A Gilded Lady by Elizabeth Camden

 

Elizabeth Camden's A Guilded Lady continues the tale that began in The Spice King. In his book Caroline Delacroix, Gray Delacroix's younger sister gets a job as the First Lady's social secretary. Caroline has always been thought of as an empty-headed heiress, but she proves there is more to her than meets the eye. Nathaniel Trask is tasked as one of the first secret service agents. He suspects that Caroline has a secret. I really enjoyed the dialogue and interaction between Caroline and Nathaniel. So grab a pitcher of ice tea and settle in for a fun read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Caroline Delacroix is at the pinnacle of Washington high society in her role as secretary to the first lady of the United States. But beneath the facade of her beauty, glamorous wardrobe, and dazzling personality, she's hiding a terrible secret. If she cannot untangle a web of foreign espionage, her brother will face execution for treason.

Nathaniel Trask is the newly appointed head of the president's Secret Service team. He is immediately suspicious of Caroline despite his overwhelming attraction to her quick wit and undeniable charm. Desperate to keep the president protected, Nathaniel must battle to keep his focus fully on his job as the threat to the president rises.

Amid the glamorous pageantry of Gilded Age Washington, DC, Caroline and Nathaniel will face adventure, danger, and heartbreak in a race against time that will span the continent and the depth of human emotion.

About the author:

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Biography

Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.

Court Of Swans by Melanie Dickerson

 

Melanie Dickerson's Court Of Swans is a fantastic retelling of The Six Swans fairy tale. I loved Delia and Geoffrey. They were honorable people in a time of false accusations. The plot was engaging and fast-moving. I read this in two sittings, only because I could not stay awake any longer to finish the first night. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series. Although this is supposed to be YA I believe anyone who enjoys Medieval Tales would enjoy this.

So grab a pot of tea and settle in for an enjoyable read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Where there is wealth and power, there’s always someone willing to do anything to take it.

England, 1381: Delia’s idyllic life as daughter of an earl is shattered when her father dies and his wife accuses Delia’s seven brothers of treason and murder. The youngest is only ten years old, but this doesn’t stop the guards from hauling them off to the Tower of London. There they await a grim fate, as child-king Richard II is executing anyone who poses a threat to his throne. Delia is their only hope for pardon and freedom.

Sir Geoffrey did not expect his first assignment as captain of the guard to be the arrest of boys so young. He dutifully imprisons the brothers, but he can’t ignore the sense, rooted in personal experience, that injustice and treachery are at work.

Determined to rescue her brothers, Delia secures a position as a seamstress for the queen. Her quest is all but impossible as the executions continue. Sir Geoffrey offers to be her ally, but should she trust him in a court where everyone has an agenda?

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a tender retelling of “The Wild Swans,” where the virtues of loyalty and love face a harrowing showdown with power and fear.

“Set in the harsh society of fourteenth century England, Court of Swans tells a powerful story of forgiveness, love, and choosing joy amid trials. Dickerson continues to impress with her masterful balance of plot and message, capturing attention with a strong heroine and tugging at heartstrings with themes of trusting God when life seems to fall apart. A book perfect for teen and adult readers alike.” —Caroline George, author of Dearest Josephine

• First in a brand-new series set in England: The Dericott Tales
• Full-length clean fairy-tale reimagining
• Includes Discussion Questions for Book Clubs

About the author:

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Biography

Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author who combines her love for all things Medieval with her love of romance and fairy tales. She also loves Regency Romance and has drawn on her Southern heritage to write a romance set in the late 1800s called Magnolia Summer.
Her books have won the Christy Award, two Maggie Awards, The National Reader's Choice Award, and the Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor's degree from The University of Alabama and has taught children and adults in America, Germany, and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing stories of love and adventure near Huntsville, Alabama. Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.MelanieDickerson.com.

She Walks In Majesty by MaryLu Tyndal

 

She Walks In Majesty is the fabulous ending to a powerful series. I loved all 3 books and am sad to have to say goodbye to these folks I have come to love.

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Danger around every corner. Intrigues in everyone’s past. And a romance that’s swoon worthy. She Walks in Majesty is all that and more, with a plot that twists and turns and truths that are hard-hitting. Truly, this is author MaryLu Tyndall at her finest!
—Michelle Griep, Christy Award-winning author of Once Upon a Dickens Christmas


With only a worn document in hand and the Spear of Destiny strapped to her thigh, Seraphina de Mobray, the new Protector of the Spear, must convince the king that her friends are innocent of treason and witchcraft. Who is she to embark on such a lofty task but a lowly servant, an orphan abandoned at birth? Yet each step of the way, the Spear grants her favor and opens a path for her to enter the royal palace. What she finds there is naught but lies, greed, and a danger that threatens her very existence.


Sir Damien LaRage, knight of the elite King's Guard would do anything to protect Seraphina and save his friends, anything except give up his quest for revenge against the person who murdered his parents. Returning to court, to a world of secrets, deceit, and power is exhilarating at first. Then things become dangerous when he must protect Seraphina from those would do her harm. Even himself. For he soon discovers that he must choose between saving her or avenging his parents’ deaths.


The king is ill, and evil takes over the throne as Seraphina must run for her life, and Damien is left to battle against forces not of this world. Meanwhile, darkness suffocates the Knights of the Eternal realm. leaving them defenseless against wicked powers that have taken over Luxley. Only Seraphina and the Spear of Destiny can save them now.

About the author:

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Award winning and best-selling author, MaryLu Tyndall dreamt of pirates and sea-faring adventures during her childhood days on Florida's Coast. After obtaining a degree in Math and working as software engineer for 15 years, she decided to test the waters as a writer. With now more than seventeen books published, she makes no excuses for the deeply spiritual themes embedded within her romantic adventures. As a follower of Christ, her stories often reflect her own journey and walk with God. Her hope is that readers will not only be entertained but will be brought closer to the Creator who loves them beyond measure. In a culture that accepts the occult, wizards, zombies, and vampires without batting an eye, MaryLu hopes to show the awesome present and powerful acts of God in a dying world. MaryLu makes her home with her husband, six children, two grandkids, and three cats on the California coast, where her imagination still surges with the sea.

A Blessing To Cherish by Lauraine Snelling

 

Nice ending to an awesome series! I will miss Blessing North Dakota and all of the people there. I see myself going back and revisiting old friends.

From Amazon:

Though she has known hardships in her life, Ingeborg Bjorklund chooses to focus on all she has been given. Blessed with children and grandchildren, she enjoys the friendship and support of the entire Blessing, North Dakota, community. And after several years of widowhood, she has reached a place of contentment with her life.

Meanwhile, her stepson Thorliff is raising two children alone since his beloved Elizabeth died. But there is a new schoolteacher in town, Louisa Gutenburg, and Thorliff doesn't seem to be himself whenever she's around. It isn't just his obvious fascination with Louisa, but the fact that he seems completely oblivious to it that makes Ingeborg smile. How long before Thorliff realizes what everyone else can see a mile away?

But not everything is comfortable for Ingeborg. One of her dearest friendships is changing--and she will have to decide if her settled, predictable life is worth more to her than a future she hardly dares to imagine.

About the Author:

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Biography

Award-winning and best selling author Lauraine Snelling began living her dream to be a writer with her first published book for young adult readers, Tragedy on the Toutle, in 1982. She has since continued writing more horse books for young girls, adding historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers to her repertoire. All told, she has over eighty books published with more than 4 million copies in print.


Shown in her contemporary romances and women’s fiction, a hallmark of Lauraine’s style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Her work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German, and she has won the Romantic Times Career Achievement award for Inspirational Fiction, the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.


As a sought after speaker, Lauraine encourages others to find their gifts and live their lives with humor and joy. Her readers clamor for more books more often, and Lauraine would like to comply ... if only her paintbrushes and easel didn’t call quite so loudly.

Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a watchdog Basset named Winston. They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.

 

The Holy Bible New Living Translation

 

I have always read the King James Version of the Bible. While I love the poetry of The KJV I must admit I enjoyed reading God's word in everyday English. I would recommend this version to anyone who wants a clearer understanding of The Word Of God.

A Castaway In Cornwall by Julie Klassen

 

 

A Castaway In Cornwall is Julie Klassen's newest novel. I loved all of the descriptions of bygone days in Cornwall. Julie obviously did quite a bit of research into the customs and language. The characters were realistic and I loved the dialogue. The plot was a little slow to develop but picked up towards the end. I do recommend this book to all who love Great Britain and Regency era books. 

So Brew a pot of tea and settle in for your latest Historical fix.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers, Laura Callaway now lives with her uncle and his disapproving wife in North Cornwall. There she feels like a castaway, always viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong.

While wreckers search for valuables along the windswept Cornwall coast--known for its many shipwrecks but few survivors--Laura searches for clues to the lives lost so she can write letters to next of kin and return keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore after a wreck, Laura acts quickly to protect him from a local smuggler determined to destroy him.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the survivor, they discover he has curious wounds and, although he speaks in careful, educated English, his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Despite the evidence against him, the mysterious man might provide her only chance to discover the truth about her parents' fate. With danger pursuing them from every side, and an unexpected attraction growing between them, will Laura ever find the answers she seeks?

About the author:

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Biography

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won the Minnesota Book Award, the Midwest Book Award, and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit www.julieklassen.com and talesfromivyhill.com for more information.

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas! Please take time to remember the reason Jesus came...to provide the gift of eternal life to all who will accept His gift.

God bless you all!

Joseph's Story by Shawn Stanley

 

I really enjoyed Joseph's Story. Shawn Stanley obviously researched the culture of the time and using scripture created a story of what Joseph may have thought and experienced. Can you imagine being asked to raise the Son of God? This is a fantastic story that makes you think. I highly recommend adding Joseph's Story to your Christmas reading.

So settle around the Christmas tree, grab some hot chocolate and cookies. You will enjoy reading about the First Christmas!

I read the free Kindle copy. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Joseph was the happiest man alive. He was going to marry the most beautiful girl in Nazareth. He had some of the best friends anyone could want. His carpentry business was taking off. His furniture and other products that he had built were the talk of the town. Everything seemed to be going Joseph’s way. He had his whole life planned out... Then it all changed. Join me as we plunge into an adventure, based on biblical events, of what Joseph's life may have been like before Jesus was born. A life of oppressive Roman rule, where greed and power and corruption seemed to be rampant; A time of love, betrayal and forgiveness; A time where the heavens touched the earth in helping usher in the most anticipated birth in human history. This is Jospeh's Story

About the author:

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Shawn Stanley lives in the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Stephanie, six children, one dog and two cats. He has completed four years of theological training and taught a Christian seminary class, consisting of high school students, for three years. Along with his love of stories and family, he enjoys construction, camping and boating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0kaRe3SZN0]

Release Day for: A Castaway In Cornwall by Julie Klassen

Releasing today December 1, 2020 

available to order at:

https://smile.amazon.com/Castaway-Cornwall-Julie-Klassen/dp/0764234226/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XV367AUAE1DD&dchild=1&keywords=a+castaway+in+cornwall+julie+klassen&qid=1606823503&sprefix=a+catsaw%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1