#SecretsofRosenliManor #HeidiEljarbo #HFVBTBlogTours

Secrets of Rosenli Manor by Heidi Eljarbo

Publication Date: March 29, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Mysteries of the Modern Ladies’ Society #1

Betrayal and trust go hand in hand in the first book of Heidi Eljarbo’s new turn-of-the-century series.

It’s 1898, and Lilly has spent most of her life motherless and living with a father who never looks for a silver lining. When her great-aunt Agatha passes, Lilly’s existence takes a drastic turn. She packs her few belongings and moves into the old lady’s magnificent estate, Rosenli Manor.

In the days that follow, Lilly tries to understand who Agatha really was, and hidden secrets slowly rise to the surface. Her great-aunt’s glamorous legacy is not quite what Lilly had imagined. She must trust in newly forged friendships, and to her surprise, she discovers what it means to truly fall in love. But not everyone is happy about the new mistress of Rosenli.

Intrigue, mystery, and a touch of romance in the Norwegian countryside fill the pages of Secrets of Rosenli Manor.

Betrayal and trust go hand in hand in the first book of Heidi Eljarbo’s new turn-of-the-century series.

It’s 1898, and Lilly has spent most of her life motherless and living with a father who never looks for a silver lining. When her great-aunt Agatha passes, Lilly’s existence takes a drastic turn. She packs her few belongings and moves into the old lady’s magnificent estate, Rosenli Manor.

In the days that follow, Lilly tries to understand who Agatha really was, and hidden secrets slowly rise to the surface. Her great-aunt’s glamorous legacy is not quite what Lilly had imagined. She must trust in newly forged friendships, and to her surprise, she discovers what it means to truly fall in love. But not everyone is happy about the new mistress of Rosenli.

Intrigue, mystery, and a touch of romance in the Norwegian countryside fill the pages of Secrets of Rosenli Manor.

“Secrets of Rosenli Manor is a delightful mystery about finding what was lost and the power of friendship. The sweet romance added a refreshing dimension to the theme of competent and capable women at a time when females were denied a proper voice. Eljarbo’s lovely writing brings the quaint Norwegian village alive through a cast of characters that will charm the reader from beginning to end.” -Julie Daines, bestselling author of Eleanor and the Iron King

Available on Amazon

excerpt

The pendulum on the grandfather clock next to the grand piano swung rhythmically back and forth, back and forth. The hour hand was approaching two. She should leave. The lawyer had asked her to stop by his office before she left town, and the train ride home would take three quarters of an hour.

What was she to do? Lilly leaned back into the soft pillows. Was it all true? Had she inherited a fortune, and could she picture herself living here? What about Father? She’d moved into her own place a while back, but would he insist on living at Rosenli with her? His daily pessimistic outbursts and derogatory comments had taken their toll on her, but what would her father say if she moved away? Who would calm him when his temper steered his mood? Maybe more than anything, was she capable of taking care of Aunt Agatha’s estate?

She stopped by the casket one last time then grabbed her handbag and walked into the hallway.

The butler stood by the wardrobe as she came out. It was as if he expected her.

“Mr. Bing, I need a word with you.”

“You may call me John, miss. Now that we’ll be seeing more of each other, you should know we go by first names in this house. Agatha insisted on it.”

“Very well. Then I would like you to call me Lilly.” She showed him the photograph. “Please tell me about this man. Who is he?”

John smiled. “Oh, so you found the picture. Good. Agatha placed it there for you to find. She had much to tell you, and now it’s up to you to discover what. Find her story, and you’ll understand who that man is.”

Lilly widened her eyes. “That sounds intriguing, but I must warn you; I’m usually not very patient. At least show me where to look?”

“You’ll understand. Just follow your heart.”

About the Author

Heidi Eljarbo writes historical fiction. She grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as a freelance writer, magazine journalist, and painter.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

If you would like to know more, please visit Heidi’s website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 11
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, April 12
Review at Ms. Darcy Reads

Wednesday, April 13
Guest Post at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Thursday, April 14
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Friday, April 15
Review at Bookworlder

Saturday, April 16
Review at The Page Ladies

Monday, April 18
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, April 19
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, April 20
Review at Library of Clean Reads
Review at Michelle the PA Loves to Read

Friday, April 22
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, April 25
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Thursday, April 28
Excerpt at Novels Alive

Friday, April 29
Review at Novels Alive
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of Secrets of Rosenli Manor & Of Darkness and Light by Heidi Eljarbo!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Rosenli Manor

#Review#IronandFire #KerrinWillis #HFVBT

Iron & Fire by Kerrin Willis

Publication Date: April 5, 2022
eBook & Paperback; 316 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

1675 — Plymouth Colony — Verity Parker promised to look after her family.

Raised among the bookshops and turmoil of Reformation London, Verity now finds herself in Puritan New England, where she must learn to keep her head down and her mouth shut, or risk dire consequences. The only person who values her tenacity is Kit, the heretical ironworker she has been forbidden to see. When King Philip’s War breaks out, Verity must stay silent as the Puritan elders spread hateful rhetoric about the “savages” in the forest. When she witnesses a young girl die in childbirth, Verity must stand by as neighbors blame God’s vengeance. But when tragedy strikes her own home, Verity must choose between her duty to her family and her love for Kit. Will she choose to keep the peace, or will she defy the leaders of the colony for a chance at happiness?

Set against the backdrop of King Philip’s War, the bloodiest war per capita in American history, Iron & Fire explores the experience of a clever, educated woman at a time when being so often resulted in death. Perfect for fans of Amy Belding Brown’s Flight of the Sparrow, or Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Iron & Fire was written for those who read the original American Girl series as children and are now all grown up.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Walmart

Review by Coffee&Ink

In the novel Iron and Fire, a young woman with memories of bustling, book-loving London lives now with her family in the town of Taunton, Massachusetts in 1675. Verity does her chores, goes to church, helps with the children, all the things that support them and keep them alive in a wild land. But is that all there is? Her stepfather’s harsh rule, her mother’s stoicism, and her sister’s easy way with doing what appears to be right chafe at her because she questions everything.

Harwell ends up in the stocks because he foregoes church to make extra money. He has no family, no kin except a kind couple who raised him, but are as poor, maybe poorer, than he is. Verity’s kindness while he suffers burns her into his heart.

For the Romeo and Juliet of Colonial New England, the adventure begins. With a much happier ending. Solid prose and extensive research bring this story to vivid life. I highly recommend this novel for readers who love New England historical fiction.

Praise

“Whether you’re a fan of passionate romance, a detective in search of a mystery, or a history buff looking to learn more about what happened after Plymouth Rock, Iron & Fire has something for everyone. While Verity and Kit are the main attractions, the family relationships were my favorite parts- especially the bonds between the cheeky eldest Parker sisters. I learned quite a bit about things from my own backyard I knew nothing about- and most appreciated that for a novel that took place nearly 350 years ago, the characters and their issues felt modern and relatable. A fast read that will stick with you after you turn the final page!” Meredith Bickford, MA MEd

“Iron and Fire masterfully depicts Puritan New England in a story that seamlessly blends themes of love, war, and family. Verity Parker, the headstrong protagonist, challenges nearly every “norm” of Puritan society. Throughout the course of the novel, Verity seeks to define her purpose; oftentimes she is trapped deciding between meeting the expectations of her family or embracing her divergent worldview. In particular, Verity’s conception of humanity will make her an endearing and relatable character for Willis’ audience; unlike her peers, Verity’s notion of justice and community extends far beyond societal limitations, making her worldview far more relevant for modern readers.
Beyond Verity, Willis incorporates a series of complex characters whose subtle growth help shape the novel into a well-rounded story. Each character faces a conflict that calls their identities and beliefs into question. It is unlikely that readers will not be able to find one character with whom they can relate to. Willis’ ability to interweave these intricate story lines is captivating!” ~ Megan Johnson, MEd

“In her debut novel, Kerrin Willis captures the heart of American colonial historical fiction with her words and characters. Iron & Fire, set during the King Phillip War in southeastern Massachusetts, explores the themes of family dynamics, love, and the voice of independent women living in a time when silence was the standard….The writing style is fluent and peppered with wit and descriptive prose balanced throughout the dialogue. The novel reads quickly, while the characters stay with you. Iron & Fire is an engaging, character-driven novel that is strongly recommended” ~Kimberly Rocha, MA MEd

About The Author

 Kerrin Willis lives in Southeastern Massachusetts with her two daughters and her dog, Austen. She is a high school English teacher who prides herself on being a feminist and a strong protagonist in her own story, and she would probably have been burned as a witch in colonial New England. Kerrin can usually be found pausing The Little Mermaid and subjecting her daughters to a lecture on the dangers of giving up their voices.

Kerrin has a BA in English from Stonehill College, and MA in English from Simmons College, and is currently working on her MFA in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 5
Review at Michelle the PA Loves to Read

Wednesday, April 6
Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, April 7
Review at Amanda in PA

Friday, April 8
Review at The Page Ladies

Sunday, April 10
Review at Coffee and Ink

Monday, April 11
Review at Booking With Janelle

Tuesday, April 12
Excerpt at Novels Alive
Excerpt at Books & Benches

Wednesday, April 13
Review at Dive Into a Good Book

Friday, April 15
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, April 18
Review at Bookworlder

Wednesday, April 20
Review on Novels Alive

Thursday, April 21
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Friday, April 22
Interview at Jathan & Heather
Review at A Girl Reads Bookss
Review at Little But Fierce Book Diary

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of Iron & Fire by Kerrin Willis!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Iron & Fire

#Review#LadyOdeliasSecret #JaneSteen #HFVBT

Lady Odelia’s Secret by Jane Steen

Publication Date: March 7, 2022
Aspidistra Press

Genre: Historical Mystery
Series: Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, #2

Do you ever really know your family?

In the 1880s a sixth daughter learns not to ask for much, even if she’s the daughter of an earl. Even if she married the richest man in her corner of Sussex. Even if she’s now a widow with a splendid Georgian mansion.

Lady Helena Whitcombe is still trying to adjust to widowhood and reconcile her family loyalties with her desires when her artist sister Odelia makes a startling suggestion. Why not make her mark on the house that’s now all hers, by commissioning a magnificent work of art from one of London’s most celebrated painters?

Lady Odelia invites Helena into the seductive world of medieval fantasies and fairy tales she has inhabited since Helena was a child. But when a shocking series of events exposes the destructive reality of a great artist’s unusual lifestyle, Helena and her lady’s maid Guttridge are called on to help—or is it to interfere?

Looming danger, the risk of scandal, and competing loyalties force Helena to re-evaluate her relationship with the sister she’s always loved the most.

What is Lady Odelia’s secret? Find out in this gripping continuation of the Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, a story that blends mystery and historical detail with Downton Abbey-style saga as the truths about Helena’s aristocratic family unfold. Read it now before the secret gets out!

Review by Coffee&Ink

A very happy return to the story world of Jane Steen. Once I had the next novel in the Scott-De Quincy series in my hands, I read it nonstop. Helena is next embroiled in yet another murder close to her heart, though this plot of this one is much more of a small burn than the last. Rather than knowing who the victim is this time, the author keeps us on the lookout for who the victim will be—my favorite type of mystery. We are wrapped in Helena’s world from herbs in the country to medicine in the city—Broadmere to London and back again—because Odelia, the artist of the family, advises Helena to hire a genius artist to paint a mural in her house. Helena enters this world of artistic expression with trepidation—she is really much happier at home and makes an uneasy visitor to her sister’s world. The most reluctant amateur sleuth, and yet she is so good at it

Aided by the French doctor, Fortier, who has returned at long last from France, but is burdened with his own secrets. They make a wonderful pair, and it’s agonizing watching them not get together again, but the satisfaction is in the deepening of their friendship as they unravel the mystery around them.

I can’t say enough in praise of Jane Steen’s worldbuilding, the immersion into Helena’s world, and her character. A bit of my corner of the world was unraveling as I read it, but there was nothing to do but read on and gather what comforts I could from it. Highly recommended and looking forward to the next Scott-De Quincy family member’s (not mine!) crisis.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Jane Steen writes series set in the late Victorian period, with an unputdownable blend of mystery, family saga, romance, and the real-life issues facing women of the era. She is an indie author who began her career while living in Illinois, later moving with her American husband to her native England. When not working, she can be found walking through the green and muddy Sussex countryside, getting her cobwebs blown away on the nearby beaches, lovingly tending her garden, or sticking her nose into yet another book.

For more information, please visit Jane Steen’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 4
Review at Coffee and Ink
Interview at Novels Alive
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, April 5
Review at Bonnie Reads and Writes

Wednesday, April 6
Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, April 7
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Friday, April 8
Review at Novels Alive
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Giveaway

9 winners will receive an eBook of Lady Odelia’s Secret and the main prize winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift card & eBook of Lady Odelia’s Secret.

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on April 8th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Lady Odelia’s Secret

#BookReview and #HappyReleaseDay: Dead Wind by Tess Wegert

Small-town secrets aren’t the only things exposed in atmospheric Agatha Christie-style mystery

Investigator Shana Merchant returns to solve the case and find her kidnapper

DARIEN, CT – In Tessa Wegert’s chilling third offering in the Shana Merchant series, Dead Wind (April 5, 2022, Severn House), readers follow Shana back to the Thousand Islands where a recent murder disrupts the peace the residents have come to expect from their small town. But it’s not just the secrets of this small town that Shana unveils. Still rattled by the truth behind her kidnapper’s true identity, Shana pulls all her resources to find the killer and track Blake Bram.

The body is discovered on Wolfe Island, under the shadow of an enormous wind turbine. Shana, arriving on the scene with fellow investigator Tim Wellington, can’t shake the feeling that she knows the victim – and the subsequent identification sends shockwaves through their community in the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York.

Politics, power, passion . . . there are dark undercurrents in Shana’s new home, and finding the killer means dredging up her new friends and neighbors’ old grudges and long-kept secrets.

That is, if the killer is from the community at all. For Shana’s keeping a terrible secret from almost everyone around her: eighteen months ago she escaped from serial killer Blake Bram’s clutches. But has he followed her, to kill again? “Wegert melds the police investigation so deftly with Shana’s endless family drama.” – Kirkus review

“An atmospheric, sophisticated thriller with layers upon layers of secrets lurking amidst the beauty of New York State’s Thousand Islands, Dead Wind shows Shana Merchant and Wegert at the top of their game.” 

— Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of The Mountains Wild and A Distant Grave

“Dead Wind”

Tessa Wegert | April 5, 2022 |  Severn House

Hardcover | 978 1 4483 0712 8 | $28.99

Ebook | $18.99 

Mystery/Thriller 

Review by Coffee&Ink:

I’ve read the first and second book in the series so I jumped at the chance to review the third book for Books Forward. Shana Merchant is a wonderfully strong female character, damaged yet the stronger for it. The author does a great job of deepening and strengthening Shana’s character arc while at the same time never ever making it easy for her or anyone she cares for. Though this is the culmination of her hunt for Bram, I’m hoping to see much more of Shana.

Family drama is a hallmark for these novels, as Shana’s own family secrets begin to blend in with those of the small town she’s living in now. I think this is the side of Shana that makes the books so engrossing for me.

The tightly woven mystery moves from the past to the present effortlessly with well-researched police procedures worked throughout. The excellence of prose and mastery of plot that keeps me from putting down a book is here at 110%.

There are a lot of books out there. This series stands far above the crowd for me. Highly recommended.

More about Tessa Wegert

Tessa Wegert is the author of the Shana Merchant series of mysteries, which includes DEATH IN THE FAMILY, THE DEAD SEASON, and DEAD WIND (2022). A former freelance journalist, Tessa’s work has appeared in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, and The Economist. She grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Coastal Connecticut. Find out more about Tessa at www.tessawegert.com. 

Follow Tessa on social media:

Facebook: @tessawegertbooks

Twitter: @tessawegert

Instagram: @tessawegert

#BookReview: Cleopatra’s Dagger by Carole Lawrence

From the Publisher: New York, 1880. Elizabeth van den Broek is the only female reporter at the Herald, the city’s most popular newspaper. Then she and her bohemian friend Carlotta Ackerman find a woman’s body wrapped like a mummy in a freshly dug hole in Central Park―the intended site of an obelisk called Cleopatra’s Needle. The macabre discovery takes Elizabeth away from the society pages to follow an investigation into New York City’s darkest shadows.

When more bodies turn up, each tied to Egyptian lore, Elizabeth is onto a headline-making scoop more sinister than she could have imagined. Her reporting has readers spellbound, and each new clue implicates New York’s richest and most powerful citizens. And a serial killer is watching every headline.

Now a madman with an indecipherable motive is coming after Elizabeth and everyone she loves. She wants a good story? She may have to die to get it.

Review by Coffee&Ink:

Elizabeth, the only woman columnist at the Herald, knows a story when she sees one, but convincing her editor she can write about a murder she might have witnessed proves nearly impossible. Elizabeth persists, however, as she has little interest in the society column she’s assigned to. Even though she is a member of a distinguished family, and thus New York’s elite society, she knows the real stories are out in the streets. Everywhere she turns, someone is trying to convince her she should not want what she really wants. When her mother asks her why it would be so bad to spend her life in society’s drawing rooms, Elizabeth defends herself.  “Because the world is large and wide and full of adventure.”

I loved Elizabeth’s grit and integrity. Her devotion to her sister, a resident of Bloomingdale Insane Asylum, becomes entwined with the plot.

New York City in 1880—well in any age, New York City is a fascinating place. Elizabeth knows quite a bit of the history of neighborhoods and buildings.

But Elizabeth is at the heart of a story involving a serial killer, as she stumbles upon a body in the park. This one is dressed as a mummy. Subsequent, almost identical deaths point to a single person with an obsession with Ancient Egyptian gods who is murdering young women.

The pursuit of the mystery is very well done, with good pacing as Elizabeth hunts down witnesses and suspects. She encounters a charming and friendly neighbor who helps her with her amateur sleuthing.

I hope this will be the first in a new mystery series and highly recommend it.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Carole Lawrence is an award-winning novelist, poet, composer, and playwright. In addition to Edinburgh Twilight, Edinburgh Dusk, and Edinburgh Midnight in the Ian Hamilton Mysteries series, she has authored novellas, short stories, and poems―many of them translated internationally. She is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee for poetry and has won the Euphoria Poetry Prize, the Eve of St. Agnes Poetry Award, the Maxim Mazumdar playwriting prize, the Jerry Jazz Musician award for short fiction, and the Chronogram Literary Fiction Award. Her plays and musicals have been produced in several countries, as well as on NPR; her physics play, Strings, nominated for an Innovative Theatre Award, was produced at the Kennedy Center. A Hawthornden Fellow, she is on the faculty of NYU and Gotham Writers Workshop, as well as the Cape Cod Writers Center and San Miguel Writers’ Conference.