Men of the 65th by Talia Aikens-Nunez

Men of the 65th

by Talia Aikens-Nunez

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GENRE: YA Nonfiction

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BLURB:

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

Excerpt

“The Borinqueneers successfully defended the 1st Marine Division’s retreat, but they soon realized this was only part of a much larger withdrawal of UNC [United Nations Command] troops. As the retreat continued into mid-December, news came that the enemy buildup had accelerated. Chinese and North Korean forces were gathering and converging on Hungnam. The UNC’s worst fears were coming true: they were losing ground in the war. 

They had to accelerate their plans in response to protect their troops and evacuate the Korean refugees that had fled to Hungnam. They ordered troops to board ships, division by division, and sail south to Pusan… Meanwhile, the 65th and the 3rd Infantry Divisions would hold the main line of resistance, providing enough cover for everyone to make it safely out of Hungnam…With each withdrawal, the enemy continued to push the Borinqueneers and the 3rd Infantry Division.

…They were exhausted from several days of fighting…The soldiers of the 65th were some of the last to leave Hungnam. They were hurried and squeezed tightly onto the final boats. Finally, they could rest and relax. Once they left, the military would destroy the port so the enemy could not use the equipment and facilities against them.

…After they loaded onto the final ship and set sail, the dynamite detonated. The soldiers looked back and watched the port explode…everything – erupted in smoke and flame.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Talia Aikens-Nuñez is passionate about sharing with young readers the little known stories, accomplishments, and contributions of people of color from all throughout history. Aikens-Nuñez is the author of Small Nap, Little Dream, a bilingual Spanish/English picture book. She and her husband live in Connecticut with their two children.

Links: 

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War/dp/1728479142

Lerner: https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22654

Twitter: talia_n

Website: http://www.kidslitbytalia.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/taliaaikensnunezchildrenswriter

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Talia Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

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Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge Tour by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In the year since he lost his wife in a tragic accident, Lester Lehman has found healing and purpose—helping construct Dale Kraybill’s new bulk store, enjoying the Kuhn sisters’ hearty meals, and settling in a tiny, built-for-one lakeside house. Falling in love again is surely not on Lester’s mind. Yet despite his firm “no,” two available ladies have set their kapps on the handsome widower—in a boisterous rivalry that weaves mayhem among Gloria’s wedding festivities.

A welcome escape comes from a fresh-faced newcomer. Marlene Fisher disarms Lester with her witty quips on his romantic predicament, while her sparkling eyes inspire surprising thoughts of a shared future. But the heartbreak that brought Marlene to Promise Lodge runs deep, and the pretty maidel believes she’s not meant to marry. In a season of vows to love and honor, scripture holds the key to building their happiness together: love is kind, and above all patient.  Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I am so thrilled to be reviewing another Promise Lodge read from author Charlotte Hubbard. This time the Promise Lodge community is excited and looking forward to two family gatherings at the lodge. Both gatherings are weddings and very close together, so there will be lots of fun celebrating at the Lodge. But I’m afraid one member of the community will not be happy with his visitors. Being a widower, Lester lives in a tiny house on the lake, because after all its just him, and he never expects to marry again. But when two ladies from his former community show up vying for his hand in marriage, the entire community suffers from their Rivalry. Newcomer Marlene Fisher enjoys her new apartment at Promise Lodge and plans to stay there the rest of her life. But sometimes plans change.

This story grabs you from the beginning and holds on until long after you finished reading. These Promise Lodge characters have a way of gripping your heart strings and never letting go. I enjoyed this story so much. And don’t think there’s no problems just because it’s Amish. This story certainly has its share of troubles throughout, but it all makes the story more fun. Charlotte Hubbard adds much detail to the story. I learned a lot about the Amish life and the Amish way of handling difficult situations. Another thing I always learn more about in Amish fiction is their food. Rosetta, Mattie and the other ladies keeping the Lodge goingdo a fabulous job. They all have different jobs but let me tell you the cooks can flat out lay out a table spread that will have you drooling all over. Never want for food while you are at the lodge. I found myself wishing more than once that there was a Lodge such as this in our area. What a fabulous place to live out your retirement years!

I could keep going on and on about the Lodge and the happenings there, but you need to read the book for yourself to really feel the fun. Don’t forget to check out Charlotte Hubbard’s Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge, which goes on sale tomorrow February20,2023. And be sure to check out the other Promise Lodge books as well. I know you will want to read them all.

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 an Excerpt

Fully awake now, Lester swung his feet to the dock. When he could get a word in edgewise, he needed to deflate Agnes’s high-flying hopes in a hurry, because in her vivid imagination, she was already standing before the bishop with him, repeating her wedding vows. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, another urgent female voice hailed him.

“Lester! Lester Lehman, it’s me—your Elverta! I read about Gloria’s wedding in the paper, so it seemed like the perfect reason to come and see you!”

Lester moaned. His sense of freedom, peace, and unencumbered living had just hit another serious snag.

As the national newspaper for Plain communities, the Budget was a wonderful way to keep track of far-flung friends and kin, but he suddenly wished that Gloria—and Rosetta Wickey, their community’s original scribe—hadn’t been quite so descriptive in detailing the Lehman family’s relocation. The tiny town of Promise, Missouri was out in the middle of nowhere, yet Agnes and Elverta had apparently followed every line of the newspaper’s weekly reports right to his doorstep.

As Elverta Horst, dressed in deep green, strode toward his dock, her tall, skinny, ramrod-straight body reminded Lester of a string bean. He knew better than to express that opinion, of course, because the woman he’d broken up with to begin courting his Delores had never been known for her sense of humor.

“Wh-who’s this?” Agnes asked him under her breath.

Never one to beat around the bush, Elverta stopped a few yards from the dock. She glanced at Lester before focusing on the flustered woman beside him. “And who might you be?” she demanded with a raised eyebrow.

Lester answered as indirectly as possible, because he knew these women would soon find out every little thing about one another. “Elverta, this is Delores’s best friend, Agnes Plank. She lives down the road from our former home in Sugarcreek,” he explained hastily. “And Agnes, this is Elverta Horst—”

“And I was engaged to Lester before he took up with Delores,” Elverta put in purposefully. “First loves are often the strongest, ain’t so? The flame may flicker through the years, but it never really goes out.”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband and their Border collie, Vera.

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The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper by S.M. Morgan

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GENRE:   Middle Grade Fiction

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BLURB:

“Help!! My head is being lowered into the swirling vortex of a toilet!”

My name is Teddy, and I’m in the 6th grade. It’s my first day at a different school, and so far, the only person I know is Zane, the school bully. I was just your everyday kid trying to stay off everyone’s radar, but when I met my new best friend, Bud Wiper, everything changed.

Bud is a 6th grade millionaire from 60 years ago.

Yep, that’s right, Bud Wiper is a treasure hunter from the 1940’s who left behind his journal full of life and adventure, and even though we’ve never met, I think he might be the only thing that gets me through the 6th grade alive.

The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper is a fantastic story of bravery and friendship, perfect for kids, middle school students, and adults.

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Excerpt Three:

Leo jumped out of his car and stood in front of Ramsey. “ This not good, mister. Not good. Tell him, perdoon stary, do it now, or they will surely kill us.”

Give them the book Ramsey,” I said, motioning toward the guard.

on his face and then repeated what Leo had told him to say, “Perdoon Stary.” It sounded— strange hearing it from Ramsey with his American accent. 

The guards busted out laughing hysterically. Ramsey turned to Leo. “ What did you make me say? ”

“Old fart,” came a voice in a thick Russian accent.

I turned to see a man that looked like he was in charge step forward. He wore a large rounded bill military cap with a red band and golden emblem around the center. “ Nothing in Russia is private. Now give me the book.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

S.M. Morgan is the author of The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper — A Middle Grade Adventure. He lives in East Texas with his wife, daughter, and son, and when not writing potty humor for kids, he is trying to get alone to read more mystery adventure stories.

When the real world calls him to be social, he can be found canoeing with his family or trying to convince his wife to watch action movies.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B097531BSQ/about

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7076975.S_M_Morgan

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Journals-Bud-Wiper-Adventure-ebook/dp/B08YNJKFFD?ref_=ast_sto_dp

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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-journals-of-bud-wiper-sm-morgan/1139735498

Apple

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1583880148

Website – https://budwiper.com/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

S.M. Morgan will be awarding a Kindle Paperwhite, a signed Hardback cover of the book and a featured character spot in our next Bud Wiper story to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6b97ea031“>Enter to win a Kindle paperwhite + other prizes – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Deadly Betrayal by Shelia Kell Book Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sheila Kell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When trusting the wrong person can be deadly.

From Romantic Suspense BEST-SELLING and AWARD-WINNING Author • What happens when a former FBI analyst quits her job to become a PI and ends up partnering with the man who left her fourteen years earlier? In Sheila Kell’s riveting novel of secrets, deceit, and romance, two people rush to find a killer while reckoning with their growing attraction.

Cassie McKay was tired of being passed over as a FBI field agent. She quits her job as a FBI analyst, moved back home with her mother, and takes a job as a PI. Only she hadn’t expected her partner to be the one man who’d left her years before.

Jack “JD” Walker had done a lot wrong in his life, but he hadn’t killed the mother of his child as the police believed, nor had he expected the only women he’d ever loved to come to his rescue. The two work diligently to prove JD’s innocence while someone is determined to make JD pay.

Deadly Betrayal is the first book in the Coastal Investigations series. If you enjoy a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat read, you’ll love this installment of Sheila Kell’s new romantic suspense series.

Read an Excerpt

“Well, it’s late. I’m going to get some sleep,” Cassie said.

Sleep? What? He planned to seduce her, and here she was kicking him out before he even had the chance. So, he did the only thing he could. He stood and strode toward his room. “Goodnight, my sweet Cassie.” He left the double doors separating their rooms open.

He listened to her shower, wishing he could jump in there with her and soap her body down. Thoughts whizzed through JD’s head as he clenched his eyes shut: 60.2 average passes per game, 328.2 average passing yards, second in the season, twelve weeks in. 52.9 average—he looked down. His erection still hadn’t subsided.

When she climbed into bed, he couldn’t take it anymore. He walked to the door separating their rooms and asked, “Are you coming to my bed, or am I coming to yours?”

About the Author:

Sheila Kell writes about the romantic men who leave women’s hearts pounding with a happily ever after built on memorable, adrenaline-pumping stories. Or, (since her editor tries to cut down on her long-windedness) simply “Smokin’ Hot Romance & Intrigue.” Her debut novel, His Desire (HIS Series #1), launched as an Amazon #1 romantic suspense bestseller and Top 100 overall, later winning the Readers’ Favorite award for best romantic suspense novel.

As a Southern girl who traveled the world with the United States Air Force, she remembers all the embarrassing moments of her fellow veterans to include in her books and laughs every time she does it. Having left behind her days as a College President, she can usually be found nestled in the Mississippi woods, where she lives with her cats and all the strays that magically find her front door. When she isn’t writing, you can find Sheila with her nose in a good book, dealing with the woodland critters who enjoy her back patio, or wishing she had a genie to do her bidding.

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For the Love of Faith by Tricia McGill

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GENRE:  Historical Romance

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BLURB:

At almost seventeen Faith Boswell knows little about the world beyond the lodging house in Ballarat owned by her widowed mother. The mining town of Ballarat in 1860 is populated by those seeking to get rich by finding gold, so their residents are mostly miners on their way to the diggings with high hopes of finding this highly treasured substance. Sadly, Faith’s Ma is not the easiest person to get along with and Faith often wonders just why her mother is so bitter.

Things start to change unexpectedly one day when a stranger appears at the door of their home—a gentleman who mysteriously seems to know a lot about Faith’s Ma, her past life, plus Faith herself. Faith fears that her mother has been lying to her all her life. From that day Faith’s life takes a turn, perhaps for the better. One long-term lodger is a widow who unexpectedly presents Faith with an unusual birthday gift. This gift causes uproar which plays a large part in Faith’s life from them onwards.

Because Faith knows little about life outside of her sheltered existence, she is unable to fathom if handsome Walter Finch, son of the nearby store owners, has real feelings for her or is simply being kind. Faith is soon to find out just how willing he is to help her as she sets out on a new and scary phase in her life.

Excerpt Three:

Walt was in the process of working on one of Matilda’s hooves. He was stripped to the waist and in the moment before he looked up and saw Faith, she admired his strong body. Seldom had she seen a half-naked man except for the natives who chose to go around part clothed. In fact, the only time was when one of the miners ran through town waving his discarded shirt in his glee at finding a nugget of gold.

“You have a nice voice,” she said, knowing her voice came out huskily. With a small cough she quickly added, “I hope I have not caught you when you are very busy.”

Reaching for his shirt which he pulled on slowly, he laughed. “Never too busy for you, Faith. I am about ready for a rest.” Stroking the mare’s neck, he told her to continue with whatever was in her manger, and beckoned Faith to a bench. “Come sit here. No one will bother us, and it is cooler here inside. It is warming up as we near Yuletide.”

Feeling ridiculously shy, she sat and straightened her skirt over her knees. “As I told you, I have a decision to make, and I hoped you could help me to sort out my jumbled thoughts.”

“I will do my best—but I am just a simple bloke so don’t expect me to solve any difficult dilemmas you might have.” This was followed by a chuckle.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

For the Love of Faith is the first book I have read by author Tricia McGill, and I am glad I could enjoy this romance read. Faith and her mother live in a lodging house in the mining town of Ballarat. The year is 1860, and most people staying in their lodging house are those digging for gold, hoping to get rich, so the ladies were able to make ends meet. Faith didn’t know a lot about what was happening outside of the lodge. Her grouchy and bitter mom had her working too much and didn’t let her go out, but this all changed when a stranger came to town. The interesting thing is that he and Faith’s mom knew each other from the past. And from then on, Faith’s life was turned upside down.

For the Love of Faith is very well written, and the characters were well created, and I found that they developed well in the story. I felt bad for Faith because her mom had kept her hidden from their little part of the world. There are a lot of secrets that changed Faith and her mom’s life. I like Walter Finch. He really liked Faith, and he found an intriguing and exciting way to let her know.

If you enjoy mining towns and the enjoyment of finding out what the guys found on their mining trips, you will love this book. And since there is a hefty dose of romance floating through the story, it makes it even more exciting. I encourage you to run out and grab a copy of this book. You will not be disappointed!

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.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award winning author Tricia McGill spent her early days in London, England, and moved to Australia many years ago, settling near Melbourne. The youngest in a large, loving family she was never lonely or alone. Surrounded by avid readers, who encouraged her to read from an early age, is it any wonder she became a writer. Although her published works cross sub-genres, romance is always at their heart. 

Tricia’s love of animals has always shown up in her books. Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups and is passionate about supporting those who do all they can to preserve our wildlife for future generations. She also volunteers for a local community group that helps disabled adults and children to connect to the internet with provided computer equipment. 

For reviews and excerpts from my books plus a little more about me go to my web page: http://www.triciamcgill.com&nbsp;

Or my Books We Love Author page:  https://bookswelove.net/mcgill-tricia/

Where you will find links to all the places where my books can be purchased.

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorTriciaMcGill

My Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/authortriciamcg/

Which is mostly taken over by animals big and small.

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/triciamcgill

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Tricia McGill will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4450“>Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

For the Love of Faithby Tricia McGill

Excerpt:

Walt was in the process of working on one of Matilda’s hooves. He was stripped to the waist and in the moment before he looked up and saw Faith, she admired his strong body. Seldom had she seen a half-naked man except for the natives who chose to go around part clothed. In fact, the only time was when one of the miners ran through town waving his discarded shirt in his glee at finding a nugget of gold.

“You have a nice voice,” she said, knowing her voice came out huskily. With a small cough she quickly added, “I hope I have not caught you when you are very busy.”

Reaching for his shirt which he pulled on slowly, he laughed. “Never too busy for you, Faith. I am about ready for a rest.” Stroking the mare’s neck, he told her to continue with whatever was in her manger, and beckoned Faith to a bench. “Come sit here. No one will bother us, and it is cooler here inside. It is warming up as we near Yuletide.”

Feeling ridiculously shy, she sat and straightened her skirt over her knees. “As I told you, I have a decision to make, and I hoped you could help me to sort out my jumbled thoughts.”

“I will do my best—but I am just a simple bloke so don’t expect me to solve any difficult dilemmas you might have.” This was followed by a chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award winning author Tricia McGill spent her early days in London, England, and moved to Australia many years ago, settling near Melbourne. The youngest in a large, loving family she was never lonely or alone. Surrounded by avid readers, who encouraged her to read from an early age, is it any wonder she became a writer. Although her published works cross sub-genres, romance is always at their heart. 

Tricia’s love of animals has always shown up in her books. Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups and is passionate about supporting those who do all they can to preserve our wildlife for future generations. She also volunteers for a local community group that helps disabled adults and children to connect to the internet with provided computer equipment. 

For reviews and excerpts from my books plus a little more about me go to my web page: http://www.triciamcgill.com&nbsp;

Or my Books We Love Author page:  https://bookswelove.net/mcgill-tricia/

Where you will find links to all the places where my books can be purchased.

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorTriciaMcGill

My Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/authortriciamcg/

Which is mostly taken over by animals big and small.

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/triciamcgill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Tricia McGill will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4450“>Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming Virginia McCullough

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Virginia McCullough will be awarding a $50 Etsy Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Could her closed heart…

Still have room for him?

Olivia Donoghue’s life has turned a corner. The radiologist’s eleven-year-old daughter is finally healthy, and she just moved to her best friend’s dreamy hometown of Adelaide Creek, Wyoming. If only her friend’s prodigal brother, Jeff Stanhope, wasn’t complicating matters. It’s clear Jeff’s kindness knows no bounds, having taken in his late roommate’s teenage son and also offering her a cabin to stay in, but Olivia’s heart is already full…and safe. Is the former rancher worth the risk?

 

Read an Excerpt

TALK ABOUT A first impression gone wrong. Please, give her the previous five minutes back and Olivia would start over and do much, much better. As she watched Jeff walk away, she resolved that from now on she’d watch her tongue when it came to his relationship with Heather. As was only right, she’d leave that to the two of them. At the same time, she might have known Jillian would plunge right into a conversation with Jeff about horses. In her daughter’s mind, Heather’s legendary horse-loving brother was a kindred spirit. Maybe it was inevitable that Jillian end up a girl devoted to horses and riding, but not when her body was still recovering from the effects of chemotherapy. Even if the assault to her body wasn’t obvious to the untrained eye, Olivia had absorbed almost too much information about what chemo could do to a child.

Then there was Jeff himself. Olivia had seen photos and even his mother’s paintings of him done over a period of years. No way had those images prepared Olivia for the real guy. They hadn’t done him justice, not even close. He had a presence about him that went beyond his thick dark hair and deep-set eyes that brought to mind luscious dark chocolate. With his wide shoulders and muscular arms, he had a body sculpted by the physical work of ranching or more recently, crewing on trawlers and freighters.

Olivia had expected him to be more as Heather described him, still hardened and bitter about losing his family’s legacy, this very ranch. If those old feelings were still a part of Jeff, he wasn’t showing them at the moment. At least not today, and not with Carson nearby. Whatever. It wasn’t her job to analyze any of this. His feelings about this ranch and his former home were completely irrelevant. She had formed an opinion that would guide all her dealings with the man. No matter how friendly, even charming Jeff Stanhope might be, he was a runner. A man who ran away from anything that smacked of responsibility. Like her dad. And Jillian’s father. She didn’t need a third runner messing up her life.

About the Author:

Virginia McCullough is thrilled to share her eighth Harlequin Heartwarming release with readers. The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming, available November 29th, is the second book in her Back to Adelaide Creek series. Like all of Virginia’s romances, this holiday story comes straight from the heart and features characters who could be your neighbors and friends struggling with everyday life issues.

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia spent years as a ghostwriter, producing more than one hundred books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell. She’s moved around a lot, and a few years ago she landed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she enjoys hanging out with other romance writers, walking on trails, and downing mugs of dark roast at local coffeehouses. Her other award-winning romance and women’s fiction titles include The Jacks of Her Heart, Amber Light, and The Chapels on the Hill. Virginia is always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

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Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

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GENRE: YA  adventure

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BLURB:

Templeton Academy- the superhero high school is finally open!

The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body.

The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive.

Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade.

However, his best friend, Aarush Patel has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff.

Even school bully Elwood Bledsoe is attending.

If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend.

Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt

I’d like to say that life improved, but I’d be telling you a lie. Elwood Bledsoe continued to bully Aarush. While Aarush constantly cautioned me to rein in my reaction to him, I could not. It landed me in two more detentions, and the last one finally cost me my job at the supermarket where I bagged groceries. 

“You’re coming for dinner,” Aarush informed me one afternoon. 

I shook my head. “Can’t.” 

Aarush neatly packed his brown bag with unfinished food and said, “You have to come over. You’re not working. Tonight they are announcing the winners of the Find My Power Essay on television. Devon Neely has to win. Imagine losing your sight and learning— ”

“Aarush, they’ll never accept a blind kid.”

“They took that girl Lydia,” he blurted.

They had indeed. 

“She’s not blind,” he retorted.

I raised my eyebrow. She hardly looked like someone people expected to make it into the Temple. All I could recall was she seemed most unremarkable. Most of the kids who were accepted had a rare talent. They could run the fastest or do math without a pen or paper. I couldn’t remember what made her special.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.

Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then.

She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren.

Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman.

Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium.

She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors.

Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the ‘mother of reinvention.’ She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren.

http://www.caroleproman.com/&nbsp;

https://www.facebook.com/CarolePRomanAwardWinningAuthorAndBooks/

Tweets by caroleproman

http://caroleproman.blogspot.com/

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4T6PWPH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4341“>Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>l

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

https://www.GoddessFish.com

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Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex

by Carole P. Roman

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GENRE: YA  adventure

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BLURB:

Templeton Academy- the superhero high school is finally open!

The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body.

The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive.

Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade.

However, his best friend, Aarush Patel has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff.

Even school bully Elwood Bledsoe is attending.

If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend.

Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be?

Excerpt:

I’d like to say that life improved, but I’d be telling you a lie. Elwood Bledsoe continued to bully Aarush. While Aarush constantly cautioned me to rein in my reaction to him, I could not. It landed me in two more detentions, and the last one finally cost me my job at the supermarket where I bagged groceries. 

“You’re coming for dinner,” Aarush informed me one afternoon. 

I shook my head. “Can’t.” 

Aarush neatly packed his brown bag with unfinished food and said, “You have to come over. You’re not working. Tonight they are announcing the winners of the Find My Power Essay on television. Devon Neely has to win. Imagine losing your sight and learning— ”

“Aarush, they’ll never accept a blind kid.”

“They took that girl Lydia,” he blurted.

They had indeed. 

“She’s not blind,” he retorted.

I raised my eyebrow. She hardly looked like someone people expected to make it into the Temple. All I could recall was she seemed most unremarkable. Most of the kids who were accepted had a rare talent. They could run the fastest or do math without a pen or paper. I couldn’t remember what made her special.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.

Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then.

She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren.

Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman.

Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium.

She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors.

Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the ‘mother of reinvention.’ She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren.

http://www.caroleproman.com/&nbsp;

https://www.facebook.com/CarolePRomanAwardWinningAuthorAndBooks/

Tweets by caroleproman

http://caroleproman.blogspot.com/

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4T6PWPH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4341“>Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Hope, Strength and Courage by Kathryn Lee

GODDESS FISH PRESENTS

Hope, Strength and Courage: With Stories in Medicine Training and the Atypical Sibling Rivalry by Kathryn Lee

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GENRE: Autobiography – Medical and Family

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BLURB:

This book has been a self-reflective journey of a medical doctor as an ordinary person going through ordinary life’s ups and downs. In epistolary form, its articles were written during the special time of her first year of training to become a general practitioner/family physician, including making the tough decision to give up hospital specialist training, “withdrawing” from fast-paced hospital work, transitioning to working from a metropolitan hospital to a rural community clinic, witnessing and getting used to a younger sibling’s growing up, and being independent from a close and loving family. Some also feature a promotion of the author’s new academic career at the start of the COVID 19 pandemic and how it was perceived. The book shows a journey of love, strength, perseverance, purpose and encouragement. Lots of anecdotes, lots of stories, lots of quotes. With love and respect.

EXCERPTS (Exclusive Excerpt):

These things were stressors for me, and I got melancholy. Rightly or wrongly, I started feeling that since we all die sooner or later, there is no meaning in living on. I became so depressed, I thought to myself, whatever we do is of no worth and our existence is in vain. I hid it from you and everyone how hopeless I felt; I was so down at one point that I considered life to just be a burden. Looking back, unreasonably, I was the doctor who was secretly planning her own death while striving her best to care for everyone else. Several months later, after going through this rollercoaster of high and low emotions, I finally got some control back over my thoughts. It took me all this time to be open about this. I felt such loss; the loss of my brother, the loss of my youth, the loss of proximity to my parents, the loss of faith, the loss of time, the loss of my past self … all led to me think I had no control and was merely a passive piece of work by God. To tell you the truth, Al, I am still battling hard with my inner self about these things. So that’s been my journey for the past months. Moments came when God’s word spoke to me occasionally when I was reading, and that let some light into my darkened soul. Thinking of God’s grace and goodness gives me strength, and that sustains my feeble mind. While I continue struggling deep within, I ultimately trust that God will guide me through my troubles. So He will do for you, and the rest of the family. I get joy from Mum and Dad and I particularly love conversing and connecting with them. I try hard to return home at the end of the week, even though it sometimes means I do absolutely nothing—no studies, no running around. I am appreciative of God’s company, as well as the company of our parents and you. Let us not be disheartened in the Holy Spirit. Be revived in His name. God, please guide our steps. Dude … see if you have thoughts about above, and I would certainly love to share your journey. Tell me how you have been since you got married. Amen.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kay Li is a medical doctor. A Christian. A daughter. A sister. A student in life university. An ordinary person in an extraordinary world.

CONNECT WITH KATHRYN LEE

WEBSITE: 

Home

Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22644710.Kathryn_Lee

PURCHASE LINKS:    

Amazon.com.au 

https://amazon.com.au/dp/0228833280

Amazon.com 

https://amazon.com/dp/0228833280

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hope-strength-and-courage-kathryn-lee/1139427777

Book Depository https://www.bookdepository.com/Hope-Strength-and-Courage-Kathryn-Lee/9780228833284

Kindle

https://amazon.com/dp/B094DS6C8K

Indigo https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hope-strength-and-courage-with/9780228833307-item.html

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/hope-strength-and-courage

Smashwords 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1083228

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/hope-strength-courage-stories-in-medicine-training/id1566675671

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Kathryn Lee will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

The Chasm by Branwen OShea

The Chasm

by

Branwen OShea

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GENRE: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy

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BLURB:

They thought the biggest problem they faced was each other.

After Bleu, Rana, and their new friends narrowly prevent war between the star beings and humans, they hope the upcoming negotiation will secure the peace. Newly emerged from their subterranean haven, the Northern Haven humans are clearly not suited to Earth’s ice age, and require assistance from the enlightened star beings to survive long term on the Surface. But Commander Savas doesn’t trust the suspiciously kind star beings and their unexplainable abilities. When both sides reluctantly negotiate a joint mission to find the other Havens, Bleu must somehow cooperate with the manipulative commander to keep his friends safe.

As their team confronts unexpected dangers, Bleu and his teammates begin to suspect the star beings don’t know as much about the Surface as they claimed, while Rana is torn between remaining true to her nonviolent ways or becoming more human to survive. When an unnatural predator attacks, even the nearly all-knowing Kalakanya can’t explain it. Now the team must pull together or their new discovery will pull them apart, limb by limb.

Excerpt Three:

Savas grinned. “Think of it as research. They’re a new species. You’re doing field observation.”

“I don’t think she eats at all.” Atsushi frowned. “None of the Crowned Ones seem to. They go to the gathering hall to socialize.”

“You do realize that’s impossible, right? They’re alive. They need an energy source.”

“Kalakanya said she eats air or something.”

Savas snorted. “Well, be curious. Ask Kahali when you’re alone. Later, ask the others. We’ll compare answers.”

Atsushi grimaced. “They’ll know what I’m thinking. I don’t want to upset them.”

“No, you don’t.” If he had another Medicci device to block mindreading, he’d offer it to him. There must be something the boy could do to stay safe. A tiny, guilty voice rose within him at exposing the boy to the dangers of mind-control. No kid should go through that.

“What if you keep that chant Kahali taught you running in your head? Maybe then they won’t catch on?”

“Maybe.” Atsushi was silent. “I’m supposed to be chanting that all the time, but I’m horrid at remembering.”

“Then work on that.”

Atsushi nodded and then glanced toward the fire, where the star beings suddenly sang more loudly. “You still don’t trust them, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“But why? They’re so nice.”

“There used to be a fish that lived in the depths of the ocean. It evolved a beautiful light that shone magnificently in the darkness. Other fish would swim close, mesmerized by the beauty, feeling completely safe. And then the light-bearing fish would tear them to pieces.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her published works include Silence of the Song Trees, The Calling, The Cords That Bind, and The Chasm.

Website: http://www.branwenoshea.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/branwenoshea

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/branwenoshea

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/branwenoshea

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/branwenoshea

The Chasm (Book 2) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFPHQVN

The Calling (Book 1) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

The Cords That Bind (Book 1.1) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CSK4813

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GUEST POST

Finding Humanity: A YA Series inspired by Nonviolence

Branwen OShea

Violence is not strength.

Vulnerability is not weakness.

Most people dislike violence and don’t want to be surrounded by it, yet if we look around it’s everywhere.

From simple phrases like, “It hit me that…” “It struck me how…” to contact sports (football, wrestling, boxing, hockey) to fun toys like squirt guns. 

Even in a country where the government was specifically established to protect its citizens, people believe they need guns in case their government goes awry.

Restraint, punishment, and death are viewed as the best ways to handle criminal behaviors.

When stressed we take a shot of whiskey, and to prevent illness we get a shot from the doctor.

Arms races between nations is viewed as a logical outcome of increasing weaponry and technology.

We use violence as a way of demonstrating intelligence and strength. Heroes carry huge guns or possess terrifying powers to fight back against villains. If someone is attacked, they are judged as weak for not violently defending themselves. Words of violence permeate our world.

What if they didn’t? What if there was another way of doing things, another, new way to speak without using violent words? Can we imagine them?

When I first received the idea for my series, Finding Humanity, I was concerned that it was unwritable, or rather, I could write it but who would want to read a story where nonviolence repeatedly faces violence? It seemed like it would be depressing, hopeless, and futile. I got stuck on scenes, unable to find a realistic way for my characters to survive. It seemed impossible to survive in a world of predators and armed enemies without having my nonviolent characters resort to such violence themselves. The funniest example of this is when my three heroes had to break someone out of a guarded prison with only a blanket to help them. It seemed impossible, and I thought I’d written myself into a corner. Weeks went by without a solution. Then I realized the power of vulnerability.

I won’t say more than that (spoilers and all), but my point is that until we look for new ways of doing things, we won’t find them. We’ll continue with the violence, and personally, I’m sick of it. If you are as well, consider paying attention to the presence of violent words in our lives. Try rephrasing things. Consider how often we participate in win/lose situations and try switching a few to win/win situations. It’s not easy, but I believe the rewards are worth it. If you do try this, and have any interesting results, please let me know.  And if you’d enjoy an adventure where nonviolent heroes and heroines try to survive in a violent future ice age, check out my series. 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Branwen OShea will be awarding $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4254“>Enter to win a $30 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

SHINING BRIGHTLY by Howard Brown

SHINING BRIGHTLY

by Howard Brown

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GENRE:  Memoir

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BLURB:

In Shining Brightly, Silicon Valley pioneer, cancer survivor and interfaith peacemaker Howard Brown shares keys to resilience for successful entrepreneurs, patient advocates and community leaders. He shows us how to reach out through our families, our communities and around the world to form truly supportive connections and friendships. From Howard’s career as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, to his conquering metastatic stage IV cancer twice, to his compassionate outreach as a peacemaker, to his love of sports—this ultimately is not one man’s story. Shining Brightly is a story shared by countless men and women—and may wind up changing your life as well. With each true story he tells in the pages, Howard invites readers to picture how they might join him in shining more light in our world.

Excerpt Four:

When I landed in Silicon Valley in 1997, people told me: “The math is crazy here. Two plus two equals 200.” As a top salesman for more than a decade, I was used to the roller-coaster ride of chasing big deals. I’d had my share of setbacks as well as breathtaking commission checks when great deals finally were signed. But moving into Silicon Valley was climbing to a whole new altitude. At the same time, I also was evolving from strictly sales to becoming a serial entrepreneur, a life whose ups and downs are less like a roller coaster and more like scaling the Himalayas. Silicon Valley in the 1990s was as disorienting as Alice in Wonderland or The Matrix. 

With each passing quarter of the year, old assumptions were turned head over heels. I had come of age when aspiring salespeople, executives and entrepreneurs could develop their skills along comfortable on ramps like NCR’s lavish training programs. There was no Sugar Camp with the implicit promise of a successful career. In Silicon Valley, it was learn fast, move fast and earn faster. Everything was new and speculative. There was no safety net. We were scrambling to find toe holds in startups operating out of borrowed garages, cramped cubicles, dusty attics—wherever we could pitch our tents. We were competing for seats at flimsy card tables where people were hunched over their plans to build the future. I was among thousands who were hooked on this adrenaline rush. I sweated toward my first big success in a claustrophobic basement startup that was overwhelmed with the odor of frying onions every day as the vents of the next-door Mexican restaurant turned on for the lunch and dinner rush. 

When people first told me about Silicon Valley’s crazy math, I laughed at the exaggeration. When I landed in the scrambler myself, I realized they weren’t kidding. Within just a few years, Lisa and I were able to buy a beautiful, newly built home and increase our charitable giving significantly with our “found money.” I earned big money via large commissions and stock options originally worth pennies working around the clock to build and sell a revolutionary product in the music industry that wound up failing not too long after it went public. We were ahead of our time in that basement, so our concept quickly fizzled. But in Silicon Valley? We still took money home. And, as surprising as it may seem, most of the investors weren’t complaining. For the most part, they were clear-eyed venture capitalists pouring money into startups that sounded promising, hoping to strike gold on just a few of the many bets they were placing. 

What about all that money? That’s the first myth about the heyday of Silicon Valley that I need to bust. Many of us weren’t in this for the money. Sure, we all hoped to strike it rich and make a better life for ourselves. Some of us made big money, often for an all-too-brief time. I know that I personally wanted to become a philanthropist and give back. But the money was not what drove us to work insane hours and to nearly abandon our families along the way. No, what drove us through each day was the heady dream of reinventing the way the world works—the way we all connect and move and interrelate—the way we do our work and the way we enjoy ourselves after work. We were the generation that firmly believed we could make the most fantastic tech dreams come true. And, if that sounds like the plot for a sci-fi movie, then so be it. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Howard Brown is an author, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, interfaith peacemaker, two-time stage IV cancer survivor and healthcare advocate. For more than three decades, Howard’s business innovations, leadership principles, mentoring and his resilience in beating cancer against long odds have made him a sought-after speaker and consultant for businesses, nonprofits, congregations, and community groups. In his business career, Howard was a pioneer in helping to launch a series of technology startups before he co-founded two social networks that were the first to connect religious communities around the world. He served his alma matter—Babson College, ranked by US News as the nation’s top college for entrepreneurship—as a trustee and president of Babson’s worldwide alumni network. His hard-earned wisdom about resilience after beating cancer twice has led him to become a nationally known patient advocate and “cancer whisperer” to many families. Visit Howard at ShiningBrightly.com to learn more about his ongoing work and contact him. Through that website, you also will find resources to help you shine brightly in your own corner of the world. Howard, his wife Lisa and daughter Emily currently reside in Michigan.

http://www.shiningbrightly.com&nbsp;

Link to buy: 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4371″>Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

An Amish Christmas Star

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An Amish Christmas Star by Charlotte Hubbard

by Charlotte Hubbard

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GENRE: Inspirational Romance (Amish)

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BLURB:

The crisp fragrance of pine trees and the warm spice of fresh cookies aren’t the only blessings that Christmas brings, and no one knows more about happy homecomings than three couples who are celebrating the greatest gift of all . . .

STAR OF WONDER

by

Charlotte Hubbard

When Raymond Overholt comes to Promise Lodge, hoping to sell the barnboard signs he’s painted with stars and Christmas messages, spirited young Mennonite Lizzie Zehr is intrigued. But any courtship between them will face fierce opposition from the bishop of Raymond’s Old Order community—unless someone can convince him that at the heart of faith lies love . . .

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MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I am reviewing Charlotte Hubbard’s Story in this Christmas book, An Amish Christmas Star. Charlotte Hubbard’s story is Star of Wonder. This is Raymond and Lizzie’s story. They meet in the Promise Lodge bulk store where Lizzie really makes herself feel kind of strange when she goes overboard trying to get Dale, the store owner to hire Raymond to work in the store. Earlier Lizzie had spilled some candy while going overboard looking at Raymond. I think she has a problem. I really didn’t like Lizzie’s character at first, with her being so forward with Raymond. It was a bit embarrassing, to say the least.

But as it goes Raymond does work in the store. But that’s not all. There is a lot happening in the story, with the two living at Promise Lodge and working in the bulk store. There was much discussion about the Lodge and the people there, about the Bishop and his work there. And if I tell you more, it will ruin it for you. And I just don’t like doing that! This story is much to good for that. I encourage you to go grab a copy of An Amish Christmas Star and read Ms. Hubbard’s story, Star of Wonder. I also encourage you to check out the rest of the Promise Lodge Books written by Hubbard. They are a little different, Amish stories with a nice twist, and you will love this series.

Also in the An Amish Christmas Star, author’s Shellie Shepard Gray and Rosalind Lauer also have stories in this book. I will be writing reviews of these later this week and will link them all together so you can read them all. For now, check out the book and read Ms. Hubbard’s story.

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.

Excerpt:

With the girl’s laughter still dancing in his head, Raymond Overholt tried to refocus his thoughts. If he didn’t convince Mr. Kraybill to sell his handmade plaques, his past several weeks of work would be for nothing. He’d have to return home to Coldstream with his tail between his legs, and face a long, dreary lifetime of milking his dat’s cows. Running a dairy was honest, necessary work but Raymond didn’t enjoy spending his early mornings and late afternoons in a smelly barn disinfecting udders any more than the Holsteins liked having him around. Worse yet, if he overslept, his older brothers did the milking and left the hosing down and mucking out of the stalls for him.

“If your customers like these plaques, I can make more,” he assured the steely-haired storekeeper. “I—I really appreciate having the chance to sell them here in your new store. Our bulk market in Coldstream is dim and overcrowded with merchandise, and even if the owner there had display space, he wants nothing to do with artwork. It’s that Old Order thing.”

Mr. Kraybill smiled knowingly. “Jah, Amish stores don’t usually carry much that appears English even if they have a lot of customers come in from outside their community to shop,” he acknowledged. “But your plaques carry a solid Christmas message—‘Wise men still follow His star’ and the lyrics to ‘We Three Kings’ are meaningful reminders about following our Lord’s holy light. Thanksgiving always kicks off the Christmas buying season, so we’ll give it a shot, Raymond.”

He hoped his grateful grin didn’t appear too adolescent—or desperate. Raymond gazed around the store, where a gal in a pleated Amish kapp was stocking shelves in the rear. A few early shoppers were pushing carts into the grocery section. “If you need some extra hands when things get busy these next few weeks, I’d be happy to help, sir,” he offered. “I’ve not worked in a store, but I’m gut at tallying sums and I’m a quick learner.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Kraybill said with a nod.  

Raymond heard probably not in the storekeeper’s words, but he’d dealt with people’s dismissals before. If he’d dressed in dark broadfall pants with a plain shirt and suspenders—and if he’d chosen glasses with conservative frames—Kraybill might’ve taken him more seriously. But until he had no other choice than to submit to Old Order ways and join the church, Raymond was determined to wear clothing he liked.

“I’ll be back in a few days to see how my signs are selling,” he said. “Denki for giving me a chance.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

http://www.charlottehubbard.com

Facebook — http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Christmas-Star-Shelley-Shepard-ebook/dp/B09PJ348C8

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-amish-christmas-star-shelley-shepard-gray/1140825147

Kensington Publishing:  https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496734273/an-amish-christmas-star/

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/An-Amish-Christmas-Star-Paperback-9781496734259/385381250

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/an-amish-christmas-star/id1602867197

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4364“>Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

The Locksmith Trilogy Book Three by Paul Briggs

Locksmith’s War

The Locksmith Trilogy Book Three

by Paul Briggs

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GENRE: YA Sci-fi (Young Adult, Science Fiction_

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Blurb:

For Lachlan Smith, learning the secret of the apocalypse was the easy part.

Ever since Locksmith found the portal to the future, he has been wondering who or what was responsible for the empty, uninhabited world he found.

Now he knows—and now he has to fight them.

He thought he had fifteen years in which to prevent the extinction of the human species.

Now, he has only hours.

When the portal is stolen by a cabal of dangerous fanatics, his mother and many of his friends are trapped on the other side. Now the enemy is after him, and the only way to thwart their genocidal plan is to retake the portal and hold it—at both ends.

With very little time left, a handful of allies who don’t trust each other, almost no chance of success and the survival of humanity itself at stake… Locksmith is going to war.

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Excerpt :

This was a storm     with everything on it

This was a storm with everything on it.

Rain? Thick billowing sheets of it sweeping over the landscape.

Wind? Lots of it, making the rain fall at something like a 45-degree angle. If you went out there with an umbrella, it’d be inside out before you could get to shelter.

Thunder and lightning? There was so much of both, there wasn’t any point trying to do that one-banana two-banana thing for figuring out how far away the lightning was. You couldn’t tell which thunderclap belonged to which lightning stroke.

The only thing missing was hail. Lock tried not to think too much about this, in case he jinxed it and big chunks of ice starting falling from the sky.

Ultralights weren’t meant to fly in the rain. Lock wasn’t too clear on what would happen if you tried it. Heather had never even tried to teach him how. The planes could handle a slight drizzle, but this was not a slight drizzle.

Lock turned and went back down the stairs. Just past the door to the attic, he met Luther.

“What are you still doing here? Go!” said the detective.

Lock ran back. I didn’t actually tell him about the rain. Maybe I should have. Another failure to communicate. He’d hoped he was done with those.

Then he thought And if I had, what would he have said? “So much for that, let’s all go home and try again tomorrow?” This isn’t a track meet, this is a heist. You can’t just reschedule it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In addition to writing books, Paul Briggs has worked as a newspaper editor, court reporter’s assistant, and audio transcriber. In his spare time (when he has any) he sometimes performs in community theater, most recently taking on the roles of Bottom, Petruchio, Macbeth, Rosalind, and Richard III in a Shakespeare compilation. An Eastern Shore native who grew up in Chestertown, Maryland, Paul earned a BA in English from Washington College and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland – College Park. 

He is the author of several short plays, including the award-winning The Worst Super Power Ever and The Picture of Health.  He is also writing the sequel to his 2018 science fiction novel Altered Seasons: Monsoonrise, which vividly imagines the dislocations that follow when the Arctic Sea ice finally melts and the Chesapeake Bay is drowned by the effects of climate change.

https://www.paulbriggs.com/thelocksmithtrilogy

https://www.facebook.com/paulbriggsauthor/

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/655906.Paul_Briggs/blog

https://lockswriter.deviantart.com/

Amazon Author Page

Amazon Buy Link: https://smile.amazon.com/Locksmiths-War-Locksmith-Trilogy-Three-ebook/dp/B09ZK98V96/ref=sr_1_1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4331“>Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Home to Clare Harbor by Jacie Middlemann

Home to Clare Harbor

by Jacie Middlemann

GENRE: Clean Contemporary Women’s Fiction – Christian

BLURB:

They started out as strangers…but didn’t stay that way for long…

A devoted granddaughter willing to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.  Strangers who meet during the worst of conditions and become friends in the midst of chaos.  Unexpected romance under the most unlikely circumstances.  A puzzling mystery with its roots in historical events that took place centuries ago. And a storm that hides an ominous purpose that could change all their lives forever.

Sara knows before she walks into her grandparent’s home that her grandmother’s greatest fear will never be the storm or the threat it poses but instead the unknown that lays just beyond her front door. She knows too its cause and grieves that there is nothing she can do to change it.

Throughout the years of his career John has covered numerous battlefields including those that are a result of nature’s unyielding tempest.  He fears this might be the worst one yet.

Mel didn’t expect to spend more than a few days in the large house where they’d taken refuge.  She figured the storm would pass by and then they’d be off to their next assignment.  The last thing she expected was David Payne.

Despite the fact that Lance was the bane of her teenage years, Tish knows that without the help of her father’s assistant, that the trip to North Carolina likely would have been a lot more challenging than it was. She’d been unequivocally terrified but his presence gave her strength she didn’t realize she had.  She wasn’t certain how she felt about that…or him…or that he no longer irritated her the way he used to.

When Gary arrived at his family’s home in the mountains of North Carolina, he’s relieved that Sara and her grandparents along with their elderly friends are already there. But he is unable to take an easy breath until Tish finally arrives with Lance…and is not at all surprised at what he hears from Lance about their trip and the potential dangers they’d just barely been able to avoid.

He’s determined to do everything he can to keep their location safe…and unknown. Their knowledge, skills, and ingenuity are their greatest defense. For a time they would have to depend on themselves…it hadn’t take long to discover that the storm was never their greatest threat…but what is could change all their lives for the immediate future…or longer.

If you enjoy uplifting and heartfelt women’s fiction, young and older heroes and heroines filled with courage and compassion as they share joys and triumphs, and united they face and overcome tremendous challenges and tragedy.

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NOTE: The book is on sale for $0.99.

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EXCERPTS (Please choose only ONE to use with your post):

Excerpt One:

Sara looked into her grandmother’s eyes.  Because she knew what to look for, she saw past the forced cheeriness to the fear.  In that moment she knew that no amount of pushing was going to do anything other than make her dig in her heels.  

“Actually, I think I’m going to sit down here with you and your cohorts and play some bridge,” she said as she pulled out the only empty chair around the table.

“But…” Mel began then quieted when she saw the look she was getting from John.  She looked over towards the table again, saw the worry in all of the faces around the table except the woman who’d just sat down in their midst.

“I forget exactly how this one goes.  Someone explain the rules to me again,” Sara said cheerfully.  She hated card games and everyone around the table knew it including her grandparents.  

But she also knew that the fear her grandmother felt was overwhelming and very real for the woman who’d been all things to her.  There was only one possible way she knew of that could possibly push her into doing something that otherwise terrified her.

“Now, Sara, don’t you think you should be getting on,” her grandmother said softly.  “You know all the mountain roads and I’m certain many of them are still open.”

“I’m sure they are but I’d much rather sit this out with all of you.  I can’t remember the last time I played cards.  Deal me in.”  

Maisie let out a long sigh. “I just want to grab a few things before we go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jacie Middlemann lives in Texas with her husband and a couple of cats who believe they rule…and sometimes they do. 

When she’s not watching classic sitcoms or working on a needlework project for one of her kids, she loves to read women’s fiction and sometimes a good mystery suspense.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7793731.Jacie_Middlemann

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Jacie Middlemann will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Skate Cute by Melissa J. Roche

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GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Kriss heads home to her small prairie town with 98% of an astrophysics PhD, a load of memories she’d rather not think about, and a survival plan: skate and graduate. Her plan doesn’t include the attention of a familiar admirer from the nearby fire station, one with an impressive physique, a hidden singing talent, and a smile dazzling enough to sweep her off her skates. Before she knows it, she’s falling for him—hard.

Chase has settled into the rhythms of his small-town firefighter routine, but he remembers Kriss from high school: the starry-eyed skater girl on her way out the door of his life. Now she’s back, just as gorgeous as ever, spinning around the next-door rink without a care in the world. Or so he thinks, until Kriss is targeted with mysterious acts of vandalism designed to derail her dreams. Can he help Kriss find the courage to stand up under the attacks and trust herself to love again?

Excerpt Three:

Emmy started counting them off, but Kriss wasn’t listening. The song was starting. She took a sip of her water as casually as possible and watched Chase’s eyes close again as he drew in another steadying deep breath.

Then he opened his eyes and looked straight at her.

“‘Thought I had it all together…’”

She remembered to breathe. He wasn’t quite looking exactly straight at her, more like just above her head.

“‘Life was simple, like the weather…’”

The lyrics. He was reading the karaoke lyrics on the screen, which happened to be right over her head. Her cheeks burned with relief and embarrassment, but her heart was still pounding.

She took another sip from her water and tried to focus on her table’s conversation like she didn’t have a care in the world who was on that stage.

But… that voice. She had only heard it briefly before, but she was already certain she would never forget it all her life. Baritone, that was it. Solid baritone, rich and deep, but light enough to soar if it had to.

She heard it catch a little on a high note and glanced to the stage just in time to see Chase cringe and clear his throat with a quick cough before launching into the next verse. But then he recovered, fixing his attention on the screen like it was his lifeline and starting to pour into the song the confidence it wanted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Melissa received her first pair of black-and-hot-pink inline skates in fourth grade, a couple of years before she swore her life to the study of the stars (in a fit of sci-fi inspired passion). Two decades later, she has acquired several larger pairs of skates and an astronomy PhD, both of which tend to slip out from under her at the most inopportune moments. She enjoys skating and singing at the neighborhood rink in her small town in Colorado, where she lives with her husband, two boys, and a cozy lap cat. Only one of which is allowed to read her writing over her shoulder.

https://writerchickphd.com   https://melissajroche.com/&nbsp;

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https://www.tiktok.com/@skatersings

Amazon buy link: 

This book is on sale for $0.99.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Melissa J. Roche will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC or a digital copy of the book to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4283“>Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC or a copy of the book – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Love Blooms in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she’ll have to work hard to gain her mother’s approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache.

To win Jo’s hand, Michael enlists his father’s help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael’s hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she’s put her heart into, and the man she can’t live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way.

Read an Excerpt

“What do you think of my new courting buggy, Jo?” he asked eagerly. “I ordered it from Saul Hartzler’s factory in December, and picked it up last night.”

Jo’s jaw dropped. A courting buggy! As they approached the open rig with a seat big enough for only two, her heart skipped like a happy schoolgirl’s. “It’s beautiful, Michael! Look at the way the wood shines. And what a wonderful shade of magenta you chose for your seat fabric.”

Michael smiled proudly. “I splurged on real leather, too,” he confided. “I figured this was the only time I’d be buying such a buggy, so I wanted it to be first-class for you, Jo. Wait here while I fetch my mare.”

Jo ran her finger along the buggy’s black wood, polished to such a shine that she could see her reflection in it. Deacon Saul was known for producing a quality product—and he hadn’t gotten wealthy by undercharging for his work, either. It wasn’t her place to ask Michael how many thousands of dollars he’d invested in his new rig. She and Mamm had considered ordering a new buggy a couple years ago, but when they’d heard what it would cost, they decided to make do with their old one.

“Gut girl—you’re doing fine,” Michael assured his horse as he approached Jo. “Josie, this is Starla, my new buggy mare.”

“Oh, aren’t you a pretty girl?” Jo said as she extended her hand. The mare looked young and angular, not yet in her prime. Her coat was a deep gray, with an irregular white star centered above her eyes. “You can keep her—and your new buggy—at our place!”

“Are you sure?” Michael handed Starla’s lead rope to Jo so he could hitch up his courting buggy. “I wouldn’t want your mamm to think we were overstepping her authority—”

“Starla can stay with us on my authority,” Jo interrupted. “If Mamm makes a fuss, I’ll take the blame. This is quite a surprise, Michael!” she added as she admired the way his black buggy and charcoal-colored mare looked together. Wasn’t it just like Michael to get all the details right?

He helped her up the steps and into his new rig. “I’m glad you see it that way, Josie-girl. I don’t intend to upset your mother, but I don’t plan on tiptoeing around her bad moods, either. We have a whole new life ahead of us—together. Shall we get on with it?”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website
Facebook

Amazon

Kensington

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Love Blooms in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she’ll have to work hard to gain her mother’s approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache.

To win Jo’s hand, Michael enlists his father’s help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael’s hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she’s put her heart into, and the man she can’t live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way.

Read an Excerpt

Jo Fussner gripped the pew bench in her excitement, thrumming with joy as she gazed across the center of the room at Michael Wengerd. As newehockers, they had front row seats at Molly and Marietta Helfings’ double wedding, which was about to begin now that the church service had concluded. In his black pants and vest, with a white shirt that glowed in the March sunshine that streamed through the window, Michael looked so handsome and elegant that Jo still wondered what he saw in a bulky, big-boned woman like her. But the love shining in his gray-blue eyes as he returned her gaze had the power to make her feel beautiful beyond belief.

Michael might’ve stayed in Queen City over the winter to make things easier for me, but his face still reflects his deep feelings for me—his belief that we should be together. It’s a miracle even more special than springtime, Lord, and for that I thank You!

When Bishop Jeremiah Shetler smiled at Marietta and Molly, the brides rose from the pew bench. In their dresses of deep teal, adorned with aprons made of crisp white organdy, they looked fresh and lovely as they centered themselves before the bishop with their grooms on either side of them. Pete Shetler appeared as nervous as Jo had ever seen him—until Molly’s reassuring smile brought the dimples back into his playful grin. Widowed nearly a year ago, Glenn Detweiler offered his elbow to slender Marietta, who took it with a dreamlike sigh as he placed his hand over hers.

Lydianne Christner, another of the twins’ side-sitters, leaned closer to Jo. “It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” she whispered happily. As the bishop’s fiancée, the pretty blond teacher was anticipating her own wedding in May, after school let out.

On Lydianne’s other side, redheaded Regina leaned forward to share her excitement, as well. “And your turns are coming!” she put in. “Last year at this time, who could’ve believed that every one of us confirmed maidels would find the man of her dreams?”

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I was do glad to take a trip back to morning star and see all of my friends there. I feel as though they are family. The Wengerd’s are back again, though Jo’s mamm pretty much ran the father/son duo off her property and out of her dawdy house. Jo’s mom tended to show herself, but it ends up she was hurting and couldn’t help her outburst. But does her attitude get better and does she still shoot off her mouth to everyone trying to help her?

This is an awesome addition to this series. I loved the Amish people and this special small community. I like how the Marketplace better pulls this community together, through their fellowship with each other when the shops are open, as well as the money it brings in to help each family, as well as they money the church fund is getting to help if there is a need. What a fun place to visit on Saturday’s and purchase your favorite items. Too bad we don’t have something like that In our area. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the phenomenally job Charlotte does in researching and writing this sweet series. I hope we are in for more of this series and all of these wonderful characters, but we need to wait and see. If you enjoy Amish reads, Love Blooms in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard is a must read for you. And don’t forget to check out all of the series. I’m giving ING this book 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:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

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Facebook

Amazon

Kensington

Kobo

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Guest Post for Juche 1-4 Box set by Adria Carmichael

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Juche 1-4 Box set by

Adria Carmichael 

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GENRE: YA Dystopian

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BLURB:

Just when Areum – daughter of a privileged family in the totalitarian state of Choson (North Korea) – thought she was free from her personal prison, her world collapses around her as her family is taken away in the middle of the night to a hell-like camp in the mountains where people who have strayed from the righteous path are brutally re-educated through blood, sweat, tears, and starvation.

There she has to fight for survival together with the family she hates and is forced to re-evaluate every aspect of her life until then: her deep resentment toward her twin sister; her view of her father in the face of mounting evidence that he is a traitor with the blood of millions of fellow countrymen on his hands; and even her love and affection for the Great General – the eternal savior and protector of Choson, whom she had always considered her true father.

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Note from the author:

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like when seen through an indoctrinated mind?

This is a topic that has intrigued me for as long as I can remember, so when I came up with the idea to write a book many years ago, I decided to create it from the viewpoint of a victim of indoctrination… which in the end became Areum (the protagonist of the story).

What I try to explore in this story is how deep the indoctrination of a 14-year old girl can run and how much “reality” it can be exposed to before breaking… if it will break at all. As a comparison, the defectors from North Korea who arrive in South Korea are isolated for three months in a de-programming facility called Hanawon before they are allowed to join society where they go through this process in a more controlled (and less brutal) way than Areum.

I hope you will enjoy this slightly different take on the dystopian genre!

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Background of the book

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The JUCHE series, which so far consists of four books, is set in North Korea at the onset of the famine that ravaged the country between 1994-1998. It follows a brainwashed and bratty gymnast who lives a privileged life in the capital and whose biggest problem in life is that she hates her family. That changes quickly, however, when her entire family is arrested and sent to a ruthless re-education camp in the mountains and they have to join forces to survive the starvation, hard labor, and constant executions.

I chose to write on this topic because all of this is still happening in North Korea today, and I chose to make the protagonist a victim of the state propaganda so that the reader can experience her transformation through her eyes and her mind. I got the idea for this when doing research for the series. In one of the documentaries about North Korea that I watched, there was a young woman who had succeeded in escaping to China but had to leave her family behind. The documentary team then helped her to get her sister out as well, but when they had their happy sister reunion in the apartment in China, the younger sister was so indoctrinated that she didn’t believe anything negative the older sister said about North Korea, its regime, and the Kim family. It ended with her getting on a bus and going back to the border to sneak back in. This really astounded me because I had never seen indoctrination trumping family in that way before, and I decided to make that the theme of my story.

I think this is an important topic to write about because I believe it’s just as important now as it ever has been to understand the destructive power of indoctrination. It’s happening before our very eyes in Russia in regard to their invasion of Ukraine where people who tell the truth risk 15 years in a Siberian prison camp. And it’s happening within Qanon and other conspiracy theory groups. What’s dangerous – which is the same for my fictional protagonist, Areum – is that no indoctrinated person knows that they are indoctrinated. They firmly believe that they are the defenders of the truth – and many would do anything to fight for it.  

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Excerpt One:

Cranes sang songs of joy from the mountain tops. 

Double rainbows appeared in the sky. 

The aggressors from the west were defeated. The invaders from the east were expunged. The traitors from the south were put at bay. 

The people of Choson were finally free to create their own destiny, and so a hermit kingdom of people’s rule rose from the ashes, and the doors to the enemies of the outside world were closed, never to be opened again. 

The world around them moved on. Years passed. Decades passed. Peace and prosperity spread throughout the world, and nothing was heard from the secluded hermit paradise. 

Then one day, people started emerging from its closed borders. The stories they brought with    them were, however, not of a paradise on earth. Instead, what they depicted were horrors so vile and cruel that they almost exceeded human comprehension. 

Little had the people of the kingdom known when they closed its doors to the outside world, that the vilest beast of all was still lurking among their midst, and as soon as the curtains had been drawn, the beast unleashed its reign of terror upon the people, not stopping until it had crushed and enslaved every soul within its reach. 

The beast now rules the kingdom from a throne of human misery and agony. 

No one alive has ever encountered this beast, but everybody knows its name.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Adria Carmichael is a writer of dystopian fiction with a twist. When she is not devouring dystopian and post-apocalyptic content in any format – books, movies, TV-series and PlayStation games – she is crafting the epic and highly-addictive Juche saga, her 2020 debut novel series that takes place in the brutal, totalitarian nation of Choson. When the limit of doom and gloom is reached, a 10K run on a sunny day or binging a silly sitcom on a rainy day is her go-to way to unwind. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20581191.Adria_Carmichael&nbsp;

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Adria-Carmichael-591550164840779&nbsp;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adria_carmichael_author/?hl=en&nbsp;

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdriaCarmichael&nbsp;

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adria-carmichael&nbsp;

Amazon Buy links:

Juche 1 – The Demon of Yodok: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FQLHKYP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0&nbsp;

Juche 2 – The Weeping Masses: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08J42Y4Y5?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_1&storeType=ebooks&nbsp;

Juche 3 – The Storm of Storms: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099BKWKKR?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_2&storeType=ebooks&nbsp;

Juche 4 – Freedom or Death: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Death-Young-Dystopian-Survival-ebook/dp/B09D9NBZ7S/ref=sr_1_1

Juche 1-4 Box Set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3F21BKV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4273“>Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Last Star Standing by Spaulding Taylor

Last Star Standing
by

Spaulding Taylor

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GENRE: Thriller (speculative)

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Blurb:

Aiden has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel assassin is captured and imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the entire resistance…

Engineering a daring escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the cold and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one last mission.

Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?

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EXCERPT:

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Nothing. Clean as a whistle. Until my massive hand grasped hold of something, something which must have blended into its background so perfectly that I hadn’t even spotted it. Something alive, nestling under the co-pilot’s seat. I couldn’t believe it. A live gromeline. Trembling, possibly with fury, and trying in vain to squeeze back. Grabbing my trophy – I could feel its hot little heart throbbing like an injury against my palm – I hopped out of the plane so fast that my wound protested.

‘Bully!’

Bully raised one eyebrow. Two would have been overkill.

‘Bully, you are not going to believe this. I found a gromeline!’ The gromeline – only about fifteen centimetres – bit my finger, hard, even though I could have easily crushed its entire body with my fist – and probably would have, had I been a tester, and not merely disguised as one.

Feisty little gromeline. I flicked it lightly with my sausage-sized finger. When it protested, I growled, ‘Cheese it, munchkin,’ though I could feel it struggling obstreperously against my palm.

Bully was intrigued. ‘Is it genuine?’ ‘Of course it’s genuine. It just bit me, didn’t it?’

Bully probably considered this no proof. But they’re rarer than clean air these days and his fascination was obvious. Now gromelines come from the farthest galaxy so far discovered, can speak any tongue and own enviable mental powers. They are also brave to the point of stupidity and ludicrously small. This one was mouse-coloured – they can be spectacular – with tiny red eyes. Few humans have ever seen one.

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Author Bio and Links

Alice (Spaulding Taylor) McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by Unbound Publishing in action/adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press in Austenesque fiction. Her novels have won Gold Medal/First Place is the Global, eLit and Pencraft Book Awards, been runner-up in the Independent Press Awards, finalists in the Eric Hoffer, Rone and Wishing Shelf Book Awards and selected by Shelf Unbound as one of the “top indies” of 2021. Two of her novels are currently finalists in the CIBA Book Awards (the Cygnus and Goethe Awards). Her most recent novel (Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation) was just selected as Editors’ Pick “outstanding” on Publishers Weekly.

A professional London cellist, Alice lives in London and Crete with her professor husband: their only child is completing her Masters in Chinese Literature. They also share two miniature long-haired dachshunds and an incurable addiction to tennis.

Links:
https://linktr.ee/ASTMcVeigh
Facebook: (me) https://www.facebook.com/alice.mcveigh.5/
(author me) https://www.facebook.com/alicemcveighauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcveigh.alice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/astmcveigh1

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk OR
https://www.amazon.com/Spaulding-Taylor/e/B08TRLNW31/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1610184384&sr=1-1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1108881.Alice_McVeigh
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-mcveigh-59ab1718/
pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/astmcveigh/_saved/
tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alicemcveigh0?lang=en

Video for Last Star Standing:
https://www.tiktok.com/@alicemcveigh0/video/7092364955680279813?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

Sales link: Book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4274“>Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>