Bea Reviews The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter, edited by Jessica Harrison

Publisher: Penguin
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 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:

The perfect gift this Christmas season: a generous selection of some of the greatest festive stories of all time.

This is a collection of the most magical, moving, chilling and surprising Christmas stories from around the world, taking us from frozen Nordic woods to glittering Paris, a New York speakeasy to an English country house, bustling Lagos to midnight mass in Rio, and even outer space.

Here are classic tales from writers including Truman Capote, Shirley Jackson, Dylan Thomas, Saki and Chekhov, as well as little-known treasures such as Italo Calvino's wry sideways look at Christmas consumerism, Wolfdietrich Schnurre's story of festive ingenuity in Berlin, Selma Lagerlof's enchanted forest in Sweden, and Irène Nemerovsky's dark family portrait. Featuring santas, ghosts, trolls, unexpected guests, curmudgeons and miracles, here is Christmas as imagined by some of the greatest short story writers of all time.

Bea Reviews A Wild Heart by Celeste de Blasis

Series: Wild Swan Trilogy #2
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes but not recommended
Publisher: Bookouture
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: December 8th, 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 the publisher:

Alexandria Falconer gazes around the honeyed land of Wild Swan, the extraordinary horse farm she built up from nothing in the border state of Maryland. It has been Alex’s sanctuary through years of turmoil, and she has come of age in this land of opportunity. But the storm clouds of civil war are gathering, and Alex knows she has a choice to make to protect her family and maintain the precarious peace at Wild Swan.

When Alex’s son dies tragically, she is shattered. It is only through caring for her adopted daughter, two-year-old Gincie, that Alex starts to overcome her grief and find comfort with her beloved husband Rane once more. But when Rane is called away to aid the Union war effort, she is left bereft.

Alex’s heart is with Rane, but at home she has the sole responsibility of shielding Gincie and the rest of her family from the danger creeping ever closer to their door. When a charming soldier arrives at Wild Swan, Alex reluctantly gives him shelter, but the two form a bond and when news arrives of Gettysburg, she is torn with worry for men on both sides of the battlefield. With Gincie by her side, she undertakes a dangerous journey to fight for her family, her principles, and the man who holds her heart…

Celeste De Blasis’ epic and heart-wrenching Wild Swan trilogy continues, available in eBook for the first time. Perfect for readers who love Poldark, Outlander and Daphne du Maurier.

A Wild Heart was originally published as Swan’s Chance.

Bea and A Voracious Reader Review Diamonds and Daggers by Nancy Warren

Series: Vampire Knitting Club #11
Read As A Stand Alone: Not recommended
Publisher: Ambleside Publishing

Source: Kindle Unlimited
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon*  | B&N | Book Depository 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Missing jewels, a witch's dagger and murder... Just a regular day at Cardinal Woolsey's Knitting and Yarn shop in Oxford.

When glamorous vampire Sylvia discovers a movie company is remaking one of her most famous silent films, she's determined to get some creative input and decides to make knitting shop owner Lucy the beneficiary of her estate. Lucy will front for Sylvia in dealing with the movie executives who want to recreate the priceless Cartier jewels made specially for the original movie and still owned by Sylvia.

Meanwhile, Lucy's moving along in her witch's training. It's time to choose her own athame, a dagger that she'll use for spells.

With all that going on she's barely got time to run a knitting shop, never mind solve another murder.

This is book 11 in the Vampire Knitting Club. From a USA Today bestselling author, these stories are cozy, clean, with quirky characters, a too-smart cat, and lots of magic and mayhem. Each can be read alone.

Bea Reviews Big Kibble by Shawn Buckley, Dr. Oscar Chavez, and Wendy Paris

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: December 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 big, inside look at the shocking lack of regulation within the pet food industry, and how readers can dramatically improve the quality of their dogs' lives through diet.

What's really going into commercial dog food? The answer is horrifying.

Big Kibble is big business: $75 billion globally. A handful of multi-national corporations dominate the industry and together own as many as 80% of all brands. This comes as a surprise to most people, but what's even more shocking is how lax the regulations and guidelines are around these products. The guidelines--or lack thereof--for pet food allow producers to include ever-cheaper ingredients, and create ever-larger earnings. For example, "legal" ingredients in kibble include poultry feces, saw dust, expired food, and diseased meat, among other horrors. Many vets still don't know that kibble is not the best food for dogs because Big Kibble funds the nutrition research. So far, these corporations have been able to cut corners and still market and promote feed-grade food as if it were healthful and beneficial--until now.

Just as you are what you eat, so is your dog. Once you stop feeding your dog the junk that's in kibble or cans, you have taken the first steps to improving your dog's health, behavior and happiness.

You know the unsavory side of Big Tobacco and Big Pharma. Now Shawn Buckley, Dr. Oscar Chavez, and Wendy Paris explain all you need to know about unsavory Big Kibble--and offer a brighter path forward for you and your pet.

Bea Reviews Her Mother's Grave by Lisa Regan

Series: Detective Josie Quinn #3
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (re-print)
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 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:

From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author comes another Detective Josie Quinn thriller, as her past crashes into her present when a killer will do anything to keep the truth buried.

When two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose.

Josie's past crashes into her present when a rare dental condition confirms the bones belong to a teenage foster-child who was murdered thirty years ago. A girl named Belinda Rose . . .

Josie hasn't seen her mother in years but, with an undeniable connection between her mother and the dead girl, does she dare track her down?

Just as Josie gets closer to uncovering a secret that will shatter her world forever, another body is uncovered. It's suddenly clear that someone very close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.

As she battles the demons from her past, can Josie stop this killer before another precious life is taken?

Bea Reviews Toxin Alert by Tyler Anne Snell

Series: Tactical Crime Division: Traverse City #2
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: December 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:

After biological terrorism rips through an Amish community, the Tactical Crime Division is called in to find out why.

Following a deadly anthrax attack, TCD’s biological weapons expert Carly Welsh springs into action. Problem is, the Amish trust no one—especially not an FBI special agent. That’s where Noah Miller comes in. Even though the rancher left the fold decades ago, the community trusts him…and so does Dr. Welsh. But even their combined courage and smarts might not be enough against sinister forces that want them both to perish.

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

EXCERPT: Stolen to Wear His Crown by Marcella Bell

I have another Harlequin romance excerpt today, last one of the month. In January I'll have another one. 

This week's author is Marcella Bell. Marcella lives in the mostly-sunny wilds of Southern Oregon with her husband, children, father, and three mismatched mutts. The dry hot summers and four distinct annual seasons of the region are a far cry from the weird rainy streets of Portland, OR, where she grew up, but she wouldn’t trade her quirky mountain valley home for anyplace else on the earth. As a late bloomer and a yogini, Marcella is drawn to romance that showcases love’s incredible power to transform.

Elizabeth L. Reviews I Am!: Affirmations for Resilience by Bela Barbosa, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez

Publisher: Rise X Penguin Workshop
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 6th, 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 stunningly illustrated guide to simple affirmations for young children, building self-esteem and confidence.

When you feel nervous, And you are ready to move on, Put your hands on your belly, take a breath, and say:

I Am Brave!

This brightly hand-lettered board book empowers young readers to lift themselves up! Ten relatable emotions are each followed by a centering exercise and a positive affirmation to be recited, as a practice in mindfulness. Young readers are encouraged to find their inner strength by recognizing and addressing their emotions, instilling a sense of power and self-confidence.