THE EYE OF LARILOTH BY GRACE EGERT & DIANN MILLS Middle-Grade Fantasy

 

Author Grace Egert with DiAnn Mills shared a tale that was such a treat for my imagination!

Arroah, the main character,  is one I respect and appreciate. She is strong, adventurous and curious. Though this is a middle-grade fantasy don’t be mistaken—this is definitely a story that keeps the reader tuning pages. The author wrote concerns, crisis and secrets in just the right places! I thought to myself umpteen times that I hoped that this would be a series!

Grace’s imagination and talent unite with her grandmother’s expertise and together they created a memorable tale. The characters were different and unique, which caused me to care about what would happen to them. This new world and society that Grace created was interesting and hooked me from the start!

YouTube interview with Grace and DiAnn:

Click on this link if you can’t view embedded video clip – https://youtu.be/TLPIsvuBzbs

 

Questions for Grace:

1)     If you had a choice between eating chocolate pudding, riding a bike or writing the sequel to this story – which would it be and why? Definitely, writing the second book. Because it’s a big project and you can stop and start when you want. Better than getting fat or riding a bike in the hot sun.

2)     When you realized your dream to write “The Eye of Lariloth” with your grandma was actually going to happen—what did you think or how did you react? I was excited and had bragging rights with my friends. But I was only 8, and I didn’t realize how much work would go into the book.

3)     Do you like to write your story on napkins, paper or just type it on the computer? I’d brainstorm and write on a piece of paper but the final draft on the computer.

 

Questions for DiAnn:

1)      Was writing a book with family one of your hopes and dreams? (It is mine!) I’d never thought about it until Grace brought it up. So glad she did!

2)     How has Grace inspired you? (We know you are an inspiration, DiAnn!) Her enthusiasm and imagination. Her mind has no limits to what could happen in a story.

3)     What do you find most interesting about how this tale came about? I believe it was Grace’s determination to make this book happen even when it took 3 years.

4)     How do you wish your readers to contact you and Grace? Through my email: diann@diannmills.com 

https://diannmills.com/

 

Thank you, Grace and DiAnn for your efforts in creating this new world to explore! I look forward to reading the next book you write.

I highly recommend this read. I did purchase this story on my Kindle and I received a book from Grace and DiAnn. I always only give my honest reaction and I’m happy to direct you to this adventuresome story of courage, sacrifice and victory! Enjoy!

Grace and I thank you!

 

 



WEAPONS OF WARFARE! By Guest Marti Holcomb

 Guest poster, Marti Holcomb, added the second part of this wisdom, timeless and memorable.

   OPEN YOUR EYES,   OPEN YOUR EARS,  OPEN YOUR HEART   

“ BUT ”  CLOSE YOUR MOUTH    

THE DEVIL DOESN’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T SAY     ( 2 times  )

THE DEVIL CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU DON’T SAY

HE CAN’T READ YOUR MIND – DON’T GIVE IT AWAY !

        

 THANK ME, PRAISE ME, LOVE ME WITH YOUR WORDS

LET DOUBTS, FEARS, AND WORRIES GO UNHEARD,

YOU CAN TELL ME THOSE THINGS IN YOUR MIND, SOUL, AND SPIRIT

YOU AND I KNOW THAT   “I CAN HEAR IT”

            

OPEN YOUR EYES,      OPEN YOUR EARS,       OPEN YOUR HEART  

“ BUT ”  CLOSE YOUR MOUTH 

THE DEVIL DOESN’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T SAY    ( 2 times  )

THE DEVIL CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU DON’T SAY

HE CAN’T READ YOUR MIND – DON’T GIVE IT AWAY !

 

PROVERBS 8:34

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO - LISTENS    TO ME,

WATCHING    DAILY AT MY GATES, 

WAITING      AT THE POSTS OF MY DOOR . . . 

This was the 2nd page.  Blessings to you, and your family.

 

William Shakespeare’s Quote:

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players:

This quote tells a truth:  We are playing on some stage at any given time.

There are 2 stages we need to be aware of:

The enemy’s stage and God’s stage.

When we open our mouth rehearsing all that is wrong with us, our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our finances, and our failure to overcome and live in abundant life, etc, etc:   We are then rehearsing the negativities of our life, nursing them, and cursing them.  It so entertains the enemy as we play out our trauma and drama on “ his stage ”.  It also says God is incompetent and is not doing anything in our areas of distress.  It sabotages our faith.

When the Lord showed me that - I got mad.  I decided I am sick of entertaining the enemy and demeaning my Father, my Lord, and the Holy Spirit.

I told God I have decided to entertain Him on His stage {The Kingdom }   Now I will  -  Thank Him – Praise Him – Love Him with my words and let doubts, fears, and worries go unheard. 

As soon as I start to get my pitiful persona on and my words of defeat and drama, trauma, and self pity start to come out of my mouth . . .  The spirit immediately takes me to:  Thank Him . . Praise Him….  Love Him with my words …. Then I thank Him for His plan for GOOD for my life and using the enemy and all his plans to bring forth His Godfilled plan for GOOD for me, my family, and everyone that I pray for and love.  The enemy hears my “life filled”, God ordained words and leaves as he hates hearing it.

 Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for GOOD and for peace, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

 

Thank you Marti for this wisdom and time honoring plan to play on Our Father's stage and not be entertaining the enemy, the hater of our souls! You are a blessing!

 

 







NEVER BORROW A BARONET By Regina Scott

 

 

This historical, the second in the Fortune’s Bride Series by award-winning author Regina Scott, entertained me and kept me guessing! Regina has a knack for inventing characters we can all identify with—some we like and some, not so much! Thankfully, I really like the main characters. Fortune, the cat, plays a larger role in this book and I smiled through those scenes!

Everyone from Gussie to Beau Villers to the main characters—Patience Ramsey and Sir Harry Orwell as well as those secondary characters sprinkled between the lines, made this a fun and interesting novel. I like the setting and time period—Essex, England, March 1812. There is just something about slipping into the past and watching characters duck in and out of the social expectations and bondage to make choices that can loosen those restraints for them to become a bit more free and courageous!

This story was precious, complete with the family crest “To risk is to live.” I loved the special interest that Miss Augusta Orwell, Henry’s Aunt Gussie, drew the women into assisting her with. This is a sweet romance, clean and winsome and I highly recommend this book and series so far! I did receive this novel for free to offer me the opportunity to review this. I only post reviews on the books that I can recommend highly. Every book and author has a reader. I tend to be a bit picky in my reviews for I want others to have a reading experience that they can’t put down.

 Questions for Regina:

1.      I loved the theme in this novel about concern for reputations. What inspired that focus for this novel?

 

In the Regency period, sometimes a lady’s reputation was all she had. If her family was poor or somehow lost their income, if she wasn’t particularly beautiful or talented, knowing she was a lady of virtue might still be enough to attract a gentleman’s attentions. While Patience Ramsey, my heroine, is quite pretty, she doesn’t think of herself that way. She holds her reputation dear, so when a false engagement to Harry comes up, she has to consider the price very, very carefully.

2.      This novel and Never Doubt a Duke have lovely covers. Did you design those?

 

I did not. My talent seems to be with words, not design. The wonderful Kim Killion at the Killion Group designs all my covers. The pictures of the ladies themselves are from Period Images.

 

3.      I love the character Lydia Villers. Will she be in a future novel? (My mind is inventing her future. 😉

 

I’m so glad you enjoyed Lydia! She is near to my heart too. Lydia plays a small role in the next book, Never Envy an Earl, and she gets her own book this fall in Never Vie for a Viscount.

 

4.      Was a host or hostess really so accommodating to visitors in this time period? (We authors would hate that—we like our writing time and reflection time don’t we!)

 

Yes, we do! I don’t think I could have been as accommodating as Gussie. I’m sure there were some in the Regency period who simply let it be known they did not entertain, but it wasn’t uncommon among the upper class to be invited toward the end of the summer and into the hunting season to stay at anywhere from two weeks to a month with your host at his/her country estate. Sometimes dozens of guests would be invited. It sounds like a lot, but consider the fact that Chatsworth, the home of the Dukes of Devonshire, has 250 rooms!

 

5.      I’d just watched A&E’s C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower movie. This provided time for me to reflect on a side of Napoleon that I’d not known. Was the tension between England and France a deciding point for why you wrote in this time period?

 

Yes. Napoleon makes for such a wonderful villain. 😊 And it was a tense time in England. Slightly before the Regency, about 1805, there was terrible fear of invasion. Even though the French never found a way to bring troops across the Channel, many in England couldn’t forget the threat. Napoleon, Old Boney to some, was the monster under the bed. Children were told to behave, or he would come for them. He was burned in effigy every Guy Fawkes Day. Bringing him down was the goal of many an Englishman.

 

6.      Is there anything else you would like to share about this novel?

 

It was a lot of fun planning for “the worst house party in the history of England,” as one of my characters calls it. I love a swashbuckling hero, and Sir Harry with his spying and climbing in windows and proposing marriage on a whim and utter devotion to his beloved aunt Gussie, certainly qualified.

 

7.      How do you wish for your readers to contact you?

       www.reginascott.com * newsletter signup www.eepurl.com/baqwVT

           Thank you so much, Sue! I appreciate how you share books with readers!

Never Doubt a Duke, Book 1 in the new Fortune’s Brides series, 5/18/18
Never Borrow a Baronet, Book 2 in the Fortune’s Brides series, 6/13/18

 

Surrey, England, late January 1812Never Doubt A Duke by Regina Scott

I found this first of the Fortune’s Brides series to be a fun and clean Regency romance novel. Regina Scott delivered an entertaining story, which held my attention and caused me to smile throughout!

The main character, Jane Kimball, is not the model governess, which makes for a lot of conflict, surprise, and interest! This offers the reader an interesting point of view about this character’s position in a wealthy household during the early 1800s. Jane is an interesting character with strengths that were not valued in her time. Tell me everyone, can’t we all relate on some level? I enjoyed how Jane got herself into and out of predicaments!

Alaric, Duke of Way, is father to three young girls, Lady Larissa, Lady Calantha, and Lady Abelona. Their mother had passed away and they have challenged their governesses ever since. Of course, none of the governesses have stayed, which causes the reader to hold the attitude--how long will Jane last? I like Alaric and I think his opinions and challenges are worthy of every conflict and success that he shares with Jane and his family.

Miss Thorn’s cat, Fortune, is a pleasing addition to this story. I could identify with Fortune’s importance because my sister and brother have a cat named Millie. Yes, Millie did choose me as one of her people she likes. Millie will hide from guests generally but will be friendly and desire attention from a chosen few!

Regina Scott sent me this novel to critique, and I trust her to write entertaining feel-good stories. Her historical settings and fun characters are a joy to read. This is a highly recommended book and I’m eagerly awaiting the next story in this series!

QUESTIONS FOR REGINA:
Your characters are always interesting. Were you motivated to write any character in this novel because of someone you know? Not in this book. Jane popped up, strong-willed, durable, and determined to make a difference. She was so much fun to write.

How did you come up with Fortune the cat?
My critique partner loves cats. She’s always encouraging me to put one in my stories. I have shied away from this, as I am more of a dog person. But she recently adopted an adorable grey kitten who is such a joy to watch romp around. I thought it would be fun to have a cat be part of bringing couples together.

What idea triggered the name, Fortune? (I think this is the perfect name for this feline character!)
Originally, I wanted Miss Thorn, Fortune’s owner, to have a last name of Fortune. The Miss Fortune Employment Agency sounded so funny! But there is a long-running mystery series in which the sleuth is Miss Fortune, and I didn’t want to look as if I had taken someone else’s idea. But I loved the ideas of Fortune’s Brides, and so the name was loaned to Fortune the cat. Miss Thorn found her as she was waiting to hear whether she’d inherited enough money to live one. You might say the cat is her Fortune.

Have you traveled to Surrey? If so what was your favorite memory of that visit?
Alas, I have not had the pleasure. I have driven along the edges of Surrey, heading to London, but I haven’t been directly into the county. But the internet is such a treasure, and there are so many period paintings of the area, that I feel as if I’ve been there! One of my dreams is to take one of the canal boats along the Thames through Surrey. Perhaps one day!

Is there theme or encouragement within this story that you would like to elaborate upon?
A theme I’m told comes through often in my stories is “be your true self.” God created us to be unique individuals, with skills, abilities, and dreams. Jane embodies this. She doesn’t compromise who she is, even when doing so might have made things easier for her. I admire people who can do that.

What new novels do you have available in the future?
The sequel to Never Doubt a Duke, Never Borrow a Baronet, will be available June 13. I wanted to put the first couple books in the series close together so readers would have an idea of what to expect. The third, Never Envy an Earl, is slated for an August release. I hope to have the fourth, Never Vie for a Viscount, out in late November. It’s been a busy year for me, but I’m having a blast, and I hope readers will too.

How do you want your readers to find you? 
Thank you so much for this opportunity to share with readers, Susan! Blessings!
Regina Scott
Never Doubt a Duke, Book 1 in the new Fortune’s Brides series, 5/18/18
Never Borrow a Baronet, Book 2 in the Fortune’s Brides series, 6/13/18
www.reginascott.com * newsletter signup www.eepurl.com/baqwVT