The Caretakers ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Promo & Giveaway

THE CARETAKERS

by

ELIZA MAXWELL

Genre:  Psychological Thriller / Gothic Fiction / Sisters Fiction 
Publisher: Lake Union Press

Date of Publication: April 14, 2020

Number of Pages: 317

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In the isolated estate she’s found the perfect getaway. But there’s no escaping the past in this chilling novel from the bestselling author of The Unremembered Girl.

Filmmaker Tessa Shepherd helped free a man she believed was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again, Tessa’s life is upended.

She’s reeling with guilt, her reputation destroyed. Worse, Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly passed away, and her sister, Margot, turns on her after tensions from their past escalate. Hounded by a bullying press, Tessa needs an escape. That’s when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother: a derelict and isolated estate known as Fallbrook. It seems like the perfect refuge.

A crumbling monument to a gruesome history, the mansion has been abandoned by all but two elderly sisters retained as caretakers. They are also guardians of all its mysteries. As the house starts revealing its dark secrets, Tessa must face her fears and right the wrongs of her past to save herself and her relationship with Margot. But nothing and no one at Fallbrook are what they seem. 

“Suspense fans will be satisfied.” —Publishers Weekly

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BONUS AUDIO BOOK REVIEW,

COMING SOON!

Eliza Maxwell is the author of The Shadow Writer, The Widow’s Watcher, The Unremembered Girl, The Grave Tender, and The Kinfolk. She writes fiction from her home in Texas, which she shares with her ever-patient husband, two impatient kids, a ridiculous English setter, and a bird named Sarah. An artist and writer, a dedicated introvert, and a British-cop-drama addict, she enjoys nothing more than sitting on the front porch with a good cup of coffee. For more information, visit www.elizamaxwell.net.

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Amazon Author Page

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THREE WINNERS!
 ONE WINNER: Signed Copy + $25 Amazon Gift Card
TWO WINNERS: Signed Copy 

APRIL 14-25, 2020

(U.S. Only)

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

4/14/20	Review	Tangled in Text
4/14/20	Review	Momma on the Rocks
4/15/20	Audio Review	Librariel Book Adventures
4/16/20	Review	Nerd Narration
4/16/20	Review	All the Ups and Downs
4/17/20	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
4/17/20	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
4/18/20	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
4/19/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight
4/20/20	Audio Review	Forgotten Winds
4/20/20	Audio Review	KayBee's Book Shelf
4/21/20	Review	#Bookish
4/22/20	Review	Jennifer Silverwood
4/23/20	Review	The Page Unbound
4/23/20	BONUS Review	Book Fidelity
4/24/20	Review	It's Not All Gravy
4/24/20	Review	That's What She's Reading

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Beyond the Horizon ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Review, Notable Quotable, & Giveaway!

BEYOND THE HORIZON

by

ELLA CAREY

Historical Fiction / Friendship
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Date of Publication: October 15, 2019

Number of Pages: 326

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From the author of The House by the Lake comes a powerful novel of friendship during World War II, fighting for the truth, and making peace with the past.

At the height of World War II, Eva Scott’s dream comes true. Accepted into the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), she leaves balmy California and the man she loves for grueling training in Texas, ultimately landing at formidable Camp Davis in North Carolina.

Vastly outnumbered by men and amid contempt, discrimination, and sabotage, Eva and her closest friends, the unconventional Nina and straight-laced Helena, remain loyal to their mission and to each other. They stay focused on the horizon, determined to prove themselves capable women pilots. Until a fatal mission sends Eva’s dream crashing to earth . . .

Now, decades later, is it possible to discover the truth about the night that changed her life? Is there any hope she’ll recover all that she’s lost? When Eva finds herself embroiled in the fight to get military recognition for the WASP, she’s forced to confront the past, and to make a decision that could forever change her future.

Thrilling and inspiring, Beyond the Horizon is a portrait of love, friendship, and valor in a time of war—and a tribute to the brave women who risked their lives for their country.

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PRAISE FOR BEYOND THE HORIZON:

“With snappy dialogue, impressive historical details, a sense of adventure and courage on every page, and even a love story, Ella Carey has hit all the markers that make fine historical fiction.” 
—Ann Howard Creel, bestselling author of The Whiskey Sea

“Fans of inspirational World War II fiction will cheer on Eva and her fellow pilots as they chase their dreams, endure heartbreak, and discover their true strength. Carey’s evocative descriptions bring home the exhilaration of flight—and the everyday indignities endured by young women who challenged the expectations of their time. The story’s final twist makes for a surprising and moving conclusion.” —Elizabeth Blackwell, author of On a Cold Dark Sea and In the Shadow of Lakecrest


“A moving, beautifully written novel about the amazing WASP during WWII. True to life and packed full of emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed feeling like I was one of these extraordinary women pilots as I read the story.” —Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Girls of Pearl Harbor

HALL WAYS BONUS REVIEW: Audio Book Review.

“Right now, the war seemed as endless

and formidable as this journey across Texas.”

BEYOND THE HORIZON is an outstanding story about the brave WASP women who played a vital but underappreciated role in WWII. Author Ella Carey makes the characters pop to life, and readers will feel the emotions of the characters' triumphs and trials pouring from the pages. 

Carey sets the story in the '70s as the main character is at congressional hearings trying to get the WASPs recognition for their military service. (I love that MC Eva is now in her 50s and reinventing herself -- or rather, she's finding herself again.) The congressional hearings are a great mechanism that provides the historical facts and information about the program to get readers up to speed about the women pilots. But it is the flashbacks that run parallel to the hearings that give readers the story to connect with the book. Clearly, Carey did her research to not only understand the women of the WASP, but to understand the setting and conditions of living in Sweetwater, Texas.

The audio book narrator, Jessie Vilinsky, was excellent and convincingly pulled-off most of the various voices of both men and women. (Most, not all. The Texas accents, for this Texan anyhow, were painful.) I did have some issues finding the sweet spot for listening; regular speed was too slow, but bumping to even 1.25x made everyone sound too excited.  I eventually settled in with the faster speed and forgot about any issues because the story being told was so immersive.

“She was flying, and flying made everything worthwhile.”

There are a couple of holes in the plot and one piece of the story that stretched my ability to suspend my disbelief about how BFFs behave over the long haul, but overall, I highly recommend BEYOND THE HORIZON as an audio book escape for any reader.

I heard about this book on its Lone Star Lit Book Blog Tour and didn't want to miss out, so I purchased the audio book. 

Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen countries, in twelve languages. Her sixth novel is Beyond The Horizon, set around the Women Air Force Service Pilots during World War Two.

Ella is incredibly excited to share this book with her readers, as her mother was a W.A.A.A.F during World War Two, and her father was in the R.A.F, flying airplanes over occupied France. Ella traveled to Sweetwater, Texas, to research the novel, and is grateful to Ann Hobing, the then Executive Director of the WASP museum for sharing her wonderful knowledge of the WASP. Ella also worked with two pilots to craft the flight scenes.

Ella loves to connect with her readers For more information on the background to her novels and updates about her next release, and to contact her about appearances at your local book club, please visit her website.

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THREE PAPERBACK COPIES OF BEYOND THE HORIZON

OCTOBER 17-27, 2019

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

10/17/19	Promo	Texas Book Lover
10/17/19	Promo	Hall Ways Blog
10/18/19	Review	Sydney Young, Stories
10/19/19	Excerpt	Forgotten Winds
10/21/19	Character Interview	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
10/21/19	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
10/22/19	Guest Post	Nerd Narration
10/22/19	Review	Bibliotica
10/23/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
10/23/19	Review	Book Fidelity
10/24/19	Excerpt	That's What She's Reading
10/24/19	Scrapbook	All the Ups and Downs
10/25/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
10/26/19	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
10/26/19	Review	The Clueless Gent

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The Shadow Writer ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Review & Giveaway!

THE SHADOW WRITER

by

ELIZA MAXWELL

Genre:  Psychological Suspense / Domestic Thriller
Publisher: Lake Union Press

Date of Publication: May 1, 2019

Number of Pages: 348

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Every writer has a story. Some are deadlier than others. 

Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she’s accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of an acclaimed novelist. Laura’s connections could make Graye’s publishing dreams a reality. But there’s more to Laura than meets the eye. 

Behind the veneer of a charmed life, Laura’s marriage is collapsing. Her once-lauded husband is descending into alcoholism and ruin and bringing Laura nearer to the edge. 

As the two women form a bond that seems meant to be, long-buried secrets claw their way into the present, and the line between friendship and obsession begins to blur, forcing each to decide where her loyalties lie. Running from the past is a dangerous game, and the loser could end up dead.

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║ AMAZON  ║  MURDER BY THE BOOK ║

║ BARNES AND NOBLE ║

✪✪✪✪✪

Hall Ways Review: Audio book review.  When I read the book jacket of The Shadow Writer, I let out an audible “oooooh” and knew what I was getting into – a story that would be intriguing, multi-layered, and dark, as I’ve come to expect from Eliza Maxwell. I am happy to say that I am right about my initial appraisal (who doesn’t love being right?). However, a confession is in order: that is about the only thing I got right in reading this book.

“He smells of salt and booze, sweat and inadequacy.”

Talk about your complicated, convoluted, complex characters. Readers are led to make logical assessments of every character based on the parts we see. It’s like looking through a small hole in a fence; we’re given only a limited view of the personalities. There are some shadows looming just outside of our line of sight, and they make us nervous, and by the author’s design, we aren’t allowed to see the whole picture. We make assumptions, (many of mine wrong), and we learn that obsession has many disturbing iterations.

Author Eliza Maxwell is a master at leading readers astray, and I am a sucker for it every single time.  The author wants readers to be as uncomfortable as her characters seem to be and wants us to be wary. Don’t get too close; don’t trust; don’t dare to hope for happy endings. Don’t even get comfortable with the alternating points of view from which The Shadow Writer is told; we have unreliable narrators and then a couple of highly informative and disconcerting bonus POVs scattered among the chapters to keep readers off balance.

“Question everything … But remember—things aren’t

always what they seem. Trust no one.”

I had to include this quote because it’s from a scene with a murder mystery dinner. The double entendre isn’t lost, and the irony of the sub-setting of the murder mystery within the bigger story is almost stressful for the reader. There are twists and turns and stories inside of stories, and I found myself exhausted by furiously trying to figure out what was coming. I failed and failed and failed and finally, I gave up and just allowed the deliciously disturbing stories in The Shadow Writer to unfold. Save yourself the trouble and let the plots wash over you.

In a cast full of unreliable and unbalanced characters, no reader wants to make a connection. We prefer to sit comfortably at a distance from those people. Those not like us people. But Eliza Maxwell’s story reads like messed-up truth we’d see in the headlines, and she makes it feel real by including lines that, even in the midst of insanity, allow readers to make connections. A few of my favorites:

 “I’d never forgive myself for leaving you under-caffeinated.”

“Bad coffee she can live with, but bad cold coffee
is one insult too many.”

 “It’s my absolute pleasure to have the honor of working
around books, and by extension their authors.
It turns out you’re as lovely as the words
you write and the stories you create.”

“That’s why God created make-up: to cover fine lines,

dark circles, and regrettable choices.”

 “The more a person talks, the less they have to say.”

In reading The Shadow Writer, the only predictable aspect is that it’s unpredictable – that’s how author Eliza Maxwell rolls, and I will go along for the ride any time.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: I cannot sing high enough praises for the masterful performance of narrator Karissa Vacker.   AMAZING narration, pacing on point, and Vacker nails the nuances of each character’s personality – especially that little hint of a mind that’s tinged with something off. Male or female, balanced or unbalanced, creeper or innocent, Vacker does them all with panache.  I listened on CDs, which isn’t my favorite format, but as a glass half full kind of person, it forced me to pause in the story and process what I'd just heard. A warning that on the final CD, when the story ends, it shows three tracks and some twenty-two minutes are still left (there's not). That threw me for a loop (I WASN’T READY FOR IT TO END) and made me panic that I was missing something.

Thank you to the author and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me Audio CDs in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 

Eliza Maxwell lives in Texas with her ever-patient husband and two kids. She's an artist and writer, an introvert, and a British cop drama addict. She loves nothing more than to hear from readers.

Goodreads ║ Facebook 
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TWO WINNERS: Signed Copy + $25 Amazon Gift Card
ONE WINNER: Signed Copy 

APRIL 30-MAY 10, 2019

(U.S. Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

4/30/19	Audio Review	Hall Ways Blog
4/30/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
5/1/19	Review	Momma on the Rocks
5/2/19	Review	Tangled in Text
5/2/19	Review	Bibliotica
5/3/19	Review	Forgotten Winds
5/3/19	BONUS Post	All the Ups and Downs
5/4/19	Review	The Book Review
5/4/19	Audio Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
5/5/19	Review	Kelly Well Read
5/5/19	BONUS Review	Recipe and a Read
5/6/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
5/7/19	Audio Review	The Clueless Gent
5/7/19	Review	The Love of a Bibliophile
5/8/19	Review	That's What She's Reading
5/9/19	Review	#Bookish
5/9/19	Review	The Page Unbound

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