The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch

Donna Hatch has authored another great Regency novel titled The Guise of a Gentlemen. It is number two in the Rogue Heart Series. The first book is The Stranger She Married featuring Cole Amesbury which I very much enjoyed reading and have previously given a review.

Each book is a stand-alone story, about a different brother of the Amesbury family, and the family members wander in and out of each other’s books. Jared Amesbury is the daring and impulsive hero of The Guise of a Gentleman.

Here is the back-of-the-book synopsis:

The widowed Elise is a perfect English lady living within the confines of society for the sake of her impressionable young son. Her quiet world is shattered when she meets the impulsive and scandalous Jared Amesbury. His roguish charm awakens her yearning for freedom and adventure. But his irrepressible grin and sea-green eyes hide a secret.

A gentleman by day, a pirate by night, Jared accepts one last assignment before he can be truly free. Elise gives him hope that he, too, can find love and belonging. His hopes are crushed when his best laid plans go awry and Elise is dragged into his world of violence and deceit. She may not survive the revelation of Jared’s past…or still love him when the truth is revealed.

The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch is available at Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Mormon Mishaps and Mischief - a fun book!

It is good we can laugh at ourselves, knowing we are a peculiar people. Very peculiar. Nicole Giles and Cindy Beck, in a way only they can, have captured some of our most hilarious moments.

Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Ward meetings have never been so funny!

This collection of humorous anecdotes from celebrated LDS authors shows off Church members at their finest. From primary pranks to cheeky comments made by Zion’s youth to high priests hijinx, no age group is immune to the potential for humor.

Though it may not be in the official Word of Wisdom, laughter really is the best medicine. Whether you’re a senior missionary, or an eight-year-old graduating to senior primary, you’re bound to get a kick out of these silly stories.

Read about:

*The preschooler who was afraid of being eaten by ‘Sunbeans’

* Establishing Zion in Cougar Stadium

*The ‘oddmonition’ of Paul

*The 14^th article of faith

*Doing battle with the “Laman Knights”

*A young women outing that almost landed the class behind bars…and lots more!

Perfect for those long Sunday afternoons, Mormon Mishaps and Mischief will keep your family laughing all week long!

Visit Mormon Mishaps and Mischief 's website.

Queen of Exile by Donna Hatch--just released!

As much as I enjoyed The Stranger She Married, I am looking forward to reading Donna Hatch's recently released Queen of Exile. Donna is an excellent Regency writer, and I'm sure her newest novel will be as well written as her others.

"Queen in Exile weaves a glorious tale of romance and mystery with an exiled princess, a dark hero, and magic. Princess Jeniah is strong-willed and kind and Kai, the Darborian knight, is the type of hero that every girl secretly wishes they could have--incredibly handsome, loyal to a fault, and one that will always protect you. Queen in Exile is a spellbinding read."-Amesbury Reads blogspot

Here is the synopsis:
Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah’s peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telepathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim,
Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen
of Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny.
Rachel Anderson also says "Donna Hatch is a skillful author that draws the reader into her fantasy world filled with duocorns and wrywolves. . . .[Donna Hatch] is a proven regency romance writer. I'd say she stepped it up a notch by moving into the fantasy genre."

Click here to read the entire first chapter.

Missing by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

I have been on several choir tours, but never like the one Stacie Cox experiences during the BYU-Idaho choir tour in British Columbia.

When Stacie stands to sing a solo during a concert at the Craigdarroch Castle, she sees, standing in the back of the room, four-year-old Becka, who months earlier had been kidnapped from Rexburg. Before the song ends, a woman leads the child out of the building.

Though she had never previously met Becka, she had been very involved in the initial search in Rexburg. Now that Stacie knows the girl is in Victoria, she becomes obsessed with rescuing her. She risks her life--for this young stranger.

Stacie must also deal with her guilt-ridden past and memories of another little girl that haunts her dreams.

When the talented and handsome Matt Brennan helps Stacie in the search, she tries to resist the attraction she feels for him, for she has resolved to never fall in love, to never marry. Yet he gains her friendship and trust.

Missing will keep your interest to the last page. It is a story of commitment, courage--and change of heart.

Buy Missing wherever LDS books are sold. Ronda's next novel, Trapped, will soon be released. Visit Ronda at her website.

Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack

This culinary mystery keeps you reading from the first sentence, "The first police car went by at 9:23 according to the clock on the microwave." Author Josi Kilpack keeps you guessing, leaving no stone unturned until the murder is solved. The main character is 56 years old--no college-age beauty--and I found it refreshing. She had much energy and wits about her--and of course there was a subtle romance that will probably carry on into Josi's next mystery English Trifle.

Can't wait to try the recipes!

Chocolate Roses--Share a funny story about a kiss.

Chocolate Roses is at the printers!

Janie Rose Whitaker’s whole world revolved around her chocolate shop until Roger Wentworth and his daughter Emily moved in next door. Anyone would think he fit the mold of the “perfect guy,” but soon Rose discovers the secrets of Roger’s life. The more Rose resists getting involved in his complex life, the further they are drawn into a bittersweet relationship. You will laugh, cry, and crave chocolate as you read this humorous LDS, Jane Eyre parody.

Since Chocolate Roses is a love story, I invite everyone to tell a funny story about a kiss--in good taste, of course. My story is the classic one. My date, hoping to get a kiss at the doorstep, leaned against the doorbell. My father greeted us seconds later. Needless to say, there was no kiss.

Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena

I truly loved reading ILLUMINATIONS OF THE HEART.

The author, Joyce DiPastena fell in love with the Middle Ages when she first read Thomas B. Costain’s THE CONQUERING FAMILY in high school. A graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree specializing in medieval history, Joyce lives in Arizona with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov.

Click here to read author interview with Joyce.

Synopsis:

"Clothilde." He spoke the name on a breath like a prayer. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

Her heart is lost in that first embrace, her world is shaken to its foundations. There is just one problem; her name is not Clothilde. It is Siriol de Calendri. Trained in the art of illumination in the far-off city of Venice, Siri is directed by her late brother's will to the county of Poitou in France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother's friend Sir Triston de Brielle. Once in Poitou, Siri hopes to find employment in an illuminator's shop - until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss.

Triston is a man of quiet honor and courage, but the guild he carries for the death of his late wife, Clothilde, has left him numb and hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. Or does she? Her merry laughter and twinkling eyes are very different from his late wife's shy smiles and quiet ways. Yet when he gazes into Siri's face, all he sees is Clothilde.

Then Triston's past returns to threaten them both. Will his tragic life with Clothilde be repeated with Siri? Trapped between the rivalry of the king's sons on the one hand and a neighbor out for vengeance on the other, Triston realizes it would be safer to send Siri away. But how can he bear to lose her again?

Siri is determined not to be cast off and not to live in another woman's shadow. She has illuminated many a priceless book with pen and paint. But can her own vibrant spirit illuminate the darkness in Triston's soul and make his heart beat for her alone?

This is Joyce's second novel, the first is Loyalty's Web, another delightful tale about the Middle Ages. Visit Joyce DiPastena at her fun blog.

Coyote's Grand Adventure by Tina Scott

Coyote dreams of flying everyday in his afternoon nap. Buzzard threatens to

eat Coyote and his friend Lizard, but Coyote makes a deal with the old Buzzard that changes the desert canine's flying career forever.

Join Coyote on his adventure of a lifetime as he learns how to make his dream come true.

"Get away from me, you crazy Buzzard." Coyote got up and shook off the dust. "I'll fly. I just need to practice first. If only there was a strong wind."

My three-year-old grandson loves us to read Coyote's Grand Adventure. I asked him what he liked about the story. He became very animated. "Because Coyote flies down and saves Lizard!"

Written by Tina Scott, Illustrated by Mary

Anne Scott.

Visit Tina Scott's blog and find out more about Coyote's grand adventure.

The Sharp Edge of a Knife

The Sharp Edge of a Knife by D. N. Giles is a true account of a religion teacher kidnapped by two cons and driven across Arizona into New Mexico. The men only want the teacher's car to take them eastward to where one of them knows he can get his hands on post office money. They think the only successful way to get the money is to kill the "preacher."

Through constant prayer, the teacher is inspired in what to say to these men that softens their hearts into not killing

him, ultimately saving his own life.

DN Giles does a great job in capturing this fascinating

story--one we all should read.

With God, all things are possible.

To read interview with DN Giles, click here.

The Right Promotion

My children live to make movies. They have several shorts on YouTube and have entered a few film festivals and even won awards. Listen to Mom—bragging again.

But an interesting thing happened within the last week. My sons and their friends made a live video version of the opening song “After Today” of The Goofy Movie released back in '95. After winning first place in the Phoenix Valley Institute Film Festival in November 2009, they put it on YouTube. In a little over three months, it had earned 5,000 views.

On Thursday of last week, the view count skyrocketed by thousands! After doing an Internet search, they found that two popular video sights had posted and recommended it.

Within a week, the video has had over 112,000 views. It just goes to show what can happen with the right promotional support.

Click here to watch “After Today.” (You can also watch it in Japanese, Spanish, and French.)