Audiobook Blog Tour and Giveaway: Rational Creatures

Editor: Christina Boyd

Narrator: Victoria Riley

Length: 18 hours and 3 minutes

Series: The Quill Collective, Book 3

Publisher: The Quill Ink, LLC

Released: Jul. 18, 2019

Genre: Anthologies

 

 

“But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.” (Persuasion, Jane Austen) Jane Austen: True romantic or rational creature? Her novels transport us back to the Regency, a time when well-mannered gentlemen and finely-bred ladies fell in love as they danced at balls and rode in carriages. Yet her heroines, such as Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and Elinor Dashwood, were no swooning, fainthearted damsels in distress. Austen’s novels are timeless classics because of their biting wit, honest social commentary - because she wrote of strong women who were ahead of their day. True to their principles and beliefs, they fought through hypocrisy and broke social boundaries to find their happily-ever-after. In the third romance anthology of The Quill Collective series, 16 celebrated Austenesque authors write the untold histories of Austen’s heroines, brave adventuresses, shy maidens, talkative spinsters, and naughty matrons. Peek around the curtain and discover what made Lady Susan so wicked, Mary Crawford so capricious, and Hettie Bates so in need of Emma Woodhouse’s pity. Rational Creatures is a collection of humorous, poignant, and engaging short stories set in Georgian England that complement and pay homage to Austen’s great works and great ladies who were, perhaps, the first feminists in an era that was not quite ready for feminism. “Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will become good wives; - that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers.” (Mary Wollstonecraft) Stories by: Elizabeth Adams, Nicole Clarkston, Karen M Cox, J. Marie Croft, Amy D’Orazio, Jenetta James, Jessie Lewis, KaraLynne Mackrory, Lona Manning, Christina Morland, Beau North, Sophia Rose, Anngela Schroeder, Joana Starnes, Brooke West, and Caitlin Williams

 

 

CHRISTINA BOYD wears many hats as she is an editor under her own banner, The Quill Ink, a contributor to Austenprose, and a commercial ceramicist. A life member of Jane Austen Society of North America, Christina lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her dear Mr. B, two busy teenagers, and a retriever named BiBi. Visiting Jane Austen’s England was made possible by actor Henry Cavill when she won the Omaze experience to meet him in the spring of 2017 on the London Eye. True story. You can Google it.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Amazon⎮Instagram

  

Victoria Riley is a British voiceover artist and audiobook narrator. Originally trained as a theatre actor, she gradually moved into voice work and is now happiest behind the mic. She loves classic literature and travelling the world. If she isn't recording, she's probably lying in a hammock in some far-flung place, reading book after book after book.

Website⎮Twitter

 

Giveaway: $20 Amazon Gift Card

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Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Healer's Daughters by Jay Amberg

Book Details: Book Title:  The Healer's Daughters by Jay Amberg Category:  Adult Fiction, 312 pages Genre:  thriller Publisher:  Amika Press Release date:   July 2019 Format available for review:  print (USA & Canada), ebook  (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Tour dates: Sept 9 to Sept 20, 2019 Content Rating: Pg-13 + M (Some strong language, terrorism and violence) Book Description: ​A terrorist bombing in Bergama, Turkey kills twenty-three people including three children. Modern Bergama is built on the site of ancient Pergamon, a city whose art and wealth and culture rivaled Athens. It was also the home of the Aesklepion, the world’s greatest healing center, and the birthplace of Galen, the Roman Empire’s most famous doctor. Tuğçe Iskan, a Turkish Ministry investigator, finds evidence that links the terrorism to a powerful criminal family and to Galen’s life and Pergamon’s lost treasures. But Iskan is alone, an outcast in the Ministry because she is honest, diligent, and a woman. As Iskan delves more deeply into the heinous attack, she needs allies outside the Ministry. She must turn to Özlem Boroğlu, a local archeologist, and Boroğlu’s daughter Elif, an artist with an affinity for ancient Aegean goddesses. Can these three women defeat ISIL terrorists, criminal oligarchs, and corrupt officials? Can they even survive? Praise for The Healer's Daughters: ​"Amberg...shines at creating distinctive characters. Elif and others, for example, conduct a ritual to remember lost lives, which is a striking contrast to others who use the "Bergama Bombing" to boost their political careers. Moreover, Amberg deftly shows how viewing unfamiliar cultures as exotic can be insensitive; Özlem confronts a crass British photographer who thinks nothing of snapping pictures of praying mourners... A large, memorable cast augments this dramatic mystery/thriller." --Kirkus Reviews "Keep[s] readers on their toes. With its powerful blend of Turkish cultural explorations, international intrigue, a treasure hunt, historical references, and characters who hold their own special interests close to their hearts, The Healer's Daughters is an exceptional thriller that proves hard to put down." --Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review "All the elements [of] a compelling thriller--international terrorism; a greedy, powerful and ruthless criminal family; a group of inept, corrupt and "bought" government officials; a secret, elite, and clean anti-terror department of the said, corrupt government; and a principled, high-minded academic who will stop at nothing to ensure her country's past and valuable heritage is preserved for the ages." --Grant Leishman, Readers' Favorite "Drama, pressure, and tensions mount in a plot with great descriptive writing and scene setting.... A glimpse into different cultures, beliefs, and economies [and an] adventure filled with fear, danger, and discovery." --K.J. Simmill, Readers' Favorite Buy the Book: Amazon.com ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amika Press Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:   ​ Jay Amberg is the author of twelve books. He received a BA from Georgetown University and a PhD from Northwestern University. He has taught high school and college students since 1972. His latest book, The Healer’s Daughters, is now available from Amika Press. Amberg has also published Bone Box, Cycle, America’s Fool, Whale Song, and compiled 52 Poems for Men. Prior to Amika Press, Amberg published thriller novels Doubloon (Forge), Blackbird Singing (Forge) and Deep Gold (Warner Books). Among his books on teaching are School Smarts and The Study Skills Handbook, published by Good Year. Amberg wrote The Creative Writing Handbook (Good Year) with Mark Henry Larson and Verbal Review and Workbook for the SAT (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) with Bob Boone. Connect with the author:   Website  ~  Twitter ~  Facebook GUEST POST: ​Six of the twelve books I’ve written have been thrillers. When I first began writing stories, I realized I had neither the breadth of experience nor the depth of insight into the human condition to write literary fiction. I was reading a lot of Graham Greene, who divided his own stories into serious literary fiction and what he called entertainments. I understood that even his entertainments had some interesting things to say about what’s going on here—and that the genre might be one I could handle.  I also realized that I was too young to write about what I knew but that I very much liked looking into things I wanted to know. My first thriller focused on the sinking in the North Sea of a British cruiser, HMS Edinburgh, during World War Two. The questions I entertained were What If the Edinburgh’s cargo wasn’t what it was purported to be? What if fifty years later the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the United States still all had reasons to make sure that cargo was never salvaged, never recovered?  I’ve been taken by these What If questions ever since. What if controversial documents concerning the origins of Christianity are unearthed? What if the only child of the most famous athlete in the country is kidnapped? What if vast Spanish treasure is discovered in the Florida Keys? What if a deadly virus is about to be loosed on Las Vegas? In the case of The Healer’s Daughters, What are the extended consequences of a deadly terrorist attack? What if local people are complicit in that terrorist attack? What if the attack is even more cynical and evil than it appears? I was also taken by the form of thrillers. By definition, there has to be rising action, complications, intrigue, danger. Things have to happen; events have to lead to some sort of climax. Characters have to make difficult choices and impactful decisions, have to decide what is the best thing to do, the right thing to do. This is the form of all good stories, of course, but thrillers, it seems to me, naturally do this. And, as with Graham Greene’s entertainments, there are still plenty of opportunities for a writer to include some insights about the human condition and provide commentary about what it is that we’re all doing here. BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE: ​Sept 9 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway Sept 10 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway Sept 10 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway Sept 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / guest post / giveaway Sept 12 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway Sept 13 – Life as Leels – book review / giveaway Sept 16 – A Fountain Of Books – book review / author interview / giveaway Sept 17 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway Sept 18 – JBronder Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway Sept 18 - Books for Books - book review Sept 19 – My Reading Journeys – book review / author interview / giveaway Sept 20 - The Avid Inspri - book review / guest post / giveaway Sept 20 - Reading is My Passion – book review  ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway MY REVIEW The Healer’s Daughters is the first book I have read by Jay Amberg. This thrilling novel involves a terrorist attack in the Turkish city of Bergama. Three children are among the twenty three dead. The attack is believed to be connected to the ancient city of Pergamon, a city of priceless artifacts and treasures. Tuğçe Iskan is determined to investigate the link between the two. She enlists the help of Özlem Boroğlu, an archealosgist, and her daughter, Elif. These three women must find solve the mystery before it is too late. Will they be able to survive the ordeal and save others from another attack? I thought The Healer’s Daughters was a pretty good read. It is full of stay on the edge of your seat action, non stop adventure, unpredictable mystery and heart stopping suspense. I admired the main characters are Tuğçe, Özlem and Elif. These three women are so brave and courageous. I was intrigued by their story from start to finish. I had no problem reading the whole book in one day. I just could not put it down. I would have never guessed at how it all ended.  The Healer’s Daughters gets a well deserved five plus stars from me. I would give it one hundred stars if I could. Jay Amberg has earned himself a new fan. I can not wait to read more by him in the near future. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy a well written suspense filled thriller. I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Review Tour and Giveaway: Soil and Ceremony by Julia Byrd

Soil and Ceremony

by Julia Byrd

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

GENRE:   Gothic romance

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BLURB:

A history of loss and a terrible stammer have led gravedigger Benjamin Hood to a life of isolation.

When a rash of untimely deaths sweeps through his small English village, he cannot stand by in silence. To uncover the truth about the lives lost, he takes up a long-neglected role of responsibility among the townspeople.

As Benjamin questions the victims' families, he finds that beautiful widow Juno Stephens has preceded him in each case. She makes no secret of her odd midnight ceremonies and dark powers of persuasion. The villagers are whispering about a woman bearing a lethal hex.

Is Juno the source of danger in the village, or a victim of it? Benjamin must resist her beguiling ways and decide if he can trust her...until another death sets his smoldering worries ablaze.

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EXCERPT

“N-no. T-this is n-not a cure, it’s n-nothing.”

“Say my name,” urged Mrs. Stephens. “My name is not nothing, I promise you. There is power in it. There is strength in those things to which we assign strength.”

“No.”

But somehow, I heard ‘no’ with no slur or stutter. The initial tripping consonant was still there, as real as the trampled grass below my feet, but I didn’t mind the sound that emerged. I focused only on the perfect, spherical word I intended to say, and my voice vibrated in the cool, clammy air. What had she done to me?

“Say my name.”

“No!”

“I want to hear my name in your voice.”

Her whispered command was too seductive to resist. I raised a hand to my head, scrubbed at my hair. “Mrs. Stephens.”

“Not that part. That’s another man’s name.”

Infernal woman. Stubborn, demanding, witchy creature. “Mrs. Juno Stephens.”

“Too much.”

“Juno!” I shouted, raised my arms to the sky, then let them fall. “Goddess of Rome, protector of women. Juno.”

My voice was flawless, deep, rolling, and aggravated. Exactly how I have always sounded inside my own head. It was the true sound of the internal voice I had heard when I wrote those notes to her. Could they possibly hear me as I heard myself?

Juno curtsied. “At your service.”

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Julia lives and writes in Chicago with her handsome dog and scruffy husband. She tells people she enjoys books, wine, baking, and architecture as plausible cover for her secret double life.

Website: http://julia-byrd.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/julia_byrd/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/julia_byrd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julia.byrd.961

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RP1MG71/

Soil and Ceremony is available FREE to members of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program and the book is on sale for only $0.99.

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

GIVEAWAY:

Julia Byrd will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT

ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!

August 20: Our Town Book Reviews

August 27: A Chick Who Reads

September 3: Iron Canuck

September 3: Renee Wildes Weblog

September 10: Locks, Hooks and Books

September 10: Kit 'N Kabookle

My Review

Soil and Ceremony is my first introduction to Julia Byrd’s writing. It will not be the last. I thought this book was great. It has a mixture of mystery, history, and suspense, as well as, adventure and action. I was intrigued from start to finish. 

I am giving Soil and Ceremony four stars. I would love to read more by Miss Byrd in the future. I recommend this one for readers who enjoy exciting, suspense filled historical fiction. 


I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion. 

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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Surf Smugglers by Melody Carlson

About the Book

Book: Surf Smugglers
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: August 15, 2019

In the summer of 1917, US troops join the allied forces in the Great War. Back in Sunset Cove, Oregon, other battles wage. Anna McDowell continues to fight old fashioned stereotypes as she runs a newspaper committed to truth. Despite opposition, she’s determined to expose ongoing rum-running and prohibition lawlessness.

Adding to Anna’s frustrations, her good friend Dr. Daniel seems to run hot and cold. He loves Oregon, and maybe Anna too, but he’s pulled by his East Coast family responsibilities. Even the lure of a new modern Sunset Cove hospital doesn’t seem enough to keep him in Sunset Cove.

Meanwhile, Anna’s strong-willed daughter Katy continues to develop her dress shop by inviting family friend Sarah Rose to help out. But the woman’s presence tests the small town’s tolerance. And Anna’s concern that her daughter is growing up too fast is confirmed when Katy’s romantic life takes an unexpected turn, which Anna fears is influenced by the pressure of a devastating war that is not only changing the entire world but Sunset Cove as well.

Click here to grab your copy.  

About the Author

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. 

More from Melody

My favorite way to learn history is through historical fiction—both by reading and by writing it. And I’ve discovered that World War 1 (previously known as the Great War, since WW2 had yet to happen) is quite fascinating. As well as incredibly sad. But I’m amazed at how science and technology evolved so quickly in this era. Whether it was advancement in automotive, communication, medicine . . . the culture was rapidly changing. And the war pushed it along at an even faster pace.

Another factor that makes this era interesting is prohibition. Oregon, my home state and where I set my series, was one of the earliest states to adopt prohibition of alcohol—in 1914. As a result, Oregon became ripe territory for bootlegging and rum-running along the coastline. And because my series involves a small town coastal newspaper that’s run (gasp!) by a woman, it gets even more interesting—and exciting!

Speaking of women, the suffrage movement was approved in Oregon in 1912—also well ahead of the rest of the nation (and the main reason that prohibition passed). My theory on why this happened is that the brave women who’d made the arduous journey West (via perilous wagon train or long hard voyages on clipper ships) were strong and opinionated and tough. And many of them were sick and tired of drunken slacker husbands. Also, thanks to Oregon’s amazing land donation act of 1850, many of these women were equal landowners to their husbands—and land equaled power.

Of course, what these suffragette-prohibition supporters didn’t realize is that banning alcohol would make matters worse because bootlegging and rum-running suddenly became a very lucrative business. The crime rate soared and the booze continued to flow freely. But all this makes for good newspaper stories, keeping our female editor in chief rather busy. In the first two books of the series, Anna McDowell has her hands full with trying to run her ailing father’s newspaper, restoring family relationships, and staying ahead of the growing crime element in Sunset Cove.

By book three, Surf Smugglers, Anna has her feet under her and doing a good job of standing up to the criminal element in their region. But by now the Great War is really heating up and the United States must get involved. Of course, this means that many young men, as well as Anna’s very good friend Dr. Daniel Hollister, are being shipped overseas to serve. Meanwhile, there is plenty of trouble at home. And the rum-runners, who despise the newspaper’s support of prohibition, target Anna’s good friend Sarah Rose because she’s a woman of color who’s sought refuge from the big city . . . and naturally things get dicey.

I’m currently finishing up the fourth and final book of the Legacy if Sunset Cove series, and I’m sad to think my ‘history lesson’ in this interesting era is drawing to an end. Not only have I learned a lot, I’ve really come to love the McDowell family . . . and I’m getting worried that not all the men from Sunset Cove will survive the brutal war. Of course, this is fiction . . . but the war was very real and the losses were great. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the war to end all wars like they’d hoped, but I appreciate the sentiment . . . and continue to pray for world peace.

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, August 31

Connect in Fiction, August 31

Among the Reads, September 1

She Lives To Read, September 1

Through the Fire Blogs, September 1

For Him and My Family, September 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 2

Just the Write Escape, September 3

Patiently Waiting, September 3

Blogging With Carol , September 3

CarpeDiem, September 4

Betti Mace, September 4

Christian Bookaholic , September 4

Reflections From My Bookshelves, September 5

Wishful Endings, September 5

Remembrancy, September 5

Maureen’s Musings, September 6

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess , September 6

Bigreadersite , September 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 7

It’s Story Time With Van Daniker, September 7

Connie’s history classroom , September 8

For the Love of Literature, September 8

Hallie Reads, September 8

Moments, September 9

Simple Harvest Reads, September 9

FOR THE LOVE of Books , September 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 10

Pause for Tales, September 10

To Everything A Season, September 10

Retrospective Spines, September 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

Texas Book-aholic, September 11

Older & Smarter?, September 12

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 12

janicesbookreviews, September 13

A Reader’s Brain, September 13

Inklings and notions , September 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Melody is giving away the grand prize of three of her books: Harbor Secrets, Riptide Rumors, and Surf Smugglers!!

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/e982/surf-smugglers-celebration-tour-giveaway



My Review

Surf Smugglers is the third installment from Melody Carlson’s series, The Legacy of Sunset Cove. I have not read the first two books of the series and feel that this one can be read as a stand alone. It begins in the summer of 1917 when the United States enters the Great War.

I enjoyed Surf Smugglers. There is a lot covered in this book, such as, bootlegging, prejudice, racism, and war. I loved the beautiful setting of Sunset Cove in the state of Oregon. The characters of Anna, Katy and Sarah were wonderful and admirable. The story has a wonderful lesson to learn for all readers in the end.

I am giving Surf Smugglers four and a half stars. I would love to go back and read the two previous books from The Legacy of Sunset Cove series to see what happened prior to this. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy good, clean historical fiction.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.