I T'S FRIDAY AGAIN, AND SHERLOCK LOVERS KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS . . ..

 It's Friday again, and you know what that means: Thank Holmes It's Friday, the opportunity for Sherlock Holmes Lovers to get free audio books, discount books, and more — just one click away for one day only: Click  HERE

THIF - THANK HOLMES IT'S FRIDAY

 If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, here is a plethora of offerings to enjoy for next to nothing — a dollar and a code. Thank Holmes It's Friday is weekly from MX publishing and features Sherlock-related novels. Today is the launch. Go to the site and take advantage of these fantastic offers — terrific books for just a dollar and a code . . .. These offers are valid from 9pm Thursday UK time (that's 1pm today PST, 4pm today EST) to to 9am Saturday UK time. (Americans need to either stay up late Friday night or get up early Saturday — Better: hie to the site immediately before they run out . . ..

I've been readiing some good Sherlock Holmes mysteries in my spare time as we get ready to move to Portugal. Two in particular I want to review here, but first I wanted to post the THIF news.

Meanwhile, I posted at greater length about the move to Portugal on my other blog (Elizabeth Varadan's Fourth Wish ) On February 21st we leave for Braga, Portugal. More details are in the post.

My apologies for no pictures today. My life as been a "to do" list lately with no time for photos.

I hope this finds readers safe and well and getting through all the restrictions with fortitude, finding enjoyable indoor activities. And I hope you are not dealing with losses due to this terrible "plague".

"This, too will pass," even though it feels like forever. Takce care and stay well.

Not Forgetting Adèle, a Cozy Read for Those Who Liked Jane Eyre

 

I had planned to review the Sherlock Holmes mystery, but time whizzed by with the election, Thanksgiving, my birthday, and a new exciting project coming up that I'll post about later. Now my husband has that book, and I'll have to wait for him to finish before I can re-read it and review it. 

But wait: In the meantime, I read another book that I think most readers of this blog would enjoy. 

Not Forgetting Adèle takes place in the Victorian Era, during the time of Jane Eyre. I am a Brontë fan and have been ever since I was a teenager, and I always wondered about the young girl in Jane's care when Jane was the governess in Jane Eyre. Here is my review: 

            Julia Harbour’s gothic mystery, Not Forgetting Adèle, is a sequel to Jane Eyre. The novel’s protagonist is the young girl Jane taught when she was a governess at Thornfield Hall. Edward Rochester had rescued Adèle after her mother, his former mistress, abandoned her in a Paris hotel and made him Adèle’s guardian. As the story opens, the grown Adèle has joined the Rochesters in their new home at Southfield after two years at a finishing school in Geneva, Switzerland. 

            At this point in her life, Adèle is haunted by two questions: She would like to know why her mother abandoned her, and she would like to have her secret conviction confirmed that Rochester is her true father. While in Switzerland, she learned of her mother’s new marriage to an Italian count. and wrote a letter to the newspaper that posted the news. She is hoping the letter will be forwarded and inspire a reply. It is this letter that sets the tale in motion, a tale with subplots and twists and turns all deftly handled by this author as she weaves them into a satisfying conclusion. 

            Harbour knows her Victorian England and give us scenes that ring true. Her characters are well-rounded—and full of surprises. (More than one person is not who he or she claims to be.) Adèle is an appealing protagonist, spunky, a bit insecure from her difficult start in life, but determined, adventurous, caring. The chemistry that grows between Adèle and the mysterious Jack Whitaker (not of her class) keeps good tension throughout. Jane, now a mother of two and expecting a third, provides a serene foil to the stormy Edward and the conflicted Adèle. And familiar characters from the original Jane Eyre, including Jane’s cousins, show up in new roles. Not Forgetting Adèle is a pleasurable read on all counts. 

You can get a copy of Not Forgetting Adèle HERE .

On another note, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and Hannukah and Kwanzaa, or any other holiday you celebrate at this time. It is heartening to read of the two vaccines that have come out and will eventually be available to everyone. Till then, stay safe and well during this Covid-19 crisis. Please do follow all the precautions.

How will you be spending the holidays? Normally, my husband and I spend Christmas Day with our god-family in Martinez and stay overnight to avoid night holiday driving. This year we will stay home and do some phoning and Skyping. And reading, of course! 

Sherlock Holmes Mystery I'm Engrossed In

Right now I am reading two books — both mysteries, but different kinds of mysteries. One is contemporary, and one involves Sherlock Holmes. Not only that, but Sherlock Holmes falling in love!

The Sherlock Holmes mystery will get reviewed here soon. Stay tuned . . ..

Meanwhile, I am scrabbling through poets and overdue posts re: our Spain trips in 2019 to be posted on my Fourth Wish blog. Again, stay tuned . . ..

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving if I don't get back before then!

Please Go Next Door to Read About Our Travels

Right now I'm we're traveling in Spain and Portugal, and I'm posting on my Fourth Wish Blog HERE: Hope to see you for a little visit to Braga, Portugal.

Very Busy Due to Good News

No pictures, just information: 1. I've been busy with some paperwork for the poetry chapbook (mailing list, bio, blurbs, photos, etc.) that will be coming out soon, and 2. I may have a publisher for my mystery set in Braga, so am doing one more read through for typos and the like.

But don't go away. I'm almost done and I'll be back and posting again, soon.

Meanwhile, hope each and all of you are having a good summer.

Still Writing — This time a Mailing List

Wonderful news that I came home to from our recent trip to Spain and Portugal: My chapbook, Saudade, Thirty Poems of Longing, was accepted by a publisher.

I have tons of pictures from our trip still not yet downloaded, along with brochures for a wonderful day we spent in Madrid. But I haven't had time for any of that, because there is lots to do to get ready for the publication of my chapbook, including compiling a mailing list, among other things.

Also, tomorrow I will be reading from my story collection, Carnival of the Animals, at the Folsom City Zoo. 10:30 a.m. I'll be signing books, too. If you are in the area, please come.

So everything is on hold for a few more days. Thank you for your patience! Please hang in there and don't go way. Eventually, I will be back to regular posting.