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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Nov 3, 2021  
Author Laurie Moore-Moore stops by my blog today to discuss squirrel stew in a highly interesting guest post. I'm also spotlighting her historical fiction novel GONE TO DALLAS: THE STOREKEEPER 1856-1861. Enter the giveaway to win your own signed copy of the book - three winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/11/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-gone-to.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Sara’s husband was a disappointment in life, but she had to admit he was a handsome corpse.

Climb aboard an 1856 Dallas-bound wagon train and join a plucky female protagonist for the journey of a lifetime in Laurie Moore-Moore’s richly entertaining new book, Gone to Dallas: The Storekeeper 1856-1861. Far from your average historical novel or western, Gone to Dallas is a compelling tale of migration, betrayal, death and dreams—peppered with real people, places, and events. With a cast of interesting characters and more bumps and hazards than a wagon trail, Gone to Dallas tells the unforgettable story of a formidable frontier woman in the context of true Texas history.

It had seemed so romantic when Morgan Darnell courted Sara in Tennessee, finally convincing her they should marry and join an 1856 “Gone to Texas” wagon train traveling along the “Trail of Tears,” through Indian territory, and across the Red River into Texas.

In a twist of fate, Sara arrives in Dallas a 19-year-old widow, armed with plenty of pluck, and determined to open a general store in the tiny settlement of log cabins on the Trinity River. Standing in her way as a young woman alone are a host of challenges. Can Sara (with the help of her friends) pull herself up by the bootstraps and overcome uncertainty, vandalism, threats, and even being shot?

Follow Sara as she strives to create her store while living Dallas’ true history — from the beginnings of La Réunion (the European colony across the Trinity) to a mud and muck circus, a grand ball and the mighty fire that burns Dallas to the ground. Dallas is a challenging place, especially with the Civil War looming.

Even with the friendship of a retired Texas Ranger and Dallas’ most important citizen — another woman — is Sara strong enough to meet the challenge? The risks are high. Failure means being destitute in Dallas!

In Gone to Dallas: The Storekeeper 1856-1861, author Laurie Moore-Moore spins a page-turner of a tale salted with historically accurate Texas events and populated with real characters. It’s Portis’ True Grit meets Texas history.
     
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated With Vics You Get Eggroll in Books

Aug 22, 2021 (Updated Aug 22, 2021)  
With Vics You Get Eggroll
With Vics You Get Eggroll
Diane Vallere | 2015 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will Madison Be the Next Abduction Vic?
Several single women have disappeared around the Dallas suburb where Madison Night lives in recent weeks, so all the women in the area are on high alert. That alert only goes up when the body of one of those women is found. There is evidence next to her body pointing the finger squarely at her abductor – Lt. Tex Allen. Lt. Allen happens to be a friend of Madison’s, and she knows he couldn’t have done it. With Tex suspended from his job at the police department while the investigation is ongoing, Madison finds herself involved in his attempts to clear his name. That’s only made more complicated by the return of Hudson James, the handyman that Madison might have feelings for. Will Madison figure out who the kidnapper is in time? Or will she be the next victim herself?

This book really did grab me from the first page, and it kept me hooked until I reached the final page. There were plenty of twists that surprised me, but the book was perfectly paced, so we had time to digest the new information before everything changed again. The characters are fabulous as well, especially Madison, Tex, and Hudson. I loved the character development all three of them got. This was also perfectly balanced and never slowed down the story. Since Madison Night is a huge Doris Day fan, there are some nods to the actress, and especially With Six You Get Eggroll. If you are familiar with the film, it will be a bonus, but you won’t miss anything if you haven’t seen it. It had been a while since I read the previous book in the series, and I wish I hadn’t let it be so long since I didn’t remember all we’d learned about the characters in the first two books. Still, that’s a very minor complaint and certainly my own fault. This is an outstanding book, and I can’t wait to visit Madison again.
  
The Decorator Who Knew Too Much
The Decorator Who Knew Too Much
Diane Vallere | 2017 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Did Madison Find a Dead Body?
It’s been seven months since we last saw Madison, and she’s been enjoying her new relationship with Hudson James. When he suggestions they take a working vacation to Palm Springs to help his brother-in-law with a project he has going on there, she accepts. However, their first day there, Madison spots a dead body below the surface of the river that runs near the project site. By the time the police show up, the body is gone. The delays to the project and the suspicion that Madison just imagined what she said she saw begin to make the trip stressful. How can Madison prove she was right?

As I expected, I was caught up in Madison’s latest adventure once I opened the book. The stakes are soon personal, and I loved watching how everything unfolded. The climax was suspenseful and answered all of our questions. We do get some updates on someone back in Dallas, but the focus is, naturally, on Madison and Hudson for this book. The rest of the characters are just as sharp. The Doris Day movie that inspired this title was the only one I had watched before starting to read this series, and I enjoyed picking up on the Easter eggs from the film in this book. Not that you need to be familiar with the film to enjoy this story. If you are looking for a creative series that will keep you glued to the page, this is the series for you.