Tag: Indie Spotlight

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon: Changing Seasons and Riding Trains

BonnieReadsAndWrites23 Comments

It’s November 9th, and fall colors are finally out in full force. They were quite late this year, and not as vibrant as years past. Our peak leaf season was supposed to be the third week of October, and it was still very green then. I took a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad with my friend Lyric, who was visiting, and her Mom, Dale. Although I live in a small tourist town, I don’t usually participate in the “touristy” things, but it’s nice to do that once in a while. We had a great time. We took the first class ride and were served lunch. We stopped in Dillsboro for some shopping and took in great scenes along the way.

**Picture of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Bryson City, NC is from Shutterstock and was taken in 2023.

Below is a shot of a pretty fall evening at our house. The sun was setting, and the moon was out. I was standing on our porch at the time. I wanted a picture of the full moon, but my phone is just not up to it. It was so much more magnificent than that.

I was told there would be a cold snap starting tomorrow, but so far I see no sign of it. My weather app tells me we will be just above freezing for one day–not cold enough for snow–and then back to 50s and 60s, so we will see. Are you getting snow in your area? EDIT: I just got a Winter Storm Alert, but it seems to be for higher elevations.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

It was all Indie last week. I love that because my heart is with Indie books and authors. I posted reviews of The Weight of Snow and Regret, Amanda in Ireland, and The Washashore. I get a lot of requests from Indie authors, and my list is long, but I try to read as many as I can. I am just one woman, so it can take a long time, but I will continue to do my best to support Indie books.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

Look for reviews of Books 2 and 3 of Beth Kanell’s Winds of Freedom series, and a review of Patricia Furstenberg’s When Secrets Bloom. I will also participate in Top Ten Tuesday if time permits.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK.

**Thank you to the host of Sunday Salon, Deb at ReaderBuzz, and the host of Sunday Post, Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Indie Spotlight: New Release! A Bloody Banquet by Gail Meath

BonnieReadsAndWrites16 Comments

**Indie Spotlight is my effort to highlight and promote Indie books. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Let’s work together to help Indie authors.

Happy Release Day to Gail Meath! A Bloody Banquet is Book Two of The Stone and Steele Series. The review is below.

BOOK REVIEW

Fashion designer Vivian Steele is excited to attend an awards banquet at the Cocoanut Grove club in Hollywood. Some of the honorees are going to be wearing Vivan’s designs, and she and her best friend Carole Lombard are looking forward to an enjoyable evening. When Carole sees a dead body in the club’s restroom, she immediately calls for help. But when help arrives, the body has disappeared. Vivan begins to investigate, reluctantly allowing playboy Preston Stone to assist her once again. This is the second book in the Stone and Steele Series and can easily be read as a standalone.

This is a wonderful cozy set in Hollywood, and I love the fact that the fabulous Carole Lombard is a supporting character. The mystery is so well crafted, and I did not guess the villain before they were revealed. The backstories of Vivan and Preston continue to be another captivating mystery, and a little bit of that onion is slowly unpeeled in this second book. The ending of this compelling cozy offers more clues into their backstories and hints at an exciting third book in the series to come. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this series, which transports us to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

I received a free copy of this book. I also purchased a copy. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gail Meath is the author of the multi-award-winning Jax Diamond Mysteries, a fun 1920s series about wise-cracking PI Jax Diamond, his courageous German Shepherd partner, Ace, and Broadway star Laura Graystone, as they, along with a crazy group of friends, solve some of the toughest crimes in New York City. She is alternating that series with her new 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood mysteries series, Stone & Steele, starring Vivian Steele, a widow seeking justice, and Preston Stone, a playboy vigilante.

In both series, the author challenges readers to identify the villains before she reveals them:)

Gail also has a list of other award-winning historical romances, westerns, and fictional biographies of true heroines. She lives in a small village in Upstate New York with her husband and sweet Boston Terrier, and she spends loads of time with her grandchildren.

PURCHASE LINK

Click on the cover to buy this book on Amazon. It’s only $2.99!

BEFORE YOU GO

*After you read the book, be sure and leave a review. Reviews do not have to be complex or fancy. Just a sentence about how it made you feel will help the book succeed on Amazon.