Thursday, April 18, 2024

About the Book

Book: The Lost and Found

Author: Jennifer Carr

Genre: Christian Suspense

Release Date: June 1, 2023

In the small quiet town of Owenston, Kentucky, former FBI agent Mark Collins has found a new purpose as the county Sheriff. Married and enjoying the prospect of becoming a father for a second time, Mark’s life seems picture-perfect. But when a series of petty thefts turns into a murder investigation, Mark’s peaceful life takes an unexpected turn.

With his steadfast resolve and unwavering faith, Mark embarks on a race against time to catch a killer, but as he digs deeper, he realizes that the case is more complex than he ever imagined, and danger hits closer to home than he could have anticipated.

The Lost and Found is a Christian suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, blending thrilling intrigue with heartwarming moments. Mark’s unwavering commitment to justice, his ever-expanding family, and his unwavering faith in God make for a gripping tale of redemption, hope, and love. Can Mark untangle the web of secrets and find a way to heal the wounds of the past? Discover the truth in this captivating story of courage, compassion, and the power of love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

A wife, mom, author, marriage and family counselor, a former AP Psychology teacher, and a podcaster, Jennifer draws from her life experiences and imagination to connect with her readers and listeners through the written and spoken word.
Married to her childhood best friend and the mom of a creative daughter, Jennifer enjoys a quiet life on their farm in Alabama.
When she’s not wearing one of her many hats, you’ll find her tucked away with a book and what’s likely her third coffee of the day.

More from Jennifer

The Lost and Found is the second book of the No Matter What series but can be read as a standalone. I needed to make sure my characters were happy and healthy after their adventures in the book one so the day I sent No Matter What to my editor, I started writing The Lost and Found.

I love to bake and when I was pregnant with our daughter, I craved all things sweet. One of the characters in the book has a similar craving so I created a recipe for her to enjoy. I’d love to share it with you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZUJhegaRSkQtwlG1Rk0UU-iYxTSJIPHg/view?usp=sharing

MY REVIEW

What starts out as a nice slow moving story quickly escalates when two young boys are found homeless and a murder is discovered. Someone is stealing simple little items from stores but it sounds like it may be supplies for survival. Getting to know Mark we discover he has a big heart and adores his wife and sweet little girl Hayley. With his wife pregnant he is overly cautious with her. Being the sheriff does bring Mark a little closer to danger but he never suspected that what he uncovers will cause pain, secrets and a mystery that reaches far from just the town.

Within the story are two young boys who are now orphaned. Mark thinks he has found a solution to provide a safe place for them. I was shocked when a relative of the boys is found. Why did this person never step up to help and try to prevent the chaotic environment they lived in? I like how the author talked about foster care and how important it is for children to be part of a loving family.

Mark’s wife Jess has such a good heart and always seems to be very observant. When a stranger comes to their small town her senses pick up that this man is hiding something. I like how she is careful not to draw attention to herself but lets her husband know the man is near her.

The story takes on an emotional turn as we get a glimpse into Mark & Jess’s past. Both have lost something or someone and that pain is still there. I loved how the author brought faith into the story as well as how important it is to have family. I will be looking for more books from this author.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 17

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 18 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, April 18

Texas Book-aholic, April 19

Lakesidelivingsite, April 20

Artistic Nobody, April 21 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 23

Cover Lover Book Review, April 24

Beauty in the Binding, April 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Blogging With Carol, April 27

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 28 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, April 28

For Him and My Family, April 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a Six Month Subscription to Kindle Unlimited ($60 value) 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/2afa4/the-lost-and-found-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

About the Book

Book: The New Neighbors

Author: Tamara G. Cooper

Genre: Cozy Suspense

Release date: September 6, 2023

Something isn’t right

Just when Sophie thinks life is returning to normal again, new neighbors move in next door. Right from the start, she senses that something’s off, something isn’t right…

Strange things begin to happen. Murders. Drones stalking her. Her home ransacked. Someone chasing her, hunting her. What is going on?

Burke Maguire, an old boyfriend who recently returned to their hometown as a police officer, isn’t as available to her as he was with their first case. He knows she’s in trouble, so why isn’t he helping her? Something isn’t right…

As she freefalls deeper and deeper into danger, she must outsmart the people after her, but will she figure out the who and why in time to stop their nefarious plans? And, for heaven’s sake, where is Burke when she needs him?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tamara G. Cooper lives in Texas with her husband, one son, and four dogs. She enjoys the simple things of life: picnics, hiking, swimming, church, friends. She loves writing suspense with a touch of romance.

More from Tamara

Who can you trust? Looking into your best friend’s eyes, have you ever wondered if you really know her? Is who she’s presenting to the world—to you—really her?

How would you know if it is or isn’t?

Sophie O’Brion is a bestselling author in The New Neighbors. She’s a little quirky, funny, curious to a fault, daring, and loves writing murder mysteries that answer these very questions.

But what if these questions pop up in her life? An old boyfriend that she hasn’t seen in years comes back to Forman Falls and wants to be friends with her again. Should she trust him? Then, new neighbors move in next door, and she suspects something isn’t right. Strange things begin to happen. Murders. Drones stalking her. Her home ransacked. Someone chasing her, hunting her.

What is going on?

Who can she trust? Anyone?

I hope you read The New Neighbors, Book 2 of the Sophie O’Brion Mysteries series. I would suggest you first read The Vacant House, Book 1. Enjoy!

MY REVIEW

This story is intense at times and other times it has the feel of a cozy mystery. When Sophie gets new neighbors strange things start happening. Children being picked up late at night, drones flying overhead with bullets shooting at a target and bodies found in Sophie’s home and along the road. What kind of neighbors does she have? I would not feel safe at all in my home. Let’s not forget the listening devices found in Sophie’s home. The author delivers a great story with unexplained murders and a kinda boyfriend who is also a cop.

I’m not quite sure if Burke is interested in Sophie or not. He does seem to get upset when she calls him, but she is in danger so why does he act so angry around her? The other neighbors realize strange things are going on next door to Sophie and try to keep a watch out for her. I was very intrigued by the story because I wasn’t sure if it was about trafficking or drugs or maybe something else. There were times the action became a bit overboard and I really wanted the author to start wrapping up the story . Not because I didn’t like it but because it was giving me anxiety trying to figure out what was going on. The twists are numerous and poor Sophie is a moving target as she begins her own little secret investigation.

With an ending that is filled with danger, suspects and a treasure this story is the perfect read for mystery lovers. It does illustrate how, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Greed is also present in this exciting adventure but most of all I loved how the author kept me guessing throughout the book. Get ready for nonstop action a thriller that had me on the edge of my seat.

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 14

Stories By Gina, April 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 15

Texas Book-aholic, April 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 17

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 18 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, April 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 20

A Reader’s Brain, April 21 (Author Interview)

Lights in a Dark World, April 21

For Him and My Family, April 22

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 24

Artistic Nobody, April 25 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, April 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tamara is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 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/2afe1/the-new-neighbors-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, April 14, 2024

About the Book

Book: The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus

Author: Kurt Brouwer

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: March 15, 2024

He awoke jailed in squalor…

Would he complete his final mission?

Or would he fail to record the story only he could tell?

The epic saga of the Last Disciple continues in this captivating Christian historical novel from Kurt Brouwer.

After surviving imprisonment, John faces his greatest challenge–exile in the distant city of Ephesus. Struggling with grief and despair over the destruction of Jerusalem, John doubts his ability to complete the mission entrusted to him by Mary—to write the true gospel account of Christ’s life.

But in Ephesus, John finds unexpected allies—Timothy, Priscilla, and Tychicus, who share his passion for spreading the message of God’s love.

As John shares the good news of Jesus, he makes dangerous enemies, including the influential high priest, Alexander Cosmo, who will stop at nothing to suppress the growing Christian faith.

Amid opposition from without and internal divisions from within the early church, John must contend with those pressuring believers to adopt Jewish law and compromise the radical teachings of Christ.

When tragedy strikes those close to him, can John’s fragile hope be rekindled? Will he finally show the world all the signs, miracles, and events he witnessed on his journey with Jesus?

Don’t miss this page-turning story of faith, courage, and love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kurt is a Christian and a member of a vibrant Christian church on the Big Island of Hawaii. He also loves to write. In addition to all the usual temptations writers face, Kurt has to fight off the lure of beautiful beaches, pounding surf, great weather, and lush golf courses. Can you imagine?

Despite those temptations, he writes The Last Disciple series of Christian historical novels and he regularly writes blog posts.

A few years ago Kurt did a study for his church on the Apostle John. That little project got him hooked on the man who started out life as a fisherman and then became the last disciple of Christ. The more Kurt learned about John, the more he wanted to know.

If you’ve ever been obsessed by anything, you’ll understand that he couldn’t stop researching the life of John and all those around him. And the result of all that research is:

The Last Disciple Series

The Last Disciple is a series of Christian novels based on the Bible and Christian history. The first in the series: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem, begins in the year 62 AD. In it, you walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem. See how he faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean only on the Lord.

This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, with two more books planned. Kurt is now writing the fourth book, The Last Disciple: Gospel of John.

More from Kurt

It all started one day when I learned that the Gospel of John was published fifty years after Jesus died. Fifty years! What did John do all that time? Where did he live? Why did he wait?

But wait, there’s more. On the Cross, Jesus placed his own mother under John’s protection. How long did John take care of her? Where did they live?

I think you can tell I got a little obsessive about this man, who outlived all the others to become the last disciple.

In fact, that very phrase, the last disciple, came to me early one morning when I was reading about John and Peter going to Samaria in Acts 8. John lived so long that he outlived all the others and became the last disciple.

The Youngest Disciple

What do we know about John? He walked with Jesus when he was very young, probably a teenager or very early 20s. He and Andrew were the first disciples of Christ. Before that, they both followed John the Baptist.

Anyone who reads the New Testament would know John as:

The son of Zebedee, his father, and Salome, his mother
Brother to the disciple James
A fisherman on the Sea of Galilee
He and his brother James were friends and even fishing buddies with Peter and his brother Andrew
Youngest of the 12 disciples.
Author of five books of the Bible:
- The Gospel of John 80-90 AD
- The Letters or Epistles of John 90-95 AD
- The Book of Revelation 95-98 AD

But after the mention in Acts 8, that’s it for John. Radio silence for nearly 50 years. Why did it take him so long to write the Gospel of John? And that is the very question I seek to answer in The Last Disciple Series.

The Last Disciple Series

This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, following The Last Disciple: Escape to Antioch and The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem.

I’m now writing the fourth book, The Last Disciple: Gospel of John.

MY REVIEW

I enjoy reading books that follow closely to a story from the Bible. The success of the book is how parallel the two stories are and if the author expands a little to enhance the story. This book has all those qualities. The story follows John and the trials he went through as a disciple of Jesus. He endured a lot of ridicule and found himself alone at times.

The author does a good job of researching John and highlights several events from his life. There are times that the author may have inserted his own thoughts of what John thought or did in a situation but that is to be expected when it is a fictional account. I have read other books from this author and always find that he doesn’t take too much liberty in his books. I feel like I know John better and learned things I may have overlooked about him in the Bible. What inspires me about books like this is it encourages me to read the passages from the Bible to better understand about the subject of the book.

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