“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― G.K. Chesterton
Showing posts with label Sandra Byrd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandra Byrd. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

"Lady of a Thousand Treasures" by Sandra Byrd--Blog Tour (Review) & GIVEAWAY!

 

 

LADY OF A THOUSAND TREASURES BY SANDRA BYRD


Publication Date: October 9, 2018
Tyndale House Publishers
Hardcover, Paperback, & eBook; 480 Pages
Series: The Victorian Ladies Series, #1
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
 
 
Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.
The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.
Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.
With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

 
My Review
 
Sandra Byrd does it again with her newest book “Lady of a Thousand Treasures!”  Her first book in the “Victorian Ladies” series is full of mystery, history and romance!

Sandra Byrd is one of my favorite contemporary authors because she writes history with such a depth and knowledge that few others in the genre achieve.  “Lady of a Thousand Treasures” is a Gothic romance set in Victorian England and is a book to savor.  The opening scene of a gloomy funeral, complete with a raging storm outside, will immediately hook you.  Ms. Byrd uses amazing descriptions, bringing the reader into the story and time period. 

I love the main character, Eleanor, who really grows as a character throughout the story, both in her faith and as a person.  There is so much faith content in this story, which I love.  Eleanor prays, visits women in prison, asks the Lord for wisdom and guidance and quotes scripture.  I appreciate the realistic way she at time struggles in her relationship with the Lord.  Eleanor is also trying to test what’s true and what’s false, not only in antiquities, but also in people. She struggles with pride and striving to earn others’ approval; which was encouraging to me as well, as I’m often a people pleaser.  Eleanor’s love story is so romantic.  It’s probably the most well written swoon-worthy romance of the year!

“Lady of a Thousand Treasures” is a keeper for sure!  This Gothic, Victorian romance includes a good dose of mystery and danger, and has a beautiful message about leaving our burdens with the Lord and learning to discern the true from the false. 

Content: This is a clean read with a PG for content.  Some examples of the content are: mention of a man drinking himself to death; the devil is referred to; a man suggests a dalliance with a woman; a few subtle references to a couple’s wedding night.
 
Rating: I give this book 5 stars!
 
Genre: Christian fiction; Gothic; Romance; Victorian; Mystery
 
I want to thank Tyndale House Publishers, Sandra Byrd and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

 
Praise for Lady of a Thousand Treasures

“Sandra Byrd’s amazing cast of characters and Victorian settings pull the reader right into the story. I became happily lost in this compelling, lovely book.” -Karen Harper, NYT bestselling author of The Royal Nanny
“Lady of a Thousand Treasures delivers mystery, romance, and suspense in a well-researched Victorian setting.” -Julie Klassen, bestselling author
“I’m always swept away by a Sandra Byrd novel, and Lady of a Thousand Treasures will be long remembered as one of Sandra’s best.” -Jane Kirkpatrick, NYT bestselling author of All She Left Behind
“Sandra Byrd is the rare writer whose evocative, prose grabs hold and doesn’t let go. The Victorian Ladies Series is off to a stunning start!” -Laura Frantz, author of The Lacemaker
“With stunning characters and impeccable research, Sandra Byrd has woven together an exquisite treasure hunt with an ending that will leave you breathless.” -Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of Catching the Wind
“Sandra Byrd’s writing is an absolute piece of art! If I had to sum up this story all in one word, it would be satisfying.” -Michelle Griep, award-winning author of the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series

About the Author

Bestselling author Sandra Byrd has published more than fifty books over her editing and writing career. Her traditionally published books include titles by Tyndale House Publishers, Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, WaterBrook Press, a Penguin Random House imprint, and Bethany House. She’s also an independent author.
Sandra’s series of historically sound Gothic romances launched with the best-selling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor’s Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, published in 2017 and was named by the American Library Association’s Booklist as one of the Top Ten Inspirational Fiction books of the year.
Her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.
Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype. You can also connect with Sandra on FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 9
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Review & Interview at Clarissa Reads it All
Wednesday, October 10
Review at Faery Tales Are Real
Thursday, October 11
Review at A Bookish Affair
Feature at Naomi Finley’s Blog
Friday, October 12
Review at Donna’s Book Blog
Monday, October 15
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Review at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
Tuesday, October 16
Feature at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots
Wednesday, October 17
Review at Among the Reads
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, October 18
Review at A Darn Good Read
Friday, October 19
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Monday, October 22
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective
Tuesday, October 23
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Wednesday, October 24
Review at Library of Clean Reads
Thursday, October 25
Feature at Let Them Read Books
Friday, October 26
Interview at Among the Reads
Monday, October 29
Review at Maiden of the Pages
Tuesday, October 30
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, November 1
Review at Bibliophile Reviews
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Friday, November 2
Feature at Passages to the Past
Monday, November 5
Review at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, November 6
Feature at Hisdoryan
Wednesday, November 7
Review at The Book Mind
Review at LadyJ’s Bookish Nook
Friday, November 9
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 5 copies of Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 9th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Friday, October 5, 2018

"Lady of a Thousand Treasures" by Sandra Byrd Blitz & GIVEAWAY


 

Welcome to the blog blitz & giveaway for Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Lady of a Thousand Treasures
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Tyndale House
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Genre: Historical/Gothic Romance

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.

Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.

With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.


Excerpt
 
SEPTEMBER 1866
WATCHFIELD HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
 
A threading of voices spooled throughout the expansive chamber wherein we waited, voices so decently quiet as to be murmurs. All present quickened as lightning pierced the ground just outside the wide panel of windows, like a fin-ger pointing deep within the earth. Perhaps it was the good Lord’s way of informing us exactly where the soul of the recently departed had found its final resting place.
 
I did not believe Lord Lydney had ascended.
 
And yet Lydney had been my father’s friend, patron, and benefactor. Many spoke admiringly of him. Truth be told, he had on occasion been charitable to me. I had once believed he would be my father-in-law.
 
That notion had passed


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 



After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published fifty books.

Sandra's delighted to kick off her new historical romance series with Tyndale House Publishers, Victorian Ladies, with Lady of a Thousand Treasures. The three-book Victorian Ladies series follows her historically sound Gothic romances, Daughters of Hampshire, launched with the bestselling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor's Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, was published in 2017. Check out her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.

Sandra has published dozens of books for kids, tweens, and teens, including the bestselling The One Year Be-Tween You and God Devotions for Girls. She continued her work as a devotionalist, with The One Year Home and Garden Devotions, and The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype.




 

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive:

  • a copy of Lady of a Thousand Treasures (print to US addresses OR ebook to intl), and
  • $25 Starbucks London Gift Card – works anywhere in the world at standalone Starbucks stores

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 1, 2018 and lasts through 11:59pm October 8, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.




Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

 

Friday, October 20, 2017

A Lovely and Inspiring Devotional--"The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional" by Sandra Byrd Review



"The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional" by Sandra Byrd is a lovely and inspiring devotional book!  Sandra Byrd is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw she was coming out with a new book I jumped on the chance to review it.  I haven't read any of her non-fiction books before, but I can now say that I am just as pleased with this book as I am with her fiction books!  My husband and I are currently reading through Tyndale's "The One Year Devotions for Couples: 365 Inspirational Readings" by David and Teresa Ferguson, so I am familiar with Tyndale's "One Year" line of devotions. 



Ms. Byrd breaks her book up into months and has a devotion written for each day of the year.  Each month loosely follows a theme that goes along with that season and/or month.  Some of her devotions go along with the season or day (for example, there are ones that are Christmas themed).  I also think you can read the devotions any day of the year, no matter what month or season you are in and still get a lot out of it. 

For each day, the devotion has a short section to read and a correlating verse.  At the end of each month, there is a benediction.  In the devotions, Ms. Byrd uses stories from her own life, quotes, parts of hymns and recipes to make each one unique and interesting.  Sometimes there are application questions to help tie in what you have read and apply it to your life.  The devotions are filled with Scripture and are Biblically based and accurate.  They are also Gospel focused.  I have many of the devotions and pages marked as I love them so much and I want to go back to them to remember the truths and encouragement shared.  Some examples of my favorites are her devotions on hard seasons, having joy during hard times, Surviving and Thriving, and “The Best of Times” (which has a Dicken theme).  This book convicted me and encouraged me in my walk with the Lord.  I highly recommend this book!

Content: This is a clean read.

Rating: I give this book 5 stars.

Genre:  Christian non-fiction; Self-help; Devotional


 
 
I want to thank Sandra Byrd and Tyndale House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

 About the Author: 

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than fifty books.

Sandra’s series of historically sound Gothic romances launched with the best-selling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor’s Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, published in 2017. Sandra is excited to continue writing Gothic romance and will be adding books to that genre beginning in October 2018 with Tyndale House Publishers.

Check out her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.

Sandra has published dozens of books for kids, tweens, and teens, including the bestselling The One Year Be-Tween You and God Devotions for Girls. She continued her work as a devotionalist, this time for women, with The One Year Home and Garden Devotions. Her latest book, The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional, will be published in October 2017.

Sandra is passionate about helping new writers develop their talents and their work for traditional publishing or self-publication. She has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to guide developing authors toward success each year via novelcoaching.com.

Please visit http://www.sandrabyrd.com/ to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype.

To purchase the book click here


Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Trying out Bookstagram!

.  Check out my new Instagram https://www.instagram.com/faerytalesarereal/. 

 
 
 
So excited to read Sandra Byrd's newest Daughter's of Hampshire book "Lady in Disguise." #bookstagram #books #booksoninstagram #mystery #christianfiction #bookromance #victorian #sandrabyrd
 
 
 
Perfect trip to a quaint, delightful book shop. I was able to pick up a beautiful copy of Anne of Green Gables and enjoy some gluten and dairy free pumpkin chai, brownies and peanut butter bars (I split them with my hubby 😉). 📚🍫❤ #bookstagram #booklover #wellingtonsquarebookshop #glutenanddairyfree ##chailatte #quaintbookstore