Deceit & Greed in Victorian Times -- Giveaway

In my latest release, the novella The Sugarplum Ladies, in The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection, my heroine, Eugenie Mott finds herself in a situation where someone is lying about her. Not only does this man claim that she is his fiancé (she never accepted his offer) but he announces it in the newspaper! She's a wealthy Detroit heiress and a "do gooder" working with Civil War widows who are learning catering skills. Set immediately after the Civil War, in Victorian times, my heroine is up against a conniving man who is using deceit to make his greedy dreams come true. 

In those days, an announcement of an engagement could be perceived as a contractual agreement. Lucky for my heroine, she has an American attorney who can help her out. And the handsome Canadian barrister, Percy Gladstone, also lends aid!

Blurb: The Sugarplum Ladies by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1867 Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Detroit, Michigan
When Canadian barrister Percy Gladstone finds his aristocratic British family unexpectedly descending upon him for Christmas, he turns to American social reformer Eugenie Mott and her fledgling catering crew for help.

Bio and links for The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection:

Bio – Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D.

Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is the award-winning author of sixteen Christian historical romances, including ECPA bestsellers. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! A self-professed “history geek,” she resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia but grew up as a “Yooper,” in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time! You can connect with her at www.CarrieFancettPagels.com.

  

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GIVEAWAY: Have you ever had someone lie about you and use deceitful means to do you harm? How did God send help your way?  Answer the question for a chance to win a copy of this beautiful new release! 

Audiobook Review of A Changed Agent by Tracey J. Lyons

Audiobook Review of A Changed Agent  (Brilliance Audio, 2016)
by Tracey J. Lyons

An Entertaining Listen!
Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

I listened to this novel via an audible.com download. This September I had the privilege of meeting Tracey J. Lyons in Nashville at a Christian writers' conference and readers' event. We're also both members of Romance Writers of America's Professional Authors Network.  It's been my experience that an author's personality is often reflected in their writing voice. And I found that to be true in this listen. Ms. Lyons is a delightful woman as was her heroine, Elsie Mitchell, a schoolteacher.  I really enjoyed this story!

A Changed Agent had a nice flow to it and the narration was also good. There were some surprises -- such as with Elsie's former fiancé.

The hero, William Benton, an undercover Pinkerton agent, has some emotional baggage he needs to deal with. He also now has the responsibility of taking care of his niece and nephew. William works a deal with Elsie to help him out with their care in return for enough compensation that she can go on her next big trip. Elsie loves to travel! But will this faux lumberjack foreman cause her to want to stay put?

Bibliotherapy: Abandonment, orphans, parenting, deception, and second chances.

This book is available in ebook (Waterfall Press), paperback, and audio formats. Since Christian historical romances are difficult to find, and because the narration was good for this lovely story, I'd recommend the audio version.

Guest Post by Review Dude: Ender's Game Audiobook Review

Ender's Game Audibook Cover on Kindle Fire

Good but Slightly Disturbing SciFi Book!

Rating: Four and a half stars. Ender is sorry for the aliens he has killed but not as much for the fellow humans he killed.

Narrator: Four. Well in all, but the narrator sounded depressed.

Spoiler alert: Please note this review will include spoilers.

Orson Scott Card spin a yarn about what could happen in a world where everything is based around fear of aliens. Card creates a responsible quick-minded hero who although regretting it later does whatever he needs to do to survive.

Ender Wiggin's story begins with him as a six-year-old in an urban unnamed U.S. city living with his mother, father, and brilliant brother, Peter, and sister, Valentine. As a "third" (third child) Ender shouldn't be alive because third children weren't allowed to live unless the government allows them to be born. His parents got permission because his siblings were brilliant.

Ender is selected for a school for brilliant ambitious and command-worthy kids to be sent up to a space station called Battle School for training. This story is about Ender's Battle School and Command School experiences in defeating the Formix, AKA, "the Buggers". Afterwards, Ender goes to a different world and discovers a hive queen egg and the hive queen communicates mind-to-mind with him and he realizes that the buggers did not come back to invade because they realized humans were sentient beings, after they were defeated in the two bugger wars.

Christian/bibliotherapy aspects: Coping with guilt, being deceived by others, how parents' faithfulness can influence children, wandering from faith, and how not remaining in faith affects people.


We purchased this audiobook at www.audible.com.
Ender's Game Audiobook by Orson Scott Card from Audible.com


Bio: Review Dude is a 12-year-old guest poster who enjoys reading Sci Fi and Fantasy. Thank you Review Dude for your post.

Giveaway contest: Most interesting comment will be the winner, as determined by Review Dude.

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

A Wreath of Snow

A Wreath of Snow

By Liz Curtis Higgs

(WaterBrook Press, 2012)

Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

                                                  

I ordered this beautiful hardcover Christmas Novella after seeing a postcard of it, sent in the mail. Between the gorgeous picture and Liz Curtis Higgs writing it--I had to have this book! So I ordered it and copies for our two American contributors. Then I received an AUTOGRAPHED copy from Liz herself- WOW!!! How very special and I will treasure this book!

Set in Scotland, this novella (the length is more of a short book length, however) presents the problems that come when we deceive others. In terms of bibliotherapy, I would recommend this book to someone who has either been deceived by someone or who is having difficulty forgiving themselves for having been less than honest with someone. 

A drunken young man engaged in the sport of curling severely injures a boy whose sister has brought him to the event.  Still single at age twenty-six, Meg is somewhat estranged from her family. Her brother, Alan, who was injured as a child, revels in his role as invalid and has become an embittered young man.  So much so that his only sibling, Meg, attempts to return from home back to Glasgow early during her Christmas holiday--not even staying to celebrate Christmas with her parents and brother, and feeling mighty guilty.  

On board the train, Meg unwittingly engages in conversation with Gordon Shaw, who injured her brother and is now a journalist. He fails to correct her misunderstanding of his name, and who he is, finding himself very much enjoying the young woman's conversation aboard the snow-surrounded train.

Later, Meg does as Alan had done--deceiving her parents by allowing them to misconstrue his true name and identity. But the ultimate deception comes from another character. I will be honest, early on I guessed what likely would happen with this specific character later. I still enjoyed the storyline and the way Liz brought about the expected behavior (that aspect was unique.)

This is not truly novella length (which usually run closer to 20,000 words), despite the cover indicating that A Wreath of Snow is a Victorian novella--so plan to spend more than one evening reading unless you are a quick reader.  This is a lovely Christmas read--full of redemption and forgiveness. I highly recommend it!

Question: Have you ever deceived someone to "save the peace?" Did this action backfire on you?

You can find Liz's books at Amazon, CBD, B&N and other bookstores.

Giveaway:  We are giving away a hardcover copy of this book to one commenter this week. And a second giveaway for the week for any of Liz's books, choice of format.