THE WICKED SISTER

 

Title: THE WICKED SISTER
Author: Virginia Barlow
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Pages: 328
Genre: Historical Romance

BOOK BLURB:

With her stepfather’s sudden death, Lady Anastasia Covington goes from living a privileged lifestyle to selling vegetables in the village marketplace in the blink of an eye. Alone and at the mercy of her nefarious stepsister, she yearns for love and acceptance.

Disguised as a simple soldier, Prince Percival catches a dark-haired emerald-eyed beauty in his arms. He is bewitched. The more he sees her, the more intrigued he is by her contradictions. Forced to keep his identity a secret, he must somehow convince Lady Anastasia he is the right man for her.

But time is running out. Lady Anastasia’s mother is determined to find a proper suitor and see her wed. And someone wants her dead.

Praise:

Good book! I had it read within a few days lol. If you like romance and a good Cinderella story but flipped and a few twist and turns I definitely suggest this book. – Amazon Reviewer

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique take on a classic fairy tale. The villainess was so wicked. The heroine was adorable and admirable, and the hero was dreamy. Some humor and some nice twists thrown in, then a perfect ending, made this unputdownable. — Amazon Reviewer

I loved this book! It has been a long time since I sat and read a story this entertaining in one day. I was laughing and crying and felt completely drawn into a whole new world. Very clever twists. Would definitely read again. – Amazon Reviewer

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3no3v1P

Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/39cAcdC

Walmart → https://bit.ly/38scefb

Audible → https://adbl.co/2JYuiEv

Meet The Author

Virginia has a zest for life. She has accomplished many goals including raising a large family. She has been a bookkeeper, a hostess, an EMT-I, a lieutenant in the local fire department, a manager and an author. She likes to knit, crochet, quilt and sew. She is funny, talented and very creative. Virginia looks at life through rose colored glasses and owns it. She is happiest when is at her computer immersed in her current novel. She loves to sip coffee or wine while she contemplates whether to kill off characters in her book or not. Virginia is a good friend and has an endless supply of love for friends and family.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https//www.virginia-barlow.com   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Virgini35142126

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3046288755596817

Other Books by Virginia Barlow

A Fallacious Seduction

________________________

My Review

THE WICKED SISTER reminded me a bit of a Cinderella story, yet so much better! I loved the fact that it was the prince that was in disguise as it added an interesting role flip that really made the book interesting!   I loved the book!!

TWINKLE / SHOOTING STARS by Patricia Leavy

Book Details:
Book Title:  Twinkle by Patricia leavy
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  161 pages
Genre:  Women's Fiction
Publisher:  Brill/Sense
Release date:  December 1, 2020
Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 19, 2021
Content Rating:  Rated R. A few sex scenes (not explicit) and discussion of sexual assault in the protagonist's childhood

Book Description:

Twinkle follows Tess Lee and Jack Miller after two years of marriage. Tess is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. As they both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them true happiness. However, when an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend, who calls her Butterfly; the female president of the United States, who Tess visits regularly to discuss politics and bake cookies; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau, who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend, who never fails to lend a calming presence. Twinkle is a novel about the nature of doubt, the struggle to feel worthy of love, the relationship of the small part to the greater whole, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – can help us move from trauma to healing and redemption. Written as unfolding action, Twinkle is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy.

Buy the Book:
Amazon

You May Also Enjoy the Previous Book in This Series:

Book Details:
Book Title:  Shooting Stars by Patricia leavy
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  137 pages
Genre:  Women's Fiction
Publisher:  Brill/Sense
Release date:  June 15, 2020
Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 19, 2021
Content Rating:  Rated R. A few sex scenes (not explicit) and discussion of sexual assault in the protagonist's childhood

---

Book Description:

Tess Lee is a novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story that asks the questions: What happens when people truly see each other? Can unconditional love change the way we see ourselves? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who mysteriously calls her Butterfly; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend who never fails to lighten the mood. Shooting Stars is a novel about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – heals us. Written as unfolding action, Shooting Stars is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a bestselling author. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chair of Sociology and Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. She has published over thirty books, earning commercial and critical success in both fiction and nonfiction, and her work has been translated into many languages. She is also series creator and editor for ten book series with Oxford University Press, Guilford Press, and Brill/Sense, including the ground-breaking Social Fictions series. Patricia has received dozens of accolades for her books. Recently, her novel Film won the 2020 American Fiction Award for Inspirational Fiction, her 3-novel set Candy Floss Collection won the 2020 American Fiction Award for Anthologies, and her novel Spark won the 2019 American Fiction Award for Inspirational Fiction and the 2019 Living Now Book Award for Adventure Fiction. She has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2016 Mogul, a global women’s empowerment network, named her an “Influencer.” In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” She has residences in Maine and Massachusetts where she lives with her husband, daughter (when she’s not away at college), and her dog. Patricia loves writing, reading, watching films, and traveling.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram

AWAKENING: BOOK ONE OF THE BERSERKER CHRONICLES

 

Title: AWAKENING: BOOK ONE OF THE BERSERKER CHRONICLES
Author: Kevin D. Miller
Publisher: BiFrost Books
Pages: 336
Genre: High Fantasy / Epic Fantasy / Action and Adventure / Norse Fantasy / Viking Fantasy / Norse Gods and Goddesses

A megalomaniac god is pursuing a millennia-old vendetta, and Leif must learn to wrangle a newly awakened power to either become a hero or a villain. He will leave his old life and run from creatures he believed were reserved for myth and legend. He travels across the realms while struggling to tame the blinding rage that comes with his new demi-god like power. Will Leif survive the intra-realm quest and prevent Ragnarok or will he fail to control his awakening?

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3n7EAQ8

_____________________

Meet The Author

Kevin D. Miller is an attorney in Southern California who spends his two hour commute listening to Science Fiction and Fantasy books on Audible or dreaming up plots for future book ideas. When he isn’t working, Kevin can be found spending time with his girlfriend Amy, and their two dogs Pepper and Riley or hiking and kayaking in Big Bear.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Bifrost_Books

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Bifrost_Books

________________________

 My Review

AWAKENING: BOOK ONE OF THE BERSERKER CHRONICLES was my first foray into Norse fantasy fiction books and I have to say it did not fail to impress. I thought the bits of Norse myth in the Avengers and Thor movies was cool, but this book put that to shame. I loved the detail that went into the plot and characters! Amazing Read!!!

THE ADVENTURES OF FORKMAN: What's That Noise? by Tiffany Caldwell and W.R. MacKenzie

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Adventures of Forkman: What's That Noise? by Tiffany Caldwell and W.R. MacKenzie
Category:  Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7),  38 pages
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Books
Release date:   Jan 2021
Format available for review:  print (USA only), ebook (PDF)
Will send print books out:  USA
Tour dates: Feb 1 to Mar 5, 2021
Content Rating:  G. This children's book is for everyone.

Book Description:

When poor manners are present, Forkman will be there to save the day! Join Kathryn and William as they learn how to load the dishwasher properly and avoid inappropriate distractions at the table with the help of all their utensil friends. This second book in the Adventures of Forkman series is a great introduction to mealtime etiquette for readers of all ages.

Buy the Book
Amazon.com
B&N
Mascot Books

Meet the Authors:

Tiffany Caldwell: I have worked with children for over thirteen years and every year basic manners become less evident. When I was growing up, my sisters and I took etiquette classes during the summer while we visited our grandparents. Etiquette was always a big part of our upbringing. ​ When we would have our family dinners, my dad, W.R. MacKenzie, would make our utensils come to life as we were eating. Forkman became a part of our dinner routine! ​ I am a mother of three great kids and military wife to my hero. A few years ago, I told my dad we needed to start writing our story. We are so excited to share Forkman with the world!

W.R. MacKenzie: I spent thirty-nine years in the bakery business. After I retired and my four children were grown, I felt it was time to share the importance of the family meal with the world. ​​​​​The Adventures of Forkman teaches children how to properly conduct themselves at the table. Our books are filled with characters all children can relate with and I believe Forkman and his crew will help children of all ages learn manners and table etiquette.

connect with the authors: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

LIFE IN THE CAMEL LANE

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure by Doreen M. Cumberford
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18 +),  288 pages
Genre:  Memoir
Publisher:  White Heather Press
Release date:   April, 2020
Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 12, 2021
Content Rating:  G. There are no offensive scenes or language

Book Description:

Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure is what Doreen Cumberford, a Scottish author, calls her learnoire! It is a combination of her story and the stories of other expats learned while living in Saudi Arabia for 15 years as expat employees or spouses. The book takes the reader through the four stages of culture shock: arrival, honeymoon, frustration and adjustment stages to final acceptance followed by the return journey back to their home country – mostly the USA. From Saudi weddings, to falconry, to the inability of women to drive at that time, the book seeks to familiarize us with the Saudi culture, lifestyle, and deep traditions of hospitality, generosity and tolerance from an insider’s perspective. There are also chapters on the experiences of 9/11 in the terrorists’ home country and the “Terror Years” of internal terror tactics from inside Saudi Arabia designed to drive the expats out of the country and destroy the Saudi government. Full of examples, stories and compelling honesty the author describes their most challenging journey and many of the lessons learned in the process together. Designed to provide useful insights and inspiration to anyone considering living abroad, Life in the Camel Lane shines the light on the subject of building a new identity and home while abroad, and the difficulties of the journey home.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author

Doreen Cumberford is a Scottish expat author who has been global traveler for more than four decades. In her 20s Doreen left her home in Scotland and drove down to London to become a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her first posting was as the youngest and most junior British Embassy staffer in Cameroon, West Africa. Later she moved back to London and took a position with an American oil-field construction company based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. After moving to America, living in Louisiana then California, two extremely different cultures in the USofA, Doreen and family moved overseas to Japan then spent the following 15 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With 13 major moves under her belt, she understands the value of moving, building a new life and handling inter-cultural hurdles. One constant has been her ability to explore through the lens of adventure. Her stories are full of multi-cultural intelligence, messy multilingual communications and multi-global perspectives. Doreen is currently based on Denver, Colorado although spends most of the year living adventurously in the Housesitting Lane, which takes her around the globe. Currently she is doing her best to install Spanish in her brain which previously had French and smatterings of Japanese and Arabic. She is passionate about cultural intelligence, global heartedness and life on the road. Featured in the Anthology: Empowering Women, and a co-author in 2018 of Arriving Well: Stories About Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering Home After Living Abroad. 2020 sees the publication of Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure. Honest, compassionate, full of wisdom and inspiration, Life in the Camel Lane comprises stories mostly from women and men who lived in Saudi Arabia from 1950s onward. This memoir contains expert advice sage wisdom and stories that all globally mobile families can use to navigate their international journey. The principles in this book will also encourage anyone who is embracing a more adventurous life, or considering taking the leap to move overseas.

Connect with the Author:  website  ~ twitter  ~ facebook  ~  pinterest  ~ instagram  ~ goodreads

MOMMY'S OVEN by Brandi Pearce

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Mommy's Oven by Brandi Pearce
Category:  Children's Non-Fiction (Ages 3-7),  38 pages
Genre:  Children's Non-Fiction Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Books
Release date:   Feb 2021
Format available for review:  print (USA), ebook (PDF)
Tour dates: Feb 2 to Feb 15, 2021
Content Rating:  G for everyone. Suitable for all ages,

Book Description:

In this true story, young August learns about how he will get a new little brother. He learns of how his little brother will grow in someone else's tummy, not his mommy's. Will he look like Augie? Will he grow for too long? Will Augie get to take his little brother home once he is born? Join August on this new, exciting adventure of getting a new little brother in a very unique way. If you are looking for a way to help your children understand that families can be created in many different ways, this is a story to keep on your bookshelf!

Buy the Book
Amazon ~ B&N
Mascot Books

Meet the Author:

Having battled Crohn’s Disease for most of her life and after undergoing 82 abdominal surgeries, Brandi Pearce knew she wouldn’t be able to carry children of her own. After a successful surrogacy resulted in her son, August, years later, she wondered how to explain to August that he was getting a new brother who was growing in someone else’s belly. That’s when Mommy’s Oven, Pearce’s debut children’s, book was born. Pearce wants other parents to be able to teach their own children that every family creation is unique and special. She hopes to inspire hope in overcoming adversity, as well as true miracles with this book.

connect with author: website ~ amazon

Are there other books like Mommy’s Oven? The exciting, driving force behind writing Mommy’s Oven

was that no matter how hard we looked, we have yet to find another story out there like it, another

story with the same purpose of teaching children about surrogacy.

What led to the story? After being in the hospital for 6 years fighting Crohn’s disease, and sometimes

only surviving through the strength of others, I knew this process would be no different. We would need

the support of those around us to handle the ups and downs of the surrogate process. What I didn't

know, was how much our journey would help others. As our story began to unfold to our friends and

family on social media, I began to have women reach out and share their own stories. Their heartaches,

their triumphs, their questions, their gratitude for me being willing to open-up and encourage 

acceptance and understanding. I wasn't just having an impact on each of them, they were having an

impact on me. There is so much unspoken about the world of infertility because it is hard to be

vulnerable, it is hard to face pain publicly. Knowing that there are others who have been through it, or

who are going through it right along with you, doesn’t necessarily make it easier, but it does give you a

sense of comfort and understanding.

What would I say to others? People always say, “I could never be that strong, I could never make it

through all of the things you have been through”. When you are faced with the reality that this is the

hand you’ve been dealt, what else can you do? You have got to put your faith in Christ and accept

strength and support from others. You then put on your big girl panties and get to work. You find the

support systems, you find the resources, you accept the fact that it is going to be painful and it is going

to be hard…and then you keep going.

How did Mommy’s Oven Come About? When we started our second journey of surrogacy, I faced a

new challenge. How do you explain to a very observant, inquisitive 3 year old, why we are having a baby

but someone else is carrying it? How do you help him understand that the baby really is going to be part

of our family? When we came up with this story, he not only loved it, but thought that it was so neat

that he was the main character. That is when Mommy’s Oven became not just a story, but a tool in

helping our son understand this exciting journey we were on as a family. After we told him the story, I

realized we are probably not the first parents to go through introducing our child to a new sibling that

didn't come from mommy's tummy. I was right!

About future endeavors? This book has meant so much to me and my family and led me to a world of

writing that I had no idea I loved so much! There may soon be a series called The Adventures of Augie

and Ollie that helps kids comprehend difficult life struggles in positive way. I am also working on an

inspirational personal story of my life-long battle with Crohn’s disease.

My Review

MOMMY'S OVEN by Brandi Pearce was an informative children's book that is great for children about the become a big brother or big sister. The books was both cute and educational, yet the author did a great job with keeping the content and word choice appropriate for children!

secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola

 

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TOUR

Join us for this tour from Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021!

Book Details:

Book Title: The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola - the most famous woman you've never heard of by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 345 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  December 2020
Format available for review:  print (USA), and ebook (mobi for Kindle, epub).
Tour dates:  Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. includes mature themes (suicide, adultery, sexual relations, murder)

Book Description:

Set in the sixteenth-century, The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola tells the story of a woman’s passion for painting and adventure. In a world where women painters had little to no acknowledgment, she was singled out by Michelangelo and Vasari who recognized and praised her talent. Gaining the Milanese elite’s acclaim, she went on to become court painter to Spanish King Philip II and taught his queen to paint. One can’t live such an extraordinary life without having stories to tell, and tell them Sofonisba does to Sir Anthony Van Dyke, who comes to visit her toward the end of her life. During their meeting, she agrees to reveal her secrets but first challenges the younger painter to find the one lie hidden in her tale. In a saga filled with intrigue, jealousy, buried treasure, unrequited love, espionage, and murder, Sofonisba’s story is played out against the backdrop of Italy, Spain, and Sicily. Throughout her life, she encounters talented artists, authoritative dukes, mad princes, religious kings, spying queens, vivacious viscounts, and dashing sea captains—even a Barbary pirate. But of all the people who fell in love with Sofonisba, only one captured her heart. The painter may have many secrets but the truth of her life is crystal clear from the beginning. Always a strong, passionate woman with a dream, she was an intelligent artist who knew her self-worth and in the end, as Michelangelo had done for her, Sofonisba passed her brush to a new generation.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N ~  Bookshop 
Autographed from Author
Add to Goodreads 

---

You May Also Review:

Book Details:

Book Title: Eternally Artemisia—some loves, like some women, are timeless by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 305 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  March 2019
Format available for review:  ebook (mobi for Kindle, epub), and audiobook (audible download
Tour dates:  Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. includes mature themes (suicide, adultery, sexual relations, murder)

---

Book Description:

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it. As Maddie's relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together. In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~  Bookshop ~ BookBub
Autographed from Author
Add to Goodreads 

---

Book Details:

Book Title: Waking Isabella—because beauty can't sleep forever by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 271 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  November 2018
Format available for review:  ebook (mobi for Kindle, epub), and audiobook (audible download
Tour dates:  Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. includes mature themes (suicide, adultery, sexual relations, murder)

---

Book Description:

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~  Bookshop ~ BookBub
Autographed from Author
Add to Goodreads 

Meet the Author:

Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, Eternally Artemisia, and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola. All four books tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future for themselves. Melissa is also the author of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). Studentessa Matta means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include a podcast, Tutti Matti per l’Italiano and the Studentessa Matta, YouTube channel, Facebook page and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy. Through her website, she also offers the opportunities to live and study in Italy through Homestay programs. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history, and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for all four of her books. Melissa is the managing director of Matta Press

Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads