Absolute Genius! The Best of Both Worlds!

My daughter, M, is OBSESSED with One Direction... obsessed is actually putting it mildly. I am obsessed (notice my obsession does not warrant all capital letters ...lol) with Downton Abbey!

So, when our two obsessions meet... it's AMAZING (yes, I feel the need for all capital letters now)!! Especially when Lord Grantham says FLABBERGASTED... it's her favorite word!

This "mash-up" is brilliant! I can't wait to show it to M when she gets home from school today.


Here is the original with M's "boys"... pay special attention to the blond one, Niall. Around our house, he's known as her "little Leprechaun" or, more importantly... our future son-in-law...LOL!!!

Elusive Dawn by Gabriele Wills

From GoodReads..."It happened slowly at first. Thread by thread, the fabric of privilege and complacency enveloping the Wyndham family began to unravel. A carefree summer at their island house, disrupted by the arrival of long lost kin, ended in tragedy, betrayal, and war. Now, in the compelling sequel to the acclaimed epic, The Summer Before The Storm, Ria and her friends find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control. It's late summer, 1916. While some members of the Wyndham family revel in the last resplendent days of the season at their Muskoka cottage, others continue to be drawn inexorably into the Great War, going from a world of misty sunrises across a tranquil lake to deadly moonlight bombing raids, festering trenches, and visceral terror. For Ria, too many things have happened to hope that life would ever return to normal, that innocence could be regained. Caught in a vortex of turbulent events and emotions, she abandons the safety of the sidelines in Britain for the nightmare of France. Her fate as an ambulance driver remains entwined with those of her summer friends, all bound by a sense of duty. Living in the shadows of fear and danger awakens the urgency to grasp life, to live more immediately, more passionately amid the enormity of unprecedented death. Together, their lives weave a tale of liberation and loss, evolution and redemption. Those who survive this cataclysmic time are forever changed, like Canada itself.Impeccably researched, beautifully written, Elusive Dawn will resonate with the reader long after the final page has been turned."

The best thing about trilogies, at least, in my opinion (and  this is my blog, so it my opinion matters...lol!) is that they (usually) get better with each new book. Elusive Dawn is no exception! 

It was so easy to open this novel and start reading about this wonderfully crafted world. I felt as though I had never left it. Elusive Dawn showed events, both big and small in a changing world, and how characters that I love deal with them and each other. 

The second book of The Muskoka Novels was more intense but written with scenes of simplicity and beauty. I felt the characters evolved more and their actions, both good and bad, were completely in keeping with how I believed they should behave.

I think one if more difficult things a writer can try is to put her characters in historical situations. We all know (to some extent, of course) what WWI did to our world. Ms. Wills writes eloquently and evocatively  about  the changing  world and how  it affected the Wyndham family and the other characters.  Lesser authors sometimes gloss over events like that, using them to provide a backdrop. In Elusive Dawn, the horrors are ever present and, sometimes, I turned the page apprehensively... not always wanting to know what happened but also needing to know. Yes, I read  this book so quickly and cannot wait for the final book in the series... which I will tear through but with a little bit of sadness as I know  it will be my final time in this wonderful world that is Gabriele Wills' creation.

~~Thanks to Teddy Rose at Virtual Author Book Tours and the author, Gabriele Wills for providing  Elusive Dawn in exchange for this review.~~

Gabriele Wills~Author of Elusive Dawn~ Guest Post

Gabriele Wills is the author of The Muskoka Novels, a wonderful series that captured my imagination with book one, The Summer Before the Storm, which I reviewed HERE. The second book in the series, Elusive Dawn (what a wonderfully evocative title!) continues this series and I am very excited to review it later this week.

I would like to thank Gabriele Wills for sharing her thoughts in this guest post...

Intrepid Women

By Gabriele Wills

The “girls” of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) laughed uproariously when they read a British newspaper article during WWI about women motor drivers, which declared, “Women’s outlook on life will be distorted by the adoption of such a profession, her finer instincts crushed,” and that she would be robbed “of much feminine charm”.   The FANY was a corps of plucky young women – most in their early 20s - who volunteered to drive ambulances and run field hospitals in war-torn Belgium and France. They were well bred, often aristocratic, and cultivated an image of fierce independence, self-confidence, gaiety, flair, and audacity.

Although the Belgians gratefully accepted the FANYs’ services shortly after the outbreak of war in 1914, it wasn’t until 1916 that the British allowed them to set up a convoy in Calais. They had to deal with skeptical military personnel, and male drivers who resented them encroaching on their territory, and doing it without pay. The locals were impressed by the eccentric and fearless English mademoiselles, who drew a crowd when expertly changing tires or repairing their vehicles.

The FANYs’ work was difficult, dirty, and dangerous. They maintained their cars mechanically, but also had to cleanse them of blood and other bodily effluences. They transported wounded, ill, and dying men from trains and barges to hospitals and ships, often at night and in all weathers, frequently driving through bombardments. One FANY was seriously wounded when a torpedo exploded in front of her ambulance, killing the orderly beside her, but she managed to crawl 200 yards to a hospital, refusing aid until the men in her charge had been treated. During one of 197 air raids on Calais, shrapnel so narrowly missed injuring some FANY that it shredded bits of their clothing and was embedded in their bedroom walls. 

Those on night duty in winter had the arduous task of hand cranking every vehicle hourly to keep them from freezing up. During a major offensive, like Passchendaele, they worked endless days without sleep or time for proper meals or even a wash, snatching naps on stretchers in their ambulances while awaiting yet another train. They assisted when an ammunition dump outside Calais was bombed, creating a crater “big enough to bury a village”, dodging live shells that littered roads up to five miles away. The place was an inferno, and armaments kept exploding, raining shrapnel down around them.

But the “girls”, as they called themselves, also had fun when off-duty, and were renowned for their hospitality - hosting teas, dances, and entertainments for officers, many of the women being accomplished musicians. They borrowed horses, sometimes riding out with officers and participating in races on the beach. Some romances and marriages ensued. In her memoir, FANNY Goes to War, Pat (Waddell) Beauchamp describes encountering the Prince of Wales in Calais, and receiving a delightful smile and “wonderful salute”.

It’s amazing to realize the many hardships that these gently reared ladies endured - with stoicism and grace - in their bid to “do their duty” like their brothers and sweethearts. FANY members earned 136 medals and decorations during WWI, including Pat Waddell, who lost a leg in the line of duty.  

Janet Lee’s War Girls gives a comprehensive account of the corps during WWI. The FANY is still in existence, and you can see vintage photos on their website. Their motto is “arduis invictus”, meaning “unconquered in hardships”, which is indeed apt.

I pay tribute to these intrepid women in Elusive Dawn through my fictional WATS (Women's Ambulance and Transport Service), heavily based on FANY history.  Victoria Wyndham, the heroine of The Muskoka Novels, becomes a WATS, and penned the following ditty to the popular wartime tune, “Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts for Soldiers”, which encapsulates the WATS - and FANY - experience:

Cousin Katy’s driving on the wrong side in Calais,

She responds to calls for help with never a delay,

Bombs and shells may fall but she’ll keep driving through them all,

She’s a WATS and that’s what WATS do – heed the battle call.

But in her scratchy khaki she still likes a dance or two,

For she’s a lady fair and there is nothing she can’t do.

Cousin Katy cleans the carburetor,

Vulcanize, decarbonize, oil, grease, and then much later

She dances and she sings until the telephone rings, then

Cousin Katy cranks and cranks and cranks the cranky car again.

She drives and drives through darkness that is dangerous, undaunted,

Taking troops and top-brass anywhere where they are wanted,

Meeting ships and trains, soon she’ll be flying aer-o-planes!

She’ll defeat the Hun with her grease gun and never she complains.

But when she’s not in breeches, and underneath her car,

She likes champagne from crystal, and a taste of caviar.

Please come back to Bags, Books & Bon Jovi later this week to read my review of Elusive Dawn by Gabriele Wills. To whet your appetite... click HERE to go to the author's website to read an excerpt. I hope you enjoy it as much I did!

India Black and the Rajah's Ruby by Carol Carr

From the publisher's website... "India Black uses her wit and wiles as both a madam and a spy, proving she’s the best there is when it comes to undercover work…

 Drawn into intrigue by her lover Philip Barrett, India finds herself being used as a pawn to help him steal a valuable jewel. Turning the tables, she proves that India Black answers to no man, no matter how attractive he may be…"

I don't usually review novellas but when it's the latest installment of one of my favorite series...I'm all over it!!

I have followed India's adventure since the beginning and am so happy that she is back for more! 

Set before Lotus House, French and her "merry band of misfits"... it tells a story of how India Black became the India Black we know and love. It was fun to read this tale from the perspective of "knowing" her now. I enjoyed reading just about her. I do love her "merry band of misfits" (yes, I love that phrase so much, I'm using it again!) but she is what makes the series and to see her before them just made me more excited for her next adventure! 

In the book world... it's all about the cover, isn't it? Well, this cover is strikingly beautiful! It is my favorite of the series. I LOVE it!

After reading India Black and the Rajah's Ruby, I was so ready to read the next installment and boy, let me tell you... it doesn't disappoint! But, you'll just have to wait for that review...lol... not long, though, I promise!

In the meantime... here is the gorgeous cover of India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy...

The Tainted Coin The Fifth Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Mel Starr

You can buy Hugh de Singleton's fifth chronicle here

From the publisher... "It is the autumn of 1367. Master Hugh is enjoying the peaceful life of Bampton when a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrew's Chapel. The dying man is a chapman--a traveling merchant. Before he is buried in the chapel grounds, an ancient, corroded coin is found in the man's mouth.

Master Hugh's quest for the chapman's assailants, and his search for the origin of the coin, begins to make progress--but there are men of wealth and power in league with his old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, who wish to end his search . . . permanently.

But Master Hugh, and his assistant, the groom Arthur, are determined to uncover the thieves and murderers, and the source of the chapman's coin. They do, but not before they become involved with a kidnapped maiden, a tyrannical abbot, and a suffering monk--who needs Master Hugh's surgical skills and in return provides clues that assist Hugh in solving the mystery of the tainted coin."

About the author...Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren. www.melstarr.org

Click here to read an excerpt

Bags, Books & Bon Jovi... Four Years!

Today is the four year anniversary of Bags, Books & Bon Jovi!! 

Thank you to all who take a little bit of time to read what I write. 

João Cerqueira~Guest Post

João Cerqueira is the author of The Tragedy of Fidel Castro and has written this guest post for my blog... 

"Books can kill you!

(And beware of writers)

It’s often said that books can save us. The words ‘this book saved my life’ cross the lips of many of us. But allow me to disagree. It wasn’t the book, the movie, the song or theater play – art isn’t usually referred to as a lifesaver – but rather the person uttering the words who saved himself or herself. Just like someone who gives you a good piece of advice is not the main reason for the success or failure of your future actions, they just show us the path to take, the books, some books, simply play this role - which is no mean feat.

Other people and certain animals, buoys, life jackets and parachutes, can save us, but not books. They are not thrown into the water to prevent us from drowning; they don’t enter a burning building to rescue us from the fire; nor do they perform a surgical operation to save us from a disease. Try jumping out of a plane with a copy of Don Quixote in your hand – you’ll come face to face with Cervantes within minutes. You just can’t ask that much from a book. In fact, we are the ones doing the saving and we have been doing so for centuries.

Books can kill us however. No word of a lie! Or rather, books can trigger a process in which they act as the catalyst for a reaction, the outcome of which is the death of the author or the reader. Through drowning, fires, and more recently, firearms or sharp objects, books have been responsible for the death of many humans.

It could be argued, once again, that the responsibility is not theirs seeing as other people killed or intend to kill the author, the translator or the reader of the cursed book. This might be the case. But that doesn’t stop these objects from being very dangerous.

The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was the first list of banned books – by the Catholic Church. Reading or owning a book on the list could be punished with death. Scientists such as Galileo, Bruno, Copernicus, or thinkers such as Erasmus, Spinoza, Machiavelli, and Locke, were placed on the list.

Giordano Bruno – who claimed that the universe was infinite – was condemned to the stake for his discoveries and his blasphemous books. Galileo had better luck, although he had to renounce his book Dialogo sopra i due sistemi del mondo massimi, which held that the Earth revolved around the Sun

At that time, even the Bible itself, if translated from Latin or Greek, became a dangerous book. William Tyndale was burned alive in the 16^th century for having the holy work translated into English – a scene depicted in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall – at the instigation of Thomas More – someone who was also obsessed with writing books.

In today’s world, Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, is seen as the greatest victim of his books. Even without reading the work the Ayatollah Khomeini decided that it insulted his religion and issued a fatwa against Rushdie in which he was sentenced to death for blasphemy. The fatwa has not been carried out however, and although the writer may never again feel totally safe anywhere, he is still alive. Unlike his Japanese translator Igarashi Hitoshi who was murdered. His Italian translator and Norwegian publisher have also suffered attacks.

So, dear reader, always be wary of books and also of writers – those guys think they’re so smart. They can cause you endless problems. How can you trust someone who is always inventing stories and things that have never existed? How can you be friends with someone who causes you misfortune or takes inspiration in your flaws to create a miserable character? Take the case of Proust who ridiculed everyone’s relationships in Remembrance of Things Past or of Dostoyevsky, who was imprisoned, and only then wrote his best books.

And who can guarantee that when the writer kills off his characters he is not revealing a secret desire? If – as some art historians claim –Picasso’s etchings in which Minotaurs are depicted raping women represent the unconscious wishes of the Spanish painter, why can the same not be said of authors of books in which characters die or suffer atrocities?

My novel The Tragedy of Fidel Castro is not destined to kill anyone however – I wouldn’t advise you to take it to Cuba though, for now – and only one character dies who hasn’t been alive for a long time. This is therefore one of the few books you can read in safety – provided you don’t approach its author."

If you found his post intriguing, you might want to check out his novel, The Tragedy of Fidel Castro...

"The Tragedy of Fidel Castro is a political and religious satire where Jesus comes to Earth to prevent a war, Fidel Castro writes his memoirs and makes a pact with the Devil, whores and farmers refuse Marxism, monks start a revolution in a monastery, and, in the end, a true miracle happens. Because of the European crisis, protesters occupying Wall Street, India and China’s rise and the North Korea's problems, I think this book – which debates Capitalism and Socialism – addresses issues of critical interest in discussions on the problems of today's world. The target audiences are readers who like historical and literary fiction and also those who are interested in politics.But people interested in religious subjects will also be drawn to the book (the miracle of Fátima in 1917 in which the Virgin Mary predicted the end of Communism).

The book was considered book of the year in Portugal in 2009 by the magazine Os meus Livros. The literary agencies Kontext (Scandinavia), Ilene Kreshka (Germany),  Nova Litera (Russia), Book Seventeen Agency (South Korea), Nabu (Italy), The Book Publishers Association of Israel e Partha Malik (Índia) are looking for a publisher. Please see the synopsis below and more information in my webpage.In attachment: press release. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, João Cerqueira Viana do Castelo Portugalwww.joaocerqueira.com http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Fidel-Castro-Joao-Cerqueira/dp/1938416163/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1355946698&sr=8-3&keywords=jo%C3%A3o+cerqueira

Synopsis God receives a request for help from Fatima because a war between Fidel Castro and JFK is about to start. Worried, God asks his son Jesus to return to Earth and difuse the conflict. Meanwhile, JFK and his counselor are about to interrogate a captured Fidel Castro’s spy (Varadero). Following a testy Communism versus Capitalism debate, JFK set him free and Varadero returns to Cuba. However, his faith in Fidel Castro is shaken and the spy begins to suspect that he is supporting the wrong side. In Cuba, Fidel Castro faces protests on the streets and realizes that he is about to be overthrown. Suspecting Varadero betrayed him, Fidel imprisons the spy as he previously did with the revolutionary hero Camilo Ochoa[1]. Desperate, he decides to invade JFK’s country as a way to divert people's attention from his own problems. Fidel’s' army invades part of JFK’s country but cannot conveniently convince the inhabitants of the advantages of Marxism. Whilst peasants refuse a land reform, whores prefer free enterprise. Castro is then forced to ask Varadero for advice. Varadero seizes the opportunity accusing him of having betrayed the revolution and responsible for Cuba’s misery. Disturbed and distressed, Fidel isolates himself in unknown territory and following a fall which leaves him amnesiac. He is found by monks who take him to a solitary convent where mad people are ministered by the Church. Once inside he see’s the fools are enslaved, Castro starts a revolution against the friars. The course of events reignites his memory. By this time, Christ has arrived on Earth accompanied by Fatima, who is convinced she can create a miracle to avoid the ultimate battle between JFK and Fidel Castro. Back with his army, Fidel Castro receives a visit from the Devil and makes a pact: he sells his soul in exchange for being remembered as a hero who fought for a better world. In the future, nobody will call him dictator. Finally the two armies meet in battle, but JFK proposes to fight Fidel Castro in a duel to avoid wholesale carnage. Fatima, Christ and Varadero watch the duel behind a bush. After a violent struggle, JFK overthrows Castro with a stone.  [1] Combination of Camilo Cienfuegos and General Arnaldo Ochoa, sentenced to death in 1989."

Two of My Favorite Things!

Is it kind of weird that I'm really curious as to the title of his book?

Happy New Year!

Blogger Day of Silence... and Support

26 Moments That Restored Our Faith In Humanity This Year

After the incomprehensibly horrific events in Sandy Hook... this will lift you up.

Please click on this link and share with everyone you know...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/moments-that-restored-our-faith-in-humanity-this-y

Flappers, Flasks, and Foul Play by Ellen Mansoor Collier

"Boardwalk Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jazz Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette. 

During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit?

Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz but, despite her mixed feelings, she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life Galveston gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. Jazz must risk her life and career to find the killer, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

EXCERPT

Why in the world was Fed Agent Burton here? Everyone stopped working to watch him make his grand entrance. People don't usually parade around in a newsroom: They sort of shuffle or stumble or stomp—unless a story's really hot, then they'll run. I felt like running away too, but I stayed glued to my chair, pretending to work, my heart racing.

Burton seemed to enjoy the attention as he headed my way. He was hard to ignore: Standing before me, all six feet-plus of golden skin and hair, he towered over my desk. Looking up, I noticed the curious eyes watching us in the too-quiet newsroom. The reporters stopped typing, fingers poised over keys, hoping for a scoop. My boss stared with unabashed interest.

"To what do I owe this disturbance?" I adjusted my cloche cap, acting nonchalant.

He grinned at me, then looked around the suddenly still office. "I need to ask you a few questions. Can we go somewhere private?"

"What do you want?" I put on a brave face so the newsboys wouldn't see me sweat.

Burton scanned the hushed room. "You really want to discuss it here, out in public?"

He had a point. Did I want the whole staff listening in on my private conversation? He probably wanted to discuss Sammy, who was no one else's business.

"Let's go outside," I agreed. Head down, I followed him past a leering Hank, feeling like a naughty kid going to the principal's office.

Nathan entered the newsroom, a camera slung over his shoulder, stopping to stare at Burton. "Jazz, is everything jake?"

"Everything's berries." I smiled to pacify him but, I admit, I had the jitters.

"I remember him. Your boyfriend?" Burton seemed amused.

"He's the staff photographer." I ignored his crack. "And a good friend."

Outside, I felt safe among the throng of people and automobiles passing by in a rush. The hustle and bustle of the streets and sidewalks seemed almost comforting. I looked around for Golliwog, our resident stray cat, but she must have been making her daily rounds for scraps.

"How was lunch?" In broad daylight, Burton didn't seem quite as menacing or intimidating. Besides, a group of hard-boiled reporters peered out the newsroom, spying on us.

"Fine." I covered my growling stomach. "What brings you here?"

"Sorry to barge in that way." He smiled, tugging on his hat. "But I had to get your attention. You wouldn't give me the time of day the other night."

"Can you blame me? A raid isn't exactly the best way to meet new people."

"I think we got off on the wrong foot." He stuck his hands in his pockets, jingling some change. "Perhaps we can talk over dinner, instead of standing out here on the sidewalk?"

"Dinner?" Was he serious? "Just like that?" I snapped my fingers. "You waltz in as if you owned the place—like you did at the Oasis—and expect me to dine out with you, a total stranger, because of your badge? You've got a lot of nerve, mister."

"I wouldn't be a Prohibition agent if I didn't." He looked smug. "How about tonight?"

About the author...

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines including: FAMILY CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMOPOLITAN, COUNTRY ACCENTS, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories (both mystery and romance) have appeared in WOMAN'S WORLD.

 

A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items (www.art-decodame.com). Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising sales and public relations. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism. During college, she once worked as a cocktail waitress, a short-lived experience since she was clueless about cocktails. Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, inspired by real people and places. Currently, she’s working on the sequel.

"When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. I love the glamour and excitment of The Jazz Age, but Prohibition was also such a dark and dangerous time in American history. Jazz isn’t a debutante or socialite, she’s a reporter caught in between the two halves of Galveston society, struggling to do the right thing despite all the temptations and decadence of the era."

Death by Bourbon by Abigail Keam

About Death by Bourbon... "Life takes a dramatic turn for Josiah when she witnesses a death at an engagement party for guess who . . . Matt.  Matt?  Yes Matt.

Charming socialite Addison DeWitt falls into a fit after taking a sip of bourbon.  That would be upsetting enough but Josiah is sure it is murder. However, no one will believe her except for Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer.  The three of them conspire to bring the murderer to justice.  It turns out that the suspect is always three steps ahead of them.
To make matters worse, Josiah's daughter, Asa, decides to move to London, Franklin leaves town and Jake starts singing a different tune.  Josiah doubts her ability to meet the future alone.  Maybe it's time to sell the Butterfly and move to Florida with the rest of the old folks."

About the author...  About the Author

Abigail Keam is an award-winning author who writes the Josiah Reynolds mystery series about a beekeeper turned sleuth.

Death By A HoneyBee won the 2010 Gold Medal Award for Women’s Lit from Reader’s Favorite and was a Finalist of the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011. Death By Drowning won the 2011 Gold Medal Award for Best Mystery Sleuth and also was placed on the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011.

Ms. Keam is also an award-winning beekeeper who lives on the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters.

 Abigail Keam’s Social Media Contacts:

 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/abigailshoney

Twitter: @AbigailKeam

Website: www.abigailkeam.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from First Rule Publicity from the author as part of a virtual book tour. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Summer Before the Storm by Gabriele Wills

About this novel...
"It's the Age of Elegance in the summer playground of the affluent and powerful. Amid the pristine, island-dotted lakes and pine-scented forests of the Canadian wilderness, the young and carefree amuse themselves with glittering balls and friendly competitions. The summer of 1914 promises to be different when the ambitious and destitute son of a disowned heir joins his wealthy family at their cottage on Wyndwood Island. Through Jack's introduction into the privileged life of the aristocratic Wyndhams and their illustrious social circle, he seeks opportunities and alliances to better himself, including in his schemes, his beautiful and audacious cousin, Victoria.

 But their charmed lives begin to unravel with the onset of the Great War, in which many are destined to become part of the "lost generation".

 This richly textured tale takes the reader on an unforgettable journey from romantic moonlight cruises to the horrific sinking of the Lusitania, from regattas on the water to combat in the skies over France, from extravagant mansions to deadly trenches - from innocence to nationhood.

The Summer Before The Storm, the first of the epic Muskoka Trilogy, evokes a gracious, bygone era that still resonates in this legendary land of lakes.

 This novel was chosen by the Muskoka Chautauqua for their esteemed Reading List in 2010.

 If you are a Downton Abbey fan, chances are you will love this book and the rest of the series!"

Are you kidding me with this book?!? It has EVERYTHING I adore... The Age of Elegance, the rich families and the working class families, the fashions and manners of an innocent era teetering on the precipice of war and my favorite words to read on the front of a novel... "Book One"... because that means there will be more! And I love series!

The Summer Before the Storm is populated with vibrant and faceted characters who are written with care and feeling. As I read deeper into this great novel... dare I say...BFB (big fat book!),  I found myself  loving (and sometimes) hating them more and more. Ms. Wills is such a great author that she has created characters that I cannot wait to continue with in the next volume.

The descriptive passages are perfect in scale. She gives me what I want and need but not overdoing it. There are many books that I have, literally, tossed aside because the author didn't know when to stop writing. I look forward to reading the rest of the series because I'm comfortable with Ms. Wills writing style.

About Gabriele Wills:

The author of five highly acclaimed historical novels, Gabriele loves to recreate an era in which she can immerse herself (and readers), by weaving compelling stories around meticulously researched facts. Her characters are best friends, whom others are now calling "cherished friends".

With degrees in the social sciences and education, Gabriele has had a varied career as an educator, literacy coordinator, and website designer, and has been an active community volunteer, particularly in heritage preservation. But writing fiction has always been her passion. Her first short story appeared in the Canadian Authors Association Winners' Circle 5 Anthology. In 2001, she produced an award-nominated feature on CBC Radio's "Outfront".

Born in Germany, Gabriele emigrated to Canada as a young child. She grew up in Lindsay, Ontario, enjoyed several years in Ottawa, and currently resides in Guelph with her husband. She is the proud mother of an accomplished daughter, with whom she is collaborating on an historical YA novel. Visit her at Mindshadows.com for more information.

Gabriele's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GabrieleWills

Gabriele on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrieleWills

~~Thanks to Teddy Rose at Virtual Author Book Tours and the author, Gabriele Wills for providing  The Summer Before the Storm in exchange for this review.~~

Missing Rebecca by John Worsley Simpson~ GIVEAWAY!

About the novel...
John's latest book, his fifth novel, Missing Rebecca, is a story of death and deception. After a whirlwind romance, Liam and Rebecca marry, knowing almost nothing of each other's backgrounds. Only months later, on an afternoon shopping trip to a mall in the Buffalo, New York, suburb of Cheektowaga, Rebecca vanishes, seemingly abducted. Or did she make herself disappear? Was the marriage a sham? Was Liam a dupe? This is a novel of high crimes and dark shadows, involving the immensely profitable drug industry in which exclusive access to the market for a medication can mean billions of dollars, and holding on to that exclusivity might lead to lies, deceit, corruption, payoffs, and even murder.

Sounds good, right! Well, just to whet your appetite for a great mystery on this snowy Thursday (well, at least where I live...lol), here is an excerpt... "Okay.” The detective moved the computer mouse on the table and the screen lit up. He clicked on a folder and a video player opened; another click and the video began to play. The first scene was inside one of the mall’s entrances. In a moment, Liam and Rebecca entered the frame from the bottom of the screen, their backs to the camera.
“Is that you and your wife?” Welburn asked.
“It is, yes. It was a cold day, like today, so Rebecca wore her red, quilted ski jacket. I wore my pea coat and watch cap—hello, sailor,” Peters said, grinning vacuously, and immediately felt stupid.
“Sure. And right away you split up.”
“Rebecca likes to shop alone, which is great. As men, you must appreciate that.”
The detectives exchanged a glance and then nodded politely.
They ran the video for about an hour, various cameras picking up Rebecca in her bright red coat and ink-black hair. One scene showed Rebecca heading past the camera toward the mall exit, carrying a Lord & Taylor bag. The next scene showed Peters carrying a huge Hugo Boss bag, passing Rebecca as she re-entered the mall empty handed. He waved to her as he passed, and she turned down a side corridor that led to the restrooms.
“I took the jacket and pants I’d bought out to the car,” Peters explained. “Rebecca had a couple of outfits in her bag. She left them in the car, too. I found them later.”
Almost instantly, because of the truncating of the video by the technician, a man wearing a long, black overcoat, its collar turned up, and a sloping-brim, Irish-style, tweed hat appeared from the bottom of the screen, his back to the camera, as if he had just entered the mall. He was carrying a duffel bag. His shoulders were hunched and he walked with long, quick strides, so that he was around the corner and in the restroom corridor in a few seconds.
Welburn paused the video.
“Let me explain. I’ve watched the video before, a few times. The original showed this corner of the hall for some time. There is an emergency exit at the end of the corridor to the restrooms, and there are a couple of utility rooms. If the exit door had been opened, an alarm would have sounded, and a signal flashed in the security room. It wasn’t opened. There’s no camera in the restroom hallway, by the way. It’s only a short hall, fully visible from the main hall. Anyway, you’ll see when I start the video again that two people—the guy in the long coat—and a woman in a long coat and a wide scarf covering her hair and most of her face come out of the restroom hallway. The guy is holding the woman’s elbow. Okay, watch.”
As soon as the detective restarted the video, the couple he had described came hurrying around the corner in the direction of the camera. The hat and collar of the man concealed his face, as did the woman’s scarf cover hers. He seemed almost to be pushing her. He wasn’t carrying the duffel bag.
“Now, the entire rest of the video shows no one in a red ski jacket, or even anyone roughly resembling your wife come out of that corridor, or from straight down the hall.”
“That must have been her.”
“With the long-overcoat guy? Yeah we think so. The height looks about right, for instance. And—I’m sorry about this, but we checked with the lost-and-found at the mall, and they had a red ski jacket that looks exactly like the one your wife was wearing. It was found in the ladies washroom in the hallway we’re looking at. And the duffel bag the guy was carrying was in the hallway.”

So... what do you think? Are you excited to delve into Missing Rebecca by John Worsley Simpson? You should be... it's a fast-paced mystery that will keep you engaged to the very last page.

As usual, when I read a mystery, I don't try to solve it... I just enjoy it. That said, I have to be able to know that all the pieces were there for me to "see", if I wanted to. Missing Rebecca was just that.

The author created situations, characters and dialogue that were true to each other... which, in my opinion, is the sign of a good author... everything meshes! There wasn't one part of Missing Rebecca that left me confused. It's a taut story that wound itself into a satisfying conclusion. What else could you want from a great mystery?

John Worsley Simpson has graciously offered a digital copy of Missing Rebecca to one reader of Bags, Books and Bon Jovi. To win... just leave a comment with your name, email and preferred digital format. The contest will close on Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 7am.

About the author...
JOHN WORSLEY SIMPSON is a crime-fiction writer. John was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, emigrated to Canada at the age of four and grew up in Toronto, He has been a reporter and editor in major newspapers and news services in North America, England and Ireland. He is married and lives in Newmarket, Ontario.

Thanks to the author and Cheryl of Partners in Crime Tours for providing a copy of Missing Rebecca in exchange for my review.