Hearts of Valor

 

Anthology

 

S.L. Hughson, T.E. Hodden, Jean Young, Philip Lisagor, London Saint James, Terri Rochenski

 

Genre: Romance Anthology (Sweet)
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Date of Publication: January 13, 2016
Number of pages: 245
Word Count: 43,680
Cover Artist: Rebecca Hart

 

 

It takes a heart of valor to survive love's battlefield.

Six veteran themed romantic tales brimming with love and sacrifice are sure to show us all what it truly means to have a Heart of Valor.

​The Promise - London Saint James

The year Veronica turned twenty-two changed her life. She graduated from San Diego State University, married the handsome Lieutenant Carter Weis—widowed six months after the happy nuptials.

Captain Quinn Alstrom of the U.S. Coast Guard was eager to start his newest post; however the excitement had nothing to do with the beautiful surroundings of Key West, and everything to do with his best friend’s wife.

Will Quinn’s surprise arrival in Veronica’s life re-spark the fire in the vivacious woman he remembered? Or, will the memory of her fallen husband stop the two of them from finding happiness?

A Manly Man - Jean Young

Confederate POW, Braxton Bolton, had an unexpected visitor the day before his execution, when Arabella Anderson walked into his jail cell and, in front of other POWs, kissed him until he shook with desire.

Two years prior, she had been the Lieutenant Colonel’s prisoner. While she was tortured and raped by the other Confederate soldiers, Bolton was different. He protected her from further suffering, and the grateful young woman had come to repay his kindness. While they became more and more intimate, she learned the story behind his kindness. But what she learned while with her hero POW, turns the sweet girl into a fearsome warrior. One determined to save the soldier with a noble heart.

Hero of Her Heart - S.L. Hughson

Nicole Taylor has loved Vincent for years. Now he’s back from serving in the Army, and she’s determined to make him see her as something other than a little sister.

After a heated Valentine’s date, Nicole is confused by Vince’s withdrawal. She confronts him, but no matter how hot their physical attraction, he keeps backing away.

Nicole helps him follow his lifelong dreams but he drifts further from her happily-ever-after plans. What will it take for him to see he is truly the hero of her heart?

​ Feathers - T.E.Hodden

Kerry only wanted to do right by Christopher. To protect him from the whispers of 'coward' and the shame of a white feather.

But the war doesn't look like a grand adventure any more. All Kerry wants is Chris home safe. But will he still be the same man she once knew?

Goin' Home - Philip Lisagor

How will Jack be able to put Iraq behind him and return home to Leah and their two children? The green peaceful coast of Ireland is the perfect landing zone from the brown violent landscape of Mesopotamia. Jack is humping ruck along the North Atlantic coast when a chance encounter with an Irish maiden turns him all around and he hears the voice of Leah in a magical moment calling him home.

Promises Kept - Terri Rochenski

Ever since they were kids, Joan dreamed of being Walt Herley’s wife. But, Joan's dream is short-lived when the Korean War draft has Walt trading his groom's suit for army fatigues. After a short celebration of their rushed nuptials, Walt is whisked away to fulfill his duty to his country, leaving Joan behind with a promise to return.

With her heart a world away, Joan struggles to keep her spirit afloat while praying for the war's expedient end. Fate, however, has a plan of its own, one that threatens Joan’s faith in Walt’s promise to return.

Interview: 

If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you want to have seen?

London Saint James:
The building of the pyramids. It would be cool to have firsthand knowledge of how they actually built those babies.

T.E. Hodden:
A night by an open fire in a common room at a university. One of the professors, MR James, sits with a brandy and begins to tell a gathering of students and lecturers a story. The story is a Warning To The Curious, and one of the students is Christopher Lee.

S.L. Hughson:
This is a tough one. I think I would want to witness a miracle of Jesus Christ. You know, so I could see what real “magic” looks like. I’m sure it is beyond my imagination.

Jean Young:
Gosh, what a question! Well, give me the freedom to choose, I would pick Doolittle Raid—not just as a witness, though. I would be one of the pilots who participated the air raid and I would save Danny Walker’s life, even if it meant to use mine.

Philip Lisagor:
I would have liked to have seen Abraham binding Isaac in preparation for a ritual sacrifice.

Terri Rochenski:
TOO many to choose from! I would love to go back and see bits of Laura Ingles Wilder’s life – the wagon trains, the Wild West. But, I’d also love to see ancient Rome. Victorian London. I really should be a time traveler!

Giveaway: 

As most know my reviews can be long-winded, gushing, thought-provoking and sometimes even funny. Well, this one is going to be different. I have to admit that this book is my first ever book hangover. Yes, I’m THAT type of reader that doesn’t get the hangover nor do I understand the whole “OMG, the new ____ book is out and I’m taking the day off from life to read it” and then talk about it for a week on Facebook. Again, I’m not one of the cool girls but that’s okay.
Unfortunately, my review of Love’s Sorrows will be short and sweet. Why? Because if I say too much about the book, plot, characters, etc., I will break Harlie’s Books cardinal rule…NO SPOILERS! I stalked Terri the day I finished reading it because I was such a mess that I had to know when the next book will be out. Yes, I stalked an author. And get this…she laughed. Evil woman! She did take me off the ledge, petted my head and told me that in NOVEMBER all will be revealed. Yes, November. *head keyboard from fainting* But at least I know what I’m up against. So without further ado here is my “list”:
1. This is a sweet historical. Everything is behind closed-door for the most part. Ms. Rochenski can write sexual tension and make you feel the moment better than anyone.
2. Keep in mind that this book is set in England so woman don’t have as many rights has American women did. Some of the book happens in America and Anne is somewhat taken back by the “rights” that women had over there. It was refreshing to see her grow when she was in
America.
3. Please note that Ms. Rochenski does talk about social issues that women faced back then: abuse, social standings, mistresses, miscarriages and alcoholism. There is also one scene of abuse/forced sexual content. I’m sorry but I had to say that one. The rest of the book is sweet so don’t worry.
4. I was immersed in Anne and Gavin’s story that when I hit the 3/4 mark, the author did an almost 180 degree turn that left me gutted, crying, screaming and hurt for the rest of the book. (She did take me off the ledge when I talked to her) But what I came away with in the end is that Anne reminded me of another literary heroine, Scarlett O’Hara and I will leave it at that.
5. When reading Regacy/Victorian historical romance, most authors get bogged down in the details and leave me bored. Ms. Rachel Brimble is one of those authors that DOESN’T get bogged down and I love her for it and she knows it. Ms. Rochenski’s characters Anne and Gavin, turned into one of the best character driven books that I’ve read in this genre for a long time.
6. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. Put it on the top of your TBR pile and spend a day with Anne and Gavin. You will feel gutted, stunned and just plain open-mouthed in the end. Don’t say I didn’t warn you but this book is not to be ignored. Ms. Rochenski has written a brilliantly, in some ways brutal, book that everyone must read and then come back and cry with me. Only 7 months until the next book.
WARNING: This is an open-ended book. There is no HEA or HFN for Anne and Gavin. Again, 7 months. *SIGH*

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my opinion of the book.

I’m not a fan of *most* fantasy books, so I headed into Terri Rochenski’s Eye of the Soul with some reservation and a slight hesitation. To begin, I kind of thought my reservations might be justified, but the more I read on, the more I changed my mind.

In this first book in Rochenski’s Pool of Souls trilogy, we are taken on Hyla’s journey. Hyla is part of a race of people, ones with abilities that set them apart to others, and as the only one of her village to escape capture by the more monetarily powerful people who take them, Hyla finds herself on a journey she hopes will save them. Luckily for her, she doesn’t end up having to do so alone. Because a chance meeting with the King’s fierce warrior, Jaden, lands her a companion, and possibly a protector, and meeting Jaden leads to her inadvertently meeting his best friend Conlin. And the reader automatically goes from hoping something romantic will happen between Hyla and Jadon, to watching with intrigue the subtle shift in her behaviour toward Conlin. This development has left me hoping they will finally get to meet in the next book (though, I guess the author might keep us waiting until the third), because the romance is so subtly and sweetly done, I can imagine it will be exactly that, intermingled with even more of their personalities, once we’re actually given the goods. These three are definitely the driving force of this story—or they were for me, at least—and they were a pleasure to spend time alongside.

Now, as for those reservations I mentioned in my opening, let me just try to explain, and then to nullify. You see, whilst the opening draws you in, and does a great job of ensuring you connect with Hyla enough to want to spend more time with her, there are moments within the book where you might feel it’s getting repetitive. All I can say is: hang in there, and open those eyes of yours a little wider, because there’s so much more going on beneath the surface; so much more that isn’t said; you’ve just got to be receptive enough to figure it out for yourself. Because Hyla does a LOT of travelling in order to reach the Pool of Souls. At first glance, it appears that not much is occurring during those travelling chapters. However, the development isn’t about kick-butt action scenes and epic battle after epic battle; it’s about the journey of Hyla’s growth as a character. And that is, I have to say, extremely well done.

And then, when Hyla reaches the Pool? Man, that was when it hit me—just how spiritual this book truly is. The depths to which the reader can connect within this scene is amazing, if they just allow themselves to. Me? I cried like a baby. And, oddly enough, felt refreshed for having sheds those tears. That is how deeply this book, in its entirety, affected me. So, really, give it a go. I can see myself wanting this trilogy in its entirety, just so I can sit down and read these back to back—because that, I imagine, will be an experience in and of itself. Even those of you who love the action and sexual tension, and convoluted characters with shadows on their souls—shove down those barriers and let this book into your heart. Because in the readers heart is where Eye of the Soul truly belongs.

Alone No More - Terri Rochenski Very nice, Terri.