Dead Cat, Run by Annabelle Lewis
Publication date: February 21st 2021
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Synopsis:         
          You’re where you’re meant to be. Run, if you can.
    High school senior Jenny Gallagher’s psychic abilities have made life in her small New England town rocky. Her premonitions and déjà vu have given her a reputation, one she’s not happy with. Tragedy is about to strike, however, and oddly, this time, she doesn’t see it coming. Is her gift betraying her?
          Not far from Jenny, Wellesley Professor Maximus Dyer also has a gift—a painful and useless one. His ability to see the past has brought him insight into history, but otherwise, he’s never known what to make of it. The psychic shocks he receives through his unprotected hands have made any genuine human relationships beyond his grasp. Then someone who doesn’t trigger a vision enters his life—a dog?
          Sidrah Keeling runs determinedly optimistic throughout her life, trying hard not to ask the big questions about why. Her foresight, her ability to see glimpses of the future in her dreams, often drives her to follow a path she doesn’t understand. Alert and listening, with the guardrails of security she’s erected in place, she’s forced again to follow her dreams. This time to a man. Who is he?
           Lurking deep in his sensory deprivation tank, Turner Black sees it all. Born out of the great chaos of time, he once again feels the forces of good gathering to move against him. Not in this life. This time, his darkness will reign supreme. The hunt for his antithesis will begin again now. He can’t wait to feel his opponent in destiny bleed.
         A fast-paced contemporary mystery thriller with a supernatural hierarchy, Dead Cat, Run will keep you up all night, glued to your seat.
Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon ~ 

  Book Details:
You’re So Vain: A Royal Haters to Lovers Romance
by Whitney Dineen
Publication date: September 12th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance
Synopsis:     
        Family drama is something Lutéce Choate struggles to avoid. With a mother who’s an award-winning country western song writer, an aunt who’s a Country Music Hall of Famer, and a brother who’s a rock star, it hasn’t exactly been a low-key kind of life, and she’s ready for a break.
          Then Lu’s younger sister, Claire, goes off and gets engaged to a prince from Malquar, bringing the dreaded spotlight back to shine on their family once again. Lu wants to go to the engagement party about as much as she wants to yodel the Star Spangled Banner at the Grand Ole Opry with her crazy relatives. Alas, not going, doesn’t appear to be an option.
          Alistair George Henry Bere Hale is not the heir, but the spare. Without the weight of the Crown in his future, he’s managed to live the carefree life of a man about town. That is until his younger brother gets engaged before him and their mother starts pressuring him to settle down.
          Alistair represents everything that Lutéce has come to despise–he’s a rich, playboy, partier, who’s always in the spotlight… But Alistair doesn’t feel the same about Lu. In fact, he’s quite drawn to his brother’s future sister-in-law, prickles and all.
             When Lu and Alistair’s mothers witness the sparks between their children, they start to make plans of their own. Will Lu relax her prejudices long enough to get to know Alistair?
           Find out in the fabulously funny fourth book in the Seven Bride’s for Seven Mothers Series.
Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon 

AUTHOR BIO:
        USA Today Bestselling author Whitney Dineen is a rock star in her own head. While delusional about her singing abilities, there’s been a plethora of validation that she’s a fairly decent author (AMAZING!!!). After winning many writing awards and selling nearly a kabillion books (math may not be her forte, either), she’s decided to let the voices in her head say whatever they want (sorry, Mom). She also won a fourth-place ribbon in a fifth-grade swim meet in backstroke. So, there’s that.
         Whitney loves to play with her kids (a.k.a. dazzle them with her amazing flossing abilities), bake stuff, eat stuff, and write books for people who "get" her. She thinks french fries are the perfect food and Mrs. Roper is her spirit animal.
Author links: Website ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram~ Facebook ~

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
​

• 2x $25 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Sept 23rd:

Falling for Her Convenient Groom (Wedding Bells at Lake Como #2) By Jennifer Faye
Contemporary Romance;  Paperback & ebook, 159 Pages
August 24, 2021 by Harlequin Romance
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
           Will their business deal…
           …give them more than they bargained for?
         To appease her overbearing father, Carla told him that she’s engaged. She doesn’t, however, have a fiancé…yet! That’s where Franco comes in—if they marry temporarily, she’ll ensure that both of their companies will mutually benefit. Since neither wants a relationship, saying “I do” is strictly for business. But with their undeniable chemistry, can they keep it that way?
(Affiliate links included.)
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository

REVIEW by LAWonder10:
The "bad blood" between Carla's family and Franko's family was strong and had been going on for years. Carl's father's health was such that she needed to fill-in for him for awhile. The only way her father would agree is if she agreed to marry soon. She had to actually marry someone so she could make a few decisions for the company.
Franco was attracted to Carla but that is as far as hs interests would go. He met with her concerning business. If he could persuade her to reistall his familiy's spices into her family's restaurants, then his family company would survive. However, the price he would have to pay was more than he could consider...wasn't it?
This is another great, unique story in Jennifer Faye's Wedding Bells series.
As always, Jennifer Faye has created a collection of realistic, enthralling characters. She makes the all of them "come alive" to the point the reader feels he/she knows them. The scenes are equally picturesque and easily visualizd, enabling the reader to feel he/she is there.
Although somewhat predictable, this is a well-written, relaxing story. It has several good morals to consider by those who raed it. It has great topics for book club , or other group, discussion.
I offer a Four Stars rating.
*Thus book was gifted me with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

OTHER BOOKS in the Series:

Bound by a Ring and a Secret (Wedding Bells at Lake Como #1) By Jennifer Faye
Contemporary Romance;  Paperback & ebook, 175 Pages
May 25, 2021 by Harlequin Romance
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
        A mistaken identity…
        …a proposal that changes everything!
        Photographer Gianna is done with men. Retreating to her villa on the shore of Lake Como, Gianna is stunned to find gorgeous Dario renting her house! When Dario is mistaken for her long-gone fiancé, they realize a fake engagement could solve problems for them both. Pretending to be in love should be easy, but what happens when very real feelings start to grow?

(Affiliate links included.)
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of BOUND BY A RING & A SECRET, winner's choice of print
​(US only) or ebook

Ends September 16, 2021

Book Details:

Book Title:  Rebel Correspondent by Steve Procko
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction 18+, 356 pages
Genre:  Biography & Autobiography, Military and Nonfiction, History,  United States, Civil War Period
Publisher:  Steve Procko Productions, LLC
Release date:  September 2021
Tour dates: September 1 to September 14
Content Rating:  PG 

Book Description:
​​​
Rebel Correspondent is the true story of a young man who joined the Confederate Army days after his eighteenth birthday and served bravely until the war ended. Wounded twice, he emerged a changed person. But he wasn't just a returning veteran; he was also a writer.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Arba F. Shaw was a fifty-seven-year-old farmer. On a chilly December day in 1901, he put pen to paper to write his memories of being a Rebel Private in the 4th Georgia Cavalry (Avery), C.S.A. He completed writing his account in February 1902. His local newspaper, the Walker County Messenger, in Lafayette, Georgia, published his account in more than fifty articles from 1901 to 1903. Then it was all but forgotten. Until Now. Rebel Correspondent presents Arba F. Shaw's account word-for-word, as first published in the Walker County Messenger almost 120 years ago. Procko annotates Shaw's account with in-depth research, verifying it and uncovering the back story of his life and the lives of his Rebel comrades. Procko's research offers a historical perspective on the many places and events Shaw so richly described.

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By: Steve Procko; Author, Rebel Correspondent - RebelCorrespondent.com

        I traveled to Cooper Heights, Georgia, in the valley known as McClemore’s Cove several times while writing Rebel Correspondent. It was important to personally go to this peaceful valley and breath its fresh mountain air. I wanted to get a feel for the place my book’s main character lived. I wanted to meet his descendants. I wanted to stand next to his grave.
        Located in the shadow of Lookout Mountain in northwestern Georgia, it is a beautiful place. It’s full of history, some of which was deadly violent. Today it’s just a sleepy little crossroads. A single intersection marks its GPS coordinates. Four stop signs and a blinking red light hanging over the intersection. This four-way stop features the ubiquitous Dollar General store and a “Yank’s Quick Stop” convenience store and gas station. I suppose since the Yankees won the Civil War, it’s somehow fitting that the local convenience store should be named “Yank’s”.
        Arba F. Shaw (1844-1909) stayed close to home at Cooper Heights for his entire life, probably never venturing outside of a thirty-five mile radius surrounding his farmstead. Chattanooga was the big nearby city. LaFayette (pronounced Luh-FAY-et) the county seat. Then the Civil War came calling. He traveled to Dalton, Georgia just seven days past his 18th birthday to enlist, when he returned home after the war, he was changed young man.
       I located the 160 acre parcel Arba farmed. It’s still being farmed, though a much smaller parcel of land, having been divided up into smaller pieces of the pie. No doubt, a pecan pie. A brand new church sits close to where his farmhouse would likely have been.
        His grave is located in nearby Singleterry cemetery. I’ve been there twice. The second time was to meet a couple of his 2X great-grandkids. They are not actually kids, but grown men, and they brought family photos to savor. There were many photos of current generations from the Shaw family, but none of Arba. Photographs of him have seemed to have faded into the background, lost to time.
          It’s telling how in just five generations, objects cherished become objects lost. At least we have the writings of Arba’s experiences in the Civil War. He likely wrote them by the glow of lantern light, at the kitchen table in his farmstead just down the road from today’s blinking red light at the intersection known as Cooper Heights.
       There was a popular nineteenth century expression known as “seeing the elephant”. It meant gaining experience at a great cost, by traveling outside of your comfort-zone and seeing the world. In the military slang, it meant you had faced deadly combat. Arba F. Shaw survived the war, though he was wounded twice and faced down an illness that almost killed him.
        Arba had definitely seen the elephant. Heck, he not only saw it, he vigorously shook its trunk and being a cavalry soldier, no doubt rode on its back.

​Meet the Author: 

      Steve Procko never thought of himself as a Civil War history buff, let alone a biographer. He does love history, however, particularly learning about the small, everyday events in the lives of little-known people and the small towns they lived in.
      A documentarian and cinematographer, Steve was sleuthing stories for a documentary series he has developed, “There’s History Around Every Bend,” currently available on YouTube, when he came across the writings of Private Arba F. Shaw.
    The down-to-earth accounts of the everyday life of a lowly private just struggling to survive one of the greatest events in American history fascinated Steve. As he read the series of articles, mostly unread since they were published in a small, north Georgia newspaper in 1901-1903, he began to realize that this was a remarkable cache of history.
      A native of Florida, Steve, with his Lauren and their dog Rigby, splits his time between a mountain log cabin nestled next to Stanley Creek near the town of Blue Ridge, Georgia, and a home in Ocala, Florida.
      He opened a commercial film production company with a partner in 1984. In 2003 the company became Steve Procko Productions (SPP). His Emmy-award-winning financial literacy program Talkin' Money Minutes is available on over 100 Public Television stations nationwide. SPP has also won three additional Emmys over fifty Addy Awards, Telly Awards, and two Promax awards.
      When he’s not behind a video camera or researching the archives for his next documentary or book, Steve explores remote areas throughout the United States and Canada as a fine art photographer. He has had work displayed at The Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Museum of Art in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, as well as solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States. 
      Steve’s second book, Captured Liberty, another Civil War story about nine POW Union officers and their amazing escape will be published in 2022. He also plans to develop documentaries about The Rebel Correspondent and Captured Liberty.
connect with the author:  website ~  twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram `~ goodread

Here is the tour schedule.

Giveaway Details:​
Enter to win a copy of Rebel Correspondent signed by the author, Rebel Correspondent Bookmark, $10 Amazon Gift Card, and one-of-a-kind vintage CDV (cart-de-visit) photograph
(5 winners / USA only) (ends Sep 21)

Book Details:
Rumpled Rhett (Once Upon a Duchy, #3)
by Rachel Rossano
Publication date: August 31st 2021
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Romance
Synopsis:     Rhett is a Huntsman, skilled, secretive, and
mysterious. A wanted man, he spends his life on the move. His sole retreat is the outskirts of an isolated village in the northern reaches of the duchies. Then one fall, he arrives to find his hovel burned to the ground and the village reeve offering a new arrangement.
    Catherine knows her father, the village miller, only cares about what she can bring him. The latest scheme of marrying her to the Huntsman is not the miller’s first attempt to sell her. Cat’s dread wanes when she meets the Huntsman. There is something honorable about him, and he treats her with respect, unlike her father or brother. Perhaps she can escape her father’s influence forever.
      Despite his suspicions, Rhett agrees to the deal and frees Cat from her father’s tyranny, at least for a time. But can he protect her when enemies from his past catch up to him?
        Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin
Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ 

Excerpt #2 –
Cat

        The Huntsman stood in the darkest corner of the room, a solid, inky shadow in the growing dimness. Despite the malevolent impression created by hiding himself from me, I didn’t feel threatened. If anything, the opposite feeling lingered. Perhaps it was because he was so bluntly honest with me. It made a refreshing change from Father’s lies and offered hope that the Kurios had heard my prayers.
        “Father wishes to be rid of me because I am useless for his purposes.”
         “Oh?” His voice, rugged and husky, betrayed mild interest and nothing else.
       “I talk back, argue, and refuse to comply with his orders. To make matters worse, I am lame.”
He frowned. “I see no cane.”
        "I rarely need one.” I adjusted my weight to rest on my good leg and give my right foot a bit of a rest.
        “May I see?”
        “What?” I peered at him in alarm. “See what?”
     “Your foot.” He stepped forward so that he was partially out of the shadows. My gaze first went to his hair. Gold-streaked brown, it was rumpled a bit about his forehead and ears despite the short crop. His dark eyes, almost black in the dim light, studied my face, waiting for a response. “That is what is injured, right?”
      I nodded but didn’t offer it for his inspection. “I have not shown it to anyone since the accident.”
His lips pressed tightly in what might have been disapproval. Of me?
        “How did the accident happen?” he asked. Again, he studied my features.
        When had someone last asked that? Never. No one ever asked. Before I had recovered, my father had seen to it that everyone had heard his version of the story. Unless I wished to call him a liar and risk a confrontation that would end up with me nursing more than a mangled foot, I had been constrained to silence. “My father crushed it in a door.” I blinked back the burning in my eyes. “Though he will deny it.” I swallowed carefully.
         “When?”
        I almost smiled. The man had a way of using as few words as possible. “I was seven.”
        “And you are now?”
        “Twenty-four.” I cleared my throat of the lump of gathering tears. “How old are you?”
         “Thirty.”
        I nodded.
       “You approve?” Amusement tinged his voice, but when I glanced at him, there was no hint of humor about his expression.
        “Not too old and not too young,” I explained.
        “Just right.”
        I nodded again, this time with a small smile.
        “I am going to look.”
        He knelt at my feet. Before I was ready, he lifted my lame foot. Off balance, my hands went to his head, fingers sinking into a mess of soft strands, as I struggled to stay upright. Despite his evident care, the sudden pressure of leaning on my twisted foot in his hand to compensate for my shifting balance made the constant ache of my foot ramp up to pain. Tears sprang to my eyes.
         “Inspecting the merchandise?” I asked sharply.
        “No.” He adjusted his grip, so he held my ankle instead of my foot. The impression of solid, warm fingers seemed to burn through my stockings as he removed my shoe. “Has it healed? Is it infected?”
        “No and no.” Angry tears burned my eyes. Heat flushed my cheeks.
        “Does this hurt?” He pressed my toes.
         “Yes.”
        “And this?”
        After a few more rounds of the same question and more pain, he finally replaced my shoe. Setting my foot back on the floor with far more care than he had picked it up, he waited until I had regained my balance before rising to his full height. Blinking away the tears, I waited for him to move, but he didn’t step away.
          “Your father will do worse if I reject you?”
        “Don’t worry about me. I will survive.” I studied his tunic front. The coarse wool was dyed a brown so dark it was almost black. Not precisely the clothing of a rich man. My father’s claims
about the mysteries surrounding the man before me ranged from his great riches to his right to a lost title. I didn’t believe a word of any of them.

AUTHOR BIO:
    Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction. A happily married mother of three children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.

Author links: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodeads ~ 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

• $15 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Sept 9th:

Book Details:
 Nobody's Mulligan by Brian Holt
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 337 pages
Genre: Spiritual, Inspirational, Religion
Publisher:  Covenant Books;  Release Date: March 2020
Formats Available: print- softback, ebook 
Tour dates: August 23 to September 3
Content Rating:Pg-13 - No excessive sex, profanity but graphic violence
Book Description:
      Margaret Sullivan, a troubled college student in her early twenties, becomes a modern-day Joan of Arc when she is compelled to save humanity as the
pinnacle of evil comes to seize what he believes was his in NOBODY’S MULLIGAN by Brian Holt.
        Orphaned at childbirth and raised by her maternal grandparents, Margaret
feels the sting of loss when her grandmother dies. With no maternal figure in
her life to offer her comfort and guidance, Margaret becomes a borderline
traumatic social recluse and is treated as an outcast, despite participating in
admirable callings, and is left with her ailing grandfather, Paddy Sullivan. What
she doesn’t realize is that evil is actively afoot and identifies her as an
impediment to Satan’s global apocalyptic conquest.
         Craig Templeton, an unmotivated, barely graduated gamer existing in his
mother’s basement, seeks employment at a PR firm, assigned to the mailroom,
which he perceives as corporate leprosy and beneath him given his freshly
minted college degree. Templeton’s rust-relic of a car is the perfect prompt
for Satan, as he sees Templeton ogling the high-end vehicles believing that he
is already deserving of such amenities.
        Drawn against their will into the town square on the night of the
apocalypse arranged by a series of circumstances under Templeton’s influence,
the citizens of Grace’s Parrish are confronted by the accumulated product of
their own transgressions, and universal suffrage is served. Perplexed by her
grandfather’s apparent immunity to Templeton’s will, Margaret ultimately
realizes that faith will triumph over evil. The price is heavy, as the town
seeks redemption from the only one who can grant it. With it comes a caveat
that one detractor in the group will re-invite the apocalypse with increased
severity.
        Margaret’s heroism is handsomely rewarded as she ultimately finds
transcendence that no mortal could deliver—a unification with the one person
whose absence created an emotional abyss, as well as an explanation of her
grandfather’s immunity to Satan’s will which is epic. And she ultimately
finds her happily ever after with a love-match that is intriguingly
coincidental!  The ending nicely sets the stage for the workings of a
prequel.
 
BUY THE BOOK: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Apple

...      “No, Mommy, please do it with me. It means so much to me,” Margaret replied, keeping her right fingertips touching her forehead, defiantly f   aithful. The wall of the cauldron of souls was approaching vertical as Margaret’s feet began to dangle; the screams of the falling people were totally obscured.
        “In the name of the Father.” Margaret’s grasp approached full release.
      She wanted to believe the floating image was her very mother, offering peace, solace, the ability to reconnect through eternity—all of which were presented as possible if only Margaret would interrupt the short verse that she would recite prior to, and at the conclusion of, every prayer or blessing. Margaret’s squinted eyes emptied the tears that dragged clean marks down her soiled cheeks. The image of her mother looked on with love and reached toward her face to wipe dry the tears and begin making everything better. Her mother’s long brown hair was tied in a bun, as it often was in the home videos; and it was the spitting image of the way Margaret’s grandmother would wear it almost all the time. The videos showed Margaret was just like her mother—playful, energetic, funny, and proper. Gazing through the tears and into her mother’s deep green eyes....

       Margaret shook her head in refusal of her mother’s plea and continued in the way she was taught since she would first speak. “And of the Son,” her voice trembled as the whites in her mother’s eyes darkened to a shade of bright red, and her face turned to that of disgust, disappointment, and now rage...

 ABOUT the AUTHOR:
​        A proud father of five from Levittown, New York, Brian
Holt was retired from a career in law enforcement as well as over thirty years as a volunteer fireman serving as chief. Indulging in his own desire to write, Brian sat down and started jotting thoughts but struggled to compose a viable outline. Frustrated, he found his biggest inspiration as the result of praying the rosary daily, asking for the words to the book that needed to be written. After some weeks, Brian sat at his desk and whispered a form of a spiritual epiphany to himself,  “Okay, your way, not mine.” From there, the first words of Nobody’s Mulligan began to flow. 

Connect with the Author:  Website ~ Facebook ​

Giveaway Details:​

Win signed copy of Brian Holt’s NOBODY’S MULLIGAN 
(one winner/USA only) 
​(ends Sep 10)​

The Texas SEAL's Surprise (Three Springs, Texas #1)
By Cari Lynn Webb
Contemporary Romance; Paperback & ebook, 216 Pages
August 24, 2021 by Harlequin Heartwarming
BOOK DECSCRIPTION:
          New town…
           New set of problems
      Suddenly single—and pregnant—Abby James hopes Three Springs, Texas, will give her the fresh start she craves. But five minutes in and she’s already clashed with a former Navy SEAL on horseback. Wes Tanner might be devastatingly handsome, but Abby has no time for romance. Especially with a man intent on leaving town. Abby wants to plant some roots…and falling for the tempting Texan could upend all her plans!
(Affiliate links included.)
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository

BOOK REVIEW By LAWonder10:
Join Abby, Wes and several other delightful characters residing in Three Springs, Texas! This is a small, struggling community -strong and endearing. Their struggls were based on a legend that could help or destroy them..
Abby escaped California after discovering betrayal and that she was pregnant. She caould only think of one place to go. Her recently widowed cousin was opening the small store in the place their grandparents had lived and where so many fond memoried lay for both the girls. Abby was determined she would be the best single mother ever.
Wes had returned from overseas. After discovering the loss, betrayal and a mother in her last days of fighting cancer, he stayed awhle then proceeded to Texas where he had to deliver the devastating message. Boone's forefathers were foundation of the small Texas town, he was also the father of his best friend, Navy Seal "brother", He was chosen to deliver the devastating news that this man's son was dead. Boone was amazing and poured much love into Wes and insisted he stay awhie. There was much Wes could do to help until he was able to solve a few of his own issues. he agreed.
Wes had no room for romance. Abby was still feeling hurt and betrayed and refused to alow herself to trust another man. 
Boone, Sam and others were romantics and wanted little more than to see others happiy married with families.
The town was strugging to survive, but love of their fellowman was still strong.
What's not to love? This is an inspiring story with romance, community unity with a sense of well-being, There is the combined efort of survival, a little mystery, a few eccentrics and a few plot "twists".
The writing of Cari Lyn Webb is always smooth flowing from one scene to the next, and from one person's thoughts to the next. It is always easily followed and leaves a sense of inspiration at the end of each story. This one is no different.
The only thing I felt was missing was a little more effort on the "Legend" and on the ending. The ending left me feeling it was incomplete, even though I am certain there is more to come in the series. 
All in all I offer a strong Four Stars rating.
*This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive reviw. This is my honest review.

OTHER BOOKS IN SERIES:

Trusting the Rancher with Christmas by Cari Lynn Webb
​ISBN: 9780369714466;  Publisher: Harlequin

• Imprint: Harlequin Heartwarming;  Date: Oct 2021
• BOOK DESCRIPTION:

 ​       A visit for the holidays
        Brings love for a lifetime
    Cattle rancher Evan Bishop is desperate for Paige Palmer’s help. The veterinarian is in Three Springs for the holidays, but the single dad hopes she has time to save his ailing livestock. Paige is up for the challenge, though not quite up to resisting the cowboy’s rugged charm and his darling devotion to his little girl. Can Paige learn to trust the rancher before the countdown to Christmas ends?     

(Affiliate links included.)
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository

Tour Schedule
August 30th:
Rockin' Book Reviews
Fire and Ice
Heidi Reads...
Remembrancy
August 31st:
Jorie Loves A Story
Reading Excursions
Lisa Everyday Reads
Novels Alive
Splashes of Joy
September 1st:
Christy's Cozy Corners
Locks, Hooks and Books
Becky on Books
Hallie Reads
Britt Reads Fiction
September 2nd:
Andi's Book Reviews
Novels Alive
EmpowerMoms
Reading Is My SuperPower
September 3rd:
Pause for Tales
Hearts & Scribbles
Bookish Jottings
Teatime and Books
Books and More Books

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
​Cari Lynn Webb lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughters and assorted four-legged family members. She's been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent's 70 year marriage and her parent's marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn't always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers. Visit her at her website.

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Giveaway Details:

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, book chair, two backlist books (winner’s choice) and summer goodies (AKA candy)
US only
Ends September 8, 2021

Book Details:
Wilderness Spa: Where Physical Survival Meets Psychological Survival by Jim Halverson
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 212 pages; Genre:  Literary
Publisher:  Gail Force Publishing; Release date:  June 2021
Format available for review: Print - Softback, Ebook 
Tour dates: August 23 to September 10, 2021
Content Rating:  PG-13: Only language (one f-word, some sh*t, d*mn + more)
Book Description:
​​        The Wilderness Spa brings people from three quite different sources together to survive catastrophe in the Alaskan wilderness. They amaze themselves in their ability to coalesce and work cohesively in the face of hunger, injury, insecurity, and possible death. With that on their minds, they explore statistics, logic, social justice, and challenges to philosophies and social norms.
         After rocky starts when new members enter the group, they learn to find the best in their fellow travelers, how to help, follow, and lead when necessary. Nothing is ever easy. Without attacking each other, they dig deep to reconcile their differences.
        Join the group as they make the best of what they have. Struggle along with them and reconcile your own philosophical belief systems with logic and science.

Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository  ~  Books A Million ~ Indie Bound

REVIEW by LAWonder10:
In the beginning of  Wilderness Spa, the sentiment is relaxed. It describes the separate groups of people whose late Summer adventures in Alaska are interrupted in various ways by a natural disaster. Each groups of individuals are left stranded. This poignant tale is centered on the unlikely uniting of the different groups, and the attitudes, conflictions and views of each. 
They must overcome weaknesses and attitudes, search deep within themselves, and create the right mindset if they are to survive. Most of all, survival can only happen if they become a team. Can groups of varying, races, prestige, ages, and lifestyles realistically put their differences aside to become a real team?
This captivating story quickly becomes a "page-turner", with ongoing action and adventure, and life or death scenarios. 
The characters were well-developed and felt real. The Title and Book Cover were eye-catching and well-chosen. The story flowed smoothly between chapters and scenarios.
The two parts I did not, personally care for, was the iconoclast individuals which use many claims not backed by facts. As far as "scientific facts" go, they change decade to decade as more miraculous inventions and knowledge occurs. A lack of "scientific" understanding is also present. How can anyone know hoe=w old the Earth - or any world - is? Planets are created from "matter unorganized" which is pieces of other worlds destroyed and gathered to create new worlds.. The fossils and multiple other objects were there from the previous worlds. As technology and knowledge increases, the impossible becomes possible! Most inventions and technology was once determined "scientifically" to be impossible. As our understanding of outer space increases, previous beliefs (said to be knowledge) decreases. When I was a youth, the Milky Way was "scientifically" proclaimed to be the ONLY universe. That is no longer the case.
For religious individuals, the last part of this bock can be quite disturbing. It only presents one- sided beliefs.
The second part of my angst is the weak ending. It was abrupt and incomplete. I can only hope there will be a continuing sequel. Even if there is, it did not end strong.
​All in all, it was a great story and much can be learned from it. It was, mostly, very well written.
I offer a Four and a half Stars rating.
I was gifted this book with no pressure for  positive review. This is my honest review.

                                         ​What are your Options? What are the Consequences?
         Much of my book Wilderness Spa turns on options available and related probabilities. These decisions arise due to the characters’ dangerous circumstances as they work to survive the harsh Alaskan wilderness. Inspired by the discussions in the book, this post will explore options and consequences.
             The simple definition for an option is “a thing that may be chosen.” Life is full of options: coffee or tea, money in the bank or invest in real estate, install solar panels or continue to pay the energy company? Coffee or tea, in most cases is little more than a personal preference. Investing hard earned money involves evaluating a host of dependent options, considerations, and personal situations. Solar panel decisions will provide a less complex decision tree. Dependent options and probabilities must all be researched and considered.
          As an example, the factors to be considered prior to installing solar panels presents a basic framework for decision making. What are the consequences of installing solar panels? The cost to install must be weighed against the long-term cost of buying that energy. Additional research must be considered: Will the cost of energy remain constant? What are the environmental costs related to hydroelectric generation, nuclear power, or the production of solar cells? What about exposure to the sun, roof condition, and possible change in home value? By doing adequate research, probabilities for each consideration can be calculated. The answers are available for those who do the research and make informed decisions.
          In all aspects of life, all options must be considered. All deserve an honest look. It’s not wise to reject options out of hand because they are new or require more information, a new solution for an old problem may appear from old personal biases. Things change. The world is advancing. Science is developing new opportunities. Social conditions are evolving, and more options are becoming available. In our diverse and deeply connected modern world, all consequences must be considered for each option.
     In Wilderness Spa, mature and well-intentioned travelers consider options and consequences without considering all the facts. They know the significance of insufficient research. In desperation, they fail to follow their own ground rules

Meet the Author: 
        J​im Halverson is the author of Trials & Trails (2019) and Ponce, What Actually Happened at the Fountain of Youth (upcoming, 2021). Jim grew up in the rural, gold-mining town of Mokelumne Hill, CA and received his MBA from Golden Gate University. He spent part of his life on a ranch and is an avid student of psychology. He recognizes the struggles of all men and women seeking equality and respect. Jim and his wife, Gail, spend their time traveling from their small farm in Forestville, CA.

Connect with the Author:  Website ~  Goodreads

Here is the tour schedule. 

Giveaway Details:​
Win signed copy of WILDERNESS SPA by Jim Halverson (3 winners / USA only) 
​(ends Sep 17)

Book Details:
Nobody's Mulligan by Brian Holt
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 337 pages
Genre: Spiritual, Inspirational, Religion
Publisher:  Covenant Books; Release Date: March 2020
Formats Available: print- softback, ebook 
Tour dates: August 23 to September 3
Content Rating: PG-13+M - No excessive sex, profanity or violence. One crude, graphic sex scene.
Book Description:
         Margaret Sullivan, a troubled college student in her early twenties, becomes a modern-day Joan of Arc when she is compelled to save humanity as the pinnacle of evil comes to seize what he believes was his in NOBODY’S
MULLIGAN by Brian Holt.
       Orphaned at childbirth and raised by her maternal grandparents, Margaret feels the sting of loss when her grandmother dies. With no maternal figure in her life to offer her comfort and guidance, Margaret becomes a borderline
traumatic social recluse and is treated as an outcast, despite participating in admirable callings, and is left with her ailing grandfather, Paddy Sullivan. What she doesn’t realize is that evil is actively afoot and identifies her as an impediment to Satan’s global apocalyptic conquest.
          Craig Templeton, an unmotivated, barely graduated gamer existing in his mother’s basement, seeks employment at a PR firm, assigned to the mailroom, which he perceives as corporate leprosy and beneath him given his freshly minted college degree. Templeton’s rust-relic of a car is the perfect prompt for Satan, as he sees Templeton ogling the high-end vehicles believing that he is already deserving of such amenities.
          Drawn against their will into the town square on the night of the apocalypse arranged by
a series of circumstances under Templeton’s influence, the citizens of Grace’s Parrish are confronted by the accumulated product of their own transgressions, and universal suffrage is served. Perplexed by her grandfather’s apparent immunity to Templeton’s will, Margaret ultimately realizes that faith will triumph over evil. The price is heavy, as the town seeks redemption from the only one who can grant it. With it comes a caveat that one detractor in the group will re-invite the apocalypse with increased severity.
           Margaret’s heroism is handsomely rewarded as she ultimately finds transcendence that no mortal could deliver—a unification with the one personwhose absence created an emotional  abyss, as well as an explanation of her grandfather’s immunity to Satan’s will which is epic. And she ultimately finds her happily ever after with a love-match that is intriguingly
coincidental!  The ending nicely sets the stage for the workings of a prequel.
 
BUY THE BOOK: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Apple ~  

​                   Nobody’s Mulligan: On the Brink of Something Special By Brian Holt.

          Ok, your question calls for a little insider information here, so here it goes: Have you ever gotten goosebumps for reasons you couldn’t explain? Not chills but legit goosebumps. It occurred numerous times when I’d enter the library’s resource room at the library where I wrote Nobody’s Mulligan, picture that same feeling pouring over your entire body and soaking every inch of your anatomy, and I mean inside and out! And it lasted for about a minute! It was like it was slowly poured all over me out of 50-gallon drum, starting at the very tip my head and causing every single hair on my body to stand on end!!! I believe to this day that I was touched by something or someone, supernatural, that my faith tells me that was very, very special. I’ll never forget it!
            Also, along the lines of the saying, “there but the grace of God go I”or “what if Jesus comes back like that”– I work at a hospital that serves a metropolitan area here in NC – There was a frequent patient, obviously homeless, and unkept. He had a history of being drunk and aggressive with the clinical staff, and caused many problems, but he would come back sometimes several times a week, more soiled and unkept than the previous visits, and of course clinical people would treat him with dignity and treated his complaints. One day I simply addressed him with a “ Hi, George[not his real name]” and he turned to me and answered “ You..you know me?” and he said it in such a way that was uncharacteristically civil if not magnanimous.. Slowly a smile raised to his face as if to say “Finally!” - which I interpreted as relief that he was seeking some sort of acknowledgement he likely didn’t experience in his current transient circumstance. I said “sure I do. Why don’t you come in and let these people treat you?” and his visit was uneventful. Some weeks later I received a group text that George had been found dead. And it was in the same location as a major character in the book!!! A book I had started writing in 2016 !!!! So I’m not sure if this was a signal of gratitude for completing and publishing Nobody’s Mulligan, or some sort of communique that it was Jesus walking in this man’s shoes, and a thank you for treating him with civility and decency.
          That’s a major take on the book – one I’d like everyone to come away with- that what you do for the least of my brothers you do for me. And that people are waiting for the second coming – what they are actually saying is Jesus isn’t here so let me get away with this. In reality, I say he never left. Yes he ascended into heaven, but He’s also a omnipresent being. He’s walking in every one of our lives and we treat him like our single parent working or distracted so much we all keep trying to get away with something we wouldn’t do in his presence. The message here is that he walks with each of us, every step of our lives. Just recognize, acknowledge and include Him. Sometimes I feel people go through this life like they’re at a dinner party and Jesus is the host. Everyone enjoys the gifts and blessing He provides, but don’t acknowledge Him or even
say thank you. If their kids never said thank you they would correct them [we hope], but I think too many people don’t put their hands together for 60 seconds in silence, or better with the family, and simple acknowledge His gifts.
          I wrote this to get people to start to think that all that is going on is more that coincidence. Evil is always afoot. There is nothing we see or experience that is unintentional. And if we don’t get ourselves back to church, and return to the tenets that birthed this great nation, we can expect our certain demise. There will be no second chance. Our plight has been by skillful, incremental design, nothing is a coincidence. In NM, it takes our protagonist in her early twenties to save us. The entire world will rely on the faith of one person. And she goes in unarmed, with only the help of her disabled grandfather.
            HINT: But nothing is as it seems!

ABOUT The AUTHOR:
      A proud father of five from Levittown, New York, Brian Holt was retired from a career in law enforcement as well as over thirty years as a volunteer fireman serving as chief.
     Indulging in his own desire to write, Brian sat down and started jotting thoughts but struggled to compose a viable outline. Frustr ated, he found his biggest inspiration as the result of praying the rosary daily, asking for the words to the book that needed to be written. After some weeks, Brian sat at his desk and whispered a form of a spiritual epiphany to himself,  “Okay, your way, not mine.” From there, the first words of Nobody’s Mulligan began to flow. 

 Connect with the Author:  Website ~ Facebook 

Here is the tour schedule. 

Giveaway Deatails:​
Win signed copy of Brian Holt’s NOBODY’S MULLIGAN (one winner/USA only) (ends Sep 10)​

“If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody, don’t show up … don’t start caring about me now.”

Don't Start Now By Tara September
Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 182 Pages; March 1, 2021
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
        What can go wrong being stuck on a cruise ship with your ex and entering into a fake relationship with a sexy coworker? It might not be the Titanic, thank goodness, but Eve Richard’s heart is sinking by the minute and love is definitely going down.
       Pulitzer-prize-winning war journalist turned small-town newspaperman, Adam Seager, has given up a lot for his work, country, and family, but not this time. He knows what he wants, and it’s his coworker, Eve. Her smile is the brightest part of his day and a daily reminder that more adventures are yet to come. When they are both assigned a travel feature on board a new cruise ship, it’s the perfect opportunity to let his feelings set sail.
        Eve will never date another coworker or writer again. Been there, done that. Time to pursue her own writing dreams, even if it means bunking with the infuriating and complicated Adam Seager. So what if the butterflies he sets off in her belly can rival the waves outside their cabin. She intends to keep things strictly professional … that is, as much as they can be while also pretending to be a couple. Their relationship might be fake, but the pull to get to know more of him is real. Her reporter’s gut says there is more to uncover than meets the eye. But what will happen when they are back on dry land?
(Affiliate links included.)
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Check out the Bookstagram Tour here, which has its own giveaway!

August 23rd:
@mom.always.reads
@curlygrannylovestoread
August 24th:
@bookisheclectic
@rozierreadsandwine
@celiarecommends
August 25th:
@radusreads
@kepz_lovesreadin
@wishfulendings
August 26th:
@minnesota_mailer
@twinreadsblog
@bookreviewvirginialee
August 27th:
@booking.with.janelle
@tea_reading_and_oz
@Simonebookstagram

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
        Tara September is a multi-award-winning contemporary romance author living in Southwest Florida. Tara holds a master's degree in journalism from New York University. Previously, she was the Communications Manager at WWE and a PR Manager for The Walt Disney Company.
        Fueled by an IV of green tea and Prosecco, Tara is finally writing the happily ever after tales she's been dreaming about. Proud mom to twins and four cats, she also blogs over at When Tara Met Blog @tarametblog, a lifestyle and parenting blog of 16 years.
Grab a free short story at --> https://bit.ly/taraseptemberfreebie
Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Twitter | Instagram

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

One winner will receive an audiobook of Jesse’s Girl by Tara September
One winner will receive an audiobook of It Might Be You by Tara September
One winner will receive an audiobook of Mine to Five by Tara September

Open to US and UK residents only
Ends September 1, 2021

Book Details:
Now I Found You by Mila Oliver
Publication date: July 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Suspense, Thriller
Synopsis:    Seven years ago, Kate Hartfield’s little sister disappeared.
      An ordinary summer day of fun at the lake turned into a nightmare when young Emily Hartfield suddenly could not be found. When badly battered body parts were discovered three days later, the investigation concluded that they were Emily’s and the case was closed as an accidental drowning.
   Now Kate has returned to her hometown in the Catskills for the first time since her sister’s death, for a work retreat. While at her boss’s lake house, she briefly spies a familiar face.
       It’s Emily.
    She’s all grown up, but Kate knows her sister’s face better than anyone. The sighting reignites the doubts Kate has always had, and forces her to revisit all the mysterious circumstances that surrounded that day. As she desperately tries to track down the girl she saw at the lake house, Kate discovers shocking secrets from the past, confronts her own guilt from that day, and becomes obsessed with uncovering the answer to one question.
      What really happened to Emily?
Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon ~ 

GIVEAWAY!
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

• $25 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Aug 26th:

Book Details:
Espoused by Jean Marie Davis
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Literary, Humor
Publisher:  Wren Park Publishing, 264 pages
Release date: July 2021 
Tour dates: August 16 to September 3, 2021
Content Rating:  PG for the subject matter of adult relationships/marriage/divorce, but there is no bad language or explicit sex scenes.
Book Description:
    Espouse: (v.) to take in marriage; to make a marriage permanent by court decree; the court-approved process by which couples may stay together beyond the legal 15-year term.
   In the contemporary world, fifteen years is considered the legal life cycle of a marriage. If a couple wants to stay together (married), they must hire a lawyer and petition the court to become Espoused.
       After 14 years of marriage, Sara and Thomas Healy are still in love. Their decision to go to court to be espoused permanently is a source of great embarrassment for their children. Avery is ready for the benefits of uncoupling, and Sam really doesn’t need the social stigma of parents who decide to stay together, on top of everything else. Lame! Their espouse attorney, Gwen Stevens, has other problems. The judge for the Healy case is her nemesis, Carly Abraham, also known as “the Wicked Witch of the Bench.” Judge Abraham was previously married to Gwen’s husband Dennis, from whom she uncoupled after the allotted 15 years. She hates espouse lawyers on principle, and seems to have an extra dose of dislike for Gwen personally.
      While the Healys struggle through the espouse experience—trial separation, uncouple counseling, and ongoing financial burdens—Gwen has to deal with the judge and her own struggles at home. In this fight for love, who has the answers?
​
Buy the Book: Amazon  ~  add to Goodreads

                                                                   My Writing Process
          All I had was the idea. My novel was to take place in a world where the law requires those in a first marriage to uncouple after 15 years. Great, now what?
          I wouldn’t necessarily call myself creative. I worked in the Marketing Research industry for over 30 years. We took data from multiple sources, created dictionaries, and processes to normalize it to sell to our clients. They could see how their products as well as their competitors were doing in sales. I created the processes that normalized the data called data operations. In order for me to write this book, I needed a process or a system or at the very least a guidepost that took me from step 1 to publication.
          My first step was to read books about writing – Wired for Story by Lisa Cron, Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish by Joseph Bates, and Fast Fiction by Denise Jaden. There are more, but you get the gist. I was searching for a process, and I discovered I could take pieces from all this advice to build my own process.
          I bought a large cork board and a lot (and I mean a lot) of 5 x 8-inch index cards. First index card was the First Act Timeline: on one side-one half the of index card were two bullet points - Setup and Build-up on the other half of the index card I had Hook, Inciting Event, and 1st Plot Point.
          Second index card, Second Act Timeline: on one half were four bullet points – Reaction, Realization, Action, and Renewed Push. On the second half of the card were Pinch Point, Midpoint, 2nd Pinch Point.
Final index card, Third Act Timeline: on one half of index card was Recovery, Confrontation, Resolution and on the other half of the card was 3rd Plot Point, Climax Begins, Climatic Moment.
           I wrote only 1-2 sentences for each bullet point. I do not know how many index cards I went through until I felt I had a decent story flow. I had in my mind the main characters, but they weren’t fleshed out.
            I then took my index cards and created an outline document in the order from First Act to Third Act. I went back to the start of my document and started with Main Story Idea (my book blurb). From there I fleshed out the main characters as well as the minor ones. This took a great deal of time. I needed to understand my characters drive, thinking, and personality.
         After honing my Main Story Idea and characters, I expanded on those 1-2 sentences from the index cards and turned them into many sentences and paragraphs. The characters drove the dialogue and action of the story.
           After I felt comfortable with my outline document, I sat down and started writing. I knew my characters, the action that would take place and when, and how I wanted it to end.
           This first book took time, but I feel much more comfortable about my writing and believe my second book will go much quicker (let’s hope so)!!

Here is the tour schedule.

Meet the Author:

        Jean Marie Davis was born and raised in Huntington, New York. After graduating from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, she moved back to Long Island where she worked in the Marketing Research industry for over 30 years. She currently lives in Centerport, New York close to her daughter and son.

Connect with the Author:  ​Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook  ~ Goodreads

Giveaway Details:​
​
Enter to win a signed copy of Jean Marie Davis' ESPOUSED, plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card (one winner) (USA only)(ends Sep 10)

Book Details:
The Art of Time; A Mother-Daughter Sprezzatura on the Spirit of Time by Martine Therese & Martina Franca
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 76 pages
Genre: Art, Poetry; Content Rating:  G.
Publisher:  The Twenty-Sixth Residence
Release Date: July 2021
Tour dates: August 16 to September 3
Book Description:
​        In The Art of Time: A Mother-Daughter Sprezzatura on the Spirit of Time, Martine Therese and her daughter, Martina Franca, invite you into a lush world where time has no limits. Consisting of paintings, meditations and poetry, The Art of Time merges maternal & youthful wisdom into a one-of-a-kind artistic showcase with a powerful message: humanity's experience can be enhanced by developing our minds into sensual thought.
        A gorgeous book to be treasured by everyone from art connoisseurs to children, The Art of Time offers concepts and images that introduce readers to a new—and wonderful—realm of being.
Buy the Book: Amazon

Meet the Authors: 

        Martine Therese was a practicing Certified Public Accountant when she became pregnant with her daughter, Martina Franca. She decided to leave her accounting job and focus on her daughter instead. The transition, while “brutal,” completely transformed Martine’s life, and opened up a whole new world of possibility.
        For Martine, who has been writing poetry all her life, motherhood expanded her creativity, and she finally felt the courage to bring her work to the world. Martine and her daughter discovered a love for painting, and their artwork, combined with Martine’s poetry, form the basis of The Art of Time; A Mother-Daughter Sprezzatura on the Spirit of Time. The book is a token of their shared loves and talents.
         Martine and Martina Franca are putting together a follow-up collection on the topic of what it means to be human, exploring the theme of building the potential of humanity. Martina Franca embraces her maternal side on a daily basis, be it with caring for her baby dolls or her puppy, Marcello. She gets a kick out of tailgating with Mom and watching people's reactions, and playing practical jokes like hiding Daddy's shampoo bottle, and she loves having conversations. She regularly chills out with Mom during yoga in their special "rainbow room," a room just for the two of them to recharge. On sunny days, gorgeous rainbows fill the wall of the Rainbow Room, and Martina and Mom bask in those colors—which is why Martina loves infusing her art with rainbows.
​Connect with the Authors:  Facebook ~Instagram

Giveaway!
Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of the authors of The Art of 
Time: A Mother-Daughter Sprezzatura on the Spirit of Time! (one winner/USA only) (ends Sept 10)​