The Polish Wife by Gosia Nealon / #Spotlight #PublicationDay @bookouture @GosiaNealon

Germany, 1934. Surrounded by beautiful wedding china, we share our first dinner alone as husband and wife. But, instead of sharing affections, all he talks of is his admiration for Hitler. I force a smile, but my blood runs cold. How can I stay with him, now I know what he truly is?

Six years later. When Anna is approached by the Polish resistance while sheltering in Warsaw, she is eager for the chance to fight against German occupation. Managing a network of spies behind the façade of a café for enemy soldiers will mean risking everything. But, after fleeing her fanatical Nazi husband only for war to follow close behind, Anna can’t run any more.

Every conversation she overhears between the unsuspecting officers at the café brings back awful memories of the Nazi her husband became and makes her more determined to do what is right. Spending more time with the resistance behind the scenes, she grows close to them all—especially a brilliant young doctor with deep hazel eyes called Mateusz, who shows her a kindness she has never known.

As they work together, Anna can’t help imagining what life would be like with him, instead of the man she is tied to. But one day her dreams of a future with Mateusz, and freedom for her country, are shattered. Her husband has tracked her down.

Terrified, Anna knows that living as his wife again is her chance to gather information that could help end the war. But can she keep her nerve long enough to spy on her own husband? And with such a high-ranking enemy officer watching her every move, can she protect Mateusz, the man truly she loves, from the firing line?

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About the author

Gosia Nealon lives on Long Island, New York, with her husband and two sons. She is an award-winner in the Genre Short Story category in the 89th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Her short stories have appeared in (mac)ro(mic), CafeLit, The Fiction Pool, Squawk Back, and Adelaide Literary Magazine. ‘The Last Sketch’ is her first novel.

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Author Links

https://www.gosianealon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/GosiaNealonHistoricalFiction

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Book Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Polish-Wife-Completely-heart-breaking-unputdownable-ebook/dp/B0BTTN7RXP/

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My Grandmother’s Inn by Kristin Harper / #SpotlightPost #PublicationDay @bookouture @KHarperAuthor

Periwinkle-blue flowers spill over the picket fence, framing the simple wooden sign that reads Hydrangea House. But Molly’s eyes fill with tears. Her grandmother Beverley used to stand right there in the doorway, ready to welcome guests. Now Beverley is gone, will the inn close forever?

Grieving and newly single Molly Anderson begs the wealthy Frost family, owners of Hydrangea House, to allow her to run the inn for one last summer before they shut it down. She vows to give the final guests a summer to remember by the sea. It’s what Beverly—who worked uncomplainingly for the Frosts her whole life—would have wanted.

But when an elderly woman checks in claiming to know a secret about Beverly’s true connection to the Frost family, everything Molly knows about her beloved grandmother is called into question. The woman says that a message in a bottle hidden somewhere at Hydrangea House, will not only reveal the truth, but could stop the Frosts’ plan in its tracks.

Desperate to do whatever she can to save Hydrangea House, Molly combs the inn from attic to basement, helped by visiting oceanographer Matt. She could never get involved with a guest, but Matt’s kindness as he listens to her worries, and the way his deep brown eyes keep locking with hers are hard to ignore…

But as they fill their summer with searching, rumors and bad reviews about Molly start to spread. By delving into the mystery of the past, has she shattered any chance of the inn’s future? Can Matt be trusted, or is he more closely linked to the Frost family than she thought? And when she finally unlocks the secret about her grandmother, will it bring Molly peace—or tear her apart?

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About the author

I grew up in New England and I’ve vacationed on Cape Cod almost every summer of my life, except for one year when I allowed my job to interfere with my vacation plans. (Fortunately, I never made that mistake again.) 

After moving around the country and working in all sorts of professions, including roles in education, philanthropy and healthcare, I’m glad to be living in Massachusetts again, writing women’s fiction set in fictitious oceanside locales.

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Author Links

Twitter: @KHarperAuthor

Website: kristinharperauthor.com

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Book Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Grandmothers-Inn-gorgeous-page-turner-ebook/dp/B0BRY6CPWR/

Lola and her Veggie Friends by Sherri Hardey / #Spotlight #CBmarketing2022

Lola goes for a Health Check

While parents know the importance of doctor’s checkups, it can be very difficult to convince young children to go willingly.
Since going to the doctor is an unavoidable part of a child’s life, you need to find a way to make this activity more fun. For instance, you can share this story about Lola going to the doctor to reassure your child that going for checkups will make them feel better.
This book follows the tale of Lola, a young girl with a very special secret. Some time ago, she was visited by a group of veggie friends who taught her the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.
Unfortunately, Lola has forgotten that important lesson over time. In this second book, Lola stops eating vegetables and becomes constipated! When Lola tells her mum that she feels sick, Mum takes Lola to the doctor and Lola gets very scared. Then another group of veggie friends comes just in time to help Lola out.
To discover how Lola conquers her fear, get this book now!

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About the author 

Sherri Hardey creates Children’s books that can teach children about health and wellness in a fun way! Her engaging stories make kids more interested in their health.

Her stories have been designed to encourage healthy habits in children through the use of engaging characters, relatable storylines, and positive messages.

She aims to improve their physical and emotional wellbeing by addressing the pillars of health- Good Diet and nutrition, adequate and healthy sleep, exercise and physical activity, avoidance of stress and anxiety.

She believes Children should feel good and happy, build self-confidence and self-belief and maintain resilience.

Each book is filled with colourful illustrations that will keep your child entertained while they learn how to live a healthier life.

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Author Link

Website: https://sherrihardey.org/

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Book Link

Amazon  https://bit.ly/3mJe4lz

The Mazzard Tree by Marcia Clayton / #Spotlight #BlogTour @cathiedunn @MarciaC89111861

The Hartford Manor Series: Book One

1880 North Devon, England

Annie Carter is a farm labourer’s daughter, and life is a continual struggle for survival. When her father dies of consumption, her mother, Sabina, is left with seven hungry mouths to feed and another child on the way. To save them from the workhouse or starvation, Annie steals vegetables from the Manor House garden, risking jail or transportation.  Unknown to her, she is watched by Robert, the wealthy heir to the Hartford Estate, but far from turning her in, he befriends her.

Despite their different social backgrounds, Annie and Robert develop feelings they know can have no future.  Harry Rudd, the village blacksmith, has long admired Annie, and when he proposes, her mother urges her to accept.  She reminds Annie, that as a kitchen maid, she will never be allowed to marry Robert.  Harry is a good man, and Annie is fond of him.  Her head knows what she should do, but will her heart listen?

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About the Author 

Marcia Clayton was born in North Devon, a rural and picturesque area in the far South West of England. She is a farmer’s daughter and often helped to milk the cows and clean out the shippens in her younger days.

When Marcia left school she worked in a bank for several years until she married her husband, Bryan, and then stayed at home for a few years to care for her three sons, Stuart, Paul and David. As the children grew older, Marcia worked as a Marie Curie nurse caring for the terminally ill, and later for the local authority managing school transport.

Now a grandmother, Marcia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She’s a keen researcher of family history, and it was this hobby that inspired some of the characters in her books. A keen gardener, Marcia grows many of her own vegetables. She is also an avid reader and mainly enjoys historical fiction, romance and crime books.

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Author Links

Website:                                 https://marciaclayton.co.uk/

Twitter:                                   https://twitter.com/MarciaC89111861

Facebook:                               Marcia Clayton – Author | Facebook

Instagram:                              https://www.instagram.com/marciaclayton97/

Book Bub:                              Bookbub: Marcia Clayton

Amazon Author Page:            Amazon: Marcia Clayton

Goodreads:                             Marcia Clayton: Goodreads

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Book Link

Universal Link: http://mybook.to/TheMazzardTree

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Code Name Elodie by Anna Stuart / #SpotlightPost #PublicationDay @bookouture @annastuartbooks

1943, Bletchley Park: In the dark of night, my heart is pumping with adrenalin as I wait for news of the secret agent operating under the code name Elodie. She has a dangerous part to play in the Normandy landings and so many lives are at stake. But I couldn’t bear to lose her…

Inspired by the brave women of Bletchley Park, this is a totally gripping World War Two novel of friendship, heartbreak and hope. Perfect for fans of The Rose Code, The Alice Network and The Nightingale.

Valerie Rousseau is burning with determination to help free her beloved France from the Nazi regime. Working at the mysterious Bletchley Park, she strikes up an unexpected bond with smart, fiercely loyal Fran Morgan as they spend long days together with their heads bent over maps of France in preparation for the Allied invasion.

Their friendship grows increasingly important as they distract themselves from the dark days of war with afternoons skating across the icy pond at the heart of Bletchley Park and evenings talking late into the night. But Valerie’s wartime role is shrouded in secrecy and there are things that she can’t even tell Fran.

When Valerie volunteers for a dangerous mission linked to the D-Day landings in Normandy, Fran is devastated. Valerie has knowingly put her life on the line and Fran is terrified that she will never see her again.

Soon, Fran hears about the bravery of the agent operating under the code name Elodie. She’s certain it’s Valerie and she knows the work she is doing in her little office, overlooking the green fields of England, could be the difference between life and death for this secret agent…

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About the Author

I wanted to be an author from the moment I could pick up a pen and was writing boarding-school novels by the age of nine. I made the early mistake of thinking I ought to get a ‘proper job’ and went into Factory Planning – a career that gave me some wonderful experiences, amazing friends and even a fantastic husband, but didn’t offer much creative scope. So when I stopped to have children I took the chance to start the ‘improper job’ of writing. It’s not been easy but I love it and can’t see myself ever stopping.

The Berlin Zookeeper is the first in my new series of WW2 novels. It’s a dual timeline novel set in Berlin Zoo in the present day and at the climax of the war, as the keepers battle to save the lives of both their animals and themselves in the face of terrible hardships. Coming this August is The Secret Diary, exploring the troubles facing a bold group of young women trying to integrate back into ‘normal’ society after life as a tight-knit team of ‘gunner girls’ – and trying to hide the secret that binds them…

I also write medieval fiction as Joanna Courtney.

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Author Links

website – annastuartbooks.com 

twitter – @annastuartbooks

facebook – @annastuartauthor

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Book Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Code-Name-Elodie-heartbreaking-page-turner-ebook/dp/B0BSH4BFX6/

A Child’s Goodbye by Ali Mercer / #Review #BooksOnTour @bookouture @AlisonLMercer

All I remember is the screeching of brakes and the sound of tyres swerving on tarmac. The last thing that crossed my mind was my beautiful boy Billy, waiting alone at the school gates…

When I found out I was pregnant I couldn’t have been happier. Ever since my own father died, I’d felt utterly lost. But you changed everything. Finally, I had found my purpose: to be the best mother I could be.

But I couldn’t – wouldn’t – tell anyone who your father was. I could never forget the look in his eyes that day. The betrayal written across his face. All the things we didn’t say, and the secret that tore us apart.

I thought I was hiding the truth to protect us. But now as I lie in this hospital ward, my life hanging in the balance, blinking in the bright white lights, all I can think about is how that man, your dad, could be your only hope… but how can I save us when it already seems too late? Or will I be just in time to reunite our family?

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Review

Books with stories revolving around children are often very gripping and emotional, no matter which genre those books are categorised in. Those little ones should be cherished and feel protected at all times, but sometimes it’s easier said than done and live does not always play ball.

One moment you are alive and kicking and the next you find yourself in the back of an ambulance on your way to the hospital and in the meantime you have to count on your friends to take care of your young son. You know you can count on them, but can you? 

Maybe they thought that what you don’t know does not kill you, but did they realise what they did? You thought this was all in the past and dealt with…

Sometimes people find themselves in situations where they wonder whether there is still time left to build some bridges or are forced to do so. Sometimes bad things turn your life around in the best possible way.

This is the beautiful, but also sad story starring Callie, Billy and Rueben. I loved the relationship between Callie and Billy. Whether it’s in a book or in real life, people often jump to conclusions and more than once they have the wrong end of the stick. But even worse they are often not prepared to listen to the other side of the story and think what they see or heard must be the way it all happened. Often not everything you see is what is seems to be. Only by listening and talking those misunderstandings can be banned and relationships can be mended or kept from breaking in the first place.  

I admired Callie for fighting for the life she wanted to live. The gross of the emotions that gripped me the most were at the end of the story. 4 stars

Thank you

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About the author

Ali decided she wanted to be a writer early on and wrote her first novel when she was at primary school. She did an English degree and spent her early twenties working in various jobs in journalism, including as a reporter for the show business newspaper The Stage. She started writing fiction in earnest after getting married, moving out of London to the Oxfordshire market town of Abingdon and starting a family. She has two children, a daughter and a son who is autistic and was diagnosed when he was four years old. 
Ali is fascinated by families, their myths and secrets, and the forces that hold them together, split them up and (sometimes) bring them back together again. She always travels with tissues and a book and has been known to cry over a good story but is also a big fan of the hopeful ending. 

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Author Links

Twitter (@AlisonLMercer) 

Instagram (@alimercerwriter)

Facebook page (AliMercerwriter)

Website: https://alimercerwriter.com/

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Book Link

https://geni.us/B0BQ7P48B1social

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Got Trouble by Dave Dobson / #Spotlight #BlogTour @RRBookTours1 @GCDaveDobson

Trouble can find you anywhere

When your day starts at 11 pm, it’s a long way to sunrise. Glynnis Cary is stuck working as a night manager at the Gas-O-Mart. Her husband Keith’s idea of romance is buying her grocery store flowers, usually only when he comes home drunk. Her son is in trouble at school, skipping out with his girlfriend, and keeping secrets. Big secrets, ones that may turn out to be both lucrative and felonious. Keith’s bumbling unexpectedly makes Glynnis the target of multiple murderous enemies and a lot of bullets. Way more bullets than is reasonable. On the run with a new friend, one whose life she’s just inadvertently destroyed, Glynnis has to rely on her gut, her grit, and her ability to spin big lies to find a way to survive.

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About the Author

A native of Ames, Iowa, Dave loves writing, reading, boardgames, computer games, improv comedy, pizza, barbarian movies, and the cheaper end of the Taco Bell menu. Also, his wife and kids.

In addition to his novels, Dave is the author of Snood, Snoodoku, Snood Towers, and other computer games. Dave first published Snood in 1996, and it became one of the most popular shareware games of the early Internet. His most recent project (other than writing) is Doctor Esker’s Notebook, a puzzle card game in the spirit of escape rooms.

Dave taught geology, environmental studies, and computer programming at Guilford College for 24 years, and he does improv comedy every week at the Idiot Box in Greensboro, North Carolina. He’s also played the world’s largest tuba in concert. Not that that is relevant, but it’s still kinda cool.

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Author Link

Dave Dobson

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Book Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Got-Trouble-Dave-Dobson-ebook/dp/B0BRN3PKKT/

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Jailbird by Caro Savage / #Review @BoldwoodBooks @CaroSavageStory

Detective Constable Bailey Morgan has been out of the undercover game since her last job went horribly wrong, leaving her with scars inside and out.

When her colleague Alice is found dead whilst working deep cover in a women’s prison, Bailey steps in to replace her.

Working alone, Bailey embarks on a dangerous journey through the murky underbelly of the prison and soon discovers that Alice’s death was part of a spate of brutal murders.

Surrounded by prison officers, criminals and lowlifes, the slightest mistake could cost Bailey her life.

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Review

My first book by this author and I have regrets; Don’t get me wrong. I have none what so ever about having read this story, but I regret deeply not having picked up more books by this author.

Why did I like this one so much? Let me first ask this question: what is not to like about this book? It had everything in it that comes to mind when I think about a prison. Inmates form groups because they want protection from the more aggressive people. There is safety in numbers, right? The weaker ones have each other, but this also means that the more vicious ones rule the community and very often they have inside help…

Being a police officer is a dangerous job, but heads off to those who work undercover. They really must have replaced their nerves by cable of steal. 

It’s no wonder Bailey has run away from this job after her last experience, but when something happens to someone very close to her heart, she does not hesitate and jumps right in again, swearing to uncover everything and seek justice.

This story had me glued to my seat from the very first page and did not let me go until the final full stop. I loved it and I hated the people who who failed to take care of the mental and physical health of young ones. 5 stars

Thank you

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About the author

Caro Savage knows all about bestselling thrillers having worked as a Waterstones bookseller for 12 years in a previous life.  Now taking up the challenge personally and turning to hard-hitting crime thriller writing.

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Author Links

Twitter @CaroSavageStory

Instagram: @carosavage

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Book Link

Amazon : https://amzn.to/2YpfPr5

The Accidental Inheritance by Cate Woods / #Spotlight #PublicationDay @bookouture @catewoodswriter

A surprise inheritance. A hostile lord of the manor. A chance at a new beginning…?

When Cassidy Beeswhistle loses her job and her boyfriend within seconds of each other, it’s time for a change. Discovering her beloved late father’s connection to a tiny English village, it seems like the perfect place to start again. Especially because there’s a secret ‘lost deed’, which – if found – would return the village’s gorgeous manor house to its rightful heir: Cassidy…

On arrival in Dithercott, Cassidy is blown away by the rolling hills and glittering lake, and the local villagers welcome her with open arms – all of them but one, that is… The current lord of the manor, Ned Bamford-Bligh, is tall and fiendishly attractive with his olive skin and jet-black hair, but he is also gruff and standoffish – and he has no interest in entertaining the new girl in the village; especially one who is potentially after his home, with its ivy-covered turrets and sprawling gardens.

Despite Ned’s frosty welcome, Cassidy is drawn to his piercing, hazel-eyed glare and she’s determined she is to uncover the demons that keep him locked away behind the manor’s imposing stonework. Before she knows it, an undeniable spark builds between them…

Just as Cassidy is feeling at home in Dithercott – and in the arms of Ned – he shows up on her doorstep clutching an old roll of parchment. Is this the discovery she’s been waiting for? And if it is, will its contents bring Ned and Cassidy closer together, or push them apart…?

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About the author

Cate Woods is a USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction and romantic comedies. She made the most of her university degree in early Anglo-Saxon Literature by starting her career running errands on entertainment TV shows including ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a weather presenter, she moved into the world of magazine journalism and then ghostwriting, working on novels and autobiographies for a host of celebrities. She has written two best-selling romantic comedies – ‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’ and ‘More Than a Feeling’ – plus a festive novel, ‘The Christmas Guest’, under the name Daisy Bell. Cate lives in the UK with her husband and two children, but escapes to her family home in the Vermont mountains whenever she can.

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Author Link

facebook.com/catewoodswriter

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Book Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Accidental-Inheritance-heart-warming-feel-good-romantic-ebook/dp/B0BQJPS7QT/

An Island Far from Home by Kate Hewitt / #Spotlight #PublicationDay @bookouture @katehewitt1

Amherst Island #5

Rosie realised she loved the man standing before her. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. And if he were to fall in France, heaven help them both, she knew she would not regret one last night with him…

1941, Canada: When Rosie Lyman and her cousin Violet join the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, Rosie is uncertain about leaving her life in Ontario behind and entering a new and challenging world of duty and service.

From the moment Rosie signs up, the intensity of the work pushes all thoughts of home from her mind. And when she is selected for officer training and a placement overseas in London, Rosie finds herself swept up into an exciting world of classified postings she could never have imagined…

When she meets handsome Lieutenant Thomas Crewe, with sparkling blue eyes and a smile like a movie star, Rosie soon finds herself falling in love for the very first time. With precious moments together restricted to weekends on leave, the pair try to steal as much time together as they can.

But when Rosie hears that Thomas’s division is flying in the D-Day invasion, she feels like her heart might break. Will he survive the battle? And can she find the strength within herself to go on if he doesn’t?

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About the author

Kate Hewitt is the bestselling author of many novels of both historical and contemporary fiction. She particularly enjoys writing contemporary issue-driven women’s fiction, and her novels have been called ‘unputdownable’ and ‘the most emotional book I have ever read’ by readers.

An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers. Join her newsletter for monthly updates and giveaways at http://www.kate-hewitt.com, or be part of her Facebook groups Kate’s Reads, to discuss all manner of books, movies, music and cooking.

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Author Links

 https://www.kate-hewitt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/ 

 https://twitter.com/katehewitt1

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Book Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Far-Home-completely-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B0BQN74R2K/