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Monday Spotlight on Marilyn Leach

3/21/2016

Welcome, dear readers, to today's spotlight featuring uber-talented Marilyn Leach and her fun cozy mystery, Into the Clouds. As an added bonus, she is giving us a sneak peek at her next book, so read on.

At the age of nine, Marilyn wrote her first play with a childhood neighbor, “The Ghost and Mr. Giltwallet”. It was a mystery. And she’s been writing in one form or another, hobby or livelihood, since. As well as teaching art, she’s had the opportunity to co-author several plays that have been performed on both church and secular stages, as well as two screenplays. Marilyn has had the good fortune of “discovering her roots” while visiting England where she developed lasting relationships with wonderful people there. It has greatly impacted her writing. A keen fan of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and David Cook’s Hetty Wainthropp series, Marilyn was inspired to write her Berdie Elliott Mystery series. It takes place in a small English village where the vicar’s wife, Berdie Elliott, is the divine sleuth. Marilyn lives lakeside in a cottage on the outskirts of Denver near the foothills.

Now it's question and answer time!

1. What was your inspiration for this story?
Since I can remember, I’ve enjoyed reading and writing mysteries. I use the liturgical church calendar as themes for exploits of the lively Berdie Elliott, a vicar’s wife and sleuth extraordinaire, that lives in a small English village, which is my current series with Pelican Books. Candle for a Corpse is an Advent mystery. Up from the Grave is a Lenten mystery. My current story, Into the Clouds, is an Ascension mystery where an energetic church procession down the village High Street is rocked when someone who starts with the parade never arrives at the end. My next release, which happens in March of next year? A Pentecost mystery of course: Enigma of Fire.

2. What is its take-away message?
I like to give my readers a good ‘brain tickle’, gentle humor, and encouragement. Today’s world can be so uncertain sometimes, and a fun read where God’s goodness triumph’s over evil gives a nice uplift. It can make our day a bit brighter.

3. Tell us a bit about your writing routine. Do you have set hours? Do you get dressed first? Do you travel for research? Where and when do you do your best work?
Juggling is the best word for my writing routine at the moment. Marketing eats up so very much time, but I love the moments and hours of fleshing out my stories in a comfy chair on my laptop. It’s true joy. My travels to England have also been inspirational. I incorporate the sights, smells, atmosphere, and culture of this beloved country in all my writing.

4. What's your next writing project?
My next Berdie Elliott mystery, Enigma of Fire, is set to release in March of next year. No gifts are going spare when the village of Aidan Kirkwood is shaken by an explosive event that flames Berdie into action to solve the crime. This story sizzles! The ebook is available for pre-order at Amazon.

And now, just for fun...
1. Coffee or tea?
I am an astute tea drinker. Some may call me a tea snob, but I just say I’m an aficionado of sorts. My dear friends in England introduced me to the joys of fine tea.

2. Snacks: sweet or salty?
My favorite snack is dark, dark chocolate covered almonds, in limited amounts, of course.
Yum!

3. Dream vacation:
My dream vacation is a kind of working holiday: 6 months to a year in England where I’d live on a canal in a longboat, a kind of houseboat that’s popular in rural England. You’d all be invited to drop by for an afternoon cuppa.
Sounds fantastic!

4. #1 on your bucket list:
. I’m still working on what I want in my bucket. One thing, there’s a play I co-wrote that’s been optioned with a film producer. I would love to see the tale of women celebrating all the different seasons on the road to maturity come to life on film. I’d delight in seeing any of my books go to filming, as far as that goes!

Thanks, Marilyn. We've enjoyed getting to know you.

And here's a look at Into the Clouds:

Look at this cover! Isn't it great?

Into the Clouds.

Red Ascension Sunday balloons are not the only things going missing from this small English village.

Ascension Sunday balloons are not the only things disappearing in the English village of Aidan Kirkwood. When the villagers celebrate the first Ascension Sunday Processional in fifty years, someone goes missing. A well off widow that was amongst the crowd has vanished into thin air. And, she’s not the only one who’s nowhere to be found.

Berdie Elliott, the local vicar’s wife, goes into sleuth mode as eccentric cat lovers, a secretive informant, Portuguese holidays, an enigmatic “tree” house, and tangled family dynamics all add to the perplexing affair. Don’t let this mystery slip from your sight.

I'll bet you're wondering where you can contact Marilyn and/or buy your own copy, and I'm happy to share with you:

www.amazon.marilynleach
marilynleachteaandbooks.com
pelicanbookgroup.com

As promised, here is your sneak peek at Marilyn Leach's next Berdie Elliott mystery, Enigma of Fire, coming soon from Pelican Book Group.

Watch for it!

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We have two winners!

3/14/2016

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Drum roll, please...The winner of the print copy of Niki Turner's Santiago Sol is DeAnn Dodson. Congratulations, DeAnna!

The winner of an e-copy of Santiago Sol is Gina Wellborn. Congratulations, Gina!

Please contact Niki Turner directly or me (at this website) with your full email and mailing addresses, so your wonderful prize can wing its way to you.

Thank you to everyone who commented, and a big thank you to Niki Turner.

I hope you'll all stop by Grace Notes often!

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Book Review: The Red Door Inn

3/8/2016

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TITLE: The Red Door Inn
AUTHOR: Liz Johnson
DATE: 2016
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: *****

Marie Carrington is running from a host of bad memories. Broke and desperate, she's hoping to find safety and sanctuary on Prince Edward Island, where she reluctantly agrees to help decorate a renovated bed-and-breakfast before it opens for prime tourist season.

Seth Sloane didn't move three thousand miles to work on his uncle's B&B so he could babysit a woman with a taste for expensive antiques and a bewildering habit of jumping every time he brushes past her. He came to help restore the old Victorian--and to forget about the fiancée who broke his heart.
The only thing Marie and Seth agree on is that getting the Red Door Inn ready to open in just three months will take everything they've got. Can these two wounded souls find hope, healing, and perhaps a bit of romance on this beautiful island?

Step into the Red Door Inn, a lovely home away from home tucked along the north shore of fabled Prince Edward Island. It's a place where the wounded come to heal, the broken find forgiveness, and the lonely find a family. Won't you stay for the season?

I would love to spend time at the Red Door Inn after reading this delightful book by Liz Johnson. She brings Prince Edward Island’s enchantment to vivid life as she draws readers into the troubled lives of Marie and Seth and their separate quests for a fresh start. At least, they intended to keep them separate. But God may have other plans.

Each of the characters in The Red Door Inn appealed to me in their own way. Jack Sloane, the widower who is determined to bring his beloved wife’s dream to fruition and antique-store owner Aretha Franklin (not the singer) add charm and some touches of humor to this story, as do the rest of the cast.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved The Red Door Inn and didn’t want it to end. For that reason and many more, it earns five stars.

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Book Review: A Treasure Concealed

3/8/2016

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TITLE: A Treasure Concealed
AUTHOR: Tracie Peterson
DATE: 2016
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: ****

Emily Carver wants a home where she can put down roots instead of following her gold-hungry father from one mining camp to another. She also longs for tenderness and love, both of which are missing in her life. Yet when she realizes she's losing her heart to the intriguing new man in camp, she fiercely fights her feelings, afraid that love will only result in disappointment and heartache.

Caeden Thibault, a young geologist, comes to Montana to catalog minerals indigenous to the state. He's a serious and guarded young man trying to escape the pain of his past. He has avoided all romantic entanglements, fearing he might become like his abusive father. But something about Emily Carver has caught his attention, something he never expected. . . .

Will these two broken souls allow God to bring healing and hope to their hurting hearts?

.The history contained in A Treasure Concealed compelled me to do a little online research on Yogo sapphires. What a fascinating story! Author Tracie Peterson obviously dug deep (no pun intended) into the stories of the fabled gemstones to make this story feel so real.

Like the real-life miners of Yogo, Emily’s father, Henry Carver, will not give up on the failed gold claim on which he staked his family’s future, in spite of his wife’s illness and his daughter’s yearning for a real home. Henry believes he is following God’s leading, and no one can convince him otherwise.

Several heart-breaking tragedies rip the Carvers from their shack and claim, while Caeden faces his own adversaries. Their trials and journeys toward peace make for a difficult but worthy story, and I award A Treasure Concealed four stars.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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Monday Spotlight on Niki Turner

3/7/2016

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.Welcome to this Monday's Spotlight! Today we are privileged to meet Niki Turner and find out more about her and her wonderful story, Santiago Sol.

Please note: Niki is offering a print copy and an e-copy of Santiago Sol. For a chance to win, be sure to comment below.

Thank you for joining us, Niki. I'm excited to get to know you a little better. Ready? Let's go!

Niki Turner is a novelist, journalist, blogger, and the production manager for the Rio Blanco Herald Times weekly newspaper, one of the oldest continuously operating newspapers in Colorado. Her first completed manuscript earned second place in the Touched By Love 2009 contemporary category romance contest. She also blogs at www.nikiturner.net and is a co-blogger at www.inkwellinspirations.com.
Niki is a Colorado native who grew up in Glenwood Springs—home of the world’s largest hot springs pool. She married her high school sweetheart 25 years ago. They have four children, four grandchildren, and two West Highland White Terriers.
In 2014, she published “Sadie’s Gift” as one of the Christmas Traditions novella collection with eight other authors. The Skiing Suitor, one of the Love’s Sporting Chance series published by Forget-Me-Not Romances, released in August 2015. Her most recent project, “Santiago Sol,” was published by Pelican Book Group as part of the Passport to Romance novella collection. She’s currently working on a new novella for Whitefire Publishing and another one for Barbour House.

Thanks, Niki! Now, for my nosy questions:

What was your inspiration for this story?
I stumbled across the Pelican call for submissions to the Passport to Romance collection and was thrilled to find Santiago, Chile on the list of destinations because it is, literally, the only stamp I have in my real passport. I’ve visited Santiago three times and loved it. It’s the perfect location for a romance, with a little suspense thrown in.

What is its take-away message?
Probably the power of forgiveness. We carry so much unresolved baggage around, and it affects us and our immediate families and even the generations that come after us. Forgiveness is a superpower we all have access to, but don’t always take advantage of.

Tell us a bit about your writing routine. Do you have set hours? Do you get dressed first? Do you travel for research? Where and when do you do your best work?
I so wish I had set hours. I did when my kiddos were homeschooling, but now my hours are limited to the evenings when I’m done with my “real” job as production manager/page designer for a weekly newspaper. I do make myself get dressed every day, because I work from home, and it would be entirely too easy to never get out of my pajamas. I have, however, forsworn makeup unless I’m leaving the house, which only happens once or twice a week. If I need to have a really productive writing day, though, I just sit down at the desk first thing in the morning and start plugging away. PJs, hair up, robe on, fuzzy teeth and all.
As for traveling for research, I’d love to, but we don’t travel much. What I’ve found is that studying my own family genealogy and digging into local history has satisfied that my research cravings. There’s nothing quite as entertaining as spending an afternoon in the library with archived copies of old newspapers. Yeah… I’m a nerd.

What’s your next writing project?
I am just wrapping up a novella I’ve been working on since January 2011. It’s loosely based on Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” but set in Austin, Texas, in 1894. The first Austen in Austin volume releases this month. My story is in the second volume. As soon as I send that off, I will start on another novella for one of Barbour’s 9-in-1 collections. “First Comes Pie” is another historical, set in Rifle, Colorado.

Just for fun:
Coffee or Tea? If I’m out, I’ll get a fancy coffee somewhere, but at home it’s tea. Black with sugar.

Snacks: Sweet or Salty? Depends on the day and the project. I notice when I’m writing I want salty, crunchy stuff. If I was a smart writer I’d salt cucumber slices with seasoning salt, but I usually just grab a handful of pretzels. That’s why “lose 10 pounds” is always on my to-do list.

Dream vacation. That’s a hard one. I really want to do a tour of Europe, mostly France and the British Isles, but whenever we have vacation time/money I always end up voting for the beach. Any beach.

#1 on your Bucket List. Another hard one. Learn to love my body just the way it is? Stop worrying?

FIVE STARS! Santiago Sol grabbed my attention--and my heart--from the first lines and didn't let go until the satisfying finish. Author Niki Turner's familiarity with the Chilean city of Santiago shines in this whirl of mystery, faith, danger, and love. Her descriptions of the exotic places are a magic carpet that carried me right into the scene, and the tangled plot kept those pages turning. I loved this story and highly recommend it.

Here's some more to whet your appetite:
When a beloved elderly friend in hospice care makes one final request, Tansy Chastain can't refuse, even though returning an heirloom to the patriarch of a powerful Chilean family will take her halfway around the globe. When she's robbed at the airport, a handsome Santiago businessman comes to her rescue. Sebastian Sandoval decides escorting a lovely American for a few days is a perfect distraction from his grandfather's growing pressure to find a lost family treasure. But even as Tansy breathes new life into Sebastian’s jaded perspective, the secrets they are keeping put them in the path of a dangerous, and desperate enemy. Revealing the truth to each other now will destroy their growing relationship, but if they don’t, those secrets may destroy their lives.

Excerpt:
Sebastian’s mouth tightened. He’d seen her hands shake, noticed the way she tensed every time the plane shuddered or groaned or bumped through turbulence. It was part of the reason he’d engaged her in conversation. In his experience, distracting the poor souls he encountered who were afraid of flying was often the only way to ease their constant tension. Now he wondered if her trip would end in a greater disaster. For the most part, Chile was a safe nation in terms of violent crime, but he doubted this young woman would make it from the baggage carousel to a taxi with all her belongings intact.
“¿Hablas español?”
She faced him, and he acknowledged with surprise the sudden, low hum of attraction. He’d already appreciated the swing of her hair—a rich, buttery shade of caramel with golden highlights—and the delicate shape of her profile, but he hadn’t paid much attention otherwise. Sebastian had dated Brazilian models, Argentinian heiresses, and a few Mexican television stars, but he’d never been drawn to any American women, due, he surmised, to a lifetime of negative references to his American-born mother.
This woman was pretty in a quiet sort of way. Not the sultry beauty he was usually attracted to. The wide eyes she turned on him were a bright, quirky hazel, the kind that reflected everything from her feelings to her fashion choices. They were set in a pixie face with small features and smooth, pale skin. Her cheeks were flushed—because she was nervous, or too warm, he didn’t know—but the effect ratcheted the hum into a buzz at the base of his skull.
“I don’t,” she replied. “I took two years in high school, but it didn’t stick with me. I think you have to be around a language all the time to really become fluent in it.”
He had to blink twice to remember what he’d asked her.
“I’m sure it will be all right. America tends to be the only country where its populace speaks one language,” she continued.
The flight attendant returned, this time to present options for the main course.
Sebastian chose the beef, with a glass of Chilean Merlot. He’d been raised on a vineyard. Not having wine with dinner was tantamount to blasphemy.
She selected the beef entrée and a soda, and when the flight attendant moved down the aisle she faced him and grinned. “You’re a miracle worker! I think I’ve found my appetite. I hate to fly, and you distracted me. Thank you,” she said.
“De nada. You’ve made an otherwise boring flight more enjoyable.”
The flush on her cheeks deepened to a dark rose, and she fiddled with her napkin. “What about you? Are you headed home?”
Home. The word slammed into his gut like a cannonball. His quest had been an abject failure. Of his grandfather’s two qualifications for claiming his inheritance, Sebastian was stymied on both counts. The walking stick was still missing, and Sebastian was still unmarried. He’d hoped that finding the walking stick would make up for his lack of a wife. Now, he had neither.
When the main course arrived, the woman beside him prayed over her food, which prompted him to bow his own head. He thought of the conversation he needed to have with his grandfather and felt deflated. He glanced at the woman beside him. Perhaps it was time for an uncharted detour. If he could protect a naïve young woman from harm in the process, all the better.
“I’m at loose ends for a few days. Would you allow me the honor of introducing you to my country?”
Her eyes widened. “I... I don’t know. I mean, I don’t even know your name.
“Sebastian. Sebastian MacKenna.” The name was out of his mouth before he could reconsider.
“MacKenna? Is that a Scottish name?”
“Irish. My great-great-grandfather emigrated to Chile in the 1800s,” he replied. “You haven’t answered my question, or told me your name.”
She smiled. “Tansy Chastain.”
“Mucho gusto, Tansy Chastain. Pleased to meet you.” He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles in the European fashion.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Sebastian,” she said, “But I’m not sure I feel comfortable keeping company with someone I just met.”
Sebastian leaned back. “No offense taken.” He raised his almost untouched glass of wine. “I hope you will find Chile a hospitable nation. But please take care.”

Ready to buy? Here are the links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016HBWLAM
http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=692
http://www.christianbook.com/santiago-sol-ebook/9781611164671/pd/80844EB
https://www.scribd.com/book/292543700/Santiago-Sol
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/santiago-sol-niki-turner/1122816656?ean=9781611164671

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win either a print or e-copy of Santiago Sol!
Thanks for visiting, dear readers, and thank you, Niki Turner, for spending this time with us. Come again soon!

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Book Review: Annabel Lee

3/3/2016

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TITLE: Annabel Lee
AUTHOR: Mike Nappa
DATE: 2016
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ***

Fourteen miles east of Peachtree, Alabama, a secret is hidden. That secret's name is Annabel Lee Truckson, and even she doesn't know why her mysterious uncle has stowed her deep underground in a military-style bunker. He's left her with a few German words, a barely-controlled guard dog, and a single command: "Don't open that door for anybody, you got it? Not even me."

Above ground, a former Army sniper called The Mute and an enigmatic "Dr. Smith" know about the girl. As the race begins to find her, the tension builds. Who wants to set her free? Why does the other want to keep her captive forever? Who will reach her first?

Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill need to piece together the clues and stay alive long enough to retrieve the girl--before it's too late.

This book review was a struggle for me. Well written, fast-paced, and told in an interesting, unique manner, I’d hoped Annabel Lee would deserve the highest rating. For some readers, it probably will. But there were two things about this story that bothered me: I don’t like violence, and this is a violent tale. Also, the faith element is ambiguous at best and seems almost incidental.

Would I read another book by Mike Nappa? At this point, I’m not sure. His writing intrigues me, so it’s possible.

For those reasons, Annabel Lee earns three stars. A tense thriller, but not my cup of tea. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion, which I have given.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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Book Review: On Lone Star Trail

3/2/2016

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TITLE: On Lone Star Trail
AUTHOR: Amanda Cabot
DATE: 2016
STARS: *****

If there's one thing Gillian Hodge never wants to see again, it's a man on a motorcycle. Her last encounter with one left her right hand crushed, ending her promising career as a concert pianist. But as she heads to Rainbow's End Resort, a sudden thunderstorm causes a motorcycle to crash in front of her.

When TJ Benjamin's wife died, he lost more than his best friend; he lost his faith. He's spent the past year wandering the country on a motorcycle, trying not to think about his future. When he finds himself stranded with a busted bike and a reluctant rescuer, he has to wonder about God's sense of humor.

Can this woman without a future and this man running from his past find romance in the present? Or are they too tied to the way life used to be?

.Two damaged people with more questions than answers, Gillian and TJ are characters I could easily relate to. And since I’d read author Amanda Cabot’s At Bluebonnet Lake some time ago, their destination of Rainbow’s End felt like coming home.

The pace of this story is purposeful, not rushed, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know TJ, Gillian, and all the other realistic characters in this book. Their journeys to understanding touched my heart; I appreciated the honest anguish and sometimes hesitant faith of both TJ and Gillian.

On Lone Star Trail won my heart and earned five stars. Definitely recommended. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion, which I have given.

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GRACE NOTES - BLOG

Monday Spotlight on Marilyn Leach

We have two winners!

Book Review: The Red Door Inn

Book Review: A Treasure Concealed

Monday Spotlight on Niki Turner

Book Review: Annabel Lee

Book Review: On Lone Star Trail

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