Tag Archive for: The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn

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Shapeshifting, Michelle Ross — Review by Diane-Lyn

Hello, and welcome to The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn. I am thrilled to be today’s stop in the book tour for Shapeshifting by Michelle Ross. Many thanks to Lisa Munley at TLC Book Tours for the invite. I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Enjoy! Best, Diane-Lyn

                             

Synopsis:

Shapeshifting: The fourteen spellbinding stories in Michelle Ross’s second collection invite readers into the shadows of social-media perfectionism and the relentless cult of motherhood. A recovering alcoholic navigates the social landscape of a toddler playdate; a mother of two camps out in a van to secure her son’s spot at a prestigious kindergarten; a young girl forces her friends to play an elaborate, unwinnable game. With unflinching honesty and vivid, lyric prose, Ross explores the familial ties that bind us together-or, sometimes, tear us apart.

Review by Diane-Lyn:

The enormity of motherhood. The complexities of families. The dynamics, social pressures, and harsh judgements; all coming head to head with painful histories, ongoing inner battles, and our own flaws. The constant effort to get it right, followed by those never-ending reminders of how we have, once again, come up short. And oh, that mother down the street; the one who has seemingly perfected this monumental undertaking called motherhood. You know, that one who is always composed and smiling with the perfect figure, the perfect house, the perfect children. The living, breathing evidence of what parenting “should” look like.

Shapeshifting brings these unspoken struggles to the table, And the truth is, every mother has them. The Sand and Sea illustrates the effects of having a negligent mother, and the lasting impact of toxic motherhood through generations. “I wonder”, the narrator reflects, “if I could travel back in time and mother my mother, would everything have turned out different?” 

Likewise, in Lifecycle of an Ungrateful Daughter, the product of an alcoholic, abusive mother struggles to navigate her way through marriage and motherhood, trying to avoid having history repeat itself. However, she has difficulty connecting with her own daughter and battles depression which, like any mental illness, is ever present and colors all areas of her life. Eventually, her husband leaves her for another woman. During the holiday season that year, she offers to fly her three children, now adults, out to her new place to celebrate Christmas together. Her daughter accepts the invitation, but the other two decline and she is devastated. When her daughter arrives for the holiday, her mother is so depressed that she spends the entire four day visit in bed, leaving her daughter to fend for herself. The two have very little contact in the years that follow.

In After Pangaea, a young mother is willing to camp out in a borrowed van for five nights with her breastfeeding newborn in order to ensure a slot for her older son in the “right” kindergarten. This chapter’s theme of intense social pressures in parenting and the competitive nature of raising children was relatable! When did this begin? I was a child of the 1970’s, a time when parents weren’t so stressed out about kindergarten. Years later, however, when it was time to enroll our daughter in preschool, my husband and I made sure it was one with prestige and academic rigor. Times have changed and somewhere along the line, priorities shifted. We are left to wonder if our children are really that much better off now, or have we as a society have just forgotten what truly matters?

Three Week Checkup explores the challenges of new motherhood. The protagonist of this chapter, Deena, finds herself feeling “undone by her exhaustion”, and receives minimal support from her husband. Breastfeeding is painful and difficult. She is feeling constantly watched and scrutinized. As Deena is grilled with questions at the pediatrician’s office, she struggles to provide “correct” answers and wonders if she is inadequate. Yes, babies are a blessing – but the struggles of new motherhood are real and often difficult to admit. There is so much shame and fear of being judged, which sometimes leads to an isolating experience.

Shapeshifting is a poignant collection of short stories that are authentic, powerful, and relatable. Each chapter stands on its own and tells its own story – addressing issues of bullies, pregnancy resulting from rape, parenting with an addiction or mental illness, spousal control and isolation, and legal issues around women and reproduction. Ross also explores the enormous weight of maternal guilt, and how easily we connect our child’s struggles to something we did or failed to do. Shapeshifting illustrates that all families struggle in some way, and all mothers are flawed. Parenting is not neat and tidy because people are messy and complicated. Ross takes us through the blood, sweat and tears of parenting; experiencing the most intense kind of love, but also anxiety and sleepless nights filled with raw emotion. Ross demonstrates how parenthood brings to the surface everything about ourselves that we might have preferred to keep buried. We work so hard to shield our children from our most shameful parts, but these problems still manage to fall right into their laps anyway. Well-written, intriguing, and emotional, Shapeshifting is a book that I highly recommend to all mothers. Bravo!

We were all going to be perfect mothers. That is, until we had kids.

“Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare:” – Ed Asner

To purchase your own copy of Shapeshifting, click here: Amazon. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and purchase the book, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. Happy reading!

About the Author:

Michelle Ross is the author of three story collections, There’s So Much They Haven’t Told You, winner of the 2016 Moon City Press Short Fiction Award and Finalist for the 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Short Stories, Shapeshifting, winner of the Stillhouse Press Short Story Award (forthcoming in 2021), and They Kept Running, winner of the 2021 Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction (forthcoming in Spring 2022). Her fiction has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, Colorado Review, The Common, Epiphany, Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, TriQuarterly, Witness, and other venues. Her fiction has been selected for Best Microfiction, Best Small Fictions, and the Wigleaf Top 50, among other anthologies. She is fiction editor of Atticus Review and was a consulting editor for the 2018 Best Small Fictions anthology. A native of Texas, she received her B.A. from Emory University and her M.F.A and M.A. from Indiana University. She currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband and son. michellenross.com

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Review: The Taste of Ginger, Mansi Shah

Hello and Happy New Year! Welcome The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn. I am thrilled to be today’s stop on the virtual book tour for The Taste of Ginger, an extraordinary debut novel by Mansi Shah. I hope you enjoy my review below. Many thanks to Lisa Munley at TLC Book Tours for the invite. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Best, Diane-Lyn
Synopsis:

In Mansi Shah’s stunning debut novel, a family tragedy beckons a first-generation immigrant to the city of her birth, where she grapples with her family’s past in search of where she truly belongs.

After her parents moved her and her brother to America, Preeti Desai never meant to tear her family apart. All she did was fall in love with a white Christian carnivore instead of a conventional Indian boy. Years later, with her parents not speaking to her and her controversial relationship in tatters, all Preeti has left is her career at a prestigious Los Angeles law firm.

But when Preeti receives word of a terrible accident in the city where she was born, she returns to India, where she’ll have to face her estranged parents…and the complicated past they left behind. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of her heritage, Preeti catches a startling glimpse of her family’s battles with class, tradition, and sacrifice. Torn between two beautifully flawed cultures, Preeti must now untangle what home truly means to her.

Diane-Lyn’s Review:

Preeti is a young woman caught between two vastly different cultures, and never fully belonging to either one. As a child, Preeti’s privileged, upper-caste family left their home country of India and immigrated to America. Once here, their lives changed drastically. Finances tightened, forcing her parents into entry-level jobs and a lower standard of living. Preeti and her brother, Neel, endured racism and cruelty in school as they fought desperately to fit into their new community, all while losing themselves in the process. In an effort to survive, the siblings “Americanized” themselves as much as possible but were often conflicted between blending in and remaining loyal to their roots and strict parental expectations, traditions and values. Years later, when a family tragedy necessitates a trip back to India, Preeti soon realizes she had forgotten the customs of her native land, and again feels like an outsider.

Shah captured these struggles poignantly, all while seamlessly interweaving additional themes, characters, and events into the plot line. I’m sure most readers will connect with the dynamics and strife of the Desai family – much of which is universal. A mother’s expectations and aspirations for her children go head to head with a daughter’s quest to find her own way, the favoring of one adult child over the other, the constant power struggles, the pressure to maintain the appearance of a perfect family even when everything is falling apart. The inner workings of a family are always so different than what is visible. The truth is, all families are complicated and Shah illustrated these challenges in such an empathetic and relatable way. I could sympathize with Preeti and Neel. They were always under intense pressure to succeed, and in a position that didn’t allow for mistakes. Their race constantly dictated how much harder they needed to work in a white privilege society. It was certainly eye-opening.

It took me a while to warm to Preeti’s mother. I really didn’t like her throughout most of the book. I couldn’t understand how she could raise her children in America, but then stop speaking to Preeti because she was involved with a white man (Honestly, what did she expect?). She just seemed unrealistic, cold, rigid, and not very maternal. However, later in the book so much was revealed about her mother’s history, and everything about her started to make sense. I enjoyed her mother’s evolvement over time. I was better able to understand her as she began to open up about her long buried pain, and how it shaped her decisions. It became clear that, despite her tough exterior, she was fundamentally not that different than other mothers. She loved her children. She wanted to protect them. Her decisions were based on what she thought was right at the time. Mistakes were made, but honestly, motherhood is hard. She clearly had done the best she could.

I loved how Shah incorporated India’s customs and traditions into this novel, as well as its beauty. The sights, smells and sounds of India were all around me. I truly felt like I was there sipping chai and smelling spicy cooking; or making my way through busy streets, overcrowded with people, cows and rickshas. Even more interesting were the striking cultural contrasts. I was aware that many Indian marriages are arranged, but still surprised at just how unyielding some of these arrangements are, and the limited choices one has in selecting a spouse. Often, marriage decisions are not based on love, but rather on caste and social status and this is not taken lightly. In fact, any deviation from these norms can ruin an entire family. Marriage is a business transaction. First you marry, then you date, then you fall in love. Of course, love is not guaranteed, and one can only hope for a union that is workable. And speaking of unions, The Taste of Ginger illustrates India’s zero tolerance for homosexuality. When Shah introduces a gay character, I was deeply saddened by the reality of his life in an extremely homophobic country where roles are so firmly set, and being gay can have life-threatening repercussions on people and their families.

Shah added a staggering, gut wrenching layer to the novel by taking the reader through the process of a tragic, epic loss; the shock, the aftermath, and its bitter effect on people and relationships. In any society, nothing tests a marriage more than the unimaginable loss of a child. Regardless of culture, people are people, and heartache is heartache. I was so moved by Shah’s ability to fully immerse the reader into every aspect of such a loss, deeply feeling each painful stage in the process, and its impact on every area of a parent’s life. It was written with such poignancy that I found myself fully absorbed in the devastation, as if I were among the grieving characters. A debut novel that so profoundly captures a reader in this way can only be the work of a gifted writer. Bravo!

The Taste of Ginger reminds us that regardless of differing cultures, we are all just human beings trying to find our way in the world. We all have the same basic needs – to be loved and accepted; to belong. I was drawn to Preeti’s personal growth over time as she started coming to terms with her identity. No culture is perfect, but it seemed Preeti was learning to embrace them both.

Wow! The Taste of Ginger is a masterpiece! This novel is extremely well written and well organized. It encompasses so much, yet it’s easy to follow and the pacing is steady. The characters and themes are varied, but they are smoothly intertwined into the plot line without any jumpy shifts. Shah did a remarkable job of incorporating robust imagery and the beauty of India. I was impressed with her ability to connect imperfect, complex characters with a riveting chain of events to deliver a deeply engaging, realistic and highly relatable story. Despite my busy schedule and limited time to complete this book, I sailed through it quickly. I found myself rooting for the Desai clan and I’d love to hear more about how each of them fared after the story ended. There is so much potential for a sequel and I do hope Mansi Shah will consider a continuation of this narrative. Fingers crossed!

I loved The Taste of Ginger and highly recommend Shah’s debut novel to all adult readers. Gripping and emotional, this will be a novel you will not soon forget.

“I feel like an outsider everywhere I go,” Preeti Desai, The Taste of Ginger (Mansi Shah)

“Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” Brene Brown

To purchase your own copy of The Taste of Ginger, click here: Amazon. Note that this is an Amazon affiliate ink, which only means that when you click the link and purchase the book, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. My opinions remain my own. Happy reading!

 About the Author:

 

 

Mansi Shah is a writer who lives in Los Angeles. She was born in Toronto, Canada, was raised in the midwestern United States, and studied at universities in Australia and England. When she’s not writing, she’s traveling and exploring different cultures near and far, experimenting on a new culinary creation, or trying to improve her tennis game. For more information, visit her online at mansikshah.com.

 

 

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Prologue: The Wrecking Storm, Michael Ward

Hello Followers,

Great news! Author Michael Ward has written a sequel to his amazing historical fiction murder mystery novel, Rags of Time. Life for Thomas Tallant is about to get even more complicated! Enjoy the prologue for The Wrecking Storm below. At the bottom of this page, you will find a link to purchase. Happy reading!

Best, Diane Lyn

Prologue for The Wrecking Storm:

1641. London.

The poisonous dispute pushing King Charles and Parliament towards Civil War is reaching the point of no return. Law and order in the city are collapsing as Puritan radicals demand more concessions from the King. Bishops and lords are attacked in the streets as the Apprentice Boys run amok. Criminal gangs use the disorder to mask their activities while the people of London lock their doors and pray for deliverance.

No one is immune from the contagion. Two Jesuit priests are discovered in hiding and brutally executed – and soon the family of spice merchant Thomas Tallant is drawn into the spiral of violence. Tallant’s home is ransacked, his warehouse raided and his sister seized by kidnappers.

Thomas struggles to discover who is responsible, aided by the enigmatic Elizabeth Seymour, a devotee of science, maths and tobacco in equal measure. Together they enter a murky world of court politics, street violence, secret codes and poisoned letters, and confront a vicious gang leader who will stop at nothing to satisfy his greed.

Can Elizabeth use her skills to unpick the mass of contradictory evidence before the Tallants are ruined – both as a business and a family?

And as the fight for London between King and Parliament hurtles to its dramatic conclusion, can the Tallants survive the personal and political maelstrom?

Author Information:

Twitter: @mikewardmedia
Facebook: mikeward5
Author, as Michael Ward, of 17th century crime mysteries ‘Rags of Time’ and ‘The Wrecking Storm’.
“Michael Ward’s writing is spectacular” – thebookmagnet
“Some of the finest historical fiction you are likely to read.” – alexjbookreviews

To purchase The Wrecking Storm, click here: Amazon. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and purchase the book, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. Happy reading!

 

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Review by Diane-Lyn: Rags of Time, Michael Ward

Author Michael Ward contacted me and requested an honest review of his novel, Rags of Time. As a lover of historical fiction and murder mysteries, I was delighted to do so as this novel offers the best of both worlds. I hope you all enjoy my review, and I thank Michael Ward for the opportunity.

1639. London. Tensions are high. Demands for religious freedom and Parliamentary independence set a troublesome stage for a civil war under the reign of King Charles I. In the midst of this chaos, Thomas Tallant, a young spice merchant, is fighting a war of his own when he becomes the prime suspect in the brutal murder of the successful and wealthy Sir Joseph Venell. Thomas falls under even more suspicion after two additional and equally brutal murders occur. Desperate to clear his name, Thomas finds himself entangled in a secret, dangerous world in which he is forced to take unimaginable risks. He enlists the help of mysterious Elizabeth Seymour – a unique, intelligent woman obsessed with astronomy, mathematics, and gambling. As suspicions against Thomas mount and his world begins to implode, he and Elizabeth work tirelessly to clear his name before it’s too late.

Wow, what a ride! This book wastes no time – opening with a savage murder followed by an aggressive manhunt. This is the central story line, but the novel offers so many additional dimensions and layers. I loved Ward’s ability to insert a backdrop of important historical context and smoothly connect that into the plot. These seamlessly woven details add substance to the story line rather than distract from it, and they transport the reader right into the vintage setting and the uneasy atmosphere of that time period. The struggles between Parliament and King Charles I, the tensions over church reform and the riots that ensued provide depth and set the climate for this vivid historical murder mystery. In addition to London’s history, I also was moved by Thomas’s complex personal history that shaped him and his familial relationships – including a horrible family tragedy and his secret involvement in the tulip mania (and collapse) of the 1600’s. Everything comes together brilliantly!

Ward provides a wide array of characters who remind us that regardless of the era, people have always been complicated. I could relate to Thomas’s family dynamics and the balance between his critical father (Sir Ralph) and gentler mother (Lady Beatrix). Both parents had endured unthinkable loss, yet both remained strong and committed. Each of them supported Thomas in their own way, and despite any strife between Thomas and his father, Sir Ralph’s loyalties to his son remained secure. I was also intrigued by Elizabeth’s peculiar character. She was such a rarity of that time period; bold, passionate, and so far ahead of her time. She was unconventional but not in an annoying “rebel without a cause” sort of way. Instead, she was a deeply textured, highly intelligent woman who was unafraid to swim against the tide when necessary. And flawed, yes flawed –  her addictive personality served her well at times, but was a downfall at others. Indeed, Elizabeth was complex and intense. I enjoyed her imperfections, her strength, and perseverance. Thomas was a courageous character who seems to find, through no fault of his own, bad luck everywhere he turned. His determination to face his fate head on instead of running away from it make him a likeable and respected protagonist.

This is a gripping novel from start to finish with a major shocker at the end (and no, I never saw that one coming!). I highly recommend Rags of Time to readers who enjoy historical fiction and murder mystery enthusiasts. Ward clearly researched this time in history and wrote a well-developed, well-crafted and powerful novel. Bravo!

To purchase your own copy of Rags of Time, click here: Amazon. Please note that this is an Amazon affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and make a purchase, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. My opinions remain my own.

 

 

Excerpt: The King’s Anatomist: The Journey of Andreas Vesalius, by Ron Blumenfeld

Hello and welcome to The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn. I am thrilled to be today’s stop on the book tour for the new release, The King’s Anatomist: The Journey of Andreas Vesalius, by Ron Blumenfeld. Enjoy reading about this great new novel, and an excerpt is included below! Many thanks to Amy Bruno at HFVBT for the invite! Thanks for visiting and enjoy the tour!

Best, Diane-Lyn

THE KING’S ANATOMIST: THE JOURNEY OF ANDREAS VESALIUS BY RON BLUMENFELD

Publication Date: October 12, 2021
History Through Fiction LLC

Genre: Historical Fiction

A revolutionary anatomist, a memory-laden journey, and a shocking discovery.

In 1565 Brussels, the reclusive mathematician Jan van den Bossche receives shattering news that his lifelong friend, the renowned and controversial anatomist Andreas Vesalius, has died on the Greek island of Zante returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Jan decides to journey to his friend’s grave to offer his last goodbye.

Jan’s sentimental and arduous journey to Greece with his assistant Marcus is marked by shared memories, recalled letters, and inner dialogues with Andreas, all devices to shed light on Andreas’ development as a scientist, physician, and anatomist. But the journey also gradually uncovers a dark side of Andreas even as Jan yearns for the widow of Vesalius, Anne.

When Jan and Marcus finally arrive on Zante, the story takes a major twist as a disturbing mystery unfolds. Jan and Marcus are forced to take a drastic and risky measure that leads to a shocking discovery. On his return home, Jan learns that Andreas was an unknowing pawn in a standoff between King Philip of Spain, his employer, and Venice. When he arrives home in Brussels, he must finally reckon with his feelings for Anne.

A debut novel by Ron Blumenfeld, The King’s Anatomist is a fascinating medical history blended eloquently with meaningful relationships and a riveting mystery. Set within a pivotal time in European history, the story carries readers through some of the most important medical discoveries while engaging them in a deeply personal story of growing older and confronting relationships. A fictional masterpiece with real and relevant historical sources, The King’s Anatomist is as enlightening as it is enjoyable.

Excerpt:

The grave surface was now laid bare, the dirt moist and dark thanks to Tritonius’ regular
watering. We began to dig, Marcus taking the end nearest the headstone, I taking the foot.
Marcus worked with the steady rhythm of the laborers I used to watch in the streets of Brussels.
Taking care not to disturb the stone, he piled dirt along the lengthwise edges of the hole so it
could be easily swept back in.
Marcus tossed two shovelfuls of dirt for every one of mine. I strained to keep pace, trying
to clear my mind of everything but the feel of the shovel handle, the chunking sound of the
shovel piercing the earth, the weight of the dirt as I hefted it up—but my mind insisted on
bringing up images of those nights long past when Andreas and his students dug like excited
dogs for a freshly-buried cadaver, and how I winced as they struggled to lift it out of the grave,
head and limbs flailing, and into a cart.
As I dug, it occurred to me that I had never used a shovel—what could there be to it? But
within minutes I was breathing heavily and my lower back was stabbed with pain each time I
lifted a shovelful of dirt. Marcus glanced over and saw my problem.
“Slide your lower hand further down the handle.”
Of course—a simple matter of lever and fulcrum, a principle any laborer applied to their
work without a second thought. I dug with more skill, but soon blisters formed on my hands.
After a time we had to step into the deepening hole to continue digging, working back to
back with shortened strokes. Dirt started to slide back into the hole, so I had to heave the dirt
farther up the mound to keep it out.
You preferred taking bodies from graveyards known for shallow graves, and with good
reason. How ironic that I would never agree to dig while you were alive.

The moonlight served us well until we were chest-high in the hole. “Marcus,” I
whispered, between heavy breaths, “we will . . . need the lantern . . . can’t see much now.” The
next stab of my shovel blade met resistance. As I lifted the blade, I saw, even in the darkened
hole, that I had unearthed dirty cloth.
“Marcus, come look.”
He made his way to my end and squatted down. Gently brushing away dirt with his
hands, he found an edge and followed it about two feet toward the gravestone.
“We won’t be needing to open a coffin,” he said. “This looks to be a shroud, and I’ve
found the same at the head. The rest of our work should be by hand. When we’ve done as much
as we can without the lantern, I’ll light it, and we’ll bring it down here.”
He reached up to the edge of the hole and produced a jug of water. I drank slowly, only
able to swallow small amounts between labored breaths.
“Ready?” he asked, after taking a drink himself.
My heart pounding, I nodded.
Marcus returned to the head end and brushed away dirt with his hands. Numbly, I did the
same at my end, tense, aching, and breathing hard. Bit by bit we uncovered a form, unmistakably
human, wrapped in a stained shroud of similar make as the bed-sheets at the inn. The shroud’s
top fold overlaid the body in its length. The remaining work to expose the corpse would be quick
and quiet with no coffin to unseal, but the amount of decomposition would be greater.
With difficulty I straightened up and took stock of the moment: I was shoulder-deep in a
grave behind a church on a Greek island, astride a shrouded corpse that could be Andreas.

I must be dreaming. Do I want this to be you?
There were four possible outcomes: the first, now eliminated, that the grave would be
empty; the second, that we would find Andreas in the shroud; the third, that we would find
someone else; or the fourth and by far the worst, that the corpse could not be identified one way
or another.
Marcus touched my arm. “We have only a few hours until sunrise.”
I calmed myself; it was now only a matter of unfolding the shroud.
“Right. You take the feet. I need to see the face.”
“I’ll light the lantern now,” Marcus said. I shuffled up to the head as he vaulted to the
surface to get the lantern. It held two candles. From his pocket he produced a flint, a steel, and
dry tinder wrapped in a cloth. He laid the tinder on his lap in the center of the cloth and put the
wick of one candle next to the tinder. With a few deft strokes of the flint against the steel, sparks
flew and ignited the tinder, which in turn lit the wick. With that candle he lit the other one.
Eerie light filled the grave. Handing the lantern to me, he said, “You’ll need only one
hand to move the shroud.”
I straddled the corpse, facing Marcus at the feet. With the lantern in my right hand, I took
hold of the corner of the shroud with my left. It would open right to left.
“Ready, Marcus—on the count of three . . .”

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Praise

“A historical novel with a twist. An old friend of the most famous of all anatomists, Andreas Vesalius, sets out to solve the mystery of his death on a Greek island. What he finds involves a tangle of acquaintances going back to their Brussels childhood and earlier dissections. This lively story combines fine historical detail with a sensitive feel for past personalities.” – VIVIAN NUTTON, HON FRCP, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

“In his imaginatively woven historical mystery, Ron Blumenfeld explores the life of the pioneering anatomist Andreas Vesalius amidst the turbulence of 16th-century Europe. Readers will enjoy a finely-tuned story infused with doses of Renaissance anatomy and art that highlight the groundbreaking achievements of Andreas Vesalius in these two linked disciplines. Blumenfeld’s erudite adventure leaves the reader with tantalizing speculations.” – PHILIP ELIASOPH, PHD, PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY & VISUAL CULTURE, FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY, FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT

“With The King’s Anatomist, Ron Blumenfeld has successfully crafted a story from disparate elements. Descriptions of Renaissance sciences, emerging European cities, and the pre-industrial countryside are intertwined with love gained and lost and the mystery of the death of Andreas Vesalius, the father of modern anatomy. The result is a plot of rich tapestry that leaves the reader panting for the next page, the next vignette along a journey from Brussels to the Greek Island of Zante and along another journey; that from childhood friendship to the grave. As with much fine literature, I was sorry to reach the last page.” – MAYNARD PAUL MAIDMAN, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF HISTORY, YORK UNIVERSITY, CANADA

‘Centered on the mysterious death of the great anatomist Andreas Vesalius, this enjoyable tale is anchored by scholarly literature. The device of a first-person account by an observant but hesitant “best friend” allows for vivid recreation of the many remarkable moments in the anatomist’s life. Relying solidly on social and political history, it convincingly evokes the atmosphere of sixteenth-century Europe. The surprising but plausible ending will surely encourage readers to learn more.” – JACALYN DUFFIN, MD, PHD, PROFESSOR EMERITA, HANNAH CHAIR OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE, QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, CANADA

About the Author

Ron Blumenfeld is a retired pediatrician and health care executive. Ron grew up in the Bronx, New York in the shadow of Yankee Stadium and studied at City College of New York before receiving his MD degree from the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences Center. After completing his pediatrics residency at the University of Arizona, he and his family settled in Connecticut, but Tucson remains their second home. Upon retirement, he became a columnist for his town’s newspaper, a pleasure he surrendered to concentrate on his debut novel, The King’s Anatomist (October 12, 2021). Ron’s love of books springs from his childhood years spent in an antiquarian book store in Manhattan, where his mother was the only employee. He enjoys a variety of outdoor sports and hiking. He and his wife Selina currently reside in Connecticut and are fortunate to have their son Daniel and granddaughter Gracelynn nearby.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 12
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Wednesday, October 13
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Thursday, October 14
Review at Booking with Janelle
Review at With a Book in Our Hands

Friday, October 15
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Monday, October 18
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews

Tuesday, October 19
Review at Across the Sky in Stars

Wednesday, October 20
Review at Bibliostatic

Friday, October 22
Excerpt at I’m Into Books

Monday, October 25
Review at Up Past My Bedtime

Tuesday, October 26
Excerpt at Reading is My Remedy

Thursday, October 28
Guest Post at The Writing Desk

Sunday, October 31
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog

Wednesday, November 3
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Friday, November 5
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Bookoholiccafe

Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback copy of The King’s Anatomist by Ron Blumenfeld.

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on November 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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Direct Link: https://gleam.io/rpSb2/the-kings-anatomist

Thank you,

 

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The Riverwoman’s Dragon by Candace Robb (book tour excerpt and more!)

Hello,

Welcome to The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn. I am thrilled to be today’s stop on the book tour for the new release, The Riverwoman’s Dragon by Candace Robb. Enjoy reading about this great new novel, and an excerpt is included! Many thanks to Amy Bruno at HFVBT for the invite! Thanks for visiting and enjoy the tour!

Best, Diane-Lyn

THE RIVERWOMAN’S DRAGON BY CANDACE ROBB

Publication Date: October 1, 2021
Severn House

Series: (Book 13 in the Owen Archer series)
Genre: Historical Mystery

When the wise woman Magda Digby is suspected of murder, Owen Archer sets out to prove her innocence in this intricately plotted medieval mystery.

May, 1375. Owen Archer returns from London to find York in chaos. While the citizens are living in terror of the pestilence which is spreading throughout the land, a new physician has arrived, whipping up fear and suspicion against traditional healers and midwives. With the backing of the new archbishop, he is especially hostile towards Magda Digby, the wise woman who has helped and healed the people of York for many years. At the same time, Magda is uneasy about the arrival of two long-lost kinsfolk. Though they say they are seeking her help, she senses a hidden agenda.

Magda’s troubles deepen when she discovers a body in the river near her home – and finds herself under suspicion of murder. Days later, fire rips through a warehouse in the city. Amongst the charred debris lies the body of a man – not burned, but stabbed in the back. Could there be a connection to the corpse in the river?

Determined to prove Magda’s innocence, Owen sets out to find answers – but the more he uncovers, the deeper the mystery becomes…

Excerpt:

The Riverwoman’s Dragon © 2021 Candace Robb
Timkin held his head as he cried out, “Old Bede’s house is burning!”
There was more, but Owen was already up and moving toward him, thinking of Bede’s
widowed daughter Winifrith and her young children, who lived with him. He bent to the man
who was now doubled over, gasping for air. “Did the family escape?”
“Don’t know,” the old man sobbed. “I saw folk running to the river calling ‘Fire!’
Rushed after them, saw what was burning. Someone said the men who lit it called it a plague
house. A lie!”
Owen need hear no more. In a moment he was pounding down Coney Street, his
companions falling back—Crispin needed a cane. At King’s Staithe he joined Ned Cooper and
several other young men who often worked for the bailiffs. He saw the flames now, licking at a
much larger space than Old Bede’s small cottage. Several small buildings in the lane behind the
staithe were on fire, moving close to a large warehouse.
He whispered a prayer of thanks when he spied Old Bede, Winifrith, and the two children
among a group huddled together as they watched the fire. Ned had paused by them, his fellows
rushing on to grab the pots and buckets that neighbors were carrying out of their houses and
rushing down to fill them with river water.
Some men were hacking at a burning wall near a warehouse. Beyond them folk were
stretched along the staithe and down onto the mudflats to reach the water at low tide, passing
along filled buckets in one direction, empty buckets in another.
Owen grabbed two of the axe-wielders and tossed them toward the shore. “Water, you
fools. Water is what you need.”
“We are paid to watch the warehouse.”

2

Picking up an axe, Owen growled, “Water.”
The men stumbled off toward the staithe, sputtering curses.
A woman was wrapping Winifrith, Bede, and the children in blankets.
“You can sleep with us tonight,” she said. “Devils, the ones who did this. We’re all out
on the street every day. We’d know if the great sickness was here. Someone did this for spite,
they did.”
But who was the target? “Did you see anything?” Owen asked.
Old Bede shook his head. Winifrith was busy with the children.
“No,” said the woman. “I knew nothing until my son shouted ‘fire’.”
“Is your house far enough from the flames?”
“I pray so, Captain. Go. Help with the fire. I will take them home.”
Four buildings burning, and the sparks were catching the thatch on a fifth. Owen directed
a few buckets there, enough to wet it. “Keep watch on that,” he ordered a young woman working
the line, skirts hitched up, her eyes aglow with the fire. He moved through the crowd, helping
where he could. So far it seemed everyone had escaped their homes, most of them working to put
out the fire. Homeless, frightened, but safe. Owen helped the water-bearers until Crispin limped
down to tell him that the fire appeared to be under control.
“Hempe says leave it to the men,” said Crispin. “You need to rest up. You will be busy
tomorrow chasing down the culprit.”
After passing a few more buckets, Owen sought out the woman sheltering Old Bede’s
family. “Did your son see who started the fire?” he asked the woman.
A young man stepped forward. “I heard someone shout ‘plague house,’ and ‘burn out the
Death’, but there was so much smoke.”

3

“Did you see or hear anything else that might help us find them?”
“No. I can ask my friends. Should I come to you if I hear anything?”
“Me. Or Bailiff Hempe. Good work, calling out your neighbors.”
Hempe waited beneath Ouse Bridge. “Ned’s taking charge for the night,” he said “They
will watch the fires, keep them low. That’s one of the Graa family’s warehouses at the staithe.
His men complained that you ordered them about. I set them straight who you are. They whined
that in the smoke they hadn’t recognized you. As if I believed them. They’d note the patch no
matter the smoke.” He spit off to the side. “I set them to stand the watch with Ned and the others,
told them if I heard they’d wandered off I would fine them.”
“Unwilling helpers can be more of a nuisance than a help,” said Owen.
“I don’t much care if they guard only the mayor’s warehouse. The others will be free to
watch the rest.”
“Clever.”
“So off home with you.”

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

About the Author

I’m Candace Robb, a writer/historian engaged in creating fiction about the late middle ages with a large cast of characters with whom I enjoy spending my days. Two series, the Owen Archer mysteries and the Kate Clifford mysteries, are set in late medieval York. The Margaret Kerr trilogy is set in early 14th century Scotland, at the beginning of the Wars of Independence. Two standalone novels (published under pseudonym Emma Campion) expand on the lives of two women in the court of King Edward III who have fascinated me ever since I first encountered them in history and fiction.

I am a dreamer. Writing, gardening, walking, dancing, reading, being with friends—there’s always a dreaming element.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER  | BOOKBUB

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 18
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Tuesday, October 19
Excerpt at Books, Ramblings, and Tea

Thursday, October 21
Interview at Passages to the Past

Friday, October 22
Excerpt at I’m All About Books

Tuesday, October 26
Excerpt at Books & Benches

Wednesday, October 27
Review at Bookfrolic
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog

Thursday, October 28
Interview at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Friday, October 29
Review at Coffee and Ink

Monday, November 1
Review at Passages to the Past

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The Riverwoman’s Dragon by Candace Robb! We have 1 copy available to the US and 1 to the UK.

The giveaway ends on November 1st. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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Excerpt: One Night with an Earl by Tina Gabrielle

Hello and welcome to The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn. I am thrilled to be today’s host on the book tour for One Night with an Earl by Tina Gabrielle. Please enjoy the information below, including an excerpt that will give you a taste of this engaging novel. Many thanks to Amy Bruno at HFVBT for the invite. Thanks for visiting my blog and enjoy the tour! Best, Diane-Lyn

ONE NIGHT WITH AN EARL BY TINA GABRIELLE

Publication Date: October 18, 2021
Entangled: Amara

Series: The Daring Ladies, Book 1
Genre: Historical Romance

Ana Gardner is determined to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday. She’s no stranger to fake identities, having posed as a chaperone since the scandal that destroyed her titled family. So she dons a mask, changes into a low-cut red gown, and attends the city’s most elite brothel, the Silver Chalice.

Oliver Bedford, the imposing Earl of Drake, is only at the Silver Chalice to appease his debauched friends—until he spots Lady Scarlet. She’s refreshing…and a complete mystery. Certain she’s a lady in disguise, Oliver is determined to learn her identity, but she eludes him at every turn.

The night with Oliver was unforgettable. But when he arrives at her employer’s home, she’s horrified to discover her lover is the Earl of Drake, the son of the man responsible for her father’s death and subsequent family ruin. And that he’s there to court her young charge.

Oliver never had any interest in the debutante, but he is drawn to her chaperone—a woman he soon realizes is his Lady Scarlet. Now that he’s found her, she claims she wants nothing to do with him, even though her kisses say otherwise. Fortunately, Oliver is not one to give up when he finds something he wants…and he wants Ana. In his bed, and in his life. Forever.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | BARNES AND NOBLE | GOOGLE PLAY | KOBO 

About the Author

Best-selling author Tina Gabrielle is an attorney and former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. She often picked up a romance and let her fantasies of knights in shining armor and lords and ladies carry her away. She is the author of adventurous Regency historical romances for Entangled Publishing and Kensington Books.

Publisher’s Weekly calls her Regency Barrister’s series, “Well-matched lovers…witty comradely repartee.” Tina’s books have been Barnes & Noble top picks, and her first book, Lady Of Scandal, was nominated as best first historical by Romantic Times Book Reviews. Tina lives in New Jersey and is married to her own hero and is blessed with two daughters. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website to learn about upcoming releases, join her newsletter, and enter free monthly contests at www.tinagabrielle.com. Tina also writes cozy mysteries as Tina Kashian. Visit www.tinakashian.com to learn more about her mystery books.

You can also find Tina on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads.

Excerpt:

Oliver did his best not only to avoid his brother’s friends, but their haunts—the clubs, gaming hells,
theaters, private parties which lasted until dawn, and bordellos with an endless stream of smooth-
speaking courtesans.
He didn’t hold it against his brother’s friends. They could have their fun tonight. He just wanted
nothing to do with the Silver Chalice.
But if he couldn’t avoid tonight, he at least could drink himself into a stupor, then stumble to his
home and forget the evening.
A flash of red in the doorway caught his eye. A woman in a red silk dress with a half mask entered
the salon. He nearly dropped the fine whisky.
She was quite simply stunning. Dark curls were artfully piled upon her head, and a fat lock curled
around her chin to frame a stunningly lovely face. Her complexion was dusky, a shade darker than
that of most English ladies. The tight dress was designed to display her curves to perfection. A pearl
clasp between her breasts drew a man’s eye to the abundance of creamy skin rounded enticingly
above her bodice. A slit in the skirt revealed one shapely, silk-clad leg as she walked.
She had the type of mouth that made a man think of carnal thoughts and a desire to suck those
plump, pink lips. She was tall for a woman and would just reach his chin and fit nicely against him.
Something about her was different from the other women in the room, delectably different. She
appeared hesitant, yet confident, a fascinating contradiction of virginal innocence wrapped in a
temptress’s body.
His reaction was swift. The thudding of his heart drowned out the coarse conversation in the room.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her.
Across the room, their eyes met and held, and his cock took notice.
“Good evening, my lords.” Her graceful curtsy revealed the tops of her breasts.
Her voice was not overly honey-sweet and false like the other women, but smooth and smoky, like
fine mulled wine. It made him want to hear that voice low and husky as he unbuttoned the red silk to
expose more of her skin. She’d be warm, welcoming, and bewitching, just what he needed to forget
his burdens.
God, what was he thinking? He didn’t need a distraction, no matter how lovely.
Then she took a step forward in his direction, then another. All rational thought fled.
Hell, yes.
Others noticed her, too.
“What do we have here?” the Viscount Sutherland asked.
The Earl of Moore sneered. “Sod off. I saw her first.” Of the group, Oliver liked Moore the least.
Selfish and crude, he was often the group’s ringleader.
“You have the blonde,” Sutherland protested.

“Why fight? There’s plenty to go around,” the Marquess of Elton said. Well into his cups, with one of
the women sprawled across his lap, his bride was clearly not on his mind.
All the while, the lady in red glided toward the back of the room, toward him. Oliver willed it with all
his might. Maybe it was the whisky, but he was agreeable, no matter what she’d offered. God, what
was wrong with him?
Moore stumbled to his feet, seeming not to care that his chair crashed to the floor. Alcohol wafted
from his pores. Oliver thought Moore intended to challenge his friends, but instead, he grasped the
woman’s arm as she moved past him.
“Just what I’ve been waiting for. We’re going to have a grand time together,” Moore said.
She was closer now. Behind the mask, the woman’s eyes widened, and the hazel color fascinated
Oliver. She didn’t want Moore. It was clear in the stiffening of her spine, the tension in her shoulders,
the parting of her lips. Oliver knew even before she attempted to tug her arm free to speak.
“Not this evening, my lord,” she said.
“Why not?”
Like a dog with a tasty bone, Moore was as relentless as he was intoxicated. His fingers tightened
on the woman’s arm, enough to cause a slight gasp of pain from her, and that was all it took for
Oliver to intervene. He would never force a woman, and he’d be damned if he would allow another to
do so.
He stood and strode to Moore. “She’s mine for the evening.”

Giveaway

Enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

The giveaway is open to US addresses only and ends on November 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 18
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Wednesday, October 20
Review at A Girl Reads Bookss

Friday, October 22
Review at Anna’s Book Blog

Saturday, October 23
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog

Tuesday, October 26
Interview & Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Monday, November 1
Review at Reader_ceygo

Tuesday, November 2
Excerpt at Bookish Rantings

Wednesday, November 3
Interview at Reader_ceygo

Thursday, November 4
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Friday, November 5
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

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Review: The Red Button by Keith Eldred

We are all familiar with Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. How can we ever forget the gruff and stingy businessman, Ebenezer Scrooge? Or Jacob Marley, his equally stingy business partner? How about Bob Cratchit, Ebenezer’s overworked, underpaid clerk? Do you recall Belle Endicott, the beautiful woman who broke Ebenezer’s heart years earlier? In The Red Button, Keith Eldred gives us the engaging backstory of A Christmas Carol, and he lays an intriguing foundation of how these relationships began and later evolved. In this prelude, we meet Bob Cratchit as a child; a bright, mathematically inclined young boy who was full of potential but destined to be forever bound by the inescapable trappings of poverty. We are introduced to Jacob Marley, the formation of their greedy partnership, as well as the influence he had over Scrooge. But it is Ebenezer’s complicated relationship with Belle that takes center stage in this novel. Eldred provides the heartfelt history of their love story, detailing how they came together, their courtship, engagement, and later breakup – a painful blow from which Ebenezer never, ever recovered.

Belle was a kind, caring and generous working-class young woman. She and her father, Archie, ran a small button making shop. Ebenezer was an ambitious young businessman who had just invested in a button factory. The two businesses merged together, and shortly thereafter, Belle and Ebenezer fell in love. Their blissful union was short lived, however, as Belle’s concerns about Ebenezer started to mount. After Belle ended the relationship, Ebenezer was devastated. Forever.

I loved The Red Button and found Eldred’s unique writing style to be well paced, balanced and uplifting. I enjoyed being transported back in time to London, surrounded with all the vintage imagery of this time period. The novel is quite charming. Yet, it also delivers some universal, relatable and agonizing truths; the perpetual divide between classes, the effect of money and the stiff price of acquiring new wealth, the complexities of relationships, the devastation of dementia and death. These themes are presented poignantly, realistically, and appropriately.

The characters are well-developed and multi-layered. I enjoyed seeing the deeper dimensions of Scrooge presented as a younger, kinder man; a man who changed as he became absorbed in his own success. I was surprisingly able to sympathize with him at times. It was quite evident that his greed and harsh exterior were all rooted in an intense fear of failure. Additionally, I found Belle’s character to be intriguing and I appreciated Eldred’s rich presentation of her. In A Christmas Carol, her history with Ebenezer was important to the story line, but Belle herself wasn’t a major character. I enjoyed getting to know this compassionate, mature, deeply grounded and highly insightful young woman – the only woman who Ebenezer would ever love.

Eldred did a magnificent job on this rich, detailed and meaningful prelude to A Christmas Carol. I think it would make an incredible play and I’d love to see this story on stage. Charles Dickens would be proud! This novel would make a perfect holiday gift for any fan of A Christmas Carol. To purchase The Red Button, click Amazon. Note that this is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and make a purchase, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. My opinions remain my own. Happy shopping!

The author provided me with a copy of The Red Button in exchange for an honest review. Please visit Keith Eldred’s website, www.thisis.red. This Is Red is a project created by Eldred and his wife, Janet, who suffers from dementia. Visit their website and check out their twenty published Christmas books. Happy Holidays!

“…you were not then what you are now. I am still who I was then. We used to happily plan the same life. Now that life would make you miserable…I release you” Belle Endicott, The Red Button (Keith Eldred)

Feature: Voices in the Mist, Susanne Dunlap

Hello, and welcome to The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn! I am happy to participate in the book tour for the newly released novel, Voices in the Mist by Susanne Dunlap. Many thanks to Amy Bruno at HFVBT for the invite. Enjoy the tour, and thanks for visiting! Best, Diane-Lyn

Voices in the Mist by Susanne Dunlap
Publication Date: September 21, 2021
Bellastoria Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Marry a Catholic stranger, or flee the only world she’s ever known: Headstrong Bruna de Gansard must choose one or the other to protect her Cathar family from the inquisitors.
Toulouse, 1229. The inquisitors have arrived to rid the city of Cathar heretics once and for all, and are putting all unmarried girls over the age of 12 to the question. After an incident in the town calls unwanted attention to 14-year-old Bruna, a young Catholic stranger who is sympathetic to the heretics warns her family about the looming danger, and volunteers to marry their daughter to save her from being questioned.
But Bruna doesn’t want to be forced into marriage, so she chooses flight—which lands her unexpectedly in the midst of a Catholic pilgrimage to Compostela, thrusting her into a life of deceit.
When her beauty and her voice bring her to the attention of the powerful Baron de Belascon, who owes fealty to the king of France, Bruna earns the enmity of the baron’s bitter and imperious mother and finds herself caught between her allegiance to her own people and the dangerous secret of her origins—a secret that can be revealed at any time after the arrival of a French knight who recognizes her.
The Orphans of Tolosa Trilogy comes to a dramatic end in this gripping story of loyalty and betrayal, set amidst the violence and peril of the Albigensian Crusades.
About the Author
Susanne Dunlap is the author of ten works of historical fiction. A graduate of Smith College with a PhD in Music History from Yale University, Susanne grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in London, Brooklyn and Northampton, MA. She now lives in Northampton with her long-time partner, Charles, has two grown daughters, three granddaughters, a grandson, a stepson and a stepdaughter, five step-grandsons and one step-granddaughter—that’s a total of four children and eleven grandchildren!

Susanne is also an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach in fiction and nonfiction. In her spare time (which is not plentiful) she cycles in the beautiful Pioneer Valley.

For more information, please visit Susanne Dunlap’s website. You can follow author Susanne Dunlap on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and BookBub.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, September 21
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Wednesday, September 22
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Thursday, September 23
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Friday, September 24
Review at Novels Alive
Feature at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, September 27
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, September 28
Feature at The Cozy Book Blog

Wednesday, September 29
Feature at The Caffeinated Bibliophile

Thursday, September 30
Review at Bookworlder

Friday, October 1
Review at Bonnie Reads and Writes

Saturday, October 2
Feature at I’m All About Books

Monday, October 4
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Tuesday, October 5
Excerpt at Books and Benches

Wednesday, October 6
Feature at SplendeurCaisse

Thursday, October 7
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Friday, October 8
Feature at Jathan & Heather

Monday, October 11
Review at Up Past My Bedtime

Tuesday, October 12
Review at With A Book In Our Hands

Thursday, October 14
Review at Across the Sky in Stars

Friday, October 15
Feature at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback set of The Orphans of Tolosa Trilogy! 3 sets are up for grabs!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on October 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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Excerpt: Jalopy by Wes Verde

Hello Readers, I am pleased to be today’s stop on the book tour for Jalopy by Wes Verde. Many thanks to Amy Bruno at HFVBT for the invite. I am providing information below about this great new novel, including an engaging excerpt that you will love! Enjoy the tour and thank you for visiting The Cozy Book Blog by Diane-Lyn.

Best, Diane-Lyn

JALOPY BY WES VERDE

Publication Date: May 9, 2021
Paperback & eBook; 499 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

New Jersey, 1928.

All her life, Etta Wozniak has toiled on her family’s small farm, located on the outskirts of a lake resort town. After losing her mother and siblings to one misfortune or another, life has fallen into a rut of drudgery and predictability. That is, until the day she discovers something in an unlikely place; an old car. Energized by the prospects of a world beyond the one she knows, she decides to make this her last summer on the farm. However, disaster is not through with Etta yet, and there will be consequences for her upcoming departure.

Art Adams, a recent college man, arrives in town for a family reunion. After years of moving from one city to another and avoiding conflict whenever it tries to find him, he becomes enamored with the lake. However, there is another reason for Art’s visit. He is to marry a woman he has never met before; an arrangement that was made on his behalf and without his knowledge. More comfortable around numbers and machines than people, Art is reluctant to confront his parents on the matter. But if he decides to do nothing, he risks losing who and what he has come to love.

In a small town of farmers and firemen, musicians and moonshiners, bossy parents and barn parties, two people will come to understand what they must give up in order to have the chance to build something new.

Excerpt:

A Grand View and Veiled Ghosts
The rest of the morning chores went as they usually did. By the time she made her way to
the chickens, they were positively ravenous, and descended on the feed in their usual frenzy. Etta
spared them little attention. Instead, she looked to the horizon. The sun had made some progress.
Nearly peeking over the distant hills, it was light enough to extinguish the lantern. The clouds
above were the color of hot coals and tinged with bright pink. Despite the long day ahead of her,
she stopped to look.
The Wozniaks’ home was perched at the top of a hill, looking across a shallow valley. At
twenty years old, Etta had seen this view in every season and manner of weather since she was
old enough to remember. It never ceased to be beautiful.
The valley below was home to a few other farms. Nothing was growing in the lower fields
just yet, but the spring planting was underway. A distant tractor tilled lines in the soil, chewing
up the winter packed earth in anticipation of a new season. Following close behind, a black and
white dog ran back and forth, chasing rabbits and mice as they darted from the ground. A similar
scene was, no doubt, occurring throughout town at this very moment. Except around the lake of
course.
Past the fields, the railway snaked along the opposite side of the valley. This had been the
source of the town’s growth, bringing out-of-towners to nearby Bott’s Lake, a popular vacation
spot. The trains would come all the way from New York City, some thirty miles away. Bringing
both money and visitors, it was regarded as a blessing to some, a curse for others, and, in Etta’s
case, a means of escape.
Giving the changing colors one last look she carried on. As she had suspected, the coop
yielded fewer eggs than would have been ideal. So few birds could only do so much. When the
flock and her family were both larger, the farm was quite prosperous. Besides chickens, they had
grown enough potatoes and cabbage to make a tidy profit. With no one left to do the work, those
fields had long since gone to weed. Now, the little bit of money earned from selling meat and
eggs was barely enough to cover the cost of chicken feed.
Etta frowned at the disappointing collection. Still, it was better than nothing. Picking out an
even dozen, she set them aside to hard boil. For most of the next hour, she mucked the pen and
loaded the remaining eggs into crates so she could bring them into town. By then, the sun was
fully above the horizon, and cast long shadows amidst the golden yellow light.
The morning was late, and Etta grew anxious. Walking to town would take some time and
she would have to hurry if there was any hope of selling even this modest take.
A sudden flash of optimism cut through her earlier disappointment. There was an alternative
to walking, after all. It was a long shot, but perhaps Papa was feeling generous and this would be
her lucky day.
Besides, it had been nearly four years ago.
With an egg crate in each hand, Etta found Jakob among the pieces of the disassembled well
pump. He glanced up at her approach, casually at first, but did a double take when he noticed the
egg crates.
“Only two? Are the birds eating enough?”
“More like a crate and a half,” Etta replied. “And I think it’s the cool nights. They like it
warmer.”
“We can only do so much for that. I will cut more firewood when I am finished here.”

Etta nodded, but lingered as she considered her words carefully. Her optimism faltered, and
she suspected that she already knew what the answer would be. Still, she had to try.
“May I take the truck?”
Papa stopped working. His mouth made a thin line as he turned to face her. This
conversation was always delicate for both of them.
“I would prefer that you did not,” he said and quickly returned to the pump.
“It’s only to town,” Etta insisted.
“Then, please take the wagon,” Jakob replied, looking over his shoulder. “As you said, it is
not even two full crates.”
She was about to say more, but it was clear the matter was closed. Etta suppressed a sigh.
While Papa had long maintained that it was out of concern for her safety, she was certain that it
was a form of punishment. Though, she could not be sure, as they had not spoken of the event
since it happened.
It was an accident, and it was four years ago, she thought bitterly. You can’t hold it against
me forever.

Amazon

About the Author

Wes Verde is an engineer by trade, a busybody by habit, and a lifelong Jersey boy.

Writing has been a hobby in one form or another since 2006 when he started drawing 3-panel comics. When he is not putting words down, he is picking them up; the “to-read” pile only seems to grow larger.

A fan of nature, he spends as much time outside as possible.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 20
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Tuesday, September 21
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Wednesday, September 22
Excerpt at Hoover Book Reviews

Thursday, September 23
Interview at Bonnie Reads and Writes

Friday, September 24
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Review + Excerpt at Older & Smarter

Saturday, September 25
Excerpt at Bookworlder
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog

Sunday, September 26
Review at Girl Who Reads

Monday, September 27
Review Rajiv’s Reviews

Tuesday, September 28
Review at Novels Alive

Wednesday, September 29
Feature at I’m All About Books

Friday, October 1
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Saturday, October 2
Review at Bookoholiccafe

Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback copy of Jalop by Wes Verde!

The giveaway is open internationally and ends on October 2nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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