Read an excerpt from Worse Than Any Bullet (Fidelia Mysteries, #2) by Felicia Watson #Mystery #Thriller @XpressoTours

Worse Than Any Bullet
(Fidelia Mysteries, #2)
By Felicia Watson

Everyone thinks their mother is murder but for mafia-family renegade Lucia Scafetti, that’s the literal truth.

When she laid her hitman father to rest, PI Lucia Scafetti thought she’d finally escaped her family’s criminal clutches. Ten years later, her estranged mom blows into Philly for a short visit and within days a friend’s dad is brutally murdered and Lucia is being menaced by her cousin and his fellow mafiosi. After her mother disappears, everyone: foes, friends, and free agents, descends upon Lucia in search of the thumb-drive her mom stole from a Caribbean drug lord. Lucia learns the hard way that the criminals besieging her will gladly kill to get their hands on that thumb-drive.

With the help of an intriguing ex-soldier, Lucia employs her skills, both detective and deadly, to solve the murder and unlock the secret of that enigmatic thumb-drive before it claims another life, be it her own – or that of her recently re-discovered son.

Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller 
Pages: 293

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EXCERPT

“Someone’s in there.”

Lucia snapped into action, ordering Robbie to stay in the car with the dogs and retrieving her Glock from the secret compartment in the back seat of the Chevelle SS 454. She shook her head, indicating to Robbie he wasn’t getting an immediate explanation about the compartment and then stealthily approached the house.

Lucia decided to go around back and enter from the kitchen. The deadbolt had been defeated and there was no sound from the alarm system. This was no ordinary burglar.

Weapon ready, she crept into the living room where she could discern the muffled footsteps of someone descending the stairs. Lucia pointed her gun at the source of the noise and at the opportune moment, flipped on the lights. A hefty, masked and armed man froze on the fourth step as he realized he was facing a cocked gun.

Lucia warned, “If you’re thinking of trying anything, you better be a better shot than I am. Which is…unlikely.”

The man held his right hand out to his side, his gun loose. In a weirdly thick voice, he rumbled, “Hey, I’m not looking for trouble.”

“Breaking into my house armed with a military-grade semi is a really strange way to prove that.”

He chuckled and moved the gun slightly in a non-threatening manner. “Military grade? Nah, this is just a—”

“A Beretta Cx4 Storm. Which means you are definitely prepared for trouble.”

Rather than refuting her point, he urged, “I just want the thumb-drive, the real one. The one your mother stole from me.”

Not recognizing the term ‘thumb-drive’, Lucia silently contemplated whether this guy could possibly be looking for a body-part from someone her mother had killed. “You worked with my mom? Who are you?”

“I’m not wearing this mask ’cause I’m ugly. Who I am is none of your business. Just hand over the drive and no one gets hurt.”

“Seeing as I have the drop on you, that’s a toothless threat,” Lucia declared. “And I don’t know what it is you’re looking for, but you’re not gonna find it here.”

“For your sake, lady, I hope you’re lying.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I’m not the last person who’s gonna come looking for that thumb-drive. And I’m sure as hell not the most dangerous.”

Nodding at his gun, she countered, “Hard to believe. And I don’t even know what a thumb-drive is let alone—”

“It’s a computer thing,” Robbie announced from somewhere behind her back, his presence until that moment completely undetected. “You use it to—”

“Robbie?!” Her eyes remained trained on the masked man as Lucia barked, “What the hell! What are you doing here?”

“I was worried about you so I came to check. Don’t worry, I left the dogs in the car. You know, so they won’t get hurt.”

“But it’s okay if you get hurt?!”

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction this argument provided, the man on the stairs suddenly leapt over the banister and dashed towards the kitchen.

Lucia followed but he was too quick for her. Standing on the back deck, listening to his footsteps retreating into the darkness, Lucia briefly considered giving chase. She quickly discarded the idea. Not only was there Robbie to think of, but Lucia was loathe to incite a gunfight that might frighten Mrs. Schwartz, the elderly widow who occupied the twin house attached to her own.

When she got back in the house Robbie held up his backpack. “I got it.” He took a deep breath and then said, “Wow, that was….”

“Terrifyingly dangerous?” she offered, while surveying the wreckage around her. The intruder had obviously conducted a very thorough search.

“Nah, exciting! I knew it was safe when I heard you handling that guy like a pro. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed in the kitchen. I swear.”

Lucia sighed heavily and impulsively put her free arm around his shoulder. “Rule number one, Rob? When guns are drawn? The situation is never, ever, safe.” She pulled him to face her and stared intently into his eyes. “Capish?”

Felicia Watson started writing stories as soon as they handed her a pencil in first grade. She’s especially drawn to character driven tales, where we see people we recognize, people who struggle with their mistakes and shortcomings, acknowledge them, and use that knowledge to grow into wiser human beings.

When not writing, Felicia spends her time chasing after her not-so-brilliant, but darling and beloved dogs, is chased by her truly brilliant, darling and beloved husband, is known to friends and family as an amateur pastry chef, and still finds time for swimming and her day job as a scientist.

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Read an excerpt from Codex of the Cosmari by C.D. Clark #LGBTQ+ #ScienceFiction @CDClarkNovelist @GoddessFish

Codex of the Cosmari
By C.D. Clark

Jordan Blue works to survive on the oppressive, corporate colony world, Shoar. A random, near-fatal encounter puts her in the company of Kuvett, a space faring creature of the stars. While Jordan tries to figure out the inscrutable Cosmari, Kuvett sneaks about the dilapidated Outskirts to find out just what happened to the planet, what secrets the impenetrable Meritopolis hides, and why it is there.

Genres: LGBTQ+, Science Fiction
Pages: 226 

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EXCERPT

Kuvett let go and hovered back to let Jordan continue.

“Yet, the reason why I have such a hard time accepting it is because—” the tears returned as she looked out to the doorway—“there was a time when I didn’t live here alone.”

“I assumed as much. Their presence still lingers here and on you.”

Jordan nodded. “We were together for about six years until one day, she just up and vanished. I don’t know where she went to, I don’t know if she is even still alive, but the fact she never told me where she even left hurts. It hurts a lot.”

“And you fear it may happen once more.” Kuvett leaned against the wall.

“Yes,” Jordan looked to the floor while she sobbed, ashamed. “That, and I don’t know how much time I have left before my lungs give out. Why would anyone want someone whose body’s falling apart? I don’t know for certain, but that’s what it felt like when Violet left.”

Kuvett was silent a moment before she reached up and wiped away the moisture on Jordan’s face. When she opened her eyes, Kuvett pressed her forehead against Jordan’s. “There is much I wish to tell you and how I disagree with how you see yourself. But for now, we are not safe here. If there is anything I can do to assist you, tell me and I will.”

Jordan sniffed again, nodding as she disengaged from Kuvett’s touch. There was still much to do.

About the Author

From his youngest days, C.D. Clark has always loved stories and the worlds they could take him to. His writing career began with original, fan-based fiction which led to his passion for writing. Over the past twenty-five years, C.D. Clark has developed his craft, all the while celebrating his successes and reveling in any spectacular failures, using them as learning experiences. Ever eager to learn, he continues leaping towards the future while creating fantastic new worlds and passing along poignant messages through his books.

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Have a look at The Duke and the Spirits of the Past by Michael Stolle #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #ReaderReach #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub #YardeBookPromotions @cathiedunn @maryanneyarde

The Duke and the Spirits of the Past

By Michael Stolle

A gripping historical novel full of intrigue, dark secrets, and deadly struggles for power!

France in the 17th century – an age of conflict, love, and honour, where any means are justified in the pursuit of power. Henri de Beauvoir is a man who will stop at nothing — even making a pact with the devil — to achieve his sinister ambitions. As the ruthless cousin of the Marquis de Beauvoir and Duke of Hertford, he spins a perilous web of deception, intrigue, and betrayal to bring about his cousin’s downfall.

 •A secret enemy from the past threatens to destroy the Marquis.

 •Danger lurks in the shadows — always ready to strike.

 •An unexpected love may change everything.

When the fate of the Marquis hangs in the balance, a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds — one where every move is could prove fatal. Can Henri carry out his dark plans, or will the secrets buried in his past become his downfall?

Perfect for fans of Ken Follett, Rebecca Gablé, and Philippa Gregory!

 • Historical setting with atmosphere and authentic detail

 • Intrigue, betrayal, and a ruthless battle between two men over a great inheritance

• A dark anti-hero battling his own demons

 • Suspense right through to the final page!

 Dive into a world of power, passion, and dark secrets!


Get your copy now and lose yourself in an epic historical adventure!

Pages: 426 

Genre: Historical Fiction

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This novel is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

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Michael Stolle, award-winning and best-selling author, was born and educated in Europe. His enduring passion for history has deeply enriched his understanding of the human experience. Through his exploration, he has arrived at a powerful insight: the core essence of humanity is timeless, remaining as relevant today as it was in the 17th century.

Stolle started his writing journey in 2012, and since then, he has enthralled readers worldwide, selling over 250,000 copies of his books. His compelling narratives offer an immersive experience that breathes life into the richness of history, inviting readers to engage with the past in an intimate and vivid way.

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Read about the world of Renaissance Rivals by Karen Essex #HistoricalFiction #RenaissanceFiction #WomenofHistory #RenaissanceWomen #RenaissanceItaly #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @KarenEssex @cathiedunn

Renaissance Rivals

By Karen Essex

Renaissance Rivals, the long-awaited sequel to the global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, tells the story of the brutal rivalry between two of history’s most fascinating power women: Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, celebrated in her own lifetime as “The First Lady of the World,” and Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara, daughter of the infamous Pope Alexander VI and one of the most maligned women in history.

Before Maggie O’Farrell’s doomed duchess in The Marriage Portrait, there were the women who built the courts, forged alliances, and commanded works of artistic genius. In both Renaissance Rivals and Leonardo’s Swans, Essex invites readers to step back one generation into the glittering courts of Renaissance Italy, where beauty, intellect, marriage, and ambition could determine the fate of nations.

Pages: 311

Genre: Historical Fiction

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This novel is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

GUEST POST

Walking Through the World of Renaissance Rivals

By Karen Essex

I have spent years walking through the world of Renaissance Rivals.

Whenever I write about the past, I want to stand where my characters stood, move through the rooms they inhabited, and linger long enough to take in something of the air they breathed. Books and letters give me facts. Places give me atmosphere.

For Renaissance Rivals, those places were above all Mantua and Ferrara, two beautifully preserved cities in northern Italy that I return to with enormous affection.

Most visitors to Italy make their way to Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. Mantua and Ferrara are often overlooked, which is part of their charm. They are smaller, quieter, and far less overwhelmed by tourism. Walking their streets, one can still feel the scale of Renaissance court life in a way that is harder to grasp in the larger cities.

They are exquisite, almost museum-quality towns, filled with palaces, churches, courtyards, frescoes, arcades, and broad stone streets. One can pause without being swept along by a crowd. One can sit in a piazza, look up at a palace window, and imagine who might once have stood there watching a procession pass below.

Today, Mantua and Ferrara feel elegant and self-contained, but during the Renaissance, they were centers of immense political, cultural, and dynastic power. The rulers of these comparatively small states negotiated and warred with popes, kings, emperors, generals, and the wealthiest families in Europe.

This is the world into which Isabella d’Este was born. Her family had ruled Ferrara for centuries, building one of the oldest and most formidable dynasties in Italy. Her father, Ercole d’Este, was known as “the Diamond,” a name that referred not merely to the family emblem, but to his hardness, calculation, and ability to make cold political decisions.

He was among the wealthiest and most powerful rulers of his era. His children were raised with the understanding that they belonged to a dynasty whose survival mattered more than personal inclination.

Isabella was educated accordingly. She learned languages, music, literature, politics, and the social graces expected of a Renaissance princess. She was trained to represent her family, bear heirs, and defend the prestige of the Este name.

Ferrara still carries the grandeur of that world. I have walked through the Castello Estense, with its towers, moat, passageways, state rooms, and darker chambers. I have wandered its streets imagining the processions that once brought brides, ambassadors, soldiers, and visiting princes into the city. The scale of the court becomes easier to understand when one stands inside it.

The Este family lived within a fortified political machine. At a recent keynote I gave about Renaissance women, an attendee noted that the palaces felt more like fortresses than luxurious residences. 

“Of course,” I replied. “They were palaces designed as defense systems. Every room had a purpose. Every entrance could be watched and defended.” The Castello was not built primarily for comfort or display, but to protect the family and uphold its power.

When Lucrezia Borgia arrived in Ferrara in 1502 to marry Isabella’s brother Alfonso, she entered not simply a household, but a dynasty.

She came carrying the notorious Borgia name, the wealth of the papal court, and a reputation shaped by enemies who had portrayed her as a seductress, poisoner, and accomplice to the crimes of her father and brother.

Lucrezia arrived in Ferrara as a young woman who had already survived two politically arranged marriages, the annulment of the first, and the murder of her second husband. Walking through Ferrara, I often imagined what that arrival must have felt like.

Lucrezia was leaving Rome, the city of her father’s power, for a court that distrusted her. I spent considerable time in Rome, especially at the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo, the forbidding fortress used by Lucrezia’s father, Pope Alexander VI. Those immense, shadowed spaces helped me absorb the atmosphere of Lucrezia’s early life: the splendor and ceremony of the papal court, the presence of weaponry and armed power, and the sense that refuge and imprisonment could exist within the same walls.

In Ferrara, Lucrezia was now entering the family of Isabella d’Este, one of the most admired women in Europe. Every gesture, gown, jewel, and word would be scrutinized. While Ferrara offered her a chance to begin again, it also presented a new arena in which she would have to prove herself.

Mantua, Isabella’s city, creates a different sensation. It is surrounded by water, its palaces rising from a landscape that can feel serene, luminous, and slightly dreamlike. I have spent many hours walking through Mantua, returning to the Ducal Palace, lingering in courtyards, and imagining Isabella moving through those spaces both in times of pleasure and political panic.

Mantua was a small state surrounded by more powerful neighbors. Though ruled by the ancient and venerable Gonzaga family, its survival depended upon military alliances, diplomacy, marriages, intelligence, and the skill of its rulers. Isabella understood that power could be cultural as well as military.

She transformed her court into one of the artistic and intellectual centers of the Renaissance. She commissioned great painters such as Leonardo, Titian, and Raphael. She collected antiquities and sought advice on her collection from Michelangelo. She cultivated musicians and writers and created rooms that expressed her learning and ambition.

Her famous studiolo, or private study, fascinates me because it feels so personal. This was a room designed to reflect her mind. Paintings, books, antiquities, and precious objects were arranged not simply for beauty, but to establish who Isabella believed herself to be. She was creating her own legacy while she was still alive.

Standing in Mantua, it is easy to understand why she cared so fiercely about reputation and control. Her authority was never entirely secure. It depended upon her marriage, her children, her birth family, her husband’s political fortunes, and her ability to command respect in a world governed by men.

Isabella could not afford to be dismissed. That is one reason the arrival of Lucrezia Borgia in the Este family mattered so deeply to her.

Lucrezia was younger, beautiful, wealthy, and already famous. She brought papal influence and a talent for winning affection. Over time, she became a respected duchess, administrator, patron, and political figure in Ferrara.

The supposedly scandalous outsider proved to be formidable. The rivalry between Isabella and Lucrezia unfolded across these two cities, though their world extended into Milan, Venice, Rome, France, and the territories of the Holy Roman Emperor.

I have followed their paths through all of them. In Milan, I walked through the Castello Sforzesco and stood beneath ceilings decorated by Leonardo da Vinci. In Venice, I imagined the women arriving in state, competing for the attention of the Doge and the Senate. In Rome, I traced the world of the papal court, where religion, politics, family ambition, art, and corruption were inseparable.

Yet Mantua and Ferrara remain the places where I feel closest to them. Perhaps this is because the cities are intimate enough to encourage imagination. One can walk from palace to church to piazza and begin to understand how closely the political and private worlds overlapped.

A woman might leave her apartments to attend a performance or Mass and know that every detail of her appearance would be observed. A family dinner might contain the seeds of a military alliance or a betrayal. A visiting ambassador might note where she stood, whom she greeted, and which jewels she wore. 

At the same time, danger was everywhere. France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Venice, Milan, and the papacy all competed for influence across the Italian peninsula. Cities changed hands. Husbands were captured. Popes died. Alliances collapsed. Children failed to survive. A woman’s position could be transformed by a single death or military defeat.

That instability forms the true setting of Renaissance Rivals. The novel takes place amid extraordinary beauty, yet none of that beauty is safe. Isabella and Lucrezia inhabit palaces filled with frescoes, music, silk, jewels, and great works of art. They also live within a world of invasions, dynastic marriages, espionage, assassination, and political calculation.

Mantua and Ferrara are serene now. In their age, they were stages upon which some of the most ambitious families in Europe fought for survival. Each time I return, I try to look past the quiet streets and preserved rooms. I imagine the sound of horses entering a courtyard, the weight of ceremonial gowns, the arrival of messengers carrying news from Rome, and the tension of two women measuring one another across a crowded hall.

Research tells me what happened but walking through these places helps me understand how it might have felt.

Karen Essex is the national and international bestselling author of RUN, DARLING, KLEOPATRA, PHARAOH, LEONARDO'S SWANS, STEALING ATHENA, DRACULA IN LOVE, AND BETTIE PAGE: LIFE OF A PINUP LEGEND. All feature iconic women—powerful women that seduced the world and ruled it.

Essex is also an active screenwriter and speaker, and an award-winning journalist. She divides her time between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Europe. Her novels are published in twenty-nine languages.

Leonardo’s Swans, the prequel to Renaissance Rivals, was a runaway bestseller in Italy and won the prestigious Premio Roma for Foreign Fiction.

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Read an excerpt from Dragonslayer’s Valkyrie: The Legend of Sigurd and Brynhildr by Jennifer Ivy Walker #VikingRomance #HistoricalRomance #NorseMythology #Romantasy #TheCoffeePotBookClub @bohemienneivy @cathiedunn @maryanneyarde

Dragonslayer’s Valkyrie: The Legend of Sigurd and Brynhildr

By Jennifer Ivy Walker

Last of the Völsung line of kings descended from Odin, Sigurd is one of the elite Sjórúlfar—the fearsome Sea Wolves of southern Norway. Endowed with the divine blood of the wolf, he seeks glory at the Sólhjarta Summer Solstice Tournament to avenge his father’s death.

Brynhildr, daughter of the Raven King, is the Sun Falcon shieldmaiden and gifted seeress who has glimpsed her fate as a Valkyrie in a seiðr vision. When her father decrees she must wed the tournament’s champion, she summons Freyja for guidance—only to learn her future is bound to Sigurd.

As the Norns tighten the intricate threads of fate, Brynhildr must guide Sigurd toward his destiny as a dragonslayer—by defying the web of wyrd and incurring the wrath of Odin.

Pages: 388

Genre: Viking Historical Romance

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EXCERPT

The Sun Falcon

Frost glimmered on the stones beneath her booted feet, glinting in the morning sun like the veins of crystal which sparkled in the cliffs below the fortress. The salty spring air tasted crisp, clean, and alive. Her pulse thrummed as her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword. She searched Ulric’s eyes, noting the slight twitch in his shield arm.

Like a flash of sunlight across the fjord, she spun low, ducking under his shield and vaulting gracefully to the side, her sword tracing a silver arc that forced him back into a defensive shift. She whirled again, a cyclone of golden hair and flashing steel, each strike flowing seamlessly in a flurry of quick thrusts and slicing cuts. With a final spinning sweep that left the courtyard ringing, she landed a stunning blow which Ulric blocked, sending sparks skittering across the frosty stones and pain searing up her sword arm.

“Enough!” she gasped, chest heaving, the impact knocking her to the ground. “I yield.”

Ulric lowered his shield, the fierce smile on his scarred, bearded face carrying both pride and respect as he helped her stand. “Few could strike as you do, Brynhildr, with such fire and fury. You grow sharper with every swing, my shieldmaiden. Soon, none will stand against you.”

Brynhildr gazed up into the deep green eyes of her beloved mentor, steadfast as the dense forest surrounding her faðir’s clifftop fortress. Not only was Ulric her merciless weapons master, he was her devoted personal guard, sworn to protect her since childhood. “You always win, Ulric,” she groaned, adjusting her lamellar leather armor. “But one day, I shall defeat you.”

A hearty grin split the thick red beard on Ulric’s bemused face. “I have no doubt, kæra mín.  Indeed, that is my foremost goal.”

Jennifer Ivy Walker has an MA in French literature and is a former high school teacher and professor of French at a state college in Florida. Her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, incorporating her lifelong study, summers abroad, and many trips to France.

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Read my review of The Fern Flower by Kathleen Shoop #HistoricalFiction #TheFernFlower #ballet #WW1 #ReaderReach #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @kathieshoop @cathiedunn @maryanneyarde

The Fern Flower

By Kathleen Shoop

St. Petersburg 1908-1917

Born into privilege as the daughter of the Tsar’s favored vodka maker, Mila appears to have everything: wealth, status, and a household devoted to her happiness. But behind the gilded doors of her family estate, she is trapped by the cruelty of a stepmother whose greatest wish is to give birth to her own child.

Each summer on Ivan Kupala Eve, Russia turns its gaze to river bends and forest floors in search of the legendary Fern Flower—a mythical bloom said to grant fortune, power, and the deepest desires of the heart. Only one person had ever found it.

Until Mila.

Years later, in the fading grandeur of Petrograd, Mila and her friends slip into the fabled Stray Dog Café, once the sanctuary of Russia’s most daring artists and dreamers. Inspired by its ghosts, murals, and memories, Mila's group resurrects the work she'd first imagined as a child. The Fern Flower is a breathtaking ballet drawn from folklore, magic, and the secrets of Mila’s past.

But in the fiercely competitive ranks of the Imperial Ballet School, talent is never enough. Though Mila wrote the ballet and her gifted musician friend composed its score, rivals question whether Mila is worthy of claiming the coveted lead role.

As World War I intensifies and revolution ignites, the Russia Mila knows begins to collapse. Family secrets surface, loyalties are tested, and the people she loves begin to disappear. When her parents flee and her young brother’s life hangs in the balance, Mila is faced with an impossible choice: remain with the found family who helped her chase her dreams or risk everything to save the person who needs her most.


With Russian folklore, imperial grandeur, and the fierce beauty of ballet, The Fern Flower is a sweeping tale of ambition, friendship, sacrifice, and the magic that survives even when the world is falling apart.

Pages: 598

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grab a copy HERE!

MY THOUGHTS

Mila Belova has enjoyed her father’s company and attention since her mother died. Despite the overwhelming loss that came with her mother’s death, Mila found comfort in her father, and comforted him in turn. Midnight walks, telling stories and dancing, dreaming about the future where Mila sees herself as a prima ballerina, brought a level of security and comfort to Mila’s life. 

When a new woman turns up in the house, her father’s new wife, whom Mila knew nothing about until the woman was moving in, everything changes. Her father takes the side of his new wife over his daughter, often turning her away, or dismissing her ideas or requests in favour of keeping his new wife happy. 

This is a book I found myself instantly drawn into. We meet Mila as a young girl, who finds herself cut off from her only remaining family in an instant when her new Maman arrives. The woman stepping into her mother’s role is nothing like the parent Mila misses, or needs. Maman is desperate for a child of her own, and seemingly uninterested in taking on this young girl, preferring Mila to stay away from her and to keep quiet. I found Mila’s introduction to her new ‘mother’ heartbreaking, for she is only young and so desperate to keep everyone around her happy, but she is met with resistance at every turn from Maman and, in turn, her father. To watch such a young girl face such loneliness and rejection is truly saddening, especially since she goes to such measures to try and make Maman like her, attempting to keep the peace in the house.

Mila finds herself treading on eggshells around Maman, along with the rest of the people in the house. Although her father is Mila’s only relative, those employed to work in the house are a found family for Mila, and one she so desperately needs. Lottie, her nurse, slowly, and throughout the course of the novel, becomes closer and closer to Mila. Lottie is much like Mila’s own mother was, they share the same interests, and temperaments. It is no surprise that Lottie almost becomes a step-in parent for Mila, when the arrival of Maman drives her father away from her. This is a relationship that I found absolute joy in while reading this book, for although Lottie and Mila argue at times, they are always there for each other, and have such a clear bond, they are willing to do anything to keep the other happy and safe. 

I especially liked the folklore of this novel. The fern flower holds a lot more metaphorical value to this novel than it appears at first, for although it is said to hold riches for the one who finds and picks it, the consequences are much more dire than they originally appear. In particular, this seems to extend to Maman and her desperation for a baby, leading to a deep delve into the superstitions and scepticisms of the time period. Through Maman’s insistence, the household must follow the rules of many different superstitions in order to keep her happy and content, for her tendencies to change from seeming fairly tolerant to throwing a fit at some small occurrence in the house are unpredictable, dangerous, and unsettling. 

Although this book is generally about Mila’s ballet, and her dream of becoming a prima ballerina, I felt like the majority of the book actually focused on her early life. This is not a complaint, for I found every moment with Mila a joy to read about, but it did seem to take a while to get to the Imperial Ballet School. Once there, Mila seemed to meet only more resistance, no aspect of her life laying itself out to be easy for her. The ballet school is fiercely competitive, and Mila struggles to try and stay put in the background in order to stay out of trouble. She is truly a free spirit, and when she gets an idea into her head, there is no stopping her. The ballet school itself, and the story from there on out expands the story into Russia as the First World War breaks out, and revolutions begin to stir. Despite focusing entirely on Mila, this book clearly depicts the history of the time, but does it subtly to not take away from Mila’s story, while fully immersing the reader in the setting. 

One other person of significance would be Mila’s brother, but I can’t talk about him too much without spoiling aspects of the book, and I don’t want to do that! He doesn’t come into the story until far into the story, but Mila’s sisterly affections and protectiveness make for an excellent addition to the story.

This is a very long book, nearly 600 pages long, but when you are reading it, it doesn’t seem like a long book at all. It is one of those rare stories that keep your attention entirely throughout reading it, and is one that you absolutely don’t want to put down because the characters become like friends while you read. It is deeply emotional, while holding onto that tendril of innocence that comes with such a young main character. This is 100% one of the best books I have read this year, and one I will very highly recommend to anyone who asks.

Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, PhD’s novels have won awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more.

Kathleen has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom and has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide. She co-coordinates Mindful Writers Retreats and co-coordinated the 2023 Pennwriters Conference.

She frequently teaches and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.

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Read an excerpt from Zoe Forward's NEW RELEASE, Bad Decisions & Back Roads: Second Chance Veterinary Romance (Southern Veterinary, #2) #ContemporaryRomance #NewRelease @XpressoTours @realzoeforward

Bad Decisions & Back Roads: Second Chance Veterinary Romance

(Southern Veterinary, #2)
By Zoe Forward

The problem with bad decisions is you never stop wanting them.

I used to be the rebellious girl from the wrong side of the fenceline. He was the local hellraiser nobody could tame. While our families carried on a feud older than indoor plumbing, we fell for each other.

Then my vicious father found out. To save Timothy’s life, I broke his heart and disappeared.
Now over a decade later, I’m back as a large-animal veterinarian, working at his brother’s clinic and treating everything from prize dairy cows to Timothy’s homicidal llama. Avoiding him should be easy. 

It isn’t.

He’s a single dad running two businesses, still infuriatingly irresistible, and determined to make me pay for every year he spent hating me.

The problem? I never stopped loving him. But if he learns why I really left, I could lose him forever.

Pages: 358
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance 

Grab a copy HERE!

EXCERPT

A small helpless laugh escaped me. “Do you know where I can find spray whipped cream?” 

His eyebrows lifted beneath the bit of hair hanging over his forehead. 

I narrowed my eyes. “Please tell me that your brain did not just put whipped cream on my body.”

He looked almost offended. “Well,” he drawled, “it hadn’t…”

His slow grin spread. “But now that you mention it…” His gaze dipped, wicked amusement flashing in his eyes. “Question is, was your brain generous enough to imagine some on me too, or am I doing all the work here?”

A startled choke-laugh burst out of me as I dragged my eyes down his body, taking in the dark t-shirt tucked into jeans that hung a little low. I’d already checked out the backside and confirmed it still looked just as good as when he walked away the other day after agreeing to buy a tractor.

He leaned casually on his cart. “For the record,” he added, “I’m picturing collarbone. Maybe wrist. Then I’d go…lower…to areas that might enjoy some attention.” His gaze dropped to my chest. “Then it depends on how wild we’re getting.”

That sent me over the edge laughing. The image of him standing in a grocery aisle naked and covered in whipped cream looking deeply inconvenienced by it was the funniest thing I’d thought all week.

“So, what do you really need whipped cream for?” he asked.

I swallowed my last snort of laughter. “Obviously, I need to keep my fridge stocked in case you randomly swing by. You’ll have to bring your own sprinkles, if you can get them away from your dad.”

His mouth twitched. His eyes went bright with trouble.

USA Today bestselling author Zoe Forward is a parent, wife, veterinarian, and unapologetic chocolate lover. She writes spicy paranormal and contemporary romances that blend action, adventure, humor, and a touch of magic.

Zoe lives in the South with a lively menagerie of four-legged beasts and two slightly wild kids.

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