Author: BonnieReadsAndWrites

I love to read and write book reviews in my free time. I review advance review copies of books on Netgalley for various publishers. I am also a reviewer for Historical Novels Review Magazine, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. I review books from publishers of all size, large to small. I have a special place in my heart for indie authors. I will sometimes post a little writing that I might dabble in occasionally. I also am lucky enough to live in the Smoky Mountains, so I'll be sharing photos of the beauty around me from time to time.

Indie Spotlight: Book Review of The Kansal Clunker: The Car That Rebuilt Us

BonnieReadsAndWrites4 Comments
Image is of the book cover with a teal background. The cover has a picture of the authors with a green Acura Integra. This is "The Car That Built Us."

Indie Spotlight is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. If I can help even a little bit, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Below is my review of The Kansal Clunker: The Car That Rebuilt Us.

Book Review

This image is the cover of the car with the authors standing by the lime green Acura Integra.

Book Description

Neil Kansal had always loved to build things, or take them apart and put them back together, and he had always loved cars.  After getting his license, he was gifted with a car with an automatic transmission, but he shared with his dad, Ruchin, that he wanted to learn to drive a stick.  This led to a great bonding adventure in “Teggy,” an old Acura Integra.  The adventure started when they rebuilt Teggy together, and continued with an over 5000-mile road trip from Weston, Connecticut, to Mt Evans, Colorado. It became a trip that they would always remember and Teggy was “The Car That Rebuilt Us.”

My Thoughts

This is a lovely story of a father and son adventure.  I’m not going to evaluate this like a novel.  It’s a wonderful memoir, with chapters written either by Neil or Ruchin. I enjoyed all the details and facts about the iconic places they visited, as well as the lessons they learned.   I also loved the carefully prepared accounting forms that are included. They detail all expenditures—Mom had set a budget. I liked the fact that they sold items they didn’t use anymore in order to stay under the limit. 

The book is filled with wisdom Neil picked up on the trip, such as:  “It’s okay to start a journey without knowing where you’re going,” and while detours can be annoying,  they could lead to “delightful, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.” And after driving in a storm, which we all hate, we get a reminder that “storms don’t last forever.” These are just a few of the valuable lessons Neil learned that will stay with him because he didn’t just hear the lesson.  He lived it.  He also obviously has great parents who guided him well.

Ruchin details a scary accident that some of their family members had while they were visiting, and he sometimes flashed back to his youth and other trips.

One of the best things I noticed in this book is that during the trip alone together, Neil and Runchin talked.  Nobody was surfing on their phones all day or blasting music for their ears alone.  Runchin told Neil stories from his life, and they talked about Teggy, how she was doing, what maintenance she might need, and what was next on their journey.

I only have one, slightly funny criticism:  They ate at Subway 20 times!  You can get Subway at home!  They might have missed out on some great local food that wouldn’t have cost more than Subway.

Conclusion

This is a fun and heartwarming story of a father and son adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy.  It made me think back to 1982 when I learned to drive a stick and then hit the road. I would recommend this story to anyone of any age who has taken a road trip. You will love it.

About The Authors

Learn more about Neil and Ruchin Kansal on their website: The Kansal Clunker.

Buy on Amazon

Before You Go

If you read the book, be sure to leave a book review on Amazon and/or wherever you purchase books. Reviews are so important to Indie authors because Amazon will promote a book depending on how many reviews it has. Also, please remember to share this post with all your social media followers so this book gets as much exposure as possible. I hope you enjoy The Kansal Clunker: The Car That Rebuilt Us.

Free Christian Poetry!

BonnieReadsAndWrites17 Comments

Three ebooks in the Your Words Collection by Louise Bélanger are FREE, and one (Your Words Your World) is only .99! FREE CHRISTIAN POETRY WITH BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS. Find out more about the books by clicking on my reviews, or on the link to the collection on Amazon. #ChristianPoetry #Poetry #Photography

Free Christian Poetry Books. Image contains book titles: Your Words, Your Words, Your World, Your Words Your Heart, and Your Words Your Love. The covers have beautiful flowers on them.
Version 1.0.0

Your Words

Your Words Your World

Your Words Your Heart

Your Words Your Love

Your Words Collection

Merry Christmas

BonnieReadsAndWrites24 Comments

Merry Christmas! Hope you are happy, healthy, and safe.

Merry Christmas from Bonnie Reads and Writes. The image shows a red ornament and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year is in writing next to it on a red background.

Christmas update

Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful holiday season! What are you all having for Christmas dinner? I made a lasagna! Why not? We had turkey at Thanksgiving.

I decided on mini apple pies for dessert. If you like Walker’s Shortbread, they also make mini mince pies, and I found some at Fresh Market in Johnson City when we had to go out there a couple of weeks ago. I know mince pie is not for everyone.

I hope you all had a wonderful year and that next year will be blessed.

If you get to take time off, enjoy! If you are working, may your load be light and your pay plentiful.

I just finished a new Christmas book by Debbie Macomber. My review is coming today. My traditional Jodi Taylor Christmas story just arrived on my Kindle so I’ll be reading that today.

As we speak, I’m attempting (once again) to make orange rolls for breakfast. I’m trying for a homemade version that is not full of chemicals like the Pillsbury ones. It looks like I might be successful this time. We’ll see. It’s sometimes a lot of trial and error for me. I have had to practice a lot sometimes to get it right, especially on old-fashioned fudge, which took years to get right, and I’m still working on pie crust.

When Doug gets up we’ll open presents and hopefully have delicious orange rolls. (Fingers crossed).

As an aside, If anyone would like to follow the Facebook page for Bonnie Reads and Writes, the link is here. I haven’t built up many followers there. I will also follow you back.

How are you spending the holiday today?

ANOTHER UPDATE: The orange rolls turned out great! Best I’ve ever made.

Picture of delicious orange rolls with cream cheese frosting sitting in a jadeite square pan.

Christmas is Coming: Sunday Post and Sunday Salon

BonnieReadsAndWrites23 Comments
Photo entitled Sunday Post, a blog news meme. Headline is about Christmas coming.
Photo entitled The Sunday Salon, a blog news meme. Headline is about Christmas coming.

Weekly Update

Christmas is coming! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone. I will be thinking about my favorite books of the year for the next two weeks for those end-of-year updates. Today I wrapped a bunch of presents, with the help of Opie the cat. Doug tried to get the dachshunds to pose for a Christmas picture and was unsuccessful. I managed to catch a shot of Opie, however.

I have to show you our cat-proof tree. We tried to put up our usual artificial tree, and it wasn’t long before Opie was climbing it. So Doug made this beautiful Opie-proof tree for us to enjoy. At least he hasn’t tried to climb it yet!

Christmas paper surrounds a 6-month-old cute Tuxedo cat, who is "helping" wrap Christmas presents.

Last Week on the Blog (Two Weeks Before Christmas)

Last Week I updated the Review Requests policy and did an article about Scams Against Indie Authors. I didn’t get any reviews posted. I have been busy with my Reviews Editor role for The Historical Novel Society so I’ve been working on that, plus reviewing books for them too, but I will get back to my regular posting soon. But now to focus on Christmas!

Next Week on the blog (One Week Before Christmas)

I’m going to review at least one Christmas book and get some Indie Spotlights up. Hang in there, Indie authors. I hope to be caught up by March.

Book Haul

In the Spirit of French Murder is the fourth book in the “An American in Paris” mysteries, with supporting character Julia Child. I loved the other three and was happy to get this one on Netgalley, even past the publishing date! I am excited to read it.

I don’t have this one yet, but every single year since the beginning, Jodi Taylor has written a Christmas novella for her readers, sold it for 99 cents, and released it on Christmas Day. This year is no exception, and I just preordered it. It has become a Christmas tradition for me to read my Jodi Taylor Christmas novella in the morning as soon as I get up (I’m usually an early riser). Since she’s now a big-time bestseller, you would think she would raise the price, but she hasn’t. That’s one of the reasons she’s my favorite author.

Other Christmas Traditions We Enjoy

Our church gives all the members gift bags, and soon we will be meeting to fill them up and hand them out. Our contribution to the bags this year: Terry’s chocolate oranges, our favorite. This year, our church has been collecting food for the Living Waters food bank in Cherokee, and I love that we are helping people get the food they need.

Doug and I have a tradition with presents that we’ve done as long as I can recall. Each gift to each other is labeled From: somebody famous or infamous who is a clue to what’s inside. I have gifts waiting for me from Mike Tyson and Paul Hollywood, among others. I’m sure the one from Paul Hollywood has to do with baking, but I have no idea what the Mike Tyson clue is. Doug’s gifts from me range in givers from Jesus to Liam Neeson. It’s fun to figure out the clues.

What are your Christmas traditions?

Scams Against Indie Authors Are On The Rise–Protect Yourself.

BonnieReadsAndWrites15 Comments
An image that says Fraud Alert with a Gavel next to it. This is an alert about Scams Against Indie Authors

Watch out for scams against Indie authors! I have been getting a lot of emails lately from “book review teams” and “book marketers” about what a genius writer I am and how their “review team” can help make my book a best-seller. The catch: I haven’t published a book! So it was easy for me to spot the scam, but it’s not always so easy for published authors. Here is some help below:

Indie authors have long been targets for scams, but the rise of AI tools has made these frauds more personalized, professional-looking, and harder to spot. Scammers use AI to scrape data from Amazon listings, author websites, social media, and Goodreads to create author-specific pitches, generate convincing emails, and show fake reviews, phony staff photos/testimonials, and even fake websites. These scams exploit authors’ dreams, often collecting upfront fees in the thousands while delivering nothing—or worse, damaging reputations.

Top Scams Against Indie Authors

  1. Fake Book Marketing and Promotion Services (Scams Against Indie Authors)
    Scammers send glowing, AI-generated emails praising your book (often quoting your own blurb back at you) and promising massive exposure: BookBub features, Goodreads promotions, social media blasts, newsletter swaps, podcast interviews, or “Amazon optimization.” They charge hundreds or thousands upfront but deliver fake engagement (e.g., bot reviews that violate platform rules) or nothing at all. These have exploded in 2024–2025, with authors reporting daily spam.
  2. Bogus Publishing or Vanity Press Offers
    False companies (e.g., networks like Melbourne Book Publisher, Aussie Book Publisher, or First Page Press) pose as legitimate publishers with polished websites featuring AI-generated staff photos, fake testimonials (sometimes stealing real authors’ images/names), and cloned book catalogs. They charge for “hybrid” publishing, editing, or distribution but provide substandard (or no) services. Recent global operations in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand have used virtual offices and AI-altered imagery to appear credible.
  3. Book Club or Interview Scams
    Emails from “book club members” or “podcast hosts” gush about loving your book and invite you to join a discussion—for a fee (e.g., $500–$2,000 to “cover costs” or reach thousands of readers). The clubs are fake, often with AI-generated profiles and Discord servers full of bots.
  4. Book Review Teams, Private Reader Communities, or Private Review Groups: The scammer contacts you personally, often impersonating a real author, marketer, or curator of a “private community” of avid readers (e.g., “2,000+ book devourers”). They offer to share your book with their “team” or “club” for reviews, sometimes inviting you to a Discord server or group chat where fake members chime in with enthusiasm. There’s a fee—often $20–$50 per review, or hundreds/thousands upfront for a batch (e.g., 40–100 reviews). Payment is requested via wire transfer, Upwork, PayPal, or other hard-to-reverse methods. Once paid, you get nothing (they ghost you), or they post a few low-quality/AI-generated reviews that Amazon quickly detects and removes as fake. In worse cases, they pressure you for more money or threaten negative reviews if you don’t pay. This is a variation of broader marketing scams, often traced to organized groups (including in Nigeria or the Philippines) using AI to personalize pitches and generate fake content. It’s exploded in recent years because indie authors need reviews to boost visibility and sales on Amazon.
  5. Deceptive Freelance Services (Editing, Covers, etc.)
    Some “editors,” “designers,” or “ghostwriters” advertise human work but secretly use AI tools, delivering low-quality results while charging premium rates. Others falsely accuse legitimate authors of using AI to extort or harass.
  6. Related Threats (Indirect Scams on Authors)
    AI enables mass plagiarism: scammers paraphrase your book slightly and republish it under fake names, or flood Amazon with AI-generated “summaries/biographies” to steal sales. This crowds discoverability and can lead to wrongful AI accusations against real authors.
  7. The Famous Author Scam: You’ve probably seen it: Suddenly, a “famous author” like Liane Moriarty, Colleen Hoover, or another bestseller starts following you on social media. Then comes the friend request, a glowing comment, or a DM saying something like, “I loved your book!” or “Tell me about your writing journey…”But here’s the catch: It’s almost always a fake account run by scammers (often the same Nigerian groups behind those personalized marketing emails we talked about before). They use the real author’s photo, copy old posts, and sometimes even AI to make it look legit. The goal? Build trust super fast, then either: Refer you to their “amazing” book marketer or agent (who charges thousands upfront for fake services like bot followers, phony promotions, or worthless “email blasts”) or Offer to promote your book themselves—to their huge audience—for a fee. Or they might pivot to other scams, like fake reviews, book club invites, or even investment schemes. The Writer Beware Blog has a great article on this, and I encourage you to check it out.

Why Indie Authors Are Prime Targets: Self-publishing means handling your own marketing and services, so authors often seek help—and scammers know this. AI lowers the barrier: bad actors can automate personalized spam at scale, making old generic scams (e.g., Nigerian-style emails) look sophisticated.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Unsolicited offers asking for money upfront? Almost always a scam. Legitimate agents, publishers, or promoters don’t cold-email demanding payment.
  • Verify everything: Reverse-image search photos, check Writer Beware, the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) watchdog directory, or Reedsy. Google the exact email text—scams often reuse templates.
  • Too much flattery or guarantees? Red flag. No one can promise bestseller status or specific reviews.
  • Use trusted resources: For marketing/services, stick to vetted providers (e.g., Reedsy, ALLi-approved). Report scams to Amazon, FTC, or your local authority.
  • Stay informed: Follow blogs like Anne R. Allen, or Writer Beware because new scams pop up all the time.

Not All Paid Reviews Are Scams

  1. Reputable paid editorial reviews (disclosed as paid, often used for blurbs or your book’s Amazon “Editorial Reviews” section): Kirkus Indie, Foreword Clarion, Publishers Weekly BookLife, or Midwest Book Review. These cost $200–$500+, provide honest critiques (can be negative), and carry weight with readers/libraries.
  2. Free or mid to low-cost ARC (Advance Reader Copy) services: Platforms like NetGalley, Booksprout, StoryOrigin, Hidden Gems, or BookSirens distribute your book to real readers/bloggers in exchange for honest reviews—no guarantees, no payment to reviewers.
  3. Organic methods: Build a mailing list, offer free promo days on Amazon, join reader groups on Goodreads/Reddit/Facebook, or reach out to book bloggers directly.
  4. Always be wary of unsolicited offers, especially if they sound too good (e.g., “guaranteed” reviews or bulk from a “team”). Check resources like Writer Beware for the latest alerts—they’ve documented these review team scams extensively. If something feels off, delete and move on—your book deserves real readers, not scammers’ empty promises!

I know Netgalley can be more pricey. I would recommend BookSirens as a low-cost option with good results. I am a reviewer for both of them. I haven’t personally checked out BookSprout, Hidden Gems, or StoryOrigin, so if any of you have, please comment below with your experience.

**I got some of the information regarding scams against Indie Authors from Grok AI. (AI is not all bad and can be helpful if used in the right way).

My reviews are free of charge and voluntary. See my Review Request Policy here.

Review Requests – An Important Update

BonnieReadsAndWrites15 Comments
The logo for Bonnie Reads and Writes. A woman sitting in front of a stack of books. The topic is Review Requests

Hi everyone. I have gotten so many review requests lately that I’m going to have to change my guidelines a little bit. At the Review Requests Policy tab on this blog are instructions for submitting your book for possible review. Unfortunately, a majority of the requests I get do not follow those guidelines. I am just one woman doing this for free, so I’m going to have to start a new policy: Anyone contacting me for a review must follow those guidelines. I have updated the Review Requests Policy, so please check it out when you get a chance. Also please see the new procedures below.

How to Request a Review

  1. The request must simply be titled Review Request in the Subject line. That causes it to be filtered to a folder where I will see it. I will no longer look at emails that do not follow this procedure and do not end up in this folder.
  2. The Review Request must include a link to your book Amazon. I will sometimes pick the book up myself on Kindle Unlimited if an Amazon link is included. This is beneficial to authors, and essentially a gift from me, as that will count towards your pages read if your book is part of KU. So be sure and include the link! If your book is not on Amazon, please let me know in your request.
  3. There is a list at the Review Request Policy tab of genres I am not accepting. Please do not send a request if I am not accepting your genre. It’s nothing personal against your book. These are genres I know I do not enjoy.
  4. There is a list of other situations for which I am not accepting review requests. Please be sure and look through those.
  5. I don’t mind reminder emails, which should also be titled Review Request so they go into the appropriate folder. I am happy to give you an update on the status of your review if I have already accepted the book.
  6. If you get a four-star or five-star review, I would appreciate your sharing my blog post with your social media followers. This helps my blog to grow while I’m helping you. Again, it is voluntary but it seems to be common courtesy to me. Comments and follows on my blog would be great, too. Again, voluntary.
  7. Please be patient. As I’ve said before, I am one person doing these book reviews for no charge because I believe in Indie authors. It takes time to read all of these books.

I’m sorry if I sound strict or impatient right now. I really want this to work so that I can continue to help Indie authors. My goal for this blog has always been to create a community of readers, writers, and bloggers that support each other, and I’d love for it to continue to grow.

My Review Requests Policy is Here.

Thankful, Thankful, Thankful

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

I am thankful for so many things today, especially for God who protects us day in and day out. I’m thankful for my husband, family, dogs, and even the cat who is getting on my last nerve. 😆 I am thankful I was introduced to most of you through this blog. It has been five years since I became acquainted with some of you, and it is a pleasure to talk to you about books and whatever topics take our fancy. I’m thankful for God’s grace and the lovely books I’ve been given.

As I’ve been preparing tasty things to eat today, I can feel my Mom beside me, whispering the things she taught me about cooking in my ear. We lost her five years ago but she impacts me every day.

Have a wonderful day!

Historical Fiction Book Reviews: The Winds of Freedom Series

BonnieReadsAndWrites6 Comments

I love writing reviews of Historical Fiction books for the Historical Novel Society! Below are reviews of Books Two and Three in the Winds of Freedom series by Beth Kanell. My review of Book One, The Long Shadow, is here.

Book Description (Historical Fiction)

Alice Sanborn, seventeen years old in October 1852, expects Abolitionist political operative Solomon McBride to court her. Surely he visits for more than her insight and family connections in the Vermont farming village of North Upton! When Almyra Alexander, niece of the local minister, arrives in North Upton, she brings Boston sophistication and advanced political ideas. Temperance! Voting rights for women! Alice wants it all and Almyra’s friendship, too-but is this newcomer a rival for Solomon’s affections?

Friendship with Caroline Clark looks safer. Newly returned to the village, Caroline is deaf and fluent in American Sign Language, which Alice quickly learns. Her friends and her demand for Abolition propel Alice into action. Assist neighbors at risk? Rescue a horse? Capture an arsonist? She’s on it. Betrayal and danger lie ahead. Yet the three young women race into the righteous battle. For Alice and her friends, there’s no other choice. **Historical Fiction**

Book Review (Historical Fiction)

In this second book of the series, we see Alice trying to deal with a great loss. She is also hoping for a romance with Solomon McBride, with whom she shared an adventure in the wilds between Canada and Vermont in Book One.

As in the first book, we learn a lot about Vermont farm life at that time. Even more interesting is the work Alice’s family is doing in the Abolitionist movement and their fight to help free the enslaved. This brings an old friend, Sarah, back into Alice’s life, as the efforts to free Sarah’s family are still ongoing. The Temperance movement of the time also comes to the forefront, as new Temperance laws have important consequences.

Throughout the book, Alice tries to find chances to see Solomon, who is working in the Abolitionist movement behind the scenes. But she also does as much as she can to help the movement herself. Book Two also introduces two new friends, kind and gentle Caroline, who is deaf, and Almyra, a precocious and well-to-do thirteen-year-old with a somewhat absent family.

I enjoyed the descriptions of Vermont life at that time, and the opportunities Alice had to help others, regardless of race or physical challenges. This is a transitional book in the series, as Book Two often is. It is enjoyable, and is really a coming-of-age story for Alice and a glimpse at the future she wants to build. Recommended to all fans of YA Historical Fiction.

Book Description (Historical Fiction)

Home-brewed medicines, a mysterious family of women making them, and a threat to the local funding of the Abolition movement. Fifteen-year-old Almyra Alexander struggles with all of these, as well as adapting to the rough, unpolished life in a northern Vermont village. She’s determined to become a minister, like her politically involved but very absent father. Moving in with her aunt and uncle in Vermont seems the quickest way towards her goal of becoming a minister. **Historical Fiction**

Book Review (Historical Fiction)

In Book 3, our protagonist from Books 1 and 2, Alice Sanborn, has gone west with to teach and to further the cause of freedom. We are now looking at North Upton, Vermont, through the eyes of Almyra Alexander. Almyra is from a prominent Boston family, but has decided to stay with her aunt and uncle in North Upton.

Almyra has already been introduced to the abolitionist movement and begins to step into Alice’s shoes by helping wherever she can. This includes a secret visit on horseback and hiding money for the movement underneath her underwear in a saddlebag! Almyra also begins to get to know the Hall family, a mother and her daughters who have arrived to help Matthew Clark in his inn. Mrs. Hall is skilled in creating herbal remedies, and Almyra learns their value from her. Young Susannah Hall works with horses and wears pantaloons most of the time, often causing raised eyebrows around town. She eventually proves to be a great help to Almyra. Almyra also becomes better acquainted with Alice’s brother John.

I liked watching Almyra adjust to a more country life, and enjoyed how she learned from her aunt and uncle. Her ambitions to be a minister at that time when few women were allowed in that vocation were intriguing. She is even given a chance to preach from her uncle’s pulpit, which I thought was unusual for the time. Her aunt and uncle are good mentors to her, both in the home and out. . I missed Alice as a protagonist, but we are somewhat kept up with her activities via letters to Almyra from Alice and others.

Although there is a change in protagonists in this one, this is a strong continuation of the series. I do hope we get to see Alice again in future books. What I like most about this whole series is that we are walked through the history of the abolitionist movement in Vermont. At the same we watch all the pieces fall in place that will lead to the U.S. Civil War. This is an enjoyable and well-researched young adult series that I highly recommend. **Historical Fiction**

About the Author

Storytelling is Beth Kanell’s native language – and she learned it from her mother, who taught her to fill in the blanks as a story emerged. As a single parent in Vermont, for years she told stories “on the side” and developed a specialty in tales for teens (always starting with something scary!). Endlessly in love with Vermont, she began bringing the most fascinating parts of its history into her narratives, and discovered that what she really likes after all is writing fiction that explores the lives of young people caught up in the force of change. She is also a non-stop mystery reader, so she grapples for new and unusual plot twists, as well as the magic of the Green Mountain state.

Click on each cover below for a link to each book in The Winds of Freedom serieson Amazon.

Indie Spotlight: Free Book! Path of Treasures by Gail Meath

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

*Indie Spotlight is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Below please see a book description and links for Path of Treasures by Gail Meath. It is FREE and rest of today and tomorrow.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Erie Canal with this riveting historical murder mystery.

The only man who can save them was hired to kill them.

Erie Canal, 1852. Sara grew up on the canal and loves working as a mule driver on Streeter’s Ark, a small cargo boat. She was raised by the crusty, old peg-legged captain, Jeremiah Streeter, and Sam, the Ark’s bully. In all her nineteen years, she never gave a rat’s ass where she came from…not until their helmsman is murdered.

Bounty hunter Wolfe McKay has another job to do. An easy job. Kill the crew on Streeter’s Ark and collect his bounty from the wealthy railroad tycoon who hired him. Easy, hell. After he lands a job on the Ark, he discovers the misfit crew are nothing at all what he expected. And they’re turning his life upside down.

Follow the loveable Sara, Cappy, and Sam on Streeter’s Ark as they travel from Albany to Buffalo and back again with Sara’s unknown past putting them in danger every step of the way.

LINK TO FREE BOOK

*Click on the images below to get the ebook FREE on Amazon all through today and tomorrow only.

BEFORE YOU GO

If you read this book, please remember to leave a review on Amazon. It does not have to be long or fancy. Just a sentence or two will do, and it will help the author so much. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it. Please also share this post with your social media followers so they can get a free book too!

Indie Spotlight: Book Review of When Secrets Bloom by Patricia Furstenberg

BonnieReadsAndWrites25 Comments

Indie Spotlight is my effort to help promote Indie books. You can help too by sharing this post with all your social media followers. Below see my review of an amazing novel, When Secrets Bloom, the first book of a new series set in 15th Century Transylvania.

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

Transylvania, 1463. A land of fortress cities, whispered heresies, and shadows cast by Vlad Dracula (the man, not the vampire.)

Kate Webber, a 28-year-old Saxon healer, has always lived between reverence and suspicion. Her gift with herbs and midwifery makes her indispensable – and dangerous – in Kronstadt (today Brașov) , a medieval city where fear rules and women are silenced. Her marriage to the powerful, secretive Magyar promised safety, but instead bound her voice.

One bitter Advent night, Kate breaks her husband’s command and saves a dying mother and child. Her defiance sparks awe in some, fury in others. The jealous town physician seizes his chance to destroy her. Rumors flare. A mob gathers. And Kate’s only ally is Iancu – her childhood friend turned militia captain – whose return stirs memories of freedom, laughter and forbidden longing.

Elsewhere in the city, Moise, a Jewish apprentice at the printing press, witnesses a cloaked Shaman haunting the square. When a rare manuscript vanishes, Moise discovers a dangerous secret: a book men will kill for. His search entwines his fate with Kate’s – until both stand accused in a city hungry for scapegoats.

On the day of execution, Kate chooses defiance again. She saves a child. Moise is framed. And in the shadows of fortress walls, a legacy map begins to reveal itself – a secret hidden not in books, but in the hearts of those who guard them.

BOOK REVIEW

When Secrets Bloom is Book One in Patricia Furstenberg’s series, Blood of Kings, Heart of Shadows. The beauty of the writing captured me immediately. A gifted Saxon healer in Krondstadt, Transylvania, who is told she can’t save the “wrong” people on a holy night, Kate does it anyway, at the threat of brutal 15th-Century justice, an example of which is here: “The air thickened in my throat for just a moment. Not because I feared fire, but because I had seen it all before. I knew what it smelled like when flesh blackened. When screams were choked by smoke.” This one quote shows us the fear and brutality of the time.

I could fill this entire review with amazing quotes, and here is one more: “To me Father had always been a pillar–weathered but unbroken. Yet in that moment, against the tide of self-interest, he seemed smaller. Not less, but alone. Like the last tower still standing after the fortress has fallen.” This is just one example of how Furstenberg, throughout this work, displays her strong ability to use people, places, and nature itself to not only convey meaning, but to pull the reader in and show them the story.

The novel’s characters are all intriguing. The relationship between Kate and Iancu is one of longing and regret. This book is not full of love scenes, but whenever they are together, the intensity and deep feelings between them are clear to see. The most mysterious character is the Shaman. He pulses throughout the novel, shadowy and dark, described as an almost mythical figure. But who is he? We first meet the Shaman when we meet Moise, a Jewish apprentice who seems to see the Shaman at every turn, and who begins a search for a missing book that will draw him to Kate. Other characters, many dark, greedy, and judging, seem to be everywhere, and the history of Transylvania at that time flows through it all.

This novel is what happens when exquisite writing meets meticulous, caring research. I look forward to Book Two in the series. Highly recommended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patricia Furstenberg is a Romanian historical fiction, contemporary and children’s books author who resides in South Africa. Patricia penned the Amazon bestseller Joyful Trouble, page-turner Silent Heroes, beloved children’s literature The Cheetah and the Dog, new releases When Secrets Bloom, Dreamland and Transylvania’s History A to Z: 100 Word Stories.

Amazon Bestseller author, Top 100 Romanians from Everywhere Category Art 2023, Spillwords Press Awards MMXXIII Author of the Year, Patricia Furstenberg writes with passion about history that blends with fiction, about war heroes, human or canine, while the poetry she pens is sometimes incisive, sometimes humorous.

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