Tuesday, May 7, 2024

An Ocean of Courage and Fear by Jerry Borrowman


 Based on survivor accounts, this gripping novel opens days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and details three years of sea battles that spanned between Hawaii and the shores of Okinawa with the crew of one of the most decorated ships of the Pacific War.

Onboard the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City, Lieutenant Commander Justin Collier was 230 miles west of Pearl Harbor accompanying the USS Enterprise on a secret mission when Japan attacked the United States. Upon his return to Honolulu, the gravity of the war begins to change him, as does every subsequent mission, including a rare beach landing with an Army infantry division. He fears his wounds of war, both physical and mental, will be incurable.

Meanwhile, on the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, hundreds of wounded men lay scattered in cots and stretchers in and around the naval hospital, and volunteer nurse Heidi Collier feels overwhelmed by the number of casualties. She had watched the bombing by Japanese planes as she huddled with her two children in front of their home, hoping that her husband aboard the USS Salt Lake City was safe wherever he was. In her prayers, she feels he is still alive.

Lieutenant Riley Bracken feels the sudden g-force of his catapult-launched observation floatplane with each harrowing mission. Alerting the USS Salt Lake City of enemy ships gives him purpose, which is why no one can know about his recent bouts of vertigo. He can't risk losing what he loves most.

Fifteen-year-old Al Jowdy lied about his age in order to join the Navy. Whatever he believed Navy life would be was shot out of the water--twice--when his ships were torpedoed. Now aboard the Salt Lake City, he fears his luck may have run out. 

Amazon 

 

About The Author


 

Jerry Borrowman is a best-selling and award-winning author of historical fiction, historical non-fiction, and co-authored biographies.

Compassionate Soldier won the 2018 Indies Gold (First Place) Award from Foreword Reviews in War and Military. Invisible Heroes of World War II won the 2022 Silver Medal. Compassionate Soldier and Three Against Hitler (with Rudi Wobbe) are George Washington National Award Winners from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.

Jerry has given voice to true heroes -- Rudi Wobbe, a German boy who stood up against the Third Reich, Joe Banks in A Distant Prayer who served on 49 combat missions deep into German territory in a B-17 bomber, only to be shot down and taken prisoner of war, and Colonel Bernard Fisher, USAF, a career Air Force pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor for Valor Above and Beyond the Call of Duty in Vietnam, (also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor).

But for those who enjoy historical fiction, his World War I and World War II series provides insight into the great European wars of the 20th Century in a unique and exciting way.

Jerry's books are for readers of all ages, men and women. They will inspire you by the great sacrifices made by those who have fought for American freedom.

 

My Review


 What a remarkable job the author did in combining fact with fiction.
We are there as Pearl Harbor is attacked, and the loss of life, I could almost hear the bombs that were being dropped on the Island.
There are fictional people that we get to know and care about, and there is some truth to what happens to them, with some of it being wow moments.
While this is a WWII story and the Japanese attack on the US, it is also the USS Salt Lake City's story, and we follow this ships battles that help win the war.
This is a read that at times had me holding my breath, and page turning for the answers, the guns getting so hot they need to stop firing, and the miracles that happened!
Be sure to read the Author's Notes, and we learn the fate of the ship that help win the war!
I received this book through the Publisher Shadow Mountain, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart


 


The Proposal Plot (An Amish of Marigold Novel Book 2) by Kathleen Fuller

 

For someone so strong-willed and certain, Ella Yoder has never been more unsure of her life. It's been a year since she convinced her father to move with her and her younger sister Junia to Marigold, Ohio, to open E and J Grocery. Ella's got a keen eye for running a business and has big dreams to expand. But her plans are stalled because Junia refuses to lift a finger at the store--or listen to her about anything.

Nelson Bontranger knows one thing for sure: creating his own artisan deli meats is his passion. Well, maybe one other thing: he's sworn off women forever. After two bouts of heartbreak, he's not willing to open up himself to a third. When he eyes his own butcher shop next to E and J Grocery in Marigold, he's surprised to learn that Ella has had her eye on the property for some time. He doesn't trust this stubborn, pushy young woman--and for her, the feeling is mutual.

Against their wishes, Ella and Nelson's paths continue to cross when Nelson's nephew Malachi falls head over heels for Junia. Nelson and Ella are brought together to keep the lovebirds in check, but somewhere along the line, their frustration turns to something altogether more pleasant. But they will both need to come to terms with past pain before they can find their future happiness.

Amazon 

 

About The Author


Best-selling author of Amish fiction. Also a wife, mother, crafter, coffee addict, football fan, and chocolate aficionado.

 

My Review


 Author Kathleen Fuller has done it again with this page turner for answers.

We are given three different relationships and we really don't know to the very end if any of them will end up together!

It was fun being back in Marigold Ohio, and with the people there, including Nelson Bontranger and the brother who put the bride notice in the paper!

Things don't work smooth, but then our will tries to play out, and we need to wait for what the Lord has planned.

I love that the author included an epilogue! We get additional information!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

 

Monday, May 6, 2024

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: An Escape Goat: A Zen Goat Mystery by Janna Rollins

 


An Escape Goat: A Zen Goat Mystery
by Janna Rollins

About An Escape Goat 

 

An Escape Goat: A Zen Goat Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New Hampshire
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books (March 12, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 265 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CW1DMVTL

After finding long-lost family through a DNA test, Callie heads to Bobwhite Hollow, New Hampshire, to meet a great-uncle she never knew existed. Charmed by the village and more than half in love with her new family, she decides to stay and open a goat yoga studio and retreat space.

When retreat guest Angilene Claudson turns up dead with a wine glass shattered at her side and Callie’s favorite goat lapping up the spill, the death is written off as an accidental overdose. But when the goat gets sick, Callie’s gut tells her it wasn’t an accident at all. With her new business on the line and a possible murderer staying in the guesthouse, Callie sets to work to uncover the truth and keep her family safe.

About Janna Rollins

When Janna Rollins isn’t writing, she likes to thumb through New England-based magazines and drool over the pictures. She has a love for red barns, goats, and genealogy. Janna can be found showing her socially awkward side on Facebook or sharing pictures of her tiny one-acre farm on Instagram. She is a member of Sister In Crime, and also writes the Hometown Hardware Mystery series as Paula Charles. Janna lives in Southwestern Washington with her husband and a whole menagerie of furry and feathered critters.

Author Links

Website: https://www.paulacharles.com

FB:  Rainy Day Mysterieshttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556817479811

IG: rainy_day_mysteries –  https://www.instagram.com/rainy_day_mysteries

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209244230-an-escape-goat

Purchase Links
Amazon – More to Come

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW  

May 6 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 7 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 7 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 7 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

May 8 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

May 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – CelticLady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 10 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

May 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 10 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

May 11 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

May 11 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

May 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy -REVIEW

May 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Celebrate Lit Presents: Do You Have the Courage to Be You? 10th Anniversary Edition: A Guide to Discover Your Unique Identity and World-changing Destiny Author: Jenny Williamson

 

About the Book

Book: Do You Have the Courage to Be You? 10th Anniversary Edition: A Guide to Discover Your Unique Identity and World-changing Destiny

Author: Jenny Williamson

Genre: Nonfiction Christian Living: Personal Memoirs/Personal Growth

Release Date: September 30, 2023

There is no one else like you. 

You are an exceptional work of art. 

You are special, unique, and original. 

If all this is true, then why do we strive so hard for most of our lives to look and act like everyone else? We spend more time trying to reinvent ourselves than we do getting to know ourselves. It is critical to know you, love you, and value you so that you can be and do all you were created for.

Did you know there is somebody on this earth waiting for you to be you? When you are being you . . . the you God created you to be . . . lives will be changed, history will be made, and prayers will be answered. If you don’t dream it, create it, write it, tell it, sing it, or build it, it will never be done. Lives are literally at stake.

Part memoir and part self-help book, Do You Have the Courage to Be You? tells the story of Jenny Williamson and how she left her ordinary, comfortable life to start an international nonprofit that creates safe homes for children being sold for sex. Her journey of purpose guides readers to find their unique identity and uncover their passion, calling, and mission for life. What does it mean to have the courage to be you? What thought patterns or belief systems keep you stuck? What will you need to face the challenges? Jenny answers these questions in this revised edition of this powerful book. Reading it might just set you on the path to fulfilling your destiny.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Jenny Williamson is the Founder and CEO of Courage Worldwide, an international nonprofit that builds Courage Houses for children recovered from sex trafficking around the world. Jenny is known for her contagious energy, her motivational speeches, and her passion for changing the world. She is an international speaker and courageously is and does all God created her for and absolutely refuses to settle for less. She encourages everyone she meets to do the same. Jenny and her family live in Northern Nevada.

 

 

More from Jenny

I wrote this book because, for most of my life, I believed I was created without talent, gifts, or any special ability to offer this world. Growing up, I was told I was too loud, too bossy, too stubborn . . . and too much! I didn’t believe God had created anything special in me, and I certainly didn’t believe I had a water-walking, giant-slaying, history-making destiny. I so wanted to matter—to make a difference in this world, but I didn’t believe I had anything special to offer . . . until I began reading my Bible—for myself!

Though I  was raised in the Bible Belt of the South, went to church five times a week, am a seventh-generation Christian, and have a mother who speaks King James (any question you ask my mother about anything, she will answer you with a Bible Verse), I never had read the entire Bible cover to cover. I didn’t have to. I knew all the stories. They start teaching them in “Sunday School” every year and then repeat them the next. These stories didn’t “wow” me because I knew how they all ended. Abraham does have a son. Joseph does get out of the pit and prison. David does become King. Daniel doesn’t get eaten by lions, and Jesus doesn’t stay in the grave.   

However, in my search for meaning and purpose, I picked up my Bible and started reading it from the beginning—word for word. In that search, I found the most astonishing thing: God uses the most ordinary people, often dysfunctional, without great talent, to literally change the world! In that journey of reading, a tiny spark was lit inside of me that turned into a burning flame of desire to be and do all God created me to. It was then I heard the whisper, “Do you have the courage to be you—you I created?” I embarked on the life-changing journey of discovering first who I was and what I was created to do. When I discovered those two things, I wanted to share this truth with everyone who crossed my path!

You, too, have been created on purpose for a water-walking, giant-slaying, history-making purpose. Mine led me to help children who were being sold for sex. I wonder where yours will lead you? I pray this book encourages you on that journey!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 3

Simple Harvest Reads, May 4 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 5

Artistic Nobody, May 6 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, May 7

Splashes of Joy, May 8 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 9

Beauty in the Binding, May 10 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 11

Guild Master, May 12 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 13

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 14 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, May 15 (Author Interview)

An Author’s Take, May 15

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 16 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jenny is giving away the grand prize package 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/2b35e/do-you-have-the-courage-to-be-you-celebration-tour-giveaway


Saturday, May 4, 2024

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder (Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery) by Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell


Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder
(Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery)
by Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell

About Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder


Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder (Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Arizona
Independently Published (April 20, 2024)
Digital Print length ‏ : ‎ 271 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CW1GPJR7

It’s a rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder.

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating another birthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement bakes, someone is stirring up trouble for the inn and its employees.

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashed tires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatens the sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner is caught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiled in a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as a rattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent?

The Chocolate Martini Sisters are primed to find out. First, they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonest restaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and a masseuse with a crush. If they can stay off the radar of the surly chief homicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killer burns them first.

The third book in this amateur sleuths, cozy mystery series will have you chuckling and on the edge of your seat as the sisters solve the murder.

About the Authors

Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. She writes children’s books under the pen name, Brenda Sue. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

Visit Brenda’s Website   Facebook    Twitter    Blog    Amazon Author Page    Goodreads Author Page    BookBub     Instagram  

Join her Newsletter Group here.   

After hearing countless stories as a mental health professional, Joyce Proell retired to create her own tales. As an award-winning author, she writes historical romance and cozy mystery where all endings are guaranteed happy. She shares her home on the prairie with a husband and a little dog with a big personality. When she isn’t reading or writing, she likes to swim and finds baking almost as relaxing as a day at the spa.

Website    Facebook    Amazon Author Page   Goodreads Author Page

Purchase Links
Amazon US   Amazon UK    Amazon Canada

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 1 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW

May 2 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

May 2 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 3 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 5 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

May 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 7 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 7 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE POST

May 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 11 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

May 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHTWITH EXCERPT

May 13 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 14 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here

 

Celebrate Lit Presents: Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust Author: Misty M. Beller

 

About the Book

Book: Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Naomi Wyatt has finally given up on the man who once promised to love her for the rest of his life—then disappeared with no way to contact him. She’s now a single mother with a beautiful baby girl to provide for, a daughter whose red hair reminds her daily of the man she gave her heart to. She has to move on though, so when Jonah Coulter asks for her hand in marriage, she knows she would be hard-pressed to find a better husband for herself and father for her sweet daughter. He’s a Coulter, after all, and he’s proven to be a good friend during her darkest hours.

But when her first love rides onto the ranch property saying he’d been searching for her for months, her heart is shredded once again. Before she has time to catch her breath though, a new threat appears on the horizon. This time she has far more at stake than her heart, and only a Divine hand can turn this disaster for their good.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a second chance romance, love triangles, hidden treasure, and love that heals wounded hearts.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

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

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

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

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

More from Misty

A HEROINE DISGUISED AS A MAN

I love a heroine in disguise! It’s one of my favorite tropes, but I don’t often get to write stories with that plot. It adds so many fun and funny moments to the storyline. J

In Rocky Mountain Journey our heroine goes undercover as a “man” to travel with a group of trappers so she can reach her destination safely. Numbers meant a better chance of survival back in those days. I love that Grant, our hero, was the only man in the trapper group who looked close enough at the young “man” riding with them to realize things weren’t what they seemed at first glance.

One challenge that definitely arises in a story where the heroine is pretending to be a man is the development of the romance between her and the hero. In this case, Faith was pretending to be her (fictitious) brother Frank. Grant had met Faith in an earlier chapter before she took on the disguise, and he immediately noticed the resemblance between “Frank” and the woman whose memory still lingered with him, even days later. Every time he looks at “Frank” while they’re traveling with the trappers, he recalls the memory of Faith by the waterfall…and the attraction to that woman grows a little more every time. What a shocking surprise when he discovered she’s riding just ahead of him on the trail the entire time!

I pray you love Faith’s stint “in disguise” in Rocky Mountain Journey! J

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , April 23

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Pause for Tales, April 24

Madi’s Musings, April 25

Alena Mentink, April 25

Devoted To Hope, April 26

Texas Book-aholic, April 26

Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 28

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, April 29

Wishful Endings, April 29

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 30

lakesidelivingsite, April 30

Cover Lover Book Review, April 30

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 1 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 1

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 2

For Him and My Family, May 2

Book Looks by Lisa, May 3

Melissa’s Bookshelf, May 3

Betti Mace, May 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 4

The Lofty Pages, May 5

Holly’s Book Corner, May 5

An Author’s Take, May 6

Blossoms and Blessings, May 6

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b143/earning-the-mountain-man-s-trust-celebration-tour-giveaway

An Ocean of Courage and Fear by Jerry Borrowman

  Based on survivor accounts, this gripping novel opens days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and details three years of sea battles that ...