Episode 80 The Butcher’s Daughter by Parker J. Cole

Listen to the Episode Here

Welcome to A Reader’s Book Corner!

In today’s episode we discuss The Butcher’s Daughter by Parker J. Cole, this is a historical fiction book about a young woman sent to retrieve a family’s son, a man tired of living a lie and a scandal that brings them together.

We discuss family dynamics and their dysfunction, love and loyalty while having faith in someone. We also discuss how dark skinned individuals are treated within their family, and the 1800s.

Connect with Parker J. Cole at http://www.parkerjcole.com/

Purchase the The Butcher’s Daughter on Amazon.

If you would like to suggest an indie book or author to be featured feel free to contact me at tabeasley@arbookcorner.com.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni

About The Book

In 1979, Vincent Bianco has just graduated high school. His only desire: collect a little beer money and enjoy his final summer before college. So he lands a job as a laborer on a construction crew. Working alongside two Vietnam vets, one suffering from PTSD, Vincent gets the education of a lifetime. Now forty years later, with his own son leaving for college, the lessons of that summer―Vincent’s last taste of innocence and first taste of real life―dramatically unfold in a novel about breaking away, shaping a life, and seeking one’s own destiny.

My Thoughts

⭐⭐⭐

Having read several of Robert Dugoni’s book, I can say The World Played Chess was a hard one for me. The main character, Vincent receives a journal from a veteran he worked with and uses it to help his relationship with his son. I believe this is a powerful plot especially because it’s about family, a father and his son, but also about a veteran who felt it important to pass his story on to someone he believed it would help.

Stories with life lessons are usually emotional to read, but this one was different and took me awhile to get into it. It shares three different lives, William from the war, Vincent when he was young and Vincent’s son, Beau, all experience loss. It was confusing trying to keep up with the switching of stories between the characters even though I felt they were well-developed.

I went into the story wanting more of Vincent and Beau’s story. I didn’t connect with William’s journal entries as I would of liked to. I did appreciate the descriptions in the book, which were easy to visualize. This historical fiction story will tug at your heartstrings, but it doesn’t live up to my favorite book, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by this author.

I do recommend this book to die hard Historical fiction readers.

Purchase at Amazon.com

Sneak Peek of The Alchemy Thief by R. A. Denny

Inside the information building, Peri spoke to a man dressed as a Pilgrim. She took her post on the pier by a small ramp that led into the ship, so she could greet tourists as they arrived.

As Peri waited on the dock, she imagined what the bay would have looked like years ago.  Trying to get into her role, she looked up at the Mayflower II and pictured spending months on the water inside that ship. The Pilgrims must have been either very brave or very desperate. It would have been so cramped inside. And to think poor Mary Chilton’s parents died onboard, leaving her alone in the new world.

Peri was so busy daydreaming she didn’t notice the dark clouds rolling in again. Her phone beeped under all her clothes, but she ignored it.  A sudden crash of thunder jolted her to alert. It sounded so nearby that it startled her. Out across the water, a jagged flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by another boom.

The warning was brief. The clouds opened up.  Torrents of rain drenched her clothes. In the parking lot, dozens of arriving tourists ran for cover. She wasn’t sure if she should leave her post. Peri threw her cloak over her shoulders, pulled her bodkin out of her cap, and began lacing up the cloak.

The sky lit up again with lightning, but this time between jagged bolts, a ball of white light appeared. It looked like a miniature sun. The giant bubble of light floated rapidly towards Peri, its blue edges dancing like solar flares. Too scared to run, she froze like a rabbit.

The ball hovered over her. In a burst of light, it rushed directly at her. Terrified, she pointed the bodkin at the light, as if to pop a balloon. She squeezed her eyes closed and grimaced, preparing to be struck. Like a vacuum cleaner sucks up a flea, the sphere of light pulled her inside. Then she was falling, like in a dream. She felt no pain. Maybe she was dead.

The Alchemy Thief

Pirates and Puritans Book 1

by R.A. Denny

Genre: Historical Fiction

When the secrets of the past threaten to destroy the future.

A tale of hope, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of a woman, this sweeping epic spans the Atlantic from New England to Morocco during the Age of Exploration.

2019: A young woman finds a relic engraved with a mysterious symbol off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Terrorists in Morocco steal a 17th-century book engraved with the same symbol. As the woman struggles to unravel the secrets behind the symbol, her life changes in ways she could never have imagined.

1657: Transported back in time, she meets the alchemist, John Winthrop, Jr. who is plotting to lure the greatest scientific minds to the New World. But the more she learns, the more she fears for the lives of the loved ones she left behind.

In a stunning twist of fate, a modern terrorist has traveled into the past, where he has become a Barbary Corsair. He has plans of his own. And he will stop at nothing to succeed.

Goodreads * Amazon

R.A. Denny is the author of six historical fiction and fantasy novels.  Readers have described her books as deep, spirited, and imaginative.

After receiving her Juris Doctor from Duke University, she practiced criminal law for over twenty years.  During that time, R.A. developed creative methods to educate the public about the law, presenting dramatic programs to over 300,000 people across the United States and producing a full-length feature film that screened internationally.

R.A. left the law to pursue her passion for writing. She had promised her dying mother she would finish the research they had begun in the Library of Congress when R.A. was 11 years old.  One mysterious line about her 9th-great-grandfather led to years of research and a trip to Morocco.  The result is R.A.’s latest novel, The Alchemy Thief. 

An adventurous traveler, R.A. enjoys swimming, kayaking, and horseback riding.  She delights in pursuing creative projects with her two adult sons and playing silly games with her grandchildren.  

Author Links

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$15 Amazon giftcard, ebook of The Alchemy Thief – 1 winner each!

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Spotlight of The Loving Husband Trilogy with Prequel

 

Her Dear and Loving Husband

The Loving Husband Trilogy Book 1

by Meredith Allard

Genre: Historical Fiction, Sweet Paranormal Romance

For fans of A Discovery of Witches.

“Author Meredith Allard constructs an effective plot, weaving in and out of past and present lives, allowing words and phrases to haunt you until the whole mystery behind the love story is revealed.” IndieReader

How long would you wait for the one you loved?

Professor James Wentworth has a paranormal secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties with anyone. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth’s death, James cannot move on.

Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares, and every night she is awakened by terrifying visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail–scenes from the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must also dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?

Part historical fiction, part romance, part paranormal fantasy, Her Dear and Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.

Buy Links

**Get it FREE!!**

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Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/LtNlDv4fa7I

 

 

Her Loving Husband’s Curse

The Loving Husband Trilogy Book 2

 

For fans of A Discovery of Witches.

“Author Meredith Allard’s sequel to Her Dear and Loving Husband is a triumphant follow-up!” ~AOBibliophile

How far would you go to save the one you loved?

After many lonely years, James Wentworth’s life is falling into place. Together with his wife, Sarah, he has discovered the meaning behind her nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and now they are rebuilding the life they began together so long ago. But the past is never far behind for the Wentworths. While Sarah is haunted by new visions, James is confronted with painful memories from his time with the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Through it all, the persistent reporter Kenneth Hempel reappears, still determined to prove that vampires walk the earth. If Hempel succeeds in his quest, James and Sarah will suffer. Will the curse of the vampire prevent James and Sarah from living their happily ever after?

Her Loving Husband’s Curse is a story for anyone who believes that true love triumphs over all. Continue the romantic journey with James and Sarah and be swept away by the power of this eternal love story.

Buy Links

Add to Goodreads

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Her Loving Husband’s Return

The Loving Husband Trilogy Book 3

 

For fans of A Discovery of Witches.

“A perfect ending to this trilogy!” (Nicole L. Vermilya)

What would you sacrifice to return to the one you loved?

James Wentworth’s paranormal secret is no longer a secret, and now he and his beloved wife, Sarah, have been separated. While suffering his own internment, James is reminded of his time with Japanese-Americans in the Manzanar Relocation Camp during World War II, and he cannot allow the past to repeat itself. With the help of his friends—Chandresh, Jocelyn, Timothy, even the irreverent Geoffrey—James learns what it means to return, and he is determined to return to his Sarah no matter the challenges—or the consequences. In the end, it may be up to Olivia, the most powerful of witches, to grant James’ most fervent wish. Will James and Sarah be reunited once and for all despite the madness surrounding them?

Part romance, part historical fiction, part paranormal fantasy, Her Loving Husband’s Return is a story for anyone who believes that true love is all that matters in the end. Complete the romantic journey with James and Sarah Wentworth in Her Loving Husband’s Return and be amazed by the depth of this eternal love story.

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Add to Goodreads

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Down Salem Way

The Loving Husband Series Prequel

How would you deal with the madness of the Salem witch hunts?

In 1690, James Wentworth arrives in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his father, John, hoping to continue the success of John’s mercantile business. While in Salem, James falls in love with Elizabeth Jones, a farmer’s daughter. Though they are virtually strangers when they marry, the love between James and Elizabeth grows quickly into a passion that will transcend time.

But something evil lurks down Salem way. Soon many in Salem, town and village, are accused of practicing witchcraft and sending their shapes to harm others. Despite the madness surrounding them, James and Elizabeth are determined to continue the peaceful, loving life they have created together. Will their love for one another carry them through the most difficult challenge of all?

Down Salem Way is the long-awaited prequel to the bestselling paranormal historical Loving Husband Trilogy.

 

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 The Loving Husband Series Box Set

The four books of the beloved bestselling paranormal historical Loving Husband Series are featured together for the first time. The collection includes the full texts of Her Dear & Loving Husband, Her Loving Husband’s Curse, Her Loving Husband’s Return, and Down Salem Way.

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**Get all 4 books for a discount price of only $2.99!!**

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Meredith Allard is the author of the bestselling paranormal historical love story The Loving Husband Trilogy; Down Salem Way, the prequel to the Loving Husband Trilogy set during the Salem Witch Trials; the sweet Victorian romance When It Rained at Hembry Castle, named a best historical novel of 2016 by IndieReader; Victory Garden, a novel about World War I and the Woman’s Suffrage Movement; and Woman of Stones, a novella of Biblical Jerusalem. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Author Links

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

$50 Amazon

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!