Chelsea Falin Reviews Karen A. Wyle's Second in Cowbird Series

--Title: What Frees the Heart 

--Series: Second in Cowbird Creek

--Author: Karen A. Wyle

--Author's website: Karen A. Wyle Author Website 

--Genre/category: Western historical romance

--ISBN: 978-0-9980604-7-7

--Publisher: Oblique Angles Press

--Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BKDDVDP/

Reviewed by Chelsea Falin, originally for Goodreads and Pen Possessed 

Five Star on Goodreads

THE REVIEW

I was so excited for this book to come out. I read and fell in love with “What Heals the Heart” and was excited for another Cowbird Creek title to come out. Wyle did NOT disappoint. This story may have been even more gripping than the first, and I absolutely loved to see yet another “not so

common” romance bloom.

One of the things I love best about this book is that it takes two flawed people and puts them together. Anyone who has read my reviews knows I love flawed characters because it creates a more realistic story for me. Perfect heroes and heroines are so hard to relate to. But I also love the combination of old fashioned and female empowerment Wyle uses in her stories. The females aren’t helpless, but they do need help. They can do much of everything on their own, but the few things they can’t, the hero can – while the heroine can do what he can’t. It’s less a damsel in distress and more a real union of meeting the other’s needs.

I highly recommend this title to anyone who wants a realistic yet swoon-worthy romance that will leave you begging for more. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys westerns, historicals, or mostly clean romance.

The cover is engaging and offers an accurate depiction of what readers should expect inside the story.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but moved every few years throughout her childhood and adolescence.  After college in California, law school in Massachusetts, and a mercifully short stint in a large San Francisco law firm, she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her now-husband, who hates L.A.  They eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. They have two wildly creative daughters.

Wyle's voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction.  It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice.  Whether writing science fiction, afterlife fantasy, or historical romance, she tends to focus on the often-intertwined themes of individual identity, liberty, family, communication, unintended consequences, and the persistence of unfinished business. She has also published one nonfiction book, a resource for authors, law students, or anyone else interested in understanding more about American law.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Chelsea Falin is a multi-genre author of 35+ books, including The Growing Roots Series, Taming the Dragon Clan Chronicles, and Think You Know Your States? series. Learn more about her at https://cfalinhammond.wordpress.com/

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 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

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Reviewer of Western Novels Gives Nod to Detour Trail

Detour Trail

Author: Joy V. Smith

Author Web site: http://pagadan.wordpress.com/

Fiction: Western / Historical Novel

ISBN 978-1612355702

Purchase Detour Trail at the publisher or Amazon

Reviewed by Bill S originally for Julies Book Reviews

 

It's rare that you find a Western written by woman. Maybe that's why it's been labeled an historical novel as well as a western.  Historical novels often have a character from history play a part in the story. I don't think that's true in this novel unless I missed something. It's not important. What is important is that the story rings true and this one does.

The western novels I've read have usually been written by men with an emphasis on the "wild and wooly" dimension of the Wild West. The "Detour Trail" has plenty of violent moments but what I also found engaging was the emphasis Ms. Smith gave to the town building and housekeeping aspects of what pioneers had to do.

Many novels and films today make their female protagonists equal or superior to men when it comes to defending themselves. Lorena Emerson, the lead woman in this novel, is one of them. What I like about her is she's a balanced character. Tough as nails when she has to be with a warm and caring touch when needed. Women have been homemakers because of childbearing, but there is much cultural evidence of their history as leaders in community development. Too bad so many  men don't share.

Like all westerns I've read there are good guys and bad buys including renegade native Americans. What I found here that I didn't find in others was what went on when it came time to build a community. How people worked together and learned to respect the differences among themselves. In that regard there is a lesson for what's going on today in the streets and even the churches.

Besides writing a good story Joy V. Smith has given us something to think about when it comes to the respect most pioneers had for each other. More than a history lesson the respect shown in the characters of the "Detour Trail" is needed in the here and now.
4 Stars

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joy V. Pagadan also blogs media tidbits at http://pagadan.livejournal.com/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Readers' Favorite Reviews Joy V. Smith's "Detour"

Title: Detour Trail

Author:  Joy V. Smith 
Genre: Western

ISBN-10: 1612355706
• ISBN-13: 978-1612355702

Publisher:  Melange Books
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Available on Amazon : 

 

Reviewed by Michelle Robertson originally for Readers’ Favorite

Lorie Emerson, like many others of this era, is traveling with her uncle on a wagon train headed west on the Oregon Trail. But after the unexpected death of her uncle, Lorie is asked by the wagon master to leave the group at the next town. Not willing to give up so easily and determined to make a home in the west, Lorie finds others needing help and willing to travel with her. She organizes their little group, preparing supplies and leading the group to their destination, but not without a struggle. Lorie must fight the elements, enemies, and face problems within the group before they all can settle in the frontier. Detour Trail by Joy. V. Smith is a unique western novel introducing readers to the era of the Oregon Trail, western frontiers, harsh elements, thieves, death, hardship, love, hard work, and determination. 

Author Joy. V. Smith takes a bold approach when writing a western with a heroine instead of the typical male hero taking the lead role. Although not totally unheard of, a female heroine in the Oregon Trail era was uncommon. The elements were rough and life was hard, not fit for most women. Creating a main female character is refreshing, exciting, and honors those few women who did succeed on the Oregon Trail in the same way as the book character Lorie Emerson. Detour Trial is a book for readers who enjoy reading about courageous men and women and their adventures, love, suspense, grief, and enlightening experiences as they crossed the frontier on the rough Oregon Trail to create new homes and lives for themselves.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Clare O'Beara Reviews Joy Smith's "Detour Trail"

Detour Trail

Joy V. Smith

http://pagadan.wordpress.com/
Genre: Western

ISBN: 978-1-61235-570-2

Format:Paperback

Amazon

Melange Books

4 out of 5 stars

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joyvsmith/detourtrail.html

 

 

Reviewed by Clare O'Beara

 

 

The Oregon Trail is notoriously long and hazardous, but Lorena Emerson and her uncle set off to seek a better future. Her uncle is killed by a thief so Lorrie is told she can't continue driving her oxen alone and must leave the wagon train at the next town. But the determined girl gathers some other discards such as the Browns and their broken wagon, and makes ready to travel with the next small train. Lorrie, who started driving light, collects abandoned furniture, mattresses and cast-iron stoves on the trail. When the steep mountain climbs become too much for a heavily pregnant woman and their livestock, Lorrie investigates a DETOUR TRAIL to a river and suggests settling near a mountain man and his Arapaho family.

Next we see the plentiful hard work and planning involved in building a settlement, from splitting logs and hauling rocks to planting gardens, and Lorrie makes a few back journeys to buy goods including flour, chickens and a wise mule called Jake. The girl is good at planning but less so at backwoods skills. She can hold her own against trail thieves though, who foolishly imagine a girl and loaded wagon will be easy prey. The settlers only have a short summer to prepare for winter, and their lives will depend on their buildings and supplies.

This is a spirited tale of a brave young woman, without any great drama of Indian wars. I enjoyed seeing the little settlement prosper and grow, and Lorrie had further adventures every time she ventured to the town or fort for supplies. Joy Smith has written a decent young adult read for a slice of American history, which reminded me of  Children on the Oregon Trail.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

One Tough Woman Takes on the West

Title: Detour Trail 

Author: Joy V. Smith 

Genre: Western
ISBN: 9781612355702
Reviewer: Amy Peterson
Reviewer's link: http://www.amylpeterson.com/
Review was originally published on Amazon
Publisher:  Melange Books
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Available at:
http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joyvsmith/detourtrail.html

 

Reviewed by Amy Peterson, author of Something Furry Underfoot and From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds

 

One tough woman takes on the West

 

The main character in this book is Lorrie, a strong, courageous woman that goes off the Oregon Trail and blazes her own life in the West. She's the embodiment of what a woman of that time period had to be like: able to make decisions, able to pull and use a weapon, and with the people skills needed to survive and thrive. This is a pleasant read that will take you into the Old West and leave you with a good sense that the West was not won by cowboys taking on Indians, it was won little town by little town, because of women like Lorrie.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Western/Historical Fiction Reviewed

Title: Santa Fé mi casa, June 2011, Western Trail Blazer

Author: Harlan Hague
Web site: http://softadventure.net
Genre: historical fiction/western
ISBN: 978-1463601140

Reviewed by  George Aubrey, originally for Amazon  

Dr. Hague has written a unique novel. It contains romance, adventure, human suffering set in the background of the broader conflict of the Mexican-American War. He follows the protagonist, John Henry, from blissful first love in Santa Fe, across the brutal terrain of the southwest deserts and mountain passes to the coastal plain of disputed California. The reader’s heart will ache with the young man's misery of body and soul. The action gradually picks up reaching a perfect crescendo at the end of the book. The writing is spotless and the dialogue crisp and believable. This is a book that is unlike most others, and hard to pin down to one genre, as it contains the best elements of several. I highly recommend this book and look forward to what this erudite author may have in store for us as screen plays.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Dark Diva Reviews Western Romance

Emma the Outlaw
Publisher: Eirelander Publishing
Historical/American Western/romance
By Laura Hogg
ISBN: 1449584586


Reviewed by Tammy for Dark Diva Reviews


A bit about the story:

Emma looks down at the crowd from a hanging platform.

Her father was framed, and she took the blame for the crime to save him from
execution. Where is her beloved husband, Nate? She looks around and sees her
husband on a horse, guns blazing. In a whirlwind rescue, she hops on the
back of his horse, and they're off, realizing that they will spend the rest
of their lives as outlaws.

They capture a wanted man and leave him at the doorstep of the sheriff's
office. The sheriff finds Emma and Nate and makes an interesting deal with
them: they will capture the bad guys behind the scenes and allow him to take
all the credit…this in turn for not being run in. For this couple, ahead
lies a life of excitement and passionate love.

Tammy’s Review:

Emma the Outlaw by Laura Hogg is a good book. The love that
Emma and Nate share is shown in various ways throughout the book. Emma the
Outlaw will hold the reader with everything from love, suspense, and family
loyalty.

Emma and Nate are very likable characters with a great sense of the law and
family loyalty. Some of the choices made in the story line may not be the
right ones, but Emma and Nate find a way to correct their mistakes.

The story lines follow closely with the western outlook from the old west.
Laura Hogg has written a very good story, from the laws to the towns. The
ending was finished, but with just enough of a twist that the author could
write a second book. I would love to read this author again.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas by Tammy!


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Mary Jean Kelso's New Book Reviewed

Title: Back to the Homestead
Author Mary Jean Kelso
Genre: Western Fiction
ISBN 978-1-59705-431-7.
Publisher: Wings Press


Reviewed by Claudia Valiquet, publicist/literary agent

Mary Jean Kelso’s historical romance, Life on the

Homestead, was not only entertaining, but also informative about western life! Western fiction has been a passion of mine now for several years. I confess that Louis L’Amour is my favorite and I actually get a little bored with Zane Grey. Ms. Kelso’s book, while teaching me some new facts about life on the range, kept me in suspense the whole way through and I didn’t want to stop reading.

I fell in love with the Westerman family and agonized along with them as they dealt not only with the day-to-day chores and other tribulations that western pioneer families faced, but also with great adversities such as mental illness, cattle rustling, and severe childhood illness. Ms. Kelso dealt with racism as Charlie Cooper and his new wife, Effie Mae, a black couple settling onto the range, have to fear for their lives.

Despite all of the drama in the book, there are some wonderfully humorous portions, too, especially the marble game and a small matter about one boy who is not very good at handling guns. The book is action-packed and flows well, yet there is no blood or death--which is very refreshing. I’m ready for more!


Available through wings-press.com or ask for it at your favorite book store.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Unintended Review: This Is the Place Takes Publisher's Reading Pile Honor

This review is really an unsolicited letter to me about my novel, This Is the Place. I don't run my own review often, but this one was irresistible and it seemed, well... fair is fair. It is still available used (sometimes for only $1 or $2!) on Amazon. And I thank Mindy Philips Lawrence, publisher of Thinking Stone Press and author in her own right, for her kind words. Sometimes the best reviews are the unintended reviews!

This Is the PlaceBy Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by AmErica House
Fiction, literary, historical, women's, western
ISBN: 1588513621

Unsolicited Comment by Mindy Philips Lawrence

This is The Place is so motivating! It’s an excellent lesson in tolerance or, more than that, acceptance. It’s going to go in my pile of books to dissect and study. Few books make it to that pile. I’m reading David Balducci now (two books) and have to say he’s good but won’t go in my pile (Dan Brown made it because of the intricacy of his plot in The DaVinci Code). What my reading now is teaching me is to have depth to my writing and not just random characters doing stuff. Your book, Laila Lalami’s book and V.I. Naipaul’s book all show characters operating in a backdrop of either history, geography, religion or something larger than just an individual’s story. That’s what I am seeking to do with my novel . . . still too underdeveloped to write.

Thought you’d like to know.
Mindy Lawrence, Publisher THINKING STONE PRESS

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Butch Cassidy Anyone? Let's Let The Girls In On The Fun

Title: Melinda and the Wild WestAuthor: Linda Weaver Clarke
By Linda Weaver Clarke
Web: www.lindaweaverclarke.com
Genre: historical fiction
ISBN: 1-58982-367-2
Rating: 5 stars



BOOK REVIEW by Melynda Gascoyne for The Amherst Bee Newspaper: Buffalo, New York


HEAD TO THE FRONTIER FOR ‘MELINDA AND THE WILD WEST’:
For anyone who likes to read classic-styled romance novels that also have a drop of history, this is the book for you: “Melinda and the Wild West, a Family Saga in Bear Lake Valley, Idaho.” The story is set back in 1896 in Montpelier and Paris, Idaho, in the Bear Lake Valley area.

Melinda Gamble is the new schoolteacher and has relocated from Boston to teach in the community where her beloved aunt and uncle live. Being termed “headstrong” by her parents, she decides to take the job offered by her relatives in the western frontier as a way to escape from the city and the life they have forged for her.

This sets about a plan to help others by teaching. From the start, Melinda learns from her new surroundings. Right at the very beginning she comes face to face with Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch in a bank robbery. What a way to start your new life in the wild frontier.

From one of her students coming to class with skunk oil that explodes, to her encounter with a black bear, there’s always something for the imagination in the book. The characters grow in their complexity as the story unfolds. From Melinda’s relationship with Jenny, (the daughter of her widowed neighbor), to Gilbert, Jenny’s father and the gentlemen who steals Melinda’s heart, it is very easy to picture the scene you are reading.

Clarke blends bits of her family history into this charming tale in the form of the children at the school to members of the community in general. She was able to write about love in a soft fashion, not full of the same type of sexual writing of most romance novels. I was impressed with the eloquence in which Clarke spun her story. It was dramatic in some spots and yet contained simply placed bits of humor. I would recommend this to anyone.


Melinda is the first in a four-book series, “A Family Saga in the Bear Lake Valley,” written by Clarke. I’m hoping that the other stories are just as interesting as this one. At the end of the book, Clarke has a section of notes in which she explains parts of the story and from where in her family they derive. Age range: 16 and older.

Learn more about Melinda and the Wild West: http://www.pdbookstore.com/comfiles/pages/LindaWeaverClarke.shtml.
She is also the author of Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, http://www.pdbookstore.com/comfiles/pages/LindaWeaverClarke4.shtml

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.