The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham (A Freddie and Grace Mystery Book 3)

 

About the Book

Book: The Juliet Code

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Release Date: December, 2023

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley Finally Reach Their Honeymoon Destination Only to Encounter a New Mystery in Need of Solving

Frederick and Grace Percy finally make it to Italy to enjoy a delayed honeymoon and explore the beauties of the historic city of Venice. To their surprise, their friend, Detective Jack Miracle, is also in the city, investigating a series of art heists starting at the house of eccentric millionaire, Laraby Covington. Drawn into a world of boat races, mysterious houses, and parties of the rich and unusual in Venice, Frederick and Grace learn of the existence of the Juliet paintings, (Renaissance paintings feature Shakespeare’s tragic heroine) rumored to hold a secret code to an underground vault of similarly treasured artwork assumed lost over the centuries. As Freddie and Grace are pulled deeper into the mystery and their beloved Detective Jack disappears, can they use their wits and work as a team to find the thieves and Jack before it’s too late.

The Juliet Code is a Freddie and Grace Mystery, sequel to The Mistletoe Countess and The Cairo Curse.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Review: 

This is an author who I like, and this book is a great read. This series is so good. Finally, Freddie and Grace can go on their honeymoon. Did you think that it would be easy and carefree? Nope, not even. Instead it's full of adventure and mystery. It's fraught with a murder and twists. Italy is romantic, but it's also full of stories. Jack was so much fun, and the missing paintings, oooh-la-la! I love the focus of thinking on good things, from the scripture, because faith is never left out of these books or this series. This is just about a perfect read. I do recommend it and the whole series, actually. 

5 Stars 

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

More from Pepper

The Ever After

I’ve always loved fairytales.

Especially the romanticized version (#romancewriter).

The wonderful sense of a two people meeting, overcoming obstacles to be together, and then the happily-ever-after?

Well, those are some of my favorite reasons to read and write fiction. However, I didn’t realize the challenge I took on when I agreed to write a second and third book with the main characters staying the same!

You know what I mean?

In most series, the main characters from book one become secondary characters in the consecutive books so that the secondary characters in book one can become the main characters in book 2 (everybody still following along? )

One of my favorite book series that do this so well is the Amelia Peabody series. I fell in LOVE with Amelia and Emerson in book one, but just loved watching their continued dynamic as a couple grow with each new book. I felt as if I got to know them so much better in their “ever after” while they engaged in all sorts of adventures together.

So…that’s what I hoped to accomplish with Freddie and Grace.

Where The Mistletoe Countess ends with a happily-ever-after, The Cairo Curse and The Juliet Code take over to show us more of the…ever after – my attempt at showing how two main characters continue to grow beyond the end of book one.

I didn’t realize what a daunting feat it would be. Watching two characters meet, fall in love, and show some growth in book 1 was what I was used to doing. But how was I supposed to continue that character growth in consecutive books?

Well, I had to grow myself as a writer to understand how small changes can make lasting differences especially when writing about a beloved couple.

I think The Juliet Code shows a little of that growth – of our Freddie and Grace have not only matured spiritually and, in Grace’s case, experientially, but also as a couple.

Do you have a series that you love where the main characters stay the same?

Blog Stops

The Sacred Line, December 28

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 28

Bigreadersite, December 28

Texas Book-aholic, December 29

Devoted To Hope, December 29

Mary Hake, December 29

She Lives To Read, December 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 30

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, December 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 31

Blogging with Carol, December 31

For Him and My Family, December 31

Where Faith and Books Meet, January 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 1

Back Porch Reads, January 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 2

Life on Chickadee Lane, January 2

Connie’s History Classroom, January 2

Book Looks by Lisa, January 3

Aryn the Libraryan, January 3

Girls in White Dresses, January 3

Daysong Reflections, January 4

Holly’s Book Corner, January 4

Splashes of Joy, January 4

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, January 5 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, January 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 5

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, January 6

Blossoms and Blessings, January 6

Pause for Tales, January 6

Tell Tale Book reviews, January 7

Cover Lover Book Review, January 7

Live. Love. Read., January 7

Labor Not in Vain, January 8

Mornings at Character Cafe, January 8

Worthy2Read, January 8

All-of-a-kind Mom, January 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 9

The Lit Lady, January 9

Lily’s Corner, January 10

By The Book, January 10

To Everything There Is A Season, January 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print 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/293d6/the-juliet-code-celebration-tour-giveaway

Living Secrets A Thriller by S. F. Baumgartner (Mirror Estate Series Book 1)

About the Book

Book: Living Secrets: A Thriller

Author: S.F. Baumgartner

Genre: Christian Thriller

Release Date: September 29, 2023

Can the secret love child of a U.S. Senator deliver the cure for a bioterror threat before time runs out?

Lily Tso is bored and unfulfilled. Orphaned at birth, the twenty-two-year-old Hotel Guest Service Officer is overwhelmed to discover her parents are alive. But the young woman fears she’s woefully unprepared for a treacherous operation to save America and to meet her parents.

Teaming up with an FBI Special Agent and a young tycoon, Lily sets out on a dangerous mission to prevent a heinous biological attack. But as unknown forces bent on thwarting her attempt, she fears time is running out for both her and the country she calls her new home.

Will Lily be able to survive the attacks and save America from certain doom?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review: 

Layers, this book has layers. It has suspense and twists, spies and deep secrets, and in short is my kind of interesting story. There's the fight to stop a bio-warfare weapon and a grown child who just wants her parents, Lilly. Everyone has a secret in here, do they connect? Do the secrets all intertwine, or not? This actually is a thriller that will keep you awake reading. There's politics involved, but there usually is in real life, more so for fiction. A prequel is before this book, and I do wish I could have read that first. That would have fixed my lost feeling or that I was playing catch-up sometimes. I love books or shows with many, many characters and this has that as well. If you are seeking a romance, no need to worry, that's included as well. It's a clean read, with light faith aspects that are a little harder to define. 

4 Stars 

About the Author

S.F. Baumgartner is a Christian suspense thriller author and creator of the Mirror Estate series. She graduated from the University of Hawaii and the University of Cincinnati. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her cats, staying active, and binge-watching crime TV shows. She lives in Ohio with her family.

 

 

 

 

More from S.F.

The Journey to “Living Secrets”: A Tale of Hurdles, Hiatus, and Hope

Hello everyone,

I’m incredibly excited to share with you all the backstory of how “Living Secrets,” the first book in the Mirror Estate series, came to be. If you’re a fan of the series (or soon to be), you might know that we’ve got a prequel, “Buried Secrets,” already out in the wild. While it provides some extra flavor and context to the series, “Living Secrets” can totally be enjoyed as a standalone.

The Seeds of a Story

The seedling of the Mirror Estate series started forming in my brain quite some time ago. In fact, I penned an earlier version of the prequel back in 2019, under the title “The Secrets.” No sooner had I hit ‘save’ on that manuscript than I dove head-first into plotting out “Living Secrets.” The story was pulsing through my veins, and I couldn’t wait to get it down on paper.

The 2020 Slump

Then 2020 happened. Ah, yes, the year that shall not be named. Amidst the chaos, my writing spirit decided to take an unscheduled sabbatical. My keyboard gathered dust and the characters in my head seemed to go into hibernation. It was a tough period, creatively speaking, and I know I wasn’t alone in feeling that way.

Rising from the Ashes

Finally, something clicked earlier this year. It was as though my internal storytelling engine roared back to life. I decided it was time to re-enter the world of Mirror Estate. I dusted off the old prequel, gave it a facelift, and republished it as “Buried Secrets,” a more fleshed-out and refined version of the original. But I didn’t stop there; I tackled “Living Secrets” with renewed vigor. After long writing sessions, late-night plot debates with myself, and endless cups of coffee, it’s done. And I couldn’t be prouder to announce that “Living Secrets” is scheduled for release on September 29!

So, whether you’ve been with me since the early days or you’re just discovering the series now, I’m thrilled to have you on this journey. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions, plot twists, and unforgettable characters.

Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait for you to dive into “Living Secrets” come September 29.

Until next time, happy reading!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 15

Texas Book-aholic, December 16

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 17 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, December 17

Betti Mace, December 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 19

Artistic Nobody, December 20 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 21

Blogging With Carol, December 22

Lily’ Corner, December 23

Guild Master, December 24 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, December 25

Beauty in the Binding, December 26 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, December 26

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, S.F. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and an eBook 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/293d4/living-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway

A Call To Embrace - Book Blast!

 

Call to Embrace Epic Book Launch

 

About the Author

Book Title: Call to Embrace

Author Name: Maryann Landers

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

Release Date: November 1, 2023

She’s detached in a stormy marriage because of both of their unfaithfulness. Now she faces the aftermath of her compromise with an unwanted pregnancy. Will fleeing bring her the freedom she yearns for?

 

Emily Corentin wants to escape the jagged edges of her brokenness. She believes the only option she has is to take her young daughter, leave her husband, and end the unintended pregnancy with an abortion. But her plans take an unexpected turn when the homeless shelter she finds is not the type of help she wanted. She’d buried religion years ago with the death of her Gran. Any God-fearing place will only confirm how much God abandoned her. 

 

An offer from a shelter volunteer may be the lifeline she and her daughter need, but Emily only sees it as a means to an end. The unlikely friendship that follows, draws her closer to the answers she may have carried with her all along. But rash decisions bring new challenges that drag her further into a sea of helplessness.

 

When all hope is lost in despair will she be washed away by the patterns of her past? Or will she answer the call to embrace the mercy of the cross and in turn bring reconciliation to her marriage?

Book Excerpt

We traveled on the pedestrian overpass that towered over the Glenn Highway following Muldoon Road south. I'd learned the names of only a few streets in my short time in Anchorage since I rarely went off base and didn't know how to drive.  I’d never had the need to learn. On the island where I grew up, we weren’t reliant on a typical road system. We could travel around town and the island by ATV, using hundreds of miles of old logging roads. However, in a big city, the lack of this essential skill left me feeling more trapped and desperate. 

At least I knew the main road would take us where we needed to go. All the vehicles knew where they were going. What would it be like to know without a doubt the direction one was headed? 

"Look, Mommy. Firetruck." Destiny waved at the large, red vehicle beneath the overpass, which was swerving to the median, where a car was being dragged out of a snow berm by a tow truck. 

"They're checking on people." I offered a reason the firefighters had stopped. 

"Snow." Destiny pointed up at the sky as large flakes began to fall. She stuck out her tongue to catch them.

 

 

Missed Any Excerpts, Go Here

 

***INSERT LINKS HERE***

 

 

 

About the Author

Alaskan based author Maryann Landers writes women’s faith filled fiction based on true stories of extraordinary women of her magnificent state. She loves to showcase the unique north and give her readers a little taste of rustic Alaska. 

            While writing in her log home in the woods she is also looking forward to her next adventure with her Alaskan husband, juggling mom tasks such as crafting homemade meals from moose and caribou meat, building DIY projects from scrap wood piles and guiding her teens in their homeschooling.

            To learn about her inspiration to write Alaskan based stories read her blog at www.mary-ann-landers.com

            Her first novel in the Alaskan Women of Caliber Series; Alaskan Calibration released June 2021.

Lumen by J. J. Fisher (The Nightingale Trilogy book #2)

 

About the Book

Book: Lumen

Author: J. J. Fischer

Genre: Fantasy (adult)

Release Date: December 5, 2023

What if erasing the past cost more than you were willing to pay?

Having narrowly escaped their enemies, Sephone, Dorian, and Cass continue their search for the elusive Silvertongue, the only one with knowledge of the Reliquary’s whereabouts. But time is running out for Sephone, and with Dorian accused of high treason, the quest takes on a new urgency.

As secrets from each of their pasts drive a wedge between them, Sephone invests all her hopes in finding her homeland, Lethe—where her family may yet be alive. But nothing about Lethe is as she expects, and disappointment, betrayal, and danger await her at every turn.

When the truth about the Reliquary’s curse comes to light, the fragile bonds between the unlikely companions are tested like never before. Meanwhile, Dorian faces a terrible choice: to save the life of one who is beginning to mean more to him than the past he’s so desperate to forget, or to save his beloved Caldera from dangers outside and within.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Review: 

Book two in a series brings us this story, first read Calor. This is not a standalone story. It's very engaging and has what's usually called "slow burn". The relationships and characters are really deep, as is the faith based them of this story and this series. I don't want to say anything that will spoil it. It's so very good that I would have easily given it five stars, but the ending. Did I mention that I abhor cliffhangers if I can pick up the next book right then? Even so this is an excellent story and I'll be waiting for the next book in this series. 

4 Stars 

About the Author

J.J. Fischer’s writing dream began with the anthology of zoo animals she painstakingly wrote and illustrated at age five. Jasmine began writing her first proper novel at age fourteen, which eventually became her debut fantasy series, The Darcentaria Duology, which was published in 2021. She is a qualified psychologist with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in clinical psychology. When Jasmine isn’t killing defenseless house plants, she enjoys devouring books, dabbling in floristry, playing the piano, and wishing it rained more often. Jasmine is married to David, and together they make their home a couple of hours north of Sydney, Australia.

More from J.J.

Have you noticed how much less we’re participating in life these days?

Here in Australia, we have a show called Gogglebox where we watch people on their couches watching (and commentating on) our favorite TV shows from the last seven days. Sometimes, you don’t even need to have seen the shows. But it’s fun to watch other people watching TV, often because they have the same reactions we have to particular scenes.

The widespread popularity of a show like Gogglebox is telling because it demonstrates just how comfortable we’ve become with observing and commentating on other peoples’ lives. We’re quick to critique and criticize and dismiss. So much of our human experience is now mediated through screens and technology and social media that we’ve lost a great deal of the beauty and simplicity of life.

How often does a long walk through autumn leaves or a swim at the beach refresh our spirit, yet we rarely get out of the house or away from our busy schedules in order to do so?

In the post-apocalyptic world of The Nightingale Trilogy, people no longer have access to the technology and comforts of the “world-that-was,” so they choose to vicariously enjoy its pleasures by re-experiencing old memories, which can be physically extracted and drunk like potions. Nostalgia is the currency of the day, and the gifted individuals who can manipulate these memories—known as alters or mems—are exceptionally prized.

The female main character, Sephone Winter, is a young slave who can selectively edit memories with a single touch of a person’s skin. But Sephone is increasingly aware that there’s something different about the memories of the old world that she extracts from donors’ minds. They’re much more faded, and less vivid, than the real thing. And she begins to suspect that habitually enjoying these second-hand and third-hand experiences comes at the price of a person’s humanity, self-awareness, and even their capacity to love.

After meeting an old veteran with a first-hand memory of strawberries—who tells Sephone that even this is a shadow of the real thing—she begins a journey to discover what authentic experience really looks like, and if there’s something more to hope for than the faded artifacts of a long-dead world.

Sephone’s discoveries have relevance and meaning for all of us in this world where life’s pleasures are often smoke and mirrors. Since the Fall, our lives are full of counterfeit things. They sound good, they look right—more real, sometimes, than the real thing—but they’re ultimately an imitation that doesn’t satisfy us the way we thought and hoped they would.

As a Christian, I believe that if we rely on counterfeit things to satisfy our souls, we’re always going to end up hungry. As David Foster Wallace famously once said, worshipping the stuff of this world will inevitably “eat us alive.” False truth and false gods always break the hearts of their worshippers.

But unmet needs are a signpost pointing to a better way, a deeper truth. As C.S. Lewis wisely commented: “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

The Nightingale Trilogy is another world, a fantasy context, a different time period. But it’s really us. I hope, as you read, that it stirs in you a hunger for truth, for real things; a desire to connect with the Author of your soul. I can testify that He’s out of this world!

Cherish the Real,

Jasmine

Blog Stops

Fiction Book Lover, December 7 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, December 8

Artistic Nobody, December 9 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, December 9

Simple Harvest Reads, December 10 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Guild Master, December 11 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 12

Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 13

For the Love of Literature, December 14 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, December 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 16

Through the Fire Blogs, December 17 (Author Interview)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, December 17

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, December 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 19 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, December 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, J.J. is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card along with a signed copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/29249/lumen-celebration-tour-giveaway