Alaina Claiborne by MK McClintock - Review tour and giveaway

(Full length historical romantic suspense)

This review is done in conjunction with the author's virtual tour with Goddess Fish Promotions.

MK will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so comment today AND follow the tour (if you click on the tour banner above, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops) -- the more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win an awesome prize!



How far would you go to avenge your family and save the one you love?

In nineteenth-century England, Alaina Claiborne had a loving family, a cherished friend, and devoted servants. She spent her days riding across the grassy hills of the English countryside, joyful and at peace.

Then tragedy strikes and her world is forever changed. Searching for those responsible is her only focus . . . until she meets Tristan.

Tristan Sheffield, a man of many talents, searches out those who don’t want to be found. His past is filled with secrets and deeds he would rather leave deeply buried. However, when his life unexpectedly entwines with Alaina's, he soon discovers they share more than a mutual desire to catch a murderer.

On their hunt for a man driven by greed, Tristan and Alaina find that love is the greatest weapon against evil, and they'll stop at nothing to survive.



With a clever mix of mystery, history and romance, MK McClintock has forged a very good beginning to what promises to be an entertaining series.

Tristan and Alaina have similar goals:  find out who killed her parents and best friend and his father.  Presumably the same perpetrator.  To this end, Tristan befriends Alaina, and so is there when things begin to happen again in an apparent effort to silence her before she can recall the events the day her family was murdered.

With a great cast of characters, from Alaina's guardians (her aunt and uncle) to Tristan's friends (and co-spies), Alaina Claiborne certainly got me invested and kept me turning pages to make sure Alaina and Tristan would come through their adventures unscathed.

There were some things that were annoyances.  When I read a mystery, I like there to be enough clues that, should I be clever and observant enough, I can figure out whodunnit.  While here we're able to eventually deduce the minor "bad guys", the big bad is someone we don't know about until he's revealed and that frustrated me (and surprised Alaina).

And occasionally Alaina or Tristan acted in ways contrary to their obvious intelligence (especially considering Tristan was a trained spy for the British government, his behavior now and then made me scratch my head -- I suppose I can attribute it to being love blinded).

The romance is touching, tender and sweet. Do not read this book expecting scorching heat and graphic love scenes.  I don't say this in a negative way -- it's refreshing to read a story that doesn't rely on sex to build the love relationship.  Tristan and Alaina like each other long before they love each other, which was very realistic and made my heart sigh a bit.

While perhaps not "edge of your seat" thrilling, Alaina Claiborne certainly intrigued me enough to want to pick up the next book in the series.  I'd like to know how they're doing as well as follow up with Tristan's buddies. They have their own mysteries to solve and I enjoyed them enough to want to go along for the ride.

3.5 Flowers - This was a good book. I liked it.

Across the acres, darkness enveloped another, her surroundings illuminated by the flickering flame of a lamp. Alaina moved around in the attic, searching through trunks of the items that had come from her mother’s cottage in Ireland. It was difficult to see so many memories that reminded her of her parents, but she also found it calmed her. She had avoided these things since they had been delivered years ago, but now her fears became secondary. She hoped that something from her parents’ past would shed light on what was happening in the present.

Alaina rummaged through a trunk of some of her mother’s clothes, pulling them out and smelling them, hoping for a faint whiff of the soft rose scent her mother used to wear. There was something lingering around the old clothes, and it took Alaina back to a time when she was a little girl. Nevertheless, the memory ended there. She paused for a moment, as if the scent reminded her of something else besides her mother. She subsequently released the memory when she saw the bottom of the trunk was not as deep as it should have been. She pulled out the remaining dress and ran her fingers along the bottom and edges. She next looked on the outside of the trunk. Nearly six inches of extra space remained near the bottom on the inside. Alaina felt along the inside edges and became excited when she found a gap. Slowly reaching her fingers into the hole, she simultaneously pushed down on the other edge for leverage and surprised herself when the bottom tilted to reveal the extra space beneath. Removing the thin board, she set it aside and gasped when she turned back to the trunk. “Oh, Mother. What did you do?”

McClintock is an over-worked entrepreneur, baker of decadent desserts and all things chocolate, photographer of beautiful places, and most importantly, a writer.

She dreams of a time when life was simpler, the land rougher, and the journey more rewarding. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, McClintock will always call Montana home.

McClintock is a member of Romance Writers of America, Montana Romance Writers, Hearts Through History Romance Writers, and Women Writing the West.

MK McClintock Website: http://www.mkmcclintock.com

Official Blog: http://mkmcclintock.blogspot.com

Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5438837.M_K_McClintock

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/mkmcclintock

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mkmcclintock/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MKMcClintockBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MKMcClintockMT

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe6kJdOe1cNxDAGoUpA8NLg?feature=mhee

Book Links

Amazon Print: http://www.amazon.com/Alaina-Claiborne-Volume-MK-McClintock/dp/0615742505/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358790363&sr=8-1&keywords=alaina+claiborne

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Alaina-Claiborne-British-Novels-ebook/dp/B00AYOT648/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358790363&sr=8-2&keywords=alaina+claiborne

Gallagher's Hope by M. K. McClintock - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

Today we're welcoming author MK McClintock to the blog on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the historical western romance, Gallagher's Hope.

MK is giving away an ebook copy of the first book of the series (Gallagher’s Pride) to one random commenter at every stop and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour, so comment today AND follow her tour (if you click on the banner over there on the left, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops)! The more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win a GC!

And now, time to ask some prying questions.

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I’m actually a multi-genre author, but my first love is historical western romance. It just seemed natural living in the mountains of Montana to write about where I live. I’ve often imagined what it would be like to live in the old west and since I can’t live in that time physically, I can live in it through my writing.

What research is required?

I won’t lie - I do take some liberties as a fiction author and manipulate tiny bits of historical timelines to suit the story, but research is required in order to try and stay true to the era and to capture the ‘feel’ of it. I do a lot of fact-checking, but a good portion of my research for the books in this series comes from years of reading romances and watching westerns.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

I’ve never been asked that question before and now I’m wondering why not! I’ve learned that even out of the worst of situations, beautiful things can and do happen to good people. Both Gabriel and Isabelle taught me that and I suppose in a way they taught each other too.

Any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I like a cooler environment when I write and complete silence…most of the time. When I’m in brainstorming mode I switch on Celtic music or sometimes western themes from the City of Prague Philharmonic. Habits? Not sure if I would call it a habit, but when my brain is on overload I step away to bake something chocolate and then all is right in the world again. Superstitions? I’m the person who would purposely sleep in a haunted castle just to see if the rumors were true, so I’d say none.

Plotter or pantser?

Both. Plotter in the beginning to lay the groundwork and then I just let the story come.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A table with my desk calendar for monthly blog visits and stacks of writing papers, research materials and books. A shelf that holds plaques and wooden elephants, a cork board with more calendars and photographs and a wooden sign I picked up in Vermont that says ‘You say I’m a WITCH like it’s a Bad thing’ (Halloween is my favorite holiday).

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Well, now that Gallagher’s Hope is complete, I’m working on the third book in the series, Gallagher’s Choice. Then there will be a fourth book in that series. I’ll then move onto the many other projects I have planned.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What fun! It’s not often we get to ask the readers something. I tend to read within just a few genres, but I like to open myself up to something different once in a while and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover books I really enjoyed. How often do you read outside of your preferred genre?

Thank you so much for having me with you today!

She sought a new beginning.
He sought what he didn’t know was missing.
Together they would discover hope in unlikely places

Isabelle Rousseu must escape New Orleans and the memory of her family’s tragic loss. With her younger brother in tow, she accepts a position as the new schoolteacher in Briarwood, Montana. Desperate to keep what’s left of her family together, Isabelle joins her life with a stranger only to discover that trust and hope go hand in hand.

Gabriel Gallagher lived each day as it came believing he had everything he could possibly want...until a determined woman and her brother arrive with a little luggage and a lot of secrets.

It will take a drastic choice to protect her and give them both, hope for the future.

There was nothing left of the life she had known.

Her slender arm wrapped around the little boy’s shoulder and pulled him closer to his side. She could feel his slight trembling and wished more than anything that she could take his sadness. They were alone in the world. They had each other and she prayed that would be enough for them both.

They stood and listened as the priest gave the final blessing and the caskets were lowered into the ground. It wasn’t something anyone should witness, but she needed the closure. She needed to know that it was over. ‘A very sad affair’ everyone called it for it wasn’t every day that a man murdered his wife and then shot himself. It wasn’t healthy to think on the possible reasons why, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She had truly believed that they had been a happy family. One of the wealthiest in New Orleans and one of the most respected and sought out for social gatherings. The truth however, was revealed with her father’s death. No one would speak of it to them of course, but the lawyer had made it quite clear.

They were penniless.

MK McClintock was born on the west coast, but after less than eight years she left with her family to the Rocky Mountains. After more adventures around the country, business-college and culinary school, MK McClintock found a place to call home in Montana.

Over the years MK McClintock traveled the country and visited magnificent Scotland. She dreams of a time when life was simpler, the land rougher and the journey more rewarding. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, MK McClintock still calls Montana home.

MK McClintock is also the author of Gallagher's Pride, the first of her Montana Gallagher Series and Alaina Claiborne, the first of her British Agent novels.

MK McClintock Website: http://www.mkmcclintock.com
Official Blog: http://mkmcclintock.blogspot.com
Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5438837.M_K_McClintock
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/mkmcclintock
Kindlegraph: http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/MKMcClintockMT

Book Links
About the Gallaghers: http://www.mkmcclintock.com/#%21books/vstc5=the-gallaghers