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Wednesday, March 27, 2024


About the Book

Book: Hybrid

Author: Candace Kade

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Release Date: March 5, 2024

Lee Urban’s search for truth could destroy everything. 

After narrowly surviving several attempts on her life, Lee Urban retreats into hiding, seeking refuge with her family for the Lunar New Year. But the relaxing holiday turns into a heist when someone crashes the party with intel on the hybrid’s identity.

Driven by desperation, Urban accepts a position within the elite Dragons AI team, a high-stakes gamble that will propel her into the heart of the turbulent West. As she follows the elusive clues to the hybrid, the journey takes her closer to uncovering the truths about her own origins and the odd circumstances surrounding her adoption.

Tensions between the Enhanced and Naturals grow increasingly violent and the Western Federation teeters on the brink of civil war. Urban’s choices threaten to tear her family apart, and the secrets she unearths just might shatter the delicate balance of society.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Candace Kade grew up in China and currently lives in Austin, Texas. When she’s not missing Chinese food, she’s busy writing, exploring new countries, volunteering, hiking in national parks, teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping a baby human alive.

More from Candace

危机 is an interesting character.

It means crisis in Mandarin. The first character, 危 or wei, symbolizes “dangerous.” The second, 機 or ji, means “opportunity.” Put those two words together and you have the Chinese word for crisis.

I learned about the breakdown of this character while I was living in Beijing and starting to write the Hybrid Series. It felt risky moving to Beijing to work in an all-Chinese office using my second language, taking on a completely new role, while in the middle of a serious relationship, and with zero friends or community there to support me.

When my health failed, my long-distance relationship wavered, and the program that sent me dissolved leaving me without a job or visa, I arrived at a crisis.

If you look at the Chinese character for crisis, there’s two ways of thinking about interpreting it. One, a crisis is something dangerous, to be feared, and to run away from. Or two, a crisis could be an opportunity.

The crisis I faced in Beijing led to some incredible things in my life.

Because of it, I ended up writing the Hybrid Series and getting published. My relationship (with my now husband) became stronger. I grew on a personal level in so many ways. My dependence on God deepened as well.

My time in Beijing was one you could not pay me to relive. It’s also a season I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I once heard someone say:

“Do what scares you most.”

Maybe if what you’re chasing after doesn’t scare you, you’re not reaching high enough.

Seeing a crisis as an opportunity involves a great deal of risk. It’s a scary thing. If I avoided the things that scared me, I never would have gone to graduate school, taken half the roles I did in my career, moved overseas, dated, gotten married, learned Krav Maga, given birth, signed a book deal, and many other things that ended up being some of the best experiences in my life.

It’s all a matter of perspective.

In Hybrid, the main character, Lee Urban, faces a crisis in her life.

When Urban risks everything to seek out answers about her birth origins, she finds more than she bargained for and danger ensues. At her darkest moment of despair, she sees the characters weiji, or crisis, for what they could be: a dangerous opportunity. That discovery changes everything for her.

That same discovery changed me.

At some point in our lives, we will all face a crisis. The question is, will we let the fear of danger cow us into taking the path of least resistance? Or will we be true to ourselves, take calculated risks, and pursue the things we know God made us for?

For me, I’m choosing the latter.

“What are you afraid of?”

– Candace

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 23

Through the Fire Blogs, March 24 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25

Artistic Nobody, March 26 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Guild Master, March 28 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 29

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 30 (Author Interview)

Inkling and notions, March 31

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 1 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, April 2

For the Love of Literature, April 3 (Author Interview)

Beauty in the Binding, April 4 (Author Interview)

Trinity Lofty Pages, April 4

Wishful Endings, April 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candace is giving away the grand prize package of a hardback copy of Hybrid and a $25 Barnes & Noble 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/2a8f7/hybrid-celebration-tour-giveaway


Sunday, March 24, 2024


About the Book

Book: Offshore Ambush

Author: Sherri Wilson Johnson

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense (contemporary)

Release Date: January 9, 2024

Sometimes people aren’t who you think they are.

Gretchen Overton’s world is shattered when someone murders her brother on a remote offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. As medicolegal death investigator for Baldwin County, Alabama, she vows to uncover the truth and bring the killer to justice. But little does she know, her path to finding answers requires the help of Everett Forrester, the rig’s Drilling Foreman and her ex-boyfriend.


While tensions rise and the body count increases, danger lurks around every corner…and it becomes clear that someone is determined to eliminate Gretchen and Everett before they uncover the truth.

Can they untangle the web of deception and expose the killer before everything rips them apart again?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Sherri Wilson Johnson is a Christian romantic suspense author and lover of all things book related. She’s always been a sucker for a good love story—whether it’s in real life or fiction (both historical and contemporary). Completing her first novel at the age of eighteen, and later burning the only copy in the fireplace, she continued learning the craft of writing and now writes Contemporary Romantic Suspense and Historical Romance with a splash of suspense and/or mystery. When not writing, she’s usually assisting other publishing professionals or helping authors realize their dreams of becoming published. Sherri and her husband are empty-nesters and live in Georgia with their two dogs. She loves spending time with family, vacationing at the beach, curling up with a good book or working on her current work-in-progress. She dreams of a second home on some beach somewhere someday, where she can plot and write romantically suspenseful novels.

More from Sherri

The idea for Offshore Ambush came from my annual visits to the Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan, Alabama area. Just like how the idea for Desolate Escape (book one in my Jeopardized Reunions series) came about while sitting on the deserted beach at the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge where I imagined someone discovering a dead body on the beach, discovering the oil and gas platforms out in the Gulf but not knowing what they were sparked my creative juices. So I began researching what these were while eating dinner on the screened-in porch that viewed Mobile Bay where we were staying (across the street from the beach). When I discovered that they were drilling platforms, my husband and I started brainstorming. Yes, Dan is one of my biggest brainstorming resources, for lack of a better word. He always titles my books for me, always listens daily as I fill him in on what I’ve written, and never fails to cheer me on when I’m dreaming up the next book or series idea.

 

I had planned to end the series (for now) with one final book that reached beyond what I’d written before. Since this series has been set on Mobile Bay and the beaches surrounding the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge plus some of the rivers that flow into the bay, I felt like it would only be fitting to venture out into the ocean. So the first half is set on the Lapis Lazuli oil platform, then the rest is set in Gulf Shores.

 

Now for an interesting story about how I named the Lapis Lazuli…

I’ve been reading the Bible all the way through this year, this time in chronological order. Because I’m a slow reader, I use a Bible app and let the British narrator read it to me. I follow along in my Bible and make notes or underline verses that touch me. Well, in at least two handfuls of places in the Old Testament the stone lapis lazuli is mentioned, and every time the British narrator pronounced it, it made me smile. I don’t know why, but it did. So when I did a search on what it was and found out that it was this gorgeous deep blue (which happens to be one of my favorite colors), I suddenly felt compelled to name the oil platform the Lapis Lazuli.

 

Exodus 24 talks about Moses and Aaron and the elders going up the mountain where they saw the God of Israel. Verse 10 says: “Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.” Can’t you just see it?!

 

It’s mentioned that the priestly garments had lapis lazuli in the breastpiece. And in Song of Songs chapter five, the woman describes her beloved as this:

His arms are rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.

Okay, so now I’m in the mood for a good love story. How about you? 😉

Offshore Ambush is another one of my second chance romantic suspense stories that reminds me of how God is the God of second chances, forgiveness, and unconditional love. I hope you will find this story to be as inspiring to read—and yet thrilling due to all the danger our hero and heroine find themselves in—as I did while writing it.

MY REVIEW

I absolutely love where most of this story takes place. My husband used to work in the  oil industry so I am somewhat familiar with offshore oil rigs. It is lonely out there at sea for months at a time. The weather can change quickly causing the crew to be in danger. The quarters are pretty small and there is not much privacy. The author captures these details with precision and sets the stage for an intriguing story.

I liked Gretchen and her deep commitment to her job. Having the very difficult task of going out to the rig where her brother works to bring  his body home almost causes her to break down. On the oil rig there are some very questionable evidence that cause Gretchen to believe something  bad has happened. Evidence disappears along with one of her team member. Danger lurks down every corridor as  secrets surround the death of a loved one. 

Everett is not sure what kind of reception he will get from Gretchen when she boards the oil rig. There is history between them that can cause friction but they both step up professionally to investigate the crime. I liked how Everett handled himself and was very protective over Gretchen. The tension is high as they get the body back to the medical examiners. What they uncover sends the investigation into a tailspin. 

I like how the book reminds us to, “appreciate what is in front of us , what God has given us.” The relationship between Gretchen and Everett are starting to develop and the author  explores their hesitation. I didn’t care to much for this part because it seemed to go on longer than it should have. The attraction was there but I don’t think I needed pages of their talk about why they should or should not get back together. There is one scene where it did almost get a little too much for me. I do appreciate exploring emotions where faith does come into the picture. 

With many twists, secrets and danger the book delivers a good suspense where drugs are involved. I can’t give too much away but there is a part in the  book that touched on how  expensive medication can be. For some who  have no way to pay for much needed medication they suffer. The story is good but I did figure out parts of it. Overall a good book that does keep readers interested until the end.  

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 22

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 23

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 24 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 24

Texas Book-aholic, March 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26

Fiction Book Lover, March 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 28

Betti Mace, March 29

Back Porch Reads, March 30 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 1

Blossoms and Blessings, April 2 (Author Interview)

An Author’s Take, April 2

For Him and My Family, April 3

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sherri is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback 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/2a8f6/offshore-ambush-celebration-tour-giveaway



Saturday, March 23, 2024


About the Book

Book: Trapped in Yosemite

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Christian Fiction

Release Date: February 27, 2024

When a massive earthquake levels the region, secrets and unknown dangers are exposed…

The ground in still-icy Yosemite National Park isn’t stable, and K-9 handler Von Sharpe fears the worst. But his worries are pushed aside when he sees an SUV viciously forced off the road…with his ex-fiancée at the wheel. It’s only when Stella Rivers steps out of the vehicle that the very ground under their feet cracks and breaks with the onslaught of a terrifying earthquake.

When her meeting with a mysterious client is ambushed, Stella witnesses the man being gunned down by a sniper and becomes a target herself. With the threat of aftershocks triggering landslides and floods, the new mom has no choice but to run to save her baby girl—even if it means teaming up with the man who has no idea he fathered her child.

Trapped in a dangerously unstable wilderness with a killer closing in, Von and Stella are running out of time to get to safety. And every fissure reveals a new secret that will shake them to their foundation…

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

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. She’s written over fifty titles in the suspense, lighthearted romance and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Poisoned Pen Press.


More from Dana

I won’t ever forget October 17th, 1989. I was finished with my student teaching duties, chatting with my mother while we watched the World Series. It was an epic matchup of two Bay Area teams. As we watched, the floor lurched and the entire house began to rattle and pitch. We ran outside and watched the street undulate like ocean waves. We’d later come to learn it was a 6.9 earthquake on the Loma Prieta fault. The shaking only lasted 20 seconds but 63 people were killed, 3,757 were reported injured and 12,053 displaced. The damage estimates reached as high as $10 billion, with 18,306 houses leveled. Approximately 2,575 businesses were impacted and 147 were destroyed. The part I will remember most was the collapse of a section of the freeway in Oakland which trapped people in the pancaked structure. I remember watching the close space rescue teams work night and day to find survivors.

Little did I know that memorable event would someday lead to a book! This novel combines the iconic California setting of Yosemite and the big fear buried deep in every California’s mind…the big one, the massive earthquake we know will be coming someday. Of course you know there will be a happy ending in the novel, but I hope you will feel the edge of your seat suspense that keeps you turning pages. God bless you, dear readers!

MY REVIEW

This book is one of those that  you can’t put down. The main female character Stella is fierce, determined and in danger. A simple phone call to go look at some trees that  may be infected with something turns into much more. I could feel the cold weather as she trudged up the mountain to meet the person who called her. it was a little uncomfortable to meet a stranger in an isolated area but Stella is determined to prove she knows her job and can this  man save his trees. When a shot rings out, one person is dead and the other is in survival mode. 

With an unexpected earthquake everything suddenly changes as people are trapped in the Yosemite National Park and Stella runs into her ex fiancé. That seemed a bit awkward but she must rely on Von. Putting their differences aside they must work together if they are going to survive. The author with first hand knowledge describes an  earthquake with an almost eerie feeling. One minute everything  is fine  then a second later the ground beneath starts to disappear. 

I loved the suspense in the  book and couldn’t wait to see who was trying to kill Stella and why. The relationship between her and Von are delicate at times but the authors excellent writing gives us a front row seat to  a transformation happen. Faith plays a big part in the story and I loved how I was captivated by each moment in the book. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 21

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 21

Bigreadersite, March 21

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

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 22

Texas Book-aholic, March 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 23

Lakesidelivingsite, March 24

Pause for Tales, March 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24

Betti Mace, March 25

The Sacred Line, March 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 26

Daysong Reflections, March 26

EmpowerMoms, March 27

Life, Love, Writing, March 27

Cover Lover Book Review, March 28

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, March 28

Blogging With Carol, March 28

Tell Tale Book reviews, March 29

Simple Harvest Reads, March 29 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, March 30

Splashes of Joy, March 30

Blossoms and Blessings, March 31

To Everything There Is A Season , March 31

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 31

Holly’s Book Corner, April 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 1

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 2

Labor Not in Vain , April 2

Lily’s Corner, April 3

Lights in a Dark World, April 3

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, April 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and 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/2a8f5/trapped-in-yosemite-celebration-tour-giveaway



Friday, March 22, 2024


About the Book

Book: Seashells Tell No Tales

Author: Amanda Tru

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 27, 2024

A tropical island tale of danger, secrets, love, and seashells that won’t reveal any of it.

Faith Marlowe made a promise to her dying brother. Unfortunately that promise involves helping an injured and embittered Army Ranger vet, Gideon Sundquist (Sunny).

Sunny doesn’t want help. He lost both his legs in a black ops mission he can’t breathe a word about. Now he’s exiled on an island in the middle of the South Pacific, hiding from the world.

Both Faith and Sunny have secrets to keep. If Sunny finds out who Faith is, Faith will lose her only chance to keep her promise. If Faith finds out the truth of Sunny’s mission, it will put both of their lives at risk.

On a beautiful, remote island in the Pacific, Faith will try to teach Sunny to live again. But if the tales of their secrets are told, neither will see the sun rise in the Suamalie Islands again.

Beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Amanda Tru is a best-selling author of over thirty Christian fiction books. She writes page-turning fiction to inspire real-life stories. In her own real story, she sheds her super-hero writing cape to be mommy to four kids in a small Idaho town.


More from Amanda

I believe that the best fiction contains a seed of truth. After all, sometimes life breathes emotions that can never be faked and tells stories no imagination can paint. Seashells Tell No Tales is a fantastic story of romance, heartache, family, and friendship with a splash of humor and suspense. In some ways, it is a fresh take on the classic Beauty and the Beast motif. But what may be most surprising is that the original idea for the plot is based on a true story.

My father-in-law was in the army when he was a young man. He never served in war combat, but his memories still reveal that it was a life-changing experience for him. One day, he told us a story about another soldier he befriended in basic training. Though his military story didn’t carry the thill and danger of some military tales, its impact on him was profound, so much so that over fifty years later, his voice shook with tears as he told it.

It was a tale of a paradigm shift when he realized that someone who was different did not intend to be different, but very much wished to not be weighed down with the lot life had assigned him. The other young man did not want to be as he was. My father-in-law’s response to his fellow soldier spoke of understanding, friendship, and a life-altering perspective that still resonates in his actions today.

And it’s a message that should inspire us all.

As often happens, when I hear a story that touches me, I mentally file it away. It bubbles up in my memory ever so often and eventually, an idea may form around it. The foundation Seashells Tell No Tales is the true-life encounter my father-in-law had in basic training. Sunny’s flashback scene at the beginning of the book is as identical as I could make it to what my father-in-law described. I used my imagination to fill in the details of the circumstances surrounding the event, but the conversation, the emotions, and the actions are all real.

In turn, that event forms the basis of a friendship that defines the rest of the book. Also real to life, friendships are not fairy-tales; they are messy. In some ways, Sunny’s life may have been better had he never taken the time to offer friendship to an outcast, but in every way that matters, Sunny—like all of us—is a better human for experiencing the trials of life we’d never choose for ourselves.

Yes, Seashells Tell No Tales is very much a fiction story. But I believe the truth in it adds a profound dimension. As you read it, feel free to laugh at the humor, white-knuckle your way through the suspense, feel your heart flutter with the romance, be touched by the themes of family and friendship—but I also want you to shut the last page of the book inspired.

May we all offer friendship to those on the sidelines of life. And may we recognize our own faces in theirs. Through our love for others, may we realize that we truly are exactly who we are meant to be.

MY REVIEW

What an exciting story with military secrets, a nurse trying to fulfill her brother’s last wish and a man who lost both legs in a secret military operation. Sunny and Faith’s first  encounter is met with animosity and spit wads. Yes I said spit wads. That sure got Faith’s attention. Here she is coming to take care of Sunny and he has this attitude that is horrible. 

The author creates a story that delivers an intense scenes of  trusting God and healing others in need. Why is Sunny hiding on a remote island? That question will be answered but the drama draws us in as we witness both Sunny and Faith with secrets that could be dangerous for both of them.  I love suspense stories and this one has all the makings of a movie. I can picture the opening scene as Sunny opens the door in a wheelchair and Faith standing there waiting  to be asked in. Their dynamics are vast in emotions but I loved how they start to slowly come to accept each other. 

I was very intrigued about the connection to Sunny and Faith’s brother Will. They were involved in something very secretive with the black ops but for some reason people are keeping that mission quiet. Sunny lost both legs but why was he sent away to an island and left basically alone? Oh the story is so good that  I didn’t want it to end. Has Sunny lost who he once was? Maybe Faith has been sent there to also help him find his way back to God? 

I absolutely love how the author tied the title of the book into the story. Seashells hear many things but they never divulge information. Sunny wants to be free from the secret he has kept for so long and with Faith you can tell he is feeling more confident about himself. Just her presence has given him a reason to live. Faith reminds Sunny that “the truth shall set you free.” 

The author really knows how to write a story that not only gives you a heart ponding adventure but a look at how God can turn a life around. I will never forget this story because Sunny and Faith are what represents trust and hope for a better future. 

“Too often, people assumed that if they were following God’s will, the road was smooth, and you got to do what you wanted.” 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

She Lives To Read, March 16

Devoted To Hope, March 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 19

Texas Book-aholic, March 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 21

Sylvan Reads, March 22

Karen Baney Reviews, March 23

Inspired by fiction, March 23

Life, Love, Writing, March 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 25

Blogging With Carol, March 26

For Him and My Family, March 27

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 28 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, March 28

Holly’s Book Corner, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Amanda is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and 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/2a7ac/seashells-tell-no-tales-celebration-tour-giveaway