The Priest of Santa Maria by Alexandra Kleanthous

The Priest of Santa Maria (The Beginning of the End Book 1) by Alexandra Kleanthous

Synopsis:

A Catholic priest fresh out of the seminary. A mysterious young woman in hiding from her past with a secret that could destroy the Church.

Christiano finds himself obliged to act as the temporary minister of a small town convent. There he meets the captivating Angelica who, unknown to him, has been seeking refuge at the convent under the supervision of the abbess. Within a month, sparks ignite between them, but the abbess intervenes demanding that Christiano leave the convent before she reports his conduct to the Monsignor. Little do they know his timely arrival is about to clash with Angelica’s dangerous past. This leads to catastrophic events that shatter the very foundations of the convent and change the lives of all involved.

Forced to flee the abbey, Christiano reluctantly takes on the role of Angelica’s protector as destiny throws them together on a journey he cannot refuse. Pursued by a malevolent alliance intent on capturing Angelica, dead or alive, they face insurmountable danger as they race across Italy to keep her and the secret safe.

Can the mild-mannered Christiano rise to the challenge?

The Priest of Santa Maria is the first in the religious thriller trilogy by Alexandra Kleanthous. If you like fast-paced action and a gripping tale, then you’ll love this original and exciting debut novel that’s filled with page-turning suspense, plus a little romance thrown in for good measure.

Buy The Priest of Santa Maria today and join Christiano and Angelica on their momentous chase across Italy!

Book review:

The Priest of Santa Maria by Alexandra Kleanthous is a remarkable, suspenseful religious thriller with memorable characters, beautifully descriptive writing, and an intense one-of-a-kind storyline which readers will find unable to put down.

The story opens with a mysterious and ancient parchment with primal instructions inscribed in another language constructed by a talented Babylonian craftsman before the death of Christ. Later, to be pieced together by a Swiss grandfather/daughter duo who have been waiting their entire lives for such an enigmatic and unknown cosmical force. A wondrous discovery of the unexplainable connection to a bold and beautifully bright star, but what does it all mean or represent? Certainly, a grand mystery that leaves readers fascinated and eager to find out!

With terrific, suspenseful foreshadowing and a fun, unique style of writing, Alexandra Kleanthous showers her readers with a vivid description of every scene that never fails to make it feel like a reality. Young and new, Father Christiano gets a tour of the beautiful church and convent. He admires the art, exquisite beauty and the quietness of his surroundings. However, he finds more than he expected when he finds himself protecting Angelica, a beautiful, mysterious woman with whom he crosses paths. InThe Priest of Santa Maria, the vivid and detailed words of the author, Alexandra Kleanthous, completely pulled me in, captivated and fully engaged me. With feelings of being amongst her characters, I learned of their genuineness and felt them living throughout their journey, which made The Priest of Santa Maria hard to put down. This book is filled with action and adventure, gripping readers with suspense while pleasing with a bit of intriguing romantic narrative.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this riveting and gripping tale; it kept me interested and immersed the entire time. The plot was exciting, and I thought Kleanthous did a great job with keeping readers always guessing. A definite page-turner, Artisan Book Reviews recommends The Priest of Santa Maria by Alexandra Kleanthous for all that are looking for an exciting, interesting and entertaining summer read! A great enjoyment till the very end!

Purchase The Priest of Santa Maria by Alexandra Kleanthous today!

The Winds of Happiness by Teresa Fiedler-Buss

The Winds of Happiness: Irie’s Adventures by Teresa Fiedler-Buss – Illustrated by Bailey Traxler

Synopsis:

Welcome to this crazy world called life!

Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure? Do you like taking selfies?

How attached are you to your electronics or tablet? Do you like robots and drones more?

Would you rather dance and have fun with bubbles? Or would you rather go out for pizza and a movie?

If you answered yes to one of these questions, then you will LOVE this book!

The Winds of Happiness will engage children in a fun and current way to learn important life lessons.

Your child/student’s values start developing with what is taught and learned in social and personal situations.
If you are a parent, guardian or teacher wanting to assist in making a difference in today’s society, this book is for you.

This book includes children discussions, interactive pages and teacher lesson plans which will help with
Common Core State Standard (CCSS) & Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

Review:

The Winds of Happiness: Irie’s Adventures by Teresa Fiedler-Buss is a cute and colorful narrative about an adventurous and laid back, but lively spirited dog named Irie, and her cheerful and energetic bunch of friends. This is a delightful must-read book for every child in your life.

Irie’s friends are always reminding her to be creative, make her own fun but most importantly always be herself! Irie goes on all sorts of fantastic adventures in The Winds of Happiness! One being an incredible day at a splash pad with a DJ and bubbles! Irie learns she doesn’t need technology to have a good time, she can create her own awesome day with musical inspiration and perseverance to “make it happen!”  Another adventure tells of Irie’s birthday at the movies and pizza with her friends Max and Bubba. Throughout the day, Max has issues with social anxiety and uses his tablet to comfort himself and keep his mind off crowded situations. But what he doesn’t realize is his actions start to affect the people and mechanics around him! Being the empathetic friend Irie is, she helps Max get through this troublesome situation with kindness and apprehension. A wonderful reminder to have patience with others and to try to see through someone else’s eyes. And how true friends always help each other out.

The Winds of Happiness touches on many different common and important themes to help a child with emotional growth and development. Such as; learning about coping with life changes, having goals and dreams, important lessons in manners and following rules correctly and responsibly. It gives clear instruction and details with a helpful outline guide that shows key points to be made while reading and how to integrate this book into a lesson plan. Which makes it the perfect book for all types of unit studies in the classroom and for homeschoolers.

I absolutely adored this lovable and wholesome children’s book that made my kids and I smile nonstop from the beginning to the end! Bailey Traxler’s bright and expressive illustrations went along with the story and told it perfectly. Giving it a vivid pizzazz no other children’s book has ever done with such a cool style.

With its unique cast of characters and an entertaining storyline I would greatly recommend The Winds of Happiness: Irie’s Adventures by Teresa Fiedler-Buss to all parents of kids looking for a feel good story full of positive vibes and undeniable contagious good energy!! This one has a permanent spot in our kid’s lit corner at our home!!
Reviewed by Beatrix Bloom for Chick Lit Cafe.

Buy The Winds of Happiness: Irie's Adventures by Teresa Fielder-Buss Today!

The Truth About Gretchen by Alretha Thomas

                 

The Truth About Gretchen (Dancing Hills Series Book 2) by Alretha Thomas

Synopsis:

Gretchen Holloway, in her final year of graduate school, is in the throes of auditioning actors for her thesis film, inspired by a murdered young football star who has haunted her dreams for two years. Gretchen believes making the movie will be cathartic. But instead of freeing her, embarking upon the film production unleashes a sequence of events that lead Gretchen to conclude that she’s the reincarnation of the young man.

Regina Wilson has always wanted to be an actress. When her agent gets her an audition for a role in Gretchen’s film, which eerily mirrors one of the worst events of her life—the unsolved murder of her older brother, Robert—she’s hard-pressed to go through with it. Upon fleeing, she leaves behind a keepsake that features Robert’s photo. Gretchen sees the picture and recognizes Robert from her dreams. She tracks down Regina, and after being rebuffed and called crazy, Gretchen’s unexplainable knowledge of events in Robert’s life eventually convinces Regina that Gretchen is Robert reincarnated.

The two decide to have his case reopened, but their significant others are dead set against it, and the police, who believe that Robert’s death was gang-related, are less than cooperative. However, Gretchen is desperate to get justice for her former self, and Regina wants justice for her brother. The women piece together the final week of Robert’s life. And the deeper they delve into his past; one shocking revelation follows another, leaving them wondering who they can trust and if they’ll live long enough to find Robert’s killer and bring him to justice.

Chick Lit Cafe’s Review:

The Truth About Gretchen by award winning author, Alretha Thomas is an intriguing, captivating mystery unlike anything I have ever read. This is one of those rare books that must be made into a movie. Readers are in for a surprise with this suspense filled, mysterious and emotional book.

Gretchen Holloway has been cursed with recurring nightmares about a young man who has been murdered. She is a graduate film student, and feels a strong need to make a movie about her dreams and what she sees.  Regina Wilson’s brother, Robert, was murdered twenty-six years ago, and it has since gone unsolved. She is an actress about to audition for the leading role in Gretchen’s film, but she backs out at the last minute with the chilling feeling that the film strangely resembles her own brother’s murder. However, she mistakenly leaves something behind which Gretchen finds. This seemingly insignificant item bonds Gretchen and Regina together in an intriguing, momentous and spiritual way.

Alretha Thomas’ expressive writing style captivated me from the very first chapter. I quickly connected with Gretchen and Regina, as I felt their emotions, heard their thoughts and could picture the entire scene as they were driven to find Robert’s killer. With a powerful original premise and compelling storyline woven together beautifully, The Truth About Gretchen is the best book I have read in years. It is magnificently written in the first person of the two main characters. This story is a rollercoaster ride with many dirty players involved. With a depth rarely seen in mystery and suspense books, the author has created a one-of-a-kind story with remarkable, relatable and likable characters and compelling clues that all come to shape magnificently, drawing the reader further and further in at every turn of the page. The conclusion is astounding.

The Truth About Gretchen by Alretha Thomas is a welcome gift to all readers who love mysteries that go beyond the ordinary. But, instead delves into extraordinary unique elements that will keep them coming back for more from this noteworthy author. This is a 5 star must read book!

Purchase The Truth About Gretchen by Alretha Thomas

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