Showing posts with label Shadow Mountain Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shadow Mountain Publishing. Show all posts
About the Book
Book: The Matchmaker's Lonely Hearts
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Genre: Victorian Historical Romance
Release Date: September 7, 2021
Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple’s blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe—a grieving widower and a member of Amelie’s book club.
Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.
When a woman’s body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman’s husband—Harold Radcliffe—of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe’s innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.
They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.
Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.
When a woman’s body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman’s husband—Harold Radcliffe—of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe’s innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.
They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.
My Thoughts
If you are looking for a book that focuses more on the mystery rather than the romance, you will definitely find it with this one!! This is my first by this author and she had me captivated from the very beginning. I had to look her up and lo and behold she has a plethora of books out there!
The author does a great job at setting up the story and making you feel like you are right smack dab in the 1800's. This is the time where we start seeing women gaining more rights and freedoms and we definitely see that in our main character Amelie. She is quite lovable and you can't help but to cheer her on. Our hero is Detective Michael Baker and he although a tough man turns into putty when around Amelie. That was entertaining to read.
The mystery was on point and kept me engaged the whole time. It definitely keeps you turning pages and I didn't want to put it down. This is a wholesome clean read that I know you will enjoy!
My Rating: 4 Stars/Really Liked it
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About the Author
Nancy Campbell Allen is the award-winning author of eighteen published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres, ranging from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her most recent books, which include Regency, Victorian, and steampunk romance, are published under Shadow Mountain's Proper Romance brand, and the What Happens in Venice novella series is part of the Timeless Romance Anthology collection published by Mirror Press. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.
Nancy loves to read, write, travel, and research, and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She nurtures a current obsession for true crime podcasts and is a news junkie. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah, with her family, one very large Siberian Husky named Thor, and and obnoxious but endearing YorkiePoo named Freya.
For author interview request, please contact Callie Hanse at chansen@shadowmountain.com
About the Book
Author: Sarah M. Eden
Genre: Victorian Historical Romance
Series: The Dread Penny Society, Book 3
Release Date: August 17, 2021
London, 1865
Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her freedom and an income, and while she is grateful for the stability it brings to her life, she often feels lonely.
Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a penny dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. But with no one to share his life with, he fears London will never truly feel like home.
Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at Vera’s print shop is aboveboard. When a growing criminal enterprise begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.
Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her freedom and an income, and while she is grateful for the stability it brings to her life, she often feels lonely.
Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a penny dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. But with no one to share his life with, he fears London will never truly feel like home.
Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at Vera’s print shop is aboveboard. When a growing criminal enterprise begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.
My Thoughts
This is the third book in the Dread Penny Society but it can be read as a stand alone. This is a very unique style of writing and I must be honest I had a really hard time with it. I want it to love it because I have read other books by Sarah M. Eden I enjoy her historical romances but this one was very different. This is more of a mystery and it's almost like different stories happening at the same time.
In this story we continue learning about the Dread Penny Society. A group of gentlemen that help the poor in London. We meet both Brogan and Vera. Brogan is a member of the DPS and is asked to investigate the happenings in Vera's father's bookshop. There is a love story between them but I felt like it was lacking something.
Overall this book confused me as it flipped from the actual story and the Penny Dreadful articles. It was very confusing going between the two and trying to understand the story. Even though this was not my favorite I think that it definitely showcases the talent this author possesses and capabilities of her creating different worlds. This is a clean and wholesome read. There is no faith element. If you enjoy a good mystery I recommend you grabbing this one!
My Rating: 3 Stars/ Liked it
I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About the Author
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today bestselling author of multiple historical romances, including AML's "2013 Novel of the Year" and Foreword Review’s 2013 “IndieFab Book of the Year” gold medal winner for Best Romance, Longing for Home, and the Whitney Award's "2014 Novel of the Year," Longing for Home: Hope Springs. Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a Bachelor's degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah lives with her husband, kids, and mischievous dog in the shadow of a snow-capped mountain she has never attempted to ski.http://www.sarahmeden.com/
About the Book
Book: Champion's Quest: The Die of Destiny
Author: Frank L. Cole
Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: August 3, 2021
Opportunity will always be within reach for those clever enough to claim it.
Lucas Silver's life is about to change. He thinks it's because he's made plans to escape from his foster home and make his way to New York, but then he and some unlikely friends find Hob and Bogie's Curiosity Shoppe and agree to play a game of Champion's Quest.
When the four kids walk out the front door of the Curiosity Shoppe, they immediately discover they're no longer in West Virginia, but transported into the game and a wild fantasy world of dangerous goblins, brutish ogres, and a power witch.
They must work together as a team, overcome their real-world weaknesses, and believe in themselves and each other if they are to outwit, outplay, and survive their foes in this ultimate quest to defeat a treacherous monster.
My Thoughts
If you have followed me for a while you know I am always on the hunt for good books for my kids. We love to read but there is so much junk out there I have to filter everything before it comes to their hands. I was so glad to encounter this book. This book was full of adventure, perseverance, friendship and so much more! It keeps you engaged throughout. If you enjoy the game Dungeons and Dragons then you will relate a whole lot more to it than I did but that being said I thought it was a very good book. It will definitely appeal to your middle school kids.
I know that after reading it I will be sharing it with my boys. I'm still not sure if I will use it as a read-aloud during our homeschool morning time or put in my older son's independent reading basket for him to read solo and then we can discuss.
This was my first book by this author and I will definitely look for more. His imagination is incredible and truly transports you to a different world as you are reading it. Overall I thought it was a good book and I recommend it if you have kids that enjoy fantasy books!
My Rating: 4 Stars/ Really Liked it!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher Shadow Mountain. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About the Author
Frank L. Cole was born into a family of southern storytellers and wrote his first book at age eight. Some of his favorite stories involve ghosts and Bigfoot. Currently, along with his wife and three children, he resides in the shadow of a majestic western mountain range. The Die of Destiny is Frank's thirteenth published book.
He's an active promoter of reading and using imagination and has presented to more than 250 schools nationwide. As part of his research for Champion's Quest, he has acquired hundreds of role-playing campaign modules and loves immersing himself in those worlds.
Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oUBtC6cefQ
Author Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UBOMdWaPPY
ABOUT THE BOOK
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Pages: 304
Even though twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii, she won’t surf or swim with her friends—not
since the ocean and its hidden creatures swept her out to sea. Instead, she grabs her best detective hat
and decodes her mom’s latest challenge.
Alex’s mom works in counterintelligence and leaves codes, ciphers, and puzzles behind for Alex to
solve, always with a “treasure” at the end. It’s a brilliant game between them, and Alex loves figuring
out her mom’s puzzles—especially the tricky ones—but when an emergency at sea puts her mom in
possible danger, solving the next one suddenly feels far more urgent.
Friends help as Alex races to decipher each clue before time runs out, but when the trail leads to
grumpy old Uncle, his enormous dog Sarge, and a sea turtle unlike any other, the challenge changes
into something bigger than any before. With storms on the horizon and lives on the line, Alex must face
her fears to solve Mom’s challenge and save those she loves. With her ohana to help, she must be
strong like the sea.
Featuring a secret ocean code with a hidden message for YOU to decipher!
MY THOUGHTS
This book puts you right in Hawaii and it literally comes to life. You feel like you are there. The author does a phenomenal job at transporting you there which is always great when you are reading but especially when it comes to children's books. You want them to escape in a book and that is exactly what this books does for you. Not only are you transported to Hawaii but you get to meet this amazing girl named Alex. Her parents are quite unique as her mom works for a government agency doing classified work. I thought it was neat that she would leave Alex spy type challenges when she was gone for work. Her dad however is in a constant state of worry for his wife and cannot let go of "the schedule" .Very Type A personality. If its not on "The Schedule" it isn't happening.
I felt bad for Alex. Her parents set way too high expectations and she of course wants to please them. She also sets high expectations for herself as she wants to be just like her mom. Seriously I was stressed out for her! Oh and the cherry on top she doesn't know how to swim but lives in this amazing island!
Overall this was a great children's book. I can see this being a good read aloud or a book for older elementary to middle schoolers. The puzzles inside the book were fun to decipher and I can see how this would be enjoyable for kids.
My Rating: 4 Stars/Great book for kids
I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Affiliate Links
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wendy S. Swore is the author of A Monster Like Me, nominee of the
Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award, the Oklahoma Sequoyah Award
and winner of the Foreword Reviews Indie Gold Award for Juvenile
Fiction.
For author interview requests, please contact Callie Hansen at chansen@shadowmountain.com
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