One Stone Left Unturned
by Marianna
Heusler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
At
midnight on July 16th, 1918 Tsar Nicholas Romanov and his family was murdered,
thus ending the Russian empire. Historians believe that a peasant by the name
of Rasputin was instrumental in the downfall of the dynasty. Because Nicholas
thought that Rasputin could cure their son, Alexis, who was suffering from
hemophilia, Rasputin was able to influence the Imperial Family.
But
what if Rasputin’s power did not come from God, as he claimed, but from a
simple jewel, a tricolored, fifteen-carat tourmaline? And what if that very
stone landed in the hands of a lonely teenager a century later?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
. “We can have the mall doctor check
her over.” The security guard seemed more relaxed now, and Augusta watched the
crowds disperse. Jordan and Lindsay walked away, still howling.
“Absolutely not. She is going to our private physician.”
“You know what I think?” the security guard asked. “I think
that backpack cushioned her fall.”
“How could that backpack have cushioned her fall?” Rita
argued. “She was holding it in front of her, and she didn’t fall on her chest,
although she has plenty of padding behind. That’s not really the point. She
could have broken her neck. At any rate, the back is a delicate thing. She
could have injured her spine, and sometimes these things don’t show up until
much later.”
Rita bent down and tried to pick up Augusta, which really
wasn’t necessary. First, because Rita was unable to physically pick up her
daughter, and second, because Augusta was capable of standing up on her own and
actually found herself helping her mother. Nevertheless Rita cautioned her to
be careful and to sit right down again if she felt dizzy.
“You want to come to the office and fill out a form?” the
security guard asked.
Rita certainly did want to fill out a form, and as Rita held
on to Augusta, cautioning her to walk slowly, Augusta couldn’t help but think
of Elvira’s fall just days ago.
Why, it was just like Grandma, she thought.
As Augusta hugged her backpack to her chest, her mind
suddenly cleared, and she understood.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Marianna
Heusler is a native of Holyoke, Massachusetts. She graduated from the
University of Massachusetts with a BA in English Literature and a minor in
education.
The author of
over one hundred short stories, her work has appeared in magazines such as
Woman’s World, Mystery Time, Calliope, Futures, Writer’s International Forum
and Orchard Press as well as numerous anthologies. Her novel Buried In The
Townhouse was published by Pendulum Press and was nominated for The Franklin
Award.
The Night The
Penningtons Vanished is a young adult book, the first in a mystery series,
featuring Isabella Ripa. The story takes place in a small town in western
Massachusetts and was released by The Larcom Press and nominated for an Edgar.
The sequel The Day The Fortune Teller Died was also published
She wrote a
young adult novel Angels From The Alphabet and a middle grade fantasy
Annabelle’s Monsters.
Hilliard
& Harris published her mystery Murder at St. Poylcarp and the sequel
Cappuccino at the Crypt. Both books were picked up by Worldwide Mysteries and
became part of their book club.
For over
twenty years, she taught at all grade levels and has also been a school
librarian. Her other careers have included a cosmetic executive, an editorial
assistant and a reporter. She is currently teaching third grade in private all
girls’ school in Manhattan.
She
volunteers for Visible Ink, a program at Sloan Kettering Hospital, which unites
professional writers with cancer patients.
She lives in
New York City with her husband, Joel and her son, Maximilian.
Links:
Websites: http://www.mariannamystery.com/
marianna
ramondetta@facebook
Buy Link:
Wild Child
Publishing: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/young-adultchildrens-c-72/one-stone-left-unturned-p-420.html
My Review:
This is a really good story about magic. The story is based on the true history of the Tsar, and even the same names are used. Tatiana was real, and they really lived, stayed in hiding, and died the same. This was cool because the book aught me a history lesson. The ending was good, and a sequel would be fun. I also liked how the author told 2 different stories at once, and weaved them together at the end to tie up loose ends. I also really enjoyed the story of the stone.
There was a little bit of everything in this book, and I could not stop reading. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
Marianna will be awarding a $10 GC to Wild Child Publishing to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for hosting me. I really appreciate it!
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