Book Review - Legends of the Lost Causes by Brad McLelland + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

A group of orphans bands together to fight a horde zombie outlaws. Each of the orphans has their reason for revenge and decide if they stick together, they will have a better chance of getting their revenge.

Keech Blackwood's life changed when Bad Whiskey Nelson destroys Keech's home by burning it down. After losing his home and his family, Keech will have to rely on the lessons from Pa Abner to hunt down Bad Whiskey and the powerful Char Stone. Together with the band of orphans, they will stop at nothing to hunt down Bad Whiskey.

When I first read the summary, I thought this was going to be a modern-day story. Instead, the novel had a western feel to it. I was reminded of Huckleberry Finn and adventures that he might take. The book was packed with fast-paced action sprinkled with a few bits of humor. It has bits of Osage culture weaved in along with supernatural threats. Any young fan of western novels will enjoy this series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

About The Book:

Title: THE KEY OF SKELETON PEAK (Legends of the Lost Causes #3)

Author: Brad McLelland & Louis Sylvester

Pub. Date: March 17, 2020

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 464

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Dark magic meets the Old West in this third installment of the Legends of the Lost Causes, as a group of vigilante orphans go head-to-head against an outlaw sorcerer in pursuit of an ancient and powerful magical artifact!

Keech Blackwood and his fellow Lost Causes have won their share of battles, but the war against the ruthless sorcerer Reverend Rose still rages on.

This time, the Lost Causes face their most perilous trial yet: stopping Rose and his henchmen from retrieving an ancient, powerful object that would help return him to his full, frightening strength. As the vigilante orphans race to the dangerous depths of Skeleton Peak, the sight of the magical object, they’ll have to outmaneuver Rose’s most faithful—and menacing—ally: an inhuman creature spawned by darkness and shadow. But ever in pursuit of justice and vengeance for their fallen families, the Lost Causes won’t give up without a fight.

Grab the first 2 books in the series!

LEGENDS OF THE LOST CAUSES

THE FANG OFBONFIRE CROSSING

About Brad:

Born and raised in Arkansas, Brad McLelland spent several years working as a crime journalist in the South before earning his MFA in creative writing from Oklahoma State University. A part-time drummer and singer, Brad lives in Oklahoma with his wife, stepdaughter, a mini-Aussie who gives hugs, and a chubby cat who begs for ham.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

About Louis:

Louis Sylvester is a professor at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. He teaches courses on Creative Writing, Research Writing, Introduction to Film, Screenwriting, and The Ethics of Art and Censorship.

Together with his wife, he enjoys playing tabletop games from his collection of over 1,000 board and card games.

His two dogs are named Cake and Muse. They are the best.

His writing partner is the talented author Brad McLelland. Their first novel is titled LEGENDS OF THE LOST CAUSES.

Macmillan Website | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

Three lucky winners will receive finished copies of the LEGENDS OF LOST CAUSES SERIES, US Only.

Giveaway Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21068/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/16/2020	Books,Dreams,Life	Excerpt/Spotlight
3/16/2020	Twirling Book Princess	Excerpt/Spotlight
3/17/2020	Lifestyle of Me	Review
3/17/2020	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/Spotlight
3/18/2020	Log Cabin Library	Review
3/18/2020	fictitious.fox	Review
3/19/2020	Nay's Pink Bookshelf	Review
3/19/2020	Locks, Hooks, and  Books	Review
3/20/2020	Savings in Seconds	Review
3/20/2020	Hurn Publications	Review

Week Two:

3/23/2020	Turning the Pages	Review
3/23/2020	Little Red Reads	Review
3/24/2020	momfluenster	Review
3/24/2020	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt/Spotlight
3/25/2020	My Quirky Writing	Review
3/25/2020	Word Spelunking	Excerpt/Spotlight
3/26/2020	Two Points of interest	Review
3/26/2020	PopTheButterfly	Review
3/27/2020	She Just Loves Books	Review
3/27/2020	Preciousbooksworld	Excerpt/Spotlight

Book Review - The Magnolia Duchess by Beth White

Photo Credit - Amazon

Fiona Lanier and her shipbuilding family are building American ships for the War of 1812. She is the only woman in the tiny settlement of Navy Cove. While training her horses one day, Fiona comes across a body on the beach. She discovers its a family friend but, who is also on the other side of the war.

Lieutenant Charlie Kincaid has been undercover gathering information on a planned British attack on New Orleans. A summer storm wrecks his boat and causes Charlie overboard. He wakes up with a head injury and unable to remember. As Charlie starts to regain his memory, he discovers that he has conflicting political loyalties with the woman he loves.

I was expecting a lot more from this novel. I felt like the storyline of Fiona rescuing her brother would play a more prominent role. The developments on the fate of her brother were just mentioned in passing. I also found it hard to believe that Charlie strongly believed his duty in England and then changed his mind and was able to petition his interest to change sides. I found the descriptions of the war to be long and tedious. It felt like I was reading a history lesson. It was unnecessary because it didn't add much to the already-very-slow-moving storyline.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Revealed by Elaine Manders + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Katherine Levinson put her life on hold while taking care of her sick mother after her father dies. She and her mother face eviction if they can't pay rent. After all other sources of income dry up, she has no choice but, to reach out to estrange wealthy brother, Rhyan Cason. However, her ill mother refuses to contact Rhyan.

When Katherine and her mother move to the cattle ranch, Sollano, they are met with whispers and scorn. Katherine learns of her parents' buried past and secrets are revealed. With Rhyan being busy with cattle rustlers, Katherine turns to Colt Holliman, a calm neighboring rancher, for comfort. However, Colt is promised to another woman, Charley Ryder but, he feels drawn to Katherine. Will Colt be able to follow his heart? What secrets are buried in Katherine's past?

I found the novel to be a good read. I like the parts with Charley performing stunts and portraying her as a strong female character. I enjoyed that there wasn't a lot of deny of each other's feelings. Such as, "Oh, she's not good enough" or "He's a bad boy" back and forth. I haven't read the other stories in the series but, I found this still to be an enjoyable read.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

About the Book

Title: Revealed
Author: Elaine Manders
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: December 27, 2018

Nothing can be hidden that won’t be revealed.

When her father dies, Katherine Levinson discovers her parents have kept secrets that render her happy childhood a farce. She and her gravely ill mother face eviction, and she has no choice but to appeal to the brother she’s never seen, the famous cattle baron, Rhyan Cason. Over her gravely ill mother’s objections, they move to Nebraska and the sprawling cattle ranch, Sollano.

Instead of the warm welcome Katherine expects, she and her mother are met with whispers and scorn in the little prairie town near Sollano. Gradually, the sins of her parents’ past surface, and Katherine begins to doubt her very identify. With her brother busy with cattle rustlers and her mother too ill to be bothered, Katherine turns to Colt Holliman, a soft-spoken neighboring rancher, for comfort.

Tired of waiting for the right woman to come along, Colt has promised to wait for Charley Ryder, an acclaimed female sharp shooter and equestrian acrobat with the Wild West Show, but it’s becoming clear Charley loves the show more than him. As his attraction to Katherine grows, he finds himself spiritually conflicted. How can he break from past commitments and follow his heart?

Then unexpected danger strikes, testing Katherine’s and Colt’s faith in God—and each other.

About the Author

 

Elaine Manders writes wholesome Christian romance and suspense about the bold, capable women of history and the strong, dependable men who love them. Her stories twist, turn, and surprise, told by characters who aren’t afraid to show their love for God and each other. She grew up a small town country girl and now lives in Central Georgia with her fur baby. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, sewing, crafts, and spending time with her family.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elaine is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! 

https://promosimple.com/ps/cee6/revealed-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Review - Stolen Obsession by Marlene M. Bell + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Annalisse Drury is an antiquities appraiser, whose best friend was recently murdered. The killer is still on the loose but, Annalisse believes her friend's murder is linked to her expensive missing bracelet. The bracelet is said to have an ancient curse that unleashes evil on anyone who wears it, who isn't Persian royalty. 

During a gallery opening, she notices the matching necklace on display. She asks the owner to get rid of the necklace because of its cursed past. No one believes her even after, an unnatural death occurs during the gallery opening. Desperate to get rid of the piece, Annalisse enlists the handsome gallery owner's son to help. Will Annalisee be able to stop the murders before it is the too late?

I found the novel to be an interesting read. The beginning was a bit convoluted and hard to get into. However, towards the middle of the book, it started picking up. The book had a lot of intrigue and plot twists. A very thrilling book!

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Stolen Obsession

(Annalisse Series #1)
By Marlene M. Bell

Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages

June 30th 2018 by Ewephoric Publishing

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury recently lost her best friend to murder. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.

Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

Hold on for a heart-thumping, thrilling adventure through exotic lands in this fast-moving romantic suspense mystery by Marlene M. Bell.

Praise for the Book

"Debut author Bell delivers a great, slow-building romance, gently examining her characters' painful pasts." — Kirkus Reviews

"An irresistible page turner and a successful melding of thriller and romance. With a splash of international adventure and plenty of surprises, Stolen Obsession is an entertaining read and a great beginning to the Annalisse Series." — Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

Goodreads│Amazon

About the Author

Marlene M. Bell is an acclaimed artist and photographer as well as a writer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of publications such as, Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News. Ewephoric, her mail order venture, began in 1985 out of a desire for realistic sheep stationery. A color catalog of non-fiction books and sheep-related gifts may be requested at www.marlenembell.com or www.texassheep.com. Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside on a wooded ranch in East Texas with their 50 head of Horned Dorset sheep, a lovable Maremma guard dog named, Tia, and 3 spoiled cats who rule the household.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Google+

Tour Schedule

July 9th:

Launch

Stacking My Book Shelves!

July 10th:

Life as Leels

#bookish

July 11th:

It's All About the Romance

July 12th:

Hearts & Scribbles

fundinmental

An Indie Adventure

July 13th:

Bri's Book Nook

Colorimetry

July 16th:

Two Points of Interest

Wishful Endings

July 17th:

Rainy Day Reviews

July 18th:

Handcrafted Reviews

SilverWoodSketches

July 19th:

Teatime and Books

Deal Sharing Aunt

July 20th:

My Life Loves and Passion

Locks, Hooks and Books

July 21st:

Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

- 1 Grand Prize winner will receive: One signed copy of STOLEN OBSESSION, One lined Journal with handcrafted pen, One set of Wool Dryer Balls, a Pair of Stolen Obsession style earrings and a $50 gift card from Amazon
- 4 winners will each receive: One signed copy of Stolen Obsession, One sheep bookmark, One lined journal and a pair of Stolen Obsession-style earrings-Gold-various styles

- US only
- Ends July 25th

a Rafflecopter giveaway