Book Review and Giveaway: Chasing Mona Lisa

Wednesday, January 25, 2012


Welcome to Litfuse Publicity’s Blog Tour for Chasing Mona Lisa

Synopsis:

France is in Germany’s grip, but Bernard Rousseau and his fellow members of the Resistance are determined to see France freed from Nazi control and restored to its pre-World War II glory. Bernard would do anything to secure his country’s liberation, including risking his own life to stop a train loaded with priceless French works of art from leaving Paris, bound for Germany.

Two years later, August 1944, liberation is assured. Swiss agents Eric Hofstadler and Gabi Mueller are en route to France to deliver supplies on behalf of the Red Cross. Meanwhile, Colette Perriard is hard at work as a curator in the Louvre, from which some of France’s most famous valuable works of art were secreted away when Nazi occupation of France became an eventuality. Now she struggles through each day, eagerly anticipating the departure of the Germans who direct her work at the famed museum.

The world’s most treasured painting, the Mona Lisa, is tucked safely away at a secret location, but is about to become the object of intrigue and sabotage — a bargaining chip in Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring’s desperate plan to escape Germany and the punishment that surely awaits him for his war crimes and a pawn in a high-stakes political gambit led by Bernard to discredit Charles de Gaulle and the Gaullists in order to prevent them from assuming power after Allied troops liberate France.

Review:

Author

Authors Tricia Goyer and have collaborated to create a fast-paced, keep-‘em-guessing adventure centered around the fate of the world’s most renowned and beloved work of art, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, set in wartime France and Switzerland.

The story begins with Bernard’s exploits. He is principled, dedicated, and prepared to risk his very life for the sake of seeing France freed from German control so that it can reemerge as a Communist nation. Meanwhile, Eric and Gabi are OSS agents who have faced danger and found love together, while Colette is determined to endure the German occupation for the sake of her career as a curator in which she has worked hard to establish herself and the precious artworks she is equally determined to safeguard. Although she knows the whereabouts of the paintings that were whisked away to safekeeping, she is sworn to secrecy. It is not immediately apparent how the three stories relate to each other, but patient readers are rewarded when Eric and Gabi encounter Bernard, who has been involved with Colette.

Author Mike Yorkey

Still, allegiances may not be as they appear and the characters have secrets which, if revealed, could jeopardize not only their relationships, but their lives. Numerous skillfully-timed plot twists and revelations about the characters’ motivations propel the story forward at breakneck speed. Each character’s fortitude and integrity are tested as they are forced to make life and death decisions during the race to retrieve the Mona Lisa from her hiding place in a countryside chateau before she falls into the clutches of one of two evil German war criminals. In the wake of Germany’s impending defeat, Goring plans to use the painting, as well as the massive collection of other works of art he has amassed, to flee to South America in order to evade prosecution. What he doesn’t realize is that he has been duped by his own trusted assistant, Colonel Heller, who also bears a sinister connection to both Colette and Bernard.

is a well-researched thriller loaded with narrow escapes, shocking plot developments, and poignant moments in which the characters’ humanity makes them hauntingly sympathetic, all set against the backdrop of a proud country torn apart by war. The story was inspired by events — the Mona Lisa was spirited from place to place to keep it from falling into Germans hands and indeed did hang over a little girl’s bed for a time — as well as actual historical figures. But Goyer and Yorkey have vividly imagined and expertly brought to life an escapade that could have unfolded during that tumultuous period. That is what makes Chasing Mona Lisa so entertaining.

Reading Challenges:
2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
2012 50 Books in a Year Reading Challenge
2012 Free Reads Challenge

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of Chasing Mona Lisa free of charge from the author in conjunction with the Litfuse Publicity Group’s review and virtual book tour program. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. This disclosure complies with 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Enter to Win a Copy of Chasing Mona Lisa

Authors Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey have generously provided one copy of Chasing Mona Lisa to be awarded to a lucky Colloquium reader! To enter, post a comment in which you answer this question:

Have you read any of Tricia Goyer’s other books? If so, which is your favorite?

Submit your entry utilizing the Rafflecopter widget. Note: The book can only be mailed to a United States street address. It cannot be mailed to a post office box.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Entries will be accepted until Monday, February 6, 2012, at 12:01 a.m.


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Book Review: The Shadow of Your Smile

Monday, January 23, 2012


Welcome to Litfuse Publicity’s Blog Tour for The Shadow of Your Smile

Synopsis:

Noelle Hueston has no idea how she got to the hospital or why she is there. She believes that she is a twenty-one-year-old college student majoring in art and insists that the nurses tell her when her parents will be arriving to take her back to school.

In reality, Noelle has been married to Eli for twenty-five years and raised three children, Kyle, Kelsey, and Kirby. En route home from Duluth to Deep Haven, the northern Minnesota hamlet where Eli served as sheriff for many years and Kyle has recently become a deputy, Noelle was the victim of a violent crime. Her confusion is the result of amnesia caused by head trauma. Whether she will regain her memories is uncertain.

What is certain is that Noelle and Eli were estranged from each other at the time of her accident. In fact, Eli was not even aware that she had made the trip to Duluth and now he is left wondering what she was doing there. Worse, Eli struggles with how to explain the past three years to Noelle — how much should he reveal to her and when? And he wonders what their future holds if Noelle has forever lost her memories of Kelsey, who was brutally murdered three years ago. Eli has spent the intervening years sleeping in the basement, escaping to his ice house, and spending two much time with Lee, the widow of Clay Nelson, the officer who also lost his life on that terrible day. Although Lee values the assistance Eli provides with chopping wood, plowing the driveway to the log cabin she shared with Clay, and other chores, she has felt herself increasingly drawn to the husband of her good friend and knows their shared loneliness and grief have inspired their deepening friendship.

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Keeper

Monday, January 16, 2012


Welcome to Litfuse Publicity’s Blog Tour for The Keeper

Synopsis:

Julia Lapp is twenty-one years old and looking forward to her November marriage to Paul Fisher, whom she has loved practically all of her life. Julia is confident of her feelings for Paul and their future together. They were to have married last year, but Paul asked to postpone the wedding. Julie is convinced Paul was persuaded by The Bee Man, Roman “Rome” Troyer, who never settles down, instead roaming from place to place with his hives of brown bees. Seems that whenever Rome shows up, Amish men get cold feet and weddings are either called off entirely or rescheduled.

The eldest of Amos and the late Maggie Lapp’s children, Julia shoulders a great deal of responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of Windmill Farm now that Amos has been diagnosed with a serious cardiac disorder. At only fifty years of age, Amos refuses to place his name on a transplant waiting list, even though a new heart is his only hope for recovery. Son Menno, 17, works hard but requires constant supervision and direction due to his unspecified mental disability, while fourteen-year-old Sadie tries to recreate some of their mother’s favorite recipes. Little Mary Kate, known affectionately as M.K., is a high-spirited and precocious eleven year old.

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Welcome to the WOW! Women on Writing Virtual Book Tour for A Whisper to a Scream


Synopsis:

Sarah Anderson loves her two young children, but feels much of the time like she has lost herself. She hesitates to tell people that she is a stay-at-home mother because of the reactions that announcement often provokes. Her husband, Tom, travels extensively for business and works long hours, often coming home to regale her with stories of his workplace accomplishments without even asking how their children’s day was. Even when he is at home, he spends hours holed away in his study and Sarah wonders if he will ever realize how much of their boys’ lives he is missing as he manages a series of projects for the tech company that employs him and she shoulders increasing responsibility for managing their home.

Sarah decides to join a book club devoted to discussing classics as a way of getting out of the house and having some time to herself just one evening per month — if, that is, she can manage to stay away long enough to read the books selected by the group.

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My special guest author today is Karen Wojcik Berner, whose debut novel, A Whisper to a Scream, is getting rave reviews!

A Whisper to a Scream is the story of two women, Sarah Anderson and Annie Jacobs, who, at first glance, appear to have nothing in common. Sarah is a stay-at-home mother of two while, at 37, Annie has been trying without success to conceive her first child. Annie and her husband, John, made their careers a priority, delaying parenthood, but now it may be too late for them to ever have a child of their own. Meanwhile, Sarah is a stay-at-home mother whose husband, Tom, travels extensively for business and works long hours, leaving Sarah to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility for their home and young sons. Sarah and Annie meet when both decide to join a book club devoted to reading and discussing classics.

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Book Review and Giveaway: In Leah’s Wake

January 6, 2012
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Welcome to Pump Up Your Book’s Virtual Book Tour for In Leah’s Wake Synopsis: Leah Tyler has an excellent future, full of possibilities. An accomplished soccer player — the best on her high school team — she is poised to earn a college scholarship, possibly to Harvard University. She is beautiful, has always maintained good […]

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Guest Post: 5 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Rid of Your Daughter’s Dreadful Boyfriend

January 5, 2012
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Will and Zoe Tyler have worked hard to provide for their daughters, Leah and Justine. In particular, Will, who dropped out of college, sacrificing a valuable scholarship, is determined to see that high school junior Leah, a talented soccer player, secures a scholarship from an Ivy League college such as Harvard, while Justine, a well-behaved, […]

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Favorite Books of 2011 Giveaway

December 31, 2011
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As 2011 draws to a close and we prepare to welcome 2012, you are invited to enter to win two of my favorite books of 2011! Author Ellen Meister has graciously provided one copy of her acclaimed novel, The Other Life, to be awarded to one lucky Colloquium reader! Anyone who has ever wondered — and, […]

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Book Review: Innocent

December 31, 2011
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Synopsis: Twenty years have elapsed since Rusty Sabich stood trial for the murder of his colleague, Carolyn Polhemus, as detailed in Presumed Innocent. Following his acquittal, Rusty’s legal career again flourished — he is the Chief Justie of the Third District Appellate Court in Kindle Countyand and a candidate for a seat on the state […]

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Book Review: Scream Catcher

December 30, 2011
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Welcome to the Partners In Crime Blog Tour for Scream Catcher Synopsis: Jude Parrish is a haunted man. The demon that tortures him is sometimes just below the surface, but omnipresent nonetheless. An innocent woman and child died at the conclusion of a hostage stand-off. Convinced that he could and should have ensured a different outcome […]

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Best of 2011 Giveaway Hop

December 27, 2011
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It’s hard to believe that 2011 is almost over! The year has flown by, but I have spent many pleasurable hours reading some excellent books. This giveaway hop, once again hosted by Inspired Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer, celebrates the best books published or read during 2011. Far and away, the […]

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Book Review and Giveaway: Mary’s Son ~ A Tale of Christmas

December 25, 2011
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Synopsis: Jared Roberts has plenty of reasons to be angry. It has been nearly a year since his father, Joe, simply vanished after being fired from him job at Stone Industries because management believed he was stealing from the factory. Now, at thirteen years of age, Jared works part-time for the same company, while his […]

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Book Review: father-mucker

December 23, 2011
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Welcome to the TLC Book Tour for father-mucker Synopsis: Josh Lansky is a screenwriter with a serious case of writer’s block. Although he optioned one script a few years ago, netting enough capital to flee New York City and purchase a home in suburban New Paltz, the movie was never produced and the script is […]

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Fall Into Reading 2011: Wrap-Up

December 23, 2011
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Winter arrived on my birthday, December 21, 2011, signalling the conclusion of the Fall into Reading 2011 challenge. I did not manage to read all of the books I planned to read because life interceded at a few points along the way. But I did manage to read (and review) a total of twenty books: […]

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Book Review: Real

December 21, 2011
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Welcome to Litfuse Publicity’s Blog Tour for Real Some are smooth, obviously well cared-for, the pigmentation even, the manicure flawless. Others are calloused, wrinkled or show age spots, the nails cracked and splintered. Some hold modern electronic gadgets, others grip more traditional tools with which they perform work, some bear the ravages of arthritis. Still others […]

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