Thursday, May 6, 2021

Pint Of No Return - Book Excerpts for fun!

Pint of No Return Epic Book Launch

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About the Book

Book: Pint of No Return

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release date: May 25, 2021

The first in new dessert cozy mystery series! A murder in town is bound to shake things up…

After her divorce from her thrice-married embezzler husband, Trinidad Jones is finally ready for a fresh start. So when she’s left one of ex’s businesses in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, she decides to pack up her dog, cash in her settlement, and open her dream business: the Shimmy and Shake Shop, introducing the world to her monster milkshakes. And even with a couple sticky situations underway, namely that the other two ex-wives also call Sprocket home, Trinidad’s life seems to be churning along smoothly.

That is, until she discovers her neighbor, the Popcorn King, head down in his giant popcorn kettle. When one of Trinidad’s fellow ex-wives is accused of the murder and Upper Sprocket descends into mayhem, it’s going to take a supersized scoop of courage to flush out the killer.

BOOK EXCERPT

Pint of No Return Excerpt Five

Moving to the tiny east Oregon town of Upper Sprocket, hometown of her cheating ex-husband Gabe Bigley and his two other ex-wives, was her most mortifying life decision to date. At age thirty-six, she should have been settled, married, and raising a family, not jumping into a highly risky entrepreneurial endeavor in her ex-husband’s hometown, no less. Funny how pride took a backseat to survival. The faster her money ran out, the more palatable the notion of taking over the building Gabe had deeded her on his way to jail became.

Her grandfather, Papa Luis, used every derogatory word in his Cuban Spanish arsenal to convince her that Gabe “The Hooligan” Bigley should be obliterated from her mind, and moving back to Miami with him and her mother was the prudent choice. He was probably correct, but here she was in Sprocket anyway.

Now ‘Gabe’s Hot Dogs’, a store Gabe had never actually helped run, was being reborn as The Shimmy and Shake Shop and it was going to be the most successful establishment in the entire Pacific Northwest if it killed her.

MISSED ANY EXCERPTS? You can read them at the links below. 😁

pint-of-no-return-book-excerpts-for-fun.html

Purchase Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Pint-Return-Shake-Shop-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08GBPD3BR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

Suddenly Forever by Teresa Tysinger (Laurel Cove Romance Book 2)

Suddenly Forever

About the Book

Book: Suddenly Forever

Author: Teresa Tysinger

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: October 6, 2020

SuddenlyForever_TeresaTysinger On the outskirts of Laurel Cove, North Carolina sits a quiet lake tucked into gentle mountains carpeted with the brilliant colors of autumn. Grief binds the lake’s only residents into an unlikely family, where old and new love build a bridge between loss and hope.

For years, best-selling author Cora Bradford has worked tirelessly to tread the unrelenting waves of grief in solitude. That is until a new neighbor moves in down the road and threatens to disrupt what she’s carefully preserved of the life she once knew. Will God ever answer her prayer for peace and calmer waters?

Following a scandal, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Luke Bassett escapes to the one place in the world he’s ever experienced peace—his mother’s cabin on the lake where he spent childhood summers. But the memory of her and the mistakes he made are hardly peaceful. To make matters worse, he gets off to a rocky start with his bitter, but breathtakingly beautiful, neighbor. Was running away from the life he’s always known the biggest mistake of all, or the beginning of something he never knew he wanted?

Spunky, opinionated, and recently widowed Ina McLean is alone for the first time in over ninety years. When Cora and Luke come together to care for their only other neighbor, Ina’s belief in God’s goodness through life’s ups and downs works to restore their hope in learning to live—and love—again.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

This is a stunning, emotional story, of love and loss, grief and healing. Set in a fictional, but still feels like a real North Carolina town. Grief is so hard, and it's hard to think about, write about, talk about, yet this author did a beautiful job with it. Faith filled, I find the stories of Cora, Luke, and Ina to be excellently well written with realistic and powerful messages woven into their stories.

You might need tissues, but if you're like me, you will wind up smiling and refreshed by the last pages.

5 Stars

About the Author

TeresaTysinger_Headshot Teresa Tysinger is an author of Southern Contemporary Romance inspired by grace. She writes on the fringes of being a wife, mom, and full-time communications and public relations professional. Teresa is a member of ACFW, the Association for Women in Communications, and the Religion Communicators Council. She loves coffee, traveling, and prides herself in knowing and loving almost every genre of music. Born in Hawaii, raised in Florida, and educated in North Carolina, she now resides in Texas with her husband, daughter, and dog.

More from Teresa

Hi Readers!

As an author, I love each of my stories. There’s no denying, though, that Suddenly Forever holds a special place in my heart. I think it always will. The second in my Laurel Cove Romance Series, Cora and Luke’s story came together differently than any other I’ve written.

Most often, a new story of mine begins with a simple notion or seed of an idea. I brainstorm and fit pieces together until a more complete idea begins to take shape. The process usually takes weeks and sometimes months. Suddenly Forever was completely different! One night I could not fall asleep. I tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. Characters’ faces sprang to mind like snapshots. Their personalities, fears, and desires sort of just clicked into place. Scenes played out from start to finish. The “noise” of this waking dream was so vivid that I eventually reached for my phone on my nightstand and punch out the ideas in my Notes app.

By the time I finally fell asleep that night, the entire story was clear in my mind. The next day, I sat down and began drafting Cora and Luke’s story. It was the fastest first draft I’ve ever written! The story just poured out of me. By the time I finished just over a month later, I felt as though I’d ran a sprint, getting the scenes down as fast as they’d come to me so I could get to the next. It was exhilarating and exhausting and super rewarding.

More than once, I wondered why this story had come to me so quickly and clearly compared to others. After some reflection and prayer, I believe it’s because this story isn’t mine at all. It’s God’s. I’ve always approached my writing with a prayerful heart that God would meet me on the pages and fill it in with His truths so readers might see Him. But this felt different. This felt as though God simply needed someone with fingers to type.

And so, my prayer as you read Suddenly Forever is that God’s messages come through loud and clear. To the reader who, like Cora, grieves a lost loved one, may you see God’s healing hand and feel His peace. To the reader who may one day encounter someone grieving, may you see the lessons of patience and compassion cultivated in Luke. May you all be reminded of God’s ever-present love for you!

I hope you’ll join me this summer as I invite you again to visit Laurel Cove. The third book in the Laurel Cove Romance Series, Someone Found, releases in May! Blessings and happy reading!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 30

Books and Everyday Life, April 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

Inklings and notions, May 2

For Him and My Family, May 3

Remembrancy, May 3

deb’s Book Review, May 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 6

Blogging With Carol, May 6

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 7

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 9

Britt Reads Fiction, May 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 10

Through the Fire Blogs, May 11

Pick A Good Book, May 11

CarpeDiem, May 12

Labor Not in Vain, May 13

Godly Book Reviews, May 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her, Teresa is giving away the grand prize package of a Zippered Book Sleeve (8×10), a “Library” Candle (4 oz), a Suddenly Forever Book Quote Card (4×6), and a $10 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/10b5f/suddenly-forever-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

A Patchwork Past by Leslie Gould (Plain Patterns #2 )

About the Book:

A Patchwork Past by Leslie Gould

Plain Patterns #2

When wild child Sophie Deiner--the daughter of an Amish bishop--is forced to return to Nappanee, Indiana, quilt-shop owner Jane Berger is one of only a few who welcome her back. It's the last place she wants to be, but Sophie's recent illness requires that she recover for a while.

As Sophie heals, she befriends a group of migrant workers and is appalled to learn of the wretched living conditions they're forced to endure. Sophie begins advocating on their behalf, but soon finds herself opposed by an ex-boyfriend who is the farm foreman.

Jane begins relating the story of an Amish couple who rescued survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, many of whom were Irish immigrants. And Sophie is more convinced than ever that she needs to fight for the powerless. But when digging deeper makes conditions even worse, has she chosen a fight she can't win?

My Review:

This is a split time line story. We have the famous fires of Chicago in 1871, and we have a current time line. I have to pause here, and interject, that this book has a super neat texture to the cover, that just makes it also a tactile experience when you touch the cover reading, sort of like it's its own quilt piece.

As a second book in the series, it stood alone just fine. You do not have to read the first book for this one to be good.

Sophie's illness is something I understand and connect to in the area of dealing with things out of the ordinary that are "invisible" to outside eyes. Her fight to help, warmed my heart. What all she learned along the way is what just makes this book amazing. Between the past and the present, illness and immigration, the Amish she left and her struggle when she returns, are all worked into a faith based message of love, forgiveness, and not judging others too quickly.

The author did use a very wide and forgiving tone with all immigration, which, does come off as political and not quite what I excepted. If you keep it in the light of the times, in the 1800's this was a huge part of our country's foundation. However, a good bit of that was pulled into the current time frame, in Sophie's fighting for justice for others that just left me confused and frustrated as to the impact or impression it left. So for that, I subtracted one star.

4 Stars

About the Author:

Leslie Gould is the #1 bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of thirty novels. She received her MFA from Portland State University and teaches writing at Warner Pacific University. Leslie enjoys traveling, hiking, and history. She and her husband, Peter, are the revolving-door parents of four children and two cats. Visit her at http://www.lesliegould.com

Monday, May 3, 2021

The Sword and the Secrets by Jan Davis Warren

Sword and Secrets

About the Book

Book: The Sword and the Secrets

Author: Jan Davis Warren

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 20, 2021

TheSwordandtheSecrets When Julianna’s final mission proves more deadly than she imagined, help comes from the most unlikely of places.

Raised in a castle on the remote border of England and Scotland, Lord John Stanton is the last male heir of his royal lineage. He has the responsibility to marry and carry on the family name, but a secret vow to God, after a near-fatal battle wound, could change his future from royal heir to humble servant of the church. His journey to the monastery to become a monk is interrupted when he meets a dangerous, but beautiful, woman who has plans and secrets of her own.

Abandoned by her father and raised in an institution as property of the Crown, Julianna Westerfield longs to be free to pursue love and have a family of her own. Trained to be a spy and assassin, she has a chance to earn her freedom by completing this last and most dangerous assignment. Her mission to uncover a murderous plot and the identities of the Black Guard has already cost several agents their lives, and now the assassins are after her. To survive she must depend on a handsome monk and his cantankerous donkey.

Was it divine intervention that caused John and Julianna’s paths to cross? Can they put aside their differences and join forces to deliver stolen papers containing vital information to the king in time to save countless lives?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Book two of a series, and I would highly recommend reading book one, The Secret Life of Lady Evangeline, first. You can read this one alone, but you would miss so much I can't stand for you to miss. John is the son from that story so it continues on in this book. this installment we find more adventure, drama, action, romance, deep thinking, faith, and an awesome story. Oh, but please note; as with book one, you should think of this as more Steampunk, or Victorian. It's has pitfalls that don't fit into a Medieval story, unless we are in a parallel Earth or another time frame. While they stand out to me as out of place, it's okay to give this a pass because the book is so very good!

John is a fantastic example of being pretty sure you're doing what God wants you to, but you're doing it the wrong way. He's convinced that he's supposed to be a Monk, which, would excluded a relationship with Julianna. What if God's plans are not quite what he thought? Can they find the person who's guilty of murder and bring them to justice? Will they have a happily every after? What will God do in their lives and will we loose sleep as we stay up reading this story?

5 Stars

About the Author

Jan Davis Warren photo Jan Davis Warren is a mother, grandmother, and a young-at-heart great-grandmother. Her wonderful husband passed away the same year she won the ACFW Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense. That win and many others are encouraging reminders that God wants her to continue writing even in the tough times. Learn more at www.janwarrenbooks.com.

More from Jan

The Sword and the Secrets is a Historical Romantic Suspense. It is written as a Medieval Christian fiction story set in England around 1209. I chose to keep the historical details to a minimum because of the inconsistency I found in researching this particular time and place. I humbly apologize to you lovers of more in-depth historical facts. I would’ve loved to have traveled to England for more hands-on research but the pandemic made that impossible.

I live in a once-rural area in Oklahoma. Urban development is fast encroaching transforming peaceful pastures into busy neighborhoods. I know it’s called “progress”, but I miss knowing all of my neighbors by name. In the good-old-days, my husband and I loved raising our children here on the farm. As a family, we had all kinds of poultry and livestock, so I can’t resist including a variety of animals in my stories from time to time.

Rosita and her daughter, Daisy, were two of our favorite donkeys on the farm. I’ll never forget when Daisy was born. I think her ears were almost long as her legs. Speaking of donkeys, did you ever hear the story about how the donkey got its cross? I included it in the book.

Precious is the name of the donkey in The Sword and the Secrets. Her mother was killed when she was but a few days old, and she was raised by an old woman who took her into her home and treated with the care and affection of the child she never had. Needless to say, Precious is smart and creative when it comes to getting her way. When her elderly master is about to die, the woman is directed by God to entrust Precious into Lord John Stanton’s care.

For the war-weary hero of this story, Lord John Stanton’s secret battlefield vow to serve God and the Church became more complicated when he was charged with the responsibility of caring for the contrary donkey. His intent to walk to London to join a monastery was supposed to be peaceful and most of all, solitary. It wasn’t until after John accepted the animal that he found out that the donkey’s elderly master had taught Precious not to budge unless first called by name. It was to keep her from being stolen, which served her well. But the name sticks in the hero’s throat every time he must submit to calling her Precious to make her move.

John’s plans also never included protecting a beautiful spy with secrets of her own.

The heroine, Julianna Westerfield was a fun surprise to me. As the story took shape in my mind, I thought the hero would meet the heroine by coming to her aid against brigands. Perhaps she was a princess fleeing her wicked guardian, etc. That however was not the way the story unfolded. As I came to Julianna’s part, I realized she had a colorful past of her own.

I love it when the story develops into something I never expected. 

The beautiful heroine of The Sword and the Secrets, Julianna Westerfield is not the princess I first envisioned but an indentured servant. She was abandoned as a child at the Grandfork Institute for Higher Learning. It is an institution run jointly by the Crown and the Church for the sole purpose of training spies and assassins to do their bidding.

I hope you’ll join John and Julianna (and Precious) on their quests and perchance uncover their deepest secrets.

May God bless and keep you and draw you ever closer to Him.

Blessings!

Jan Davis Warren

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 20

Connect in Fiction, April 20

Texas Book-aholic, April 21

Inklings and notions, April 22

For Him and My Family, April 23

deb’s Book Review, April 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 26

Connie’s History Classroom, April 27

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 28

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 30

Romances of the Cross, April 30

CarpeDiem, May 1

Adventures Of A Travelers Wife, May 2

Mary Hake, May 2

Blogging With Carol, May 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jan 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/10ad1/the-sword-and-the-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, May 2, 2021

The Secret Place by Camille Eide

The Secret Place

About the Book

Book: The Secret Place

Author: Camille Eide

Genre: Contemporary women’s fiction/romance

Release date: April 15, 2021

The Secret Place (1) How far can love bend before it breaks?

Josie Norris became an instant mommy when her twin sister Nadine handed over her newborn son and vanished. What Josie saw as a temporary arrangement grew into a mother-son bond too deep to uproot. But with her irrational sister threatening to steal him back, Josie has been living the last few years with Kennedy in hiding, afraid to go home.

When Aunt Libby—the only person who knows the truth about Kennedy—suffers a traumatic head injury, Josie rushes to her McKenzie River home to help Gram care for the woman who raised her. But not only is Libby’s injury causing family secrets to spill, it’s forcing Josie to see the women in her life in a new light.

Will—a ranger who Kennedy adores and who Josie is determined not to—is desperate to help the woman who has stolen his affections. But can Josie ever truly be authentic with the man she loves? With her son’s fate hanging in the balance, she is faced with the choice to risk everything she loves in order to bridge the most impossible gulfs.

In this story of mothers, daughters, and sisters, Josie must find the grace to forgive people for not being who she needed them to be…and the courage to surrender her fears to the God who has never once left her side.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

What a story! Abandoned twins, raised by their grandmother. That alone was enough to make me concerned for these girls. These girls have deep hurts from their upbringing, and are dealing with it in different ways. Some heavy things have happened in their lives, and they are trying to heal. Josie and Nadine have steps to take to find healing and forgiveness, and to find each other again. I liked the girls, and I loved Aunt Libby and Gram. I miss my own Grandmother. This book is surprisingly deep. Forgiveness, healing, and family are deeply woven into this story, as well as redemption and healing.

4 Stars

About the Author

Camille Eide (EYE-dee) is the award-winning author of poignant, inspirational love stories including The Memoir of Johnny Devine. Camille lives in Oregon with her husband and has three adult kids and five grandkids. She loves baking, muscle cars, and the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She also loves the liberating truth and wisdom of God’s word, and hopes that her stories will stir your heart, strengthen your faith, and encourage you on your journey.

More from Camille

Secrets That Won’t Stay Hidden

Josie, the heroine in The Secret Place, faces more than one dilemma as a result of imperfect confidantes and their unkept secrets. So what inspired this story?

Many years ago, my late father-in-law suffered a traumatic brain injury and was life-flighted to a hospital 150 miles away. Family members gathered and were told to prepare for the possibility that he wouldn’t last the night. In an answer to many prayers, he made it through the night, but was in a coma, and no one knew what his future held or what long term effects his injuries would have.

His recovery was long, strange, and uncertain. In the first two weeks, he went from unconscious to incoherent to muttering. Then he progressed to forming real words, but what he said made no sense.

As his communication began to improve, his speech turned into an ongoing narrative. He talked about events and people and things long ago—including things we hadn’t heard before, things that confused and surprised family members young and old. We realized that these revelations were not simply a product of his addled brain, but in fact true. To our dismay, his social filters and verbal etiquette were gone, which made his kids and grandkids more than a little nervous. What kinds of memories and expressions would we hear from this beloved man of faith whom we all suspected had been a bit of a rascal as a youth?

To everyone’s relief, though my father-in-law said peculiar things and told us stories no one knew about, he didn’t have any shocking skeletons in his closet, and after eight weeks, he was pretty much back to his sensible, knowing self. But the fact that his private thoughts and potential secrets had at one point been so completely exposed sparked some intriguing “what if” questions in this writer’s mind:

What if you lost the ability to keep your private thoughts and secrets safe?
How might your life change if your secrets or some hidden past were exposed?
What if the person to whom you’ve entrusted a most crucial secret suddenly couldn’t?

The book’s title refers to several kinds of secret place. I look forward to hearing how many secret places readers can find in this story.

-Camille