Hey everyone!!! I have been MIA for a while. The past few weeks have been a nightmare! So much has happened since my last post here. Let me give you the short version of what has happened.
We found out that my husband will be going overseas and the kids and I cannot go with him due to our sons' disabilities. The Department of Defense can currently not provide the services they need at the new location. After long discussions, we decided the best solution for our family is for the kids and I to move into the house we own close to family. We also decided to do the move ourselves instead of having the DoD-assigned movers do it. What we didn't know at the time was that the new school year (it is in a different state than where we were before we moved) would start in the third week of July. Our house needed major remodeling and renovation before it was even possible for us to move in. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the pandemic, all contractors were short-staffed and therefore booked for months. So, we had to do all the work ourselves. Thank God for YouTube lol! My husband and my father-in-law did a phenomenal job with the plumbing, flooring, and electric work. Luckily, my husband is an electrician. At least, we didn't have to worry about that. I myself did all the painting. My husband and I did all the packing and--except for about and hour or so--we also loaded the moving truck ourselves. I tell ya, that was rough! Packing and loading over 10,000 lbs of stuff is crazy! I tip my hat to all the movers out there! That job is no joke!!!
As if all that wasn't enough, we found out that our kids were all missing one shot required for school and we had to drive to a different county to get the shot and the certification we needed. After that, we hoped we were done and could finally start with the smaller repair projects and unpacking. But nooooo!!!! We encountered another big issue! We don't have an internet line leading to our house. It's 350 feet from our house and the internet provider has to come and dig a line which will not happen until next week. Why is that an issue? Well, (1) I'm a freelance translator and need the internet for my business and (2) I'm also enrolled in college and need the internet for my classes since I'm enrolled in an online master's program. My temporary solution? Starbucks Wifi :-p Gotta do whatcha gotta do, right? Please send whatever positive energy you believe in to us (prayers, vibes, etc.) that we will have internet by the end of next week. The middle section of my body cannot take Starbucks every day lol.
With that being said, I am late with a few of my blog tour posts and for that I apologize to the publishers who have been extremely understanding!!! Thank you so much for not giving up on me! Books have been a lifesaver during these rough times. In particular my audiobooks have been a nice companion while painting, packing, etc.
Here are some fantastic books that you have not been able to read about on my blog due to our nightmare remodeling and move. I hope you find a gem among them that you find after grabbing one of them via the links I provide. So ... without further ado, here they are:
We found out that my husband will be going overseas and the kids and I cannot go with him due to our sons' disabilities. The Department of Defense can currently not provide the services they need at the new location. After long discussions, we decided the best solution for our family is for the kids and I to move into the house we own close to family. We also decided to do the move ourselves instead of having the DoD-assigned movers do it. What we didn't know at the time was that the new school year (it is in a different state than where we were before we moved) would start in the third week of July. Our house needed major remodeling and renovation before it was even possible for us to move in. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the pandemic, all contractors were short-staffed and therefore booked for months. So, we had to do all the work ourselves. Thank God for YouTube lol! My husband and my father-in-law did a phenomenal job with the plumbing, flooring, and electric work. Luckily, my husband is an electrician. At least, we didn't have to worry about that. I myself did all the painting. My husband and I did all the packing and--except for about and hour or so--we also loaded the moving truck ourselves. I tell ya, that was rough! Packing and loading over 10,000 lbs of stuff is crazy! I tip my hat to all the movers out there! That job is no joke!!!
As if all that wasn't enough, we found out that our kids were all missing one shot required for school and we had to drive to a different county to get the shot and the certification we needed. After that, we hoped we were done and could finally start with the smaller repair projects and unpacking. But nooooo!!!! We encountered another big issue! We don't have an internet line leading to our house. It's 350 feet from our house and the internet provider has to come and dig a line which will not happen until next week. Why is that an issue? Well, (1) I'm a freelance translator and need the internet for my business and (2) I'm also enrolled in college and need the internet for my classes since I'm enrolled in an online master's program. My temporary solution? Starbucks Wifi :-p Gotta do whatcha gotta do, right? Please send whatever positive energy you believe in to us (prayers, vibes, etc.) that we will have internet by the end of next week. The middle section of my body cannot take Starbucks every day lol.
With that being said, I am late with a few of my blog tour posts and for that I apologize to the publishers who have been extremely understanding!!! Thank you so much for not giving up on me! Books have been a lifesaver during these rough times. In particular my audiobooks have been a nice companion while painting, packing, etc.
Here are some fantastic books that you have not been able to read about on my blog due to our nightmare remodeling and move. I hope you find a gem among them that you find after grabbing one of them via the links I provide. So ... without further ado, here they are:
Murder at the Fair - Verity Bright (Bookouture Blog Tour)
 | Let me start off with one of my favorite books in the Eleanor Swift series! Yes, so far, this is my favorite book in that particular series. Verity Bright have my heart! Just when you think the books can't get any better, this husband-and-wife team surprises me again! I keep falling more and more in love with Lady Eleanor, the amateur sleuth in this series, her butler, and Eleanor's handsome love interest Detective Seldon. And let's not forget her partner in crime, bulldog Gladstone! But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself in my excitement here. Let me first give you the description of this book, so you can get an idea of the theme of this book 6 in the series (btw, while I would encourage reading the books in order, this one could be read as a standalone): Summer flowers, warm sunshine, a maypole dance and… is that another murder? A tricky case is afoot for Lady Swift! Summer, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, the best amateur sleuth in the country, is delighted to be in charge of the prize-giving at her village summer fair. But the traditional homemade raft race takes a tragic turn when the local under- |
taker, Solemn Jon, turns up dead amongst the ducks. Jon was the life of any party and loved by the entire village. Surely this was simply an awful accident?
But when a spiteful obituary is printed in the local paper, Eleanor realizes there may be more to Jon’s death than first thought. Despite handsome Detective Seldon giving her strict instructions not to interfere, Eleanor owes it to Jon’s good name to root out the truth. So with her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog, Eleanor starts digging for clues…
When another local dies in a riding accident, the police refuse to believe he was murdered. But a second vindictive death notice convinces Eleanor of foul play. Solemn Jon’s assistant, a bullish banker and a majestic marquess make her suspect list, but it isn’t until she finds a dusty old photograph that she knows the true culprit behind both crimes. Then another obituary appears – her own! Can Eleanor nail the killer before she too turns up dead among the ducks?
An utterly compelling and charming cozy mystery! Pure delight for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
But when a spiteful obituary is printed in the local paper, Eleanor realizes there may be more to Jon’s death than first thought. Despite handsome Detective Seldon giving her strict instructions not to interfere, Eleanor owes it to Jon’s good name to root out the truth. So with her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog, Eleanor starts digging for clues…
When another local dies in a riding accident, the police refuse to believe he was murdered. But a second vindictive death notice convinces Eleanor of foul play. Solemn Jon’s assistant, a bullish banker and a majestic marquess make her suspect list, but it isn’t until she finds a dusty old photograph that she knows the true culprit behind both crimes. Then another obituary appears – her own! Can Eleanor nail the killer before she too turns up dead among the ducks?
An utterly compelling and charming cozy mystery! Pure delight for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Now that you know a bit more about what the theme of the book is, I will tell you just how much I loved this book: If I wasn't a fan of cozy mysteries already, the books in this series would definitely make me one!!!! Once again, Lady Eleanor proves that she is a strong and smart female amateur sleuths who doesn't need to hide in the shadow of great sleuths like Miss Marple. This time, the story gets quite a bit more personal for the young super sleuth. She ends up in various very complicated situations in which her decisions and actions could potentially have a major impact on her personal life. I don't want to go too much into detail, so I won't spoil it for you. You'll have to read the book yourself to find out what I'm talking about. What makes the entire story so bizarre but so compelling are the obituaries published after each "accident" and then Eleanor's own obituary. I cannot imagine what it feels like to try to stay away from a "case" to not disappoint your lover, to then be dragged into the whole mess anyway, and then read your own obituary. Luckily, she is not alone in her endeavors. She has her loyal butler by her side, her kind of disappointed yet supportive lover Detective Seldon, and her adorable doggy. This book kept me drawn in the entire time. I also listened to the audio version of this book and can absolutely recommend it. The narrator is always fantastic! In fact, I was driving on the interstate from our old home to our new while listening to this book and I was definitely not focusing as much on the traffic as I should have ;-) My guardian angel was probably having a heart attack and glad when we arrived safely lol.
You want to know where to buy the book ... well, I'm glad you asked. Here is the link: amzn.to/3prBNUJ
(Disclaimer: While I did get a free e-version of the book, I do not get any compensation for you clicking the link! Just do it, I promise you won't regret it! It's money well-spend!)
You want to know where to buy the book ... well, I'm glad you asked. Here is the link: amzn.to/3prBNUJ
(Disclaimer: While I did get a free e-version of the book, I do not get any compensation for you clicking the link! Just do it, I promise you won't regret it! It's money well-spend!)
Now, let's get to some other amazing books I have read over the last weeks. Part II of my reviews coming in a few! Hang on tight and don't go anywhere, you don't want to miss these!
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