Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Book Blast and Giveaway: The Art to Online Dating by Fleur Lamot

 



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Fleur Lamot will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



A step-by-step guide to navigating dating and finding love on the World Wide Web, written by someone with firsthand experience on the topic, and who has also tested the theory on a number of case studies and through research. Authored from a female perspective, directed to a female audience, although potentially an eye opening and helpful read for a male reader too.

This book is not about making you a better person, nor is it a self help book. It is about changing your mindset when embarking on singledom and internet dating to not fear it, by equipping you with the understanding of people's actions and motives.

Throughout the book you will be guided in setting up your online profile, picking your match, the all important art and the do's and don'ts through every step of courting someone, all the way to going forward with your ultimate love match!

Reading this book will bring you confidence and or at least clarity. It will make you think about your past experiences and open your eyes to see where they may have gone wrong, and more importantly to ensure the same mistakes don't happen to you on future experiences.


Read an Excerpt

Long gone are the days of meeting a potential partner in a bar or at a music festival or at parties. You might be lucky enough to do so, but as time goes on and you get older, or as you and your potentials rely more on technology to meet someone, or as you lose the skills to do so by becoming accustomed to technology, the chances are getting thinner. There will be fewer parties with fewer single people, or there will be more awkward interactions at these parties, or your friends will grow old and become tired of attending music festivals and going to bars. Also, let’s face it: as we get older, the music at venues become too loud and we simply just want to have a good conversation, good food, and good wine which brings on more occasions like dinner events and dinner parties. These are the least likely type of events to meet someone, unless you are lucky enough to be set up by a mutual friend.

So, you might find yourself single and at a loss. Maybe it simply might be that all your friends are in relationships and you have no one to go out with. This is where online dating comes into play. Online dating has such a bad stigma, but if you look at it at another way, whilst your friends are becoming old and boring or are in relationships and/or just don’t want to go out anymore for whatever reason, you have an infinite number of potential new people to meet and play with who are in the exact same boat as you.

About the Author: I successfully found love online using historical principles, understanding people's motives and actions, listening to the right people, as well as trusting my own instincts. I am now married and a mother. I am a business woman with a very successful business, built from extensive networking and relationship management experience. I have received professional mentoring and coaching, which has helped me achieve all of this.

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/fleurlamot
AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-Online-Dating-Fleur-Lamot/dp/0228867509

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Miss Blaire in Blackwell's Island (Heiresses of Adventure Book One) by Grace Hitchcock



About the Book



Book: Miss Blaire in Blackwell’s Island (Heiresses of Adventure Book One)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance True Crime

Release date: July 31, 2024

Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late?

On Blackwell’s Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving.

With her late parents’ fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Blaire does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. And Edyth fears she will never be found.

At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple his­torical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives on the Northshore of New Orleans, with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a cottage that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, or chasing babies, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.­­­­

 

 




More from Grace

I am thrilled to share with you my FIRST novel in the HEIRESSES OF ADVENTURE series, MISS BLAIRE IN BLACKWELL’S ISLAND, which is set in New York City in 1887. I loved writing about Edyth Blaire, our cat-rescuing, spunky heroine who spends her days painting, fencing with her dreamy instructor, and avoiding society at all costs, which as you can imagine, comes back to haunt her before the end. I’ve never written about a character who despised reading, so that was a new one for me. Edyth just doesn’t like to sit still long enough to finish a book, but you’ll find out why later.

While writing this book, I am pretty certain the librarians at my local branch were wondering what in the world my hobbies are, judging from the stacks of fencing books for beginners, histories of New York crime in the 19th century, and Nellie Bly’s Ten Days in a Mad-House, and more.

The inspiration for this book came from Nellie Bly’s scandalous exposé for Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, The World. In reading Nellie’s articles, I was shocked at the grounds by which the asylum would commit women and that’s when I discovered a tiny mention about an heiress with family members who had her tucked away so they could have her fortune. . . and Edyth Blaire was born.

I hope you will enjoy reading about our eccentric leading lady and her fencing master hero, Raoul “Bane” Banebridge in this friends-to-lovers romance. If you are interested in seeing pictures of the asylum and to see what I pictured the characters looking like, check out my Pinterest board here.

Are you part of a book club? I have discussion questions here!

Blog Stops

Pens Pages & Pulses, February 21

Allyson Jamison, February 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 22

Devoted To Hope, February 22

Texas Book-aholic, February 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 23

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 25

Maureen’s Musings, February 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 26

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 27

Vicky Sluiter, February 27

Betti Mace, February 28

Cover Lover Book Review, February 28

Blogging With Carol, March 1

Connie’s History Classroom, March 1

lakesidelivingsite, March 2

For Him and My Family, March 3

Mary Hake, March 3

Labor Not in Vain, March 4

Holly’s Book Corner, March 4

Leslie’s Library Escape, March 5

Inspired by Fiction, March 5

Pause for Tales, March 6

Lights in a Dark World, March 6

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away the grand prize of a $20 gift card with FREE SHIPPING to Grace’s Autographed Bookshop!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54161/ 


My Review

Miss Blaire in Blackwell's Island starts off the Heiresses of Adventure series. I thought it was a pretty good read that is based on true events. I was really sad for Edyth Foster and what she had to endure. I have never heard of Blackwell's Island. It truly is amazing what people had to go through back in the nineteenth century in America. I rooting for Edyth from the start and admired her bravery, courage and her fight to live.

I am giving Miss Blaire in Blackwell's Island five plus stars. My favorite part was the author’s notes at the end of the book. Grace Hitchcock has shown that she is a talented writer and one that writes historical suspense. I look forward to the next installment from the Heiresses of Adventure series, Miss Wylde in The White City.

I received a paperback copy of Grace Hitchcock's Miss Blaire in Blackwell's Island from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Monday, February 24, 2025

Book Tour and Giveaway: Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome


 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 284 pages 
Genre: Historcal Escapade, Crime Fiction
Publisher:  BQB Publishing
Release date:   March 2024
Content Rating:  PG. My book is rated PG for the times some of the mob characters utter mild curse words     

Book Tour and Review: The Unexpected Heiress: A Family Saga From Concentration Camp to Gold Mining Empire by George Mallory


 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  THE UNEXPECTED HEIRESS by George Mallory
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  347 pages
Genre: Jewish Literature, Jewish Fiction, Saga Fiction
PublisherGM Publications
Release date:  April 29, 2024
Formats Available for Review: print (print - softback / USA), ebook (EPUB, PDF)
Tour dates: Feb 24 to Mar 14, 2025
Content Rating:   PG-13 +M due to scenes of war and other adult issues and subject.. ​

PRAISE FOR THE UNEXPECTED HEIRESS

'"Hollywood will come calling!" - Kate Mc Clymont, Chief Investigative Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald

"The Unexpected Heiress transcends time and weaves horrors from World War II with present-day challenges. From Abe's harrowing past to Ellie's contemporary struggles, an embittered brother, a vacuous globetrotting socialite mother, and the betrayal of a much-loved kid brother, the novel paints a vivid portrait of a family divided by loyalties, lies and the enduring power of love...this novel shines a light on what it is like to come from a family legacy and have that legacy fall on your shoulders, and the need to fight to keep it." -  The Book Muse

'The human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity takes centre stage in The Unexpected Heiress.Australian Book Lovers 

"George writes with passion, honesty and grace. Lots of charismatic, creative and realistic characters and scenarios." Happy Valley Books


Book Description:

She inherited a legacy of ambition, betrayal, longing and secrets.

In the shadow of Poisson Gold, a multi-billion-dollar gold mine conglomerate, a family's legacy unravels in a compelling tale that dives deep into the human psyche.

At the helm of this empire stands the enigmatic Abe Silver, a concentration camp survivor whose past holds secrets as complex as his fortune. With his health failing, Abe's last-minute will alters the course of history, leaving his daughter Ellie, a newly minted lawyer, to navigate a treacherous path to control the colossal riches.

As grieving Ellie grapples with the immense responsibility thrust upon her, she must confront not only the malignant opposition of her own family and the rigid glass ceiling, but also her deeply buried secret - her sexuality. Set against the backdrop of 2010, a time when LGBTQ+ acceptance was scarce, Ellie's struggle to reconcile her personal truth with her public facade adds an extra layer of complexity to this riveting narrative.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ BAM
​add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

George Mallory's literary journey is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling. Born in Serbia to Russian parents and raised in Australia, his multicultural background offers a unique perspective that enriches the tapestry of his narratives. From his early years at Lithgow High to pursuing an engineering degree at UNSW in Sydney, George's academic journey laid the foundation for his literary pursuits. His love for literature, kindled in childhood, eventually led him to pursue a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University.

In The Unexpected Heiress, he brings to life a character inspired by the untold stories of concentration camp survivors who amassed wealth. Through dual-perspective narratives, George weaves themes of corporate glass ceiling, sexual orientation and dysfunctional families, offering readers a compelling and thought-provoking reading experience. George's extensive corporate background sensitised him to social prejudices and discrimination. His novels reflect his commitment to shedding light on these issues while delivering engaging stories. He features determined women who defy societal norms, demonstrating resilience and determination while retaining their femininity.

connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~linkedIn ~ facebook ~ youtube ~ X ~ goodreads 



My Review:

The Unexpected Heiress: A Family Saga From Concentration Camp to Gold Mining Empire is a great debut for author, George Mallory. After reading the blurb, I was curious to see what this saga was all about. I have to admit, it was rather slow at the beginning but after getting through the first few chapters, I was intrigued. I enjoyed getting to know this wealthy family and learning how they became to be. It covers the horrific events from the past all the way to the present times. I believe there will be readers who will be able to understand the family dynamics within the pages and feel a sense of understanding and connection. There was some suspense as lies and secrets are uncovered. I wanted to keep on turning the pages to find out how it would all end for all of the characters. I was not disappointed.
I am going to give The Unexpected Heiress: A Family Saga From Concentration Camp to Gold Mining Empire four and a half stars. I believe fans of Jewish and Saga Fiction will want to pick it up and give it a read for themselves. I would be curious to read more like this from George Mallory in the near future. 
I received a paperback copy of George Mallory's The Unexpected Heiress: A Family Saga From Concentration Camp to Gold Mining Empire from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Review: The Frights of Fiji by Sunayna Prasad





Book Details:
Book Title:  The Frights of Fiji (Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions, Book 1) by Sunayna Prasad
Category:  Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12),  136 pages
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Amazon KDP
Release date:   October 2018
Content Rating:  G: There is no mature language or adult content whatsoever.
Book Description:

A world of magic and adventure awaits…

Sent to live with her strict, aloof, and uncaring uncle after her parents are killed in a car accident, twelve-year-old orphan Alyssa McCarthy longs for the life she used to have—one filled with fun and love. Then one stormy night, a message appears in the raindrops on the window that will change everything.

"Your life will never be the same again, as magic will interfere."

​Before long, Alyssa is kidnapped by Master Beau, a banished sorcerer with a mysterious connection to her who can only regain his power by weakening hers. Suddenly hurled into a world of wizardry filled with fantastical beasts and marvelous technology beyond her wildest imagination, Alyssa must defeat Master Beau if she ever wants to get home again. But Master Beau will stop at nothing, including using Alyssa’s friends, to ensure he is triumphant.
BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Sunayna is passionate about world-building as well as fantasy and magic. She especially likes reading fantasy books as well as creating original magical creatures and other enchanted elements She also likes to blog, cook, draw, and get active.

Connect with the Author:   website ~ X/twitter ~ goodreads




 

My Review:


The Frights of Fiji begins Sunayna Prasad’s series, Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions. It is, also, my first introduction to this author’s books. I thought this one was a pretty good read. It was full of adventure, action, and magic. 
In The Frights of Fiji, readers are introduced to Alyssa McCarthy, who is a 12 years old girl and has been kidnapped by a sorcerer. I found this young girl having so much bravery and courage. I admired her determination to survive. She goes to a whole new world that she never she would experience. I thought her story to be entertaining and fun to read. I enjoyed some of the suspense and mystery of it. I was constantly wondering where she would end up next. I loved the author’s imagination. She crafted such a wonderful tale that so many readers would enjoy. I loved taking this journey with Alyssa. She was a great role model and she learned some very important lessons that so many other readers of all ages could learn from, as well. 
I am giving The Frights of Fiji four and a half stars. I believe many younger readers who enjoy fantasy will enjoy reading this one. I would have no problem allowing my ten year old reading this book. I know she will think it is as good as I did. I look forward to read the second installment from the Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions series, A Curse of Mayhem, to see where Alyssa ends up next. 
I received Sunayna Prasad's The Frights of Fiji from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review.  This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Friday, February 21, 2025

Blog Tour and Giveaway: His Grace's Governess by Jackie Killelea



About the Book



Book: His Grace’s Governess

Author: Jackie Killelea

Genre: Christian Historic Romance

Release date: February 4, 2025

A governess with a secret. A duke with a broken heart. Can love heal their wounds?

Miss Eleanor Clairbridge, at five and twenty, has resigned herself to a life without love. With her family’s London townhouse threatened by dwindling finances, she accepts employment as a governess to help support her widowed mother and preserve her cherished childhood home. When Eleanor arrives at Ivy Grange Estate, the last thing she expects to find is a spark of attraction between her and her new employer. Determined not to risk her position, she resolves to keeps her distance. There is more than one reason a romance between them can never be.

Edmund Colhampton, the Duke of Albemarle, has no intention of finding love. Since losing his family in a tragic carriage accident five years ago, he has devoted himself to protecting his young niece, the only family he has left. But when his niece’s enchanting governess arrives at the estate, Edmund finds himself reconsidering his vow never to love again. Why then, as he seeks to know her more, does she seem determined to avoid him at all costs?

As Eleanor fulfills her role as governess, her past begins to catch up with her, threatening to unravel the secrets she holds dear. Both Eleanor and Edmund must confront their deepest fears and decide whether to succumb to the darkness within or brave the path to healing and love.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Jackie Killelea is a born and raised small-town girl from Connecticut with a degree in English and Creative Writing. She started off her writing journey with poetry, soon shifting into novels and becoming hooked. On days when she’s not busy with her nose in a book, she can be found typing away with a cup of tea at her side.

 

 




 

More from Jackie

In His Grace’s Governess, much trouble befalls Edmund and Eleanor as they attempt to sort out their close proximity to and burgeoning feelings for one another, but there is one scene in particular that I enjoyed researching.

In one scene of the novel, Mr. Roskilly(the gardener at Ivy Grange Estate) worries at Eleanor plucking the plant Rabelera–otherwise known as Greater Stitchwort–from the ground. He fears that danger will befall Eleanor if she takes it from the garden and Eleanor, misunderstanding him, even believes at one point that Mr. Roskilly might be threatening her. But, why is Mr. Roskilly so worried? Is he really so concerned that Edmund’s hackles will be raised when he sees that Eleanor has plucked a few mere flowers from the garden–and with his niece, no less?

Indeed, that is not where his concern lies, for if you read the passage closely, you’ll see that Mr. Roskilly is Cornish. This is an important factor. When doing my research for the novel, I found that, in Cornwall, it is believed that Greater Stitchwort is the property of the pixies. It is believed that to pick it is to take it from them and to anger them, and if you anger them then there is all the chance that they may well retaliate for you having stolen what was theirs. Truly, they may even enchant you, according to legend. Having read this and being sufficiently intrigued, the scene was born! I do hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I do.

Here is an excerpt from it so you know what I’m referring to:

“Hope yer walk’s went well. ’Tis a fine day fer one.” He grinned, revealing a mouth full of crooked teeth. His Cornish accent was thick, with a friendly tone to his voice.

Eleanor returned his smile and nodded. “It certainly is. What better way to spend a morning than to enjoy the sun in these beautiful gardens? They’re the finest I’ve ever seen.”

She could’ve sworn there was a hint of a blush on the man’s tawny face. “I than’ ye, miss. We do our righ’ bes’, and keepin’ i’ as i’ is makes ’is Grace ’appy. Ever since…” The man trailed off, a growing look of concern on his face.

What had he been about to say? Something about the duke or his family?

“Greater Stitchwort.” He spoke with a grave edge to his words, looking intently at the flower in Rose’s hand.

Eleanor’s gaze flitted from the man to the flower, her brows furrowing. “Is something wrong, sir?”

The man tilted his head, flicking his eyes to the side in a plea for a private conversation.

I will not say whether this decision to pick the plant affected Eleanor later on in the story or not, but I’ll leave you with this: Do consider all of the plants you touch before you decide to place your hand upon them and pull them from the ground.

Happy reading!

Jackie Killelea

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 18

Holly’s Book Corner, February 19

Texas Book-aholic, February 19

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 20

Pens Pages & Pulses, February 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 21

Stories By Gina, February 22 (Author Interview)

Devoted To Hope, February 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 24

Connie’s History Classroom, February 25

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, February 25

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 26

Simple Harvest Reads, February 27 (Guest Review from Donna)

For Him and My Family, February 28

Pause for Tales, February 28

Book Looks by Lisa, March 1

Blossoms and Blessings, March 2

Cover Lover Book Review, March 3

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 3

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Jackie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54157


My Review

His Grace's Governess starts off Jackie Killelea's Saving the Spinsters series. I adored the main characters, Eleanor and Edmund. I enjoyed getting to know both of them and thought they had great chemistry. They were so easy to love. Their story was full of hope, faith, love, and healing. I had no problem reading the whole book in one sitting. I thought it was a beautiful tale to read. 

I am going to give His Grace's Governess five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read clean and inspirational Historical Regency Romantic fiction. I look forward to the second installment from the Saving the Spinsters series, Arranged with the Earl, to see what happens next. 

I received a paperback copy of Jackie Killelea's His Grace's Governess from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Movie Review and Giveaway: The Unbreakable Boy


Buy tickets today to see The Unbreakable Boy in theaters starting February 21!

When the odds are unbelievable, show the world you're unbreakable.

Together, we are unbreakable. Don't miss THE UNBREAKABLE BOY,
starring Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, and Patricia Heaton!

Watch this moving family film in theaters starting February 21!


Synopsis: 

From Kingdom Story Company, the team behind JESUS REVOLUTION and
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, and Lionsgate, the studio behind
WONDER, comes THE UNBREAKABLE BOY.

When his parents, Scott (Zachary Levi) and Teresa (Meghann Fahy), learn that Austin
 is both autistic and has brittle bone disease, they initially worry for their son’s future.
But with Scott’s growing faith and Austin’s incredible spirit, they become “un breakable,”
finding joy, gratitude, and courage even in the most trying times — an extraordinary true
story about a father and son learning together that every day can be the best day of your life!



Buy tickets today to see The Unbreakable Boy in theaters starting February 21!



My Review:

I can not say how much I adored the movie The Unbreakable Boy. I thought it was so good. I loved the message of unconditional love, healing, persevering, overcoming brokenness. and seeing the beauty of everyone's differences. I have to admit there were a few scenes that made tear up and needed a box of tissues handy. I have no doubt those families who have had personal experiences with special needs children will relate to this film. Austin made me smile and reminded me of a close friend of my own family. He is such a joy. 

I am going to give The Unbreakable Boy five plus stars. I highly recommend it for families of all ages. It would make a perfect outing for the whole family to enjoy. 

I received an early screener link to view The Unbreakable Boy film from Kingdom Faith Marketing Services, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.  


Disclosure:

Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services for providing a sample of the prod uct for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.


Giveaway: 

$10 Amazon Gift Card

Leave a more than a three word completed sentence telling me who you will be watching The Unbreakable Boy film with. Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. Winner’s name will be drawn on February 26, 2025.



Giveaway Rules:   

Giveaway is limited to US winners only.        

Three or less word comments will be deleted and will not be entered into the giveaway.

Chosen winner/s will be contacted by email to verify information needed to give to the appropriate channels to get the prize to you. 

Winner/s MUST reply to this email within 24 hours

If no response, a new winner’s name will be drawn and you forfeit the prize.

Locks, Hooks and Books is NOT responsible for lack of response from the chosen winner. 

Winners from previous Momentum campaigns within 90 days will be disqualified. 

Please note: Locks, Hooks and Books is NOT responsible in sending the prize.