Winter Husband

By

Lisa Ann Verge

 

SYNOPSIS

She wants no husband. He wants no wife.

Jailed for crimes unbecoming a lady, Marie yearns for liberty even as she refuses the one choice that will set her free: An arranged marriage with a frontier stranger. Then a brawny ex-soldier offers a more dangerous proposal. Spend one winter as his wife in name only, and come spring he will set her free…

REVIEW

 

She was in a prison, but not one of shackles and bars. It was one that went far deeper.  It trapped her very soul.  It was one of her own making and there was no key to unlock the door to freedom.  Looking like she belonged in the salons of Paris, she found herself in the wilds of the Canadian wilderness, with a cold desolate winter coming on.  On top of that, she was trapped in a marriage with a mountain of a man in a remote cabin, locked in by snow and bitter weather till the spring thaw.

Lisa Ann Verge has always been able to take a simple story and turn it into an epic tale that leaves her readers yearning for more with each turn of the page.  She might be listed as a romance author, but in truth her stories are wonderful tales of the long ago that are filled with masterful tellings of times and places long forgotten.  She paints them with such clarity that the settings are as vivid as the best of the HBO movies we sit down to on a Saturday evening.  Her characters burst from the page in full fury as they clash their way across the wilderness or ride the rapids down the unexplored rivers.  She leaves you little chance to breathe, no matter whether you are in the woods or in the bedroom.   

At the same time, she allows you to see the ”human” side of even her most hardened rouge or silent hero.  Yes, even heroes cry. 

One of the masterful twists in the telling and viewpoint of Winter Husband was the introduction of the heroines of the other two books in the series.  Portions of the story was from the viewpoint of the residents in the local village, versus the outlying remote wilderness areas.    “Factual” information about characters from “Heaven In Your Arms”, the first novel, and opinions held by the local residents in “Winter Husband”, didn’t always line up with what we had read as having actually happened in the first novel.  This was a fantastic tool to show how information and opinions were scewed in an age when information and facts did not travel fast nor accurately.  If one was not paying attention, you would not have realized the continuity of the characters between book one and two. 

I find Winter Husband a first rate book and Lisa has once again knocked one out of the park for writing a page turner that only wanted more when it came to the end.  I am looking forward, already to the third book in this series. 

AUTHOR

Lisa Ann Verge is the critically acclaimed RITA-nominated author of eighteen novels that have been published worldwide and translated into as many languages. She started her career writing emotionally intense romances about hot men and dangerous women, and now she also writes life-affirming women's fiction under the name Lisa Verge Higgins. A finalist for Romantic Times' book awards five times over, Lisa has won the Golden Leaf and the Bean Pot, and twice she has cracked Barnes & Noble's General Fiction Forum's top twenty books of the year. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three daughters, who never fail to make life interesting.

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SHADOW MUSIC

 

SHADOW MUSIC

By

Helaine Mario

SYONOPSIS

Late in the Cold War, a young woman escapes from Communist Hungary, vanishing into the night with a priceless painting and a baby girl, setting in motion a decades-old secret that will change lives for generations to come.

Many years later, classical pianist Maggie O'Shea is drawn to Cornwall in search of a long-lost Van Gogh and the truth behind her husband's death. A journal from World War II Paris holds many of the answers, but only two people know where the Van Gogh is hidden now—a courageous nun and a man presumed dead.

Set against the backdrop of the international music and art world, Maggie finds herself on a collision course with three dangerous Russians who threaten all she holds dear—including her life and the life of the man she has come to love.

Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 is at the heart of this story that strikes the chords of every human emotion. Past and present converge in this haunting tale of loss, courage, vengeance and love.

REVIEW

My first “Maggie” novel was The Lost Concerto.  Helaine invited me to read the beautiful work several years ago and I dove into a world of music, art, and love wrapped in skillful intrigue that had me mesmerized and lost to the world outside the pages of the book.  I cried because it ended.  The second novel, Dark Rhapsody was no less compelling and I am in the midst of rereading it as I want to revisit several of the lines of intrigue and look closer at how the characters have developed and grown with the telling of their stories.

Shadow Music reminded me of why this series cherishes precious space on my Much Loved Shelf in my library.  Not many books can reach in and strike the deep chords that allow the reader to identify on so many levels with the characters in a book.  Helaine has accomplished this with me in this series. 

Maybe it is because I am a pianist, but the music literally floats up off the pages of the book and around the room and my body physically aches with Maggie’s as she lifts her head from the keyboard.   The same plays for the artistic descriptions and the art history background that she weaves into the story.  Only someone who has lived and breathed in this world could fully understand the true depth of how well Helaine spins the picture so that we all can get a full sense of the breadth of emotion and physical commitment a creative person devotes to their craft. 

Helaine’s characters are not flat or two dimensional.  They full-bodied and complex.  They are not always who you first perceive them as, and there is not a character in the book that can be easily skimmed over.  Each one is complex and has a multi dimensioned place in the story. 

Interwoven with all this is an intricate, twisted plot of evil vs. good that twists over generations and across continents and countries that leaves the reader breathless and their head spinning.  Life is interconnected.  Only a brilliant, creative mind could pull a consistent thread through such a tangled web and keep a focus on it all.  Helaine did just that and takes us along for the wild ride and barely allows us to breathe. 

I have read the classics, the old greats, the new.  There are authors that write books.  Those that write novels. Those that write stories.  Then there are authors that make the pages sing, that make the reader a part of the story.  They draw you in and immerse you in the world they have created out of letters and words.  They drown you in the world they have created and don’t allow you, the reader, back out until the last words of “The End” come floating up off the page.   This is Helaine Mario.  This is Shadow Music.  Discover it for yourself. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helaine Mario is the author of four novels of suspense. Firebird (Amazon 2012) is a stand-alone Cold War suspense novel. The three novels in the Maggie O'Shea Classical Music Mystery series are The Lost Concerto (Oceanview Publishing, July 2015), Dark Rhapsody (Oceanview Publishing, July 2018), and Shadow Music (Oceanview Publishing, September 2021).

New York City born and raised, Helaine is a Boston University graduate. She married in 1969 and moved to Connecticut to raise her two children, volunteer at Save the Children, and write for the local newspaper.

In 1985, Helaine’s life took an unpredictable turn when her husband’s career brought her family to Potomac, Maryland. For all eight years of the Clinton Presidency, she was a White House volunteer for Tipper and Al Gore, and continues to be a passionate advocate for public service and women & children’s issues.

Because Helaine believes strongly in “giving back,” she has worked on several non-profit boards and, in 1998, founded The SunDial Foundation, Inc., which benefited our most vulnerable women, children and families for 20 years. She also created Project PJs, offering new books, bears and pajamas to under-served children in the community. Now, the Helaine and Ronald Mario Fund continues to support some 40 charities. All royalties from book sales go to programs that support reading programs and the well-being of children and families.

Helaine and her husband, Ron, now spend their time in Arlington, Virginia—where she continues her advocacy work—and Cape May, New Jersey.

She is grateful to be a cancer survivor and is most proud of her two children and five beautiful grandchildren. Her son, Sean, is the pianist who inspired the classical music background in The Lost Concerto.

When it comes to writing, Helaine wants, more than anything, to tell a good story, create characters with depth, and paint pictures with words. To make people feel. She wants to be a storyteller forever.

BOOK

Author Helaine Mario  trailer and availability

Review: TAKEN WITH YOU

TAKEN WITH YOU by Lisa Ann Verge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



View all my reviews

Review: Shadow Music

Shadow Music by Helaine Mario
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SHADOW MUSIC

By
Helaine Mario

SYONOPSIS
Late in the Cold War, a young woman escapes from Communist Hungary, vanishing into the night with a priceless painting and a baby girl, setting in motion a decades-old secret that will change lives for generations to come.
Many years later, classical pianist Maggie O'Shea is drawn to Cornwall in search of a long-lost Van Gogh and the truth behind her husband's death. A journal from World War II Paris holds many of the answers, but only two people know where the Van Gogh is hidden now—a courageous nun and a man presumed dead.
Set against the backdrop of the international music and art world, Maggie finds herself on a collision course with three dangerous Russians who threaten all she holds dear—including her life and the life of the man she has come to love.
Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 is at the heart of this story that strikes the chords of every human emotion. Past and present converge in this haunting tale of loss, courage, vengeance and love.

REVIEW
My first “Maggie” novel was The Lost Concerto. Helaine invited me to read the beautiful work several years ago and I dove into a world of music, art, and love wrapped in skillful intrigue that had me mesmerized and lost to the world outside the pages of the book. I cried because it ended. The second novel, Dark Rhapsody was no less compelling and I am in the midst of rereading it as I want to revisit several of the lines of intrigue and look closer at how the characters have developed and grown with the telling of their stories.
Shadow Music reminded me of why this series cherishes precious space on my Much Loved Shelf in my library. Not many books can reach in and strike the deep chords that allow the reader to identify on so many levels with the characters in a book. Helaine has accomplished this with me in this series.
Maybe it is because I am a pianist, but the music literally floats up off the pages of the book and around the room and my body physically aches with Maggie’s as she lifts her head from the keyboard. The same plays for the artistic descriptions and the art history background that she weaves into the story. Only someone who has lived and breathed in this world could fully understand the true depth of how well Helaine spins the picture so that we all can get a full sense of the breadth of emotion and physical commitment a creative person devotes to their craft.
Helaine’s characters are not flat or two dimensional. They full-bodied and complex. They are not always who you first perceive them as, and there is not a character in the book that can be easily skimmed over. Each one is complex and has a multi dimensioned place in the story.
Interwoven with all this is an intricate, twisted plot of evil vs. good that twists over generations and across continents and countries that leaves the reader breathless and their head spinning. Life is interconnected. Only a brilliant, creative mind could pull a consistent thread through such a tangled web and keep a focus on it all. Helaine did just that and takes us along for the wild ride and barely allows us to breathe.
I have read the classics, the old greats, the new. There are authors that write books. Those that write novels. Those that write stories. Then there are authors that make the pages sing, that make the reader a part of the story. They draw you in and immerse you in the world they have created out of letters and words. They drown you in the world they have created and don’t allow you, the reader, back out until the last words of “The End” come floating up off the page. This is Helaine Mario. This is Shadow Music. Discover it for yourself.

Helaine Mario

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helaine Mario is the author of four novels of suspense. Firebird (Amazon 2012) is a stand-alone Cold War suspense novel. The three novels in the Maggie O'Shea Classical Music Mystery series are The Lost Concerto (Oceanview Publishing, July 2015), Dark Rhapsody (Oceanview Publishing, July 2018), and Shadow Music (Oceanview Publishing, September 2021).

New York City born and raised, Helaine is a Boston University graduate. She married in 1969 and moved to Connecticut to raise her two children, volunteer at Save the Children, and write for the local newspaper.

In 1985, Helaine’s life took an unpredictable turn when her husband’s career brought her family to Potomac, Maryland. For all eight years of the Clinton Presidency, she was a White House volunteer for Tipper and Al Gore, and continues to be a passionate advocate for public service and women & children’s issues.

Because Helaine believes strongly in “giving back,” she has worked on several non-profit boards and, in 1998, founded The SunDial Foundation, Inc., which benefited our most vulnerable women, children and families for 20 years. She also created Project PJs, offering new books, bears and pajamas to under-served children in the community. Now, the Helaine and Ronald Mario Fund continues to support some 40 charities. All royalties from book sales go to programs that support reading programs and the well-being of children and families.

Helaine and her husband, Ron, now spend their time in Arlington, Virginia—where she continues her advocacy work—and Cape May, New Jersey.

She is grateful to be a cancer survivor and is most proud of her two children and five beautiful grandchildren. Her son, Sean, is the pianist who inspired the classical music background in The Lost Concerto.

When it comes to writing, Helaine wants, more than anything, to tell a good story, create characters with depth, and paint pictures with words. To make people feel. She wants to be a storyteller forever.

AVAILABLE FOR PRESALE THROUGH AMAZON

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ALONE WITH YOU by Lisa Ann Verge

  

Alone With You

Lisa Ann Verge

 

SYNOPSIS

 Jenny was sure the cabin was hers, until she stepped out of the shower to surprise a brawny man in her bedroom.

The sexy-as-sin stranger leaned his six-foot frame against the doorjamb and stripped off her towel with his gaze. Then he asked what the hell she was doing in his cabin.

His cabin?  She had a key from the owner. He sank a hand into a pocket and pulled out a match. 

No way was she letting a man into her sanctuary. She wasn’t a people-person in the best of times.  How was she going to get any work done under the glow of that slow-fuse grin?

But what choice did she have?  It was only for two weeks.  

Hardly long enough for any man to seduce her...never mind melt her frozen heart. 

Alone with you is a sexy, stuck-together, enemies-to-lovers romance, the first book in the Cabin Fever Series.  It can be read as a stand-alone, with a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

REVIEW

Lisa Ann Verge is known for charming hunks of male flesh that ladies turn into melting puddles of passion when they get within range, no matter the defense system they have built around themselves.  Alone With You is no exception to this scenario. From the opening gambit, our strapping but wounded of spirit doctor (aka the charming male) sends the bombshell unsuspecting lady into a tizzy of visceral reactions as she first lays eyes on his smoldering form standing in the door of HER bedroom as she steps from the shower…  GREAT opening.  Not necessarily great way to meet a guy,  LOL, but Lisa had me hook-line-and-sinker for the rest of the book from that opening of chapter one.

Lisa is one that doesn’t settle for shallow romance novels. Her stories are filled with a depth of character to her protagonists.  She takes the time to drill them down so that you feel like you lived next door to them for years and have had traded postcards from the far corners of the earth over the years.  You feel their pain, you giggle at their foibles, and all but reach into the page to pull them back from their worst mistakes.  In short, Lisa allows her characters to be so human, you can feel their breath fluttering the pages of the book and steaming your glasses as your nose inches closer and closer to the action.

Add to this her scientific knowledge, there is accuracy and living convincing detail in her storylines that carry the story forward with interesting details that keeps this person on the edge of her seat.  I can see, feel, and smell the wilderness scenes that a good portion of this book takes place in.  Only someone who has spent a significant time out there and knows and understands the fauna and flora and the science of it could weave it into the storyline like a second skin.

This book has been worth the wait to get back into reading a story by Lisa Ann Verge.  I look forward to the next in her series.  She is getting better with time and life, if that is possible.

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