Monday, February 29, 2016

A Timeless Romance Anthology: Mail Order Bride Collection (Blog Tour + tour giveaway)





A Timeless Romance Anthology: Mail Order Bride Collection by Stacy Henrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Old West Romance

Book Description:  Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Mail Order Bride Collection. Six historical romance novellas set in the Old West. 

WRITTEN IN HER HEART, a charming novella by Stacy Henrie, Georgeanna is getting desperate. She can’t fund her favorite orphanage unless she marries and secures the rest of her inheritance left by her father. But her father’s financial planner, Clay, can't understand why she's not content with her current situation. Georgie determines to send out a notice as a mail order bride to attract suitors who won’t know her financial situation. Little does she know, Clay takes up the pen and sends her letters of his own under an assumed name. After years of working for Georgie’s father, Clay realizes he isn’t ready to watch her marry another, not when his heart is already claimed by her.

In Kristin Holt’s delightful novella WANTED: MIDWIFE BRIDE Dr. Naomi Thornton thinks she has it all: a beautiful house, a loving husband, and a fulfilling career. But when everything she holds dear is ripped away, Naomi has no choice but to start over. What will she find in the wild and untamed Wyoming Territory? Dr. Joe Chandler has waited years for a wife with the knowledge, skills, and tender heart he yearns for in a medical colleague and lifetime companion. When a midwife arrives with more expertise and secrets than he counted on, Joe quickly discovers there’s more to love and marriage than a simple mail order contract.

In THE SOUND OF HOME, a captivating novella by Annette Lyon, Marilyn is given the choice of either marrying the despicable Victor or being charged with a murder she didn’t commit. Refusing to believe that either is her fate, she finds a third option: she answers a mail order bride advertisement and boards a train to Wyoming to wed a man named Harry. Moments after her arrival, she learns that Harry isn’t who he seemed to be, and the advertisement turns out to be a giant mistake. Harry’s brother Thomas agrees to let her stay until she can figure out what to do next—after all, she simply cannot return to New York—but Marilyn quickly finds herself developing feelings for Thomas.

In Sarah M. Eden’s endearing novella FOR BETTER OR WORSE Gerald Smith, on the advice of his well-meaning neighbors, has decided it’s time to change his lonely existence. Mary Hill, on the advice of her empty pocketbook and non-existent roof over her head, has decided it’s time to secure herself a future. A mail-order marriage, they both realize, is no guarantee of happiness, but it is a risk they are willing to take. However, coming face to face on the train platform, the hapless couple discovers an unexpected truth: marriage to a perfect stranger is sometimes far preferable to the prospect of a lifetime with someone you used to know.

Heather B. Moore’s sweet novella THE INCONVENIENT BRIDE sees Carmela traveling from Boston to Colorado, eager to meet the man she’s been corresponding with and will soon marry. Her brother’s new marriage leaves little room for Carmela in her old life. Upon arrival in Leadville, she faces a rude awakening, and the only one who can understand her predicament is her fiance’s brother, Samuel. But Samuel can’t possibly help her out of an awkward situation, can he? It would be better for all if she returns immediately to Boston and pretends she never traveled to Colorado in the first place.
THE PRICE OF SILVER, an engaging novella by Siân Ann Bessey, Katie leaves New York for Idaho to marry Jake, a man she’s written to a couple of times. But when she steps off the train, his brother Caleb is there to greet her. Jake has gone to take a mining job he couldn’t pass up. Caleb takes Katie back to the family ranch to wait for Jake’s return. The more Caleb gets to know Katie, the more he envies his brother, but he can’t let his heart overrule his head unless Jake changes his mind about his intended bride.  



My thoughts: This collection contains six novellas about mail order brides. (I'm sure the title gave that one away.) I loved that they were all about mail order brides that didn't go according to plan.

Every story had a responsible man who stepped up and rescued a bride from her circumstances. My favorite story was the first in the collection, Written in Her Heart. The main characters have worked side by side for years.  When she places an advertisement to become a mail order bride, he realizes what he could lose.  The fact that they are best friends and known each other for years was the main reason that it was my favorite.


All of the stories are sweet. I liked all of the main characters. Every story has a great ending. This is a great addition to the Timeless Romance Anthologies. I will keep looking forward to new additions and adding them to my reading list.



Get your eBook copy for $4.99


Visit the Timeless Romance Pages!




Visit the Tour Stops:






Enter the Tour Giveaway: 
(I am not responsible for the prize/picking of or announcing winners.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 4:00 AM 0 comments

Monday, February 22, 2016

Blog Tour ~ "Caribbean Crossroads" by Connie Sokol + tour giveaway


Caribbean CrossroadsCaribbean Crossroads by Connie E. Sokol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Book Description:  New college grad Megan McCormick just got dumped. Hard. Swearing off men and relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them. Urged to find a wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad. Just when Megan begins to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her former fiance returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.
My thoughts: Meagan has been hurt. Tragically, the man who she thought she loved ended up a callus jerk! She was blindsided because she did not see the horrendous break up coming. Throughout the book, new details are revealed that let us know why it was so traumatic and why she has a hard time trusting.

Bryant is a nice guy. He comes across at first as a bit arrogant. The more you learn about him, the more likable he becomes. He has many issues that he has to learn to deal with until he can be the man that Meagan needs.

It is interesting to see the two develop as characters and the attraction they feel is full of sparks.

This is a fun and clean romance.  ***This review was originally posted  June 22, 2012. ***



Get a Kindle copy for $1.99.



About the Author: (Taken from her website)  Connie Sokol is a mother of seven, a national and local presenter, and a regular speaker at Education Week. She is a contributor on KSL TV’s top-rated afternoon show “Studio 5” and is a regular blogger for KSL’s “Motherhood Matters.” She is a former columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine, and former TV and radio host. Mrs. Sokol is the author of  the Life is Too Short for One Hair Color Trilogy, Create a Powerful Life Plan, Motherhood Matters, and the award-nominated romance, Caribbean Crossroads.  Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats.



Visit the Tour Stops~






Enter the Tour Giveaway~  


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 4:30 AM 0 comments

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Blog Tour ~ "The Spider and the Sparrow" by A.L. Sowards + tour giveaway


The Spider and the Sparrow by A.L. Sowards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Publisher to Reveiw
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  May 1915. After tragedy strikes during the Second Battle of Artois, Frenchman Julian Olivier will do anything to get out of the trenches. So when British Intelligence recruits him to spy behind enemy lines, he jumps at the opportunity. Just before he begins, however, he has a chance encounter with a young French woman who leaves his heart marked for the remainder of the war—even if he doesn’t know her name.

Warren Flynn is a Canadian airborne hero, and dogfights with the Germans are all in a day’s work. Second only to his love of flying is his fascination with Claire Donovan, the daughter of an American munitions manufacturer living in Paris. Warren flies Julian into Germany and soon receives orders to post the Allies’ newest operative—an attractive peasant woman named Evette—in Claire’s home.

As a dangerous ring of spies and saboteurs threatens to turn the war against the Allies, Julian discovers goodness in his enemies’ hearts. But even if he survives, will he ever be reunited with the woman whose memory he can’t erase? Will Warren survive the war, and will Evette unearth the infiltrator in her own territory before it’s too late? 

My  thoughts: I want to start by gushing and letting everyone know that I think A.L. Sowards is an amazing writer. This is her fifth book, and it is the fifth book of hers I have read. I know every time I will find an excellent book that brings the time period to life for me. She researches the period and the battles, it shows in her writing.

This story focuses on WWI. Julian is the first character we are introduced to. He is fighting in the trenches for France. It is miserable! He is miserable. After an injury and the death of his best friend, he is given the opportunity to become a spy for France. He assignment is Germany. He is the child of a German mother and a French father. He is a good man who is concerned about the state of his soul.

The book has other characters who's stories are told. A Canadian pilot who Julian helps after his plane crashes. The pilot, Warren , then flies him behind enemy lines. Claire is Warren's girlfriend who lives in Paris. Then there is Evette, a young woman Julian helps flee and abusive situation. Each of the lives become connected and make for a great multi-layer story.

Another reason that I love A.L. Soward's books, is that she writes stories that show the goodness in people on both sides of the war. She also shows the ugliness.

The book is set during WWI, so there is war violence. The book also contains some romance.




About the Author: (taken from Goodreads)   About My Writing: 

A little mystery, a little history, a little romance, and a lot of action, adventure, and suspense. Primarily, I write to entertain. I also hope my books will teach readers something new about history or about life. My books are usually set during wartime, so there is some violence, but I keep the language and romance family-friendly. My goal is for my writing to be thrilling, clean, and uplifting.

Visit her WEBSITE.



Visit the Tour Stops:


Enter the tour giveaway:  This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher.  They will notify the winner.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 4:00 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

"The Resilient One" by Cami Checketts

The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance by Cami Checketts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Book Description:  Alyssa Armsworth, a world-renowned photographer, has no intentions of honoring the Billionaire Bride Pact she made at girl’s camp to avoid getting whipped cream smeared on her face while she slept. Marriage is the last thing on her to-do list and when her father forces his wealthy friends on her, she runs to Maui. 

 Her plan to jog on the beach, take some great pictures, and avoid men works—until Beckham Taylor arrives. Spending days on the white sand with the handsome ex-NHL star is ideal, but Alyssa's guilt for past transgressions begins to consume her. She doesn’t think Beckham could ever forgive what she’s done to him and his family. Before she can confess her misdeeds are thrust onto the front cover of the tabloids. Now, Alyssa must face her past or lose her future. 


My thoughts: This is part of a cute series that follow a group of friends who make a pact at camp to marry a rich man. Of course, they were girls and didn't understand how shallow that pact really is.

Alyssa had not intention of fulfilling the pact, even when she made it as a youth. She comes from a wealthy home and knows that not all wealthy men are honorable. She has issues with trust and doesn't feel the need to be in a relationship.

Beckham is wealthy. He tries to hide the fact because he knows that many women who seek a wealthy husband are shallow. That is why he finds Alyssa intriguing. She is a genuine person.

The two have misunderstandings, miscommunication, trust problems, threats, etc that they have to overcome. The book has several issues that it deals with. It makes for a very interesting story to read.

I look forward to reading more from this series. I didn't feel that I needed to read the books in any specific order.


Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 3:30 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Cover Reveal for Rachelle J Christensen's "Proposals and Poison"


I loved the first two books in this series and I am looking forward to this one as well.

Proposals and Poison, Wedding Planner Mysteries book #3 Rachelle J. Christensen “Cozy mystery meets romantic comedy in this fabulous, fast-paced story.” Cami Checketts author of The Resilient One, A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Love can be a very dangerous thing. At least it seems that way to Adri Pyper, the premier wedding planner in Sun Valley, Idaho. When one of her clients dies mysteriously, Adri takes the advice of the local detective and swears she will stay out of the investigation . . . this time. Luke Stetson's involvement in the case, along with the possibility of a kiss between the two, should be enough incentive to keep Adri out of trouble. But when a dog-themed wedding is almost ruined by a suspect, Adri and her assistant, Lorea, are thrust into private eye mode. When poison enters the picture, even a reluctant sleuth can’t steer clear of danger.
Proposals and Poison


Amazon Pre-order



  “Packed with danger and romance, intrigue and entertainment, Rachelle Christensen's Wedding Planner series is romantic suspense that will keep you turning pages late into the night!” --Maria Hoagland, Author of The ReModel Marriage (Romance Renovations series)

  add to goodreads



RachelleAuthor Rachelle J. Christensen Rachelle is a mother of five who writes mystery/suspense, nonfiction, and women’s fiction. She solves the case of the missing shoe on a daily basis. She enjoys raising chickens and laughing with her husband. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a minor in music. Rachelle is the award-winning author of ten books, including The Soldier’s Bride (a Kindle Scout Selection), Wrong Number, Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things, What Every 6th Grader Needs to Know, and Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology. Her novella, “Silver Cascade Secrets,” was included in the Rone Award–winning Timeless Romance Anthology, Fall Collection. Rachelle has a VIP mailing list where all subscribers get access to free books, guides, and other resources. Sign up now to hear what exciting news Rachelle has to share. http://eepurl.com/eFD3o



Diamond ringsVeils and Vengeance


 “Mystery, suspense, murder and romance all intriguingly tied together in one very fun walk-down-the-aisle cozy mystery!”—Shauna Wheelwright, reviewer 

  “I love a great mystery that keeps my interest and keeps the pages turning. I loved the Hawaiian setting, that was a character on its own. As the story progressed, I enjoyed where the author went with the mystery, doing a perfect job of planting the right amount of seeds to try to throw me off the trail of who the killer was.”—Mindy Holt, reviewer   


  Giveaway Details $25 cash giveaway plus an ebook bundle of the Wedding Planner Mystery Books 1 & 2. (gifted via Amazon) Ends 3/3/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 3:36 PM 1 comments

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Book Review ~ "The Earl Next Door" by Julia Daniels

The Earl Next Door (Brandon Brothers #1)The Earl Next Door by Julia Daniels
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Author to Review
Genre: Historical Romance

Book Description:  Lord Brandon Maxwell is a flawed man. He lives daily with the ugly memories of the death and destruction he witnessed during England’s war with Napolean. He has become a recluse, avoids people as much as he can, knowing anything can trigger the anxiety attacks that debilitate him. His only solace is the controversial column he writes anonymously for his brother’s newspaper, and the occasional glimpse of his enchanting neighbor, Lilliana. 

Lilliana Staplehurst is about to be evicted. Having lost her parents in a horrible accident six months earlier, she knows the man set to inherit will be arriving any day to boot her from her home. The only distraction from her woes is her weekly correspondence with a mystery man who writes for the local newspaper. When he suggests they meet, she jumps at the chance to put the egotistical man in his place. 

The two neighbors realize quickly they are destined to be together. Although they accept their feelings for one another and allow their love to grow, soon the memories from Maxwell’s past threaten what should be a happily-ever-after. Lilliana will have to be strong enough for both of them, to help him move beyond the past and embrace their future happiness.


My thoughts: The Earl Next Door is a quick read. It is about the romance between Brandon and Lilliana. They have been attracted to each other for years, but it has never been the right time or circumstances to explore their feelings for each other.

This book takes place just as Lilliana's time of mourning is coming to an end. They have an easy rapport with each other from the start. They have been writing anonymously to each other in a newspaper column.

The book deals with some real-life issues. Brandon fought for his country and has PTSD. His flashbacks and nightmares are disabling to him and he fears that Lilliana will reject him. The book to me was about two people finding hope after loss and learning to love and accept each other.

The pacing and dialogue were off in a few places for me. I enjoyed the characters and that helped me get through the places I found a little rough. The book has innuendo and mild swearing.


Amazon
Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 12:09 PM 1 comments

Friday, February 12, 2016

Blog Tour Finale for Sunpenny Publishing

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Prism Tour Grand Finale for
Someday, Maybe by Jenny Piper
&
The Long Way Home by Janet Purcell

If you missed the inspiration behind these books or reading their first chapters, go back and do so now...

Bookworm Lisa - Inspiration for The Long Way Home

"The Long Way Home began germinating in my mind after I visited the Andrew Wyeth exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and studied the paintings on display about which I would write a review in my weekly fine arts column in the Times of Trenton newspaper. The image of Christina Olson dragging herself uphill in Wyeth’s painting Christina’s World haunted me. I saw it as a figurative painting and yet as a still life. Her life had been stilled by her unexplained disability."

Beck Valley Books - Excerpt from The Long Way Home

Callie screamed and jumped back. She ran out of the room, slammed the door and, with all her weight against it, looked frantically around for some way to keep it shut. There was nothing. The door didn’t have a lock and there was no furniture close enough to push against it.

Christy's Cozy Corners - Time Passes

"Time passing is something that is an integral part of the story in ‘Someday, Maybe’ and in ‘Moving On’, too. We never know what is going to happen to us. Everything changes – or does it?"

I Am A Reader - Excerpt from Someday, Maybe

When he’d first seen her, a neat, spriggy little thing, she had worn her hair in tight, dark pigtails, and he’d liked that. When she had grown up and had it cut in a fashionable sort of style he’d been a bit disconcerted, but as time had gone on she had let it grow a bit and some- times put it up so that it sat on her head like a plump, soft, scented cloud, and he had loved it. Today, so early in the morning, it was tousled, unwashed and unbrushed and smelled of the cold morning and of chicken feed, but he didn’t care. He adored it.

Sunpenny Publishing ebook SALE

 THE LONG WAY HOME and SOMEDAY, MAYBE are both on sale for 99¢ (US)!

 

WATERY WAYS is also on sale for 99¢ through February 13th and BRIDGE BEYOND BETRAYAL is on sale for 99¢ from February 20th through March 5th.

Grab a copy of one or all while you can during the sale!

The Long Way Home
by Janet Purcell
Adult Fiction
Paperback & ebook, 237 pages
April 7th 2015 by Sunpenny Publishing

When Callie Vinerelli gives refuge in her Cape Cod home to a storm ravaged stranger, the hidden secres of her house on the dunes begin to emerge. She becomes enmeshed in the violence and tragedy of the past that left accomplished artist Christina Burroughs a paraplegic and stole her beloved daughter from her. Those still unresolved events invade Callie's life, causing chaos and intrigue, life changing relationships, justice and peace to Christina's descendants -and new love to herself.

Amazon - Amazon UK - Barnes & Noble

Someday, Maybe
by Jenny Piper
Adult Fiction
Paperback & ebook, 306 pages
November 6th 2013 by Sunpenny Limited

In a ramshackle old cottage with an outside lav, and a rickety ladder up to a draughty attic bedroom, Jim and Mary Norris slog in all weathers to make a living from their market garden, and to bring up their little girl, Patsy. But at times Jim’s guilt is overwhelming as he watches his beloved Mary working her frozen fingers to the bone, almost dropping with weariness – not exactly what she’s been used to in her genteel upbringing as the niece of well- off local gentry, who cut her off when she married “beneath her”. But she never complains; she loves Jim madly and they are blissfully happy together.

Until her accident – and the nightmare that follows them all through the next 30 years. Mary’s gradual descent into madness overshadows even Jim’s second marriage and children, but the shocking climax is something no-one could have foreseen.


Janet Purcell is a professional artist and writes a weekly fine arts column and feature articles for The Times of Trenton (NJ). Her interior design features appear regularly in DesignNJ magazine. Her articles have appeared in Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications, Bridal Guide, American Spa, and many other magazines and travel guides. Her travel stories have frequently been published in the New York Post, Country Discoveries, and in Princeton, New Jersey’s Packet Publications’ community newspapers. Her previous novel, Singer Lane, was published in 2008 and her third novel, Rooster Street, is awaiting publication. Though not a trilogy, many of the same characters are found continuing their lives in each of the three books. Her paintings can be seen at www.janpurcellart.com.



Deeply thought-provoking, Jenny Piper is a wonderful author who makes no bones about her handling of delicate subjects . Her skill as a story-teller is a delight to the heart and soul, and is right up there with the best of them. She lives with her husband in rural Hampshire, and has been variously an actress, an artist, a teacher and a psycholo- gist, but has had a lifelong love of books and nowadays spends much of her time writing.


Tour Giveaway

$10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Ends February 18th

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Grab Our Button!


Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 4:02 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Sunpenny Publishing is having an eBook Sale! + giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Sunpenny Publishing ebook SALE

THE LONG WAY HOME and SOMEDAY, MAYBE are both on sale for 99¢ (US)!

 

WATERY WAYS is also on sale for 99¢ through February 13th and BRIDE BEYOND BETRAYAL is on sale for 99¢ from February 20th through March 5th.

Grab a copy of one or all while you can during the sale!

The Long Way Home
by Janet Purcell
Adult Fiction
Paperback & ebook, 237 pages
April 7th 2015 by Sunpenny Publishing

When Callie Vinerelli gives refuge in her Cape Cod home to a storm ravaged stranger, the hidden secres of her house on the dunes begin to emerge. She becomes enmeshed in the violence and tragedy of the past that left accomplished artist Christina Burroughs a paraplegic and stole her beloved daughter from her. Those still unresolved events invade Callie's life, causing chaos and intrigue, life changing relationships, justice and peace to Christina's descendants -and new love to herself.

Amazon - Amazon UK - Barnes & Noble



Guest Post time!

INSPIRATION FOR THE LONG WAY HOME and a bit about me.



The Long Way Home began germinating in my mind after I visited the Andrew Wyeth exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and studied the paintings on display about which I would write a review in my weekly fine arts column in the Times of Trenton newspaper.  The image of Christina Olson dragging herself uphill in Wyeth’s painting Christina’s World haunted me.  I saw it as a figurative painting and yet as a still life.  Her life had been stilled by her unexplained disability.  As weeks went by after I reviewed the Wyeth show, I returned often to an image of that painting in books that were always open on a table in my “library” living room. I couldn’t get her out of my mind.

The Christina Burroughs in The Long Way Home is not Christina Olson.  I want to say I created a new life for her, but that’s not how it happened.  She just stayed in my memory, and as I  began Callie Vinerelli’s story, Christina was also there.  As I wrote, she became Christina Burroughs living a very different life from Christina Olson. And yet her genesis resurfaced when she fell out of her wheelchair into a bed of daisies.  I saw her not as Andrew Wyeth portrayed Christina Olson in a field of browning grasses, but surrounded by daisies, the symbol of the freshening, at the beginning of her new life with Atticus Coleman.

I was a bit sad when I came to the point that I had to write “The End” to this story.  I had come to love each character and being part of their creation.  For me, as I write, the characters develop on their own and it’s almost like getting to know them in the same way it is for the reader.  Many of the characters in this book have traveled there from my first novel, Singer Lane.  And now, many have also moved on in their lives and into my third novel, Rooster Street, which will also be published by Sunpenny Publishing this summer, 2016.

Because I am both a painter and a writer, each avenue of that creativity flows freely into the other and all my books have art and artists as their central theme.  I write a weekly fine arts column for the Times of Trenton, the capital city of New Jersey’s principal daily newspaper.  I also write about travel and interior design for regionally and nationally published magazines.  And I paint—as much and as often as I can.  My works win awards and I am represented by galleries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  They can also be seen on my website: www.janpurcellart.com.

I would love to hear from you and I promise to respond.  My email address is 

janetpurcell2@comcast.net.






Someday, Maybe
by Jenny Piper
Adult Fiction
Paperback & ebook, 306 pages
November 6th 2013 by Sunpenny Limited

In a ramshackle old cottage with an outside lav, and a rickety ladder up to a draughty attic bedroom, Jim and Mary Norris slog in all weathers to make a living from their market garden, and to bring up their little girl, Patsy. But at times Jim’s guilt is overwhelming as he watches his beloved Mary working her frozen fingers to the bone, almost dropping with weariness – not exactly what she’s been used to in her genteel upbringing as the niece of well- off local gentry, who cut her off when she married “beneath her”. But she never complains; she loves Jim madly and they are blissfully happy together.

Until her accident – and the nightmare that follows them all through the next 30 years. Mary’s gradual descent into madness overshadows even Jim’s second marriage and children, but the shocking climax is something no-one could have foreseen.


Janet Purcell is a professional artist and writes a weekly fine arts column and feature articles for The Times of Trenton (NJ). Her interior design features appear regularly in DesignNJ magazine. Her articles have appeared in Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications, Bridal Guide, American Spa, and many other magazines and travel guides. Her travel stories have frequently been published in the New York Post, Country Discoveries, and in Princeton, New Jersey’s Packet Publications’ community newspapers. Her previous novel, Singer Lane, was published in 2008 and her third novel, Rooster Street, is awaiting publication. Though not a trilogy, many of the same characters are found continuing their lives in each of the three books. Her paintings can be seen at www.janpurcellart.com.



Deeply thought-provoking, Jenny Piper is a wonderful author who makes no bones about her handling of delicate subjects . Her skill as a story-teller is a delight to the heart and soul, and is right up there with the best of them. She lives with her husband in rural Hampshire, and has been variously an actress, an artist, a teacher and a psycholo- gist, but has had a lifelong love of books and nowadays spends much of her time writing.


Tour Schedule

February 7th: Launch
February 8th: Christy's Cozy Corners
February 9th: Beck Valley Books
February 10th: Bookworm Lisa 
February 11th: I Am A Reader
February 12th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

$10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Ends February 18th

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Grab Our Button!


Posted by Bookworm Lisa at 4:15 AM 4 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)