Monthly Archives: October 2017

Wish-List 5: Spooky Reads

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Me outside October 2017

This month’s wish-list is a theme for spooky reads in 2018. I thought it would be fun to compile a list of books I want to read for next October that hasn’t been published yet. Below in the descriptions, I have added the pub dates. I am really looking forward to these coming out. I have thought about requesting all of them to review but I am a bit back logged at the moment to say the least. Story of my life many people would say and they would be right!

What do I plan to read for Halloween this year? Well, it is a toss up between Bone Box by Faye Kellerman and The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon. I’m really leaning towards The Night Sisters.

I hope you enjoy the list below! Happy reading and thank you for visiting with me today.

The Case of the Deadly DoppelgangerThe Case of the Deadly Doppelganger by Lucy Banks

Amberjack Publishing

General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 06 Feb 2018

Description

Only a few months have passed since the day Kester Lanner forced an angry ghost through the spirit door, but business prospects for Dr. Ribero’s supernatural agency haven’t improved. Things are looking grim when the agency lands a contract which they must share with a rival agency headed by Dr. Ribero’s sworn enemy, Larry Higgins. Desperate for the job, the team accepts and begins to investigate the seaside town of Lyme Regis, where elderly victims are dying.

The same mysterious clue links the horrendous deaths: the victims all see a double of themselves before dying. The teams wonder if they are dealing with a rogue doppelgänger, one that isn’t content just predicting deaths, but carrying them out as well. The victims’ connection to an ancient grave site leads to speculation that they may have disturbed a spirit more powerful than the two agencies can handle.

One thing is certain, the won’t stop unless Kester and the others can overcome their rivalry and stop this deadly spirit.

Paper GhostsPaper Ghosts (A Novel of Suspense) by Julia Heaberlin

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

Ballantine Books

General Fiction (Adult)

Pub Date 15 May 2018

#PaperGhosts #NetGalley

Description

A gripping thriller about a man who may or may not have dementia—and who may or may not be a serial killer—from a master of twists and turns, in the tradition of Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn

An obsessive young woman has been waiting half her life—since she was twelve years old—for this moment. She has planned. Researched. Trained. Imagined every scenario. Now she is almost certain the man who kidnapped and murdered her sister sits in the passenger seat beside her.

Carl Louis Feldman is a documentary photographer. The young woman claims to be his long-lost daughter. He doesn’t believe her. He claims no memory of murdering girls across Texas, in a string of places where he shot eerie pictures. She doesn’t believe him.

Determined to find the truth, she lures him out of a halfway house and proposes a dangerous idea: a ten-day road trip, just the two of them, to examine cold cases linked to his haunting photographs.

Is he a liar or a broken old man? Is he a pathological con artist? Or is she? Julia Heaberlin once again swerves the serial killer genre in a new direction. With taut, captivating prose, Heaberlin deftly explores the ghosts that live in our minds—and the ones that stare back from photographs. You won’t see the final, terrifying twist spinning your way until the very last mile.

Watch MeWatch Me (A Gripping Psychological Thriller) by Jody Gehrman

St. Martin’s Press

St. Martin’s Griffin

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 23 Jan 2018

Description

For fans of dark and twisty psychological thrillers comes a riveting novel of suspense about how far obsession can go.

Kate Youngblood is disappearing. Muddling through her late 30s as a creative writing professor at Blackwood college, she’s dangerously close to never being noticed again. The follow-up novel to her successful debut tanked. Her husband left her for a woman ten year younger. She’s always been bright, beautiful, independent and a little wild, but now her glow is starting to vanish. She’s heading into an age where her eyes are less blue, her charm worn out, and soon no one will ever truly look at her, want to know her, again.

Except one.

Sam Grist is Kate’s most promising student. An unflinching writer with razor-sharp clarity who gravitates towards dark themes and twisted plots, his raw talent is something Kate wants to nurture into literary success. But he’s not there solely to be the best writer. He’s been watching her. Wanting her. Working his way to her for years.

As Sam slowly makes his way into Kate’s life, they enter a deadly web of dangerous lies and forbidden desire. But how far will his fixation go? And how far will she allow it?

A gripping novel exploring intense obsession and illicit attraction, Jody Gehrman introduces a world where what you desire most may be the most dangerous thing of all.

The Ghost NotebooksThe Ghost Notebooks by Ben Dolnick

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Pantheon

General Fiction (Adult)

Pub Date 13 Feb 2018

Description

A supernatural story of love, ghosts, and madness as a young couple, newly engaged, become live-in caretakers of a historic museum.

When Nick Beron and Hannah Rampe decide to move to the tiny upstate town of Hibernia, New York, they aren’t running away, exactly, but they need a change. Their careers have flatlined, the city is exhausting, and they’ve reached a relationship stalemate. Hannah takes a job as live-in director of the Wright Historic House, a museum dedicated to an obscure nineteenth century philosopher, and she and Nick move into their new home–the town’s remoteness, the speed with which she is offered the job, and the lack of museum visitors barely a blip in their considerations. At first life in this old, creaky house feels cozy–they speak in Masterpiece Theater accents, they take bottles of wine to the swimming hole. But as summer turns to fall Hannah begins to have trouble sleeping and she hears whispers in the night. One morning Nick wakes up to find Hannah gone. Now, in his frantic search for her he will discover the hidden legacy of Wright House: a man driven wild with grief, and a spirit aching for home.

Into the Drowning DeepInto the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Orbit Books

Sci Fi & Fantasy

Pub Date 14 Nov 2017

Description

New York Times bestselling author Mira Grant, author of the renowned Newsflesh series, returns with a novel that takes us to a new world of ancient mysteries and mythological dangers come to life.

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

 

 

Cover Crush: The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan

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I am not a cover designer but I can agree that cover layouts play an important role in the overall presentation of stories and I must admit, often times I first judge a book by its cover.

Cover Crush is a weekly series that originated with Erin at Flashlight Commentary.

The Silk Roads“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian 

The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization

It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the great wars of the twentieth century—this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East.

Peter Frankopan realigns our understanding of the world, pointing us eastward. He vividly re-creates the emergence of the first cities in Mesopotamia and the birth of empires in Persia, Rome and Constantinople, as well as the depredations by the Mongols, the transmission of the Black Death and the violent struggles over Western imperialism. Throughout the millennia, it was the appetite for foreign goods that brought East and West together, driving economies and the growth of nations.

From the Middle East and its political instability to China and its economic rise, the vast region stretching eastward from the Balkans across the steppe and South Asia has been thrust into the global spotlight in recent years. Frankopan teaches us that to understand what is at stake for the cities and nations built on these intricate trade routes, we must first understand their astounding pasts. Far more than a history of the Silk Roads, this book is truly a revelatory new history of the world, promising to destabilize notions of where we come from and where we are headed next.

My thoughts:

Being an art and history enthusiast I love everything about the cover and the premise. I picked up a copy of this book at Costco and I can’t wait to dive in. Exploring different cultures and religions is of great interest to me for many reasons and I hope this book gives me further insight into that exploration of why.

Stephanie M. Hopkins

Other great book bloggers who cover crush:

Heather @ The Maiden’s Court

Magdalena @ A Bookaholic Swede

Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Books

Colleen @ A Literary Vacation

Meghan @ Of Quills & Vellum

Book Spotlight: Quiet by Susan Cain

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The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

Quiet

 

The book that started the Quiet Revolution

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

  • Publisher: Broadway Books (January 24, 2012)

Author Website 

Halloween and Spooky Reads

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Fall time header 2017

Halloween is practically around the corner and I’m trying to decide if I want to just stick with my fall reads or add a couple books for this spooky occasion. Hmm…there are two books I think I will add that will be perfect and I’m dying to get to them. However, today you won’t find out what they are. I know, I know…I’m a tease. I think I will blog about them and post it next week for your enjoyment. I do like to keep people in suspense. Okay, maybe I’m getting a tiny bit carried away with that statement. Ha!

Have a great weekend everyone and see you on Monday!

Stephanie M. Hopkins

Cover Crush Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

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I am not a cover designer but I can agree that cover layouts play an important role in the overall presentation of stories and I must admit, often times I first judge a book by its cover.

Spellbook of the Lost and FoundSpellbook of the Lost and Found Hardcover by Moïra Fowley-Doyle 

One stormy Irish summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hairclips and jewelry, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something much bigger, something she won’t talk about, and Olive thinks her best friend is slipping away.

Then seductive diary pages written by a girl named Laurel begin to appear all over town. And Olive meets three mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel, and her twin brother, Rowan, secretly squatting in an abandoned housing estate. The trio are wild and alluring, but they seem lost too—and like Rose, they’re holding tight to painful secrets.

When they discover the spellbook, it changes everything. Damp, tattered and ancient, it’s full of hand-inked charms to conjure back things that have been lost. And it just might be their chance to find what they each need to set everything back to rights.

Unless it’s leading them toward things that were never meant to be found…

Cover Crush is a weekly series that originated with Erin at Flashlight Commentary. Her latest Cover Crush HERE

Other great book bloggers who cover crush:

Heather @ The Maiden’s Court

Magdalena @ A Bookaholic Swede

Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Books

Colleen @ A Literary Vacation

Meghan @ Of Quills & Vellum

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Author Ridley Pearson at the Fox Den

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Ridley & Me 2017

On October 11, I went to a book event at the FoxTale Book Shoppe featuring Author Ridley Pearson. He is the New York bestselling author of the Peter and the Starcatchers and the Kingdom Keepers series. It was such a wonderful experience to meet him and talk about his stories and the projects he is working on. His enthusiasms and energy in writing and talking about his books is amazing and awe inspiring. I was so pleased with how he interacted with his young audience and how he answered their questions. I could have listen to him speak all day. What a nice gentleman and I really admire the stories he brings to children. We need more authors like him.

Stephanie M. Hopkins

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Here are the two books I had signed by Ridley:

Ridley Books Signed

The Initiation (Lock and Key #1) by Ridley Pearson

Bestselling author of Peter and the Starcatchers and the Kingdom Keepers series, Ridley Pearson reimagines the origins of the epic rivalry between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty. Set in modern times and focusing on Moriarty’s bone-chilling beginnings, this middle grade mystery-adventure series will upend everything you thought you ever knew about Sherlock Holmes—and the true nature of evil.

In the pantheon of literature’s more impressive villains, Sherlock Holmes’s greatest nemesis, James Moriarty, stands alone. As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle describes him in the classic tale “The Final Solution,” Moriarty is a genius, a philosopher, and a spider in the center of his web. He is the Napolean of crime—and now, for the first-time ever, New York Times bestselling novelist Ridley Pearson explores the origins of his evil ways.

Our story begins when James and his younger sister, Moria, are unceremoniously sent off to boarding school at Baskerville Academy. It is not a fate either want or welcome—but generations of Moriarty men have graduated from Baskerville’s hallowed halls. And now so too must James. It’s at Baskerville where James is first paired with a rather unexpected roommate—Sherlock Holmes. The two don’t get along almost instantly, but when the school’s heirloom Bible goes missing and cryptic notes with disconcerting clues start finding their way into James’s hands, the two boys decide that they must work together to solve a mystery so fraught with peril, it will change both their lives forever!

It’s another seat-of-your-pants mystery from the bestselling author of Peter and the Starcatchers and The Kingdom Keepers series, Ridley Pearson.

The Downward Spiral (Lock and Key #2) by Ridley Pearson

James Moriarty hasn’t been the same since he enrolled at Baskerville Academy. During his first year, he was forced to room with the insufferable Sherlock Holmes, he grew distant from his younger sister, Moria, and then, horribly, his father died under mysterious circumstances.

Now with school back in session, James has become more isolated than ever. And for the first time in her life, Moria isn’t sure if her brother is on her side. The only person she can trust is Sherlock. Sherlock listens to Moria’s problems and tries to break through James’s wall. He is obsessed, maybe to an extreme, with finding the truth about their father’s death. But at least Sherlock cares, and that’s why Moria joins him on a quest that leads to a secret sect, a rare jewel, and a murder that may change everything. The search for the truth is darker than even they could have anticipated. Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series, said, “Only a mastermind like Ridley Pearson could put such a fresh spin on Sherlock Holmes.” It’s another edge-of-your-seat mystery-adventure from New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson.

More about author:

Ridley Perason

Ridley Pearson is the author of more than twenty novels, including the New York Times bestseller KILLER WEEKEND; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children’s novels PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, PETER AND THE SHADOW THIEVES, and PETER AND THE SECRET OF RUNDOON, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.

Author website

FoxTale Book Shoppe

FoxTale Book Shoppe Facebook Page

FoxTale Website

FoxTale is located at:

105 E Main St Ste 138

Woodstock, Georgia 30188

 

Fall Reads: Paperbacks On My Shelf

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Fall banner 2017

As a book reviewer it is not often I have time to read books from my personal library. I have made it a goal to read at least five books from my shelf by the end of November. I really hope I met that goal seeing as I have others to get through for review.

I had a lot of fun putting this collection of books together and creating a fall theme presentation for them. I am rather pleased with how it turned out and I feel it gives me a better sense of anticipation to read the books. I look forward to journaling about them soon. Once I get the journal going I will be sure to share with you of how it is coming together.

Stephanie M. Hopkins

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The Guineveres IIThe Guineveres by Sarah Domet

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 4th 2016 by Flatiron Books

To four girls who have nothing, their friendship is everything: they are each other’s confidants, teachers, and family. The girls are all named Guinevere – Vere, Gwen, Ginny, and Win – and it is the surprise of finding another Guinevere in their midst that first brings them together.

They come to The Sisters of the Supreme Adoration convent by different paths, delivered by their families, each with her own complicated, heartbreaking story that she safeguards. Gwen is all Hollywood glamour and swagger; Ginny is a budding artiste with a sentiment to match; Win’s tough bravado isn’t even skin deep; and Vere is the only one who seems to be a believer, trying to hold onto her faith that her mother will one day return for her. However, the girls are more than the sum of their parts and together they form the all-powerful and confident The Guineveres, bound by the extraordinary coincidence of their names and girded against the indignities of their plain, sequestered lives.

The nuns who raise them teach the Guineveres that faith is about waiting: waiting for the mail, for weekly wash day, for a miracle, or for the day they turn eighteen and are allowed to leave the convent. But the Guineveres grow tired of waiting. And so, when four comatose soldiers from the War looming outside arrive at the convent, the girls realize that these men may hold their ticket out.

In prose shot through with beauty, Sarah Domet weaves together the Guineveres’ past, present, and future, as well as the stories of the female saints they were raised on, to capture the wonder and tumult of girlhood and the magical thinking of young women as they cross over to adulthood.

The Cherry HarvestThe Cherry Harvest by Lucy Sanna

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published June 2nd 2015 by William Morrow

A memorable coming-of-age story and love story, laced with suspense, which explores a hidden side of the home front during World War II, when German POWs were put to work in a Wisconsin farm community . . . with dark and unexpected consequences

The war has taken a toll on the Christiansen family. With food rationed and money scarce, Charlotte struggles to keep her family well fed. Her teenage daughter, Kate, raises rabbits to earn money for college and dreams of becoming a writer. Her husband, Thomas, struggles to keep the farm going while their son, and most of the other local men, are fighting in Europe.

When their upcoming cherry harvest is threatened, strong-willed Charlotte helps persuade local authorities to allow German war prisoners from a nearby camp to pick the fruit.

But when Thomas befriends one of the prisoners, a teacher named Karl, and invites him to tutor Kate, the implications of Charlotte’s decision become apparent—especially when she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Karl. So busy are they with the prisoners that Charlotte and Thomas fail to see that Kate is becoming a young woman, with dreams and temptations of her own—including a secret romance with the son of a wealthy, war-profiteering senator. And when their beloved Ben returns home, bitter and injured, bearing an intense hatred of Germans, Charlotte’s secrets threaten to explode their world.

The Secret ChordThe Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

Hardcover, 302 pages

Published October 6th 2015 by Viking

Peeling away the myth to bring the Old Testament’s King David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.

The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected.  We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikhal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans.

The Beekeeper's ApprenticeThe Beekeeper’s Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1) by Laurie R. King

Paperback, 341 pages

Published March 26th 2002 by Bantam

Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes’ pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

A Monstrous Regiment of WomenA Monstrous Regiment of Women (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #2) by Laurie R. King

Paperback, 336 pages

Published 2000 by HarperCollins

Looking for respite in London after a stupefying visit from relatives, Mary encounters a friend from Oxford. The young woman introduces Mary to her current enthusiasm, a strange and enigmatic woman named Margery Childe, who leads something called “The New Temple of God.” It seems to be a charismatic sect involved in the post-World War I suffrage movement, with a feminist slant on Christianity. Mary is curious about the woman, and intrigued. Is the New Temple a front for something more sinister? When a series of murders claims members of the movement’s wealthy young female volunteers and principal contributors, Mary, with Holmes in the background, begins to investigate. Things become more desperate than either of them expected as Mary’s search plunges her into the worst danger she has faced yet.

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Art & Books: Journal Your Passion

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Kate and I at HNS Denver 2015 III enjoy creating book art and experimenting with different mediums. The picture below is my latest creation. I was going through a collection of my art supply to see what I needed to throw out or give away and came across a few vintage items I thought would be splendid to showcase Kate Quinn’s book, The Alice Network. After talking with a friend and fellow book lover on-line about books and art, we decided to work on a few art projects. I am wanting to put together a book Journal with my presentations of books and my opinions of the stories and so on… I think it is inspiring to reflect on the stories you have read and the art you created with the covers. Do you journal with art and what are your projects or ones you would like to start?

*Photo of Kate and I at the HNS Denver Conference back in 2015.

Stephanie M. Hopkins

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The Alice Network Book Art

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Paperback, 503 pages

Published June 6th 2017 by William Morrow Paperbacks

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges’ in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth …no matter where it leads.

About Author:

Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network.” All have been translated into multiple languages.

Kate and her husband now live in San Diego with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox.

Kate’s website

Cover Crush: Love Thine Enemy by Nora Fountain

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I am not a cover designer but I can agree that cover layouts play an important role in the overall presentation of stories and I must admit, often times I first judge a book by its cover.

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Love Thine EnemyLove Thine Enemy by Nora Fountain

Kindle Edition, 544 pages

Published January 26th 2017 by Endeavour Press

The clouds of war are gathering in Europe, but some remain hopeful a diplomatic solution can be found, especially eighteen-year-old Helen Latimer, visiting from England.

Paris has always been one of her favourite places, but as she walks down the street on her first day and sees a tall stranger with cornflower blue eyes and hair the colour of wheat, she is hit by what the French call un coup de foudre, and her life is changed forever.

Maximilian von Engelberg is a German, but despite being proud of Germany, he is against the Nazis, unlike his brother Herman, who is with the SS. He, too, hopes war can be averted, but knows it is a matter of time. He also knows he should stay away from Helen Latimer, but he can’t help himself.

Christian Meursault is the Count of Clemenceau, and owns a chateau in Normandy. He has his friends for a weekend, including Helen and Max, and as they play in the pool and eat fabulous food, no one can imagine war.

But soon, Hitler invades Poland, and war is inevitable. As Helen’s brother Charles calls her home, Max’s brother Herman insists he return to the Fatherland as well. But when Helen discovers she is pregnant, Max decides they will marry, and escape to Portugal, a country that is neutral.

But fate has other plans for them, and Max ends up in Germany. Soon they are both married to other people, as war rages around them.

But despite impossible odds, this is not the end of the story for Max, who ends up based in Normandy, and Helen, who starts to work for the French Resistance when her beloved brother Charles is shot down over the English Channel.

With so much death, who knows who will survive, and at what cost?

My thoughts:

I adore everything about this cover! What’s not to love? Plus, the story has a great title and premise. One I hope to explore sometime soon.

Stephanie M. Hopkins

Cover Crush is a weekly series that originated with Erin at Flashlight Commentary. Her latest Cover Crush HERE

Other great book bloggers who cover crush:

Heather @ The Maiden’s Court

Magdalena @ A Bookaholic Swede

Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Books

Colleen @ A Literary Vacation

Meghan @ Of Quills & Vellum

My Time At FoxTale Book Shoppe

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FoxTale Banner for Heather and Hazels book Event

Last night I went to a lovely book event at the FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia to see authors Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor and all my friends at Foxtale. This was the first time I met Hazel in person and I have met Heather before at a book conference two years ago. It was a pleasure to see them and to hear more about their story they co-wrote and what their process was. It was fascinating and I want to share it with you all but I do not want to give spoilers since they are in the middle of a book tour. I will say that they talked about the art of letter writing and what it meant to people back in the day and that really shed light on how important letter writing is and how it has become a lost art. Another topic they shared with us is how fast the postal service was during the time the story takes place which is much different today. Heather and Hazel gave me many things to reflect on and a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling. If you have yet to read their stories, I highly recommend you do!

Stephanie M Hopkins

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Last Christmas in Paris A Novel of World War INew York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War.

August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.

But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…

Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how? —and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?

Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

About Hazel Gaynor

 

Hazel Singing her book at FoxtaleHazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A MEMORY OF VIOLETS and THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her third novel THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller, and was shortlisted for the 2016 BGE Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year.

Hazel is a contributing author to WWI anthology FALL OF POPPIES: Stories of Love and the Great War. She was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and was a WHSmith Fresh Talent selection in spring 2015. Her work has been translated into several languages.

Hazel’s 2017 releases are THE COTTINGLEY SECRET (August, William Morrow/HarperCollins) and LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS (October, William Morrow/HarperCollins).

She is represented by Michelle Brower of Aevitas Creative Management, New York. For more information, visit Hazel’s website where you can also sign up for her regular newsletter.

About Heather Webb:

Heather Webb singing her book at Foxtale IIWhen Josephine Bonaparte appeared to Heather in a dream, she switched gears from fun-loving high school teacher to author & history nerd, all for the love of books.

To date, her historical novels have sold in ten countries, received national starred reviews, and been featured in print media including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmo, Elle, and more. RODIN’S LOVER was chosen as a Goodread’s Pick in 2015.

Her nove;, LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, is an epistolary love story set during WWI which she co-wrote with NYT bestseller Hazel Gaynor. It releases Oct 3, 2017.

When not writing, Heather flexes her foodie skills, geeks out on pop culture and history, or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world, (especially her beloved France). She loves to chitchat on Twitter with new reader friends or writers (@msheatherwebb) or via her Facebook page. Stop on by!

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