Wednesday Wonders: THE YANKEE YEARS

This week's Wednesday Wonders features the boxset 

The Yankee Years 

by Dianne Ascrost

About the books:

After the Allied troops arrived in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland during the Second World War, life in the quiet, rural county would never be the same again.

Book 1: The Shadow Ally

June 1941: When Ruth Corey finds a letter her journalist boyfriend, Harry Coalter, has written, revealing details of the secret construction of an American flying-boat base, she fears he will disclose information that could destroy America’s neutrality and land him in serious trouble. The letter must not be posted. Ruth enlists the help of a guest at her family’s hotel, attractive Italian-American civilian contractor Frank Long, to help her stop Harry.
Can Ruth safeguard this military secret and protect her beau?

Book 2: Acts of Sabotage

December 1941: The attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into the war have eliminated the need for secrecy surrounding the construction of the American flying-boat base but now there is an urgency to complete the project before the first US troops arrive on Northern Ireland’s shores. Frank is doing his utmost to ensure the airbase will be ready but religious conflict within the workforce and suspected IRA involvement in the theft of materials and tools from the construction site make his job nearly impossible. When Frank confides his worries to Ruth, despite the risks entailed in meddling in the activities of terrorists, the pair devise a plan to catch the thieves.
Can Ruth and Frank stop the acts of sabotage that threaten the military project and what does the future hold for the two of them?

Book 3: Keeping Her Pledge

June 1942: Pearl Grainger’s life is much more exciting since the Allied troops arrived. She’s out dancing several times each week and she has met RCAF seaplane navigator, Pilot Officer Chuck Walker who quickly becomes special to her. The harsh realities of war are far removed from her until the evening an RCAF flying-boat crashes into a field on her family’s farm. Watching her family attempt to rescue the crew from the burning wreckage, she realises it’s time she played her part in the war effort and resolves to volunteer at the nearby US Army Station Hospital. Pearl’s intentions are good but she is unprepared for the harsh reality of a hospital during wartime, and her RCAF boyfriend is determined to protect her from it.
Can Pearl keep her pledge to do her bit for the war effort without losing the man she loves?

A tale for fans of Annie Murray, Ellie Dean and Margaret Dickinson.

The Yankee Years series: During the Second World War Northern Ireland hosted American, British and Canadian troops. County Fermanagh welcomed Air Force squadrons hunting U-boats and defending shipping convoys in the Atlantic Ocean and Army battalions training and preparing for deployment to Europe’s Western Front. After the Allied troops arrived, life would never be the same again. The Yankee Years novels and Short Reads weave thrilling and romantic tales of the people and the era.  

The Yankee Years may be purchased:

•  Amazon U.S. by CLICKING HERE and
•  Amazon U.K. by CLICKING HERE.

My Thoughts:

I read the second book in this series, Acts of Sabotage, which prompted me to invite Dianne to share her book series on my blog. Her series, set in northern Ireland just before the United States entered World War II, gives a view to not only the dangers United Kingdom citizens faced due to tensions between Northern Ireland and Ireland, but the extent of American involvement even at that point in time. It has a delightful clean romance. I recommend these books to readers who enjoy World War II stories as well as romances set in this era.
 
About the Author:

Dianne Ascroft is an urban Canadian writer. She moved to Britain more than a quarter of a century ago and gradually downsized until she is now settled on a farm in rural Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong willed animals.

She writes historical and contemporary fiction, often with an Irish connection. Her current series The Yankee Years is a collection of Short Reads and novels set in World War II Northern Ireland. After the Allied troops arrived in this outlying part of Great Britain, life there would never be the same again. The series weaves tales to evoke the people and the era. Her previous writing includes a short story collection, Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves and an historical novel, Hitler and Mars Bars. Online she lurks at www.dianneascroft.com.

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Wednesday Wonders: COURTING THE COUNTESS

This week's Wednesday Wonders is part of a cover reveal for 

Courting the Countess 

by Donna Hatch

We just had a fantastic release with Author Donna Hatch ... and now we get another one! I am beyond ecstatic! I love her books and I'm excited to share each and every one.

As a little recap - let's take a look at the previous books we've featured for Donna's before we see her newest addition!

And she has even more books we have not featured! Be sure to check them out!


And now ... On to the cover reveal starting with our author!

Donna Hatch is the author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The Golden Quill and the International Digital Award. A hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her husband). A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.

Connect with the Author:

      

   

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And finally ... let's check out her fantastic new book!

Synopsis:

When charming rake Tristan Barrett sweeps Lady Elizabeth off her feet, stealing both her heart and a kiss in a secluded garden, her brother challenges Tristan to a duel. The only way to save her brother and Tristan from harm—not to mention preserve her reputation—is to get married. But her father, the Duke of Pemberton, refuses to allow his daughter to marry anyone but a titled lord. The duke demands that Elizabeth marry Tristan’s older brother, Richard, the Earl of Averston. Now Elizabeth must give up Tristan to marry a man who despises her, a man who loves another, a man she’ll never love. Richard fears Elizabeth is as untrustworthy as his mother, who ran off with another man. However, to protect his brother from a duel and their family name from further scandal, he agrees to the wedding, certain his new bride will betray him. Yet when Elizabeth turns his house upside down and worms her way into his reluctant heart, Richard suspects he can’t live without his new countess. Will she stay with him or is it too little, too late?

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And now ... are you ready to see the wonderful new cover??

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We love it! So sweet!
But don't just go on our word, Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Then share the fun news and enter the giveaway!

And pre-order your copy of this book here:

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Wednesday Wonders: THE SECOND SEASON

Book Description:

Caroline is not looking forward to this year's Season in London. Her mother already has schemes for her marriage prospects--and none of them include love, it seems. But when a dashing young duke begins to pursue her, Caroline has second thoughts. Caught between ambition and desire, Caroline may gamble her heart away without even realizing it . . .

Short Excerpt:

"I see we both have cast our eyes upon that which will never be ours." 

My Book Review:

This was a delightful well-written Regency romance with a twist. As usual, Caroline began her second season, her mother was insistent on Caroline attracting the attention of someone well-placed among the aristocracy if not the nobility. She quickly attracts the attention of a duke. To Caroline’s mother, it is the perfect match and she puts the pressure on her daughter to accept the match. What more could Caroline ask for?

Caroline, whose season the previous year was cut short due to illness is not as enthusiastic to enter the fray in search for a husband. While preparing for the season, Caroline is persuaded to go to a cordswainer’s shop owned by one John Clark, a famous shoemaker, for the perfect slippers to go with a gown and some new boots. There she meets not only Mr. Clark who intrigues her, but Lord Searly, the Duke of Rembridge whose purchase of boots from Mr. Clark is making the shop famous. She quickly attracts the duke’s attention. To Caroline’s mother, it is the perfect match and she puts the pressure on her daughter to accept the match. What more could Caroline ask for?

Caroline comes in contact with the cordswainer regarding her new footwear, she finds herself attracted to John Clark. He is a craftsman, not a member of the aristocracy. John Clark also is attracted to Caroline, but knows his place. The question becomes, which romantic opportunity will Caroline pursue?

There is a secondary romance developed within the book involving Caroline’s older sister, Lucy, which I enjoyed very much.

This story moves along smoothly as the author leads the reader into insight about each character, their personalities and motives. There are twists along the way, many of them keeping me asking, will this story turn out like the typical Regency romance with the dashing duke getting the pretty heroine? I found The Second Season an engaging and entertaining story with a satisfying ending. It is a sweet and clean romance, one I recommend to those who love Regency romance.

Author Bio:

Being the youngest of four sisters (and one very tolerant older brother), Heather grew up on a steady diet of chocolate, Jane Austen, Anne of Green Gables, Audrey Hepburn, and the other staples of female moviedom and literature. These stories, along with good teachers, encouraged Heather throughout high school and college to read many of the classics in literature, and later, to begin writing her own stories of romance and adventure. After meeting and marrying her husband Mark, Heather graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University and finally settled down in a small farming community in southeastern Idaho with her husband and four children. In her spare time, Heather enjoys time spent with family, volleyball, piano, the outdoors, and almost anything creative.

Connect with Heather Chapman:

Website  |  Facebook

Buy Links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Deseret Book  |  Booksamillion