The Illusionist's Apprentice

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of Baskervilles (1902).

Some people call it magic, others illusion, but only those on stage performing it in the limelight know the secrets that each act holds. Yet truth is the illusion we always chase and often times it is far from what we may think it is. That's the thing about secrets is that they always come up for air. They're never content to stay buried for long. For Wren Lockhart, illusion is all she has, and once it is broken, the story dies forever.

Training under one of the great magicians ever to have lived, Harry Houdini, she has acquired all his hidden secrets, and its those very secrets that some would give anything to possess. But for Wren Lockhart who lives what some might call eccentric lifestyle, trust is the one thing she can't afford to share with anyone, even if it means locking her heart away with it. She knows one thing for sure and that is secrets are best hidden in plain sight. If there is no darkness, there would be no opportunity for light to overcome it. That is the time when heroes arise.

For Agent Elliot Matthews, his job is to notice what other people don't. When an illusion in a cemetery to raise a man from the dead appears to work for a brief moment, he soon becomes his former self, a dead corpse again. Elliot knows that there is no one better to talk to about this act than those who performs illusions among the Vaudeville performers but like most, he knows that the elusive Wren Lockhart won't be easy to convince to help. It appears that she is hiding more than what the eye can see and it is that mask and the girl behind it that is worth more than what the world sees on a stage. Now if he can only convince her to help, before the body counts continue to rise.

I received The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Net Galley. While I was hoping for one kind of story just looking at the title this was something a bit different. I didn't think it was a murder mystery, but for it was an exceptional one along the lines of what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might have written. It contains just the right elements of suspense and secrets that the reader has a hard time guessing who all is involved until the very end. I love how the chapters take the reader back and forth from the past to present times, so you can see how the current story is unfolding and how those secrets that Wren has kept locked away has helped keep certain things safe in her life. There is even a discussion guide included at the conclusion of this book along with an Author's Note that conveys what is fictional in the novel and what is historical fact. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Illusionist's Apprentice, Kristy Cambron or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today that is due out in March of 2017, please click on the links below:

The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron

You can find Kristy Cambron on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Illusionist's Apprentice, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website.

The Ringmaster's Wife

"We only see what we want to see - in people, in love, and in life. What we see is a choice, as is what we offer the world in return. And it's only behind the costumes and the masks that we can be who we truly are." ~ Mable Ringling

I am completely blown away by a story within a story based on historical facts of the life of Mable and John Ringling in Kristy Cambron's latest novel, "The Ringmaster's Wife." It will be forever a part of my permanent library and one that will long be forever inscribed in my heart as an all-time, will read again and again novel. Brilliant in its execution into taking readers not only in the behind the scenes of the Ringling Bros. circus but more than that to the very lives of the couple that while unable to have any children themselves made sure to entertain and capture the very imagination and essence of children everywhere if only for a brief moment in time.

While John Ringling came from a affluent lifestyle building up his circus enterprise, he fell in love with a small farm town girl he met while visiting Chicago one day. Mable was filled with the hopeful dreams that one day life just might offer her more than what others believed she would end up with. Never too far from her was a cigar box filled with newspaper clippings that housed a world that Mable hoped might one day come true, and if determination was any indicator, she would fulfill them all. When she caught the attention of John, she never imagined her life would ever be the same, and the details she saw that no one else did would forever change the lives of the family that would become part of the Ringling world.

For Lady Rosamund Easling, life was all about choices and the perfect match. Being paired with just the right man was something her parents sought after in an attempt to keep the Easling estate from falling into ruin, and they had just the perfect man in mind. However because Rosamund refused to give up her childish notions of spending the afternoons riding her black Arabian Ingènue bareback as a tribute of sorts to the brother Hendrick she lost when the war took him away. Her family insisted on selling her horse without her permission in order to make her focus on her future, but in Rosamund's mind it was already settled. Thankfully she was given an opportunity to follow her horse to America and ensure that he was properly cared for by Colin Keary, but Colin has other plans of his own in mind.

He knows that in order for a circus to stay successful one must always find ways of packing the Big Top and if witnessing Rosamund talents in the field one day when she thought no one was watching was an indicator, he has just found Ringling's new top star! Now if he can only find a way to convince her to come to America and leave behind the life of a well-to-do lady with a title he could never hope to gain. In fact, he would spend his entire life trying to make up for past mistakes in his life and he owed his future to the Ringling's. He would do everything to ensure they were always a success.

I received The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased and personal opinion. I was simply captivated from the first three sentences of this novel, which I captured by the quote at the beginning of this review. It really does convey the persona's we all put on each and every day. The person we allow people to see and the person we are inside. What child hasn't wanted to run away at some point to join the circus and gain a sense of what really goes on in the Big Top. I absolutely LOVE the historical details that Kristy captured in the Ringling's home in Sarasota and hope to add this to my bucket list to see this year hopefully! This one was over way too soon and I know deep in my heart, Kristy has managed to entertain the notion in my heart that "faith that when one has no control, there is One who does." 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and even comes with Discussion Questions at the conclusion. Can't wait to reread this one again!

For more information about The Ringmaster's Wife, Kristy Cambron or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron

You can find Kristy Cambron on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more review on The Ringmaster's Wife, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page. 

A Sparrow in Terezin

Unforgettable. It is the only word I can use that completely captures the essence of what you will experience after reading Kristy Cambrom's latest novel, A Sparrow in Terezin. It is the second novel in the Hidden Masterpiece Novel and tells the tale of two women who's lives are connected through time, one during the German invasion of Poland, and the other involving present day. But they are linked in a way the reader won't understand until the final handful of chapters. It will leave you on the edge of your seat as the story reaches it turmoil that will forever change the lives of everyone involved. I don't want to give too much away but to say that if you are a fan of historical WWII fiction, then you will HAVE to pick this one up.

As the novel opens the readers are thrown into the wedding of Sera James and her husband William Hanover. Just as the wedding is over and the celebration is about to begin, the fear that Sera and William were waiting for shows up as Will is arrested. Knowing her husband is innocent of the allegations that are piling up against him even with mounting evidence, she believes that the best way for them to get through this is working together. But Will is hiding something from his past that might set him free but shame his family's name and that isn't something he wants to do. He only hopes Sera can continue to trust him.

1942, as Kaja Makovsky escapes with her sister on a train out of Prague just as Germany is invading, she can't help but think about the parent she left behind. Ones that were willing to sacrifice everything just to see their daughters safe and living in London, far away from the affects of the war. However when the war finds Kaja in London as the bombs begin to drop, she learns that Jews are being exterminated by the thousands as they board transport trains for places like Auschwitz. She knows she must try and find a way to help get her parents out before they are shipped away on a train to be killed simply for being a Jew.

I received A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This story is based on the art created by the children kept in the Terezin Concentration Camp and Kristy incorporated this element into this exceptional novel. In an Author's Note at the conclusion of the novel, Kristy shares that out of the 15,000 children who lived at Terezin, fewer than 100 survived the Holocaust. It is a moving story that will stay with you long after you finish this book and for that reason, I rate it a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. It's like reading Corrie Ten Bloom's story through the eyes of Kaja's character and makes you wonder how people find the courage not only to survive the horrors but in forgiving the men responsible for so many deaths during the war and the Holocaust.

For more information about A Sparrow in Terezin, Kristy Cambron or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

You can find Kristy Cambron on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Sparrow in Terezin, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection in Kristy Cambron's new book, A Sparrow in Terezin. Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

Kristy is celebrating by giving away a basket filled with goodies inspired by her new book!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A set of poppy notecards
• A poppy pin
• A copy of I Never Saw Another Butterfly
• A copy of the Mrs. Miniver DVD
• Literary tea bags
• Tumbler
• A copy of A Sparrow in Terezin

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 28th. Winner will be announced April 29th on Kristy's blog.



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