A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack

I’m delighted today to be participating in the Shadow Mountain Publishing virtual book tour for author Josi S. Kilpack’s new Proper Romance, A HEART REVEALED.

For years, Josi has taken readers on an adventure as they followed Sadie Hoffmiller through a series of murders, secrets, and escapades. With the completion of her twelve-book culinary mystery series she’s decided to take readers on a new adventure. Set in Regency England, Josi explores the complicated family life of Amber Marie Sterlington and her romantic path to a man who offers her unconditional love.

Here’s my thoughts on it …….

When it comes to Regency Romance novels, readers have a pretty good idea how the story is going to go. However, author Josi S. Kilpack blends a couple of new twists into her latest release, A HEART REVEALED.

Amber Marie Sterlington knows exactly what she wants in a husband – a title and a fortune. She isn’t concerned about love. Being the Rage of the Season in London, Amber has her pick of men and lets everyone know it.

Meanwhile, Thomas Richards, the lowly third son of a country lord, has come to London to find a proper wife. He’s looking for a woman that can carry on a decent conversation with him about events of the day. He sees Amber at several events, but knows she would never look twice at him.

When Amber’s social standing is threatened and she’s exiled to Yorkshire, she begins to see life in a different way. Befriended by Thomas, life for both begins in change in ways they had not imaged.

Kilpack has crafted complex characters that are realistic and show great depth. The Regency-era setting of London quickly draws you in. The author brings the setting to life through her vivid descriptions and character activities.

A HEART REVEALED moves at a steady pace to hold your attention. The romance is sweet and the story will have you smiling.

A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack, A Proper Romance, Shadow Mountain Publishing, @2015, ISBN: 978-1609079901, Paperback, 336 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

About the Author:

Josi S. Kilpack is the award-winning author of more than twenty novels, including the twelve-volume Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series.

For more on Josi and her writing, visit her website.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope I’ve enticed you to check out A HEART REVEALED. Do you enjoy a good romance from time to time?

*This post contains affiliate links.

PUMPKIN ROLL by Josi S. Kilpack & A Contest

What could be better than being in New England for Halloween and baking?

Sadie Hoffmiller can’t think of a thing, especially since she’s with her boyfriend, Pete Cunningham. They are babysitting Pete’s three grandsons for a few days while his son and daughter-in-law go to Texas for work-related matters. The town of Jamaica Plain, a suburb of Boston, is decorated for the season and Sadie is in her element baking and cooking for the boys and Pete.

When the boys call the woman across the street a witch, Sadie gets a little curious. They claim even their mother calls her that. Armed with a plate of cookies, Sadie decides to find out more. A newly licensed private investigator, Sadie can’t help herself.

The more she checks, the more mysterious it gets. When the ‘witch’ is attacked in her own home, Sadie puts herself in danger to uncover the truth. An acquaintance from her past may give Sadie more assistance than she wants. The intrigue will keep you guessing what or who is behind all of the mysterious happenings.

PUMPKIN ROLL is the sixth installment in author Josi S. Kilpack’s Culinary Mystery series, but is a stand alone read. There are references to prior events Sadie has encountered, but not so that readers are lost in this new adventure. The series continues to keep readers in suspense, while tempting them with mouth-watering recipes throughout the story.

Sadie is a strong, independent protagonist who can show her soft and vulnerable side while still being believable. The author has also included a number of lovable supporting characters. The book’s New England setting and Halloween theme make it a perfect read for this time of year. However, a Culinary Mystery by Kilpack is always an enjoyable read no matter the season.

ADDED BONUS…..
**In conjunction with the release of PUMPKIN ROLL, the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad2. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3, 2011.

For additional ways to enter, go to www.josiskilpack.com **

Author Josi S. Kilpack’s website is www.josiskilpack.com

Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack, A Culinary Mystery, Shadow Mountain, @2011, ISBN: 9781609087456, Paperback, 368 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of a blog tour and it was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Laughing and A Mystery

I wanted to catch your attention today as I’m sharing reviews on two completely different genres again and I hope you’ll want to add both to the TBR stack on your nightstands. First the laughing part.

MY NEST ISN’T EMPTY, IT JUST HAS MORE CLOSET SPACE 

by Lisa Scottoline and 

Francesa Scottoline Serriteela

I’ve been a fan of bestselling author Lisa Scottoline’s suspense thrillers for sometime. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that she can not only keep me in suspense with her thrillers, but have me laughing until I cried with her 'other writing,’ but it did.

I thought I’d find it humorous, but I never imaged I would see myself in some of the things she wrote about. I have no children so how could I relate to the ’empty nest’ syndrome?

But I found out this book is oh, so much more. I’ve finally found someone else whose TV is shrinking and who believes a box fan should blow in, not out. LOL

If you need a break from the crazy pace we call life, pickup a copy of MY NEST ISN’T EMPTY and prepare to be entertained. This book will draw you in and make you forget all your troubles and worries giving you renewed energy to face day-to-day challenges, while making you realize other people have crazy days too.

This is a collection of some 70 essays inspired by the author’s column 'Chick Wit’ published Sundays in the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition to Scottoline’s take on life, you get insights from Daughter Francesa.

This is a book about the quirky activities involving three generations of strong, independent, wise and funny women - Mother Mary (Lisa’s feisty octogenarian mother); Lisa; and her daughter, Francesa whose age she seems to have problems remembering, now is she 24 or 26? 

MY NEST ISN’T EMPTY is a life-affirming look at how we all face similar problems, it just depends on how we decide to deal with them that matters. The sub-title sums it up, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF AN ORDINARY WOMAN.

The first book featuring true-life stories from Scottoline’s column, WHY MY THIRD HUSABND WILL BE A DOG, has just been released in paperback. This is also a great humorous read.

Author Lisa Scottoline's website is www.lisascottoline.com

My Nest Isn‘t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space, The Amazing Adventures of An Ordinary Woman by Lisa Scottoline and Francesa Scottoline Serritella, St. Martin‘s Press, @2010, ISBN: 978-0-312-66229-5, Hardcover, 256 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

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KEY LIME PIE, A CULINARY MYSTERY by Josi S. Kilpack

Amateur sleuth Sadie Hoffmiller is getting involved in other people’s problems once again. She just can't help herself.

Having to do community service work for an earlier incident, Sadie has been working along side Eric Burton. Sadie finds herself being drawn to Eric’s charms. Not really knowing where her relationship is going with Detective Pete Cunningham, Sadie breaks it off with him.

Meanwhile, Eric gets a call from the police in Florida informing him they may have found the body of his missing daughter. He asks Sadie to go with him, but she declines - what would people say? Later Eric calls Sadie asking if she will send him a box from the closet in his bedroom.

Sadie agrees, but she can’t help herself and peeks inside the mysterious box. The contents lead Sadie to believe Eric is hiding something and is in more trouble than he’s letting on.

Before she has a chance to talk herself out of it, Sadie boards a plane to carry the box to Eric and help him find his daughter. In Miami, Sadie finds herself among a group of colorful characters as she tries to put all the pieces of the mystery together.

The twists and turns of KEY LIME PIE will keep you guessing what is next. The payoff is an intriguing journey with Sadie as her heart leads her to a peaceful solution. Readers are also rewarded with a number of great recipes throughout the book. In addition, readers get a sneak peek at the next installment in the culinary series, BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE, coming in the Spring of 2011.

KEY LIME PIE is the fourth installment in the Culinary Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. Author Josi S. Kilpack gives readers just a taste of prior adventures Sadie has been part of, but not too much to leave you in the dark. This is a delicious cozy murder mystery to curl with up.

Author Josi S. Kilpack’s website is www.josiskilpack.com

Key Lime Pie, A Culinary Mystery by Josi S. Kilpack, Deseret Book Company, @2010, ISBN: 978-1-60641-813-0, Paperback,  320 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Guest Blogger: Josi S. Kilpack

I’d like to welcome author Josi S. Kilpack as the special guest blogger here at Thoughts in Progress today.

Josi’s current release is Key Lime Pie, her twelfth novel and the fourth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. Josi stopped by today to talk about being as wise as your age.

I am thirty-six years old. Wow. I could be termed in my 'late thirties' although I'll hang out in the mid-thirties for another couple of years. I think I've stated before that I don't mind aging. I mean, I don't like to LOOK old, but I'm happy with how I look so that isn't an issue and I still feel like I'm catching up with myself due to the fact that I have simply always felt old.

The whole process is helped by the fact that there is no one time in my life I can look back on and say "Gosh, I wish I were able to do that again." Maybe a day here and there, but I can't think of a single block of time (meaning months) that I want to repeat. However, I'm a firm believer in age equating with wisdom and therefore I get smarter every year! And, seeing as how I am so very wise I am going to impart 36 of my best advice:

1--Do not leave laundry in the washer for a week.
2--Peanut Butter should have child proof lids.
3--I will always hate my hair no matter how good I think it looks that particular day.
4--You can learn from your mistakes or make them again--you choose.
5--Most talents are discovered after the age of 20.
6--Everyone has demons.
7--Some people's demons hate you.
8--People with demons who hate you are better avoided.
9--Prayer is your opportunity to try to help people with demons who hate you and are better avoided.
10--My demons hate some people and have caused them lots of pain.
11--Sometimes it feels impossible to make things better.
12--Prayer is good.
13--Cheesecake is also good.
14--Prayer and cheesecake together is practically celestial.
15--Philosophies are much easier to think about then to execute.
16--Most of my philosophies rise up to bite me in the butt.
17--Some people just are not happy for other people's success.
18--Kids really do come with their own personalities.
19--Sometimes complaining about something really does make you feel better.
20--There is no sin in leaving the kids home when you go on couple vacations.
21--The future is far more interesting than the past.22--Family is awesome, but just because they are family doesn't mean that their demons don't hate you.
23--It is possible to love someone and yet want nothing to do with them. Healthy sometimes even.
24--Time really does move faster as you get older.
25--Metabolisms really do slow down as you get older.
26--Typically it's easier to remember the stupid things you do than the cool stuff.
27--Didactic pontification is of the gods.
28--For every person who's impressed when you use big words there's someone else rolling their eyes.
29--Forgiveness doesn't really make sense until someone forgives you when they didn't have to.
30--Looking for ways to deal with your own demons is a worthy pursuit that might take a lifetime.
31--Parenthood is a priceless look into the heart of God.
32--There will always be someone smarter, prettier, funnier, more talented, and more generous than you.
33--Just because someone else might be better, doesn't mean that YOU won't be a better self for working toward the same goal.
34--Nothing feels as good as being kind.
35--It's fun to be a girl.
36--Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people but good things also happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people and there really isn't anyone out to get us, just trying to teach us a thing or twelve.

Josi, thanks for guest blogging today. I so agree with #24 and #25 on your list and every year those get worse. LOL

Now for a little background on Josi. She grew up hating to read until her mother handed her a copy of THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998, while on bedrest with a pregnancy, and never stopped.

The other novels in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series are: LEMON TART (Book 1), ENGLISH TRIFLE (Book 2), and DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE (Book 3). While the books all feature Sadie Hoffmiller as the main character, they stand alone in regard to plot and can be read as a set or as individual titles. Josi currently lives in Utah with her husband, four children, one dog and varying number of chickens. For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com or her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com

Here’s a brief synopsis of KEY LIME PIE: When Sadie Hoffmiller’s new friend, Eric Burton, receives word that his missing daughter’s body may have been found in Florida, he immediately packs his bags, but Sadie is determined to stay home and prove to everyone that she is not a busybody.

But when she senses Eric is hiding something, Sadie is compelled to take action. Before she knows it, she’s in the heart of Miami, trying to piece together a trail littered with broken relationships, mysterious strangers, and forged documents that might just provide Eric the answers he’s been desperately searching for—or reveal a truth he may not be ready to face.

Sadie must also face a difficult question: Where is her heart leading her? Onward into Eric’s adventurous arms? Or back home to the stable and steady Pete Cunningham? If only love was as easy as following a recipe.

Once again, Sadie finds herself in the company of some colorful characters and on the hunt for some good old-fashioned southern cooking. But despite the drama and intrigue, all Sadie really wants is to go home . . . as soon as she does just one more thing.

"Lemon Tart, A Culinary Mystery" by Josi S. Kilpack

“LEMON TART, A CULINARY MYSTERY” is one of those books where the cover first drew me to it, the title held my attention, and the blurb pulled me in to uncover the secrets it held.

I wasn’t disappointed. This book holds all the ingredients for a perfect cozy murder mystery. This is the first in the Sadie Hoffmiller series by author Josi s. Kilpack.

The story’s protagonist is 56-year-old Sadie Hoffmiller, a retired teacher and widow with two grown children. She spends her time doing volunteer work and making baked goods for family and friends.

When a neighbor is found murdered, Sadie has more questions and than answers about the single Mom, Anne Lemmon, and her two-year-old son, Trevor, who is now missing.

Sadie soon encounters the two detectives investigating the case and finds one of them considers her a suspect. Trying to find answers, as well as the toddler, Sadie begins to discover her life and that of her family more entangled with Annie than she had ever imagined. With each bit of new information Sadie seems closer to finding Annie’s killer and who has Trevor. But with each new lead comes a new suspect with even more motive and opportunity than the one before.

The closer Sadie gets to the killer, the more her own life spins out of control. The people she thought she knew and loved may have been hiding dangerous secrets from her.

From the first clue that Anne was baking a Lemon Tart until the last, author Josi S. Kilpack takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of thrills, spills and suspense.

Mingled in among the many clues and suspects, the author shares some of Sadie’s tried and true recipes. These include “Sadie’s Better Brownies,” “Carrot Cookies,” and of course, “Mom’s Lemon Tart” just to name a few. While the mouth-watering recipes will tempt you to bake, the plot will hold you spellbound until the real killer is exposed.

Even though all the ingredients come together to give you a rewarding dish at the end, you can’t help but want more. With that in mind, readers get a sneak peak into Sadie’s next adventure, ‘ENGLISH TRIFLE,” with a brief chapter at the end of the book. There is also a third installment in the series, “DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE.”

“LEMON TART” is a tasty enjoyment for the cozy murder mystery lover.

Lemon Tart, A Culinary Mystery by Josi S. Kilpack, Deseret Book Company, @2009, ISBN: 978-1-60641-050-9, Paperback, 362 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author’s blog tour promoter in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.