Month: June 2020

Book Spotlight | “Of Darkness and Light” (Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book One) by Heidi Eljarbo

Posted Tuesday, 2 June, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Similar to why I had to change my post yesterday, I was just as excited to host an interview for this blog tour when I first signed on to host the author and her story – however, whilst I was in the throes of co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder (see also Post) for our 3rd Year of celebrating the fantastical throughout May, I was also succumbing to wicked horrid seasonal allergies which truly upturnt my world for the month. Somehow I managed to forget to finish my questions for the author in time for my tour stop and requested to change it to a spotlight as this is an author I’ve been intrigued about reading for quite a long while now.

You might remember my announcements for #WitchAThon this past March?

I had planned to read & review “Catching A Witch” by this author during the readathon for #WitchyReads – however, this was the month my parents both ended up in the ER and my reading life took a bit of a hiatus along with losing a bit of interest in blogging. Sometimes the crises of life can divert our attention and we have to hug close to family and faith to get through them. It took me until #WyrdAndWonder to finally find the joy again in both reading & blogging – as the event helped reset my focus and renewed my joy of diving into stories. Until Wyrd And Wonder – I’ve been struggling since last Autumn to have that same kind of joyfulness I experienced whilst reading “Christmas Once Again”.

You’ll be finding my #WitchyReads are coming to Jorie Loves A Story this June – as I’m co-hosting a new event with Armed with a Book (@_armedwithabook) which focuses on our #ReviewReads (more details soon!).

Today, I want to talk about this new Historical Mystery series and why this series caught my attention as much as Ms Eljarbo’s “Catching A Witch”.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Spotlight | “Of Darkness and Light” (Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book One) by Heidi EljarboOf Darkness and Light
by Heidi Eljarbo

In this first book of a new historical mystery series, a young art historian faces a tough choice in German-occupied Norway.

Oslo, 1944. Soli Hansen’s passion for art history is and always has been a way of life for her. While she spends her days working in an art shop, WWII is taking its toll on everyone. Apprehensive of the consequences, Soli avoids becoming entangled in the war resistance efforts. She closes her eyes in hopes the enemy will retreat and leave her beautiful country for good.

But when a woman is found dead in the alley alongside the art shop and a painting from the last auction goes missing, Soli is thrown into the thickest of the fray involving both Nazi art theft and the Norwegian resistance.

Once Soli finds her courage, there’s no turning back. Her personal life is turned upside-down with danger, lies, spying, and an incredible discovery.

In this dual timeline novel, Heidi Eljarbo paints a vivid picture of what people are willing to do in desperate times. With unforgettable characters and rich historical details, Of Darkness and Light will keep the reader mesmerized until the last satisfying page.

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley, Katherine Neville, and Kate Mosse.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, War Drama



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9798639681653

on 2nd May, 2020

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov
+ #HistoricalThriller and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

About Heidi Eljarbo

Heidi Eljarbo

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of Catching a Witch. She grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren–so far–in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter. Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Read More

Divider

Posted Tuesday, 2 June, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Book Spotlight | “Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey” by Abigail Wilson

Posted Monday, 1 June, 2020 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I was wicked eager to host an interview for this blog tour when I first signed on to host the author and her story – however, whilst I was in the throes of co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder (see also Post) for our 3rd Year of celebrating the fantastical throughout May, I was also succumbing to wicked horrid seasonal allergies which truly upturnt my world for the month. Somehow I managed to forget to finish my questions for the author in time for my tour stop and requested to change it to a spotlight as I truly wanted to talk about why this story leapt out to me to be read!

I have a sweet passion of joy reading INSPY Literature – as throughout my blog – you’ll find reviews for INSPY Contemporary Romance, INSPY Contemporary Realistic Fiction, INSPY Historical Romance and/or INSPY Historical Fiction – whereas I have this addiction to reading Suspense novels by INSPY novelists who are being published via the imprint Love Inspired Suspense! This is something I enjoy reading in tandem with my Mum – as getting the chance to read novels and talk about them shortly afterwards with someone who equally appreciates the same kind of stories as you do is pure blissitude.

When it comes to reading INSPY Historical Fiction & Romance – it began in my childhood when I first became a hybrid reader of both mainstream & INSPY literature – Judith Pella and Lois Gladys Leppard were two of my ‘first’ beloved authors in this vein of interest. They were writing the stories and series I was excited to find a a young girl who was thriving on their wonderfully realistic worlds and characters of whom were their own heroines.

The Regency is a timescape I love re-visiting – it is one of those cosy comforting eras of joy for me as a reader second only to the Victorian. I’ve been seeking out stories set in both time periods since I was nine years old and read my first Regency Christmas Romance anthology! It was a turning point for me because it not only showed me period Historical Fiction but it also showed how wicked intriguing a Historical Romance (ie. #HistRom) could be where you find yourself caught inside the fever of what a Historical Romance can give you during the Regency. From the balls to the pretense of courtship – there is a lot to delight inside of a Regency Rom!

Thus, having this background of readerly enjoyment – when I saw this announcement for the blog tour featuring “Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey” – I truly squealled with delight as I definitely knew I wanted to be reading this lovely new release! When I realised print copies were on hold due to the virus and the limitations in shipping books during the more intense months of lockdowns and isolated quarantines in our country, I opted for an interview and now a featured extract. I’ll definitely be reading this novel – but for now I simply want to help get the word out about its release!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Spotlight | “Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey” by Abigail WilsonMasquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
by Abigail Wilson

In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780785233077

Also by this author: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor

Published by Thomas Nelson

on 26th May, 2020

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov
+ #MasqueradeAtMiddlecrestAbbey and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

About Abigail Wilson

Abigail Wilson

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A registered nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the national parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

Read More

Divider

Posted Monday, 1 June, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours