The Counterfeiter’s Daughter by Victoria Marswell - Book Blitz

 

Publication day: 5th July 2020

Genres:  Romance, Suspense

An empathetic psychologist, Madelyn Brighton trusts no one. She maintains a solitary and organized life with a serene view of the beach.
Everything changes when bad news forces her to leave sunny California and travel to Bavaria in south Germany. Amid 19th-century castles and dark family secrets, she must deal with the repercussions of her estranged father’s shocking counterfeiting crimes when she secretly inherits a priceless artifact.
Complications ensue when Madelyn reluctantly partners with the adventurous, blue-eyed archaeologist Jake Nolan. He promises to help her evade Leon Von Füssen, a prominent and wealthy art conservator who keeps them on the run as he tries to get his hands on the valuable museum piece Madelyn hides.

Madelyn finds herself caught in the middle of a rivalry between Jake and Leon. Will she succeed at protecting the innocent victims affected by her father’s mistakes, trust Jake with her safety and open herself to love again? Or will the counterfeiter’s daughter suffer the fallout of her father’s choices?

Join Madelyn on her thrilling journey of romantic suspense—from disillusionment to faith, bitterness to forgiveness, and loneliness to the prospect of love.

Purchase Link

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0893PM7YK/r 

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Counterfeiters-Daughter-Victoria-Marswell/dp/173501351X/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53807026-the-counterfeiter-s-daughter 

Author Bio

Victoria Marswell is a romance suspense author. Victoria started writing poetry and short stories in her early teens. She majored in biblical studies at Hope International University and incorporates inspirational Christian themes into her writings. Victoria is a world traveler and sets her stories in the locations she has visited. At 17, she traveled to Germany and Austria where she was inspired to write her debut novel, The Counterfeiter’s Daughter. Victoria continues to travel the world; creating and writing romantic and thrilling adventures. She lived in Orange County, CA. for 38 years and currently resides in Portsmouth, NH.

Media Links

Website - https://www.victoriamarswell.com/ 

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20371336.Victoria_Marswell 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/vicmarswell 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VicMarswell/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/victoriamarswell/ 

Until next time,

Truly Madly Crazily in Love by Esha Pandey - Book Blitz

 

~ Book Blitz ~

Truly Madly Crazily in Love by Esha Pandey 

About the Book: 

What happens when you can't let your first love go? What happens when you keep hoping that the one that got away, will be yours again...forever?
Sue is short, vivacious and dreamy. Viv is tall, spirited and focussed. Dressed to the nines on School Social, she bewitches him. He kisses her. She kisses him back. They fall in love. But the kiss that should have sealed their love, becomes their undoing.
Sue is truly, madly and crazily in love with him. There is no one like Viv. She pines for him, but he can't be hers. Days go by and she is still head over heals in love with him.
When she finally lets him go and is ready to start over, he walks into her life again.
Hearts are broken. Promises are shattered. Lives are wrecked. Love is tested.
In a tale transcending time, Sue and Viv weave a story of love like none other. Will hope, trust and love win the test of time? From Lucknow, to Delhi to London, will Sue finally have her happily ever after? Read this sweet romance to find out.


Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt from Truly Madly Crazily in Love by Esha Pandey

Sukirti lingered on at the gate a bit longer than necessary. She wondered if her mother had noticed how she was lost in her thoughts when she walked in. She certainly didn’t comment on it. Sukirti went directly to her room. She had never experienced the kind of rush she felt with Vaibhav. When she was pressed to him on impact because of the speed breaker, it was as if her whole body had exploded. She was tingling wherever her body had touched his. She knew this was different than anything she had ever known. She remembered her elder cousin Garima telling her about her boyfriend and how he made her feel. At that time, she had not thought it was possible to feel like you were on fire. That day, she understood.

Was she developing a crush on Vaibhav?


About the Author:

Esha Pandey, is an author and a police officer. She made her debut as an author with her book I Will Meet You There, a collection of short stories.
Esha is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2010 batch. She has a Masters in International Relations and Masters of Philosophy in American Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Before becoming a civil servant, she dabbled with the idea of being a journalist and worked with Times of India as a copyeditor. She has won a United Nations FPA Award for Excellence for the “Best Short Story”.
Esha has kept her passion for writing alive through her tough assignments in policing because writing is music for her soul. Her TDH hero is her partner for life, her husband Rajiv, who supports her in all her endeavors. When she is not doing either, policing or writing, she is busy dealing with her two bundles of naughtiness, her sons. 


Esha on the Web:
Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

Until Next time,

A Colorful Dino #WordlessWednesday

Until next time, 

Linking this post to #wordlesswednesday hosted by Natasha and Esha.

The Crown - Ponni's Beloved Volume 4: An English Translation by Sumeetha Manikandan - [Book Review]

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Read Book Reviews of Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. 

Book Details:

Title : The Crown - Ponni's Beloved Volume 4: An English Translation by Sumeetha Manikandan

Author: English Translation by Sumeetha Manikandan, Tamil original version by Kaliki Krishnamurthy

Genre : Historical Fiction

Print Length : 314 pages

Blurb:

Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Ponniyin Selvan is a masterpiece that has enthralled generations of Tamil readers. Many authors have written phenomenal books in Tamil literature after Kalki Krishnamurthy, but Ponniyin Selvan remains the most popular, widely-read novel. It has just the right mixture of all things that makes an epic – political intrigue, conspiracy, betrayal, huge dollops of romance, infidelity, seduction, passion, alluring women, unrequited love, sacrifice, and pure love.

Purchase Link:

Amazon

My Review:

Part 4 of Ponni's beloved is fast-paced. More story is covered in this part and readers get to know the inner intentions of characters. Characterization is always a plus in all the parts of the story. 

I like that we get to see more of the deaf and mute woman and learn details about her past. It's good to read more about Crown Prince Aditya and the enchantress Nandini. The story has enough twists and interesting turns. I liked part 1 and Part 4 than other parts. I am eagerly waiting to read the next part and the climax. 

In a few places, I can find some typos. Editing might have taken care of those. 

My Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author:

Sumeetha Manikandan, a freelance content writer is an English literature graduate with a journalism and mass communication diploma. She lives in Chennai with her husband and daughter. After a decade long career in dotcom industry, she started working as a freelance writer from home. She wrote her debut novel, 'The Perfect Groom' as a script for a serial, which she converted into a novella for Indireads.

Gratitude List for Jun 2020 #GratitudeCircle

While I am writing this post, the USA hits 35 lakhs cases of COVID -19 with 60k cases per day. India is also racing with 7 lakhs cases in 4th place. 

Now, this is certain that it takes more time than expected for the pandemic to reduce its' impact. We all should be planning about staying home for some more time, wearing masks, washing our hands often, reducing grocery and outside trips until unless necessary. 

Instead of worrying about the Corona Virus or the economy and jobs, we can feel grateful for the roof on our heads and good health. I think we all need HOPE that things can get better. Let's hang on with Hope, everything will be fine soon.

My Gratitude List for June 2020:

Birthday :

It's my birthday month. I celebrate the birthday with cakes, and candles even after crossing 30 years, thanks to my family :-) But, that was a busy day with office calls in the middle of cake cutting (fun due to Working from home :p).

Travel :

This month, again the COVID cases are on the rise, but June was the month where we saw some fewer cases. Fortunately, We could visit some beautiful places around which were less crowded.

One such drive is 'Skyline Drive' in Canon city. Check this video, By the way, I started my new Youtube channel to post travel videos. Do subscribe if you like.

Youtube Channel - Colorado Family Vacation

We also visited 'Lookout Mountain', another scenic drive near Denver.

Work:

I am grateful to have a job in these uncertain times. I am thankful as I could also learn and improve myself in technical skills.  

I changed the timings of office calls, carved out some time for Yoga in between calls, and also could cook healthy breakfast in between office work. So, I am adjusting to the new normal and using it to my benefit.

Health :

I am grateful to God for my health. June has been very good health-wise. I tried some different healthy recipes and slept nicely for more than 8.5 hrs a day. 

I could start Yoga again and make it regular in my routine life. I have to see how long I can continue my Yoga in the mornings.

I thought it's difficult to write a gratitude list during social distancing when there isn't not much to enjoy life outdoors, but shouldn't we be grateful for simple things in life like food, job, health, and availability of essentials?

Be thankful, Be Kind, and more than ever, have hope.

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Until next time,

 

Linking this post to #GratitudeCircle hosted by Vidya Sury.

The Summer blooms #WordlessWednesday

I couldn't resist sharing these blooms from our home garden 💗

Until next time, 

Linking this post to #wordlesswednesday hosted by Natasha and Esha.

New Mexico - Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

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In our 4 day - New Mexico Road trip, Kasha Katuwe Tent rocks were a highlight of the trip. Kasha-Katuwe which means white cliffs got the status of National Monument in 2001. 

The unique cone-shaped rocks formed by the layers of volcanic ash and rocks by pyroclastic flow from the volcano of Jemez springs are beautiful to watch/hike. This eruption that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago caused the slot canyon and tent rocks. 

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Read our previous travelogues of New Mexico trip - 

Day 1 - White Sands National Park
Day 2 - Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Day 3 - Roswell and Bandelier National Monument

Know before you go!

Kasha-Katuwe tent rocks national monument is open all days (8 AM to 4PM) and can be reached from Santa fe through exit 264 off I-25 and through NM-16 onto NM -22. There are directions and signboards throughout the route. The entry is $5 per vehicle.

The parking is limited, so it's better to reach early. Restrooms are available at the starting of the trails. Bring plenty of water and carry snacks as nothing is available inside. The monument is closed to dogs excluding service animals.

It's summer! So, don't forget these travel essentials!

Trails

There are 2 trails - Cave loop trail (1.2 miles) and Slot canyon trail (1.5 miles). You can find the kasha katuwe tent rock trail maps at the trailhead.

The cave loop trail is an easy family hike that will take us to one viewpoint to see tent rocks from nearer.

The slot canyon trail is a bit difficult but completely worth it. It goes through a narrow slot canyon gaining the elevation of steep 630 ft. It gives amazing views of tent rocks and also of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains. 

The First view from the trail 

Hiking with Kids

We hiked Slot canyon trail with kids (5 and 8-yr olds). The initial trail is flat and easy. The narrow slot canyon is beautiful with sun rays entering in between. 

We went there in early February and in many places, it is slippery with water and melting snow. The trail is neither paved nor marked properly. But, Since many people are hiking, we followed them. 

Kids enjoyed the photos in the slot canyon. Then, the trail gains some elevation and we get the first view of cone-shaped rocks from top. An amazing place to take photos. If it's not slippery, the trail might not have been difficult with kids. In summer, it might be easy.

The cone from nearer

Slot Canyon

The next part of the trail climbs up still high and some more amazing views of the tent rocks. 

Rewarding Views!

We returned from the slot canyon trail and continued through the cave loop trail. This passed through good views of canyon and rocks and then through a small cave. 

Cave

So, though a bit difficult with kids, we managed by stopping multiple times, drinking water, and having snacks on the way.

We started our return journey around noon and stopped by Cochiti lake on the way. We also bought some souvenirs at the Cochiti pueblo gift shop and information center near the dam.

Cochiti lake

We started back to Colorado Springs after that and reached by the night. You can read my previous travelogue on Santa Fe. It's a beautiful town and a must-visit. Since we already visited Santa Fe, we didn't stop again. 

We passed through an 1852 style restaurant on the way back. That was awesome!

How did you like our New Mexico Travelogue? Do let me know in the comments.

Until next time,

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