Blog Tour and Giveaway: Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Janice Thompson

About the Book

Book: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre: Christian Fiction / Mystery / Romance

Release date: January 1, 2023

Inquisitive, detail-oriented, Veterinarian Kristin Keller prides herself on winning over any dog. But has this self-proclaimed dog whisperer finally met her match in a Sheltie named Remington who has just won the Texas state agility course competition? The champion pooch is acting out of sorts—almost as if he is not the same dog. Has he, by chance, been switched out with another dog just before the next big competition? Kristin and the other Lone Star employees will do anything to help the Atkinson family figure out this mystery surrounding their beloved Remington.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Janice Thompson, who lives in the Houston area, writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage. She is the mother of four daughters and nine feisty grandchildren. When she’s not writing books or taking care of foster dogs you’ll find her in the kitchen, baking up specialty cakes and cookies.

 

More from Janice

Barking up the Tree is book three in the Gone to the Dog series. Kathleen Y’Barbo and I are writing six books, in total, and we’re very excited about this series. I happen to be in the dog rescue business. I’ve worked with multiple Houston-based dog rescues over the past five years and have been blessed to care for over fifty dogs in nearly every shape, size, and breed. I am always interested in dog-themed stories.

As a Texan I wanted to place this series in my neck of the woods. Kathleen and I settled on Brenham, Texas, a town not far from where we both live. It’s the home of Blue Bell ice cream (yum!) a favorite here in the Lone Star state. We created a large fictional cast of characters and placed them in a town we know and love.

Along with writing books I’m also a baker and run a baking blog (www.outoftheboxbaking.com). With that in mind I would love to share a recipe from the book. Enjoy!

Nanny’s Coconut Pecan Cake (aka Italian Cream Cake)

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 white cake mix
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup sweetened coconut (flakes)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 small box instant vanilla pudding (powder)

 

FOR THE FILLING/TOPPING:

• Toasted coconut
• Toasted chopped pecans

 

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 1 cup (two sticks) salted butter (softened)
• 1 block cream cheese (softened)
• 1 rectangle Crisco (can omit if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting)
• 1 bag (7-8 cups) powdered sugar
• Clear vanilla extract

 

Instructions

MAKING THE CAKE:

• Combine all ingredients except nuts and coconut. Mix well.
• Work in the nuts and coconut.
• Grease and flour three 9” pans.
• Divide batter between the three pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (approximately) until cake springs back to the touch.

MAKING THE ICING:

• Bring ingredients to room temperature.
• Mix butter and cream cheese until soft and creamy.
• Add Crisco and continue to beat until incorporated. (You can leave out the Crisco if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting.)
• Add extract and then lower the speed of your mixer to add powdered sugar (more or less to desired consistency).

 

FILLING AND ICING THE CAKE

• Level all three cakes.
• Put one cake on your cake board and add a layer of cream cheese frosting.
• Pipe a ring around the edge of the cake and add some toasted pecans and coconut.
• Continue to stack and fill.
• Turn the top cake upside down, so that it’s bottom up.
• Ice the cake with a crumb coat and chill.
• Once chilled, ice liberally with frosting.
• Add chopped (toasted) pecans and coconut to the sides and top then pipe trim or rosettes to add further décor.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 26

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 27

Remembrancy, January 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28

For Him and My Family, January 28

Texas Book-aholic, January 29

deb’s Book Review, January 30

Mary Hake, January 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31

Cover Lover Book Review, February 1

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 3

Pause for Tales, February 4

The Book Club Network, February 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 5

Blogging With Carol, February 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 7

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, February 7

Labor Not in Vain, February 8

Divine Perspective, February 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23cc8/barking-up-the-wrong-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

Barking up the Wrong Tree is the third installment from the Gone to the Dogs series and another contribution from Janice Thompson to it. I thought it was a fun and entertaining tale to read. I liked trying to solve the mystery while also chuckling at some scenes throughout. Kristin and Remington were so delightful together. As a dog owner, this book puts a big smile on my face. I loved it. 

I am giving Barking up the Wrong Tree five stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean cozy mysteries. I look forward to the fourth books from the Gone to the Dogs series, Kathleen Y'Barbo’s The Bark of Zorro. 

I received a paperback copy of Barking up the Wrong Tree from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra

Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra 

 Publisher: Sharpe Books-UK (Sept 29, 2022) 

Category: Crime Fiction, Family Life, Kidnapping 

Tour dates: January 5-31, 2023 

ISBN: Coming Soon 

ASIN: B0BGYG3HGX 

Available in Print and ebook, 

289 pages 

Description Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra

Indiana, January 2010. It’s a hot summer’s day in 1984 when twelve-year-old Gilly and her friend Sally find a dead new-born in a shoebox in the cemetery of their tiny town. Deciding to keep their discovery a secret, they bury the body in Gilly’s yard. The results are disastrous. Flowers are mysteriously left on strollers. Two local children disappear and end up dead. A suspect is arrested and confesses, blaming the deaths on the girls’ having taken the dead baby. Gilly grows up but is haunted by what’s happened. As a young woman, she flees the town and its memories, going all the way to Japan. Returning with her Japanese husband Toshi to attend her mother’s funeral, Gilly finds the past is not past. She’s threatened, and someone is putting flowers on strollers again. When another child is abducted, Gilly knows she must discover the truth about what happened all those years ago before more lives are lost.

Praise Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra

"Both a drama and a thriller, full of twists and human insight."-Thomas Waugh “The immediate declaration of past events, the discovery and concealment of the dead baby, provides a gripping start to this book. The story is simple yet powerful, immediately drawing the reader into a world that identifies the challenges of growing up in a small town in Indiana. The book tackles the casual racism that is often overlooked, with great clarity. Although this is a crime novel it is also a powerful story about how a single childhood event can influence the future. It compels you to share the history and become part of the small-town network. Through a nexus of characters, we see how relationships that are made in our formative years, affect our lives. The story is more than a crime novel. It also serves to gives a fascinating insight into life in a small town in the USA, through the eyes of somebody who never really wanted to return."-ReallyPoshScouser, Amazon

Praise Lea O'Harra

“Lea O'Harra offers us a whodunnit set in a Japan labouring under the weight of cultural imperialism, a country where the characters find that their friends and lovers are really strangers and imperfect ones at that...-Nick Sweet, author of the Inspector Velázquez series ’With her deep knowledge of Japanese culture, superb writing, and sensitivity to human foibles. O’Harra has crafted a cross-cultural whodunnit sure to please Japanophiles and mystery lovers alike.”-Suzanne Kamata, author of Losing Kei

Excerpt

From Chapter Twenty-one: 462 words: send to Amy, ‘Locks, Hooks and Books’

I used to think Melody looked angelic. Now she’s evil incarnate. She’s grinning, a mad look in those stony blue eyes.

I hear Mrs. Collins moaning, “No, no!!”

“You helped me before,” Melody says to her brother. “Do it again.” Tim takes the knife from her.

I hold my breath, trembling violently.

“Kill her, Tim!” Melody repeats. “Then you and me and Carla can run away together. We’ll be over the state line before anyone knows what’s happened. Maybe even head for Mexico. We three can be a family.” She glares at Jess. “That is, if our own brother can be trusted not to snitch on us!”

“Stop it!” Jess says. “You have to let them go, Tim! I told you. It’s the only one way. I’ll take them to the station. It’ll take a lot of talking, but I’ll fix it somehow. I’ve got friends in the force. No charges will be brought. Carla’s too young to explain what happened. Gilly won’t dare. It’ll all be over.”

“Shut up!” Tim snarls.

Melody sighs. It’s a standoff. Nothing’s happening. She goes back to the sofa and sits well away from Carla, who’s still sprawled on Mrs. Collins’s lap. Melody closes her eyes. She seems to take no further interest in what’s going on. Her face sags. She sinks heavily against the cushion at her back. I wonder if she’s fallen asleep.

Jess glances over at his sister. “Maybe Melody will have to be put away,” he says, whispering. “She’s dangerous.”

Melody doesn’t move. She’s perfectly still. Did she hear him?

I see Mrs. Collins wince at her son’s words. Tim shudders and then his whole body goes rigid. “Over my dead body!” he shouts. I glance over at the sofa again. Ironically, it’s Melody who seems dead: dead to the world. Her head has fallen to one side, and I think I even hear gentle snoring.

Carla begins wailing again.

“Quiet!” Tim yells. He comes near me, clutching the knife, brandishing it menacingly near my face. He’s trying to do what he tried to do twenty-six years ago: kill me. I try not to flinch. I don’t want to give him that satisfaction. I close my eyes tightly, curling my hands into tight fists and clenching my teeth so hard they ache. I’m terrified. But I’m also resigned. There seems a certain inevitability about it all, as if it was bound to happen sooner or later: my arch-enemy Tim using a knife to cut my life short. After all these years, he’s come back to finish off the job. Holding my breath, I brace myself for death, expecting to feel at any moment the sensation of cold metal slicing through my throat or piercing my chest, the blade aimed at my heart.

Awards Lea O'Harra

Autumn 2017 “Lady First” was awarded ‘finalist’ status in the crime fiction section of the Beverly Hill Book Awards. ‘Lady First’ was also a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards in 2018.

About Lea O'Harra

Lea O’Harra has published three crime fiction novels set in rural modern-day Japan: Imperfect Strangers (2015); Progeny (2016); and Lady First (2017). These comprise the so-called ‘Inspector Inoue Murder Mystery’ series originally published by Endeavour Press (UK). She has also had a story included in Best Asian Crime Fiction published by Kitaab Press (Singapore) in 2020. In the spring of 2022 Sharpe Books reissued the Inoue mystery series and, in September 2022, published Lea O’Harra’s fourth novel, Dead Reckoning, a stand-alone set in her tiny hometown in the American Midwest. Website: http://leaoharra.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/leaoharra/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.nakanishi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leaoharracrimewriter/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/wendy19542012/

Buy Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk

Giveaway Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra

This giveaway is for 3 print copies and is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on February 1, 2023 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Dead Reckoning by Lea O'Harra

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Jan 4 Kickoff & Interview Lu Ann Rockin' Book Reviews Jan 5 Review & Guest Post Bookgirl Amazon & Goodreads Jan 6 Review Mark Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Jan 9 Guest Review Becky Life as Rog Jan 11 Review Kari From the TBR Pile Jan 12 Review & Excerpt Jody Amazon & Goodreads Jan 16 Review Sal Bound 4 Escape Jan 17 Guest Review Denise Amazon & Goodreads Jan 18 Review Lisa's Writopia Jan 19 Guest Post Lynelle Inspire to Read Jan 20 & Excerpt Leslie Storeybook Reviews Jan 23 Review Ruth Media From the Heart Jan 24 Review & Excerpt DTChantel Amazon & Goodreads Jan 25 Review Laura Lee Celticlady’s Reviews Jan 26 Guest Review & Guest Post Lisa's Writopia Jan 27 Review Amy Locks, Hooks and Books Jan 30 Review & Excerpt Bee Book Pleasures Jan 31 Review 

 

My Review

Dead Reckoning is the first book I have read by Lea O'Harra and after reading this one, it will not be the last. I enjoyed taking this thrilling roller coaster of a tale. It had some twists and turns that I could not have predicted. I was intrigued with it from start to finish. I thought it was a great read. 

Dead Reckoning is getting five stars from me. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading suspense filled thrillers. It is most definitely worth a read and not to be missed. I do not want to miss out on reading more books by Lea O'Harra. They have earned themselves a new fan and can not wait for more releases by them. 

I receive a copy of Dead Reckoning from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Rescuing Rose by Susan Pope Sloan

About the Book

Book: Rescuing Rose

Author: Susan Pope Sloan

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: January 24, 2023

His army destroyed her livelihood. She represents the people he scorns. How can they reconcile their differences when the whole country is at war?

When the Union Army marches into Roswell, Georgia, and burns down the cotton mill where Rose Carrigan worked, not only is her livelihood destroyed but she’s also taken prisoner and shipped northward with the other workers. Only the unlikely kindness of one of her guards makes the trip bearable.

Union Captain Noah Griffin hates the part of his job that requires him to destroy the lives of innocent civilians, but at least he’s able to protect these women he’s been ordered to transport to Louisville, Kentucky. Especially the one whose quick wit and kindness draw him.

While they’re forced to wait in Marietta, two fugitives arrive to complicate matters between Rose and Noah. As Rose heads north and Noah returns to the battlefront, they each face fears and prejudices. With survival so tenuous, only faith can help them find love in the midst of so much tragedy.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Born into a family of storytellers, Susan Pope Sloan published her first articles in high school and continued writing sporadically for decades. Retirement provided the time to focus on writing and indulge her avid interest in history. Her Civil War series begins (and ultimately ends) in her home state of Georgia with references to lesser-known events of that period. She and husband Ricky live near Columbus where she participates in Word Weavers, ACFW, and Toastmasters.

 

More from Susan

Rescuing Rose is the first book in the Rescued Hearts of the Civil War series. Years ago, I worked with a gentleman who was a Civil War reenactor. We had many conversations about the war and my writing aspirations. He told me two stories that stuck with me, one of which was the Roswell mill workers.

 

The bare-bones story is this: The Union army entered Roswell, Georgia, in July 1864. They ordered the workers out and burned the mills. Then they arrested the workers, who were mostly uneducated women, sent them to Marietta, and then put them on trains headed north.

Note that they were uneducated, unable to read or write, unskilled except in mill work. How were they to survive without means of supporting themselves and their families? If their husbands, sons, and fathers were away with one or the other army, how would they ever bring the women home again?

 

Since my hometown has several cotton mills and my grandparents worked in those, I felt a connection to those women. Their story should be told! My research led me to a wonderful scholarly book, The Women Will Howl, which was published thirty years ago and contained ample information to get me started. It became my primary resource, but I also had the advantage of a robust Internet to find other sources.

 

To provide a main character who was educated, I came up with two daughters of a minister with poor health. The family moved from Dalton, Georgia in 1863 so the daughters could work in the mill and take care of their father. After the mills are destroyed, Rose and her sister (Celeste) decide to teach some of the children how to read and write so they can help their folks and be better prepared for the future. When they reach Louisville, she leads the effort in finding jobs so they can provide for those who’ve fallen ill. In this way, Rose “rescues” the families in her group.

 

The male protagonist is a Union officer who aids Rose and Celeste when they are accosted by a band of hostile soldiers. Noah assists them again and takes on the role of self-appointed guardian. Though he and Rose often rile each other, he is smitten and does whatever he can to help their group adjust to their new reality. Circumstances tear them apart, however, and both must face hidden fears and prejudices before the relationship can be restored. How will that be possible when the war has pushed them hundreds of miles apart?

 

What I learned from research and writing this book.

• There were people loyal to the Union scattered all over the South, even in Georgia.
• Soldiers endured miserable conditions, often pushed to cover many miles before they reached the next engagement, in all kinds of conditions.
• Leadership was fractured on both sides, with personalities clashing within the ranks.
• Lee’s surrender at Appomattox did not end the war. It was months before that happened.
• Mill workers thought tobacco use would ward off “brown lung” from breathing cotton fibers and losing a finger or two in machinery was almost a rite of passage.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 25

Bizwings Blog, January 26

Holly’s Book Corner, January 26

Texas Book-aholic, January 27

deb’s Book Review, January 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 29

Cover Lover Book Review, January 30

Betti Mace, January 30

Connie’s History Classroom, January 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 1

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 2

For Him and My Family, February 3

Pause for Tales, February 4

Blossoms and Blessings, February 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 6

To Everything There Is A Season, February 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23cc5/rescuing-rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

My Review

New to me author, Susan Pope Sloan, has written a beautiful United States Civil War era novel in her newest release, Rescuing Rose. It is, also, the beginning to her Rescued Hearts of the Civil War. When I first saw the beautiful cover, I had to see what the story was about. I was far from being disappointed. I adored getting to know Noah and Rose and seeing how they interacted with one another. I loved it. 

Rescuing Rose will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend it for readers and fans of clean fiction historical I can not wait to read the second installment from Susan Pope Sloan’s Rescued Hearts of the Civil War series, Loving Lydia.

I received a paperback copy of Rescuing Rose from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

My Review

New to me author, Susan Pope Sloan, has written a beautiful United States Civil War era novel in her newest release, Rescuing Rose. It is, also, the beginning to her Rescued Hearts of the Civil War. When I first saw the beautiful cover, I had to see what the story was about. I was far from being disappointed. I adored getting to know Noah and Rose and seeing how they interacted with one another. I loved it. 

Rescuing Rose will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend it for readers and fans of clean fiction historical I can not wait to read the second installment from Susan Pope Sloan’s Rescued Hearts of the Civil War series, Loving Lydia.

I received a paperback copy of Rescuing Rose from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Two Cent Piece by Dennis Conrad

About the Book

Book: The Two-Cent Piece

Author: Dennis Conrad (Illustrated by Courtney Smith)

Genre: Children’s Picture Book (Fiction)

Release date: September 3, 2022

Anne wonders what secret her three older brothers are hiding. When she finds out they joined to fight with the Union Army and would leave the next day, she gives them each one of her favorite two-cent pieces and says, “I want you to take one of my new two-cent pieces. I learned these coins are the first to have the words ‘In God We Trust.’ I just memorized Psalm 91:2. ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’”

Out of a heart of love, Anne gives six of her special coins away hoping the message on the two-cent pieces will strengthen each person’s faith.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

A former coin collector for over fifty years, Dennis combines his love for the Bible, children’s literature, and sharing stories about the history behind coins.

He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a Fellow of the National Writing Project.

He retired as a professor of Speech Communications from Barstow Community College. He and his wife served as English and public speaking teachers ten summers overseas.

The Two-Cent Piece is Dennis’s first of seven books in the In God We Trust Series from Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.

 

More from Dennis

HOMESCHOOLERS, TEACHERS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS –

Coin collecting brings together history, art, and the thrill of discovery.

Children who collect coins will LOOK at coins differently. They can…

 

Look for people. For example, who is on the nickel? (Hint: Thomas Jefferson)

The new quarters featuring women include coins with Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American movie star; Nina Otero-Warren, who advocated for women’s suffrage and was a government official in New Mexico; and Wilma Mankiller, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

 

Look for places. The state quarter series includes all of the states like California with Yosemite Valley.

 

Look for dates. Connect coins to historical events. For example, coins minted in 2001 were minted the same year as the World Trade Center was attacked on September 11, 2001.

 

Look at coins as art. The people who design coins are artists.

 

Look for and find coins in change. Let the great adventure begin.

 

Look and learn why some coins are more valuable than other coins. There is a difference between the face value of a coin (a dime is worth ten cents), and its value to collectors.

 

Are you a homeschooler, a teacher, or a family member who wants to help children start their first coin collection?

 

Get Free Resources about coin collecting by conveniently subscribing to Dennis Conrad’s newsletter.

 

You will receive a link to my resource page, where you will find two free resources. One for ages 5-6 year olds, and another for ages 7 and up. Or you can choose both. Let the fun begin! https://dennisconradauthor.com/coincollecting5/

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, January 18

Girls in White Dresses, January 18

Library Lady’s kid Lit, January 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 20

For Him and My Family, January 20

Cover Lover Book Review, January 21

A Reader’s Brain, January 22

Mary Hake, January 22

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 23

Texas Book-aholic, January 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 25

deb’s Book Review, January 26

Pause for Tales, January 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 27

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 28

Labor Not in Vain, January 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 30

Lights in a Dark World, January 30

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, January 31

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Dennis is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover copy of The Two-Cent Piece!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23bc2/the-two-cent-piece-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

Dennis Conrad has written a great children’s book in his new release, The Two Cent Piece. Even though, this is for younger readers, I greatly enjoyed reading. I have been fascinated by old coins since I was a child and thought it was fun to read a story about the two cent piece. I thought Anne’s story was sweet and inspiring to read. 

The Two Cent Piece is beautifully illustrated by the talented artist Courtney Smith. I loved seeing the pictures on each page and getting the visual as to what is going on with the text. A wonderful addition to the book. 

The Two Cent Piece will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fiction and are between the ages of five and eleven years old.  

I received a soft cover copy of The Two Cent Piece from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Twice Sold Tales by Chautona Havig

About the Book

Book: Twice Sold Tales

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Christian / Romantic Women’s Fiction

Release date: November 2, 2022

If only owning a bookstore didn’t mean dealing with people.

No one was more surprised than Harper Brevig when Great Aunt Lorene (not “Lori,” thank-you-very-much) died and left her least favorite niece her bookstore–including a prime piece of real estate in downtown Red Wing, Minnesota.

Making a go of the place shouldn’t be too hard. With her library science degree, she should be set. Then again, the website describing library degrees had said it would teach her excellent communication skills. It had not. Could she get a partial refund?

Still, owning the building should mean crazy-low overhead to offset her less than optimal “book-side” manner.  Ahem. So when yet another huge bill arrives, and she starts getting twitchy about the low bank balance, Harper does the only thing she can think of.

Enter Milton Coleridge. He’d been excited about the possibilities of the store last year, but Harper had sent him packing before he could talk to her about them.  Now he has a chance to make a difference. But she’s right. She’s bleeding money, and it doesn’t make sense!

Milton’s job is to figure out what’s going on, plug the financial leak, and maybe… do a little matchmaking. That dad with the adorable little boy would be good for her… and she’d be good for him. Probably.

Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings series releasing with The Mosaic Collection

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

 

More from Chautona

“What kind of research does a contemporary book need? I mean, she’s a bookstore owner in a town you’ve been to several times. What’s there to research?”

I can’t be the only author to get questions like this. And I certainly can’t be the only one who has to fight the urge to laugh. Folks, authors research everything. In Twice Sold Tales, I think I looked up almost as much as I did in my Meddlin’ Madeline Mysteries!

Because here’s the deal. What I didn’t know about Red Wing, Minnesota wouldn’t have hurt the story most of the time. Who cares that Bev’s Café has amazing creamy cucumbers? It doesn’t technically matter. Well, except to my character who hates veggies but will eat those. They make her feel virtuous. And you get to know about it.

But… what you discover about a place or a time or an occupation or whatever can totally change the course of your story. Case in point? I went to a website about River City Days because my niece suggested it might be a good thing for Noah to do with his son. That led me to the Farmer’s Markets and to other things. How I got to the first Ghost Walk in Red Wing taking place this year? I don’t even know. What I do know is that the moment I read about it, I knew Harper had to go. And if she did, and if Milton were the instigator, Noah had to go. #BecauseMatchmaker.

And this is where it got really cool. To make the walk as authentic as I could, I read everything I could find about it. And I discovered something super cool. Like… blow you out of the water cool.

Red Wing, Minnesota sits near the shore of Lake Pepin. Little House on the Prairie lovers will remember this as the lake that Laura Ingalls crossed in the wagon as they left the Big Woods of Wisconsin (you know, right across the river/lake from Red Wing???) Well… Lake Pepin has a monster—the Nessie of the Mississippi. Yes, you read that right… a monster! I went looking and guess what? The “monster” has a name. Pepie! Needless to say, Pepie became a an important part of my story. Because how could he not?

And… I happened to find a stuffed Pepie at Treats & Treasures in Lake City, just south of Red Wing, so I ordered a couple for giveaways—including the one with this blog tour. Happy reading, and what do you think? Shouldn’t someone write Pepie’s story?

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 21

Vicky Sluiter, January 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 22

Mary Hake, January 22

Texas Book-aholic, January 23

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, January 23

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 24

deb’s Book Review, January 24

All-of-a-kind Mom, January 25

Lots of Helpers, January 25

Cover Lover Book Review, January 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 26

Splashes of Joy, January 27

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 27

She Lives To Read, January 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 30

For Him and My Family, January 30

Divine Perspective, January 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 31

Aryn the Libraryan, February 1

Books I’ve Read, February 1

Blogging With Carol, February 2

Back Porch Reads, February 2

Pause for Tales, February 3

Spoken from the Heart, February 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback of the book, a stuffed “Pepie” and a few other bookish goodies!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23bc5/twice-sold-tales-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

Twice Sold Tales is part of Chautona Havig’s Bookstrigs series. I have always enjoyed her books and this one is no different. I thought it was a fun, delightful and entertaining read. There were many scenes that made me chuckle constantly throughout the book. I absolutely adored the characters and this book and could not put it down until I was completely done. I found it to be so easy to read in one sitting. I loved it. 

Twice Sold Tales will be getting five stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean romantic fiction with a faith element to it. As always, I will be looking for more reads by Chautona Havig in the future. 

I received a paperback copy of Twice Sold Tales from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.