historicalromance – Author D.L. Finn

February Book Reviews Part 2! @supermegawoman @RichardDockett1 @LBroday @JoanHallWrites #writingcommunity #readersoftwitter #whattoread

Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral (An Amanda Travels Adventure Book 9)

“Amanda in France” is an exciting book for middle-grade or youthful adult readers—like me. Amanda gets the opportunity to go to France with her best friend and aunt and stay at a bookstore where she works part-time. When they explore the city, I feel like I’m with them and seeing all the places I’ve dreamed of exploring someday. Amanda gets free tickets to see a musical, they end up in a bomb scare, and a man she keeps seeing is there. I felt her sadness as the fire at Notre Dame burned, and her need to help save the art. Amanda’s best friend has been hanging around someone whom she wondered about his motives and those after him. There is not only history and exquisite details but a mystery to be solved. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure with Amanda and am ready to explore more with her.

Menagerie

By Joan Hall

“Menagerie” is a wonderful collection of short stories linked together with small-town living. Each story is unique, and several genres and time periods are included. They are beautifully written with attention to detail and vivid descriptions that captured my imagination. It’s hard to pick the ones I liked the best, but “Lone Wolf” immediately won my heart. Jake is trying to get over a painful breakup and camps in the mountains he loves every chance he gets. He runs across a lone wolf, and they watch each other from a distance. There was a potential for healing and a look at a relationship between man and a wild animal. I fell in love with that wolf and the land’s extraordinary beauty, but it isn’t always safe for wild animals around ranches. “Ghost Bridge,” a doctor, fell victim to a local legend in 1889. It is said he haunts a bridge now. Kate moves to an isolated house that overlooks this bridge. I admired the peace she found there but also something else. I enjoy exploring local legends in stories and how they affect the living. “Friends” was a mystery and a reconnection to the past. Cassie is a detective in a small town, and her ex-partner comes to help solve a cold case. It was fun guessing whodunit, along with her working with her partner, Nick. These are thirteen stories that I can highly recommend!

Life and Other Dreams: Sci-Fi and Psychological Thriller

By Richard Dee

“Life and Other Dreams” is a unique story that questions what reality is for Rick/Dan. Rick is married to Cath, a character I dislike, and works a job he finds uninteresting. At night though, he has vivid dreams as Dan, six hundred years in the future, exploring another planet with his wife, Vanessa. Sleep becomes hard for him, and his wife, Cath, pushes him to get help. He ends up on experimental drugs that help him sleep and make his dreams more lucid. Rick’s wife becomes jealous of his dreams and decides he is cheating on her and leaves. I enjoyed the dream life in the future but disliked Rick’s current timeline and his marriage to Cath, or why he was even with her. He is likable in both realities, though, and you can’t help but root for him. This story doesn’t answer questions and offers more intriguing ones with the ending. I have a few theories and will read the next book to see where this goes and if Cath can redeem herself—or is even real. A fun read for sci-fi fans or those who enjoy a good thought-provoking read.

Winning Maura’s Heart

By Linda Broday

In 1876, sisters Maura and Emma were the daughters of a hangman in San Antonio. The sisters cared for the town’s yellow fever victims until they weren’t needed. The townspeople decided it was time for the hangman’s daughters to leave. With no house to return to, Maura sets out to find a place for the sisters and the recently orphaned children. She travels to an abandoned mission and discovers three nuns who would welcome them and the children. The Calhoun brothers, Jonas and Cutter, are trying to escape the outlaw gang Jonas has been in. Although twins, the brothers are on different sides of the law. Jonas and Cutter are pursued, and, in a shootout, both are shot. The story follows one unknown brother who finds a place to hide by the mission. Once the children and sisters get settled into the mission, Maura finds this man, takes him in, and doctors him, not knowing who he is. I quickly fell in love with Maura’s character. She was a strong, compassionate woman with a moral compass that guided her actions. Her love for her sister and those children was heartwarming, which nicely balanced how cruel the townspeople were to them. I found it intriguing not to know the brother’s name until the very end and enjoyed getting to know Uncle Max. As Maura and her patient grow close, a family and healing emerge at the mission, but the outlaw gang is a danger to them all. This fast-paced story has a couple of twists that make it hard to put down. I highly recommend “Winning Maura’s Heart” to all who love a good western romance.

I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews here! If I don’t like the book, I won’t finish it. It wouldn’t be fair to leave a review for an unfinished story, and life is too short not to enjoy my reading journey!

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn

June Book Review Part 2 and Update! @harmony_kent @Sandra_Cox @DLMJ18 #writingcommunity #whattoread #indieauthors #mustreads

The Darkness of Placata Montis

by DLM Johnson

“The Darkness of Placata Montis” is the debut romantic fantasy from DLM Johnson. I had the privilege to beta read and help format it, but was eager to dive into it as “just” a reader. I was drawn right into the dark and stormy night with a young woman, Eliana or Li, who ends up at a front door of an unknown house hoping to escape what is chasing her. The man, Graham, takes her into safety and information unfolds as to not only who he is, but Eliana. As what is called The Darkness threatens them, we are shown not only Eliana and Graham’s feelings and stories but taken on a journey to find out what this darkness is, and what it means to them and their world’s magic. Told through Eliana and Graham’s POV, it gives an insight into their motives. Eliana can see more than what is in front of her, so there are flashbacks that add to the story. I could easily imagine the setting and seeing the world through not only a fighter, but a scientist’s eyes. When the battle comes and questions are answered, it was hard to put the book down. I have to add, I am a proud author-mom, and my opinion might seem a bit biased, but I’m also a reader who knows what I like, and this is a story that I can recommend! I look forward to the next book in this series and other books to come.

Miss Redmond’s Deception

by Sandra Cox

“Miss Redmond’s Deception” is a fun historical fiction read. Pembra and her sisters run into Captain Richard Greyston in a graveyard. I love how this scene played out. Richard believes the younger sisters to be accompanied by a spinster governess, or Pembra. Circumstances have the captain staying at the house where Pembra continues her deception from the night before the next morning at breakfast. Yet, in a fun twist, they end up fake engaged. Their attraction is immediate, even though Pembra is determined to fight it, and their banter is a lot of fun. Richard has a reputation with the ladies and Pembra wants no part of a man like that. Pembra is a strong character who lives her life as she wants, while Richard is equally stubborn, but knows what he wants, too. There is a charming country setting, a local man with bad intentions, and a sweet and protective rescue dog that added even more depth to the story. A quick-paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Polish Your Prose

by Harmony Kent

“Polish Your Prose” is a reference guide that every writer needs. This doesn’t tell you how to write but how to clean up what you’ve written. There are three parts, and it’s laid out so you can locate the information needed. Many topics are covered, including these chapters, Show no Tell, Filter Words, Sentence Construction, and Common Spelling Mistakes. Part three talks about on giving and receiving reviews and offers a checklist for editing. This is simple and easy to follow with plenty of guidance to help when doing the dreaded edit of your book. I have a copy sitting on my shelf for easy access and reminders of things I need to work on. I can easily recommend this book.

I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right leaving a review in that case, but I have been known to email the author:) Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!

UPDATE

We had a quiet and relaxing vacation. We stayed close to home and enjoyed our grandson’s 8th grade graduation, our son visiting from Oregon, our oldest granddaughter’s 12th birthday and our 39th Wedding Anniversary to start off the week. We also took a day trip to Reno for a late anniversary celebration. I did win a bit on a Leprecaun Slot Machine that called to me—well enough to cover the gas.

Sara on a walk in the forest — 7-25-08 to 6-11-22

With these highs came a low, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Sara on our anniversary. We were lucky to have her for thirteen and half years, but it was time to let her go to run in the forest with Hermie, who we lost three years ago. I know they are chasing bears and watching over us.

I don’t think I will try to catch up with all the things I missed last week, but I am back now. This will be a very busy week. I have a full schedule for the blog tour starting today and my Newsletter is out. Plus, there is a Books That Changed Me Summer Edition tomorrow. I will keep you updated here with the tour 🙂

One more thing, I was thrilled to come back to those great reviews for A Voice in the Silence. It uplifted my spirits!! Thank you all xo

Embrace your inner child with a huge hug by reading a great book! D. L. Finn

My Vacation and a Special December Book Review Part 2! @LBroday @dk_deters #writingcommunity #whattoread #mustread #holidayreading #authorvaction

Hi! Because of the holidays, I’m doing a special vacation blog, along with the books I read below.

Before we even left, there were septic problems to deal with. So, we had someone come out, and it wasn’t good news. But they’d fix it while we were away. All our COVID tests were finally in hand and uploaded to the Hawaiian site. Right after we dropped off my husband’s pickup at the body shop for repairs, we were off. He hit a deer a couple of weeks before. In fact, two other cars behind him hit the same deer we were told by insurance.

Finally, we got settled into our hotel by the airport, where the plumbing was working fine 🙂 Flying over had a couple of bumps along the way. It’s never good when you have the captain come on, and there isn’t that reassuring tone you’d hoped to hear in his voice explaining how normal air turbulences were as the plane veered off to the right.

Still, after transferring at Honolulu, we headed off to Kauai, where I saw a pod of whales from my plane window as we descended to land. Stocking up on food, we settled into our room quickly. The view was spectacular, and I took my plan to relax seriously. I read on the lanai and wrote poetry while my husband, daughter, and son-in-law swam.

We saw many turtles, including one sunning on the beach. Our whale watching/fishing tour was canceled because of choppy conditions, which meant more time to relax—enjoy sunsets, watch the soothing waves hit the shore and observe the parrots settling in every night in the palm trees.

The only blip in our stay was the big storm. It didn’t hit our island as hard as the rest, where they were in a state of emergency and flooding. I couldn’t read on our lanai as the rain was coming sideways at me during the worst of the storm. Everyone else swam in this pouring rain, and I continued to read inside.

Visiting the north side of the island on my husband’s birthday.

Our time went by quickly, as all vacations do. Although we didn’t do as much as normal because of my hip/foot issues, which makes it hard to walk a lot, it turns out doing less was just what was needed by all.

On the last morning, as I sipped my tea on the lanai, a whale jumped up as if to say until next time.

The hotel we stayed at after they put up the holiday decorations

Back home, with a now repaired septic system, the truck is still in the shop, and we have a big storm looming over us. Although, I have everything I need and memories to carry me into the new year.

I’ll be sharing my vacation poetry in a later post.

Here are the books I read by the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Christmas Once Again

by D.K. Deters

Madison has lost her fiancé, is broke, and is on the verge of losing her job when she gets a call from a man who wants his grandmother’s painting back. She is immediately attracted to his voice and wants to help him. This all falls in the middle of a massive snowstorm right before Christmas. This is a romantic time travel story layered with mystery. What is so special about that painting? I like how everything is tied together as Madison attempts to do a good deed. “Christmas Once Again” is a fun short story to read by the fire during the busy holiday season.

A Cowboy Christmas Legend (Lone Star Legends #2)

by Linda Broday

Sam Legend ll moved away from the world after losing his wife. While he was sleeping, a woman snuck in and held a knife to his throat. Once the misunderstanding is resolved, they are thrown together to help a family. I love the chemistry between Sam and Cheyenne, but I also love the other relationships around them. There is humor, a budding romance, a missing person, and justice to be served. Both Sam and Cheyenne have pasts to overcome, but they now have others who depend on them. Cheyenne’s history unravels slowly, and I appreciated her stance on the treatment of Apache children. These are well-developed characters that drew me into their lives. Christmas was quickly approaching, and there were people to save, criminals who needed to be arrested, and a ranch to run. I read and loved the first book in this series, but it’s unnecessary to read it before reading this because the back story was weaved in nicely. If you like historical western romance, this is a must-read!

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn