Bea Reviews Always Together at Christmas by Sara Sargent & Illustrated by Mark Chambers

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: Nov. 3rd, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon*  | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo | 

* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Help children discover the joy of Christmas 2020 with this timely picture book that affirms the special magic of the holidays even if we're physically separated from our loved ones!

Christmas will always mean love. Even if love looks a little different this year.

As families and communities come together--and stay apart--in creative ways this holiday season, bring comfort and joy to children with this story about a Christmas like no other.

Always Together at Christmas highlights different family traditions and the ways they're changing in 2020: from Santa's elves practicing social distancing to opening presents via Zoom on Christmas morning. And it even includes ideas for new quarantine-appropriate Christmas traditions!

The sweet and cozy illustrations add classic touches, making this book the perfect gift to share with family and friends from across the miles.

Excerpt & Giveaway: Gold by Maureen A. Miller

I have another excerpt and giveaway today, for another new romantic suspense. Gold, by Maureen A. Miller . It released this week and takes place in a state I'd love to visit, but not live - Alaska!

USA TODAY bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing.

Maureen's first novel, WIDOW'S TALE, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that she became hooked to the genre. In fact, she was so hooked she is the founder of the JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE website. (I didn't know that! I like that website. ~ Bea)

Giveaway and Mini-Excerpt: Justified Misfortune by Lori Matthews

Image from Lori Matthews website

Hello! Come on in and get comfortable. Today I have an excerpt and a giveaway for a romantic suspense, Misfortune Justified, by Lori Matthews. It's a stand alone story in a shared world series, the Brotherhood Protectors. Read the excerpt, then if you like it and you are in the USA, enter to win a paperback or ebook copy of the book.

Lori grew up in a house filled with books and readers. Some of her fondest memories are of reading in the same room with her mother and sisters, arguing about whose turn it was to make tea. No one wanted to put their book down! She was introduced to romance because of her mom’s habit of leaving books all over the house. One day she picked one up. She still remembers the cover. It was a Harlequin by Janet Daily. Little did she know at the time that it would set the stage for her future. Sge went on to discover mystery novels. Agatha Christie was her favorite. And then suspense with Wilber Smith and Ian Fleming. 

She loved the thought of combining her favorite genres, and during high school, she attempted to write her first romantic suspense novel.

Bea Reviews A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: Nov. 3rd, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A smitten woman is about to marry a dangerous man--unless Detective Hooper and his new wife, Celia, can prevent it--in this wickedly tangled holiday mystery from bestselling author Anne Perry.

Detective John Hooper, William Monk's right-hand man at the Thames River Police, is blissfully happy in his new marriage to Celia, the cousin of a victim in one of the river police's recent murder cases. Celia wants the same happiness for her good friend Clementine, who's just announced her engagement to Seth Marlowe, a member of her church. Christmas is nearing, and this should be extra cause for celebration, but when Marlowe begins receiving threatening letters about his first wife's death, it becomes clear that he is far from the devout man Clementine thought he was. In his rage, Marlowe accuses Celia of sending the letters, claiming she wants to ruin his engagement to Clementine. At a loss as to how to defend herself, Celia enlists Hooper to investigate the letters' claims, and what he finds makes her desperate to show Clementine the truth about her soon-to-be husband.

But Celia herself has not always been truthful, especially not during the murder trial following her cousin's death. How can she be believed now, when she lied on the stand? Especially when Marlowe knows that she did, and could use it against her. This Yuletide season finds love and faith put to the test--and Celia's and Clementine's lives on the line.

EXCERPT: A Soldier Under Her Tree by Kathy Douglass

Welcome to my stop on the Harlequin blog tour for A Soldier Under Her Tree by Kathy Douglass. I have an excerpt for your enjoyment today. :)

Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally - both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions. After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading. Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.

Bea Reviews I Feel... by DJ Corchin

Series: I Feel...Children's Book Series 

Read As A Stand Alone: Yes

Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore 

Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 25th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Explore the complex world of feelings with the fun and uplifting I Feel... series!

Sometimes I feel happy.
Sometimes I feel sad.
Sometimes I feel angry and want to be bad.
So many emotions. How do I deal?
I need to remember, it's okay that I feel.

Kids experience countless emotions every day but often don't know how to recognize, express, or deal with them. I Feel... is a simple, silly book that offers a great way for kids to talk about different emotions and discover it's all right to feel them all! With fun, witty illustrations and simple, straightforward text, this book makes it easy for kids to identify their own emotions—and have fun too. 

Bea Reviews My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Shana Corey & Illustrated by Margeaux Lucas

Series: My Little Golden Book
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes

Publisher: Golden Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: Dec. 1st, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A Little Golden Book biography about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, written for preschoolers.

This Little Golden Book is a compelling introduction to an inspiring woman, written for the youngest readers. From a young age, Ruth Bader Ginsburg knew that she wanted to fight for girls and women to have equal rights. She studied and worked very hard and became just the second woman--and the first Jewish woman--to be a United States Supreme Court Justice. This is a terrific read for future trailblazers and their parents!

Look for these other Little Golden Book biographies: My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo, My Little Golden Book About Jackie Robinson, My Little Golden Book About Martin Luther King Jr., My Little Golden Book About George Washington, My Little Golden Book About Abraham Lincoln, My Little Golden Book About Balto, and My Little Golden Book About Johnny Appleseed.

Bea Reviews A Thousand No's by DJ Corchin & Illustrated by Dan Dougherty

Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 4th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

This empowering picture book teaches readers that even great ideas sometimes get a NO―but that NO can actually help great ideas become the best ideas!

There was a little girl who had a great idea. She had the most amazing, superb, best idea ever!

NO? Wait, what do you mean NO? NO again?
What is she supposed to do with all these NO's?

NO after NO after NO come the little girl's way, twisting and squishing her idea. But by persevering, collaborating and using a little imagination, all those NO's become the building blocks for the biggest YES ever!

A Thousand NO's is a story about perseverance and innovation. It shows what amazing things can happen if we work with others and don't give up, and teaches kids not to let expectations of how things should be get in the way of what could be.

Bea Reviews The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Source: Library via Overdrive
Release Date: May 7th, 2019
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter.

Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she's going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.

Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere — even back home.

Bea's Review of A Wild Hope by Celeste de Blasis

Series: Wild Swan #1
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Bookouture

Release Date: October 8th, 2020
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from publicist:

Banished from her uncaring family home for her growing friendship with older neighbor St. John, Alexandria Thaine is unprepared for the new life she encounters with her distant cousins in England’s West Country. She blossoms under the warmth of the Falconers, and as she throws herself into the thrilling danger of the family’s smuggling trade, Alex forms an unbreakable bond with the eldest son, Rane.

But just as Alex begins to imagine a future in Devon with Rane at her side, the death of her older sister forces her back home to care for her sister’s motherless twins. Still yearning for Rane, Alex grows to love the helpless babies, and as she rekindles her friendship with St. John, she finds herself caught between her heart and her home.

When the opportunity comes to start anew in Maryland’s lush horse country, Alex faces the agonizing choice between the life she dreamed of and the promise of the new world. But starting over in a golden land on the brink of war brings unforeseen dangers to her door, and when Alex’s new family is threatened, can she find the strength to risk her happiness today for the wild hope of a brighter tomorrow?

The sweeping, epic and emotional novel by beloved storyteller Celeste De Blasis, available in eBook for the first time. Perfect for readers who love Poldark, Outlander and Daphne du Maurier.

A Wild Hope was originally published as Wild Swan.

Excerpt & Giveaway: Confident in Chaps by Em Petrova

Welcome! I'm delighted to share an excerpt today from Em Petrova's new romance, Confident in Chaps. Em and I met, virtually speaking, about 10 years ago when we both worked for the same, now defunct, publisher. Em would send me stories to copy edit and I would wrangle them into submission. But even then Em was writing her own books. 

Em Petrova was raised by hippies in the wilds of Pennsylvania but told her parents at the age of four she wanted to be a gypsy when she grew up. She has a soft spot for babies, puppies and 90s Grunge music and believes in Bigfoot and aliens. She started writing at the age of twelve and prides herself on making her characters larger than life and her sex scenes hotter than hot. 

She burst into the world of publishing in 2010 after having five beautiful bambinos and figuring they were old enough to get their own snacks while she pounds away at the keys . In her not-so-spare time, she is fur-mommy to a Labradoodle named Daisy Hasselhoff and works as editor to other authors. 

You can find Em Petrova at http://empetrova.com 

Sign up for Em's NEWSLETTER *Never miss a giveaway or sale! *Receive sales on other books you might enjoy *Subscriber only giveaways *Exclusive content Copy this link and paste into your browser: http://www.subscribepage.com/w4b4s7 

Cat Thursday: Give The Cat A Pill

 Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates cats; their foibles and humorousness and the joy they bring. You can join in by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you made or came across, cat art or share with us pics of your own felines, then post your link up at The True Book Addict.

Bea Reviews A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire

Series: October Daye #14
Read As A Stand Alone: No
Publisher: 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo | * affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

When October is informed that Simon Torquill—legally her father, due to Faerie's archaic marriage traditions—must be invited to her wedding or risk the ceremony throwing the Kingdom in the Mists into political turmoil, she finds herself setting out on a quest she was not yet prepared to undertake for the sake of her future.... and the man who represents her family's past.

Cat Thursday: Just A Cute, Fluffy Ninja Assassin

 Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates cats; their foibles and humorousness and the joy they bring. You can join in by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you made or came across, cat art or share with us pics of your own felines, then post your link up at The True Book Addict.

Excerpt & Guest Post: Laura Hunsaker and Dreams of the Past from Last Chance Beach

Hi everyone! Thanks for having me here at Bea’s Book Nook! (We're delighted to have you! ~ Bea)

Usually during the summer we go to the beach. Obviously with the world going how it is, we didn’t travel this summer, so I found another way to enjoy the beach but without leaving my home.

Last Chance Beach- where romance and dreams go to live again, and wishes do come true.

Bea and A Voracious Reader Review Chapter and Curse by Nancy Warren

Series: Vampire Book Club #2
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Ambleside Publishing
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Release Date: July 8th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | * affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A quiet Irish village? Not so much!

An ancient curse seems to be causing bad luck in the charming village of Ballydehag, Ireland—witch Quinn Callahan’s new home. When someone is murdered is it the curse? Or is there a very human murderer on the loose? Moving to a small Irish village was supposed to keep the middle-aged witch out of trouble. Yeah, that didn't happen. Quinn and her bookish vampires must find the real killer and end the curse before someone else dies.

If you like quirky characters, mystery, humor and a touch of romance, don't miss this second instalment in the Vampire Book Club series from the best-selling author of The Vampire Knitting Club. Each book is a complete story that can be read on its own.

Bea Reviews Blood World by Chris Mooney

Publisher: Berkley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 18th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A drug that makes the blood of carriers a fountain of youth, a psychopath who doesn't care how many bodies he leaves in his wake, and an LAPD detective hopelessly compromised by a dark secret. Together, they're an explosive mix that's going to shatter the city of Los Angeles into a million corpuscles.

The most valuable commodity on earth is the blood of "carriers." These young people hold within them a virtual fountain of youth. Those with the right genes produce blood that, when treated with a new wonder drug, cures disease, increases power, and makes the recipient a virtual superman.

It also makes the carriers targets. Blood farms filled with kidnapped children spring up around the country, and Los Angeles is at the center of this blood-dealing world. The police are overwhelmed.

Ellie Batista became an LAPD officer specifically to fight this evil as a member of the Blood Squad, but she has been consistently denied a transfer to the prestigious unit--until the day she and her partner are ambushed during a routine stop. The resulting events plunge her into an undercover world more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

A madman has found a way to increase the potency of the blood to levels previously unimagined. As he cuts a bloody swath through the already deadly world of blood cartels, Ellie is the only hope to stop him before the body count rises.

EXCERPT: Stranded with the Jaguar by Tricia Schneider

Today I have an excerpt for you from a new paranormal romance story by Tricia Schneider. The story, "Stranded with the Jaguar", is part of a new anthology, "Midsummer Night Shifts".

Tricia Schneider is a multi-genre romance author. From werewolves, vampires and witches to wicked pirates and sexy aliens, she weaves sensual stories where happily-ever-after is a guarantee. She firmly believes there is a book for everyone. A sentiment she gained after years of working as assistant manager and bookseller at Waldenbooks (I spent sooo much money at that store ~ Bea). After the store closed, she turned to writing full-time, publishing all kinds of romance such as paranormal, historical, fantasy, sci-fi and gothic romances.

Tricia lives in Pennsylvania with her four children and two rescued cats, Harley and Cassius. When she’s not typing away on her laptop, she’s riding shotgun in a ’67 Impala while keeping her eyes open for a madman in a Big Blue Box.

Steph Reviews Three Mages and a Margarita By Annette Marie, Narrated By Cris Dukehart

Publisher: Tantor Audio
Series: The Guild Codex
Format Read: Audiobook
Source: Purchased from Audible
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.

It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview - to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?

I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they...offered me the job?

It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-sh-t bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.

So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course - with a pay raise.

Bea Reviews No One Saw by Beverly Long

Series: A.L. McKittridge #2
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: MIRA
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: June 30th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Nobody saw a thing. Or so they say…

Baywood police department detective A.L. McKittridge is no stranger to tough cases, but when five-year-old Emma Whitman disappears from her day care, there isn’t a single shred of evidence to go on. Neither the grandmother who dropped her off, nor the teacher whose care she was supposed to be in, can account for the missing child. There are no witnesses. No trace of where she might have gone. There’s only one thing A.L. and his partner, Rena Morgan, are sure of—somebody is lying.

With the clock ticking, A.L. and Rena are under extreme pressure as they discover their instincts are correct: all is not as it seems. The Whitmans are a family with many secrets, and A.L. and Rena will have to race to untangle a growing web of lies if they’re going to find the thread that leads them to Emma…before it’s too late.