blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: A Disappearance in Fiji – Nilima Rao

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1914, Fiji: Sergeant Akal Singh would rather be anywhere than this tropical paradise – or, as he calls it, ‘this godforsaken island’. After a promising start to his police career in Hong Kong, Akal has been sent to the far-flung colony of Fiji as punishment for a humiliating professional mistake. Lonely and
embarrassed, he dreams of solving a big case, thereby redeeming himself and gaining permission to leave. Otherwise, he fears he will be stuck in Fiji for ever.

When an indentured Indian woman goes missing from a sugarcane plantation and Fiji’s newspapers scream ‘kidnapping’, the inspector-general reluctantly assigns Akal the case, giving him strict instructions to view this investigation as nothing more than cursory. But as soon as Akal arrives on the plantation, he identifies several troubling inconsistencies in the plantation owners’ stories, and it seems there is more to this disappearance than meets the eye . . .

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Nilima Rao is a Fijian Indian Australian who has always referred to herself as ‘culturally confused’.
She has since learned that we are all confused in some way and now feels better about the whole thing. When she isn’t writing, Nilima can be found wrangling data (the dreaded day job) or
wandering around Melbourne laneways in search of the next new wine bar. A Disappearance in Fiji is her first novel and she is currently working on a second.

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My thoughts: I didn’t know much about the British occupation of Fiji, other than that it happened, so this was really interesting to read, and obviously a lot of what went on was appalling. I really like Sergeant Akul Singh, a Sikh Indian police officer, formerly in Hong Kong, dispatched rather unhappily to Fiji, and sent to investigate a missing indentured Indian woman, a “coolie”, working on a plantation.

He encounters racism, sexual violence towards the women, murder and cruelty. The living quarters are horrific and so are the working conditions. Slavery might have been abolished, but this felt like it under a different name.

Akul is an educated man, his father a teacher, and he too is appalled by what he finds. Torn between the orders of his superior and the desire for true justice, he risks being sent back to India in disgrace. But he won’t be deterred and assisted by the British doctor who accompanied him, he sets about getting answers.

I felt sorry for him, the career defining mistake he made in Hong Kong was genuine – he was naive and a bit stupid, but he worked to rectify things. Hopefully as this series develops, people see that is a very good detective, and not a bumbling idiot. I look forward to reading more about him.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Cover Reveal: The Last Train to Paris – Juliet Greenwood

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For Iris, each visit to her mother in St Mabon’s Cove, Cornwall has been the same – a serene escape from the city. But today, as she breathes in the salt air on the doorstep of her beloved childhood home, a heavy weight of anticipation settles over her. Iris knows she’s adopted, but any questions about where she came from have always been shut down by her parents, who can’t bear to revisit the past.

Now, Iris can’t stop thinking about what she’s read on the official paperwork: BABY GIRL, FRANCE, 1939 – the year war was declared with Nazi Germany. 

When Iris confronts her mother, she hits the same wall of pain and resistance as whenever she mentions the war. That is, until her mother tearfully hands her an old tin of letters, tucked neatly beside a delicate piece of ivory wool. 

Retreating to the loft, Iris steels herself to at last learn the truth, however painful it might be. But, as she peels back each layer of history before her, a sensation of dread grows inside her. The past is calling, and its secrets are more intricate and tangled than Iris could ever have imagined.

The year is 1939, and in Paris, France a young woman is about to commit a terrible betrayal…  

A beautifully written and addictively compelling historical novel about the terrible choices ordinary people were forced to make in the horrors of World War Two. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale, you will devour this book.

What readers are saying about Juliet Greenwood:

“This was fantastic! Perfect for a Kate Morton or Lucinda Riley hangover, this book will draw you in and won’t let go until you’ve read the last page. This book was unputdownable – fascinating characters, excellent writing, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. I loved every second of it.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I found myself reading chapter after chapter, unable to put it down. A first-time read by this author but certainly not the last.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“For readers of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley, this book will be one of your favorites… A historical novel that will keep you reading until the end.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“An absolutely brilliant read. I could not put it down…I loved how the war changed everyone and it was a gripping story… I really loved it. Cannot recommend it enough.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Did everything that I was looking for… it left me wanting to read more from Juliet Greenwood.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Publication Date: 23rd October 2023

Juliet Greenwood is a historical novelist, now published by Storm Publishing. Her first novel was a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and two of her books reached the top 5 in the UK Kindle store. Juliet has always been a bookworm and a storyteller, writing her first novel (a sweeping historical epic) at the age of ten. She lives in a traditional cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales, set between the mountains and the sea, with an overgrown garden (good for insects!) and a surprisingly successful grapevine. 

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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Without Trace – Leigh Russell

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With a terrifying certainty, she knew she was going to die.

DI Geraldine Steel knows people go missing all the time. So when her partner Ian asks her to look into the disappearance of his football-buddy’s girlfriend, her first instinct is to reassure him there’s no need for concern. Until she’s called to a suspected murder. The young woman has earth and fragments of twigs in her hair. It’s as if she’d been completely encased in earth. And yet she was found on the pavement, at the side of a suburban road, where she wasn’t in contact with any soil or mud.

Without a crime scene, the investigation focuses on her boyfriend. But then another young woman is reported missing. Unless he has an accomplice, they have an innocent man in custody. And Steel is running out of time . . .

A page-turning puzzle of a case with an unexpected final twist. If you’re a fan of Angela Marsons, Mel Sherratt and Karin Slaughter, you’ll love Leigh Russell.

Leigh Russell is the author of the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTunes with Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People’s Book Prize.

My thoughts: another gripping and perplexing case for DI Geraldine Steel and her team. Several young women have gone missing in a small area of York, and now another. But this time, she survives just long enough to stumble into a road and be found, only to die in hospital.

She was covered in leaves and dirt, like she’d been buried alive and clawed her way out. Was her boyfriend the one who did this to her or is something more sinister going on?

Meanwhile Geraldine has been feeling a bit off, is her relationship with Ian in trouble? Maybe she just needs a holiday.

As the case unfolds, we’re offered the killer’s obsession and his strange justification for the deaths he’s responsible for. A twisted mind that the police can’t understand.

Clever, twisted and compelling, this is another excellent book in this series.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Eternally Artemisia – Melissa Muldoon

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Welcome to the tour for Eternally Artemisia by Melissa Muldoon. Read on for more details!

EternallyArtemisia-gold

Eternally Artemisia
Some loves, like some women, are timeless.

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it. As Maddie’s relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together. In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

MelissaMuldoonAuthorPix

Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: “Dreaming Sophia”, “Waking Isabella”, “Eternally Artemisia”, and “The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola.” All four books are set in Italy and tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future. For more information visit: MelissaMuldoon.com

Melissa is the author also of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). “Studentessa Matta” means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include the podcast “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano”, and the “Studentessa Matta” YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy while immersing in language and culture. Through her website, she also offers Homestay opportunities to live and study in Italy in the private home of a teacher.

Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, and professional book designer, and designed the interiors of all three of her books as well as illustrated their covers. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press.

Melissa Muldoon

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this time travelling novel inspired by three real women – artist Artemisia Gentileschi, designer Elsa Schiaparelli and writer Anna Bruni, who lived at very different times, but were connected by their love of art, Florence and the desire to live on their own terms.

Artemisia has only really been recognised in recent years for the extraordinary talent that she was. And for the terrible way she was treated. A victim of rape, she was tortured to ensure she was telling the truth, while her rapist never served a moment of his sentence. But she got her revenge.

As art therapist Maddie, in Florence to run a retreat for survivors, soon learns. And then we are falling through time to meet Artemisia and a woman with a familiar name… Maddalena. I felt a kinship with the various Maddie’s in this book as we travelled around the timeline – my name is the French version of hers, both come from another woman who lived on her own terms – Mary Magdalene, a female disciple of Jesus.

These passionate, brilliant women throughout the book and into the future, are talented, intelligent and inspiring, carrying the spirit Artemisia in their hearts as they achieve wonderful things. And yes, I would quite like to wear a shocking pink shoe hat sometimes! A delight.

Book Tour Organized by R&R Book Tours

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Hotel – Emily Shiner

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As we welcome the Rowe family to our beautiful clifftop hotel, a shadow passes over my husband’s face. In that moment I see it: my husband is hiding a terrible secret. Has he put us all in danger?

Mark and I pride ourselves on giving visitors to our hotel, high on the rugged Maine cliffs with views of the ocean, a vacation they won’t forget. But the Rowes arestrangely over-familiar when they arrive with their teenage daughter. The wife puts a hand on Mark’s forearm and her husband meets my eyes with a knowing look as I hold my little son tight. They gush that they loved their previous stay here… But I’m certain I’ve never seen them before.

Mark reassures me that the Rowes are just being friendly. We have so many visitors, maybe we forgot meeting them. When I am locked in the master bedroom for over an hour, he later soothes my panic and says it was just an accident. But I know one of the Rowes was out in the hallway listening to me cry for help. I hear one of them whispering a lullaby to my baby on his monitor. I cannot trust these people.

But as the relentless icy rain gives way to the biggest blizzard of the season and we become cut off, I realize my son and I are trapped. Mark knows more about the Rowes than he’s letting on. I’ll do anything to protect my gorgeous baby boy. But how far will I have to go, to keep him safe?

The Hotel is a totally twisty locked room thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Fans of Shalini Boland, Freida McFadden and Jeneva Rose will be glued to the pages!

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Audio: UK US

Listen to a sample here

Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author. After spending years devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.

It’s nice to meet you!

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My thoughts: everyone in this book, except the toddler, has an agenda, you can’t trust any of them to be telling the truth. As two families with a lot of secrets get snowed in at a remote Maine B&B, things get ugly and deadly.

The Rowes book out the whole house, so there’s no other guests, nowhere to go and no way to avoid the confrontations that are coming. Cosy dinners can’t mask the tension, and once the power goes out, the danger increases.

The Rowes have something on Mark, who thinks his wife doesn’t know, but she does, and she has plans of her own, that don’t include her husband. But who is playing who? This tense cat and mouse game kept me gripped and then the twists as the book ends, shocking. You can’t run far enough.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Trail – M.A. Hunter

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Sometimes it’s best to let the past stay buried…
Thirty years ago, Jess’s mother, Nora, disappeared while on a charity hike in the US. The devastating loss has afflicted Jess well into her adult life and even inspired her decision to become an investigative journalist.
So when Jess receives an anonymous tip telling her that remains have been recovered in the spot her mother disappeared, she wastes no time in jumping on a plane.
They say the Appalachian Mountains have secrets, but as she begins to ask around, she learns that the locals do too. But no matter how much they lie, she is determined to find the truth – even if it will
irrevocably change her future.
Someone wants to keep the past buried. And they will stop at nothing to keep Jess as quiet as the tranquil mountain trail itself…
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M. A. Hunter is the alter ego of Stephen Edger, the bestselling author of psychological and crime thrillers, including the Kate Matthews series.

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My thoughts: I don’t think I’d be very keen on hiking the Appalachian Trail, which passes through a huge amount of America, passing through 14 states (says Google) and covering hundreds of miles of mountains and forest, small towns and some probably quite grumpy bears.

This book doesn’t make me want to do it at all, though Bill Bryson put me off first, at least no one he knew went missing somewhere along the trail (A Walk in the Woods, if you’re interested).

Jess lost her mother thirty years before, while hiking a section of the trail to raise money for Jess’ best friend Ashley, who happened to also be Nell’s goddaughter. Despite some pretty huge setbacks, Nell was determined to complete her section. But then she vanished. Her fellow hikers had no idea where she went or what happened. Jess was devastated, and after her dad died, all alone. Except for Bruce, who stepped in to look after her.

Now, Nell’s remains might have been found, can Jess finally get some answers or will someone stop her learning anything?

Nell’s hike was terrifying, honestly some of the things she saw were downright awful, and Jess doesn’t have a much better experience. It all gets a bit Deliverance-esque in a small town, Rockston, where the locals have some unusual beliefs. But did they, as Jess’ strange informant insists, harm Nell or is something else going on?

Twists and turns, much like the path through the mountains, abound, and there are a few times it seems the hikers in both timelines are done for, but the ending is surprisingly upbeat and hopeful.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Bookstagram Tour: All in Monte Carlo – Anna Shilling

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If you pop over to Instagram today, you’ll find my thoughts on this book, and all the info about the book and author below.

Four women, four ways to revenge…

A Monaco insider reveals what life is like in the world’s richest and most secretive enclave, where revenge is best served with a glass of champagne.

Wedged between Southern France and the Mediterranean Sea, the miniature principality of Monaco is a place for aspiration, for comic extremes and for outrageous personalities. Where a businesswoman gets her favourite Chanel suit flown in by private jet. Where Hôtel de Paris serves breakfast to a drunken socialite in a prison cell. Where two Gucci-clad women are behind a string of burglaries.

Against a backdrop of cocktails on superyachts, looking fabulous and feeling empty, this tongue-in-cheek tale revolves around four relatable women who meet by chance in Monte Carlo. After sharing their tales of betrayal, they set up a book club as a cover while they settle each other’s scores. But revenge, like life, doesn’t always go to plan…

The book cover has been designed by one of the UK’s leading illustrators, Patrick Knowles. Knowles is best known for his cover designs for Julian Fellowes and Anthony Horowitz, as well as for Prince William and Kate’s wedding calligraphy.

Anna Shilling is the collective pen name for four women who lived in Monte Carlo. A magazine editor, an aristocrat, an UHNW businesswoman and a private banker formed a book club and shared funny, shocking tales together about life in the principality. The magazine editor wove a fictional plot from their tales into this novel.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: A Marriage to Murder For – E.V. Hunter

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The high society wedding…
Social media influencer Crystabel Hughes is determined her wedding to Giles Preston Smythe will be the talk of the town. No matter the cost or the upset, nothing will stop this wedding!
A cheating groom…
But for Alexi Ellis and the rest of the staff at Hopgood Hall, Crystabel’s demands are becoming increasingly extreme. And when Alexi spots the groom getting up close and personal with one of the bridesmaids, she fears trouble is only a bouquet toss away.
A killer bride caught red-handed?
And Alexi’s fears are confirmed when the groom is found dead on the night before the wedding, stabbed through the heart – the person holding the dagger. his beloved bride-to be Crystabel.
Hopgood Hall doesn’t need any more bad press, but the race is on to find the killer and close the case before Crystable live streams her dilemma.
Can Alexi, Jack and Cosmo find out why Giles was killed? And, more importantly, can they stop the killer before they strike again?
Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Frances Evesham and Emma Davies.
Purchase


Evie Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and is now redirecting her talents to produce dark gritty thrillers for Boldwood. For the past twenty years she
has lived the life of a nomad, roaming the world on interesting forms of transport, but has now settled back in the UK.

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My thoughts: this series gets better, and the murders more outrageous, with each book. This time the Hopwood Hall Hotel is hosting the wedding of the year, or at least so the bride and her mother/manager think it will be.

Crystabel is an influencer, and in her mind at least, basically a Kardashian, so she’s going all out. But in insisting the hens return to the hotel so she can keep an eye on the stags, has she set the ball rolling on events that lead to her being found standing over her groom holding a knife?

As Alexi, Jack and Cosmo (cats are excellent detectives) investigate the murder, and all the potential suspects, was this marriage ever going to work, even before the groom’s life was cut short?

Lots of twists and turns, anyone of the assembled guests could be the killer, so there’s plenty to investigate, which keeps all the suspects trapped in the hotel, while the police, and the Hopwood team dig into the lives of Giles and Crystabel, an extremely unlikely couple.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: One Christmas Eve – Shari Low

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Three women, three decades, three Christmas Eve moments that change their lives forever.
On Christmas Eve, 1968, Cathy McLean receives a surprise visit from the lost love of her life and is forced to chose between the one that got away and the one that stayed.
On Christmas Eve, 1993, Cathy’s daughter Helena is overjoyed to hear that her boyfriend is about to propose, until a devastating encounter threatens to bring her heartbreak instead of diamonds.
On Christmas Eve 2023, an shocking discovery rocks Eve Quinn’s world. The only gift Eve wants this year is the truth. But will it take a Christmas miracle to unravel generations of secrets?
Unwrap this festive tale of complicated families, impossible choices, and an unforgettable love that lasts three lifetimes.
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Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 30 novels, including My One Month Marriage and One Summer Sunrise and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So.
She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts: I’m writing this during a very hot summer, which makes talking about a Christmas book seem a bit mad. But it’s from the lovely Shari Low, and it’s a totally heartwarming and sweet story of three generations of women, all of whom hit a point in their lives on Christmas Eve, years apart. Moments that could go one way or another. And as the women relive their pasts, the future is happening right there and it’s all connected.

So maybe hold onto this one for winter, it’s definitely more of a snuggly read with a mug of hot chocolate and some cosy socks than right now, when I’m trying to decide how best to cool off! But it is worth the wait, it’s a three generational love story and will make you feel all warm and melty, in a good way!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Book Blitz: Guiding Emily – Barbara Hinske plus Hallmark movie announcement!

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Guiding Emily copy

Sometimes the perfect partner has four paws…

We are thrilled to share this heart-warming book and let you know that the Hallmark film adaptation airs today!

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Guiding Emily: A Tale of Love, Loss, and Courage (Guiding Emily Series #1) 

Genre: Women’s Fiction/ Romance

Sometimes the perfect partner has four paws…

Emily Main had it all: a high-powered career with a leading technology giant and a handsome fiancé bounding up the corporate ladder. Their island wedding and honeymoon were idyllic-until a tragic accident causes her retinas to detach.

Her well-ordered life is shattered as all treatments are unsuccessful and she slips into blindness. How will those around her cope with her tragedy? Can she rebuild her life in this most unwelcome, new normal?

Meanwhile, a black lab puppy named Garth fulfills his destiny to become that most esteemed of all creatures: a guide dog.

Guiding Emily is a heartwarming tale of love, loss, and courage as Garth and Emily make their way to each other.

Available on Amazon

Tune in to see the premier of the Hallmark original movie adaptation of Guiding Emily Friday, September 8, at 9/8c. 

About the Author

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Barbara Hinske is an attorney who recently left the practice of law to pursue her career as a full-time novelist. Her novel Guiding Emily was conceived during a tour of The Foundation for Blind Children. She was inspired and moved by their mission and is donating half of her proceeds from the book to the Foundation. Barb is also the author of the bestselling Rosemont series and the murder mysteries in her ‘Who’s There?!’ collection. Her novella The Christmas Club was made into a 2019 Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. 

Barbara Hinske

Book Blitz Organized by R&R Book Tours