Copenhagen Cozenage by Kristen Joy Wilks

About the Book

Book: Copenhagen Cozenage

Author: Kristen Joy Wilks

Genre: Christian Fiction

Release date: September, 2015

Morgan Ravn arrives in Denmark seeking clues about her mysterious heritage. What she finds is a flirtatious stranger who regales her with a story about a jewel thief from 1958 and then abandons her with a large unruly dog. Can Morgan locate the irresponsible pet owner before his monstrous canine drags her through every puddle in Copenhagen and sheds all over her last dress? And why are strangers dogging her every step, snapping photos? Is the shutter happy behavior a bizarre Danish custom or something more sinister?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kristen Joy Wilks lives in the beautiful woods of the Cascade mountains with her camp director husband, three fierce sons, and a large and slobbery Newfoundland dog. She spent her misguided youth falling in love with Commander Spock via Star Trek reruns, being suspended upside down over a homemade pit filled with gardener snakes, and stampeding herds of elk while on horseback. Now most of her adventures consist of preventing her hubby from filling another wall of their dining room with board games, thwarting her 3 boys’ efforts to sneak their pet chickens onto their bunk beds whenever she turns her back to fold laundry, and trying not to trip over the random teenagers that swarm her house to play all those board games.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. Has writing fiction always been in your blood?

Yes! Yes, it has. My great grandfather was a fast gun and was often deputized to round up outlaws in Oklahoma territory. In his golden years, he got a job telling wild stories to wide-eyed city folk at a dude ranch. My grandma Autumn (his daughter) once got an F on something that she wrote because the teacher said that it was too well-written for a girl her age and that she must have copied it. Her youngest son, my father, was an amazing storyteller. Whether it was during a sermon, while speaking at Bible camp, or sitting on the edge of my bed when I had an earache, he was constantly spinning yarns. His Green Meadow Rescue Society stories continued for years and incorporating my brother and I as well as every one of our many pets. Solving a mystery from horseback with cats and guinea pigs and a white rat in toe is no small feat, but he made sure we did it every time.

2. How long did it take to publish your first novel?

That depends when you start counting, ha! I started actively trying to get published when my husband was attending seminary. It took fourteen years of writing classes, keeping regular writing hours, attending writer’s conferences, writing four different book manuscripts, and loads of revision before my first book was published. If you go back to when I wrote my first book in first grade … well, that adds a few years onto that number. 

3. Which scene was most fun to write and why?

That would be the pirate ship restaurant scene! My poor heroine has to navigate Copenhagen with a 150lb dog who LOVES water! While brainstorming different bodies of water to cause her pain, I discovered that there is a lake in the middle of Tivoli Gardens. Yes, this is the third oldest operating theme park in the world. Well, in that lovely lake sits a pirate ship. This pirate ship is actually a restaurant and is close enough to shore so that hungry tourists can walk out to it using a plank bridge. So much water! So much peril! So much rampant embarrassment! Let’s just say that the Newfoundland dog enjoyed the experience much more than the heroine of our tale. This is also the scene that a young reader (a boy of twelve) used to inspire a build in his Minecraft game. I had never had someone incorporate one of my stories into a video game and was so honored when he built the pirate ship restaurant and filled it with ill-mannered wolves in honor of Leroy, the Newfoundland dog.

4. What are five things people don’t usually know about you?

• I grew up off-grid at a remote Bible camp in the cascade mountains. I actually still live there since my husband is now the camp director.
• I once defied all good sense and rode my horse into a herd of 200 elk.
• My brother and I spent much of each summer building rafts (like Huck Finn) that didn’t float very well and sailing them around our grandparents’ frog pond.
• With the help of the same brother and our cousins, we dug a snake pit and filled it with captured gardener snakes. We had just watched Indiana Jones and argued over who would get the honor of being dangled over the snake pit by their feet. I was too tall and the snakes got in my hair, ha!
• I once had to chase a bat out of a cabin with my sweatshirt. I used it as a net, scooped the bat up, and deposited him outside.

5. What special challenges did you face making your story stand out from others in your genre?

Well, RomComs are full of awkward moments and I have plenty of those in my story, ha! But to add just a bit more spice, I wrote in a giant dog and some board game geek fun too! My husband and I owned a 163lb Newfoundland dog and while he became an amazing gentle giant with time, training him was exciting. Both of us were dragged here and there, bouncing on our faces at one time or another. He loved water. If he saw water, Shamu would simply charge toward it, dragging whoever had his leash behind him. I saw my husband literally soar into the air, crash, and be dragged on his face across the grass by our powerful and rowdy pet. With training, this stopped, but it sparked some really fun story moments! Also, my husband loves strategy board games and I love Star Trek. Adding little tidbits from these passions into Morgan’s character really made her stand out as a real person for me. I hope you love her as much as I do!

More from Kristen Joy

Have you ever gotten stuck with someone else’s luggage? How about someone else’s dog? Let’s make that someone else’s ill-mannered, 150lb, Newfoundland dog!

Yes, Morgan, my poor heroine just wanted to discover her roots during a calm tour of Copenhagen, Denmark. What she gets … a wild chase through a foreign city with a giant and hairy beast in tow!

We have owned two wonderful Newfoundland dogs and they are truly gentle giants … once they grow up. But that training process is a sight to behold when your “puppy” weighs 100lbs before he reaches his first birthday and doesn’t even notice you bouncing along behind him as he charges for the lake.

Our first Newfoundland, Shamu, ended up weighing a hefty 163lbs in his prime and was a handful for those first few training years. Thus, I have taken some of our crazy dog stories and used them to harass my hapless heroine during her Danish vacation. Shamu would gallop toward any body of water he spotted. A lake, river, nice fountain, you name it! If you happened to be dragged along with him, he didn’t mind. The more the merrier! Don’t worry, there is plenty of water in Copenhagen to tempt a fun-loving Newfoundland dog. One might see various fountains, a paddle boat pond in Tivoli Gardens, or even a restaurant that is actually a pirate ship floating on a lake. Add a bunch of dog hair and slobber and this crazy RomCom hits a bit close to home for someone who actually owns a Newfoundland dog.

As a prize, I’m offering notecards that feature our current Newfy (Princess Leia Freyja) in all her hairy glory as well as a box of Danish chocolates and a paperback copy of the book.

May your day be full of adventure … but not quite as much as Morgan endures in Copenhagen Cozenage. God Bless!

In His Hands,

Kristen

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 16(Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 16

Texas Book-aholic, April 17

Inklings and notions, April 18

For Him and My Family, April 19

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 20 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, April 21

A Baker’s Perspective, April 22 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, April 23 (Spotlight)

Guild Master, April 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 25

Simple Harvest Reads, April 26 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 27

Splashes of Joy, April 28 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 28

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kristen is giving away the grand prize package of a box of Ingeborg’s Danish chocolates, plus six blank notecards with Newfoundland dog photos on the front, and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1cc81/copenhagen-cozenage-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour and Giveaway The Ranchers Wyoming Twins by Virginia McCullough

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

 

 

The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins

 

(Back to Adelaide Creek #1)

 

By Virginia McCullough

Clean Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages

March 29, 2022 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Her worst enemy…
Could bring her heart home

Heather Stanhope wants to despise the man who now owns the ranch her family lost. But Matt Burton is raising his late sister’s adorable twins, loves horses, and is known for his loyalty and honesty. Sneaking into Adelaide Creek for her friend’s wedding, Heather hopes to avoid Matt, but fate and family have them crossing paths. Heather knows falling for Matt means risking her heart, but it’s a risk she can’t resist.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository

 

 

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK 

Heather dreaded going back to her home town but she really doesn’t have a choice. Her best friend is getting married and there is no way she will let her down. So her plans are to sneak in and sneak back out before she sees him! But will her plans work? 

I always enjoy Virginia McCullough’s book and this one is at the top of my list. Adelaide Creek is homey and enjoyable. Matt works hard running his ranch as well as raising his late sister’s twins. McCullough writing is  phenomenal and I love how she creates her characters to be so realistic. Of course the adorable twins are my favorites in this story. And between the twins and her attraction to Matt Burton, it just might be difficult for Heather to sneak in and out of her hometown as she wanted to do. This is a sweet story to read if you love sweet and clean contemporary romance. 

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia McCullough has been lucky
enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the
coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in
nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and
coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business
owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share
or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could
be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with
everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always
include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown
children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails
or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off
for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about
hope, healing, and second chances.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | Amazon | Newsletter

 

Tour Schedule

 

Tour Giveaway

 

 

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon e-gift card & a $25 Etsy e-gift card (INT)

 

Ends May 4, 2022

ENTER HERE
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

 

 

 

 

The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith

Product Description

Joseph is the pampered favorite son of the patriarch Jacob. His older brothers, deeply resentful of his status in the family, take advantage of the chance to get rid of him, selling him to slave traders and deceiving their father about his fate. It seems like their troubles are over. But for Joseph and older brother Judah, they are just beginning.

While Joseph is accused of rape and imprisoned, Judah attempts to flee the memory of his complicity in the betrayal of his younger brother. After decades apart, the brothers will come face-to-face in a stunning role reversal that sees Joseph in a position of great power while Judah begs for mercy. Will forgiveness or vengeance win the day?

Bestselling and award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith brings her considerable research and imaginative skills to bear in this vivid retelling of one of the most popular stories found in Scripture–a story of jealousy, betrayal, and a reconciliation that only God could bring about.

***

“A story of forgiveness, grace, and redemption, and Smith tells it in a creative and believable way, which is a hallmark of her writing.”–

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Joseph is the favorite son of Jacob, which doesn’t sit so well with his older brothers. When the chance came to get rid of Joseph, they were nothing but happy to sell him off to slave traders. Author Jill Eileen Smith does an amazing job of bringing this story to life. With her deep research you will learn things you may not have heard before about this story. Join this author in her retelling of a story I’m sure many people love hearing over and over many times during their lifetime.

I love any story by this author. And I love this brand new read from Jill Eileen Smith, The Prince and the Prodigal. If you love Biblical fiction, you will love this beautiful story of God’s love and the forgiveness that was needed to bring this family back together. This is a powerful story. One that has reached so many people and it is still reaching people today. I encourage you to check this story out. And it would be an amazing gift to give your friends.

A special thanks to the author/publisher and Library Thing for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

About the Author

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, Wives of the Patriarchs, Daughters of the Promised Land, The Heart of a King, Star of Persia, Miriam’s Song, and the nonfiction When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams, and She Walked Before Us.

Giveaway and Review – Dial E FOR Endearment by Heidi Gray McGill

About the Book

Book: Dial E for Endearment

Author: Heidi Gray McGill

Genre: Sweet Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: February 1, 2022

Everly Johnson is every man’s dream of the perfect date, even though none of her audience has met her. As host for the Choose Joy segment of JOY Radio in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, she receives countless gifts of flowers and candy on behalf of her admires, which she promptly donates to her mother’s assisted living facility. What Everly wants are words–heartfelt, meaningful endearments meant for her ears only. She wants a man who will open her eyes to everything she cannot see to make her feel more than just the voice behind the mic.

Cameron Boyd struggles to make eye contact with anyone, let alone say something coherent unless it is the one-way conversation he has each Friday with Everly Johnson. Date night for Cam involves sitting alone on his back porch overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains while he dreams of things to say if he were ever to call in to her show.

A chance meeting changes everything.

Will Cam be able to step out of his comfort zone and into the world he has only been able to envision in his mind? Will Everly trust this stranger with her life as well as her heart?

Tune into JOY Radio to find out!

Click here to get your copy!

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

This is my first read by Heidi Gray McGill, but it won’t the last. I love this book, and I love McGill’s writing style. Everly and Cameron are the perfect couple, if only they knew this! I found it so sweet that Cameron dreamed of calling in ti Everly’s show, but of course it’s not as easy as one may think. I love these two characters, along with the others created by Heidi Gray McGill. This is a fun and entertaining book to read. I kept thinking I was in my living room talking with Everly, or perhaps listening to her Joy radio show. I found it interesting that Everly and the author has some things in common, and we get to see a glimpse of McGill’s life through This character.

Actually I found a lot of interesting and fun things in this book that I enjoyed very much. And Everly taught me so much as I followed her life and how she is an overcome. She never let’s life abd her circumstances stop her or even slow her down. I needed to hear this message. And hopefully I can take some of these things to heart. I think any women or young lady can and will enjoy this book. It has something for all to enjoy. Go check out this book today. I am giving this one Five Stars.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

About the Author

Heidi is an optimist who chooses to find the silver lining in life’s clouds of doubt. This plays out in her writing. Her ability to seamlessly weave scripture into the lives of her characters will uplift and encourage you, while her masterful storytelling will keep you turning page after page and wishing for more.

Heidi lives with her husband of thirty years near Charlotte, NC. When she isn’t writing, you will find her outside playing with her two grandsons, walking, scrapbooking, reading, cooking, traveling, or finding an excuse to have an outing with a girlfriend.

More from Heidi

Everly, the main character in Dial E for Endearment and I have something in common, but it may not be what you’d expect. As Blowing Rock, NC’s JOY Radio talk show host, Everly has discovered fulfillment, but she hasn’t found love, at least not for her—not even from her mother. In Dial E for Endearment, Everly wants words–heartfelt, meaningful endearments meant for her ears only. She wants a man who will open her eyes to everything she cannot see to make her feel more than just the voice behind the mic.

You may know me as an author, but did you know I am also the retired Director and Founder of an ESL program, regularly walk 12 plus miles a week, care for my grandsons, scrapbook, read voraciously, cook, and am legally blind?  That last phrase was difficult for me to say out loud not that long ago.

Vision loss does not discriminate.

My diagnosis in 2001 of Retinitis Pigmentosa was devastating. There is no cure. There is no surgery. But that does not mean there is no hope.

I still have value.

Those who do not know me well often don’t realize I have low vision. As humans, we are amazingly adaptable, and I do a pretty good job covering up my disability. My friends have learned to watch out for me and alert me to potential pitfalls, some better than others, which is always good for a laugh. I use a cane when I’m navigating alone. I’ve traveled to China—that cane my only companion.

Being blind is certainly not something I would have chosen,

but it does not define me.

Join me on this fun adventure and see for yourself that God does not discriminate. You’ll laugh your way through mishaps–most of which may have happened to me at some point…although I’ll most likely deny if asked. But most of all, you’ll learn that we ALL have value, and that includes YOU.

February is Low Vision Awareness Month.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 8

I luv the books, April 8

Inklings and notions, April 9

For Him and My Family, April 10

Spoken from the Heart, April 10

Texas Book-aholic, April 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 12

deb’s Book Review, April 13

Simple Harvest Reads, April 13 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 16

Miriam Jacob, April 16

Bizwings Blog, April 17

Blossoms and Blessings, April 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 19

She Lives To Read, April 19

Aryn the Libraryan, April 20

Splashes of Joy, April 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Heidi is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c94d/dial-e-for-endearment-celebration-tour-giveaway

Able Soul by Lucy Goncalves

About the Book

Book: Able Soul

Author: Lucy Goncalves

Genre: Christian Inspirational Devotional

Release date: April 27, 2019

No stranger to adversity, Lucy Goncalves was deprived of oxygen at birth. She has lived her entire life with cerebral palsy, and the daily challenges she must face as a result.

In her award-winning debut book Able Soul: Empowering God’s Spirit Within, she explores the ground-breaking lessons garnered from embracing her struggles rather than giving up on God because of them. On the backdrop of personal stories from her life, along with related scriptures and prayers, you will find proof that the Holy Spirit is always accessible. God works with you in the midst of all your challenges.

By inviting God’s spirit in daily, Lucy has received tangible communications from God. She shares how the power of these soul-lifting reflections will lead you out of the darkness and steadfast toward pure contentment.

Click here to get your copy!

AND NOW AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

1. How long does it take you to write a book? 

Overall, the book took me 5 years to complete and self-published. Initially, I started blogging sharing my faith journey. With positive feedback from readers, I gained confidence in my writing ability. Overall, it took about 4 years. One of the reasons why it took so long is because I needed to dictate to my assistant. I have cerebral palsy along with a speech impediment. Unfortunately, I’m not able to use voice dictation software as my speech pattern varies. 

2. What tactics do you have when writing? Do you just sit down and start writing? Or have an outline plan before?

Since I had to dictate to another person, I like to pray before I write as I need to let go of my insecurities. Also, prayer calms me down. My ideas flow smoother. I have more inspiration. 

3. What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
My answer is twofold. “I hope the readers are encouraged and feel inspired to explore their relationship with God in a deeper way, and I hope they gain a broader understanding on disability issues in a relatable way.”

4. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned through years of writing?
 My biggest misconception about writing is that I need to get it right the first time. I had to be cohesive.  This fear prevented me from writing for years. A friend               recommended a book to me by Anne Lamont called Bye Bye Birdie, where she breaks down the writing process. I learned that it’s ok to write anything to write what you think is crap as eventually, it will lead to the good stuff. It’s challenging to do by dictation as I have to trust my assistant to understand the process.

5. What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the beginning of your   writing/publishing journey?

 As I self-published my book, I thought that writing would be the difficult part. However, marketing is the most challenging aspect. I didn’t know how important it was to get reviews prior to publishing. Also, it takes a lot of work to get exposure for my book. I’m very grateful for this book blog opportunity. Thank you so much for having me as a guest and for taking time to read my book.

6. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I wanted to be a teacher or counsellor

7. Your favorite pastime or hobby?

 I love adventure. Outdoor recreation. Anything near the water.

8. What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you?
 One time my power chair stopped working and the only way for me to get home was in a police van. Interesting prospective when you are sober. 

About the Author

Author, Advocate, Adventure Sport Enthusiast, Able Soul

Lucy Goncalves began her writing career by penning a sought-after blog, ‘Able Soul’ where she shares her life experiences of living with a disability, and in the midst of it found hope, faith, and the greatest love of all.  Due to a lack of oxygen at birth, Lucy acquired Cerebral Palsy.  She uses a powerchair for mobility, wrestling with chronic muscle spasms, and has a speech impediment, yet has fought through these obstacles to tell her story. She is the epitome of overcoming adversity.

Lucy is the daughter of Portuguese Canadian immigrants from Northern Portugal. She was raised in Kitimat, British Columbia and has been living independently in North Vancouver for the past few decades. She obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration and has chaired several nonprofit boards, including the InterFit Society, an organization that exists to remove barriers for people with disabilities to access outdoor recreational adventures.

Anyone who has met Lucy Goncalves can attest to her radiant personality, intellect, quick wit, sense of adventure and to the depth of her character. In her book, she shares candid reflections of her life living with a disability, the abuse she encountered, and the freedom she found with God. She hopes that you too will discover your own Able Soul story.

More from Lucy

Before writing the book, I felt a bit lost and frustrated, not having my voice completely heard. I felt that I had a lot to offer especially in regards to my faith. As a person with a disability, sometimes it’s difficult to be taken seriously, as an equal. Through prayer I began to write and started a blog. With positive feedback from readers, I gained confidence in my writing ability which led to the book.

Blog Stops

An Author’s Take, April 12

Rebecca Tews, April 13

Texas Book-aholic, April 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 15

deb’s Book Review, April 16

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 17 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 18

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 19

Inklings and notions, April 20

Splashes of Joy, April 21 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 22

Stories By Gina, April 23 (Author Interview)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, April 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 24

Miriam Jacob, April 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lucy is giving away the grand prize of a $50 GlobalGiving gift card to put towards a project or non-profit organization!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c951/able-soul-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Secrets We Conceal by S.R. Fabrico

Join us for this tour from Apr 11 to Apr 29, 2022!

Book Details:
Book Title:  The Secrets We Conceal by S.R. Fabrico
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  300 pages
Genre: Coming of Age, Women’s, Psychological and Family, Relationships Abuse/Child Abuse
Publisher:  S.R. Fabrico
Release date:  March 15, 2022
Tour dates: April 11 to April 29, 2022
Content Rating:  R. Maybe more PG-13 +M. There are 3 chapters of sexual abuse and approximately 5 total curse words.

about:blank

Book Description:

A riveting coming of age story, that will make you laugh, cry and root for Laura to find happiness.
​
Laura Shirk is a normal, happy, go-lucky, little girl playing with Cabbage Patch dolls and Legos. Until she isn’t. Set in the late 1980s-early 90s, a visit to her aunt and uncle’s house changes everything.

What follows is a nerve-racking story shedding light on child sexual abuse. As the tragedy unfolds, Laura mutters through life concealing her secret from everyone. Feeling alone and isolated, she struggles to navigate her younger years wondering if she can or will ever find happiness.

Then, Laura meets ‘the perfect man’ for her. Can he heal her heart and break down her steel walls?

The Secrets We Conceal, S.R. Fabrico’s debut novel is a riveting coming of age story that beautifully conveys how love and strength can heal all wounds. 

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

The Secrets We Conceal by S.R. Fabrico is a book about sexual abuse. I have to admit that at times, reading this story actally made me sick. Family and those we love are suppose to protect us from predators out there. Laura was a happy child, wanting to visit her cousin, but if she had only known what would happen, maybe she would have stayed home. Fabrico does a fabulous job writing this book, being sensitive to those who have dealt with this subject. I like the way she talks about abusive relationships in a way that doesn’t blame the thr one hurt. One thing I hope this book does is to encourage and help those who have been abused to speak out. Find someone you trust and talk to them.

I, like others have said had many emotions reading this book. From sickness to stress, from anxiety to depression, I would just sometimes stop and cry. But this story needs to be heard. And I hope something I have said helps someone somewhere, or maybe helps a reader get the news out about this issue. I plan to see what I can do to help others. I encourage you to read this book. It’s not the best reading material, but it into the hands of others could change someone’s life. I’m giving this Five out of Five Stars!!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N ~ iBooks
BookBub
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Born a raised a Yankee who loves NY style pizza and Philly cheesesteaks. I was introduced to the amazing world of Southern BBQ after moving to Tennessee where I live with my husband and two children. My family is my main priority, everything I do is for them. I attended college in the 90’s and received a degree in mathematics with a minor in secondary education, I went on to coach cheerleading and dance for 20 years and won a Hip Hop Dance World Championship. Anything and everything creative are my absolute favorite, so writing has always been a hobby. When I’m writing, I like to wife hard, mom hard, paint, read good books and watch good movies.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram 

Tour Schedule:

April 11 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 12 – Pick a Good Book – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
April 14 – Lynchburg Reads – book review / giveaway
April 18 –Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 18 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
April 19 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
April 19 – My Fictional Oasis – book review 
April 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – book review / giveaway
April 21 – @twilight_reader – book review / giveaway
April 22 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
April 22 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
April 25 – Books for Books – book spotlight
April 26 –Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
April 27 – The Page Ladies – book review / giveaway
April 27 – My Reading Getaway  – book review / author interview / giveaway
April 27 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 28 – Ravenz Reviewz – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 29 – Leels Loves Books – book review / giveaway
April 29 – Novels Alive – book spotlight / giveaway
April 29 – Novels Alive – book review 

Enter the Giveaway:

Enter Competition

Giveaway & Spotlight Ten Thousand I Love Yous by Lisa Slabach

 

 March 28 to April 22!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Ten Thousand I Love Yous by Lisa Slabach

Category: Adult Fiction 18+, 303 pages 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher:  BookBaby

Release date:  February 2022

Book Description:

In this humorously touching novel by the critically acclaimed author of Degrees of Love, a woman is blindsided when her high school sweetheart abandons her after eighteen years of marriage.

At sixteen, Kimberly Kirby thought the only thing she needed to be perfectly happy was to spend the rest of her life with Jay Braxton. Twenty years later, she still believes it. As they proudly watch their daughter, Haley, graduate from high school, she imagines her life is as perfect as anyone could reasonably expect. Jay is a formidable attorney, she a freelance writer, and their love as strong as ever. With Haley heading to UC Berkeley in the fall, Kimberly fantasizes about making love on the kitchen table. She has no clue that Jay’s bags are already packed.

Now divorced and determined to squelch her love for Jay, she accepts a gig writing a sex and dating blog for divorcees. As the Virgin Dater, she is on the hunt for love. No-strings-attached nights with a sexy fireman and moving to San Francisco are just what she needs to boost her battered ego and mend her shattered heart.

But just as she falls hard for a talented young chef, Jay fights to win her back. Torn between her bold new life and the comfort of Jay’s strong arms, she questions if there is too much to forgive. The ten thousand I love yous that had passed Jay’s lips can’t be dismissed, but nor can her newfound freedom and the knowledge that her happiness doesn’t depend on Jay.

Buy the Book

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Barnes & Noble ~Target ~ Google

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add to goodreads

 

 

Meet the Author:

Ten Thousand I Love Yous is Lisa Slabach’s second novel.

Prior to publication, her first novel, Degrees of Love was recognized as a Best Book of 2014 by Kirkus Review. Degrees of Love made its publishing debuted December 1, 2017 and was nominated for a 2017 Reviewer’s Choice Award by RT Book Reviews.

In addition to writing, Lisa is a Fintech Relationship Executive for a Fortune 500 Company. She is a long-time resident of Northern California and lives with her husband, one-hundred-forty-pound puppy and numerous goldfish. In her free time, she enjoys wine tasting, shopping with her daughters, and cooking in her pink kitchen.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ goodread ~ bookbub

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Tour Schedule:

Mar 28 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway

Mar 28 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway

Mar 28 – Kam’s Place – book review

Mar 29 – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Mar 30 – Ravenz Reviewz – book review / author interview / giveaway

Mar 31 –The Phantom Paragrapher – book spotlight / giveaway

Mar 31 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Mar 31 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

April 5 – My Fictional Oasis – book review / giveaway

April 5 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

April 6 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

April 7 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway

April 8 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway

April 8 – Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

April 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway

April 12 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight / giveaway

April 12 – @twilight_reader – book review / giveaway

April 13 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway

April 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – book review / giveaway

April 14 – The Page Ladies – book review

April 15 – Bookish Trisha – book review / author interview / giveaway

April 19 –Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / giveaway

April 20 – mysweetenedlifebychix – book review / giveaway

April 20 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway

April 21 – My Reading Getaway – book review

April 21 – The Eclectic Review – book review / giveaway

April 22 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway

April 22 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

TEN THOUSAND I LOVE YOUS Book Tour Giveaway

 

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Peace in the Mountain Haven by Misty Beller

About the Book

Book: Peace in the Mountain Haven

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian historical romance

Release date: March 15, 2022

This epic journey is her best chance to find the family she and her daughter long for.

Watkuese is desperate to return across the Rocky Mountains before winter sets in. Time is running out for her to get her adopted daughter back to the familiar surroundings of the Shoshone village before the grief of her parents’ death causes irreparable damage.

Hugh Charpentier has spent his life watching over his siblings, which meant also ensuring his brother’s widow and babe are settled well into their new life. Now he’s asked to help shepherd a woman and child he barely knows across the mountains. As hard as it is to keep up with a six-year-old in the treacherous Rockies, it’s not nearly as dangerous as risking his heart to a woman and child who may not ever be his.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

Click here to get your copy! $3, $15, $30

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Peace in the Mountain Haven is yet another book in the exciting Call of the Rockies series from Misty Beller. This one is book seven. I was so happy to visit with some old friends in this series as well as meeting new and exciting in this story. Hugh Charpentier is to help a woman and her six year old down the rough and rugged Rockie Mountains. Watkuese is determined to find her way back down the mountain. Follow their journey as these almost strangers struggle to find their way.

I loved this journey even though some of the scenes were so hard to read about because the way was so treacherous at times. Sometimes I found it hard to put this book down, I was so engrossed in the story. Beller has no trouble keeling the attention of her readers, and she does a fantastic job in this one. Peace in the Mountain Haven is another favorite of mine and I sure hope there is a book eight!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

What do you love most about this genre?

I tend to be a bit of a sentimentalist, so Historical Romance is perfect for me! My favorite period is between 1800 – 1880, when the west was still an extreme frontier. I love the simpler life, where there’s no rat race. Just hard work, plenty of alone time (can you tell I’m an introvert?), and a strong family unit.

Are readers always promised a “happily ever after” in your novels? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I read as an escape, so that happily ever after is important to me. I know my characters will face challenges after the story ends, but I want to finish the book knowing they’ve grown through the story and will be able to meet future struggles with God’s strength and the support of each other—as well as family and friends!

How can readers connect with you?

I love to connect with readers! One of my favorite ways is through my newsletter, and readers can get a free copy of my book, A Pony Express Romance, when they sign up for the newsletter. Here’s the link for that: https://mistymbeller.com/freebook

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 8

Miriam Jacob, April 8

Texas Book-aholic, April 9

Inklings and notions, April 10

Mary Hake, April 10

For Him and My Family, April 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 12

deb’s Book Review, April 12

Betti Mace, April 13

Bizwings Blog, April 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 14

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 15

Connie’s History Classroom, April 16

For the Love of Literature, April 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 17

Splashes of Joy, April 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 18

Blossoms and Blessings, April 19

Pause for Tales, April 20

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c94c/peace-in-the-mountain-haven-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour and Giveaway for Travels with Maurice by Gary Orleck

Join Us For This Tour From April 12 to May 2

Book Details:

Book Title:  

TRAVELS WITH MAURICE AN OUTRAGEOUS ADVENTURE IN EUROPE IN 1968 by Gary Orleck

Category: 

Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 250 pages

Genre: 

Travel Memoir
Publisher:

 TOUCHPOINT PRESS
​Publication Date:

 April 5, 2022.
Tour dates: April 12 to May 2

Content Rating:

 G

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“Travels with Maurice is a gem of a book that just sneaks up on you with its greatness. While the title makes you think it’s a travelogue or road trip book (and we’ve all read enough of these), Travels is so much more.” – Michael Berman

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Book Description:

“Every Woman Wanted to Be with Him Every Man Wanted to Be Him.” ― Gary Orleck
​
A simple “thank you” led to the trip of a lifetime, along with an unbreakable friendship of two opposites. See them come of age while rubbing elbows with the rich and famous like the Shah and Queen of Iran, The Who, Paul McCartney, Brigitte Bardot, and even Shirley Temple Black. An unbelievable story, yet it’s true because nobody could make this story up. Find out things the rich and famous do not want you to know.

BUY THE BOOK
Amazon 
add to goodreads
Meet the Author: 

​I grew up in Lincoln, R.I. which is a blue-collar town, went To Babson University School of Business, and graduated with a BSBA in 1966. I worked my way around the USA for six months.

Two years later, I traveled with the son of the richest man in the world – covering 19,988 miles, twelve countries, and ten weeks.

Then, I went to work at Broadway Tire Inc. Twenty years later, I bought the business. I then owned and operated it for thirty more years before retiring in 2016!

In Between, I met and married my wife Ronna and had two beautiful children, and now I have five grandchildren!

The love of travel remained with me, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited 75 countries – each in a unique style – all my own way, using much of which I learned in my travels with Maurice in 1968. connect with the author

:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule:

​April 12 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – The Official Blog of Amy Shannon – book spotlight
April 13 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Novels Alive – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway
April 18 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
April 19 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Books are a Blessing – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Sadie’s Spotlights – book spotlight / giveaway
April 21 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 22 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 25 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 26 – Captive Dreams Window – book spotlight / giveaway
April 27 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
April 28 – Books for Books – book spotlight
April 29 – 30-something Travel Blog – book spotlight / giveaway
May 2 – Pick A Good Book – book spotlight / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

Enter Competition

TRAVELS WITH MAURICE AN OUTRAGEOUS ADVENTURE IN EUROPE IN 1968 by Gary Orleck

Join Us For This Tour From April 12 to May 2

Book Details:

Book Title:  

TRAVELS WITH MAURICE AN OUTRAGEOUS ADVENTURE IN EUROPE IN 1968 by Gary Orleck

Category: 

Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 250 pages

Genre: 

Travel Memoir
Publisher:

 TOUCHPOINT PRESS
​Publication Date:

 April 5, 2022.
Tour dates: April 12 to May 2

Content Rating:

 G

---

“Travels with Maurice is a gem of a book that just sneaks up on you with its greatness. While the title makes you think it’s a travelogue or road trip book (and we’ve all read enough of these), Travels is so much more.” – Michael Berman

---

Book Description:

“Every Woman Wanted to Be with Him Every Man Wanted to Be Him.” ― Gary Orleck
​
A simple “thank you” led to the trip of a lifetime, along with an unbreakable friendship of two opposites. See them come of age while rubbing elbows with the rich and famous like the Shah and Queen of Iran, The Who, Paul McCartney, Brigitte Bardot, and even Shirley Temple Black. An unbelievable story, yet it’s true because nobody could make this story up. Find out things the rich and famous do not want you to know.

BUY THE BOOK
Amazon 
add to goodreads
Meet the Author: 

​I grew up in Lincoln, R.I. which is a blue-collar town, went To Babson University School of Business, and graduated with a BSBA in 1966. I worked my way around the USA for six months.

Two years later, I traveled with the son of the richest man in the world – covering 19,988 miles, twelve countries, and ten weeks.

Then, I went to work at Broadway Tire Inc. Twenty years later, I bought the business. I then owned and operated it for thirty more years before retiring in 2016!

In Between, I met and married my wife Ronna and had two beautiful children, and now I have five grandchildren!

The love of travel remained with me, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited 75 countries – each in a unique style – all my own way, using much of which I learned in my travels with Maurice in 1968. connect with the author

:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ goodreads

---

Tour Schedule:

​April 12 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – The Official Blog of Amy Shannon – book spotlight
April 13 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Novels Alive – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway
April 18 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
April 19 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Books are a Blessing – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Sadie’s Spotlights – book spotlight / giveaway
April 21 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 22 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 25 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 26 – Captive Dreams Window – book spotlight / giveaway
April 27 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
April 28 – Books for Books – book spotlight
April 29 – 30-something Travel Blog – book spotlight / giveaway
May 2 – Pick A Good Book – book spotlight / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

Enter Competition

Sand Dollar Lane by Shelia Roberts

Title: SAND DOLLAR LANE (Moonlight Harbor Series Book 6)
Author: Sheila Roberts
Publisher: Harlequin / Mira
Genre: Women’s Fiction / Romance

BOOK BLURB:

Brody Green is finding it hard to recover after being dumped by his fiancée, Jenna Jones, then watching her walk down the aisle with someone else. Jenna is determined to make up for her love defection and find him the perfect woman, but Brody is done with love. First a divorce, then a broken engagement. From now on he’s keeping things light, no commitments. Luckily Brody’s business is booming. Beach Dreams Realty is the best real estate company in town. And the only one. Until…

Lucy Holmes needs a new start. In business, in love, in…everything. If ever there was a cliché, it was her life back in Seattle. She was a real estate broker working with her husband until she caught him trying out the walk-in shower in a luxury condo—with another agent. She’s always been the more successful of the two, and with him gone, she’s determined to build a business even bigger than what she had. Moonlight Harbor is a charming town and it has only one real estate agency. Surely there’s room for a little competition.

Or not. Looks like it’s going to be a hot market in Moonlight Harbor. And maybe these two competitors will make some heat of their own.

“Lighthearted and full of colorful, quirky characters and surf-side warmth… Roberts’s picturesque coastal world is sheer delight and will appeal to romance and women’s fiction fans alike.” —Library Journal

Book Information

Release Date: April 26, 2022

Publisher:  Harlequin/MIra

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-0778386353; 368 pages; $9.99; E-Book, $7.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sfzSoa 

 

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK 

Sand Dollar Lane is book six in Shelia Roberts’ Moonlight Harbor Series. I love this series and the setting. Moonlight Harbor is a place to go and relax, have some fun and forget about your troubles. That’s what Lucy Holmes wanted after she found her husband in the shower if a home that was for sale. She would show him and move to Moonlight Harbor. She would start her new real-estate business and build it herself.  But Brody is not so sure about about that. He can take care of the real-estate here just fine. 

This is such a fun book with realistic characters that make everything seem like you are on a vacation. Roberts writes the book like she’s writing about family. I love her writing style and can’t wait for what she has for her readers next. If you love lazy comfortable beach reads, you will love love this one. 

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

 

READ CHAPTER ONE:

~ Chapter 1 ~

To be or not to be? That was not the question when your perfect woman decided she was perfect for someone else. The question was, how the @!*!!! did this happen? How had Brody Green gone from being engaged to Jenna Jones to getting dumped by her? How had he gone from saving the Driftwood Inn for her to seeing her honeymoon there with his archrival, Seth Waters? The rival Brody had beaten.

Or so he’d thought. One minute he was engaged to the prettiest, smartest, pluckiest woman in all of Moonlight Harbor and the next he was at her wedding, pretending to be a good sport. Something had gone very, very wrong.

Unlike his first marriage he hadn’t seen the great dumping coming. Yes, he’d looked like a villain for a short time, but he’d known that once Jenna learned the truth and he’d proved himself to be a hero, all would be well once more.

By all rights they should have gotten married, then walked off into the sunset together, hand in hand—her, barefoot in a flowing wedding gown, him all duded up in a tux. They’d have sipped champagne on the beach, maybe even made love on a blanket. He’d have whisked her off to Tahiti for a honeymoon to remember.

Instead, she’d chosen that glorified handyman, who hadn’t been able to take her any farther than the Driftwood Inn for their honeymoon. Some honeymoon. Some marriage.

Except Jenna was ecstatically happy.

Okay, Brody wanted her to be happy. He was happy for her. He just wasn’t so happy for himself. What they’d had was the perfect relationship. What they had now was all whacked out and wrong.

As far as Jenna was concerned, they were still best buds. He didn’t want to be best buds. He wanted to go back in time to when they were in love.

Except maybe only one of them had really been in love. Not hard to figure out which one that had been.

Friends. Meh. But that was all he had now, all he was ever going to get. And he had to be good with it. If Jenna was happy, then he should be happy. Right?

Still, it was hard not to feel the sting of unrequited love, to act like all was well when they met at chamber of commerce meetings. Kind of like asking a zombie not to walk funny, look vacant and dopey, and drool blood. If they were characters in a book, he’d climb right off the page and slap the idiot writer who hadn’t kept them together.

Once he’d been Moonlight Harbor’s most eligible bachelor. Now he felt like Moonlight Harbor’s biggest loser. He had no interest in dating and he hated the feeling of sadness that settled over him every time he saw Jenna. So, of course, he tried to see her as little as possible.

But then he’d wonder where she was and what she was doing. (Except at night. He didn’t want to think about where she was and what she was doing then because he knew exactly where she was, what she was doing and who she was doing it with.)

He couldn’t completely avoid her. When he wasn’t running into her at Beachside Grocery, he had to see her at the chamber of commerce luncheons. They’d both worked together on the last Seaside with Santa festival and that had left him with a real bah-humbug attitude toward Christmas that he found hard to shake, even when his kids came down to celebrate New Year’s at the beach.

After the kids left he’d stuffed himself with chips, and binged on Bourne movies. He’d found it temporarily consoling that even Jason Bourne couldn’t hang on to a woman. That proved it. Heroes walked alone.

He was no hero though, and walking alone sucked. Nobody cared if you stubbed your toe or ate too much crap. Or that your life was crap. The only thing good about the New Year was that the old one was over.

With such happy thoughts he made his way to the chamber of commerce’s January meeting. New year, new beginnings, better attitude. Who cared about Jenna Jones?

He did. There she came, entering the banquet room of Sandy’s restaurant in a black jacket over a long red sweater and skin-hugging black tights. Jenna Jones had great legs.

Jenna Jones had great everything. He frowned at the sight of her.

She saw him and smiled, and he forced the corners of his lips up. “Happy New Year,” he greeted her.

“Happy New Year to you, too,” she said. “Did your kids come down?”

“Yeah. We had a good time.” He’d have had a better time if Jenna had been with him. “So, did you make any New Year’s resolutions?”

“Yes, to find you the perfect woman.”

I already did. He didn’t say it. What would be the point?

“You’re still the catch of the day around here, you know,” she said.

“Yeah?”

Did he sound bitter? It was so hard to be a good sport when you should have won the game. Except it hadn’t been a game.

She shook her head at him, making the silvery earrings dangling from her ears dance. He didn’t remember seeing those before. Had Waters given them to her for Christmas?

“You know you are,” she said.

“Yes, I am,” he agreed. Which showed remarkably poor taste on Jenna’s part.

It seemed like every conversation they had started off in this vein—her trying to put what they once had together in a completely different way, him trying to pretend it was okay and eventually failing.

They would never get back to where they were before they’d dated. He didn’t think they’d even get near it. She felt guilty. He felt…a lot of things. Let down. Resentful. Jealous. Yeah, all of the above. And he still loved her, which complicated things even more. At least it did for him.

He spent a lot of time after every encounter trying to shake off his ignoble feelings. Jenna Jones deserved the best, and if she was content with second best (hey, it was true), then that was okay by him. Waters still didn’t like him and he didn’t like Waters, but he could rise above all that for Jenna’s sake. He could be civil when they met at various functions. He could refrain from kidnapping the guy, tying him up, rowing him out to sea on a dark night and dumping him overboard. He had ethics.

“I see you’re selling the Dinglers’ house,” she said.

“Yeah, they want to move to Palm Desert.”

She gave a mock shudder. “Ugh. All that heat.”

“My thoughts exactly. Why would you want to live anywhere but here?”

Where you could be miserable. He’d thought more than a few times about moving after they broke up. He still loved Moonlight Harbor, but after losing Jenna he was finding it hard to see the magic in the waves crashing onto the beach or moonlight dancing on the water or a beautiful sunset.

You need to snap out of it, he told himself for the millionth time. So things hadn’t worked out? So what? There were other fish in the sea. Other sand dollars on the shore. Other pebbles on the beach. Moonlight Harbor still had plenty of women who’d like to date him.

None of them measured up to Jenna.

He could feel his facade of easy charm crumbling. Time to get away.

“There’s Ellis. I need to talk to him,” he said, and made his escape. There had to be something he needed to talk to Ellis West about.

Checking in on how things were going with Ellis and his bride only resurrected Brody’s frown. Melody West should have been his mother-in-law.

Ellis and Mel were still happy as a couple of Moonlight Harbor clams. Good for them. Good for everyone. Meh. Every man in Moonlight Harbor was getting happily hitched except him. Every man would be getting lucky on Valentine’s Day. He’d be getting drunk.

He could get lucky if he wanted. He didn’t have to keep roaming around town all by himself like the ancient mariner. He could have friends. With benefits.

That was as close as he was ever going to come to getting involved with anyone from now on. Never again was he plunging heart-deep into a relationship. Jenna was his second love disaster and he wasn’t a big believer in that old saying that the third time was the charm. He lived at the beach. He knew what happened when you were drowning. The third time you went down, you never came up.

Rian LaShell sauntered up to him. Rian was cool. He liked her a lot. They’d dated for a while but, although there’d been some sparks, it hadn’t been enough to light a fire under him and get him to commit. Rian was svelte and sexy, and this day she looked hip in tight jeans and a black sweater. But she wasn’t Jenna.

“Hey there,” she said in that throaty voice of hers. “Happy New Year.”

“To you, too,” he said. “Did you do anything exciting to ring in the New Year?”

She shrugged. “I managed to ring it in.”

A mysterious answer, meant to pique his curiosity over whom she’d rung it in with and make him jealous.

He didn’t take the bait. “Well, good. How are things going at Sandy Claws?”

“Doing a fifty-percent-off sale next week. Too bad you don’t have a pet.”

He should get a pet. Not a cat; cats were too independent. A dog. Dogs were loyal. They stuck with you. Yeah, maybe a dog. Why was it he didn’t have an animal, anyway?

Oh, yeah. Animals required time and commitment.

Well, it wasn’t like his days were full now.

They could be. They should be. Jenna was the past. He needed to be looking toward the future. But really, who did he think he was going to have a future with?

People were starting to find seats at the two tables in Sandy’s meeting room and their waitress had appeared and was taking orders. He and Rian sat down next to each other and he cast around in his mind for something to say to her. His brain locked up.

Good grief. They’d dated for six months. He ought to be able to come up with something. The exotic eyeliner that accented her eyes inspired him.

Ah. The cat. “How’s Pyewacket?”

“He misses you.”

Brody gave a snort. “Cats never miss anyone.”

“Sure they do,” said Rian. “You should come by and visit.”

“So he can scratch me?” Brody and Pyewacket had never really bonded.

“He’ll be good. So will I,” she added, her voice as smooth as whiskey.

A hot woman inviting him to her place. Any man in his right mind would be all over that. Obviously Brody was no longer in his right mind.

Their waitress came up, getting him temporarily off the hook.

But it was only temporary. Once they’d placed their lunch orders, Rian was still there smiling at him, waiting for an answer.

“You know, I think I need to stay on my own for a while.”

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Jenna,” she said in a low voice, “but that’s a closed chapter. Maybe it’s time to turn the page.”

“Or close the book,” he quipped.

But he wasn’t kidding. Lightning didn’t strike twice. What were the odds he’d ever meet anyone again whom he wanted as much as he’d wanted Jenna?

And actually, he wasn’t sure he wanted lightning to strike again. Lightning was destructive.

About the Authorl

USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has seen her books translated into several different languages, included in Reader’s Digest compilations, and made into movies for both the Hallmark and Lifetime channels. She’s happily married and lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Her latest book is the women’s fiction/romance Sand Dollar Lane (Harlequin/Mira, April ’22)

Visit her website at http://www.sheilasplace.com. Connect with her at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Tour and Giveaway At Home in Your Heart by Carol McLeod

About the Book

Book: At Home in Your Heart

Author: Carol McLeod

Genre: Religion/Christian Living/Devotional

Release date: March 29, 2022

Where do you live—truly live? You may have a street address. You may think of your childhood home. But your real home, this side of heaven, is your heart.
Your heart is home to your soul and your emotions as well as your thought life. Your attitudes, habits, and dreams are found there.

At Home in Your Heart: Inviting Christ into Every Room is written for women of all ages, backgrounds, and stages of life. Each day in this sixty-day devotional by Carol McLeod includes an essay on the thought for the day, a heart inspection, prayer, and words from Scripture. Topics include: Is Anybody Home?; Blessed by the Begats; A Song at Midnight; Wear God Out; and many more, all offered with Carol’s characteristic humor, love, and affection.

If you are a Christian, Jesus lives in your heart with you, no matter what condition it’s in. If there are problems, however, He wants to clean until His hands bleed. Carol invites you to walk through the rooms of your heart to identify the issues that Christ is shining His light on.

“Jesus wants to paint your heart the color of white snow,” she says. “He will gently move around priorities, set things out for the trash man, and replace every outdated attitude with His unconditional love and inexpressible joy. He can take a home that has been literally demolished by the storms of life and rebuild it into a palace fit for a king.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I enjoy getting new Devotions to use in my Bible Study, and I find At Home in Your Heart: Inviting Christ into Every Room by Carol McLeod to be a beautiful book full of Devotions that I will be using from time to time. It is written to guide Christian women into how we can and should invite Christ into Every Room in our hearts. The book is somewhat different that what I thought, but it is exactly what I need right now in my life.

Ladies, if you haven’t checked this book out, I highly recommend it. I think you will find an amazing little book you will be able to use as your devotion or to supplement the Devotions you are already doing!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

The president and CEO of Carol McLeod Ministries, Carol McLeod is a popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats. She is the author of a dozen books, including Rooms of a Mother’s Heart: A Sacred Call and an Eternal Purpose, Vibrant: Developing a Deep and Abiding Joy for All Seasons, Significant: Becoming a Woman of Unique Purpose, True Identity, and Irrepressible Hope; StormProof: Weathering Life’s Tough Times; and Guide Your Mind, Guard Your Heart, Grace Your Tongue.

Carol hosts a twice weekly podcast, A Jolt of Joy! on the Charisma Podcast Network, and a weekly podcast, Significant. Her weekly blog, Joy for the Journey, has been named in the Top 50 Faith Blogs for Women. Carol also writes a weekly column in Ministry Today.

She has written several devotionals for YouVersion, including “21 Days to Beat Depression,” which has touched the lives of nearly one million people around the world. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the prestigious Telly Award for excellence in religious programming.

Carol was also the first women’s chaplain at Oral Roberts University and served as chaplain on the university’s Alumni Board of Directors for many years.

Carol has been married to her college sweetheart, Craig, for more than forty years and is the mother of five children in heaven and five children on earth. Carol and Craig also happily answer to “Marmee and Pa” for their captivating grandchildren.

More from Whitaker House

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it
is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with
all precious and pleasant riches.
—Proverbs 24:3–4

You might suppose that your home is 83 East Academy Street…or 6555 Alleghany Road…or 16 Willow Lane. But it’s not. You can frantically inspect every printed map and strategically pore over every listing in an address book, but you will never discover your actual home at a zip code, on a street, or in a city.

You may presume that your particular home consists of three bedrooms and a bathroom…or a massive family room…or a farmhouse kitchen. But again, your actual home has nothing to do with the floor plan that lies under the roof of the home in which you live.

Perhaps when you think of home, you remember the childhood house in which you hung stockings along the mantle on Christmas Eve, blew out candles on eighteen birthday cakes, and colored Easter eggs every spring! But even that home, where you began your journey and where you were shaped as an individual, is not your true home either. The home of your earliest memories will never be the home of your adult realities.

Your real home—this side of heaven, of course—is your heart. Your heart is where you live day in and day out. Your heart is the hidden but obvious home in which you live.

Your heart is where you collect clutter, but it is also where you receive company, fill up trash cans, and then remodel. The wonderful, miraculous part of you that is vibrantly alive lives within the canyons of your heart.

Your heart is home to your soul, which is the birthplace of your emotions. It is also where your thought life is framed. Many people are deceived into believing that their thought life begins in their minds, but this is not the case. Your thoughts and attitudes make themselves at home in your heart.

What about your habits? Where do they live? It is easy to discern that both good habits and bad habits, which efficiently determine the exact floor plan of your life, can easily be found residing in your heart. Even your dreams, which are often beyond your wildest imagination, can be found hanging out unassumingly in your heart.

Your heart is the part of you that sometimes longs to escape from its earthly address. Your heart feels constrained by the white picket fence that you so lovingly built around the parameters of your life. Your heart is the part of you that is never content with who you are or what you are becoming.

Your heart is your real home. It is the place where the “you” that vitally matters lives and breathes. This “you,” who no one else knows, lives life with reckless abandon, glorious intensity, and holy intention in your heart.

Your heart is the most sacred part of your life because it is there that Christ has lovingly taken up residence. If you have invited Him in, He lives in your heart, and you should honor His presence day after day after day.

But perhaps an important question for you and me to answer is, “What else is living in my heart with Christ?”

Have you allowed attitudes, habits, and dreams that should not be a part of your life to live side by side with Christ? Maybe some of our hearts need a deep and detailed housecleaning due to the clutter that has accumulated, the trash that has yet to be taken out, and the out-of-date décor that we foolishly insist doesn’t look all that bad!

Jesus will live in your heart no matter what condition it is in. However, once Jesus takes residence in one’s heart and shares that personal address, He wants to clean until His hands bleed.

Jesus wants to paint your heart the color of freshly fallen snow.

Jesus longs to redecorate the house that you call home into a sanctuary of hope and peace.

He will gently move around priorities, set out the trash, and replace every outdated attitude with His unconditional love and inexpressible joy.

Jesus can take a dilapidated shack that has been built with rotten wood and miraculously turn it into a glorious temple! He can transform an unstable and cracked foundation into one that is steady and secure. He can take a home that has been literally demolished by the storms of life and rebuild it into a palace fit only for a King.

My friend, not only will He be more at home in your sparkling, restored, and renewed heart, but the greatest miracle of all is that so will you! You will love what He does with your heart and you will gulp in the splendid atmosphere that only His dear presence provides. His goal, as the Divine Builder, is to fashion your heart into His home.

As you walk through the front door of your heart, holding His hand, you will find the place where you were always meant to belong and the place that wondrously calls your name. At last—you are home with Him!

You will find contentment in the heart that you call home when He holds the keys. As you examine the masterpiece that He has created, you will be amazed by the wonder and wisdom that His lordship has brought. Most of all, you will find that His presence has filled your home with joy!

I’d love to invite you to come with me on this restorative journey that will transform your heart into a home of comfort, stability, and peace. We will discover nooks and crannies in your heart that have been wonderfully designed for learning and growing. We will dispose of every outdated appliance and replace each one with eternal truth; we will repurpose every dream into a masterpiece of prayer. As we allow the Lord to be the Architect, the Builder, and our sure Foundation, our hearts will become a place of divine residence. And we will each utter with a whisper of worship, “Welcome home, Jesus. Welcome home!”

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 30

Texas Book-aholic, March 31

She Lives To Read, April 1

Inklings and notions, April 2

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

For Him and My Family, April 5

deb’s Book Review, April 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 9

Christina’s Corner, April 10

Splashes of Joy, April 11

Cats in the Cradle Blog, April 12

Mary Hake, April 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 13

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Whitaker House is giving away the grand prize package ofa $20 Starbuck’s gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c56d/at-home-in-your-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour and Giveaway The Bones of Amoret – A Novel by Arthur Herbert

Join Us for This Tour:  April 4 to April 22

Book Details:

​Book Title:

 The Bones of Amoret – A Novel by Arthur Herbert

Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 320 pages

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher:  

Stitched Smile Publications
Release Date: April 2022

Format available for review:  print-softback, ebook (Gifted Kindle, mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF)
Tour dates: April 4 to April 22

Content Rating:  PG-13 – 

no sex, explicit or otherwise; almost all violence is off-screen; mild profanity

Book Description:

In this enigmatic follow up to his critically acclaimed debut novel The Cuts that Cure, Arthur Herbert returns to the Texas-Mexico border with this saga of a small town’s bloody loss of innocence.

Amoret, Texas, 1982. Life along the border is harsh, but in a world where cultures work together to carve a living from the desert landscape, Blaine Beckett lives a life of isolation. A transplanted Boston intellectual, for twenty years locals have viewed him as a snob, a misanthrope, an outsider. He seems content to stand apart until one night when he vanishes into thin air amid signs of foul play.

Noah Grady, the town doctor, is a charming and popular good ol’ boy. He’s also a keeper of secrets, both the town’s and his own. He watches from afar as the mystery of Blaine’s disappearance unravels and rumors fly. Were the incipient cartels responsible? Was it a local with a grudge? Or did Blaine himself orchestrate his own disappearance? Then the unthinkable happens, and Noah begins to realize he’s considered a suspect.

Paced like a lit fuse and full of dizzying plot twists, The Bones of Amoret is a riveting whodunit that will keep you guessing all the way to its shocking conclusion. 

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

The Bones of Amoret is the second book in this series. And what a thriller it is. Set in Amoret, Texas, 1982, and the disappearance of Blaine Beckett, Author Arthur Herbert gives his readers a roller coaster of a ride that will have you on the edge of your seats. With characters that develop perfectly as the story unfolds, along with the riveting twists and turns throughout, this whodunit thriller will have you guessing till the end.

I found myself wrong and turned around many times, but the surprises will have you going WOW! And for sure, this one will stay with you long after you finish the book. The Bones of Amoret by Arthur Herbert is for anyone who loves a good thriller!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Arthur Herbert was born and raised in small town Texas. He worked on offshore oil rigs, as a bartender, a landscaper at a trailer park, and as a social worker before going to medical school. He chose to do a residency in general surgery, followed by a fellowship in critical care and trauma surgery. For the last eighteen years, he’s worked as a trauma and burn surgeon, operating on all ages of injured patients. He continues to run a thriving practice.

He’s won multiple awards for his scientific writing, and his first novel, The Cuts that Cure, spent ten days as an Amazon #1 Best Seller. His second novel, The Bones of Amoret, will be released on April 1, 2022 through Stitched Smile Publishers. Arthur currently lives in New Orleans, with his wife Amy and their dogs.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ goodreads

Tour Schedule:

April 4 – Mystery Review Crew – book spotlight / giveaway
April 4 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
April 5 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
April 6 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of THE CUTS THAT CURE / giveaway
April 6 – Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight / author interview 
​April 7 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight ​
April 8 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of THE BONES OF AMORET / giveaway
April 11 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
April 11 – Splashes of Joy  – book review / giveaway
April 12 – Leels Loves Books – book review / giveaway
April 13 – Books for Books – book spotlight
April 14 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
April 15 – The Page Ladies – book review
​April 15 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 19 – Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews – book review
April 19 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / guest post / spotlight
April 19 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 21 – Ravenz Reviewz – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 22 – Books Blog – book spotlight
April 22 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review / author interview 

Enter the Giveaway:

Enter Competition

Tour and Giveaway for Bunster, An Easter Story by Christine Hwang Panzer

Join Us for This Tour:  April 5 to April 15, 2022

Book Details:

Book Title: Bunster, An Easter Story by Christine Hwang Panzer
Category:  Children’s Fictions (ages 0-3), 16 pages
Genre:  Children’s Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot
Release date:   April 5, 2022
Formats Available for Review: print – hardback (USA only)
Tour dates: April 5 to April 15, 2022
Content Rating:  G -Suitable for everyone. 

Book Description:

​Join Bunster as he finds friends in unlikely places as a celebration of Easter!

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

This sweet little book is about Bunster during Easter holiday and how he finds all of his friends to celebrate. The short story is cute for little one to have someone read to them. The illustrations are by the author as well, which I think it fabulous. They are so colorful and fit the story well. Children will love looking at each page as the story is read to them. I encourage you to check out this cute little bunny book to read to the little one in your life.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK:
Mascot
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Target
​add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Christine is an artist that dabbles in storytelling and enjoys working in different mediums including marker, ink, watercolors and colored pencil. She enjoys drawing fantasy creatures, anthropomorphic animals, and kids. She lives with her husband, Ian and sweet black kitty, Kida in the Bay Area, California and likes to take walks, go out driving, and play video games and board games with her friends.

connect with the author: instagram ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule:
April 5 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway
April 5 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
April 5 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
April 5 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 5 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
April 6 – Character Madness and Musing – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 6 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
April 6 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book review / giveaway
April 6 – Triquetra Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
​April 6 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 6 – Chit Chat with Charity – book review / author interview / giveaway
April 7 – Older & Smarter? – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 7 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 7 – She Just Loves Books– book review / giveaway
​April 7 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
April 8 – My Reading Getaway – book review / author interview / giveaway
April 8 – Writer with Wanderlust – book spotlight/ guest post / giveaway
April 8 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review 
April 8 – Westveil Publishing – book review / giveaway
April 11 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
April 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
April 11 – Lisa’s Reading – book review / giveaway
April 12 – Reading is My Passion – book review
April 12 – Book Vue – book spotlight
April 13 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
April 13 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book review / giveaway
April 14 – I’m Into Books – book review / giveaway
April 14 – Lamon Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
April 14 – Ravenz Reviewz – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 15 – Captive Dreams Window – book review / giveaway
April 15 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
April 15 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
April 15 – Faith And Books – book review / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

Enter Competition

Tour and Giveaway Kai and the Dancing Butterfly by Crystal Z. Lee

Join Us For This Tour From:  April 11 to April 22 

Book Details:

Book Title:  

Kai the Dancing Butterfly by Crystal Z. Lee

Category: 

Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages

Genre:  Children’s Fiction
Publisher: Balestier Press
​Publication Date: February 2022.
Tour dates: April 11 to April 22

Content Rating: G

Book Description:

Kai and Ami are dancing butterflies from Taiwan! They have a performance coming up at the Winter Festival dance show in the southern part of the island. They are currently in northern Taiwan, so they need to hurry and start flying south. That’s far for a butterfly! Kai is worried about the long journey, and about the big show too. Can Kai step up to the challenge?

Kai the Dancing Butterfly celebrates Taiwan’s natural scenic wonders, amazing animal species, and incredible Indigenous cultures. This children’s book is a marvelous read for all those who love Taiwan, or for those who’d like to learn more about Taiwanese culture. This elaborately illustrated picture book makes an ideal gift:

*Real locations in Taiwan make for an inspiring geography, history and cultural lesson

*Storyline sparks dialogue around empathy, kindness, courage, faith, perseverance, friendship, and the support between siblings

*Exquisite illustrations of Taiwan’s majestic animals and endangered species fosters learning around ecological conservation and habitat protection

BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON ~ B&N 
IndieBound ~ BAM
add the goodreads

Meet the Author:

Crystal Z. Lee is a bilingual writer who grew up in Taiwan and California. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Crystal is also the author of the children’s book A Unicorn Named Rin, and the novel, Love and Other Moods. 

​connect with the author:  instagram ~ goodreads
​

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Meet the Illustrator:

Allie Su was born and raised in Yunlin county, Taiwan. She attended Nanhua University in Chiayi city, majoring in Visual Arts. She is a professional illustrator, specializing in oil painting and ink painting. 

Tour Schedule:

April 11 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
April 11 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 11 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 11 – My Reading Getaway – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 12 – Bookworm for Kid – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight / author interview
April 14 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 18 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 19 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 20 – GIna Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 21 – fundinmental – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 22 – Writer with Wanderlust – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 25 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 26 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 27 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 28 –The Phantom Paragrapher – book spotlight / giveaway
April 29 – Lisa’s Reading – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

Enter Competition

They Called Him Marvin Roger Stark

Join Us for This Tour:  March 28 to April 15
 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  They Called Him Marvin, A History of Love, War and Family by Roger Stark
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 333 pages
Genre: Historical Romance, WW2 history, True Love Story
Publisher: Silver Star Publishing
Release Date: September 2021
Content Rating:  PG-13: No sex scenes, six mild profanities, depictions of war scenes.

Book Description:

They were just kids, barely not teenagers, madly in love, desperate to be a family, but a war and a B29 got in there way.

Three
hundred ten days before Pearl Harbor, buck private Dean Sherman
innocently went to church with a new friend in Salt Lake City. From that
moment, the unsuspecting soldier travelled a remarkable, heroic path,
falling in love, graduating from demanding training to become a B29
pilot, conceiving a son and entering the China, Burma and India theater
of the WW2.

He chronicled his story with letters home to his
bride Connie that he met on that fateful Sunday, blind to the fact that
fifteen hundred seventy five days after their meeting, a Japanese
swordsman would end his life.

His crew, a gaggle of Corporals
that dubbed themselves the Corporalies, four officers and a tech
Sargent, adventured their way across the globe. Flying the “Aluminum
Trail” also called the Hump through the Himalayas, site of the most
dangerous flying in the world. Landing in China to refuel and then fly
on to to places like Manchuria, Rangoon or even the most southern parts
of Japan to drop 500 pounders.

Each mission had it’s challenges,
minus fifty degree weather in Mukden, or Japanese fighters firing away
at them, a close encounter of the wrong kind, nearly missing a collision
with another B29 while flying in clouds, seeing friends downed and lost
because of “mechanicals,” the constant threat of running out of fuel
and their greatest fear, engine fire.

Transferred to the Mariana
Islands, he and his crew were shot down over Nagoya, Japan as part of
Mission 174, captured and declared war criminals.
​
Connie’s
letters reveal life for a brand new mother whose husband is declared
MIA. The agony for both of them, he in a Japanese prison, declared a war
criminal, and she just not knowing why his letters stopped coming.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
Indiebound
​add to goodreads

 

Meet the Author:

I
am, by my own admission, a reluctant writer. But there are stories that
demand to to be told. When we hear them, we must pick up our pen, lest
we forget and the stories be lost. Six years ago, in a quiet
conversation with my friend Marvin, I learned the tragic story of his
father, a WW2 B-29 Airplane Commander, shot down over Nagoya, Japan just
months before the end of the war. The telling of the story that evening
by this half orphan was so moving and full of emotion, it compelled me
to ask if I could write the story. The result being They Called Him Marvin.

My
life has been profoundly touched in so many ways by being part of
documenting this sacred story. I pray that we never forget, as a people,
the depth of sacrifice that was made by ordinary people like Marvin and
his father and mother on our behalf.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodread

 

Tour Schedule:

Mar 28 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
Mar 28 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 29 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway
Mar 29 – The World As I See It – book review / giveaway
Mar 29 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
April 4 – mysweetenedlifebychix – book spotlight / giveaway
April 5 – Connie’s History Classroom – book review / giveaway
April 6 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
April 7 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 8 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
April 11 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – Reading Excursions – book review / giveaway
April 13 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 – Leels Loves Books – book review / giveaway
April 15 – My Reading Getaway – book review / giveaway
April 15 – Christine Marquez – book review

Enter the Giveaway:

 

THEY CALLED HIM MARVIN Book Tour Giveaway

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Tour and Giveaway for Sweet Rivalry by Terri Gillespie

About the Book

Book: Sweet Rivalry

Author: Terri Gillespie

Genre: Women’s Contemporary/ Christian Romance/Family Life Fiction

Release date: October 27, 2021

Just an ordinary morning for Sarah Sweeting—watching her favorite baking show, Cupcake Rivalry, getting ready for work at her Granny’s small-town bakery. All that changes when Sarah spots a contestant who looks like her, sounds like her, moves like her.

Was this her twin sister? The twin her mother ran away with twenty years ago? Were hers and Granny’s prayers finally being answered?

When Granny confirms Sarah’s shocking discovery, Granny suffers a heart attack.

Raven Souwer’s morning began at a frenzied pace—incessantly ringing phones and a Beverly Hills’ bakery full of customers. All because everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the Cupcake Rivalry contestants—Raven and her best friend, Will Durning.

But a phone call from an excited woman who claims to be Raven’s long-lost sister—a sister Raven has no memory of—informs Raven that a grandmother she never knew was in the hospital.

The call changes the course of Raven’s life and brings up the pain she thought she’d overcome.

Will Sarah and Raven finally be united, or will other rivalries separate them again?

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I wasn’t sure what this book would be like, but I love the cover and thought it very interesting. And interesting it was. While watching her favorite bake show, Sarah saw someone she pretty much knew for sure it was her long lost twin sister. Their mother had kidnapped the sister and left Sarah with her grandparents, never to be heard from again.

Wow! What a fun, bit sometimes bittersweet story. Having Sarah and her sister Raven together was something fantastic. But it was not all fun and games. It was rough going much of the time. The twins were completely different, having grown up in entirely different circumstances. There were many struggles with both of them. Sarah was ready to welcome her long lost sister they had prayed for so many years. Raven didn’t believe in prayer, she didn’t know about her sister, she only knew her drug addicted mom. So the Cozy homey feeling that was her grandmother’s house didn’t sit well with her. There is a lot going on in the book. A lot of back and forth feelings. But all in all it is a wonderful sweet read that anyone will enjoy.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author and beloved speaker, Terri Gillespie writes stories of faith and redemption to nurture women’s souls. Her novels, devotionals, and blogs have drawn readers to hunger for a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Life is a journey. Terri lived in fear most of her life. Stories helped her see life through the lens of adventure and God’s abiding love. Those stories were the seeds that changed her perspective. They empowered her to be brave. She hopes her stories will do the same for you.

She is the author of critically-acclaimed women’s devotional Making Eye Contact with God, the award-winning novel She Does Good Hair, CUT IT OUT!, Really Bad Hair Day, and award-winning novel, Sweet Rivalry.

More from Terri

Where do stories come from? Oh, so many places. Sweet Rivalry began over ten years ago with an idea called the “cupcake sisters.” Two sisters who worked in a small hometown bakery trying to be true to family recipes and not get overrun by the food chains. Not much more than that. Boring, right?

The other day, I ran across my notes written years ago with other ideas for the sisters. No plots could carry an interesting enough story to get the creative juices going.

A dear friend—and amazing author—gave me a life-sized cupcake candle. The vibrant colors and glittery icing were meant to inspire me to develop the idea and write the book. It sat on my inspiration shelf for years. At first every time I looked at it, I would smile.

But, as the years went by the sun faded the candle, as did my hope of finding the right story for the cupcake sisters.

Then, during COVID I got hooked on those reality shows about long-lost families being reunited after decades of separation. Some of the families had no idea the other family member existed.

Each episode meant a fist of soppy tissues. Yet, even with the dramatic music, professional editing, and big build-up, some families’ smiles didn’t quite reach their eyes.

I wondered, what happens to these people after the camera crews leave? After the emotional reunions, the excitement subsides and reality settles into their respective homes? How do these people from very different histories become a family? Do they even try? Do they want to face the secrets that separated them?

Some of the “long-lost” family members were children from affairs. Most were children given up through adoption. Others abandoned. One man found his birth mother, only to learn he was the result of a rape. How do they navigate the choppy and complex psychological waters?

These interesting stories became delicious ingredients for the Sweet Rivalry novel. Twin sisters separated as toddlers by a troubled mother. One sister, Sarah was raised by her loving, Christian grandmother who owned the local Sweet’s Bakery.

The other sister, Raven was raised by her addicted mother, in crack houses. Still, Raven manages to become a celebrated pastry chef.

How do twins with completely different childhoods become a family? How does the sister raised in a loving, stable, Christian environment form a relationship with the sister who has seen the worst of society and had to pull herself from a terrible background all on her own? Who now blames God for the horrific things that happened to her?

And a grandmother that hides a terrible secret?

Now, throw into the mix three handsome men vying for the twins’ affections, then bake with the emotional investments into the lives of these women, and you’ve got quite a recipe for a delectable story.

With humor and passion and delicious recipes, Sweet Rivalry will satisfy the hungry reader looking for a unique story of hope.

You know, Sweet Rivalry’s journey proved to me once again, that creativity can’t be forced, and GOD’s timing is always the best—even if it is a ten-year wait.

How about a recipe?

Raven’s Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cupcakes with Fritos Frosting

The Recipe That Almost Won the Cupcake Rivalry competition for Raven and Will.

Raven’s cupcake recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup unsalted butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar packed

2 eggs room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Dr Pepper

½ cup buttermilk

Will’s Fritos Cream Cheese Frosting

4 cup powdered sugar

½ cup unsalted butter softened

6 oz cream cheese softened

4 T Dr Pepper to taste

Original, Regular flavor Fritos (up to 1 cup)—Don’t use the scoop type

Instructions:

Raven’s Chocolate Dr Pepper Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350^o F. Prepare 2-12 count muffin tins with cupcake cup liners (22-24 total).
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer and large bowl), add in butter, granulated and brown sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on low until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Keeping mixer speed on low, add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in the Dr Pepper.
5. Add the other half of the dry ingredients as well as the buttermilk. Mix until just combined—do not overmix. Batter should be thick and fluffy.
6. Pour cupcake batter into prepared muffin tin, filling cups 2/3 full. Tap the tin on the counter a few times to level the batter.
7. Bake cupcakes one batch at a time for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Place muffin tin on a wire cooling rack to cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove cupcakes and allow to finish cooling on wire rack.
9. Wait until cupcakes are completely cooled before applying the frosting.

Will’s Fritos Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Use a clean stand mixer (or a hand-mixer & large bowl) on high speed beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy, roughly 2 minutes.
2. Drop speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. May be clumpy at this stage—don’t worry.
3. Keeping speed on low, slowly beat in softened cream cheese. Will recommends cutting the cream cheese into 4-5 pieces and mixing in one piece at a time.
4. Finally, add in the Dr. Pepper. Now if you want more Dr. Pepper flavor, you can add more, and you can add up to a cup more of powdered sugar, but after that, you lose the great cream cheese flavor.
5. Finely ground ½ cup of Fritos. Almost as fine as coffee grounds. Fold in by hand into frosting.
6. Frost the cupcakes.
7. Remaining Fritos you can either roughly ground and sprinkled on top, or Will likes to leave one Frito curl nestled on top, right before serving.
8. Eat immediately—I mean, who would wait?

More recipes can be found at: https://authorterrigillespie.com/terri-gillespie-recipes/

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 6

Miriam Jacob, April 6

Genesis 5020, April 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 8

Splashes of Joy, April 8

For Him and My Family, April 9

Texas Book-aholic, April 10

deb’s Book Review, April 11

Inklings and notions, April 12

Aryn The Libraryan, April 13

Mary Hake, April 13

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 15

Vicky Sluiter, April 15

She Lives To Read, April 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 17

Pause for Tales, April 17

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 19

Spoken from the Heart, April 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Terri is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, signed copy of Sweet Rivalry, Sweet Rivalry Coffee Mug, Sweet Rivalry bookmark, and a Hand-poured Cupcake Candle!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c94b/sweet-rivalry-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest by Bill Fentress

 

The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest

by Bill Fentress

March 14 – April 8, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

 

Synopsis:

THE YELLOW HONEYSUCKLE IS THE SWEETEST is a salute by the author to a lifetime of outdoor experiences in eastern North Carolina and beyond. It encompasses 14 true short stories about family, friendships, and the emotions involved in hunting, fishing, and other outdoor-related topics. It is not a how-to book, nor just a compilation of hunting and fishing stories; it describes how simple family and personal interactions, with the outdoor sports and unmatched natural beauty as a backdrop, can result in treasured memories like perhaps no other pursuits.

If you hunt and fish, or grew up enjoying histories of family traditions and friendships revolving around the outdoors – whether it be in North Carolina, or elsewhere – THE YELLOW HONEYSUCKLE IS THE SWEETEST is for you.

Book Details

Genre: Sports, (as in Hunting and Fishing), Nature, Family, Memoir

Published by: Indie

Publication Date: February 3, 2022

Number of Pages: 257

ISBN: 979-8-9855598-1-1

Purchase Links: Amazon  |  Goodreads

 

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest by Bill Fentress is a book about the authors outdoor life memories. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it is a book I really enjoyed. From the first short story, I could identify with what Fentress was telling. I grew up where was then called the backends of Virginia, its updated now. But just about everything the author told was related to things my dad and brothers, uncle and cousins and most of the people there, whether they were black or white had a hand in.

My favorite story was of the dove hunting. I could relate to that one most of all. I wasn’t one of the you girls that hunted back then, but I can remember being in the house listening to everyone shooting. Laws wouldn’t allow it now but to us it was a lot if fun and an annual thing.

I have never read a book that has brought so many memories, from the deer hunting, fishing, trapping. Trapping for muskrat, bobcats, fox, and really hunting or trapping for everything. Bill Fentress does an outstanding job telling these stories in such a fun and exciting way. I will definitely be getting several of Fentress’ books for several I know will enjoy it.

This book is great for those who love outdoors, hunting and fishing and many other activities. I also think this is a fabulous book for those living back in the day that these memories are from. Be sure and check out The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest by Bill Fentress. You can’t go wrong choosing this book!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

Here’s a word from our author:

 

Read an excerpt:

       There is something special about hunting, that sears in place our memories with others. Maybe it’s the vivid nature where our grand experiences take place or the team efforts we go through to make it all happen? Maybe it’s the getting up early, the black coffee, the smell of eggs and bacon in a cabin, the swoosh of ducks over decoys or the violent uprising of a big covey followed by the delirium of released bird dogs? Maybe it’s the sunrises, the sunsets, the gobbles at dawn, the split oak fires or the oysters? Maybe it’s the bonds we have over lifetimes? I’m not really sure.  But I do know we’re blessed when these partners come into our lives.

Like many boys, my first hunting partner was a dog, Pepper. I wish I could say Pepper was the granddaughter of King Rothschild’s Sire of Pepper Creek, but I cannot. Pepper was a fittingly, albeit not uniquely, named black and white pointer-mix stray who took up at Miss Jo’s house in Bayboro. Somehow, through either constant brow beating with her pathetic brown eyes or via her constant hanging around the back door looking for food, Pepper convinced Miss Jo to call me—not my mother, her friend—but me.

“Billy,” she commanded, “I have a beautiful dog you would just love!”

Of course, I immediately got off the phone and begged Mom to take me to Bayboro. “Miss Jo’s got a dog she says I need!” I always thought Miss Jo should have led many of the sales classes I attended in my banking career. Let me tell you, she talked directly to the buyer, and went right around the secretary. While I’m not sure how long it took for Mom to talk to her again,  we came home with Pepper in the Chevy wagon and me with a smile as broad as the cuff on my dungarees. Pepper was one of the smartest dogs I ever owned. She followed me everywhere—from our store to Grandmamma’s house to the woods behind our house to the tractor shelter woods across the road, down Swan Point Road, and of course behind our neighbor’s house. Pepper was smart enough to look both ways before she crossed the road. Don’t smirk; I saw her do it a hundred times. She also knew how to be quiet as I planned a sneak-up strategy on the local robins and wrens. But her mind absolutely took the day off when it came to our neighbor’s chickens.

—

Excerpt from The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest by Bill Fentress.  Copyright © 2021 by William C. Fentress. Reproduced with permission from Bill Fentress. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Bill Fentress is a retired banker and current Finance Officer in eastern North Carolina. A current resident of New Bern, NC, Bill grew up in Pamlico County, North Carolina, where many of his hunting and fishing experiences in The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest take place. He has enjoyed nature’s beauty and God’s gifts of family and the outdoors throughout his lifetime, in North Carolina and elsewhere.

Learn More About Bill Online:

BillFentress.com

Goodreads

Facebook – @billfentressauthor

Tour Host Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=306031

 

ENTER TO WIN:

This is a giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Bill Fentress. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

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Find Your Next Great Read at Providence Book Promotions!

Tour and Giveaway for Love’s Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik

About the Book

Book: Love’s Fortress

Author: Jennifer Uhlarik

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical fiction / Romance

Release date: March, 2022

A Love Story from the Past Brings Closure to Dani’s Fractured Family

Walk through Doors to the Past via a series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

When Dani Sango’s art forger father passes away, Dani inherits his home. Among his effects is a book of Native American drawings, which leads her to seek the help of museum curator Brad Osgood to decipher the ledger art. Why would her father have this book? Is it just another forgery?

Brad Osgood’s four-year-old niece, Brynn, needs a safe home, and Brad longs to provide it. The last thing he needs is more drama, especially from a forger’s daughter. But when the two meet “accidentally” at St. Augustine’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos, he can’t refuse the intriguing woman.

Broken Bow is among seventy-three Plains Indians transported to Florida in 1875 for incarceration at ancient Fort Marion. Sally Jo Harris and Luke Worthing dream of serving God on a foreign mission field, but when the Indians arrive in St. Augustine, God changes their plans. Then when friendship develops between Sally Jo and Broken Bow and false accusations fly, it could cost them their lives.

Can Dani discover how Broken Bow and Sally Jo’s story ends and how it impacted her father’s life?

Click here to get your copy!

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Love’s Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik is another book in the Doors of the Past series from Barbour Books. I enjoyed this story very much, even though it took me a while to get into the story. I felt bad for Dani. She knows nothing about her father’s life or any possessions he might have. These two characters, along with the other characters learn well as the story unfolds. Uhlarik does well in her research for the book. I like that the story switches between modern and historical times. This takes so great writing skills and not everyone can pull it off but Jennifer Uhlarik does a nice job.

Readers who enjoy both historical and present times reads will enjoy this book. Also someone who enjoys reading about the history of Indian’s perhaps would enjoy this one. I’m giving it four out of Five Stars.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

About the Author

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a preteen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a BA in writing, she has won five writing competitions and was a finalist in two others. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenage son, and four fur children.

More from Jennifer

Florida has been my home since I was ten, and I’ve visited the city of St. Augustine several times in my many years here. There, I stumbled across the fact that the Castillo de San Marcos, the town’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, was home to several groups of Native Americans in the 1800s. Ever since learning this fact, I’ve considered writing a story about the three-year period from 1875-1878 when seventy-three Plains Indians from various tribes called the fort (known then as Fort Marion) their home. However, since I’m mainly a western and western romance author, all of my story settings to date have been west of the Mississippi—not in Florida. So this interesting historical factoid remained dormant in my imagination for years, waiting for the right opportunity.

That opportunity came last year when I was asked to submit an idea for Barbour’s dual-timeline Doors to the Past series. These stories must be set in or around a major landmark, the plot must focus on a newsworthy event, and there must be a bit of a mystery that connects the historical timeline to the contemporary plot. Obviously, as the oldest masonry fort in the United States, Castillo de San Marcos is an important and interesting landmark. Originally built by the Spanish, it later became a British possession, reverted again to the Spanish, and eventually became part of the United States’ holdings. With such a long and varied history, I’m sure you can see why this unique structure would make an interesting landmark around which to base a story.

The newsworthy event the plot focuses on is the incarceration of those seventy-three Plains Indians, deemed some of the “worst of the worst” offenders in the Indians Wars of the West. Can you imagine the buzz such an event would create? Once the Indians fell into their routine inside the fort, they were given quite a bit of freedom to interact with the locals and tourists. People came from far and wide to see these men and their historic surroundings along the banks of the Matanzas River. With a simple day pass from the fort’s commander, outsiders could enter, walk among and talk with the prisoners, see the historic fort, and even watch cultural events like dances, powwows, mock buffalo hunts, and archery displays. The Native men could also leave the fort and venture into town to shop or sell handmade goods, from bows and arrows to hand-crafted items made from locally-sourced seashells and plants, to their original “ledger art.”

It’s the ledger art that comprises the mysterious puzzle piece connecting the historical timeline of Love’s Fortress to the present day. When Dani Sango learns her long-estranged father has died, she inherits his rundown St. Augustine house. Inside, she discovers a book of Native American art depicting events from one Indian’s daily life. But because her father was a convicted art forger, Dani questions why he would have the strange and rudimentary artwork. She suspects it was his latest scam, so she enlists the help of Brad Osgood, curator of a western art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, to help her discover where the art originated and how her father came to possess it. In the process, the pair digs deep into the history of the St. Augustine fort and its former residents.

I found it fascinating to research this brief period in the Castillo’s long history, and I hope you’ll enjoy the story that came from my efforts.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26

Remembrancy, March 26

The Christian Fiction Girl, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Inklings and notions, March 28

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 28

Bigreadersite, March 29

For Him and My Family, March 29

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 30

Betti Mace, March 30

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 31

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 31

deb’s Book Review, April 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 1

Older & Smarter?, April 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 3

Life of Literature, April 3

Genesis 5020, April 4

For the Love of Literature, April 4

Connie’s History Classroom, April 5

Blossoms and Blessings, April 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 6 (Spotlight)

Splashes of Joy, April 6

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 7

Through the Fire Blogs, April 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 8

Pause for Tales, April 9

Labor Not in Vain, April 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c10d/love-s-fortress-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour and Giveaway Hush Hush by Gabriel Valjan

Hush Hush

by Gabriel Valjan

March 21 – April 15, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Shane Cleary is living a comfortable life. He has money. He has a girl.

But a visit from a friend shakes up his status quo. Chess may be the metaphor, but the case is one that lifts the lid on problems nobody in Boston wants to talk about.

Murder. Race. Class. It’s all Hush Hush.

Neither the crime nor the verdict is simple, and yet it is Black and White.

Shane will need more than a suit of armor if he wants to play knight. Can Justice be found? And at what cost?

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK 

HUSH HUSH by Gabriel Valjan is my first book by this author. Set in the 1970’s in Boston, Valjan gives readers insight of what life was like for many during that Era. The characters were spot on and though most of them were a rough bunch, I did enjoyed the way they grew and developed as the story unfolds. Author Gabriel Valjan is a phenomenal writer. Different than most authors I read, and he does an amazing job with the dialogue, a little rough talk at times but that fits the story well.

I did like Shane Cleary, the unlicensed PI, but a sharp PI that. I found that much of the story is so realistic today, especially on the racial issues. And Valjan doesn’t back off from telling it like it is.
I think you will enjoy this story if you enjoy a good mystery as well as taking a trip back to the good old 1970 and some of the hard core memories of Boston’s streets.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Praise for HUSH HUSH:

“HUSH HUSH is filled with biting wisdom, savory dialogue, and the authentic flavor of 70’s Boston.”
— Cheryl Head, author of the Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series

“Inspired by real events, ‘HUSH HUSH’ shines a harsh light on Boston’s seedy underbelly, exposing an ugly past on racial injustice and media coverage. And Valjan and his protagonist Cleary get better at every turn. With compelling characters, sharp prose and wit, and a slew of historical facts, Valjan weaves a clever and twisty mystery that will linger long after you turn the last page.”
— Marco Carocari, author of BLACKOUT

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery

Published by:  Level Best Books

Publication Date:  January 11th 2022

Number of Pages:  230

ISBN: 9781685120436

Series:  Shane Cleary Mystery, #3

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

I pulled the door open to Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe. The spelling might’ve been from Middle English and seemed as medieval as Robin Hood, but a Greek owned the place. On any given day, Arthur the proprietor was Art or Artie and, like his old man before him, he worked the grill. Charlie’s was open twenty-four a day, seven days a week, including all the major holidays, Jewish or Gentile.

I’ve eaten breakfast countless times at his counter. The place did have tables, but it was designed for food on the move, men on the job, and people on the make. Walk into the shop and it was sometimes cops on one side of the room, gangsters on the other. Peace was a meal until everyone returned to the pavement outside, and there was no one-way streets about it: the South End was trouble. Charlie’s eggs, hash, bacon, and stiff coffee worked harder than the UN.

Charlie’s dated back to the Twenties. Framed photographs, some of them signed and some not, hung on the wall and told a history most Americans had forgotten, and why I supported the place. The Negro Motorist Green Book in hand told jazzmen and other itinerant talent that Charlie’s was a safe haven. In all of Boston, this was the one place where they could eat and, for a time, one of the few places where they were allowed to eat. Segregation ruled Boston until 1973, when public housing and schools were desegregated.

Sammy Davis, Jr. hoofed outside Charlie’s door for change, and he performed with his family at The Gaiety Theatre, which is now in the Combat Zone. Barred from the vaudeville stages in town, black talent played the burlesque houses. Audiences in these naughty houses were integrated. Some of the acts were women-owned and they managed acts that toured the TOBA circuit. TOBA stood for Tough on Black Asses.

There were no police officers in the place when I sat next to a familiar face at the counter. People called him Charcoal. He was thin as a stick and dark as his nickname. We sat on stools covered in cracked vinyl, and opposite wooden refrigerators there since Charlie’s opened its doors in 1927. Eggs sizzled, bacon puckered and sputtered, and conversations tumbled in and out like the tide. Arthur could hear above the din and asked me what I wanted, and I told him. “Turkey hash.”

A waitress placed a cup and saucer before me and poured caffeine. Charlie’s coffee was unleaded, and dark as unchanged oil and stiffer than Niagara starch. While I waited, I sipped and stared out the window. Life on Columbus Ave was a steady traffic of folks to and from the trains at Back Bay station around the corner.

There was another slice of history. Back Bay was the epicenter of the Pullman Porter Strike, conducted and carried to victory by the first black union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Their office was above Charlie’s Shoppe. Membership was comprised of black men from the south. They traveled throughout the homeland for the union’s cause for better wages and working conditions. I doubt they slept a wink on the train through Jim Crow territory.

I was two forkfuls into my turkey hash, and Charcoal was on his third cup of joe when a burgundy Cadillac, with all the trimmings, rolled up to the front of Charlie’s. The man driving it wore large sunglasses and passed for a thinner version of Isaac Hayes. He wore business threads, and his head was shaved and glistened like a chocolate bullet. He had his back to the car and was facing us when a car stopped parallel to his parked car. Boston Police.

Arthur stopped and worked a washcloth over his hands. Every head was turned to the spectacle. Our Isaac Hayes heard a cop call him out. There was glass between us and him, but it wasn’t hard to guess the conversation on the street. Patrons of Charlie’s had seen this Movie of the Week and they knew the script. The question was whether Isaac stuck to his lines or improvised. The cop was almost out of the car, his head visible over the roof of the patrol car. He yelled, “Hey, Boy.”

Isaac hadn’t heard him until he’d seen the reflection of the officer and the cruiser in Charlie’s window. He stopped, removed his glasses, and turned around. A customer leaving Charlie’s propped the door so we could eavesdrop.

“Hands where I can see them.”

“Is there a problem, Officer?”

“We ask the questions, not you.”

Isaac stood his ground. The cop, out of the vehicle now, walked around the back of his car. His partner exited the passenger side. I expected a citation for being double-parked.

The cop jabbed his finger. “What are you doing?”

There was distance between the officers and the young man, but they were closing in fast. I understood what they were doing. They were asserting dominance and they wanted to spark a reaction. With enough space between them, if Isaac ran, one of the policemen could sprint and catch him from an angle. They’d talk smack as they approached, looking for an excuse to cuff him. If Isaac answered wrong, used the wrong tone of voice, they would ride him.

“I asked you what you’re doing.”

Isaac was smart. He raised his hands. Now came the dilemma because nothing he said mattered.

“Did I tell you to put your hands up?”

“No.”

“You going to answer me?” The tone of voice was sharp as a knife’s edge. “I asked you what you’re doing here.”

“Here to pick up a sandwich before work, Officer.” He glanced over his shoulder.

I hear courtesy and respect in the answer. Cops heard sarcasm.

“A sandwich, is that right?”

“Yes. A sandwich before work.”

“You have a job?”

Another lure, an insult disguised as a question. When cops testified in court, they’d tell the jury that they repeated answers as a way to verify information, but nobody asked them how they asked their questions.

The partner walked around the Cadillac. He used his foot to test the fender. He aimed to test a man’s pride in his set of wheels. His hand touched the rear light and he ran his hand over the body as if he checked for dirt. “This your car?”

“Yes.”

The cop closest to Isaac said, “You sure about that?” He glanced over his shoulder. “We run those tags and we won’t hear it was stolen.”

“No.”

“No what? What are you trying to say? I don’t understand you when you mumble.”

Another classic strategy. Isaac spoke clear as sunlight and kept his answers trimmed to simple. The more you talked, the more your own words were used against you. If he denied mumbling, he’d look defensive, and the cops would consider Isaac as dangerous as the third rail.

I waited for them to ask Isaac what his job was and where. They’d look at the Cadillac while he talked. Their looking at the car implied they didn’t believe the job matched the income to purchase a luxury vehicle, or that a Cadillac was a pimpmobile. The two cops might then tag-team Isaac with questions. Cops counted on confusion and if Isaac so much as stuttered, they would accuse him of being drunk, drugged, or agitated.

Isaac answered, “The car is mine. Registration is in the glove compartment.”

“License?”

“On me, but you can reach into my breast pocket for it.”

“On you?” the lead cop said. The smirk showed teeth.

“In my wallet, where I keep my cash so I can pay for my sandwich.”

The partner chimed in. “Glove compartment include proof of insurance?”

“Registration and insurance are in the glove compartment, yes.”

Now the lead cop was less than a foot away from Isaac. “Now, let me understand you right. You’re giving us permission to search your car?”

“Registration and insurance are in the glove compartment.”

“That’s not what I asked you, son.” The officer was eye-to-eye with Isaac. Any closer and it was a date. He turned and pointed to the car. “We won’t find anything else inside?”

Charcoal next to me said. “I think young blood could use some help from the community, right about now.” He got off the stool and walked to the open door. Other men followed him and formed a line in front of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe. I joined them.

The cops’ disposition changed immediately when he counted us.

“You folks go on back inside. This doesn’t concern you.”

A long hard minute passed and not a word was said. There was nothing but hard, tired stares. Isaac had not put his hands down and he hadn’t moved from where he was standing. Arthur appeared, a brown bag in his hand. He handed it to Isaac. “Breakfast is on me, and I hope the experience doesn’t stop you from visiting Charlie’s again.”

“This is a police matter,” the cop said to Arthur.

“And this is my business, and this young man is a customer.”

The cop moved in on Arthur. “This does not concern you.”

Charcoal stepped forward. “I suggest you officers either search the car, or call it a day.”

“You suggest?”

“Indeed, I do—and I advise you to heed my advice.”

The cop approached. When he did, the men behind Charcoal took one step forward and held the line. The cop stared into Charcoal’s face. “Heed your advice, and who the fuck are you?”

Charcoal flinched a smile. “I’m an attorney, labor and civil rights among other things, and I’d be happy to provide you with my card.”

“You’re a lawyer?”

“What’s the matter, Officer? You’ve never met a Negro lawyer or thought a black man might have more education than you and your forebears combined.”

“You know nothing about my forebears.”

“Oh, but I do, son. I do.”

The senior cop reassessed the situation. He looked at each man behind Charcoal, including me. Cops did this to save face. The pair backpedaled and got into their car. Arthur stood next to the opened door and thanked each of his patrons as they entered his shop. Charcoal and I were the last in the long line. I asked Arthur if I could make change for a phone call.

Arthur said I could use the house phone and pointed me to where I could find it. I called John and he answered. I said I’d be down to his place to talk with his friend, the kid’s father. “You’ll take the case?”

“I didn’t say that. I want to talk the man first, and John?” He waited. “What was with the chess metaphor and all?”

“I wasn’t about to talk street, in front of your lady.”

“You showed up unannounced. How did you find me?”

John said Bill’s name and, “Did something change your mind?”

“Change, no. More like I saw something that made me reconsider.”

“Watched something on television?”

“That’s make-believe. I’m talking about real life.”

***

Excerpt from HUSH HUSH by Gabriel Valjan.  Copyright 2022 by Gabriel Valjan. Reproduced with permission from Gabriel Valjan. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Gabriel Valjan is the author of the Roma Series, The Company Files, and the Shane Cleary Mysteries. He has been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Silver Falchion Awards, and received the 2021 Macavity Award for Best Short Story. Gabriel is a member of the Historical Novel Society, ITW, MWA, and Sisters in Crime. He lives in Boston.

Catch Up With Gabriel:

 

GabrielValjan.com

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BookBub – @gvaljan

Instagram – @gabrielvaljan

Twitter – @GValjan

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