Book Blitz & Giveaway - HEALING CASSIOPEIA by Charlie Daye

Healing Cassiopeia
Charlie Daye
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

What if you lost everything you ever loved?
Cassie lost everything in a single night… Her husband, her unborn child and any hope for a happy future.

Welcome to Elvy – Land of the Fae and endless magic.
In an attempt to pull Cassie from her downward spiral, her parents take her home, to Elvy… A world of unparalleled beauty, magic and endless possibilities. But Elvy is not all it appears to be… there is trickery, deceit, a social hierarchy Cassie doesn’t understand and rules she refuses to play by.

To Love again…
When love comes calling, will Cassie fall to the pressure of Elven society or follow her heart to the happiness she thought she lost forever?

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Cassie sat in her room staring out the window. It had been three months since her husband died and yet the melancholy that enveloped her would not let go. But it wasn’t just her husband’s death that haunted her. She was, unfortunately, hit with a double whammy that night.

She was three months into her pregnancy and she and her husband, Greg, had decided to go out and celebrate. It was the first successful pregnancy she’d had since they started trying to conceive. It had taken them nearly three years and after two miscarriages and more hormone injections than Cassie would ever want to think about, the pregnancy finally took.

“If it’s a boy, we’ll have to name him Greg Jr.,” Greg said, taking her hand.

“Oh, you think so, do you? And what if I want to name him something else?” she teased.

Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it, “I may be willing to negotiate… for the right price.” He winked at her.

She laughed, “Only you would use sex as a bargaining chip.”

“Hey! I never even mentioned the word sex, but if it’s on the table…” he shrugged, then grinned.

Author Bio:

Charlie Daye began writing at the tender age of thirteen. With an obsession for romance, happy endings and the supernatural she delves into your greatest fantasies and worst nightmares. She will have you laughing, crying, falling in love and getting angry. She will always give you a HEA but getting there is the journey worth taking.

Charlie Daye was born in Lynwood, California. Her greatest passions are music and writing. Her first short story was written at the age of thirteen. At the time her entire class was asked to write a short story for Halloween as part of a homework assignment. Most of the kids in the class wrote one to two page stories... Charlie wrote eight. The short story titled The Haunted House went on to win her district wide awards and was published locally. From their she began writing poetry as means of expression.

Since her writing career began she's has published several titles... The House, The Colonial, The Reservation, The Portrait, The Gypsy's Dance, Mistaken for a Call Girl, Her Last Request and Breeders. Four of which have been nominated for the 2012 RONE Award.

For updates on her books or just to spend some time in her fun and crazy world check out her webpage at charliedaye.com or find her on Facebook!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Space Coast Book Lover's 2023! Will you be there?

Space Coast Book Lovers is one of my all-time favorite book conferences here in Florida. Come join me at the 7th Annual Space Coast Book Lovers Event 2023, being held in beautiful Cape Canaveral, FL on Thursday, June 22nd - Sunday, June 25th. They will have some amazingly talented authors of all genres sure to provide you with several additions to your TBR list! Their goal is to bring you an intimate event designed to encourage one-on-one interaction with your favorite authors and to give you the opportunity to discover authors that you have not read yet.

There will be an amazing assortment of raffle baskets available from many of the authors and bloggers like me. My basket this year is "All Things Paris".

The money collected for these baskets go to a great cause.  Supporting our ASD Kids, Inc.  S.O.A.K. is an organization whose purpose is to help those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and related disabilities and their families.

If you aren't able to obtain tickets for the entire SCBL event, keep in mind that the book signing portion of the event is free and open to the public. There you can meet over 75 fabulous authors and purchase some awesome books. The book signing will be Saturday, June 24th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. 

For more information, check out their website at:

 https://www.spacecoastbooklovers.com/

I hope to see you there!

Audio Book Review - THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner

 

Author: Sarah Penner
Genre: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction
Narrator: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin

Release Date: March 2, 2021

About the Book:

Instant New York Times Best Seller

Named Most Anticipated of 2021 by Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Hello! magazine, Oprah.com, Bustle, Popsugar, Betches, Sweet July, and GoodReads!

March 2021 Indie Next Pick and Number One Library Reads Pick

"A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!" (Kate Quinn, New York Times best-selling author of The Alice Network)

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary....

Hidden in the depths of 18th-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious 12-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London 200 years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters, and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance, and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

Buy Links: Amazon 

My Review:

This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for quite some time. When I noticed it was available as an audio book, I thought that now was the time! 

The story goes back and forth between the late 1700's and modern times in London.  Nella has a secret apothecary shop hidden in a back room where poisons are prepared according to the specifications of her clients, women who seek her help. Eliza is a 12-year old girl who soon becomes involved with helping Nella until she makes a terrible mistake.

Caroline is a modern day American woman who ends up in London alone. This was supposed to be a ten-year anniversary trip for her and her husband until she discovered he had been unfaithful. When Caroline discovers a small vial in the river, her curiosity is sparked and she begins an adventure discovering where the vial came from and it's history.

I found this story to be quite fascinating and it's obvious that the author did quite a bit of research. I was unable, however, to really connect with the characters, especially Caroline. She hid information from her only friend in London, a person who was trying to help in Caroline's research. And why in the world would a woman traveling alone in a different country venture out at night with nothing but a cell phone with a dying battery! 

Great story, but it loses one wine glass due to character development.

My Rating:

About the Author:

From Sarah Penner's webpage at https://www.SarahPenner.com

About Sarah Penner

I was born and raised in northeast Kansas, growing up in a small log cabin nestled deep in the woods. This picturesque retreat, where I lived until early adulthood, frames most of my early memories. 

I began writing seriously in 2015, after attending a moving lecture given by Elizabeth Gilbert. She was on tour for Big Magic, a game-changing book for creatives. Soon after her talk, I enrolled in my first online creative writing class. I haven't looked back since.​

I'm an avid traveler, though my heart is stuck in London. Other favorite destinations include Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Belize, and Italy.

I graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in finance. In early 2021, after thirteen years in corporate America, I left my day job. I'm thrilled now to call myself a full-time writer. When I'm not at the keyboard, you'll likely find me in the kitchen, the yoga studio, or running outdoors in the Florida heat. 

I'm married to my best friend, Marc. We're proud residents of the Sunshine State, where we live with our "silky hair" miniature dachshund, Zoe. 

It's June 1st!! Mark Your Calendar for Coastal Magic 2024!

 

It's June 1st -- and in the world of Coastal Magic, that means our #CMCon24 Featured Author listing has been posted, and our full weekend registration for readers is now open!!!

As a Featured Blogger at the 2024 Coastal Magic Convention, I am super excited and can't wait for February to roll around!

Dubbed the Coastal Magic "season" by our reading challenge participants, things stay active for Coastal Magic authors and attendees from June 1st through our weekend together in February. We have author spotlights from our Featured Bloggers. We have an active, engaging Reading Challenge group that showcases our authors and guides readers as they motivate each other to read (and review) at least one book from each author in our lineup. (And win prizes!!) We also have online panel discussions, chats and activities in our Facebook Authors & Attendees group, and so much more!!

This year, our theme focuses on all of the friendships we've made and seen through the years! Our "Book Besties Weekend" will shine a spotlight on our own bookish besties, the best friends in the stories we love, and our authors' writer BFFs!! We're celebrating ALL of it!!

We've also got merch!!!! The first two of our three t-shirt designs are now live. The 2024 Reading Challenge design will be revealed soon, so keep your eyes open for that one. :-) Right now -- we have a collection of items featuring our annual #CMCon24 logo and theme, and our friendship quote design...

Making plans to join us for the 2024 event, February 22-25? You can see all that's included with your registration on our page HERE, or go directly to the EventBrite ticketing page HERE. 

So... reader besties... that's the big news for today.

It's THE.START.OF.ALL.THE.THINGS and I'm super excited for all we have planned. Watch for more info about our evening activities, our #CMCChat online panel schedule, our reading challenge and featured blogger spotlights, and all the other ways you can be involved in Coastal Magic this summer and fall. We'd love to have you with us!!

To kick off this "season" with a win -- in the comments, let us know what your favorite thing about attending author/reader/bookish events is. Meeting new authors? Meeting favorite authors? Catching up with bookish reader friends? Discovering new books for your TBR piles? Traveling to new places?

One commenter will be randomly selected to win a print or digital copy of a book from one of our 2024 Featured Authors. This is open to readers everywhere. Winner will be selected and notified on June 10th. Coastal Magic, not the author, will be providing this prize. Good luck, everyone!!