Are you an avid reader looking for your next "fix"? Can't bear to be without some form of reading material in your spare time? Welcome to my world! Whether you are seeking a new book to "feed your need", or you are an author seeking an unbiased point of view on your own recent masterpiece, this is the place to be. With life as with books, you never know where the next step might take you...

Sunday, January 30, 2022

RRR presents... THE HIGHLANDER'S SUBSTITUTE WIFE by Terri Brisbin - SPOTLIGHT!

HI there! 
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 


Today, we’re tagging along on the Rachel’s Random Resources tour to shine a BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a new Historical Romance you won’t want to miss. It's a highlander romance, and while I'm not as familiar with them, it still sound rather enchanting.  So, without further ado, here’s a closer look at today’s title in the spotlight... 




The Highlander’s Substitute Wife 
by 
Terri Brisbin 
Mills & Boon |   Harlequin


About the book... 
She’s the best wife…
…he never wanted!

Ross MacMillan lifts his bride’s veil…and discovers it’s not the woman he’d agreed to marry but her beautiful younger sister, Ilysa MacDonnell! The new MacMillan chieftain must accept Ilysa as his wife, for retaining his clan’s lands depends on her father’s support. But why is she there? Are her aims to help him or her father? Drawing out Ilysa’s secrets will kindle an alliance more powerful—and passionate!—than Ross ever imagined…




Highland Alliances: Convenient marriages to save their clan!

Book 1: The Highlander's Substitute Wife by Terri Brisbin
Book 2: The Highlander's Tactical Marriage by Jenni Fletcher 
Book 3: The Highlander’s Stolen Bride by Madeline Martin 








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 




About the author... 


Award-winning, USA Today best-selling author Terri Brisbin is a mom, a wife, grandmom! and a dental hygienist and has sold more than 3 million copies of her historical and paranormal romance novels and novellas in more than 25 countries and 20 languages around the world. Her current and upcoming historical and paranormal/fantasy romances will be published by Dragonblade, Harlequin Historicals, and Oliver Heber Books, too. 

Visit www.terribrisbin.com for more info about Terri, her works and upcoming events. 

Connect with her on FB at www.facebook.com/terribrisbinauthor or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/terribrisbin



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Friday, January 28, 2022

TCBR AWARENESS TOUR: Finding Family Treasure by K.I. Knight & Jane R. Wood - GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're hosting a stop along The Children's Book Review awareness tour featuring a work of Children's Fiction that takes us into the classroom. It seems a group of students has just started a family tree project that is about to turn into so much more than simply untangling your familial roots.  Ladies and gents, take a closer look at today's title in the spotlight...


by
K. I. Knight and Jane R. Wood
Ages 7 and Up | 142 Pages
9781737337102
Melting Pot Press LLC

About the book...
 “Who are we?” Ms. Johansson asks her class of fifth graders. Her perplexed students soon discover the lesson she wants them to learn. While studying the founding of their country, the class is challenged to understand the melting pot that makes up the American people-both past and present.

With the help of a genealogist, students learn to navigate websites that introduce them to written records that have documented their families’ histories. Because the class is comprised of students with roots to many nationalities and ethnic groups, including African American, Native American, Mexican, Cuban, Irish, Italian, Polish, Scandinavian, Lebanese, and Japanese immigrants, the diversity in their own class becomes apparent.

To assist in their research, the teacher gives the students an assignment of interviewing their parents and grandparents, to learn more about the members of their families. One by one, the young people hear family stories connecting them to America’s earliest immigrants and settlers. The students also learn about historical events their ancestors witnessed or experienced, including the early settlement of Virginia, the American Revolution, the Underground Railroad, the Trail of Tears, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, early immigration processing at Ellis Island, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Holocaust.

As the story unfolds, some personal conflicts occur among the students, long-standing family tensions surface, and intergenerational relationships evolve. Complex issues such as privacy, adoption, diversity, immigration, slavery, and antisemitism are addressed in an age-appropriate manner.

Excited by what they have discovered, the students plan a program to share their findings with their families. Working together in small groups, they create a slide presentation of vintage photographs, a fashion show demonstrating various ethnic attire, music and food from different cultures, and visual displays showcasing military medals, artifacts, musical instruments, and family heirlooms.

Their family history project further inspires the students to want to do something more to honor past generations. With the help of a cemetery preservationist, they plan a clean-up day at a local graveyard in need of attention. Parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters join the class on a Saturday to help restore the final resting place of those who came before them.

As a result of their research project, the students not only discover personal connections to the past but also, in some cases, to each other.





SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Discussing Diversity and Family in the Classroom

By Jane R. Wood

Who are we?” a fifth grade teacher asked her class. The students wondered what that had to do with their social studies lesson about the founding of America. They expected to learn about names, dates, and events about their country’s early beginnings. But their teacher knew that was not the whole story. She wanted them to consider another aspect of who we are as a country.

People from different countries and cultures came to America’s shores to start a new life. Many came to escape oppression, to pursue new opportunities, or to seek a better life for themselves and their families. But those early immigrants were not the only ones who came seeking a better life — it also reflects part of America’s population today and defines who we are as a country.

According to the 2020 US Census, the multiracial population of the United States increased by 276% since the 2010 Census. That increase in people from different ethnic and racial backgrounds is also reflected in our schools — and that presents unique challenges for today’s teachers, as well as opportunities.


Teachers need to be sensitive to the diversity that exists within their classrooms. Positive references to different ethnic populations can be included in class discussions. When teachers embrace America’s diversity by teaching history, science, literature, and math with discussions that highlight the contributions made by people from other cultures, it helps make students more open-minded toward others who are different from themselves.


Examples of such contributions that could be shared with students include:


  • In the 1700s during the colonies’ fight for independence from England, large numbers of soldiers in the Continental Army identified themselves as Irish immigrants or of Irish descent, and more than 6,000 people of color served with the colonial troops.

  • In the early 1800s, Sacagawea, a Shoshone Native American woman, served as a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. She helped the explorers barter for food and other necessary items with other Native Americans, so the expedition could provide valuable information about the newly-purchased territory west of the Mississippi River.

  • During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of Black aviators who flew more than 1,500 missions, provided escorts to bombers, and saved hundreds of American lives.

  • In 1982, Maya Lin, a famous US architect of Chinese descent, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC that honors the soldiers who died in the Vietnam War. The National Park Service says the memorial receives more than three million visitors each year.

  • In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, became the first woman of color, first Hispanic, and first Latina member to serve on the United States Supreme Court.


When students hear about the contributions of individuals and groups from other cultures, it can give them a new perspective on that ethnic group. Not only does it break down stereotypes, but it can help create a sense of pride in students who might otherwise feel excluded. Often students from different backgrounds feel like they are not a part of their class, their community, or their country. Teachers need to send a message that being different is not a bad thing.


How teachers can encourage positive attitudes towards others:

  • Determine the ethnic background for each student in the class so positive references about that culture can be included in class discussions.

  • Include books, music, and art in the classroom that reflect other cultures.

  • Acknowledge and celebrate dates and events that are important to the cultures of students within the class.

  • Create opportunities, like small group activities, for students to interact with students who are different from them.

  • Ask students to talk to their parents, grandparents, and other relatives to learn about their ancestors and family history.

  • Give a writing assignment that describes family members, traditions, or events, and then select a few to be shared with the class.

  • Display a world map in the classroom and ask students to place pins where they have family connections, showing the diversity within the class.

  • Become a good role model by talking about personal relationships and interactions with people from other backgrounds.

When teachers celebrate diversity in their classrooms, students get a better understanding of who we are as a country, and what role they can play in creating a more inclusive community and country.



Jane R. Wood is a former teacher and author of six juvenile fiction books. Her newest book is Finding Family Treasure which deals with themes of diversity, inclusion, American history, and family history. To learn more about the book, go to www.findingfamilytreasure.com.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


ABOUT THE AUTHORS


Kathryn Knight, who uses the pen name K I Knight, is an international award-winning Author, Genetic Genealogist, American Historian, Keynote Speaker, and Cemetery Preservationist. Over the last thirteen years, Knight has documented more than 20,000 hours researching the first recorded Africans to arrive in the English settlement of Virginia in 1619. Her passion is unrivaled and strongly evident in her published writings.

Her literary work includes Fate & Freedom, a five star – Gold medal historical trilogy detailing the lives of the 1619 Africans, as well as her nonfiction work, Unveiled – The Twenty and Odd, for which she was awarded the Phillis Wheatley Literary Award by the Sons and Daughters of the US Middle Passage.

Knight is a board member for several National Non-profit organizations and the member of numerous Genealogy, Historical and Literary Societies including the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society, Florida State Genealogy Society, Virginia Genealogy Society, Virginia Historical Society, Florida Historical Society, American Historical Association, Genealogy Speakers Guild, Association of Professional Genealogists, the Alliance of Independent Authors, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Director of 1619 Genealogy. The mother of three adult children, Knight, lives in North Florida with her husband, Tom.

For more information, visit firstfreedompublishing.com.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Jane R. Wood is the author of five award-winning juvenile fiction books where she weaves history and science into stories filled with mystery, adventure, and humor for young readers ages 8-14. Students like her books because they’re fun. Teachers like them for their educational value. Wood is a former teacher, newspaper reporter, and television producer. She has a BA from the University of Florida and an MEd from the University of North Florida. Wood lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and is the mother of two grown sons and five grandchildren.

To learn more about her and her books, go to her website at janewoodbooks.com.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Enter for a chance to win a copy of Finding Family Treasure, along with a 1-hour genealogy consultation!


One (1) grand prize winner receives:

An autographed copy of Finding Family Treasure

A 1-hour genealogy consultation with Kathryn Knight, a genetic genealogist, and co-author of this book. Knight will provide guidance to establish a genealogy line for the recipient’s family, tailoring it to their needs.



Four (4) winners receive:

An autographed copy of Finding Family Treasure






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Virtual Book Tour Kick-Off

Wednesday, January 26, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Thursday, January 27, 2022
A guest article by K.I. Knight and Jane Wood
The Importance of Learning About Family History For Kids

Friday, January 28, 2022
A guest article by K.I. Knight and Jane Wood
Discussing Diversity and Family in the Classroom

Monday, January 31, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Tuesday, February 1, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Wednesday, February 2, 2022
An author interview with K.I. Knight and Jane Wood

Thursday, February 3, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Friday, February 4, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Monday, February 7, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Tuesday, February 8, 2022
A guest article by K.I. Knight and Jane Wood
How Family Stories Connect Us

Wednesday, February 9, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure

Thursday, February 10, 2022
A book review of Finding Family Treasure




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the author for the special guest post. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Wednesday, January 26, 2022

TCBR AWARENESS TOUR: Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi guys and gals!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today's post brings us a new tour currently brightening up the blogosphere with The Children's Book Review. It's a Picture Book that tells the story behind the first Black woman to have her own solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City AND she was also the first Black woman to have her work chosen for the White House collection. Pretty cool, right? To think...they all started with how she viewed the world...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce today's colorfully wonderful blog tour guest and book of choice...


Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas
by
Jeanne Walker Harvey
Illustrated by
Loveis Wise
9780063021891
Harper Collins

About the book...
Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas.

Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as one of the most preeminent painters of the 20th century. Told from the point of view of young Alma Thomas, readers can follow along as she grows into her discovery of the life-changing power of art.

As a child in Georgia, Alma Thomas loved to spend time outside, soaking up the colors around her. And her parents filled their home with color and creativity despite the racial injustices they faced. After the family moved to Washington DC, Alma shared her passion for art by teaching children. When she was almost seventy years old, she focused on her own artwork, inspired by nature and space travel.

In this celebration of art and the power of imagination, Jeanne Walker Harvey and Loveis Wise tell the incredible true story of Alma Thomas, the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City and to have her work chosen for the White House collection. With her bold and vibrant abstract paintings, Alma set the world ablaze with color.

Ablaze with Color includes extensive backmatter with photos, an author’s and illustrator’s note, a timeline, and a list of sources and resources, which will be a great tool for parents, educators, and librarians. Perfect for Women’s History Month and Black History Month units alongside such favorites as Malala’s Magic Pencil, Hidden Figures, and Mae Among the Stars.







🟥      🟨      🟧     ðŸŽ¨     ðŸŸ©      🟦    🟪




This is the wonderful story of how one child's experience of the world surrounding, turned into a lifetime of beauty beheld, and eventually shared with the world.

The thing I love most about Picture Book biographical stories is that you really get to the heart of things.  Yes, they are short on details, but they convey some of the most important moments, the most remarkable discoveries, and the most powerful messages...as seen here.  Alma Thomas accomplished two things never before done by a Black woman, and made her mark in history without ever setting out to do that exact thing.  She simply was.  She soaked up the things she went through, sorted out the bad from the good, shone her own inner light on those captured images, and later in life blessed the world with her interpretations of those times.  It's wonderful to see those simple moments brought to life...ablaze with color.

An inspiring work filled with a story to remember, and images that come to life right off the page, this book is one I can easily see in the classroom setting as well as in family rooms setting the tone for the next generations moments of greatness.







🟥      🟨      🟧     ðŸŽ¨     ðŸŸ©      🟦    🟪


About the author...


Jeanne Walker Harvey has been a longtime docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Just like Alma Thomas, Jeanne believes that art brings us joy. Her other picture books include Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines and My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey. Jeanne studied literature and psychology at Stanford University. She lives in Northern California.

Visit her online at www.jeanneharvey.com.


~~~~~~~~~~~


About the illustrator...


Loveis Wise is an illustrator and designer from Washington, DC. They are currently based in Los Angeles and their work often speaks to themes of joy and liberation. Their work can be found through the New Yorker, Google, Adobe, and the New York Times.

You can find them online at www.loveiswise.com.




🟥      🟨      🟧     ðŸŽ¨     ðŸŸ©      🟦    🟪





Enter for a chance to win a classroom set of the picture book Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas!


Three (3) winners receive:
A classroom set of Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, autographed and personalized for each student and the teacher by Jeanne Walker Harvey (no more than 30 books per set).







🟥      🟨      🟧     ðŸŽ¨     ðŸŸ©      🟦    🟪






Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to release February 22nd, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today.  Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!





RRR presents... A PLETHORA OF PHANTOMS by Penny Hampson - SPOTLIGHT!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're joining Rachel's Random Resources for a stop along their current promotion starring a work of Fiction containing a leading character denying the truth to themselves, along with a few restless spirits getting tangled up in the mix...quite literally.  What can I say? Unrest isn't only for the deceased. Ladies and gents, join me as we shine the spotlight on today's featured title...


A Plethora of Phantoms
by
Penny Hampson


About the book...
What makes Freddie shiver? Is it the spooky happenings in his family’s stately home? Or is it Marcus, the handsome antique dealer who Freddie thinks he can’t have?

Freddie Lanyon has it all: a loving family, a privileged background, and a stately home filled with antiques. What his family don’t know is that Freddie is desperately unhappy.

Troubled by spirits that only he can see, Freddie Lanyon, the heir to Lanyon Park, is also in denial about his sexuality. It takes a meeting with handsome and psychic antique dealer, Marcus Spender, to convince Freddie that he might need to change.

When Freddie’s latest purchase of an antique dressing case triggers fresh poltergeist activity, he is awakened each night by an anguished spirit seeking help. Contacting the previous owner of the dressing case leads Freddie and Marcus on a journey to Cornwall, but what starts out as a straightforward quest soon turns into a challenge to their growing relationship.

Will Freddie’s restless spectral visitor be finally laid to rest? And will Freddie find the courage to be true to himself at last?









~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




About the author...


Some time ago Penny Hampson decided to follow her passion for history by studying with the Open University. She graduated with honours and went on to complete a post-graduate degree.

Penny then landed her dream role, working in an environment where she was surrounded by rare books and historical manuscripts. Flash forward nineteen years, and the opportunity came along to indulge her other main passion – writing. Penny joined the New Writers’ Scheme of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and three years later published her debut novel, A Gentleman’s Promise, a historical mystery/romance. Other books in the same genre soon followed.

But never happy in a rut, Penny also writes contemporary suspense with paranormal and romantic elements. Her first book in this genre is The Unquiet Spirit, published by Darkstroke.

Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).


BLOG  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.




Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Monday, January 24, 2022

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... THE DATING DILEMMA by Mariah Ankenman - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're celebrating the BOOK BIRTHDAY of the latest addition to the Mile High Firefighters series from author Mariah Ankenman, available TODAY via Entangled Publishing! It's book two of the series, but if you haven't indulged in the first one (which I have not either...yet...), you needn't worry...this one totally stands on its own two virtual feet, much like our leads who don't need anyone, relationship wise at least, to lean on.  Or so they think.  *smirk*  But I digress...introductions come first, THEN THE FUN! Ready or not, make room on your MUST READ list for today's three alarm title in the spotlight...


by
Mariah Ankenman
9781649372536
Amara Next |  Entangled Publishing

About the book...

Lexi’s Reminders

* Work.

* Don’t think about your birthday tomorrow. Or debt, your crappy apartment, and nonexistent social life.

* Re-stock wine and ice cream because that’s coming.

* Die in a raging blaze of humiliation when the super-hot and very delicious fireman waiting in your office is not in fact the strip-o-gram birthday present you suspected.

* Reschedule the fire safety inspection you 100 percent failed because of said humiliation.

* Figure out how you, in fact, agreed to fake dating Mr. Not a Strip-O-Gram Fireman to help him with a bet.

* Oh yeah, and do not fall for this guy. Seriously, they call him One Night O’Neil. Red flags all over the place.

* Remember, this is fake dating, even though his very talented, very real lips are doing some sexy things you definitely like.

* Realize bending one tiny rule can’t be that bad, can it?

* Except bend too far, and something breaks. Something you can’t get back.




🔥 💗 🔥 💗 🔥 💗 🔥





She's a hard working, dedicated woman with the kindest heart you'll find.  Lexi spends her days helping kids find their way, and her nights...in with her fur kid (Lucifer), and giving away more of her self than taking.  A recipe for disaster of the heart...thank goodness she has a BFF to watch out for her...although the bet they make might be pushing them both to their limits of facing their fears.  He is a hard working, dedicated man with the kindest heart you'll find.  O'Neil spends his days fighting fires with a crew that is like his second family, and his nights...caring for his grown sisters like he's always done, but neglecting his own heart.  It was broken severely, once upon a time, so he shut it up, never to be involved in his love live again.  A recipe for disaster of the heart...thank goodness he has two sisters, and the firehouse crew to look out for him...although the bet some make is seriously going to test his self restraint.  Two stories that sound strangely familiar...that collide with FANTASTIC results!

I loved the quirks she gave our leading lady and leading man.  Lexi couldn't think through entire monologue in her mind without uttering some question or thought aloud...often times ending up in rather embarrassing circumstances because of it as well, but it was so endearing at the same time!  I mean, she ended up blushing a lot, but what guy is going to take it hard that you accidentally thought he was a stripper because he was just that HOT?!  Oh and her biggest fear, shared by many people as it turns out, definitely left room for laughs...or chuckles...but not by those that cared for her most, and those are the people that actually count!  As for O'Neil, his penchant for always being early to everything was cute, but the way he took care of his sisters, and would rise to the occasion for someone in need, totally touched my heart.  His biggest fear was also something shared by many, but considering he runs into burning buildings for a living...shocking nonetheless...and if he doesn't get it under control, the end of the best thing that's ever happened to him.  

Oh, the tension was high, the meet cutes a constant, the inevitable coming together (not saying anything about that unintentional statement) something to look forward to, and the whole time you have a story unfolding about two people finally learning to say what they want, what they need in a relationship in order to see it through to the happily-ever-after.  Everyone's looks different, and everyone's story is unique, but communication...intentional or accidentally muttered...is important...and it doesn't hurt to have besties in the game that have your back, or an unintentionally instigating fur kid that shifts things into high gear. 





🔥 💗 🔥 💗 🔥 💗 🔥




About the author...


Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious daughters and loving husband who provides ample inspiration for her heart-stopping heroes. Her books have been nominated for the prestigious RWA Golden Heart® and CRW Stiletto awards. Whether she’s writing hometown heroes or sexy supernaturals, Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books.








🔥 💗 🔥 💗 🔥 💗 🔥







Special thanks to Riki and the Entangled Publishing team for the eARC for review! (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to score your copy today!


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Sunday, January 23, 2022

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?: Hold My Place by Cassondra Windwalker - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're spreading a little pre book birthday BUZZ for a short story coming THIS TUESDAY (01/25/22) via Black Spot Books.  It's a Fiction novel that walks the line of Psychological Thriller and Paranormal like a well versed aerial artist, allowing the story within to take you where it may with surprising results.  Ready to explore?  Here we go.  Ladies and gents, prepare to explore obsession on a whole new level as we step between the epages of today's featured title...


by
Cassondra Windwalker
Black Spot Books

About the book...

Obsession never dies.

When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves.

Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn’t Edgar’s first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved’s past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it’s impossible for any dark magic to be at play—that the dead can’t possibly inhabit the bodies of the living—but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred—and bloody.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




If you're like me, the title intrigued you...because HELLO...bookworm!  It evoked a certain curiosity because bookmarks are used to hold your place, temporarily...and the way the plot unfolds, is very much indicative of that meaning.

Sigrun was a unique character and certainly not your typecast librarian, but today's world shouldn't be surprised by that at all because it takes all types to make this world go round, and judging a book or person by their cover is so last century.  Anywho, she's her own person and very much a live wire...which sparks all the brighter when she happens upon another soul that she feels drawn to down to her very bones.  It doesn't matter that he's married, he being Edgar, or that the other woman (or rather, the first woman, aka his wife) even visits the class she is attending simply to be closer to him.  It's enough to spend time with him...for now.  The thing is, if distance makes the heart grow fonder...constant awareness and exposure apparently makes the heart grow obsessive...and that obsession has bigger outcomes than simply getting what she thinks she wants.  You see, there are other forces at work here, things her friends have tried to warn her about despite not knowing the whole story because red flags are red flags, but when the heart wants what it wants...reason goes out the window.  Too bad that reason was the only thing left to hold on to...

I won't go into further detail for the sake of the story, as it is best experienced first hand.  However, I will say, though intriguing and twisty, I find myself decidedly on the other side of obsession...or at the very least tales of.  The only single mindset, the object of their attention being pretty much the only things they focus on...it just doesn't hit the right notes for this reader...but to each their own and if it IS your cup of tea, than this is definitely one you shouldn't skip out on!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Special thanks to the Black Spot Books team for access to the ecopy for review.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday, 01/25/22, via Black Spot Books, an imprint of Vesuvian Books, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



Copyright © 2009-present Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Powered by Blogger
Content by the Insatiable Reader