Posted in nonfiction, self help, Trailer on August 11, 2021

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

We all want happiness and success and keep chasing both throughout our lives. However, only 4-5 per cent of people in the entire world end up becoming successful and from among them less than 1 per cent become successful and happy. What is the secret power that propels these people to the top of the pyramid? What makes them who they are?

Author Megha Bajaj set out on a journey and visited different parts of the country and discovered 11 such individuals who were truly happy and successful. She realized that in a country of 1.3 billion people these individuals had one thing in common—they had the rare ability to turn an ordinary event into a significant one and then turn that into a ‘breakthrough’.

They seize the moment when there is nothing perceptible to seize; they look at the present and create a future; they realize that the Supreme Power is always there, only if one believes unfailingly, surrenders completely and works tirelessly. Meet Nitin, Asha, Arun, Chitra, Sandeep, Kanni, Uvaraj, Guru, Kavish, Mukesh, Praburam and Sushiil.

Even during the worst possible time the world has ever seen, the book will put you on the path to many wonderful things and a life full of contentment.

 

 

Amazon.in * Amazon.com

 

 

Read this book:

  • If you want to find excitement in the ordinary;
  • To realize that you need to keep moving regardless of success or failure;
  • To ask yourself: When was the last time you did something for the first time;
  • To understand why each human being is a co-creator of his or her own destiny;
  • To find out why even the sky is not enough for your imagination;
  • To accept the fact that life will keep jumping at you and keep saying, ‘Surprise!’;
  • To learn how to get rid of desperation and let everything just happen;
  • To realize that results may be delayed, but never denied;
  • To discover that the answer to all your troubles lies within you;
  • To keep expanding your Life Mantra;
  • To keep learning.

 

 

Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the image below to read a news article

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Megha Bajaj is a Bestselling author of the book, The Breakthrough (Rupa). In the past, she has penned several acclaimed and award-winning books including Thank You, Cancer (Hay House), I Inspire (Jaico) and Happiness in the Age of Ambition (Rupa). She has written over a thousand articles for internationally acclaimed magazines and newspapers. Megha is a well-loved speaker and has been invited to premier institutes to share her insights. She was the youngest speaker at The World Confluence of Spirituality and Humanity for two consecutive years. Megha is also writing film scripts for prominent production houses and best knows herself as an ardent seeker.

 

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Posted in fiction, Spotlight on August 10, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

Psychopathy is the only mental disorder where it is not the patient, but the environment that suffers. – Sanne Udsen, Psychopath’s in Suits.

Mary is an established woman. Her lifespan is a petrifying mess. This is about dating a truly creepy sociopath, one who swindled himself through life. A self-absorbed, lying person using people. He presents himself with a public persona of normalcy. She could not see what lay behind the dark shade of Drake Lucifer Bates. He was inappropriately flirting with her; he was a doctor and she was his patient. During a treatment session, he goes too far. Does he get hard when he treats patients? It was too late for her to escape. Unintended she becomes captured in his mean spider web. Drake won her compassion with his enormous intellect and glimmering charm. Something vastly magical happened around him. She begins a passionate love affair with him. Their life seemed blissful on the outside. Behind his malicious plan, it was chilling. Trusting him with her fragile life, she doesn’t see he is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Believing him was fatal. Swindle wealthy patients, was his primary target. His manipulative behavior and scams end disastrously for Mary. She is a character in his horror movie. He sinks into his mania of deceives and lies. He is a predator! She doesn’t know anything about psychopaths. How does she figure out what she can expect from such people? Her life was never the same, but she learned from his evilness. The story is fictional, but it contains ideas based on real events. This is part one of the Burning Desire trilogy. It will obsess you.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

M. L. Stark wrote the “Burning Desire” series based on experiences from her personal life. After a marriage of over 20 years, she was divorced and met a new man that mentally abused her. Now, Stark is on the other side of that relationship and is reflecting on that entire experience. By sharing her story in a fictionalized account, Stark hopes to connect with real women and deter them from facing a toxic man in their lives. Currently, Stark resides in Bournemouth, Dorset.

 

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery, Spotlight on August 9, 2021

 

 

 

 

Much Ado about Nauticaling (A Whit and Whiskers Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (July 27, 2021)
Paperback: 256 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that’s to die for—only to find it’s a place people are also willing to kill for—in Gabby Allan’s Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series.

 

After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life—and a murder victim?

The self-proclaimed “Master of the Island,” Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother’s name, Whit will have to investigate Jules’ shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members—with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit’s ex-boyfriend who’s looking to rekindle their relationship.

 

 

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

 

 

About the Author

 

After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, GABBY ALLAN finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever. This California girl now lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel.

 

Website * Facebook

 

 

 

Posted in Historical, Inspirational, mystery, suspense on August 8, 2021

 

 

 

 

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque: A Novel

 

by

 

Todd M. Johnson

 

Genre: Historical Mystery, Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

 

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 3, 2021)

 

 

Synopsis

 

As a barrister in 1818 London, William Snopes has witnessed firsthand the danger of only the wealthy having their voices heard, and he’s a strong advocate who defends the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Madeleine Jameson, arrives at his door.

In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in a merchant brig, the Padget. The ship was granted a rare privilege by the king’s regent: a Letter of Marque authorizing the captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the Padget returns to London, her crew is met by soldiers ready to take possession of their goods and arrest the captain for piracy. And the Letter—-the sole proof his actions were legal—has mysteriously vanished.

Moved by the lady’s distress, intrigued by the Letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, Snopes takes the case. But as he delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more perilous than he’d imagined.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * IndieBound

 

 

Advance Praise

 

“Johnson debuts with a tense story of powerful interests teaming up to thwart a legal challenge in Georgian-era England…Johnson steeps his story in legal maneuvering, layers of intrigue, midnight chases, and even a hint of romance. While faith elements are subtle, this enthralling novel will appeal to fans of both legal thrillers and historical inspirationals.”— Publishers Weekly

“… a mystery worthy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This richly historical and lively paced story has all the makings of a modern classic.”— Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Shadows of the White City

“At once atmospheric and gripping, Johnson’s latest is a luminous and refreshing new offering in inspirational historical fiction.”— Rachel McMillan, bestselling author of The London Restoration, and The Mozart Code

“A fascinating glimpse into a Regency London readers seldom see.”— Roseanna M. White, bestselling author of Edwardian fiction

 

 

About the Author

 

Todd M. Johnson is the author of three legal thrillers: The Deposit Slip (2012), Critical Reaction (2013), and Fatal Trust (2017), and The Barrister and the Letter of Marque (2021), his first foray into historical mystery. He has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years, specializing as a trial lawyer. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Minnesota Law School, he also taught for two years as adjunct professor of International Law and served as a US diplomat in Hong Kong. He lives outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and daughter.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on August 8, 2021

 

 

 

 

The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Independently Published (August 2, 2021)
Digital Print Length ‏ 312Pages

 

Synopsis

 

A ghost, a witch, a sassy cat, and a mystery. Hayden’s adventures in Destiny Falls continue when a mysterious old man keeps popping up to tell her a series of tall tales. Who is he? And is he actually glowing? Are his stories fiction, or is he telling her the history of her family, the enchanted islands, and the witch? And why did a dead body show up . . . of someone who is already dead? Can Hayden and her brave, quirky sidekick, Latifa unscramble this mystery before someone else turns up dead?

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Review

 

This series is more than just a mystery book, it is magical, about family, and of course murder with Hayden and friends working to solve the mystery.

This series continues to capture my attention as I get to know Hayden and her family a bit more, plus the magical world of Destiny Falls. I have so many questions, and this book answers some of them but not all….because there has to be something left for future books, right? I love all of the characters and some of them are quirky and unique and I love that because it makes the series so much more interesting. We are introduced to a new character, Gaspar, a friendly ghost, that has quite a tale to spin for Hayden. There is more to him than meets the eye and we learn more about him by accident and then his stories make a lot more sense. Actually, you could say it is a plot within a plot and adds dimension to the book.

I think one of my favorite characters is the whimsical Cleobella. She is a woman of few words, but her outfits and character bring joy to the book. There is more to her than meets the eye and even though she can’t speak, she has a big impact on Hayden and even the cats….all of them! I like that Hayden seeks to learn sign language to be able to communicate with her more often.

Hayden is continuing to get to know her family better and was recently put in charge of the town newspaper. That is quite an undertaking but she has the skills to handle it all on her own. I like that she respects the police and isn’t out to sensationalize everything and only reports what they ask her to report.

Of course, you have to have a little bit of romance, and Hayden and Han are kicking things off once this mystery is solved. This of course motivates both of them to figure out what happened so they can go on that first date. I won’t tell you how it goes or what happens because there are some things that leave you hanging and impatiently waiting for the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed the first two books but this one really took it up a notch so I have higher expectations for the next book!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives near Seattle and is the mother of four and nana to one.

 

NoCrySolution​.com | Facebook | Pinterest

 

Instagram |  Website | Amazon

 

 

Giveaway

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, Thriller on August 7, 2021

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Jane has lost everything: job, mother, relationship, even her home. A friend calls to offer an unusual deal—a cottage above the crashing surf of Big Sur on the estate of his employer, Evan Rochester. In return, Jane will tutor his teenage daughter. She accepts.

But nothing is quite as it seems at the Rochester estate. Though he’s been accused of murdering his glamorous and troubled wife, Evan Rochester insists she drowned herself. Jane is skeptical, but she still finds herself falling for the brilliant and secretive entrepreneur and growing close to his daughter.

And yet her deepening feelings for Evan can’t disguise dark suspicions aroused when a ghostly presence repeatedly appears in the night’s mist and fog. Jane embarks on an intense search for answers and uncovers evidence that soon puts Evan’s innocence into question. She’s determined to discover what really happened that fateful night, but what will the truth cost her?

 

 

Amazon * B&N * BAM * Indiebound

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Jane Eyre for the Modern Age with Lindsay Marcott

 

What is it about Jane Eyre that has made it a blockbuster for over a hundred and seventy years? The breathtaking writing, yes. The gripping plot: part Gothic romance, part coming-of-age story. The swooning romance between a rich man and a poor orphan, and the shock of the mad wife secreted in an attic.

But I think most of all it’s the voice of Jane herself: a young woman with an extraordinary sense of her own worth and independence. A voice that was revolutionary in 1847 when Charlotte Brontë published it. At the time, women had little say outside family and home. Their career opportunities outside of marriage were limited to underpaid servants and schoolteachers. Female characters in early Victorian novels were usually portrayed as either sugary too-good-to-be-true angels or fallen women seeking repentance.

Jane is neither. She’s constricted by the society she lives in–she needs to keep a stifling job as a governess or else starve to death—but she makes it clear she’d rather starve than sacrifice her will or stifle her intelligence. As a child, she has a temper and a will, even though she’s punished harshly for it. Later, when her employer, Mr. Rochester, grills her, she responds with strong opinions and engages in spirited debates. And when he tempts her to go live in sin with him in Europe, she escapes through the only means available to her—by running off to the surrounding moors, though it probably means she will die in those wilds. And she will not return to him until she learns he has fundamentally changed, and she can now love him passionately and physically without compromising her true self.

I believe it’s this will and independence of Jane’s that keep modern readers coming back for more (not to mention that throbbing romance!), and these are the same elements that inspire continual adaptations of the story. I had long dreamed of creating modern versions of these characters, because they so thrilled and delighted me and taught me life lessons over many years of my rereading the book. A nervy dream, yes. But also one that presented huge challenges: there are so many elements of the book that just won’t fly in an updated story.

For example: a current-day Jane would not be able to keep her curiosity under wraps about all the strange and spooky things going on in Mr. Rochester’s house. She wouldn’t just accept vague explanations or agree to his request to simply not ask about them. She would be itching to find out more.

Also a sexual relationship outside of marriage is no longer a taboo for most women of today. Jane wouldn’t have to flee that temptation. And of course a modern Mr. Rochester would be able to divorce a mad wife, though no doubt having to pay a heavy alimony for her future care. So that’s no longer even an obstacle.

But lies are always a problem in a relationship. Especially big lies.

A secret bigamist is a pretty big lie.

Being a secret murderer would be an even bigger one.

It was thinking about this that gave me the idea of adapting the book as a modern thriller. One in which Rochester does not have a stashed-away wife—instead he’s suspected of murdering a famous wife who has now disappeared. Jane would have to surreptitiously seek out the truth about him–guilty or not?–before she could give in to falling in love. And when spooky things happened, she would need to confront those as well. She would be risking an enormous amount. Losing the love of her life. And maybe also losing her life.

And so I set about writing a thriller, adding startling new twists, putting in jumps and shivers. The result is Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost. It was a joy to write, and I certainly hope it’s an equal joy to read.

 

Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost Excerpt

 

The fog streamed in white scarves and pennants, with a bright half moon playing hide-and-seek among them. I walked briskly down the asphalt drive, Pilot racing figure eights around me. We cut across switchbacks toward the highway. I kept to the gravel shoulder as the grade descended.

A pair of headlights glowered in the mist, then swept swiftly by.

The highway continued to dip. Pilot romped ahead and disappeared from my sight around a curve.

“Pilot!” I heard him barking but couldn’t see him. I quickened my steps.

I found myself in the middle of a dense cloud. Fog gathered in the depression in the road.

“Pilot?” I yelled again. “Where are you?”

Excited yapping. But he was a ghost dog.

The roar of a motorcycle echoed from around the far side of the bend. Through the blanketing cloud, I caught a glimpse of the poodle trotting onto the road.

“Pilot, get back here!” I screamed.

The motorcycle’s headlamp glowed dimly as it appeared on the near side of the bend. Pilot barked with sudden frenzy. The headlamp veered crazily. Pilot darted off the road into the underbrush. A sickening sound of tires skidding out of control on gravel. A shout.

With horror, I watched motorcycle and rider slam down onto the gravel shoulder.

I ran toward the rider. He was sprawled crookedly next to the bike, but his limbs, encased in black leather and jeans, were moving stiffly. Alive, at least. With a groan, he hoisted himself up onto his elbows.

“Are you okay?” I shined my flashlight on him. He whipped his head. “What the hell are you?”

“Just a person,” I said quickly.

He yanked his goggles down. “For Chrissake. I meant who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Taking a walk.”

“What kind of lunatic goes out for a walk in this kind of fog?”

“Maybe the same kind of lunatic who drives way too fast in it.”

“You call that fast? Christ.” He gingerly gathered himself into a sitting position, then flexed his feet in the heavy boots experimentally. He took off his helmet and shook out a head of rough black curls. A week’s tangle of rough salt-and-pepper beard nearly obscured a wide mouth. The prominent nose might be called stately on a more good-natured face. “What the hell was that creature in the middle of the road?”

“A dog.”

“A dog?”

“A standard poodle. Unclipped.”

He put the helmet back on, then pulled a cell phone from his jacket and squinted at the screen. “Nothing,” he muttered.

“The reception’s kind of iffy around here.”

He flung out an arm. “Help me up, okay?”

I approached him tentatively. He was over six feet and powerfully built. About twice my weight, I guessed. “I’m not sure I can pull you.”

“Yeah, you probably can’t. Stoop down a little.”

God, he’s rude. I did, and he draped his arm around my shoulder, transferring his weight. My knees buckled a little but didn’t give. He began to stand, crumpled slightly, then got his balance and pulled himself up straight.

I suddenly became aware of his intense physicality. The power of his arm and shoulder against my body, the taut spring of the muscles in his chest. As if he sensed what I was feeling, he shook off my support and stood on his own feet.

“At least you can put weight on your feet,” I said. “That’s a good sign.”

“Are you a medical professional?”

“No.”

“Then your opinion doesn’t count for much at the moment.”

Go to hell, was on the tip of my tongue. But the fog’s chill was making me sniffle. It seemed absurd to attempt a stinging retort with a dripping nose. I swiped it surreptitiously with the sleeve of my jacket.

He walked, limping slightly, to the Harley. “This thing’s supposed to take a corner. That’s the main reason I bought it!” He gave the seat a savage kick. Then he hopped on his nonkicking boot and shook a fist as if in defiance of some bully of a god who particularly had it in for him.

I laughed.

He whirled on me. My laughter froze. The look of fury on his face sent a thrill of alarm through me. I edged backward; I felt at that moment he could murder me without compunction and leave my corpse to be devoured by coyotes and bobcats.

But then, to my astonishment, he grinned. “You’re right. I look like an ass.”

Pilot suddenly came crashing out of the underbrush.

“Is that your mutt?”

“Yes. Though, actually, not mine. He’s a recent addition at the place I’m staying.”

He stared at me, a thought dawning. I forced myself to stare back: deep-set eyes, dark as ink. I was about to introduce myself, but he yanked the goggles back over his eyes and stooped to the handlebar of the bike. “Help me get this up. Grab the other bar. You pull and I’ll push.”

“It’s too heavy.”

“I’ll do the heavy lifting. Just do what you can.”

Obstinately, I didn’t move.

“Please,” he added. He made the word sound like an obscenity.

I took a grudging step forward and grabbed hold of the handlebar with both hands. I tugged it toward me as he lifted his side with a grunt. The bike slowly rose upright.

“Hold it steady,” he said.

It felt like it weighed several tons—it took every ounce of my strength to keep my side up as he straddled the seat. He grasped both bars. Engaged the clutch, cursing in pain as he stomped on the pedal. He glanced at me briefly.

And then, sending up a heavy spray of gravel, the Harley roared off into the enveloping fog.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Rochester!” I shouted into the deepening gloom.

About the Author

 

Lindsay Marcott is the author of The Producer’s Daughter and six previous novels written as Lindsay Maracotta. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and adapted for cable. She also wrote for the Emmy-nominated HBO series The Hitchhiker and co-produced a number of films. She lives on the coast of California.

 

Website * Twitter

 

 

 

Giveaway

 

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Posted in Book Blast, Poetry, Travel on August 6, 2021

 

 

 

The Forgotten World

 

by

 

Nick Courtright

 

 

Genre: Poetry / Travel / Fatherhood

Publisher: Gold Wake Press

Date of Publication: August 1, 2021

Number of Pages: 88 Pages

 

 

 

 

 

In his third collection, poet Nick Courtright explores the world at large in an effort to reconcile selfhood as an American in the international community, while also seeking anchors for remembering a wider world often lost to view in our shared though increasingly isolated experience of reality.

Beginning in Africa with investigations of religion and love, The Forgotten World then moves to Latin America to tackle colonialism and whiteness. From there it travels to Asia to discuss economic stratification and Europe to explore art and mental health, culminating in a stirring homecoming to troubled America, where family, the future, and what matters most rise to the forefront of consideration.

Through all of it, Courtright displays a deft hand, at once pained, at once bright, to discover that although the wider world seems farther away than before, the lessons it offers are more needed than ever.

 

 

Praise

 

“InThe Forgotten World, Nick Courtright explores the intersections of being a citizen of one country and the desire to live as a citizen of the world…” – Octavio Quintanilla, author ofIf I Go Missingand 2018-2020 Poet Laureate of San Antonio. 

 

Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Courtright is the author of The Forgotten World (2021), Let There Be Light (2014) and Punchline (2012), and is the Executive Editor of Atmosphere Press. His work has appeared in The Harvard Review, Kenyon Review, and The Southern Review among dozens of others. With a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Texas, Nick lives in Austin with the poet Lisa Mottolo and their children, William and Samuel. Find him online and watching birds on his porch.

 

 

Website * Amazon  ◆  Goodreads

 

 Atmosphere Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each stop on this book blitz

 

 

 

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Posted in 5 paws, fiction, Giveaway, Historical, Review, Southern on August 5, 2021

 

 

 

UNDER THE BAYOU MOON

 

by

 

Valerie Fraser Luesse

 

 

Categories: Fiction / Christian / Historical

 

Publisher: Revell

 

Date of Publication: August 3, 2021

 

Number of Pages: 352

 

Scroll down for the giveaway! 

 

 

 

 

When Ellie Fields accepts a teaching job in a tiny Louisiana town deep in bayou country in 1949, she knows her life will change–but she could never imagine just how dramatically.

Though rightfully suspicious of outsiders, who have threatened both their language and their unique culture, most of the residents come to appreciate the young and idealistic schoolteacher, and she’s soon teaching just about everyone, despite opposition from both the school board and a politician with ulterior motives. Yet it’s the lessons Ellie herself will learn–from new friends, a captivating Cajun fisherman, and even a legendary white alligator haunting the bayou–that will make all the difference.

Take a step away from the familiar and enter the shadowy waters of bayou country for a story of risk, resilience, and romance.

 

 

Baker Book House • Amazon • Christianbook.com

 

Other Revell Books Affiliates

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a hard time getting into another book that I was reading, so I decided to pick this one up knowing that it needed to be read soon. I could NOT put the book down! Oh My Word! I feel like the author must have looked into my family tree when writing these characters in South Louisiana. Heck, even one of the characters had the same last name as people in my family tree. I guess this is what happens when an author writes about the Cajun culture with which I am somewhat familiar…but even I learned a few things.

This story takes us back to the late 40s in a small town where poverty runs rampant but the sense of community is humbling. These people looked out for each other and while it might be hard to give their trust to you, once you have earned it there is no looking back. The camaraderie is what we should all try to achieve in our own lives.

Ellie accepted a teaching position in this small town and she is exactly what they need to educate their children and breathe life into this sleepy little town. From the moment she arrives, she wants nothing more than to foster a positive environment for the children because word is that the previous teachers were not kind. All because one man didn’t want French to be spoken by anyone, mostly because he couldn’t speak it and didn’t know what they were saying. But you can’t stamp out heritage and embracing the dual languages can only be a good thing. But that was then and this is now and the mindset was very different.

Even though Ellie is there to teach the children, she finds love with Raphe, a local man that is raising his nephew. Their journey together is beautiful and reminds us that you can find love if you only take the chance.

Perhaps one of my favorite characters is Heywood. Ellie first meets him in New Orleans by chance, but they form a fast friendship that spans the years. Heywood has his own issues by believing he won’t live to see his 30th birthday. I liked how Ellie brought all of this into perspective for him and encouraged him to see a different path for his life.

This tiny town has its share of tragedies that might have brought another community to its knees. Not this town. They rallied around each other and found solutions that worked for everyone. I liked that they did not discriminate based on color or religion.

I loved every bit of this book and highly recommend it to everyone. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the bestselling author of Missing Isaac, Almost Home, and The Key to Everything, as well as an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she is currently senior travel editor. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse received the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society for her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana. A graduate of Auburn University and Baylor University, she lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Dave.

 

WebsiteFacebook * Blog

 

Amazon Author Page * BookBub

 

 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 

ONE WINNER: 

 

A copy of Under the Bayou Moon, $10 Starbucks gift card,  

 

& Flavors of the Bayou seasonings gift box.   

 

(US only, ends midnight, CDT, 8/13/2021)  

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily.  

 
Or, visit the blogs directly: 

 

 

8/3/21 Notable Quotable All the Ups and Downs
8/3/21 BONUS Promo LSBBT Blog
8/4/21 Author Interview The Book’s Delight
8/4/21 BONUS Promo Hall Ways Blog
8/5/21 Review StoreyBook Reviews
8/6/21 Review Tangled in Text
8/7/21 Excerpt Stories Under Starlight
8/8/21 Excerpt Forgotten Winds
8/9/21 Review The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
8/10/21 Top Five Chapter Break Book Blog
8/11/21 Review Jennie Reads
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Posted in Book Release, romance on August 5, 2021

 

 

 The ace photographer and the supermodel, they should have been a match made in heaven.

Instead, they fought like the demons of hell.

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Complicated, surly, and sexy, Manav Apte was probably the only photographer who resented his muse. From the day he’d seen her, there had been no other. Unfortunately, she was the one woman he could never have.

Passionate, talented, and gorgeous, Diana Severes refused to give the temperamental ass behind the camera the satisfaction of knowing he got under her skin. It was, however, impossible not to notice him or his glowering disapproval that trailed her everywhere she went.

Their dislike and distrust of each other is legendary in the fashion industry and yet, the sparks that fly when they come together for work are enough to light the sets on fire.

Will the Golden Girl of India’s fashion scene be able to see beyond his hatred to the love he’s desperately trying to mask? And will the country’s most talented photographer realise that his true talent lies not in what he views through his lens but what he sees through the filter of his heart?

 

 

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Excerpt

 

We walked along the beach. Me in my shorts and black t-shirt, Diana in a glamorous white beach dress with lace trim. If there was ever a contrast competition, we’d win it hands down.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

Diana shrugged. “I guess. That was unpleasant but necessary. I’ll get next steps in place as soon as we get back to Mumbai.”

“Will your family be okay with this?”

“My parents don’t get a say in my career decisions. My dad is ex-army and my mom is a teacher. They don’t understand how this world works anyway.” She sidestepped some dog shit on the beach, moving a little closer to me.

I itched to wrap an arm around her, pull her in for a hug and kiss her. Instead, I clenched my hands in my pockets, Adil’s words still echoing in my head.

“My brother, who is a typical tech nerd, wouldn’t bother to venture an opinion either. The only other person who would have understood was Andrew, the brother who died. He was the one who encouraged me to get into modelling and pursue my dreams.” Tears glimmered in her eyes, a stray one streaking across one golden hued cheek.

“And this was your dream? To be a model?”

She stared back towards the resort in the distance, her mind somewhere I couldn’t follow.

“I wanted the fame, the glamour and the money. I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be someone. Modeling gave me all of that and when my time ends, and it will end, we all know that, I have a backup plan in place for that too.”

I stared at her, seeing her, truly seeing her for the first time since I’d met her two years ago. She was so much more than that gorgeous face and bubbly personality that people mistook to be the entirety of her.

“I wanted to be a wildlife photographer,” I blurted out with all the finesse of a horny sixteen year old.

“You can still be one,” she smiled. “Just in addition to what you already do.”

“I work nonstop. I’d never be able to find the time,” I muttered.

“We can always find the time if it’s important enough to us. We make time when we want to.” She cupped my cheek and pressed a light kiss on to it.

She was right. We made time and space for what we wanted, for what was important to us. And in that moment, I knew… Diana was desperately important to me.

“Everything he said was true, you know,” I told her, shoving my hands deeper into my pockets to keep them from reaching for her.

“Everything I said was true too, Manav,” she smiled, sadly. “But what is your truth?”

What was my truth? It was buried under so many years of misery, pain, and heartache, would I recognize it even if I found it?

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Shilpa Suraj wears many hats – corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.

An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.

 

 

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Posted in Audio Book, Book Release, memoir, nonfiction on August 4, 2021

 

 

Release date: August 5, 2021

 

Publisher: Audible, Audible Original

 

Format: Audiobook

 

Narrator: Kate Nason

 

Length: 9 hours 19 minutes

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Seven years into her second marriage, Kate Nason discovered her husband was cheating on her. Then, the unimaginable happened. Kate woke to the news that one of her husband’s “other women” was involved with an American president. It was January of 1998. The press surrounded her home, clamoring for details and transformed Kate’s private heartbreak into public humiliation.

Nason’s memoir uncovers the little-known side of a well-known story, unveiling a cautionary tale about the ways we deceive ourselves when we allow ourselves to be deceived by those we love. Everything Is Perfect is an intimate reveal of infidelity, gaslighting, and the silent wife at the press conference. Nason explores the roles women inhabit throughout their lives, how they carry trauma, and the lengths they’ll go to protect their children and save themselves. It’s a fierce and often funny self-reckoning, a meditation on learning to trust one’s intuition, and a case study of how one woman undid a bad “I do.”

In the tradition of Lisa Brennan Jobs’s Small Fry or Chanel Miller’s Know My Name, Everything is Perfect is a memoir that goes deeper than the familiar news story within. It’s a beautifully written, deeply personal, unsparing self-portrait.

 

 

Audible

 

About the Author

 

Kate Nason is a writer who earned her BA in Art History from the University of California at Los Angeles. After graduation, she fled to Florence, Italy, where she planned to live for the rest of her life. After two blissful years, she reluctantly returned to Los Angeles to enjoy a rewarding career in the LA contemporary art scene while simultaneously making dreadful choices in men.

In 1994, she moved to Portland, Oregon where she started her own design business, divorced her second husband, and raised two children as a happily single mother. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her beloved husband—proof that two wrongs do make a right. Kate returns to Florence every chance she gets.

 

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