Sunday, October 22, 2023

Spoon to Be Dead by Dana Mentink (Shake Shop Mystery Book 3)

About the Book

Book: Spoon to Be Dead

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: October 31, 2023

A murder for the holidays is about to shake things up!

Trinidad Jones is starting the festive season with sugary confections and a heaping scoop of worry as her shake shop enters its first Oregon winter. With snow abound and tourists trickling through, she’ll do anything to keep her milkshake dreams afloat, even if it means catering a holiday steamboat party for some new arrivals in town.

But when her good-for-nothing ex crashes through her shop’s door claiming he’s being charged with murder, things go sideways. With clues piling up like whipped cream on a sundae and motives abound, Trinidad and her fellow ex-wives must solve this murder before she’s finally thrown for a scoop.

The third book in the Shake Shop Mysteries following Trinidad Jones who makes sweet confections and solves sticky situations in her small town!

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Third and sadly, the last book in this series unless something changes. You can read this alone, but you'd be missing out for sure! Trinidad was working an event, catering, when her ex showed up. What? Yes, not only is Gabe here, but he says that he's committed a murder, and promptly passes out. If that wasn't enough, one of his other ex-wives seems to be falling for him again. That might sound minor, but Trinidad's two best friends are also Gabe's former wives. So is he more than just a heartbreaker, is he also a murderer, and why on Earth would Bonnie even consider marriage to Gabe again? Who did kill the victim? This is a really fun and enjoyable series. I'm sad it's ending, and I hope that will change or have some spin-offs somehow.

5 Stars

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and the recipient of a Holt Medallion for excellence in mystery/suspense. She was honored to receive the Author of the Year award from West Coast Christian Writers. A California native, she’s written over fifty titles for the general and Christian markets in the suspense, lighthearted romance, and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Poisoned Pen Press. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com if you’d like to learn more.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 14

Bigreadersite , October 14

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 15

Lighthouse Academy, October 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 16

Texas Book-aholic, October 17

Simple Harvest Reads, October 17 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 18

Mary Hake, October 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 19

For Him and My Family, October 19

Betti Mace, October 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 20

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 22 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, October 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 23

Blossoms and Blessings, October 23

Labor Not in Vain, October 24

Holly’s Book Corner, October 24

Lily’s Book Reviews, October 25

Splashes of Joy, October 25

Pause for Tales, October 26

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, October 26

She Lives To Read, October 27

Giveaway

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

(If the winner is outside the U.S., then he or she will receive an eBook.)

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/285e7/spoon-to-be-dead-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Ragabones by Daniel Tweddell

About the Book

Book: Ragabones

Author: Daniel Tweddell

Genre: Fantasy YA

Release Date: June 27, 2023

As if Josh having his memory stolen by an over-protective mother wasn’t enough, his older brother, Pete, wins every trophy and never lets him forget it. And oh yeah, Mom’s an ex-god of the underworld, so it’s no surprise their family has enemies.

Maybe that’s why Dad’s missing. Maybe that’s why ragged scars crisscross Josh’s throat. It’s definitely why Josh accidentally sprung the trap – the one that opened a portal and released the demon who now hunts them.

Turns out there’s another world; one with castles and dragons, and prisons that dangle into hell. That’s the world where Josh and Pete find Dad turned to stone, the world with entire cities enslaved by the demon. As the brothers race to undo Josh’s colossal mistake, Josh’s mysterious past comes to light, and Josh must choose between the fate of the world and the lives of his family.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

This is a stunning read. It reminds me of classic amazing fiction that I love, in particular, CS Lewis's Narnia series and a bit of Tolkien too! It has a ton of action and while it might be more aimed at young men, it works great for me! The themes are redemption and courage, and I love the good vs. evil and the Christian themes. This is a stellar read! I don't want to say to much, just read this!

5 Stars

About the Author

Hi, I’m Daniel Tweddell. I grew up in the Bornean and Philippine jungle as a missionary’s kid. My neighbors had monkeys for pets. Just behind the tree line, “ex”-headhunters slipped through the shadows with spears and six-foot blow guns. It was the perfect incubator for a kid’s imagination. As an adult, I did a lot of things from writing high-octane video games with my friends to having my own companies. But I always loved castles, wizards, and monsters the best. So now I write white-knuckle stories about magic woven with truths from my life’s journey. I live in San Diego with my wife and 3 kids.

More from Daniel

I had a visual of a soapbox derby with the cars lined up from worst to best. The worst was made of cardboard with garbage can lids for wheels. The best was polished mahogany, with chrome wheels and velvet seat covers. Can you see the kids’ faces? One brushes old coffee grounds off his hood. He can’t face the crowd. Another polishes a gleaming fender and waves to his fans. I realized the difference between these cars isn’t the kids … it’s the time they spent with Dad.

I’m fraught with blind spots, bad habits, and shortcomings. I also barely have enough time, energy, or insight to manage my own life. How do I have enough for the lives around me who are so hungry for something more? I realized I live in a 5-loaf/5000-mouth world. I’ll never be enough, but I don’t need to be. Instead, I asked God to make this life and this book a father/son project.

Although I’ve dreamt of writing this story for decades, I had to be destroyed before I could honestly portray this hero’s journey. The truths about facing fear, about God making everything OK even when there is no way it can ever be, as well as courage, hope, and finding your destiny, they’re all written from my journey through the depths of an utterly shattered heart to a life so good it feels like a fantasy novel. Whatever you might be going through, I hope the story encourages as well as entertains you. If you haven’t already, you might even meet Magic for yourself.

Blog Stops

Guild Master, October 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 12

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 13

A Reader’s Brain, October 14 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 15

Through the Fire Blogs, October 16 (Author Interview)

Splashes of Joy, October 17 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, October 17

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, October 18 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 19

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 20 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, October 21

Beauty in the Binding, October 22 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, October 23

Simple Harvest Reads, October 24 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, October 25 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Daniel is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & 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/285e5/ragabones-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, October 20, 2023

Tropical Target by Jennifer Pierce (Year One: Suamalie Islands)

About the Book

Book: Tropical Target

Author: Jennifer Pierce

Genre: Christian Contemporary Suspense

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Being accused of murdering a client isn’t good for business.

Tropical islands are popular for destination weddings. But Le Cadeau Île won’t be a popular destination for long if Detective Noa Tanielu can’t find out who is responsible for a ring of thefts occurring during weddings. When the thefts escalate to the murder of a bridezilla, the most likely suspect is the new wedding photographer.

Wedding photographer Haley Marsh moved to the island to nurse her broken heart and start over after being dumped two days before her wedding. When she’s moved from the suspect list to the target list, a little white lie leads to a fake engagement. With Haley’s connections to the wedding business, it’s clear the key to solving this case lies in keeping up the charade.

Noa and Haley must navigate the investigation and Noa’s mother’s attempts to make the engagement all too real…if they survive that is.

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

The leading lady is a photographer, so I had to read this story. I connected to Haley instantly, because I have been in that business and photographed many weddings. I love how the author did that so well with her. Winding up dodging a crime ring, woah. Not to mention Noa has her as the main suspect, because of what she's been through in her past. This had a good bit of suspense, a good who-done-it, and a well-crafted and growing romance. The faith elements are worked it, but not pushed and I'd say healing from your past is the theme here. The author did a great job on taking me away to the island and I would read more by this author.

5 Stars

About the Author

Jennifer Pierce currently lives in Arkansas with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, Hidden Danger, is a 2019 Selah Award winner, and her second novel, Expecting Danger is a 2019 Selah award finalist. Her third novel, Deadly Connection released on October 20, 2020. Giving Grace, a contemporary romance Christmas novella released on November 13, 2020. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and River Valley Writers.

More from Jennifer

I am so excited to be writing for the Suamalie Island series. Writing books set on tropical islands is so much fun. I knew going into Tropical Target that I wanted Noa to be a detective, but I wasn’t so sure on what type of occupation Haley needed. What was something that she could do for both the tourists and those that made the islands their home?

Then I remembered when my grandmother died, one of my aunts took all her photos and scanned them into the computer and made CDs and gave them to the rest of the family. I thought that would be a fantastic job for Haley. She could be a photographer who shoots destination weddings and special events for tourists and locals, and she could also travel the islands and make keepsakes for the locals. I expanded it even further to allow her to make copies of some of the photographs and sell them to tourists as authentic photographs of the islands. So, that’s how Seas the Moment was created.

The next thing I had to figure out was how to make Noa and Haley’s paths cross. What better way than for him to accuse her of murder? I wanted to pit the two of them against each other but then force them to work together. Kind of an enemies to more fake engagement trope.

Once those things were in place it was just a matter of weaving the story together. There’s suspense, romance, faith, and a few witty comebacks in the mix. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 10

lakesidelivingsite, October 11

She Lives To Read, October 11

An Author’s Take, October 12

Texas Book-aholic, October 13

Splashes of Joy, October 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 14

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 15 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, October 15

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 17

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 17

Aryn the Libraryan, October 18

Mary Hake, October 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 19

Blogging With Carol, October 20

Simple Harvest Reads, October 21 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Karen Baney Reviews, October 21

For Him and My Family, October 22

Holly’s Book Corner, October 23

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/285e3/tropical-target-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Terra by Sofia Simpson (An Elemental Series book #1)

About the Book

Book: Terra

Author: Sofia Simpson

Genre: Young Adult Christian Fantasy

Release Date: February 14, 2023

Elementals don’t mix. They fight over territories constantly and news of their battles is everywhere.

Vela, an Earth Elemental, wants two things: to make it through high school and one day run her very own flower shop. When Linc, a Fire Elemental, strolls into her life, she is immediately thrown into chaos when a bond flares up, connecting them forever. Linc pursues her relentlessly, for connections like this are rare, but Vela wants nothing to do with it or him.

With this news, Vela discovers she and Linc may be a part of an age-old prophecy that could change their world forever by uniting the warring clans. However, a powerful group does not want their pairing to exist, for if it does, the prophecy may come true.

Vela and Linc must keep their bond a secret, for their lives are at risk if it is made public.

Can Vela deny a bond that could unite the battling clans, finally providing peace after centuries of conflict? Will she allow herself to love an enemy?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

It's a life-long struggle for some; why bad things happen to "good" people. It's hard, this free will of ours. That's part of the theme of this story. It's advertised as a clean enemies-to-lovers book, and that's true. It was a clean read, and lovers might be taking that a bit far. The mix of Christian and fantasy was nice. I did have a hard time with Vela, but this is a two-book series. I really did like the great conversation about faith and God, life and getting through it and a lot of forgiveness. I think this was a good YA read.

4 Stars

About the Author

Sofia grew up moving constantly. Never in one place more than three years, there was plenty of time to daydream during long car rides. College finally gave her a chance to study what she had always dreamed of doing, writing her stories.

She obtained a B.A. in Journalism, married her handsome husband and had two amazing sons. She’s also the proud mother of a 100-pound red rust Doberman who loves to chase around his sister, a fluffy-not-fat-cat.

A big believer in dreaming big, Sofia loves speaking to youth, encouraging them to find hope no matter what their life looks like. Sofia is a daughter of the Lord first and foremost and finds inspiration with stories like King David and Esther.

More from Sofia

I became a Young Adult Christian Fantasy Author so that I could add clean content to the world of Young Adult books. I love writing a great love story, and here’s one that will meet all your expectations of a great enemies-to-lovers romance without the spice. I love writing a story that mixes faith with fantasy, much like Morgan Busse, Nadine Brandes and Sara Ella. And if you’re wondering if the butterfly on the cover has any significance at all? Why, yes, yes it does. Read Terra to find out why.