Congratulations to the winner of Ellen Byron’s Bayou Book Thief. Kay K. from Fort Collins, CO won the book, and she’ll be receiving her copy through Ellen.

It seems that so many of us are getting itchy feet after a two-year lockdown. So, this week, I’m giving away copies of two books set

in foreign countries that will allow you to leave home without spending money or inconvenience. Only one is a mystery, Sujata Massey’s The Satapur Moonstone. India, 1922: It is rainy season in the lush, remote Sahyadri mountains, where the princely state of Satapur is tucked away. A curse seems to have fallen upon Satapur’s royal family, whose maharaja died of a sudden illness shortly before his teenage son was struck down in a tragic hunting accident. The state is now ruled by an agent of the British Raj on behalf of Satapur’s two maharanis, the dowager queen and her daughter-in-law. The royal ladies are in a dispute over the education of the young crown prince, and a lawyer’s counsel is required. However, the maharanis live in purdah and do not speak to men. Just one person can help them: Perveen Mistry, Bombay’s only female lawyer. Perveen is determined to bring peace to the royal house and make a sound recommendation for the young prince’s future, but she arrives to find that the Satapur palace is full of cold-blooded power plays and ancient vendettas.

If you win One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle, you might wish you could leave for Italy. I enjoyed this novel that came out earlier this year, “a novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone. But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.”

Which book would you like to win? I do have a hardcover and an ARC of The Satapur Moonstone. Email me at Lesa.Holstine@gmail.com. Your subject line should read either “Win The Satapur Moonstore” or “Win One Italian Summer.” Please include your name and mailing address. The giveaway will end Thursday, June 16 at 5 PM CT. Entries from the U.S. only, please.