club across the table toward her. “It’s a place where women entertain men by dancing for them.”
Anna Anjelska was speechless, and this was what he had been dreading.

“Anna, The Body Shop is a strip club. Exotic dancers.”

“My daughter didn’t work in a strip club. She worked at a bank.”

“A bank?”

“Thatcher Reed.”

Anna got up and retrieved her purse, then returned and sat back down. “Here,” she said as she handed him a card. “Thatcher Reed. My daughter works here.”

Sleetch looked at the card incredulously, wondering if it was real. He recognized the name as the place of employment of Dave Tanjano. For a moment it seemed to be a cheap imitation, the type that could be made from a printing kiosk in a mall somewhere. But on second glance he noticed the watermark. Then, he wasn’t so sure. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” he said.

“My daughter told me she was still in training. And this was why her…why her schedule was flexible. At night she often told me she was out seeing clients.”

“I understand that. But that’s not why I am here. Your daughter is dead.”

The room suddenly turned hotter and hotter. Sleetch jabbed at the tie around his neck and loosened it. He looked into Anna’s eyes and saw the same drunken pain and confusion and haze that he felt each morning. “Anna, is there anyone you know that would want to hurt your daughter?”

“No,” Anna said, as she shook her head violently. “Everybody loved my daughter.”

 

 

About the Author

 

Brooklyn-based author and experienced Wall Street investment banker Carey Keith Green draws on his professional experience in the world of finance, to explore the tenuous threads that connect the world’s richest with the shady behind-the-scenes workings of global geopolitics in his work. Green earned his bachelors from Columbia College and he holds an MBA from Fordham. The Art of Privilege is the second in a series and Green’s third book.

 

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Brush Up On Murder: An Aurora Anderson Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Vista Beach Press (October 10, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 284 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Love is in the air in the quiet Los Angeles County city of Vista Beach, home of computer programmer and decorative-painting enthusiast, Aurora (Rory) Anderson.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, residents are training for the annual Love Run and expressing their undying affection for each other by attaching love locks to the pier railings. But a string of bank robberies is ruining the romantic vibe.

While Rory helps friends prepare for a Valentine’s Day wedding, a body is found and the groom is implicated in the murder. Convinced of his innocence, Rory puts her heart into the investigation. Can she identify the killer before someone else encounters their own brush with death?

 

 

 

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About the Author

 

Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

Dwell Time is a term that measures the amount of time something takes to happen – immigrants waiting at a border, human eyes on a website, the minutes people wait in an airport, and, in art conservation, the time it takes for a chemical to react with a material.

Renowned art conservator Rosa Lowinger spent a difficult childhood in Miami among people whose losses in the Cuban revolution, and earlier by the decimation of family in the Holocaust, clouded all family life. After moving away to escape the “cloying exile’s nostalgia,” Lowinger discovered the unique field of art conservation, which led her to work in Tel Aviv, Philadelphia, Rome, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Charleston, Marfa, South Dakota, and Port-Au-Prince. Eventually returning to Havana for work, Lowinger suddenly finds herself embarking on a remarkable journey of family repair that begins, as it does in conservation, with an understanding of the origins of damage.

Inspired by and structured similarly to Primo Levi’s The Periodic Table, this first memoir by a working art conservator is organized by chapters based on the materials Lowinger handles in her thriving private practice – Marble, Limestone, Bronze, Ceramics, Concrete, Silver, Wood, Mosaic, Paint, Aluminum, Terrazzo, Steel, Glass and Plastics. Lowinger offers insider accounts of conservation that form the backbone of her immigrant family’s story of healing that beautifully juxtaposes repair of the material with repair of the personal. Through Lowinger’s relentless clear-eyed efforts to be the best practitioner possible while squarely facing her fraught personal and work relationships, she comes to terms with her identity as Cuban and Jewish, American and Latinx.

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“A masterful revelation about life and art imitating each other in maintenance and repair.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“DWELL TIME evokes a visceral, vibrant, complex materiality. From her mother’s aging body to the spectacular architecture of Cuba to the history of marble, concrete, and plastic, Lowinger brilliantly unlocks the stories that always reside in the material. DWELL TIME is as intellectually engaging as it is profoundly moving.” —Dana Spiotta, author of Wayward, a New York Times Critics’ Top Book of the Year

“Rosa Lowinger’s DWELL TIME is the story of a family, a mother-daughter relationship, but forged of what seems like new building materials entirely. An artist has many duties, among them to conserve the traditions and innovations of the past but also to “make it new.” This memoir does just that, and delivers on its final promise, that of repair.” —Gary Shteyngart, the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Little Failure and novels that include Super Sad True Love Story, Absurdistan, and Our Country Friends

“DWELL TIME is a multi-generational family memoir that reads like a panoramic, deeply moving roman-fleuve—taking the reader from Eastern Europe through Havana, Miami, Manhattan and Los Angeles, amid revolution, war, upheaval and exoduses. That it’s written by a revered conservator of art makes perfect sense, because Lowinger’s profession has given her a complex understanding of the past, of the contingencies of history, of the differences between surface and interior. One of art conservation’s creeds is: ‘You can’t repair what you don’t understand.’ This beautiful book is an act of understanding as a work of art.” —Randy Kennedy, New York Times arts writer and bestselling author of Presidio

“In DWELL TIME, art conservator Rosa Lowinger delves deep into a profound insight lying at the heart of her profession: when you understand how something got broken, you cannot help but soften to it. And when you soften to the damage done to an object of art, you soften to the damage others have done to you. Bit by bit, you begin to let go of the pain of the past, learning to live more fully in the present. Deeply personal and profoundly moving, DWELL TIME transcends the field of art conservation, applying its lessons to family and beyond.” —Barry Michels, bestselling author of The Tools and Coming Alive

 

 

Interview with Rosa

 

What made you decide to write a Memoir and share your story?

 

In 2009, when I had the Rome Prize at the American Academy in Rome, I came across the memoir The Periodic Table by Primo Levi. As I read the way he structured a family story around the metaphor of chemistry, I realized that I had a similar book in me, about conservation. Initially, I thought of it entirely as a way of showing the world what the conservation field is all about, because there are no books out there AT ALL that display our work in a way that is true and makes sense. Our profession is rife with powerful metaphors about damage and repair, and I felt that telling that story would resonate with so many people. I thought about this book for years and years but put it on the back burner as I built a business, which is now the U.S.’s largest woman-owned materials conservation practice. Then, the pandemic happened. Suddenly I found myself with time to write and reflect. I began a novel, hired a writing coach to help me structure it, and out of the blue I mentioned this idea for a memoir. She said, “stop everything and write that book proposal.” As I began to unpack the conservation material, a story about my family burbled through the narrative. It centered around my troubled, volatile, and extremely abandonment-averse mother. I realized that our family’s loss of Cuba, a country that my grandparents had moved to in the 1920s traumatized my family irrevocably and made my parents difficult to live with. As I wrote, I began to see the healing metaphor within this subject matter as a way to understand my family history of double exile. Art Conservation teaches us that the basis of all repair is understanding the source of damage. My goal with this memoir was to use this knowledge I have to unravel and learn to understand the intergenerational trauma at the foundation of our family life.

 

What is the definition of Dwell Time and why did you pick it as the title of your book?

 

In conservation, the term dwell time refers to the amount of contact time a chemical material needs to work. It is a measure of action on something you are trying to remove— soap on dirt, solvent on a stain, paint stripper on a varnish. The term dwell time also refers to the total time a person spends in an airport, or looking at a web page, or the time a family lingers at a border, waiting to get into a country, or the time you live in a city before moving on. I chose this title because it perfectly describes how I was trying to clean away the murkiness that made my family difficult to understand. Metaphorically, Dwell Time can also mean the amount of time you need to work on a problem. As I write in the book: We repair and make reparations by taking the risk of going past our own immediate emotions. Acting is its own salvation. You take the harsh decision or material, blend it into a gel, and watch the magic happen. The content of this book is like one of those solvent gels. That’s my hope, anyway.

 

What exactly is an art conservator and why did you pursue this career? How is it connected to your personal history?

 

Materials conservators (this term is more esoteric, but it’s used to include both art and architecture) repair, preserve, and perform preventive maintenance and basically enhance the longevity of all built heritage, which includes artworks, natural history collections, books, media, film, sculpture, paintings, murals, textiles, costumes, tapestries, archeological sites, and historic buildings and their materials. Our work blends art, science, and good hand skills. We are trained in the science of chemical deterioration and repair, and we work within specialties, like doctors. In public building restoration projects, for example, we are the ones who determine how stone or metals are treated, how terrazzo floors are repaired and salts leaching through tiles are addressed, yet we are often relegated to the sidelines and the architects get all the credit, even though they do not have the technical knowledge about materials that we have. In art, the curators, gallerists and fabricators get all the attention, yet it is only we (conservators) who know what to do when someone puts their elbow through a painting, or an outdoor sculpture starts to rust. I pursued this career because I fell into it. I was studying art and not very good at it. A professor recommended the field to me. I got into grad school by default and found that the field dovetailed with my sensibilities. It was all a bit subconscious I imagine. As a conservator, you are a servant to a work of art, never the protagonist. It’s got an odd humility to it, work done in the service of someone else’s aesthetic. I was raised to be beholden to others’ visions, my mother especially.

 

 

About the Author

 

Rosa Lowinger is a Cuban-born American art conservator and founder of RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture, LLC. (www.rlaconservation.com), the U.S.’s largest woman-owned materials conservation practice. She is also a published author, most well-known for Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub (Harcourt, 2005), a book on Havana’s pre-Castro nightclub era currently optioned for television by Keshet International, the company responsible for Homeland, Our Boys, and The Baker and the Beauty. Other fictional works by Rosa include The Encanto File, a play produced off-Broadway by the Women’s Project and Productions and published in Rowing to America and Sixteen Other Short Plays, edited by Julia Miles (Smith & Kraus, 2002), and The Empress of the Waves, a short story published in the anthology Island in the Light/Isla en la Luz (Trapublishing, 2019).

Rosa’s academic and professional distinctions include the 2008-09 Rome Prize at the American Academy in Rome, where she researched the history of vandalism, graffiti, and street art; and Fellow status in the American Institute for Conservation and the Association for Preservation Technology. She holds an M.A. in Art History and Conservation from NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, lectures regularly at numerous universities around the country, and serves on the boards of the Amigos of the Cuban Heritage Collection at University of Miami, Florida Association of Museums, the Partnership for Sacred Places, and the Florida Association of Public Art Professionals.

Rosa co-curated the exhibits Promising Paradise: Cuban Allure American Seduction (Wolfsonian Museum, 2016) and Concrete Paradise: Miami Marine Stadium (Coral Gables Museum, 2013). She writes regularly for academic and popular media about conservation, the arts, and Cuba. Her 1999 cover story on Havana for Preservation spawned a career in cultural travel that has taken her to Cuba over 100 times since 1992. Rosa lives in Los Angeles and Miami.

 

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Synopsis

 

A young widow. A gentle stable master. A secret that could change everything. Will Nora dare risk her heart?

The London Countryside, 1820

Eleanora Coventry comes from a life of title and privilege, but even that isn’t enough to prevent her from being wed at sixteen to a controlling and dismissive husband. So when she finds herself a widow at only twenty-seven, the idea of choosing her own path forward both thrills and terrifies her. She knows how to be a daughter and a wife and mother, but she has no idea how to be Eleanora.

She moves her son and daughter to her late husband’s country estate, where she meets Ridley, the young stable master. He is ruggedly handsome, but also kind, and Eleanora finds herself drawn to him. There is only one problem: Eleanora has a title, and Ridley does not.

Ridley Ellis has a way with horses. Even the most spirited stallions trust his soft voice and gentle touch. He has the same effect on people, and when he first lays eyes on Eleanora, he is smitten by her beauty. But he quickly discovers it will take more than soft words to gain her trust—Lord Coventry had been cruel to people and animals alike. But the closer he gets to Eleanora, the more he is willing to share his heart, and more importantly, his secret.

In a world where title and privilege mean everything, will Eleanora and Ridley risk it all to find happiness? Or will the shadows of their pasts destroy everything they hope to build together?

 

 

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Review

 

Reading a book such as this, set in the Regency era, makes me very glad I didn’t live in that time period! Women were treated like property and had no rights. That was the case for Nora. She was married to a much older man at 16, and it was not a happy marriage. He treated her like dirt and wasn’t happy with the one child that they had together. He basically forced her to accept his illegitimate daughter as her own. Now, this was actually a good thing for both Nora and the young lady because she had lost her mother, and Nora filled that role. It took time for them to create a bond, but it did happen.

The new baron, Nora’s son, is a spoiled brat. I am not sure of his age, but I assume 10-12. But his arrogance and attitude are more than one would expect for someone that young. It is also hard to know if he picked up these traits at boarding school or if his father poisoned him against his mother. Or possibly both. Luckily, Ridley is able to put him on the right path over time. Ridley is a positive influence in all of their lives. But he has a secret, one that can be sussed out before it is revealed, but it was still an interesting twist.

I enjoyed watching Nora and Ridley interact and restrain their attraction to one another as much as they could. This is the Regency era, so they had to be proper. While I suspected the ending, there were some events that could have thrown a monkey wrench into the blossoming relationship.

There are several nefarious characters that I wanted to chuck out a window. While I suspected some of it, I wasn’t sure how the situation would be resolved. In all of the instances, they were handled properly.

There are some obvious errors regarding the titling of the children. The illegitimate daughter would not be called Baroness unless her brother died and she became the heir. And then, because she is illegitimate, would she be recognized? But outside of some minor errors, the story was enjoyable.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the hang of this writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating writing, hiking, playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise but has a healthy respect for ice cream.

 

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The story of Kneaders Bakery and Cafe began with Colleen and Gary Worthington baking traditional European bread in their kitchen. After mastering old-world bread-baking techniques and testing countless recipes, Colleen, Gary, and their growing team of bakers moved onto their signature artisan bread.

But bread is just the beginning. Kneaders is well-known for their mouth-watering soups, sandwiches, and breakfast as well as their delectable pies, cakes, and pastries. For the first time, home cooks have access to popular recipes such as Overnight Chunky Cinnamon French Toast, Artichoke Portobello Soup, and Blueberry Sour Cream Pie. Beautiful and appetizing photos accompany each recipe.

What began in Colleen Worthington’s kitchen a little more than twenty-five years ago has grown into a successful family-owned bakery and cafe business with time-tested, delicious recipes gathered in this one-of-a-kind cookbook.

 

 

 

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Review

 

I have to admit that I have never heard of Kneaders Bakery and Cafe, but that is only because they do not have a location in my part of Texas. I did discover they have locations in San Antonio, so next time I am in that neck of the woods I plan to check them out.

I am a sucker for a cookbook with a multitude of breakfast options, along with soups and sandwiches. I tend to get in a rut when it comes to sandwiches, so I always like a little inspiration. There are also several french toast recipes that I know my family would enjoy, so that will have to be a weekend treat. While I can’t get their bread here to make some of the recipes, any good thick bread should work, depending on the recipe.

A fun recipe in the cookie section is the Gingerbread Mummy Cookies. This is a twist on a gingerbread cookie where the icing makes them look like a mummy. Great for the Halloween holiday. There is even one called a Spider Cookie that you might recognize as a different name, Haystacks.

Outside of the multitude of dishes, the family shares their story and history. I enjoyed learning about the family behind Kneaders, their hopes, dreams, and history. There are stories sprinkle throughout with the recipes too. It is more than just a cookbook; it is a story of the family, their dreams and their struggles.

This is one cookbook that will used quite often for gatherings with friends and family.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

More than twenty-five years ago, Colleen Worthington rolled up her sleeves and built a baking empire out of her own kitchen, which provided a place for her kids to learn hard work, dedication, and creativity.

Together with her husband, Gary, the Worthingtons pursued their interest in scratch-made artisan breads by training at both the American Institute of Baking and San Francisco Baking Institute. They worked closely with Lehi Roller Mills to develop an exclusive flour mixture and located an ideal, traditional Italian hearth-stone oven. Their first bakery opened in Orem, Utah, in 1997, where they served European hearth breads. Within a few months, they expanded to offer a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads, and pastries. The café also sells a variety of home and seasonal décor.

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Josh Tanner, was trying to fix his life and get back to his four-year-old daughter Sophie. Then he was pulled into the multidimensional world of the Immortals simply by being the last person on the elevator after lunch . . . and carrying a briefcase!

Senyak Marztanak needs to reacquire his immortality and his place on his family’s ruling seat. Both having been stripped away when he failed his grandfather’s trial.

Now, after being bonded through karma, Josh and Sen are forced to rise together through the levels of mortal cultivation to reach transcendence.

In a new and fully developed sci/fi-fantasy universe. Chock full of multiethnic mythology, ageless powers, saviors and treacherous villains. Josh & Sen Save the Multiverse tells the tale of two unlikely heroes pushed together by the fates, karma, and the most powerful immortals in existence. Through hilarious and life-threatening adventures, they form bonds of friendship and brotherhood. All while having to rely on each other’s unique qualities to survive eight iterations away from their universe of origin.

Follow Josh and Sen as they grow, fight, live, laugh, love and cry. They don’t know it yet . . . But for each to get home they will not only have to save their own lives . . . but the entire Multiverse!

 

 

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Interview with the Author

 

You wrote this novel partly in response to the hopelessness amid the Covid-19 pandemic. What do you hope readers will take away when they read Josh and Sen’s story?

 

Everyone in the world has been affected by the pandemic. It is true that we can see the silver lining in some of the changes, and feel brought back to our roots in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, many of the changes have been devastating and will continue to be so for many years. You can see this very prominently in third world countries where the economies of tourism were completely shut down for long periods of time. When I first started noticing this, I remember thinking, “How good would it be if there were a couple of guys who would be willing to go to the wall to save us all?”

 

How did you create Josh and Sen? Were there any sci-fi/fantasy figures from your childhood that inspired the character’s stories?

 

Everytime I sit down to write about Josh and Sen I learn more about myself and my motivations. Some things even surprise me. But, ever since I was twelve years old and my father took me to Merrionette Park in Chicago’s south side to see Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy’s been my hero. One of my favorite spots is the classic line where he is trying to steal the ark back from the nazi’s, he lays out a plan and ends it with, “I dunno, I’m making this up as I go . . .” I would have to say this is a major inspiration for Josh and Sen. Don’t ask them how beforehand, but they will find a way to get where they need to be.

 

Why did you decide to weave bits of Greek mythology into the book?

 

When I was growing up there wasn’t a lot of fantasy literature or TV shows. Where I turned to get it was the classics.  I loved Greek mythology when I was a kid. Particularly stories from the Age of Heros. When I started the first book and wanted Josh and Sen to travel underground to get their first Earth Attunement, Gaia, Mother of the Earth was just a natural fit. But you can’t talk about Gaia without getting into the serious family drama she has with her husband and the multiple sets of kids and grandkids, can you? Not to mention, all the stuff is public domain.

 

What can we expect next from you as a writer? What are your big plans for Josh and Sen?

 

Right now I’m finishing the third book. The second, “Karma and Bigger Fish” is already written and being polished for final release between 3-6 months after the Path of One comes out.

Josh and Sen will be meeting some new folks. Some friends and some decidedly not so friendly. One of the things they are going to learn is that the iteration is a lot bigger than they are right now. They are also going to learn that Karma and Reality have some pretty big plans for them and the people that they care about.

 

 

About the Author

 

DAVID BEHLING is a Chicago born sci-fi, fantasy, and video game admirer. When he was younger and stronger, he was able to fight off his infatuation long enough to work as a Honolulu-based plaintiff’s malpractice lawyer for five years before attending med school and residency. Now he treats his patients on Oahu, where his office has been for the last fifteen years. He has trained in several fields of martial arts over the years, including Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Older now, he would rather be surfing, snowboarding, and skating when he is brave enough! Most importantly, he is the proud father of four amazing children: Indigo, Tristan, Kireina, and Nina. They even text him sometimes. He is also the lucky owner of the world’s cutest chihuahua, Rosie.

 

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