Day: January 30, 2020

Today I’m really excited to be taking part in the Book Tour of,About An Earl,
by, Diana Lloyd, which is being hosted by HFBT!

About an Earl
by Diana Lloyd

Publication Date: January 27, 2020
Entangled Publishing LLC (Amara)
ebook, 400 pages

Series: What Happens in the Ballroom, Book Two
Genre: Historical Romance

#AboutanEarl #DianaLloyd #HFVBTBlogTours

An outsider at her first English ball, Jewel is fascinated with the beautiful dresses and the lovely dancing, but she’s vowed to save the Earl of Winchcombe from her cousin’s marriage trap. When she first glimpses the handsome lord, her heart beats faster. As they plan to thwart her cousin’s machinations, she discovers a kindred spirit in Oliver—even if he’s a peer and she’s a lowly colonist. Caught kissing the earl, the ball ends in disaster and Jewel’s displeased uncle whisks her away to Scotland..

Lord Scar, as the ton calls Oliver, would rather be anywhere than at a godforsaken masquerade ball and when he learns from the free-spirited colonist about the nefarious marriage plan, he grudgingly accepts her help. Jewel intrigues him and sets his heart racing. Yet, when the ball is over and the mask is off–Oliver curses the scar that will send her screaming away.

When her uncle banishes her, Oliver comes to her rescue by offering Jewel his hand in marriage. She agrees, despite his disfigurement. But what’s a beastly lord like him to do with such a beautiful wife–especially when he discovers she’s delightfully saucy?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Series: What Happens In The Ballroom #2

Publication Date: 1/27/20

Number of Pages: 400

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

“Delicately bred women were so predictable. First they screamed, and then they fainted.”

An enjoyable historical romance, with a lots of adventure, twists and drama.

About an Earl has an interesting main male protagonist, that I completely fell for, a wounded virgin hero, Oliver Chalford, the next Earl of Winchcombe.

A sassy American colonist, Julianna (Jewel) Latham, has been sent to London to visit her aunt and uncle. Sent away by her father, and from the boiling tension within Boston between the colonials and the redcoats. Time away also might help to escape some poor past choices that ultimately led to a broken heart.

Named lord Scar by the ton, A reclusive, bearing a disfigurement from his horrific father, Oliver has found away to do estate business by strictly by post.

Oliver and his twin Penry attend a masquerade party, and when a series of events happen. Along with a compromising situation, this were the book ignites with a fast paced creative storyline, I completely inhaled. When a threat to discredit Oliver’s sanity along with Jewel’s odd banishment, her fathers arrest in states, and some intriguing findings. Things really take on a different perspective as clues fall into place in this splendid fast read. I enjoyed the sweet chemistry between the main characters.

I look forward to reading more in this series.

About the Author

Diana Lloyd, mother of gingers, lives in the state shaped like a mitten. Diana has loved books since she first ate one and appreciated them even more once she learned to read. Enjoying an occasional tumble down the rabbit hole of research, Diana writes historical romance by mixing equal parts History, Heart, and Humor. A 2017 RWA Golden Heart finalist with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR BARON, Diana is anxiously awaiting the publication of book two ABOUT AN EARL and book three LAST LORD STANDING in the “What Happens in the Ballroom” series.

To stay up to date on all of Diana’s projects, visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, BookBub, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 27
Review at Rose is Reading

Tuesday, January 28
Review at Historical Romance Lover

Wednesday, January 29
Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, January 30
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Friday, January 31
Feature at I’m Into Books
Review at Historical Graffiti

Monday, February 3
Review at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, February 5
Feature at Donna’s Book Blog

Thursday, February 6
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Excerpt at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Friday, February 7
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Saturday, February 8
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Sunday, February 9
Feature at YA, It’s Lit

Monday, February 10
Review at Robin Loves Reading

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on February 10th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Paperback giveaway is open to 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.

About an Earl
https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js

Today I’m really excited to be taking part in the Book Tour of, Smailholm
by, C.L. Williams, which is being hosted by YA Bound Book Tours

@smailholmthebook

Smailholm
by C.L. Williams
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: January 28th 2020

Summary:

Shh! Can you keep a secret?

In wild medieval Britain thirteen-year-old Wynn Hoppringle has a big secret of the smallest kind. She has discovered a miniature village hidden close to her family home of Smailholm Tower. When tales of merciless border raiders reach the small folk, they realise they are in danger and must seek a cure to their strange predicament. Can Wynn help her tiny friends or will the scheming King quog have other ideas? Heroes it seems come in all sizes.

“A spellbinding tale of adventure, magic and friendship”

V.F.Sharp, author of The Forest of Arrows

– Free Game App in Apple Store

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

A lovely fantasy of a curse, friendship, and magical adventures. Along with captivating characters that adds a perfect place to anyone’s bookshelf.

A enchanting medieval tale comes to life with beautiful imagery. Set in wild medieval Britain, thirteen year old Anne-Wynn Hopringle, the second of 3 daughters with the first name Anne is a wonderfully fleshed out three demetional protagonist.

Wynn Hoppringle, guards an incredible secret. She has found a tiny village is concealed under the brambles beside her family home of Smailholm Tower.

This perfectly paced middle grade ya fantasy happens to be on the boarder of Britain and Scotland. Richly atmospheric details come to life within these lovely pages.

Anne-Wynn Hopringle, the second of 3 daughters with the first name Anne,A lovely tale of friendship with unlikely well developed captivating heroes. I was completely immersed in this creative fantasy. The author prose flows seamlessly, and the lush atmospheric magical imagery catapults you into these stunning pages.

An easy to follow plot line that has two meticulously woven stories, that comes together perfectly at the end. I absolutely loved the chapters of Deablin.

This spellbinding book that held my attention all the way through, and I am patiently waiting to read the next from this very talented author.

As you can tell, I highly recommend this incredible book to my family and friends!

Thanks to #CLWilliams, and #Matador for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

AUTHOR LINKS:

www.clwilliamsauthor.com

https://www.instagram.com/smailholmthebook/

The Story of Smailholm

Let me tell you a story…

Two years ago, almost to the day, my dad died. It wasn’t a particularly unusual death or the least bit unexpected. Having experienced the death of my mum 15 years earlier, it was just another part of the relentless crawl of time, another deafening tick on the clock of life. After all, the older we get the more that changes. It is, at its very simplest form, just a mathematical equation. The science of time. To the uninitiated into the mind of Claire Lesley Williams, this could be a mighty depressing introduction to how I began writing a novel. I write fantasy so perhaps you’ll indulge me in a bit of darkness. And, also let me explain. With every one of those ticks comes a gift. The gift my dad’s death gave me is Smailholm. Smailholm isn’t about him, but he’s a part of it; his life indelibly inked on the black letters of white page.

Sometimes it takes a breath snatching change to make you do something different. Hell, in your mid 40s you need a push. And so, losing my Dad was my push to start writing the book I’d always wanted to write but never quite believed I could. Two years later, those black letters on a white page represent my tick on the clock of life. It’s been the privilege of my life to create it and share it with you all. I hope you love its fun, adventurous spirit, dusted with magic. It very much represents me – from the battlements of the Scottish Tower I stood upon, looking over a forbidden moor, hoping the wild wind would blast away my grief. To the ingenious mining quogs of Rubers Law that represent my childhood growing up in the industrial Potteries. And finally, to the miniature village of Smailholm itself, the comforting echo from my past. Those perfectly formed villages, yet in miniature that dot the seaside towns of Britain hoping to pull in the odd punter for a pound.

So, kneel down, peer into those little windows and wonder. What do you see?  Is it a crackling fire and pint of frothy ale? Or a tiny woman singing a song about baking buns? Or even a fearless girl with a bow and arrow?

Come in. Smailholm is waiting.

Blog Tour Schedule

January 27

ACME Teen Books – Kids, YA, and NA Too!

She Just Loves Books

January 28

The Try Everything

Living in a Bookworld

January 29

Paper Ink & Lizard

Buried Under Books

The Avid Reader

January 30

Gwendalyn’s Books

Willow Reads and Writes
Rockin’ Book Reviews
bookblogarama

January 31

Hurn Publicationshttps://hurnpublications.com/ Review

All the Ups and Downs
Rebecca Graf on Medium https://medium.com/@rebeccagraf_63084 Review

Hi friends! I’m here today to share my review on a book that has pleasantly surprised me.

Thank you, so, so much HarperTeen for providing me with an Arc, in exchange for an honest review!

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

This new Fantasy novel is set in modern day Japan, and follows our heroine, Kira Fujikawa. She works in the afternoons as a miko, a shrine maiden at her family’s Shinto shrine. Her grandfather runs the shrine and is take his place when she comes of age.

She attends a prestigious Kogakkan Academy in Kyoto, Japan, on a scholarship.Kira longs for her peer acceptance, she treated as outsider because of her family’s status. And oh by the way she sees Yolai, class of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons, that have haunted Japan since time immemorial. Not all the Yokai have evil intent, but the description are wonderfully creepy.

“She looks like a scream made flesh.”

Yes, it’s a stellar fantasy that embraces Japanese mythology and a lot of manga. There is also something more to this creative fantasy, it’s the depth and development of the character, Kira, as she her story unfolds. Her growth is depicted in symbolically within the storyline. Realizing her strength, and coming into her own with much needed unexpected help.

“I suppose even death looks beautiful, sometimes. But its beauty is a lie.”

Japanese folklore and Kurosawa’s are perfectly blended in this mesmerizing retelling of an old, classic film by Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai, add a little Anime, and you have the perfect combination. A breathtaking fantasy exploration outside western culture.

Easy to follow seamless narration with intriguing world building that is incredibly vibrant. I especially enjoyed the glossary that is added to the back of the book, I usually research on my own when presented with mythology from other cultures. So, this was a added bonus for me.

Courtney Alameda

A veteran bookseller and librarian, Courtney Alameda now spends her days writing thriller and horror novels for young people. Her debut novel, SHUTTER, was nominated for a Bram Stoker award and hailed as a “standout in the genre” by School Library Journal. Her forthcoming novel, PITCH DARK (Spring 2017), is a genre-blending science fiction/horror novel in the vein of Ridley Scott’s 1979 film ALIEN.

Courtney holds a B.A. in English literature with an emphasis in creative writing. She is represented by the talented John M. Cusick of Folio Literary. A Northern California native, she now resides in Utah with her husband, a legion of books, and a tiny five pound cat with a giant personality.

Valynne E. Maetani

Valynne E. Maetani (pronounced Vuh-lin Mah-eh-tah-nee) grew up in Utah and obtained a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In a former life, she was a project manager and developed educational software for children with learning disabilities. Currently, she is a full-time writer. She is a member of the We Need Diverse Books team and is dedicated to promoting diversity in children’s literature because every child should grow up believing his or her story deserves to be told. Her debut novel, Ink and Ashes, is the winner of the New Visions Award 2013, a Junior Library Guild 2015 selection, and Best Fiction Book in Salt Lake City Weekly’s Best of Utah Arts Award for 2015. She lives in Salt Lake City.