Embers of Truth by Avrie Swan (The Peshtigo Fire Chronicles Book 1)

About the Book

Book: Embers of Truth

Author: Avrie Swan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 15, 2025

A fiery heroine teams up with a gruff detective to catch a thief, but the real danger may be trusting each other.

With her family nearing destitution and her home on the brink of foreclosure, Carina Clarke has little left to lose. Yet in one fateful evening, the 1871 Peshtigo Fire destroys the last of all she holds dear and separates her from her sister and friend. Carina vows to find them—even if it means moving to a different city and taking up work at a textile mill while she searches.

Oliver Ramhurst is determined to make his father proud of his work as a Pinkerton detective. His assignment to capture a thief at a textile mill in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, could be the opportunity he needs—if the feisty Miss Clarke will stay out of his way. When the clever woman offers to help him ferret out the culprit, Oliver reluctantly agrees. But does she want more from him than she’s saying?

As the danger grows and they draw closer to discovering the true identity of the thief, Carina and Oliver realize that nobody is who they seem. Carina must decide who can be trusted and who may be a villain in disguise—for when the hour grows dark, trust may be the only thing that can save her.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review:

This book is so good! I loved the detail and atmosphere of  this story! This is the first book in a series, which is also exciting. This story has adventure, suspense, characters that are easy to connect to, faith, and it’s wrapped in an easy reading style. Most of all, I loved the mystery. 

5 Stars

AAbout the Author

Avrie Swan is a Christian author and avid reader with a love for all things historical. Having grown up exploring antique stores and museums, she eventually decided to combine her interest in history with her love for writing and began working on her first full-length novel at the age of fourteen. She especially enjoys writing stories that focus on themes of family, faith, and growth through difficult times.

When Avrie is not writing, she is watching old movies, collecting antique books, and hunting for agates. A native Wisconsinite, she enjoys spending the cold winters indoors with her cat on her lap and a good book in her hand.

 

 

More from Avrie

Hello, folks!

What do you do when you run out of your favorite type of book at the local library? Well, in the case of sixteen-year-old me, you sit down and try to write one yourself. Thus was born the first iteration of Embers of Truth, followed shortly thereafter by the second and third. After countless revisions and many cups of coffee, I finally achieved what I wanted—a book filled with mystery and action, with a main character tenacious enough to weather the storms I tossed her way. Carina’s story was a joy to write, and I know sixteen-year-old me would be happy to read it if she could.

In this first book of The Peshtigo Fire Chronicles, I decided to explore the theme of trust and learning to accept help. Carina has difficulty trusting others, an issue born out of past experiences. However, as she comes to learn, we cannot let bad experiences affect the way we see others. Have you ever unjustly judged someone because of something that happened to you, even if it was unintentional? I have. It’s easy to do!

In addition to exploring themes of trust, Embers of Truth also examines what it means to put our goals before helping others. Oliver is determined to impress his father, and while he takes the mill case to help the workers there, he also secretly hopes it will finally make his father approve of his occupation. Putting our needs above others is a part of human nature, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change. Watching Oliver realize this is one of my favorite parts of the story.

Much like Oliver, I also realized several things while writing Embers of Truth. The first was that I would never handwrite a novel again, a decision my right wrist thanked me for. The second was that God is incredibly, incredibly gracious. The third and final thing I realized was that I would have made a terrible Pinkerton detective. I’m much more suited to sitting bundled up under warm blankets with a book than going undercover to find a criminal!

I encourage you, dear reader, to follow along with Oliver and Carina as they traverse snowy Milwaukee and decide whether you could be a detective. Make sure to curl up with a nice cup of coffee or tea and a blanket as you enjoy this intriguing, romance-filled story. God bless you!

Sincerely,

Avrie Swan

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 1

Holly’s Book Corner, May 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 2

Texas Book-aholic, May 3

Blogging With Carol, May 4

Simple Harvest Reads, May 5 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 6

Blossoms and Blessings, May 6

Book Looks by Lisa, May 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 8

Betti Mace, May 9

Stories By Gina, May 10 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 10

Cover Lover Book Review, May 11

Pause for Tales, May 12

Devoted To Hope, May 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 13

For Him and My Family, May 14

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54210

Two Seconds Too Late by Dani Pettery (Jeopardy Falls Book #2)

About the Book

Book: Two Seconds Too Late (Jeopardy Falls Series: Book Two)

Author: Dani Pettrey

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release date: April 29, 2025

A missing woman. Two hit men. When every second counts, who will survive?

In the stark but beautiful wilds of northern New Mexico, a couples’ retreat at a luxury resort turns into a chilling nightmare when a woman vanishes. Skip tracer Riley MacLeod and private investigator Greyson Chadwick pose as a couple to hunt for clues that might reveal the missing woman’s location. Those leads uncover a harrowing truth: They’re not the only ones looking for her. What begins as a normal tracking case turns into a deadly chase when they, too, become the hunted.

As Riley and Greyson work together, their partnership ignites a tumultuous attraction, but Greyson’s secrets prevent him from acting on his feelings for her, and Riley can’t bring herself to fully trust him. Delving deeper into the case, they find themselves fighting not only for justice and the chance at a loving relationship . . . but also for their very survival.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review:

This book is even stronger than the first, which is amazing in a series. It can stand alone, if you so desire. Two seconds is so fast! Have you ever counted it? Even so, lives can and do change that quickly. Greyson and Riley are forced together when, in order to not have a bad situation be worse, they have a pretend kiss moment. Yep, that pretending to be a couple kiss did something to them both. Neither of them are sure about that, but the case they are working on is growing and changing, and you just have to read it! Pettery gives us lots of romantic suspense and doesn't shy away from the mystery and case solving, which I do so enjoy. In the middle of all of the things happening in this story, there's still a firm foundation. The light of hope and truth amid great turmoil and unexpected, even life-altering events. 

5 Big Stars 

About the Author

Publishers Weekly and #1 Amazon bestselling author, Dani Pettrey has sold nearly one million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance.

Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today).

Dani loves to mentor aspiring and newly-published authors. Seeing them grow and spread their wings is so rewarding. She recently was awarded ACFW’s Mentor of the Year. She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Florida, where she lives with her husband.

More from Dani

Hi friends! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to stop by and say hi. I deeply appreciated. I have loved writing Riley and Greyson’s story. They are my favorite couple since Landon and Piper in my Alaskan Courage series. She’s fiery and independent and he is smitten by her, but also fears for her safety and after you read Two Seconds Too Late, you’ll understand why. Taking them out of their regular environment and placing them as a couple at high-end spa and resort brings on the opportunity to test out their feelings for one another under the guise of playing along. It’s a close proximity, opposites attract, and fake relationship story that tugged at my heart and I hope it’ll dug at yours too.

Every time I release a new book, I get a bunch of questions, which I love. I love sharing more about the story and digging into my hope for it, so I’m sharing several of the questions I get asked most and I wanted to share the answers to them with you. Please feel free to ask any other questions in the comment section below and I’ll respond within a day. Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you enjoy reading Riley and Greyson’s adventure as much as I enjoyed writing it.

• What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

That despite a strong, complexed and nuanced antagonist, that light can come from the darkest places and bring peace or, at the very least, closure to not only the families of the victims but to the hero and/or heroine as well. It might not be perfect, and it certainly doesn’t fix anything, but I still believe in the hero/heroine triumphing over the villain. 

2) What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

So many. I would say my top three influencers were Sue Grafton and are Lisa Gardner and Dee Henderson. The three write very different style of stories. Sue perfect the mystery with some edgy suspense scenes. Lisa creates the best or worst, I suppose. They are a force to be reckoned with and I love her twists and surprises. And, Dee’s book are paced so well and laid out so methodically. I’ve learned something different, and continue to do so, from these three, excellent authors. 

3) Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?

To me it’s a combination of knowing the hero and heroine’s jobs. I like to think about what kind of person would do that job and how it will affect them and the story itself. I also know the setting as it’s a character its own right and adds to and affects the story overall. I also know the crime, but I don’t know who did it. I like to leave my options open to see the direction the story goes, and where the investigation leads. 

4) What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?

The balance between what was occurring on the surface in contrast to what was simmering beneath the surface and rising up in subtext. Creating that balance and keeping things on track was interesting, but It provided the perfect opportunity to delve into the deepest part of the characters. Overall, it was tricky to strike the right balance and have the subtly rise to the surface in a natural and authentic way. 

Homemade Butterscotch Recipe:

Butterscotch is Riley’s favorite candy & the bane of Greyson’s existence (you’ll see why in the book J).Ingredients:

2 ½ cup sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

1/3 tsp. salt

¾ cup water

½ cup molasses

¼ cup honey

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

And a little sea salt for an added touch.

Directions:

Put ingredients in pan. Cook mixture to 250 degrees.

Pour into a lined pan with parchment paper and leave it alone.

Sprinkle some sea salt if you’d like.

Let it sit overnight.

Cut it up into squares (a pizza cutter works great) and store in fridge.

Blog Stops

Book Looks by Lisa, April 23

CeCe Reads and Sings, April 23

The Sacred Line, April 24

Southern Gal Loves to Read, April 24

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 24

Where Faith and Books Meet, April 25

Wishful Endings, April 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 27

Inklings and Notions, April 27

Texas Book-aholic, April 28

For Him and My Family, April 28

Maureen’s Musings, April 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 29

Betti Mace, April 30

Bizwings Book Blog, April 30

Leslie’s Library Escape, May 1

Just Your Average reviews, May 1

Blogging With Carol, May 2

Inkwell Inspirations, May 2

Stories By Gina, May 3 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 3

Cover Lover Book Review, May 4

Labor Not in Vain, May 4

Holly’s Book Corner, May 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 5

Lights in a Dark World, May 5

Pause for Tales, May 6

Roads to Everywhere, May 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dani is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, a copy of the book in winner’s choice of eBook or paperback, and a $20 Starbucks gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54203

Embergold by Rachelle Nelson

About the Book

Book: Embergold

Author: Rachelle Nelson

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release date: March 18, 2025

Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.

Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.

Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.

This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast —truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

A girl and her dragon, that right there is enough to make me want to read a book. With castles, dragons, and a German influence, this book is fantastic! Glide is a strong character, she has reliable insecurities, panic attacks, and things that happen in real life. Glide has been sheltered, and frankly, I connected to that. It made me love her even more. When she meets a real, living dragon, her whole world changes, and she realizes she must start thinking for herself. It does have some Beauty and the Beast vibes, but not like you'd think. Just wait till you find out what Embergold is and why Glide's dad wants it. This book doesn't have in-your-face faith themes but more a steady growth of characters, faith, and a story that I really welcomed. I hope and pray the author doesn't leave this a standalone book, I would adore this as a series! 

5 Big Gold Stars 

About the Author

Rachelle Nelson grew up reading fantasy novels and getting her clothes muddy in the pine forests of Idaho. These days, she still loves hiking through forests and libraries, though she’s a bit less fond of mud. Her debut novel, Sky of Seven Colors, released through Enclave Publishing, and won both the Carol Award and Christy Award. Rachelle doesn’t write true stories, but she does write about truth. When she’s not doing that, she sings in a band with her husband who makes her happier than should be legal. If you like good food and honest conversations, you’re her favorite kind of person.

 More from Rachelle

For the past decade or so, I have been a volunteer youth leader for teen groups. Some of my favorite memories have come from that position. Camp pranks, hilarious games involving edible mealworms, scavenger hunts, singing together at the top of our lungs, and speaking life into the lives of young women. When a girl sees herself through the eyes of Jesus, everything changes.

Some of my hardest moments have come from being a youth leader, too. There’s a kind of hurt that happens when we watch someone suffer, and we cannot take the suffering away. I have cried tears with teens who have been wounded by betrayal, carelessness, and abandonment. Those wounds go deeper when they come from a parent.

The truth is, God is the only perfect father, and we’re meant to be parented by Him. Learning to trust Him is a process, even if we had a pretty great (if imperfect) example of an earthly dad. But we live in a fatherless generation, when so many have experienced separation and pain in their family from divorce, or addiction, or generational cycles of pain. I’ve seen what that kind of pain can do to a heart, and how trusting others becomes almost impossible.

Almost.

Embergold is a story about betrayal and abandonment. It’s about two young people who never expected to find kindness in a harsh world. It’s about the healing of hearts.

I wrote it for myself, to remember what is possible. I wrote it for the young people I have loved. And for the parents who are still recovering from their childhoods.

Sin and brokenness happen in community. But, the amazing thing is, God designed the healing to happen in community too, among people. We need each other.

Blog Stops

Fiction Book Lover, April 8 (Author Interview)

CeCe Reads and Sings, April 8

Texas Book-aholic, April 9

MinReads and Reviews, April 9

Wishful Endings, April 10

The Lofty Pages, April 11

Blossoms and Blessings, April 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 13

Blogging With Carol, April 14

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 15

Devoted Steps, April 16

Madi’s Musings, April 17

Labor Not in Vain, April 18

Guild Master, April 19

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 20

Simple Harvest Reads, April 21 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachelle is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, a hardcover copy of the book,and an envelope of fun goodies, including a signed bookplate and a pewter dragon bookmark!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54195

Above the Circle of the Earth by E. Stephen Burnett

 

About the Book

Book: Above the Circle of Earth

Author: E. Stephen Burnett

Genre: Science Fiction

Release date: March 4, 2025

The fight for the space mission begins in his homeworld.

Brock Rivers never wanted to be a repairman on Mars. Years ago, he failed to protect his family, and now he labors across a frontier planet to keep his children alive and escape CAUSE. But the spacefaring humanist regime is taking over Martian colonies, forcing all to join the secular state.

Back in Brock’s homeworld, his people summon him to fulfill old hopes with a new dream. After decades of cultural isolation, they plan to restore missions for the 22nd century, voyaging beyond Earth to share the gospel in space. Brock must find a ship and recruit a team of misfit believers. They expect opposition from the formidable CAUSE, but not from a more deceptive enemy.

One adversary attacks from the shadows to destroy the faithful. Others unify to oppose the project. Brock and his family must fight to resist these enemies of the space mission or else return to exile forever.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review:

I love Sci-Fi, and there's a very limited amount of it in the Christian category. Brock is on Mars, and that wasn't his idea at all. After "CAUSE" took over Earth, there was a defining moment, an uh-oh that landed Brock, his wife Alicia, and their three children being cast into what amounts to exile. Brock is a man of strong faith, and it's clearly shown. He and his family have an "underground" church group, and that's not a popular thing in this story. This book has a ton of action, lovely Sci-Fi references, and elements. It has so much worked into it to make people think, evaluate, open their eyes, and actually see. It will stick with you long after the last page, and it's good enough to get a physical copy for my home library. Don't miss this book, it's a worthy read, and topping it all off, this standalone book is a debut. I really hope the author writes a lot more of of this genre. 

5 Massive Planet Sized Stars 

About the Author

E. Stephen Burnett creates sci-fi novels as well as nonfiction, exploring fantastical stories for God’s glory as publisher of Lorehaven.com and its weekly Fantastical Truth podcast. He is coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent and other resources for fans and families. Stephen and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin area and serve in their local church.

 

 

 

 

More from E. Stephen

Today’s earthly life seemed especially rough.

My day job had issues. A family member is facing worse challenges. Home-repair projects are piling up. Oh, plus our two dogs stormed out of the house and, for no discernable reason, attacked the neighbor’s pet (zero injuries reported, so far).

It’s not all bad. As I write, my wife and I aren’t sick. Times of rest are coming soon. We have good work and freedom to worship Jesus. We enjoy shelter and supplies.

Also—we’re not forced into exile on Mars because of secular persecution on Earth.

That last is the scenario of my debut sci-fi novel Above the Circle of Earth. Its creation began with an “original” teenage thought like, “Hey, what if someone made a sci-fi adventure, only with Christian characters?” That grew into a complex futuristic world of fantastic space exploration, but also mixed results for believers in Christ.

ACE isn’t all dystopia. You can still enjoy freedom to practice your faith on Earth. But you need to stay in your religious preserve. If you try to live like a Christian outside that homeworld, the spacefaring humanist regime CAUSE won’t appreciate that.

That’s how Brock and Alicia Rivers ended up fighting to survive on Mars, laboring in the settlements and raising their three children in a dry and weary, waterless land.

Then comes their call to adventure. This is not just a mission, but the Space Mission, the first restored missionary outreach in fifty years. They’ll have to return to Earth and face the death of a loved one, intimidation by the secular CAUSE, and many challenges and greater threats from their own Christian brothers and sisters—all forming a fantastical adventure about how we long to defend our homeworlds.

I started my first version of ACE decades ago. But to tackle big themes like this, I now realize I needed more experience to understand these kinds of struggles. Of course, I’ve never had to diagnose a leaking dome on another planet or resist a technocratic humanist regime. But I have felt the pain of lost job opportunities, grief after the loss of a parent, and the futility of researching odd subjects (from biblical theology to Martian calendars!) that seemed to lead nowhere.

Well, plot twist: All those hard times made this science fiction more realistic. You can’t build spaceships or stories without those struggles. Otherwise the tale ends up bad—inauthentic and corny, with simplistic morals and shallow heroes. Ugh. Few readers want that. And the few who do will barely remember such a book.

Maybe that’s one reason our Author allows the real-world challenges. He’s not just making us holy and more like Jesus Christ. He’s making us to be more human, well-rounded heroes with dimension and realism, for His glory and our good.

Here’s hoping Above the Circle of Earth launches a different kind of Christian-made science fiction, helping us see all hard times in light of our Author’s amazing future.

Godspeed and #GoTherefore!

 Stephen Burnett

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 25

Novel Notions, March 25

Guild Master, March 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26 (Spotlight)

A Reader’s Brain, March 27 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, March 28 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, March 29

The Lofty Pages, March 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 31 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, April 1

Fiction Book Lover, April 2 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 3

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 4 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, April 5

Simple Harvest Reads, April 6 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 7

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, E. Stephen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54184