WHAT LIES BENEATH TEXAS:

 

PIONEER CEMETERIES AND GRAVEYARDS

 

by

 

Cynthia Leal Massey

 

 

 

Genre: Regional History/ 19th Century/ Landmarks & Monuments/ Travel Pictorial

 

Publisher: TwoDot

 

Date of Publication: August 1, 2021

 

Number of Pages: 400 pages w/77 B&W photos

 

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Texas, the second largest state, both in land mass and population, has more than 50,000 burial grounds. As the final resting places of those whose earthly journey has ended, they are also repositories of valuable cultural history. Pioneer cemeteries provide a wealth of information on the people who settled Texas during its years as a Republic (1836-1845), and after it became the 28th state in 1845. In What Lies Beneath: Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards, Cynthia Leal Massey exhumes the stories of these pioneers, revealing the fascinating truth behind the earliest graveyards in the Lone Star State, including some of its most ancient. This guide also provides descriptions of headstone features and symbols and demystifies the burial traditions of early Texas pioneers and settlers.

 

 

 

Rowman & Littlefield│ Amazon│ B&N

 

TwigBooks│Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

Excerpt from Author’s Note of

 

What Lies Beneath, Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards

 

By Cynthia Leal Massey

 

 

The last few months of my work on What Lies Beneath, Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards were during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. As I was completing the book, I became very cognizant of how history repeats itself. A few hundred years before Christ was born, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon observed, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun.” All the talk of “unprecedented times” solidified my belief in the importance of the knowledge of history.            Steeped in the 19^th century, writing about cemeteries, memorials, and the people interred—basically writing about death—I knew that the pandemic we were facing was not unprecedented. In fact, epidemics, pandemics, and plagues have occurred with deadly frequency over the centuries and so have various forms of “shutdowns,” and even resistance to such measures. In the 19^th century, long-standing diseases such as smallpox (see what instigated the Laredo Smallpox Riot mentioned in this book), typhus, and yellow fever turned into epidemics several times over the course of the century. Cholera spread worldwide in six pandemics in the 19^th century. There was even a bubonic plague pandemic that originated in China, spreading worldwide in the 1890s. Scientific advances in the medical field and the recognition of the importance of sanitation made such pandemics rarer and less lethal in subsequent centuries.

Many of the cemeteries included tell the stories of individuals, some known and many unknown, who succumbed to epidemics (diseases that affect a large number of people within a region) and pandemics (diseases that spread over multiple countries or continents). In fact, the mortality rate was so high during the 19^th century that there was an entire industry of funerary rites and customs developed to help the bereaved. The sentiments engraved on many tombstones give expression to the anguish suffered when a loved one died.

….. I was born and raised in Texas, and so was steeped in Texas history from an early age. Nonetheless, many of the individuals covered in this book were new to me. Even those I knew of were illuminated in ways that made them more real and impressive. How they were memorialized in death also tells a story. An example is General Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas, who today is iconic in Texas history. Years after he died, a magnificent memorial by renowned Italian-American sculptor Pompeo Coppini was commissioned for his gravesite, but at the time of his death, he was vilified because he refused to support the Confederacy. Few people, except close family members and friends, attended his funeral in Huntsville.

While the gravesites of children, many marked by intricately carved babies and toddlers reclining on small pillow beds, were poignant, the graves with markers for “Unknown” or “Known Only to God” were also moving. Several sections at the Fort Parker Memorial Park Cemetery have rows of such markers—small square concrete tombstones inscribed with the word, UNKNOWN—a sobering reminder of our fate in years to come.

…. Cemeteries are important repositories of our history and humanity. While the memorials, statues, and monuments to the luminaries of Texas history are breathtaking, the graves, both marked and unmarked, of ordinary individuals are also worthy of reverence and remembrance.

 

Cynthia Leal Massey

Helotes, Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Award-winning author Cynthia Leal Massey is a former corporate editor, college instructor, and magazine editor. She has published hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles and eight books. A full-time writer who publishes history columns for community publications, Cynthia was raised on the south side of San Antonio. She has resided in Helotes since 1994, and has served on the Helotes City Council since 2008, serving twice as Mayor Pro Tem. She is also president of the Historical Society of Helotes.

Cynthia, a former president of Women Writing the West, is a recipient of the Will Rogers Silver Medallion Award for her nonfiction book, Death of a Texas Ranger, A True Story of Murder and Vengeance on the Texas Frontier, which also won the San Antonio Conservation Society Publication Award. She is the recipient of several literary awards, including the WILLA Literary Finalist Award for Best Original Softcover Fiction for her novel, The Caballeros of Ruby, Texas, called by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry, “a vivid picture of the Rio Grande Valley as it was fifty years ago and a very good read.”

 

Website   ◆  Amazon  ◆  Goodreads

 

 

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Three autographed copies of

 

What Lies Beneath, Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards.

 

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10/8/21	Review	That’s What She’s Reading
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10/11/21	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
10/12/21	BONUS Review	Book Fidelity
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Synopsis

 

How much will she risk to save her sister?

Mae Ashton has every reason to stay in Georgia and marry the man she loves, save one—the disappearance of her sister. Although all evidence points to Hazel’s death, Mae’s discovery of a single picture changes everything. If Hazel is alive, Mae will find her. And she’s left everything to do so.

Davis Everleigh isn’t about to let Mae, his fiancée, go just because of a note that hardly explains her departure to New York City. Instead, he follows her to the city and gains employment with the man Mae believes is somehow connected to Hazel.

As Davis and Mae become further entrenched in their effort to locate Hazel, they find themselves facing a corrupt businessman and his ruthless henchman, Alberto Moretti. In a world of lies, will the truth prevail—both about Hazel and in their own lives?

 

 

Amazon

 

Review

 

They don’t call it the Roaring 20s for nothing! This is a time of speakeasies, mobsters, flappers, and the Charleston.

Mae is absolutely positive that her sister is not the one they found dead in the river and only a photo gives her a clue where to start looking. However, Mae does not know who she is dealing with because this is a fast-talking town compared to her home in Georgia. However, her love for her sister, Hazel, allows her to persevere and continue her search. What she doesn’t expect is for her ex-fiance, Davis, to follow her and want to help her find Hazel. Is that love or what?!

I appreciated Mae’s determination but I didn’t understand why she was insistent on taking her sister home to the family. Her sister was happy and knew what she had gotten herself into, but Mae did not accept that decision. Yes, her husband was a gangster and involved in shady business, but did that warrant Mae trying to take her sister away from a situation that she wanted to belong? But Mae is plucky especially when she finds herself in situations that could have not ended well.

Davis is a gem. His love for Mae throws him into the middle of the whole situation and he ends up with a price on his head. However, the one thing that Davis and Mae have going for them is their faith and they are not afraid to share their beliefs with anyone they run across, even a reluctant gangster.

There is a character that might surprise you, Alberto. He is rough and tough, but I think deep down there is a part of him that does not enjoy this life and wonders if there is more out there for him. It doesn’t help that he is secretly in love with Mae’s sister, who is married to his boss.

I can’t forget to mention Scranton, the preacher that totes a gun (seems like all of the characters toted guns) and isn’t shy in helping Mae and Davis in their cause, even if it might mean death for him. And that is highly possible considering the characters they are dealing with in this book.

The book is full of scripture which fits the situations that Mae and Davis find themselves mixed up. I appreciated their strong faith beliefs and that they didn’t back down no matter what anyone said about their faith and beliefs.

The book has a nice even fast pace to it and there was little downtime to wonder what might pop up and surprise us next. There are many nuances to this book that made it an entertaining read but too much would be given away by sharing those here.

We give this book 4 paws up and look forward to the next book in this trilogy that will feature Alberto and Lillian (Hazel).

 

 

 

About the Author

 

A little bit about me—I’m a sinner saved by grace who seeks to glorify God with my words. I’m also a homeschool graduate who holds a degree in accounting. Promises Unbroken is my fifth published novel.

 

Website

 

 

 

ONCE UPON A CAMEL

 

By Kathi Appelt

 

 

Categories: Middle Grade Fiction / Historical / Friendship / Ages 8-12

Publisher: Atheneum / Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Pub Date: September 7, 2021

Pages: 336 pages

 

Scroll for the Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Zada is a camel with a treasure trove of stories to tell. She’s won camel races for the royal Pasha of Smyrna, crossed treacherous oceans to new land, led army missions with her best camel friend by her side, and outsmarted a far too pompous mountain lion.

But those stories were from before. Now, Zada wanders the desert as the last camel in Texas. But she’s not alone. Two tiny kestrel chicks are nestled in the fluff of fur between her ears—kee-killy-keeing for their missing parents—and a dust storm the size of a mountain is taking Zada on one more grand adventure. And it could lead to this achy old camel’s most brilliant story yet

 

 

 

Simon and Schuster~ Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an enticing tale to encourage young readers. I think this is a book my great-niece would enjoy with the characters, history, and the stories within the story.

This adventure follows Zada, a camel that has made her way to Texas from the middle east. We learn about Zada’s life growing up in Smyrna and what happened to her once she arrived in Texas and how she came to be in Texas. This is all told through stories to two Kestrel chicks that have been separated from their parents during a haboob or windstorm. Haboobs aren’t common to Texas so we would call it something else but that brings in a new word for the reader. As Zada and the chicks take shelter in a cave, she has to worry if the mountain lion will be there and decide to attack or if they will be able to ride out the storm in peace. Thankfully, it is the former, but this is when the stories really begin and there is even a story that involves the lion that Zada wisely saves for when it is needed to protect them.

The two Kestrel chicks are a hoot and are constantly bugging each other and it reminds me of any family with children that complain about someone touching them, or crossing a line, or just basically bugging their sibling. However, Zada is able to bring calm and peace to the situation with her stories and keep the chicks safe while entertaining them so they don’t get into trouble.

Each story is magical and I loved the illustrations that accompany the book. I appreciated the dates at the beginning of each chapter so I knew if this was Zada’s past or more of her present.

This is not only an entertaining book but one that is educational as well. I learned things about camels, weather, birds (especially Kestrels), history, and so much more. I really enjoy it when a story incorporates history in a fun way that you don’t realize you are learning something new.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National Book Award finalist, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award Finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee), Keeper, and many picture books including Counting Crows and Mogie, the Heart of the House. She lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband and five gifted and talented cats.

 

 

 

 

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Three signed copies of the book

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

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9/29/21	Book Trailer	The Clueless Gent
9/29/21	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/30/21	Excerpt	That’s What She’s Reading
9/30/21	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
9/30/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
10/1/21	Review	Forgotten Winds
10/1/21	BONUS Review	Hall Ways Blog
10/2/21	Review	Missus Gonzo
10/3/21	Video Guest Post	All the Ups and Downs
10/4/21	Review	The Page Unbound
10/5/21	Guest Post	Chapter Break Book Blog
10/5/21	Review	Stories Under Starlight
10/6/21	Review	Julia Picks 1
10/7/21	Scrapbook Page	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
10/7/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
10/8/21	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
10/8/21	Review	Book Bustle

 

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

It’s 1912, and protagonist Helen Fox is a factory worker living in New York’s tenements. When tragedy strikes in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Helen is seduced by the Suffragist cause and is soon immersed, working alongside famous activists.

As Helen’s involvement with the cause deepens, she encounters myriad sources of tension that test her perseverance: estrangement from her husband, who is blindsided by his wife’s sudden activism; ostracization by neighbors; unease at working side by side with wealthier suffragettes; and worry about her children as she leaves them to picket the White House in Washington.

The narrative spans World War One and concludes with the triumph of 1919. In a time when the obstacles for women, from any background, were insurmountable, Helen discovers her voice as an independent woman and dreams of equality in a male-dominated society.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

 

 

Praise

 

“The Accidental Suffragist is the so-timely story of the sacrifices one mother makes – to her family, her safety, and her previous identity – when called by a cause and stirred to act.  Through the telling of this factory worker’s experience, Gichon reminds us of the grave sacrifices so many women made more than a century ago and the debt of gratitude we owe them today as we see Kamala Harris’s ascent to Vice President.  My teenage daughters snatched this book from my hands before I could even finish.” –Alisyn Camerota, CNN Anchor and Author of “Amanda Wakes Up”

 

“With its captivating heroine and rich historical details, The Accidental Suffragist is a novel that both enlightens and enthralls. A must-read for those interested (and we all should be!) in the fight waged by brave American women determined to secure their right to vote.” –Nina Sankovitch, Author and Historian

 

“The Accidental Suffragist is an entertaining, meticulously researched novel about the struggles and eventual triumphs of the Suffragist cause in the early twentieth century. Within this fascinating historical context, Gichon also explores the challenge and compromise inherent to working motherhood, a topic equally relevant today as it was then.” –Heather Frimmer, M.D., Physician and Author “Better to Trust”

 

“Many women wish the world was a kinder, fairer place for them, some women make it so. Gichon, like her heroines, moves through the world fueled by love and a sense of justice, the result is a richly detailed and studiously researched novel that will bring hope to your heart.” –Lorea Canales, Author of “Becoming Marta”

 

 

Review

 

We know there were some persistent women in the early 1900s that battled for the rights of women, especially to vote. This novel is a look into that movement and while fiction, some of the events did happen such as the protest in Washington with many suffragettes arrested, jailed, beaten, and abused by those that held them captive.

Helen may not have ever expected to end up working for a suffragette movement but when her daughter is killed in a factory fire, she happened to be in the right place at the right time to meet some of these women. It was hard to read how many women in that time had to ask permission from their husbands to take a different job, go on a trip, and so much more. I know that was very common at that time, but we have come a long way and I am thankful to these women that fought for my rights as I have them today.

Helen thrives in this new position and while she knows not many women in her neighborhood would stand with these women to march, she knows that she is doing it for them and for her daughters so that they do not have to end up working in a low-end job. It is a hopeful book because we see the results of the efforts of women such as Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her daughter Harriet Stanton Blatch, who fought for our rights and didn’t back down. While many of the women were not from poorer families, they still fought for all women to be considered equal. I would like to think I would have been one of the women protesting and marching to make this world a better one.

We also see the relationship with Helen’s husband evolve. It isn’t always smooth sailing but perhaps that was because he was frustrated in his life and couldn’t see the silver lining. He didn’t understand what motivated her until he found a cause he could get behind in his own life regarding his job. I think that opened his eyes to what motivated Helen.

Overall this is a fascinating book that might make you appreciate what these women endured to make our lives better.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Widely quoted in The New York Times and more, Galia Gichon spent nearly ten years writing financial research for top investment banks before launching Down-to-Earth Finance, a top personal financial advising firm in New York.

Galia is the author of My Money Matters, a personal finance book which received notable press from the New York Times, TODAY Show, CNN, Newsweek, Real Simple and more. Galia Gichon consistently leads seminars for Barnard College where she has taught for 13 years, and other organizations. She is an avid angel investor focusing on women-led and impact startups and actively counsels startups through accelerators.

 

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RIO BONITO

 

The Three Rivers Trilogy, Book 2

 

By PRESTON LEWIS

 

 

Categories: Western / Historical Fiction

Publisher: Five Star Publishing

Pub Date: August 18, 2021

 

Pages: 336 pages

 

 

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With Lincoln County teetering on the edge of lawless turmoil, small rancher Wes Bracken avoids taking sides, but his goal is complicated by his devotion to what he sees as justice and by his friendship with William H. Bonney, who’s developing a reputation as Billy the Kid.

As Lincoln County devolves into explosive violence, Bracken must skirt the edge of the law to guarantee the survival of his family, his spread, and his dream. But dangers abound from both factions for a man refusing to take sides. Before the Lincoln County War culminates on the banks of the Rio Bonito during a five-day shootout in Lincoln, Bracken is accused of being both a vigilante and a rustler. As the law stands idly by, Bracken’s ranch is torched, and his wife is assaulted by the notorious outlaw Jesse Evans. Survival trumps vengeance, though, as Bracken tries to outlast the dueling factions aimed at destroying him.

At every turn Bracken must counter the devious ploys of both factions and fight against lawmen and a court system skewed to protect the powerful and politically connected. Against overwhelming odds, Bracken challenges the wicked forces arrayed against him in hopes of a better life for himself, for his family, and for New Mexico Territory. And throughout it all, Bracken stands in the growing shadow of his sometime pal, Billy the Kid.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Books-a-million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Preston Lewis Discussing Writing

 

 

Every writer has a unique writing approach to a novel.  What’s yours?

 

I go through three drafts.  The first is the worst because you’re staring at a blank screen.  You don’t have anything to work with until you finish the first draft, so I try to get through it as quickly as I can.  Then with the second draft I work on resolving plot issues, improving transitions, polishing the dialog, ensuring story coherence and sharpening the prose.  In the third and final draft, I focus primarily on polishing the prose and finalizing it for the editor.

 

Do you use an outline or plot your chapters in advance?

 

It depends.  If I’ve got between 100,000 and 120,000 words to work with, I generally just start writing and let the plot take me where it goes.  I generally in these cases know where the story will start and how it will end, but not necessarily what happens in between.  This is the most fun because the story twists and turns often surprise me.  Now when I’ve got a word target I’m shooting for, say 75,000 to 85,000 words, I generally do a chapter by chapter synopsis so I hit the word target.  That takes more time on the front end, but generally saves time in the writing process, though it is less spontaneous.

 

How do you deal with deadlines?

 

My background is in journalism so I started out working for four daily newspapers in Texas.  I dealt with daily deadlines every workday and on longer pieces weekly deadlines.  So, deadlines are not intimidating.  I also know my limits.  There was year when I had contract for five books.  Four I managed okay around my day job, but the fifth was closing in on me so I took ten vacation days and completed the first draft of 300-plus pages in that span.  The first draft is always a chore, but the subsequent drafts are a breeze.

 

What is the best advice you ever got about writing? 

 

Perseverance trumps talent.  That came from Jeanne Williams, an award-winning and best-selling author of historical novel.  I consider Jeanne my writing mentor and her encouragement helped me in my early years of writing.  She said she had seen many talented writers give up, but lesser writers succeed because keep at it.  Jeanne told me if I kept at it, I would eventually earn some writing awards.  Her encouragement and faith in my abilities kept me going.  The second best piece of advice came from western novelist Elmer Kelton, who told me as he did all other young writers, “Don’t quit your day job.”

 

Were you ever tempted to quit your job and try writing full-time?

 

No, I had a family to support and my first obligation was to them.  Writers face two limitations:  time and money.  Some writers can deal with money issues and others can manage time constraints.  I’m disciplined enough to make efficient use of my time, but I could never have kept my writing sanity and temperament if I was worried about making the next mortgage payment or putting food on the table for my wife, son and daughter.  It’s a moot issue now that I am retired.

 

Any advice for aspiring writers?

 

Perseverance trumps talent and don’t quit your day job are still solid starting points, but writing has changed so much in the 40 years since I began developing novels.  There are more opportunities and options than ever before for your writing through the Web.  So the key is determining what it is you want out of writing, whether it’s a living or riches, whether it’s the personal satisfaction or public acclaim, and then mapping out a strategy that you think will get you to your goal.  There may be bumps along the way, but I’ve found the journey was as much fun as the destination.

 

 

 

 

Preston Lewis is the Spur Award-winning author of 40 westerns, historical novels, juvenile books, and memoirs.  He has received national awards for his novels, articles, short stories, and humor.

In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.  Lewis is past president of Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association.

His historical novel Blood of Texas on the Texas Revolution earned a Spur Award as did his True West article on the Battle of Yellow House Canyon.  He developed the Memoirs of H.H. Lomax series, which includes two Spur finalists and a Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award for western humor for his novel Bluster’s Last Stand on the battle of Little Big Horn.  His comic western The Fleecing of Fort Griffin and two of his YA novels have won Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas from the West Texas Historical Association.

He began his writing career working for Texas daily newspapers in Abilene, Waco, Orange, and Lubbock before going into university administration.  During his 35-year career in higher education, he directed communications and marketing offices at Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Angelo State University.

Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University and master’s degrees from Ohio State in journalism and Angelo State in history.  He lives in San Angelo with his wife, Harriet.

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

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9/7/21	Review	Jennifer Silverwood
9/7/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
9/8/21	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
9/8/21	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
9/9/21	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/10/21	Review	Julia Picks 1
9/11/21	Excerpt	The Book’s Delight
9/12/21	Author Interview	StoreyBook Reviews
9/13/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
9/14/21	Sneak Peek	KayBee’s Bookshelf
9/15/21	Review	Missus Gonzo
9/16/21	Review	The Clueless Gent

 

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Summer on the seaside . . . a perfect place for romance.

Join us for three novellas in one collection:

 

The New Countess, by Josi S. Kilpack

 

Diane knows why the earl asked her to marry him; he needed a mother for his daughter, an heir for his title, and a hostess to assist with his position in Parliament. With two sons of her own, and no security to speak of, she never thought twice about accepting his proposal. Summering at his holiday cottage at the sea was meant to be reward for a busy first year as the new countess, and a time for her to rest before their baby is born. She is expecting lazy days on the beach with the children, simple meals, and keeping her own schedule. When the earl surprises her with a visit, she does her best not to resent the intrusion. When she learns that he came for the sole purpose of being with her and getting to know her better, she realizes that perhaps this marriage can be more than she expected. Is she ready for him to know her and love her and explore this new possibility together? She wants to be, but it is not an easy thing to let go of expectations and open up to an entirely new way of life.

 

Mishaps and Memories, by Martha Keyes

 

Judith Jardine’s one chance at a brilliant match is doomed from the start when she is ignored and then mocked by the ton’s most sought-after gentleman. Under a gloomy cloud of failure, Judith is exiled to a seaside cottage to spend the summer helping her sister—and living a life far below the one she experienced for her week in Brighton. When she discovers the man responsible for her misfortune unconscious on the beach, she heeds her better impulses and has him brought to the cottage to be seen to. But James Carlisle has no recollection of who he is, what happened to him, or how he has wronged her, and Judith sees the opportunity to teach him a valuable lesson—unless the deception and her feelings get the best of her first.

 

Moonlight Summer, by Heather B. Moore

 

Oscar Rosewell’s life is not lacking in many things even though he lives on the fringes of society due to his father’s ruined reputation. He’s sworn off having any personal relationships with ton members—his only interest lies in keeping his business thriving. He’s content with his day-to-day anonymity, and business keeps his heart from getting exposed. It’s safer that way. Until Oscar meets Miss Dorothea Atkinson. A woman capturing his interest is a rare thing, but Miss Atkinson is nearly engaged to a man of her parents’ choosing. Would it be wrong to wish for something to go terribly wrong between the couple? Soon, Oscar learns that wishing can become a reality, but often, the price is an even heavier thing to pay.

 

 

Amazon | B&N | BookBub

 

 

Excerpt

 

Moonlight Summer, by Heather B. Moore

 

Eight trunks and seven valises packed into two carriages, and still Dottie had the feeling she was forgetting something as she stood in the doorway of a London townhome. Oh, no—all the baggage wasn’t for her alone. She could only claim one trunk and one valise. A feat for a twenty-year-old lady, to be sure. But Dottie’s mother had given her strict instructions to pack modestly. She’d bring along her small sketchbook in her reticule in the morning.

“That way, my dear, you’ll have to shop for what you need,” her mother had said earlier that day as her pale blue eyes sparkled. “You have a new father now. And he will provide for us.”

Her mother’s color was heightened these past few months, and her voice had taken on a higher octave. Perhaps it was because of her new marriage? Still a blushing bride?

Dottie didn’t want to think about her own mother, at thirty-eight, having a romantic time with Viscount Fisher of Turnberry, Dottie’s new stepfather.

But there was no denying it.

Last night after supper, her mother had announced that she was with child.

Well.

Dottie was already feeling misplaced enough with a new home, three new stepsisters, and a new stepfather who said hardly a word to her.

Now, Dottie knew why they were quitting the London season early. A season that was meant for her, at least originally. She’d missed her first season because she and her mother were in mourning for Father. And her second one? Her mother had secured the husband, not Dottie.

One day, Dottie might find it amusing, but at this very moment, she could hear someone crying. Wailing, really.

“Dorothea!” Her mother’s voice echoed from the upper level.

Dottie turned from the doorway and all the preparations. She hurried up the stairs, wishing for one quiet moment. She’d never appreciated those moments before, when she was the only child to her parents, Lady Atkinson and Lord Atkinson, who had been the Baron of Rutland.

“I don’t want to leave my dollhouse!” This was followed by another wail.

Dottie stepped into the nursery, where her mother, the nursemaid, and the housekeeper were all surrounding six-year-old Alice. The young girl was as fair-haired as Dottie was dark.

“Dorothea, do something,” her mother said, touching her perfectly coifed hair as if a piece of it had strayed. “My nerves can’t take this. I’m expecting, you know.”

I know, Dottie wanted to say, but instead, she crossed to Alice and knelt in front of her.

The child’s clear green eyes were filled with tears, and the flush on her cheeks told Dottie she was about a half a minute from a full breakdown. Wailing was only the beginning. Dottie’s heart went out to this young girl, though. A child who’d lost her mother last year. Just as Dottie had lost her father.

“What do you want to take on our trip to the seaside?” Dottie said in a quiet, calm voice.

Alice sniffled. “My dollhouse.”

Dottie didn’t miss the fact that her mother and the housekeeper had quit the room. Only the nursemaid, Mary, remained, hovering by the door.

“This one?” Dottie said, resting her hand atop the roof of the nearby dollhouse. “I love it too.”

“You do?” Alice’s eyes widened. “But you don’t play with dolls. You’re too old.”

Dottie smiled. “Perhaps. Do you know if you take the dollhouse to the seaside, then we can’t take all your favorite dresses? There won’t be room for both.” She could see the understanding growing in the girl’s eyes. “What will you wear? A blanket?”

Alice’s small, rosy lips curved upwards.

“Oh, I know. You can wear my shawl.”

Alice giggled. “It’s too big for me.”

Dottie touched a finger to her chin. “Let’s see, then. How about you wear one of my dresses?”

“That’s too big!” Another giggle.

Dottie held back a laugh. “Oh well, I guess we’ll have to bring your dresses. But I have an idea for your dollhouse.”

Alice’s green eyes rounded. “You do?”

“We’ll put a special drape over it so that it will stay here, safe and sound, for you,” Dottie said. “Nothing will be touched, and it won’t even get dusty.”

A line appeared between Alice’s eyebrows, but she turned and gazed at the dollhouse for a long moment. “All right.”

Dottie’s heart did a victory leap. “Wonderful. Now, let’s find the drape that you want. It has to be very pretty, just like the house.”

 

 

About the Authors

 

Josi S. Kilpack is the bestselling author of several Proper Romance, Timeless Romance series, and a Cozy Culinary Mystery series. Her books, A Heart Revealed and Lord Fenton’s Folly; were Publishers Weekly Best Romance Books of the Year. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children

 

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Martha Keyes is a Whitney Award winning author born, raised, and educated in Utah—a home she loves dearly but also dearly loves to escape whenever she can by traveling the world. She received a BA in French Studies and a Master of Public Health, both from Brigham Young University.

Word crafting has always fascinated her, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that she considered writing her own stories. When she isn’t writing, she is honing her photography skills, looking for travel deals, and spending time with her family. She lives with her husband and twin boys in Vineyard, Utah.

 

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Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than seventy publications. She’s lived on both the east and west coasts of the United States, including Hawaii, and attended school abroad including the Cairo American College in Egypt, and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about anything in history and, as an author, is passionate about historical research.

 

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Giveaway

 

Mirror Press is pleased to offer one digital copy of any of the 16 previous books in the Timeless Regency Romance Collection to one unique winner at each stop on the tour.

 

To enter, please leave a comment with this blog post before 11:59pm, September 26, 2021. Visit each stop on the tour and leave a comment to increase your chance to win a book.

 

This contest is open internationally. The winner will be drawn randomly from the comments and announced on each blog on September 27, 2021. The winner must claim their prize before October 04, 2021. Good luck to all!

 

 

Tour Stops

 

Aug 23           Austenprose

Aug 24           My Jane Austen Book Club

Aug 24           Getting Your Read On

Aug 25           The Bibliophile Files

Aug 26           Heidi Reads

Aug 27           Our Book Confessions

Aug 30           The Lit Bitch

Aug 30           Wishful Endings

Sept 01          The Book Diva Reads

Sept 01          Rosanne E. Lortz

Sept 02          Laura’s Reviews

Sept 04          Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Sept 07          Probably at the Library

Sept 08          Gwendalyn’s Books

Sept 09          Books and Socks Rock

Sept 10          Christian Chick’s Thoughts

Sept 11          Storeybook Reviews

Sept 13          From Pemberley to Milton

Sept 13          My Bookish Bliss

Sept 14          Bookworm Lisa

Sept 15          Relz Reviewz

Sept 15          Reading with Emily

Sept 16          Lu Reviews Books

Sept 17          Greenish Bookshelf

Sept 17          Austenesque Reviews

Sept 17          Bringing Up Books

Sept 18          Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina

Sept 19          Eli’s Novel Reviews

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

London, 1885

Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple’s blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe―a grieving widower and a member of Amelie’s book club.

Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.

When a woman’s body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman’s husband―Harold Radcliffe―of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe’s innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.

They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.

 

 

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Praise

 

“Allen pairs a matchmaker and a detective in this charming Victorian romance. Allen expertly combines mystery and romance into a fast-paced tale complete with plenty of surprises and a central relationship founded on mutual admiration and respect. Readers are sure to appreciate the strong, well-shaded heroine and twisty plot.” —Publishers Weekly

“Allen’s chaste tale of Victorian romantic suspense will also appeal to historical mystery readers, and it would be great for mother-and-daughter reads. This has great appeal for teens who like historical fiction laced with mystery and romance.” —Booklist

“I was immediately drawn into the characters’ lives and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of the romance.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine

“Michael and Amelie’s slow-burning romances combines well with the fast-paced tale of surprise, death, and heart. The core of the story is their relationship; it builds from a place of admiration and respect, and eschews any forced obstacles to being together. Amelie is a nuanced heroine who is both naïve and fierce as she gathers her knowledge of fictional crimes and joins Michael in his off-duty undercover work. And the endearing secondary cast of friends and coworkers results in humor and warmth; they support Amelie’s headstrong nature and Michael’s softening heart. Charming…combines a Victorian murder mystery with an endearing romance between two souls.” —Foreword Reviews

 

 

About the Author

 

NANCY CAMPBELL ALLEN is the award-winning author of eighteen published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres, ranging from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her most recent books, which include Regency, Victorian, and steampunk romance, are published under Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance brand, and the What Happens in Venice novella series is part of the Timeless Romance Anthology collection published by Mirror Press. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.

Nancy loves to read, write, travel, and research, and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She nurtures a current obsession for true crime podcasts and is a news junkie. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah, with her family, one very large Siberian Husky named Thor, and an obnoxious but endearing YorkiePoo named Freya.

 

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Synopsis

 

Sometimes all you have is hope.

 

In the summer of 1961, a wall of barbed wire goes up quickly in the dead of night, officially dividing Berlin. Aware of the many whose families have been divided, Luisa joins a secret spy network, risking her life to help East Germans escape across the Berlin Wall and into the West.

Bob Inama, a soldier in the US Army, is stationed in West Germany. He’s glad to be fluent in German, especially after meeting Luisa Voigt at a church social. As they spend time together, they form a close connection. But when Bob receives classified orders to leave for undercover work immediately, he doesn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

With a fake identity, Bob’s special assignment is to be a spy embedded in East Germany, identifying possible targets for the US military. But Soviet and East German spies, the secret police, and Stasi informants are everywhere, and the danger of being caught and sent to a brutal East German prison lurks on every corner.

Best-selling author Heather B. Moore masterfully alternates the stories of Bob and Luisa, capturing the human drama unique to Cold War Germany was well as the courage and the resilience of the human spirit.

 

 

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Praise

 

“Moore conveys extensive historical knowledge without sacrificing the emotional impact of the stories of two protagonists whose Christian faith helps them survive and make a difference in the face of epic adversity.” —Booklist

“Outstanding novel is a harrowing account based around actual events. The author chillingly and graphically captures daily existence where the controlling political party, national security apparatus, and media work together to crush all dissent. A timely and cautionary tale. My highest recommendation.” —Historical Novel Society

 

 

About the Author

 

HEATHER B. MOORE is a USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than seventy publications. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, including Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.

 

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Synopsis

 

From the author of THE LANE BETRAYAL, THE FAIR, and SEA SPRAY comes the fourth novel in the Time Box saga.

Months after stealing two time machines, the Lanes, a modern family of seven, make a stand against the unhinged software mogul who wants them back. They travel to 1941 Oahu to eliminate the billionaire’s mercenary, an assassin who has chased them through time.

While son Jordan, a former intelligence officer, stalks his unknowing foe in the streets of Honolulu, his parents, younger siblings, and pregnant wife settle in the village of Laie, where love, friendship, and opportunity await. All seek refuge from the perils of time travel.

Hitman Silas Bain has his own agenda. He hopes to alter the events of December 7, 1941, and indirectly save a brilliant German physicist, his employer’s grandfather, from certain death. He has prepared for every contingency, except the charms of a beautiful heiress.

Filled with romance, suspense, and intrigue, THE REFUGE takes readers on a thrilling and memorable ride through the colorful, magical, and dangerous world of pre-Pearl Harbor Hawaii.

 

 

 

Amazon

 

Free to read via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

There are a few authors that know how to do time-travel novels right, and this is one of them. The books are well researched and the descriptions make me feel like I am in that time period experiencing what the Lane’s experience in each novel.

In this fourth book in the series, the Lanes end up in Hawaii, and this time they are chasing their hunter, Silas Bain. However, he has no idea that they have followed him since he is in 1941 on a different mission. While I am not fond of Silas, he does show a somewhat softer side when he meets a woman that could make him happy if he allowed it or changed his direction in life.

Each chapter is told from a different perspective whether it is Mark, Jordan, Jeremy, Jessie, Lane, Ashley, or any other character. I feel like this gives us a better feel for what is going on in each person’s mind, how they react to different situations and their hopes and dreams for their future. Each character seems to embrace the time period they are in whether it is 2020, 1865, or 1941. Each character has their own adventure especially the younger generation. Some are also reeling from situations from previous books and there are some long lasting effects that continue and we see how they handle those emotions.

This book also makes me think about how I would handle things if I were in their shoes and had to jump to the past to escape someone in the present and how to stay off the grid. It is not something to do on a whim!

We give this book 5 paws up but suggest you start with the first book in this series to truly follow along with the characters and the storyline. I can’t wait to see how the author wraps everything up in the final book due out early in 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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Synopsis

 

Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. At fifteen, she’s an independent young woman–after all, her name spelled backwards reads ‘alone’–and living on her own in London. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock’s doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn’t the truth, that she’d know–she’d feel–if her twin had died.

The Earl’s note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover–or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl’s wives to die suddenly and vaguely–and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl’s home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl’s hall, Enola is going to require help–from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!

Enola Holmes returns in her first adventure since the hit Netflix movie brought her back on the national bestseller lists, introducing a new generation to this beloved character and series.

 

 

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Review

 

I had never heard of this series until I watched a movie from an earlier book on Netflix. Now I am hooked on these characters!

While Sherlock Holmes can feel stuffy, his sister, Enola, is quite a hoot and perhaps Sherlock is just perplexed about what to do with a young woman that can outwit him at different times. Perhaps he should just accept it and work with her because she is not going to give up and will help solve cases. Two heads are always better than one I always say.

In this installment, we find Enola drawn into a mystery about a missing woman, presumably died and then cremated. However, her twin feels otherwise. There are a lot of mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance but who better to look into the situation than Enola?

I was drawn into this book from the first page. Granted, I imagined the actors from the movie in the various roles, but that only enhanced the story for me. I could imagine the situations Enola found herself in and admire her ingenuity in finding a way out of any bad situations. Granted, sometimes she needs a little assistance from her brother, but most of the time she has the situation well under control which is admirable for a fifteen year old young lady.

I found the mystery itself engaging, the characters both endearing and repulsive, and was glad to see one character get what was coming to him.

I now want to go and check out all of the books in this series and catch up on what Enola, Sherlock, Mycroft, and Tewkey are up to!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

“Is she fainted?”

Indignant, I wanted to sit up and say I was not so easily killed and I never fainted, but to my surprise my body would not obey me. I merely stirred and murmured.

“She’s moving.”

I saw the clodhopper boots of common men surrounding me and smelled alcohol on the breath of those leaning over me.

“Let’s get ’er inside.”

“Somebody go fer the doctor.”

Strong hands, not ungentle, seized me by the feet and shoulders. I could have kicked and yelled—I felt strong enough now—but my mind had started to function, realizing that I was about to be carried into a pub, for only in a public house, or pub, would workmen be drinking in the daytime. And normally no woman of good repute would enter a pub, or if she did, she would be jeered at until she retreated. But, my avid brain realized, fate in the form of Jezebel had given me opportunity to spend some time inside a pub—no, in the pub, most likely the only pub in Threefinches! So I closed my eyes and pretended to be rather more helpless than I was as the men hauled me inside and laid me down on a high-backed bench by the hearth.

Someone brought something pungent in lieu of smelling salts, but I shook my head, pushed the malodourous hand away, opened my eyes, and sat up, acting as if it were a great effort for me to do so. A burly, bearded man in an apron, undoubtedly the publican who kept the place, came running with a pillow for my back, and I thanked him with a gracious smile.

“Will ye have a nip of brandy, lydy?”

“No, thank you. Water, please.”

“Jack! Water for the lydy!” he bellowed to some underling, and he remained nearby as I managed, with hands that genuinely trembled, to remove my gloves. Their thin kidskin leather was ruined by the mauling it had taken from Jezebel’s reins, and my hands were red and sore; doubtless they would bruise. Grateful for the cool glass, I held it in both hands and sipped, looking around me. Half of the denizens of the place, like the owner, stood in a semicircle staring at me not unpleasantly, while the rest did the same from seats at the rustic tables—all but one. A tall man with beard stubble on his chin and quite a shock of coarse brownish-grey hair hiding his forehead had withdrawn to a table by the wall, where he devoted his attention to his mug of ale, or stout, or whatever noxious brew he might fancy. I said brightly to the tavern-keeper, “I believe I would like to stand up.”

“Now, why not wait for the doctor, lydy—”

But taking hold of his arm, as he stood within my reach, I got to my feet with reasonable steadiness. There were muted cheers from the onlookers. Nodding and simpering at the men all around me, I lilted, “Thank you so much. Do you suppose anyone could go out and fetch my bag, and my hat and parasol? I believe they fell along the—”

Already half a dozen would-be heroes were stampeding towards the door. Yet, if I had walked in here under my own power, any request for help would have been met with deepest suspicion. Such is life: odd.

 

 

About the Author

 

Nancy Springer is the author of the nationally bestselling Enola Holmes novels, including The Case of the Missing Marquess, which was made into the hit Netflix movie, Enola Holmes. She is the author of more than 50 other books for children and adults. She has won many awards, including two Edgar Awards, and has been published in more than thirty countries. She lives in Florida.

 

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