The 19 May 2023 Friday Finds are here with a new Author of the Week,
Hello, my friends & welcome to the 19 May 2023 edition of the Friday Finds. Spring passed through here like a whirlwind & looks like we are heading straight into summer. Living straight west of Indianapolis, we can always count on either rain or extreme heat during the 500 race…sometimes both. But I’m ready for it!
This is also the craziest time of year for most families, with end-of-school-year activities, graduations, promotions, parties, and family time. The years are passing so quickly. Sometimes, you just have to put everything else on hold and enjoy life’s little moments. They will be the memories everyone treasures in the future.
Due to my decision to put family, friends, and farm at the top of my priorities this week, today’s post is a little shorter and a little later going out. It was the right decision for me.
I hope you enjoy this week’s post, and I hope to be back to my full enthusiastic self by next week!
Peace & Love
Note: I will share purchase links on all recommended items if possible. Every purchase made through my links helps support this blog.
19 May 2023 Friday Finds | Author News
Do you have a new book releasing soon, a special promotion coming up, or any other news I can share with my readers?
In the reported book and author news this week…
Mark J. Engels is planning a special launch of his newest book, Werecats Emergent (Forest Exiles Saga Book 1), on May 20th! I was an early reader of this book and found it fascinating. You can read my review HERE, and more importantly, check out the book HERE!
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C.S. McDonald’s latest Owl’s Nest Mystery, A Felonius Finale, is available to purchase NOW! Run, don’t walk to grab your copy of the series finale. Better yet, click on one of my links to go directly to the Amazon page.
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Would you like to be featured as my Author/Blogger of the Week? Please drop me a comment below to let me know. That’s all it takes! If no one “volunteers,” I have systems in place to choose one. I’m taking a short hiatus from Author/Blogger features this week, but they will be back very soon.
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Werecats Emergent: An Urban...Shop on Amazon 
A Felonious Finale: The Owl...Shop on Amazon
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19 May 2023 Friday Finds | Books
Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, Anne Berest’s The Postcard is a vivid portrait of twentieth-century Parisian intellectual and artistic life, an enthralling investigation into family secrets, and poignant tale of a Jewish family devastated by the Holocaust and partly restored through the power of storytelling.
January, 2003. Together with the usual holiday cards, an anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home. On the front, a photo of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. On the back, the names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents, Ephraïm and Emma, and their children, Noémie and Jacques—all killed at Auschwitz.
Fifteen years after the postcard is delivered, Anne, the heroine of this novel, is moved to discover who sent it and why. Aided by her chain-smoking mother, family members, friends, associates, a private detective, a graphologist, and many others, she embarks on a journey to discover the fate of the Rabinovitch family: their flight from Russia following the revolution, their journey to Latvia, Palestine, and Paris. What emerges is a moving saga that shatters long-held certainties about Anne’s family, her country, and herself.
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn and television pioneer Shonda Rhimes comes a powerful and romantic novel of Bridgerton‘s Queen Charlotte and King George III’s great love story and how it sparked a societal shift, inspired by the original series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, created by Shondaland for Netflix.
“We are one crown. His weight is mine, and mine is his…”
In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.
Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent… not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets… secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.
Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court… all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away. Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight—for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny… as Queen.
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Summer Vacation, Here I Come by DJ Steinberg
School is out, and it’s time to soak in the sun with this collection of sweet and funny poems from the author of the hugely popular Kindergarten, Here I Come!
It’s summer time, and what better way to celebrate the season than with some poems from best-selling author D. J. Steinberg! From splashing around at the local pool to heading on a family road trip, these silly and heartwarming poems – plus a page of stickers! – are sure to evoke the joy of summer vacation for every reader.
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The PostcardShop on Amazon 
Queen Charlotte: Before Bri...Shop on Amazon 
Summer Vacation, Here I Com...Shop on Amazon
19 May 2023 Friday Finds | Recipes
Large Cheese Board Set with 21 Accessories – Swivel Design
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Mini Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwich Platter
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Quick & Beautiful Fruit Platter
19 May 2023 Friday Finds | Creative Projects
Last week, I asked about the craft projects you are currently working on. Martha mentioned the 10-Stitch blanket she’s working on. I had forgotten how relaxing and fun a project like that could be. Here’s a sample of a few to pique your desire to create.
10-Stitch Knitted Throw by Frankie Brown
10-Stitch Crochet Blanket by Dedri
10-Stitch Tunisian Crochet Blanket by Dedri
19 May 2023 Friday Finds | Gina’s Blog Roundup
What are some of your favorite blogs to visit each week? I love surfing through an eclectic mix of blogs. It’s a rabbit hole I fall into frequently!
If you missed one of my reviews in the past week, here’s an easy link to find them all, or click on the image & links below. Be sure you check out the giveaways. There are some great prizes this week, from gift cards to signed copies of books. I was striving for an eclectic mix of books on the blog this week. What do you think? Would any of these appeal to you?
DAVID: A new direction for Mankind: Part 1 by James Bounds | Book Review
Overdue (A McLaren Mystery) by Jo A Hiestand | Book Review ~ Excerpt ~ $20 Gift Card Opportunity
Heart of the Sky (Arvia Series, Book 3) by DH Willison | Book Review
What would you like to see in next week’s Friday Finds?
Thanks for reading this week. Peace & Love!
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It’s always important to put family first! It’s good you can spend time with your family.
My favorite finds are always the indie author news, of course!
With summer coming up, maybe you could post more summer learning things for kids. I’m participating in a summer learning giveaway if you’d like to share it with your readers next week. I’ll send you the link.
Have a great weekend!
Hope all is well Gina, enthusiasm is overrated! Love that swivel board–would make a great gift–even if I would want one for myself! Did a ten-stitch crochet pillow, a few months ago. You’re right, it was fun and relaxing. In fact, I was so relaxed, I made too many little rectangles!
I used to make bookmarks & coasters on my littlest rectangle pin loom. That was my relaxing, go to mindless craft.