Fever Season - The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings on Friday

     It's fun to step outside my usual genre and read something completely different, and that certainly applies to Fever Season. The protagonist in this story is "a free man of color" (Benjamin January), living in New Orleans in 1833, not long before the War Between the States. He is a physician and a musician, but his life is filled with uncertainty because of his race. 
     The story fascinated me, and I learned a lot about the realities of that time and place while being caught up in the mystery. Fever Season is the second book in the thirteen-book Benjamin January series. 

Book Beginning:
     In fever season, traffic in the streets was thin. Those who could afford to do so had left New Orleans with the ending of Lent; those who could not had all through the long summer hurried about their business as if Bronze John, as they called the sickness, were a creditor one could avoid if one kept off the streets.
     Midday, the molten September heat raised steam from the water in the French town's cypress-lined gutters and the rain puddles in the soupy streets. Mephitic light filtered through clouds of steamboat soot from the levees and gave the town the look of a grimy but inexplicably pastel-walled hell. Only those whose errands were pressing walked the streets then.
[Can't you just feel the oppressive humidity and the fear of yellow fever?]

The Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
He felt a little safer, this close to New Orleans, but never ceased to listen before him and behind. Each time he heard the crunch of hooves approaching from either direction he quickly left the oyster-shell pathway and waited in the woods until whoever was passing him had vanished from sight.

Genre: Mystery / Historical
Length: 417 Pages
Amazon Link: Fever Season
Author's Website: Barbara Hambly

Synopsis from Amazon:
     Benjamin January made his debut in bestselling author Barbara Hambly's A Free Man of Color, a haunting mélange of history and mystery. Now he returns in another novel of greed, madness, and murder amid the dark shadows and dazzling society of old New Orleans, named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times.
     The summer of 1833 has been one of brazen heat and brutal pestilence, as the city is stalked by Bronze John—the popular name for the deadly yellow fever epidemic that tests the healing skills of doctor and voodoo alike. Even as Benjamin January tends the dying at Charity Hospital during the steaming nights, he continues his work as a music teacher during the day.
     When he is asked to pass a message from a runaway slave to the servant of one of his students, January finds himself swept into a tempest of lies, greed, and murder that rivals the storms battering New Orleans. And to find the truth he must risk his freedom...and his very life.
FYI: This versatile author has written fantasy, romance, science fiction, mystery, and vampire stories. 
                

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Twitter: @SandyNachlinger

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Summertime - First Chapter / First Paragraph / Tuesday Intros and Teaser Tuesday

In Summertime, author Christina Cole takes a successful actress from 1914 San Francisco and returns her to her hometown in rural Kansas. At first, heroine Linn ("Linnie Mae") Sparks is not a likable character - much too full of herself. However, as the story progresses, her attitude and motives begin to make sense and she also changes her outlook. This book is a romance so there's an expected happy ending, but Ms. Cole kept me wondering - would the story end with Linn and Ed living happily ever after or merely happy for now?    


Beginning:
Brookfield, Kansas 1914
Three days. Not a moment longer. She would attend to business first thing Monday morning, and by Tuesday afternoon she would be on her way back home to San Francisco.
Back home where she belonged.

Teaser (at 80% on my Kindle):
"I figured out that it's not what's gone before that matters. It's what comes after that makes a difference in our lives."

Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 284 Pages
Amazon Link: Summertime
Other Books by This Author: Christina Cole's Amazon Author Page


Synopsis from Amazon:
      Linn Sparks wanted all life had to offer. Fame, fortune, glamour and excitement. She found it as a star of the stage at the Crown Theater in San Francisco.
      For Ed Ferguson, life was far less complicated. All he wanted was Linnie Mae, but she’d left him standing alone at the altar seven years before when she’d run off to pursue her dreams.
      Now, Linn Sparks has come home to Brookfield, Kansas.
      But coming back means facing a lot of unpleasant realities: a strained relationship with a father who never wanted her, a mother whose grasp on sanity is slipping away, and the feelings she still has for the love she left behind.
      Ed still wants Linnie Mae, but he knows she won’t stay. How can he spend the summer being near her and not get his heart broken again?
      Between them, passions flare in the heat of SUMMERTIME.

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somewhere in a book you're
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Sweet & Historical Romance Blog Hop

Here's a chance to meet some great authors and take a look at their books. A group of writers from Sweet Cravings Publishing and Secret Cravings Publishing have joined together for a giveaway today and tomorrow, featuring historical romances and sweet romances. Be sure to visit every blog along the way for excerpts and a chance at some great giveaways (including a $25 gift card!)

Here's a scene from BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY*, followed by details of how to win a free ebook copy. FYI: Reader's Favorite says, "This was a well written romantic comedy with a hint of mystery and enough kooky characters to keep you interested right from the beginning."

After lunch, Derek drove them to the home improvement store to buy locks and hinges, then to a nearby supermarket before taking Elly home. When he stopped under the carport and turned to her, he leaned forward as if to give her a goodbye kiss. She shook her head and pointed to the trailer. Sure enough, the blinds were parted with Granny’s face visible inside.

To Elly’s surprise, Derek put the truck into reverse and backed out of the driveway. She turned and asked, “Where are we going?”

“Not far.” He drove back through the neighborhood’s gate, took a left, and stopped by a roadside park. With only birds and squirrels as witnesses, he turned to Elly and pulled her into his arms. She lifted her hands to his neck and ran her fingers through the dark hair above his collar. When his lips touched hers, a wave of heat surged from her lips all the way to her toes.

Leaning back, Derek smiled and brushed Elly’s curls from her cheek. “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since I picked you up, and there’s no way Mrs. M was going to stop me.”

A blush warmed Elly’s cheeks. She leaned forward and they kissed until she could barely breathe. When his tongue explored her mouth, she leaned even closer, tilting her head, savoring his taste. Derek’s lips moved from her mouth along the curve of her jaw to a sweet spot right beneath her earlobe. She caught her breath when goosebumps traveled along her arms.

When they stopped to catch their breath, Derek looked around as if expecting someone to tap on his window and ask them to move along. Then he chuckled, and the low rumble of his laughter warmed Elly even more. “I feel like a teenager, making out in the car, don’t you? I guess I’d better get you home.”

Elly nodded and moved back to her side of the truck.

He’s right, of course. But, ooooh, he’s a good kisser.

*BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY falls into the sweet category. There's plenty of fooling around and sexual tension between Derek and Elly, but when they get down to the nitty gritty, the bedroom door is closed.

WIN A FREE COPY!!

Leave a comment below (along with your EMAIL ADDRESS) for a chance to win an ebook copy of Bluebonnets for Elly.

Then hop to the next blog on the "Sweet and Historical Blog Hop Tour" for more great prizes. Here's the link:  BLOG HOP

The Most Unsuitable Wife - Teaser Tuesday & First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros

I do love historical western romances, especially those set in Texas, so I knew I'd enjoy THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE by Caroline Clemmons. What I liked best about this book was the strong heroine. Pearl has been responsible for taking care of other people her whole life, and she doesn't back away from challenges. But her self-sufficiency causes trouble. Drake is completely clueless when it comes to knowing what Pearl wants. He tells her: "I didn't ask you to change who you are. But couldn't you have tried to fit in a little until I got home? Go to a few tea parties and listen to women prattle? How hard could that be?" For Pearl, it's like punishment! A mystery adds tension to the plot--why are bad guys trying to cause Pearl harm?

THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE is Book One of The Kincaids Series, and I'm looking forward to reading the others soon.

FIRST PARAGRAPH:
Texas hill country, March 10, 1878
     "Marry by my thirtieth birthday or lose this ranch to my worthless uncle?" Seething with rage and betrayal, Drake Kincaid stepped off the porch of his ranch house, glared back at his grandfather and cousin Lex. "How could my own flesh and blood put me in this position? All I've worked for hangs by a wedding ring and a lace noose."

TEASER from 24% on my Kindle. 
"He--well, he hates me for having the nerve to turn down his marriage proposal four years ago. Dessie hates me because she knows he asked me before he proposed to her."

Genre: Historical Western Romance
Length: 248 Pages
Amazon Link: The Most Unsuitable Wife
Other Books by Caroline Clemmons: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis from Amazon:
Sensual Western Romance: Pearl Parker has to get her rag tag family away from Piper's Hollow, TN before more mischief finds them. Drake Kincaid's surprise proposal offers the solution she needs. But neither Drake nor Pearl realize trouble will follow them to Texas or why. Pearl is not the wife Drake's grandfather envisioned when he ordered Drake to marry by his 30th birthday. Pearl is not the meek wife Drake envisioned and he soon learns she has a mind of her own. Humor, adventure, murder, kidnapping and arson invade the passion this couple shares.

 Oops! This book has a new cover! It's gorgeous, isn't it?

  

Share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you are reading. Here's the link: Bibliophile By The Sea

Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please! Here's the link: Should Be Reading

Keeping Faith - Teaser Tuesday

I think I'm in love with Tom Henderson, the hero in KEEPING FAITH. Tom and his sister were raised in poverty - neglected and uneducated - but in spite of that rocky start, he grew into a good and caring man. I'm enjoying the story of how this cowboy's life changes when he takes on his deceased sister's baby as his responsibility.

In my Teaser, Lucille (a local seamstress and the story's heroine) is teaching Tom to read and she's wondering if he's more than just a good-looking cowboy.

Teaser (from 35% on my Kindle):
He played hard, but he worked hard, too. He showed the world a devil-may-care attitude, but she wondered now if perhaps beneath the dimpled smile and light-hearted words, a far more serious side existed. She wanted to get to know him better.

Genre: Western Historical Romance
Length: 292 Pages
Amazon Link: Keeping Faith (The Sunset Series - Book 2)
Other Books by Christina Cole: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
      Everything they say about Tom Henderson is true. Born in a barn, the bastard son of a drunken whore, he’s got nothing to offer, and any dreams he might have are as far away as the distant snow-capped Rockies -- and probably as unattainable. He’s long had his eye on pretty Lucille McIntyre, but that’s just one more impossible dream.
      Lucille has always been considered the prettiest and most popular girl in Sunset, but her father’s sudden death has left her shaken and sad. Now, life seems to be passing her by.
      When a prim and proper spinster arrives to deliver a squalling 3-month-old infant to Tom, his life and Lucille’s both change. His decision to keep the baby girl sets off a firestorm among the good ladies in town who don’t consider him fit to raise a child.
      Together, Tom and Lucille will do anything in their struggle for keeping Faith.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Twitter: @sandynachlinger

Not the Marrying Kind - Teaser Tuesday

   When I started reading NOT THE MARRYING KIND, I assumed the character who wasn't interested in getting married would be the hero. Wrong! The heroine is the one who doesn't want a spouse. 
   Cole's characters are not stereotypical. Although Kat Phillips is a determined young woman, she isn't your usual headstrong female who rushes from calamity to calamity because of her impulsiveness. And Joshua, the hero, doesn't instantly fall in love with Kat and rush in to save the day. Both characters have believable conflicts - internal and external - that they have to overcome.

Christina's next book - KEEPING FAITH - is scheduled for release by Secret Cravings Publishing on July 1. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Teaser (from 51% on my Kindle):
Kat Phillips was anything but stupid. Trusting, yes. Stupid, no. She loved her father and didn't believe him capable of duplicity.

Genre: Historical Western Romance
Length: 283 Pages
Amazon Link: Not The Marrying Kind
Other Books by Christina Cole: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis:
     Kat Phillips is not the marrying kind. She can’t cook, keep house, or sew a stitch. When her father takes sick and decides to sell the Rocking P ranch, Kat must either follow his wishes and marry the lackluster minister in town or find a husband for herself. 
     Joshua Barron comes to the Colorado Territory to make a new start. Nothing means more to him than freedom. He arrives at the cabin where he’ll be staying with his reclusive, crazy-as-a-coot cousin, and realizes Cody desperately needs a wife. His thoughts go at once to the long-legged redhead he met in the foothills. 
     When Kat realizes the handsome stranger is looking for a wife, she’s determined to prove she’s got all the skills required to please a man...even if she has to lie to do it. She has no idea that Joshua is involved in a few lies of his own.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Twitter: @sandynachlinger

Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56 - FASTER THAN THE REST

I do love western romances, and this second book in the MacLarens of Fire Mountain series is no exception. Outlaws, hunky ranchers, family bonds, a lifelong love - author Shirleen Davies combines all those elements to make FASTER THAN THE REST one heck of a good story.

Book Beginnings on Friday (opening lines from the Prologue):
"Stop right there, Wicklin." The man's voice came out of nowhere, hard and unwavering. It was well past midnight in the deserted wharf area of San Francisco, a time when people could disappear without a trace.

Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle): 
It has been almost a week - six days and nights - and no sign of him. She thought they'd started something together. They'd spoken of marriage.

Genre: Historical Western Romance
Number of Pages: 212
Amazon Link: Faster Than The Rest
Only $2.99 for your Kindle. Available in paperback too. The third book in the series -- HARDER THAN THE REST -- is due out in November.

Synopsis on Amazon: 
      Headstrong, brash, confident, and complex, the MacLarens of Fire Mountain will captivate you with strong characters set in the wild and rugged western frontier.
      Handsome, ruthless, young U.S. Marshal Jamie MacLaren had lost everything—his parents, his family connections, and his childhood sweetheart—but now he’s back in Fire Mountain and ready for another chance. Just as he successfully reconnects with his family and starts to rebuild his life, he gets the unexpected and unwanted assignment of rescuing the woman who broke his heart.
      Beautiful, wealthy Victoria Wicklin chose money and power over love, but is now fighting for her life—or is she? Who has she become in the seven years since she left Fire Mountain to take up her life in San Francisco? Is she really as innocent as she says?
      Marshal MacLaren struggles to learn the truth and do his job, but the past and present lead him in different directions as his heart and brain wage battle. Is Victoria a victim or a villain? Is life offering him another chance, or just another heartbreak?
      As Jamie and Victoria struggle to uncover past secrets and come to grips with their shared passion, another danger arises. A life-altering danger that is out of their control and threatens to destroy any chance for a shared future.

*********

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 

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