Book Tour and Giveaway--Tending Her Heart, by Kathleen Shoop

Sweet, Fun Romance--Set in 1971, nurse Julie Peters is ambitious and tenacious, but her plans to modernize Waterside Hospital's labor and delivery protocols are thwarted by old-school doctors and brown-nosing colleagues. The last thing on her mind is falling in love as she confronts her career-related demons. Still, she feels the pull of attraction to one special doctor.

Dr. Michael Young turned away from a prestigious research position at Duke University to practice medicine in a smaller, less intense setting at Waterside Hospital. While nurses chase him by the dozen, he is intrigued and satisfied with building a nest-egg for when the right woman finally happens along.

When Julie is faced with choices that put her job, her life’s dream in peril her relationship with Michael begins to ignite. Can a Thanksgiving stay in the regal home called Bliss give her the space she needs to right her future and fall in love? Will their growing love mean Julie loses herself? Humor, love and a similar attitude toward medicine seal their love, but will               it destroy their careers?

My Thoughts: This was a great Thanksgiving romance! Julie's character really struck a chord in me for some reason; perhaps because she is so passionate about a cause that she believes in. She is a strong willed, independent, determined woman, and she won't back down even if it means she can't have the man she loves. 

The story is told from both perspectives (Julie and Michael), so we get a fairly balanced look at every situation rather than just seeing it through one character's eyes. 

I've not read the previous two books in this series, but now that I've read this one, I may just have to go back to the beginning of it all.

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

My rating: Four stars

Available to buy from.... 

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

"I love Julie Peters and the Endless Love Series! Julie's relationship with Dr. Young was just so sweet and fun and I hope there's more to come about this couple. There is nothing like reading Kathleen's books--moving, funny, page-turning and Tending Her Heart is all of that--just fun."
 L. McShea

Praise for Home Again and Return to Love--Don't miss out on reading book 3 in the series!
"lyrical writing that is a joy to read!" L. Zottola 

"A spell-binding story of a love which seemed to transcend time, space and circumstance." 
N. Budden

 "Shoop's character's breathe" Bev Rosenbaum

Also available.......
Endless Love series. Book one, Home Again

1969-- Set on the shores of the Albemarle Sound, April Harrington has fond memories of summers at her family home, Bliss. After her fairytale wedding disintegrates, it becomes her refuge—the one place where she can attempt to pull the unraveling threads of her life back together. Unbeknownst to April, the stately house has been neglected in recent years. The once-sturdy roof is leaking in a few dozen places, and the wharf is rotting. Nothing is the same as she remembers. Nothing except for Hale, a Viet Nam pilot who is haunted by a dreadful secret, and who is also her brother’s best friend, a brother killed in the conflict that is tearing the country apart.

In Hale’s presence, April finds familiarity and solace. They share grief for a lost loved one, and from the comfort of Hale’s arms, passion blooms. Yet, April’s future is unresolved. Her wealthy, arrogant almost-bridegroom wants her back and the ghosts of Viet Nam are whispering to Hale. Can they find new love in an old treasured home, the kind of affection and trust that lasts forever?

Home Again, was named a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Buy the book from.......

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

Endless Love Series, Book Two, Return to Love

Sweet Romance… Fresh off their whirlwind nuptials and unexpected, but joyous pregnancy, April and Hale Abercrombie are gleeful about their life together. But, while Hale is serving his country in Vietnam, he receives news of the loss of their newborn daughter.

Back home on leave, Hale can barely wait to hold his wife. Their reunion is passionate and their physical connection, strong and soothing. His embrace, his touch, and his love are just as perfect as April remembered. But nothing, not even Hale, can ease April’s heartache.

Hale stumbles through his attempts at convincing her that their future will be rich and full of wonder despite their loss. His good-hearted, but take-charge approach causes her to retreat. Even in grief, April recognizes Hale’s earnestness, yet she can’t help but distance herself from him. With only a short time before Hale must return to war, the couple begins to understand that hope starts with them—that the bliss they once knew will return only if they are willing to trust again.

Set on the beaches of the Outer Banks, Return to Love is the second book in the Endless Love series.

Buy the book from.......

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

About the Author

A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen has also written award winning Love and Other Subjects, After the Fog and her debut novel, The Last Letter,  Recently, Kathleen has released the her first romance novella, Home Again (Book One of the Endless Love Series), Return to Love (Book Two) a novel-length work and has just released Tending Her Heart (Book Three).  Books Two and Three in the historical fiction series that started with The Last Letter are nearly complete and should be shortly.

Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and Pittsburgh Parent magazine.

Find the Author on the following sites....

 Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads 

Book Tour Dates

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Three lucky winners will win a $15 Amazon.com Giftcard

Open Worldwide
Ending on Sunday 8th February at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Murder Is Elementary (A Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mystery #1), by Diane Weiner

Synopsis: Susan Wiles is blissfully retired from her career as a music teacher. What a joy to be able to attend the holiday concert without worrying about how her chorus will perform. But wait. Where's the principal? Susan offers to check, only to find the principal lying dead on her office floor. Of course, now that she's retired she has time to help the local police (one of whom is her daughter) solve the mysterious crime. Did the principal die of natural causes? The bruise on her face doesn't seem severe enough to be fatal. What about that funfetti cupcake sitting on her desk? Could she have been poisoned? Susan has just found the perfect retirement activity, much to her daughter's chagrin. And when the principal's teenage daughter, one of Susan's all time favorite students, asks for help - how can she say no? Little does she realize that this crime will take her far from the schoolhouse doors, as she investigates a mystery that extends back into one family's painful past. 

Thoughts: This is a brand new cozy mystery series, and I am thrilled to have found it. The main character, Susan, is a retired elementary music teacher, and her daughter, Lynette, is a police detective. Retirement leaves Susan with way too much free time, so when the principal of her former school is murdered, she begins to investigate on her own, which annoys Lynette's partner, Jackson. All of the characters are very realistically written, and the subplots are all wrapped up nicely,with a few twists thrown into each one along the way. (I also love that Susan has two cats named Johann and Ludwig!)

My only problem with the book is that there was a little too much "telling" and not enough "showing" in the writing style. There were also some editing issues that slipped through and distracted me momentarily. Overall, however, it is a great first novel. Can hardly wait to read the next one, "Murder is Secondary."

My rating: Four stars

Einstein's Beach House: Stories, by Jacob M. Appel

Synopsis: A couple adopts a depressed hedgehog; a stranger shows up, claiming to be the father of a girl's imaginary friend; a woman kidnaps her ex-husband's turtle; a family is evicted from their home, but was it ever really theirs? Heartbreaking and hilarious, the eight stories of Einstein's Beach House examine how we deceive ourselves and others, all to arrive at something far more real.

Thoughts: **I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**

This was an amazing collection of short stories. Appel takes seemingly ordinary situations and people, and twists them just a little off center. There is a family who has a sex offender move in next door, a couple adopts a hedgehog who suffers from bipolar disorder, a man dating a woman who shares custody of a tortoise with her ex-husband,a woman meets the father of her daughter's "imaginary friend," etc.

Each story left me turning the page eagerly to read the next one, and I was sad when I came to the end of the last one. This was my first exposure to this author, and I look forward to reading more in the future. 

My rating: Four stars.

Eve: In The Beginning, by H.B. Moore

Synopsis: The first love story on earth... Haunting... Lyrical... Unforgettable...

In a world where everything is perfect, yet the same day after day, Eve must decide if she wants to live forever in the garden with Adam and never know what lies beyond the walls. When she makes a choice with terrible consequences, the pain of mortality is swift. As she and Adam explore their new world, and her body changes, Eve discovers the sweetness of first love with the man who has always been at her side.

Thoughts: **I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.**

This book is a fascinating look into the lives of Adam and Eve, both in the Garden of Eden and after the fall. I enjoyed the speculative aspect of what was going on in each of their minds at various times,as it gave me a different way of looking at certain events.

Eve is written as an inquisitive, curious woman, always questioning events and the actions of others. Adam is less curious, and very loving and protective of his wife. Lucifer is presented as more "human" than in the Biblical story, which actually makes his ability to tempt Eve more understandable than if he were a literal serpent rather than a figurative one. Elohim and The Chosen One are both loving toward Adam and Eve, and it obviously pains Elohim to turn them out of the Garden.

The story is told from the point of view of both characters, which gives it more depth. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys speculative Biblical stories.

My rating: Four stars

Sprinkled: A Lacey Luzzi Mystery, by Gina LaManna

Synopsis: Lacey Luzzi’s life has been a rollercoaster consisting of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. She just never expected the lows to be so… sparkly. 

After falling on her face during an attempt to follow in her recently-deceased mother’s stripper-boots, Lacey realizes she’s not cut out for life on stage. She sets out on a year-long investigation to find her true family, never expecting she’ll find her family with a capital “F.” 

With a rumbling stomach, a need for money (check engine lights don’t fix themselves), and a conscience that operates at 78% on a good day, Lacey is sucked into a whirlwind of Family secrets, hard-as-cement cookies, and mysterious, sexy men who unfortunately shoot guns, sometimes aimed at her face. The long-lost-granddaughter of the St. Paul Italian Mafia, Lacey is charged with the task of finding fifteen million dollars of ‘the good stuff.’ 

Even after she enlists the help of her mouthy best-friend and her cousin, a technical genius and social disaster, she finds that going toe-to-toe with the rival Russian mob is scarier than expected. 

No one chooses their Family, but Lacey Luzzi will be lucky if she can survive hers. 

Thoughts: This story's style reminds me of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum stories. The main character, Lacey, is just as adorable and just as much of a trouble magnet. 

The writing is very good,and the characters are well defined. There is humor "sprinkled" throughout, as well as plenty of action. 

I expect this to become a favorite series among cozy readers over time.

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**

My rating: Four stars

In Hot Water (Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery #3), by J.J. Cook

Synopsis: Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, has the world’s hottest and sweetest peppers—as well as a ghost that cooks and a fire chief who fights crime… 

SPARK OF INTEREST 

Stella Griffin should be bubbling over with joy now that she’s the full-time fire chief of Sweet Pepper, except trouble is brewing on her doorstep. An angry resident has purchased her cabin, and—with a bulldozer in tow—is ready to tear it down. But as Stella worries over the fate of her home and Eric, her ghostly roommate, there’s soon an even greater cause for alarm.

A suspicious house fire in the pricey Sunset Beach community at Sweet Pepper Lake claims the life of ex-state representative Barney Falk. The nature of the death has Stella feeling out of her depth, so she teams up with the state’s arson investigator. Moving full steam ahead with the case, they must smoke out a killer before the firebug strikes again…

Thoughts: **I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

This is the third installment in the series, and it just keeps getting better. There's a new wrinkle in Stella and Eric's relationship which gives it more diversity than before. They are growing even more dependent on one another, which could create problems in the future.

Besides trying to solve yet another murder, Stella is trying to get approval from the town council for a fireboat, as well as trying to line up new volunteers for the fire brigade. Her relationship with her grandfather seems to be improving in each book, as does her working relationship with the police chief.

Once again, the book ends with a cliffhanger...one that I never would have expected. I can't wait for the next book!! 

My rating: Four stars

Playing With Fire (Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery #20, by J.J. Cook

Synopsis:  Welcome to Sweet Pepper, Tennessee. Nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, it’s home to the hottest and sweetest peppers in the world—as well as at least one ghost and a hotbed of secrets…
 
GETTING WARMER
 
Fire Chief Stella Griffin is working to solve the mysterious death of her predecessor, Eric Gamlyn—who also haunts her cabin. Yet the more she learns, the more burning questions she must answer. Just as Stella thinks she has a lead from Deputy Chum, someone snuffs her hopes—and the lawman.
 
Adding fuel to the fire, Stella’s parents soon arrive—with her ex-boyfriend—hoping to persuade her to return to Chicago. Now Stella is torn between the life she left behind and uncovering what happened to her ghostly friend. But she’d better think fast or more than her investigation could go up in flames…

Thoughts: **I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All comments and opinions below are entirely my own.**

This book picks up where the first one left off, with everyone in town trying to solve the mystery of the previous fire chief's murder. Stella can't seem to keep herself from getting involved in the investigation, no matter how many people warn her against it.

When her parents show up for a visit, bringing along her cheating ex-boyfriend, the cabin she shares with the ghost of the former fire chief gets a little too crowded and tension-filled. The three guests are trying to talk Stella into going back to Chicago, but she can't make up her mind whether to stay or go.

Another well written story. I love the interaction between Stella and Eric. The cliffhanger in this one had me rushing right on to book three, In Hot Water.

My rating: Four stars

That Old Flame Of Mine (Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery #1), by J.J. Cook

Synopsis: Set in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, J. J. Cook’s thrilling new mystery series features Fire Chief Stella Griffin, who solves crime with the help of her predecessor, who just happens to be a ghost…

NO MATCH FOR MURDER
After knocking the lights out of her boyfriend when she catches him cheating on her, Chicago fire fighter Stella Griffin hops on her Harley and heads for Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, where she ends up becoming the small town’s fire chief. When her dear friend Tory Lambert dies after her gingerbread-style house is set ablaze, Stella suspects arson and foul play.

As Stella investigates, she gets help from a most unlikely source—the ghost of Eric Gamlyn, Sweet Pepper’s old fire chief. And if that isn’t enough to rattle her, attractive police officer John Trump seems to have taken an interest in her. But Stella’s got to stay focused if she hopes to smoke out a killer before her own life is extinguished.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!

Thoughts: Great beginning to a series! I love all the characters introduced in this book, and look forward to getting to know them better in future volumes.

The writing is wonderful, the characters are very well-developed, and the setting is described in just enough detail to make it vivid without being overwhelming. 

The mystery is well done also. I figured out who the killer was only shortly before it was revealed in the story. And the discovery made at the end of the book, which obviously leads into the next book, definitely makes me look forward to continuing on with this series.

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

My rating: Four stars