Book Review: Dair Devil

In this fourth book in the Roxton series - Dair Devil - Lucinda Brant continues the saga of the Roxton family and delights her fans with another passionate romance, the story of Alisdair ‘Dair’ Fitzstuart and Aurora ‘Rory’ Talbot, granddaughter of Lord Shrewsbury, England’s Spy Master General. Set in the 1770s, the story encompasses politics and intrigue, both at home and abroad, and also the secrets and lies a great and powerful family perhaps needs to conceal. Dair Fitzstuart has justifiably earned his nickname ‘Dair Devil’ because, to all concerned, he appears to be the epitome of a reprobate and a womanizing scoundrel. Amazingly, he has emerged unscathed from his exploits on the battlefield and his exploits in society keep tongues wagging incessantly. With a history of past mistresses, he is the most unlikely person to find Aurora attractive. She is unmarried, and despite her fair, understated charms, she has neither the ravishing beauty nor great fortune that would more than make up for her physical deformity, a twisted foot. Their first meeting is particularly inauspicious. A prank that Dair engages in to help a friend win the affections of a lady goes disastrously and scandalously wrong. Against a background of military espionage, unrest in the colonies, hints of treason and double crossing, this seemingly doomed romance blossoms. But trouble looms and various people are not too pleased with the idea of a union between Dair and Rory.

What a sensuous read, with Dair himself oozing sex appeal on every page. One word that epitomizes this book is passion: the passion and tumult of the times in which the Roxtons live; the passion of love, and also the passion of ambition, both thwarted and realized. From the elegant swish of satin skirts to the flutter of a flirtatious fan, readers will be transported into a world of vivid detail, and will emerge knowing more than they could ever have imagined about this colorful and vibrant era. The author takes readers right into the heart of this wonderful romance, and they will experience each heartbeat and thrilling moment as Dair and Rory discover and explore their love. There are also brilliantly drawn lesser characters, with their pettiness, spite and narrow-mindedness, as well as others altogether much more appealing. Readers who have been avidly following the Roxton series will be delighted to pick up on clues from previous books. Ms. Brant has a gift for intertwining those threads into a constantly developing tapestry. This series has created a superb niche readership of the Georgian era. I have read all the books from Book One, so it was a delight to connect with familiar characters. For readers coming new to this series, I would recommend starting at the beginning, although the author’s skill in weaving in back story means this book can be read as a stand-alone. Highly recommended. 5 Stars.

Sticks N' Stones and the Garden of Phea Book Blast

About the Book

Title: Sticks n' Stones and the Garden of Phea | Author: Angela Burkhead | Publication Date: February 6, 2014 | Publisher: Maple Hill Publishing | Pages: 152 | Recommended Ages: 9+

Summary: Rather than spending one more day amongst the humiliating remarks to the amusement of her fellow peers, Emily Fickeltin runs away. Or, rather, walks away. Emily is misunderstood and disliked but what seems to be every other child her age and on top of it all, she is overweight. Perfectly pleasantly plump, her mother calls her, but Emily feels far from perfect. Her attempt to escape her pain leads her to discover a hidden place with new hope for friends and acceptance. Stumbling into Phea's garden, an eccentric woman skilled in the arts of gardening and imagination, Emily finds she is not alone in her troubles. Phea and her friend rabbit have a past of their own they wish to run from and together the three battle their innermost demons as their world crumbles around them. Will they ever discover peace and acceptance? These lost and disheartened souls must find who they are before they are all lost forever.

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About the Author: Angela Burkhead

Angela Burkhead is a full time writer and a full time mom. Of the two jobs, she cannot decide which is more difficult and time consuming, but both bring the joys of fulfillment and accomplishment. She and her son currently reside in Richmond, Ky, just north of Kentucky's arts and crafts capital, Berea, Ky, where she was born and raised. Her newest book, Sticks n' Stones and the Garden of Phea, an upper middle grade/young adult fantasy novel, was published February of 2014.

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* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

  Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: May 13, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, David Chuka and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Things I Wish my Mother Had Said

Things I Wish my Mother Had Said by Genie Lee Perron is a must-read. It is about physical and spiritual healing, how to live and appreciate your life. It is simple, short, filled with meaningful suggestions and information, and illustrated so beautifully by the author herself. I loved the images; they inspired laughter, joy, and took me back to a wonderful space in childhood that I think we would all like to experience again. Genie Lee Perron is not a new-age guru, living a fabulous Hollywood, problem-free life and dispensing clever advice. Her life is real, and she has battled almost insurmountable health problems, things that the average person cannot imagine facing. Her mother’s words resonated in her mind constantly as a source of wisdom and inspiration; simplistic perhaps, when one reads so many uber-clever self-help books, but in that simplicity is the wisdom of ages.

Each section is prefaced with a wonderful saying by either a world leader, or a person one can totally respect, people who have earned their spiritual stripes. The chapters are short and offer a personal viewpoint from the author’s experience, and then some tips. As you read, you’ll remember at least one of your grandparents or parents giving you this advice. The author encourages us to focus on things we have forgotten in the hurly-burly of this “me-me-me” world, with so much aggression, negativity, and rampant selfishness. To change the world we must change ourselves. The author advises us to look within, for therein lies the answer, the key to the joy, peace, happiness, fulfilment, love, and serenity we deserve.

We have forgotten how to be grateful for what we have, how to be patient, how to listen to others, how to do so many things possibly considered old-fashioned these days. The author just points us back in the right direction. We can change everything about our lives by seeing things from a different perspective. There is no magic, apart from the magic of life itself; no clever techniques such as contained between the pages of thick ‘looks hard to read’ books; no special meditative skills required. It’s just about getting back to the basics of life itself, loving oneself in the right way, and learning how to see things in a more expansive, open way.

Like Genie, I lost a best friend when my mother passed away; like Genie, I feel her close; I remember her advice; I remember and appreciate her love. I’m not a self-help book enthusiast and I generally never read those kinds of books. In my opinion, we must help ourselves. Yet this book came at an opportune time for me. It restored my belief in the ‘old-fashioned’ values I grew up with and told me that they are the only valid means of dealing with what life throws at you. This is a book for everyone of all ages, and especially for those who lost a great friend in a parent. Five Stars!

by Fiona Ingram