Spotlight On: Beyond a Doubt by Felicia Rogers

Today it's my pleasure to feature Felicia Rogers' newest book, "Beyond A Doubt", the final book in her series, The Renaissance Heart. The first book in the series, "There Your Heart Will Be Also" was the  first book I worked on after being hired by Astraea Press. Before I was hired by Astraea I read and reviewed a contemporary romance Felicia wrote, "The Perfect Rose", also pubbed by Astraea.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated by either Astraea Press or Felicia Rogers for putting up this post.

Felicia Rogers is an author of six novels and three novellas. When she's not writing, Felicia volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America, teaches at a local homeschooling group, hikes, and spends time with her family.

  

Find Felicia online:

Website: http://www.feliciarogersauthor.weebly.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeliciaRogersAuthor

Email: feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4412925.Felicia_Rogers

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Bryce Cameron is finally going home. Years spent away have him longing for the craggy landscapes from his childhood.

Lucy Lombard is on a mission. The mantel she carries was never meant for her possession yet it has been passed to her anyway. Alone and in danger, Lucy stumbles onto her greatest find.

Rescuing Bryce is either a blessing or a curse but regardless time is running out. With Bryce's help can Lucy fulfill her mission or will she be too late?

 

Publisher: Astraea Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: ebook
Length: 487 KB
Release Date: May10, 2013
Buying Links: Astraea Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Beyond A Doubt, The Renaissance Hearts Series, Book Four
The end is finally here…

The final chapter has been written for The Renaissance Hearts Series. What began with Sarra and Cedric in There Your Heart Will Be Also concludes with Bryce and Lucy in Beyond A Doubt. Set in the turbulent times of Mary I of England, or Bloody Mary, and Henry II of France, the fight for religious freedom abounds. Intrigue, loss of property, and loss of life rule the day. Follow the epic ending of a family’s struggle.

       See what others have said about the Renaissance Hearts Series ~

“I really enjoyed this book. I do not typically favor historical romance, but the romance was not too mushy, and the historical was not too heavy! This was an enjoyable, delightful read!!!.” ~ Taken from Rachel’s Amazon review on There Your Heart Will Be Also, Book One.

“If you are in for a good mystery with plenty of adventure, suspense & romance, you have come to the right place for this recommended novel because "By God's Grace" will give it all to you.” ~ Taken from Arlena’s Amazon review of By God’s Grace, Book Two.

“Okay have to say this is my fav book so far in The Renaissance Heart Series! Felicia Rogers just gets better!” ~ Taken from Danielle William’s Amazon review of Labor of Love, Book Three.

 

Review of Eliza's Forever Trees by Stephanie Lisa Tara

Publisher: Brown Books
Format Read: Trade paperback
Source: From the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Blurb from goodreads:

Suddenly Mother jumped to her feet and ran to one of the trees, a three-hundred-foot-tall redwood. "Forever tree! Forever tree!" she cried, smiling. She swept the skinny girl up into her arms. The child's pale skin shimmered in the golden forest light. "Forever trees, forever trees," they sang, spinning in circles. The memory melted into the fog, and Eliza felt very tired. The question came again to her. It appeared out of the gray, out of the damp, out of the cold corners of this new house. The question whispered it always did the kind of whisper that sounded very loud indeed: Where had Mother gone? Shadows appeared and disappeared in Eliza's mind. Still, she couldn't remember. She simply could not remember anything after that last story in the forest. For some reason, she wasn't terribly worried. She was a little worried, for sure, but not terribly worried, because a strange calm held the shadows and the question. It held Eliza, too. Because love is forever. 

Bea's Thoughts:

This book just didn't hold my interest. I should have read it in a few hours, not a few days, but either I'd put it down and do other things or I'd doze off while reading it. Part of the problem was that I was just wasn't invested enough in Eliza, she didn't feel real to me. Maybe if the story had started before Mother went away and we had seen Eliza before instead of just after. The story felt too long and there were parts that weren't necessary such as the chapters with the frogs. I also questioned why bats were initially presented as bad guys; in the real world bats do fantastic job of controlling the mosquito population.

I did like the mythic overtones to the story and Eliza's journey and the use of different animals as helpers on her journey. The subplot of a storm and it's effects on the animals and how they react to it was sweet and, if not subtle, was not a too obvious commentary on cooperation. There is a generous helping of quotes from childrens books that are in the public domain; Tara clearly loves and knows childrens books. She also has a talent for words and language that children and adults can enjoy:

The memory melted into the fog, and Eliza felt very tired. The question came again to her. It appeared out of the gray, out of the damp, out of the cold corners of this new house. The question whispered-it always did-the kind of whisper that sounded very loud indeed

Even butterflies knew what she knew-that stories are forever friends; they speak a language any girl or butterfly could understand.

 Books give warmth. They warm us with their words.

"These are huckleblerries," she said. "Huckleblerries?" asked Eliza. "Yes. That's what they are called," declared the ladybug. "Not huckleberries?" asked Eliza. "No!" said the ladybug sharply. "Huckleblerries, with an l. Ladybug starts with l. It's a very important letter."

Gwooop went Eliza's foot as it sank into the mud. "Walooop," said the mud as she pulled her foot back out. "Gwooop!" cried Eliza. "Waloop!" echoed the butterfly.

Tara weaves themes of the treasure found in stories, the delicate balance of life, and the importance of working together along with a subtler theme of ecology and preservation. Despite my love of books and my belief in the themes that Tara uses, the book, as I said earlier, just didn't hold my interest. Then again, I'm not the intended audience and maybe a child in elementary school or middle school might enjoy the book more.

Excerpt from The World Below by Mike Phillips

Welcome to today's stop on the blog tour for "The World Below"; I have an excerpt for you to enjoy. Mike is the author of not only "The World Below" but "Reign of the Nightmare Prince". His short stories have appeared in ParAbnormal Digest, Cemetery Moon, Sinister Tales, Beyond Centauri, the World of Myth, Mystic Signals and many others. Online, his work has appeared in Lorelei Signal, Kzine, Bewildering Stories, Midnight Times, and Fringe. He is best known for his Crow Witch and Patrick Donegal series.

Find Mike online:  

Website: mikephillipsfantasy.com

 

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Mike has a brief message for you all:

Good morning, everyone. Mike Phillips here. Thank you for joining us on the book tour. I hope you check out The World Below. I was asked to say a little something about the authors that have influenced my work. The poetry of WB Yates has been a big influence on my writing. I love the imagery. My style of writing is most influenced by James Lee Burke. Beyond that, I must give a nod to Dean Koontz. He taught me how to write suspense, how to draw out key moments to the action more dramatic. Thanks again for joining us. I’m off to work, but I’ll be checking in during the day. Please visit me at mikephillipsfantasy.com Take care, Mike Phillips

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EXCERPT

Magic sigils were hidden all over the city, but along the Riverwalk powers of earth and water converged. Magic here was strange and unpredictable, but always strong. A star was carved on the nearest of the old cottonwoods. It was ancient magic, made perhaps by the native tribes who once inhabited this place. 

Hume could not guess what its purpose was. For all he knew, it would take him away to some desperate corner of the underworld to be forever enslaved. He did nothing to protect himself. He had to let events run their course.

Finding Lady Elizabeth proved impossible. If this stranger had information, then he would surrender himself to free his sister. 

A breath of chill air interrupted his thoughts. He shivered. 

It was his humanity giving him warning. People who didn’t know any better would attach some old wives’ tale to the feeling, but he was not so blinded by the mundane. No one tread on his future grave. Evil approached.

In the world outside the reach of the cottonwood, the sun escaped below the horizon. Night had come.

Darkness coalesced; growing deeper in this haven below the trees, gathering until the river and the bay and everything beyond the sphere of darkness was lost. A black bird flew to a nearby piling. The crow was mangy and looked only moments from death by old age. It ruffled its ancient feathers and stared at Hume, penetrating his mind. 

Unafraid, he stared back, filling his thoughts with a variety of deaths the crow might suffer at his hand. The bird cawed angrily, its harsh voice a show of defiance. 

“Let’s get on with it,” he said. “Sunset was an hour ago.”

“Nightfall is now,” snapped the bird. 

“Point taken. My mistake.” 

The crow’s voice was as harsh as its call. “Patience Hume, your eagerness does you no credit. A lesser being than I might take it as a sign of weakness, but no advantage will I press. I know what it is to have a loved one in danger.” 

“Oh? So, is that why you are here? How nice.”

“Yes, I wish to help you, and I have other reasons.”

“What are they?”

“Patience, Hume. Patience” The crow laughed. “We’ll get to that later.”

“Lovely.”

Another crow flew to the piling. Soon the place within the dark was full of crows. They raced to the piling, circling Hume like a cyclone. He stood still, and though the impossibility of safety seemed assured, he wasn’t touch. 

The birds fused together, forming something in the shape of a man. The man was covered in black feathers. He had a crow’s head with a sharp beak and beady eyes. A mantle of greater feathers ringed his neck. 

“That’s a little much,” Hume said. “Who are you trying to impress?”

“I must admit I’ve always had the knack for the dramatic. As a show of trust I appear to you as my true self.”

“Does that make you a murder or a man?”

“Ha, ha, quite clever,” said the crow man. “I shall have to remember that one. Yes, quite clever indeed.” 

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The World Below by Mike Phillips

Publisher: Damnation Books
Series: Chronicles of the Goblin King, #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Formats: paperback, ebook
Length: 206 pages, 799 KB
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Buying Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Damnation Books 

The book is on sale for half off if you buy direct from the publisher, use code: 50worldbelow The discount ends June 2nd.

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Quote-Tastic #3

Anna at Herding Cats & Burning Soup has created a new weekly meme. Want to join along?

  Click on the link above. Anna is posting hers on Mondays, as am I, but you can choose any day of the week that works for you. Leave me a link in your comment and I will check out your quotes!

 This week's quote is from an urban fantasy book, Dark Whispers, by Krista D. Ball. Krista is not a romance fan and this quote from the lead character Rachel had me laughing so hard I gave myself a coughing fit.

Also, I really love this cover <3.

Dark Whispers by Krista D. Ball

It was a dark and stormy night. A good paranormal romance could never have a better opening. You know how it goes. Girl meets boy. Boy is a vampire. Girl gives in to carnal temptation. Tab A inserts into Slot B. Someone shoves an assault rifle up a demon's ass. Everyone lives happy ever after.

It’s the Bella Andre Summer of Love! Win a Beach Bag Or a Trip to Las Vegas!

Summer 2013 is the Bella Andre Summer of Love! She has three books releasing this summer and to celebrate this spectacular summer of hot reads AND the release of the first three books in her sizzling Sullivans series, Meryl Moss Media is having a Bella Andre Summer of Love Beach Bag Contest!

The bag has brands such as O.P.I., Evian, Not Your Mother’s Hair Care, and Unisun Eyewear. See the picture below for some of the goodies in the bag. Enter using the rafflecopter, open to residents in the US and Canada. Giveaway ends May 31st at 11:59PM EST.

ETA May 22nd 6:50PM EST: I'm so sorry but the sponsor had to change the giveaway to US residents only. I apologize for the inconvenience and annoyance ~ Bea 

There's even more!

It’s the Bella Andre Summer of Love Mixtape Contest!

Visit Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks from May 22nd – May 31^st and create your SUMMER OF LOVE Mixtape for a chance to win a trip for YOU and THREE friends to Las Vegas.

            *No purchase necessary. Ends May 31, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway