Number of Pages: 278 pages
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Social Media: if it feels like it enhances the experience, go with it.
Guest Post by Amber Royer
There’s a lot going on in my Bean to Bar Mysteries series involving social media. My protagonist, chocolate maker Felicity, is concerned with ways to show off her travels for chocolate sourcing trips and showcasing her products for potential customers. Her best friend Autumn makes a living selling jewelry on Etsy.
And then there’s Ash. Ash is a blogger, and in Out of Temper he gets a bigger role than ever. Felicity has called him to task for irresponsible journalism in the previous two books. This time, Ash has to deal with the fallout from an expose he posted in the past—which now gets him accused of murder. He asks Felicity for help, and when she starts actually looking at his website, she realizes she knows less about Ash than she thought.
We are living in a time where so much of life seems to happen electronically. I just found out that the novel writing classes I teach are going to be virtual again this spring. Writer’s groups and conventions for readers have options now for virtual meetings.
I find myself thinking about the pros and cons of different technologies. There are definite opportunities for miscommunication. But there are also ways technology has prevented me from feeling so isolated during this Pandemic. I recently got a Quest VR set (we have had another VR system for a long time), and I already have a virtual pet (Bogo) and a virtual garden (Fujii). I also found software that allows you to create a virtual museum gallery. I just couldn’t resist building an exhibit for my Bean to Bar verse. Here is a walkthrough I recorded that explains what I put in the gallery and why.
Out of Temper is set on a cruise ship, where Felicity has been invited to do chocolate making demos. Gearing up to market the book, I’ve been looking through a lot of info on cruise ships, and wound up finding an amazing sale and booking a trip (after reading up on the extensive disease-prevention precautions). Looking at the list of shore excursions, there are even augmented reality/virtual reality tours for historically significant places. I don’t know about that one. On the one hand, it’s a cool use of technology and might add to the experience. On the other hand, I’m going to be in Mexico. I had to cancel a trip to Mexico to visit friends, right when the lockdowns first happen. If I’m going to get to go somewhere, I want to actually be as present as possible in person. Yet, I still plan to document the entire trip for social media. Obviously, I’m going to be bringing the book and taking pictures with it all over the ship. Which is part of the job of being a modern author. And doesn’t make me feel less present at all.
A lot of what Felicity goes through dealing with how she feels about social media is personal. I think the key takeaway: if it feels like it enhances the experience, go with it. If it makes you feel disconnected from what is actually going on in real time in person, take a step back.
Trust Me by Kelly Irvin is a book worthy of it’s title. It begins with Hunter Nash, a man who has lost 10 years of his life in jail for a crime he says he didn’t commit. Hunter’s best friend Corey is horribly murdered and Hunter is convicted of the crime. Now, 10 years later, Hunter is released from jail and another close friend, Ellie, ends up dead in the same way as the first brutal murder 10 years earlier.
The story follows Hunter and his ex-girlfriend Delaney (who is also Corey’s sister and Elie’s best friend) as they encounter struggles with their faith, tests of will, and ultimately find who murdered their loved ones. This novel is a slow burn with a large undercurrent of suspense that ultimately draws the reader in and teaches you about faith. Other major themes include forgiveness and trust in yourself and others. The author paints vivid pictures with her descriptions of the character’s experiences, it feels like you are witnessing everything first hand!
This is a brand-new release from author Kelly Irvin and it is a masterful work of drama, suspense, and forgiveness. Clocking in at around 350 pages, this would be a fairly quick read and is perfect for fans of Christian fiction, Texas authors, and romantic suspense! This book is realistic and thrilling from cover to cover!
I would highly recommend this book to all who love fiction and books set in Texas! Thank you to the author for writing and sharing this wonderful book and to LSBBT for having me along on tour!
2/22/22 |
Excerpt |
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2/22/22 |
BONUS Promo |
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2/23/22 |
Review |
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2/23/22 |
BONUS Promo |
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2/24/22 |
Review |
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2/25/22 |
Guest Post |
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2/26/22 |
Character Spotlight |
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2/27/22 |
Notable Quotables |
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2/28/22 |
Review |
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3/1/22 |
Deleted Scene |
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Their journey takes them into the heart of the dangerous Llano Estacado region known as the Comancheria. The area is ruthlessly defended by a band of Quahadi Comanche and their stoic leader, Lonely Horse. The Troop encounters a large group of Comanches and the gun-running Comancheros at Mushaway Mountain, close to Gail, Texas. A quick battle ensues that leaves eight men dead.
Post Cavalry life finds Tree Smith and Cedar Jones as cowhand and cook on the large Rolling J cattle ranch in South Texas bordering the Rio Grande River. The ranch employs two Vaqueros from the village of Montenegro in Mexico, just across the river, whom Tree befriends.
The quiet life on the Rolling J ranch is brought to an abrupt halt when a local sheriff warns that a band led by the cold-blooded, sadistic killer known as Gato Montes has been preying on the ranches along the Rio Grande. After the sheriff is nearly killed by these men, Tree is tasked with tracking them down, only this time, he is traveling alone and the dangers are greatly multiplied. His epic journey takes him back into the Llano Estacado where he is captured by Lonely Horse and taken to Mushaway Mountain where the Comanche carry out their own form of frontier justice.
Tree’s return journey puts him on the same path as Marco, a Mexican goat herder, who rides with him to the Mexican Village of Montenegro, where Tree meets Julia, who changes his life forever after he becomes involved in and bears witness to the wonderful celebration of Dia de los Muertos.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
“I could not put this one down. Mayo has masterfully written a character-driven page-turner, a compelling tale for the reader who seeks something more than the stereotypical western novel.” —Ron Schwab, author of Goldsmith and the Law Wranglers series
“This mild-mannered west Texas rancher has woven a border tapestry using yarns made of unimaginable horror and sweet innocence.” —Tumbleweed Smith, author of Under the Chinaberry Tree
“A thoroughly enjoyable read—a cowboy’s trail you’ll want to follow, with a memorable cast of characters, renegades, soldiers, lawmen, and simple folks, and a hero that you’ll want more of.” —John J. Jacobson, author of All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone
Meet Mrs. Sarah Cockrell from
Gone to Dallas
The Storekeeper 1856-1861
By Laurie Moore-Moore
Sarah, the wife of Alexander Cockrell, was a real person, and very involved in helping her husband coordinate their numerous activities—from Dallas land grants to managing their numerous business enterprises. He was brilliant, but illiterate. She could read and write. Together they were a dynamic team.
Although Gone to Dallas, The Storekeeper 1856-1861 is fictional, my goal was to represent the real people in the story as accurately as I could—based on available research. By all accounts, Sarah Cockrell was major force in the development of Dallas. When she died in 1892, she owned an estimated 25% of downtown Dallas as well as properties in numerous other Texas towns.
Why did I name my strong female protagonist Sara (note the different spelling)? I tried to change her name, I swear. Sarah and Sara wouldn’t let me. The two strong women overruled me!
Here are some insights on Sarah Cockrell from Gone to Dallas.
Her appearance: “Sarah Cockrell was a slender woman with shiny, mahogany-colored hair parted in the middle, pulled back, and turned under into a bun at the nape of her neck. Heavy brows arched above deep-set gray eyes. She wore a white cotton blouse with long, full sleeves and a rounded collar. Her skirt was black cotton embroidered with white flowers and very full. A solid black sash was tied in a bow at the front of her waist. She looks as fashionable as if she’s stepped out of Godey’s Ladyʼs Book.”
Her philosophy: “I’m guided by just a few rules: Work quietly behind the scenes—there are some in town who resent a successful woman. Smile, speak softly, don’t be afraid to say no, and never back down. Be an iron fist in a velvet glove. And keep a pistol in your drawer, just in case.”
Her strength upon the death of her husband: “I never imagined anything like this. I loved him.” She took a deep breath. “Thought we’d grow old together. My task now is to keep his legacy alive and be sure his children remember him for the fine man he was.”
Her business savvy: “. . .Sara was invited to Sarah Cockrell’s office for tea. When Sara arrived, Mrs. Cockrell was concluding a meeting with two men who were challenging the terms of a contract they had signed with the Cockrell lumber company. “Do come in, Sara, we’re almost through here.”
“We’re not happy with the contract terms,” one man said forcefully.
“Yet you agreed to them before and signed the contract,” Mrs. Cockrell said in a calm, matter-of-fact voice.
“Well things have changed,” the other man said.
“I understand things have changed.” Mrs. Cockrell paused and looked at each of them, holding her gaze for several seconds. “My husband is dead, and you thought you’d see if the widow would agree to better terms for you, to her disadvantage. Please understand that I will not.”
The first man began to bluster. “Well, well . . . ”
“Well,” Mrs. Cockrell said, “if you can show me how we would both benefit from a change in price and terms, I’ll be happy to meet to discuss it. Until then, good day, gentlemen.” She rose from her chair. Mrs. Cockrell’s young, male assistant appeared from nowhere with their hats and ushered them out.
Helicopter parents. Control freaks. Perfectionists. Intolerants. Over-consumers. Social media junkies. We all fit in there somewhere. Read one woman’s stories of clinging, turning loose, and becoming free.
We are overly busy helicopter parents, control freaks, perfectionists, intolerants, over-consumers and social media junkies–who worry, fear, laugh less, and always want more. In the midst of it, we wonder what it would feel like to open our hands and turn loose of all of it.
In HOLDING ON LOOSELY: Opening My Hands, Lightening My Load, and Seeing Something Else, author Dana Knox Wright tells stories of one who is hardwired to cling. To her children when they asked for a blessing to go. To someone else’s ideas, when she didn’t trust her own. She held on to prejudice when she would tell you she didn’t. She shut down for days while clinging to fear. She clung to youthfulness as if what would come next couldn’t be her life’s cherry on top.
In a particular season of her life, she recognized her bent to possess, to keep, to hold tightly, and to control was completely contrary to Jesus’ example. This is one woman’s history of holding on and her stories of turning loose–stories of the gentle and firm, humorous and heartbreaking ways God led her to turn loose. It is living minimally from the inside out.
Having just passed a milestone birthday (the one that begins with a 3), and grappling with the emotions that come with a big birthday, some dissatisfaction of where I am in life, and other struggles, Dana Knox Wright’s Holding on Loosely provided me with guidance that I didn’t know I needed! I have long been a person who suffers from imposters syndrome and struggles with self confidence. Most of this stems from a need to be in control at all times. This book, wonderfully narrated by the author, brought me back to the present and kicked me out of a funk!
This book is relentlessly genuine and the narrative explores all of the themes that make up the central idea of the book. Let go of things, age truly is a number, and life will pass you by if you are too busy paying attention to things that don’t matter.
This is a book I would highly recommend to a book club, worship or communal group, or even just a group of friends to read together. Learning to let go, through the eyes of someone who learned the hard lessons as the author did, and having a group to discuss the book with would be amazing.
I adored the funny analogies and metaphors scattered throughout the book! These really served to heighten the personality displayed in the narrative. I have already recommended this to one friend and it will be a Christmas gift for at least one more! This is a lovely book for people of all ages!
Thank you so much to the author, Dana Knox Wright, and the LSBBT team for having me along on this tour! Grab your copy today, enter the giveaway, and check out all of the awesome interactive stops along the way!
Author Tari Faris Shares Character Sketches
From Since You’ve Been Gone
Leah Williams – Full of color and spunk, hates making hard and fast decisions, and likes to go with her gut. She’s just returned from a trip to Costa Rica and her twin sister is weeks away from making her an auntie. Most of her clothes are retro or vintage and her greatest pastime is sewing new designs. She and her twin, Caroline, may have always looked alike with their red hair and green eyes, but Leah was always the wild one who liked to live on the edge while Caroline played it safe with her lists and plans. Only the edge that Leah has found herself on this this time will either lead to freedom or her demise.
Jon Kensington –His disarming smile, athletic build, and charismatic personality has always made him popular with the girls. But the only girl he was interested in, Leah, wouldn’t give him the time of day. His larger-than-life personality, his six-foot-four height, and the Kensington name have always commanded attention in the small town of Heritage but the expectations on him have also been high. And now that that his father is gone, he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. His uncle helped him bear the load the past few years but the more he settles back into Heritage, the more he can see that his uncle was often working against him. He may be heir to the Kensington fortune but can he convince the board that he has what it takes to run a multi-million dollar company?
Madison Westmore – Blond, curvy and beautiful, Madison was known for being “that girl” in town until the day she up and left. Now she is back, and she is different in so many ways. But past hurts and long-held insecurities feed her doubts that no one will believe—or care—that she has changed. No, her goal is to escape before anyone can find out. Too bad the new guy in town won’t stop asking questions.
Colby Marc – He’d been living the music dream until it crashed around his feet. Now he has to rebuilt his career and reputation but the media is making it harder than he imagined. Can hiding out in the small town of Heritage be what he needs to heal and move on? And can Madison help him on that journey?
The conjoined five – The name Madison came up with in high school to describe the close group of Leah, Caroline, Hannah, Janie, and Olivia. They have been close since middle school and now they are all finding their happily-ever-afters in the Restoring Heritage series.
Caroline (Williams) Quinn – Twin of Leah. She now lives an hour away on a ranch for struggling kids with her husband, former Army special forces, Grant Quinn.
Hannah (Thornton) Taylor – Mom of one, married to Luke and loves to fix other people’s problems. Like the fact she always thought Leah and Jon should have gotten together long ago. And now she is happy to encourage a second chance for them. After all, she got her second chance with her best friend Luke, her high school sweetheart gone wrong.
Janie (Matthews) Thornton – Married to Thomas. They run the diner and keep tabs on the town gossip because the diner is the gossip hotspot.
Olivia (Matthews) Williams – Married to the local pastor, Nate Williams, and full of fire herself. She is all about helping Leah and Nate’s friend Colby find love.
Once Upon a Camel is a lovely middle-grade book that follows Zada and her friends through an amazing and sometimes impossible journey! Zada is a camel living in West Texas with her best friends, a pair of Kestrals and their children. Zada is aunt to Beulah and Wims, two Kestral chicks who are rambunctious and headstrong, like any good Texan! When a dust storm kicks up and separates Aunt Zada and the babies from their parents, Zada endeavors to keep them safe and reunite them!
This is a wonderful work of middle-grade fiction that blends whimsy with reality and majesty with modesty. The author very much captures the voice of Zada and uses it to calm the chicks through the storm, while relating tales about her life in Turkey and the grand adventures she’s had. The chapters are short, but wildly entertaining and drive the narrative forward while allowing for short interludes of various times and places. Zada is a wonderful character that is being used in such an inventive way for middle-grade readers. The illustrations in the book are eye-catching and you just can’t help but to keep reading once you’ve picked the book up!
This book is masterfully written and full of charm! I would recommend to middle-grade readers, particularly those interested in fantastic tales and Texas books! I have a middle-grade reader at home and he gives Once Upon a Camel two thumbs up!
I’d like to extend a big thank you to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and author Kathi Appelt for having me along on this tour! Grab a copy of this wonderful book today!
“Think you know T. Boone Pickens, the larger-than-life business titan, energy trader, and corporate raider? Think again. The attorney representing Pickens in his final major court battle and the business writer who covered him most over the decades reveal a whole other T. Boone that few people outside his bubble could have ever imagined.” — Joe Nick Patoski, author of Austin to ATX and host of the Texas Music Hour of Power
“Chrysta Castañeda and Loren Steffy have accomplished the remarkable. They’ve taken issues most familiar to lawyers and judges, woven them into an incredible story and presented to all an enjoyable journey through The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens.” — Craig Enoch, Former Texas Supreme Court Justice and founder of the Enoch Kever law firm