Jean M. Roberts's Blog, page 17
October 24, 2023
Review and Giveaway: Finding Comfort by Kimberly Fish
Women’s Fiction / Contemporary / Cozy MysteryPublisher: Fish Tales PublishingDate of Publication: September 1, 2023Number of Pages: 312 pages
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Even with all her experience, Gloria Bachman, retired banker and candy entrepreneur, didn’t see this coming.Sweeties, the beloved Comfort chocolate shop, was ready for its cameo in advertising extraordinaire Jazzy Mezcal’s famous travel and food show! Comfort town folks had worked hard all summer to get their shops Hallmark-movie ready. On the eve of the TV crews overtaking the town, Gloria’s Chamber of Commerce welcome party gets drenched in a wicked rainstorm. Locals call it a “blue norther,” and a dreaded agent of change. Flooding seems like the worst of their problems until the celebrity TV host turns up dead.
In shock, Gloria’s friends turn to her to figure out who could be responsible for such a disaster. With the TV crew and guests in town for the 8th Street Market’s annual shopping event, suspects are endless. Reluctant to get involved, Gloria would much rather focus on the delicious romance with Mason Lassiter. And she would if a frenemy from Kerrville didn’t haunt her every step. Now as Gardener Rogers treads on her turf, everything feels suspicious.
With all eyes on Gloria to find the truth behind Jazzy Mezcal’s untimely death, she indulges her curiosity for problem solving while trying to disguise how unsure she is about the future with her boyfriend. Disruption in Mason’s world, mayhem in Comfort, and one epic chocolate disaster rouse Gloria to action and make her decide what’s worth fighting for. All she can say for sure, is that no one is finding any comfort in Comfort.
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Thank you to the author for a complementarycopy of her book.
The Short Story: Smart, engaging, fun readwith a bit of mystery, a bit of chocolate and a slow sizzling romance.
My Review: Hurrah! Gloria and her gang areback! When Jazzie Mescal, TV personality and influencer, rolls into town withher crew, Comfort goes all out to make a splash. Unfortunately, the onlysplashing is the rain that ruins Gloria’s entre into party organizing. Evenworse, a body is found. Try as she might to avoid sleuthing, Gloria gets involved.If that’s not enough, her romance with Mason is taking a serious turn just ashis life is in crisis.
I loved book one of this series and FindingComfort is even better! Full of colorful, engaging characters that leap off thepage, Fish draws you into Gloria’s world and her close-knit circle of friendsshe thinks of as family. Despite its small-town charm, Comfort has secrets andan ugly side not often seen. Gloria finds to her dismay, neighbors are notalways who or what you think they are. The romance between Gloria and thehandsome Mason Lassiter deepens despite the problems creeping into his lifethat threaten their relationship.
I really enjoyed this book and was happy tosee that there will be more to come! I highly recommend Finding Comfort to readerswho enjoy cozy mysteries, women’s fiction and tales set in Texas. Well written,fast paced with plenty of plot twists, this series will capture your heart.
Click to Purchase!
Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for over thirty years, with regular contributions to area newspapers and magazines. As an accidental historian, she wrote two novels, The Big Inch and Harmon General, both based on factual events in Longview, Texas, that changed world history. Kimberly also offers a set of contemporary women’s fiction novels and novellas, based in the Texas Hill Country, that reveal her fascination with characters discovering their grit and sweet, second chances; all four of the novels have won distinguished awards. Finding Comfort is her latest novel, the second book in the Comfort and Joy Trilogy.Website ◆ Instagram ◆ Facebook ◆X/Twitter ◆ PinterestYouTube ◆ Goodreads ◆ Amazon ◆ BookBub
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October 19, 2023
Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Brotherhood of Pandora by David L. Nichols
The Brotherhood of Pandora
byDavid L. NicholsHistorical Fiction / Nautical Fiction / Action & AdventurePublisher: Moontower PressNovember 14, 2022313 Pages
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To combat Napoleon’s increasing interest in the Caribbean and help pressure France to sell New Orleans to America, Vice-President Thomas Jefferson enlists the aid of friend and naval hero Captain Jacob May. He asks Captain May to wage a clandestine war against the French in the Caribbean not as part of the US Navy, but as pirates. To accomplish this, Captain May uses the cutting-edge technology of 1799: Girardoni air rifles, Fulton’s self-propelled torpedoes, a submarine, cannons with rifling, and Pandora, a specially modified ship. Pandora’s crew also holds a secret—two women masquerading as able-bodied seamen. Captain May molds his crew into the Brotherhood of Pandora and gives Jefferson chaos in the Caribbean.
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David Nichols has published three books and a number of articles on building small wooden boats and traditional sails. He also taught wooden boat building at WoodenBoat School and Great Lakes Boatbuilding School. In addition, he wrote and directed an hour-long “how-to” video on wooden boat building and has written many scripts for industrial and commercial films. This background allows him to accurately portray the boats and ships of the late 18th century and weave a cohesive and compelling story. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas, Austin.
◆ Website ◆ Moontower Press ◆◆ YouTube ◆ Goodreads ◆
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October 9, 2023
Review: Pringle Prawn by Michael Scott Clifton
PRINGLE PRAWN
by
Michael Scott Clifton
Contemporary Urban Fantasy / Fairies / HumorPublisher: Book LiftoffDate of Publication: September 19, 2023Number of Pages: 310 pages
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Move over Tinker Bell. There’s a new fairy in town!
Ben’s luck is changing. He has his iconic VW bus, a hot, wealthy girlfriend, and he’s managed to buy an old fixer-upper in an upscale neighborhood—just the thing to convince his girlfriend’s influential father that he’s husband material. But his new home has a secret, and when Ben opens a mysterious grandfather clock, he finds himself dropped into a magical land. There he meets Pringle, a six-inch prawn with a supercharged attitude and a pouchful of fairy dust. She saves his life, and when Ben returns to his world, Pringle returns with him.
Pringle’s adjustment to the modern world is a hilarious series of incidents that completely disrupt Ben’s life. When Russian mobsters and a vengeful HOA president attempt to hijack Ben’s life, Pringle zooms to the rescue—a pinch here, a pinch there, nothing a little fairy dust can’t fix.
But it’s when Pringle begins to grow that things really get interesting, because as Pringle’s size increases, so do her feelings for Ben. Ultimately, Pringle must decide whether to return to her world—or follow her heart and stay with Ben.
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The Short Story: Full of amusing characters, Pringle Prawn is a fun, light-hearted story with an imaginative plot and a sprinkling of fairy dust.
Ben has a problem. A girlfriend problem. A girlfriend with a rich daddy and a taste for the good things in life. Ben struggles to give her what she thinks she deserves, including a big house. He surprises himself by buying an old mansion in a new neighborhood. A grandfather clock and a key lead to a door to another world. Chased by strange creatures intent on killing him, he takes refuge in a treehouse where he meets Pringle, a childlike pixie-sized prawn with wings, magical dust and a very sweet tooth. Meanwhile…his girlfriend has been kidnapped by some very bad characters.
Pringle immediately attaches herself to Ben and returns to his world, where after a sugar fueled night she grows into a scantily clad, well endowed woman. Ben’s girlfriend problems have doubled.
A quick, fun read, I enjoyed Pringle Prawn and laughed at Pringle’s antics as she wreaked havoc on Ben’s shrewish neighbor and the bad guys who’ve taken his girl. Recommend this entertaining tale to those who enjoy a lighthearted fantasy story or ever had a crush on Tinkerbell.
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Multi-award-winning author Michael Scott Clifton lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas with his wife, Melanie. An avid gardener, rapacious reader, and movie junkie, his books contain facets of all the genres he enjoys—action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance. His fantasy novels, The Janus Witch, and the Conquest of the Veil series, (The Open Portal, Escape from Wheel, A Witch’s Brew, and Cavern of the Veil Queen) all received 5-Stars from the prestigious Readers Favorite Book Reviews. The Open Portal has been honored with a Feathered Quill Book Finalist Award. In addition, his YA novel Edison Jones and The Anti-Grav Elevator received a Feathered Quill Book Award Bronze Medal. Two of his short stories have earned Gold Medals, with “Edges of Gray” winning the Texas Authors Contest, and “The End Game” winning the Northeast Texas Writer’s Organization Contest. Professional credits include published articles in the Texas Study of Secondary Education Magazine.WEBSITE ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ FACEBOOK X (TWITTER) ◆ NEWSLETTER ◆ YOUTUBE ◆ LINKEDINAMAZON ◆ GOODREADS
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September 25, 2023
Review and Giveaway: Rip the Sky by Mark Packard
Speculative Fiction / Fantasy / Science FictionPublisher: Bluestreak PublishingPage Count: 317 pagesPublication Date: August 21, 2023
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After a shocking courtroom tragedy, a disturbed Vietnam veteran and the vindictive judge who sent him to prison become an unlikely pair of time travelers in a chaotic multiverse. The fallen angel who rescues them wants to guide them to a radiant new life. But first they must return to the scene of a ghastly crime.Billy Worster was a naïve teenager ill-prepared for the gruesome realities of war. The sole survivor of a deadly massacre in a Vietnamese jungle, he avoided certain death only because he ran away when the shooting started. Riddled with guilt, he comes home to a dusty Texas farm with post-traumatic stress disorder and the crazy notion that he can fly in and out of parallel worlds.
As Billy struggles with addiction and questions his sanity, he is arrested on a drug charge and ends up in the courtroom of Judge Madeline Johnston, a bitter old judge tormented by a dark secret surrounding her father’s death. She callously tosses Billy into prison, but when a greedy executor files a lawsuit to steal his inherited land, Billy is hauled back to her courtroom in chains, where a stunning twist of fate launches them into the sky on an odyssey of discovery and healing.
Spanning forty years from the jungles of Vietnam through infinite, parallel worlds, Rip the Sky examines how the power of forgiveness can lead us toward a better life, no matter how many worlds we may live in. Purchase on Amazon!
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Billy Worster is young, inexperienced, and unprepared when he’s sent to fight in Vietnam. A vicious fire fight leaves him badly wounded, his spirit broken and bearing a deep secret. Back at home, he hits the bottle, hard, spiraling out of control. With the support of his father and a local rancher he’s given a fresh start but is unable to maintain sobriety. Some poor choices lead to drug charges and a confrontation with a hard-nosed judge lands him in jail and swindled out of his inheritance. Unbeknownst to him, his fate is tied to the judge.
On a deeper spiritual level, Billy believes he can fly and has a strange encounter with a man in clouds who tells Billy that in an alternate world, he, Billy, leads a blessed life, happy, married, children. Billy longs to reach this world but constantly fails to achieve it.
Rip the Sky is not an easy read and Billy is something of an anti-hero, constantly sabotaging his life. His struggles with PTSD are heartbreaking and the lack of care more so. Author Packard shines a light on the trials of soldiers suffering from this disorder and blends it with a message of hope, justice, forgiveness and redemption.
I recommend this book to open-minded readers who like to see beyond the obvious and imagine what could be.
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Mark Packard spent the last 38 years as a trial attorney and is now retired from the courtroom and working as a mediator. In a life before lawyering he was a journalist and regrets waiting far too long before returning to his roots to write his first novel, Rip the Sky. Though he knows he should have jumped off the merry-go-round years ago, he hopes to hang around long enough to craft a few more tales. Connect with the author:
Website ◆ Amazon ◆ Goodreads LinkedIn ◆ Facebook ◆ BookBub
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September 13, 2023
Review: Dream On Brother, Dream On by D.J. Walker
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Review: Dream On Brother, Dream On by D.J. Walker
Published: December 2022
Publisher: Independent
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, African-American Fiction,
Pages: 212
Available: ebook, paperback
Sex: ❤ None
Violence: 😨 None
My Review: Thank you to the author, D.J. Walker for a complimentary copy of their book.
The Short Story: Don’t judge this book by its cover. An intelligent, entertaining, time travel tale
First off, I have to confess that I find the cover visually unappealing, to the point that I almost passed on the book. So please, give this book a chance!
Mauri and Stan, biracial siblings are grieving the loss of their white father who they adored. After the funeral, Mauri reads her father’s genealogical research into his white ancestors in Georgia, who’d cut him off when he married a Black woman. The siblings decide to travel to Georgia to learn about their father’s roots. Shortly after arriving, the pair encounter Bathsheba and Ezekiel who claim to be from the year 1859. Bathsheba is the daughter of a slave-owning planter and Ezekial, whose dreams transported them through time, is her slave. Mauri and Stan help the pair adapt to the 1990s and the changes in both technology and social norms. As Bathsheba and Ezekiel work to educate themselves, find employment, they struggle to overcome their past, especially Ezekiel whose hatred of his former mistress impedes his progress.
The early chapters of the book are a bit overwritten and do not match the narrative of the rest of the story. Once Mauri and Stan arrive in Georgia the pace picks up. The author does a great job of showing the continued prejudices in our country. There are some fascinating historical details which help flesh out the story. I appreciated that both time travelers found it difficult to adjust to modern life.
I really enjoy this story, it’s well written and intelligent, not the usual time traveling tale. Readers who enjoy a good time-travel tale, African-American fiction/ historical fiction will really enjoy this fine book.
I rate this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars.
September 7, 2023
Book Blitz: Tested by Fire by C. J. Peterson
Christian Fiction / Suspense / RomancePublisher: Texas Sisters Press, LLCPage Count: 278 pagesPublication Date: August 21, 2023
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Meet RobinFlynn: a woman of artistic soul and iron will, who forges metal and paintsvibrant canvases as an escape from life's ceaseless challenges. Raised in thegritty trade of welding, she inherits not just her father's skill but also hisaudacity. But her creative passion takes a daring turn when she accidentallyignites an abandoned warehouse. Instead of ruin, her act inexplicably wins hergratitude from the local firefighters. Emboldened, Robin embarks on aclandestine mission to purge her crumbling town, Hemlock, of its dilapidatedrelics.
Enter Nate Mitchell: a man standing on the cusp of his dreams. As hetrains to become a fire marshal, he's also courting the woman he believes to bethe love of his life. Everything seems perfect until destiny throws a sparkinto his meticulously planned world.
A pulse-pounding question burns at the heart of this riveting tale: What happenswhen a man committed to extinguishing fires falls deeply in love with a womansetting them? When faith and love clash like fire and water, will they quencheach other or evolve into something even more powerful?
Dive into Tested By Fire, a Christian Fiction saga that weavesromance, suspense, and spirituality into a tapestry of human resilience.Inspired by 1 Peter 1:7, this story reminds us that our faith—far more preciousthan gold—emerges stronger through the crucible of trials, as we await the daywhen it illuminates the entire world with its glory.
1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) “These trials will show that your faith is genuine.It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is farmore precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through manytrials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when JesusChrist is revealed to the whole world.”
PURCHASE FROM:
C.J. Peterson is a ten-time award-winning,multi-genre published author since 2012. She is also a podcaster, blogger, andpublisher who knows how to relate well to folks of all ages. She has multiplebooks and series including:
Grace Restored Series, The HolyFlame Trilogy, and the DivineLegacy Series, which have characters crossing overstorylines. In these books, the spiritual realm crosses into the physical. Thisadventurous journey will have you holding onto the pages for dear life! TheSands of Time Trilogy is anexciting sci-fi series that will have you on the edge of your seat! Thisseries follows a group of teens with abilities as they go through the US torescue their siblings from the Challenger, their sadistic creator who has themoney & power to win at any cost. Chain Reaction follows Tripand Tori as they go through time guiding their ancestors to change crucialdecisions. In changing their past to save future generations, will Trip andTori cease to exist?
Connect with C.J.WEBSITE ◆ FACEBOOK ◆ X (TWITTER) ◆ INSTAGRAM PINTEREST ◆ GOODREADS ◆ YOUTUBEAMAZON ◆ LINKEDIN ◆ GAB ◆ TRUTH SOCIAL
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Book Blitz: Tested by Fire by
Christian Fiction / Suspense / RomancePublisher: Texas Sisters Press, LLCPage Count: 278 pagesPublication Date: August 21, 2023
Scroll down for Giveaway!
Meet RobinFlynn: a woman of artistic soul and iron will, who forges metal and paintsvibrant canvases as an escape from life's ceaseless challenges. Raised in thegritty trade of welding, she inherits not just her father's skill but also hisaudacity. But her creative passion takes a daring turn when she accidentallyignites an abandoned warehouse. Instead of ruin, her act inexplicably wins hergratitude from the local firefighters. Emboldened, Robin embarks on aclandestine mission to purge her crumbling town, Hemlock, of its dilapidatedrelics.
Enter Nate Mitchell: a man standing on the cusp of his dreams. As hetrains to become a fire marshal, he's also courting the woman he believes to bethe love of his life. Everything seems perfect until destiny throws a sparkinto his meticulously planned world.
A pulse-pounding question burns at the heart of this riveting tale: What happenswhen a man committed to extinguishing fires falls deeply in love with a womansetting them? When faith and love clash like fire and water, will they quencheach other or evolve into something even more powerful?
Dive into Tested By Fire, a Christian Fiction saga that weavesromance, suspense, and spirituality into a tapestry of human resilience.Inspired by 1 Peter 1:7, this story reminds us that our faith—far more preciousthan gold—emerges stronger through the crucible of trials, as we await the daywhen it illuminates the entire world with its glory.
1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) “These trials will show that your faith is genuine.It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is farmore precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through manytrials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when JesusChrist is revealed to the whole world.”
PURCHASE FROM:
C.J. Peterson is a ten-time award-winning,multi-genre published author since 2012. She is also a podcaster, blogger, andpublisher who knows how to relate well to folks of all ages. She has multiplebooks and series including:
Grace Restored Series, The HolyFlame Trilogy, and the DivineLegacy Series, which have characters crossing overstorylines. In these books, the spiritual realm crosses into the physical. Thisadventurous journey will have you holding onto the pages for dear life! TheSands of Time Trilogy is anexciting sci-fi series that will have you on the edge of your seat! Thisseries follows a group of teens with abilities as they go through the US torescue their siblings from the Challenger, their sadistic creator who has themoney & power to win at any cost. Chain Reaction follows Tripand Tori as they go through time guiding their ancestors to change crucialdecisions. In changing their past to save future generations, will Trip andTori cease to exist?
Connect with C.J.WEBSITE ◆ FACEBOOK ◆ X (TWITTER) ◆ INSTAGRAM PINTEREST ◆ GOODREADS ◆ YOUTUBEAMAZON ◆ LINKEDIN ◆ GAB ◆ TRUTH SOCIAL
--------------------------------------
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August 27, 2023
Pop-Up Blog-Hop: Mumentous by Amy J. Schultz
MUMENTOUS:Original Photos and Mostly-True Stories about Football,Glue Guns, Moms, and a Supersized High School TraditionThat Was Born Deep in the Heart of Texas
by
Amy J. Schultz
Nonfiction / Photo-Driven Memoir / Women’s History / Pop Culture / TexanaPublisher: Atmosphere PressPage Count: 178 pagesPublication Date: April 25, 2023
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The closest you'll ever get to seeing someone actually wear their heart on their sleeve is in Texas, every fall, at the local high school homecoming game.They're called homecoming mums. They are as bodacious as football, as irresistible as a juicy rumor, and as deep as a momma's love. Over a hundred years ago when the custom began, mum was short for chrysanthemum, a typical corsage that boys gave to girls before taking them to the big football game. But through the decades, mum went from a simple abbreviation to a complicated shorthand for an eye-popping tradition that's as ingrained in the culture as it is confounding to outsiders.
Through her original photography and collection of stories from across and beyond the Lone Star State, Amy J. Schultz takes us deep in the heart of mum country. You'll meet kids who wear them, parents who buy them, and critics who decry them as just another example of consumerism gone wild. But mostly, you'll discover that just like every ritual which stands the test of time, someone is keeping the tradition alive. Someone like Mom.
Click to Purchase!Amazon │ Powell’s Books │ Bookshop.orgBarnes & Noble │ Target
Amy J. Schultz is an author and award-winning photographer who explores unique aspects of modern culture that hide in plain sight. When she isn’t talking about homecoming mums, Amy is writing, taking photos, working on other creative projects, traveling, snort-laughing, or vacuuming up dog fur.Website ◆ Instagram ◆ Amazon ◆ BookBub Goodreads ◆ Newsletter ◆ Facebook
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NotableQuotables from Mumentous by Amy J. Schultz
A Texas homecoming mum precedes you with the power of a juicyrumor.
In Texas, football is an identity. Your team and fellow fansare your people, and once you’re in, you’re in for life. While the rest of theworld might just see a field, brightly lit by vibrant LED displays, Texansunderstand that Friday night lights describe the collective energy, pride, andsense of belonging that glow from the stands.
Which is why, by gosh, you must dress for the game. You’renot just a spectator! You have a critical part to play, so you’d better suitup.
Anchored in the past and fed by expectation, a traditionflows most deeply in places with the fewest obstacles to it. Ultimately, thosethat survive allow themselves to be contoured by the times rather than dammedby them. Even in Texas, the land where homecoming mums began.
How do you make a mum?
“Wine,” she said. “Lots and lots of wine.”
This century-long evolution of what it means to “go” tohomecoming, mums included, has been a long, slow burn, stoked by Texasteenagers being teenagers living in the present. Charged with contrary desiresto fit in and stand out and to “go-fight-win” for a place you love more thanyou can explain, today’s rules of engagement are slowly eclipsing the originalcourtship ritual that predates anyone alive.
The key to any mum is to own it.
From conception to completion, a mum under constructionbecomes another family member. Like a demanding relative from out of town, itmoves in and can take over for weeks on end.
The members of this professional group, united around mums asboth a business and a cause, were like homecoming superheroes. Their mission?Fight against the evil misconception that mum-making is just a fun littlehobby.
I lifted my eyes up to the funeral mum created in honor ofone of the matriarchs of the entire homecoming mum industry. I imagined all thecare that went into creating it, and the fullness of a life lived in a lovingcommunity of family and friends. The shimmer of a joyful disposition. Theembellishments of fond memories. The practical, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants apparatusbehind the scenes that holds it all together.
Every mum is part Christmas tree, part Disney princess gown,part wind chime, and part banquet hall centerpiece, and like snowflakes, no twoare exactly alike.
I never thought I’d see a fall in Texas without high schoolfootball. Then again, I never thought a global pandemic would happen in mylifetime. I’ve now experienced one of those two things.
Today’s kids know they live in an unsteady world, one that’sfull of continuums and ranges and spectrums. While society dukes out whether ornot there’s room for interpretation and variation and compromise, there arekids making mums out of love for other kids who can’t.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!TWO WINNERS:First Prize: signed hardback copy + enamel pin; Second Prize: eBook + enamel pin(US only; ends midnight, CST, 9/8/23)
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August 21, 2023
Blog Tour: Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills
FACING THE ENEMYbyDiAnn MillsChristian Fiction / Suspense / RomancePublisher: Tyndale House PublishersDate of Publication: September 5, 2023Number of Pages: 352 pages
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When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother's murder, with details never revealed publicly.Alarmed by Carson's inside knowledge of Trenton's death, Risa reaches out to her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson's background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems were installed by Carson's stepfather and children have gone missing. There's a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger.
CLICK TO PURCHASE
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.BLOG POSTS ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ FACEBOOKX (TWITTER) ◆ PINTEREST ◆ GOODREADSBOOKBUB ◆ YOUTUBE ◆ LINKEDIN
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Facing the Enemy DiAnn Mills
The Short Story: Fast, furious, crime thriller with a hefty dose of christian values
My Review: DiAnn Mills strikes again with a red-hot mystery thriller. When FBI agent Risa Jacobs receives a death threat against her, her family and her co-workers she takes a step back from her job and returns to the academic world as a creative writing teacher. Although on a leave of absence, with her bosses blessing, she continues to work on a case that affects her personally. Her ex-partner Gage Patterson gets a new partner and a new case, a child abduction/fake adoption scheme. After a series of tragic events, Risa and Gage realize their cases may be related. They must work together to stop a ruthless crime syndicate that is bent on taking them out.
This is the third book I’ve read by Mills and she continues to impress with her intricately plotted thrillers. Mills’ characters are vulnerable, flawed, but always seeking comfort, redemption and forgiveness in their christian values and relationship with God. Mills lets them explore their faith in an open and honest conversation. There is a romance but the emphasis is on their love for each other and not the physical aspect, which is kept to a few kisses.
I really enjoyed Facing the Enemy. Set in Houston, my hometown, it was fun to follow the characters to familiar and not so familiar parts of town. The crime kept me riveted and I only guessed the ‘baddie’ near the end of the story. I highly recommend this fast-paced story to those who enjoy crime/thrillers with a lot of action, suspense and a few nail biting scenes.
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08/22/23
Notable Quotables
08/22/23
Review
08/23/23
Guest Post
08/23/23
Review
08/23/23
BONUS Stop
08/24/23
Guest Post
08/24/23
Review
08/25/23
The Real World According to Sam
Review
08/26/23
Review
08/27/23
Guest Post
08/28/23
Review
08/28/23
Guest Post
08/29/23
Review
08/30/23
Review
08/31/23
Review
08/31/23
Review
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August 18, 2023
Book Blitz: The Killer Enigma by Breakfield &Burkey
THE KILLER ENIGMAMagnolia Bluff Crime ChroniclesBook 16by BREAKFIELD & BURKEYNOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
Cozy Mystery / Suspense / Cozy Mystery SeriesPublisher: ICABOD PressComing August 19, 2023
Enough is Enough – JJ rumbled when the paparazzi invaded dinner.
JJ and Jo realize privacy doesn’t exist for them. They return to Magnolia Bluff to check on their friends and recapture the small-town anonymity. In Magnolia Bluff, no one suspects their fame.
They discount the status of urban legends in favor of acceptance and a quiet, peaceful life. After all, a supermodel needs time and space to recharge between jobs. A geek wants time to adore his wife.
Does Magnolia Bluff hold the answers to their prayers?
Will their desires get clouded by a hidden secret?
Past, present, and future collide in a perfect storm no one expected. JJ and Jo take action to uncover the truth. Chief Tommy Jager likes them but feels they’re a lightning rod for trouble and disruption.
Who will live or die to prevent the truth from being exposed? The answers may be in the graveyard with fresh flowers on the gravestone.
Their friends are targets – Their dreams are broken – They must fight
Watch on YouTubeCLICK TO PRE-ORDER
Charles Breakfield is a 25+ year technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He also enjoys wine tastings, wine-making, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.Rox Burkey is a 25+ year applied technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments for customers worldwide with a focus on optimized customer experiences. She writes white papers and documents with a marked preference for fiction.
Together they create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, young and experienced adults, and bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today.
Series Social Media: WEBSITE ◆ FACEBOOK ◆ TWITTER ◆ YOUTUBERox Burkey Social Media: WEBSITE ◆ TWITTER ◆ FACEBOOK ◆ GOODREADS ◆ BOOKBUB
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