Friday, March 29, 2024

Mojave Rock by JW Gilbert

About the Book

Book: Mojave Rock

Author: JW Gilbert

Genre: Christian Fiction – Action/Adventure

Release Date: March, 2024

Arcon forsook his new life of adventure in the outside world to fulfill his destiny with ArcPoint. But the return to his forest home is short-lived—he and Ranger Dan have been called to Jerusalem to meet Central Authority and discover the fate of ArcPoint. A new adventure begins, starting with a round-the-world trip by tube train—something Arcon never thought possible. With its expanded cast of extraordinary characters and a fresh romance, Mojave Rock is the conclusion to the ArcPoint trilogy about reconciliation and truth replacing fear and suspicion.

Click Here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. Why did you want to become an author? Three reasons: 1) I had a lot of stories in my head and got tired of telling them to one person at a time. 2) I’d been working in the same trade for forty years and wanted to change occupations. 3) I needed a hobby where I could sit.

2. What/Who inspired you to write on the main themes found in the book? If I told you Ted Turner, you’d misunderstand. But with CNN, he gave us access to worldwide news 24/7. With that, I could witness end time prophecies coming to pass, which caused me to study the Bible, which is where I discovered the 1,000+ verses I base the ArcPoint book series on. I had to change my thinking numerous times as scripture pointed out flaws in it, which inspired me to rewrite and/or edit the books several times.

3. What did your research process look like for this book?Cluttered. Right now, I have fifteen files open on my computer. I have files within folders within folders within folders. Books and papers are three inches deep on my desk. I wanted this book series to be as realistic as possible, so I did a lot of research. But I never consulted Bible commentaries. The internet is where I could find out what’s wrong with this world—the Bible is where I found how it will change. This book series allowed me to show how I think it might happen.

4. What made you choose the setting/time period for this book? Revelation 20. It spoke of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, ruling earth for a thousand years. Watching news of lawlessness, sexual perversion, wars, and slaughter—my heart longed for peace. The Bible says God’s plan is to come back to earth and make it happen. This book series is set during that time when it is.

5. What message do you hope readers take away from your book? World peace is coming. Right now evil spirits influence our lives, but they’re going away. Selfish people rule our governments and institutions, but they’re about to lose that control. God is preparing people to take on the responsibility of repairing the damage we currently foist on earth and its citizens. But don’t worry, the ArcPoint series doesn’t have a heavy religious theme. The characters are living the life—they don’t need to discuss it.

About the Author

John Gilbert Wozniak (JW Gilbert) grew up in an Oregon farm town. He retired in 2016 as an international data center cooling expert. Around the turn of the century, he began writing as a hobby. After years of expert guidance and a lot of editing, his ArcPoint trilogy is complete. His intent is to write books that are enjoyed by all ages—biblically accurate—with a touch of adventure, romance, and humor. JW has been married to his best friend Darlene since 1980. They are both retired and enjoy the hobby of creating lapidary jewelry. He is a member of Oregon Christian Writers, Mensa, ALLi, and the Tualatin Valley Gem Club.

More from JW

The ArcPoint trilogy finally reaches its conclusion with Mojave Rock. I ramp up the humor and romance a little, just to make it interesting. A few of the minor characters play a larger role. We get to see how Arcon travels around the world without floating on water or flying through the air. And we get a glimpse of what this world is like with the Prince of Peace ruling the planet.

I also move more toward science fiction with Mojave Rock. I wanted to show how mankind cleaned up our planet, after the tribulation era gave us wars, earthquakes, famines, and other forms of death and destruction. When lawlessness made all of us want to hide as ArcPoint did. As technology helped us, there were always people who used it to harm us.

It was fun to contemplate how accident-free high-speed travel could be accomplished. How could we use it to feed the world? In fact, what would world travel be like without war zones, national borders, corrupt government officials, currency exchange, pickpockets, and terrorists? Can you imagine retail stores without shoplifters? Email without spam? Facial recognition without invasion of privacy? No frauds, scammers, or identity thieves? All of that may sound like heaven, but it’s not. That’s another time and place.

So, how will ArcPoint react to connecting with the outside world again? They were already free of the things listed above. World peace didn’t concern them, since inner peace was a common commodity. Will they leave their oasis in the former desert? Will their community be overrun with strangers? Will Arcon and Elaina marry? It’s worth reading Mojave Rock to find out.

Blog Stops

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 19 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, March 20 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

By The Book, March 21 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 22

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 23 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 24

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 26

Artistic Nobody, March 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 28

Guild Master, March 29 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, March 30 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 30

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

The Lofty Pages, April 1

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, J.W. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a print copy of Mojave Rock!!

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/2a8f3/mojave-rock-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Call to Embrace by Maryann Landers

About the Book

Book: Call to Embrace

Author: Maryann Landers

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

Release Date: November 1, 2023

She’s detached in a stormy marriage because of both of their unfaithfulness. Now she faces the aftermath of her compromise with an unwanted pregnancy. Will fleeing bring her the freedom she yearns for?

Emily Corentin wants to escape the jagged edges of her brokenness. She believes the only option she has is to take her young daughter, leave her husband, and end the unintended pregnancy with an abortion. But her plans take an unexpected turn when the homeless shelter she finds is not the type of help she wanted. She’d buried religion years ago with the death of her Gran. Any God-fearing place will only confirm how much God abandoned her.

An offer from a shelter volunteer may be the lifeline she and her daughter need, but Emily only sees it as a means to an end. The unlikely friendship that follows, draws her closer to the answers she may have carried with her all along. But rash decisions bring new challenges that drag her further into a sea of helplessness.

When all hope is lost in despair will she be washed away by the patterns of her past? Or will she answer the call to embrace the mercy of the cross and in turn bring reconciliation to her marriage?

Cick here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and

All opinions given are my own and not an endorsement

Of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. Why did you want to become an author? I wanted to share the extraordinary stories of the women I know here in Alaska

2. What step of writing this book was the most challenging and why? Reworking the plot line and setting because I was protecting the identity of who the book is based on. However, my friend did support me sharing her story.

3. What/Who inspired you to write on the main themes found in the book? It is inspired by a true story of a young woman whose path I crossed during a very difficult time of her life.

4. Which character in your book do you relate to the most? Ada

5. If you could meet your characters in real life, what would you talk about? I do know them. If we could sit around a table though now after the twelve years have passed I think we would cry a lot of tears of joy.

6. What did your research process look like for this book? I mainly researched the area that I set the book in. The summer before I wrote the book I was visiting South Central Alaska and it intrigued me.

7. What made you choose the setting/time period for this book? The time period follows the true story and then I chose South Central Alaska because of the key features in the story with the ocean and the church with the lit cross.

8. Did you have to step out of your comfort zone to write this book? If so, how? Yes, I did simply because of the overarching theme of the book. I realize it will not be “go to” for many because they will make assumptions about it without opening the cover.

9. How did you celebrate when you completed your book? It looks different with each book. It’s ranged from nothing all the way to a trip to Wrangell where one of my books was set and I spent a few days there with interviews, author signing and hosting a ladies luncheon.

10. Do you have a favorite drink or snack for when you’re writing? Coffee

11. What message do you hope readers take away from your book? That there is hope no matter what circumstance you find yourself in and God is with you.

About the Author

Alaskan based author Maryann Landers writes women’s faith filled fiction based on true stories of extraordinary women of her magnificent state. She loves to showcase the unique north and give her readers a little taste of rustic Alaska.

While writing in her log home in the woods she is also looking forward to her next adventure with her Alaskan husband, juggling mom tasks such as crafting homemade meals from moose and caribou meat, building DIY projects from scrap wood piles and guiding her teens in their homeschooling.

Her first novel in the Alaskan Women of Caliber Series; Alaskan Calibration released June 2021.

More from Maryann

Call to Embrace is inspired by a true story of a young mom that I met over 13 years ago as I walked alongside her during a difficult time of her life. A year and a half ago I stood in the Pacific Ocean dip netting for salmon near the mouth of the Kenai River. As the waters tugged at my waders, I remembered the church set on the hill behind me where a cross is always lit as a beacon and I thought there is a story here. With anticipation, I prayed what God wanted me to share. What unfolded is the plot line of my friendship with that young mom set in the stunning geographical area of South-Central Alaska.

Blog Stops

The Sacred Line Lit, March 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 13 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, March 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 15

Artistic Nobody, March 16 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 17

Splashes of Joy, March 18 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 19

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, March 20

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

Inspired by Fiction, March 21

Cover Lover Book Review, March 22

Pause for Tales, March 23

Vicky Sluiter, March 24 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Maryann is giving away the grand prize package of a Alaskan themed gift pack including: one signed copy of the book, a half pint sized jar of canned salmon (caught and canned by the author from the mouth of the Kenai river where the book is set), a cross necklace and a promo code for a free audiobook version of the novel!!

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/2a7a2/call-to-embrace-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron Ross

About the Book

Book: The Samaritan’s Patient

Author: Chevron Ross

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Teen Christian Fiction

Release Date: January 25, 2024

Teenager Paige Abernathy awakens after a severe beating to find that she suffers from amnesia, and that everyone seems to hate her.

She has only flashes of memory until the night a grieving parent attacks her in her hospital room. Paige then remembers her role as creator of an online group where members talk about ways to commit suicide.

After recovering from the beating, Paige embarks on a journey of penance to atone for a disaster born of good intentions. Her odyssey launches her on a mission of mercy and into new danger.

The Samaritan’s Patient is a thought-provoking novel about navigating the treacherous waters of social media.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. Why did you want to become an author?

I never intended to become an author, and I don’t think of myself as one. God is the author. I’m just a typist. When He put the idea for Weapons of Remorse into my headseven years ago, I knew that He wanted it to be about a Christian man struggling with his conscience as a gun rights advocate. Once I had that foundation, everything else fell into place.

2. What step of writing this book was the most challenging and why?

I really struggled with the opening scene of The Samaritan’s Patient once I realized how critical it was to subsequent events in the book. God kept giving me these feelings that something wasn’t right and sent me back to the start over and over again. I probably spent more time on that scene than any other.

3. What/Who inspired you to write on the main themes found in the book?

The Samaritan’s Patient might never have been born had I not seen a PBS interview with two New York Times writers, Megan Twohey and Gabriel Dance, on December 16, 2021. These reporters did an extensive investigation into a website on which subscribers discussed committing suicide and shared methods for doing so. Most visitors to the site were thirty or younger. There were 1.2 million messages. At least forty-five suicides in multiple countries were linked to the site. Everything else in the book just seemed to grow naturally from that news story.

4. Which character in your book do you relate to the most?

Strangely, the one I still think about most is Norris Tankersley, the man who tries to break into the hospital emergency room. Although he’s nothing like me, his personal journey from darkness to light is so moving.

5. What message do you hope readers take away from your book?

That God loves each of us so much that He involves himself in every experience of our lives. And that He expects us to care about each other as He cares about us.

About the Author

Chevron Ross is a pseudonym for someone unimportant. He is not a writer, but God keeps putting ideas into his head that somehow turn into stories. If you like them, be sure to offer God a prayer of thanks.

More from Chevron

Behind the Scenes

This novel might never have been born had I not seen an interview on PBS with two New York Times writers, Megan Twohey and Gabriel Dance, on December 16, 2021.

These reporters did an extensive investigation into a website on which subscribers discussed committing suicide and shared methods for doing so. Most visitors to the site were thirty or younger. There were 1.2 million messages. At least forty-five suicides in multiple countries were linked to the site.

At the time of this broadcast, I had just completed my second novel, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and was wondering what to do next. The PBS interview was so shocking that I could not stop thinking about it. What motive could a person have for encouraging strangers to kill themselves? What could one possibly gain from such an endeavor? And what could provoke someone to throw away the gift of life at such a youthful age?

Each of my novels has been the result of an inspiration from God. Once He puts an idea into my head, it consumes my imagination until I cannot stop working. As you might imagine from the title, The Samaritan’s Patient is a blend of two stories: the famous parable of Jesus in the Bible, and a young person with good intentions who gets caught up in a social media nightmare.

God did all the work on this book. He created the character of Paige Abernathy and told me how to build the novel around the circumstances of her personal life—her parents, her friends, and most of all, her Christian faith. He also created the crisis that launches her on a journey of new experiences and personal growth.

I am amazed and grateful that God would choose someone so ordinary and unaccomplished as myself to do this work. Each novel God has written through me has been a great personal gift, and a reaffirmation that God has a plan for each of us. I pray that The Samaritan’s Patient will be as great a blessing to its readers as it has been to me.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, March 9

By The Book, March 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 11

For the Love of Literature, March 12 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 13

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 14 (Author Interview)

Inspired by Fiction, March 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 15

Splashes of Joy, March 16 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 16

Pause for Tales, March 17

Guild Master, March 18 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 19

A Reader’s Brain, March 20 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 21

Artistic Nobody, March 22 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chevron 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/2a555/the-samaritan-s-patient-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Fences Left Broken by Kristen Terrette

About the Book

Book: Fences Left Broken

Author: Kristen Terrette

Genre: YA

Release Date: October 13, 2023

Mia’s father is dead, and her mother has left her in the rural Mississippi Delta town of Marigold with family she’s never known. Her two sets of grandparents are separated not only by a fence dividing their properties, but by skin color and a deep-seated hatred for each other which none of them will discuss.
When Mia learns their mutual hatred concerns a long-ago murder, she and her new friends set out to uncover who was murdered and why. Their search leads them to unspoken secrets and buried tragedies, stretching from the years of the Great Depression to the Freedom Summer Movement of ‘64.
Mia hopes to reconcile her grandparents by finding the truth. But can broken family fences be truly mended in the face of decades of unforgiving hate?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. Why did you want to become an author?

Honestly, I had stories and characters running through my mind that needed to come out!

2. What step of writing this book was the most challenging and why?

By far the most challenging part of bringing this story to life is all about correctly capturing my biracial main character’s life and understanding of the world around her. I am a literary agent as well, and certainly know the faux pas involved here with a white woman writing a biracial character. I took this very seriously. I had four sensitivity readers give feedback on the book. I interviewed a biracial girl and her biological white mother. (These are good friends of mine, so I could be real, and so could they!) I tried many times to figure out how to write this fascinating story (inspired by true events) that God had planted inside me without making Mia a biracial teen, but I couldn’t do it. So, I just started writing. And I’m very proud of the story. And my feedback from both black and white readers has been wonderful. This is not a white-hero story. This is a forgiveness story.

3. What/Who inspired you to write on the main themes found in the book?

Watching a documentary started it all, revealing the little-known historical facts of the massive role Mississippi landowners played in the Civil Rights Movement and Freedom Summer. In the 1930s, sharecroppers became some of the first black landowners under Roosevelt’s New Deal and became essential to the civil rights movement. The documentary is called Dirt and Deeds in Mississippi (https/vimeo.com/ondemand/dirtanddeeds/). As I watched it, I couldn’t help but think, there’s a story here… And this thought led me to think about all the families before and after the 30s and 60s this would’ve affected. And so, the story of Mia was born.

4. Which character in your book do you relate to the most?

Probably Chloe. She tries hard to walk strong as a Christian and to notice what’s going on around her. She’s a helper, which is what I try to be.

5. If you could meet your characters in real life, what would you talk about?

Basketball. Living in the country.

6. What did your research process look like for this book? What made you choose the setting/time period for this book?

After seeing the documentary mentioned above, I outlined the different time periods that the book would “slip” too. I needed the years of these events to work with the generations of people. So, between 15-30 years apart. The New Deal was in the 1930s, which left WWII in the late 30s/early 40s, then Freedom Summer and what became known as Mississippi Burning in the 60s. Then, I scoured the internet about all these events. I purchased and read books, and watched documentaries about these events as well. And, since I LOVE history, I LOVED every minute of researching.

7. Did you have to step out of your comfort zone to write this book? If so, how?

Actually, no. I am very comfortable talking about race, racial reconciliation, and social justice. I’m super passionate about these topics.

8. How did you celebrate when you completed your book?

I don’t remember, probably just moved right on to the next book! Or maybe moved on straight to writing the dreaded synopsis, lol.

9. Do you have a favorite drink or snack for when you’re writing?

Popcorn and Coffee! Always those two things!

10. What message do you hope readers take away from your book?

That holding bitterness inside is like a festering disease. Release it and forgive!
And, what you see or hear or even think is not always true.

About the Author

With a background in education and theology, Kristen served as a children’s ministry director and women’s leader for many years before returning to her first love—writing the stories playing out in her head. She dove into the publishing world writing numerous articles, devotionals, and novels in both the Romance and Young Adult genres. After managing an international blog and a publishing house’s social media feed, she found herself as an intern at the esteemed literary agency, Writers House, in the summer of 2022.

This landed her a job with Martin Literary Management where she now takes on author clients of her own. Stories are her thing and authors are her people. When not on her computer writing, editing, or emailing, or with her nose in a book, you can find her getting a little too loud from the sidelines of a kids’ basketball or football game. She’s also a recent transplant to rural Georgia where she thrives on jogging her forty acres terribly, drinking coffee while birdwatching, and daydreaming of new book characters, plotlines, and making her client’s dreams come true (which are her dreams as well).

More from Kristen

All you need is a spark.

When people find out I’m an author or have read one of my books, I’m often asked how I came up with the story. My answer is always the same. They all begin with a spark, a small idea, sometimes even taking root first in a remote corner of my mind, that says, “There’s a story there.” And that one spark lights, then it quadruples, over and over until it ends up a bright and thriving fire.

The spark for Fences Left Broken was a documentary from 2016 called Dirt & Deeds in Mississippi which told of “the largely unknown and pivotal role played (in the Freedom Sumer Movement and the Voting Rights Act) by black landowning families in the deep South who controlled over a million acres in the 1960s.” This documentary was fascinating and linked generations who had no idea just how important they would end up being in a much-needed and changing time in history. Black sharecroppers who benefitted from an agricultural program during Roosevelt’s New Deal became landowners overnight. Skip ahead a few decades, and these same landowners, or their heirs, had the power to force change.

In the sixties, Mississippi law said that if you were a landowner, you could vote, which opened doors for black families. But, also, these black landowners had leverage. Land was king. Land was also collateral. So when Freedom Summer came along and the wave of black Southerners tried to register to vote, these black landowners had a unique advantage.

Blacks and whites who were volunteering for the Freedom Summer Movement were arrested, often on bogus charges like disrupting the peace and put in jail. But guess what? Black landowners put their land titles up as collateral and got these people out on bond.

Even crazier, out of the hundreds of arrests and bail bonds issued that summer, not ONE failed to follow through and appear in court. Not ONE person charged with a bogus crime was found in default, their bail revoked, and the bond kept. This means not ONE black family who put their land up as collateral lost it.

Historians have gone so far as to say the success of Freedom Summer and the result of the Voting Rights Act wouldn’t have been possible without these families risking it all for the sake of justice and equality.

This documentary was my spark. I got to thinking about these families. They were real people, now generations of people, living in these intertwined communities. What would this have looked like through the years? What became of these families? Where are they now?

And the rabbit trail of my mind began. That spark ignited, and I followed it, outlining potential events that could have happened to families in Mississippi before and after the 1960s, and it all led to my main character, Mia. And Fences Left Broken was born.

I hope you enjoyed learning some little-known history, and a little tidbit of my writing inspiration. And I hope you are curious to find out more about Mia’s story!