The Magician Book Review and Giveaway

NEW RELEASE....
Donora 2019. 

Ninety-two year old Patryk Rusek is on the run, bath-towel flying off, with nothing but his new Nikes to carry him to freedom. His plan to escape from Blue Horizon Retirement Community is in motion. Except his great-grandson Owen isn’t at the pickup point. Resigned to his fate, Patryk returns to his room and reads from his incredible hand-drawn chronicle of Donora, luring half the nursing home’s employees and residents into the room, mesmerizing them with childhood tales of Stan F. Musial, beloved baseball hall of famer. 

Donora 1920. 

Mary Musial is expecting again. After four daughters, her husband Lukasz is losing hope for a son. But Jupiter is rising when Stanisław Franciszek Musiał is born on November 21, 1920, and the midwife predicts he will live an extraordinary life. Young Stanley’s physical talents show themselves at the Polish Falcons and on the baseball field. But rather than pride, Lukasz’s spirits plummet after mill injuries turn his American dream into a living nightmare. 

When the Depression hits and the mills close, tension grips every Donora household. Meanwhile as Stan matures, he draws attention from the press, college coaches, and professional baseball scouts. Suddenly his singular dream is set against options he’d never imagined. Every choice threatens to disappoint coaches, teachers, his girlfriend, and most of all his parents. Even with the talent to achieve his goals, doubt creeps in. Can he find the courage to leave everything he knows and all the people he loves to fulfill his destiny? Or will he wait too long and risk it all?

My thoughts:

 

Donora is a truly dreary place to live in the midst of the Great Depression, but Stan spends his days playing as much baseball as possible. Everyone who sees him play knows that he has something special, but can he chase his dreams into the big leagues? Or will he be destined to scramble for work like most of the men in his town?

Kathleen Shoop is an extraordinary storyteller, multiple times during the book I looked up and was surprised to find myself in 2021, in my living room. The way she weaves a tale is truly amazing, and she has renewed my interest in historical fiction.

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"Shoop elevates the story of working-class Donorans in her carefully sculpted prose woven deftly with both historical research and fictional craft that rival any of her contemporaries. Through her words, readers are privy to the hard scrabble life lived by Stan Musial's parents, Mary and Lukasz, whose love story we followed in The Strongman and the Mermaid. The Magician is a must-read for anyone who loves baseball, small town life, and the pursuit of the American Dream." --Christina Fisanick, PhD, Associate Professor of English, California University of Pennsylvania

The Donora Story Collection Book 1 - After the Fog

Historic, environmental drama wrapped in a love story... 

It's 1948 in the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous “killing smog.” Public health nurse, Rose Pavlesic, has risen above her orphaned upbringing and created a life that reflects everything she missed as a child. She’s even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her doting husband, loving children, and large extended family. 

When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life, making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin?

***2013 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist*** 

***Independent Publisher Awards: 2012 Silver, Best Regional Fiction–Mid-Atlantic*** 

***National Indie Excellence Awards: 2012 WINNER-- Literary Fiction***

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The Donora Story Collection Book 2 - The Strongman and the Mermaid

2019 Donora, Pennsylvania 

Ninety-one-year-old Patryk Rusek hides in his attic, hoping the searchers think he’s escaped. When Lucy finally bursts in, she discovers her beloved grandfather clutching a fat, hand-illustrated, antique book. In it is the story of Donora, the town that shaped America, its people and Patryk himself. Before long, Lucy and her son Owen lose track of their goal to get Grandpa Patryk somewhere “safe” as they’re drawn into the book, back in time, into stories that read like real-life fairytales born of purpose, hard-work, and chance.

1910 Donora, Pennsylvania 

In the early dawn of Donora, Pennsylvania, the mills make and shape the steel that builds America. Mary Lancos lives in a home on the hill overlooking town and its mighty Monongahela River. That tiny house bursts with her siblings and boarders. Wind whipping through the walls and windows makes Mary determined to marry well and create a better life.

Shy Pole, Lukasz Musial, arrives in Donora seeking the clear blue skies, green lawns, and better life he’d seen pictured on a postcard. Settled in Donora’s Polish community, Lukasz secures a coveted job in the wire mill. Life is set on course to achieve the American Dream. All he needs is a wife who believes in him, in his mighty, quiet, strength.

After a series of casual, friendly meetings, fate brings Mary and Lukasz to the river under a snowy, pink moonlit sky and everything changes. Their attraction is sudden and consuming, turning the pair onto an unexpected path. With mounting disapproval from Mary’s parents she and Lukasz must decide if love is enough to risk losing everything else that matters.

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About Kathleen Shoop

Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. 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. Kathleen coordinates Mindful Writing Retreats and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.

I adore writing historical fiction (The Letter series, After the Fog and Donora Stories) but am having a blast writing romance like Home Again, Return to Love and Tending Her Heart (Endless Love series). Thank you so much for the time you take to read.

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The Resurrection of Hannah Book Spotlight

'An unforgettable story of self-discovery, friendship, love beyond time and the resiliency of the human spirit.'

Samantha Clark is fast approaching a crossroads in her life, she just doesn't know it yet. In her late thirties, single, and caught up in the hustle of everyday life, she is disenchanted with her predictable lifestyle as a psychotherapist on the west coast of Florida. Sammi begins to experience troubling physical symptoms and turns to alternative medicine in her quest for answers. Through experimentation and curiosity, startling events begin to unfold, revealing a dream world where she becomes transfixed by an overpowering spiritual connection. This unlikely teacher shows Sammi how to move beyond her physical self, to be open to other levels of existence, to break free from the emotional bonds that hold her back. 

As an exciting relationship blossoms in her present life, Sammi stumbles upon a centuries-old past, forcing her to examine personal beliefs as she struggles to stay adrift in both worlds. Held spellbound by her extraordinary history, she retraces her past life, discovering that it holds the key to her current dilemmas. She soon becomes entangled in a mysterious murder from which there is no turning back. Sammi must now solve the crime in order to cut the cord that binds her to a long-ago past, freeing her at last to live fully in the present. 

Kathryne Arnold has interweaved themes of the paranormal with the current realities of everyday life, creating a complexly rich psychological tale. The Resurrection of Hannah is an unforgettable story of self-discovery, friendship, love beyond time and the resiliency of the human spirit.

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The Fear of Things to Come

'Their mission to unravel the mystery behind the kidnapping plunges them into a terrifying maze of danger, deception, and madness.

The DSM. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A voluminous, invaluable tool used by psychotherapists the world over to diagnose individuals with mental illness. Referenced by Samantha Clark countless times throughout her career, never suspecting that one day it would save her life. 

Samantha receives a seemingly innocent but anonymous letter, and overnight her world changes forever. She becomes a victim in a frightening game of cat-and-mouse, a nightmare that begins when her boyfriend, Todd, fails to return to the wellness retreat they own in the woods of Florida. Working closely with police, Samantha and two trusted friends discover that Todd’s disappearance is linked to a series of murders occurring in a nearby county. They soon find themselves prey to a mentally ill patient from Samantha’s past, bent on revenge. With time bearing down, they must weave together the clues found in a succession of ominous letters and the DSM to save Todd. Their mission to unravel the mystery behind the kidnapping plunges them into a terrifying maze of danger, deception, and madness.

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About the author

I was raised in the northeastern United States, in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and resided in a half-dozen homes or towns throughout my growing up years. My father was a reverend with a flourishing career, moving the family to various parishes as his calling dictated, which I view in a positive light as I was exposed to different communities and lifestyles. After graduating from high school at the age of seventeen, I shook off my less worldly roots when I moved with my father to Massachusetts, a seemingly more sophisticated and progressive state. It was there that I embarked on a learning journey, thrilled at living so close to the sea in the artsy and historic fishing village of Gloucester, the hex signs and covered bridges soon a fond memory. 

Thrilled to begin college in New England, I jumped in with both feet and managed to excel in biological and psychological studies, despite majoring in dating. Throughout my school years, I dabbled in poetry and short stories, purely for personal self-expression. I experimented with a couple of creative writing classes, but never pursued my secret desire of a writing career, feeling the vocation was too self-indulgent, not sensible enough for my German blood. I remained focused on psychology and received a Bachelor of Arts degree, upon which I secured my very first “real” job as a Senior Psychiatric Counselor at a group home for adults with mental illness. Wanting to further my learning, I attended Suffolk University in Beacon Hill in Boston, and graduated two years later, obtaining a Masters degree in Counseling and Human Relations. 

Soon afterward, feeling weighed down by too many sunless days and frigid winters, I decided to move to a much lighter state, and settled in bustling Pinellas County in southwestern Florida. Over the next twenty years I concentrated further on my work in counseling and social services and became a licensed practitioner. During these years, my career included being a social services director for a nursing center, program manager for a rehabilitation agency, social services consultant for nursing centers, program director of an Alzheimer’s unit, and a hospice counselor. 

Several years ago, due to a deep longing to express my feelings in an alternative manner, I literally sat down one day and began writing my first novel. The resultant book, The Resurrection of Hannah, (published in 2011) had been born out of a series of powerful dreams, along with compelling and coexisting experiences that inspired me to create a story that would capture the strength of my emotions. I had a yearning to shape a tale based around individuals in my life that I believed would make engaging characters. I had a strong desire to experience a higher level of creativity, to literally produce something out of nothing– a fascinating and challenging endeavor I could not ignore. It was during this time that I moved to Houston for three years, where I started a private practice as a psychotherapist and became a certified clinical hypnotherapist. 

But I grew “antsy” as my father used to say and decided to move back to friends and family in Florida and worked again at the local Hospice, then more recently in community and private mental health. Once bitten by the writing bug, I could not help but pen my second work of fiction, The Fear of Things to Come, published in the summer of 2012. I am now in the process of writing another novel in what I consider a unique collection of adventure stories, the third in the Samantha Clark Mystery Series.

 

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Maybe We Will Book Review and Giveaway

NEW RELEASE........
From Melissa Foster, the New York Times bestselling author of She Loves Me, comes a sexy and heart-warming novel about finding love—and family—where you least expect it. 

When chef Abby de Messiéres returns to Silver Island with her sister to get their late mother’s affairs in order, she expected to inherit her mother’s bistro along with their childhood home, not to discover a half sister they never knew existed, and a handsome vacationer camped out on her mother’s patio. 

Workaholic Aiden Aldridge has been sent to Silver Island on a work-free vacation, armed with a “Let Loose list,” and ordered to get a life by the much-younger sister he raised after the death of their parents. After years of focusing on his sister’s well-being, he’s blindsided by his intense attraction to the gorgeous, free-spirited Abby. 

Aiden might not know much about chilling out, but he’s excellent at striking deals. He helps Abby with the restaurant in exchange for her help in tackling the items on his list. Sparks fly as Aiden and Abby work, and play, side by side. Intimate conversations lead to steamy kisses and undeniable passion. But there’s more to Aiden than Abby knows, and when the truth comes out, their new romance is put to the test, as the two find out if true love really can conquer all.

 

My thoughts:

 

What an amazing start to the Silver Island series! We've visited the island before with Melissa Foster, but this book starts it off with a bang.

Abby is a chef who has returned home to Silver Island after the death of her alcoholic mom. She's returned to a dilapidated house and an even more run down restaurant, with plans to reopen it as her own. However, she and her sister soon find out they have a half sister, which throws a wrench in their plans.

Aiden is an investor who has spent his life working and raising his younger sister. She has sent him on vacation and ordered him to relax, even giving him a to do list of fun things. Yet so far he's been working as much as he can and faking his proof of fun photos to his sister.

When Abby comes upon Aiden on the patio of her restaurant, they hit it off quickly and soon Abby is helping Aiden complete his list, while he is helping her get the restaurant ready to reopen. However, will who they are be their undoing? Aiden wants to help Abby in every way, but Abby is fiercely independent, and Aiden doing things for her without asking causes major fights.

Can these two come together for a happily ever after? Aiden travels and works constantly, and Abby is tied to the community and her restaurant. Can their love overcome these seemingly insurmountable obstacles?

This book is so wonderfully romantic and lovely. It made me smile and sigh, and everything in between. 

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The Silver Harbor series is published by Montlake Romance and will be available in paperback and audio formats, and exclusively in digital format for Kindle and Kindle apps. Download a FREE Kindle reading app HERE (or order the paperback)

Also available in audio!

"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" - NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely​

"You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" - New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak 

"With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!" - New York Times Bestseller J. Kenner

Releasing November 2nd!!

Maybe We Should (Silver Harbor)

An emotional and sexy novel about guarded hearts, finding love, and families lost and found by Melissa Foster, the New York Times bestselling author of Maybe We Will. 

After spending years wondering who she was, tattoo artist Cait Weatherby finally found her answers on the sandy shores of Silver Island. With two half sisters she never knew existed, a group of friends she adores, and a devastatingly charming admirer who flirts with her at every turn, she’s ready to figure out her next steps. The trouble is, Cait lives in the shadows of a dark past, and she can’t afford complications that might cause her to lose the family she’s only just found―complications like blue-eyed boatbuilder Brant Remington, who is as open as she is guarded. If only the sexy charmer would take the hint… 

Brant is Cait’s opposite in every way, but he’s drawn to everything about the sexy newcomer―from the quiet strength that rivals the caution in her mossy-green eyes to her tough facade that he can’t wait to strip away. 

As Brant works his magic, Cait’s walls come down. But as sweet as that feels, Cait knows how quickly good things can turn bad. It’s going to take more than a little trust to beat the ghosts of her past and claim the future they both deserve.

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The Silver Harbor series is published by Montlake Romance and will be available in paperback and audio formats, and exclusively in digital format for Kindle and Kindle apps. Download a FREE Kindle reading app HERE (or order the paperback)

About the author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance and new adult romance lovers who enjoy reading about loyal, wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex relatable issues.

Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name Addison Cole.

Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!

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Love on the Edge Book Review and Giveaway

Experience love’s emotional gamut from the authors of Mindful Writers Retreat, sure to bring joy and bliss to your heart any time of year. 

From love in the time of war… to love at first sight and long walks in the snow… to sparks flying because of nosy neighbors… Love on the Edge reveals the essence and evolution of the human need for relationship, written in a time when we’re all searching for deeper meaning and connection. 

Featuring works by: Lorraine Donohue Bonzelet, Jennifer D. Diamond, Abigail Drake, Judy England-McCarthy, Phil Giunta, N. J. Hammer, Kimberly Kurth Gray, Hilary Hauck, S. M. Kraftchak, Ramona DeFelice Long, MaryAlice Meli, Amy Morley, Gail Oare, Kim Pierson, James Robinson, Jr., Kathleen Shoop, Demi Stevens, Lisa Valli, Deborah Vita, Madhu Bazaz Wangu, Denise Weaver, and Michele Zirkle. 

Proceeds benefit Allegheny Children’s Initiative—Partners For Quality, Inc.

 

My thoughts:

 

This is such an amazing compilation of stories about love! There are stories about romantic love, friendship, family love, and even what love isn't (there's a story about house remodels, and how we don't "love" that sink/cabinet/etc!) 

 

This is a fun group of short stories from an amazing bunch of authors. Some are very short (a page or two) and others are several pages long, but they all pack a punch! The beauty for me is that if a story or writing style wasn't a favorite, there's a new story to read in a page or two. But those that hit you in the heartstrings make you feel long after you finish reading them!

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Book Excerpts

Finn & Chloe

Kathleen Shoop

O

nce upon a time a guy sat in a bar. Stood up, mortified, unmoored. Finn Corbett’s perfect life had been balled up and tossed into the garbage like a plane spiraled out of the sky when its engine gave out. He sighed then downed the rest of his Iron City Light, glancing around the Three Rivers Tavern. Had anyone noticed the fat bouquet of ranunculus sitting beside him like it was his Valentine date? He’d gone to three florists on his postal route to find the right combination of every shade of pink and red colors that ValentineDreamer2 had said would melt her heart.

Turns out she was heartless, leaving a guy to stew in his ranunculus juices after sounding so excited to meet him. He checked his watch. Over an hour late. The lights dimmed, the dancefloor filled, and the band cranked out its first moody love song. Time to escape. He slid a twenty for a $4.50 beer under the bottle and stuffed the bouquet into his mail bag. Slipping out of the booth, trying to stay as small as possible, he jiggled the table, knocking the bottle off. A waitress breezed past, scooping it up just before it hit the floor. She set it on the table and bent down. “Um, your flowers.” She straightened bearing a couple of stems.

Pulling up to his full six feet four height, his hairline pricked with sweat.

“They tumbled out of your bag there… oh…” she brushed the blooms with her fingertips. “Like velvet. Ranunculus. A lucky la-dy…” her voice trailed off when she looked back at the table and realized there was no lady. She shoved them toward him. “They’re beautiful.”

“Keep ’em.”

Her face brightened, but before she said more, a customer called her away. Finn pulled his bag-strap over his shoulder and balked, the shocking pain reminding him he’d never get back on the pitcher’s mound if he didn’t baby it a little. Switching the bag to his other shoulder he limped, dismayed. He stopped and lifted his foot. What had he done to it? The leap over the fence when the Rottweiler chased him? The slip off the wet curb when the downpour kept Mrs. Renfrew on her porch with a letter she’d forgotten to add to the box?

He shook his head. Five months since he’d been released by the minor-league baseball team, Altoona Curve. There was only one way back to making his dream come true and that was to be fully healthy. Turns out, being cut from Double-A ball, having no savings or health insurance, made that harder to do than most would expect. But then his luck shifted, just a little tiny bit, like the sun splitting through dark clouds and an ump saying “Play ball,” he found the job as a postal carrier in Pittsburgh.

It had been perfect. His route kept him moving, he had the energy to work out and do physical therapy in the evening and the job paid that bill. All seemed to be going in the right direction until that night there in the tavern when his aloneness sat heavy as a just-filled mailbag. Weaving through dancing couples toward the exit, he considered that he’d never been stood up before, not once in his entire life. Perhaps he should have added the fact he had been (and soon would be again, he just knew it) a professional baseball player to his profile, and ValentineDreamer2 would be nesting the ranunculus in her arms that very moment.

But then he’d have to explain the whole system, why he wasn’t playing right then. It was true, very few people understood the competition in Double-A ball was often better than Triple-A… oh, there he went again. How often did he talk about baseball? Maybe ValentineDreamer2 could sense it through the internet, his self-centeredness sucking away all the energy in the room. Wasn’t that what Sarah had always said to him? Yep. He shook his head as he wove through the Valentine lovers, arms looped around necks, as bodies melded on the dance floor. Perhaps his loneliness had settled in long before he admitted it that night. Perhaps he was getting just what he deserved.

***

Angelica
(A Toxic Botanical Romance)

Lorraine Donohue Bonzelet

A

ngelica’s veins oozed of envy and spite. The sap coursed around her, bleeding down to her last veinlet. The unwanted jealousy was uncontrollable – and it was all Rosemary’s fault!

Before Rosemary’s herbaceous arrival, Edelweiss hovered over Angelica, showering her with loving dew-drops in the morning and glistening winks of his filaments at sunset. He hung high overhead from the rock wall’s crag, anchoring his roots deep into the gritty crevices.

Angelica lived amongst the wildflowers in the field below. She was grateful that she stood a solid foot above the others and closest to Edelweiss’s reach. He was her Noble White Matterhorn and she was his Chartreuse Elixir.

Angelica swooned remembering the days when she would splay her umbels wide and flash her snowy starburst to get Edelweiss’s attention. She wished that his silvery-white leaves would reach down to protect her from the sun and his hairy bracts caress her. Now, looking lovingly up at Edelweiss, all she could see was Rosemary’s orangish underside.

A tender perennial, Rosemary sat in her terracotta throne with the other potted plants: happy-go-lucky pansies, delicately drooping fuchsia, and sweet alyssum. Her handcrafted earthenware accentuated the oversized wrought iron stand that was strategically placed against the rock wall – blocking Angelica’s view of Edelweiss. The entitled plants luxuriated in a three-tiered towering complex, soaking up the organic tilth. From dawn of day until dark of night Rosemary flaunted her soft summer-blue flowers and petite sapid needles. She could almost, but not quite, touch Edelweiss. He shortened the gap, stretching his fuzzy filaments in her direction.

Angelica, on the other hand, was down with the dirt-trodden muck, disrespectfully grouped with the weeds. Her blistering sap was bubbling over! She could not allow Rosemary to connect with her true love. Born and bred on the wild side, Angelica had strong invasive and irritating qualities. But even with all of that going for her, she couldn’t tackle this devious task alone. Angelica called upon the queen of poisons, Aconite. Together they would formulate a lethal toxin to take out Rosemary and win back the undivided attention of Edelweiss. Aconite, the root of all evil, was devilishly up for an herbicidal attack.

Meanwhile, the unsuspecting Rosemary enjoyed being pruned and pampered and praised.

***

For Cheeku

Madhu Bazaz Wangu

A new sun rises, golden yellow, exquisite.

You spread freshness of swaddled joy in my lap.

Lips velvety petals, black amber eyes, silken eyelashes.

Fussy cheeks, wrinkly neck, dimpled hands.

Delight rises from the bottom of my belly, my heart, my head.

I am showered with bliss.

“Do you know who I am?” I ask, smiling from ear to ear. You simply stare.

I can’t stop hugging, can’t stop kissing until

you lay in your bassinet under moonbeams.

When you cry, adoring parents wrap you in a cocoon.

You lull back into a womb like trance.

Kisses on your forehead, on your cheeks, on your tummy

leave a sweetness in me lingering like a lullaby.

My cradle song puts me to sleep to treasure the day in my dreams.

***

Also available in the Mindful Writers Retreat Series...

Into the Woods is the title and theme for this assortment of short stories, poems, essays, music, and one walking meditation. Each piece is unique in tone and genre and the result is that the collection captures the fascinating, frightening, fun, healing, and fantastical wonder of time spent in the woods. The twenty-six contributors who attend Mindful Writers Retreats in the mountains of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, are donating one hundred percent of the proceeds to support the research and work of The Children’s Heart Foundation.

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A holiday pastiche from the authors of Mindful Writers Retreat, sure to light your festive candles!

From a Thanksgiving snow storm that mends old feuds… to the family misunderstandings that fuel new ones… a quirky elf and some romantic stardust will get you ready to go Over the River and Through the Woods on a journey through time!

Proceeds benefit Ligonier Camp & Conference Center Home of the Mindful Writers Retreats, Ligonier, PA

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Mindful Writers Retreat Authors 

The Mindful Writers retreat together several times a year in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. While there, they write books and come up with some wonderful stories. They share these in their anthologies.

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Winners Prize - 
$50 Amazon.com Gift Card plus a Love on the Edge paperback
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My True Love Review and Giveaway

NEW RELEASE........
Can a man who resents the hand he’s been dealt and a woman who spends her days grateful for every little thing find true love in each other’s arms—or are their differences stronger than both of them? Find out in this funny, sexy, heartfelt romance, and fall in love with Grant and Jules on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, and midnight rendezvous.

Even war heroes need a little help sometimes... 

After spending years fighting for his country and too damn long learning to navigate life with a prosthetic leg, Grant Silver returns to Silver Island to figure out a future he couldn’t fathom without fatigues and a gun in his hand. He’d almost forgotten how a man could suffocate from the warmth and caring community in which he’d grown up, and if that weren’t bad enough, his buddies’ beautiful and far-too-chipper younger sister won’t stop flitting into his life, trying to sprinkle happy dust everywhere she goes. 

As a cancer survivor, Jules Steele knows better than to count on seeing tomorrow. She doesn't take a single moment for granted, and she isn’t about to let a man who used to be charming and full of life waste the future he’s been blessed with. She's determined to get through to him, even if it takes a few steamy kisses... 

Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone or may be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance.

The Steeles at Silver Island 

(order of future books subject to change). 

TEMPTED BY LOVE (Jock) 

MY TRUE LOVE (Jules) 

CAUGHT BY LOVE (Archer) - releasing December 2021

ALWAYS HER LOVE (Levi) 

ENTICING HER LOVE (Sutton) 

WILD ISLAND LOVE (Leni)

 

My thoughts:

 

Oh my! This book made me grin, cry and steamed up my e-reader! Grant is a wonderful man who has been broken by so many things in his life. His parents' relationship breakdown guided his childhood, and his wartime injury took away almost everything he loved from adulthood.

Jules survived cancer at a young age, and has since lived every life to its fullest. She is joyous and helps everyone, so when her attraction to Grant builds, she obviously tries to cheer him up. As she slowly chips away at his surliness, Grant begins to fall for her too.

But can they survive his anger towards the past? As they fall deeper into a relationship their differences are even more pronounced. Can their fledgling relationship survive?

As always, Melissa Foster is an amazing writer, and you get tidbits about your favorite characters from her previous books (along with hints about future books)!

 

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    Kobo    Apple   GPlay   Paperback

Coming soon to audio!

"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" - NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely​

"You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" - New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak 

"With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!" - New York Times Bestseller J. Kenner

Tempted by Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, Book 1)

Enjoy heart-meltingly beautiful and toe-curlingly sexy romance in Tempted by Love, an emotionally riveting story about a man who has lost it all and carries a torturous secret, a divorced single mother who has everything to lose, and the little girl who helps them heal. Fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles.

In TEMPTED BY LOVE… 
Years ago, bestselling author Jack “Jock” Steele lost his girlfriend and baby in a horrific accident that drove a wedge between Jock and his family, keeping him from sharing a devastating secret. An aging philanthropist saved him from the brink of despair, and for a decade Jock cared for his ailing friend who became his family. Now his friend has passed away and left him a fortune—on the condition that he publishes another book. Jock is floundering, unsure how to rebuild the life he’d walked away from, much less find his muse, have another relationship with a woman, or even think about having a family of his own. But he can’t get his sweet, sexy new friend, single-mother Daphne Zablonski out of his head, and her adorable toddler must know something he doesn’t, because she wraps her tiny fingers around his heart and won’t let go.

Daphne has been through the wringer with her ex-husband and doesn’t believe true love is in the cards for her. Friends she can handle, but letting a man see her mom bod naked? Especially someone as strikingly handsome and unbelievably sexy as Jock? No, thank you. Besides, she has a toddler to chase after and enough fictional boyfriends to fill her lonely nights. If only her book boyfriends could make her body tingle the way one look from her mysterious neighbor does.

As Jock and Daphne’s friendship turns to something too tempting to deny, their lives take an unexpected turn. Can a man who has lost everything find redemption with a woman who has everything to lose? And then there’s that secret…

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    Kobo    Apple   GPlay   Paperback   Audible

Releasing December 2021!!!

Caught by Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, Book 3)

Fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles. They have a penchant for pranks, a passion for loyalty, and a trunk full of secrets.

Archer Steele is one of the leading vintners on the East Coast. He’s arrogant, aggressive, and has never been interested in settling down, which is what makes his hookups with his sister’s beautiful blond best friend, hair and makeup artist Indi Oliver, the perfect escape. But Indi’s toying with moving to the island, and when she ends their no-strings trysts to focus on her business, Archer isn’t ready to let her go…

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    Kobo    Apple   GPlay   Paperback   Audible

About the author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance and new adult romance lovers who enjoy reading about loyal, wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex relatable issues.

Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name Addison Cole.

Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!

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Find Melissa on the following sites....

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