Authors Jennifer Probst and Samantha Verant

About this Event

If we can’t go to Europe, we can do the next best thing, jump into a great conversation with authors Jennifer Probst and Samantha Verant and their latest books taking place in Italy and France, respectively. Join us on Saturday, January 23, 2PM EST as we chat virtually. Registration is required via Eventbrite and book purchase is always appreciated.

ABOUT OUR ITALIAN SUMMER

Three generations of women in the Ferrari family must heal the broken pieces of their lives on a trip of a lifetime through picturesque Italy from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst

Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of her life except one: family. She struggles to make time for her relationship with her teenage daughter, Allegra, and the two have become practically strangers to each other. When Allegra hangs out with a new crowd and is arrested for drug possession, Francesca gives in to her mother’s wish that they take one epic summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. She just never expected to face a choice that might change the course of her life. . .

Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy, but she hates the idea of forced time with her mother and vows to fight every step of the ridiculous tour, until a young man on the verge of priesthood begins to show her the power of acceptance, healing, and the heartbreaking complications of love.

Sophia knows her girls are in trouble. A summer filled with the possibility for change is what they all desperately need. Among the ruins of ancient Rome, the small churches of Assisi, and the rolling hills of Tuscany, Sophia hopes to show her girls that the bonds of family are everything, and to remind them that they can always lean on one another, before it’s too late.

ABOUT THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX

A disgraced chef rediscovers her passion for food and her roots in this stunning novel rich in culture and full of delectable recipes.

French-born American chef Sophie Valroux had one dream: to be part of the 1% of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. From spending summers with her grandmother, who taught her the power of cooking and food, to attending the Culinary Institute of America, Sophie finds herself on the cusp of getting everything she’s dreamed of.

Until her career goes up in flames.

Sabotaged by a fellow chef, Sophie is fired, leaving her reputation ruined and confidence shaken. To add fuel to the fire, Sophie learns that her grandmother has suffered a stroke and takes the red-eye to France. There, Sophie discovers the simple home she remembers from her childhood is now a luxurious château, complete with two restaurants and a vineyard. As Sophie tries to reestablish herself in the kitchen, she comes to understand the lengths people will go to for success and love, and how dreams can change.

RSVP for free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jennifer-probst-samantha-verant-virtual-foxtale-tickets-133232172013?aff=erelpanelorg

Susan Meissner virtually joins us to discuss The Nature of Fragile Things

About this Event

It always exciting when our friend and bestselling author Susan Meissner has a new book! We are delighted to welcome Susan VIRTUALLY back to the fox den on Friday, February 12, 6:30PM EST with THE NATUREOF FRAGILE THINGS. Registration through Eventbrite is required.

From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity. To purchase please visit: https://foxtalebookshoppe.indielite.org/book/9780451492180

April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin’s silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin’s odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn’t right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.

RSVP link for free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/susan-meissner-virtual-foxtale-tickets-130177453267?aff=erelpanelorg

MJ Rose is back with a stunning new novel, The Last Tiara. MJ joins us virtually!

About this Event

Our foxy friend and NYT bestselling author M.J. Rose is coming back to the fox den virtually as we celebrate the publication of her latest historical fiction novel, The Last Tiara. MJ will join us on Thursday, February 4, 6:30pm ET. Registration through Eventbrite is required so we can send you the online link.

To pre-order a signed (book plate) copy, please visit: https://foxtalebookshoppe.indielite.org/book/9781952457173

From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller M.J. Rose comes a provocative and moving story of a young female architect in post-World War II Manhattan, who stumbles upon a hidden treasure and begins a journey to discovering her mother’s life during the fall of the Romanovs.

Sophia Moon had always been reticent about her life in Russia and when she dies, suspiciously, on a wintry New York evening, Isobelle despairs that her mother’s secrets have died with her. But while renovating the apartment they shared, Isobelle discovers something among her mother’s effects-a stunning silver tiara, stripped of its jewels.

Isobelle’s research into the tiara’s provenance draws her closer to her mother’s past-including the story of what became of her father back in Russia, a man she has never known. The facts elude her until she meets a young jeweler, who wants to help her but is conflicted by his loyalty to the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners.

Told in alternating points of view, the stories of the two young women unfurl as each struggles to find their way during two separate wars. In 1915, young Sofiya Petrovitch, favorite of the royal household and best friend of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, tends to wounded soldiers in a makeshift hospital within the grounds of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and finds the love of her life. In 1948 New York, Isobelle Moon works to break through the rampant sexism of the age as one of very few women working in a male-dominated profession and discovers far more about love and family than she ever hoped for.

In M.J. Rose’s deftly constructed narrative, the secrets of Sofiya’s early life are revealed incrementally, even as Isobelle herself works to solve the mystery of the historic Romanov tiara (which is based on an actual Romanov artifact that is, to this day, still missing)-and how it is that her mother came to possess it. The two strands play off each other in finely-tuned counterpoint, building to a series of surprising and deeply satisfying revelations.

RSVP link for free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mj-rose-the-last-tiara-virtual-foxtale-tickets-130258250935?aff=erelpanelorg

Erika Robuck joins us virtually in conversation with Allison Pataki

About this Event

We are excited to welcome our foxy friend and bestselling author Erika Robuck back to the fox den, this time virtually! Erika will be in conversation with bestselling author Allison Pataki. This is a free event; however registration is required.

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN by Erika Robuck

In the depths of war, she would defy the odds to help liberate a nation…a gripping historical novel based on the remarkable true story of World War II heroine Virginia Hall, from the bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl

France, March 1944. Virginia Hall wasn’t like the other young society women back home in Baltimore—she never wanted the debutante ball or silk gloves. Instead, she traded a safe life for adventure in Europe, and when her beloved second home is thrust into the dark days of war, she leaps in headfirst.

Once she’s recruited as an Allied spy, subverting the Nazis becomes her calling. But even the most cunning agent can be bested, and in wartime trusting the wrong person can prove fatal. Virginia is haunted every day by the betrayal that ravaged her first operation, and will do everything in her power to avenge the brave people she lost.

While her future is anything but certain, this time more than ever Virginia knows that failure is not an option. Especially when she discovers what—and whom—she’s truly protecting.

THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE by Allison Pataki

A sweeping novel about the extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon’s heart, created a dynasty, and changed the course of history—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitor’s Wife, The Accidental Empress, and Sisi.

As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine.

A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister Julie marries his brother Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked. Quickly entering into their own passionate, dizzying courtship that leads to a secret engagement, they vow to meet in the capital once his career has been secured. But her newly laid plans with Napoleon turn to sudden heartbreak, thanks to the rising star of Parisian society, Josephine de Beauharnais. Once again, Desiree’s life is turned on its head.

Swept to the glittering halls of the French capital, Desiree is plunged into the inner circle of the new ruling class, becoming further entangled with Napoleon, his family, and the new Empress. But her fortunes shift once again when she meets Napoleon’s confidant and star general, the indomitable Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. As the two men in Desiree’s life become political rivals and military foes, the question that arises is: must she choose between the love of her new husband and the love of her nation and its Emperor?

From the lavish estates of the French Riviera to the raucous streets of Paris and Stockholm, Desiree finds herself at the epicenter of the rise and fall of an empire, navigating a constellation of political giants and dangerous, shifting alliances. Emerging from an impressionable girl into a fierce young woman, she discovers that to survive in this world she must learn to rely upon her instincts and her heart.

Allison Pataki’s meticulously researched and brilliantly imagined novel sweeps readers into the unbelievable life of a woman almost lost to history—a woman who, despite the swells of a stunning life and a tumultuous time, not only adapts and survives but, ultimately, reigns at the helm of a dynasty that outlasts an empire.

RSVP link for free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/erika-robuck-in-conversation-with-allison-pataki-virtual-foxtale-tickets-128807176733?aff=erelpanelorg

Kristy Cambron, The Paris Dressmaker Virtual

About this Event

We’ve been fans of Kristy Cambron and her books for many years and we are delighted to finally welcome her to the fox den, albeit virtually. Registration is required. Book purchase is appreciated. Join us on Thursday, February 25, 6:30PM EST.

An iconic city under siege during World War II and the bravery of two women who joined the Resistance to save it . . .

Paris, 1939. The closing of Maison Chanel thrusts haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion and into occupation as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s fight for survival turns into a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda that sees Paris cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled in the determination to help save his Jewish family and bolster the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. While cataloguing priceless works of art stolen from prominent Jewish families and on trains bound for the Führer’s ranks in Berlin, Sandrine Paquet secretly forages information for the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering her missing husband’s fate . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine in drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may tell the fate of a dressmaker who’s vanished from within the fashion elite.

Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation—from fashion houses to the city streets—The Paris Dressmaker weaves a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide.

RSVP for free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kristy-cambron-the-paris-dressmaker-virtual-tickets-129624252629?aff=erelpanelorg

The power of Zoom brings UK based domestic suspense author Cate Quinn to us virtually on Saturday, February 13, 2PM EST.

About this Event

The power of Zoom brings UK based domestic suspense author Cate Quinn to us virtually on Saturday, February 13, 2PM EST. Free registration at the below Eventbrite link is required. Book purchase appreciated – link below.

To purchase the book, visit: https://foxtalebookshoppe.indielite.org/book/9781728220468

“Black Widows is a bombshell of a suspense novel! The story unfolds through three sister-wives married to the same man, and each woman is unique, fascinating, and full of surprises. This tantalizing and troubling story will keep you guessing right up to the end.”―Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and He Started It

Blake’s dead. They say his wife killed him. If so… which one?

Polygamist Blake Nelson built a homestead on a hidden stretch of land―a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah―where he lived with his three wives:

Rachel, the first wife, obedient and doting to a fault, with a past she’d prefer to keep quiet.

Tina, the rebel wife, everything Rachel isn’t, straight from rehab and the Vegas strip.

And Emily, the young wife, naïve and scared, estranged from her Catholic family.

The only thing that they had in common was Blake. Until all three are accused of his murder.

When Blake is found dead under the desert sun, all three wives become suspect―not only to the police, but to each other. As the investigation draws them closer, each wife must decide who can be trusted. With stories surfacing of a notorious cult tucked away in the hills, whispers flying about a fourth wife, and evidence that can’t quite explain what had been keeping Blake busy, the three widows face a reckoning that might shatter all they know to be true.

For fans of The Wife Between Us and The Dry comes a chilling murder mystery that takes a domestic thriller’s classic question―”Did his wife kill him?”―and twists it into an completely new type of suspense.

RSVP for free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cate-quinn-black-widows-virtual-tickets-137188706113?aff=eemailordconf&utm_campaign=order_confirm&utm_medium=email&ref=eemailordconf&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_term=viewevent

BOOK DETAILS:
Never Say Never
by Justine Manzano
Publication date: June 15th 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

After she walks in on her mom doing the horizontal mambo with a man that’s decidedly not her dad, Brynn Stark swears off love. One of her friends–Val–is determined to change her mind, no matter the consequences. Prickly and cynical, Brynn tries to avoid Val’s attempts at setting her up, until Val reveals her true identity–Aphrodite, goddess of love, who promises to show Brynn why she shouldn’t lose faith.

Brynn’s job, school, and the various love connections Val tries to make keep her busy enough, but in her spare time, she struggles to navigate her own role in her parents’ divorce. With her other best friend recovering from a breakup of her own, and Val dead set on playing matchmaker, Brynn’s forced to rely on the fourth member of their friend group, Adam, for moral support. Adam, Val’s boyfriend.

Realizing she’s beginning to fall for Adam, Brynn throws herself full-force into dating Val’s picks, hoping one can lure her away from the bad situation she’s hurtling towards, but even when she finds one with a spark, she can’t stop thinking about Adam. Brynn’s forced to decide if she’ll choose her goddess-given fate, or risk it all for the wrong-but-right guy. One thing’s for sure. Love sucks. And it’s all about to blow up in their faces.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53920239-never-say-never

Pre-order:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/38J5ABn

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-say-never-justine-manzano/1138549942?ean=9781736430002

Author Biography

Justine Manzano is a YA author and editor living in Bronx, NY with her husband, son, and a cacophony of cats. Her novel, The Order of the Key will be available from Black Rose Writing in July 2020. She can normally be found at her website, www.justinemanzano.com,and she’s on all the usual social media haunts. If you’ve looked in all these places and can’t find her, she’s probably off reading fanfiction. She’ll be back soon.

Author links:

https://justinemanzano.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16039814.Justine_Manzano

https://www.facebook.com/justinemanzanoauthor/

https://twitter.com/justine_manzano

https://www.instagram.com/justine_manzano/

Goodreads Blurb

Revenge doesn’t wait for permission.

Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned by her single mother that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected her mother’s fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of: a loving lawyer husband, two talented teenage daughters, a new baby boy, a gorgeous home, and every opportunity in the world.

Until the day she awakens and sees a witch peering into her bedroom window—an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.

Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daugh­ters’ private school . . . just minutes before Bree’s infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly—Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.

The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course Bree will pay anything, do anything. It’s her child.

To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small—but critical—task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price, making her complicit in a tangled web of tragedy and shocking secrets that could destroy everything she loves. It is the beginning of an odyssey that will lead Bree to dangerous places, explosive confrontations, and chilling truths.

Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family—but what if the cost tears their world apart?

Author Biography

New York Times and USA today bestselling novelist Joshilyn Jackson is the author of NEVER HAVE I EVER and eight other books, including gods in Alabama and The Almost Sisters. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages, won SIBA’s novel of the year, three times been a #1 Book Sense Pick, been the Target Book Club Pick, and three times been shortlisted for the Townsend prize. A former actor, Jackson reads the audio versions of her novels; her work in this field has been nominated for the Audie Award, was selected by AudioFile Magazine for their best of the year list, and garnered two Listen Up Awards from Publisher’s Weekly.

She lives in Decatur, Georgia with her family.

Goodreads Blurb

This Highland Laird won’t bow to the Crown

Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he does what any laird would do—he lies to the king. The last thing Ruairi expects is a beautiful English governess to appear on his doorstep.

But this lady spy might make him…

Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a seasoned spy who is sent to the savage Highlands to uncover a nefarious plot against the Crown. Playing the part of an English governess—a job easier said than done—she infiltrates the home of Laird Sutherland, a suspected conspirator.

If she doesn’t betray him first

Ravenna soon discovers that the only real threat Sutherland poses is to her heart. But will the proud Highland laird ever forgive her when he discovers the woman he loves is an English spy?

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely fell in love with Ravenna and Ruari. They come from two different backgrounds, but are perfect for each other. I love that Ravenna is a spy who knows how to snoop around and get her job done. But going to Scotland made her strong walls collapse after falling in love with a Highlander who was rugged and strong. I love the whole plot of Victoria’s book. Love that Ravenna was a strong, independent women who didn’t let anyone get in her way. She was trained like a man and was not ashamed of it. She was ladylike when she needed to be and she was rugged and tough when work needed to be done.

I loved that Gaelic was used throughout the book, even though I couldn’t pronounce it. It gave me a taste of what I would be looking forward to when I go to Scotland and find myself a Highlander. Ruari was tough but also deep down he was loving and a caring father. He stood up for what he felt even after learning of who Ravenna really was.

I couldn’t let my guard down every time Angus came along in the book. I would be freaking out too. A wolf as a pet, that is crazy. Torquil is such a lovely boy who loves the outdoors. My heart was broken when Torquil had that accident. Was so happy he made it through and Angus. You find love in unexpected places and with the person that you would have never considered. I do have to say I love this book cover, its delightful. You don’t want to miss this book. Highly recommended. 

Author Biography

Award-winning author Victoria Roberts writes Scottish historical romances about kilted heroes and warriors from the past. She was the recipient of the 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice award for Best Medieval Historical Romance for X MARKS THE SCOT, as well as the 2014 BTS Book Reviews Red Carpet award for Best Historical and Best Book of the Year for MY HIGHLAND SPY.

Represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, Victoria is a member of Romance Writers of America, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, several local chapters, in addition to being a contributing author to the online magazine CELTIC GUIDE.

Victoria resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband of twenty two years and their two beautiful children–not to mention one spoiled dog. When she’s not plotting her next Scottish adventure, she’s dragging her clan to every Scottish festival under the sun. Please visit Victoria at VictoriaRobertsAuthor.com.

Goodreads Blurb

Jack McNulty is a ‘temporary gentleman’, an Irishman whose commission in the British army in the Second World War was never permanent. In 1957, sitting in his lodgings in Accra, he urgently sets out to write his story. He feels he cannot take one step further, or even hardly a breath, without looking back at all that has befallen him.

He is an ordinary man, both petty and heroic, but he has seen extraordinary things. He has worked and wandered around the world – as a soldier, an engineer, a UN observer – trying to follow his childhood ambition to better himself. And he has had a strange and tumultuous marriage. Mai Kirwan was a great beauty of Sligo in the 1920s, a vivid mind, but an elusive and mysterious figure too. Jack married her, and shared his life with her, but in time she slipped from his grasp.

A heart-breaking portrait of one man’s life – of his demons and his lost love – The Temporary Gentleman is, ultimately, a novel about Jack’s last bid for freedom, from the savage realities of the past and from himself. 

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

It was a happy/sad story. To be at war most of your married life, while your partner is destroying her life and taking out her anger on her younger daughter is heartbreaking. This was a story of a love at first sight and a sad story of a women who kept to herself and slowly took her own life away by drinking her sorrows.

The book was written in a way that the characters were talking to you. At times it felt like it was a poem. It was a never ending roller coaster. I kept on hoping that the love that once was there would make them strong and be a real family again. I also felt the pain that most of the women who were left on there own with their children struggling every day.

Author Biography

Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. He is noted for his dense literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland’s finest writers

Barry’s literary career began in poetry before he began writing plays and novels. In recent years his fiction writing has surpassed his work in the theatre in terms of success, having once been considered a playwright who wrote occasional novels.

He has twice been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his novels A Long Long Way (2005) and The Secret Scripture (2008), the latter of which won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. His 2011 novel On Canaan’s Side was long-listed for the Booker. He won the Costa Book of the Year again – in 2017 for Days Without End.