Month: December 2021

Blog Tour and Book Review: Shadows of Swanford Abbey

BonnieReadsAndWrites3 Comments

*Book review at the bottom of the page

BOOK DESCRPTION

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austenin this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue, and romance.

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother’s desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey’s cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past–including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick–magistrate, widower, and former neighbor–who long ago broke her heart.

When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Frederick searches for answers but is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something.

The increase in popularity in the historical suspense genre is well-deserved. I have long enjoyed Gothic romances from classic authors such as Emily Bronte, Daphne du Maurier and Victoria Holt. There is something thrilling about being transported to a gloomy atmospheric country estate filled with secrets and mystery.

In the tradition of her predecessors, award-winning and bestselling author Julie Klassen’s highly anticipated new historical suspense novel, Shadows of Swanford Abbey, is releasing on December 7, 2021, from Bethany House Publishers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold over a million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

The increase in popularity in the historical suspense genre is well-deserved. I have long enjoyed Gothic romances from classic authors such as Emily Bronte, Daphne du Maurier and Victoria Holt. There is something thrilling about being transported to a gloomy atmospheric country estate filled with secrets and mystery.

In the tradition of her predecessors, award-winning and bestselling author Julie Klassen’s highly anticipated new historical suspense novel, Shadows of Swanford Abbey, is releasing on December 7, 2021, from Bethany House Publishers.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

Author Julie Klassen shares her inspiration for Shadows of Swanford Abbey

ADVANCE PRAISE

“A brilliant Agatha Christie-esque whodunit by reader favorite Julie Klassen. Set in the creepy atmosphere of an old abbey, Shadows of Swanford Abbey will keep you guessing until the very end. There’s plenty of danger, intrigue, and—yes—romance to delight Regency-era lovers of all ages. Truly a don’t-miss read!”—Michelle Griep, Christy Award-winning author of Once Upon a Dickens Christmas

“If you enjoy historical fiction with equal blends MYSTERY (suspense) and ROMANCE, then I recommend Shadows of Swanford Abbey with you wholeheartedly without any reservations. This may just be my FAVORITE Klassen novel yet.”—Becky Laney, Becky’s Book Reviews

“Once again Julie Klassen has delivered an intriguing book with all kinds of mystery and a few ghosts added in made it all worth the midnight oil I burned because I didn’t want to put it down!”—Lori Parrish, Red Headed Book Lady

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

BOOK REVIEW

Julie Klassen has done it again. As the book description says, this is an ode to both Jane Austen and Agatha Christie, and it is a work of art. The characters are well developed, and the mystery is full of twists and intrigue. The setting in an old abbey turned hotel makes this novel even more fascinating. The cast of characters is superb. The hotel guests add even more suspense and intrigue. As you are navigating this historical romantic mystery, you might even see a ghost. Mystery, history, and romance are all woven together masterfully. Fans of all of these genres will love this compelling read. Fans of Julie Klassen will not be surprised that she’s produced another winner.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Blog tour by




#BlogTour #CoverReveal: Rhapsody by Mitchell James Kaplan

BonnieReadsAndWrites5 Comments


Rhapsody by Mitchell James Kaplan

Paperback Publication Date: December 7, 2021
Gallery Books
Paperback; 352 pages

Genre: Biographical/Literary/Historical


“[A] shining rendition of Swift and Gershwin’s star-crossed love.” —Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author

In the vein of the New York Times bestseller Loving Frank, this fascinating and compelling novel “will have you humming, toe-tapping, and singing along with every turn of the page” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) as it explores the decade-long relationship between the celebrated composer George Gershwin and gifted musician Katharine “Kay” Swift.

When Katharine “Kay” Swift—the restless but loyal society wife of wealthy banker James Warburg and a serious pianist who longs for recognition—attends a performance of Rhapsody in Blue by a brilliant, elusive young musical genius named George Gershwin, her world is turned upside down. Transfixed, she’s helpless to resist the magnetic pull of George’s talent, charm, and swagger. Their ten-year love affair, complicated by her conflicted loyalty to her husband and the twists and turns of her own musical career, ends only with George’s death from a brain tumor at the age of thirty-eight.

Set in Jazz Age New York City, this stunning work of fiction explores the timeless bond between two brilliant, strong-willed artists. George Gershwin left behind not just a body of work unmatched in popular musical history, but a woman who loved him with all her heart, knowing all the while that he belonged not to her, but to the world.

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Praise

“Kaplan (By Fire, by Water) builds an enchanting world featuring musical giants George Gershwin and Kay Swift… This spellbinding and luminous tale will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page is turned.” – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Snappy dialogue and lush prose bring the Jazz Age to life as Kaplan takes readers from Harlem rent parties to the stage lights of Broadway… A sumptuous fictional account of a complex real-life romance, this book will stick in readers’ heads like the melody of a favorite ballad.”– Booklist

“RHAPSODY does it all. The novel flows as lyrically through Kaplan’s prose as the wail of the saxophones and crescendos of Gershwin’s keyboards. You can almost hear the taxi horns and clopping hooves of carriage horses in Central Park through his words as you imagine riding down Park Avenue past the towering edifices of lush mansions. As Kay becomes so absorbed in her performing as to be swept away from her audience, I read this book under that same captivation as minutes flowed into hours. Only my noisy team of hungry terriers could break my concentration.”– Bookreporter.com

“Kaplan’s sweeping novel, spanning the years 1917 to 1937, portrays the life of Kay Swift, one of Broadway’s first female composers, extracting her from the shadow of her colleague and lover, George Gershwin… The history is engrossing… Kaplan’s propulsive style imparts a momentum of its own…The many disquisitions, on topics as varied as the underpinnings of American anti-Semitism to the misappropriation of Black culture by well-intentioned Whites, are interesting and important… Our verdict: Get it.”- Kirkus

“A complex and involving story… It is difficult to imagine living a more incredible first half of a life than Swift’s, and Mitchell James Kaplan’s prose luxuriates in depicting her surprising and wildly artistic world.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Kaplan’s well-researched and well-crafted historical novel recreates the 1920s and ’30s, telling a mesmerizing story that examines their individual and intersecting lives. He explores why, for Gershwin and Swift, ‘ordinary results’ were not enough.” – Yale Alumni Magazine

“Kaplan’s vivid prose and empathetic characterization shines a spotlight on this remarkable woman who contributed so much to American music.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and Mistress of the Ritz

“A luminous journey through the jazz age in fast-paced New York City… I was utterly swept away.”—Stephanie Cowell, American Book Award–winning author of Claude and Camille and The Physician of London

“We all know Gershwin, but how many know he was ‘the man behind the woman,’ the conflicted, extraordinary Katharine ‘Kay’ Swift? Mitchell James Kaplan illuminates her in Rhapsody, bringing his impressive knowledge of history, composition, and the heart’s whims to bear on this shining rendition of Swift and Gershwin’s star-crossed love.”—Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z and A Good Neighborhood

“Mitchell James Kaplan’s Rhapsody shines a blazing light on the celebrated George Gershwin, uncovering the man behind the legend through the story of the woman he loved, Kay Swift, a brilliant musician caught in the swiftly moving mores of New York’s Jazz Age. Rich with history and packed with intricate detail, Rhapsody soars.”—Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of The Widow of Wall Street and Waisted

“Mitchell James Kaplan pens a lilting, jazzy ballad as catchy as a Gershwin tune, bringing to vibrant life the complicated relationship between classically trained composer Kay Swift and freewheeling star George Gershwin. Their musical bond is as powerful as their passion, and jazz-soaked, gin-drenched Broadway is their playground through the tumultuous years of the Great War and Prohibition. Rhapsody will have you humming, toe-tapping, and singing along with every turn of the page.”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress

About the Author

Mitchell James Kaplan graduated with honors from Yale University, where he won the Paine Memorial Prize for Best Long-Form Senior Essay submitted to the English Department. His first mentor was the author William Styron.

After college, Kaplan lived in Paris, France, where he worked as a translator, then in Southern California, where he worked as a screenwriter and in film production.

He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with his family and two cats.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

What an absolutely gorgeous cover! The pops of blue, the colorful jewelry, and the sheet music all stand out. This cover will definitely catch the eye of potential readers as they are scrolling through books on Amazon and other sites. What do you think?

Blog Tour & Interview: Songbird #AuthorInterview #GermanShepherds #HistoricalFiction

BonnieReadsAndWrites16 Comments

To celebrate the blog tour for Gail Meath’s Songbird, we sat down and talked about the book, the series to come, and the editing process, because I was fortunate enough to get to edit this book. And of course, we discuss Ace, the star German Shepherd. See our interview below.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Meet Jax Diamond, a sharp, sophisticated, skilled, no-nonsense private detective.  Or is he?  Glued to his side is his canine partner, Ace, a fierce and unrelenting German Shepherd whose mere presence terrorizes criminals into submission.  Well, maybe not.

But the two of them are a whole lot smarter than they look.  And they have their hands full when a playwright’s death is declared natural causes, and his new manuscript worth a million bucks is missing.

Laura Graystone, a beautiful rising Broadway star, is dragged into the heart of their investigation, and she’s none too happy about it.  Especially when danger first strikes, and she needs to rely on her own ingenuity to save their hides.

Join Jax, Laura and Ace on a fun yet deadly ride during the Roaring Twenties that takes twists and turns, and a race against time to find the real murderer before he/she/they stop them permanently.

INTERVIEW WITH GAIL MEATH

Gail Meath

What is unique about this stop on the book tour is that you and I know each other.  We became friends online, and then you gave me the opportunity to edit Songbird.  I thought the readers might want to know a little bit about what that was like.    

I had done reviews of your books, and we became friends.  I had nonfiction editing experience, but was looking for some experience editing fiction. I asked you if I could do some editing for you in order to get that experience, and you agreed. I had the privilege of editing Songbird.  It has been so enjoyable.   You definitely make the process easier because the copy you give me is very clean and I’m able to do more content editing.  You send me little research gems as well, which is very fun.  I truly enjoy working with you.   

Tell me how you feel about the editing process so far?

A good editor is worth their weight in gold to an author, and you have been a blessing to me, Bonnie.  Since we became friends first, working with you is so comfortable and fun!  From finding missed words to run-on or unclear sentences to overall content and help with research, especially, you make sure the manuscript isn’t just clean, it’s polished.  It never occurred to me that hamburgers weren’t a household staple in 1920s!   

Tell us about this series, the Jax Diamond series, and where you see it going?

Well, the first book, Songbird, was released this November.  It is set in 1923 in New York City on Broadway.  Jax Diamond is a private investigator and Ace is his German Shepherd sidekick.  The other main character,  Laura, is a Broadway actress and singer.   I am working on the second book, Framed, right now, and it is also set in New York City.  I have an idea for a third book that will take the characters to a small town temporarily.  There is also a prequel in the works that I will release at some point.  It is about how Jax and Ace met.

In the first book, we are of course introduced to Jax, Laura, and Ace.  You have told me that Ace was inspired by your own dog, who has since passed away.  Tell me about her.

Her name was Gretchen and she was the most amazing German Shepherd.  She actually belonged to someone else, and when I met her, we just hit it off right away.  She began to follow me as I was leaving and I just decided to buy her from her previous owners.  They were well paid, and I was rewarded even more by having this amazing friend in my life. She is truly missed.

Ace, though inspired by Gretchen, is a male shepherd.   Why did you make him a male instead of a female like Gretchen?

 I had already decided on the name Jax Diamond for the lead character in the book, and I wanted his dog to follow the playing card theme and be named Ace.  Ace sounded more like a male name to me at the time, so Ace is a boy.  But Gretchen is definitely the inspiration, and Ace has many of Gretchen’s unique traits. 

Tell me about the writing process.  You were sending me chapters to edit very quickly.  I couldn’t believe how fast Songbird was coming out.  From my perspective, you had it written in  no time.  Is this faster than normal for you?

Songbird is my first cozy mystery, and while it definitely needed research, I did not have to do as much as I have for my more in-depth historical fiction, such as Agustina De Aragon and Countess Jacqueline.  That did make the process go faster.

Your books are so well researched.  Is research your favorite part of the process?

Yes.  I love learning about different people, places, and events in history that I never knew about before.  That’s why I love writing about lesser-known heroines such as the heroine in Agustina de Aragon.

Longer version: I nearly failed history in high school, and I was a good student!  I started researching on my own and found history so fascinating! I determined it was the way the teacher taught it that didn’t hold my interest.  I’ve been researching ever since, just on my own.

Do you know how many books you want to write in the Jax Diamond series? 

I am not sure right now.  As I mentioned, in addition to Songbird, I have three more planned out, including the prequel novella, and the we’ll see what happens.

Do you know when the second book in the series, Framed, will be published?

I have the book release date as April 1 (April Fool’s Day), but I will probably release it sooner, in March of 2022.

Thanks so much, Gail, for taking the time out for this interview. 

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LINKS TO BUY SONGBIRD

AMAZON US

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LINKS TO ALL OF GAIL’S BOOKS

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Self-Published Saturday: Another Free Book!

BonnieReadsAndWrites5 Comments

This beautiful book of poetry accompanied by photographs of God’s creation is available on Booksirens at this link: https://booksirens.com/book/E7BGDOY

If you are not yet a Booksirens reviewer, you can sign up here. It is a great way to get free ARCs and support indie authors.

It is also a “Read Now” on Netgalley and can be downloaded here.

You can sign up to be a Netgalley reviewer Here. To review on Netgalley, you have to be a bookseller, educator, librarian, media, or reviewer. However, they accept social media reviewers and accepted me when I was only reviewing on Goodreads.

If you are an indie/self-published author reading this and want me to share the link to your book on Netgalley or Booksirens, let me know.

Self-Published Saturday: Free Book: The Demon of Yodok

BonnieReadsAndWrites2 Comments

Get this great 5-star dystopian read on Amazon for the next four days. Be sure and pick this up and share it with your social media followers. A great deal!

My review of Demon of Yodok is here

GET YOUR FREE BOOK

Amazon US

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Self-Published Saturday: Amulet of Scion

BonnieReadsAndWrites2 Comments

Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help self-published/indie authors with the huge task of marketing their books. Self-Published/Indie authors have to do it all, from editing to cover design to marketing and more. If I can help even a little bit with the marketing, I’m glad to do it. If you would also like to help, please share this post with your followers. If you are interested in this book, I have buy links below. If you decide to read it, be sure and leave a review. Our first feature today is a wonderful young adult fantasy adventure, Amulet of Scion.

BOOK REVIEW

When Bailee Paxton is given a locket by her dying mother, it comes with four warnings. “Keep it secret,” “Keep it safe,” “Never take it off,” and “Never give it to anyone.” Bailee, however, decides to have it appraised in order to help raise money for her friend Asher. Then the professor she has taken it to is found in a trance, and his collection of ancient artifacts is missing. Is Bailee a suspect? And why does she feel that she’s being watched?

This clever tale set in South Africa will keep you spellbound. It is a captivating adventure that follows the secrets of a magical amulet and a town with a fascinating past. It is a fantastical but dangerous ride into the world of magic. The characters are so well crafted and the mystery is complex and deep-seated. The author also has a wonderful descriptive ability. Her depiction of the aftermath of a rainstorm is a beauty to behold…”The rain had stopped. Scores of tortoises sipped moisture from leaves, seagulls screeched, swarms of white butterflies fluttered across Martha’s herb garden, and children’s chatter drifted from the shore.” This is just one example of the way Grobler makes the beauty of South Africa come alive under her pen. Over and over, her vivid word pictures make us feel as if we are there. The history and mystery of the amulet will captivate the reader, and the story moves splendidly along, surrounded by magic and nature. Amulet of Scion takes you on a magical and perilous mystery adventure in a country glittering with beauty and natural riches. Fans of young adult/middle grade fantasy, mystery, and paranormal fiction will want to check this one out.

NOTE: If you’re American, as I am, and pause over some of the spelling and expressions, it is because British spelling and South African expressions are used.

Although I originally received a free copy, I also purchased a copy of this book because this is a talented author that I’d like to support.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.T. Grobler

J.T. GROBLER lives with her husband and daughter. She shares her space with two formidable Staffordshire terriers. Her dog of choice, but honestly, anything four-legged that lets her hug it surely has a kind soul. 

When she isn’t writing, she’s probably strolling with her furry friends through the local farmer’s vineyards or dawdling along the beach. She adores boat rides, watching an active slipway and the wind on her face. 

She also has a pair of African Grey parrots who love to jabber about what she said yesterday. 

Her first writing job came from a third-grade teacher – 100 lines of “I must not eat in class”.

Thank you for reading!

CONTACT J.T. GROBLER

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BUY LINKS

Amazon US

Amazon UK

*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!