Marbeth Skwarczynski's Blog, page 4

Countin’ on Jesse Review

Countin’ on Jesse by Mary Pat Johns is a sweet and sparkling Christian Rom-Com with a poignant edge. Brenna’s heartbreak over losing her first love in a tragic accident is matched by Jesse’s issues of anger that were set loose by an IED in Afghanistan. Both try to push down the trauma of their pasts and press forward as they work to make Peeps’ Gym THE place to be in Valiant, Texas. Written in a breezy and realistic style, the book pulls the reader in from the first chapter and doesn’t let go.

About the Book

Book: Countin’ On Jesse

Author: Mary Pat Johns

Genre: (Inspirational) Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Peeps’ gym owner Jesse seeks accreditation. Accountant Brenna wants to help Jesse reach his goal. They’re a great team, but can she count on him when trouble strikes?

Accountant BRENNA MCKINLEY only wants what’s best for Peeps, the wildly popular gym in Valiant, Texas. But when money goes missing, and she’s the obvious suspect, will she be able to clear her name or face criminal charges? Keeping her dream job matters, but falling in love with her boss isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the creepy guy stalking her.

Young veteran JESSE JACOBS manages and co-owns Peeps, an exercise facility in Valiant, Texas. He needs help to gain accreditation for the gym, and his new accountant is all in. But is she who she seems? Too bad he’s falling for her like a man with no parachute. When the pressure builds, PTSD renders him moody and volatile, risking everything he loves. Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from years of teaching speech and writing. She’s written devotions for an online publication and had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. She currently writes a biweekly faith column for the local newspaper.

Countin’ On Jesse is her debut novel, and she’s hard at work on the rest of the Valiant series. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war. As she kept writing, her focus generalized to include ordinary people who learn how to move forward after devastating events. Her writing has a strong spiritual thread since she considers a return to faith in God the solution for what ails the civilized world.

She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.

Countin’ On Jesse placed second in inspirational contemporary romance in the TARA contest. It was also a finalist in the Crown and the Maggie contests for unpublished authors.

More from Mary

I wrote Countin’ On Jesse because I couldn’t NOT write it, though learning to write fiction was an act of faith. My son is an army vet and deployed to Afghanistan during the war. When he returned, the adjustment back to civilian life was difficult. The PTSD he suffered was real. His dad and I prayed often for his restoration. I also experienced an urgency to share how people recover from traumatic experiences, but it’s not my MO to tell a sad story. I used humor, but never downplayed the seriousness of the hero’s issues with PTSD and anger. My goal was to impart hope.

One added sweet note. My son helped me craft a short story as a prequel for the series. I believe it was healing for him to revisit the Afghanistan setting through the perspective of time and distance. Readers have shared they felt like they were in the story. In truth, there was an eyewitness. I’m forever grateful that he came home to tell me of such events.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 27

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 28 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, November 28

Texas Book-aholic, November 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 30

Back Porch Reads, December 1 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 3

A Reader’s Brain, December 4 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, December 5

Beauty in the Binding, December 6 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 6

Cover Lover Book Review, December 7

Holly’s Book Corner, December 8

For the Love of Literature, December 9 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, December 10

Giveaway

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

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/29099/countin-on-jesse-celebration-tour-giveaway

Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals Review

Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals follows several women seeking justice for the rape, sexual assault, and physical abuse they suffered for years while attending Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) churches. Most of the women were young at the time of their abuse — many of them were minors. Because of the statute of limitations, some of them cannot get the justice they deserve. They are fighting to have those limitations lifted, as the only people the limitations protect are the perpetrators.

The opening voice-overs by men who helped create the IFB movement SHOULD be enough to chase any thinking person away, but that is the point. The IFB does NOT encourage critical thinking. Instead, it REQUIRES complete and total unthinking obedience. It is a system that breeds abusers and victims.

The opening episode followed Ruthy Heiler as she related the experience of her child sexual abuse (CSA) by her Christian school teacher when she was only twelve years old. She didn’t feel like she could come forward, not only because her abuser threatened her, but because she knew that her church leaders would blame her and she’d lose the only community she’d ever known.

The IFB was begun by Jack Hyles, a brash and loud preacher whose grasp on the fundamentals of Scripture was tenuous at best. Yes, he talked ABOUT the Bible constantly, but when he tried to preach and explain the Scripture, he revealed that he was far out of his depth. Instead, his sermons were about creating a “biblical” culture using a few cherry-picked passages. Men were told they had God-given power over their homes, families, church congregations, and ALL women. Women were told they had no power except what was granted to them by men. Women were instructed on how to dress, how to behave, and how to cater to men.

Men were described as having “animal” impulses and desires, and women were somehow “responsible” for their thoughts and behavior. If a woman was raped, it was somehow her fault. If a child was sexually assaulted, it was somehow that child’s fault.

Men who abuse were not held accountable, and their crimes were covered up. There are specific examples of these coverups in Let Us Prey. Pastors confronted with men who committed CSA moved those abusers out of state to serve in another church. One of the women in the documentary called it “The Pedophile Shuffle.” Eric Skwarczynski compared it to mob activity.

One of the most striking things about the documentary is the utter lack of remorse on the faces of the men who have either participated in the abuse directly or covered it up. They are stony and still —emotionless statues. In direct contrast, their victims struggle to maintain their strength and dignity despite their bodies throwing them into trauma responses mid-interview.

Another mind-blowing aspect was the ridiculously short prison terms served by the men who were convicted of sexual assault and rape — some of them assaulting their victims for years. One man had separate charges that totaled 20 years, but he was allowed to serve them concurrently, meaning he was sentenced to only five years in prison. He was released after serving less than three years for “good behavior.” Other rapists, some with dozens of victims, were never arrested or charged because their victims weren’t mentally or emotionally able to step forward before the statute of limitations had run out.

Throughout four episodes streaming on MAX, strong women relay their stories and actively go after their abusers in the courts. Each woman pinpoints the fact that attackers would have never been able to get away with their abuse without the pastors who covered up their crimes.

In episode four, Ruthy Heiler’s victim statement at her abuser’s sentencing is crucial, not only because it comes from her heart but because her words could be applied to nearly every other victim of childhood sexual abuse. She speaks for an innumerable crowd of victims.

Our family has been counting down to the premiere of Let Us Prey for nearly a month. We were once true believers in the Independent Fundamentalist Movement, but slowly and surely, we’ve all left it behind.

We were some of the fortunate ones. Our church wasn’t as controlling as most. However, when we visited those other churches in our circle, we were expected to dress and act the way “they” preferred. In my mind, our church was at least somewhat “normal.”

It was one of the many lies I told myself and one of the numerous excuses I made for the ministry that employed me as a Christian school teacher.

I assumed that when things felt “off,” it was because of the personality quirks of the individuals I worked with. That was the only reasonable explanation for why the men who taught with me would sometimes smile and talk pleasantly and then either ignore my presence or treat me with open hostility. I hadn’t done anything wrong or different, so it must be that they were ‘having a bad day’ or ‘had a lot on their minds.’

I rarely stepped into another teacher’s space or corrected another teacher’s student. Still, there was a specific school year when I was appalled at the lack of boundaries between the male teachers and the male students. It was odd to me. The female students didn’t throw their arms around my shoulders, pretend to “flick” my body parts, or try to wrestle me. If any had tried, there would have been an immediate protest on my part and a demand that they respect my space. The male teachers said and did nothing when the teen boys hung onto them. I ended up stepping in and insisting that male students leave their teachers alone while they were mid-harassment. The teachers simply stood, saying nothing. I later went to the male teachers’ office (three shared a room) and told them they needed to address this issue with the boys. They sat and stared at me, never moving, never answering.

That was the same year when a new family joined after attending a single morning worship service. I’d never seen such a thing. Usually, people liked to visit a few times, meet with the pastor, and get a feel of the place before committing, but this couple couldn’t wait to join.

Not long after that, my younger son approached me. He’d done some digging on the new male member and discovered the man was fleeing a bench warrant for molesting a minor. With my son’s guidance, we printed off several pages of police reports, newspaper articles, and even some forum conversations dealing with abuse in churches.

The next thing I did has haunted me since that day.

I took the pages of evidence we’d gathered, handed them to my husband (a deacon), and told him he needed to give the material to our pastor. I watched my husband walk into the pastor’s office and hand him the papers.

And that was it.

If I could return in time, I would immediately pick up the phone and call the police. Instead, I fell thoughtlessly into my IFB training and looked to the pastor as the ultimate leader. I believed that as the leader, it was his responsibility to contact the authorities.

He did not. He later confessed he regretted not calling the police. He had also fallen into his IFB training and believed that he could protect his congregation from the man while “ministering” to the man’s family. No one at the time considered that the man’s wife not only knew what her husband was capable of but that she actively hid his activities so that they could become members of our church.  

What my son and I heard from the deacons and the pastor was that they encouraged the man to go back to the town he’d fled and face the charges (he took a plea deal that guaranteed him no jail time, and a clerical error ensured that he wouldn’t be on the national sex offenders registry). When the man returned, my son and I were informed that the man would be “watched.” There was no announcement to the rest of the church that there was a pedophile in the congregation. None of the men in leadership had a clue about how pedophiles work — not even when we offered them information. The pedophile remained at the church. Even though he was offered several ministries where he could serve the church without being around others, he constantly vied for “showier” jobs. He couldn’t carry a tune but insisted on being choir director and leading music. At one point, he even taught a series on Wednesday nights. During COVID, he welcomed remote viewers to the online church service with a speech and some off-key singing. Each time he popped up in a leadership position, I protested. He would eventually be removed, only to return (sometimes to the same ministry) months later.

Even after my son started the Preacher Boys Podcast and openly spoke about his experience dealing with a pedophile at a church that had a large children’s ministry and a Christian school, the man STILL was not removed. The pastor and the deacons acted like their hands were tied, which baffled me. I assumed it wasn’t that they COULDN’T remove him but that the pastor didn’t WANT to remove him. The question was why. And WHY put the pedophile’s wife in a position of leadership in the school? Why allow this family, who was deceitful from the beginning, to continue to put down stronger and stronger roots?

My personal hypothesis is that it was because both the husband and wife were connected to other leaders within the IFB. His father was a pastor in Northern California. Her father was the athletic director for a popular Southern California Bible college.

They didn’t leave until the school livestreamed a basketball tournament. Eric watched and noticed the pedophile sitting on the bench with the players. Eric put out a warning to the parents of the school. At that point, the pastor finally HAD to address the problem. The man’s wife quit her job as principal. They later sold their home and moved out of state.

The following year, the coach the pedophile was sitting with on the bench was arrested for CSA.

Our former church’s lack of action with Pedo One sent a message to others that this was a safe place to work and hunt. Fortunately, the pastor finally learned that if you give a pedo an inch, he’ll take over the church, so when Pedo Two was caught, the police were called immediately, and Pedo Two was fired.

After Eric left and started the Preacher Boys podcast, I watched and listened to what he’d learned and followed up with my research. What I’d always thought were “weird and quirky” behaviors were the results of being part of an organization steeped in sexism, man-worship, and extra-biblical standards.

Now, Eric is considered an expert in IFB abuse. He was approached by the makers of Let Us Prey to help fill in some of the organization’s background as a talking head in the documentary. I am so proud of him. He is fearless.

I am not fearless. The idea of having a podcast terrifies me. Instead, I write novels about recovery from spiritual/church abuse. It wasn’t until book five, Wise and Mighty, that I finally put a label on the “circle of like-minded churches” in my stories. Instead of IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist), I called them AFB (American Fundamental Baptist), but the practices and teachings are the same.

The knee-jerk reaction of many congregants when they hear stories of church abuse is, “It’s not in every church!” But you might not know if it’s happening in your church. Most of the people in our church never knew a convicted pedophile was leading them in music on Sunday mornings. What I thought was “unusual” in my church turned out to be just another instance of a sexual abuse coverup within the organization.

I used Wise and Mighty to explore my experience with leaving the IFB. I was ready to leave long before my husband was. One of the reasons I wrote the novel was to see if I could understand why he fought so hard to stay. I never did understand, but my main male character eventually left.

Even better, my husband left the IFB, too — before Wise and Mighty was published. It took him months to emotionally recover from spending years in a toxic work environment, but we’re all finally out.

He sat beside me on the couch while we watched Let Us Prey. He was shocked at how cavalier pastors were about the abuse and how horribly those pastors treated the victims. He and I attended an IFB church for 30 years, and we were never made aware of the network of pedophiles within the organization. I began to discover the truth about the cult three years ago. He is still learning, but his mind is open and willing to listen. Hopefully, this amazing documentary will compel many more to understand what is happening in the IFB movement.

Mojave Man Review

Set during the millennial reign of Christ, Mojave Man follows two groups. Most of the world has welcomed Christ, who is now ruling from Jerusalem, but there is also a group who separated from society during the tribulation and has no idea that He has returned. They’ve depended on the great rift in the Mojave desert to protect them from every outside evil, but it has also prevented them from progressing. When one man escapes, with the help of outside believers, he learns the truth and longs to bring that information back to his people.

But first, the Mojave Man explores the western area around the rift. This includes a “resort” where people can experience what it was like to hide during the tribulation and a dude ranch that points to an even more ancient history. As a reader, I found it strange that those living in peace under Christ would seek to embrace the less-than-happy past. Recycled ideas about what could comprise the mark of the beast make it into the novel and weirdly become the jumping-off point for the millennial culture–something the Mojave Man points out but another character dismisses as “It’s similar, but different because ours is real.”

Mojave Man is book two in the ArcPoint Series and does not stand alone. The series may be exactly what readers who are interested in end-times novels are looking for.

About the Book

Book: Mojave Man

Author: J.W. Gilbert

Genre: Christian Fiction – Action/Adventure

Release Date: November, 2022

Mojave Man continues the adventure of Arcon Franklin as he seeks to escape the authorities demanding his containment. His rescuer, Elaina, flees with him to a survivalist compound that could end up being a trap. As a tenacious reporter edges closer to exposing Arcon, Jesus himself makes his desires known. Whether he likes it or not, Arcon’s foray into the outside world could be cut short. He may have to return to ArcPoint, whether they want him back or not. Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

John Gilbert Wozniak (JW Gilbert) grew up in an Oregon farm town. He retired in 2016 as an international data center cooling expert. Around the turn of the century, he began writing as a hobby. After years of expert guidance and a lot of editing, his ArcPoint trilogy is complete. His intent is to write books that are enjoyed by all ages—biblically accurate—with a touch of adventure, romance, and humor. JW has been married to his best friend Darlene since 1980. They are both retired and enjoy the hobby of creating lapidary jewelry. He is a member of Oregon Christian Writers, Mensa, ALLi, and the Tualatin Valley Gem Club.

More from JW

I became an avid fan of Christian fiction, especially after reading This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Working 12-hour night shifts as a data center technician, I had ample time on my hands. At one point I was devouring a book per night, but my favorite genre—action/adventure—was almost non-existent in Christian fiction. So, as is the case with many would-be authors, I decided to write the book I wanted to read. The setting? The future when Jesus is ruling the world, as told in Revelation chapter 20. My protagonist? Arcon, an adventurous young man from an isolated tribe of people. The premise? The people of ArcPoint don’t know that the outside world is safe and that Jesus has returned.

My first attempt at writing went well. I wrote my first draft in three weeks, edited it for six months, and landed a hybrid publisher with the final manuscript. The book garnered four- and five-star reviews, so I was pleased. (Not bad for someone who’d flunked English three times.) I was glad the reviews showed that the writing was good, but my readers were missing the message. I pulled it off the market.

For the past few years I’ve been honing my skills as a writer and reworking my ArcPoint story. There have been a few challenges. While researching, I found over a thousand verses in the Bible that sparked ideas for the time period I was writing about. Now the original book has become a trilogy, plus a prequel. However, traditional Christian publishers were not in the market for adventure stories, so I had to learn about self-publishing. And then, like a page right out of my prequel, the unexpected happened—a pandemic. I decided it would be best to put off publicizing until the entire trilogy was available. Now it is.

To see if the first book was ready to be self-published, I sent copies of Mojave Rift to Reader’s Favorite for professional reviews. It got five stars across the board. Then I entered Mojave Rift in their contest and won a silver medal. All the reviewers seemed to appreciate my inclusion of action, romance, and humor in a squeaky clean, fast-paced, futuristic novel.

I hope my ArcPoint series receives high scores from English teachers, but since I still don’t know a passive voice from a hole in the plot, we’ll see. Writing likable characters and adventure stories that run deep and inspire is something I enjoy. I’ve worked hard and it’s a thrill to get high audience scores.

BTW, did I mention the world-building for the isolated tribe in my story is set in America? Now that was a challenge.

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, November 9 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 10

By The Book, November 11 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 12

Simple Harvest Reads, November 13 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 14

For the Love of Literature, November 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 16

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 17 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, November 18

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 19 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, November 20

Artistic Nobody, November 21 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, November 21

Guild Master, November 22 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, JW is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of Mojave Man!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/28d34/mojave-man-celebration-tour-giveaway

Estelle’s Endeavor Review

A sweet slice-of-life novel set in the last days of WWII, Estelle’s Endeavor by Linda Shenton Matchett explores the difficulty faced by soldiers returning home and the women who had learned to make lives for themselves after they were left behind. Estelle is a nearly 30-year-old woman who works at the library and prays every day for the safe return of her boyfriend, Aubrey DeLuca. In a field hospital overseas, Aubrey prays daily that Aubrey will still love him despite the injuries to his leg and eyes. Both have adjustments to make for themselves, but even more important is the grace they must show for each other.

About the Book

Book: Estelle’s Endeavor

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Will a world at war destroy a second chance at love?

Estelle Johnson promises to wait for Aubry DeLuca to return from war, but then she receives word of his debilitating injuries. Does she have the strength to stand by him during his hour of need?

Aubry DeLuca storms the beaches of Normandy, then wakes up in a hospital, his eyes heavily bandaged. Will the only woman he’s ever loved welcome him home or is he destined to go through life blind and alone? Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

Dear lovely readers,

I was thrilled to be asked to participate in Thanksgiving Books & Blessing Collection Five because Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. When I was growing up, no matter where we lived (and we lived a lot of places thanks to my dad’s job!), my parents would bundle all of us into the car and we’d make the trip to my maternal grandparent’s house in Maryland; the tiny town of Burtonsville to be exact. Cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, with the occasional “honorary family member” (anyone who had nowhere to spend the holiday) would gather.

The adults ate at a HUGE table in the dining room, and the kids were relegated to card tables in the living room. My grandmother and great aunt must have prepared for days. After dinner, we kids were responsible for washing the dishes (and with 20-30 people, there were tons!). I have countless happy memories from those days. Our Thanksgiving celebrations are much smaller now, but no less joyous.

In Estelle’s Endeavor, I wanted to explore the holiday and the concept of thankfulness in light of a world at war. Could people find it in their hearts to be thankful in spite of their circumstances not because of them? Additional themes emerged as the story unfolded, and I hope you are encouraged by the characters’ journey.

Blessings,

Linda Shenton Matchett

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 7

The Lofty Pages, November 7

Maureen’s Musings, November 8

, November 8

Bizwings Blog, November 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 10

Texas Book-aholic, November 11

Mary Hake, November 11

Mornings at Character Cafe, November 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 13

Connie’s History Classroom, November 14

Betti Mace, November 15

She Lives To Read, November 15

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 16

For Him and My Family, November 17

The Lit Lady, November 18

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, November 18

Holly’s Book Corner, November 19

SusanLovesBooks, November 20

Pens Pages & Pulses, November 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Visa Gift Card and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/28d32/estelle-s-endeavor-celebration-tour-giveaway

The End of NaNoWriMo

I have a plan, a goal. That much hasn’t changed. But I didn’t wake up this morning ready to write. In fact, it is afternoon, and I’m still struggling to open my WIP documents. This is despite my phenomenal writing sprints yesterday and my hope that I could repeat that writing success today.

So, what changed?

I lost another community. I discovered that the NaNoWriMo organization had actively covered up instances of grooming, bullying, and pedophilia. Most recently, community members contacted the organizers, demanding they remove an offending moderator and contact the FBI. Instead, the moderator was removed only from the group who complained. They were allowed to remain in the org and in contact with minors. The organization did not contact the FBI; when the whistleblowers realized it, they did it themselves.

Like many who enjoyed participating in NaNoWriMo every year, I decided this was an uncrossable line. Any organization that refuses to report and remove pedophiles and their activity deserves to be shut down. I contacted my writing buddies to let them know why I was leaving, and then I deleted my account.

My participation in NaNoWriMo is over.

I didn’t expect it to hit me as hard as it has. I’m pretty open about the fact that I’m an introvert. It’s a family joke that I could go weeks without leaving the house, so I don’t think of myself as a huge fan of communities. I tend to lurk on the fringes. I have my reasons, of course. This isn’t the first community I’ve lost.

I lost my church community years ago, but that came gradually as individual friends and colleagues were stripped away until I was one of the few left, waiting for my opportunity to get out as well. The pain of losing people I’d loved and trusted was stretched out over time, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Eventually, it dimmed to loneliness. When the toxicity of the situation could no longer be ignored, and I was finally freed from the organization, it was easy to walk away. Any trust I’d had in that community was already gone.

Yesterday’s community loss came fast and without warning. It wasn’t as important to me as my church had been. However, it still hurts to know that an organization designed to help writers of every age refused to police its own moderators—even when presented with evidence that exposed illegal activity. Members begged for transparency and cooperation with the FBI and were ignored. Now, members are spreading the news, deleting their accounts, and warning parents to immediately remove their children from the Young Writer’s Program. It is the end of NaNoWriMo, another community lost to abusers and those who would cover for them.

Ironically, I joined the NaNoWriMo community, writing about spiritual abuse and its long-lasting effects. I was inspired in part by my church leadership, who were more interested in making a convicted pedophile and his family comfortable than in protecting the hundreds of children and teens who were on the church and school campus every week. The excuse was made that since he’d entered a plea deal and was not on any list, there was nothing legal that could be done, and since he wanted to serve, he should be allowed—no matter who was uncomfortable with his presence.

I felt silenced, so I wrote. The Rose Collection grew from my frustration.

Each novel confronts spiritual abuse and its many abusive offshoots: sexual, physical, economic, and emotional. I started many rough drafts as NaNoWriMo projects, including my most recent novel, The Art of Persisting.

I’ll continue to write because I think confronting abuse is essential. More writers are joining the fight. The subject matter that Christian publishers and agents refused to even look at three years ago is now a part of the indie mainstream. The louder we are, the more we expose abusive behavior — and make it easily recognizable — the better. NaNoWriMo is over, but we are not.

Tangles and Tinsel Review

Tangles and Tinsel by Jennifer Sienes is the perfect little novella to read during the Christmas holidays. Faith is front and center as Kim and Jax develop their friendship and help each other through a challenging holiday season. A beautifully written and deeply satisfying story that doesn’t skimp on spiritual growth.

About the Book

Book: Tangles and Tinsel

Author: Jennifer Sienes

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance, Christmas Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Southern Fiction

Release Date: November 21, 2023

Why didn’t her life get the memo regarding Christmas being about peace on Earth and goodwill to men?

For the first Christmas in years, Kimberley Saint John may actually get that peace on Earth she’s been dreaming of. Daddy has been sober for going on two years (a record), and if he stays that way, she might have a chance for a life of her own. Maybe even a family. And between you, her, and the fence post, she’d love it if that family included her childhood friend Jax Jenson and his kids.

Except he’s still mourning the loss of his wife.

Jax doesn’t understand why no one has snatched up sweet, beautiful, and funny Kim. Then again, the way she carries hurt and betrayal around like battle gear might have something to do with it. And he is not knight-in-shining-armor material. His wife could’ve told her that.

Kim’s dreams are shattered when Mama shows up, after a twenty-year absence, sending Kim into a tailspin of worry for her daddy. Desperate, she turns to the one man who gets her—Jax.

What will it take for Kim and Jax to untangle emotions that keep them from trusting in God’s sovereignty and find purpose through the pain?Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jennifer Sienes holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education but discovered life-experience is the best teacher. She loves Jesus, romance and writing–and puts it altogether in inspirational contemporary fiction. Her daughter’s TBI and brother’s suicide inspired two of her three novels. Although fiction writing is her real love, she’s had several non-fiction pieces published in anthologies–two in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has two grown children and one very spoiled Maltese. California born and raised, she recently took a step of faith with her real-life hero and relocated to Tennessee.

Enjoy An Excerpt from the Book!

Why was it people made such a fuss over the holidays? Seemed to me, even if you had a perfect family, which I surely didn’t, it was still a crazy time when everyone one-upped each other. It was kind of like playing holiday poker. I’ll take your worries over how to seat twenty of your closest relatives and raise you one need to order a pre-cooked meal because I can’t even find time to shop. Of course, the shame of not having a homemade Thanksgiving supper raised the ante quite a bit, so I generally won.

Because Daddy and me would have a couple of kids with us this year, I vowed things would be different. I was even willing to shop, cook, and bake, which was the trifecta of disaster as far as I was concerned. I had nothing against shopping—it was part of my everyday life. Hunting down great deals on vintage furniture was in my job description. But food? Only as a source of survival. Spent too many years cooking for Daddy after Mama left us, and baking was downright messy and time consuming. I’d never be held up as a great example of a Southern lady. But I’d push through it for Nora and Chandler. And if I was going to be completely honest, maybe a little for their daddy, too.

Never could see myself with my own children. For one thing, though it might stretch the imagination of most to believe it, I was a traditionalist. Even if I hadn’t stepped foot into a church since I was fifteen, there was an order to life and love that shouldn’t be forsaken. Since I hadn’t been on a date for more months than I could count on both hands, it wasn’t likely I’d be getting married anytime soon. Might be my lack of culinary skills played into that some.

For another thing, I’d heard a couple of the older ladies in my apartment complex refer to me as a spinster. It would appear, unless God miraculously plopped Mr. Perfect-for-me on my doorstep this very day, I’d be too old to have kids even if I ever did get married. At thirty-five, I was already stretching the limits of my biological clock. Add to that a year or two of dating, then a proper engagement, and I might as well accept my lot in life—once I figured out what that was exactly.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 6

An Author’s Take, November 7

lakesidelivingsite, November 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 8

She Lives To Read, November 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 11

Exploring The Written Word, November 11

The Lit Lady, November 12

For Him and My Family, November 13

Karen Baney Reviews, November 14

Texas Book-aholic, November 15

Holly’s Book Corner, November 16

SusaniLovesBooks, November 17

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

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/28b2d/tangles-and-tinsel-celebration-tour-giveaway

Setters and Toffs Review

Settlers and Toffs by Caryl McAdoo is an epic saga with dozens of characters, plotlines, and settings. The family experiences marriages, births, and the ever-persistent reality of starting over–whether it is building a hotel for those coming to California for the 1849 Gold Rush or taking a steamer ship to London.

About the Book

Book: Settlers & Toffs

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: August 23, 2023

New and old collide in SETTLERS & TOFFS as Ambrose Lee and Blaire build a hotel and a new life together with a remnant from the wagon train he captained in ’49. Settling in Auburn, California, they deal with the gold rush boom town’s growing pangs while the next Earl of Farnsworth, William Cromwell, voyages home to England with his intended Clara and her family. Though separated by a country and an ocean, troubles and trials plague them all. Revisit old friends from Book One WAGONS WEST and meet new ones in this second novel of the New Beginnings Family Saga! This story has been previously published on Kindle Vella with the same title as episodes for Season Two. Season Three, ANSWERING THE CALL episodes are now available at Kindle Vella now.Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling tales—coming up on seventy titles now published—delight readers all around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen to those at her YouTube channel.

She loves working in the yard at The Peaceable, her home tucked away on twenty acres, mowing and planting flowers. She lives there with Ron, her high school sweetheart and husband of fifty-five years, five dogs, two dairy goats she milks daily, a flock of chickens, and a plethora of barn cats.

The couple shares four children and twenty-seven grandsugars, six are greats. Caryl and Ron love their quiet, country life in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas and wait expectantly for God to open the next door so they may do His will.

More from Caryl

I started writing “episodes” for Kindle Vella the first month they opened the new format with WAGONS WEST, season one in the New Beginnings Family Saga Season One. For those who don’t read at Kindle Vella, after the ”season” has been up thirty days, the author can create a book!

The episodes become chapters and WAGONS WEST debuted last November 2022! The SETTLERS & TOFFS story is “Season Two” and I’m tickled pink with it! Book One in the series was an epic wagon train story that ended when they got to the gold fields around Auburn California.

In Book Two, the characters spread out across the globe, and we follow them all. Some of those who arrived in covered wagons began to build the pioneer town of Auburn, making a new home for themselves. Some panning for gold and others building hotels and businesses the miners need.

Some travel to merry old England where one of the wagon train sojourners has been called home after his older brother’s death to be the future Earl of Farnsworth. Having fallen in love, he couldn’t bear to leave Clara behind, so arranges for her family to accompany him. So many of the main characters sail away cross the seas.

The third storyline in SETTLERS & TOFFS becomes another wagon train when the scout in book one decides with his wife to go and bring another group of settlers to the new land—a very lucrative business venture for the captains who knew the way.

There are plenty of characters who come in and out as the story progresses. I’ve come to love the primary ones. There are struggles at every turn. Trials and tribulations fill many of their days, but there are those joyous ones as well!

Through it all, the Lord—still on the throne and in control in 1850—helps His children overcome and blesses them beyond measure . . . just as He does today. He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek him and obey His commandments—then and now.

My author’s motto is “Praying my story gives God glory!” I also pray that its readers will be drawn into a closer walk with the Almighty as they walk alongside these awesome, stalwart folks who settled the West! They had it rough, but God . . . PRAISE HIM!

They sure do! And so do I!
BLESSINGS!

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 5

Texas Book-aholic, November 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 7

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, November 8 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, November 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 10

Beauty in the Binding, November 11 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, November 11

For Him and My Family, November 12

For the Love of Literature, November 13 (Author Inteview)

Exploring the Written Word, November 13

Holly’s Book Corner, November 14

Cover Lover Book Review, November 15

Pause for Tales, November 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/28b2c/settlers-toffs-celebration-tour-giveaway

The First Half-Week of NaNoWriMo is in the Books

It’s been a four-day write-a-thon, and I’ve enjoyed each hour I’ve spent on my laptop creating stories. I’ve got 14,000 words written (most of which I plan to keep when I edit).

The work I did in preparation for NaNoWriMo paid off. I’ve been using the calendar and journal I purchased explicitly for Book 8’s character, Kay Hernandez. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because she was also in book two as Caroline Taft’s roommate.

She still loves her teaching career, and the church her new school is attached to. However, she’s almost 31 and is still scraping to get by. Like everyone else, her salary hasn’t been able to keep up with inflation. She’s not only working long hours in (and out) of the classroom, she’s also taken a second job as an Uber driver. Occasionally, she’ll work a third job waitressing at Great Events. Kay wouldn’t mind the crazy hours if it meant that paying for rent, groceries, and gas wasn’t such a struggle.

What I didn’t plan for was a second NaNoWriMo project. This is a YA novel I started months ago. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I forgot about it. True, we had a busy summer, but that hardly seems like a good excuse. I didn’t remember the book until my husband asked me if it was this year’s project. I told him it wasn’t, but then I thought, what if it was? I had about 20,000 words already written, so adding another 50,000 during NaNoWriMo will give me a complete rough draft. This one is centered on Sylvie Stade, the daughter of Topher and Denise, and how she adjusts to the move from Camp Galilee in Crystal Falls, Arizona, to her parents’ old hometown of Rhodes, California, a location from Book 1.

The stories are moving right along, and I enjoy getting to know the characters in depth.

As for the other “prep work”? Well, that’s paid off too. Because I’ve already planned the meals for the month, that’s one thing off my mind, so when dinnertime came around, I thought of it as a “break” after a long day of writing. From burgers and fries Sunday all the way to soup Saturday, suppertime has been a win.

Tonight’s tomatillo soup is off-the-charts delicious!

I’ve also planned for one more thing: to finish. In anticipation of reaching 100,000 words, I’ve ordered my annual NaNoWriMo t-shirt. But of course, I won’t open it until I’m done. It’s my wearable trophy.

The first full week isn’t quite up, but I’m loving the start and looking forward to completing my goals. Mainly because that will mean I have one and a half novel rough drafts finished and ready for rewrites. That will be worth all of the hours I’ve put in so far.

I understand that not every writer participates–or even approves–of NaNoWriMo, but for me, it works beautifully!

Preptober

I pushed to finish my WIP by Tuesday of this week because something huge was approaching, and I wanted to prepare for it. Like most people, I enjoy celebrating the major holidays, but I also absolutely love NaNoWriMo. I get all giddy just thinking about it. https://nanowrimo.org/national-novel-writing-month

I’m the only writer in my family, but they put up with me and my obsession with National Novel Writing Month every November. They’re sweet that way. My husband is especially supportive and encouraging.

October is AKA “Preptober” by NaNoWriMo participants, but I didn’t need the entire month. I only needed the last week.

Being suddenly between novels, I used my week off thinking through what my next novel would cover, who it would feature, and what issues it would address. Having that time to ponder paid off. The nebulous early ideas began to take form, and I’m starting to feel incredibly confident as November 1st approaches.

Signing up for this year’s NaNoWriMo, I discovered that I had two different accounts, so I deleted them both and started a brand new one, creating a profile I could be proud of. It didn’t take long at all, so I spent a little time looking at how others were preparing. It was interesting information, but I didn’t have all that much to do.

I did make a shopping list for NaNoWriMo. Snacky snacks and NaNoWriMo go together—but so do exercise breaks, lots of water, and caffeinated beverages. Aside from the munchies, I made plans to purchase a 2024 calendar. Yes, I use my phone calendar in “real life,” but I decided a hard copy would be preferable since it would be dedicated to my characters’ schedule, not my own. Off to Dollar Tree!

Once I got to the store, the first thing that caught my eye was a journal with a cover reading “Do What You Love.” It appealed to the character who had mentally hitched a ride to the store with me. Next came the calendar that I probably wouldn’t have picked out for myself, but it’s perfect for her.  

My next “prep” was the dinner menu for the month. I figured that if I got all of that planned, it was one less thing I had to think about. My husband is thrilled, too, since we don’t have to have the “What do you want for dinner” discussion.

Finally, I reached out to my fellow writers on the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction FB page. I told them that if they wanted to be “Buddies” on the NaNoWriMo site, we could form a little online community to encourage each other.

While I was engaging in Preptober, I also started planning my writing for the year. I needed that. I’ve been frustrated with my writing performance this year. I told my husband that 2023 would be my least productive year (I only published one book this year). I want to push harder and write more from here on out.

My Preptober has only been a week, but it has been such a blessing. I am looking forward to NaNoWriMo and pushing my writing forward.

Texas Times Review

The synopsis for Texas Times by Caryl McAdoo was intriguing: a strong, single woman in 1660s Texas is left a 45% share of a newspaper by her late uncle. She travels to Dallas to learn the business from her late uncle’s partner and proves herself to be a natural reporter and illustrator.

This book would have been brilliant if the author had stuck with this premise. Instead, there are too many instances where the intriguing main character is shunted off to the side while secondary characters and situations are introduced, partially developed, and summarily resolved. It almost feels like there is an entire series trying to break free from this one novel.

I wanted to celebrate the life of Alex as she took on her little corner of the West, but secondary characters so diluted her story that it felt like an afterthought.

About the Book

Book: Texas Times

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: September 8, 2023

A prim and proper country girl is thrown into a mayhem of madams and mercy killing when Alexandria Bell inherits her estranged uncle’s portion of a big city’s premier newspaper, the Texas Times. She does find the pickin’s better in Dallas as before she knows it, three suitors vie for her attentions. One makes her laugh, one speaks to her heart, and the third possesses such a way with words, he make her envious of his talent . . . but she’s his boss. Come along on Alex’s new career adventure and see if any are successful in winning her heart and hand.Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling tales—coming up on seventy titles now published—delight readers all around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen to those at her YouTube channel.

She loves working in the yard at The Peaceable, her home tucked away on twenty acres, mowing and planting flowers. She lives there with Ron, her high school sweetheart and husband of fifty-five years, five dogs, two dairy goats she milks daily, a flock of chickens, and a plethora of barn cats.

The couple shares four children and twenty-seven grandsugars, six are greats. Caryl and Ron love their quiet, country life in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas and wait expectantly for God to open the next door so they may do His will.

More from Caryl

I can’t imagine the Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga coming to an end anytime soon, but I’m up to nine books in it! I love these characters so much and the fact that some of those beautiful fictitious people I love from my first family saga (Texas Romances) show up from time to time—I mean they all live in Texas so . . . !

This book nine, TEXAS TIMES has been so much fun because of its background setting—a Dallas newspaper in 1877. It lends itself to anything happening at any time, so the adventure and pace of the story know no bounds!

I introduce a new female character as my heroine in TEXAS TIMES, Alexandria who is moving to Dallas from the tiny Texas Hill Country community of Spicewood to assume a new position at the newspaper there after inheriting a forty-five percent ownership of it.

The Cross Timbers’ characters show up in TEXAS TIMES as the heroes. There’s Amos Humble, the paper’s star reporter and son of Landry and Arlene Humble (book three TEXAS TEARS) and Stephen O’Neal, the first class fiddler son of Flynn and Alicia (book one GONE TO TEXAS.) So I’m still in the third generation with no telling how many more books to go!

This story covers a lot. Forgiveness of others and one’s self, God’s supernatural miracles, His giftings, His plans and purposes for our lives, the importance of truth… I could go on and on. I pray you all will enjoy this fast-paced story and that it gives God glory!

BLESSINGS!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 18

An Author’s Take, October 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 20

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, October 21 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 23

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

ABBA’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 25

Pause for Tales, October 26

Sylvan Musings, October 27 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, October 27

For Him and MY Family, October 28

By The Book, October 29 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, October 29

Holly’s Book Corner, October 30

Cover Lover Book Review, October 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/28798/texas-times-celebration-tour-giveaway