A Pinch of Salt (Towers of the Earth, Prequel) by Nita Round – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, fantasy, lgbtq, Nita Round, paranormal, prequel, romance, series, Steampunk

About A Pinch of Salt by Nita Round

A survivor with no memory and a warrior looking for her path unite against the pirate horde.

Two hundred soldiers walk into the burning sands of Gypta, but only a handful make it out. When Magda Stoner wakes in an infirmary halfway across the world, she discovers her memories of the desert are gone. Something happened that tore her mind and soul apart, and the only thing keeping her sane is the fact that she can’t remember a thing.

Ascara d’Jharaena ael Korphen is a warrior, not a soldier, and trying to fit herself into the lesser role at Veritas Traders has left her body battered and broken in the same infirmary where Magda recovers.

As they both mend, they meet a survivor of a pirate attack that included gifted attackers. Finding themselves without a unit or mission, they propose a daring plan to infiltrate the pirate horde and bring them to justice.

Can the pirates be stopped? Or will Magda and Ascara be caught before they even begin?

This is the first prequel in the Towers of the Earth fantasy adventure series.

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Review of A Pinch of Salt

As a subscriber to Nita Round’s newsletter, I was treated to the opportunity to download a copy A Pinch of Salt.  Thanks to Ms. Round for that! I am a reader of her Towers of the Earth series, so I was excited to read this prequel novella and share my unbiased review.

If you have read and enjoyed the other books in her series, you will love A Pinch of Salt.  Magda and Ascara, younger and less wise, meet for the first time in a hospital, each recovering from their own unfortunate experiences.  Their backgrounds are brief, but vital.  Their initial meeting is just what you might expect (especially from the irrascible Ascara).  Flirting and friendship.  The mission they undertake is dangerous and vital to understanding these characters and where their relationship is headed, as well as a hint at the overall mission.

I loved this novella and, even if you have not read any other books in the series, I think you will enjoy it.

A note about the series.  Three novels, previously released as 1) Raven, Fire and Ice 2) Raven, Sand and Sun and 3) Raven, Storm and Shadow are going to be re-released in 2020.  According to the author’s website, you may anticipate another prequel, the 3 previously released novels and one more novel – all to be released between now and the end of May.  I will be looking forward to the progression of this series!

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Links

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Purchase A Pinch of Salt:

 

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Fais Do Do Die (The Big Uneasy, #5) by Pauline Baird Jones – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, bread pudding, catering, contemporary, family, mystery, New Orleans, Pauline Baird Jones, romance, series

About Fais Do Do Die by Pauline Baird Jones

He kicks down doors, and she serves hors d’oeuvres. And the Big Uneasy delivers them both a huge helping of high stakes danger—and a chance at romance.

A happy ending skeptic and caterer, Sarah Burland has a high profile gig at a fundraiser. It’s a coup for her catering company until murder kills the party spirit and triggers a hostage situation.

SWAT Team Member Calvin Baker’s job cost him his marriage. He’s done with romance—even if he does find himself taking an interest in a family friend, Sarah, from time to time. He’s sure his feelings are platonic until he finds out she’s caught in a hostage situation.

Cal’s team affects a rescue, but Sarah’s troubles aren’t over. The victim’s friends—and enemies—keep trouble cooking, and the deeper they dig, the more confusing things get—and the more their attraction to each other grows.

Can the cook and the cop survive long enough to work out their differences? Take a ride into another installment in the engaging Big Uneasy series and find out!

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Review of Fais Do Do Die

With each new story I read in The Big Uneasy series, I appreciate the Baker family even more.  They are a never-ending source of law-abiding, mystery-solving folks with humor, honesty, and, most importantly, romance, in their hearts.

Of course these Bakers and their romantic partners are made so charming through the words of Pauline Baird Jones.  As soon as I started reading Fais Do Do Die, I knew I was in for fun.  I love Ms. Jones’ sense of humor.  Starting when Miss Maisie (who seems to be a New Orleans institution) stares down a gangster, and continuing with the Baker family keeping so many romantic secrets from each other that they think sweet Sarah Burland is cheating on one (or was it two?) Baker boys when Cal Baker gives her aid and comfort.  I especially giggle when one of the characters cusses – using military code.  I’d give you an example, but I don’t use that kind of language.

Fais Do Do Die is a short novel, that I finished in a matter of hours because I was having too much fun.  While I benefited from having read books 1-4 and previously got to know some of the secondary characters in this book, I’m quite sure you can enjoy Fais Do Do Die as a standalong.  After all, the food is delicious, the mystery is baffling and the romance is sweet.  Add a cup of tea (or other favorite beverage) and you have everything you need for the perfect evening at home on the sofa.

Thanks to the author for providing a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

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Links

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Purchase Fais Do Do Die:

 

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Visiting New Orleans by Pauline Baird Jones – Guest Post With Excerpt

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exclusive excerpt, favorite series, guest post, New Orleans, new release, Pauline Baird Jones, romance

Did you know there is a new Big Uneasy book coming out tomorrow?  Perhaps the fact that Pauline Baird Jones is visiting today is a clue.  Or maybe the beautiful big cover.

A big welcome to Pauline who is here to tell us about her new release!

I’d like to thank, Riley for letting me stop by her blog and share a little about my new release!

The good times are rolling in New Orleans right now as Mardi Gras celebrations heat up. The fun began on January 6 — twelfth night — and will build until Feb 25th.

While my essential hermit-ness kept me from attending the parades in person, it was amazing to watch them on television. There is nothing quite like the sea of people with the floats rising out of those masses.

Photo Credit: jovannig from DepositPhotos

My husband and I have been gone from New Orleans almost as long as we lived there, but no one ever really leaves New Orleans. We still order a turducken for our Christmas dinner because we and our kids need to fill the house with the spicy smell of New Orleans.

And I still have to “visit” New Orleans once a year with a new Big Uneasy installment. The Baker family is hanging in there, but there are still siblings who need to find their happy ever after.

This installment focuses on Nell’s (from RELATIVELY RISKY) best friend, Sarah, and a Baker we haven’t met yet: Calvin. Like the others, he has “protect and serve” imprinted on his DNA, but he takes it a bit farther. He belongs to a SWAT team. When he indicated to me that he was Sarah’s perfect match, I was a little dubious.

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He kicks down doors, and she serves hors d’oeuvres. And the Big Uneasy delivers them both a huge helping of high-stakes danger—and a chance at romance.

A happy-ending skeptic and caterer, Sarah Burland, has a high-profile gig at a fundraiser. It’s a coup for her catering company until murder kills the party spirit and triggers a hostage situation.

SWAT Team Member Calvin Baker’s job cost him his marriage. He’s done with romance—even if he does find himself taking an interest in a family friend, Sarah, from time to time. He’s sure his feelings are platonic until he finds out she’s caught in a hostage situation.

Cal’s team affects a rescue, but Sarah’s troubles aren’t over. The victim’s friends—and enemies—keep trouble cooking, and the deeper they dig, the more confusing things get—and the more their attraction to each other grows.

Can the cook and the cop survive long enough to work out their differences? Take a ride into another installment in the engaging Big Uneasy series and find out!

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Here’s an exclusive excerpt, just for this blog:

“It’s nice,” Sarah murmured.

“What is?”

“That you are all honest. I mean, this is New Orleans. My parents were…well, they had what I’d call situational honesty. As far as I know, they never broke the law but…” she stopped.

Cal glanced at her, but her lashes were lowered behind her sunglasses. Her hands were clenched in her lap, though.

“Their friends never assume I’m honest. I’ve always wondered if that’s why” —she hesitated, then finished in a voice wiped clean of warmth— “that’s why Dimitri’s uncle first approached me to cater for him. I wondered if…”

Instinctively, Cal covered her clenched hands with one of his, his arm going around her back. “Don’t. Don’t wonder. It won’t change anything, and you’ll never know for sure.”
She’d stiffened, but he felt her slowly relax against him.

“You’re right. Of course you’re right.” He felt her deep inhale, then exhale, then her face turned up to his. Her glasses still hid her expression and her smile was tense, but it was a smile. “Thank you. I should get it stamped on a tee shirt or something.”

That last remark held real humor, if a bit on the wry side.

“Is that what girls do these days?” he asked, hoping to get the humor going. “Helen was always stitching things on pillows and stuff and putting them in our rooms. She had a lot of hope.”

Sarah’s smile widened into something that dang near stole the air from his lungs. “My mom had people for that.”

Now Cal laughed too, and somehow, in the laughing, his arm got further around her. It didn’t even scare him because it felt so right. Only thing that would have been better was his mouth against hers. He looked at her mouth, grateful for his sunglasses that hid from her what he wanted, what he wanted so much it might have been a need.

It was only the unexpected sound of a car pulling to a stop behind the Hummer that stopped him from turning thought into action. He half turned to look, but the profile of the Hummer was too high. He felt his spidey sense tingling, and turned, the weapon he always carried appearing in the hand no longer cupped around Sarah’s waist.

Doors opened. There was the crunch of footsteps and then a man came into view. He heard Sarah’s sharply indrawn breath and he might have echoed it.

The intruder was a younger version of Dimitri Afoniki.

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I hope you enjoyed the excerpt and will check out the series! Thanks again for having me here, Riley! You can buy FAIS DO DO DIE at

Amazon          Apple          Kobo          Nook          GooglePlay

or find out more on Pauline’s website  or on Goodreads.

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Pauline Baird Jones never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. Loves chocolate, bacon, flamingoes, and mid-century modern anything. You can find her on the following social media:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Bookbub