Thursday, October 31, 2024

Reviews for Christmas Holiday Extravaganza Books

Pelican Book Group offers new Christmas novellas every year. They call it their Christmas Holiday Extravaganza.  I wrote one this year, Making Christmas Again, but I also read many of the ARCs of other Pelican Book Group's authors. I haven't finished reading all the ARCs, but here are a few. I loved them all. 💗

JUST ANOTHER WINTER'S TALE by Clare Revell

I find it fun to read a book by an English author. The differences in American English and British English are interesting. For instance, a jumper in England is a sweater in America. What the British refer to as a biscuit is actually a cookie in America. It almost gives me the sense I have traveled far across the sea while reading.

     In Just Another Winter’s Tale, Vere Idowu is still mourning the loss of his sister who died in an accident in London. Vere took over his father’s greengrocer business in the small town of Wychwood Cross. It has always been his family’s tradition to give newcomers to the town a basket of produce from his shop. So, Robyn Yardley, an author, finds a basket on her doorstep from Vere. When he learns her oven isn’t working, he offers to fix it for her. He invites her to join the choral society and soon a tender romance grows between them. Robyn’s dog likes him, too. With Robyn suffering from a long bout of writer’s block, Vere even gives her some great ideas to help her with the development of her heroine. Everything looks hopeful until Robyn reveals a story from her past. It is at that point Ms. Revell’s talent for Christian storytelling grabbed me and made this tale a Christmas treasure. 

     I received this book as an advanced reading copy from the author though my opinion is my own. 

     Find it at Amazon.



A KRINGLE FAMILY CHRISTMAS by Miriam Thor


 Bethany Kringle has not celebrated Christmas since her mother died. Then her brother, who is in the Navy, comes home for the holiday with his friend Jay. Her brother expects the full Kringle Christmas experience for his friend. 

     Bethany’s mom made everything from scratch and Bethany struggles to do it all alone. Serving bottled dressing at dinner makes her feel inadequate. But she believes she is easing her brother and father’s grief by doing everything as her mother used to do. 

     Jay grew up a foster child. The Navy is the first place where he felt he belonged, but he isn’t sure about enlisting again. Bethany’s brother is the one who brought him to Jesus and now Jay is quite sure Jesus is leading him to leave the Navy. As a cook in the Navy, he sees the strain all the cooking is taking on Bethany, something her brother doesn’t understand. Jay volunteers to help in the kitchen. Then one day he takes her ice skating. 

Bethany appreciates Jay’s help and the two begin to enjoy each other’s company. Jay understands Bethany is still suffering from  her mother’s death. For himself, Jay fears leaving the Navy. To him it’s like jumping off a cliff.

Filled with conflicting emotions, this is a gentle, but sweet drama showing how a family can grow beyond a loss with the help of faith.

                                                   Find it at Amazon.



CHRISTMAS LIGHTS & MOONLIT NIGHTS by Carol James


   The last time Leah saw Jed, he was a pudgy, pale boy. She and her friends teased him mercilessly. But when she goes home for Christmas to put up her father’s lavish Christmas light display, she finds Jed is now a very handsome Navy SEAL whose job takes precedence over everything else. 

     Jed promised to make shelves for his uncle. So, he comes and goes depending upon when he is needed at work. Still, he helps Leah hang the Christmas lights. Leah enjoys his company but he can never tell her where he’s been and it unnerves her to know he carries a gun all the time. When he gives a talk to a classroom of students, Leah realizes how enthusiastic he is about the work he does.

     But as much as Jed enjoys Leah’s company, he plans never to marry because he has seen what happens when other SEALS die and the pain they leave behind for their families. 

Carol James has penned a tender tale about true courage bolstered by faith, a perfect Christmas story.


Find it at Amazon.



THE LADY WITH THE ALLIGATOR CASE by Anita Klumpers


     Anita Klumpers has a knack for drawing a reader into her story. So when Jemma wakes up in a hospital bed, handcuffed to the bedrail, I could not stop reading. Jemma’s car went into a ditch during a snowstorm, but in her car was a suitcase covered with alligator skin in which there were rare illegal orchids. Her grandmother asked her to drop them off to a buyer in northern Wisconsin since Jemma was on her way to reconcile with her former boyfriend in that area.

     Instead, Jemma is stuck in Cadwallader with a non-working vehicle,  no money, no ID, not even shoes. However, the police chief of the small town, Elihu, buys her shoes. In fact, Elihu buys a meal for her, too.

     Jemma’s grandmother comes to her aid as well as a family friend who originally had that alligator case in his attic. Someone tries to take the case away from the family friend by force. As the story moves along, it turns out that not everyone is entirely truthful. 

This is an engaging mystery with interesting characters and lots of snow. Well worth reading in my opinion on a snowy day this Christmas. 


Find it at Amazon.


🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Spotlight on THE KEEPER'S SECRET

 If you would like to read another excerpt of THE KEEPER'S SECRET go to:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/the-keeper-s-secret-bs

You can also find out more about me as well as all my social media links. If you buy the book, there's a recipe for peanut butter cookies in it. I love these! 




Saturday, October 19, 2024

Sunday Scenes: THE KEEPER'S SECRET

THE KEEPER'S SECRET was released by Prism Lux on October 11, 2024. It is the story of Bryce and Evie. They grew up in the small town of Shucker's Point. She went on to become the park ranger at the lighthouse while Bryce went on to become a state trooper. When Evie's husband goes missing, Bryce believes the worst of Evie. 

Here's a short excerpt from the end of Chapter Three.

     Evie swallowed hard as she stood under the slanting porch roof and knocked. Nobody answered. She shone her flashlight in the windows, but nothing showed other than a dusty floor and walls with peeling paper hanging down in strips. The woozy sensation hit as apprehension wound through her. She put a hand on the doorknob and turned it. Lord, this is where I need

a gigantic dose of courage. Please help me out. Thanks. 

     She pushed the door open. Shining the flashlight all around, it appeared to be a living room with a few beer cans piled in one corner. Evie stamped loudly on the floor as she headed toward the next room. If any animals inhabited the place, they would hear her coming and run away. A dusty table, a refrigerator with no door, and a sink full of beer cans adorned the old kitchen. 

     "OK, the only animals here have been party animals," she muttered to herself.

     Less afraid, she walked into the next room. A filthy mattress was on the floor and right next to the mattress, lay Jack’s flashlight. Dizzy, with a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead, Evie sank down beside the flashlight and stared at it. 

     She’d bought it for him for his birthday a few years ago. It still had a nick in the side where it hit the steps when he threw it during one of his angry rages. She glanced at the mattress. Did he meet up with his teenage lover here? Evie closed her eyes. Lord, where did Jack go from here?

     The creak of a floorboard behind her made Evie freeze. Terror rose as she turned, only to be blinded by a bright lantern. She cried out and lifted her arm as a shield.

     A cold, contemptuous voice ground out the question. "Is this where it happened? Is this where you killed him?"


⛯ ⛯ ⛯ ⛯ ⛯


You can find the book at all the major distributors of ebooks.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213812722-the-keeper-s-secret?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dLjU29olFY&rank=1

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-keeper-s-secret-by-penelope-marzec?source=link_share

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Secret-Penelope-Marzec-ebook/dp/B0D4MKRR93/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-keeper-s-secret-1?utm_source=google_action

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=Xk4JEQAAQBAJ

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-keepers-secret/id6502920754






Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Guest Post: HIDDEN DANGER by Gail Pallotta

 My guest today is award-winning author, Gail Pallotta. She is a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner, a TopShelf 20
20 Book Awards Finalist and a Top Author pick. She’s published seven books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. A people person, she enjoys connecting with readers.
 

Gail's latest release is Hidden Danger.
What's it about? Check out the blurb below.


After Emily Hanover’s left standing at the altar in Blue Mountain, North Carolina, she goes to Sky High Campground to put her life back together. Because it’s February and few people come here this time of year, she’s alone on the premises. When noises in the middle of the night frighten her, she gathers her courage and peeks outside. A man carrying a body over his shoulder emerges from the dark shadows onto her front yard. Horrified, she collapses onto the floor. 

The next morning, she visits ex-military officer turned security guard, Nick Lancaster. He listens intently to Emily, but dismisses her claim of foul play as a hunter carrying a deer. Finally, after he sees a freshly dug hole in Emily’s yard and finds two more in the woods, he agrees—there’s suspicious activity. Then he and Emily embark on a mission exposing murder and a far-reaching sinister plot, neither suspecting danger can bring romance.     

Hidden Danger has been awarded a Top Author Certificate. Read their review at https://www.gailpallotta.com/this-and-that.html


Now for a taste of the book read the excerpt below!

Chapter One

Emily Hanover jumped and sat straight up in the bed.

She hadn’t been dreaming. There it was again, a scraping noise and banging outside the cabin. With a shaky hand she reached for her cell phone and the after-hours number for Larry, the security guard who checked her in at Sky High Campground. She stopped in mid-air. Thinking only of getting her life back together, she’d forgotten to charge her phone.

The clanging grew louder, more intense. You are our only visitor. Larry had told her. “Few people come to the North Carolina Mountains in January and February, so the managers take off. Another guard, Nick Lancaster who’s on break from college, will be in the office tomorrow.”

With a tremor running through her fingers, Emily plugged the phone into the charger. She flinched each time someone hit stone. With what? A shovel. Yes. It banged into a boulder and resounded in the wind howling around the corner of the house.

Quivering, she slid her feet to the floor. Another round of metal met granite. She raised a blind in the bedroom window, stared at the blackness outside, and let the blind drop. She could see no one. Yet, the shovel vibrations echoed. Whoever hit the rock was really angry. She chewed her knuckle. She’d make herself small and hide. She scooted under the covers and shook.

She had traveled here to renew her spirit in these awe-inspiring mountains. After Donnie West dumped her at the altar, she had yearned to rest and regroup at Sky High. A clank rang out, but this time it reverberated inside her. She would no longer lay here and let a trespasser ruin her vacation. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and forced her body up.

She started to turn on the lights. No. She pulled back her hand. Whoever was outside would see her. She snatched pepper spray and a flashlight from the nightstand and started to the country kitchen, nearly dropping the items as she crept down the hall.

Lord, please help me. First, Donnie. Now this. Please help.

As she peered out the small kitchen window over the sink, the shovel blasted into the silence again. She cringed. Only a person up to no good would invade someone else’s yard in the middle of the night.

She tiptoed past the dining area and the rock fireplace. Her stomach churned as she crossed the room. Finally, she reached the large sliding glass door in the living area. Careful not to touch the drapes, she peeked out the small crack between two panels. No one was there. Had the person outside left? Hope rippled over her. She waited to make sure though. A man with long hair passed outside on her porch. She yanked the drapes shut as tight as she could.

            He carried a body.


🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲


Check the links to find out where you can get the book, visit Gail's website, Facebook page, and sign up for her newsletter. 


Buy Link for Hidden Danger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDYC11RM

Visit Gail on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/Gwrt781/

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-pallotta

Read more about Gail and her books on her Website – gailpallotta.com 

Sign up for her newsletter - https://www.gailpallotta.com/mainphp.html


Wednesday, October 09, 2024

Releasing Friday, October 11, 2024: THE KEEPER'S SECRET!


A review from Gail at Night Owl Romance stated, "Award winning author Penelope Marzec has done it again. The Keeper's Promise grabs the reader's attention from the very first and never lets go. This inspirational romantic suspense story has it all. Pick it up as soon as possible for one wonderful ride."

You can find it at all major ebook distributors: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Secret-Penelope-Marzec-ebook/dp/B0D4MKRR93/

Thursday, October 03, 2024

Saving Your Life




This is a familiar site in NJ in the spring. These are horseshoe crabs involved in important work.  They could be saving your life.

One quart of horseshoe crab blood can sell for $15,000 to $60,000. The pharmaceutical industry uses the blood to test for impurities in drugs and medical devices--everything from injectable medication to stents. So far, there is nothing else as reliable as the blue blood of these prehistoric creatures. It's highly accurate.

It was when I was writing The Keeper's Secret that I went off on a tangent and discovered the worth of horseshoe crabs. The book is set in the Delaware Bay area, which has the highest population of horseshoe crabs. One of the characters in the story is a scientist conducting horseshoe crab research. I knew a bit about horseshoe crabs because I saw plenty of them in Raritan Bay when I was growing up there. But I did not have a clue about their amazing blood.

There's very little in my book about the value of horseshoe crabs. I got sidetracked while I was writing. That sort of thing happens to me all the time. It isn't always easy to stay focused on the story at hand. It's a problem. Especially when I discover something truly incredible--and this thing about horseshoe crab blood is rather awe-inspiring.

So although I wasted some of my writing time in unnecessary research, I gained a new respect for the lowly horseshoe crabs.  I was reminded of it when I saw an article in the Asbury Park Press, "Rutgers lab churning out baby horseshoe crabs."

I suggest you read it, too. You can find it here:


http://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/2014/09/27/rutgers-lab-churning-baby-horseshoe-crabs/16329981/

Those crabs may look grotesque, but they have been invaluable to advances in medicine. However, science keeps marching on. There may be hopeful news for horseshoe crabs. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/blood-in-the-water/559229/?utm_source=twb

Though the FDA is still staying to the tried and true method.


At any rate, horseshoe crabs are an important part of our ecosystem. We should take care of them. 

💗 💗 💗 💗 💗

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

A Lot of Marsh and Me


    That's me at a clam festival in southwestern NJ many years ago. The town had set up the easels, providing watercolor and brushes for anyone who wanted to try their hand at making a painting of the marsh. I thought it was great fun. Although, the scene was mostly sky, mud, a little water, and lots of grass. Of course, there was the aroma of the marsh, too. Since I grew up near a marsh, I don't mind that odor at all. The festival did not include a ferris wheel, it did have a boat show, and lots of seafood. There was also a giant frog. 😂 It was a wonderful adventure.

    While New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, it has plenty of empty areas, too. One of the largest is the Pine Barrens, which covers 22% of the total land area and includes portions of seven counties. 

    When I wrote THE KEEPER'S SECRET, I decided setting it in a very small town would be ideal. Small towns are rife with gossip and everyone knows everyone, but some people are very good at keeping secrets hidden. 

    I hope you'll take a look at THE KEEPER'S SECRET. It's available for pre-order now. It will be released on October 11th. 

💖 💖 💖 💖 💖