Book Monday: Captured By Love, Jody Hedlund

Hello everyone! I haven't visited this blog in quite a bit. I'm afraid that life is catching up to me, and handling Swept to Sea AND the publication process of Carried Home AND writing Tossed Together AND handling senior year at high school with its ACT prep and scholarship applications AND all of my other activities make it too much to keep my old blog schedule. 

Please bear with me and follow my blog/FB page/Twitter to get the latest updates from me. 

Anyway, I finally finished a book! This review is of Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund. 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"Michigan Territory, 1814
A voyageur and a young woman swept up in a time of upheaval and danger
discover firsthand the high price of freedom.

The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.
Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who's grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.
As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they'll risk for love."


MY THOUGHTS:
I really liked this book!

This is set on Michilimackinac Island, also known as Mackinac Island to modern-day people. (I've visited this island before, so that made it even more special!) But this book is set during 1814, almost 200 years before I went there.

It follows the story of Angelique, who lives on the island with her crazy-cruel stepfather, who strongly limits how she may live. She is reunited with her childhood friends, Pierre and Jean, during the course of this novel.

I felt that the characters were very well written, and I loved all of them. This story had enough action, romance, and history in it to make me love it.

Win a Signed Copy of Swept to Sea

Say Happy New Years to yourself when you win a signed print copy of Swept to Sea!

My friend Jessica interviewed me on her blog and is giving away a signed copy of my book. How neat is that?
To enter, please head over to her blog or enter right below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: With Every Breath

I recently read With Every Breath By Elizabeth Camden.
Here's a little about the book:

"In the shadow of the nation's capital, Kate Livingston's respectable life as a government worker is disrupted by an encounter with the insufferable Trevor McDonough, the one man she'd hoped never to see again. A Harvard-trained physician, Trevor never showed the tiniest flicker of interest in Kate, and business is the only reason he has sought her out now.
Despite her misgivings, Kate agrees to Trevor's risky proposal to join him in his work to find a cure for tuberculosis. As Kate begins to unlock the mysteries of Trevor's past, his hidden depths fascinate her. However, a shadowy enemy lies in wait and Trevor's closely guarded secrets are darker than she ever suspected.

As revelations from the past threaten to destroy their careers, their dreams, and even their lives, Trevor and Kate find themselves in a painfully impossible situation. With everything to lose, they must find the strength to trust that hope and love can prevail over all. "

Here's what I thought:

This was the first book I've read by this author, and WOW, was this good!
I am going to be going back and reading all of her other books pretty soon. It's always great to find a new author whose writing you like.
This story follows Kate and Trevor, who have been competing with each other all their lives, since they were around thirteen years old. Now, many years later, they are reunited as Trevor hires the brilliant Kate to work with him as an assistant at his hospital, where he is fighting to find a cure for tuberculosis with a group of terminally ill patients.
Trouble ensues as someone seems to be planting false evidence and spreading bad rumors about Trevor, bringing out secrets from the past. Will Kate and Trevor find love in the midst of sickness and attack? Will Trevor survive the lies being spread about his career?
I LOVED everything about this book and was sad when it was over. 

Book Spotlight: Queen by Heather Gray

Hey everyone! Today I have a book spotlight for you. This book was written by my fellow Astraea Press author Heather Gray!

Back Cover Blurb:

You can't hide from the past.

Queen's world was shattered, and she was banished to a foreign land. Years pass before she dares to return, but what she finds is of little comfort. Greed and dishonesty have festered and grown in her absence. Embittered and cynical, Queen trusts few people.

Owen pursues a clandestine investigation and finds himself working side-by-side with a veritable ghost, an agent few have seen, a master of disguise known simply as Queen.  He craves her trust…but then uncovers a secret from his family's past that could destroy her.

Queen once sought refuge in America and now seeks it in disguise. Owen has always found his refuge in God, but will his faith be strong enough for the challenges ahead? Can he convince Queen to stop hiding, or is he doomed to become her most hated enemy?

Excerpt:

"I don't want him knowing what either of you look like. You need to leave until I get him back to the inn."

"It's not safe."

"The situation is a disaster, but he's safe. I trust him."

Owen listened to the voices. The first was Isadore/Iola. Thankfully, she'd dropped the horrible screech she'd been using as part of the barmaid act. The other belonged to a man. Older, he guessed, but he couldn't say by how much.

"I don't like it. This isn't part of the plan."

A woman's voice, also older. Isadore/Iola's parents?

The voices talked some more in a hushed whisper, then a door opened and closed.

"You can stop pretending to be unconscious, Mr. Loring."

"How do you know my name?" Owen sat up, his movement slow. He winced at the pain while taking in his surroundings. He was on a pallet in the main room of a small cottage. His hand explored the source of his discomfort and found a tender lump on the back of his head.

"I make it my business to learn things about people." She stood near the front door, not very far away in the smallness of the room. Her frizzy red hair looked as if it might take flight were it not held down by the small linen cap that was part of her uniform at the inn.

"I'm at a disadvantage, then, because I'm fairly certain I don't know your name. Isadore. Or should I say Iola?"

A kind of tired silence was her only response, and Owen decided to go for the jugular.

"Maybe it's Queen?"

Her hissed intake of breath told him he'd hit the mark.

"I stopped to visit Peter on my way here. He mentioned you two went fishing."

She smiled then, and the lines of tension eased from around her eyes. "Peter never mentions anything on accident."

Owen stared, puzzling out her words. "You didn't go fishing, did you?"

A quick shake of the head. "But you and I appear to be fishing in the same pond."

Peter had always been a sly fox. He'd told Owen, but the younger agent hadn't listened.

"Nobody's seen you in these parts for a long time."

She tipped her head in agreement. "Four years."

"Where have you been?"

"Does it matter?" She frowned at him.

"You told someone in this room that you trust me. So trust me now. Tell me what's going on."

"Where do I start?"

"Your name would be a good place."

Her mouth again stretched wide, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and light danced in the blue orbs. "Let's stick with Queen for now."

Author Bio:

Heather Gray authors the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series, including Mail Order Man, Just Dessert, and Redemption.  She also writes the Regency Refuge series: His Saving Grace, Jackal, and Queen - plus contemporary titles Ten Million Reasons and Nowhere for Christmas.  Aside from a long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys are her relationships with her Savior and family.  Heather loves to laugh, and this theme is prevalent in her writing where, through the highs and lows of life, her characters find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.

You can find Heather online at http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting, http://www.twitter.com/laughdreamwrite, and http://www.heathergraywriting.com.  She can also be found most days at The Inspired Inkpot, a street team, prayer group, and all around awesome place to hang out - http://www.facebook.com/groups/theinspiredinkpot.

Buy Links:

Amazon US –  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8ACR1C/

Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P8ACR1C/

Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-heather-gray/1120679916

Kobo – http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/queen-21

Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/490805

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/queen/id937948777

Where to Find Me:

My Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+Heathergraywritingnow

Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/LaughDreamWrite

Catch Up Friday: TV, Book Signings, Contract, Oh My!

I have been ridiculously busy for a long time, and I am sorry to have neglected this blog!

Here's a little bit of what I have been up to:

1. I dressed as a black and white Audrey Hepburn for Halloween.

2. I signed a book contract with my publisher for Carried Home, sequel to Swept to Sea.

3. I was Dorothy in my school's skit of Wizard of Oz.

4. I was on TV.

(Watch Heather Manning's Report on Fox 4 News.)

5. I met Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

(If you live in the area, go see this amazing show at the Coterie Theatre!)

6. I will be signing copies of Swept to Sea at  the Woodneath Library Center. 
Stop by and get a signed copy of Swept to Sea for yourself and for a Christmas gift!

Book Review Monday: Golden Daughter Review

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I have been neglecting this blog so much lately...between book contracts, writing, homework, and college search, I have been terribly busy!

I have a guest review for you today from Cortney. Here's what she thought of Anne Elisabeth Stengl's latest novel:

Thanks for having me here, Heather!

Dreams, bodyguards, secret orders, divided families and kingdoms, war, adventure, love, and of course… dragons all meld together in this epic new book of the Tales of Goldstone Wood.  With Golden Daughter, Anne Elisabeth Stengl proves once more that she has been blessed with a tremendous gift for writing powerful, moving, and emotional tales.

Vibrant new characters join familiar favorites to create a unique cast of heroes and villains that you can’t help but love.  Sairu, a Golden Daughter, is placed in the service of Lady Hariawan, a Dream Walker.  To the eyes of many, she is nothing more than a handmaiden, but in reality, she is a highly trained bodyguard, devoted to her mistress for the rest of her life.

But other forces are at work, and Lady Hariawan is not the only Dream Walker, nor is she the only one in need of protection.  A fan favorite returns in this book of the series to guard Sairu herself, and the bond that forms between these two is both lovely and unique.

Another returning favorite is the mighty villain, the Dragon, who seeks to fulfill his own dark purpose.  Aiding him are many who feel displaced and angry with their lot in life.

At the same time, two brothers are divided by hatred and jealousy, and readers will be pleasantly surprised to discover a bit more of Sunan’s (from Goddess Tithe) backstory.

Several other mysteries are explained, including one which has been referenced multiple times since the beginning of the series in Heartless.  Also, readers may discover threads woven throughout the story that are reminiscent of the Old Testament accounts of Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and even Adam and Eve.  Truly Golden Daughter is an epic tale with far-reaching effects upon the worlds of Goldstone Wood, yet the struggles of the individual characters makes it relatable, and the powerful description breathes life to the characters and their story.

I would highly recommend Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl to any fan of Fantasy or even any fan of reading.  However, if you intend to read the entire series of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, then I would recommend beginning with Heartless and reading through the rest of the books in the order they were written.  Either way, you are certainly in for a treat with this delightful story and series!