Cruel Candy (Cozy Corgi Mysteries Book 1) by Mildred Abbott

Stephanie Smith writing for Caroline Clemmons

Cruel Candy is the first of 22 and counting Cozy Corgi mysteries.  They star Winifred "Fred" Page and her Corgi Watson, who have moved home to Estes Park, Colorado to fulfill her dream of opening a bookshop.  Fred expects to deal with her mom and hippy stepfather, but not murder.  Her stepfather has been charged with murder and she must clear his name while dealing with the town's characters of all sorts.

I love this series.  I have read every one of the books and really enjoyed them.  Ms. Abbott has a corgi and she really breathes life into the character of Watson.  He becomes the bookstore's mascot and is really the co-star of the series.  He is a grumbly curmudgeon who loves only a few and tolerates the rest of the population of Estes only as much as he has to.

Fred is a well-drawn character that grows through the series, yet always remains true to herself.  Her major problem is that she keeps stumbling across corpses.  She feels compelled to find out what caused their deaths.  This despite the danger to herself, her dog, and her loved ones.  Soon she becomes known for her sleuthing or snooping as some call it.  The town starts expecting her to solve these mysteries and the culprits try to prevent her from doing so.  Don't worry, each story ends happily.

While each book can be read as a stand-alone cozy, it is best to read them in order.  You get so much more out of the books if you do so.  Start with Cruel Candy and get ready to get lost in these books.

The Blurb:

Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder. 
Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the Reset button on life. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small-town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry.
When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. The local police have an easy suspect—Barry.
Determined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes.  
With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve…

(This culinary cozy mystery includes a recipe for delectable lemon bars.)

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS

Caroline Clemmons' Book Review of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS, (by) as told to Jeff Guinn

Because I love this time of year, I thought I’d give you a review of the book THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS, as told to Jeff Guinn. This is not a new book, but came out in 2003. In fact, Jeff Guinn now has several follow-up books available. I read the first of the series several years ago. Don’t worry, this review does not contain spoilers.

St. Nicholas

I was relieved to learn the Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas tradition was not a marketing ploy concocted by Madison Avenue. There really was a Saint Nicholas in the sixth century, and he really did go about giving gifts. Okay, he didn’t crawl down the chimney. Homes didn’t have actual chimneys as we know them back then. Many just had a hole in the roof. Not too cozy in bad weather.

Saint Nicholas’ first known gifts were to the daughters of a very poor man. The girls couldn’t marry without a dowry, but their father had none to offer. Each girl had only one pair of stockings and washed that pair at bedtime and hung it by the fire to dry overnight. Taking pity on the girls, Saint Nicholas either (1) tossed bags of gold through the window or (2) put the coins in the stockings the girls left drying by the fire each night. Thus, the girls were able to marry (and, hopefully, each got a second pair of stockings).

Santa relaxes on December 25th

Saint Nicholas was an actual person who went around giving to the poor and helping all those he could. In other words, he did what we’re all supposed to do.  Remarkable that he did what he could in a time when the poor were looked down upon. Remarkable that doing what was right created so much notoriety and controversy and gave him a permanent place in history. Remarkable that we continue his legacy by giving to those we love and, hopefully, to those in need. Whether you call him Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, thanks for continuing his legacy.

SECRET LADY TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

Secret Lady

by Beth Trissel

Don't miss the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post!

GENRE: New Adult, Time Travel, Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SECRET LADY Blurb:

At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house "warbles" between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she'd paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.

Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meet-ing Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?

Against the background of Sheridan's Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?

SECRET LADY excerpt

“They brought the draft back?” This was it. She had officially lost her mind.

“It never went away. Where have you been, miss? More to the point, who are you?” His gruff demand stirred the hair at her cheek.

She tilted her face at him. Only the barest outline of his strong features was visible, and yet… Man, was he hot. Focus Evie. “I told you. I’m Evie McIntyre. I live here with my grandmother. Didn’t you realize?”

“That so? I don’t suppose you would be a spy in a Mennonite house. Still. Never know. I best get a good look at you.”

“Who would I be spying for?”

“Rebs. Neither side wishes me well. I’m in no man’s land.”

Her heart drummed wildly. “Where does that leave me?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” He steadied Evie on her feet.

Was it? She had no idea what was going on and watched dazedly as he took something from the leather pouch hanging over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Lucifers.”

He’d lost her again. There must be a powerful resistance movement at work. She didn’t follow
politics. Maybe she should. Had matters come to an explosive head tonight? Why hadn’t her grandmother said something?

He drew what resembled matches from a small metal container and struck one. Sulphurous sparks added pungency to the room. He lit the stubby candle in a tin lantern on an end table. Shadows danced from the pale taper glowing through the punches in the metal. Pretty, how the light made patterns on the ceiling.

Wait. Where had that lantern come from?

The stained-glass lamp Grandma G. treasured was just there before she went to bed. Dear God in heaven. What had happened to the room?


Secret Lady is available in kindle and print at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B07KNL7K3Z

And in eBook format from all other online publishers.

SECRET LADY Review

Do you believe in soul mates? In SECRET LADY, Evie McIntyre learns to believe. But, a race against time ensues to save her soul mate before Sheridan’s forces begin The Burning that desolated Virginia’s Shenandoah valley in 1864.

My interest was captured by SECRET LADY’s first sentence when the story opened in a Victorian farmhouse on the Lavender and Lace Herb Farm in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Could any site be more appropriate for a romantic adventure? But, this intriguing setting holds a secret. The house whispers to Evie and the sounds are growing stronger.  Why? What is she supposed to do?

For the farm and house tours with which Evie helps her grandmother, Evie must dress in Victorian-style clothing. As the story opens at the end of the day, Evie would like to change clothes, but that would mean going to her room where mysterious whispers call. She relents but before she can change her clothing, she is transported to September 1864 in the same house, at that time owned by the Mennonite Wenger family.

Before she can get her bearings, she encounters Jack Ramsey, a Confederate officer who has defected to join the Underground Railroad of the North. He helps pacifists and injured escape conscription into the Rebel army. He’s seeking refuge with the Wengers, whose sons he helped. When the sleep of those who live there is disturbed they welcome Jack and ask who Evie is. Grasping for an answer, Jack introduces her as his wife.  

Evie learns her grandmother can travel back and forth in time in the house. She calls the portals “warbles” that open and close. Grandma G. warns that Jack does not survive the Civil War and it’s up to Evie to save him by bringing him forward with her.

Jack has trouble believing Evie genuinely is from the future and not demented. Imagine his surprise when her predictions start coming true. Then begins their adventure, warning those they can and preparing for the onslaught. Jack wants to be a guerilla fighter, striking at small bands of Union soldiers. Evie fears if he does, he’ll be killed.

Can Jack and Evie make a difference in the lives of those who face destruction? What will it take to convince Jack he must leave with Evie?       

I enjoy Beth Trissel’s writing. She is very knowledgeable of her subject since she lives in the Shenandoah Valley and her ancestors have since Colonial times. Her descriptions of the land paint word pictures that bring the reader into the scene.  Anyone who enjoys historical romance or time travel or just good writing will enjoy reading SECRET LADY, Ladies in Time Series. I definitely give this 5 out of 5 stars.

       

Beth Trissel, Author

Married to her high school sweetheart, Beth Trissel lives on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia surrounded by her human family and furbabies. An avid gardener, her love of herbs and heirloom plants figures into her work. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the people who journeyed here from far beyond her borders are at the heart of her inspiration. She's especially drawn to colonial America, the drama of the American Revolution, and the Civil War. And she loves a good ghost story. She writes Young Adult, New Adult, historical, time travel, and paranormal romance, plus nonfiction. Secret Lady (Ladies in Time) was based on events that occurred to her ancestors and her husband’s Mennonite forebears during the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.

Secret Lady is available in kindle and print at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B07KNL7K3Z

And in eBook format from all other online publishers.

For more on Beth visit her blog, One Writer’s Way, at: https://bethtrissel.wordpress.com

Connect with Beth on Facebook: Author Beth Trissel

At Twitter: https://twitter.com/BethTrissel

Visit Beth’s Amazon Author Page where all her books reside: https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6

GIVEAWAY  

Beth Trissel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


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ENGLISH PROFESSOR GONE WILD BY DAKOTA MADISON!

Gone Wild

by Dakota Madison

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Romantic Comedy

MY REVIEW OF THE WILD WAY BY DAKOTA MADISON
By Caroline Clemmons

Like tenured English professor, Bly Daniels, I don't like the outdoors and would prefer being indoors reading a book. Unlike this character, I do NOT read while driving (although I've witnessed  other drivers doing so). When Bly is caught and appears in court, she is sentenced to thirty days of community service that for her is comparable to the seventh level of Hell. She must work at the Wild Way, a therapeutic wilderness program for troubled teens. Or, as Bly thinks of them at first, little hooligans.

In only these few sentences, you can see there are certain to be funny circumstances and difficulty for Bly, can't you? Wait until Bly meets Turner Wild, owner and operator of the program. She hates him instantly! But, sexual tension electrifies the air around them. 

I liked Bly from the start even though she appeared a bit stodgy and pedantic. Maybe that's because I'm a bit that way myself. In GONE WILD, Bly makes a giant character arc. I'm still working on mine.

Dakota Madison writes great, witty dialogue and internal musings that keep the story moving forward at a fast pace. A reader simply can't help laughing out loud in places at Ms Madison's clever writing. And, I couldn't stop reading until I'd reached the end. This is my first Dakota Madison book, but now I'm compelled to read each of her books. Yes, she's that good. An easy 5 stars for GONE WILD.

GONE WILD Blurb:

Tenured English professor Bly Daniels believes the short walk from her campus office to the university library is too much exposure to the harsh elements of the outdoors. She would prefer to spend her days (and nights) comfortably seated indoors reading classic literature.

When Bly is arrested for reading one of the great books while driving home, a judge sentences her to thirty days of community service with The Wild Way, a therapeutic wilderness program for troubled teens.

There she meets Turner Wild, the owner and operate of the wilderness program. Turner is everything Bly despises: rugged, unrefined and outdoorsy. For Bly a trip to hell sounds more desirable than spending an entire month with Turner and his band of hooligans as they traverse the woods of rural northwest New Jersey communing with nature.

Bly certainly never expects to form a bond with the troubled teens she’s been assigned to mentor and forge an unlikely relationship with their fearless leader, Turner Wild.

GONE WILD Excerpt:

“This is as far as I go,” the crusty old cab driver barks as he stops in front of a long dirt road that disappears into the woods.

“How far is it to the wilderness camp?” I ask.

“Pretty far, I would imagine. It’s not visible from the road at all.”

“And how am I supposed to get there?”

“I guess you’re just going to have to walk.”

I laugh until I realize he’s not joking. He expects me to walk into the woods on a dirt road that is God knows how long.

Then I realize I’ll also have to carry my bag as well. I could barely carry my suitcase to the front stoop for him to place in his truck.

“I can only take the cab on paved roads,” he tells me. “Company rules.”

Is that supposed to make me feel better? It doesn’t.

I heave a huge sigh. “How much do I owe you?”

“Thirty.”

I hand him three ten dollar bills, plus a five dollar tip.

“Let me get your bag out of the trunk.”

When he exits the cab I take a moment to compose myself. I’m already so far out of my comfort zone I feel like I’m having a panic attack, and I haven’t even made it to the camp yet.

You’re an intelligent woman with a doctoral degree, I remind myself. You can do this.

By the time I exit the cab my bag is already on the side of the road waiting for me.

“Good luck,” the cab driver says.

“Thanks.”

It probably wasn’t the smartest idea I ever had to wear a dress and pumps. In my defense I don’t have much else in my wardrobe. Work attire and lounging outfits for around the house are about it. When I teach I always wear a dress or a suit with dress shoes. I wouldn’t be caught dead outside of my home in one of my lounging outfits.

Calling the dirt pathway a road is extremely generous. The trail is much rockier and uneven than I initially thought. The shoes I’m wearing are not even close to being appropriate for the conditions. I’ll be lucky if I don’t turn an ankle.

My suitcase is another problem entirely. I can barely make it a few feet before I have to set it down. The muscles in my arms are already throbbing and I haven’t even made it far enough to spot the end of the trail yet.

Luckily it’s still early in the day. I’ve got many hours of sunlight left. Even if it takes me several hours walking a few steps at a time I should make it there before dark.

Unless it’s a few miles to the camp, then I’ll be in a bit of trouble.

Two hours and thirty seven minutes later I’ve had about all that I can take. My feet are blistered and aching. I’m afraid when I finally remove my shoes my feet will be bloody as well.

My arms are so weak I don’t think I can lift the suitcase again.

And I’m on the verge of complete exhaustion.

What was I thinking packing so much stuff? I was thinking I’ll be here an entire month and I need reading materials.

Here is no water but only rock

Rock and no water and the sandy road.

Those words from T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ seem appropriate right now. I take a seat on my suitcase and wipe the sweat from my brow with a tissue that I just happened to have shoved in my pocket. I can’t even remember the last time I sweated. It may have been in high school when we were forced to play those utterly horrendous sports in our Physical Education classes.

I was supposed to be at the apex of my career this year. I was finally promoted from Associate to Full Professor. Edgar had been hinting that when he retired I was first in line to take over as Chairperson of the English Department. I was just a few months away from paying off the mortgage on my house.

Now it looks like I might lose everything, and I’m sitting in the middle of the woods helpless to do anything about it. Edgar was not happy when I told him I needed to take a month of personal leave and he’d need to find a substitute to teach my classes. That coupled with the fact that my arrest and conviction has tarnished the reputation of the institution does not bode well for me still having a career upon my return from this journey into the wilderness. 

The sun is starting to get higher overhead, and it’s beating down on me. I’m not sure how much of the blistering brightness my pale skin can take. I should probably edge closer to the tree line where it’s shaded, but I’m too exhausted to move. 

I’m just about to fall asleep seated on my suitcase when a large pickup truck whizzes by. I try to raise a hand to wave the driver over, but to no avail. My arm won’t lift high enough.

Instead I choke on the dust left in the truck’s wake.

Then to my surprise the trucks comes to a screeching halt, reverses and heads back towards me.

When I rise to greet the driver my legs feel like cooked noodles. They’re so weak I can barely control them as I move towards the truck.

My eyes go wide when I see who has hopped out of the vehicle. The driver is a young, petite woman of Asian descent.

From the neck up she’s beautiful, with long silky dark hair and perfect features. From the neck down she’s dressed like a man. She’s wearing well-worn jeans, black combat boots and a green Army jacket.

“Are you lost?” Her tone is accusatory, definitely not friendly.

I shake my head.

“You know this road leads to a wilderness camp for troubled teens.”

“I do.”

She looks me up and down. “You don’t look like you’re ready for the wilderness, and you’re definitely not a teenager.”

“I’m aware of that.” My voice is weary. “I’m court ordered to be here. Community service.”

She rolls her eyes. “Lucky us.”

“Unfortunately the cab driver wouldn’t take me beyond the main road. I’ve been walking for hours.”

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wild-Love-Midlife-Book-ebook/dp/B01DSH1CBC

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gone-wild-dakota-madison/1123693969

Dakota Madison, Author, with husband

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

USA TODAY Bestselling author Dakota Madison is known for writing new adult, love in midlife, and contemporary romance with a little spice and lots of heart. Dakota is a winner of the prestigious RONE Award for Excellence in the Indie and Small Publishing Industry. When she's not at her computer creating spicy stories Dakota likes to spend time with her husband and their bloodhounds. Dakota also writes under the pen names SAVANNAH YOUNG, SIERRA AVALON and REN MONTERREY.

Where to find DAKOTA...

Website: http://www.karen-mueller-bryson.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenMuellerBrysonAuthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/karenmbryson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmbryson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenmbryson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Dakota Madison will be awarding 3 eCopies of STILL FINE AT FORTY by Dakota Madison to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

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SMART BLONDES - REVIEW OF A FUN BOOK

Smart Blondes

by Sonia Koso

PRIZE FOR THE TOUR:

• One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

MY REVIEW

In SMART BLONDES, Sonia Koso has created a fun read for women of any age. While her daughter is at summer camp, Carrie Pryce discovers her husband in an extremely compromising position in their kitchen with the nanny. She returns to her hometown lick her wounds, so to speak, and soon reconnects with her childhood friend Portia, now a lawyer. 

Carrie's mother-in-law has been the Pryce matriarch who controls the family. Carrie's mom, on the other hand, is a lovely, supportive woman who welcomes Carrie back. Her family friend, Deane, is like a second mother to Carrie and Portia. As Carrie recovers her self-esteem, she remembers why she loved her hometown. 

Carrie's flamboyant cousin Eric has also returned home and helps his dad manage their pharmacy. Business has tripled since he's been introducing boutique gift items in the store. Best of all, Eric has rented a part of his home to Rhett Richards, a hunky guy who makes women of all ages think un-ladylike thoughts. 

When Carrie's ex tries to pull a fast one, who comes to Carrie's rescue? Portia, Deane, and a cadre of blonde women who are far too smart for the Pryce family.

SMART BLONDES was a fun, fast-paced read. A few craft things slowed my reading, but that's what's wrong with being an author. We care about silly things like POV switches, and transitions, and so forth. For the normal reader, these are incidental. No matter which you are, you'll love this story of finding out what's important and who your true friends are. Dig into this book tonight and you won't be able to put it down until you've read the last line.

SMART BLONDES Blurb:

Austin socialite Carrie Pryce has no clue her criminally charming husband is carrying on with another woman until she returns home unexpectedly, mistakes the sounds of passion for a home-invasion robbery and accidentally shoots him in the backside. Stunned, Carrie drives all night to her quirky hometown and collapses in a near-catatonic state.

A crew of ladies spanning three generations realize it’s up to them to help Carrie get her life out of the ditch. Known as the “Presbyterian Mafia,” these are not sweet old gals. They have a book club that never reads, a garden club that doesn’t garden, and a bible study class that gossips about the Methodists. They’re known around town for antics including catfights, car chases and Voodoo rituals. The women enlist Carrie’s former childhood best friend Portia (now a lawyer) and her flamboyant cousin Eric (recently returned from New York) in their effort. 

While dealing with the after-effects of her imprudent gunplay and managing a hair color disaster, Carrie meets Rhett Richards. He’s an attractive oil field worker who can make women think un-Christian thoughts by the mere act of wearing a pair of tight wranglers. Carrie soon learns that hometowns can be the perfect places to bury old scandals and create new ones.

SMART BLONDES Excerpt: His cheating heart and other parts

“Baby, put the gun down,” Jake said in a tone of voice one would use with a naughty three year old. “It’s…it’s not what you think.”

Carrie froze. She couldn’t have lowered her arms if she tried. As she scanned the room, she saw the remnants of a well-planned romantic event including champagne, massage oil, and discarded lingerie.

Jake was slowly moving away from the defiled kitchen island and found a potholder to shield his now deflating manhood.

“I wanted to tell you for a while,” Jake started. “I hate that you had to find out about it this way.” Carrie recognized this as his salesman tone of voice—over-articulated, round tones that were completely full of shit.

“This has been going on for a while?” Carrie asked.  Jake looked down and then nodded his head.

He exhaled slowly and gazed downward, his default action before saying something awful. “We’ve been having problems...I’ve tried, but the excitement is gone.”

Excitement? Carrie immediately knew this was man code for I want to trade you in for a new one.  She’d seen it many times but never thought it would happen to her. The phrase I’ve tried but the excitement is gone would run through her head in a relentless loop a thousand times.

“I need to be on my own for a while,” Jake continued in round tones. “With you and Kayley around, I can’t figure any of this out.  I can’t be a grown man. I need fewer responsibilities…”

“You want me and Kayley to leave so you can figure out how to be a grown man? Jesus H. Christ!” Carrie screamed it more than speaking it. She couldn’t help herself.

“Maybe you need to get a few things,” Jake began, “And I’ll call the Driskill Hotel and get you a suite. We’ll talk in a day or two after we both cool down.”

“Let me get this straight. I walk in on you with your cock in the help… and you think I need to leave?” She firmed up her grip on the tiny Kel-Tec pistol. “I’m not leaving this house, this room or even that damn Aga!” It was an out-of-body experience. She wasn’t sure why she did it but Carrie fired the pistol at the stove.

 There was bang followed by a ping and a whoosh and Jake’s scream.  The bullet hit the front of the Aga, ricocheted off the cast iron and bounced into Jake’s naked butt cheek.

The next few seconds seemed like a year. Jake’s hand went to his ass then up to his face where he saw blood.

“Holy shit, Carrie!”

Avatar for Sonia Koso

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sonia Koso grew up in the eccentricity-filled piney woods of North East Texas.  She has been writing since an early age and considers it her first love. After receiving a B.A. in English Writing, her life took a drastic turn and she went to law school. Sonia practiced law for over a decade but was drawn back to writing in 2012. Sonia's stories feature strong women, good-looking guys, legal dilemmas and a dose of humor.  Smart Blondes borrows many characters from her childhood as well as her legal career.

Sonia does most of her writing at her condo in Austin’s hip SOCO district. It’s in walking distance from landmarks including Lady Bird Lake, the Continental Club, and the Congress Avenue Bat Bridge. When not writing, Sonia divides her time between the live music of Austin and the sunshine of Boca Raton. She loves Tex-Mex food, blue water, cocktails and good friends. Sonia often dreams of a man who can do his own laundry and a walk-in closet with a chandelier…but not necessarily in that order. 

Links:

 www.soniakoso.com

 www.facebook.com/sonia.koso

www.pinterest.com/soniakoso

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MY REVIEW OF HEALED BY A HEART

Destiny in Deadwood Series

MY REVIEW

Liam Anderson lost his heart and his religion when his wife Mary died, leaving him with Hannah and David. His children mean the world to him. He's taking them from their Missouri home and heading west. He's hoping he can run from painful memories. If not, he fears he’ll lose his mind.

The night before he plans to leave, his two younger brothers arrive. Zach barely saved Jake from being captured by troops for allegedly killing his fiancée. The brothers explain that Jake actually shot the man who raped her, but the man who helped the rapist and then shot her escaped. The villain who ran away is an officer at Fort Leavenworth, and Jake and Zach fear for their lives. Without delay, the family loads up and leaves that night for Deadwood in Dakota Territory.

Miss Eleanor Smith is a thirty two year old spinster who assists her father, Reverend Nathaniel Smith, with his ministry. She is no shy shrinking violet, but helps any who need her, including the local soiled doves. During the war, she helped bring peace to dying soldiers. For the twenty-two years since her mother’s death, Ellie and her father have lived in the back of the large tent he uses for church services and they've traveled from place to place. Using the tent as a classroom, she teaches school in the daytime. Ellie believes her chance has passed, yet she still dreams of a house where she can create a real home, complete with husband and children.

Deadwood was supposed to be a fresh start for the Andersons, but trouble followed them. Doesn’t it always? Can Liam resolve his brother's legal problems? Is he destined to raise his children alone? How will the brothers earn their living? I don’t give spoilers in my reviews so I won’t tell you more. 

Ms Woolf has created likable characters (except the thoroughly detestable villain) and I enjoyed reading about them. Although this is the second book in her Destiny in Deadwood series, it genuinely stands alone. If you enjoy western historical romance, you’ll enjoy the unfolding story of the Anderson family in HEALED BY A HEART.

NOOK

AMAZON

*I was furnished a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

For more about Cynthia Woolf and her books, please check her website at
http://www.cynthiawoolf.com 

Discover the second installment in the Destiny in Deadwood Series. 

Read it as a part of a series or as a stand alone!

Prize: $50 VISA GC

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Amazing contest!

Do you want to be part of Cynthia Woolf's next book?

Cynthia has so many ideas! Help her decide between one of these settings.

And guess what? If you win, you will get a signed ARC of the book to read it before anyone else and you also will be named on the aknowledgements. Great way to be remembered! ;)

What are you waiting for? Take a look!

                                      

Release Date: May 2014  

Genre: Historical Romance. Western.      

All Liam Anderson wanted after the War Between the States, was a little peace. After seventeen years in the army, he’s tired of fighting and killing. Having lost his beloved wife to influenza, he’s tired of hurting. And seeing his baby brother framed for murder, he’s tired of injustice.

He left everything behind to help his brothers escape, packed up his children and possessions, and took them all to a gold claim in Deadwood. Miss Eleanor Smith is a thirty-two year-old spinster. She gave up her dream of a home and family a long time ago. Instead, she has spent her life traveling the world, ministering to the weak, the injured, the poor, and the forgotten, following her preacher father from one hell hole to another.

From what she’s seen of men and the world, she’s better off taking care of herself. And she gets along just fine, until she literally falls into Liam’s arms, gets in the middle of a fight that isn’t hers, and becomes a pawn for an enemy’s revenge.

Deadwood was supposed to be a fresh start for Liam Anderson and his younger brothers, but trouble followed him and his children. And when Eleanor disappears, only Liam can rescue her. The headstrong, independent woman awoke his dead passion, but refused to surrender to his touch. Can he convince her that merely surviving isn’t enough? Despite his sins, he's the only man who can save her, and she's the only woman strong enough to heal his broken heart.

PROLOGUE

April 1876 
St. Louis, Missouri 

Liam Anderson sat in front of a blazing fire, in his pajamas and robe, puffing on his pipe, reading, for the last time in this house. The place he’d called home for so many years. The kids were asleep upstairs. Sleep had eluded him and he’d risen to read until he got tired.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

He looked up from the book he read and glanced at the mantel clock. One of the few things he hadn’t packed away. “What in the world? Who would be out in this weather at this hour?

”What the hell?” said Liam, when he opened the door to his two younger brothers. “Jake? Zach? What are you two doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”Zach growled from behind Jake. “Are you going to let us in or make us stand in this rain all night?”

“Come in. Zach put that gun away,” said Liam.

“Can’t until the kid here,” he poked Jake in the back with his gun, “is inside and we’ve talked to you."

Jake, the youngest of his brothers, walked into the foyer of the house, followed closely by Zach. He stared down the hallway, packed with luggage and boxes down to the parlor, but didn’t question it. Didn’t even seem to notice that the house was packed up ready to move.

Both of them were haggard, completely worn out. Their coats were soaked through and they couldn’t have been comfortable. He’d never seen them looking so exhausted or…desperate.

“Sorry to do this to you, Liam. I know you’re leaving tomorrow,” said Zach as he holstered his gun and dripped water onto the foyer floor. He threw his had onto one of the steamer trunks. Jake followed suit.

It was times like these that the difference between his brothers was so striking. Zach with his nearly black hair and dark blue eyes. There was one in every generation with the coloring of their Gypsy great grandmother, Zach was theirs and their father had been the one in his generation. It was rare to have two gypsies in the same family, usual it was an uncle or aunt rather than a parent of the latest child with the coloring.

Jake with dark blond, overly long hair and light blue eyes most resembled their dear mother. Liam was somewhere between the two, with light brown hair and gray eyes. 

His children were different as night and day, too. Ten year old David resembled Liam not only physically but mentally too. David always seemed to weigh his words before he spoke them. Whereas Hannah, the gypsy of her generation, said whatever came into her little head. She was only five, but even at her age, David had been as contemplative as he was now.

He smiled thinking of his children. They were his joy. His reason for living. He closed his eyes and grounded himself in the present and answered Jake.“Yes. At first light. Now, tell me what’s going on and why you brought Jake here at gun point.”

“Only way I could get him to come,” growled Zach.

“And?” Liam said, exasperated. “Don’t make me beat the story out of you word by word, little brother. Just tell me the problem.”

Liam pointed at the two chairs in front of the fire and then went to the fireplace and stoked the banked coals back to a roaring blaze. He really didn’t need this now, not when he was leaving in the morning. Not when he was so close to putting the old, hurtful memories behind him.

Cynthia Woolf is the author of six historical western romance books and one short story with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother

was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance TAME A WILD HEART, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s

father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

TITLES AVAILABLE

    

HEALED BY A HEART

REDEEMED BY A REBEL

CAPITAL BRIDE

HEIRESS BRIDE

FIERY BRIDE

TAME A WILD HEART

TAME A WILD WIND

TAME A WILD BRIDE

TAME A SUMMER HEART

WEBSITE

– www.cynthiawoolf.com

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