ISAAC AND ISHMAEL

Please join Mary F. Burns as she tours the blogospere with HF Virtual Book Tours for Isaac and
Ishmael: A Novel of Genesis from June 8-26.



Publication Date: November 15, 2014 Sand Hill Press Formats: eBook, Paperback Genre: Historical Fiction/Biblical

 

     Isaac and Ishmael attempts to bring to human scale the legends and mythic dimensions of Abraham and Sarah, their sons Isaac and Ishmael, and Isaac and Rebecca's twin sons Esau and Jacob. Readers will experience the struggles, competition, betrayals and loves of these brothers, fathers and sons caught up in the overarching tension between time and eternity, a place where a new God is coming into being,Yahweh, the uncanny, irascible, mischievous, bargaining God who participated in the life of a new people and compelled them to a new way of being human. The stormy relationship of Isaac and Ishmael has long passed into a tradition which looks to Isaac as the father of the Jewish people, and Ishmael as the father of the Arab people, particularly in Egypt. Similarly, while Jacob carries on his father's heritage, becoming the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, his twin brother Esau, the red-haired archer who sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup, is traditionally said to have departed for the North, and populated what would later become Rome. Isaac and Ishmael explores the thorny, complex yet delicate relations between these brothers and fathers, providing a more human understanding of the differences that arise between individuals and peoples, even now as the ancient tensions in the Middle East continue to flare up in modern confrontations and war. Ever present in the story are the strong, subtle and often ambitious women of Biblical legend: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.

Official Book Trailer

Isaac & Ishmael Available at

Amazon Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Mary F. Burns is the author of ISAAC AND ISHMAEL, published by Sand Hill Review Press in November 2014. Other historical fiction includes THE SPOILS OF AVALON and PORTRAITS OF AN ARTIST (Sand Hill Review Press, February 2014, 2013), both books featuring the celebrated portrait painter, John Singer Sargent and his best friend, writer Violet Paget (aka Vernon Lee). Mary is a member of and book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society and a former member of the HNS Conference board of directors. Her debut historical novel J-THE WOMAN WHO WROTE THE BIBLE was published in July 2010 by O-Books (John Hunt Publishers, UK). She has also written two cozy-village mysteries in a series titled The West Portal Mysteries (The Lucky Dog Lottery and The Tarot Card Murders). She will be part of two panels at the upcoming North American Historical Novel Society Conference in June in Denver, one on The Historical Mystery and the other on Art and Artists in Historical Fiction. Ms. Burns was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where she earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in English, along with a high school teaching certificate. She relocated to San Francisco in 1976 where she now lives with her husband Stuart in the West Portal neighborhood. Ms. Burns may be contacted by email at maryfburns@att.net. For more information please visit Mary Burns's website at www.maryfburns.com.

You can also connect with Mary on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, or read her blog posts at: www.jthewomanwhowrotethebible.com www.literarygracenotes.blogspot.com www.portraitsofanartist.blogspot.com www.sargent-pagetmysteries.blogspot.com www.genesisnovel.blogspot.com

Isaac and Ishmael Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 8 Excerpt at What Is That Book About Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past Tuesday, June 9 Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views Wednesday, June 10 Spotlight at Let Them Read Books Thursday, June 11 Review at A Book Drunkard Friday, June 12 Spotlight & Giveaway at Unshelfish Monday, June 15 Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews Tuesday, June 16 Review at Book Nerd Wednesday, June 17 Review & Excerpt at Book Lovers Paradise Thursday, June 18 Excerpt at The Never-Ending Book Friday, June 19 Guest Post at Just One More Chapter Sunday, June 21 Review & Guest Post at Jorie Loves a Story Monday, June 22 Excerpt at 100 Pages a Day Tuesday, June 23 Spotlight at Broken Teepee Thursday, June 25 Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection Friday, June 26 Review & Giveaway at Genre Queen


i wish to present a short excerpt from ISAAC AND ISHMAEL:

Sarai, laughing, has hurt Yahweh’s feelings. 
What? I who groan in age am now to groan in pleasure, and bear a son? Who’s kidding whom?
Who is that laughing? says Yahweh. Who thinks I cannot do this thing?
Not I. Her eyes on the ground. Then sideways she sees her husband whose eyes are fixed on the boldest stranger, who sits eating veal and drinking milk under their olive trees. Abram holds his breath. The stranger has just said to him, Count the stars. Can you? Your descendants shall be more. The two men with him are silent, their eyes glitter, their arms like wings tucked at their sides even as they eat.
I’ll be back in nine months, says the stranger, to see your son.



There you have it , an excerpt from a fantastic book.  I received this book to review.  I started reading and kept reading, and reading, and reading.  I could not put the book down!

The story of Abraham's two sons.  One by Hagar, and one by Sarah.  Most of us are familiar with the biblical story, but Burn's goes deeper and tells a beguiling story.   Ms. Burn's storytelling style is unique.  The reader is drawn into the tale and becomes not just a reader, but an active participant in the events.   I felt like a family member watching the events unfold.   I can only describe this book as incredible.     The characters are so well developed, they are REAL people.  You will be part of their lives.   Some, you will like more than others.  Strangely enough, I was not a big fan of Sarah or Abraham.  I loved Isaac and felt strongly toward Ishmael.  

I highly recommend this book and look forward to more by Mary F Burns.

Medici's Daughter...available for pre-order

The wait is over. Sophie Perinot, author of The Sister Queens, has a new book available for pre-order! Medicis Daughter travels forward three-hundred years from Perinot's last novel to the intrigue-riven French court of Charles IX, spinning the tale of beautiful princess Marguerite who walks the knife's edge between the demands of her serpentine mother, Catherine de Medicis, and those of her own conscience. This is a coming-of-age story that will remind audiences that, when it comes to the 16th century, the Valois are even sexier than the Tudors' and just as treacherous.



 

Publication Date: December 1, 2015 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Formats: eBook, Hardcover Genre: Historical Fiction     Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot's intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de MÈdicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family. Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot's heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother's schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot's wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul. MÈdicis Daughter is historical fiction at its finest, weaving a unique coming-of-age story and a forbidden love with one of the most dramatic and violent events in French history.

Praise for MÈdicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois

"This is Renaissance France meets Game of Thrones: dark, sumptuous historical fiction that coils religious strife, court intrigue, passionate love, family hatred, and betrayed innocence like a nest of poisonous snakes. Beautiful Princess Margot acts as our guide to the heart of her violent family, as she blossoms from naive court pawn to woman of conscience and renown. A highly recommended coming-of-age tale where the princess learns to slay her own dragons!"--Kate Quinn, Bestselling author of LADY OF THE ETERNAL CITY

 "The riveting story of a 16th century French princess caught in the throes of royal intrigue and religious war. From the arms of the charismatic Duke of Guise to the blood-soaked streets of Paris, Princess Marguerite runs a dangerous gauntlet, taking the reader with her. An absolutely gripping read!" --Michelle Moran, bestselling author of THE REBEL QUEEN

 "Rising above the chorus of historical drama is Perinot's epic tale of the fascinating, lascivious, ruthless House of Valois, as told through the eyes of the complicated and intelligent Princess Marguerite. Burdened by her unscrupulous family and desperate for meaningful relationships, Margot is forced to navigate her own path in sixteenth century France. Amid wars of nation and heart, MÈdicis Daughter brilliantly demonstrates how one unique woman beats staggering odds to find the strength and power that is her birthright." --Erika Robuck, bestselling author of HEMINGWAY'S GIRL

MÈdicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois Available for Pre-Order at

Barnes & Noble Amazon IndieBound

About the Author

SOPHIE PERINOT is the author of The Sister Queens and one of six contributing authors of A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii. A former attorney, Perinot is now a full-time writer. She lives in Great Falls, Virginia with her three children, three cats, one dog and one husband. An active member of the Historical Novel Society, Sophie has attended all of the groupís North American Conferences and served as a panelist multiple times. Find her among the literary twitterati as @Lit_gal or on facebook at www.facebook.com/sophie.perinot.author.

MÈdicis Daughter Pre-Order Blitz Schedule

Monday, June 8 The True Book Addict Peeking Between the Pages So Many Books, So Little Time Tuesday, June 9 Unshelfish 100 Pages a Day A Book Drunkard The Reading Queen The Never-Ending Book Wednesday, June 10 Broken Teepee Passages to the Past Just One More Chapter Historical Fiction Connection Historical Readings & Reviews Thursday, June 11 A Bookish Affair Let Them Read Books Caroline Wilson Writes Svetlana's Reads and Views Friday, June 12 Boom Baby Reviews CelticLady's Reviews Book Lovers Paradise What Is That Book About

RETRUN TO THE OUTER BANKS HOUSE

About Return to the Outer Banks House

Publication Date: December 10, 2014

Kill Devil Publishing

Formats: Ebook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

She was the spirited daughter of a North Carolina plantation owner, and he was a poor fisherman who she tutored on the porch of her family’s Nags Head cottage. When we last saw Abigail Sinclair and Ben Whimble at the close of The Outer Banks House, they’d overcome their differences in life stations and defied convention to begin their new life together.

But now it’s seven years later, and Return to the Outer Banks House finds the couple married and in hard times—riddled by poverty, miscarriages, and weakened family ties. The strong bonds that once held them together have eroded over time, and their marriage threatens to unravel, particularly when relationships from the past and ambitions for the future find their way into the mismatched couple’s present predicament.

Can their love survive? Or are the challenges they face insurmountable? Return to the Outer Banks House carries readers back to 1875 to answer these questions and explore the ebb and flow of a rocky marriage set against the enchanting North Carolina shoreline. Replete with history, intrigue, and plenty of maritime drama, it’s an evocative tale of struggle in the Reconstruction-era South.

Praise for Return to the Outer Banks House

“…Set between 1875 and ’76, Ducharme’s story—this being the sequel to The Outer Banks House (2010)—is about love and its many faces, from young and reckless to unrequited. Specifically, she explores the unlikely passion that forms between smart, affluent Abigail Sinclair and uneducated, penniless Benjamin Whimble. The people of this tightknit island community on the Outer Banks, off the coast of North Carolina, are connected by their collective poverty and abiding love for the sea. Outsiders are generally unwelcome…” – Kirkus Reviews

Buy Return to the Outer Banks House

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

About the Author

Diann was born in Indiana in 1971, but she spent the majority of her childhood in Newport News, Virginia. She majored in English literature at the University of Virginia, but she never wrote creatively until, after the birth of her second child in 2003, she sat down to write The Outer Banks House. She soon followed up with her second book, Chasing Eternity, and in 2015 the sequel to her first novel, Return to the Outer Banks House.

Diann has vacationed on the Outer Banks since the age of three. She even married her husband of 10 years, Sean Ducharme, in Duck, North Carolina, immediately after a stubborn Hurricane Bonnie churned through the Outer Banks. Conveniently, the family beach house in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina provided shelter while she conducted research for her historical fiction novels.

She has three beach-loving children and a border collie named Toby, who enjoys his sprints along the shore. The family lives in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, counting down the months until summer.

For more information visit Diann Ducharme’s website. You can also follow Diann on her blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

my thoughts

Unique.  While I don't always expect a 'happily ever after' I was unprepared for the ending of this story.  I enjoyed reading about Abby and Ben in  THE OUTER BANKS HOUSE, and I was looking forward to reading about their wonderful life together.   Well, things don't always go as planned.  Abby and Ben face many trials throughout their married life.   We also meet a new character, Eliza Dickens.   I don't like her.  Didn't like her from the first page.  Makes it somewhat difficult to read the story when you increasingly dislike one of the main characters.   

Without going into too much info and spoiling the ending, I must say this is a well written book.  I had a mental image of each character and 'heard' each speak while reading this story.  It is written from the viewpoint/narration of each of the main characters.  

I think, while I found the ending tragic, each of the characters would have been happy with his/her decisions.  As with the first novel, the descriptions of the Outer Banks are fabulous.  

A perfect ending to Abby and Ben's story, and a perfect beach read.

OUTER BANKS....BEAUTIFUL PLACE, WONDERFUL BOOKS.

About The Outer Banks House

Publication Date: June 8, 2010
Crown Publishing
Formats: Ebook, Paperback, Hardcover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance



  As the wounds of the Civil War are just beginning to heal, one fateful summer would forever alter the course of a young girlís life.

In 1868, on the barren shores of post-war Outer Banks North Carolina, the once wealthy Sinclair family moves for the summer to one of the first cottages on the ocean side of the resort village of Nags Head. Seventeen-year-old Abigail is beautiful, book-smart, but sheltered by her plantation life and hemmed-in by her emotionally distant family. To make good use of time, she is encouraged by her family to teach her fatherís fishing guide, the good-natured but penniless Benjamin Whimble, how to read and write. And in a twist of fate unforeseen by anyone around them, there on the porch of the cottage, the two come to love each other deeply, and to understand each other in a way that no one else does.

But when, against everything he claims to represent, Ben becomes entangled in Abby's father's Ku Klux Klan work, the terrible tragedy and surprising revelations that one hot Outer Banks night brings forth threaten to tear them apart forever.

With vivid historical detail and stunning emotional resonance, Diann Ducharme recounts a dramatic story of love, loss, and coming of age at a singular and rapidly changing time in one of Americaís most beautiful and storied communities.

Download the Lost Chapter of The Outer Banks House.

Praise for The Outer Banks House

"...There's real darkness on the edge of this romance that hurls the lovers toward tragedy, as if the price to re-enter the innocence of Eden might afford Abby nothing but despair. This 2010 debut novel and portrayal of the historical Outer Banks offers a terrific option for beach reading; it's the sort of novel that can be charming without requiring an abundance of character complexity and depth. Abby's evolution ultimately parallels the positive aspects of how the South reconciled to change after the Civil War, a change that required a culture of ignorance to wash out to sea"  Style Weekly Review

"It's 1868, and the natives of North Carolina's Outer Banks think the Sinclair's summer residence on the beach at Nags Head is right peculiar. Seventeen-year-old Abigail Sinclair is enlisted by her parents to teach Ben Whimble, her father's fishing guide, to read. Abby is being courted by medical student Hector Newman and is appalled at the dirty and perpetually barefoot Ben. But Abby is also restless and slowly sees in Ben more than just a willing pupil. Ben might be getting sweet on his teacher as well, but her father has involved him in a matter that doesn't sit right with the Banker, knowing that freedmen and runaway slaves have long lived contentedly out on Roanoke Island. It's just three years since the end of the war, and for some, that isn't long enough. VERDICT First novelist Ducharme has laced her novel with the sounds and the smells of the North Carolina shoreline. Racism and Southern tradition run along parallel paths in this affecting debut, where gentlemen can be less than honorable and enslavement doesnít always involve chains. Highly recommended for fans of Southern fiction." - Bette-Lee Fox  Library Journal, Starred Review

"A heart-felt and engrossing novel about the coming of age of two very different young people in the South just after the Civil War: a curious upper-class girl from an almost bankrupt plantation and a handsome young barefoot fisherman made of sand and seawater who comes to her to learn to read. What they learn from each other about tolerance and caring in those turbulent times will change their lives forever. A beautiful sense of this place by the sea, of a country in conflict, of death and redemption, and of new love." - Stephanie Cowell, Author of CLAUDE & CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF CLAUDE MONET and MARRYING MOZART

"The Outer Banks House is a beautifully written and deeply moving story of a sheltered young woman's awakening to life, love and the injustice of discrimination against former slaves. In theme and impact, shades of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn; in the evocative setting and fresh voice, a unique novel all its own."-
Karen Harper  Author of THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS

Buy The Outer Banks House

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Crown Publishing
IndieBound

About Return to the Outer Banks House

Publication Date: December 10, 2014
Kill Devil Publishing
Formats: Ebook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance



  She was the spirited daughter of a North Carolina plantation owner, and he was a poor fisherman who she tutored on the porch of her familyís Nags Head cottage. When we last saw Abigail Sinclair and Ben Whimble at the close of The Outer Banks House, theyíd overcome their differences in life stations and defied convention to begin their new life together.

But now it's seven years later, and Return to the Outer Banks House finds the couple married and in hard times riddled by poverty, miscarriages, and weakened family ties. The strong bonds that once held them together have eroded over time, and their marriage threatens to unravel, particularly when relationships from the past and ambitions for the future find their way into the mismatched coupleís present predicament.

Can their love survive? Or are the challenges they face insurmountable? Return to the Outer Banks House carries readers back to 1875 to answer these questions and explore the ebb and flow of a rocky marriage set against the enchanting North Carolina shoreline. Replete with history, intrigue, and plenty of maritime drama, itís an evocative tale of struggle in the Reconstruction-era South.

Praise for Return to the Outer Banks House

"...Set between 1875 and 1876, Ducharme's story this being the sequel to The Outer Banks House (2010)is about love and its many faces, from young and reckless to unrequited. Specifically, she explores the unlikely passion that forms between smart, affluent Abigail Sinclair and uneducated, penniless Benjamin Whimble. The people of this tightknit island community on the Outer Banks, off the coast of North Carolina, are connected by their collective poverty and abiding love for the sea. Outsiders are generally unwelcome..." - Kirkus Reviews

Buy Return to the Outer Banks House

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound

About the Author

Diann was born in Indiana in 1971, but she spent the majority of her childhood in Newport News, Virginia. She majored in English literature at the University of Virginia, but she never wrote creatively until, after the birth of her second child in 2003, she sat down to write The Outer Banks House. She soon followed up with her second book, Chasing Eternity, and in 2015 the sequel to her first novel, Return to the Outer Banks House.

Diann has vacationed on the Outer Banks since the age of three. She even married her husband of 10 years, Sean Ducharme, in Duck, North Carolina, immediately after a stubborn Hurricane Bonnie churned through the Outer Banks. Conveniently, the family beach house in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina provided shelter while she conducted research for her historical fiction novels.

She has three beach-loving children and a border collie named Toby, who enjoys his sprints along the shore. The family lives in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, counting down the months until summer.

For more information visit Diann Ducharme's website. You can also follow Diann on her blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.


my thoughts:

To begin, let me say I read this book very quickly to get the review done in time.  I enjoyed what I read and would like to reread it at a slower pace.

This is quite an interesting story.  North Carolina, Nags Head.  A beautiful place.  After reading this story, I want to go visit!  Diann Ducharme's descriptions are colorful and just amazing.  Can't wait to see the area for myself.

The timing of this book, post civil war, 1868, a country in chaos.  (I've not read a great deal of historical fiction focusing on this time frame), young 17 year old Abigail loves the Outer Banks.  Her family has lost a great deal of their wealth after the war.  She decides, under duress, to teach a young man named Ben to read and write.  Ben is socially 'beneath' Abigail.  Predictably, Abigail and Ben fall in love.

During the post war period, Abigail is shocked to discover her father, as someone who has lost just about all he possessed, is a racist and a KKK sympathizer.  Racism is a modern term for an age old problem.   It is handled with care and honesty in this novel. The characters are charming and realistic, I found myself caring for both Ben and Abigail. 

This is an interesting story.  A perfect read for the beach....perhaps even while on the Outer Banks!
I'm starting the second book now!

The Outer Banks Series Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 25
Spotlight & Giveaway at Raven Haired Girl

Tuesday, May 26
Guest Post & Giveaway at Susan Heim on Writing

Wednesday, May 27
Review (Book One) at Back Porchervations

Thursday, May 28
Review (Book One) at In a Minute

Friday, May 29
Interview & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Obsession
Spotlight at The Never-Ending Book

Saturday, May 30
Spotlight at Becky on Books

Sunday, May 31
Review (Book One) at Book Nerd

Monday, June 1
Review (Book Two) at Let them Read Books
Spotlight at I'd So Rather Be Reading

Tuesday, June 2
Review (Book One) at Book Lovers Paradise

Wednesday, June 3
Review (Book Two) at Back Porchervations

Thursday, June 4
Spotlight & Giveaway (Book One) at View from the Birdhouse

Friday, June 5
Review (Both Books) at Bibliotica

Sunday, June 7
Review (Book One) at Carole's Ramblings

Monday, June 8
Review (Book One) at Ageless Pages Reviews
Guest Post at Curling Up With A Good Book

Tuesday, June 9
Review & Giveaway (Book One) at A Literary Vacation

Wednesday, June 10
Review (Both Books) at Unshelfish
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Thursday, June 11
Review (Book Two) at Book Lovers Paradise
Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Friday, June 12
Spotlight at Caroline Wilson Writes

Sunday, June 14
Review (Book Two) at Carole's Ramblings

Monday, June 15
Review & Giveaway (Both Books) at Genre Queen

Tuesday, June 16
Interview at Books and Benches
Spotlight at The Lit Bitch

Wednesday, June 17
Review (Both Books) at Luxury Reading

Thursday, June 18
Review (Book One) at Books and Benches
Interview at Layered Pages

Friday, June 19
Review (Book One) at Build a Bookshelf
Review (Book Two) at Ageless Pages Reviews

Shirley Jane Mysteries

Today we feature the works of a young author who writes mysteries for children. 

           (from Amazon's author page)

 Brianna Benji is a young woman with high functioning autism who likes to read, draw, and write. she has published 6 Children's books under Brianna Benji and 4 YA and Adult books under B.C. Benjamin. She has 2 cats and a pit bull and currently lives with family in Whitinsville,MA.  To learn more about Brianna Visit www.Booksbybriannabenji.weebly.com, like the BooksByBriannaBenji facebook page or go on my blog @ Tumblr.com/booksbybriannabenji

now about the book:

Paperback, 26 pages

Published March 14th 2014 by Createspace

ISBN 1496199197 (ISBN13: 9781496199195)

seriesShirley Jane Mysteries #1

Shirley Jane Holmes is the Great, Great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes who solves mysteries with her friends, Janice Dickinson and Joshua Edgar Poe. join them as you read about how they solved the case of the missing Golden Monkey that was stolen from Franklin D. Roosevelt History Museum in the hometown of Buckleville, Vermont.

my thoughts:

This is a quick, cute story written by an incredible young lady. Brianna Benji is a young woman with autism who wishes to create stories showing others with autism that anything is possible. 

The Shirley Jane stories are easy to read, quick and fun. Shirley is the great great granddaughter of Sherlock, who along with her friends Janice Dickinson (descendant of Emily) and Joshua Edgar Poe (Poe's descendant) solve mysteries. The Mystery of the Golden Monkey is the first in a series by this prolific writer.

The stories are easy to read and perfect for young readers, looking for something interesting and quick.

buy on amazon

link to Brianna's Amazon page.

other title's by Brianna

I had an opportunity to communicate with Brianna.   She is a delightful young woman who graciously answered a few of my questions.

BLP:  What encouraged you to write for children:

BRIANNA: What encouraged me to write kids books was last year when my brother brought home my dog Fredo, who was 3 months old at the time.  I had an idea to write a picture book about feelings starring my cat, Rascal, and my new puppy Fredo, The book was titled RASCAL AND FREDO ARE FEELING.  Since the release of Rascal and Fredo Are Feeling, I decided to write a mystery series for kids that takes place in the 21st century, so I decided to create the Shirley Jane Holmes mysteries which involves Sherlock Holmes great great granddaughter.  When I started designing Shirley I thought of my 13 year old cousin Ashley, who is around the same age as Shirley.  That's why in every book of the series you'll see a redhead on the cover.

BLP:  What message do you hope your books will send to kids?

BRIANNA: I want to give kids the confidence to learn to read and show kids who have high functioning autism or any other disability that they are like everybody else on the planet.  I have ADHD pervasive developmental delay and oppositional defiant disorder which are all disorders on the autism spectrum  We need to stand up to those who judge young people with a disorder or disability to show we are not stupid and incapable of doing anything! We have to be proud of who we are and what we are good at.  That's my message to all kids!

BLP:  Well said Brianna!  And you are absolutely right!  Good luck with Shirley Jane and your other books!