Innocents at home by Linda Ulleseit

 A five-month voyage to the Holy Land in 1867 led Mark Twain to write his novel Innocents

Abroad. But what happened to those innocents after they returned to New York? Innocents at Home tells the tale of Nina Larrowe and Emma Beach, two of Twain's shipmates.

Nina Larrowe anticipates resuming her place in New York society, but Twain's careless remarks about her behavior ostracize her and force her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew. Nina becomes an actress and embarks on a life she never could have imagined. After a series of disappointments, Nina must rise from the ashes once again to craft a life she can take pride in.

The daughter of a newspaper magnate, Emma Beach falls head-long in love with the flirtatious Sam on her trip to the Holy Land. Her dreams are proven to be fantasies when Sam marries another. She is content to spend her days painting and taking care of others...until she realizes there could be more to the life she's been living and reaches for a chance at her own happiness.

Inspired by Nina's autobiography and Emma's letters to Mark Twain, Innocents at Home explores how these two women inspire each other to overcome devastation and discover the courage to live life on their own terms.

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: Innocents at Home: 9798218421724: Ulleseit, Linda: Books

I have always loved to write stories. Somewhere I have a story written in crayon on lined newsprint paper from elementary school. It's about a pig. I know that because there's a pink circle with a curly pink tail. My stories have evolved quite a bit since then!

I wrote secretly for many years, through middle school, high school, and college. I became a teacher and remember telling my sixth graders, "Everyone has a story. Of COURSE you can write it! You need perseverance first, to finish it. Then we'll talk about making it better." Hmmm, I thought. Maybe I should practice what I preached. So I finished On a Wing and a Dare, which I'd been working on for five years. I was very proud of it. Beta readers ripped it apart. It took two more years of polishing before I published it.

Now I can say I write stories empowering unknown women in history. Bringing these voices to life is my passion. UNDER THE ALMOND TREES does this, as well as THE ALOHA SPIRIT and THE RIVER REMEMBERS.

Linda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and is a retired elementary school teacher. She has an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University, is Marketing Chair of Women Writing the West, and a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers. She enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending time with her family.

My Thoughts...

Historical fiction fans who love the Victorian age are sure to enjoy this one. Strong women characters that have common struggles make this one worth reading. Very well written.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Summer of Love and Death by Marcy McCreary

 The summer of ’69: memorable for some, murder for others.

Detective Susan Ford and her new partner, Detective Jack Tomelli, are called to a crime scene at the local summer stock theater where they find the director of Murder on the Orient Express gruesomely murdered―naked, face caked in makeup, pillow at his feet, wrists and ankles bound by rope. When Susan describes the murder to her dad, retired detective Will Ford, he recognizes the MO of a 1969 serial killer . . . a case he worked fifty years ago.

Will remembers a lot of things about that summer―the Woodstock Festival, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Miracle Mets―yet he is fuzzy on the details of the decades-old case. But when Susan and Jack discover the old case files, his memories start trickling back. And with each old and new clue, Susan, Jack, and Will must narrow down the pool of suspects before the killer strikes again.

Pick up your copy here....                                                                                                                                    The Summer of Love and Death (3) (A Ford Family Mystery): McCreary, Marcy: 9780744310597: Amazon.com: Books

Marcy McCreary is the author of the Ford Family Mystery series: The Summer of Love and Death, The Murder of Madison Garcia, winner of the Voice Arts Award for best audiobook in the mystery category, and The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon, which was a finalist for a Silver Falchion Award for Best Investigator Mystery. Her essays about crime fiction have appeared in Mystery & Suspense, Criminal Element, Women Writers/Women’s Books, and Mystery Readers Journal. She graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in American literature and political science and pursued a career in marketing and communications. She lives in Hull, MA with her husband, Lew.

My Thoughts...

This has dual timelines if you like them, you will enjoy this one. A whodunit cozy mystery, and did I say Woodstock.
It's a cozy mystery at its best. It was a very entertaining mystery.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

When Secrets Come Calling by Felicia Ferguson

 

Past secrets. A second chance. But can the truth really set them free?

When former University of Alabama and Titans wide receiver Dax Carpenter learns his father is accused of a forty-year-old robbery and murder, he turns to the only person he trusts to discover the truth: his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin Fitzhugh.

Caitlin, a cold-case specialist with the Alabama State Division of Investigations, wants nothing to do with the case nor Dax. Not only is the evidence against Dax’s father already condemning, she can’t risk having her heart broken—again.

Caitlin’s boss, however, ignores her arguments, and she begrudgingly takes the consult, convincing herself she can keep the case and her past with Dax separate. But unlike her, longings and memories don’t follow orders. While she lends her skills to the Gulf Shores Police Department in the search for the truth, Dax fends off a possibly career-ending social media hit—leading him to question everything he knows about his father and himself.

As the secrets of both their pasts unfold, they discover whether Dax’s father truly robbed and murdered a man forty years ago but also why Caitlin ended their relationship. Secrets that could drive a wedge between them, forever.

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When Secrets Come Calling: A Second Chance Southern Romantic Suspense: Ferguson, Felicia: 9798990086609: Amazon.com: Books

Felicia achieved master’s degrees in Healthcare Administration and Speech-Language Pathology, but has written since childhood and dreamed of authoring books that teach and inspire others. An award-winning fiction and non-fiction freelance writer, she has published several devotions and sweet romance short stories. Her passion, however, is writing women’s fiction and romantic suspense with strong female characters who work through their traumas and tragedies using biblical principles and counseling techniques. Her radio devotional, Build Faith for the Journey, airs Saturdays on Christian Mix 106.

As a child, Felicia lived in Kansas, Texas, and Louisiana before her family settled on a horse and cattle farm in Kentucky. As an adult, she lived in Tennessee for two years and later spent ten years in the Florida panhandle soaking up the sand and sun. But then she moved once again. This time out of the South and into the mountains of Colorado. When she’s not glued to her laptop, Felicia enjoys hiking, Bible studies with friends, and looking forward to the next story.

I love Womens fiction. Give me romance and a little suspense and I'm happy. This was my first book by Ferguson. I recommend it.

Show Boards by Lea Dixon

 

Surprise & delight with charcuterie masterpieces!

It's time to elevate your hosting game. You can make every gathering an unforgettable experience with the magic of creative charcuterie and grazing boards. Whether you’re hosting a casual get-together or a more sophisticated soirée, Show Boards offers delicious designs for edible art that will wow your guests―from the Wildflower Crudités display and Solar System spread to the Boom Box Board and Charcuterie Chalet. Step-by-step instructions and clear photos help you create platters filled with artistry and amazing food.

- Treat your guests to fifty picture-perfect boards that defy expectations
- Craft flavorful illusions around fun themes, holidays, and seasons
- Find inspiration for personalized platters that celebrate milestones and events
- Spark connection, conversation, and joy over showstopping displays

Show Boards is your go-to guide for fun party platters that taste as good as they look. Unleash your creativity and share laughter, love, and stunning food. Welcome to the party!

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Show Boards: Next-Level Platters & Boards That Win the Party: Dixon, Lea: 9781250339782: Amazon.com: Books

Lea Dixon is the creator behind The Platter Girl a fun charcuterie community where you will learn everything you need to know about GRAZING! Lea's first cookbook Mostly Plant Based Platters & Boards guides you through building healthier vegetarian platters with Lea's five step Eat Beautifully Method! Platter Girl is where you will find the best party food ideas on socials! From simple cheesy appetizers to grazing tables to stunning salads and delicious dinners served on a slab of wood - there is something delicious for everyone at Platter Girl! Lea has been showcased on the Scott Brothers Entertainment production Amazing Graze on Discovery+, Oregon 1989 magazine, and developed recipes and boards for The Feed Feed, Farm Rich Foods, Toby's Family Foods, Kelly's Jelly, Castello Cheese USA and many more. Lea lives near Portland, Oregon with her 3 children Phoenix, Indie & Arelia and her husband Ryan.

Buried Road by Katie Tallo

 

When the love of her life disappeared on a camping trip, Gus Monet was devastated. Her daughter was only nine at the time, but young Bly still remembers the heartbreak vividly. Howard had been like a father to her. He was a journalist working on a story that took a dark and dangerous turn. The last time they saw him, he was going to meet a source he believed could blow the story wide open.

Three years later, shocked to see Howard’s obituary in the paper, Gus and Bly are drawn back to Prince Edward County where he was last seen and where the camper Howard was driving has been found. Sneaking into the camper, mother and daughter find what investigators missed. Hidden behind a secret panel are Howard’s notebook, cell phone, and a video message recorded right before he vanished, evidence that turns the cold case red hot. Searching for answers, Gus and Bly vow to follow the story Howard was pursuing and to expose whoever went to deadly lengths to stop him from revealing the truth.

Told in the compelling, thoughtful voice of young Bly, this edge-of-your-seat thriller ratchets up the tension, culminating in a heart-pounding, soul crushing, shocking finale. Infused with vivid summer imagery, set among eerie abandoned places, and steeped with sinister small-town secrets, Buried Road is the story of a young girl and a mother whose reckless resolve leads them ever closer to lethal danger—but ultimately might be what ensures their survival.

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Amazon.com: Buried Road: A Novel: 9780063360716: Tallo, Katie: Books

Katie Tallo has been an award-winning screenwriter and director for more than three decades. After winning an international contest for unpublished fiction, she began writing novels, including Dark August and Poison Lilies. She has a daughter and lives with her husband in Ottawa, Ontario.

Bad River by Marc Cameron

 In the Inupiaq village of Wainwright on the Arctic Ocean, two teenagers discover a frozen body in the permafrost wall of their family’s cellar. They recognize the face through the ice. It is the face of a young woman who went missing—two years ago . . .

In South Dakota, Arliss Cutter searches for answers surrounding his brother’s mysterious death. But his visit only raises more questions without any leads. Until he returns to Alaska—and learns that his brother had something in common with the frozen body in the ice cellar . . .

Inside the young woman’s pocket is a fossilized animal tooth—similar to the one Arliss’s brother picked up on a trip to South Dakota. A bizarre coincidence? Or are the two connected somehow? Before Arliss can figure it out, his brother’s widow and children become the targets of a brutal home invasion. Arliss arrives on the scene in time to save them—but his actions trigger a larger investigation that puts his own neck on the line. From South Dakota to Anchorage to the Inupiaq villages of the Arctic, Arliss follows this bloodstained trail of clues to a remote lodge on the banks of the Kobuk River. Here, in this unforgiving wilderness, he will find the answers he seeks. Here, in this untamed, often violent land, he will come face to face with the terrible truth—and the man behind his brother’s murder . . .

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Amazon.com: Bad River (An Arliss Cutter Novel): 9781496737632: Cameron, Marc: Books

A retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, Marc Cameron spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement. His assignments have taken him from Alaska to Manhattan, Canada to Mexico and dozens of points in between. He holds a second degree black belt in Jujitsu and is a certified scuba diver and man-tracker.

An avid adventure motorcyclist, Cameron's books heavily feature bikes and bikers--from OSI Agent Jericho Quinn's beloved BMW GS to Harley Davidsons, Royal Enfields, Ducatis and...most everything on two wheels.

Cameron lives in the Alaska with his wife, blue heeler dog, and BMW GS motorcycle. Visit him at: www.marccameronbooks.com

Puzzle Me A Murder by Roz Noonan

 

Down-on-her-luck Alice had hoped to retire before turning sixty-five, not struggle to keep her cozy home and dependable job. But even after divorce leaves her golden years a mess, the pieces always come together with a little help from her friends—a fun-loving crew who thrive on jigsaws over coffee, cocktails, and gossip. So, when it’s time to defend close confidant Ruby Milliner, she springs into action. Only, in this case, supporting Ruby means proving she didn’t murder her cheating husband!

Ruby never wanted to kill George, although anger can make a person say questionable—and incriminating—things. And scheming, deceitful George made a lot of people angry. A quick investigation reveals the man was blackmailing whoever he could for a quick payday, from his mistress to the most prominent residents in town . . .

Alice dives into a secret search to exonerate Ruby, fiercely committed to cracking the crime and patching up torn relationships along the way. Despite using her unassuming persona to fly under the radar, slimming down a massive suspect list and restoring peace to West Hazel is a real gamble. Because if successful, Alice will meet a vengeful killer whose game she doesn’t yet know how to play.

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Amazon.com: Puzzle Me a Murder (An Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mystery): 9781496746719: Noonan, Roz: Books

ROSALIND NOONAN is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author published by Kensington Books and Crooked Lane. Her most recent publications include PRETTY, NASTY, LOVELY, AND THEN SHE WAS GONE, and WHERE THE LOST GIRLS GO. In 2015 her Christmas chicklit novel CHARMING CHRISTMAS was made into a movie that aired on the Hallmark channel.

Noonan grew up in suburban Maryland on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. After graduating from Wagner College in Staten Island, she remained in New York City where she was an editor at one of the country's leading book publishing houses. Noonan currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, a retired police detective, and two children. Although she sometimes misses the rapid pulse of New York City, she enjoys writing in the shade of towering two-hundred year old Douglas fir trees. Visit RosalindNoonanBooks.com for more information.