From Amazon: Will Captain Wentworth realize too late that he has a second chance at love? With a successful naval career and a fortune to his name, Frederick Wentworth receives a hero’s welcome from his sister’s neighbours. One person, though, presents a source of vexation. Years earlier, Miss Anne Elliot had reneged on her promise to marry Wentworth, revealing a significant character flaw. Yet Anne’s unmarried state at the age of seven and twenty, her altered demeanour, and her resolute avoidance of Wentworth raise questions that gnaw at his composure. In this Regency variation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the captain follows the advice of a respected new friend and re-examines the agonizing circumstances of his bitter break from Anne, reaching a novel conclusion. But before he can act upon his new resolve, a dire twist of fate threatens Anne’s life.

My Review: Miller has done it once again. I enjoyed reading this book! Each variation of Pride and Prejudice has been from interesting perspectives with love riding high in the story, yet diferent each time in complications, misunderstandings, and more. Danger and murder lurks within, and gallantry shines as bright as the five shiny gold stars that I give this book.

From Amazon: When Tessa’s big-city plans take the A Train to disaster, she lands in her sleepy hometown, smack in the middle of the most unlikely love triangle ever to hit Pennsylvania’s Amish Country. Hot-shot Dr. Richard Bruce is bound to Green Ridge by loyalty that runs deep. Deeper still is Jonas Rishel’s tie to the land and his family’s Amish community. Behind the wheel of a 1979 camper van, Tessa idles at a fork in the road. Will she cruise the superhighway to the future? Or take a slow trot to the past and a mysterious society she never dreamed she’d glimpse from the inside?

My Review: This romance novel is truly wonderful and well written. From dashing and quite handy doctors to a Amish community in the ridges of life in a town in Pennsylvania and the rural Amish. Love happens. True love. If you don’t know what true love is, read this book. Mountains can be climbed despite one’s way of life. Adding Colorado to the mix and triple up the scenery and sunsets and sunrises in ways that are magical. I must add in that fairytale world can exist at night, in a clearing through the woods, and the sounds of creatures combined with dozens of dancing fireflies sets for one lovely and memorable part of a single evening. I highly recommend this book. Five shiny gold stars.

Flight of a Valkyrie by DW Harvey

From Amazon:

Astrid didn’t want to be a Valkyrie.

But she couldn’t fight fate, no matter the cost.

How much will she risk when faced with the hardships of her past?

Can she accept her destiny?

My Review:

This was a great short read full of folklore and rather uplifting, actually. I thought it would be sad but then I realized not only the historical value, but the emotional value as well. Five stars.

BLURB: When the Strongest Hurricane in Decades Takes Aim at Florida, Ronnie Tries to Escape its Wrath. Will she Die in the Storm or Be Lost in Time Forever? Ronnie Andrews is lucky to be alive after a time travel glitch nearly took her life during Hurricane Frances. When Hurricane Ivan, one of the strongest storms in decades, sets its sights on Florida, Ronnie jumps at the chance to join Mike, her mysterious new boss, on a business trip to Puerto Rico. Sparks fly, but when a newspaper article surfaces with horrific pictures of a woman who may have died at Mike’s hands, Ronnie regrets the decision. Before she can confront Mike about what she knows, Hurricane Jeanne forms off the coast, trapping them on the island. Her doctors warned that another time-travel-induced illness may kill her. Mike may be her only salvation. The storm strikes and Ronnie time travels to Texas in 1872 where she is taken by Comanches. A rescue party saves her life led by Jesse and Frank James, hiding under assumed names. Will Ronnie find a way to make the time-traveling episodes stop before the dangers of the past, and the damage from the journey destroy her?

My Review: KJ has done it yet again! I’m addicted to this book series. Time travel takes on new meaning in this book and KJ has woven brilliant nuances of perfect wild west action into this story. If you like romance, then you will love Ronnie and Mike. If you love time travel or sideways travel, then this is your book. If you love the old west and Florida and Caribbean this is your book. Not giving anything away as dislike spoilers. Five stars.

From Amazon: Rhyming word fun: What a day! Kim and Fredy has had a busy day. Measuring and pouring for the special birthday surprise! Working Together to get it done. Now they are dirty, wet and covered in mud. But why! It’s a surprise at the end. You can also color your very on Mud Cake coloring book. Outside fun day.

My Review: I found this book to be lots of fun and quite cute for kids to read. The rhyming was great and the illustrations captured the story. Children need make-believe play and this works in nicely. Five stars.

Please welcome T.A. Bound to my blog. Shall we get started?

1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Hello, I am T.A. Bound and I want to frighten and delight you with some spooky stories. My latest is historical fiction based upon the last person to be blamed after death for being a vampire, bringing to a close the New England vampire panic.

2. Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

I was always a voracious reader, back to childhood. In elementary school, for punishment, the teacher would send kids to the school library. Needless to say, I learned to become a disciplinary problem, toeing the line to avoid being sent to the principal, so I could spend an hour or so roaming the shelves.

It seems I have always written. I wrote for my high school and college newspapers, and my first job was covering local Little League for my hometown newspaper.

As a lawyer, you write all the time—letters, threatening letters, nastygrams, Motions, Briefs, etc. My first book was a legal How-to book. Not exactly enough to scratch the itch, but my desire to write taking form.

About 15 years ago, the bug hit, and I began writing a still-unfinished historical fiction novel. Then, life happened, and I put it aside.

About six years ago, I started dabbling with various writing projects, learning the craft, studying how to write, honing some ideas. That’s when I knew I had to write.

3. How difficult was it writing your first book?

Well, it is unfinished, so… Perhaps bit off more than I could chew.

My first completed book began as an exercise in screenwriting. I wrote Sharkano as a complete screenplay, then realized I have no idea how to get a screenplay into the hands of directors or producers.

Then Covid hit and shut down the legal system, a virtual standstill. So, I decided to turn Sharkano into a book. That was a relatively simple process, as everything was visualized and the dialogue ready. Before I knew it, I had a publisher, and Sharkano was published as a book.

4. Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

I never wanted to throw in the towel, but the querying process is a soul-destroying experience. I am thankful that a publisher did accept my manuscript fairly early in the process. Another wanted it as soon as I signed my publishing contract! And the reviews were great, which stoked the fire. Seeing four- and five-star reviews really was a Sally Field moment!

5. Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

Support has come from everywhere. My wife and extended family. Several friends have been amazing, and the writing community on Twitter has been a revelation and a joy.

6. Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Dream!

And, there are more to come! My latest book, The Last Vampire, has a finality to the sound of it, but it is only the beginning. Two sequels are complete, polished and ready to launch. The first, set in 1949, starts as a noir murder mystery that veers to the paranormal, set in the Jim Crow South. It tackles some difficult issues with a dark sense of humor.

The second sequel is set in the 1980s—big hair, sex, drugs and Gothic rock. Lots of fun, as the Last Vampire’s journey continues.

7. What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

My parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams. They were not always what they might have chosen for me—particularly when I decided to try my hand at rock climbing—but they encouraged me in other sports, in my education and my career. I was fortunate to have their support.

They also taught me that failing at something does not mean failure. Learn from what does not work, and incorporate that into what you try next!

8. What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

For my first book, the target audience was teen readers. This was not my goal, but is just the natural audience for how the story turned out, with a teenage protagonist.

For The Last Vampire, my target audience is adults who are interested in the paranormal—particularly true paranormal incidents—as well as people like me who have always been drawn toward weird history and historical mysteries. Those who know there is a simple, logical explanation, but that explanation is unsatisfying and fills you with a desire to dig deeper to get to the truth.

9. Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

I had an image in my mind. I worked with a very talented model named Shelby Toole, who brought the image to life. I love how it turned out, and the most difficult problem was trying to decide which shot captured the mystery and mood best!

10. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

I am putting the finishing touches to The Last Vampire, and you can certainly get a peek! I am also roughing out a couple of new projects, a Gothic reimagining of a silent horror classic, and a brand-new project, a YA magical reality, but they are far too early in their first-draft stage. I can’t let anyone see until I have removed some of the warts!

11. Any last words before we wrap things up?

Thank you for supporting indie authors! Since I joined their ranks, I have read mostly indie books and have been blown away by the quality and diversity!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

T.A. Bound’s debut Young Adult adventure, SHARKANO, was published in 2020 by Solstice Publishing. An attorney by trade, he has also published a non-fiction book on insurance claims. Raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida, after attending college and Law School in South Carolina, he moved to Marietta, Georgia, his current home. There he lives with his wife and their adopted dog Maksim Gorky, named after the Soviet author, where he enjoys cooking, writing and reading: history, biography, horror and thrillers—particularly historical fiction.

He is currently working on sequels to The Last Vampire, as well as other stories.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20858697.T_A_Bound

https://books2read.com/b/TheLastVampire

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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-vampire-ta-bound/1140568479

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-last-vampire/id1597849534

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-last-vampire-12

From Amazon: For Lady Gemma, the American Marchioness of Kentshire, the next month will be filled with fun in the sun and an eye-popping house hunt in London with her husband, Sir Kyle, their twins, and Scottish Nanny Figgy. The shores of Bermuda are a welcome respite for the genteel family as they enjoy romantic evenings and daytime jaunts to the beach at the exclusive Princess Resort. The who’s who of Bermuda clamor around Lady Gemma and Sir Kyle, including the director and producer of a Theatreland pop-up play who want Gemma’s actress mama, Jillian Phillips, to be their leading lady. When a society patron’s suspicious death occurs, it sets off a trail of deception, thievery & nefarious deeds that follow Lady Gemma as she and her family depart the scenic, island shores to search for their city home. The house-hunt is on, taking the almost-royal couple on a tour of the opulent homes of Notting Hill, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, and the prestigious Kensington Palace Gardens aka Billionaire’s Boulevard. The royals want Lady Gemma and Sir Kyle as neighbors as the final selection looms, but will fate intervene? A gala at the palace, a former Queen’s jewels, and a shocking revelation from the past jolts Lady Gemma’s and Sir Kyle’s world. As a villainous scheme turns an idyllic evening into a royal night of terror, will their life ever be the same?

My Review: This was interesting to read. The luxurious details abound throughout this novel filled with love, murder, palaces, jewels as in crown jewels, stolen jewels, life saving nannies, the stage with actors and scary scenes that involve Scotland Yard. Five stars.

From Amazon: ‘The perfect Christmas read to touch the heart’ Bestselling author Christie Barlow. The countdown to Christmas is usually a magical time, but Elana James is fed up with living on a building site! The renovations on her beautiful cottage – like her heart – have been frozen in limbo ever since she was unexpectedly widowed. Elana calls in a professional, Luke Stevenson, to help finish the cottage, so her little girl can send letters to Santa up the newly-repaired chimney. Luke’s kind, capable and sexy – but he’s also ten years younger than Elana. So why has her heart decided it’s finally time for a thaw?

My review: I love books that have Christmas feel to them,and this romance novel does have that going for it. I wanted the main protagonists to end up together but the crazy things in life kept getting in the way and no one wants second best. Plenty of angst and lots of love. One awesome touch is there is an angel in the mix. Five stars.