Book Tour & Giveaway

September 10, 2019 Gwendalyn’s Books

With Kisses From Cécile

#WithKissesFromCecile #JanAgnello #AnneArmistead #HFVBTBlogTours

Hi everyone!

Today I’m really excited to be taking part in the Book Tour of With Kisses from Cécile by Jan Agnello & Anne Armistead , which is being hosted by HFBT

With Kisses from Cécile by Jan Agnello & Anne Armistead

Publication Date: September 12, 2019

eBook & Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

A heartbroken Maggie travels to Paris to visit the grave of her great-grandmother’s French pen pal Cécile and uncovers 100-year-old secrets that give her courage to rebuild her own life.

NOW

Maggie Ruth Mitchell’s failed attempt at reconciliation with her unfaithful husband has left her more confused than ever—and with a consequence that will change her life forever. Heartbroken, Maggie travels to Paris to visit the grave of Cécile, the French pen pal of her great-grandmother Ruth. Reading Cécile’s letters and learning about Ruth’s past gives Maggie not only an understanding of the strength and courage of the women in her family—all sharing the name Ruth—but also allows Maggie to find her way forward.

THEN

In the year 1919 following World War 1, two young girls, Ruth and Cécile, find each other through a Pen Pal program between American and French students. In their letters they share their dreams and bare their heartaches. A tragic death of a loved one has torn Ruth’s family apart, leaving her with a dark secret to hide. Cécile, having survived the bombs that devastated Paris, is battling against consumption. Ruth draws courage from her pen pal’s inspiring letters, each signed With Kisses from Cécile, to face what fate brings.

Available on Amazon

This book was received from the Author, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

Maggie Ruth Mitchell {Maggie}, is completely heartbroken her marriage is on verge of collapsing. Her husbands infidelity and recent developments have left her devastated.She accepts her family’s invitation to travel with her beloved grandmother, Grams.

Maggie’s grandmother has asked her along to pay homage to a hundred year old friendship between Maggies great-grandmother mother, Ruth and a Parisian pen pal, Cécile.

With Kisses From Cécile, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming hopeful story that explores love, loss, and hardship, the relationships that bonds people together.

Ruth Calderhead Carlock And Cécile Cosquéric frienship is documented in over 100 letters and served as the inspiration for this captivating novel.

What really stood out for me and what I really loved about this story was the compelling and emotional layered dual timeline and how they connected the story and the family also with an amazing friendship. We see the historical side to the story and then a modern side to it. Each are strong, interesting stories with their conflicts and heartache that shaped one families history. Maggie learns of devastating one-hundred-year-old secrets involving loss and forgiveness. Revelations about her family’s past challenge Maggie’s decision to face her future alone.

With Kisses From Cécile, captures something extraordinary here as well as fully capturing my heart. I was immediately taken with this story and found myself totally mesmerized and in awe of long distance friendship between Ruth And Cécile. The Author’s ability to weave such a fantastic story that is based on real-life people and their lives. This incredible storyline is a page turner with a wonderful heartwarming storyline of heartbreak and strength.. and ultimately in the end forgiveness.

There are some books that the storyline tugs at your heartstrings, this is one!

I absolutely loved this book, and recommend it to everyone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Star Book

About the Authors

Photo Credit: Sitting Pretty Photos

JAN AGNELLO comes from several generations of hobbiest antiquers. Her love of stories behind the antiques inspired her in 2013 to form Storyology Design, now Storyology Design and Publication. The necklaces Jan crafts from antique coin purses have generated a loyal customer following and garnered attention from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, jewelry network executives, and TV and film costume designers. Her love of books, romance, history, and unique jewelry design led her to collaborate with author Anne Armistead to offer a series of historical novels, each paired with heirloom quality jewelry named for the female protagonist. The first in the series, WITH KISSES FROM CÉCILE, is a story of love and redemption drawn from Jan’s family history. It is paired with THE CÉCILE JEWELRY COLLECTION. Visit storyologydesign.com to learn more about Jan and Storyology.

ANNE ARMISTEAD is a writer of historical romance. She earned her English literature degree from the University of Georgia and her MFA in creative writing from Spalding University. Her background includes project management with AT&T and teaching English at the middle, high, and college levels. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Georgia Writers of Romance. WITH KISSES FROM CÉCILE is her second romance, following the publication of DANGEROUS CONJURINGS (Soul Mate Publishing, April 2018). Anne writes for and serves as an editor for Storyology Design and Publication. Visit annearmisteadauthor.com to learn more about Anne and her novels.

Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, September 7
Feature at I’m All About Books
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Monday, September 9
Review at my.boys.mom
Excerpt at A Darn Good Read

Tuesday, September 10
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Wednesday, September 11
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, September 12
Review at Maiden of the Pages
Excerpt at Short Book and Scribes
Excerpt at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Friday, September 13
Review at Amy’s Booket List
Excerpt at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Monday, September 16
Review at Jessica Belmont
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Tuesday, September 17
Review at Melissa Reads

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of With Kisses From Cecile! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on September 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

With Kisses From Cecile
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Book Review

September 10, 2019 Gwendalyn’s Books

Release Day

Ten Thousand Doors of January

#0rbitbook @AlixEHarrow

Thank you to Orbit Books for gifting me a finished copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Title: The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: Redhook
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical

In the summer of 1901, at the age of seven, January Scaller found a Door. You know the kind of door–they lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, to Atlantis, to all the places never found on a map.

Years later, January has forgotten her brief glimpse of Elsewhere. Her life is quiet and lonely but safe on her guardian’s estate, until one day she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds in its pages, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger. A book that might lead her back to the half-remembered door of her childhood.

But, as January gets answers to questions she never imagined, shadows creep closer. There are truths about the world that should never be revealed.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble.

Title: The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: Redhook, Orbit Book Publishing
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Orbit/Redhook) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Star Book

One of the most stunning, captivating book of 2019

“Listen, not every story is made for telling. Sometimes just by telling a story you’re stealing it, stealing a little of the mystery away from it.”

Have you ever had penchant for the whimsical? Have you looked sideways at doors ever? Or held your breath as walked through a threshold? Or maybe in a moment of fancy, while staring longing at a wall hoping for for a chance of something magical. An opening, a portal…That just maybe there is something magical in the world.

I have despite voices to the contrary, telling me otherwise.

Are you a readers who remembers what it was once like to have the ability to imagine a wide world of endless possibilities. In Within these pages, January will discover the impossible truth of her own existence– and the harrowing dangers that lurk between the Doors and other worlds.

This fairy tale will have you stepping through the void, into fables, folklore, adventure, love and sanctuary, and the infinite power of words and love. In this completely original lyrical debut, Alix E. Harrow captivating book is a magical blend of both historical fiction and magical realism.

Alix E. Harrow effortless writing is stunning and unconsciously literary.

” I almost didn’t notice the Door at all. All Doors are like that, half-shadowed and sideways until someone looks at them in just the right way.”

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is completely original storyline but written in classical childhood fairy tale style of older work. Beautiful writing that is poetic and the words are fluid in this captivating and lyrical debut. In the turn of the twentieth century, a time of change with inventions and new discoveries, We meet January, an oddly colored, wild and headstrong imaginative girl.

From the first pages I fell in love with January Scaller. When we first meet January, she is seven years old and, though her father is living, she is being cared for by Mr. Locke, her fathers benefactor. Her father travels the world, seeking out exotic treasures to bring back to his employer. Throughout her childhood years, she is herded and tamed into submission, well almost..

The Ten Thousand Doors of January, is lush and richly imaginative book of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the incredible power of opening doors .

Alix Harrow’s has masterly written a captivating illustrious tale with this story. If you love stories that have rich descriptive prose and a within a wonderful historical storyline with magical realism then you definitely want to pick this one up.

” Life has a kind of momentum to it, I’ve found, an accumulated weight of decisions which becomes impossible to shift.”

Alix E. Harrow has been a student and a teacher, a farm-worker and a cashier, an ice-cream-scooper and a 9-to-5 office-dweller. She’s lived in tents and cars, cramped city apartments and lonely cabins, and spent a summer in a really sweet ’79 VW Vanagon. She has library cards in at least five states.

Now she’s a full-time writer living in with her husband and two semi-feral kids in Kentucky. Her short fiction has appeared in Shimmer, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Apex, and other venues, and The Ten Thousand Doors of January is her debut novel. Find her wasting time and having opinions at @AlixEHarrow on Twitter.

Book Tours

Book Tour The Necromancer’s Bride

September 10, 2019 Gwendalyn’s Books

The Necromancer’s Bride
Kat Ross
(Gaslamp Gothic, #4)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: May 31st 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retelling

Forgiveness is not Gabriel D’Ange’s strong suit.

A self-appointed soldier of God with a penchant for ruthlessly punishing his enemies, he vanished after Anne Lawrence stabbed him with his own dagger.

The smart thing would be to let him go.

Unfortunately, Anne’s life isn’t just lonely without Gabriel. It’s insufferably boring.

Determined to heal the rift between them, she goes in search of her tempestuous former lover, black parasol in hand and daeva magic crackling at her fingertips. But Gabriel has his own plans afoot and Anne finds herself drawn into one of his tangled webs, much against her better judgment.

Gabriel’s nemesis has reappeared in Brussels, a vile slaver who’s plundering the Congo Free State with the blessing of King Leopold. Gabriel might be willing to give Anne a second chance, but not until Jorin Bekker’s head is lying at his feet.

Back in London, the quasi-reformed necromancer Balthazar sets his sights on the same quarry. He holds a very personal grudge against Bekker — and killing him might be the only way to keep Gabriel D’Ange from Balthazar’s own throat.

When the hunters collide at a lavish gala thrown by the king, Anne learns just how far she’ll go to save the man she loves.

Note: The Necromancer’s Bride is the sequel to A Bad Breed, which should be read first.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterest page for the people, places and things that inspire her books.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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Book Tours

Book Tour

September 10, 2019 Gwendalyn’s Books

The Necromancer’s Bride

The Necromancer’s Bride
Kat Ross
(Gaslamp Gothic, #4)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: May 31st 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retelling

Forgiveness is not Gabriel D’Ange’s strong suit.

A self-appointed soldier of God with a penchant for ruthlessly punishing his enemies, he vanished after Anne Lawrence stabbed him with his own dagger.

The smart thing would be to let him go.

Unfortunately, Anne’s life isn’t just lonely without Gabriel. It’s insufferably boring.

Determined to heal the rift between them, she goes in search of her tempestuous former lover, black parasol in hand and daeva magic crackling at her fingertips. But Gabriel has his own plans afoot and Anne finds herself drawn into one of his tangled webs, much against her better judgment.

Gabriel’s nemesis has reappeared in Brussels, a vile slaver who’s plundering the Congo Free State with the blessing of King Leopold. Gabriel might be willing to give Anne a second chance, but not until Jorin Bekker’s head is lying at his feet.

Back in London, the quasi-reformed necromancer Balthazar sets his sights on the same quarry. He holds a very personal grudge against Bekker — and killing him might be the only way to keep Gabriel D’Ange from Balthazar’s own throat.

When the hunters collide at a lavish gala thrown by the king, Anne learns just how far she’ll go to save the man she loves.

Note: The Necromancer’s Bride is the sequel to A Bad Breed, which should be read first.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

The Necromancer’s Bride.

Gaslamps Gothic Series, is a Victorian-era paranormal fantasy series

This book was received from the Author, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

The Author Kat Ross’s Victorian-era paranormal fantasy series The Necromancer’s Bride is the sequel to A Bad Breed, And takes off just as A Bad Breed Ended.

Anne Lawrence is a daeva, who has the ability to use elemental magic.

The man She is in love with was almost killed by her hand. Will he able to forgive Anne? Gabriel is a Necromancer A self-appointed soldier of God with a penchant for ruthlessly punishing his enemies. Anne goes against her better judgment and is drawn into a Gabriel vengeful web.

The Necromancer’s Bride, catapultes you into a dark Victorian era. The authors writing flows, and the characters are well developed along with notable sub characters. The book is a creative blend of turn of the century Victorian with a lot of fantasy_magical realism.

Kat Ross delivers such a wickedly delightful, gripping and immersive tale that totally sucked me right into this hauntingly dark gothic suspense novel. Once I started reading this one it was hard not to get totally wrapped up in Jane’s fascinating, snarky, obsessive and audacious character. Making it quite the deliciously fun, compelling and an all consuming page-turner.

Imaginative and captivating the ending was perfect and sets up for a continuation this amazing series.

Highly recommend this book and it’s series to anyone who enjoys a great storyline and incredible writing

I am definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series., Kat Ross has become an auto-buy for me!

Gaslamps Gothic Series, is a Victorian-era paranormal fantasy series

by author Kat Ross.

Books Include:

The Daemoniac,

The Thirteenth Gate, A Bad Breed

The Necromancer’s Bride

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Author Bio:

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterest page for the people, places and things that inspire her books.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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