My Fascination With Old Homes and the First Thanksgiving

As many of you know, I’m mad about old homes and often feature them in my books. My latest time travel romance series, Ladies in Time, is all about cool old homes. Maybe living in antiquated houses most of my life has influenced me. The farm house my husband and I live in now was built just after the Civil War, probably because its predecessor was burned, but that’s another story. History fascinates me, and Colonial America has a powerful draw. Virginia is great state to immerse myself in that era, among others. The Civil War…

(Berkeley)

Years ago, while doing research for Traitor’s Legacy, the sequel to colonial American historical romance novel Enemy of the King, the idea came to me for ghostly time travel romance, Somewhere My Love. In addition to touring colonial Williamsburg, mom and I visited some of the lovely James River Plantations. Two of these stately homes, Berkeley and Shirley, inspired the house in Somewhere My Love, Foxleigh. Berkeley, originally called Berkeley Hundred and named after one of its founders, has a wealth of history behind it. As we toured the grounds, a strong sense of the past flowed over me, carrying me back.

The magnificent terraced boxwood gardens and lawn extend a quarter-mile from the front door to the James River. The mansion itself wasn’t built until 1726, but the plantation’s history reaches much farther back into America‘s roots. I didn’t realize this, but Berkeley was the actual site of the first Thanksgiving in America on Dec. 4, 1619.

(Breadseed Poppy– seed from Monticello)

 (Williamsburg)

 (Foxglove–historic herb/flower)

On December 4,1619, 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred about 8,000 acres on the north bank of the James River near Herring Creek in an area then known as Charles Cittie. It was about 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, where the first permanent settlement of the Colony of Virginia was established on May 14, 1607. The group’s charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God. On that first day, Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving.

In 1622 nine of the settlers at Berkeley Hundred were killed in a Native American uprising, as well as a third of the entire population of the Virginia Colony. The Berkeley Hundred site and other outlying locations were abandoned as the colonists withdrew to Jamestown and other more secure points. After several years, the site became Berkeley Plantation and was long the traditional home of the Harrison family, one of the First Families of Virginia. 

(Reenactors)

Benjamin Harrison, son of the builder of Berkeley and the plantation’s second owner, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and three-time Governor of Virginia. William Henry Harrison, Benjamin‘s third son, born at Berkeley, nicknamed Tippecanoe for his fame as an Indian fighter, later became the ninth President of the United States, in 1841. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was the 23rd President.

Many famous founding fathers and mothers were guests at this gracious estate. For more on Berkeley Plantation and a fascinating glimpse into early America visit: http://www.berkeleyplantation.com/ 

And: http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/Berkeley.html

If you have the opportunity to visit in person, by all means go.

(Chipmunk on pumpkin by my mother)

For more on my work please visit my Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6/

Furbaby Friday with Luanna Stewart!

Welcome fellow Wild Rose Press Author Luanna Stewart, here to share her new historical romance, Love and Redemption, and her feline furbabies.

Luanna: I love black cats and I cannot lie. Mogget is our first ever and she is gorgeous, completely black except for a teeny, tiny patch of white on her belly. Now that she’s getting on in years, she has a few grey hairs on her chin. But, hey, who amongst us doesn’t, right?

My husband, the family photographer, frequently complains about the challenges inherent in photographing an all-black cat in low light. However, since I rarely have that challenge, I love that Mogget can almost disappear until she opens her glorious golden eyes.

She is the matriarch and lets us know when we’ve fallen down on our jobs of taking care of her every need. Her eyes are quite expressive and can nail you to the spot.

When she’s pleased, she’ll talk and talk and talk. When I walk into her room, by which I mean any room she’s in, she says hello, followed by a long sentence, which I frequently translate as, “the level of kibble in my bowl has fallen by a millimetre – take care of it!”

Bruno is our tuxedo cat, much easier to photograph. He’s forever a teenage boy, bashing and banging and roughhousing – and can sleep like the dead. All cats are good sleepers but Bruno sleeeeeps. He enjoys his outdoor time and in the summer presents us with a shrew or a vole with disturbing regularity. No worries, 75% of the time the critter is not deceased and escapes to live a long, fruitful life.

A brief note about their names. We adopted Bruno when we lived in Brunswick and I wanted a name for him that reflected his birthplace. When I was a little girl, I got a kitten from a litter of barn cats in Tiverton and I named her Tivi. So it’s a “thing” with me.

Mogget’s name is taken from a YA fantasy series, The Abhorsen, by Garth Nix that our two boys enjoyed as youngsters. The cat in the story was all white, and I believe a male, and he needed to wear a bell around his neck at all times, otherwise…well, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. Let’s just say, it’s not pleasant.

How did you arrive at your pet’s names? What is their most dominant personality quirk?

Love and Redemption Blurb:

Mary Taylor abandoned her silk gowns and sparkling jewels when she quit her position as one of London’s highly prized courtesans. She’s determined to earn her living with a paintbrush rather than between the sheets. Starting fresh in a new country, she masquerades as a widow running a tearoom in Halifax while perfecting her art. But when she’s hired to finish the portrait of a handsome judge, she risks everything by surrendering to her lustful craving.

Finton Morash, youngest judge on the Queen’s bench, believes people are either good or bad. The dowdy widow painting his portrait is surely one of the former. After discovering the sensual beauty hiding beneath shapeless gowns, he wonders at her other secrets.

When whispers circulate about Mary’s nefarious past, she must find the courage to face the consequences. And Finton must decide whether love is worth the risk.

Buy links:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130823749?ean=2940161420393

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-and-redemption

Excerpt:
Mary glanced around before leaning closer still. “You are the most exciting thing to happen here in quite some time.”
“Am I indeed? Exciting?”
She silently cursed her fair skin, surely bright pink. One would think that after earning her living by flirting, teasing, and more, she would be comfortable with such talk. This man wasn’t paying for the privilege of her company, though, and there lay the difference. She stared at the painting as if she’d never seen it before. “Back to important matters. Please don’t feel—”
“I want to purchase this painting. It will brighten a corner of my library. Every time I weary of opinions and laws I’ll look at this and imagine myself at ease surrounded by the beauty of nature.” He carefully lifted the small canvas from the wall. “I see you’ve signed it with only your surname. Why is that?”
“I believe it will be easier to make my way in the artistic world if I keep my sex hidden. Women are often judged to be idly pursuing a hobby and are seldom taken seriously.”
“Hm…Would you mind signing your full name on the back? That way my heirs will know they have one of the first by a famous artist.”
She chuckled. “Where is the honesty you hold so dear?”
Though his expression remained unchanged she detected a twinkle in his eye. Unbidden came the wish that she was indeed a respectable widow, able to pursue a friendship with this exciting man without fear of discovery.
Enough. Her “if only’s” would soon fill her largest tea urn. She had much to be grateful for. She’d come to Halifax to start anew. If that meant leaving behind physical desire then so be it. Celibacy was a small price to pay for a life free of shame.

Author Biography:

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered her grandmother’s stash of romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.
Luanna writes full time, concentrating on sexy romantic suspense, steamy paranormal romance, and spicy historical romance.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Luanna has recently returned to the land of her birth with her dear husband and two spoiled cats. When she’s not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.luannastewart.com/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/luanna-stewart
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Luanna_Stewart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuannaStewartAuthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/luannastewart/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14104212.Luanna_Stewart
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/luanna_stewart

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave Luanna a comment.

Fabulous Review for Secret Lady at Long and Short Reviews

“I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read Secret Lady. Ms. Trissel never disappoints! I highly recommend Secret Lady to anyone looking for a sweet historical romance.” ~ Long and Short Reviews (Poinsettia)

For the Complete Review visit: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/secret-lady-by-beth-trissel/

Story Blurb:

At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house “warbles” between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she’d paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.

Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?

Against the background of Sheridan’s Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?

Secret Lady is available in print and kindle at Amazon and in eBook from all other online booksellers.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B07KNL7K3Z/

New Audiobook–Enemy of the King!

Award-winning historical romance novel, Enemy of the King (Book 1 The Traitor’s Legacy Series), is now a fabulous audiobook available at Audible and Amazon.  Narrator Roy Davis did a great job.

“AN AMAZING AND VIBRANT LOOK INTO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION…THIS SEXY HISTORICAL IS A MUST READ!” ~Five Cups From Coffee Time Romance & More

1780 South Carolina, spies and intrigue, a vindictive ghost,  the battle of King’s Mountain, Patriots and Tories, pounding adventure, pulsing romance…ENEMY OF THE KING.

Story Blurb:

(Book 1 of the Traitor’s Legacy Series.) The American Revolution.

1780, South Carolina: While Loyalist Meriwether Steele recovers from fever in the stately home of her beloved guardian, Jeremiah Jordan, she senses the haunting presence of his late wife. When she learns that Jeremiah is a Patriot spy and shoots Captain Vaughan, the British officer sent to arrest him, she is caught up on a wild ride into Carolina back country, pursued both by the impassioned captain and the vindictive ghost. Will she remain loyal to her king and Tory twin brother or risk a traitor’s death fighting for Jeremiah? If Captain Vaughan snatches her away, he won’t give her a choice.

Available in kindle/eBook, paperback, and now audio.

At Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-of-the-King/dp/B07K3QKJNJ

Furbaby Friday with Rachel Brimble!

I’m happy to welcome Rachel Brimble here to share her wonderful labs and historical romance, The Mistress of Pennington’s.

Rachel: Tyler The Dog

Being a writer/novelist can, at times, be a lonely existence and I think that’s why so many of us have pets. For me, a canine companion is vital to my physical and mental wellbeing, not to mention the emotional.

When I lost my beloved black Lab, Max in February 2015, I fell head first into a dark abyss that I had no wish to revisit by getting another dog. For months, I wandered around feeling as though my life would never be the same again. Max was my constant companion, friend and champion. Never a day went by when he wouldn’t make me laugh or comfort me in some way.

It wasn’t until the end of the following May that someone on Facebook asked me if I’d had a look at the Borrow My Doggy website. What on earth? I’d never heard of it. Anyway, long story short, this is a site where dog owners ‘loan’ out their pets for walks, weekends or holidays.

The first picture I saw was of a six-month old chocolate Labrador whose owner had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and needed a helping hand. The rest, as they say, is history. By the following January, I had adopted Tyler and he came to live with us. His original owner still regularly sees him, and the arrangement is perfect for us both.

Nowadays, Tyler is no less of a companion or beloved to me than Max. He is constantly at my feet, making me laugh and getting up to mischief as only a Labrador can! Of course, I know there will come a day when my heart will be broken again, but the years of love, devotion and laughter make the pain worth it. Dogs are amazing and will undoubtedly remain a part of my life for as long as I am capable of caring for them.
Here’s to dogs and all they give their hoomans!

Rachel is an author of over 20 contemporary romances, romantic suspense and historical romance novels. Here latest release is THE MISTRESS OF PENNINGTON’S, which is the first book in her new Edwardian series. Book 2, A REBEL AT PENNINGTON’S will release in February 2019.

Blurb and buy links for The Mistress of Pennington’s:

1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath’s leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise.

Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath’s premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington, believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.

Determined to break from her father’s iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington’s into a new decade, embracing woman’s equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.

Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington’s plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?

Buy Links:
Amazon UK: http://amzn.eu/2SvRcqp
Amazon US: http://a.co/3OFh9JK
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mistress-of-penningtons-rachel-brimble/1128920728?ean=9781788546508
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-mistress-of-pennington-s
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Brimble_The_Mistress_of_Pennington_s?id=dIFSDwAAQBAJ
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-mistress-of-penningtons/id1362129705?mt=11

Bio & Links:
Rachel lives with her husband and their two daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Brimble/e/B007829ZRM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1490948101&sr=8-1
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-brimble

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave Rachel a comment.

New Audiobook–Historical Romance Novel Red Bird’s Song!

I am delighted to have the first story I ever wrote in audio! Narrator Paul-Alexandre Petit did a fabulous and painstaking job.

More about the story.

In the Beginning: Years ago, while researching family genealogy, I gained the courage to take the leap from penning non-fiction essays about rural life (I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia) and plunge into historical romance novels set in early America. That first story, Red Bird’s Song, (written and rewritten multiple times) is the book of my heart.

“I loved the descriptions…I felt I was there…Many mystical episodes are intermingled with the events…The ending is a real surprise, but I will let you have the pleasure of reading it for yourself.” –Seriously Reviewed

“This book touched my soul even as it provided a thrilling fictional escape into a period of history I have always found fascinating.”
~ Laurie-J Reviewer for Red Bird’s Song at Night Owl Romance
Red Bird’s Song is a 2012 Double Epic Award Finalist.

(Image of the Alleghenies taken by my mom, Pat Churchman)

My fascination with Colonial America, particularly stirring tales of the frontier and the Shawnee Indians, is an early and abiding one. My English, Scot-Irish (we called ourselves the Scotch-Irish, but are often corrected, so whatever) ancestors had interactions with this tribe, including family members taken captive. In Red Bird’s Song, I honed in on my early American roots in a story featuring the Scots-Irish and an Indian attack that happened to my ancestors.
My award-winning Native American themed historical romance novel Through the Fire is also based on research into my colonial forebears and the French and Indian War.

Though written to stand alone, historical romance novel Kira Daughter of the Moon is the sequel to Through the Fire. These three novels, plus The Bearwalker’s Daughter comprise my Native American Warrior Series.

(Image of family musket, hunting pouch, and powder horn by my mom, Pat Churchman)

Red Bird’s Song (Native American Warrior Series):

Blurb: Taken captive by a Shawnee war party wasn’t how Charity Edmondson hoped to escape an unwanted marriage. Nor did Shawnee warrior Wicomechee expect to find the treasure promised by his grandfather’s vision in the unpredictable red-headed girl.

George III’s English Red-Coats, unprincipled colonial militia, prejudice and jealousy are not the only enemies Charity and Wicomechee will face before they can hope for a peaceful life. The greatest obstacle to happiness is in their own hearts. As they struggle through bleak mountains and cold weather, facing wild nature and wilder men, Wicomechee and Charity must learn to trust each other.~

“With “Red Bird’s Song”, Beth Trissel has painted an unforgettable portrait of a daring and defiant love brought to life in the wild and vivid era of Colonial America. Highly recommended for lovers of American history and romance lovers alike!” ~Review by Virginia Campbell

RED BIRD’S SONG was purchased from The Wild Rose Press by Amazon for republication under their Encore line. Look for it in kindle and print and now audio at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Birds-Song/dp/B07HBBXBT1

RED BIRD’S SONG audiobook at Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Red-Birds-Song-Audiobook/B07HBC72YS

Furbaby Friday with Josie Riviera!

I am very happy to welcome Josie Riviera to the blog to share her darling little furbaby and historical, inspirational, and sweet romance with us.

Josie: My husband and I have one dog, Henry. He’s a shih tzu, and we “inherited” him from our daughter. After years of saying “no” to her begging for a dog, we waited until her 18th birthday. However, she decided to attend university in Northern Ireland, and, 5 years later, she’s still living in Ireland.

Henry is fun, energetic, and lots of company. He enjoys nightly walks, and is always with me or my husband. Henry has a stomach problem, so he needs to eat special food (sigh), but that doesn’t stop him from loving to eat. Now that our daughter has finished her university studies and completed her Master’s Degree, she’s requested that Henry travel to Ireland to live with her.
However, at this point, we’re keeping Henry with us, content in the Carolinas.
My husband and I disagree about how often Henry should be groomed.

(Henry with a haircut)

How often do you think a dog should be groomed? Please leave your comments below.

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Will it take more than a dose of Gypsy magic to chase away the doubts between two guarded lovers?

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A Golden Pen Winner, Seeking Fortune also received over 6000 nominations on Kindle scout.

Seeking Patience
Will this strong man humble himself to open his heart for his lady?

Josie Riviera is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary, inspirational, and historical sweet romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable shih tzu, who constantly needs grooming, and live in an old house forever needing renovations.

Follow Josie on Bookbub and “like” her Author Facebook page.

If you enjoy reading, free books and ARC’s, join my VIP Facebook group today!

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave Josie a message.

Many of My Books In Audio! #Audiobooks

If you enjoy listening to stories, I have a growing number of audiobooks. More  will soon be added to my author page at Audible and Amazon. The latest of my books now in audio is ghostly Time Travel romance, Somewhere My Lady (Book One, Ladies In Time). Narrator Sarah King did a super job.

Story Blurb:

Is he real or is he a ghost?

Lorna Randolph is hired for the summer at Harrison Hall in Virginia, where Revolutionary War reenactors provide guided tours of the elegant old home. She doesn’t expect to receive a note and a kiss from a handsome young man who then vanishes into mist.

Harrison Hall itself has plans for Lorna – and for Hart Harrison, her momentary suitor and its 18th-century heir.
Past and present are bound by pledges of love, and modern science melds with old skills and history as Harrison Hall takes Lorna and Hart through time in a race to solve a mystery and save Hart’s life before the Midsummer Ball.

Listen to Somewhere My Lady at: https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-My-Lady-Ladies-Time/dp/B07FDJYJJ2

The White Lady, Book Two Ladies in Time Series, is also a recent audio addition. Narrator Susan Marlowe did an excellent job.

Story Blurb:

Avery Dunham has always been ready to follow her friend, time-traveling wizard Ignus Burke, on incredible adventures. This time, though, she has serious misgivings. It’s just one week before Christmas, but she cannot get him to change his mind. The usually cool and collected magic-wielding leader is wholly obsessed by the portrait of the White Lady whom he is bent on rescuing.
Almost as soon as they begin their journey, it becomes clear their mission is a trap. Avery was right: this adventure is not going to be like any other.

Listen to The White Lady at: https://www.amazon.com/White-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book/dp/B07CGPG29C

Another new addition to my audio fold is historical mystery/adventure romance Traitor’s Legacy, sequel to Enemy of the King. Both novels are set during the high drama of the American Revolution. Narrator Lisa Valdini is excellent in this audiobook.

Story Blurb: 1781. On opposite sides of the War of Independence, British Captain Jacob Vaughan and Claire Monroe find themselves thrust together by chance and expediency.

Captain Vaughan comes to a stately North Carolina manor to catch a spy. Instead, he finds himself in bedlam: The head of the household is an old man ravaged by madness, the one sane male of the family is the very man he is hunting, and the household is overseen by his beguiling sister, Claire.

Torn between duty, love, and allegiances, yearning desperately for peace, will Captain Vaughan and Claire Monroe forge a peace of their own against the vagaries of war and the betrayal of false friends?

Listen to Traitor’s Legacy at: https://www.amazon.com/Traitors-Legacy/dp/B07BH7WC4P/

A wonderful British narrator, Rebecca McKernan, did a fantastic job with my English historical romance, Into the Lion’s Heart.

Story Blurb:

Will the English captain save a woman the French Revolution would devour when he knows the truth?

Georgian England, 1789: As the French Revolution rages, the English nobility offer sanctuary to many a refugee. Captain Dalton Evans arrives in Dover to meet a distant cousin, expecting to see a spoiled aristocrat. Instead, he’s conquered by the simplicity of his new charge. And his best friend Thomas Archer isn’t immune to her artless charm, either.

French émigré Cecile Beaumont didn’t choose to travel across the Channel. And she certainly didn’t expect that impersonating her own mistress would introduce her to a most mesmerizing man. Now she must play out the masquerade, or risk life, freedom – and her heart.

Listen to Into the Lion’s Heart At: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Lions-Heart-Love-Letters/dp/B079N77LVY

Poignantly sweet, ghostly Christmas Romance, Somewhere The Bells Ring, is a wonderful audio book. Narrator Tom Jordan is fabulous.

Story Blurb:

Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope – until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe – in Bailey and the ghost – before the Christmas bells ring?

Review for Somewhere the Bells Ring at Audible: “Well done!
This isn’t my usual genre, but I found myself liking the book more than I thought I would. The narration was excellent and really drew me into the story. I recommend the book.”

Listen to Somewhere the Bells Ring at: https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Bells-Ring-Time-Book/dp/B075GWRZ1G/

Another super audiobook is The Hunter’s Moon, Book One in my Young Adult Fantasy Series Secret Warrior. Narrator Victoria Brodski did a sensational job.

Story Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Daniel has been in the witness protection program most of her life. But The Panteras have caught up with her and her younger brother. Her car is totaled, she’s hurt, and the street gang is closing in when wolves with glowing eyes appear out of nowhere and chase away the killers. Then a very cute guy who handles a bow like Robin Hood emerges from the woods and takes them to safety at his fortress-like home. And that’s just the first sign that Morgan and her brother have entered a hidden world filled with secrets…

The Hunter’s Moon has a super audio review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
“Great on Audio
ByR. Grabowskion May 15, 2018

Format: Audible Audiobook
This was a fun read… or listen. It was actually one of the first YA books I listened to on audio.

The beginning of the book pulled me right in with a scene with 16-year-old Morgan and her 10-year-old brother, Jimmy. It reminded me a lot of the relationship Meg has with Charles Wallace in a Wrinkle and Time because Jimmy is also very smart. (He was actually one of my favorite characters.) I loved how the author created a beautiful world in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia where some people can change into werewolves. The focus of the book was more on Morgan’s curse and her future. The real action will start in book 2 as this was only a novella. It kept me hooked with interesting characters and a unique take on werewolves.”

Listen to The Hunter’s Moon at: https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Moon-Secret-Warrior/dp/B076TMHF6Z/

All of these books are published by The Wild Rose Press and the audios are done through the company.  I could seriously use more reviews. If you are an avid listener of audiobooks, please give these a listen and leave me one.

Visit My Page At Audible:
https://www.audible.com/author/Beth-Trissel/B002BLLAJ6

My Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B002BLLAJ6

Many of My Books Now in Audio!

For those of you who prefer listening to stories, I have a growing number of audiobooks. Several more titles will soon be added to my author page at Audible and at Amazon. Some of these books are novellas and others are novels.

Visit My Page At Audible: 
https://www.audible.com/author/Beth-Trissel/B002BLLAJ6

My Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B002BLLAJ6
I will give the individual Amazon link as I touch on each book.

The latest addition to books of mine now available in audio is ghostly Time Travel romance, Somewhere My Lady (Book One, Ladies In Time). Narrator Sarah King did a super job.

Story Blurb:

Is he real or is he a ghost?

Lorna Randolph is hired for the summer at Harrison Hall in Virginia, where Revolutionary War reenactors provide guided tours of the elegant old home. She doesn’t expect to receive a note and a kiss from a handsome young man who then vanishes into mist.
Harrison Hall itself has plans for Lorna – and for Hart Harrison, her momentary suitor and its 18th-century heir.

Past and present are bound by pledges of love, and modern science melds with old skills and history as Harrison Hall takes Lorna and Hart through time in a race to solve a mystery and save Hart’s life before the Midsummer Ball.

At Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-My-Lady-Ladies-Time/dp/B07FDJYJJ2

The White Lady, Book Two Ladies in Time Series, is also a recent audio addition. Narrator, Susan Marlowe, did an excellent job and presented an enjoyably told tale.

Story Blurb:

Avery Dunham has always been ready to follow her friend, time-traveling wizard Ignus Burke, on incredible adventures. This time, though, she has serious misgivings. It’s just one week before Christmas, but she cannot get him to change his mind. The usually cool and collected magic-wielding leader is wholly obsessed by the portrait of the White Lady whom he is bent on rescuing.

Almost as soon as they begin their journey, it becomes clear their mission is a trap. Avery was right: this adventure is not going to be like any other.

Get The White Lady at: https://www.amazon.com/White-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book/dp/B07CGPG29C

Another new addition to my audio fold is historical mystery/adventure romance Traitor’s Legacy, sequel to Enemy of the King. Both novels are set during the high drama of the American Revolution. Narrator Lisa Valdini is excellent in this audiobook.

Story Blurb: 1781. On opposite sides of the War of Independence, British Captain Jacob Vaughan and Claire Monroe find themselves thrust together by chance and expediency.

Captain Vaughan comes to a stately North Carolina manor to catch a spy. Instead, he finds himself in bedlam: The head of the household is an old man ravaged by madness, the one sane male of the family is the very man he is hunting, and the household is overseen by his beguiling sister, Claire.

Torn between duty, love, and allegiances, yearning desperately for peace, will Captain Vaughan and Claire Monroe forge a peace of their own against the vagaries of war and the betrayal of false friends?

At Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Traitors-Legacy-Beth-Trissel/dp/1628304774

A wonderful British narrator, Rebecca McKernan, did a fantastic job with my English historical romance, Into the Lion’s Heart.

Story Blurb:

Will the English captain save a woman the French Revolution would devour when he knows the truth?

Georgian England, 1789: As the French Revolution rages, the English nobility offer sanctuary to many a refugee. Captain Dalton Evans arrives in Dover to meet a distant cousin, expecting to see a spoiled aristocrat. Instead, he’s conquered by the simplicity of his new charge. And his best friend Thomas Archer isn’t immune to her artless charm, either.

French émigré Cecile Beaumont didn’t choose to travel across the Channel. And she certainly didn’t expect that impersonating her own mistress would introduce her to a most mesmerizing man. Now she must play out the masquerade, or risk life, freedom – and her heart.

At Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Lions-Heart-Love-Letters/dp/B079N77LVY

Poignantly sweet, ghostly Christmas Romance, Somewhere The Bells Ring, is a wonderful audio book. I can’t rave enough about the performance of narrator, Tom Jordan.

Story Blurb:

Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope – until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe – in Bailey and the ghost – before the Christmas bells ring?

Review for Somewhere the Bells Ring at Audible: “Well done!
This isn’t my usual genre, but I found myself liking the book more than I thought I would. The narration was excellent and really drew me into the story. I recommend the book.”

At Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Bells-Ring-Time-Book/dp/B075GWRZ1G/

Another well done audiobook is The Hunter’s Moon, Book One in my Young Adult Fantasy Series Secret Warrior. Narrator Victoria Brodski did a sensational job.

Story Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Daniel has been in the witness protection program most of her life. But The Panteras have caught up with her and her younger brother. Her car is totaled, she’s hurt, and the street gang is closing in when wolves with glowing eyes appear out of nowhere and chase away the killers. Then a very cute guy who handles a bow like Robin Hood emerges from the woods and takes them to safety at his fortress-like home. And that’s just the first sign that Morgan and her brother have entered a hidden world filled with secrets…

The Hunter’s Moon has a super audio review: 5.0 out of 5 stars

“Great on Audio
ByR. Grabowskion May 15, 2018
Format: Audible Audiobook
This was a fun read… or listen. It was actually one of the first YA books I listened to on audio.

The beginning of the book pulled me right in with a scene with 16-year-old Morgan and her 10-year-old brother, Jimmy. It reminded me a lot of the relationship Meg has with Charles Wallace in a Wrinkle and Time because Jimmy is also very smart. (He was actually one of my favorite characters.) I loved how the author created a beautiful world in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia where some people can change into werewolves. The focus of the book was more on Morgan’s curse and her future. The real action will start in book 2 as this was only a novella. It kept me hooked with interesting characters and a unique take on werewolves.”

At Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Moon-Secret-Warrior/dp/B076TMHF6Z/

I could seriously use more reviews. If you are an avid listener of audiobooks, please give these a listen and leave me one.

Happy listening! All of these books are published by The Wild Rose Press and the audios are done through the company.

Furbaby Friday with Louisa Cornell

I’m happy to have my friend, Louisa Cornell, here to share her precious rescue dog and her fabulous Regency Romance novel, Stealing Minerva.

Spanky

A little over eight years ago, a coworker of mine told me of two young miniature dachshunds, less than a year old, who had survived an explosion and fire in a meth house in our county. They had both suffered smoke inhalation and some burns. I have always had a soft spot for dachshunds of any size as the first dog I remember of my childhood was a standard red dachshund named Fritz. It didn’t take much for my coworker to convince me to take the little survivors home with me.

Not long after they came home they began to suffer seizures. My veterinarian knew their histories and after a few tests it was her diagnosis that Spanky and Chester suffered seizures due to damage caused by their being raised in a meth lab for the first ten months of their lives. Gradually the seizures tapered off and until several months ago only occurred once a month or so. Several months ago, Chester’s seizures became more frequent and more violent, and after a few weeks we lost him to those seizures. Spanky continues to have seizures every now and then, but so far, we have been more fortunate with him.

Spanky is a happy, slightly spoiled little fellow. He has a blanket he drags with him everywhere – a combination Linus and Pigpen is my little red sausage dog. I have learned a great deal from Spanky. When he has a seizure, he does his best to find me if I don’t find him first. All I can do is hold him, but that seems to be enough for him. And sometimes that really is all any of us needs – to know someone is there. And when his seizure is over, he looks around, does a full body shake, and runs off to his next adventure. I think that is the best way to handle the problems life sends us. Find someone to stand by you, ride it out, do a full body shake, and be off to the next adventure.~

Pics of Spanky with his brother Harvey, the grey black dog,
who looks as if he was put together by a committee, and Boudreaux, my 17
year old basset hound.

Stealing Minerva BLURB

Colonel Sebastian Brightworth has a reputation for seduction. He seduces money into his hands and never lets it go. He seduces women into his bed and never lets them stay. Seducing his best friend’s latest betrothed into jilting him days before the wedding seems an easy task. Especially with a thousand-pound purse in the offing. That is, until Sebastian discovers his friend is engaged to the one woman in England he cannot possibly seduce. Again.

After seven years in a less than perfect marriage and two years as the Perfect Widow, Minerva Faircloth is engaged to the most eligible earl in England. Their amiable marriage will keep her son safe from his uncle’s cruel plans and her heart safe from disappointment. Everything goes according to plan, until her betrothed’s closest friend arrives. Sebastian Brightworth stole her heart nine years ago. What thievery is he up to now? And how will she ever survive it?

Excerpt From Stealing Minerva

“Don’t shout at my mother!” A reedy childish voice penetrated Sebastian’s haze of pain and indignation. A tirade of ear-splitting barking erupted from beneath the bed.

“I wasn’t shouting.” Sebastian shifted himself onto one knee. “What the hell!” A long reddish sausage with fur latched onto his forearm. The more he tried to shake it free the harder it bit. Ferocious growls emanated from deep in its chest.

“Precious, let the man go.” Minerva set to pry the creature from his flesh. “I am so sorry, Colonel.” He’d have believed the sincerity of her apology had it not been delivered whilst laughing. Oddly enough, he didn’t mind. Her laughter enthralled him. “Edward, take her before she bites me.” A fate she narrowly missed as “Precious?” turned her toothy attentions to her once her snout was made to let go of Sebastian.

He tugged a relatively clean serviette from the wreckage of Master Edward’s dinner and wiped at the blood on his arm. It appeared the dog had few teeth. Mercifully the ones it did have were either small or dull or both. His new shirt had taken the brunt of the attack.

“You did better than Lord Creighton.” The boy stood, shoulders hunched and hands in pockets, a look of grudging respect on his face. “He had tears in his eyes after Precious bit him.”

“Creighton? She bit Creighton and he wept?”

Minerva rolled his sleeve up away from the wound and took the serviette from him. “She bit Lord Creighton in a somewhat more delicate portion of his anatomy.” She tied off the makeshift bandage and let her eyes fall to Sebastian’s crotch.

“I’d have wept too.”

“Quite so.”

Buy Link: http://a.co/iVmr2e5

Get Stealing Minerva in Kindle at: 

Author Biography:

Louisa Cornell is a retired opera singer living in LA (Lower Alabama) who cannot remember a time she wasn’t writing or telling stories. Anglophile, student of Regency England, historical romance author—she escaped Walmart to write historical romance and hasn’t looked back. A two-time Golden Heart finalist, three-time Daphne du Maurier winner, and four-time Royal Ascot winner—she is a member of RWA, Southern Magic RWA, and the Beau Monde Chapter of RWA. Her first published work, the novella A Perfectly Dreadful Christmas in the anthology Christmas Revels, won the 2015 Holt Medallion for Excellence in Romance Fiction. Her first full-length published novel, Lost in Love, was a Golden Heart finalist. She lives off a dirt road on five acres in the middle of nowhere with a Chihuahua so bad he is banned from vet clinics in two counties, several very nice dogs, and a cat who thinks she is a Great Dane and terminates vermin with extreme prejudice.

Social Media Links:

Louisa’s Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Louisa-Cornell/e/B00PYZQOA6/
http://numberonelondon.net/ 
https://twitter.com/LouisaCornell

http://www.louisacornell.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RegencyWriterLouisaCornell

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave Louisa a comment!